Galileo

Thanks @rideadeuce - I looked twice at the flame king site and didn’t see it. Oh well. I’m gonna have to go back and look at my steel tanks. Thought they were 11-something pounds - but the Amazon listing says the aluminum ones are 13.7, so I must be wrong. I used to be pretty anal about monitoring my remaining propane by weighing them. I got over it and actually ran one out. I guess it had to happen.

Just now I did. I haven’t used one with UV before, but could be interesting. I never thought I needed that feature because I’ve always been hooked up to “safe” water before. Tested, treated sources. My concern about the one in the video is that it’s only got a flow rate of .4 gpm. The nice thing about the conventional ones I’ve installed is that they have 4 gallon (supposedly) tanks - so the system can crank out water at a trickle, but when you want it, it’s ready there for you. That said, the room that the tank takes up is a major factor. The one you posted the video for has an optional .4 gallon tank. Still not much. Then again, I’m not filling a lot of big pasta pots or filling 3 or 4 water pitchers for a big dinner party from the trailer. I probably have too many higher priority projects on my to-do list to take this one up soon. Just curious if anybody else has gone down this road.

Very cool! Was looking at that Flame King site to see if they made aluminum ones in the 20# size. Looks like not. We don’t use enough propane to rationalize 30# tanks - I just had one refilled that lasted almost a year. Though, I wouldn’t mind reducing the weight. If memory serves, the steel 20# tanks weigh in at about 11-1/2 pounds each.

Which is why you’re unlikely to find me in the Everglades again. Bern there, done that, sprinted from the trailer to the truck and back - and decided NOT to cook outside or try to even get a campfire going. (Really!)

Damn! You really DID automate it! Very cool - definitely above my “desire” level. I see you have the Levelmate Pro. We added one our second trip out. I don’t find that the circular bubble level on the top of the tongue jack to be very accurate or have enough resolution. I like that IF I remember to plug mine into the USB power (I removed the battery entirely) that I can get leveled side-to-side without having to getting and out of the truck sux times. It tells me how low a given side is, I position the right number of stackable blocks, and drive onto them. I can verify it’s laterally level, shut down, chock and unhook. Easy! (I even have the Levelmate app on my Apple Watch!)

Yeah, that knucklehead wearing a sweatshirt when it’s 80F is me…. Long pants always. As for the road you mention - I got one of this stone guard “mudflaps” looking thing that slides over the hitch ball carrier. Haven’t used it yet…..

Just half yanking your chain… I just ask because having to look at a diagram and then (properly!) position four valves has tripped me up before. Last winter I mistakenly configured the valves to “Boondocking” when really wanted “winterize”. I wondered where a gallon of RV antifreeze went before I figured it out…. For me, I don’t change those valves often enough to want to motorize them - even if it is a royal pain in the butt to lift up the access panel, anti-condensation mat, seat cushion, and 3” mattress topper (king bed) to get to the valves.

You mean that rubber washer with the 1/16” hole in it? So long as we understand that government regulations are axes and not scalpels we’ll be fine. Doesn’t make a lot of sense to reduce toilet tank size to half - and then have to flush it twice… Not to throw the baby out with the bath water of course, but rushing a technology into the mainstream often is counterproductive. Like compact CFL bulbs. Me? I like my old kerosene lamps and wood stove!

I found that @KarenLukens mentioned this in an o-l-d post, but didn’t see that it got much traction. I’m a bit of a water purist (ahem) and have installed R/O water systems in all of the last four homes I’ve lived in and even gave one a a Christmas Gift to my sister and BIL. (I can hear the snickering..) Even when you have great water available, I like to get rid of as much chlorine, fluoride, lead, etc, etc, etc as possible. Also - regardless of how clean my “fresh” water system is, I’ve never drank the water from an RV or marine water system. (I’ve seen the crud that builds up in the lines…) Without adding chlorine or maybe iodine to water, even “good” water will go bad and can start growing stuff. I was curious if any water-nuts out there have installed R/O systems in their Ollies. NOT “whole house” systems, just ones to supply drinking & cooking water. Of course, the main problem to solve is “where to put the tank?”. The filters are pretty easy to find a home for. It looks like there might be enough room in the curb side basement - and it’s close to the water valves and pump. I’d likely set it up so it only filters water while hooked up to city water, and delivers it to an auxiliary faucet near the galley sink. Maybe even feed an instant hot water thingy for tea or instant beverages as well. If the “wastefulness” of an R/O system is a concern, that “waste” water could even be diverted to the main fresh water tank - where it could be used for toilet flushing and handwashing. Any others have thoughts?

I honestly haven’t done much at all with PEX even though it seems it’s the “in” water supply standard. I’m a soldered copper kinda guy. I like your practice of heating and bending instead of elbows, and I have seen a couple of “sweep” brackets in the Oliver holding PEX bends in place. When you installed the motorized valves, did you find a way to have a button or switch to select “Normal/Boondock/Winterize” and control all four valves automatically? 😋

$30.99 for 72 hours worth of refills. I forget is we had 2 or 4 of the lanterns, so apply the appropriate math. I’m aware of the wind factor and don’t think we had much adverse wind happening. For me, it just didn’t seem that the juice was worth the squeeze. 4 lanterns running four hours an evening and that $30.99 is gone in 4 or 5 uses. That said, I’m glad that people have found workable and effective ways to avoid being eaten alive and spilling your beer/wine/Manhattan when trying to swat a mosquito. I’m still looking for the solution that works for me!

We like the looks of the SeaBiscuit strange box. Yeah, a little pricey, but tempting. First major trip out - I lugged the Honda 2200eu (I think) along with us in the truck bed. Never used it once. I was thinking of the SeaBiscuit locking box for the generator - but figured it probably wouldn’t be worth the investment based on that non-usage. Our OEM Oliver storage basket is only used for picking up firewood when entering a CG, bag of garbage heading to the dump station, or staging my blocks, chocks, Andersen WD wrench, and San-T-flush hose. I never traveled with anything in it. Though I know it will likely reap howls of disapproval, I had been thinking that a locking SeaBiscuit box here would be a great place to have a -running- generator. Properly modified with large vents and fan for cooling and combustion air AND a suitable system for moving exhaust away from the trailer. Yeah, that’s the part that will make the hair stand up on the back of your head. That said, every generator-equipped motor home I’ve ever seen just routes the exhaust to the edge of the vehicle. Wonder if there’s any history of CO deaths for those guys. (Like I said guys - I’m not doing this - just brainstorming!) Of course, best practice is keep your running generator FAR from your RV. Unfortunately, the Honda generators seem to have “Steal Me!” stenciled on the side, so unless I’m sitting outside watching it - I’d never even be using it.

I always have to laugh when I see 1/2” or even 3/4” copper pipe going to a (land based) bathroom or kitchen sink - and then the supply lines are 1/4” going through valves with tiny water passages. When we had the farm, I replaced every hose Bibb with a 3/4” ball valve a GH adapter. When I wanted water, I wanted it NOW! 😋Nobody wants to stand and wait while a 5-gallon bucket fills at less than the maximum possible flow rate.

(And yes - I’m demanding! Otherwise I would have opted for the $12,000.00 “Coleman” trailer instead of the $70,000.00 Oliver!) 😋

I’m familiar with Wondercide products and have used them on occasion for flea control. That said, I still don’t like to douse myself with any kind of repellants. I just feel “dirty” when wearing them and I’d have to shower before going to bed.

I’m familiar with the Thermacell “technology” in that a certain former female acquaintance of mine had several of the cordless butane curling irons. The used the same cartridges. They’re quite rudimentary in that there’s no real pressure regulator - just a tiny, TINY orifice that controls the amount of gas that is allowed to make it to the “burner”. Two or three uses into my using the Thermacell “lanterns” one quit working (heating) entirely - even with a new, full cartridge. Sure enough, the faint hissing sound you’d normally hear when turning the device on was missing. My guess is that the tiny orifice became clogged. Interesting, in that between the time the unit was new, with a new cartridge, and the time it quit working - there was no way -I- could have introduced anything into it that would have clogged it. The cordless curling irons suffered the same fate - multiple times. That, and I didn’t find them to be that effective even when working. I also thought it was kinda dumb to power a light with batteries, while butane supplies heat. (Guess nobody told the Thermacell folks that a butane powered light would also generate heat…) I was even using rechargeable batteries to attempt to minimize cost and waste. Yes, there are mostly good reviews, but I see MY one-star review has a fair amount of company. YMMV I guess.

We’ve snagged a Campground Host gig at Glacial Lake SP in Starbucks, Minnesota for the last part of July and all of August. (Go North young man - in summer!) Im thinking now about mosquitoes now, as they find me particularly appetizing apparently. The park management says mosquitoes “aren’t that bad” that time of year (but flies are) so I’m just kinda worried. I loathe smearing myself with repellants, and have yet to find a really effective trap or repeller. I had two of the Thermacell “lanterns” that @Ronbrink seems to like. I didn’t find them very effective. They’re also a little expensive to feed since you need repellant pads, butane cartridges, as well as batteries to make the light go. There is a newer Thermacell unit, but it also needs refills every 8 hours. I’ve used a “Dynatrap” with some success - and they still get pretty good reviews from Popular Mechanics (I think). Since we’re going to be there for ~6 weeks, I don’t mind making an investment. Prolly gonna get a stand-alone screen room, but was hoping for an option that wouldn’t restrict us to an 8’ by 8’ safe zone. Suggestions that don’t require I bathe in DEET, pyrethrum, or any other noxious elixir? I don’t want to nuke the local ecosystem - but if it’s them or me…..

We spent three days at Flamingo National Park in the Everglades. Their cut little “meter” showed 3 out of 5. I forget the captions, but they implied it was only “moderate”. IMHO, they mosquitoes were intolerable. You COULD NOT do anything outside many hours of the day without becoming a blood donor. It’s a very neat ecosystem - manatees, osprey, gators AND American Crocodiles. But, I won’t ever go back. I don’t like being a part of the Everglades food chain.

I guess if detector false alarms are common enough, the switch makes good sense. I’m sure some safety expert somewhere is shuddering at the thought of people selectively disabling their CO/propane detector. The “reminder” I have that my detector is inoperative is the replacement sitting on the counter goading me to install it.

Pretty sure the power monitor that the Oliver comes equipped with will tip you off if the outlet is wired incorrectly. All those flashing red lights in the aft cabinet above the television must be good for something! 😋 Seriously, if it detects a fault, it won’t even let power in from my experience. I also carry a little receptacle “analyzer” that you can plug in to a 15/20 amp receptacle. It will tell you if it’s properly wired and grounded. I don’t have one for a 30 or 50 amp receptacle, but assuming (!) that a 30->20 amp adapter will let it analyze a 30 amp circuit. Add the 50->30 amp dogbone and you should be able to check anything. (I’m sure an electrician will jump in to correct me on the above if it’s not true!) https://a.co/d/e6M4b1m So far, the only faults I’ve detected are the floating ground from a portable generator, and the missing ground when plugging into a friend’s home outlet.

We didn’t blow that fuse - but had to pull it when the original CO/Propane detector started throwing false alarms - at 3am of course. No fun being awakened without real cause, being deaf for 5 minutes, or having to dislodge the two panicked cats from the ceiling. And yes, it’s not an ideal location for a fuse. I was loathe to replace the failed detector - still supposedly WELL within its stated service life - with another unreliable one. So we ordered this one. https://a.co/d/3SUEvPm It sticks out a bit further, and it’s brown instead of white (which I actually like) but it has the advantage of actually having a readout that shows the propane or CO PPM that it’s detecting.

Though it’s an old thread - looks like it’s already been re-opened. If anybody cares, these are the blocks/pads/stands we’ve been using for a few years now: https://a.co/d/6SwIden They’re rock-solid and spread the load out on softer surfaces. The main reason I like them is because at about 6” tall, they REALLY reduce the amount you have to extend and retract the jacks. All three of them. That not only reduces wear and tear - it really saves quite a bit of time when setting up or departing. Especially nice if you happen to arrive during a monsoon. (Which I got to do just last week!) In especially very un-level spots, I’ve had to skip the stand under the tongue jack to be able to drop the nose of the trailer enough to achieve level. Usually one of those “Oh Hell!” moments when you realize you’re out of jack travel and you have to jack the tongue back up, back up your TV again, retract the jack, pull out the block, extend the jack, move the TV -again- and re-level. In that case, I keep a lightweight “racing” floor jack for the purpose. A quick lift, pull out the block, and lower away. I also have three 12x14” 3/8” thick aluminum alloy plates to put under jack feet when on very soft surfaces. They’re actually company name plaques from former employers…

Quite true. Never thought of that. I suppose if optimum flow rates are important to you, then this would be a factor. I would opt for ball valves in my land-based plumbing for this reason. I was always a little surprised that conventional valves had such small, restrictive passages. I’d bet that with all the fittings, valves, check valves, pump, accumulator, etc - there are already a ton of restrictions in Ollie’s plumbing system.

Pros of SharkBites is that aside from a tool that cuts a nice, square end on the PEX tubing, you don’t need other tools. (You can use an appropriately sized open-end wrench to depress the locking ring on a SB connector should you need to remove it.) Cons - high cost. Conventional PEX connectors require a specialized crimping tool - though one that lets you use a ViseGrip Plier as the oomph will save you a few $$$ over a dedicated PEX crimping tool. If you don’t get a good, leak-free connection with a conventional PEX crimped fitting, you have to cut it off and start over. You can often salvage the connector by carefully cutting off the crimp ring. For a “lean” repair kit, you could probably get by with a 1/2” tee, elbow, and two straight connectors and a couple of feet of tubing. I haven’t priced SharkBites lately, but I’d guess that the above - plus the tubing cutter - could be had for about $50. (I remember SBs costing $10-$12 each for 1/2” ones - but that was two or three years ago.) You’d probably spend that much on a decent PEX crimping tool by itself. As someone else already mentioned, installing PEX “below deck” in cramped quarters can be a bear. (I think I just talked myself into SharkBites!)

Though I have never used SharkBite fittings, they used to sell very well at the hardware store I used to work at - in spite of their relatively high cost. You mention “permanent” in your comment. I’ve know of folks who used these all over their homes - including inside walls(!) That's something that would make me a little nervous. That said, people tend to regard them a permanent. Being “old school” - I’ve never even used PEX. Soldered copper for me. Of course, not so practical in an RV. I don’t keep any plumbing spares so far. I guess if/when the time comes, I’ll have to hope I’m near enough to a hardware or home improvement store to get some PEX fitting, tubing, lock rings, and a crimper. I do recall that there is a crimping tool that utilizes your existing ViseGrip pliers to supply the power. That should save you a bit of $$& over buying a stand-alone PEX crimping tool.