John E Davies

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

That hold-down design is only as strong as its weakest link. If you make the strap stronger, it might simply pull the lower screw out of the fiberglass. If in fact that is how it is secured, can somebody post a pic? You need to look at the whole setup, can you beef up the bottom where it attaches? Maybe put a full loop over the top and secure it on two sides? You could even go as far as installing a plastic covered steel cable with a turnbuckle…. but that is probably way overkill. I think the Mother Ship needs to get involved, because this does not appear to be an isolated occurrence. John Davies Spokane WA

I thought that looked interesting, but if one (or both) axle shackle snaps over center, as mine do too often, it could bust the impact tool. John Davies Spokane WA

T-Oliver, how do you like the big disk brakes? Touchy at all? Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

Depends…… Most likely it would be required due to the TW and also to minimize passenger discomfort on bumpy roads. I would order it, for sure. There are countless Andersen hitch threads, search and do some reading. It is the only WD hitch approved by Oliver. https://www.ford.com/cmslibs/content/dam/brand_ford/en_us/brand/resources/general/pdf/brochures/17RV&TT_Ford_Expedition_Sep7.pdf John Davies Spokane WA

9200 is plenty, just pack more of your stuff in the trailer, keeping in mind that your tongue weight goes up proportionally (about 10%). NOT buying the tongue tray helps in this regard, keep the TW as low as practical. You still may run out of cargo load capacity in the Ford, but the towing number is fine. Try it for a season, then decide if it is going to be good long term TV. FYI if you don’t need all that extra seating, remove the third and possibly second row seats and store them. Together that might give you another 150 pounds of cargo load. Plus more actual space…. Install a cargo barrier and be safe. These are most excellent. They weigh nothing and can be rolled down and stored on the floor when not needed. https://raingler.com/collections/ford-expedition/products/1997-2017-ford-expedition-behind-front-seats-barrier-divider-net John Davies Spokane WA

Have you pretty much explored the east part of the USA? If not, do some lingering there and then haul @ss to California, because much of the air in the northern West is going to be nasty from wood smoke. If you decide to linger in the West, Glacier would be a great spot to spend three days or more. But all the National and State Parks are insanely busy, there are RVs everywhere. So you need reservations, unless you want to risk boondocking. If you can find a primitive spot by Thursday noon, ride out the weekend there and then proceed on Monday. (By early September the schools will be back in session and the mid-week family campers will be gone.) https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/3627-glacier-national-park-post-season/ If one of you is 62, do you already have a Geezer Pass for free access to Federal Parks and 50% off camping? Campendium and Ultimate Campgrounds will be very helpful. Fourteen days to do 3500+ towing miles does not leave much free time to just hang out and relax, can you take a little extra? I am sorry to sound so negative, your travel date is not at all good….. this is a rough and tough camping season for a fast cross country trip. John Davies Spokane WA

I found a great place to stash my (hot) heat gun while installing the EZE RV gutter over the rear hatch …. inside my flag pole holder. The newly repaired one, after I backed it into the stonework of my house 🙄 John Davies Spokane WA

Update, I bought some 16x24x1” filters to try, instead of the too-long 25” ones, they fit much better though you still cannot get the window latch closed, however the glass closes all the way now, so there should be no water leaks. So I went ahead and completed sealing the other two windows, and trimmed two more filters, now I have a great way to pull in clean air when the smoke is bad. When not in use, they are covered by a 13 gallon white drawstring trash bag, inside the closet next to the outer wall. John Davies Spokane WA

I am fairly sure that top screw is one for the access panel, there is no reason to not reuse it, or the lower one that screws into the fiberglass. Either can be replaced with a larger diameter one if the hole is stripped (enlarged). That tiedown is cheap “hardware strap”, intended for securing a residential water heater to a wall (tipover) and for really light weight HVAC ducts. I would look for a more satisfactory (or at least heavier gauge) material to replace it. Or double it back over itself, or to a second anchor point at the bottom. John Davies Spokane WA