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Thanks everyone! Yes to Mike D! There was a value that needed to be turned! Once we turned it all worked fine! I appreciate the diagrams!

Update: I just looked at the 2022 Owners Manual, Elite plumbing diagram, and found a surprise. The diagram shows a ball valve on the Fresh Water fill line. Why it’s there, I have no idea. I was not aware there is one on my trailer, but it’s also shown on the 2021 diagram. If there is a valve (I will be checking to confirm), then it must be in the open position on my trailer. Check to see if you have a valve like that, and if it’s open or closed. As I mentioned, this temporary problem will not keep you from camping, You can fill your tank from the Boondocking port, or you can fill it faster from the City Water fill. To fill using the City Water inlet port, open the 3 valves circled in red in the photo. The one on the lower left is the valve I’ve never seen before. No need to watch the See Level monitor, when the tank is full, it will overflow onto the ground.

Wow. Quite a first post. I have to agree with Sherry, a few (not many) of our members can be very tongue-in-cheek with their comments. Most of us who have been here a long time stay because we want to help new owners. We were new once too, and looking for answers. It’s a very congenial group of owners and I hope we can all work to keep it that way. Mike

One other aspect of running ac on batteries is that the inverter gets VERY warm under continuous heavy load. If the inverter is not vented to the outside, then you're just adding more heat to the inside.

The black pin activates the switch when withdrawn, you just orient it correctly and push it back in place. It may take a little effort, especially if you haven’t pulled it routinely. Have you ever tested yours? You should before EVERY trip to make sure it is functional and not corroded or seized. This is a generic pic: The brake magnets can possibly be damaged (overheated) and the batteries will definitely run down. Full current goes to the brakes when it operates, about 12 amps for the LE2. So figure about 120 AH over ten hours time. If you have some alcohol or aerosol electrical contact cleaner, flush out the debris from inside the cavity. John Davies Spokane WA

You can run the AC on battery power, but the solar panels can't recharge them as fast as the AC drains them. Don't expect to run the AC continuously on solar and battery alone.

XPEL can be removed from a vehicle or an Oliver using steam. It’s not permanent but is excellent paint protection in my experience. Call and speak to the folks at XPEL they will be glad to help you understand it’s applications. We are very glad we installed 10 mil XPEL on our Ollie. We had it installed on the front corners and dog house and all along the quarter panels of our Ollie. Find a really good experienced installer and you will be off to a great start. Cheers and Happy Camping!

Can we run our AC while boondocking with our solar and lithium batteries?

If I were in your situation, (and I'm very sorry. That's not much of a range to work with) I'd spend a little more on a marine 12v dc secop/danfoss small portable fridge. I wouldn't trust thermoelectric, nor fake secop fridge. Too critical. John's idea of adding thermal mass to a small fridge is stellar, imo. I use thermal mass to regulate my truckfridge. Cold sink, vs heat sink.

Good eye! Thank you. I've been looking for something like this. It would have to be accurate, though, not dropping below 66 degrees. We've found that the lowest right kitchen drawer is the most thermally stable part of the trailer. It warms and cools the slowest, so we can usually keep meds in there until mid/late afternoon before firing up the A/C and putting the meds in the main cabin.

Goodness! What a tacky reply! Just trying to learn a few things before we take delivery of our LE2. Hopefully you don’t feel the need to impose your opinion on my questions again!

Buy a small dc fridge, that can EASILY be kept at a constant temp. No way are you going to be happy with maintaining that temp inside the trailer all the time. This one works up to 68 degrees F. VEVOR 12 Volt Refrigerator 10 Quart , Portable Mini Freezer (-4℉~68℉) With APP Control Car Compressor Fridge Cooler 12V/24V DC and 110-220V AC For Camping, Road Trip, Travel, Boat, Skincare, Outdoor and Home Keep additional thermal mass in there like water or soda in cans to help stabilize the temp when you open the lid. John Davies Spokane WA

I always wondered the same thing. Now my wife is on medications that need to be stored strictly between 66-77 degrees F. The A/C is on for the meds, not for us. Suddenly found myself in somebody else's moccasins.

Here are links to 4 foot and 6 foot cables with pins. My trailer came with a 4 foot cable which pulled soon after picking it up. I now use the 6 foot cable. https://www.amazon.com/Fastway-80-01-2204-Zip-Breakway-Cable/dp/B00718W5GQ/ref=pd_bxgy_sccl_2/141-4122227-5466261?pd_rd_w=gBbgr&content-id=amzn1.sym.7757a8b5-874e-4a67-9d85-54ed32f01737&pf_rd_p=7757a8b5-874e-4a67-9d85-54ed32f01737&pf_rd_r=634XBQTMT3SDF5KKVYGE&pd_rd_wg=exGuc&pd_rd_r=d703b652-ce5f-469a-b934-c5101aa245cc&pd_rd_i=B00718W5GQ&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/Zip-breakaway-cable-Pin-80-01-2206/dp/B00718W3YK/ref=sr_1_23?keywords=fastway&qid=1662223074&sr=8-23

Keep in mind that new Land Cruisers are no more in the USA, at least for several years. That isn’t really the same as a brand new model Sequoia and unethical dealer price gouging. If you wait a year for a nice low miles used LC200 it will probably be even more costly. The Sequoia will eventually be “affordable”. I use that term loosely. https://www.motorbiscuit.com/why-toyota-land-cruiser-discontinued/ I bought mine used in 2018 with 90k miles for $42,000 (about half the MSRP). I do not plan to get rid of it unless it burns up, is totalled or is stolen. It no longer looks brand new, but it drives like one, with no squeaks or rattles, even with almost 160,000 miles. John Davies Spokane WA

Yes, you can, but for how long will depend on which lithium package you purchase. And, as John Davies points out, once your battery charge is depleted, you will need a means of recharge to supplement solar. Otherwise, your other electrical loads such as lights, fans, microwave, etc. will not work. Some folks have chosen to buy the Lithium Platinum package, along with additional portable solar panels, to maximize their AC run time when boondocking, and their solar recharge capability. But, even with that significant additional expense, they will not be able to run the AC for more than a few hours per day without a generator, even in full sun. For what it's worth, we have an Elite II on order with the Lithium Pro package. We expect we will be able to run the AC on battery power, through the inverter, for an hour or so at a time. But, we will also carry a Champion 2500 watt dual fuel generator and a separate propane tank in the bed of our pickup, so we can power the AC for longer if desired, and recharge the batteries when needed.

https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/6966-quick-dirty-ac-test-with-platinum-lithium-package/ Do not rely on solar to recharge, because you never know if you will be in shade or under heavy cloud cover. You will still need to carry a moderate sized generator. John Davies Spokane WA

This mark-up is terrible!

I drove to Tallahassee yesterday and left the Oliver at Vinnies Northbay. They are going to put the ceramic coating on it and I will pick it up after working the tornado relief in Dawson City, Kentucky next week. The process takes about 3 days.

I’ve used WD40 for tape residue and goo gone as well. A plastic razor blade will help. Mike

I recognize that. It is what it is, and I think we can all still be "virtual" friends. I disagree, on "tacky", as I've said before. You have your opinion, I have mine. My dad would have said, (as he often did) come on in, let's have coffee and cake, and work it out. Unfortunately, here, I can't offer coffee and cake, unless you are within an hour of asheville. 😃 I think we could all lighten up, and look at other camping styles and ideas. Imo. On any forum, all of us must recognize that everyone doesn't share the same lifestyle, camping style, equipment, or opinions. And, we must be prepared for opinions unlike our own. We are all different. Diversity of opinion is good, imo. I've learned lessons from brand new folks. And, from older owners, as well. For example, If you search "truckfridge " you'll find my very measured and honest reviews of managing a dc secop/ danfoss fridge with solar. I really think this is the op's goal. What works. What doesn't.

STA, I agree. Dena’s question was very legitimate and I’m sure there are others that were following for answers and advice. There are a couple of members who have a specific camping style and make comments based on that style. My point is to let those comments go, understanding where they are coming from, and stay on topic without calling out comments that seem tacky. I’m also on many other forums and once comments start getting personal the community suffers. Odd, one off comments, that don’t contribute to the discussion should just be ignored. One “less congenial comment” need not be followed by another “less congenial comment”, then another, etc. Mike

First thing I would do is jack the wheels off the ground and see if they spin freely to see if brakes are dragging like JD said. If bearing (spindle) nuts are too tight, it could cause drag and heat, too.

WD40 is my adhesive residue cleaner of choice. It softens the adhesive enabling removal, yet should not harm the solar panel. Spray it on, let it soak for a few hours or overnight, then wipe it off with something non-abrasive, like a shop towel. If necessary, repeat. I now use residue-free duct tape!

Thanks, Mike. A first-time poster but not a rookie. I have RV'ed for several years and am taking delivery of my Elite II soon. I have followed this forum for several months looking for insight and have gathered a lot. Trainman's comment "I fail to see where this makes sense to me, let's see we go Boondocking to get away an be in nature, now we want to set inside with A/C, did I miss something here." was tacky. It is as if his style of camping is all that matters. Dena's question was legitimate and did not need to be met with condescension. Some people, other than trainman, might want to camp with AC. Several posters had really good advice specific to Dena's question. I applaud the relevant replies to Dena's question. My comment to trainman's comment was no less congenial than trainman's comment itself.

Check each brake physically by spinning the tire with it in the air, to make sure that none are dragging. The auto adjusters are unreliable at best, especially as they age and get cruddy/ rusty. One can quit adjusting and that makes the other(s) do more of the work. I replaced all mine with manual adjust, that makes one less thing to worry about…😳 I adjust them until they don’t rotate, then back out 8 clicks. John Davies Spokane WA

Sorry, but I don't share that feeling. Sometimes, our comments don't translate as well as face to face conversation. That happens... unfortunately. It's not quite the same as conversing around the campfire, though we try. But, I'm a member of probably 20 other forums, sailing, rvs, home improvements, etc. and this is the most congenial of them all, imo. I see this is your first post. Welcome to the forum, as you just joined up!.

Thanks for the link. Interesting reading indeed. It persuaded me to not install a fuse in the breakaway switch wire.

Yes, Dena. There are many frequent posters on this site with the same mentality. Some feel the need show their superiority to us plebeians.

Dena, I doubt trainman was doing anything but musing out loud, as his camping style is probably different from yours. As is mine, and, we probably all live in different regions... We've actually only used ac a handful of times in 15 seasons in our Elite, as we try to camp in more temperate climates. We tend to "chase the cooler weather." Since I can't actually help you with your question ( I have only 2 x 105 agm batteries, and no inverter, don'tuse ac much, but boondock almost always) in any other way, I'll just point out that there are a couple other threads running on this same topic right now that may be of interest to you, and provide some answers. Your question is certainly valid, if you camp in regions of extreme heat, and are spending the extra dollars for lithium. Welcome to the forum.

I’m home, in hot, humid Myrtle Beach SC area. I have the 630ah/340w on my 2022 Elite 2…soft start on the AC. I ran a quick & dirty test last week, ambient temp in low 90’s, camper fully closed & in full sunlight. I started at 100% SOC, and set the thermostat to 80 degrees/automatic…kept the blackout shades closed. Ran the AC as stated above for 5 hours, 3-8pm, charge dropped to appx. 40%. I replaced about 10% charge per day, so I was just over 50% on Friday, 60% Saturday, with no power consumption….I did the same full-sun run in the AC on Sunday, started at 60% SOC, ambient temps were about the same. 4 hours of use saw the SOC drop to 18% & 20%. I plugged into shore power and the batteries were at 100% SOC in 3 hours. Far from a scientific test, but I was surprised how well the batteries handled the challenge and how quickly they recovered.

My 2019 Ollie has the Fastway breakaway switch. Replacement cable/pin assemblies are available on Amazon. But as John mentioned above, with that pin pulled/gone, that means the electric emergency brakes are activated and have been on continuously, causing them to heat up (they are an electro-magnet system) and draining the trailer battery. If you’re hooked to shore power you likely won’t see any battery drain, but the electric emergency breakaway brakes are still ON as long as that pin is out of the socket. If I were in this situation, until you can get the proper replacement cable/pin, you may want to try using a small wooden dowel rod or a piece of wooden popsicle stick CAREFULLY inserted into the switch that would at least open the switch contacts and interrupt the power so the brakes turn off while the trailer is sitting stationary now. And I’m now going to order a cable assembly to keep as a spare just in case. Fastway ZIP 6 Foot Breakaway Cable and Pin 80-01-2206 https://a.co/d/ehXNBSn

Running the AC for 30 minutes won’t do it. These are very well insulated trailers, they heat up quite slowly during the morning, by lunch time they can get really hot inside. If you wait until late evening to run it you won’t get all that built up heat out. You are not just replacing the air inside…. You have to cool the thermal mass of the entire structure between the hulls and its contents: behind the cabinets, the water in the tanks, your personal belongings…. That takes hours. My sister has a 5x7 teardrop and she does what you suggest by opening wide the doors and running the Max Fan after the sun sets. But it has zero insulation. John Davies Spokane WA

Let me expand on this a bit. 1- The AC will drain your Lithium batteries if used for too long, but it won't do it in an hour. 2- A 1000W generator can output a maximum of just over 8 Amps. If you've used 360 amps out of your batteries running the AC for several hours it will take this generator nearly two days to recharge your batteries. 3- LiFePo batteries can take thousands of cycles.

The compressor kicks on and off while running to maintain a reasonably constant temperature. I would expect that every time the AC compressor kicked back on it would overpower the generator, unless the inverter was left on all the time and could take up the slack the generator was unable to provide? Don't know if that is possible or if it would work.

Brian, I used the stock Oliver receiver and have had zero issues. We had the 1.25 insert removed by a local machine shop. Hope this helps! Patriot

because life is

I have an 2016 Elite II. I had the same issue a few years ago. The cause of the problem was a faulty check valve. I eventually replaced it (it’s located in the basement), but was able to use the inlet in the rear of the trailer to fill the tank. You might try that as a temporary work around. You’ll need to re-configure the valves, same as when winterizing.

I'd say the 10 per cent recovery on 340 watts is pretty accurate, in full sun, with 630 ah batteries. When we swapped 200 watts solar for 400, in partial spring shade (buds, no leaves) we could power our 12v danfoss/secop without portable. I took a lot of notes, but I can't find them at the moment. Our truckfridge uses 60 or slightly more ah per day. We can keep up in mostly sun. In shade, or rain, we have to break out the portable panels, or the genset to keep up. ( we only have 2 x 105 ah agm batteries. ) If you do the math, that's acceptable. And, expected. To recharge 630 ah batteries with solar, you'd need a ton more solar. The Ollie rooftop is just not that big. The idea is to give you power when you need it, without worry. Boondocking. Ac for an hour or two, sure. Overnight, I don't think so, as far as replenishing.

Glad my testing has helped! I recently purchased a 200 watt portable panel, but haven’t tested it. I did camp over 10 days in early July, high elevation, so no AC was needed. I had filtered sunlight due to foliage, used anything and everything we wanted, including the convection feature on the microwave, CPAP nightly, just no AC…..after 10 days, we still had 66% of our battery power left.

Look at your valve configuration, and look at your manual. Have you ever filled the water tank, or just used city water, up until now? I'm sure this was covered in orientation, but it's a long day, and a lot to absorb.

This is SUPER helpful and very encouraging as someone taking delivery in FEB and hoping the Victron charger, and slightly better panels will do even better. Still will go with either a Honda or Champion 1800 Watt generator as a backup but hope we can minimize its use. I will be curious to see how it does running at night during sleeping hours for us. The lack of sun gain into this equation should help but of course no sun either during that time period. Sleeping is where we expect to really need AC when its super hot and humid. Thanks for running the test and sending out the info!

Thanks so much for highlighting this in 2022 Owners Manual! I also checked the 2021 manual for my trailer in the Oliver University and that manual has been updated with many electrical layout diagrams. While they are not detailed wiring schematics, they are a big improvement over the blank pages that were in the manual when I received my trailer. Not sure if you newer folks have seen some of the posts, but a lack of electrical schematics in 2020 and later have been the source of many posts & complaints. Looks like somebody at Oliver responded with a compromise. If you do need more detailed wiring schematics, you can refer to the 2019 Owners Manual, which will get you close. You can also put pressure on your Oliver Sales team in advance and request them on behalf of us all.

Or didn't do

Here are our recent experiences with this. For reference, we have the larger lithium package (630 Ah) with the soft-start Dometic A/C and an older Honda EU2000i (2000W surge, 1600W continuous): Dry camping. Weather: low-80s, humid. Trailer solar panels in full sun. Thermostat set to 70 degrees. Started generator at 11:30 AM daily and ran the A/C off the generator until 1:30. This also provided a very small charge to the batteries, enough to replace what we had used overnight. (We limited Xantrex setting #28 to 15A.) Shut the generator off at 1:30 and ran the A/C off the battery bank/solar until 4:30. This depleted it to 70-80% SOC. Shut A/C off at 4:30 and restarted generator. Used microwave, etc. for dinner and batteries were fully charged by 6:30. Our reason to use the A/C on batteries was to spare our neighbors the generator noise during midday. (Most people around us were running their generators around lunch and dinner, too.) So, in those conditions we were able to run A/C on batteries for 3 hours and replenish that in 2 hours with the generator. We used approx. 1 gallon of gas daily in this mode. (Because lithiums take a charge so well, the little generator ran full out while recharging). Our little 2000W Honda did fine running the A/C or charging the batteries, so the original poster's Yamaha should do just as well. However, if we wanted to bulk charge our batteries and run the A/C simultaneously we'd probably need a bigger generator. Hope this helps.

When I pulled into Vinnies there were about 8 Airstreams all lined up for their turn getting the coating. No other campers but Airstreams...and mine was the only Oliver..LOL

I special ordered the 10 mil material directly from XPEL, I think it was a 5x10’ roll, to cover specific areas on our Ollie. I supplied the material to our installer who cut and installed it. I honestly can’t remember exactly what the install cost was for the Ollie. At the time as we also had our TV done, so it was combined price. I would have to review my file. Your best bet is to consider getting an estimate from your local XPEL dealer. I can tell you it’s not cheap. XPEL 10 mil is a special order PPF but it really protects the gel coat when installed properly. Find a really experienced well trained installer that does high end cars and you will likely be happy with his work.

We recently had our new F350 Super Duty completely covered in XPEL 8 mil PPF (paint protection film) and had XPEL’s Ceramic Fusion Plus applied over the PPF. The results are amazing with regard to an amazing shine that pops, shedding water and ease of washing the truck. We have had XPEL PPF installed on all of our cars and trucks over the last decade It’s held up extremely well. We even had areas of the front of our Ollie covered in 10 mil PPF. It’s all about the install. https://www.xpel.com/ceramic-coating-fusion-plus

I've watched a fair number of videos on YouTube done by Long, Long Honeymoon (LOLOHO) about Vinnies. They swear by the guys that Vinnies works with for their ceramic coating and had their Airstream done there. Bill

I've posted this previously, but in case you haven't seen it. We use this hitch with our F350 towing an Elite II. Hitch is rated for 7,500#. This will not work if you have the tongue accessory box on the trailer. Only once have we had a radius turn clearance issue, but it is easily solved by folding the rack up (which can be done with the bikes still loaded), or you can take the bikes off the rack and fold it up, if necessary. Bikes stay relatively clean mounted here. Love the 1up rack! They have been back ordered till ????, like many bike related items, but appears they might be available now. https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hitch-Ball-Mount/Curt/D210.html?feed=npn&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Google | Shop - Trailer Hitch Ball Mount&adgroupid=87631909362&campaignid=1672411804&creative=404001588902&device=c&devicemodel=&feeditemid=&keyword=&loc_interest_ms=&loc_physical_ms=9033074&matchtype=&network=g&placement=&position=&gclid=Cj0KCQjwlOmLBhCHARIsAGiJg7n_j802euDcIl-x6KSaMrvyZn-hx-pLJJ9H28PEt8ZK0_qMt23ZmSQaAguyEALw_wcB