GraniteStaters

We use sheets and quilts, with wool blankets on top when it is really cold. I don't like the constricted feeling of a sleeping bag or the nylon against my skin. David would probably be happy either way. We have the Elite 2, twin bed model, with the beds made up during the day with the quilts and matching shams on big bed pillows it looks nice and gives us a comfy place to relax. Paula

I purchased Tuson TPMS and had them installed in my Oliver Tires before we headed out last February. It works very nice. The display shows Tire pressure and temperature. The TPMS are installed in the tire and replaces the existing stem. The TPMS is only activated after the trailer starts moving and there is a delay before shutting down. Batteries are integrated into the TPMS, so the entire unit will need to be replaced after about 5 years. David

Assuming that you know that Oliver provides the water hose and pressure regulator for hook up to your acquaintances property. I have an extra water hose too that can be used if the bib is very far away. You could also use their water to fill your water tank and be self sufficient. You will want a water filter either way. You can get a good Camco filter at Walmart. I did buy and adapter to convert the external connector to be used with a heavy duty 12/3 extension cord. Alternatively, there are adapters that work on the power cable that Oliver will supply too. We have the Andersen levelers and also Balco X-Chocks. I love both. If you have a composting toilet, you will want either some dry peat moss or Coco Coir for the bottom of the toilet. If you will only be using the toilet for peeing, you can skip the peat or Coco Coir. Hope this helps.

We have the dual fuel Champion that is rated for sustained 28xx/29xx watts using Propane. I leave it in the back of the truck and pull it forward insuring the exhaust doesn't hit anything that might get too hot or even melt. I have an additional regulator and hoses to connect to the Oliver Propane QC. I plug in the neutral grounding plug, the 30amp TT power cable provided by Oliver and get the generator started. If it is raining I do have a tent to use on the generator to keep the electronics dry. This generator does have a battery powered starter. If you don't run this unit regularly, the battery charge will need to be maintained to extend its life. I will never run this using gasoline, but can use a standard propane cylinder setup with accessories Champion ships with the unit. I have used this unit at home to power my furnace or during an outage in the summer, my refrigerator. I have used my Honda EU2000i too that runs on gasoline. It works fine too and also requires the neutral bonding plug so I do have two of those, one I made and one purchased on Amazon. When you add the weight of the gasoline you would carry, the weight is almost equivalent. David

Our one experience with an incorrectly wired 30amp pedestal was after we experienced a low voltage issue on a very hot weekend last summer. We noticed the private campground had many seasonal sites and sure enough on the W/E everyone arrived. This coincided with our low voltage issue which impacted our A/C. We made it through the night and I called the campground the next day to report the low voltage. There were a few empty sites near us and after I tried to see if your 30amp extension cord would reach, I inquired about whether he had any heavy duty extension cords as opposed to moving the trailer. Good thing too, because after I connected his power cables, which were quite handy for him and very substantial and confirming my suspicion that he was aware of the issues, I now had a reversed source and neutral wire which caused an error message on the EMS. I subsequently tested the pedestal to confirm the incorrect wiring, reported it to him, and we lived with the low voltage issue. David

Oliver made the first night's reservation, but we wanted more nights and called the park directly and added two nights. This worked out great for us too. It gave us an entire day to do testing of all systems. David

Thank you for your posts. They make me giggle. We have a Ram that slammed its brakes on while we were backing up at David Crockett SP too. We were fairly new to the truck and completely new to the Ollie, WTH?? Jumped out to see what we had hit or were about to hit, nothing there. It took us a bit of testing but we finally figured out it was the ball and hitch thingy! Scared the crap out of me. Honestly, I have so much admiration for anyone who does this alone. Even doing it with a partner can be nerve-wracking but at least you have someone to bounce ideas off! Our dog, Fiona, thinks she can drive too although she wants to drive our Prius more than the Ram. Happy travels and hope to meet you some day. Paula

I haven't seen any deer in the yard, but plenty of tracks. I was surprised to see 2 robins and 8 bluebirds today! They must have been cold in this wind! Paula

Welcome and congratulations from #509 in neighboring NH. It seems that Maine is getting to be a hotbed of Ollies! Hope to meet you someday. Paula

Welcome from hull#509, The Swallow. Great way to start a new year! Paula

OK, now I am seeing bats and hearing the Batman theme in my head! Paula

Bill, I believe it is sufficient. The weight rating was 50lbs. Without the Andersen hitch, it is within that range. David

Seadawg, now I am going to see that giant bat every time I go to the basement! Paula

See attached picture of how I store our Rock Tamer Mud Flaps when we don’t have them installed on our TV. I bought a very inexpensive bike rack mount that is sold at Home Depot or Lowe’s. I mounted on the header above our basement window. I removed the Andersen components to lessen the weight.

This is amazing! Paula

I am going to use these straps to replace the existing battery straps. These will loop thru the existing slots but won’t be detrimental to the battery casing. They are 6 foot long and I believe they will be long enough to thread through both slots and reconnect on top of each set of my 6 volt batteries. They have a reasonable buckle and a silicone pad to cushion it against where it might rub. This should eliminate the potential damage that might have occurred.

The measurement on the stabilizer pads have a 6 inch diameter.

I love the air suspension on our 2019 Ram. Use it all the time, but don’t feel it is required because of the tongue wait. We use it to facilitate hook up, and for gray water dumping. The e-torque is great, but fuel mileage isn’t my justification. I enjoy the low end torque with it and the 3.92 differential gearing.

Love your colors and graphics! Banana Banners should put Bob Hunt on the payroll! Paula

Safe travels.

Overland, we are easily able to charge our AGM batteries using the generator on the Ram with e-torque. We are also able to power the the refrigerator on DC when we travel between campsites without any issues. The rating for the generator is quite high. This isn't your father's alternator.

I am not sure why Oliver believes this to be true as the generator on the etorque engine as opposed to a standard alternator can provide much more power. Maybe it is the charging requirements for the Lithium. I have been led to believe that Lithium batteries have an integrated BMS which seems like it would eliminate any issues with TV power.

I will revisit the Ram forums to see if anyone has experienced this behavior. The draw was almost 5 amps because it went from 1 plus positive to high 3 amps negative.

On our 2019 LEII the converter charge controller has switch to change to Lithium batteries from AGM/VRLA batteries.

During our recent issue with our Oliver Batteries we observed that we were drawing from the RV batteries if we were connected and the engine was off. This wasn't an insignificant draw either. Our temporary solution was to either unplug the Oliver from the TV or keep the engine running. We chose the former during our hastened trip home last fall because we were having enough battery issues already. We got the offending batteries replaced, 2 of 4, with Oliver's help as they were delivered just barely over a year ago and their was evidence that we had some of the symptoms while under warranty. After we installed the new batteries and did all of the testing that we could think of we are quite satisfied that our Oliver issue is behind us, but there was one more test to do with our 2019 RAM 1500 HEMI 5.7 e-Torque engine. I finally got around to backing up the truck to the now winterized Ollie. I simply connected the Oliver plug to the TV without the engine running and immediately observed the draw from the Oliver to the RAM. I have visibility because I have installed a Victron Smart Battery Shunt inline on the negative side of the Oliver batteries and can monitor in realtime with my iPhone via Bluetooth. Before I connected the tow plug to the TV, I had solar positive solar amperage and wattage. Once I connected the RAM it immediately went negative until I either disconnected the TV or started the TV engine. I also used an inductive meter to measure the battery positive cable and observed the same draw when the Oliver was plugged into the RV. I find this behavior very concerning. The RAM with e-Torque has more than just a starter battery as it is considered a mild hybrid. I suspect that the starter battery is isolated to prevent significant parasitic draw from the e-Torque batteries, but believe that wouldn't necessarily prevent those batteries drawing from the RV batteries. Thoughts?