John E Davies

Thanks, I emailed their support and was told this: “It's something we eventually hope to incorporate, but the meta-data is not yet ready to be presented in a meaningful way. Think of the first release as a v1, with improvements to come.” And I said to him: “Thanks, you should definitely mention that in the map layer description. Otherwise somebody like me is going to download a bunch of Overland maps and then get REALLY pissed when the popups don’t work out in the boonies, far from any cell signal. Because they forgot to also download the MVUM data. Which again, defeats the purpose of this new layer. But it sure is pretty. I like how the water is darker.” I am amused at your choice of locations for your screen captures, I am a big fan of the Colville NF, my shots were from Curlew Lake near Republic. Do you live in NE Washington? John Davies Spokane WA

Wow, that looks interesting, I have an older Yamaha 2400 which works great, but this is 15 pounds lighter, smaller, more fuel efficient, way more powerful and has nifty modern features like fuel injection. But double the cost 😳. I personally would wait a year for any new model bugs to surface and get corrected, and for some impartial reviews showing how much surge power they can truly produce, and how much continuous power. They are not the same for all generators. “Peak power” numbers can be very deceptive. And wait for that price to drop a LOT. I am not a Honda fan boy, I have been burned by poor quality control and numerous warranty issues on their other products in the past…. Maybe that has been corrected. Caveat emptor ! https://powerequipment.honda.com/generators/all-new-eu3200i BTW I have been very interested in a new Ryobi 30 inch zero turn mower, when the first test articles appeared it had an MSRP of $3999. It is sold exclusively through Home Depot. HD raised the price by $500, and shortly after raised it another $500😳. That mower is no longer on my honey-do list, for this mowing season at least. John Davies Spokane WA

Welcome, the Elite and F150 3.5 EB will be a great match for a solo older person. Significantly easier to maneuver and park than an LE2, reversing especially, NO equalizing hitch needed on your truck, more campsites available, especially in the numerous older state and national parks, and most Forest Service ones. Less long term maintenance cost (one fewer axle/ brake/ wheel assembly). Easier and cheaper to upgrade the suspension or brakes (plug and play disk brake kits are available for the bigger axle - LE2 owners have to replace their axles with heavier units!)..Better towing fuel economy. Once you decide that you want an Ollie, then you need to decide what features are mandatory for your needs, and what ones are fluff. Fluff isn’t necessarily bad, for example a sat tv antenna, but stuff like that shouldn’t heavily influence your purchase of a used unit. Since there are no new Elites being made - we are waiting on a complete redesign - you might find yourself buying one of the first new and improved units. 😬 You do need to See an Ollie, use the link so Sales can connect you with a nearby owner for a tour. No obligation at all, the owner gets a commission if you buy a new one, but doughnuts would be a nice way to tip…. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/see-an-ollie/field-visit-request/ …If you are big or tall, much over 6 feet, the Elite may not work for you. The LE2 is bigger in all dimensions including headroom. Headroom in the toilet area is limited in both versions because of the raised floor there. I have mentioned it before here, if I were traveling solo, I would not have an LE2. BTW, when buying a light duty truck make SURE it has plenty of payload, this usually means not buying a fully loaded unit. You will be adding lots of accessories like a tonneau or canopy, bed liner or slide, perhaps LT tires, tools, generator, and personal gear when camping. Plus say 450 pounds tongue and hitch weight for the trailer. You don’t want to be constantly facing an unusually low payload. 4WD is mandatory IMHO, for the Western states. If you think you might become a full timer, or will make months long trips, say to Alaska, a HD truck will work better in many ways. John Davies Spokane WA

I looked around at Yakima's website and did not see anything, you should email them to make sure a travel trailer is included in that general RV approval statement. I do know that SOME Yakima products like my Rocket Box are not rated for "off-road' and the warranty terms specifically say that that is anything rougher than a smooth graded gravel road. So potholed forest roads are "off-road". 😉 Reopening that receiver worm can anyway: it makes no sense at all to a normal person to buy an $850 (!!!) bike rack with less than desirable features, as a compromise, simply because it will fit the small Ollie receiver. It makes far more sense to spend less for a wonderful 1-Up Super Duty Double rack ($665 shipped in silver) and simply change the receiver so that it works. It is a far better rack than any Yakima, and debatably better than the other good e-bike rated racks like the Kuat. The 1-Up is designed and sold here in the USA, has individual spare parts available, stellar customer service, and it can be added to with more bike trays or a cargo tray. But only two bike trays for off-road, max 75 pounds per bike. This too small receiver issue is so VERY frustrating, ain't it? It makes you want to storm into the Oliver headquarters and give somebody a good shaking 😉 John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks for the manuals, I figured out why I could not download them, you have to type YES in the "I agree to terms" box. I was just clicking it. I have to say their web design is very old fashioned and beyond horrible. Way too many "click here for more info" links, stuff is scattered to hell and back, and far too many colors - colored fonts, colored diagram wires, yellow highlights, purple comments, blue subtitles. Yikes. What if a buyer is color blind? Or wants a hard paper copy of the wiring made from a black and white printer? Too bad I guess. Maybe I will have Staples print them in color for my records. The technical content is extremely detailed and seems to be very complete, that is a big plus.... if you can find it. The inside circulating fans - how are they powered, do you have to drill a hole through the back and feed their wires there? Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

I ordered a full kit just now. I am having no luck downloading the installation manual. Could someone here try it? https://www.arprv.com/arp-manual.php#arpmanuals Could someone here message me and include a copy of theirs? I did email the seller about this issue. Here is a GREAT video showing what is going on inside the boiler, and why it will fail if overheated too many times. I knew in theory what is happening, but the details were nowhere in my mind... here is a screen capture, the link is below the pic: https://www.arprv.com/video/dometic-and-norcold-agree/Why-dometic-and-norcold-fridge-fail-web.m4v I am not happy with the idea of leaving the control/ display box outside, maybe it could go in the overhead cabinet directly above the microwave? Thanks, John Davies Spokane WA

Refer to the thread mentioned at the start of Page 1, there are lots of pics and dimensions. Go about 1/3 of the way down this page: .. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2504-how-to-stone-stomper-gravel-guard/ The bars should be short and separated, so if one does get crunched it will simply fold up along the drilled weak point and be easier to remove than a nearly 8 foot long piece. Way cheaper too.. The current price of this material starts at $6 per foot, decreasing a little with a longer piece. … plus shipping, if you don’t have a local supplier. … https://alcobrametals.com/product/1-x-2x-1-8-wall-radius-corner/ Thanks for the thanks! John Davies Spokane WA

That is a valid point, if only 0.5% of the brackets pop off, the production department may consider that to be an acceptable failure rate. But in the end that argument is an excuse for speed and cost over quality. They make those compromises throughout the trailer… if they had anal ex-aircraft techs like me designing and building these, it would take two years, not two months, to make and nobody could afford to buy them. 😬 It is like the electric jack gearboxes that are incorrectly filled with grease when they are assembled in China by unskilled labor, the excess time and training needed to hand pack them properly would add too much cost…. It is the same exact principle as glueing down those brackets. But at some higher failure rate (warranty claims) it will become obvious that they need to switch methods. THAT is why owners should submit service tickets for small stuff that they fix themselves! I have been doing this for years. Usually nothing ever happens, except a “thanks for the information” but once it resulted in a major safety recall for a missing inverter ground cable. You never know…😳 John Davies Spokane WA

Did you use a torque wrench for the mount nuts? They should be 43 foot pounds as per Service Department recommendation. Hand tight with a small ratchet is not tight enough. Have a helper repeat that motion while you are inside, look and feel with your fingers for any movement at the head of the jack and where the bracket is attached to the side of the frame. Look for any signs of distress on the bracket itself, like a crack. It is possible that the jack or the hole in the hull is slightly mis-located (touching in one spot). If it all seems to be solid up top, you should file a service ticket. See what Oliver says, it could damage or crack the hull fiberglass if this continues for years. If they say it is trivial, just ignore it. It would require removing the jack and looking at the hull where it goes through, to see if there is a clearance issue… it might be something as simple as a small piece of debris wedged in the gap. While you are inside, check the three (3/16”?) Allen screws that hold the gearbox to the round shaft. Some owners have found them to be loose or entirely missing 😳. There should be no movement between those parts. Check all three jack heads! Good luck. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/6781-how-to-service-your-rear-electric-jacks/ John Davies Spokane WA

New York’s E-Bikes Keep Catching Fire, and It’s Getting Worse John Davies Spokane WA

“Ditch the crowds with our brand new overlanding map. Meet Gaia Overland, the best overlanding map you can put right on your vehicle’s dashboard. MVUM, USFS, public land boundaries – it’s all in here. Designed in-house for planning big routes, navigating tricky terrain, and rerouting on the fly, Gaia Overland is the definitive map for all of your overlanding, offroading, and motorized adventures. “ Gaia Overland: One Map to Rule Them All I loaded the new layer into my iPad Mini 4 and my iPhone 13 Mini. I normally use the iPad for nav since it is so much easier to read, but I wanted to compare the look of the new layer vs the base GAIA Topo map on both devices... iPad GAIA Topo: iPad GAIA Overland: iPhone GAIA Topo (set to the same zoom level/ scale): iPhone GAIA Overland: You can see how much more “acreage” is visible on the iPad. This new map looks promising, the readability is much much better, but unfortunately the MVUM road indications appear to be purely cosmetic. You are supposed to be able to select and click a road or trail and the Motor Vehicle Use Map name will appear in a pop up box at the lower left. You select and click that road or trail and it brings up the complete information box about who, what and when can use it. So the MVUM appears to be disfunctional. I have to add that layer manually, and only then does it work correctly. Which kind of defeats the purpose of having all that data built into the new Overland layer 😳 Here is how it works with the MVUM layer added. I sent a bug report to GAIA. If someone here who has GAIA Premium can check this on their device(s), please comment, does the MVUM box appear using only the Overland layer? Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

I would really like to see some Oliver specific installation pics! Where did you attach the fans? I have always been worried about fire, it is more common when hooked up to 120 VAC, so I rarely use it for fridge operation. Even when plugged into shore power. But I worry, anyway. The fridge manual says it should be thoroughly inspected professionally ANNUALLY, which obviously nobody does. Especially since that requires its complete removal (most of the critical parts are completely inaccessible from the outside of the hull). I would love a compressor fridge but would l hate the extreme power usage😤 and I would also have to add another lithium battery to my two Battle Borns. OTH if there are a bunch more fans running with this mod, that is going to use more watts😳. I would think better of the Fridge Defend site if their grammar and spelling were not so bad, and if it did not seem so over-the-top “the sky is falling” in regard to fires. Thanks for more info on your Ollie mod. I would love some details. John Davies Spokane WA

The Ollie bracket is structural aluminum, probably 6061T6 or similar, the same stuff used in the frame and steps. You can tell by how very thick the plates are and by the welds, they are big and sloppy looking compared to steel welds. Those particular welds are a little nasty, but they are fine in terms of strength. I suspect your Starlink mount is powder coated aluminum. You could email SL to ask. But since you didn’t have to disturb the coating (drill new holes) it should be fine. The shipping weight is 1.4 pounds, it can’t be a steel part: From your pics it appears that you live in a dry climate. If you lived in a wet one, I would recommend sealing the bracket really well. Corrosion can occur even when the materials are similar. I can’t tell from the images, it appears that the tube is wide open at the bottom. If not you need to drill a drain hole. Nice mod, I quite like it. It is clean and highly professional looking. John Davies Spokane WA

That is great, thanks for posting. I love those mil surplus cans. I have all my towing paraphernalia in one of the ubiquitous .50 cal version….it fits neatly in a plastic milk crate, and if I leave the top latch undone, the lid will open and close while it is in the crate. The only problem with your setup is your ammo will “cook off”…. 😬 For those who may not know: … https://www.armyandoutdoors.com/blogs/news/an-introduction-to-ammo-cans Why did you pick such a huge size? A typical home gas range big burner is less than 20,000 btu. John Davies Spokane WA

Welcome to the forum. You need to ask very specific questions, because the general ownership pros and cons are discussed constantly. After you use the See an Ollie link to connect with an owner near you, you can inspect that entire trailer in great detail. Then you can ask here for info about your specific needs and wants. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/see-an-ollie/field-visit-request/ You should also request a buyer’s packet which describes everything about the purchase process and has prices and options. Download the brochure if you can’t wait. Add a Signature to your posts, in the Account Settings section, with your tow vehicle information and your location, that helps when you ask the inevitable “Do I have enough truck” or “Can I transport my 20 foot sea kayak inside the trailer?” kind of questions. 😬 John Davies Spokane WA

If the campsite has a major slope to it, always chock the downhill sides of the all the tires and consider pulling the emergency breakaway switch. That will completely lock up the trailer brakes until you get everything figured out, leveled and safely chocked. Do not leave them this way for more than say ten minutes, it eats up battery power and maybe the brake magnets could overheat. And as csevel said, leave the safety chains/ cables attached until you know you are finished. Three tons of trailer can be hard to control… I hate sites like that, but some day that may be the only available one. They can be dangerous. If you don’t feel capable of unhitching safely in one, go to another campground. This was at my very limit for tolerance, sloping steeply back AND away from the street side. Great Basin NP, Lower Shafer CG (a very gorgeous park, one of my favorites, but with really crappy campgrounds!) The far side tires are way off the pavement on blocks. We paid for two nights, but bailed out early the next day and found a better site in a different CG, after scouting without the trailer attached. John Davies Spokane WA

Don’t be afraid of getting a little rough with it, using your foot, while standing back. Give the coupler or the tongue a sideways kick. There is a fair bit of left to right play where the Andersen plugs into your receiver, and the tongue jack leg itself has a little also, depending on how far it is extended….If that doesn't do it, try moving the truck a little front to back. Sometimes you have to be meaner than the hitch😬 John Davies Spokane WA

Here is your plumbing diagram. I don’t see any easy access location to add a fitting at the bottom edge of the grey tank. It is pretty much obscured everywhere by other parts. John Davies Spokane WA

That sounds like a winner for anybody who wants to retain a flush toilet. How often would you have to change the filter element, and what is that cost? Are you planning to do the work yourself? The only tricky part IMHO would be drilling the hole in the grey water tank and installing a PEX fitting for the pump supply line. Have you located a suitable place for that, one that has good access for a drill? The big black waste pipe is blocking it all along that left side of the cabin. I hope you will post pictures. It sounds like an interesting mod. About how much water is used by the toilet per person per day? John Davies Spokane WA

STRONGBACK Elite Black 2.0 Creating a hyperlink to a webpage is super easy. Click the “link” symbol, it looks like a chain link. Then a window will appear: Copy and past the url (address) in the top section. If it is screwy looking, either enter your own text description in the lower box, or copy and paste the official description from the webpage. That way a viewer knows what the link means. When you are happy, click Insert into post.. John Davies Spokane WA

Well, they are the real deal as you will discover, and are very impressive, but IMHO you should not leave them installed long term while camping and towing. You need to keep the orings lightly lubed with silicone grease to keep them working well and remain leak free, that will attract dust…. If you have your hose connected to a campground faucet, don’t be real surprised if the coupler parts disappear 😳 . I have the female couplers on the male ends of all my garden hoses at home and extra Eley male ones, screwed onto spray nozzles and the pressure washer. I keep one extra close to the Ollie and attach it to the fresh tank fill port for a few minutes to top up the tank quickly. But it doesn’t stay there all the time, open to dirt or bugs… I am be pretty sure that is not going to be very satisfactory 🙁. The first stretch of road construction or gravel road is going to make it gross, which can contaminate your trailer water system. You can’t really travel safely with the huge heavy female part connected to the inlet port, for obvious reasons…. Don’t drop your female hose end into the dirt or onto concrete, or drag it over hard surfaces. Their nozzle set is extremely impressive (like their reels, there is nothing close to matching their stuff on the Internet or local stores). I use mine for car washing and rinsing the driveway and house siding, it is a fine piece of equipment. https://www.eleyhosereels.com/products/professional-spray-nozzle-set John Davies Spokane WA

Common sense says you should add a bleach solution to all three of fresh water inlets, because they can breed bacteria just like all the other parts of the system. (You can skip the black flush port….) If you never ever drink the water straight out of the tank, you can maybe get away with not treating those areas. But if one does get contaminated, the next time you use that port, for example the City Water connection, it is going to carry the bad stuff straight into your tanks and water lines. I once spent most of an afternoon sitting in my camp chair at an RV park watching the nearby dump station in operation. I lost count of the number of owners who filled their fresh water tanks straight from the non-potable water hose, which was painted red and attached to a labeled red post. The fresh water hose with its blue post was prominently positioned 100 feet away, in direct line of sight of the driver….. So I guess you need to ask yourself that famous Clint Eastwood line, “Do you feel lucky?” Treat the entire system or not at all, because doing it part way won’t work. Read this: https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/ecoli-symptoms.html John Davies Spokane WA

Her signature says Nissan Armada, so I guess you are right. Oops. OTH I have carried a generator in my LC200 for four seasons, and a steel NATO jerry gas can for one, neither of them smell at all. John Davies Spokane WA

That little generator will easily fit in the back of your truck bed, along with a GOOD gas can.. (A dual fuel model can be connected to your trailer propane system.) You don’t need to store it outside in the weather and filth. I assume that you have some sort of cover for the bed. Keep it near the back, slide it out into the tailgate to operate it, or just set it on the ground and loop a bike cable lock around the trailer frame. The little 1000 watt suitcase units are great for battery charging but they won’t multi-task at all. Or operate the air conditioning😥 For much easier access to everything in the truck, add a bed slide (loooong drawer with roller bearing slides). John Davies Spokane WA

I will add that Oliver Sales or Service (?) will send you a complementary hull number plaque as shown above for you to apply near your entry door, normally it would be below the switches, but you can use your imagination. My 2017 LE2 Hull 218 did not have one, they sent me one a few years ago. It did not come with adhesive, I used double sided Scotch tape. You can also look at your trailer registration, the VIN is on there, so the last 3 digits should be the hull number. Normally when you submit a Service Department request (Ticket) they ask for that. So did you in fact install new batteries? I was more than a little confused about that post. What kind and how many? John Davies Spokane WA