John E Davies

We visited Mt Rushmore but declined to stop. It was a weekend and there were vast hoards of people and the commercialized parking fee was ridiculous. The surrounding forest and scenery is very nice.. some roads are very twisty with tunnels. Be wary with your trailer. Parking for trailers at Rushmore is extremely limited. Go at an off-peak day and time. After having seen the big National Parks and Jasper, just skip the Black Hills entirely. They are an extreme disappointment in comparison. They reminded me a lot of a large gravel pit operation. I think they are best viewed en route to the West, not returning from. Wall Drug is, well Wall Drug, and you either love it or hate it. Sorry to be negative about the Dakotas, their tourism departments try really hard but there is not a lot there to work with. Eastern WY does have some very pretty scenery, it's the other side of that state that sometimes resembles the Moon. Devils Tower is on my list but I haven't made it yet. Stay safe. John Davies Spokane WA

LOL, I agree, but somehow I don't think the factory will send me four new wheels to match the spare. John Davies Spokane WA

Tires are identical Michelin LTX. I don't think the EZ Flex hardware requires any extra loctite. If you did, and checked torque later, it would disturb the grip of the epoxy. All but one of the shackle nuts was dead tight. One rear nut just squeeked and shifted a fractional amount. The shackle nuts are strong self locking (with staked indents). The ubolt nuts on the axles are plain with no lock washers. It was those nuts that needed retorquing. CAUTION: If you check the shackles, attempt to tighten the nuts, not the heads. The heads have serrations on the shank that bite into the steel hanger and those must not be damaged. You can hang a big wrench on the head but don't turn it. Always turn just the nut. I strongly recommend checking this stuff, and the coupler bolts, at 3000 miles, and if any are at all loose, recheck again at 6000. If a fastener continues to loosen there is a problem that should be fixed. Don't just keep tightening it. John Davies Spokane WA

You are too fast! I caught the error and fixed it just now... John Davies Spokane WA

There is just over 3000 miles on my trailer. Today I lubed the shackle bolts, readjusted the wheel bearing nuts (all were very slightly loose), retorqued the shackle and ubolts (most ubolt nuts were slightly loose, two were _really_ loose), and cleaned and waxed both sides of the wheels. I was planning on rotating my spare along with the four main tires, but the wheel is different. Mains are 16x6, ten holes. Spare is 16x7, twelve holes. The back sides are machined differently, tho that doesn't really matter. Has anyone encountered this? Is this an Elite wheel? I have emailed Jason, asking for a replacement.... I will update what happens. Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

I just reserved a long pull thru site with hookups (no sewer) along a COE lake on the Snake River near Pasco WA. It is rated "Prime" with mature shade trees and direct beach access. The reservation is for a Wednesday, it is booked solid on other days. http://www.freeguidetonwcamping.com/Oregon_Washington_Main/Washington/Southeast_WA/Fishhook_Park.htm $13.00, then I applied my America The Beautiful Senior Pass discount: $6.50 Total! There are several other Corps campgrounds along the river, with dispersed primitive camping, completely free. When we were in the East after collecting Mouse, I hated paying the high rates there.... and low cost campgrounds are virtually non- existent. I enjoyed revisiting TN after 35 years, but I can't say I will miss it any.... John Davies Spokane WA

Would this motorhome be for Eastern type, full hookup camping or do you desire good clearance and the additional capability of AWD/ 4WD? Most motorhomes are complete disasters underneath, in terms of grossly inadequate departure angle and "low hanging fruit". You probably are aware that the Sprinter chassis is finally available with a great factory 4WD system. Any other chassis would need an aftermarket conversion. John Davies Spokane WA

Bill, thanks for clarifying. There are people who will attempt a job without a clue about the process. These references will get them headed in the right direction for a (hopefully) good outcome. There are many people who should never be allowed to touch ANY tool, and there are those whose background and temperment let them do sophisticated modifications, safely and professionally. It's up to the individual Ollie owner to evaluate his position in this hierarchy! Sometimes you just need to suck it up and ask for help.... or take the trailer to a shop. Unfortnately, there is no guarantee whatsoever that a shop will do it right, and if you are clueless about correct techniques, how could you even evaluate their work? .... You can't. So, learning a little about how to do this stuff yourself might be prudent. John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks for the post, here is that vac: ... https://smile.amazon.com/Decker-BDH2000PL-Lithium-Vacuum-20-volt/dp/B00IOEFBKS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1496927660&sr=8-2&keywords=black+and+decker+vac+pivot I too have been disappointed in B&D stuff in the past: it just didn't seem well made or durable. I did buy a 20 v lithium hedge trimmer three years ago and it has been simply stellar! It is easy to use, very powerful, with a long battery life (and most important, no memory effect like nicads, which are garbage IMHO). I have hammered that trimmer and it just keeps going. They have made some QC changes, it appears. While I don't have any problem with lithium batteries around my garage, I am a little more hesitent about storing them long term inside the trailer. Do you worry about a lithium battery fire? Do you keep it plugged into the charger constantly, or do you remove it when not camping? Is this style vac available in a corded version? How does it handle long hair (wife) and fur (labdradoodles)? Thanks, John Davies Spokane WA

Most owners will run into a situation where they need to repair a broken wire or faulty circuit, or want to add a completely new one, for a pantry light, a backup camera or perhaps a charging port. Being able to make electrical connections in a safe and secure way is critical. If you understand the fundamentals, it is easy to select the correct tools and supplies to do the job the right way. This is a fine reference for low voltage automotive wiring ..... It is NOT AT ALL appropriate for 120 volt ac residential type wiring. I selected Reader View on my iPad, which neatens up the formatting and removes ads, then saved it as a pdf. http://www.musclecardiy.com/automotive-wiring/fundamentals-of-automotive-electrical-connections-and-connectors/ This applies to homebuilt aircraft, but it does provide some good insight into what works and what doesn't I hope this proves useful. John Davies Spokane WA

Did you post a thread about this? If so, can I have a link? If not, please start a new one. I would like pics and part numbers.... Thanks, John Davies Spokane WA

I strongly second this. Plus it is legal to transport into western Canada, if declared at your crossing. The odds of even seeing a griz are very very low, but you do not want to be defenseless if the worst should happen. A handgun is legal in Glacier if you have a valid pistol permit, but shooting a bear in a National Park brings you untold legal grief....That does't stop me from carrying a big revolver. A mountain biker (a Park employee) was killed there by a bear last year, but in his case he came barreling around a blind turn on the wooded trail, right into the bear. You can hardly blame the bear for what happened next. Enjoy Glacier. It is a beautiful place. John Davies Spokane WA

A teak mat won't be enough for a height challenged individual. My wife is 5'6" and she wants at least five or six inches of lift. At 6' I can get on OK but it is a stretch. I think the stool I linked to would work fine and take up minimal space when stored up against the base, with a bungee going to the two base knobs during travel. Purty it ain't, does that really matter? You can go with a purty conventional toilet, and admire the sleek lines, and then contemplate and smell your gross 3 inch Stinky Slinky and the nasty stuff coming out the end every time you dump..... your choice ;) The fan only uses about an amp, max. I would not bother with dumping before storage, but I keep my trailer in a conditioned RV bay, aka The Hanger Deck, and plugged in all the time. You would not want the parts to freeze more than ocassionally, especially if full. For outdoor storage in a freezing climate the head should be decommissioned in the Fall and unplugged. Useful links: https://theboatgalley.com/our-composting-toilet/ The coconut coir I use: ... https://www.amazon.com/Planters-Pride-RZP3041-11-Pound-Beats/dp/B004HLSL7W/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1464718104&sr=8-1&keywords=beats+peat&linkCode=sl1&tag=theboagal0a-20&linkId=07579bfa2f7cd988a4f0550e9448ab6d John Davies Spokane WA

I see by your profile that you are in Liberty Lake. We just brought our Elite II home to Spokane a week ago, there is our Twin and also another King in the Valley somewhere, but I don't think the King owner is showing his trailer at this time. Welcome to the Forum, there are a bunch of friendly knowledgeable folks here, willing and able to help you. If you want to look at our trailer, please request it through the Oliver webpage referral program so that they are kept in the loop. FYI, there are fewer single axle trailers out there, so finding one might be tricky. Most buyers opt for the bigger unit for its greater volume and load capacity. There is an Elite shown as being in Portland. http://olivertraveltrailers.com/see-an-ollie/ John Davies Spokane WA

EDIT 12/10/23. Useful link: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/6720-natures-head-compost-toilet-troubleshooting-user-guide/ EDIT 06/06/23. This is an Oliver factory installation, not mine. One member has assumed that I did this. There are a number of threads asking about this toilet. I hope we can gather up a lot of the talk here in one place. I think there has been one other installation in an Ollie but there have been NO published pictures of any kind, that I have been able to find, even from the factory. This is baffling to me. I really wanted to cut the dump station umbilical. We routinely dry camp and finding an open station during a busy holiday weekend or off season is not something I want to face. With the NH toilet we can get rid of our grey water with a 3/4 inch garden hose. In many western states it is legal and encouraged to run a hose out to a nearby shrub and let your water trickle into the ground. The black tank, drain plumbing and vent system are all completely retained. The factory folks are extremely reluctant to delete these parts, since they are part of their certification. If you wanted to reinstall a regular toilet, it would be a very minor job. The fresh water line is even in place, next to the wall. You could sell the used NH for $400 and that would pay for the replacement conventional RV toilet, with a lot left over. An RV toilet is less than $200.... I chose to charge the base with coconut coir rather than peat moss, since it is a renewable resource and doesn't damage the environment. https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=coconut+coir I made the mistake of just dropping a dry 2 pound brick into the bottom, adding water and then letting it hydrate. I ended up with WAY too much material. You need to do this in a bucket, outside, and then transfer the expanded stuff into the base, and the leftovers into gallon zip bags. The correct height is even with the internal agitator centerline. Any higher and it becomes difficult to turn with the handle. It takes about two gallons, I did not measure. There are many online sources with info. To summarize: Sit to pee, everybody, so there is no splashing. The trapdoor stays closed and your pee goes forward, and then down into the reservoir. Which you pre-treated with a half cup of vinegar, to kill the odor. That part is easy. To poop, open the trapdoor, finish the job, wipe and close the door. Give the agitator handle two or three turns. The poop and paper will decompose rapidly once the natural process gets going, which may take a few days. The fan keeps a steady flow of fresh air into the reservoir and out of the trailer through the existing roof vent. I never noticed any bad odors except the first days, before I figured out that Oliver had installed the wrong fuse, a 1 amp, which had blown. Once I installed the correct fuse (2 to 5 specified, I used 3 amp), the fan worked as designed. The fuse is located in the main distribution panel under the dinette table, right row, bottom position (UN-labeled!). It is best to put only the absolute minimum amount of RV toilet paper into the base. If you put a lot in, it wraps around the agitator and makes it harder to turn. Only stinky paper goes down - the rest (damp with pee) goes into the small covered waste can to be disposed of weekly. The can came from Walmart, $10 I think. Cleaning is simple: spritz the area lightly with a dilute vinegar spray and wipe down with a disposable baby wipe, toss in can. Done. The residual vinegar and wipes control any odor from the can. The pee tank is big but it will fill up faster than you can believe if you have four people using it! Empty when it gets to within an inch or two from the top: Flip the two side latches, carefully rotate the top off the base, remove the pee bottle and cap it. Dump it in any approved location - a pit toilet or a rest stop restroom. Rinse with fresh water a couple of times and recharge with half a cup of vinegar. Reinstall into the toilet and close and latch the top. The pee will eventually form crusty yellow deposits. The fix, I have read, is to add gravel and water and shake it hard, then rinse several times. In two weeks of use I never noticed any significant deposits. The longer you let the poop decompose the better. If you can leave it over the winter, dump it out in the spring and it will be totally benign. If you need to empty it mid-season, remove the pee bottle and vent hose, unscrew the two hold down knobs and lift out the entire unit. Carry it outside and put a 13 gallon or larger trash bag on top, flip it over and empty the compost. Refill with clean coir to the centerline. There is NO need to clean it out. Any residual material will just help the next batch get started. The organic waste you can double bag and put in the trash, or if fully decomposed, it can be spread out in the woods, but not near a potable water supply or garden. The way to keep the smell in control is to keep the pee out of the main reservoir. It's the urine that makes a pit toilet smell so bad.... If you throw up or have a messy poop, you can add a little more fresh coir to help absorb the extra fluids. I keep a gallon bag of the hydrated stuff in the overheard cabinet (along with a quart of vinegar) and haven't had to add any extra. The fan has a dust filter that is supposed to be checked every few weeks, by removing two Philips screws. I think that is way too often in the clean environment of a fiberglass trailer, unless you have a dog that sheds. You can put your hand over the left (inlet) opening and feel a light suction. If that isn't present, you need to clean the filter. The pee bottle sits in a sealed cavity to catch overflows, This is a problem since when you take a shower, a bunch of fresh water gets trapped there. I intend to drill a couple of small drain holes in the bottom. I don't care if the pee bottle overflows onto the floor of the head, at least that way I will notice it! unless it is dark, and I am barefooted.... that would be bad 😉 This is why you want to empty the tank before it gets too close to the top. Agitator handle: ours fell off right away, the shaft has a set screw with lock nut. It is very easy to tighten correctly. I am not sure why the factory guy couldn't do it successfully. Spares: I intend to purchase a spare pee tank ($40), spare lids, and a fan.I already have extra 3 amp fuses. ... http://store.natureshead.net I intend to wire in a small LED in the wire harness to show that the fan has power. You can probably hear it running, faintly, if you are in a very quiet area and don't have bad tinnitus, as I do. The Nature's Head is a cool device, but it is really just a fancy bucket. A solidly built, very expensive bucket. I wish the price were about $250 instead of $800. That seems about right for what you get. OTH it is very rugged, and long time users seem to love it. My wife still has some reservations about using it, and we need to get a short step stool since it sits so much higher than even a tall toilet. This one might work well, and it might fit in close to the base with a bungee cord around it for travel: .... https://www.squattypotty.com/shop/poop-better/classic-ecco I am still learning, but I have no regrets at this time. Questions? John Davies Spokane WA

For mounting the transmitter, I was originally going to run dc power and the Garmin antenna coax to the front closet, but in looking at the limited access at the entry door I decided it was going to be too much of a pain, so I settled on the small wiring compartment immediately aft of the head, street side... It has easy access from the 6 inch round port in the head cabinet. Running the coax is easy since there is a continuous wiring "trough" all the way along the left side. The only tricky part is behind the pantry insert. Access to the inside of the rear wall of the hull is easy once you lower the two side panels and pull down the insulation. Revealed to you is more crappy wiring ;( There is 6 inches of free hull area below the LED riding lights and lots of room to maneuver if you stand on a small step stool. I laid everything out carefully using a bubble to align with the trailer cross belt line, and positioned the bracket on a relatively flat part near the bottom of the available space. This will get the camera up high where it can get a good panoramic view and also be up and out of the way. The camera and mount are delicate, but in the mount I fabricated they are well protected from a wayward branch or hail stone. I ordered the 50 extension cable that is optional, since the camera pigtail is only about three feet long. I wish they had shorter ones available. The material is 6064 T6 (tempered aircraft grade) aluminum, from a 2x2x10 inch a scrap I picked up at the local metal supplier for $4. I wanted a full shield on top to divert rain and objects, and also a smaller lip on the bottom to protect the underside. I can easily access the camera and adjustment screws from the sides. I added a crescent cutout so that the camera could point down far enough and still be protected. All work was done with a hacksaw, file and hand drill, with finish work on a bench top belt sander. It's very easy material to work with. The camera and bracket can easily be removed from the mount without disturbing that part, in case the camera fails. I used 5 mm steel threaded nutserts and metric Philips panhead screws to hold the steel bracket on, after trimming the bracket ears that are intended to clip over a license plate. I used clear RTV sealant on the bracket and screws for easy removal. Since the nutserts flare out behind the aluminum plate, I had to drill larger holes in the fiberglass for clearance. I masked around the area, and with the help of my daughter inside the trailer, I mounted the assembly onto the hull with a thick bed of 3M 4200 adhesive sealant. A word of warning: 4200 is great stuff, but expensive and once opened, you have to use the tube within 24 hours or it will harden in the tube . It always pays to read the instructions: I was going to use isopropyl alcohol to prep the parts, but it specifically says that alcohol will prevent the 4200 from curing! I used MEK, as advised... http://3mmarine.com/3mtm-marine-adhesive-sealant-fast-cure-4200fc-white-3-oz-tube-05260.html More to come, I haven't finished the wiring, and am waiting on a switch panel from Jason. I'll post pics of the inside work and transmitter. John Davies Spokane WA

I didn't want big graphics and left off all the side stuff. I did put on the personal name in two locations, back right below the beltline and beside the door. Anita graciously had their supplier make up three, for no cost, since I had declined the side swooshes and trailer names, and there is no credit for that ;( It wouldn't hurt to ask your sales rep if they would give you a custom graphic at little or no cost, if you send the digital file. It can be a simple jpg. There are a zillion online sign, stucker and boat name websites that you can order from, or use their design software to make a sign. Google "boat graphics". John Davies Spokane WA

In TN at least, you can't reserve a state park site on the day of arrival. This allows drop-ins to take spots that are not reserved previously. We have had good luck MID WEEK by looking for unreserved sites online, then stopping for the night. By Friday night all sites were reserved, darn it.... Obviously the prime sites get snatched up early, you may end up close to a playset or away from the view or beach. I was amazed to discover that there are almost no sites in TN that do not have full or partial hookups. (Meriweather Lewis State Park is one exception - no hookups and free.) That is weird when you look at the situation in the West, where this is much less common. It also makes for very expensive recreation, when you have to go to a commercially run park that is trying to make a profit, and charges you $40 or more for your one night stay..... I think it ruins the experience. But when all "campable" lands are run for profit, there is nothing you can do about it, except plan for a long trip through states with lots of free lands. John Davies Spokane WA

You won't want to hear this, but unless you can camp midweek, this is standard for highly populated states without much public land. When your only choice is developed campgrounds, you have too much competition. One reason we moved from Seattle across the state to Spokane is to get away from the weekend hoards, and to get closer to National Forests and other federal and state lands. The availability of free dispersed or low cost camping in DNR, NFS, and COE campgrounds GREATLY reduces the demand for full hookup state parks and the like. Plus the population density is orders of magnitude lower. This problem was highlighted for us when we picked up our trailer on a Monday in TN and didn't have any trouble until the weekends. You must have long term reservations for those days. There just aren't enough available spots to meet demand in a booming RV economy. Sorry. Move west, but not to the coast, problem solved. Or at least greatly reduced. John Davies Spokane WA

Here's a short primer on trailer ground problems. I _seriously_ doubt that your Olivers have this issue but you should check anyway. Maybe there is a QC problem on the Ollie that the F150 is seeing due to some extra sensitivity in its computer system...? Most trailers have really cheaply made lights that ground through the frame to the ball coupler. Each light has a ground wire or terminal that supposedly connects to the frame through the mounting screw. When new, they work, maybe, but adding corrosion and moisture causes high resistance and then the light quits. On every trailer I have owned, 9 out of 10 light issues are bad grounds. The fix is to install quality sealed lights, add separate ground wires for each light, run them to a terminal strip, waterproof it with liquid electrical tape, and connect to a main ground wire. Voila, no more light problems for many years. Some trailers have a frame ground wire that goes to the harness plug. Your Ollies should, the white wire: Do not try to get a good ground through the ball or chains, that is a lost cause and completely the wrong approach. Make your ground through the connector and wires instaed of through metal. You should check this wire for continuity to the frame using the ohms function of your digital multimeter, and also to a ground bus, like the one in the rear upper cabinet, street side, behind the breaker panel. I don't know if there are others, I suspect yes. Use a long length of 12 AWG automotive wire with aligator clips, to reduce error caused by wire resistance. Don't cobble together a bunch of short small gage test leads! Just buy a 30 foot spool at the parts store if you need to. NAPA sells it by the foot. Keep it intact in your spares kit for future troubleshooting. Check the matching socket of your truck, to the battery negative post. Anything more than a few tenths of an ohm, above the resistance of the test lead itself, indicates a problem. Oliver uses seperate grounds to all loads and this is good. But you should verify that they are intact and working before getting too involved in the truck part of the equation! Eliminate the obvious before progressing to the wierd stuff! Always! If you want to add a seperate ground circuit to the trailer, it can't hurt. I used the small winch disconnect Anderson clips, rated at 50 amps, plus 6AWG wire on an old suburban, to add both a big ground and a dedicated charge wire. I wanted to ensure that full amperage was getting from the alternator to the twin trailer batteries. That was an old tech truck and it should not be needed on a medern tow vehicle designed for towing! https://powerwerx.com/anderson-sb-connectors-sb50-50amp Good luck, everybody. John Davies Spokane WA

LOL. We think alike. I intend to cut a 1.5" hole below and behind the sewer pipe end, so I can screw on a 90 degree brass garden hose elbow. It will stick down below the compartment a little. I can uncap the elbow, crack the grey valve an inch or two, and empty the tank slowly on forest roads while I tow. It should be slow enough that nobody seeing the water draining will panic and think I am dumping sewage. On a rainy day it would be invisible. John Davies Spokane WA

Reed, I didn't buy the front generator port, for a variety of reasons. I plug into the standard side port, where it is more likely to get damaged, by a person or maybe a curious bear. For a front connection, the stubby is undoubtedly the best solution. It's still hard to water proof that type but in the dryer states that is a non-issue, unless you wash your rig with it plugged in or something.... I get nervous about AC connections and water. The factory marine connector is pretty darned watertight, when the ring is screwed down. I like your neat and tidy setups. They photograph well and show pride of ownership. But other than the genny cable, they are tripping hazards... I prefer my stuff coiled and laid on the ground under the trailer, as much as possible. Or up and out of the way: But I don't have a Stinky Slinky to worry about. That makes a huge difference. BTW, the lay-flat grey hose we discussed in another thread is a mixed success. It will work fine for boondocking but is way, way too slow to drain for any kind of public dump. But it does lay close to the ground and out of the way, a minor positive.... John Davies Spokane WA

You are correct that flex bushings can fail, but I think the EZ Flex is worth getting. I can't do a before and after test, but I can't say enough good things about how smooth and composed the trailer is on choppy freeways with the rubber equalizers. I have had two trailers that came with stock plastic bushings. I upgraded both to the heavy duty setup, without the rubber inserts (but with shocks) and neither was as composed and smooth as my new Ollie. I plan to buy and carry extra suspension parts and will include an equalizer with the other parts, just in case. Did your friend say what kind of failures he was seeing? Timbren has been making rubber suspensions for a loooong time and they are very reliable. How long has Dexter been making these? I think you do need to keep an eye out for deterioration, but the failure mode should be progressive, meaning it won't be catastrophic and cause a wreck. It should be easy enough to see and correct. It's a _highly_ visible part. It wouldn't hurt to coat the rubber parts with 303 Protectant to reduce UV damage and checking.... just like your tires. John Davies Spokane WA

Installing a Garmin wireless camera with protective guard, to communicate with a Garmin GPS in the tow vehicle (mine is a RV660LMT). Here is a teaser shot: I had to take several deep breaths before I started drilling holes in the hull, but after the first one it was easy. The trailer is pretty dirty, I haven't been able to wash off 3000 miles of road grit yet. Lots more coming soon. John Davies Spokane WA

If the cord is yanked out of the pigtail, it most likely won't hurt the 15 amp prongs on the adapter since the pull will be more in line with the cord. Unlike your short adapter. That's why. Plus by hanging down I can water proof the connection with a boot (heat shrink tubing shrunk onto the pigtail only). That's reason 2 ;) And it was only $3 more than yours: .... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FYDAP6M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 John Davies Spokane WA