Rivernerd

Thanks to all who have provided valuable insights and photos. As we have had a busy travel schedule on the road, I have not yet had the opportunity to pull the drawers under the sink or to inspect the underside of the fresh water tank overflow tube in Hull #1291. For now, we are carefully filling the fresh water tank when we need to boondock, until our pre-planned schedule allows me time to try to "get to the bottom" of what caused our problem. We will be on the road until the end of October. I hope to be able to investigate once we get back home. I will then report my findings, if any.

Steph and Dud B: Good point re: using a pressure regulator when filling the fresh tank. I have both a filter and a pressure regulator set to 35 PSI on the "trailer" end of my fresh water hose. Both were in place when the event described above occurred.

Townesw: Thanks for the tip. I neglected to mention that water was actually flowing from the overflow tube when the trailer shifted, yet the bowing/damage still happened. Our 2022 hull #1291 has a 1/4" plywood cover over a hole in the location you described. I plan to remove it and verify if there is an obstruction of the overflow tube. That said, I still plan to monitor the fresh tank sensor when filling, regardless of what I find!

I hope this issue has not previously been addressed on the forum. I could not find anything on this topic with a search. So, here goes. I have always assumed that the fresh water tank in our 2022 Elite II could be filled until water flows out of the overflow tube underneath the fridge, regardless of the fresh water sensor reading. This approach is recommended on p. 61 of our 2022 Oliver Owners Manual: "fill until water starts to run from the freshwater overflow..." I have regularly done just that with no issues--until a few days ago. When filling the fresh water tank, the aisle floor bulged upward, the entire trailer shifted to the curb side binding the door, and then, with a loud CRACK, the backsplash on the sink side of the galley countertop separated by about 1/2" from the fiber granite countertop, because the corner of the countertop near the sink was sloping toward the curbside! After we recovered from the shock, my wife and I immediately ran fresh water (via the pump) into the gray water tank through the galley sink until the trailer shifted back into equilibrium. Fortunately, this enabled the aisle floor to level out again, the door to unbind, and the countertop to slowly rise up again to meet the backsplash, so the two once again line up. When we get home, I plan to re-caulk the joints that separated, and carefully inspect for any additional damage. So far, all appears to be "back to normal" while we continue our extended trip. Lesson learned: despite what is recommended in your Owners Manual, monitor the fresh water tank level when filling, and once the sensor reads close to 100%, SHUT OFF THE WATER! DON'T WAIT FOR WATER TO FLOW FROM THE OVERFLOW TUBE!

I am pleased that Oliver has returned to their "service in Hohenwald or submit a service ticket" model. I recently had a 12V electrical issue in our Hull #1291, submitted a ticket, and received top-tier help via email from Scottie with Oliver Service. It enabled me to resolve the issue in my driveway, no travel required. That is one of many reasons we own an Oliver. Four years after picking up ours in Hohenwald, we are still "happy [Oliver] campers."

I recommend you ask Google AI. I believe the Victron Orion XS 12/12-50A DC/DC charger can be programmed to reduce output (and therefore strain on the alternator) at idle, if necessary. That feature may allow you to install one connected to your 200A alternator.

"I thought I'd share in case it helps anyone considering a similar project. " Thanks for sharing! I just completed a very similar installation of a Victron Orion 12/12-50A DC/DC charger. As I was preparing a write-up I found yours, which is very well done. I don't have much to add. That said, be grateful you could not find a Trailer Vision enclosure for an Anderson SB175/SB120 connector. As you planned to do, I relied on previous posts that included the Trailer Vision products. The spring-loaded, hinged cover on the one I installed on the truck side broke even before I got a change to test it out! Your "homemade" aluminum bracket looks almost OEM, and the Trekboxx Panel Mount with the Anderson Environmental Boot not only looks good, but should be much more durable than the Trailer Vision product.

The real issue is payload capacity, which for a Lexus GX460 is 1,140 lbs. The tongue weight of an Oliver Elite II with any gear at all will be around 600 lbs. Add a passenger or two and some gear in your Lexus and you will exceed max payload. I wouldn't do it.

After 4 years towing our Elite II with a Tundra with 5.7L engine, which often made me nervous on freeways in traffic, we finally upgraded. We recently bought a Ford F350 with the 7.3L "Godzilla" gas engine with which to tow our Oliver. The 2019 Tundra has become my "river rig", which tows my raft trailer, often on bad roads. If our plans work out, "Godzilla" will haul Hull #1291 from Idaho to the East Coast and back this late summer/fall. Before then, I plan to try towing both with and without the Andersen weight distribution hitch (since I already own it), just to see if I can tell a difference. I will report how it goes!

"Free" does not account for your investment in solar hardware, and the opportunity cost of those dollars. When we priced solar installation on our home in central Idaho in 2016, it did not "pencil out" vs. the cost of buying grid power. When the need to replace even LiFePO4 batteries at least every 10 years, solar panels every 20 years and the loss of investment earnings on the $50K plus cost of the system were added up, that investment made no sense for us, even with federal tax credits at the time.

Two total knees, 2019 and 2020. I, too, have lumbar scoliosis. Full recovery for each knee took 6 months+, but the recovery was truly full. Once you can tolerate it, cycling is a big help to full recovery from knee replacement. I eventually recovered full range of motion. I need knee pads when kneeling on hard surfaces, but once I was fully recovered, I could kneel without pain. My 2 total knee replacements impose no limitations on use, or maintenance of, our 2022 Elite II. Keep at it!

When parking our Elite II on a crowned roadway, we use camper levelers for the jack, like those available through the link below, but upside down. We put the curved side down, with the larger end toward the curb, to create a fairly level platform for the jack. Ours came as a set of two. We use one red/black pair to raise one wheel on the curb side, and the other pair, inverted, under the jack on that side. https://www.lowes.com/pd/VEVOR-Camper-Levelers-2-Pcs-RV-Leveling-Blocks-up-to-8818-5lbs-Camper-Wheel-Chocks-Max-4in-Leveling-Height-Heavy-Duty-Curved-Levelers-RV-Camper-Leveler-Kit-with-Anti-Slip-Mat-Carrying-Bag-Level/7519497 The Snap Pads increase the surface area of the jack foot plate, so it is less likely to slip off a support block.

We, too, level and raise our Hull #1291 (2022) with the jacks. But, we always use support blocks for two reasons: (1) to avoid jack damage if we forget to raise the jacks before driving off and (2) to shorten jack travel distance. See photo below of one of our three support blocks in place under the front jack. Since that photo was taken, we have added Snap Pads, as recommended by Patriot, above. We like 'em. One caution: ensure that the jack foot is placed on level ground, or the foot plate can be bent, requiring replacement. If using the jack on a slope (such as on the side of significantly crowned roadway), place tapered levelers under the jack foot to provide a level platform. Don't ask me how I know...

I agree with, and second, the comments posted above by Rolind. We also have the factory-installed Truma system with the CP Plus wall control. Although there was a definite learning curve, we now find the CP Plus wall control fairly easy to use, and would not be without it. In your shoes, I would grit my teeth (yes, Truma stuff is expensive) and buy the CP Plus wall control. I expect you will not regret it once your are using your new Truma Aventa AC.

Good to know. Mine is more than 20 years old. Probably time to replace it.

John: I am curious about your reasons for such a strong dislike of rubber torsion axles. My raft trailer came with 3500 lb. leaf springs. One of them broke after about 7 years, at a bad time and in a bad place. I was told that rubber torsion axles have a much longer life span than leaf spring axles, so I swapped that sprung axle for a 5200 lb. rubber torsion axle about 23 years ago. No issues, and of course, no leaf spring replacement, since.

Good questions. We have the Lithium Pro package installed by Oliver in 2022. It includes three 130Ah Lithionics batteries. This 390 Ah battery bank is protected from freezing by an external, switched, battery warming mat, installed by Oliver as part of the package. When storing our Hull #1291 during the cold Idaho mountain winters, I follow Lithionics Storage Procedure Rev. 7.1, a copy of which is attached. As I read it, that procedure recommends: (1) leaving shore power connected, with the warmer switch on, to keep the battery warmer operating, but (2) doing a drawdown/recharge cycle every 6 months when in storage. I am now in the middle of the fourth winter following this protocol. If I didn't have shore power in the detached garage where I store our Elite II, I would remove the batteries in the fall, reduce State of Charge (SOC) to 50% and store them in my temperature-controlled attached garage, per the attached protocol. Leaving the trailer connected to shore power, but with periodic discharge/recharge, is easier, so that is what I do. As Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries usually have at least a 10-year life when properly used and maintained, I may not know how effective my winter storage battery practices have been for another 6 years. But, so far, so good. As a footnote, if we had chosen AGM batteries when ordering our Elite II, now is when those lead acid-based AGMs could be nearing the end of their useful life. Years of working with Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) AGM batteries to power my CPAP machine on wilderness river trips persuaded me to pay the substantial premium for the Lithionics LiFPo4 battery package. No regrets. Lithionics Storage Procedure Rev.7-1.pdf

Good questions. Answer? You don't. If below-freezing temps are possible when in storage, you must have power connected to ensure the 12V battery heaters can protect the batteries. And, when power is connected, you don't need to keep SOC at 50-60%, just when no power is connected. Dropping SOC to 50-60% applies when storing the batteries for long periods in a temperature-controlled environment, like when the batteries are removed from the trailer and stored inside a home.

Thanks for providing your view on towing with an EV. I have three questions: (1) what, if any, hardware is needed to "fill up" (recharge) your F150 EV from a 50A RV pedestal; (2) how long does it take and (3) how long does a "fill up" (recharge) take from a dedicated EV charging station?

Good point with regard to older Oliver trailers. Our Hull #1291, late 2022, came with the Truma Varioheat furnace, which includes semi-rigid ducting throughout. It is much more durable than the flimsy ducting shown in the manufacturing photo posted by Steve & MA. See photo below.

It seems to me that the Andersen weight distribution hitch should supplement the ability of the safety chains to keep the trailer connected to the tow vehicle, in the event of an accident. Does anyone know if this has been tested, intentionally or unitentionally?

I expect the challenge is ensuring your batteries and your charging system are turned off every time temps drop down to freezing. The easier solution is what we have: a switched external warming mat placed under the batteries and wired to our Oliver 12V system. Ours was installed by Oliver with our 390 Ah Lithionics battery package. One similar option now available is from Lion Energy: https://shopsolarkits.com/products/lion-energy-battery-warmer?srsltid=AfmBOoo5_6ceyboAQUUVw1CNe_jCPeADkLbtop6B-CC3Z-THhq2OC5zhaDI

Agreed. The ratio of tow vehicle weight to trailer weight is critical to stability, to avoid having the "tail wag the dog." Jeeps are not quite heavy enough to tow an Elite II as safely as I prefer.

Was the aluminum wheel bonded to the steel hub on your Oliver, even though the photo shows a tire change on your truck?

Our tow vehicle for our 2022 Oliver Elite II is a Toyota Tundra, also a 1/2 ton truck like your Yukon Denali 1500. The key limitation for our trucks is cargo capacity, not towing capacity. There are threads on this forum thoroughly discussing whether a 1/2 ton pickup is an adequate tow vehicle for an Elite II. This one is informative: The bottom line: your Yukon Denali 1500 with 1547 lb. cargo capacity should be adequate, but not optimal, to tow an Oliver Elite II. That said, you should verify whether your owners manual requires a weight distribution hitch when towing over 5K lbs. (which an Oliver Elite II will be). The Andersen weight distribution hitch is the one recommended by Oliver. It may be the only one that works with the Oliver design. We have found our 2019 Tundra with a 5.8L V8 engine and tow package, which we owned before buying our Elite II, to be adequate with an Andersen WD hitch. I know the trailer is there, but it is manageable. Yet, whenever we replace the Tundra, we will buy a 3/4 ton or 1 ton truck, which many Oliver owners who post on this forum verify will make towing an Elite II much less stressful.