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Hooked up the Orion 50A DC-DC charger today at idle on our property. It created a 30A output, most of the time, which is the good number at idle (40A+ when towing). However, it freaked out twice in the first 30 minutes while I was testing/watching the app on-n-off for about 90 minutes. Truck running at idle, voltage at the battery AND at the Andersen DC-DC connection at the bumper (while disconnected from the Oliver) were both exactly 13.56V. I'm thinking you need a load to show voltage drop, but I'm just the installer. 🤠 So, I started the hot water heater, on inverter pulling 120A to bring batteries to some lower SOC to pull amps/needing a charge! The picture below shows the Victron Connect app for the Orion 50, 4 screenshots side-by-side, and note the change in frame #3, all over a 5 minute period of time. I noticed this behavioral pattern twice in just the first 15 minutes. The second time, the Orion went into the OFF (not charging) position, all on its own for just a minute or two. It's difficult to watch the app and take other readings, but later I had the Klein ammeter, clamped around the 4 AWG B+ at the battery. It read 28.9A with very little variation at all for the 10 minutes I was looking. BTW re temperature? It was 60F in the cabin. Hand touch on the Orion 50 was barely warmer, not enough heat to warm my hand. I'm now thinking my connections are fine. I'm going to contact Nations Starters to test the alternator. More likely it's the Victron Orion acting up. I had a Victron 15A MPPT SC fail twice already. More, later...

Holy crap! I am just seeing this. Thank you, Geoff, for the detailed analysis. I intend to share your post with the Inverter Service Center folks that installed my charging system. But a quick glance under the hood looks like the DC-DC charger’s negative cable is indeed connected directly to the Pathfinder's battery post. I will start there. I'll be back to report on progress as I work through the other potential issues. By the way, I had the alternator tested at the dealer today and it came back as 14.6 loaded and unloaded voltage as you would expect. So hopefully that variable has been ruled out. Bob

I have read the above thread several times now. I too very much appreciate Geoff’s and JD’s discussions and comments. They are clear and well written. But as a Mechanical Engineer and wrench turner... frankly I don't have the electrical background to really understand the specific “gizmology” of these systems. Hence started digging a huge rabbit hole. With significant AI hand holding, I cut and pasted 3 tons of info into the attachmed 8 page document. Do be aware of stepping off with me into the hole. If you like short answers, suggest hitting the delete button. But for those of us having problems with their DC to DC system, or wanting to better understand it, or are contemplating installing one: I recommend reading this document to add to your baseline of knowledge. I hope that the attachment brings some understanding of the complex relationships and equipment that makes these not so simple DC/DC charging system so valueble to us "Long Ranger" OTT owners. SO, with a strong beverage of choice in hand, I encourage the technicals and Rabit Hole Society Members to provide correcting inputs. At some point I will update the attachment and repost…… Mahalo GJ PS: Just a reminder that although I have cross checked many of the AI inputs, there may be differences in your TV and/or Victron Orion charging systems. And of course….. AI may just be wrong and I have parked my Ollie over yonder with Alice in Wonderland. 🙂 FORD BMS AND VICTRON ORION DC to DC.docx

I'd rather an inverter shut down ONLY when there is a problem and have performance in carrying a load when there isn't an issue. Was running our DC-DC charger today, so I turned on the water heater to create a load. Then just to see the inverter at capacity, I set the Emeril Air Fryer at 400F and kicked it ON too! The screen shot shows both running without error messages or shutdown; -270A net for -3290W on the 3KVA (2400W) Victron Multiplus II. Voltage was down to 12.17V where just the minute before the test it was 13.53V. Pretty cool the Victron Multiplus II can produce power without overloading at near 150% of its advertised spec. No worries, go ahead and run two major appliances when needed. 😎

Yeah we stayed in Lassen early Spring in a literal fog bank. Worst humidity and condensation I’ve ever experienced. Ran around squeegee the windows off, but the real problem is the cabinets and closet of course which were soaking. I also found it in the inner wall, behind the access hatch in my clothes cabinet there’s a rip in the insulation and lots of condensation back there. Then you cook and it turns into a steam room. Got back down to sea level and it literally took three days to dry out. The trailer is fine with the water but I’d hate to think what would start growing we stayed any longer.

When you’ve reserved a campsite at Lake Livingston, please reply here with your name(s) and campsite number. I’m compiling a list so people can find each other. TY Ruth Meilstrup.

If you have an electric pressure washer it will make it a little easier. Here is a bug remover you can use if regular Ph neutral soap and water aren't working: https://link.amazon/B0fsiodKg Here is a youtube short on CGI using it: The more oxidized a trailer is, the harder it will be for the bugs to be taken off. Hope it helps!

Those crimps look substantial! For the project I'm currently working on, I purchased a hydraulic crimping tool from Powerwerx. On previous projects, I used a hammer-style lug crimper, which worked well, but I wanted a more consistent and professional crimp for this installation. I also chose the Anderson SB175 connector instead of the SB125 to provide additional current-handling capacity and a bit more margin for future upgrades. Best of luck, Dean

My M7 thread checker can start in the existing hole, but I don't want to bugger up the aluminum threads on the gauge, so I'm not forcing it. I couldn't use my drill index because there isn't enough clearance in situ. I looked for an M7 set screw to use to help start the thread, but there doesn't seem to be one. So I'm going to get a short M7 hex head screw, notch the end, and use a ratcheting box wrench to create the threads. I'm also going to go ahead and get the M8 self tapping grease fittings. They are recommended for hole sizes .299" to .303" diameter. I'm already sloppy loose on a .250" diameter. fitting, but can't get my calipers or internal micrometer in there to measure.

On tricky zirks I do like the manual pump as I "feel" like I have a better feel for what is happening. I have an electric gun as well but have found the manual trigger gun is really easier to use.

I think I probably did choice 2 as well. Whether it was an M7 or the original 1/4-28, I can't recall. I know I had both on hand as I struggled.

We're a Dewalt house which made adding the bare tool an easy addition. You will enjoy the ease of use, no more contortions to hand pump both TV and TT. I would try the M7 first. 7mm converts to .276" which is 10% over 1/4" easy tap without drilling. The 8mm (.315") is a big step up requiring the correct drill size and tap. (I'm starting to love the convert function on the iPhone calculator!)

Way back there in June after 40 nights you did not report any condensation issues. Now you have issues. What chanaged? The weather most likely... i.e. cooler temperatures. Likely you do not have adequate air changes in your unit AND are seeing lower temperatures especially in the cabinets and other non-heated areas. Combined you will have condnsation. It IS necessary to open up your MaxFan just a bit and one of your windows a bit to allow moisture to exit. When cooking inside, using a higher setting on the max fan is required as well. Give this a try and see how it works for you. Good luck. GJ PS: I would wager that 90% of us have had condensation issues at some point, and learned how to manage air changes as much as we must monitor our SOC's.

Exactly, thanks Dean. I just checked my Oliver travel and maintenance spreadsheets to see if there was something I did/worked on or changed recently. All I did mod-wise was add courtesy lights front and rear and replace a couple of drawer slides. On the truck I restored the A/C system, new compressor-condenser-dryer and charged the R134A. All that work was right where the DC-DC cable comes to the battery and where I wired extra battery connections to alternator and ground. These connections were tight with a recent tug test but I need to run electrical tests. I installed the oversized Andersen SB175 connectors with 4 AWG crimps (see pic) with a BIG TEMCo hydraulic crimper. They should be good on both sides, but I'll check. Suddenly I'm itching to work on this. All I have to do to start is back the truck to the Oliver, connect the Andersen, and take a few amp and volt readings. Step #2 read through all Geoff's comments for testing again, NP! 🤣

It wasn't my grease gun. I wanted to see how well it works. I now have a Dewalt kit on order. I'm all Makita, but either Dewalt or Milwaukee were the only quality choices. I looked at battery adaptors to use my batteries on either brand. But the Dewalt kit with case, battery, and charger was only $30 more than the bare tool. So I went that route. My fitting is 1/4-28 SAE-LT, so the next size up is either an M7 or a self-tapping M8. I think I'll go the M8, but I need to check the hole size first, using my drill index as gauges. It was raining all day yesterday, so I put it off. Drying out and a bit warmer now. https://www.mcmaster.com/1095K142/ https://www.mcmaster.com/8742T15/

That's what's important. I'm looking at the M8 self-tapping fitting as a slightly oversized replacement. First, I need to get under there and see if I can measure the hole using my drill index as a gauge. Thanks for the reply!

As I am preparing to move out of the camper after 2 and a half months of transition. I found the entire area behind all the insulation was wet enough to be dripping down and out behind the belly band. Im very unimpressed with the fact that the entire shell sweats that bad when they market these as 4 season trailers. Mind you that was with a dehumidifier and damp rid.. also I found out they do not put dicore sealant on the roof at the time it is being built. Only when it comes back for service will that be performed. I am just hoping leaving everything open for a few months will dry it out. Otherwise I will have a nice mold factory just like all the other travel trailers out there.

I see there have been a few reservations made today. Ruth Meilstrup is compiling a list of attendees with their hull number and site number. please let us know what site you reserved so we can add you on the list.

Likely. But as a retiree from within the auto repair business and specifically from a "Muffler Shop" I'm a bit prejudiced in that respect. If someone had brought me the parts I would have probably done it for nothing.

John, After reading a few of your thousand-plus posts, I've come to realize that you're usually the one providing troubleshooting advice, not asking for it. I mainly wanted to say that I agree a properly functioning 50-amp Orion charger is not overheating the way you have it installed. The real question is what changed between when it was working correctly and when it started behaving differently. I'm sure you'll track down the cause and let everyone know what you find. My guess is that it's a connection-related issue, possibly something as simple as a poor connection between the tow vehicle and the trailer. Are you using an Anderson connector? I have had wires work loose in what I thought was a good crimp on the Anderson lugs. Given your track record, I suspect you'll have it figured out before the rest of us.

Are you using Bounty, the quicker picker upper? Or do you use a specific brand?🤔😉😂 Mossey

I read it somewhat differently. Lithionics does recommend fully charging the batteries periodically to keep the SOC reading accurate. In the SOC drift document you linked, they cleverly compare it to a leaking bucket with opaque walls. You can’t see the level, so you have to fill it to the top now and then to know where it stands. Charging the battery to a true 100% (not 99%) resets the SOC to a full bucket. However, as the battery ages, its amp-hour capacity decreases (the bucket gets smaller). You can recalibrate the bucket size using a fairly complex procedure to fully charge then discharge the battery. I don’t think many folks do that, and IMO it’s not necessary for most Oliver owners. Unless of course there is gross error, say if the battery shuts off while the app still shows 20% or more. The firmware updates aren’t so straightforward either. In the internal BMS firmware, Lithionics added, then rolled back, corrections for large SOC errors because they weren’t precise enough and could make readings worse in parallel battery banks like ours. There still appears to be an automatic correction at the 10% point in some internal BMS models, but it's unclear which ones. The newer external BMS module actually makes corrections at a number of points during discharge. Good stuff! Cheers, Geoff

Yeah, the 30A Orion has the large heat sink (cooling fins), similar to my Victron 30A MPPT SC (on left in pic). The 50A Orion (on right) is half the size without the need for cooling fins. I’ll have to check temp on the SC next time I use suitcase solar. 🤠 Keep in mind these two devices would never be used at the same time, so when towing only the Orion 50A can create heat in the entire front basement area and some air is moving through when towing. I still cannot see heat build-up unless something is broken. It worked fine for a long time.,

Very likely as you have the 50 amp version. Those of us with the 30 amp.... another story. These units have a relatively low efficiency and as such could warm the entire trailer in some conditions. Mine shuts down after an hour or so if I don't open up the lid to let the heat out. GJ

🤣 Wow, I would never would think of doing so! Stop for lunch, gotta fix the cushions, done eating put them back, no, no not happenin'. We keep our Oliver ready to camp whether parked or towing like we're camping. Nothing left open, no straps holding things in place or anything requiring additional setup and tear-down. I won't have that, no half measures, just fix the issue. Personally, I don't believe it's a heat issue, but I will mount a Ruuvi temp sensor next time to eliminate this variable from consideration. I'll also check heat on the 4 AWG. We did not have a DC-DC charging issue for 90 days and 18 months. Not during June of 2025 while traveling 4700 miles to the Midwest in humid 90F weather. We had this issue only recently while traveling to SW CO this September with highs in the 70s. The basement at the inverter recorded a high of 84F. My bet, not heat related.