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Suction cup holders


astrocaster

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Hi, Everyone,

It seems to me that it has been several months since anyone has posted on these forums any information or pictures of the accessories they have added to the walls of the kitchen and bathroom areas of their Oliver trailers. In particular, since some time has passed and more folks now have Oliver trailers, Elizabeth and I would like to know how successful it has been for you to use suction cups to hold up soap dishes and other containers. If you have removed these suction cups after a while, have the suction cups left some sort of abrasion or other marks that show they were there? If so, were you able to remove the marks? Do you have any recommendations?

 

Thanks,

Steve

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As most folks know,I've used a variety of suction cup devices, hooks, and holders in our Oliver to add to storage and use the wall space more efficiently. Actually, I use them on the outside of the Oliver as well, when we're camped, to hang towels by the outside shower, hang up the broom and chair covers, etc. I can move them around at will when I decide there's a better place for the broom, dustpan, or whatever.

 

Some suction cup devices are better than others. The corner pockets and shower pockets from Target that hold dishes & spices in the kitchen, as well as keys and miscellaneous in the salon, have larger, multiple cups that really stick to the walls, and are easily removed when I clean. I haven't had problems with these coming loose during towing... even in the mountains. The toothbrush holder in the bathroom from Walmart is pretty good, but I have to refasten it more often than just between cleanings.

 

There's a new line of hooks and some other accessories that I've found at both Harbor Freight and Lowe's... hooks, towel rings, soap dishes, etc. with a push button, positve action and a red ring that disappears when engaged, reappears when it's losing suction and needs to be re-attached by pressing the button. These also work very well. Some of the other brands of hooks fall down after awhile, but most hold for a decent amount of time.

 

None of these suction cups have left marks on the walls, or abrasion, in 15,000 plus miles and months of camping with the Oliver. Now that I know where I want more permanent hooks, I'm also experimenting with some of the new chrome finish 3m Command hooks. They really hold tightly, and support a lot of weight. However, I haven't tried to remove any yet. We'll see.

 

We also use velcro to hold many things in place... flashlights, remote controls, small framed photos.... That's great stuff! I put the stiff loop side on the wall, and the soft fuzzy side on the item to be removed... it collects less lint. The adhesive comes off pretty easily if you decide to change the location.

 

Sherry

2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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I concur on the success of the suction cups for organizing our kitchen, bath and corner entry 'junk' drawer. The holders from target that Seadawg also uses have worked wonderfully for us.

 

Some of the hooks we use to hang mugs, flashlights, sweaters, hats, etc. have more of a tendency to fall -- especially when we are switching between elevations and humidity levels. Such as, I notice more of a failure rate when we enter the high desert.

 

So far, no damage or marks from any of our holders.

 

 

Here's our kitchen arrangement:

 

2758352265_4158275230_o.jpg

 

 

It's worked well for us, and I haven't rearranged it since we originally set it up.

 

- Cherie

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Cherie, do you keep all these things where they are in this picture when you are towing or do you put them somewhere else and take them out when you reach your destination?

 

That layout looks neat and convenient. Where do you keep your large kitchen spoons, knives, tongs, spatula, whisk, and the like?

 

Where to put the trash bag/can? Where to put dirty clothes?

Where to put sewer treatments, be they powders or liquids?

Where to keep the second damp shower towel?

 

We keep lots of stuff in the big truck, but for many things that's not very convenient.

 

I'm sure we will figure these things out, but you really have to keep stuff to a minimum in these trailers, which is no surprise to me, but it has been for Geneva. When we got to Hohenwald and she put her clothes and shoes in the trailer, almost every overhead space was stuffed with her clothes, and the closet was overflowing. She gave me one shelf in the closet for all my clothes, shoes, and toiletries, but I had to share that shelf with some of her stuff.

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I'm also experimenting with some of the new chrome finish 3m Command hooks. They really hold tightly, and support a lot of weight. However, I haven't tried to remove any yet. We'll see.

I have used them (the white ones), and removed them and they work very well. However, I have to put them all back up now that summer is over and it is cooling off enough to go out camping. They are only good up to 120 degrees and then they apparently fall off. But, they came with enough extra double sided tape stuff that it isn't a big deal.

We also use velcro to hold many things in place... flashlights, remote controls, small framed photos.... That's great stuff!

I have also used Velcro and it seems to work well for certain things, however it doesn't hold as well as I would like for heavier items (maglite) or things that are pulled on (paper towels), so we did drill and mount some items permanently.

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Glad to know that about the Command hooks, Andrew! Thanks. Super Velcro may hold mag lites, but your holder is much safer and better. I hang only the mini LED flashlights on the wall with Velcro.... I'm with you. I wouldn't want a big maglite coming loose and flying around inside my trailer on a mountain road...

 

DougI, the suction cup holders from Target will stay up, loaded with spices, paper plates, and melmac dinnerware, plastic glasses, etc... I was leary at first, but there's nothing breakable in them, so what the heck... and it's been fine. So will their clear hooks, most of the time. Many of these I'm replacing with 3m Command hooks and the button press suction hooks as I go along, using the original set outside the trailer. The button press towel rings are great.

 

As far as .... where do we put stuff and what we carry, maybe we shouldl start another thread. Everybody has different ideas (and different stuff...). This thread could get really lengthy.

 

Sherry

2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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Steve,

I deleted my own post. It was one I was working on, by had not yet finished. Posted by accident.

Sherry

2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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I've been trying to find a paper towel holder that could be attached with suction cups above the sink between the two overhead LED lights. No luck. So, I'm going to make my own, using at least four large suction cups, two at each end. If necessary, I will put two more suction cups in the middle of the base.

 

I think plexiglas or 3/8 or 1/2 inch thick hardwood would work fine for the base and frame, with a matching dowel rod to hold the towels. You can buy suction cups that receive screws to attach them to the base of the rack.

 

I just emailed Adams Manufacturing asking them where I can buy smaller quantities of their large suction cup with 3/32 top pilot hole, item #6001.00. With this cup, I'm quite confident four cups would secure the towel holder to the ceiling. If it doesn't, I'll use six cups. I will design the base of the holder wider at the ends and in the middle so that the cups will be spaced as far apart as possible (outboard of a full paper towel roll), to increase holding power.

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We keep everything in place when in travel. Remember, we travel full time and live in our Oliver - there is not 'destination' for us. Our setup is designed to have no setup or unsetup involved.

 

 

 

In the drawer above the furnace.. seemed like an obvious place for us.

 

We keep a small trash can under the small dinnette (since you went with the twin beds, that would be difference for you). We keep spare trash bags (aka 'shopping bags') under the seat across from the furnace. Our dirty laundry bag resides in the bathroom, and is taken out when we shower.

 

 

In the bathroom, on the floor behind the toliet - with our cleaners and other such stuff.

 

 

We keep our towels in the bathroom on the rod. We bought smaller microfiber quick drying towels from REI for both space efficiency and keeping things dry.

 

 

As far as storage space.. we actually have more room than we know what to do with and have a good bit of open space left. Chris has most of the closet for his hanging shirts. I have a plastic drawer under the full bed for my shirts/pants/skirts. We each have an upper bin over the bed for socks/undies. We keep the back bin full of our electronics, media, games and books. And the two forward overhead cabinets have office supplies and some useful tools. We have open space in most of our cabinets. Then again, we 'upgraded' from a Tab that was much smaller - so we were already well accustomed to only living with what we really need, and have both massively purged our lives of 'stuff'.

 

- Cherie

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Flashlight recommendation:

 

I have a small Streamlight (brand) headlight that I wear on my head or carry in my hand, whichever is more convenient. It has three light levels and a flash option. It runs off three size AAA batteries. It is waterproof. I hang it from a suction cup by one of the two straps for your head, one of which goes around your head and the other goes over your head.

The straps are totally adjustable and stay put well. It probably weighs no more than 8 ounces, with batteries. It puts out a lot of light with an LED bulb. I normally run it on the lowest of the three settings. I've used it now for about four years.

 

It's not cheap, but I think it's well worth the $50 bucks or so.

 

I just Googled and found a source at a good price:

 

http://www.streamlight-flashlights.com/61070.html

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I have a few Streamlight flashlights and am very happy with them. I'm having Oliver install a rechargeable Streamlight Ultra Stinger inside the Oliver just to the left of the closet door. It will be wired into the 12v system and that way I'll always have a fully charged flashlight on board. And will not have to carry spare batteries, etc.

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Hi Cherie!

Thanks for the great ideas on organization! Will be using some to gain some room in our overheads. Traveling with 3 dogs n a cat, we can use all the extra space we can get!! Now all we gotta' do is keep the cat outta' the overheads!!! Don't ask.....

Thanks, Chuck

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