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Yes and yes but consider that: If it's an issue, the resale value of the Dometic PII will be greatly reduced without the CT thermostat and controller. The Dometic A/C model # includes these components so you'd be attempting to sell an incomplete unit. The Dometic CT thermostat is four mode but will only be able to support one off these, the furnace. Using it this way may be confusing for some. The CT thermostat is finicky at best to use, especially in colder months when fingertips are likely to be dry. A replacement digital single-mode thermostat, like a Honeywell or Emerson, will be easier to use and more reliable. From a labor cost prospective, it shouldn't be much more involved to install a replacement thermostat than to remove and reinstall the Dometic controller. I understand that Truma techs will want to take the path of least resistance so as to not exceed the $250 installation coupon, but don't believe this approach will be in your best interest.

What about availability during natural disasters? How did EVs do in central Florida after Ian? Emergency responders and electric company responders needing to charge when the grid was down…. Maybe hybrids are a better solution, best of both worlds?

Foy, you know I'm such a big fan of your work. Every tabletop I see is so beautifully crafted, optimizing the amazing grain. I know you and my dad would have been good friends. He had your eye, and amazing skills, like you. We're so lucky to have you in our group.

I've crafted about a dozen of these tabletops which use the Lagun Table System and Overland mount. There is a fair about of skill and geometry to craft one and that’s what I love about them. Designed to turn your rear twin bed configuration into an office workspace or extra dining area this tabletop offers many configuration options. It comes with the Lagun System and the Overland bed platform mount bracket. Fully open this tabletop offers lots of workspaces or a spacious dining area for two. Able to adjust up & down as well as swing left or right and even pivots to get it just where you need it. Fold up one or both sides for a smaller table that can hold cocktails & snacks or tea for two or just a few good books. Available in Mahogany or Walnut. My current PDF Catalog can be downloaded here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17XFL_5ine1WusHVKYguUBRmkj2KnJUN_/view?usp=sharing

Same here for the main floor in our house (in NC also). The HVAC system keeps the humidity between 45-55% even when the dew points are in the 70s because the AC runs a lot and therefore keeps the moisture at bay. However, we do have to run a dehumidifier along with our HVAC in our basement, as do others I know that have a basement anywhere in the US (basement is cooler and the AC doesn't run enough). As I mentioned in a post above, if you truly want to control BOTH humidity and temperature, then you need both as they are designed for different purposes. There are many articles and research out on the web that state the same.

It does reduce payload, but it's really nice to be able to look ahead for cheaper gas. And, stay on the road longer between gas stops. Amen! Gas Buddy is a wonderful app for long range fuel saving hunts. GJ

Yes. I guess I didn't make that clear. 2 agms, roughly 130 pounds, total, vs. a single battleborn 100 ah, at roughly 30 pounds, would give us almost the same usable amp hours. Big weight reduction. Virtually no change in usable amp hours.

It was nice to run across you, and then again in Alaska. I very much appreciated the tour of your rig, and especially seeing in action your Houghton. I'll not forget the comment I made just as I entered asking if you could turn on the unit and the huge smile you had saying "It's on high!". To all the Oliver Owners... this unit is extremely quiet even on high. This year was a long summer for sure. Total time in our Ollie was over four months. As much fun as it was, we ar glad to be home now. Starting to plan for next year's voyage! GJ

Or a couple of boxes. 🍷

I'll also drink to that 🍸,🍺,🥃!!!

I upgraded to the 2 5/16" Anderson/Bulldog when I purchased my OEII. The next year I upgraded to the newer design. I now have 19,000 miles on my 2 5/16" Anderson ball. I use a spray can of Lubriplate spray white lithium grease on the ball for each hitch up. For me, it is best to wipe off the grease from the ball at each un-hitch to prevent my accidently getting jeans/leg greasy.. We just finished up our 2022 Summer/Fall TX to Alaska voyage (12,709 miles) and found nothing of concern with the ball or hitch. With my 2019 F-150 EB Lariat FX4 we have zero sway worries. That said, I am considering a set of air bags for next year. GJ

What year is your trailer? I just went through this similar situation on my 2017. I found that the jack is grounded through one or two of the mounting bolts to the frame. I noticed that there was rust under two of the stainless washers and found out that Oliver uses steel star washers to cut through the paint on the jack. The shifting load may be moving the jack enough to lose the ground. I ran an actual ground wire to the frame to permanently fix the grounding issue. You may check the bolt tightness and/or add a ground wire.

We have the Houghton and I do find everything in this video to be accurate (I also have data to confirm this). We do use a dehumidifier along with the Houghton to control humidity/dewpoint AND temperature. I think this is normal as an AC unit is specifically made to operate based on temperature (not humidity) and a dehumidifier is made to operate based on humidity (not temperature). I know lots of people in NC that have a dehumidifier in their home and run AC and the dehumidifier to control both humidity and temp. Auto on the Houghton does not stop the fan from running when the compressor is off. I thought it was just circulating the cabin air when the compressor is off, but if it' s mixing in outside air that may be something that could be improved with the design, but it still wouldn't control BOTH humidity and temperature. What I've found works best for us is keeping the temp set at the lowest point (60F) when cooling so the compressor doesn't shut off. The cabin cools quickly and the dewpoint drops dramatically just as quickly. Once we've got the temperature where we want it, we turn off the AC before it starts cycling. The dehumidifier then keeps the dewpoint in check so even if the temperature goes up, it's still "comfortable". If the temperature does get uncomfortable, it means waking up in the middle of the night and running the AC for about 30 minutes to get things comfortable again, but this is rare. On nights when I know it's going to get too hot, I've used the timer function to have the AC come on for 30 minutes in the middle of the night and then shut off again without me having to manually turn it on and off.

It does reduce payload, but it's really nice to be able to look ahead for cheaper gas. And, stay on the road longer between gas stops.

My case is likely one of those posts you refer to. January 2021, I picked up a new Toyota Land Cruiser Heritage Edition that I'd ordered in September; the one and only aspirational vehicle I've ever had. Yes it is crazy expensive for a model with the last major upgrade in 2008, and has practically no bells and whistle that are standard on vehicles 1/3 this price. It doesn't stand out, doesn't say "Look at me!!", and pretty much flies under the radar. It is often mistaken for an older Sequoia or Highlander. But I absolutely love it! It is my only car (other than a non-running 1958 MG in the garage), and the last vehicle I will ever buy. All of the oft quoted detractors are exactly what I want in a vehicle. It'll last 30,000 miles easily on routine maintenance. And I spent way more than I ever should have to get one when it was announced that Toyota would discontinue the Land Cruiser line in North America. And the new Land Cruiser available in the rest of the world now is a technology loaded turbo V6 with questionable reliability. Due to the timing, I bought mine at $9000 under sticker price. I could now easily sell it for $30-40,000 more than that. But I won't, because there's nothing else out there like it. So, yes, I'm looking for a trailer *after* already having a tow vehicle. That's not going to change. And being in our late '60s, I'm not going to get a cheap starter trailer before eventually getting one of the best available. Both of my brothers have gone through umpteen larger trucks and larger trailers; now both with dually diesels and 37' and 41' unwieldy monsters. That's not me. I've been warned. Both @John E Daviesand @mossemi have similar Land Cruisers (albeit both with the 6-speed transmission with a better gear ratio than my 8-speed) and have mentioned the limitations of pulling an Elite II with one. I'm willing to live within those limitations. Will it be a choice that I regret down the road? Maybe. But I'd rather regret it later than not having had the experience of finding out. We will be visiting the Oliver factory and show room sometime during the week of July 10-15. Unless something completely unexpected rears its head (and if I get an all clear on a medical concern), we'll be ordering one.

I worked for a few years in a NF campground and yes, it's true, many people have no idea how unsafe and unmatched their tow vehicle is to their trailer. The inhibiting factor for most people including myself is that people usually have the tow vehicle BEFORE they buy a trailer and end up having eyes bigger than their stomachs! My Tundra would have worked fabulous for my Casita but is right on the hairy edge for my ILOVHER. I can't afford to upgrade at this time, nor are there any trucks available...so I will settle for packing light and ALWAYS using the Andersen...AND of course steering clear of the swaying train wreck trailer combo doing 80mph in front of me!!

We will be in Colorado at the end of October. We will be boondocking on BLM land and there is a chance that we could see snow. What preparations do I need for winter camping? This will be the first time. Thanks in advance for your help, Paul

A lot of EVs were flooded in Florida and are now catching fire due to internal salt water corrosion….. those conflagrations are super difficult to extinguish, and very bad news if they happen to be inside a building at the time. The same is probably happening with all those recently acquired ebikes, though I haven’t read any stories yet. But an ebike battery exploded in a NYC apartment killing some people not too long ago. The problem with the cheap models is that they use crappy batteries and chargers, unlike the ones from Bosch or Yamaha. I am very leery of all my lithium batteries, I keep them isolated in the garage as best I can. I think my wife’s new Bosch ebike battery is going to stay in the house over the winter, but I am going to keep it inside a ceramic pot. …. https://electricbikereview.com/forums/threads/fireproof-battery-bag.27254/ John Davies Spokane WA

While there are situations like a cold damp basement where only a dehumidifier will work to remove excessive moisture, that's not what's happening in the video from the original post. Their issue is undoubtedly due to short cycling of an oversized unit. They have a 13.5k unit in a 10 1/2 long insulated truck camper which will never run long enough under the conditions they're in to keep humidity in check. Eventually, VRF (variable refrigerant flow) systems like those used in residential mini splits will be available for RV's and will virtually eliminate these humidity issues. There are currently wall mounted units available that are rated for 13k that have the ability to throttle down to 2.5k automatically based on temp/humidity settings.

After reading most of the post on here, I feel many purchase tow vehicles and then go find a trailer that works for them, which is what I would call doing it in reverse. I started pulling travel trailers some 40 years ago. I worked for a Chevrolet Dealer and we sold many Suburban's with 454 engines, 3.73 rear axles and it was the vehicle of choice for the Airstream, Avon, Silver Streak, crowd. I finally purchased a Suburban 454 and it towed wonderful, Wolf Creek Pass was not even an issue and we got 8 mpg with, or with out the trailer, towing was a non issue. So for me today I still want a vehicle that can tow, I actually think there's more safety in power, them less power. So for those who want to skimp on a tow vehicle I feel you are not really thinking it through, your either looking at a tow vehicle size, yes 1/2 ton pickups are large, cost of the tow vehicle, or just don't understand what works safely. I think many on this forum have given good comments on what works and what doesn't, but what about those who read them, them do what they want to anyway. My favorite thing is walking around the campsites and see rigs and wonder how they got here with there setup, obviously the tow vehicle doesn't match the trailers size. PS, and no I don't want another 454 Suburban. trainman

Costco, Kirkland 😄

I think another part of the equation is that rv ac systems are probably designed for the typical drafty, uninsulated stick-built trailers and motor homes. They're almost expected to run more or less continuously in high heat and humidity. At least the Houghton is quiet. I think it's set up to run on a 2 degree differential, like most,, and I've not found a way to change it. @CRM, point well taken on the humidity absorbed by textiles, etc. At least the Oliver walls and furniture, other than cushions, can be wiped down and don't absorb excess humidity. During the evening and night, though, we all tend to add humidity. Showers, cooking, and breathing add a bunch, even when we run exhaust fans. Since I can't hold my breath all night, I'll live with it. 😅 (pun intended) I'll look forward to reports in the Truma. Home ac systems are designed for a single climate zone. Rv systems have to be a compromise...

In Michigan you can postpone jury duty one time for any reason. Sorry you missed the show.😏

Thanks, i did it yesterday with this diagram and everything is working good!

@Roger P, this diagram is correct and what I used for our 2020 Elite II (Hull #688) - even though we don't have the older "recalled" wiring, so I suspect it's correct for you as well UNLESS Oliver has changed refrigerator models. I tried to take some close up pictures of my wiring but it's just too difficult to see things since I've bundled and tie-wrapped all the wires. I spliced the green wire into that green jumper wire between terminals 1 and 3, but you could also use terminal 4. Anything that's ground / negative works. I hope the buzzing from the ARP doesn't mean you accidently hooked the green wire to a positive 12v feed. Best of luck getting your fridge defender installed!

Up to around 150 continuous amps, a single 100 amp hour LiFePO4 battery can take all the current you can throw at it. The PD chargers in our Oliver’s put out 45-60 amps depending on how old your trailer is. The limiting factor here is the wire size going from the charger to the batteries. You can’t necessarily just add a higher output charger without considering the wiring too. The Xantrex 3000 watt inverter/charger has a maximum 150 amp output. FYI: AGM batteries should not be charged at a rate greater than 25% of their stated battery capacity. The battery capacity is indicated by Ah (amp hour).

SeaDawg, We reduced our batteries from 2 AGMs weighing 134 pounds to 1 lithium weighing 31 pounds. We just returned from a three night camping trip at a COE campground with electric and water at the site. Turned the onboard 12V battery charger off when we arrived and did not turn it back on until the morning we headed home. We operated lights, TV, everything that runs off of 12V and the lithium battery was down to 50% on the morning of departure. Normally it takes about an hour to charge the lithium battery from 70% to 100% with the onboard PD 4045 charger powered by shore power or a Honda 2000 gen-set. We have the Dometic three way refrigerator. Only operate it on gas or 120V. If we had a compressor refrigerator, would probably want at least two 100AH lithium batteries, for poor solar days. That modification might gain weight, something I don’t want to do, keeping Ollie’s weight low. Guessing the compressor refrigerator is lighter than the Dometic 3 way refrigerator. Experimenting right now with charging the 100AH lithium with two 100W suitcase solar panels. May buy a MPPT charge controller next. Will see! Thanks!

@rideandfly, we keep looking at this, too. We have 2x 105 ah deka/east penn agms in our elite, roughly 130 pounds. A single 100 ah battleborn (29 pounds?) would give us equivalent usable amp hours, and cut the weight significantly, and not really cost a lot more, considering the projected life. Probably the same, per amp hour per year. (We typically get 5 to 8 years from agms.) Would cost less if we caught a sale. And, we could double our usable amp hours, with 2 batteries, for a price... We debate often if we "need" it, or just "want" the extra hours. We camp pretty simply, without a lot of electricity consumption, but the dc danfoss/secop electric fridge does consume some significant amp hours. We're hoping for another season or two on the agms, before we have to decide. Current agms appear to be healthy, so, we'll see. In your case, I think you made the perfect choice. 👌

@CRM, I agree. And, I think Ll the Houghton units have dehumidifier mode. (My understanding of that mode, from a friend in the marine industry, is that it's usually a mild ac mode, with low fan setting.) I'm quite sure the 9500 is enough for our smaller Elite. Especially since we rarely camp in high heat. The original 13500 dometic on our Elite would freeze us out in a hurry. Way overkill.

Their humidity problem is undoubtedly being caused by either the unit being oversized (my guess) or they aren't running it in dehumidifying mode or low speed fan setting (if that unit has such features) while operating in humid conditions.

My new propane leak detector has a seriously intense green spot that lit up the front half of the cabin at night, plus it created a bunch of green dot reflections. There is no reason for it to be so much like a miniature sun! I applied a single 1/4” square dim dot on top: Much better, but there is nothing that can be done about the disbursed green glow inside the unit. I added two round dots to my inside-the-window Furion radio antenna to cover that miniature red sun. https://lightdims.com/index.php Highly recommended to dim your interior! I have to use a sharp knife to pry them up, mine don’t simply peel off. My small pack came with a larger full sheet of material that can be cut to whatever shape you want. John Davies Spokane WA

Oops. Thanks for the catch. See what I get for speed reading with too little caffeine... I fixed my post. I think I now understand why the folks in the video might have run theirs on high... when it made no sense to me...

I was just passing along BattleBorns Marketing info, I’m not an electrical expert and cannot vouch for their data. Apologies if this was taken otherwise. Perhaps I don’t understand, but I think your comment above is valid if you interpret their performance claim as the rate of charge. I interpret the performance claim of 5x faster refers to the charge efficiency, ie the time to bring a discharged battery up to a full charge. From what I’ve read, for any charge current (amps), a LiFePOH battery can fully charge up to 4x faster time than a comparable capacity AGM. That depends on many factors of course. Is this incorrect? If so, please explain. This detail is a huge benefit to those of us who dry camp and rely on our solar panels to recharge.

Not sure which lithium batteries you have. I’ve been considering upgrading my lead acid wet cell batteries to lithium and have been looking at manufacturers specs. The BattleBorn lithiums state a 100% usable depth of discharge (see data sheet). The battery has its own built in battery management system to protect it from damage. I’d probably never go that low, all the way to 0%, but nice to know it’s not a problem if it ever does happen.

As always, follow your manufacturer's instructions, but you can take lithiums down much farther than lead-acid or AGM. Usually down to around 10% is acceptable. The Lithionics manual is in Oliver University.

Split this off to its own topic. For those of you who would like to read their comments, here's a plain text link to this video on their channel, which may make it easier for you. https://youtu.be/nrvLZilFvnQ As someone who lives in a high humidity area (coastal Florida), I would definitely say that running the a/c fan on high instead of auto is not recommended, in our homes, @SteveCr. That, along with weak batteries in the remote, probably contributed to their issues. Let's see what their followup video shows. She didn't have a comparison with the old ac, as it was their first time camping in Florida ( i think that was in comments.) We've not used our Houghton ac sleeping in our little camper overnight, so I can't comment on its performance with humidity that we generate cooking, breathing, and showering.

For those of us who are dog lovers, IKEA has rubber coat hooks which are normally hung with a screw but a command strip will also stick it securely to gelcoat. I put one up near the bathroom door as a coat/leash holder. https://www.amazon.com/Ikea-Hooks-Mounted-Hanger-Green/dp/B01G69TM84/ref=mp_s_a_1_9?crid=1LYH4THAC7HLH&keywords=ikea+dog+tail+hooks+for+wall&qid=1664730182&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIyLjk0IiwicXNhIjoiMi40NCIsInFzcCI6IjIuMzkifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=ikea+dog%2Caps%2C240&sr=8-9

Referring back to the OP, I couldn't agree more. I am of the persuasion one cannot have enough tow vehicle, well within reason but like @Trainman have all too often seen people with poorly setup outfits from undersized tow vehicles to the actual hitching of the trailer, ie nose pointing extremely down or vice versa back down nose up. I would also bet dollars to donuts a large percentage of people towing campers are completely unaware of their towing/load capacity with and without weight distribution hitches. Regardless it never ceases to amaze me how people want to utilize the least amount of tow vehicle they can get away with for their respective camper vs a safely adequate or even overkill tow vehicle. Several years ago on the Fiberglass RV forum this same subject came up which resulted in somewhat heated debates at times. Apparently there is a Canadian company who regularly outfits small TV's with larger trailers claiming if done correctly the smaller TV is much safer and had videos to illustrate their POV. One video illustrated a Mini Cooper pulling an Airstream and not the Basecamp model either, I'm not making this up. A couple of years later my wife and I were camping down below Moab on some BLM land close to another couple with Tacoma pulling a 25 Flying Cloud Airstream, again I'm not making this up. They were full timers to boot, although this was their first year at it. Very nice people, we enjoyed chatting with them but have often thought of them and their setup wondering if anything has changed. At one point in the conversation the lady said they tend to do 45 mph while traveling. Curiously the fellow made a somewhat bold statement claiming Tacoma's were all superior to Tundras. Odd even to this day Tacoma's still have drum brakes (the last time I checked) on their rear wheels vs disc brakes. Part II of towing is also being able to stop, sometimes in emergency situations. In an effort to be polite we made no response or comments. Perhaps this begs the question though, should there be more stringent traffic or DOT laws that govern and police towing safety guidelines? It certainly appears to be that way with commercial transportation. Thanks

Since Tundras are being discussed, I thought I’d put my two centavos in. We have a 2008 with the 5.7l engine and tow package. I got it to pull a boat which probably weighed 8000 pounds or so including trailer. The boat was wider and longer then the Ollie II. The truck never cracked a sweat though I didn’t enjoy pulling something that big, hopping curbs in filling stations, etc. With our current trailer - Casita 17, I can almost forget its back there. We have hull 1227 coming in August and I intend to start out with the Tundra. I’ve owned Fords, Chevies, and Dodge pickup/service trucks. The Tundra has been, hands down, the most reliable and comfortable truck that I’ve owned. We do spend a lot of time out here in the West with mountain passes, etc. and we are getting the Anderson sway hitch. I am a cautious driver and go slow. That being said if the truck doesn’t seem to be a good fit, we’ll do something different but I hope to get a few more years out of it 🙂. After all I’m 68 and the boss hasn’t traded me in, yet.

My 2020 is a V8 and is ok for the ILOVHER but has a few bells and whistles (including a 36 gallon fuel tank) which lowers its payload to a paltry 1300# and that makes it a bit difficult when going on extended trips.

I would think your Tundra could handle an Oliver just fine, is it a V6, or V8. I think the new Tundra's are only offering a V6 now, not sure about that, but the new V6 is probably a Turbo and has plenty of torque just like the F-150 Ford pickup. We also had a Casita before our Oliver and we towed it with a Honda Ridgeline and it did just find, wish I could have used it with the Oliver. trainman

Ah, memories. My dad had an International Travelall that we used to tow a 27' Holiday Rambler travel trailer. I remember "vapor lock" well. It was my Dad's nemesis, much like the furnace was for the dad in the Christmas Story movie.

When we picked up our Oliver elite, February 2008, we towed it back to Florida with a 2004 Volvo xc90. Probably 70 to 80 per cent of rated capacity, and it did fine in flats, struggled a bit in the hills. But, it was fine , for that trip. We used it a few more times, for short and local trips. It was not a mountain vehicle. Did that once, only. I'd not buy a vehicle under rated for what we often do (mountains, severe elevation changes), but hey, if you're towing mostly short trips without major elevation changes, within tow ranges, what's the opinion? Plus, an enjoyable daily driver with decent mileage? (Not to mention, fun daily driver?) Sometimes, it's nice to use what you have, multi purpose. Not stretching, too much. Been there, done that.

I replaced our three interior courtesy lights with red ones. There is no white light leaking around the cover like with the colored films. They're almost a drop in replacement, the smaller screws that come with the red lights work better because there is a small difference in the spacing. It helps a lot to preserve night vision and navigating without waking others. When I went to replace the exterior courtesy lights I found they are riveted so I used this red film for astronomy events. I've also used this amber film on the upper exterior lights to reduce the brightness and attract fewer insects. The Lamin-X film is thicker and darker and more durable then others I've tried. I'll post photos when I find them.

That does make sense to me because of the remote control, which I use quite a bit. Much like turning a tv on and off by the remote, the tv is always on in the standby mode. So now I have to ask this question, when you turn the stereo off by a long press of the button on the face plate can you still use the remote to turn it on? Mossey

There are a number of these marine 12 volt dimmer switches available (like THESE on Amazon). In my 2017 Elite II I had the switch mounted just aft of the secondary set of cabin switches on the curb side above the bed. My dimmer has a "on/off" button, a "+" and a "-" button (for increasing light or decreasing light). It has worked great except that it is wired such that ALL lights - both interior and exterior - are dimmed or brightened by this switch. This means that if I want to have the interior lights dimmed I also get the exterior lights dimmed - such as the courtesy lights outside. There are times when this is desirable but it would be nice to be able to control these separately. I'm certain that this means that the dimmer was placed on the main "positive supply" line that runs to the main switch panel near the front door. Since I had Service do the install I'm not certain as to the way the wiring was done. However, I doubt very seriously that this was difficult and I do know that there is a main bundle of wires that run under the black mat inside the cubbies that extends from the attic all the way up to the front door. I would guess that the most difficult part of this install would be to cut the hole for the dimmer - that fiberglass is tough! I'll post pictures when I get my home computer repaired - hopefully tomorrow. Bill note: This dimmer switch does nothing for those LED's that are on the radio, fridge, TV, etc. that JD originally posted about. Here are those pics:

Wow! That is Tip of the Month in my opinion. I was laying in my bunk last night looking at the glowing red power button on that audio system and decided I hated it too. I just long pressed the power button and….blackness. Lesson learned, read the manual. Thank you JD!

One slightly off topic comment….. for five camping seasons I have been hating the back lighting on my Furrion radio head. The normal mode is very bright, when I switched it OFF by pressing the POWER button It dimmed a little and showed the time. I have been pulling the circuit breaker for it sometimes….. until I finally read the @#$&* operating manual, a week ago. Does a long press sound like a logical design? Not to me. But now the display goes completely black when I turn it off. John Davies Spokane WA

I agree. Why? Wish they'd all auto dim at night, but the stickers look to be a good help. My husband is never bothered, but I am. He says my eyelids must be thin, lol. I hated even the lights on the panel of the previous dometic fridge. I don't know if they woke me up, but they sure kept me awake. I sometimes resorted to a towel over them. Thanks for the link.

Let me see - wind, rain, hail, sand, dirt, bugs, gloom of night, harsh sun, tree sap, repeat (not necessarily in that order) - what could go wrong? "harsh chemicals" - define please. For what its worth, I don't usually consider anything that I can leave my unprotected hand in for an hour unduly "harsh". But, then again, you should see my hands 😁. "power washer" - do they mean that poor pathetic electric power washer or the 5,000 psi job that will take your skin off? In any case - is it ever wise to use a power washer of virtually any sort on electrical equipment? I wash my solar panels with the same stuff I use for the rest of the Ollie and for my cars and for my truck. I don't see any difference. But, then again, my eyes are getting to be a lot like my hands 😇. Bill