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Why are there a million Snowbirds in Arizona every winter? It sure beats shoveling snow! We’re back at West Pinal Park (for the warmer weather).

I took a look today at my original regulator to see that OTT installed a Marshall Excelsior MEGR-253 which is rated at 225,000 primary cylinder BTUs. It’s hard to read but front pic shows the brand name and rear pic lists the model number. Recently I installed the Fairview GR-9984XF which is acting up! I purchased a kit just like this: https://ebay.us/m/Opru0 Maybe these kits at this price are knock-offs resulting in my issues. The regulator I just purchased is the Marshall Excelsior MEGR-253H. The H stands for High output, rated at 350,000 primary cylinder BTU. Our hull was running fine, for 10 years, on 225,000 primary cylinder BTUs, showing the high output units are unnecessary but they cost about the same at $80. We run our fire ring almost every evening and often the 2-burner Napoleon Grill and don’t want that feeling again that the furnace will not start! It appears OTT moved from Marshall Excelsior to Fairview at some point. I’m going to toss the faulty Fairview, install the new MEGR-253H and keep the old MEGR-253 as a back-up! 😎

It got to 30° today🤣, two weeks and we will be rolling South to Texas.

This is the model I purchased recently. Thanks Craig, I read an earlier post of yours citing this model. The original regulator, now 10 years old was still working. After reading advice here to replace such an old unit with new, I did so. The old saying, “should have left well enough alone” has come to play! At first it was the sounds, but I can see reasons for sounds as listed above. In attempt to eliminate the sound, I closed both tanks, released line pressure and started again. It’s a sort of a mechanical reboot! The sound went away temporarily, but then we could not start our indoor appliances (HWH, cooktop or furnace). Meanwhile our fire ring was still burning… What? And after 20 min, the outdoor fire slowed down. The fire ring on high was like it was set to low! So I did the mechanical reboot again (after turning off the fire ring). Then the furnace started and everything was back to normal. It’s not the BTU capacity of the regulator, since I doubt I was running 100 BTU, let alone 260 or 345! My brand new GR-8894 regulator has an intermittent issue. So, I will replace it again! On the advice of another Oliver owner, I purchased the one @Geronimo John just cited as the HO regulator that American Copper lists! My understanding is that Marshall Excelsior makes a quality Made-in-USA product. I’ll let you know how it goes… 😎 https://a.co/d/0drkfrTK

They taste like chicken?

I can attest to the fact that these invasive Iguanas EAT the eggs of our NATIVE (and threatened) bird species. I'm a volunteer who monitors a rookery and it's bad news for us to have Iguanas here. I'm glad that some people eat them, as it seems less of a waste when they can be useful in that way. I have NOT tried eating them, however.

I know our Olivers are hail resistant, but can anyone in Florida confirm that they are also iguana resistant?

Wow, that blower is almost half your age!

If you follow that cut wire back you'll eventually find an in line automotive style 1 AMP fuse in a holder nearer to the area where the 12v lines go to buss bars etc (Under the street side bed). It's that fuse you could have pulled instead of cutting the wire. You may have inadvertently popped that fuse. Hope you find the fuse and that it helps. (This is a 2019 trailer so your wiring may be different.)

Thanks for the info. I reached out to Calmark last week. They said they're not taking new orders right now, but are expanding their capacity and hope to take new orders soon. I plan to reach out to them in the spring to learn more about what they might have to offer.

And very importantly as Hoosier brought to light, I was remiss in not adding to my list an important reason for our use not having an automatic switch over valve: We camp when it is warmer and we fully winterize when our trailer is in storage. As such, we have no need for it to burn propane to keep Ollie warm when it is lonely in unattended hard freezes happen. That said, a significant number of owners do need/want/use these auto change over devices. And that's cool. GJ

Bill, With no frost in the ground the big melt on is On in beautiful Western NC!!😄 It was beautiful winter scenery while it lasted and now all this snow melts away into our water table. Just an FYI Matt and Rodney were with out power for several days. Their area got hit pretty hard. 👍🏻 Onward David

@ripple963 We have used a Calmark cover since we took delivery of our Oliver in 2020 and still do along with our “Ollie Hangar”. Keeping the weather and especially the UV rays off the ceramic coat treated gelcoat and caulked areas is highly recommended when storing your Oliver. We have never experienced any gelcoat damage using our cover. The Calmark cover with a zippered entry door allows us quick and easy interior access where shrink wrapping your entire Oliver may or may not. If you opt not to cover your Oliver, you may want to consider buying a cover for your Truma AC to keep birds from nesting in it. I will say that it sure is nice to remove the cover in the Spring to a clean and polished Oliver. All the best with your decision. We use the Little Giant ladder/plank system which makes covering and cleaning our Oliver much safer and easier than hanging off a ladder.

As jd1923 stated, his Calmark cover he sold me is a great investment. Here in Minnesota the summers are hot and humid, winters are cold and with lots of snow. We keep the Calmark cover on the Oliver when not in use (only takes 10 min max to cover it by my self, not afraid of ladders!) It keeps all of the nasty green pollen off in the spring and summer, Keeps the oak leaves and what ever wants to fall on the Oliver safe and clean. Never any mold and the cover breathes plenty good. When there is an abundance of snow on top I just use a soft floor brush to push it off. Also the cover has a nice zipper spot at the door so you can get into your Oliver to do a winter check if you want.

It was 8 degrees about an hour and a half's drive west of Patriot (assuming dry roads and probably a 1,000 feet in altitude). However, there is not a cloud in the sky. That means - let the melting begin even though it is not forecast to be above freezing today. By Wednesday the forecast is for highs around 50 degrees - still a bit below normal but virtually all of the snow will be gone (I hope). Bill p.s. hopefully the folks in eastern TN did OK with this storm. They were hit very hard a week ago with the ice which basically shut Oliver production down for the week.

Woke up to a gorgeous Western NC winter wonderland sunrise this morning. (Photo off our back deck). A chilly 14d! I think we received well over 10” of snow as it continued to snow here on Blueberry HIll until midnight.

It can happen more often in colder weather. Try turning off gas, unscrew side you were using to release gas and reattach and turN back on. See if sound goes away. If not consider another regulator. ai answer: Common "Normal" Causes Diaphragm Vibration: The most common cause is the rubber diaphragm inside the regulator vibrating as it moves to maintain steady gas pressure. This is generally harmless if there is no gas odor. Environmental Factors: Outside temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure can cause internal components to resonate or vibrate more than usual. High Gas Flow: If you are running multiple burners or a high-output appliance, the increased volume of gas rushing through the small internal orifice can create a high-pitched noise. Low Tank Level: In some cases, a tank that is nearly empty can cause the regulator to hum as it struggles to maintain pressure. When to Take Action If You Smell Gas: A high-pitched "hissing" accompanied by a rotten egg smell indicates a gas leak. Shut off the tank valve immediately and evacuate the area. Poor Performance: If the noise is paired with weak, yellow, or flickering flames, the regulator may be failing and need replacement. Overfilled Tank: If the sound started immediately after a refill and is accompanied by a gurgling noise, the tank may be overfilled, putting excess strain on the regulator.

Got out the snowshoes and went around the house with the roof rake today. Was starting to get ice dams up there. At least we're through January!

About an hour ago we measured approx 9.5”. The snow is now suppose to stop at midnight.

These southern storms are not good. At least the snow in the south melts fast (hopefully). The northeaster of this past Monday dumped 14" to 20" of snow depending of where you were in Maine, on top of an existing 6". The weater since then has been below zero at night and if we are lucky will get up to 20 degrees in the day. This morning it was - 3 degrees. Looks like this snow will be on the ground until spring time. In Maine we will miss the present northeaster hitting the southern states at this time. Hopefully Punxsutawney Phil tells us it will be an early spring.

I used a battery powered blower to clear the rear deck off so I could get to the bird feeders. Then, I cranked up the 50 year old snow blower to do the driveway. Not exactly using an old jet engine but it sure beats shoveling. Our temp is now down to 18degrees! Bill p.s. Patriot used a battery powered blower to clear the snow off one of his vehicles too.

When we lived in Ohio, we used to use jet snow blowers on the railroad equipped with old military jet engines to clear switches. We have 6 1/2" so far, 25F, getting windy, too. It's a dry fluffy snow.

I'm not a golfer - but - isn't it time to go over to the course and hit a few balls? I just got in from using the snow blower on the driveway. Its just about stopped snowing with about 5 - 6 inches on the ground. Current temp is down to 22 degrees. Note that the "normal" high for this date is 54. Time to get out the saucer and take a couple of runs down the hill!🥶 Bill

I just started snowing in Augusta, GA now. I would think we will not get much. Hopefully to stick to hide all the filth.

We have 4 1/2" so far, 11:30AM, just north of Charlotte NC! Photo taken at 11:30AM.

Current forecast for here in western North Carolina is for the mountain peaks (i.e. elevations above 3500 feet) to get 12 + inches. For the rest of us 4 to 8 inches. And, THIS is the south! Those who live on the coast all the way up through New England will also get hit. Two weekends in a row - we are on a real "roll". Bill

Here in the subtropics, even the Alligators think it's cold... a juvenile out of the water, sunning.

Are you kidding me! First Patriot does the food thing and now you send a pic of one of my favorites. Not fair! Not a lot of difference between that first pic of snow and the second of sand other than (I assume) the temps and work that it takes to clear the snow off. What a contrast. Stay warm! Bill

Home in northern Ohio. That mailbox is about 30” off the ground, and you can’t even see the road our daughter says 12-14” reported. Here on Gulf Islands National Seashore in Florida’s panhandle. Lunch

Time for a left turn on this topic. The more I ponder my propane system, and the way that I use it, I'm questioning why I want or need an auto switch over valve. Rationale: I don't ever use the auto switch over part of the device . I want to know when I have an empty tank. It is a single point of failure. It is expensive to replace Why not just buy two regulators and two 18" hoses, attach oneset to each tank, and "T" their outputs to the supply line going into Ollie? Use one tank at a time. When it goes dry, open the small hatch and shut off one tank and open the second tank's valve. 100% redundancy with less points of failure for about the same cost. Your thoughts? GJ

Round #2…..coming up this weekend. Stay safe, stay warm, stay prepped.