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Showing content with the highest reputation on 11/09/2024 in all areas

  1. I updated my batteries with assistance of a friend who does solar installs for a living. This is a bit different than most of the installs I have seen here in that we used two 400 AH EG4 rackmount batteries. After removing the rackmount handles from the batteries and the battery tray from the Oliver they fit perfectly. There was a bolt in the bottom of the battery cabinet that was an issue. We put in 1 inch square aluminum rods on the floor of the cabinet to raise the batteries above the bolt head. We also replaced the Xamp solar charger with a Victron solar charger 100/30, added Victron lynx shunt, Victron distributor, and Victron cerbo with a touch screen (7" model). This fit perfectly in the hole left by the removal of the Xamp solar charger. To get the cables from the cerbo to the touch screen I ordered an extra HDMI extension cable and USB cable (approx. 15'). I ran the cables to the back of the camper in the tray behind the cabinet and then down the wall in the back, under the basement, and back up under the street side bed. Trying to pu the wire down next to the pantry would not work. It was too tight. I believe Victron is planning on replacing the HDMI cable with the small USB connections this spring. Didn't help me, but maybe it would help you. In addition we added a solar disconnect which you can see below. In the pictures below. These batteries can be powered off and the breaker thrown to disconnect. They also come with automatic fire suppressants, two per battery. Cost was $1200 per battery (400 AH, each). This was the first stage of the upgrade. At some point I may replace the Xantrex 2000 inverter, but for now it works well for us. Unfortunately the Xantrex and Victron do not talk to each other. That is why you don't see information on the touch screen about the AC loads and AC input. We have taken it on a couple of trips now and we do not come close to making a dent in the batteries. I added an extra battery in case we need to replace our 3-way fridge in the near future. So far it is doing well. I replaced a power board on it a while back, but since then no issues. Parts are harder to come by now though.
    7 points
  2. Yes, your plan is good. I get the weight issue for sure. Having two 30s though we never need to change one when away from home. Our longer trips are usually 3-4 weeks, and we often use just one 30# and if it's pretty cold overnights, sometimes we switch to the second 30# tank. Given this two 20s would be enough most of the time. The ultra-light generator linked above weighs 40 lbs. The Honda EU2200i weighs 50 lbs and so does a FULL 30# LP tank. I do not mind loading the 30# tank at home (and I will turn 70 in the new year). I back the truck up within inches of the doghouse, stand on the tailgate, lift up turn and let down. I don't want to mess with running out and filling/changing tanks on the road and do not want to carry a generator and extra fuel. We have enough battery at 600AH, and 720W solar so no need for a generator and extra fuel. This saves me pain on the road and extra room that a generator and extra tank would take in the truck bed. If I was in the market, having owned many Honda engines, I would spend the extra $400 on the Honda.
    2 points
  3. No going back now! @mossemi Did you use crimp on PEX fittings for the "T" into the fresh water fill for the return line, or a SharkBite "T"? I've never messed with PEX before, and I know some people don't trust SharBite fittings in trailers. So I'm not sure which one I'm likely to have not leak... I'd be further along if the weather was better, and if I hadn't wasted a bunch of time on other stuff. For instance, I spent an hour or so trying to figure out why my EMS wasn't working. I pulled the cover, and there was only 40V AC coming it. I figured I had a bad connection in the external port like I've seen with others, and it was fine. Couldn't be the incoming line, because the light is on on the power cord. Turns out it was getting electricity, but not much. 20 months of having the garage door shut on my 14 gauge extension cord must have cut enough wires it was barely feeding power. And I was running a space heater on that just last week! 😲 Now there is a 12 gauge extension cord going through a notch cut in the bottom of the garage door seal. No more pinching.. And while it was warm enough, I painted and installed the courtesy light deflectors that @Ollie-Haus showed me at a small fiberglass rally here in Ohio in September. I think I'll still add some amber film to tone the light down some more. And, I wasted a couple hours trying to find a flush-mount outdoor rated 110V AC outlet to insert into the panel under the side table, where the propane fridge lower vent was located on older trailers. No such thing! And I really didn't need to do that now, with other stuff needing done before winterizing and then getting ready to go to Florida in January I'm usually good about scheduling my time, but not lately.
    2 points
  4. Nice job Ray! I may go the Lithium route at some point when my AGMs give up the ghost.
    2 points
  5. We have towed out Elite II now for about 30k with our Audi Q7, so I wanted to give an update. 98% of the time the Audi does a nice job, the issue I have had is on long steep, curvy down grades. Coming into Death Valley from the west there is a 6% 15 mile downhill, using 3rd gear and only applying the breaks for short intervals, I still over heated the car breaks to the point that we were seeing smoke. The breaks never faded but it was a very concerning situation. We have crossed the Rockies multiple times without incident but the steep down grades were limited to a max of 6 or 7 miles. The long 15 mile downgrade with lots of turns required keeping the speed under control using a lot of braking.
    1 point
  6. I believe I saw these on one of the forum members Oliver @Galway Girl and did a little research to find them. Pop on and never have to take them off. Quality, thick, durable rubber. Pretty cool. Not sure if there has been a previous post but thought I would share. M https://www.etrailer.com/RV_Jack_Pads/SnapPad/SN59FR.html
    1 point
  7. Good work and clean installation @Derek B! I can attest re Epoch. During our recent trip we parked at a friend's house in Ruidoso NM and spent two nights in their wonderful king bedroom suite! I generally check SOC and inverter status, Ruuvi temps and every related Bluetooth app 2-3 times a day when camping (not this time). The Oliver was out of sight, out of mind, as we truly enjoyed our visit. My friend asked if we wanted to plug in when we parked, and I replied, "We'll do it later." and then I forgot. We had the old Dometic absorption fridge on DC for the long day driving there from West Texas and the next two overnights. Forgetting all about it, 48 hours later our two 300AH Epoch Essential batteries were at 4% and 5% SOC according to the Epoch App. Plugged into the house 110V outlet at 5 AM and when we left by noon, we were up over 60% with the charge rate set to a conservative 50A on the Multiplus II (can be configured up to 120A and the Epoch can take an amazing 200A in or out). I've run ours on purpose down to 20% SOC many times in testing, by running the A/C for 4 hours, our new oven and other AC appliances. I would not think to run brand new LiFePO4 batteries under 10% SOC on purpose, but no apparent issues arose from doing so. We're loving the performance of these batteries!
    1 point
  8. Thank you. My AGMs were still doing pretty well, but we were up in Canada this summer for five weeks and we were having to work hard at not pushing them too hard and using voltage to guess at the state of charge was rather annoying. I decided to go ahead and replace the batteries and enjoy the upgrade myself instead of waiting until they had to be replaced.
    1 point
  9. Thanks, Bill. I don't have any PEX in our house, so I had no need to learn, nor buy a crimper. I'll get the SharkBite "T", and a couple spare straights and elbows. I appreciate the reply.
    1 point
  10. I've never had a problem with the single sharkbite fitting I put into my Ollie. I made sure to secure the fitting and pipes near it very well so that it does not move. I still carry a few spares (sharkbite straight and 90 degree fittings) with me in case I need to do a repair while on the road. However, if doing a pex repair of mod at home I use a crimp. Bill
    1 point
  11. Oh, forgot to add. After years of being anti-generator, I am softening my view. Especially for very early and late season camping where my solar setup can struggle after days of rain and low light. Currently considering the Honda EU 2200i Companion. The companion model has a 30 amp plug (as well as a standard 20amp) so no adapters needed for my Oliver supplied shore power cord. AC is not really a thought for me, have hardly ever used it. But if that changed, I'd get the soft start for that. I'd also convert the generator to propane with the Hutch Mountain kit, which has gotten very good reviews. As little as I would need the generator, propane would be a better choice over gas. https://www.hutchmountain.com/products/honda-eu2200i-propane-natural-gas-gasoline-tri-fuel-conversion-kit?srsltid=AfmBOop2BOyh5idW05vUOtzKeU9wfC8jIVGVypoD-M00sGuc3CFgqsxA Dave
    1 point
  12. For me, it boils down to a faster camp setup and 3 less things I have to store and pull out of the basement. If three of us pool our 4th extra pad we could give a set to someone! Ha
    1 point
  13. Although hideously expensive, one could get an aluminum 30# propane tank, which, if I recall correctly, weighs the same (when full) as a steel 20 # tank. A lot of $$ though, but could be worth it for someone's special requirements. https://www.vintagetrailersupply.com/30-lb-7-1-gallon-vertical-aluminum-lp-tank-vts-169/ And yes, as has been mentioned, the Elite 1 will only fit 2 20# tanks. Running out of propane has never been an issue with me. The stuff lasts a long time! Dave
    1 point
  14. Yes, we look for will prowse's testing and or teardown first. It was his video test last year that convinced us to order the Epoch 460 for our sailboat. It's been great.
    1 point
  15. Found the problem. Wires behind Seelevel II were not connected completely. Easy fix once found. Jason at Oliver was a great help; thanks to Jason!
    1 point
  16. I agree that they are cool and attach easily and will probably last a long time... But, this is one of those items that I've told myself I need but I simply can't figure out why I need them. Bill
    1 point
  17. Read voltage at the fuse connected to the water pump (red wire), to the ground (black wire). If you have 12VDC then you need a new pump. If so, I suggested upgrading to a premium model. If no voltage, then there may be another fuse, or a disconnected or bad wire. Testing for voltage is always step one. Use voltmeter/multimeter or a simple 12V test light: https://a.co/d/if7BSpi
    1 point
  18. I replaced my CO detector this summer even though it was not going off, but since it was a 2018 Ollie, I wanted to replace it before it started alarming due to age. When I took the old one off, the back said it was a 2017 detector.
    1 point
  19. Yes, I like Tito, also if Will Prowse gives it his rubber stamp of approval it must be good.
    1 point
  20. Epoch is getting a lot of traction on YouTube.
    1 point
  21. I got mine from OTT. Out of curiosity, did yours pull loose in the middle? Our first seal came loose in the middle and would be sticking out when we got to our destination. I assumed it wasn't properly adhered at the factory and I replaced it after careful prep. The second one started doing the same thing. I think it's caused by airflow from underneath the propane cover while traveling. I removed the center section that had come loose, creating a small air gap, and it may have stopped the problem.
    1 point
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