John E Davies

LC200, no worries. Turn Assist shortens the turning radius, plus you have cameras all around for seeing where the cliff edge starts.. FLT- Turn Assist FYI Crawl Control is not “lurchy” at all if you turn up the speed, he had the Crawl knob turned to Rocks which is FAR too slow for even terrain. I have played around with Turn Assist in deep sand when I was testing the self recovery ability of CC, which is truly jaw dropping. The truck will dig itself out of powder sand, unless it is well and truly high centered. This is the main reason I am content to explore the back country with no winch, just recovery tracks and a shovel…. John Davies Spokane WA

Oooops. Not the right tires. “Deputies have learned that the women were driving up Bridal Veil Road and entered the one-way Black Bear Pass going the wrong way. The passenger told Deputies they did not see the sign indicating the beginning of the one way pass. After a couple of switchbacks they decided it was best to turn around. The passenger then stepped of the vehicle to help the driver navigate, and while backing up, two of the wheels went high enough on the embankment to cause the vehicle to begin to roll. The 2021 Ford Bronco rolled off the cliff an estimated 400 feet, ejecting the driver, the dog, and the vehicle’s engine before coming to a stop.” The young driver has serious injuries, the dog is OK. Black Bear is very dangerous if you are inexperienced, in the wrong vehicle, and/or your head is not screwed on straight. These folks were all three….. Here's How A Ford Bronco Sport Looks After Rolling 400 Feet Down A Mountain Here is the top of the pass, they were nowhere near this section. You can see why it is one way, down hill. Not my Land Cruiser….😬 John Davies Spokane WA

I don’t see the need for one for the trailer, I treat the system with 50/50 mix of vinegar every few years. All the taps remain free flowing and clean. I do wipe down the sinks after they get wet to prevent spotting. I had one at my last house and enjoyed it, I would like to self-install one in this one. I had the builder rough in the plumbing there and also install a 120 outlet close by. I hate spots on the cars. Can anyone recommend a good brand/ model for a household of two adults? Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

While I won’t change my feelings about that mod, please keep everybody informed in the long term, if it works out, that would be great. My concern is the up and down torque loads, they can be tremendous, for example hitting the two whoopdedoos of a poorly graded Interstate highway bridge at 70 mph. That bottoms out the trailer suspension and transfers most of that energy to the frame and rack. It happens as you hit the bridge, and then again as you depart it. Most unnerving! I hope you have a rear camera that can be adjusted low enough to see the bikes, you can modify the power wires to operate it when driving forward. Good luck. John Davies Spokane WA

I always clay bar if tar remover won’t get it baby butt smooth, it looks fantastic afterwards, but boy is it slippery! As the old cop used to say on Hill Street Blues “ Be careful out there!” John Davies Spokane WA

That is great customer service, and a little unexpected IMHO; take him a some doughnuts the next time you go there. A positive review on Yelp would also be appreciated, I am sure…. John Davies Spokane WA

How long have you used it this way? Any sign of cracks around the corners? 1/4” of aluminum is too thin to support that load for a long period of time. That is one reason Oliver engineers doubled up the thickness (they really do understand aluminum structural properties). 1 Up uses a very cool anti-rattle design but it is meant for steel, and it applies a very heavy point load at just one location.. Have they commented about its suitability for use in a much softer material? As an ex-A&P technician that mod really worries me. I think you risk having the rack and bikes drop down onto the road, or worse yet, come off completely, causing an accident. At the very least you should install a stout cable lock through the bike frames, rack AND around the bumper.I am not trying to sound hysterical, I truly think that is unsafe. John Davies Spokane wA

One of the retaining ears broke on my curly cables, I ordered a new set from Amazon; Jason in Service told me he could not supply me an OEM type, since they no longer install them. He did say that he personally prefers the cables….😀 These are the correct rating and general dimensions, but the hook opening is slightly smaller. They are a little fussy to get clipped into the two holes, on my LC200 hitch, which is perfect IMHO. The old ones had larger hooks, and the one with the busted retainer could fall off. These might not work at all on your TV. Tie Down Engineering 36” safety cables I am keeping the one serviceable old cable as an emergency spare. Normally I like chains, but on my Ollie I prefer the cables, they stay neatly up and out of the way above the Stone Stomper fabric . Chains would dangle down and interfere more. John Davies Spokane WA

3 M Adhesive Cleaner is voodoo magic, and it works for sap and other nasties. A quart goes a really long way, but in looking at your pic, buy two quarts…. A local auto paint supplier will sell it to you for a lot less, I pay about $15. Body shops use it for prepping prior to spraying. Old tee shirts or 100% cotton rags work great, they must left OUTSIDE a few days until all the stink is gone, then tossed…. It has some pretty agressive solvents, use it outdoors or set up a strong fan, wear rubber gloves too. Mudflaps behind your Ollie’s wheels will stop that from happening, and will keep stones from damaging those water fittings, and bouncing off the rear bumper onto the hull and tail lights, but they won’t help the front any, you need extra protection all over….. I hope you got a good deal on your Ollie, I would not even consider selling a vehicle with tar all over the body, it shows a distinct lack of care by the previous owner. John Davies Spokane WA

Chris, have you tried tightening the door latch? If seal is in good shape it should not leak around the door perimeter. If the seal is bad, replace it before adding a gutter. I did place a straight section directly across the top of the fridge upper vent, that looks like a place where water would enter at will. I have not needed to put any others other than around all the windows…. John Davies Spokane WA

The Victron shunts are great, that particular model, maybe not. I have read that in the past it has major Bluetooth connectivity issues.. But that may have been resolved. The one with remote display (BVM-712 Smart) doesn’t have any problems. Mine works from 75 feet away through four sheet rocked walls. Be sure to add the optional supply power/ temp sensor cable. It replaces the included single wire power cable. The yellow wire is the factory ground, it normally goes straight to the negative terminal nearby. The shunt goes in between, to measure current flow (both the discharge and the charge current). What brand is that shunt? the Aussie gear is generally top notch (Redarc in particular.) That factory wiring is a mess, ain’t it? Move everything inside to common bus bars or posts, it will be easy because you have no fat inverter cables. Put the smart shunt inside next to your new buses. I check my cables AND straps for security every week when traveling, it takes no tools; unlocking the door, opening, feeling for looseness, closing and relocking takes about twenty seconds. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5377-how-to-battery-feed-through-post-installation-reduce-the-clutter-in-the-battery-box-lithium-batteries-only/ John Davies Spokane WA

That is common with RV parts, a single OEM Dexter auto adjust electric brake with backing plate is about $65 (discounted online prices quoted). A cheap no name clone is half that. Manual adjust versions, which I much prefer, are cheaper still. OTH a pair of replacement Dexter shoes is $65. A spring and arm rebuild kit is $40+. All individual parts would be special order at a dealer…… From a customer standpoint it makes zero sense. For an RV dealer it is great, the service department can just swap assemblies, charge double for the parts (full MSRP) and say, see how much we saved you? Plus they offer a warranty, which doesn’t happen with a rebuild or repair. Save the good pump parts, put them into your ever increasing stash of RV spare parts, buy a new assembly. John Davies Spokane WA

Expected sensor life is actually seven years “powered on”, so perhaps a bit longer if you routinely disconnect the trailer batteries in the off season. But it still could be Tango Uniform after five years, check the actual manufacture date, there was another recent thread about this. Plus certain solvents and chemicals can damage the gas sensor, like excessive dog farts. I would just buy a new one and toss the unreliable one. I added a detector switch right next to it just for your situation….. there is an inline fuse under the street side bed, but mine was hard to find and not labeled. Well, it was labelled, “1 amp”, which is not helpful when you are trying to figure out how to kill power to that pesky alarm at 2:00 AM, with that bed occupied by a disgruntled spouse with her pillow held tight over her ears…. John Davies Spokane WA

Ralph, you can use any old decent quality lithium based chassis (general purpose) grease, but none of them are what you would call great products. I much prefer Redline CV2, it is FAR superior. You do need to flush out as much of the old black gunk as possible, I don't think there are any problems mixing them, but it is always smart to do that when changing lubrication chemistries. And write down the grease name and type on the frame where you or the next guy will see it, as a reminder. One thing I like is that the oil doesn't separate from the carrier nearly as much, so the suspension stays looking nice a little longer. A petroleum based grease seeps oil constantly, especially in hot temperatures, and that makes a huge mess over time, and I suspect that it is not good for the rubber Ezy Flex equalizer "bumpers". Red Line CV2 You are driving a Lexus, would you put crap grease in your truck?.... Me neither. John Davies Spokane WA

You need Starlink, no other system will reliably give you high speed connectivity in the wild. We just finished a four week trip into BC and Yukon, there were often four or more days before we were able to find an LTE connection that would give us even basic email and texts. Free wifi is practically nonexistant, and the few commercial CGs (that were open - MANY were shut down due to Covid) required paying, and the speed was very low anyway, with dropped connections. This may be an extreme example, but as you must be aware, there are VAST areas in the USA with zero cell coverage. My wife needs high speed connectivity, we will be an early adopter if Starlink mobile becomes available. The sooner the better! https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/starlink-update-first-shell-nearing-completion-next-gen-hardware-coming-still-not-mobile-friendly/ John Davies Spokane WA

This is not full service, but it is reservable, has electricity, and a dump station. I don't recall if there is water at the sites, but it is nearby if not. It is a very pretty lakeside setting, lots of recreational boats and jet skis during the day, but it is quiet once the sun goes down. It is very easy to access stuff in east Nashville like the Zoo and the most excellent Lane Motor Museum and downtown if you don’t mind fighting the very agressive Interstate traffic. Surface streets are nicer, but a lot slower. http://www.percy-priest-lake.com/anderson-road-campground/ Oops, it is closed for the season, sorry. My other comments hold true….. John Davies Spokane WA

Well, sort of, all the smaller wires should connect to the temporary battery positive and negative, with the exception of the two big inverter cables. Those can be taped and secured out of the way with some nylon ties. He can figure stuff out in detail later when he gets the trailer back home. A battery with eye type (drlled) terminal posts will be able to support all the cables, but it might require purchasing a couple of longer bolts. All the extra jumper cables can be stored away in a safe place, AFTER neutralizing any battery acid!!! Here is the 2017 schematic: On MY trailer #218 some ground wires were yellow. I have the optional (at the time) side solar port and that adds to the confusion. John Davies Spokane WA

You should be concerned, that is the function of a battery master switch, it completely cuts off the batteries in case of catastrophic failure or for service safety. Unfortunately it also kills every 12 volt device inside the hull, there is no way around that. In your shoes I would buy the cheapest single 12 volt battery I could find and install it until you get all this figured out. Good luck. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5450-how-to-battery-master-cutoff-switch-under-the-rear-dinette-seat/ John Davies Spokane WA

Well, that is disturbing, great power, but a butt ugly front…. Anybody considering this truck should wait a couple of years to see how this new powertrains will hold up. Does the Hybrid have the same tow capabilities as the standard engine? (I have been looking at the Acura MDX Hybrid, which has a tow rating of zero, seriously, that is a pretty large handicap in exchange for a 45% better city EPA rating….. ) OTH my idea of a dream pickup has solid axles front and back, so maybe nobody should pay attention to me about the Tundra. John Davies Spokane WA.

Use a mobile RV service, the tech will come to the storage location or your driveway and do it hassle free. Your repair is perhaps a cracked check valve, correct? That is a super simple repair IF you have the part at hand. Otherwise it might take two separate visits. Oliver may not pay for two service calls…. If you can remove the floor yourself and locate the leak, then the tech will know what part to bring, or you can get one shipped to you from TN. Good luck. John Davies Spokane WA

An LE1 might be fine, if it is big enough. The LE 2 is in NO way an offroad trailer. But perhaps it would be best if you tell us what that term actually means to you. If you are talking about going high up in the San Juans, for example, you need an offroad truck camper or Sportsmobile 4x4 or similar….non-trailer. If this is not spam, Welcome to the forums. John Davies Spokane WA

Pat, keep in mind about 10% of your total weight is carried by the hitch, not the trailer tires. I just do not understand why, after so many years of complaints, Oliver continues to deliver these trailers with rock hard tires! And to the best of my knowledge they still do not inform new owners at delivery...This is very poor customer relations. Has the Owners Manual even been updated? John Davie

FYI any small shadowed portion of a solar panel will drastically reduce the current output. Something like a large leaf is big enough…. So the receptacle and cable on Bill’s unit should theoretically and ideally be located on the underside, not on top as shown in that picture. If the panel has a full exposure during the day it doesn’t matter, but in winter with short days and a limited exposure due to trees or buildings, it might matter. OTH if the battery charging has been satisfactory…. never mind. I am making an assumption that it is screwed into the frame there and not just propped up for the photo…. John Davies Spokane WA

Wow, that was a tough one!!! It took me ten minutes to find that figure….. I am really glad you did not have to pay their current market value. I had a poster of a 250 GTO on my wall for maybe twenty years, what luscious cars. Listen here. The Ferrari 250 GTO Speaks For Itself John Davies Spokane WA

Just my opinion, but is is going to be really easy to find any old 3/4 ton with enough payload, but most old half tons are probably going to be marginal in that department, just as are the new ones. And older trucks are down on power, so a bigger truck is more likely to have a stouter engine. Besides, if they drive around in a rough riding older truck, it will make their transition to a new one all the sweeter. John Davies Spokane WA