John E Davies

We were going to try to see it in Cheyenne or at the first water stop eastbound, but we are instead going to Alaska. 😬. Maybe next year….. https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/index.htm John Davies Spokane WA

That is sad, FYI these detectors have a service life of about 7 years, check the data plate to verify and scrap yours when it gets near that age. I have a spot on my service records main page for “due dates”. John Davies Spokane WA

Yep, we are planning to head up as soon as we can get across, probably at one of the less busy crossings in NE Washington. We plan to take five weeks on the trip starting “about” August 9. I am pretty excited, this will be virgin territory, we have explored a bit of southern AB but nothing further north. John Davies Spokane WA

It would be a whole lot easier to extend your cord than wire in an extra 110 volt outlet….. this will handle your hair dryer without overheating. Order the shortest length that will allow it to reach. Tripp Lite Heavy-Duty Power Extension Cord 15A, 14AWG Cords like this are surprisingly hard to find. John Davies Spokane WA

I continued them further down to get the discharge point past the joint where the two window frame pieces meet; to deal with wind driven water coming from the side; and to help anchor those pesky top corners. But really, I mostly needed to divert AC condensation from my Air Command unit, it does not have an internal drain hose, and I rarely encounter rain anyway. Since I have figured out a way to put HEPA furnace filters into my windows, I did not want condensate draining across them and ruining the paper. So the gutter project was killing two stones with one bird….😬 Join Davies Spokane WA

If you have a regular hot water heater, make sure that breaker is off, or go outside and manually switch off the electric heating element. if you have that and the fridge and the converter off…… all that is left is the AC. Unless you are also making popcorn. Basically, start with everything switched OFF, once the gennie is running and stabilized, bring things back online one at a time to see what is happening. The most common problem I have when running off the generator is the fridge, it Auto switches to 110 volts if I forget to turn off that breaker….. I always have the converter turned off, since I typically am charging off solar. Good luck. John Davies Spokane WA

I have a NextBase 422GW dash cam that records G forces, that is supposed to be in case of an accident, it shows how fast you were going, how hard you were braking, whether you made an evasive maneuver, and so on, in three axises. At 145,000 miles my front struts were leaking and the handling was a little squirrelly, so I drove across the worst road around here at a steady 30 mph with the cruise control operating, then immediately after the struts were replaced. Here is the results, one screen capture stacked on top of the other. The truck feels much better, more "planted", and the G forces are significantly less. The vertical white lines indicate the same position on the road. I don't know why I bothered with this, but it is cool to see the difference. Have a nice day. John Davies Spokane WA

You can overthink this issue, sure you don't want nasties going into the fresh tank. I try not to refill from suspect water sources, like wells, or fresh taps located right next to sewer dumps. Treated chlorinated city water is much safer. Of course you can't always count on that. I use a cheap blue Camco disposable filter for these times, and I just do not drink directly out of the fresh tank, ever, only after filtering it first inside the trailer. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/4376-7-cup-pur-water-pitcher-fits-neatly-in-pantry-affordable-filters/ John Davies Spokane WA

This isn't a full HOW TO install them, there are plenty of videos you can watch. Here's one: ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsEjREGiBj0 ... The most important thing is prep, you must get ALL the old junk and wax off or the adhesive won't stick well. I started with isopropyl alcohol, then followed up with 3M Adhesive Cleaner, with an old clean tee shirt. One big problem I had was with the rounded corners, they would not lie flat. This was indoors at 78 degrees F. I used a heat gun on LOW to warm the plastic, then pressed it down hard, and held it for a few seconds while it cooled. I then warmed the entire length and worked it hard against the gelcoat with a plastic tool and my fingers. The 3M VHB adhesive is heat activated and it set up well, and there are no worries of the gutters lifting, there is no need to tape everything down for days, as some people have done. I am not sure why I waited so long to do this mod, it isn't very difficult. However, I ran out of material and was unable to complete the rear window, so I am waiting on another 10 foot section. When I measured, I did not plan on running the gutters so far down the window frames.... I bought a 25 foot roll. Drat. Large windows 3 @ 76" = 19.0 feet Bathroom window 42" = 3.5 feet Fridge upper vent 21"= 1.75 feet Rear hatch 68" = 5.7 feet TOTAL 359" = 30 feet MINIMUM, buy this: ... Esssentials UW05004 Polar White 50' EZE RV Gutter John Davies Spokane WA

One other comment, antiseize on stainless threads prevents the nut from welding itself (seizing) to the bolt. I had to remove the big 1/2” bumper main bolts to do a mod, one nut was seized solid and I had to literally snap the bolt with a 3/4” breaker bar. John Davies Spokane WA

Stainless hardware and aluminum can cause issues, especially if you tow with corrosive deicers on the road 😳. I use aluminum antiseize liberally wherever stainless and aluminum touch, and it does help. While not ideal, SS fasteners are used everywhere on Ollies and mine seem to hold up OK. But I never tow in winter. Permatex Anti-Seize Lubricant I would not worry about different alloys, unless you plan to join them by welding. In that case they should match. I just had a major repair done on my rear cargo rack, which suffered cracks when I ran it into the decorative stonework of my house….. I added 1/4” reinforcements, and I just now reinstalled it to the cross beam with antiseize. There was no sign of corrosion at all when I removed the stainless hardware, after about three years. Note to self, do not back into buildings again. $50 for structural aluminum materials, six hours of my labor, $150 welding labor, plus a $30 tip. …. I still haven’t addressed the stonework that got knocked off the house😤. SeaDawg is correct, drain holes are needed everywhere, they don’t have to be large. even your entry steps need them, they trap water when stowed, it is unsightly and dumps on your sneakers when you open them. Trapped water for months and months OTH is really really bad news, road spray especially causes much worse problems, you must ensure it can’t happen. Have you contacted Oliver about your water? They might want to issue a service bulletin for drain holes. You might find this amusing. …”Hmmmmmm, that is quite a lotta wattah!” How to drain water from Touareg rockers John Davies Spokane WA

https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2151-how-to-galley-drawer-travel-straps/ This setup has been working 100% reliably for five seasons, as long as I don’t forget to use it. John Davies Spokane WA

I will add one thing, short wheel base tow vehicles like my LC 200 (112 inches) most likely require the use of the Andersen. Mine certainly would be uncomfortable and even dangerous without it. If you have a “typical” light duty pickup truck, with a WB of 140 to 155 inches, the Andersen may help, but it won’t be as dramatic an improvement as with a shorter truck. The longer WB truck will also be inherently more stable, less willing to swap ends in a high speed maneuver. This is simple physics. This is one reason a reaaaaaly short wheelbase vehicle like a two door Wrangler (93”) makes for a dangerous tow vehicle, and why you so often see them in ditches in icy conditions. They just don’t have much lateral stability. PS, towing puts a lot more stress on the suspension, especially the rear shocks. Keep an eye on them and replace them at the first sign of distress (usually an oil stain, indicating a blown seal). I replaced the rears myself, a few months ago, and the front struts are getting replaced by a shop as I type, three of the four units showed signs of oil leakage at 140,000 miles. John Davies Spokane WA

The OLDER style ball assembly is open to the elements, for the past couple of years the new style has been better, it has a black collar that retains the friction cone and a seal, and it helps to keep out water and grit. The old one could eventually start squealing horribly, what I call the Spawn of Satan, which would definitely wake up an entire campground if you attempted an early departure after a rain storm. Every slight turn and twist could cause it to shriek. Very unpleasant, and embarrassing. BTW old ball mounts can still be turned into Andersen with $100 and they will send you a brand new one. Don’t worry about the new one in inclement weather. John Davies Spokane WA

Everything I have encountered is American (SAE). The Truma water heater is most likely metric, but you are not supposed to work on those….😁 John Davies Spokane WA

Welcome, Please add a signature with your tow vehicle and which Ollie you are interested in. The LE1 is better suited to your travel conditions, especially with a simple suspension upgrade. The LE2 not so much. Both would need rock protection for the gelcoat. We were really hoping to leave on a five week trip to AK starting August 1, but I think that just isn’t going to happen this year… 😤 John Davies Spokane WA

That is cool, I have been considering a pole and antenna. Please post some “performance” info after you have used it a while. I have a word of caution on the zip ties. Use quality ones from a good source. I bought a bunch of Walmart ones in different sizes and they were all garbage, they were extremely brittle and would snap in two as you cinched them down with pliers. Even the 75 pound rated ones did that. Home Depot ones are fine, just beware of super low-end ones. The nylon does age harden, so date the bag(s) and use up the old ones first. John Davies Spokane WA

An Ollie can leak like any other trailer that has holes cut into the roof. The difference is, you see clean, clear water dripping onto the bed, or making a pool on the ground under a weep hole, and you say “Darn, look - a leak”. You reseal the offending spot, or repair the plumbing failure, and contine on your way, maybe get in a game of golf. No sodden fiberglass insulation or brown water running onto, and literally destroying, crappy plywood parts, and generating mold and mildew. We complain about leaks here, but I think that is just so we can hear ourselves talk. They really are a VERY minor concern with these trailers…. There are a few “factory tour” videos, you should watch this one if you haven’t already. …. Oliver Trailers - From the Ground Up ⬆️Factory Tour (181) Dori and Mena John Davies Spokane WA

I would wait a while and see how the new Northern Lite Boreal 27 turns out. They make stellar 4 season truck campers. This may be a winner, and it is a lot larger, the headroom especially. Most likely it will have a steel frame. Guessing…. https://northern-lite.com/boreal-27fb-travel-trailer/ John Davies Spokane WA

Do you recall the name or url? Wayback Machine might locate it. … https://web.archive.org/ My old pesonal website is there, except almost all the images are gone, and it has been extinct since 2011. John Davies Spokane WA

I showed my LE2 to a guy who was your height, he really hated the lack of headroom in the bath. You definitely need to See An Ollie, spend at least an hour poking around and just hanging out, to see if it will work. The “Twin Beds” are actually bunk sized (30” wide”) and you won’t like them, The big mattress would work because you can spread out more. Are you definitely set on a trailer, because there are a couple of $40,000 truck campers that are pretty good. Until you get into the $250,000 and higher range, like the Terranova, anything you buy will have crap propane appliances, with all the headaches those entail. John Davies Spokane WA

Did you try Search? It is pretty lame but it works fine for an unusual word like your Touareg. Try reading: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/search/?&q=Touareg &type=forums_topic&nodes=12&search_and_or=or I don’t recall all the concerns, power and fuel economy are good. The issues I can think of are marginal tongue weight and cargo volume, no weight distribution and a lack of dealers (or capable euro service shops) in the boonies if you have a breakdown, and parts availability when it does happen. I guess it depends on where you plan to camp, how you spec your trailer, and how many people and their “stuff” you plan to carry. If you plan to explore remote areas like Alaska or even Wyoming, you should get a vehicle that can be fixed in any average small town. I have no Touareg experience, though I lusted very heavily for one when they first appeared. I have owned two VAG vehicles and would not touch another with a thousand foot pole😬. John Davies Spokane WA

Hi and welcome. You need to tell us what year and which engine, there have been a huge number of different diesels, including the unfortunate VW Touareg V10 Diesel vs Boeing 747. John Davies Spokane WA

Get a longer cord, hook it onto one of the links further forward, that will give you a lot of adjustment capability. If the loose end hangs down, it won’t be an issue. My long cord stretches about 18” and the load on the door is very minimal. I considered your method, but I normally try to stay hitched all the time, so my safety chains and Andersen chains are busy elsewhere. Living in an area of extreme drought and possible wildfires, I like to reduce the time it would take to evacuate. I also avoid any campground with only one way out at the end of a long slow bumpy road. 😳 John Davies Spokane WA

Please, do not use this method, for safety reasons. Bungees injure people all the time, especially the type with steel hooks. If you lose your grip while attaching it at the wall it will fly into your face. If that happens while you are hooking it to the door, no big deal. But accidents happen and this method is not safe, don’t be “that guy” who loses an eye. Use a device that doesn’t store energy at face height. John Davies Spokane WA