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Showing content with the highest reputation on 09/08/2021 in Posts
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Yes, I am the culprit who accidently discovered the alternative use for switch #26. I discovered it when I read another thread about a new owner (can't remember who) was having trouble with his Xantrex charger not working shortly after delivery. Working with OTT Service, the problem ended up being that switch #26 was set to "auto on" rather than "off" and it was preventing the charger from charging the batteries since it was looking for an ignition signal (and would never get one from the Ollie obviously). I was honestly less than 24 hours from cutting a hole under the pantry to get easier access to that cutoff switch before the lightbulb went off that I could use that same software switch that caused the problem for the other owner. 🙂 A DC to DC charger won't change anything if it's an "independent" charger that doesn't go through or depend on the Xantrex in any way. There may be a slick way of hooking the TV ignition or DC to DC charger up so that it leverages the Xantrex - and then switch #26 could actually be used as intended. Cheers! John5 points
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Share and Enjoy !Shares As many of you know, in the fall of last year, we moved into our new Sales & Service Center located at 228 Industrial Ave., Hohenwald, TN. Since moving into our new Sales & Service Center, all customers receiving service work were allowed to use our electric hookups at our old sales office located at 737 Columbia Hwy in Hohenwald. We have now completed our campsites at our new Sales & Service Center. Beginning September 1, 2021, we will allow customers who are getting service work and all new deliveries to stay at our new campsites adjacent to our new Sales & Service Center. Our electric hookups at 737 Columbia Hwy will no longer be available for use beginning September 1, 2021. Our new adjacent camping area features seven individual campsites with water, 30 amp electric hookups, and a dump station. Due to the limited number of campsites and increased customer volume, staying at our campsite is by reservation only. Since we are delivering one, and in many cases two, trailers per day, all new deliveries will be automatically reserved for only one night in our campsites. If you wish to stay longer in the area, you must make reservations at one of the other local campgrounds. If you have or are planning to schedule service at our facility, please let us know if you need an overnight reservation for one of our campsites. To make reservations, please call us at 1-888-526-3978 during normal business hours of 8 AM to 5 PM CST, Monday thru Friday. Having our campsites adjacent to our new Sales & Service Center will better serve our new and existing customers. We look forward to visiting with you when you come to see us for service or at the delivery of your Oliver! Share and Enjoy !Shares The post New Oliver Campsites appeared first on Oliver Travel Trailers. Read the Full Article2 points
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For sure that's the case. Living in Hawaii, with my Ollie on the mainland, she only gets out once a year. Granted, it's for a 3 to 4 month spin around the USA. After her exercise, she gets a nice cover and rests in a dark barn. So a wrench is logical in my case. Not so for most owners who are out and back many times a season.2 points
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John, What about installing a solar tube skylight (or 2) right above the solar panels on your Ollie? I have one in my living room and it is amazing how much sunlight is brought into the room. It would be interesting to see how much energy you could get from that?2 points
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Your combination wrench is a good solution for some folks. The switch I installed weighs very little even with the extra short cable. My batteries are now always off when in storage except when I stop by to do something - once or twice a week. I appreciate the convenience of opening the door a little and turning the switch without opening it all the way, sliding the tray out, getting the wrench out of my tool box, etc. We’re all different! Mike2 points
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We have used our Houghton extensively this summer in the hot NC climate as well as on several camping trips. First, I run our Houghton off of the Lithium batteries (as Minnesota Oli mentioned above) all the time. I also run it off of a small 2400W generator with no issues - and no Soft Start. I have very little experience with the original Demonic AC that came with the Ollie because after trying unsuccessfully to run the AC and sleep (or think or talk for that matter), the Houghton was virtually my first (and in hindsight still the best) upgrade / mod. I talked to Houghton a while back about the cycling and they said it is working as designed (4 minute cycles when close to the set temp). I have the proprietary formula they use and they asked me not to share it publicly, but if anyone wants it PM me and I'll find it. I typically put the AC on 60F and it cools quicker without the cycling. Then when it's close to the temp I want I back it off and let it maintain with the cycles. The dehumidifier works amazingly well too. Actually, both the AC or the dehumidifier set low (like 60F) take out tons of water very quickly. Water does run off of the roof with the Houghton, so I just used some EZ gutters to divert the water to the back - rather than running down the sides and/or and getting into the window tracks, etc. It has a heat pump that I haven't used yet, and I'll likely stick with the gas furnace for heat and only use the Houghton heat as a backup. So far I give the Houghton a 10 out of 10 when compared to the competition.2 points
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I also think that all the lithium charger companies should allow for a setting for keeping batteries at a different level than 100 per cent, with a soft switch. We have victron on the boat. I haven't looked to see if that's possible,,as we still have lead batteries there. And, the boat is Paul's baby. The trailer is mine. And, we don't have lithium, yet, in either. A limiting soft switch at 50 per cent, or so, for those of us with solar, and (future, maybe, for us) lithium would make so much sense. We go away for months at a time. I'd like to be able to leave critical systems, like propane and smoke alarm and bilge pumps functioning, and let the batteries charge . Not a very difficult thing, imo. Tesla does it in their cars .2 points
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As I mentioned the other day.. NCeagle figured this out… this was part of the thread from this past June…. It would be worth reviewing for anyone annoyed by their inverter fan noise or who, like me, wants to have a simple way of not charging their lithium batteries every time they are plugged into shore power….There is more info in that thread.. it works in Hull #685… maybe it’ll work in yours too..2 points
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Besides the huge improvement in the sound level there is also another area where it surpasses the Dometic AC that I had replaced. The Houghton with the compressor running draws 10 amps while the Dometic was pulling 16 amps. So I decided to install a second transfer switch for the air conditioner to test it running off the batteries. It was 11 o'clock in the morning on a cloudless sunny day the temperature was 88 degrees. I had my batteries 400 Ah fully charged with 340 watts on the roof and 230 watts remote ready to feed it. I set the thermostat at 70 degrees and turned on the AC. Once it brought the temperature down to 70 I noticed it was cycling four minutes on with the compressor and four minutes off. I left it running until about 5 o'clock and was surprised to see that the batteries were at 97 percent. So I was happy with those results but time will tell if that is the norm. I put the picture in to also show it's nice low profile. Paul1 point
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I realize I might be an odd duck, but I can't say enough about this national monument. It's strange but I love it. There are about 50 campsites, first come first serve. No reservations. I pulled in today at 11:30 and had my pick of almost any site. Some too small for the Ollie but most are plenty big. There are nice flush toilets nearby and water faucets spaced throughout. Most sites aren't too close together.1 point
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Oliver Owners, We picked up our new trailer (Legacy Elite I #664) on Sept 16, 2020 and have been using it on/off since this date. Overall, our experience has been wonderful and the quality of the trailer has been much better than what we have read about other manufacturers. In an attempt to help others with our recent learnings, I am listing some of the items were have learned about, fixed, and/or submitted a tickets for: Initial Pickup: - The bathroom interior window frame was bent due to being over tightened - Jason and the person showing us the trailer located a new frame and installed. - Window shade over the rear driver's side window had damage to the felt liner at the bottom of the night shade. - Orientation team replaced. First Night Camp @ Davy Crockett State Park: - Noticed that the propane alarm was not on. - Contacted Jason via telephone and he walked me through installing the 1A fuse that was included in the box of spare fuses provided. The fuse holder is located under the dinette seat and is somewhat hard to find as it is black and not easy to see. - Upon opening the rear compartment door, the bracket where the wire attaches to keep the door from swinging down came unglued. - Contacted Jason to let him know and he said they would send me some epoxy to fix. Ended up purchasing some a few weeks after getting back home as it never arrived. I let Jason know we no longer needed as I had fixed per his recommendation of Gorilla 2 part epoxy. - Shower floor squeaks a lot - Contacted Oliver Service and have a ticket for them to repair when we take the trailer back to TN for its annual checkup. According to Jason, the squeak is most likely from the shower tub not being cut correctly or the padding under it not installed correctly. No biggie for now as we have learned to live with it knowing that it will get fixed. If your spouse decides to use the bathroom at night, It will wake you up. No liquids right before bedtime. 🙁 First Long Drive from TN to AR: - Had someone flag us down and let us know that the rear compartment door had come open during travel. Upon pulling over and inspecting, we noticed that the screws had come loose on the latch and allowed the door to open with the latch locked close. I was lucky enough to have some blue lock-tight with me to use on the screws when retightening. No further issues experienced. We let Oliver know that this happened and they indicated that lock-tight should have been added to the screws at the factory. I am confident they put new procedures in place to keep this from happening again. First Time Back Home: - Spent time learning about the solar system, inverter, appliances, etc.... - Realized that both the Solar Controller and the Inverter were both set to flooded batteries vs. the AGMs we had installed. Changed both to AGM. No issues noted so not sure if it really mattered. Texas State Park Close to Home: - Noticed a small gap at the top of the external door window frame. - Contacted Oliver and was told that the frames are designed to click together but requires special plastic keys to take the frame off to inspect. From my reading this is a common thing from the door factories with the tabs getting broken. We tried several time to get the internal frame to snap together with the external frame. No luck. Contacted Oliver again and Jason said he would have a new frame (and plastic keys) sent to us so we can repair/replace. The suppliers are backed up, so it has now been two months with the door window frame and glass loose. I was successful in learning that there is a supplier zarcor.com that has the window frames (Lippert) in stock and can be purchased/delivered within a couple of days. We will most likely end up just ordering and replacing as they also offer a clear tinted glass and window shutter for the door. There is another post in this forum with pictures if you are interested. Being that this repair is taking a long time to get resolved, I would recommend anyone picking up their trailer inspect this and have it repaired before taking delivery. Arkansas State Park (Crater of Diamonds): - Upon arrival at the State Park we noticed that the trailer was squeaking loudly with every small bump in the park. Upon inspection, I did not notice any lose bolts, nuts, fittings on the suspension. We contacted Jason at Oliver and he had not heard of anyone having this problem before. We ducked our heads down and slowly made it to our campsite without disturbing the other campers throughout the park. We did get some stares tho with the squeaks. Once setup, I made a quick trip to the local hardware store to purchase a small grease gun/grease, 90-degree zerk fitting as the zerks are not accessible without having the pull the tire off, and some dry lube spray. Utilized to the stabilizers to take some weight off the trailer and utilized the grease gun. Fun fact - the top zerk fitting (wet bolt) that attaches to the frame bracket actually serves no purpose as the bolt is not contained within a bushing (Only on the single axle trailers). I would not recommend you go to town putting grease in this wet bolt as the grease will just exit the bolt and make a nice stream of grease falling on the lower spring eye. Not sure why dexter/oliver designed it with a wet bolt in this location. Sad part is that, the squeak we had was between the shackle and the trailer frame bracket and without the trailer bracket having a bushing there is no real way to get grease between the two. Only option at this point was to use the dry lube spray. Happy to say that this resolved most of the squeak until we could get back home (~400 miles). Upon getting home, I used a spray can of Fluid Film to spray down the area between the shackle and trailer bracket. No more annoying squeak! I have some pictures on another computer that I can attach at a later time if you are curious. Other trips - Nothing new to report beyond what has already been said above. Improvements - As recommended by others on this forum, we did go ahead and install the black window seals available on pellandent.com due to some of the white window seals had stains on them from the factory and were cut about 1" too short. I must say that the black seals look much better and should eliminate an excess amount of water needing to travel through the window drains due to them now being long enough. If you do a search on this forum for pellandent you will see some pictures posted by others. Once again, the point of this post is to inform others of our experience and to share some of the things we have learned. As with anything, enjoying life comes with opportunities to improve oneself and help others on their journey. Mark1 point
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Here is a draft delivery checklist prompted, in part, by comments regarding a recent inverter-mount failure (see below). This delivery inspection checklist began with one used by NCeagle for his delivery, to which I've added items. The list is almost certainly incomplete -- what other items would you suggest to help new buyers? Thanks to Oliver for providing this educational ad-free forum, and to all of you for your forum posts that have contributed to this list. This open-dialogue forum is IMHO a huge asset to the OliverOllie Inspection Checklist (draft 4-9-2021).pdf travel trailer brand. I divided the list into two parts: (1) the actual delivery day inspection and (2) items for further inspection at DCSP. I plan on testing the list in 3 weeks when we pick up Hull 792, and will refine the list based on this experience (and with your additions, suggestions, comments, etc). The list is in pdf form. Once updated, I'd be happy to send out (or post) an xlsx version.1 point
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Well, I'm grateful to you for having figured this out. While not as elegant as a simple on-off charging switch on the remote panel, it solves one of my greatest annoyances with the trailer: how to run the fridge or other appliances on 110V without continually charging the batteries or listening to that inverter fan cycle on every 15 minutes. Now if I can just do something to quiet the inverter when we do want it to charge the batteries....1 point
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I'm sorry that stay is limited to one night. That first night, most owners are just figuring out the switches. Most problems don't show up for a day or two or three, until folks actually use all the systems. The new campsites look great! Will dry camping still be available at the old sales office? Great practice, close to the service center, to camp without hookups, for a night or two1 point
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Thanks, SeaDog. OK, so I switched the charger ignition control setting to "auto-on," and then plugged in to shore power. The remote panel shows that the battery is not connected; the annoying inverter fan ran for a few minutes and then turned off, and appears to have remained off (at least for the few minutes that I was checking). The 110V outlets are active, as is the AC option on the fridge. So, success ... but as clear and intuitive as mud. It would sure be nice to have a switch on the control panel for simply disconnecting the charger. It might have been NCEagle that came up with this (doing a search for "charger ignition control"), but it is not clear to me how he identified this as the way to turn off the charger, and how he was making the changes without the app (or perhaps he was using the app, although I don't see references in the app to switch #26). I also wonder how this switch might work if there is a DC to DC charger hooked up between the tow vehicle and trailer. I assume that having the charger ignition control be in the "auto-on" position means that the tow vehicle can charge the batteries when connected, but connecting to shore power would not charge them? Hmmm.1 point
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I always encourage owners who can identify and fix their problems themselves, to open a service ticket, anyway. Service and factory do communicate. If they don't know there's a problem, they can't fix it. Any issues. Large or small, need to be added to qc inspection.1 point
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If I'm reading this, and the other posts, about it correctly, "off" actually means that circuit is nonfunctional. "Auto on" would mean the charger would only kick in when it sensed charging capability from a vehicle. Which would never happen with a travel trailer. I could be way off base, but that's how I read it. It's totally beyond me why there isn't a software switch, besides this. And a setting for adjusting charge level, as in tesla batteries. This is a #vanlife kind of thing, and a great workaround. Trying to remember which member found it. Please step up, take a bow, and add a link?1 point
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I agree, wholeheartedly. I called today to schedule an appointment for our new atv side by side. Months out. The mechanic is going to call me to see if we can fix the squeak, ourselves. Response from Oliver has been far and above what I've seen on sob forums that I follow. I don't know how they do it. Loyal folks, for sure .1 point
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We're Todd and Laurie Hoffman from Maryland, !1August 2021, Hull 1131 well be ours next June 2022, Hopefully time well fly by until then! It well be our 3rd RV, Really impressed with the Build quality, hopefully Oliver well keep it up! unlike all the best of the company's out there. Love the dry camping potential ! still debating lithium pro vs lithium platinum though. really like the large reserve of the platinum setup and ability to run the AC as needed. We look forward to joining the Oliver get-togethers and meeting other Oliver owners!1 point
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No guaranty this will work for every situation, but this is our experience: 2021 Elite II, Nov/Dec 2020 build: Recently, after one of the burners on the Dometic stove detached itself from the base, we had a new stove warranty replacement. The stove worked as intended, until the first time out after the installation. We drove 7 hrs to our destination, traveling over numerous 4-5,000+ elevation passes, arriving around dinner time, only to discover the stove would not light; there was no LP getting to the burners. The fridge had been operating all day on LP, just fine. . . . . . .There was LP in both tanks . . . . . . yes, they were turned on. . . . . . . Suspecting this was a situation of air in the LP line. we scratched our heads. Our recollection was that the remedy for such is to light the stove . . . . . hmmmm . . . . . . . that won't work. . . . . . . . . we turned the HWH (standard tank variety) on LP and it started right up . . . . . . good, we have hot water. . . . . . thinking this would resolve the issue, we tried the stove again . . . . . . No Go . . . . . had to cook dinner outside on our portable camp stove. In the meantime, I posted the situation on the Oliver Trailer Owners FB group. . . . . . Matt Duncan replied right away, saying he would pass this on to Jason (Thank you, Matt). Since it was past 8:00 in Hohenwald, and Jason wouldn't be getting back to us until at least the next day, we knew we'd be cooking oatmeal outside in the morning. . . . . . . we had shore power so the electric tea kettle and French press would supply our caffeine needs. When we awoke the next morning it was 38 degrees out, so we started up the furnace to warm up before braving the cold to make breakfast. Not relishing the thought of going outside to cook, I tried the stove . . . . . Yep, it worked! I don't know if it was the furnace drawing LP or the previous day's 80 degrees followed by the cold that made the stove behave as it should. But I was ever thankful that it did since we had no cold cereal in the pantry. So, add this to your bag of tricks: In the event the appliance that isn't getting LP is the one you should light to get the LP flowing (the stove), try the furnace and see if that does the trick. Jason did send an email, first thing that morning, telling us the stove is the usual source of resolve for this problem, so he would have Service investigate possible solutions. I happily replied that we were up and running again. Another big "Thank You" to Oliver Service, for looking after us . . . . . sometimes I don't know how they do it 🏆1 point
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I do as Naegele suggests, especially if the trailer has been sitting a while. Sometimes it takes 3 or 4 tries. I am no expert but have also learned that turning on the propane valve slowly helps. Not sure why. I definitely get the stove running before turning on the furnace. I am not saying you can't turn the furnace on first. This is just my routine. Sorry you're having issues, it can be frustrating. Good luck.1 point
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Same here. I turn the LP tank on slowly allowing LP to fill the lines and have not experienced any issues with LP not lighting.1 point
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I was told during delivery that best practice to use anything that works on propane in the trailer is to turn the tank on and then enter the trailer and purge the air in the lines by lighting to stove first. Sometimes there is a fair amount of air. I run the lit burners a few minutes then shut the stove off. After that the water heater, furnace and fridge generally light on their first try.1 point
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One other note here is I usually start off with my hot water on gas just to make sure it working and then switch to electric somewhere down the line. If you start off on electric and want to switch to gas the gas will not fire up until the water temputures are down enough to let the gas kick on. This may result in you not being there to check it to see it the system is working correctly and remember if there is air in the lime it may take several tries to light. trainman1 point
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I find the cook stove the hardest to light after the gas has been turned off, just like the gas water heater it may try to start 3-4 times before the gas can get to it, or air has cleared the lines. I've had several RV's and all pretty much work the same, it's just the nature of the beast. I have found just because one gas appliance works and has gas doesn't mean all will work, especially on first light up after being shut off. Air in line is probably 99% of your problem. I'd say pretty common problem till all appliances have been used and gas is in the line to that appliance. trainman1 point
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Hi there, haven't been on the forum in a while. Didn't make the trip this summer when I could have made the factory tour. I couldn't wait and placed my order in July for delivery in May. Will make factory tour before selecting upgrades. I'd like to see yours when it arrives. Geaux Tigers 👍1 point
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Hi Jim and Frances. The Keystone link provided me with refreshing, general troubleshooting ideas and was a synergistic post for the 1st half of reading, then devolved as most do without resolution. It helped me with my "little box" thinking. The Easy Start pdf deserves a little more of my time when I experience my problem next time. I would have never thought the Easy Start could have been a suspect as it has been working flawlessly for the past year in my Casita. My transition to the Ollie next year is much anticipated and I actually welcome "some" challenges to keep me busy 🙂, ones that can be resolved, however! Thanks, John1 point
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What ScubaRX didn't mention above is that he even has switches for the switches. The interior of his Ollie looks more like a 747 cockpit than your typical RV. If anyone ever gets a chance to take a tour - do it! Bill1 point
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And here I thought I was asking a silly question. Timing is everything.1 point
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On my trailer, the switch does turn off the Truma. The reason being that it’s fun to spend an hour searching through manuals trying to figure out why your water heater doesn’t work after you inadvertently flipped the switch.1 point
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NCEagle: Clearly what are are doing is useful and I too have been concerned about the system being configured for batteries 100% charged 100% of the time . . . not good! Trying to understand how your experience of "disable charging" matches the Xantrex description of this setting. Xantrex documentation seems to describe this parameter disabling the total system to eliminate battery drain (makes sense) , BUT if all of the Oliver AC panel (except microwave) is supplied by the Inverter then the inverter must stay operational. . . . . . Nice to think that future generations of Lithium-Solar-Inverter types will benefit from the trials and tribulations of those that came before. Xantrex XC Pro Parameter #26 says "see description on page 43 , so here is a page 43 screenshot.1 point
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Elite II #688 also has the Lithium package with the Xantrex XC Pro 3000. I also use #24 (Charger Current) and #28 (AC Breaker for Load Share) occasionally to match and manage power better as described above. However, setting #26 is the best thing since sliced bread! I use #26 (Charger Ignition Control) to manage my Lithium charging the most (by far). Since there is no ignition control in a travel trailer, this switch can be used to turn the charger "off" and "on" via the software while you are using the inverter functions. When we are on shore power I don't want the batteries always topped off at 100% (not good for Lithium longevity), so I turn the charger off by toggling #26 to prevent the charger from holding them at 100%. This switch is an arm-saver since you don't have to manually reach under the street side bed and trip (or reset) the breaker between the inverter and battery.1 point
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Removal and replacement went well. The biggest problem was the removal and mounting, as the screws were difficult to reach. We dropped two while reinstalling, but were able to retrieve them. The new inverter is working as it should - charging when on shore power, transferring from grid to battery mode, and powering up on 12v. There is with no problem with communication between the inverter and the remote panel. I tested the outlets and all are supplying inverted and AC power. I did have to program the inverter for lithium batteries, as it came with default settings, which are for flooded batteries. Oliver gave us the settings, which are easy to change. I haven't had the opportunity to compare the new inverter to the old, in regards to fan noise, though I suspect it will be the same. According to the Xantrex manual and Jason at Oliver, the fan cycling is normal; the fact that the inverter is basically installed inside a drum most likely amplifies the noise level. The only work-around I have found to this annoyance while sleeping is to disconnect shore power at night as it seems the fan cycling on and off coincides with the charging function. Also, possibly when there is a high electrical load, though we haven't tested that theory yet. With the lithium/solar pkg, we can go the night without shore power and only lose a tenth or two of battery charge, assuming the AC or other high draw appliances (such as an electric space heater) are not being used.1 point
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Our Xantrex 3000 inverter does the fan kicking on every 15 min or so, like the OP reports, running for a few minutes when hooked to shore power. I asked Jason if this is normal and he says it is. Whether the noise level is as high as yours, I can't say. It isn't bad, but annoying, especially after we settle in for the night. I've thought about unplugging shore power at night. That being said, we have a new Xantrex 3000 waiting to be installed. The original inverter that was part of the Lithium Pro Pkg would not communicate with the remote panel (consistently). An attempted firmware update did not fix the problem; thus, Xantrex decided the inverter had a bad communication board. Oliver sent us a replacement which Jason will walk us through installing so we can be fully functional, in regards to power. We'll see if the new inverter fan does the same.1 point
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It might be hit and miss on the fan noise, if Xantrex quality control isn't excellent. When we saw our first Ollie at the factory, one of the trailers had an inverter that made an awful high pitched squeal, which our tour guide couldn't hear, but would have driven me crazy in no time. But I've since read similar complaints about Victron inverters, so I really do think that just some units make noise and some don't. Thankfully, ours doesn't, and even at full tilt, I have to be paying attention to hear even the fan.1 point
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50 db is pretty quiet . Like quiet conersation. But pretty loud for a fan. I know you get it, but for others reading this, db ratings increase exponentially, not linear.1 point
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