John E Davies

I did fix that Spell Check typo Bill, but you beat me to my Edit. It does look tasty, but I am sure it would be beyond gross to ingest…. BTW, does anyone recognize the white plastic tray? That is really old, microwave dinners used to come on those, they make great work trays for small parts. John Davies Spokane WA

I bought Timken wheel bearings quite a while ago and finally got started on replacing the old ones. I always hand-packed bearings, what a mess that makes. I finally decide to treat myself to a Lisle Handy Packer. No more messes. Well, at least they are not as big. This is Redline CV-2 grease, the good stuff. Isn’t this a cool pic? John Davies Spokane WA

Well, I think it comes down to skill of the operator - a plasma cutter or a shaped charge of C4 explosive would also do it, but none of these would be my tool of choice… John Davies Spokane WA

Sure, if you have a power band or saber saw or are willing to spend twenty minutes using a hacksaw to cut off the shank. I don't think one with a long shank sticking out would deter theft. These hitch balls are fairly mild (soft) steel and not that hard to cut. Be sure to dress out any rough edges with a belt sander afterwards for looks, and so you don't open up a finger on a sharp part. A steel ball bearing OTH is chrome plated and hardened, and more fun to play with. John Davies Spokane WA

If the small center caps tend to fall out, glue them in from the back side with clear RTV adhesive sealant. That will also slow down a thief, though I have never heard of this being a problem. Unless perhaps the caps have a Corvette or Porsche logo on them. Mine were the old solid kind, thin chrome steel that would dent it you looked at it wrong. I removed them years ago. John Davies Spokane WA

Important - affects ROUND units bought in 2019 or 2020, I don’t know if any of these are used in Ollies, but check anyway, and check any new ones at home. Look here first: http://kiddetsalarmrecall.rsvpcomm.com/info.aspx Submitting a claim: How to submit a claim John Davies Spokane WA

I think the Andersen ball mount would greatly benefit from a steel 1/2” square drive receptacle embedded in the very bottom of the lower part, because you could insert the tool you use for tightening the nuts or a long breaker bar…. Using a steel wrench or (poorly fitting) bar through the pin hole will likely cause the soft aluminum to become scarred or distorted after a while. If you do this, it would be prudent to bring along a big coarse file to fix the damage. OK, this is too funny, I am using my iPhone now and the spell checker changed “wrench” to “weird RV”, then when I fixed that it changed it again to “nacho”…. I turned that feature off on my iPad LONG ago but it has much bigger letters on its virtual keyboard. I think hitting the space bar instead of one of the lower letters really confuses it. I should just forget about the phone for posting, except as source for party jokes. Have a nice day. John Davies Spokane WA

I have received a couple of Messages asking about this, so I guess I should post some pics. This is an older ARB Classic 50 quart cooler, I picked it because it is tall and narrow and that makes it accessible from the rear passenger window of a tow vehicle, I remove the left rear seat of my Land Cruiser and anchor it solidly to home made tie down points. It would not be at all good for it to launch forward during a collision. NOTE: You can't effectively anchor this to an installed seat, the soft foam allows too much motion, and the leather or cloth fabric could be damaged. Door OPEN: Door CLOSED, window down: Because the hinge is on the far side, the lid opens easily. Or it can be removed entirely by "popping" the hinge which has tow little spring loaded ball detents (twist the lid to one side): Tied down hard to the center seat attach point: And in front it is strapped to a length of big chain that is bolted to the two front seat mounts, using 3/8" stainless carabiners for the two ratchet straps to pass through. It is ROCK solid and will not shift on bumpy roads: ***** There are air vents at the two back corners (below the hinges) down low, it is imperative that these be kept open, don't allow cargo or a loose jacket to go down there and block them, or the unit can't cool.***** Note, on a Land Cruiser 200 the AIRBAG warning light will illuminate if you take out a rear seat, so the fix is to install a small resistor in the warning harness connector, the white one at the bottom of the above picture, to fool the computer into thinking that there is a seat installed there. There are instructions at a number of different LC forums, this is very common. Power comes from the center console round 12 volt socket when towing, and from the trailer when parked: ... https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/3247-how-to-external-solar-dc-power-cable-using-factory-furrion-port/ The compressor uses about 1 amp and cycles on and off, depending on the heat load, if you reduce that "delta T", the temperature difference between the cabin and the fridge, it will use less power. Add sunshields to south facing glass, park in shade, pop open the sunroof, etc. I normally use it as a freezer and keep stuff really cold, so it can be turned off for a few hours in the daytime or overnight and the contents will not thaw. Highly recommended for long trips, especially to places where food costs are high, or grocery stores are infrequent, like Alaska! https://www.arkportablepower.com/blogs/news/17808136-the-arb-fridge-freezer-and-battery-life-what-you-need-to-know John Davies Spokane WA

Hitching up to a heavy trailer with the tow vehicle at a severe angle will ALWAYS be very frustrating, because instead of worrying about just one axis (front to back) you have to struggle with a second one (side to side). When you reverse the TV straight back, the side to side part becomes irrelevant, or at least very small. Move back, when the ball is under the coupler, lower the coupler, make a little front to back adjustment with the TV, maybe kick the hitch or tongue slightly to shift it, clunk, it falls into place. At a severe angle, the slightest motion throws the ball out of alignment in TWO directions. The ball won’t drop down, or else the arm will not latch in place, and the slightest movement of the TV throws it all out of whack again. I spent fifteen minutes hooking up at the last site, which was a very short pull-through with a really tight curve. If I cannot avoid such a site in the future I will remove the whaletail and let it dangle from a 12” bungee cord while I maneuver into position, so the pin hole does not get cocked. When hitching, straighten out the rig and install the whaletail. I hope that made sense. What I described is true for any hitch, but the Andersen with its rotating pin makes things ten times worse. It can be a very frustrating piece of equipment even for somebody who has used one for years. I hate it. John Davies Spokane WA

Yes it is the shorty, the placement of the rear view mirror in the picture messes up that “instant recognition” the tandem axles give you for the LE2. The bigger trailer has that window sized area of gelcoat between the left two EQUAL SIZED main windows. It is so weird that we are even discussing this…. Phone pictures can fool you. I think we get used to the perspective distortion you get from the typical phone fisheye lens. It can be really hard to judge sizes. John Davies Spokane WA

Once in a long while, with the trailer on the ground, you might encounter a zerk that is reluctant to accept any grease. One thing you can try, take the weight off the suspension by raising up the trailer part way to “unload” it (this also happens when you remove the wheels and let the axles droop) - all the bushings will shift a little away from the bolts and maybe hopefully unblock the little grease hole in that bushing. Drilled “wet bolts” should be installed into their mounts with the inside cross hole(s) horizontal, but almost nobody pays attention to this. If the bolt has only one hole it could get blocked, if it has two holes opposite each other, the other will always be open. Engineers do not expect suspension to be lubed while on the ground, rather when it is up on mechanic’s lift….. I sure wish I had one of those. I spent may years lubing aircraft landing gear while they were up in the air. It sure is easier that way. It has been a couple of decades since I looked at a Dexter wet bolt, do they have one hole or two? John Davies Spokane WA

I could get through that in a five minutes with a battery powered saber saw.... the pin is hardened, which it should be, but "aircraft grade aluminum" will cut like butter. On second thought, make that 60 seconds per side, assuming a new blade and a fresh battery in my saw. Then the ball falls out. If the housing was forged steel it would be fine with a high quality padlock, not a $10 one. You have a 2" coupler, unless you specifically requested Service to upgrade it. John Davies Spokane WA

This is one reason I prefer to not use that kind of fitting, it is super easy to make a connection, so that is good for the production line, but it relies on an inner o-ring to make a seal, and if the end of the pipe is not cut at a perfect 90 degrees or is left with a sharp burr, it can fail later. They have no place in an RV that gets beat up during towing…. They are very expensive, but for an in-the-field emergency repair they make sense for most owners. Just do it correctly or it may not end well. A copper fitting with stainless crimp rings is much better, more compact and a tenth the cost (after you have bought the correct ratcheting crimper and a PEX cutter.) I am glad you got it fixed, but do not assume it will stay that way. 🙁 In the future if you get a significant leak turn off all shore power, 120 volts AC and water can be deadly. Use your regulator any time you connect to an unknown water source, even to fill the tank. A good adjustable “full flow” one with a gauge is better than the little brass thing that just restricts flow. Buy a BRASS 90 degree hose elbow, and place it so the regulator points towards the rear bumper, that will support the regulator and an inline Camco blue filter and keep it all off the ground and out of the dirt, while looking professional. It’s a big learning curve, hang in there! John Davies Spokane WA

EDIT, I was able to reserve my prime spot at a former FCFS campground today at Recreation.gov for three nights in early July. Even with a significant rate increase it was just $34.50 total (with the geezer pass) plus NO Online Reservation Fee, State Sales Tax, Discovery Pass (visitor pass) requirement or Just Because We Can Fee,. So the system is now up and running properly. Cool. John Davies Spokane WA

if you will still be around at the end of this month……. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5519-good-news-in-wa-corps-and-other-federal-campgrounds-will-be-opening-by-memorial-day-and-by-reservation-only John Davies Spokane WA

There are a bunch of very cool Corps of Engineers CGs in eastern WA, they have been mostly shut down completely or very limited in the number of available sites... The Lake Roosevelt National Recreational Area ones are going to be full reservation, and you be able to reserve the same day you arrive - as long as you have a cell signal! - which is a big change. These are nicely maintained and very cheap with the 1/2 off Geezer Pass, I just stayed at Kettle Falls CG four nights (pre-season) and it cost a total of $28. A whole lot of them used to be first come first served, which can be a huge problem in summer, because they are quite remote and it was risky in terms of finding a spot other than during mid-week. A 100% reservation policy means you can check availability at Recreation.gov and nail down a spot before you hit the road. https://www.nps.gov/laro/learn/news/update-on-camping-access.htm https://www.lrf.org/recreation/lake-guide I haven’t heard about Bureau of Reclamation or other Federal agencies, but I went by one BOR location near Othello several weeks ago and there was a landscaping crew hard at work cleaning up debris and cutting the grass, so I am very hopeful that they will reopen too.. All these are maintained with toilets and maybe showers, and dump stations, but no hookups. HIGHLY recommended, they are my favorites in Washington. The ones with boat launches are busiest. The ones without, and those in the upper reaches near Canada, are normally lightly used, especially when the lake level is low and the shores turn into sand banks. Kettle River COE (not yet open for camping) last week: View from across the river showing the typical Spring low water level, it should be near full pool height by July: Here is Kettle Falls CG: . These CGs are typically sparsely treed and cleared of undergrowth (unlike Wet Side campgrounds (Puget Sound) which tend to be lush, dark and buggy) and they can have decent solar exposure for at least a few hours, if you pick a spot carefully with a south or west exposure. Google Earth is your friend! A portable panel is helpful, and a generator. It can be very hot in the summer. John Davies Spokane Wa

Any old sharp bits or fine tooth metal blades or hole saws will be fine. Don't use coarse ones, or those intended for wood. TAPE THE AREA FIRST to prevent slips and foul language. I like the 3M blue masking tape, it can remain on for a week without getting hard to remove. Wear vinyl gloves, and use a coarse sandpaper afterwards to remove all the sharp bits, 80 grit wet or dry is fine. There is a reason it is called fiberGLASS! those shards can go under a fingernail or into your skin, and being transluscent, they can be hard to see and retrieve with tweezers. So it is best to avoid getting skewered in the first place. Drilled holes for screws should be countersunk slightly to remove the white gelcoat, otherwise it can crack and flake off when you drive in the screw. It is not at all hard, just take care and wear a mask for any dust. I like to place a shop vac hose close by, tape it to the surface if you need to, and run the vac while drilling. That will take care of 80% of the mess. Place some paper towels on the other side of the panel to catch debris that falls on that side, which is usually minimal for drilled holes, but it can be significant if you are using a jigsaw or sabersaw…. If the panel has a no core or a glass core, no worries; OTH if it has a wood core like the bathroom partition, you must seal the newly exposed wood to prevent moisture entry and rot. Several coats of marine spar varnish (clear) works great. Take a look at this thread, there are lots of holes there: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5301-how-to-lithium-battery-powered-vent-system/ Post pictures! John Davies Spokane WA

Buy a Coleman eggcrate pad, cut it in half lengthwise. Lay it along the inside of the awning, it gives you a very secure place to crawl around and do stuff. These arms REALLY help: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2791-how-to-solar-panel-extension-arms/ Secure your ladder with an old towel for padding, use rope or a couple of bungee cords to tie it to the awning so it doesn’t fall over and leave you alone and stranded without a phone on the roof !!!!! If you really clean the gelcoat, with solvent and a clay bar, followed by wax, it is slicker than snot, but the foam is grippy and makes it safe enough. John Davies Spokane WA

This just popped up on the Spokane Craigslist, though the bus is located in Idaho…. They did add a few little scraps of reflective tape, but no lights…. Classy interior…… https://spokane.craigslist.org/pts/d/spokane-converted-school-bus/7317466215.html Only in Idaho! I don’t want to sound too critical, but it does seem as if a whole lot of these extremely unsafe rigs are located in that state, which has no vehicle licensing standards of any kind. John Davies Spokane WA

I do not full time... Because they are mounted dead horizontal, rain or wash water pools and evaporates instead of draining, and the raised lip around the perimeter does not help. I tilted mine down one hole in the left brackets so they will drain a little better. After washing, I climb on a ladder and blast them dry with a leaf blower, followed by cotton towels to prevent hard water spots. Besides being very ugly and unaerodynamic, it is a stupid design for on top of an RV roof. I still love having them, but wish they were not there at other times. John Davies Spokane WA

https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2071-how-to-anderson-weight-distributing-hitch-center-frame-location/ John Davies Spokane WA

Thunderstorms topping out at an unheard of 64,000 feet resulted in huge hailstones.... Could an Ollie tolerate this destruction? I expect that solar cells would shatter. Imagine how LOUD it would be inside! https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9536427/Gargantuan-hailstone-measuring-six-inches-sets-Texas-record.html Are there any South Texas owners who can comment first hand? I am glad that I live in a relatively benign climate, there is only an occasional volcanic eruption every few centuries. John Davies Spokane WA

Cool, I count 11 but were there more to the right? When we collected “Mouse” in May 2017 there were just 4, parked on a scruffy gravel back lot.... John Davies Spokane WA

My game developer son loves the Raspberry Pi’s, he made me a Pi Hole ad blocker for my home network. It works very well, when we travel we both notice how many more ads appear, even with device ad blocker apps installed. Those Victron Energy cables are crazy expensive, aren’t they? 😬I do mods all the time and it is insane how much you can spend, especially when you have to buy hardware or other parts online in bulk quantities. I needed just two 2” white plastic hole plugs, but I had to buy 25 ... anybody need some? Thanks very much for your posts. I do suggest that you start a new one each time with the subject in the title; that would help other members to find the information..... not everybody reads every single post, like some of us with too much spare time. John Davies Spokane WA

Unfortunately building a “solo” trailer makes no market sense whatsoever, and in fiberglass it would be much more difficult than for a stick and staple one. If you want a solo Ollie you will have to make some mods yourself, you could start with an LE2 Twin and eliminate the street side bed, and add cargo tie down tracks there in place of the mattress. Oliver used to offer taller bed risers for more storage space underneath, but stopped doing that through lack of sales (I suspect). They still have the molds, maybe they could be persuaded to build and sell you a couple of them.... they would install easily with pop rivets. The LE2 has tons of built in overhead storage for one person, it can get a little tight for two. Eliminate the microwave and that gets you a big storage box. The “wasted space” does not have to stay wasted😬 John Davies Spokane WA.