dougi

Herm, keeping the bathroom window open in a rain is a great idea, as long as you keep the bathroom door open a little. The bathroom is a wet area anyway, and rain would not hurt a thing if it enters that area. Do you know if they have started production of your trailer? I haven't spoken with Robert since a week ago Monday, but I've received a couple of emails from him that were responding to mine. I am having second thoughts about installing the window covers on my Oliver. The trailer looks so clean and bright I don't want to distract from it's lines with these. I ordered them before I knew about the rear window opening from the bottom and before I thought about opening the window in the bathroom to vent the trailer. I'll probably take them back to Camping World in Nashville, after I pick up my trailer. However, I do want the side rear windows to open by pushing them from front to back, rather than back to front. They should be more convenient to open and close if they are installed that way. Doug

The MAXXFAN VENT has three speeds: High: 4.4 amps, 900 CFM Med: 2.5 amps, 730 CFM Low: 1.4 amps, 500 CFM The Fantastic Vent Fan 6600 has 14 speeds, 920 CFS on high, with current draws of between .2 and 1.9 amps. For boondocking, the Fantastic is the most efficient, by far. I think that is why Oliver recommends it. Doug

Herm, I have asked Robert (via email) to mount my Window/Maxx covers on the forward side of the trailer windows. I see no reason that would not be doable, even if you have to swap the windows from side to side, so the sliding of the window would occur from front to rear rather than from rear to front, and so that the cover would not scoop the air and rain into the window when towing. It would also be more aerodynamic. Doug

I like the Fantastic Vent Fan company's customer service. I do not like the Sur Flow Company's service that much. They were very slow to respond to my needs. I am going to go with the Fantastic 6600 fan without a cover, simply for the clean looks, and rely on my two Window/Maxx window covers for ventilation during the rain. I'm guessing that the Fantastic Vent 6600 can be operated in manual mode, on low speed, with the dome cracked open only an inch or two, so the rain can't get in. If that plan doesn't work, I'll have to have a vent cover placed over the fan. Doug

Thanks for the feedback guys. I'll keep the bath window, now that I know it opens for venting. I just ordered two Window/Maxx covers for my windows, to keep out the rain. I do appreciate the assistance. Based on the comments I read on this forum, and pictures I saw on this site, I ordered my Oliver without even talking to Robert Partee or Jim Oliver. When I saw the aluminum frame, the 12V leveling system, and the double hull fiberglass with integrated cabinets, seats, sinks, etc., I knew I was dealing with a company that was conscientious about quality, and had put a lot of experience and thought into the design of the trailer. RV construction is typically not that good, the designs not that well thought out, and the materials used are low grade, especially in the smaller RV's. Thanks so much for your time and consideration. I look forward to getting my Oliver and meeting a lot of you nice folks. Doug

Since all the windows in the Oliver appear to slide from side to side, can you leave a window open a bit for ventilation without getting rain water in the trailer? Also, since the window in the bath is not clear or double pane, why not just do without it? I suppose it's there to let in the natural light, but don't you have to turn on the light anyway? Doug

Chris and Cherie, your trailer looks great. I know you are looking forward to getting it on Wednesday. Question: What do you think about surge guards for these trailers. We have a lot of electronic equipment on board and I'm wondering if surge guards would be a smart thing to have. If so, would a hard-wired or a portable be preferable? Obviously, the hard wired would be more secure from theft while the portable would protect everything, including the shore power cord. Thoughts? Anyone else have any comments or advice? Doug

Thanks Steve, that's good news to me. Doug

I just sent off an e-mail to Robert Partee asking him if that feature is standard on the Oliver, and if it is workable with the twin bed option (which I assume blocks all interior overhead access to the water pump compartment). It seems to me that when the twin bed option is selected it may require some kind of additional water inlet installed on the outside of the trailer near the water pump and perhaps an additional water pump on/off switch mounted nearby. If I find out the answer to my question, I'll post it here. In the mean time, maybe someone with the twin bed option can fill me in about this matter. Doug

Thanks for the information, Herm and Mountainborn. Do I have to ask Robert for that feature, or is it now standard in the Elite? I'll just let him know I want it, just to be sure I get it. I have one of those inflatable water containers you put on top of your TV that holds over 30 gallons of water and has a hose attachment. If I can't fill my Oliver's fresh water tank with the natural pressure from that container, then I can hook a hose through the window and turn on the water pump to transfer the water from the container to the fresh water tank. This feature will sure come in handy when boondocking, as long as we are where grey water can be released onto the ground. Doug

I've never seen an RV that had a hose fitting for a fresh water tank fill, like the Oliver has. Does anyone know if you can gravity feed fresh water into the fresh water tank (and fill it up) from a hose running from a water source that is higher than than the fresh water inlet on the Oliver, or do you have to have a source of pressurized water in order to fill the tank? BTW, for anyone wanting a source for RV water equipment and supplies that sells high quality merchandise, I can highly recommend these folks: http://rvwaterfilterstore.com/ Doug

Mountainborn, what are a some of you favorite internet sites for finding free campsites that have been posted by RVers?

We've actually found that if we have the frig good and cold, we can drive a good long ways (4 or 5 hours anyway) and things are still good and cold, without having the frig on at all. Is this a bad idea? Tom I think that is a great idea, especially since it works.

My wife is a passive passenger when it comes to navigating and researching while on the road. She doesn't want to learn how to drive, so it makes things more difficult. She has no interest in reading maps or other RV related information. When she does read the available information, we are already too close to, or past, where we are going to do much good, but I'll keep her anyway cause no one else would put up with me.

Mountainborn, I've never had a three-way fridge that uses 12V power. I'm glad Chris has warned us about using the 12V setting when we are towing. I will see if my 200W solar panels will solve the problem. They probably will if the sun is shining. We too love the geezer pass and use it every chance we get, at National Parks, National Forest, BLM lands, and Corps of Engineer lakes. It saves us money and puts us where we like to be, in beautiful surroundings. What you and Butcherknife seem especially good at is finding all the free campsites and other goodies along your way. I need some lessons because I seem not to find these places as well as you and Butcherknife do. Got any tips you can share? Doug

It looks as if the trailer is made to direct this heat to the outside vent on the Oliver. If it is installed and functioning properly, it should keep the heat down inside the trailer. However, if you want to further increase the efficiency and the cooling ability in your refrigerator, especially when it is hot outside, the optional fan would be very helpful I believe. i am going to try it, and I'll let you know what I think. In the Texas heat, my RV refrigerators have always struggled to keep the contents cold enough. Any help I can get will be a benefit.

Pete, I just signed up for Matagorta Island for the December FGRV rally. i look forward to meeting you and smiley dog there, and seeing your Oliver, if not before then. Doug

Herm, I think it does. My understanding is that overcharging boils the electrolyte out of the battery through off-gassing, a thing that the flooded batteries are more susceptible to than the ABSORBED Glass Mat batteries. Also, the flooded batteries, like you and I are getting, are more susceptible to sulfation from being left in an undercharged condition for too long. Bottom line: If you want to take good care of your batteries, regardless of their type, you need some knowledge and some instrumentation to do the best job. I think all you need to confirm that the Charge Wizard is doing it's job when your batteries are plugged up to shore power is to make sure the voltage of your battery bank never exceeds 14.4 volts, the gassing threshold for flooded batteries. Ideally, the voltage should remain at between 13 and 14 volts, depending on if it is in sleep mode or is slowly charging. Let's remember, about the only advantages flooded batteries have over AGM batteries is initial cost, and they can be purchased in more places when they go bad.

I don't own an Oliver just yet, but unless I was sure that the alternator on my tow vehicle was recharging the battery bank faster than the refrigerator was depleting the battery bank (if your battery voltage is reading over 13.2 volts or so while your engine is idling on high and your refrigerator is set to 12V, you should be ok), I would not tow with the fridge on 12V for long periods of time. If you are traveling only an hour or two, you know your battery bank is fully changed, and you are headed to a camp site with shore power, I think it would be just fine to use 12V, maybe even preferable. Just be cautious and know the state of charge on your battery bank. If you routinely camp off-grid and use much power (over over 30 amp-hours of 12V power per day, which is easy to do if you run your furnace in cold weather, and this assumes you have two batteries, not one), this usually requires a battery monitor that costs about $200, and is optional equipment on almost all RV's. At the very least be sure you monitor your battery bank voltage and know what voltages to look for under what circumstances (charging, discharging, or neither). Some basic knowledge of batteries is very helpful. It allows you to use the equipment that comes standard on the trailer (the volt meter) and know what voltage readings you should be seeing when your battery is charging, discharging, or neither. The normal voltage readings for "neither" is dependent oh how much time has elapsed since the battery bank was being charged or discharged. The normal voltage readings for discharging is dependent on the rate of discharge. The normal voltage readings for charging is dependent on the rate of recharging. If you watch your volt meter, and relate its readings to what you know you should be seeing under the existing circumstances, you will soon get a feel for the condition of your batteries, the size of load on them when they are discharging, or the rate they are being charged. Doug

Steve, I think the heat is normal when you run your refrigerator on propane. However, I have no way of knowing if the heat you are experiencing is abnormal since I can't tell how severe it is. In my 5th wheel, the refrigerator does not have anything on top of it as it does in the Oliver, but when I go outside and feel the exterior with the cover off, it is hot. Hot to the touch. I could not keep my hand on it indefinitely without it burning my hand, but I can touch it briefly without getting burned. Maybe others will share their experience with the Oliver refrigerator and can tell you how hot their cutting board gets when they run the unit on propane. I have wondered if it would be smart to get a small vent fan installed in the cavity behind the refrigerator. These have built-in thermostats and are powered by 12V DC or by a small solar panel mounted on top of the refrigerator vent, which I'm not sure if the Oliver has or not. The refrigerator is probably vented out the side of the trailer, rather than out the top of the trailer. I've never use one, but in the summer I think they would be very helpful in keeping the refrigerator cooler, both outside and inside. Check with Oliver and see if they can install one in your trailer. Check the Camping World web site and search for item #36042, called the FridgeCool Fan. It sells for $33.33 and is sometimes on sale for 25% off. I think I will ask Robert to put one in my trailer. Here is a link to the fan: http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/it ... -fan/36042 Doug

Herm, I'm not sure about your question regarding keeping your trailer's shore power plugged in permanently. I keep mine plugged in permanently but I have the ProSine 2.0 feeding the batteries the right amount of charge, and no solar panels hooked up. Perhaps the stock Oliver's 45 Amp Intelli-Power converter/charger with built-in Charge Wizard will do the same, but I would check with other owners to see what they are doing. Even that may not tell us the whole story because no one has had their trailers long enough to know what long-term effects this may be having on their batteries. I read that keeping your trailer hooked up to shore power on a long-term basis can overcharge/overheat your batteries and shorten their lives, unless you have a charger that prevents it. If you are getting solar panels with a solar controller, I would not think you need to keep your trailer hooked up full-time and long-term to shore power. I would think your solar panels, together with the solar charge controller, would better serve the task of keeping your batteries topped off properly without the danger of overcharging and sulfating the plates. Maybe Chris can give us some advice about this. Maybe Oliver can as well. I am selling my 5th wheel trailer to my son-in-law, who will let me use it anytime I may want to do so. After paying all the money to upgrade the thing over the past 4 years, I thought it best to keep it in tack as it now sits, including the 4 AGM battery, 440 amp-hour battery bank. That is why I am not taking two batteries out of it. Another reason is that I don't want to have to carry those two batteries in the back of my RAV4 when I go to pick up my new trailer. We have to carry everything we need to use our new trailer for a few weeks when we travel to pick it up, and our RAV4 will be fully loaded on the trip up to Tennessee. I can always take out the batteries later, once I get the trailer home, if the Trojans don't serve my purpose well. Doug

Well, the BATMON is no longer available from Ample Power, so I ordered a Blue Sky IPN-Pro battery monitor and controller, based on Chris's recommendation. I'm sure I will be pleased with it. The price for the monitor is now $189 plus shipping of about $18. I first went on e-bay to see if any were for sale there. No luck. Doug

Good info ! This is my first post from the new HTC 6800 ! What is a HTC 6800, Mountainborn?

Battery Charger Update: I just purchased a factory reconditioned Xantrex Truecharge 40+ house battery charger from Marine Parts Source in Tennessee, along with a battery temperature sensor for $213.42 and $24.90 respectively. They are sending it directly to Oliver to be installed in my trailer. The chargers cost $324 new and have a one year warranty. The reconditioned units carry a 90 day warranty. If anyone ever needs any Xantrex warranty work, you can get it taken care of at Marine Parts Source in Tennessee. This is good to know. I should receive credit from Oliver for their cost of the standard 45 Amp Intellli-Power Converter/Charger with built-in Charge Wizard. If this works out as anticipated, I should be a happy camper, and my batteries (two 6V Trojan T-105's) will be well cared for and last a long time. I am having a BATMON battery monitor form Ample Power installed to monitor the battery bank amp-hours discharged and recharged (resettable to zero at any time), the amps draw from the battery bank, and the battery bank voltage. Doug

To follow up on my own question, I called Xantrex. They said the standard converter/charger would not need to be installed in the trailer IF I instead purchased and installed the Xantrex Truecharge charger. The standard converter/charger that Oliver installs in the trailers (cat# 34438) is available from Camping World for the regular price of $298.89, and it is on sale for $75 off from time to time. I can buy the Xantrex Truecharge 20+ for $340 or the 40+ for, IIRC, $440, which means it should not cost too much extra to go with the Xantrex Truecharge (or equilivant). If I did that, it would be smart to also get the optional battery temperature sensor, a $30 or $40 option, which helps greatly when you recharge your battery bank at temperatures that very from 77 degrees F. (the assumed battery temperature for the not-so smart battery chargers). Sounds like the way to go, especially if you have costly batteries to take care of and want them to last for a decade or longer. Of course one would also have to have a quality battery monitor (one that measures amp-hours discharged and recharged) to insure you don't overly (by more than 50%) discharge your battery bank.