ScubaRx

We have Blue Sky equipment in our Oliver. With all the different brands, to have a good setup, you have to have a solar controller, a shunt and a display. The Victron display Oliver is installing is the BMV-712. It is Bluetooth enabled and I think it provides the best bang for your buck. Shop around for the best price. As far as the shunt, one is included with the BMV-712. The solar controller you need will be dependent on the total wattage of all the panels you plan to connect to it. You will want to install it as close to the batteries as possible to lessen voltage loss from a long run of wires. Do not mount it in the battery compartment. I would put it under the street side bed if possible. The 712 display needs to be inside the cabin in a location that is easy to view. Ideally I would put it where the Zamp is now. Just fabricate a panel large enough to cover the hole and mount the 712 in it. If you need further help with that, PM me.

I used to wonder if using Teflon tape would somehow (electrically) insulate the anode from the tank thereby somewhat reducing its effectiveness. But, I used to wonder about a lot of things that don’t seem to bother me anymore. Never mind.

I am in the middle of a project where I am rebuilding the basement. I have decided to reroute the supply lines for the outside shower to a position more inboard than they are now. This is mainly to allow the new floor that I intend to install to be lower and completely flat. In rerouting those lines it will put them in a position closer to the centerline of the trailer as opposed to right next to the outside wall. This should have a positive effect on insulating those lines. I had not thought of putting valves into those lines, but it does sound like a good idea, and in their new position, it will be easy to do. I will probably put electric motorized valves in since I would not be able to easily access manual ones from the outside. Thanks for the idea.

Good try there, John. I found a hundred dollar bill while walking our dogs years ago. Tali demanded I give to her for safekeeping. I never saw it again.

No I am not looking for advice. And I agree that that I would be really distressed we’re I to lose something that cost that much. The point of my post is that I found this knife, it is in great shape and I have reason to believe it was lost by someone who owns an Oliver. If someone has lost this knife, please let me know where you were camped when you last had it.

I’m wondering if anyone out there recognizes this or owns one…

The Xantrex 3000 watt inverter/charger is necessary to have in order to be able to run the air conditioner off the batteries. It also is able to recharge the lithium batteries at up to 150 amps per hour, 3x that of the PD4045.

You didn’t mention in the Oliver vs BB comparison the Oliver has ditched the inadequate Zamp equipment for Victron. It won’t make up for the $$ difference but it is light years better in capability. I swapped my Trojan AGM’s for three BB’s a couple of years ago. We rarely use more than 12% during the dark hours and we are back to 100% by noon with good sun and we only have 300 watts of solar. We were not hobbled with the Zamp stuff as our Hull #050 (and the next 150 trailers) was outfitted with Blue Sky equipment. A 100 watt panel can only put out about 8 amps so you can calculate how long it would take to replace amps used with whatever number of watts of solar you have. With either the Blue Sky or Victron equipment, you’ll get a few extra amps because their controllers are MPPT vs PWM on the Zamp. Older trailers will also need to replace the PD4045 charger with a lithium compatible model ($200+).

We’ve only gone from Silverton to Ouray, not the opposite direction. I don’t if Tali would go for that as she would be riding on the edge looking down.

A magnesium anode protects better and lasts longer than Aluminum Anodes. Sacrificial Anodes are used to protect the hulls of ships, water heaters and other metals in contact with water or a dissimilar metal.

How much solar does your trailer currently have? Do you have the Zamp controller?

In the “millions” of threads concerning composting vs standard toilets, I have posted many times about this very issue. There are many things in life that can cause chronic loose stools, from medical conditions to medications.

Yep, the only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.

John, Lionshead is the distributor that supplies the already mounted tires and wheels to Oliver. The wheels had a small removable sticker on each one that stated they were made by the company Sumec.

Thank you for a rational resolution with no drama.

AT&T, for years. All over the lower 48, In Western Canada and Alaska.

The axles are not changing.

This is correct.

John, the new wheels will still be 6 bolt on 5.5”.

I took this photo this morning of one of the Elite II’s on the showroom floor. Rodney says this is the tires and wheel’s they will be using on the 2023 models. He did say that their existing stock of 16” wheels and tires will be used first. So, it may be as late as March of ‘23 before the new models will start to be delivered with the new sets.

The axles are not changing. The are no parts available to convert the 3500 pound axles used on the Elite II from drum to disc. It would be possible on the Elite I since it is supplied with a 5200 pound axle.

Fifteen years ago, 16” wheels were used extensively by the automotive industry. Now it’s an oddball size. All the heavy duty trucks are using 18” or 20”. Also at that time you could not buy a heavy duty tire in a 15” size and the ST tire’s being made were all Chinese maypops.

Actually, Michelin quit making the tire they were using. Is your trailer still on the market? This is a non issue for current owners.

We are spending the night at Oliver National Park tonight. We took Anita out to lunch and had dinner tonight with Phil and two of the lovely ladies in his life. Phoenix is adorable as expected. I found out several weeks ago that Oliver had made (what I consider) a major change that will be included in the 2023 models. Today I sat down with some management folks to get the lowdown. As many of you probably know, Goodyear has bought Cooper Tire. Oliver has equipped their new trailers with Coopers for the past few years. Due to the immediate unavailability of the tires they have been using, their only choice was to switch tire companies. During their research they reassessed their needs and goals for running gear. The decision has been made that going forward and starting immediately, both Oliver models will be equipped with 15 inch wheels and tires with a matching spare. The tires will be Goodyear Endurance ST225/75-15’s. Tire SizeST225/75R15 Product Code724857519 Speed RatingN Load Index117 Load RangeE SidewallBlack Uniform Tire Quality Grade (UTQG)- Max Load (lbs)2830 Max Inflation Pressure (PSI)80 Approved Rim Width (in.)6.0-7.0 Measured Rim Width (in.)6.0 Section Width (in.)8.8 Tread Depth (in 32nds)8 Outside Diameter (in.)28.3

Although I wouldn’t do it, if you want to go cheaper than lithiums, you could just go to AGM’s. But for less than $3K, you can replace the four T-105’s with 3x100 amp hour Battle Born lithium batteries and a new PD charger that’s plug and play. There’s no need to spend $15K. And you’ll end with an extra 100 amp hours over what you currently have.