Leaderboard
Popular Content
Showing content with the highest reputation on 08/17/2026 in all areas
-
Thought some might get a kick out of this video clip my wife shot in our back yard and set to music last rutting season. 4 bucks.mp43 points
-
I've been chatting with another Oliver owner who had the exact same error yesterday. My understanding is that it's some sort of "E"lectrical error with the "H"eater. That could mean: loss of signal between heater and the display (loose wire?) loss of power to the unit (different loose wire?) loss of power to the igniter or something else I think that's where the suggestions of resetting the various power supplies comes from. I've been told that listening the heater start up may narrow the investigation. e.g. If you hear the fan, the heater has power? If you hear the igniter clicking, it's got power? If you hear nothing, power is not getting to the unit? etc. Alas, I have no answers. But, if they report back a solution, I will let you know. If you find it first, please report back. Thanks, Dennis2 points
-
We just spent 4 overnights between Flagstaff and the canyon. Not exactly the desert SW at 7600 feet but it was the week of July 20th with highs in the mid-to-high 80s, everyday up there (116F in Phoenix). Two of 4 nights we had monsoon rains and we had to cook indoors using a pressure cooker one night and Emeril oven another (microwave removed for the Emeril). We often use a portable induction cooktop but not this trip. We had the A/C on 24x7 in fear of overnight rains, when generally after dinner we would open windows. A couple nights the old Dometic 3-way fridge had the "Check" (LP) light come on, likely from the altitude, so we also ran the fridge on batteries for about 60 hours over the 4 days. With the Victron MP2 inverter/charger we can run the Chill Cube A/C, The Emeril Oven, the fridge, the TV and soundbar, etc. all at the same time without worry as to what we can or cannot run on electric. Coffee every morning with an 1100W electric kettle. With 900 Ah LiFePO4 batteries we have power to spare. I can see what you're saying, but of course with the old Penguin A/C you're not running A/C at all when unplugged. The P2 would bring 300 Ah down to ZERO in 2 hours. I thought we had all the power we needed to run A/C for 4 days straight, and we did but had not counted on running the fridge on electric too, which hour after hour takes quite a bit of Ah. The picture shows our remaining Ah on our 4th night at 7 PM. Epoch #2 was below 20% and it stopped showing up on the app (notice the pic shows 600 Ah total since it cannot see one battery). By morning SOC was 18% and when we got home late afternoon SOC was 43% with battery #2 again reading, recharged from the DC-DC charger. SOC of 43% might not sound too good, does it? But keep in mind 43% of 900 is 387 Ah. Instead of driving home, if we had driven to another campsite we'd be back in business for another couple days. I'd give up our 900 Ah right along with my right arm! 😎 But if you have no interest in upgrading your A/C and running it off-grid then 300 Ah is good enough. Those who go from 300 to 600 Ah can get down to 50% SOC and be at 300. If you have small Ah capacity, you always need it full. Having greater capacity allows you to run at lower SOC%. We were able to run A/C for 100 hours straight, including when towing, with our setup! And if you're always running near 100% SOC, the DC-DC charger will get lonely with no work to do! 🤣2 points
-
It's not a complicated job to do on your own but will take a bit of time and it helps if you have someone to help. I replaced all of my springs and associated hardware as well as the shocks last spring by myself out of necessity, (one of my springs broke on my previous trip). It helps to have a good impact wrench with associated impact rated sockets. In addition to using the Olivers jacks it helps to have a couple of bottle jacks for supporting and manipulating the axles (when lining things up). I also had a couple of jack stands on hand for additional security but luckily didn't need them. Just take your time and you'll be fine.2 points
-
@Hokieman you raise valid concerns regarding the Alcan wet bolts and shackles. I have the same concerns as it seems that there could be significant wear of the brackets due to excessive clamping force. I did speak specifically about that with Alcan and they were adamant that there "shouldn't" be a problem. Time will tell and I'll keep an eye on my installation. I've already been surprised by an unexpected broken (original Oliver) spring, I'd hate to have a bracket break on the road. Alcan has a good product and those guys have a great reputation and seem knowledgeable so hopefully there won't be any problems.1 point
-
I am reluctant to add yet another lengthy post on this endless thread but there are concerns that I don’t think have been settled. They are not a big problem, but worth considering since it’s a simple, free solution. For those that have already had their Alcan springs installed, I think this is worth reading, as you might want to check on your setup and avoid premature wear on your system. I have not had time to replace my springs yet, but I’ve read every post on it to ensure I do it right, since I will be doing it myself. Some folks that have installed Alcan shackles and wet bolts seem to have changed their recommendations somewhat after having some experience with the hardware. See the attached related thread started by @Wayfinder. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/11183-alcan-springs-quote-for-jan-2026/page/2/ On Page 2, @Geronimo John raised several concerns, all of which I think are valid. Subsequent posts by others on pages 2 & 3 further support the concerns, but no consensus, and I’ve not read anything about it since. Alcan shackles and wet bolts are a different design than Dexter. Alcan seems to have an acceptable design, but if used, then it has been suggested by some the maintenance procedure be changed from the one that Alcan recommends. Specifically, the wet bolts should be set by clearance, not by torque. Read the posts to explain why, but there have already been a few problems posted. Periodic re-torquing could be making matters worse. I called Alcan to order my springs, and I discussed these concerns with Tim. He seems relatively knowledgeable about the design, but really couldn’t respond one way or the other, except to say that’s just the way they do it for manufacturing simplicity. He said he’d pass on my concerns to management, but I have no idea if that will result in any changes. I also called Oliver and spoke with Scotty in Tech Support. He confirmed the new Apex model has Alcan 5-leaf springs, but uses the Dexter shackles and wet bolts that are standard on all of our trailers. That makes sense from a production standpoint, and the Dexter wet bolts are set to a torque of 30-50 ft-lbs. The clearance is handled by the design, because Dexter wet bolts have a shoulder. I’ll repeat, these comments are coming from someone that has not yet had my hands on an Alcan spring, so I could be way off. Those of you that already have them, please check your install and provide feedback, supportive or otherwise, because you may save yourself and others some repair hassles. Call Alcan if you’d like, and discuss it with the expert that sold you on their version, and let us all know the outcome. If the Alcan springs, shackles and bolts need corrective action, it seems a simple fix to me. Just check clearance, and re-adjust the wet bolts to get adequate clearance between the bushings and the shackles or hanger tabs. Should make greasing easier and more effective too.1 point
-
I'm looking at these Vatrer batteries now myself. Can't beat that price for 900ah for what seems to be a decent quality brand.1 point
-
First, great write-up. Saved it to my DIY file. We also travel long and far, and having a Victron DC to DC has been wonderful. Sadly ours is only the 30 amp verson. But when it fails, I'll be digging out my saved DIY of your efforts. So thanks in the future a second time. I too am open to roof mount solar, some day. Just don't like the look or their potential MPG impact, especially out west with high speed limits. I'm hopeful that future surface mount panels will be made to allow "full" covoerage of our roof. Specifically from the low outter sections to the main middle section curves. Current surface mounts that I have looked at don't have adequate bend radius to cover all three areas fully. Besides the power benefit, it would sure make waxing Ollie's top a LOT easier. Thanks again, GJ1 point
-
Called 8/16 (better late than never!) and got a reservation. Campground said they had several cancellations, so if you're on the fence and thinking you won't get a good site...you just might get a nice site! After watching Jason's YouTube on some of the plans...that convinced me we need to return. First rally we attended was 2023 and it's time to see the new Oliver's and meet more owners! Plus...great time of year...October in the 'Bama Mountains!1 point
-
Oliver Rally Registration Ends in Just 10 Days! Our Oliver Rally is coming up October 21–25 at Lake Guntersville, and we only have a few spots remaining! If you’d like to join us, be sure to register for the Oliver Rally here: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/events/oliver-owners-rally/registration/ You’ll also need to reserve your campsite directly with Lake Guntersville Campground. Registration closes Thursday, August 20. After that, we’ll be finalizing T-shirts, giveaways, activities, dinner plans, and all the fun details for the rally. Don’t miss your chance to camp, connect, and spend time with all of us. We’d love to see you there! ❤️ #OliverTravelTrailers #OliverRally #LakeGuntersville #OliverFamily1 point
-
Recent Achievements
