Leaderboard

Finally did this and I see on the newer Elite1, it looks like the return air grille was moved to the rear curbside bench seat, so that is much better! Can't tell if a vent was also placed in the bathroom, but that would also be a good idea. E2 still has it's main return right next to the furnace.... Rivernerd also mentioned that Oliver has also added one in the bathroom and that is great. Personally, I would still think about closing the main return vent next to the furnace and add other returns strategically placed (like where Routlaw mentioned earlier) to create better below deck ventilation/heating. Remember to maintain the proper cu.in. return air requirement for your particular furnace if you do this. Finally, and just to be clear, those vents at the top and bottom of the closet door are not return air vents. They probably have good use keeping the closet ventilated and warmer to keep clothes from getting damp or whatever, but they are not part of the return air system and would do nothing to keep the below deck area warmer. If there was, or is a third vent between the closet wall and the bathroom sink vanity, then that would connect the closet to the return air system. Carry on. Dave

I know that there used to be some "issues" with certain RV's where there was not enough room under the tanks to allow the sensors clearance. Of course, a side benefit is that the halos help prevent rust, cushion the bottoms of the tanks (i.e. you don't have that metal scraping on concrete or asphalt), helps prevent sharp metal edges on the bottoms from cutting and/or scraping things, etc. Bill

If you are looking to buy a new Oliver Travel Trailer here are some things to consider. With the implementation of the new dealer network you now have several new options available to you that previously did not exist when you could only go to Hohenwald to buy a trailer. There are two ways to approach the first step. If you live a long way from Hohenwald and don’t want to have to drive that far to see the trailers you should check the Link on the Oliver page that will show you where all the current dealers that will be selling Oliver’s are located. There are currently 18 different locations spread across the United States. There are future plans to add new dealers here and in Canada. With the information on the locations of the dealers, if one is close to you and you want to do business with them that is perfectly fine. If one is no closer to you than Hohenwald you may choose to contact the sales team there. When contacting Hohenwald a member of the sales team will take your personal information and work with you to get you the exact trailer you want in the shortest time possible. They can take an order from you and get you into a queue to have the trailer of your dreams built for you. The current wait time after ordering is around four months. If you live in a state that does not have any dealers, they will see if there is a trailer already built and available at one of their dealers. If so, you could have your new trailer in a matter of days rather than months. Even if there is not one that is just like you desire, if a dealer has a trailer on order that is still early in its build, Oliver will work with that dealer to attempt to have the build altered to be what you want. Doing it this way will still get you a trailer much quicker than starting your build from scratch. If you live in a state that has dealers, Oliver’s agreement with those dealers is that you will be referred to them. Another option that was not previously available to you is that if you already own an RV of some sort and want to trade it in, many of the dealers might be able to do that whereas in Hohenwald, that was not and will not ever be an option. You can also buy a trailer through a dealer, do all the paperwork there and still pick it up in Hohenwald if you want to. And, as always, you are free to buy a trailer and take delivery in Hohenwald if you so choose. Both of these options are a good choice if you want to do a plant tour prior to pickup. At some relatively near future point (certainly this year) their plan is to have all sales conducted through the dealer network. The rumor that they will stop working on trailers older than two years or out of warranty is patently false. Service will continue to be done in Hohenwald. The rumor was started by a fired service employee. He and his wife propagated this rumor as well as other false information about the Oliver TT after he was terminated. It was posted both here and on the various FB pages. He has been terminated there as well and the false statements have been removed. As always, the Oliver sales staff will still be available to assist you and the dealers with any questions and issues. If none of this works for you, my suggestion is to take the list of dealers from the website and call each of them and tell them what you are looking for to see if they have one is stock that would suit your needs.

Hello everyone! I am sharing with everyone how to delete your account if you ever choose to go; we sure hope you stay! But in case you ever move on and would like to delete your account, here is how! Go to Account Settings: Next choose Security and Privacy Tab: From here you can click on the "Request Account Deletion" and it will be reviewed and then deleted. Safe Travels Wanderer!

While looking around the internet for this material I came across a number of RV Van modification companies that use this stuff extensively and also sell it on the open market. It is used mostly for sound insulation more than thermal insulation though. Apparently the R value of the thinsulite is 5.2 better than nothing and pretty good for something this thin. Yep, seen the pipe wrap by the box load in the home centers and hardware stores.

Did you leave the rectangle stock vent under the curb side open? This, and moving the one furnace exhaust vent from under the curb side bed to under the street side bed are on my to do list.

Agreed. That is why I also installed a vent on the aisle side of the front dinette seat, to allow more return air from the front of the main cabin back through the underbelly area to the furnace. See photo below.

👆🏻 exactly what I did.

As I have pointed out in other threads, an added benefit of the pipe insulation is that it will help quiet the water pump. Put it on both the hot and cold water lines (like rich.dev shows). For those areas that you can't see and/or get to easily, simply start the in an area that you can get to and shove it along the pipe until it stops. You'll be able to get most - if not all - the pipe covered. I'd bet too that the Thinsulate will also help decrease noise levels. Bill p.s. Ace, WalMart, Lowes etc. all have this foam pipe insulation.

Here are the links for the 3M Thinsulate 600L and 3M 90 Spray adhesive, you might even find it cheaper, just google it. You can buy the 1/2" pipe insulation in 3' or 6' lengths from Home Depot

Dave I am certainly no expert at these things and honestly haven't given it much thought until you brought this up but everything you state above makes total sense. Have always thought the heating system in the EII was sub par especially noticeable when really cold but it seems like you have worked through this and improved the situation considerably. This is going to be my next mod for sure once it thaws out here in Montana and I can get our Ollie out of storage. Are these 4 inch vents commonly available? If not no big deal I can use something else in lieu of those. Is it possible to have too much return air venting thus lowering its efficiency? I also want to purchase some of the 3M insulation and pipe wrap @rich.dev mentioned too. My thoughts for now are one in the bath under the toilet paper roll, one below seats probably closest to the rear if there is room and another one close to the fridge at the entry. The existing one will get closed off completely. It's not a bad idea to have a vent for the closet if for no other reason to vent off heat during summer camp trips. That space if left closed can get pretty darn warm. Thanks

Got it! Makes sense... I'd be doing the same drill in your situation. We like OEM - a lot.

JFWIW: Regarding solar - surely we've all read many similar threads regarding the "output" of solar modules. However, for those who are new to this RV topic and are on their "front-end" of learning about solar modules, it's important to remember that a given module's output rating is under optimum conditions and in some cases purely theoretical. For example, the Oliver-factory flat-mounted modules on our Hull #226 are rated to 170w output each - 340w total. On a good summer day at noon with high sun angle, no obstructions, we might measure 290w. If we added the ability to tilt the flat modules (an easy mod/just haven't got around to it yet), we suspect that they'd yield an additional 20-25w. For another example, at noon today (2MAR) we're experiencing a fairly low sun angle with no obstructions and the flat mounted modules were generating 236w, this was the highest yield during the day: So, when you find yourself asking how much solar do I need for my style of camping - consideration should be given to the storage capacity (AH's) of one's battery bank, background DC power consumption during solar charging times, solar panel tilt, efficiency/type of solar controller, time of year most camping is done (sun angle factor), and even latitude above equator (another sun angle factor) most camping is done. These considerations will guide you to correct balance of solar output and battery bank storage capacity for a given style of camping. A given system will behave totally differently while boon docking during an Alaskan summer as compared to the same time of year in the Rockies. There's many YouTube presentations regarding this calculation that can be found to help solve anyone's particular solar/battery size needs. The below video could be a good start for a someone new to solar:

Ron - I don't consider the "total" costs associated with the Garmin to be inexpensive - $300 plus for the unit, $35 or so per year and then another $35 or so per month for the months you use it. However, given the places I tend to travel (i.e. the further out you go, generally the less people you'll encounter) and the fact that I usually do this travel alone, there are not too many ways to call for help and/or let family know where you are located. Also, there are features that come with the Garmin that let friends follow along on the adventure, allow me to keep track of "special" spots and hikes and fishing places. I can also plan trips, mark gas stations, possible boondocking spots, attractions, etc. I can also get up to date weather reports and even send/receive messages. The more I've used it the better I like it and feel that the price is certainly worth the features and the knowledge that the family can contact me or vise versa no matter where I'm located. Bill

Received the new Furrion outlet yesterday. It will soon be the shiniest part on our old hull. 😊 I hope the wiring connected to this is good. Minimum is 10 AWG for a 30A circuit which is likely what they used for such a short run. I'll take another pic when I have it open. Would have liked to convert to SmartPlug, but it would be a lot of $$$ to upgrade (replace two outlets and the cord or cord end). How about that, another warning label! Love a warning label that can hardly be seen in use.

...glad there's no fee for our furry companions, these rallies could start getting expensive! WOOF! 🤪

That's good to know, Steve - thanks for posting!

Yup, that's a pretty good deal on the bundle:

I'm also the guy that removes all those ugly warning labels on most things we own! Not so many on the Oliver anymore. You know that "Air Bag Warning" label that has been on automotive visors for decades? Like 30 years later we don't know about air bags. And that's just what you need while driving, a bright yellow label right at eye level! Took one off years ago and we stuck it on the back of Grandma's shirt during a family reunion. It was quite fitting, as my mom doesn't stop talking at these events! Even she had to laugh, once she figured out why everybody else was laughing. 🤣

Last summer I traveled to West Texas on my first ‘solo’ Oliver adventure, Davis Mountains SP to be exact. I purchased an inReach to carry with to lessen my wife’s concern of my personal safety in the event of an accident or other event, and ability to communicate due to weak cell service. The plan I choose can be suspended to lessen the cost; the SAR insurance was purchased, as well. Prior to our next adventure, I will purchase the insurance coverage for my wife. Here’s a couple pics of me hiking on and off the trail in 110° heat, note the inReach on my right hip.

I used my $27 Smart Sensor combustible gas sensor to locate a propane leak at a fitting on an outdoor propane tank at our church last year. Our noses smelled the mercaptan odorant in the propane to alert us to the presence of the leak. The sensor then isolated the source to that fitting, which was repaired. It works outside, as well as inside. I now carry a Smart Sensor detector in our Hull #1291. Then I don't have to worry about whether the stoichiometric air/fuel ratio inside the trailer is within a dangerous range when searching for the location of a propane leak. https://www.amazon.com/Detector-Portable-Combustible-Adjustable-Sensitivity/dp/B07H671NJ3?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A2PG0JPHUSQSX8

See photo below, showing both the bottom and top vents I installed. As you can see, they are cut into the wall above and below the closet door, allowing air from the main cabin to flow into and then out of the closet. I am advised that Oliver is now installing such vents in new trailers being manufactured.

Now you've gone and done it. You have just made all the snowflakes and liberals heads explode. Do you have any idea how much paperwork this will create? And the Darwin awards are just going to build up. It just means there will be more warning labels. How are we ever going to drain the gene pool swamp if you keep warning them? Actually, that's the way I've always done it, outside. As you (plainly) said, "NEVER, never try this in an enclosed space where gas can accumulate!" If that's not warning enough for someone, they deserve what they get. 😃

You are correct. However fiberglass has the advantage of being cast in many ways. From many perspectives we would want the top mold to be very aero efficient. But the bottom could be squared off some with much less impact from an aero perspective. This is exactly what most vehicle shapes at the rear are. Squarish low for trunk space and aero above for efficiency. The auto mfg's figured out how to do this with sheet metal, and the boat mfg's are doing it in fiberglass. That said, I'm not suggesting Ollie bottom be a cube. Just moderate it a bit to square up a tad the sleeping corners. Just a that. GJ

Your solar charge controller should handle that charging profile for you. Depending on the type of controller you have, MPPTs probably use a better AGM charging profile than the PWM type controller. Either way, the controllers should be configured to their specific AGM setting. We had AGMs in our previous camper and used a Blue Sky MPPT solar charge controller wired with 10AWG wires from the controller to the battery bank. Our solar modules would provide enough energy for a 13.6vDC bulk charge to the bank on a good sunny day then drop to a about 13.2v for a float charge after 13.6v was reached. But all charging profiles and systems are not the same... Suggest you contact the battery manufacturer and inform them of the type of controller you have and ask them for their recommendation.

I will keep continue to use the OEM plug and cord. So far it’s worked great. 👍🏻

Contact Service and I'm guessing that they will ship you some new caps. Then, when you install these simply put something like E6000 or any similar product on the backs of the caps and that will keep them from "falling off". Bill

Same. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. All the twist locks I've used over the years work fine with the exception of that ridiculously flimsy, woefully and ineffectively threaded, plastic locking ring.