John E Davies

https://camelcamelcamel.com You add the Amazon item you are interested in with your "target price" and it keeps track of price changes, which you can view on a chart. It will alert you by email if the price gets down to your target value. It's pretty useful if you can wait weeks or months before buying. If you need it right now, all it does is tell you whether or not the item was priced competitively. John Davies Spokane WA

Reviving an old thread..... I got the Progressive Dynamics surge suppressor with my new Oliver and it came with a "generator plug" and no instructions. It is labeled "For Generator Use Only". When I tried running the trailer off my new (used) Yamaha EF2400ishc (thanks again Mike!) the surge suppressor would not let it connect. I googled the generator plug and came up with this: .... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BYSFQSW/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I321CE0IR3BKDD&colid=1X5H11EH41351 As well as this discussion of why it is needed: .... http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f34/g-n-bonding-plug-28086.html I plugged it into the unused socket on the generator and all is well. That last pic is with the electric water heater (12 amps constant) and the converter (variable amps, lowering with time as the batteries get topped up) running together. It is nice to be able to see the amp load and adjust it as needed at the circuit breaker panel to keep the load reasonable. My Air Command 13.5k (the smaller unit) starts and runs fine at 9 to 10 amps with no other loads and I think I could get away with that and the converter also, as long as I made sure the converter was drawing less than 10 amps and the air conditioner thermostat was turned cold enough that it was not cycling on and off..... I am using a great big 10AWG super duty 15 amp, 25 ft cord and it shrugs off these loads with no sign of overheating. The generator receptacles are 20 amp, not 15. I could just switch the PD box off (bypass mode) and not use the generator plug, but I really like to see the amp draw on the display. I for one would rather it be in the open, with a light shield for night time. Finally, I labeled my breakers with a silver Sharpie so I could see at a glance what they are for, instead of trying to read the tiny printed lables on the door, facing the WRONG DIRECTION. Why doesn't this panel have the hinge on the right (correct) side? John Davies Spokane WA

Before we got Mouse we tent camped and used a sun shower hung from a tree, and ocassionally one of those nylon enclosures. I prefer au natural in the open, but if there are people around you can always wear a small swinsuit and get just as clean. The enclosures work OK but then you have to deal with cleaning them, drying them out and storing them away. Frankly it is a pain in the butt. I don't think they are worth the effort unless the person bathing is really shy. Then you can make them clean it. If it is warm and clear, and minimal wind, these work very well after a few hours of cooking under the sun. .... https://www.amazon.com/Stearns-Sun-Shower-Portable/dp/B000NVC1JY John Davies Spokane WA

No shower curtain, it is not needed, though it might stop water collecting in the pee receptacle. I would rather just have drain holes..... John Davies Spokane WA

Is that a LWB? It looks shorter. Only the LWB with the diesel are rated to tow over 7000 pounds. Most of the other configurations are much much lower. This really isn't a great choice for the tandem Ollie, unless you stay low and flat..... https://www.ford.com/resources/ford/general/pdf/towingguides/17RV&TT_Ford_Transit_Sep7.pdf John Davies Spokane WA

This would work, but IMHO it adds unnecessary complication. If you were full timing, it might be beneficial. but it isn't hard to empty the tank manually. There might be problems with hard crusty deposits forming in the drain line. I am not sure if you could chemically remove those periodically. The deposits that form in the tank require some hard scrubbing, using a handful of gravel, some water, and shaking vigorously is a common method. You can't do that with a small drain hose. A composting toilet is definitely a different kind of system compared to a regular RV toilet and tank... John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks for the kind words. See the second picture down from the top of Page 1. There is a significant lip around the seat part, under the lid, that keeps shower water out. You are correct, you want to keep the compost damp, but not drippy wet. Unfortunately, as I noted, there is nothing to keep shower water out of the hollow that the pee tank sits in. So when you are done washing, you can either leave that water sitting there, lift out the tank and dry the parts, or drill a couple of holes in the bottom of the receptacle .... NOT the pee tank itself, LOL. I plan to do the latter, but I keep forgetting. I suppose that you could fabricate a rubber seal around the top, but that might make removing and reinstalling the tank harder. John Davies Spokane WA

Can anybody bring me up to speed on these and their use in an Ollie? We have one at home and my wife has successfully baked really good bread in it, so she wants to be able to do stuff like this in the trailer. She is a fanatical baker, she has not done much with the convection microwave, and wants to learn. I have told her that using that much power for twenty minutes straight is likely not practical off batteries, but it should be fine when plugged in or when running the generator, off straight 120 VAC (not off the inverter). Any comments, warnings, recommendations, or guidelines? Would anything be needed in the way of heat insulation, inside the cabinet? I would prefer a unit that is a physical match for the installed microwave, with no need for trim kits or other extras. Thanks for your help, i am hoping for fresh baked bread, biscuits or whatever in the mornings.... John Davies Spokane WA

Seriously, is this common? I don't see how they could possibly have the time to do full end-to-end searches of all RVs entering the base. I thought your military ID would get you past all that sort of Homeland Security Theater. I have never been in the military - my sincere thanks go to those who are or were - so this is all alien to me. John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks, Jason just verified that number by email. Mine has no sticker so I can ignore it ;) I think I will be OK with my planned max load. It will be rare, and for short distances. I might keep the gas cans full all the time, but the water cans would only be filled if I expected to be dry camping more than a couple of days. I will keep an eye on the tightness of the mounting hardware, just to be safe. John Davies Spokane WA

Bump for an older thread. Any new comments, maybe from last generation Tundra 5.7 owners? Thanks John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks, that is useful info. What method do you use to tie it down, or do you use a locking rack? Do you have a pad for cushioning? John Davies Spokane WA

Chain links would work, but if run through the mesh they won't have the desired stregth. If I drilled holes through the top structure they would work. .... but if I am going to be drilling holes, I think I would rather have strong, elegant and expensive ($100+ for the Macs kit) rather than weaker, shade-tree and cheap. I wonder why the factory doesn't supply a few welded on eyes, or even holes or slots in the frame? There is no good way to strap things down that doesn't involve running a really long strap under the A-frame. John Davies Spokane WA

Does anyone know if there is a published safe load limit for this rack? I am guessing 100 pounds. I might load it down a little more, but it would be rarely, and not for long. Most of the time the cans would be empty, to reduce tongue weight. John Davies Spokane WA.

Is there room on top to install a 4 inch or 6 inch round deck plate with gaskets, for access to the inside of the tank.? Then you could use a flanged bulkhead water fitting with gaskets for the suction pipe, and also clean out the tank periodically through the port. It would not be likely to leak, being on top and not constantly submerged in water. Are you lending or renting your spin weld tool? What are you charging for the parts and tool? They are not cheap.... http://www.vintagetrailersupply.com/Spin-Weld-Driver-Tool-p/vts-624t.htm Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

Jason told me two days ago that they are developing a retrofit kit that can be done there in Howenwald, or sent to a shop or skilled owner for installation. They have to finalize the design, make sure it meets the various codes and certification, and test fit it them into a couple of trailers on the production line, before making them available. They want to make sure they do not introduce any new issues while fixing this old one... A wise move IMHO. I can wait until they have a factory fix available, since my trailer is only a month old. But John "Raspy's" fix looks solid, well put together and easy to do for somebody out of warranty. Thanks for making the parts available. Can you comment on the spin welding, and how hard it is to get good results if you have never done it before? I have seen videos of the technique. Thanks, John Davies Spokane WA

Hi, I considered those but they are pretty light duty; I don't know if they even publish a safe working limit. I want a setup with a high load capacity for rough roads as well as holding things in place in the event of a crash or rollover... Plus footman loops require you to thread the webbing through the slot, that is time consuming and I would rather use a more open connections style, for a hook or carabiner to go through. The Mac's tie down with 1.5 inch welded ring is rated at 3000 pounds! That is probably overkill in this situation. John Davies Spokane WA

I do not know 100% for sure, but my understanding is that all the cables and wires are in a common harness which is installed between the outer and inner hull parts, and they use only those that are specified on the build order. I don't think there is any problem adding an antenna later, but you might want to double check with an Oliver sales person. There is maybe an inch of air space between the parts, plenty to allow one to fish around and retrieve a wire harness or coax cable. Drilling the access hole might be a little tricky, to avoid damaging anything underneath..... But they have templates to locate everything correctly. John Davies Spokane WA

Has anybody added stout tie downs to the perimeter of the tray? The expanded aluminum sides are weak and will bend with any real force. The edges are knife sharp and need to be radiused. It needs a ventilated pad to protect the can bottoms .... Otherwise, I think it is a dandy accessory, VERY stout and good looking. I want to be able to tie down a variety of items, but primarily two steel gas cans and two plastic water cans: These fit _perfectly_ in this configuration with no extra room on the sides, and I can strap the gas cans and water cans down hard, and independently, so that either set can be removed without disturbing the other. I just need some better attach points. Maybe these around the top?: .... http://www.macscustomtiedowns.com/product/versatie-track-kit-4-foot/VersaTie-Track-Kits I would need a minimum of a 48 inch and a 36 inch piece to cover the entire perimeter, less the angled corners. Comments welcome. John Davies Spokane WA

It also depends on your mattress choice, I would not recommend the risers with any except the thinnest option. We have the 10 inch plush mattresses and no risers. I don't see how that size with risers could possibly be useable. I do like the great comfort but they are excessively tall IMHO. If I were going solo, I would get a six inch mattress for the curb side only, and put a riser on the street side, with conventional thin cushions for lounging. For hard core trips you could keep the cushions at home and utilize the top of that riser for lots of storage, like bottled water or bulky gear, or a dog bed. With an extra flip down access panel underneath, you could get to the electronics easily (which is not needed very often) and not have to disturb the stuff on the top two layers and then reach down though TWO access ports. An extra flip down panel would be good on the curb side, but not required if you have the thinner mattress, though it would save you from having to disturb the bedding, at the cost of having to squat or lie down to turn the valves... flipping back the ten inch mattress is more than a little awkward! Especially on the curb side with the darned fixed tv mount as it comes. With the tv gone, it is a non issue. John Davies Spokane WA

Bill, that is a fallacy. There is no problem using a good quality RTV silicone sealant on fiberglass. !!! HOWEVER !!! It should never ever be used on stainless steel fittings and hardware, because it does not bond to that material well. For stainless you should use a good marine sealant like 3M 4200 or one of the other variants. ... http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/891179O/3m-marine-fast-cure-general-purpose-adhesive-sealant-4200fc.pdf True story: Back when we were DINKs (Double Income No Kids) we bought a 1988 SeaRay 250 Sundancer power boat, brand new. I wanted a boat with a warranty, and I knew that SeaRay was a top quality manufacturer. LOL. We ran it on Puget Sound and lakes through the summer, stored it under cover on its trailer through fall and winter. In the spring I discovered that the fiberglass deck was bulging and mushy, and water oozed from multiple screw holes when you walked on it. The windshield frame, life rail stanchons, deck hatches and every single item were sealed with silicone sealant, and the water got past it and into the balsa core. The dealer farted around, the service rep attempted a repair by injecting resin from underneath, destroying the headliner, and finally they admitted that it had to go back to the factory in Arizona for a deck replacement. That blew the _entire_ summer, and I insisted that they use the 3M sealants for the rebuild. When I finally got it back, the water leaks were gone for good. The boat was a constant nightmare in other ways, but that is another story. My credo for the Oliver is: if the part penetrates the hull, it gets coated with 4200. You must clean the parts with MEK or similar, not alcohol (that will prevent it from curing). If it does not penetrate, then white silicone is fine and much more affordable, since you don't have to discard the unused contents of a tube 24 hrs after opening. I would have no hesitation whatsoever about using silicone to fair in the edge of a rain gutter or window, or to seal the rubber gasket on a light. Use the correct product, use as directed, and then don't worry about it. Water leaks on an Ollie are a nuisance but they won't hurt anything, unlike on a balsa core deck. John Davies Spokane WA

You get tv and fm radio through the Winegard. If you don't have one, you get the funky self adhesive bar antenna that came with the entertainment system, glued to the inside of the left rear window. Radio reception is adequate and tv reception is pretty much nil with the little one. Sorry for the dark, it is hard to show a black antenna on a tinted glass surface... We chose not to have the outside tv antenna since like you, we watch dvds or maybe downloaded Amazon Prime stuff on my iPad. We watch network tv for the news, but haven't watched any broadcast primetime show in way over a decade. Nor do we miss them. Unless you really need the capability of the outside antenna, skip it. The less things poking up out of the roof, the better. The wires are there inside the roof, if a future owner wanted to install one. John Davies Spokane WA

Hi Reed, yes this is it: ..... https://www.amazon.com/Blaylock-American-Metal-EZ-100-Wheel/dp/B000R5PMWE It's certainly big and sturdy. It is cast aluminum with a shiny chrome plating. For parking long term it will hold up, especially if there is an uneven surface or rocks. I used it one night and the rest of the time it has been stored awkwardly in the doghouse behind the propane bottles. It really is intended for bigger trailers, I think. Check your Private Messages. John Davies Spokane WA

This is quick and easy to use and I hate mine with a passion. I'm going to sell it. You just set it in front of the low front tire and drive forward. But it is huge and sharp and horrible to store. I would rather carry a bunch of 2x6x6 and/ or 4x6x6 wood blocks and stack them as needed under the jacks. They transport MUCH more efficiently and aren't heavy. The Anderson version of this is plastic and not as heavy, but it is still an extremely inefficient shape to carry around all the time. You can buy a single piece of lumber at Home Depot and cut it into everything you need. Cutting a 2 inch one is easy, cutting a 4 inch thick one takes more time and effort since a standard circular saw won't do it in a single cut. John Davies Spokane WA

I don't have a pic, but I have seen one trailer with frosted glass and I thought it looked cheap and tacky. Seeing ghostly shapes of your pots, pans, shampoo bottles and stacked clothes is not exactly uplifting. After a few false starts, you will quickly remember where you stored your stuff, if you go wth mirrored or dark. I like the mirrors, they really add a lot of reflected light and make the cabin feel bigger inside, day or night. You soon learn to open and close them using the latches, to avoid getting your fingerprints everywhere. Well ... one of us has learned that. There are lots of general pics of frosted glass cabinets, here is one: Keep in mind that your trailer shelves won't look anything like that after a long bumpy trip - your stuff will be a lot less tidy and photogenic. Nor will you be putting pretty and fragile glassware up there.... John Davies Spokane WA