csevel
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Posts posted by csevel
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Coming from a Casita, I can tell you that you in no way will be dissapointed. My ILOVHER has been a joy to own and so far, I'm extremely pleased! Congratulations and Welcome to the Familty 🙂
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2 hours ago, Boonter Jeff said:
Since Tundras are being discussed, I thought I’d put my two centavos in. We have a 2008 with the 5.7l engine and tow package. I got it to pull a boat which probably weighed 8000 pounds or so including trailer. The boat was wider and longer then the Ollie II. The truck never cracked a sweat though I didn’t enjoy pulling something that big, hopping curbs in filling stations, etc. With our current trailer - Casita 17, I can almost forget its back there. We have hull 1227 coming in August and I intend to start out with the Tundra. I’ve owned Fords, Chevies, and Dodge pickup/service trucks. The Tundra has been, hands down, the most reliable and comfortable truck that I’ve owned. We do spend a lot of time out here in the West with mountain passes, etc. and we are getting the Anderson sway hitch. I am a cautious driver and go slow. That being said if the truck doesn’t seem to be a good fit, we’ll do something different but I hope to get a few more years out of it 🙂. After all I’m 68 and the boss hasn’t traded me in, yet.
I absolutely love my '20 Tundra (The Beast) and I've long been a Toyota fan owning three V8 4Runners since 2003 and the hubby drives a '16 Avalon. His 2006 Avalon is still on the road driven by his mother~ 235,000 miles! My Casita towed fantastic behind the Tundra while traveling out west but I can totally see the need for a larger truck if we decide to do trips out west with the ILOVHER. We primarily camp here in the east so I'll travel light until the time arises. The omission of an exterior tranny cooler on the '20 has me a bit concerned and larger brakes are definitely in the future.
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2 hours ago, Trainman said:
I would think your Tundra could handle an Oliver just fine, is it a V6, or V8. I think the new Tundra's are only offering a V6 now, not sure about that, but the new V6 is probably a Turbo and has plenty of torque just like the F-150 Ford pickup. We also had a Casita before our Oliver and we towed it with a Honda Ridgeline and it did just find, wish I could have used it with the Oliver.
trainman
My 2020 is a V8 and is ok for the ILOVHER but has a few bells and whistles (including a 36 gallon fuel tank) which lowers its payload to a paltry 1300# and that makes it a bit difficult when going on extended trips.
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I worked for a few years in a NF campground and yes, it's true, many people have no idea how unsafe and unmatched their tow vehicle is to their trailer. The inhibiting factor for most people including myself is that people usually have the tow vehicle BEFORE they buy a trailer and end up having eyes bigger than their stomachs! My Tundra would have worked fabulous for my Casita but is right on the hairy edge for my ILOVHER. I can't afford to upgrade at this time, nor are there any trucks available...so I will settle for packing light and ALWAYS using the Andersen...AND of course steering clear of the swaying train wreck trailer combo doing 80mph in front of me!!
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1 hour ago, SeaDawg said:
Or, you can buy a nice faucet for far less than $250. .
I also think dura has a long warranty. Check that. I've gotten warranty replacement on delta, pfister, and others. I'd try that, first. Imo. Many plumbing companies offer lifetime warranty.
Your choice.
I would, except Oliver had to fix my bath interior courtesy light and took the towel bar insert out to do it. They did such a professional job on the caulking (such I could never duplicate) that I would just like to fix the faucet myself. 😀
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19 minutes ago, Rivernerd said:
Have you tried to twist off the brushed chrome cap that sits on top of and around the cartridge? It may be threaded onto the housing below it. On some faucets, that cap holds the cartridge in place. Try twisting the cap counterclockwise to remove it. You may need a gripper to give your hand traction, like this:
DF-NMK852 looks like the correct model number for the faucet you have. If you download that owners manual, the brushed chrome cap is depicted on the parts list on Page 5, with the cartridge shown right underneath it. This suggests that the cap must be removed before you can access the cartridge to replace it.
Good luck!
I'm aware that the surrounding ring must come off but it will not budge even with a rubber glove..! I sprayed some PB blaster around the lower edge of it and will leave it sit and try again tomorrow.
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Trying to replace a ceramic cartridge on a Dura bathroom faucet in the ILOVHER ('17)
I was told by Oliver that it was leaking. I haven't found water but I can see the corrosion. They wanted $250 for a new faucet and by then I was tapped out. I've gotten as far as popping off the hot/cold emblem and removing the set screw to get the handle off.
How do I proceed from here to get the cartridge out? Seems in there pretty good!
I imagine I need a special plumbing wrench/socket?
Any help appreciated!
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I have a '20 Tundra TRD Sport which was purchased before I knew I'd own an Oliver and right after Covid began and dealers were desperate.
I have done no suspension modifications but added taller Michelin Defender tires. I do have the TRD sway bars and Bilstein shocks which I think are helpful features. I have no squat at all with the WDH. Outside of payload, which is low..around 1300# .. I find it to be a perfectly acceptable tow vehicle for the ILOVHER. It has plenty of power with the V8 and when using the Tow/Haul mode, the transmission comes to life. RPMs at times can tip up to 3k+ if you're a lead foot but doesn't stay there. I like the integrated brake controller and the plug and play seven pin.
I am certain when its time to do brakes, I'm going big ProComp slotted. I would just feel safer with bigger braking power. The other thing I will add at a later date is an external transmission cooler. Somehow Toyota slipped that out of the builds starting in 2019 and uses some kind of heat exchanger. All three of my pre 2009 V8 4Runners had external coolers. There is a big stink on the Tundra forums about this as people are scan gauging pretty high ATF temps while towing.
I pack light and distribute weight inside the camper if necessary (like the cooler of ice and beer) I don't do much mountain driving and if I did, the Tundra would do the job but certainly not as safely as a 3/4 ton or 1 ton diesel. I also think it's crucial with a half ton truck to have the Andersen WDH; no doubt there!
With all of the above said, if money were no object, I certainly would love a larger truck but it's not in the cards as of now. The Beast is my daily driver and gas just shot to 5.29 here so I'm going to stick with her for now. With my travel primarily on the east coast, and not full time as of yet, I think its a good dependable truck for towing my baby ILOVHER.
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I think the results will vary with the EZ Flex as we DID in fact try it with the Rapid Jack which is 7" tall on an asphalt driveway and it did NOT lift the other tire off the ground at all. Just saying.
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I may just have to tackle this one! Nice Work!
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Thanks guys! I'm 5 hours into my trip and lug nuts are staying tight at 90# Checked at 50 miles and 100.
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In another thread I posted that I discovered three or four cracked lug nuts on the Sendel aluminum wheels I have on my '17 Oliver. The new set of bulge acorn lug nuts came today and I just want to make sure that they look ok/correct. They seat farther down into the hole than the originals and the threads are not as deep.(about a quarter inch difference) I have zero trouble sending them back, safety first!
If you look close you can see the crack in the overlay.
The plan is to change them all out, torque to 90# and then again after 50 miles or so.
Thanks for any input!
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Awesome work! My microwave in my '17 ILOVHER is a Contoure RV-950S. I'm hoping I can find, like you, an off the shelf replacement that will fit that space. Right now there's a coupled induction between the internal speaker and some other internal component which makes subtle crackling noises. (This coming from the manufacturer who never got back to us on a new board) The microwave works fine despite the noise, so in the interim, I've put a switch to turn it off when not being used. I don't really use it much and wish I just had a cupboard there but woodworking isn't in my wheelhouse.
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Today was the day I got to do the fun messy job of replacing the China Bomb wheel bearings/seals on the ILOVHER on over to USA made Timkens. This was quite the all day project as we also changed out the shocks and lubed the EZ Flex suspension. We beat the rain by a mere ten minutes! My only experience prior to this, was replacing entire preloaded hubs and manual brakes on my Casita which was easy compared to this. After figuring out the best way to jack the side of the trailer up. (Yes, we used multiple floor jacks, and safety jacks stands, chocks and wood cribbing all while being attached to my truck) All I can say is, Thank God my son was here to teach me and to remove the seals in those hubs! (His father owns an excavating company so he knows a bit about trailers/brakes) There is no way on Gods green earth I would have been able to remove them by myself. We had a puller and they would not budge. I think they were permatex'd in there. He somehow was able to use his strength, ingenuity and multiple tools to get them out without scoring. Here are some observations and or questions we had:
1. My son thinks that the shocks look too large for the application. We used the exact replacement that Oliver uses (Monroe 555025) He says they're nearly all the way compressed with the way the suspension sits and that is why potentially two of them were blown. His opinion is that they'd do more if they were just a bit smaller. I have no idea or opinion but it was the one job I was able to complete by myself so I'm good with it.
2. It was quite the surprise to see that the axle spindle did not have the Dexter EZ lube feature. My understanding is that this was not an option on an LE2 in 2017? I did not know this and bought new grease caps with the rubber insert. As much as I learned today, this was sort of disconcerting. Even my Casita had EZ lube axle and it was a 2007. I greased my bearings every year and it made it easy. All those great suspension features like shocks and a EZ Flex but no way to easily grease bearings?? What gives? I sort of dread doing this again.
3. What's with grease guns? OMG..I wanted to throw and shoot them with a real rifle like skeet. I used two separate guns and they both were being unruly and messy. I could have bought stock today in rubber gloves and shop towels! LOL
4. Bearing grease packer seemed like a great idea. Who knew you'd have to use all 200# of human body weight to press down in order for the thing to squeeze grease into the bearings?
4. I took the advice on the forum and replaced a few zerks with 90s and 45s and used plastic cap covers but OMG.. crawling under the trailer is not for the faint of heart or my elderly bones! I think I want/need a creeper.
5. Thank God for Harbor Freight! I now have all kinds of fun new cheap tools, like impact driver and a torque wrench which I properly learned how to use! I now can afford to go to the Rally.
6. The Nev-r-Adjust Brakes looked good but I think I'm going to go with manual brakes next time. I don't feel confident about what I learned about them today and how they actually DO need adjustment. We greased the important parts with a good brake grease. At least we didn't find any loose parts. springs or worn pads floating about.
7. Found four cracked lug nuts. Son says the sheath on the outside is cracked and I should consider solid replacements. Any recommendations?
8. Beer never tasted so good.
Thank you for all of the forum help I've received, without you guys, I'd be dead in the water.
See y'all safely at the Rally !
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1 hour ago, mossemi said:
Here is a 2" mod for the Oliver 1-1/4" bike rack.
Mossey
I read through all of that and must have missed the core removal. That could be an option to explore. I guess I didn't entirely see how the receiver was built.
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1 hour ago, mossemi said:
I don’t know if you have the payload capacity for some type of sliding truck bed or if you have thought about one. Several OTTO’s and utilize one to facilitate access to items in the bed. One of the most common uses is for a refrigerator.
Mossey
Thank you.. And no.. My payload is pretty low because of some extra suspension on my Tundra so I'm trying to reduce that some.
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I'm very close to finalizing my decision on the rear receiver install on my ILOVHER when I visit the Mothership in May. I've read through all the posts regarding the 150# weight limit and the 1.25" receiver limitations for decent bike racks. I don't want to rehash those threads because I'm aware how rear weight can be dangerous and the reasons Oliver chose to do it. I had a custom 2" receiver on the back of my Casita. I stayed within the weight limits, it offered an offset of tongue weight and the cargo space was super useful to me.
I DO NOT in any way intend on carrying excessive weight as my primary use will be for a much smaller poly utility chest that weighs about 70# (if that) The aluminum cargo carrier itself is only 30# but has a 2" hitch mount.
I have found that it's difficult for me to access my tools and various camping supplies from the box in bed of my truck since I'm so short. I'm always in that chest for something or another and it's heavy for me to slide forward on to the tailgate. This is an expensive upgrade for me and I would like opinions on whether I should have Oliver leave off the 1.25" aluminum receiver piece and bolt on an 2" aftermarket receiver to that rear cross channel OR, should I just buy an adapter? I'm sure it voids any warranty.. If I ever would carry a bicycle, I would probably only have one back there on a rack I already own...again a 2" mount. I realize this is also going to add a couple feet more to the back of my trailer, harder access to sewer and probably something else I'm forgetting.
Thanks in advance for your replys.
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28 minutes ago, CnC said:
Two of these DIY vents (a left and a right) would allow choices for "directional" in/out air flow via the ceiling fan in the Ollie in the raining season. Love the idea of it being installed in the area needed and then removed and easily stored when not needed. Too bad we didn't have this during shifting winds and rain for eight straight days in Colorado last year.
Charlie.
My plan is to replace the curbside Maxxair vent because it's failing after ten years. I have two installed now (curbside and dinette) and you're correct in needing more than one for multidirectional air flow. I'm waiting to test my new vent for any tweaks before I attempt to make another one.
I would consider window vents as one of my most loved and needed mods as I've lived in my trailer for up to four and a half months at a time in all kinds of weather!
One of the things that's nice is hearing the rain, having a breeze and not using that foghorn of an air conditioner! Lol
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11 minutes ago, topgun2 said:
My bad - that's what I get for being in a hurry. Certainly it was not the gutters that you were talking about. In FrankC's photo above of his gutters it is probably not necessary to extend the gutters down that far on the sides of the windows unless you like them that way.
I think that I see that we both got your pics turned around.
I may someday attempt to remove and re-apply new gutters and move them further down the sides of the windows...and thanks for your assistance in the repositioning of the pix!!
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43 minutes ago, FrankC said:
The EZ gutter above the windows was added by the previous owner of your trailer. If I recall correctly from your previous posts, you bought your trailer from the Rimer family after Ron Rimer passed away. Ron was a great guy who helped us in our decision to buy our Elite II. Ron had added that EZ gutter and during our visit with him to see his trailer he commented that fixing the lifted corners on the EZ gutter was on his to-do list. Based on Ron’s experience, when I added my EZ gutter I ran it around the top and all the way down the sides of the windows.
Yes, you are correct. It was a bittersweet transition for Char Rimer as this was to be their retirement. The good news is (and I told her this) that she couldn't have sold the trailer to someone more passionate about fiberglass and that I would do everything to keep ILOVHER in the best shape and send her photos of my travels!
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4 minutes ago, topgun2 said:
You probably should have extended the edges of this "gutter" down the sides of the windows a bit in order to give the 3M tape a bit more surfaces to really secure it to the side of the Ollie. If these "ends" of the gutter start to lift or separate from the Ollie, you can use an adhesive called E6000 ( like This) which is available at WalMart, Amazon, Lowes, Home Depot, Ace, etc. to reattach it. A small amount of the glue and hold it in place for about 24 hours with some blue painter's tape and you are good to go.
Bill
I'm not sure what you're referring to as the 'EZ' RV gutter was installed prior to my ownership.
I haven't yet affixed the rubber edging to the vent as I want to see how it drains. The vent freely sits in the same channel as the stationary window so I imagine the water will go through the weep holes in the same way (as long as they've been cleared). There is nothing it's secured to besides the pressure of the window against the edge. It installs the same way the screen does..just upwards into the upper track and then down into the lower.
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BTW, I did add some rubber edging to the inner part of the vent as well. This way if you're too zealous in shutting the stationary window, you'll have a bit of bumper. Also, the vent can be kept inside a cabinet and is easily installed from the inside where you'll stay dry. Here is a video of it in action.
I will be at the rally in May if anyone wants to see it in person!
Thank you all for your kind words! I've been dreaming of this mod for a long time.
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31 minutes ago, mossemi said:
I always try to edit a photo before posting, whether it’s an Android or Apple. I open it in whichever’s photo folder and use the built in editor and do something like "enhance" and then save it. It usually works for me.
Mossey
Thank you! My new phone (Samsung S21 Ultra) has some pretty powerful editing and a strong camera. I'm pretty computer and phone savvy but had no idea you have to edit or enhance before upload here! Good to know!!
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I have no idea how to rotate these photos for better viewing... they came from my Android phone ..so I apologize!
Pantry Light
in Ollie Modifications
Posted
Nice addition! I purchased a round motion sensor light for the pantry that is battery operated and has worked well and stayed put. I love the light coming on automatically when I open that cupboard! I have one on the ceiling by the entry door as I always have my arms loaded with things to carry in or out. I think these areas should have had lights to begin with..but I'm happy with the mod. The only issue with the entryway is the dog activates it in the middle of the night!
Your light bar would work awesome in the fridge too! I have that style in there as well!