Ollie-Haus

Interesting thread indeed, and it will definitely be interesting to know how Oliver resolves the issue with @Lamar’s cooktop/inverter. It definitely appears that unique design considerations were required with the LE and its more limited power capabilities compared to the LE2 and it’s larger inverter and battery capacity. Depending on the outcome, this experience may initiate design changes for future LE builds. Regarding comments by @jd1923 and @DanielBoondock about induction appliances in their Oliver travels, after more than two seasons in our LE2 we definitely prefer induction for all cooking needs. Whether cooking outside or inside, the quickest, cleanest, simplest and in my opinion safest cooking option in an LE2 with large lithium system and 3k inverter is induction. And for us that includes both with utility connections and boondocking disconnected. Like any electrical system it requires a mind for managing capacity and demand. We actually have two of the induction cooktops @jd1923 mentioned above, and use them simultaneously when needed. The beauty of two separate units is they can be positioned side by side and used like a two burner and not be limited by the settings on the opposite unit. We even have a nice non-stick griddle we place on the dual burner arrangement, with separate controls for each half just like you can on a double burner single unit. For outside cooking, if we have utilities at the site, one gets plugged into the curbside outlet and the other run off the pedestal via a short 12ga extension cord. My eventual plans are to run a separate circuit from an added breaker in the 120v panel to a plug above the galley to facilitate using both induction units simultaneously without overloading a single circuit, keeping in mind the inverter capacity. Simultaneous use of one hot plate and the hot induction kettle would also become an option. As mentioned by @DanielBoondock we always must take into consideration any other appliances such as AC, microwave, induction kettle, and the notorious hairdryer!😉 But once you understand the capabilities of the LE2 and its electrical capacities, induction appliances really open up a lot of options. We love the propane system for unlimited and instant hot water and it’s excellent heating capabilities with the furnace, but for us, the convenience of instant and precise cooking with induction is something we’ve learned to love at home, and now very happy to have while traveling.

Too funny! I was standing up when I looked under the cover plate and my relief valve lever was turned upwards where I couldn’t see it. Kind of like me looking for the ketchup in the fridge I guess. 😉 Looks like they have the typical water heater relief setup after all. Nevertheless when you look into the open end of the filter, you can see it’s designed with a much thinner wall around the back of the plastic housing, very similar to a rupture disc. Again I don’t know first hand if that’s actually Truma’s design intention, but with an overpressure situation this would be a weak point that would likely fail. And it would fail through the drain port of the water heater as you would expect if that was their intention. Anyway, take it for what it’s worth.

Here's just a little insight into what likely happened in David's situation and how to reduce the chances of others experiencing the same situation in the future. After examining this filter plug more closely, I have determined that the part that broke out of David's filter is designed as an over pressure protection for the water heater. By code all water heaters are required to have a high pressure relief. For the Truma, instead of a standard pressure relief valve, they have chosen to use a sacrificial relief that's designed to let an over-pressure situation release and drain to the outside. With David's description of the event, I'm convinced that when the water supply valve at the water heater was opened to run through the water heater, a high pressure surge hit the water heater causing the "safety device" to rupture. This was very likely a high water pressure situation, possibly caused by and air pocket in the water line just before the valve that caused a water hammer effect in the heater when the valve was opened. Now I can't prove this is what actually happened, but in liquid and steam systems I have worked with over the years, coils such as that in the Truma water heater are usually protected by what is called a rupture disc, designed to fail before damage can occur to the more valuable parts of the system. Whenever opening a valve to pressurize a system, it's imperative to open the valve very slowly so as not to cause a hydraulic hammering of the system when doing so. Also it's very important to run a system clear of any air pockets before opening a valve to other components in the system. For air and gas systems this is not an issue. But with hydraulic systems it's critical. A very good precautionary step to reduce the chances of water hammer when opening a valve is to very slowly open the valve to prevent a surge. One additional precautionary step to take before repressurizing the water heater is to open one of the faucets to hot water to allow flow through that side of the system when the valve to the is being opened to the water heater. Again this allows flow through the water heater, allowing air pockets to escape without cause a water hammer condition. These steps should prevent this from occurring to anyone in the future. Hope this helps anyone with concerns about their Truma water heater. PS - Obviously a high water pressure from the utility source connected to the trailer could also cause this situation to happen. This is the obvious reason why we must always use a pressure regulator and never setting it above 40 psi. PPS - If you purchased the Truma anti-freeze plug when you bought your Oliver, it can be used in place of the regular filter plug should you need a short term backup. It works exactly the same as the standard filter plug, just has a heat coil built into it. You don't need to plug the coil in for this use purpose.

Thanks for sharing David, I just purchased a backup on Ebay for $25. If anyone needs a replacement or spare and can’t find one on the cheap, they are available on Amazon as well. https://a.co/d/00C38npm

For the water heater w255w indicates the outside switch is off. w255h could simply indicate there’s no power to the furnace. Check your fuses and circuit breakers.

The female side is 1/4 tapered. This allows reusing the straight adapter that was originally on the regulator. These adapter fittings have a check valve built in which needs to be included in the assembly. 👍

I will second the compost toilet choice. Never wait in line at a dump station, never waist a single gallon of fresh water flushing the toilet. With only 32 gallons of fresh water you can extend your dry camping significantly by economizing your fresh water. In the same line of thinking, getting the big lithium package empowers you to dry camp in complete silence for extended periods, and even use your AC for short periods before bedtime and replenish the batteries with the solar if you have good sun exposure. At the annual rally every year, there’s always a few people that ask the question, “ how hard/expensive is it to upgrade from AGM to the Lithium package”, and every year Jason has to explain it’s much more expensive then ordering it up front and quite involved. The entire electrical system, excluding the house wiring, has to be changed out. It can be done, and it can be DIY’d later for less, but the integrated system from the factory functions very well, and the components are premium quality. Second awning? I don’t think it’s worth the price for what it’ll get used for. Good luck with your decision, I think you’ll be very happy own an Oliver for your traveling future. Take the factory tour for sure!👍

Well we had a “warm” day today so I decided to do one final upgrade that several others have previously done to their propane systems. I got the right angle fittings for the regulator connections a few weeks ago and finally decided to install them. It only takes a few minutes to do in place. The adapter fittings that come on the regulator have check valves built in, so I purchased standard 1/4” street elbows and reused the original adapters to make the connection. One little trick to make the installation easier, with the cold temps, the hose is stiff and feels like it will split if you try to reshape it into the new configuration. If you take the hoses into the kitchen and immerse the rubber part in a pan of boiling water for a minute, the hose will naturally straighten out, and while warm can easily be installed on the tanks and regulators with little tension in the process. There’s a much gentler bend in the hose when completed that should make the hoses last much longer. Before: After: Thanks to everyone who previously made this upgrade and for sharing on the forum.

Got an update from Jason Essary today on the installation instructions from Fairview on their automatic regulator. According to Fairview, the instruction sheet that was included in the regulator that I received was an obsolete version and that the high mounting position was no longer applicable. Fairview confirmed with photos from the Oliver factory that their method of installation was acceptable. Just wanted to pass this along so folks didn’t get unduly concerned with their regulator installation from the factory.

Yes I did encounter interference between the wing nut tabs and the regulator in the upper mounted position. This was quickly and easily remedied with a 12-14 inch adjustable wrench. With the wing nut screwed down tight, use the adjustable wrench to bend the tabs up to a vertical enough angle to clear the back side of the regulator. Problem solved.

Wow that looks yummy!!🤩

About 10 inches east of Indianapolis. The drifting is the only problem now. The snow won’t be melting any time soon so hopefully the wind will stay calm. Now for the real fun with sub zero temperatures expected at night for the next few days.

As @Chris Scarff mentioned above, I experienced a regulator failure on our 2023 LE2 and it was not allowing gas to flow at a high enough rate for the Truma furnace to run properly. Rather than making an appointment and going to the trouble of hauling the camper to a local dealer for troubleshooting, I decided to just replace the regulator with an identical model. Currently Oliver is using the Fairview GR-9984. Long story short, the regulator was the problem. When I received the regulator it came with very specific installation instructions, which clearly indicated that the regulator was not installed correctly from the factory. I have no way of knowing if this had anything to do with the failure, and I doubt that it did or you would likely hear about others experiencing this same problem. Nevertheless I chose to install the new regulator according to the instructions. I do believe this is an important detail or Fairview would not explicitly detail these instructions. Below is the instruction sheet that came with my replacement regulator. Notice at the bottom of the page are the highlighted instructions for correct installation and incorrect installation. The next two pictures are my as found installation, followed by my updated installation with the new regulator. Note: I have ordered a set street 90 fittings to reduce stress on the hoses as others have mentioned in their comments As found Updated installation required mounting the bracket to the lower set of holes in the regulator, effectively raising it ~3-4 inches. There is still about 4 inches of clearance between the top of the regulator and the propane cover and the valve selector is still easily accessible for switching.

Yes that’s the old man slow poke method we’re all used to, but not nearly as fast and absolutely doesn’t seem to get the same depth of results.

Absolutely love this search feature, it’s amazing, my new favorite tool. Is it possible to create an address specific to other forums? I would love to be able to sift through the mountain of invaluable threads on the Ford Super Duty Tremor Forum site in the same way . https://www.fordtremor.com/

Is there a regulatory authority over RV accessories, or would lithium battery suppliers fall under some other regulatory jurisdiction? Not really sure how aftermarket lithium batteries are categorized. Accessories, DIY, OEM, etc. They aren’t specifically dedicated to vehicle or RV markets. Had never really thought about it before.

Totally agree, you stick with the brand and size of battery system you start with. I chose Milwaukee because that's what I used for years at work and was able through work to get significant discounts at the time. Not to start over in retirement, I've continued with the brand. One thing we can do now when replacing an old tool is to buy the new brushless version of tools when available by most companies that offer more powerful and much more efficient motors in the tools that make the batteries last much longer. I have had Dewalt tools a few years ago and loved them and actually still have a drill that still works fine. Regardless of brand, having the right tools on board when out on the road can make for quick and easy repairs and less downtime in an unexpected emergency.👍 PS: If you shop at Home Depot and compare the two brands, you actually get a much better price with the Milwaukee if you are buying the whole kit with batteries. The Milwaukee comes with two larger batteries and charger for a considerably lower price than the similar DeWalt kit which only includes one smaller battery at a higher price. Home Depot is definitely the source for deep discounts on Milwaukee tools.

I have a built in compressor on the truck but yes, absolutely need some type of built in or portable air compressor. I personally favor the Milwaukee M18 portable compressor, which happens to be nicely discounted for Black Friday at this time: https://www.homedepot.com/pep/Milwaukee-M18-18-Volt-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Inflator-with-2-5-0Ah-Batteries-and-Charger-2848-20-48-59-1852B/326514175

My emergency tire service kit includes the following. The reason I carry these items is they take up little space and stow in an easy access location like under the back seat of the truck or in the front tongue box on the Oliver. The Milwaukee charger is mounted on the side wall of our truck bed for anytime access. With that out of the soft case, the impact socket set fits nicely inside the soft case with the light and impact wrench so everything is together. I like having a tire plug kit along because a screw or nail in the tire is the most common cause and as mentioned earlier is the easiest fix and can be done with wheel still mounted to trailer. All these items fit neatly in a small space and are invaluable for getting you safely back on the road in a tire emergency. The most important thing is to try if possible to do an emergency repair away from traffic on a hard level surface. There are other tools you can have along to do a more thorough repair, but this set of tools will get you back on the road and safely to the closest tire shop if needed. This wrench fully charged has enough charge to remove all four wheels on your truck or trailer. The batteries will stay charged for many months in storage. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Milwaukee-M12-FUEL-12V-Li-Ion-Brushless-Cordless-Stubby-1-2-in-Impact-Wrench-Kit-w-2-5-0Ah-1-2-5-Ah-High-Output-Batteries-2563-22-48-11-2450/337134504 The sockets are extra deep so you won't need an extension even with a torque wrench. If needed you can remove the protective sleeve on the socket to fit the lug nut in the wheel. Three sizes to fit most automotive lug nut sizes. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C98ZHKQX?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_7&th=1 12V Milwaukee work light is indispensable in many ways and uses the same battery as the impact wrench. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BRZ31ZFS?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title Tire plug kits come in many types and sizes. I personally like the mushroom style plugs. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FK4SNRBG?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

Yes John those are the external dimensions. I don’t think you would be able to store the unit in the attic space without tilting it on its side. Ours stores very neatly and secure in the upright position under the forward dinette seat space, between the blade valve and the knee space fiberglass wall.

So glad to know it performed well for you. I know these are hard to get as the supply is intermittent at best. If anyone else is considering buying one of these, you need to be diligent in watching for availability as they sell out quickly. As @Rolind said, they can be a real game changer, especially in high humidity cool temperature situations. They actually give off a fair amount of heat while running, which allows you to dry out the air in your Oliver and add just enough heat to not require the furnace and remain very comfortable.

I think she and you will love it in multiple applications. Very quick and responsive and a cinch to clean and stow.

Not trying to sell anybody, but if you like electric camping alternatives and adding options to your camping utilities, EcoFlow has some real awesome pricing right now on some of their bigger power stations. I'm talking 65% discount from normal pricing. The Delta Pro even has a 30 amp plug right on the panel that can power your camper for a few hours of AC when dry camping overnight. This is what I have in the back of the truck and use it mostly to power our portable fridge, but it offers many options including emergency backup for short power outages at home. I also love that it's a no noise option in the campground. I'll post some links here to the items I spoke of in the previous post for anybody interested. The sky's the limit on this stuff. EcoFlow Delta Pro https://us.ecoflow.com/collections/delta-series/products/delta-pro-portable-power-station?variant=40516140138569 Duxtop portable induction hot plate https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FLR0ET8?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1 Greenpan ceramic coated induction ready griddle and skillets https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D2J2LL5B?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074CWBJ5D?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title Storage bag for griddle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CZJFFGMM?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

I’ve decided to try something new for outdoor cooking. We’ve had the single induction hot plate I mentioned in my post above and it works great both for inside or outside cooking. It’s extremely fast to heat up, and even quicker than gas when adjusting temperature in the middle of cooking. Well we’ve also been hauling a 22 inch folding Blackstone grill around with us for the last 18 months and that’s what we’ve been doing about 90% of our cooking on. Because we’re in the habit of carrying so much gear along with us when we travel, there’s really no room for the Blackstone in the back of the truck, and for that reason I’ve been strapping it on the top of our rear cargo box behind the Oliver. Needless to say I’ve never been very comfortable with that arrangement for a number of reasons, mostly the extra weight it adds to the back of the camper, but also at about 90 pounds, it’s quite heavy and awkward to load up onto the box. After seeing the two burner induction stove Oliver is installing in the new campers, I started thinking about the same concept for a portable induction setup. But I also decided a double burner unit would not be as versatile as just adding a second single burner unit. The double burner models all divide the 1800 watt capacity between the two burners, limiting the cooking heat range of each element. By adding a second single burner hot plate, both would be able to run at the full range of heating capacity at the same time. There are several ways to accommodate the electric demand. I usually set up my camp table next to the curb side outlet for using the hot plate. For the second one I can either run a heavy 25ft cord under the trailer to the pedestal directly, or I can set my EcoFlow lithium power pack under the table and plug directly into it with the second one. I actually did a little experiment this evening running both induction plates off the lithium power pack at the same time just to see how well it would perform and was very pleased with the results. Even with both induction plates running on the highest settings simultaneously, the EcoFlow was still over 1600 watts below its maximum output capacity, and it showed that a full charge would last over an hour at that rate. At a more moderate setting for each hot plate it read that it had about three hours of capacity. I continued my experiment by grilling up two steaks for supper on the system and couldn’t be happier with the results. The steaks were cooked to medium and it took less than fifteen minutes. Including this and the other experimenting I did, the power pack was still at 84% soc, enough for several more meals without recharging. This new cooking arrangement only required the addition of one single element hot plate and an induction ready ceramic coated griddle that spans both hot plates, all of which fits easily in the front closet. And now I won’t have to load and haul the heavy Blackstone around with us anymore. Here are some pictures for entertainment purposes.

Regarding the induction cooktop, we installed a 36 inch five element cooktop in our house when we remodeled the kitchen a couple years ago. Holy cow that thing is absolutely awesome, even fun to use. Bonus was our wedding gift cookware set from 32 years earlier were already induction compatible. And as others have mentioned, since the ceramic top only sits about an eighth inch above the counter top, it’s just additional counter space. And talk about safe to use, spilled grease will never ignite on the cook surface and you can lay a sheet of paper against the base of a boiling pot of water with no chance of it igniting. And again as mentioned earlier no gas hazard or combustion fumes. Regarding the induction cooktop now offered in the Oliver, just the fact you will no longer need to open a window and turn on the vent fan to run the stove is enough for me to want one. Perhaps necessary if you are deep frying but otherwise no risk or need at all. With that said, I would never remove the remainder of our propane system because I like redundancy, and prefer gas heating hands down.