John E Davies

Those are terrific (and high quality) fans but they most likely won't last very long, they were never intended for a wet environment. I used one in the bottom of my battery box for cross ventilation, I added drain holes to the hub, so water won’t pool inside and screw up the bearings or freeze, and sealed the wires. The Fridge Defend fans are moisture resistant and have proven to hold up well in this exposed location. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5301-how-to-lithium-battery-powered-vent-system/ John Davies Spokane WA

This is a little disheartening. The third row seats are slid forward and folded, you can see the odd raised ledge underneath where the hybrid battery is located. https://www.autoblog.com/2022/09/12/toyota-sequoia-luggage-test/ Those seats are not removable because Toyota wants them there to “protect the battery”. I am sure the industrious aftermarket will soon have a stout, completely flat cargo platform to install there, in place of those bulky and heavy seats, that will have tie-down rails and will provide enough protection for the electrical stuff underneath. It sure would be nice if Toyota would offer these trucks without that nasty third row. They did that for the last year Land Cruiser 200 Heritage Edition. I’m still hoping to see one of these in the flesh before too long. John Davies Spokane WA

I was asking Serge, the OP who started this thread last year, not the Austin “bot”. I was wondering what happened, did the sale fall through? Serge seems to be a live human being.. John Davies Spokane WA

serge, did you ever get your Ollie? Pictures would be welcome. John Davies Spokane WA

Welcome to the forum, please fill out your signature so we know what trailer and tow vehicle you have. Do you have towing experience? I can’t recommend any specific places along your route, though Land Between The Lakes is near Paducah and has a whole bunch of camping options and 170,000 acres. The last time I was there was around 1976, so my memories are off a little 😬 I do caution that some of the secondary county roads in middle and west TN are extremely twisty and up/ down/ up, and they should be avoided if you haven’t towed before. Stick to major state and US highways and avoid the ridges and “hollers” (hollows). John Davies Spokane WA

https://letsrv.com/the-rv-gray-water-dumping-guide/ John Davies Spokane WA

John, you need to decide if you are going to keep a small heater going in winter, and at what temperature. You definitely don’t want to let it freeze inside the Ollie with a dehumidifier going, and the compressor types don’t operate at all in really low temps, they ice up. I think all these dehumidifiers release some waste heat during operation, but I doubt if that alone is enough to maintain inside temps. If you plan to winterize the water system and let the trailer stay at ambient temperature, you will need to empty the tank and shut off the dehumidifier for those below freezing times. John Davies Spokane WA

Watch this video: … FAQ: Can I charge my batteries using the alternator? l Battle Born Batteries https://battlebornbatteries.com/charging-lithium-batteries-the-basics/ I personally want the TRAILER to be idiot proof and to be completely independent of any big wires or special isolation devices on the TV. Otherwise, changing TVs, such as Frank’s backup Armada (including selling the Ollie to a new owner) might end catastrophically. If you are going to the trouble to add isolators and such to your TV, you might as well string great big 4AWG cables under the truck and through the trailer and use a great big DC to DC smart lithium charger located inside the trailer. IMHO. Those are the reasons I installed the Redarc. It is a stand alone solution (except as noted above for smart alternators). I also think that using the existing charge wire “as is” or major alterations to an in-warranty truck electrical system might result in a claim denial. Especially if they find out your trailer has lithium batteries, which they might ask….But that didn’t affect my decision at all. The fact that Oliver doesn’t leave that wire hooked up should serve as a big warning. How is your risk aversion level.? “Do you feel lucky punk?” Are you willing to risk an engine bay fire? John Davies Spokane WA

On Hull 218 that breaker was a $3 automotive self resetting breaker, located on the 12 volt DC bus under the street side bed. I think it would be very unwise to risk damage to your truck alternator. Either disconnect that wire (and cap it) or install a DC to DC charger and enjoy the extra “juice”. This unit gives 11 amps continuously, and requires no changes to the tow vehicle, unless you have a “smart” alternator, then you would have to run a small gauge “voltage sense” wire up to the truck battery, which turns the charger on and off. I did not have to do that for my 2013 Toyota. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5270-how-to-redarc-dc-to-dc-11-amp-output-trailer-charger-installation/ John Davies Spokane WA

AND we want the sewn-on logo in front to have a cloth backing, otherwise it itches like crazy and leaves weird patterns, aka a “third eye”. John Davies Spokane WA

It has truly impressive specs, but the cost is excessive and I personally would wait for that to come down and for the inevitable design bugs to be fixed….. I have had a few Honda products and I think their quality is on the decline. They sometimes make improvements that make the product look better but the actual usability isn’t as good. My old HRX mower got tired after 14 years and I replaced it with an essentially identical one. They got rid of the manual choke, so now it takes five pulls to start from cold. The last one took one pull, even after six months storage. I have a new Acura car and I read all kinds of complaints, for example exploding rear hatch glass, about how the quality is just no long there. My 2010 TL was reliable as a rock. Don’t fall for the Honda Quality hype. I quite like my Yamaha generator. https://www.motorbiscuit.com/honda-shockingly-falls-dependability-jd-power-study-shows/ My RDX is a PMC limited edition and it was hand assembled by “master techs” on the NSX super car production line, so it should be more reliable, fingers crossed… John Davies Spokane WA

FYI, you haven’t mentioned how knowledgeable you are about the tech aspect. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2778-brakes-auto-adjust-vs-manual-adjust-what-are-the-differences/ In your shoes (brake pun intended) if there are problems with both right ones, which is what I suspect, I would install four new manual adjust assemblies. You must change them in pairs on each axle. Good luck, I loathe drum brakes on any kind of vehicle. Mine have been mostly trouble free since I trashed the auto adjust ones. They just don’t function well in normal towing conditions and they fade away completely on wet highways. FYI Toyota Tacomas STILL come with rear drums. The fix is to install aftermarket disk brakes. That is what our Ollies need. Complain to Oliver! …. https://tacoma3g.com/threads/drum-brakes-worst-decision-toyota-made.11900/ John Davies Spokane WA

eBay: John Davies Spokane WA

Resurrecting an old thread, where is this promised online Oliver Store? After six years I have just a pair of Ollie insulated cups and a ball cap, both of which were gifted to me by a kind forum member who took pity on me. Related thread: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/4124-oliver-merchandise/ John Davies Spokane WA

I actually see Oliver tractors and other heavy farm equipment listed fairly often on Craigslist, maybe there were more sold in the West? Current ads: There are also all sorts of stuff like mills and lathes, and even a bagel slicer, tho I expect that is not actually the same company 😬: It would be fun to have a bunch of Oliver tools. I am still waiting on the long ago promised Oliver Online Store so I can buy some Ollie shirts. Any updates on that? Please post any comments here: …. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2654-quotollie-gearquot-company-store-products-desired-speak-up/ John Davies Spokane WA

I totally agree, it can be a sobering revelation to brand new owners who jumped in feet first without enough research on owner forums. Those RV commercials on tv are so very deceptive, with the happy family gathered around on the meticulously groomed grass beside the lake, with not another camper in sight. I wish I could find that perfect spot 😬, John Davies Spokane WA

Try this, you may not be turning it off, just to Standby. Push and HOLD the power button. Once off it should stay off until you press it again. This is the same as my six year old model, it took me five years 😳 to figure out how to kill the night mode display and its associated parasitic draw. John Davies Spokane WA

The 1.98” ones don’t go on the wheels at all, you throw those center caps away. BTW the LE2 axles are standard 3500 pound axles, they just have special 6 stud hubs so Oliver can use those heavy duty 16 inch wheels. It also means there are no plug and play disk brake kits available, you either have to install two new heavier axles or downsize to 15 inch tires and 5 lug wheels. Not exactly brilliant engineering….. Your Ollie will come with this sort of hub: Trailer Hub and Drum Assembly - 3,500-lb Axles - 10" Diameter - 6 on 5-1/2 … but with NevR Lube bearings, I think. John Davies Spokane WA

Or throw yours away and install stainless caps over the axle hub nuts: I use this type so I can pop the rubber out to check the condition of the grease. Add a slight skim of clear silicone sealant to each cap before driving it in, so it will not seep oil. Paint the hubs gloss black and it looks fine. This way you can readjust a loose nut without removing the wheel and you can take a more accurate temp reading of the hub... John Davies Spokane WA

I reposted your pic, this forum will not handle HEIC files, you have to change them to a more common format. Rusty water, you need to remove the wheel and see what is going on, it appears to be trapping water and then the hub rusts and the water slings out. It won’t hurt the wheels, short term, IF they are waxed, but you should fix it ASAP. Long term, it can corrode the wheel inside. It sure is ugly, eh? This is just one problem with center caps, mine are long gone. BTW I sure do like those new style wheels. John Davies Spokane WA

Early hulls had it hard mounted at the back corner of the curb side bed (with no flip up mount).I cracked my skull on it a couple of times making the bed, and removed the entire TV and mount the day I got home. I did not give it away, it is wrapped and stored away because I thought some future owner might like to put it back. After seven years the TV is so far out of date, I guess that is now wishful thinking, I should just toss it. Anyone want a free old unused TV and mount? It's in perfect condition except for a blood stain and some of my scalp on one corner 😉 John Davies Spokane WA

You should take a little weight off the suspension and tires for long term storage, so you might as well get the trailer level while you are doing that. If the trailer is significantly off level, at least hang a red steamer (surveyors tape works) near the fridge so somebody doesn’t start it up that way. John Davies Spokane WA

With the newest design (black aluminum collar with seal around the base of the ball) the old binding problems have pretty much vanished. This really old thread does apply to old hitches, but the very best option in those cases is to upgrade and then not have any more cone worries. You can and should lube the ball and coupler connection. Use a grease so the two parts don’t rust and wear excessively. That also allows better up and down motion when you go over dips and bumps. Also put a little between the nuts and washers where you adjust the chains, as they describe in the instructions. Is there some reason you want graphite? That is very messy and stains your hands. It would not be my first choice, tho I use it on the lock mechanisms. John Davies Spokane WA

Until you check the hardware securing your jacks, you are just chasing rainbows. Once you know they are all tight, then you can think about other options. John Davies Spokane WA

The FIRST thing to do is get a torque wrench and check the rear jack bolts, 43 foot pounds, four bolts per jack. If they are at all loose the trailer can move around and the jacks may not operate correctly. Also check the front ones, they are smaller, hand tight with a box end wrench is fine. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/6812-check-your-rear-jack-mount-hardware-bottom-frame-bolts-were-1-turn-loose/ John Davies Spokane WA