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A couple days ago I successfully installed the Mechman 320A high output alternator and cable upgrades, previously on the former TV, to further enhance the Savana’s charging system. I should mention that a battery swap was done two months prior with the ACDelco top post battery a better choice for performance and reliability. Even though Mechman does not offer an alternator for the Savana, the mounting bracket and wiring appeared exactly the same as the Silverado’s; so my hopes were high that the stock 150A alternator could be replaced despite the seven year gap in year models and GMC 6.0L vs GM 5.3L engine size, respectively. Another consideration, the high output alternator requires a smaller pulley and thus, a bit shorter serpentine belt. Again, the new belt from the Silverado install was a perfect fit for the Savana. ACDelco battery, as installed. Removal of the stock 150A alternator in progress. Mounting bracket cleaned and readied for Mechman 320A. Side-by-side alternator comparison. Mechman alternator a perfect fit. Note additional grounding cable at the mounting bolt.

Very nice Ron! You can see the smaller pulley will spin the HO alternator twice as fast. Also, the additional ground will provide less overall resistance for your DC-DC charger!

OK. If you have the electric switch on the outside in the "on" position and then turn the water heater switch that is inside the Oliver to the "on" position AND you are plugged into shore power, you will have BOTH electric and propane "on" at the same time. This will actually heat the water inside the Suburban faster than either of the two would heat it alone and it should not "harm" either heating system. If you are not connected to shore power then having the outside electric switch in the "on" position will not do anything since unless you have modified the original 110 volt wiring inside the Oliver. Bill

You could certainly use one of those 2 CATV ports. They are quite easily accessible in the basement once you unscrew the covering flexible wall board. You could then drag a cable up into the attic space which also has AC power if needed. Craig *(Hull 505)

That makes 50 so far across two Facebook Groups and the Oliver Forum

Last year's trip, stopping at Penobscot Narrows Bridge, this seemed like perfect product placement. 😀

As a former ad guy, I approve!! 👍

HaHa that sounds Ok with me thats what I get for being late. This will be my first rally and really looking forward to meeting fellow Ollie owners and gaining knowledge about the Brand and modifications. Thanks to all who put so much content on the forums its really interesting to read about.

So , at least in my case and several others... they are taking care of the Truma recall repair at the rally. Jason has just called to confirm they have the parts set aside and that they will be taking care of it there. That is just great service from Oliver in my opinion! Can't wait to see everyone there!!

After several months of researching a suitable replacement TV, a van was decided to be our best choice based on perceived criterium, ie engine/drivetrain, cargo/tow capacity and tongue weight requirements for our OLEll and style of camping. The former 2012 Silverado 1500 4x4 was reaching ‘retirement age’ and I’ve been pushing its limits, regarding carrying capacity, for a couple of years. I will acknowledge up front that we are not minimalist! That said, this Explorer conversion van well exceeds my expectations in both spacial and towing considerations, as well as comfort and convenience. BTW, I told my wife “remind me to never buy another tow vehicle days before a planned trip!” Although ‘well appointed’, the passenger seats had to go; at least when towing our Oliver. The two second row captain’s chairs are easily removed via a release mechanism from the floor mounting base for occasional use, as needed; the third row couch/reclining bed not so much and will go to storage. By removing the passenger seats, I now have 10’ of open cargo space from the rear doors to the front seats; the Silverado’s bed only measured 5’8”, plus limited space in its back seat. Having double doors on both side and rear of the van vastly improved access to the cargo area. The two vehicles were positioned end-to-end to facilitate easy cargo transfer for organizational purposes. Ultimately, two storage boxes were acquired to safely stow much of the cargo; specifically, underbody tool boxes. Yep, delivered one day before our departure to the Texas Oliver Rally at Inks Lake SP, what was I thinking! The boxes are serving their purpose by providing secured organization of supplies and gear, with ample room for our folding e-bikes, Dometic fridge/freezer, portable power station, generators, spare 30 lb. propane tank and a couple of small bins. Camp R&B, Inks Lake SP, Site 227; Texas Oliver Rally, October 20-25, 2024.

Your 1/0 cable is huge. I added 4 AWG B+ to alternator and B- to frame for the addition of the DC-DC charger. An automotive alternator is already grounded through the engine and the engine has ground strap(s). My batteries only had a 6 or 8 AWG ground wire and same lighter gauge for the alternator connection to B+. Yours should be excellent as-is!

The interior switch turns the HWH on LP only (located under the pantry, in our hull). To turn the Suburban HWH on by 120VAC shore power, there is a switch outside. You have to open the exterior cover plate and you should find it in the lower left corner, a bit hidden by other hardware. See @Mike and Carol's post above. He leaves it on and when connected to shore power it would automatically turn on by electric power. When they boondock, then he would would flip the interior switch to power by LP. Nobody has been able to explain on this forum how OTT wires the Lithium Platinum package which I assume includes the 3KW Xantrex inverter/charger. Is it wired to ALL 120VAC circuits? If so, and if you have the Suburban HWH with dual AC/LP capability, then YES, you can run it off inverter as I explained in my first post above.

John - With the relatively low height of the Oliver, I've never had a "problem" with height for overpasses and/or bridges. Since I travel alone a fair percentage of the time, I find that the large screen of the Garmin 890 really helps, plus, I don't use any of my cell phone data with the Garmin. Also, the Garmin will automatically re-route me in the event of an accident or road closure or simply heavy traffic (if it determines that there is a quicker route available). Having said all this - I do also use the Ford Navigation on longer trips. There have been a few times when arriving at an intersection, the Garmin and the Ford do not give the same directions. If I'm not familiar with the roads and/or where I'm headed, I'll usually default to the Garmin. Bill

I don't have an RV specific GPS but I have been in areas where there was no cellular service, the on-board truck navigation ( based on cellular ), Google maps, and Apple Maps would not work as a result. I'm glad that I had my old Garmin GPS. I would imagine that an RV specific GPS would be helpful. I know that maps can be downloaded and used off-line but I never seem to be able to remember to do that.

Is your HWH a Dometic or Suburban? I believe what I have is a Suburban hot water tank. It is not connected to my inverter. If we don’t have 110v we run on propane. The outside switch is usually left on so that it kicks on when we hook up to electricity. Mike

We have 2022 hull #1150 with the Platinum package, too. At pickup I was told the water heater was not connected to the inverter but, to be honest, I've never tried it. You could use the Lithionics app to find out. Running on inverter with cold water in the tank and the WH external switch off, watch the power draw in the Lithionics app when you turn the water heater on. If it jumps up dramatically, the WH has kicked on. If nothing happens, it's not connected to the inverter.

Yes, given you have a 3KW inverter wired to all circuits, including the hot water heater (HWH). If I remember correctly, OTT wires the 2KW Xantrex inverters to 110 outlets only, which includes the microwave, but not the fridge, A/C or the HWH. Our 3KW Victron inverter is wired to all AC circuits, so I've done this a few times when we first get to a campsite when battery SOC% is high. If I remember correctly, it takes 20+ minutes to heat up the 6-gal Suburban. Ours SOC decreased 8% and based on our total 600Ah that comes to 48, call it 50Ah of power used. Don't run the HWH and A/C on inverter at the same time! Then I suggest switching the HWH to run on LP. If it's windy out the HWH can cycle often. We turn ours off after dinner dishes and back on again in the morning. I do not like hearing it turn on while in bed (or wasting energy). When on LP you can certainly hear it fire up. When on 120VAC power it is much quieter, just a soft whine. I leave the outdoor AC switch always in the ON position and unless we want it on AC, we leave the breaker in the 120VAC power panel OFF. This keeps from having to go outside and take down the awkward panel to access the switch. And of course there is the interior switch to power the HWH on/off by LP gas. Hope this helps. Best wishes, JD

Definitely a great opportunity to learn and meet like minded Owners. Looking forward to meeting you.

You should have no issues. You will want the soft start on the AC. I have used our Honda 2200i to charge our Lithonics batteries with no issues. We have a 2022 LE2.

I had missed and called Monday morning and was given an email to send to Jason E. Jason W replied with link to register this worked for me and Traveling Angels we both were able to register.

I also forgot to register, as did Steve C., who also forgot when. Oh well. I'll wing-it. Too much life stuff this year to keep up.

We hiked just a mile or so towards the Juniper Mesa Wilderness (not even close). You would have to hike overnight and tent camp to actually get up into it. The woods here have been in drought for a while and not so just 45 miles SE in Prescott. Look closely, zoom-in on the trunk of this Alligator Juniper, one of many we found on the trail. This beast has grown right out of the granite boulders of the mountain. There must be millions of these trees in this wilderness area. We walked by hundreds today. The Alligator Juniper is the iconic tree of the Prescott NF. The trees in this area have seen a harsh climate (pic1). Closer to Prescott another Alligator Juniper has had a better life, some 100s of years of it. What an amazing tree with Chris in the picture! And btw, the Ponderosa Pine in the post above ain't bad either!

Oliver provides two sockets, 3/4 and 13/16. Wheel lugs require 3/4.

Yep! We had an interesting delivery experience, a good discussion over a beer. Hard to believe it’s been 9 years! Mike

Possibly due to various threads here on the Forum - a fair number of owners have replaced the original lug nuts on "older" Ollies. My 2016 was delivered with a lug socket and wrench (this wrench had a neat collapsible handle on it and has been use to move the Andersen whale tail attachment point into the correct position on more than one occasion). But, I replaced the original lug nuts several years ago and now use a "deep" 3/4 inch socket with a proper torque wrench. Bill p.s. Mike - they always liked me best anyway!😁

If you really want to attend - Call Oliver first thing Monday morning at 1-888-526-3978. Good luck! Bill

The deadline was April 1st. Just showing up would not be a good idea. I would suggest calling Oliver. Deadlines are for a reason, especially for the dinner, which is based on those that registered by 4/1/2025

We can't answer that. I would call Oliver. The opening dinner is based on the registration, as is the registration package. You should be on the phone with Oliver.

It’s my understanding that the Oliver Seminars, dinner and door prizes are for prepaid registered rally members only. Registered attendees receive a lanyard style ID which identifies attendees as a prepaid rally member at the registration area. If you walk or drive over to the Oliver registration area after you check in at Lake Guntersville SP front desk, the Oliver staff will gladly answer your questions on attending seminars. I don’t know if they allow late registration. Maybe an exception can be made, a great question to ask the Oliver staff. Registered or not, I think you will be glad you attended. It’s a great time to meet a lot of super nice Oliver owners and maybe make a few new friends and learn about how others have added modifications to make their Oliver their own.

In the past (this is our 4th rally) registration typically closes before the rally begins. It appears the deadline this year is April 1st. This is usually to get a head count for the opening ceremony dinner, a rally ‘swag bag” name tag lanyards, and a 2025 Oliver Rally t-shirt. You will likely register at the Gathering Place up on the hill. Plenty of parking if you choose to drive up to register. Here -https://olivertraveltrailers.com/events/oliver-owners-rally/ Hope to see you there! 🇺🇸

A few days ago I completed an installation of a front receiver hitch on the Savana. I previously installed same on the Silverado, specifically to carry a bike rack when underway for use with our folding ebikes once in camp, and liked its functionality. However, no such hitch was found available for the van and thus, removal and modification of the one that was on the former TV was in order. Once a mounting plan was devised for proper fitment and securement, necessary cutting, shaping, welding and painting was done. Modifications in progress. Hitch readied for install. U-bolt and plate securement. Front spoiler remounted with thru-hole, hitch extension installed. Formerly fabricated roller skid plate I made to protect the bike rack got new paint job. Savana sporting hitch/skid plate and QuikrStuff dual bike rack with ramp.

What Geronimo John said, plus at 5 years, you've gotten probably all the life you will get from briteway batteries. Time to make a plan to replace.

Flooded Lead Acid (FLA) starter batteries usually employ maintenance-free designs. But FLA deep cycle batteries require regular maintenance to each of their cells. The plug you are showing typically serves as a vent path. They are not intended for service, but on many battery's they can be removed for adding DI as you suggested. The question is does this vent provide a pathway that DI will flow equally to all the individual cells? Regardless, doing so can be very dangerous. A small droplet of sulfuric acid splashed out of the battery can easily blind and/or disfigure. Personally IF it were mine, I would not even consider trying to refill these batteries. Just not worth the risk. Especially since they are 5 years old. Bad news you need new batteries. Good news is you need new batteries, and it is a perfect time to upgrade to Lithium. See JD's and several other posts on DIY battery upgrades. Good luck, GJ

Well, upon removal of the AIR LIFT pump assembly from the Silverado a few days ago, I realized that system would require a reconfiguration to better serve the selected Savana mounting position. Yesterday said pump and new airline hoses were installed. Today the wiring harness will be routed to the engine bay to complete this project. BTW, the original AIR LIFT air springs remain on the Silverado and can be individually inflated with the Schrader Valve terminated supply airlines left in place. Driver’s side airbag at 0 psi; 5 psi minimum upon install completion, as recommended to prevent damage. AIR LIFT pump assembly readied for install. Pump assembly with airlines, wiring harness and remote control. Pump assembly securely mounted atop the trailer hitch receiver. Once the wiring harness is connected, care will be taken to further protect with wiring loom and mounting straps tidied up. Potential location on backup fill ports in the event of a pump failure (screenshot taken from a YT video).

This is how I ran the AC with the 2000 watt inverter. I added anther transfer switch to operate the AC circuit on my 2019 built Oliver. Posted September 7 Besides the huge improvement in the sound level there is also another area where it surpasses the Dometic AC that I had replaced. The Houghton with the compressor running draws 10 amps while the Dometic was pulling 16 amps. So I decided to install a second transfer switch for the air conditioner to test it running off the batteries. It was 11 o'clock in the morning on a cloudless sunny day the temperature was 88 degrees. I had my batteries 400 Ah fully charged with 340 watts on the roof and 230 watts remote ready to feed it. I set the thermostat at 70 degrees and turned on the AC. Once it brought the temperature down to 70 I noticed it was cycling four minutes on with the compressor and four minutes off. I left it running until about 5 o'clock and was surprised to see that the batteries were at 97 percent. So I was happy with those results but time will tell if that is the norm. I put the picture in to also show it's nice low profile. Paul

If anyone is looking for vents.. There's a guy on the Fiberglassrv forum who has 3d printed a vent in his own design. If you private message me, I can dig that email/ info up and share. They work slightly different as they slide into the track and are not permanently affixed like the Maxxair but they come in three colors.. black, white and smoke. I certainly knew the vents were the first thing I was removing before I sold my Casita! But ~ I will say that eventually mine will need replaced with this alternative, as the Maxx do get brittle. I have a couple hairline cracks already!

Indeed. We were very careful to remove the vents ourselves, and keep them at home, when we had the dual pane windows removed and repaired this year. I have no idea why maxxair doesn't make them anymore. They're so nice in the rain. I can keep two sliders open about 1/4, and still circulate air. I think @csevel kept hers when she sold her Casita, and I certainly would, too! Once in a great while, new/old stock used to pop up on eBay. Haven't seen them in a long time.

The single most valuable thing on SeaDawg's Ollie just might be those window vents! 😊 They are no longer made!

This'll fit...

Per my post above, I think the only way to work out solar and battery needs, without ending up in circular confusion, is to start with how much electricity you think you’ll use each day on average. Of course if you’ve camped before with a trailer, you probably have a good idea of what that is already, and if not, then the 70-80 Ah number seems to hold true for Ollie owners. From there you want a Plan A and Plan B for recovering that power. Plan A is again based on averages - size your solar to give you enough juice to replenish your batteries each day. The variables there will be your planned usage of course, but also when and where you plan to camp. Once you’ve done that, then you need a Plan B for when you’re camped under trees for three days or hit a stretch of rain and your solar can’t keep up. If you try to size your solar for that, then you’ll need a second trailer to hold it all. For most people, Plan B is a generator, which has the added benefit of being able to power your AC. But if you’re trying to go without a generator like me, then instead you plan your battery bank to get you through those days. For me, that means 3-4 days of battery storage, hence the size of my battery bank. It’s a simple problem if you think of it like that. Don’t overthink it, and don’t for a second think that just because someone is doing X that you have to do the same. Take the time to think about your individual camping habits and needs. But having said that, I think that Oliver’s standard AGM or lead acid batteries and solar package is sized correctly for 80% of buyers. The other 20% are either people like me, or the opposite - people who never camp without hookups and don’t need solar at all.

When I wrote those comments years ago, I didn't realize Overland was planning to upgrade the batteries to lithium. The lithium can really make use of the big power flow from extra panels, charging faster at a higher rate. Bigger funnel to fill bigger vessel, faster, in simplest terms. That said, I don't begin to have room for Overland's batteries, nor his number of panels, in and on our 2008 shorty. I'm only a little jealous. 🤞🤥 We've camped with our setup (200 watts panels, 2 group 27 agm x 105 amp hour batteries) since 2008. Recent years added a 12v dc compressor fridge and a 100 watt portable panel, and it's doable, but requires considerable effort in monitoring, and moving the portable panel around to follow the sun. And, use of the generator in low sun days I would love to at least upgrade the battery capacity, and the best way for us in the smaller Elite is dropin group 27 case size lithium, with our smaller battery tray. We are in the process of upgrading panels, and doubling solar fixed panel wattage in. The lithium will have to wait at least til the agms die . We're not in the habit of replacing what's still working. I, too, suspect you'll be more than fine with agm, if you continue to camp similarly to the way you have been camping/boondocking, with your current setup of 2 batteries and 200 watts solar. It's adding a lot of 110 appliances that will mess you up. You're already managing a week with half the capacity of your new proposed 4x 6 volts. A week with double battery capacity should be a pure joy. And, you may find you can extend your stays by a lot, if you can conserve water, and resist turning on that inverter every day. (We removed our inverter a few years ago. We are mostly happy with 12v life.) In 12 years, we've rarely camped with hookups with our Oliver. As far as whether the cost is justified, you probably have to look at useable amp hours , and life cycle, to make true comparisons (along with an honest projection on boondocking days). For me, one single battleborn 100 amp group 27 replacement would give me as much or more useable amp hours than my two current group 27 agms. Why? Because I don't run my agms down to 50 per cent, to preserve their longevity. I tend to run no less than 60 to 70 per cent, and try to keep mine at 70 to 75 per cent. I'm speculating that that's why I'm only just a few years ago on my second set of batteries in 12+ years. As far as maintenance, agm vs lithium, I'd say it's a wash. You do have to keep agms charged in storage somehow (solar does that just fine for us, if we have some bit of sun and breakers are turned off.) Lithium can maintain a charge , without load, for a really long time without any charging, (less self discharge) but, they are temp sensitive for charging. Since I live in Florida, and camp primarily in the shoulder seasons, or at moderate east coast elevation in summer, I think we'd be golden with lifepo. All that's relevant to how much time you actually get to use the trailer, how and where you use it, and if you can actually exercise the useful attributes of the solar and lithium batteries. And, realistically, how long will you use the trailer? I'm thinking I may just get 10+ years from properly charged lifepo dropins. Which may be longer than we continue to camp. Or not. We'll see. Some people tend to get really psyched about new tech ( and I have to admit, I'm one of them.) When I get sad is when I see people load up their trailers with new tech that they don't understand, and don't or can't use to its full advantage. Susan, as an experienced camper, knowing something of your preferred style over the years, you have an advantage over new campers, who can only conjecture what their choices might be. Still, you're the only one who can justify the additional expense of lithium vs agm. Sorry for the really long post, which may or may not help. Sherry

Overland, One option you may want to consider if you need more panels would be to have a set of auxiliary panels set on the ground and plugged in to your system with an Anderson plug. http://www.4wdadventurers.com/showthread.php?568-DIY-Guide-to-Anderson-Plugs I see a lot of remote panels like this and it gives you much more versatility of where you can camp and still get good solar charging. In many of the forested camps I am in, the trailer may be in shade but there is full sun just 20' (or less) away. Out come the remote panels. If your spot is in full sun and you don't need the extra juice, they can stay in your TV. Yes, I suppose they would be more vulnerable to theft in some remote camps, but I think this is the way I will go. Probably a couple of 100 watt book-matched panels and 20' or so of heavy gauge cable. So far, with just our 200 watt rooftop array, we have never had a lack of power. But our power needs are not too great. Just a thought.... Dave