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Furrion Chill Cube – Product Review and Installation
jd1923 replied to jd1923's topic in Ollie Modifications
It's still not hot enough for A/C performance testing. But it was 95F late Sunday afternoon in Phoenix. The Furrion Chill cube cooled the interior in minutes, the huge fan with sweep on, flowing air the full length of the Oliver. When we got in bed the system had geared down on it's own, now consuming only 18A DC, 18Ah per hour overnight. The campsite had hook-ups but I don't plug in unless we need to. The fan was running so slowly it had a light hum and a random swishing sound. We turn the sweep motion off when laying in bed so the air blows forward. With the TV on, the Chill Cube cannot be heard at all! 😎 During the night, I'm not a white noise person, preferring silence, but the light random sound it makes is truly perfect to sleep by! The thermostat first set at 68, 69, 70. later 72, The interior went from 82 to 74 in 40 min. There is a thermostat issue. Regardless of set temp, the cabin temp based on Ruuvi readings kept decreasing far below the set temp. I woke at 7 AM and cabin temp was a very COLD 61F! Reached for the remote, powered it down and rolled over. Of course it cools down at night in the desert, so little need for cooling. The A/C system seems to have a low point where it sits and keeps cooling slightly, the compressor never turning off. It seems many of these new A/C models have thermostat issues. Not too worried on this. First time in our lives that an RV A/C unit was enjoyable to run overnight, and by day, on inverter using so little power! -
Doing a search I only found this thread which sputtered out .. One of the few things I’m disappointed in with the Oliver is the outdoor shower (the other being the Bluetooth speaker). It’s annoying to use and is limited as just a basic shower head. On our last big trip, out in Arizona at a carwash giving the car and Ollie a bath I had an Airstream couple ahead of me with a neat and useful mod. They had replaced the outside shower with an plug in style unit they used to wash the trailer. So you could plug in (via water hose quick connects or the like) a garden hose, a shower head or whatever. Also our storage lot doesn’t have water. I can bring 10g of pressurized on my truck, but a full 30+ gallon tank onboard would be useful. If I could just get to the water … I’d like to modify the Oliver as little as possible. Ideally not drilling holes Wouldn’t mind getting rid of the old shower and putting a new one in the same spot, probably the best solution. Has to have quick disconnects and can add new attachments, so the fittings should be standard Would like some kind of high end or marine solution ideally One option is this Empire RV faucet from eTrailer Cons, would need a case to be set back far enough. Also kind of typical plastic solution. But works otherwise Another solution I like better is this - could have separate hot/cold or just cold. I don’t see needing a hot line. Cons, it’s just ABS plastic. No temp connection, but which might be OK Now for marine application are washdown connections Here’s one, nice stainless with easy twist. No temp control but I can attach my favorite garden hose quick connects Again needs a deeply recessed box to contain this. Any other ideas?
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When our daughter was going to NAU in Flagstaff we made the drive from Sierra Vista up through Tucson on I-10 picking up I-17 in Phoenix. We’ve been up and down that freeway many times but not since the new construction was finished. Sounds like an improvement!
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Wiring conundrum for the water heater
DanielBoondock replied to routlaw's topic in Ollie Modifications
I believe the electrical code is that live feeds have to terminate in a grounded electrical box. I think just a simple twist connector cap is fine, as long as it’s in a box and not flapping in the breeze. RV/automotive code might be different, if there is one. -
Yes...those flex lanes are great. Went that route about a month ago :)
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I agree, also don't like the idea of hot wires laying around, capped off or not. Having a cold snap tonight (24º) got to run a heater out there so it might be a day or so before I can take the wires out from the panel though. Just finished winterizing. The fuse is front and center once you open the door from the outside very easy to get to, also a piece of cake to empty what little water there is in the WH. Way easier than dealing with the Suburban IMO.
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Where's Ollie? She's back home after a couple trips down to the Phoenix Valley lately. I used to hate the drive, especially towing, the section of I-17 that drops 2000 ft through Black Canyon City AZ. Steep and winding, narrow lanes, rough pothole ridden, sections without shoulders, always construction present, and when there's an accident, you're waiting long without an alternate. When northbound, climbing elevation, note the sign to turn off your A/C when it's hot out. With a 10% climb, there were always cars overheated, parked on the shoulder. After 2+ years of major construction, the first 40 miles heading north on I-17 is now the greatest road is Arizona. It is now a 6-lane divided highway the whole way with new Flex Lanes in the steepest section. The lanes are now full Interstate width with oversized shoulders all the way. I used to often take an extra half hour to drive up the back route, Hwy 89 through Yarnell. Today, we flew up the mountain, towing 65+ MPH the hole way home! It's the main route from Phoenix to Prescott, the Verde Valley, Sedona, up to I-40 at Flagstaff and of course the Grand Canyon. Check it out on your next trip to Arizona! 😎
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Me too... I'm also interested in the price of that solar awning as well.
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Yes, I hate to see 120VAC wires hot, just capped off with a wire nut and/or tape. I want them pulled (difficult in this case) or disconnected at the source. If the HWH fuse is accessible, then you're good. I've relocated most of the "under-bed" fuses OTT installs. 😎
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I'd like to hear more about the integrated generator.
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But wait there is more….😊 https://www.facebook.com/reel/1641011913683764
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It does, thanks. Never knew that switch was also used as a reset. Regardless. You are correct, see photos above for pic of the control panel which works nicely. There is a power switch on the new WH which can be seen from the exterior view photo. You are also correct in that running the new black wire straight to ground and only connecting the red wires allows for the unit to work. Oddly enough as previously mentioned the new WH works perfectly with both the blue & yellow/green wire connected to the black wire from the WH. It will not work if using those two wires individually connected. This aspect is a mystery but clearly the two combined wires (blue, YG) create the same connection as running the WH black wire to ground. Given the location of the Oliver WH switch and lack of access at least on our hull it's not worth the trouble to eliminate that switch from the system but in theory yes it should be possible. Its not that big of a deal though to use, no different than years past with the old WH. Also @jd1923 good points on eliminating the AC wires at the panel. As for fuses for 12 V DC there is a fuse located directly on the new WH and they provided an extra with the kit. I would assume this more or less suffices for a fuse inline at the panel but maybe not.
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Wiring conundrum for the water heater
DanielBoondock replied to routlaw's topic in Ollie Modifications
Note about phantom voltage drops. As mentioned it can be due to active/passive devices in the signal path, but it can also be resistance/impedance in the circuit. Case in point, the composting fan my two month old Oliver stopped working. The odd thing was my DVM measured around 3VDC at the terminal - not enough to run the computer case style fan - indicating a circuit issue. Jerry at support gave me a great troubleshooting list, the first of course was to check the fuse, which is fine. I didn’t suspect that as it was getting a low voltage, it’s an inline glass fuse and was unbroken. But I put the fuse back and voila - it works. There must have been a poor connection in the fuse housing which gave enough resistance for a voltage droop, so reseating it fixed the problem. So general advice is to check every leg of the power rail, a little corrosion or a loose connection can/will introduce resistance. -
You are on the right track. However as mentioned before, the blue wire is part of the Fault/Reset and it is grounded through the switch light as seen in the schematic. That is causing the voltage drop you were asking about. Don’t use the blue wire because it creates a resistive current path through the reset switch light. The yellow/green was the intended ground wire. It was probably grounded through the old WH chassis that’s now gone. You are right in thinking to re-ground it. However, I'd cap it off unused because apparently it's not be properly grounded on the switch side. Just connect the new WH black wire directly to ground. Only use the red wire from the switch. The on/off switch will work for the new WH, but the reset will be disconnected and not used. The AC side is completely separate as you know, although the AC ground might have been the original ground path for the yellow/green wire on the old units chassis. Having said that, isn’t the new unit controlled by a separate panel? Is a power switch required? I’d probably splice the red wire to bypass the switch, and blank off the switch to avoid any future confusion. Hope that helps!
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The Oliver - a Suitable Survival Vehicle!
DanielBoondock replied to jd1923's topic in General Discussion
I’m sure you know about that but make sure to only use freshly boiled/disinfected water. It’s not uncommon that somebody picks up a nasty pathogen doing this, because the sinuses are right on the border between inside and outside. I’m talking nice things like that brain eating worm and other such friendlies. Also of course do a serious disinfection of the container after/before every use. Anyhow One of the justifications for doing this is for when we have to bugout. We got hit some years ago with back to back wildfires, made the national news. Lightning strike up a valley complex, the fire traveled down the valley gathering steam and then blew out near us and completely wiped out everything in its path. There’s so much heat capacity by that point you can’t fight it, all the first responders can do it get people evacuated. Literally turns the place into a moonscape. Anyhow our house avoided getting hit being right at the edge but the National Guard doesn’t let anybody in or out, so we car camped for a couple weeks. My wife’s got PTSD about it so every fire season (late summer) she’s on edge watching the weather - the Santa Ana wind complex is prone to cause these (it goes up to N Ca too). This year if its looking bad we’ll just take a trip and take the stress off. Also yes while we’re still setting up the goal is to always have it fully ready to go literally at a moments notice. The main consideration is access to the storage lot. It’s 10 minutes from the house - good - but if you wait too long you might not be able to get to it, or leave. The people running the lot said during the fires they came out after hours and it was a madhouse of people hitching up and leaving. But that only works if they haven’t closed the roads yet. So we plan that if the wind forcast look bad we’ll just pre-emptively go camping. I don’t mind 😅 -
Yeah Rob, my head is surely not thinking clearly this week! Yes, all you need is low-amperage wiring since power is provided by LP. Given the Suburban had a 120VAC circuit breaker, I’d still want a 12VDC fuse in the panel for your new HWH! Also pull the original 120VAC wiring from the breaker panel, at least pull the black/hot wire off the breaker, so the other end at the HWH is dead. You’ll have a 120VAC breaker available if you need to add a new circuit for another 120VAC appliance! 😎 Great looking installation! Update us later on your experiences with the Fogatti tankless HWH!
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I'm sure glad things went well, JD. Blessings from us :)
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The Oliver - a Suitable Survival Vehicle!
Mike and Carol replied to jd1923's topic in General Discussion
Glad to hear all went well! Our Olivers are definitely a home away from home. We’ve used ours as temporary lodging for various non-camping/traveling reasons over the years. Hope you are back to 100% soon! Mike -
A Harvest Host member can check their map for MO wineries that take campers. We let our HH lapse for now so I can’t check. Mike
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The Oliver - a Suitable Survival Vehicle!
Tom and Doreen replied to jd1923's topic in General Discussion
@jd1923 Wow, what an ordeal! I'm glad that you're feeling better and have that all behind you now! It's great that you had all the comforts of home while getting the procedure. Best wishes for a speedy recovery! -
Thanks @Geronimo John and @jd1923 for the additional comments. Clearly I have not provided adequate information regarding the install. No the Fogatti WH only uses 12 VDC to run the internal circuits, sensors etc and which also then feeds back to its remote control which is a nifty device itself. The power to heat water is only through propane and not AC and certainly not DC voltage. The wires themselves coming from the Fogatti are probably 16 AWG or 18 AWG at best and they are intended to connect to the same wires that fed the Suburban sensors circuit board, nothing more. Attaching a few photos below to illustrate (hopefully) the layout and wiring situation. I will be crimping those connections later on today rather than the wire nuts but used those just to make sure everything is working ok before proceeding to final installation. In the first photo the black and red wires represent those coming from the WH and as you can see I have red to red (+) and black to blue & green/yellow (- & GND). The new WH works fine this way oddly enough. The next photo is the same just pulled back further to illustrate the entire enchilada a bit better Remote below with two blue wires (non polarity) from the same wiring harness of the new WH inside the basement where the new WH is installed using 1/4 - 20 SS screws, lock nuts and fender washers rather than the pitiful pop rivets initially used for the Suburban WH. Note this IS a two person job. 1/4-20 stainless steel screws viewed from the outside though the bottom row I used self tapping Big Timber screws into a block behind the FG wall. There simply is not access to tighten nuts and screws on the bottom row. Everybody knows what a locking nut looks like but just in case someone else tries this method thought might be helpful.
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Missouri is home to more than 130 commercial wineries and vineyards, ranging from historic estates in the "Missouri Rhineland" to urban wineries in Kansas City and St. Louis. Below is a list of commercial vineyards and wineries in Missouri, categorized by region. Missouri River Valley & Central (Hermann, Augusta, Rocheport) This region contains the Augusta AVA, the first federally designated American Viticultural Area in the U.S. · Adam Puchta Winery (Hermann) – Award winning and the oldest continuously family-owned farm winery in the U.S. · Augusta Winery (Augusta) – Award winning. · Balducci Vineyards (Augusta) · Blumenhof Vineyards & Winery (Dutzow) · Hermannhof Winery (Hermann) – Award winning. · Montelle Winery (Augusta) – Award winning. · Mount Pleasant Estates (Augusta) · Noboleis Vineyards (Augusta) – Award winning · OakGlenn Vineyards and Winery (Hermann) · Röbller Vineyard and Winery (New Haven) · Stone Hill Winery (Hermann) – Award winning and one of the largest and most historic wineries in the state. · The Blufftop at Rocheport (formerly Les Bourgeois Vineyards) (Rocheport) - Award winning. Southeast (Ste. Genevieve, St. James, Farmington) Known for its deep French colonial history and the Ozark Highlands AVA. · Cave Vineyard (Ste. Genevieve) · Charleville Vineyard Winery & Brewery (Ste. Genevieve) · Chaumette Vineyards & Winery (Ste. Genevieve) · Crown Valley Winery (Ste. Genevieve) · St. James Winery (St. James) – Award winning and Missouri’s largest winery by volume. · Sainte Genevieve Winery (Ste. Genevieve) · Sand Creek Vineyard (Farmington) · Watertower Winery (Ste. Genevieve) · Edg-Clif Vineyard, Winery & Brewery (Potosi) Northwest & Kansas City Metro A mix of rural vineyards and modern urban tasting rooms. · Amigoni Urban Winery (Kansas City) · Arcadian Moon Vineyards and Winery (Higginsville) · Belvoir Winery (Liberty) · Fence Stile Vineyards & Winery (Excelsior Springs) · Jowler Creek Vineyard & Winery (Platte City) – Award winning · Pirtle Winery (Weston) · Riverwood Winery (Rushville) · Stonehaus Farms Vineyard and Winery (Lee's Summit) · TerraVox Vineyards (Weston) – Specializes in rare native North American grapes. Southwest & Ozark Mountains Features scenic views and several wineries near the popular recreation areas of Branson and Springfield. · 7C's Winery (Walnut Grove) · Bear Creek Wine Company (Walnut Shade) · Keltoi Vineyard & Winery (Oronogo) · Lindwedel Winery (Branson) · Ozark Hills Winery (Branson) · St. Francois Vineyards (Park Hills) Additional Commercial Wineries · Apple Creek Vineyard & Winery (Friedheim) · Baltimore Bend Vineyard (Waverly) · Black Silo Winery (Trenton) · Canterbury Hill Winery (Holts Summit) · Dale Hollow Winery (Stover) · Serenity Valley Winery (Fulton) · Seven Springs Winery (Linn Creek) · Wildlife Ridge Winery (Smithton)
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I have a new project, and I am happy if you want to help. Below is a list of Missouri wineries. I am going to find the ones that would accommodate RV visitors or ones with state and national park RV camping close by. Please provide any updates to help the list. Some research projects can be a lot of fun. Thanks
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Get well soon, and hopefully a quick recovery
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New twist on this thread.. Over the last two weeks, I’ve undergone major sinus surgery after a year+ of severe sinusitis. Went down to Phoenix to see a top ENT in AZ and he worked his magic for 4 hours, OMG! We trailered the Oliver last week to Cave Creek park where the camping is very comfortable, 40 minutes from the outpatient center. Three nights here, two overnights post-surgery, relaxing in the Oliver to recoup! The Oliver truly is a survival vehicle, in fact it’s a portable intensive care unit. I felt as comfortable as being home with everything I needed at arms reach! 😎 The first night post-op was a bear! Then 6 days of agony… We towed down to Cave Creek again, two consecutive weeks. We could have just been here 10 days, but Chris and I had things to do at home. Post-op appoint yesterday, I couldn’t wait (will spare you the details). Everything went well! After a saline rinse, I feel GREAT today! We have another 2 hours here, coffee in the Sun, ‘til checkout time, then we tow 4000 ft up the mountain to return home! We will always have our Oliver for so many life experiences. Our home away from home is a wonderful retreat. I’m sure yours is too! 😎
