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I have often thought that it would be nice to have a short break in a journey...lunch, nap, etc. and do it with the comfort of Air Conditioning. I carry a Honda 2000i generator in the truck bed, but the effort of starting it and attaching the cable just seems to be too much effort for a short stop. Call me lazy. So I have been researching means by which I can run my AC on batteries for short periods. I'm not talking hours...just a short time to have that refreshing break. The challenge with AC on battery is something called Locked Rotor Amps. This is that instantaneous burst of energy required to get your AC compressor turning. In my case the Atwood Air Command 13.5 has a LRA of 63.5. You may consult your owners manual for your specific LRA. The running amps are only 12.5 for mine. (That's high based on actual experience) My quandary was that I could run the AC with my Honda 2000i, but when I wired the AC into the 2000 WATT inverter the compressor would not start. So began my quest for the holy grail...running my AC on batteries. Solution: Install an "Easy Start" soft start kit by Micro Air which reduces the LRA draw by as much as 75%. https://id144248.webhosting.optonline.net/microair.net/merchantmanager/product_info.php?cPath=4&products_id=4 Install a Kisae transfer switch so the inverter knows when there is no shore power. http://www.donrowe.com/KISAE-TS20A-Automatic-Transfer-Switch-p/ts20a.htm With some consulting by Steve L (ScubaRX) I finished the project today at 4:00 PM. With breath held I unplugged from shore power. turned the inverter on, and cranked the AC thermostat down to 80 degrees. The heat index was about 90 at that time. To my utter delight the AC cycled on just as it was supposed to. I was so excited I called Steve to share the good news and we chatted for about thirty minutes while I performed some battery checks. With solar on the draw was 0.7 Amps...not bad for the comfort of AC. Steve suggested I turn solar off to see what the actual draw would be. I was pleased to not that only 4.5 -5.5 amps were being used while the AC was on battery. Now before you get all exercised about ruining my batteries remember that this is a short term thing. One, maybe two hours while at a rest stop, or to leave our Penny Lane in a cool trailer while we have a meal in a restaurant. The important thing is that it can be done. Not cheaply at about $400 total...but well worth it for me.

Here is a great article on this subject. http://www.technomadia.com/2015/02/the-almost-fantasy-of-solar-powered-rv-air-conditioning/ It would be great if Oliver would offer a cutting edge 48 volt dc split air conditioning system, mounted in the wall. But they can't, for a number of reasons. Getting rid of the horribly inefficient roof top location would make a tremendous difference in cooling. The roof is very hot to start with and all those black solar panels just make the heat worse. How could you expect a primitive, inefficient roof A/C to be happy in those oven-like conditions? What is the temperature near the panels on a blistering day? 140 degrees or more? Making the operating voltage 48 volts drops the required amperage to 25% of a 12 volt unit. It can use wiring of very small gauge. That is the major reason bigger aircraft use 28 volt systems, to reduce wire size and weight. It's time rv cooling system design entered the 21st century. The cost would be very high.... http://kingtecsolar.com/a-split-ductless-ac-marvel-unveiled-to-the-world/ "Kingtec Solar’s unique PV-powered air conditioners are designed with simplicity and economy in mind, and are built to run using free and abundant solar renewable energy. We deliver 100% zero energy consumption for up to 7 1/2 hours on as little as 1000 watts of solar panels for a 16000 BTU AC. These air conditioners feature tri-energy inputs from any combination of solar, grid or batteries and can run in three modes: Energy Saving, Off Grid, or Hybrid." http://kingtecsolar.com Have you tried orienting your Ollie east-west and tilting the panels? What effect did it have on your experiment? Besides increasing their output, it gets their considerable heat away from the top of the roof and the air conditioner. John Davies Spokane WA

Dave, we found the twin beds big enough. We didn't want the hassle of converting the table each night. The two seat dinette also works well for us. Our other considerations were access to the upper storage being difficult while in sleep mode and we liked having the nightstand. While watching TV we move the pillows to the opposite end and voila, we have recliners. We're happy with our decision, I think you will be too. Mike

Tina and Ken, I'm surprised you have no HDMI cable connecting your TV to the Furrion. My trailer was produced late in 2015. It would not be too hard to run a cable if you need to. If you pull the mats out of the overhead bins aft of the Furrion, there is a wire chase in there that runs to the back of the trailer. Pretty sure a HDMI cable would nestle in there. You would also have to pull out your Furrion to plug it in, and temporarily remove/replace the side panels in the rear overhead bin for access (2 screws secure each panel on my Elite). Tommy Staggs told me that the HDMI is indeed transmitting all video from the Furrion to the TV. Whether or not HDMI is a requirement for video from the USB input on the Furrion, I do not know. We have played DVD's and CD's on the Furrion but nothing else yet. Folks were/are having troubles playing their MP3's through the USB on the Furrion. There's a chat about that somewhere on the forum. I'd talk to Tommy about what is or isn't working for you as he seems to be the most knowledgeable. Though there may be some other A/V wizards over there. It does seem like the installers need to up their game a bit, but I'm sure OTT will get that sorted out fast. DavidS, Right, the Fosmon splitter requires no additional power. I will, however, plug the Roku into the 120V AC outlet (with included adapter) that is already located in the rear upper bin. Might take a week or so for the order to arrive and once I get it all hooked up, I'll post the results. Hopefully, I'll be smiling...! Dave

Finished a 940 mile round trip yesterday with another 470 mile towing day through the TN/NC mountains on I40. Experimented with different speeds checking fuel economy. Got 250 miles out of one tank using 15.7 gallons out of a 21.1 gallon tank. Speeds around 55 to 60MPH yielding 15.9MPG on that tank. Tested one tank at about 60 to 65MPH and it yielded 14.6MPG. On the previous leg of the trip the fuel economy was 15.1MPG @ about 62 to 63MPH. Overall round trip fuel economy was 15.1MPG. The Timbren rear suspension enhancements reduced rear end sag and bounce. Downside of this modification while on rough roads, ride is stiff while towing. We have towed the Ollie with the Fronty about 2000 miles so far.