John E Davies
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Posts posted by John E Davies
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4 hours ago, ScubaRx said:
Every trip you ever take will have unpredictable weather.
I agree, plus from my direct experience, towing in the Seattle/ Puget Sound area is MUCH more stressful and traumatic than towing in most other locations, it would be a lot easier for you to learn on the trip back. Just bypass the major urban areas. The topography makes that impossible in Seattle.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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I love those naked Ollies. How are you adjusting to the RV? Have a great trip, what route are you planning? Every time a member posts a pic of the factory campground it looks more scruffy….😳
John Davies
Spokane WA
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11 minutes ago, SNY SD UP said:
wondering if any of you have any additional recommendations as to "Canada" camping/planning APPS, other than those mentioned in previous threads.
Maybe you should mention those apps, because we don’t know which threads you are referring to…..
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Most commercial recycling companies will accept lead acid batteries, for example (price per pound):
It’s up to you to decide if you are willing to drive to one for maybe $35+ cash back, depending on how heavy they are. There is a company that is pretty close to me, but I just let my local Batteries Plus Bulbs store take my four dead AGMs at no cost. I am amused by places that charge you to recycle them, because they make money twice that way. It seems to be a little unethical. FYI, gun ranges have lead removal companies come to harvest the bullets from the berm or traps, and those companies pay the range about $70% of their scrap value. It is a big money maker on both sides.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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John, Is there a cable disconnect at the camera so you can remove the spare tire cover and set it aside? Or is that the purpose for the coil of extra cable in the bumper compartment?
Bill, how far away are those reference lines from the bumper, for example the red STOP one?
Thanks.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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22 minutes ago, ChrisMI said:
Any particular reason you leave them at 100%? Recommendation from BB?
Yes, “charge to 100% and disconnect”.: read that page…. https://battlebornbatteries.com/faq-how-to-winterize-your-batteries/
Cell equalization (balancing the voltages) in a BB happens as the battery reaches full charge, It is performed by the onboard battery management system (BMS). I do not know details about the other brands. If you never charged a BB past say 95%, it would not equalize the cells. So charging fully is good, but you should NOT keep it cooking at 100% for long periods, for example, plugged into shore power through an entire winter... That is stressful and is needlessly hard on the cells.
FYI, if I had to winter store my Ollie outside, I would definitely remove the batteries and bring them to the garage.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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13 hours ago, John Welte said:
Are they on a trickle charge to maintain them at 100%. I thought they had to cycle through a discharge/charge cycle. I have SO MUCH to learn about these batteries!
Always follow the battery manufacturers recommendations, storage requirements do vary wildly.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Different battery manufacturers have different storage requirements. If they are disconnected from ALL loads they won’t discharge significantly and they do NOT need a constant trickle charge like a lead acid battery. That is so very primitive…..😬
My Battle Borns get charged to 100% and then disconnected (I installed a master cutoff switch).
https://battlebornbatteries.com/faq-how-to-winterize-your-batteries/
I use my VictronConnect app to check them every now and then, this is the latest screen capture. The batteries have been offline since December.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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No, but it sure is sexy, like a brand new Andersen that hadn’t yet corroded😬
You have to imagine how it will look after the new has worn off….
John Davies
Spokane WA
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I think that if I were in your shoes I would give GM a month to figure out their next step, they are without a doubt as freaked out as you are by the parts fiasco. If they can’t assure you of having a working truck by then, have it towed to that other shop, pay out of pocket and plan on joining the huge class action lawsuit that is sure to come.
It is very worrying to think of the bad things that can happen when you are in the middle of a long vacation trip and get stranded on the other side of the country from your home…. Good luck.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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This is a great random orbital polisher and the instructions are very, well, instructional.
https://www.griotsgarage.com/content/pdf/10901.pdf
It is critical that you use a low rpm variable speed polisher, do not try to use a high rpm random orbital sander. Even though they may look the same.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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How many man hours of labor to fix the pulley and seal? Does the radiator have to come out?
At this point I guess you are going to have to decide, do I just have an independent diesel shop fix it with a higher quality aftermarket part, or park the truck and trailer until mid summer or later? That is a sticky situation, but at least you do have a bright side, the engine is OK and there is at least one option for you…..
We bought a new Acura in December, the local dealer parts guy told me that he had a 30 page stack of backordered parts. He had one car gathering dust because it needs new head bolts, and none are to be found anywhere.
Good luck on your truck.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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A compressor fridge like my medium ARB unit works great, but it uses around 60 amp hours daily, and it also provides continual “amp anxiety”. With marginal solar when the days are short or grey, it makes me constantly worry about recharging the batteries. I am much happier and laid back if I just leave the fridge at home. If I had a larger solar array, I would be more likely to bring it along. It operates off the alternator when moving, and off the trailer batteries when stopped.
I hate the older three way fridge for a number of reasons, but I do have to admit it works well enough and doesn’t drain the batteries if you tow with it set to propane. I would rather use those truck amps to recharge the trailer batteries than operate the fridge….. it is a very heavy draw when set to 12 volts.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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9 hours ago, ADKCamper said:
Interesting observation - after reviewing the specs on quite a few Vornado models, it appears that *all* of the Vornado User Guides specify that the Vornado heater is not to be used on a GFCI protected circuit. I don't know why that would be the case, unless they leak current to ground somehow (even though many models have only 2-prong plugs) instead of returning on the neutral line.
At least in our Elite, all of the 120V receptacles are GFCI protected, which suggests that the Vornado should not be used in the trailer???
I found this comment at Amazon.
“Also, plugging a heater into a GFCI outlet, which are common in bathrooms, can present problems. GFCI outlets not only protect against ground faults (arcing) but they also provide current limiting for over current. If the GFCI is upstream of another outlet in use, it will limit the output to the heater. The heater will still try to pull enough current to operate and this will cause the outlet breaker to trip. Even if there is no other appliance on the circuit, the GFCI outlet could sense the heater cycling as an over-current situation and trip the breaker. I would suggest you do not use the heater on a GFCI outlet but if you do, be sure no other appliance is on an outlet on the same circuit.
- Vornado Consumer Service Team see less “I had never heard that before. But I would not hesitate to run it in my Ollie, I run other brands of heaters and they don’t do anything strange. OTH I wouldn’t run it on high continuously, nor would I have any other high wattage appliance running at the same time. Use common sense, most of what you read in the electrical warnings is pure legal “cover your butt” language, to protect the manufacturer from idiots.
As an aside, I have four circuits in my house that are hyper sensitive to heaters and to electric motors (washer and dryer), the new style arc fault circuit interrupter out in the garage usually trips after a couple of hours of running a heater. So I plug that unit into the nearby bathroom circuit, which obviously is GFCI protected. That works perfectly. The washer and dryer trip theirs once every month or three, randomly. I hate AFCI breakers.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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2 hours ago, Steph and Dud B said:
I know from experience that the Maxxair can strain to exhaust if there isn't enough air coming in (you can hear the motor bog down). Does anyone leave the Maxxair running when their Ollie is closed up?
You are correct, there needs to be some air flowing in, more than the natural leakage through the hull. Cracking the bath vent half way is enough. I actually measured the amp draw of the fan running on high with everything closed up tight, and also with a little ventilation. The fan definitely struggles in the former, and draws a little more current as well.
It is just common sense really, don’t run an exhaust fan if there isn’t enough airflow to exhaust.
https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5790-how-to-window-dust-pollen-smoke-filter/
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Please, never never install an electrical device like a solar controller in the same compartment as a lead acid or AGM battery bank!
Especially one loose and on top of the other connections!!!!! A plastic bag around it will NOT stop a wire from coming loose and sparking! These batteries can vent hydrogen gas and this installation is a recipe for an explosion or a fire. The bag will also prevent the unit from cooling properly. It is an incredibly bad design. When your trailer is destroyed the insurance company will likely deny payment. I don’t know which is worse, this, or the inverter in the engine bay of this truck:
https://rvnerds.com/2017/11/01/electrical-myths-part-4-agm-batteries-dont-need-venting/
John Davies
Spokane WA
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4 hours ago, FrankC said:
Yeah, I’ll be adding a metal plate, riveted to the frame, before the factory labels fade away. Available from Amazon, customized with your specific info, available as stick-on or rivet options.
Custom Engraved Aluminum Trailer id Plate https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DS5BZSG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_0QZPRAH118ZV3YJ42R8XThat is cool but the $24 price seems pretty extreme. Especially since they will just slip it into an envelope and put a stamp on it…. I would check with a local sign shop to see what they charge.
My VIN sticker still looks like new, but it is fully protected by the Stone Stomper fabric, I had an aluminum utility trailer that was so badly gravel blasted that the tag was illegible. I ended up stamping the numbers into the tongue manually. That turned out well. The condition of the tongue was one reason I wanted the SS for “Mouse” to eliminate that cumulative erosion of the metal and the gelcoat..
John Davies
Spokane WA
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https://www.usconcealedcarry.com/resources/ccw_reciprocity_map/ny-gun-laws/?amp
If I were to go to NY (about as likely as my growing a tail) I would be very sure not to have any handgun, anywhere. The mere possession of an unlicensed one in NYC, even if it is disassembled and locked inside your Ollie, can get you charged and imprisoned. Federal transport laws have nothing to do with it.
Consider a fighting cane. As a medical device it can go anywhere, I have even taken mine on a plane. I use it routinely as a walking stick, and in winter I install an ice tip with a retractable stainless steel spike.
https://canemasters.com/tactical-canes-and-sticks
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Do any other manufacturers like Airstream do this? I was quite pleased when mine arrived a while ago.
Thanks for the history lesson. I would like to see a company FAQ page with the full story of the early days, with comments like the one above.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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Dave, that is a great post!
John Davies
Spokane WA
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A quick search for that Ascent Limited shows 1485 pounds "as delivered". I can't vouch for the accuracy, but it is a pretty decent figure for a unibody SUV..
John davies
Spokane WA
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The larger ball does not wear nearly as drastically as the 2” one when the chains are set tight. I am not sure that can be called a horror story….. but it is very disappointing if it happens to your hitch. (The real horror is the old style Andersen that locks up and shrieks like demons when it gets wet. They did fix that with the latest sealed versions.)
For a part that retails for about $90 - the same as the smaller one - I think that $250 fee seems quite inflated. Oliver probably pays $50 wholesale, the rest is labor. It would only take 30 minutes or less to replace if the holes in the Bulldog are pre-drilled. I suspect that Oliver is resisting installing these at the time when the frame is built. Does anyone know the reason?
If I were ordering the big coupler, I would definitely check that box, but I would also complain about the excessive cost to Sales. And I would ask for MY removed part so I could sell it.
BTW, if you are going to refer to other threads, please post the link, since most members probably have no idea what you mean. Dale C, is this what you mean?
I will finish by a comment about the Fast Lane tow videos. Those guys used an Andersen hitch for a quite while, and claimed that it was wonderful. Now they use a different brand with steel spring bars.I would like to know why they stopped, does anyone have the answer?
John Davies
Spokane WA
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1 hour ago, Dave Mazone said:
Stop and poke around when in doubt...60, 75, 85 grand is a big personal gamble! Safe journies.
I figure that my solar panel “curb feeler” will save the hull itself. So, maybe $5,000 to repair that? As long as it doesn't wipe off the air conditioner too.
I have a 14 foot tall door on my RV bay, the first year that I had the Ollie, I used to just raise the door part way, to save wear and tear on the door springs. It worked great until the time I misjudged the height. As I was pulling forward the front of the hull caught the bottom edge of the door and trashed two full panels. I backed up and unhitched and kicked the door more or less into shape so I could close it again. The overhead door guy was unimpressed. He has seen everything. The repair was around $800, if I recall correctly. I think my wife was not amused.
The Ollie damage was confined to the sewer waste cap, which ended up on the floor, and some light scuffing on the gelcoat. Cost of that repair was less than $5. Ollies are tough, as long as you stop in time (as soon as you hear that horrible SCRIIIIIITCH!)
Now I always raise the door to its full height.
Back when I used to ride bikes and carry them on the roof of my car, I would tie a bright orange surveyors tape flag on the garage door, to remind me to not drive in yet. That worked well.
John Davies
Spokane WA
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- Popular Post
- Popular Post
This is most excellent, if you want to understand why lithium batteries are so cool.
"You have just sold your first-born into slavery, remortgaged the house, and bought yourself a lithium-ion battery! Now you want to know how to take care of your precious new purchase: How to best charge lithium-iron batteries, how to discharge them, and how to get the maximum life out of your lithium-ion batteries. This article will explain the do’s and don’ts."
How to Find Happiness With LiFePO4 (Lithium-Ion) Batteries
John Davies
Spokane WA
EDIT: That is a pdf that doesn't print well. I made a Pages doc out of it, that can be printed and added to your Ollie records, if you like. JD
How to Find Happiness With LiFePO4 (Lithium-Ion) Batteries - Solacity .pages
EDIT 05/16/23. Thanks to Jim and Francis for converting the article to a PDF:
How to Find Happiness With LiFePO4 (Lithium-Ion) Batteries
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How is Tunnel Height measured?
in General Discussion
Posted
That is a great idea, as long as you are adjusting the support bracket. You aren't supposed to adjust the actual rod vertically, that is for fine tuning the SWR (maximizing the signal). If you have one mounted to use as a curb feeler, that wouldn’t matter. I still carry a CB, it’s a portable one with magnetic base, all of which is broken down and stored in my emergency box. I think the last time I actually used one was about 1980 😳 I bought it in case I ever ended up in a 4wd convoy, but that has never happened. I suppose I should donate it to charity. Do CBs have any cash value now?
John Davies
Spokane WA