Leaderboard

As new as the mini is there are a few other protective case options out there and more to come. I just wanted something a fairly robust with a handle on it and the option to add the sea sucker suction cups for a possible roof mount. Still thinking this through..We’ll see how it works out.

My tongue jack toggle switch stopped working in the up position this weekend. So I was not able to raise my camper. Luckily the bottom half of the switch stilled worked, so I could lower it. As an FYI: If you switch the red and black wires around it reverses the action of the switch so the down position becomes the upward movement. I was able to rewire it back and forth to get my camper hooked up using the motor. Having the inline fuse right there to cut the power off/on while switching back and forth was convenient. (obviously it could be done manually with the crank as well but then I would not have had anything to post). 🙂

I used to think that a pole mounted surge protector was overkill until I sat in on a Mike Sokol presentation at the Florida RV show in January. Someone in the crowd asked if a surge protector was necessary at the pole because he already had EMS on board and Mike answered that the benefit of a second surge protector at the pole would extend the life of the on board EMS. He further explained that all surge protectors have a life span and every surge takes time away from that, so he suggested that the one at the pole would be sacrificed to save the on board EMS. This made sense to me so I started using a Southwire Surge Guard. Mossey

Also, we are currently on the 50 GB plan. We watched an Olympic Volleyball match (so about 2 hours) and went through 8GB of data. So not ideal for a lot of streaming as people have mentioned. However, you can buy more data (not cost-effective) or use the standard data unlimited plan ($150 a month) with the mini.

The first use of the mini out in the wild. I was surprised it worked pretty well given the tree cover we had. The setup is super easy and does not seem to care much about how it is pointed. Pull it out, plug it in, open the app, and follow the instructions. The app does all the work to align and celebrate based on where it is pointed. You can see in the images below how it was set up and how many trees we had creating obstruction. The screenshot shows based on that setup how it performed over 60 mins. 2 mins of no single and 7 mins of obstructions. For streaming and video calls not great but for web surfing and some slack messaging it worked great!

Took Ollie on a local camping trip to Bandit's Roost ACE NC for a test camping trip with the new tow vehicle. The rig is working great! 🙂

Most likely that is what you were hearing. You mentioned the power source was not consistent and was likely low enough for the EMS to shutdown to protect the Oliver. Here is a quote from another owner on this forum that you may find helpful in understanding the situation experienced. On 12/24/2023 at 4:04 AM, MobileJoy said “If the voltage drops to around 104V, the EMS will cut off shore power. If the Xantrex is drawing a lot of power (as it will by default when charging your batteries), with an unstable shore power source this could bring down the voltage to the point of EMS shutdown. This removes the power drain and allows the voltage to rise. Once it is sufficient, the EMS cuts back in and eventually powers the Xantrex. The resulting battery charging draw will bring down the voltage, etc., etc. I had this happen to our trailer at a campground that had unstable 30A shore power.” I had this same occurrence happen to me once and this was a response provided by @MobileJoy that made perfect sense!

I always recommend that people rent a trailer for a trial run before dropping the $$$ on the Oliver. Try to rent a trailer that would have a similar size, layout and accessories as an Oliver. Take that rental out for a week or two and many things will become clear to you. Try to do at least a couple days boondocking also. I rented three different trailers (including and Airstream) during three different summer vacations and I can tell you that when it came time to put down my deposit on the Oliver, I felt very confident in my decision to buy a camper, and to buy the Oliver. I also learned that I needed a better tow vehicle. During those three rentals some mistakes were made (I'm not confessing) and lessons learned, which I'm glad weren't with the Oliver.

Hey Mike and welcome to the forum. I have to say that you are making the right choice for extensive exploration, as the Oliver will open doors that most other campers will not. The size and overall design are most conducive to state and national parks that often have size limits. Coming from a boating background you will very much appreciate the design of the Oliver as it lends itself more to a fiberglass boat design than a traditional stick built camper. Once you own an Oliver the rest just never measure up in quality and construction. There's a lot of discussion about tow vehicles, and for many reasons. I personally come from a background of towing larger trailers, horses and other livestock and equipment haulers, so I'm in the camp of get as much truck as you can afford. Lighter trucks that are properly equipped can be satisfactory, but come with the need to be more precise in loading and also limitations due to weight distribution needs, etc. With a heavy duty truck the Oliver is just something you hook up and tow with little complexity. Even adding extra gear in the truck has little effect and no cause for worry. As far as mentoring, I recommend your choice of YouTube camping channels. One that I highly recommend is one of the longest running camping channels on YouTube, Sean and Kristy's channel, https://www.youtube.com/@LongLongHoneymoon . They have covered everything imaginable from getting started, avoiding common problems, planning trips to understanding the dynamic of living in close quarters for extended trips. They even have great playlists that help you learn about specific topics over several videos. I hope you do make the leap to Oliver traveling, we love ours and can't wait for our next voyage. There is a Facebook page just for Olivers for sale that is a good place to find a used one if that interests you. https://www.facebook.com/groups/OliverforSale . Otherwise I highly recommend going to the factory if that's possible for you and taking the tour. It will lock you in on the quality and value of the Oliver campers and you will meet some of the best people in the RV manufacturing industry. Good luck with your journey and please participate on the forum to seek out answers to your questions.

Just a word of caution about the Zamp Solar Port, it is a known fact that the Zamp 2 wire connectors are wired in reverse so be sure to verify to positive wire with test equipment. Do not trust the wire color. There are gender benders available to place inline between to solar panel and the Zamp port. Mossey

@FLYnGATOR - FYI: Just like Mossey @mossemi noted above, the "Zamp" SAE (through the battery hatch) connector is a piece of cake to install. There's several owners that have integrated this solar connector in various locations around (usually) the street side of the OTT to better access the battery compartment. IMO, the battery compartment hatch is the most effective location. It will likely take you longer to assemble all the tools and parts on your workbench necessary to complete the job than actually installing the SAE connector. HA! Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.... (OBTW: we like pix!) Cheers!

Matching paint scheme - sweet! Awesome looking TV & OTT combo, Bill! Congrats on the new rig...enjoy!

@Zodd great report and thanks for weighing in! 👍🏻 We look forward to getting some seat time with the mini. We are headed west very soon and will also post up on our use of the mini. We usually don’t stream a lot so likely the 50GB will serve us well. The compact mini being as small as it is sure will be easy to deploy and stow as needed. I look forward to any further feedback as you use your mini. Nice TV by the way!

If the Xantrex inverter is turned on and the trailer is connected to shore power, the inverter will kick in if shore power goes out. There's even a setting in the Xantrex that controls the delay before power transfers to the inverter. I learned this while researching the various settings. It could be very useful for people with critical electrical equipment.

Q1 - A word of caution, my 2020 OLEll had two different thread size zerks; specifically 1/4-28 and M6x1mm. Other than a couple of 90° at EZ-Flex top, I choose to replace the stock straight ones with 45° angle zerks to ease servicing. I ordered mine from Grainger’s. Q2 - Turn counter clockwise (left) to loosen, clockwise (right) to tighten. Q3 - An adjustable wrench will have too much play and you will end up rounding the bolt head. Use the appropriate box end wrench, based on the thread type as to whether a Standard or Metric wrench is needed. Likewise a proper socket may suffice, but I like being able to see the zerk when removing.

@Mike Spies Welcome to the Oliver TT forum! I think that asking questions here will result in lots of answers to your questions and the relationships will follow. I will say that one mistake new owners often make is the choice of a tow vehicle. I don’t like helping people spend their money, but I think we all spend a lot of time and thought when considering the purchase of an OTT and not enough on how we will use it, so you are off to a great start. It sounds like y'all are very active and if you just hike, you can travel fairly light. But adding bikes and Yak's and the associated equipment will increase the load on your TV. It’s often cheaper and always safer in the long run to oversize your TV. Some OTT owners travel very light and 1/2 ton trucks work well and others live in their OTT'S or they take extended camping trips and their loads are much greater and 3/4 or 1 ton trucks are better choices. Mossey

Does Zamp reverse polarity because of positive ground solar charging systems? I'm currently using a Renogy 20A negative ground Solar Controller with Renogy suitcase panel, but have seen Renogy positive ground solar controllers, too. Thanks, Edit, Found the answer on Zamp's website, question 4: https://www.zampsolar.com/pages/faq

StarLink is currently running a substantial discount on the standard hardware kit price, $299 vs $499. StarLink Promotion

It is a good idea to use a high quality EMS Surge protector at the power pole. Surge Guard, Hughes Watchdog 30amp with EPO, or the Progressive are around $350+/- and they will stop low or high surges, and other issues that can damage our Oliver's, including lightening strikes and ground issues. See the link in my earlier response.

Using a high quality EMS surge protector at the power post is highly recommended. An EMS surge protector such as a Hughes Watchdog 30amp with EPO will stop an issue at the post, shutting down power before damage is done at the trailer. Please make sure you have all of the facts before making comments that are wrong. Mike Sokol is a highly recommended electrical engineer, that is considered the leader in RV electronics. https://rvelectricity.com/2018/09/23/rvelectricity-can-i-add-a-second-surge-protector/

Ouch. I went with the mini a few weeks back. Oh well, the smaller size is nice.

Thank you, Mike! Or perhaps consider a 350A ANL fuse if you want to error on the side of caution (350Ax12V=4200W). I'm not sure why they spec a 400A fuse (4800W)! This is actually double the stated 2400W continuous power output of the MP2. Peak at 2x continuous seems high to me but Victron engineers should know. Certainly, a 250A fuse is not enough for the power needs of the MP2! I also wonder if the Class-T is needed in our application? You already have Class-T built into your batteries which is the most expensive component of your installation. I took a couple courses in electrical engineering, but like y'all, I learned what I know from doing, decades working on old cars, RVs and homes. And we all learn from forums and the OTT Forum has amazing members, helpful, knowledgeable and super responsive! When researching online, I often add the word 'forum' to the end of a keyword search. I join a new forum every time I purchase a new project vehicle! I learned most of this subject from another online forum, when building a from scratch solar/inverter setup in a Bigfoot RV. On the BOCI forum, I became friends with an EE who worked his installation prior to mine and was there to help, every step of the way! Our AZ home came with one 200A panel. Over the years, I've added 4 subpanels! The first was 60A for the spa, running 100' cable from garage through the attic and down. Then 100A in an outbuilding for 220V compressor and woodworking tools. 60A for the kitchen with separate 20A breakers for fridge and extra oven (while running natural gas there for a new cooktop). I removed the electric cooktop, so I thought to use the original 8-3 cabling for having a better powered kitchen! Chris loves it, as she can run two ovens and the microwave without worries and the fridge does not overheat in the summer months anymore (with a 10 AWG feed vs 14 AWG wiring on a 15A circuit along with other wall outlets). Most recently we added a 60A panel for a new (used) Tuff Shed with 30A RV outlet. We trenched the side yard and ran 125 FT of 8-3 direct burial cable. Just some ideas to consider! 🤣 Restoration and enhancement projects have been my lifelong hobby, as I can tell so many here have as well. We have a huge amount of collective tacit knowledge in the regulars here. I've been often asked, "How do you know how to do that?" My usual answer is, "I don't know, but I will when I'm finished." I was able to work a quick effective project here, starting from 3 Oliver owners who came before and posted. I posted my project in great detail for those who sooner or later will have this on their Wishlist. I did not have this on my radar at all, thinking the LiFePO4 investment was too much $$$, until you Mike made it look reasonable and relatively simple! Thank you for that. And thank you @mossemi for your insight here and often! I can see how running 1/0 cables, even doubled, would be an easier installation in boat hulls then the bulky 4/0. Perhaps also cheaper when puchasing large spools.

Looking awesome Bill and a great report!

It will be a pain to open the battery door daily and don’t leave the trailer that way with expensive LiFePO4 batteries exposed! Common RV theft is batteries and LP tanks. If you know the parts you need, you could order on Amazon today and get before the weekend. You’d have to be comfortable drilling a small entry hole in your Oliver. Since you’re purchasing a suitcase with integrated SC, all you need to do is run the two wires to the pos and neg buses built into your Oliver. A couple of pics and we could advise. Just a thought. What model suitcase solar did you buy?

A couple knuckleheads enjoying a sunrise near Palo Duro Canyon SP this morning.... Then we had some visitors... IMG_2333.MOV Gotta love 'em! Cheers! A & D

Hi, everyone. My wife and I, both in late 50’s and recently retired are looking for life’s next big adventure. We are considering an Oliver Legacy Elite II in the hopes of exploring as many National, State and here in Canada, Provincial Parks as possible over the next 10 years. We come from a boating background, so we are not complete newbies when it comes to onboard water, grey and black tanks and power management, however, we are 100% newbie campers. Beyond this incredible forum, I was hoping to connect directly with someone who would be willing to be both an Oliver and camping Mentor for us as we embark on this new journey. Ideally, a contact who we could have the odd Zoom call with and who would be willing to help us navigate all there is to learn when one is starting out. We enjoy hiking, biking and kayaking and are hopeful that we might be lucky enough to connect with another like-minded Oliver owner who can share how they transport their bikes, yaks and gear, and how they set up their Oliver to best meet an active lifestyle. Any help or guidance on this idea would be appreciated. Cheers from Kingston, Ontario (Canada)

Hi, Ollie-Haus. This is all very helpful and much appreciated. Thank you very much for taking the time to respond and for sharing your thoughts and insight. I drive a 2022 F150, 4x4 Super-Crew with the 157 wheelbase and Ford’s Max Trailer tow package with the 5.0l gas V-8. On first glance, it appears as though it will be very capable of handling the Ollie and the outdoor gear we hope to bring along. That said, I will 100% ensure that we fall well within the weight and towing guidelines for both the truck and the trailer. We are touring our first trailer next Wednesday and are excited about the opportunity to see one up close. If that goes well, we are chatting about getting down to the factory as soon as possible. YouTube is beyond amazing and I will absolutely look up Sean and Kristy’s channel, thank you for the lead on this. I’m looking forward to learning more via this forum and deeply appreciate your quick (and detailed) feedback! Cheers!

Yes, the mini is really compact and easy to deploy. I suspect the price will come down on the mini as well at some point. I like the pause feature in the roaming service as well.👍🏻

The person that can provide the best electronic advise on the Forum is Steve Landrum. I would send him a message. He maybe camping somewhere. The transfer switch has been an issue until the supplier upgraded the switch. I also would suggest unhooking from shore power and checking the transfer switch wire connectors, and the EMS surge protector under the Dinette seat.

Mark, Agree with John, would not want to leave the battery door open with the Lithium batteries exposed. Did Oliver install a solar port? Would like to see photos, too!

Amazing idea Katjo ! Nice and clean, and the aluminum lip matches the other shelf lips. I’m going to do the same for our 2023 Elite 1. Steve Moore Vancouver Island, Canada

I think a lot of Victron's thinking is based upon their marine market. I don’t remember if Overland used 2 x 1/0 or 2 x 2/0 cables with the first MP 3000 installation in a LE2, but I’m sure he doubled the cables. He installed the MP under the front dinette seat so the cable run was a little longer and it was easier to run below the floor. Mossey

Our fresh tank maxes out at 88%. I always overflow the tank and still 88%. Gray tank monitor was replaced under warranty. I just add 12% when looking at the fresh tank monitor.

I recently experienced this at my storage facility, thanks for your explanation of the probable cause!

This is likely due to DRM encoding ( Digital Rights Management ) which is to prevent copyright infringement.

I picked up this hard case from HF awhile back and decided it was now going to be storage for the Mini while we are wheels up in the bed of the beast. If nothing else it keeps it all organized.

I'll chime in here on the Alcans. I have 7K on mine so far without a problem. I haven't noticed any difference in the way the trailer handles or tows.

My Stiker protective case arrived this morning and I have to say I am impressed with the high quality, fit and finish. Striker crafts a nice product. I think this will serve us well. Decisions on were to mount and deploy the mini will likely depend on our base camp location. I really like how compact this dish is. I am considering 4 of the Seasucker marine grade mounts. But may just roll with the flag pole mount. 🇺🇸 https://www.strikerfab.com/ The case allows use of both the standard mount and the flagpole mount. You just swap out the mount below.

ScubaRX, I was surprised to see that you have several Oliver owners visiting you for your assistance in replacing their springs. Now that you have announced this and considering my order from Alcan will be here on Friday, I may inquire about whether you are “scheduling” and whether you are an HH stop too. GraniteStaters aka David Caswell

Today we pulled the trigger on the Starlink “mini”and I also ordered a custom fabricated aluminum protective Striker mount case made by a small family owned company in Florida 🇺🇸 called Strikerfab.com. I will post up thoughts on connectivity, speed and use once we receive it and get some camping and travel time in with it. https://www.starlink.com/us/roam?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3VXVoA8Gb9hdnLaMWqBcXsa1BfRBdqm_l2iKkNW-Va5r6RJiPc2u8PpD0_aem_DeHBx7JMI-i_vIWAYBg03Q https://www.strikerfab.com/

So got the new U-bolts from ALCAN and put the new leaf springs on only to find out the HD 1/2 in. OEM shackles were too short. They are the HD 1/2 in width but 2 in long measured zerk to zerk. The 2nd leaf rides on the suspension arm. Talked with Lew, figured out the problem and he is sending out new 2 1/4in HD shackles to resolve the problem. Confirmed Key points: 3500 lb axles use 4 bolts on the backside of the hub and 1/2 in. U-bolts. They can have tube diameters of 2 1/2 or 3 in. Make sure to measure. 5200 lb axles use 5 bolts on the backside of the hub and 9/16 in U-bolts. They typically have tube diameters of 3 in. Make sure to measure. If you don't upgrade to the shackles Lew sells, make sure even if you have upgraded HD 1/2 in. shackles to measure the length. If it is 2 in they will not work, must be 2 1/4 in. Make sure to measure. Lew was great to deal with as always. @ScubaRx I did confirm that he does not want his 2/12 in U-bolts back. Hopefully, this adds to the conversation since both of these issues came up for me. Cheers, Mike

Forgot to add the picture

I originally thought I was mistakenly shipped 1/2" u-bolts but after I learned that I should be measuring the diameter of the threaded section, not the smooth section, I realized that I received the correct parts.

Looks to be about the same size as my Dometic dual-zone, which I carry on every trip long or short. It has proven to be the ultimate ‘overflow’ alternative to complement the Norcold 3-way!

No, the only spring they make for these axles is the 2750 pound version. I changed out our original 5-leaf springs for the Alcans and I honestly can not tell any difference in the ride or the handling. Tali did most of the towing during our recent 5000 mile trip up to Maine and she said she could not tell any difference either.

The homework on Alcan 5-leaf springs has been done for you😊

At about $16 per U-Bolt, Lew would probably like to have those back.

Everything has been said, great info here from many members. It's a long 17-page read! 🤣

I shopped around and found an in the bed locking tool box that is deep enough for the Honda 2200 generator we chose. In addition to the generator, it carries: a small tank of gasoline, small, portable LP tank (for an outside two burner stove and gas grill), the aforementioned gas grill, tools, bike tool box, folding camp table - items you like to keep secure and out of the weather. It is deep enough to accommodate the generator and has tons of room for more "stuff". We did not get the tongue accessory box because it would interfere with our bike rack that attaches to the pickup with a dual receiver hitch; the box would prohibit most turning situations. Storage box Ball mount hitch with accessory receiver