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We use suction cups for everything. Flag poles, trash, paper towels, etc. Just have to have clean surface. Though, I like your solution. M

We don't use our AC very often, but when we do it would be nice if it didn't scare the dog and stess-out the cat. I didn't want to buy one of the newer (quieter) models just yet, so I looked into how I could insulate the stock Dometic unit better and achieve a noticeable reduction in noise. It took a 3-step approach, but I got it down to 65dB which is a significant reduction from the 75+dB level before. I took the attached dB reading in the center of our LE2 right under the front of the AC unit. I have attached photos of the 3 items that I added; (1) dense foam insulation to fill the hollow area to the rear of the return air intake vents between the roof-top unit and the ceiling panel, (2) I added a .4" layer of stick-on foam insulation over the very thin layer that came on the inside of the ceiling panel along with another piece of dense foam between the the center sliding vent cover (which is right below the fan motor) and the added layer of foam insulation (I did this so the cool air would be directed out the 2 side vents, and the front and rear vents instead), and (3) I installed an AC compressor noise reduction blanket. We are very happy with results!!! Joe/769

I discovered this 3 Ton Unijack while shopping for a bottle jack. It works great for jacking up my 2022 LE ll. I like the stability and it auto locks as a safety measure. Powerbuilt 3 Ton, Bottle Jack and Jack Stands in One, 6000 Pound Capacity, All-in-One Car Lift, Heavy Duty Vehicle Unijack, Wide Base, 620471 https://a.co/d/dbQ1z4d

We replaced a big bank of six volts on the boat with the Epoch 460. It's heavy, but light for the power it stores. Epoch also makes well reviewed smaller batteries, with comm. Two 100 ah batteries would probably fit, but the 460 is ip67 rated (best for the boat) and I think the 200 are only ip 54 or ip57. Still, in a sealed compartment... There are options beyond Battleborn. None are actually "drop in." My husband and our friend did some wiring changes. We already had controllers. Required setting changes. So far, so good, but only six months or so in. 11 year warranty. Epoch was a fraction of the cost of battleborn, for same storage capacity. Will prowse reviews on tear down were impressive. We took a fly, and I'll update as we go. (600 watts of solar on the boat. No shore power connection, normally. We haven't plugged in for 5 years, at least.) So, we'll update as the years go on.. JULY 2025 EDIT: Will Prowse has done some testing on current production Epoch batteries, and they are no longer on his recommendations list. Before buying any lifepo2 batteries, I'd google youtube will prowse (insert battety name) and see what he has to say. Will doesn't take free stuff for recommendations, and he's a sharp, thorough young man. Many of us here have followed him for years on YouTube, and his forum.

We’ve had a half dozen different grills since we acquired our first Oliver back in 2008. From a SS ceramic brick grill to a Weber Q. All were more trouble than they were worth for one reason or another. Some were always too hot, some not hot enough, some were messy to clean and all were impossible to pack into the vehicle efficiently. Until we bought a Black Stone. It easily breaks down into two almost equally sized pieces. I built a rack attached to the bed slide in the Silverado to specifically hold them. I also bought this folding table to set it on. This is the best system, by far, that we’ve ever had.

A stove and grill related practice… we always have a piece of plywood along to go under the grill, and protect plastic tables from the heat. I don’t want to contribute to the too many park tables with the art work of melted surfaces.

Based on my experience, the BS performs best when level as possible or perhaps slated a bit toward the grease trap. I find many campsites to slope, so having a cook table with adjustable legs helps in dialing in an optimum cooking surface. This was one important criteria when I shopped my tables.

It’s a little hard to tell from the picture provided but it appears that your batteries are all wired in parallel. This means most likely they are 12v batteries. Personally I’d just replace all 4 with a single 460ah Epoch unit. No jumpers necessary, easy install, no reason for a shunt because it’s a single battery that has Bluetooth communication showing battery life et al.

Found this while looking for a shower head replacement. Might come in handy. https://itcshopnow.com/products/fontana-exterior-shower-adapter-and-sprayer-holder

Yesterday, we shared a Shell station in Burns, Oregon with an Oliver from Mendocino, California. We had a few minutes to chat, then back on the road. The was only our third sighting since buying our LE II. 😊

Whoa @SeaDawg! Sherry, it's a good thing that appears a light landing on the roof. Looks like the leaves and density of small branches cushioned the fall. We had an oak tree branch downed by lighting years ago. It took down a gutter, some roof damage and the rear of a Dodge Intrepid certainly needed a body shop. Hope it's just clean-up for you! If I was in the neighborhood, I'd be over right away with my Stihl 026 and pole-pruner to help! 🙂

I have been doing research lately and found generally 16"X6" 6 lug/5.5 spacing aluminum trailer wheels are a more expensive than 15"X6" 6 lug/5.5 spacing aluminum trailer wheels of the same model & manufacturer from the same vendor. On the other hand the ST225/75R/15 Goodyear Endurance trailer tires (MSRP $199 ea) are not much lower in cost compared to good quality LT225/75R/16 tires. Walmart had Goodyear Endurance ST225/75R/15 on sale for $187, Discount Tire matched that price. Discount Tire Denver NC told me some good news while there today. They said they will install LT tires on trailers as long as the maximum load capacity of the LT tire when multiplying number of tires meets or exceeds the trailer's Gross weight, but they would have to see the trailer's documented GVW. One of the first 2010 Oliver LE2 had 15" wheels/tires. For several years many folks called ST tires "may pops" because they never knew when they would pop. Goodyear Endurance ST tire made in USA is a great quality trailer tire.

No that is one fine breakfast! Oh and the kitchen is exceptional too! Compliments to the Chief!

Just purchased two cans of the Debond and thanks again. Not bad with no tax added and only $5 S&H. Chris is the painter in our family, keen on detail. She has volunteered for this duty and was happy to hear of this product. Will report back on how it worked. We're just doing the prep work, so that when I take it to a professional fiberglass detailer, I won't have to pay many shop-hours for prepping. I don't want them working around old caulk but instead getting right to the edges. I will also remove as much exterior trim as possible, like taillight bezels and doghouse handles, just to name a few, before dropping it off for detail work. I expect the professional to use the 1200 grit sandpaper and do whatever is necessary to remove oxidation, and if I was to recaulk what's necessary, not for "asthetics" it would be as you suggested, by someone who knows "the ins and outs of the sealant." After cleaning up the cr@p, I'll spend my time on installing a new AC unit and other mechanical tasks per my core competencies. BTW, the only mold/mildew on our Oliver, inside or out, is on the caulk outer surfaces! 🤣

Not always having good luck with suction-cup attachments, I went this route: JONKEAN White Handheld Shower Head Holder with 2 Hanger Hooks, Strong Adhesive Shower Head Holder, Adjustable Shower Wand Holder Wall Mount, Bathroom Waterproof Shower Handle Holder No Drill Need - Amazon.com The main plastic holder detaches and only a 1/4" thin clear piece left taped to the Oliver. During travel the holder fits nicely where the shower head is stored. I use it often!

@DunnYet - FYI: 100% concur with Patriot, @topgun2, and @mossemi -- the thick wire loom keeps the chains squared away and gives a cleaner look, IMO. Torch the ends after cutting to keep them from unraveling and tie-off with plastic wire ties: ...and as @Patriot has noted previously, the Sea Biscuit Designs OTT purpose-built rack keeps the "whale tail", chains, 7-pin, brake-away lanyard, and 12/12v charger cable tucked away cleanly and off the deck. Cheers!

That was my observation, as well! Should be easy enough to scrape off the beads, apply new adhesive, properly bed the adhesive onto the fiberglass, then secure in place as it cures. I state this more to the benefit of others that may not know how to DIY a fix.

My black pipe had a nice bead of sealant at the hull penetration, so it didn’t move and was secure. The old cap slid off easily. I just cleaned up some foam that had been used to give it some support I guess, not really needed.

Episode 9, part 2:

12.1 volts is just about 50% SOC for your AGM batteries (wired in series to produce 12 volts). You generally don't want to discharge them below 50%. That's why the inverter is set to cut off at 12.1 volts. "Try to keep your max discharge level to 50% – this is 12.1v on AGM batteries – as our cycle life data is based on a 50% discharge level. You can technically take AGM batteries lower than that, but the cycle life will reduce accordingly." Source: https://www.alpha-batteries.co.uk/blog/a-detailed-guide-to-agm-batteries/#:~:text=Try to keep your max,will increase the cycle life. I've read that you can technically discharge AGM batteries all the way down to 20%, but you'll greatly reduce their lifespan.

@DunnYet If you want to clean up the appearance/look of your Andersen chains on your WDH this loom worked for me on my former Andersen WDH. It not only looks much nicer, but it does keep the chains cleaner looking. 10’ will work. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007VT09LS/?coliid=I105IRZOA4AD9&colid=28S7M1ANYVGFK&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it&th=1 Mod On! Patriot🇺🇸

In the 5 pages of recall info OTT sent us, all it states is "Your unit must be inspected..." Everything else is about replacement and reimbursement. Manufactures are responsible to communicate recalls. Consumers are not legally bound to reply. I have received over 100 recalls through the year and everybody here has too. I have never replied to Dodge, Ford, Toyota or any other. I will call for a service appointment when service or replacement is required, but if not I merely file the paperwork in my file for that vehicle. I was about to do the same here, but since @Geronimo John found the NHTSA website and the "Customer Reply Card" I will reply as a courtesy to OTT. OTT will have hundreds that do not reply, for trailers sold, people thinking it's junk mail... The GOV will likely audit OTT later to see they have complied and their records of such responses. I plan to print the from, write "SELF" as the inspecting BUSINESS, attach the photo I took months ago when this subject came up on our forum, and mail it Attn: Regina OTT - task completed from my point of view.

As @jd1923 mentioned, there are charger settings that need to be changed on your Xantrex for lithium batteries. OTT could provide those for you. You might need to change the cabling to fit the new battery terminal locations. Our Lithionics report their SOC through a Bluetooth app, so we don't have a separate shunt, but they are expensive. As for running the A/C, we have the 3000W inverter and can do that for an hour or so and recover the charge the next day if it's sunny.

Just be aware that the batteries you want are Lithium Iron Phosphate not Lithium Ion.

@jd1923, removal depends on the sealant. Heat can often help, and a plastic blade, for the big strips. With the suspected 4200 on the oliver light , we used a Heat gun on low, at some distance to not deform the fiberglass, passing it thru the lite. (I was outside, my husband inside.) Isopropyl alcohol works on some. Mineral spirits on some (but needs to be cleaned up later.) Googone caulk remover I've heard works on most caulk except silicone. 3m makes a remover for virtually every type of caulk manufactured. If you know the type of caulk you're dealing with , you can call the manufacturer for best practices. Heat first, plastic blade, and chemical removal last is our usual practice. Sorry I didn't respond earlier. We've been a bit busy with storm cleanup.

@rideadeuce All great suggestions! Thanks for passing them forward!

@rideadeuce, does your CradlePoint have an external antenna to broadcast Wi-Fi? If not, this is why you cannot receive Wi-Fi at your TV. The access point is a simple wired solution or a superior broadcast antenna. The Parsec has 4 cellular antennas to bring in cell signals, SIM card in the router for your cellular carrier (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon). We went with a Business T-Mobile account since they recently added 5G in our area. It has a GPS antenna for location accuracy, and 2 Wi-Fi antennas to broadcast a good 100 FT full circle around the antenna. Chris can be online, at highspeed while I'm towing

Many of us now use this mod but all users should remember to check the condition of those chains beneath the wire loom every so often. Thanks Foy for coming up with the idea. Bill

So first real world test using new system to power AC on our trip from TN to Gulf Shores, AL. With the AC set on 74 we left at 4am and arrived at the beach around 1pm with temps in the upper 80s. Battery level was 64% but dwindling fast with higher temps. Pretty happy with the 8 hour drive with no DC to DC charging yet and able to easily make it with dogs in the camper resting comfortably. Looking forward to heading out West with on the road charging using the new 50 amp DC to DC charger and seeing how that works. Best, M

Same here, for sure. We use metal forks under the BS feet to fine tune the slope towards the grease trap. Small plastic wedges would do the trick as well, FYI. @Patriot - your Amazon table is the same dimensions and design as the roll-up table found on the REI site; but a better price point. Good find!

As an alternative, even though the ‘neutral bonding plug’ encumbers one of the duplex outlets on the generator one can always utilize the OTT’s external outlet, as needed.

I’m going to stick with my guess that you have four 12v lead acid batteries wired in parallel. If your battery bank is going from full charge to basically empty in less than 30 seconds you might want to have the batteries tested to see how much reserve capacity is available. The reason I bring up the 12v battery is these are normal wet cell units, however they are sealed from the factory. Meaning they will boil off water during usage and you are not able to replenish it. Short answer they are low quality and many report limited lifespan.

Episode 9, Part 1:

I've watched a number of YouTube vids on how to lessen the A/C noise of RV A/C units. Your approach looks similar to many - a combination of sound deadening materials plus smoothing the airflow inside the unit. Nice job with nice results. Thanks for posting this. Bil

The neutral bonding plug goes in one of the 15A standard "household" outlets on your generator and connects the ground lead (the round third prong on the plug) to the neutral lead (one of the flat prongs). Without going into details, this is the setup the EMS expects to see, but most portable generators are not set up that way. Hence the plug.

SAFETY RECALL REPORT RCLRPT-24V322-5775.PDF I am glad the recall was done looks like there was a 2nd unit found with incorrect coupler during service in April (See Chronology section). Appreciate Oliver for following through with this but agree with @Geronimo John and @jd1923 it should be posted in Safety/Recalls and it seems like Bulldog MFG should be doing their own recall. Also, it looks like OTT is planning to send out letters to owners by July 17th, 2024 just waiting on approval. Stay safe, Mike

In doing a little bit of a deeper dive for a little larger prep and grill table, this portable aluminum table on Amazon might be in the ticket. The decent weight capacity along with strong reviews and price caught my attention. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CNTGN8X9/?coliid=I3LKVG2YD3SCWO&colid=28S7M1ANYVGFK&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Oh and BTW, the NHTSA should have Bulldog Manufacturing run a recall too! They mislabeled a 5000 LB coupler with a 7000 LB label! Check page 4 of this thread. @Jason Foster asked for a better picture of the label, then I wrote a commentary re wrong labeling, Bulldog being at fault, not OTT.

Mine is the 17” BS, only one burner control. Other than the egg carton and aluminum tray, all else stow inside the BS when not in use; very convenient.

@Imelda, yes @Geronimo John is certainly correct in running the microwave on a 2KW inverter. Our setup is similar to yours. I run our inverter day-and-night, for many needs. Use the microwave to reheat coffee in the morning, leftovers for lunch, etc. The TV is often running, laptop chargers, etc. Chris runs an electric tea kettle and a blow-dryer occasionally. Many of these are 1100-1500 watts each, so you can only run one at a time. We travel mainly in the sunny SW, so usually we're good on batteries. But if a cloudy day is in the forecast, I'll still run the microwave for 30 secs or more, but we will forgo the electric tea kettle for one on the LP stovetop. You could run two such appliances with a 3KW inverter at the same time. But the main reason to upgrade to a 3KW Inverter is to run your AC unit. Some cool in the afternoons when boondocking is what we truly want, eventually. But again, it comes down to available battery capacity. LI is not a straightforward battery swap, but not very difficult. There are charger settings to change and likely some new cabling. You'll want to add a shunt and perhaps a display or other options. GJ also mentioned Battleborn 100AH batteries. They run a little about $900 each, call it $3,000 +/- taxed and shipped, for three units totaling 300AH (I believe 4 will not fit). There are better options. Why replace relatively new batteries, ours are 450AH lead-acid, 225AH usable, for 300AH LiFePO4? Not a large enough bump for the money. I believe OTT uses Lithioncs brand in their Lithium Pro Package, which states 390AH. Though I could not find a 390AH Lithionics model shopping online. Many online sellers list their 320AH battery at a whopping $4,500, more like $5K OTD. Perhaps top-of-the-line but one of the most expensive LI batteries. There are better options out there today, unless $$$$ is not an issue. I learned of Epoch batteries last fall on this forum. They are priced to sell with good reports. In fact, this model is soooo HOT at $1,399 it is often out-of-stock: 12V 460Ah Heated & Bluetooth LiFePO4 Battery - Epoch Essentials (epochbatteries.com) That's 460AH which would double your capacity in one battery. Some do prefer redundancy if one fails, but I would take that risk. Mike @rideadeuce went with TWO 460AH Epoch batteries, amazing! A more expensive, but still competitively priced, model including "Victron Comms." I don't believe you need this feature as a Victron shunt would be enough for me. This model is $1,999 list and during last year Black Friday sale it was 15% off! I almost pulled the trigger. Maybe next year, LI prices have come down every year. He went this route to fit two batteries side-by-side for 920AH total. The first model I mentioned I believe fits in the battery tray (you know measure twice, ...) but you can only fit one in the bay since it is wider (one would be enough for most campers). The Victron Comms model is narrower, yet taller, so Mike removed the sliding battery tray to accommodate. A crazy amount of stored power for a small TT, a creative plan and sound installation. Check it out: Victron MP2 with (2) Epoch 460ah batteries. DAY #1 Removal, rewiring, mounts, routing wires - Ollie Modifications - Oliver Owner Forums (olivertraveltrailers.com) I suggest reading several more posts here, do other online research, give it a lot of thought, ask more questions and "patience grasshopper!" These batteries should last 10 years and if you add a 3KW inverter and perhaps other options (checkout the Victron product line) it becomes a large investment. You want to make the right choices, so that it works for your needs many years. Hope this helps! 🙂

It appears Oliver is stepping up to address and remedy the repair and covering costs.

Dave, Thanks, this may really come in handy.

For the most part - Jason (W) makes and/or posts these types of posts by copying them from other sources. Therefore, the specific brands, models, and other details contained in any specific post of this sort is not necessarily Oliver specific and are generally meant for "general" reminders or "general" information. In this specific example - we are being reminded to change the batteries in our installed safety devices - no matter which devices they really are. Bill

You can use your microwave with the 2,000 watt inverter. I did for 5 years. Since your hull is only a few years old, those batteries should last several more years. Many owners also went "less expensive" when purchasing and then when their LA batteries die, they upgrade then. That's smarter use of money already invested. It would also give you time to study the technical issues of conversion. GJ

@DavePhelps, you'd probably be interested in this article by Practical Sailor. Your fave, sika 291, and mine, loctite marine pl fast cure, tied for first place in extensive testing. 😃 https://www.practical-sailor.com/boat-maintenance/marine-sealant-adhesion-tests Practical Sailor is my go-to source for all things fiberglass. Back in the day, when it was print only, we kept issues in binders, with an index. (Far before Google days....) When we replaced our Oliver sign/third tail light, our sign was crazed, and broke when we tried to remove it to rebed. I think Oliver used epoxy tabs, and 4200, old school. Loctite is very thick, but I think you may have had an old tube. I always look at the Julian manufacturers date. It's only good for a year. Six months (maybe) in the garage fridge, sealed.

Hold up, ya'll. The top of his hitch says class 3 but the bottom says class 4. Which is it? @rideadeuce can you get a better image of that label?

Hey, hey, hey! It's a "cold one" - it counts! HA!

Perhaps something a bit more interesting than the Bud - but - I'm really being picky here!😅

Richard, I know this is a little late in the game but I believe Badger's solution was to purchase the bonding plug that Phil mentioned.

Episode 2: