John E Davies

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

I think you completely misread my post. I am not talking about tread wear or visible damage, I am talking about age. Worn (unsafe) tires would indeed send the wrong signal to a buyer, and I agree that would be a huge mistake. But tires that appear to be fine, but are just old, that is the question. The tire stores tell you that after six to ten years they should be replaced due to hardening, possible sidewall or hidden cord damage, etc. I replaced the “brand new” spare tire in our 1998 SC400 two years ago, the wheel had never been mounted on the car, but the tire date was from 1997😳 I would not trust a tire that is over twenty years old, not even for a few miles. I see Craigslist ads for “like new” snow tires, and the first thing I would ask the seller is, what is the date code ? Are they indeed like new, or have they been sitting in a barn forever? I hate seeing a used car with brand new crap tires, it is just a waste of the buyer’s money. John Davies Spokane WA

Great point! I installed a dash cam three years ago and it provides a lot of peace of mind. So far I haven’t wrecked, but it has captured a lot of close calls, mostly “stop sign sliders”. John Davies Spokane WA

The obstruction under the fridge is a gas barrier. That entire compartment is supposed to be completely blocked from the rest of the cabin, in case there is a propane leak. OTH there is no reason you can’t cut an access hole in the panel. John Davies Spokane WA

This is a really interesting and scary tale of a terrible accident that totaled their truck, ripping the rear suspension out completely, and what it took to get back on the road. Well worth reading, it might prepare you for your own wreck one day. Fingers crossed. Part 1: https://www.truckcampermagazine.com/camper-lifestyle/crash-truck-camper-accident-story/ Part 2: https://www.truckcampermagazine.com/camper-lifestyle/three-strikes-to-recovery/ BTW, I quite like the magazine, the articles are well done and they don’t pull punches with their critiques... Much. “As stated in our Frequently Asked Questions, Truck Camper Magazine reviews are wholly independent and posted without notice or review by the industry until publication. However, the manufacturers are invited to submit a manufacturer’s response to be immediately published, without edit, the following publishing date.” John Davies Spokane WA

I am confused, not for the first time, I thought the one in back was smoke only, for sure my dinette one is CO and propane: The main reason I like this Kidde unit is that it gives you an actual number rather than a Yes/No alarm. You can see what the past peak level was and reset it. For example, my garage unit almost invariably shows 0, but the peak level when I checked it yesterday was 45, from running a car engine nearby. It requires a 70 ppm reading for 1 to 4 hours to trigger the alarm, so short extremes won't sound the alarm, but they WILL show up as the peak value. I think that is sort-of valuable information. You could see if those peaks were increasing over time, indicating a problem with the furnace. I'll update this after I look at my back one, but it doesn't alter my desire for a better CO one... Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

Well, that is good news. I agree about Denver, but I also don’t have much interest in the eastern half of Colorado, other than the relative lack of people, which is a good thing IMHO. You can go ahead and tell us where you live, 😬 I put you pretty darned close to Great Sand Dunes NP and not horribly far from the San Juan high country. Here are my “fun roads” waypoints and routes for part of Colorado. John Davies Spokane WA

I have been using this portable one in my garage for a couple of years, and really like it, I even gave my son one for Christmas. I just ordered two more, one for inside my home and the other for “Mouse”. Kidde Carbon Monoxide Detector with Battery Backup, Digital Display & LED Lights, CO Alarm Note, this is battery powered only, three AA cells, it does not have a wall plug. So periodic battery replacement will be required. I have not yet had to replace the ones in my garage unit…. Carbon monoxide is slightly LIGHTER than air, so the location of the Ollie combination CO/ propane alarm under the dinette is bad for CO detection, (although the furnace vent will blow toward it, which may be why Oliver picked that spot), ideally it should be located at about eye level. …https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/where-should-i-place-carbon-monoxide-detector Soooo….. where should it be located inside the trailer? Beside the thermostat? On the back wall near the factory smoke alarm? At the front entry above the closet? Wherever, it needs to be away from the range burners and away from fan airflow. And the digital display (for the carbon monoxide current concentration, and maximum past level) needs to be easily visible. “Most people will not experience any symptoms from prolonged exposure to CO levels of approximately 1 to 70 ppm but some heart patients might experience an increase in chest pain. As CO levels increase and remain above 70 ppm, symptoms become more noticeable and can include headache, fatigue and nausea. At sustained CO concentrations above 150 to 200 ppm, disorientation, unconsciousness, and death are possible.” https://www.cpsc.gov/Safety-Education/Safety-Education-Centers/Carbon-Monoxide-Information-Center/Carbon-Monoxide-Questions-and-Answers Where do you think it ought to be located? Thanks for any comments. John Davies Spokane WA

But it does rotate….. slowly. https://www.space.com/24871-does-the-moon-rotate.html John Davies Spokane WA

Very cool! An alternative timer that could be used is this non-programmable ten second one from Santa Cruz, it is around $15. It has no parasitic draw at all. Santa Cruz RC-15-GUN-AL Timer Installation.pdf That was a whole lot of work for what in reality is a minimal benefit, since you can just use that wasted water to fill a drinking water filter, which is what I do, but OTH many of my mods could be described that way. It is a lot of fun, and when it works out, you feel good about it. John Davies Spokane WA