ScubaRx
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Posts posted by ScubaRx
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On 3/10/2023 at 6:40 PM, Gliddenwoods said:
I may have to replace my electric water heater element. I have watch a Youtube on the process and it looks straightforward enough. However any advice and/or cautions from those with experience would be welcomed.
Thanks.
It simply takes a 1-1/2” socket to remove the element. If your set doesn’t have one that large, I’d get one at Harbor Freight.
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On 3/8/2023 at 11:53 AM, ChrisMI said:
I’m looking for a relatively safe place to store an elite II starting next week for just under two weeks. Traveling down from Gulf shores to take a 10 day cruise out of southern Florida. Thought it might be easier to drop the trailer on the way down vs storing it at the cruise terminal. Any help/experiences would be great!
Chris, your profile info states you don’t own a travel trailer. Is the OEII a recent acquisition?
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56 minutes ago, taylor.coyote said:
we have ton's of content about choosing TV in this forum without making an example and making fun of these people. We do not need to alienate these people.
You are 100% correct that there is more than plenty of towing information both here and on the thousands of other forums and RV sites all over the internet. That “these people” apparently have not taken the advantage of this plethora of free information speaks volumes. They are either completely oblivious to the terrible danger they are placing on themselves and everyone else that shares the road with them OR they don’t care because everything seems to be “just fine” OR some combination of it all.
I didn’t get the impression that any comment was “making fun” of them. If these comments have alienated them, I shudder at the thought of the way they’ll feel with a good lawyer bringing up the same points.-
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6 hours ago, mossemi said:
I haven’t had the opportunity to work on any of the marker lights, but I believe someone on the forum, maybe topgun2, mentioned that the lights are installed from the outside and pushed into place. Is that the case?
Mossey
Yes, the light has to be removed from the chrome bezel first. This is not easy because there’s nothing to grab hold of to pull it out. You just have to keep at it and tease it out. If someone knows an easy removal method, please share. Once out, clip something to the wires so they don’t disappear back down into the hole. The bezel can now be easily removed.
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I've encountered marker light problems with the OOII several times thru the years. I like the way Mossey described their locations, so I'll be using his nomenclature. First it was the front port upper corner. Now, (several years later) it's the bottom front both corners.
The first time turned out to actually be a burned out LED. That was surprising. The second instance is going to be tougher but, since it is both sides, I suspect it will be a loose wire. All these lights have their wiring run before the outer upper hull is installed and can make rewiring a challenge.
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9 hours ago, Geronimo John said:
Great post and a fun read as our family solved the "Who Dune It".
Maybe to help the owner a bit, could we change the thread title to indicate the vehicle make and model?
That way the owner likely would notice the post, and hopefully read the above sage thoughts.
GJ
Done…
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On 3/8/2023 at 10:08 AM, Frank C said:
Does Oliver have any responsibility or give any input when a new owner shows up on delivery day with an undersized/unsafe tow vehicle? We’ve seen owners towing with unsuitable vehicles, overloaded with respect to towing rating or payload, using a WDH when it’s contraindicated with certain uni-body SUVs, or not using a WDH when they should be, some with no trailer brake controller, etc. Maybe in this case (or the others noted), the trailer was bought used? So no input from Oliver, just from the previous owner?
On 3/8/2023 at 11:23 AM, Steph and Dud B said:I doubt there's any liability for OTT. The driver is responsible for the safe operation of their vehicle. As long as OTT correctly identifies the "as manufactured" weight, I think they're good. It's like every RV salesperson says: "Sure, you can tow this with your [insert vehicle here]!"
I do agree that MANY truck and RV Salespeople are probably not the best examples of integrity, but let's not be unfair and just arbitrarily lump those that work at Oliver in with the general bunch. I spent the past three days at the factory and had the opportunity to speak with the sales team as well as several current owners and potential owners. I had towing discussions with all of them. The sales team DOES advise the potential owners against using undersized trucks or these tiny SUV's to try to tow an Elite II with. Obviously, they can't control or, in my opinion, be held responsible for the ultimate decisions made by those that are just getting by. Don't attempt to use the wrong tow vehicle to pull the right trailer.
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3 hours ago, Fargoman said:
Now that I have inadvertently 'outed' the owners of this LE2 with this post, in the hopes of learning whether they live in the Pacific Northwest, I suspect they might want to remain anonymous because of our discussion of their choice of tow vehicle. If they do see this post, let's hope they search the Forum for the many discussions about this subject and reconsider their choice of tow vehicle before they find themselves in a bad situation.
They're already in a bad situation, they just didn't know it until now. You've actually done them and all their potential victims a real favor. Now when their accident happens they will have been warned of it's potential in advance. I hope they do see this and make the prudent choice to dramatically update their choice of a tow or trade the Elite II for something much smaller and lighter.
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On 3/1/2023 at 11:24 AM, thompsonkd said:
We are not having issues with our converter-we actually replaced ours when we went to lithium batteries. I was just trying to find a thread that Scuba Rx started about an issue with converters over heating. He talked about the need to inspect the converter to avoid the issue-the Forum search feature will not bring up the thread.
Sorry I didn't see this when you first posted. As you've probably realized by now, it's not the converter, it's the transfer switch and is only included if you order the front generator hook-up port. The problem arose because the screws in the connector block had loosened over time and a loose connection will build up heat due to the increased resistance. As far as any concerns with the converter goes, you do need to make sure the wiring connections are all tight there as well.
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19 hours ago, katanapilot said:
GJ
The second 30A receptacle also allows us to place the generators near the front of the trailer and further away from the rear sleeping area for noise purposes.
Of course, if you are using the generator(s) to run the Dometic turbojet air conditioner, you won't be able to hear the generators anyway. 🤣
Unless I'm standing in the bathroom, I do not hear our generator that's sitting out on the tongue. We have a 3000 watt Yamaha EF3000iSEB that I bought in 2008 to accompany us in our travels in our then brand new Oliver Elite Hull #026. It now travels with us in Hull #050 and has been on every trip we've ever taken. It still runs flawlessly and will power everything in our current trailer.
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1 hour ago, Gliddenwoods said:
UPDATE
We now have power.
The belief is that the 8 inches of wet Arizona snow the day before we arrived forced moisture into the Park pole outlet causing the surge protectors to signal reverse polarity.
However not sure why the internal Oliver surge protector (why working by not allowing power in) did not give me an error code.
You need to contact Progressive Industries and relate all you details to them. Something doesn’t seem correct here and I would not want you to find out the hard way that your unit is not working properly.
Do you need technical support?
Check out our troubleshooting page or contact technical service directly
(Phone: 1-800-307-6702 press 2)
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On 3/1/2023 at 6:24 PM, Melodyb said:
Hi everyone. I am learning tons here and I have two things I would like to throw out there for the forum. I read a lot about the nature composting toilet that the company makes available but if I wanted an Air head put in instead would they do that? Also, I don't want a propane stove I prefer induction. If I supplied them the parts do you think they would make it to my specs?
Thanks 🙂
NO during production, MAYBE in service after the sale is completed. You provide the parts they provide the labor at $150.00 or more per hour.
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6 hours ago, Steph and Dud B said:
... I would NOT bypass the Oliver Progressive unit without further study. If you know how to correctly use a multimeter, I'd check the campground pedestal connection first. If you don't know how, find someone who can and see if the pedestal is wired correctly.
I agree, and would ask the campground to allow you to move to another site to at least try another power post. If electricity will pass at a different site, you can assume your "watch dog" gave you good info although I would have expected the EMS to have thrown an E-1 code, certainly not E-0.
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Are you guys referring to an internal or external fan?
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29 minutes ago, Ollie-Haus said:
...I'm guessing if they put the heavier springs on the LE2 it would ride like a log wagon to the detriment of everything on board...
I specified the 5200 pound axles during the 2013-14 build of Hull #050 because Jim Oliver told me to. They came with the 5 leaf spring pack which fully rated them to carry 5200 pounds. We've towed it about 100K miles over the past 10 years, been to every state including Alaska. I've never had anything to break, drawers to open during travel or cabinet doors that won't stay closed. Virtually 100% of those miles have the tires at 80psi (which I don't think is a good idea, despite it still being recommended until recently). The easiest way to soften the ride is to lower the tire pressure. We now run about 60psi although tires are rated for 110psi.
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On 2/27/2023 at 8:22 AM, Ollie-Haus said:
…For what it's worth BTW, it was explained to us on our last plant tour that Oliver is building the LE2 now with the same 5K axles as the LE1 uses. This is for cost and logistics/supplier streamlining. The LE2 still has the same load sticker on the side, but you do have increased actual axle capacity with two 5K axles under the trailer. Just a more robust and heavier undercarriage in this configuration. This works well with my thinking of having more than we need. Many RVs are built to be at axle capacity with full holding tanks and almost no margin for gear at all. Oliver is not doing this to say the least.
You are correct that all delivered new Legacy Elite II’s will come with a pair of the same 5200 pound axles that have been supplied on the Elite’s since 2008 and for the reasons you stated.
However, the same four leaf spring pack that has always been used with the 3500 pound axles is being retained rather than using the five leaf spring pack that is normally used for the 5200 pounders. Their reasoning behind this is that it gives the trailers a softer ride. Effectively, this means the new LEII’s will still have a GVWR of 7000 pounds since that rating is determined by the measurement of the weakest link in the suspension system.
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53 minutes ago, Frank C said:
...I like being prepared, and a well stocked Ollie can provide shelter, food and water for an extended time.
And it doesn't get any better than that!
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6 hours ago, Frank C said:
Hi Steve, that’s a very loose interpretation of Newton's law. And that example of the extra weight of full tanks only applies in an ideal world with frictionless surfaces. Frictional forces must always be taken into account in the balance of forces with Newton's laws. In that cartoon illustration, the frictional force of the crate sliding on the floor must be accounted for. The crate won't keep sliding on its own. You have to keep pushing, even to maintain a constant speed. And the heavier the crate, the harder you have to push to maintain a constant speed, because of friction.
In the real world, every extra bit of mass in the trailer and tow vehicle absolutely will require additional energy to move, even at a constant speed on a level road, for several reasons:
-Rolling resistance of the tires increases as the downward loading on the tires increases.
-Wheel bearing friction, etc. all increase as well as the mass increases.
-Even when towing at a constant speed on a level road, a change in direction (making a turn) is a change in velocity vector (which is still an acceleration) that requires more energy as the mass increases.
And of course we don’t drive indefinitely on level roads at a constant speed. There are hills, stop lights, etc. that constantly require acceleration, so more mass means more energy needed.
You are correct, of course, that my application of Newton’s laws is rather simplistic and for it to be realistic, it would probably need to executed in a vacuum using wet ice sliding on wet ice at a constant temperature.
My singular intention was to try to dispel the constant fear that carrying a full tank of water will significantly affect your fuel mileage.
My real world experience is that I’ve never been able to tell a difference.
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1 hour ago, Geronimo John said:
Amen. Good for you!. If you are not comfortable with your existing TV and how it would perform for your camping needs, then by all means look to the heavier and more capable trucks. Just be aware that IF your TV is also your daily driver then there are down sides that come into play. Some of them are:
- They do not handle as well.
- The ride quality for daily driving certainly is not as good.
- The MPG for daily and in most cases towing is not as good.
- The cost to buy, operate, maintain, and repair are certainly more expensive.
- The fun factor to drive is not as good.
- Finding a place to park is harder.
As said before, by all means buy what YOU need.
Since acquiring our Hull # 050 in 2014, we have used three different tow vehicles. A 1500 gas pickup, a 2500 diesel pickup and now a 3500 diesel pickup, it being perfect for the way what we want to travel.
I really can’t tell any ride quality or handling issues between the three trucks.
The fuel mileage is much better with the diesels as opposed to the gas burner.
Everything about a diesel costs more.
For myself, I absolutely love driving one of the largest personal vehicles on the road and over the past 50 or more years I’ve always parked at the furthest side of the lot so parking space has never been an issue.
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4 hours ago, Patriot said:
But then there's Gerrold's Laws of Infernal Dynamics:
1. An object in motion will always be headed in the wrong direction.
2. An object at rest will always be in the wrong place.
3. The energy required to change either one of these states will always be more than you wish to expend, but never so much as to make the task totally impossible.-
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3 minutes ago, SeaDawg said:
That said, a 3/4 or 1 ton truck is definitely not a requirement.
I'd guess the majority here tows with half tons.
More power, the better, is true with any tow combination, but, hey. If you already own a half ton with tow package, love the one you're with.
Lots of factors to consider.
Apparently, you missed his comment ("...I am in the market for both a Tow Vehicle and a LEII..."). I took that to mean that he is literally in the market for a Tow Vehicle, i.e. I don't have a tow vehicle, I need to buy one and I don't want to screw up and buy something that is too small where I'll have to learn to live with what I've got.
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On 2/26/2023 at 1:47 PM, JDAstroPhoto said:
....Since I am in the market for both a Tow Vehicle and a LEII, I am doing some sizing analysis. I did see enough of the trailer, to basically conclude it is loaded with all the Oliver options, this includes the Platinum Lithium package. During the video he showed the tire and loading information sticker on the side of the trailer....
I'm glad you are using this method to buy your outfit. You will be glad of it and will get the most for your money. Most people decide they want a trailer, pick one out and "hope" their intended tow vehicle will be sufficient. Hope is not a strategy. Study and understand the numbers. If you don't understand them ask questions.
Oliver's are not lightweight trailers. They never were. Most of the trailering world believes fiberglass trailers are light. They are incorrect. You can't have a tow vehicle that is too big. You may have more than you need but, in my opinion, that's perfectly acceptable. It took me 5 different tow vehicles to finally get there but now I can tow any trailer currently made and haul everything that either of us may ever need.
Towing an Oliver Elite II Travel Trailer can be an excellent experience.
Any vehicle other than a 3/4 ton or a 1 ton truck (or larger) will require an Andersen hitch to tow an Oliver Elite II to be safe and legal.
Any vehicle requiring an Andersen hitch is not as good as a 2500 or 3500 truck for towing or hauling cargo.
Using the Andersen is just subtracting 66 pounds from your Cargo Carrying Capacity in an attempt to adapt the wrong truck to the right trailer.
Don’t buy the wrong truck.
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On 2/26/2023 at 8:54 PM, Farside said:
Are you assuming travel with all tanks full? Wouldn’t most just have full fresh or full grey/black?
This is very true. After all your fresh water has been used, it has moved to the gray or black tanks. The water weight will have increased slightly due to whatever effluvia we have added to it in the using.
I have found situations where our fresh tank is nearing empty, the gray tank is full and the black is OK. If we are in an area where it is permissible, I will empty the gray. Then filling the the fresh will leave us with a net gain of the weight of the black water, but ready to continue.
Through the years, I've heard many of us say we travel with a full fresh tank. We do and I think it is a good idea. You really never know when you may accidentally find yourself stuck somewhere with no access to water. Folks worry about the mileage hit from hauling the extra weight. Truthfully, according to Newton’s first law of motion, once an mass is in motion, it maintains the same motion unless acted on by force. In other words, after you've gotten the full fresh tank up to speed (using a force from the truck's engine) it does not require any additional force to keep it moving at the same speed.
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22 hours ago, JDAstroPhoto said:
That's interesting. The 640 Ah batteries from Lithionics weight 136 lbs. AGMs are about 40 lbs each. So 160 lbs. So the Lithium batteries actually weigh less.
So since yours had all the options, then where did all the weight come from? The DC fridge has to be lighter than the 3 way fridge. 570 lbs is a significant amount. The Dexter suspension?
Depending on the brand, AGM's weigh an average of 65 pounds per 6 volt battery. That's actually 260 pounds for the 4 batteries. Lithium batteries are considerably lighter than lead/acid. I have 4 x 100Ah Battle Born's that weigh a total of 124 pounds cutting our battery weight in half from what it was when delivered back in 2014.
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Towing an Oliver I
in Towing an Oliver
Posted
You would need some kind of weight distribution and since Andersen is your only option, we’ll go with that one. Take another 65 pounds out of your cargo capacity.
Assuming your current vehicle has all the stuff that JD listed above: Three average passengers, 450 pounds. Gear for three, who knows. Technically, you’re within the limits. Realistically, it will be a mediocre experience at best. I would expect this experiment to last a year at most before you trade for a more capable tow vehicle.