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Happy 4th of July to Everyone! Gunnison NF, Colorado -- dispersed camping with weather

Moose and Elk have been spotted by other people a week or so ago, but I haven't seen them yet. I watch, especially during morning and evening hours. Lots of deer including newborn spotted fawns. Lots of birds, though not as many raptors as I expected. I haven't had any issues with bugs -- I suspect because I'm perched on an open ridge overlooking the river, and the wind blows steadily. In the forest areas, it's a different story.

All of you were lots of help! I disappeared for awhile because, honestly, I needed to back up and learn some basics to even understand some of the terms y’all used. @Steve and MA, that was exactly the info I needed for our rooftop panels; I copied that to Renogy. @mossemi, I wasn’t able to easily access the specs for the rooftop panels without removing the panels - and I didn’t want to do that! @rich.dev, I, too, don’t know why Renogy thought they needed the specs of the rooftop panels.🤔 Their website did reveal, however, that it is no problem connecting two 100 watt suitcases and having the controller on only one. As @SeaDawg and many others have stated, yep, the polarity on our Zamp port was reversed, and we used an adapter. @jd1923, figuring all this out was quite a challenge, so thanks for the encouragement saying we have a GREAT setup. In the end, we have the option of using either one or both of our Renogy 100 watt suitcases. I am grateful to @Geronimo John who originally (on a different thread) suggested we purchase two 100w suitcases rather than one heavy and bulky 200w suitcase. Time to go boondock!

If you have not visited it already, tour Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP. Breath taking!

Be sure to check road conditions -- Route 50 closed in sections (bridge work) and also some local flooding last week. I will keep my eyes peeled for Olivers on the road!

In our retrofit install of the tf130, we sealed both vents. (We had both.) We added insulation to the vents, and the sides of the cavity, still leaving an airgap around the fridge. Made sure we had more than 24 square inches of venting, to the interior. No more screening necessary to keep mud daubers out. We've never had an overtemp issue in ours. Normally run the fridge on 5 or so. But, we don't camp in 95 or 100+ degree weather, either. I leave that to younger, more heat tolerant folks. We do keep plenty of cold sink foods/beverages in the fridge. All fridges seem to work better when loaded, vs empty/lightly loaded. As someone else suggested, all the cold comes from the tiny freezer. I think the temp sensor is within the wall of the freezer, as well. There are some air slots at the back. Maybe move your fan from center to left, and try to draw more cool air from the freezer? You could also have a faulty thermostat. Isotherm sells a kit which includes a sensor in the fridge cavity, as well. Many boater use it. I think Overland installed it for his, maybe. I'll see what I find. The other suggestions of shading the fridge side are good. Wondering if you have a true 24 square inches of interior venting?

Thank you. I think I will wait to try that for a time when I have caulk on hand to repair -- but I've been curious about that space.

@Boudicca908Pry off the 4 plastic caps, remove the screws, cut the caulk around the insert using a plastic razor blade. If you intend to remove the insert be sure you have everything on hand to replace it. Keep in mind that the caulk will need to cure for a certain time before it can be wetted. I have taped a piece of plastic over the hole in order to use the shower before I replaced the insert.

There are 2 issues. First when you open the door, the cold drops out. You learn to know what you need, open, grab, and close,🙃 Fact of life. The small fan will be a benefit in either a compressor fridge or absorbsion fridge. It circulates air in the fridge, and will have "Zero" negative affect. In our truck camper, we built a shade to provide shade over the 2 vents. 2023 LE2 has one (1) vent and the 2024 LE2 has none as it vents to the interior. Earlier models have the absorbsion fridge and 2 vents. Suggest that you add 2 computer fans behind the upper vent screen if you have a LE2 2023 or earlier. Someone will have to assist with how to wire. The fan I installed in our truck camper behind the upper vent, along with the battery operated fan in the fridge made a huge difference. One learns to park to lessen the sum exposure to the curb side of the trailer. A shade over the vents all will help.

@jd1923, the op reports that he has an isotherm/dc danfoss compressor fridge. 2016s like yours had 3ways as original equipment. Have ypu upgraded yours? @DunnYet, we've never used a fan in our truckfridge (similar to your isotherm. Same interior, same compressor.) Try without it. Your isotherm vents to the interior of the trailer, not exterior. Is anything blocking interior venting? Any ice buildup in the shoebox freezer?

The GX550 is a beautiful vehicle. I would be hesitant to buy one right now as it's the same V35A engine (although slightly de-tuned) as the ones listed in the recall. 2024 Tundras aren't being recalled (yet), even though there are reports of engine failures in them as well. I'm sure there will be a fix, but I would wait until that fix is implemented at the factory. Really don't want a service tech at the dealer pulling and rebuilding a very complex twin-turbo V6. But maybe that's just me. I'm a huge Toyota/Lexus fan and a former Boeing employee. Both companies that I have (had) tremendous respect for have really let a lot of people down...

Exactly! They guide my 4 AM forays to check the plumbing and I sleep with my 👀 closed, so they do bother my sleeping habits.😉 Mossey

Got everything done today on the air fryer installation. I put quarter-round along the base and 3M 3350 to seal all the edges and seams. Found a decent piece of angle aluminum as a trim piece to make the bottom opening look better and remounted the faceplate.

You can find some that have a mounting plate => [Upgraded Version] 12V USB Outlet Qidoe 78W 3 Port USB C 12V Outlet Dual PD 30W & 18W USB A Port with Voltmeter Lengthened Aluminum Body Switch Waterproof USB Car Charger Socket for Car Boat Marine RV https://a.co/d/07mCzHx6 The most I have seen using the ones I installed to charge an iPad is 4.5 amp or around 52 watts. I really just wanted USB-C connections since everything has switched over to that and to be able to fast charge my phone, iPad, etc. Of course the MacBook can charge easily from 50w as well. But I am not an electrician and routinely do things that are above my experience level so I will be the first to say don’t do what I do without doing your own homework.

Each year prior to heading out to the Rockies to fish for a couple of months, I treat several changes of cloths with THIS STUFF. It lasts through washings and helps keep the bugs off for about 6 weeks. Have a great trip! Bill

They replace the existing socket. Check under your dinette seat and you can easily see what to do. I have a picture of mine (have not upgraded yet). You only need to pull two spade terminals (blue wire +) and then there is a threaded ring. To get to the one over the bed, you will have to pull the rubber liner in the cabinet. The picture shows the ones in our older hull have screws left and right. The ones Mike shows above do not have these. I may have to patch the screw holes or perhaps there is a trim ring on mine that could just stay. There are many models of these depending on your needs. The one @rideadeuce linked above has a 65W USB-C required for iPads. If you are only charging phones, 65W may be overkill (I do not know if extra wattage can hurt a phone). This one has two 20W USB-C posts and a USB3: Amazon.com: USB C Car Charger Socket – Newest 58W Lengthened RV USB Outlet 12V Socket Dual 20W PD3.0 USB-C and 18W QC3.0 Car USB Port with Button Power Switch for Boat Marine Motorcycle : Cell Phones & Accessories This is a most simple install. A good way to get started and soon you will do more complicated tasks!

New to us Oliver Legacy Elite II (2023) Hull #1364. Have spent the weekend in the Texas Hlll Country updating my knowledge of Oliver systems from our two year journey with LE I Hull #1030 (2022). Only two problems so far. Giving each issue it’s own topic for future search help. In this topic - our problems with the Isothem fridge. We can’t keep it in the safe zone consistently. We have SensorPush sensors in the main compartment as well as the freezer - the freezer seems to work great but the fridge hovers at the top of the safe zone for much of the day. Recovery after opening the door also seems to take longer than our old tri-fuel fridge. Here is the full scenario: (1) Shore power 30 Amp all tests good. No issues with any other systems (AC/ lighting / etc) (2) We have a fridge fan that we moved over from our LE I tri fuel. It’s located in the center of the fridge space and operating correctly. (3) Weekend food load - not a lot but not empty. (4) Confirmed that the vent cover is in place on the exterior vent opening. Have read everything I can find searching the forums. It does not appear that the previous owners did any extra insulation on the exterior wall, should I get some reflective blanket material and put that in covering from the upper vent to the lower access panel? Fins and back side of the fridge look clean, so I don’t think there is an issue with buildup on the coils. Appreciate any advice on how to improve the operation on the fridge. I don’t want to have to haul a backup fridge if I don’t need to.

Glad you like it. Good job on the insulation. I'm sure it's helpful. I probably would have used stainless vents, to be the same as ours. I do love our air fryers, at home. Mini convection oven, without the he whole downstairs heat.

I almost volunteered in that territory last summer, at Grand Portage National Monument. Almost... Once the park staff suggested "impenetrable clothing" to ward off the attack of mosquitoes, I decided to head elsewhere. That said, I have been to Duluth and along portions of Lake Superior and north of Ely in the Winter and it's spectacular. If you are near Duluth and enjoy birdwatching, there are numerous places to go, including: Hawk Ridge https://www.hawkridge.org/ Sax-Zim Bog https://saxzim.org/ Near Ely there is Voyageur Outward Bound School and they have sled dogs (you can see and hear them from the road, but they don't allow you to pet them.) Enjoy!

So ...seal the interior slot above the fridge, remove the blocking cover, and fan force out vent through the exterior vent. Sounds like a do-able project. We have both awnings so will come up with a different switch placement. May just put a switch through the (to be blocked) vents above the fridge, that way we can turn it on when we turn on the fridge and turn it off when doing the shutdown process. Thanks very much!!

Our upper vent (2022 LE2) had a slot and a mobile RV guy said it should be sealed and he fixed it, and I confirmed with Oliver. The fan would be installed right on the backside of the Oliver cover. Don't have our trailer at home, so I can't check it. If you only have one awning, there is a switch for a street side awning that could be used for the fan (s).

I lowered the LBCO from 12.1V to 11.5V and that did indeed allow extended use of the A/C via inverter without fear of a sysrem shutdown, That said, I am currently conducting ‘hard reboot’ of my Xantrex 2000W Freedom XC in hopes of resolve of my “inverter misperceives DC voltage” issue. Thanks for your post, definitely an effective “workaround” and solution you presented,

No obstructions in the interior vent - I took out the external vent cover and could see clearly into the interior of the trailer. There is a small amount of frost in the interior freezer, but not so much that we cannot get the ice cube trays in and out. The interior fan is just to circulate the air inside the refrigerator compartment - to keep the temp at a common level. Reduces air stratification where the cold air ends up at the bottom and the warmer air at the top. We did the first couple of days in the driveway without it and the temps where less stable. However, in the interest of science wil pull it out over the next day and see what happens Yes to small freezer - two ice cube trays is it. The freezer works great, it's just useless for any food. Given the other posts on the forum about breaking off the tabs, I don't want Rebecca to be even more annoyed with me and the trailer fridge by breaking the tabs while removing the door. Will try this in a safe space between trips. The tri fuel fridge is the thing we miss most about the LE I Hull #1030. Well, that and the ability to park in two parking spaces in a parking lot. Finding a place to park in downtown Durango today was an experience.... ----- Now - for updates from the road. We traveled from northern NM to north of Durango today, with the ambient dropping into the 70s for the last half of the day. The fridge performed better in the lower ambient temps. While traveling through NM the interior of the trailer (also being monitored with a sensor push sensor mounted above the bathroom door) was pretty much in the low 90's. Once into elevation in Colorado it dropped to the low 80's. Could this just be a design capacity issue? If it's venting into an interior that's already 90 degrees, is that causing a lack of cooling? Also - could I be picking up extra heat being transmitted through the exterior shell into the refrigerator compartment? High winds everywhere we have camped this trip have prevented the use of the awning, so no shade on the curb side of the trailer when stopped. Unfortunately, I don't have an extra sensor push sensor to monitor the compartment temp behind the fridge. Would some type of reflective barrier over the inside of the exterior wall help?

@SeaDawg yes, we have the old style. I mentioned removing the add-on fan in an earlier post. @DunnYet, we have not heard back re what you may have tried? @topgun2 the fan you showed is what we suggested in removing such device. I like a fridge that runs on propane and will likely keep ours for a while. The freezer is large (I read the Isotherm freezer is teeny and that it has cycling issues on many online forums). It fits two of our jumbo ice cube trays, large cubes for special drinks, and it cools a new tray down every night. 😂

I used a mirror to locate them on the panel and then used my cell phone camera to take some pictures, lots of pictures in fact, until I got some that were readable and threw the bad ones away. Mossey

Beautiful rig that you're going to love! Congrats!!!

Final Travel Summary -- Day-18, Monday, 01JUL24: 2,424.4 Odometer miles, 12.7MPG (from Tundra computer). But actual consumed gallons from re-fueling receipts was 163.8 gallons or 14.8MPG. Not sure of the reason for the discrepancy. Anyhow: Moab, UT: We linked-up with our friends from NM last Thursday here at Spanish Trails campground for a weekend of sightseeing, hiking, and general frivolity... Our original plan was to tour Arches Nat'l Park on Friday, then hit Dead Horse SP and Canyonlands NP Saturday. But... there weren't any "timed entry reservations" available for us on Friday for Arches so we switched the plan for those two days. NOTE: For those of you planning to visit Arches - the NP Service is requiring visitors to obtain a $2 timed entry reservation online that assigns a 60-minute window for entry in addition to the park entry fee (or Senior/Military Lifetime NP Pass). Our timed reservation was for 9-10AM on Saturday. This keeps the traffic flow through the park manageable in both directions. It actually worked out real well - just we wish we knew about it in advance. So, onward to Deadhorse SP... Magnus wants mom to let him out so he can get out and go exploring - Oscar wanted to stay back at Casablanca: Magnus in his "explorer" mode: Deadhorse entry gate - beautiful weather for sightseeing with our friends: Very cool vistas here at Deadhorse: Twisty Colorado River below: Back at the Campground, the Knuckleheads and their buddy, Heinrich are re-united - do we plan around our puppies? Ah, YES! 2-legged and 4-legged friends loving to camp out together... Getting ready for dad to throw together some evening kibble for everyone: Noth'n wrong with a little "surf and turf": Fast forward to Arches NP: For our style of sightseeing - Arches was the favorite: Notice a puppy head out the window and a tail out the back: Just having a great time: Arches everywhere: Walking up to the Big Window: Under the arch: Just amazing sights here: Back in the Tundra and headed to Red Cliffs Lodge near Moab on the CO River, Knuckleheads sharing the cool AC from their puppy hammock in the back seat: Very cool place where dozens of westerns were produced - with an interesting museum capturing pix of many of the movies made there: Red cliffs above the CO River: We've driven by the "Hole in the Wall" dozens of times over the years on US-191, but on the way home, we took a few minutes and actually walked through the "Tour of the 5,000 sqft House" inside the rock! Got home safe and sound around 5pm - unpacked Casablanca and realized how nice it is to "come home." Cheers, All! A & D

Check with Oliver, they had it on sale a few weeks ago.

I have been considering doing this but had a small voice in the back of my head that keeps saying “check the wire gauge and the fuses.” Any concern with moving from the 5 watts to 65 watts on the factory wiring harness? I keep meaning to do the math, but I am bad enough on AC wire gauges, I’m still new to DC.

This is my thought on the Oliver seat cushions. Our Oliver is 8+ years old and cleaning is not enough as the foam has lost its cushion. We also have the twin beds, so we're only talking the dinette. These are the best and most expensive I found on Amazon and btw Chris' nickname is Red! Amazon.com: RSH DECOR: Deep Seating Cushion with Pillow Back | 24” x 24” Seat | Sunbrella Performance Fabric | Water and Fade-Resistant | Outdoor Chair Cushion Set for Patio Furniture | Canvas Burgundy : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Thank for the additional information and pictures. I think you’re right, a good first project to build a little confidence.

When the mosquito meter is in the 5-6 range, you can resort to a: Mosquito head net

Probably one of my favorite toys I picked up during my time In galveston. It was the year that there was a huge population explosion of the giant quarter sized mosquitos that have a pretty painful bite. I think 2017 or 18. Many of the hallways at the school were spotted with blood spots from students smacking mosquitos against the walls. They had to put up signs asking folks to avoid doing that.

We’re in Clear Lake near Galveston, I ‘m a mosquito magnet! We carry Thermacells, one handheld and three latern style. The handheld is kept near me and the laterns are positioned around the immediate camp. I have a dropper bottle containing Pyrethrin to recharge the scent pads, very cost efficient and very effective! I really don’t like to spray down with harsh insect repellant, but find the Repel Lemon Eucalyptus (Deet-Free) product pleasent for skin and clothing applications and effective. Inside the Oliver I hang a couple of bug zappers for the occasional pesty invaders. If anywhere for a length of time, the screened Clam is deployed. Although I don’t like using, sometimes there’s a need to sweep camp with Cutter Backyard Bug Control.

Like a taxi way at the airport, blue and green 🤣

I was putting off the work of insulating the opening. I had never done such a task or worked with ceramic insulation before. Turns out this material worked well: Amazon.com: CeraTex 3180 Blanket with Aluminum Foil Facing, 8 LB Density, 1/2" x 24" x 60" (5'), 2300°F High Temperature Insulation for Kiln Stove Furnace Glass Fusing Pizza Oven : Arts, Crafts & Sewing After cutting the main section, top and rear in one piece, I used 3M spray adhesive to get it started and it worked better than I had expected. I finished with a power staple gun with 3/8" staples to secure it. I was afraid that the staple gun would pierce the foil layer of the insulation, so at first I used some electrical tape to help and then realized it was unnecessary (red tape at bottom). Then I cut the two side pieces which had a curved rear, following the curve of the Oliver upper shell. I placed these in position and used a Sharpie to mark the vent holes and cut these out with scissors. Glued and stapled the left side and went without glue on the RH side, since the thermostat cable is behind that one and I may need to service that with an A/C upgrade. Really happy in how it turned out, which is often the case after days of contemplation! I have one trim piece to fabricate which will hide the 2x4s below the oven and then remount the bezel from the original microwave, and she's done! Last step and pics tomorrow.

Next step was to drill the vents. I went 1/4" or so down from the ceiling of the opening and as far back as possible. One the left side, you could only go so far back because the entry door area is further in for the flat door frame vs. the other curved walls. Both sides took careful measuring. Used a 2 3/4" hole saw from the inside first for positioning. After making the center mark, I drilled through with a 1/4" drill. This way I could place the hole saw mandrel into the hole and make sure the hole saw was in the best position. I used the vent on the outside, to also see that the larger outside vent surface had adequate room. Here are the results.

We didn’t like the Tocha upgrade option, finding them too flimsy. So we ordered our trailer with the standard mattresses, and ordered KTT mattresses (the prior upgrade option) directly from the manufacturer. We like them better than our extra firm coil spring mattress at home. And like David, we have the AB Lifestyle custom mattress pad and sheets. Again, nicer than our home bed. I guess we need to upgrade our bedding at home, spend more nights in Curiosity! 😁

Good information,again. Nan, perhaps I didn’t introduce ourselves to you. We are only Oliver owner wannabes right now but are doing our research here on the forum to learn more about Oliver TT. Thank you so much for your kindness, though. And thanks for all the other great information, friends. I’m sure we only have a zillion more questions 🤣

The bathroom sink, black tank and grey tank all share the same vent pipe, part of which is actually used as the drain pipe for the sink and shower drain. Your odor could be due to grey tank fumes coming up thru the shower or sink drains if the back flow preventer slide valve is open. Also check the tightness of the steel bands on the fernco connectors in that area.

Mother Neff State Park is a nice little Texas State Park just south of Waco. The land was donated to the state of Texas by the mother of Governor Pat Neff 100 years or so ago. It was the first state park in Texas. We stop here often.

Absolutely beautiful reflection in the 3rd shot!!!!!!!!

Made it through last night fairly "high and dry" - although there is a slight after-smell of wet huskies in the camper... Oh, well, it's how we roll. T-storms started again early this AM (0230) through about 0445. Nobody slept - coffee came early and prep for R&R operations with Dusten Bowden (18-year veteran of OTT). The Dexter Nev-R-Lubes swapped without even a hiccup... ABOVE: Removed and replaced the rear axle first then attacked the front... ABOVE: Note the size difference between the 12" and 10" drums... about 19% more braking surface area. ABOVE: Took about 3.5 hrs for the axle R&R, back on the road now and headed toward Nashville over the next several days. Had to stop for this pic - here's "3 hearty cheers" to Jim Oliver for designing what we consider the best TT for the money in the US RV market! Roll-on, regardless...

On the subject of finding places to stay, we've been extremely please with HipCamp, it's sort of the Air BnB of camping. You sign up for it, make a profile, then you get to rate the camping locations and they get to rate you. It can vary from an actual campground (rarely) to someone's driveway, or a field. We've stayed at a horse property, a farm that had a section of their pasture set aside for campers, there's a place outside of Hays KS that's 2500 acres on the Saline river with about 30 sites that are all about 500-1,000 feet apart from each other. Hookups vary too, from none to full hookups, prices vary as well, we've paid as little as $15/night up to $50 or more a night. The places are overall very clean and conducive to having a peaceful stay. We had tried boondockers.com, they were OK but we like HipCamp better. albert

We stayed in Fort Collins in our camper last summer for a Toyota Land Cruiser event. There are boon docking campsites and a few electric sites up and down the Cache la Poudre River. There are YouTube drive-thru videos on-line of every campground along the river to help you pick a site. There are lots of sites up at the Horsetooth reservoir that might fit your needs. We couldn't get one, they were all booked months in advance. A very popular spot. Maybe if you keep looking you'll find a cancelation. In the end we ended up at the Fort Collins KOA. Not my ideal solution, but it was clean and well run. We just needed a spot to park and sleep, so we didn't avail ourselves of any of the park amenities. It was just an expensive spot for us to sleep for a couple of nights.

Custer state park SD is a beautiful park with several campgrounds and on the highway loop to Mt Rushmore. see pix of it in our blog here: https://4-ever-hitched.com/epic-adventure-2021

Yes Green River Lakes. Link to what? Be glad to just not certain what you are referring to in this case for a link. FYI the area is located north of Pinedale, WY and while not that far via miles it is a slow go due to two hours of dirt road driving towing. Beartooth Publishing here in Bozeman produces an excellent weather proof GPS map of the "Winds" well worth the money. I'm sure you could purchase via them directly or probably Amazon. Gaia and Alltrails are also very good resources.

It is smart to check the park website as often as possible, the campgrounds fill up fast; Two Medicine Campground and vicinity: The lighting changes dramatically minute by minute, and the mountains are either shadowed or lit up brightly. It is really hard to get good pics due to the variations....

Glacier NP has problems handling all the visitors due to the short season, curtailed federal budget, and limited facilities. There are WAY too many people for the available parking, and Going To The Sun Road is dangerous enough without a bunch of clueless flatlanders in rental cars or too-wide dually pickup trucks with extended mirrors. In July 2019 Glacier had more visitors than Yellowstone. The chart above is interesting, Visitation was low until the 1930s. There was a small train stop, a rough dirt wagon track and tents at Two Medicine for visitors. In 1913 the Great Northern RR started upgrading the facilities at East Glacier, adding a huge hotel next to the station, a better road and small hotel at Two Medicine. They advertised and started bringing in increasingly large numbers of tourists before the effect of the 1930s recession hit, big time. Here is the inside of the great lodge (not my photo); Well into the Great Depression tourism was down and a forest fire broke out at Two Medicine, the employees heroically defended the small building, and then drove back to the train station and reported to headquarters that it was saved ... Who responded back "Why?" Things probably looked bleak to them at that time. The Going To The Sun Road had opened in 1933 and the south entrance became increasingly less popular. ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Going-to-the-Sun_Road The big dip in the early 1940s is due to WW2; the railroads were carrying materiel and troops rather than tourists, who had no extra cash anyway. Our last visit here was in 1979, on the tail end of a big 5000- mile trip of exploration, which culminated in our moving to Seattle from Nashville TN. When we first went over Going To The Sun Road, the mountains were completely socked in by dense clouds. All we saw was the lower scree slopes. I don't recall any problems with an excessive number of visitors.... Forty years later, we got to see them naked and in their full glory. (The mountains, not the visitors.) ;) John Davies Spokane WA