johnwen

Hi Steve, We are in Grapeland, Tx experiencing a few thunderstorms following the eclipse event earlier. The rest of today and most of tomorrow will be on the iffy side with the weather BUT we have Hull 996 with an Oliver microwave installed and our upper exterior compartment for the fridge is a little different from yours. I'll try to get some pictures to post tomorrow or the the next day to show how we did our installation. We have the Beech Lane 2 fan combo that is featured in Don's (dhaig) post. We are happy with the install and the results. We had (and still have) Oliver's single fan installed, where they put it, and our desire was to put in the Beech Lane fans and have them set to come on prior to the single fan...so far, so good. Our motivations were the single fan was becoming a little too noticeable (noise wise) and the struggle with summer temps.. The Beech Lane fans, even at their fastest speed, are much quieter on the inside of the cabin. We have yet to see the impact on our batteries while boondocking, so I can't help there. And the summer is still on the horizon. Our install went well and the result mostly shows that we're able to operate using a slightly lower setting (on the control panel) and hold a more consistent temp inside the freezer. We are happy with the effort and would do it again. The noise reduction is appreciated. This all was done within the past week...so no long term supporting data. Hope to send photos soon. John My only opinion on your photo is the original owner was trying to seal up dead air spaces and redirect the exhaust out the top vent.

Very nice, Steve :)

Sun in and out at Grapeland, TX...not quite in 100% path but close enough :) Having fun... John

This question has probably been asked many times but I'll go ahead with it anyway ... is it possible to leave the outside of the unit mounted as is, forego the rain guard and merely replace the "guts" (inside mechanism with led light), rewire, replace handle and trim, and be done? The units seem basically the same construction. That way no reseal and drilling on the outside hull. Maybe a call to the manufacturer will reveal some good news. Then again???....I'm prepared either way :) John

Best of luck with your decision, Zodd. We were fortunate enough to have gone through the same decision when service was running strong. Service is what sold us ours...period. We're all hoping for a good outcome concerning Oliver and us both. When the dust settles we'll see and keep hoping until then. We're so happy with our 2022 E2 and have no reservations with our decision. But at $25ooo more for one now and having to get service elsewhere?...I can feel your pain. If this forum goes on, as strong as it is, someone will find a few good repair facilities across the country (some have already shared their experiences here on the forum) that we can all benefit from and help each other on this wonderful forum . I feel so fortunate having the moderators (ya'll don't get paid nearly enough...lol) and membership to draw help from! Hang in there! Blessings, John & Wendy

Indeed :)

Hi Mike, I don't know how I missed your comments here but I'm glad I re read this queue. How long does your mom and pop repair shop take for the annual inspection? Do you make an appointment and does that appointment get delayed from time to time? I'm asking as we full time and it's a bit inconvenient if appointments get shifted around frequently. We get through Texas every year and it would be quite possible to use your resources. And after meeting you at the Q I would definitely trust your judgement! John

My hope is Oliver will reconsider this move, but then again, I don't know the logistics and profit margin considerations concerning the service team's future. Steve, we are one of those who view it as a pligrimage for our annual maintenance trip 🙂 It is what it is I suppose, and we'll make do, but at today's Oliver pricing this new development seems quite precarious. This forum is about to become more valuable to me as the time goes by...I so greatly appreciate all the help I've received over the time I've been a member! Sorry I carried my rant a little further...my old age emotions are getting a little carried away 🙂 John

Ralph, I'm beginning to wish we had followed suit with the lithiums :) At least our A/C is now tolerable via Truma! Oliver did a good job with that. John

I'll start off with... Oliver sold us a trailer that we couldn't be more proud of owning. It's been a little embarrassing for us to reveal to others what we paid back in 2022 (not even fully decked out... just couldn't pull the trigger on the lithium prices). We would most likely not be in an Oliver at todays prices. It's unfortunate the individual dealers didn't offer up a service rep to go train at Oliver instead of breaking up the Oliver team to go train them. IMO, at the price of an Oliver, a tarnished service experience at one of the new dealers, that Oliver has no way of controlling, is going to have an extremely negative impact on any future buyers. In my case, the service team at Oliver was the deciding factor that pushed us over the finish line with our purchase. No possible way for us to go forward if not for that. I'm hoping for the best but I was really counting on Oliver for service the next several years...I don't care how far away they are. Their service is unparalleled as far as I'm concerned and I'm almost certain that another company with other interests will not measure up. It's a reassurance that Jason can still answer questions and help over the phone but I'm going to have to rely on a business that didn't sell us our trailer, to do the work I can't do. It was indeed a big surprise, for me, to learn of the recent news that Oliver was going to be available at several dealers across the country. I initially took a somewhat negative view but moderated after thinking it might help the sales that Oliver was seeking and you don't have to travel thousands of miles as a perspective buyer. But to hear of the end of Oliver's service team is a tough pill, so to speak. My position is from an annual maintenance perspective with the option of other work, ie Truma A/C swap out (which was done), possible axle change in the future, install additional awning, etc. I'm not worried...just disappointed. Here ends my rant. John

Thanks Steve. I believe Oliver did much research when selecting the new centers and for now I'll have to trust them. (fingers crossed)

Ditto.

Hmmm...Sounds like my appt in September may be nixed. Will have to talk with them tomorrow. This was a surprise. We'll figure something out. A/C cleaning and lubrication of the 3 jacks... I'll need to study up on :) ARGGG! Hopefully the new service centers will be up to Oliver's standards and it will be in for only 1 night as it was with Oliver. Should have ample feedback to tell before the end of the year. John

Thanks much, Don. Now all I need is a break from the weather :)

dhaig, Are the connections below the yellow caution label in your photo the power supply to the refrigerator, yellow being ground and red being 12v ? Trying to figure where to tie in for the new fans. John

MAX Burner, This will be my first time to drill on my Ollie...did you have your drill in reverse during the drilling or does it make a difference? Thanks, John

We do have Norcold but I know where you are talking about.

Thanks MAX Burner, I think I follow you. I see where you have dremeled out the receiver. I think I'll give this project a try. Question for the community...can I leave the Oliver factory fan setup as installed and just find a power source to connect the new fans. And then just set a temp on the Beech remote control that is slightly less than the value that turns the Oliver fan on so that maybe the Beech fans will keep the Oliver fan from ever coming on? I'd really like to avoid any rewiring of the original setup..an electrician I AM NOT! Thanks for all the help, John

Thanks, Bill :)

Sorry...got 2 of the same pictures in there

Hi dhaig, We are hull 996, also 2022 elite2. It appears there is not enough room to mount this fan on the upper vent. The space above the condenser coil has a slanted roof that interferes with the upper mounting of the fans. Yours must be the same design. How did you get yours in that space? From what I can see in your pictures it appears the 2 top mounting screws/tabs are just screwed into the upper slanted panel. Is that correct? I can get the fan assy into the space behind where the screen mounts to the frame but I need the bottom of the fans up off the fins and tubing as it gets pretty hot there at times. Is it possible to post a picture of the lower section to see the mounting of those lower screws? I wonder if that slanted piece of fiberglass/plastic can be modified to give me a little more room in that area. After looking at your picture a little closer, yours might not be slanted like mine is. Thanks, John

Congrats Jill & Doug, Safe travels :)

Good luck with the drilling, Dave :) John

Now that would be a challenge for us! Tailgates don't count lol. John

Indeed! I don't think it did much, but any is better than none. John