jd1923
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Posts posted by jd1923
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We had a propane (LP) issue on our last trip. We arrived at our third stop and I setup the outside camp, the blanket, chairs, grill and fire ring, etc. Then I decided to start the fire ring, since it was getting late, and it gets warmer after the stones heat up. The fire ring flame was half of its usual force.
I hollered at Chris, who was inside getting things ready for dinner, to start a kitchen burner. This is something we do each time we open the LP tank valve, so that we know there will be gas to the furnace later. The kitchen burner was also at half strength. I was puzzled for a while, and eventually checked the rear LP connection. You know that idiotic design where you have to release to bumper, revealing the sewer hoses, to hook up (why not mounted like the front one, aimed curbside)?
Turns out the rear shut-off on that port was half open and it was leaking out of the cable connection without a fitting in place. It's not supposed to do that! I moved the shutoff to 90 degrees, and it stopped leaking. It had moved likely from the sewer hose hitting it over bumpy roads. The fire ring and kitchen burner were now again at full pressure.
This useless rear connection is also dangerous in another way. They run a copper/brass line without protection directly under the frame. This is somewhat OK in front of the trailer wheels, but not a good idea near and behind them. One of several reasons to have the LP off when towing.
I will be removing this line soon, certainly before our next outing. We never have a need to connect at the rear and never pulling the bumper to do so! I have a 12 ft line to a T-connection for grill and fire ring and they each have lengthy lines. We can connect at front and position the grill as far as the rear bumper if we need to.
I will post info and pics on removing the rear LP line, just past the furnace T, which btw is also behind the trailer wheels. I will cap the rear line and likely add some form of stone-guard or protection. More on this coming soon!
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On 2/20/2024 at 8:47 AM, MAX Burner said:
...So, has anyone, except me, actually stopped at "THE THING" to check it out? Just curious...
I think it's just you Art!
(Given "the two knuckleheads" stayed outside.) I sometimes call ours "butthead" and Chris says, "That's not nice." I've driven by that stretch of I-10 some twenty times...
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These Air Tags are really cool, though I hope to never have to track down stolen property! I drove yesterday to fill the Oliver LP tanks plus two tanks we have on our deck for the grill and fire ring.
So, I was at the Ford dealer on Sandretto Drive, waiting on the tanks being filled (see pic). Two tags for my keys and truck were at this address. The Oliver is shown parked at home and our GX was at an address on Lee Blvd. When I got home, Chris was already home and I mentioned, "So, you went to Trader Joe's?" She asked, "How did you know?" I replied, I tracked you!" Chris has a Samsung phone, so she did not get a tracking notification.
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11 hours ago, Danno and Donna said:
...Note that the side-by-side config requires right at 16" of width - interestingly OEM tray base is 15 7/8" ... thus, I'll widen it by about another 1/2" in my future "tweeks". Did this answer your question(s)?
You purchased the model with the Victron comms: 12V 300Ah V2 Heated Bluetooth LiFePO4 Battery - Epoch Essentials (epochbatteries.com) Wondering what that does for you, that adding the Victron SmartShunt would not do? I already have this shunt and their smart Bluetooth dongle for communication purposes.
This Epoch model is also 300AH without the Victron comms but slightly smaller, so thinking it would fit in the OTT OEM battery tray as-is. Are there other features that made you decide on the higher-end and slightly larger model vs. this one? 12V 300Ah Heated & Bluetooth LiFePO4 Battery - Epoch Essentials (epochbatteries.com)
I just read your comment above again. It appears you ordered the smaller model but was supplied the V2 model instead since it was in stock, in time for your trip. Still wondering if the V2 model is worth it considering fit. Other V2 benefits?
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We have used Campendium for years at no cost. Recently, Chris paid for an account for additional benefits.
Last thing you need is a pass from some app/website to get into another! Looks like the common scheme to get new accounts by linking prospects to some other service. Like the 100s of reseller websites that sell your going through them to buy insurance!!!
Buyer beware and stay away! OMG, this world could do without prostitutes and the marketing profession which is far WORSE! At least with the prostitute, you know what you are buying!
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On 2/19/2024 at 8:11 PM, Danno and Donna said:
Batteries arrived today! (2) 12V 300AH -V2's - upgraded version that includes Victron Comms (though I'll NOT be using the Victron components/functionality at this time). They were delivered at approx. 35% charged, so I've put them on a charger in the garage to bring them up to full before install. I expect to work on the swap on Weds & will provide updates thereafter ... cheers!
I'm reading other posts since this one 3 days ago...
Do the two (2) 12V 300AH -V2 Epoch batteries fit in the OEM OTT battery tray as-is standing right side up fit?!?!? -
On 1/27/2024 at 8:32 AM, Wandering Sagebrush said:
... a longer bunk, and most of all, a wider aisle.
Longer bunk, YES!!! Not concerned with a wider aisle, but thanks for asking!
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On 1/26/2024 at 6:33 PM, Jason Foster said:
My bank account agrees with this assessment.
Thank goodness my bank account did not see our Oliver! However, it has seen about $15K in upgrades to truck and trailer ever since (June 2023). Our Oliver came to being by selling a Bigfoot class C and a clean 2001 Toyota MR2 Spyder with only 12K miles! These sales netted our Oliver and another $5K net for upgrades! Our TV was purchased with proceeds from another old Ram we had for 18 years and sold the year before.
I would do anything to have an Oliver only a little wider and longer to have a true twin bed 39" wide and the length of a Queen 80" with SQUARE back corners! Why did they have to round the mold at the foot/rear of the bed? This area could bulge out a little, for those of us lengthy and well north of 200 LBS.
Nice idea, but you won't find us spending $$$$$$ (six figures+) on a new one. They would have to produce a larger Oliver for a few years, so we could get a deal used! Nice dream, but likely not going to see that day. WTF 🙃
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4 hours ago, CRM said:
This kit definitely won't work on our door. As you can see in the pic the hinge is made as part of the door frame which makes it impossible to add additional hinges. Well, maybe I could cut sections out of the frame to make it fit but I'm not going down that road..
"One-off".. We haven't named her yet, but maybe this fits as ours is certainly a one-off.. The first LEII sold, the last Ollie sold before the shutdown, and the only one titled as a 2010. Many differences from the LEII's sold after production resumed too.
We're not naming ours, so the name is yours if you want it! Yes, you certainly have a very special "One-Off" Oliver and the door on hull 113 six years later is quite different, I guess a Lippert door. The hinge top of pic is the friction hinge. The riveted one below it the original door hinge. Three original, 2 friction and the whole length is now hinged for a very strong installation.
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12 hours ago, ScubaRx said:
I'm happy to hear you got good service from eTrailer. I ordered a new MaxxFan Deluxe from them a year or so ago simply because it was a few dollars cheaper than Amazon and had free shipping. When It came in and I installed it, there was a problem and it would not work. When I call eTrailer to see about an exchange, I was informed that it was now considered a warranty issue and I would have to contact and deal with MaxxAir myself as they did not do exchanges or returns on warrantied products. As The Who said in 1971, I ... 'Won't Get Fooled Again'
What a big difference! Sorry to hear they did not help you, when the CSR I got called the manufacturer for me and got replacement parts for me after I reported I had broken the u-bolt platform. I buy from Amazon when I'm thinking I might have to return the item. Returns elsewhere are more difficult. eTrailer you know the parts are legit, and they have videos and PDF manuals. Amazon not always legit parts and the worse search engine. Why can't they just return the search you entered?
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Sorry @Geronimo John as this would not work. The female receptacle, screwed into the fiberglass side of the OTT has cracked/failed, threaded plastic fallen on the street! This item would only provide another male end like on our charge cords which are in decent shape. I need this OEM receptacle or an upgraded SmartPlug version.
Then realized more issues on the upgrade cost. We have another shore power receptacle at the front for a possible generator, so this would also have to be upgraded or rendered useless!
Thank you though for getting me to think about this again. I just went on eTrailer and spent $159 for the original stainless twist-lock receptacle. I would need 400 to upgrade to SmartPlug and another $200 or so to upgrade the front shore power connection. I should have this fixed next week, sorry no upgrade.
Love eTrailer! I recently bought a Timbren suspension upgrade for your TV. Over torqued the supplied U-bolt (bad design btw on this part). The eTrailer CSR called the manufacturer first thing Monday and the company sent me TWO parts received by Wednesday, installed before the weekend!
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Maybe this latest post should be in another link, vs. Smart Plug Conversion...
Wow 40 LBS really! You got me wanting to go out and measure my Xantrax 2000. I would want it in the same place. There certainly is depth there (ours is under the rear dinette seat, mounted against the wall towards the interior).
Can the VM3000 be mounted sideways? Personally, I'm not mounting an upgraded Inverter/Charger anywhere else!
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8 hours ago, CRM said:
Just an FYI for those with older Ollie's like mine. Check to see if your door frame has the hinges built into it. If so, these won't work. Maybe not a Lippert door, or maybe just a different model?
Buy Amazon used when you can! The "Like New" ones are now under $15! I bought this used set, and the parts had not been touched. The tape on the box was cut to open, re-taped, but nothing else. I have saved well over $1000 on 30+ Amazon used items in the last few years! If too used, just return it. This has only happened to me twice in 30+ items.
Yours is an older hull, and our hull 113 is 6 years newer. Maybe you have a different make door. I have heard the older Olivers were built one-off.
Just to be sure, have the friction hinge spread to the 90 degree position and hold the door frame all the way open. This way mine snapped into place. I can show you a picture of mine tomorrow, if you like, and post a picture of your door hinges for comparison so we can see if the brand/model is truly different.
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4 hours ago, Geronimo John said:
My goal is to extend the Bluetooth range to the driver seat of our TV. So connecting it to the Victron Orion 12/12 - 30 charger we have mounted under the front dinette seat is the logical connection point IF:
A. Is the dongle rated for wet or moist location?
B. How long is the factory dongle cable?GJ yes, the cable is 1.5M or 5 FT. Not sure on waterproof, not advertised as such though the case is a 2-piece plastic tight snap fit where a moist location is likely OK.
I don't see that you would need to run it to the propane tanks. Just connect it to your charger under the dinette and it should work. A taller location is better than low and closer. I don't see why it would not work anywhere under the dinette though. Mine is sitting on the rear of the batteries. I can read it while driving, read it from my LR window 60 FT away with a Tuff Shed blocking line-of-sight. I can also read it from my truck, when unhitched parked a car length or more in front of the Oliver.
If you do want to mount it further, they sell Victron VE.Direct extension cables and on page 3 of this post I have a link to a $6 terminal kit where you can make your own extension cables (and drill only enough to pass a thin cable). Best reception would be to mount the dongle in an upper interior cabinet.
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OK, so I removed the speakers today in 3 Air Tags, the Oliver, my Ram TV and our precious GX470. The first two, I preserved 2 of 3 tabs, the third broke and stayed in place. I placed a small drop of Super Glue on those spots upon assembly. The third was the charm, all 3 tabs intact. I Sharpie'd the spots where the tabs are located, just in case, but hope not to ever have to open these again (battery change is simple twist of top metallic cover plate).
So, my iPhone Find My app sees all 4 tags, you can click Play Sound the app thinking it's playing... but no sound. I can also track the tag. It shows me distance often and direction when possible.
My question is what does the thief see? Given he has an iPhone and receives notice from the tag, a tag they do not own? Hopefully, they cannot track a tag they have not registered, now that we have the sound off.
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1 hour ago, Patriot said:
Yes, gotta remove those speakers. 👍🏻
Yeah, wished I read this before taping them into place! I will remove the speakers on the ones installed in vehicles but will need the speaker on my key chain tag.
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12 hours ago, ScubaRx said:
... Another owner showed up the day after you left with an uninstalled set of these hinges. They were so tight I could not open them with my hands...
Uninstalled, it does take a bit of a push to move one leaf 90 to the other on the hinge by hand. When mounted the door moves firmly and nicely. Can't imagine taking it off for not liking it. That guy now has 30 holes in his door and jamb!
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On 2/15/2024 at 6:21 AM, MAX Burner said:
...they all but make the outside "door hook/latch" obsolete. We no longer use it to prop the door open anymore...
Installed our like-new Amazon set today. Amazon "like new" means somebody opened the box, retaped and returned it. Don't need to drill holes in the door or door jamb. The supplied 1 3/4" white-headed self-taping screws with square-bit drive were awesome. I have often pre-drilled for "self-taping screws", but these were sharp and strong of high quality, good hardware. You need a good 1/4" impact driver, no template, just center and get the first hole right.
But WTF with this manufacturer drilling most, but not all the holes required for the install? Rarely or never have I run into this kind of BS. They put 3 pre-drilled holes in the two leaves mounting to the door, but only one pre-drilled hole on each of the three leaves mounting to the door jamb. Also, there was not enough screws supplied for all the screw holes suggested. I drilled one extra hole in each door jamb leaf (2 total vs. 3 per the instructions). This way there are 6 screws in the door and 6 in the door jamb to hold each hinge. I had just enough screws, with one left over! Nothing like a door with 5 hinges! It does hold steady wherever you put it.
Can't stand the hold-open door latches on RVs and trailers. I always forget they're latched and then I shut the door, over and over again! Did somebody break the stock one on our hull, or did these come with only a very thin wire hook? Somebody must have broken ours before I got a chance to do so! I will be removing ours next. This way I'm certain it's not latched. Thanks again, what a nice mod! Heard about the friction hinge mod just 2 days ago and it's already installed for pennies.
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Just purchased a 4-pack, installed one hidden in the Oliver, our Dodge Ram TV, Chris' GX470 and on my keychain which I misplace on average every other week! Used 3M VHB to mount them in secure hidden locations. Not sure if I need the speaker removal (but will consider it) since if somebody steels my stuff, I'll know it in a heartbeat and would be in pursuit while dialing 911... Thanks for the info! 🙂
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When out in the wild, if you need to run your batteries less than 50% (lead-acid, AGM or whatever), just use the power you need for the night. An occasional down to 40% or less will not kill your batteries. Please just ENJOY your travels!
I have an old 1992 Lexus SC400, an amazing rear wheel drive luxury sports car, a DR HT, with a brand new battery. It is an old car, and sometimes if I or Chris do not close the doors completely, an interior light will be on overnight. I have often found this car, 2-3 days later, with the battery discharged down to 3V, DEAD! Then I charge it slowly over the next 1-2 days, and all is good! Drove it again today, even though this has occurred 4 times.
We all get hung up on what is BEST, but your batteries will be fine! Just try to enjoy your outing, without the anxiety.
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What if, you just enjoy the time?!
Now wondering... re your Planet-of-the-Apes avatar..."What IF something... Happens?" What something concerns you?
I have read this post now four times and I'm not seeing the question or concern.I've spent my life looking forward for the "what if's" and the more the better! Love the unexpected which is life! BTW, boondocking is far safer than living in the city, tent camping be damned! 🤣
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Does OTT always run their Annual Rally at the same location?
We're new Oliver owners and noted the rally was at the same Lake Guntersville location in 2023.Love to meet all of you, but no way can we afford (time and money) to drive upwards to 4K miles for a meet!
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Thanks for showing this mod and recently bringing up this old post. Just got a Amazon used "Like New" set for under $15 with tax! Awesome and thanks again.
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I searched for this on Amazon and one seller showed for this item at full retail. This tool came up in the search. I may have to get one of these! Amazon.com: PONO 330 LBS Heavy Duty Adjustable Rolling Wheel Dolly,Tire Moving Tool Cart for Changing Car, Truck, Skid Steer, ATV, and Trailer Tires,Easy to Use Tire Lifting Tool : Automotive
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Propane Smell in Trailer
in Mechanical & Technical Tips
Posted
We always carried the extra 20 lb. tank in past RVs. I really like being able to plug into the two 30's we have onboard. It was some work to remove the regulators in our grill and fire ring, but glad to have done so.
I would prefer if OTT got rid of the rear one forever! What a dumb design! The front one should be built-in to the propane housing, 12" above where the current one is located, vs. just bolted under the frame. It would be safer and more usable. I do agree with you @Rivernerd. If I was to buy new, I would opt out of these connections and build one myself, since it is convenient.
I was under the Oliver today and these LP fittings are on with more than Super-Glue. Tomorrow, I will spray some penetrant on the LP fittings... I have 2 weeks of other projects, before I can get back to this one!