John E Davies

Brakes: The newer Ollies come with 12 inch Dexter Nev-R-Adjust brakes. Assuming there are no installation issues, they _should_ never need to be manually adjusted. However, it is possible that they were not installed correctly. There are left and right brakes and if they were swapped at the factory then they won't self-adjust. This has some info: https://www.etrailer.com/question-13954.html You can check and adjust yours very easily, and you should know how to adjust them in case one day the self adjusting part of one ... doesn't. __________________________ "Brake Adjustment Dexter electric brakes that have a self adjusting feature require no manual adjustment. Brakes not equipped with this feature can be adjusted by using the following procedure: Brakes should be adjusted (1) after the first 200 miles of operation when the brake shoes and drums have “seated,” (2) at 3,000 mile intervals, (3) or as use and performance requires. The brakes should be adjusted in the following manner: Jack up trailer and secure on adequate capacity jack stands. Follow trailer manufacturer’s recommendations for lifting and supporting the unit. Make sure the wheel and drum rotates freely. If equipped, remove the adjusting hole cover, if present, from the adjusting slot on the bottom of the brake backing plate. With a screwdriver or standard adjusting tool, rotate the star wheel of the adjuster assembly to expand the brake shoes. Adjust the brake shoes out until the pressure of the linings against the drum makes the wheel very difficult to turn. Then rotate the star wheel in the opposite direction until the wheel turns freely with a slight lining drag. Replace the adjusting hole cover, if available, and lower the wheel to the ground. Repeat the above procedure on all brakes. For best results, the brakes should all be set at the same clearance." _______________________________ Lots of info here: .... All drum brakes are a royal PITA, long term. They overheat and glaze the linings, rust, get coated with bearing grease, work poorly in rain and generally are not what you want with a modern, costly, high quality vehicle. When they wear out you can install a higher quality aftermarket disc brake kit and never have to worry again. I really wish Oliver offered a factory disc brake option.... The trailer controller should be adjusted so that the trailer becomes "transparent" during stops, as much as possible. You should not feel the weight when braking. You don't want the trailer brakes to be too aggressive or they will be stopping your truck as well as the trailer (they will jerk backwards on the hitch). OTH if they are too weak the truck brakes will be overworked and your stopping distances will be greatly increased - the trailer will try to push the truck. There is a "just right" setting that will give you balanced braking, short stopping distances and happy (cool) brakes. You need to experiment to find what works best, and then write down that setting. You will always need to tweak it a bit in inclement or slippery conditions, but you should be able to come up with a standard value. However, you must make sure the brakes are adjusted properly and working correctly! If you don't have an infrared temp gun (thermometer) buy one right now. It is invaluable for checking the performance of your brakes. It is much better to know that all four are at, say, 160 degrees F at the bottom of a grade, than to be clueless and never see that one is running at 200 and one is at 60. The temperatures will tell you if the brakes are working equally. It will also immediately reveal if a hub bearing is dry and overheating, if a tire has a slow leak (running warm), and you can even check your kids temperature with it (don't shine the laser in his eye)..... It's a great diagnostic tool. I keep mine in my center console when traveling and I use it daily. My wife was amused for many years, but she now realizes that it is a great preventive maintenance tool that can prevent roadside breakdowns. Those are never good. https://smile.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=infrared+thermometer John Davies Spokane WA

Can someone please post a pic? I have a number of reasons for wanting to see it, but mainly I like the look of an exposed spare. It adds character to an otherwise very bland posterior. I removed the plastic spare cover of a RAV4 I once had, and I really liked the look. After this pic was taken I added a matching alloy wheel. I'm just wondering how the Oliver would look buck naked, maybe a little bit "off-roady"? Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

Here is a map with clickable links to 57 fiberglass trailer rallies in the USA and southern Canada during 2016: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1BTUYQ8ZYCKC5B1qanQDUbVG9p3o&hl=en_US John Davies Spokane WA

Can anyone elaborate on the extendable tongue feature of the Elite II? Is that still standard and how much adjustment can it give me? I don't yet have one of these, but I am considering whether or not it would be practical to tow an Ollie with a "regular width" (50 inches) Polaris RzR in the back of my Ram 3500 short bed. I would like to be able to park the trailer and go exploring in the mountains with my wife and two dogs, so a pair of small motorcycles (my preference) or e-bikes are out. The dogs would ride in a cage type carrier mounted behind the passenger seats. I would probably back it in to get more of the weight toward the front of the bed. Found on the Internet: The truck has a massive payload so I am unconcerned about the weight, but the lowered tailgate will be a serious issue in terms of towing clearance (especially when backing). Though I could remove it if necessary. I would rather keep it in place. I do not want to use a hitch extension at the receiver, for many reasons. Who is using the extended tongue on their Oliver, and can you please educate me about it? I have one on my little utility trailer and I think it is cool as heck. Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

How much heat is generated by these big units under heavy load, and is it necessary to supply good ventilation? Does the output automatically reduce if it gets too warm? I have found this thread to be very interesting. John Davies Spokane WA

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/28146667/srt/pa/pging/1/page/1.cfm for those of you with diesel TVs, it is probably worth reading. John Davies Spokane WA

Is there any way to watch Season 1 online? I don't have access to that channel. Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

Update: MSRP for the "Tandem with 3" round axle seat" in different load ratings: 7K : $1113 10K: $1265 14K: $1471 I suspect that the 7K kit would give a softer ride for a lightly loaded Ollie, but the 10K would be superior for nasty pot-holed ranch roads and a really heavy trailer. I listed the 14K one just to show the eTrailer's street price - it is about $205 less (14%). A similar discount would put the 7K kit at about $958. I did get some info from their tech/ sales rep Jeff Scott: The system is robust and easily field serviceable using no special tools. It would perhaps take a couple of hours to change all four rubber springs by a competent mechanic. It rides very well and should work well in this application (an Ollie). There is no individual parts/ price list - "I think I have only ever sent out one set of replacement springs for this suspension. It never needs parts." As far as lift goes: "Perhaps you should take some measurements of your existing suspension and compare them to the dimensions of our tandem and you may find that you have already gained some height. Aside from that, blocking up the suspension for additional height is simply the process of welding on a riser of your choice between the existing frame and the new suspension." As per their drawings, the distance from bottom of frame to axle centerline (unladen) is about 6.5 inches. I have no clue what the standard suspension dimension is. The 10K rubber spring would obviously ride a little higher than the 7K one.. It doesn't sound too terribly difficult or expensive. Who wants to do this first and post instructions? It would make a great project for a sunny weekend..... As a footnote, I once bought a new 27 ft SeaRay powerboat that came with an undersized trailer and it was a disaster. I made the store take the trailer back and substitute one with a proper (higher) GVWR. They half heartedly admitted their mistake, but were very unhappy to eat the cost of buying back a "used" trailer. I will never go with inadequate suspension, when in doubt go heavier. (This is why Oliver upgrades the axle tubes and hubs.) JD Spokane WA

So I was thinking that: 1 - Oliver will not sell me a factory lifted suspension. 2 - The Dexter EZ-Flex, while a great (and stronger) upgrade, still has LOTS of moving parts that require frequent lubrication. 3 - The stock leaf springs are prone to breakage when used off pavement. 4 - Leaf springs are 18th Century technology and inappropriate for a 21st Century RV. I may go this route: The stock axles simply bolt to the new arms. It has three moving parts, the rubber springs have a ten year warranty, and they make the trailer ride very smoothly. The springs are progressive in action, soft getting gradually stiffer as they compress. The springs are initially stiff in cold weather but as they warm up they regain their normal action. (I suspect that the Dexter rubber equalizers have the same behavior.) They are self dampening, so no shocks are required! Video: ... Home Page: ... http://timbren.com/silent-ride/ Here are the available systems: http://timbren.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/SILENT-RIDE-Parts-Rev052115.pdf Unfortunately, they are apparently only offered as standard - I have emailed them asking if there is a lifted kit, or if it is practical and safe to simply weld in a 2 inch x 4 inch tall steel spacer on to the existing suspension subframe. Or to move the axle perch from the top of the arms to the bottom... Regardless, with a lift I think one should install a beefy crossmember to handle extra twisting forces. The final assembly should be much lighter than the original - leaf springs are HEAVY. I don't know how much weight would be added by brackets and extra crossmember. Pricing? I haven't found any, but have asked Timbren. eTrailers shows their 14,000 pound kit for $1264: ... https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Suspension/Timbren/TSR14KT01.html .... I suspect the lighter duty units are a little cheaper since they require less steel. Since I would not need to buy the EZ-Flex upgrade, that would save $270, and I can sell the take-off shock absorbers and springs locally for a couple of hundred $, perhaps. I would give my left testicle for this as a factory installed system. More to come. Comments are welcomed and encouraged. John Davies Spokane WA

A Bluetooth P. I. app would be very handy in this application. I don't see it happening tho. John Davies Spokane WA

I can't say whether Oliver will add the remote display, but it seems likely to me. It would be cheap and very easy to do. You could easily do it after delivery. The wiring is a simple plug and play data cable. Personally it is not something I would lose any sleep about when I ordered a trailer. John Davies Spokane WA

PVC tanks are cheap. This place will make a custom tank from your dimensions in just a few days. They cut out the panels and weld them together. http://www.all-rite.com/custom-holding-water-tanks-p-103.html They don't quote prices, but this site has a list of standard tanks and they are quite reasonable in the 15 to 20 gallon size. Theirs are roto-molded like a Hobie kayak rather than welded, which is stronger but not really necessary for this application. I don't think the shipping would be very high either. Does anyone have a good picture of the Oliver black tank so we can see what it looks like? Is the quoted 18 gallon capacity the useable amount, or the "full to the toilet" amount? Any idea how the tank is held down? How hard is it to reach the vent pipe and flush line attachments? Depending on what the black tank looks like, I would probably be willing to do this mod myself.... It's not rocket science. The only thing that makes me worry is getting the water to the existing tank. For a gravity drain to work, you would need a new fitting on the main tank, located at least an inch below the aux tank bottom fitting. You could have somebody spin weld a pvc pipe fitting in place IF access is good enough to get a router in there. http://www.vintagetrailersupply.com/Spin-Weld-Fittings-p/vts-344.htm If you can't do that, then you would have to go to a transfer pump design and take the water up into the fill hose for the main tank. That is getting a lot more complicated. I bet Oliver could add an extra tank fitting during the build for very little cost or effort. Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

Hi Everyone, I have been away for a while. I appear to have stuck my stick into a hornet's nest and I apologize to everyone, including the employees at Oliver, if I came across as angry. I was a little bit pissed for a while. I feel better now. I still believe that there should be a very simple way to add a fresh tank and a gravity feed line (with ball valve, check valve and drain) in place of the black tank. I did not know that the bottom of the black tank is so high, that is good. Operation would be easy peasy - just wait for the main tank to get below half full, open the ball valve and empty the aux tank into it. An owner could easily remove the section of pipe between the black tank and the slide valve, and then fabricate an adapter to go between the big waste outlet to a standard PEX nipple. If there had never been any waste in that tank, there is no reason to not use it for fresh water, considering that it already has a fresh fill system and vent installed. ABS tanks are fine for storage of potable water, building codes do prohibit ABS pipes under pressure. HOWEVER, after some research I decided that Oliver could not do this particular mod there at the factory, since the RV codes prohibit any interconnection between a potable water system and a drain system. Period. They would have no way to get around that certification barrier while using the existing parts. But, if they simply never installed all those pesky black water parts and gave us a fresh tank there, then there would be no hurdles to certification. The current codes are expensive but you can read the 2015 version online here, after registering. ..... http://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/all-codes-and-standards/list-of-codes-and-standards?mode=code&code=1192 As far as yaw goes, it is a non-issue since the trailer already is stable with the black tank full. Having a full fresh tank there will not change the dynamics. Oliver might want to post a placard at the water pump switches stating that the aux tank water should be consumed by transferring it to the main tank (or drained) before towing when the main tank is low, just for liability reasons. When all the fresh tanks are full, I see no problem at all. I really hope that Oliver will address this issue. My main goal in getting an Ollie is to live off grid completely when camping. I can easily dispose of gray water using a garden hose, if I have to. I need abundant fresh water, and the composting toilet will really help conservation. If I can't get extra fresh water tankage, then please give me a slide out tray so I can keep stuff under the toilet. With a false panel across it, it would be a dandy secret storage area for valuables. As far as making sure that the trailer can easily be retrofitted with a traditional stinkpot toilet .... all I can say is that it is NOT their problem, but the buyer's, so do not dictate based on a hypothetical future resale value. This attitude says "We are not sure of this technology and we are not ready to commit to it." I say, "Embrace new technology, and go where the other companies fear to tread." This includes exploring ways to dump the propane umbilical completely by offering marine grade diesel heating and cooking appliances, DC compressor fridge, and a real Offroad Package that includes a taller suspension with independent A-arms, airbags (or coils) and skid plates. OK, maybe that stuff will not happen anytime soon, but I do think lots of people would pay for a durable, superbly engineered offroad camper. There are countless ones in Australia, but nothing at all here, other than some cool teardrops like the Moby1. ... http://moby1trailers.com/moby1-xtr/ THIS is what I want to see under an Ollie: John Davies Spokane WA

Well, it isn't a complete deal breaker but it just pisses me off because it is unprofessional, half-assed and sloppy. I suspect that if they weren't running the production line flat out, they would be more inclined to work on the more complicated options. As it is now, they have no economic motivation to expend the time and manpower to engineer this weird kind of stuff correctly. For the life of me I cannot understand why they refuse to offer a spring over axle option. That bothers me a little, but at least I can get that done down the street. It would be a real chore to get all that unused junk out from under the floor. That is nuts. John Davies Spokane WA

https://www.barkermfg.com/auto-drains.html Be sure to note this rather obvious warning: "Holding tanks should be emptied before installation, this is highly recommended" LOL. I spit all over my keyboard..... John Davies Spokane WA

Just received an email from Christine. The NH toilet installation is in place of the standard flush toilet, but everything else in the black system remains - black tank, fresh and waste plumbing, dump valve, and shut-off valve. She said it is not practical to install a fresh water tank or storage underneath and it would be too hard and costly to install a regular toilet if the other parts were not there. Cost of the Natures Head option is $800. Sorry, but IMHO this is utter BS. If I wanted TWO complete waste systems I would be happy as can be, but this approach is bogus. If Oliver is going to offer the composting toilet, then they should engineer and offer a creative solution for 2.5 cubic feet of unused space under the bathroom floor. I am bummed. How about you guys? John Davies Spokane WA

Sorry, I can't answer that question, since I don't yet have one, but have you seen this very nicely equipped year old Elite II for sale in Puget Sound (Olympic Peninsula)? The ad just popped up the other day. http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/2015-oliver-legacy-elite-ii-for-sale-near-seattle/ John Davies Spokane WA

It depends on the problem. As I mentioned, it cured my Subaru's poor running in less than half an hour. It sounds like it is snake oil but it is worth trying before attempting expensive repairs. Injectors or carbs routinely get plugged up with deposits. This should correct that. There are lots of comments from people who add it to a poorly running generator or lawn mower and it smooths out very quickly. I don't think everybody is lying .... I have seen great results. Just try some. Here is an interesting video about Ford 6.7 diesels. What blows my mind is how much cleaner the exhaust system stays, including those failure prone and supr expensive particle filters. I know this is really off topic, should we start a new thread about this? John Davies Spokane WA

Please call me John .. here is what I unconditionally recommend for both gas and diesel engines. https://smile.amazon.com/Ar6200-Modification-Complex-Treats-Gallons/dp/B005WWO7YQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1467557655&sr=1-3&keywords=Archoil I have been using it for three years and I think it is a very fine additive for all diesels, as do most of the enthusiast forums. It is expensive per bottle but you only use 1/2 ounce per 40 gallons routinely. That is about 6 cents per gallon treated. I typically add 10 ml per 25 gallon fill up. It has an easy to use graduated dispenser showing milliliters. I buy the 16 ounce bottle, but this smaller one would be a good choice to test on your Titan. The main reason I use it is to add lubricity to the fuel. The newer low sulfur fuel is hard on fuel pumps and this helps keep that expensive part happy. The other benefits are just a bonus for me... Archoil's friction modifier oil treatment is amazing, and it absolutely cures the chronic sticky injector/ rough idle/ slow start issues that the Powerstroke 6.0 suffers from. It has injectors operated by high pressure engine oil and normally they do not stay working. Their fuel system cleaner is basically concentrated AR6200 and you can duplicate the effect by double dosing. I added the fuel treatment to my Outback XT (turbo) that had a stumbling and power loss issue, from bad gas I suspected. I did not add any extra fuel. Within 20 minutes it smoothed out and ran fine. I was very impressed. http://www.archoil.com Google Archoil or search Cumminsforum.com and after 15 minutes reading I think you will be convinced. I researched this very well and I think you will like it. Enjoy your new truck. We need pictures. John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks so much for fixing this so fast. It was driving me nuts..... It is such a nice website, the delays really needed to be corrected. I am sure everyone using this forum appreciates your efforts. John Davies Spokane WA

Anything is possible, but in the videos it is clear that you need to flush and even scrub the pee tank often, to keep the yellow crud from hardening inside. A good cleaning followed by a cup of vinigar is supposed to keep the smell down. I think you need to plan on hand dumping and rinsing routinely. You could always dump it down the shower drain in an emergency, followed by a good dose of fresh water afterwards. You don't want to have pee standing in the trap, no sir. I was not too keen on the idea at first but I am coming around. If Oliver will offer the system with extra fresh water in place of the black tank, I would go for it. I like that the longer you leave the compost bin sitting the better, in terms of decomposition... You could leave it full over the winter and start fresh in the spring. Try that with a full black tank! I don't have the new spec sheet, how much is this going to cost? It seems as if there would be considerable assembly labor saved by not having to plumb the dump valve and black pipes, but OTH a new fresh tank would require new plumbing, check valve and most likely a second water pump, to transfer the water to the main tank. I suspect that relying on gravity will not prove satisfactory - it's too easy to get reverse flow when the trailer is not perfectly level since the tanks are so shallow. Setting it up like an auxiliary gas tank in a pickup truck ought to work well. You could use the main tank until it's below half full, then flip a switch to transfer the entire contents of the second tank into the main one. A check valve prevents reverse flow. Or maybe I am overthinking things once again. John Davies Spokane WA

That is weird, I hope somebody can explain why that happens. I still don't understand all the variations of this forum. Your original picture looks fine when I select "Open in new tab". I do suggest that you crop the foreground. It's a lovely truck. John Davies Spokane WA

I normally use Safari (on an iMac) and they really drag. Typically a new page takes 8 seconds or more to appear, with a hard wired Comcast connection. On my iPad it is about the same over my home wireless network. With Firefox, it takes 3 to 4 seconds. With Chrome it is sometimes instantaneous, more often 2 to 3 seconds. If I make a new post and then edit it, it can often take around 20 to 30 seconds to load for ALL of these browsers. This is with a fast and solid home connection (88 Mbps download, 6 Mbps upload). Can some of you with good land or satellite connections please go to speedtest.net and test your connection, then post: 1: download speed 2: upload speed 3: type of connection (cable, satellite, fiber-optic, etc) 3: comments about how fast this forum loads 4: browser(s) you are using. If you have other browsers - especially Safari! - please check them too and post anything interesting. 5: computer or device type you are using 6: Edit your post; see if the load time is longer. http://www.speedtest.net I don't really think it's a Safari problem because it does not regularly act this way for any other website. I think there may be something going on at the Oliver end, but I would like some help getting some data before I send their Admin an email asking about it. Or maybe I will just end up using Chrome for this site..... I could make popcorn in all the time I spend waiting for stuff to happen with Safari... Thanks for your help. John Davies Spokane WA

Bill, just about every newer four door Ram you see on the road is either a Crew Cab or a Mega Cab (the HD trucks only). The 1500 is available in three body styles, you can get the Crew with a 5'7" bed or 6'4" bed: You can get narrow rear doors with their Quad Cab and the longer bed: You can get a Regular Cab with either box, you NEVER see these towing! They are usually tarted up sport trucks... If you don't have kids or BIG dogs, the Quad Cab would be a great choice since the longer bed gives you more room for camping stuff. I personally like the look. Here is a current generation 1500 QC: John Davies Spokane WA

I have an '06 Ram 3500. It is powerful and capable, but it rides much worse than the newer "Gen 4" trucks when unladen. The new 2500 with coil springs or airbags in back would be worth considering if someone wanted to step up from a 1500. They ride _really_ nice empty but can still handle a heavy tongue weight. The 6.2 Hemi engine is great for towing if you want to stay clear of a diesel. I recently drove a new 2016 Power Wagon with the 6.2 and it was plenty nice, though it didn't have any real low end grunt, compared to my Cummins 5.9.... The gas engine likes to rev. To the O.P. ... Ram is having huge discounts on 2016 models right now. The 2017s are coming this Fall. If you can't find a HD Laramie for $11,000 off MSRP you are not trying. It's a really good time to buy a new truck at a great discount. I've been watching these trucks in Idaho: .... http://www.dennisdillonchryslerjeepdodge.com/all-inventory/index.htm?search=Power+wagon&saveFacetState=true&compositeType=&year=2016&make=Ram&model=2500&bodyStyle=&internetPrice=&listingConfigId=AUTO-new%2CAUTO-used&showSelections=true&showInvTotals=false&quick=true&showReset=false&showSubmit=true&searchLinkText=SEARCH&dependencies=model%3Amake%2Ccity%3Aprovince%2Ccity%3Astate&facetbrowseGridUnit=BLANK&facetbrowse=true&suppressAllConditions=compliant&showRadius=false&lastFacetInteracted= John Davies Spokane WA