jd1923

Maybe it's only lead-acid chemistry where you have to be worried re puching to many amps. @Ronbrink thanks for the chart!

I had this thought too and then there I was in our local Walmart, a box full of thin noodles! Chris is creating an Americana-Patriot theme for our interior decor, and she came up with the flag idea! I found a cheap 18" wide poly flag on Amazon. Had an old broomstick in the shed. Cut it to size and just a little sanding for the correct diameter. Used 3M spray glue and rolled it tight. Can't drill cloth, so first I used a needle tool to puncture and a center punch to widen the hole. Measured the first hole and mounted it to get the exact point for the second hole, two screws go through the wood center. It sure beats the ugly old burlap brick! Turned out pretty good. When I find a quality cotton flag, I'll do it again in a couple years. I have enough leftover noodle! 🤣

@Ronbrink 108A is a lot of charge amps. Is there a point where it can be too much for your 460AH battery bank? Can you setup your Xantrex to be inverter only? I will soon be a LiFePO4 newbie with much to learn!

Honestly, I don't how any of you manage, towing with SUVs! Go back to @John E Davies posts and you will see the custom shelving and everything else he did to store just a few small items. We feel inside storage of the Oliver EII is good with ample room for kitchen, bath, clothes and personal items. Where do you put all the camping items in an SUV? The Oliver has little outside storage. The front bin for generator (we stow a fire ring and cooking grate there). Then you have the awkward trunk. All we keep back there is the shore power cord, hoses, an accessory bag, empty jugs for fuel and radiator emergencies and our campground blanket. Back of the pickup is needed for lawn chairs, grill and stand, a folding table, tools and much more. To allow boondocking for a full week, we bring extra water too (35-gal tank). The only constraint is the black tank (will just last a week), but no, we're not composting poop. 🤣 Get a pickup truck eventually and make it a 2500! Still use the Anderson, unless you purchase a modern beast of a truck. It will make setup and tear-down quick and easy and if you find something you want to buy along the road, you'll have the room to bring it home.

I will disconnect for sure. It is designed for lead-acid and to run LiFePO4 you need the upgraded model as Chris @Wayfinder had installed. I will use that end fuse for the microwave, now our Emeril Air Fryer, to separate it from all the 110V outlets. Wondering if it's worth just leaving there as a backup, in case of Victron MP2 failure. Charging with a LA pattern is better than nothing. But with solar, I will likely pull it to save 2 LBS! That spot then becomes a vent. 🤣

I want to thank all that provided good feedback here! Always helpful. Want to show you my first step with a platform for the Victron Multiplus-II (see pics). More on this in a couple of weeks as I will start a new build thread. I'm waiting on the MP2. The Florida company Inverter Supply must receive shipment from the manufacturer and then ship to me. Thought I would get it this week, but it will be another week. I'm getting installation parts here and there. Love how this first step turned out. I had to put a steel cutting blade in my power miter saw. One mounting ear had to be cut back to slip it under and the two mounting brackets had to be cut to fit side-by-side. This base will hold the weight of the MP2 and I will build a 6x24" platform above it. It will just sit on the floor since I will not drill into the bottom/outer hull. The MP2 will also be strapped above. Much more later in mod post! 😂

Wow, that's a lot. Given we are nearby, it took us 3 April-May trips to see all that! April 2022, we visited Mesa Verde, Canyonlands and Arches. Spent too much time in Moab (more for young people in Jeeps) and should have gone through Telluride and Ouray on the way instead (future trip). Spring 2023 we went to St. George Utah, visited Zion and Bryce Canyon. St George is a great town, and we went back this year and camped Snow Canyon and since the weather was hot headed north to Cedar City and made it to the viewpoint at Cedar Breaks. What a climb from Parowan to the top! It can be extremely windy out here during April-May, so be ready for that. Some evenings it's hard to light the grill or fire ring. Also, some roads and locations are still closed for the season. For example, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and even the road to it opens May 15th. Most of the Utah parks are open in April, but you cannot do The Narrows of Zion (water flow to high) and hiking at Bryce would be on snow-packed trails. Zion is low elevation and April is good there. But at the north end of Zion, the road to Kolob Canyons will be closed for snow. Hope this helps. You trip looks like the trip of a lifetime! 😂

OMG! How are you getting from Florida all the way to Sedona, AZ? I almost do not know where to start! 🤣 You're staying at the best park near Sedona. The City of Sedona has created the Red Rock Pass that you need to buy to even drive down any dirt road within 20 miles. The city is not camping friendly, again this park is the best place within 30 minutes of Sedona and not much else up there to camp. I love everything Arizona, but only go to Sedona when out-of-town friends visit. Not being into overpriced art and things spiritual, it's not for me, but my son being religious and spiritual goes there monthly to hike and meditate. It is a special place, but the tourists, the crowds, the cheap stores and nowhere to park keeps me from more than an occasional visit. We can drive to Sedona in one hour traveling up Hwy 89A over Mingus Mountain, the best part of the trip! Cathedral Rock is my favorite Sedona site. It's south of town on Hwy 179. You cannot miss it coming off I-17. However, we always visit from the backside (of Hwy 89A) where there is nobody but us most of the time (see our pics which is the backside view). I love this place, would not drive to Sedona without stopping here again! Suggestions yes, spend more time in Cottonwood and Clarkdale. Book the Verde Canyon Railroad (Verde Canyon Railroad | Train Ride in Clarkdale Arizona (verdecanyonrr.com)) for a train excursion up to Perkinsville AZ, the head waters of the grand Verde River and back (we drive to Perkinsville often from our home). I love the little town of Cornville. Eat lunch there and take in some town views along Oak Creek (very short drive). Don't let the name get you, what a cute town! BTW, the best drive in ALL of Arizona is Hwy 89A heading north out of Sedona towards Flagstaff. This is the Oak Creek Canyon, just amazing. During April everything should be in bloom, and the water will be running strong. The birds are amazing, with thousands of butterflies everywhere if your timing is right! Drive up the mountain to Jerome! What was the largest copper mine in history, booming 100 years ago and a cute cliffside town with great local restaurants and shops (no chains, more bikers than other tourists). If you want to climb Mingus Mountain, on the same road another 600+ higher, you could then drive the beautiful descent down to Prescott Valley! Stop by and see us for an overnight. Fill your tank with mountain fresh water and plug into 30A service. You are certainly welcome. Great drives, hikes, restaurants, real stores and the famous Whiskey Row for drinks and dinner. You can camp anywhere in the Prescott NF and BLM lands. We have Thumb Butte and the Granite Mountain Wilderness. Prescott was founded in the 1860s by the Union Army as the capital of the Arizona Territory (in competition the Confederates founded Tucson). A day trip to Payson is an amazing drive... But you only have a week! If you like, you can pull your Oliver on every road I have mentioned. Have an amazing trip! 😂

This is an outlier. It appears every other hull 2016 and older has the 50” axle. If this is true and Dexter can build either when ordered, why would OTT start with 50.5” then use 50” and then back to 50.5. It’s not what Henry Ford would have done!

Your truck is fine in that it's just barely enough. After your hitch weight you only have 600 LBS left and not sure if you're a big guy or not, but me, my wife and dog 450 combined, so in your truck we would have only 150 LBS for cargo! If you still have 3rd row seating in your LX, lose that weight asap for a little more available GVWR. Your suspension is great for leveling the rear but does not carry truly extra weight. You can see my tow vehicle. User manual states use a WDH when hitch weight over 500 LBS. I tried but would not get on a highway without the Anderson, in my case and yours. It rides nicely with it and bounces up-n-down without.

Good trips do take a bit of planning. I've worked scheduling a bit in my career and it's hard work, not so much fun. I believe traveling in the east would be more difficult, though I have not yet experienced RVing in the Eastern US. When we plan our 3–4-week trips out west, I will book a campsite for say 3 nights, then plan to boondock 2-3 nights, leaving the campground with batteries charged, freshwater tanks full and waste tanks dumped. We repeat this cadence of planned/unplanned stops though I have also researched viable FS and BLM sites and have all the right maps on my Avenza Maps app. We use Campendium as we travel to fill in the other overnight locations. Not truly spontaneous but feels that way when not knowing exactly where we are staying every night! Another criterion in our travels always, is to stay longer and drive less. When younger I would drive through the night no problem. Eight years ago, I drove from home in Prescott to Austin TX, 1100 miles with truck and cargo trailer, left at 5AM and arrived after 1AM! I was alone and didn't feel like getting a cheap hotel in Van Horn TX or somewhere, been there, done that. Traveled 1000s of miles without enjoying the ride. NOT ANYMORE! We've only been RVing for 5 years now, and my goal is to drive only 100-180 miles a day, 2-3 hours on the road, spending 90% of the trip enjoying the camp more than the road. I will also drive an hour longer not to be on US Interstates. We're now planning our trip to Inks Lake Texas for the October Rally. Staying with friends in Ruidoso NM on the way. It's 8-9 hours there and many would drive it in a day. I'm thinking a boondock in the White Mountains somewhere between Payson and Show Low AZ, driven through there and always wanted to stay. If we find a great camp, we'll stay 2 nights. Next stop somewhere between Pie Town NM, or as far as the Bosque Del Apache Wilderness. No campsites booked and we'll see our friends 3-4 days after we leave. When leaving Ruidoso, it's 8 hours to Inks Lake and we will reserve a campground or RV park, say near Big Spring TX, since most of Texas is private land like points east. This will make two 4-hour days. Home to the Texas Rally in 9 days, then 5 nights there. After the rally, I have another week scheduled time off, though they have not booked me to teach the 4th week. So, we will have 1-2 weeks to return and have no plan. I like to have some plan when leaving and less a plan for the return. Thinking to join Harvest Host to be more spontaneous on the return trip. This is how my scheduling brain works! 🤣 Hope this helps, we hear you! "3,000 miles over 20 days with 12 stops" in the East, is not an easy plan! My initial thought is to reduce the number of your stops (that's a very quick 1.67 days per stop). Regardless, you will have a lot of fun and have great memories later!

Any red grease marked NLGI #2 as @rich.dev showed above. People have brand preference, but all that's important is the kind of grease and temp rating. I've been using this for years, since the company had good comments on forums and very good case price on Amazon. I prefer not to pay a lot extra for a brand name. Hard to beat $7ea on a ten-pack! I have this grease in the Oliver front jack and wheel bearings. Also use it for wheel bearings every time I do a brake job in all our cars and trucks. Amazon.com: TRIAX Atlas 600 Grease - Full Synthetic, Ultra-Heavy Duty, Low Temp, Marine, Waterproof; All Bearings, Joints, Drive Train & 5th Wheel (10 Pack - 14 Oz Tubes) : Automotive

If not, the length of the new D52s would do @MAX Burner. Did they change from 50" to 50.5" by 2017 on hull 226?

You lost me on these rules. Love to visit Canada, but not that much! I longed to visit Calgary and the AB Rockies ever since the '88 Olympics. Chris wants to see Vancouver so we could leave the Oliver, the 2nd Amendment and our pup Charley for an afternoon, have a great seafood dinner, and then back to camp in WA State! Surprised they're not checking for our vaccinations anymore. Charley is older and nobody in this house takes anything big pharma! 10x more regulations made in the last 25 years than the other 248 years of our great nation. Life would be more than great if regulators would get a real job.

Bill, please confirm if I'm understanding you correctly. These are 50" axles and if I was to order two of these for $1,590, likely plus tax and shipping, they would fit mine and be full axle assemblies, complete with 12" brakes & drums, new style bearings. This order and a set of Alcan springs and I'd be set for a 10K GTWR upgrade. Let me know and thanks for taking the time to call Dexter. For me this kind of upgrade is next year earliest. Batteries and inverter now, A/C next and thank goodness my OEM springs are nicely arced at all ends and the 10" brakes do the basic job.

On a 2-year-old jack adding grease has nothing to do with this. Don't think it's about maintenance you could have done. Many run these VP-3000 jacks for many years ignoring maintenance. I would check the switch. Given it works to lift the trailer, the mechanics of the jack are working. As it takes much more work on the motor to lift vs. lower. If you are in a fix while traveling, you can pull the switch to find three wires. Connect the center wire to one to lift and the other to lower. Hope this helps!

Sorry Mark, I'm sure you did not get out the hammer, although we all want to at times like this. 🤣 The applicator head of a grease gun has a spring/retaining clip. They can get stuck, and you do not want to pull it on an angle when stuck, which creates force in a lever-action. What I do is wiggle the grease gun back and forth so that the hose whips loose. The Lock-N-Lube head is design to keep the applicator head on. Does it also release better? Thank you @Frank C as I was not aware of a special tool sized for Zerks.

We get hail often when the monsoon rains first hit with a bang and high winds. There was a lot more, all over the deck. The heavy rain that followed melted all but what was under the eaves. It hailed twice this week alone. No damage recently. I got a new $16K roof from Farmers a few years back. It sounds terrible with the high winds, but the hail is small. Last week Chris had my pretty '92 Lexus SC400 at the pickleball club. She was very worried and called me. But what can you do, you can't go out in it. I told her that old sports car has real metal, not like what they make today! Wanna see real hail? Probably not, but twice in the Round Rock Texas area, we've witnessed golf ball sized hail. Got under the viaduct JIT both times! Car dealers had the big hail-sales, but you'd have to be really needing a deal to buy one! BTW, the other pic shows a relatively young, beautiful Alligator Juniper! Bark like the gators you have in Florida. I water her regularly and treasure 'er in our backyard. It's the iconic tree of the Prescott NF. Check out this one, likely 300 years old with diameter as wide as Chris' full reach!

Yeah, but... When ours occurred in the spring, they got 40 calls that week and they never showed with over 30 in their group. We waited a couple of days and then had to do it myself.

Thanks Bill, this makes it clear. Not a defect, but a change in specs over time. I had it on my to-do list to measure but instead realized with your note and the picture @Mountainman198 posted that I had taken a pic last year. As you can see, ours is the 50" axle as well. You have the 5200 LB axle 50". So, do we know that these are no longer available, or just not stocked by OTT? I would like the 12" brakes eventually. Licky for you, they ran out of the 3500s!

I have no idea how a grease gun can break a Zerk. You have to hit it with a hammer!

The ones I showed, pictured above sure were honeybees. When they left the cabinet, they left behind a hive in the making and honey dripping. Hope they found a new good home, just not on our deck and hopefully soon not in @Marce's A/C!

I've read the inverter power button must be on and you power it ON/OFF from the remote panel. Not familiar with your model, so that's all I got. I believe @rich.dev and @Rivernerd and several others have this model.

My experience, the spray aggravates them and like you noted often does not work. We had this swarm in a cabinet on our deck this spring. We closed the cabinet, 2 hours after sunset, and my son and I carried it into the yard, laid it down opened so the morning sun would hit it. They left slowly over 3 days. When dark at night they are dormant. So at night, take the cover of your A/C as a first step. If the sun hits the hive straight on, they will likely leave. If you feel braver (I got really used to them after dealing with this swarm of thousands), Take a long-handled scraper blade and dislodge the hive, toss it if you can. If you have to, be ready to descend the ladder quickly, come back later after they have settled down to do more. Dress with heavy clothes, gloves hat and safety glasses.