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Rumline

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Posts posted by Rumline

    Atwood A/C

    in Mechanical & Technical Tips

    Posted

    Yeah, I wanted a compressor fridge too.  Oh well.  It sounds like most folks are happy enough with the propane fridge.  I'll just keep mine until it dies then replace with compressor.

     

    I was interested in this Atwood AC because I'm concerned about being able to run the AC off a generator at altitude (5000-8000).  Due to my family's situation most of our big trips will be during the summer and it does get hot here even at those elevations.  I was hoping to get by with a Honda 2000i (or 2200i) but after converting to propane I'm not sure it'd have enough oomph.  So at this point I'm looking at the Champion 3400 dual-fuel generator which runs on propane out of the box.  Taking into consideration reduced power due to altitude, temperature, and propane, that Champion plus the easy start should run it no problem.

     

    Will your CU do a written pre-approval?  From my understanding that's all Oliver needs to get you through production.

    How to: Fix and flip your blinds

    in Ollie Modifications

    Posted

    Not sure if this was posted elsewhere but according to Anita all new builds are using the pure white shades and frames vs. the almond / ivory ones that appear in nearly every interior photo I've seen.

     

    Does anybody know when this change happened?  Has anybody with a recent build received the off-white ones?

    Atwood A/C

    in Mechanical & Technical Tips

    Posted

    Anita just confirmed that the only air conditioner they will install is the Dometic Penguin II (the one without the heat pump).

     

    I guess the days of getting "secret menu" items done at the factory are over.  So far I'm batting zero on all requested modifications.

    Anderson hitch

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    From what I've read, weight distribution hitches are for use on-pavement only. When driving bumpy forest roads the weight distribution arms / chains should be disconnected.  This is because WD hitches are designed to limit articulation between tow vehicle and trailer.

    Atwood A/C

    in Mechanical & Technical Tips

    Posted

    OK.  But when I drill down to their RV air conditioners https://www.dometic.com/en-us/us/products/climate/air-conditioners/air-conditioners-for-rvs I don't see an "Air Command" or anything that looks exactly like the Atwood Air Command.  Their website specs don't list current draw either so it's hard to tell which is the best, low-draw model.

     

    Edit: nevermind...I was getting redirected to the US website. When I manually go to the Australia site I see it now.

    How big is the rear storage compartment?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Sorry, yes, I was asking about the Elite II.  I wasn't sure what "basement" and "attic" refer to.  I guess basement makes sense. At first I thought it would be the space under the floor.  Still have no idea where the attic would be, since overhead cabinets are covered separately.

     

    Anybody happen to have the measurements of the basement door opening handy?  I guess I could just call OTT.

    Generators

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Thanks for the info Randy.  I'm definitely looking hard at one of those kits.

     

    I don't have a good place to transport another tank (and I really don't want to add the weight or cost of the front storage basket) so I'm thinking of keeping one of the two 30 lb'ers for the RV and use the other for the generator.  For boondocking that will be enough run time.  If we're going to be spending extended time in hot climates we'll be somewhere with hookups anyway.

    Rear power jacks don’t work

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    in hindsight, I do wish that I’d bought the built in surge protector rather than the portable one, just so I know that the trailer is protected when in service. I’m going to ask from now on when I go in to service that they use the surge protector, but since there’s no guarantee that will always happen, I’ve begun to consider just calling it a loss and a lesson learned on the portable surge protector and shelling out for the built in one for this one and only reason.

    I guess this is one benefit of the built-in surge suppressor being standard equipment on the 2018's.

    • Thanks 1

    Generators

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    The advantages to propane: Fixed lowest generator weight, your fuel is always separate The whole carrying gas around, either in the generator or in a can to refuel I’m horrible about long term fuel storage and propane doesn’t go bad. If necessary, it can be connected to the Olivers tanks to get through an emergency situation. Normally I just run it, them, off a standard gas grill tank. If concerned about high altitude use, you can get a higher flow adapter easy enough. The con is the initial cost of the alteration.

     

    I am concerned about high altitude operation.  I know about needing to re-jet the carburetor for more efficient high altitude operation.  Is that just for gasoline or do you need to do that with a propane conversion as well?  By "higher flow adapter" do you mean for the propane regulator?

     

    Are there any other cons about a propane generator besides the price?  Is the output capacity any lower?

     

    Why would you connect it to the Oliver's tanks only in an emergency?

    Rear power jacks don’t work

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    The bad news is that as I have complaint to Oliver when I took delivery in Nov 2017, they didn’t provide me with any of the manuals or instructions on the different equipment because they said that they don’t do that as its all online at the Oliver University page on their website. Not true as this situation shows. They only have the front jack but there is nothing on the two back ones. So if I had not had the help of my fellow bloggers here, I would have been out of luck until Monday when I would have had to call the factory for help. The other issue I also have is that manufactures are constantly updating their equipment and what is installed in newer models doesn’t jive with whats online.

    I agree this is disappointing and not ideal.  How long has it been since they've switched from Fiamma awnings, for example?

     

    If only there was an OTT wiki that we could edit....

    Generators

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Just a comment about running the AC: the Air Command smaller unit (9500, no heat strip) runs fine off my Yamaha 2400 generator with no soft start needed.

     

    Hi John, was this smaller Air Command AC a published option when you ordered your Ollie?  Or was it a "Secret Menu" item?

    Recreational vehicle standards, and why is the average build quality so low?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    I’ve made a list of all the campgrounds in Colorado that are open year-round!

    How did you find these campgrounds? Last I looked in mid November everything I could find was closed.

     

    I'd love to do late and early season camping, not sure I'd brave Steamboat for New Years.  Although it's been really warm and dry down here in Colorado Springs this winter.  We could have gone camping well into December.

    Cabinet to replace microwave

    in Ollie Modifications

    Posted

    I don’t know of any toaster oven designed to be used in an enclosed space. Even the more expensive double wall ovens get hot on the sides and back.

     

    I was thinking of these: https://www.lowes.com/pl/Built-in-microwaves-Microwaves-Appliances/4294715795?refinement=4294805928,4294786927

     

    But they won't fit in the Oliver's microwave cavity anyway.

     

    I'm considering storing a "regular" counter top toaster oven in there and then take it out for use.  My family uses a toaster oven all the time, but all we use a microwave for is heating frozen stuff, which I'm not sure we'll have much of when traveling.  Anyway, threadjack over.

    • Thanks 1
    • Like 1

    Recreational vehicle standards, and why is the average build quality so low?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

     

    Congratulations! This is a great time to order since you won’t be constantly staring out the window wishing you were camping. I love your forum name and especially your avitar, for the non- boaters here, would you care to explain? I think Rumline is a stellar name for your new Ollie, Sales can have a graphic made for you to pick up at delivery; you need to send them a high resolution picture with “print size” info. I used an online vinyl boat name website, found a font I liked, and generated mine. Easy. 

    Thank you for the kind words.  My wife and I just started thinking of names but I'd not considered Rumline.  She's the admiral* so we'll see what she thinks.

     

    A "rhumb line" is a straight line course on a Mercator-projection chart.  You can travel a rhumb line by steering the same compass bearing.  As you travel around with a constant angle to magnetic north, your course will curve on the actual globe.  A "great circle" route is the shortest path between two points and appears as a straight line on a globe, but it's much harder to steer one with just a compass.

     

    I like rhumb lines because while they're not the "best" or most efficient means of travel, they're really easy and good enough for me.  I replaced "rhumb" with "rum" since I appreciate distilled spirits, rum included.

     

    15? We’re planning on 40!

     

    Ha!  That's great!  By 15 years I didn't mean that's how long the Ollie will last, rather that I expect we'll want to move on to something else within that timeframe.  Not necessarily another RV.  But who knows.  Either way, long before the end of the Ollie's useful life.

     

     

     

    * For the non-boaters, referring to one's wife as "the admiral" is a tongue-in-cheek statement reflecting the fact that while you may be the captain of your boat, she still outranks you.  Happy wife, happy life.

    • Thanks 1

    Recreational vehicle standards, and why is the average build quality so low?

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Sorry for the necro-post but nothing in this thread is outdated.

     

    I come from a boating background.  Instead of partying while in college I worked on boats.  Ended up buying a cheap trailerable fiberglass sailboat older than I was and restored it.  When I picked it up every deck and hull fitting leaked and there was about 6" of funky old rainwater standing in the bilge.  The bow eye was nearly ripped out, standing and running rigging were trashed, wood was on its way out.  But the hull was still sound and the wood was mostly cosmetic.  The interior was also gelcoated fiberglass like the Ollies.

     

    I learned how to do minor fiberglass repair (and a bunch of other fun stuff) and in about a year I had her back in the water bashing up the California coast.

     

    My point is that even though this poor 25-year-old boat was completely neglected for the better part of a decade and had extensive water intrusion, it was easily salvagable by an idiot college kid.  How?  Because it was made of molded fiberglass with no wood in the structure.

     

    Fast forward to 2017 and I'm looking at travel trailers.  I only went to one dealer and left disgusted by the cheesy construction.  Cheap **** stapled to OSB, taped "caulking", rubber roof, are you freakin kidding me???  Then I start doing research and find that a lot of these things struggle to make it to 5 years old without serious mold or structural problems.  Some don't even make it 2 years.  No thanks!!

     

    I found the Casita trailers first, then Escape, and finally Oliver.  I'm learning to like the Oliver floorplan but I immediately liked how all the interior structure is molded fiberglass, just like my boat was.  And no wood!

     

    To me, $65k amortized over 15 years is a lot better than $18k over 2-5 years. Even if I don't end up keeping it that long or if buying several cheaper units end up costing less, not having to constantly worry about or fix problems is worth it to me.  Yes I know fiberglass RVs still need maintainence.  Like Buzzy said there's the peace of mind that comes with owning a high quality, well-built thing with a quality company standing behind it.

     

    So with that said, my wife and I just placed our order this week.

     

    Disclaimer: I talked about myself so much not because I think anybody particularly cares about me per se, but because I think my perspective or frame of mind may be representative of some portion of Oliver's target audience.

    • Thanks 1

    Cabinet to replace microwave

    in Ollie Modifications

    Posted

    Hold up...Overland, when you said the toaster oven almost fits, does that mean you just use it on the counter?  Or did you make it fit in the cabinet?

     

    If one wanted to put a toaster oven in there, rather than opting for the cabinet option, could they simply remove the stock microwave and put in the toaster oven?  Then the space wouldn't be so tight.

     

    I recall reading somewhere that Oliver can't put a convection oven in the microwave space due to venting.  But there are convection ovens that are front-vented for being installed in cabinets.  What am I missing?

    • Like 1

    Cold weather/ winter camping tips

    in Mechanical & Technical Tips

    Posted

    Had I propped open the bath door somehow, that probably wouldn’t have happened.

     

    I'm not sure how wide the bathroom door opens but you could get one of these to hold the door open while in transit:

     

    https://www.westmarine.com/buy/perko--chromed-zinc-cabin-door-hook--P024_721_003_533?recordNum=16

     

    I would suggest getting a second loop attachment so you can secure the hook to the same wall it's mounted to when not in use.

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