chuckstovall

Thanks Bill. Don't imagine it makes a difference, but I'm on a MacBook. This is the bottom of the edit profile page as it appears to me: Do you want to participate in the Referral Program? Yes, I want to show my Oliver No, I do not want to show my Oliver Only Oliver Owners may participate in the Referral Program. Enable Real-time GPS Tracking from Mobile Device Yes, Enable GPS Tracking from Mobile Device No, Do Not Enable GPS Tracking from Mobile Device This is only for Oliver Owners that are participating in the Referral Program.

Hi. My name is Chuck and I just picked up hull #297 on Thursday in Panama City, FL. Immediately pulled it up to Augusta, GA where I'm visiting my grandson and GDIL (that's grand daughter-in-love). Tomorrow I'll head towards Shreveport and then Allen, Texas for Thanksgiving with my Dad, sister and her family. My profile contains more of my story, but I'm looking forward to lots of great trips, learning a lot, sharing my experiences and meeting other Oliver owners. I'm currently camping at a Boondockers Welcome site in Augusta. Host has been great and I'm only 15 minutes from the kids. I'm towing with a 2019 Expedition Limited. I'll be picking up 2 Zamp panels plus the roofcap in Dallas next week for DIY install at home in Monument, CO when I get a stretch of good weather. I'll try to document that process for the benefit of others who may care to follow. I've already been following this forum and have gained some invaluable knowledge -- THANKS! BTW -- I can't figure out how to add a signature line. Anyone point me in the right direction? TIA 10FCC3B7-054C-4590-9447-333E0FF20452.heic

ScubaRx --Wow, great info. Exactly the kind of input I was hoping to hear. It would be fantastic if you could gather any info and share. Thanks so much.

Thanks ScubaRx -- I edited my post above to indicate it's a 2017. I don't think the previous owners know about solar wiring, but will ask. They didn't have a need for solar at time of build. Is the location of wiring standardized, at least by year? I know about the metal plates. I've learned that the 170w Zamp panels currently available are the same size as the 160's used on the 2017. I think I'll be able to pinpoint the location of the plates fairly easily. I'd like to hear more about attaching the 4 panel mount brackets thru the hull and into the metal plates. I understand not going thru, but certainly the mounting screws for the brackets go into the metal plates. Drill and tap some threads? (I know to Dicor on top of all screws, etc.) Do you (or anyone) know how thick the metal plate is? Also, what are the metal plates -- aluminum, I'd guess. I agree -- NO SKYLIGHTS! 🙂 I really appreciate your input.

I'm less than 2 weeks from picking up my new-to-me 2017 Oliver LEII. It's set up almost perfectly for me, except it doesn't have the solar. It's not going to work for me to get it to Oliver for installation, so I'm considering a Zamp dealer OR doing it myself. BTW - my Ollie has 4x 6v AGM batteries and the Xantrex 2000w Inverter factory installed. I'm wondering if any forum members have done their own install? If so, any input to share? Pictures? Advice? If you considered doing it yourself, but decided not too and want to share your reasoning, I'm open to hearing that as well. Thanks in advance.

Wow! Great stuff. I wonder why my search didn't turn that up. Thanks so much. To anyone looking at my question -- disregard and do NOT pass GO, instead go directly to Overland's thread linked above.

Do you (or anyone else for that matter, know if it will run the 13.5 A/C with easy start? Thanks much for your input.

Hi all -- Excitedly looking forward to picking up my new-to-me Ollie before Thanksgiving. I did search to see if this has been addressed and didn't find anything. If I've missed it, I expect someone will redirect me. TIA Starting to prepare for life on the road. Given the nature of the vehicle, I'm thinking many of you do some/much/all of your own on the road maintenance, trouble-shooting and even repairs. What do you consider to be essential to carry onboard (TV or Ollie)? SAE wrenches or metrics or both? Any 'must have' sizes? Specialty tools? Of course my list will start with WD-40, duct tape and a 'bigger hammer'. If one doesn't exist, I'll try to pull together collected wisdom and create a generic list to share. If I could figure out how to make a signature, it would include my slogan, "If it ain't broke, fix it til it is!?" Again, thanks.

Good catch. Thanks. Reviews look good on Costco's site. But I'll need to do more research to know if it's a good deal.

You may have seen my post seeking info on electrical input regarding the new to me Ollie I'm picking up before Thanksgiving. Yesterday at Costco, I saw this https://www.costco.com/a-ipower-1600w-running--2000w-peak-gasoline-powered-inverter-generator.product.100343958.html in store. Looks to me to be a possibility. Anyone have one? Pro's and con's??? At $449 and with Costco's customer service and return policy, I'm thinking about it. With very little knowledge, I'd say it looks like Yamaha's version of the well-regarded Honda 2000i?

Russell -- Thanks so much for the input. What you're suggesting (about building a platform, etc) is what I've decided is going to be my plan. Good to hear that confirmed. Also, I may just see about biting the bullet and having the permanent solar panels put on and integrated to my system. I believe that would solve the winter issue and make life simpler during use. As for moving south, I've learned to never say never, but I just absolutely love looking at Pikes Peak every day! 🙂 Thanks again!

John, thanks. I'm going to have to consider how to make this work for my situation. I store at a public storage facility. It's outside. Concern 1 is wind. It's not uncommon to have sustained winds over 40mph. I'm not sure I could secure it from the wind. Concern 2 is how to ensure the suitcase isn't just taken by any passerby. Concern 3 would be how to set it out so as to minimize snow covering it up. Would love to see pics of anyone else's solutions, especially in so far as they are similar to my situation.

Good info, thanks so much. I hadn't really considered just putting in a battery switch. Does your storage unit get down to freezing or below? I wish I could find an inside storage with a 110 to at least keep it plugged in. I talked to a lady at a local storage unit the other day. They only offer 50' x 15' inside storage units with a plug in available. Waiting list of probably over a year. $525/mo + utilities. She said some of the users with BIG RV's keep it at 75f inside and their utilities are more than the rental. Good for them, but I'm NOT in that league!

Thanks David. I expect your weather and temps are similar to mine. Do you store outside too? Do you have the 4x 6v set-up but no solar? How long between trips, even in winter - meaning, do you get it out and use it with shore power at a campground from time to time?