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@ADKCamper, I don’t know, we still have the Dometic absorption fridge. My first thought is to drill small hole in the center of the floor carefully. Then poke a screwdriver down to see how much room you have. Then use a hole saw in the same spot so you can get a mirror down there, or maybe you have one of those endoscopic cameras. Very likely you’ll remove that bottom sheet. How was the original fridge supported? If the new fridge is designed to be floor supported, you’ll need to build a proper platform. I’d also search the Forum for keyword Nova or Kool. I remember reading a mod post on this model fridge. You also need to deal with the LP line. I’d want it terminated under the hull so no chance of leaking gas inside. The flare nuts on the T-fittings below are extremely difficult to turn without bending the copper pipe. Use two good wrenches and hopefully you can replace the T with a straight coupler. Something else to consider.

Does anyone know how the floor under the refrigerator is supported (2018 Elite I model)? I'm replacing the Dometic absorption fridge with a Nova Kool compressor fridge. The "floor" of the fridge cabinet appears somewhat unsupported... the left side will flex when I put some weight on it. The caulk/adhesive seal between the floor and the left wall has also separated; not sure if that was what supported the floor or not. I'd like to tear the old floor out and put something solid in, but have no intel on what is below to support it? I've found a few threads that discuss the cabinetry (nothing square/plumb, lots of caulk and foil tape), but only one reference to support below the floor and that looks like a custom aluminum welding job (that I'm not capable of) on a much newer model. I'm leaning towards supporting a new floor with some aluminum angle attached to the side panels, absent any good solution to beef up the existing floor...

You must have a newer hull (signature?). I noticed at the Texas Rally, our courtesy lights are about half the lumens as compared to newer hulls. I leave our Exterior Courtesy Lights on 24x7x365, at home and at campgrounds (unless boondocking where full dark is appropriate). They create a soft light surround and help keep critters away, especially our Arizona Pack Rats! 🤣 Love to see your dimmer install, pictures showing full vs. dimmed light. I might add a dimmer in place of our Entry Porch Lights switch.

Knowing for sure is the first step and unfortunately nobody has helped you with this. Service companies often blame the other side to be off the hook, as they charge you an hour for nothing. If your trailer is the issue, then you wasted time and money with 4 GM dealers. If tested properly, providing certainty "it's the truck" then you would be able to state this fact, not allowing them their BS. The U-Haul idea is a good one, though it seems perhaps you have dismissed the idea. There are other means, but since you are not an electrician it is a simple way for you to know whether your issue is in front of or behind the 7-pin coupler. BTW, I've known great mechanics that can rebuild engines and transmissions, work perfect brake jobs but no way in the world do they know anything about a 12VDC system other than installing a battery, and you found a dealer that wasn't even capable of doing that! Good ground, so what? Then he quit? "Suspect" is not knowing! If you hire another tech to diagnose your Oliver wiring and this person does not have and use an ammeter, you're again wasting more time and money! If you are drawing 6A at the two main brake power feeds, then everything downstream is working. You only get a 6A reading if the two magnets on that axle are working, pulling amperage (power from the battery) and properly grounded. If you have frayed wires touch metal, you will not get the constant 6A reading. Instead, it would read zero amps or read way high (live wire touching ground). It took me all of 5 minutes this morning to grab the ammeter out of my TV toolbox, walk to the edge of our property, pull the pin on the emergency brake, and connect the ammeter to run this test. Maybe the picture below will help in understanding. Of course, on our Oliver it shows 6A (6.06 actual). I run this test every time I grease the Zerks and do any suspension maintenance. I also check to find 3A at each of the four wheels, so I know the trailer brakes are balanced, working evenly. But for you, if you get 6A on both axles, it shows you do not have a wiring problem below and must be in the trailer harness wiring. If so, it's likely the trailer side of the 7-pin coupler since it takes abuse and weather. The connections interior to the Oliver are less likely, since they are more protected. I hope you try the U-Haul idea or in some way become CERTAIN in whether your issue is with truck or trailer. If it's the truck, you'e wasting a lot of time and money working on the Oliver, and vice versa. The first mechanic you hired should have determined this months ago! Without knowing you will continue to navigate blindly. If it is your Oliver, I hope you finally find a tech that understands trailer braking systems and has some competency in troubleshooting 12VDC systems. Checking a ground is not enough and btw the brake wiring in your pictures all looks pretty good to me. I'm sorry you have not found qualified help in so many attempts. Although, I understand you believe some of your service techs added value. Bottom-line it's been way too long! I worked my way through college installing auto alarms, cruise controls, auto-start, keyless entry and high-end stereo systems back in the day (70-80s) when these accessories were all aftermarket additions. It provided me with a solid understanding of automotive 12VDC systems. I've rewired EVERTHING in our Oliver for mods and to make many corrections where OTT wired things incorrectly. This post repeats a lot of what I wrote last night in my post above. I hope you take some of my advice to heart. In my shop, we'd be done with your issue in a weekend. I hope you take the proper next steps to end this nightmare!

My understanding is that the brake wires come that way from Dexter, Oliver just installs the axles as they receive them. Mike

At least we finally got to try the dinette as a bed. Too small for me, but Steph was able to fit. Will be good for our grandson someday.

Yeah I hear you on that. Likewise have also been fairly diligent about cleaning the windows as well. Doesn't matter this is a very flawed design and made somewhat worse by the fact the channels lean in the wrong direction for proper drainage. By that I mean the side of the Oliver rest at about 5-10º in the opposite direction (inward) that would allow the water to flow out of the weep holes adequately effectively backing up and filling both channels of the sliding window. With that in mind I have drilled larger weep holes in one experimental window. Two holes per weeping slit on either side. Also looking into a way of eliminating the natural water adhesion which prevents easy water flow from the channels. Pipe cleaners have not worked at all. Just this past week we ran into the same issue, new twin beds installed and no sooner than that and we received several days of rain. Mattresses and all were very wet, had to remove the entire enchilada to dry and mop up and this was after having cleaned the windows out thoroughly the day before. Because of this I am now in the process of re-engineering a better prevention system that hopefully will mitigate water intrusion to begin with. If this effort fails we will be buying other windows to install. Is it any wonder so many stick built trailers have rot issues? Its not because stick building is so inherently bad, after all most houses are made with sticks but the windows installed on the vast majority of these trailers are designed to absolutely allow water to flow into the trailers. Previously I ad considered installing window awnings on the Oliver but didn't like the idea of drilling holes into the outer shell and didn't particularly care for most of the fabrics offered with what products I found.

black

Thank you very much for the linked thread! Will read it when I get to my next destination later today. In process of breaking camp now and hitting the road. :) It's interesting that my messages never reported Trailer Disconnected (except when I unplug the 7 pin connector, of course). My messages have always come as the pair: Check Trailer Wiring AND Trailer Brakes Connected. Rewiring is sounding more and more likely to be on my plate in the near future, especially if it clears all of this up. So, I read that link in the past and I have saved both of them for re-reading later. I will add a couple of notes: Everyone associated with Chevy GM said "it's the trailer" and everyone NOT associated with Chevy GM said "it's the truck." My 'last' auto mechanic was careful to check the ground connection at the bus bar (that was one of the first things he did). It all looked okay to him, and to me (though I don't know much about electrical). I suspect the wires inside the axles are damaged, having seen the insulation rubbed near the wheels. And my mechanic said he found 'bare copper wire' which didn't make him very happy. I'm surprised, given the issues encountered, that OTT hasn't changed the way they approach this brake wiring -- and maybe they have changed it? My trailer is four years old now. Thanks to all for the help, links, comments, etc. I will be back.

Wow, glad you and your Ollie are OK! I can't even visualize how this can happen if the latch is locked/pinned unless the wire part that attaches from the latch to the collar is bent or broken. Do you have any pics from the topside?

I have a set of NEW Huskey Wheel Well Liners that specifically fit all Ford F-150 models from 2021 through 2026 EXCEPT for Raptor models. All parts and installation instructions are included. I can deliver these at the October Oliver Owner's Rally. PM me for details. Bill

Intermittent trailer disconnect messages have happened to a number of owners. My problem was worn wires inside the axle. Bryan @SNY SD UP in ND identified this issue first and shared his solution. Simply replacing those worn wires fixed the issue. I did go through months of troubleshooting and having my truck checked and tested at the dealer. The thread below is one of several on this topic. Trailer Brake Disconnect Message Mike

I'm pretty diligent with our sliding windows, cleaning the tracks and drain holes regularly, but they let me down last night. We were away from the trailer when a heavy thunderstorm rolled in. Came home to my bed soaked. Found a drowned stink bug in the outer track. I think he blocked either the track or the drain hole. Fortunately, it's hot and sunny today and the mattress is on the picnic table to dry, but if it was a rainy week we'd have a problem getting things dry. That's the downside of these sliding windows.

Is that white or black?

That should NOT happen! Glad you're OK! Scary.

Thank you. I just purchased one switch to try it out. I love the idea of the courtesy lights. They are fine at dusk, but once the sun is fully down, I feel like they are runway lights. I am getting ready to try it out now. Just pulled the panel, and was checking to see if you put the wiring diagram on this post before I reconnect my battery and use a volt meter. Thanks again.

All our nightmare. I am so glad everything went well. I would be shook to my core. It would be hard to go on.

Wow, so many variables and it's more difficult when you have to count on service technicians, to whom are not all created equal. Yes, all 7-pin cables are the same. And yes, you can replace male head only (OTT is not always right). GJ did his and I did mine, been fine for 2 years. Changing out the whole cable is a bit of work. On my hull it's connected under the front dinette, past the wastewater plumbing (see pic). But who knows on yours since OTT hires random installers year-to year. In the picture you showed of a residential junction box, I don't see the trailer cable, the large black coupler cable, spliced down like you see in my picture. If you want to be absolutely certain whether your issue is the truck or trailer, take your truck to U-Haul and rent the cheapest trailer with a 7-pin connector! There is a lot less liability in doing this than borrowing a friend's truck or trailer, and less money than an hour of labor, shop rate at the Stealership! 🤣 See if you get the error message when towing the U-Haul trailer. The logic is binary. If it still shows the error, then it's the truck. Tow the trailer long enough and if it doesn't display the error code, then you have a wiring problem with your Oliver. So, if it's the Oliver, the next thing I would do is to test the brakes. Pull the pin on the emergency brake switch (the little cable you connect when hitching). Then take a clamp ammeter to the streetside, under the wheel well where you see two wires coming out of the hull, going to the brakes. Clamp onto only one wire, either wire of the pair. The ammeter should read about 6A on both sides (front and back axles). If it does, then all your brake wiring is good, so you can rule that out. (Don't forget to replace the safety brake pin when done.) If this test fails, then you have wiring issues at the axles, but don't waste time there unless you must. If the above test is positive, then connect the 7-pin coupler to your truck and run the same test. If it tests bad, then the brake wiring from the coupler back is bad (open) somewhere. Your next step would be to replace the 7-pin male on the Oliver. This will likely fix any Oliver-side issues. You don't really want to replace the entire cable unless you have too and OTT would likely charge a fortune to do this job. If towing the U-Haul trailer showed an error message, then it's your truck. What a shame 4 GM dealers cannot properly troubleshoot and fix the products they sell. If it was me, in a heartbeat I would disable the factory brake controller. Pull the fuses for it, buy an aftermarket Tekonsha controller and run new wiring to the female 7-pin outlet on your rear bumper (this is what I did from the start, since my older truck does not have a factory controller). This would cost about $200 in parts and likely 2 shop-hours to install, ANY trailer shop can do this, has the parts, maybe even the same U-Haul dealer could do it. I'd rather go to the dentist for a couple extractions than make a service appointment with an auto dealer, OMG! 🤣 And your story certainly shows why. Keep us posted and let me know if you have questions on anything I suggested. Best wishes, JD

Yeah, except it popped off and is no longer fit for highway use (around town OK). I would replace it ASAP with the 12.5K 2 5/16" coupler. Glad I made the upgrade before something like this, and more so since our trailer is much older. The heavier Alcan Springs will keep the Oliver from porpoising. It will be less forgiving, and over a bump could creat force in the opposite direction. Given this failure, it would have happened eventually since the sagging 1750s are more foregiving. Sounds like your back or near home. John, you do not want a repeat episode! Please get it replaced! This is what I purchased which is still reasonably priced today => Bulldog Collar-Lok Trailer Coupler 2-5/16" Ball 12,500 lbs 3" Channel Tongue w/ High Profile Latch | TrailerJacks.com

Some do, it depends on the unit. I would prefer to trim the lineset to the correct lengths and thoroughly vacuum the lines myself. That's the exact process I used on my Pioneer. I would highly recommend applying Nylog Blue to all sides of the flare fittings/threads and the dustcap threads.

One try will be your last! What frustration in reconnecting it every time we towed. I don't need the big socket and hammer anymore! We have a much lesser truck than your new beauty and I did need it until I upgraded leaf springs on the trailer. No more porpoising, so no more need for it. 😎 Ours has been taking up space in my shed for a year. You just gave me an idea to reuse the chains for new safety chains on the Oliver. What you got there is a new boat anchor for your river raft! 🤣

Yeah, I imagine the hope was to increase sales, but the original sales model was best, should have been left alone. Dealers are going to promote/sell where they get the greatest sales volume and profit margin which is not Oliver.

We can ask @pjt, but I'm pretty sure after you run, cut, flare and connect the copper lines the system has to be evacuated for a period of time with a vacuum pump. Then you let the pre-charged freon out that is likely stored in the compressor/condenser unit.

Yes -- I have a friend at home who actually suggested that, but I didn't find a person available to test it that way. However, once I arrive in NM where I am meeting another Oliver owner, maybe she will be willing to test that out. No matter the cause, those wires being subjected to rubbing at the axles is ... no good. I will look for Mike Thompson (or a post, if he made one here on the forum?) I am not on facebook.

Screws are good, but bolts are better...... GJ