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We are wishing a Happy July 4th to all OTTO's! the Mossey's

Happy 4th of July! Let Freedom Ring! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 Patriot

Happy birthday America!!!

Happy 4th of July to Everyone Here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are spending our time waxing Ollie in the shade today! Like the scaffold folks here mentioned, bought it on sale at Home Depot and working great!

Lots to celebrate today. Having lived in other countries it is clear to me that there’s no place like the US of A!

Happy 4th of July!

After talking to an attorney friend it’s time to eat some crow and admit my mistake. The Oliver is an extremely well balanced trailer and I can get the truck and trl within all legal weight limits without the Anderson hitch, however, it was explained to me that vehicle oem’s install the class 3 hitch and derate it with the caveat of using a weight distribution hitch, he told me that there is no federal law to require me to use the wdh, however I could get in trouble on a state by state basis. so… after 8 yrs my options are, get an Anderson, or replace the class 3 hitch with a class 4, and replace my bumper to make it fit, I ordered an Anderson this morning. The next vehicle I order will be spec’s with a class 4 hitch, sometimes lessons learned can be embarrassing, but it happens🤷

Among my many friends and acquaintances, I can count zero who actually enjoy caulking. My husband does a better job than i do, so he usually gets the job if we had to flip for it, I'd be seeking a coin with both sides head, and call tails. Yet another reason I like butyl, where applicable. We caulk around the edges to shield, but butyl does the job.

Happy 4th

I share your disappointment when owners get into personal comments. Truck discussions, unfortunately, can be contentious leaving no room for alternate viewpoints. I am aware of a number of owners towing with a half ton and no Andersen. I’m interested in the experiences one of our new members will have towing with an EV. I’ve towed our Oliver well over 100K miles. About half of that was with a 2500 (no WDH)and half with 1500’s/Tacoma (with WDH). Only 5K on the Tacoma, it was adequate but very limiting (payload, range without refueling, braking/acceleration, etc). The half tons (both Ram 1500 5.7L) towed the Oliver with ease. Mountain towing proved more challenging for both braking and having the high RPM’s going uphill. I still needed to be concerned with payload. The 2500 with the 6.7L Cummins is an entirely different experience. Level towing is effortless with the engine barely above idle RPMs. Mountain towing is much better, very little braking going downhill (exhaust brake is wonderful) and uphill it may downshift to get RPMs up to 2500, but nowhere near the 4500+ of the half ton V8. I get the about the same mileage in the 2500 as I did in the 1500s. The bed is bigger, interior is bigger, and it feels much more stable. We were camping in AZ and went by a Mesquite lumber store south of Tucson. I bought a fair amount of mesquite planks for some projects. Loaded them up in the 2500 along with our camping stuff and didn’t have to worry about the extra weight. Not possible with the 1500s, we were always near our cargo limit. Diesels are more expensive to buy and maintain but for us and the amount of towing we do it is worth it. As the title of this thread states, you don’t need a 3/4 ton truck to tow your Oliver. You might not even need a WDH on your half ton depending on how it is configured. It comes down to personal choice. Mike

@STEVEnBETTY, it was wise to talk to an attorney and brave to admit you were wrong. We've been towing various trailers for 26 years. In our first year we had a combination that was marginal, within the specs but just barely. It was fine for many miles. Then one day, in the middle of a bridge, we got sway. Bad sway, all of a sudden. There's no question in your mind whatsoever when that oscillation starts. We were lucky not to wreck. Never towed with that setup again. It's not just the hitch. It's the brakes, transmission, weight of the TV, and wheelbase. They all factor in. For us now, better to size up and hope to never experience sway again.

Traveling our longest trip ever, 5 weeks now, some 4600 miles Arizona to Minnesota and back. Chris and I have learned a lot. And for me, I've spent hundreds of hours in M&R and Mods on our wonderful Oliver and finally we're enjoying the fruits of my labor. 😂 Shopping and dinning in Telluride a couple of days ago, we stopped at a shop that carries, "Life is Good" products, a sentiment to which we truly believe! I'm not much for souvenirs or T-shirts that advertise where I've been, though I had to buy this shirt. It states nicely in two lines surrounding the image of a compass, perfect for all of us who wander, and It goes like this: "We do not see things as they are... We see things as we are." So I turned 70, far more careful today than I use to be 10 years. Left our AZ home one morning at 4:45 AM to return to Texas, sitting on the pass looking down on Van Horn TX, I thought WTF, let's go! After 1100 miles, by 1-2 AM I was home in Lakeway TX. This recent trip, my longest drive was 5 hours, average 3 hours. I know y'all understand! @STEVEnBETTY, I have no idea your ages, your life experiences, where you live, you training, where you've traveled in the last 8 years with your Oliver. I'd love to know, and I'm not picking on you alone. I believe and I'm sure you agree, all of this matters. You wrote, "I’m disappointed in hearing members on this forum, disparage people’s attempts to do something different." I agree, and very often are suspect to your criticism! I've been told that if I do not regularly re-apply caulk to my Oliver, that it will damage it and destroy its value. Sorry, I will never add caulk on this hull, uglied by OTT in its original manufacture and again gunk-on-gunk after two return trips to Hohenwald. But caulk is more important in humid and rainy locations. Point in life, current needs, home and travel locations, part or full-time OLiver use, makes all the differences. You know how many times I've heard that annual bearing and jack maintenance is mandatory? Sorry to those who believe such, but when I pack bearings or grease the jacks correctly (not an Oliver University video) it will certainly last 3-4 years. I can tell by ear when the jacks need maintenance! Those who do not work their own maintenance cannot know, must trust Manufacturer's Recommendations and be at the mercy of hired mechanics. Normal to ask questions, but then it's one suggestion after another. This creates more worry which creates more, I just purchased new D52 axles and Alcan springs, parts only, will do the work myself this summer. I did not need to, as our leaf springs are clean, rust-free, nicely arced, no issues. My primary want was in having 12" brakes for safe mountain towing. and make everything new, restored. I can afford the parts and do the work now, replacing a 10-year-old suspension with hopes of carefree use for another 10. Not for fear of a spring breaking, as for that I have a spare pair under the toolbox and all the tools I'd need to make the roadside repair. there are 26 pages of leaf springs recommendations listed on one post alone! Most Oliver owners cannot do this work at home, let alone if stuck on the road, so such concern is understandable. We all have different comfort levels. Love technology and my Oliver has more mods than most, yet not of the @ScubaRx fame! 🤣 Tesla has made EVs mainstream and EVs are amazing technology. We have a wonderful forum where we all voice opinion. So in my opinion, if I had to tow with an EV just on this recent trip, I would need to stop 2x more often and 10 times longer to recharge vs. refueling and would not have been able to boondock in many of the remote spots we visited or the same trip would have taken 1-2 weeks longer. OMG, boondocking means no electrical hookup and charging! 🤣 I'm going to stop now, but Steve, or is it Betty? I've gotten a kick out of this post! We can all read here and learn something, or at times we think to ourselves as we read and say to ourselves, "what, no way, that's nuts! I'm not doing that."

From where I’m standing, your caulking looks great! Mossey

Day 36 on our trip, lunch at Mary’s Cafe Flagstaff, a must stop off I-40! We’ll be home in 2 hours. Raise the flag, first thing! Holiday dinner includes a tri-tip of Colorado beef! Sorry, if I’m not talking Mods it’s about the food! Today signals the first day of the 250th year of our great Nation! Celebrate the year. Best wishes to all and your families!

Ribs are getting ready to go on the grill, with corn on the Cobb, large red pepper, and jalapenos.

👍🇺🇸

Years before I even considered buying a travel trailer, I witnessed a TV struggling with sway and since I wasn’t driving, I was able to focus on the entire event. In slow motion, from my point of view, the trailer eventually took control and rolled both vehicles over on the highway. They were just ahead and beside us and it was a real eye opener. Beyond that, I had a friend who killed her TV by towing up a steep incline, and it was a problem. I knew I wanted to travel in the mountains, so my decision was firm. Occasionally I hear comments about my “oversized” TV with my Oliver, but I drive with confidence in the match — no regrets!

We ordered our trailer in September 2015. I had a 2012 Tacoma which was just inside towing specs for the Oliver. A neighbor, who is an original Oliver owner, was hosting three Oliver owners passing through San Antonio in Jan 2016 for dinner. He invited us over. All of them told me my Tacoma was not a good TV and I should upgrade to a half ton. I resisted. We picked up our trailer in May 2016 and by July I was towing with a Ram 1500. They were right, I was stubborn and had to learn first hand why a correctly sized TV is important. I find myself now being one who gives advice and I always remember my stubbornness and that some folks learn best by doing not by just accepting advice from others. Mike

LOL. We had a rental Class C motorhome that was missing all of those grommets. We didn't go 10 miles before Steph made me pull over. She couldn't stand the rattling any more. She cut up a kitchen sponge and used pieces of it as grommets. Actually lasted that way for 1200 miles.

Amazon can also deliver to self-service, secure lockers at participating retail spaces. I see them at Kohls, Ross, grocery stores, gas stations, etc. Check availability when ordering , near your destination. With rampant porch pirating, and retailers wanting to increase foot traffic, it's a win win for everyone. Lockers at a gas station near me are accessible 24/7. Look for the option when you are choosing shipping address.

But, you could cut Alaska in half and make Texas the 3rd largest state!😆 Mossey

Gary, I think I understand where your difficulty is coming from. My instructions are for the Orion 30 amp charger, which pre-dated the newly designed Orion 50 amp charger that’s different in several ways. I believe you are installing the newer 50 amp Orion. The first major difference is that the 50 amp charger is non-isolated, which means that the negative input and output use a common terminal. The 30 amp isolated Orion has separate terminals for the neg input & outputs. For the 30 amp, both the pos & neg wires from the TV go to the Orion’s respective pos & neg Inputs. The Orion’s neg output goes to the Oliver’s ground bus, and the pos output goes to the battery circuit main breaker via the new 60 amp fuse. With the 50 amp charger, you can run the TV neg to the ground bus, and a jumper from the ground bus to the Orion common neg. The pos connection is the same as the 30 amp. The second big difference is that the improved 50 amp charger is more efficient and it doesn’t have the significant overheating problems like the 30 amp Orion does. The 50 amp doesn’t need cooling fans, although they still have some benefit. If you choose to have fans, they are simply wired to the Orion’s pos & neg output so that their only energized when the Orion is charging. The thermo switch and 2 amp fuse are wired “in-line” with the fans pos wire. Let me know if a wiring sketch will be helpful. Hope that answers all your questions. Cheers! Geoff

I’m sorry but my response for being selfish went to another thread. If you do some research, the sticker on the underside of the hitch says 500 lb tongue weight 5000 lbs gross weight, without wdh, 1000 & 5000 with, those are recommendations, the wdh just redistributes weight, the tongue weight rating is 1000 lbs. The sticker on your door jam is what matters, if you are within the parameter’s of those ratings you’re legal. I’m not going to debate wdh benefits or drawbacks I’ve used both, it comes down to personal preference & comfort level.

The tow vehicle suspension modifications are not legally required, but they add some stability, particularly with "porpoising" when going over a dip in the road. I note your tow vehicle is a 2023 Tundra. Our tow vehicle is a 2019 Tundra. I installed an Anderson weight distribution hitch when we picked up our 2022 Elite II in Hohenwald, because our Toyota owners manual requires one when towing over 5K lbs. I am glad I did. In 2023, after towing our Elite II about 3000 miles, I added Airlift Loadlifter 5000 air bags to the Tundra, based on some informative threads on this forum. The air bags have added the small margin of stability referenced above when towing our Elite II. To me, that added margin of control, and safety, has been worth the expense of both $$$$ and my time. The Anderson chains must be tight to function properly. Tight does not equal "over-stressed." Also, suspension mods like air bags do not increase your payload capacity. But I feel more control, and therefore somewhat safer, when towing our Elite II with the air bags than I did before they were installed.

To the Moderators: Since I have shifted the emphasis of this post from installation of my Dreiha Atmos 4.4 to specific features of the Cielo Breez Max thermostat to better control humidity, could consideration be given to changing the title of this thread to draw more attention to that matter? If/when any interest in the use of the Cielo for said purpose gains momentum, I’m amiable to starting another tread to further discussion of other’s comments, experiences or findings. Thank you!

Our 2019 F-150 Crew Cab, 4x4 FX4 had the Anderson. Prior to our Alaska trip from TX, I added husky mud flaps, Bilstein 5100's on the rear. I thought that all would be perfect. I can attest that half way from the CONUS boarder to the Alaska border, I sincerely wished that : A. I had armored the front of our Ollie with yoga mats. B I had followed my brother's advice and gotten air bags. We mitigated the situation by traveling light and very carefully; and a lot slower that many others. One of which broke his trailer frame by speed on corduroy roads. That was my experience. I suspect that the majority of those that have made the trip would agree. My opinion is that most stock half tons need the above mods if boondocking or even if not bonding but plan on going to places like Canadian and Alaska roads. The 250/350 HD class: Yoga mats for sure and full on mud flaps for that trip and likely many here in CONUS as well. All would benefit from the wonderful 36 gallon fuel tank! ON THE OTHERHAND: If you are a RV Campground user and don't go off road or on fire roads, you likely can do just fine without such mods. Just take it easy. GJ

Actually I understand that the manufacturer of the AC was not making this great leap in progress, but instead it appears that the firm making the Cielo may have. Definitely need more info/study as to just what this marvel can do for which A/C units. GJ

I put a wad of paper towel in the hole! But now I have my temporary fix in place: a small piece of rubber, with a little hole punched in it for the leg.

Ron: Thanks for the PM. I did not even know what a Cielo was or even remotely how it works. But for $99 on amazon you have my attention for sure. Can you get into a bit more about this Cielo and it's capacities and how it works? It is a lot more than just a T-stat if it can IR itself into the mother board of the SOB A/C systems (Like the Houghton) and in effect have the board change how it runs the compressor and supply air fan... That would be off the charts beneficial to the non-modified Houghton owners and some other newer A/C units on the market as well! GJ

Important Update on Campground Scheduling Policy We’ve received final confirmation that campground reservations cannot be scheduled more than 12 months in advance. This comes despite earlier guidance indicating that extended scheduling beyond that timeframe would be possible. While this is a change from the initial understanding, we are adjusting accordingly and will continue to keep you informed of any future updates or alternative options.

Good info. My router arrives this afternoon and I’ll be testing it out. Thanks!

Great info and now I understand. Thanks. Hope to see you going down the road and return the favor. Gary

I have made a couple of note worthy alterations since the above statement. The use of velcro was a great idea, but the Cielo’s wall plate lacked enough tangible surface area for adequate adherence and thus, an additional backing plate was needed. A square of StarBoard Marine HPDE was screwed to the Cielo’s wall plate and 3M Dual Lock used to affix to the fiberglass wall. Care was taken to ensure the Cielo could still be mounted on the supplied base stand, if ever the need. The Dual Lock was positioned vertically to facilitate routing of the power cable between and behind the backing plate. With the Cielo mounted, said cable was plugged in at its bottom and the other end routed into the above galley cabinet. Unlike the previous install the AC outlet, where the microwave plugs in, was utilized with use of a slim fit USB 5V adapter as the power source. The excess cable was then tucked in along the edge of the black cabinet liner. As installed, hardwiring is no longer in consideration.

Your understanding is correct, with the Cielo’s Comfy Mode the supply air fan can either be made to turn off in sync with the compressor or to run a short time post compressor shutdown. As previously expressed, “This is HUGE” for the reasons discussed therein and more! The Cielo can also be calibrated for both temp and humidity readings. Shown here with a slight variance in data points.

Here's an easy way to provide DC power to the Starlink Mini Router which requires 9 VDC, 1.6 amps. I tested it for several hours today and it worked well. Anker #323 cigarette lighter style car charger with USB-C outlet. 9 VDC at 52.5 watts (5.8 amps): https://a.co/d/3Y3a5Hu USB-C to 3.5 mm barrel connector cord: https://a.co/d/0iLMf99 Cheers, Geoff

I've never had them do the routine maintenance. Have had mixed luck with their repair services. One time, under warranty, they did very shabby work, failing to complete tasks they claimed they had completed. This included leaving a loose nut rattling around inside a brake drum. More recently (this spring), they handled a minor fiberglass repair quickly and efficiently. So, a gamble. Unless you live very close to the Oliver plant I would recommend doing your own routine maintenance if you can, or find a local RV shop you trust. Most Oliver components are fairly standard RV gear.

Got back from dinner and the Host had changed the entrance sign to “FULL.” Got here at 12:30 and after we quickly setup camp, a neighbor stopped by and said, “You got the best site, #12. A trailer pulled out just before noon.” We’re sitting at 9,550 FT and not a bad view for our last two nights before heading back to AZ!

Well, it's finished! The installation of the DC to DC charging system in now complete and operational. I first started the installation in the Oliver Elite I trailer (#924) and finished the installation with the Jeep. I'm generally a DYI guy, but this was a bit of a stretch for me. It's not that it was difficult, I stressed on doing something to the Oliver that would ruin it, especially penetrating the hull for the charging cables. That was a big concern. But with careful planning and a ton of help from this community, I was able to get this done. Special thanks to Coddiwomple (David) for his help, patience, and guidance. I first went out to his place to view his installation in his Elite I. It's amazing how different his wiring was in just two model years. Mine is a 2021, and David's is a 2023. It was a bit confusing for me at first so a second visit was called for. In the second visit, I pulled my trailer to his place and asked more questions and advice. That second visit really helped! Thanks again David! Here is a few pictures I took during the process: I followed David's idea of mounting the components on a board that I later installed in front of the street side wheel well. I used the buss bars to step down in size from 2AWG to 4AWG which was necessary to connect to the Orion XS. I think pulling the 2AWG wire was the toughest part of the installation. A shout out to my son-in-law who was there helping that day. Couldn't have done it without him! Upon examination of the hull, I realized that under the sink (above picture) the hull is only a single layer thick, not a double hull there. That made things a bit easier. There was little existinting space to run additional cables through the hull, so I modified the housing for the propane tanks just a bit. With the propane tanks and tray removed, it was easy access to the trailer font. With my oscillating saw, I cut out an addition piece of the propane housing to the left of the three existing cables. That gave me plenty of room to install two additional cable glands for the DC charging cables. The way the propane tank housing is constructed and attached to the hull, the small piece I removed does not compromise the integrity of the housing. The following pictures show the final hull penetration. With the cables pulled, I was able to finish connecting everything to the DC charger. I finished the umbilical cord that connects to the back of the Jeep. I used the Trailer Vision enclosure to protect the Anderson SB120 plugs. Onto wiring the Jeep. (Much easier) At the battery box, I used a KASS terminal extender to accommodate the fuse and the other cables. I ran the cable along the chassis and installed the Anderson connector in a Trailer Vision enclosure which allowed me to mount it directly to the rear bumper of the Jeep. With everything installed and attached the batteries at both ends (Jeep and Oliver), I plugged it in and tested the amperage. I was getting between 49 and 50 amps at idle. Now the next step is to road test this on a long trip. Can't wait. Very excited to always have full batteries after a long day driving. Thanks again to everyone who had a part in making this a success! Carl

As I understand it, and I’m no expert, the 7 pin can NOT charge the Lithiums. I too am a BIG Will Prowse fan. Leaving the 7 pin wire connected can damage the wire/alternator when it try’s to charge the Lithiums. Hull 292 and I’m installing the Orian 50 amp DC to DC charger on my Nissan Armada (150 amp Alternator) to charge my 840 AH Watt Cycle Lithiums. I do not have Solar on the roof of Hull 292. Do have 480 portable Solar for the Zamp plug. We plan to head out west, use Harvest Host and some ‘boondocking and will be doing, or at least trying to do, a max of 5 hours of driving each day on they way. The DC charger will do a good job of getting the Lithiums up to power for AC when we stop. Hope this gives you info to explore the options and decide what is best for you and your Ollie.

I just got done with a trip 7,000+ miles. Wife is doing a deep cleaning after 48 days of travel. When I went by Hohenwald, and met another Owner and learn about the plastic in the lines, and adding flexible line in-between the PEX and the water heater Tee. So after reading this I decided to check all of the hand tightened fittings. Every one of the white fittings were loose, so they all got tightened. I didn't have any leaks luckily. I will have to put this on the maintenance list also.

Same height, 220 lbs here and no way my shoulders fit. I can just touch the line with one hand, then there goes my neck! I’ll ask my son to get in there and remove the two end screw fittings. Then I’ll make the replacement parts, longer PEX to make up for the restrictor delete. New check valves likely unless the originals clean easy with CLR which would be preferred to leave those connections alone. Then Adam again to reinstall. I might need a six-pack on ice for my helper! 🤣

Love Starlink, SpaceX, Tesla and Elon, but sure wish they would use industry standards in Starlink design! I can understand needing greater voltage, like 30V for the dish over distance. Why in the world 9V for this mobile solution when there are 100s of millions cars, trucks and RVs running standard 12VDC systems. If it can run on 9V they could have spec’d 12V just as easily. I’ll wait ‘til I get mine next week to figure out what will work for me. I’ll then contact MobileMustHave where I purchased our Pepwave cell system and they will know exactly if Ethernet interface is possible. Again, it would make better sense if the input was proprietary Mesh Mode and the output was the industry standard. That would have greater market appeal vs. daisy-chain one feature only to achieve greater distance. My fear from when I wrote my post last night is your answer may be correct! Boy this mini router would be the perfect answer if it could connect to any brand router. Elon is usually for open source! We’ll soon know a definitive answer. Thanks again Geoff for being the Oliver Community pioneer in this and many new applications!

Thought this might help someone else out. The water pump was not working. The main switch light was on and functional. The bathroom switch was functional. No noise from the pump at all. I opening the compartment and immediately saw that one of the wires had come loose from the pump. I plugged it in and all is well. I think I will go back in and try to tighten the connection. Hull 1467

CORRECTION! This post was Edited to correct some miss-information, and my apologies to anyone who ordered a Starlink Mini Car adapter to power the Mini Router. According to Google AI, the Starlink Mini Router operates on a voltage range of 12 to 48 volts, but apparently AI is confusing it with the Mini Dishy. From looking at the actual specifications on the Router nameplate and power supply, it operates on 9 VDC, or 120VAC. This means that the Mini Car adapter will not work for the Mini Router, but it will still work for the Mini Dishy of course! I should know better, because it's not the first time AI has tripped me up with bad information 🫢 I'll be looking at getting a 12 to 9VDC converter, but right now were packing for a road trip. The new Starlink Mini Router showed up today, just two days shipping which is unheard of where I live. It's only shirt pocket size, just a little bigger than my phone. I couldn’t wait to test it, so I placed the Starlink Mini Dishy on the ground 45’ away from my bench. It's powered from one of my home made portable rechargeable power supplies as seen in the photo. The Mini router was on the bench separated from the Dishy by a 2x6 wall. The results were great! Standing next to the Dishy without the Mini Router, I got an impressive 163.9 Mbps download speed From my bench without the Router, I got a paltry 12.5 Mbps From my bench with the new Mini Router, I got a respectable 113.5 Mbps If the router was hardwired with RJ45 cable, I suspect it would be the same speed as standing next to the Dishy. The Mini Router paired in about 4 minutes using the Starlink App. It showed up as a new Mesh-2 device, the App asked a few questions, and it was immediately working. It really couldn’t have been easier.

I finished my first visit to Idaho this week, and it was a great trip, though I wish I had more time. Coming from Jackson, my first stop was Craters of the Moon National Monument & Preserve where I managed to land a spot in the Lava Flow campground (FF and somewhere in the fine print, they warn people not to pull trailers past a certain number). The park is generally viewed by driving along a loop road, with some parking at various spots. There are opportunities to hike up and around lava formations, as well as climbing down into lava caves. It was very windy! I recommend the hike up the Inferno Cone (a stiff hill that is longer than it appears) where you can see the Great Rift, the Snake River Plain, the Pioneer Mountains and the Teton Range 100 miles to the east. Entry into the caves requires a free permit from the Visitor Center (with instructions from staff). The campground was okay; it's in a lava field so the sites are arranged around the landscape.

Not too far from home, but had a great time in Appling, GA with a beach-side camp site at one of the few parks open this season, after last October's hurricane. Lots of paddle boarding, cycling, and swimming was done this week. Not bad for $25/day at Wildwood Park.

We also experienced this on a trip in 2017. Both wires were loose and I had to feel around the bottom of the pump to figure out where they were supposed to attach. Crimping has prevented this from happening since. Mike

@ZLarryb I could be wrong...but in your photo it appears that your plastic twist connector fitting on your water line has loosened with vibration. This has been a reoccuring issue with my trailer and I periodically check all the twist fittings for tightness. In your photo, it's the line toward you with the black plastic tie-down that is out of place. I have loosened the black plastic tie downs, placed a thin piece of rubber or silicone (even a piece of a rubber band) between it and the twist fitting and then re-secured it. This has helped prevent loosening of those fittings. Just something to check....?

Good catch! Same thing happened to me early in ownership; crimped the spade connector for a tighter fit, no further issues.

Last test for now... What if when boondocking, far from hook-ups and other campers, you're needing A/C on a HOT afternoon, and your batteries getting low? You could start and connect the tow vehicle to the DC-DC charger. Diesels can idle forever using little fuel. The truck alternator via the Orion charger could supplement inverted power to the A/C for some period of time. The approx. +40A noted before at idle should offset the AH used by the A/C system. These readings (pic1) show this to be true, +39A were being supplemented by the charger at this point in time - nice! Also notice, the Time Remaining stat increased from 2 1/2 hours to 4 hours given the lower AH usage. I will eventually install an A/C that uses much less power than the Dometic PII. That's all folks.