John E Davies

Thanks, they may seem to be a little bigger, that is just a result of the iPhone lens distortion. John Davies Spokane WA

Welcome to the forums, there are a bunch of folks pulling with the 3.5 EB, not so many with the smaller boosted engine. Which trailer are you considering? That setup would be dandy for the LE1 but you will quickly run into payload limitations with the larger trailer. Typical tongue weight for that is about 650 pounds plus or minus 100, depending on how heavily you load the tongue and / or the rear….. Mine is unusually low at 480. These LE2s can safely handle reduced tongue weights, though some traditionalists will argue the point.. Add another 50 pounds for an Andersen hitch, the only one that will work. (It is not needed with a Hd truck.) For a forever setup pulling an LE2, I think you would probably be lots better off trading up to a Super Duty to get way more payload, if you don’t want a diesel, the 7.3 gas pushrod motor would be wonderfully torquey and very low maintenance. With a HD truck you won’t need to buy the Andersen, nor constantly fuss with it. At times it can be a big pain in the posterior, it is definitely not “go at the drop of a hat” simple…. I am not a Ford guy, I am just repeating stuff, but you definitely need more payload in the truck if you are going to be full timing with two people and all their “stuff”. Of all the LE2 owners who switched from a light to heavy duty truck, I cannot recall a single one that regretted the decision. John Davies Spokane WA

If you have a single awning: Tilt the solar array up, with the low side away from the streetside awning, the snow won’t stay up there, it will end up in a heap on the ground… If you have two awnings, it won’t work well, though you might be able to achieve a few degrees of tilt. If you can orient the trailer so the panel is facing to the south or west, that is even better, the sun will melt any ice easier and it will charge like crazy. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2791-how-to-solar-panel-extension-arms/ Being able to tilt the panel very high makes working up top orders of magnitude easier - a good reason to not buy that second awning….. John Davies Spokane WA

Keep in mind that it is very rare to find a travel trailer with factory installed shock absorbers. While they certainly help with the ride quality and they definitely help to keep the contents less shook up, I doubt that they add any actual towing stability to a typical poor quality leaf spring suspension design. So where I am headed is, I don't think this is a safety issue. It is however distressing for an owner to deal with, since there is no reason those bushings shouldn't last for a decade. If correctly installed.... In the past Oliver has reacted very quickly when true safety issues have arisen, like the missing inverter ground wire recall from several years back. Anything that could cause a fire or electrically shock a human gets quick response, that is the liability lawyers in action. Split rubber bushings? Don't hold your breath on this one. On cars the suspension bushings are frequently cracked after a few years and it has no effect on them. When pieces start to fall out, then you need to replace them. John Davies Spokane WA

I am not seeing it, the price is $79.99, the same as Amazon Prime, but they want $4.36 shipping. What was the price you saw? Thanks. https://www.technorv.com/gasstop-propane-shut-off-acme-style-gsusa2/ They have a neat 90 degree hose if you want improved angles, to remove stress on the connections. Two of them would bring this mod up to about $200…. John Davies Spokane WA

There are ways , such as this one: Car Canopy and Party Tent Anchors on Hard Surface - No Holes! However, you need to play What If, and weigh the convenience of not securing the uprights to the slab vs the risk of the shelter blowing into or collapsing on top of your Ollie, causing who knows how much damage. Gelcoat repairs are costly. It might also damage your house. Perhaps a combination of those foundation blocks plus additional guy lines and anchors going from the upper area into the nearby ground would provide some extra safety factor. It might be smart to talk to a local supplier of those portable carports, see what they recommend. If it were me, I would use concrete anchors, and lots of them…. FYI, I don’t think the tiny screws at the bottom of those blocks are adequate, even with the added adhesive. John Davies Spokane WA

Yep, fender washers, they are available in a really thick version, about 0.1” - I would get some of these. A local nut and bolt supplier will sell them individually. Fastenal shows these: 1/2" x 1.375" OD Thru-Hardened Yellow Zinc Finish Steel USS General Purpose Flat Washer I am guessing about the hole size….. please verify first! But if you don’t replace the bushings at the same time, the old ones will probably fail immediately. 😤 Have you opened a service ticket? John Davies Spokane WA

SeaDawg is correct, my local recycling will not accept a complete power supply due to the printed circuit board components. However, I could snip the big copper wires and remove the aluminum heat sink, those bits could be recycled. I toss copper wire and clean scrap aluminum, cast iron (old brake parts) and steel all the time into the blue recycle bin. John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks for the pics, a word of caution, your high pressure hoses are being stressed at both ends, keep an eye on them for leaks or cracks. If you do end up with issues, buy a longer set of two, so you can get more gentle bends, or alternatively install brass 90 degree elbows at the regulator facing forward. That’s what I did when I replaced my four year old leaking ones. John Davies Spokane WA

Yes, my old one worked perfectly, it just was not lithium capable. My guess is that yours is scrap. John Davies Spokane WA

In an ideal world, the sun would always shine fully on your roof, 16 hours per day, it would never get above 80 degrees F, and all the camprgrounds would be empty and free of charge…. Unfortunately, we can’t count on ideal solar conditions, in fact there will often be many days in a row with essentially zero solar gain, because of gloomy weather or a shaded campsite….. Connecting to shore power after several days of discharge will certainly work, but in the West that is not always practical, especially so in the last year. Campgrounds are packed, and finding a full hookup site at short notice maybe impossible on a weekend. Most National Park and Monument campgrounds do not have any hookups. This is why you bring a good sized generator, you hope you won’t need it, but when you do, it is simple enough to run it for a few hours. If all your camping will be done in the East, finding a hookup will not be an issue IF you have a reservation. I installed a DC to DC charger, it provides 11 amps whenever the engine is running, it is far more than a trickle charge. Not ideal, for sure, for a big battery bank, but much better than zero amps. If you are willing to string large cables in your TV, and in the Ollie, you can install a much more robust charger. We just came back from four weeks in BC and Yukon, in that time we had hookups perhaps 20% of the time. The last three weeks were very damp and gloomy, and solar was a big worry, but with the DC to DC charger, the batteries stayed acceptably charged, and I only had to run the generator (for charging) a couple of times. I ran it at the beginning of the trip a few times for cooling. John Davies Spokane WA

So far, that seems to be your options. You can very easily install a manual reset circuit breaker for the solar positive wire, you can trip it by pushing the red button. Oliver used to publish detailed wiring diagrams, but that stopped several years ago, now all they have are crude “component location” ones. They seem to have become reluctant to include wiring layouts. This has been much discussed here…..Also FYI with the lithium option they do not connect the 7 pin “truck charge” wire since the batteries can be damaged (or it can damage your TV alternator itself). It is a work in progress, I personally would NOT buy either factory package. If you are skilled and willing, you can install your own lithium system. John Davies Spokane WA

Please post pics. Rigid board is completely closed cell, meaning it is waterproof and doesn’t breath, even a tiny bit, which is the type you used. I am actually surprised it proved to be effective, after 24 hours of soaking my test scrap absorbed no water. Wouldn’t an open cell or grooved material be better, to allow air to flow under the mattresses? I had to wedge this in place, it would pop out like a cork from a champagne bottle otherwise…. At the very least, I think using a compact circular saw to cut a bunch of shallow channels on the side that contacts the mattresses might be prudent. I have never heard of a “vented” foam board, but you could certainly make your own😬 I don’t have any moisture/ mildew issues, but I live where the humidity is very low, and I also have wrap around waterproof mattress covers, so body moisture or wall condensation cannot migrate into them.. John Davies Spokane WA

Perhaps you could explain that technique? 😃 John Davies Spokane WA

I got $40 for my old one, a guy bought it to replace a dead one in his RV, he knew it was not lithium capable. It was listed for about three weeks. He tested it when he received it and gave me a very good buyer’s review. I used the packaging from the new one to ship it. I did clean it up very well (with compressed air) and took many detailed pictures. John Davies Spokane WA

The bath window is small and only opens upwards a few inches. I would worry more about a kid peeking through the little gap than the tiny amount of water that could enter. Some people put a little curtain there. Or buy the optional shower curtain track. I use neither, I am not shy😬. Or just leave it closed as suggested above, the bath vent is big enough by itself. Remember that water entry is nearly a non issue, the only thing that might happen in the main cabin is damp bedding. Though having a LOT of water drip down onto the electrical stuff along the street side lower cabinets through the access hatches would not be good. The hull structure and frame itself would never be harmed by water trickling in…. Unlike your stickie. Enjoy your tour, it will be a little overwhelming, find the time to just sit quietly inside without the owner, if he is amenable, to contemplate the space. It is very different, you will either love it or hate it. It is so much like a nice boat, rather than a wood paneled Rv with faux electric fireplace, acres of empty floor space and outside entertainment center. John Davies Spokane WA

Open the bathroom vent and the small window there. Open and secure the bathroom door. Use the main vent on exhaust to draw air from front to back. I very seldom camp in rain, I live in a very arid climate, but that is my method. You can add RV rain gutters which help in a light drizzle, but they won't stop water entry in a major storm. An alternative is individual small awnings on the windows. John Davies Spokane WA

What engine and year? Read this….. “Towing Capacity: The towing capacity for all of the models years for the Toyota Sequoia had a pretty significant range going from 6,400 lbs. all the way up to 10,000 lbs. The metrics that impacted the capacity numbers the most was the year that the vehicle was made, the engine equipped and whether you had (or can have) a tow package installed on your vehicle.” https://letstowthat.com/toyota-sequoia-towing-capacity/ With the right gears (axle ratio) the 5.7 engine is a beast, but it struggles otherwise. My Land Cruiser has 3.90 axles and it is barely adequate in the high mountains, Tundras have 4.30 axles and do way better. Regardless of what the “rated” towing weight is, the payload will be very inadequate. John Davies Spokane WA

The terminal post fuse is there to protect the wire(s) between there and the main 250 amp fuse. Otherwise a big cable could short out and cause problems. The factory wires are completely unprotected (electrically speaking). As delivered mine were not wrapped with plastic split loom and were wearing on the top edge of the steel battery tray. The insulation was about 1/3 gone. 😳 The tray sits on fiberglass, which won’t in itself conduct electricity, but the center bolt is attached to the aluminum floor support and then to the main frame. The floor has an aluminum “core” so anything attached to it (with rivets or bolts) will conduct through that path. John Davies Spokane WA

I downloaded the app, it is much more informative than your basic “speed test” app. Here are some screen shots, first on my iPad Mini 4 with my home wifi (usually the max speed is close to 200 mbps). It tests BROWSING speed using five popular websites: And video speed at different quality levels: And it gives you a final results page and score: And here is my cellular, which is 2 bars LTE, and reaaaaaaly slow. It could not even begin the video test and created an error message. You can register, so your data gets uploaded and added to the main website database, and you can access the download coverage maps from within the app. I think this is very cool. John Davies Spokane WA

nPerf Applications I stumbled across this map page, it is most interesting. Normal coverage maps show where you can at the very least make a call, or send a basic text. These maps show actual download rates, which is what is useful for effective online use. Verizon: AT&T: I have Verizon, no wonder I can’t get connected in those nearby dead zones in Montana and Wyoming…. The only thing I envy about those of you living in the East is your access to data. 😁 AT&T Mobility 3G / 4G / 5G coverage map, United States OTH, this is application USER GENERATED data, so places with lots of users, like big cities, will naturally have LOTS more data points. “Where does the data come from? The data is collected from tests carried out by users of the nPerf app. These are tests conducted in real conditions, directly in the field. If you'd like to get involved too, all you have to do is download the nPerf app onto your smartphone. The more data there is, the more comprehensive the maps will be! All test results are displayed on the maps. Filtering rules are applied before performance calculation for publications.” John Davies Spokane WA

That is good to hear, but did you get into any of the more remote mountain/ desert Western areas where cell coverage is poor at best, and sometimes non-existent? What kind of speeds did you see? Does the Onstar system act as a cell booster? Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

I meant the sleeve, which is u-bolted to the Ollie rack….. it sure looks black to me. I’m glad there is no motion, that is very good. John Davies Spokane WA

Why did you decide to paint those parts? What primer/ paint did you use? Is there any rack motion at all at the connection? Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

If I were going to go Full Monty with solar panels, I would get rid of my curb side awning entirely and use four brackets there and four on the unused street side. And I would make the big frame pivot in either direction for roof access. I hope Minnesota Ollie uses the newer lightweight panels, if that is in fact what is going on here…. But I would probably just retain the two factory panels and install a Solar Tracker. John Davies Spokane WA