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Frank C

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Everything posted by Frank C

  1. No heat strip in the new Dometic freshJet? I didn’t see it mentioned in the features. Our old Dometic has the electric heat strip which we use quite often for just getting the interior warmed up a bit on cold mornings when we are at a campground with shore power instead of burning propane to run the furnace.
  2. Beautiful vintage trailer. We crossed paths in Montreal last year with a large group doing a cross-Canada tour. Many interesting tow rigs of vintage vehicles and trailers with a few Bolers.
  3. I have the Rock Tamers. After 4 years they’ve worked well to prevent any rock dings on the front of our Ollie. The standard truck mud flaps just behind the rear wheels don’t stop rocks from being thrown rearward towards the trailer
  4. Mine were all 1/4”-28 thread size (2019 Elite II with the Dexter EZ Flex suspension) and I switched them to the 45 degree angled type. But as Steve mentioned above, some Oliver trailers have metric thread fittings (an M6x1 thread size).
  5. Another voting option is needed- ”Not affected but still concerned for those who are affected”.
  6. I do carry a large Husky kneeling pad to make things more comfortable when working at ground level. I don’t have much trouble kneeling down to work on the wheel bearings, it’s getting back up that’s the issue 😂. I’m “vintage” as well.
  7. There’s some additional info needed in order to answer your question. You didn’t mention the payload rating of your Subaru. There will be a sticker on the driver’s door jamb that looks like the photo below that will state “weight of passengers and cargo must not exceed……”. That will tell you how much weight you can safely put IN your tow vehicle. You must count the tongue weight of the Elite I in that limit. Most calculations assume a tongue weight that is about 10% of the trailer weight. So if you have a dry camper weight of 3700 lbs, plus 266 lbs of fresh water plus 200 lbs of food & clothes, that gives a trailer weight of 4166 lbs, so a tongue weight of about 416 lbs. That tongue weight plus driver plus passenger and anything else in the Subaru count towards the payload limit. Most people with smaller tow vehicles exceed their payload limit without realizing it.
  8. I tried the heat gun idea, but it didn’t give enough clearance. That extra material has to go away completely. The Honda generator has a very large vented gas gap that needs all the height clearance possible. I ended up cutting away the inside top wall of the lid in one corner and that just barely gives enough height clearance for the generator gas cap. The generator handle fits between the ribs on the lid since the generator is offset to one side of the Action Packer (see photo in the original first post above). Now the lid does fit and latch closed. The outer lid surface remains intact.
  9. Also, if anyone is looking for the Action Packer, Walmart currently has the 24 gallon size online at $39.88 which is the lowest price I’ve ever seen. Current Amazon price is ridiculously high at $160 for a 2 pack.
  10. Coincidentally I did search the internet for Honda generator storage box ideas and some ideas did pop up from the AirForum 🙂. Same idea with an Action Packer but this solution used a heat gun to deform the inner lid area of the Action Packer to get rid of the interference. A lot of other similar posts with various large plastic bins, usually with a cutout in the lid for the handle. And the Action Packer doesn’t take up much more space than the generator and Rotopax gas container separately. I have the short bed F-250 and we don’t pack light either 🙂. I already use several of the Action Packers for other gear, they are great for maximizing the use of the storage volume under the bed cover and keeping everything organized and accessible when needed.
  11. Oh so close. Looking for a good storage bin option for transporting the Honda EU2200i generator in the truck bed (with a bed cover) to keep things clean and organized. I don’t have the front Ollie basket, plus I want to keep the generator under the truck bed cover away from prying eyes. I tried one of my 24 gallon RubberMaid Action Packer bins and it’s ALMOST perfect for the generator, a 2 gallon RotoPax fuel container, and an extra quart of oil, with a PIG Mat in the bottom of the Action Packer to absorb any oil or gas drips (but I doubt the Honda will leak anything). Holds things nice and snug, EXCEPT for the height. The inside ribs on the double walled lid interfere with the generator handle and gas cap. Might be time to get out the knife and modify the lid by cutting away one full rib, and also adding a small vent hole in the lid for fume venting. Of course for running the generator it will be removed from the storage bin, and allowed to cool down before putting it back in the bin.
  12. We initially created and used checklists (3 different very lengthy multi page checklists for towing, campground arrival and campground departure) for our first few trips but after gaining some experience and familiarity with our Ollie and our specific camping and towing setup (which continually evolves) we’ve abandoned those checklists, and we just got into the habit of a simple one step checklist… “CHECK EVERYTHING!!!”. A complete walkthrough inside and walk around outside (usually more than once) of the trailer and truck checking every switch, valve, latch, jack, connection, hookup connect or disconnect, etc. We’ve learned the trick is to not rush things, especially when packing up and disconnecting to leave a campsite. After a while it just becomes second nature.
  13. It won’t charge in 1.5 hours. The battery charger won’t allow the full 2000 watts available from the generator to be used. So you have to change that value on that website calculator. Change the charge current to amps and enter 50 amps.
  14. The charge voltage value you entered is incorrect. The batteries do not charge at 120 volts. 120 volts is the nominal AC (alternating current) shore power input voltage to the trailer. The battery charger converts that AC voltage to DC voltage (direct current) for charging the batteries. Lithium ion batteries charge at around 14.25 to 14.7 volts DC. Enter that value. Charging current (amps) is equal to the charging wattage divided by the charging voltage. THEORETICALLY 2000 watts available divided by a 14.5 volt DC charging voltage is 138 amps DC, but the batteries and/or the battery charger have a charge current limit setting. So they typically do not allow that high of a charge current. For example, the BattleBorn batteries I’ve been considering for an upgrade have a maximum charge current limit of 50 amps DC. So at a 14.5 volt DC charging voltage that means it’ll only be using 725 watts. A 2000 watt generator is overkill for just charging batteries, but overkill is good, it means the generator won’t be working as hard.
  15. There’s a small cooling fan inside the plastic cover/vent grill of the Progressive Dynamics Power Control Center under the dinette. My bet would be that a motor bearing on that small fan is going bad. You may want to remove the cover and check for dust buildup on the fan, but it’s likely a bad bearing.
  16. Correct. Oliver installs an automatic transfer switch when the extra 30 amp port is ordered as an option. For any DIYers thinking of adding the extra 30 amp inlet port themselves, there absolutely must be a transfer switch installed to prevent multiple simultaneous external AC power connections.
  17. I have the electronic door keypad with remote fob, the awning remote control, the MaxAir fan remote, and also a TireTraker TPMS system (installed after delivery) and so far no problems that I’ve noted.
  18. I have the flooded lead acid battery setup (4 of the 12volt FLAs in parallel). I considered the Honda EU1000i (MSRP $1099) but it’s still very expensive, almost the same price as the EU2200i (MSRP $1399). I’d rather have the overkill 🙂, so it can be used for additional generator needs around the house, etc.
  19. I’m not looking to run the air conditioner or microwave. Just looking for battery charging for running the DC accessories like the water pump, lights, fans, jacks. And thanks for the Honda recommendation! 👍🏻
  20. Just some trivia for a discussion topic. I’ve been looking to purchase a small inverter generator to carry on long extended camping road trips, and in comparing specs and reviews, the Honda series consistently comes out as a top choice (but pricey!). One interesting detail is the engine displacement comparison. The Honda has a significantly larger engine for the given wattage compared to the lower cost competitors. Probably explains a lot about the reliability and noise advantages of the Honda. The larger gas engine just doesn’t have to work as hard. Couldn’t find any any info on the engine horsepower ratings of each brand though. Maybe it’s on the data plate on the unit itself (there’s a direct relationship between engine horsepower and potential maximum wattage of the generator). Larger engine displacement typically means more torque, and more torque means lower RPM needed to achieve a particular horsepower. HP= torque in lb-ft x RPM/5252 1 HP=33,000 lb-ft/min=746 watts Comparison: Home Depot Ryobi 2300 watt - 79cc. ——— Harbor Freight Predator 2000 watt - 79cc. ——— Honda EU2200i 2200 watt - 121cc. ——— Champion 2500 watt - 79cc. ——— WEN 2500 watt - 80cc. ——— Craftsman 2500 watt - 98cc. ———
  21. Sounds like a mis-communication. We have shown our Oliver multiple times through the “see an Oliver” program to potential buyers before they placed any order or made any down payment. Some did end up ordering a new trailer afterwards, one couple didn’t want to wait for a new one and found a used one after visiting ours, and others didn’t buy one.
  22. Tubs were the original Oliver family fiberglass business. The trailer builds came after and were a VERY low volume business, more a “labor of love” as a side business (hobby?) to the main business of the fiberglass bathtub operation, rather than a full blown volume trailer manufacturer like Airstream. But that tub manufacturing gave Oliver a very strong knowledge base and manufacturing experience with fiberglass to do the trailers successfully (just look at the Airstream business disaster with their fiberglass Nest trailer). Each early Oliver trailer was unique and customized based on customer input (shout out to Steve L.) with a lot of experimentation on different options (different color hulls, bed storage risers and nightstand safe are a few examples) and even some different layouts (there is at least one early Oliver with a basement access door on BOTH sides of the trailer with full width basement storage). It took Oliver over 10 years to reach the first 500 hulls built. When we took delivery in 2019 (Hull 461) they were still only building about one to two a week, and that’s how they built their reputation for providing very personal relationships with their customers. The demand for Oliver trailers went way up as the RV camping craze boomed during the pandemic, to the point that Oliver had to adopt more of a true production line type of manufacturing, with reducing / eliminating some options, combining options into “packages”, no more customization, etc.
  23. Thanks for the info. But some of that is either misleading or wrong. Harbor Freight is an American company but the Predator generators are built in China and imported, like almost all HF products. Companies will use wording like “designed in USA” (Apple does this a lot) to give a more positive impression.
  24. An Airstream concept trailer. No production date projected, and combining Airstream and Porsche means this will be a REALLY expensive little trailer. https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a43234914/airstream-porsche-camping-trailer-concept-sxsw/
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