John E Davies

An external port positive wire goes through a 10 amp fuse, then directly to the batteries, no controller is installed there. It is not connected to the roof panel circuit in any way. So you need to use a portable panel with its own onboard controller, then plug it directly into the outside port, or onto the battery terminals using clips. This is from an earlier manual, I don’t think the current one shows the port wires. The inline fuse is not shown here. If you wanted to use an unregulated panel, so that you can place it further away (less voltage drop), you would need to install a controller inside the trailer, between the port and the batteries. John Davies Spokane WA

I suggest a larger panel, so it can also be used when camping. A 20 watt panel is equivalent to a little 120 VAC battery tender, and it has zero usefulness at other times. Of course, theft is a risk so you need to factor that in. Your trailer has phantom electrical draws, that occur all the time unless you disconnect the batteries. The propane detector, for example, uses about 0.3 amps, day in, day out. So if you do get a small panel, disconnect the negative cables to eliminate those loads. I think Bill’s method, using the trailer 7 wire harness, is simple and will work OK, it requires very minimal skill at wiring. However, there is a very long wire run from there to the batteries, so the voltage drop means you don’t get the maximum amount of current. For simply maintaining the batteries, that doesn’t matter, but at other times, the leads should be connected as close to them as possible, and always use large wires... A small panel does not need any kind of charge controller, but a larger one does, so that adds a little expense. Here is a Furion adapter, it requires cutting and soldering wires. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M4RQ3X1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/3247-how-to-external-solar-dc-power-cable-using-factory-furrion-port/ John Davies Spokane WA

Those high numbers are the fuse and wire ratings, not the operating ones, to account for the initial start up surge as the motor gets going. That is a VERY brief surge. And that current is momentary and it varies with the time and load (brake hydraulic pressure), so in normal driving you will have intermittent pulses of much lower current. The no load current should be close to zero. There is probably a published figure for “stopped and waiting for a red light” current, it should not be very high, the amount probably varies with the brand of brake controller you have. FYI my Land Cruiser 200 Aux (charge) circuit is protected by a 40 amp fuse, I have no clue about the wire gauge but it should be appropriate for that rating. That does not apply to your Ollie 7 wire harness - you should definitely inspect them to make sure those wires are big enough. Trust, but verify! John Davies Spokane WA

You should have used something more dense 😬, I tried that today, I used two pieces of Coleman 1/2” eggcrate foam sleeping bag pad. I jammed them hard onto the intake opening (with the grill removed) and the sound definitely became deeper and more muffled. I launched my sound measuring app ..... https://apps.apple.com/us/app/decibel-meter-sound-detector/id1254994873.... and took some readings with the iPhone sitting on top of the curb side mattress, near the edge. With the grill open it was about 58 dBa. With it covered it was 52 dBa. That is a significant improvement! And that doesn’t include any inside sound insulating tiles or a tight fitting rubber gasket around a cover.... I think you might get close to a 10 dBa reduction, which is huge (half as loud). I had the front dinette cushion and hatch lifted and did not note any signs of straining from the fan motor. I found the specs on the return air for MY furnace (Suburban NT20SQ), they require 55 square inches located immediately in front of the unit. Oliver cut a 5”x10.5” hole. I know why they did that, but the furnace instructions are written for the typical stick and staple installation, where there is no huge volume of free air between hull sections to take advantage of... I did some more looking and thinking, and decided to leave the thing alone for now. If I replace the fridge with a DC compressor one I will consider adding the return opening there by the front door, with a custom insulated duct going down into the floor. I decided against cutting a big hole under the front dinette seat because I would lose too much valuable storage volume. John Davies Spokane WA

I have not had a reason to go back to Hohenwald, but if they would offer a disk axle upgrade with some extra travel, that could be retrofitted easily, I would probably hit the road ASAP. Any idea on when there will be an announcement? I have been waiting anxiously for five years...! Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

Here is an earlier thread. 2021 F150 John Davies Spokane WA

I don't get it. ?? John Davies Spokane WA

Does the fuel door open by hand, or must a remote release be operated? Is it possible for somebody to syphon out fuel with the factory setup ? That cap is a nice piece of equipment and I think the price is more than reasonable. Even if it is never actually stops vandalism, it will make you sleep better. You have so many other things to worry about with a modern diesel ☹️ John Davies Spokane WA

LOL, I did not mention that you should wait long enough for everything to come back up to room temperature. On a hot day four hours would be enough. I kinda thought that was obvious. But maybe not..l.. John Davies Spokane WA

The Ollie sensors are not internal. They can possibly be affected by gunk inside, but the sensors themselves certainly do not have that issue. For those of you who still use the black tank, if you think your sensor is acting flaky, dump a bag of ice cubes, not crushed ice, down the toilet when the tank is half full, immediately before you start towing. They will crash around inside, loosing all the deposits so they will go out the drain the next time. If you use the tank flush feature, this should not be necessary, maybe, perhaps. Do any of you also use a hand flush wand, from the top of the tank? Yuck. ☹️ John Davies Spokane WA

A 2100 pound car with about 80 bhp .... that sounds optimistic. I sure would not like to tow more than 2000 pounds with only drum brakes on any TV. Ford started installing them in the F series trucks that year, what a significant upgrade that was! Towing capability has come a long way, up to 11,300 pounds for a new F150. John Davies Spokane WA

That is good to know, thanks, what did you cover the grill cutout with? Cardboard? I was thinking that a 5/16” piece of HDPE plastic, with sound insulation inside it, cut to fit the hole shape, plus insulation in the rest of that vertical inside wall, would significantly lower the sound level. I would also add rubber seals around the outside to stop any leakage. Just covering the hole isn’t enough, it needs some acoustic sound baffling, like that stereo mat stuff you glue inside your car doors. But it needs to be able to stop high frequency sound, not those deep low frequency vibrations. John Davies Spokane WA

If it makes you feel better, do that, but the “bad” one isn’t really bad. 😬 I personally would not bother. John Davies Spokane WA

5 ounces of imbalance is not good, but it is actually acceptable for a heavy LT tire if it can be corrected with weights. A hopping wheel and tire will also wear out that shock absorber and the wheel bearings much faster. Did you have them check the spare? Even if you don’t rotate it wth the others, it would be good to know it was OK for a (possibly long term) emergency. https://blog.tirerack.com/blog/make-driving-fun-2/how-many-wheel-weights-are-too-many- The Cooper tire is about 32 pounds, the wheel is maybe 30 pounds? 62 pounds total, so 1% would be 0.62 pounds, or about 10 ounces of weights allowed, maximum. Who says math is no fun? If it took more than that amount, I would have them dismount and reposition the tire. If that won’t fix it, there is most likely something wrong with the tire itself. John Davies Spokane WA

Pat, go for it, I appreciate your safety concerns. Everyone who tows is personally responsible for his setup decisions. Just be aware that by using that all-inclusive industry standard for stick and staple trailers, which allows for worst case conditions like underinflated tires, worn out suspension, a weak and flexible frame and absolutely horrible aerodynamics, the tongue weight for a 7000 pound GVWR Ollie would be 700 to 1050 pounds. You would definitely need a different truck with higher reserve capacities, or order the smaller trailer. You can plan on leaving stuff at home, but travelling with empty tanks and minimal tools and camping equipment will get old really, really fast, especially if you hope to boondock with no hookups. A TW scale is a great tool, the Sherline 1000 is fine. You will also need to have access to a nearby commercial truck scales to measure the axle weight, most folks find that part a little difficult. The WD characteristics of the Andersen are well understood by those who use it. Compared to steel spring bars, it is minimal, and if you really tighten the chain adjusters to get some weight shift, it binds up the coupler and rapidly wears out the ball. It is NOT needed for sway, but OTH it is excellent for jounce control (which is the sole reason I continue to use it). John Davies Spokane WA

I actually meant multiple Forum FAQs, not a Sales FAQ. For member discussions here, John Davies Spokane WA

Classifieds should be open to all, I agree. As long as it doesn’t start to be overwhelmed with non-Ollie related stuff, like “seeking a new home for my cockatiel”...😬 that sort of thing should be dumped by a moderator. John Davies Spokane WA

I agree wholeheartedly. There seems to have been a huge increase of “new shopper” and “simply curious” threads and comments, which is NOT a bad thing! It was bound to happen as these wonderful trailers become less of a mystery to the general public - last year the “is that was some kind of Casita?” question I kept getting was replaced by “is that an Oliver?” There should also be FAQ threads stickied at the top of each sub-forum to collect some basic information, because Search is a problem. I still can’t find stuff! There should be a Bookmarks page accessed at each member’s page where that member can add links to a thread he started or to a specific comment in another member’s thread. I managed to create my own locked (no comments) page with the help of moderators, for my How To articles, but this should be easy for everyone to do. But OTH I would love to be able to operate inside a more protected layer, a sub-forum where those newcomers do not totally dominate the conversation by asking about fabric choices, delivery day, full timing, off topic, or general RV subjects that can be answered with a simple YouTube search. Make this protected Owners Forum readable by everybody, so the knowledge is shared, but only actual or ex-owners can start a thread and post comments there. Newbies would still be free to ask or comment directly by using Messages. Please, please! John Davies Spokane WA

FYI That particular unit operates at 1800 watts/ 120 VAC (15 amps!!!), so it should only be used on a shared 20 amp circuit (12 or 10 AWG wire), or at a minimum on its own 15 amp dedicated circuit (14 AWG wire), with its own 15A circuit breaker and NO other outlets. Even then, it might cause the breaker to nuisance trip. It would require rewiring the Ollie. Running one extra 12AWG cable to that location would not be a big deal, but replacing all the existing wires with a larger size would be, indeed! There are empty spots on the breaker panel, so it should be doable.... You should run this by Oliver Service, to get their advice and blessing. I suspect they will tell you to not do it. A typical large microwave is 1200 watts, a great BIG difference! BTW, it you want to use that Airfryer off the batteries and inverter, it will be a true Battery Killer. Be sure to get the lithium package, or alternatively make a big placard and tape it to the unit: "Shore Power Only!" John Davies Spokane WA

FYI: https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/road-tests/a10159528/the-mercedes-benz-gls450-is-a-shockingly-capable-tow-vehicle/ I still think the tongue weight will be a worry, but the payload should not, I checked the specs and it appears to be 1745 pounds. Does that match your door sticker? That is pretty impressive. I am actually a little shocked, my 2013 Land Cruiser has a 1295 pound limit, due to the wimpy soft factory suspension. Does your Merc have a stiff ride when it is completely empty? What kind of tires do you have? LTs will make it ride harsher, but will also stabilize it when towing in strenuous conditions. FYI, the tongue weight on my LE2 with the Oliver accessory tray relocated to the back and with 100 pounds of cargo, and full fresh tank and 30 pound propane bottles, is 480 pounds (down from the original 620 pounds). It tows fine.If you can keep your TW light, your Merc should be fine too. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/3263-how-to-move-the-factory-cargo-tray-to-a-rear-rack/ John Davies Spokane WA

That is a cool article, but don’t fall for the trap of using WHITE PVC pipe for the frame. Lots of RVers choose that because of its low cost, but it does not withstand UV exposure, so prolongued sunlight makes it very brittle. Instead use grey plastic electrical conduit, it is fine for prolongued UV exposure and it has about the same strength, I prefer the Schedule 80 over the thinner Sch 40. It is tougher and much more rigid for use where you want it to support a load, for which it was never intended....! John Davies Spokane WA

I am not sure how much space is at the floor directly under the closet and entry way, but there is plenty of room for airflow right in front of the grey tank. Regardless, I have already added a 4 inch round hole in the rear dinette wall and in the streetside bed wall, so combined they should be plenty adequate if I put a similar one in that space. BTW, does an Ollie inspector still put little smily faces on all the waste water connections, or was I just lucky? John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks for the pics, I will definitely put those extra holes on the far side of the hallway. John Davies Spokane WA

OK, maybe I should not type stuff before dawn. I went and looked.....My trailer Hull 217 has 10 scupper drains that I can locate. Each is about 1/2” diameter (it is really hard to tell, they are very recessed), so each one is about 0.2 square inches, or 2.0 sq in for all 10 of them. IMHO that is completely negligible in terms of air leakage, so I don’t think moving the furnace inlet across the hallway will freeze the belly parts at all. OTH, the open holes do allow dust entry inside, so it would be possible to add some rubber “duckbill” dirt bike airbox drains, as found on a Jeep forum. I added the annotations from that thread description. BTW that is a typo, it should read 1/2” nipple. p This would allow water to drip or pour out, and would prevent air and dust from being sucked back inside. I don’t know if those Honda parts are the last ones ever, or if they will be restocked soon. I asked the seller about that, and if he would combine shipping. It would not be a difficult mod, just time consuming, to drill out the rivets, seal the holes, and epoxy in place the nipples. And they would be a little vulnerable to rock strikes or getting knocked off while washing the trailer. (Rock strikes are not an issue for me due to Stone Stomper and other flaps). John Davies Spokane WA

Cooper AT3s are good, I am a Cooper fan normally, has anyone thought about a different model like the AT3 XLT? https://us.coopertire.com/tires/discoverer-at3-xlt It has more agressive sidewalls and much better stone protection, plus it looks great. It will be my next choice for my 200. I think matching ones on “Mouse” would be nifty. I am transitioning away from mud tires, I just don’t need that ultimate offroad grip much any more. John Davies Spokane WA