Rivernerd

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.

Our factory-installed RVSafe propane/CO alarm has a "Silence/Test" button, which enables us to shut down false alarms without a quick disconnect. It looks like the one in the photo below. It has gone off when my wife uses hair spray in the trailer!

That State of Charge (SOC) differential is not a sign of damage to the battery. Our three Lithionics batteries also discharge at somewhat different rates. As advised by Roger above, periodic battery balancing is recommended by Lithionics. This is done by discharging down to Reserve Voltage Cutoff (RVC) (until they automatically turn off), then back to full charge. I have found that complete balancing after recharge sometimes takes 1-2 days on shore power before all 3 batteries show 100%. To discharge our batteries in the winter I run a space heater using the inverter (as I can't set the AC low enough in December in Idaho to get it to run). The inverter will shut down 120V power when battery voltage drops to the point preset at the factory. To get down to RVC, I then turn on a bunch of 12V loads, including all the lights and the refrigerator set to DC mode, for another couple of hours until the lights go out because the batteries have turned themselves off. I can then reconnect shore power to charge the batteries back up to 100% SOC. This process balances all three batteries. In my experience, the next time I use battery power, discharge rates among the three batteries are much more even, but never precisely the same. That is o.k., per Lithionics.

Our Hull #1291 came with such a vent installed by Oliver. I believe that venting was required by Truma when installing our Truma Varioheat furnace. We have noted no moisture in the basement from the shower. We run the bath exhaust fan when using the shower, and for 10-15 minutes thereafter, venting most of the shower-generated moisture outside.

The auto-switching function is most likely just broken, but the inability to even manually switch between tanks could have been frozen. Your regulator may not have worked properly even when it was new. With our hull #1291, I have had to manually switch between tanks since we bought it new in Hohenwald. That prompted me to invest in Mopeka tank sensors, which are on a Cyber Monday sale right now. Buy two, one for each tank. https://www.amazon.com/Mopeka-Check-Sensor-Steel-Tanks/dp/B09J6MXJKT/ref=sr_1_6?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.7Exyy9znT-SQGS49BGKyHY8ska73Uv8UcW7kjFcD5amLXllefHdvZI9wor2zVTUu_HhYmQxB3bapRHQuaIsBOy6fqVjO7n3zsjQ9skHvk2LQmqIbgav0y31tXmkHXPjxRMvJD0WQLLb5H2SPD6tEMIXdiP5KAe6190HRcuSaGgLPY_82w62plWFkRqUzSt9C2P2BuIibPH-53VmHFVohGOm0i5u8ejoXxzjTHAFhKYA1KJi-YdzdikEnsHz5-nSqBoTB8mn2Lc_RZEoDJ-xbdZgGxet5-WJzelCBJJCRgn0.2nf7_EzuuwFWa_vGhzCEyPMqhD9F4i7-2d7c70IgJu0&dib_tag=se&hvadid=678467137404&hvdev=c&hvexpln=0&hvlocphy=9029558&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=39930829735022087--&hvqmt=b&hvrand=39930829735022087&hvtargid=kwd-2239628814146&hydadcr=7696_13589679&keywords=mopeka%2B2%2Bpack&mcid=2a3b25f10644368bbbb60cf5e4c564c8&qid=1764610880&sr=8-6&th=1 I monitor propane levels with the app on my phone, then manually switch when one tank gets low. I am interested to know if you are able to manually switch the regulator between tanks once it thaws out.

Attached is Lithionics' most recent (to my knowledge) battery storage protocol. Note that if your batteries are "subject to winter conditions", Lithionics recommends that you either leave them connected to shore power (so the internal heaters can protect them), or remove them and store them "above freezing". Leaving shore power connected avoids the need for shutdown. For what it's worth, during our very cold winters in central Idaho, we leave our Elite II connected to shore power, but do a charge-discharge cycle after 6 months of storage. Lithionics Storage Procedure Rev.7-1.pdf

Lots of wood inside. Would not work for us, as the wife has a severe mold allergy. Trailers leak, and once any wood gets wet and does not quickly dry out, mold happens. We are glad we could afford an Oliver Elite II.

As the 30A RV receptacle passed inspection when the original structure was built, and since I cannot find a 30A single pole GFCI receptacle, or a 30A single pole GFCI breaker for my Square D Homeline panel, I am hoping the inspector will leave it alone. Also, further research suggests that it arguably is not a "branch circuit" but a dedicated "feeder" circuit solely for the travel trailer, and so may also be exempt from the GFCI requirement on that basis. Below is a note to Section 551.71(F) of the NEC, which reads, in part: "GFCI protection shall not be required for other than 125-volt, 15 and 20-ampere receptacles used in recreational vehicle site equipment." The note reads: Informational Note No. 2: The definition of Power-Supply Assembly in 551.2 and the definition of Feeder in Article 100 clarifies that the power supply cord to a recreational vehicle is considered a feeder. These plug-and-cord connections are considered to be feeders, not receptacles. Since feeders are not required to have GFCI protection for personnel, the requirements of Section 210.8 would not apply to them. One rationale offered for this exemption is that: " the high current would cause nuisance tripping of the GFCI due to normal leakage currents from the RV's appliances." I have verified that the balance of the electrical installation meets or exceeds current code requirements. So, I plan to request an inspection and see if the inspector calls out the dedicated 30A RV receptacle. If he does, it appears my only option would be to install a 240V 30A GFCI breaker in my Square D Homeline panel, but wire only 1 leg of it to the 120V dedicated RV receptacle, per Snackchaser's suggestion above. Thanks for your input!

I have prepared this post in the hope of saving any of you who do your own electrical wiring from going down the same "rabbit hole" I just did. Per the title of this post, 30A RV receptacles (outlets) are not required by the NEC (National Electrical Code) to be GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) protected. How do I now know? Read on. I am wiring an addition to my detached garage, where I store our Hull #1291. When the original garage was built, the NEC (and Idaho Code) only required ground level 120V 15A and 20A outlets to be GFCI protected. The original garage passed electrical inspection, because the one and only ground level outlet in that garage was a GFCI. The 30A RV outlet next to it was approved, even though it is not GFCI. The 20A garage door opener receptacle (on a separate 20A circuit) near the 14-ft. ceiling was also approved without GFCI, because it is so high off the floor. So was a separate 15A lighting circuit, which feeds other receptacles at ceiling level (into which LED UFO lights are plugged), as they are all 14 ft. off the floor. When adding circuits for the addition into the existing subpanel in that detached garage, I checked for amendments to the NEC relating to garages. I knew that when you add to an existing structure, the entire structure must usually be upgraded to meet current electrical code. I learned that the current code (pun intended) requires that ALL 120V receptacles 50A or less in a garage must now be GFCI protected, even those high in a ceiling. The apparent reasoning behind this change is that some folks plug pull-down cord reels into garage ceiling outlets, which brings electrical power down to a level where contact with a wet concrete floor could produce a shock--thus the perceived need for GFCI protection even in garage ceiling receptacles. So, I believed I had to add GFCI protection to all circuits in the original and new structures, either with a GFCI outlet closest to the panel on any 15A or 20A circuit, or with a GFCI circuit breaker in the panel. There are 15A light circuits which have receptacles, because the LED UFO lights plug into ceiling receptacles, and 20A garage door/outlet circuits in that garage, along with the aforementioned 30A RV outlet. But, I could not find anywhere online either a 30A 120V GFCI receptacle or a 120V 30A GFCI circuit breaker (I found 220V dual--pole 30A GFCI versions, but no 120V single pole ones), and our 30A RV outlet is 120V, as it must be to enable connection to an RV. Why? Further research informed me that 30A RV receptacles are exempted from the general rule that all 120V receptacles 50A or lower in a garage must be GFCI protected, regardless of how high they are off the floor. All I could find through a Google search is that such 30A receptacles in RV parks and campgrounds are exempted, so 30A 120V receptacles in garages are likewise exempt. So, it appears I can leave that 30A RV receptacle alone, and it should pass inspection. I invite any more knowledgeable readers to correct me if I am wrong, or to explain the reason for the exemption. I just find it curious....

We have a Girard awning, so I have no relevant experience. Looks like it is time to start tearing into the roll-up mechanism. Now that you have removed "both ends", I would start by studying the owner's manual. Below is a link to the Carefree of Colorado website through which you can hopefully find the applicable manual by product name for download. https://www.carefreeofcolorado.com/product-library/ There is also a toll-free number listed on that website. I would call seeking a tech support person who might be able to advise you. Good luck!

On our Hull #1291 the sprayer on the outside faucet is threaded onto the supply hose. I screw the sprayer head off the hose, then push the hose through the access hole to the inside of the hull. I then take the sprayer inside, open the driver's side rear hatch, locate the hose and thread the sprayer back onto the hose for cold weather storage.

For what it's worth, we spent a couple of nights in New Mexico and Colorado in November 2022 when temps dropped as low as 9 degrees F. We did not winterize the water system, so we could continue to use it. We pulled the outside faucet inside. We placed digital thermometers in the "underbelly" of our Elite II near the outside faucet in the rear and under the front dinette seat. We kept our Truma Varioheat furnace running at 70 degrees F all night, but not during the day when we were on the road and daytime temps were above freezing. We also kept the antifreeze attachment in our Truma water heater activated. The digital thermometers confirmed that the temp did not drop below 32 degrees F in the "underbelly" even when outside temps were as low as 9 degrees F.

I use spray white lithium grease, then wipe off the excess with a paper towel. Lasts longer than WD-40.

One can hope that the potential Norcold successor, Dave Carter & Associates, will take over production facilities and will keep making replacement parts. That said, I still would like to know what parts have failed in the past that may be worth buying...

Me too. We have a Norcold refrigerator in our 2022 Elite II. What parts have failed in the past, that I may wish to buy, just in case?