csevel
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Posts posted by csevel
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I just completed my registration for my first ever Oliver Rally this May and my reservation at Guntersville SP. I had no idea until I called the park how full this event would be. It looks like there is great interest which is exciting since the 'Vid cancellation last year!
The park has expanded the Oliver blocked loops to include some sites in C, A and B. I was able to get a site in the F loop but I suggest making a reservation soon if you are at all interested! I spent a good number of hours looking at Google Earth, Maps and YouTube videos to make my selection. I'm looking forward to meeting some of you and learning more about my ILOVHER!
Holler back if you are attending!
I'm also heading to the factory immediately after the rally for a few repairs/mods.
WhoooHOo!
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We ran the Westinghouse in a Cracker Barrel parking lot this summer to run the air conditioner as it was bleeding hot outside. Even with the PMS disengaged and the water heater turned off, we found it to be pretty loud (even AC on low) and at full tilt of it's capacity. I can't imagine ever using it to run the AC in a campground but it worked well for the busy Cracker Barrel we were at for the night. Ran about six hours total. Got us through a sticky humid evening.
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50 minutes ago, Trainman said:
Wow, I just looked it up at Pellandent and it is priced a $5.17 per foot, plus shipping. I think I can take my white out and repaint it with a black vinyl spray paint and do a very good job. What is the worst that can happen, I have to repaint it in 2-3 years and it will probably do the same thing the white did over a period of time as it probably the same material. I will let you know how this works out in the future.
trainman
I too am a little apprehensive to spend $100 on a gasket, especially since ILOVHER has had quite a few additional expenditures as of late. Your idea sounded intriguing to me so I went down the investigative rabbit hole. Looks like a can of VHT vinyl dye in black might just be a worthy and less expensive option. I may just try it!
https://www.amazon.com/VHT-SP942-Vinyl-Black-Satin/dp/B000CPIN9S?th=1
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7 hours ago, topgun2 said:
Or ----
You could simply ditch the white window molding and get the black. Once and done versus dealing with the funk and grey.
Bill
Here's the link to order the black glass seal. 🙂
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Looking forward to knowing the cause as I too have a '20 Tundra. Glad to know you're safe!
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Wow, This is just exemplary service! I will be calling to see when I can come in the spring since I've already put ILOVHER down for her winter nap.
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2 minutes ago, csevel said:44 minutes ago, DavePhelps said:
csevel,
That price of $400.00 from Oliver is really unfortunate, and way too high! Especially since it was their bad design (in this case) causing the problem. They should own up and at least do the job at their cost.
Spinwelding a new fitting on the top of your tank, as another option, is not that hard, and tooling up is not as expensive as has been described. You will need a router, the driving tool, the threaded fitting, and the rest of the associated plumbing parts (pex line, a good crimper, etc.). I had most of the tools already except the driving tool.
I got my driving tool and fittings here: https://www.spinwelding.com/products.html
The driving tool was $67.50 (2017 price). The fittings are cheap, buy several so you can practice on a piece of scrap to get a feel for the process. I went to a local plastic tank manufacturer and they gave me some scraps for free. With all the tools/parts in hand, one person can do the job in a couple hours. There will probably be some prep time as well depending on your tools, skills, and access to materials. There is a great video of Raspy helping out another old Oliver owner Reed Lukens getting his tank retrofitted:
Scroll down page 2 for videos, hope they still work.
You will have to carefully ream out the compression fitting so the pex or copper pickup tube can slide all the way through. It's brass and drills easily. There are a few threads on the forum about this process.
Since Oliver would have all these tools and associated parts readily at hand with no fussing about, to charge 400 bucks is quite a bit over the top.
A link to my old post on the subject:
https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2707-my-water-tank-odyssey/?tab=comments#comment-25446
Personally, I like the pex pickup tube over the copper, but can't say definitively which is better. Both seem to have worked great. Definitely a mod worth doing if you boondock a lot. Good luck.
Dave
I am in no way knowledgable or skilled enough to tackle this mod on my own which is why I contacted Oliver in the first place. The previous owners of my trailer did not use it boondocking and probably had no idea that 10 to 12 gallons of water wasn't available or was being done under warranty. Because the Ollie sat during their unfortunate illness, they never knew to have it corrected. I'm a bit miffed as I think my trailer should be grand fathered in! Seeing as I've already shown my trailer to two prospective buyers, I'd like to think this would be sort of prudent for them to do.
I am in no way knowledgable or skilled enough to tackle this mod on my own which is why I contacted Oliver in the first place. The previous owners of my trailer did not use it boondocking and probably had no idea that 10 to 12 gallons of water wasn't available or was being done under warranty. Because the Ollie sat during their unfortunate illness, they never knew to have it corrected. I'm a bit miffed as I think my trailer should be grand fathered in! Seeing as I've already shown my trailer to two prospective buyers, I'd like to think this would be sort of prudent for them to do.
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I did this recently too but I don't expect this expensive sticker to last very long...seems it should be more stout.
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Oliver is charging $400 for the FW pickup fix. I've been a fiberglass trailer owner for ten years and understand the difference in design and maintenance, especially in detecting and easily stopping leaks. I'm not suggesting there should never be issues, just at this price point I was hoping for a tad better. I have a lot of empathy for owners of stickies. I ran a NF campground for four years and chatted at length with people who had serious issues with brand new RVs, some of which didn't get to use their trailers for months for warranty work. Im still a huge fan of fiberglass and hope this is my last RV but I am just a girl who wants to get my camping on and being only on my fifth month of ownership, I'm getting frustrated. I would be thrilled if i had your knowledge JD and skill but I don't. Maybe you could start a LHC for Ollies?
Just want to know what I'm in for shock replacement. Totally not an Oliver but a Monroe issue..I understand.
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On 10/26/2017 at 8:31 PM, John E Davies said:
EDIT 10/31/21. Oliver will do the spin weld mod free if you visit the factory.My itemized quote from Oliver was $400 ..
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After reading the thread on the misaligned placement of the bracket and bushings for the Oliver's shocks, I went out to look and of course, I also have one blown shock! The shocks don't look terribly expensive but can you guys tell me how difficult it is to replace? Tools needed? I'm going to have to tackle this myself but don't want to rely on just Youtube videos as every application looks different.
I have to say, I'm really starting to get aggravated as this trailer was barely used. The previous owners (hull #184) went twice to the rally in Alabama and a few times to their local state park before becoming very ill. The trailer sat for over a year and a half. I'm finding all these annoying issues that shouldn't be there and could have been dealt with under warranty had the owners known or noticed. Everything from the fresh water pick up, to faulty blinds, water intrusion at the upper tail light and front closet, over torqued screw heads, bad regulator, lifting flooring and a leaking fogged bathroom window...and now a blown shock, ugh! I realize other things are regular maintenance as I'm used to those but this is a bit much. 😞
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I have used both Happy Camper and RV-Digest It in the powder form for about 5 years. I like both but think the RV-Digest it is a tad better.
I pretty much would buy them based on the percentage off on the coupons they send me!
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They are now $800.
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Thank you for your responses. Everything suggested seems logical to me. I have a hard time with the Hypervent and Den-Dry products as they seem expensive for what it is. I read on Fiberglassrv that the material used is nothing more than stucco rainscreen or waterway drainage material but doesn't come in small rolls. I think I'd like to try some other materials first to see what works as I feel like everything 'Oliver' ends up being over a $100 mod. I really haven't had any moisture UNDER the mattress, just on the streetside 'side'. I put a 200w mini desk heater in the basement last night just to see if there was improvement and there was ZERO condensation this morning.
This leads me to believe that that side of the trailer is more exposed to the cold since the water heater and furnace are on the curb side. I looked inside the basement and I'm baffled as to why there are partitions blocking any heat transfer to the vulnerable areas of the backside plumbing lines and streetside. I wonder if I should cut them away a bit so heat can move to that side more freely. I've seen the mod to the furnace where ducting was added and laid on top of the plumbing however, I think this beyond my skill level.
The question about moisture is a good one for all travel trailer owners and I had my share from the single pane windows in my Casita. I guess I thought double pane would somehow not fog up this much, but I will definitely vent more in the future.
I have decided not to pull the inner trim ring from the window as I don't want to create more problems. I think I'm going to plug the lower screw holes with something like caulk or rubber plugs to just prevent dripping out of them. I really like the idea of the pipe cleaners for wicking out of the weep holes and will add them to my arsenal.
I want to study more real world cold weather camping as that's why I bought this trailer ..to extend my camping season in the Northeast. Condensation is probably a fact of rv ownership but I'd like to reduce this and protect my investment and custom mattresses as much as possible.
Any other suggestions are always welcome! Thank you!
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No other opinions on this? I guess I thought this would generate some more interest and/or ideas.🤐
Last night.. I took all of the gaskets out of the windows AGAIN (including the window track gasket) and thoroughly cleaned them. I will always vent a window or the MaxxAir fan lid when heating the inside. Lesson learned.
However, I'm still getting condensation ONLY beside the beds near the wall NOT underneath. Any remedies for this?
My plan is to just plug the inner frame screw holes with something that won't let water seep through.
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So amongst a variety of other issues I've found in my 2017, this broken window screw thing got my attention this morning. I've read the thread above and am just reviving it and asking for more current advice.
We had a low of 39 last night and we slept with the furnace set to 62. This was our first time using the furnace since we got ILOVHER in May. It worked perfectly and we were comfortable but woke up to two wet beds near the back of both windows. I will admit that I had little ventilation and hadn't thought to crack a window. (probably fireside wine induced, lol) We had some decent condensation on the interior back windows. We're slightly nose high (1 degree) and the water was dripping out of the missing screws holes I found after removing the shades. FYI...EXTERIOR WINDOW WEEP HOLES HAVE JUST BEEN THOROUGHLY CLEANED prior to this trip.
I decided to try to remove a couple other interior screws and they are ALL SHEARED and can't be reinstalled due to the breakage and misalignment. I guess I'm now going to have to do an operation on all of them! Has anyone got a better solution to this inner trim ring issue?
My assumption is that if you have INTERIOR condensation and it drips..there's no other channel for the water to go and those open screw holes just leak onto the beds.. That back window is tight to the first interior window track/channel and if it's any more than just a little fog..you're going to leak! Since we were tipped the back open screw holes were the culprit.
What is the best way to proceed? I'm a bit irritated...although I know now to crack a window and dehumidify!
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I have resorted to just taking the Andersen chains off and putting the whale tale on once I've driven to a nice level DRY straight section of asphalt. Sometimes slack and raising the front doesn't seem to help and I don't love the stress on the hitch or jack.. Removing the chains is easy and I don't mind it. Better than the frustration and subsequent swearing at the campsite.
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I received my Calmark cover last week from Oliver.. Ouch$.. and I'm starting to think about the dreaded Ohio winter sleep that ILOVHER will endure in my driveway. I realize there are Oliver videos and numerous posts on winterization (& I have that experience from my Casita days and will fully do so) but I was wondering about leaving the trailer plugged in (30amp) and not removing my Duralast batteries. I have this crazy idea about wanting to still camp (if weather permits me to remove the cover) I used to remove the battery and keep it on a tender in my basement. I guess I'd like to know if there's any harm in doing so?
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1 hour ago, SeaDawg said:
Thanks, Bill.
Unless the producer changed the design, these sit inside the track, not fastened to the window frame. Meaning, the window must remain open all the time these are deployed, and cannot be locked. So, temporary use only, deploy each time you want to use them. But, that is better than not having them at all, when we depend on windows for breeze, and fan for cooling, most of the time. And, they'd also be easier to clean than our permanent vents.
The original maxxAir vents that we and csevel have installed have a rubber flap on the flat edge to tightly seal against the rain. It must have been pretty good quality, as it still works, after 14 seasons. I can't tell from the photos in the link if there is a seal on the 3d printed ones, or not. , or not. I suppose one could be added, somehow, if the vent doesn't seal tightly against the window.
Yes, this was my concern as well when considering replacement. You'd have to be diligent in remembering to remove them for travel and stand in the rain to install. Not ideal but maybe a good enough replacement when my Maxxair ones brittle-out! I've got hairline cracks and have repaired them with clear flexseal tape. All of my screws are cushioned as well with rubber washers and NOT torqued too tight.
As far as cleaning, I'm thrilled with being able to open the windows in my Oliver and clean from the inside! Makes it so much easier than when I had to take them off of my Casita due to lack of non opening windows!
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On 9/7/2021 at 12:00 PM, SeaDawg said:
Indeed. We were very careful to remove the vents ourselves, and keep them at home, when we had the dual pane windows removed and repaired this year.
I have no idea why maxxair doesn't make them anymore. They're so nice in the rain. I can keep two sliders open about 1/4, and still circulate air.
I think @csevel kept hers when she sold her Casita, and I certainly would, too!
Once in a great while, new/old stock used to pop up on eBay. Haven't seen them in a long time.
If anyone is looking for vents.. There's a guy on the Fiberglassrv forum who has 3d printed a vent in his own design. If you private message me, I can dig that email/ info up and share. They work slightly different as they slide into the track and are not permanently affixed like the Maxxair but they come in three colors.. black, white and smoke.
I certainly knew the vents were the first thing I was removing before I sold my Casita! But ~ I will say that eventually mine will need replaced with this alternative, as the Maxx do get brittle. I have a couple hairline cracks already!
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On 8/30/2021 at 5:01 PM, Stranded said:
Please let us know if they'll do this modification for you. I was driving through Tennessee a few months ago and the service agent I spoke with said they no longer did this mod. Needless to say, I was a bit disappointed.
I just received my estimate for items to be worked on. Apparently, they still do the water pickup mod..but it's pricey at $400. Might necessitate a local plumber instead of a roadtrip. Not exactly the 'warm and fuzzies' since this is a serious design flaw of the fresh water tank.
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11 hours ago, John Welte said:
I am doing the same thing considering the Oliver. The cost is one stumbling block for my wife, but I just don't want to get some sub-par trailer. I have seen two OTT. I am very sold on them.
I was in love since the day I saw one in person about five or six years ago. I was content with my Casita for ten years and never expected to ever own an Oliver. Sadly, we too had a hard time swallowing the cost as it dipped heavily into our retirement savings. The thing that sold my husband was the resale values of fiberglass and finding one close to home eventually sold us. We were lucky! I expect this to be my last travel trailer but I feel confident we can recoup much of our investment if something springs up. Good luck !
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3 minutes ago, bugeyedriver said:
If you put a small "nose up" attitude to your Ollie, the old water pickup at the back becomes much more efficient. Not sure exactly how low you can go, but I'm sure your water pump won't be sucking air with ten gallons remaining. If you wish to maximize the old pickup's capabilities, try a nose up, right tilt. Not enough to make anything roll off your table, just enough to encourage water in the tank to heat towards the right rearof the tank.
Yes, I've tried that. Don't really like my fridge being much out of level. I've read you can be up to 6 degrees off on an absorption fridge but I find it a design flaw of this trailer and would really just like it repaired. Sensor is basically useless with it until you realize 38% means empty.
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15 hours ago, Stranded said:
Please let us know if they'll do this modification for you. I was driving through Tennessee a few months ago and the service agent I spoke with said they no longer did this mod. Needless to say, I was a bit disappointed.
That would be most unfortunate as it's one of the main problems I have with my ILOVHER. Not being able to utilize 10 or more gallons of water in a 32 gallon tank while boondocking is inconvenient and a pain to do multiple times during even the short trips! Major design flaw. I started my service ticket and am patiently waiting a response.
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Silly Simple Winter Mod
in Ollie Modifications
Posted
I've hated my red satin compartment straps since the day I brought ILOVHER home. They never seemed to be on the outside of the lid! I found some of these grommet straps at my local discount outlet store for three for a buck! More robust nylon, longer and and nice grommet to hang on to. A washer and screwdriver and you're done!
Here's a link to similar.
https://www.amazon.com/TCH-Hardware-Nylon-Strap-Grommets/dp/B085CNGRFP