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Passing forward this info for Truma Aventa owners- Please do not turn this into a Truma bashing thread. I have been thinking about having a soft start installed on our Truma Aventa. I contacted Truma this morning and was informed the install of their soft start has to be handled at one of their two service centers. Just wanted to mention this if anyone is considering the Truma SS install. Oliver Service also confirmed presently that they cannot order or install the SS from Truma. Email from Truma this morning. Hello David, The aftermarket installation of our soft starts is not currently approved for dealers or RV manufacturers at this time. If you are wanting a soft start installed on your Aventa, it would need to be scheduled with Shelley at either our Lakeland, FL or Elkhart, IN location. Please let us know if we can assist you further. Best Regards, Ciera S Sr Customer Care Associate t: 1-855-558-7862 Option 1

@Galway Girl I think the schematic indicates that the breakaway switch is on the hot side of the of the 20A auto resetting breaker, meaning that the breakaway switch is alway hot and the black 20A breaker services the black charge wire. But according to my wife, I was wrong yesterday, so that may apply to today as well! Mossey

Yes, as our friend @John Dorrer stated you already have the D52 axles. When the label states D52, you have the 5200 LB axles. Reason it states 3500 LBS is the factory build plan called for 3500 LB leaf springs. Just send Alcan your axle label picture and they will know your axles are A+ and with the Alcan leaf spring upgrade you’re good to go. Lucky you! 🤣

D52 is the 5200 axel, but rated 3500 due to the 4-leaf springs This is the sticker you should see

Well for sure CO can be an entirely different story and also WY to a less degree depending on what part of the state. Most of MT is around a mile high elevation and that combined with being above the 45th parallel makes a big difference. But on top of that the western part of the state seems to sit in some voodoo vortex with the jet stream thus some highly unpredictable weather at times that can change on a dime.

Apologies if my comment was taken the wrong way. My point is, electric brake problems are fairly common on all towed RVs. We've had 4 trailers and among them have had: brake wires damaged inside the axle tubes (a Dexter problem), loose ground wire to the frame (a factory problem), failed adjuster spring (a Dexter problem), failed 7 pin plug (wear and tear). They can come from the factory faulty or be fine for 5 years, then fail. It's just the nature of the beast. And, if you look through my previous posts, you'll see I'm anything but an Oliver fan-boy. I'm just saying this is a common problem across all brands. Hopefully, you'll have a resolution soon.

Wow, Tom has some impressive engineering skills for sure! Amazing what engineering feats he can accomplish living in such close confines as his trailer including a 3-D printer, awesome!!

To be fair, this is not an exclusively Oliver problem, nor are Airstreams immune from issues like this. 7 pin connectors, in particular, often have problems due to corrosion and wear and tear. One preventative tip: store the plug upright with the cable hanging down from a water resistant mount like this: https://a.co/d/aJVOMmq Ours is mounted to the storage tray. This prevents water from wicking its way down the cable into the internal connections in the plug.

Hi Mary, while I don't have an answer for your direct question regarding cooling I can suggest you most likely will not need it in Montana in August. FWIW have lived here for nearly half a century without AC and have never turned our existing AC on with our Ollie #70. Never not once. We are already seeing cooler nighttime temps this past week, last night being around 50 degrees. Assuming your are planning on traveling to the western mountainous part of the state (most people do) its unlikely you would ever need to turn your AC on. More likely turning your furnace on to take the chill off after waking up. Thus far we have had a rather mild summer with no excessive heat but Montana weather can be unpredictable. I have even seen it snow in August, not often, but it can happen. Not sure where you are traveling from but if you can make it through those areas without adding to or changing your current AC most likely you'll be fine once you arrive here in MT. Hope this helps.

I have an itchy finger on biting the Turbo Greenland deal, but we do not need A/C for most of our travels. My wife Chris and I plan to watch YouTubes on this product tonight, hoping there are new ones but if you have not watched one yet, here is a goody. Best wishes, JD

You have the 5200 on your 2022. It is on your axel sticker

This is interesting! I'm assuming that the "tricky" part is installing the larger 12 volt wire, and he seems to imply that it could be done?? It would be nice if he could expand on that because myself and others have previously dismissed this as an option. Perhaps there is a way, and I'd be very exited to hear about it. But a word of caution for your installer. Unless there is some sort of adaquate void or channel that the existing 120 volt wire is routed through, then be very wary about using the existing wire to pull in a new wire, or using a fish tape. It's well known that wires can get hopelessly jammed and stuck when doing this in any location, and the Oliver is particularly challenging because of the tight space between the roof and ceiling with curves and pinch points. Make sure your installer has plenty of Wire Pulling Lubricant and experience in this regard, because there is some risk that the 120 volt circuit could get fouled up without being able to get the 12 volt cables in. I'm looking forward to any news on this, and good luck! Geoff

Yes, this means brake wiring at all 4 wheels are good. And given you have tested for brake voltage at the rear of the truck or same day the truck pulled the airstream brakes working, you have an open circuit between the 7-blade plug on the Oliver and the first wheel.

Oh yes....it does show that on the schematic. Sorry for the red herring.

That's true, Truma will only provide parts / components to Truma certified technicians which is not great for do-it-yourselfers. I will say that service at their Elkhart service facility is top notch though if you need something fixed, those techs know their systems very well. We had service work done there and they were excellent. With specific regard to the soft start, there is an aftermarket product that is said to work with the Truma which appears to be pretty straightforward with regard to installation however it will certainly void your warranty and there is currently no data to indicate it's effects, good or bad, on the longevity of the Aventa once installed. I know that Truma does do field installs of their certified unit if there is a certified tech in your area.

My brake issue was resolved after I posted my issue on this forum and another owner offered that he had the same issue and what he did to solve the problem. It turns out that it was a Dexter issue of excess wire wear due to how they ran/configured the brake wires. Several other owners have also had this issue. It will be interesting to see what your mobile tech finds out.

Yep, which is why it behooves all RV owners to own a multimeter and a test light (and to learn how to use them) so they are able to diagnose simple electrical issues like this quickly themselves.

There are others here that know way more than me re electrical code and insurance regulations… My thinking, just based in logic, is the brake system is not fused for safety reasons! 🤣

Thank you for the wonderful information that I have printed and will have it handy when the Mobile Service Van arrives. My out of pocket expense for this: Administration One Time Fee: $150 Minimum Fee for Service- 1st Hour: $175 Hopefully this will be completed within the One Hour Service call total of $325.00. We did call Oliver Inc. but they were concerned to give any advice as to the possible solution. Which I cannot blame them, but was disappointed. This information could have been given to the Service Tech... This Las Vegas, Nevada Mobile Service has a list of RV's and Travel Trailer logos, that they have experience working upon... includes most everyone... except Oliver. I said now they may be able to include Oliver. We may be the only Oliver in the State of Nevada. We have towed three Airstreams, without brake issues. I tow with a 2016 F350 Diesel 4x4 King Ranch. Engine braking is wonderful, as well. I just want to get this personal nightmare fixed. Our 2019 27FBQ Airstream the electric brakes work perfectly towing On the Ball with the F350. The 2019 Oliver Elite II will tows On the Ball..., as well.

Thank you! I sent your response to the tech and also the Turbro info. I'll call Oliver tomorrow. I figured wiring would be the hitch so thank you for the response

That's a good thought about the solar cutoff switch. I don't have one and rarely think that when trying to figure out someone else's problem. I'll call him and ask. Thanks!

When I bought my Oliver they were just getting ready to launch the dealer partnerships. I live in Tampa. They suggested that I might be super happy because I could be supported by one of those closer dealerships. I wished them luck, but told them I doubted they would succeed. At least not for me. Of course driving to Hohenwald is a pita for me. But I chose them because I didn't like anything between here and there.

Thanks Steve! Always look for issue with your most recent change.

Seems like sound advice. Did he shut off the solar disconnect switch to remove the panels? Did a solar charge controller setting get changed? Victron or Zamp?

Hey John, this guy is OK. He's Matt Marcenelle, Retired Military, Wife is a retired Coast Guard Commanding Officer. Son just graduated from West Point. They live up in Pennsylvania and have had their Oliver 4-5 years. I met him the week he got his trailer. He called me this morning about this issue. It seems to be charging fine off AC but not so well off Solar. He did have his panels off earlier this summer for ceramic coating of the trailer. I told him to recheck his panel connections and if that didn't work to call Victron. I really don't think it's his batteries. He has a Xantrex converter/charger that I know almost nothing about. Hope you guys are doing well. Will we see you in Quartzsite this winter?

Forum member near 5 years, now 1 post, no signature...

Why just Texas? Dallas to Hohenwald 615 miles Miami to Hohenwald 960 miles Boston to Hohenwald 1180 miles Phoenix to Hohenwald 1590 miles Seattle to Hohenwald 2410 miles Personally, I believe OTT should have just left things alone and continued to retail their own trailers from their special factory location! 😂 Glad our hull is well beyond warranty years. I generally buy used and prefer to pay when we need work or do it myself. Warranty claims are a true pain as has been witnessed in many Oliver Forum threads. I talked to a Sales Manager here at Blue Compass RV, “now in 34 states.” This company bought out three locations of Affinity RV in our Prescott and surrounding valley areas that had been here for decades. He said, "You can't make money selling Olivers!" Not worth carrying the inventory for such a niche trailer when for every Oliver we can sell 10 Alliance, Forest River, Grand Design... and Winnebagos. Lots of Toy-haulers sold in the SW too! But he was trying to get me to trade in my Oliver on a fifth wheel, while I was dumping tanks at their location (a 35-ft 3 axle beast, no way)! There are likely more RV dealers in Phoenix and Mesa, across the desert valley down to Yuma AZ than any other market in the country. OTT has not been able to get one AZ-based dealer to carry their product.

In addition to Galway Girl's important questions: How are you measuring charge rate and charge level? Are you using the Lithionics app, the Victron Connect app, the SeeLevel gauge next to the pantry or a multimeter? Also, are you charging using the solar panels? This additional info will help us help you. Rivernerd

Well it finally happened. After a year of cross crossing the country, my wife pointed out this Oliver from Pennsylvania today at Tawas Point State Park. Haven’t met the owners yet.

I also have the 1/2” model, plenty of torque for both the Oliver and TV needs. And yes, used on many occasions roadside and for general maintenance. I also carry respective torque limiting extension bars and impact flip sockets, as well as a regular torque wrench and speed collar impact extension. Smaller bag with accessories and DeWalt stowed in the larger Duluth bag. A battery charger is carried separately in like manner. Note the quick reference ZipLok bag with specs for the Oliver.

Tony: It has been hot in Maine but not as bad as your weather. I started the AC about 1/2 hour before starting the work. I used a brand new plain metal toothed hole saw with the center arbor (drill bit) attached to a battery operated drill. I drilled slowly until the bit made the hole. I then drilled in reverse to get the hole saw started into the jellcoat. After the hole saw was started into the fiberglass, I completed the hole by drilling in forward. The hole came out perfect with not chips of the jellcoat. Be sure to keep both hands on the drill so the hole saw does not bounce around.

We installed a Cradlepoint router in our trailer. We did drill a hole in the roof above the attic for a 5 way antenna, which was simple, but it would have been possible to connect to an antenna via the coax port on the rear of the trailer. It's not a cell booster per se, but accomplishes the same if you have phones that feature wifi calling, like iPhones. I used the stereo circuit to power ours, since we didn't get the factory stereo installed.

Last year, or maybe the year before, we bought a portable weBoost to test on our mountain property. It was simple. Plug into the 12v cigarette lighter outlet, put the antenna outside through the window. Portable means kind of "deploy every time." Unfortunately. we had zero tmobile signal, anywhere, when I did scans with our tmobile devices, so I returned it. You have to have some very weak signal to boost.... Our Verizon devices already worked fine. But, we did get a boost on the Verizon. That's why we carry devices from two carriers when we travel. Usually, if there's any signal at all, either tmobile or Verizon can connect. Sherry

The WeBoost comes with a DC power plug which includes a lighted switch. We have one in our TV, plugged into a DC power socket. The Olly has LOTS of these, perhaps one of those would work? They don't draw a lot of current, but it's constant and adds up quickly, so the switch is essential to preserve your batteries. We have the factory installed unit, but plan to upgrade to a mast-mounted antenna we can set up when parked. Will likely route through the dinette window and connect to the booster installed in the cabinet above.

Sure you can. But, it will require drilling a hole(s) through the exterior shell for the antenna - mounting and wire feed. I don't believe that either of these draw a bunch of power - so - they could probably be "tapped" into just about any existing circuit for power. You would probably also want to place a switch on the interior for that power which would mean drilling/sawing another hole on the interior shell. Also, I know that there are units/models that do not have permanently mounted antennas. Perhaps one of these would be better for your application if you don't want to drill holes. Bill

So when did OTT stop using ABS sewer pipe for PVC? Fancy! 🤣