Leaderboard

Our two Tollers (Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers), Bob and Cash, are always ready and waiting to go camping or to the brewery. They definitely make us laugh every day and are great travelers once they settle in after the first 20 miles and know it's a longer trip.

Correct. It was a simple channel jig 60" long and the space between the 2x4's was the width of the pvc. I clamped the pvc on each end with a small C-clamp and used a simple battery circular saw with a carbide blade and a rip guide set to the right cut position. It cut the pipe like butter and very clean. The front and rear pieces need a 1/8" deeper cut on the bottom side to allow clearance for the panel mounting frame/legs. The corners I actually cut with a hand held oscillating cutter. I laid the corner piece flat on the table and held it firmly with one hand and used a spacer to hold the cutting blade the correct height off the surface of the table. The blade cuts the pvc easily. I realize this is just bits and pieces of information but it's the primary information you need to get started. There's more than one way to go about the fabrication and I already know I would approach it a bit differently if I built another one. If you have more questions, just pm me and I'll try to fill in the gaps.

I couldn’t resist, one more…

Love all the great pics and stories folks are sharing. Keep them coming and everyone jump in and share your pet joy! Morning squirrel watch currently: Freshly groomed for the Fall season the other day:

The boys are ready to rock a 5-mile hike this morning in the Chiricahua mountains just east of our boon dock location near Willcox, AZ...

So I've spent a little time researching this evening and there's clearly a product that's perfect for this project if anyone is entertaining a pvc guard to your solar panels. Formufit is an American made furniture grade PVC product line that's UV inhibited and has a much higher strength than standard PVC pluming pipe. It has a nice glossy finish that matches the fiberglass on the camper. You can get it direct from the company, Home Depot or even Amazon. For this project you would need 4 pcs 1-1/4" tube 60" long and 4 pcs 1-1/4" 90 deg. elbows. https://formufit.com/

Fritz, Ketzel, and their personal Sherpa who carries their water, treats, and the shotgun in the event we stumble on a Dusky (Blue) grouse. Both dogs are German Wirehair pointers.

Cool thread, we all love "men's best friend!" We haven't traveled much yet in our Oliver. So, the first two pics are when we had the Bigfoot Class-C, a fall trip to Williams and Sycamore Canyon, Arizona (2nd largest canyon in AZ). Meet our 9-year-old English Springer Spaniel named Charley! Chris caught me napping, something I literally never do! So, it was picture-worthy. In the spot where I removed the uncomfortable loveseat for other seating and more room. The third pic is when we first purchased our Oliver in June. Charley made himself right at home while we were removing the 'stink' of past owners.

If you can find a competent local repair shop to do maintenance then you shouldn’t need to make an annual trip to Tennessee. I’ve got a local mom/pop repair shop just 15 minutes away. He’s been doing my maintenance for the last 7 years and has several other Olivers he services. In the early years he did some warranty work which was reimbursed by Oliver. Mike

Actually, I did have to replace a touch light for which I had installed a shade. I sprayed a little bit of rubbing alcohol around the base of the shade where it was stuck to the fiberglass, wiggled it a bit, and the shade came right off. I replaced the touch light, and reinstalled the shade.

Big? Fritz is only 92 pounds, Ketzel a mere 72. To be honest, it’s tight, really tight. Fritz can’t even turn around between the beds, he backs out.

You tie. But you've had yours longer: 1958 MGA 1500 Roadster If I had a bigger barn, I could have won, though. But my younger brother ended up with my Dad's 1923 Ford Model T, which Dad had since the '50s. Now, if we go back to "What Was Your First Car?" though, I usually come out ahead in those. But that's a completely different thread than OTT Service. 😉

...yup, yet another un-caught typo. Our's is a 30amp DC-DC charger, I'll fix it post haste... TKX!

Same here. I had a similar concern to what many have over the description given on the website when ordering. Upon receipt I was happy to see that the seat on the new solid SS nuts was that of the expanded, continuous style (like a bulge acorn) and not the scalloped style of a regular acorn. I see no reason why these lug nuts would not seat and perform the same as the OEM lug nuts. The only issue I had during installation was that the new nuts are larger, forcing me to buy a larger 6-pt socket for my torque wrench and breaker bar.

Thanks. Newer trailers (at least our 2021 trailer) have five touch lights. The 4” pipe flanges form a tight friction fit around these touch lights. I did not try the concept with other lights (such as those on the ceiling or in the cabinets). Other sizes of pipe or associated fittings might work well for your lights. Good luck!

Everytime we are in Yellowstone it is amazing the amount of stupidity we see. There is something else between their ears and it isn't a brain

Fiona love her camping trips

This past summer, we traveled in temperatures exceeding 100F. Our breaker for the 4 AWG DC home run is located just aft of our F-150 engine bay battery. The breaker and system worked like a champ. GJ

OK... We're officially a 2-Husky family now. Our daughter moved from the Great SW to Chicago last weekend and left us with her "Oscar" (rhymes with Boxcar)... Here now in Wilcox, AZ on Mighty Oscar's (the black and white one) first-ever RV trip with his little brother, Magnus (the white one).

Lest folks get confused when they go looking for "4" PVC," what you used is ABS. In the plumbing world, ABS is black, PVC is white. So, to replicate your clever mod, folks should buy a 4" ABS connector. The same fitting might be available in PVC, which would come in white. Lots easier than painting. The fitting you used in PVC might be this 4" PVC Sewer and Drain Adapter: https://www.lowes.com/pd/PVC-4-in-x-4-in-dia-PVC-Adapter-Fitting/3455246?user=shopping&feed=yes&srsltid=AfmBOoqiQKecE5I94QDhmh3FLnYQEu_e183jcC9ZSiT_t9vAn5YMpw4bqvE If I were trying to implement this mod, I would buy one of those, see if it fits, then return it if it doesn't, and buy more if it does.

I think the last time we were in a Tim Hortons was around 2000 in Penticton, BC. We were heading to Jasper on a motorcycle trip. Does that count as "paying it forward"?😎 Mossey

Even us Canadians living in the USA are offended at your oversight. For penance you must stop at the next Tim Hortons you pass for breakfast.

Per a previous post and very solid recommendation by @ScubaRx I ordered and installed these SS lugs last June. I carry a torque wrench and I too check torque specs while traveling. On our most recent 42 day 6000 mile trip out west all lugs maintained their proper torque setting. https://www.ebay.com/itm/144965685434

Congrats on your upcoming retirement. You've made the right choice in an Oliver. We've owned two over the past 16 years starting in 2008. The company is following a business path that will keep them moving forward and customers happy for years to come.

110# of Huskies in the back coming home from our first 2-dog adventure - they pretty much take up the entire back seat...

Actually the stuff that Oliver has used for insulation has been similar to Reflectix but instead of being basically "bubble wrap" in between the foil it is a foam composite of some sort. Here are a few pictures which show how and where this is applied to the shells prior to them being joined together. Bill

Here’s a screenshot of the Victron app showing 43.29A with the engine held slightly above idle, with some fluctuation to 40A. At idle the value settled down into a range of 33-36A. The next screenshot was taken 14 minutes later with a 1% increase in charge.

The only challenge I see with the shade installation is when you need to replace the touch lights (and you will) you are likely going to have to remove the shade and re-tape and reinstall. Other than that it looks like a nice mod. I would go with white PVC. 👍🏻

I recently replaced my Renogy 20A DC-DC charger with a Renogy 40A model to accommodate a new 460Ah LFP house battery bank upgrade. With the original install, the recommended 4AWG cable, specified for use of a 40A charger, was used in anticipation of this charger upgrade when a switch to lithiums occurred.

Actually, this quote “we decided to go with the Victron 12/24 350 amp” was that of MAX Burner. I too questioned this, he replied it referenced the charger model. This was obviously a typo and edited to 12/12 350 amp, but his pic shows the charger as a 12/12-30. This should ease any concerns of a “PeterBuilt” signature OTT out there! As for the “tag line”, I need to figure out how to add that, but for now: 2012 Chevy 1500 Silverado 4x4; 2020 OLEll, 579, Twin.

Also interested in what size cables you used and what charger you would use to get beyond the Victron Orion 30 amp units on the market. BTW, great fuse unit. GJ

I am not familiar with your unit. For our OE trailers, many of use the Victron Orion 12/12 DC to DC units. And NON of them can handle 350 amps. You must have a PeterBuilt to be working cables that size at 12 or even 24 volts. Just having fun. But it would be nice if you you would add your TV and Trailer info to your tag line. See above other posts for good examples.

I’ve replaced two, and then had to replace one of the replacements. Failure seems to begin with flickering or dimming.

These "Fluffy Cows" stopped traffic for an hour headed to West Yellowstone on our motorcycle trip a couple summers ago...

This might be correct. Whether it is or not, I recommend using the type of nuts that came with your OEII. In my case, bulge acorn is the type of nut that was delivered with my 2021 OEII. These are the nuts I used. They are chrome plated steel, not stainless. So far they are working well. Torque has been checked many times, and no loosening noted.

Our old Hull #113 has needed service in many areas! And she still does. Serviced the axles recently and all of our original stainless-wrapped lugnuts were good, no cracks. Do realize, cracks in the stainless wrap are merely cosmetic. I cleaned mine up with the steel brush on my grinder and they look great. Maybe because ours has lived mainly in the dry SW?

Could you please share a picture of your "deck plates" install. I already purchased 12V motorized ball-valve switches and DPDT toggle switches, my install not yet started, though the thought of a simple access panel really makes sense! I'm interested in seeing your installation, though with the motorized valves, I will only have to drill 2-3 1/2" holes for the toggle switches. I'm upgrading the water pump too for more GPM and adding a couple of .75L accumulators so the pump cycles less often vs. every time you use the water. Looking at adding a dual canister water filter system too. I'll post my installation, in a mods thread, likely before or after Christmas when I have a few weeks off!

I have this saved from a post…can’t remember exactly who from and when, but if it will help I can send you the pdf

Pay attention here, light duty truck owners. This is absolutely true. You both are correct. My statement was not a typo, it was a brain fart. Post has been updated above. GJ

I am just a newbie. We are planning deliver of our Ollie in Mar 24 (followed by nearly simultaneous retirement). When evaluating RV options, Airstream almost won. Mostly because I live 15 miles from a full service AS dealership. I'm not a moron, but I'm also not an automotive engineer. The promise of having competent technicians 20 minutes from home was a big plus for the aluminum guys. In the end we committed to travelling from FL to TN yearly for expert evaluation/maintenance/advice..... If this lessens that commute, I vote Yeah. Everything I've written should be colored by the knowledge that I have no clue whether such actions will eviscerate the soul of the company. I pray not.

The 16x6 wheels that came on late model trailers like our '22 LE2 have steel inserts pressed into the lug nut wells. Should it matter whether the lug nuts are acorn or bulge acorn? It seems either type would be fine for wheels that have steel inserts.

Not sure it’s the same in all states and provinces, but in Ontario if you do a trade in, you don’t pay tax on the trade in amount. When we sold our SOB to buy a used airstream from a dealership, we sold the SOB privately, but did the deal through the airstream dealership, so it was considered a trade in, and we did not pay tax on the sold/trade in value of the SOB.😁

@ChrisMI, I tend to agree. From a practical standpoint, solar charges our batteries at this slow, low charge settings, near the end, best, imo. We've had a dc/danfoss/secop fridgefor several years now. 2 x 105ah 12 v agm batteries, 400 watts solar. As I've mentioned before, we do sometimes have to use the Honda 1000 charge. We use it early am,in bulk charger, and let solar do the slower charge. You can add, but not take away, easily. Solar is best add. Imo, batteries can be upgraded. Our agms have been sufficient for us two power misers. We have no microwave, no inverter. Every camping style is different

Lots of good advice given so far. I like the base model for everything I buy. It’s the way we ordered ours and I haven’t regretted it for a second. Having said that, with the new fridge being installed and always draining on the batteries, I feel the solar/lithium upgrade is a necessity now.

Another vote for Garmin InReach. In addition to being able to send a SOS to the InReach response center in an emergency, the two way communication path works well to let others know where you are, and what your status is. Your contacts can also reach out to you if there is an urgent matter at their end. You can send and receive messages via SMS email, cell phones, and other InReach devices. There are canned messages, as well as the ability to send your own text. When paired with a Bluetooth device, it’s easier to use. We have the older InReach Explorer+, our subscription is $12/month.

My 2018 Elite II has a Atwood CO/Propane detector that has a 2016 date printed on it. Although the Atwood has not been alarming, I am going to replace it any way before that happens and have ordered the new RV Safe detector from Amazon. Hopefully Amazon does not have old detectors in their stock. I will be checking its date when it arrives next week.

Yes, there is a fuse on the wire(s) leading away from where the wires come out of the back of the propane detector. The purpose of the switch is that it is a bunch easier to find this switch at "zero dark thirty" than it is to find that fuse and dismantle it when you are still half asleep, the alarm is going off and your significant other is yelling. Bill p.s. It should go without saying that in the event anyone decides to deactivate this alarm via either a switch or via the removal of the fuse, they should first determine that there is no actual leak. And, either the fuse should be replaced in its original position and/or the switch turned back to the "on" position as soon as possible. Failure to do this could be extremely detrimental to your health.

This is Dolly. She loves camping and knows how to relax after a day of camping!😂

Meet Tilly! Our Great Pyrenees. She loves going places, and is becoming a real good camper. She loves walking on footpaths in the woods. We’re teaching her to not bark at everything that moves, and she’s getting better every trip. At night she curls up by the door, out of the way in our Oliver. In the car, she has the back seat area all to herself (we took out the rear seats). 22 months old, and is pretty good girl' but sometimes behaving like a moody teenager. She never goes off leash outside, and wears a “FI” tracking collar. She thinks everyone is here to give affection and belly-rubs. Pretty chill dog overall.

Our dog Liv (means life, in Norwegian) and Bosker are good camping buddies. She's looking forward to camping with Bosker again. (As are we.)