John E Davies

Welcome and congratulations. They will not create the VIN, AKA the hull number, until the very end when the trailer is finished and weighed. It will be a hard wait, but the end result is worth it. John Davies Spokane WA

I agree, it is my Go To app, but the data is really full of holes. It relies on user input to fix mistakes and from my experience, this is just not happening. Out of a dozen camp sites, one or two always have errors. I have submitted six corrections in the last eighteen months. Some are minor (mislocated on the map), some are huge (used to be free dispersed camping, now run by the State Parks at $35 per night). Still, it seems to offer a lot of good suggestions, just trust and then verify. Old Internet reviews are no good at all, times change..... gates and Posted signs go up. John Davies Spokane WA

With a composting toilet, this is not a worry. A little drip of leaking gray water or some of it splashing on your hands is simply not a big deal. Especially in the West where it is acceptable to dump it on the ground, in many places. Just some more promoting the Natures Head. ;) John Davies Spokane WA

It would not hurt to cover the entire area that would get blasted by road spray and hard debris, and the front facing surface of the rear bumper too. All surfaces in line with the tire tread need to be protected, so coat pretty much the entire underneath curved part of the hull, plus the exposed gelcoat around the back of the wheel wells. (That area does not get protected by flaps, but it is not highly visible so I can live with damage until it gets bad enough to cover with bedliner spray). If you plan on driving on unsurfaced roads, you won't be able to match the protection you get with flaps. They stop the debris from hitting in the first place. Plus they protect the city and tank fill water fittings and stop big stones from ricocheting off the back bumper and into the rear lights and gelcoat. I have found jagged basalt stones the size of my thumb lying on top of the rear platform before, and nothing but dust after installing flaps. They are really very effective. Plus they protect cars following you from stuff thrown by your tires.,. that is a bonus. John Davies Spokane WA

As far as I know, they will not, though I have heard that in the past they have installed them on Canada-bound unit(s) due to the laws requiring them on trailers there. I have suggested that they develop a kit that can be installed either by a skilled owner, or prior to delivery by the Oliver shop. Ideally, they would make changes in the mold to allow better/ easier attachment to the fiberglass - the shape is a little awkward at the very back - so you don't need to add heavy support bars to the frame. Whatever we end up with, it needs to be robust, but also failsafe, so if you run over a big object or have tire tread separation, it will not do too much damage to the hull. It needs to be designed with a break-away or fold-away feature for a big impact. Jason said they would look into it. It never hurts to ask them, the more people who express interest, the more likely things like this are to happen. This is how we got EZ-Flex suspension, extra access panels, solar, etc. Ask (enough) and ye shall receive. John Davies Spokane WA

I think if it is driven “home” really hard, it won’t come out on its own. There is an inner lip on the grommet that should be snapped over the edge of the hole. It was quite hard to get the last 30 degrees of mine to fully seat. It was obvious by feeling with a finger when it finally went fully forward. I am pretty sure mine was never installed. It was like this from the start and there it is doubtful that it could have moved two inches on its own. I will keep an eye on it, but I do not think it will shift. If it does I will drive it forward and put a pair of small stainless worm screw clamps on it, connected to make a big one. That will put two points of contact to hold it in, not one as shown in Bill’s pic. Plus I do not happen to have a great big one lying around..... when I sold my house two years, I cleared out most of my cached spare parts. I have regretted that whenever I have to go down to the hardware store instead of just reaching into a bin of parts.... John Davies Spokane WA .

Since you are retired, and no longer have to follow legal dispensing guidelines, maybe you can comment with a good conscience about this article. ....https://www.propublica.org/article/the-myth-of-drug-expiration-dates I have no moral or physical problems taking long expired pills for minor ailments. I can understand why epipens or insulin should get scrapped because they treat life threatening conditions. I am not going to toss a bottle of out-of-date acetaminophen, allergy tabs or Viagra until I notice that they no longer work. The big pharmacutical companies and the retired politicians they hire to lobby for them are not on the side of the consumer. Their one purpose is profit. I would apprciate hearing your thoughts. Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

Randy, you are entirely correct, that was a big brain fart on my part. I edited my post. I suppose a pure copper flat washer might be acceptable, but those are not exactly common.... Thank you for the correction. John Davies Spokane WA

The Zesty Paws product looks interesting. It must be given regularly, not just before a stressful event. That can really add up if your dog is large. To treat my two 40 lb dogs (2 tabs daily, each) would use up a bottle in three weeks. At $30 per 90, that is going to get very costly. Unless they offer a higher dose product? The primary ingredient is hemp, this article is informative. I thought hemp was no longer grown in the USA, but I was very wrong. https://ministryofhemp.com/hemp/legal/ OTC generic Benadryl is practically free in comparison, plus humans can take it for allergies. I would definitely try that first. 600 tablets for $10..... https://www.amazon.com/Diphenhydramine-Medicine-Antihistamine-Ingredient-Benadryl/dp/B0077SVM4G/ref=sr_1_11_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1536157552&sr=1-11&keywords=Benadryl+generic+tabs John Davies Spokane WA

Nope, it has been asked for. They should send out a survey asking for feedback and a list of problems experienced, big and small. One month after delivery, then annually: the information would tell them what is happening to these trailers as they age, travel lots of miles and bounce down our aging highways and bumpy back roads... If you do not know what is failing, how can you take steps to improve the build quality? The survey needs to go to every owner, not just the small number of folks who actively participate here. John Davies Spokane WA

A thundershirt is worth a try, it made a marginal improvement on our Labradoodle Zadie’s “sudden onset” travel anxiety. It had no effect on Zack’s trailer “furnace fan fear”. I think it would be a good first step. Make sure the size is correct, it must fit very snugly to apply chest compression. Over the counter Benedryl also works, it makes them drowsy, but check with your vet first about dosage for such a small dog. If the thundershirt doesn’t work, try this, then progress to a prescription sedative med. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/benadryl-for-dogs/ Good luck, anxious dogs are hard on everybody, including your pet. Not to be negative, but once a dog gets this way it usually won’t go away, all you can do is try to manage it. We travel less with our dogs now, because they are frankly much happier at home with our daughter as house sitter. And we are happier without freaked out animals. John Davies Spokane WA

Welcome, you should have minimal hassles traveling south from TN ... hopefully. We Northerners typically have to park the big pull toys by November. I looked up your town. My brother-in-law lives 5 miles north of you.... The Ollie will make a terrific hurricane bug-out vehicle, especially if you ordered the solar stuff and big battery bank. Have you towed anything yet with your Titan XD? Care to share any comments about that cool new engine? Thanks, John Davies Spokane WA

I really don’t like that the big cable is inserted into the ground bus like that. It is a marginal connection at best. It is acceptable for low current draw wires. But not ideal, even there.... Ring terminal size & shape. The “flag” or “ring” of the lug that attaches to a terminal comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Lugs that provide a large surface area reduce resistance and the possibility of digging into soft lead battery terminals. Some breakers and inverters may need a smaller-size ring to fit on their terminals. Avoid using set-screw-type compression lugs with finely stranded cable. Under pressure, the fine strands can twist and break off. The high number of strands makes the flexible cable’s connection “soft,” resulting in a connection that will be difficult to get tight and could potentially become loose over time. https://www.homepower.com/articles/solar-electricity/design-installation/inverter-battery-cables?v=print At the very least, make sure your cable is tightly secured with nylon ties so it cannot flop around at the bus and weaken. It really ought to have a proper eye terminal and a separate ground point. If you don’t do anything about it, try to remember to check the screw for tightness every year. I REALLY hope I am not sounding like a doom monger, talking so much about wire connections, but less than ideal wiring can literally cause fires. It takes no more effort to install a wire correctly during manufacture. Fixing incorrect wiring is time consuming, expensive and frankly a PITA.... These are a much better choice than what Oliver and the RV industry is using: John Davies Spokane WA

Spike, it’s great that yours is installed, but not so great that there is a 1/2” eye terminal on a 1/4” stud. The actual metal-to-metal contact area is perhaps 30% of what it should be. It may be OK, but you should add 1/4 stainless flat washers on either side of the eyelet. EDIT, DO NOT DO THIS, SEE POST 499 below here. Or better yet, consider having a correctly sized one crimped on the end of the cable. Having a great big hole hugely reduces the area for current to flow, not good when you are expecting it to carry a very high amp overload in an emergency.... a 1/4 stud needs a 1/4 eye. In addition, the connection is much more likely to get loose from vibration since there is so much room for the terminal eye to shift sideways. Unfortunately the tech who installed your cable did not understand this. John Davies Spokane WA

This really embarrasses me because it took 18 months to finally figure out what was going on. The waste pipe has always flopped around and it never occurred to me to get on my knees with a strong flashlight for a close look. I discovered that at the very front (dark) end of the hose compartment is a 5” hole where the 3” pipe exits the trailer. There is supposed to be a big flanged plastic grommet inserted into the hole to seal it. Mine was two inches back on the pipe. It had never been pushed into place. I drove it into position with a wood stick and a big mallet. The last little bit at the 6:00 position was tough, but I wedged a 2x4 under the pipe and finally got the last 30 degrees of grommet to snap firmly into place. Now the pipe does not move, nor will huge amounts of road dust enter there. If your pipe moves at all, check the grommet. It should look like this, fully seated all around. You can feel with a finger if there is a gap anywhere: Fixing it should RADICALLY slow down the nuisance dust buildup in my interior compartment: I will vacuum the dust out once more to see if it is stopped for good. This is what typically comes out of that rear compartment after dusty roads: John Davies Spokane WA

The original intent for the cargo tray was to store AND run a generator there. That is why the original design was called a generator tray and has a big slot in back for the 30 amp shore power cord to go. But now Oliver is in tune with the generator companies and they caution to keep it far away when operating, to keep from gassing the occupants.... in addition there will be some vibration from the engine, I think. I set my Yamaha on the ground, on a piece of cardboard, downwind next to the tongue, so I can loop the 8’ cable lock through it. I am still alive, so far so good. When turned off and cooled down, I drag the cardboard under the tongue as far as it will go, and secure my disconnected Stone Stomper fabric around it as a disguise. Unless you are up close, you cannot tell what it is. If you put the unit under a tree 50 feet away, it will be very quiet, but you may find it has disappeared as soon as it gets dark. I do think those boxes are great, but my 2400 is maybe a little large for one. A box mounted on the Oliver rear bike rack would be a great setup, look cool, and it would free up space at the tongue for maneuvering room or other stuff, like Overland’s sexy offroad swivel jack. Just thinking... for now my genny travels in the truck. John Davies Spokane WA

No disconnects or fuses, unless they are hidden away. Are you trying to make me lose sleep? My external solar port was wired poorly, unsecured and unprotected wires, directly to the battery, no fuse. I told Oliver about it and they seemed unconcerned that there was an unprotected hot wire. “The external panel you plug in has a fuse to protect the wires...” Yeah, but what about the trailer wires? The Furion install instructions require a 10 amp fuse near the house battery. But they did send me the parts and I crimped the holder in place in the battery compartment. I don’t know if they started adding fuses during the build process. At some point you just get tired of thinking about this stuff, you have to take a deep breath and go camping..... I still want pics and the full story behind your tongue jack and offroad hitch. Can you please start a new thread about them? Thanks, John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks guys. I did crimp very solidly before soldering - even if the solder runs completely out, the joint will not fail. I do not have a hydraulic crimper, just one of these: They are not pretty crimps, but they are solid, and I have done a lot of battery/ winch cables this way with no issues. How much is a professional crimper? John Davies Spokane WA

It is good for owners to have their forum signatures filled out, so we can see your hull number (along with any other vehicle or personal info you want to share). My hull is 218 and it appears from many conversations that this was a period of very fast growth, accompaned by growing pains, AKA quality control problems. Though I continue to believe that many these issues were PREDICTABLE by management and to a high degree avoidable, and that they have not yet gone far enough to correct the affected trailers. I have yet to see Tech Bulletins for some of the known problems (such as overinflated tires, fresh water pickup tube, window brackets, brake adjustment, airborne drawers, incorrect or missing hardware, poor wiring), so many owners who are not regular Forum readers may be completely unaware of them ... unless they have been contacted directly by phone or email, which is entirely possible. I have no idea if any of these issues are on a Honey Do list tacked to a wall at the factory, and are quietly taken care of in the background during a service visit. I hope so, that would make me feel very good. If I were buying a new Ollie today, I would not have any additional worries. If I were buying used, I would be be sure to get it inspected, and ask for a service history. The trailers truly have come a long way since the very beginning, and they continue to evolve for the better. After 18 months I am still finding things wrong with “Mouse”. I just swear a little (sometimes a lot), fix them, alert others and continue to enjoy this wonderful trailer. I have no qualms whatsoever about recommending that somebody buy one. There is no better built trailer out there, though there are a few better other types of RVs for an lot more $$$$. John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks for the kind words. The Internet is overflowing with videos on how to pack trailer bearings. My only advice is to buy high quality seals (Timkin or SKS) from a bearing supply house, not the cheap @#$&* Chinese ones from Pep Boys. He can thank me in a year when they don’t leak grease all over the brake linings.... What is this mildew? Oh, wait, I remember vaguely from when I lived in Seattle 15 years ago. I can’t help here. John Davies Spokane WA

I don’t have any suggestions for RV camping, but if you are at all interested in 4wd roads the White Rim Road in Canyonlands is beyond stunning. Camping is allowed, but only in a dozen designated spots and you can’t tow an Ollie. You could camp near Moab, rent a Wangler, and drive the best part of the White Rim, the east half (out and back) in a day. A stock 4wd shortbed pickup with good clearance (not a Chevy) could do this part, no problem, but a raised suspension and tough tires are best. This is our old Series 80 LX450... good memories. https://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/whiterimroad.htm If you get further northwest in your travels, Great Basin NP is stunning and very uncrowded. Most people have never even heard of it. It is 100 miles north of Lake Meade right at the border in Nevada. There are a number of typical forested USFS campgrounds along the 5000 ft drive to the top, but Wheeler Peak CG at nearly 10,000 feet is the one to visit. It can be really breezy that high up and there is risk of snow. Nearby Wheeler Glacier (13,000 ft) is the southernmost glacier in North America. Lots of golden aspen this time of year. Remote. Gorgeous rugged alpine scenery. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Basin_National_Park John Davies Spokane WA

For the white window trim this will work well. https://www.amazon.com/3M-General-Purpose-Adhesive-Cleaner/dp/B00Y957GWC/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_263_tr_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=GBSD3Q9M15NTS3BYYYC0 Buy it locally at an auto paint supply house and it may be as cheap as $15. This is great cleaner. It gets off tree sap and tar too. You can scrub with a small brush (old toothbrush) or even a red Scotchbrite pad, plus the 3M cleaner, if there are stubborn stains. Treat the vinyl with 303 Protectant or a coat of wax. Or Rejex. John Davies Spokane WA

I changed out my Xantrex 2000 watt inverter due to a warranty claim. I found that the required Chassis Ground cable was never installed. It’s the small center terminal between the two large Positive and Negative battery cables, between the two cooling fans. You can just reach in with your hand and feel for a heavy gage wire there, or use a small inspection mirror. The installation manual specifically requires a BIG cable here, minimum size 8AWG which is pretty hefty. They suggest that one the same size as the other two cables be used. There is a potential danger of shock (“Death or severe injury”) if the unit should fail without a chassis ground. Max load is 250 amps for this unit. That is a heck of a lot of current, so huge wires are required. I used a pair of 4 AWG battery cables and installed crimped and soldered terminals. You can make a cable yourself, if you have the skills and knowledge. If you don’t feel OK about this, a professionally crimped cable should be installed. I ran the cables forward to the battery box support column, using a 5/16” bolt and self locking nut. I used an existing hole that was missing it’s hardware. ;( That support is welded at the bottom to the left main frame rail, so it is an excellent ground point. I alerted Oliver Service and requested that they issue a service bulletin and send out cables as needed to all affected owners. Here is my fix: Please inspect your inverter ASAP and respond here, and submit a Service Request if needed. [attachment file=Xantrex Chassis Ground 01.png] [attachment file=Xantrex Chassis Ground 02.png] Install Manual: http://www.xantrex.com/documents/Power-Inverters/PROwatt-SW/975-0529-01-01_Rev-B(PROWatt%20SW%20Inverter%20NA).pdf John Davies Spokane WA

Great idea, if you need it to be highly visible. A light color will make the inevitable rust very visible, unlike black. If you keep it touched up that won’t be a problem. This is why trailer hiches are black ;) My go-to paint for small jobs like this is the Duplicolor Brake Caliper Paint. It is found in any auto parts store, has ceramic for durability, has a nice gloss, flows out well and is long lasting. Plus it needs no primer, just a light sanding and good degreasing. The only downside is that it is more expensive. https://duplicolor.com/product/caliper-paint I use it on all my calipers and they stay looking great for years. Once you try this, you may not go back to “hardware store” spray paint. When are you going to send me some pics from Palisades Reservoir? Check your PMs. John Davies Spokane WA

No, that is a smart question. NEVER EVER put oil in the FRESH water tank because it is potable water. Nor does it have a three inch dump valve that needs lubricating. All the little ball valves have self lubticating seals. Plus I would not want oil anywhere around the pump. It might swell the rubber (?) impeller and seize it up, I am hypothesizing here. I did not actally mention the fresh tank, I was talking about the two grey valves and the black valve. I hope that clarifies this. Please do not add oil to your drinking water supply. I actually never drink from it, but some folks do not mind the taste. John Davies Spokane WA