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@Snackchaser Here is an update on my DC-DC troubleshooting. I'm sure I will not describe this accurately but let me try. The tech focused first on where the charger's negative cable was connected. It was not connected directly to the negative battery post. It was on the ground side of the current sensor. This first image shows the original install. It is a little hard to see but the neg wire to the victron is attached to the same ground wire that goes to the chassis ground stud. In the following image you can see that we moved the Victron negative cable to the other side of the current sensor - in effect, connected directly to the negative post. The tech indicated that would allow the alternator to see the load from the charger and not drop the voltage. After making this change everything worked as hoped - whether idling or driving, the input voltage to the victron now looked like this: I will say that we referenced much of the information in this thread while 3 technicians debated what changes to make to get past the "smart" alternator. Does any of this make sense to you? Thanks, Bob

Bob, Congratulations, problem solved! It looks to be working great now that they re-wired it correctly! Thanks for the follow-up, but it's unfortunate that the tech’s didn’t fully understand the system they installed! Can we reverse invoice them? 😂 Cheers! Geoff

I'm just now seeing this thread. Lots of great info! When we did our 5700 mile cross country trip in September, it was the first trip to truly test my 50A Orion DC-DC install: Oliver and RAM DC-DC Charger Installation. Like others discussed earlier in this thread, I had to tweak/lower the Orion voltage "trigger" settings numerous times to get it all dialed in. The smart alternator would often be charging at a voltage too low to trigger the Orion to charge. It's a bit of a balancing act to dial it in such that the engine shut-off setting is low enough to not get triggered (and shutting off charging while gong down the road), but also not so low as to fool the Orion into thinking the engine is running when it's not. As others have said, it's also important that the negative connection not be direct to the battery post because of the battery control module. When I got it all dialed in, I was seeing a 45A Orion current, which is what I have set as the maximum current in the Orion settings, and I was happy with that. In my install, I used 2AWG on the vehicle side, and 4AWG on the trailer side (shorter run with the Orion under the front dinette seat). I wanted the heavier cable on the vehicle for two reasons: 1) Because it's a fairly long run, and 2) in case I ever want to power anything else through the rear Anderson connector. With the observed 45A current at the Orion, I saw an approximately 0.9V voltage drop. With lower currents as the Oliver batteries got close to 100% charged, the voltage drop obviously went down. I call these drops "approximate" because I was comparing the digital voltage reading shown on my truck dash with the reading at the Orion from my Victron app. I haven't found a reason to think these readings aren't accurate, but they were not taken with my multimeter as we were driving along 🙂. As several have mentioned here, going with 1/0 would be even better and provide more headroom, but for now I seem to be getting good performance with mine. 🤞 I will say, a DC-DC charger is a game changer. We boon-docked several times on this trip, and the Orion would have us all charged up by the next stop.

After a long wait, I have finally finished the Big Bend series from last year...

Option one has worked for me and I would choose this option especially if you install @John Dorrer added insulation. .

@jd1923 Shutdown detection is disabled. The alternator setting is set to "user defined". We were originally set to smart alternator with a cutoff of 13.2

Ah yes, and reverse the order on startup. Thanks JD!

Throw the switch or breaker on your solar first since it’s the only item that produces power. Store LiFePO4 batteries at 50-60 SOC%. You may need your inverter on to run SOC down. Then switch inverter off, or it will go dead as soon as both shore power and batteries are disconnected. Finally throw battery switch if you have one or disconnect main ground.

As a resident of Colorado, I tend to agree with @routlaw and others on option #1. Mine has been fine in a couple of similar situations. One thing to throw out there is that I think the greatest "risk" in terms of potential costly damage would be freezing of my Truma AquaGo water heater. It's really quick and easy to pull the yellow drain lever and let the water drain out before you leave it in possible freezing temps. I've acutally gotten in the habit of doing this anytime I leave the trailer in storage for a period of time just to keep "stale" water from sitting in the tank and possibly contributing to bacteria growth. Curious if anybody else does this...?

Great video! Brings back memories. We did those hikes in September with temps close to 100. Thanks for posting! Mike

I would go with # 1 as well. We live in Montana and have left our Oliver outside in the cold at those temps and below with no problems at all many times. Given that yours is stored inside I highly doubt you would have an issue.

Ha, well, it was a bit of a learning process. I am just happy we got things straightened out. And I am very grateful for the input from you and the rest of our Oliver community on this thread. Oliver trailers are great, but Oliver owners are the real rock stars.

BTW, with option #3 make sure the LP tank valve is open and get the furnace to fire up, test it while you're there. Then turn the thermostat down. You'll have option #1 to start, then #3 when it gets cold enough. I also have several Ruuvi sensors, so we know cabin temp, fridge, freezer, etc. I have one in the rear basement underneath the water lines which is often the coldest area. This helps since during the winter I can check actual temps from the comfort of our living room. I've found if we set the cabin thermostat to 52F the lower rear basement will stay above 34F (until it gets very cold out, then more heat may be necessary).

I have foam insulation around the outside shower knobs. I have Reflectix that fits outside the outside shower and covering the the floor and entrance to the basement. Two layers on the basement floor at the entrance. Pipe insulation caps for the 4 exterior connections. Soft foam in the ends and tape. 3/4" pipe insulation, cut and a piece added to allow a snug fit on the connector.

I'm thinking JB Weld it in the hole and pray I get to 50,000 miles and upgrade to 5200's. (That's what I did). 🙂

Better fill up in NC prior to the end of the month when the gas tax gets reinstated.🤑 Bill

Fuel price in North Carolina today.

It would only be worth it for those who pay for Roam Unlimited 12 months a year (then monthly plans are likely the same as the original Mini). This service bundle could be of interest to new full-timers who travel regularly where cell service is limited. We pay the $10/mo Standby Plan 6 months a year and then only what we need when we travel. When you have a viable cell router and antenna you need Starlink much less often. The 5G cell SIM card adds $30/mo to our cell plan which is much less per Gb than Starlink. Regardless, we would not travel without Starlink for when we need it. For those still holding out, now's the time to get the original Mini before this becomes the only available option! The Mini keeps getting cheaper too, now only $149 ($12.41/mo for 12 months). Are they advertising any better performance in their new product? It boots faster and has a built-in quick swap battery (after you buy an extra), and having an extra is truly a must unless you want to be offline every time it needs charging. We have 2 external batteries and plug-in options and when you swap a battery, of course the Mini reboots. If the Mini 2 has hot-swappable batteries, that would be cool!

To ALL my brothers and sisters in arms who have served, and those still serving, thank you for your sacrifices and the freedoms that ALL Americans still enjoy today. Freedom is not Free. Patriot 🇺🇸

Lord please bring peace to the our fallen Service Members, and may they be proud of their family that they left behind. GJ 2004 CENTCOM Tiger Team at Qutar before deploying mostly by convoy to multiple locations in Iraq.

We had a blast at our first Oliver Rally! Took the attached photo walking our dog early one morning. What a beautiful venue.