iPad library of useful Ollie information

[geokeg]

For those who use an iPad a very useful feature that some may not be aware of is how easy it is to use pdf and iBooks.  I just went through an interesting learning experience getting my solar charging system back on line.  Lots of good help from forum members.  To keep all that exchange handy for quick retreival I sent the whole string to pdf like you would a printer and then filed it in my Oliver folder in iBooks.  I use a Mini 4 iPad, an amazing little tool!

 

George

[John E Davies]

I do the same. I tried renaming them, so as to group them by title:

 

"RV - 2017 Oliver Elite II Owners Manual".

 

"RV - Trailer wiring harness schematic"

 

Works well within my iPad, but the name change is NOT saved when you sync with iTunes, so the value is pretty much lost. The only way to make the name change permanent is to move the files to a separate folder on your computer, rename them there, delete all the original files from iTunes, then move the renamed ones back in. My iPad is really crippled compared to my iMac.

 

I love Apple products, but sometimes their stupid software "features" makes me spit flame.... iTunes (and iBooks) especially.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[geokeg]

I used to do the iTunes sync thing too but too cumbersome for my short attention span.  I also have the large iPad Pro if I want to duplicate something as a back up, and for viewing stuff in more detail.  My Macbook Pro gets turned on around tax season, otherwise it is all iPad for me. Well, that and my iPhone 6 plus.

[Hikegsm]

Thanks Geokeg for the tip.  I have been using screen shots of topics that I want to refer back too, edited with markup and placing in my Oliver photo album. I think the PDF to iBooks will be a much  quicker solution!

 

Yvonne

[John E Davies]

I used to do the iTunes sync thing too but too cumbersome for my short attention span. I also have the large iPad Pro if I want to duplicate something as a back up, and for viewing stuff in more detail. My Macbook Pro gets turned on around tax season, otherwise it is all iPad for me. Well, that and my iPhone 6 plus.

I agree - I think iTunes and especially the Sync function is a horrific disaster. It really does not handle "self created" pdfs. They just aren't seen.

 

I use a neat IOS app called File Browser. It makes it relatively painless to _directly_ transfer files from a handheld device to a desktop, or vice versa. It is direct, fast and easy to understand. Well worth the price IMHO.

 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/filebrowser-access-files-on-remote-computers/id364738545?mt=8

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[DavidS]

I agree with John that the iTunes sync does not work well for most files. I only use iTunes sync for my music and my backups.

 

John recommends FileBrowser. Looks good. For years I have used a similar product, called GoodReader. https://itunes.apple.com/app/id777310222?mt=8. Awesome app, and the easiest way to transfer files from a computer via cable is with the free GoodReaderUSB app. http://www.goodreader.com/goodreader-usb.html

 

My main method for storing pdf files of instruction manuals is Dropbox. https://www.dropbox.com. Dropbox is a cloud syncing solution. The free account gives you 2 GB of space. I have a desktop computer at work, and I store all of my current projects in folders there. Dropbox automatically syncs these documents to my laptop for use at home or while traveling. I can also access all of these documents from anyone’s computer, using a web browser, by logging into my Dropbox account. Finally, I can access these documents on my iPhone or iPad using the Dropbox app. They also have an android app.

 

One of my folders on my Dropbox is called PDF Instruction Manuals. I have folders in there for Cameras, Computers, Home Appliances, Printers, etc, etc. I do keep all of my instruction manuals in a file cabinet drawer. However, the specific paper manual can be hard to find. For me, there are big advantage of reading the instruction manual pdf on the computer instead of the paper version. These are the search functions, both to find the correct manual and to search for specific text within the manual. For the past few years I have downloaded the user manual pdf for everything I have purchased, and put it in my Dropbox. This has proven useful on many occasions!

 

I have an Oliver folder in my Dropbox, and there I have one folder there called Component PDFs. I keep the OTT Owners Manual there, along with pdf manuals for all of the Oliver components, i.e. Blue Sky Solar, Furrion Radio, Pentair Water Pump, etc. (When my trailer was being built, I asked Christine in the Oliver Office for a pdf version of the Owners Manual, and she couldn’t fathom what I meant. Fortunately, Buzzy subsequently posted a link to his Dropbox, which had a pdf version of the OTT Owners Manual. Thanks, Buzzy! Then Karen and Reed posted the 2017 Owners Manual, and I grabbed that too, even though I have a 2016 model. Thanks, Lukens!).

 

I have a separate folder for instruction manuals for all stuff I have purchased for Ollie, such as my stove, the TPMS, the brake controller, the walkie talkies, etc. Never know when I will need these. In the Checklists folder I have my camp arrival, camp departure, winterizing checklists, along with other people’s checklists that I used to make my own. One advantage of a digital system is that my Sanitizing the Fresh Water System checklist was made by copy/paste from the OTT manual.

 

One thing that is really helpful is to use the highlighting feature that pdf reader programs have. It is like using a yellow highlighter pen, but on the electronic document. If I yellow highlight something on my computer that is stored in Dropbox, the highlight is still there when I open it on my phone. This has proved useful on many occasions, particularly with the instruction manuals for my cameras.

 

You should be aware that Dropbox syncs all folders to your computers (unless you specifically say only certain folders), but for the iPhone or iPad the default behavior of the program is to not store the files on your phone, but to download the file when you click on it. You can click on a setting for any specific file and have it permanently downloaded for offline use. This is useful for large files you use frequently, or for files you want to have when you have no cell service, such as when boondocking.

 

Goodreader has great tools for reading, searching and highlighting, and it can open up files stored in your Dropbox.

 

One last thing. To increase the security of your Dropbox account, I highly recommend turning on Two Factor Authentication.

 

Finally for people who use the Kindle software, you can use the Send to Kindle app to send your own content, such as pdf files to whatever Kindle device you use. https://www.amazon.com/gp/sendtokindle. Kindle has good search and highlighting tools.

 

David

[DavidS]

John recommended FileBrowser, and I recommended GoodReader. For those who want to try a similar app for free, File Manager Pro App is normally $4.99 but available for free for a limited time. Excellent reviews. https://itunes.apple.com/US/app/id558270538?mt=8

[Overland]

John, maybe I'm misunderstanding the extent of what you're looking to do, but if you just want to organize your PDFs in iBooks you could just create a new collection called "RV" and move them there.

 

Like David, I tend to use dropbox for that stuff.