John E Davies

I considered NOCOs before buying my C-Tec, at the time the price was a big consideration. This looks like a great choice, 10 amps for $89 (BF price). Have you ever used yours in Power Supply mode (constant voltage)? Wondering if it works without being connected to a battery, for example to anodize small aluminum parts in an acid bath…? It would save me $100 over buying an eBay variable power supply. Sorry for the topic drift. Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

Battle Borns are on sale big time, maybe your toasted batteries are a sign from above that you should upgrade to lithiums now…. They will survive abuse much better than ye olde fashioned lead acid boat anchors… BB Black Friday sales I have never heard of even one owner that switched to lithiums who regretted it afterwards. Maybe you should add some 21st Century tech to your electrical system. John Davies Spokane WA

Well, the odds are that they are wrecked, but it is worth trying to salvage them, a charger with a “reconditioning” feature might possible revive them, unfortunately with four (?) batteries, the odds are high that at least one is irredeemable, so you may end up replacing them all, so that one bad unit won’t discharge the others…. i have a 6 amp C-Tek charger that I used successfully on my truck when I left a dome light on for several weeks over the summer, the battery appears to be fine now, but it may prove to be toast once the winter chill sets in… I did disconnect the leads when charging, to protect the vehicle systems from the higher voltage. This charger is way too small for your big storage batteries, it might be best to talk to a local shop. CTEK (56-353) MULTI US 7002 12-Volt Battery Charger,Black Keep in mind a retail shop will be eager to sell you new batteries rather than fixing your old buggered ones. Maybe an auto-electric repair service would be more productive. Good luck, I bet you said a lot of bad words. I sure did. John Davies Spokane WA

That will work fine, you should use a NON-CURING silicone GREASE, not a sealer/ sealant, which would definitely stop the leak but you might never get the part back out. https://www.crcindustries.com/marine-premium-dielectric-grease-3-3-wt-oz/ It says: "Also ideal for lubricating plastic & rubber." How do you like that finger tip dispenser design? Is it useful or a gimmick? I don't understand why anyone would want a pressurized container of this stuff, you only need a very tiny amount each time. John Davies Spokane WA

Those seals are considered to be " consumable" parts, meaning you should just replace it and move on, But you are correct, that was an installation error. Coat the oring with a silicone dielectric or plumbing grease every time and you won't see further problems like rolling or tearing. You can buy tiny tubes at $10 per ounce, this one a much better value and a great product; it can also be used to moisture-proof electrical connections. I always use it on every oring, such as those on my PCP air rifles. and always on spark plug boots. I have been using this particular DC4 product for over 40 years. Now that I am retired from fixing airplanes, a big tube like this lasts me about ten years... 😉 Dow Corning 4 Electrical Insulating Compound 5.3 Oz (150 g) Tube (1, Single Pack) John Davies Spokane WA

These are bottom tier cheap products. I doubt that they were ever intended to go in an RV where airborne dirt particles and condensation are major factors. This is a fail on Oliver’s part, unintentional though it may be. Does anybody actually get 20,000 hours of use out of their home LED light bulbs??? These life ratings are pure scam. The LED element itself may in theory last forever, but the board it is attached to can last just a few hours. RVs need marine grade (co$tly) components. John Davies Spokane WA

Installing an inverter is a big job involving running big wires. And upgrading the batteries. If you can’t do the work yourself it will cost thousand$. Consider one of these instead. EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max Portable Power Station I think the capacity is a little marginal, bigger units are coming out soon, they will have the new excellent lithium iron phosphate battery. John Davies Spokane WA

A filter is just for particles and bugs - for hard water with dissolved minerals, you must use a water softener, which will definitely help with scale. In fact it will clean out old deposits from throughout the plumbing in several months. John Davies Spokane WA

It would be a very easy retrofit, and the parts cost would be close to zero, because the new owner can sell the used composting toilet on Craigslist for $300. The flush toilets are easily obtained from many online sources, I have no idea about pricing... All the big waste fittings are standard Home Depot stuff. The fresh water flush line is already in place, as is the outside black tank flush plumbing (unless you removed them as I did). The tank level (indicating) system was pre-installed at the factory. I suggest that you tell the buyer this, but also tell them to USE the NH unit for a while before deciding. There are SOOOOO many reasons to have the NH, and anecdotally 90% of new buyers order that toilet. If they plan to stay hooked up 100% of the time, then the water wasting unit is a no brainer. But if they plan to visit lots of National Parks and forest service campgrounds, that flusher will never work well. Tell them how much fresh water they will save. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/1978-natures-head-composting-toilet-installation-in-an-oliver-big-thread/ John Davies Spokane WA

Very cool mod, thanks for posting! What kind of pipe did you use? If it is off-the-shelf box store Schedule 80 stuff, you should treat the parts annually with a preservative like 303 Protectant. If you don't, the frame may shatter in a few years from a wayward tree branch. Depending of course on the long term sun exposure level. https://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/18339/which-type-of-pvc-for-exposed-outdoor-use For those who may to know: ... http://www.harrisonplastic.com/pvcschedule40-80specs.html Sorry, this is off topic... What CAD program do you use to generate those dimensional images? Can it print reverse (black on white)? I am looking for a newbie friendly, SIMPLE 2D software that is iMac compatible (without using a Windoze emulator) and that won't cost thousands per year to lease. Any suggestions? I have a new Sherilne 3 x 17" lathe and mill, and need to draw stuff that will look professional, but all the work will be hand turned and milled. No stepper motors for me 😉 . NO to this: Thanks, john Davies Spokane WA

I had 32.2 “ Ridge Grapplers on my LC200. LOVED them! They are a very soft compound, that is why they ride so smoothly and work so VERY well off road. I replaced them after about 30,000 miles of mostly towing, they were wearing reasonably well, but had gotten very loud and harsh by that point. The tire mileage warranty would have got me another Nitto set, at a prorated cost, but I decided to go back to Cooper AT3 XLT tires. Same with the Coopers, love them when fresh, but they get unpleasant after 50% tread wear. All these hybrids are crazy heavy in the LT tire sizes, and they kill your fuel economy in a light duty vehicle. On an LC200 they completely destroy that comfy OEM car ride quality. Since I am no longer towing regularly I am going to put a set of these on: Yokohama Geolandar AT G015 285/60R18 116H They are 48 pounds lighter (!!!), per set, and do well enough off pavement for my use. I have had these on two other vehicles and loved them. But they are not indestructible like a good LT tire. I am hoping to pick up 2 mpgs, maybe. When you are averaging 14-15 not towing, that is a pretty big deal at $5 per gallon. John Davies Spokane WA

On an Ollie, back flushing inwards (forward) from the rear main outlet connection risks pushing our enemies E. coli up into the grey tank. Not a good result. Not recommended. Don’t do it, there is a very good reason Oliver put the black flush fitting up at the tank itself. On an SOB RV with completely separated dump valves it will work safely. If you have a NH toilet, you can rinse out the big pipes easily with a garden hose nozzle by directing the stream forward a few times. That will act to rinse the back sides of the grey and black dump valves, where crud will accumulate unseen and untreated. I wouldn’t try this with a regular toilet. Yech. John Davies Spokane WA

A bag of ice dropped in the tank on the last trip home works, or at least it worked in 1988 when I last owned a trailer with a conventional crapper. John Davies Spokane WA

We sold my wife’s ‘98 SC400 two years ago, got about $11,000 for it online. They are very very neat cars, if you have any issues or want to chat, PM me. For example, when your failing capacitors in the ECU destroy the mother board, and they will fail, they cause all sorts or crazy issues, an easy $150 fix, if your board is OK. It’s a pay me now a little, or pay me later a lot thing. John Davies Spokane WA

Very cool. FYI moving air doesn’t like squared corners at all. At the downstream side especially you get low pressure and turbulence, which decreases the flow rate and makes extra noise. Try putting nice smooth curves wherever possible, for example use a 1” or larger router bit, followed by hand sanding. Tape all seams and openings. Any reduction in area in a duct will reduce the airflow cfm, so it is important to have the shape be as aerodynamic as possible. John Davies Spokane WA

You can hard freeze a gallon milk jug with water in your home freezer (put it in a few days before) and add it to the turned OFF trailer fridge the night before as you load food, then remove the ice as you are ready to depart the next day when you turn on the fridge. Or if you have the room, leave it in there and drink the water later. It won’t keep stuff in the trailer freezer frozen, but it is fine for everything else. You should try to keep it as full as possible at ALL times, the extra “thermal mass” reduces temp fluctuations and conserves propane too. John Davies Spokane WA

LOL, my guess is that he is parked on a steep upward slope, there is no way in this universe that an Ollie can actually be towed with a foot and half of droop at the hitch. If I am wrong, please post some pictures. And yes, leaving the fridge on in any mode at that angle is very very bad for it. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/8865-fridge-fires-if-you-have-an-older-hull-you-really-need-to-pull-out-that-fridge-now/ John Davies Spokane WA

Well, this started out VERY badly, but ended fairly well, the trailer turned out to be crap, pardon my French, and i was able to get a full refund (eventually, after five weeks) from the dealer. I started a new thread at Expedition Portal. I am interested in reading some of their remarks, I think it will be entertaining, Please go here (free to read, I am not sure about viewing attachments without joining (and that too is free), let me know about that please.): https://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/apogee-adapt-x-folding-utility-trailer-cool-design-big-fail-in-the-execution.241264/ John Davies Spokane WA

You still need to do a LOT of research before you start checking options in the order form. This is a good start: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/6629-how-to-find-happiness-with-lifepo4-lithium-ion-batteries-solacity-article/ I **** STRONGLY ***** recommend that you delay your order and rent a small travel trailer for a few weeks. You will learn more in a single day than you will thru months of videos. You may even decide that you do not like the whole concept, or that you are uncomfortable with towing. You might prefer a Class B or even a truck camper, neither of which will work with your new truck. The basic rule is to buy the camper first, then the truck that works best for it! Doing it the other way causes lots of heartache. And it is so very common. There have been several excited Oliver newbies that discovered that they just could not adapt to the lifestyle and the many technical challenges, and they sold their trailers shortly afterwards. This is very preventable. Take it very slowly and be sure you know enough to make educated decisions. John Davies Spokane WA

Wait for the upcoming larger EcoFlow River 2 Max, I have the 600 and it is stellar but a little too small in capacity. A larger one of around 1000 or 1200 watts is expected. I will buy one and gift my 600 to a relative. They are blowing out their older models with regular fire bomb lithium batteries and soon I expect to see all of their products to have LiFePO4 battery technology like the Olivers have. Sign up for emails and they have excellent special member deals. https://us.ecoflow.com/ https://thetechnologyman.com/ecoflow-river-2-max-review-best-500w-portable-power-station/ John Davies Spokane WA

FYI, it might give you some ideas: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5478-how-to-remote-mount-the-controller-of-a-suitcase-solar-panel-not-inside-the-trailer/ John Davies Spokane WA

That is a great detector. I am sorry to see that exploded Northern Light, I like those campers, but not the stick interior so much. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/6780-how-to-replace-the-propane-co-detector-with-a-gas-only-one-and-a-digital-co-detector/ But the LED is uber bright and needs to be dimmed if you don’t want the underside of your table lit up…. John Davies Spokane WA

The remotes will be fine, but it is very unwise to leave all your keys exposed to the outside world there. Put them inside the closet door or safely hidden away in one of the “safe” compartments. Otherwise somebody could snatch them. John Davies Spokane WA

The world is awash with counterfeit batteries! Only buy from a reputable local seller like a big box store or Batteries Plus Bulbs. The fakes are so bad that half of them can fail right away. This may be contributing to the low performance of the remote. https://ul.org/news/what-makes-counterfeit-batteries-unsafe John Davies Spokane WA

jd1923, Do not discount the fire risk of your old Dometic fridge! Just because you never heard of this issue with other makes doesn’t mean it isn’t a serious problem. With a used trailer you have no idea how the previous owners used the appliances. RV Fire – 3 Things You MUST Do Today! There is a lot of useful info here, https://www.arprv.com/products.php but be aware that you cannot install one of their kits into your older hull without removing the refrigerator fully into the cabin to gain access to the working section. Remove your fridge and inspect it, it will most likely be in a dangerous condition. John Davies Spokane WA