John E Davies

Hi Raspy, sorry, I am not attending. I normally try to stay on the west side of the Great Plains…. but I will be in central Texas in 2024 for the total solar eclipse, we could meet then. 😬 I would appreciate seeing lots of pics of your baby, maybe you could start a detailed thread? I don’t recall, don’t you live in Nevada? In a week we are headed to south Idaho and then Great Basin NP (tho it is too early so we probably won’t be able to get high up there), then west and back through Steens Mountain area. Maybe we will run into each other… John

Thanks for posting the reminder, fixed your pic. John Davies Spokane WA

https://www.bluesea.com/products/1001100/CableClam_with_Stainless_Steel_Dress_Cap_0.68in The location for the Clam was a little tight for a regular battery drill, a 3/8” angle drill worked fine. It allowed me to go Olde School and bring out my air tools, which I haven’t used in a long time…. I changed the SAE 4 pin connector plus the separate white backup wire for 6 pin waterproof Deutsch connectors. I can not recommend this and do not suggest that you try it, I was amazed to see how very TINY and difficult to work with the lightbar wires were, 28 AWG or even smaller with floppy silicone insulation. I fully expected the mod to fail. My cheap Amazon ratchet crimper did its best. I riveted a piece of 3/4” x 1” x 0.188” 6061T6 aluminum angle to the rear cross beam, then stuck down the lightbar with the included 3M super tape. The bar is in a vulnerable spot and I wanted to add straps for the bike tires, the angle prevents any undue pressure or stress on the lightbar. The lightbar works great, it really adds a TON of brightness and bling at the back of the trailer.I will try to get some night pictures when towing. Highly recommended, just don’t cut that factory harness. I will post another thread about hooking up the wires inside the trailer. John Davies Spokane WA

This has been discussed many times. Short answer: Redline CV-2 John Davies Spokane WA

https://electricbikereview.com/category/folding/ FYI small wheels means a rougher ride (potholes especially) unless you get fat low pressure tires. They make sense if you want to just poke around the campground, but for paved bike trails or streets a full sized model is better. John Davies Spokane WA

Check the fuse for the tank gauge, the little brass ““ears” that grip the fuse terminals are easily sprung out of position, they are a really soft material. You can carefully squeeze them back together with a mini needle nose pliers. Just don’t short something! Zap! Use the pliers to place the fuse back in straight, do not let it cock sideways or you are back to square 1…. Check all the fuses while you are lying sideways under the dinette table saying bad words. You may find other loose ones. The fuse section of the converter is definitely a low budget item. John Davies Spokane WA

This is stellar service, kind of like the Oliver company. Note the time of the email. It was 7:18 AM (their time) when this got processed. And I only asked for one.😳 John Davies Spokane WA

That is a fine offer, thank you, but let me see if they reply to my email tomorrow. I may try calling them too. they are a couple hours ahead of my time zone. John Davies Spokane WA

https://www.1up-usa.com/compare-racks/ Three are RV rated and off road rated. Be sure to buy enough rack…. I do not have the Ollie receiver so I can’t help there. EDIT - it is 6’7” from the rear axle to the center of the bumper 😥 All those 1-Up racks that are RV rated require a 2” receiver, so you would have to modify yours. I bought a Super Duty Single for the truck, I dislike it for a fendered city bike. For a fenderless one, no worries. They make a front wheel brace that is intended to help, but it is lame. Shortening the rear fender helps. John Davies Spokane WA

Has anyone had to deal with this? I sent an email asking them for a replacement ASAP. It lasted five seasons, I guess that is something. It is going to be interesting, we are staying three nights at a campground with no public toilet. I guess I will be “harvesting” the solids with a pair of bacon tongs to place them in a zip bag…😳 Then we will be home for a week before leaving for Great Basin NP. John Davies Spokane WA

You need more than a 2000/2200 watt unit because you probably will be able to run only the AC by itself, no other loads. With a slightly larger one you should be able to run AC and also the converter. It is nice to be able to recharge your battery bank while cooling off the cabin, especially if you get lithiums which don’t charge off the truck (as delivered)! I have been extremely pleased with the Yamaha 2400 I have used for five seasons. It puts out more than the rated power and in my mind is better engineered and built than a Honda. It is discontinued, you would need to research the “current model” ( generator pun). https://www.yamahagenerators.com/Yamaha-EF2400iSHC-p/ef2400ishc.htm Make sure you pick a unit with a manual fuel shutoff valve so you can run the carb dry each time. At 75 pounds it is manageable, you don’t need wheels. I run mine in the truck usually and I use a little hydraulic lift work table to store it at home, I roll the cart to the truck, jack it up level and push the gennie into place… this is frequently on sale. https://www.harborfreight.com/500-lb-capacity-hydraulic-table-cart-61405.html John Davies Spokane WA

I just added the BW membership to my existing Harvest Hosts one for an extra $40. I am excited because the regular camping possibilities in Western WA (Puget Sound area) are reaaaaaly limited, but there are a number of BW hosts there in the suburbs. I visit my son in Redmond often and would like to bring the Ollie. Has anyone used this and can you comment? What do the hosts get out of being part of it, other than being nice neighbors? Their app has been updated. Here is a screen shot from the webpage for the Boise ID area, we are headed to the Snake RiverBirds of Prey area south of there in about ten days, there are lots of possibilities. Thanks for any comments. John Davies Spokane WA

No drain holes = lazy technician. I drilled 1/8”: holes in my bumper at each end, and also in the bottom of the entry steps where water pools. My DIY rack is wide open on the ends so water cannot get trapped, and I can blast inside when I wash the trailer. You can use a drill guide block to get the top and bottom holes to line up. It isn’t as precise as a drill press, but it is good enough for this kind of project. I bought this one, it is super well designed, but $$$. There are some adequate ones with fewer features for less that $20. 30 45 90 Degree Angle 4 Sizes Drill Hole Guide Jig with 4 Drill Bits for Angled and Straight Hole, Portable Cable Railing Lag Screw Drilling Template Block for Cable Wood Post, Wire Metal Handrail John Davies Spokane WA

That is a really hazardous location for gas cans. I used to carry two 5 gallon steel NATO cans in back, before I removed my cargo basket entirely. Those are super tough and can take a big impact without rupturing. I think you could mount the Rotopax vertically in the same spot, with the thin sides facing to the rear so they don’t block the lights. But you will have to fabricate brackets. Rotopax offers an L Bracket but it weighs 20 pounds! …. https://www.amazon.com/Rotopax-L-Bracket-Single-Mounting-x13-95/dp/B01LRDVZHA You also need to consider security, is there a way to lock the caps? Unfortunately that diamond plate sewer cover is not designed to support any weight, it has a single thin piece of reinforcing angle running across the back. You could beef it up, so it could actually support the gas cans. I made a long tie down rail for my ebike, it is a 2”x2”x0.188” section of 6061T6. I riveted it down with common 3/16” aluminum pop rivets at 2” spacing. It is hell for strong. If you were willing to get rid of that tire cover, you could easily fabricate a double can mount that attaches to the center threaded rod, I think it is 3/4” diameter. That would put them up out of the way and would look cool! John Davies Spokane WA

That is not a prudent method! Two things come to mind. A compete drum with bearing will be REALLY heavy and awkward to store. If you have a big truck bed, that may not matter. A brand new drum will NOT work correctly on worn brake shoes, the diameters are different. This is why you always replace brakes in pairs, on the same axle. The situation where this would work great is if you have disk brakes with slip on rotors, like on your car. Then you could carry a complete hub and bearing and it wouldn't matter because you would be installing the old rotor onto the new hub and everything will match nicely, in terms or wear. Just get the bearing assembly, any decent shop in any little town can easily replace it. John Davies Spokane WA

EDIT 05/15/22 see related thread: ... https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/6892-how-to-connect-a-standard-sae-4-pin-harness-or-4-pin-with-backup-lights-to-your-oliver-factory-7-pin-wires/ This is just a teaser, I took a video today and it is very cool. I wanted to make very sure my connections were good before putting the rear cargo area back together. I haven't finished the job yet. I will add to this in a couple of days. Video - OLIVER Bike Rack LED Light Bar Initial Test What a pain, the Oliver 7-Pin wire color coding is very different from the industry standard. I figured it out on the first try, and nothing smoked or melted. More later. John Davies Spokane WA

For various reasons my camping season is off to a late start this year. Here is “Mouse” half treated with Rejex. The oily muck that got EVERYWHERE from a 80 km stretch of fresh chip sealed highway (in the rain) on the Cassiar Hwy in central British Columbia last fall took a great deal of hand scrubbing and swearing to remove. I used 409 degreaser and bar towels, followed up with 3M Adhesive cleaner to get the tar and crusty Wood Bison poop off. (They graze the grassy shoulders of the highways and leave their droppings in the road.) I had thoroughly washed the trailer with Dawn before putting it away, but the bottom part was still gross. Here are the towels presoaking so I can get them into the washer, I rinsed them four times before they got clean enough to put in the machine. The Stone Stomper worked great to keep the tailgate and hatch of the Land Cruiser clean, but it is not a miracle worker… I truly hate chip sealing. John Davies Spokane WA

My thoughts are yes, definitely. I suspect that in a few years RVs will be designed with lithium batteries located in inside compartments or under the floor like electric cars, vented to the inside. There will be no need to access them routinely…. It will be time to get rid of that sliding tray too. IMHO. John Davies Spokane WA

I learned that some Dometic RM2454 fridges have cooling fans located between the upper and lower coils, in an area that is completely inaccessible without removing the unit entirely. Jason in Service told me that they started receiving these units in mid-2017 (mine was delivered in May '17), and that previously there was NO Dometic fan installed. On those units Oliver added their own fan, positioned up high above the upper coils where it was easily reached, and I believe these fans also had an inside On/ Off switch. Yay! Good thinking. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/3296-how-to-dometic-refrigerator-cooling-fan-noisy-disconnect-the-power-wire/ John Davies Spokane WA

Update, I have had no issues with cooling in hot weather. John Davies Spokane WA

https://expeditionportal.com/starlink-satellite-internet-service-is-now-roaming/ John Davies Spokane WA

I am very glad that you fixed your problem, but that statement is a little too all inclusive, n’est-ce pas? Since we ain’t got no stinkin’ toilet flange, all us Natures Head owners are free to go watch TV…. John Davies Spokane WA

That looks as if might work OK, except I dislike the “debris should deflect to the left or right (into oncoming lanes of traffic)” part, that is not at all good. On low speed gravel forest roads it isn’t a big deal, but on a freshly chip sealed highway it definitely is. Have you researched boat forums for user comments? What is the price, and can you buy replacement parts for when you prang up an arm? Does it flop around in gusty wind? John Davies Spokane WA

I like the protection it gives, I dislike the design. It will block access to your jack and propane bottles, and your getting underneath to add blocks. and also make it will hard to get stuff out of your truck cargo area. The Aussies use these a lot, but they tend to be mounted quite far back and angled down, to deflect stones onto the road instead of sideways into oncoming traffic or back into your TV tailgate and glass. Like this one: I don’t know how the Rock Buddy mounts, does it just clamp at the front of the tongue? Do you have a dimensional drawing or instructions? I researched all sorts of gravel guards and ended up with a Stone Stomper, it has been superb in keeping the tongue and front of the trailer chip free and clean, and also the back of the TV. In heavy rain at 60 mph the back glass stays dry! After five seasons there are only a handful of tiny gelcoat chips, from stuff thrown up by oncoming traffic. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2504-how-to-stone-stomper-gravel-guard/ John Davies Spokane WA

Zamp says it is perfectly OK to use a mild automotive soap and water, which is what I have always done, I scrub the panels with a soft brush and a pole when I wash the trailer. They also say: “Do not use any harsh chemicals or a power washer when cleaning the panels as this could damage the anti reflective coating applied to the glass.” https://www.zampsolar.com/blogs/solar-101/how-to-clean-zamp-solar-panels But a whole lot of solar specialists say never use soap to clean a panel, the soap remains behind as a film and attracts more dirt and can harm that anti-reflective coating. Here is one article, these guys have developed specialty equipment using deionized water and rotating brushes. It is quite interesting, but there is no way a home or Ollie owner is going to do that! https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2020/05/pro-tip-never-use-soap-to-clean-dirty-solar-panels/ I just finished completely detailing the roof of “Mouse” and I used a car detailing spray (Griot’s Speed Shine) which has no waxes or silicones in it. It is perfect for prepping the surface with a clay bar before applying a carauba wax or a coating like Rejex. There were a whole lot of hard water spots on the panels. I used an artificial clay bar with Speed Shine and also scraped a couple of nasty sap deposits using a wet plastic scraper. The panels look great, the spots are gone. BUT did I damage or remove that coating? Are my panels screwed up? Comments welcome, do you clean your panels, and how? https://www.griotsgarage.com/speed-shine/ https://www.griotsgarage.com/brilliant-finish-synthetic-clay/ BTW that bar is truly brilliant compared to a real clay bar. It works great to take off bug carcasses and small sap drops. Really large sap tends to clog it up. I use a plastic scraper with Speed Shine to get those off. If you drop it, wash it off in a bucket of water and carry on. OTH, a genuine clay bar should be thrown out if dropped. One bad thing about the Griots one, it is round, so if you lay it down on the roof it can roll right off and go half way across your garage floor. 😳 John Davies Spokane WA