John E Davies

Is that 11 degrees slope figure correct? That is 20%. I've never towed anything up that steep a hill, especially with moss on it.... Do you use 4 Low to back up the driveway? In you shoes I would have a big anchor at the garage foundation, with a stout chain clipped around the back bumper, for the next big earthquake, your tires could literally hop right over the chocks! You certainly have a million dollar view! For those who don't know, that is the Columbia River Gorge with Mount Hood in the distance. John Davies Spokane WA

Lots of useful ideas here, including a telescoping hitch mounted flagpole antenna: Using Directional Cellular Antennas: Pros & Cons, Aiming and Tips Here is my pole and mount setup, the pole is the same as the one in the video, I would perhaps use this pole for an antenna, but would prefer something more sturdy (less flexing and movement at the top). Mine is the taller 22 foot model. Their shorter one would work better for an antenna IMHO, or the long pole could be shortened by removing the top two or three sections. But I would probably use a locking painters pole (with pin lock, not twist lock) https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/3371-flag-pole-and-mount/ If you want any ideas about hardware, we can continue this thread, I have some possibilities. John Davies Spokane WA

My daughter has a 2007 Outback XT (2.5 turbo), it is rated for just 2700 pounds, and I can guarantee you that it won’t work for even the small Ollie. I personally would not try towing anything over 2000 pounds behind it. Especially at 7000 feet! Even the big Ascent is only rated at 5000 pounds. That would be acceptable for the single axle Elite, but wouldn’t have any real margin of safety. These trailers are double shell, and they are indeed heavy little tanks. They need a very substantial tow vehicle. John Davies Spokane WA

There is not enough space in the LE2 for a dry bath. It is a very compact design, less than 7 feet wide (inside) which appeals to those who buy the trailers. And obviously the LE1 is even more so. There might be a larger Oliver in the future if you are willing to wait, but so far that is just wishes and rumors. Why don’t you take a look at an Ollie in person, before you decide it won’t work? I am quite confused about your statement, the diagram is pretty self explanatory. John Davies Spokane WA

Has it occurred to you to ask Truma customer service if your unit can be converted to the Plus version? if it is as simple as adding the tee and return lines, then they might even offer a factory kit and instructions. They might also tell you why it can’t be done, if that is the case, so you don’t risk burning out your unit for some reason. I would attempt this, if I had a Truma. But since I don’t, I will hang out in the background to see where this topic ends up. Post pictures, or it never happened. John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks, any idea about the R value? It looks well made but IMHO it is a little pricy. I wonder, will it work OK hanging down partially, or flipped back on itself, so you can get some airflow? My vent is always open, more or less, except when towing. If you sew, it would be “sew easy” to make one. You could design in a small velcroed flap to allow a little airflow, like a diesel truck winter radiator cover. Like this Gen 3 Ram cover: John Davies Spokane WA

Welcome, Ollies are the best travel trailer for less than $100k, without a doubt, and the customer service is stellar. However, what is your budget, and are you committed to a trailer? Do you want to boondock in the back country? If you have not already, you should check out the “next level up” campers, like Nimbl, EarthCruiser, or even the very custom expedition rigs like Earth Roamer. Their over the top engineering, build quality and integration of high end marine systems will please you. The standard RV appliances in an Ollie are functional, but they are neither efficient, easy to service nor long lasting. The suspension and brakes , ditto. I love “Mouse”, but if I win the lottery it will be up for sale the next day.😬 John Davies Spokane WA

The basket can contact the truck when reversing at too tight an angle, for sure (jack knifing). During normal full-lock turns while driving forward it is fine. The open tailgate may hit it if the trailer is at a severe angle, you should try to park with it aligned. Many have noticed that the tailgate can hit the Bulldog coupler, this depends on the tow vehicle, and where the receiver is located in relation to the gate. There have been a number of threads discussing tailgate clearance. With your HD truck it is less likely to be a problem. My 2006 Ram 3500 had tons of room, my 2013 Land Cruiser would hit, until I installed a longer Andersen ball mount. I moved my basket from the tongue back to the rear bumper and I much prefer it there, for a number of reasons, including a greatly reduced tongue weight. It certainly is easier to climb over the tongue without it in the way. Until you get used to it, have a helper stand out there watching while you reverse, to make sure you don’t over do it. When backing sharply, go really slow once the angle gets past 45 degrees. Does your GMC have a backup camera? John Davies Spokane WA

Welcome to another Washington Ollie owner. My sister lives in west Portland, that sure is a pretty area. I love the WA 14 drive along the Gorge, it is so much less exhausting than the Interstate on the Oregon side. I like the small town vibes and the more relaxed pace, and there are hardly any semi trucks. How do you store your Ollie? Do you have a shop area where you can do those future mods? I look forward to seeing some threads, please post pictures. We love pics here. John Davies Spokane WA

Well, I am pretty sure that it is just a resonator, did you notice an O2 sensor or cable sticking out the side? If there isn’t a sensor, I bet even the dumbest thief would look further forward. And your salesman may be trained, but did he actually remember and understand those details? Most salesmen are much less technically informed than the average auto enthusiast buyer, who often has spent days or weeks studying every review and video, and asking questions on forums like this one. And unfortunately some salesmen are complete clueless newbies. They are there to sell product. I would not believe their word about payload, cats, or any other feature, unless I had already seen it published somewhere else. BTW, LongStride, I appreciate your constructive comments here. Happy New Year, everybody. John Davies Spokane WA

I am sure that this will be a big success for Toyota. The hybrid drivetrain is the same as the new Land Cruiser, so they must have confidence in its durability. OTH, I recall the first time I walked around and sat in a brand new FJ Cruiser. After a few minutes, I told my wife, “This is the first time I have ever seen a vehicle where there is not a SINGLE feature that I like! Not one!” I haven’t seen a new Tundra yet, I hope that it is not another FJ. 😬 “Bold” designs do not usually wear well in the long term. Though Toyota has a recent tendancy for in your face agressive style, it could have looked like this. John Davies Spokane WA

Jordanv, IMHO it boils down to how quickly you can access your trailer in the event the weather report is wrong (factoring in inclement travel conditions). And perhaps your personal risk tolerance. If the trailer is three hours away, then you should never ever leave it non-winterized, even if it is plugged into shore power with a heater going. Power grids go down, big time... Roads can become impassible. If it is in your driveway, or ten minutes away, you can take small risks, as long as you know that somebody will always be around to check on it. Even if that is a trusted neighbor with a key. But if your gamble proves wrong, then it may be too late to get the water out, if you have no way to heat the trailer because the power is gone…. Or if your little box heater tripped a breaker, or the GFCI. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/6400-february-2021-arctic-blast-crippled-the-south/ So yes, it is something you should worry about. But not panic over, if you take any necessary precautions. John Davies Spokane WA

The little 6” stubby rubber Weboost magnetic cellular antenna is a lot more protected from a wayward tree branch in back, where it is not the highest object on the roof. It sticks to a 6” square steel plate. Even there it could get knocked off, I routinely check to make sure it is still there each time I hitch up, or after going under a low hanging tree branch. It is a miserable excuse for an antenna, it doesn’t have nearly enough groundplane to work well, and the AC steel ducting, motor and compressor block a good part of the coverage. It would be OK for the top of a steel car roof….. There are lots better choices but they are even more vulnerable, or you must use a temporary tall mast. That is how I would mount your Drive Reach one. I would put a telescoping 20 foot mast at the rear bumper frame (forward of the bumper), or alternately, if you are OK with climbing up to the roof twice every time you camp, use a stainless marine antenna folding mount, so it can travel horizontal to the roof. I would be really interested to read about this antenna, please post an installation thread. I might do this mod eventually. Sometimes I wish our Ollies came with ladders. https://assets.wilsonelectronics.com/m/700bdbf86910493c/original/Drive-Reach-RV-Installation-Guide.pdf John Davies Spokane WA

Found the thread, it was -18 degrees there when he posted. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5185-extreme-weather/ Read and weep, I never did hear how this ended. I like to think of winter cold as the temperature differential (the “delta T”). The difference is what drives the heat loss through walls, roof and air leaks. On a 30 degree day with a 70 degree inside temp, the house or trailer has a 40 degree delta T. Normal heating systems can handle that easily. When the delta T gets to 70 or 100, that is when stuff starts to break and freeze. Especially if the home or RV was not built for it. Or the owner did not take steps to prevent it… John Davies Spokane WA

Just a reminder for those Southern Ollie owners and soon-to-be ones. There were a lot of RVs that suffered severe damage then through lack of awareness and bad preparations. One Ollie owner in Oklahoma had his trailer completely freeze up, he posted a frantic thread about it, but I never heard the results, if it destroyed his tanks or not. If somebody can post that link, I think it would be a good warning for the rest of us. Don’t let that be you…. Once the drains freeze, you can no longer empty pipes and tanks! This shows that event, not the current forecast! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_2021_North_American_cold_wave It is going to be below zero here tonight, but at least here in NE WA we expect that sort of chill. It’s 48 degrees in the RV bay. Stay warm. John Davies Spokane WA

Xuxu, I am astonished that Mercedes does not publish the cargo capacity. I looked just now and it still says TBA. As you have discovered, it is pretty important …. I bet that you are pretty mad at that salesman. What do you plan to do at this point? John Davies Spokane WA

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