Hokieman

I may have the same old vintage stove John, the Coleman Classic. Unfortunately it will not run on the low pressure gas QD fittings as stock. There may be a way to convert it, but I haven’t been able to find an adapter that fits yet. I use a separate 20 lb propane tank with adapter hose, readily available at Home Depot or Amazon. We also use a Weber Q1000 grill that was easy to convert to low pressure QD with a kit. You could buy a new 2 burner stove that will work on the low pressure QD, there are several threads that discuss what others are using such as this one. Converting Coleman Stove I’ve been waiting for my Coleman to die and replace with something more convenient, but it has sentimental value and may outlast me.

No worries, getting to the back burner is no more trouble than using the back burners on your range at home. We tend to use our left arm, so we don’t bump the shield on the right side, and it’s easier to get to the two control knobs. The splatter shield is built in, keeps a hot pot or skillet from accidentally being pushed onto the bed. That being said, we mostly cook outside, and don’t cook anything inside that has a chance of splatters.

Are you confusing the Service Dept. instructions and looking for spare fuses under that bunk? If so, you won’t find any spares there. There should be 3 yellow fuse holders as Frank shows in his photos, they connect to the 3 levelers. I had one spare in my kit just like Frank showed, and I bought a 2 pack for spares.

I ordered mine on Amazon. I haven’t blown one yet, these are just spares. I think I checked them when I got them, but now I don’t remember. If anyone sees a problem with them, please let me know. 30A Slow Blow Fuses

Apparently Oliver has changed this arrangement up more than once. My trailer does not have any check valves on the black tank, just a simple brass elbow, possibly connected to a spray nozzle. Connected to it is a white pex line that goes up under the sink in the head, attached to a brass vacuum break valve. I think it also has a brass check valve. Then it loops back down to the flush inlet on the side, also a simple brass elbow. Since I have a Natures Head, this line is not used. The heavy brass valves were not secured, and rattled around under the sink. I removed all of it and capped off the elbows, stored it away. While I was under the sink, I easily removed the toilet water supply line and valve, also not used. Now I do not have to winterize that line. I don’t have a pic of the vacuum breaker valve but I can get one if you are interested. This vacuum break arrangement is not shown in the 2021 or 2022 Elite II owners manual plumbing diagram, but it is shown in the Elite diagram.

With Winter coming on, there have been many posts about cold weather storage of Lithionics batteries in newer Oliver trailers with solar packages. Many of us have converted from lead/acid batteries to Battle Born brand LiFePOH. In their storage instructions, they reference extreme conditions, but don’t specify what those temps are. I thought that would be useful info to some who might live or camp in very cold climates, so I called Jacob at BB Tech Support. He explained their batteries can be safely stored down to -10F (internal battery temp), but they should be charged to 100% and disconnected. Below that temp, they recommend warmer storage. The following are specific details from the BB manual about safe operating & charging temperatures: The BMS will not allow a charging or discharging current if the internal temperature of the battery has reached 135°F (57.2°C). The BMS will not allow a charging current under 25°F (-3.9°C) but will continue to discharge down to -4°F (-20°C). NOTE: The BB10012|BB10012H has an operating temperature range of -4°F (-20°C) to 135°F (57.2°C). How to Properly Store Batteries We recommend bringing the Battle Born batteries to a 100% state of charge. Then, disconnect the battery from any loads by removing the negative cable from one battery. On average, the batteries lose approximately 2-3% capacity per month. This is subject to increasing if stored in extreme environmental conditions.

I was reviewing my notes and had some concerns. I called Battleborn Tech Support and had a lengthy discussion with Hugh. I’m glad I did, because he convinced me I had either been misled by what I had researched on the web, or didn’t understand it. Probably both. In any case, I have edited my notes and pasted here to set the record straight. As I mentioned before, I am not an electrical expert, so if any of you that are experts see any discrepancies or additional information, please provide feedback.

No concerns. Oliver does not connect the 7-pin charge wire on Lithium/Solar upgrades. You can re-connect it, but you will have consider whether your TV has a built in relay, or you could install something like a battery isolator or DC-DC converter. See BattleBorn video on the subject. Charging Lithium Batteries with TV Alternator

Regarding the 270A BB battery, according to Frank C. it won’t fit in the battery tray (see post link below). You might want to measure your tray to see if it’s the same. This post also gives opinions on capacitiy recommendations. It seems many folks, including me, have found that 2 BB GC3 100’s is plenty. I now have 3, which in our case, is overkill. But, we don’t have an inverter, microwave, toaster oven, hair dryer, etc, and have not used more than 50A/day. We have the standard 340W Zamp panels and the standard Zamp 30A controller, all works fine. Your power requirements requirements may be significantly different. The advantage of starting off with one or two GC3’s, is that you can easily add a 3rd if needed, unless of course you want to operate your AC off battery power. There are many posts on that topic also. Replacing the Powertron Lead Acid Wet Cell Batteries

Thanks for this informative post. Please tell us about cabin venting at those temps. Which windows or vent fans do you typically open and how much, especially while sleeping? You mentioned MaxAir vent was covered, not used except for cooking. We have camped into the high 20’s, and have been experimenting with cabin venting balance to minimize condensation. We are hoping to improve the cold weather capabilities so these mods and ideas are very beneficial.

Another option is to disconnect the solar panel current and turn off your batteries. LiFePOH batteries can be stored for relatively long periods if put to sleep. Consult your battery manufacturer to confirm reasonable time periods and temperature extremes. I believe most if not all later trailer models have a solar cutoff switch installed, and Lithionics batteries can be turned off. I’m not sure about LifeBlue batteries. Many of us who have upgraded to Battleborn batteries have installed battery disconnect switches. I stored mine for 4 months last winter with temps dipping into mid 20’s, with no significant battery SOC loss. I discussed with Battleborn Tech Support and they advised this was no problem. The following snip is from current Battleborn owners manual… ”How to Properly Store Batteries We recommend bringing the Battle Born batteries to a 100% state of charge. Then, disconnect the battery from any loads by removing the negative cable from one battery. On average, the batteries lose approximately 2-3% capacity per month. This is subject to increasing if stored in extreme environmental conditions.”

Thanks, just edited it out.

I just submitted a Service Ticket requesting a newer decal with 55 psi tire pressure recommendation. I also recommended all previous owners be sent a decal, and a tech services bulletin to explain why. Others might wish to do the same, perhaps OTT will respond to our request. For an informal test, I watched my tire pressures and temps carefully on a recent 10 hour trip, measuring with TPMS, IR gun, and pressure gauge. Mostly 65-70 mph Interstate, fully loaded, but no water in fresh or gray tank. Stopped a few times for gas, lunch & rest stop. Cold tire pressure at start was 45 psi, 65F ambient and tire temp. Sunny day in Georgia and Florida, ambient temps increased to 92F. Tire temps reached 98F max, and tire pressures increased to 51psi max. I’m confident in my family safety running my tires at 45 psi, use your own judgement.

Pardon the minor thread drift, but if you go poking around in the bowels of your trailer, you’ll find lots of sharp things that can get you. For example, I discovered a large tear in my furnace heat supply hose, when I was reaching in to open the the water tank drain valve. I noticed sharp screw heads on the backside of the furnace intake vent and access port, which caused the tears in the hose. I used my Dremel to grind off the sharp screw points and applied RTV sealant. Small tasks that don’t take long to complete, normal trailer fixit stuff.

I have a MacBook also, it’s not a problem. See the text in red on your screen. You need to enable cookies.

If necessary, I suggest you re-purpose the concave washers from old shocks as described in this older thread to add additional support and extend life of rubber bushings. Shock Absorber Bushing Support

Airstream uses same tires on current models.

Oliver sells them for $3.15 each. I’ve lost 2 total in a year and a half. I ordered 6 spares last week.

I was just passing along BattleBorns Marketing info, I’m not an electrical expert and cannot vouch for their data. Apologies if this was taken otherwise. Perhaps I don’t understand, but I think your comment above is valid if you interpret their performance claim as the rate of charge. I interpret the performance claim of 5x faster refers to the charge efficiency, ie the time to bring a discharged battery up to a full charge. From what I’ve read, for any charge current (amps), a LiFePOH battery can fully charge up to 4x faster time than a comparable capacity AGM. That depends on many factors of course. Is this incorrect? If so, please explain. This detail is a huge benefit to those of us who dry camp and rely on our solar panels to recharge.

I received a nice little graphic in an email from BB this week that can help with a cost/benefit analysis. Battle Born's reliable, safe, and non-toxic LiFePO4 batteries last 10x longer than lead acid. They are 1/5th the weight for the same amount of usable power, charge 5x faster, require zero maintenance, and are backed by an industry-leading 10 year warranty.

According to Battleborn, you won’t harm the batteries, the BMS will cut it off. The problem is the voltage will drop below “usable” for some circuits. According to their manual, there is a curve showing the voltage of 12V at 9%, so the 10% rule of thumb mentioned by Steph & Dud B is acceptable. BB 100AH Manual BB has a YouTube video explaining this subject. BB Discharging Batteries to 100%

I’m interested in Frank C.’s comparison test from a performance & economic value perspective. I have a similar truck, but haven’t tried E85.

Following is from Lithionics FAQ that Seadawg sent yesterday. It confirms her statements above. “-Explanation: *every two weeks, a full charge cycle in which the battery reaches 14.4 volts is required to trigger a recalibration of the internal Hall Effect Sensor shunt. When the battery exceeds 14.2 volts during charging, the SoC re-sets to 100%. (In order to fully charge a lithium ion battery, the DC loads may need to be reduced so the charge current exceeds the discharge current to allow a full battery charge.)”

Oliver has a few videos on this topic including caulk recommendations in the Knowledge Base. Check to be sure the problem is not just clogged window tracks.

Nite Ize Cam Straps