John E Davies

Hi John, Good info on the Rectorseal. The factory uses teflon tape so that is what I used. The white tubing is standard 1/2 inch PEX, it can easily be heat formed and will retain a strong and permanent set, but it still retains some flex. I’m still in bed (West Coast Time) so I will wait a while before resuming the thread. John Davies Spokane WA

EDIT 11/02/21. Oliver will do the spin weld mod free if you visit the factory. IMHO they should issue a Technical Bulletin and just fix all the ones in the field, at no charge to the owners. Instead they just changed the technical specs from “32 gallons” to “32 gallons design capacity”. LOL…. How lame is that? Matt Duncan posted this on Page 2 here in this thread: "I have talked to the service department and management. We will take care of the tank modification for free if you can bring it to our service center in Tennessee. You will need to call 1-888-526-3978 to schedule the tank modification. Let me know if you have any questions!" I am not sure what Hull number is the cutoff for the new design. Does anybody know? JD —————- This has been a hot topic lately, and a few people are getting parts, sort of, but no instructions and definitely no expensive spin-weld tool to install the new 3/4 inch FPT fitting on the top surface of the tank. The factory method is great if you are willing to take your trailer to TN, but for those of us further away it has been frustrating. I finally decided to do this mod using the two existing holes in the side of the tank, and no welding is required. It is a little time consuming but the cost is negligible. It is late, I will write this up tomorrow. Here are a couple of teaser shots: I added just a few gallons of water to the tank and tried the pump. It ran great all the way down to 16% indicated. It used to cavitate and quit at 38%, leaving about 12 gallons unusable. I raised the tongue two inches and was able to get out 3 more gallons. Another two inches raised, and only half a gallon came out. I am pretty sure the tank is getting almost fully emptied. I can live with a three gallon "reserve" - that is enough for me to finish a shower if I run dry, by just raising the tongue a little to get out that last little bit of water. Lots more info later. John Davies Spokane WA

Your inside AC outlets are protected by a 15 amp circuit breaker in the dinette fuse panel. 15 amps is about 1800 watts so you want to keep a constant load like a heater well below that.... 1500 gives you a good safety margin. Unlike powerful motors (like the one in your air conditioner) there is no huge surge of current when an electric heater starts up, though the fan will make a very small spike when in turns on. You won’t trip a breaker unless you overload it, or the device at the other end (or its power cord) shorts out and causes a massive current draw.... If you are relying on a regular 15 amp house circuit to power up the trailer, not just run a heater, you need to figure other constant loads like the converter, to make sure you do not get too much going on at once. A 30 amp/ 120 volt rv connection for your house might be a good thing to add to your Honey Do list. Then you can run your air conditioning in summer. ... http://www.myrv.us/Imgs/PDF/30-amp%20Service.pdf John Davies Spokane WA

In a house it could be positioned horizontally but in a trailer it really should be positioned so that the water fitting is at the bottom, so it can drain completely. And the connecting hose to the tee should be absolutely as short as possible. Do these units have a service valve at the top, to add air to the bladder compartment? If so, consider ease of access for that. Under the bathroom sink would not be a good spot. I’ve never had the hot water heater over-pressurize, is this common? This is yet another item that needs to be provided as a complete kit with all hardware and instructions. The instructions could be added to the Technical Bulletins subforum, which is what it was intended for, though nothing much seems to be added there. The last important one was added over six months ago. John Davies Spokane WA

I can’t recommend a specific unit because mine is a pretty old cube heater. I can suggest that two small heaters are better than one bigger one. Look for ones with 500, 1000 and 1500 watt settings. Set them up at opposite ends on the cabin and leave all the access panels open, including the Service Only ones. Make sure the bath door is wide open. Having two heaters running on lower settings will give better coverage and provide some redundancy if one should quit. Unless it fails and pops the circuit breaker. Don’t exceed 1500 watts total for the circuit. If you can run a seperate cord from another outlet (on a different house breaker), you will have a failsafe system, and you can turn them to higher power settings. Unless there is a prolonged power outage: if you are not able to visit the trailer after a day with no power, then you had better make sure you do a complete winterization, then you won’t need heaters or worry about it. I think heaters are OK but they should not be the only means for protecting the trailer. Do you live in a humid climate? If so you might want to get a good medium capacity residential dehumidifier. That will be of more benefit than just circulating slightly warm moist air around. If you live where the humidity is low, it isn’t needed.... John Davies Spokane WA

Is there an email address we can use for Jason? If so, it should be added to the Contact page. The current web based Service Request Form is not good in any way, especially since you cannot attach pics or docs to a request. I am really gunshy about using the phone since there is no paper trail of current and past conversations, and it is more lkely to cause misunderstandings and errors. Plus as I have mentioned in the past, and I am still a little embarrassed to say this, I just have a hard time with heavy southren accents over the phone.... IMHO a written email based system should be primary, with phone calls secondary, if you feel the need for a long conversation. Do you know if Richie is still working there? He had taken over for Jason but perhaps that did not work out..... This has been a very frustrating few months for many of us, I hope things will settle down and start running smoothly and efficiently. Thanks, John Davies Spokane WA

Did you open the drain valve? If so I guess your tank was indeed empty. Does your water level gauge read anything while the front is raisd? The level sensor is in the very back of the tank and will register any remaining water. John Davies Spokane WA

Most likely your fresh tank has less in it than if you just drained it normally, but I seriously doubt if it is empty. You can’t assume anything. You need to raise the front really high, stick a bucket under the drain, and see how much comes out. I bet there are at least five gallons left. As stated before, compressed air is good, but there will always be a little moisture left that cannot be removed that way. When the sprinkler guy blows out your lawn’s irrigation system, it is protected from freezing by being buried deep under ground and perhaps under deep snow cover. The sprinkler heads have a little residual water that drips back deep into the ground. That doesn’t apply to your Ollie. Tho I guess you could bury it over the winter..... It is up to you to decide if you want to take the risk of not using AF. If the winter temps are really low, then antifreeze would be smart and you would probably sleep better knowing those lines can’t possibly rupture. The cost really is minimal. John Davies Spokane WA

Smart? Yes. Ability? Yes. Tools? Got everything except the unobtanium special installation fitting/ tool, which is a specialty item nobody would be expected to have unless they are in the business of building tanks. The only reason I have been waiting for an official Oliver approved kit is that I wanted to do it in the factory approved way. If I can’t get them to pull their heads out of their .... uhmmmm ... hats, then I suppose I will have to come up with a less official solution. I still haven’t heard back from my latest email so I am going to call again. The thing that bothers me so much about this entire subject is that it took ten YEARS for them to even realize there was a fundamental critical design flaw of the fresh tank. I am waiting anxiously to hear what Scott Oliver has to say. John Davies Spokane WA

That or antifreeze, but you must get the water completely out. John Davies Spokane WA

Don, that is simply BAD advice. You need to flush all the water out of the long water line as well as the ball valve. Pouring some AF in from the top won't do it. While you are flushing your faucets you can crack open the toilet ball valve but be prepared for a fountain, maybe put a paper cup over the top or install a short loop of hose temporarily. Actually, forget the cup, go ahead and make a fountain and film it, I think it would be a hoot.... I haven't done mine yet, I suspect it will be messy. Which is why I think it needs to be capped off at the source. John Davies Spokane WA

Start a new thread, I suspect most owners that have conventional black water toilets do not read this thread. John Davies Spokane WA

I have been trying for months to get these parts. I finally received this stuff in another shipment. Included were several fittings, one 3/4 FPT PVC spin weld flange fitting, a 24 inch piece of 1/2 inch PEX hose but no tool or instructions of any kind. I have been asking Oliver over and over for a loaner or rental tool so I can do this myself since I have a big router and all the necessary skills. Before I get too antsy, has anyone here received and installed the FACTORY kit yourself or in a shop, and was a tool included? I have not actually sourced a 3/4" tool, maybe they are hard to locate.... here are some other sizes: https://www.vintagetrailersupply.com/Spin-Weld-Driver-Tool-p/vts-624t.htm http://www.pellandent.com/RV_Products_List.aspx?CategoryID=60 I guess I can buy one, if I can find it, but I hate to waste $$$$. Do you think it appropriate for Oliver to make available a loaner or rental tool? I am not sure that every RV shop has these, but maybe I am wrong. They are darned pricey. BTW I am now starting to look forward to boxes from Howenwald since invariably they include one or more surprise easter eggs that I did not order. The last shipment included a 3 inch waste valve..... Comments are welcome. Got a link to the driver tool in the correct size? John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks for posting the link, I was in no way trying to take credit for the idea. Your install is better than the factory version on Mouse. My bottles were not shifted forward, as you did, so space directly behind then is more limited. Regardless, it is a very handy space for stuff that can stand getting dusty and wet. It all needs to be hosed out regularly. John Davies Spokane WA

Hi Don, Extra pee bottle: I haven’t bought one but I think I will, along with extra caps. With multiple adults using the toilet full time, the level goes up really fast. You can’t see it until it is about 3/4 full, so I can envision a time when it needs to be removed but there isn’t a good spot to dump it. You can store a full capped bottle behind the toilet. Water conservation: hoo boy, you nailed it. This really helps the fresh water supply. When boondocking for a long period, it will be noticeable. Coir: I have only used the bricks since they are very compact and so simple to store. They do have some long fibrous stuff but mostly it is small particles. It doesn’t smell bad, just a slight earthy odor. Hydration: the stuff needs to be moist but not wet or dry. You will soon learn what works best. Watch the motion when you agitate and you can see if it is OK in terms of water content. If too wet it will look runny and will tend to bog down. If dry it will be a little dusty looking on top and the decomposition rate will be slowed. If the toilet sits for a long time unused with the vent fan running it can dry out on top. I just add a few ounces of fresh water and spin the agitator a few turns. Don’t pee in there to moisten it, or it will smell bad! The very best tip I can offer is NO TOILET PAPER WHATSOEVER IN THE RECEPTACLE. TP just adds lots of mass, it is slow to decompose, and if in long sections it tangles up around the agitator, making it hard to turn. With no TP the volume does not change fast and it is dead easy to agitate the contents. If you put all the TP into the small covered trash receptacle and spritz it with vinegar it does not smell, but empty it often. I empty the trash can and install a new liner every four or five days and at the end of a trip, so it does not remain sitting for a long time with soiled contents. Post some pics! Does the seat height bother you? It is a stretch.... Hope this helps. John Davies Spokane WA

You can also tilt the trailer to the right when rinsing, to encourage the debris to collect near the opening. I always wondered why the designers did not make the inside of the tank slope toward the opening, and also minimize the height of the lip. It does act as a dam.... It isn’t critical to get it surgically clean, just flushed regularly. John Davies Spokane WA

The grit is not necessarily dirt from filling the fresh tank, since you use a filter, rather it’s hard calcium deposits that result from hot water sitting for long periods of time in the heater tank. The wand will remove most of it, you can get one for about what you would pay for the parts to make one. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B002XL2IBS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 http://www.waterheaterrescue.com/Longevity/sediment-in-hot-water-heaters.html John Davies Spokane WA

Don, that cost seems a little steep to me, I wonder why the labor was so high...? Last year the Natures Head was an $800 option, has that price gone up for the new units? It would be helpful if you could eventually post a full descriptin of what the refit job involved, if the invoice describes it in detail ... which it ought to. I’m glad you are liking the toilet, you will feel even better when you start passing all those stupid dump stations. What are your plans for gray water disposal? Mine usually goes onto my gravel driveway if I am at home. I told my neighbors that it was just slightly soapy water, actually less concentrated than my car wash water, so they would not freak out if they saw me dumping. It has no odor.... John Davies Spokane WA

Don, thanks for the post, can you add comments to the big Natures Head thread in the future when you have used it a while? What did it cost for the retrofit, and did they cap off the fresh water line? A minor correction, the fresh water tank fix does not allow it to be filled completely, but rather emptied completely. How did that work out? Got pictures of the factory? Those are always welcome. Thanks again, John Davies Spokane WA

Updating an old thread. I eventually received a replacement 10 hole wheel with mounted tire, and returned the 12 hole one to the factory using their prepaid shipping label. At the time the 10 hole ones were "unavailable" but the one they sent me appears to have been taken off a rolling chassis or trailer since it had been mounted to a hub and had white fiberglass dust on the tire tread. Good job on this one! It looks as if they took the extra steps to get me a proper wheel. I sure hope it didn't delay the delivery of somebody's trailer..... John Davies Spokane WA

Has anyone done this, please post pictures. It looks a little tricky because the rear jacks are in the way. I want to protect the jacks and also the underside of the hull from thrown water, road tar and rocks.The front surface of the rear bumper deflects stones back onto the rear wall of the hull! Not good for the either the gelcoat or the tail lights.... I have been avoiding gravel roads as much as possible, but after 4500 miles of towing I am already seeing damage that should not be there! Here is an earlier thread that netted me no useful information. http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/mudflaps-on-the-trailer/ Thanks, John Davies Spokane WA

Depending on what direction you plan to sleep with the Two Bed option, you might want a second USB charge port opposite the one near the stove, in the lower surface of the overhead cabinet. We prefer to sleep head-to-front, and that would be nice option for the person in the street side bunk, (s)he can leave the phone lying on the nearby pantry shelf. Charge ports and outlets are pretty easy to add later..... Consider a storage shelf behind the propane bottles with side access doors - this is EXTREMELY cool and handy! Ask for LOCKING compression latches, the same as the ones used in the outside compartments. I neglected to ask and got stupid dinky non-secure ones that are at risk of popping open and spilling out my chocks onto a bumpy road. I am going to change them out this winter.... Sorry I don't have a closeup shot of the inside: John Davies Spokane WA

$17 Amazon Prime. Use the Camco RV Hand Pump Kit to antifreeze directly into your RV waterlines and supply tanks. Kit includes flexible connecting line with city water connection https://www.amazon.com/Camco-36003-Hand-Pump-Kit/dp/B0006IX7YW That is probably about the same cost as fabricating one from parts. And certainly less painless, if you can wait two days for one.... I just ordered mine. John Davies Spokane WA

The video tells you to pump AF through the city water, tank fill and black flush connections, to ensure that those short sections of the system are protcted; since none of them are on the pressure side of the water pump, they will not get filled otherwise. PS any auto parts store will sell you a fluid pump designed to go into a bottle of gear oil. There is no reason not to use it with AF, but I would clearly mark it so you don’t get mixed up. You just need to add an adapter nipple and fitting onto the hose to connect to the female water hose fittings on the side of the trailer. John Davies Spokane WA

Hey Buzzy, if you used the water pump to suck AF through the outside suction port, it _had_ to go through the filter bowl...... so I am having a hard time understanding why you did not see it there. It certainly doesn't hurt to remove the filter, that would be a normal time to service it anyway, if you have been filling up from unknown sources like campground wells without using an external filter on the hose. Could you have turned the system back on and sucked some fresh water out of the tank afterwards? Or had you drained that tank already? There are a lot of different circuits and valves in this system, it is kinda hard to understand what is going where in all those lines. For this reason alone I like compressed air since you can just flip valves back and forth while adding air at each outside port in turn. That way you will know every single line has been cleared. If you are truly anal (I am not quite there) you could blow out the lines, then add AF. A few extra minutes and some extra AF sure beats having to replace a split line, a ruptured water pump, or worst of all, a split tank..... John Davies Spokane WA