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One lane, three mile long, dead road (unknown to us) deep in the back woods of West Virginia. Sharp fall offs on both sides of the road and absolutely no possible way to turn the truck and trailer around. Front hitch on the truck. I wouldn’t go anywhere without it.

I'd prefer not having another maintenance item, but thanks to Mike, next time our Oliver is home for service I will certainly open this junction box, remove all wire nuts and electrical tape, strip wires down to good copper, or replace wiring if necessary, and use butt connectors! Wire nuts and Wago connectors are not automotive grade! I've never used Wago products and likely never will. Wire nuts are for 120VAC residential solid-core wires. Wire nuts will not hold stranded wire effectively! Butt connectors are designed for stranded wire in automotive 12VDC systems to hold properly with movement/vibration. Another No-No is using ScotchLoks to add a wire. When I need to connect a third wire, I use a butt connector one size larger. Fold the wire to double thinkness on the side that has one wire. I had a boss years ago who said during a team meeting, "Anybody using ScotchLoks in installations will no longer be working for us!" OTT uses them often too and I remove them as needed. 😒

We have a 2022 elite II and this is something all together different than the awning opening while driving. We found out totally by accident that if the awning switch is left on the key fob for our truck activates the awning when you lock or unlock the doors the. This isn't normally a problem because the awning switch is not left on but it almost caused a divorce because we kept blaming each other for activating the awning when it was the key fob all along. Its always and adventure

I agree with Mike's comments. BTW he and many others installed two 300 Ah Epoch Essentials batteries. I did that too in 2024 and Jan of this year added a 3rd for 900 Ah! If you provide measurements of your battery bay, we could see what would fit. Don't know for the Elite 1. Also, are you willing to lose the tray? In the E2, 600 Ah fits in the tray and when I went to 3 batteries, I removed the tray and will not miss it since LiFePO4 does not require maintenance. The tray was meant for servicing LA batteries! Would a second Lithionics 260 fit? We think alike here! After all the work I've done in upgrades, we will not conserve! We're now running our Chill Cube A/C on battery! And I would be embarrassed to fire up a generator, never have and never will, and with technology today there's no need to! 😎 We added a 400W Renogy solar suitcase which we use rarely. It does produce 2x our 320W rooftop solar since you get a better angle in the winter sun. These panels are heavy and LARGE! It sits fine in our 8' truck bed, but you would hardly have the space. They're also a pain to move around all day, keeping them pointing to the sun. I remember reading that you (again like us) only stay a few days at each location. Our DC2DC charger is the best tool we have! My take is your best first step is #2 in your list. You need to double your 260 Ah batteries, or better yet, install 600! Page one of my post shows the 600 Ah upgrade and on page 2 upgrading again to 900. Let us know the dimensions of your battery bay so we can make suggestions. 😂

Maybe it's my long-bed, long wheelbase truck, but I do believe it's the nature of the Oliver EII. It sure takes a long stretch of road just to straighten out TV and TT after it's been cocked from a turn. The only 3-pt turns I'm doing is where I can back into a driveway, a side road or field with short brush! Our truck is also 2WD, so in any maneuver, I must always keep the rear truck tires on solid ground. 😎 We travel FS roads all the time and use the Motor Vehicle Use Maps as a guide which they have for most AZ National Forests and other western states. These maps show road kind and size and mark where dispersed camping is available (see Prescott NF example). No drive-thru fast food lanes for us when camping! We travel to get away from all that! 🤣 When traveling up some FS road, we (Chris too) keep our eyes out for turn-around opportunities while thinking how far we would have to back up if the road ahead became impassable! Not the Oliver, but towing a similar-size dual-axle trailer, once I had to reverse over 3 miles on a road in North Texas, when the thunderstorm had turned the road ahead into a huge lake. At least, it was a straight paved road, but it was pouring so hard, near impossible to see out of the sideview mirrors. A major sigh of relief when we finally got to a crossroad! Yeah, the thrill of camping in the back country of "The West!" Prescott NF MVUM Front.pdf

Thanks Mike. We would love to get a 600 AH capacity. Did you do that with Lithionics?

I would think your best bet are the first two options. You can replace your current batteries and significantly increase your amp hours. I just replaced three 100ah batteries with two 300ah batteries, doubling our amp hours but using less space. An additional panel is easy to do also. We carried a generator for years, and used it when the weather was non-solar. They are a pain and I don’t like that option either. We also carry a Jackery 1000, but it is for Starlink power when we’re off the grid. Mike

We are looking to identify all of our options for increasing amp hours available when boondocking. We are in the Ollie I with the specs in our signature below. We have found that during the winter months (minimal solar efficiency even on sunny days) we get a maximum of 2 days out of our 260 AH Lithionics bank. We don't try to conserve, so we have a small ice maker going most of the time, use the microwave frequently, etc. We recently added DC-DC charging so if we are traveling frequently there are no issues. We are back to full charge by the next stop. But when we are stationary for 3 or more days we would like not to have to worry about running out of capacity. So these are the options I have identified for expanding capacity while stationary during winter or cloudy weather. Are there others we should consider? Thanks in advance! Add a portable panel(s) to more efficiently capture solar Replace the 260AH lithionics with batteries with a similar footprint but higher capacity Find a way to add another lithionics battery to our bank (Is there a way to do this? There is no enough room in our tray where the 2 batteries sit.) Use the DC-DC charging system to charge while idling (this has been a little unreliable so I have been researching why that is) Add a standalone power source to be used as reserve such as a 2000W Jackery power station Try to conserve while boondocking (probably not going to happen) Carry a generator (this option is a distant last) Thoughts!

And for the LE I owners, 9'2" is pretty accurate per the specs. The only thing we have had to back out of is a Chick-fil-a drive through and for that we only needed a couple more inches of clearance. 🙂

I just love happy endings! GJ

Was 2005, our family moving from VA to AZ. I purchased a race car trailer, since it was the largest cargo trailer I could find used locally. Had a 26' cargo box, a 31' trailer and when packed with all of our family belongings to move west, it weighed 14K LBS, towed behind a new 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins 5.9! It had a 24' awning. We made it all the way to New Mexico. Boy-oh-boy is NM the sand storm and WIND state! Towing down I-40, looking at my sideview mirror while towing at 60 MPH, I could see the entire awning like a gullwing sail flapping in the wind and pulled over ASAP! All I could do, to get back on the road, was to rope tie it up on the rear end of the awning (the front had held). Sold the trailer a few weeks later, after moving into our new/current home. Before that, I deleted the awning, made it look like it never had one! 😎 If something was to happen to our Oliver awning, I would delete it as well. We've used it 4 times in 150 overnights. I've already deleted a few unused rooftop items, and would do so again. Our Fiamma closes on the front end and is always 1" short on the rear end from closing. We also have a safety strap! (look closely top-left)

Mike, I have been thinking about moving from LT to ST tires next year, just a thought for now. Thanks, Bill

Anyone with the Suburban hot water tank should check their power connections annually. Had I checked I could have caught the issue before the meltdown. I’m sure it’s been going on for years. One screw is all that is holding the cover on. Mike

Bill, we’ve got the same spare tire issue you had, 16” wheel with a lower profile tire than what’s on the trailer. In fact, I still have the original spare tire, probably should change it out. I’m thinking I’ll go to ST tires from the LTs I have now. We swapped out the original BF Goodrich tires after about 6 years and have had these Cooper AT3 LT tires for the last 4 years. Mike

Hello everyone, I bought a new converter (PD4045CSV) and installed it this afternoon. Now everything is working as they should and batteries are charging. this was an easy do-it myself project. When I removed the old converter it appears as though a resistor (R24) came unsoldered (see photo). I wonder if I were to resolver the resistor in place, if I would then have an operable spare. Next project will be to replace the shocks and the repack the wheel bears and we will be ready to hit the road. Ron

I have hull 806, a 2021 LE2. A couple of years ago my Girard awing unfurled on its own while I was preparing the trailer to leave our campsite. I had to manually crank it closed and tie it off to keep it closed. I eventually took the trailer to the Girard Red Bay Al service center to have it repaired. They said the motor brake failed and replaced the motor...about $1k, if memory serves me right (warranty expired). I now keep the awning strapped tight when traveling...similar to the picture in Mr Jim's post. I was very lucky it failed while at the campsite and not 60 minutes later at 60mph. Here is what was happening when it failed.....the awing was fully deployed and working fine. Preparing the trailer to leave, I retracted the awning. It did not close all the way...about 2 inches short. I then deployed it fully again with no problem and retracted it. Again it stopped about 2 inches short. I then started to deploy it again when it suddenly "let go". It self deployed about 10 times faster than normal and "slammed to a stop" at full deployment. At that point the awning would not move in or out with the motor. I thumbed through the Girard instructions and learned how to manually crank it in. I would advise everyone with this type awning to apply a strap when not in use. I have a piece of tape on the inside switch to remind me to remove the strap before deployment. Be careful out there! Steve

Our Ollie is the first trailer we've owned. Moreover, the truck we pull it with is the first truck we've ever owned. As luck would have it, on our very first trip, having just picked up the trailer from Hohenwald, we were rerouted off of the highway due to construction. After a few miles we came across a beautiful covered bridge. 9 ft. I had no choice but to perform a "3 point" turn. Right in front of someone's driveway. After my 3rd or 4th (very clumsy) attempt, a car pulled up behind me. Of course, it was the owner of the driveway. And I was blocking her way. 🤪 She was extremely understanding, even complimenting us on the pretty trailer. Thank God for nice people. Another couple of tries and we got turned around. She smiled and waved us on our way. In about 20K miles of towing since then, we have not encountered a single low bridge. P.S. I am a little better at 3 pt turns now. 😁

Yeah Bill, you really have all the room you need now with the F-350! Must be a good feeling in towing prowess and carrying capacity. Solar panels, MP2 inverter, cables, etc. is likely 400 LBS. We had 4 LA batteries to start and now 3x 300 Ah Epoch, but lost that 30 LB sliding tray, a net savings but say 120 LBS over your smaller battery setup. 30 gallons of water is 250 LBS and Chris can pack the pantry, fridge and closet floor! We leave full and ready always! We rarely have a first night out with hookups. We also use the Oliver facilities often when traveling, we make lunch, no service station bathrooms for us. We also like to have everything we need, be able to dry-camp for days, just in case we get stuck somewhere unexpectedly. 😎 Our older Ram 2500 has a 8800 GVWR, though it's a relatively light truck. Loaded it weighs only 7400 LBS, with 35-gal extra fresh water, camping gear, Chris and I and our 60 LB Springer! Which is crazy, since when loaded we have an extra 1400 LBS capacity (800 LBS when hitched) in this "3/4-ton truck." For 18 years, we owned a 2003 Ram 4x4 Quad-Cab Laramie with fiberglass cap (heavy), rated at 9000 GVWR. It weighed 7200 LBS empty which netted less than half the carrying capacity of our 2001. 🤣

@jd1923 and everyone, thanks for the tire information. I've updated my text-base tables to include the ST235/80R16, from my January 20th post above. I was amazed at the weight capacity as such low pressure. Hopefully the text-base tables are also more search-friendly. I'm still an Michelin LT lover, with the 16", but in 8 to 10 more years if I have not changed them out again, I will certainly consider putting on good ST tires, 16 inch. The old Goodyear Marathon ST tires used to be garbage from what I heard, but they have since fixed them with the Endurance. Not sure what years they were referred to as "China bombs". Since the Endurance started production in 2017 (research indicates), they've been much better. I run my tires at around 50 PSI travel temps.

Sounds like a new inspection item to put on my list. Thanks all for sharing.

John, Our ready to camp weight is with empty water tanks. We normally camp where we fill the FWT at the campground when they don't have water at the site and dump the B&G tanks at the campground. We don't have factory solar charging system and now using two 105AH Epoch Lithium Batteries instead of two BB 100AH lithiums. Ollie weighs in around 5100lbs, honestly added a little weight to Ollie since we started towing with a F-350. When we towed with 1/2 ton pickups got creative to keep Ollie's weight under 5000lbs. We have the original 5200lb axles with 12" brakes & Dexter's 5 leaf springs (no 5 leaf failures yet), but I don't like Dexter's wet bronze bushings in the their springs, I like Alcan's spring bushings that are double the wall thickness compared to Dexter's spring bushings. If we have the wheels refinished, will start another thread about it. Thanks, Bill

Your previous post about all storage being well utilized and some weight gain over the years (for the trailer not you!), plus this post leads me to ponder your miracle of physics. Maybe: Was your board warped? With the new tires maybe they are not as tall? A run to the scales to verify weight, but with the D52 and 5 leaf Alcan’s, you surely would be taller than spec. With the Cube being behind the axle, possibly you had the nose high? Maybe your Cube has melted a bit? Real low tire pressure? Your tape measure is so old it has stretched out three inches.? Glasses Rx needs renewal? Just having fun on this one. Knowing you, it is assured that your trailer is exactly as you measured it. Good news. GJ

Bill, good tire pressure for your weight. Your camp weight of 5100 LBS is a very low number! Don't know how you do that. Heading out on a long trip, we tow with FWT full, The bottom of our closet floor is FULL of drink and water bottles. Closet and back cabinets pretty full of clothes. Front cabinets and kitchen drawers full of cooking equipment. Chris has extra dog food and coffee, pressure cooker, etc. under the front dinette. Pantry and fridge are certainly FULL! Two years ago, returning from a trip our Oliver weighed right at 6000 LBS. I need to hit the scales again, when first loaded up, leaving on a long trip. My guess is our FULL weight is closer to 6500 LBS now. We are certainly more packed now, and any weight savings in lighter batteries and the much lighter Chill Cube A/C should break even with heavy MP2 inverter and other mods added. Also, D52 axles and Alcan springs are much heavier but they can certainly carry more weight! 😎 "We don't take Ollie off pavement" then ST tires are fine, and might be lower cost. I'd refinish the wheels if the shop manager believes they would restore nicely! But I prefer original equipment and restoration, where many others prefer to buy new. If you do restore, please start a thread and post before and after pics! Best wishes, JD

I found myself on one of those small back roads one time, a couple of years ago, and could see about 1/2 mile ahead a very low overpass. While I had my specs for my Oliver etched in my brain, I decided it was time to get out and measure, since I had never done that. Just to be sure! Everything worked out, but that narrow road condition with a low overpass and no place to turn around is not a comfortable place to find oneself.

Mike, are you moving from LT to ST tires? I'm just curious what other folks with older trailers are doing. We are currently running 16" Cooper LT class E tires at 40PSI without issues with a ready to camp weight of 5100lbs (don't remember the exact tire model without looking at them). We don't take Ollie off pavement, unless the campground is not paved. I'm thinking about replacing four wheels when we replace the tires next year since the original 11 year old wheels need to be refinished. Found a local shop that will probably refinish my old 16" wheels, too. Our original spare tire had a 16" wheel with a lower profile passenger tire installed because the larger diameter LT225/75R/16 tire would not fit in the spare tire housing. Believe Oliver fixed spare tire housing size around 2016 or 2017 so the LT225/75R/16 would fit. I replaced our spare wheel/tire with a 15" Sendel trailer wheel with the ST225/75R/15 Goodyear Endurance tire that fits in our spare tire housing. Believe Oliver is now equipping new trailers with the ST225/75R/15 Goodyear Endurance tires.