dougi

Question: If someone buys and uses a battery charger like the Xantrex Truecharge 12V chargers (go here to see one to recharge the battery bank would that product take the place of the stock converter/charger that comes in the Oliver, or would that product be used in addition to and in conjunction with the stock converter/charger? I am unclear on this point and any help would be appreciated. The question has to do with the available space in the Oliver, where the standard converter/charger is located. I'm wondering if I would have enough space to install this upgraded charger, especially if it is has to be used in addition to the standard converter/charger. If it takes the place of the standard converter/charger, then I'm pretty sure space to install the charger would not be an issue. Chris? Anyone? Thanks, Doug

Have any of you ever towed with both 2WD and 4WD vehicles of the same type and size? I haven't, so I'm wondering if those of you who have have a preference, strictly as a tow vehicle. Obviously, 4WD has some advantages as a vehicle to explore the back country roads, once you get to where you are staying. Doug

There are two issues here, jam49. The first is battery size. Some deep cycle marine batteries are too large to fit the battery tray and/or compartment. The most common size problem is battery height. Many batteries are too tall to fit this compartment and still have room at the top for cables and connections. Others may be too long or wide to fit the tray. The second is battery type, brand, model, and age. You will want to keep both batteries in your battery bank identical in all these respects. My wife is from Taylor and she has a sister and extended family that lives and works in Taylor. We go there frequently, sometimes on our way to the Round Rock area to shop. Good luck with your selections. I think these trailers will serve us well. I certainly look forward to using ours. Doug

Warning: If you want to go with a cat heater, don't buy a cheap $100 model like they sell at many places. I tried that and I thought I would never get the CO2 alarm in my trailer to stop. It took less than 5 minutes for it to sound and 30 minutes for it to stop, after I turned the heater off and opened up the trailer. No problem with the Olympian Wave 8 I have. NONE.

I don't know about the furnace on the Oliver, but some of them sound like large blow torches when they are running. My wife is hard of hearing and we can't even talk in our trailer when the furnace is running, unless I shout. I think more hot air from most furnaces is vented to the outside than the inside. Sometimes it's nice when you are outside, your hands are freezing, and you put them near the furnace vent outside your trailer and quickly warm them up. You couldn't do that if you had the Olympian heater. Almost all the heat stays inside the trailer, except for the little bit that is vented out through the cracks in the window and the vent, which isn't even noticeable when you are in the trailer. My guess is that the Olivers never had a catalytic heater in their trailers. If they had, they would be offering one in their list of options.

Sure Mountainborn, here you go: http://www.adventurerv.net/olympian-wav ... -1681.html This is to the page where the Wave 6 is located. There is also a Wave 8, but it would be too large for the Oliver. It can be flush mounted on a wall or recessed mounted with an optional kit for such. The Wave 8 would heat my 29 ft 5th wheel when it was 30 degrees outside. There is also a Wave 3, but it can't be recessed mounted. These are infinitely more practical than a furnace for an RV. Don't you just love it when your neighbor's furnace cycles on and off during the night? If yours doesn't wake you up, his will. Take a look.

Herm, thanks for the PM.

Dirt Dobbers are a type of stingless (I think) wasp that builds its nest of dirt rather than a paper, as stinging wasp do. Their nest are for a single wasp, rather than for a colony. Once they build the nest and fill it with larva and the hosts food items, they seal the tubes and abandon the nest. In a few weeks, the larva pupate, eat, grow, and eventually chew through the mud wall of their nest and fly off.

Thanks Sherry, that helps me a lot. It tells me I would have to give up the bottom drawer beneath the stove in order to make it work, but if I did that there would be enough room to mount the furnace in a vertical position, which would look better than mounting it horizontally. With the modified (like Scubarx) twin bed option we are getting, the loss of that (smallest) drawer would not be fatal. I hope Oliver will give it careful consideration. For off-grid camping these are terrific, for on-grid camping, they are very nice. No noise, no electrical draw, and plenty of wonderful heat. All that's required is an inch crack in one window and the vent, or in two windows, each on opposite sides of the trailer.

Would someone with an Oliver do me a favor? Please measure the height and width of the area below the drawer below the stove where the furnace heat outlet is located. I am wanting to know if an Olympian Wave 6 propane catalytic heater that is 17 1/8 inches high and 12 13/16 inches wide could be mounted there. The heater can be mounted either vertically or horizontally, and it can be flush mounted (recessed) so as not to protrude into the aisle of the trailer. Thanks for your assistance. If this would work, it would reduce the electrical load on the battery bank considerably ( it operates without ANY electricity) in the winter, and it operates silently (another big advantage). I believe this heater would be more than adequate to heat the Oliver, even in sub freezing weather. i have used these heaters and they are wonderful. Don't let anyone tell you they will not heat up the air in a trailer. They WILL, but before they do that, they can heat YOU up with their radiant heat. It does not take long to heat up an RV with one of these heaters. It will take your thermostat up quickly. The only drawback is that they are not hooked up to a remote thermostat, but they can easily be regulated, higher or lower, by a knob on the face of the heater. They do not require a match to light. I sure would like to have one in my Oliver, and delete the furnace.

Have you found that some type screens are better and easier to apply than others (aluminum, fiber, plastic, wire)? What type of fasteners do you use (glue, screws, epoxy). Maybe these matters will become obvious, once I get to take a look at the trailer and the openings it has that dirt dobbers could enter. The primary place they enter my existing trailer is the vent for the fridge. Then they can build nest that are way up in the cavity and can't be reached. I would be reluctant to spray water up there, hoping to hit and remove a nest I couldn't even see. But I bet you have that covered so they can't enter. We too will take a trip up to Nashville to Camping World to pick up some things we will need for our new trailer, after we spend a couple of days near Hohenwald. Thanks for the reply. Doug

I live out in the boondocks in Central Texas, where the deer and the dirt dobbers (is that the way it's spelled?) play. Has anyone else had to protect your trailer from these pest, who go into any and all small cavities they can get into and build large nests of firm dirt, firmly attacked to whatever they can find, messing up things in placed you can't even reach to clean out? If so, please share what you have done and how well it has worked for you. I'm going to have to do any and everything I can to protect my trailer from them.

Yes Herm, I'm going to ask Robert to do that for me, to see what the extra cost would be. Has your contact with Robert been mostly over the phone or the internet? I have spoken with him once, yesterday afternoon, when we reviewed all my e-mails about the options I wanted. I don't know if e-mails are best or if the telephone is the best. I expect he is pretty busy these days, after being off ill for several days. I haven't received a priced out invoice yet, but I expect one any time now, based on yesterday's phone conversation. Where do you stand? Have you received an invoice to sign and send back to him?

Most 2" hitch receivers are pretty heavy. I opted not to have one installed, primarily because I think it would distract considerably from the appearance of the trailer. I would like to have the capacity to carry our two folding bicycles, but we (especially my wife) use them too infrequently to deal with them. I may sell them. They are really nice (not the models Camping World sells) . If anyone is interested, just let me know. They are like new, premo, and beautiful bikes.

Herm, I too will be holding my breath and hoping the RAV4 and the Oliver come through for me. The new RAV4's are much larger vehicles than the pre 2006 models. I sure don't want to use my diesel pickup. It's just too large to enjoy, once you get to where you are going. The RAV4 is quite a pleasure to drive, powerful (with the V6), and gets excellent mileage. If it tows well, I will be a very happy man. The towing capacity and power are adequate for the Oliver. It's the sway of the trailer I am concerned about. I have to try, and only my experience will give me the right answer. If it doesn't work, then I will probably sell the diesel truck and get a 1/2 ton Silverado extended cab, short bed truck to tow with. I might also consider a Jeep Liberty, but they get no better mileage than a 1/2 ton truck and would not hold nearly as much stuff. Good deals are currently available on both vehicles.

Herm, your suggestion about using two of my four existing Llifeline AGM batteries is an excellent one. For some reason, that thought had not occurred to me. I could take those out of my 5th wheel and take them with me to Tennessee to pick up my trailer, saving not only the cost of the batteries but the shipping cost as well. However, that puts me back to where I would need to spend an extra $400 or so on an optional smart charger for them. This statement from Chris is the answer to my question: "For a cost saving option, two 6V batteries and the stock charger should be fine." That will likely be the way I go, now that I have Chris's opinion on the matter. Thanks for the idea, Herm. I just may end up going that route! Who knows? Doug

Thanks Chris for taking the time to give me some good advice. When I went to the AM Solar web site I did notice they had true deep cycle 12V batteries by Lifeline. Sorry I put out some bogus info, but I'm glad to get it straight. The way we use our trailer, with shore power more than without, without a large inverter, and with the roof-mounted 200 watt solar panels giving us a slow charge almost all day long every day, I am uncertain if the AGM batteries and the optional charger they need to keep them in good shape and recharged, would be worth the extra up-front costs (about $750?). We will likely not spend more than 120 days per year, at the most, living in our Oliver. However, I think I should DEFINITELY go with the 6V Trojan golf cart batteries if I don't go with the AGM's. With proper maintenance, avoiding over discharging, and proper charging, those batteries should last several years, should they not? I have used them before on another trailer, but not with proper battery monitoring. It didn't work out very well for us. Doug

I love canoeing and kayaking. In my younger days, I was outings chairman for the Houston Canoe Club, but it's been several years since I've paddled. Doug

Thanks for the information, Cherie. I have not yet received my invoice and pricing on the trailer from Robert, so I still have time to make decisions. The batteries you selected are the exact batteries I have in my 5th wheel. I have a bank of four of them and they have never given me any problems, but I would not expect them to since they have been installed for only four years and have never been discharged below 60% of their capacity (I've used only 40% of their capacity, or about 175 Amp-hours). I think you will like these batteries and I just may get two of them for my Oliver. The cost of ownership with these batteries will be lower than any other battery we could buy, IMO. They cost about $275 each, plus shipping, or more than $300 each, but when used properly should last for 10,000 discharges and recharges, perhaps more than 20 years, or for me, the rest of my life. Doug

Herm, the stock batteries are what people call "deep cycle." They are the batteries you would buy for a trolling motor, not engine starting batteries. These 12V batteries are not true deep cycle batteries, however. Only 3V and 6V batteries are true deep cycle batteries, according to my understanding. They have much heavier plates than the stock batteries.

Another question: How do you think we can best protect our solar panels from any possible hail damage? That may be a tough one to figure out. Maybe with duct tape and two closed cell foam sleeping pads, cut to size?

Hi Cherie, I know the sky diving place well. I don't go there, but my brother-in-law has done a lot of work for the lady who owns or runs it. I would really like the opportunity to meet you guys and see your trailer. I've never seen one. Please let me know when you are in the area, and Geneva and I will make arrangements to meet you. We live about 5 miles north (on Hwy 77) then about 4 miles west of the highway, out in the boondocks on my old home place (328 acres). Look for Tanglewood, 5 miles North of Lexington. We live 4 miles due west from there, off county roads 415/419. Our off-grid camping is usually limited to only two to seven days at a time. However, I would like to visit Quartsite for at least a month in the winter some time and I think that is all off grid camping. My main concern is the battery bank charging. I'm not sure just how fast and efficiently the standard charger will recharge the approximately 30-40 amp hours to my battery bank each day. I don't think the standard charger has a battery temperature monitor and I understand that is important. I have it on my existing RV. I suppose the greatest drain on our battery bank would be running the furnace on cold nights, but we would not set the thermostat more than about 60 degrees. The only other things we will use off grid 12V electricity for will be lights, the TV/entertainment center, the water pump, and cell phone recharging. Geneva might try using a 12V curling iron from time to time. We have decided that we can easily do without a big inverter, which only invites more electrical usage, but I think we may need a better charger than the standard one. What do you guys think? What batteries have you picked out and what is their combined amp-hour rating? I don't know what mine will be yet. We will be monitoring our batteries and never using more amp-hours than 50% of their capacity. I would like something approaching a 200 amp-hour battery bank and I don't think I can't get that with the standard 12V batteries. I think I could with two 6v golf cart batteries. I like some spare capacity, just for a cushion, in case it's needed. Let us know how you like your new trailer. I know you pick it up very soon. Oh yea, we are having to delete the satellite receiver. But we will, I think, get to keep the electric hose reel, which is another use for 12v off-grid power. And here is another question for you guys: Would an optional $325 or so "smart charger" take the place of the standard converter/charger, or simply supplement it? Doug

Let me run this idea by you folks: I just talked to Robert, for the first time, in order for him to to prepare a work order that will get my trailer in production. I elected to go with the dual solar panels, 100 watts each, with the solar controller and battery monitor like Chris and Cherie are getting, and NO generator provisions. I am going to try to do without a generator, simply because I don't want to mess with them and I don't want the extra weight. I am going with a small installed inverter to power the satellite receiver. I am going with stock batteries. I am going with the standard converter with the charge wizard, and this is where I am most apprehensive. I am not sure the standard battery charger part of the standard converter/charger will efficiently and quickly charge my two batteries. If it doesn't, then I will have to upgrade my charger. We will try to make do with this set up, (1) to keep cost in line, and (2) so that the batteries can be replaced at the nearest Wal*Mart or wherever, without waiting for a custom battery to be delivered from some major town nearest to where we are when they go bad. My concerns are twofold: The stock batteries are 12V and not true deep cycle batteries. They are cheap, but I don't know if they have the capacity we need. I am wondering if two 6V golf cart batteries would not be a better compromise between availability and cost. I am concerned about the stock converter/charger. I am not convinced it is a true "smart 4 phase charger." I guess I can give it a try and see if it works for us. An upgrade could rather easily be added later, according to Robert. Any advice or comments? Would I be smarter to go with an upgraded, more expensive, true smart 4-phase battery charger? I tend to believe I would (they are not that large and could be installed without our giving up the power shore cord reel). I am not as concerned about the batteries, as they are easily upgraded by myself if they don't serve our needs. Since we will not have a large inverter, our battery drain will not be nearly as large as it would otherwise be. We are getting all LED lights to minimize the battery drain. With the optional, upgraded battery monitor that tracks amp-hours in and out, we will be able to avoid draining our battery bank below 50% of its capacity. It just may work. About the only 12V appliance we may ever use are Geneva's curling irons, and they don't pull that much amps if I recall correctly. Does anyone out there use 12V curling irons? Do they work well? We have never tried them.

I will be installing a class III hitch on my RAV4 and as you pointed out, a class III hitch is, I believe, a 5,000# GVW hitch with a dead weight tongue capacity of 500#. However my RAV4 towing capacity is 3,500# with a tongue weight limit of 350#, dead weight OR weight bearing, it makes no difference according to my manual. I will be installing inflatable air bags inside of the rear coil springs in order to keep the RAV4 level when hooked up to the trailer. I am hoping and thinking I will be fine with this set up. Robert didn't say otherwise when I told him of my TV configuration. If it's turns out to be unsatisfactory, I can always tow with my 2002 Silverado diesel, big dually, crew cab. It has a class IV rear hitch. I just don't want to have to buy the fuel for that monster. It is no fun to drive, although it is not too bad. I don't want to use that vehicle unless I have to, for obvious reasons.

Chris, what battery bank did you settle on for your Oliver?