John E Davies

Are you sure the outside AC switch is positioned correctly? It is confusing because on mine it is upside down, it is marked properly but you move it down for ON. Also, has your circuit breaker inside the trailer tripped or did you leave it open? Both of these electrical components can fail, and they are cheap to replace. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/3243-how-to-service-and-inspect-your-suburban-hot-water-heater-gas-system/ John Davies Spokane WA

There should be no crud in it, there should be a fine filter before the fan to catch all that. Check to see if one is installed, and clean it as needed. Remove the pipe and plop it into a five gallon bucket with hot soapy water. John Davies Spokane WA

Fritz, that looks terrific, I have never heard of it. Granite is a nice change from the ever-present grey basalt in this area. Could you possibly start a new thread with extra pictures? I will be headed down that way in a month, going toward Great Basin NP and would like to stop by there a couple of nights. Here is a screen capture showing the location, it is almost Utah. John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks - this pic? That is downright beautiful, and overbuilt even by my standards. It appears to be 2" x 3/8" plate, sandwiched a bunch of times for super rigidity. Pretty welds too. I guess if the intent is to have the bike trays act as the fuse in a collision or severe jackknife, to save the frame from damage, that sure would do it. My intent, if it will work, is to use this stuff, securely bolted to the frame with stout backing plates, with the single tray bolted directly on top. The size approximates a 2" x 4" rectangular tube.. It is super super rigid and very easy to work with, compared to welding a big support frame. These extrusions are used in overland expedition racks, they absorb a lot of abuse. John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks Mike. I have to say that it looks a more than a little weak compared to the newer frames, especially with 100+ pounds of rack and wiggly bikes levering away at it at freeway speeds.... Here is one of those pics, cropped a little: One reason I would like a fixed low mount is that it doesn't stress parts. neither the bike nor the trailer. Another is so I can drive the bike onto it using a ramp and the walk mode button. John Davies Spokane WA

Reviving an ancient thread…. Can anybody post a few good closeup pictures of the original setup? All I could come up with is this blurry screen capture of an old factory tour. This was on an LE2. They were using a smaller square (?) beam for the tongue main member and it appears that the extension is also an aluminum beam. The new frames are much beefier, 5” x 3” x 0.625” wall. The tricky part would be eliminating play and I believe that there was a bolt failure, that could be interesting, depending where the safety cables were located😳 Is there a beam extrusion available with correct dimensions that would slide snugly into or over the existing big one on my later hull? Would Oliver consider modding my trailer to give an extra 12”, enough for me to install a sideways single bike tray in front of the jack? Any idea of cost? I can submit a ticket, but first I wanted to see exactly how they did it in the Olde Days. What would be cool is if they would sell the necessary parts as an extension kit for an owner to have installed by a (very) qualified local welder. Otherwise it would be a long round trip for me to go back to TN. It is really hard to source small lengths of reeeeealy big aluminum beams. Buying a ten foot length to obtain a foot or two is not economically viable. Welding on a fixed extension is probably going to be far simpler, but being able to remove it for storage and theft deterrence would be neat… Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

Forgot this, has anyone mounted a single bike tray across the tongue, just in front of the electric jack? It would bolt down hard where the factory tongue cargo tray goes. I plan to experiment when the 1-Up tray arrives. I would much rather carry the ebike there, if it could work, it is way cleaner because of the Stone Stomper, and a lot less bouncy, and then I could retain the rear cargo rack. And use a solid bike cover without worrying about the lights…. The fiberglass doghouse cover might have to be cut away there, so the tray could mount directly onto solid aluminum. Any ideas on how difficult that would be, with it in situ? I would rather not remove the entire unit. The 1-Up tray is exactly 24” shorter than the SS. Unfortunately I am pretty sure the only way this will work would be by extending the tongue a foot. I would not mind that at all, I would make it removable for storage, but I would also have to buy a new longer Stone Stomper mesh panel from Au$tralia…😤 this could get expensive very fast. Pictures would be welcome. I am fine with fabricating brackets 😁 John Davies Spokane WA

My wife is shopping for an ebike, I will be mounting a single 1-Up Super Duty roof tray onto the back of “Mouse” in place of the existing cargo box, it will simply bolt down to the cross beam. Test with my old Trek “analog bike” circa 1998. We will be carrying just one bike, for her use, though I may poke around on it a little. I have neuropathy issues…😤 Has anyone found a solution for a cover that doesn’t flop around and/or completely block the trailer lights? 1-Up sells one with clear windows for the wheel parts, but it is $329 😳 If not a full cover, do you use anything over the seat, drivetrain or rotors to keep crud off them? Remove the seat and post, along with the battery? How do you keep crud out of the open battery compartment? This ebike stuff is new for me, I haven’t carried bikes for over 20 years and that was on top of a hard top utility trailer. Pictures or links would be most welcome. I do have a pic of Pete (and Bosker)’s setup, maybe you can post some details? And did you ever post a full thread about your cool custom receiver? BTW, that rear fender looks unhappy, were you aware that 1-Up makes a Wheel Stop that will take care of fendered bikes? It lifts up and jams against the back part of the front tire. Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

I bought this on eBay at a great discount, they advertised it as Open Box. This is what I found on the outside of the Dewalt box: I am not sure what happened. Was this a case where somebody tried to ship a firearm illegally as "tools" and the shipping company found it? It looks like somebody tried unsuccessfully to peel off the sticker, which explains why it shipped to me inside another plain box. I have never heard of this situation when buying an item online, any comments? There was nothing wrong with the tool or any of its parts; unfortunately there was no free Uzi inside…. 😬 John Davies Spokane WA

If I rotate a pic on my iPhone 13 Mini, it then uploads in the original sideways position. I have not quite figured out why, maybe because it always saves the original so you can Revert back to it? It did not used to do that…. If I open and edit it on my iMac, the change is forever. As the years pass and I become More Senior these tech mysteries become deeper. John Davies Spokane WA

VERY long and boring comparison between the both generations. Start at 15:00 for the new hybrid review. I don’t care much for the guy. ”Feels like a supercharged V8”…. That will do for me. In a Sequoia TRD Pro. Video - 1st Drive Impressions Of A 2022 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro! John Davies Spokane WA

Can anyone comment on that weird dyno/ power chart? John Davies Spokane WA

That was a great post. Thanks! FYI if you buy the special tool needed to remove your standard water heater pressure relief valve (which also works on your home WH) that axle cap driver nests beautifully inside it, to minimize space. Wrap both with stretchy mover’s wrap so they don’t rattle around in your spares kit…. John Davies Spokane WA

OK, I guess they don’t want direct links. Try this https://tctmagazine.net/winter-2022/winter-2022-tundra-hybrid-test-drive-javex-2021-ut-spring-fling-misty-s-fjc-2023-sequoia Scroll down a little and hit the “Download Now” button. Let me know if that works. John Davies Spokane WA

This is from the Toyota Cruisers and Trucks e-magazine.The author test drove three models with this engine, including towing a 5500 pound Airstream. I find the dyno graph to be enlightening, showing how the electric and engine power overlap. 600 ft lbs or torque at about 1300 rpm! 😳😳😳. That is about what my 2006 Ram 5.9 Cummins made at 1800. And the peak torque is 800? I actually find it hard to believe since they advertise 583 ft lbs. Scroll down to page 18. Toyota Cruisers and Trucks Winter 2022. Maybe those power figures are hypothetical, and they dial it way down for longevity…. John Davies Spokane WA

Keep in mind how these parts are made, most likely an unskilled worker has ten seconds to shoot a measured amount of lube in one place, then the gearbox goes on to the next station. They could not spend the required time needed to hand pack it properly. And think how much money they save by not using enough grease. John Davies Spokane WA

That is a little odd, I can sign up, yet I live in a metro area with a population of 600,000. John Davies Spokane WA

Can this be applied by an owner? How much? I use Rejex, which was originally an aviation product, and am very happy with that, it requires proper prep and lasts a long time if the vehicle is stored indoors. A bottle is plenty for an Ollie or several cars and less than $20. John Davies Spokane WA

RV Safe describes their gas detector as "battery powered", that is misleading since you must hard-wire it to a 12 volt source. It has no internal batteries. This is what Kidde says, they market it as a portable unit. "Protection Everywhere. This is a battery-operated, free-standing carbon monoxide alarm that can be placed on a counter, nightstand or tabletop, or it can be taken with while traveling or camping so that you can always be sure you are in a safe environment. Additionally, if it is your preference, it includes the hardware necessary for installation on walls." An RV isn't going to hurt it, There are no moving parts except the battery door and the push buttons. I imagine Oliver chose their galley combo unit way back when there were few alternatives. It may also have to do with certification and expected life span of the gas detector part. John Davies Spokane WA

Grease the upper cover: Set the gear and shim down over the lower part, align the gasket and install the cover and the four bolts. Tighten the three set screws firmly, be careful they are steel in aluminum. Clean off the top and make a record of the service: Test the jack for proper operation and shift all your tools and stuff to the other side. My street side gearbox looked very similar - too little lube, some gear wear: Each jack took a couple of hours, most of that time was cleaning out the old contaminated grease. A future service might be a whole lot faster, you could just take a look and add some more CV-2 if needed. I do NOT recommend leaving the old white lithium grease in place, it will not mix well with the full synthetic, and you should get all those black metal particles out!. John Davies Spokane WA

I covered a lot of info here, read this thread first please: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/4094-how-to-vip-3000-electric-stabilizer-jack-service/ FYI I used about 2/3 of a jar on two jacks, so a full one might be enough for all three. I finally got around to doing the rear ones, it is not especially hard but it is a little nasty. For the tongue jack, I removed the entire head unit and took it to the workbench. It is possible to remove the head on these rear ones, if you don't mind cutting and re-splicing the power wires. I chose to do the job in situ, with a couple of foam pads to cushion my knees. I wore a headlamp so I could see better. Loosen the three set screws a couple of turns, with a 3/16" Allen wrench. Once they are loose, the gearbox/ motor assembly can be swiveled around for better access to the top bolts; This is the CURB side one, the STREET side one has a lot more room around it: Remove the four bolts, tap the side of the upper cover carefully with a soft mallet to break loose the gasket. If it doesn't tear, you can reuse it, be careful. Both rear gearboxes looked a lot like the tongue one, except that the grease had not hardened in these. It was however contaminated with metal particles. There was not nearly enough grease installed at the factory, and there was some obvious wear from "dry spots". By lifting off the unit you can access the drive pin and the top of the jack screw. Clean off all the old stuff there with paper towels and a light dash of a solvent like brake cleaner. Lube with CV-2: Set the unit back in place and clean out the old glop. The top cover and big gear can be taken away and blasted hard with brake cleaner. Do NOT try that inside! Lube the bottom part. I used a small plastic piece as a trowel. Try to get the lube under the big gear and apply it liberally around the outside. Wipe off the gasket surface. Be VERY careful not to lose the little stainless shim that goes against the small gear face. When you reinstall the gear,use grease to capture the shim. John Davies Spokane WA

I really like the Kidde unit, I have one in my garage and one in my house next to the thermostat. The big deal about it is that it records the concentration level history, and you can push the button to see the peak level and erase it. A dumb detector is just YES or NO, which tells you nothing at all until it alarms. Anything up to 50 ppm on the Kidde can be ignored. 50 to 100 is getting hazardous, you should investigate. My garage unit peaks at 55-60 when I run a car engine nearby, that doesn't worry me any. Repeated high levels might mean the furnace or water heater is acting up. I screwed it to the wall next to the thermostat, for easy visibility. FYI, Ollies come with two detectors, a Smoke/ CO unit in back, and a Propane/ CO detector near the galley floor. John Davies Spokane WA

My original combination detector was getting close to retirement (72 months). It is a really expensive unit ($90 to $160 online) and a little hard to find in stock. I bought these units: The propane detector has to go near the floor, because the gas is heavier than air. Here is the Oliver installed one: Size comparison: The difference in thickness and weight is enormous, too bad Oliver doesn't use these from the start. The RV Safe unit comes with two big bezels, to cover up the big ugly hole when you remove an older unit. The small one worked fine here, positioned vertically. This position makes it easier to read the label when crouched down under the table: It uses the same amount of power as the old one, about 50 milliamps. The big difference is size and (if surface mounting) the need to only drill a 1/4" hole for the wires to pass through. My detector has a power switch: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5330-how-to-propane-co-detector-on-off-power-switch/ John Davies Spokane WA

New WA law - no new internal combustion cars and trucks (“all vehicles”) for sale in 8 years. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna21683 😳 There are going to be a WHOLE lot of unhappy rural farmers, truckers and RV owners, John Davies Spokane WA

There is your answer, putting in non-ethanol gas will wake up most engines, it has a higher energy density. I really notice a difference with my LC200 when towing. If I could reliably find it in long trips, I would run it all the time, in spite of the extra cost, but there isn’t much point in doing a few partial fillups here and there with it. Most Maverik stations out west have it at each island. I use it exclusively in my small engines.. When the stabilized fuel is old, say 8 months at most, I put it into the truck. John Davies Spokane WA