John E Davies

Coy, how long is the tongue, removed? John E Davies Spokane WA

What kind of nuts are they? A regular nylock nut can be reused many, many, times. Can you elaborate please? http://www.raa.ca/magazine_pdf/tech%20articles/Self%20Locking%20Nuts%20and%20Bolts.pdf I agree that it is a great idea to remove and store the tongue assembly. How long is the Oliver unit, removed? Do the safety cables come off with the tongue? If not, could somebody just attach the cables and drag your rig off that way? Ouch! It hurts to imagine that scenario.... BTW here is the removable tongue on my little utility trailer ( the chains come off with the tongue) Another way to reduce the chance of a drive-off theft is to discard the ball coupler and install a unit that is very uncommon, like the Treg Offroad coupler in my pic. I don't worry too much about thieves, unless they are very determined and creative. Maybe he could rig up a temporary attachment using big 1 inch recovery shackles, screwed together, but I like to think that a thief would just swear and drive on to find a better target, one with a ball coupler..... John E Davies Spokane WA

Pete, thanks for the three posts. I see that you too are having problems posting, sometimes. Did you bother carrying a spare macerator impeller and seals? How hard is it to swap out broken pieces? And how stinky a job is it? John Davies Spokane WA

Do the others types crack/ fail/ rust or what? If so, why are they even approved and used? Cheaper? John Davies Spokane WA

Randy, I hope the Oliver head honchos copy your workmanship. That is just what I was talking about. Have you re-done any other areas of the plumbing? I think we all would like to see some more pictures. Perhaps start a new thread? Thanks, John Davies Spokane WA

That is interesting, thanks. I personally do like elbows since they keep the piping close to walls and floors (they save space), but using wider sweeping curves instead would probably be smart in areas that are hard to access after the build. You can safely make a 5 inch radius bend with a half inch PEX tube, and use a "bend support" bracket. You risk crimping though, if you are not careful. I have never tried tight bends with his stuff before. I think it is a little risky in an RV application where equipment and appliances get moved around during the build, and later during repairs. A sweeping bend might collapse and not be noticed. I think for houses they would be great. "Minimum recommended bending radius is 8 times the outside diameter of PEX (8 x OD). For 1/2" PEX with OD of 5/8", minimum bending radius is 8 x 5/8" = 5". Over-bending the PEX pipe, deforms its’ round shape, restricts flow and over-stresses the pipe." http://www.pexuniverse.com/pex-tubing-technical-specs I agree that copper fittings would be more welcome than plastic.... however, I am more worried about easy access for repairs, years from now, than I am about the material choice. While we are dreaming, let's imagine these trailers have a manifold design with NO buried fittings other than at the appliances/ taps/ service valves (and notice the bend braces): I don't see that happening any time. John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks for posting this thread. I was going to Google the event location since NOWHERE on the flyer does it say the city or state. By default, I figured that it was in Tennessee, but I have to say that not telling everyone exactly where it is to be held is less than stellar planning. The last time I was in the South was 1980..... and I haven't a clue what is there any more. I do remember the Trace, vaguely... ;) John Davies Spokane WA

I have another comment on this pic. The plumbing routing could be greatly improved with just a little forethought. In this pic the red line starts out on top then dives down under the blue, for no reason other than to put the blue one in a bind and make it impossible to service the red elbow without disturbing the blue connection. Plus it looks very unprofessional. Correct routing would eliminate the awkward bind in both the hoses going under that section of 'glass panel. Water, gas and electrical runs should be straight and parallel wherever possible, and not have wierd routing as illustrated here... It generally takes no more time or expense on the production line; it just takes a worker who cares about doing a better than adequate job. John Davies Spokane WA

Matt, Does Oliver have a standarized quality control program in place? Regular inspections would catch stuff like this long before the trailer goes out the door. If not, then the owners need to rethink their production line procedures. These unfortunate problems may be a result of too rapid growth. Have there been a lot of new hires recently? It is never smart to rely solely on the floor worker to do a job correctly without oversight. I think everyone would like to hear an official comment. Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

LOL, I don't have a clue what janky means, but I agree anyway.... I would have used the word disgusting. There is no reason to leave frayed and nasty edges anywhere in a nice trailer of this apparent quality. Running soft plastic and copper hard up against a sharp, abrasive, janky edge like that is a serious engineering mistake that will give nothing but trouble for the owner in the years to come! While the situation in the area pictured can probably be fixed without too much trouble, what about the truly hidden areas that cannot be seen or worked on? Also, the construction dust and debris should have been removed before delivery. I think Oliver needs to spend some extra time adding clamps and wire ties to their plumbing and electrical bundles. So I don't have to .... Come on Oliver! Sweat the details! Owners do NOT want to see this stuff. However, it is educational. **** My suggestion to owners taking delivery .... Look in all the dark and narrow spaces using a strong flashlight and a mechanic's inspection mirror for janky stuff like this and insist that Oliver correct any problems, before you tow it away! https://www.amazon.com/Titan-Tools-11185-Telescoping-Inspection/dp/B00TO7NHBY overland, have you every crawled around in an XP Camper ver 1? You won't see ugly shortcuts like this in one, they are truly stunning. And way more $$$ than an Ollie. Maybe that partly explains their extra cost, I dunno. John Davies Spokane WA

May I suggest plastic split loom, like you see over your wires? It is more durable and will also allow moisture (condensation) to dry. You can buy it by the foot at NAPA. John Davies Spokanes

RobertH, Don't get your panties in a bunch. I in no way meant to make you angry, but I guess it happened anyway. It doesn't change my opinion about taking extra time to manually edit html code one bit, especially for a site that is so darned slow in the first place... John E Davies Spokane WA

If you can find a used small aircraft tug it will do the job without any problems, but you would obviously have to modify the attach point to accept a trailer ball: ... http://www.redboxaviation.com/specs-new/tugs/specs-tug-702.pdf Check with industrial surplus sites and craigslist (use Search Tempest) and you might find a warehouse "load mover" that would work: .... However, a BIG word of warning: Never try to maneuver a trailer up or down a slope with any brand of electric dolly or tug. That is asking for a serious accident. Level ground only! That way if something messes up, everything will roll to a stop. John Davies Spokane WA

Sorry, I have to make my say here. This is pure BS. Nobody wants to spend the time manually entering html code into their posts. This is not the 20th Century. I routinely "Open in New Tab" for every single link I run across, even when using my iPad. It is not rocket science... Any iPad user knows this after a few minutes use. Fix the forum, don't put the burden on those who post often! BTW, I do appreciate all the effort that the moderators put towards maintaining this site. I still hate how painfully slow it is. It is by far the laziest of any site I visit, anywhere. John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks for your great post, you brought up a few things that I had in the back of my mind, but have not really studied yet. I would never install this system without also installing a long, strong steel longitudinal mount that ties into all the existing suspension bracket bolts. It would indeed be foolish to concentrate all the twisting forces on just the small area of the Timbren bracket. I would incorporate a small lift while I was at it using spacers, plus side to side reinforcing bars of some sort. Their Axle-Less suspension for smaller trailers has a built-in receptacle so you can slide in a rectangular steel crossbar for strength. The tandem version omits this, but does provide a pair of heavy inside brackets for the same purpose. Timbren seems to understand that this bracing is necessary. It would be risky to do this mod locally .... however, a factory R&D effort would work out the kinks in design and specifications, without the worry of us owners screwing up our trailers..... Aluminum frames are very cool, but they are NOT so good off pavement because they do not like to flex the way steel does. The metal will eventually fatigue and crack if abused for too long. I am not aware of any offroad trailers in Australia that use aluminum frames, correct me if I am wrong. Steel just holds up to constant hammering from horrible roads way, way better than aluminum. This is why I want to upgrade the suspension, to reduce as much as possible the forces on the frame. Maybe a Hover Suspension would be worthwhile. ;) John Davies Spokane WA

PEX parts and crimp pliers are not that expensive, plus they can be used around your home if it is a newer build. It is quite simple and affordable to build a comprehensive repair kit with 1/2 inch straight couplings, tees and elbows, some crimp rings and the pliers that sets them. Plus some short sections of hose (blue and red) for emergency repairs.... Shark Bites are way cool but they are extremely costly in comparison. John E Davies Spokane WA

This is off topic, I hope nobody minds. I have that same exact truck and wonder if you see any black soot on your Ollie? I have towed trailers before and never noticed any, but none were a glistening, pure white egg. My 5.9 is bone stock, but it still smokes a big puff when you put your foot down after a lot of low speed cruising.... And I get a black stain on the rear fender after many hundreds of highway miles. Thanks, John E Davies Spokane WA

This is from an Australian vendor: "The static angle of the flaps can be increased up to 35 degrees from the vertical. This will enhance the performance of the flaps and help eliminate the chance of stones re-bounding back onto the tow vehicle. When traveling the flaps need to be sitting at about 45 degrees to be effective. Adjusting the static angle will help achieve this." If the flaps are vertical as seen on 99% of the trucks that have them, rocks will bounce back up and impact the rear of the truck. You can seal the gap between bumper and support rods, which helps some, but setting the angle as described helps a lot. The idea is to get stones to zing back down, not back! If there are rocks piling up on your bumper, you need to tweak the angle. I marked the angle with silver Sharpie on the brackets and rods so I can easily set them correctly after removing the rod/ flaps for storage. I leave the big cast bracket attached to my ball mount all the time. http://rvtowingsolutions.com.au/product-details/rock-tamers-instruction-manual While I do like the Rock Tamers, I will most likely order a Stone Stomper for my future Ollie. BTW I stopped excess movement by using two of these .... https://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Accessories/Roadmaster/RM-061.html ..... One just forward of the R. T. bracket to keep it from twisting on the ball mount, and one between the ball mount and receiver, to keep the ball mount still. Pricey, but they work most excellently. Without the clamps the whole assembly moves around a lot. John Davies Spokane WA

I don't have any first hand experience with that kit (though I have installed the tandem one years ago, without the EZ-flex thing). I did find this: ... https://www.etrailer.com/question-147503.html So it looks as if eTrailer believes that you don't need brass bushings for the upper end of the shackle, since "it won't wear out fast enough". I assume it was Dexter's decision, since they don't supply the extra parts in the kit. That sounds slightly bogus to me, but I suggest you just install the two bolts this way, keep them well lubed and keep a close eye on them during tire or brake service. If after many miles you start to see some play in those upper eyes, you can carefully ream them out to take repair bushings and new bolts. Since your Ollie has an aluminum frame there should not be any welding performed on that hanger without removing the entire bracket assembly from the frame, IMHO. The heat would destroy the bedding compound and galvanizing, which should be renewed afterwards, before reassembling it to the frame... It is a little strange, isn't it? Maybe give Dexter a call and see what the pros say about it. Good luck and keep us updated please. John Davies Spokane WA

I've used these in the past with good success, but I have always thought that they look plain stupid, flopping and swaying and wiggling as you drive along. They do seem to stop a lot of debris, so you can probably live with stupid. They are rather hard to clean, and they will eventually get very nasty looking. A pressure washer is about the only way to get most of the muck off, and it is awkward. Be aware that any flap system has to be low to the ground to be effective. Unfortunately, when you venture off pavement, those low hanging flaps _may_ also kick up big rooster tails of rocks on poorly maintained roads, if they contact the gravel. An advantage of the curtain style guards is that they remain high off of the gravel at all times. John Davies Spokane WA

Well, that is good news indeed if it comes to fruition. I really don't see any serious engineering issues with getting more fresh water in place of black glop. This goes to show that Oliver is willing to go the extra mile, even if initial emails meet with disturbing negativity. We can keep hammering away (very politely) and they will hopefully give us the goodies we want. ;) I might wait a while longer before ordering and see how this develops. Please keep us all updated. John Davies Spokane WA

I don't have any first hand experience with that kit (though I have installed the tandem one years ago, without the EZ-flex thing). I did find this: https://www.etrailer.com/question-147503.html So it looks as if eTrailer believes that you don't need brass bushings for the upper end of the shackle, since "it won't wear out fast enough". I assume it was Dexter's decision, since they don't supply the extra parts in the kit. That sounds bogus to me, but I suggest you just install the two bolts this way, keep them lubed and keep a close eye on them. If after many miles you start to see some play in those upper eyes, you can carefully ream them out to take repair bushings and new bolts. Since your Ollie has an aluminum frame there should not be any welding performed on that hanger without removing the entire bracket assembly from the frame, IMHO. The heat would destroy the bedding compound and galvanizing, which should be renewed afterwards, before reassembling it to the frame... It is a little strange, isn't it? Maybe give Dexter a call and see what the pros say about it. Good luck and keep us updated please. PS, you could always install a Timbren Axle-Less suspension ;) Those are very stout, lightweight (88 pounds), long lasting and zero maintenance. ... plus you can get them in various drop or lift configurations. These are about $600. http://timbren.com/axle-less/ John Davies Spokane WA

I haven't used one of these Doran systems, but from information online this is the brand I will choose for my new Ollie. It apparently will hold up on rough and off pavement roads where many of the others do not. Note that the batteries are NOT replaceable, by design, so that water and dust entry becomes a non-issue. This is a common failure mode for other types. https://www.rvupgradestore.com/Doran-360RV-Tire-Pressure-Monitor-4-Sensor-p/360rv4.htm http://www.exploroz.com/Members/33714/5/2014/Tyre_Pressure_Monitor___Doran___360__Review_.aspx If you don't drive much in the rain or off pavement you should have good luck with the other type of sensor. John Davies Spokane WA

That is a gorgeous area ... is it buggy this time of year? The bear spray is for the other 10% of the time, or for that chance encounter with momma, which is not always a predictable occurrence. Around here I worry just a little about grizzlies wandering west from Montana, but I worry a lot about moose, which are common in the Idaho Panhandle, and they are big, stupidly aggressive and just plain dangerous At least with your Ollie you are buttoned up pretty tight at night with a solid structure around you. That is really tempting to this old tent camper. John Davies Spokane WA

Do you need that many watts? Do you have the solar package? What is the intended use of the generator? This 2400 watt Yamaha is on my wish list - it gets really excellent reviews and has a very high initial surge capacity, which is useful for starting an AC. From one of the reviews: "More watts and amps than the Honda [2000]. The Yamaha is "rated" at 16.7 amps with "rated" surge capability to 20 amps. Very useful when trying to start electric motors such as a freezer compressor or and A/C unit. Hayes Equipment Company tested the Yamaha 2400 on a load bank and it held a 30 amp (not a typo, 30 amp) surge for 10 seconds, this is how the unit is advertised to start newer 13,500 BTU A/C units in RV's. The 10 second surge is enough power to start the compressor until the running wattage drops to below the rated amps when the unit is running. Give serious consideration to the Yamaha if you are going to run anything with a compressor such as a A/C unit. Honda Amps are 13.3 rated and 16.7 surge." https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00AYUWDZG/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1X5H11EH41351&coliid=I2JD9IQIOTZ9EY I've had a little Honda 1000eui for many years and it is stellar, but I no longer believe that Honda is the best choice in terms of best bang for the buck. I think they are all overpriced, even at Internet pricing. Anyway, have loads of fun and post pictures... where are you headed? If into the Cascades, then bear spray or a large caliber firearm will let you sleep much better at night. John Davies Spokane WA