John E Davies

Funny you should say that. I am getting there, here is my fridge compartment, I am working my way inward toward the cabin, adding foam and 1” R5 foam board pretty much everywhere… A thermally isolated compartment will hopefully greatly reduce compressor cycling and amp hours. The board is relatively cheap and easy to shape with a table saw. The Baltic Birch is $140 for 25 sq ft! Don’t ask me how many hours this has taken so far.. John Davies Spokane WA.

Unexpectedly high fuel economy while towing is VERY suspect, but in certain conditions you can get it for short distances. For example going east (downhill) out of the Rockies with a 40 mph tailwind. But where it is generally low and flat, and without ferocious head winds… maybe once in a while. That goes completely out the window when you tow at high altitude in hot weather. You can’t deny simple physics, for a long distance it takes a fixed amount of energy to move X pounds of load. Having a very light modern (aerodynamic) TV, strong diesel, correct axle ratio, 2WD, and extra light trailer with rock hard tires helps. What you save on fuel comes back to bite you in the butt in long term diesel maintenance and fuel/ DEF expenses. And you have to hand calculate, not use the Lie-O-Meter on the dash. 22 mpg towing an LE2 …. we wish… I keep thinking about the new Sequoia with its Hybrid power train, it gets great mpgs toodling around town in traffic or cruising, but when towing 6000 pounds, the mpgs drop back down to close to the average of 12-14, it’s that darn physics again. I can live with my LC200’s dismal 10 mpg towing/ 16 mpg city, it is not my daily driver. John Davies Spokane WA

If you do this routinely you could add a pair of 48” long cargo tracks and tie down straps or bungees, because your gear is undoubtedly bouncing up and down, even if they don’t shift visibly on the mats. Plus in a hard stop it will keep them secure. https://www.macscustomtiedowns.com/collections/l-track-versatie These are GREAT items, very versatile, as their name implies, and you get 10% off your first order if you subscribe to emails. I have Mac’s parts all over and in my Ollie. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2790-how-to-aircraft-tiedowns-for-the-storage-tray/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2759-how-to-closet-tie-down-rings/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2758-how-to-wire-cable-clothes-line-full-cabin-length/ You could also carry the small 6x6 Clam shelter there. The bigger ones are too long. John Davies Spokane WA

It is possible to replace your brake assemblies with units that have a mechanical “parking brake feature”. That system is operated by cables and a lever that mounts on the tongue. It is designed to be left on ALL the time you are parked. It also provides extra stability when you are camping by stopping the rocking of the tires. It does not replace chocks! If you mounted the actuating lever out of sight, under the tongue or in the doghouse (propane cover) it would be a fairly effective theft deterrent. If your existing brakes are worn or corroded, this would be a sensible upgrade. Dexter Electric Trailer Brake Assembly with Parking Brake - 12" - Left Hand - 6,000 lbs John Davies Spokane WA

You use the manual lever to apply the brakes fully, to test your adjustment setting initially, and when towing over different road surfaces, for example smooth asphalt versus slippery gravel, and as the brake shoes wear in. The trailer brakes need to be adjusted “as needed” for best operation, don’t just set them once when they are new and never touch the controller again. In theory you need to be able to put on the trailer brakes if the trailer starts to sway, but a properly loaded and maintained Ollie just doesn’t sway. Fingers crossed. John Davies Spokane WA

The Isotherm fits through my door opening with 1/2” to spare on each side. I did tape down the protruding wires on the compressor so they would not catch. John Davies Spokane WA

If a water line is routed hard against the sidewall, it will get cold, it is simple physics. You can insulate any suspect areas with the 1/2” round foam sleeve, or if there us room, you can add some R5 rigid foam board, the Dow Corning pink stuff. It can be secured with aluminum tape, just be sure to leave a few gaps at the bottom edge for any moisture to escape.

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