John E Davies

It will technically accept a 1.5 to 2” adapter but it is not rated for that. Plus typically the reducer drops the load capacity by 50%. The receiver is made entirely of aluminum, which is not great. And most 2” bike racks are not “RV rated” anyway, they won’t withstand the sometimes violent motion at the back of a trailer bouncing down a rough freeway or back road.. Some owners have modified the factory receiver to accept a standard 2” rack or even built a custom setup. But as delivered, your Ollie won’t work with your 2” one.. You can complain to Sales about it😤 What make and model bike rack do you have? How heavy are the bikes? If they are a couple of sub-20 pound road bikes, maybe that reducer will be OK. Two ebikes, nope. I see your are in Bellingham, please add your tow vehicle and trailer info to a signature. And feel free to PM me if you happen to be returning through Spokane this summer.. John Davies Spokane WA

There are a bunch of cons to this mod. I personally would rather visit a toilet or outhouse every three days with that little tank, dump it and return, than deal with dumping and rinsing the big black tank, which requires a sewer connection. I routinely dump my grey water at home into the gravel, or when boondocking in the desert, into a sage brush. With the Natures Head you do NOT need to stop at dump stations for your human waste, why make that more complicated? You will still need to use a station for your grey tank sometimes, but that is so much less nasty when it is just fresh water with a small amount of soap in it.I suggest a second tank and cap, and call it good. https://store.natureshead.net/p/28-Nature-s-Head-Extra-Liquids-Bottle.aspx John Davies Spokane WA

It is a standard type, but check the pressure and temp rating on it to be sure. A Camco tool works great for removal, and you can also use it in your home water heater. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003VB15MC?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title There may be nothing wrong with yours, remove it and soak it in vinegar for a couple hours with the lever open to remove hard deposits. That might cure the slow drip. John Davies Spokane WA

Power (Watts) = Volts x Amps. Power remains fixed, it is a result of internal resistance and other factors in the loads. So if volts drop, the amps increase. Neither of those is good, which is why the surge protector has both upper and lower limits. Higher end airplanes have 24 volt DC systems, it allows for much smaller gauge and lighter weight wires because with twice the volts, you get half the amps. And a 6 volt golf cart, as another example, has massive wires. John Davies Spokane WA

Ours goes upside down on top of that fragile turntable spider thing, resting on an old towel that is folded up around the corners. A plastic Camco dish drainer and a box of Kleenex lie on that to keep it steady, though if the door ever opened of course it all would come out. Check your tire pressures, unless you just forgot to latch the door, something else is probably wrong! 42 to 45 psi for an LE2, NOT 50 60 or 80 especially for nasty pavement or gravel. For ugly low speed and really rough roads drop it by 10 pounds. (You definitely do need a TPMS when running lower AKA correct pressures. Last trip we had around 50 miles of straight flat (small) washboard gravel ranch roads, cruising speed when possible was 35 to 40 mph and nothing shook loose inside the Ollie. But you have to pack your gear so it can’t move around, especially in the overhead cabinets and in drawers, which should be strapped closed. When you get a chance, please try reposting pictures, the first one is lost in space. Enjoy your trip, get to Kennecott copper mine if you are into old ghost towns and equipment. White Horse is worth a couple of days. How are the fuel prices in BC and AK? (Woah, stupid Autocorrect changed fuel to girl!) John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks for the info. If you drill a hole inside the body, there is not any load on the threaded rod there. Only the area that contacts the female threads, and the area under tension, would be affected. That inner section has zero load on it. I sent an email to Andersen Customer Service asking about this, most likely they will say do not do this, you’ll shoot yer eye out! but maybe not. If they reply I will post a followup. John Davies Spokane WA

Bravo, very nice, and what a great description. I have a couple of comments, since I can’t seem to leave the back end of “Mouse” alone. Using wood for mocking up is a neat idea. Did you write the actual dimensions on the pieces before dropping them off at the machine shop? The shop needs quite precise measurements. Relying on your holes in wood might not be precise enough. Drain holes? This can be a super wet part of the trailer, each part needs two openings, at a minimum, for water to escape. (I leave my parts wide open and simply blast them with water when washing the trailer.) A little moisture will naturally escape from the bolt holes, even with the hardware in place, but those will eventually plug up with debris and corrosion. A hole at each end of each cross beam allows water to egress regardless of the angle of the trailer. And do not forget to add some to the Ollie bumper, the factory does not drill any! Be prepared for water to flow out onto your drill, so drop the bumper down first. I really like your annotated images. That is very easy to do with an iMac or iPhone, I don’t have a clue how you would do it with a PC or SOB phone. What did you use? Thanks for posting such an informative thread. I think members should be aware of how much work is involved in doing an article like this. John Davies Spokane WA

You can use any decent chassis grease, but IMHO the very best is Redline CV-2, for suspension zerks as well as wheel bearings and jack gearboxes. John Davies Spokane WA.

Cool do you have a link or did you source them locally? Size? Do they loosen at all when towing? You could drill a hole in the free end (inside the opening) on each turnbuckle for a safety pin. FYi these are available with built-in clevises, so you can get rid of those four shackles, eliminating that many wear/ failure points. I am not sure what is the appropriate rating, can you comment? John Davies Spokane WA

I suggested that to the wife, and it was firmly refused. There were three rigs out there, one was even with a trailer. It had rained recently enough that I was not comfortable with the idea myself. Who knows what evil lurks beneath that white surface….? I would be willing to try in August, if the heat or wildfire smoke wasn’t too bad. John Davies Spokane WA

They should sail out at a about a 45 degree angle to the ground at speed, so the debris will bounce down and not back at the truck (and onto the bumper, tailgate and lights!). This is how the Aussies do it, it is even described that way in their Rock Tamers supplement to the manual. And yes, most unfortunately, rooster tails of gravel happen when the flaps are cut too tall, so they contact the surface over dips. I tried RTs on the trip home from Hohenwald (4000 miles) and decided they were not at all adequate for my needs. https://www.clearviewaccessories.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/RT_MANUAL.pdf Why RT USA doesn’t include this info is baffling! it is not like the Aussies have the only gravel in the world. FYI I made my own bumper inserts using the two 3 inch strips I cut off the bottom, that helped significantly! We just did about 3 miles of of rough double track (roughly “graded” by a tractor), 45 miles of two lane gravel ranch roads, with another 15 tomorrow, near Steens Mountain OR. Lots of dust, lots of washboard, at up to 40 mph (the Ollie rides smoothly at that speed). No stone damage. All the chaos is channeled by the Stone Stomper mesh fabric underneath the tongue and frame, towards the three sets of rubber flaps. 42 psi in the truck and Ollie tires, nothing came loose or broke in either. No blown shacks 😳 John Davies Spokane WA

We were in Great Basin NP and the Ely/ Elko areas while all that was going on This pic shows why an occasional Internet connection is so invaluable. We were starting back to Spokane, which is more or less due north from there. Hmmmm…. Do we drive to Boise then west, or cut west and go north through Oregon? What an easy answer! We did ride out the worst of the wind and rain for two nights in Elko at the very lovely and affordable Iron Horse RV Resort, $45 per night full hookups. When we left Monday morning heading WEST, there was fresh snow on all the taller mountains. I am sure the high points in Great Basin got hammered. Spring camping in the West has its challenges. But the air is so very clean this time of year. John Davies Spokane WA

I am getting close to replacing my tires due to their age, I was wondering about larger diameter ones to gain a little extra ground clearance. Has anyone done this, how large can we go? How wide? Any issues with rubbing under the wheel well? I do not care about the spare tire cover not fitting, “Mouse” does not have one. My Michelin LTX M&S2 225/75R16 were 29.2” OD, 8.8” wide when new. Thanks for any comments. John Davies Spokane WA

I really feel for those with TVs that require Premium, or those who perhaps supercharged their “Regular burning” one and now need a much higher octane fuel. How do you deal with those very remote Mom and Pop general stores that only have diesel and 87 octane? Does anyone use an octane booster with lower octane fuel? How is that working for you? What brand? John Davies Spokane WA

We have been cruising around southern ID, down to Great Basin NP (east central NV), then back up through northwest NV and southeast OR. Prices were typically $4.79 to $5.39 for Regular 85 or 87 octane. We are now at Steens Mountain / Alvord Desert, a VERY remote arid corner of the state, so remote most Oregomers have never been there and many don’t even know it exists😬 So remote you have to fill up whenever you find a functional gas station, when your Land Cruiser is burning it at a rate of 9.3 mpg, with only a 25 gallon tank😳 Fields Station: Topped her up, 13 gallons for $94 - @ $7.40 per gallon: The shakes are truly wonderful, and the small one costs a little less than a gallon of gas. But WAIT, THERE’S MORE! Their Premium grade ethanol free pump across the lot, which their local guy called “aviation fuel” @ $8.95 per gallon: I have always accepted the fact that my truck is a gas hog, but I may have to park “Mouse” this season, or limit the trips to some local COE campgrounds within an hour’s drive. We drove 4500 miles up into BC and Yukon last August and the prices were way cheaper. This doesn’t look like Oregon… John Davies Spokane WA

Three miles of dusty washboard 8% gravel road to get to Great Basin NP Baker Creek Campground….. No grease leaks! I seal the mating surface between the cap and the hub with a skim of clear RTV silicone sealant. The new bike rack works great: Obligatory Land Cruiser covered in dust pic, following almost 50 miles of dust up Snake Creek Canyon (south GBNP). I didn’t try to take the trailer on that one, John Davies Spokane WA

The percent State of Charge (SOC) can be a little deceptive, it isn’t an absolute condition, it is the result of the little computer chip doing all sorts of calculations about charge and discharge rates. My Victron smart bus system actually has a calibration button to “Set SOC to 100%”, for example when it reads say 98% but the charge rate has dropped down to zero. Where I am getting is, don’t rely too much on that figure. OTH I would tend to believe the lithium battery results rather than the solar monitor one. Fully charged resting voltage (no load) should be around 13.5 to 13.6. Your 12.7 volts means a dead battery bank. Do you have a generator? You need one, in this case you should connect it and charge that way for at least three hours. Your tow vehicle doesn’t do anything, Oliver leaves that charge wire disconnected for the lithium packages, and your solar may just not have had enough actual sun exposure. What has the weather been like? The 75% SOC Zamp solar figure sounds very bogus to me.You need to read and understand more about how your lithiums work, they are completely different form the typical lead acid battery in your truck. From an article linked below: Your voltmeter shows not just the condition of the battery but the voltage of what is charging it, for example in full sunlight at full charge my battery voltage is around 14.4. That shows the result of the current coming in from the panels, which operate at a higher voltage than the batteries, otherwise nothing would happen (no current would flow). If the sun goes behind a tree, the panel voltage drops and what you see is the resting battery voltage. Without any major loads it should be about 13.2 to 13.4. Your 12.7 volts represents a dead battery. The battery voltage typical changes very little as it discharges, then it quickly tanks at the bottom. If you have a lthium battery powered drill, you see that when it works fine up to the very end, then it just dies. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/6629-how-to-find-happiness-with-lifepo4-lithium-ion-batteries-solacity-article/ I think you are not getting nearly enough sun exposure, plus maybe there is an issue with your Zamp controller. This is a prime example of why we carry generators. If you do not have one, get one 😬 Good luck. John Davies Spokane WA

This is hilarious. https://azratpack.com/mormon-crickets-us-50-the-loneliest-highway/ BTW, the general feeling about Nevada seems to be that it is endless desert and sagebrush. It could not be further from the truth, it is glorious, full of magnificent mountain ranges, but it is very remote and definitely worth a visit if you love being away from everybody. We are on our sixth day here and it has been quite rewarding. Ely NV itself is a pit, but the fully working Nevada Northern Railway is incredible. John Davies Spokane WA

We encountered these nasties for the first time driving from Eureka NV to Elko today, the pavement was literally covered with them in places. For one section the highway department set up an electronic sign “Use caution road slick next 15 miles”. Talk about gross! Here is one (these two images are not mine): This is how the road looked: “Mormon Crickets pose a safety threat because they can create unsafe road conditions. They get on the roads and they are cannibalistic, so they get out there, they get squished, more come to eat those and they get squished and the roads can actually become slick. We've had accidents reported," said Jeff Knight, entomologist with the Department of Agriculture.” https://mynews4.com/amp/news/local/nda-confirms-morman-crickets-are-hatching-earlier-than-ever I am glad that the Stone Stomper and extra mudflaps under the frame caught most of the rough crusty carcasses: A little got past the SS mesh and onto the front corners of the hull: It is supposed to rain tonight, hopefully enough to soften the stuff up so I can remove it easily without scratching the gelcoat. It feels like 40 grit sandpaper 😳 Otherwise it is off to the car wash. Yuck. Any comments? John Davies Spokane WA

I posted this in another thread and from the positive reaction I decided to make it a stand alone one. For five camping seasons I have been hating the back lighting on my Furrion radio head. The normal mode is very bright, when I switched it OFF by pressing the POWER button It dimmed a little and showed the time. I have been pulling the circuit breaker for it sometimes….. until I finally read the @#$&* operating manual, a week ago. Normal ON: Short push STANDBY: Long push completely OFF: John Davies Spokane WA

One slightly off topic comment….. for five camping seasons I have been hating the back lighting on my Furrion radio head. The normal mode is very bright, when I switched it OFF by pressing the POWER button It dimmed a little and showed the time. I have been pulling the circuit breaker for it sometimes….. until I finally read the @#$&* operating manual, a week ago. Does a long press sound like a logical design? Not to me. But now the display goes completely black when I turn it off. John Davies Spokane WA

My new propane leak detector has a seriously intense green spot that lit up the front half of the cabin at night, plus it created a bunch of green dot reflections. There is no reason for it to be so much like a miniature sun! I applied a single 1/4” square dim dot on top: Much better, but there is nothing that can be done about the disbursed green glow inside the unit. I added two round dots to my inside-the-window Furion radio antenna to cover that miniature red sun. https://lightdims.com/index.php Highly recommended to dim your interior! I have to use a sharp knife to pry them up, mine don’t simply peel off. My small pack came with a larger full sheet of material that can be cut to whatever shape you want. John Davies Spokane WA

Yes, definitely, but there wasn’t a car wash within maybe 400 miles (Stewart/ Cassiar Hwy, BC, about half way to White Horse YT.) But it rained for a week longer, so washing wouldn’t have done any good. Yes, two genuine Wedco NATO jerry cans, 12 gallons total... No fireballs yet. Ever seen a Jeep with cans on the back? Same concept. No worries. Don’t do this with plastic jugs. Since I removed the rack, I now carry an ebike there and a single NATO can inside the LC200. No, I permanently removed and wrapped the spare cover the day after I got it home from Hohenwald. John Davies Spokane WA

Do you carry spare plates? I can’t tell, but it appears that they are bolted to the flap supports. If so they are going to be really vulnerable and short lived, aluminum is not durable for that purpose. Stainless steel would be a better choice and it could be bent back into place a couple of times after the inevitable collision when backing, or with a piece of road debris like a tire carcass or piece of wood. If I had those they would be trashed within a month. Mudflaps need to have some flexibility! And I would like to add that this is not just for boondocking, if you travel in a state that does “chip sealed” road work, you need stone protection. Even a few miles of fresh oily chip seal will make an ugly mess of any unprotected Ollie and TV. And you will acquire a new list of swear words. This shows a worst case scenario - 50 miles in steady rain in BC: (The back of the Land Cruiser did remain clean.) John Davies Spokane WA

1: SS is 100% custom so there is actually no “out of the box”. They build to your specifications (tow vehicle width, trailer width, distance between trailer and hitch, and hitch type). It is up to the owner to install it, the SS supplied angle brackets that would typically screw onto a boxy stick and staple trailer won’t work at all on an Ollie with its unique shape. As far as I know, I am the only Ollie owner who has done this mod. In all my travels in the last five years I have never seen another SS on any kind of trailer.There is no reason a local fabrication shop couldn't do it for you, just be sure to pick one that works with structural aluminum, not steel. 2: You don’t need additional mud flaps on the TV with a SS, because the SS crossbar that clamps to your stinger has its own extremely effective flaps. And the system truly is effective! It and the mesh fabric channels practically ALL the chaos underneath the trailer. This is why you need additional,flaps to protect the frame and axles, otherwise they would get really blasted. When towing on dusty roads the rear glass of the TV stays very clean, and in heavy rain at 60 mph it remains dry. All the nasties go underneath the trailer. A set of moderately sized factory mud flaps is still helpful in keeping rocks chips and crud off the truck’s rear quarter panels. 3: Yes, RT is a stand alone product. It works adequately well if you don’t drive on lots of gravel, especially if you rig it “Aussie Style” so the flaps fly back at a 30 to 45 degree angle with the road surface, so that debris does not simply bounce straight back at your tailgate, bumper and tail lights! 4: Ollie mud flaps are 100% custom, which is a big shame. Complain to Oliver Sales and maybe they will make them a factory option at some point. It would be dead simple to pre drill the mounting holes onto the subframe, so that a flap support bracket could be added to each side at delivery or later. John Davies Spokane WA