John E Davies

I would like to mention (again) that spending big bucks modifying a marginal tow vehicle is never prudent, unless, like your SC installation, the labor is free.... You never get back that very major expense, the extra parts are difficult or impossible to insure, and sometimes the vehicle becomes harder to sell. I have been down the modification rabbit hole once and I try very hard to never go there again. Unless there is a really really good reason to keep and modify a vehicle (for example a Land Cruiser which has been discontinued and is now sky rocketing in value), it always makes more sense to just trade it in on a newer and more suitable and (safer) one. This is part of my forum signature from a Land Cruiser forum (IH8Mud.com). It is my reminder to not do this again....😬 WRECKED AND TOTALLED 01/17 - 96 LX450, fully farkled. F.A.R.K.L.E. -- Fancy Accessory Really Kool Likely Expensive John Davies Spokane WA

Have you really stressed the trucklet yet? High altitudes, steep climbs, high temperatures, strong headwinds? If yours is the V6 then it will produce about 175 ft lbs torque at 10,000 feet.... No offense intended, I am sure it did OK getting from Tennessee to Texas, but towing conditions through the South are low and flat, and that does not stress anything. John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks for posting! This is not at all uncommon, https://www.practical-sailor.com/blog/antifreeze-ethylene-glycol-vs-propylene-glycol I wonder how the plastic water fittings are affected? This is perhaps a good reason to use compressed air for a major system purge, and then add a little pink stuff to just the outside ports and inside sink and shower traps. John Davies Spokane WA

SeaDawg, the way I understood jjbhm’s post, he was asking about upgrading TO a Pilot, but if he already owns one, then yes, it would be OK to get the Ollie home, but not a “good” choice for long term . Maybe he can clarify.... John Davies Spokane WA

Welcome to the forums. You need more reserve capacity, say 6500 pounds or more. A fully loaded LE1 will max out the Pilot, and that doesn’t include any of your payload inside the trucklet. The LE1 is a heavy little tank, it needs a good sized SUV (preferably IMHO a body on frame one like a Tahoe) or a half ton pickup truck to pull it well and safely under strenuous conditions. John Davies Spokane WA

I am camped at Kettle Falls (Lake Roosevelt COE) campground and the solar exposure is not great in the afternoon due to trees, so I set up the Renogy panel in a bright spot using 40 feet of cable. No worries, I am seeing a steady 6.5 to 6.8 amps, and the big rooftop ones are only putting out half that, and it is highly variable. Yay, I am pleased. Highly recommended mod! John Davies Spokane WA

I think this warrants a bunch of pictures or better yet, a video....😀 John Davies Spokane WA

If you will be near Othello (Hwy 26) and want a delightful spot for the one or two nights, go SE about ten miles and check out Scooteney Reservor CG (Bureau of Reclamation). It is a popular fishing spot, with lots of wild birds, the campground is a GEM and gorgeous but no hookups and no reservations, but mid-day on a weekday you will find a spot. It has toilets and a dump station, and some shade. It was CLOSED all last year, we went by a couple of weeks ago and it was still closed, but a crew was furiously clearing downed branches and cutting the grass, so it may be open now. Call their contact number to find out. NW of Othello is the Columbia National WLR and also Potholes State Park, with lots of interesting scenery and birds. Going further north that way gets you into lots of Missoula Flood features (channeled scablands), Banks Lake and the Sun Lakes/ Dry Falls SP..... and eventually to the Grand Coulee Dam area. Palouse Falls is cool, but only if you are nearby, it is in the middle of nowhere and the CG is tents only. It swarms with people on holidays. If you wanted to venture into ID toward I90 there are lots more things to do, the ID state parks are very nice, Heyburn especially at the south end of Lake Coeur d'Alene, it has the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes rail trail, if you stay at their WEST CG you can easily bike to the long trestle that crosses the lake to Harrison, (ice cream, burgers) then on up the river valley as far as you can pedal... Shoot me a Message if you have specific questions, I will be camping this week but should have cell connectivity. John

Where on the Palouse? There are not a lot of camping options, it is 98% wheat fields. Plus the USFS campgrounds in Idaho are still mostly closed.... Tell me what your route will be and maybe I can advise..... It should be pretty, everything is turning green now. Walla Walla is worth a stop if you go that way, it has a nice downtown and lots of wineries. Steptoe Butte State Park near Colfax is way cool for photography if the clouds are dramatic (shadows and sun breaks on the hills). This is NOT my picture: There are some possibilities further north around Coeur d’Alene and Spokane, do you like state parks? Rail trails? John Davies Spokane WA

Welcome, are you aware that there is a nearly new LE1 in the Classifieds here that you could drive home from TN next week? https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5369-2021-elite-1-—-60000-firm-—-serious-inquiries-only-please-—-loaded-with-options/ I am a big fan of Northern Lites, though I never owned one, post a pic of your current one please! John Davies Spokane WA

How do you get them out, do you also use a big washer under each head? When I tie down a newly planted tree I use 1/2” x 24” long rebar, driven in with a hand sledge hammer, and after a year you can’t budge them, except if you clamp a big vice grip pliers onto one and rotate it vigorously, it will pop right out of the ground.... So maybe I should upgrade to rebar😜 But I am trying to not have to bring a whole arsenal of heavy tools. It’s interesting how an odd subject like tent pegs can get such varied responses, I thought it would be one of those “dead” threads that makes you embarrassed that you started it. John Davies Spokane WA

EDIT 05/10/21: related thread: ... https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/3247-how-to-external-solar-dc-power-cable-using-factory-furrion-port/ Some background.... most panels will come with “industry standard” MC4 connectors, which can be used with up to 10 AWG wire and are waterproof. But if you have one disconnected and drop it in the dirt it will fill with crud, so you would need to spray that out with contact cleaner or alcohol. Anderson Powerpoles are used extensively in ham radio and other applications, they are not at all waterproof, but they are self cleaning by design, the spring loaded contacts "wipe" each other when you plug them in. They are more compact and they are color coded. The connectors are goof proof, they cannot be plugged in backwards. For this application the 30 amp bonded pair connectors are appropriate for the wire size. You must use their ratcheting crimper or a version of it. I replaced every existing MC4 connector with the Powerpoles. My 100 watt Renogy solar suitcase came with the PWM controller mounted on a hinged flap, this is perfectly fine if the panel is to be used say 10 feet away, but you cannot place it much further because resistance losses along the wires will reduce the charging voltage at the batteries. The controller reduces the 18 to 20 volt panel voltage to say 14.5 volts, and it is less at the trailer. Ideally the controller should be located RIGHT at the batteries, and the panel itself can be far away. The (almost) full panel voltage is delivered to the controller, and at that point the controller reduces that value to charge your system. How far away you can place it depends on the wire gauge, the bigger the wire, the less voltage drop along the run (you must calculate the two wires as a pair, the "in and back" distance). I happened to have some of these neat MTM in-safe storage boxes, the small size fits beautifully. The price is for three, they also have a 12" long version if you want a little more internal volume). I mounted the controller using long 1/8" pop rivets with washers. I drilled a couple of 3/8" holes at each end so the cables could be fed through and the lid closed. It is not at all waterproof, but it is splash proof. The controller itself is advertised as "rainproof". (Older versions were NOT.) I color coded the connectors with self adhesive heat shrink tubing so that when swapping them it would be clear which was which. I modified my existing Furrion solar port harness (used with my ARB fridge in the truck) by splicing in a short pigtail. The wire is 12 AWG solar cable, for exterior use. It is very tough but not very flexible. In this pic, the solar panel is 20 feet away, and the controller box is tucked up on top of the front tire, for rain protection and so it won't get stepped on. The BAT lead is fully extended (not coiled inside). The charging section for my ARB fridge is coiled up when not needed (or it could be used as an extra 5 foot extension, if the fridge is not being used): Or the box can be placed on the ground: Or connected directly to a battery using the supplied alligator clips. You can add an additional 20 feet of cable, 40 feet total, it doesn't affect the charging amps.: I added strain relief ties to reduce stresses on the screw connections. Everything, including the extension cables, fits in the folded unit. I will hopefully get to test this in a few days, I will be camping in a shady site, if the sun shines I can try it out. John Davies Spokane WA

John Davies Spokane WA

Overland, do you have a case for your hammer? This one? John Davies Spokane WA

I think I will get some of their stakes and the hammer, it is too cool, and read this..... I had no idea! https://www.snowpeak.com/blogs/explore/the-peg-hammer-story John Davies Spokane WA

Those look great, but they say to oil them after use to prevent rust, do you do that? I like the hammer too but I am not going to spend that much cash on one.... Thanks, John Davies Spokane WA

I usually find stones or rocks to lay on top of my ground cloth near the front door, but on the last trip there were NO rocks of any kind, just the heavily compacted gravel site pad. I have a bunch of the plastic sand stakes and the little aluminum stakes that are from an old tent, which bend over when they encounter a rock.... What do you use to anchor a tarp or fancy rug into gravel? Do you add a loop of rope to each to help pull it back out? I found these: .... SE Heavy-Duty Metal Tent Pegs Stake Set (10-Pack) (Strange Amazon pricing, order 20 for just $1 more...) I know this is a weird topic, please comment. I don’t know why I didn’t figure this out in say 1970..... John Davies Spokane WA

I just want to throw this out for your consideration. A long day trip, ten hours with the engjne running. A Redarc charger will give you around 110 amp hours, day or night. Your standard solar may give you double that.... unless it’s overcast or night time. Working together in full sun they will give you up to 300 AH..... I think the DC to DC charger is a must have for anybody with lithiums, simply because it provides a decent amount of reliable power, regardless of weather conditions that will disable any solar device. And I am not saying that because I just installed one😬 OTH the regular 12 volt power wire from many TVs (but not a Land Cruiser!) will sort-of charge them, say to 70%. Better than nothing IMHO, especially if you have rooftop solar to assist. John Davies Spokane WA

If you install a DC fridge you will need a better way to recharge. For your gas fridge, use the propane mode when towing, but always be aware of the wind direction when refueling at a gas station. I have done this forever and have yet to blow something up. You can fix the lack of TV charging for the factory lithium batteries relatively easily, but you have to be able to fabricate a mount and run wires or hire somebody to do it. If your TV has a “smart” alternator you have to run a small gauge voltage sense wire all the way up to the engine bay, but most TVs do not require this. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5270-how-to-redarc-dc-to-dc-11-amp-output-trailer-charger-installation/ Consider a separate DC compressor fridge located inside your truck, it will be very useful for stocking extra supplies. I carry a mid-sized ARB one for any trip longer than two weeks. I haven’t camped at over 8000 feet, but so far the gas fridge (running on propane) has been fine, even going over 10,000 foot passes. Run with what you have before getting too worried about upgrading..... John Davies Spokane WA

Very nice. I love working with aluminum. Are you OK with the ground clearance under the receiver? Does it look as if it or the cargo box will drag? FYI if you remove and store the spare tire cover, you may be able to mount the receiver on top and still be able to remove the spare, you just have to unscrew the big all-thread retaining rod to allow the wheel and tire to roll to one side. This pic shows how it just clears my fixed rack. John Davies Spokane WA

I think a portable unit is a great accessory, but ONLY if you have the rooftop array. As a stand alone charger it is really limited, because while you are towing, obviously there is no solar charging! So you might miss twelve hours of charging at up to 20 amps, until the time you arrive at camp, and THEN you have to hope you can find a clear spot for your portable unit, and the day is ending or the sun has gone behind a mountain. Your tow vehicle, as the trailer is delivered, will not do it. With a roof array, your system will always be operating, even when you fire up the inverter and microwave at a lunch stop, to keep the system as fully charged as possible. There is no shade on a highway to block them. Buy the roof panels, then if you feel they are a little lacking, buy a small portable panel, and put the controller inside the Ollie if you want to tweak that device’s performance. John Davies Spokane WA.

Adding pics..... I am not sure what is the current model, this is mine: I found a Beckson cowl vent that might work OK, but unfortunately the downhill slope (like that A Liner!) will cause it to fill with water or leaves. So maybe a simple piece of angle would be best.... Comments? John Davies Spokane WA

Actually I don’t like traveling with the Maxx Air vent raised, unless it is wide open it flops around and gets battered by gusty crosswinds on the highway. I plan to add ventilation to below the closet door, to the closet/ bathroom wall, and to the bathroom divider wall itself, so I can get air through those areas with the glass door closed. I would leave two rear windows cracked open for air in the back. I think a hefty piece of aluminum angle, shaped nicely and bolted down a couple of inches in front of the bath vent, would work fine, but it isn’t at all aerodynamic. But neither is that massive solar array! It needs a fairing too. John Davies Spokane WA

For the vent, has anybody installed a small plastic one, or perhaps made one from aluminum angle? I would like to be able to tow with it OPEN without having dried insect carcasses pile up inside the front of it, they are really hard to excavate! I would prefer something very small and aero, but have not seen such a product. A-liners come with a smoked plastic one but they are really too wide: Something similar to this marine cowl vent would be elegant: Also, has anyone done anything about the outside front edges of the solar panel, to cover the milled grooves and make it easier to “de-bug”? I was thinking some thin polished stainless strips bonded with VHB tape would look good and also would clean up easily. They would also resist the occasional wayward rock strike better than the soft aluminum.... Thanks, John Davies Spokane WA

https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/search/?q=tpms&quick=1 https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2482-review-tire-traker-tt-500-tpms/ John Davies Spokane WA