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I guess this is the best forum for this post.

The world of RV living has taken a bad turn this year; many campgrounds are closed, yet there are more RVs on the road.  The chances of finding a campsite without a reservation are slim to none.  To make matters worse, the wildfires in the West have closed and/or burned much of Oregon's boondocking areas and extreme fire danger has restricted access to many remote areas.  For seasoned campers, this is disheartening; new RV owners must be saying, "This is RV life?".  I expect many of these will give it up when airlines and cruise ships resume somewhat normal operation 😏

Enough of that rant, on to the point of my post:

Has anyone had need for parts or service recently?  I hear tales of long waits for parts and/or repair service due to the Covid insurgence of new RV owners and a disruption in the materials supply chain.  My concern is, as we make our way home to Oregon from Hohenwald in December and we experience a mechanical failure, we will be stuck for days waiting for remedy?  (and will there be a place to stay!) 

What supplies/tools/spare parts would be good to purchase now to enable us to stay on the road in the event of an on-the-road breakdown? 

I hope I haven't put a hex on our delivery adventure!  

 

 

Ray and Susan Huff

Elite II Twin "Pearl" - Hull#699; delivered December 7, 2020

2013 F350 6.7l diesel Super Duty 4x4 long bed crew cab

1UP-USA Heavy-duty bike rack

2017 Leisure Travel Van Unity Twin Bed (sold)

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Gosh, seems ominous. Rv -ing has gotten crowded, that is for sure.  One day, folks will have to go back to work and pay for the stuff they bought this year!!  One can hope. 

As for spare parts and such -  that can run the gamut from just a few things to back up the truck. A search of the forum will lead you to several posts on this topic.  I would go for replacement fuses, a couple wheel bearings and races, and a collection of tools to that may be needed for simple repair. As you have a new unit, short of a catastrophic failure, you should be good for awhile.  Just do a good job on the shakedown at the factory. 

We had no issues, East to West and back, generally called ahead same day to ensure a spot if we weren't boon docking.  

Good luck, chill.

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Cindy,  Russell and  "Harley dog" . Home is our little farm near Winchester TN

2018 Oliver Legacy Elite II - 2018 GMC 2500 Duramax 

"Die young - As late as possible"
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I agree with BoB.  I traveled from NC to Wy and back just a month ago and didn't have one reservation.  As per my usual custom I did try to stop no later than 4pm each day in order to both rest and to make sure I had a spot for the night.  In a couple of cases the campground was full when I left the next morning.

When on the road I've always found regular RV repair places to be very busy.  Thankfully I'veever had serious issues with my Oliver.  But, as BoB suggests, I do carryan assortment of repair items in the hope I'll never need them.

Bill

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2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist"

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I agree with BackofBeyond and Bill. Worrying and fretting makes you generate stomach acid, but it primarily wrecks the pleasure of a road trip. Most system failures that an RV shop would have to fix can be deferred until you get home - just do without. The furnace, not so much in December. Bring a small 120 volt AC box heater. The number of things that can fail and strand you is actually very small, mostly a blown tire, a blown bearing or a binding brake due to a grease seal failure. (If a brake gets contaminated with grease, it locks up; the only remedy is complete replacement of both brakes on that axle.) All these problems can be fixed quickly at any small town full service auto or tire store. You can find replacement fuses anywhere, but having spares is a good idea. Buy a trailer TPMS kit, if you haven’t already, and set it up the first night after delivery. That way you won’t keep fretting about the trailer tires and bearings.

Be prepared, if needed, to camp in parking lots like Walmart, Cracker Barrel and Cabelas. Make sure your insurance has towing coverage of at least 100 miles. 
 

Bring lightweight snow cables for one axle of the trailer. The odds of needing them are slim but OTH you could get caught by an unexpected storm before you can settle down for a couple of nights. Most likely just having them in the truck will be enough to prevent having to use them 😀 You most definitely need heavy duty ones for your truck.

Are you a Harvest Host member? Their “hosts” are great just in case alternatives to commercial or park campgrounds. Being farms, wineries, museums, etc, they would welcome an off-season camper and would probably have space for you... Just be sure to buy some stuff or go into the museum, or whatever. There is no camping fee, but you are expected to help them a little financially. That can get expensive, but less than a KOA if you are careful, otherwise you may end up thinking “where the heck do I put all this mead?” (HH breweries are a financial disaster for us.....) There are a bunch of Hosts along your route.....

31A5EB34-878C-4754-AD24-D930C273658F.jpeg.6bc21aa0b17430cbe8e4a106c5c2c10d.jpeg

You may encounter places where your cell coverage is poor or non-existent. It is best to have two phones with different carriers, or, better yet, a gps rescue device so you can notify a relative of your exact location and what service you need, or even notify 911 directly in a disaster such as a heart attack. I really like my inReach. It works anywhere, even from inside the hull, and I can send unlimited free “I’m OK” messages and other prerecorded texts to my kids. It provides great peace of mind at both ends of the communication chain, which is what you are after, correct?

John Davies

Spokane WA

 

Edited by John E Davies
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SOLD 07/23 "Mouse":  2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/john-e-davies-how-to-threads-and-tech-articles-links/

Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT.

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2 hours ago, BackofBeyond said:

Gosh, seems ominous. Rv -ing has gotten crowded, that is for sure.  One day, folks will have to go back to work and pay for the stuff they bought this year!!  One can hope. 

As for spare parts and such -  that can run the gamut from just a few things to back up the truck. A search of the forum will lead you to several posts on this topic.  I would go for replacement fuses, a couple wheel bearings and races, and a collection of tools to that may be needed for simple repair. As you have a new unit, short of a catastrophic failure, you should be good for awhile.  Just do a good job on the shakedown at the factory. 

We had no issues, East to West and back, generally called ahead same day to ensure a spot if we weren't boon docking.  

Good luck, chill.

Thanks . . . . fuses were my first thought; we always carry spares.  I wouldn't expect wheel bearings to go bad the first 3,000 mi, but definitely something to have just in case.

Does anyone carry a spare LP regulator?

Ray and Susan Huff

Elite II Twin "Pearl" - Hull#699; delivered December 7, 2020

2013 F350 6.7l diesel Super Duty 4x4 long bed crew cab

1UP-USA Heavy-duty bike rack

2017 Leisure Travel Van Unity Twin Bed (sold)

AZARCAIDNVNMOKORTNTXUTWAsm.jpg

 

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I rarely travel with any liquids in any tank unless I'm likely to need shower water.  But, I always have a milk jug or two stashed beside the toilet to be used in the event the rest stop or gas station or whatever is simply too gross or too crowded.

Bill 

2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist"

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1 hour ago, Susan Huff said:

I wouldn't expect wheel bearings to go bad the first 3,000 mi, but definitely something to have just in case.

The world is awash in cheap Chinese counterfeit bearings and seals. Dexter Axle Company most likely attempts to buy from a valid distributor , but mistakes in the supply chain do happen. OTH Dexter bearings are not even close to being quality parts.  If you buy a complete set of wheel bearings plus seal and hardware for $10, expect it to be garbage. I experienced an inner seal failure that ruined one brake and almost cancelled the trip at around 5000 miles. Buy a cheap blister pack as an emergency item, the next time you get your bearings serviced put in genuine Timkin or SKF parts. They will cost around $175 and will be much better in the long run.

John Davies

Spokane WA

Edited by John E Davies
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SOLD 07/23 "Mouse":  2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/john-e-davies-how-to-threads-and-tech-articles-links/

Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT.

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1 hour ago, Susan Huff said:

if you have a toilet failure (water supply or flush valve, perhaps) can you still open the "bowl dump" and flush with a bucket of water?  Inquiring minds need to know these things☺️  

Yes. And add some extra rv antifreeze, if you are traveling winterized. 

Alternatively,  you can carry a few wag bags, or trash bags plus poo powder, turning the toilet into a luggage loo/bucket camping toilet. 

 

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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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On 9/23/2020 at 11:24 AM, Susan Huff said:

Thanks . . . . fuses were my first thought; we always carry spares.  I wouldn't expect wheel bearings to go bad the first 3,000 mi, but definitely something to have just in case.

Does anyone carry a spare LP regulator?

I think I know the answer, but just checking . . . . . . are RV fuses the same as automotive?  And are they all the standard size (not mini)?

Someone posted on FB group that Oliver supplies a fuse kit at delivery?  Is this currently the case?

 

Edited by Susan Huff
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Ray and Susan Huff

Elite II Twin "Pearl" - Hull#699; delivered December 7, 2020

2013 F350 6.7l diesel Super Duty 4x4 long bed crew cab

1UP-USA Heavy-duty bike rack

2017 Leisure Travel Van Unity Twin Bed (sold)

AZARCAIDNVNMOKORTNTXUTWAsm.jpg

 

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