Rivernerd

I don't know. I inspected the windows after delivery, and found no issues. They all appeared flush to the outer shell, and properly caulked. What Jason reported to us after we took the trailer back is that when leak testing, he noted that a "new" protocol for window installation had not been followed. I don't know what that "new" protocol entails, or whether it would have been in effect in September. In your shoes, I would shower the trailer with a garden hose, then check for window leaks. If you find none, I would resort to the old maxim: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

The reports on this forum of failure issues with the RV Lock keypads are the reason we ordered the standard handle that opens with ordinary keys. We keep the keys in our tow vehicle. During our 2000+mile trip back home, locking and unlocking the trailer did not seem to be an issue.

I am sorry my report left you with that impression. I should have written it more clearly. To my recollection, none of the issues we found had been reported before except the roof leak and the absence of rubber plugs in the disk brake backing plates. As I noted, Dexter does not supply the rubber plugs, and I believe Oliver had not thought to supply them. So, the only previously reported issue that Oliver could (and should) have done better was the roof leak. The impressive point for me was that of nearly 100 previously-reported issues detailed in my list, I found only those two, and only one was a production oversight. So my "takeaway" was that Oliver has successfully addressed almost all of the "oft-reported" past problems. Please accept my apologies for any confusion.

We arrived back home in Idaho today after driving more than 2000 miles through 8 states after leaving Hohenwald. The trailer felt, and handled, fine, even at freeway speeds up to 70 MPH. I do not feel the need to have the trailer tires balanced.

OLIVER HULL #1291 DELIVERY, INSPECTION AND WARRANTY SERVICE EXPERIENCE This very long post details our delivery, inspection and initial warranty service experience with our new Legacy Elite II travel trailer picked up on November 10, 2022. I begin with our overall impressions, for those who want just the “bottom line.” OVERALL IMPRESSIONS The Elite II is a quality trailer worth the price paid. We are glad we waited to get the Truma upgrade package including the AC, the CP Plus Varioheat wall control and the Varioheat furnace. Oliver does not lap seal all screw holes on the roof during production, but does lap seal as part of the first year’s annual maintenance. Oliver’s production staff continues to make some mistakes, but Oliver’s Service Department promptly and effectively addresses flaws for which service tickets are submitted. If you are interested in more detail, including how our delivery process went, the specific issues with our Hull #1291, and how they were resolved, keep reading. DELIVERY Ryan from Service did a generally good job with the delivery process. But, he failed to provide instructions for running the AC on battery power, which is one of the reasons we bought the Lithium Pro package. We had to figure out on our own that the AC remote must first be electronically paired with the CP Plus Varioheat wall control, and that the inverter must be switched on, or the AC unit will not be recognized by the CP Plus Varioheat wall control. Once we completed those steps, the AC worked well on inverted battery power. Our trailer has Goodyear Wrangler Workhorse LT tires mounted on 16” wheels. I was advised by Oliver Operations Manager Rodney Lomax that the ST tires on 15” wheels will not be installed on new trailers until March, 2023. I asked Ryan if the tires contained balance beads. He replied that after the balance bead/valve stem issue, Oliver determined to remove balance beads from all tires going forward, and leave them unbalanced. He asserted that trailer tires don’t need to be balanced. Jason Essary and Oliver Operations Manager Rodney Lomax also advised they are satisfied that trailer tires do not need balancing. Note Added After Towing 2000+ Miles Back to Idaho: I do not feel the need to get the trailer tires balanced. The trailer towed smoothly. SPECIFIC OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE TRAILER Hull #1291 is the third trailer delivered with the new Truma package including Aventa AC, Varioheat furnace and CP-Plus integrated thermostat/control for heat/AC/water heater. We deferred our delivery from September to November 10 so we could get the Truma package in our 2022. #1291 is also the third trailer to get the Victron MPPT solar charge controller, which is standard with the 2023 solar package. I mistakenly presumed that since the Victron BMV-712 Smart Battery Monitor is mounted in the same place that the Zamp monitor was that it, too, reports solar panel charging data. It does not. It reports only the battery charge status. In trailers with both the solar and lithium packages, it is one of four ways to access battery charge data: (1) by reading the Smart Battery Monitor; (2) through the Lithionics app; (3) through the Victron Connect app and (4) by pressing “Batt” on the Seelevel monitor. Those who order wet cell or AGM batteries without a solar package have one way to check battery charge level: the Seelevel monitor. To check on solar charge data, there is only one option: you must access the Victron Connect App and click not on the Smart Battery Monitor icon, but on the Solar Charge Controller icon. You can then see real time solar charge data (if it’s night the charge data will be 0), and historical data for the past 30 days. The Truma AC is quiet. Although it produces 62 dB on high, the low and night settings logged in at 48 dB. It is easy to carry on a normal conversation at those levels. The Varioheat furnace includes much more substantial ducting than what I have seen in photos of Suburban furnace installs. It is not kinked or twisted, as some have reported with previous furnaces. Hull #1291 also includes a return air vent in the bathroom, which allows cold air to be returned to the furnace through the service area in the bottom of the trailer. This results in a much better balanced forced air heat system. Previous posters with the Suburban furnace noted that the “bilge” area under the street side bed where the external faucet is located stayed about 5 degrees above the outside ambient temperature on cold nights in the teens. We found that, with the Varioheat furnace set to heat the cabin to 70 degrees F, the “bilge” area stayed at 38 degrees F with outside temps at 11 degrees F. We did not then worry that the plumbing and tanks below the floor would freeze. The CP Plus Varioheat thermostat requires a learning curve, as it is not yet covered by any Oliver videos. It controls the Varioheat Furnace and the Aventa AC, as well as the Aquago water heater. AC control appears as an option on shore power, but not on battery power until the inverter is turned on. We were shown how to use it on shore power during the delivery process, but we were grateful that Oliver also provides a notebook containing owners manuals for the Truma products, as we had to study the owner’s manual later to really learn how to operate it, including when testing the AC on inverted battery power. The fit and finish inside and outside the trailer is improved over that reported by some on this forum. The interior caulking, such as in the shower, is nicely done. As an example, the plumbing vent hole in the closet is now sealed with a gasket, rather than just caulked (sometimes incompletely) as noted by earlier posts on this forum. INSPECTION AT DAVID CROCKETT STATE PARK From review of posts on this forum, I had compiled a long list of nearly 100 production defects noted by posters over the past several years. I spent most of the next 3 days at David Crockett State Park inspecting the trailer inside and out to determine if any of those defects were present in our trailer. None of those issues, ranging from improperly installed windows, to missing caulk around stabilizer jacks, to improper grounding of the inverter, were found in our trailer, save two: (1) there were no rubber plugs in the drum brake backing plates and (2) there was a roof leak. We found 5 significant issues, for which we submitted service tickets: 1. A leak appeared onto the standard bed area below the Truma Aventa air conditioner. It rained in Hohenwald the night we took delivery, then we found the leak the next day when we arrived at David Crockett State Park. As we had not used the AC, we suspected something on the roof needed to be resealed to prevent rainwater from penetrating the hull when on the road. This issue was on my list. 2. The Truma Aquago Antifreeze unit we purchased from Oliver did not yet communicate with the Truma CP Plus Varioheat wall control unit, so it could not be used. 3. The grey tank sensor gave erratic readings that did not correlate to water usage. 4. The bath fan vent and plumbing vent screws on the roof were not sealed, providing possible leak points; and 5. The one other item that was on my checklist: The drum brake backing pads do not have rubber plugs to protect the adjustment mechanism from road grit. When dumping the black and grey tanks before heading back to Hohenwald, the grey tank cable pull handle came out in my hand, preventing me from dumping the grey tank. When speaking with Mike Sharpe from Oliver Service, I also advised him of this issue that had come up that morning. RETURN VISIT TO HOHENWALD We delivered Hull #1291 to Oliver Service the late morning of Monday November 14, 2022. Later that afternoon, Jason Essary advised that his techs had verified the water leak and believed its origin was around the ventilation fan. They resealed that area, but then also applied sealant to all of the exposed screws on the roof (at no additional charge), because I had expressed concern that they were potential leak points. Operations and Sales manager Rodney Lomax advised that those screws are not sealed during production, but that the Service Department applies lap seal to them if annual maintenance is scheduled. I suggested that, like the screws that secure metal roofing to sheathing, those screws should be either gasketed or otherwise sealed as part of the manufacturing process. We were asked to leave the trailer overnight, so the sealant could cure before leak testing the next day. Because rain was forecast for that night, and because we asked to be able to sleep in the trailer, Operations Manager Rodney Lomax arranged for the trailer to be placed under a large awning/overhang at the Sales and Service facility to keep the roof dry. We noted when we slept in the trailer that night that all of the service ticket items had already been addressed except the water leak and the plugs for the drum brake backing plate. The grey water tank sensor was now reading consistently and the CP Plus wall unit was recognizing and controlling the antifreeze kit. The grey water tank pull handle had been reattached. [My later inspection suggested that the set screw, which secures the aluminum shaft (to which the grey tank drain handle is attached) to the guillotine valve under the street side bed, had come loose. I expect the handle with shaft simply needed to be reinserted and the set screw properly torqued.] We were advised that the brakes come from Dexter without plugs for the access holes, and Oliver does not supply them. So, I determined to cover the access holes with Gorilla tape until I could buy plugs online at home and install them. We yielded the trailer to the service team the next morning, expecting that after a leak test, we could be on our way home. But, we were advised a few hours later that when leak testing, it was discovered that our windows had not been installed according to a new protocol recently implemented by Oliver, so Jason had instructed his techs to pull and properly reinstall all windows, including re-caulking exterior flanges. That took the balance of the day. Jason and some of his staff stayed until after 6:00 p.m. that evening to complete the work and return the trailer to us, so we could camp another night at the Oliver campsite rather than find a motel. The process of addressing our multiple service tickets required us to hang out in Hohenwald for another two days, and delay our plans to return to Idaho. But, we had planned extra time for this purpose knowing that such a delay was possible. In total, we spent 6 days in Tennessee receiving delivery, inspecting and testing systems, and coordinating repairs. We appreciate Oliver lap sealing all of the screw heads and holes in the roof of our trailer, at no charge to us. We believe all Oliver trailers should have all roof screw holes lap sealed as part of the production process. Had that been done to our trailer before we took delivery, it would have saved us a day in Hohenwald. We also appreciate the Oliver service team for promptly addressing our service tickets right after we arrived back at their facility, and, even though it took an extra day, for ensuring that the windows were properly resealed though we had noted no issues with the windows. It is a concern that Oliver’s production staff overlooked the items for which we submitted service tickets during construction, and failed to follow the new protocol for window installation when building our trailer. But, we left (two days later than we had originally hoped) with what we believe is a high quality trailer that is worth the premium we paid for it. And we left with great respect for the integrity and commitment to quality of the Oliver service and management team. HELPFUL THINGS LEARNED FROM FORUM POSTERS I learned many things from posters on this forum which have made using the trailer much easier and safer. These include: Inserting turnbuckles into the chains of the Andersen WD hitch, with the extra chain links required to fit the Elite II. This has made it easier to attach and detach the Andersen by turning the turnbuckles to create slack. It also makes it much easier to get the “whale tail” back on if it was detached at an angle—just loosen the turnbuckle on the long side even more, and the whale tail can be installed at an angle. Then, of course, tighten the turnbuckles to tension the WD hitch. I use Robogrips to complete the tightening process. This is much easier for an old guy than crawling under the trailer to loosen the nut with the Andersen provided socket. Using a Camco water filter and a brass hose elbow when hooking up city water Installing a dash cam Using a PUR water filter pitcher Installing a Tire Minder TPMS system Using a squeegee to wipe down shower walls Installing X-Chocks between the wheels on the two axles. If you posted about these items, THANK YOU!

We spent last night in our new Elite II in Cortez, CO. The overnight low was 11 degrees F. We had condensation on the inside of the trailer in the morning. When outside temps get that low, just the vapor from people sleeping in the trailer can condense on the cold walls and windows. I do not believe it indicates a leak. We found that running a dehumidifier helps collect the moisture and keep it off the walls and windows.

Ours makes a buzzing sound when it is on. I suspect it is normal.

When picking up our Elite II after repairs, I asked about adding a return air vent on the street side aft of the Xantrex inverter. Jason Essary advised that Truma "okayed" the idea, but he cautioned to place such a vent far enough aft of the inverter to ensure structural integrity of the fiberglass sidewall is not compromised. I plan to add that additional return air vent after we get back home next Tuesday, to further improve the performance of the Varioheat furnace system. I don't need to do it before then because testing during our return trip back to Idaho has confirmed that the Varioheat furnace, with the new return air duct in the bathroom, has improved air circulation enough to protect the "bilge" area of the trailer down to single digit temps. It got down to 11 degrees F last night in Cortez, Colorado. With the Varioheat furnace set at 70 degrees F it ran all night, but never raised the cabin temp above 68 degrees F. Yet, the monitors set on the "floor" near the Pex supply plumbing under the front dinette seat and the rear street-side bed never read lower than 38 degrees F. This 27-degree F positive differential between outside temp and bilge temp is a significant improvement for cold weather camping.

A "heads up" for new owners (like us) who have the (more efficient) Victron charge controller instead of the older Zamp unit: the wall-mounted Victron BMV-712 Smart Battery Monitor is exactly that--a battery monitor, not a solar charge monitor. Since it is mounted in the same place as the old Zamp display, I presumed it reported solar charge data, like the Zamp did. It doesn't. For solar panel output data, you must download and consult the Victron Connect app, and tap on the icon for the Victron charge controller, not the Smart Battery Monitor. Then you can see not only current, but historical (last 30 days) solar charge data. This is a paradigm shift which confused me until I figured it out.

Truma will not allow an Easy Start to be installed in an Aventa air conditioner. So, you must have at least a 3KW Inverter/generator to run it. One trade off for a quieter unit.

Another observation: I just toured the 2023 Oliver Elite II demo trailers while waiting for service at the OTT Sales and Service facility. One of the Elite II demos has the full Truma upgrade package including AC, water heater and Varioheat furnace. The other has the standard Dometic AC and the standard Suburban water heater, but the Truma Varioheat furnace. This suggests that the Varioheat furnace is now the "standard" on all 2023 Elite II trailers, even without the Truma AC/water heater upgrade. If so, our experience so far supports this product decision by Oliver.

Rodney Lomax confirmed to me yesterday that the vent in the bath below the toilet is a return air vent that is included with the Truma upgrade.

The Varioheat furnace is included when you order the Truma package. We were surprised, and pleased, when we received an updated Deposit Receipt from OTT a couple of months ago which listed the Varioheat furnace as part of the Truma upgrade package. As I advised OTT Sales and Operations manager Rodney Lomax yesterday, it would be to Oliver's advantage to better market the fact that the Varioheat furnace is included with the Truma upgrade package. After using the trailer for 5 days now, we believe it adds at least as much value as the AC and the water heater, making the upcharge much more worthwhile.

We also ordered the Truma antifreeze kit. It was installed by our delivery person from the Service Department. But, be sure to check before leaving Hohenwald that the "ANTIFR" option appears on the CP Plus wall remote control (along with the ECO and COMFORT options) indicating that the antifreeze kit is communicating with, and can be controlled by, the CP Plus. As the CP Plus wall controls are new to Oliver as of last week, our installer neglected to do a RESET on the CP Plus after installing the antifreeze kit, so it did not work. But, during our return trip to the Oliver facility today, that issue was promptly corrected. Mistakes happen, but we are impressed with the prompt and effective response from the Oliver Service Department. They really do care.

We took delivery of our 2022 Elite II last Thursday. Low temps dropped into the mid-20s over the weekend, while we were at David Crockett State Park. We have the Truma AC/Furnace/Aquago package. Concerned about freezing, we placed digital thermometers in the bottom of the service access portals under the front dinette seat and the street side rear compartment near the external faucet. We set the Truma Varioheat furnace at 68 F. When the outside low dropped to 26 F, those thermometers read in the mid- 40's. This suggests that the vulnerable areas on the bottom and outside of the trailer are staying warmer, with the furnace on, than has been previously reported. I believe it is because Oliver now includes a return air vent in the aft wall of the bathroom, with the Truma Varioheat installation, which improves air flow back to the furnace. See page 2 of this thread: The Truma furnace package also includes smaller, but more robust, and better sealed, supply air ductwork. So far, we are quite pleased with the quality and performance of the Truma Varioheat furnace installation, and with our ability to use the trailer in below-freezing temps. But, we must drive home to Idaho over the next week. That process may require us to camp overnight with low temps in the teens. We plan to continue to monitor temps. If the sensitive areas of the bottom of the trailer get below 32 F with the Varioheat set at 68 F, I will update on this thread.

In the trailer you may have parasitic power draws. I would pull them from the trailer ASAP, put them in your garage, connect them to a "regular" lead acid battery charger and monitor voltage with a voltmeter. If after charging for a couple of days they still don't hold a charge, I recommend you take them to an auto parts store for (usually) free testing. These steps will advise you whether they are damaged and require replacement.

Attached is a photo of what I believe to be a bathroom return air vent in our new Hull #1291 Elite II. It is on the back side of the aft bathroom wall, right above the black tank flush/check valve, and therefore accessible from underneath the front dinette seat. The second attached photo is shot from the bath side. I suspect the return air is expected to make its way back to the furnace through the area under the floor. You will note that the forced air vents are smaller than in previous models. I believe this is because we were the third Elite II upgraded to the Truma AC/VarioHeat furnace package. The air ducts are smaller diameter, but much more substantial than I have seen in photos previously posted on this forum. Maybe Oliver added return air vents as part of this upgrade? For what it's worth, a cold front moved into Tennessee last night. It has been in the high 30's today, with lows for tonight forecast to be in the mid-20's. We have run the furnace most of the day, with the bathroom door closed, yet it has been only a bit cooler in the bath than in the main cabin. I suspect that small return air duct has helped balance the flow of heated air to the bathroom.

We took delivery on an Elite II yesterday, with the 2-5/16" coupler upgrade, towed by a 2019 Tundra. I installed a 2-5/16" Andersen hitch today. Why? We figured the $250 for the 2-5/16" coupler upgrade, combined with $0 more for the 2-5/16" Andersen WD hitch vs. the 2" (which was purchased online and installed by me to save some $$$$), were sensible insurance against the ball wear issues John Davies reported on this forum some years ago.

Thanks for the "heads up" about the gelcoat on the roof. We took delivery of Hull #1291 yesterday. Our preliminary inspection has revealed generally good attention to detail so far. But, a roof issue surfaced today. It rained in Hohenwald last night. We found a water leak near the air conditioner onto the bed after driving to David Crockett State Park. As we had not used the AC yet, we figure a sealant failure around the AC unit allowed residual rainwater to leak through the hulls during the drive. So, we will be back in Hohenwald on Monday to get that leak addressed. I begin a more thorough inspection, including the quality of the gelcoat and sealant application on the roof, tomorrow. Any additional issues revealed by this weekend's inspection and continued systems testing will be added to our service ticket for Monday. I plan to open a new topic recounting our delivery, quality inspection and remedial service experience within the next week.

We take delivery on Hull #1291 tomorrow. I plan to conduct a thorough inspection and test all systems over the next several days. It will be interesting to see if the many service tickets reported by all of you helpful forum posters have caused Oliver's production quality control to improve enough to provide us with a flawless trailer. Stay tuned.

That is a 4" drop/rise version. It works for most, but not all, tow vehicles. It is also the 2-5/16" ball version. 2" ball is more common. Oliver installs a 2" coupler unless you upgrade to the 2-5/16". If your coupler is 2", you must get the 2" ball version. How much drop or rise you need depends on the height of the receiver on your tow vehicle. There is a good set of instructions for measuring on the Andersen website. Check that out, do the measurements and you will know which drop/rise you need.

Does the owners manual "recommend" or "require" a weight distributing hitch when towing over 5000 lbs.? There is a critical difference between those two words. Good luck proving that "Nissan didn't think I needed sway control" in court if your owners manual says differently.

Where we live in central Idaho, the saying is: "There are two kinds of people here. Those who have hit a deer, and those who are going to hit a deer." I am in a third category: those who have hit at least 2 deer!

I got mine from Amazon for $10: https://www.amazon.com/Optronics-ACP7S-Trailer-Harness-Protector/dp/B089N62GHN/ref=asc_df_B089N62GHN/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=532535399205&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13502820704720952598&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9029558&hvtargid=pla-1425403121436&psc=1

A 4" deck plate hatch is available from Amazon for about $12. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08VJ1S1KC/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=A2QJ57U0XMN4Q0&psc=1