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I've had the Iceco VL75Pro for about a year. Works great, has the danfoss compressor and I paid about $870 bucks with a coupon. I have a similar setup to Steve with solar to charge a battery in the truck bed that then powers the fridge. With partial sun it will run indefinitely.

What is that one favorite camping accessory that you don’t really need but prefer not to camp without? Mine is our Clam screen room. It goes up so fast and easy and I enjoy being able to be “outside” without being a human buffet for mosquitos and flys! We’ve had our Clam for 2 years and it’s held up great through all types of weather.

Looking for a pair of wings. Bonus if they are white fiberglass. Extra bonus if they have 12v red lamps on the tips. Have seen these on vintage and retro trailers and I’m going to figure out how to put them on my LEII. I’ll be the first. Everyone will be jealous. I bet Oliver will even make them standard. Or a least an option. edited to add: don’t tell my wife. It’s really her Oliver. It’s going to be a surprise.

When we bought our fridge/freezer in 2016, there were very few choices, and all of them expensive. The "in" fridge was the ARB50 at $850 plus $150 shipping. We were visiting the Conqueror trailer importer in our home town of Bellefontaine, Ohio, and he was swapping out the National Luna 90 Twin fridge that came in the trailer for another combination fridge/freezer. At the time, the NL 90T retailed for $2700, and we got one from him for $1000. That's a lot today, but a steal six years ago. National Luna is what is in UN vehicles, and what the Red Cross uses to transport organs in Africa and other remote areas. They have since designed their own more efficient version of the previously used Danfoss compressor, and reduced the price by about $1000. If you want the best available, check them out at the sole US importer, Equipt1.com Their custom service is second to none, and owner Paul May goes out of his way to accommodate your needs, often at his own expense. Mine has been running in the back of my black Toyota 4Runner and now black Toyota Land Cruiser for 24 hours a day, March through Christmas since early 2016. We've not had a single regret. https://www.equipt1.com/collections/fridges

Have been using two Dometic CFX35w, one as fridge and one as freezer, for past three seasons. Work great and draw very little energy

I was probably not clear on this point. I was referring to the tire “stabilized” temps meaning the normal “warm” air pressure increases due to driving vs cold tire inflation. My point was, when I increased & decreased pressures ~15 psi, the tire temps did not increase or decrease significantly. This leads me to conclude the tires are not under-inflated, which will cause temps to increase.

Ollie in the wild at Interlake CG in Rhinebeck, NY, a nice long level site with FHUP. This area is really in a drought, hopefully the farms will get some rain soon. Overall a nice CG and would recommend it.

I got a portable solar panel (aka blanket/suitcase) to hook up to the external Zamp port. The price was good, so I thought I'd try it. https://www.amazon.com/Xantrex-783-0100-01-Portable-Charging-Kit-100W/dp/B07QYCHG6V/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2Y0HK1F42H1U1&keywords=xantrex+solar+flex+portable+kit&qid=1661499580&sprefix=xantrex+solar+flex+portable+kit%2Caps%2C168&sr=8-3 Hooked it up today, seemed to work fine. The top connection in the port is the positive, so I made sure to connect the SAE connector correctly. This panel comes wired correctly, so I didn't need an adapter to reverse polarity. I turned off the rooftop panels then checked the Lithionics app, which didn't show the batteries getting any juice from the portable panel. Don't know why. The controller showed 5.0A, not very much. It's really light and easy to hook up but I'm not sure if it will give me enough juice to make it worthwhile. In truth, I haven't had a problem with AC/DC while boondocking. I might run it down to 60% at night, but the next day it'll charge back up to 85% or 80%.

I think they're talking about over riding if a sunshade is attached. No sure. Then, it's necessary. Not even sure if a sunshade can be attached to a Girard electric awning. Haven't heard of anyone doing so. Yet. Your clam is a great bet. Keep it. Anchors well. Still can use the awning.

It attaches to the awning’s Keder rail, there are two in our Fiamma manual awning. It’s two piece, the smaller slides in to the awning then the large panel just zips on to the smaller. I don’t think it would work on an automatic awning. On our manual awning we are able to withstand pretty high winds with the sunscreen attached and the support poles tied down. We got it at a booth at the Quartzsite Big Tent show 4 or 5 years ago. They have them on Amazon for about the same price we paid back then. It provides good shade and privacy. Mike

Yep, I've been setting my air pressure to 60psi in my Elite1 (stock LT tires) for highway driving with no ill effect. After reading all this, I may air down to 50-55psi for wash-boarded gravel roads where my speed is much slower, maybe even lower? I think ultimate tire pressure used is a decision one makes based on vehicle weight, speed, and road conditions. Certainly, all the pressures listed in the charts are for normal highway driving and that is a safe and reasonable starting point. Dave

The flexible panels all have grommets. One of my friends uses a flexible 100 watt. She built a little pvc pipe frame, with cords, and uses that to strengthen the panel. General thought is it's more efficient, with some airflow beliw. Broken down, the flexible panel is stored under the mattress for travel.

My klos travel guitar, although we have been thinking about a screen room.

Our style of camping is still a little primitive compared to what it will be when our Oliver is ready. 🙂 We too really enjoy the benefits of the CLAM shelter, since we don't really have any indoor space in the trailer. Our biggest complaint is how hot to gets inside due to limited airflow with the fine screen material. If you ask Deb, she'd probably say the changing room with CleanWaster folding toilet for the middle of the night needs. One that's really been handy, and probably will still be in the Oliver with its limited storage, is a pair of GCI Pico folding arm chairs. Much more comfortable than cheap bag chairs, and roomier than our Helinox Sunset chairs that are always in the Cruiser. They're sorta like directors chairs, but they fold up the size of a brief case. Pricy, but very convenient (wow! pricier than I thought. They were $89 when we bought ours last March) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07N71DDXW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

After a lot of deliberation about weight, size and cost we went with the F40C4TMP. We've used it in multiple settings for nearly a year now and it has performed better than expected. For us it has been a great compliment for the camper, truck, car and house. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08D3T3CJ2/

I bought a DOMETIC CFX3 75-Liter Dual Zone Portable Refrigerator and Freezer about three years ago. It has been used on every trip we’ve been on since then. When not traveling, it comes into the house and provides additional cooling and freezing space. As a result, it has essentially run constantly since we purchased it. At home it is plugged into the wall but in the truck it runs on solar augmented 12 volt DC off its own separate battery. We have also successfully run it on a 500 watt Jackery. It has been absolutely bulletproof and I can wholeheartedly recommend it. It easily and dependably maintains the temperature you set down to at least -10 degrees F. Ice cream will remain rock solid. This model is slightly above your stated price range but I shopped around and found it under $1K with free shipping.

I discovered the Truma portable refrigerators/freezers at the Quartzsite RV show in January this year. I took advantage of the show special and bought one...the C44. It works well and I recommend it. Truma Cooler Portable Fridges and Freezers

We like our Clam, too. One of our favorites is our sunshade that slides into our Fiamma awning.

Would like to hear from owners that have purchased portable refrigerators that they use while camping. We hope to go on some extended trips next year and I'd like to be able to have a little more food kept consistently cold than will fit in our trailer refrigerator. I've done a little reading on them and the price range is pretty broad. I'd like to spend $1k or less, if possible, and get something decent. I already have a well made and very large cooler but I also feel like I've spent a fortune on ice keeping the contents cold while traveling. And if we're far away from places that sell ice, I'm out of luck.

I can’t speak to the automatic retracting. The Fiamma has support legs that must be used. If the automatic awning doesn’t have support legs there would be a lot of downward pressure on the awning from the sunscreen. Mike

@Steve and Deb I like the looks of those chairs, so compacts. Put them in my likes. Thank you for the link. Not sure about overriding the awning retractable sensor. I wouldn’t override it though, I think it’s a good safety feature to protect the awning.

I Love the vintage wings, too, on vintage trailers. Could you have some made as graphics? Or, I guess you could add them with vhb tape...if fiberglass. Or 3d printed plastic. Our local library prints small projects. Just a thought.

I installed the exact set last week in hull 414. I will provide one caution: It is possible to "over compress" the inner and outer frames when seating the male and female serrated tabs when re-assembling. If you do that, you end up forcing the inner frame to push us against the glass on the inside that will warp it slightly. If that happens, the tightly fitted shade will not fit properly. (You can guess how I know this). Only compress the frames to the point where the edges just "touch the glass. If however, you end up "gorilla-izing" the job and go too far, simply use the shims previously used to separate the frames to release tension on the affected portion. Easy-Peasy. Just a lesson learned the hard way. HOBO

As I read this post I see why are you over buying a tow vehicle, a 3/4/1 ton tow vehicle is way over kill and spending much more money then needed. A 1/2 ton full size pickup will do the job just fine, that should save you $10,000/$20,000 plus dollars and the cost of an Oliver is just what it is in todays market. My 2019 was close to $20,000 less then todays prices, probably in the next 4-5 years today Oliver prices will be 20% higher then they are today, who knows. As far as Oliver prices they are inline with everthing else today, have you been to the grocery store, purchase fuel, bought a home, and don't go vehicle shopping it a buying experience for sure. trainman

Ollie in the wild at Promise Land SP near Greentown, Pa. A nice quiet place to overnight with 30 amp only at this site. Perfect for an overnight stay or maybe longer. No AC needed perfect sleeping temps at night! The host kindly gave us a heads up on lots of bear activity. A nice SP and would stay here again passing through.

When you pick up your trailer the tires should be at the new recommended pressure (probably 55psi, not the old 80psi). We’ve used 55 for thousands of miles and 50 for thousands of miles. Both seem to be much better than the old 80psi which we used our first year. We watch pressure and temperature on our TPMS and both increase in the heat and decrease in extreme cold. No issues at either 50 or 55. Mike

Thanks, that is a terrific overview. One thing to mention … he talks about the tire placard, in his case it is for a ST 8 ply tire that originally came on his Airstream, so it shows a pressure of 65 psi. Which is also the max for any Load D 8 ply standard size tire…. . Only by referring to the manufacturer’s load chart was he able to determine the ideal pressure for his new set of LT 10 ply tires. He decided on 67 psi for his 9000 pound AS. The Ollie Placard is for 10 ply Load E and 80 psi. I think Oliver should have a video just like this one, and ALSO tell us the correct pressure for the two trailers at their 5000 and 7000 lb max GVWs. And at lower weights! Just give us the proper chart(s). John Davies Spokane WA

Long install post- I decided it was a gorgeous sunny North Carolina day and just a good day to install the new tinted glass and blind I ordered from Zarcor. I made this a stand alone post as this window install was a bit different from other installs I have read about here. It appears the Lippert now uses a sealant on the exterior window frame which adheres the frame to the door frame opening. They also use a similar sealant on the interior of the exterior frame, which holds the glass FIRMLY in place inside the window. I could not remove the old opaque glass from the old frame. I decided since this really appears to be a one time use sealant that purchasing a new exterior frame would be required. Reusing the old frame and compromised sealant was not an option for me. You will see where the sealant on the old frame came off after removal from the Ollie window door cut out or frame. Some of the old sealant came off on the old opaque window. I was glad I had purchased a new frame through Zarcor to do the install. The new frame was $28 plus shipping. Once I removed the old frame and opaque glass, the install was pretty straightforward. The new window frames use what appears to be a ratchet mechanism which once both frames are sealed together they lock into place. No more rope caulk or screws to tighten down when you sandwich the new window interior and exterior frames together. Zarcor sends (16) little plastic tabs (pics) that release the frames from each other. Without these tabs you cannot remove the frames. Below are a few photos to help describe the process. It’s not terribly difficult; just take your time and read the instructions. We are really happy with this mod and like the idea of seeing who is knock knock knocking on our Ollie’s door. $175.00 for this mod including shipping from Zarcor. The staff at Zarcor made this mod seamless by answering all questions I had before moving forward. Just really great folks to do business with in San Antonio,Texas. This is a fairly easy window mod and I would highly recommend it if you prefer being able to see who is knocking at your door. Take your time and remember be gentle as your working with plastic and glass. link - https://www.zarcor.com/rv_products/rv-door-window-kit/ (16) tabs provided by Zarcor to remove existing frame. You insert equally around slots on the exterior of the interior frame edge. You will see the slots. Ratchet mechanism that holds frames together. Likely to speed up window/door plant assembly production cut costs. After removing the interior frame, a thin bladed puddy knife can be used to separate seal. Old frame and compromised sealant - Another photo of old exterior frame after removal- Throughly clean off old sealant off door frame- Installed new frame, and tinted glass, my bride was a tremendous help with an extra set of hands 🙌 👍🏻. The blind install was again pretty straight forward and it works great! It attaches with several small Velcro tabs. The blind can be operated with the interior screen door closed, just slide screen door plastic opening for access. Finished exterior - we like the way this tinted window matches the rest of our glass. The contrast of the tint vs natural light -

@Steve and Deb I’ve heard other people say their Clam gets hot inside too but we’ve never felt hot in ours. We always get a great breeze through it. In fact, we have a fan we bought for it but we’ve never used it. We’ve not been in super hot temperature though, 90 at the hottest but mostly temperatures in the 80s.

It looks like it has a bolt rope slot in the bottom, so it should work. (Assuming the G2000 is the current model offered by Oliver.) And looking the wiring, it looks possible to add a toggle to the hot side of the switch to disable. Seems doable if I ever wanted a sunshade. The Clam is great, but it sure gets hot inside!

@SeaDawg I’m quite happy with the Clam. I hadn’t realized their sunshade was on a manual awning. I’m always looking for shade because of my discoid lupus so that did intrigue me.😍

Probably a silly question; to override the automatic retracting in much more than a mild wind, is there a power switch to disable it? Or simply pull the fuse? I'd prefer a manual awning, but that's no longer an option; both are fully automatic.

Good idea, divide the weight, separate fridge and freeze plus add redundancy. Something for me to seriously consider before going to a larger unit.

It’s 11.5 x 11.5.

What size is your clam?

Amen. Just like overloading your tow vehicle, failure to use a WDH when your TV owner's manual says it is "required" is negligence per se. Make sure both your tow vehicle and your travel trailer are well insured!

Does the charge controller have a lithium setting (Amazon listing doesn't have much info on the controller)? Check the voltage to make sure it's high enough for your battery.

Let’s make very sure that everyone is aware that yours has a single axle, with 5000 pound GVWR, and those all need much more air (at their maximum towing weight) than the tandem axle model does. I would be running 60 to 65 with LT tires…. This thread is for LE2 tires. 😁 John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks for posting! That looks like a great panel, I would have bought it over my big heavy Renogy one if it had been available, most flexible panels have been very costly in the past. Prop it up at an angle directly facing the sun and you will get a little more power. I believe these panels are more delicate so use care when cleaning and handling them. You can easily mod the wires so you can put the panel further away and still get full amperage at the batteries. This is my 100 watt panel 40 feet away tilted in full sun: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5478-how-to-remote-mount-the-controller-of-a-suitcase-solar-panel-not-inside-the-trailer/ Changing the controller to a high quality more efficient MPPT one will help also, but it isn’t really cost effective if you can just physically shift the panel around to follow the sun. (Tho the price of no-name ones is getting down to around $20😳) Please post some follow up reports. John Davies Spokane WA

We went to Shelby often, nice little town. We especially liked the old red barn (Used in the Hillshire Farms ads) that is now a winery and events venue. Thank you for the offer to assist, I might need it. Brian

Lots of varies answers however Oliver recommends 55psi.

John: If you scrowl up in this post, you will see what varies people are using for pressure in their Oliver tires. Also in this post, it looks like Oliver is recommending 55 psi, but it is not noted if that is for the Elite or the Elite II.

@Patriot Thanks for this post. We are waiting on our LE II and this will be one of the first things I do. We are in TN but moved here from Mooresville, NC and I am originally from New Bern, NC - where are you in NC? Brian

We recently stayed at a combination of campgrounds where there was no water hookup. With the NH toilet we did not have to use fresh tank water for flushing thus stretching our water supply. We can easily see this "light" boondocking (no water hookup) in our future as well as full boon docking when we head out west. We carry a spare pee jug. It gets emptied in restroom toilets or dump stations, whichever is more convenient. There are many articles on safe disposal of urine when boondocking. In our one year thus far, we have not cleaned out the solids hopper. To dump it, we use 13 gallon trash bags and toss it in regular trash. The main benefits of the NH are the saving of water and not having to deal with sewage (formed by mixing urine with feces) from the "stinky slinky". There is not much smell in the hopper once the poop is mixed with the medium. The NH exhaust system pumps the remaining smell outside. Also, you'll never have to deal with a stuck black tank valve with a full tank. The main disadvantages are separately dealing with the liquid (almost daily for us) and solids (every 2 weeks, although it could go longer). You will still need a dump station for gray water. I drain and rinse the bottle, and then start it off with an ounce+ of white vinegar which gets swished around. I use either sphagnum peat moss or coco coir in the hopper. Having done both, I prefer the peat because it comes ready to use, where the coco coir comes in bricks that have to be hydrated. Two full one gallon ziploc bags contain enough of either type for one fill. I also add diatomaceous earth (bug killer) and Gnatrol WDG (for gnat larvae that might be present in the bricks). Emptying the solids is a matter of removing (and replacing) the NH, using disposable gloves and a kitty litter scooper to break up the medium, stretching the bag over the hopper, inverting it to do the dump, removing and tying off the bag, and adding new medium. This whole operation takes about 10-15 minutes. Most of the time spent emptying the liquid is transporting it to the toilet. Dumping is 30 seconds and rinsing is less than a minute. It goes quicker each time you do it. We don't put any TP in the hopper. All of it goes into a lined stainless steel barrel with lid that fits perfectly next to the NH. Having said all of this, we are happy with the NH. It sounds like a lot of work but it really isn't (but it's definitely more work than a flush toilet).

I was pretty sure that this was vapor wear….. they have been making wild unsubstantiated claims for years, but they have started to establish a dealer network and I actually found one for sale J https://www.rvtrader.com/listing/2022-Cortez-SIDE-DOOR-5022635317 Tho it is listed as Used, the private seller says it is brand new, I wonder what is wrong with it ??? John Davies Spokane WA