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Showing content with the highest reputation on 02/04/2023 in all areas

  1. I think that fan has a 2 year warranty. I’m guessing from your hull number it is a 2021. Depending on when you bought your trailer, you may be eligible to replace it if necessary. See the manual, it’s easy to remove.
    7 points
  2. On my OE2 if I have closed the drain valve for travel, I and use the kitchen sink, it will fill the shower drain P-trap and overflow water into the shower drain pan. That resulted in my FIRST wet socks experience.
    4 points
  3. I took advantage of the solar tax credit on my 2021 taxes. I used the total amount of the solar package option on my build sheet (solar panels, no inverter and standard Lead-acid batteries). I also purchased 3 BattleBorn 100AH batteries, and a 140W Zamp portable suitcase system. All were purchased in 2021, but not at the same time. Rather than use a tax professional, which I guessed might be reluctant to sign off on it, I tried Turbo Tax Deluxe, since my taxes are very simple. TT Deluxe returns are reviewed by a tax expert and they guarantee accuracy and will provide legal assistance if audited. Like John W. and others, I figured worse case, I pay it back. To my surprise, Turbo Tax walked me right through the credit with simple questions, which I answered honestly. I received the credit, and have not been audited. Just throwing this option out there for consideration.
    3 points
  4. Hi Bryan, Carrie and I picked up out E2 in early December. I have towed several trailers and boats. Our last trailer was a similar sized Black Series HQ15. We were amazed at how well the E2 towed. Easier and better towing characteristics than any of our previous experiences. The E2 is a bit narrower and not as tall as the HQ15. I believe the contours of the E2 also help a lot. We had a long drive back to Idaho with a lot of snow across Nebraska and Wyoming. We also had a lot of cross winds 30-40 MPH. We never experienced and sway. The E2 towed perfectly. I have done similar drives in similar conditions with the HQ15 and it was quite a different experience. A lot of sway if you didn't keep your MPH lower with the HQ15. The E2 is also much easier to maneuver in tight spaces and backing up the the HQ15 was. Good luck! Kirk
    3 points
  5. I put a REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT keychain on the bathroom faucet handle when I close the valve before travel. Too many wet socks... 1x Remove Before Flight Red Key Chain by Apex Imports(1 Pack) https://a.co/d/2OxwnZE
    3 points
  6. AND - Review all of the threads in the "Mods" section here on the Forum. Bill
    2 points
  7. I assume that you have put in a Service ticket? Bill
    2 points
  8. Thank you. I was thinking the same thing about the weather. We’ll be driving over the mountains there and back. It’s about a 9 or 10 hour drive for us. We’ll take I40 all the way to Nashville, before heading south to Hohenwald. I was considering taking a more northly route (I81 and I77) on the way back, but perhaps not. We are planning to take the factory tour and camp at the Oliver campground after we take delivery. I’ll be sure to post some pictures when we get home.
    2 points
  9. Thank you. The email we got stated they would send pictures as the trailer went through the various stages of production, but perhaps they’ll just be stock pictures. We’ve been keeping a TODO list since we ordered and checking items off (and adding new ones!) as we complete them.
    2 points
  10. Well, she may be a "vintage" Oliver Elite with almost 140,000 miles, but she's had a NEW upgrade to her list of many, many improvements over the years. Following ScubaRX's template from 2017, with some minor modifications, the old tired drum brakes have been retired to the history bin and have been replaced with disk brakes. Woohooooooo . . . Took her for a test run today and I'm very pleased with the result. If anyone is near San Antonio and desires the same modification (5200 lb axles required) contact Ron at Boerne RV - Eight 30 - 8 one 6 - 388 three and he will take good care of you.
    1 point
  11. Thanks Kirk, that's good to hear. Glad you got back home safely.
    1 point
  12. DO NOT TRY TO CHARGE THE BATTERIES IF THEY ARE BELOW FREEZING. You will need to change the charge settings in the Xantrex. Specifically, Setting #28. Leave the batteries off. Make sure the Xantrex inverter is off (button out). Start the genny. Connect your generator to the ground plug. Connect the trailer. Change the Xantrex setting #28 to 15 amps (see Xantrex manual). Turn your batteries on. It will take a while. if you leave the Xantrex setting at the factory default it will try to pull 25 amps from your small generator and trip the circuit breaker. It would be better if you could recharge via a 30 amp shoreline connection.
    1 point
  13. I would be very careful with completely dead lithiums, most likely they shut down safely, but maybe not. Refer to their manual and take your time. Your generator probably has a set of DC charging cables with big alligator clips, you can hook them to the batteries directly and they will basically bypass everything inside the trailer. Once they take enough charge, they should wake up by themselves to allow you to charge them from the onboard unit. Alternatively remove and transport them elsewhere to be charged individually. The BIG question is, why are they dead? You can raise the jacks manually, you should have received a Zee shaped tool…. John Davies Spokane WA
    1 point
  14. "I'm going to file an amended tax return (using that form) and the very worse that could happen is it could be refused... but based on common sense (it's still makes a good argument) and with enough persons that have already successfully done so, I don't think our tax credit will be denied." Thanks Dave or Kimberly for your post. It makes sense to me that the whole amount could be used for the basis of claiming the 30%. The point about whether or not it would be excluded because the batteries CAN be charged via shore power and the converter shouldn't matter. What about people that only boondock and never plug in? I plan to claim the whole amount also. If the IRS says no, then I could appeal. Nothing to lose if I try, but if I don't, then I could be giving them $3000+ that they shouldn't have. John
    1 point
  15. Notice they trailers are nose to tail, so it is a pretty and artificial photo set. And no wear on the decks…. Maybe because they are just resting haphazardly on fresh cut grass and not real. Or is that AstroTurf? I did promise not to say anything negative, so this is as far as I go. I hope everyone is having a great weekend. John Davies spokane WA
    1 point
  16. Wow, wood decks, not concrete, or dirt. trainman
    1 point
  17. There is supposed to be a tag on the rear of the axle with the model number on it. If your tag is missing, as mine was, look at the flange where the brake assembly mounts to the axle. If you have 4 bolts in a square pattern they're 3500# axles, and if you have 5 bolts in a in a circular pattern they're 5200# axles.
    1 point
  18. We were heading south on interstate 65 in Alabama yesterday south of Birmingham and a new Oliver passed us. Welcome to the group. We love ours.
    1 point
  19. We had a cracked bathroom exterior fan cap that that would drip water on the shower floor when raining. Did you drive through rain when the water appeared?
    1 point
  20. I have just investigated this very point: Can we file for a tax credit in regards to the solar panels, inverter and batteries for a newly purchased Oliver. I was extremely skeptical of the claims (in Oliver Trailer Owners FaceBook group). In the discussion, I think everyone was an Oliver owner. One was a licensed CPA with much experience and had researched the tax codes specific to the very questions that Oliver owners were asking. In addition, there were at least three that had successfully filed (under the advice of professional CPA's) and received their credit for everything (Panels, inverter and batteries) in 2020 and 2021. I (like some of you) found in the code where the batteries could be included only if they were used exclusively to store solar energy. This was the sticking point of the persons like me that felt it might not be possible, because we can also plug into shore power and charge our batteries. The Tax code is always lagging behind new technology and the common sense fact that no solar panel system can work without having a storage system as part of it. Beginning 1/1/2023 the batteries were clarified and can now be included. Tax code is written and when there are conflicts, CPA's and lawyers will argue and then precedent is established as courts make findings. There was much ambiguity from 2020, 2021,2022. There was (in the discussions) numerous persons confirmed that their CPA's were advising Oliver Owners to claim everything (panels, inverter and batteries), and the several that have successfully done so and received their tax credits. In addition, the IRS rules have already clarified this "sticking" point going forward in 2023. In all these discussions there were a least a couple that were going to file their personal taxes this weekend (using their trusted CPA) and I hope to hear back from them if there is any new info that comes out of it. Another point that came out of the discussions is that there is no concern with claiming an Oliver as a "2nd home". Prior years the credit was 26%, in 2022 it is 30% and I think 2023 goes back to 26% also. With a brand new Oliver, where the cost for the solar panels, the inverter and the batteries is very easy to itemize (because Oliver spells it out on your invoice)... capturing the total cost is easy. In our case it is $9,500 for the Lithium Pro package... and the sales tax of 7.25% my total cost was $10,189 times a 30% tax credit should equal $3,058. The form that needs to be filled out is Tax Form 5695 (Residential Energy Credit). I'm going to file an amended tax return (using that form) and the very worse that could happen is it could be refused... but based on common sense (it's still makes a good argument) and with enough persons that have already successfully done so, I don't think our tax credit will be denied.
    1 point
  21. Thank you. We downsized a few years ago in preparation for retirement. Still have a few more years before that happens. I haven’t towed anything in a while and never anything as heavy as the LE2, so I suspect we’ll keep our travels close to NC until I get proficient at towing again and accustomed to its features. Good luck with your Oliver and hope to see you out on the road.
    1 point
  22. Yes, it is possible to add solid metal mounts between the hulls without cutting up the fiberglass, I know because I did it. My trailer came stock with the solar panels already attached. However, back in 2021, my solar panels got damaged and the mounts got bent. Thankfully, it was only the solar panels and their associated mounts that got damaged; the fiberglass was perfect. I attempted to take off the mount by unscrewing the bolts, but they just turned in place. I would have hoped the factory would have permanently attached the nuts to the underside plate, but they did not. I called the factory and spoke with someone (don't remember who, it was almost two years ago though) who advised the only way to get old mounts off was to either cut into the inner fiberglass hull to get a wrench on the nut, or to try and cut off the bolt from the top. Furthermore, I was advised to attach new mounts with hardware, I would still need to cut into the inner hull. I detested the idea of cutting into the inner hull, and so I found a way around it. I took off the MaxxFan which is only held on by four screws to its mount. This allows access to view the area between the hulls. You'll notice when you do this, the factory epoxied a plastic PVC spacer around the perimeter of the MaxxFan. You'll need to drill a hole in this and it will allow access to the space between the two hulls. I bought a cheap borescope off Amazon with a long extension wire. This allowed me to view the nuts and plates used by the factory. I used a piece of metal bar and duct taped a wrench to it. I was then able to insert the metal bar and carefully manuever the wrench around the nut. Then with a friend's help, he unscrewed the bolt from the top side. I had put some duct tape around the bottom of the wrench which thankfully stuck to all 8 nuts, allowing me to remove them (I put new duct tape on each time. Now, on my hull #220, which is a 2017 model, the factory had not permanently attached underside plate. In fact, they didn't even use a high quality set up, they only used some Fiamma awning metal plate spacer for each solar mount; it looked terribly pathetic, and they weren't even epoxied to the underside of the outer hull. They just fell down when the nuts were removed. To remove them, I duct taped a magnet to my metal bar and dragged them out one by one. Now, the dilemna was how to attach the new solar mounts without cutting up the inner fiberglass hull. Here's what I did: I sourced some 410 stainless steel that was a 1/4 inch thick. The factory had used screw and nuts for 1/4 x 20 threads, which results in a nut thickness of around a 1/4 inch. I used 410 stainless steel because it magnetic which would allow me to use a magnet to grab it if it wasn't in the right place. I cut the stainless steel to around 2 or 2 1/2 inches wide and around 3 to 4 inches long. This mimicked the Fiamma metal plates the factory used, except my steel was thicker and stronger. I then paid a machinist to drill and tap the metal plates for 1/4 x 20 threads. I also added an eye bolt and put a string through it so I could easily drag the plate back if necessary. You can see the plates in the above picture. You can also the Fiamma plates the factory used on the middle right of the picture. To get the plate in position between the hulls was tricky to figure out, but ended up being easy to attach once I figured it out. I put two pieces of string down each hole for each mount. Prior to putting the string down, I attached a piece of metal. I then inserted my magnet on the metal rod, which connected to the metal on the string, and I was able to drag the string to the opening I made at the MaxxFan. I then threaded the string through the holes in the metal plate. I then dragged the strings from the top of the outer hull, which put the plate right underneath the old holes for the old mount. To attach the mount, I took a 1/4 x 20 threaded brass screw and drilled it out so it was hollow inside. I then put the string through the hollow bolt. While pulling tight on the strings, I threaded the hollow brass bolt into the stainless steel plate. Once that was attached, I used screws and attached the other side of the plate. I then removed the hollow bolt and attached another regular bolt. I know I'm not describing this very well, but I thankfully made a few cellphone videos when I did it back. I never bothered to make it into a youtube video, but I have Saturday and Sunday off, and I'll turn my old footage into a quick clip and upload it Sunday. Once you see the video it'll all make sense. The end result I was able to attach new solar panels and mounts, with underlying metal plates, all without drilling into the inner fiberglass hull like the factory told me to do. The only cutting I did was to the spacer around the MaxxFan, which is easy to repair and is completely hidden by the MaxxFan trim. Anyway, I'll post the link to my Youtube video on Sunday.
    1 point
  23. It goes surprisingly fast. Nice to get yours in the Spring so you can start using it asap. We got ours in November. John
    1 point
  24. Woohoo! Don't use up all the parts. Ours is six days behind you. 😉 It's gonna be a long 50 days!!
    1 point
  25. Bryan, we have an LE2 and find it's easier to back up than our smaller tent trailer that we had before. The shorter the distance from the hitch ball to the tires of the trailer, the harder it is to back up. At least that's what I experienced. I think you made a good choice. Ours tows very easily behind our Ford Expedition. Congrats on your upcoming trailer. John
    1 point
  26. I suggest that you investigate flexible panels that can be bonded directly to the gel coat. There are pros and cons - such as they transmit heat to the mounting surface and they can scratch - but they are WAY lighter than flat glass panels , don’t look bad, and don’t create any aero drag. I believe they have been obtaining better efficiency ratings in the last few years. https://news.energysage.com/flexible-solar-panels/ At least run that by Oliver Service to get their feedback. I love my panels but IMHO they are beyond ugly on an Ollie. John Davies Spokane WA
    1 point
  27. Congrats, the next two months will fly by! We will be in Hohenwald next week taking delivery of ours and are excited to be joining the Oliver club!
    1 point
  28. Now the countdown really starts. Deciding what to buy to outfit the Ollie and then the planning for where to go first, second ....... Watch the weather in March when you pickup, but it looks like you do not have far to travel. It is always a good idea to spend a couple days at the Oliver campsite or nearby camping area where you can operate everything which will likely give way to more questions and maybe even require Oliver to make a few adjustments. Happy Travels and send us some pictures of your new baby.
    1 point
  29. Hi Brian and Sondra, Chris and Stacie Neuhaus here from Indiana. Exciting to know they are "breaking ground" on your new home away from home. I know you guys must be feeling the excitement build. The folks at Oliver are a joy to work with, almost like family. They make the whole experience a lot of fun. We are feverishly working on a total remodel of a very small retirement home we bought a couple years ago. The plan is to live in a very small house out in the country that will require minimal upkeep and free up time for travel and exploring seasonally. I'm getting to the end of the project just in time to move in and anticipate the arrival of our Oliver. We ordered our LE2 in November and have a start date in early March and delivery is scheduled for April 19. We struggled for a number of years ourselves with the type of travel trailer we wanted for retirement, but in our case we thought we needed room for toys. We've become more realistic in the last year and finally knew the LE2 was really perfect for the type of travel and camping we wanted to do during retirement. Thanks for sharing and we look forward to crossing paths and getting to know you and everyone in the Oliver family in the years ahead.
    1 point
  30. I'm sure that there was no water in the sink before departure. After looking at the auto drain drawing, simply a typical gate valve with a motor and rack gear, I suspect that the gate was either not completely closed or there was some small amount of debris preventing it from sealing. What I should have done was to not open the valve immediately after finding the water in the shower pan and see if the water would seep back into the tank on it's own over time. I can certainly do that test but I won't be able to do a "slosh test" as the rig is now winterized ( and it's going to be -4 degrees soon ☹️).
    1 point
  31. There is one more possibility - If you were on rough roads and/or took turns too sharply - it is possible that water from the toilet came out of the bowl, particularly if you had the bowl full before you hit the road.🤢 Bill
    1 point
  32. If the gate won’t let water drain it won’t let water back up into the shower drain. I agree with Andrew, you may have run water in the sink after closing the gate. That’s the only source of water in the bath. Hydraulic pressure won’t do it. We’ve traveled thousands of miles with a nearly full gray tank, never any issues. Running water with the gate closed causes issues everytime, mostly wet socks and wet bath rug. Mike
    1 point
  33. Hey Gang.... Just wanted to put this out there. I have a 2016 F-150 as a TV for my LE2. At 50k miles I had a fault in the module that controlled the louvers for the turbo.... at 93k I had a fault in the hill control descent feature which turn out to be a bad electronic throttle body. Both times I got the flashing error with a bong bong bong warning and a complete loss of power. The power steering and brakes still worked but the only option was to coast to the side of the road and attempt a re-start. The 50k event happened when I was only about a half mile from home and was able to limp it home. The 93k event happened once then it was ok then again until a few thousand miles later... then finally it happened continually and I had it towed to a Ford dealership. Adding insult to injury, both Ford dealerships that I could get to were booked out weeks. So, I was without my truck for a solid month. Plus it was 2k the first time and 1400 just this week. Fortunately, this never happened while I was towing my Oliver. But it got me thinking.... How common is this in modern trucks? They are all controlled by computers. You never know when some module somewhere is going to go on the fritz and strand you. Hopefully never while you are on a trip, or while towing, especially up a mountain road with no shoulder. So why am I telling you all this...? Well, I would like to know if anyone has had a similar event with their TV.. or am I the only unlucky one. But also.... Not a bad idea to keep in mind that this can happen and you may have to get to the shoulder of the road on very short notice. At least if you are aware that this is a possibility, you might react quick enough to prevent getting stuck in the middle of a highway or in some other really bad place. It's fixed for now, and we are planning a spring trip to Canada.... Hopefully no more unpleasant surprises. Thanks for listening, Scotty
    0 points
  34. Has anyone had their bathroom exhaust fan malfunction? Mine was running then suddenly made a grinding type noise and stopped running. Looks like the fan may have come off of the motor. Any ideas on how to repair this? Thank you, Hal 790
    0 points
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