John E Davies

Please don’t waste your money on an Andersen. No way does any HD duallie need one for a 7000 pound Ollie. Spend the money you save on fuel😬 and on a set of extra wide Rock Tamers, and enjoy the simple ease of hitching it. John Davies Spokane WA

Interesting! Can you please start a new thread about this with a descriptive title so others like me can find it a year or three from now? I wish I lived nearby, I could swap this for you for a couple of doughnuts… This way it is super easy to inspect the contacts of that great big relay: Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

Forgot this, if you buy an inReach you can also use the Earthmate app to navigate while out of cell coverage using its downloaded database, and you can pair it to the device so you can compose and send (short) text messages from the inReach using your phone or notebook’s familiar keyboard. The maps are OK, at best. Garmin Earthmate App John Davies Spokane WA

The hull mold was altered when they switched to Norcold. I borrowed your image and stacked it above my image. Pretty sad, eh? John Davies Spokane WA

Here is the lower hatch for the Dometic in Hull 218 You have to say to yourself, what were the Oliver engineers thinking? I can "barely" touch the heater cable with my finger tips at the upper right side of the pic, where it enters the burner, no way could I actually open the outer cover. In order to mount the control box and the big fan in there, I could eliminate that wire junction steel plate at the lower left and install WAGO connectors and heat shrink.... That would open up some space. I originally thought about remote mounting the display, but decided that is not a great idea for a number of reasons. John Davies Spokane WA

There is no need to buy an L shaped wrench, just get a square drive bit and use your 1/2' breaker bar, Oliver even includes a bar in the spares kit for the wheel nuts. Mine have never loosened, and I don't plan to buy a tool for the trailer kit for what might never happen. You can pick up a square bit like that in any auto parts store if you need it while traveling. I do have a full SAE/ Metric set of square drive bits at home. For about $40 you can have them all. These are not pro grade, but they are fine for casual use. John Davies Spokane WA

You need to study the cellular coverage maps and decide what Canadian carrier will work for you. Where are you now? Where do you plan to travel? That is the question.... https://www.cellularmaps.com/regions/canada-coverage.shtml Our Verizon phones have a Canada provision, but it was highly restricted in terms of data and rarely at all worked once we got into central BC. If you don't end up buying a phone, consider a Garmin inReach for emergencies and for routine check-ins for your family or friends. You need an Internet connection to set up your account and to save any prerecorded (free) text messages. Unfortunately you need an actual computer to sync those messages to your inReach. But you can still type them by hand on that device, they just won't all be free, They work anywhere, even at the Arctic Circle. Any good sporting goods store like Cabelas should carry them. inReach SE®+ Satellite Communicator PART NUMBER 010-01735-00 Sorry to ask .... did you research this before leaving to another country? John Davies Spokane WA

You can open the top and check all the screw connections to see if any are loose. This design is not good for an RV that bounces down the highway.. There is always the possibility that the installer did not tighten a loose one, but that would be hard to prove If the wires are long enough you can add nylon cable ties to reduce motion. John Davies Spokane WA

My Dometic has to come completely out, there is no way to reach the burner area, unless I cut a big hole in the hull. The lower access hatch is half the height of yours 😤😤😤😤😤 I am waiting until late Fall, in case something bad happens. A replacement fridge is an 8 week special order😳 I do not want to risk wrecking my camping season. I am not sure the lower fan will fit, clearance is so tight… John Davies Spokane WA

I think installing WAGO connectors would be smart for everybody. Electrical fires are not good. I just added this to my off season Honey Do list. Thanks for the information. I just ordered a multi pack on Amazon, these are way cheaper in bulk, and I plan to throw away my collection of old school wire nuts. WAGO 221 LEVER-NUTS 175pc Wire Connector Assortment Pack Caution, don’t buy odd brands, they may not be UL approved.! Good video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=n8gLG6c-iKc BTW it is WAGO, not Wago, just like NATO…😬 John Davies Spokane WA

You need to run the furnace, especially if it will get below freezing, because that is how the tanks and plumbing are warmed. You are overly optimistic about the performance of your solar panels, don’t count on much charging if it is cloudy or you are under trees. They simply don’t do much in those conditions. So you need to RATION electricity, and use propane whenever possible, for the fridge and heating, unless you are in bright sunlight most of the day. The tow vehicle will not charge those lithium batteries, Oliver leaves that wire disconnected. So you will have to use a generator if the sun is not enough, and use a portable solar panel on sunny days if you are parked in shade. Or plug into shore power a couple of times per week. My wife sleeps under regular sheets and blankets, I sleep in a summer (35 degree) poly mummy bag in lightweight jammies. We both adjust the coverage as the trailer cools down to the set temp of 60 degrees. When I am solo I let it get to 50. If plugged into shore power I set a box heater to that temp, and the furnace to two degrees below it. If the box heater is unable to keep up, the furnace will kick on as needed. I crack one rear window an inch, and open the bathroom roof vent half way, for a little cross ventilation, with the bath door open. The big ceiling vent stays closed. I would not use an electric blanket, you cannot tuck it in around the mattress or it will overheat, and it will end up on the floor a dozen times each night if you don’t. This is for the Twin beds, it might work OK for the single big mattress. John Davies Spokane WA

Most likely it is hidden away next to the inverter, not a great place for a “remote” unit. Later trailers have it mounted up in the attic. The data cable is really long, so you can relocate it just about anywhere you like without too much trouble. John Davies Spokane WA

The base LE2 Twin was $48,500 in 2017. The new 2023 Twin and Standard will be $73,500. That is a $25,000 increase in SEVEN years. That increase does not equate to real numbers because 2022 dollars are 16% lower than 2017 dollars in actual purchase power, due to inflation. You can’t compare apples to oranges. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/7141-new-trailer-pricing-2023-le2-vs-2017-le2/ Let’s keep our numbers straight, please. There have been small annual increases but almost always they have included some additional standard features. It is only during the pandemic that it got “out of hand” due to supply delays and cost increases. And you don’t have to buy that $16k (!!!) lithium 640 AH package. John Davies Spokane WA

That is the PRO model only, the old non PRO version is discontinued and not for trailers. https://letsgoaero.com/bikewing-2-nextgen-tilting-two-bike-rack/ It is always prudent to provide a link for your quoted remark, otherwise somebody might get confused… Be sure to bolt the swing down bracket, don’t use the pin which might shake itself out 😳😳😳 John Davies Spokane WA

Bear bangers, not for me…. https://thenelsondaily.com/news/letter-trouble-bear-bangers-41792 John Davies Spokane WA

Have you ever towed a 6000 pound trailer in winter, over slick roads? There are a few here who winter camp, I am not one of those. It’s much too risky, too destructive for the trailer, and too hard to wash the corrosive chemicals off it afterwards in sub freezing temperatures.. Have you thought this part out thoroughly? Where do you live? For winter travel I suggest that you not buy a brand new trailer ….. 😳 John Davies Spokane WA

I hate that horrible high humidity, it is one reason I moved away from Nashville in 1982. I quite like your AC stand, I have a couple of B&D folding sawhorses similar to yours, but I never thought to use my MaxTrax boards as a table. I keep those tied down in a Yakima box on the roof, and have never had to actually use them for recovery… fingers crossed. 😬 My feeling is that with the Land Cruiser’s Crawl Control and those boards, I will never need a winch. BTW I have tested my CC in deep powdery sand, intentionally bogging the truck, and it does indeed work as advertised to “self recover”, without the boards, even with full street pressure. If you haven’t already, find a beach or ORV park and play with the Turn Assist and other features. It will impress you. 2016 Tacoma crawl control in soft Hawaii sand. John Davies Spokane WA

If you want to save $, buy food grade mineral oil in bulk and use a small amount often. I have been using this for years and never had to take my valves apart.. I carry a small bottle and keep it in the bottom of the pantry for easy access, I just pour a little down the galley sink after dumping the grey tank, and add a little fresh water. That lubes both grey valves. But I don't use the black tank at all, so your results may vary. UltraPro Food Grade Mineral Oil, 1 Gallon (128oz), for Lubricating and Protecting Cutting Board, Butcher Block, Stainless Steel, Knife, Tool, Machine and Equipment, NSF Approved Of sourse it is also perfect for wood cutting boards, either Foy’s or the ones at home..I don’t think you should use an RV valve lubricant for that! John Davies Spokane WA

That was a great post, thanks! I do suggest that you add some white cable covers (hiders) in the areas where they might get pinched or cut, for example in the pantry and this will also disguise the black color. I have not used this brand before. There are lots of variations. Yecaye Medium Cord Hider on Wall Cable Management John Davies Spokane WA

Part of my “ready to depart” walk around is a visual inspection of the roof, to look for branches, to check the solar knobs (nylon ties are in place), and to make sure I remembered to close the two vents. If in doubt I stand on a picnic table for a better angle 😬. My wife gives me “The Look” whenever I do that. John Davies Spokane WA

If it is fully opened it might work at slow speeds as long as there is no strong wind. But it really was never designed to survive 65 mph towing plus gusty 20 mph headwinds. That is equivalent to a hurricane. The ONLY positions where the rain shroud is not loose are at full closed or full open. At ANY intermediate position, the entire assembly will flop around in the wind. Never leave your fan part way open using the black knob, especially in gusty winds or when towing. Video - 2017 MaxxFan 7000K sloppy at part open John Davies Spokane WA

Will you be happy in a stripped work interior? The higher trim levels give you so much more comfort and emotional support on long road trips. Make sure the seats are very good, you will be spending lots of days in them, staring at the bland interior and hating the sound system. Resale value will be very poor, I once had a new 1988 Chevy 1500 Scottsdale, with very basic interior with rubber mats and cloth seat. I traded it in later and the dealer didn’t like it “Nobody wants a Scottie!” John Davies Spokane WA

Weather radios work OK, but only if you can receive the signal. I have one for at home, but many of the places I visit have no radio reception, for example, almost any mountain valley away from a town, and much of the NW Pacific Coast. If your phone isn’t working out West, it is very unlikely that your weather radio will work. Just like a cell signal, a NOAA weather radio is short range (40 miles max) and “line of sight” only. https://www.weather.gov/cae/reception.html Satellite communicators work as long as the unit can “see” some of the sky. If there isn’t a satellite in view, it tries again. Usually the message goes out in one to three minutes. My inReach works well through the roof of the Ollie, from its charging cradle. Plus I can send routine messages to family so they know where I am and that I am still healthy and safe. And of course, it goes on hikes or bike rides too. https://www.garmin.com/en-US/blog/outdoor/favorite-inreach-stories/ John Davies Spokane WA

Here is a picture of the older design, no top pickup tube. Yellow shows where the new fitting and line are located. FYI my “no spin weld” version is doing fine, I can use all but maybe three gallons without tilting the tongue. For draining, you must still tilt a little. John Davies Spokane WA

No need to call, it takes a few seconds to look and see. The older trailers have two lines coming out of the rear (vertical) end of the tank. The pickup tube mod added a third suction line at the TOP corner. Without that mod the tank only supplies 2/3 of its rated capacity, meaning 10 gallons is unusable - the pump sucks air. If the tank is full or the tongue is raised, it should work fine otherwise… From an old thread: EDIT 11/02/21. Oliver will do the spin weld mod free if you visit the factory. IMHO they should issue a Technical Bulletin and just fix all the ones in the field, at no charge to the owners. Instead they just changed the technical specs from “32 gallons” to “32 gallons design capacity”. LOL…. How lame is that? Matt Duncan posted this on Page 2 here in this thread: "I have talked to the service department and management. We will take care of the tank modification for free if you can bring it to our service center in Tennessee. You will need to call 1-888-526-3978 to schedule the tank modification. Let me know if you have any questions!" https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2261-how-to-fresh-water-tank-suction-tube-mod-no-spin-welding-required/ John Davies Spokane WA