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Newby questions


Kathy and John

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Wondering what folks use as base under tongue jack & stabilizer jacks? We have looked at wood blocks, plastic lego type blocks, & Anderson jack block. Any recommendations?

Also, any advice concerning using a surge protector between RV park pedestal & the Ollie? Our Ollie will have a surge protector built in, but is it worth having a SP at the pedestal?

Any recommendations for water filter in line from water source?

 

Thanks!

 

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Welcome to the forum!  You’ll find forum members that use each of the options you mentioned.   We use the Andersen jack blocks (the big red bucket style) under the stabilizer jacks.  They’ve worked well but take up a lot of space in the truck bed when not being used.  And we use the Camco yellow Lego type blocks under the wheels for side to side leveling.  
And I built a two stage water filter system into a milk crate.  


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We use the red stacking leveling blocks.    Easy to use and they are light.    Link is: https://www.campingworld.com/stackers-leveling-pad-78796.html?cgid=levels-leveling-systems

Have not used an additional surge protector BUT... I ask about the quality of power when checking in and keep an eye on it when hooked up.  You can get sketchy power in a lot of campgrounds.   

Camco water filter works well:  https://www.campingworld.com/camco-evo-premium-water-filter-56670.html

Good Luck 

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Gregg & Donna Scott and Missy the Westie  -    The Flying Sea Turtle - Hull # 145     Western NC

 

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Preface - we are newbies, less than one year of experience, but this is what we have done in reference to your questions.

Blocks - we use the orange plastic lego blocks - the bright color helps me to not forget them LOL - they work well for us.  We got 2 sets of 10 and some extra caps.  We can store them easily in our tote.  So far, so good.

Surge protector - we use an additional surge protector.  Looking at the specs of the Progressive Dynamics one provided, there are some better options, IMO.  While we went with the 30A Surge Guard Portable Total Electrical Protection 34931 from TechnoRV with the remote display option, If I had to do it again, I think I would go with the Power Watchdog Surge Protector with Bluetooth - Portable - 30 Amp.  I would prefer the Bluetooth to a separate display.

For water filters, we decided to actually drink water from our fresh water tank.  As a result, we likely went overboard on our approach.  We use Purogene to sanitize the tank annually (vs. bleach) and add a tiny bit  (1/3 oz) when we fill up our fresh water tanks.  The actual filter we used is US Water Puredge Ultimate RV Filter - it fits in the basement during travel and sits in a milk crate when in use.  Since it's filters are a bit pricy, we also use the clasic blue filter seen everywhere to help extend the life of the US Water filter.

I am sure you will get lots of good input from much more experienced folks on the forum.

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SE Texas  | 2021 Elite II  Twin Bed # 927  "Lucy"  |  2019 F250 FX4 6.7

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I use a wood block under the tongue jack, it is some 40 years old, I guess I just don't want to part with it over the years of use. I use the red leveling pads on the rear jacks, sometimes 1, some times 5-6, just depends how long I want to hold the stabilizer switch down. I guess what you use depends on how much room you have to carry this stuff around, since we use a full size crew cab pickup room is not really a problem. Personally I like the wood over plastic, I do think the wood has a better bite for slipping over plastic, just from my experiences. I get all me leveling stuff in one large milk create (leveling blocks jacking blocks, and stabilizer pads) and carry it in the bed on the truck, so far no one has stolen any of the stuff in some 40 years of camping.

trainman

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2019 RAM 1500, 5.7 Hemi, 4X4, Crew Cab, 5'7" bed, Towing Package, 3.92 Gears.

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1 hour ago, Kathy and John said:

Wondering what folks use as base under tongue jack & stabilizer jacks? We have looked at wood blocks, plastic lego type blocks, & Anderson jack block. Any recommendations?

I use 6x6 wood blocks to lessen the distance the jacks have to travel and provide some protection against driving off with the jack all the way down.  While a bit heavier than the plastic blocks, the wood blocks are a touch smaller and they are very inexpensive - free if you keep your eyes open.

1 hour ago, Kathy and John said:

Also, any advice concerning using a surge protector between RV park pedestal & the Ollie? Our Ollie will have a surge protector built in, but is it worth having a SP at the pedestal?

While there is no harm in using a second SP, I do not use anything other than the one that was built into my Oliver.  It has worked well over the years.

1 hour ago, Kathy and John said:

Any recommendations for water filter in line from water source?

I use water from home or bottled water for drinking and cooking purposes.  Water from the onboard fresh water tank is filtered and sanitized (via a blue Camco filter) a couple of times during the camping season.  But, I only use that water from the fresh tank for bathing, washing dishes, etc.

Also, I use the Andersen leveling ramps for side to side leveling.  I used to use the "lego" blocks (and I still carry one set of ten just in case) but the Andersen ramps are much easier to use - particularly when traveling alone.

 

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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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We just use the blue Camco water filters.  I have a Culligan that had replaceable cartridges but I’ve found that it is a pain to use, especially if you are just wanting to fill the fresh tank.  So, we went back to the blue filter but the jumbo size.  We don’t have an on board surge protector so we use one at the pedestal.  It’s worked well the last 6 years.  I don’t know how a pedestal protector would work with the on board system, maybe someone who has done it knows.  I made some blocks, similar to Bill’s above and use them on top of the big yellow/black legos to keep jack movement to just a couple of inches.

 

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Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L

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22 hours ago, topgun2 said:

I use 6x6 wood blocks to lessen the distance the jacks have to travel and provide some protection against driving off with the jack all the way down.  While a bit heavier than the plastic blocks, the wood blocks are a touch smaller and they are very inexpensive - free if you keep your eyes open.

What is the approx length of the 6x6 blocks you all are are using?  I now remember reading about minimizing jack travel when possible.

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SE Texas  | 2021 Elite II  Twin Bed # 927  "Lucy"  |  2019 F250 FX4 6.7

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Basically I measured the distance from the bottom of the jack to the ground while the Ollie was level.  Then I cut two blocks just a tad shorter in order to allow for ease of placing the blocks when there is gravel or "bumps" on the ground.  For me, this measurement was right at 11 inches.

The block I cut for the front jack is a touch shorter - about 10 inches - to allow for ease of placement given that the frame and Andersen chains can be in the way.

Remember - these blocks can also be used on their sides which will be about 5 1/2 inches (for a 6x6 block).

If you make a set of these, be sure to make some sort of "handle" so that they are easier to remove and carry.  I used some old plastic rope I had around the shop - plastic "truckers" rope would be good - and some electric wire staples.

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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3 hours ago, Jim and Frances said:

What is the approx length of the 6x6 blocks you all are are using?  I now remember reading about minimizing jack travel when possible.

I think mine are just a little over 6” tall.  That gives some flexibility on really unlevel sites.  I’ve stacked a number of legos underneath to bring it to the right height.  I also have a fourth block that is only 4” tall.  Sometimes the front of the trailer needs to come down quite a bit, that’s when it gets used.  Mike

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Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L

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On 2/15/2022 at 8:35 AM, Kathy and John said:

...Our Ollie will have a surge protector built in, but is it worth having a SP at the pedestal?...

No, just one more thing to lug along with you and potentially leave behind, additional cost with no additional benefit.

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Steve, Tali and our dog Rocky plus our beloved Storm, Maggie, Lucy and Reacher (all waiting at the Rainbow Bridge)

2008 Legacy Elite I - Outlaw Oliver, Hull #026 | 2014 Legacy Elite II - Outlaw Oliver, Hull #050 | 2022 Silverado High Country 3500HD SRW Diesel 4x4 

 

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Got a handle on that block - yet?  I really like free!

Also, if you throw a coat of poly on them they will not get as dirty and will not absorb water either.

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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3 hours ago, Frank-n-Val said:

Just put a coat of tung oil on it. 

And a nice handle too. 

Makes my 6x6 pine look a bit pedestrian!  Way to go!

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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