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Old School trail Near Sandy Beach

It is a Dometic factory job. If it gets screechy you will either have to remove the fridge to reach it, or disconnect its power wire from the control board. It is completely inaccessible from the outside except by tiny mice. It is controlled by a nearby temp sensor. Removing both vent covers might help with airflow . John Davies Spokane WS

Promising update from Jason… “I am currently working with a company for a latch that is promising that has several unique key codes so the code would only duplicate about every 50 – 125 keys. I have not yet received the new latch & will have to do some R&D and then get engineering approval but you might reach back out to me in a few months”

Given my goal is to mount a hi-rez 32" screen, my first thought is why does OTT only mount these small 24" screens? Then I realized the answer. When they are corner mounted, there is barely enough real estate to go much larger (it can be done, barely). The newer installs are center mounted. You would think there is ample room in the center of the interior living space. They want to the screen to fold up. I agree, there are times when camping when you want the TV screen out of the way to enjoy the view out the rear window. TV mounts that fold up, also fold back. They all work this way. The height of the 24" screen truly is all the room you have. When folded, you must have depth (under the attic) equal to the height of the TV monitor plus approx. 2" for the mechanics of the mount. In our Elite II, there is not enough ceiling space under the attic to fold back a larger screen. My next thought is that I need a TV ceiling mount that will fold forward. If this can be sourced, or if I can build one, the TV in the down position would be far back close the rear window. This would be great! Watching TV, lying in bed, it makes sense to have the TV at my feet, close to the rear window. I do not want it to fold down and closer to me, like by my knees. Closer, given a low-rez 24" screen OK (not!). Back near the rear window, the larger hi-rez screen would be perfect! Well, they do not design folding TV mounts this way! So, I'm thinking, can I buy a standard mount and turn it around? Turns out it worked fine. I bought this mount on Amazon, for $41 total and reversed everything and removed the funky latch mechanism. I will later design something for the folded position. I do not trust these latches anyway. I got to believe many of you get to your campsite to find your TV has bounced and is sitting in the down position. This is the mount I used. It is solid and fits my criteria of being low profile and white! VIVO Manual Flip Down TV Mount, Folding Ceiling Mount for Flat TV Monitors: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BDSPGZWY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

@Boudicca908, you are wise to shut off the propane at the tank til you figure it all out. Even a tiny leak is dangerous. Do you have electricity at your campsite? If not, your 5 lb bottle and your Blackstone should allow you to heat water for birdbaths, and cook for several days, at least. Unfortunately, your Truma water heater won't run on electricity. The old school 6 gallon water heaters could run on electric, so you could heat the tank with a generator, and get enough hot water for a shower and wash a few dishes. You have a good head on your shoulders, and looks like you planned ahead with some good gear. Having the backup 5 lb tank (refillable) was an excellent idea. Worst comes to worst, you can always remove a 20 lb tank from the trailer, and connect it to the Blackstone directly. Do you have a generator, also? Are you able to buy (or borrow) an induction hotplate or electric kettle? A small electric heater provides enough warmth to take the "frost" out of the air. Running the fridge on genset electric a few times a day could keep that going, but you'll use a bit of gasoline... I'd suspect one or more of your gas connections could have a small leak. Gas leaks are much more common at the connection fittings than in the line. I'd start at the regulator, and work my way back, if you can. You should be able to see the gas connection with the water heater by removing the lower outside panel. I don't know much about the truma w/h, as I've never seen one. A competent rv shop should be able to get you fixed up in one day, if you can get a "first thing in the morning " appointment. Or, at the least be able to diagnose it in one day, so you could return to the cg and continue camping in a hard-shell tent/Oliver, without propane, til they get parts. Or, maybe one of the three centers has a mobile tech? It's certainly worth asking. At least you have some good tent camping experience, so you're not in dire straits. You'll manage, though not the luxury experience you were hoping for. It's frustrating in the middle of (beautiful) nowhere. Hang in there. Here's a search result for "propane leak" in our forum. The quotes make the search engine look for that phrase. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/search/?q="Propane leak"&updated_after=any&sortby=relevancy&search_and_or=or

Mud dauber nest attached to fan blades. I had peered into the flu and saw the typical dried mud dauber mud crumbs. I took the plunge and removed the fan. Sure enough there was the nest and mud on the blades where it had been attached. Cleaned the blades, tossed the nest and reassembled the fan to the Aqua Go. The hot water heater is back in business. Thanks so much for the hints. By the way the screws are T15 Star drive. I was fortunate and had a long enough magnetized screw driver that allowed their removal with less chance of loss. And one more item. The mud dauber came by while I was working and said, “What the heck!”.

High tide trail Squid island We have found some of the best places to eat and hike just wandering around small towns in Newfoundland. Today we had lunch in a small town called Happy Adventure at the Happy Adventure Inn the view is amazing and so was the food.

I highly recommend this compact $50 heater, I can’t comment on longevity but my Vornado fan failed right after the warranty ended with a bad bearing. Dreo Space Heaters for Indoor Use, Atom One Portable Heater with 70°Oscillation, 1500W PTC Electric Heater with Thermostat, It is silent, has a remote, and most importantly a digital thermostat, so once you find a temp you like, you can easily repeat the setting you prefer, and it has very precise heat regulation (narrow dead band) unlike the heaters that have knobs. It provides gentle wide-area heat without drafts. I think you will love it. “Park” the fan in the center position by unplugging while it is oscillating, and store it in the cardboard box it shipped in when you don’t need it. If you get a Clam shelter, buy the wind panels and the heater works beautifully inside there. I like the smallest Clam. Good luck on the gas leak! John Davies Spokane WA

For my self, I am not fearful of propane, just have a respect for it. My father was a serviceman for propane installs and service of propane appliance. I grew up with a respect of propane, and being cautious with propane. I'm always making sure line connections are good and lines are in good condition, and try to be cautious with everything I do . I am more worried about the propane lines running under the trailer that they could be nicked by rocks/road debris , or rubbing and wear of the lines in a moving vehicle/TT. I don't like cooking right next to the trailer, because of the grease splatter. That is what picnic tables are for. I also carry a small table to set the grill/stove on if a picnic table is not available. I am just as respectful of the 2 burner propane stove in the camper. With all of the electrical things in the trailer, a leak anywhere could be dangerous. ( always makesure you have good ventilation when cooking inside. When I was is my mid 20's. I came home one night and smelled Natural gas outside of the house (1953 home). I was unable to determine where the leak was at, and I didn't enter the house. I contacted public service from the neighbors, within 20 minutes a technician arrived. About 1.5 hours later they were tearing up the street with large equipment. They had a 20 foot section of the street torn up to replace a section of main line pipe. They then ran a new feed line from the street to the house and meter. It was an older subdivision, and they checked the rest of the subdivision and found no other leaks. We had multiple leaks in the street and across the yard. They started digging at 10PM and finish by 7AM the next morning. I was the talk of the neighborhood that week. Safety first.

I received the mount, disassembled it and reversed the direction of all parts. I removed the latching mechanism, cut and ground the latch metal from the frame, so that in the reverse direction it would not damage the TV screen in the folded position. The install looked like this:

I’m packing up for a couple of days of father daughter camping, with the curb side in direct sun. There’s clearly a cooling fan running, but I’m not certain if this is a Dometic feature of one added by the previous owner. It’s a bit on the noisy side. Does anyone know if the fan is standard? I did deploy the awing to get it shaded.

Hell bent for leather Life in the west…

John, thank you!

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/woman-gored-bison-yellowstone-national-park-rcna94791 Stay a safe distance from wildlife. And, keep your pets contained. Please, pass it on to new campers. I know all of you experienced folks know better. And we all read the signs. I see these articles all the time, with great sadness .

Glad to hear that @rangered My ollie is still waiting in line for the replacement. I’m hoping it happens this week.

FYI, last week I helped a friend replace the AC unit on his (some other brand) trailer. He was replacing an old Dometic Brisk model with the new Dometic FreshJet 3 Series 13,500 BTU. The install was pretty straight forward (plug and play), it only took a couple hours for two amateurs to complete the installation. My friend was able to reuse the existing control panel from his old unit. I was not able to compare the noise/sound difference between the Brisk and FreshJet, but I am really impressed with the FreshJet compared to my Oliver’s Penguin model. My friend and his wife say that the new AC is a game changer and will allow them to travel more in the summer season. I ordered a FreshJet for myself this past weekend from RV Parts Country, and to my surprise it arrived to my home in East TN in two days. My friend and I are planning to install it on my Oliver late next week. I will post more information after the install. Alan

I like it a lot, works wonderfully, I don’t have to use the latch, I can leave the door open when there is a breeze and the door stays where I put it….and no more fly away door!😊

Just guessing here but is your flue blocked or is the fan not operating / jammed? If you have the antifreeze kit is the yellow flue plate removed?

Nice installation. Could be a great place in the corner for a Caframo fan. Or, some command hooks for sun hats or pajamas. Or, some nice little plastic framed photos of your adventures. Or, remote control mounts. You could just cover them with some screw cover dots, or plug in some Ikea hole plugs, if you have any the right size. We fill screw holes in the boat with marine tex, to eliminate water intrusion. The white is probably pretty close. (It's pretty expensive to just fill a couple holes, but I'll bet a friend with a white boat has some. Just about everyone who has a boat, has marine tex in the supply locker.) There are tons of YouTubes and posts on sailing forums on how to use it. Cover your work with saran wrap or visquene, tape it tight until the epoxy cures, and you'll get a glossier finish. But, if you're going to have a pro refinish with matching gelcoat, I'd go with one of the earlier options, because the repair pro will likely drill it out, anyway. Just maybe put a bit of foam backer rod in, and a touch of white caulk, cover it, and call it a day. You can clean up the dirty corner with the same techniques we use on the outside. (We wax the interior once a year, exterior 2 times a year.) Is that the reflection of your safety glasses in the photo?

Done, I drilled through both layers in the door jam/outer frame. I’m not sure it’s fibreglass, but when I drilled through the 2nd layer and removed the drill bit there were what looked like white pieces stuck in the drill bit grooves. Weird, I also got mine from Amazon and the screws were 1 3/4” long. I drilled the additional fastener holes in the door outer frame side hinge.

@rich.dev @Ty J: FYI: The 2 Lippert friction hinges we got from Amazon last month came with 1/2" white-painted sheetmetal screws. We pre-drilled into the doorjamb and into the door - no issues... We really like the "feel" of the main door and screen door when opening and closing. The Lipperts will definitely reduce door damage in heavy wind conditions. Thanks for sharing the information about this mod - we're very happy with it. Cheers!

Yes. Keep the gas turned off. I also think that's a warning.

Great that you have electricity. You can at least run your fridge on electricity. I recommend duxtop on Amazon for an induction cooktop. Even the cheapest one, bought "used, like new," gives great results. I think mine was $45 or so. I really like mine. Even after they fix your gas issue, you'll enjoy the burner. Faster than gas, and no propane use. For a space heater, we have used some random Westinghouse or other brand for years, when we have electricity. Lots of folks recommend Vornado. I think, truly, that's the best, but as long as the unit is ul listed, and has tipover protection, and over heat cutoff, you're fine, imo. Put it on the floor, facing the bed, on low at night, heat rises. You'll be good to go. (Unless you travel with a frisky pet. Then, top of stovetop may be better.) Or, get a mini oil filled heater. There's a bunch to see around Mandan, for you, so it can turn into an exploration day.

Notice how far back the TV screen is in relation to the rear window. To make it solid, I bolted the mount through the attic ceiling and used long brackets I had in my shop to distribute the weight across the width of the attic ceiling.

@SeaDawg thanks for the great feedback and ideas. I had a headache the morning the alarm went off, and that's a rarity for me (maybe once every 10-15 years) so I took it as a warning. Luckily I do have shore power on the days I'm parked for my volunteer job with US Fish & Wildlife -- but the idea was to get out camping and exploring on my days off (up to a week at a time) so that's frustrating. And after Labor Day the plan is to be on the road, but as you say, a hard-shelled tent is better than my favorite canvas side any day. Did I say 5 lb tanks? D'oh! What I brought as backup is (4) 1 lb tanks, the non-refillable type. However, I can buy a 5 lb tank and while I'm working they will refill it for me! I do not have a generator (yet). I need to learn a lot more before I buy one. I must learn to use (and manage) my lithium batteries. Boondocking is my goal, but I have so much to learn. Trial by Fire might get me there sooner than I imagined. Every time I begin to read the manual, I feel lost before page 2. I feel like I need to take a course in electrical systems .... I need to check the videos in Oliver University again, and maybe other sites. All suggestions are welcome. Small electric heaters sound tempting.... any favorites? I was thinking about buying a decent moist heating pad, just to take the chill off, like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008UZT4YU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 -- it has 3 temp settings, plus an automatic shut-off after 25 minutes (you don't have to hold the button to keep it on). My friend, who is a massage therapist, owns this model and highly recommends it. I've also thought about induction hotplates; I have friends who use them exclusively (in small apartments, overseas). I'm trying not to gather too much gear, though. I'm going to try to make my grill work for the time being, and I love cooking outdoors (except when the mosquitoes come out). After reading all the possible gas leak areas (I had just switched to the other tank, for instance, and a thread mentioned a leak at the tank setting off the alarm), and then thinking about the toxicity, I called Riverwood RV Service Center in Mandan ND and they were very accommodating -- they are going to fit me in first thing on Thursday (the other place was booked for 3 weeks) and try to service before the end of the day if possible. I had to empty the fridge of course (I'm very lucky to have a fridge here on site to use). I moved my latex mattress from the curb side to the street side, to make access to the water pumps easier, for me and them, if they have to dig around. I'm trusting that I don't have to empty the entire trailer, and that things will be safe while it's in service. It's true that my bike-camping experience has come in handy, many times. I can get by with very bare minimum and still be happy. And even with some issues to handle, I really really love my Oliver. I'll update as things progress.

I purchased a Samsung TV and soundbar. I wanted Samsung, South Korean made, running their Tizen OS, not the TCL/Roku TV I had years ago (is China watching?). Not the Sony TV I have in my living room, running Android, Google owned. And, it was the only white 32" TV monitor I could find! Samsung HD 32” TV monitor white (monitor means no TV tuner, no antenna input): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B89L2WNV?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details SAMSUNG HW-S61B 5.0ch All-in-One Wireless Soundbar w/Dolby Atmos, Alexa, Bluetooth: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09X61YYJB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I like that Amazon sells used electronics and parts. Generally, when items are marked in like new or good condition, another customer opened it and returned it, perhaps damaged the packaging. If not working, just return it. The TV new was $500 plus tax, now it's listed at $400 new, I paid $328 with tax, in used like-new condition. The soundbar was $182 and the TV, soundbar and mount total came to $550.

The blocks on my cover never came off, but after seeing a few owners have issues, I secured all three blocks with white pre-painted aluminum trim screws (available at any hardware store like Lowe’s, etc., but I had some in my garage parts stash from a previous house project). Drilled through from the outer surface of the cover and into the aluminum block and then threaded in the screw. With the white painted head on the screw, it’s barely noticeable on the white fiberglass.

I've checked with two marine distributors, neither had any offerings with unsimilar keys Although there are locks with better keys, they are similar, as is Southcos.

I placed my order today. https://blackstoneproducts.com/products/17-griddle-with-carrybag?_pos=1&_sid=8171ca08b&_ss=r

We are up here too. had to go to Whitehorse for some repairs. Depending on how things go we either adjust routes or head home. We will know more in a couple of days.

I'd contact southco. Most rv locks only have a few configurations. But, this is typical. Keyed alike is in the "9" digit description. (Last digit) probably meant for rvs with multiple locks, but who knows. Southco does do custom orders, for manufacturers.

I will pull that together when we leave NL with our recommendations

Mountain Waters Resort in Portland Creek, good fishing if you have a boat.

This is what you need. A neutral - ground bonding plug. It’s a plug that ties the neutral and ground lines together on the generator. This gets plugged into one outlet on the generator and then the trailer gets plugged into the other outlet on the generator. Or, if you are comfortable doing basic electrical wiring you can also make your own using a standard replacement plug and a copper jumper wire as some owners have done. Southwire Company LLC Neutral-Ground Bonding Plug https://a.co/d/gkhoMF0

Inside the Port au Choix National Historic Site Visitors Center looking out the window at a Caribou

I have a Coleman Roadtrip. The regulator comes off so I can use it with the quick connect or direct to a tank. Accessories include a griddle top and a frame to convert it to a regular cooktop pans.

I know the manual says this but I wonder if anyone has tried it yet? I don’t have a generator but I do have a very good Fluke amp meter which can show peak inrush current when starting and have run the AC successfully of a 15 amp circuit protected with a 15amp breaker with zero issues. Starting current is well within that of other “big” motor loads I can find around my house such as my pressure washer and my worm drive skil saw. My guess is one of the gensets rated for 2200 to 2500 starting watts could run it. Once Running, the new Truma AC draws under 7 amps on high. I’d love to test it but don’t know anyone with a genset here

Getting a new regulator will make you feel good for being on the ball. Getting a new truck will put a smile on your face every time you have to go somewhere, or even look out in the driveway. 😉

I could run a generator, assuming it worked well in those altitudes. Question is for how long and how often i would need to run it to keep the tank at a happy temp. I've been doing some research and it seems that propane CAN work happily down to very low temperatures. Problems that come up can be caused by 1) running a tank above 80% or below 10% filled, 2) there being water in the system or 3) using a summer mix propane. winter mixes have additives meant to improve cold wether applications. It's been suggested to not buy propane in florida to use in colorado. Another potential problem is specific to altitude. Not enough air in the gas to air mixture. Some regulators have an adjustment that can be set to increase/decrease the propane. The tool to measure is an manometer (hilarious name) and here is what I've found. Scary deep rabbit hole but I'm going to pick up a manometer and aquaint myself with the adjustment on my regulator. Mid grade units are around $50. Once in altitude, sounds like the fridge is the most sensitive device. If I have an issue, the process seems to be to shut off all propane units and shut the tank top valves. Run test through the stove as shown on the video, adjust for proper settings. Once all is back together run the stove top for a couple of minutes to draw air out of system then turn other units back on. I am picking this up as I go and am NOT A KNOWLEDGABLE PROPANE TECH so play at your own risk.

I don't think this is an ongoing quality control issue. Things that are glued on can fall off. Nuts on bolts can work loose. Remember folks, a travel trailer going down the road is a 6.0 scale earthquake going through a hurricane. Lots of stresses.

JD suggested JB Weld to me about 2 years ago. And I have had very good success with it since then and as he mentioned, the self life is excellent even in Florida, where the 3M product's last a month if I’m lucky. I order the large size tubes from Home Depot. So I’m nominating him for president of the JB Weld fan club of which I am a member. Mossey

@John E Davies good plan to stay hitched if wildfires are around. The idea of a quick getaway never dawned on me when you mentioned wildfires in your post about the window air filter.

RB - I did the same as you - really easy and quick. However, make sure that you warn people to NOT use the screen door handle for support when getting in or out of the camper. I'm certain that both the handle and the door could not stand too much pressure - that is what the inside and outside handles that were already on the Oliver are to be used for. Bill

I did the same thing last year. Home Depot only had white handles, so that’s what I got. A little retro, reminds me of our screen doors when I was a kid.

At the Oliver Rally several people commented on my low tech solution to the door handle problem. The handle was $2.50 at Ace Hardware, and I used two sheet metal screws. I decided on this solution after reading Topgun2's post about the screen door handle, and that the bar did not have the strength to support someone when getting in or out of the camper.