Rivernerd

I note you have Lithionics batteries. I wonder if the battery box door gets even more wear and tear on the road with heavier lead/acid/AGM batteries. If that happens to our Elite II (once we get it), would stainless steel bolts and nuts with lock washers, sized to match the rivets, then secured with red Loctite, make a more permanent repair? Thoughts?

At dhaig's suggestion, I called sptech's 800 number today and asked to speak to a customer service supervisor. The supervisor I spoke with apologized for her subordinate's initial response and agreed to overnight to me the correct size of grease cap, and to email to me a prepaid shipping label. So, I should receive the correct size grease cap this week, and don't have to take the incorrectly shipped part to a UPS store. I can print the return shipping label they promised to email to me, put it on the box in which the incorrect part was shipped, and leave it for our UPS driver. It still saddens me that I had to call a supervisor in the first place to get the right thing done. But, sptech has now agreed to make it right.

Weight distribution and sway control are not the same thing. The Andersen is a weight distribution hitch that helps somewhat with sway control. I recommend you carefully study your owners manual to verify whether there is a statement somewhere, like this one in my 2019 Tundra 5.7L V8 with tow package owner's manual: "If the gross trailer weight is over 5000 lb. (2268 kg), a weight distributing hitch with sufficient capacity is required." Unless you put almost nothing in your Elite II, it will weigh more than 5000 lbs.

May I suggest that you start a service ticket? We would appreciate Oliver being advised of this oversight, so maybe ours will be fully caulked around the jacks when we pick it up in November.

PLAN WELL AHEAD and consider avoiding this vendor. On June 10, 2022, I ordered the same hubodometer and 4.25" wheel center cap that dhaig ordered from sptech.com for the Elite II we plan to pick up in November. 18 days later, on June 28, 2022, it still had not shipped. So, I emailed sptech.com's customer service. The order was shipped the next day. But, the invoice emailed to me confirming the shipment referenced a 3.19 wheel center cap, not the 4.25" wheel center cap I had ordered, and which is referenced on the email confirming the order. When I again exchanged email messages with an sptech.com customer service rep, I was told that they had shipped the wrong wheel center cap, but that they would not ship to me the 4.25" wheel center cap I had correctly ordered until I return the wrong part they shipped back to them, and they receive it. That process will likely take several more weeks. They did not even provide me with a return shipping label, but instead insisted that I go to a UPS store (which is 50 miles away from my home) and use their UPS account number to arrange the return shipping. I consider this abysmal customer service. When combined with the slow service detailed in dhaig's post quoted above, you will be wise to find another hubodometer vendor.

I have seen forged bank checks. If I were the seller, I would not accept a cashier's check in exchange for my trailer. I would insist on wired funds. And, I would release the trailer to the buyer only after receiving confirmation from my bank that the wired funds were actually in my account. I would determine the amount of the wire transfer fees in advance, then add those fees to the agreed sale price.

Have you tried to twist off the brushed chrome cap that sits on top of and around the cartridge? It may be threaded onto the housing below it. On some faucets, that cap holds the cartridge in place. Try twisting the cap counterclockwise to remove it. You may need a gripper to give your hand traction, like this: https://www.amazon.com/Regent-Multi-Purpose-Gripper-Bottle-Opener/dp/B019R5TSYW/ref=asc_df_B019R5TSYW/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=193124190188&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1108655480944362344&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9029558&hvtargid=pla-311177149643&psc=1 DF-NMK852 looks like the correct model number for the faucet you have. If you download that owners manual, the brushed chrome cap is depicted on the parts list on Page 5, with the cartridge shown right underneath it. This suggests that the cap must be removed before you can access the cartridge to replace it. Good luck!

As you test drive interim tow vehicles, I recommend you also include a used Tundra with the 5.7L engine and tow package in your search. We plan to tow our Elite II with our 2019 Tundra 5.7L after we pick up it in November. Lots of folks on this forum tow very happily with Tundras, usually with an Andersen hitch. Our 2019 Tundra Double Cab Standard Bed would barely fit in your 228" garage; maybe omit the double cab when test driving? A well-maintained Tundra should holds its value well until you take delivery of your Rivian. My 2 cents.

Did you or your helpful neighbor take any photos of the faulty main ground wire, and the properly connected main ground wire that provided the solution? Those would help others, including me, to more quickly diagnose similar problems in the future.

I find this disturbing. Unbalanced tires are less safe. Tires on new cars and trucks are balanced, why not tires on new high-end trailers? You pay $65K+ for a brand new trailer, then get to take it to a tire shop to have all 4 tires balanced?

We are taking delivery of our 2022 Elite II in November as well. My review of posts on this forum over the past 9 months has persuaded me that we, as consumers, are the final quality control inspectors for the Oliver trailers we buy. So, I have compiled a long list of items to check, and system tests to conduct, during the first few days after pickup. Many Oliver owners will be quick to point out that Oliver's quality control is much better than their competitors. But, as this thread demonstrates, it is still not up to my standards. I expect Oliver's management will echo the chorus heard more today than at any time in my life: "Good help is hard to find." That said, forum posters consistently note that Oliver's service department promptly and effectively addresses any issues identified by those who pick up new Olivers, before you head back home. That is one of many reasons we remain committed to Oliver. By comparison, I suspect that a request to address such issues in a new trailer purchased from a dealer, after you towed it off the lot, would be "take a number" or "leave the trailer with us and we'll see if we can get to it in a few weeks."

I agree. FWIW, I don't have any Lithionics LiFePO4 batteries, but the Dakota Lithium LiFePO4 batteries I use to power my CPAP machine on extended river trips have an "open circuit voltage" (fully charged but rested) of 13.7 to 14.0 volts. I have six of 'em, and just tested them with my Klein voltmeter. I would consider calling Lithionics to ask what the open circuit voltage of their batteries should be. I also second the "don't give up" admonition! I don't have a technical background (I am a retired lawyer), but I have acquired some limited technical knowledge over the years when I needed to solve technical problems that I could not find anyone to solve for me. This includes how to power a CPAP machine on extended wilderness river trips with batteries and recharge those batteries with a solar panel. Before I gave up and waited another month to get into an RV service center, I would buy a good multimeter, learn how to use it, then follow the helpful suggestions offered in this thread. You have nothing to lose but a little money and a lot of time, and you just might find the solution to your problem. You should also acquire knowledge and transferable skills that will help you address other problems that arise with the complex electro-mechanical devices that are today's travel trailers. My 2 cents,

I don't fault you for wanting to give up, given all of the time and energy you have already devoted to this elusive, and remarkably frustrating, electrical problem. I don't recall another post saying that Jason Essary is "just as perplexed as we are." Jason is so competent that doesn't happen very often. But please indulge me with another query: I note no reference to checking voltage with a voltmeter. After I said a few bad words out of sheer frustration, I would get my hands on a good quality multimeter (Klein makes several reliable ones, available at Home Depot) and check the voltage on the batteries, at the fridge, etc. instead of relying on the Xantrex, Lithionics or EMS readouts. I would start by checking battery voltage on each battery, then work "downstream" from there. That might give you a clue as to where the voltage is going, and maybe if one or more of those components is faulty. Good luck! And, please continue to provide reports of your progress (or lack thereof....) Our 2022 Elite II remains on order, so my wife and I are keenly interested in the resolution of this conundrum.

Above is an image of the main chassis ground bracket, with threaded bolt, on the Oliver. This is from an Oliver Technical Service Bulletin issued in 2018 after some Olivers left the factory with improperly installed inverter ground lugs. Review of this thread, and inspection of the components mentioned in it, may help you verify if your 12V DC system is properly grounded to the trailer chassis.

The intermittent, bright-to-dim lighting issue sounds like grounding issues I have had with the 12V DC light system on my raft trailer. You advised that I presume this means that the yellow ground wires are securely connected to the grounding bus. But, did you verify that the main ground wire from the grounding bus bar to the trailer chassis is securely connected? That was the solution once to an intermittent light issue on my raft trailer.

If you are not comfortable troubleshooting electrical issues yourself, then I concur with Mike and Carol: engage a local electrician to track down the source of your issues. Any good electrician should be conversant with both AC and DC electrical systems. Hopefully electricians in your neck of the woods are not booked out until mid-July!

Do the refrigerator, AC and awning work, and do the lights go from dim to bright, when connected to shore power? Or do those problems occur only when operating on DC power? Have you tried the refrigerator on propane? Have you checked your inverter with a voltmeter?

Thanks for your informative post. How long did it take you to address the areas you covered?

Although both wires attached to the signal booster are black, I note that they come with red and black alligator clips. I presume you connected the wire that came with a black clip to the ground bus, and the wire that came with a red clip to the DC distribution panel?

From Oliver owner Foy Sperring. Link to his catalog below. Or, just search for "Foy" using this forum's search tool. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xYYE_R9dKxbNapgWqzYcaaDYCtEj_m6v/view?usp=sharing

I agree that the R16 claim is "aggressive" marketing. If it were true, then an Oliver wall would outperform a sheathed 2x4 stud wall filled with R13 fiberglass batt insulation and drywalled on the inside. I seriously doubt that. Is there a way to scientifically test the R value of an Oliver double-hull-with-interior-insulation sandwich? Dow Corning pink foam insulation board offgasses highly toxic fumes if burned. Get out of Mouse ASAP in the event of fire.

I read this thread with interest, as we have an Elite II with the Lithium Pro Package on order for November delivery, and I use a CPAP machine. I believe one way to reduce CPAP power consumption when boondocking in an Oliver would be to use a 12V DC CPAP plugged directly into a 12V outlet, rather than a 120V receptacle powered by the inverter. Because I use a CPAP on extended wilderness river trips, I buy machines that run on 12V DC, and power them with 12V LiFePO4 batteries when on the river. My machine draws about 1 amp per hour of usage, or about 8 amp hours on an average night. Those machines also come with "wall plug" adapters that convert 120V power to the DC voltage compatible with the machine, which I use when at home. When not connected to shore power, I plan to plug my 12V DC machine directly into one of the 12V DC "cigarette lighter" receptacles in our Oliver, rather than using the 120V "wall plug" adapter plugged into one of the 120V receptacles. This will bypass the inverter, avoiding the power consumption required to take 12V DC from the battery bank, invert it to the 120V AC supplied at the "wall plug" in the Oliver, then back to DC for use by the CPAP machine.

Like you, we don't pick up our Elite II until November. I expect that, like the AC, if you have one of the lithium packages, you can operate the microwave on battery power, but probably not for very long. We will find out in November.

What is the cost? For those of us who can't go to the rally, when will it be available for installation by Oliver?