Leaderboard

Debbie and I camped at Linville Falls Campground on the Blue Ridge Parkway earlier this week. It's a Federal campground without electric or water hookups, but beautiful and $10 per night with the geezer card. High temps were in the upper 70s. Table Rock Mountain just to the right of Ollie on NC Rt. 181 on the way to Linville Falls: We hiked a mile from Table Rock parking/picnic area to the top of Table Rock NC:

Looking for a birthday gift for he-who-never-locks-a-door, I started researching keyless entry locks & came across one made by Bauer that is also bluetooth. On Amazon it's $255. Direct from manufacturer it's $275. Although the keycode entry is all I really wanted, for $30 more, the proximity feature & being able to lock the door when already tucked into bed are nice perks. Your thoughts? Chris

I have a Weber Q1000 that I use with our quick connect. It came with a regulator that I removed and replaced with a quick connect fitting. I also have a Blackstone grill that came with a propane hose with a regulator. I bought a propane hose that has a quick connect on one end and a screw in connector on the other end. So, if I want to use either with the Oliver quick connect I use a hose with no regulator. If I want to use either with a separate propane tank I use a hose with the regulator. Propane Guys have a nice selection of hoses and Amazon also has a decent selection. Mike

Of all the options available to you, the two that I consider essential to boondocking are the Solar Pro Package with the 6V AGM's and the Micro Air Easy Start. The AGM batteries will easily run your lighting, cabin fan, toilet fan, water pump, awning, charge your phones, etc. They will even run your TV if you have a signal. With direct sun the solar will keep up the charge during the day and provide the essential electricity needed after sunset. If your charge drops after a few cloudy days you can recharge the batteries with your generator. It won't always be sunny and you will certainly need a generator at some point (or wish that you had one). Air conditioning is sure nice to have on those hot humid nights when you can't get to sleep because you feel like you are being broiled alive. The Micro Air Easy Start will allow you to use a portable generator to run your air conditioning off of a small genset. It takes a lot of oomph to start the compressor on an AC unit. Once it is running the demand is not as high. The easy start feature allows you to use a smaller (lighter/less noise) generator than what would otherwise be required to start the compressor. We use a Honda EU2200i as do many others on this forum. I recommend that you figure that into your budget at around $1,100 and get the Easy Start option for the AC. The Elite has a 3-way refrigerator that runs wonderfully off of LP gas. No worries there. Food for thought... We have endured several power outages over the years that were caused by severe weather. We live at the foot of Lake Michigan. Thunderstorms tossing trees on power lines is not an uncommon occurrence. After the recent cyberattacks on our infrastructure, we considered getting a Generac nat. gas fired whole house generator to combat yet another potential cause of a power outage. I am glad that we did not go through the unnecessary expense. Keep the LP tanks full and a couple gallons of gas for the generator and we can just move into the Ollie if the power grid fails. In closing let me add one more suggestion. Don't upgrade the standard cushions to the KTT mattress yet. We have the standard foam cushions with Ultrafabric and find them to be very comfortable to sleep on. Far better than we expected. Try them first and see if you like them. We loaded up on options when we put down our initial deposit so that we could get in the queue for the build, and then trimmed them back on the final build sheet. That got things in motion and gave us time to educate ourselves and carefully consider each option. Good luck, and have fun with this!

We wanted to let the Forum Users know that we recently updated our web page where we review and show photo's and maps of our most recent campground visits in Washington State. We are maintaining the sections on our trip to Hohenwald to pickup our trailer, and continuously updating the Oliver Trailer Outfitters list on Amazon: Oliver Trailer Outfitters List - Amazon Finally, we updated the Blog portion of our web to include details on our Lithium Upgrade, Installation of an Auxiliary Battery Bank along with Redarc charger in our truck and a NEW post about how we chose an Oliver Screen shot of the opening page below....and the full address for the web page is: https://4-ever-hitched.com Craig & Rose Short Hull 505 - Galway Girl

I am not well versed in the advantages of a compressor unit. I can say without reservation that I am perfectly happy thus far with the stock Norcold. It does its job, it sips LP, and it is quiet.

Speaking of that, I just learned this week about this company - Aqara - who make HomeKit hubs and accessories that aren't only relatively cheap, but are also getting good reviews on the Mac forums. They have sensors for temp, moisture, vibration, etc.; as well as cameras, door and window sensors, etc. All their stuff either uses coin batteries or are USB rechargeable, so they'd all work well in a 12v environment. Add in an old iPad as a HomeKit hub and a wireless hotspot, and you could monitor most everything remotely, without breaking the bank (too badly).

We ordered on Amazon the same magnetics that Mike and Carol have in their picture and they came with screws and double sided tape. We put one magnetic on the bottom corner of the door and (instead of placing the other magnetic on the face of the fiberglass under the dinette seat) the second magnetic was installed inside of the cabinet, out of site, and this installation holds the door open with no problem.

I've been in those packs. We've delivered a number of rvs to Alaska, from Elkhart. I, too, feel fortunate that we could afford the investment in our Oliver. Especially after driving thousands of miles with the noise and drafts of the Thor and Forest River products . I carry a pack of foam pipe insulation cutoffs and tape, every time . Winnebago is in Iowa. Though they also build some class c units sort of comparable to Elkhart, their van products are far superior, imo. Like Oliver, that part of their business is smaller. But better . Vanlife people have demanded better, and they're (eventually) getting it. There have been a number of campers coming over from Australia,too. Things will change, eventually, when people are willing to pay for a more quiet and efficient ac, quiet and efficient furnace, water heaters like the Truma. And, longevity. Our daughter is a millennial. She saves up for quality. Thinks smaller rather than bigger might just be better. Quality vs disposable. I think her generation will demand better. I hope so.

After three years - here is my list of improvements: Turn the grease fittings inward - Make the rubber mat in the storage cubicle all one piece - no joint. Put a modern AC on the roof. Less than 60 dBs, 15 amp current draw - at 105 degrees outside temps. Relocate dump valves so you don't need to open the hatch to drain tanks. My Dometic fridge - I hated at first - I have come to like it - it works fine- and is versatile - it has performed well. The AGM solar set up was very well designed - for the cost. It works well for us. I have yet to understand the move to LI - given the current level of technology, user friendliness, and cost. Not knocking it - just don't see the end result adding up. But then mine was a 2018 - I'm guessing the newer models leave more to be desired............ Making things larger, longer, bigger - well - its not an EII then, Its a larger unit - probably approaching the upper limits of most 1/2 ton and the like TV's -Or finding a more flexible WDH. Double Hull fiberglass is heavy - add a few feet length .... add a little height, a little width. 40 gallon H20 is how many pounds, then the other tanks need to be enlarged, Well heck, the LI's are much less weight, so there. Other than some issues that were build related -our Oliver was a very good TT. RB

Changes and improvements will come with increased costs. I think that they should start with the "weakest link" when it comes to improvements. Have those increased costs go toward better outsourced components. Oliver is kind of at the mercy of what is available to them for windows, doors, and other common components. Being a relatively small player in the market, they have to settle with what is "good enough for Thor" because that is what is available and they don't have the influence to get them to improve their products. I would like them to explore the possibility of getting better products from Europe or Australia. They have some pretty good stuff. Australia builds some pretty impressive caravans. If you want to improve a finely built watch who's weakness is a polycarbonate crystal, change it to sapphire. Not rocket science.

Let’s not forget that you should make a correction to “today’s” dollars to be meaningful. John Davies Spokane WA

My 2014 was $38K base.

2016 = 48.5

from the buildsheets I have since I first started looking at Olivers; 2018 = 53.9 2019 = 53.9 2020 = 55.9 2021 = 57.5

I can tell you that when we ordered in 2015 the base price for an Elite II was 46K. Over the years as the base price increased, so did standard features. The trailer is basically the same, shell and frame, but upgrades to suspension (Dexter) and internal components have been made. That’s why older trailers often sell for more than they did when new, especially if the owner has kept up with some of the improvements. Mike

I agree . . . . fussing with tech severely impairs the enjoyment we get from camping. One of our reasons for choosing Lithium was to reduce the time spent on battery maintenance and worrying about SOC. Now our biggest tech annoyance is keeping our phones charged (and remembering to plug them in). Not a problem when there's no cell reception and we always have the option of turning them off! Just to clarify: the point I was making, for those deciding between AGM and Lithium options, is that the cost differential between the AGM and Lithium upgrades is less than the $8,500 cost of the Lithium Pro Pkg. This would be the cost of upgrade from the standard battery configuration. After monitoring our lithium battery temps during the recent PNW heat wave, I will not be worrying about battery temperature. If conditions are such that battery life is reduced as a result of excessive heat, it's too warm, for my taste, to be camping 😎

That’s a smart plan.. And, exactly why I often suggest just solar, not a bunch of upgrades, to people who are new to camping and "think" they want to live the boondocking dream. It's easy to overspend when you have no idea of your real needs.

If I do I will Overland. I never rush into things so it will be next year so I know exactly what to tell him I want after spending time in the rig.

I am glad you two see it this way, Thanks for fixing the link Overland. He is professional, and easy to talk to..... still made my brain hurt but that is not his fault 😉. FYI He is booked solid through Feb of 2022 as of todays date. I am going to use RV parks my first year with the Ollie (I pick up in October) and if I get the off grid bug then He is my choice to do a full install because what I just witnessed in person was the best functioning solar system I have ever seen and I have seen quite a few in person here because sooner or later you all have to dump your tanks. The Tesla Batteries are impressive relative to the space they fit in and being next to his heat duct is Genius in my opinion. Standing under both of his AC's pumping cold air was impressive as well and no he was not plugged in he was at my Gas Pump in 98 degree weather. His rough quote for a full install is 14K with a large possible swing in either direction depending on the end result of course. I'm sure some of you have questions but direct them towards him not me I have shared all I know with you here. Happy Trails Dan

Yeah before trips I've always turned our fridge on to 110 while still plugged in at home for at least a day before I start loading stuff into the fridge (have done so for many years with our van's Dometic and am on the same program with the Oliver's NorCold). If it's hot or muggy out (not common here despite the fun we just had with the "heat dome") we give it longer to get cold.

Hypervent matting is available from a number of vendors on Amazon at a more favorable rate. Only down side is you will need to cut the matting to size. A shart pair of sizzors work fine.

Here's the lux stainless option, in case you want the lux stainless option.

Another PNW resident and camper here. I agree with comments above that ALL RVs have potential for condensation problems - the nice thing with the Oliver is that the extent of the problems can be more quickly noticed. That said, thus far even camping during cool wet weather out at the Pacific coast in the rainforest, the most we've seen has been some fogging of the windows overnight. We have the KTT latex matress option plus the hypervent pads and while yes they're slightly more of a hassle than a heavy mattress alone I haven't found them to be that troubling - the thick heavy mattress is the main thing making it a chore for me to get in those compartments but so worth it for the comfort (I'm quite certain we would not like sleeping on the base/stock cushions given the feel of the dinette cushions which are on my "to do list" to replace with something more beefy btw as I don't love them even for sitting on). Anyway, we've not seen any condensation beneath the mattresses and the bit of fogging of the windows in the early morning has gone away quickly during the day. And we've only noticed the window fogging on particularly wet and/or cold nights - less than we've typically seen in our Class B camper van with its fuzzy walls and ceiling fwiw. We do keep a few windows and a roof vent cracked while sleeping (and turn on the fan to 10-30% if it's feeling warm inside) and turn the fan to whatever level is required to keep the bathroom door mirror from fogging while boiling water or otherwise cooking inside (most of our actual cooking we do outside but have liked heating coffee water on the Oliver's stove in the AM). We run the bathroom vent fan and if needed the MaxxAir fan during and for a little bit after showers and I squeegee and wipe the wet bath's surfaces after showers to move that water down the drain. We've also slept in single wall tents which are way worse for condensation issues and from that you will necessarily learn a few things including that wet gear makes it worse as does "sleeping hot" - if you can comfortably tolerate less covers over you you will perspire less overnight and thus put off less water vapor into the cabin. In any RV it pays to think about how to mitigate the amount of moisture you send into the cabin air and what level of ventilation you need for the significant moisture you'll put in there despite reasonable mitigation efforts. To repeat - the design of the Oliver simply makes it more likely you'll notice if you could be striking a better balance there.

The 2022 Elite I - $54,500 The 2022 Elite II - $62,500 Andrew

We replaced our Dometic with a compressor fridge. We like it, but we also liked the Norcold that came as original equipment (until it didn't work anymore.) The compressor fridge swapout we did ourselves. The Norcold 3way is easier to manage, powerwise, boondocking, than the compressor fridge, as you can run it on propane, and use very little power. The compressor fridge used 60 to 70 amp hours a day, which requires some power monitoring for us, with only 2 group 31 batteries. Try the 3way. I suspect you'll like it once you get used to it.

I have a compressor fridge prefer it, but I wouldn't say that it's a 'must have'. From what I've read here and elsewhere, it does cool faster, and more reliably in hot weather, but the downside of greater power consumption means that it isn't a universal better option for everyone. It's also a little tricky to retrofit, though by no means impossible. My advice would be to keep the existing three way and add a compressor fridge in your tow vehicle. That way, you've got additional storage, a backup fridge, and the best of both worlds in terms of having one that's cheap to operate and another that's super reliable in hot weather. Plus it's fantastic for grocery runs. I can turn my fridge on before heading into Costco and it will be cold by the time I come out with the groceries, and then I can run other errands without worrying about about it.

It’s not a leak, it’s condensation. The area of condensation is roughly in the profile of a body. I’ve tracked down leaks that landed under the mattress before. It’s not that. Last night was another data point. No rain. Indoor recording thermometer registered a low of 67 degrees inside the camper. Roof vent running on low all night. Fan on night stand running on medium all night. The window next to the bed wide open. Blinds open. Dinette window wide open. I slept in the street side bed. There was condensation under my mattress this morning. I’m certain that if I moved to the curb site mattress tonight I’d have condensation under that mattress on that side instead. It’s not a leak. We used to have a hybrid camper with tip out bunks on the end. With nothing but cool air under the bunks when set up, that setup was a condensation capturing machine. The Oliver comparatively captures a fraction of the condensation. My point is that even the standard cushions will allow condensation to form under them nearly year round for me. It’s not limited to the latex mattresses. Ours are the standard cushions. HTH, Ken

Concerning the relative humidity...here is the response I received from Lithonics Engineering Manager... "Our GTX Series batteries are UL tested for humidity penetration per UL157 test methods. This battery is fully gasketed and sealed and is marine-grade. It is IP67. In sum, we can operate in 100 percent humidity conditions." Guess this is a case of literature not keeping up with engineering? Regardless, looks like we almost safe here in SE TX, though I am convinced RH is running about 143% at the moment. Edit - The Lithionics sales person called (👍 good response from manufacturer!), he mentioned that they have many long-term installations of their batteries in military applications literally floating on the sea monitoring for incoming bogies with no humidity failures. I did not venture to ask any more, as I am sure he would have to kill me - my sec clearance is now a fossilized file 😄

You bet. I've got my finger on Amazon's buy now button just in case anyone wants to take up the challenge. I won't be more than three feet from a screwdriver at any moment.

The Dometic works most efficiently on propane. If you want to cool it down quickly use propane. It will take a couple of days using 110V to get it cool. We use propane for the initial cooling then switch to 110V if we have it. It’s on propane while we drive. Mike

Ours has been that way since my last post above and has worked flawlessly.

Just looking at the 2019/22 numbers it looks like the EII has increased ~8.5k with roughly a 5k increase a couple months ago for the ‘22 models. Interesting that the option upgrade cost has remained the same… I’m not implying the increase is out of line as some construction equipment like dump trailers have jumped 30% in the last year, but it does give a buyer pause. Similar to BofB I’ve been pairing down this year and I’m not one to chase runaway prices on toys. However, labor costs are going up so new prices will probably continue to rise in the future.

Not just windstorm, but branches, etc. And, sun eventually crazed them. They look great, new. We had a few polycarbonate ports on our boat. Had 8ssues with crazing, and leaks. Have since replaced all of them with glass, years ago. No more problems. I looked into polycarbonate when we debated new windows vs removing our fogged 2008 hehr dual pane windows, and having them evacuated, cleaned, and resealed between the panes, and reinstalled. The repaired windows look great, don't fog, don't leak, and I'm very happy. Not to mention, half the price or better than new windows.

I would like to think so SeaDawg. Haven't seen much indication yet that high quality is beginning to drive the market. Perhaps it will. I hope so. We live the next county over from Elkhart. They are pumping out SOB's like there is no tomorrow and are offering $20 an hour to anyone who can use a nail gun. Lived here all my life except when I was in the service, and I've never seen them advertise for help via television commercials before. Hop on any highway in northern Indiana and you will see them in packs heading out for delivery. They are all over the place. As long as they are selling a high volume of their product at a profit, there is nothing to incite them to improve their quality. Their business model is working for them. Now that I have finished my rant, let me add... Although the quality of stickies is not comparable to an Oliver, they cost considerably less. I for one, consider myself fortunate that I can afford an Oliver. Not everyone can. If all I could afford was something pumped out for the masses, I would have one; and I would be camping rather than sitting in my living room wishing I was out exploring. We all have to live within our means.

That's ok. 12 volt life is a learning curve for everyone. Your two 6v batteries are set up in series, so the voltage is x 2 (12 volt, nominal) and the amp hour rating remains the same. So, you have 220 ah of storage, of which you should not use more than 50 per cent, and I try to stay at 70 to 75 per cent remaining, to sustain battery life. (Less cycling, longer life.) About the same as my 12v agms, in parallel, though you have a slight edge. With my 2 x 105 12v, in parallel, volts stay the same, amp hours double. So, I have 210 ah, 105 actually useable, of which I try to use only 50 to 60, and recharge daily to the full capacity with the solar. On the boat, we use 6v x2 in series, then pairs in parallel, for the banks. 6v seems to give a longer life, a little more forgiving on deep cycling. I'm still exploring options for the trailer. Our 2008 battery compartment is pretty small for two 6v batteries, though I know at least one person managed it, years ago, with some modifications. Edit to add: looks like Overland beat me to the explanations. And, I agree. Lifeline is a great brand. Thanks, @LongStride

Oliver is using Lifeline batteries now? Nice - those are top notch. If you have two 220 amp hour 6 volt batteries, then that’s the same as you have in total storage since the two are combined to make 12 volts. You can use roughly half of that if you want to keep them healthy, maybe a bit more, so around 110+ usable amp hours.

Add then add for the crazy times we find ourselves in today. I have sold several higher dollar recreation and farm items in the last two months - I could have gotten many more $$$ than I asked - the market has moved much higher than I ever imagined, Similar to what you hear about in the Real Estate market - you have to experience it to believe it - just amazing. RB

One easy addition I would like to see is a water pump switch in the outdoor shower cabinet so I can wash my hands after dumping. Now, I have to go back in the trailer to turn on the water pump.

You might as well get three if you want to stay in the race!😁

This screwdriver. I think it's the perfect utility drawer screwdriver that will cover 90% of your needs - for when you don't want to go dig out the toolbox. Compact, but pops out to a usable length, and has a good selection of quality German bits, which lock in place so they don't fall out. I keep one in the trailer, one in the center console of the truck, and one in the junk drawer at the house.

We have yet to see condensation dripping from the walls. While traveling from Hohenwald to Oregon on our trip home from mid-December delivery, we expected to see condensation as temps were nearly always at or below freezing. There was condensation on the windows in the morning, but no more than we have experienced in previous RVs. We ran a space heater most nights and provided ventilation (see next comment). Note that we were at high elevation most of the trip (I-40 Texas Panhandle, NM, AZ to S. CA), had no rain, and outdoor humidity was quite low. Ventilation is key to keeping interior humidity in check. At night, we crack a window, front and rear, and leave the ceiling vent open. You could also run the vent fan on exhaust (pulling air out). At the lowest setting (10%) you hardly hear the fan, and it uses just a few amps. Definitely run the fan (on air out) while cooking or using the shower. We did purchase this mid-sized dehumidifier, not knowing if condensation would be an issue. We took it along on the trip home from Tennessee, in case needed, but did not use it; while on the road, condensation was manageable with heat and ventilation. Perhaps it would have been more problematic if we were spending more time inside, but the majority of the trip was on the road; it's nice that you can leave the MaxxAir fan vent open while traveling. When we arrived home it was raining with 85%+ humidity (PNW). Once she settled in our driveway, the Ollie's interior humidity was in the upper reaches of desirable (I don't recall exactly, but near the outside humidity). We utilized the dehumidifier, propping the mattresses on their sides to prevent moisture collecting despite the fact that we have the hypervent mats (more on those later). In two days the humidity was in the 50% range. Since then we have controlled humidity without the use of the dehumidifier. I did hang a dehumidifying pouch in the closet and a tub of dehumidifier crystals in the basement. Now that summer has arrived, the cabin humidity has been satisfactory just with the vent and windows open. I suppose you could use the dehumidifier while camping, but unless weather conditions are extreme (mostly in regards to freezing temps) humidity can easily be managed with ventilation and heat; we like to keep our travels as fuss-free as possible. While closed up for periods of inactivity, the dehumidifier is good insurance against condensation issues. Realize, however, that most of the surfaces inside the Ollie (unlike other RV interiors) are impervious to moisture, the mattresses/cushions being the most vulnerable. This is why condensation is more evident than it would be in an RV with wood cabinets, carpet (walls, floors, and basements), and wallpaper, all of which absorb a fair amount of accumulated moisture. Cushions can easily be brought indoors for storage; the mattresses not so easily. Here lies the necessity for the Hypervent pads under the mattresses or sleeping cushions. Hypervent mats: While I understand the concept, I question the effectiveness of this option. In theory they give some ventilation between the mattress and the fiberglass bed platform, but is some of that moisture retained in the mesh of the mat? If so, the mats would need to be removed and aired out occasionally - a great inconvenience during longer road trips. My experience, as the "maker of the beds", is that they are a daily annoyance as they make it difficult tucking in bedding, especially between the mattress and the outside wall which has a narrow strip of mat. They also make it more of a struggle to get into the under bed areas, such as to access the basement from inside or manipulate the water system valves. These would be less noticeable with the standard sleeping mats than with the KTT mattresses, which are quite heavy. We might try, on our next camping trip, not using the mats in order to come to a more conclusive comparison. I know Hypervent mats are routinely used in marine applications, specifically fiberglass live-on boats. Perhaps someone here with boating experience can comment on their effectiveness. During storage, we routinely prop the mattresses up on their sides to reduce the chance of damage to the mattresses from moisture induced mold. We also remove all fabric items that can draw moisture and become "musty". The good news is that moisture damage to a mattress is easily, though not cheaply, remedied. Not so with moisture damage to wood, carpet, and other surfaces in the "traditional" RV. Side note: perhaps a moisture barrier mattress protector is another solution, though I can't attest to the effectiveness of such. It looks like you have received a lot of valuable input from other forum members. I have not had a chance to read these yet, so please excuse me if I repeat some of their comments. My final advice: I would not let concerns of condensation sway your decision to purchase an Oliver. Condensation is problematic in all RVs - it's just more apparent with Oliver's all-fiberglass molded interior. In reality, moisture is probably more easily managed and less damaging in the Oliver than in traditional RV interiors; search the Internet for wood structural damage in RVs. We have friends who just purchased a small 2005 Big Foot (another molded fiberglass trailer). The dealer had to make $8,000 in repairs to replace a majority of the floor which rotted out as the result of a leaking window! Just one of many reasons people choose to pay a premium price for an Oliver. Our plan is to utilize dehumidifying crystals during short down times and the dehumidifier appliance for long term storage. Once our Ollie has experienced a long storage period, I will update my opinions on The Effects and Control of Humidity in a Mostly Fiberglass RV Interior - sounds like an Oliver white paper to me.

I agree with Frank and his extremely large map. Moisture is something you'll have to deal with in any trailer, but I wouldn't say that it's problematic in an Ollie to any degree. My opinion on the mattress pad was and is that condensation is entirely an issue with the optional perforated latex mattress. I think that the perforations give body moisture a direct path to the underside of the mattress, where it can easily condense. We never had a problem with a different mattress, nor with the cushions that we switched to later, and the only people who ever reported a problem had the latex mattresses. So, I'd say that if you get the latex mattress, then definitely get a pad; but if not, then don't worry about it. You can also use a cheap thermarest pad or something similar rather than Oliver's rather pricey option. Unless it's standard now - may be. What we did find, though, is that when I sleep, I'll end up with my back against the side wall at some point, and so I'll get condensation there on the wall - enough to wake up with the sheets wet. I solved that problem by just just sleeping with the back cushions in place and that's plenty of insulation to prevent condensation, and still leaves plenty of width for me to sleep comfortably. That's the extent of any moisture issue that has required more thought from us than just a little ventilation. Also, Oliver has improved the insulation since our trailer was built, so a newer one might not have the same problem. So in general, unless it's just super cold out, we'll have a window cracked and that's been enough that we won't see any condensation except when cooking or showering. And running the max fan on its lowest setting and running the bath fan for a minute after showering easily prevents condensation from those two activities. I don't even think the mirror door fogs up when we shower, so that's pretty good. I'll leave the bath door open and the bath window cracked when we're gone for the day to remove moisture from the shower drying out. I also tend to wipe down the shower with a squeegee and towel after showering, which gets rid of a lot of that. I suspect that Casitas do have condensation, but it's under the carpet so you can pretend it's not there. 😁

When you stick your hand in the freezer section, does the bottom of the freezer feel cold? Getting any icing? All the 3 ways we've ever used, any brand, cool faster on gas. Electric is far slower.. And, cool faster if loaded with cold liquids (think prechilled or even frozen quarts and gallons of water, or chilled beverages.). Most 3way fridges will not cool down, and bring down warm beverages to cold , in less than 12 to 24 hours, in my experience. Tell us how you started. What you loaded. And, where are you now? Ambient temperature? All these things are factors .

Congratulations! We are also new owners as of Feb '21 hull #743. You will love your new Ollie! Wishing you many years of adventuring. Cindy

We're still using two Agm batteries. We almost never have electricity. You can buy nice replacement agm batteries several times for the price of the lithium. Unless you are crazy power consumers, 2 agms and solar should carry you through three days, and, with decent weather, a week. Carry a small genset as insurance. We think our best add-on ever was the original solar package. We have recently upgraded it from 200 watts to 400, but Oliver installed the first system, so the heavy lifting on wiring and brackets was mostly done by them. You could probably be fine with a couple hundred watts portable, for that matter, for shorter trips. But, it's kind of a pain to lug around and set up all the time. I set up our homemade "portables" when we're in a site for more than a few days. The generator is easier. For people who know they enjoy boondocking, I really think fixed solar is a best option.

I think I’ll keep my key lock and a spare key hidden seems simpler and less costly 🧐

Great and greatly complicated topic for sure. Hull #701 (I think). Lithium, 3000xc Pro Inverter, Honda 2200i Generator. - SteveCr: From talking to Xantrex, it was explained that the unit will focus on draw before charging. In short, if there is a draw on the inverter such as air conditioner, this will be fed first with left over power (if any) channelling to the charger. I recently noticed that when the AC would cycle down after achieving the temp set on the thermostat, the charger would kick on to full bulk rate. When the AC was cooling, the charger was running at a trickle. May have been effected by battery charging needs but the change in charge rate seemed to be tied into the AC draw. - NCeagle's approach to setting #26 to "off" to prevent continual charging of lithiums, which in the long term is a bad thing, works but, in asking the same questions to 4 different techs at Xantrex, 3 said that approach would either not work or is not suggested. The one tech that suggested that approach thought it was perfectly appropriate. That said, I do use that setting for that purpose if Im going to stay plugged in for multiple days straight such as living on shore power to feed a dehumidifier. From talking to the battery manufacturer, it is not bad for the lithiums to be on continual charge except over a long period of time. - For those of us using a Honda 2200i on gas, I've found that you can set the charge rate (#28) to 15amps with no problems. Watts (1800 which is the running wattage per Honda) divided by Volts (120v) = Amps (15a)

Elite II #751, Lithium-Solar Setup of Xantrex: XC Pro 3000 ( probably same for 2000 ), - I am using the Xantrex Bluetooth app on iPhone. ( launch app and ?dbl/long press the top Botton 'ESC' till bars under L&R #'s on remote display flash, then iPhone Bluetooth pairs with Xantrex remote >> you are off to the races. ) - Owners Manual: pp71 'SETTINGS' ::: Numbers: 1-14, 20-24, 26-28, 99. ( can be changed either with the remote wall mount display or iPhone Xantrex app ) Of particular Interest me are: ( purpose is to limit the amount power the Xantrex draws from external power sources ) #24 Charger Current 5-150 Amp - ( The current setting value can be adjusted by 5A increments. ) #28 AC Input Breaker for Load Share 5-50 Amp - ( The load share feature prioritizes the AC load by reducing the charge current in order to maintain the total input current to less than the load share setting. ) ************************************************************************* We sometimes sit at end of a LONGgggg Smallll extension cord. #24 - Charger current setting at a lower value will prevent the Xantrex trying to draw 1800Watts (12V x 150Amp) thru a tiny long cord. #28 - AC Breaker for Load Share: I set this to 13 Amp when running a Honda 2000 EU generator and it prevented wild voltage swings and red overload light flashing. >>>> My thought is that these features are valuable and helpful but are implemented and documented, . . . . . not as well as they might be. Some Older Xantrex and some current Victron inverter-chargers have a feature called 'Generator Support' which is easy to understand . . . when a generator is small or a shore power cord has low voltage or is long and small it balances the various energy input sources dynamically so as not to overdraw a weak source. In consumer grade equipment this is very much a new computer age type function. . . . . To me this is the Holy Grail in inverter-charger functionality. This Xantrex XC Pro achieves some of this functionality but the way it is described/implemented it leaves me a bit confused. . . . . . UPDATE: 6/18/21 after experiments Seems apparent that Xantrex XC Pro 2000 & 3000 are not able to provide what I think will soon be the 'new normal' for inverter-chargers, that is what sometimes is called "Generator Support". A small generator contributes what power it has available and the inverter uses that power and adds power from batteries as needed to supply demand. That is in stark contrast to a DUMB . . . 'switch to the grid totally' when AC is sensed with no judgment about the capability of the AC source. The Xantrex XC Pro can modulate charging current a bit to help prevent overload of a 'GRID' source, but when Xantrex XC Pro is 'ON THE GRID' , i.e. an AC is available, it is totally dumb about judging the capability of the AC source. EXAMPLE: If the Honda 2000EU is running providing 'GRID Power' and the HVAC is running I can adjust parameters #24,#28 and the generator is then operating within its capabilities and not overwhelmed by HVAC + Battery Charging . HOWEVER, as soon as I turn on the HotWater pot the generator is overwhelmed with 21Amp draw for HVAC & HotPot. A Victron of some of the other older big Xantrex would sense that the generator was being overwhelmed and allowed the battery-inverter to supply demand and the limited generator to help as much a possible but not choke on the LARGE POWER DEMAND.

All my "keys" reside in the TV. We use the electronic key pad exclusively. Ater 2 years the plastic cover is beginning to crack, However, it is one of the most used options we included.