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I went with Battle Born because they are assembled in the US, they have great customer service and I know several others that went with them and were satisfied customers. Mike

Now to find some warmer weather 🙂

I believe Overland was the first Battle Born adopter on this forum. He is also the first person that I remember discussing RV's being eligible for the solar rebate. My wife and I had the opportunity to tour Snowball at the 2018 Oliver Owner’s Rally and we were very impressed with the mod’s he has completed. So when my original batteries needed replacing, I started researching Lithium batteries based upon his experience. This Battle Born battery tear down by Will Prowse was the clincher for me. Mossey

Winter camping at Zion National Park. No crowds. It was about 60 degrees this afternoon, short sleeves in the sun. Scenery is spectacular. We’re at Watchman campground.

So that's what it looks like...this is all I saw pulling my Casita over it in late May... 1455955256_BeartoothPass.mov

Be safe: When towing, when in doubt, stay an extra day or even three. Don’t push your luck. Post pictures please! John Davies Spokane WA

6 Olivers a week ago in Catalina State Park just north of Tucson. Met some new Oliver friends!

The hoist is a real back saver, use it to load the generator, as well as the Dometic completely loaded and full 30# propane tanks. The ‘truck crane’ is marketed for a truck bed installation, but I modified it to mount on the tongue of the Oliver. I also added a strap winch for enhanced performance which involved some fabrication. The Anderson under the front stabilizer is a Rapid Jack put to good use!

I haven’t done that road, but have done similar very high up (11,000 feet) and twisty roads, like the Million Dollar Hwy at Ouray. I think it depends mostly on your tow vehicle. A big HD turbo diesel, no worries. A Land Cruiser like mine, worries, definitely. I have on occasion dropped down into 4 Low when towing up super steep hairpin turns, and that was a HUGE help, especially for greatly reducing the transmission temperature, but I am not aware of any other tow vehicle that can do that without risking drivetrain damage. If you have a nervous copilot, then it might be best to leave the Ollie at base camp. Also, that is a very popular route in the summer for sports cars and bike clubs, make sure there is not a 3000 rider Harley tour going the same day as you….. I love that part of Yellowstone, Chief Joseph Hwy headed east is also stunning. Hard lock haipin turns and a 65 mph speed limit! EDIT, Bill beat me by 4 minutes, darn it. This is simply luscious: https://www.visityellowstonecountry.com/photos-that-prove-that-the-beartooth-highway-is-the-most-beautiful-drive-in-america?slide=1 John Davies Spokane WA

I've been over/on the Beartooth Highway numerous times - but - always on motorcycle. Having said that, I would not hesitate to tow my Elite II over it with my F-150 3.5 liter twin turbo. There are plenty of pull-outs for both letting faster traffic by and for observing the wonderful scenery. Be sure to use them in either case. Note that there is really not all that much at the northern end (Red Lodge) and/or I-90. So, if your intent is to only go for the drive I'd leave the camper near Cooke City, drive the Beartooth both ways, camp and then either head into Yellowstone National Park (northeast entrance) and the Lamar Valley (bunches of animals) or head towards Cody via the Chief Joseph Highway - another wonderful road. Last year (2021) they were doing construction on the Beartooth and closing the entire road after (I believe) 7pm. Be sure to check both when it opens for the season and for any construction details. Bill

Sunrise at Dead Horse Ranch State Park just south of Sedona in the town of Cottonwood. Just 20 minutes from Sedona. This is Red Rock State Park a few miles north of Dead Horse Ranch State Park. No camping here but some nice hiking. We hiked to the top of the “hill” behind me for some great views. Dead Horse Ranch State Park.

Like Mossey said, I think we were the first, and at the time, Battleborn (Dragonfly back then) was the only game in town when it came to batteries with a built in BMS. Victron was an extremely expensive option at the time, even more so than today, and then our other choice was to make our own battery pack from individual cells and add a separate BMS. We’re only talking five years ago but even then there was a lot less info and fewer choices out there than today. So Battleborns were definitely the easiest to do. As it turned out I could have gone the DIY route, which had been my first choice, but that’s a longer story. I’ve had a 50% failure rate on the battleborns, fwiw. Maybe that’s just bad luck, or maybe I’m hard on them, or maybe they aren’t as tough as people say. (One thing I’ve learned about the RV community is that they are very reluctant to admit problems with their setups until after they’ve replaced it and can then brag about how smart they are for having done so.) Regardless, 50% of my batteries have met expectations, and 50% did not. Their service on replacing the ones that went bad was less than exemplary, but they did replace them. I still might recommend them, but not enthusiastically, so I’d say weigh your options. It’s a good package and quite possible that their quality or quality control has improved since I bought mine. The risk of being an early adopter perhaps. But were I to do it again, I’d spend for the Victrons. That, or build my own, just because it would be fun to do. I would definitely not buy Oliver’s package - you’ve got to work hard to make Victron gear look cheap, so fair credit to them for doing so. But that’s me, you may find it worth the price to not have to worry about it and to have Oliver’s warranty and service.

congrats to you both.!!!...my guess...70degrees is 600miles south...!?

SeeDawg, yes I should have included that we towed with a 2019 Chevrolet duramax. We certainly had the power and the engine brake has been an added bonus while traveling in the mountains. We initially bought the diesel to haul our boat and have discovered that more power makes our life easier with the Ollie also. Moved into a 21 GMC duramax.

@mossemi thanks for the link, that guy is pretty enthusiastic! 😄 I actually appreciated his interview with the CEO of BB even more than the deconstruction of the battery itself, it was super informative!

I don’t think it matters either, but I assume the tanks are still grounded to the frame through the hold down clamp.

That is correct, this model is designed to mount behind the wheel well with the pedestal bolted to a truck bed, but in my application I collapse the boom and all for easy stowage under cap and the pedestal remains mounted on the Oliver. Your weight guesstimate is in the ball park for the entire unit, but the part I have to manhandle is probably a little north of 30 lbs. I can also use it to lift my folding ebikes in and out of the TV where kept when underway; the bike rack is transported on the front receiver hitch where it usually remains, especially when camping.

We pulled our Elite II on the Beartooth Hwy two years ago, no problem.

Keep in mind that the approach/departure slope from the garage can substantially change the altitude of the A/C unit.

I also collect the A/C condensate and use it as the FINAL rinse. Eliminates the hard water spots really well!

I haven't taken the Oli on it, but I bicycled over it. I did it in late June. It snowed a few inches made the bike ride a little tough being cold and wet. I would take my Oli over it.

dhaig, Best of luck and congratulations on your new Ollie. RV Antifreeze: Cheapest place I know of is Super Walmart Centers. Get three gallons as you may make a mistake or two and having the spare gallon is really nice. It's only a few bucks a gallon. It is nowhere as expensive as car/truck radiator antifreeze. Travel safe,

The water is on today 🙂. We will be leaving tomorrow.

We'll be picking up our Oliver on February 15. After reviewing this thread and others, we've decided that we want to de-winterize even if OTT winterizes our trailer so we can check all systems. Was just wondering if the water is turned on at the OTT campground or did you need to fill your tank somewhere else.

This thread is super helpful/useful, even the good side path it took! For those who have BattleBorns, why did you choose those over SOB?

Two LEIi in the same campground. Gulf state park, Gulf Shores Al. One from Ky one from Il

Yep, two generators both dual fuel. The Oliver is my hurricane escape pod and the larger one has served me well for those 3-4 day mandatory evacuations. It will run 16 hours on a tank of gas, non-ethanol, and continuously during those times. I have also used it in roadside and parking lot overnight stays when the wife demands all of the comforts of home! I then got the smaller one primarily as a convenience for A/C on stops for meals or breaks when traveling; but have used it, on propane, for brief overnight stays, as well. I have solar panels atop my TV cap to run the Dometic dual zone and a DC-DC charger to keep the trailer batteries topped off.

Please keep a very close eye on that weather. There is forecast to be "heavy" (3 to 12 inches) of snow in the western North Carolina area on this Sunday. I believe that this storm will be moving to the south and east of Hohenwald BUT it is better to be sure. Also, in coming to Hohenwald from the west (Dallas area), this storm will be diving from the north through the Midwest on Saturday. Certainly interstates should be OK by the time you get there. But, again, keep that eye on conditions. Bill p.s. I agree with Mike above - test your systems at the factory camp ground and then winterize if you must.

We picked up in winter (Monday after Thanksgiving) and opted to do so dewinterized -- it was important for us to check all systems since we live so far from TN. I was glad we did -- the only real issue we found on our first night was that the fresh water tank indicator wasn't working. Oliver ended up replacing it on the spot. At a minimum I would recommend taking possession dewinterized to check all systems. Then if you think extreme cold will be an issue, you can always winterize again before you leave Hohenwald. Bonus -- since you're new, if something is unclear in the winterizing process, you'll be at the right place to get clarification!

My 2008 Tacoma, with a 4.0L V6 engine had a towing capacity of 6500 Lbs and it pulled The Wonder Egg (Elite), which weighed in at 3900 Lbs fully loaded, 110,000 miles, crossing the Rocky Mts about 6 times. It could maintain its speed uphill, although the engine would be at very high RPMs, under redline, but still it was pretty high. I usually settled for a (slight) speed reduction to be nice to the engine. It was a Prerunner version and I swapped out its rear-end for an Eaton Industries limited slip differential, which helped when going up steep dirt roads. When it achieved 150,000 miles I searched for my next tow vehicle. The engines in the newer Tacomas were 3.5L V6 or a 2.7L 4 cylinder options. Even though the torque specs looked good, I was not as comfortable working a 3.5L engine as I did the 4.0L one, so my search expanded to the F150 and I went for the 5.0L V8 engine with a SuperCab and a 6 ft bed. I got more grunt and cargo space. I still have the Taco, now with 260,000 miles. It runs like a Swiss watch and has been "retired" to local Texas, non-towing duties. I expect to achieve 450,000 miles with it.

Very possible, and works quite well. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5478-how-to-remote-mount-the-controller-of-a-suitcase-solar-panel-not-inside-the-trailer/ John Davies Spokane WA

@Geronimo John, we avoid those temps, so I'll take your word for it. Good practice to keep the fridge side on the shade. I have read many reports of absorption fridges not keeping up in extreme heat. But then, I know I don't do well in that heat, either.

Lost Dutchman State Park, AZ. What a beautiful park

I replaced the 4 original batteries when they went Tango Uniform at the end of the 2020 camping season - two Battle Born 100 amp hr, with room on the tray for a third with only a little extra minor work. So far that setup has worked fine for me, I doubt that I will add any more capacity. John Davies Spokane WA

John You mentioned "I had 4 AGMs and solar originally"... What have you now? Just curious, since you are an Oliver expert and have great ideas and mods of value to the Oliver community.

Hello to the Elite II heading south on I-35 in Kansas just north of the Oklahoma border at around noon today. We were traveling without our trailer, which seemed really weird. Mike

We saw an LE2 going west on WA Hwy 14 between Stevenson and Washougal WA. The LE2 had blue and maybe a grey decals. pam

We camped across from Sean and Kristy (LOLOHO) in Gros Ventre Campground at Grand Teton National Park at the end of September in 2019. We enjoy their videos. Mike

Update, I have used this system for two camping seasons without any issues. At first I was pretty paranoid about the hardware loosening from the often violent up and down motion at the rear of the trailer. I retorqued the bolts a couple of times, I got a little nut movement the first time, but never after that. I do check them annually, when I check stuff like the front jack attach nuts and the hitch and suspension bolts. Even when I forcibly backed the rack into the stone siding on my house, it did not budge. But the stonework sure did 🤭 Note to self: a trailer backup camera only works when you actually turn it ON! John Davies Spokane WA