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We are making our way down to Key West. We will be staying at the Navy Base there for the month of December. On our way down, we stopped at a nice campground in the Chattanooga area and in the crisp autumn evening, I caught these pics. Cheers, Brian

@Rivernerd, @Chukarhunter, @Steph and Dud B, @MobileJoy, @aaronorange, @John Dorrer, My issue has been resolved. The Xantrex Inverter/Charger is now charging my Lithionics batteries. As promised, following are the details leading to resolution of the problem. After logging a service ticket (including thorough details) with Oliver on Sunday, 11/12/23, I continued to read the Xantrex owner's manual and search the internet for clues to resolve the "AC bypass" preventing charging of the batteries. This effort was largely unsuccessful. On Monday morning, 11/13/23, I phoned Oracle Service to inquire if they could provide guidance to resolve the problem. In short, they could not. I was told since this was an AC problem, Oliver could not help resolve the problem. They recommended taking the trailer to a service center. In the course of the discussion, I was also provided erroneous information, such as the as the state of the ON/OFF switches on the Lithionic batteries. I was told the batteries are fully charged if the switch button is lighted a steady blue color. This is incorrect. The owner's manual from Lithionics clearly states a steady blue light indicates only that the battery is ON. I knew from using the Lithionics app on my phone exactly what the charge state was- between 10% and 12%. Oliver Service did forward my service request to Xantrex and I received an email from Xantrex which included a case number in their service request tracking system. In the automated email were instructions for submitting additional information. Using the Xantrex FXC Control app on my phone I made three screenshots of the current settings on the Xantrex inverter/charger, plus serial number, purchase date, etc. Below is one of the screenshots. Oliver Service also provided a phone number to Xantrex customer/technical support, ‭(800) 670-0707‬. I placed a call to Xantrex, only to receive a recorded message stating they were closed for a Canadian holiday. Today, I finally reached Shawn, a Xantrex tech support agent, after about a 25 minute wait in a phone queue. I provided the case number and Shawn spotted the screenshots and quickly reviewed the settings. Shawn told me he was almost certain my issue was caused by the setting of Charger Ignition Control being Auto-ON. While still on the phone with Shawn, I went to the trailer, opened the Xantrex FXC Control app and changed the setting of Charger Ignition Control to OFF. The Xantrex Inverter/Charger immediately came on and began to charge the batteries. Neither Shawn nor I can explain how this setting got changed from the default Oliver setting of OFF. In the two hours since changing this setting the batteries SOC has increased from about 10% to >40%, while connected to a 20 amp circuit. In another hour, the batteries are all near 80% SOC. Lessons learned- I had not checked all of the inverter/charger settings using the Xantrex FXC Control app against the Oliver default settings listed at https://support.olivertraveltrailers.com/portal/en/kb/articles/xantrex-inverter-settings. Had I done this, I may have resolved the problem sooner. In my opinion, Oliver Service should have recommended verifying the current settings against the Oliver default setting for the Xantrex Inverter/Charger and our model year trailer. I had ordered #10 AWG wire and components to add a 30 amp RV outlet to a utility building near our driveway. I am now reconsidering spending about $200 and several hours of labor to do so. The 20 amp circuit already in place seems adequate for our needs when we have the trailer in the driveway. This incident confirmed my prior observation- the lithium batteries can be recharged from a very low SOC to full charge in approximately 4-5 hours using a 20 amp circuit. I have also used this same circuit to run the Dometic air conditioner in the trailer for as long as needed. While I had Shawn on the phone, I asked him why the Xantrex Inverter/Charger would occasionally come ON for brief periods (2-3 minutes) while attached to shore power. I have noticed this occurring at night, such as when the furnace cycled on. Shawn said this was not unusual, if a large DC load is activated, such as a bilge pump, or a furnace blower. I hope this information is useful to other Oliver owners whose trailers are equipped with Xantrex Inverter/Chargers. My thanks to all who offered suggestions to resolve the problem. Regards, Don

Hello All. Diane and I have finally moved up to an Elite II. We had a Burro WB for many years, and bought a Snoozy in April but found it lacking in dry/cold weather camping. Bought a nice used Ollie in Toronto and are bringing it back to life in Union ME. Looking forward to maiden voyage in April 2024. Dusty

Our garage is almost done. Just need electrical run and installed before Eggcelsior can move in. Hoping to have it indoors before the first real snowfall.

@MAX Burner thank you. We are confirmed for Dry Tortugas 11/30! My wife’s first time in the keys. Our first two nights are boondocking at a Church (HH) in Islamorada - have to take her to Robbie’s. We have a waterfront sight on Sigsbee Island (Navy) for the month of Dec. Should be a good time. BL

We too have camped through some serious storms, most all of which were thunderstorms. I am always somewhat anxious during one while we are inside the Oliver. The fiberglass hull provides zero protection from a lightning strike. If it gets bad enough, we will leave the trailer and get inside the truck. This would be the only time that an Airstream is clearly better than an Oliver due to the fact that its metal body normally protects people from lightning strikes by acting as a Faraday cage. We have never been in a hail storm of any consequence.

Z My daughter was waiting for a bus near a friend’s home in Morro Bay and saw this Oliie across from the stop. She should now buy a lottery ticket!

It certainly was but we like the door open and the fan on low. Not infrared but a post-processing filter. Good eye! Brian

@Brian and Brandelyne: You'll both have a trip of a lifetime - before you know it, y'all be "pinch'n tails and suck'n heads"!

Yah definitely not screws, they look like rivets but I don’t think they are rivets…..or not rivets that I’m familiar with. Here’s a pic of my door before I installed the friction hinges, should be the same on your 2022. and here’s a pic of my door with the friction hinge.

As you watch the Oliver videos, start a list of questions by topic. Then bring your list on a clipboard to your delivery day. As the staff show you each part of your trailer, you will ask the questions for that part and won't forget them.

We camped near Sylva for a week and really enjoyed the area. We even drove to Brevard for lunch with another Oliver owner couple there. @topgun2

@Brian and Brandelyne: Enjoy the Keys! We spent a month there in '18 - scuba diving, standup paddle boarding, and generally having a blast. Grassy Key was one of our favs - many manatee sightings there. Suggest taking the time to visit Fort Jefferson on Dry Tortuga - very impressive and a nice boat ride from Key West. Ah! Capt. Tony's.... Keep us posted with pix of your Oliver adventure.

I love DuPont and that whole area.

Dusty, congratulations on finding your Oliver, and welcome to the clan! Like you we purchased a used Ollie and couldn’t be happier.

Hey, Dusty! Welcome aboard and congrats on acquiring #089. We bought Mighty Hull #226 last March and we've logged just north of 10k miles since - so, strap on and enjoy the ride, its a fun one, especially as a new family member on the forums! We're definitely planning to visit Maine and the eastern seaboard in Casa Blanca, you live in a wonderful area for outdoors enthusiasts... Keep us posted on your purchase. Cheers!

In an email response from OTT to the service ticket submitted, I was informed they would have to consult with Xantrex and report back. My service inquiry read as follow: I would like confirmation on the charging ability, specific to my Xantrex Freedom 2000 (non-bluetooth model). I have been paying more attention to the charge aspect of this unit since upgrading to LFPs and installing a Victron SmartShunt. To the best of my knowledge and observations made, there is an initial charge cycle (80A) when first connected to shore power, but no further charge cycles thereafter unless ‘manually’ restarting by either disconnecting/reconnecting the power cord or by flipping the main circuit breaker Off/On. Is this the norm for my Xantrex or is it not operating correctly? I did use the remote panel to reconfigure the unit settings for use of LFPs, but would appreciate knowing the recommended values to ensure optimum use. 2020 OLEll, 579 OTT’s response: This is something that I am going to send to xantrex to get their thoughts on. It typically takes a couple of days to hear back from them. I will let you know as soon as they respond with what they say.

To overcome the ground plane issue, could you not just install a base plate of pre-famulated amulite mounted right up against the roof inside the fiberglass topper? It would seem to me that this would effectively eliminate any side fumbling between the novertrunnions and the grammeters. Sufficient cooling should be provided by the non-reversible tremie pipes normally provided with the purchase of the base plate but if overheating occurs, consider installing a good panametric fan. The best ones consist simply of six hydrocoptic marzlevanes mounted on a ambifacient girdle waneshaft. They can be run natively on 12 volts DC and are easily found and any Big Box store. This should increase your bandwith significantly however, to reduce sinusoidal repleneration or if forescent skor motion is required, you will need to install a left facing drawn reciprocation dingle arm.

I think Brevard could host a Hallmark movie. Little Sylva, a county away, is another little gem. Small town Western North Carolina is worth the travel. Imo.

Beautiful waterfalls and pleasant humans sound great. My wife is always looking for those perfect towns like you see in a Hallmark Christmas movie.

@Jason Foster, just bring your camera, and a credit card. Transylvania county NC is full of beautiful waterfalls, and picturesque little towns. (Always garlic in the cabinet... but never sighted a vampire. Just pleasant humans.)

Welcome, Dusty. I'm a new Oliver owner as well though mine hasn't arrived yet. I can't wait to share your refit journey. Keep us updated. Pictures would be awesome.

Boondocking is very appealing to me, not so much for my wife, but she is coming around to it. The composting toilet would be fine for me as well, but my wife would never go for it. She has a tremendous sense of smell which gives her migraine headaches from time to time. The maintenance doesn't bother me at all. I have a shop and an incredible number of tools which allows me to tinker a lot. I'd probably be bored if I didn't have some bolts to torque and chassis grease zirks to lube. I am 6'3" and my wife is 6'2". The head will never be big enough. However, I figured it doesn't have to be. We don't spend much time in there, so size doent matter in this regard. The twin beds might be a bit tight at 75 inches but I'm hoping it will be fine. The dents in the Airstream during a hailstorm is one of the main reasons I went with the Oliver. There are many others, but this was a big one. We have endured a lot of storms while camping. I would be nervous in a tin can, but this boat should be fine.

Thanks for the follow-up. This will help others down the road👍

Welcome Hull #89! Wishing you great adventures in you LEll. Maine is a beautiful state and we hope to spend more camping there.

Dusty - Just get the "dust" off that #89 and she'll serve you well. (I'm sorry - I just could not resist). Welcome! As you get 89 back in working order be mindful that Oliver has continually upgraded components and systems over the years. Therefore, be sure to check exactly what model and year any particular Forum post is talking about because any advice given just may or may not apply to your trailer. Please let us know if there is anything that we can do to help. Bill

If there is no setting change that will enable your Xantrex inverter to keep your battery bank charged without "manual" reset, then installation of the master battery cutoff switch makes sense to prevent parasitic draws from drawing your battery bank down too far.

Yup sorry already pointed out to me, I edited my original post with correct link........this one

I do happen to live in the only county in the USA that is named - Transylvania! Halloween here is a blast for a town of only about 8,000 residents. Bill

True that!

This seemed appropriate here.

Our shades are custom made in Canada and are a specialty item made only for Oliver. The company is Auto-Motion Shade Inc. 400 Bentley Street, Markham, Ontario. The Customer Service Representative is Alex Colavecchia. You can reach him at 905-470-6198 or alexc@automotionshade.com. But the guy you really need to talk to is Vick. He is the one that actually assembles all of Oliver's shades. His cell phone is 416-989-1075. He will send you the cord and an instruction sheet for free. All that having been said, the sheet is not very clear and after disassembling the shade it's like doing Chinese arithmetic trying to see where all the strings go. I never did get ours fixed. Thanks a lot for reminding me. I think I'll go eat a bug.

Darn, I've been found out.

Sorry, didn't mean to pile on. Thanks for a lead on the concept.

That's great advice. Thanks. I used your link and learned about the Faraday cage. John

Steve, you failed to take into account the angle of the dangle of the Dooflamadger as its HF radio waves strike the ionosphere and reflects back to earth for the next bounce around the world. (ref: question #174 on the FCC examination for your ham radio license) de K2PLM

I have found in the study of various Ground Planes on propagation, that the Turbo encabulator is an excellent device to employ. However ScubaRx's sugestions clearly have merit. 73's de W8CB George

Thank you! Two on order; one for the front like you've added, and one on the street side, near the garage door. I'm also adding a small Anderson outlet on the front, so that I can run the fridge in my truck from the Oliver instead of the Bluetti. I appreciate the link!

I agree there is a very small risk of electrocution inside of a fiberglass trailer during a lightning storm. However, lightning is fairly predictable in that it strikes the tallest objects. If you boondock on a hill with no trees around, then lightning will likely strike a metal object nearby, your truck. Is it worth the risk? Probably not. I concede in this situation, the truck is the safest place to be. I camp in trees. Preferably, big ones, so I'm not really worried about lightning. Instead, I would be much more concerned with the trees falling. Statistically, trees falling kill a lot more people than lightning. Last March we were camping when a storm came through. Dropped a bunch of huge trees. One of which landed directly across an RV pad two campsites down. I'm curious. What would survive a tree falling better, my truck or the Oliver? Perhaps, a good bugout plan should be implemented. I'm a bit lazy for that so I will likely just sleep through it.

You may also wish to speak to Xantrex customer service, along with ott. There were some software/firmware upgrades over the years that might help you. You'll need to stick a phone camera down there, if labels aren't visible. Just a thought, as we don't know much about your particular unit. My xantrex (on our boat) ois older than yours.

I have been dying to ask: "Why two Olivers?"

Someone with an artistic ability should design an "Oliver Window Shade Re-Stringer Club" patch for our flight jackets.... You get to wear one after successfully re-stringing your first window shade 🤪

Welcome to the Oliver community! It appears that your intent is to boondocks quite a bit since you are opting for the Lithium batteries. Have you considered the composting toilet? There are many threads on this, but it is one of those things where you either love it or hate it. In our case, it's the former. It expands the time we can spend without sewage hookup allowing us to either boondock or enjoy partial hookup campgrounds. It is more work than a flush toilet, but I feel it's worth it. Airstream was our first choice. We were considering a medium size (25'-27') when I noticed a very small ad in a sidebar of one of the news sites I read for Oliver. That sent us to their website, and almost immediately changed our direction. Our camping goal was to bring home with us as we traveled the country. We have tenting experience but no previous experience with RVs, although I am a homeowner / engineer with some experience in carpentry, electrical, and plumbing so the thought of maintaining a second home didn't bother me. We made the trip to the mother ship for a factory tour. That trip sold my wife on Oliver. She loved the bright interior and decided that living in an OEII would work for her. We had at that point been inside many travel trailers. Thus far, we have done about 16K miles traveling. We have used the service ticket many times. This has been fantastic. The OEII has been pretty reliable. The downsides of it for us are the few things that require frequent maintenance such as the need to lube the chassis every 3,000 miles and to constantly inspect the window tracks to ensure proper drainage. Other things that require maintenance and inspection are done less frequently. Many of these are discussed on this forum (such as checking the torque on bolts that hold the stabilizer jacks in place, servicing wheel bearings, etc.). I can do most of these things myself, but I still do an annual visit to the mother ship for maintenance. Regarding the small size, we are comfortable with this. We can get by each other with no difficulty. Using the wet bath is no problem for us since we are well under 6' tall. We have so far stayed in it up to 9 weeks consecutively and never felt constrained even on rainy days. We did endure a heavy 10 minute hailstorm which dented our truck hood but did no damage at all to the OEII or its solar panels. I'll bet there would have been dents in our Airstream! Otherwise, I can only echo the advice given above. I believe you will love it! The level of service they offer, this Forum, their Facebook page, and the Oliver University are awesome.

You may or may not want to add an inverter, if you mostly boondock, and have 4 t105 batteries. In 2010 or so, we added a small inverter (1000 watts), because we only had 2 x 105 ah agm group 31 batteries, primarily to charge our laptop. (Could power some small devices, not much else.) Replaced the laptop with a tablet (12v charger) , rarely needed anything that wasn't 12v, and wanted the space the inverter used. So, it was gone. Much depends on your camping style, and your battery power. If we really need 110, a generator handles the need. We can also use the small genset to charge our agm batteries. We don't have a microwave, and we tend to enjoy living without a lot of extra 110 power "stuff." Everyone has a different camping style. It's nice to be able to design your system based on your style.

He was, til he discovered he didn't have an inverter. Thanks for trying.

Totally agree. One of our favorite things about off grid camping is night sky, and few neighbors. If we do have neighbors, we sure don't want to ruin their experience, either.

Another vote for Custer SP. We stayed at Sylvan Lake Campground which was great. Agree with SeaDawg about the wildlife loop either eary or late in the day.

Sherry & Paul, Lots of Campsites are open and more are becoming available each day up here in North Dakota. The only migration is that of the birds heading south. Oh WAIT, our first snow dump of the season, now they are inaccessible until May. B~Out (Shoveling the driveway)

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.

Thanks, we caught plenty..😊 it’s been an absolutely amazing stay and visit here at Bull Shoals white water SP to say the least. The visitors center is top shelf. Onward!! Patriot🇺🇸