John E Davies

Any issues with ventilation and moisture buildup? I have been considering getting one of the heaters, the extra fan is very nifty! John Davies Spokane WA

Have you watched any of the factory tour videos? If yes, then he may not be blown away, but if not, then he definitely will be flabbergasted. This video is a very good substitute for an in -person tour. Oliver Trailers - From the Ground Up ⬆️Factory Tour (181) If you are RV newbies, you should first watch some factory tour videos from “stick and staple” builders. That will make the effect of the Oliver plant extra special. John Davies Spokane WA

Install a large hinged vertical access door under your bed platform. You might need to hang some colored flags or tags on the valves, for easy identification, but you should be able to reach them easily enough. Or just flip the mattress vertically, then go down from the top. I have ten inch thick mattresses and that works fine. Though it is much easier if you have a sleeping bag there, rather than six layers of sheets and blankets. Oops, you said you have an Elite, I don’t know if this will work in that model. It would be helpful if you added a signature with your hull number and tow vehicle, and location. John Davies Spokane WA

Research the failure mode and replacement co$$$t before you get too excited. Purchase and carry a spare bearing, so a machine shop can fix your bad one….. if it doesn’t wipe out the drum, brake and spindle at the same time. If the spindle goes, you need a new axle and a new pair of brakes and drums…. You can’t replace it without a press. They are not completely maintenance free, you need to check side play, if that starts to increase the bearing is going Tango Uniform. I suspect that most failures on the road are due to neglecting this step. And you still need to do brake inspections. and make sure the inner seal is not leaking. I personally would consider these bearings to be a major liability, unless the axles had slip-on disk brake rotors. Then I would carry a 10 pound spare hub assembly and just swap out a failed hub in half an hour, and get the bad one fixed when I got home. John Davies Spokane WA

$15: https://shop.redneck-trailer.com/p-958-excalibur-wheel-accessories-1986in-dust-cap-driver-290-991.aspx I installed stainless versions of yours, intended for boat trailers, the steel is much stronger and won’t rust, but the tool is needed on those for sure. It gets them secured with no fuss, bad words or damage, and removal is even easier, just rock the handle sideways and wiggle off the cap. The tool nests neatly inside a hot water heater pressure relief tool in my spares kit. The cap will ooze a little grease where it meets the hub, just add a small amount of clear RTV silicone sealant on the last 1/8” of the surface, drive it flush, wipe off the excess. It stays clean, and it looks perfectly fine to me, as long as the visible part of the hubs are painted black. John Davies Spokane WA

I have a NextBase 422GW ... https://www.nextbase.com/en-us/dash-cams/422gw-dash-cam/ ... and I love the picture quality but the software is kludgy as can be, I don't think I can recommend it. Here is the mount - I actually removed a windshield sensor on the Land Cruiser that I had already unplugged (auto wipers) and I installed the camera mount there. The screen goes dark when recording and the red and green lights are shielded from the driver by the rear view mirror,. I did have to buy the optional polarizing filter to reduce glare off the dash and hood. It takes beautiful video. John Davies Spokane WA

It has a post up top, you will have to buy or fabricate adapter(s) to fit it. Or drill big holes in your frame rail, if there aren’t suitable ones already. That’s why I didn’t get one….but the steel probably won’t buckle😳 John Dabies Spokane WA

Thread drift is OK, as long as it drifts back again after a while😬 https://www.truckcampermagazine.com/camper-reviews/alde-hydronic-heating-system-test-and-review/ John Davies Spokane WA

Darn it, I hate articles like that, 😉 - I did not even get to the Hummer scissors jack, when I saw the Safe Jack, and that stopped me in my tracks. It is made in Pasco WA just a couple of hours away, so I feel obliged to get a kit. ... https://safejacks.com https://safejacks.com/collections/bottle-jack-accessories/products/safe-jack-bottle-jack-recovery-kit-with-bottle-jack - watch some of the "how to" videos toward the bottom! I think it would be useful for the Ollie too, you could use the saddle adapter and lift one axle by the tube, close to the springs. I was pretty much dead set against hydraulic ones, most are are a pain, they leak, they don't go high enough, you have to block therm. But this changed my mind about that attitude - it is long but very educational and entertaining. Highlift jack vs Bottle jack vs Exhaust jack John Davies Spokane WA

Welcome, which model? They are really great trailers, but if your TAB has the wonderful Alde heating system, you are REALLY going to miss it. Ollies have regular forced air furnaces, and they are quite noisy and not very effective or efficient. I am quite enamored by the Nucamp Cirrus truck campers because of that item.... John Davies Spokane WA

Well, I couldn’t wait, I ordered one, and I’ll post a followup after I look it over and test it. In the meantime, other recommendations would be appreciated. John Davies Spokane WA

I need one for my wife’s new RDX that came without a spare tire. I bought the wheel and tire but need a decent jack, hopefully one that I could also use now and then in the shop. Most of the $30 “1 1/2 ton” jacks are really low quality and they fail spectacularly when the steel buckles or the threads strip. This one isn’t any heavier in weight, but it is rated higher and has some very nice features. https://www.amazon.com/IMAYCC-Effortless-Thickened-Portable-Emergency/dp/B08TBWMZZW/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8 At least I could return it free if it turns out to be bogus. And no, I do not want to carry a little hydraulic bottle jack, I don’t like those and they can leak. Any suggestions? Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

Yet another good reason to eliminate those silly chrome axle covers. Did it cause much damage? John Davies Spokane WA

Yes bigger is stronger. Undrilled because 99% of trailers have steel tongues and the couplers are welded on. You cannot weld steel to aluminum. I am off this thread now, I can’t contribute anything else. John Davies Spokane WA

There is no such thing as an Andersen coupler. The BULLDOG coupler is very hard forged steel. The Andersen ball is intentionally made from a softer steel; according to Andersen this is so it will wear out, rather than the coupler. I personally see no logic in that. So I think that: Your coupler is not in fact damaged, probably it is very rusty from not having been greased by the previous owner, and that corrosion might be cleaned up enough to be serviceable by using a 2” ball and valve grinding compound. …. OR It is permanently damaged, perhaps poorly forged, and will have to be replaced. Only you or a mechanic can answer this question. I will point out once again, these hitches by their very design wear the ball because the chains thrust forward on the rear surface of the ball. The Bulldog has very little contact area because of the swinging side piece. If you want to reduce future damage, replace the parts with a 2 5/16” pair, so that there is more surface area. I think that this should be standard during production, the cost of the parts is no different. Just abandon the Andersen completely, get a fixed dead weight hitch and stop worrying about it. John Davies Spokane WA

READ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/3483-how-to-upgrade-the-bulldog-coupler-and-andersen-hitch-to-2-516/ If you have one of the several OLD Andersen designs, you may be able to trade it in for the new design pictured above for about $100, you would have to contact their customer service, and you need to say “It gets wet and is crazy loud, it sounds like the Spawn of Satan when I turn, it wakes up everybody in the campground and the dogs start barking!” Or something similar 😬Regardless, do not rebuild your old one if it is that bad design, the new design with the retaining ring and moisture seal is way better, because water and grit won’t rust the tapered shaft and tear up the friction cone. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2418-fyi-andersen-wd-hitch-ball-locking-up-or-load-noise/ https://andersenhitches.com/pages/contact PS, I still think this is a waste of money and your time, though you could get your Andersen hitch updated and then sell it for $300, then buy the fixed ball mount. That will work perfectly with your HD truck, but if the rear end bounces on choppy pavement, it just means that your truck shocks are worn out. PPS, for boondocking on those rough dirt roads you would be lots better off without the Andersen, it binds up and has very VERY limited articulation when the chains are tight. You can just snug them a little, but a dead weight ball mount, or better yet an off-road coupler setup, doesn’t have those built in design flaws. Maybe overland can post pics of his…. John Davies Spokane WA

https://www.bulldogproducts.net/products/trailer-couplers/straight-couplers There are two choices, depending on what type of lock you want. Etrailer.com is probably the best source. I used the P/N 028462, which is similar to the one Oliver installs. Did you look at the HOW TO link I posted above? I don't have a clue how you will mount the Equalizer brackets, you will have to cut away some of the doghouse to access the outer frame members. That will be unsightly and will definitely affect resale value in a negative way. I don't know how much a new one would cost, if the future buyer doesn't like your holes, but I know it would be a whole lot more expensive than a brand new Andersen hitch. Getting the doghouse off requires opening up the bath vanity hatch, to gain access to the nuts inside, that hold the back of it to the hull. John Davies Spokane WA

You do not need the Andersen hitch with an LE2, a simple fixed drop ball mount is fine with an F350! Whatever it takes to get level, the Ollie coupler is just under 24 inches. A mount and ball will be less than $100. Rather than spending a ton of money, I would go that route, and also consider converting the Ollie coupler to 2 5/16" so the trailers match, plus it gives you a lot more reserve capacity and reduced ball wear. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/3483-how-to-upgrade-the-bulldog-coupler-and-andersen-hitch-to-2-516/ John Davies Spokane WA

That can help a little if it covers up areas that the first layer missed, but the Reflectix manufacturer states that multiple layers do not increase the R value, which is just R1. You must have a physical air gap between the layers to increase that figure. I suspect that when you stack them, so that they touch, the heat transfers through conduction, and a gap prevents that from happening. Imagine holding your hand close to a frigid window, then pressing it hard against it, the difference is pretty intense. That is why the Oliver double hulls work. This is definitely drifting off topic. John Davies Spokane WA

Jim, those dune pictures are gorgeous. How did you deal with gypsum inside the Ollie? I have severe dust/ smoke allergies and that scenario would be horrible for me. I would never willingly get myself into those conditions, unless I knew I could stay upwind. It’s one reason I made HEPA filters for the windows. The gypsum crystals are OK, it is the dust that is bad. …. https://www.lafargeholcim.us/sites/us/files/atoms/files/gypsum_sds_english.pdf John Davies Spokane WA

Everyone should be reminded that you can’t block the air vent holes if you have standard lead acid or AGM batteries, doing so is very unsafe. OTH it is good for lithiums in the winter, since they need to be kept warm when it is really chilly outside. https://rvnerds.com/2017/11/01/electrical-myths-part-4-agm-batteries-dont-need-venting/ John Davies Spokane WA

If you haven’t crawled around in an Ollie, do so, you can use the See an Oliver link to find one reasonably close by, hopefully. Keep in mind that they are still varey rare, the newest hull numbers have just passed 1000. They truly are amazing to see in person. BTW, when I got mine, I had them delete the side graphics, but they also deleted the name stickers. For two years I had to constantly answer people who asked “Is that some kind of Casita?” After I put on those stickers, now they say, “oooh look, it’s an Oliver.”. Interesting. John Davies Spokane WA

I would like to add that many Land Cruiser owners add lots of heavy accessories like skid plates and racks, and install oversized tires. All these severely affect its towing ability, and wreck the fuel economy. If that term can even be applied to this series of (wonderful) trucks. How many mods have you done to yours, and what is your payload now? I found this, your original payload is actually pretty decent, it is higher than the LC200, but the tongue weight limit is really marginal for the LE2, which has about that much, on average. I hope this doesn’t sound too negative, I love mine. I just don’t think it tows the big Ollie very well. But when Armageddon arrives I will be glad to have it😬, at least until I can’t find enough gas to keep it going. John Davies Spokane WA

Welcome to the form. Your LC100 would be acceptable for the small Elite but in no way is it OK for the LE2. Too little power, too few gears, too little towing capacity. But some of that depends on where and how you plan to tow. If you stuck to the eastern states and flat terrain it would manage, until you got so mad that you traded it in for a new 2023 Sequoia Hybrid.... which would be a wonderful tow vehicle. John Davies Spokane WA

Maybe this should be peeled off into a new thread, but do you have cams that are powered by the truck battery all the time? My NextBase cam will work in Parking Mode, but the little internal battery will go flat in 30 minutes because it can’t go to sleep. Running it “always on” would flatten the truck battery in a few days. John Davies Spokane WA