John E Davies

Do your research really well before deciding. There have been a number of complete engine failures: http://www.carbuzz.com/news/2016/3/28/Why-New-Ecodiesel-Owners-Need-To-Beware-Of-Engine-Failure-7732734/ but OTH they have produced a WHOLE lot of these engines worldwide, and I think they are a good design. OTH I would never own a modern diesel without buying an extended warranty for at least the drivetrain and emissions systems. The emissions are so darned complex and failure prone that you will surely have expensive failures. If you get all the Ram extras like the cool air ride suspension, be sure to get a bumper to bumper warranty. There are a lot of complicated and interconnected systems in a high end Ram, like active grill shutters. That is how they get the stellar mileage. It makes the truck more prone to nuisance problems. Diesels do not make good commuters in stop and go traffic. They need to work hard to be efficient. Steady highway driving is fine. Towing is finer. Stop and go fills up the particle filter (DPF) and requires lots of regenerations to burn them off, which kill your fuel economy. If you think your driving pattern fits a diesel and you want the wonderful torque, this would be a good choice IMHO. The new Titan XD will do a better job with more power and a better reputation for reliability, but it's 5.0 V8 is a new design that has yet to build a record in the real world. I suggest that you drive one of those and the Ram back to back before deciding. The Ram will pull an Oliver without a sweat, but the Titan will do it more effortlessly, while using a little bit more fuel... Personally, I would pick a Cummins engine any day, over any other brand. They are brilliant. In regards to towing capacity, remember that the tongue weight is added to your trucks payload. It is often impossible to tow a max weight trailer without overloading a light duty truck, after you have added all your other stuff in the bed along with passengers and accessories. There is a tow test where the guys used a Power Wagon to haul a max payload up the Ike Gauntlet, but they could not actually use the max amount because the soft springs of the PW would not carry enough payload. Same with a Ram 1500 and a heavy trailer. Be sure you can also load your people and stuff in the truck! I would NEVER attempt to tow over 7000 pounds with a Ram Ecodiesel, unless it was a short trip on flat terrain. That is too much weight for a light duty truck to be safe and reliable. 10,000 pounds? No way Jose! But the Titan could do it. John Davies Spokane WA

That should do it. How easy was it to grease those zerk fittings? Make sure each one actually takes grease, and that it squirts out around the bushing as in your first picture. Also, wipe off the excess or it will just attract dirt. Yours are installed in the "correct" orientation, as per Dexter's instructions, but many folks choose to have them face inwards so that there is no reaching past the tires, plus they stay a little bit cleaner in that location. While you do have to lie down on something to get to them, your arms will stay clean. Order a set of these, install them and keep the grit out of your fittings. Plus they will look very professional and it will tell a knowledgeable onlooker that you know what your are doing. Regardless of whether or not it is true ;) https://www.amazon.com/Grease-Fitting-Caps-Yellow-Polyethylene/dp/B0040CWX7C They make heavy rubber ones, but they dry rot, crack, fall off and are way more expensive. These will not roll into a crack or under your tire when you service the fittings. BTW how does the trailer ride with that kit? John Davies Spokane WA

Cool, I hope you enjoy your new truck. I am really interested in owner feedback for this new Cummins engine. Please post some updates as you get some miles on it. I would love to see this engine offered in the lighter duty Ram pickups, especially a Power Wagon, but I think that will never happen. The new Titan seems to be a very nice choice, with good build quality. I _strongly_ suggest that you always use a high quality diesel fuel treatment; if you want a recommendation let me know. And swap out the fuel filter for a better one, if necessary, 5 microns or finer. I don't know the micron rating of the OEM one. A Cummins will run forever if you keep it happy with very clean fuel and air. The OEM Mopar filters for the old 5.9 are not the greatest. It would be good to find out if the new filters will cross reference to the Cummins 6.7 filters. That would open up a lot of possibilities. Genos Garage is a great resource, but they don't show anything yet for your motor. Whatever you decide, be sure to put together a travel break-down kit, with at least a new engine air filter, fuel filter, serpentine belt, serpentine tensioner(s), and whatever else the Titan forums recommend. As a Beta tester, you probably understand better than I that OEM and aftermarket engine parts will not be real common for this new V8 for a few years. This is off topic: I see you have a Hobie kayak, how do you plan to carry it? Roof rack? What type? I have been really interested in the Hobie Tandem Island, but at almost 19 feet long, transport while towing a travel trailer is an issue since it is as long as my truck. It would require a custom roof rack for my Ram 3500 5.9 crew cab short bed with Leer canopy, maybe an "outside the cap" external construction ladder rack along with the Hobie cradles? Any advice? These are very cool: .... http://ryderracks.com/ladder-racks/ .... just don't let salt water drip on your truck! Enjoy your new toy. John Davies Spokane WA

No offense intended, but you really really need to understand how this hitch works. Watch the videos, read the manual, and ask here if things are still unclear. There is nothing wrong with that ball assembly - you did not damage it in any way - it is simply turned in the housing. AS IT WAS DESIGNED TO DO. If you continue to have difficulties it would be advisable to sell the hitch and do without, or try another solution like airbags and/ or heavy duty adjustable shocks. Towing can be risky at times and you must be completely comfortable with the setup, or you will be unsafe, unhappy and unwilling to take your Ollie on trips. I have to think that the Oliver folks did not explain the hitch very well when you took delivery, but OTH you do need to educate yourself about it. Good Luck. John Davies Spokane WA

I studied the instructions, and Anderson certainly says to not try to align the yoke using a claw hammer (!!!) but you couldn't hurt anything if you used a long pry bar that fit the hole nicely. You are just duplicating what happens when you drag the trailer a little way with one chain connected. You just need some leverage. I am shooting blindly in the dark since I haven't even seen an Anderson hitch in person. But the mechanic in me says there has to be a simpler way to get the parts aligned without having to drive off partially unhooked. If I were Mr Anderson I would have made the ball insert longer and put a big hex nut on the bottom so it would be really simple to turn. Maybe you could have a local shop weld one on. I think it is a really cool hitch, and I love how cleanly and neatly it can be stored in a small space, but it is way overpriced, considering that you can't get one at the extreme 50% discounts of the other types. Replacement parts are spendy as heck. $35 for one urethane spring? $30 for a pair of nuts? Those prices are nuts.... It's a good thing there is a great warranty for failed parts, but buying spares or replacing stolen bits would be darned expensive. John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks for the long explanation. Have you tried turning the shaft of the hitch by sticking an alignment (pry) bar or Philips screwdriver into the hole that the yoke attaches to? With the coupler up in the air - no load on the ball - that should turn relatively easily, correct? It seems as if it would be simple enough to rotate the shaft a few degrees to the right position to connect the yoke, rather than having to maneuver the entire truck in the hope the bolt and hole will line up. Since you take your chains off routinely, you could use a drill press to drill a couple of small holes in the threaded parts, right at the back, so you could install safety clevis pins. The Anderson hitch is really an oddball, new product, and the typical meth-addled thief who is looking for something to pawn for his next fix is very unlikely to steal the chains IMHO, but I guess it would ruin your next trip to discover that was not the case.... Drifting off topic ..... My little "soft road" trailer uses a really weird and wonderful Treg offroad coupler from Australia, and I know that no thief would be able to couple it to his hitch, but it is always possible somebody could just hook on the safety chains and drag it off that way. BTW I tried a Bulldog coupler for a while there, and while that was well built and strong as heck, it was seriously lacking in articulation for really rough forest roads and tracks. The Bulldog is a _fine_ choice for the bigger Oliver, but there are much better choices for the single axle model, if one ventures off pavement very much. I hate thieves. John Davies Spokane

I am still enamored with disc brakes. I think they are a wonderful upgrade for any trailer. Here is a very complete article on a fifth wheel conversion. QUOTE Mark was blown away when we got the trailer out on the highway. On the Prodigy P3 Brake Control, he experimented with a few settings and settled on a boost of “B2” and 8.5 volts. As we eased onto the highway, he commented, “It feels like I’m driving a car!” During the next three weeks we made our way from central Texas to the Florida coast, driving in all kinds of conditions, from remote back roads, to many miles on the I-10 Interstate freeway. We sat for hours in massive stop-and-go traffic jams around big cities, and Mark coped with tricky driving situations on small downtown city roads with lots of stop lights. In the past, if a traffic light turned yellow at the wrong moment as we approached, we just had to keep going and cross our fingers that it wouldn’t turn red while we were crossing the intersection, because we just couldn’t stop the trailer in such a short distance. No more!! On many occasions, as we came to an intersection, the light turned yellow on our approach, and Mark was able to stop the truck and trailer in time in a nicely controlled manner. In Fort Worth, TX, and again around Baton Rouge, LA, we found ourselves in amazingly congested traffic. Mark was able to relax in the heat of the battle, completely confident that he could stop the trailer in a very short distance if need be. When we got into Sarasota, Florida, we came across some astonishingly aggressive drivers. One driver cut us off with just an inch to spare, instantly coming to a complete stop directly in front of us. It was a heart stopping moment that all RVers dread. Mark slammed on the brakes with a force I have never seen him use, either in a car or in our truck pulling our home. All the tires of the truck and trailer squealed as we came to a shockingly abrupt stop, leaving lots of rubber on the road behind us. We were both stunned that the trailer stopped in such a short distance. There is no doubt that if we had had our old electric drum brakes, we would have rear-ended the car in front of us and had a really bad — and possibly life threatening — accident. UNQUOTE http://roadslesstraveled.us/trailer-electric-over-hydraulic-disc-brake-conversion-fifth-wheel-rv-upgrade/ Here is the actuator they chose, and I would use. It is very compact, proven in a decade of use in the marine trailer world, and ideally would go in a compartment in the cabin, close to the axles. https://www.redwoodrvowners.com/media/kunena/attachments/330/Hydrastar®TrailerBrakeActuators%7CCargoTowingSolutions.pdf This mod is certainly doable by a very skilled home mechanic, but only one that is comfortable doing brake and hydraulic servicing, and with running hard lines down to the area over the axles. It would be a truly FINE option for a new Oliver. John Davies Spokane WA

Sorry, I should have made myself clear. I do not have an Anderson, that pic came off the Internet. I have used conventional WD hitches but not this kind. If I were to install one, I would also install mechanical stops for the brackets. You cannot run a short steel weld as Anderson suggests because the metals are dis-similar, but bolting or tack welding a heavy aluminum strip, say 1 inch x 1/4inch or thicker, in front should work fine to keep the bracket from moving forward. Ideally there should be a strip in front and in back, to resist the twisting torque. I do NOT think that a single set screw per bracket is in any way adequate in this application! Especially on a soft aluminum frame! It's a seriously bad idea IMHO. If a nylock nut seems too slow to manipulate you could always get a socket adapter and use a good (18 volt or more) battery powered driver drill. It seems to me from reading articles online that the hitch can be removed or installed without screwing around with the nuts. Am I misunderstanding this? John Davies Spokane WA

That PVC hose will take up a lot more storage room than a flat hose, if that matters to you. It does look very well made but it is WAY too short by itself. I feel that 50 ft is the minimum you should have, longer is better, or have the ability to easily join shorter lengths. John Davies Spokane WA

That flat hose gets conflicting reviews, https://smile.amazon.com/American-Speciality-RT50-Handi-Hose-Reel/dp/B009IJQ8HS/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466132873&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=American+Specialty+Flat+Handi-Hose+%26+Reel+5%2F8+%22+x+50+%27 Is there a better type, perhaps a commercial 1" waste water discharge hose? Can these be found with standard garden hose fittings? http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200660986_200660986 John Davies Spokane WA

Worth reading IMHO - the discussion is really about what is realistic to expect from a manufacturer in the way of expensive options that not many buyers would choose... http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f96/cassette-toilet-in-oliver-tt-75073.html John Davies Spokane WA

I don't understand how a properly adjusted chain could come loose while being used for towing, under any circumstances. I do think that a nut could get out of adjustment, or even spin completely off, when the hitch was disconnected and you were moving the parts around. Regardless, the solution is simple and 100% reliable: Replace the free running nuts with nylock (self-locking) ones and call it good. You might have to put new ones on after a few years if you adjust them often, since their self locking action will weaken as the nylon insert wears, so buy an extra pair and throw them in your spares kit. Any nut and bolt supplier or a commercial supply company like McMasters will have nylock nuts. Maybe even Amazon. Install them with a light coating of anti-seize if you use stainless steel, since it can gall (seize) if run down too quickly. I don't have a clue what the thread size is, maybe a member can do this mod and post that information. I have another suggestion: if your Ollie's Anderson bracket bolts show that much thread sticking out, install shorter bolts, turn them around, or at least slide some pieces of rubber hose over the threads, so you do not open up your shin one day.... John Davies Spokane WA

Do you mean the big nut and urethane cushion disappeared? If that is the case you must not have tightened the nuts enough. There is no way they could turn with lots of compression force from the cushions. If they were indeed tight, then maybe there needs to be holes drilled in the threaded parts so you can drop in quick release safety pins. There is a 170 page thread on the hitch at the Airstream forum, maybe those folks could help. I have never used one, so my advice is only vague at best. http://www.airforums.com/forums/f464/the-andersen-wd-hitch-user-thread-92131.html John Davies Spokane WA

I think that you would have to have a _really_ strong interest in, and commitment to, the environment to use one. They require a lot of fussy maintenance. You do know that you have to dump the urine tank regularly, then dump or spread the compost, and recharge the holding tank with peat? While not not nearly as nasty as dealing with raw wet sewerage, neither task is pleasant or mess free. While it may be OK to dump a large container of concentrated pee on the ground it will stink and you should do it well away from any campsite. Maybe combine it with a gallon or two of gray water.... It's not something I would be happy to do in a busy campground, but you could carry it to an outhouse. I would love to be able to order a cassette toilet installation, to be able to roll the cassette over to and dump into an outhouse, but Oliver simply won't do it. When I get an Ollie I will probably use a portable macerator. Busy or closed dump stations are THE worst thing about owning an RV. I wonder if Oliver would be willing to design and offer a built in macerator dump system in place of the big gravity drain hose everybody hates. http://www.gonewiththewynns.com/all-composting-toilet John Davies Spokane WA

Bill, be glad you don't have them! They are not an "upgrade". If you venture far from help the cartridge NVR Lube bearings are a horrible idea. You need a big hydraulic press to replace them and they are uber expensive. If you don't mind servicing them, the old kind make so much more sense. You can fix a blown bearing at the side of the road in an hour using hand tools and the cheap bearings, seals, and grease that are in your spares kit. Do some research on the RV forums. You will see that the sealed bearings are fine until the fail, then they are an extremely expensive PITA to deal with. A bearing kit and a pound tub of grease is less than $20 and you can find the parts at ANY auto parts department or store. The cartridge bearings may have to be ordered and one set is $140. Scroll to the bottom here: https://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Trailer_Bearings_and_Races-pc-3500_lbs_Axle.aspx It's the same with your pickup truck - the front cartridge bearings are fast and easy to install at the factory, which is why they are used, but they put all the load over a very narrow distance compared to conventional bearings. They are convenient as heck for the builder but they are a very poor design for longevity. I'm sure there are videos about trailer hubs, but I don't have a link. I do have a link to a pickup front spindle conversion kit that is very informative, and much of it applies to trailers. If I can specify the old style axles when I order, I will do so and be very glad to have them! John Davies Spokane WA

Here is a great article on this subject. http://www.technomadia.com/2015/02/the-almost-fantasy-of-solar-powered-rv-air-conditioning/ It would be great if Oliver would offer a cutting edge 48 volt dc split air conditioning system, mounted in the wall. But they can't, for a number of reasons. Getting rid of the horribly inefficient roof top location would make a tremendous difference in cooling. The roof is very hot to start with and all those black solar panels just make the heat worse. How could you expect a primitive, inefficient roof A/C to be happy in those oven-like conditions? What is the temperature near the panels on a blistering day? 140 degrees or more? Making the operating voltage 48 volts drops the required amperage to 25% of a 12 volt unit. It can use wiring of very small gauge. That is the major reason bigger aircraft use 28 volt systems, to reduce wire size and weight. It's time rv cooling system design entered the 21st century. The cost would be very high.... http://kingtecsolar.com/a-split-ductless-ac-marvel-unveiled-to-the-world/ "Kingtec Solar’s unique PV-powered air conditioners are designed with simplicity and economy in mind, and are built to run using free and abundant solar renewable energy. We deliver 100% zero energy consumption for up to 7 1/2 hours on as little as 1000 watts of solar panels for a 16000 BTU AC. These air conditioners feature tri-energy inputs from any combination of solar, grid or batteries and can run in three modes: Energy Saving, Off Grid, or Hybrid." http://kingtecsolar.com Have you tried orienting your Ollie east-west and tilting the panels? What effect did it have on your experiment? Besides increasing their output, it gets their considerable heat away from the top of the roof and the air conditioner. John Davies Spokane WA

Tuaregs are solid trucks, but like any German vehicle they will absolutely kill you with extremely high repair costs once the warranty is gone. The 3.0 TDI engine uses FOUR timing chains and the chains are not known for their longevity. Early engines (around 2005) also had issues with tensioner failures. All the chains are at the BACK of the engine, so you are looking at complete engine remove just to gain access, at say $125 per hour at your stealership. Read this: http://www.myturbodiesel.com/1000q/V6-TDI-engine-FAQ.htm If you tow your Ollie into remote regions you run the risk of having a breakdown and not being within half a state of a VW or Audi dealer. Local repair shops will have little experience with these vehicles, nor will they have the expensive specialized tooling needed to diagnose and work on them. Having owned three German cars over the years, I am at the "never again" stage and will not buy a vehicle that cannot be worked on in just about any town large enough to have a car dealer of some kind. If you never venture into the remote Western states, you may be fine with a Tuareg. Just don't try to get a blown trannee or broken timing chain fixed in say Wyoming or Nevada. For example there is ONE VW dealer (and no Audi dealers) in Wyoming, and three in Nevada, and they are located in the cesspools of Las Vegas and Reno. If you travel the boonies you are out of luck. Will AAA tow your car 300 miles for free? I don't think so. The new Titan is intriguing, and the new Cummins 5.0 V8 may in time prove to be a wonder, but being brand new, it is completely unproven and parts availability will be difficult and the parts will be expensive, until it becomes used in more vehicles. I think this would be a killer engine for towing in a light duty Ram pickup., either in a 1500 4x4, as an option in place of the 3.0 EcoDiesel) or in a 2500 Power Wagon. The PW is a superbly capable offroad truck hampered by horrible fuel economy ... the only thing preventing me from running to the dealer to buy one.... If you tow lots of miles into remote areas, buy one of the Big Three for ease of repairs and service. If you plan to be up high more than occasionally (say the Colorado Plateau, or even the very steep back roads of Idaho), get a diesel for the low end torque. Diesels are preferred for towing not just because they get good fuel economy, but because the driving experience is so darned relaxed. You don't worry about climbing or passing, and the greatly extended range between fill-ups is just a nice bonus. Being able to calmly climb a steep pass at 12,000 feet with your engine at 1800 rpm is wonderful. Gas engines have to work in the upper end of their rpm range and having the motor screaming just does not make for a relaxing drive. The only way you know a diesel is working hard is the boost and temperatures go up. Otherwise, it's smooth relaxed sailing. I have a 2006 Ram with the Cummins 5.9 (the last year before all the emissions junk) and I could never go back to gas. John Davies Spokane WA

The bushings are not rocket science, they are not really stressed, nor do they require expensive grease. If you are religious about lubing, any cheap chassis grease from Walmart will be fine. If you tend to neglect the lubrication, or tow in severe wet conditions, then by all means use a super high grade synthetic, since it will resist washout and deterioration better. In my dry climate I choose to use the cheap stuff and grease often. Any grease is better than dry plastic bushings.... John Davies SPOKANE WA

Yes, I specifically requested that option by email about six months ago, and they told me they would not do it. I hate carrying around large quantities of sewerage, looking for a dump station in the off season. Around here many campgrounds are not open until Memorial Day, months after the weather has gotten nice enough for primitive camping in a four season camper like an Ollie. Conventional RV black water systems suck. John Davies Spokane WA

Several truck campers offer a cassette toilet option, including Hallmark and Northern Lite. Check out the stunning XPCampers - they are all diesel/ solar and have huge fresh water tanks and cassette toilets and greatly surpass Olivers in build design and quality. The FUSO based Earth Cruiser is getting up in cost with a stripped, used EarthRoamer, but it has similar systems and will fit in a shipping container....you have lots of choices for a cassette toilet, you just need a pickup to put the truck camper on or seriously deep pockets to pay for a dedicated expedition vehicle. I think Oliver's unwillingness to offer one is a marketing mistake. John Davies Spokane WA

There is a TON of information at the Dexter website, you will see more than you could possibly want. To start with, FAQ: Applications Manual (general information mostly): Resource Library - detailed owner, installation and parts manuals for specific axles, brakes, etc. This one (from the above page) is the complete parts catalog with "exploded" photos of all the component parts. It is a great reference. Please remember that the MSRP for Dexter parts is very VERY high and if you cannot find parts at a 40% or greater discount, you just haven't tried. Sometimes it is way cheaper to buy an assembly, such as a complete electric brake with backing plate, than it is to buy individual parts. Plus it saves labor time. Ten or so minutes researching the part online can save you a ton of cash when it comes to any part made by Dexter. John Davies Spokane WA

Oliver has told me that they will not install a spring-over axle conversion on an Elite II, which is a great disappointment since I would have to get it done locally and at much extra cost and wasted time. Plus no warranty. I may just install this bolt-on Lippart alignment kit which will give an extra 2 inches of lift plus the ability to adjust the axle angles for reduced tire wear and better stability. http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/double-axle-alignment/57763 I asked for a cassette toilet system and was also politely and firmly rebuffed. Rats. John Davies Spokane WA

The HD shackle kit that comes with the bigger greaseable bolts has been around for decades and is well with the money. You cannot use the bigger bolts with your old rinky-dink shackle plates because they are way too long. You cannot use the new bolts with the old plastic bushings since they are larger in diameter. The addition of the rubber flex equalizers is simply icing on the cake, at minimal extra cost. Especially important if you are paying a shop $100 per hour to do the work, the extra labor for installing the new equalizers is zero since they would have to spend extra time removing the old plastic bushings from the original ones and pressing in the new brass bushings. The new equalizers come ready to install. It really is a no-brainer to install all the parts at once. I am still holding off on ordering a new Ollie Elie II and it is killing me. We have sold our big echoing house and we are living in a rental duplex while a much smaller new home is being built. They broke ground yesterday and we move in in mid-September. There will be a 16 x 47 x 16 ft RV bay (AKA "The Hanger Deck") waiting for the Ollie. It will be long enough that I can store it and my Ram short bed in it, coupled together and ready to go. I canNOT wait. Well, I guess I have to..... John Davies Spokane WA

Pete, That is a nifty bike rack but can you actually make a tight reverse turn without contract? It would be a shame to prang up both parts. The slightest grade (the trailer angled up) might make it impossible avoid damage, even with minimal stuff in the basket..... Has anyone figured out a way to fabricate a vertical bike rack mounted on top of the trailer A frame, where your cargo basket is now? That might be a good alternative for a couple of bikes and it would allow full access to to the truck bed.. Thanks, John Davies, Spokane WA

There appears to be no way to edit a post (?), so I will add a new one. An offset hole on a front receiver, as far as possible to the right, will help you to see around one side of the trailer while maneuvering. The Ollie is narrow enough at 7 feet to not be a huge blind spot. I would still use a backup camera on the trailer! Bodiak will not add an extra receiver bracket - I asked - but I think a local experienced welding shop could do this for less than $75 for almost any stock unit. It will however void the receiver warranty and ruin the factory powder coating. Please note that I haven't yet ordered an Elite II but have decades of trailer towing experience. Don't sell that low miles diesel, but if it does turn out to be too long and awkward, keep the longer trailer and trade the truck for a short bed model like a Ram Eco Diesel Crew Cab (not the Mega Cab). Don't get a gas truck or you will hate yourself every time you go up a long high altitude grade. Fuel prices will not stay cheap much longer. John Davies Spokane WA