Beginner Lessons Learned and Relearned

[DonnaDuane]

1. Always turn Propane tank valve on VERY SLOWLY, otherwise the force of rushing gas can cause safety valves on furnace, frig, or hot water heater to shut that appliance down. Only remedy is shot of gas, reset appliance, then turn gas valve VERY SLOWLY. Seemingly faulty appliance has always worked after that.

 

2. Always lock bathroom door before driving even the shortest distance. Otherwise it will be broken for sure from swinging open.

 

3. Never camp between other RVs that run generators with exhaust pointed towards your Ollie. The CO detector will go off. NEVER ignore your CO DETECTOR!!! You might die in your sleep.

 

4. Never run propane appliances while driving. They can cause gas explosions at gas stations.

 

5. Viair Air Compressor makes winterizing water lines and keeping tires at proper pressure a piece of cake

 

6. Anderson Leveling wedge is worthless on ice and snow. They need a studded version.

 

7. Boondocking in Winter requires a decent and quiet generator. Solar power is gone for perhaps weeks. I recommend the Honda 2200i.

 

8. Protect front lower sections of shell from rock chips with plastic coating. Tow vehicle will spray a ton of gravel into it, especially in Winter. The folks who applied 3m film to my Audi are doing my Ollie.

 

9. Keep Drain hose attached to outlet in rear bumper and simply cap the end. This is way easier and cleaner than taking it apart each drain cycle. And always drain Black then Gray  for odorless hose

 

10. Dehumidifier is a must when Winter camping. Otherwise condensation runs amuck everywhere.

 

11. Hoppy Rearview Mirror Level on front of Ollie saves tons of time. And, your head doesn’t get nearly as wet running in and out and in and out etc, etc in the rain and snow to get the darn trailer level.

 

12. Use other Ollie owners for tips and advice, especially for Set Up and Departure Checklists.  They are valuable beyond belief.

 

I’ll add more as they happen. Happy travels

[mdernier]

Thanks for the tips.  Which Viair compressor do you recommend?  And what leveling system (or systems) do you recommend?

[dbp05ret]

We are on Day 28 of a shake down inaugural trip in Oliver 412. We love our Eva-Dry dehumidifier and our Honeywell Space Heater. Also, we purchased a Fiksu Pets Elevated Dog bed for our Cairn Terrier. These have all been worthwhile purchases.

[John E Davies]

We are on Day 28 of a shake down inaugural trip in Oliver 412. We love our Eva-Dry dehumidifier and our Honeywell Space Heater. Also, we purchased a Fiksu Pets Elevated Dog bed for our Cairn Terrier. These have all been worthwhile purchases.

 

It is always good to tell us what model you recommend, and especially WHY, and maybe post a link. For example, there are a more than a few Honeywell heaters: ... https://www.honeywellstore.com/store/category/heaters.htm

 

Thanks,

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[DonnaDuane]

I got the 00088 88P compressor for $56 on Amazon. I use the Anderson Leveling kit in a bag that includes leveler, chocks, jack pads and doorstep in a bag.

[DonnaDuane]

Hello Oliver Buddies, I’ve been away for quite a while. Since it’s been nearly a year since we took delivery of our demo Elite I, I decided it would be prudent to repack the wheel bearings. It seemed simple enough. I’d done it on my cars before, so felt confident this would go smoothly. I watched the Dexter how to video and several others on YouTube. Looked up the part numbers and ordered everything from etrailer.com. Got the first wheel off no problem because the lugs were dangerously loose (So glad I didn’t wait for that pending disaster to happen. ) Next I removed inner seal and compared it to my new parts. Yikes! New parts were ALL too small, so I take the entire hub to local parts store. They measure the seal with calipers, search for 10 minutes to find on their shelves, and sell me two for $38.50. Existing bearings were still in perfect condition. Went home to install repacked bearings and new seal. It went in the hub fine, but when I tried to slide it back on the spindle, it just wouldn’t go. I pushed and pushed. I checked brake pad clearance and nothing worked. So, I took it off only to discover I’d damaged it. Then I discovered it had a smaller ID than the original. Went back to parts store. They blamed it on measuring while still on hub. They were kind enough to refund my $38.50 and find another parts store down the road that had what I needed. Got to other store, showed them old one. They walked directly to shelf with matching seals. Sold me both for $7.50. Got home. Put it all back together with ease. I still don’t know the correct part numbers for bearings and races so I can reorder them to carry for an emergency while on the road. If you do, please tell me. Thank you

[SeaDawg]

Welcome back. Sounds like you live in a really nice community, with helpful vendors. Glad you got it all straight. ?

 

The part numbers weren't on the invoice, I guess? Back in the day, we'd just get a ticket that said "parts" and a price, but excellent service. Sounds like your store...

[topgun2]

You can call Redneck Trailer Supply at 1-877-9Redneck, give them your axle number and they can give you the part numbers.  Redneck is the parts supplier to Oliver.  Shortly after I got my camper I did this and while the parts they shipped me are made in China, they are in nicely sealed blister packaging which is very convenient to carry as a spare.  I'd also be willing to bet that if you went back into that second local store where you got your seals they could tell you these numbers as long as you supplied them with the axle info.

 

Bill

[bhncb]

To avoid further confusion, the Dexter axle owner's manual list all their part numbers for each weight axle. Take all the numbers for a 5000# axle, go to Rockauto.com, and do part number searches for each of these Dexter numbers. The returns will list comparable manufacture's parts. Most if not all the specs will list country of origin. If "Made in China" bearings are undesirable, select the US made Timken brand bearings and National seals.

[rideandfly]

Here's how to find the Dexter axle lot serial number in the following link, if you don't have the owner's manual that BHNCB mentioned. Give Dexter's service department this number and they will email a PDF copy of the axle build sheet.  This sheet has dimensions and Dexter part numbers that can be crossed over to your preference of seals/bearings. We buy our axle supplies from Redneck Trailer, there's a local store. There are large industrial supply chains like Motion Industries that have an assortment of bearings and seals, too.

 

https://www.dexteraxle.com/docs/default-source/default-document-library/light-duty-axle-identificationb27a839d2ba463c18d7aff64007a4014.pdf?sfvrsn=0

 

 

[Scott and Frieda]

Regarding #9, even better is to dump gray for 3 seconds, then black, then rest of gray. This lubricates the sewer hose so that black contents doesn't stick to a dry hose. 

I'm now the proud owner of Kleen Tank of the Tennessee Valley. If you want your Ollie tanks professionally cleaned, give me a call at 865-224-8400 or go to www.kleentank.com

Cheers, Scott

Hull #961

[Mike and Carol]

11 hours ago, Gooey said:

Regarding #9, even better is to dump gray for 3 seconds, then black, then rest of gray. This lubricates the sewer hose so that black contents doesn't stick to a dry hose. 

I will try this the next time we dump!  Still learning….!

[Trainman]

Take it from someone who had a travel trailer some 45 years ago and are now camping again not much has changed in all that time. Yes all new electronics and appliances that are updated, but when it gets down to it most things are still done pretty much the same way. I personally feel that todays camping ways are pretty much as they were 40 yeas ago, no automatic sewer hookups, still need water hose and electrical connections, and you still get to level the trailer in campsites today. Best thing about camping today is there is in most cases a Walmart close by for those needed things. When I look at list that are posted today for camping there not to much difference from days past, in fact I sometime think they were easier back then.

trainman