John E Davies

LOL, “infamous” thank you very much, now I feel like a bank robber. That is the rear circuit breaker panel installed in the street side of the rear overhead compartment AKA “the attic”. If you don’t have that particular unit (it is extremely high quality and about $220) then there is probably something very similar. Take a look and let us know, maybe post a pic..... John Davies Spokane WA

Cool, I have not seen those. I don’t think the price is at all out of line, mainly because an owner could install one in his driveway with just a hand drill and some basic tools. Plus move it to a new truck later, without any hassles except for the holes in the old bed floor. If I had a Ford SD 3500 7.3 gas engine I would get one, but not for a 2500 or 1500..... but you would need to travel with a doberman in the bed to prevent theft. And I am not sure how well that would play with a canopy, it would need active vents. John Davies Spokane WS

Have you actually seen bed tanks that are rated for gasoline? I never have, and even the under bed models are few and far between for gas trucks, due to our harsh emissions laws. There are three auxiliary tanks for my Land Cruiser 200 - a 12 gal over the spare, and a 24 gal and 40 gal which replace the spare tire. All of those are Australian imports, and they start at $2000 plus a full days labor. The bigger tanks require a new rear bumper to carry the spare tire, plus suspension and tire upgrade to carry the extra weight. As much as I would love to increase my capacity by 163%, I won’t be buying one any time soon. I have been down that “Overland vehicle prep” rabbit hole before. It is a great way to lose a whole lot of money, at resale, or if the vehicle gets totaled and the insurance company baulks at paying for all the extra accessories, even if you declared them. https://longrangeamerica.com/prod/tlc200ra-40g/ This is why I carry 10 gallons of gas on the back of the Ollie...... Only once have I come reeeeealy close to running dry - “Cruising Range 2 Miles” - and it was comforting to know I could syphon a can into the truck to get me to a station. John Davies Spokane WA

You need another tow vehicle, yours is unsuitable for even the small Elite (5000 pounds). It would pull even the biggest Casita (2500 pounds), but the serious reliability and servicing issues (while traveling) would remain a constant hassle. It’s just too small and too weak for an Ollie. John Davies Spokane WA

I have two thoughts..... and you will be upset. Every time you want to adjust the pressure, you will have to empty out the gear in front of that access opening. I carry my generator on that side, secured with a cable lock to the seat bracket. With my extended lines, I let them lie on top of it, along with the pump and gauges. (I don’t even have to drop the lower gate to get to them.) So your valve location is going to be either a very minor hassle or else a really big inconvenience, depending on what you normally have stored there. Next, and this is important, the bags ride inside the coil springs, unlike with a leaf spring setup, so Firestone recommends keeping air in them at all times to prevent damage from pinching. It is an unfortunate risk with this design. If one of my lines leaks and I do not catch it right away, I may have one wrecked bag to replace. But I would notice the truck leaning to that side, so hopefully I could repair the leak ASAP before any damage occurs. With both lines teed together, both bags will deflate and you will have no visual way of knowing it. Then you will have to fix two trashed bags, because you will have driven on them too long. You might not even know they have failed until your next trip, when you try to increase the pressure. The first problem might make you mutter bad words every single time you have to struggle to get access. The second problem will really make you swear, if you experience a leak and have to have them both changed. My recommendation is to take it back, and get it corrected. At the very least have an extension added at the current valve location, but ideally it would have two hoses from two bags with no added joints anywhere. If he does add splices they MUST be located where they are easy to access and to troubleshoot (spray with soapy water to look for leaks). For a pickup truck, a single valve located in the rear bumper would be just OK, but not if there was a heavy camper installed, because you could not level it side to side.... IMHO a good tech should have known that this would be a bad installation for an SUV with coil springs, but at the very least he should have asked you. So he failed twice. Darn it.... I am really sorry that I did not make these comments earlier.😢 John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks for posting, some of the locations are a complete mystery to me. It is helpful to add an “annotation” text description in those cases. This is disheartening, I would have expected better than this Rat’s Nest. That looks just how mine did in 2017.... including way too long cables. And this? Does installing the black dump valve angled across the middle of the ONLY decent storage area in the front of the trailer make any sense at all? This is what mine looks like, the valve is hard up against the rear wall. And mine came with smily faces everywhere (inspection marks)... If I had a new trailer with that black valve location and a Natures Head, removing the thing would be my very first mod. Kinked duct means a cold bathroom: And WTH? This is just sad - the sealant should go on the bolt shank and underneath the washer, not globbed on top after installation. Oh well, if wishes were fishes we would all cast nets. At least there are still things to complain about, if these trailers were perfect, what would we talk about except tow vehicles, grills and campsites?😬 John Davies Spokane WA

The problem with a regular RV male plug is that it doesn’t have a lock ring, so all the stress is on those weak, soft plastic and brass inside parts. So traveling with one of those connected is not at all good for it, nor is it good for the generator connection! I found a good marine cord, 12 feet long. I doubt that anybody makes one shorter with the correct marine plug. Marinco 30A 12 feet John Davies Spokane WA

It would work, but I think it would be not be prudent for many safety reasons. Plus portable generators are not designed to be running while in motion. You could possibly damage the engine, but some folks do get away with it. https://campergrid.com/running-rv-generator-while-driving/ In your shoes, I would try to stop nearby before arrival, and run the generator and AC while stationary, then shut it down and proceed. There is no reason you couldn’t do it during the day at rest stops too. That will give you a head start on getting rid of the thermal load. Traveling with a couple of windows cracked open helps, but not if it is dusty! I won’t tow at highway speed with any roof vents open. John Davies Spokane WA

Welcome, I agree about TN parks, they are nice, but it is too bad about your retirement... you could have moved here and fixed ours. 😬 John Davies Spokane WA

New related threads started here: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5270-how-to-redarc-dc-to-dc-11-amp-output-trailer-charger-installation/ and here: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5301-how-to-lithium-battery-powered-vent-system/ Thanks, John Davies Spokane WA

John, thanks for the kind words, the pink stuff just looks dorky and crude, I suppose it could be covered completely in heavy aluminum tape. but it would be tricky and time consuming to completely cover all the openings and cutouts. Plus it is soft, and susceptible to dents. I don’t know of an affordable material that would function better. Of course, I will probably be the only person to see it, and the next owner can take it out if it is too pink.... It should work very well at blocking heat transfer from direct sunlight. It will be interesting to see what kind of temps are shown on my monitor, and what effect the fan will have when turned on in inclement weather. John Davies Spokane WA

Battery door - plug holes and add insulation. This did not work out well, I am not very satisfied with the results, but I will post pics anyway. Maybe somebody can suggest a better solution. 1/2" foam board would be much easier to fit, but the insulation value is not so good. The material is Dow Corning rigid foam board, 1 inch thick, which weighs essentially zero pounds. This stuff is incredibly light. $20 for a 4' x 8 ' sheet at Home Depot. It is fire retardant, which is important. For comparison, this is R-5 (insulating value) whereas a typical foil/ air bubble sheet, which is used extensively in an Ollie, is R-1. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Owens-Corning-FOAMULAR-150-1-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-R-5-Scored-Square-Edge-Rigid-Foam-Board-Insulation-Sheathing-20WE/207179253 It can be cut easily with a VERY sharp razor knife, and rough edges can be rapidly sanded smooth and contoured with a bench top belt sander and coarse 80 gr belt. WEAR A MASK. BTW it is indeed completely waterproof, I soaked a piece for 12 hours to make sure. I had to wedge it in place, it pops out like a cork otherwise: Cut four hole plugs to seal off the existing openings. (My door has 8 holes, yours may vary.) Cut them in half: Glue them into the holes with clear RTV sealant, some will squirt out through the front Perko vents. Remove that excess with alcohol and paper towels: Wait at least a full day and then trim off the excess foam and sealant flush with a razor blade: SUPPORT the door with something, a 30 inch high rolling work table fit perfectly, and it gave me a nice place to put tools and materials... Remove the support cable. Cut the foam. This is pure trial and error, because it has to fit past the rubber seals, and also have extra material removed to clear the battery tray and knob, and the support cable, and the lumps and bumps on the door itself. Take your time, trim a little, test the fit, trim some more. It should fit as closely as possible, for maximum insulation value, yet allow the door to close easily without stressing it. I used a router bit in a drill press to carefully carve out areas that needed clearance. Be sure to allow some room for rivet tails! When you are satisfied with the fit, clean and smooth the parts and use 3 M VHB tape to secure it to the door. I used 1/4" wide tape placed vertically, so any water leaking past the rubber seal will drain straight down. Add some weight and go take a long break: Remove any weights or clamps. Seal the edges with clear RTV sealant. Use tape as shown to leave clean lines. Reattach the support cable. BTW when trimmed as shown in the top pic, the airflow from the fan underneath the tray is not blocked. EDIT: Leave several small gaps in the sealant at the inside (bottom edge when closed) so moisture can drain out. John Davies Spokane WA

Battery fan wiring and switch. I used the supplied adapter cable and simply cut its 3 pin connector off and butt spliced the wires to a new 18 AWG red/ black wire pair. I secured the connector at the bottom of the battery compartment wall, forward of the inverter: Power comes via a 1 amp inline fuse connected to the rear DC bus. I mounted a switch next to my Victron BMV-712 Smart battery monitor display, below the pantry counter top. An additional ground wire is needed if the switch has an LED (this one is blue, to match the Victron backlighting): Finally, an instruction placard for a future owner or an RV service tech. This is laminated and taped on the rear wall of the battery compartment, and a copy is in the Owners Manual: John Davies Spokane WA

Battery box cooling fan. This one is high quality and well regarded. It has sealed ball bearings and uses just 70 milliamps (0.07 amps), so it can run as long as needed. Flow rate is 38 cfm on high, they supply two dropping resistor harnesses if you want to slow it down to reduce the sound level. It is pretty quiet, though a light sleeper on that side of the trailer might want to turn it off at night. But it is “white noise” which sometimes you do want..... Noctua Fan I really wanted the fan to go in the bottom at the rear wall, so it was centered between the two electronics compartments. The problem is that the floor of the box is not fiberglass honeycomb as I thought, rather it has a hard (6061?) 1/8" aluminum diamond plate bonded in the center! So cutting a large opening was a challenge. If you have access to a scroll saw (pivoting head) it is easy enough. Otherwise, choose to locate the fan at the bottom edge of the rear wall instead! That is thin (1/'8") fiberglass. Screws are 5mm, and are double nutted so that the heads will stick up enough to use as "grab handles", for servicing: John Davies Spokane WA

Battery box intake vents. Originally I wanted aluminum louvered vents, so I could paint them white to blend in, but the ones I bought turned out to be way too flimsy. They would have been destroyed by a wayward kick. I ended up with these and am fairly satisfied. They are sturdy and very pretty. Unfortunately they need trimming and the addition of two more mounting holes, so they would pull down tight and flat. Drilling stainless is possible, a drill press makes it less frustrating. It requires a lot of pressure on the bit. Use a 4" hole saw or a jigsaw to cut the holes in the fiberglass. I placed one under the rear bed and one under the rear dinette seat, centered front to back and up/ down. The center is approximately 9 " off the floor. Even though sanded smooth, the edge was pretty dangerous, so I used 1/4" split loom to protect fingers. I added a blob of silicone on each protruding screw tip. In the future I plan to add third vent at the bottom of the closet door opening. John Davies Spokane WA

Battery box exhaust vents. Qty 3 - Perko 51840 Chrome plated brass (same part used on the battery door factory vents) ... https://www.go2marine.com/perko-ventilator-vent Make a template - there are a lot of holes to drill: The 4 mounting holes can be sized for 1/8" rivets (not recommended) or number 6 sheet metal screws. Choose the correct size for your fasteners! I chose screws. The front and back vents go here: You will be staring at these for a long time, so be very sure the holes are perfectly straight, measure thrice, cut once. Don't use a bubble level, measure up to the joining line. Here is the reason you can't position it higher: Deburr the holes CAREFULLY with 80 grit sandpaper (wear gloves or you will drive glass shards into your fingers), do not scratch the surrounding gelcoat!!!! Install the Perko cover. Repeat these steps for the rear wall. The optional factory granite countertop keeps the seat cushion slightly away from the wall in this position. If yours does not have the optional ones, the front vent will be blocked with the cushion as shown here.. Here is a view inside the compartment, looking back at the INSIDE of the rear vent. Notice you cannot position it higher or the screws will not clear the top: The third vent goes in the center of the inside wall, directly below the pantry shelf. Having three vents means that one blocked vent (a pillow for example) will not significantly affect the airflow. Finally, there need to be holes in the TOP of the battery box, to let air out from that space. Since I mounted a fan in the bottom, at the very back, I chose to place them in front, so air would move below and across the batteries, leaving no "still air" pockets. All other openings in the box should be sealed with heavy aluminum tape or a similar product. There is plenty of space on top of the box for air movement: John Davies Spokane WA

Lithium batteries are happiest when they are not subject to extreme temperatures. The Oliver battery box has vent holes in the door, but the actual "container" itself is sealed tight, and the area above and around it is a dead end air space; there is no way to get the heat out in summer, or to get warm cabin air in during winter. I wanted to get good airflow through this space, with natural (convective heat flow) and forced (computer fan) movement. Another benefit is that the air flows from the open cabin space and through the two electronics compartments, cooling the hot accessories that are installed there. Like the battery box, those spaces have no natural airflow - they get hot in summer and cold in winter. This will help to moderate those temperature swings. Here is how I did it on Hull 218. FYI, to the best of my knowledge the factory lithium package does not include any kind of venting to the cabin interior, though an electric heating pad is included. Please comment if this is incorrect! John Davies Spokane WA

I found a possible way to eliminate the Blue Sea 5376 rear circuit breaker LED lights. Has anybody tried this? I started a Service Ticket asking about disabling the lighting. EDIT - Service says that removing that lighting wire will work. It should be simple enough (remembering to cap or insulate the loose hot wire).... Thanks, John Davies Spokane WA

Has anybody messed around with this? I am trying to get my unknown loads completely eliminated or reduced. I want to be able to run ONLY the Natures Head toilet fan off the lithium batteries, to keep the bacteria happy. I don’t want to keep plugged into shore power with the converter running because that is not great for the battery health, and it is stored indoors, so no solar. For example... these are the current readings on my VictronConnect app: Phantom (no known loads): 0.12 amps Toilet fan ON: 0.16 amps (+0.04) Propane detector ON: 0.21 amps (+0.05) - Solution: added a manual power switch. Stereo ON: 0.36. amps (+0.15) - Solution: turned off circuit breaker in rear overhead closet. I found these possible extra reductions: Redarc DC to DC charger: 0.01 amps - Solution: turn off its circuit breaker Blue Sea overhead circuit breaker LED lighting 0.01 amps - requires opening the unit and cutting wires. Not practical. Any other possibilities? I have pulled fuses and tried all sorts of things, I still cannot figure out where that extra power is going. The Victron BMV-712 Smart Battery Monitor uses just 0.001 amp. I am getting there, I was at 0.36A and am now at 0.15A with just the toilet fan turned on. Maybe I should call that good...? Am I anal? No need to answer that one.... I suppose I should be out camping. EDIT: 0.15 amps x 24 hrs x 30 days = 108 amp hrs per month. So it would flatten my 200 AH bank in two months. Sure I can keep recharging it, but I would rather not just keep adding cycles. Maybe I will rewire the NH circuit, as suggested by a member, and power that “keep alive” wire with the master switch turned off. John Davies Spokane WA

It is not a simple answer, it depends on a lot of things. When the brakes quit working (the autoadjust brakes are prone to, well, not autoadjust) or the bearings start showing signs of distress (like dry rumbling sounds, excessive heat, play in the hub or outright failure) or you have simply worn out the linings from not having a diesel TV (or not using your gears in a gas one). Or you are headed out on a really long and important trip with few services. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2778-brakes-auto-adjust-vs-manual-adjust-what-are-the-differences/ In my case one Dexter inner seal failed two years ago on a local trip. The brake shoes got contaminated with oil and started grabbing so badly at the slightest application that the tire would skid on concrete below fifteen mph. Backing way off on the controller was the only way to proceed, which means essentially no trailer brakes for the rest of the trip... So I installed new brakes on that axle and installed new Timken seals on all of them. Now I am at 16,000 trailer miles with the OEM bearings and it is time to freshen everything. If you have an older Ford Power Stroke 6.0 you may be familiar with the term “bullet proofed” engine. They have some really serious design flaws but they can be made reliable with certain upgrade$$$$$ and continued use of potion$. That is what I am doing, making the drum brakes as good as they can be for short term reliability. Replace just backing plates or also replace the hubs? New linings will eventually work with slightly worn drums, but it will take a lot of miles before they work well, since the diameters do not match (the shoes touch entirely in the middle). Putting new linings in very worn drums is never wise. And most shops will insist on all new parts at full retail prices so they will function reasonably well when the trailer leaves the shop - shops hate warranty returns! The fix for long term reliability and easy DIY maintenance is di$k brake$$$$. I hope you understand my humor. And I hope you are not paying shop labor for all this. John Davies Spokane WA

Is there a retail website? The only one I found is for manufacturers, dealers and repair shops. I would love to order at wholesale, but I have no affiliation with a shop. The closest Textrail dealer is near Boise, almost 300 miles away. Thanks, John Davies Spokane WA

I need to rebuild one axle before I head up to Alaska in the Fall, I already did the other one due to a seal leak (and I swapped the brakes for the much more reliable manual adjust type). I would love to install disk brakes but that is not going to happen for a while. I blew my Ollie Ca$h Re$erve already over the winter, big time. 😥 I need to order a pair of manual adjust brake assemblies and 2 hub assemblies. I found these. And these: They ship FREE and the cost is a whole $100 less than the same exact OEM parts from eTrailer.com. Any other suggestions, or is this a winner? FYI I will install really good Timken bearings, races and seals, and use really good grease. Thank you. John Davies Spokane WA

We will go nowhere near the Big Parks on the way up, we have seen them (and canoed on Lake Louise), but we will pass through there on the way back if we take the eastern route. We want to cover lots of miles each day going up, so we can take it easy in AK. Coming back down will depend on lots of things, but we hope to do some wandering then. It is looking like an earlier departure from Washington will be prudent. Thanks for all the comments. John Davies Spokane WA

I am considering bringing a second dismounted truck tire, for just this reason, if I do slash a sidewall and end up using the main spare, I could have that other tire mounted and put it back under the bed. Otherwise I will have to wait and find a replacement, which would be expensive and require a trip to a city, and locating a matching size and brand would be harder. And all this is a huge hassle and $$$. I am guessing that many of the small towns in the boonies have a tire store or repair shop that could mount it. (???) Airing down the tires really helps to reduce flats but that won’t stop a spike or a big knifelike shard of stone. What do you think of the timing, should we leave WA a week earlier and brave the Labor Day holiday crowds? Unfortunately the Canadians also celebrate on the same Monday.... Thanks, everybody. John Davies Spokane WA

I have been rethinking a revolver, and your comment reinforces that. I can shoot, it just really hurts my joints from the brutal recoil. But I think that would be a minor issue if charged by a brown bear... I may look for an inexpensive Taurus 44 (4” barrel, 45 ounces of steel, ported barrel, $500 street price) and ship it direct to this place in Tok. It can go by medium USPS flat rate box each way, $25 including $600 of insurance, they charge a $30 fee (senior discounted by $5) at their end to receive and hold it, and then they resend it for $30 plus shipping when I depart AK. Plus whatever the gun shop charges at my end to handle it. But an actual FFL transfer is NOT needed and specialized shipping is not needed if I ship to myself C/O the destination store. It would be much easier if they would just rent out these things for a month.... but I could either sell the Taurus there as I left the state, or do that here after it gets back to WA. https://alaskagunshipping.com/shipping-your-handgun-alaska/ OTH, it would cost just Canada$25 to bring my rifle, and the permit is good for 60 days, and multiple border crossings. Did you see folks strolling along with slung long guns, or would that look too odd on a Valdez bike path? John Davies Spokane WA