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Nice Job. Whenever I have to repair/replace something, I too make a harness with disconnects to re-connect it. I used a 10AWG SAE to SAE Quick Disconnect Wire Harness on my two back jacks to allow them to be easily removed for servicing or replacing.

The outside Black Tank fill connection is down low on the street side, between the bathroom and dinette window on my 2017 LE2. Which puts it in front of the axles. Mossey

That's your black tank flush port valve that you now have in the open position. Here's the Winterization & Storage Tips from Oliver, just curious why would you want to blow out the lines if you're going to use the pink stuff anyway?

You likely have aerator screens on your faucets and shower. Removing and cleaning them, and then flushing with removed may improve your water pressure and flow rates. GJ

I am for it. We are in Oregon. That's much further than a 12 hour drive! John

In order to replace a broken cord you’ll need to remove the shade and put it on some kind of work surface. I used our kitchen bar area. Look at the back and you’ll see that the whole thing is held together by some screws. Once removed you can pull the frame pieces apart. Check the diagram by @rideandfly on the first page of this thread. It’s what I used for both shades that I did. Once you see how the cord is routed it will make more sense. It’s important to get the tension right when you tie the new cord to the spring on the bottom of the frame, too tight and it’s hard to move the shade. Too lose and the shade won’t stay up. I had to re-tie both of the ones I did, one was too tight and the other too lose! Good luck - Mike

So, my pump went bad, had some plastic stuff in the filter on my last trip, i'd cleaned it out, but it had been in there for about 7 years, so no big deal. The new SeaFlo came with a wiring harness, that you can see below. I stripped the clipped the ground and power to the Shureflo pump, giving me some raw wire. I bought a full wiring harness w/ nice wire from a local farm store, Rural King. Then I used a butt splice to bring them together. This gave me motivation to refresh some of my electric tools (i'm quite the novice) and enjoyed learning a little bit. Also, i bought a butane torch (little thing from Walmart) to seal the butt splice. Is the butts splice better than some others? I crimped it and then melted the ends..it was fun. Also, I pressed the wiring harness from the SeaFlo into the one i bought from Rural King, i had a little gap, so i taped that up..with new electric tape 🙂. My son is a high schooler aspiring future engineer and loves painter's tape and electrical tape and all things mechanical...they are hard to find 🙂. I'm hoping that blowing out the lines my get rid of some more plastic in the lines. Also, i read that on plastic threads (and I'm here referring to the filter basket that threads onto the pump, it is better to use pipe dope SEALANT instead of Teflon tape. So, i put the stuff i'll use on mine tomorrow. I will say that the Shurflo may have been glued on, as i couldn't unthread it w/ my hand strength. Or i'm just old and weak :). I am zip-tying the loose wires to keep them neat and off the pump housing. Vector aka Lanham

I use the 3000W inverter/charger that came with the solar/battery package. There are several ways to monitor voltage in the batteries in our 2021 LE2: solar controller, inverter remote, and Lithionics battery app. The only one that lets you see a precise voltage (in my experience) is the battery app. With a 2020 trailer you may have the LifeBlue (?) batteries, which may have a different charge monitor or different battery app. When charging, the batteries slowly approach 14.4V, and once they reach this voltage will remain there for a minute (or even seconds), then slowly revert to a resting voltage closer to 13.6V. It's very easy to miss the precise point when the batteries reach 14.4V. To confirm that they've reached 14.4V, you have to watch the battery voltage continuously as the batteries approach 14.4V. One way to confirm that the voltage should be reaching 14.4V might to check the Xantrex inverter's charge settings. The default custom absorption voltage is 14.6V, which, as I understand it, allows the batteries to charge to 14.4V. See link below. Hope this helps.

Correct. Bulged acorn nuts are for aluminum wheels, whereas straight lug nuts are for steel. Bulged has more surface area where they contact the wheel, reducing wear.

Either pipe dope or Teflon tape will work fine for plastic plumbing threads. For Teflon tape, 3 winds around the threads. FYI, the plastic shards you found probably originated from the factory when your Oliver was built. After one or two filter cleanings, you should never see any more.

Agreed. One caveat: they are heavy when full (approx 55 pounds). After I threw my back out doing something else I was somewhat flummoxed trying to put a full 30# tank back in the doghouse.

Or you could make a pit stop in Lutz on your way home and we can look for it together. Mossey

That's a smart thing to do. For dewdev, and for us, the michelin defenders make sense, after plugging in (and editing) , for Paul's 4x4 Ram. We spend much more time on pavement, than on gravel. The gravel we do drive most on our mountain property is tricky sometimes, as some of our roads are pretty steep, but the michelins have done better than our previous Bridgestones. And, the highway ride is quite nice, a bit more quiet, and we feel a bit better mileage. I put Pirelli AT tires on my 2wd Silverado stepside for several reasons. They DO look good. 🤣 I like the stiffer sidewalls. Since the majority of my driving is under 45 mph, it hardly affects gas mileage. They have great stopping power on our wet streets in the monsoon season. And, they grip a bit better on gravel in the rare times necessary. My truck is last choice for the mountains, for us. It's mostly the Lowe's/Depot/landscape material/grocery getter truck. I grew up driving trucks, and as long as I'm able to climb into one, it's my vehicle of choice. I'm thinking the answer to the question of best tire is the one that works for you, with your particular driving habits.

It appears to have been successful for two other respected fiberglass manufacturers, Bigfoot and Northern Lite, that I know of. We'll just have to wait and see how it works for Oliver. I too, wish them the best. I don't see that as a negative, if the chosen dealers are Oliver- specific trained, and dotted around the country (and who knows, maybe Canada?), it could afford many of us a much closer access to Oliver service. We are about a 12 hour drive-time trip to Hohenwald. I can only see that as a positive.

Good News! I am happy to report that the auxiliary thermistor I bought from Amazon works as a replacement to the factory thermistor. These two things are critical to the success: locate the new thermistor away from the air distribution box and away from the airflow. For me, this will be around the corner of a cabinet and likely in the same location as the original Dometic CCC2 thermostat that controlled the original Dometic AC and gas furnace. I tried multiple experiments with the thermistor in the same area as the air distribution box with varying degrees of shielding from the airflow. But it just wasn’t good enough to suit me. This would have been the simpler solution and I wanted to rule it out before moving on to something more involved. I think there’s just too much air movement everywhere around the distribution box and it tricks the thermistor into thinking it’s a different temperature than it really is. The test that pleased me the most was when I stretched the cord out as long as it would go and I taped it in a location near where I hope to set it permanently. The cord isn’t long enough to get me there right now. But when taped to the wall around the corner from the airflow the AC set temperature of 70 was reached and three other temperature devices in the RV measured between 70 and 72 in different locations. The on/off cycles were fairly short which concerns me a little bit and I’m hoping this will improve when I have the thermistor in the final location which will be more shielded from airflow and at a more reasonable vertical location. In heat mode this morning, there was a greater difference between the set temperature of 66 and the actual temperature of 72. Cycles were short and I think if I had let it continue the interior temperature would have gone higher than 72. Perhaps this will also even out more once the thermistor is not as close to the ceiling. I’m less concerned about an accurate reading with heat than I am with AC. I use the RV more in the warmer seasons than I do in the cooler ones. Also, when I turned on the heat this morning, there was a great deal of humidity pumped into the living space. The windows fogged and the moisture on the interior aluminum skin (this is an Airstream instead of an Oliver) was visible. I was surprised to see this and I wondered if it was due to residual moisture still on the evaporator fins from the prior day’s AC testing. Overall, I’m pleased with the testing knowing that I can relocate the thermistor elsewhere and get reasonably good results. If I have to adjust the settings to reflect the differences between set temperatures and actual temperatures I’ll learn that over time and adjust. I feel like the two major wins in this obsession of mine are: 1) getting the additional relay installed to allow the interior fan to cycle with the compressor (solves humidity issue with AC), and 2) finding an easy path to get an auxiliary thermistor from the rooftop control board location to the interior sealed area without much effort. For those interested, this is the thermistor I am using right now. It has the two-pin connector on the end that fits the control board. https://a.co/d/dV31de2

To directly address your question Steve, I would recommend closing the trailer up tight if you are using moisture absorbing packs. If you leave the vent open, whenever the humidity level outside rises higher than that in the camper, new moisture will be introduced into the camper which the desiccant will have to absorb. These packs only have so much capacity. If the camper is closed tight and the humidity level is brought down, the camper should remain dry after that until it's opened up again.

My mission after the first few camping trips was to install a better shower head in the Oliver. I especially didn't like the fact that I had to turn the water off at the faucet handle and lose the setting. Research turned up a highly regarded brand called High Sierra. I searched for those on this forum as well and found that at least one person (Overland) has also upgraded to a High Sierra. I chose the same ugly one with a nice new faucet but an even uglier diverter. 😄 I also hope my wife doesn't notice that her washcloth holder is gone now. 😬 I decided that a permanent access hatch (DasMarine Marine Deck Access Hatch & Lid with Lock, White, 24" Length X 14" Width (606MM. Length X 353MM. Width) in it's place was a better value (at least to me!). I can get at all my new valves now.

@Fritz this is exactly what has been bugging me! I have the lithium platinum package and could never understand why my batteries, when fully charged, show 13.6V and not 14.4V on the Lithionics app. BIG thanks for clarifying this!🙌

I'm not sure what "normal" is for these inverters. However, there is a charge setting (at least for the 3000 W unit, and I think for the 2000 W unit) whereby you can control charging. When the "charger ignition control" is "off" then the batteries will charge automatically when you plug into shore power. When the "charger ignition control" is in the "auto-on" position the 120 V electrical system is powered, but the batteries do not charge from shore power (the batteries still charge from solar, if available). I know, the names and settings are not fully intuitive.

I have used DampRid 1 gallon containers for years. I keep everything closed and install one in the rear and one by the dinette with the bathroom door open. I keep EvaDry charcoal packets in the closet and another in the bathroom. Very happy with the job they do

After dumping noth tanks, I close the black tank valve and fill the black tank to 50-55%. My wife sets the counter and tells me when we hit the magic number and then I open the valve with water still spraying the tank for a few minutes. That seems to get me to clear water.

I never trade anything in. I always sell outright

@Geronimo John I do not have the black tank valve in my 2020, I believe it was discontinued by Oliver it in in 2020. 5 pumps of antifreeze and done. Patriot🇺🇸

That is why we have 20 lb. (5-gallon) tanks. I expected that with my bad back, lifting a full 30 lb. tank (55 lbs.) over the lip of the "doghouse" would be risky. After about a year of ownership, I am pleased with our decision. Even when running our furnace and fridge nearly 24/7 on propane in cold temps, with water heating as well, our two 5-gallon propane tanks have not needed refilling more often than every 4 days.

It’s that way in Mississippi. I alway trade in a used vehicle when buying a new one. The you only pay sales tax on the difference in price.

😆 I get what you're saying Steve, and to make it clear, this is an experiment first and foremost. I know I'll have the "climate" under control in the camper, but what I don't know is how much this will cost. 🙄 If it's ridiculous I'll simply revert to plan B. I do plan on keeping the camper just above freezing inside, we'll see how that works. Part of the experiment is on how well the little heater can keep up. Also how warm the basement spaces stay throughout the season. I have recording WIFI sensors in both sides and the battery compartment for tracking. Here's to throwing money out just for the fun of experimentation. 🍻

The black tank flush port "should' be on the curb side behind the axles. Check this video on how to winterize it, and this video explains your black tank flush port.

Managed to complete the new detector install yesterday…. Now moving on to the Victron DC-DC Charger install…

No apologies necessary. Yes, you can, in a pinch. Simply unconnect the wires and reconnect the wires to the new detector. It’s a straight forward 12 volt connection.

Your 2022 Elite II should have a large red solar panel cutoff switch in the overhead compartment just aft of the pantry. In addition to cutting solar power, you should remove the CO/LP detector fuse before replacing the detector. That 1-amp fuse in your 2022 Elite II should be accessible through the forward panel under the bed on the street side. Just replace the fuse once the replacement is complete. See photo below.

I feel the same way. My Ollie OEM Michelin's still have life and are E-rated. Down the road for OLLIE, I'll likely go with the Defender's light truck E-rated of course. For Ollie, my concern is having long life and low potential for rock chucking. But for our F-150 TV, for us the jury is out for at least 3 years as we run the Nitto Recon Grabbers. When their time comes I'll for sure be revisiting the topic. Who knows, it is possible that our lifestyle changes and we need to go back to the Defenders for the TV. just saying.. .. 🤣 GJ

For sure! I spent a huge amount of time there changing parameters to see how their computer adjusted recommendations. Many tire reviews also were helpful. GJ

I bet they are going to the Airstream model. Any Airstream owner can go back to the factory and camp in the factory campground to have service done. Or, they can have service done at their nearest Airstream dealer. Mike

I believe it is a matter of perception. This new dealer network business model may or may not be a success for the Oliver Travel Trailer company. Only time will tell, but I am hoping that it is successful! First, we know Oliver is going to offer new trailer sales and service through a dealer network, which will provide additional buying, selling and service locations, which should give the Oliver Travel Trailer company a national footprint. Now we know that Oliver has closed the Classified sub-forum completely. This will remove one option for those that are interested in buying or selling an Oliver Travel Trailer. The new dealer network will provide additional oppportunities for buyers and sellers of Oliver Travel Trailers which may be at a more advantageous geographic location. The buying and selling of an Oliver Travel Trailer is still a decision that owners are in charge of. Whether or not an Oliver Travel Trailer owner chooses to have service performed at a dealer that may or may not sell new or used Olivers is their choice, as it always has been. Thank you for listening to my perception, Mossey

In our recent 6000 mile trip camping our way through 12 states and a month in the Colorado Rockies we used a fair amount of propane and never had any issues finding a place to top off our 30# tanks. Infact many if not most RV parks and CGs have LP refilling stations right on site and will gladly top off your tanks. If you do any cold weather camping and you use your cook top or a propane grill or frig on LP while camping, I would highly recommend the 30# tanks. Patriot🇺🇸

If you poke around, you can find sites, especially weekdays. But, it's tough. We rarely camp in Florida in season. Some beautiful state parks, outside of urban areas, may still be available.

An important bit of info I left out! It will be sitting in the driveway uncovered. We’ll be in Florida for the Egg Rally in January and then visiting my brother in New Smyrna Beach afterwards. We’d planned on bouncing around Florida for a bit until I found out all the campgrounds are booked solid a year ahead. Then a stop in Murfreesboro to seem some guys about ceramic coating and then home until spring. Bill, I saw the refillable tubs, and will use those in the future if this works out okay. Chris, I can imagine how fast my electric meter would spin leaving an electric heater going all winter! 😳 I do that in March this year instead of winterizing for just a few weeks, and could almost feel my wallet getting lighter. I’ll close the vent. Thanks for the help, gang!

Unless you plan to plug in a lot, I'd say your assessment is correct. Or. Simply carry a small generator. The dc / danfoss fridge needs 24 to 27 ah power, in our trailer, overnight. Each night. X 2, with no solar, portable or fixed, or no hookups, you'll need more batteries, or more solar, or a generator.

This is how I ended up buying my Oliver, very sorry to hear this news. They just seem to slowly be getting away from what has made them special.

D&M, Oliver is our first TT, as soon as Maggie found it online, and said she wanted it, that was good enough for me. We placed our order in May '20, went to the factory for a tour and to see the various options in person. We would have added the Lithium package if it had been available at the time. We picked up in August, and were on our way. We have had it 3.5 camping seasons with about 40k camping miles, see our map. After we bought a new "TRUXEDO LO PRO TONNEAU COVER" we found out this summer travelling hundreds of Km's on dirt roads up in Canada, we had a lot of dust & some moisture in the bed and settle on the contents. I did have a towel to stop dust from coming up & in from the bottom of the tail gate where it hinges to the bed. We also purchased a rack which "shares" the bedrail along with the Tonneau cover to carry Kayaks, his is 12' hers is 10', not sure how long I will continue to enjoy loading and unloading them. The bed rail rack, may have something to do with Tonneau cover's inability to hold out the dust. My solution was to cover with a tarp & tuck it around the contents before closing the Tonneau. In closing, let me state what others have not... "You will find a way to fill up the bed of your truck"... Regards, Bryan, Maggie & Willis (aka Kamper Kat)

Just a little back story! I purchased Hull 193 in January 2018. Used Oliver's were hard to find in those days and I wasn’t really looking for a used Ollie, I wanted to order one just the way I had been planning to for over 2 years while waiting for retirement. When I found #193 on the Fiberglass RV forums in November 2017, it was by accident, my retirement had come 5 months earlier than planned and I was surfing the net and just stumbled onto it. So I ignored the ad for about a month because I wanted to order my own. So finally thought I’ll just go look at it, it might be too good to pass up, and it was. When we attended the 2018 OTTO's Rally, everyone welcomed us enthusiastically and we then went to Hohenwald after the rally and the Oliver Service Department fixed the fresh water tank pickup tube issue that a few LE2's of the vintage suffered from as a warranty issue. We dropped the trailer off in Hohenwald in August of 2018 and the service department converted our full size bed to a twin bed model. And we haven’t needed to go back since. I don’t know if OTTO's that buy directly from the factory get treated any better than we have been but I can’t imagine they do. Now I’ll give my thoughts on the death of the Classified Forum. 1. I appreciate the fact that OTT's has provided the general public and OTTO's a forum for us to talk about, seek advice and help from other OTTO's in a friendly and non judgmental setting. 2. OTT's has never asked for my opinion on how to run their business, and they don’t offer any advice on how I should run mine. 3. I am happy that they are receptive to new methods of running their business and hope they remain a viable company for many years to come. 4. They recently announced that they are moving to a dealer sales and service business model to supplement their present in house model. This should please owners that do not live in the southeast. I hope this new approach supports the sales and service for present and future OTTO's all around the United States. And if that comes at the sacrifice of the Classified Forum, that’s a decision that OTT's should make, it’s their money in the pot. And I support that decision. After all, my Ollie isn’t for sale! Mossey

See my post in another thread. My trust level over 16 seasons with the family is very strong. Please take a deep breath, and continue to have confidence in the Oliver family. They care about not only their customers, but their employees as well. I don't see that changing, no matter what, honestly. Back during the 2008 downturn, and the hiatus, Oliver continued to not only give gainful employment to all their employees, albeit often in other jobs, but continued to support our "orphan" trailers. And, they paid the fees to keep our then very tiny membership forum going. Som of us, like mountainborn and I, with more computer background, kept it afloat with our expertise, and no admins. (I do appreciate our admins.) Was I upset/angered by the decision to drop the classifieds?. Yes, of course I was. Absolutely. I was quite angry. But, if they feel that need, we'll figure out other paths. Will we continue to be the best possible group to join, for access to experienced Oliver owners, who actually have factual answers, based on experience? Yes. We will. It's not my job as a volunteer moderator to offer marketing suggestions. Oliver has a paid team for that. The benefits of having Oliver trained and certified service centers dotted about the four corners could significantly outweigh the loss of classifieds for many folks farflung from Hohenwald. We'll see. I'd encourage all of you to do as I will. Take a deep breath, and see how this works out. I know, personally, from my solid experience with the Oliver family, that the commitment to contiinued exemplary customer, and technical, service will not change. Its in their DNA. Sherry Oliver mod since February, 2008. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/9710-classifieds-change/?do=findComment&comment=98284

I don't see that changing, no matter what, honestly. Back during the 2008 downturn, and the hiatus, Oliver continued to not only give gainful employment to all their employees, albeit often in other jobs, but continued to support our "orphan" trailers. And, they paid the fees to keep our then very tiny membership forum going. Som of us, like mountainborn and I, with more computer background, kept it afloat with our expertise, and no admins. (I do appreciate our admins.) Was I upset/angered by the decision to drop the classifieds?. Yes, of course I was. Absolutely. I was quite angry. But, if they feel that need, we'll figure out other paths. Will we continue to be the best possible group to join, for access to experienced Oliver owners, who actually have factual answers, based on experience? Yes. We will. It's not my job as a volunteer moderator to offer marketing suggestions. Oliver has a paid team for that. The benefits of having Oliver trained and certified service centers dotted about the four corners could significantly outweigh the loss of classifieds for many folks farflung from Hohenwald. We'll see. I'd encourage all of you to do as I will. Take a deep breath, and see how this works out. I know, personally, from my solid experience with the Oliver family, that the commitment to contiinued exemplary customer, and technical, service will not change. Its in their DNA. Sherry Oliver mod since February, 2008.

For better or worse Oliver’s reputation will be measured somewhat by that of their associated appointed sales / service centers. Hopefully things will improve in the RV industry but currently there is a lot of distrust in this market, Oliver being the exception. Oliver provides a very unique purchasing, support, and quality experience which is what brought most of us to Oliver over the rest of the manufacturers. Oliver is growing as a result which is fantastic and things will have to change as a result understandably. Hopefully they’ll find a way to maintain a bit of that exceptional user experience.

This is precisely the conversation my wife and I were having. Water and personal ruggedness will probably limit us more than electricity. And your proposed solution is very much in our plans. Thank you for sharing your experience. P.S. I can't wait to spend a few weeks in Idaho running out of water somewhere breathtaking. 🙂

I just got around to doing my annual bearing maintenance and switched out all lug nuts to the ones recommended above by ScubaRx. They are super high quality and fit perfect. As a side note, I did not find any cracked sheathing on my old lug nuts. Likely had to do with spending most of the year out West and use of a 6 point socket. Thanks Steve!

ScubaRx and I did a hands on demonstration and discussion about PEX plumbing at the 2022 OTTO's rally. It seemed to be well received by those that participated. We were talking recently about lubricating the dump valve cables and the valves themselves and thought it might be a subject for discussion at this years rally if there was enough interest. So if anyone has interest in this topic, please PM me directly. And if anyone is having trouble with their dump valves, we might be able to incorporate that into the demonstration/discussion if they are willing to have some “amateur plumbers” in and around their Ollies. We will limit this offer to 2 Ollies if there are any volunteer victims! Mossey

Your PEX presentation and hands on learning started me on my PEX repair abilities. It was what I needed to get started. I think the dump valve class would also be good. Steve showed me what to do years ago and I’ve been able to remove, clean and lube my cables a few times. Ditto on the valves. Mike

Matt: Byerly RV in St.Louis, MO has worked on our Elite II twice, once to correct a problem with the solar panels (warranty work), and the second time to install the Micro-Aire Easy Start module for the A/C. Very satisfied with their work. It's a large facility located off I-44 about 25 miles southwest of St. Louis.

This could be a very positive change.