John E Davies

FYI, I added an ON/ OFF switch to my detector, partly in case of nuisance alarms, which hardly every happen, but mainly to eliminate the phantom electrical draw. A side benefit is that it should keep working a lot longer, maybe, perhaps. I flag the compartment when it is switched off, I can’t emphasize enough how critical it is to turn it on and test it before every trip. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5330-how-to-propane-co-detector-on-off-power-switch/ John Davies Spokane WA

Dust to Glory 2005 Trailer There is a sequel Dust 2 Glory, I have not seen it, it has much higher quality video (drones instead of copters) but I have heard it is a little lame. Bruce Brown also did the original On Any Sunday that kick started the dirt bike craze when I was a little bit younger…. it prompted me to sell my Norton Commando 750 Sportster and start dabbling in enduro racing in 1972…. John Davies Spokane WA

I love snorkels, I put one on my 200 last year, not so much to go fording 5 foot deep rivers, but to disguise the big crease my wife put in that fender at the grocery store .... But it gets the air intake completely up and out of the dust, and lowers the inlet air temp by a few degrees. The one on my Series 80 dropped it by up to 60 degrees, an amount you could actually feel. In the 200, it is more like 20 degrees.... Mainly it helps us find the Big White SUV in a sea of other big white SUVs in the box store parking lot... It does generate a whole lot of What The Hell Is That Thing questions. John Davies Spokane WA

Some storage facilities prohibit working on your trailer, you have to haul it away to do any maintenance or cleaning. It would be smart to study the contract. And decent inside lighting would be a big plus. One of the Ollies we looked at before buying was located inside a large UNLIT warehouse, We had to use flashlights to study the outside features, I can’t imagine doing anything constructive in those conditions…. My RV bay has bright white sheet-rocked walls and ceiling (they reflect the ambient light) , three decent sized windows facing south , and excellent LED daylight spectrum lighting. Even with the big entry door closed, it is EVENLY illuminated. My aging eyes appreciate the lack of shadows. I had a Sea Ray 250 Sundancer years ago, I stored it under an exposed but roofed RV unit with 15 amp power. That worked OK but the driveway was gravel, so it was always filthy, and I worried about collisions….. It looked great parked in front of my house but I could not store it there. John Davies Spokane WA

There are countless Web articles on “RV winter storage”, Google that term, watch some videos. Bottom line is, how much time (and money) are you willing to dedicate to keeping track of your Ollie? An uncovered commercial parking spot will require frequent visits to clear off snow, ice, or leaf accumulation and make sure everything is OK. An open but covered one with power is lots better, a fully enclosed one is WAY better (and the risk of collision damage or theft drops to near zero). A fabric cover offers protection but has its own risks and major hassles, such as making sure it and the hull are clean before use. You have to balance convenience, cost, location, drive time and security against your own preferences and worries. We had an owner here who had to drive six hours round trip to visit his trailer! It can be a tough and potentially very expensive conundrum, depending on your climate and home location. I feel sorry for owners who cannot store their Ollie at home, things are a lot tougher when it is far away... I live in a private development; of the thirty houses here, about 12 have attached, fully enclosed RV bays. Which is the main reason we picked this spot….. being able to use your Ollie as an emergency shelter during a power outage, or as a guest bedroom, or even walk naked out to your Ollie in a blizzard - if you wanted to 😳- is priceless. I don’t even bother to winterize, the temp there has never dropped below 38 degrees. Plus it saves many thousands of $ in storage and travel costs. Where are you located? It helps us to give better recommendations if you will add that info, and your tow vehicle, to a signature. John Davies Spokane WA

They will operate at very low temperatures, they just cannot be reCHARGED at those temps. Which is why you put them in a climate controlled box, or heat the cabin enough so they will accept a charge, or use a battery warming mat. If you winter camp with the water systems dry and no cabin heat, then lithiums are definitely a no go. Lead acid batteries are not good performers in these conditions, I am not sure where you got that idea….. Long Way Up was such a disappointment, but the stunning scenery made up for a lot of the lame “range anxiety” drama. “Oh look, it has finally warmed up some, now we can increase our speed to 40 mph!” Keep in mind that they were all driving prototype vehicles, including the backup Rivians. It was a huge publicity stunt. Long Way Round is definitely worth watching if you have not yet done so. Or better yet, Dust to Glory. Woohoo. John Davies Spokane WA

Have you considered putting a slightly smaller driven pulley on it, that will provide more low end boost? I assume that there is some kind of internal blow off protection to keep it from getting too high. I have no experience, but I am surprised that you are not seeing tons more low end power. Boost from a supercharger is pretty linear. I think you should put the truck on a dyno to make sure it is running as designed. I want more power but I will probably do it with gears, if at all. I need to be able to run cr@p gas. This chart doesn’t help much, can somebody post one that shows down to 2000 rpm? John Davies Spokane WA

Can you apply a UV protectant to slow down the damage? 303 seems to be the one that is most hyped, I have tried it and it seems like Armorall, I am not at all impressed. OTH this is terrific and I use it mostly as a tire dressing and to wipe down rubber and plastic parts in the engine bay to keep them looking new... It does not stay shiny and become a dust magnet like silicone based products. https://www.griotsgarage.com/product/vinyl+rubber+dressing.do?sortby=ourPicks&from=Search I highly HIGHLY recommend it, I just don’t know if it will help the keyboard cracks…. If that is due to the manufacturer’s poor design or his material choice, it may be like putting lipstick on a pig. John Davies Spokane WA

I agree that 100% pee will be a big problem. It is super easy to clean a portable tank, I let mine soak overnight at the end of the season with hot water and some of the old style discontinued Cascade dish detergent (now sold as Fryer Boil Out). The yellow hard crusty deposits vanish. I guess you could clean a permanently installed black tank and the plumbing going from the toilet to it with the same method. However there is a strong possibility that this design would screw up the tank dump valve quickly by wrecking the seals because of those hard deposits. Lots of grey water from the sink would definitely help, along with some mineral oil or (expensive) valve lube. BTW we never use the sink in the head, other than to add water to the toilet media every now and then and to shower with, we do everything else from the galley one. We welcome Ollie pioneers, do the mod, report back here and let us know how it works after a couple of camping seasons. 😃 John Davies Spokane WA

Well, mud is one thing. If he suffered a serious break down up there, or a medical emergency, it would be a whole ‘nuther situation. He appears to be alone. Hopefully he has a satellite communicator as well as Search and Rescue insurance. …. GEOS SAR50 John Davies Spokane WA

We may or may not get into Canada August 9, the border employees there are talking about a strike, but for sure we are not taking the Ollie on the Dempster, this is pretty amazing, the guy has more nerve than me to tow a Casita with a poorly prepped Jeep Liberty, in inclement weather. Here is the Dempster: Here he is tossing buckets of water from a stream so he can get in….. Rough Road Ahead: My Yukon Challenge The condition of the two lane highway under construction, at the beginning of the video, is mind boggling. I would have u-turned and gone back, unless the Ollie was not in tow, in which case I would have proceeded, with fingers crossed and butt clenched. Enjoy, John Davies Spokane WA

If clearance is an issue, you could easily saw off a few inches of the tip and drill a new hole. Mine clears fine, but I have a 3" longer "extended" Andersen stinger. John Davies Spokane WA

I had been keeping my eye on this phone, I found out it is now discontinued due to poor sales figures. I just ordered a 256 GB Verizon model for $600. Regular street price is around $850. For those who love a small phone that you can work one handed and slip into a pants pocket, this is a great choice, it gets stellar reviews and takes jaw dropping pictures. The only down side is a short battery life. It is actually SMALLER than my current 6S. If you can get by with “only” 64 GB it is just $450. I wanted a big memory so I can load lots of GAIA maps. My current phone has just 32 GB. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Verizon-iPhone-12-mini-256GB-Black/678825703?selected=true John Davies Spokane WA

This mod is now OBSOLETE, instead of grinding, just buy one of these hitch pins with the great big handle. Thanks to all the Ollie members who suggested this. John Davies Spokane WA

That is intended for an automotive battery, with a tapered top post. All Ollie batteries have screw-on terminals, a completely different style. This is the type that Oliver used to use on their factory lithium batteries. This particular one is a Bussman, a medium quality brand. Not as good as marine parts, but definitely better than the Chinese clones... Why don’t you just have Oliver Service install one of these onto your AGM batteries? John Davies Spokane WA

tripmushrv, please be extremely wary of cheap no name China made components like those. Not only are they possibly poorly made, they have no customer service to speak of. For something as critical as a master cutoff switch, buy a quality marine (boat) part like most of your system. Switches like these require modifying your wires, are you skilled enough to make high quality crimps, or willing to pay a shop for the work? If not, buy the type that attaches directly to the battery positive post, no additional wiring is needed. I do not care for them personally, for a number of reasons, but many owners are happy with them. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5450-how-to-battery-master-cutoff-switch-under-the-rear-dinette-seat/ John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks, those are interesting pics, do you think the damage to that drain nipple was due to rough handling when the AC was installed? If you have other pics showing the removal process, I would like to see them. John Davies Spokane WA

I am going off searches from five years back, They ranged from $300 to $400, but I don’t things have improved here. If you could squeeze into a 10x25’ hole, you would not be looking at too bad a fee, about $200, but a 12x40+ is $$$. A couple of examples are attached, you have to go by the regular amount, not the “move in special”. There just are not any affordable big units around where I live. I think a 12x30 would be perfect for an Ollie, and at less than $200 you should go for it. If that is the long term rental fee. Does that include electricity? That size would give you some extra floor space for camping gear or other personal stuff. John Davies Spokane WA

I was on board until I got to this part. He is trying to rip you off. You can get an awful lot of regular exterior detail jobs for that money, a local shop charges about $250 for a small egg trailer (or similar boat). I would rather put that cash toward something tangible like 300 AH of lithium batteries….. The very best thing you can do to keep your Ollie looking great is to get it under cover, not a cloth one, to keep the sun, ozone, sap and critters off it. An extra $1200 annually might help pay for covered storage. How much does that cost where you live? Around here it is $350 per month, if you can even find a place, which is one (small) reason I had an RV Bay attached to our new home five years ago. It was a $30,000 option, but I got insulated and sheet rocked walls there and in the garage too. I have already saved over $20k compared to a rental, and that doesn’t include gas money and my wasted time driving back and forth to the storage lot. John Davies Spokane WA

I am a little surprised that wheel nuts need regular tightening, I haven’t found them to loosen at all, once they are checked once or twice after installing the wheels. They do however loosen noticeably if you paint (or install new) drums, the paint underneath the wheel hubs compresses and makes things looser. I am not trying to downplay the need to check them, but before every trip is not necessary if they have already “settled down”. OTH, checking too often never hurt anything, if it makes you feel better. And it might catch something weird before it gets dangerous. I do not carry a torque wrench on trips, even long ones. One thing I do is to raise the tires off the ground every two thousand miles or so, and check for any signs of loose or rough bearings. That, plus a TPMS, plus quality bearings and grease, should eliminate any chances of catastrophe. Tripmushrv, be sure to set the wrench back to the minimum value before storage, and be gentle with it, no drops to concrete please. It is a fairly delicate tool. And it should only be used for tightening, not for removing nuts. It can be used for other stuff too, like your suspension or coupler hardware.Even if you are not comfortable checking those, a kindly campground neighbor might be, if you have the tool and sockets to do the job. John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks for posting, I have that road and BLM CG waypointed, but never visited. My wife loves wild horses, I OTH am more wary of ticks in those locations🙄 I actually try not to go to that corner of WY, it is very unattractive landscape and rather “industrial” with oil fields. Check this map, all the little dots are wells, either oil or gas….. https://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/843/downloads/Plates/Plate1_WLCI_EnergyMapB.pdf OTH at night you can’t see any of that, nice pic! John Davies Spokane WA

https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/1059-gpscellular-based-tracking-device/ Search “GPS Tracker” and you will find some more threads. John Davies Spokane WA

Pretty much….. You are almost right, I run 42 in my Land Cruiser (10 ply tires) and it does make it easier to keep track of if I keep the Ollie the same. If you run them this low, for sure you need a trailer TPMS. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2363-how-to-tire-pressure-placard/ John Davies Spokane WA

🙄 We have had so many arguments and discussions about tire pressures in the last few years, it is good to know that Jason understands that the 80 psi recommended in the manual is so very wrong. 55 is still way too high IMHO for the LE2, though OK for the LE1. I run 42, but each to his own I guess. How much pressure is in your tires? Maybe that has been contributing to the damage. John Davies Spokane WA

PMG, you need to add your Hull number to a signature, and also tell us about your batteries, what brand - there have been a number of changes over time.They should never be left for a month with the batteries connected, at 35% charge IMHO, you should charge them before leaving the trailer, the % amount varies by manufacturer. If they are LifeBlue you should charge (or discharge) them to about 50% before disconnecting a negative (black) cable to isolate them. Or turn off the battery master switch, if you have one. You should have a phone app to monitor the health of the batteries, I don’t know if it tells you the overall picture, rather than what is going on in each one. A stand alone Battery Monitor like the excellent Victron Smart Shunt shows lots of great info, you might want to consider adding one. If you are leaving the trailer with the batteries connected, you need a tool that will show you those phantom loads, so you can catch them and hopefully turn them off, before the batteries get drained. For example, I am sitting in my easy chair in my living room, and I can read the battery status (all connected batteries) out in the garage, the -0.37 amp load reflects the Natures Head toilet fan and a couple of other little phantoms that I cannot figure out. If it gets below about 40% I run the charger to bring it up to 70% or so. They are Battle Borns, and they have different requirements than other brands. Alternately, you could get a small 30 to 50 watt solar panel, hook it up and let it keep the batteries “maintained”. It will keep up with those phantoms, but not overcharge the battery bank. If you have the composting toilet, then you need to be aware that disconnecting power kills its little vent fan, so you will need to add another power source for that, such as a small wall charger, or alternately empty it of its, uhmmmm, solid contents so they don’t get gross.The reason I leave my batteries connected is so I can power the toilet. John Davies Spokane WA