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Showing content with the highest reputation on 11/13/2021 in all areas

  1. Our trip to Tennessee and back ended a few days back. It was the trip we hoped for and really were able to see some amazing spots along our journey. Overall our trailer was very comfortable and we enjoyed the freedom to stop where we wanted and have all we need right there. Of course we are still learning all the more technical aspects and may need some advice. We started in the humidity of Tennessee and Kentucky and ended up in Idaho at 21 degrees overnight plus over the North Cascade Pass on compact snow. Adventure it was for sure !! For now we are going thru what we are calling “trailer lag”. Maybe just missing the road. Tina and Mike
    7 points
  2. Not sure I understand. I have a Blue Sky solar controller. Last January I replaced my 4 AGM’s with two Battle Born Lithiums. I did 10 minutes of reprogramming of the Blue Sky and swapped out the 6 year old PD 4045 with a new one that is lithium capable. Done. The system has performed great during several months of camping. If I ever decide to sell, someone will be getting a great set up. No risk. Mike
    4 points
  3. So after a 2 1/2 year period of owing our Elite II and setting outside in the Texas sun our fiberglass gelcoat was beginning to show some chalking and dulling and in need of a buff and wax job. Now being a retired body shop mgr. for some 35 years at a large DFW dealership doing the proper job was not a problem for me, but at 76 it wouldn't be doing it like I was 40, for sure. I used my 7" buffer and wool buffing pads, I used the Velcro system pads and buffer backing plate, the tie on pads are pretty much useless. I first buffed with Mequiar's #67 RV and Marine compound which did a very good job and really cut the oxidation, probably running the buffer back and fourth on the surface 8-10 times till the gelcoat what at a very high luster, due note here, the top of the trailer and ends we the most dulled areas on the trail, but I did the whole trail just because I didn't want to do a partial job when it comes to doing something. Due note here, I did have to use scaffolding to do the top, you will not be able to reach far enough in with a ladder, plus the scaffolding is much more safe for this old guy. I did the top and ends in one day and the sides the next day. Now for the Mequiar's Flagship RV and Marine polish which I put on by hand and took off with a orbital buffer and a polishing pad for it's final on this project, I hope this will last another couple of years before it needs another buff job, but will polish once a year to help preserve the finish. I watched several video's on YouTube on this and this guy knew what he was doing, or the way I would do it, trainman
    3 points
  4. BattleBorn told me not to worry about TV alternator damage when connected to TV with 7 pin plug with Ollie's single 100AH BB lithium. They said because of charge cable's small diameter and distance from TV to battery, would not see very high amperage charge with TV connected. So far with BattleBorn battery at 75% charge while connected to TV with engine idling have not seen more than 3.5 amps of charge. Our TV has 180 amp alternator and with ignition turned off, the 12V power supply to Ollie is also switched off.
    3 points
  5. Good question. I am assuming that since I was charging the AGMs that the lithiums are getting some charge as we travel. I know whenever we arrive at a site we’re at or near 100% charge but that is probably largely due to the solar panels. I didn’t change anything that might affect TV charging. Mike
    2 points
  6. At a veterans day party last night, we had an interesting conversation with a couple who towed their new 5th wheel 6000 miles on its maiden voyage, from Florida to Quebec and back this year. They only stayed in a few state parks, because their trailer is so tall. They prefer Koa (which we don't), because of the amenities and level spots, lack of offending tree branches, etc. That gave me some heart, actually. Our smaller trailers fit in tinier spots, so maybe we only need to worry so much about the millenials, who tend to choise tent camping and/or buy littler trailers. 😁
    2 points
  7. It didn't take us long to see the benefit of having a screen door handle but I couldn't bring myself to drill holes in my screen door so I made these plates to install the handle without drilling. I used 1/8 inch X 1 inch aluminum and drilled and tapped for #8-32 X 3/8 SS screws. The plates "rotate" into place with the hook at the bottom fitting into the cross bar of the door to keep the assembly from sliding up in the door channel. I shortened the handle tube to 19-13/16 inches, slid the end caps on and attached the assembly to the adapter plates. [attachment file=127613] I know, a lot of trouble to go to when I could have just drilled the holes and been done with it but I think it makes for a cleaner installation.
    1 point
  8. Meguiar's Flagship appears to be the choice of many others as well. We used it to wax our Elite just prior to putting it to bed for the winter.
    1 point
  9. Agree! The following Victron alternator test video (posted previously by another member here) damaged the first alternator tested at 1500RPM. Victron probably had a shorter & larger diameter charging cable, compared to my Tow Vehicles increased length & reduced diameter charging wire to the 7 pin connector. After seeing the following Victron video, I called BattleBorn for advice for my single 100AH BB battery installation. Have not had charging issues with our TV alternator or discharging TV battery with the ignition switched 7 pin on/off charge wire to Ollie. I would call the battery manufacturer for installation advice for larger battery banks.
    1 point
  10. Hard to get 100 gallons a minute through a half inch hose. There's an old adage that electricity flows like water 😏
    1 point
  11. This whole topic string is nuts to me. Way too complex and busy for a trailer to take camping. All of this lithium battery re-engineering, rework, etc. seems expensive, tedious, and frought with risk. It makes my Blue Sky system with AGM batteries, solar panel, and inverter seem simple in comparison. It has been sitting outside here in the northwest for over 5 years and still operating just fine. I know I would not buy a used trailer that had been converted from AGM to lithium after it left the factory. Too risky.
    1 point
  12. I don't mind paying a bit more as an out of state camper. Maybe not double (yikes), but many states charge extra, or don't offer senior discounts for out of state campers. I don't get senior discount in Canada, either, nor do I expect to. My fees are the only way I'm supporting that spot I'm occupying. My tax dollars aren't supporting them, since state parks get little or no federal funding. State parks get twice as many visitors as National Parks. A lot of states have cut back funding from general taxes, and the only way they can pay their way is through fees. Frankly, it's always been really hard for a Florida resident to get a weekend site in the popular parks in the winter. They're booked way ahead by Northern visitors. Our camper sits through most winters. I wish our parks would charge a bit more for out of state plates, too.
    1 point
  13. Thank you all for all the words of wisdom, experience and great advice!! This forum and Oliver owners have such a wealth of knowledge! I really appreciate the quick, detailed and realistic advice. Retirement and owning our first truck and soon to be tow trailer has so far been a fun challenge and learning experience we are both embracing. As we say here on the island, "Mahalo" and Aloha Friday!" Safe travels and hope to one day see you on the road and/or at the rally. Mahalo, M&K
    1 point
  14. Earlier this past summer I too replaced the white seals with black on our 2017 Ollie. Totally agree with the above comments that it looks much better! I ordered the material from Pelland Enterprises. Their website is www.pellandent.com. You'll want to order 1/2 inch Glass Vinyl seal, #H109-376. And you'll need to specify Black. Jim
    1 point
  15. I've seen photos of the black installed, and I agree with dewdev. I think it looks really sharp, and makes the windows look larger.
    1 point
  16. I just buffed and waxed the trailer as I posted under this section and the window white trim is the last thing I need to deal with. I was going to call Oliver Service and see who manufactures these windows and see if I could buy the materials from them. I could go with the black if need be and if the white is going to do the same thing again (my trailer is a 2019) then black would be the better choice. My back emergency window has black and not white and it looks just fine to me, it does go well with the deep tint glass and is pretty much unnoticeable. The black looks like a better choice over the long haul. trainman
    1 point
  17. Here is the Word version of the checklist we used. Again, Fritz and others did all the heavy lifting on this. Inspection Checklist Ver 20211004.docx Now, for the truth....Did we go through EVERY item on the list at our pick-up last month...No . As mentioned above, given the excitement, exhaustion from trip preparation, etc., it was really hard for us focus on every item. But we did take time to enjoy delivery and have fun! We did run through the list, and as I mentioned in our delivery day post, I was totally impressed with corrective actions taken on recent issues. Hanna in Delivery knew of every recent issue I raised and provided a detailed description of what had been done to address it. We I asked about the battery box support nuts, she immediately dove into the rear settee compartment to check them, she mentioned she could not remember having done that on their pre-delivery inspection. And yes, they were tight. So, while we didn't check every item on the list with our own eyes, we asked Hanna about it and discussed it. Other examples include: didn't crawl under the frame to check every zerk fitting, the ones I could see had grease showing in the right areas. didn't check to ensure there were balance weights on the tires, but I did ask if the tires had been balanced. didn't check that the Xantrex inverter had the latest firmware, but asked if it had been updated. didn't get out my ladder and check the roof, solar panel attachments, etc. Now that we are home, we are taking more time to review items. So far, everything that Hanna told us was completely accurate (tires were balanced, inverter had latest firmware, etc). 👍 Given that we were totally newbies, I would add the following to our checklist.... While at the Oliver Campsite (which is very nice!), test every system to ensure you know how it works. We did not try to empty the grey water tank after the first night, even through they have a dump station at the Oliver campsite. A couple of days later when we went to actually drain the tank, we could not get it to drain 😲! We called service, and with calm help on the phone, realized our trailer was not very level at the dump station. Our problem was due to pesky gravity. Had we done this at Oliver's dump site, we would have better understood this issue. 🤪
    1 point
  18. I don't think anything could "ruin" camping. Covid changed a lot of things, including camping. Smart phones changed a lot of things too that I didn't particularly care for, but I learned to live with them and even take advantage of them. I don't like all of the changes, but I'm sure not going to stop camping just because things are different. They will be different next year too. My wife and I have had a fantastic 2021 enjoying our new Oliver!! For the most part, we stuck to state parks and didn't see a lot of the problems others have reported. I can't wait to start our 2nd year of Oliver ownership - already have a trip planned in mid-December - yes, I did make reservations just in case. 🙂
    1 point
  19. I guess I don’t mind planning way ahead… perhaps it’s a result of having a business that had a way of snuffing out spontaneity.. if we wanted to get away, we had to work it all out well ahead of time. Or maybe it’s just me…I enjoy working out where we are going, pouring over topo’s and Google earth. In terms of campgrounds, if we are staying in them, we try to stick to State Parks. I like checking out campgrounds and trying to figure out which is “the best” site for us.. if we want to go someplace, like SW Florida for a month to collect sharks teeth we know we have to make reservations way way out ahead of time… and figure that’s just the way it goes… And if life throws us a curveball, like say knee surgery this fall, we cancel those reservations as soon as we can and somebody else gets lucky…
    1 point
  20. We have had some odd issues pop up from time to time on our Jensen radio/DVD like loss of sound or settings issues. We usually just do a menu reset, I recently had to trip the 60 amp breaker to do a reset on the Jensen. It wouldn’t stay powered on long enough me to get into settings and change the time. I tried several times and it kept powering itself off. Finally I resorted to tripping the breaker. I could have used a fuse or possibly a circuit breaker on the converter, but opted for the main breaker cutoff instead. It resolved the issue immediately after I reset the breaker. David
    1 point
  21. Spike - I started this spring using the Tire Tracker brand TPMS system. I ordered 2 extra sensors for the spare tire on the Ollie and the spare tire on my TV. The system works great and I have not needed to use the reapeater which came with the system. You can order extra sensors for your TV as well as the Ollie and the display system will show all of them.
    1 point
  22. And... assuming you want AGM battery technology (vs wet cell lead-acid or lithium), the 6V AGM's are already quite heavy (66 lb each for Lifeline GPL-4CT's) so you probably won't enjoy lifting/moving 12V AGM's around if for instance you take them out annually for winter storage.
    1 point
  23. Dan, Congratulations! We had the same experience, Oliver is building a great product. Happy Trails from Hull# 901 in MD.
    1 point
  24. I took delivery of #797 on May 7th. The delivery was a very pleasant experience. Having owned an Elite 1 previously, I knew how most of the stuff worked and had already done the research on the stuff I didn’t know about. As I advised this forum, I discussed electrical diagrams with Jason. He has been asked about this by old and new customers many times recently, so I got a smooth and polite response. I’m guessing my experience was similar to Donna and Scott. The short of it is electrical diagrams are not available to us at this time. Liabilities, many variations in design due to options, etc. He suggested I use the 2019 version in the Oliver University, and call and ask questions about anything I can’t figure out. I’m In the process of inspecting and mapping out the key systems, and labeling the wires, fuses and breakers myself that are not already identified. Yes, it’s a hassle, but I try to pick my battles. I had several questions my delivery person could not answer, but she went and found Jason, who expertly answered them all, I was very pleased I did not find any significant problems with my Oliver (still looking). I had come prepared with a checklist of every problem I had read about on the forum, and I went looking. Many of the minor problems have been corrected, it seems Oliver has been listening to feedback. The trailer was not perfect, but much better than my expectations, and nothing I can’t fix myself easily. My wife and I are just grateful to have it, been waiting since September! Life is good.
    1 point
  25. We are constantly changing what we carry depending upon the trip. Since we're preparing for a 9 month road trip, I thought I would take a moment to categorize the items we have to carry and put it into an XLS and share that with the forum. Here's the OVERVIEW total weight of what is in the truck bed. If you want to see what makes up that weight...the XLS is attached listing details like Bikes, Generator, Camp Chairs, etc. The full xls is attached which lists all the items and their individual weights. We plan on scrubbing the contents before we start our 9 month road trip. truck manifest.xlsx
    1 point
  26. Those of you who have owned an Oliver for many years may remember me. I owned an Elite II for 4 years. Replaced it with a Conqueror which was a big mistake. Sold the Conqueror after owning it for less than a year and ordered a Kimberley from Australia. Covid-19, supply chain issues and shipping delays caused me to be without a camper for almost a year and a half. Finally, the T3 arrived and is being checked out and made ready for me by the distributor in Ohio. Here are some photos. It’s a rugged off-road camper with lots of luxury. Technology is amazing: over 900 watts of solar, 600 amp hours of lithium batteries, four wheel disk brakes, indoor and outdoor kitchen, tons of storage inside and out, etc. I plan to pick it up in a couple of weeks and will do a short trip to North Carolina as a shakedown cruise. Leaving mid-January for a lengthy trip West.
    0 points
  27. Soon-to-be new owner here. I put my deposit down in February for a LEII; taking delivery next month. I'm not much of a social network person, but I thought maybe this was fairly useful info for prospective owners. Based on reading older posts, I started out with the impression that there were a variety of changes that one could request. When it came time to finalize the order, I quickly learned the answer was "no." Even something as simple as mix-and-match standard floor / cushion colors rather than just choosing "Desert" or one of the other standard decor combos. I later read posts about how that flexibility has gone by the wayside. I totally get it. Demand is high, labor is scarce, etc. I have also read about how you can now request changes after build through the Service Dept. I thought ok, so manufacturing stays simpler and service makes more money. One option I did not choose was Cradlepoint. I used to have their products and loved them. But I don't love getting locked into an otherwise unnecessary subscription. Further, according to the order sheet it's a 4G device and 5G is now going mainstream. So I asked Service if they could just install the TAOGLAS antenna (the one they use with Cradlepoint anyway) after the build was done, and then I would bring my own 5G hotspot. You guessed it ... "no." So I guess I have my first project ... That's quite disappointing, but I'm still excited to get my unit.
    0 points
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