Leaderboard

Hi John, my Etsy shop is mostly sewn photography props and vintage items. (www.etsy.com/shop/littlelassies) But I could add a listing for the Ollie tablecloth. I could also take payment via Paypal email. I would estimate the price to be Cost of materials + $12 + Shipping. Please send a private message with info about the colors you like and whether you want solid/patterned/etc. If it's fabric that I already have on hand it will be cheaper since I'm trying to downsize my fabric stash, but I can purchase whatever you want. Thanks!

I’ve asked Oliver for the electrical plans for our 2020 E2 several times... the answer has been no... simple as that.. the reason I was given was they are worried about competitors getting a hold of them ...

Remove the Zamp unit from over the stereo head - two input wires (from the roof), two output wires (to the battery) and the small temperature sense probe wires Cut off any excess length and then splice the two sets of cables together and secure them. This little cable tie is good for making I.D. labels. Drag the temp sense cable down into the lower compartment, you can sell it with the used Zamp controller. It has a value of about $35 new. Add extra aluminum tape if needed to seal and secure the wall insulation. The location I selected is a great spot for a big ventilation hole, an air intake for my Lithium Battery Box Powered Vent System , so I needed to add 1" thick HDPE spacers to let air pass through, using JB Weld epoxy, clamped overnight: I made a mounting plate from heavy sheet aluminum, drilling holes to allow air to get to the bottom of the control unit. I originally planned to use the Oliver installed self reseting circuit breaker, but decided that an inline fuse would be more reliable. The manual circuit breaker on the output wire is similar to the Oliver one installed across the gap on the DC bus. It allows you to disconnect the solar input by pressing the red button, and it is reset by closing the yellow arm back inwards:: This is the inline fuse, it is very nicely made and has heavy enough wire. It will handle up to a 40 amp fuse, I installed a 30 amp ATC one: Victron SmartSolar Charge Controller MPPT 150/35 brochur:e Victron Charge Controller 150:35.pdf This is pretty technical, it shows the Zamp roof panel charge curve, I added some data points showing where a lead acid and a lithium (LiFePO4) battery open cell voltage would appear. A lithium battery has a higher operating voltage, so a regular PWM controller is not as effective as a more sophisticated MPPT one that is able to alter both output voltage AND output current. A PWM unit is connected directly to the battery, and it simply switches on and off very rapidly to control the current. It is very crude, but inexpensive and reasonably effective under optimal conditions. I grabbed these descriptions from solar website, I cannot remember which. It and the following one offer some interesting comments: Temperature sensing charge control - the Battle Born batteries do not require (nor can they use) this function, it is built in to the batteries' onboard Battery Management Systems (BMS). However, by installing the optional battery temp probe that connects to my Victron BVM-712 Smart bus, the VictronConnect app will connect using its Bluetooth network with this compatible "smart" device. When I look at the app screen, the battery temperature is shown on both the Solar page and on the Batteries page. That temperature reading is very helpful in monitoring the health of the batteries. Settings: using the app you can alter a whole bunch of parameters. The important one is the charge absorption voltage. I set it to 14,.4 volts, a little lower than the Battle Born recommended 14.6 volts. I have read that a slightly lower voltage is healthier for those batteries, while not significantly affecting their actual capacity (percentage of charge). This is the same reason they recommend that they are not left continually "cooking" at 14.6 volts from shore power and a charger like my Progressive Dynamics one, it diminishes their life span. https://battlebornbatteries.com/programming-a-victron-smartsolar-charge-controller/ John Davies Spokane WA

I've asked Service (Jason) and Sales (Phil) for them by email and phone. No luck. I know of several owners that are asking. It's crazy. I've opened a handful of tickets just because I don't have the electrical diagrams - simple questions that could have been answered. For someone who loves to work on their Ollie, I have it listed as my number one quality issue / gripe by far. Now I know Patriot is after them too. I'm going to open a service ticket and see where that gets me.

It sounds as if somebody dropped the ball in Hohenwald, neither the 2020 nor the 2021 online Owner Manuals have any wiring diagrams (only a battery hookup one)..... but you can look at the 2019 images (starting on page 38) and that will give you a general idea. There are a few mistakes on the Oliver University pages, but mostly they are omissions of little things like a fuse box pamphlet. Electrical diagrams are critical, and needed by any owner or RV tech that is trying to troubleshoot or repair a problem. I personally would be quite upset if I had none, and especially so if I had to wait a couple of years to get them. Maybe it is time to get on the phone and raise a little hell? Figuratively speaking. John Davies Spokane WA

On my EI there are Lifelines. Took delivery yesterday.

Anybody besides me looking to get out on to the "Open Road"?

It’s not on John’s diagram. He shows the outside parts of the fan. There’s an inside assembly that attaches from the inside. You can see that in the parts diagram from Airxcel here. You can drop the inside assembly and the circuit board is on top of the control panel that is in the corner. I don’t know how hard it is to replace, but it easy to access. Mike

Time2Go, we got the cushions, thinking that if they didn't work for us we would get Southern Mattress mattresses later (since we live near where they are made.) So far we are fine with the cushions (plus a foam topper for my husband). It seems to me that if you are going to buy SM mattresses, it could be beneficial to go ahead and get all the cushions that Oliver includes in the base price. Even if you throw away or give away the foam (and foam is actually quite expensive in a 4" width), you will have extra of the fabric that can be used if you ever have a rip in one of your dinette seats. Or you could use the fabric to make some bolster cushions. When we made our order, I actually got in touch with the man who does the upholstery for Oliver and requested that any scrap fabric from when my cushions were cut out be saved for me, since I am a seamstress and figured I might someday want that additional matching fabric.

I just replaced the “Operator Mechanism” on my Maxxfan just as others have done. Mine shattered into a bunch of pieces. I got a new one directly from Airxcel, the manufacturer. It was on backorder for a week so that tells me it must be in demand. I had removed the fan and disassembled it to see what was going on and also to give it a good cleaning. To replace the operator mechanism you don’t have to remove the fan. You do have to get up on the roof. I didn’t open the new mechanism to see how it was lubricated. I spoke to a technical help guy at Airxcel and learned that the way it works is that when you hit open the lid lifts until enough resistance is felt then it shuts off. Closing is the same, it continues to close until enough resistance is felt then the motor is shut off. I think that pressure eventually takes a toll and the operator mechanism fails.

I did PM our sales rep and am awaiting her response. I will keep you guys posted on this subject. I did look at the 2019 online manual as John suggested. It at least gave me some idea of where everything is.

Given the quality of Oliver wiring at times, I think they'd be more worried about lawyers than competitors.

Thanks everyone. I can see why they wouldn't have them online as anyone could download them (like another trailer manufacturer) but they really need to be provided to Olie owners, so I too will inquire from my sales rep, Anita

The detector uses a little bit of power, about 0.05 amps, even when everything else is turned off. Normally that isn't a worry, unless you want to keep the batteries connected long term and you are not plugged into shore power. A little drain over many months can flatten a battery bank. Plus it is nice to be able to silence a nuisance alarm or a failed unit by switching it off rather than locating and pulling its fuse (which is at the 12 volt DC bus under the rear street side bed). Here is mine, the location WILL vary because I moved mine to the back a foot, but the wire comes off the manual reset circuit breaker. I added the labels. The Oliver wire does have a factory installed label "1 amp" but it doesn't identify the purpose of the wire! Remove the fuse or disconnect the batteries! Remove the unit (4 screws) and cut the wires. Make a little bracket from 6061 T6 2" x 2" x 1/8" aluminum angle, and secure it to the compartment wall with 3M VHB (Very High Bond) tape. Epoxy would also work fine. The switch is a simple, non-LED On/Off SPST switch that matches the other Ollie switches. It requires a 0.800" hole, which can be made with a step drill AKA Uni-Bit. https://www.harborfreight.com/3-piece-titanium-nitride-coated-high-speed-steel-step-drills-91616.html Any type of switch will work because it is not normally visible. It is similar to this illuminated model: I used the existing Red for positive and Black for ground detector wires. The factory harness has a Blue positive and Yellow ground. Unplug the switch. Splice the new harness into the old one, working outside the compartment (under the table). I was able to discard two feet of extra wires. Install the detector body into its hole. Feed the switch wires through the round hole and mount the switch (it presses in with two retaining clips). Note that it has a little plastic "key" under the lip, that needs a matching notch in the hole, or else just file off the key entirely. Cover the wires with plastic split loom and secure them with cable ties so that they don't flop around. The switch could be located anywhere, but this spot makes it quite simple. A location on the outside of the compartment would work, but it would be possible to turn it off by mistake, which could be dangerous or fatal. Put it somewhere out of the normal traffic flow, and not in a storage compartment where loose gear could bump it! You still need to check the unit for proper operation before each trip and then weekly. Finally, adding a switch violates the RV build codes! Do this mod only if you fully understand its benefits and its potential risks. Because of my extensive mods, I added a BIG information placard under that access cover, it includes information on the Propane Detector switch. Something similar to the last paragraph might be prudent. John Davies Spokane WA

No photo was taken at delivery. Probably good for the world to not seeing me. Not sure why, but it didn't happen. Delivery was quick and simple. Spent the first night at Crockett, and am still there for night #2. It is an Elite I, light blue and dark blue. I am by myself on this trip, heading back to the Los Angeles. No real issues. Was told that Cooper tires recommended 55 psi tire pressure. Given a too short brake breakaway cable that was attached to the safety chains that I fixed with a tractor supply run. Towing with a Tacoma - no issues first 40 miles. Using an Anderson hitch which is quite simple once set up properly. Forgot to get some peat moss or coir for the composting toilet. There was none in the toilet, which I assumed would be there along with the instruction manual. Glad I saw that. Still trying to figure out the furnace. I set the thermostat to heat and the a/c blower also comes on. Used a small electric heater last night, as it got down to the low 40's - got too warm inside. Opened a window a crack and turned off the heater, which made it quite comfortable. Will travel 300 miles Friday, which will be first real test with tow vehicle/trailer combo. Off to infinity and beyond.

Congratulations on the new Ollie. For the issue of the AC fan coming on when the furnace is on, that sounds like you have the fan setting on the thermostat in the wrong mode. Check your manual on how to set the fan to “AUTO” mode.

Can’t wait would be a huge understatement!! Great tune!👍🏻

@Nancy K. I love your glamping doll set. It's adorable. ❤

@Mountainman198 I think you have a good plan, as in try the cushions first, as opposed to mattresses, right off the bat. The foam in our cushions is pretty dense, great for seating, a little hard for sleeping. Needs a mattress topper (you could cut two from a queen for twins), imo. Whether you choose a fabric, or ultrafabric, is a personal choice. As far as cost, to replace later, that varies widely. Oliver obviously gets a volume discount. Custom in my neighborhood is pricey, but if you reuse the foam, a bit less. I also got a big savings on my boat cushions years ago because the upholsterer (unusually) allowed me to buy and supply the fabric. Many won't let you do that. So, I was able to buy commercial grade fabric from a roll end/surplus site, for 2/3 off. I wasn't able to reuse the foam, in that project. old. You could download the measurements for cushions, and price locally, if you are curious.

Disc brakes with larger axles on the 2022’s might be a factor.

Another update - 🐝 bee on the look out. https://www.foxnews.com/science/scientists-in-us-canada-gear-up-for-battle-against-murder-hornets

eliminate the wobble!

I actually was told this a couple of years back when I requested a digital owners manual for another RV brand, and when I told them I most assuredly would not release any of the info publicly, they cheerfully sent it to me, diagrams included. This was for an Earthcruiser.... which indeed have very high tech and unusual features intended for around the world travelers, like reverse osmosis grey water filtration and dc air conditioning. They sell a tiny handful of them annually and those cost half million bucks. Nothing in an Ollie is remotely out of the mainstream for a travel trailer. The lithium package is neat, but definitely a work in progress, and other makers already offer one. So......? Keep digging owners. It is time to contact the boss man. A true solution awaits. In your shoes that reply would really get me worked up! 😳 John Davies Spoksne WA

Here is an interview the husband and wife of the crash. Apparently wind gusts was the contributing factor that caused the driver to loose control of his rig. It must have been one heck of a massive gust. They are were very fortunate is the understatement of the day. Sure hope he was not over combined legal weight limits for truck and trailer. Time will tell. Hopefully they can get back on there feet and be made whole again. 👍🏻 See vid. https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/208/boise-couple-homeless-malad-gorge-crash/277-35752b41-4474-4eda-8175-c5b4d999c795?fbclid=IwAR36Z5vkcjNwQEj5-eVowNfx6biw_nF-8muYZhOILBXYkA0HCMo942ATKSQ

by An Airstream

You couldn't have said it better! However, most people aren't aware of these forces! invo

I have flip-flopped back and forth between regular fabric and ultrafabric now at least 5 times (final order not due for a few months yet). Will be ordering the twin with couch with standard cushions. Ultrafabric upgrade is $849 in this configuration and color palate is limited to a single color (gray). My current plan is NOT to order ultrafabric and use the standard fabric until such time as it gets damaged, worn out or I get tired of it . At that time I will have an upholstery shop recover all the cushions in ultrafabric, in a brighter color. My thinking is that I can use the standard fabric while I decide and cost to recover might even be less than or equal to $849. Heck, I may like the standard fabric and never upgrade. Has anyone else ordered the standard fabric then had a local upholstery shop recover their cushions in ultrafabric or something similar? If so, what was the cost?

Yeah, here in WA we were seeing a big uptick of other outdoor pursuits such as hiking and skiing even pre-pandemic, to an extent significantly greater than our also large regional population increase. A lot of younger adults fed the boom. Imagine that - a generation that wants to spend more time outdoors doing healthy activities. While it's a pain in the butt for me I have to think this is nonetheless a healthy change, though I think some shifts back to spending more toward investing in our public lands may be in order if demand stays up. I suspect that there will be some dropoff in folks camping as their trust in various built environment options for vacations returns, but my bet is that it won't return to what we were used to.

For the shower we use a hybrid system - part of the curtain is connected to the factory slide and we use small suction cups to keep it placed across the door opening, and just above the rear of the sink. When done, it stows conveniently in the front left corner by way of suction cups with the shock cord/ball end. I suppose we could do without, but have just settled on this process for now. Newsflash - we used the microwave last night - made fine baked tators. to go with the stake and shrimp. So, I will now say the micro was/is a good use of space..... yes dear.... We had the easy start from the factory - but have not run it off a genset - yet. Compost toilet - I think in the total - it is just easier than the black tank - and dump station process. Grey water is no problem. Inclement weather - today and tomorrow - first time stuck in the Ollie - but we have the WWW, and local stations, oh, and each other😍 RB

Meg, yes we had Oliver install the AC Easy Start a couple of years ago. Our small 2K Champion will run the AC although we rarely do that. I believe Olivers are wired for solar but would verify with your sales person. Mike

I agree. I think now that I seem to have gotten my Truma sorted out, I’m going to bestow the title of Most Troublesome Component to the MaxxFan. Ours recently decided that it wanted to stay open. I’d close it, and a few minutes later it would open again. I’d close it again and it would open again. Finally I just flipped the breaker. A few days later it started working and has been fine since.

This is a great way to watch the Thunderbirds airshow... my Other Half in a Cabelas branded Zero Gravity lounger. I agree they are too bulky to always bring along, but I usually miss them if I don’t throw them in the truck.... Sometimes I will open one up in the garage and just sit next to “Mouse”, pretending I am off in the real world instead of quarantined.... how very sad and pathetic is that!? John Davies Spokane WA

Nemo Stargaze Recliner Luxury Camping Chair So After trying this one out at REI, I was impressed enough to purchase one on sale - still expensive at $180. It arrived yesterday and I really like it- comfortable, light, and packs into a nice smaller package. Although we also like the zero gravity lounger it is not as easy to load and pack in the rear of the truck. Ok, I have spent all the $$ I'm going to on chairs. RB

We seem to have the exact same chairs and agree: They are extremely comfy but heavy, clumsy, and difficult to pack. They are, however, worth the trouble if one is planning on staying at any location for some time. (The problem I think I would have with any chair that is not a "lounger-type" is that, after a certain amount of time sitting upon them, they would start to be uncomfortable because they don't support the forelegs and inevitably put some amount of pressure on your upper legs when sitting.) We also carry two of these. They are not all that comfortable, but we are amazed at how many uses we find for them around the campsite and at home. We are guitarists, so we can carry these and our instruments wherever we want and then be able to sit and play. However, I find them indispensable for working around the Oliver--for hooking up the cables, checking the lug nuts and tires, for getting into the basement and hooking up the city or fresh water. It sure beats having to stoop or get on ones knees. (The GCI Outdoor Quick-E-Seat Folding Tripod Field Chair with Backrest is low to the ground.) They are easy to sling over one's shoulder and walk a good distance, which would make them ideal, it seems, for fishing, birdwatching, photography, or just hiking and needing a seat to rest upon. I highly recommend these lightweight chairs as a supplement to any others one would take on their Oliver adventures.

I've also always thought that these Kermit chairs are pretty neat. They seem to pack up well, and are beautiful to look at. But $$$ and I'd probably get tired of the assembly time. Gorgeous, though -