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I had total hip replacement (not knee surgery) a few years ago. After two months of dedication to my physical therapy routine, I received my surgeon's approval to take off on my summer trip. Some friends travelled tandem with their own TT to be sure I arrived safely at my destination -- 2,200 miles away. I believe the work on my Oliver helped to keep me limber and I continued with my own home therapy (mostly walking and flexibility exercises). I would encourage you to stay the course. I have no regrets! EDIT: about the sitting on the drive: I found that I needed more frequent stretch breaks. I allowed myself 11 days to drive that 2200 miles, and I moved around enough to avoid pain from sitting.

I was always active, marathons, triathlons, racket sports, etc. I lost the ACL in my left knee due to a college football injury. I kept up the activity even without that ACL which resulted in re-injuring that knee multiple times. I had ACL replacement surgery, meniscus repair surgery, excess fluid drainings and kept up the activity. Finally, the pain pushed me to go to a sports orthopedic surgeon who told me bluntly to stop all the sports stuff! He told me the last thing I should do is a knee replacement, spend the time you would be running to do strength exercises for both legs. He sent me to physical therapy to do that. That was 15 years ago and now I just walk. He told me that if after physical therapy day to day activities did not result in pain, then avoid knee replacement. At the time, even my walks (a few miles) resulted in pain, but after the physical therapy and continued strength training that pain has been gone for years. I still tweak that knee occasionally, but it heals after a few days. I can squat, climb a ladder, lift, slide under the trailer and drive long distances pain free. Hope this helps, just another variable in your decision equation! Mike

Wow. This forum is worth its weight in fiberglass.

Snackchaser was spot on. I got up this morning and found the emergency breakaway switch had gotten pulled out during setup. I put it back in and voila, back to 0 draw. Thanks you all so much for the responses. I was really stressing out about this issue.

UPDATE FROM CalMarK: Bottom line. There are two new fabrics that come in at $ 1608.00 + Shipping + Tax if applicable and $ 2464.00 + Shipping + Tax if applicable. Please see below for details from CalMark and attached photo taking instructions for ordering. I'm in NORAL. I will keep my new LE II on a storage lot for at least the next year. I WILL wax it at least twice a year (if not more) to protect the investment. Here's the ask to the forum. To anyone that has not covered their trailer and had success keeping the exterior in great shape: what products are you using and at what frequency? For SA. It's highly likely that I will pull the trigger on some sort of cover. **********************************************************************************************************************************************************************Dear Alec, Thank you for your patience - your Custom Cover FAST QUOTE is ready. We’ve just completed exciting upgrades to our Premium Custom Covers, elevating fit, finish, and durability across the board. Enhancements include a refined tailored appearance, reinforced tie-down points, upgraded zipper flap protection, and premium-grade components—every detail designed for superior performance and long-term protection. We’re also pleased to offer two exceptional fabric options, both selected for their durability, elegance, and all-weather performance: Hydrofend® CVR A lightweight yet exceptionally strong performance fabric that delivers reliable protection in all conditions. Distributed by Trivantage®, the distribution arm of Glen Raven—makers of Sunbrella®. Hydrofend® CVR offers excellent tensile strength, tear resistance, UV protection, fade resistance, water resistance, and resistance to mold, mildew, and cold cracking. Available color: Cobblestone Beige. Hydrofend® Soft A customer-favorite premium upgrade, Hydrofend® Soft pairs the proven performance of Hydrofend® with a soft knit backing for added surface protection. Ideal for all covers—especially those with specialty finishes—this fabric delivers a refined feel with up to six times greater water resistance than uncoated alternatives. Available color: Desert Beige. Your *Estimated FAST QUOTE includes pricing for: • A Hydrofend® CVR fabric cover for your Oliver II $ 1608.00 + Shipping + Tax if applicable • A Hydrofend® Soft fabric cover for your Oliver II $ 2464.00 + Shipping + Tax if applicable Confirmed price quotes are valid for 90 days. Please let us know how you’d like to proceed and which fabric option you prefer—we would be delighted to craft a custom cover tailored precisely to your needs. If you would like to explore the fabrics in person before deciding, simply reply with your postal address and we’ll be happy to send a sample right out. *If you are ready to get started: Step 1: We have the pattern for your cover order, however, we still need photos for our fabrication team to accompany each order. Each fabricator requires photos to reference when sewing the covers. (See photo taking instructions below) Starting February 2026, CalMark has partnered with a premium quality custom fabricator in Minnesota. Your cover will start its custom process in California and will be expertly completed and drop shipped from Minnesota. California will no longer have a pick up option. If you have any questions at any point, feel free to email —we’re friendly, knowledgeable, and always happy to help. We look forward to creating your custom cover! Natalie Miller President/Owner CalMark Cover Co. Inc. (800) 838-7236 (805) 486-3863

We have a 2022 and when I see something like your situation, my brain goes to "Inverter Breaker". We have the 3 Lithonics batteries and 3000 Xantrex Inverter. We spent the night at Oliver after pick-up and plugged in. The next afternoon we packed up and moved to David Crockett State Park and plugged in. That evening I opened the Lithonics app only to find my batteries down to 73%. Shore power wasn't charging the batteries. I reached out to Oliver and Mike sent me a picture of the breaker. He stayed on the phone and walked me through checking the breaker, which was tripped and resetting the breaker. All was good for 2 months and it happened twice more. Oliver sent me a new breaker. In October 2024 we were boondocking, turned on the inverter to cook oatmeal, and 30 seconds in the microwave shut off. Jason was at the Texas Rally and ran tests. In February 2025, during service, it was determined that the issue was the breaker. Since they were no longer using the breaker and didn't have any, we lived with things until we got home. We were plugged in for the trip, so really was not inconvenienced. I order two new ones. I followed the shut down procedures, solar off, inverter breaker off, then each battery. Start up is reversed. I discovered to my horror that problem was very loose connects, resulting in pitting of the cable ends. Arching was obviously occuring. I replaced the breaker and now will check the connections each fall after our last trip. While your breaker might not be the issue, I would really check it over. Just make sure you completely power down per the sequence mentioned in this post. Good Luck. Please provide an update. During this period we experience a few weird things, which we attributed to the loose connectors. I suggest you send a service ticket request to Oliver so they can provide input. support@olivertraveltrailers.com

As JD said, the inverter should run the microwave. Three things you should try first: 1) Using the Xantrex App or control panel, check/lower the low voltage drop out. It's usually set between 12 and 12.2 volts. Try lowering it to 11.5. The battery voltage will drop under load, and there could be voltage calibration errors in the inverter so that if it's set to 12.2, it could actually be higher. 2) Also check/increase the low voltage cut-off delay. The delay prevents nuisance trips from inrush currents, and the microwave might have a delayed power surge. 3) Try a hard reboot. This has worked for some folks, but it's more difficult because you have to disconnect the battery leads for a few minutes. Hope that solves the problem! Geoff

Great upgrade! I'd say yeah, sure, as long as you're wanting to power it. Any pics of your work? Products you used? Thanks for sharing.

If your convection microwave works fine on shore power and was designed by OTT to be wired on the inverter circuit, it shouldn’t be the issue. Check amperage draw (-A) at your batteries with microwave OFF (should be low). Then turn microwave ON, watch -A grow and record max reading before it blows. Do the same before and after measuring voltage. Also, check into inverter error codes, are any logged? Can’t say what the numbers should be since every system varies in its components. How many watts is the microwave? Battery Ah and Inverter W? Depends on these numbers. Could be the low voltage cut-off setting on your inverter. I’ve read here that some forum members with Xantrex have lowered this setting. Less likely, a large voltage drop, given appropriate load and wiring, could be a battery issue. Hope this helps! JD

Check to make sure that your brake "breakaway switch" wasn't accidentally pulled out. If so, the electric brakes have been on the whole time. Four brakes would draw 3-4 amps each. If you were reading 2-3 amps draw on your Lithionics battery App, then that's only one of the 3 batteries. So it's actually 9-12 amps. Add in the solar input and it's about right for what the brakes would draw. Good luck, Geoff

JD we have Truma on demand hot water. Turned off. No change. Inverter I only turned off for a short time. Can try shutting off for longer period tomorrow. No custom fridge cooling fans. I do think Norcold fan has gotten louder. I turned off fridge and still see draw. No special DC accessories. i will try jack fuses in AM.

You should be getting +A from your solar. So 2-3 amps/battery, is say -8A total with everything off? You should be getting approx. +12A from your solar, given the fridge on LP. That means during the day your about net -20A. That's a large draw! The one time this happened to us, I had the hot water heater on AC (electric). Are you certain no change with all the breakers OFF? You wrote you restarted the inverter. Did you leave the inverter OFF for a period of time to measure draw with it off? Do that to be sure it is not anything 120VAC provided by the inverter. Hard to imagine anything DC taking that much power. Do you have any special DC accessories? Also, pull your 30A jack fuses, one at a time. A jack could perhaps be shorted in a way where it's drawing power to ground through the motor. Do you have a fridge cooling fan or other fans? Battery heaters ON? I cannot think of anything else DC that could draw so much amperage. Hope the best for you two! Bummer to have this worry when you're in such a beautiful place.

As to your first point - portable panels check this out. https://solartrackpro.com/ This is a product that was conceived by one of our owners. It has been under development for about 5 years and is now ready for sale. There are several owners that have one of the earlier models, myself included.

Been there and done that x2 (ten years apart.. Both times I used a stationary training bike during rehab. It few weeks after surgery before I could get the knee joint loose enough to get all the way around the top of the pedal stroke. it was probably 2 months before I could get a above 40 rpm still without force. By 3 months I was walking 5 miles a day and standing on my feet 8 hours a day before I went back to work as a cardiac RN. Both times I did each knee during the summer. It wasn't until spring that I got out on a real bicycle. Even at 9 months I still had to Ice the knee after bike rides. As mentioned above it was about 1 year the I forgot that I had a knee surgery. Also as stated above rehab is tough and painful. Do what PT tells you. The important thing is getting full mobility back. Then getting muscle stronger. This takes months. I still have a minor problem with my left leg (Dominate) with standing on one leg and balancing long enough to put my pants on easily standing up. I still do it, but I am clumsy. I did have an exterior tendon release a few years before the surgery because the tracking on my patella to the knee joint, which might has cause the slight balance issues. Things I have never done again. I love sports and always pushed my self hard. Down hill skiing, If I could not do the double diamonds, and push myself it wasn't worth skiing. Jumping down off of anything: The truck tailgate, large logs and rocks when hiking, Anything that required cutting side to side, soccer, racket ball, etc. As far as trailer maintenance, 3-6 months for some of the easy stuff. The hard stuff like repacking bearings 9+months. You learn about getting down on the ground and getting back up. I still can not squat down to the ground like a mechanic would to work on things. Only do what is comfortable and you feel safe. Remember baby steps. If you have to repack bearings or such coming up soon you should have someone else do it. I do all of my maintenance on my Oli it just means modifying how you do things. I know little old ladies that still garden that have had knee replacement. You should be back in the camp grounds in around 6 months or so. Remember Ice and Stretching during the next 9 months. I spent my lunch breaks Icing the knee on my lunch breaks. I was the best surgeries I have done. Hang in there and don't give up.

We have Elite II Pro package with 3 Lithionics batteries. Currently boondocking near Capital Reef Utah. I checked batteries mid-morning with good sun and saw 2-3 amp draw on each battery. I came back after a good day of sun to same draw and batteries down 15% in a day with no usage. Inverter off. Norcold refrigerator on propane. Here’s what I’ve done Restarted inverter Reset inverter breaker (red switch streetside bed) Power cycled batteries Reset all AC breakers while watching amp load - nothing changed pulled each DC fuse one at a time - no change checked all wire connections in dinette by pantry. No loose wires Batteries are taking charge from generator but show same loss as soon as generator turned off. Any ideas where to check next? Thanks in advance Oliver crew!

@routlaw Your're only 5 weeks out...give it some time and stay on track with the recommended activities. I have two total hip replacements and the hardest part was being patient and allowing time for my body to recover. I know knees replacement is tougher than hip replacement, but I think you may be plesantly suprised how much mobility and function you have in 3, 6 and 12 months. Modern total joint technology is truly amazing but there is still the brutal trauma to your body that needs time to heal. Don't sell your camper yet! Wish you the best for health and healing!

@routlaw I had a total knee replacement in 2016, 46 years after ACL and cartilage tears in my right knee were repaired. That amounted to about 20 years of limited activity due to pain and discomfort. I stopped all racket sports and was content saving my knee for walking and used 2 poles while hiking. The 3 different knee doctors I saw in those years all wanted to wait until I was on my deathbed before replacing my knee. After having knee replacement surgery, it was about a year before I really didn’t think about it anymore. I really regretted not doing it sooner and I recommend it to anyone who has asked. I do believe that as we age, we should probably pick and choose some things we have always done. I gave up blowing pine needles and oak leaves off our house roof and gutter this year and pay someone to do that job, but my wife had to talk me into it. There are OTT maintenance jobs that you might have to give up and unless it is a financial decision, I would suggest giving up some maintenance jobs and keeping your Ollie, you can always sell it in the future if you find the maintenance issues to much to deal with. Mossey

I would recommend you fight tooth and nail to preserve your mobility and ability to continue what you love. Recovery from knee surgery is really tough. I’ve not had it but am an MD and many of my patients have. Once you give things up they will never come back. The body and people in general have a remarkable ability to adapt and overcome limitations. Good luck on your recovery! I hope this helps!

What microwave do you have that allows it to run on batteries? I have never managed to get mine to work without tripping the inverter. I own the Hightouch Convection Microwave.

I have a 2022 Elite II. I ran three lines of heat tracing on the water lines including bathroom, outside shower lines, water intake lines, over the water pump, etc. I also added a heat duct to carry heat through the streetside basement. This gives me two lines of defense from freezing temperatures. Monitoring my bluetooth thermometers tell me that the furnace does a fantastic job of keeping the basement above freezing. The furnace actually runs more efficiently and quieter with the added duct. When plugged into shorepower I use a small AC space heater and open the little garage door and face the heater toward the garage. When driving I turn on the inverter to run the heat tracing which comes on at 40 degrees. I have three thermometers placed around the basement and they have confirmed when the heat tracing comes on. So far we have driven and camped through 20 degree weather. Yes, all of this required me to stand on my head and squeeze into small places but the peace of mind is well worth the struggles. I have yet to test not winterizing for next winter, but think I might try it. Input?

The service was good, too.

Same place for us. Great breakfast. John

Has anyone contemplated placing heat tracing on water lines? I see two reasons...1. eliminate worry while on the road during springtime cold snap after dewinterizing and 2. possibly eliminating the need to winterize at all.

Thanks Mike. That's the one. Sometimes it is nice to plant happy thoughts. I sent this to June:

Knee replacement was suggested for me by a local surgeon. I had fallen hard on my right knee as a teenager which caused bone spurs/arthritis over the years, first tore my meniscus playing tennis mid-90's and years of tennis and pickleball. I'm less of a biker and hiker, though I understand since mountain biking is so big here that it is very hard on the knees. The surgeon I met was only about replacement and not trusting him, I keep nursing my old knees. My knee locks up and I get jarring pain on occasion when playing which thankfully goes away as I walk it off and keep playing! PT videos from Dr Adam Fields on YouTube are very helpful. He has 100 videos on almost every body part and condition. This is the first I'm hearing that a full knee replacement has movement limitations! Perhaps you also had considerable ligament damage that needs PT correction. Chris and I know almost every senior in Prescott that plays pickleball (there are 100s), we also know a good 10 players that have knee replacements, some have both knees replaced and are playing pickleball again like having young knees. I hear from some that the pain after surgery is severe for 2 weeks. But there is certainly more knee movement in mountain biking than playing a racquet sport. Rob, I wish you the best and hope you store your Oliver just ONE season, get back to it next season when you work more PT and get back to full movement! My right shoulder is about as bad as my right knee. I was under the truck again, installing an A/C compressor yesterday. With maintenance you can take your time. You'll be able to work Oliver maintenance soon and I also hope you will enjoy your sports to the max asap!