John E Davies

Welcome to the forums. Here you go. John Davies Spokane WA

I don’t think baking soda will do anything for the smell. You are actually supposed to flush the pipes and fixtures every couple of years with a dilute acid (vinegar and water 50/50) to remove calcium deposits. If you fill the tank normally with softened water, obviously this isn’t necessary, I would do a couple of thorough water flushes and follow up with your scent free AF, or just blow the system out very well with regulated compressed air. When you are done, the p traps can be treated with common grey tank deodorant.. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Thetford-Grey-Water-Odor-Control-Rv-Camper-Holding-Tank-Treatment-24-oz-PN-15842/101776576 If that “lemony fresh” smell is also bothersome to your daughter, use a few ounces of mineral oil in each one. That won’t deodorize, but it it will act as a physical barrier to grey tank vapors, and it will also lube your dump and vent valves. John Davies Spokane WA

This is very incorrect. As long as you manage the AC loads correctly, you can certainly run off a 20 amp or 15 amp circuit. The 30 amp power is needed for running all the loads at once. When hooked up to a smaller supply, just turn off the hot water heater and fridge circuit breakers (run them on propane). Do not operate the microwave. Do not expect to run the air conditioner while charging lithium batteries. Do the latter early in the morning, until they are topped up, then turn off the charger and run the aircon in the afternoon…. I rarely hook up to shore power, and when I do it is hardly ever 30 amp. You can access the xantrex charge control settings and turn down the output current if needed, this has been discussed in several other threads. John Davies Spokane WA

Standard operating procedure when winching is to place a heavy blanket or similar soft weight across the cable at its midpoint to absorb most of the energy if it should break. Synthetic winch rope is super expensive, but it doesn’t fray, kink and cut your hands, and it does NOT stretch, so it doesn’t store energy like a steel cable or an over stressed nylon snatch strap. I chose not to install a winch in this Land Cruiser, instead I carry shovel, chain saw, heavy truck chains and Maxx Trax recovery boards. And of course I have an air pump and I air down the tires if needed. If all those won’t do the job (assisted by Toyotas incredible CRAWL control), I am calling for professional assistance, by phone or by sat com. … Crawl Control on the 2020 Land Cruiser | Getting Unstuck From Sand | Self Recovery Long ago, I wouldn’t have hesitated to help a stuck motorist. Now I am inclined to just call for professional help - legal ramifications of a botched recovery are too horrible to contemplate. John Davies Spokane WA

Be very aware that many motorists around you will not understand what is going on, they will only see “something” pouring out and leaving a long splashy stream on the highway. They might think your trailer plumbing is broken 😳😳😳 I have done this in the past, drained the fresh tank, but only on deserted backroads. I personally don’t recommend doing it. Don’t be this guy: …. 18 years since the Dave Matthews tour bus dumped 800 pounds of feces on people taking a cruise John Davies Spokane WA

The reason Oliver installs that huge vent right beside the furnace fan is because that is specifically required by the manufacturer’s installation instructions. You can go ahead and add return air paths far away, just be sure the total square inches is equivalent to that big grill. I plan to do this, I will be removing my Dometic fridge for maintenance and I am going to see about making a return grill at the entry door down low, forward of the fridge. Once you have plenty of air return, from different areas of the hull, then you can block off and sound insulate the existing air return, which will dramatically quiet the furnace. This is a future How To article, assuming it works out. John Davies Spokane WA

NH and Oliver doen’t seem to worry about it, it is a regular round 12 volt connector. I have never noticed any issues. It is carrying low voltage and not much current. It isn’t a safety hazard if it gets splashed.. John Davies Spokane WA

Try increasing the differential number. I don’t have that AC model, but I think the clicks are normal. The furnace gets its actual commands from the board inside the AC. BTW you don’t really need to add any standard equipment details to your Hull description, though you can add options if you like, but please do add your Tow Vehicle. John Davies Spokane WA

Would you please take some pictures of the installation and control unit? Did Oliver retain that enormous air intake grill under the curb side bed (which allows you to hear all the RACKET from the old style furnace fan.) If you have an iPhone, can you please download this app and do some noise testing? If you have Twin, lie on the curb side one with your head facing the galley, and the phone over your chest. Make sure the trailer is dead quiet other than the furnace. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/decibel-db-sound-level-meter/id1227650795 I have some numbers from my furnace, it would be interesting to compare them, please start a new thread! The numbers below are NOT from my furnace. Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

If it operates normally up to the time it starts short cycling, it is most certainly a control problem. Does it do the same thing when cooling? I guess you will have to wait until June to try that….. 😳 An RV tech should be able to diagnose it very easily by installing a temporary test thermostat. This would be covered by your warranty, so don’t worry too much. Old mechanical thermostats have an adjustable “dead zone”. I think that the digital types do have some sort of selectable value for this, to reduce short cycling under certain situations.. EDIT, your Dometic manual shows the default settings, it may be that something was not programmed right. That would be very easy to check. “Furnace Differential” refers to the dead band, in other words, the temp has to drop 2 degrees before the stat will send an “On” request to the furnace. If it were set to 1 or 0 (if that is even possible) it would short cycle. If it is set to 2 degrees, try changing it to a higher number. John Davies Spokane WA

Parasitic (stray) electrical loads are common in RVs. There are certain items that just don’t turn off unless you physically disconnect the batteries (or install a master cutoff switch). If you have solar and park outside, it is not an issue because the batteries remain topped up. If you don’t have solar you should flip off all the circuit breakers except the battery charger. A super super easy way to check for stray current loss is by using a clamp on ammeter. I have one of these and it is excellent for stuff like this, and checking out brake current. In fact, I like mine so much I bought two more to gift to my kids. YIRU UNI-T UT210 Series True RMS Digital Clamp Meter AC/DC Voltage Tester with ohm, Capacitance Measurement Good luck. And please add info to your signature. John Davies Spokane WA

Frank beat me to it. Your FLOODED lead acid batteries should be kept in a garage, not your house, they vent hazardous and flammable H2 gas when charging. Maintaining them correctly is a PITA and you need to wear safety goggles when checking the electrolyte specific gravity. You should have a small digital voltmeter to check each battery individually. This chart shows the normal "open cell" (NO load) voltages for a single 6 volt battery. 11.6 volts on your inside meter indicates completely dead batteries (IF there are no other loads running)! Were there any 12 volt items operating when you checked that? If no loads, they may not be usable, except as core trade-ins. You definitely don't want your discharged batteries to freeze, they will split open and spill acid everywhere John Davies Spokane WA

If it should come uncoupled and wreck the trailer with no batteries in it, and injure some other party, you will be crucified in court, and your insurance would not cover you either. OTH If you have a medium sized lawn mower 12 volt battery in good condition (and fully charged) at home, you could install that in place of your big RV batteries. Even if it is a different type, it would work fine, just be sure to turn off all chargers if they are set for lithium batteries. You would need to rig some sort of adapter wires, your great big cables are too massive for the small terminals. As always, check your emegrgency breakaway switch before departing. https://www.amazon.com/Mighty-Max-Battery-ML5-12-Rechargeable/dp/B00K8UO288 It would be a whole lot simpler to just remove the main batteries at the storage lot and bring them back home. John Davies Spokane WA

https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/3248-how-to-service-your-furnace/ John Davies Spokane WA

What route gives you 5000 miles to Hohenwald? It should be around 2500. Been there, done that, in spring time. My son lives in Redmond, we visit him often. John Davies Spokane WA

I think using Spray 9 on vehicles is a VERY bad idea. I have no personal experience but I found a thread about it. “It will strip anything he has for protection on the paint. It has a PH of around 13.5 and will melt tree sap. It is a good grease remover that does clean, and sanitize, a lot of surfaces. I use it around the house quite a bit because of it's germ, virus, odor and mold etc. killing effect. It is a very versatile product. He is cleaning his paint for sure but is leaving it with no sacrificial layer and open to attack from the elements.” https://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101-a/71894-spray-nine.html There are a lot of products that are effective, but some are really hard on your finish, for example Dawn dishwashing liquid. I will use it to intentionally strip off wax. Most detailing sprays contain carnauba wax, I use Griots Speed Shine which does not have any, so it is safe for use with a clay bar prior to applying Rejex (which must be applied to a WAX FREE base). It isn’t a super effective cleanser by itself, but it is completely harmless to your paint or gelcoat.. Always start with a mild cleaning product, then progress up to the more harsh ones if necessary. Leave the Spray 9 for crime scene cleanup….😬 John Davies Spokane WA

Steve, do you know if Oliver Service could supply the parts of the divider for a DIY installation? I have had a couple of owners ask me questions about mine. How is the wall portion attached, adhesive? Mine seems to be plenty sturdy and it is holding up fine as a head rest. Thanks for the background story. John Davies Spokane WA

That was an inexpensive factory option in 2017. They dropped it after a short while, maybe nobody was interested? I think it is great. Without it, the first time you knock over a soda bottle you will swear. Fluids can go straight onto the bedding or the person lying there.. John Davies Spokane WA

My wife and I like to recline on the single beds, looking out the back and side windows. We try to select a site that has something worth looking at in that direction. Lakes are good 😬 If you are traveling solo, you can do this. It’s a Zero Gravity type recliner. It will work in either direction, but this way is better for access to the sink, pantry, bathroom and outside door. Welcome to the forums. John Davies Spokane WA

If the tire loses air from a slow leak that ring will get loose, it is the rubber sidewall pressing against the hull that keeps it from moving. (A pretty stupid engineering decision,) When did you last check the pressure? If you add an extension hose you can easily check it without disturbing the wheel or the cover, if you route the end out the bottom of the cover John Davies Spokane WA

I will air down to about 35 psi on the trailer if it is really nasty potholed rutted for a long distance. But folks need to be aware you have to air back up immediately when the speeds get back up to normal. Sometimes it may be hard to find a trailer sized pullout when you get back to a highway…. Keep that in mind too. John Davies Spokane WA

Imelda your Oliver has electric brakes, NOT surge brakes: https://torkliftcentral.com/blogs/2015/08/17/surge-vs-electric-trailer-brakes/ John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks for posting, the charts are educational. Garmin offers the option of cancelling your subscription at any time, and restarting it again without any extra fees. That can save a considerable amount of money in your “off” season. But I have resisted the temptation to do this, simply because so many places I drive have poor or no cell signal. The inReach is always very close by, in my bugout backpack. Just in case I crash or have a medical emergency, or I encounter somebody else who is in distress. Because it isn’t just for back country hikers. Sat comm, don’t leave home without it! John Davies Spokane WA

What would you estimate the leak rate to be? You probably blew apart one of the push to connect Shark Bite connectors. If it is a strong leak it should be simple enough to locate visually and perhaps by sound, sometimes it could be a hissing sound. Small leaks aka “seeps” can be located by putting a folded blue paper shop towel under a suspected pipe, any water leakage will turn it dark blue at that spot. Buy and ALWAYS use a good adjustable pressure regulator, set to 60 psi or less. The system is not designed for 80 psi. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003YJLAIK?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title Connect your hose to the regulator, connect the regulator to your filter, connect the filter to a BRASS 90 degree garden hose elbow. Now you can connect the elbow to your tank fill or city water port and drape the hose over the back bumper to take the stress off that fitting and to make it look professional. 😬 John Davies Spokane WA

I haven’t handled a Spyderco, but I did handle a new $160 Benchmade and a $300 Benchmade. Both were noticeably better than my $40 KRKT. Think Mercedes vs Chevy. The $300 had a carbon fiber handle and better steel and felt wonderful. The mechanisms were very slick and positive. But I would have chosen the cheaper one for actual use. Money no object, the CF would make a great choice for a collector…. My suggestion is to go to Sportsman’s Warehouse or Cabelas and handle a few before spending that much money. But I still would never carry any really nice knife when camping… But if Steve sells that one he found, I would be interested. John Davies Spokane WA