Ollie-Haus
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Posts posted by Ollie-Haus
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2 hours ago, LeBill said:
that's very nice and motivating for sure. Always thinking about how to carry more stuff especially with an at-capacity truck. Now you've got me thinking about a(smaller) truck box for the rear bumper / bike add-on for our LE I
Nice thing is, if you have axle capacity and keep every thing correct, this will offset a little bit of tongue weight. You could theoretically add something like this, add a tongue mounted bike rack as others have done and end up with a net zero in added tongue weight to the tow vehicle.
With this basket, I'm using the Oliver tongue basket for heavy items, such as fire wood. I have a WeighSafe hitch so I always monitor my tongue weight when loading. I prefer to be a little on the heavy side up front.
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Old thread pulled forward with another suggestion.
“Scrubbing Bubbles” by SC Johnson is made for cleaning grimy fiberglass tubs and showers. It was formerly known as Dow Bathroom Cleaner before the consumer brands division was spun off.
Our Oliver has been outside continuously for around 16 weeks and had built up a considerable amount of black grunge on the roof and streaks down the sides. Needless to say just washing with soap and water does nothing to remove the black stains.
Digging through my tote full of cleaners the Scrubbing bubbles caught my eye and my little light bulb instantly lit up. “Bathroom cleaner, fiberglass shower stalls for the past 30 years, fiberglass campers, Oliver makes both!” It had to be worth a try.
Needless to say it worked fabulously and fast. Even cleaned the weather tripping around the inside of the window frames and the impossible to clean caulking all over the camper like new. Now our Ollie-Haus looks better than the day we picked her up.
This doesn’t reduce the need for regular waxing, but it makes the cleaning part of maintenance much less labor intensive. one can did the whole camper.
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We got our LE2 with the bike rack mount and realized we will probably always carry our folding Ebikes in the back of the truck under cover. With that understanding we decided to add a cargo tray and locking box for general items needed for setup, and camp site necessities. Obviously weight is a critical factor so with the tray, box and gear inside we are shooting for less than 200# total. I'm sure we have succeeded after adding up the weigh of all items.
The most difficult part is making the extended rails for the tray to mount on. I used the same T6061 aluminum that Oliver uses on their frame members. It's available in small sizes at local metal supply houses such as Metal Supermarket. The aluminum tubing drills and cuts easily with carbide woodworking tools. Use a little lite oil on the blade to keep the aluminum from fowling the blade. You must use good eye protection when cutting. I copied the way the bike rack rails were machined.
Here's the results of the project:
We have pulled the camper a couple times for local camp outs and the weight of the addition is completely unnoticeable while towing.
The box is well made but light weight with locking double latch system. It has a double layer of aluminum in the lid and is foam filled to keep the contents from heating up too much in direct sun. The whole thing is very sturdy and at 220 pounds I can stand on the box lid to see the top of the camper with no effect to the box lid. Good traction and very solid.
The softener tank is mounted with a tank wall mount and strap and is set up with quick connects and the standard hoses hook up in just a minute. The softener comes with a regeneration kit and it takes about an hour to perform a regeneration using a box of table salt. It will last up to 2000 gallons of water depending on the mineral content. No need to remove the tank for regeneration, just connect the kit to the external QD fittings and run the process. When done, you are good to go for a few more camping trips. No more hard water scale or rust on pluming fixtures. Remove the tank for winter storage inside the garage.
I'm very pleased with the overall project. The box can be removed just as the bike mount is removed for spare tire access. You can actually access the spare without completely removing the tray assembly, Just slide it out about 6-8 inches and the cover and tire are removeable.
I bought a self lit license frame and mounted to the back of the tray. I added a plug connection to the license light wire to power the new license plate light. I wanted a removable connection for obvious reasons. The connection is mounted on the lower part of the spare tire cover under the original license bracket. The old license plate bracket is still useable if the tray and box are removed.
Tray:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017H9N4E/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Box:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MK4F68/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
License Bracket:
Softener:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09Y2KNFFL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1
Tank Bracket:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00208DY76/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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Wanted folks to know I added links to the components for my flag mount in my post above.
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Received mine last week and the round site window above the level bubble was not completely sewn on. Fortunately the return/exchange process with Amazon is painless. Should receive and second item in a few days.
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Is it mold or is it algae? Sadly water quality has declined in much of the US over the years for many reasons. But having worked in industry for many years and knowing the conditions that exist in municipal water systems, I wouldn't get overly concerned about the formation of what is likely algae on the inside of the water system. Yes chlorine will get rid of it but it will likely come back.
If you knew what the inside of the pipes of every municipal water system look like, you would never drink water from those sources again if a little algae bothers you. Here's an example. Most of what you see is mineral build up, but when that pipe was cut open, the surfaces you see were quite slippery or slimy to the touch when wet. That doesn't mean the water was unfit or unsafe to drink, but the condition of the inside of the pipes would make one wonder.
As mentioned by someone earlier, the source of your problem is probably in your water source. It doesn't mean the water source is unsafe to drink, but if it contains algae spores, it will grow algae in the system if conditions are right.
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This is a topic that is discussed on multiple forums and also YouTube regarding the inability to control humidity with RV AC units that run the fan continually. Unfortunately the design principal of having the temperature control sensor mounted in the plenum air stream for the purpose of cycling the compressor relegates the owner to a life of cycling humidity levels in exchange for constant air circulation.
I know it would likely add considerable cost to the AC system but wouldn't it be nice of they would design the units with a variable speed fan that ramps up and down to control temperatures in the cabin and thus allow the compressor to run longer and eliminate the short on/off cycles that result in humidity spikes.
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Done. Thanks!
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Thought I would add to @John E Daviesfine original post. I purchased a nice flag pole with tire foot for Ollie-Haus and wasn't thrilled with the options to secure with camper tire or tongue jack, so I decided to mount it to the front storage box.
The foot fits nicely between the box and trailer tongue so I chose to bolt it to the bottom of the box with four pan head screws/nuts. After that it still seemed slightly wabbly so I decided to add a couple of pipe saddle clamp mounts to the mounting post. This turned out to be very solid and adjustable for plumb. The mounts are all stainless with silicone protectors to keep from scuffing the mounting post. I'm very pleased with the results and the quality of the pole. The pole is anodized aluminum and is telescoping and removes in seconds for travel. This is a high grade pole sold by a veteran owned American company that accommodates two 3'x5' flags.
Flag Pole Kit:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BG6NBVC6?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
Light Kit:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09XH4M1SR?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
Pipe support brackets:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083FCV9FS?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1
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18 hours ago, Brian and Brandelyne said:
I found this item on the Victron website under "Accessories" and thought I would give it a try. It is called the Victron Smart Sense and is only $40 on amazon.
Watch the Victron video HERE. This was a very easy installation and completely makes sense to provide Voltage and Temperature feedback to the MPPT charge controller to optimze charging. It uses a private virtual network to communicate.
Not sure if it has improved my situation but man, do I feet good about myself...lol
BL
Curious to learn your results over time. Victron is quite reputable and I'm convinced they know what they are doing. I'm curious if it will effect the built in BMS in the batteries in any way. I'm guessing if you aren't getting any error codes on the Lithionics app you are good to go.
I love your justifying logic humor in the end. 😆 Whenever us guys buy another doodad for our rigs we convince ourselves' "it's a good investment" out of pure masculine preservation. I'm the most guilty of all in this way. 🙄
Edit: PS - I think my Lithionics batteries are the one thing I'm most proud of on Ollie-Haus. I feel like I'm truly on the cutting edge of technology with these batteries and this system on the camper. Every person I talk to about the Oliver is blown away at the fact I can pull the shore power cord and the AC in the camper doesn't even make a click. Then when I tell them it will run like that all night their eyes open even wider.
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We went down the same road starting three years ago. Made two trips to the factory to solidify our decision to buy and Oliver. We compared everything else and kept coming back to the Oliver. Generally speaking vehicle purchases are not investments, they are costly until the day you sell them. With that said, you won't make a better overall "investment" than you will with an Oliver. Both in monetary terms and in terms of what you will gain while using your Oliver. And when the time comes to part ways, you will retain considerable value to recover.
It's already been stated but I will reiterate the importance of your choice of tow vehicle. I know trucks are getting crazy expensive, but having plenty of truck will make your experience much more relaxing and enjoyable. Many folks try to get by with the minimum and eventually end up upgrading the tow vehicle after a season or two. I personally would not tow my LE2 with less than a 3/4 ton truck with a full tow package.
I would recommend getting any upgrades you can afford. With the extensiveness of the travels you have described, you will definitely want the larger Lithium solar package. It's a game changer for boondocking and off grid camping at length. The reason I say this is because folks that have opted for fewer options have discovered it's much more costly to retrofit these systems once the camper is built. Anything is possible but leaving the factory with a fully capable all purpose, all season camper is the best way to go.
As mentioned earlier, go in eyes wide open, delivery day is when you pay the big money, but there are many significant expenses to follow for a few weeks after you bring the camper home. I'm delighted we made the decision and I'm also very glad we had a well laid out plan for covering the overall true costs involved.
Good luck with your plan and try to move the schedule up any chance you get.
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That's an amazing piece of art work, both the original design and also the restoration. It would truly draw attention in the campground. Could you imagine arriving at one of the more discriminating RV parks and them telling you "no RVs over 10 years old"! 😳
It really is a museum piece for sure.
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8 hours ago, John E Davies said:
I need a reality price check, I have had four responses to my RV Trader and Craigslist ads, but none at all here, just best wishes, so thank you from my heart for those....,. In spite of posting "SERIOUS ENQUIRIES ONLY", all the responses were basically tire kickers. One guy was local and came by promptly and I spent 90 minutes showing it, he loved the frame, loved the NH toilet, loved the interior, loved everything about it, then he ghosted me. One guy connected just to tell me that the price was "full tilt".
I just now dropped the price by 5% to $$71,250 and now offer free delivery within 300 miles. I thought $75K was good, was I wrong? Please comment. This is a more than little frustrating. I wish the Ollie For Sale ads here showed the actual FINAL sale price, that would be EXTREMELY helpful! Are sellers actually getting what they originally ask?
Thank you,
John Davies
Spokane WA
Hey John, I think the used RV market is getting flooded based on comments I'm seeing in various places on line. I think a good percentage of people entering the market for used right now are hoping for a bargain. That combined with a general lack of knowledge of the real value of an Oliver may leave a lot of otherwise interested folks scrolling past your adds.
As we all know, the typical Oliver buyer is well researched, has a particular attraction to quality and is generally sold before they even see one. With the general slow down in RV sales I'm guessing the serious Oliver type buyer is a smaller percentage at the moment. On the other hand anyone that has their heart set on an Oliver and knows the price of the new ones should be particularly interested in yours. It may just be a waiting game for a longer period than one would have experienced a year ago. Knowing what I do about your camper, I think your price is quite reasonable. But the typical person entering the market at this time may not have that appreciation.
If you can, I would recommend getting out and camping in it with a for sale sign on it. There's always a lot of curious folks at camp grounds that may step forward to learn more, and maybe be more than just curious. Just my thoughts.
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15 minutes ago, Wandering Sagebrush said:
Here’s the back of our Ollie.
Very nice! I just purchased this set for ours to be installed with the same concept. I was looking for maximum versatility and light weight. The combination empty on the frame extensions will add about 70# to the back of the camper. The empty tool box weighs about 45# and lifts out easily if we want to just carry something in the tray.
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Now I have another test to run in the morning! Never stop learning when it comes to a new Oliver. Thanks for sharing Steve!
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In average outside temps and high humidity, our camper get quite chilly in dehumidification mode. It does a great job though. I run it for a while when it feels sticky inside and then switch to night mode. This seems to work pretty well without needing a quilt on the bed.😆
I have noticed that it does seem to reach a humidity set point and the compressor shuts down. Usually comes on and off throughout the night to maintain the arbitrary set point. I'm actually good with it.
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4 hours ago, Allen Lee Rohner said:
Can anyone provide a supplier who sells a chrome cap with same specs as Dexter cap?
Best Regards,
Allen
Lots of choices on Amazon with quick delivery. You may be able to find them at the local farm store as well.
Here's an Amazon choice with lots of good reviews:
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Regarding this topic, the following video was just posted today.
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Our flooring and the surrounding fiberglass had a lot of sticky residue when I picked up Ollie-Haus. The first evening in Oliver campground I noticed my socks were quite dirty on the bottom after a little while milling around in the camper learning the systems. I decided to us a wash cloth saturated with hot water to just wipe the floor down. To my surprise, all the sticky residue came off with moderate effort just using hot water. I don't know if this is the same substance you are trying to clean, but I would start with hot water with a little detergent in it and see if that works before getting more aggressive. Hope this helps.
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When I plugged my camper into a 20 amp breaker right after coming home with the camper, it tripped the breaker immediately (installed a 30amp shortly after that). I had not changed the settings on the Xantrex system yet. I believe it is drawing too much power for charging the lithium batteries, even with everything in the camper shut off. If you set it up right, it will charge at a lower rate and not trip the breaker.
The inverter will select shore power whenever it's plugged in. I just unplug the shore power when I want to run the AC on inverter in this scenario, and when finished I plug the shore power in to top off the batteries. Others have covered the process for setting up the inverter for 15/20 amp service.
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8 hours ago, Steve Morris said:
From the manual (and from memory, so I could be wrong), the difference between low an night is that at night the fan in the rooftop portion is also on low, making it quieter for those around you. Should use less of your battery, too.
At the rally we had ours on night mode all day, and could barely hear it sitting outside.
You nailed it Steve. If you stand outside and listen to the difference between regular low and night mode, the outside unit is much quieter, can hardly hear it when the compressor comes on. Night mode I believe is more of a courtesy for the surrounding campers. And yes the unit draws the lowest amount of current while running on night mode. This greatly reduces the work load for a generator. It also allows the AC to run longer on the Lithium batteries if you are dry camping. Of course the AC also has a much reduced cooling capacity on night mode, but from my experimenting with the system, even on night mode the camper is able to be cooled to a lower temperature than I need.
As I am typing this comment, the outside temp is 88 degrees in the shade. The temperature on the inside of the camper in direct sunlight is 64 degree inside, burrrrrrr. I have the thermostat set on 70 so as you can see, the Truma can really chill the camper down. The Truma AC unit gives us spectacular options with ample capacity for our campers. I love the fact that I can run the AC all night without being "that guy" in the campground. 😁
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We got the Weber Traveler that was offered by Oliver at the time of purchase last month. It's extremely portable and folds up into position in seconds. I also bought the griddle plate for one side to allow making pancakes or anything else that would fall through the grate. This makes the Traveler even more camp friendly.
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1 hour ago, Ollie-Haus said:
I do believe that question was presented during the maintenance/upgrade Q&A during the rally and he said the upgrade to the Truma Vario Heat would require extensive mods that would not be practical. I'm sure anything is possible, but practical was the emphasis. My take was they would not want to offer that upgrade.
Similarly a person asked about upgrading an older camper to a full on Lithium Platinum package, and Jason said somewhere between $18-$20K or more depending on the age of the Oliver. He indicated that this would require a complete electrical system swap out including much of the wiring, including both fuse/circuit panels, inverter/charger, batteries, harnesses and solar charge system. I think at a point it would be much more practical to sell an older model and just pay the difference for the newer model with upgraded features.
On the other hand he did indicate that it is very possible to perform a battery and charger system upgrade to lithium batteries, such as folks have done with the Battleborn batteries, but that was normally done by someone other than the factory. It just isn't a fully integrated system like the system currently installed on the new Olivers but it is very much an option for older campers.
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3 minutes ago, Ralph Mawyer said:
That’s pretty much the scenario. The Platinum Pro comes in around $17K, $10K of that is two Lithionic batteries, new Xantrex 3000 at $2100, labor $4200.
Exactly. The only thing I couldn't remember was if he was listing those items' cost and then only indicated the labor would add on top of those costs significantly. It seemed as thought the complete upgrade out the door would be substantial enough to make a person reconsider.
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Rear cargo tray and Storage box install with Water softener
in Ollie Modifications
Posted
I really wanted to maintain the OEM look. With the diamond plate on the bumper assembly and the use of the bike rack style mounting bracket I think we got it.