Rivernerd

Rather than travel straight from Spokane to Seattle on I-90 (which is not that scenic until you get to Cle Elum), I recommend you go the much more scenic northern route through North Cascades National Park via SR20 (The North Cascades Highway). From there, head to Deception Pass State Park on the Washington coast, via SR 20. Then down I-5 through Seattle to Olympia and up 101 to Port Orchard. As long as you plan to go to Port Orchard on the Kitsap Peninsula, you might consider a short side-trip to Olympic National Park. All gorgeous that time of year.

The "new" Jason with whom I spoke (after receiving the recall letter) advised that all of the defective burner units were shipped to Oliver, so it is an exclusively Oliver problem. Lucky us! That said, I was able to find Dennis Dillon RV, a Truma trained and authorized RV service center in Boise, Idaho (1.5 hours from our home), willing to do the recall work. That is good, because the closest Oliver dealer is in Utah, a 6.5 hour drive. But, I was also advised that Truma is 6-8 weeks out from shipping the replacement burner assemblies, so all I can do for now is return the recall form to Oliver and wait for a scheduling call from the Dennis Dillon service manager in a couple of months.

Our 2022 Hull #1291 also has the 390 Ah Lithionics package. Your wiring is the same as ours. Our discharge and charge rates for our 3 batteries are not identical either (per the Lithionics app), but are closer than yours. But, DC voltages, as measured with a multimeter, are the same among the three, which satisfies me that "all is well." I presume you have done a full discharge down to reserve capacity, then a full recharge cycle charging for a couple of days until the all batteries show 100%? This is the recommended method for recalibration. I am interested in the response to your queries from Lithionics. Please post.

Whether the Oliver is a "true 4-season camper" depends on where you camp. For the southern USA, where Olivers are made, it can withstand all four seasons if you monitor temps carefully and take a few precautions (like pulling the outside faucet inside during cold snaps, while running the furnace 24/7). In the northwest USA, where we live and generally camp, the plumbing system is not sufficiently insulated and protected to enable camping in the "dead of winter." When overnight lows drop down to low single digits F (like this week in the central Idaho mountains), some plumbing components in a standard Oliver will freeze and break, even with the furnace running 24/7. If you plan to do that kind of camping, there are other (even more expensive!) trailers on the market designed to withstand such temps. We don't camp in the dead of winter, so our Oliver Elite II meets our needs wonderfully. Like you, I researched extensively before we opted to pay the premium for an Oliver. After 2+ years of ownership, we wouldn't trade it for anything else on the market.

This is consistent with my experience as well. Oliver's factory quality control could be significantly improved, although review of comments on other RV forums suggests it is still much better than its competitors, including Airstream. What sets Oliver apart even more is its top-notch Service Department run by Jason Essary. Jason and his staff spend much of their time correcting mistakes made, and dare I say sloppy work by, workers at the factory. That is the reason I had an inspection list nearly 100 items long when we picked up our Hull #1291 in 2022. My inspection, and initial "shakedown," revealed only a couple of issues that were corrected by the Service Department before we towed our Elite II from Hohenwald back to Idaho. Thanks for the reminder to retorque electrical connections after the trailer has been towed a while. The electrical connections in our "homes on wheels" surely get rattled loose more than those in our homes.

Yes. After I could not get the Levelmate Pro app (which I already have installed on my Android phone) to work with the Levelmate Max device, I emailed Techno RV customer support (the manufacturer, from which I bought the Levelmate Max directly pursuant to an upgrade offer). I was advised that the manufacturer hopes to release the Levelmate Max app "any day now." That was last week. The app is still not available on the Google Play Store. I "bit" on the offer on December 18. I received the Levelmate Max on December 27. Techno RV obviously published the upgrade offer, and began shipping Levelmate Max units, long before the necessary Android app had been created and tested. That app remains unavailable today. Techno RV took my $160 on December 18 knowing that I could not use the Levelmate Max with an Android phone, yet did not (and still does not) disclose that critical fact on its website, or even today on Amazon, where Techno RV also sells the Levelmate Max. DO NOT BUY A LEVELMATE MAX IF YOU USE AN ANDROID PHONE, unless you need a $160 paperweight.

We have used a Levelmate Pro with Hull #1291 for 2+ years now. It displays trailer level on a smart phone via Bluetooth. It has worked well, albeit with frequent coin battery changes. So, in mid-December, 2024 I "bit" on an email offer from the manufacturer, Techno RV, to purchase an upgraded Levelmate Max for $165, which promises longer battery life (with 3 AAAs instead of a coin battery) and a more accessible on/off switch. Techno RV offered a $40 rebate when I send my original Levelmate Pro back to them. I paid by credit card, and they sent me a new Levelmate Max. I followed the enclosed instructions precisely, yet after many attempts, and much frustration, I could not get it to work. An email to Techno RV customer support yielded a "thanks for your patience" response, because "the Android app for the Levelmate Max is not yet ready to be released." As I learned the hard way, the Levelmate Pro app (which is presently the only one available from the Google Play Store) is not compatible with the Levelmate Max. I sure wish they had included that disclosure in their offer, and with a note in the Levelmate Max package! The enclosed instructions refer to the "Levelmate app," saying nothing about the (not yet available) "Levelmate Max" app. Those disclosures would have saved me the frustration of trying to enable a product that Techno RV knows will not yet work. So, Techno RV takes your money, and ships you a product you can't yet use, because the necessary app is not yet available. All they offer when you ask them what else to do is a "thanks for your patience" apology for wasting your time because they didn't advise that you must have the Levelmate Max app, which you can't get. If any Oliver owners with Levelmate Pros are tempted by this upgrade offer, I recommend you verify that the app you need is actually available for download before giving them your $$$$. Had Techno RV disclosed "up front" that the necessary app was not yet available, I would not have given them my money when I did.

Absolutely. Water pressure is regulated going in to your home by whatever municipality is providing water service. Or, if like me you are on a private system, installation of a pressure regulator is "imperative" to prevent over pressure. Too high pressure can destroy the pipe and fittings in your home water system. As Dewdev and Topgun2 have explained, "don't leave home" without a pressure regulator for your Oliver, because too many RV campgrounds have poorly designed or installed water (and electrical) systems. You might also consider a water filter. Many campgrounds have water with high mineral content, which can clog your plumbing system. I have a water filter+pressure regulator assembly that I attach to the City Water inlet before connecting a hose to the campground water supply wherever we park.

Are you checking the voltage and amperage of the various 120V supply circuits you are "mooching" off of, with a multi-meter? That may solve some of the mystery. Many residential 120V circuits are overtaxed and cannot support the significant additional power demands of an Oliver Elite II. Do you carry a heavy-duty (like 10-gauge) extension cord in your Oliver? When "mooching", I use a 10-gauge cord with a 30A adapter. I also recommend checking for incorrect wiring with an inexpensive outlet tester before you plug in. I have avoided some unpleasant surprises by checking unknown receptacles before plugging in, with one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Receptacle-Tester-Klein-Tools-RT210/dp/B01AKX8L0M/ref=asc_df_B01AKX8L0M?mcid=4df224494ad63027958a05dc381a06a5&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=693608794701&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5705870914769089309&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9029558&hvtargid=pla-498023562957&psc=1

This is what I would do if I needed to upgrade to LiFePo4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) batteries. It appears you have upgraded to a Xantrex inverter. Is it compatible with 600 Ah of lithium batteries, which charge at a higher voltage, and with a different charging protocol, than lead-acid batteries?

AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) batteries are lead-acid based, like flooded batteries, so they should behave, and charge, the same as your existing batteries. AGMs will also have about the same expected service life as your Bright Way flooded batteries. But, they are sealed, and so require no periodic top-off. The challenge will be ensuring that the new AGMs are the same physical size and voltage as your existing Bright Ways, so they will fit in the battery tray and be "plug and play." And, if you plan to reuse your OEM battery cables, be sure to buy "dual terminal" AGMs, as that is the way your Bright Way battery bank is wired. I hope another Oliver owner has done this exact swap, and can provide more specific info, such as sizes, voltages and model numbers.

I concur. I still have an '08 (with a few dings) to get me to river put-ins, and a 2019 (that still looks new) for towing Hull #1291. Both are still reliable. That is why I installed a Genuine Cooling Systems transmission cooler in the 2019 rather than replace it with a 3/4 ton GMC. It tows our Elite II well (with an Andersen WD hitch) and summer transmission temps now remain normal when towing.

Should your plans change, Village Creek State Park near Wynne, Arkansas is one of the nicer state parks we have visited.

I could not find one for purchase online. I wonder if Oliver Service would sell you a Truma CP Plus wall control, with connecting cable, out of their inventory, with the understanding that the warranty would be voided? Sounds like you have the DIY skills to do the install. With Truma's limited service locations, the warranty has little value to me anyway, living in Idaho.

What you have done fits the protocol for Lithionics batteries, but that procedure is only required every 6 months when not in use, not monthly. See attached storage procedure. Lithionics Storage Procedure Rev.7.pdf

Oliver uses Mystik Red grease at the factory. If Lucas Red "N" Tacky is compatible with Mystik, you should be "good to go". I am also a Lock N Lube fan.

Precisely. Not real intuitive, but the button on the main inverter (under the street-side bed) must be in the "out" position, or off, to enable the remote (mounted on the wall) to control the inverter.

I drive my raft trailer on some pretty rough roads. I have learned over the years that RED Loctite is the only version that keeps the screws holding it together in place--most of the time! I still have to replace screws, and red Loctite occsionally. If you ever drive your Oliver on rough roads, I recommend red Loctite.

Two of these 1/2" Sharkbite valves with drains (one for hot, one for cold) plus a PVC pipe cutter, should be all that is needed. Depending on how much room you find around the Pex lines, I recommend making just one cut and trying to insert the Sharkbite fitting on both sides of that cut. If there is room, that is best. If some of the Pex must be cut out because there is not room otherwise, cut no more than 1/2 the length of the new valve out of the Pex pipe, to ensure enough Pex remains for insertion into both ends of the Sharkbite fitting. FWIW, when we camped with Hull #1291 with outside ambient temps of 9 degrees F, the lowest temp in the bottom of the hull was near the outside faucet. So, be sure there is no water left in the flexible hose to the shower handle as well.

Yes. Same as your situation, Oliver sent me a new one under warranty for our 2022 Elite II. The center breaker in the attached photo is the new one I installed. I turned off the solar switch in the overhead compartment above the street side bed, ensured that shore power was disconnected, then turned off all of the batteries using the on/off switch on each battery. Wear a headlamp, and keep a long-handled magnet handy in case you drop one of the screws that mount the breaker to the white HDPE block. They can be hard to find down in the belly of the trailer! Don't ask me how I know....

Thanks for reminding me to turn on the battery heater under my three Lithionics batteries for the winter! Our local forecast is for temps well below freezing starting tomorrow night.

This report is consistent with my experience as well. I have found the LIthionics app provides much more reliable State of Charge (SOC) readings. I have also found that: (1) fully recharging my Lithionics batteries, after nearly full discharge (down to 24% SOC) then (2) leaving the charging source connected for a couple more days enables the batteries to rebalance, and the Victron Connect app to read the same as the Lithionics app.

I concur with using Mobilith SHC for the jack gears, because that is what is recommended by Barker, the jack manufacturer. When servicing the jack head with the intent to replace all grease with Redline CV2 grease a couple of years ago, I could not remove all of the grease installed by Barker. So, I added Mobilth SHC to avoid compatibility issues. See this thread: I believe Oliver uses, and recommends, Mystik No. 2 red high temp grease, the middle tube shown in your photo, for all other purposes.

One tweak to the above settings if you experience low battery shutdown when using the 3000-watt inverter to power high-wattage appliances (like the microwave) with some later 2022 Elite II hulls: reset setting No. 02 for LBCO (Low Battery Cut Off) voltage to 11.5V rather than 12.1. Our Hull #1291 has the "new" 12V bus bar, which Jason Essary advised requires that LBCO be set to 11.5V.

Just think how pleasant it would be to hang out inside the black Oliver on a 100+ degree day, particularly with a Demonic air conditioner. We like our Oliver white, and we love our Truma AC.