John E Davies

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

In an RV, solid copper bus bars between the battery terminals are great IF you can ensure there is no motion whatsoever. If the batteries can shift even a small amount, there can be extensive damage. I doubt that BB would warrant them in that case. If you hit a deep pothole at highway speeds and they shift, uh oh.... I installed two regular sized ones, with room for a third. All batteries have two Mil-Spec (zero stretch) straps crossing them, for redundancy, plus tight fitting spacers at the bottom. Remove two nuts at the wall posts, pop off the cables, slide out the tray. Easy John Davies Spokane WA

Cool, a party platform for ball games, races and star gazing? I hate working off a bunch of ladders, you need one of these .... Titan Auto Rotisserie I can't wait to see it finished. John Davies Spokane WA

Good idea. FYI, if the threads are buggered, you can easily snap a bolt in two, using a big breaker bar, or impact driver, as long as you can hold the other end very securely with a box end wrench or socket. They are not especially strong. I have done this to a 1/2" bumper bolt, where the nut seized solid. That is a little tougher, but doable. These little ones would snap easily. I won't use thread locker on any stainless bolt, it gets anti seize instead. John Davies Spokane WA

You have to tap the gauge to “reset” it. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IpdyTvlivsI I like the concept, since I travel with the fridge running on propane, but how well does a pair of them fit under the doghouse? They are pretty long. Can somebody with an Ollie post a picture please? Thanks. Can a moderator move this thread to the correct forum, it really doesn’t belong here. John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks for posting, did you take any pics of the flush toilet water line that you can share? I plan to disconnect mine eventually, but so far I never had a need to go digging around under that sink. If you did not already cap the black tank rinse through-hull fitting, do so, in case somebody tries to hook a garden hose up to it and floods the interior! That could be quite a geyser! John Davies Spokane WA

Easy peasy, as long as you know how to navigate your Photos. Click Add Files, then Photo Library. Choose the picture you want and then click Add (at the top right). The picture will upload to the post. If you want to insert it into your text, rather than leave it at the bottom, select a spot in your text, then click Insert. Once you get used to it, it becomes second nature. If you want to delete an uploaded pic, click the black X circle. One caveat, if your picture is stored in iCloud, it has to download from there to your iPad before it can upload to the Ollie forum. If your Internet connection is really slow, that can make for an awkward session, it is best to upload pics when you have a good connection. Uploads take way way longer than downloads. John Davies Spokane WA

Somebody’s “brilliant” idea which turned out to be a complete fail. After nearly twenty years of building these trailers, you would think they would just stop cutting that dinky round hole, or install a big rectangular hinged-at-the-bottom hatch instead. The furnace inlet grill could be installed in the hatch door for a much cleaner look, for a double win… I tried using mine the first time I winterized “Mouse”, and literally laughed out loud. John Davies Spokane WA

One 16 oz bottle should be plenty, I typically use a little over half. It doesn’t require a heavy application. Proper prep is critical, you must get off all the old wax and any bugs, sap or tar. I suspect that the bad reviews come from folks who did not prep adequately. John Davies Spokane WA

The Ford 3.5 Ecoboost has good turbo access - they are raised above the cylinder head: The new Tundra might require engine removal, they are below the head. I have had a Cummins 5.9 (super easy turbo access), and for most inline gas engines it is easy, but for many V engines servicing the turbo(s) is a nightmare. The old Audi All Road twin turbo V6 was this way, 20 hrs labor to change a turbo. (Audi shop rates are way higher than domestic dealers too). John Davies Spokane WA

The large black tank flush line is unused and not connected to any other parts of the system, you can remove the line completely from inside at the tank and CAP the lower fitting, where it enters from outside the hull, so some idiot, or senior moment, cannot accidentally hook up a garden hose and flood the interior. The small line behind the toilet base with the 1/4" chrome ball vale IS hooked up to the fresh system, and you need to flush that out. Put a paper cup over the outlet or you will get a face full - the water or antifreeze comes out like a geyser. If you ever happen to open up the vanity, you could disconnect the line there and cap the tee fitting. John Davies Spokane WA

Be very aware that there are many cheap, poor quality tapes out there. A good 2 mil thick (0.002”) one like the 3M linked above, would work OK. But there are heavier ones up to 5 mil that are much stronger. OTH they will be a little harder to work with. I much prefer a 2.5” wide 3 mil tape over any thinner version. It is also MUCH better for repairing any loose foil insulation inside the hull. I have used it in many locations. And on my home HVAC system. Two or three layers is better that a single layer, it results in a much stronger repair. It does need to be worked into place very well, a bunch of loose voids accomplishes nothing. I personally would cut the duct there and install an internal splice/ coupling. Good luck. John Davies Spokane WA

How do you know those are not the last stored readings from one or more days back? I looked at their FAQ and they do not mention it there…..Mine usually show a “warm” pressure and temp reading until a minute of movement which is how they are all designed. Otherwise the batteries would discharge very rapidly. I always wake mine (including the spare) before leaving and check the display so that a slow pressure drop overnight (from a nail) will be obvious before I leave the site. John Davies Spokane WA

The fuse will fail before anything nasty will happen. That is why ALL hot leads should be fused appropriately. Some Ollie battery cables are not fused between the battery and the main fuse block. This would be an issue if a cable shorted out to the steel tray (which could happen). My 2000 watt inverter has a 250 amp one, the bigger inverters have a much high rated fuse (350?). You could have some serious sparks and burning before it popped. I added individual fuses at each battery positive post, just in case.... I agree that aluminum does conduct, but planes have used it for mounting stuff since pre WW2. John Davies Spokane WA

If you don't feel a big tug on pavement, or skid the tires on gravel at low speeds, when you set your control to max, you have a mechanical or electrical problem. The brakes (star wheels) must be adjusted properly to work, the "Nev-R-Adjust" ones are very aptly named, since they tend to, well, never adjust. Mine went into the garbage, I installed manual adjust ones on both axles, so I know how they are set. Of course you could have a bad connection, or failed magnet, or blown grease seal. There are lots of possibilities for poor braking with these Olde Time drum brakes. .Disks are much easier to troubleshoot, service and repair. John Davies Spokane WA

The factory uses a clear epoxy. As long as enough was applied (sometimes this is a problem) they would be really tough to remove. Some folks have found their inverter and mounting plate has fallen down into the frame, not good, considering the amperage flowing through those wires! BZZZZZZAAAAAAPPPP! John Davies Spokane WA

You could make a 3 foot extension hose with a slip coupling, to bring the NH vent hose opening all the way down into the lower pan. If the travel valve (isolation valve) was open, as it should be when parked, any excess grey water will flow into the shower drain and back into the grey tank. No harm done except for a little smelly water there, that could easily be rinsed away... Leave the transfer pump running and you have a plumbing Infinite Loop, for you computer geeks. John Davies Spokane WA