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, Mossey. Thank you for the warm welcome and for sharing your thoughts and insight. I drive an F150, with the 5.0l V-8 gas engine, however, it is equipped with Ford’s Max Trailer Tow package which, when I work the numbers out, on weight, power, etc. I feel confident that it will easily handle the Elite II and our gear. That said, I absolutely plan to work closely with Oliver and the local dealer to ensure that my interpretation on all of this is correct. I look forward to asking and learning via this forum and appreciate your help.

Not going to ever talk to the pole mount again. Is it OK with everybody here that I'm not using one? I installed our PI EMS-HW30C brand new months ago where OTT had installed none. I read the EMS panel every time we plug in since I installed the remote in plain view in the trunk, where I keep the shore power cord. When it reads good the second I plug it in, is good enough for me. Mr. Sokol called it an "intelligent/EMS" so it must be a decent product. Is it a bit old-school using mechanical solenoids in its simple design. Before I would add a redundant device (btw all you're risking is the Furrion 30A receptacle, 1 ft of 10-3 cable and the EMS-HW30C itself doing its job), a smarter upgrade would be what @Ronbrink installed. Great work though I'm OK with the $160 upgrade adding the EMS-HW30C. Hughes Autoformers Install - Ollie Modifications - Oliver Owner Forums (olivertraveltrailers.com) Spend $350+ on the pole mount Hughes and it could be gone when you get to the trailer one afternoon to overnight. I'm not going to call it rude, but it's not helpful at all when a Forum member is asking for help, followed by others writing at length, that you should-a, could-a done something else. I love when I hear a sound, a flicker, a smell or anything pointing to an issue, as I've been notified of the issue, and I've got something to go on. @trekhard you did the right thing in hearing this, perceiving an issue. So many ignore sounds and other clues. Like the guy driving down the road where every time he touches the steering wheel there is a whine. If I see him at a stoplight, I'll suggest he fills the PS reservoir and if it appears full, change the belts (all of them). 🤣 I feel the greatest likelihood is that you hooked up at one location to shore power that had intermittent issues. Your PI EMS-HW30C protector worked well as it should have! The internal solenoids do make "popping" sounds when activated. Clare, I'm not sure how old you hull is, though I still suggest you open the covers, take a good look, tighten terminal screws as I detailed above and best wishes, JD

That's the way to do it. And when you're looking to purchase a surge protector there are two things you should be must concerned with- the "joules" rating which is how much energy it can absorb before failure (the higher the number the better) and how easy it is to replace the surge unit when it is all used up and fails. Some are user replaceable, some need to be sent back to the manufacturer, and some are throw away.

@rideandfly Those walking sticks look familiar, did you buy them at the rally?😉

That's a helluva good deal on SL equipment kit! Looks like the deal is for the GEN2 SL. Very cool....

This has got to stop! Perhaps in your eyes, but I never call the opinions of others wrong, nor personally attack fellow Oliver Owners calling them "rude" as you have done. I quote "rude" from your post of last week, where I bit my tongue with no reply, only marking your post with a Sad emoji. This wasn't the first time. BTW, opinions are NOT facts, mine nor yours. Facts can be wrong, and opinions cannot by definition. I premised my statement with "IMHO" and OMG, I even wrote that others may believe in the contrary position. I will say that my opinions are based on literally several hundreds of professional installations I have labored myself in the aftermarket automotive service industry and a dozen auto/truck restorations, now on my 3rd RV restoration/upgrade. I have helped and been thanked for many knowledgeable posts, including this one before your comments, where today I spent a half hour of my time researching and writing this. I do not need OTT or any other Service Co to work on my Oliver. It will be worked using my opinions and two hands. I write from this knowledge and capability. So let's get the facts straight. Please allow me to quote Mr. Sokol from the article you linked, where he wrote "However, for any of you who don’t have an intelligent/EMS surge protector like your EMS-HW50C which checks for high and low voltage as well as open grounds, let me suggest..." Simply put, he wrote for those "who don't have" the EMS-HW50C (Olivers have the 30A version of the same "intelligent/EMS" device). I certainly agree with Mr. Sokol's opinion. Mr. Dorrer, you can PM me with an apology if you like. That would be a great way to end this. You voiced your opinion twice here. Can we stick to the subject. P.S. Forum Mods: Please feel free to delete this post given you have deleted its predecessor. There is no call for either and I'm truly sorry for my part! 😞

Another Oliver Owner had issues in a campground. He smelled burning under the Dinette. He didn't feel comfortable with electrical, so he hired a knowledgeable Mobile RV guy. This person went through everything and checked the transfer switch which was good. He found melted wires in the EMS. The mobile guy told him there was a good chance this wouldn't have happened if he had a good EMS surge protector at the post. The built in EMS saved his electronics. Contact a Mobile guy that knows electronics if you aren't comfortable. Again reach out to Steve Landrum.

The PD5100 ATS switches between two shore power sources (streetside or front receptacle intended for a generator). If the ATS goes bad, burns on the wrong side, you could have no power at all. It's likely not this device. It is the EMS that has the remote switch with status and error code reader. See my first picture. The ATS is on left and EMS on the right. It would be difficult to ascertain which unit a noise would be coming from, being side-by-side in the same cabinet. Your setup may look different, since on our older hull OTT did not install an EMS and I installed the same unit to copy the newer OEM build. Don't know how any power failure could start an inverter that was truly switched OFF, but I've read there are some different ON/OFF configurations on this model. Perhaps other experienced Xantrex 3000 owners could chime in here. We have a few! The EMS E0 code means no error. This is the status you want. E1 through E10 are stated errors, defined on the cover plate and manual. The EMS is a sensitive device. Another member just showed it to be the issue in their case. See this thread and notice the picture at the end showing the burnt neutral wire: Air conditioner and 110 outlets stop working while camping - Page 2 - Mechanical & Technical Tips - Oliver Owner Forums (olivertraveltrailers.com) My second picture shows the insides of a good EMS when first installed. All wiring should look clean, free of corrosion and all connections tight. It's impossible to diagnose an intermittent electrical issue from a past trip. I do suggest this as a check. Frist make sure that you are NOT connected to shore power and trip the 30A breaker as a secondary precaution. Remove the cover to the PD5100 ATS (snap-fit, clips on the sides) and remove the EMS cover plate (6 small Phillips screws). First use a strong flashlight and inspect every wire and connection, for anything not clean looking. Then tighten the 6 terminal screws in the EMS and I believe there are 9 connections in the ATS. Replace the covers. Power up again when needed and that's likely all you can do for now, though you may soon get other suggestions. I also suggest when the Progressive Industries EMS-HW30C product is installed you do NOT add another "surge protector plugged in at the post." I've read here and elsewhere where many forum members will disagree with me on this notion, but IMHO possible interference between these devices outweighs redundancy. Give the lesser post model to a friend that needs one. Could be there was no physical issue, merely the shore power at that campsite had intermittent surging causing the EMS to switch OFF/ON quickly which it is designed to do and does create sound in the solenoids opening/closing. However, I live by the motto "hear something, say something, do something!" You did the first two steps. Pull the covers on both devices for inspection and maintenance. Something I did when purchasing our used Oliver for peace of mind.

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!

You can use the solar panel solar charge controller, cable and alligator clips that came with your suitcase solar panels. The suitcase solar panel manual probably has a connection procedure to follow, be sure to verify. You will have to look at the solar charge controller display on the suitcase panels to verify that it is working. FYI, the Zamp port is a simple 2 wire SAE waterproof port. When installed on the side of the Ollie, the wires go directly to the battery positive and negative, with a fuse on the positive wire. The alligator clips do exactly the same thing. It’s is just like jumping your car battery with the positive connection first and then the negative connection. The battery connections usually happen before the solar panel connections. Mossey

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

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.

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

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.

Lots of creative ideas for transportation and storage of the SL mini. This tuber did a nice job with his emergency back up kit. I already have a hard case for our mini and will likely also buy the Anker power bank for remote use when needed.

What a surprise when D and I were screaming around a left turn in the Jemez Mountains of northern NM and spotted that "oh, so familiar" big red Texico Star prominently fixed on the nose of Mike's and Carol's Oliver at a local service station! D poked me hard in the ribs and shouted over the roar of the engine downshifting to an appropriate gear for what will become a serious "bat-turn", "Look! There's Mike and Carol!" HA! Sure enough, we circled back and pulled into the station to say, "HEY!" After blasting out a, "Hey, MIKE!" -- it was clear from his 2,000 yard stare that Mike had no clue who was addressing him from atop a big Beemer, so, like Mike described above, I introduced myself and the look of recognition appeared on his face and we both laughed! I'm certain that this will likely remain as our most exciting "Oliver Sighting" ever! Small world, for sure! Cheers!

Mine are fine. We’ve put about 5,000 miles on the ALCANS and all is well! Mike

For sure Bill. I am thinking it over and have not pulled the trigger yet. Lots of strong reviews in the tuber world. I maaaay let the dust settle and see if the price drops after this initial roll out.

This new freezer/fridge combo by GZ proved to be more efficient and better in every way than my old reliable ARB fridge. Bluetooth connectivity in cab monitoring was perfect every time. Temps in the unit were always within a degree or two even in the heat wave we experienced in D.C. It was nice to have a true partition for refrigerator items vs freezer items. Dual side plugs for power. Ran perfect off DC outlet in bed of truck or via GZ LiFePO4 solar generator. Not always needed on our week longs trips but for longer trips it is perfect for extra meat, milk, OJ, etc. Overloading the Dometic 3-way fridge just makes it not work effectively. LG compressor brought the temperature down quickly on initial startup. The only downside is the size, takes up a good bit of room but for us when needed is worth the trade-off. They do make a smaller version that is a single zone. .

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.

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! 🤣

We have a 2022, so I'm keeping a close look on our springs. When we do switch it will be to Alcan. Somewhere I read that we need to supply the axel diameter to Alcan. Can someone confirm this Can Oliver confirm the diameter or do I just take a string and then measure. What has everyone done? Thanks.

So true with us on both counts!! (When we were dating Steph and I tried a tandem canoe trip once, with her trying to steer from the front in rough water. A miracle we didn't flip, honestly. Now we have separate kayaks.)

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