John E Davies

EDIT 03/27/18. Added text to first four parts. JD EDIT 03/29/18: Added road test with pics, see the below post with this date. This is going to be a super long thread, I have a lot of pics and text to work on. For now I am going to get my order document (with measurements) and the install pics loaded. I am going to be away from home for a week, but maybe I can work on getting the "How To" text entered also. While I am doing that I will insert the pics into the text as needed. The job is finished but I have not yet towed with it. A road report will follow somewhere, somewhen. Please look at this doc for ordering and measuring info: DAVIES-Stone-Stomper-NOTES-MEASUREMENTS-013118-EDITED-FOR-POSTING.docx PART 1 EDIT 03/27/18 SUMMARY AND BASIC DESCRIPTION This is frustrating, a very long, 20 minute edit vanished. Completely. I should know better than to write online and not back stuff up. I hate the forum software. It is a measure of how much I like you guys that I will rebuild that post. Stone Stomper is an Australian manufacturer that has been making these guards for many years, they are extensively engineered and tested over tens of thousands of miles of rough tracks to perform well under harsh conditions. The owners who use them really like the product. There are plenty of reviews and videos, so I will just send you to their site for now: …. http://stonestomper.com.au At this time they have virtually zero market exposure in the USA, though they have shipped them here. I really hope that they will consider opening a small USA distributor/ manufacturer so that the issues with exchange rate, high International; shipping and possible warranty claims would be more palatable. I don’t think that will happen unless we as foreign buyers ask hard. At the end of this thread are “unboxing” and “initial layout” pics. I will add some comments there. The basic premise is that an underslung heavy mesh fabric that rides underneath the entire A Frame structure stops rocks from getting past, stopping paint erosion, gravel rash and damage to the trailer body and the tow vehicle rear hatch and glass. The design offers way, way more coverage than your typical RV gravel flaps. The mesh is suspended in front with 6 long shock cords connected to a custom crossbar, and is anchored to the ball mount with a seventh short one. During maneuvering, the inside part folds in on itself and the cords stretch on the outside part. Normally the mesh just “floats” on the six main cords. On longer installations like the Ollie, there is a central support bar that helps to hold up the fabric in turns and also has other functions. Short coupled camp/ utility trailers don’t have or need the support bar. The gray fabric up front is light and fairly flexible, and it is intended to sail up to seal the gap between the TV and the front of the fabric when moving. When not being used you can roll it up and slide on optional sleeves made in a matching material. The challenge on the Oliver is that there is no easy way to attach the supplied rear anchors to the hull. One could drill into the fiberglass but that would be ugly and it would not get the rear of the fabric positioned in the best place. I elected to build aluminum mount bars that extend out to provide complete coverage of the fiberglass, and also to give me a place to mount additional sheet neoprene guards to protect the steps, underneath puddle lights and the black tank rinse fitting. The center support bar was a challenge. The instructions call for a simple one piece section of 1 inch ID plastic conduit, lying on top of the frame and slid into the two sleeves. That seemed primitive and again, I did not want to deal with a really long pipe, so I designed a system where two small pipes slide into a fixed center alloy tube. Shock cord comes down from the tubes and allows me some adjustment of the support tension. The reason for plastic supports is two fold: they are strong, cheap, UV resistant, flexible and the material can be found at any hardware store for $0.40 per foot. And if they take a hit, or I somehow jackknife into them, they will hopefully bend or break before damaging the TV. Being short allows me to carry pre-cut spare sections easily, since they are less than three feet long. At Stone Stomper’s suggestion, I added a short length of chock cord just in front of the doghouse, with plastic hooks slid under the rear or the innermost SS shock cords. This helps support the fabric and keep it from drooping down under the center of the frame. MORE TO FOLLOW. John Davies Spokane WA

Wow, that is a serious piece of equipment. A word of caution: That Valterra clear sewer adapter is nifty, but it only has two ears and they are fragile in cold weather. One WILL break off when you least want it to happen. If you really want to use that cover, do not leave a hose connected to it during travel, and carry an extra. The Camco black one (39463) has four ears and is much more robust. I think we are all going to want to see a video of this in action.... John Davies Spokane WA

I am not sure where the camera switch in your trailer is located, but the one image I saw here on the forum had it positioned next to the main light switches at the front entry. Yes, the camera is in back, but your switch should be near the front. You can easily splice into the “switched” side to turn yourTPMS booster on and off. .....IF you actually need one. Have you tried it without? John Davies Spokane WA

Are you sure your booster is weather proof? That area under the doghouse gets pretty darned moist sometimes.. Have you considered mounting it inside the cabin wall forward of the microwave? There is adequate room inside the switch bay, plus easy access to constant 12 volts, and if you have the factory backup camera, you could use that existing switch to power your booster. Any inside location up high and near the front of the cabin should work well. Are you positively certain that you need one? My system works perfectly without one. John Davies Spokane WA

Cool, thanks for the info. Did you drive down to the river on East Portal Rd? Did you also visit nearby Dinosaur NM? John Davies Spokane WA

I went to their Facebook page. I did ask them about the "no-load" speed of the 9000 pound unit, and whether it was suitable for chasing small children. I like the concept a lot, but I wonder how long the rubber treads will last, doing those donuts with a 600+ pound load, and how much is a replacement battery pack. Currently there are no manuals available to study. John Davies Spokane WA

Bump to the top. To get the discount I need to register before the end of this month, if anybody here wants to join me and my crew, please say so ASAP, so I can reserve adjacent sites. BTW, you don’t HAVE to bring your Ollie, you can sleep in your rental car or even tent camp if you don’t own one.... John Davies Spokane WA

Geronimo John, yes, I don’t know what hull number was the first, but this new curved suction tube design is now current on the production line. And the service department can retrofit older hulls there. It is the older ones in the field that are a concern (the ones that are too far away for a factory visit). John Davies Spokane WA

There have been a number of threads about this in the last 12 months, things seemed to have stalled out in Howenwald.... Today I sent this to Oliver via their Service Request page... Hi, I don't need this for my own trailer, since I modified the pickup design myself, but you REALLY need to post a service bulletin describing how to get this done, especially about the availability of a rental or loaner spin-weld tool to install the threaded fitting into the top of the tank. The tool is expensive (especially for a single use), hard to acquire and most RV dealers will not have one. It has been a year since this subject was started and I have seen no sign of any progress on the forum. Have you modded trailers away from the factory, and how was the work accomplished? This long delay is unacceptable. Comments? has anyone seen or used a factory kit that included the special tool? FYI - older related threads: http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/has-anyone-received-the-fresh-water-pickup-tube-kit-and-did-it-include-the-spin/ http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/fresh-water-tank-modification-new-suction-line/ http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/how-to-fresh-water-tank-suction-tube-mod-no-spin-welding-required/ Thanks, John Davies Spokane WA

Thank you GeronimoJohn for the kind words. Forgot this; Free shipping over $100 from Tire Traker. Lifetime warranty to the original owner. Does not include trashed sensors, I think they are considered to be disposable..... https://www.tiretraker.com/about.php John Davies Spokane WA

I started this as a PM to GeronimoJohn and it got so wordy, I decided to post it here. I researched these systems a long time and decided on the Tire Traker. They have stellar customer service and are sometimes at (really) big RV shows and places like Quartzite. The sensor batteries are to be replaced annually, but may last longer - they use cheap button cells. I bought a repeater in case the distance was too far but have NOT needed it. I suggest that you buy the four sensor set, an extra sensor for the spare tire, and the maintenance package. The only thing I did not like was that the trim on the perimeter of the display is bright and it reflected sunlight in the windshield. I painted the upper part on mine flat black. Some electrical tape would also work. The display is rechargeable and runs up to a month, and in sleep mode it wakes up when there is a signal from the wheel sensors. They too wake up when moving, to save the batteries. I try to remember to shut my display off every evening. The mount is a suction cup and very nice. There is no case for the display; I use a soft cloth drawstring bag from a set of sport goggles for storage. The system shows individual tire pressures and temperatures. There are preset alarm levels for both. If you get a slow leak, the alarm will come on at a reduced level to let you know that you need to pull over. By watching the display you can tell if it is slow or a big one. If it is a big leak the alarm is more intense. The sensor on the spare tire lets you know that it has not gone flat, since it is a small PITA to check. If one of the main sensors fails, you can swap the spare onto that wheel until you can get a replacement. Or just order an extra sensor now... The temperature display is useful since it shows the temps increasing as the tires heat up during towing, which is completely NORMAL, and if there is one that is abnormally warm, you can stop and see if there is a brake or bearing issue on the hub. NOTE: because the sensors are spinning in ambient air on the end of the valve stems, I doubt that the displayed temps are especially accurate. A sensor inside the wheel would be a much more reliable and accurate system. I honestly don't see how the external sensors could read inside temps, but they do to a certain degree (pun intended). I don't think that the display dims, I have never used it at night. I suspect you would want to take it off the windshield and just set it in a low cupholder. It would still alarm if needed. If somebody knows if the lighting dims, please comment. The system gets very good reviews, you can get from Amazon, but I ordered direct from Tire Traker. Setup: Charge the display several hours. After first checking and adjusting your COLD tire pressures (I use 60 psi), it will take you about ten minutes to set it up, there are many videos showing how. You have to set the alarm threshold (enter the cold tire pressure), install batteries into sensors and put them on the wheels one at a time. As each one "wakes up" it will show up on the display and you can adjust its position of the vehicle diagram, for example "left rear" on the trailer drawing. Position of the display: I mount mine at the lower left corner of the windshield. It is easy to see, but neither in my direct line of sight, nor close to my Garmin gps. Aftermarket devices like a gps that use radio signals may possibly cause interference. My RV 660 is mounted along the center of the windshield and I have noted no interference when using my Garmin remote (trailer backup) camera. If you have trouble with the TT-500 signal, you may need to mount their booster inside the trailer connected to an always-on power source. If you have the factory backup camera, the area behind the switch would be a great location, and you can use the switch to power on the booster when you switch on the camera. https://www.tiretraker.com/proddetail.php?prod=TT500-4 https://www.tiretraker.com/proddetail.php?prod=TT50 https://www.tiretraker.com/proddetail.php?prod=TT-MAINT Installation video: If you are driving an older tow vehicle without its own TPMS, you can order extra sensors and use the Tire Traker to monitor those tires also. This system is versatile and mine has been reliable for a year. It gives great peace of mind when towing, especially in inclement weather and in remote areas, which is priceless. Anything you can do to reduce your anxiety level while towing is a good thing. HIGHLY recommended! I towed trailers for 45 years without TPMS, and I am very glad I invested in this. John Davies Spokane WA

You need to add an AC circuit tester to your tool kit, I suggest that you keep it in a galley drawer with your electrical stuff, extension cords, and odds and ends .... something like this one. First rule when any AC device quits, is check the outlets. I’m glad it was something simple, just watch it in the future to see if something continues to trip the Ground Fault outlet. There may be a wiring problem, or somehing else is tripping it... John Davies Spokane WA

Words fail me... John Davies Spokane WA

I don’t recall this being mentioned, it is pretty darned cool and will be very useful to anyone who camps west of the Black Hills. http://www.hogtimemusic.com/nomad/MultiYrCampsiteMap.htm Note that he has a truck camper, so with a trailer you should probably study the satellite maps before commtting to an isolated forest road.... more here: https://www.truckcampermagazine.com/camper-lifestyle/the-25-best-campgrounds-of-the-west/ John Davies Spokane WA

Sherry, just a minor addition, otherwise, a great post. Most types of long guns can easily be brought into Canada with the correct paperwork, filled out in advance (but not signed) and presented to the border inspector for him to process. Shotguns and bolt or lever action rifles are usually not a worry, scary black guns may be. It is important to read the Canadian firearm law and do not ever try to sneak something through. I _very_ seldom travel to Canada, but if I do I will bring a 12 gauge shotgun and bear ammo. Firearms are not allowed in parks, that is a small worry, you need to store yours unloaded and in a hard to access area, like under the street side rear bed. Not in the closet gun rack;) Firearms and Hunting are not permitted in National Parks. If you are carrying a firearm through to another destination it must be unloaded and securely encased. https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/mtn/reglements-regulations/reglements-regulations Note that while you can possess a long gun as a non-Canadian “passing through”, your legal right to actually use it for self defense is highly restricted. For example, if you are in a remote forest campground you can’t keep it loaded, even while you are inside and parked. http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/fs-fd/wild-sauvage-eng. These are a few of the reasons I don’t cross the border.... if I go to Alaska it will probably be via the Ferry. Since it does not stop at any Canadian port, it is considered to be US soil, and you can transport any US legal firearms, as long as they are declared and left secured in your truck. John Davies Spokane WA

https://www.amazon.com/Thule-512-Cylinders-Racks-2-Pack/dp/B0002MBP6Y/ref=pd_bxgy_468_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B0002MBP6Y&pd_rd_r=6GY7Z5YAMGPJQX48K4X9&pd_rd_w=v8gQ6&pd_rd_wg=PwUIy&refRID=6GY7Z5YAMGPJQX48K4X9&dpID=31R8qsKs05L&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=detail&th=1 You just need the lock inside parts, the “cores”; they are easy to slide into place using the supplied special key. Slide the tool into the core, insert into the hole in the rack, hold the core in place with a finger and withdraw the tool. I don’t have any experience with Thule but it is the same as Yakima products. You definitely want them to be ALL keyed alike. Check around for pricing, you may find these cheaper locally at a bike shop or sport rack store.... John Davies Spokane WA

Safety suggestions..... Do not travel with them on the rack or one may end up in the sink or on the floor.That is hard on the knife and also the trailer. Hang the knives with the blades UP , so that if one does fall off it will hit on the handle and not the tip. Falling tip down will hurt the countertop or perhaps your hand if you are clumsy like me and drop one while removing or installing it. I have a nice Ikea rack like that in my kichen, but I would be reluctant to trust it in a moving trailer. I really like mag racks, but they scare me a little, and require some care and your respect. A chef’s fabric knife carry case works great for transport. John Davies Spokane WA

Are you running ST trailer tires? If so, why? Oliver does not install these on the production line. Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

Mike, I will be visiting the south side of Black Canyon this summer, will you consider doing a report in a new thread? Thanks, John Davies Spokane WA

Looks home made for sure. The finish detail are a little rough. Did it look as if it were bolted down or was it removable? That would be very cool. I would not want to be the one chosen to clean the bugs off the front window.... John Davies Spokane WA

I'll start with the Roadtrek Agile, a short Sprinter with a slide out in back. Motto: "When ugly no longer matters": I am trying to imagine extending this in a pounding rain storm, or when it is really dusty outside.... Those bottom drawer hatches don't look especially weather tight, or secure. I guess you could keep extra linens in there, in trash bags...They only made a few of this version. It reminds me a little of the baby cages from the 30's: John Davies Spokane WA

Your system is already way too complicated for my tastes, but how about this? Can you figure out a way to have a small backup battery wired into the charger control circuit, a "keep alive" battery, that will allow the charger to come back online when the shore power is reconnected? I don't have a clue how well this would work, I'm just thinking aloud. For example, I use a "memory saver" OBD2 adapter harness connected to my lithium battery jump starter box when I remove the truck battery, it keeps the ECU and other systems happy and you don't lose any of your custom settings. Could that type of setup work here? Seems as if a small lithium battery would keep your charger happy indefinitely, until the shore power comes back. Does the manufacturer of the charger have anything to offer about this? I personally dislike having lots of little lithium batteries sitting around in my trailer, like my hand vacuum, but the Harbor Freight Viking unit is lithium iron phosphate based and does not pose a fire risk like conventional lithium cells.... https://www.harborfreight.com/lithium-ion-jump-starter-and-power-pack-62749.html If I am completely off base, just tell me to go away ;) John Davies Spokane WA

https://yourfulltimervliving.com/rv-resources/rv-trailer-tire-when-should-you-replace-tires-on-your-rv-trailer The comments are interesting. Note that he is talking about heavily loaded fifth wheels; your Ollie has a large reserve weight capacity, if the tires are not allowed to get low on pressure. John Davies Spokane WA

Exactly! I spoke with a very unhappy solo traveller, a retired woman on limited income, whose old motorhome blew a rear tire and the exploding tread tore out the entire street side wheel well, which was made of plywood, as well as severely damaging the fresh water plumbing. Not only did she have to buy a complete new set of tires but it crippled her moving home and ruined her trip. I showed her my TPMS and she was very interested. But talk about closing the barn door after the horses are gone.... Old stick built trailers can’t tolerate bombs going off under the wheel wells, just search for “RV tire blowout damage” and be prepared to be appalled. My guess is that 95+ % of these catastrophic failures are completely preventable. Ollies are way stronger, but you can damage stuff anyway, and who wants to have to buy a new wheel? John Davies Spokane WA

I know that Oliver has sold at least one unit to a Canadian buyer, but I don’t know any details.... Other than they had to install mudflaps behind the second axle due to Canada law. It’s the only unit with these that I am aware of, and I asked for pictures but never received them. I sure would do whatever was necessary to buy an Ollie instead if settling for a Bigfoot. For US buyers who finance, you do NOT have to pay any additional funds other than the initial downpayment, you just need a letter from your bank stating that you qualify and are approved for the remaining amount. It is hard for some finance officers to deal with a special order RV that is going to be collected at the manufacterer, won’t have a VIN until the very end, and has a relatively unknown long term history in terms of resale value. If you get stonewalled by your bank rep, ask to work with one that has more authority. Since you have a number of years, it might make sense to plan on buying used, and possibly raid some investments, so you can pay cash. In five years there will be a much larger selection of used ones, and if you find an earlier model the price will be way less than buying new. Endeavor to persevere, and good luck. John Davies Spokane WA