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There normally shouldn’t be any odor. As suggested, check all the vent pipe connections, and you may also want to pull up the toilet and see if the mounting flange is broken. We had an odor issue and traced it to a broken toilet mounting flange that was creating a small leak into the hull area under the bathroom floor and onto the top of the black tank. Oliver uses an all plastic toilet mounting flange that seems prone to breakage. I replaced it with a metal ring toilet flange. Problem solved, no more odor. Fortunately we only use the camper toilet for #1. #2 is done at campground facilities or roadside rest stops, so the clean up and repair wasn’t too disgusting.

The tank vent pipe runs through the closet. It may be damaged/leaking fumes and/or not connected through the roof properly. There should be no odor.

I have heard that Oliver did a lot of different things in the “old’n days”, but of course I wasn’t around then! Mossey

No comment! Mossey

It is a PORTABLE panel, I did not want to restrict its use to just the trailer. For example I could power my truck battery or help some other person in need. With an automatic transmission, you can’t bump start the truck with a failed battery, I am pretty paranoid about shutting it off in the back of nowhere and then finding that it won’t turn over. I do carry a portable jump start box (Viking from Harbor Freight - most excellent). The solar gives me the opportunity to keep the truck battery topped up when, for example, I am operating my portable PCP (airgun) air compressor off its terminal. Portable means portable. I do some strange things sometimes, contrary to mainstream ideas, but usually there is some sort of valid reasoning behind it. John Davies Spokane WA

"will be" You mean she doesn't cuss about it already?😇

I pray for you, Anita, in the name of Jesus, that your pain would diminish, your procedures be guided by the hand of God, that your recovery is swift, and that you are restored to even an improved and stronger physical condition than before. Amen.

@MnM I have been thinking about buying the Honda EU3200i since it was announced last year. So today I placed an order for one from our local Northern Tool. NT does not stock these on the shelf in store as it’s considered a special order item. It was well worth the $250 savings for me to go to the store and receive my 10% Veterans discount. This brought the final price down to $2502.00 including tax OTD. I like doing business with NT and I like Honda products. They have served me well over the years. I have also been in contact with www.hutchmountain.com and was told they are planning to produce an LP fuel retro fit for this gen. I am now on their list for a preorder of the LP retro fit kit. I presently have a Honda EU3000is which has the HM LP conversion kit and really like it however, at 130# dry it’s just a bit heavier gen. This sure makes the EU3200i at 60# a much better option for our Oliver with the 13500 BTU Truma Aventa. The captured Bluetooth data is kinda cool too! https://www.northerntool.com/search?orderBy=1&s=Honda 3200 This fella does a pretty decent straight up “garage and field review”. Looks like a fun garage! Patriot🇺🇸

I have a habit of keeping a 1-wheel's worth of bearing kit (pre-packed with grease in a zip-lock) along with my bearing tools in the camper in case I wind up spinning a race out in the boonies somewhere.

Yep, they're made in several countries these days, but are supposed to be to the exact same standards. Spoke to a Timken rep a while back when I was concerned that I had purchased counterfeit bearings and he told me that if I bought through a certified dealer they would be genuine and to not bother using the app to check the labels since it's next to useless. Also said if I wanted piece of mind to check the weight of the bearings and to make sure they match the specs in the their catalogue. Timken should be right on the money no matter where they're made and the counterfeits are usually off by several grams. Checked the ones I was concerned about and they all were exactly the same and matched the specs. Edit- I should also add that all but one the bearings I was questioning failed the label reading app, and the one that passed took 3 tries to do so.

And I remember you telling me that you would rather be “lucky than good”! But I think we were talking about fishing! Mossey

Ours sometimes smells as well. We've not seen any leaks in the system so I'll be following to see if you learn something new. CS

Yep, can’t speak for someone else, but I’m the one that would be in the pickup bed if I wanted Bluetooth signal! 😂

I plan to place an order this year also, and I too have had moments where I am like, "That really is ssssoooo much money." And I too cannot find another trailer that is as nice as an Oliver! Excited for you and your wife!

We're getting about the same charge reading from the Victron smart shunt when the Tundra's at idle - haven't tried the app while towing yet. From what you're saying, we probably won't get a signal unless I make Diane ride in the pickup's bed... HA!

We do the same thing occasionally - we call it doing "The Big Purge". It's very satisfying on many levels, IMHO! Ha!😜

We just donate it! I don’t like strangers looking at the “good stuff” that I’m not ready to part with. It does amaze me the stuff people will pick up at the end of the driveway.😁 Mossey

We've had a number of garage sales over the years in the interest of getting rid of extra "stuff" we really don't need. I'd say we average $400-$500 intake for what amounts to clutter to us. Still seems like there's a lot of extra stuff around here.

Is what it is. We occasionally discuss a lot of "stuff" stored that we "should" delete to make life easier for our daughter when we're no longer around. For the most part, she's going to be busy..... not quite ready to part (yet) with all tools/spare parts/ junk/ decorations, etc, etc, etc

The black wire that supplies power to the 7pin plug on the tow vehicle is too small of gauge to supply enough current to charge the lithium batteries fast enough. For the amount of amperage to charge the batteries at an optimal rate, you need to run a 4ga wire, both positive and negative, to an Anderson plug on the rear of the truck. You then have to run that same gauge wire from the DC/DC charger to the tongue of the trailer and the other half of the Anderson plug. When hitched up you will have the full amperage needed through the heavy gauge Anderson connection. Image from Craig's blog:

Thanks for your informative post. And please forgive what may be a dumb question, but here goes: "Why did you disable the black battery charging wire in your tow vehicle, instead of running wire from the new Lithionics batteries in the Oliver to the DC/DC charger, and then to that black wire in the 7-pin?" Intuitively, it seems to me that the purpose of installing a DC/DC charger in the trailer is to safely transmit the juice generated by the tow vehicle alternator to the trailer LiFePO4 battery bank. What am I missing?

First of all, a big thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread. I've learned a *lot* reading these posts and the linked information. Thank you! Chris nailed it. Today I took a photo of the panels label, and sure enough, they are 24 volt, and are wired in parallel. Here's the label: And here is the web page for this model: https://www.newpowa.com/200w-24v-monocrystalline-solar-panel/?sscid=41k7_u6vc6&#label1 Interesting that they rate them at 1000 W/m2. I'm assuming that's an industry standard, but even here at 42°N we regularly have 1200-1300 W/m2 in the summer. My 12 year max in my backyard is 1332. In the sunny southwest, does more W/m2 result in higher output? Or is the 1000 W/m2 spec the theoretical Max? For reference, here's the web page for my Bluetti panel and specs:https://www.bluettipower.com/products/bluetti-pv200-200w-solar-panel So, hooking my 12V panel in parallel to the 24V panel isn't going to work. Or, it would, but it would be less efficient that it is now, not additive. I will be hooking my remote panel directly to the batteries using an MPPT charge controller. I currently have an Epever 3210 AN, but I found that it got quite hot when using it in my old 4Runner with a roof mounted 100W panel and 10Ah AGM battery. Maybe I'll replace it with the small Victron, so at least it will show up on the app I'm already using. Thank again for all of the shared knowledge!

That's interesting as I just checked on their web site and the footprint of the C73 is only 2" wider and 3" longer than the C36. The primary difference is in height of about 6 inches. The hourly amp draw is listed as .6 and .5 respectively. Obviously there's no need to buy more capacity than you will ever need, but for us this looks like it worked out pretty good for our needs and the price. I'm going to get a slide tray to mount it to so we can access it more easily from the back of the truck.

To be honest half that space is designated for our dogs' food. They are fed a raw meat diet that has to be frozen. I only got that size because at the time I was shopping the price for the C73 was about the same as the C30, which it is right now again. If we do extended boondocking as we are planning, it should come in very handy.

Wow, that's silly.

I do love me some stewed beaver nuggets. Pair that with some sweet taters and hit don't get no better.

Anybody that has been considering a portable cooler to carry in your tow vehicle, Amazon has the Truma C73 marked down 35% currently. They are pretty expensive regular price but this discount makes that model about the same price as the Trumas half that size. It's a very high quality unit, made in Germany, not china, and has real nice features just like the Truma appliances Oliver is putting on the new campers. Bluetooth control, auto voltage monitoring and shutdown, low current draw, temps adjust down to -6f. If you like Truma and have been considering a cooler this price is as good as you will ever find. Link

Here are my usuals. The ones you can't read are Wandering Labs and All stays.

Yep! At my estate sale and my wife will be cussing about “all my crap”. Mossey

I also end up buying more than I need on Amazon, especially the small stuff. I need to start posting my extras on eBay. Mossey

Be careful not to confuse the input voltage capacity to the regulated output of the solar controller. The OP’s controller can handle up to 100 volts coming in but always outputs 12ish (vs 24) to match the wiring of the batteries. The 12 volt panels have a peak voltage output of 18 and could be wired in parallel or series. The 24 volt panels could also be used (wired series or parallel) although in series they’d be pushing close to 75 volts at peak output. Returning to the OP’s question…if you wanted to add the portable panels to your installed mppt controller you need to find out what the exact peak voltage is on your portable panel (probably 20.5v) and compare it to the Oliver units (probably 18.6 and wired in parallel). If you combine the two sets via parallel wiring the voltage will be reduced to the lowest set (probably 18.6) so the efficiency of your portable is reduced slightly. However, the wiring is much easier because you’re not breaking the (series) circuit when you disconnect the portable panel. *If* Oliver wired the main panels in series or if they’re using the 24v models (in parallel) you would greatly reduce the efficiency of those units by plugging in your portable set wired in parallel. The peak 37v output would be reduced to 20.5 without gaining any extra amps in return. If you had two portable panels I would absolutely buy a separate controller and wire those units in series. The higher voltage would allow longer extensions with less line loss (or smaller wires). Even with your current setup I would probably recommend an additional cheap (smaller) victron mppt controller to keep the factory wiring original and keep things simple…

Take the old rod and cut off the nut portion. Put it in a vice and cut half a dozen deep slots at 90 degrees to the threads. Clean the part with a wire brush or wire wheel. Now you have a 3/4” MPT thread chaser. Run that in and out repeatedly until all the crusty white deposits are gone. Now you will be able to screw the replacement rod win all the way! Flush thoroughly with water or compressed air (watch your eyes). Keep it with your spares kit so you can do it routinely. Sort of like this pic, but a hack saw is quicker and makes much better grooves. This method fixes the root problem, obstructions in the water heater threads, not the symptom, water leakage and difficulty installing it!. …. https://www.automation.com/en-us/articles/2012-1/root-cause-analysis-treat-the-problem-not-the-symp If you have soft water in your house, use that as much as possible to fill your Ollie tank, especially long term. It won’t make those nasty deposits in your water system, and you won’t need to perform the vinegar treatment. John Davies Spokane WA

If you use a generator to supplement your solar you can use your trailer power cord just like if you are on shore power. You might need a simple 30a to 15a adapter, depending on the generator. I had a Champion that had a 30a RV plug on the front. My current generator does not. Your solar connection is entirely different than a power connection plus you don’t need anything other than what is on the side of your trailer. We’ve done a fair amount of camping and have rarely needed to use our generator to charge. A few occasions during extremely overcast weather and cold nights caused our batteries to run down to the point I pulled out the generator. If there is any amount of sun and you aren’t in the shade you’ll find you solar will keep up just fine. Lithium batteries allow you to more of the amp hours than traditional batteries do. If you get a generator just ensure it’s a quiet inverter generator. Nothing is more annoying that campers with open frame contractor generators polluting the air with lots of noise. Mike

Not a good choice. The empty dry weight of a bare bones no options Elite II is 4,900 lbs. That’s completely empty with no options at all. We have minimal options (no solar package, no second awning, no front storage basket) and our Elite II has a dry weight of 5,100 lbs on the factory sticker. Loaded up for camping we are close to 6,000 lbs with a full fresh water tank. Some owners are over 6,000 lbs. because of their options and accessories. That RAM towing capacity doesn’t give much of a safety margin.

No.

The story of my life!

I bought a full set of Timken bearings from Summit Racing last year, but haven't got around to installing them yet. I just went out in the garage to take a look. The boxes the seals come in are printed Made in Taiwan, the seals themselves are bright orange and have Timken molded into them. The boxes for the bearings don't have a country specified, but the bearings themselves have USA etched into the top surface. I bought from Summit because I'd read here that they are a Timken dealer. Another data point for everyone.

We’re seeing about 3.5Amps of charge with the Tundra connected to Ollie’s 7 pin connector while idling charging our Ollie’s single 100AH BattleBorn lithium battery at 75% SOC. Using a Victron Bluetooth shunt to see the rate of charge. Don’t have enough Bluetooth range to monitor while towing,

I looked at the full bed slides when we got our truck and decided against. I know it would be really handy in a lot of situations but just felt I didn't want to lose any vertical space. Now having got the cooler it's obvious that we at least need a slide for it. They aren't cheap either but I will bight the bullet and get one. I hadn't thought of the grocery store application so that will be a bonus. I know we will make good use of it. I'm looking forward to getting my solar and lithium battery set up in the truck as the cooler will just stay on 24/7 mostly running off solar.

That is one big cooler for the back of your truck. I kept measuring and evaluating what we really need and the space I need/want in the truck. After visiting Truma at the Overland Expo in VA I chose the C36. Nowhere near as big as yours but it does the trick for us. We also found the Isotherm in the Oliver to be very roomy so we won't need a larger fridge. Our fridge in the Airstream was slightly larger that the one in the Oliver (5.0 cu ft versus 4.5 cu ft in the Oliver) and we never had an external fridge. Occasionally, I would take my 50 QT YETI along to keep the barley pops cold but that was the exception, not the rule. Cheers, Brian

It's a confusing world these days with mergers, buy-outs and contract manufacturing. I'll muddy the water a little more with my first hand knowledge. My wife used to work for Federal Mogul as a buyer. Federal Mogul used to be National Seal. Even though Federal Mogul manufactures seals today, they can have several names on the packaging. They may be labeled National Seal, or Timken. Federal Mogul was acquired by Tenneco a few years ago and I believe changed the name of the Federal Mogul division to DRiV. For that reason their seals may also have this new name on them. To add to the confusion, Timken also contracts with other manufacturers to produce their products. The point of this is that you likely do have in your possession actual Timken parts. The problem is that it's well documented that Amazon is very unreliable in their sourcing and for that reason everyone has learned to be very cautious when there are discrepancies in packaging. If in doubt you can easily return. The problem is, unlike OEM manufacturers and OEM suppliers, Amazon has zero quality assurance process or supplier verification. Their buyers simply shop price and supply.

Weekends can still be tough to find sites, depending where you are.

I've read that the Oliver plays well in our favor when finding camp sites. The larger sites are always gone first, but the smaller ones that the LE2 still fit into are often left available for obvious reasons. Also you can call the campground directly and check for cancellations. It's very common for folks to reserve just in case and cancel at the last minute. I don't remember who said it but they said they never make reservations months in advance and have never been unable to find a spot on short notice. I'm sure the very popular destinations are an exception but otherwise that's reassuring.

@Ollie-Haus Here's our install blog on that very set of topics. I installed the batteries and a Redarc DC/DC Converter in the bed of the truck for that ARB Fridge Battery. (I also put a DC/DC converter in the Oliver as well to feed the 630AH Lithionics Pair. Here's two describing the install of Batteries and Redarc DC/DC converter for fridge and some added things for longer stays. The Redarc can serve as your solar controller as well as the charger while driving. https://4-ever-hitched.com/ggs-blog/f/power-for-the-arb-fridge https://4-ever-hitched.com/ggs-blog/f/truck-modifications-for-long-trips This post is on the upgrade to dual Lithionics 315gtx and the Victron DC/DC charger inside the Oliver to charge Lithionics while towing. https://4-ever-hitched.com/ggs-blog/f/lithium-battery-upgrade Cheers: Craig Hull 505 - Galway Girl

We put the Lagun tabletop in the down ("puppy position") as we prep for Ollie-slumber time... But Magnus hasn't figured out (yet) that the tabletop is his designated sleeping area - he's still curling up at my feet! ..."DAD! I'm tired, get your sh**t together and let's hit the rack!"

My wife and I will be looking to get our degree! We plan to hit the wonderful state parks here in Arkansas first to get our RV legs. My wife loves the beach, and I love my wife, so Florida is on the horizon. From there we will follow the seasons.

Galway Girl's advice on measuring is VERY sound - over the years Oliver has used different hardware for the door catches (I'm assuming that this is what JD wants these grommets for). Bill

The last set (individual grommets) I purchased was found at Lowe's and the set before that was at Ace. Good luck! Bill

We travel with two (formerly three) dogs. One, a 104 pound Doberman Pincher and two, a 10 pound mix. Reacher (104 pounder) sleeps on the dinette bed which must be made down for him on demand. Rocky, at 10 pounds sleeps wherever he wants to, usually with one of us. We keep their water dish in the bathroom (Reacher will drink a quart of water at a time and make a big mess in the process.) We usually carry a forty pound sack of dog food in the closet. Everybody loves their dogs and many folks travel with them. You make it work because you can't imagine traveling without them with you. Ours have been to every state, lots of Canada and Alaska. "Wanna go for a ride?" "Wanna get in the truck?" "Wanna go camping?"

I went with the Iceco VL45 for $699.00. We previously had a Dometic in our previous teardrop trailer that had the dual opening lid but I didn't want to spend the higher amount of the Dometic. The Iceco uses the same Danfoss compressor as the Dometic, the lid opens both ways and has a light inside. We used to stress over the increase in refrigerator temps while traveling through the Texas panhandle in August, we now place the Iceco on the back seat of the truck and plug it into a small Jackery 240 power station for uninterrupted cooling, once we get to Colorado we have all of our meat, etc. at the proper temps and no more stress, plus we can access cold drinks while driving. The small Jackery will run it for a few days by itself. It's amazing not to have to worry about reloading ice, draining thawed water, etc. and you have increased storage capacity by eliminating ice. Iceco VL45 Jackery 240