Rivernerd

Thanks for posting about this (hopefully rare) defect. We pick up our Elite II in about 2 weeks. I now plan to verify proper operation of the emergency egress window! Your post suggests you are fairly "handy." Did your evaluation of the rear window assembly reveal how it is installed in the Oliver? Since reputable RV repair facilities seem to be hard to find, have you determined what would be required to replace the rear window yourself, maybe with help from a friend? Jason Essary's video on window shade removal, available through the link below, shows what the windows look like with the shade assembly removed. It makes me wonder if the inside window assemblies are screwed to the outside part of the assembly, and so could be replaced by removing the screws (and, I expect, some sealant), and separating the inside and outside parts of the frame?

Interesting. Radiant heating, rather than forced air, throughout. Thanks for posting the link.

Jason recommends in his 2021 walk through video to turn off the inverter when not in use. Maybe leaving it on will wear it out sooner?

If I were traveling alone with just a small dog, the smaller Legacy Elite I would be my choice.

Thanks for the very informative post. It is particularly useful to know that the "stock" trailer will protect the water systems from freezing down to 25 F, and that you burned about 15 lbs. (3+ gallons) of propane per day when nighttime lows were in single digits. Please forgive me if this is a dumb question. But, if you kept all water systems winterized the entire time, using only containerized water and your composting toilet, what would it matter if the external shower was exposed to freezing temps? The winterizing process should have filled all of your Pex lines with RV antifreeze. What am I missing?

Placing electrical connectors in inaccessible areas is not a good practice. I am disappointed to learn that Oliver does it. I presume you opened a service ticket, as you spoke with Jason. I hope that will help Oliver learn from this experience, so the manufacturing teams will no longer place the fan wire connector in an inaccessible area.

I expect it has happened, else Jason Essary would not explain in the video linked below, at 1:29-1:30, that the purpose of the Progressive surge protector is to "sacrifice itself" in the event of a large power surge. https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=2021+Oliver+Elite+II+delivery+walkthrough#kpvalbx=_PxxUY6j5IIyF0PEP1oKlsAY_33 One consideration we took into account when deciding to invest in an external surge protector: if an external unit gets "fried," replacement is "plug and play." Not quite so easy with the internal unit.

Did you try a heat gun with a plastic putty knife?

The 55 PSI recommendation is found in this 2021 Elite II Walkthrough video at 12:39. It was published November 3, 2021:

I can't resist pointing out that while providing one important safety feature (the fire extinguisher), Oliver has created a different safety hazard in the newer models (overlong bolts that can cut you when opening the closet door). I hope Oliver properly responds to Gliddenwoods' service ticket by eliminating the overlong bolts. I plan to check for such overlong bolts when we take delivery in a couple of weeks.

It looks like an ordinary 1/2" MPT x 1/2" MPT check valve to me. Pull the part and verify pipe diameter to be sure. But, I'll bet the Pex pipe that connects to the valve is 1/2", so odds are high that the fitting is 1/2". A brass version offered by Valterra (which would be an upgrade from the plastic one Oliver installed) is available from Amazon for under $10: https://www.amazon.com/Valterra-P23415LF-Lead-Free-Check-Valve/dp/B00HJ6P0Z8/ref=sr_1_5?gclid=CjwKCAjwwL6aBhBlEiwADycBICgly1OwtJDY5Q9FclIA3jCEEmcXbufHEPlR1A_rkK51r41DjwB-PRoCqMkQAvD_BwE&hvadid=616862894778&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9029558&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=b&hvrand=2988426038172399198&hvtargid=kwd-315243267828&hydadcr=24633_13611805&keywords=1%2F2+inch+check+valves&qid=1666189161&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIyLjMwIiwicXNhIjoiMS44NSIsInFzcCI6IjEuNDYifQ%3D%3D&sr=8-5 Camping World sells the same fitting: https://www.campingworld.com/12-brass-check-valve-x-mpt-95194.html You may be able to find a Camping World, or even just an RV supply store, on your route that would have it in stock. Good luck!

It appears this is a new problem, so please submit a ticket. See the screen shot below, in which the back side of and Elite II closet door appears. Note the two large bolt heads capped with what appear to be nylock nuts, rather than the long, thin bolts apparently being used now, with plastic bolt caps. This image is from an Oliver Elite II video published in 2019 entitled Legacy Elite II Rear Seating and Sleeping. Is is still available on Oliver's website. Has Oliver recently opted for cheaper, smaller but longer bolts, with bolt caps instead of cutting the bolt off flush with the nut?

For what it's worth, Mike with Oliver Service confirmed today that Oliver trailers with the Lithium Pro Package (with external batter heating pad) can be left plugged into shore power during winter conditions, just like those with internal battery heaters. See this thread:

I spoke with Mike from Oliver Service this morning. He advised that, "according to Lithionics," the storage procedure for Lithionics batteries warmed by the external heating pad Oliver installs with the Lithium Pro Package is the same as for Lithionics batteries with internal heaters. So, you CAN leave Lithionics G31 batteries in an Oliver connected to shore power during winter storage, so long as the red toggle switch that controls the external battery heating pad (mounted on top of one of the batteries) is left "On." I recommended that the Oliver Service Department publish a storage procedure for the Lithium Pro Package which addresses this issue. I suggested it could forestall service tickets from folks who have the Lithium Pro Package and live in colder climates. I am pleased that Lithionics has approved the simple procedure of leaving trailers with Oliver-installed external battery heaters connected to shore power during winter storage, without pulling the batteries. But, given the nearly universal recommendation from lithium battery manufacturers to conduct a discharge/recharge cycle at least every 6 months to preserve battery life, I plan to do so once mid-winter, with the batteries still in the battery box, protected by the heating pad. Per the Lithionics Rev. 7 Storage Procedure, I plan to fully discharge the batteries, then fully recharge, then discharge back down to about 50% State of Charge, then reconnect shore power, which will return the batteries to full charge for the balance of the winter. If any of you electrically-savvy engineer types out there recommend a different approach, I would love to hear it.

I offer a contrary view to those expressed above. The Oliver we examined before placing an order was the twin bed configuration. With the permission of the owner, I spent a few minutes lying on one of her twin beds. I did not like having my inside shoulder hang off the side of the bed when on my back. I concluded that the 30" width of the Elite II twin bed is not enough for me to comfortably sleep. I am 6'0", 225 lbs. We take delivery on a standard (king-size bed) Elite II in November. The availability of the king bed option was a significant selling point for us. I strongly recommend that you actually lie down on an Elite II twin bed before deciding which layout to buy. That is what sold me on the king bed.

Understood. But, Lithionics advises in its Rev. 7 Storage Procedure that their batteries with internal heaters will be fine (with no State-of-Charge concerns) if left connected to shore power during winter storage. The Rev. 7 Storage Procedure document states: "If your battery has the Lithionics Internal Heater, and you are subject to winter conditions, keep the battery ON, solar ON and plugged into shore power...This will keep the heater running and protect your battery. Doing this will eliminate the procedures below." The "procedures below" include the discharge/recharge protocol, which is required when the batteries with internal heaters are removed for storage, but not when left connected to shore power.

Will your Ollie be connected to shore power? The internal battery heaters consume power, so the batteries need a means of recharge to keep the heater working. I recommend you ask Battleborn if, given your storage conditions, the "system" will "take care of itself."

That is my impression as well, but it may not be that simple. Reuben from Lithionics asked if the external battery heater runs through the inverter. If it runs through the inverter, you would have to leave the inverter on all winter. That could prematurely wear it out, and it's expensive to replace. The right battery charger would be much cheaper in the long run. When I told him I don't know how the the external battery heater is wired, he suggested asking Oliver. I did so by submitting a service ticket. An Oliver service tech left a voice message for me late yesterday, which I plan to return on Monday. I will report what I learn.

I will be keenly interested in the results of your test. My wife and I take delivery of our Elite II with the Lithium Pro Package on November 10. We plan to winterize and store it in an outbuilding when we get back to Idaho in late November. Like you, we have shore power available in the storage shed. I would love to be able to do what the Lithionics Rev. 7 Storage Procedure instructs for their batteries with internal heaters: leave the trailer connected to shore power and walk away for the winter. I do not yet know if that is recommended for Lithionics batteries with external battery heaters. If so, why does Lithionics limit their Rev. 7 winterizing instructions to batteries with internal heaters? For what it's worth, this is what Oliver says about the external battery heater in the Knowledge Base under the topic Electrical Systems: "The heating pad is powered by the on board battery bank in the camper. It is controlled by the lighted switch and an ambient temperature sensor which measures the internal temperature of the battery box, not the batteries. When the switch is turned on and the internal ambient temperature falls to 35 degrees the heating pad will come on and heat up to 135 degrees until the ambient temperature reaches 45 degrees and then the pad will shut off. Once the switch is turned on the light should come on to let you know the system is on. The power passes through the switch and into the temperature sensor that then controls when the heating pad turns on and off." I infer from this language that the external battery heater is 12V, since it is powered by the "on board battery bank." It is my understanding (and someone please correct me if I am wrong), that the Xantrex inverter/charger transforms incoming 120V shore power (or solar power) to the proper voltage to charge the batteries, depending on what the battery "needs" at the time--something in the 13-14+V range. It seems intuitive to me that in cold weather, the shore power connection should keep the batteries charged if they are left on, so the batteries, in turn, can power the external battery heater, which should keep the Lithionics G31 batteries above freezing, enabling them to receive a charge. Logically, that should be how the Lithionics 315 Ah batteries with internal heaters are kept safe, per the Lithionics Rev.7 Storage Procedure. But, I know just enough about electrical systems, particularly the combined 120V/12V systems in an RV, to be dangerous. So, I hope one or more of the electrically-savvy Oliver owners out there will weigh in, and correct what I have said here if I am wrong. I offer one other significant datum. I emailed Lithionics yesterday asking if the external battery heater Oliver installs with the Lithium Pro Package will enable me to safely leave the three G31 batteries in the Elite II battery box connected to shore power over the winter. Reuben, the helpful gentleman from Lithionics who called me in response to my email message, was not sure. But he did advise that one of the KF series chargers Lithionics sells would keep the G31 batteries safe over the winter, in conjunction with the external battery heater installed by Oliver. He recommended the KF12V20DL, which is a 20A, 12V Lithium battery charger. I would really like to avoid removing the batteries from the trailer every year, storing them in a temperature-controlled building and running periodic charge/discharge cycles while the trailer is in winter storage. If just connecting the trailer to shore power is not recommended, then I may buy a KF series charger from Lithionics so I can avoid having to follow the protocol detailed in the Lithionics Rev. 7 Storage Procedure.

Since you apparently have an external heating pad, I infer that you have the Lithium Pro Package in your Elite II with three Lithionics 130Ah G31 batteries. If you had the Platinum package (with internal battery heaters), you could leave the batteries on if connected to shore power. See the Lithionics Storage Procedure document attached below: But, according to that Storage Procedure, the only "safe harbor" for Lithionics batteries without the internal heater is to remove the batteries from the trailer so you can place them in a temperature-controlled environment, and follow the protocols for charge/discharge cycles, per the Storage Procedure. Edit added on November 25, 2022: But, Oliver is installing external battery heaters with the Lithium Pro package; it was included with ours. And, Mike Sharpe from Oliver service has advised that "per Lithionics", where the external battery heater is installed, and turned on, you can leave the batteries in the trailer, connected to shore power, just like the batteries with internal heaters covered by the Rev. 7 storage procedure attached below. Lithionics Storage Procedure Rev.7.pdf

I have a similar concern given our delivery date of November 10. We go by Twin Falls on the return trip to Garden Valley, ID. FWIW, our plan is to take a southern route to Arizona. We will then wait for a weather window, if necessary, to make a run up through Utah on I-15 and southern Idaho on I-84. We figure there are worse things than camping in southern Arizona in November!

For what it's worth, I plan to take an electrical multitester with which to check power at the pole, and have purchased an external surge protector that detects miswiring, low voltage, etc. There are differing views among Oliver owners regarding external surge protectors. See, for example, this thread:

The chocks that come with my Rophor Camper Levelers. https://www.amazon.com/Rophor-Leveler-Version-Leveling-Non-Slip/dp/B09NJSXRRB/ref=asc_df_B09NJSXRRB/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=563823049430&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7131554787834866815&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9029558&hvtargid=pla-1637492471943&psc=1 I figure they can do double duty: (1) part of the trailer leveling system when camped and (2) chocking the wheels on the side opposite from a flat when changing a tire. I also plan to follow wise counsel received on this Forum and leave the trailer hitched to the tow vehicle, set in Park with parking brake engaged, for added stability.

Since we have a long, multi-day trip home to Idaho after we take delivery on November 10, I purchased (at John Davies' suggestion) a Safe Jack 6-ton RV Jack. It includes extenders that should enable it to reach the jacking points on the 2022 Elite II, from the ground. The kit includes a u-shaped frame adapter that I hope will fit the Elite II frame and enable a more secure connection with the trailer. https://www.4wheelparts.com/p/safe-jack-6-ton-rv-jack-kit-37m-rv6/_/R-SAJK-37M-RV6?ppcfon=1&gp=1&ecmp=s:google_15843829820___&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=SC Shopping - Tires & Wheels - Performance Max&gclid=Cj0KCQjwhY-aBhCUARIsALNIC06UbEzgITJgaGQn_rPib0QBhxX7NiH5oVwxeWUM_qjnkqbeLh5T-FgaAsOiEALw_wcB Not cheap, but worth the peace of mind to me. I also have a set of the Camco Large Stabilizing Jack Pads, to provide a solid base for the Safe Jack, if needed. https://www.amazon.com/Camco-Large-44541-Stabilizing-Jack/dp/B005BNZ9UM/ref=asc_df_B005BNZ9UM/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198056825273&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9575626206363820960&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9029558&hvtargid=pla-438289870527&psc=1 If I have to change a tire, I plan chock the wheels on the side opposite the flat, jack up the side with the flat using the Safe Jack on a Stabilizing Jack Pad, then lower the stabilizers to provide additional support and stability.

I concur with the recommendation to remove the batteries, ASAP. AGM batteries used lead/acid chemistry. The acid is sulfuric acid. Leaving compromised batteries in the battery box risks a sulfuric acid leak, which could significantly damage, if not destroy, the battery box. Get 'em out of there.