Fritz

We have only the curbside awning, and have not left it fully extended in rain (because rain is often accompanied by wind). We have, however, left it partially extended (perhaps 1 to 3 feet from the trailer) in the rain. With this amount of extension, the water does not drain from the awning, and instead pools between the aluminum arms. Not good, because it weights down the awning. The fabric is "breathable," but does not let enough water filter through to avoid pooling. I understand that it was easier to set angles on older-style manual awnings with support arms (allowing for better drainage); these would be much better for rain (and wind). Also, rain can bring down leaves or pine needles, leaving gunk on the awning. I've waited until the gunk dries, swept it off with a broom (while standing on a ladder, or blowing it off with the leaf blower (essential camping tool🙂). Again, I believe that the older-style manual awning would allow temporarily setting it at a steeper angle to allow cleaning before rolling it up. So, in concept, the awnings would be great for protecting partially open windows when raining. In practice, not so much. Wish they did.

We have towed Hull 790 with lithium package about 6,500 miles over 4 months of use. We use the 12V option on the refrigerator. Sometimes. It depends.... I'm reluctant to use propane for the refrigerator while driving, not because of usage, but because of safety. In the event of a severe accident, a ruptured gas line with an open tank valve could make a bad situation worse. The refrigerator uses about 15 amps when running on 12V. This is about what the panels produce on a sunny summer day. On a cloudy day, or a sunny late fall day, the solar will not keep up with the fridge; you'll be drawing from the batteries to run the fridge. If the batteries are topped off, and there is sun in the forecast, then no problem (they shouldn't be maintained at 100% anyway). If the batteries are low, and the forecast is for clouds, then this may not be a good option. The problem with using State of Charge (SOC) in the Victronics app to measure refrigerator impact -- especially on a new trailer -- is that the SOC has to be calibrated. Calibration happens when you run the battery to reserve voltage (12.0 volts) and then do a complete charge with shore power (to 14.4 volts). The SOC readings in the Lithionics app should be more accurate after this, although I'm not fully convinced of this yet. I learned this the hard way: we ran down our batteries completely by accident (and had to hand-crank the awnings and stabilizers) but the app indicated that the SOCs in each battery were between 57% and 62%. So, on a cool day while driving we might turn off the fridge (it stays relatively cool for a long time). On an open road with little traffic we might use propane. On a busy freeway, especially in urban areas, on a hot sunny day, I'll turn it to 12 volts. I use a temperature sensor to monitor fridge temperature remotely (https://www.amazon.com/SensorPush-Wireless-Thermometer-Hygrometer-Android/dp/B01AEQ9X9I/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=21PYNKL0E7HOX&dchild=1&keywords=sensorpush+sensor&qid=1633192318&sprefix=sensorpush%2Caps%2C257&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzQVdBSFlCMk9SQ0taJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzUxMzExMjM4SFVHWTNVTEdCQiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNjIyMjYwMzQwSzIzRTFDRjZUTSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=. This sensor (which I think NCeagle first mentioned on this forum) is expensive, but terrific (I'm using several now to monitor humidity and temperature in the fridge, trailer, instrument cases, etc.). Similarly, we ordered the lithium package in part because we were told that Oliver would "likely" have a TV charging solution by the time that we picked up in April. I was disappointed that this was not available at pickup, and that there still doesn't seem to be a solution that Oliver can recommend and for which Oliver could provide some installation guidance. Others have installed DC to DC charger (e.g., search for John Davies Redarc thread), but it sure seems like this problem of not being able to charge from the TV is something that Oliver would want to solve. Hope this helps.

Yep, continued fussing with it and found the exact same thing. I went through several tries of purging with city water and then trying the pump again, and when that didn't work realized that the filter was bubbling: air getting in! Took off the filter cap and, just like you, saw that the gasket was not seated properly. Reseated the gasket, and viola, it works again! Thank you so much for the reply -- had I not found it your comments would have steered me to the right spot. And yes, a self-inflicted wound; I had removed the filter to clean it earlier today. I'm amazed that after 3 1/2 months of use the filter continues to collect substantial amounts of plastic shrapnel.

Could you please clarify what you mean by this? Our pump (in a 2021 LE2) is sputtering ... it blows air, then pumps water, then sputters, etc. I installed the anti-free kit a couple of days ago; a portion of the water heater drained out in the process. When I attach a supply hose to the city water connection it sputtered at the faucet at first, then it produced water from the hot and cold faucet sides, just as it should. The tank is full. The filter has water, but it is only about 3/4 full -- perhaps an indication of air in the system? Anyone -- any ideas? Heading for the mountains in the morning, and I would like for this to work... Thanks!!

Well, I'm grateful to you for having figured this out. While not as elegant as a simple on-off charging switch on the remote panel, it solves one of my greatest annoyances with the trailer: how to run the fridge or other appliances on 110V without continually charging the batteries or listening to that inverter fan cycle on every 15 minutes. Now if I can just do something to quiet the inverter when we do want it to charge the batteries....

Thanks, SeaDog. OK, so I switched the charger ignition control setting to "auto-on," and then plugged in to shore power. The remote panel shows that the battery is not connected; the annoying inverter fan ran for a few minutes and then turned off, and appears to have remained off (at least for the few minutes that I was checking). The 110V outlets are active, as is the AC option on the fridge. So, success ... but as clear and intuitive as mud. It would sure be nice to have a switch on the control panel for simply disconnecting the charger. It might have been NCEagle that came up with this (doing a search for "charger ignition control"), but it is not clear to me how he identified this as the way to turn off the charger, and how he was making the changes without the app (or perhaps he was using the app, although I don't see references in the app to switch #26). I also wonder how this switch might work if there is a DC to DC charger hooked up between the tow vehicle and trailer. I assume that having the charger ignition control be in the "auto-on" position means that the tow vehicle can charge the batteries when connected, but connecting to shore power would not charge them? Hmmm.

This sounds good -- I would love to use 110V power (for refrigerator, auxiliary heater, AC etc) when plugged into shore power without charging the batteries (for 2 reasons: to avoid unnecessarily charging the batteries and to avoid the fan noise while charging). I installed the Xantrex FCX bluetooth app (iPhone version), but the "charger ignition control" setting was already in the off position. The only other choice is "auto-on." The app states that when set to "auto-on" the charger operates only in tandem with the vehicle's ignition circuit. In this case, I assume that "vehicle" means tow vehicle, but there is no stock way of connecting the vehicle's ignition circuit an Oliver trailer with the Lithionics batteries. So this charger ignition control" setting seems to be a moot option. What am I missing? ... The app does not list switch numbers (e.g., #26), so perhaps there's a different app, or another way of disconnecting the charging function?

I'm sorry -- I don't recall. The fridge was purchased for, and installed in, our 2008 Sprinter. So about 13 years old...

We too had a small Dometic compressor fridge in our van prior to the LE2. I found it to be noisy, and thought that the LE2's 3-way Norcold would be a big upgrade. The Norcold does keep food cold, and I like the freezer, but dislike the exhaust smell when getting in and out of the trailer, and the noise when sitting under the awning. I'm wondering if it would be possible for Oliver design for and construct an exhaust vent further up on the roof (like Airstreams, for example).

Better to have them separate, IMHO. There are often more options for emptying the gray-water tank when plumbed separately from the black-water tank. Some users will rely on public facilities for extending black-water tank capacity; you may have options for emptying the gray-water tank without going to the dump station (e.g,. bucket to drain, etc).

Thank you all for your responses. John, thank you for directing me to the March discussion -- I had missed that. I'm adding some weight to the truck, and will then weigh the truck, trailer, hitch, etc. next time I see a closed weigh station along the freeway. Then decide on something, or not. Thanks all.

An additional question: does the Anderson WDH create undue strain when driving through dips (for example, like those found pulling out of a parking lot onto a crowned road, or across Tilly-humps on a Forest Service road)?

Thanks, Bill. I don't think there are any lasting issues, in that it didn't sling tar. There is very little to clean from the trailer. Plus, it occurred on only one side.

I will be adding a cap on Monday (perhaps 250 lbs?) and rock tamers (~32 lbs) -- do you think that might be enough to help? For a while about a month ago I had an extra 20 gallons of diesel fuel (perhaps 160 lbs in four 5-gallon diesel jugs) in the bed during the recent Colonial pipeline episode. Didn't notice any obvious difference then, but perhaps with a bit more weight from the shell ....

Yes, John, that is a very genteel way of putting it. I called 911 and the Dept of Transportation (took several calls to get the right DOT person late in the day). DOT sent an inspector and the pavement contractor, and the contractor then sent a mechanic to help scrape tires. We worked on them for 2 1/2 hours. At first the inspector would not believe that this came from the interstate, because the pavement had been down, with traffic, for several hours. Then they went out and found the spot where we picked up the tar and gravel: it was along the seam between two lanes where I had done a low-speed (~15 mph) lane change in nearly stopped traffic; the inspector thought the contractor had not sufficiently cleaned dust and debris from the old pavement before laying down the new tar and gravel, allowing the new stuff to peel up. This was also more than the average chip seal, where they just coat the road with a thin layer of tar before applying gravel; it was a thick layer of tar (I assume so that the gravel becomes embedded in the roadway). Here is another pic with tar just dripping from a truck tire (and this was taken after having slowly driven about a mile to get away from what I thought was a dangerous freeway merge zone).

Here is, I believe, a working link to Jason's video:

Here is another Anderson question: We're towing Hull 792 (LE2) with a 2021 3/4 ton Ram with Cummins diesel, with a standard BW adjustable hitch. The trailer weighs 5k lbs empty, almost certainly less than 6k lbs full, and is well within the truck's towing and payload capacity. The trailer tows well (we've towed it about 4,000 miles so far), the engine is relaxed, there is no sway, but there is a bit more porpoising than I would like. It's ultimately secure, but I feel the trailer jounce a bit on uneven concrete freeway or highway-bridge transitions. Perhaps the porpoising is normal, perhaps not. The 3/4 ton rams have coil springs, which may be a bit softer than leaf springs on GMs and Fords, although I understand that GM and Ford are using longer leaf springs in newer trucks to soften the ride. Seems there are 3 options for reducing jounce: the Anderson WDH, stiffer shocks, or air bags. I've resisted the Anderson because of the forum comments about hassling with the WDH. Shocks would stiffen the ride all the time, even when empty, and the air bags would reduce sag (of which we don't have much, perhaps 1.5") but not necessarily add jounce control. The Ram manual recommends (but does not say "require") WDHs with trailer weights over 5k lbs, but it's a rather generic recommendation (it does not, for instance, distinguish between diesel and gas engines, the diesel being substantially heavier). If I were towing 12k lbs there would be no question, but 5,800 lbs? Anyway, this topic has been discussed in a variety of ways, but I'm interested in your thoughts about reducing porpoising in a 3/4 ton Ram, perhaps by adding the Anderson WDH or other measures. (I'm reluctant to do this, knowing that some of you have celebrated ditching the Anderson!) Thanks, Folks.

It's orange-barrel season out west, and in the last 5 miles of a 6,500 mile trip we picked up some newly chip-sealed pavement from I-84. Not just a little tar, but an entire piece of roadway. Thick, gooey stuff. It incapacitated our rig. After removing the worst of it, we drove about a mile to an off-freeway parking lot, where the road contractor (responding to my substantial fuss) and I removed another 14 lbs of tar and gravel from the left side TV and trailer tires. Next day I went to the Commercial Tire store, which sells Cooper tires, to make sure there was no lasting tire damage. The fella told me that the tires were OK, but that the Oliver tires are truck tires (no surprise -- I knew that) but that truck tires shouldn't be used on trailers. He said they are not designed for the sideways scrubbing that occurs when turning, and that excess scrubbing can lead to tread separation. He said trailer tires ("ST" for "Special Trailer," instead of "LT" for "Light Truck) are meant to handle sideways scrubbing, but do not come in the size of tire that is installed on the Oliver. I wanted another opinion, so I took the rig to another tire dealer (Les Schwab, a regional shop), and the guy said "don't worry about it." He said they see truck tires on trailers all the time, without problem. So there you have it, FWIW. Just thought I'd share. Opinions? p.s., tires look clean again, after driving a couple hundred additional miles. I drove very slowly both prior to scrubbing (had to: the tires were too unweighted) and after scrubbing, to avoid slinging any remaining tar onto that new, freshly waxed hull. There are mudflaps in our future. p.s.s: The first tire dealer also said that they'd recently seen a couple cars with so much tar in the wheel wells that the wheels would not turn, and if the tar sets up (which in our case it did not) it completely ruins the tires.

I'm sure this is not the case, but just to be sure: the hitch size is the same size as the ball, right? A 2 5/16" ball in a 2" hitch would be difficult to separate (if it fits at all...).

Please help me understand... When the 120V breaker under the dinette is off and the trailer is plugged in to shore power, are the fridge (when set to AC) and the A/C running on battery (inverted?) or on shore power? If I understand this discussion, setting #26 to off uses the inverter to invert, but not charge? Is there any way to plug in to shore power and use the 120V system without using the inverter to invert or charge? Thanks! ps: I don’t love the inverter yet. It doesn’t communicate well with the remote, is loud, and keeps tripping the 12V breaker under the streetside bed. It’ not intuitive for me. Electrical schematics for the trailer would help!!

No Bluetooth thermostat on hull 792 either, despite the manual describing one. At delivery, Hannah mentioned that they always upgrade to something better if making a switch, but perhaps in this case…. Service did suggest that Bluetooth and compatible thermostats are available from other sources.

We too found that a partially extended Girard forms pools in the rain (we have the sunbrella material). I noticed that a partially extended awning does not have as much of a front-back angle as a fully extended one (which could contribute to the pooling), but I'd be reluctant to leave the awning fully extended in a rainstorm.

I too asked about electrical diagrams at delivery about a month ago, and was politely told no. And was also told that they change frequently, other trailer manufacturers don't provide them, and most technicians can figure it out. The 2020 and 2021 manuals do have battery wiring diagrams, but not for lithium.

Thank you, SeaDawg. I did open a ticket about 2 weeks ago; Jason said he would explore the noisy fan with Xantrex. I'm just wondering if this is an isolated problem, or if others (especially those with the lithium package and 3000W inverters) experience excess noise. Just checked the periodic maintenance-charging noise level (i.e., periodic charging when batteries are full and the fan kicks on about every 15 minutes fo a minute): it's about 50 dB.

Have any of you experienced objectionable noise with the Xantrex 3000 inverter? When plugged in to shore power, the continuous sound level from the fan is about 60-64 decibels in the cabin when batteries are charging, and about 72 decibels adjacent to the inverter. Once the batteries are charged, the inverter fan comes on about every 15 minutes for a minute or so. It is an unpleasant (IMO) drone/whine, and appears to reverberate between the hulls. Have any of you experienced something similar? Is this normal? Thanks!