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An update to my above post on using the Honda 3200i to run the Truma Aventa AC in ECO mode. The 3200 will NOT run the Truma 13.5 AC in ECO mode for a continuous period of time. After a further shakedown, I learned that running the Truma off of the 3200i in ECO the Truma compressor would not cycle back on to restart the cooling process. Edit - After a long discussion with a Truma rep essentially I learned that to run the Truma AC most generators will need to be run in normal mode. The 3200i has enough power to run the Truma in normal engine mode perfectly fine. Another member on this forum recently purchased the Active Start. It did not work when used on his 3200i to attempt to run the gen in eco mode powering his Truma. Based on this members review I cannot recommend the Active Start. It’s a no go. Patriot🇺🇸

If you'll run those jacks down and take the weight off the suspension as other's have suggested, that side to side wobble will virtually disappear. Always put a block of some kind under the jack rather than running it all the way to the ground. One day you will forget to raise one and drive away. If it is not sitting on top of something that will turn over as you pull out, you will find yourself with a jack that now has a bent lower tube that will not go up. Hope you've got a hack saw with you because at that point, it's your only remedy. Oh, and that'll cost you $400+ to replace. Trust Me.

Denali Tundra Tour Pix

I’ve found that I have to run the left and right rear stabilizer jacks down far enough to the point that it lifts the trailer a good bit (and leveling it) and takes a portion of load off of the suspension. The suspension flex is what is allowing the rocking, so you have to make the jacks carry the load a bit. I use the Andersen jack buckets so the jacks aren’t extending very far, so not much flex in the jacks themselves.

CRM, thanks for sharing your track system! You get that when the TV folds down, it's too far forward. There is only 76", top of bed to the back wall. My TV is 4" off the wall, so you have a full 6' viewing length to the hi-def screen, vs 4 ft distance to the low-rez 24" screen. I'm with you on using what you got, but the only TV I have lying around is a 47" TCL/Roku. It's large, thick, black and heavy! I wanted clean and white, like everything else in the Oliver. Could not pass up this screen at $328 Amazon used, at only 14 lbs. and 12mm thick. Thanks again.

Another update: 1) the Truma WH has a 2-yr warranty; 2) Riverwood RV Service was in contact with Mike; it seems they all suspect the WH to be the faulty device. They’re ordering a replacement. Fingers crossed!

Chris, the Emergency Exit sticker(s) definitely should remain, and should be highly visible, otherwise you risk a lawsuit if the worst happens and a guest doesn’t understand that that is the only way out in the event of a galley fire. Speaking of which, have you tried crawling out the back? Do you have a second extinguisher in the rear of the cabin, for when you can’t reach the front one? You can easily run those sound tests using your phone or load them directly onto a USB memory stick. Just select the track and hit Play. Try them out on your home system, then the Ollie. It might be entertaining and educational. Thanks very much for the kind words. John Davies Spokane WA

We're getting kitted-up to head out to Eagle Nest, NM tomorrow to escape the heat wave. During a routine light inspection this afternoon, Magnus has OK'd the LED Bumper mod.... Apparently, we're good to go, according to "Big M." WOOF!

This little doe was just outside our door today in Lewiston, Michigan.💗

@BackofBeyond: We have done so as well, Russell. We've got an easy drive-through, flat parking adjacent to the "shop", 30Amps, filtered/soft well water, and dump - and a hearty welcome any OTT travelers in our vicinity. Cheers! A & D

They are called combustible gas detectors. The best ones have both visual and audible alerts. I like this one, available from Amazon for $32, if you can get it delivered where you are: https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Detector-Portable-Combustible-Explosive/dp/B07FSVCSSL/ref=asc_df_B07FSVCSSL/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=343320284310&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1399517356399337030&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9029558&hvtargid=pla-656039150139&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=68608912305&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=343320284310&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1399517356399337030&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9029558&hvtargid=pla-656039150139 Combustible gas detectors can enable you to find leaks in places you can' reach with a soap+H2O solution. The closer you get to the leak, the louder the alarm (if properly calibrated), and the greater the number of LEDs lit on the visual display. Yes. The propane line that feeds the water heater runs from the forward propane tanks to the aft location of the water heater. The leak could be at the water heater, but you might smell it along the path of the propane line. Also, the water heater is easier to access (from the outside) than the interior area under the stove. I would try a soap and water solution now to try and rule that out, even before you get a combustible gas detector. It could be as simple as a loose flare fitting at the Truma water heater. I would also daub a 50/50 dish soap+H2O solution along the path of the copper propane line as it runs underneath the trailer to the water heater, and to the rear quick connect fitting, with the line pressurized (by having the propane tank valves open). You may find a leak along that line. Good luck, and please report what you find!

I'm not sure about the right price: it's what a buyer is willing to pay and a seller is willing to accept. However, I do have a comment about used trailers. Yes, a new-trailer warranty is nice and reassuring. And there is no doubt that Oliver has a solid parts and service team which, in my experience, is very willing to help. However, there is also something to be said for a pre-owned trailer from an owner that has truly used the trailer, conscientiously fixed what needs fixing, improved what needs improving. We bought ours new, but spent more time than I expected troubleshooting and fixing things in the first year. We replaced interior lights (Oliver provided new ones), the inverter (after Xantrex gave up trying to guide me in repairing it), the radio (which Oliver graciously replaced), the table (which cracked apart where mounted in brackets to the wall), and updated battery firmware. We had Oliver repair a few minor fiberglass blemishes and straighten out the rubber strips between body and frame after a year of ownership. In addition, we installed a see-through door window, made and installed mudflats, installed rain gutters over the windows, etc. John has done much, much more to his trailer, and by all reports, has done (and documented) it very, very well. This, in my mind, creates value. My point is this: a new trailer with full warranty is good, but there's also substantial value in a trailer that has been fully road-tested, fixed, upgraded, and is really, truly, "ready-to-use." Fritz

I place a scissors jack and some blocks of wood under the steps. Hand tight enough to keep the steps from dropping with weight, no jacking. This helps reduce the rocking a lot when someone is using the steps.

The FIRST thing to do is get a torque wrench and check the rear jack bolts, 43 foot pounds, four bolts per jack. If they are at all loose the trailer can move around and the jacks may not operate correctly. Also check the front ones, they are smaller, hand tight with a box end wrench is fine. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/6812-check-your-rear-jack-mount-hardware-bottom-frame-bolts-were-1-turn-loose/ John Davies Spokane WA

Sounds to me like your stabilizers aren't down far enough.

With the help of a number of good folks on this forum and my great RV Tech, Mathew Gonzales, who has worked on my 2017 Elite II since I brought in home to SE AZ, I finally achieved my goal of being able to run my AC off of my 2000-watt inverter and my new battery bank: 4 100ah Battle Born lithium batteries. After asking for, and getting, advice from folks on the forum about a number of issues that Mat and I ran encountered when attempting this upgrade, I made these decisions and Mat did this work: I first made the decision to purchase the Houghton 9.5K Low Profile Air Conditioner from RecPro--due mainly to how much quieter it runs compared to the Dometic Penguin that came with my Ollie, and to its lower amp draw (10 vs. the 16 for the Dometic). I learned that the Houghton could be run off of the 2000-watt inverter that came with my Ollie, using a transfer switch plugged into it running to the AC. I asked Mat to move the Micro-Air soft start previously installed in the Dometic to the Houghton. We discovered that he needed to reprogram the soft start to coordinate with the new AC. Since, unlike the Dometic set-up that came with my 2017 Ollie, the Houghton did not have a way to control the furnace, Mat installed and wired an Emerson non-programable thermostat--once again using information gleaned from folks on this forum--to control the furnace. I figured it was a good idea to supplement the 320-watt solar panels that came with my Ollie with a 180-watt Zamp solar panel kit. I also purchased a Zamp solar port that Mat installed near the shore power input. When my AGM batteries overheated last fall, I found I had no way to easily disconnect the battery bank. (This, I suspect, is something that is an original defect in the electrical system of my Oliver. Is it for all Olivers still?) So, while Mat was doing all of the other work, I had him install a battery disconnect switch near the inverter. I don't want this to appear as a straightforward process. It took a lot of back and forth between Mat and me trying to come up with solutions to problems encountered along the way. This back-and-forth involved a lot of advice from folks on this forum, some of whom I have not thanked by name. I would like to give special mention and thanks, however, to CnC and Minnesota Oli, who spent a good deal of time with me exchanging private messages. Man, were they patient with this technical novice! The outcome is that I now have a much quieter AC that runs off of my solar, batteries, and 2000-watt inverter. One can read elsewhere about the advantages of the Houghton. Mat told me, before I took my camper home, that he ran the Houghton for about four hours, supplementing the roof-top solar with the Zamp portable kit, and the voltage never dropped below 13 volts. I ran it when I brought the camper home, and verified that the system seemed to run the AC flawlessly AND much more quietly than before. I am delighted, as I have been wanting for a long time to be able to boondock in climes needing cooling of the cabin without having to resort to the hassle and noise of a generator. I will follow up with another post if I run into any issues. Disclaimer: I still have very little technical understanding about how this system functions and how the components and wiring fit together, so I will not be the one to answer many, if any, technical questions, but I know that on this forum, if you ask, you receive. There are some good posts on this forum involving the Houghton AC and related issues, so take a look around, and don't hesitate to submit your questions on this forum. Doing so paid off big time for me! Here is the interior view of my newly installed Houghton 9.5K Low Profile Air Conditioner: Here is an exterior view (birds won't be able to nest in this one!): Here is a photo of how Mat secured and wired the transfer switch and battery disconnect switch: Here is a photo of the Emerson non-programable thermostat to control the furnace (thanks go to John Davies who suggested the purchase): Here is a photo of the Zamp solar port with cord leading to the Zamp 180-watt portable solar panel kit: Here is a photo of the charge controller on my Zamp 180-watt portable solar panel kit, showing the voltage just after I plugged it in. (In less than 10 minutes, this controller and the interior Zamp showed the voltage up to 14.6 before dropping back into the floating voltage range.):

I agree that the tvs are kind of a "black eye." It's why I've refused over the many years to have a TV in the living room or bedroom. Plus, I believe the living room is for conversation. Any light in the bedroom is disturbing to me. When our original little Jensen dies, we probably just won't replace it. We never use it. Other folks love tv , and for you, the white and thin unit is a terrific upgrade. Enjoy!

Brief and incomplete update, because I have to report to duty in 5 minutes: I will definitely let the forum community know what happens. The small brass tip on the regulator that came with my Blackstone came OFF with the propane bottle when I detached it yesterday -- and yes, all the propane left in that bottle escaped. I had to wait for it to settle down and was thankful I had needle-nose type pliers to reach the nut and remove it from the bottle. I'll reach out to Blackstone about that; the brass tip screws into a 'silver' colored metal section and I see no propane tape or anything in that joint; not sure yet if it will go back together and hold the pressure. RATS. So... I'll probably end up buying a cooktop. I brought food to cook that doesn't work on the grill. Glad I have a truck that can handle all this equipment I'm adding. I went to the ND Heritage Museum for much of the day yesterday, plus hit the Costco for fuel and sundries. Thank you for this. I think it's probably worth having this tool, even if I don't plan to 'fix' an issue on my own. Nutshell: they had the trailer 8 hours and didn't definitively confirm the source/s of the leak. They DID confirm there is a leak with a drop test that "held for 7 or 11 or even 20 minutes and then suddenly dropped." More later.

We installed our LevelMatePRO yesterday using 1/4" stainless screws and small washers. We had originally used velcro to mount the LMP thinking that it would make battery changes easier - NO JOY. The velcro wouldn't hold it in position and we got erroneous data on the app. Double-sided tape might be another solution - but that would likely be messy after a few battery change outs. It's still in the same position just below the closet door bulkhead near the main hatch for easy access to the on/off slider switch. The jury's still out on the functionality of the unit - but we're leaving today for a long weekend trip away from this triple-digit heat, so we'll report back after a few days of testing it. "Ravel'n-On!" Cheers...

I installed a Furrion 13,500 BTU A/C unit in our Bigfoot Class-C three years back. It was a ducted system in a 30 ft Class-C and cooled it nicely. We don't camp in hot summer weather, but I run our RV A/C units during the summer when parked at home. I would guesstimate the large Class-C has twice the cubic ft of our little LEIIs. The original Dometic failed, condenser fan dislodged and stuck in the casing. Buy another Dometic? I hope y'all find a better alternative. My feeling is you need to be down at perhaps 11,000 BTU as was suggested above. The 13,500 BTU (or greater) A/C system will likely not cycle enough in most climates, which means less air movement and less humidity management. It is important to engineer an A/C system at the right BTU rating, not too much or too little. We're keeping our old clunker original Dometic, for now. It's parked outside with A/C running now, only part of the day, and we've been high 90s to 100. I have it set at 84 degrees, so the interior stays nice. Yes, it's noisy (LOL, I can hear it from the front door of my house, and my 100' hose doesn't quite reach the Oliver)! Keep in mind, we live in the dry Arizona high country. The A/C does not run at night at all, and it would have to perform better, perhaps require more BTUs, if for say you live in the SE United States, or camp in the Midwest during the summer months.

If you do decide to replace the lock on the battery door, I'd suggest replacing the one on the basement door at the same time. Having only one of them with a better key sort of tells people there's something special behind that door.

I see sale pending on JD's classified. Congratulations, John! You're going to miss your little Mouse!

Agreed. If I were a thief and wanted in to either our battery or basement hatches a simple wonder bar or large flat blade screwdriver would suffice, no matter the keying of the latch. Luckily for us, Oliver battery placement is not industry standard and most people would not expect batteries to be housed there. However, I am toying with the idea of placing a static cling label on my battery compartment which states, "Sewage Dump Access".

Nice and clean! Finish up with a new pair of “turn handle” stickers, one on each side so they are visible to all sleepers. https://www.amazon.com/CORNERIA-Vehicle-Emergency-Warning-Sticker-Pull/dp/B073GG66N7/ref=sr_1_16?crid=1229RG1JR4O6A&keywords=Emergency%2BExit%2BWindow%2BVinyl%2BSticker&qid=1689859677&s=automotive&sprefix=emergency%2Bexit%2Bwindow%2Bvinyl%2Bsticker%2Cautomotive%2C281&sr=1-16&th=1 How are the acoustics, echoy? Is the bass acceptable? Did you disconnect the main speakers? They are good for paper weights, they sound pretty awful. Maybe OK for an AM talk show… Have you tested your new soundbar? https://www.audiocheck.net/testtones_index.php Thanks, John Davies Spokane WA

CRM, thank you!

@Boudicca908, good luck, tomorrow. We'll be thinking about you.

MAX Burner, unfortunately I did not take pictures of my friends AC install. I am planning to take pictures of my install next week. My friends old AC unit had the manual controls on the bottom of the air distribution/return cover, which we were able to reuse. On my AC swap next week, I should be able to use the thermostat control box from the old Penguin AC, that would allow me to use my existing wall thermostat. I hope it all goes as planned. I will keep everyone posted. Alan

Having owned sailboats, motorboats, airplanes, and now TT's - we've learned that maintenance schedules should be developed, maintained, and executed. Otherwise, having such toys becomes the proverbial "hole in the water, air, or ground" that you're just throwing money into without benefit. Cheers to the Ollie Family!

I agree 100%. We had some issues our first couple of years. Once we got those corrected it’s been smooth sailing since. Things still need to be tightened, lubed, adjusted or replaced but that’s to be expected because we tow and camp all around the country. Mike

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

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

When you get it fixed, please post the results. I think it would of benifit to the community.

I barely had time to grab my phone. Little guy wandered across the driveway, in the distance. Wnc. Fairly skinny, and young. Likely recently separated from momma.

Made it to Denali NP and Riley Creek CG. Happy surprise at out AT&T connection speed in the campsite B77. Two site sizes here when reserving. A - sites for longer trailers up to 40’ B -sites for <30’ and many double width so truck and trailer are side by side. Really wide site and quite deep beyond rage rear curb stops. Setup the clam on the tent pad.

Great tips for Fairbanks. Visited both Fred Meyer and Costco. stayed at KOA Chene River. Some pix: Museum of the north, Pioneer park, Sternwheel Cruise. Eskimo Olympics.

I'm confused. You do realize that without the neutral-ground bonding plug installed, neither of these can run since there will be NO generator supplied 120V getting past the EMS in your trailer? The plug does not change the amount of current coming in, but allows the EMS to accept the electricity in a configuration that it expects and will accept. The microwave and air conditioner are never going to run at the same time off a 2000 watt generator no matter what you add. I've never tried, but I doubt they would run together with my Yamaha 3000 watt.

Made it to Congdon Creek CG on Kluhane Lake -Yukon A beautiful campground. Starlink is working great at our site 7 because the trees are a bit back from the trailer.

So... we recently bought the bonding ground plug for our well used Honda EU2000 genset so we can run our Dometic Penguin --- all good, when needed. The game changer in the ActiveStart SoftStarter upgrade is definitely the energy consumption analysis feature of the app, IMO. Those that have the Victron energy monitoring system get an even better energy analysis because of the GUI feature of that unit... but at a higher cost, right? However, $485 for the ActiveStart unit buys us a ton of cold ones... just say'n.

Elk in a field along the roadside, Oct 2022, Orick CA

Three point vs four point jacking does affect stability. If it’s excessive, JD’s recommendation is right on. Mike

Until you check the hardware securing your jacks, you are just chasing rainbows. Once you know they are all tight, then you can think about other options. John Davies Spokane WA

We’re ok getting level it’s just not very stabile on the side to side motion. Even walking down the aisle of the Oliver we feel the motion. It’s most noticeable coming in and out the door. It seems because it’s on only 3 leveling point suspension is why we are rocking more then in our last camper. We just wonder if adding the triangle jacks might help or are we missing something? Perhaps it’s just a trait of Oliver II?🤷🏻‍♀️

I'll see if I can find the other thread

I have an elite, so the experience is different. With either trailer, like @Mike and Carol, I'd never take the tires off the ground, for more than a quick tire change . Imo. For many situations, from what I've seen camping with elite II owners, the Anderson levelers (or similar) are the real deal. We have one axle, so we just use wood blocks on the low side. And extra blocks under the jacks to shorten the "throw." And, maybe you do need the camco jacks, if you're very sensitive to changes. There's a device that can help you get truly level, Bluetooth. I'll see if I can find the thread. It's quite awesome (I've seen it in practice, we don't have it. We don'tneed it, with two of us.) On the sailboat, we get used to being "off level" on a heel. Takes awhile. In a camper, you're usually not inside enough to get used to it. Different circumstances. I carry a small bullet level, but mostly depend on the feel, and a half-filled water bottle on its side. If I'm comfortable, the fridge is comfortable. We often don't bother to put jacks down for one night stays. Never do, at a Walmart, cracker barrel, etc., as it's poor etiquette.

Perhaps a nice bottle of wine might help?😁

Thank you. We really don’t want to add another “something” to carry. Those triangle jacks are what we were thinking that help. It might be something I just have to get use too.😏

I have used the jacks to change tires, balance tires, check bearings, many times. I would hesitate to lift the tires off the ground to stabilize the trailer for extended periods of time while we are inside. If we are off level that much I drive onto legos first, then use the jacks to stabilize keeping the tires on the ground. I do know of owners who stabilize with tires off the ground, I’m just not comfortable with that. Mike

Even if the tires are off the ground it’s technically not too much. Although Oliver no longer recommends it, there are owners (not me) who use the jacks for changing a flat tire. The weight rating of the jacks (3,000 lbs. for each jack) is sufficient.

We have 4” tall stabilizers approx 10 x 12, very solid yet perhaps we need taller jack blocks?

X-chocks between the wheels may help. https://www.amazon.com/X-Chock-Wheel-Stabilizer-Handle-28012/dp/B002XLHUQG/ref=asc_df_B002XLHUQG/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312098740701&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9066806933936176184&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9029558&hvtargid=pla-365326661179&psc=1 Also, are your stabilizer jacks fully extended, or are they on jack blocks? The further the stabilizer jacks are extended, the greater the potential for movement as weight is shifted inside the trailer.