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I have never been flagged for riding our ebikes, either on trails, or street riding. Once again if you are riding improperly and doing things wrong then look to get stopped, or even ticketed. Let's face it, the police don't ticket a 77 year rider, just tell then the rules where they are riding. It's true most ebikes are setup from the manufacture to be within the bicycles laws, but some are not, but I doubt if you would ever get stopped if you are riding within the bicycle laws of the area you are ride on. When we first got our ebikes and took them Texas State Parks I asked what the rules were and they had no idea and couldn't say what and ebike was. I would say that riding on city sidewalks would be one place that you might ask and the city police may stop you for that, but once again it's a city, by city thing. Here in Ft. Worth, Texas riding on sidewalks is ok, but if the streets have bicycle lanes then they expect you to ride there. trainman

400 watts AC is only 3.3 amps so you'd have to make sure the trailer's not drawing more than that - either through the trailer's converter or by whatever AC->DC rig you cobble up to go into the solar port (truck outputting 120v AC, trailer accepting only DC volts). I think the lowest bulk charge setting on the Xantrex is 5 amps. That would blow the circuit breaker in the truck.

Well, I interpreted the question to mean he was referring to the "standard 400 watt 120 volt accessory plug usually located in the bed of some pickup models. Bill

Why not simply run the electrical cord to your shore power input (via whatever adapters you need to use to get from your truck to the 30 amp plug)? Be aware that in places such as Yellowstone National Park, they consider this type of arrangement nothing more than using a generator (your relatively large truck engine is the generator basically) and in places where generators are prohibited this arrangement of using your truck for this purpose is also prohibited. Bill

Do you mean that you want to run the ac while parked at home, off the battery, and solar? I think , personally, that would unnecessarily "cycle" the battery. The lifetime of all batteries are dependent on cycling. "Exercising" is part of cycling. Lithium is not immune. Cycling determines life. Every partial cycle "adds up." Please excuse me if I'm misunderstanding your question. But, if it were me, on your situation, I "think" I'd run the lifepo4 batteries down to recommended storage state, shut them off, and run a 110 cord for a portable dehumidifier while in storage, and not deal with ac. My husband and I have been talking about all this, recently. We know we need to replace house batteries in the boat next year. With the many heavy lead acid batteries in the boat house bank. we check fluids, periodically, and solar runs everything on the boat. We don't ever plug in (and many times, can't. ) But, there are essential systems, like bilge pumps, that must work 24/7/365, so turning off lithium wouldn't work for us, if bilge pump ran off a lithium bank. We're probably looking at some kind of hybrid situation, for agm starter battery, (another agm battery?) bilge pump etc., and lithium for storage (runs everything else. ) One of our friends who works in the marine industry, and designs systems, is camping with us this weekend. I'll see what he has to say for you, and us.

We spent a few days at the 2022 Oliver Rally at Lake Guntersville SP. LGSP has an impressive 69,000 acre lake which looked pretty inviting with the hot temperatures. We will consider visiting this park again in cooler times of the year. It was really fun meeting many of the owners on this forum and just seeing so many “Ollies in the Wild.” There is nothing like being back in the high much cooler elevations of the NC Smoky Mountain Expressway.

I took delivery at the end of March and slowly made my way back to the Florida swamp. At the factory campground I was thankful to have some wonderful guidance and help from veteran owners who were there for service visits, and some of us met up again at other campgrounds in Tennessee. There were a few hiccups (yet to be addressed) and I'm still learning that I have a lot to learn about the systems, but it's all good. I really love my Oliver and I'm thrilled to begin new adventures. The rally is just around the corner!

At last, we have taken delivery of #1071. Watson, the three-legged wonder dog, tagged along for the big adventure. After a night at the Oliver camp grounds, we made our way to Fall Creek Falls State park for a couple of days, then back to home in Atlanta. As total newbies, we're still amazed that we didn't blow up our rig. The best part was pulling the Ollie up our driveway without dragging the concrete.

Delivery Day went great yesterday! Kudos to Ryan for a thorough orientation that enabled us to learn, have fun, and ask endless questions before choosing our spot on the Oliver Campground. It's been so much fun meeting other owners and learning from their experiences during our stay here so far. We were also blessed with beautiful weather on pick-up day and a quiet peaceful evening for our first night stay. Today, we are enjoying another sunny and warm day in the 70's before we head home tomorrow for PA, where it's currently in the 40's according to family members. Oh well. We eagerly look forward to seeing you all at the Oliver Rally, which is quickly approaching. Peace, love, & safe travels!

We did it! We thought we'd keep the factory company while the rest of you were at the rally and we picked up our Oliver on Friday, May 20th. Her name is Luna, and she's gorgeous.

I have the same "400 watt" outlet in the back of my GMC Sierra HD. It would not reliably run a 15 amp Victron battery charger without going into protection mode. It is most likely a modified sine wave inverter that is really only meant for small draw items. It will run my 65L ICECO fridge/freezer just fine but beyond that I wouldn't waste your time with it. A small 2000 watt generator would be exponentially more efficient. John

Marie - There are a few Ollie owners that have had to deal with various issues of this sort and at least one that specifically dealt with the wheelchair issue. Unfortunately, I'm not aware of any details in this regard and the one member that dealt with the wheelchair issue is not very active on the Forum. Hopefully they will see your post and reply, but, other than that I'd only suggest that you have a discussion directly with your Sales Rep at Oliver. They may be aware of possible modifications that have been or could be done. Bill

None of the two electronics compartments are vented in any way. They trap heat. This is bad because it stresses the units installed there, makes them operate unnecessarily hot (at or outside their operating limits) and can greatly shorten their life spans. Simply put is a stupid engineering design. Especially for those blistering summer days when the street side of the trailer is facing full sunlight. Consider adding vents and/ or a circulation fan to get some airflow. The down side is that you will hear the converter and inverter fans running but they should not run as often or as fast. I would not be at all surprised if your converter has failed. It is an easy repair, you should buy the “lithium compatible” version so you can upgrade the batteries in the future more easily. (And they will also need proper cooling.) FYI the converter has both vents and exhaust openings in the outside, but they don’t do anything to remove heat from inside the compartment. The inverter is fully trapped and does not get any cool airflow at all. Running it hard in summer is like having a small box heater going in there😳 John Davies Spokane WA

That seems very unlikely. The entire interior is molded fiberglass, and the mold can't be changed. I don't see any way a wheelchair could maneuver inside. For instance, the aisle between the twin beds is only 18", there is a large sill under the bathroom door, and the entrance door is probably too narrow, as well. None of those things can be changed. I do know that other RV manufacturers like Forest River have modified some of their RVs to be wheelchair accessible. You might want to look into those.

You should run your A/C off shore power whenever it’s available, not the batteries. They do have a lifetime based on the number of times they have been charged/discharged.

In our much older trailer, the pd charger makes a bit of noise when the fan is running, which it does more often with higher ambient temps. I'd suggest you take the cushions and seat lids out and see if you can determine where the noise is actually coming from. It may simply be normal. Maybe not. Your ears can tell us a lot.

I would guess that the two issues are not related other than possibly being hot in the trailer. My CO/propane detector will get very sensitive when the camper is hot and/or if there has been a thunder storm (ozone probably). More than likely the date on the back is the "start date" from which the countdown begins to its expiration date (most likely 5 years). However, my Ollie is a 2017 and I'm presently on my third co/propane alarm. With regards to the "buzz" under the dinette - the first thing I'd do is blow that dust out of that area. The dust makes things work hotter and is generally not good for electrical items. Of course I assume that you were plugged into shore power. If that is correct then the charger converter could have been charging the batteries and that could have cause the buzz. Obviously you can test this possibility by drawing down the batteries, making sure that your solar is off and then plug into shore power in order to get the converter to start doing its thing. Good luck! Bill

I can only address the CO/LP Detector issue. Do you have an "RV Safe" brand detector? I am in the process of replacing a defective detector, as mine recently started sounding and flashing, with no CO or Propane issue. If you have an RV Safe brand detector, if it is the same model as mine, a "FLASHING" red light indicates CO high, not Propane. Dave

The annual Oliver Rally has always been the week after Mother's Day. For 2023 those dates will be May 14 for Mother's Day and the Rally will start May 17 (Wednesday) and end May 21 (Sunday). Bill p.s. If you are having trouble booking sites via the internet then I'd suggest a call to the State Park - they sometimes "block" a bunch of sites knowing that we will be using them.

Just a quick note for those interested in the lithium platinum package, which we have on our 2022 Ollie. We took our maiden voyage in VellOllie this week, about 4.5-5 hours from home. Because I knew we would have an electrical hookup at our campsite, I decided to run the regrigerator on DC for the entire trip down. We started at 100% battery, according to the Lithionics app, and ended at.....99% battery on one, 100% on the other. It was sunny the entire trip, which helps of course. On the return, we ended at 99% and 98%, and were in cloudy conditions for the entire drive. I'd say that's pretty good performance, and have confidence in running the fridge on DC while traveling, even when I know we won't have electrical hookups at our final destination. Pretty cool...and part of why we went with the biggest solar/battery package we could get.

You could just open the 20 amp breaker that’s on the 12v charge wire on the 7 pin harness on the trailer. That way the original wiring is all still intact if you ever switch back to AGMs or wet cells.

We were heading south on I77 WV Turnpike yesterday, Sunday 5/22 at 4:25PM at MP 16 when we saw a LE2 rig heading north with an American Flag on the side of Ollie!

We have found the coolest new tow vehicle. A restored 1968 Oliver 1250 tractor. We can also use it to clear an area to camp in.

Just as the hurricanes and mosquitoes quiet down the snowbirds start piling up!

Once you have "filled" the main propane supply line with the method I suggested then there still could be a small amount of air in the relatively short line that goes to the fridge. But, that air will be expelled by the propane without difficulty. Your fridge will ALWAYS use your batteries for ignition of the propane since there is no "standing" pilot light - the fridge and your furnace both use electronic ignitors. Make sure that you are not confusing running your fridge on propane versus trying to run it on DC (straight battery power) The electronic ignitors take very little battery energy BUT when you run the fridge on straight DC they take a bunch of power out of the batteries. Easily - propane is the most efficient and best cooling for these fridges. Bill

When my neighbors had their 22' boat professionally ceramic coated, they didn't "sand", per se, but it was a four day process, with very extensive prep. Lots of hand work, and chemicals. And rubbing compound, which is sort of a very mild abrasive/sanding. Much of which was removing/stripping old wax, and renewing some chalked areas. (I think their boat was 6 years old.) It was beautiful at the end. Almost blinding in the sun. It was "guaranteed " for two years. Can't tell you the end result, as they sold the house, and the boat, separately, 8 months or so later. They were already voicing some disappointment in the reduced "gloss" by the time they sold the boat, but it sat out in the Florida heat and sun, over saltwater, unprotected and unshaded, on a lift. Much different environment than our ollies. I'll look forward to hearing Steve's review, after a few years. It would be really nice to omit waxing, twice or three times a year, as has been our practice. We're not getting any younger... and though the results of waxing are rewarding, it's not easy.

More than likely - if I owned a 3/4 ton TV I would not use the a weight distribution hitch. A case can be made for all of the "what ifs" in the world but at some point a person can simply get carried away with just about anything. As long as each person is at least aware of all the risks involved, the legal constraints, and the potential risk that they just may be putting others in, then they should be able to determine what the answer is for their own purpose and comfort level. Bill

Bill, you raise a lot of good points. It seems, however, that most people with 3/4 ton tow vehicles have opted to remove the Andersen hitch. I wonder if there is really a "definitive" answer on the usefulness of an Andersen hitch on 3/4 ton TV's???

Thanks for this good advice, John. Yep, shocks are good. And I'm glad you clarified exactly what I am supposed to leave at home! 🤣

Well ... Indeed, as JED points out above, there is the potential issue of "jounce control" or bounce control if you prefer. And, there is an arguable added "safety" factor on two possible fronts. First is the fact that the Ollie is attached to the tow vehicle in at least one additional place via the "whale tail". Certainly this can be argued in that one already has the hitch and the safety chains and it is extremely unlikely for the bulldog or ball on the hitch to fail. But, for those that profess to like multiple backups ...... Second, there is the issue of emergencies. What happens to this entire hitch "system" in the event of a catastrophic event such as avoiding a animal in the road or another driver or a suspension failure or a ?????? Would the Andersen actually provide additional safety? Or, with anti-sway functions supposedly covered via a tow vehicle's internal software, would the Andersen only add to the problems making the catastrophic event even worse (of course in using the Andersen one would have turned off the tow vehicle's anti-sway function). And, even with a 3/4 ton tow vehicle would the weight distribution aid in the control and distribution of various forces encountered during the event? Bill

I voted. I ordered a new 2021 F250 because I knew I would have payload issues. I also didn't want to deal with the Andersen hitch although I know many people that use one have connecting it / disconnecting it down to a science. My truck will have the same payload (3,334 lbs) and can tow 15,000 lbs with the 7.3L engine. It will also come with sway control. Based on all that I've read, sway doesn't appear to be much of a concern towing either model with an appropriate sized tow vehicle. Somewhat relevant to other posts in this thread, my wife insisted on a bigger tow vehicle because that made her feel better. She has also read enough of the Andersen Hitch threads on the forum to not want any part of dealing with it. I will miss my Tundra because of its exceptional reliability and un-truck like ride but I know the F250 will tow our Ollie like it's not even there.

I used an Andersen when towing my Elite II with a Tacoma and Ram 1500. When I got my Ram 2500, I removed the Andersen from my trailer. I’ve done several thousand miles now without the Andersen and have not had any issues at all. On the positive side, it is much easier to hitch up. Weight distribution is not necessary with the 2500, I only get an inch or so of drop when I hitch up. Sway has not been an issue either.

Check if your truck towing package has any electronic anti-sway function. If so, the Andersen hitch instructions say to not use the Andersen hitch with any active tow vehicle trailer sway control. Here’s the section from the Andersen instructions. That may give you the info you need to convince your spouse (but you didn’t hear it from me, I don’t want to cause marital issues 😆).