Tom and Doreen

Like @jd1923 said, take measurements around this circuit breaker, input vs output . These have been known to fail. As John said you should measure 12V on each side with respect to ground.

Someone had recommended this one, High Sierra.

Yes, mine did. It worked pretty well (without the repeater) but there were times when I would loose contact with one tire sensor for a period of time. Once I installed the repeater I’ve had no sensor drop-outs.

If you're looking for a convenient place to hook up your TST repeater there is ample space within the front jack head. +12V power is available and you can utilize the existing power switch currently used for the lamp or add an additional switch if you choose to.

Yes, I have a GearWrench torque wrench, 250 ft//lb that we travel with. We were VERY lucky because we had been on the highway heading out to Yellowstone and had just pulled off to get groceries when the tire stem blew out most likely from the "waggle" affect of the TST sensor. We changed the tire in the parking lot then found a Discount Tire location near where we were and had the stems replaced on all tires including the spare.

1) Using the stabilizer jack is very helpful 2) Change valve stems to the metal type especially if you have TST sensors 3) Invest in an electric impact wrench 4) A locking bottle type jack comes in handy 5) Tire plugs and a compressor can come in handy in a pinch.

Same here. I haven't found anything better than the Calmark cover for all season protection.

We've had two RVLocks fail, on the first one a circuit board failed, the second one had a mechanical failure which we were advised (by the manufacturer) to loosen the internal screws that held a metal plate in place; I don't have a lot of confidence in the second fix but it seems to be working for now. Lot's of people seem to have this lock and are happy with it though.

That is some fine work, John, excellent job!! You'll not only have the confidence in your equipment going forward but you'll also have the knowledge (and tools) to tackle any situation that comes along should something go wrong. Regarding having the parts and tools required at hand I still struggle with that as it seems like no matter how simple the job I find myself running back and forth to the garage several times to retrieve nearly all of the tools I own!!

That guy seems to know his ........( stuff ) 😜 I will disagree with him on one point though and that is with his suggestion to leave the grey tank valve open while connected to the sewer. Unless you create a trap with the sewer hose you risk getting sewer gasses ( and possibly bugs ) from the campground sewer rising up into your grey tank. The problem becomes worse when some other trailer on the same branch dumps their tanks and displaces the gasses in the line. We have a composting toilet so we're only concerned about the grey tank. While at the rally I asked the tank clean guys what to use to keep the tank clean and they handed me a recipe which I've been using. They also said that this recipe helps to lubricate the gate valve. We also are very careful to not get too many food particles in the tank.

Congratulations and welcome to the community! Tom & Doreen #1321

I’ve had problems with the under the tank ultrasonic sensors so I purchased the Truma hand held sensor. It’s expensive but it works well. I’ve also used the (free) method by which you pour hot water down the tank and then feel for the temperature change. The Truma is as accurate as the hot water method (which is very accurate).

Awesome job, thanks!! You should start a YouTube channel!

The braking system in our Olivers is inherently simple and designed as such for reliability. Like all things components can and do fail on occation but in most cases the failure is easily found. Olivers have electric drum brakes, a description of which can be found here. Olivers do not have an ABS unit but otherwise the diagram contained in the link is correct. I think you've established that by pulling the brake-away pin that the brakes do in fact work which eliminates most of the wiring, magnets, and the brakes themselves. That really just leaves connectors and your proportional controller ( truck side ). There are methods for trouble shooting the remaining components one of which is to use a DVM to assure that voltages and connections are correct. There is a method to simulate the brake controller but unless done properly can cause more damage than good so in that case I would enlist the help of a friend with another truck / controller and see if that works. Do you have another Oliver or trailer owner near you, most are willing to help.

We purchased a portable induction cook top and have hardly used the propane cook top however we're glad to have it as an alternative if need be. It's nice to have options especially when boondocking. The portable induction also gives us the option of cooking outdoors using the outside AC outlet, I like having both options. Luckily our pots / pans work with it. We use the Furrion system in ARC mode when watching YouTube and movies. It's not audiophile quality but it's pretty good for it's intended purpose. Its frequency response seems to favor applications like YouTube and movies and somewhat less for audio / music reproduction, not a lot of dynamic range.

I don’t mind supporting the infrastructure at that amount, which is likely their intention. They haven’t disclosed at what speed they will limit speed to. Unlimited data at low speed, depending upon the speed, may not be all that useful. AT&T did that to our cellular plan which rendered it virtually useless.

It appears that Starlink is going to charge a $5.00 monthly fee for roam plans that are paused based on the email that I received today. I’m not certain if it’s possible to opt out of the $5.00 standby mode.

@Snackchasergreat idea!

That's true, Truma will only provide parts / components to Truma certified technicians which is not great for do-it-yourselfers. I will say that service at their Elkhart service facility is top notch though if you need something fixed, those techs know their systems very well. We had service work done there and they were excellent. With specific regard to the soft start, there is an aftermarket product that is said to work with the Truma which appears to be pretty straightforward with regard to installation however it will certainly void your warranty and there is currently no data to indicate it's effects, good or bad, on the longevity of the Aventa once installed. I know that Truma does do field installs of their certified unit if there is a certified tech in your area.

Wow, Tom has some impressive engineering skills for sure! Amazing what engineering feats he can accomplish living in such close confines as his trailer including a 3-D printer, awesome!!

I've heard really good things about Meriwether's Retreat B&B as @Dennis and Melissa mentioned. If you have a dog that may not work. We've stayed at The Commodore Hotel in Linden in the past ( because we have a dog ). The Commodore is a little "funky" but ok and they allow dogs. My first choice would be Meriwether.

You need one of those! I had to change a tire in Yellowstone and I was glad to have mine! Mine is the 1/2 inch.

Upon examination it appeared that the original application of adhesive did not adequately fill the gaps between the mounting board and the fiberglass as a result the mounting board was only adhered to the fiberglass in a few spots ( along with the black tape ). I followed the recommendation of @John Dorrer and applied Gorilla Max Strength Construction Adhesive making sure that the adhesive bead was adequate to more than fill the gaps and surface area. I'm pretty sure that this bond will last longer than anything else in the trailer.

@John Dorrer Thanks John! I'll see what I can do. It's good to hear that yours is holding up after the fix.

Thanks very much! I agree with the "dusty surfaces" as being part of the issue. I've cleaned powdered fiberglass residue out of most places including switches and speakers among other areas.