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Showing content with the highest reputation on 02/27/2022 in all areas

  1. While you’re in town, door magnets are great for keeping the bathroom door open. We keep it open when not in use so that it stays warm in winter and cooler in summer. These pictures are of my original install. I used On Command tape for both sides. I have since moved the magnet on the side of the dinette seat inside. Now you can’t see it and there is still plenty of holding power (thanks to @Spike). Mike
    4 points
  2. My wife and I took delivery of LEII Hull 990 on 2/17/22. Among the options we chose was the Auto Drain, for $300. There is nothing "auto" about this drain switch, I had incorrectly assumed this switch closed the valve preventing back flow of grey water into the shower using some motion sensor to determine when the trailer was in motion. Not at all. The switch (mounted just inside the closet on the left side) flashes a red light continually when open, and no light when closed. To change state from open/close a rocker switch at the top must be held until the valve fully opens or closes. I find flashing red lights annoying, usually indicating some malfunction. I recommend avoiding this option.
    3 points
  3. On the other hand - You might want to consider purchasing 6 sensors: 4 for the Ollie 1 for your spare tire in the tow vehicle 1 spare - just in case. That one for the spare will help as in most cases checking the air pressure in the spare is a real pain. Bill
    3 points
  4. There are fancier Camco door handles, I got this at Home Depot for a couple of bucks.
    3 points
  5. With the help of a number of good folks on this forum and my great RV Tech, Mathew Gonzales, who has worked on my 2017 Elite II since I brought in home to SE AZ, I finally achieved my goal of being able to run my AC off of my 2000-watt inverter and my new battery bank: 4 100ah Battle Born lithium batteries. After asking for, and getting, advice from folks on the forum about a number of issues that Mat and I ran encountered when attempting this upgrade, I made these decisions and Mat did this work: I first made the decision to purchase the Houghton 9.5K Low Profile Air Conditioner from RecPro--due mainly to how much quieter it runs compared to the Dometic Penguin that came with my Ollie, and to its lower amp draw (10 vs. the 16 for the Dometic). I learned that the Houghton could be run off of the 2000-watt inverter that came with my Ollie, using a transfer switch plugged into it running to the AC. I asked Mat to move the Micro-Air soft start previously installed in the Dometic to the Houghton. We discovered that he needed to reprogram the soft start to coordinate with the new AC. Since, unlike the Dometic set-up that came with my 2017 Ollie, the Houghton did not have a way to control the furnace, Mat installed and wired an Emerson non-programable thermostat--once again using information gleaned from folks on this forum--to control the furnace. I figured it was a good idea to supplement the 320-watt solar panels that came with my Ollie with a 180-watt Zamp solar panel kit. I also purchased a Zamp solar port that Mat installed near the shore power input. When my AGM batteries overheated last fall, I found I had no way to easily disconnect the battery bank. (This, I suspect, is something that is an original defect in the electrical system of my Oliver. Is it for all Olivers still?) So, while Mat was doing all of the other work, I had him install a battery disconnect switch near the inverter. I don't want this to appear as a straightforward process. It took a lot of back and forth between Mat and me trying to come up with solutions to problems encountered along the way. This back-and-forth involved a lot of advice from folks on this forum, some of whom I have not thanked by name. I would like to give special mention and thanks, however, to CnC and Minnesota Oli, who spent a good deal of time with me exchanging private messages. Man, were they patient with this technical novice! The outcome is that I now have a much quieter AC that runs off of my solar, batteries, and 2000-watt inverter. One can read elsewhere about the advantages of the Houghton. Mat told me, before I took my camper home, that he ran the Houghton for about four hours, supplementing the roof-top solar with the Zamp portable kit, and the voltage never dropped below 13 volts. I ran it when I brought the camper home, and verified that the system seemed to run the AC flawlessly AND much more quietly than before. I am delighted, as I have been wanting for a long time to be able to boondock in climes needing cooling of the cabin without having to resort to the hassle and noise of a generator. I will follow up with another post if I run into any issues. Disclaimer: I still have very little technical understanding about how this system functions and how the components and wiring fit together, so I will not be the one to answer many, if any, technical questions, but I know that on this forum, if you ask, you receive. There are some good posts on this forum involving the Houghton AC and related issues, so take a look around, and don't hesitate to submit your questions on this forum. Doing so paid off big time for me! Here is the interior view of my newly installed Houghton 9.5K Low Profile Air Conditioner: Here is an exterior view (birds won't be able to nest in this one!): Here is a photo of how Mat secured and wired the transfer switch and battery disconnect switch: Here is a photo of the Emerson non-programable thermostat to control the furnace (thanks go to John Davies who suggested the purchase): Here is a photo of the Zamp solar port with cord leading to the Zamp 180-watt portable solar panel kit: Here is a photo of the charge controller on my Zamp 180-watt portable solar panel kit, showing the voltage just after I plugged it in. (In less than 10 minutes, this controller and the interior Zamp showed the voltage up to 14.6 before dropping back into the floating voltage range.):
    2 points
  6. We received and replaced the switch that Magnadyne sent us. We finally have our Omni directional working better than it ever did. Can't check cable TV v until we travel again in March and let the everyone know
    2 points
  7. Born and raised in Florida! Never would have thought about a heater. Mossey
    2 points
  8. We had a catastrophic brake failure on one wheel of our fifth wheel. A spring broke and part of the auto adjust mechanism fell inside the drum, leading to further parts thrashing around inside the drum as we drove. My first indication was unusually high temperature in that tire, reported by my TPMS.
    2 points
  9. I'm setting here thinking I probably need between 10 and 12, why because it's more then 6, do I win. trainman
    2 points
  10. Good guesses.....but actually that is the signal booster for my TPMS. I did not want to mount it inside the cabin so this temporary connection (9 months now) in the battery compartment has worked out great so far. It's out of the way and protected from the elements. I just need to replace the alligator clips at some point.
    2 points
  11. Consider another sensor for the Ollie spare tire.
    2 points
  12. Without the Auto feature, there is a regular pull handle in the bathroom wall down low, You push it IN for travel (closed), OUT for camping (open). It operates a waste valve just like the other two ones in back. It actually opens and closes the grey tank vent, to allow it to work correctly. Is it worth $300 to not do it by hand? Only you can answer that. I would rather buy something actually useful with the money. Like a TPMS system John Davies Spokane WA
    2 points
  13. Now that you know about "open" and "close" all you have to remember is to actually "open" and "close" it. Don't ask me how I know this! Bill
    2 points
  14. No 110 outlet in the bathroom because it’s a wet bath. There is an outlet just outside the bathroom below the closet door.
    1 point
  15. My wife and I are definitely interested in the larger refrigerator. Actually that mock-up in the photo is how I imagined it. We eat a lot of fresh produce and need that extra space, especially as we will be off-grid away from stores. As for the height of the microwave, it seems a similar height to residential over the range microwaves. Fast forward... Now I see Oliver released the 2023 updates for the EII and now switched to the 12v compressor. Very pleased with that. Also the new Truma Aventa a/c option is a great option too. Again, I am pleased. I also see they are redesigning the EI. I expect they will also "evolve" the EII in a couple of years. Let's see. It's a great product, so evolution not revolution! As for the survey, would be nice if Oliver did a survey to include potential owners. They can filter the data when analyzing. Data from real-world use Ollie owners is great, to supplement with potential owner thoughts is critical too.
    1 point
  16. I have one and I love it. Makes the truck bed like a vault. If I have to haul something large I can remove the whole thing in about 5 minutes. I'm currently working out a plan to install a mount for a removable solar panel on the back panel to charge a battery in the truck bed to power my iceco fridge/freezer. Only con is the price...
    1 point
  17. TechnoRV has also been very helpful.
    1 point
  18. No! The TST support team is who I was referring to. Sorry about the confusion. Mossey
    1 point
  19. Make note of the support phone number just in case you have any questions. They are excellent! Mossey
    1 point
  20. Mike, I watched the video on how to set it up. Looks easy. Thanks for confirming that.
    1 point
  21. Also need more to hand out at Halloween if you run out of candy. They sort of look like little chocolates.
    1 point
  22. You're quite right when I read it again. Six would be the minimum. My tv spare is under the vehicle. I haven't checked the air pressure in that tire ever! Side note, some car manufacturers don't even have spare tires. My brother and sister have Teslas. No spare tire! Thanks for pointing that out about the Ollie spare.
    1 point
  23. Bill (Topgun) also suggested that. It's a very good idea that I didn't even consider before he mentioned it.
    1 point
  24. Good advice. The TST has an anti- theft feature for the sensors so I hope they aren't stolen as they're not cheap. I hadn't thought about the spare tire.
    1 point
  25. Hull 806 Lithionic batteries....."push button" on/off switches on each battery.
    1 point
  26. One of the "issues" with the Camco door handles ( like THIS one ) is that people/guests that are not familiar with how light weight the construction of the screen door is tend to want to place too much weight on that handle versus using the ones built into the Oliver. Of course, the Camco handle gives you much more room to grab it in the event a sudden wind gust catches the door. Bill
    1 point
  27. I use the TST just for the trailer tires. My truck takes care of itself! Mike
    1 point
  28. Our Pup Blue Heeler picked up NW of Albuquerque, New Mexico last Summer. We were Boondocking in New Mexico and knew about some Blue Heeler pups, old enough to look at. We were collecting Chalcedony Agates in New Mexico and the timing was perfect. She, Cody, now can enter and exit, both, the Oliver and the Airstream. Our first Boondocking Trip will be with the Oliver. The Airstream already had the protection for the bottom and upper screens. Our next photo... will be with the Oliver. Yep... we are loading all of the permanent items that stay in the Oliver. Mike and Carol... took a look and a screen door handle will help closing the screen door when camped. Have some hardware in the garage to check out. Just getting the 'little things' take care of when convenient.
    1 point
  29. To avoid some very cold temps and a winter snow storm at Zion, we headded to lake Mead and Boulder Dam. We stayed 3 days. We decided that we would move 50 miles north of Law Vegas to Moapa. We are at Palm Creek RV Park about 8 miles west off of Route 15. This is a small family park with only 12 or so sites and they are a bit tight. Very friendly family, clean facilities. What makes this special beyond the family, is the fact that the stream that runs through the property is fed by a hot spring 1/2 mile up the road. They have beautiful property and access to the 80 degree stream. We are going to visit the source spring and near by and Valley of Fire State Park. This place is a gem! In the summer they have almost a private beach set up with picnic tables and 70 smoker grills. They get 400+ guests on the weekends for day use. We are going to stay 3 nights and head to Moab over 2 days early next week. It is still cool here with lows in the low 30s at night. It beats 10 below in Bryce Canyon.
    1 point
  30. In is closed. When you push it in, it moves the valve down to closed position. Just like the black and gray tanks.
    1 point
  31. You'll know to place the valve in the "other" position when your feet get wet.😁
    1 point
  32. I am not an owner nor did I get the survey, but...Quiet is always better than noisy for an AC unit. And a larger fridge would be so nice, but not with a microwave so near the ceiling. That is simply not safe. Not reachable for someone 5'3". And on a side note: Dearest Engineers and Designers of Oliver Trailers, While you are looking to "improve and redesign the Elite 1" why not also consider the Elitist III? You know, the OTT that is between 25-26 feet in length? It's the one with the full bath in the front, the walk around queen bed or wider twin beds, and that wonderful new larger fridge without the microwave on top! I think it is just 6-12 inches wider but still has so much storage space. I know I've seen one somewhere--in my dreams! Sincerely, HMD
    1 point
  33. Actually, you are probably familiar with this "process" if you have ever bought a new car, truck or motorcycle. You are cautioned to drive "carefully" for the first 500 miles or so - try to not apply too much pressure to the brakes (i.e. stop too hard) or "drag" the brakes by keeping your foot on the brake pedal for too long. Basically - drive it like you're breaking it in versus driving it like you stole it.😇 This "process" allows the brake shoes to conform themselves to the brake drum. This same process happens with disk brakes but disk brakes are not quite as sensitive to this process. Bill
    1 point
  34. OMGoodness. After reading this thread I decided to get up on the roof, remove the A/C cover, and gaze at the many ways a bird, or mud-dauber, or frog, or whatever, could end up under the cover. I'll be busy screening today! John
    1 point
  35. I find TV searching for channels can be a hit and miss thing, probably more miss then hit. I have found that you can usually get more channels if you program in the morning hours them in the evening hours. I have my ideas on this, but won't go into it here because there are so many factors that can effect reception. We use the Omni non direction portable antenna which works much better then the Oliver equipped antenna which is questionable at times. How do I know this, our Oliver friends have the factory antenna and it was pretty much junk (per them) and went with an Omni portable like we have and saw a big different in reception. Remember as lot has to do with, location, location, location. trainman
    1 point
  36. So, this prompted an earnest discussion with DW tonight. Specifically, would we want to trade that kitchen cabinet space for the bigger fridge? In the end, probably not. We think that the current 4.5 cf will be enough for the two of us and cabinet storage is always precious. But that Truma A/C? That's another story. I'd give my eye teeth to have one of those on our trailer when we take delivery in August.
    1 point
  37. I got the email. Did the survey. Interesting picture of the Elite II with a big fridge.
    1 point
  38. All trailers have a "phantom" power drain. There are things that are "on" even if they are turned off. All the little idiot lights on the USB chargers and the radio for instance. Our trailer (Hull #050) has a phantom draw of about 0.5 amps. That means that every day about 12 amps of power disappear from the batteries. In our case, starting with batteries at 100%, 28 days with no power input x 12 amps a day would drain 336 amps from our battery bank. We have 3 x 100aH Lithium's. As you can see we would be dead dead long before 28 days were up. You state that yours started at 35%. What you don't say is the size of your battery bank (number of total aH). But even if you had Oliver's largest system (630aH) at 35% they would have only lasted (using our trailer as an example) 18 days. Luckily, your lithium batteries were not damaged by their lack of charging, AGM's would be a different story. How do you normally keep your batteries charged?
    1 point
  39. "Certainly I can remember something as simple as THAT!" Which is the reason I now carry 2 rugs for the bath floor so I can still have one to use while the other one is drying. Bill
    1 point
  40. I won’t ask because I know how you know! I think about everyone has forgotten once or twice to open while setting up camp. It gets back to checklists/routines/flags/double checking/etc. Mike
    1 point
  41. Andrew is correct. Closed when traveling/storing. Open when using. If it is closed when water is going down the drain to the gray tank it will start to back up through the shower floor drain. You can guess how I know.... Mike
    1 point
  42. John, It is my understanding it should be closed during travel so the contents of the grey tank does not slosh up into the shower pan through the floor drain and open when in use. Andrew
    1 point
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