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Hi, Thanks for everyone for your input. You filled a lot of blanks in my knowledge, and allowed me to research several things dealing with the Starlink Mini and accessories. Here is where I am starting. 1. I found out that StarLink is starting production runs of the Mini V2 Sattelite dish. It will use very slightly less power, and includse a 4S lithium battery integrated in to the back of the Dish with 71Wh battery. Most likely the back will change due to the battery and the attachments will need to change, so 3rd party stuff will need to be redesigned. They will be using a USB-C for external power. After reading about the new version. I do not think I want the new version. I think I will stay with the current version, with so many accessory options out there. I think presently I have seven 5Amp (100 Wh theorically, 90Wh in real life) DeWalt batteries at home and 3 chargers. I could free up 2 batteries and 1 charger. Or if I bought new batteries, I could buy two 5 Amp batteries. There are always places having sales on them, and it would probably be cheaper than the newer version Mini batteries. Anyway, I placed an order today for the current Starlink Mini and 100GB Roam plan for $55/month. 2. We are going out to the beach for 5 days, it would be a great time to do some testing of the Mini the distances from the trailer and internet speeds with 120V hookup. After I do the distance/up and download speed testing I will make a decision on router needs. 3. I haven't made a decision on mounting yet. I have a 2 tripods, one normal size and small Joby Gorillapod, they take up little space. The Joby is very configurable for uneven terrain like on boulders or slopes. I will test them, looking at stability and ease of set up. I expect JDs setup to be extremely stable and quicker setup. I think I might be able to hook the battery adaptor to the PVC pole on the stand, The Umbrella Stand just takes up more physical space in the truck. 4. After I get back home I will do functionality test of the stand by mode. I had problems with the Starlink AI Bot purchasing a the Starlink plan and Mini. I wanted to pay the cost outright. The bot just signed me up for payments over 12 months. The Bot couldn't cancel the order and the order was locked in before I could get logged in (minutes). The Bot tells me I can cancel upt o 3 hours after ordering, but the system won't let me. Boy was I pissed. I got tired of hearing, "I am sorry, that's on me". I left a scathing anti-AI review. The only saving grace for Starlink is a real person called back 5 hours later and fixed it so I could call back after receiving the Mini, and they would allow me to pay off the Mini. About 10 minutes after purchasing the mini, a youtube video popped up about Starlink charging large service charges, $200 - $1500, for any changes to their account. These charges have been in high data traffic areas where area is overloaded and they are constantly degrading customers bandwidth. He said these charges should go down/away after the Gen3 satellites start taking the load off (64x increase in throughput) off which will be placed with the upcoming starships. Their hope is to deploy twice as many Satellites per load with the starships. Also some good info on life cycles of the satellites. Thanks again Everyone for your input, Bob

Howdy, I have a 2020 Oliver Elite 2, 2nd owner. Hull # 644. 3-way Norcold fridge was working great most of the time on my 3 month trip from Texas to Alaska, always on propane. Then we filled freezer with freezer packed frozen fish. Fridge was pretty full too. But a few weeks ago we noticed fridge was warmer. (Freezer was still freezing though) then every now and then the fridge would be off with an error code N. I was able to reset that with jumper cable and it would start cooling, but then in a day or two it would be off again. we emptied most of fridge, we made sure the thermostat thing on interior fins is at the top, turned fridge up to 9. Oliver is always level, we cleaned fridge and seals, the fan is running, but it does get really hot in both compartments. Most of our trip we stayed in cool temperature locations, never needing AC. Seems like fridge just keeps having issues. now I’m home in Texas, it’s very hot here. Fridge is completely empty and all cleaned up. I left it turned off for a couple days. Turned it on using gas, it ran about a day, then error message N. I plugged my trailer into a 110 outlet and tried to run on AC, it turned off and gave different error code of no electric. Switch it to DC and it’s running, fridge is still seeming not cool, freezer is feeling pretty cold. I took some photos of what my 2 compartments look like. The top one has stacks of styrofoam an metal tape and the bottom is 2 metal plates over the top of the fins and fan in the back. I currently have both covers off and pulled up the 2 metal plates to allow more air flow around the fan. I have used small rubber mallet to tap black coils. I could add ice to fridge and freezer to assist cooling? I have checked all 3 fuses- good! All connections of wires look good. Everything is dry in the back, nothing leaking, no smells. ive been reading everything I can find. What am I missing? When Oliver installs the fridge do they put all that styrofoam and the metal plates in the top? ( that seems to restrict air flow). It’s hot to the touch in both compartments. Really hot here in texas, but they were hot in Alaska and in Colorado too. any new ideas out there? thanks, Tanya Phillips Austin, TX Hull 644

Thanks - we did a lot of boondocking, and don't have a problem getting there, gravel, dirt, or whatever. Good point on the class b, 100 grand for a lot less capability. We usually carried extra 10 gal of h2o and had the composting toilet - still undecide on this going forward. The shoulder seasons will be targeted this time around, now that "work" is behind us.

I have a two Honda generator setup however in recent years I've just brought one when traveling to save space and weight. I have charged the batteries using the single Honda occasionally but it does obviously take longer (than if two Hondas are paired) and the Honda runs flat out. I do limit the Xantrex charge current. I believe that Honda now offers a single generator higher current solution that isn't too much bigger or too much heavier. If I were to do it these days I'd probably do that.

We find it reasonably easy to escape crowds but it depends on your style and setup. A few of our rules that have led to success. We almost never camp on friday and saturday nights. We rarely hook up to anything ( water, electricity, etc). With these two alone we find crowds are easy to avoid. We purchased in 2023 and it was pricey then but its all a matter of perspective. Alot less than a class a, b or c and we already had our tow vehicle. So all in all the quality and manufacturer support structure make it worthwhile for us.

We got our trailer in 2019 and feel like the crush of people in the outdoors was and is still significant. Our solution has been to spend most of our time off the grid, off paved roads and away from the national parks except for the off season. We have had fantastic trips Nov through Jan in the southwest the last couple of years. Count us out for mainstream campgrounds, state and national parks May through August. We must work to avoid crowds but have always found wide open space in the west side of the USA. Lots of BLM and other remote space to explore. If you are opposed to gravel roads and off-season travels, you will likely be crushed by the crowds. Yep, 100k for new trailer is a big bite. We found ours used in great shape. We did have to upgrade solar / batteries and few other things but got great value buying used. Water is the gating item for extended of the grid travel. We equipped our truck with an additional 30 gallon water tank enabling extend time off the grid. Best of luck. Hope to cross paths in the open spaces out west.

It has been a long time since I have been on the forum. We had 359, 2018, and went a lot of places, really enjoyed the experience but other life choices got in the way, and we let it go to some good folks that were sure to enjoy it. One of the key reasons for selling was the crowds that seemed to be everywhere we went. A few questions for the forum - has the crowding subsided at all, and Wow, the prices now - seems $100k is the entry price for a II, - do the newer owners feel the value is still there from a quality and feature standpoint. I'm really liking most of the changes - and am actually looking at the smaller Elite - but not sure the price differential is worth the downsizing Thanks for any feedback..

I'll help - but, it really is a very simple install. Bill

Bill, if you offer free installation, I bet you'll have takers.

Press and hold the OK button until it beeps. The display will show the Setting # on the left and its value on the right. Click the Up button until you reach setting 28, then press OK. The value will flash. Use the Up button to change the value (it maxes out at 50, then starts over again). Click OK to confirm the new value. Press and hold ESC to exit settings. (BE CAREFUL NOT TO ACCIDENTLY CHANGE ANY OTHER SETTINGS.)

It’s the Starlink router, RJ45. The dish came with a pretty long power cable and we got a similar length cable for the router. We ran the cable from the dish back to the trailer, through the dinette window (screen slightly open) to the router that we set on the dinette table. Beside the tonneau cover and tongue box we’ve used the picnic table to set the dish on, and we’ve also just set it on the ground. Just wherever has the best shot to a clear sky in the right direction. If we’re gone for the day I just bring it inside until we get back.

I realized that you remove the antifreeze version of the filter by pulling down further on the lever. I removed the heater/screen filter and saw that the o-rings were fine and nothing was distorted. I put it back in carefully and that part no longer leaked. I can't see any obvious crack in the mixer, but the rear wall has obviously been sprayed. I guess it could be a leaky hose or the the mixer itself. It leaks about 5 ounces a minute - the pump runs, then turns off, then 20 seconds later it runs again for a few seconds, etc. Kind of interesting - the fellow who checked us out at Oliver on delivery day only said you "could" put the yellow plug in the flue when driving. It also says you can't use it below -4 °F. It must be winterized. The instructions are clear: you must put the yellow plug in.

I don't yet have the mini, but I still use the Starlink Gen 3. I had purchased a tri-pod mount adaptor from Bantha Overland on Etsy. I just checked and he has a few 3D printed items for the mini as well. I'll use him again as the first mount was a good solid solution for my heavy-duty camera tri-pod. I like having items that are multi-purpose, to save weight & gear, i.e. a camera AND Starlink Tri-Pod, etc. Also with the mini, I want to check out all the cool cases/mounts available. Veritas Vans seems to have an interesting solution for the mini. I'm also thinking 3M tape magnets so I could put the mini on top of the Ollie, or on top of truck cap. Which ever works best at the time. Lastly, I think this is more true for the mini, but recently I took a chance and started pointing my Starlink Gen 3 in any direction in the opening of trees (within South Georgia). I was amazed that I did not see any speed test reduction compared to pointing dish North. Try that out. It sounds like the mini pretty much can point anywhere too these days.

Thanks for the ideas. I had turned off the bypass last winter, but I didn't know there was a way to drain it. In any case, there was no obvious problem in August when I picked it up for the summer from storage (heated). I'm hopting the mixing chamber isn't cracked for whatever reason. I'll go after the strainer. I think the leak is a lot larger after I opened and closed the overpressure valve. I attached a photo. I haven't looked at their manual yet. Truma.docx

I have a new set of rear wheel well liners that fit late model Ford F-150's. This includes all mounting hardware, instructions, and (of course) liners for both the passenger and driver sides. Price - FREE But, you need to let me know your interest or I'm not going to bring them to the Rally. Bill

Yeah Toni, likely not ALL. Of course seasonal sites will be closed off-season. If they allow campers to show up and pay the host or at a kiosk (we paid the host $36 cash for 3 nights), then I believe the 4-day rule applies. This rule allows for drive-up pay cash locations. If the campground ONLY allows for online reservations then all available dates should be available to book online. It seems we've run into not being able to reserve tonight or next day at many locations we've stayed.

John, you mean for that particular campground? I've found that it varies on recreation.gov from one campground to another, whether it's FCFS or reservable. Some have closed the reservation system for the season; some have closed the campground for the season. It's not predictable.

Hello again Bob, and thanks! I merely purchased a 4 ft piece of 1 1/2" PVC (2" OD) and a coupler from Lowes. Sawed the PVC in two 2 ft sections and the coupler will join the two only in the truck installation (pic1). The lower 2 ft section is permanently mounted to our extra fresh water tank. This works in an open bed but the lower section could be bumper mounted or to the side of a truck cap or the Oliver front basket. For the "umbrella stand" option the set screws from the stand fit into the drill holes. There is also a 3rd drill hole up top (cannot be seen in pic) to hold the Starlink set screw. Half fill the umbrella stand with water and it's not going anywhere! Good sale price on this today at $27! https://www.lowes.com/pd/Patio-Premier-Patio-Premier-Square-Blow-Mold-Umbrella-Base-Black/1002629278 Starlink includes two mounts. Mike mentioned he would merely lay the Mini on a flat surface. He's using the simple base mount that has a kickstand to produce the correct angle. I started the same way but found often in the woods finding a flat spot to support the dish is difficult. Starlink includes a second mounting plate (pic2) which comes with the 2" mounting hole with set screw. Notice the two drill holes in the upper post. If I'm using the umbrella stand, these line up with those set screws. I love the 1 1/2" PVC mount and would not stray from this. If I was to buy a stand again, instead of the umbrella stand which is large to store, a folding tripod would be OK, if I could find one that would hold the 2" pipe. I wouldn't want to get into camera stands, 1/4-20 screw mounts with adapters. IMHO, a soft 1/4" screw should not be the only thing holding the dish, not in heavy weather. No skinny stands, no long poles, no suction cups, nothing fancy for me. Just open your compass phone app, mount the dish pointed north, check alignment on the Starlink app, just a one minute installation required with this setup! 😎 Sorry, acronym from eBay sales, means "New in Box."

Note that the Mini came with two different socket sizes since its release. Pucks are not interchangeable between the early ant later versions. I use this to mount my Mini on an old unused camera tripod. https://a.co/d/00vsLugU

Thank you so much. I will look into what I need to do in order to change that setting. I do have the xantrex inverter, so it should just be a matter of figuring out how to change settings!

If you have the Xantrex converter/inverter in your Ollie you can change setting #28 to whatever amps number you want the converter to pull at max. The default is 25 for when hooked up to shore power, but you can make it 15 or less for running off a small generator. I often set mine to 5-10 to prevent my Honda from running at max capacity. Charging is slower, but the generator is much quieter.

Correct. @2008RN, I have this adapter. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DP21TD7L?ref_=ppx_hzod_title_dt_b_fed_asin_title_2_0

To dependably run Ollie's 1300 BTU air conditioner with a Honda 2200 requires installing a "soft start" to even the load (reduce the electical start up surge). I found this to be true to run when using 110 V as well. The devise is an easy installation and allows you to run your air condtioner with small generators or a 110 circuit. I have been running this setup for several years with a Honda 2200. and yes, these generators will charge your batteries. best of luck https://www.etrailer.com/RV-AC-Soft-Start/SoftStartRV/SSR54FR.html

does your OE2 have the progressive dynamics converter (charger)? if so you can charge it with a single Honda 2000 or 2200 eu inverter charger. No need to parallel two of them. those generators will also run your a/c, but not much else. you need to be sure to turn OFF the electrical switch on your hot water heater and not be on AC or DC for your refer if it is a three way. GJ

That is nice knowing you can still do some minimal data functions, like phone calls over wifi, and I am Assuming text, and emails in standby mod