John E Davies

Drilling holes does one other thing, it vents the trapped heat from that rear street side inverter compartment. In summer it gets very toasty in there. So does the battery box. With NCeagle’s design, you could run that bilge fan in the summer if you are OK with the current draw. Simply adding extra heat with extra ducts or bilge heaters in the winter is fine, in the cold weather, but it doesn’t help at all in the summer. My original intent was KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid - and to design the air flow so that it would move naturally, with no fans needed except in extreme outside conditions. Mine works perfectly in summer, I have never tested it below 30 degrees F. In 110 degrees outside temp, with the AC going and the cabin at 75, the batteries are around 80..In cold weather the batteries is typically slightly cooler, within 6 or 8 degrees of the cabin temp, even when turning the heat down far at night. John Davies Spokane WA

That is so very true. I tell my daughter that it is a false economy to not have fresh snow tires, no more than three years old, since the alternative is a multi-car accident, lots of cash expenditure and possibly death. At least a pipe freezing in your Ollie won't kill you, but it sure would interrupt your travel plans..... John Davies Spokane WA

Kirk, I took a slightly different approach, look at this thread. I never camp in single digit temperatures, not intentionally, so it probably isn’t valid for your needs, but it does warm the under floor area and battery compartment through mostly passive air movement (natural convection) with the assist of a very tiny fan (70 MILLI amps DC). https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5301-how-to-lithium-battery-powered-vent-system/ If you cut a hole in the battery box, be very aware that the bottom floor has an imbedded 1/8” aluminum plate in it. The sides are easy to drill. To get circulation you should have holes on both sides to provide a way for movement. It is a dead end box, once you seal the door holes. I am curious, how do you plan to clean your Ollie after winter road trips? Do you have access to a heated indoor space for these arctic air intrusions? Got studded tires?😳 John Davies Spokane WA

The basic problem with any solution is connectivity. If BOTH your phone AND the device don’t have good signals, then the system can’t function. There are vast areas in the west without a signal. But a cellular based one with temperature email/ text alerts is probably your best solution, just be very aware of its VERY serious limitations. For the eastern USA it would probably be satisfactory. For most of the remote western parks and monuments, it will most likely be kaput, Tango Uniform. Be sure to study cellular service maps for the places you plan to visit. John Davies Spokane WA

Perfect vehicles, is that supposed to be humor? It is an admirable goal, but Toyotas, even “Made in Japan” Land Cruisers, have issues. My wife’s new Acura RDX is a PMC Edition, a limited production car, one of 200 produced in the NSX super car plant - hand painted and assembled by the most skilled and experienced Acura techs from all over the world. ANDON at an even higher level….. Stunning, yes, but not perfect. I think that journalists and people in general should be very cautious about using that term, especially for mass- produced vehicles that have in the past had their (relatively small) share of quality, design and build problems. And some not so small, like the unintended acceleration debacle (floor mats jamming the gas pedals and incinerating families) and rotted out frames. Google “Toyota problems recalls” for a sample. What is more important IMHO is customer service when the problems inevitably do occur. Toyota is very good in this area. As is Oliver. John Davies Spokane WA

This morning I got a new Land Cruiser 200 to go with “Mouse”. Thank you Ian! I hope everybody has a very satisfactory holiday season. John Davies Spokane WA

One more item for the GFC, this thread might be informative. https://forum.gofastcampers.com/t/camping-in-a-gfc-with-kids/ John Davies Spokane WA

I know nothing about either, but they look like a top notch product. The Cabin is brand new, so there may be first year teething pains and problems. The rear door would be great, that area is where the dust enters normally. I do prefer to buy a made in USA product. The Go Fast Campers have exquisite engineering and design, just check out their hold down clamps and hinges. They are made in central Montana, not Africa. Plus the structure is steel tubing, a more robust choice than aluminum. It is all a moot point for me, but if you decide to research these products and post a thread, I would be eager to read it. I haven’t seen either in person, perhaps Overland has?

WA State ferries also require the gas to be shut off and tagged, at least the larger ones do. The tiny open topped ferries like in the middle of the state never check, I guess because there are no enclosed decks to trap the fumes. John Davies Spokane WA

Can gators climb?😳 https://rooftopoverland.com/blogs/news/how-to-choose-a-roof-rack-or-bed-rack-for-overlanding One thing I really like about the GFC setup is that the default opening to the tent is from inside the truck bed, a short climb, though you can add a side or rear door and ladder if you want that option. As long as your bed isn’t stuffed full, you can also climb up by using a stout storage box as a step. I am no longer agile enough to safely climb a spindly 7 foot tall ladder, especially when it is raining😳. Plus, an outside door and rain will definitely get your bedding soaked. This gives you a small “changing area” to shed your wet outer cloathes. I think this “attic” would be a super hangout for a couple of kids….. John Davies Spokane WA

I am well past the “sleep in a bag” stage of my life. I carry one for a real emergency, but no way will I sleep in one willingly. Too many critters. A RTT at least gets you out of the bugs and snakes, if not out of reach of a griz. John Davies Spokane WA

Does your Ollie have lithium batteries? If so, your furnace won’t run them down very far. But they won’t recharge off the truck either. Healthy lead acid batteries should be fine with the furnace draw, but that load will be carried by the alternator anyway. John Davies Spokane WA

I am commenting from past experience and future desire, there are two really good fiberglass canopy brands, Leer and ARE, I have used a Leer and I felt it was adequate, but no more than that. To avoid long term hassles, you have to spec the canopy so cleaning the back of the truck cab isn’t a nightmare, and so you can get good ventilation. They all leak dust and water, so you need to use weatherproof containers or covers. None of them hold up well on rough washboard roads…… check the warranty to see if that would be considered abuse. Few are rated to carry much on a roof rack, the Leer can be ordered with factory installed rails and a thicker roof structure. In an alternate future I would have a Power Wagon with a Go Fast Camper on it, so I could boondock a couple of nights in the rooftop tent when exploring the back country, while “Mouse” is safely parked at a more developed base camp campground. The last I heard, GFC was backlogged forever, but recently they have been hiring and working extra shifts to meet the demand. https://gofastcampers.com/ John Davies Spokane WA

I can’t comment on the newest trailers, but mine has that outlet shared with all the other 120 VAC ones on a 20 amp circuit. If yours is like this 2019 diagram, you won’t have any worries about overloading it, as long as you are careful not to run other high load devices at the same time, like a toaster. You could use any of the outlets. I doubt that you will be able to operate it inside that cabinet due to ventilation and heat concerns. The LE2 has a bare minimum of counter space. You could get a (slightly) larger Foy dinette table top for extra room and do your prep there. It seems overly complicated to me, for such a small interior volume, but I think you could figure it out, if you are determined. My wife loves to bake bread, at home she uses vast amounts of counter space. There is no way she could do that in our trailer. She would start screaming in frustration.🤬 Storage for all those pans, utensils, components and so on is another problem, but they could go in a great big bin and store in the truck. There isn’t room in the Ollie, and cleaning all that bulky stuff in the galley will be challenging.. John Davies Spokane WA

Oh boy…… very bad news. You did not mention in your initial post, when the fire department showed up, did they use ANY water at all on the engine or underneath? If they did, do not settle, you need to hire that attorney! IF the dry chemicals were kept dry, and IF they were cleaned up ASAP, then possibly repairs would be an acceptable situation. But not if soaked and stored in an outside lot for a month. “Dry Chemical Fire Extinguisher Residue Cleanup Proper Cleaning Methodology Install a HEPA air scrubber to reduce, control and remove effects of airborne particulate circulating around the area of damage. Control humidity levels using AC or dehumidification. Remove standing water sources. Use a HEPA vacuum to clean all surfaces of technical contents. This is to remove any heavy and gross contamination of any dry soils present. Because dry chemical fire extinguishers are very corrosive especially to metal surfaces, those surfaces should be cleaned and treated first to naturalize and restore materials. Switches, contacts, circuited boards, power supplies and ports must be preserved until they can be treated. Clean all surfaces using approved degreaser for substitute. Neutralize all surfaces using basic pH cleaner and/or deionized water. Clean, rinse and dry as well as bake as needed all technical contents in batch processing method using correct chemistry for each substrate. Test all electronics and equipment. Power and functionality test, Insulation Resistance Test and Electrical Safety testing. Replace equipment, IT and electronics back into operating condition. Confirm proper operation after the commissioning of equipment and prior to handing over to the client.” https://www.er-emergency.com/fire-extinguisher-and-dry-chemical-fire-cleanup-process/ If corroded, your truck will have minimal value on the used market, there are too many risks of hidden problems, and future problems. Good luck, please keep us informed. This really sucks. John Davies Spokane WA

Step one, disconnect shore power. Step two disconnect batteries. Step three, proceed safely. The main hazard with the inverter is that a great big high amperage 12 volt cable runs to it, if you dropped a wrench across that positive terminal and a ground, it would wreak havoc. Google “how to weld with a battery”. Oh, step seven or eight, make sure the mount screws have not pulled out of the board, or that the board itself has not come loose, repair as necessary. My board popped free at the top, I ended up through-bolting those top ones with machine screws and self locking nuts. FYI, you should consider adding ventilation holes for that compartment; inverters and converters run hot, and the waste heat gets trapped under that bed. I am not sure why Oliver doesn't do this, it is very important. These inverters have an efficiency rating of about 85 to 90%, depending on the load, that means 10%+ of that input energy is dumped as heat gain under the bed. And it can’t get out. As it gets warm the output drops to safeguard the components, for inverting that happens at just 104 degrees😳For those complaining of continuous fan noise, I bet you a steak dinner that proper ventilation would help that. John Davies Spokane WA

Nice mod, but does the thicker material cause the hatch cover to rock any, since it is held up higher in the center? I guess you could file a recess in the edge of the lip. I have had my satin ones get trapped, but after a few times and some swearing,I learned to actually hold onto them when lowering the cover back down, and it doesn’t happen any more. I did add fender washers, like yours, because the tiny screw head is inadequate. I hope Oliver fixed that issue, that was in 2017…. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2160-how-to-fix-your-inside-access-panel-straps-wrong-hardware/ John Davies Spokane WA

Bill, I was going by the Google Maps link posted above, is that waypoint incorrectly located? It appears to be about 30 miles from downtown Denver. And I never said it was in the “middle” of an urban area, you are misrepresenting my statement. BTW the Denver metro area has a population of 3,000,000 people. Maybe that 90 minute figure is driving time from there, in rush hour….😬 There is also a big public shooting range right up the road, about a mile to the west, and that has to be pretty busy in the summer, and probably noisy during daylight hours. http://campfickes.com/index.php John Davies Spokane WA

Sorry, the lack of cell signal is a killer, my wife needs that for her work, and I would also prefer a location further away from a major metropolitan center.. That close to Denver means that area would be literally packed with summer visitors . I would love to attend an event in Durango in June or later, so I could spend some time exploring the way-up-high Alpine Loop 4wd routes in the San Juans. There are so very many cool things to do in that area… steam train, Ouray hot springs, Telluride, Million Dollar Hwy, Jeep/ATV rentals, it is one of my most favorite areas in Colorado, when the air is breathable. A close second is Dinosaur NM. John Davies Spokane WA

I can’t comment on that brand, but the Battle Borns need to be fully charged to 100% so that the individual batteries can balance with each other - current flows from one to the other until their state of charge matches. I suspect that is true for yours, have you taken them all the way to 100% to see what they show after a day’s rest? Again, the following info is NOT for Lithionics, but they may be a very similar recommendation: “As for balancing the lithium-ion batteries, we typically expect them to be charged up to 14.4V as that’s when the passive balancing mechanism kicks in. If you’re floating at 13.6V, there’s no balancing happening and you’re not going to balance the cells until you charge it up to around 14.4V, or at least 14.2V. This won’t be required if you’ve got a solar charge controller or if you have a battery-to-battery charger for alternator charging. These devices can accommodate 14.4V on every charge, so you don’t need to worry about it. If you don’t typically charge at up to 14.4V your cells may get a bit out of balance because of temperature extremes or larger loads. To rebalance your system, we recommend being able to charge it up to 14.4V once a month or even once a week. Please note that it depends on your system usage. You may not notice anything, but if the batteries are hitting high voltage disconnect sooner than you’d expect, for example at 14V, or if they’re hitting low voltage disconnect sooner than you’d expect, such as at 11.5V , then you may want to think about rebalancing the battery cells internally and all you must do is charge it up to 14.4V in order to rebalance the cells. “ https://battlebornbatteries.com/understanding-lithium-ion-getting-started-with-your-battle-born-batteries/ John Davies Spokane WA

I agree that Oliver has to control costs, but sometimes their choices make no sense at all, for example, if it will cause the gas hoses to fail prematurely. That small cost saving gesture means the owner will have to deal with high pressure propane leak(s) in a few years, and the cost of replacement hoses and labor. It is simply bad engineering, a “false economy”. And a fire safety issue as well. How many owners check those hoses for leaks with soapy water annually? Or at all? Not very many, I suspect. My personal feeling is that Oliver installs those regulators and hoses as supplied by the vendor and doesn’t give it a second thought. And that is unfortunate IMHO, because there are lots of other items in these trailers that could be improved at very minimal cost during production. John Davies Spokane WA

I have a receiver and it just did not work for my needs. I especially wanted to be able to receive tsunami push warnings on the NW ocean beaches, but 75% of the time it would not even pick up the regular weather broadcasts. Too many mountains between me and the stations…. Neither does it work in most of the more isolated inland areas in the PNW. I bought a plug-in 25 foot wire antenna for it, that can be hung out a window or draped over a tree limb to “theoretically” get better reception. I keep the radio around at home for an Armageddon situation, but that is all. If you want reliable weather info when your cell phone is dead, get a two-way satellite communicator like an inReach and pay for the optional detailed reports as you request them. They will not “push” alerts, but if the sky turns nasty you can download the latest info. I have one of these devices and HIGHLY recommend it, but don’t get more than the standard weather info, one of them counts as one message on my plan. Premium reports are $1.00 each. The report does include icons for dangerous winds: Frequently Asked Questions on Weather for inReach But it still won’t warn you of a tsunami wave headed toward your beach picnic, for that you will need to stay within earshot of the sirens scattered along the coast, you need to be within a mile to hear one 😳And close enough to high ground to be able to run there in less than twenty minutes. I like visiting that coast, but won’t camp at water level and won’t beachcomb unless there is high ground very close by. For when your phone works, the FEMA app will push all kinds of emergency alerts. Too many IMHO, so you tend to ignore them…! Plus it is no good at all if you are moving around often, aka camping, because it doesn’t know your actual position, only the saved locations. John Davies Spokane WA

Those stainless hoses are sure sexy, but I replaced my four year old leaky ones with regular rubber ones…. because there is NO way to visually inspect inside that pretty stainless braid for cracks. Be sure to test with soapy water regularly, at least a couple of times annually, over their entire lengths. I love your brass street elbows, that is what I added also, and there is a new thread here about it: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/6347-propane-tank-mod-installation-of-gasstop-valves/ John Davies Spokane WA

Well, IMHO I wouldn't do that routinely, rather be aware that if your pit ever extinguishes itself with a "POP", you should realize that the gas valve was triggered, and from that point you should shut down the furnace when cooking outside. But in reality it may never happen at all. Cross that bridge when you come to it.... John Davies Spokane WA

That is an entertaining idea, the device comes with a 25 or 50 foot data cable, I can’t recall which. As I mentioned above, mine most likely does better (in terms of distance) than the Victron solar controller, because the round unit is located up above the floor, almost as high as the pantry counter top, while the controller is buried under the floor. I haven’t tried hanging the round monitor outside yet😬 Maybe it could go up inside the AC shroud, in a weather-proof bug-proof plastic project box. From that high up, the signal might even reach 200 feet. The top of my flag pole (28 feet off the ground) would be even more spectacular. John Davies Spokane WA