Rivernerd

Out of curiosity I Googled whether a separate regulator is needed for a Champion dual fuel generator connected to an RV propane outlet. I found this web page: https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f7/tips-for-running-dual-fuel-generator-on-propane-62240.html As I read this, you will need a different set of hoses to run the generator from a quick-connect outlet. For me, this has confirmed the decision to run my Champion generator from a separate propane tank. I will only have to haul one hose set. Hope this helps.

The grease caps with the rubber center inserts are for EZ-Lube axles. They enable you to access the zerk on the end of the axle without removing the steel cap, just the rubber insert. They came on the new EZ-Lube axles I installed on my raft trailer more than 10 years ago. Since that time, driving on many rough dirt roads to access river put-ins, the rubber inserts have never come out, so my hubs have not gotten contaminated. But, as pointed out by Topgun 2, the rubber can dry out and crack over time (in the arid West). For that reason, I keep a spare set of those grease caps with rubber inserts in a storage tub in my boat shed. I have replaced them only once in over 10 years. At $8 a pair, it is well worth the convenience of being able to easily access the zerks for periodic greasing. On a side note, I am looking forward to seeing how the Dexter Nev-R-Lube axles hold up on the new Elite II we pick up in September. Never having to clean and regrease the bearings is appealing.

You have now exceeded my limited knowledge of propane regulators. FWIW, it is my impression that all regulators used for RVs and small, residential propane appliances are diaphram-type regulators. I could be wrong. Whether a second diaphragm regulator is needed or even wise, to avoid propane release if the inverter/generator quits running while the main propane valve is still open, sounds like a question for Champion's tech support folks. I can only offer an anecdote. When testing my new Champion 2500 watt dual fuel inverter/generator on propane from a full 5-gallon tank, for a couple of hours total on two separate occasions, it did shut down twice. The first time I was close by and noted the shut down quickly. The second time I was on a bike ride, letting the generator run for 30-45 minutes to see how much fuel it consumed under load over time, and I found it had shut down while I was away, so I don't know how long it had been off. I wondered on each occasion if there was a brief fuel delivery issue that caused those shutdowns, which could have been caused by the propane tank valve, or the Champion regulator, not the generator itself. Both times, I closed the propane tank valve, then slowly reopened it again, and it started again on the first pull. So, I kept the generator, figuring I could live with an occasional unplanned (and unexplained) shut down when running on propane, since it restarted easily. But, significantly, on neither occasion did I smell mercaptan (the odorant added to propane and natural gas to enable olfactory detection). Wherever you find a credible answer to your question, please post it here.

I have a Champion 2500 watt dual fuel inverter/generator. It came with a 1/4" RV quick connect fitting for the generator end, and an ACME female fitting with a regulator, for connection to a bulk propane tank. To use it with an Oliver quick connect, you will need a different hose which has only the second regulator of a two-stage regulator. See Galway Girl's post dated March 27, 2023. This is because the Oliver propane tank outlets are already regulated down to about 11 inches of water column (an appropriate LP gas pressure) by the regulator on the tanks. I believe you will need a propane hose with only the second stage regulator, and 1/4" RV quick connect male fittings on both ends, since the Oliver quick connects are 1/4" female and the Champion generator connection is also 1/4" female. Again, see Galway Girl's more accurate, and precise, post dated March 27, 2023. FWIW, I considered getting the quick connects on our Elite II and doing what you plan to do, i.e., run the generator from the trailer's propane tanks. But, I finally decided to carry an extra 5-gallon propane tank in the bed of my pickup to run the generator, to preserve the fuel in the trailer's propane tanks for heating, cooking and water heating. An added benefit is that I can place the generator farther from the trailer without a long propane hose. So, I plan to use the hose with regulator that came with my Champion dual fuel inverter/generator. Hope this helps.

We don't yet own our Ollie (scheduled delivery in September), but I have loaded and towed raft trailers for 40 years. I agree with NcEagle 100%. About 60% of trailer weight should be forward of the axle(s) for safest towing, and best on-road handling. I would never consider loading heavy stuff in the rear of a trailer to reduce tongue weight. If you can't "make tongue weight" when loading your trailer a bit front heavy, either leave some stuff home or get a bigger tow vehicle. Life and health, including not just yours but that of those on the road around you, are too precious to risk loading any trailer tail heavy. My 2 cents.

Hmmmmm. Our rep, Anita, reports they are working on a potential Truma AC upgrade, but cannot commit that they will install it in our build for a September 6 delivery. Kim, please promptly post what Josh says about the cost of the Truma AC upgrade.

I concur with Topgun2's comments above. I am a retired lawyer. I signed the same contract when we placed our deposit last October. Yes, the agreement was written by Oliver's counsel to give Oliver "all the marbles." That is standard practice for manufacturers. We consumers have no leverage to get more favorable contract language. So why did I choose to sign the contract and pay my deposit, despite the one-sided language? Oliver's history of mostly on-time production, their demonstrated commitment to customer service and the fact that Oliver trailers retain their resale value remarkably well. This means that my remedy is in the marketplace, not the courts. In the highly unlikely event that I am disappointed, I can sell the trailer for likely close to what I paid for it and move on.

As one who takes delivery of an Elite II in September, I add my voice to the chorus quoted above. I have been driving a full-sized SUV or pickup towing my raft trailer for decades. Backing a trailer took me a long time to "get." And, backing looking over your shoulder is very different than backing using side mirrors. There are blind spots in most tow vehicles that make it impossible to see your trailer at certain angles. A rear view camera mounted on the back of your trailer is extremely useful for backing, but that, too, is a somewhat different skill set that takes time to develop. I recommend you review, several times, Oliver's excellent video showing how to hook up a tow vehicle. As shown in the video, be sure to cross the safety chains. This creates a "cradle" for the trailer tongue to drop onto (instead of the road) should the coupler come loose from the hitch ball. How do I know? Well.......... Towing an Oliver presents new issues even for me, as I have never owned a trailer with its own brakes. Those brakes should be burnished right after delivery, and before you have to make an emergency stop. And, your tow vehicle must have an installed trailer brake controller with 7-pin connector to communicate with the electric brakes on the Oliver. The "gain" on the trailer brake controller should be adjusted once you take delivery on your Ollie, and before you hit the road. This is not a comprehensive list of things you must learn and skills you must develop to safely tow an Oliver trailer. Which is why I concur that it is wise to work up the "trailering" learning curve long before you pick up a tow vehicle "somewhere near Tennessee" on your way to take delivery of your Ollie.

Short answer: Even 390 Ah of LiFePO4 battery capacity, recharged with 340 watts of solar power, should be far more than adequate for two CPAP machines, even with humidifiers, IF you don't burn up your battery capacity with other use, like running the air conditioner or the microwave for extended periods. But, I recommend you consider investing in 12-volt CPAP machines, to limit inversion power loss. We take delivery on our Elite II in September. We plan to purchase the Lithium Pro Package. But, I have been using a 12-volt CPAP on extended wilderness river trips for the past 20 years. I, too, am dependent on it for a decent night's sleep. 20 years ago I installed an 11-watt solar panel on top of a Pelican 1600 (waterproof) case and connected it to a small PWM charge controller and, in turn, a 34Ah AGM battery inside the case. Carried on my raft, the solar panel provides some recharge during the day. I have used 3 different travel CPAP machines over those 20 years. They draw from .9 amps to 1.1 amps per hour of use. With an average of 8 hours' use, my 3 machines have drawn down between 7.2 and 8.8 Ah per night. I monitor the voltage level daily with a voltmeter. Although the 11-watt panel has never been sufficient to restore all of the power drawn on any night during the following day, even if fully sunny, it extends the available battery life with a 34Ah battery from about 3 to 5 nights. On 21-day Grand Canyon trips, I used a second 34 Ah AGM battery connected to a second, 20-watt solar panel, so I could get 2 days' charge for every night of use. With a total of 68 Ah of battery capacity recharged by 31 watts of solar panel space daily, I never ran out of battery capacity. 2 years ago, I switched to (4) 10Ah Dakota Lithium LiFePO4 batteries, which are less than 1/2 the weight of a 34Ah AGM. On river trips, that means I am lugging much less weight from my boat to my tent each night. That 40Ah of capacity, with some daily recharge via the 11W solar panel, has provided sufficient power for my CPAP (with no humidifier) on 5-night extended river trips. Given that 68Ah of AGM battery, recharged by 31 watts of solar panel capacity on my Grand Canyon trips, was sufficient to keep my CPAP machine powered for 21 days (and likely longer), I am satisfied that the 390 Ah of LiFePO4 battery capacity included with Oliver's Lithium Pro Package, when recharged daily with 340 watts of solar panel capacity, will provide many times the amps needed to run my CPAP machine over night. I believe the Lithium Pro Package will also enable significant other power use, even with extended boondocking. MarkC, with 630Ah in the Lithium Platinum Package, I expect you could even operate 2 machines, with humidifiers, on 120VAC through the inverter and still be fine. But, it makes sense to me to check out 12-volt CPAP machines, if you don't already have them, so you can plug directly into the built-in 12-volt outlets.

Our Elite II is also scheduled to be delivered in September. We don't plan to pay for the Truma water heater upgrade for the reasons listed by other posters above, and also because Truma is not "DIY friendly." Truma only makes parts and replacement units available through its 4 U.S. authorized service centers, in Arizona, Texas, Florida and Indiana. Suburban water heater parts, or even complete replacement units for under $400, are readily available for online order. https://www.amazon.com/Suburban-Manufacturing-5238A-Sw6D-Gal/dp/B01NBTVDBC/ref=asc_df_B01NBTVDBC/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312111914138&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1905742530739926085&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9029558&hvtargid=pla-568368079416&psc=1 We live in rural Idaho. It will be SO much cheaper and easier for me to order parts online to repair and, if necessary, replace a Suburban water heater in my garage.

I wouldn't use it to install lug nuts, even in an emergency. It would be so easy to over torque and break off the stud, because the mechanical advantage makes it impossible to gauge torque by "feel." Although most tire shops I have patronized use impact wrenches to install lug nuts, I don't use those either, ever since I broke off a stud on one of my trucks with one. I now torque to spec by hand with a torque wrench. Worth the extra time, IMHO. One reason to carry the lug nut remover: to enable you to remove a tire after a less-than-careful tire tech over torqued your lug nuts to the point you can't get them off without it!

That is the reason we are not ordering a front storage basket on our Elite II. I have been required to jack knife my raft trailer many times when backing into tight spaces. I welded a 3' straight steel extension onto the front of that A-frame trailer many years ago after denting a bumper during a jack knife maneuver. Problem solved. So, I want as much leeway between the Oliver trailer frame and the TV bumper as possible. If I could get one of the extendable tongues that was available on very early Olivers, I would get that upgrade for the same reason: maximum clearance if you must jack knife the trailer when backing.

If ABS was not available at Ferguson Supply, you must be in the East somewhere. I cannot explain the reasons, but it is my observation that PVC is used for drain/waste/vent plumbing in the East, while ABS is universally used for drain/waste/vent plumbing in the West. I prefer ABS, not only because I am in the Western US, but because no primer is required. I have heard that some plumbing inspectors will fail a PVC installation if purple primer is not visible at each joint.

I add my vote to the "nice job on the mod!" chorus. For those thinking of this mod for their Ollies, I will note that mixing PVC and ABS pipe is not allowed by most plumbing codes. You are generally allowed only one PVC/ABS connection when retrofitting plumbing, and for that joint, you should use "green" glue, which is designed to weld PVC to ABS, not regular PVC or ABS glue. Since it is doubtful that such mods will be seen by a plumbing inspector, and since none of the above PVC and ABS piping in under pressure, I expect there will be no issues. But for any future mods, I would recommend matching whichever pipe Oliver used for the original, even if it has to be ordered online, and using the glue appropriate for that type of pipe.

We never buy extended warranties on anything. They are "hard sold" precisely because they are high-profit items for the seller, and therefore low-return for the buyer. And, the hassle of actually obtaining a replacement under an extended warranty at least doubles the time required to replace the covered item. If the extended warranty were offered and administered by Oliver, it would be a bit more attractive, because of Oliver's outstanding Customer Service department. But, the extended warranty is sold by American Guardian Warranty Services. We are not interested.

With commercial RV park prices on the rise, the marginal cost of additional "boondocking" power (i.e., solar panels and lithium battery packages) will be amortized more quickly. If you are even happier boondocking than buying RV park services, like we are, the marginal cost of solar with lithium makes more sense.

If you end up resorting to spray lube, with tapping, PB Blaster is my preferred penetrating lube. It smells awful, but gets the job done if you spray, allow to soak in, tap-tap-tap; spray, allow to soak in, tap-tap-tap, etc. Place some shop towels underneath it to catch drips, as it is stinky, oily and can make a mess. But it works. https://www.amazon.com/Blaster-PB-PENETRATING-Lubricant-OZ/dp/B00XOSYNM6/ref=sr_1_4?gclid=CjwKCAiAzrWOBhBjEiwAq85QZw2ytU7Zjy20DT2TziBOTsHn2XyJajdmoLwrNdJp8EFrT0uyOVaSoxoChKsQAvD_BwE&hvadid=177553433943&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9029558&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=16144056585949407947&hvtargid=kwd-10463478193&hydadcr=6400_9585557&keywords=pb+blaster+penetrating+oil&qid=1640879144&sr=8-4 Thanks for your original post. My wife and I take delivery of our Elite II in September. Among many other things I have learned from informed posters on this forum, I plan to take some nickel-based anti-sieze compound with me to put on the spare tire bolt threads during the initial "shake-down" period. Good luck! Looking forward to your report.

I have had good results with this Gardner-Bender Liquid Tape product: https://www.amazon.com/Gardner-Bender-07315001126-LTB-400-Electrical/dp/B000FPAN2K/ref=asc_df_B000FPAN2K/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198096571354&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10257715978080992862&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9029558&hvtargid=pla-350654169801&psc=1

Kirk: Even if Oliver is willing to allow you the "cabinet-instead of-microwave" option on your 2022 model, I would consider the thread below before presuming that the High Pointe convection microwave Oliver offers will not be acceptable. While your baking standards may be very high, there are lots of pretty satisfied Elite II convection microwave owners on this forum who have baked bread, cookies, poultry, etc.: You might also consider seeking additional input by starting another thread focused on convection oven baking results. FWIW, my wife and I like to bake too, which is why we plan to drop the extra $450 for the convection upgrade. Even if it does not offer results quite as good as our built-in double convection/standard ovens at home (which we won't know until we try it), we view it as one of the trade-offs of camping. And, if we're not satisfied with the convection oven's performance, we can always resort to that venerable Idaho camp kitchen tool we take on every extended river trip---a dutch oven! I've baked many a cake on the river... My 2 cents. Ralph Pond

Yes. The support for the middle of the bed is comprised of: (1) the table top and (2) an extra support piece, that goes in the closet when not in "bed" mode. See this video:

We also want to "have our cake and it too." That is why we have ordered the standard floor plan instead of the twin. It has an even larger daytime walkway/seating area, because there is no night stand. And, the standard floor plan comes complete with the king bed center fiberglass support that is conveniently velcroed into the closet, so the daytime storage solution for the center support is "built in." We like being able to have a true king-sized bed, without a night stand in the middle of it. If you prefer to have the night stand, then the twin bed floor plan, and the extra expense for the options specified by Overland, make sense.

As a retired attorney who was retained to defend claims by many insurance companies when I practiced, I second Mattnan's advice. Insurance adjusters are trained to close claims for minimum payouts, and to get them closed as quickly as possible. To "arm" yourself with facts, I would invest some time getting educated about the demonstrated caustic effects of the fire extinguisher you used, and which steps are necessary to remediate those effects. And, I would insist that any remediation done at the insurer's expense be effective to fully address those caustic effects. If you get pushback from the adjuster, I recommend you mention the term "bad faith." That is a term of art in insurance law, which refers to claims for breach of the insurance company's duty of good faith and fair dealing with its insureds. In most states, successful bad faith claims against insurers include an award of not only full compensation for loss by the insured, but the insured's attorneys' fees as well. Your odds of success on such a claim can only be reliably evaluated by an attorney in your state who specializes in bad faith claims, and who is appraised of all the facts, which will likely include how fully the damage from your fire, and fire suppression, has been remediated. But, be prepared for delay. A more fair settlement is usually a much delayed settlement. If your cash flow situation does not allow you to purchase a replacement tow vehicle (particularly in today's crazy-high market) without the payout from the insurer or sale of your repaired Tundra, you have a cost/benefit decision to make regarding how long you can afford to wait for payment by the insurer. Good luck! I would be interested in a report describing how it goes. Ralph Pond

Understood. But, before I contact Oliver and suggest they switch to 90-degree LP hoses, I thought it prudent to ask if someone else has already made that specific suggestion. Perhaps Oliver has considered and rejected that proposal, for reasons I have not yet been able to find on this forum. If I get no "takers" after a few days, I will initiate the conversation with Oliver, as the 90-degree LP hoses make sense to me. Who would be the appropriate person to contact at Oliver with such a suggestion?

I raised this issue on the Propane Tank Mod-Installation of Gas Stop Valves thread, but decided it makes sense to start a separate, more on-point topic: Has anyone suggested to Oliver that 90-degree LP hoses be used, instead of straight hoses twisted into a tight bend, to connect the two propane tanks to the regulator that sits between them? The image above is from the photo gallery on Oliver's website. As depicted, the outlet from each of the two tanks must face forward, so the clamp that holds the two tanks in place can securely attach to the collar above the valves. The two inlets on the regulator face to the sides. Oliver uses a straight hose to connect each tank outlet to the regulator, which requires a sharp bend in each hose. 90-degree LP hoses are readily available, like the one shown below. https://www.amazon.com/GasGear-GasStop-Connector-Regulator-Inverted/dp/B094BZX89T/ref=asc_df_B094BZX89T/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=533377784854&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9276931719320922229&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9029558&hvtargid=pla-1410142641596&psc=1 I doubt that 90-degree LP hoses cost much more than a straight ones, and they should actually be easier to install. Has anyone suggested to Oliver that 90-degree hoses be used instead of straight ones when the tanks are installed at the factory?

Given the necessary 90-degree relationship between the two tank valve outlets and the two regulator inlets, I wonder why Oliver doesn't use 90-degree hoses for factory installations, instead of installing straight hoses with a severe S-bend? The cost differential can't be more than a few $$ per hose, and installation should be easier, saving some labor time. Has anyone suggested this to Oliver?