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Totally agree. By the good will of OTT we have this forum. And with the goodness of heart of so many OTT Owners willing to take the time to share their expertise and to guide and help others we are blessed. We all at some point were newer and less savey about the technical side of trailers. If you are stumped, just "Roger Up" and reach out to this forum. Just beware of the rabbit holes! 🙂 LOL GJ

John, Yes, I had already purchased the 50-amp Orion and have it mounted, although I haven't run any of the wiring yet. I also purchased the Mobile Solar fan because my installation requires the charger to be mounted horizontally. Had the 70-amp Orion been available before I made those purchases, I likely would have gone that route. At this point, however, I'm committed to the 50-amp setup. If the Orion 50 ever fails, I would probably replace it with the 70-amp version. I am curious how many changes Victron actually made between the 50-amp and 70-amp models. From the outside, it appears that much of the increase may come from the addition of active cooling and perhaps some upgraded output-stage components.

Yes, I agree. These wire reducers, shown below, may be a little too large to fit, but I'm going to give them a try. If they work, they should eliminate the additional connections and potential failure points you mentioned, which would make for a simpler and more reliable installation.

John, I completely agree with what you're saying, and I've given this a great deal of thought. The one area where I might differ is on the voltage drop. The tables I'm using show a voltage drop closer to 1.23 volts on an 80-foot round-trip run of 4 gauge wire. That said, the Victron manual specifies an input voltage range of 9-17 volts, meaning the charger can still produce a charging voltage for the trailer batteries even with an input as low as 9 volts. The manual also lists a maximum cable cross-section of 4 AWG, which I assume is more of a terminal-size limitation than a recommendation for optimal system efficiency. I also place value on real-world experience. The eXplorist.life videos, which I find very informative, indicate that 4 AWG works well in about 95% of their installations (I believe they do a lot of camper vans etc). Your setup is another good example of 4 AWG performing successfully, even at or near the charger's maximum output rating. You're also absolutely right about cable cost. Good grief, I paid nearly $5 per foot for 4/0 cable the other day. So why am I using 1/0 cable? Partly because I grew up on a farm where the philosophy was, "If four nails will hold it, use five screws." More seriously, it's about efficiency. Output wattage cannot exceed input wattage minus conversion losses, and those losses include the voltage drop across the cables and connectors. Larger conductors reduce voltage drop, reduce losses, and allow the charger to operate more efficiently. That said, if I already had 4 AWG cable installed with a 30-amp charger and wanted to upgrade to the 50-amp version, I probably wouldn't replace the cable. The performance gain wouldn't justify the additional cost and effort in most cases.

Great, that has to be a good feeling. Glad the problem is solved. John, My perspective is still shaped by the 18 years I owned a Bigfoot RB21. Even with a solid solar setup and a healthy battery bank, I never had enough capacity to completely ignore phantom loads and stop keeping an eye on power consumption. With the new system, that should no longer be a concern. That said, I decided to control it using pin 4 of the 7-pin connector. Based on what I've read in the owner's manual for my 2019 Ford F-150, that approach should work well. It will also power the unit down automatically when appropriate, and startup should be automatic once the tow vehicle detects a trailer and the required conditions are met, such as the driver's door being closed. I'll share more details once I've completed the installation and had a chance to test everything in real-world use. I appreciate your report on temperature. I will mount mine on the fan produced by Mobil Solar consulting because I need to mount it horizontal. I also plan on putting all of my isolation breakers, cutoff switches and misc. switches under the dinette. The Anderson SB175 supports cable contacts up to 1/0 AWG, while the SB120 is limited to contacts for up to 2 AWG cable, according to the Powerwerx specifications. Since I am running 1/0 cable, I ordered the SB175 along with the matching 1/0 cable contacts. I completely agree with this sound advice. Thank you for taking the time to outline the pros and cons of the different approaches. Those considerations are important and will help others determine which option best fits their particular setup and needs. Each tow vehicle will be different. I will soon test my F-150 to determine if what I read is correct and post the results.

Were you able to do this without removing or loosening the furnace (in the bottom of my photo and allowing very little clearance around the one side of the strap)??

Yeah I think so too which is why I posted. I am debating in my head whether locking it down to the bottom with angles in the corners as you suggest OR would it be better to have a slight flexibility? I am concerned the strapping was stressed to the extent of two symmetrical fractures - that's kind of weird. I have to look closer but yes perhaps it is only being held by the face plate now and the plumbing (not good). I am going to wait to talk to OTT service before pursuing a fix.

Will do so on Sunday. I assume over the weekend no one will see it. Your worst case fear is not unreasonable. But I have concerns now about how much movement was happening even when the banding intact. Obviously one doesnt want the unit bouncing around relative to the plumbing both gas and water but some of that is probably happening anyway. So how best to dampen out and restrict movement. I think the strap fatigued from repeated vibration suggesting things are bouncing around there. Just fyi, i am a pretty slow driver with no recollection of single severe jolts.

Sometimes "air sucks"....... GJ

Here is a link to my post on the GM trailer camera install when I had a 2021 Silverado. The GM wired camera is excellent and once set-up, the active guidelines are very helpful in backing the trailer. I replaced my Silverado with a 2026 Tundra Hybrid that had the factory installed option of wireless trailer camera. It’s nowhere near as good as the GM camera system.

For sure. But then if we had not disconnect that direct link between our Litho's (when we installed them) at best we would have blown its fuse in the TV. Or worse. But a good reminder to disconnect that wire as GalwayGal (I think) mentioned this long ago. Always good to keep Top of Mind the requirement to disconnect the TV charge wire (Usually AWG 12 or smaller) from the TV OEM line. Originally, the OEM "Charging Wire" to the 7-Pin Connector was to keep the trailer emergency brake battery "somewhat" charged. Back then they were TV LA to Trailer LA batteries. The two batteries would equalize while driving. With a brakeaway, a ten year totally neglected near dead trailer battery likely would have had enough charge in it to sent 6 or 12 amps (Single axle/Double axle) for the ten seconds or so to lock up the trailer wheels and get the trailer stopped or at least slowed down. For most modern RV's, the onboard batteries provide the power for a breakaway event. And for those trailer with LA, the wire still is a good feature. Hence it is still provided by the TV OEM's. But as soon as Litho's in the trailer are involved that line needs to be disabled from the Litho's. For reuse in this creative approach, your cautions are very much on target!

My suggestion of using the 12 V wire from the 7-pin tow harness to trigger the Orion through its L input is gaining traction. But it was only meant as a last resort if changes to the Orion’s settings didn’t correct the problem. The preferred method is still automatic detection, and it will work best for most installations. However, if you choose to go down that road, I’ll re-caution that the wire needs careful testing first. The tow harness 7-pin 12 V wire must be disconnected from the trailer battery, or the battery will back-feed it and hold the Orion on. The wire must be hot only with the engine running, not with the key off, and not with the key on and the engine off, or it can quickly drain the tow vehicle’s battery. Also be aware that some vehicles reportedly only energize it when they detect a trailer or a load, and the Orion would be invisible because the input draws almost nothing. Just be aware that the 12 V tow wire can behave differently across truck brands, models, and years. If you still want to go that route, then a cleaner option is a separate connector fed from a true engine-running source, such as an oil-pressure switch, an up-fitter engine-on output, or a CAN interface module programmed on engine RPM. Consider using Anderson’s SBSX-75A sealed connectors. They connect the power cables and up to 6 additional wires. They have a waterproof rating, handle up to 140 amps, and they are designed for 5,000 mating cycles. The new SBSX Pro model was robustly designed for electric riding mowers with battery monitoring. It has a clean looking panel mounting and 8 aux contacts. In my case, the 12 V wire is already in use for automatic rear camera switching, and I’ve been noodling a project to use the SBSX PRO to wire a BMS display head in the truck using the Anderson contacts for an RJ12 connection. That still leaves extra contacts for creative ideas such as a in truck - trailer air conditioning control. Let's see how fast this idea catches on! Oh, the Anderson connectors only accept up to #4 wire, so a short pigtail might be needed to connect heavier cable. This only adds negligible voltage drop. Either way, it’s worth careful thought before going down the road of tow-wire signaling over the preferred automatic engine on detection. Hope this helps for better informed decision making. Cheers! Geoff

***Long Post*** XPLOR Hull #634 Victron 3000 watt inverter, Victron 12v DC to DC charger and Epoch lithium battery upgrade. Note: To discuss options and pricing, please contact Jordan Hall at Inverter Services, White House, Tenn. Our OEM AGM batteries were getting long in the tooth and it was time to upgrade our batteries to a complete lithium battery system on our 2020 Oliver LE2. Our good friend, and former Oliver owner Jim Posey, highly recommended we speak with Inverter Services in White House, Tennessee. I called and spoke with Service Manager Jordan Hall and discussed our needs and options. Jordan and his team at Inverter Services were excellent to work with and have a lot of experience working on Oliver travel trailers. Our tech/installer, Easton Ford, kept us updated on our install progress with photos and discussions as needed. We found Easton to be extremely detail-oriented and dialed in and focused on our project. We were originally scheduled to have this work done next March. After returning from our 54 day New England and Canada trip, I decided to call Inverter Services and ask if they had any cancellations. They did and we immediately took the cancellation. They are typically booked 6-7 months out. So we hitched op Oliver and headed to White House, Tenn to leave our Oliver with the team for 2 weeks. Important note: Inverter Services supports the RV and Marine industry in ALL things lithium battery and electronics. This is one of the most detailed and thorough, cutting-edge companies we have ever done business with. I chose Inverter Services to do this install because this is not my area of expertise and it absolutely is theirs. These guys are experts in their field and I admittedly am still in the learning process. Based on our excellent experience, we highly recommend Inverter Services in White House, Tenn if you are considering a lithium upgrade. We chose all Epoch & Victron following products for this install. (2) Epoch 300ah lithium batteries (internal heating elements) -https://www.epochbatteries.com/.../12v-300ah-heated... *Victron MultiPlus-II 3000w Inverter/charger *Victron GX 70 Touch Screen *Victron Smart Solar MPPT *Victron Orion XS DC-DC Battery Charger **We also had the RV Soft Start installed on our Truma Aventa AC. Inverter Services provides tech guidance/support/firmware updates as long as we own our Oliver. I cannot stress enough the pride this company takes in their work. As I think most would agree, Victron components are a class all their own and leaders in the Marine and RV industry. Post install, we have on board 600ah of lithium battery power, and with our extra 90W Zamp panel now configured to lithium, we have approx 410 watts of solar. This will certainly give us more options on the roads less traveled and boondocking. Still lots to learn on this new system. Now having the 12v DC -DC charger I don’t think we will see a need to carry a generator any longer. Thanks to all those on the forum who made the Lithium upgrade happen. ⚡️ The information gleaned here helped me decide the direction I wanted to take this install. ⚡️Happy Camping and Safe Travels! ⚡️ A few install pics- The Victron GX 70 touch screen fit the existing opening with no cutting or trimming of the fiberglass. Our system at a glance. The touch screen nice option if no cell service is available for the Victron app. Although with our SL mini that’s not an issue. Very happy with the touch screen and the Victron app. We can set the screen to time out at 5 or 10 min or longer and then go dark for sleep mode. Zamp 90W suitcase. 12v DC to DC Andersen connector. On our way home we camped at Cumberland Mountain SP in Tenn and gave our new system a shake down. It’s nice to not have to plug in. 😊

Just to follow up on post. What I found ...... No oring, where screen housing connects to pump. Flexible line attached to screen housing did seem a little loose, snugged it up. One of the "quest fittings (unsure if that is the brand) was loose enough to allow air to draw in ....... After correcting these issues, all works great. Small issues easily remedied..... Thanks for the conversations. All tips used and helpful......

You can try setting your valves to the normal position, turn your pump on, then turn the valve circled in the picture below 'on' briefly. You will hear water rushing into your fresh tank. What this does is pump water from your fresh tank back into your fresh tank. This will purge the air out of the pump and associated components. This has happened to me many times after traveling and arriving at a site, somehow air gets into the system.

We've had this problem repeatedly in the exact scenario you describe. The "solution" was to open the hot and cold outside shower until the air purged from the system, which could take a couple of minutes. (Don't worry to much about the 2 minute limit. I once accidentally left the pump on for 20 minutes after draining the water from an old trailer and there was no harm done. 3 or 4 minutes is probably OK.) After that we'd be fine until the next stop when we'd have to do it again. Seemed like an air leak on the pump intake side, but I couldn't find one. I recently replaced the pump. One thing I noticed while doing that was that the pump filter didn't seem very tightly screwed onto the pump, something I had never thought to check, so look at that. Now the new pump is in. We'll see what happens next. Also, can you include your Oliver model and model year in your signature line? Makes it easier to help people sometimes.