Leaderboard

The external Zamp SAE Plug on the side of Oliver directly connects to the Batteries. That means the suitcase (portable) solar panels will need their own controller as it doesn't connect to the Zamp Controller inside the trailer and used for the solar panels on the roof. If you were to use one of the Zamp suitcases the waterproof controller is included with the panel, and they come with the cable for connection with the Zamp SAE connectors and/or battery alligator clips. The Zamp branded Solar Ready sidewall port (SRRV) found on the Oliver are completely compatible with any Zamp portable solar panel. Not all SAE wired ports and portable briefcase solar panels have the same positive and negative connections. The polarity may be reversed when the solar panels connect with another brand of SAE quick connection extension cable or solar charge controller. Shown below is a ZAMP connector. This is this one is used to connect between the wall of the trailer and a Zamp Solar Battery Maintainer panel. (I'm including it so you can see what the SAE connector looks like and see that in a ZAMP connector they have RED wire the rubber covered connector and the black wire going to the exposed lug.) This protects users from contacting a + lug if they plug the connector into the Solar Panel first. The typical SAE plug (below) is reversed, and has the RED wire connected to the Exposed LUG, and Black goes to the rubber covered lug. As others mentioned, it's possible to find adapters from the Zamp SAE sidewall connectors to other brand connectors so it's not a huge issue...just a bit of research. In fact, Zamp sells the polarity reversing plug below for $9.99. (On sale for $4.99 at this time). So ...if and when you select the external panel...just make sure to get one that has it's own waterproof controller, and the proper connector/polarity adapter.

This is huge: “The Great Public Lands E-Bike Rush of 2019 In a controversial move, the secretary of the interior recently decreed that motorized bikes should be allowed anywhere that standard bikes are permitted. How this will work is still being sorted out, but the world of pedal-assist riding is about to really open up.” https://www.outsideonline.com/2402117/public-lands-ebikes#close It will be really important for any ebike rider to read up on exactly which the trails are open. And to not ride where they are off limits.... John Davies Spokane WA

My comment was directed at the tire and load rating label - it references the VIN of the vehicle, as do most of the other build specific labels. Good luck in your search. Oh, and I hate it when I get an itch, it usually costs me $$$$. I've found sharing the itch early on with my wife seems to cure the need to scratch.

I'm surprised that the dealer is blaming the tires for the PW load rating. Maybe that's also true, but the overriding issue will be the same as the Raptor - soft springs. You can swap the tires, but I guarantee that you'll also be adding air bags. The only truck that I know of that comes with both offroad and towing capabilities is the F250 Tremor.

One of the concerns is the amount of time it takes to charge an electric vehicle, compounded if a trailer is in tow. I saw this in a recent issue of the journal Nature: A lithium car battery can power a 320-kilometre drive after just 10 minutes of charging - as long as its temperature is hiked up to 60°C while it is being replenished. Lithium batteries, which are commonly used in hybrid and electric vehicles, rely on lithium ions to create a current. Charging at room temperature can take two to three hours, meaning that the need to recharge on a long-distance drive can make for a trip that lasts much too long. To solve that problem, Chao-Yang Wang and his colleagues at Pennsylvania State University in University Park heated a lithium battery to 60 °C, which allowed the researchers to charge the battery at a high rate in just 10 minutes. They had this link to the original paper in the journal Joule. BTW, 320 km is 199 miles, and 60°C is 140°F. Technology always moves forward....

To answer some of the questions that were asked, the Rad Mini's folded are 43"x22"x28" for the standard Mini and 42"x24"x29" for the Mini Step Thru, that should fit under most all camper tops I would think. The bikes weigh 68 lbs., I remove the batteries and that saves 8 lbs. less to lift. I find lifting to be easy, but do remember you have to lift it the height of the tailgate when open. There's plenty of room left in the pickup bed for our other camping needs that we carry in there. One person brought up the topic on riding off-road trails, etc., this has always been a problem with hikers and motorcycle/bicycle riders where ever you go, being a member of PAPA Public Access Preservation Association which is out of Colorado this is a never ending topic and many meeting have become very heated discussions on who can go where to ride. States will have to set areas for each, some will be dual and other setup for each. I will say here that at age 74 I'm not going to be riding these trails anymore, so you younger people will have to attend to this matter if feel strongly about riding areas. As John brought up, yes there is new regulations on riding on public lands and they do favor the bicycle and ebike riders. Also many cities have adopted much the same laws and rules, but each city has there own regulations and it is always best to find out what they are. I can tell you that cities are really working on bicycle lanes and trails, they seem they want to becoming bicycle friendly, this does mean that they are prompting both the pedal bicycle and the ebikes. In most cities you can not ride on city sidewalks, but I can tell you that if your out in the rural areas the police are no going to stop you, I hope they are doing other more important work. Remember riding a bicycle/ebike has a lot to do with commonsense and the police look at it pretty much the same way. For those of you who don't know, bicycles have to follow the same rules as other motor vehicles do, that is cars, trucks, motorcycles, etc. when riding on public streets, highways, etc., yes that includes giving hand signals, stopping at stop signs, and riding in your lane. Last, there are three classes of ebikes, probably would be good to know what they are, Class 1, is pedal assist only, that means no throttle on the bike, Class 2, can have both pedal assist and throttle, or just throttle, these Class 1 and 2 can only have a top speed of 20 MPH, and Class 3 ebikes can have pedal assist, throttles, and can go 28 MPH max speed, but Class 3 ebikes will require a driver license and insurance to ride on the street. Class 1 and 2 don't require a drivers license, or insurance, this makes these the most popular for the public to buy. Ebike sold here in the U.S. will have a sticker affixed to the frame and will have the Class marked on it and law officers are trained to look for that sticker. I will say here that in some U.S. cities only Class 1 bikes are allowed on city streets, New York City is one of them, doesn't make to much sense, but that's the law for now. Most sold ebikes here in the U.S. are Class 2 ebikes. I will answer any question that I can, remember I got most of my info from YouTube and a little from riding in the last three months. trainman

Mark - Part of your answer depends on you and how you're going to use your Ollie. I'm on the road usually for two months at a crack and prefer the mattress upgrade that I have on only one side. I've slept well on the standard 4 inch foam mattress but I think the upgrade is simply more comfortable in the long run. With regards to the condensation mat - I have used a simple 1/2 inch foam board for the better part of the past four years without any problems. Certainly foam board is a bunch cheaper as compared to any of the mats I've seen. You could always start out with the foam board and if it didn't work for you then upgrade. Bill

The AC is loud. We avoid using it whenever we can. If the temperature isn’t too high we open windows and use the fan. We also avoid camping in Texas and other hot locations in the summer unless we’re on our way to cooler and higher locations. I don’t recall any injuries due to sharp edges on doors or cabinets. We don’t full time but are out for a month or two at a time. We spend a lot of time outside and generally haven’t felt cramped for space. There have been a few times over the past few years when we’ve been stuck in bad weather and got a little anxious for more space. But, in general, it’s plenty big enough for us!

Merry Christmas to all in this forum, or Holy Days whichever Spiritual Tradition you follow. Blessings Phil and the rest of the OLIVER Family!

I don’t think the interior size would be a hard adjustment coming from a 25’ the one thing i missed when having a 24’ class C was turning the cab seats into the living area. I did a step down from a 40’ fifth wheel to 30’ airstream, then the 24’ class C. And honestly I miss some of the room, but still feel more comfortable in the Oliver. Just me.

Congrats Jason and Sonja! You can find a lot of great info here on our forums. If you haven't already joined it already, there is a private group on Facebook you can join as well. Search for "Oliver Trailer Owners." If you want to get familiar with the Ollie before pickup, be sure to watch our delivery series videos. These were originally made for 2019 trailers. There are a few small changes on 2020 models. We will be updating and adding them after the first of the year. We also need to finish up a few more videos and add to the series.... Hooking Up to a Tow Vehicle, Andersen Hitch, WIFI Booster, Cell Phone Booster and Entertainment System. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/travel-trailers/videos/ Once again... congrats!

After seeing your setup and reading your post, I just purchased from Amazon an inexpensive 50 watt solar panel, controller with cables. I plan to build a stand like you build with hopes of it keeping our AGM batteries fully charged as our storage site has no powerl Thanks for sharring, like your shed1 Duke and Chris

Do you have a neutral bonding plug plugged into your generator? If not, the surge suppressor with block the incoming current. See the following post for more information. http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/generator-use-with-hard-wired-surge-protector/ Mike