John E Davies

It is possible that some water lines are too close to the hull wall, if actually touching, that will cause problems. You can insulate them using 1/2” foam tubes, but a better solution is to add some 1” pink foam board (Dow Corning R5), if there is room. John Davies Spokane WA

I finally received an undamaged fridge from West Marine. I set it on the cabin table (lowered position) and ran it for a few hours on 120 volts AC. When I first turned it on, I thought it was dead, then I saw the fan spinning and felt the compressor. Yep, running…. I did this sound test from 12” away from the compressor. Woohoo! I haven’t seen an actual sound reading before. I am blown away. But not blown away by how the inside looked “as received”. Nothing was damaged. I am doing extensive carpentry this weekend. John Davies Spokane WA

That is not a “chip”, it is a major hit. Did you hear it? I would take it to a marine repair shop that does boat stuff. Is it located in front? Did the object come off your truck or was it one of those distressing ones you see coming toward you from the opposite lane? The kind where you think “Please please do not hit the windshield!!!’” Then CRACK, it hits right in your line of sight.., grrrr. Good luck. John Davies Spokane WA

That is great news, I fixed your pics, HEIC files are not supported. One super method of securing your trailer would be to buy a hitch dolly, and swing it around backwards when you park it long term. I don’t think most thieves would even consider taking it if they couldn’t hitch up easily. Good luck. John Davies Spokane WA

Hi Melody, welcome to the forum, I agree, you don’t have enough power to safely tow an LE2 which can weigh as much as 7000 pounds. Compare the power figures for your engine vs the big V8. You might be able to CAREFULLY tow it home to Florida from the factory, but the first steep grades you encounter will show you that it just isn’t going to be satisfactory. You will 100% need to upsize your tow vehicle, or downsize your trailer. Considering the age of your truck, it makes sense to get a more modern, more powerful, much safer truck. John Davies Spokane WA

Anybody want the shell? Willing to ship. It will need to reassembled at your end. John Davies Spokane WA

Brian, I did nothing to the furnace before the tests. I did open the inside service panel for a look at the flame pattern afterwards. Thanks for the analysis, what do you think of those acoustic panels? I chose that type because they are just 1/2” thick, were very cheap and got good reviews. I only used 5 complete panels, the adhesive sticks very well but I taped the edges for a little extra long term security and for maybe a little extra shielding. That big raw wall was one big sounding board before applying the panels. There is still some fan noise coming out the heat register closest to the fan - shutting it helps, but that is sort of counter productive. I think that one big blue 3000 hz spike in the first graph shows the ignitor “snapping” - it will be nice to have that much more muffled at night for every time the furnace relights. Thanks again for the helpful comments. John Davies Spokane WA

Jack shaft up. I encountered a frozen jack once, it would not budge in either direction. Knowing which way to relieve the load might be useful next time. The problem was actually (really) loose mounting bolts through the frame. John Davies Spokane WA

I just looked at my brackets, Hull 218 has black painted steel ones and they look fine. Then I pretty much hid them. John Davies Spokane WA

A few pics John Davies Spokane WA

I have been really mad at how noisy my furnace is, it drives one of my dogs completely nuts. I plan to do an extensive thread on the changes, but I am not done yet, and I have some return airflow testing to do using HVAC smoke matches. I used a free sound meter app on my iPhone 13 Mini, so the actual numbers are probably not real accurate. I used these settings: I set my iPhone on the street side bed platform with the mic facing the furnace grill, and I put the two fiberglass access covers and the mattress in place over the furnace. (10” thick optional mattress.) I started recording, walked to the thermostat, started the furnace, let it run for about a minute, then let it shut off automatically before turning off the recording. There were no extraneous outside noises, the test was done inside my RV garage. Here is the initial test: Here is the final test: Before the mods, the furnace was irritating and screechy. Afterwards, it sounded a little quieter, but more importantly, it was much more even and mellow. I am nor sure how to interpret the graphs, but it appears that the peak red sound levels (dBa) are reduced, and the peak blue max frequencies are HUGELY affected, the peaks drop from 3000 hz all the way down to 300 hz. (!!!) And the green average sound level goes from a crazy pattern to a mellow even one, way lower…. I think that change is what I am hearing. My dog will like it. Comments welcome, especially from an engineer. FYI, if you want to get a feel for how much nicer it can be, find a high density foam pillow and stuff it hard over your return air grill. My mods are quieter… John Davies Spokane WA

That article is not a general "camping" article, it is about dealer inventory and commercial RV parks. I haven't been out since late last October, but I saw no sign of large numbers of empty campsites in the state parks and forests around here... tho in the off season (October and on) the parks do have vacancies mid-week, but certainly not on the weekend. Yes the dealer lots are once again full. Maybe people are finally getting fed up with the outrageously high cost of parking your trailer cheek and jowl with 100 other trailers, just so you can plug in. 😉 John Davies Spokane WA

The only way you will find a light duty truck with high payload is to look for one with minimal options. Every little extra you add reduces the payload number, especially stuff like that power sunroof and fancy multipurpose tailgate…. Compare the payload of a stripped work truck to a loaded luxury version. (For the HD trucks a diesel option just decimates the payload, these big diesel engines are massive cast iron and very heavy with many complicated emission components.) And every aftermarket part you add later also takes away pounds, a canopy and thick bedliner alone might weigh 300! If you plan just a few short camping trips annually, maybe some trips for household chores like lumber, a stripper would work fine. But it will be a relatively horrible towing experience on really long trips. People like those posh interiors, but they come at the cost of reduced practicality and capability. The newer Ram heavy duty trucks with coil or air suspension ride and drive very nicely. The interiors are car-like. At the very least you should test drive some big trucks, just to see how they feel. Then you can start to narrow your search. A LE1 trailer opens up many more options for TVs. Keep that in mind. John Davies Spokane WA

This is an interesting discussion. I have no direct input since I never camp when it is frigid. But I do caution about making things too complicated. Relying on pumps, computers and multiple electrically operated valves may look promising in your mind, but in the real world that will likely prove to be a long term nightmare to troubleshoot and to maintain. KISS. Keep it simple stupid! RV appliances, hardware and pumps are notoriously poor in quality and inefficient in energy use. It would be better to try as much as possible to use natural heat convection and basic tried and true winter camping methods. Also keep in mind the future owners of your trailer who may not approve of mods that are not easily reversed. OTH I really like the Alde heating system, I think it would work GREAT in an Ollie with its double hulls. But the USA distributor won’t sell complete kits to individual owners, we are apparently not to be trusted. With Alde, if you have a cold area, just add another small heating register there. Run your fresh water lines next to the heating lines, all will be well. And of course, eliminate as many openings cut into the trailer as possible, those are disasters in terms of heat loss. (And dust entry.) https://www.truckcampermagazine.com/camper-reviews/alde-hydronic-heating-system-test-and-review/. John Davies Spokane WA

GJ, this will take care of your freezer concerns… https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/8828-for-sale-used-arb-classic-series-1-50-quart-fridge-freezer-close-to-new-inside-and-out-500/ John Davies Spokane WA

Tom, that is a gorgeous installation, you have to love those little self adhesive cable pads. Did it just vent out the bottom of the drawer? John Davies Spokane WA

OK, I guess I will have to assume my replacement fridge has all of the needed harnesses taped up inside the cooler. I did not see another junction box on the outside anywhere. FYI I don't like that method of just having individual wires hanging in space, that is a recipe for fatigue failure of the terminals. Did you secure all the loose wires into a tight bundle? Thanks John Davies Spokane WA

I guess it is a European spec, it fits Isotherm fridges. My fridge has to be returned due to shipping damage, I need to know in case the replacement unit’s 120 v ac line cord is too short. Does it use a separate ground wire??? Thanks, John Davies Spokane WA

All well, and good, but I believe that you cannot inspect the hidden side of the brackets without physically removing them, so additional hulls could have defective ones. So a Tech Bulletin is definitely needed to verify that they are correctly built. If those bottom welds are visible with a borescope, or a light and a mirror, it would take minimal down time. John Davies Spokane WA

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Update, West Marine only had a unit in Florida, so they shipped it promptly, loaded it onto the wrong truck, the shipping label fell off and it ended up in New Jersey. They could not figure out where it was supposed to go, so they sent it back to Pensacola, so it could go in the right compass heading... I picked it up today, the store manager here in Spokane said it had a little box damage, but he had opened it up, unbagged it, and inspected it all over, and all was great. I got it home, spun it around in my truck and discovered that some airhead drone had rammed a forklift arm through the front door. The damage is a little hard to miss, do you agree? I am standing straight up, the door is buckled. I'm not sure how anyone could miss that, SHAME on me for believing the guy. It goes back to the store tomorrow for credit and I have already ordered another one. Which is $50 more expensive, so they will have to credit me that too. Grrr. At least I was able to make some measurements, to make sure the dimensional drawings are correct, and to see where the power connections are, and how the feet are spaced. I can start on the construction now...,. Here are a bunch of pics for your entertainment. I have opened a ticket to see if I can get some guidance from Jason about retrofitting this into my old timer Hull 218. John Davies Spokane WA

Will Oliver Service exchange the older aluminum ones for steel? I haven’t looked at mine lately, I need to go check. Seems like there should be a recall or at least a Service Bulletin… Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

Can you open up the holes to 4” and use transition adapters on the ducts? The Valterra registers are great, tough as nails and very nice looking. I just installed two extra ones as furnace air returns and will replace a couple of older stainless vents that did not turn out well. I whacked off half of the extension and also drilled a bunch of holes around the perimeter, so gear cannot accidentally shut off the flow (completely). They fit snugly in a four inch hole. .. Valterra A10-3345VP Rotating Heating and A/C Register John Davies Spokane WA

https://www.macscustomtiedowns.com/ John Davies ex- A & P Spokane WA