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I've researched, but never found a good answer, on the question of how much hot temps in storage affect lithiums vs hot temps while in use. Victron lists a max storage temp some 70° higher than the max operating temp for their batteries, so I do assume that the storage temperature is less damaging, at least to some degree.

The Elite, the original Oliver design is shorter, lighter, one axle, and about six inches more narrow. And, much lighter, which opens up the realm of possibilities in tow vehicles, but not so light as to be towed by some smaller suvs. 14 years of towing, we say it really is an easy tow. Tracks exactly within the truck path. Because it's smaller, you get a smaller bed (full size, a little long), a slightly smaller bath, and no pantry or nightstand. There is also less head height, but up to 6 ft or so in height, you're good. It would be good if you could see both, before you decide. We could easily trade up, but don't want to. We have everything we need, in small space. It fits in very awkward sites. 14 seasons in, we're still good.

GAP, curious whether the Xantrex techs that said it wasn't suggested gave any reasons (I'm assuming they know it works). The one's that said it doesn't work should actually get some hands on experience with the devices as opposed to thinking they understand everything just from manuals - IMHO of course! 😉 I've used this software switch (off is really on wrt the charger btw) literally dozens of times since I discovered it and it works every time without throwing any error codes. If I trip the breaker like I used to, I get the infamous Xantrex [20] lost communication error code - per design if you throw the breaker rather than a bug. So, I respectfully disagree with the Xantrex tech(s) that said it doesn't work. I think if it's bad for anything it's not the batteries - so I'd much rather replace the cheap Inverter than the Lithiums. I also appreciate the savings I'm getting avoiding rotator cuff surgery if I had to continuously reach under the bed for that breaker like I used to. 🙂

Overland: The fabric apparently slides into the roller and I did not believe there is any fasteners. This is how one replaces the awning material. I got up on a ladder and grab the corner of the fabric close to the roller and pulled (kind of hard). Be careful not to pull and slide it too much. If you do, you can go to the front side of the Ollie and pull some of it back. Watch the fabric when you roll the awning back in to confirm that the edge is tracking straight onto the previous roll and not sliding of to the side. Good luck.

Thanks, John, I did not know about Ultimate Campgrounds. I like it. Leaving on my first Oliver camping trip ever, and first non-tent camping in about 10 years, this coming Sunday the 27th. Heading to Thomas Pointe Beach Campground in Maine as the ultimate destination, July 9-11. Then return to California, getting home when I do. First time out on a trip while fully retired. Unfortunately, first trip as an adult without my wife. Might try to meet my middle daughter for a trail run/race on Mt. Rainier near the end of July. I will defintely make use of this app as well as Harvest Hosts. John

While I was troubleshooting my external refrigerator fan failure last year I found that the temperature switch was the point of failure. So I would suggest checking the voltage going to the fan first. If there isn’t any voltage at the fan, try by-passing the temperature switch before replacing the fan. I did replace my fan while I was replacing the temperature switch because it had become noisy. I didn’t use the same brand/model of fan. The fan I used had a higher RPM rating the original and it was also very noisy and required a PWM speed controller to slow it down to make it’s noise level adjustable. These are the replacement parts I used.

Oliver did the fresh water mod when we had it in for a service a few years ago. No charge. Mike

I believe that it was a former Ollie owner that came up with the spin welding idea in the first place - Raspy. And, if it was him and if he still has the tools to do the job I know that he is located in the western part of the country. You might want to send him a private message (PM) in this regard. I'm certain that he would be willing to help you if he can. Bill

Kingman Az here. Yup this past month has been terrible. We don't pick our Oliver up till feb. We did go with the lithium upgrade package. Our garage (where it will be kept when not in use) is getting a split system just incase. We do hope to pick up our Oliver and immediately start to travel full time as the retirement plug gets pulled 2 weeks before we pick it up. We will follow the weather.

The factory will do that fresh water pickup mod at no charge I think, to allow you to use about 28 gallons of water. The factory installation was indeed an exceedingly stupid design that affects early hulls like mine (218), the pump would cavitate (suck air) with about 12 gallons remaining! The spin welding can be done by anybody with a high speed (20,000 rpm) router but the spin weld tool and fittings are prohibitively expensive for a single use. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2261-how-to-fresh-water-tank-suction-tube-mod-no-spin-welding-required/ Whether or not you can do it that way is your decision…. Mine has been trouble free for five seasons. The pump does tend to get air in it if towing with a low tank level, not a big deal IMHO. I think this is unavoidable with any “suck from the top” design…. The tank volume is fine for most people once the entire capacity can be used, and you would rarely need to go under the bed unless you boondock often away from a water source. John Davies Spokane WA

RBD, if I lived and camped in the Arizona lowlands I would definitely not order lithiums, they will not last. Buy cheap lead acid deep cycle batteries and plan on replacing them every two years at most, and a generator for running the AC. At least you have plenty of sunshine, get solar for sure. FYI using them at extreme temps is what is hardest in them, the onboard BMS controls should in theory limit any damage, but it wouldn’t hurt to disconnect the cables. For sure turn off all chargers and don’t try to keep them at 100% state of charge all the time. I would remove mine and take them into my motel room😬 If you had a conditioned garage to store the LE1 in, then they would be fine, as long as you didn’t plan on camping during the summer there. At least lithiums are very light in weight. John Davies Spokane WA

Welcome! We are from NC, near Raleigh. Our second journey in our Ollie was to hike at 3 SC state parks, using Table Rock SP as our base camp. Made the mistake of entering from the wrong entrance (the East Gate - we missed the sign about no campers) Very curvy! We survived, but make sure you enter by the West Gate entrance for campers. After unhitching, we were able to take the truck to Caesar's Head SP the next day which has a parking area that would not work with the trailer attached.

I wish I still had my ‘66 Mustang convertible. Sold it when we lived in Hawaii. It’s what I drove when Carol and I were dating back in the late 60s. Mike

I picked up my Elite (I) March 17, 2021, hull #758. It does not have a continuouse chrome strip above the rear dinette. There is a tray/shelf that fits in that place, that is above the table, so the chrome strip is not there if you got the dinette option. I was told that if you got the permanent bed option, the chrome band would be continuous, and the brackets/thumb screws would not be there. I decided to get the dinette option, as I wanted the flexibility of using the dinette or the bed. I plan to leave the bed permanently made up for my upcoming, first, trip. I did remove the thumb screws. John

Know what you mean, wish I still had my 66 SS Chevelle! 🙁

I would like to see better design of the fresh water tank. I'm not a fan of the 'boondocking pump valve changing lifting mattress thing' nor the fact that I can't access all of the fresh water available. (I think I read about a mod to spin weld an access port with a special tube but I'm not sure how to do that myself) Why take a simple concept and make it more complicated? KISS principal I say. I just want to pour or siphon the water into the tank and call it a day.

Yeah, I don't stress this kind of stuff unless it's a major appliance. I'm just working the bugs out as this is only my second trip in ILOVHER. I will say this fridge doesn't stay as cold as my old 2007 Dometic (although same model). I never had a fan for it in my Casita and never needed one, even in the desert. I usually would take the vent covers off in hot weather, maybe clip a small electric fan on it and call it a day!

😄😄😄 I remember. I had an original Maverick. Well, ground beef was 39 cents a pound, then, too. And gas was 17.9 cents a gallon when I got my Maverick. Gas war. It was a great little car . Rocked out of snow banks really well. Carried five and luggage many trips, and sometimes drove over 100 miles with change thrown in the "ash tray". I still wish I had this little car. And my 88 bronco II.

I suspect someday, we'll see a bigger Ollie. Personally, I wouldn't expect it any time in the near future. Everything in the Oliver is pretty much a mold redesign. I happened to be in the factory when Oliver hired a company to scan the one, and build a plug design for the II. It was a big, and very expensive deal. Trailers that build a shell, and build it out with plywood/osb/ and paneling have a lot more latitude in design changes . That's ok, for awhile. The inevitable leaks make zero difference to a molded interior hull. I've seen devastating evidence of leaks in other brands, fiberglass hull, and stick built. I'm perfectly happy with the choice we made , over 13 years ago . But a girl can dream, right? .

I just don't understand the need to turn the Oliver into - SOB. To adopt many of the suggestions would require significant re-engineering - a much larger Oliver - and for sure a much more $$$. Perhaps Oliver will consider a few of the ideas put forth - well perhaps.... The move to offer the new Lithium packages is a good move - but have you priced an Ollie lately- now lets add a variable list of options. I must say - Oliver has actually worked hard to standardize and reduce build options - and it just makes sense. Think of your Ollie as a base line TT. Now go have fun - customize as you wish. I was very happy with my EII - well ok - the jet engine on the roof was a bit much. Happy Trails RB

When Ford came out with the Original Maverick auto many years ago, it was $1995. The new 2022 Ford Maverick pickup's base price is $19,995. Coincidence?

It looks a lot like the size of my mom's early little ranger, which was a super little truck. Small bed, nice seats, jump seats in back, in hers. My mom is barely five feet, so it was great for her. But, my dad didn't need to duck. I'm really looking forward to the new Maverick, as an around town hybrid, pull the small boat, go to the garden center kind of little truck .

Nobody mentioned this excellent resource. …. https://www.ultimatecampgrounds.com/ If you change the search filters from default to “Corps of Engineers” it will show you just those campgrounds. HOWEVER, you need to be aware that sometimes a different bureau will actually operate those facilities. For example, along Lake Roosevelt National Recreational Area (Columbia River) in Washington there is a whole nest of wonderful Corps CGs that are operated by the National Park Service. All the green icons are NP operated, the red icons are Corps operated. Click on an icon, then an info box pops up with details and links. John Davies Spokane WA

Husband is an electrical engineer..I'm pretty sure he can troubleshoot it. He's just not with me this trip. My trailer has the fan held on by rubber bumpers in the upper outside fridge compartment. I know because I replaced the washers holding it in with stainless. Maybe I bumped something when replacing although it worked yesterday. I will have him look at the thread you sent. Maybe it's a bad fuse.? We had a ton of rain here so maybe something shorted?

As I watch moms picking up the kiddos from school in their giant 4x4 SUVs, I wonder to myself how many of them know how to engage 4x4. Or, ever have. Not being sexist here. (After all, I'm a mom, too.) I wonder the same about some of the suits passing me in big 4x4 trucks. To each his own. I'm also glad to see some nice new smaller trucks and suvs coming to market. I hope they'll be well received. We also have two dinos in our fleet. Both well loved.

There are a number of nice features, but I wish they could have figured in a decent sized bed for the trailer size. Losing seven inches of kitchen could give an "almost" queen bed, in a kind of trapezoid, and still keep the big dinette. 53" wide, is not a queen. It's not quite as wide (though a little longer) than the full sizein our Elites, and still a crawlover. The toy hauler version bed is only 48" wide. Great for one, pretty tiny for two. The bed in the camper van we rented in Iceland was about 48 inches, and it was pretty snug. Like the big fridge and oven, though. Lots of room for solar on that big roof.... Let us know how this one works out for you. I'm sure you'll like it better, with all the cold weather camping you like to do.

I will keep my 2019 Tundra limited! That new front end does not do anything for me. Dodge Like frontend

Here is a "Nice Tip" I got during the Oliver Rally in Alabama, which I think will make life a little easier. I don't remember the guy's name, but I think it is a great Idea, thanks! Basically, it involves replacing the original 5/8 inch Silver-Pin/Light Duty Spring Clip with the Red-Pin/Heavier Duty Spring Clip. IMHO, there are several benefits, 1. The Pin has a Handle (Red) which makes installing and removing the Pin much easier. I also elected to get a 1/4 inch Spring Clip which is much heavier than the Stock Clip, and therefore is harder to come out accidentally. 2. The 5/8 inch Pin has a Tapered Tip so it can aid in centering the Pin into the hole. 3. The Pin (p/n 269028) is available at Tractor Supply for only $4.99, the Spring Clip (p/n 268616) for $2.99. Finally, I put a light coat of Vaseline on the Pin and in the corresponding holes in the Hitch to make inserting the Pin a little easier, it won't stain your cloths either.

Bob: Thanks for the suggestion to measure the fabric. The left side (that was not closing all the way) was almost 3" longer than the right side of the awning. I did not do anything with that issue. We did notice last week, while camping, that the awning fabric does not roll up straight but tracks over to the right when cranking it in. With the awning cranked out all the way, I could see where the fabric attaches to the roller. I pulled the awning fabric over so it was equal on both left and right sides. I could not believe it but the entire leading rail of the awning now closes on both ends. The problem apparently was all because the awning fabric was pulled to one side too much. If the fabric tracks straight up when closing that seemed to be the secret. Maybe that will work for others that have similiar issues with their (not so) Carefree Awning.

Man, look at the calendar. It's been weeks since I've made a New Music Friday post. Miss me? No? Hmmm. Not nice. NMF must happen. OK, I'm starting off with Sparks: • That was a good warmup, right? Sure, you hated that song, but I promise that you will be humming it for days. That is your punishment. Now, on with the show. I don't get the name of this song, but it scores a solid 8.5 on the cool scale: • A nice something from Braids: • You guys know I'm a sucker for jazz flute, so: • Kabuki jazz flute is always cool, or so I've heard. And if cool is going to be the theme this week, we can't leave out Laurent Garnier, especially when teamed with the Limiñanas. Spoken word music, in French, how could that not be cool: • Nice, how about one more of the same, but different. Very, very different: • Speaking of cool, Tricky is too cool to even be heard on his records these days. But at least he shows up for live performances and makes noises that might be words? Hard to say, really: • Thylacine, one of my current favorites, gets a smooth groove going in his latest, and smooth grooves? Always cool: • This song is from last year, but it showed up on my music feed today again for some reason, and I see the video is just a few weeks old. Maybe it's being relaunched by the record company? It definitely deserves another listen. Smooth Motown vibes. Now that's cool: • And I'll finish with a different kind of cool - a dreamy guitar thing from Kele Okereke: • "But wait", you say, "No techno this week? How can that be?" Be, it can. I do have some techno, but I also have this - hip hop techno. Oh, yeah, with a little old school dub reverb thrown in for flavor. Cool: That is all.

I was waiting for a long time for a good 12v unit, then settled on the smaller Houghton for our 2008. I spoke at length with a friend in the yacht industry about the 12v units. The power consumption is just too high for our small battery bank, so we went with the 110 .

We bought our 2019 EL2 used, it was equipped with everything we needed except a Receiver Hitch to attach a Bike Rack. After reviewing all the Posts on the subject I got to work and made one, reference the attached pics. 1-1 jpg shows the Receiver Hitch and attaching Stainless Steel Bolts, Lock Pin, Anti Ratter Device. Receiver Hitch= Harbor Freight $20.00. 1-2 jpg shows the finished assembly. Not shown are the Spacers inside the Channels Beams to prevent the Beams from collapsing when the bolts are torqued. The Spare Tire cover can be removed and the Rear Bumper can be lowered to access the Sewer Pipes. 1-3/img0684 jpg shows the left/right hand ends of the assembly. Note all Aluminum is Aircraft 6016, and all fasteners are SS. Approx $150.00 in Bolts and $120.00 in Alum. img 0683 jpg show the underneath view. DSCF 1981 jpeg Shows a Stowaway 2 Storage Trunk mounted to the back of our MH to carry our 2 Folding Bikes at the time, Sold. I am thinking about getting another Trunk (this time used and White) to carry one of our ebikes (60 lbs) when we get them. I am not 100% sure of this idea yet, but it does have the benefit of greater security and protection for the ebikes. The Trunks weighs about the same as a Bike Rack (30 lbs), but is about $500.00 less expensive and can carry a few extra light weight things. Note: I plan on limiting the total weight on the rear to include the Alum Receiver Hitch, Bike Rack or Trunk, plus one ebike to around 125 lbs, or so.