John E Davies

When I trained as an A&P tech, the instructor in the How To Use Tools class demonstrated the need to always use a torque wrench. He had a big plate with a bunch of different sized bolts threaded into it. There was a chart with the recommended torque value. He had each of us tighten them by hand with a breaker bar to what we "thought" was the right amount, followed up by a torque wrench. 75% of the guys failed miserably, a couple were pretty close. NONE out of the 20 guys got them all exactly right. All torque wrenches "should" be calibrated, especially after a hard drop onto concrete. Hardly any are. When we torqued a truly critical fastener like a wing attach bolt, we checked the wrench for accuracy directly before using it. And then a second tech would check your work. If you got caught repeatedly hand tightening, you got fired.... Where I am getting is, if there is a good amount of safety margin, no worries, you can get away with sloppy techniques. If the Oliver recommended value is also the published Dexter maximum for the stud, you are asking for a failure and a possible fatality accident. if one stud snaps, it also over-stresses all the others. imagine your 75 pound wheel and tire bouncing across the median at 60 mph into oncoming traffic, while your brake drum throws sparks on the road surface then shatters. https://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/2020/06/10/woman-airlifted-to-umass-memorial-in-worcester-after-tire-struck-suv-she-was-driving/ https://www.wikihow.com/Calibrate-a-Torque-Wrench John Davies Spokane WA

It is nice to be vindicated, thank you. I have been complaining about this here on the forum for six years. Can you please forward this email to Jason with a Service Ticket? They need to stop over-torquing the studs, one day a wheel will come off. There needs to be a recall or at least a Technical Bulletin. If an owner has a cheap or malfunctioning torque wrench, it would be very easy to go WAY over 120. If you use 90, then you have a large amount of built in leeway (safety margin) for an inaccurate tool, or even user error. John Davies Spokane WA

Well, never mind. I ordered the "tap plate" plus the security bolts that the ramp attaches to on the regular Super Duty rack, it will work great to secure the ramp on my setup. You just slide on the ramp "keyhole" slots and tighten the bolts with a special allen wrench that has a pin in the center of the hole. John Davies Spokane WA

I bought a 1–Up roof rack and mounted it on my Ollie’s rear crossbar in place of the cargo basket. I also got a Super Duty Single for the Land Cruiser. That rack has a place to store the ramp, a couple of big studs on the rear support piece. The roof rack (tray) has no provision for attaching the ramp. The ramp is 2” x 4.5” x 48” steel channel. I do not want to drill any extra holes in it, the powder coat will be compromised. I prefer to mount it vertically, on edge, forward of the tray, so as to not hinder access to the sewer area. I wonder if one of these would work? I can fabricate a sort of cradle from aluminum angle and rubber, and just use a ratchet strap, but I was hoping for something premade and a little more elegant. Any ideas? If I had a pickup truck, the ramp could go in the bed. I do have a roof rack, but prefer not to carry the ramp up there. Thanks for any comments. I’ll post a thread about the rack system when I am done. I am still drilling, my shop is a mess ….😳 John Davies Spokane WA

As you discovered there is no source for a Dexter recommendation for 1/2”-20 studs with alloy wheels, I have never been able to find it, nor did Oliver Service ever respond to my request for their source. Maybe you could ask 😬. If you poke around on tire sites and wheel manufacturers websites, 90-100 is the generally recommended value. The 90-120 figure is for steel. Here is one chart: … https://www.etrailer.com/question-94709.html I have been installing wheels for all my adult life and no way would I consider 120 to be appropriate for an Ollie. I would love to be proven wrong. But I have had no issues with wheels falling off at 90. They must be rechecked after installing the wheels, but they don’t loosen after that initial change. Just because the factory does something doesn’t mean it is acceptable. Like sending owners away with 80 psi in their LE2 tires, which is TWICE the needed amount. Or installing “*******” pattern wheel hubs on the LE2 that make it impossible for an owner to install a standard 10” disk brake kit 😤😤😤. John Davies Spokane WA

I fixed your screen capture. I think I would be out there with a plastic scraper taking off that stupid decal the very first night…… does this advertisement come on all the lithium optioned hulls? 😳 The vents are RV code, Oliver cannot leave them off..I think the white discs are very unsightly, the earlier hulls had pretty Perko chromed brass marine locker vents.I suspect that those were discontinued, I may have bought the last stock for $15 each….https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5301-how-to-lithium-battery-powered-vent-system/ John Davies Spokane WA

Mine had a regular split lock washer and a flat washer under the nut - the other end of the bolt has a carriage head that fits into a square hole in the upper jack mount. I think the whole area shifts around when you are running them on uneven ground. Maybe the aluminum frame “settles”, I dunno. You need to be able to tighten these in the future, loctite prevents that. I don’t think it is dangerous, but it is unpleasant if your jack locks up. With regular checks and retightening it should not be a problem. I am anxious to see if the Ollie engineers will comment or do anything like a bulletin. John Davies Spokane WA

Try a local Ace Hardware….. https://www.acehardware.com/departments/home-and-decor/kitchen-utensils-and-gadgets/indoor-floor-mats/60008 I rarely use anything larger, this traps stones and pine needles, and you can clean it with a flip of the wrist, then set it just inside the cabin entry for travel. John Davies Spokane WA

I love plain vanilla in ice cream, trucks and Ollies. You have a great setup. How is the grass at the Oliver sites? Smaller images have smaller file sizes and upload a whole lot faster if you have a very poor Internet connection, like in the middle of the Yukon Territory, but otherwise, IMHO don’t bother. Just reorient (rotate) and crop if necessary. The forum automatically reduces them anyway, the only way to see a full sized version is to open it in a new tab or window. Please add your model name, hull number, and tow vehicle info to your signature. And home town, if you want to. John Davies Spokane WA

Jason confirmed that 43 ft lbs is correct, and he forwarded my ticket to Engineering for review. Maybe there will be a future technical bulletin about regular checking. I wonder how many “broken” jacks have been replaced that were in fact still OK - they were just bound up inside from too much side motion at the frame. If the repair was done at the factory, an Ollie guy might have noted the loose fasteners. I doubt that an RV repairman would notice enough to say, “hey, I’ll tighten them up to see if it starts working right…!” John Davies Spokane WA

GJ that is fine, thanks. I am going to save that. I see they are still over torquing the lug nuts!!! I use 90 ft lbs, which is an acceptable value for a 1/2” stud and an aluminum wheel. 120 is for steel wheels. It is 25% too high for Ollie wheels. John Davies Spokane WA

Updating, here is the new ebike…. I am going to add two tie down extension arms sticking 12” out the back and a tie-down rail along the top of the sewer compartment opening. That way I can run straps to the seat post and to the stem. The 1-Up Super Duty tray bolts directly to the beam. The bike tires and aero rims definitely will block the trailer lights!, I am going to need an add-on light bar, to install on the crossbeam (where the red reflector strips are now). I found this one, it is very bright with central backup light and SEQUENTIAL amber turn signals! Woohoo! The LEDs should add some welcome lumens when reversing the trailer at night. 49" LED Tailgate Light Bar for Trucks [Rigid Aluminium Frame] [Amber Sequential Turn Signal] [Tail & Reverse Light] Before I order, has anyone use this, or can you recommend a more suitable one for around $50-$75? BTW, the bike is a Gazelle Ultimate C380+, a fast Class 3 (28 mph pedal assist only) with 85 Nm Bosch mid-drive motor, Enviolo stepless hub, Gates carbon belt drive, four caliper brakes, and a 500 wh battery. We have steep hills everywhere - the main road just a half mile from our house is 14 to 16% - so my wife picked a bike with big motor, big battery and big brakes😬 I guess I am going to have to invest in some extra locks. … https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/a37039662/gazelle-ultimate-c380-plus/ With the added lights I can cover the bike😬. Thanks for any suggestions, John Davies Spokane WA

It would be truly astounding if they sold structural “aircraft grade” aluminum of any type, this is definitely not it…. https://www.acehardware.com/departments/hardware/metal-sheets-and-rods/sheet-metal/5024849 Ollies are made from 6061 T6 or a similar “tempered” alloy, which is a very good thing indeed. There are several Ace stores that I visit when the box stores don’t have something (which seems to be happening more and more often) but none of mine will cut to size, which is frustrating, but understandable from an economic standpoint.. They are independently operated, so they can order different inventories, but I believe it all comes out of the same Ace warehouses. i have had them special order items for me, they are very helpful people. It would be cool if they worked on RVs with the same attitude.😃 John Davies Spokane WA

Any large city will have a “specialty metals” supplier (usually it is not also a steel supplier), I get all my materials from here, which is just five miles away. Very handy! https://alcobrametals.com/aluminum/sheet-plate/6061-t6-aluminum-sheet/ While you could order from them, you must buy a big piece and the shipping will kill you. If you can locate a supplier on Amazon Prime that will sell you a 12” x 12” square, that would be fine. I personally would go into the local store, tell them what you need, and they will either find you a cheap cutoff scrap, or cut it to the exact size you want for a dollar or two…It wouldn’t have any rounded corners, they use a big shear, but it would be close to finished. An alternative is if you happen to know a pilot or an aircraft tech, they could bring you a piece, it is super common in aviation. It doesn’t have to be 0.032”, you could go thicker to 0.040”, but the heavier stuff is harder to work with hand tools. I would not go thinner than 0.032”, it won’t be rigid enough. Do NOT use the cheap “dead soft” aluminum you find at the box store, it is not at all appropriate and it dents super easy. John Davies Spokane WA

Add you hull number to your signature so we know what you have. AGM batteries cannot be evaluated for their “health” other than through a load test. The resting voltage is not an indicator, plus with four, one can be bad and it will draw down the others when you apply a load. It is very typical for them to tank when using inverter power, especially the microwave (AKA the Battery Killer). Before pulling your hair out chasing phantom problems, make sure the AGMs are indeed fine. If yours are over three years old, the odds are high that at least one has gone tango uniform. There are cheap handheld battery load testers available but I am not convinced of their accuracy, nor am I aware of one that does 6 volt batteries. You could take your batteries, or the trailer, to a battery store like Batteries Plus Bulbs and they will test them for you at no charge. They need to be charged and the cables disconnected so they can be checked individually. Be prepared for bad news😬 FYI with the batteries disconnected your break away system won’t work, so drive carefully. John Davies Spokane WA

Normally the tool end with the square drive works fine to turn the jackscrew, going straight though the gearbox parts. The square gearbox pin is tall enough that the tool clears the surrounding mattress support. Unfortunately, if a gear breaks, the gearbox could lock up completely, so using that top square shaft would be useless. So you would take off the gearbox, lay it aside, and turn the lower section, IF your tool isn’t too short, like mine was. In my case it was an important troubleshooting tool, I had to know if the lower parts were frozen…. John Davies Spokane WA

I have never checked these before in five years, I guess that was a big mistake. My right jack bound up so hard that it would neither raise nor lower under a load. I was able to free it up - see this thread: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/6811-how-to-lengthen-your-emergency-jack-handle-so-it-will-fit-the-rear-jacks-with-the-gearbox-removed/ I discovered that the top of the jack would flop around with no weight in it, I am not sure how I could have missed that, I found the two lower bolts, that go through the frame, to be loose one full turn. Tightening all four (both the left and right jacks) to 43 ft lbs using a 3/4” deep socket removed the movement and both jacks run better now 😳 I started a service ticket, I need to know the specified torque. I used a standard value from a table. The two upper bolts on each side were fine. Does Oliver recommend a periodic inspection for these bolts? I don’t recall seeing one. Is 43 ft lbs OK? The front jack bolts loosen all the time. Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

EDIT: see related thread - https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/6812-check-your-rear-jack-mount-hardware-bottom-frame-bolts-were-1-turn-loose/ I serviced the two rear gearboxes and then to my dismay the right one refused to go up or down under a load - STUCK. I use the emergency crank tool to see what was going on, using the square shaft on top of the gearbox, and it was really really tight, something was binding for sure, so I removed the three Allen screws and lifted off the gearbox. And tried to turn the lower screw part using the other end of the tool. FAIL - it is too short to clear the surrounding fiberglass bed support, it would only move about 170 degrees. I said some very bad words, and I am glad I did not have to deal with a failed gearbox in the boonies, I would have been stuck. I needed a short length of heavy steel tubing with a 1/2” inside diameter so I could make an extension. I found that a 3/8” MPT pipe nipple works perfectly. Unfortunately that size is hard to find and about double the price of a more common 1/2” MPT nipple. Here is what the end of the tool looks like, the part that drives the lower jackscrew, under the motor unit. I used a 3/8” MPT x 6” nipple, the longest I could find at Home Depot. Drill out the internal burrs and the long seam weld using a 1/2” drill bit and cut off the threaded ends. Cut the tool in the center of the straight part and insert each piece into the nipple 1”. Drill and install two 5/16” roll pins and trm any excess material so you don’t cut yourself using the modified tool. It is a very snug fit, I considered adding epoxy but that isn’t needed. NOTE I turned the end 90 degrees from the original orientation, so the tool will lie completely flat in a galley drawer without gouging the drawer bottom. I was able to free up the lower part by turning it back and forth to get the jack working properly. THEN I found the true cause, the support bolts that go through the trailer frame were super loose. I turned all four (two per side) one full turn before they tightened to 43 ft lbs. Now both jacks run much better under a load. I started a service ticket and will make a new thread about the loose bolts. I hope a few owners will look at their tool and measure the part with the pin in it. If it is 5 inches, it will be useless in an emergency. I am curious to know if everybody has a disfunctional tool like mine. John Davies Spokane WA

I am not sure exactly how that would help. I have used this pattern every now and then for many decades, usually for an electrical quick connection that has a broken retainer, or to simply make sure something could not possibly separate. You could also use stainless safety wire in your X pattern, it follows unusual routes better than nylon ties. That would be OK for plumbing, but not for wires! John Davies Spokane WA

I got tired of the old pump cluttering up my bench. I am not sure why the unit was stuttering, the motor shaft did seem to have some rough spots on it when I rotated it by hand, but it sure looked nice inside and the bearings were smooth. I was surprised to see how clean the pump section was, I do periodically flush with vinegar and my residential water is chlorinated city water. I tested the pressure switch with an ohm meter and it was fine, so I bagged that to keep as a spare, I put all that nice stainless hardware into their proper storage bins 😀 and tossed the rest of the parts. There is a lot of copper on that armature, I suppose I could have cut and removed it to recycle. I was actually impressed with the build quality for a cheap RV part, it seems to be well engineered.. John Davies Spokane WA

I don't know what cables it uses, but there should be an appropriate "through hull" connector. I would drill a hole behind the propane bottles, mount that connector there. and run the inside cable from under the bath sink. From there it is simple to get to the rest of the interior. I haven't read through this thread, it has 60 comments so it might help. https://www.reddit.com/r/Starlink/comments/kl6a9d/installing_starlink_cable_through_exterior_wall/ John Davies Spokane WA

Was there a filter between the fan and the main compartment? There should also a second one where the air comes in. Those should stop all dust going into the hose, both filters should be rinsed periodically, though the inlet one stays cleaner, unless you have a sheddy dog... If you keep the media moist enough that dust doesn’t form in the first place, that will reduce the number of cleanings. John Davies Spokane WA

I would cut out a slightly larger backing plate from 0.032” 6061 T6 aluminum, say an inch bigger all around, the same stuff Oliver uses everywhere. Remove the old plate, fill the holes with epoxy, and bond the new plate in place. Use a white product like Marine Tex (not my favorite JB Weld, because that is dark grey)…. Reinstall the bumper. I don’t think you need to do any actual fiberglass repair, as long as there isn’t any ugly sideways displacement, it looks like it just pushed it inwards, crushing the core a little. This mod won’t stop that kind of sudden, unexpected damage, but it will prevent the chrome hold open from breaking or pulling out of the hull. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5788-how-to-cabin-door-bungee-hold-open-strap/ John Davies Spokane WA

My Land Cruiser 200 has a short 112" wheelbase and a long rear overhang. I already have a +3" Andersen stinger and can't practically go longer. I wish I could..... thanks for the comment. John Davies Spokane WA

You can do a vinegar soak for a few hours, 50/50 with water. Followed by a flush. If it hasn’t been done in a couple of years, it is due. John Davies Spokane WA