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Showing content with the highest reputation on 09/12/2026 in all areas

  1. I have a new set of rear wheel well liners that fit late model Ford F-150's. This includes all mounting hardware, instructions, and (of course) liners for both the passenger and driver sides. Price - FREE But, you need to let me know your interest or I'm not going to bring them to the Rally. Bill
    2 points
  2. We find it reasonably easy to escape crowds but it depends on your style and setup. A few of our rules that have led to success. We almost never camp on friday and saturday nights. We rarely hook up to anything ( water, electricity, etc). With these two alone we find crowds are easy to avoid. We purchased in 2023 and it was pricey then but its all a matter of perspective. Alot less than a class a, b or c and we already had our tow vehicle. So all in all the quality and manufacturer support structure make it worthwhile for us.
    2 points
  3. We got our trailer in 2019 and feel like the crush of people in the outdoors was and is still significant. Our solution has been to spend most of our time off the grid, off paved roads and away from the national parks except for the off season. We have had fantastic trips Nov through Jan in the southwest the last couple of years. Count us out for mainstream campgrounds, state and national parks May through August. We must work to avoid crowds but have always found wide open space in the west side of the USA. Lots of BLM and other remote space to explore. If you are opposed to gravel roads and off-season travels, you will likely be crushed by the crowds. Yep, 100k for new trailer is a big bite. We found ours used in great shape. We did have to upgrade solar / batteries and few other things but got great value buying used. Water is the gating item for extended off the grid travel. We equipped our truck with an additional 30 gallon water tank enabling extend time off the grid. Best of luck. Hope to cross paths in the open spaces out west.
    2 points
  4. If you have the Xantrex converter/inverter in your Ollie you can change setting #28 to whatever amps number you want the converter to pull at max. The default is 25 for when hooked up to shore power, but you can make it 15 or less for running off a small generator. I often set mine to 5-10 to prevent my Honda from running at max capacity. Charging is slower, but the generator is much quieter.
    2 points
  5. To dependably run Ollie's 1300 BTU air conditioner with a Honda 2200 requires installing a "soft start" to even the load (reduce the electical start up surge). I found this to be true to run when using 110 V as well. The devise is an easy installation and allows you to run your air condtioner with small generators or a 110 circuit. I have been running this setup for several years with a Honda 2200. and yes, these generators will charge your batteries. best of luck https://www.etrailer.com/RV-AC-Soft-Start/SoftStartRV/SSR54FR.html
    2 points
  6. Bill, if you offer free installation, I bet you'll have takers.
    1 point
  7. It’s the Starlink router, RJ45. The dish came with a pretty long power cable and we got a similar length cable for the router. We ran the cable from the dish back to the trailer, through the dinette window (screen slightly open) to the router that we set on the dinette table. Beside the tonneau cover and tongue box we’ve used the picnic table to set the dish on, and we’ve also just set it on the ground. Just wherever has the best shot to a clear sky in the right direction. If we’re gone for the day I just bring it inside until we get back.
    1 point
  8. Just to circle back, I got to field-test my design on my trip, and I’m super happy with how it worked! So much so that it even survived a random weather microburst and the suction cups remained planted! 😂 Not only was I able to camp in extremely hot weather and use the shower often, but after eleven days I still had 25% capacity left in the gray tank. There’s honestly nothing I would change, except possibly adding a wooden bath mat to keep my feet clean. I used one of those inexpensive folding stools to keep my shampoo and soap at an easy-to-reach height, and added another suction hook for my towel. I also attached a tarp clip to a suction cup on the side of ILOVHER to keep the shower curtain pulled in and prevent any unwanted exposure. 😉 I’m really happy with how it turned out. It’s compact, works extremely well, and will travel with me for future camping where gray-water discharge is allowed!
    1 point
  9. From late May to mid-June my wife and I took a loop trip from our home in Dallas, TX to: Greenville, SC; Asheville, NC; Asheboro & Seagrove, NC and back to Dallas. The trip covered approximately 1900 miles, with significant temperature variation. During the trip we experienced erratic performance by the Norcold Model 412 refrigerator, standard equipment in our 2022 Oliver Legacy Elite II trailer. The refrigerator would not maintain food safe temperatures in either compartment, except when operating on AC current. This problem occurred mostly on the second half of the trip, as daytime temperatures exceeded 90 degrees (F). Especially when in transit, operating on propane or DC current, the refrigerator temperature would climb to approximately 60 degrees and the freezer into the mid 20s. We contacted Oliver Service and made an appointment to have the refrigerator problem assessed in Hohenwald. We later decided not to divert from our trip plans and to deal with the problem when we returned home. Upon our return home to Dallas, TX, on June 20, I began a series of tests with the trailer parked in our driveway. To monitor the temperatures in the refrigerator and freezer, I used an AcuRite Digital Wireless Fridge and Freezer Thermometer, which we had purchased to monitor the Norcold refrigerator and had been using since September, 2022. I also used an Etekcity Infrared Thermometer 1080 to compare readings with the Acurite thermometer. The AcuRite and Etekcity thermometer readings agreed closely. With the refrigerator empty, I recorded the time required to go from ambient temperature to food safe temperatures using AC, DC or propane. Using AC, the refrigerator/freezer would reach food safe temperatures in 6-7 hours (low 40s F for the refrigerator; 0 degrees F for the freezer) with ambient temperatures ranging from 87 to 99 degrees F. Once achieved, when on AC, the temperatures on both compartments would hold in a food safe range. Conducting the same test on propane, the refrigerator and freezer would reach only 62 degrees and 19 degrees F, respectively after more than 12 hours of operation. This test also was done while ambient temperatures ranged from 87 to 99 degrees F. Similar results were observed while operating the refrigerator on DC. I again contacted Oliver Service and was recommended to take the trailer to an authorized Norcold service provider. Blue Moon Mobile RV (Blue Moon) was determined to be the closest available Norcold service provider. I arranged an appointment to bring the trailer to Blue Moon for troubleshooting of the refrigerator. Technicians at Blue Moon confirmed my observations of the behavior of the refrigerator. They also confirmed the cooling function was working properly, since proper temperatures were achieved when operating on AC. They also confirmed the single, small fan located at the rear of the refrigerator was operational, but providing insufficient air flow for the refrigerator to operate properly when ambient temperatures were high. Blue Moon conferred with Norcold technical support on their findings. Blue Moon and Norcold recommended additional fans be installed to dissipate warm air behind the refrigerator. Having anticipated installing additional fans, I had done online research and chose a dual fan assembly from Beech Lane 12V RV Fridge Ventilation Cooling Fan 5.5" (140mm). These fans come with a remote control with which fan speeds and threshold temperature may be set manually or automatically. These fans were installed by Blue Moon in the upper vent opening of our LEII. The 12VDC power supply to the refrigerator was also used to power the fans. The remote control was mounted to the cover over the refrigerator circuit board using double sided tape. The excess length cables provided with the fans were bundled with zip ties and secured nearby, as shown below. Blue Moon tested the operation of the refrigerator following the installation of the Beech Lane fans and reported food safe temperatures were being achieved and held, with high ambient temperatures. On July 19 I picked up our trailer from Blue Moon and returned home to repeat my prior tests to compare results running the refrigerator on propane and on DC. The trailer was parked in the same location in our driveway as previously. After installation of the ventilation fans, using propane, the refrigerator and freezer compartments achieved safe food temperatures in approximately 8 hours, with the refrigerator control set to 7, despite ambient temperatures ranging from 93 to 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Once safe food temperatures were achieved the refrigerator control setting was reduced from 7 to 6 and allowed to run overnight. The following morning both the refrigerator and freezer had slightly warmer temperatures, but still satisfactory for safe food storage. We have not yet had an opportunity to utilize the Norcold refrigerator on a trip to observe how effectively safe food temperatures are maintained when full of food and under changing environmental conditions using the three power sources. Based on the test results using the ventilation fans, I expect the performance of the refrigerator to be significantly improved. We should now be able to use DC to power the Norcold refrigerator when in transit, and avoid the use of propane. Performance running on DC appears to be similar to running on propane. While I was pleased with the significant improvement in the operating temperatures achieved by the Norcold refrigerator, there were three aspects of the installation I chose to change, all related to access to the remote control: The remote control for the Beech Lane fans has very bright blue LEDs which are ON whenever 12VDC power is ON. At night, we noticed a bright blue glow emanating from the lower refrigerator external vent cover. Accessing the remote control to change settings required removing the refrigerator external vent cover. When we store the trailer we typically turn OFF all DC power by turning OFF our lithium batteries. Upon the next use of the trailer, when DC power is restored, the refrigerator ventilation fans must also be turned ON manually. There was no switch to turn OFF DC power to the remote control. To address these issues, I relocated the Beech Lans fan remote control to the interior of the trailer and installed a switch on the control panel located at the entry to the trailer. I chose to have the remote control inside the access hatch in the storage cabinet located over the microwave oven, directly above the Norcold refrigerator. To re-route the cables to the ventilation fans, I had to remove the microwave oven. To install a new switch in the control paneI I had to loosen the panel from the wall. I had to add approximately 10 feet of 20 AWG twisted pair cable (gray) to reach from the new switch on the control panel to the 12VDC power supply at the bottom rear of the refrigerator. The photo below shows the routing of the remote control wires (black) and 12VDC power supply behind the microwave cabinet. I had to drill a ~3/8" hole in the angled MDF panel behind the microwave cabinet, directly above the refrigerator. I caulked around the cables after routing them through the hole and behind the refrigerator. Fishing the wires into the area behind the control panel was not difficult. The yellow Romex appearing at the top of the photo below supplies the AC outlet for the microwave oven. I contacted Oliver Service and ordered a single pole switch (with blue light) to match the others in the trailer control panel. The cost was slightly over $7, including shipping by first class mail. The new switch was installed in an unused location on the control panel which previously had a blank cover. I added crimp on spade type connectors to the twisted pair cable to connect to the terminals on the new switch. Although the new switch is single pole, there are three terminals on the rear with the wiring connections listed below: Ground (dissimilar color) DC Power IN (center) Switched DC Power Out I found the wiring diagram below which shows an analogous circuit. The switch and the ventilation fan remote control both require a ground connection. The Switched DC power terminal is connected to the DC+ power connection for the ventilation fan remote control. The new switch needs a ground connection in order for the blue light to operate indicating the switch is ON. In the diagram a car battery is shown as the 12VDC source. On the trailer, the 12VDC source is located at the bottom rear of the refrigerator. This DC circuit is already fused at the DC power panel located below the rear dinette seat. I chose to locate the Beech Lane fan remote control behind the access panel in the storage cabinet above the microwave oven. I made this choice to avoid having the bright blue LED lights on the remote control illuminating the interior of the trailer. The access panel is easily removed when there is a need to access the remote control, to turn ON the ventilation fans, or to change the fan speed or threshold temperature. The Beech Lane ventilation fans are very quiet. With the auxiliary fans running, the volume of air exiting the top exterior vent is noticeably greater than with the small, single OEM fan mounted to the rear of the refrigerator. We have not yet tried sleeping in the trailer with these fans running. There is no chance of hearing the fans inside the trailer with the Dometic A/C running. They are not noticeable when they are running unless you are standing close to the upper exterior vent. I recommend these fans to anyone having similar difficulty maintaining food safe temperatures in the refrigerator when ambient temperatures are high. Regards, Don
    1 point
  10. Thanks to all the contributors to this thread. After a summer of brutal heat and a refrigerator that wasn't able to keep up, I was despondent. But I found this old thread, got hopeful for a solution, was able to order the parts and install some fans. I'm excited that they are working and quiet. The real test will be when I drive home to Texas, but I actually had to turn down the refrigerator temperature setting because it seems so much more efficient.
    1 point
  11. Not bad for $12/night! I think going forward, besides boondocking we'll focus on National Forest Service or Army Corps of Engineers sites that give half off with the senior pass. But kind of a bummer that now on recreation.gov the next 4 nights cannot be reserved online. But you can go online to see what is reserved or FF (first come-first serve). Our campsite #7 is shown, all sites no hookups, some pit toilets, water spigots in 5 spots around the campgrounds but without hose connections. All the campsites inside of the loop are setup in the wrong direction (curbside away from picnic table). A little road noise being right off US Hwy-160 but always quiet in an Oliver! Just east of Mancos CO, Target Tree is within a half hour of Cortez to the west and Durango to the east, with Dolores nearby and Mesa Verde NP. Beautiful roads with beautiful mountain views, forest service access trails everywhere! 🤠
    1 point
  12. Pulled our Oliver into the driveway yesterday, since we're leaving for SW Colorado tomorrow. Like Dewdev, I started our Dometic 3-way fridge on DC. It did not seem to work. On the Epoch and Victron apps you could see it was only pulling -4A total and our system pulls -2.5A with almost nothing ON! I think I had the Maxxfan on too, so the fridge switched on DC was not actually pulling any DC power from the batteries! Switched it to AC and the readings changed to -16A which is a good number showing the fridge is drawing amperage so should be running. Two hours later the freezer had cooled down to 26F, the fridge at 62F, ambient cabin temp was 79F. This was going nowhere fast! Later last night, I switched the cooling to LP and started the Beech Lane fan at 50%. I sat at the dinette for 5 minutes to hear the LP ignite. It took two tries because on the first try I had forgotten to first light a cooktop burner to bleed the LP lines. After the bleed, I could hear it go through the click pattern twice to ignite and then I could hear it burning, a soft smooth sound. This should be working now. Got up this morning to read the freezer at 8F and the fridge at 36F (Ruuvi sensors and app). We always keep the fridge cooling setting at #4 out of 5. So our fridge is hardly a 3-way anymore! I will try running on A/C (Victron inverter always ON) while we are towing. Maybe now that it's cool it can sustain running on electric. Last trip we were at 7600 ft elevation north of Flagstaff and the fridge had issues staying lit overnight at altitude. This trip we will always be above 7K+ ft. After all I've done to our Oliver, I'd hate to think fridge upgrade now, but it looks like it's coming soon. At least we have the 45L CFX5 fridge in the truck if all else fails. We're packing light on food with good local markets on the route!
    1 point
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