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Showing content with the highest reputation on 12/10/2025 in all areas

  1. @katanapilot You are not confused any more than I was at first. There are THREE major subjects being discussed, too much for a single forum thread. 1. We have a common situation where Automatic Transfer Relay (ATR) has melted down a bit causing a power outage from Shore power. This box switches from shore power receptacle outside to/from the front Generator 30A receptacle (by front jack), but ONLY if you opted for the front power plug/receptacle (an add-on at build time). The old style ATR box commonly melts down on the plastic bus bar or actually catches fire inside the box (usually a small flame). Most folks get rid of the old ATR box and replace it with the one I have pictured above. (New part # PD5110010Q). In the past two years I know of at least four of these old boxes catching fire or melting down. You would smell plastic/rubber burning. NOTE: If you do not have a 30A receptacle in the front of the trailer, by the front jack, then you do NOT have an ATR box. There is not need for an ATR at that point since you only have a single shore power receptacle next to the battery box. 2. We also have a discussion about a power converter charging the batteries. The AC charger is in the breaker panel box (part # PD405-CSV). I have already upgraded mine, as many have, to be able to charge certified Lithium batteries, but I have not changed over to Lithium yet myself. 3. Lastly there is talk about the inline Transfer Relay Switch (TRS) which provides automatic switching between shore power and the inverter AC source. My TRS is a Xantrex PROwatt SW Inline switch, Part # 808-0915. Not sure who has what in their older trailers these days, but I still have a 2000 watt Xantrex inverter in my trailer, which I have replaced once as well. The inverter provides AC power from the batteries when shore power is not available, so we can still have hot coffee in the morning from our electric water kettle and blow our aging hair with a hair dryer. LOL FYI, if you are plugged into shore power at a campground, there is no need to have the inverter powered on. It will do nothing for you. In my case, the Prowatt TRS detects shore power, and switches to using that to provide you AC electricity, versus getting AC from the inverter. Assuming everything is working correctly. These could all be dedicated threads and likely are in the forums somewhere. I hope I do not add to the confusion. I too was confused at first over all the subjects spoken about.
    3 points
  2. Makes sense now. Thanks. So basically it goes back to the OEM size of the Inverter. In a way, my employment of twin 20-Amp ATS units gives me a "Hanging Spare Part" if one fails. If away from a parts source and lose an ATS, I can decide if I want AC for the A/C or want AC for the Converter (For Microwave, Coffee Pot etc.) When one of my 20-Amp ATC's fails I'll replace it with a 30-Amp to match better my 3,000 watt Renogy Inverter. Thanks for "The Paul Harvey"! GJ
    3 points
  3. Lithionics told me at the last rally that I should cycle the batteries. Discharge the batteries to their reserve voltage (i.e. until they quit working) and then recharge them. He suggested I run the a/c on battery until it quit as a quick way to run them down. This seems to have worked for me as my batteries now show similar life remaining. The rep said that the batteries don't really know their discharge state and use an algorithm based on recharge time, usage, etc. and sometimes get out of sync. There is another discussion about this here.
    2 points
  4. Your Progressive Dynamics converter is a circuit card located in your fuse box under the dinette seat (PD4045). Yours will not support lithium batteries, mine didn’t either. Your hull is the same year as mine. I ordered a new one, it was about $150. It has a switch for lithium batteries. It’s fairly straightforward to switch them out. If I did it you can too. While you are down there, check to make sure your main breaker didn’t flip off. Also, I would check under the bed with your Bluesky for the red circuit breaker to make sure it isn’t off. You might have another one under the dinette seat, I do. Make sure it is set. If you are hooked up to shore power and not getting 110 in the trailer I would suspect one of those breakers broke and needs to be reset (push the little flag back in to place). Hope this helps. Mike
    2 points
  5. The charging voltage profiles for lithiums are critical, and consequently most lithium chargers have very tight tolerances, typically within 0.1 volt. PD's are considered good, and their output has been reported to be from 14.4 up to 14.6 volts. There is also tolerance of whatever measurement device was used, a typical DIY multimeter has a tolerance of 0.5%. With this information, it looks like you are safely within the margin of error, and the battery company info. However, It wouldn't hurt to measure voltage with a known precise meter for peace of mind.
    1 point
  6. Thanks, I did a little reading and fully understand how the transfer switches on Ollies work now. My only expedience with a transfer switch was on a boat that my father owned. It had a transfer switch that switched between onboard invertor power and shore power and I'm almost certain that setup needed battery power for it to work correctly.
    1 point
  7. I must be missing something and/or am very confused. If the shore power cable goes directly to the ATS (from either external power receptacle), how can either a 15 or 20 amp ATS be acceptable? I admit I have no idea how these were wired on earlier trailers, but it just seems wrong to have a 30 amp source feeding into a 15 or 20 amp switch.
    1 point
  8. The KISEA ATS is used when you have a 2KW inverter that has NO internal ATS (as all modern, capable 3KW inverters have). This variety of ATS allows you to switch between main inverter circuits and add an A/C circuit. Search for keyword ‘KISEA’ and the story we be told, in several forum posts. The ATS required to decipher two (2) shore power inputs, is the PD5100, or variation. It’s ALWAYS the PD5100 a 30A ATS! 😎
    1 point
  9. YES. It has no 12V connections. It basically is an A/B switch between shore power and the Inverter created 120V power. I believe it defaults to Shore Power. GJ
    1 point
  10. @Geronimo John@Wayfinder FYI, in my 2018 Elite II, hull # 354, the owner's manual for the ATS says it is a 30 amp unit, I think it is a model: PD5110010
    1 point
  11. I emplore you to: Purchase a 30 Amp version ATS, not the smaller one some of us have. I was "shocked" that mine only had a 20 A ATS. On yours, where you see toasted insulation on the wires, cut it out and reterminate. This may require some gymnastics. Label each wire as to it's destination. Will save you from using some "bad words" as John D. uses to say. GJ
    1 point
  12. We still carry a genny. Never use it, except to charge Stephanie's e-bike, but it's nice to have, just in case.
    1 point
  13. John, Letting it stand for 24 hours allows the compressor oil and refrigerant to settle back where they belong so that you don't damage the dehumidifier. Roger
    1 point
  14. That State of Charge (SOC) differential is not a sign of damage to the battery. Our three Lithionics batteries also discharge at somewhat different rates. As advised by Roger above, periodic battery balancing is recommended by Lithionics. This is done by discharging down to Reserve Voltage Cutoff (RVC) (until they automatically turn off), then back to full charge. I have found that complete balancing after recharge sometimes takes 1-2 days on shore power before all 3 batteries show 100%. To discharge our batteries in the winter I run a space heater using the inverter (as I can't set the AC low enough in December in Idaho to get it to run). The inverter will shut down 120V power when battery voltage drops to the point preset at the factory. To get down to RVC, I then turn on a bunch of 12V loads, including all the lights and the refrigerator set to DC mode, for another couple of hours until the lights go out because the batteries have turned themselves off. I can then reconnect shore power to charge the batteries back up to 100% SOC. This process balances all three batteries. In my experience, the next time I use battery power, discharge rates among the three batteries are much more even, but never precisely the same. That is o.k., per Lithionics.
    1 point
  15. I have had same experience as Roger. The balancing process in battery charging works better after drawing them down to below 50%. I still see differences in SOC but less after draw down.
    1 point
  16. We entered from the east, Hwy AZ-87 to Cline Cabin Rd to FS 124 then 401. Dirt as soon as you leave AZ-87 and it's a long way to Four Peaks. We drove about 6 miles to where we camped. This route and the one via El Oso Rd both go all the way to the wilderness area. It would take a good 2 hours on dirt to go the whole way! "The Rolls OHV Area" is on this route which was fine for an overnight, but even though we did dirt riding for 20 years, I do NOT like to camp with engine noises and the dirt in the air the OHV creates! Perhaps El OSO is better? It's a shorter run off AZ Hwy-188.
    1 point
  17. You might first want to check to make sure all the firmware is up to date. You might also check to make sure you do not have a loose connections on the battery. I had a similar situation and after updating firmware and talking with Oliver Service and Lithonics it turned out to be a loose connection. I basically unhooked all the wiring on the batteries and reconnected everything and all was good. Not saying that is your problem but it is an easy check.
    1 point
  18. Mark, I don't have the answer, but we experienced something that was similar When I would take the trailer back to the storage warehouse for 2-4 weeks, I would leave the solar on inside the building. I noticed a big difference like you. I remember having a phone conversation with Oliver. They suggested turning solar off while storing Next times and the battery discharge was within 1%. Your situation is different. I suggest you reach out to Lithonics technical support. They have always been helpful when I have called them Keep us posted.
    1 point
  19. Thanks for the report. Ours did a great job, too!
    1 point
  20. Have you checked the wire connections inside the transfer switch housing (with all power disconnected, obviously). Those wires have been known to come loose.
    1 point
  21. I would still check the battery voltage. If it's too low it might be causing the issue with the relay. Seems weird that you had battery problems and then the relay decides to give up at the same time.
    1 point
  22. We spend a great deal of time "off road" and have struggled with a reliable solution to protect the trailer from road rock damage. In our case with many miles using only mud flaps, the glass/ gelcoat at close inspection had the effect of a mild sandblasting. The PPF installers did not recommend installation due the surface being porous and not super smooth due to "road wear". We have been pleased with a somewhat radical solution; shooting the nose of our trailer with Vortex. We learned of the Vortext process from "Bugeyed driver". Our Vortext coating was applied recently but so far amazingly "bomb tough". We are now traveling on nasty fractured rocked/graveled roads stress free. This solution may not be for everyone but is a valid consideration if you spend a lot of time on gravel or your gelcoat is "road worn" and not longer super smooth. A further note on gravel protection: John Davies has a post on an under trailer mid flap to protect the under side and trailer running gear (socket, springs, axles and other) from gravel damage. We have found this to be effective and recommended if you spend time on gravel.
    1 point
  23. Similarly to the map for BLM dispersed camping, I found this map for USFS camping. It does have a lot more available in Eastern States. https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/a695e1dbdeab4e8ba5c6ad4fd06a0ba0#zoom_to_selection=true
    1 point
  24. This may be blasphemy to many of you, but I've been using a pneumatic impact wrench for decades when mounting rims, without manually checking torque. I have a quality impact wrench, very much like this one (wow mine was about $140, 35 years ago): Ingersoll Rand 2146Q1MAX 3/4-Inch Drive, Air Impact Wrench, Quiet, 2,000 ft-lbs Nut-busting torque, Maintenance Duty, Pistol Grip, Standard Anvil , Gray - Amazon.com First the "nut-busting torque" is for pulling nuts. The gun will not produce this torque when in righty-tighty position. Notice the 4 torque settings. I use the lowest setting when first mounting and get all lugs to this level (compressor set at 90 PSI). For automobiles or anything with 1/2" studs, I use the second setting as final torque. For 6-8 lug truck wheels the 3rd setting is good. I would not use the 4th setting for wheel lugs. Did that once by mistake when restoring our GX470 and broke a stud, and a round-trip to Napa to replace it. Torque settings are based on the strength of the steel (Grade 5, Grade 8, etc.), the bolt diameter and whether it's a coarse or fine thread bolt. There is recommended torque for every bolt. Problem is when for example rebuilding a truck suspension, you cannot fit a torque wrench on 2 out of 3 bolts. Maturing into the role of being a mechanic you get used to the feel of how tight is right. Love this Toyota guy! He taught me so much when restoring our GX, changing the CV axles, adding a 2" lift, etc. His catch phrase is "good-n-tight" which he says often, kidding in a German accent: Lexus GX470 Front Brake Upgrade - YouTube After mounting a rim, a few days or few miles later, I check the lugnuts again, this time by hand. Not using a torque wrench, but with a 24" long 3/4" breaker bar, 1/2" reducer with appropriate socket attached. I mount it about 90 degrees to the ground and push down with my foot. If it's a car, I just push down a little. On the 2500-series truck I put a bit of my weight on it. On occasion you find one or some that are somewhat looser and only those need a little more. If they all feel about the same, then you're good. Always recheck recent repair work at least visually. Another check I do on a regular basis is to rock the wheel. When parked flat, put your foot on the top of the wheel and push back and forth to rock the vehicle as hard as possible. Use your eyes and ears to notice anything. This is a simple check of lugs, bearings and other steering or suspension components.
    1 point
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