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After reading all of the positive comments about using the SL Mini, Bosker insisted we up our game. We now have one, with a waterproof case, the Anker Prime Power Bank, an extra 50' power cord for the mini for when the Bison chomps the old one, and a USBC to DC5521 adapter cord. Bosker and I are ready to rock-n-roll, with continual connectivity this summer, on our trip from Texas to Yellowknife, NWT, Canada!! (according to SL, Yellowknife has connectivity all way up there at 62.4N) Thanks, everyone, for blazing this trail and informing the Ollie family about this great accessory.

Next is the tow vehicle side installation. The Ram Cummins and most diesels have dual batteries. I chose to connect to the RHS battery since there are less connections, because its proximity to the alternator, and because I wanted a straight run down the frame to the RHS of the rear bumper. Looking ahead, last year I installed a custom Nations 180A HD alternator. OEM rating on our truck is 130A, thus gaining 50A for charging ampacity! Starting at the battery, I ran the B+ cable along the fender rail to keep it away from the heat of the exhaust manifold and entered the main frame member just behind the engine. Conveniently, there are two holes in the frame just behind the front wheel (pic1). The RH opening is where it comes from the engine and the LH is where it continues all the way to the rear wheel. I had 100’ of 1/2" automotive loom from a past project which made for a clean installation! I removed the RR wheel for ease of access in running the cable. It took a couple of wire ties to get up and over the rear wheel-well but mostly the 4 AWG cable just lies nicely inside the frame beam, very well protected. I decided it should come out below the rear bumper yet above the trailer hitch. The Anderson SB175 connectors are huge (pic2). A full inch or more of bare wire is required inside each pole connector, so I crimped each in two places. There are a series of holes across the bottom of the rear bumper. I used the two holes closest to the center, fabricated and simple bracket to hold the heavy environmental boot in place (pic3). This worked out great as you can push in and pull out the trailer side connection with one hand and it does not budge! So, I have the trailer harness connection on the left and the DC-DC cables on the right (pic4). It looks clean, nice and balanced. Many on this forum and elsewhere believe you need both B+ and B- 4 AWG (minimum) wire running all the way end-to-end! This is certainly true for the B+ cable. For the B- cable, I merely ran a 2 ft length from the Anderson coupler grounded to the rear frame. I believe an 8” section of steel frame will produce less electrical resistance than 4 AWG copper and testing showed this to be either true or “good enough!” I ran another short 4 AWG ground wire from the B- battery terminal to the front of the same frame member. Last step was to connect the B+ charger cable and reconnect the battery terminals. I used another 60A MRBF for the main run (pic5). I also ran short cable from the B+ terminal to the alternator (for redundancy, this connects the charger B+ to both the alternator and batteries with new 4 AWG copper). I’ve never seen anybody take these extra steps, but I believe it will provide better charging performance. You’re running 4 AWG everywhere else, but OEM cables from battery to alternator are usually only 6 or 8 AWG and solid grounds are often an automotive issue. BTW, OTT only installs one 6 AWG ground wire for everything running on DC! I added a second 6 AWG ground cable from the negative bus in line to the batteries in a previous upgrade. This should work great, I really liked how it turned out. I measured carefully and purchased only 65 ft of black 4 AWG wire (not bad for wiring an extended cab long bed pickup truck tow vehicle)! I used all of it, and every run has slack on both ends and the trailer side connector is 6” longer than the standard hitch coupler cable. I ran thorough testing today and I'm getting 40A charging output with the Cummins diesel running at idle! Yes, engine running at idle. I captured pictures of all the Victron Connect screens showing Orion and Smart Shunt data. I'm getting rather tired tonight, so to do this reporting justice I'll get all my data together and add another post tomorrow. As I opened my thread above, "this charger setup is awesome!"

Starlink just announced a new $10 for 10GB monthly plan for those that only need it for sporadic use. Data over 10GB at $2 per GB. Only good for an existing user so a new activation would have to be on the $50 plan and then switch to the $10 plan on month two. This is what I plan to do as camping season is about to start here in CO. https://www.rvmobileinternet.com/starlink-adds-cheapest-roam-plan-to-date-10gb-for-10/

I’ve had the parts forever and between work and some travel, a list of injuries (that made it extremely difficult to kneel in the basement or crawl under the truck) I finally have this done, fully installed and performance tested! The bottom line is, “this charger is awesome!” A month ago, I was working on waste valves under the front dinette seat when it occurred to me to run the charger cabling in the Oliver since I had everything opened. I always drill the smallest hole possible, no fancy cable glands for me. Two 3/8” holes would been enough, but I had grommets in a parts box 1/2" OD and 3/8” ID which were the perfect size. I glued them in place and afterwards caulked all of the cable openings front of hull (no pics taken). It makes sense to wire the charger before mounting the board (pic1). The wiring is rather simple but the 4 AWG wire barely fits into the terminals. The 4 AWG wire will not fit into the Oliver ground/neutral bus, so I crimped on a lug and cut it to fit the opening. I installed the two grounds side-by-side (the other coming from the tow vehicle) (pic2). When I worked my earlier inverter upgrade and rewiring projects, I had saved room for the new Orion DC-to-DC charger (pic3 close-up and pic4). The main + bus (in red) is protected by a 90A Marine Rated Battery Fuse (MRBF) that connects by 4/0 cable directly to the Victron Inverter-Charger bus and then through a 400A ANL fuse connected to the batteries (400A Victron Mulitplus spec). All major circuits are connected to the main bus; the 40A breaker OTT installed for all the Oliver 12VDC circuits, two solar chargers (OEM Blue Sky for rooftop panels and a Victron 30A MPPT charger for a Renogy 400W suitcase) and the new DC-DC charger circuit which is connected through a 60A MRBF (see center of pic3). The secondary +bus (in black because I purchased a set) is protected by the OEM 40A breaker which connects to the 12VDC panel, the 3 jack fuses, etc. These are 8mm thick solid copper buses for minimal resistance. A considerable upgrade compared to the original OEM installation. I attached the Anderson connection, front of trailer, and then got under it to see all the many zip ties that OTT installed. OMG, they should have better cable management! I replaced a lot of these because of age, but I did not want to merely zip tie this new heavy dual cable harness! Instead, I used the u-bolts that hold the front basket and cut brackets to support the cables including the trailer harness in two places, in front and rear of the basket. The picture shows the front bracket (pic5). And after taking this picture I hammered both ends of the bracket to curve them up almost touching the upper bracket to create a D-shape. I could have purchased pretty brackets, but these were on hand, fully functional and can only be seen while lying on the ground! The trailer side installation was then done! When I finished and reconnected the house batteries, the blue light on the Orion started blinking and it was listed as a device on the Victron Connect app. So before even working on the tow vehicle installation, I was able to update the firmware and configure the Orion charger. I reduced the output charge to 30A for safety concerns and initial testing. The battery settings were close enough, within 0.1V of the specs for Epoch LiFePO4 batteries.

We went down with the kids to visit my nephew last night in Birmingham, AL. 3 hr drive. The Oliver is very well suited for city boondocking. We parked with no hookups at his apartment complex in a great spot that very few TT/TV combos could have reached. We had 100% batteries (920 Ah) when we arrived due to the solar and DC/DC charger working great finally. During the night, it dropped down into the low 40s. We had the heat set at 68 AUTO on the Atmos and I have to say between the quiet and new Tochta mattresses it was probably the most pleasant night I have spent in the Oliver. Comfortable and quiet. Great combination. The Auto mode on the Atmos works very well heating or cooling. I have said this before but I like the fan on more during cooling for the air circulation in the cabin. Doesn't get stuffy. I did kick on the heat with the dedicated Honeywell thermostat that sits where the old AC control was and it fired right up.

I’m thinking we’ll pick one up as well. My son has SL for his camper and they love it, both he and his wife do a lot of remote work, email and video calls, it checks the block. We’ll be traveling west to northern CA, OR and WA in August and September, looks like some sparse cell coverage in some areas. Mike

You’re welcome and appreciate everyone’s feed back on this unit as well as additional information on the Atmos. Atmos still less than half the price of Oliver installed Truma. Wish there was another option for this upgrade without the additional fiberglass work. As summer approaches I will have to decide whether I can wait another year in hopes of more new units coming out or replace the Dometic.

I believe I will be next. I've read the $100 sale may end for awhile after Mar 31st. I found out that Home Depot is a reseller for Starlink and I have a 10% coupon also ending 3/31. These Mini's should get cheap at some point, but net $450 may be the best price for 2025, at least until Black Friday sales late in the year. I'm thinking the Trio Mini Speedmount with magnet mounts for doing a fixed installation on the roof of our tow vehicle, integrated to the Pepwave router. And for the case where we need to get out from under trees, etc. I will get a battery setup and not use a power cord. This way, we would use the Starlink vs. the Pepwave Wi-Fi. I found several $20 kits that use the 20V DeWalt tool batteries. We always bring 3-4 DeWalt batteries with us, for a flashlight, an impact tool, a vacuum and leaf blower, and we have an extra charger permanently in the attic. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DM1T6VX2/?th=1

Excellent write-ups on your DC-DC install! Looks like you have it dialed in for peak efficiency, waiting to learn more on its awesomeness! I too ‘home shop’ for spare parts and materials to complete any given project, definitely saves time and money. When I did the alternator upgrade on my former TV (Mechman 320 Amp High Output Alternator) I installed the Big 3 wire upgrade, which substantially improves grounding at the alternator, engine and frame using 1/0 cables. However, I have since stripped said alternator and cables from the Silverado 1500 for future install on the Savana 2500, which has a 150 Amp stock alternator that will suffice for now. I’ve already done the same with the formerly installed DC-DC cables on the Silverado and the Savana is now readied with the rear bumper Anderson SB120 connector and Source Side Environmental Boot/Cover.

We love Elon Musk in our family and before this year, I was never interested in an EV or even wanting a Starlink connection. TOTAL respect of this great American! His products are the most forward-thinking products of the 21st Century (Tesla, SpaceX, AI, his work in healthcare, etc.) OMG! Besides, who else do you know, on planet Earth or Mars, who measures 99.999% right-of-bell-curve in intelligence, with engineering and business sense? He's also good person, soft-spoken and humble. He who just rescued two NASA astronauts, left stranded by .gov! Those who protest, speak to the contrary, are very wrong. He's respectful of others at all levels and wanting the American dream he achieved for all Americans.

thumbs up!

I want to thank my friend @Derek B again for making us aware of this new A/C technology. I'm also hoping for more action on this thread, others here finding additional inverter A/C product offerings! Maybe I should custom install a mini-split in the Oliver! 🤣 I really wanted the sound level of the Turbro Greenland to be better. Both video reviews mentioned noise while Turbro writes, "as low as 45 dB" (likely at lowest fan and compressor settings). Though I love how the inverter compressor is always-on variable-speed and manages power so efficiently. I contacted Kevin at SDG last week to ask a few questions. The Atmos with SoftStart, LTL shipping is required this year at $150 (UPS was damaging units, go figure) and they do charge for out-of-state sales tax! I was not expecting all this which comes to near $2,000 total. I have decided to wait on the Atmos (even though @rideadeuce just posted a rave review) and any A/C purchase, at least for now, in hopes that a new inverter model will become available. The Greenland is a first production model and should get better soon. I wanted it for a summer trip though we leave late May and will be home by the 4th of July, heading to Minnesota and coming back through the Dakotas and Wyoming. We'll hope for the Jet Stream flying low early summer of this year!

I now carry this instead of the low-profile aluminum floor jack; much safer, easier to handle and takes up less space!

Stuff a pool noodles chunk in there, or a rolled up towel.

Yes - I have. Only once but it did happen. The little ball at the end of the zerk seemed to be virtually welded in place. After changing it out I took the offending zerk into the workshop and it took several "pops" with a small punch and hammer to get it loose. After that I've always used caps on zerks in order to keep "stuff" away from the operating area. Bill

We have been thinking about the standard SL for our home…so thanks for this news. As for travel we really are happy with the Mini for so many reasons especially small size and portability.

Last summer I had some difficulty getting a couple of my zerk fittings to take grease, and THANKS to the forum members for all their great suggestions, it was solved by taking pressure off a tire. But rather than jack the side up, I used the tandem trailer ramp that I had purchased (and never used before). It worked! Here's what it looks like: https://www.amazon.com/Trailer-Aid-Tandem-Changing-Change-Trailers/dp/B000I4JPZE?th=1 That way I didn't have to actually remove any tires. I also use the small caps on the zerks to keep them clean; only once have I found one of the caps missing. They do keep a lot of dirt out.

I believe the trick is to have enough bottles to mostly fill the space, left to right, so they hold each other up. We fill the bottom space and use the top bar for a wash cloth.

I installed the standard duty version of RAS on my 2021 Silverado 1500 and was able to do it myself. It reduced the squat from the trailer by about 1.5 inches so I've been satisfied with it. They are adjustable and I have it about middle of it's range. Towing and non-towing with it now for 45K miles and I can't say I really noticed much of any change in handling/ride quality when not towing and that's fine with me. I'd recommend the RAS but it seems like airbags are good as well.

Our 2019 Tundra takes less maintenance than my wife's sewing machines!

Thanks for posting this and sharing the link. Interesting that the engine is not even connected to the drivetrain - it only functions as an on-board charger for the battery. In tow-mode, it comes on earlier to keep the batteries at a higher charge to make sure there is sufficient power for a significant incline. I tow in Colorado, so performance up and down the steep mountain passes is essential. From my reading, it’s designed to take full advantage of re-charging while on the long downhill runs. Seems there would be a number of potential advantages of this approach, not the least would be huge battery capacity available to supply the trailer if needed. Not sure I would be one of the early-adopters for a first model-year — but definitely of interest to watch!

Beautiful truck will be here soon. Sounds awesome on paper but as you stated the range would be cut in half towing, from what I understand. Hybrid tech is enticing but personally will hold out for full electric with longer tow range. We will get there one day when there is a large enough battery bank on the TT for highway range assist. Power assist and brake regeneration if it has its own electric motors powering the wheels, as well. Then we can get out and park it with an app on the iPhone or better yet it will park itself using AI and cameras! Awesome specs: The Ramcharger has a 3.6L V6 engine and a 92-kilowatt-hour battery pack. Over 600 HP and torque. Tows 15k pounds! It also has a 130-kilowatt generator on board. The Ramcharger has a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive system. The Ramcharger has a payload capacity of 2,625 pounds. The Ramcharger has a 0-60 time of 4.4 seconds. The Ramcharger has a four-corner active leveling air suspension system. WOW! The RAM hybrid is awesome. The future is interesting and the truck is very cool but the range limitations and cost will have me sitting on the sideline watching. I have a 2016 Tundra with 145K miles on it and after 9 years of towing with it, it is still running like a sewing machine. Now that is value to me. Hope for 145K more. Took me this long to do all the upgrade to it. Ha

I'm thinking I may have this wrong, the "too good to be true" kind-a-thing. To me the $50 for 50 GB plan is good enough with $1/GB when over 50Gb. Then I read where you can pause the 50GB plan, use it for a few days or weeks, pause your access and then use it later. Can any current Starlink Roam plan user confirm if this is indeed true? I likely have this wrong. But if so, there would be no reason to buy 10 MB plus $2/MB when you can pay for 50GB and use it only when needed. If it cannot be paused, I would buy 10GB to get the Starlink installed, configured to our router, test access and then buy the $10 plan for a few days on the road, or pay $50 for a longer camp! 🤣