All Activity

I don't think I'll be buying anything under the "Max" version myself. I like to be able to see Temp/Humidity and make adjustments without having to go to my phone.

Looking at the Cielo website, they have several models. https://cielowigle.com/products/ Is it only the "Max" model that has the functionality to turn the fan off with the compressor? They also have Pro, Eco and Lite models.

We have 600 Ah Epoch LiFePO4 and the 3KVA Victron Multiplus II inverter which can run the A/C for a few hours. When we replace the awful 13.5 Dometic Penguin 2 with an inverter A/C we should be near double runtime on the A/C. If you have the Truma, it is a bit more efficient than the Dometic. When we truly need A/C, like we did almost 10 overnights on our last 36-day trip we booked sites with electrical hookup. Was not expecting so much hot weather up north but we certainly had a heat wave in most parts of the country this June. I won't carry a generator and extra fuel. Soon with an A/C upgrade we can run it longer. I would add another 300 Ah Epoch battery before adding a generator. But that's just me. Best wishes to you and your new DC-to-DC installation!

Don, Excellent timing on this post! After two years, I'm finally mounting the cellular/wifi antenna on my roof rather than rely on the stubby antennas on my Pepwave cellular router. At the same time, I'm adding the Mobile Must Have POE injector for the Starlink Mini, and converting the exterior port to RJ45. I'll be mounting the POE injector similar to your setup, and adding the power switch in the basement is a great idea, as you're already there plugin in the Ethernet cable. Nicely done. I'd really like to move the router to the same area, but there's no way I could route the seven antenna cables down there! Plus, they are not long enough. So I'll run a short Ethernet cable from the port to the POE injector, and then a longer Ethernet cable to the back of the basement, up along the nightstand somewhere, and then up behind the rear window shade and into the television port. Only a couple inches of the cable would be visible, which I can live with. It will then go into the WAN port on the Peplink to feed the Apple TV and security camera hub connected to the LAN ports. Any more, and I'm going to need a network switch! When I ordered the POE injector, I also added the optional Pepwave 12V connector, eliminating needing to power both devices separately. With the POE injector in the bilges, I won't be needing that connector, but gain the feature of the exterior switch to power the POE injector separately. That's even better! Thanks for the details. Switch and RJ45 port are on order now.

Thanks for the detailed post. I will likely do the same in the future. Marc

I have a 2024 Ram 2500 that I'm still learning all the features that come with the infotainment system. My truck came with the 12" screen which at first seemed excessive but I've learned to split the screen into several functions (Map on top, radio and engine parameters on bottom) If that's not enough info for you, the map and additional vehicle information parameters can be also be displayed on the drivers dash screen. I love all the cameras, although this has become pretty standard these days but they greatly assist when parking. At first, I did not like the digital rear view mirror and turned it off because my old eyes didn't like the change in focal length. But it has not become my favorite feature. A rear view mirror is mostly useless when towing a trailer the size of an Oliver but the wide field of view lets you see down both sides of the trailer even before checking the side mirrors. I still use the wireless rear camera that came with our trailer. There is a convenient 12V plug up on the dash so no power wires dangling everywhere. The adaptive cruise control is handy in stop and go traffic (unless you come to a complete stop; then it kicks out) As mentioned Apple Car Play is wireless and works smoothly. Apps like IExit and MyRadar are very useful on the big screen. Things I don't like or I'm not sure of. The truck nav system is based on Tom Tom. It works well but is an interface I'm not used to. The jury is still out on the Trailer Steering option when backing up. Once it learns your trailer it's good at backing up straight but a slight turn of the knob will send your steering wheel spinning. Maybe I'm a DIY back up guy. Also, lots of reliance on voice actuation. The truck has it's VO system plus Siri is available. I don't know, I'm just not much for talking to my truck. All in all, I'm pleased with the systems. I came from a 2015 so a big jump in available technology. Finally, I'd say it strikes a good balance between being too intrusive and just letting you drive the vehicle. My wife has a new Lexus. It's always beeping at her and warning her of potential hazards. Some of it is just annoying.

Those are parking places to keep dirt and water out of the cables. One is for the DC to DC charger cable made by Trailer Vision. They also make the plug covers and receptacles for Anderson connectors. The other one is for the 7-pin cable (AP Products Plug Guard.) Cheers! Geoff

@Snackchaser What are the two other black connectors bolted to your front tray in your photo above? Thanks, Tony

Running the AC off our 2000 watt inverter in our LE I is our only challenge after this. If we end up in a lot of weather that requires the AC we may add the Honda 2200i generator, but that is not something we are excited about packing in our TV or on the trailer. One step at a time.

Thanks, Dave. This is really helpful, especially the thoughts about mounting location for the charger. We have a local (Nashville) outfit that I will have do the job and he has done a couple of Olivers, but probably not an LE I yet so it may be a little different from he other installs. Glad to hear "no regrets". I think this will be a game changer for us considering how we travel. Bob

Thanks! Great information. I probably should have done a little more leg work to find those links, but thanks for digging them up for me. We are definitely 2 or 3 days and then back on the road - travelers not campers, we like to say. 🙂 I think our batteries are 260 AH so this is even more important for us since we can drain those pretty quickly. We will definitely go with the 50A Orion.

Typically the DC-DC is installed in the trailer as close to the battery bank as possible.

Having the fan turn off as the compressor cycles off definitely prevents the dreaded humidity spike that many experience!

John, Welcome to the SL Mini world. We have had ours over a year now and won’t leave home without it. Its portability, ease of storage and 5 min ease of set up has been a win for us. I hope you enjoy your mini as much as we do! Always remember set up facing north and no obstructions. 😊 We have really come to appreciate this well crafted aluminum protective case which adds a little weight to the Mini. - https://www.strikerfab.com/ David

Your old 110/12v probably actually operated on 12v, just stepped down converted power. You'll likely never notice the difference.

Excellent Dave, good to hear! CLEAN installation! From just a couple of pics I can see you found a quality service company, as you mentioned. For a guy who at first did not want an inverter!!!!! You've come a long way. Your rig, your little E1 has come a long way in off-grid excellence! 🤣 We have found that we can run the fridge AND electric to the hot water heater (HWH) on DC while towing and the Orion XS 50A still adds good charge to the batteries while doing so. Or run the A/C in the last hour or two driving to a campsite with hookups and the DC2DC charger carries a good portion of the load and you arrive cool and calm...

The mini is up and running with what came in the box (thanks JD). Will run this way for a while and find the best way to operate on DC only with minimal cabling. Wendy is very happy . And thanks, Geoff (and all) for the encouragement. I think I'm going to like going with the mini! John

Camera is through bolted with nylock nuts as to not to chip the fiberglass, like happens with sheet metal screws. The very tip of a step drill works well for making holes in the fiberglass because it doesn't grab and chip like a twist drill. Cheers! Geoff

My eyelids must be thin, according to my husband. I'm another one who blocks out little lights at night. Fortunately, very few in a 2008.

When my eyes are closed, I see no lights and sleep well. 🤣 So no issues here.

OK, better pic.....

We’re very happy with the electronics in our 2020 Ram 2500. The CarPlay works everytime, the camera views are great and the other electronic gizmo’s are nice. The big center screen for media and maps makes the driving experience enjoyable. I bet the new Rams are even better. Mike

I just completed a Victron update to all the solar components in our trailer, including the Victron 50amp DC-DC charger. It has been great. I was originally thinking of doing the work myself but soon realized I was too far out of my comfort zone regarding the complexities of the install. This job I delegated! Expensive, yes. But The job as it was done went way beyond my expectations. I was very lucky to find an outfit locally that really knew what they were doing and take great pride in their work. The cost of the DC-DC charger was part of a much larger project so hard to break it out. There will be two sides to your install, the TV and your trailer. I found a way to fish 4awg cables from the streetside rear dining seat (where the battery box is) forward, under the bathroom sink, and then out the front of the trailer next to the 7-pin plug cable. The charger is mounted on top of the battery box. My truck luckily has a battery distribution fuse block with multiple fuses up for grabs including a 60 amp fuse to which the truck-side wiring was attached. The truck wiring terminated with an Anderson plug that was bolted to the underside of my bumper with a custom bracket directly under the 7 pin plug (which is next to my license plate). This location I highly recommend as it makes attaching your fairly large 7 pin and DC-DC charging cables nicely aligned and easier to manage. I'm getting similar charging profiles as JD iirc. For me, I don't like traveling with propane on, so I switch to DC mode on my fridge when under way. Always have full batteries on arrival! These new lithium batteries charge up fast if they can get the power and this little charger really delivers! Of course, it only works when your running your TV. So, as JD mentioned, this will be of no benefit if boondocking and stationary. That's where your remote solar panels come in to play if you have them. I suppose worst case, you could use your TV as a giant generator to charge your batteries but many campgrounds, especially in the National Park system, or in CG's that don't allow portable generators, this would not be allowed. Super glad I got the charger, no regrets! 👍👍 Dave

Thanks JD. Yes, if you disconnect the grounds the LEDs won’t work, but switches will still work. Also, if you want the blue lights, then you can replace your switches with LED types available at AZ. i like the blue lights, just not so bright! Geoff

Did you mount the camera on you Ollie? How? Where? 🙂