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Showing content with the highest reputation on 10/17/2024 in all areas

  1. I took delivery of Hull #1494 on 8/30/24 from B&B RV in Denver. I drove it to the Black Hills of South Dakota and am enjoying the trailer!
    5 points
  2. Just finished install of Victron Orion XS 12-12 50A charger in my Elite 1. Special thanks to Geronimo John for helping me with my project. His expertise was invaluable. And highly recommend Artek Energy in Milwaukie, Oregon where I purchased most of the components, parts, and materials. They went above and beyond with advice and even helped with the settings on my existing Victron MPPT Solar Controller and SmartBMV712. Everything is now working together smoothly and efficiently. At 80% SOC on the Lithium Batteries, the charger is pushing out 48.8 amps bulk charging at idle. Nice! Replaced OEM 100amp alternator with Mechman 240amp alternator. 1/0 marine grade tinned cable from alternator to battery and then back to Anderson SB175 connector. Then 1/0 to busbars in trailer and reduce to 6 gauge for short runs to/from components and batteries.
    5 points
  3. Wow! So many great suggestions. I had heard the forum is the place to get great information but I have to say. I’m blown away. Thank all of you for taking the time to give this newbie so much. Oliver did respond to my request for more information. Currently both LE1 and LE2 have the same Truma Aventa A/C unit and operate on 15 amps. Again thank you so much.
    4 points
  4. Starlink Mini power cord storage solution. On our recent long trip I decided I needed to come with a solution to store our Starlink Mini power cord when we are traveling. After a deep dive, I ordered this reel and it will hold the entire 50’ SL mini power cord nice and neat. Winding up the power cord by hand each time was time consuming and usually it ended up looking like a rat nest. This musicians cord reel should be easier for deployment of the power cord as well as retracting when packing up our SL mini. Everything SL mini packs up nicely in our HF 3800 hard side storage case. I ordered a second reel for our spare SL mini power cord. Happy Camping from Hull #634 XPLOR https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WYCR42L/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
    4 points
  5. My first rain gutter install was a total fail. I did it in sunny 80 degree weather, perfect! Unfortunately, we went from 80’s to 40s overnight and all the corners popped off. I reinstalled in 90 degree weather and overnight low was high 70s. Left the tape on for 24+ hours. It’s been years now and no issues. Pay close attention to the weather! Mike
    3 points
  6. Not good advice, especially for a new Oliver. You will be supplied with brand new tanks with warranty, date coded for 10 years of use. The swap tanks are often abused/damaged. I got one once where the O-ring was missing and the LP would leak. Also, it’s expensive. I just got one 30# and one 20# we use at home filled from empty for $29.80 which is the price of a swap tank at our local big box stores! Our local Ford dealer charges $2.50 per gallon Keep your original tanks for cost savings and your safety. We’re on a 3 1/2 week trip and will likely only use one 30# for furnace, cooking and we love our LP fire ring. Years ago we ran out on a trip in a Class-C and best price nearby in the Phoenix valley was $5/gal. We have enough batteries/inverter/solar to keep us fine and can run A/C for 3-4 hours when needed. If I was going to run a generator for A/C, I’d have more than enough LP, would look to fill one 30 when starting the second. If the E1 can only hold 20s, I’d buy a 3rd tank at a local HW store and have it filled up ready in the truck bed.
    3 points
  7. I used WD40 to clean the cable, then I think I just used some white lithium grease I had on hand. Very light coat. I’ve done it twice over the last 9 years. Mike
    3 points
  8. I am currently acting as the Service Director overseeing the service department & technical support. Jason B. & Mike will be handling more of the daily activities while I will be putting a bit more time in traveling to our dealer partners assisting with Sales & Service training. I would say 75% of the time I will still be here onsite working with Rodney in sales & Jason B & Mike in service.
    3 points
  9. We have the Truma 13.5 BTU Aventa AC and we do not have the Truma soft start. We use a Honda 3200i to run our AC and it’s a quiet and a very reliable genset. As posted above a Honda 2000 or 2200 will not run your 13.5 Truma Aventa unless you have the Truma soft start installed.
    3 points
  10. Since this is not my first, second OR third try... I'll be really good at it so line up ten or so Ollies and I'll simply do them all!! LOL
    3 points
  11. Overkill and as stated already, would be too many LBS for LE1 (or LE2).The 20A+ models mentioned are enough and I would only carry gasoline from the station to home for yard tools. Get the 30 gallon LP tank upgrade and mod a connection LP line. Our old Dometic Penguin II runs on 15A. The new Atmos A/C runs on 10. If Truma requires more than 15, I would look at other choices. Get SoftStart on your A/C regardless of model choice as start-up amps can kick over 30.
    3 points
  12. After our Oliver has been parked for a long, hotter than average, summer, we are finally on a trip. Of course there has been a lot of worry re this subject. I noticed while driving a simple way to know whether your leaf springs are OK. Check your rear view mirror and note the horizontal line of the tailgate is parallel to the line on the Oliver where the hulls are attached. When a leaf breaks you will see one side lower, an angle instead of parallel lines! If a street side leaf had broken, you could not easily tell from the entry steps.
    2 points
  13. I don’t think 12” is too far. I try to keep all three of mine at 6” or less. Sometimes more, depending on the site slope.
    2 points
  14. Re the 30# propane tanks vis-a-vis the Elite. The Elite will not carry the 30# tanks in the factory front mounting location. They also are not an option on the Elite
    2 points
  15. As our business continues to flourish we strive to grow our staffing so we can continue to meet your needs. At this time we would like to welcome and introduce Jason Balentine, our new Service Manager. Jason will be running the daily operations of the in-house service department. Mike Sharpe will continue in his role as our head technical support supervisor. We have separated our phone system out where you can select Technical Support or Service & Parts. Technical Support is for external support, general questions or help locating a service center or dealer near you. Service & Parts will be directed to Jason in Service and he will assist with scheduling appointments for our in-house service department and help with parts requests. And to answer everyone's question, Yes, evidently your name has to be Jason to work here.
    2 points
  16. Our Hull # 050 has exactly 11 inches from the floor of the garage to the bottom of the rear jack feet. BUT, our early build came with the (then standard) 16" wheels and tires. The standard for the currently produced trailers is 15" wheels and tires which might make about 1/2" difference.
    2 points
  17. Yeah, and you’re close to the annual OTT National Rally! Pulling the Oliver, heavy decline grade on winding roads, a rest stop, it will be 3 1/2 hours. When I was young driving a sports car, I would always beat these estimated times. Not these days. This year, let’s communicate on your Quartzsite thread when Oliver Owners will be there and we will drive down to meet you!
    2 points
  18. Two and a half hours, home to Quartzsite. That's great, it'll take us a week to get there.
    2 points
  19. We’ve camped with overnight temps in the teens and had no problems. We also camped when the temperature never got above freezing for several days and had no issues. Especially if the daytime weather warms to above freezing the Oliver does great. We don’t enjoy very cold camping just like we don’t enjoy endless rain days. Even though the fire pit can warm up the Clam pretty quickly we try to avoid very cold weather. Mike
    2 points
  20. Tank size needs to be a decision based on how you camp and your physical capabilities. We have the 30lb tanks. 20lb tanks are easier to handle but we enjoy the extra capacity. I can still lift the larger tanks so we’ll stay with them until I can’t. We’ve never had an issue with running out of propane while on the road. I usually carry a 20lb tank for our fire pit. Between campgrounds with propane, Tractor Supply’s and other locations refilling hasn’t been an issue. Mike
    2 points
  21. We have a 2023 Elite (the 'baby' Oliver) and we sometimes carry a generator depending on where we will be staying. We use a Firman 3242 dual fuel invertor generator that we bought at Costco about a year before we bought our Oliver. It has supplied the power necessary to run the entire trailer with no issues at all. It is a bit heavy though & runs a bit loud for my tastes but so far, we haven't had to use it too often.
    2 points
  22. Your 2022 should be the same as my 2023....Inverter breaker is under the street side bed, here's a pic, you can see the inverter breaker is "off" (red tab on bottom) vs the 12V MAIN breaker which is on.
    2 points
  23. Thank You! I plan on using about 31 feet or so because I want to bring the ends down alongside the windows like John E. Davies so two rolls for me!
    2 points
  24. That’s not OEM. That looks like what most of us have used to go around our windows. The original seal is bigger and a different shape. Mike
    2 points
  25. Starlink Mini Dish Open Source info - This compact, portable kit includes a built-in router that supports 2.4 and 5GHz bands, 802.11ax, and 3x3 MIMO. It also has an Ethernet port for connecting wired devices. Based on our experience we see no other reason to mod our Oliver with any other comm now having used our SL mini on a 48 day trip through 14 states. We won’t leave home without it. At the extraordinary rocket powered pace that Elon and SpaceX are deploying more satellites, SL will rule the day in comm. We are considering a SL home dish based how much we liked our mini on this last trip. Just plug it in to a power source with no obstructions and your on line.
    1 point
  26. Too late, but that's a helpful tip. The product (which I have seen many iterations of on Anazon) was also of a cheap rubber/plastic material. The color was off too and I simply knew in my gut I was making a mistake installing it. At least it came off easy and I can start fresh! Seriously hoping the Trim-Loc is better overall.
    1 point
  27. 30 pound tanks are great , if you can lift them. We run with 20s. That's enough pain, and enough weight. They last a long time. That's a personal decision. But, if you can, try lifting a full one up and over the lip of the propane storage area, and see what you think. Some places will fill tanks in place. Others won't. We don't swap tanks at rhino or others, until tanks go out of date, or, we are desperate. Swap tank site is a good place to get rid of out of date tanks. Then, we pick and choose for a good date on replacement. (True for trailer, BBQ, boat, etc) Twenty is plenty, for us, and, we normally boondock. Cold weather enthusiasts will probably want 30 pounders.
    1 point
  28. Sounds like an excellent plan. No better choice than you, for that role.
    1 point
  29. Perhaps start your own post, to get more Oliver member feedback! To me Yavapai County to Coconino County to the north are the best of Arizona, and our family has ridden 100s of roads and dirt trails up here. We found this part of the world in the early 90s and bought our home in 2005. (Yeah, the White Mountains, central eastern AZ may even be better for camping!) The saguaro cactus is the iconic cactus of the Sonoran Desert. That would be the total 1/3 of SW AZ. Every time we leave the Phoenix Valley to drive home to Prescott, at 2-3K elevation, we drive past thousands! They flourish at this elevation! Picture is near Black Canyon City, an hour north of Phoenix off I-17 at near 3,000 FT elevation. Start by looking here, Tucson parks have 1000s of them: https://www.nps.gov/sagu/planyourvisit/maps.htm From what I’ve read @Mike and Carol has a lot of experience from Tucson to Bisbee and on this forum there is a wealth of postings on camping trips in the SW. South of Tucson to Nogales, and literally 200 miles east or west along the border, has not been safe over last 3 years. DON’T go there until .gov fixes this, be safe. Quartzite to Yuma and the AZ/CA border there is all good.
    1 point
  30. Chris, On our LEII, 2019, there was a yellow ground wire from the negative post on one of the 6V batteries that ran back to a bus bar that was grounded to the frame. I discontinued this yellow wire in favor of an additional bus bar that I connected to the Oliver ground bus bar to allow grounding of the inverter and the shunt. This means that our batteries are grounded by the 4/0 inverter negative wire that runs from the new bus bar to the battery negative post on the first 6V battery.
    1 point
  31. I suggest the direct route in dark blue except when getting near Prescott take the west loop. A couple of hairpin turns before Yarnell but NP with our short trailers. US Hwy 60, then US Hwy 89 are the main roads. The Q is at 900 FT, Wickenburg at 2000 and Prescott at 5400 FT. The final stretch is a climb up the Prescott NF. Love to see you! Excellent Boondocking at Wickenburg along the way and another great AZ town to visit with history, good shops and restaurants. Vulture Mountain, Vulture Mine Rd west of town is the camping spot. The mountain really looks the shape of a vulture, neck down feeding.
    1 point
  32. We have dual 30# LP tanks and I agree it was a worth the upgrade at least for us and to swap out to 30# tanks after our first year based on our camping needs. In our recent 7400 mile 48 day trip we were really glad to have the larger tanks. We only had to top off one of our 30# tanks 3 times during this entire trip. Many CGs out west if not all, have LP available or will tell you where you can easily purchase it. Everyone needs it at some point. If you don’t have adequate pay load capacity with your TV, or are concerned about tongue weight, or physically cannot lift a full 30# LP tank then keeping the 20# tanks is probably the right thing to do. Honestly I am not even sure an E1 will accommodate 30# tanks.
    1 point
  33. First off... Welcome to the family. And, welcome to the life of choices! So damn many choices! I would not get the 30 gallon tank upgrade. We did in 2016 and have now switched out for 20 pounders. I find the using the 20 lbs size makes things simple on the road. Stop at HD or Lowes or where ever you can switch out a tank and off you go. You can run one empty or near empty... switch to the other and then swap out when convenient. Lifting those 30 pounders gets old fast. Sorry JD. Also the 30 pounders add more WEIGHT. And speaking of weight as mentioned before. Tongue weight and payload weight in general will be something that occupies your mind. Start by checking the inside driver side door for your trucks payload number. Don't forget to subtract any additions you might have added to the truck like a cap, or slide, or fancy winch bumper. Then subtract the weight tongue weight of the LE1. (About 10% of total trailer weight so maybe about 500 lbs. guesstimate) THEN subtract weight of occupants and gear. (I put wife, me and dog together so no one gets singled out.... don't ask how big the dog is) Do you still have a positive number? If so, I guess it's ok to add the tongue basket and generator. But remember you won't really know how the numbers add up until you get it all together and run it over the scales. Like I said... choices. But you already made the best choice with the Oliver. Not only for a great camper but a great community to help you fret over all those damn choices. Good Luck and Happy Camping, Scotty
    1 point
  34. We asked Oliver service about the Aventa Eco + Soft Start when Truma started advertising it a few months ago. It wasn't available through Oliver then, but maybe so in the future. The standard Aventa Eco requires a 3kw or greater generator, or an external soft start. The specs on the units equipped with a soft start are the same as without, except for the startup current of 30 amps vs 59 amps. The Truma retrofitting services web page has a link to SoftStartRV for an approved external soft start. You could probably use that with a 2.2kw generator to run your AC. We've had experience running our old Dometic Penguin equipped with soft start using an even older Honda EU2000i. The normally quiet Honda made annoying noise as it revved up every time the AC compressor kicked in. It worked as long as we had no other significant loads. We couldn't use the microwave or other appliances when running the AC (which can also be a problem when on shore power) and we dialed back the Xantrex battery recharge rate to 5 amps/hr. We now have a non-soft start Truma and an EU3200i generator. Both the AC and generator are much quieter both inside and outside the trailer than the Dometic + 2kw generator were. Though we won't need it since we'll have shore power, we'll bring the new generator to the Inks Lake Rally next week for anyone who's interested in evaluating its noise level while running the AC. Steve
    1 point
  35. You really need to know the actual tongue weight allowance. Most of us with elites don't have tongue baskets. A friend who does just carries chocks and a bit of firewood up there. And, pay attention to your cargo capacity. With a small truck, you might be pushing the limits, already. We carry a Honda 1000 just to recharge batteries. We have a 2500 Westinghouse that probably doesn't weigh much more, that will run our 9500 houghton, but we've never carried it. Anything we carry like that is in the truck bed, not the tongue. We don't look to create problems, and, we chase the cooler weather. Make sure you have the soft start. I "think" truma made that standard this July, but it can be retrofitted. You definitely do not need 30 amps. You need 15, and an inverter generator with sufficient surge to handle startup of your account. Check with Oliver as to your specific unit
    1 point
  36. I'm aware of the posts and did in fact do my install on a hot day with tape. It sat for three days in warm weather... My Casita had drip rail as well so it's not my first attempt...Just wanted to help new owners be aware of the bad product.
    1 point
  37. @Blain Welcome to the Forum and welcome to being a Oliver owner. Since both of the responses above do not have the Truma AC unit, I would suggest you call the Oliver company, identify what hull number you have and what do they recommend for a generator size. The minimium size of generator will depend on if you have the Micro-Air EasyStart option connected to your A/C unit. This EasyStart allows a smaller generator to start the AC compressor, since it will allow less amperage to start the generator compressor.
    1 point
  38. You want the Trim Lok Drip Rail with the 3M backing tape. https://www.trimlok.com/plastic-extrusion/drip-rail The 3M adhesive is awesome. Put it on #145 in 2016 and still doing the job. I would actually be afraid to take it off now for any reason. It's part of the trailer. Good Luck Scotty
    1 point
  39. Thanks @DavePhelps for the response. I was a Canadian dollar store the other day and saw a pack of pipe cleaner things in the craft section and thought, hey, I'll get some and try them. I put them in last night during a heavy rain and did notice the wicking action. Yes, they really work and I'll be using them in the future during rain. Regarding the point of intrusion, it's hard to believe that water entering from the rear Oliver light or marker light could travel forward all the way to the window, but hey, I'll tape them off and try anything.
    1 point
  40. Your northern location tells me all I need to know. I would really think about winterizing based on where you live. A few minutes of effort can forgo hours of locating and repairing a leak. Our Truma makes winterizing super easy.
    1 point
  41. Two hour jobs always take half a day for me. Just ask my wife. Slowest mechanic in the world. Not really, but why do one job when you can do 10 all at the same time. 12 hours later, I've got the Cummins tore down to the block.
    1 point
  42. Just east of Springerville AZ, on US Hwy 60 E, on the AZ-NM state line.
    1 point
  43. There are the White Mountains of New Hampshire! Know them well! I’ve skied Cannon Mountain, Canmore Mtn in North Conway and the top of the White Mountains is Mount Washington, the highest peak in NE. And then there are the Green Mountains of Vermont, smaller yet absolutely gorgeous this time of year, on my favorite State Hwy 9 heading west! The White Mountains of Arizona include all the high county in east central Arizona. Payson AZ is the western point at the edge of the Mogollon Rim. The NE point would be at Springerille AZ, with Show Low AZ in between. Then all the way to the NM state line, and south to the mountains north of Safford AZ. 🤣 Everywhere it’s high elevation, grasslands at 9000+ FT and peaks at 10-12K FT. Those who know, of the several million Phoenix Valley residents, drive up on summer weekends to climb, up, up, up, and in doing so, the temps drop 30F! The AZ White Mountains are the SW corner of the Colorado Plateau, it’s God’s Country. Camp almost anywhere you want between FS and BLM lands. My thinking is it extends into New Mexico though the range may have a different name east of the state line. @MAX Burner would be the expert on the NM side. Thank for asking, posts in Ruidoso NM coming soon. Loving our trip after working 5 months on this old hull (she is doing well, all systems working to near perfection)…
    1 point
  44. Ron can chime in. The exterior fan works wonders in cooling the external coils. Jury is out on the interior fan. Temp numbers have not changed for me with it ON or OFF. https://a.co/d/5epsJqH https://a.co/d/bfzfJBO
    1 point
  45. hmmm. So far three for three on winterize from those who have been doing this longer than I. Thank you for your sound advice. I kind of knew my idea was wishful thinking and not practical given my location. We have a composting toilet so that's not an issue in any case. I also already have the RV antifreeze as well. Definitely don't want to trash my water lines and valves.
    1 point
  46. Benny Creek Campground in Greer AZ and the Little Colorado River! IMG_3792.mov
    1 point
  47. This may not be the case and Our fridge runs well on all three sources, but I understand that they are more sensitive to being Level (especially) whilst using propane. I "fired" up ours (empty) yesterday and it was showing -8 in the freezer and 33 in the fridge in about 8 hours. This was in my driveway and ambient temp was in the 70s.
    1 point
  48. Appointment at 0730 at Alcan in Grand Junction, and plan to do the same with the old ones...after a thousand or so miles :)
    1 point
  49. 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
    1 point
  50. National Forest Campsites are very convenient and in more remote areas, empty. Read the Sign First, maybe Two Times... then Proceed with Caution. Photos: Caribou National Forest, Utah and Gold Panning options in Colorado. Do you have any signs to offer, or ignore them and invite Black Bear into your campsite after Sunset... leaving food on the Forest Service Picnic table? Did you know that in order to cut hanging branches in the National Forest that would drag onto your Travel Trailer sides or roof top, you need to have a Class in Operating a Chain Saw, before using one at any of the National Forest Campsites. Although legally, we have several long handled Trimmers, sharpened at home to make it easier to widen road width and access... for everyone. Many remote roads have become overgrown with brush along the sides of the road. Trees may fall onto the Forest Service Road... locals drive around or over the tree. We stop and pull the downed pine tree Off the Road, so we do not have to drive around half of the road. Sometimes we have to use our imagination... HOW... not having to use our long handle axe in the back of the tow vehicle. We have Two Shovels. A His and Hers. Filling large pot holes in the compact dirt road is a hobby. When full of water... necessary. Camp Host(s) at remote sites in Wyoming get Propane provided for Free to keep an eye of campers coming in and out of the area they are watching. I heard some get some financial incentives and pick the camping site you like the most. You get a sign : Camp Host. You also can post: 'Bears-Secure Food' signs to post. Wyoming and Montana campers may become part of nature's food source if Frying Bacon and not expecting company... sooner than later. Really... There must be some Oliver trailer owners that have pushed the boundaries of Popular Camp Sites with Signs and took the less traveled road gone into areas where Bear Signs are nailed to trees for those who do not carry a Side Arm... to make noise, when needed the most. Yellowstone Park is the ONLY place I have seen Human Beans chasing Grizzly Bear to shoot... photographs with children and flip flops. Spring is coming and you better get ready to scout out some better camping spots in 2024. Before the Signs Appear. 🙂
    1 point
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