Leaderboard

Mostly my fault since I don't know how to post a playable YouTube link. Easy to miss a text link.

Did this alone in. 3 Minutes!

All things electric and all things internet are beyond me. I can update my signature map, and then after the next trip can't figure how to do it🙃

Really? Does having THAT tractor count as "alone"? I really like the thread title though. Bill

She's up top and installed, running ever so quietly... I'll write more on the installation soon and total height measurement. It does appear a bit tall, though I took the picture from higher ground. I ran the furnace during the Bears game (love when the Packers get beat, it's so sweet)! Then Chris and I went out to check on the Oliver... The cabin was at 74F and with the Chill Cube set to 60F it cooled quickly (but true testing can not be accomplished during the winter)! When it kicked in, it started drawing only 2A, OMG! We're always on inverted battery power, no shore line. it took a few minutes to ramp up. Highest reading was 18A. The Dometic Penguin II needed over 150A to make that freight train sound and would take 2-3 times as long to cool (how does that work)? I didn't measure total usage this time, but at the high draw of 18A (which sounds crazy, but it would certainly draw more on a hot summer day) I could run this A/C for 50 hours! I'm thinking with 900 Ah LiFePO4 batteries we will be able to run this on at least 3-5 hot afternoons when boondocking, get a hook-up after a week out. Out west you rarely need to run A/C overnight. A/C in the afternoon, furnace by dawn, so yes if they ever sell an upgraded model with heat pump and Bluetooth it would kill the market. Then it settled down at 10A, in AUTO mode the fan was running a low-medium speed (as recorded, run movie). The fan can run even slower/quieter! The huge evaporator fan in the Non-ducted version of the Chill Cube is the secret, and it's what sold me. When turned off the oscillating vent goes back to closed position, love how the air handler hangs <1" below the ceiling! I'm 6'2" and when the vent was full down, standing tall it was still 2-3" above my head. Love how it pushes a lot of air up and down the Oliver hallway but does not blow directly on the beds. Living in the Southwest, and especially after living a few years in South Florida, Summer has become our least favorite season (more so for Chris). I have a feeling that Summers in the Oliver are going to be pretty decent running this A/C unit! 😎 Furrion Chill Cube Running.MOV

It was mounted using an additional extension piece of “starboard” backing plate (as mentioned in a previous post) glued in with a very very strong industrial grade marine grade fiberglass adhesive. I do not know the name of the marine grade odorless adhesive that was used. I do know its used in Marine grade installs. I opted not to have my installer drill through and bolt the backing plate through the fiberglass. My concern is the “hanging weight” on the bolt through the fiberglass from the 3000W inverter/charger could/would eventually cause the fiberglass to star or splinter and eventually just crack. In my experience and discussions with Jason E at Oliver service over the years, drilling through the fiberglass is not at all recommended. So drilling just was not something I was willing to risk. So far my Victron 3000W inverter converter is still very secure.

Well, it was a good day, I now have some new toys tools to help do all this type of work, and WoW, what a different they made. I finally got a creeper, a set of ratcheting wrenches, and an off-road hydraulic roller jack which reaches 29 inches in hight. It's nearly 21 inches to the Oliver frame from the pavement. Man, it was a breeze to do now. I think putting the wheels on the creeper took half the time of the entire project. LOL The ratcheting wrenches were SUPER handy for the new Bulldog shocks - I've wanted a set for years. My new high-end crimper made great crimps on the new brake wire now running along the rear axle. I have not gotten to the front axle yet, got rained out. My old shocks were all dead, which "someone" at Oliver said were "good" just two summers ago. All four shocks would not open on their own and had to be pulled apart and were much easier to push closed than the new Bulldogs. I'm now ready for next week's trip to Florida's Eggs & S'Mores Rally at the Suwannee Music ground in Live Oaks. Can't wait to see "the gang". We'll have at least 4 or 5 Ollies in our group, along with Casitas. My Alcan springs should arrive next week, but no time to put them on yet. I used heavy duty exterior zip ties to secure the double insulated, 12-gauge, 2-wire brake wire to the axle. The eTrailer part number from eTrailer is C46GJ. My new mini heat-gun with wire shield did the trick nicely on the shrink tube butt-connectors. I was also able to find the serial number to the rear axle for future replacement - thank goodness for the new creeper. IMPORTANT: I did find a bad area on the wire I pulled out of the axle, which appeared to have been "calked" over, or something odd like that. Also found a break in the wire insulation of the brake assembly itself - it's getting brittle. All brake assemblies will be replaced after Alcan spring installation, or best yet, just get the axles replaced with new brakes. Then, the entire under carriage should be good-to-go. Passenger-side voltage is now at 2.98v. Very nice. Here's a quick video of the new -vs- old shocks, a short race to the finish. Old-Oliver-shocks-verus-new-bulldogs.mp4

You would be drilling into aisle in our 2022. The original adhesive install was poor and mine came off. I had to use a puddy knife to scrap the old off, alcohol to remove all the fiberglass dust on the backside of the board and the fiberglass. Cleaned it twice, let it dry, applied the heavy duty Gorilla construction adhesive, wedged the board into the adhesive, and kept the wedge tight against the board for 5-6 days. Yes drilling would be a big, big mistake.

I put my new Bulldog HD shocks on yesterday. I'm not sure if I had THE original Monroe shocks, but I suspect I did. All four were shot/dead. Quick vid I posted in my Brake saga post. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/uploads/monthly_2026_01/Old-Oliver-shocks-verus-new-bulldogs.mp4.db543c0ab47c29eb24a5c9c0373392a5.mp4 When the sun comes up, I will confirm that I snugged up the nuts well enough on all the shocks. Pro Tip: I kept two nuts, four plates, and two rubber bushings.... just in case I, or someone else I run into, needs them on the road. 😉 Also, I will "attempt" to randomly check these annually, since we do not yet have too much life-data on these. I'm "shocked" that they are so much less expensive than all other replacements. But, they seem fine so far. Better than 10 year old Monroes. LOL

Go figure! Visual inspection of shocks will only show leaks. You need to remove them to test them. Good for you Chris! I've never found a creeper that works for me. Been scooting and rolling my body on the concrete garage floors for decades! I did not have ratcheting wrenches most of my life, but 3 years ago I found this awesome set on a good sale. Nice jack! 😎 https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-144-Position-Flex-Head-Ratcheting-Combination-Wrench-Set-Metric-15-Piece-48-22-9513/313671329#see-more-details

Gene G, I have to admit that’s a first and very creative thinking! Looking forward to your pics on cover removal. 👍🏻😊🇺🇸

That’s encouraging! Will be interested in installation details. My old Dometic is begging for replacement! It’s nice to have more options these days that are efficient and quiet.

I hope everyone has good weather and a good time at Q this winter. Would love to be there!

It’s a good thing we have grandkids to help us through these technical challenges!!

Just topped off the air for our trip to Quartzsite next week. Pressure was low since the weather got cold. 55 PSI with Alcan Springs would be jarring! Now all 4 tires are set right at 46 PSI. I like this number! 😎

A more expensive, but much better option. I have these on the two mounted 30# tanks and a spare 30# tank carried with; the gauge accurate, purge feature very useful and emergency shutoff essential!

Regardless of what the build sheet states, I’m confident all Oliver’s are equipped from the factory with either a standard charger or an inverter/charger. You can contact them to confirm your build. If yours is “missing”, a previous owner is probably responsible.

Congratulations, and Welcome! We have an early 2021 #797 with factory solar option. There was no Lithium Pro option available at that time, it was offered on later models. Mine was equipped from the factory with the Blue Seas solar disconnect switch as yours is. It connects to the Zamp 30A PWM controller mounted adjacent to it on the side wall. There was no main battery disconnect switch. Within a month of taking delivery of my new 2021, I replaced the factory lead-acid batteries with 2 Battle Born 100A batteries, and installed an identical Blue Seas battery disconnect switch under the street side bunk. Cleaned up the wiring and installed MTBF fuses on the batteries, and added a Victron monitor and shunt. I do not have (or need) an inverter, I have the factory installed Progressive Dynamics 60A charger. The system has worked flawlessly for nearly 5 years. You are fortunate that your trailer was modified after manufacture by the previous owner, either as a DIY or at the factory. I don’t see a Zamp controller on your wall, and I do see a Victron battery monitor. Hopefully you have a Victron MPPT solar controller mounted somewhere under street side bunk, and maybe Lithionics batteries. None of these mods were offered by Oliver Service in 2020 or 2021. If you do have these mods, you have a terrific setup and as @Rolind mentioned, you can shut off the Lithionics batteries if needed. You can check with Oliver Service to confirm if and when they did the work. If you have Battle Born batteries (a common mod for us owners at the time), Oliver Service did not do the install. If so, I recommend you heed the advice in other threads about the safety issues with Battle Born batteries.

David, it’s not a big deal, hard to tell that they were both the same video without clicking on both. I was just trying to save folks from an extra click. I’m sure there will be more videos as this issue develops. I’m just going to keep an eye on my 3 BB’s, which should be done anyway. They’ve been fine over many miles and 4 years. Mike

Heads Up!! A 2 day old vid. Yet another new issue with Battleborn. 🧐 Not good.

I'm with you on this line of thinking. Years of use without issues reported. Now there is an instance, one reported issue, only in test of a brand new battery. What we don't know is if BB changed their build process, or did a supplier in China change/cheapen the process in one one or more battery components?

Ouch! Things get worse... Battleborn Battery MELTED?! 🔥🔥New Problem!

It depends on your total Ah and usage... I certainly agree with Will on two points (his snarky way makes me 🤣, although if you own BBs it's certainly not funny). First, these are truly OVERPRICED in today's market and he ran a valid test. Second as he stated, I wonder if BB the company has reprogrammed these to produce less output which of course results in less heat produced. Of course units sold years ago would not be programmed as such unless you can/have updated firmware. More on your question... Running a 1100W coffee machine is drawing 90A (1100/12 for 12VDC). Running a blow-dryer or A/C could pull 1800W or 150A . So any 1100W appliance is very close to his 99A test which I would call normal use. If you were running on a single 100 Ah, I'd say you'd be screwed! HOWEVER, not to worry as most of you have two or three 100 Ah BB batteries. Say you have 3 batteries the amperage is split, so the 1100W appliance that pulls 90A will pull 30A from each battery (more "normal circumstances"). This is why most of you have not had heat issues. The fact that the Gold Standard, premium priced battery can only produce half of their spec!!! If you bought BB new recently, I'd strongly suggest asking for your money back. In contrast, the 300 Ah Epoch Essential can draw 100A recommended and 200A maximum (400A peak for 10s). 300 Ah at $1200 list price is $4/Ah rating ($3.40/Ah when on sale 15% off). The BB at the $800 current sale price is more than double the cost at $8/Ah. If the 100 Ah BB could truly produce 100A discharge, 3 BBs would be far superior to one 300 Ah Epoch (only) in its ability to produce discharge output. But If actual numbers are 50% less, then the output capacity is about the same. Most Oliver Owners who upgraded to Epoch have installed two 300 Ah batteries (600 Ah for 85% the cost of 3 100 Ah BBs today, when both are on sale). Two have a discharge capacity of 200A, maximum 400A which means you can run that noisy Dometic P2 A/C (150A+) all day, under spec/no heat issues, or until you get low on SOC! 😎

Mike Sokol, the RV Electric Guru has prepare a lengthy list of questions to Dragonfly/ Battleborn, and to date he hasn't reported a response.

I agree that their reputation has taken a significant hit. Will has a huge number of followers. The issues he found are shocking but why is it that I have the same battery (X3) that are 4 years old and have been through a bunch of discharge/recharge cycles and they appear to be in the same condition today that they did in January 2021? Is Dragon Fly handling complaints quietly under their 10 year warranty or are there no real amount of battery failures out there? Surely they have lawyers advising them. If the design issue is as Will describes, why haven’t I received notification from DF that my batteries are prone to meltdown and/or burning up? As I mentioned before, I feel like there’s something here that seems a bit off. I will continue to track this issue while cautiously using my Battle Born’s as I have since 2021. Mike

Patriot/CRM: Thanks for posting Will's latest video. Pretty much substantiates my claim of melting plastic as a source. But it does not explain all the other issues he is pointing out. Sad and potentially dangeros situtation. If you have BB's, it is a must see video. GJ

👍

I'm more in the leaks at windows have more to do with the lights above the windows, clogged window tracks, or a defect in the window itself. The windows are set into a tight seal of tape caulk. The sealant is a secondary line of defense, which also protects the tape caulk from UV.

You could use adhesives. OTT is really good at gluing things down, and drilling into fiberglass, but there are better installation methods. I wanted our Victron MP2 mounted on a solid platform and sitting on rubber to reduce vibration and sound, no way screwed to a board glued to the inner hull! 😎 https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/10420-off-grid-upgrade-minimal-design-–-victron-multiplus-ii-and-600ah-epoch-lifepo4/

Understood, I was actually making reference to your previous statement: “we have found that a pair of Bilstein 5100's shocks and air bags on the rear axle have made a wonderful improvement in our driving experiences.” My air bag pressures are the 25 and 35 psi preferences for non- and towing instances. Since we don’t off-road, the trailer tires are currently maintained at 55 psi, but giving thought to lowering them to 50 psi; still hesitant to go any lower even though you and others do 40-45 psi on paved roads.

Hey Mike, Please feel free to delete my repeat post on Will’s vid. I missed that link where CRM had posted it already. 😊 You make great points about the possible QC, obvious design flaws, over all manufacturing quality being a culprit. It will be very interesting to see how BB moves forward. As for BB admitting to any potential danger to its customers or that there is a problem even with a specific batch of batteries, I don’t see that happening. Sounds like you have had great service out of your BB’s and will likely never have an issue. 👍🏻

Yeah, and has anybody read a report from a true BB customer vs. Will Prowse who makes his living on YouTube clicks?!

This is the same video posted above on Thursday by CRM.

We had a 2024 F-150 5.0L that did not have the maximum tow package, when connecting Ollie had too much rear end TV sag. I installed the Timbren Rear Suspension enhancement system and got rid of the sag with Ollie connected, but it was a firm ride with Ollie connected. Installed rear differential airbags on two tow vehicles and really liked that system when towing Ollie, small adjustments can be made with air pressure adjusting rear end sag.

Nope! The spare tire housing was originally designed to fit a 15 incher. But Oliver changed to 16 inch tires at some point and never got around to changing that housing - this includes both the exterior cover and the indent in the two outside molds. However, Oliver was again "forced" to change back to a 15 inch tire due to supply issues thus making a possible change to the molds unnecessary. So, My spare is a 15 incher and the other four "running" tires are 16 while the newer Ollies are 15 inch all around (including the spare). I'm sure that someone has those exact dates of change (ScubaRx maybe) but it is easy to see which spare you have. Bill p.s. perhaps it is understandable concerning the spare tire issue when you know that a single exterior main body mold costs something in excess of $2,000,000.00 to fabricate. I'm guessing that a change to that mold might cost a bit less but then you've got to consider the cost of taking it out of production while the change is being made to it.

After struggling to get our F150 dialed in level using the Andersen WD hitch along with RAS suspension upgrade due to excessive suspension squatting we never got things adjusted to our satisfaction I am adding the Bilstein 5100s on the rear of our F150 along with the airlift bags. Will be removing the RAS road active suspension system . With the ball height set correctly we never could overcome the squat on the F150 hoping for a much more enjoyable towing experience once we get it dialed in unfortunate that the RAS didn’t work out on our truck, maybe I can sell the used RAS and recover a little bit of the loss I had understood our 2018 F150 with the factory tow package came with upgraded shocks ( better than stock shocks on F150s without the factory tow package ) but this truck squat is extreme when we lower the bulldog on the ball I do need to go back and refresh my memory on adjusting the Andersen Hitch Andersen Owners manual page 11 covers level trailer and tow vehicle

On our 2015 LE2 a 225X75X16 tire will not fit in our spare tire housing, so I installed a 225/75/15 Goodyear ST spare, same tire that Oliver now installs as standard. Oliver said the fiberglass tire housing on the 2015 LE2 a 225/75/15 tire would fit. My 2015 Ollie came with a 215/60/16 spare tire. Here's some research done on spare tires: As far as towing level, I'm starting at 23 1/4" from top of the ball, our TV settles about 2" with Ollie connected, the F350 rear end is still higher than the front with Ollie connected, with Ollie looking close to level. Our Ollie towing experience has been very stable with original 5200lb axles and original Dexter 5 leaf springs.

Yes, working this installation today! Wish temps would be a little better, high of only 45F today (furnace ON) but al least it's another sunny day in Arizona. I'm hoping the remaining snow will soon melt off the top, or we're brushing off snow first. Also, I do plan on measuring total height so that I know what bridge heights we can travel through. Our hull is likely already 1/2 - 1" taller due to the Alcan Springs. I'll also measure height of the body at the wheels. With the Furrion being 3.25" taller and some additional spring height, we should be about 4" taller overall. Thanks, I'll add to this post with installation pics and measurements. 😎

In 2020 Oliver did not offer lithium batteries so either you have a special model or someone has taken the camper back in to the factory for an upgrade. The 2020s did not offer a solar disconnect or a battery disconnect. I have modified my 2020 to add lithium and replaced a lot of the older equipment. That location does look like where the wiring from the solar panels would be located, so that would be my guess too, the solar disconnect.

Concerning, for sure. My BB’s are 4 years old this month. I checked them last week and they look like they did when they were new. Nothing loose or discolored. We’ve done a lot of camping the last 4 years. From the videos it looks like there are design issues. I wonder if there is also a manufacturing QA issue. Why aren’t there widespread issues being reported from the many installed BB owners? Could there be a recent decline in manufacturing quality? Why hasn’t BB notified us of potential danger of using their batteries? I know there are quite a few Olivers with BB batteries, so this is quite troubling. Something about this whole thing feels a little off. Mike

Darn it. As others have had before, finding the intermittent voltage issue with trailer brakes and newer trucks can be frustrating. I still have a bit of an issue. So, the only thing I have not checked or changed are the brake assemblies and the brake wires inside the axle tubes. I’m pulling them out this week before my Egg rally in live oak, FL. I just received my new 12 AWG wire from eTrailer and new higher end crimpers, for non-solder connectors. Adding to my tool supply. Also got some new toys. Solder seal wire connectors, just a few, (1100 count). With a mini heat gun with deflector. I will find the voltage issue. I did check, clean, and improve any and all grounds in the trailer this weekend. The test drive didn’t reveal any brake voltage issues, but I’m removing the axle wires anyways.

Another vid from Will on a new issue with BB’s.🤔

Doing some more research: Bad News: Apparently this problem was documented in 2021 in side by side comparison video. They states that the Brand B was 90% there, and only needs $5 in parts. Suggest you view this one. This now could be a class action. Good News: Looking at the video it is evident that the problem COULD BE FIXED. Question I have is did DF change the design of their batteries to fix the problem back then? Or did they ignore the warning? GJ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt0joJc9HPo&t=294s

That is a bit concerning. GJ

Down from a high of $258.74 in Dec 2022. Ouch!

If you plan to replace your shocks with the OEM Monroe’s you should check with buying them at O’Reilly’s auto parts. They are a little bit more expensive than buying them from Amazon but then they warranty them for life and you don’t have to keep up with your receipt if you go online and open an account with them.

Rob, don't think or use torque values for rubber mounts. I've seen some pictures here that look right and some showing over-tightened bushings. You want to tighten them enough for the rubber bushings to pillow nicely, not enough so that the rubber will mushroom beyond the mounting plate which will cause premature failure of the bushings. The nuts are Nylok locking nuts so they will stay put.

Gotta love the attention to detail. Good for you. Bill

Thanks, Rideadeuce, for the tip on the Bulldogs. Installed 4 of them today, along with new tires (originals going on 8 years old). Tomorrow, repack the bearings. (note decal facing outward!)

“Golly Shazam” you can, yes you can teach an old dog new tricks! At least some of us ol’ dogs that must be self-taught, and that’s you and me for sure. Happy for you cousin! You gracefully watered-n-nurtured that old set of original batteries for 8 years. My guess is with your conservative touch, you got these for a lifetime. God Bless and Godspeed my friend. 😂