John E Davies

AKA, how to keep your kitchen gadgets inside the drawers when traveling, where they belong. And to keep from busting the latches away from the wood. The standard Soft Close system is cool but totally hopeless in terms of keeping the drawers closed if there is any weight at all in them. Especially on twisty roads where there are repetitive G loads to the left.... Oliver offers some additional latches that mount behind the drawers but they are flimsy plastic, problematic to install and you lose that lovely Soft Close feature. I chose to install 1 inch nylon webbing and stainless footman loops. I chose black since I knew they would be hard to keep clean, and I preferred high contrast so I could see at a quick glance that they were installed and tight... You may prefer white webbing. All the parts are very high quality and came from Raingler Nets. Qty 2: Footman loop 1 inch PAIR. https://raingler.com/products/footman-mount-set Qty 2: Tie down strap 1 inch x 72 inch, with pvc coated flat hook. https://raingler.com/products/tie-down-strap-with-hook Qty 1: Steel flat hook PAIR, pvc coated. https://raingler.com/collections/hardware-accessories/products/flat-hook-set?variant=23658618433 I did swap the plated screws for stainless, and I waited until I was finished to trim the excess webbing. I ended up removing 20 inches from each. That leaves a short length for grabbing and lets you loosen it up enough to unhook and remove each strap, without having to completely unthread the webbing from the buckle. This also keeps the loose hooks from getting lost. When not towing, I store the two straps in the bottom left drawer, which is my electrical/ junk drawer. They work great, and provide good peace of mind when the roads get interesting. John Davies Spokane WA

You know how it is when you are parked just slightly off level toward the street - the door will not stay open, no way, no how.... The eyelet is a thin piece of stainless steel, with a hole in it just large enough to allow two sections of standard nylon paracord to slide through it with a good amount of drag. When installing onto the door, be sure to support the bottom of the door or it might come apart, since that screw holds the frame together at the upper corner. The cord is adjustable for length just by sliding it, and you can remove it entirely by pulling through the eyelet since there is no knot in the left side of it. Set the length so that it will just slip under the knob at the bottom for travel. Works good, if you slip the end under just the outer arm of the coat hook, you can still hang stuff like hats from it. Be sure to sear the cut ends or they will look nasty. And you don't have to use bright green ;) John Davies Spokane WA

This is the factory divider wall, I highly recommend it. . John Davies Spokane WA

The dinky little units will do nothing for comfort in the extreme conditions that you are experiencing. A medium capacity residential dehumidifier sitting on the bathroom floor, and directing the condensation down the shower drain will help. But you aren't going to find one easily for a long while. Do you even have shore power there? https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/dehumidifiers/buying-guide One human respires over a gallon of moisture per day, and an open flame like your cooktop is even worse for putting vapor into the air. When it is 100% humidity outside you are pretty much screwed. Your towels and clothes don't dry... talk about frustrating. Stay safe. John Davies Spokane WA

Some of you have expressed interest in an attached RV storage bay. here is mine. We have only been in the house for eight months so it is still a work in progress. The house is 1850 sq ft, one floor and built on a slab. The RV bay, aka the Hanger Deck, is 16 feet wide x 16 tall x 43 long (outside wall measurements!) with 2x4 construction, so take off about 9 inches for inside measurements. The door is a commercial insulated unit with opener and it is 12 x 14 tall. It's sheet rocked (3/4 inch) and insulated, pre-plumbed for a gas heater high in back, and the three big windows up high face south, and they let in a LOT of natural light, but not enough to work the solar panels. There are four standard 110 v lights up high. I added 100 watt equivalent LED flood bulbs (with built in reflectors) for $40, and they are plenty bright for general illumination, but I am going to add extra lighting down low along the walls for working on stuff in the winter. I have plenty of room in the back part for lawn and garden equipment plus a 2 x 8 ft work/ reloading bench and industrial shelves. Plus there is a small workbench in front near the big door for extra light during the day time. The added cost was $30,000, but that included sheetrock and insulation in the other 2-car garage area, so it wasn't too bad. Around here smaller homes with attached RV storage are in very high demand as older folks get rid of the kids and downsize to homes that are easy to clean and maintain, and inexpensive to heat and cool. Commercial uninsulated indoor RV storage is $300 to $400 monthly in Spokane, so that can be figured into the cost analysis - but OTH having Mouse close at hand and out of the weather is priceless. Also I can use him as a guest bedroom and in case of a prolonged power outage. The gas heater pre-plumbing was extra, I can't recall the figure. I also paid an extra $1800 to have the walls primed and painted in white semi-gloss enamel, for reflectivity and ease of cleaning. They did not do any other prep or texturing. It really helps with the overall lighting. During the day it is brilliant and you don't need any lights. It stays reasonably warm in winter, but I will need to eventually add a heater. In summer it can get very hot. I crack the front door an inch and open up the attic access man-door (located in the rear of the ceiling) so the trapped heat naturally vents out through the roof and soffit vents. This lowers the inside temp to a comfortable level, usually. I close it and the doors in winter to trap any heat. The canoe rack and hoist works with Mouse inside, I just need to be really careful not to let it swing or have the big door open if it is windy. The main tackle is a Hobie cat 18 main sheet system, reduced to a 5:1 purchase; the outhaul which pulls the boat over so it will lie down onto the arms is cheap Home Depot rope and steel pulleys, since there is no real load on it. The canoe is a Wenonah Sundowner 18, old but it still paddles nicely on flat water. It weighs 70 pounds John Davies Spokane WA

There are many reasons Oliver wants to stick with one supplier for the running gear. I think Dexter makes an adequate product, but there are better sources for aftermarket stuff for brakes and suspension. But they cost big money and most buyers will never accept a premium suspension and brake package because, unlike in Oz, they do not see any value in it for cruising down a flat Interstate. So those that want it have to pay twice.... The fact that Dexter jumped onto the disc brake bandwagon a few years ago says that they know there is a solid market for them, at least for boat trailers where you end up replacing drums and all the innards every three or four years due to salt corrosion. I have been there and never want to deal with that hassle again. It is extremely frustrationg to know that you will have to spend so much routinely, and you constantly worry that the brakes will fail and kill you. Off topic slightly, Jason was "working with" Dexter to figure out a spring over axle swap for my trailer, for months, and then it all just faded into silence snd I gave up. This is really strange since Dexter offers the parts as a simple kit (new perches and ubolts). I think the project was killed off quietly behind the scenes. I believe that there is a lot more going on between Oliver and Dexter than we as customers will ever learn about, or need to. It can be frustrating but really, it is up to them and we should try to stay out of their business decisions. But it is so hard when some of us see how truly superior the entire Oliver trailer package could be, with better suspension, brakes and appliances.. John Davies Spokane WA

If you read the threads on boat and RV forums, every single owner who has switched to discs had no regrets whatsoever and usually say that they wished they had done it years ago. They are that good. John Davies Spokane WA

Drum brakes drag, costing you fuel, the more braked axles you have, the worse it drags. To test this, spin your wheels with the trailer jacked up. Properly working disc brake calipers retract the pads away from the rotors, so there is practically no drag. Some boat trailer owners have noticed significant mpg improvements. Also, you can inspect the pad and rotor wear easily, change rotors and pads without disturbing the hubs, and if a rear seal should leak, the grease does not get on the pads. A drum brake with leaking seal results in contaminated shoes ;( That's what happened to mine. Other than the high cost and the need to use an electric over hydraulic actuator and change the brake fluid every three years, there are no downsides. John Davies Spokane WA

Well, it is safe, am I the only one here that gets turned on by this kind of high end running gear? I do hate drum brakes, they are the spawn of Satan. The hardware, lug nuts and even the backing plates for the pads are stainless. http://www.sturdybuiltonline.com/Kodiak-Trailer-Slip-on-6-Lug-Disc-Brake-Kit-ALL-STAINLESS-w-SS-Hubs_p_968.html I plan to keep my drums for a while, but when they are too tired they are going straight into the trash. I really think that disc brakes should be a factory option, stainless would be nice but it's not needed unless you tow in winter on deiced roads. Disc brakes give significantly better towing mpgs, that alone would help mitigate the cost over many miles. Then there is the low maintenance and the cool factor .... ...which is undeniably important to me..... Comments? John Davies Spokane WA

That is very elegant, much nicer than the 12 inch bungee cord I use. John Davies Spokane WA

I have sent an email to Bulldog and to Anderson, and I have notified Jason at the factory; I am re-posting it here as a heads up and to get input from Anderson owners. I have not seen mention of this particular issue on any forums. IF you are experiencing severe and uneven wear, please degrease the inside of your coupler and the ball, and take pics so we can see if my situation is more than a fluke. This ball has 700 miles on it, with grease: EMAIL SENT TO BULLDOG AND ANDERSON: Hi, I have a new Oliver Legacy Elite II travel trailer, purchased new 05/15/17. It currently has 4100 miles on it. It came from the factory with a 2 inch/ 7000 pound Bulldog coupler bolted to the aluminum tongue. The inside of the socket has two raised areas that are destroying the balls. I first used a 2 inch chrome ball and towed for about 3200 miles as a dead weight. Tongue weight was about 650 pounds. Wear was bad, but tolerable since the ball only costs $10. Now I have an Anderson weight distributing hitch. In just 700 miles, the forward thrust of the chains is VERY SEVERELY wearing the 2 inch/ 10,000 pound Anderson ball where the raised pressure points are in back. This is unacceptable since a replacement ball is $50 plus shipping. https://andersenhitches.com/Products/3382--wd-2-replacement-ball-tapered-10k-gtwr.aspx I have kept the ball and coupler lubed with synthetic grease but it does not appear to help. I need to know if I can get a replacement coupler sent at no charge under warranty, and also a reimbursement for the purchase of a new Anderson ball. Is the wear I am experiencing unusual? I have seen NO mention of this on forum discussions. Also, with a new coupler, can I manually “lap” the ball and socket together by using an old ball and valve grinding compound, to eliminate the high spots before towing? Or is there another way you recommend to prevent the coupler from abusing the new ball? Thanks, John Davies Spokane WA

The left front brake has gradually become more and more abrupt, tending to lock up completely at very slow speeds on smooth pavement. I have been dialing back the controller current until I get around to taking everything apart. Any ideas on the cause? A leaking seal should cause it to lose effectiveness, I think (?) but not cause this kind of complete lockup. All four brakes work fine when warmed up and moving, it is worse when they have cooled and I start to travel again. None of the drums are ever abnormally hot. The trailer has 4300 miles and I haven't ever pulled the hubs. This has been gradually developing over the last 1500 miles. I have been gradually reducing the current - I thought the shoes were just getting really bedded, but then the one brake started to lock and I realized something else is going on. Any suggestions or comments? I really would like disc brakes but that will have to wait on better finances.... Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

3/4 inch with a six inch extension. Don't use the supplied wrench except in a true emergency or you will put dents in the thin chrome center cap. Plus a 150 ft lb torque wrench! John Davies Spokane WA

Your pic is helpful - look at all the unsecured wires! - but please don't repost that plumbing diagram. It is wrong, and we should all delete it if we have copies. The gray dump valve is mislocated. There is no way to totally isolate black from gray, as drawn. Oliver knows about it. BtW, I had them install an inspection port inside the closet so I could look in there with mirror and flashlight, without having to remove the under vanity cover. You can't do any work through there, but you can certainly inspect for leaks. I really think the sink access should be much better, this is an area that needs regular attention, cleaning the sink trap epecially. A rubber gasket on the cover is in Mouse's future. John Davies Spokane WA

How about the back of the trailer? Yesterday on the way down to the Eclipse through the Idaho Panhandle I went slowly on some fresh road construction and later found a jagged rock bigger than my thumb lying on the top of the rear bumper platform. It appears to have ricocheted off the front of the bumper, then off the back of the Ollie. There was no damage to the lights or gelcoat. But it could easily have trashed a light. These trailers really need mudflaps from the factory, for stone chip protection and to keep muck off the fresh water connections, which is unsanitary and messy... My winter project is multiple under-frame rock guards and a Stone Stomper. I hope I don't damage the trailer in the meantime. John Davies Spokane WAa

Post some pics! Does the installation look similar to the non-factory version? This is good news, I wonder when they will have kits ready for field installations, and if it will be required to visit an RV dealer... Thanks, John Davies Spikane WA

Parked for a few hours beside the Columbia River, Kennewick WA, close to the venue for the hydro races. This was the first serious tow test with the 200. What a capable and comfy tow vehicle this is! We are off to central Idaho in two days. More to come, hopefully some total eclipse time lapse video with Mouse in the frame.... John Davies Spokane WA

We won't be there, it is just too far from our stomping grounds. What are the chances for an Oliver West Rally? If it is this side of Denver we will be there. Durango CO would be a great location. John Davies Spokane WA

Please try not to get hooked into the "Must Have a Slideout" mentality. OTH it is almost impossible to find a new stick built trailer on a dealer lot without one. They are horrible nightmares in terms of poor safety, mechanical failures and water leaks. Get an Airstream or an Ollie, no slide out headaches! During the very rare times that we stay at a commercial campground, I wander around looking for delaminating walls and sagging slide outs, and often we are the only trailers there with no slide out, pop up tent trailers excepted, and the rare Casita or Escape. If you plan to go onto rough back roads or forest roads, please consider the frame, hull and interior construction differences that set Oliver well apart from other brands. There is no way an interior cabinet or sink will fall off during a bumpy expedition, as can happen with even Airstreams. When you have a component screwed to the wall, it will eventually shake loose. There are a few people that have bought a Oliver as a first RVs, but IMHO it is a big mistake. You should buy something really mainstream and inexpensive (heavily discounted), use it for a season and see if you like the lifestyle, then you can trade it in on something well built, and specced to to your satisfaction. If you buy an Ollie or an AS and you decide it was a mistake, that can be expensive, especially if you live where the sales tax is very high like WA. http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/recreational-vehicle-standards-and-why-is-the-average-build-quality-so-low/ Good luck. John Daves Spokane WA

This is very cool.... a graphic showing what you will see at your particular zip code, even far away from the Path. https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/7/25/16019892/solar-eclipse-2017-interactive-map John Davies Spokane WA

Extra supplies and gas! If you plan to travel to a viewing site in a more remote location, consider bringing lots of extra water, food, supplies and gas. If a small town is inundated with thousands of visitors, the market(s) and gas station(s) may run dry, and you could get stranded if your vehicle tank is low. Try to top up the fuel before entering the viewing area. I normally carry five gallons of gas for my generator. I am going to triple that for the Eclipse, in case I need to top up the truck. I also plan to return home via back roads since I suspect the main highways will be pure chaos. Happy viewing.... John Davies Spokane WA

There is nothing wrong with Ketchum, it's going to be a great spot, but you mentioned going to Craters of the Moon on Monday night. That is a very nasty desolate hot wierd snake filled place, especially in the middle of August. The Sawtooths are the opposite - cooler, green, wet, and photogenic. If it is not too hot COM would be interesting, go in the early morning tho. I find lava flows to be depressing, more than anything else. I know where I would rather be in mid summer..... John Davies Spokane WA

This is not my rig, but it's an LX570 with AHC (Auto Height Control) which seems to work very nicely with a lifted 27 ft Airstream... great info. https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/lx570-tow-report.1004175/ John Davies Spokane WA

This is not my rig, but it's an LX570 with AHC (Auto Height Control) which seems to work very nicely with a 27 ft Airstream... great info. https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/lx570-tow-report.1004175/ John Davies Spokane WA

If I were going to be that close to the mountains, I sure would not head back out into the desert. How about going a little north to the Stanley area? It is drop dead gorgeous. If you are into ruins, there are half a dozen ghost towns not too far from there. .... http://www.ghosttowngallery.com/htme/map.htm Or a hot spring? ... http://www.idahohotsprings.com/hot_springs/public-idaho-hot-springs-map.htm Of course you will be fighting for space with maybe 100,000 other visitors who came to see the eclipse, so the best thing would be to hunker down in one place until Tuesday mid-day.