SeaDawg

That is a post from 6, almost 7, years ago. No, we never tried it. (3m 9000 paint defender.) I actually thought it was discontinued.

Congratulations on finding a nice new to you Ollie. For those reading your post, Oliver has never installed Battleborn batteries, so you are dealing with a previous owner change up. Glad you have experience, and know what to do. Best of luck, and happy camping!

The original idea was from @Mike D.. John e Davies offered alternatives. Just to set the record straight.

Oliver pays for our forum, but never moderates or interferes. They also don't follow it closely, so we always advise users to open a service ticket, even if the user fixed it him/herself. I hope you enjoy your Oliver as much as we have for the last 14 seasons. Perfect? No. Pretty close? Yes. We have a lot of techie and engineering people here, probably because of the engineering quality of the Oliver. (Yes, that includes us. My husband is a retired engineer.) Therefore, you'll find early reports of issues others may have never discovered, or discovered far later, here. That's a good thing, imo. It's a good thing for Oliver, too, when we let them know through proper channels.

Here are a few links to the "ambassador" Trinidad system. Judging by the reviews,,I would look for scandvik. https://www.westmarine.com/buy/ambassador-marine--shower-mixer-faucet-combo--5358270?cm_mmc=PS-_-Google-_-GSC>NonB>Product%20Type-_-5358270&product_id=5358270&creative=504966947942&device=m&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8p2MBhCiARIsADDUFVGTTF5nJpQonubxuabUnvQtaZdId0A0lgP5M5d9Je5N8u5kF88nEXMaAnv1EALw_wcB https://marinepartssource.com/trinidad-head-and-shower-combination-faucet-chrome-finish-with-black-handle-and-stainless-steel-hose-ambassador-marine-134-0224-ck?gclid=Cj0KCQjw8p2MBhCiARIsADDUFVHFl_epJgDCbFKz1DWme0IoLz4osOQUdSRhXcHQKU_AwMwKgSJ3FJQaAkYWEALw_wcB

We have the original scandvik (46009p, maybe?) faucet/shower combo in our 2008, and it has held up extremely well. The Trinidad you referenced is either a copy, or the scandvik under another brand name. I'd make sure to buy the scandvik, personally. It's quality stuff. Not a looker, but it works. Not a lux shower experience, but it works. We liked ours well enough that we replaced the boat's main bath faucet with Scandvik. The main bath shower is huge, and separate. We often use it as a sail locker. Using the scandvik in the other part of the bath allowed us to make it into a wet bath, which is fine with us, so we can use the showeras a big sail locker. Changing up plumbing is a matter of cutting the caulk on the vanity inset, and removing it, from what I know. Many others have done it. Good luck with your decision. Btw, your link doesn't work for me.

How does the 4runner work for you? You might find this interesting https://www.autotrader.com/car-reviews/2020-toyota-4runner-vs-2020-lexus-gx-460-whats-the-difference

The guy in the video is, indeed, an outlier. But, he's trying. There are many folks out there with used tesla, Nissan, etc takeout batteries. Much safer with batteries designed for our uses, imo. Don't get too caught up in outlier youtubes. Honestly.

We've used rocktamers for over a decade. We still go slow, on gravel.

At this time, you won't find many charging stations that will accommodate a truck and trailer. Tesla has a few, but you wouldn't be able to use them, anyway.

Fwiw, I still love my 2005 Silverado stepside. One of my favorite vehicles of all time. I wish it had more modern features, but, it still runs great, and I like it's smaller size compared to today's half tons. Even when I get a new vehicle, we'll probably keep it.

Glad you got everything sorted out, Imelda. Happy camping.

Like our other outdoor cooking gear, the Dutch oven resides in a box in the truck bed, if I carry it.

I don't think that's a "cheap out." I think it's more an easier option for most owners. Zamp is in no way "cheap" equipment. It's solid, well tested, well received, usa based, and an integral part of the Oliver solar package for a long time. Is it appropriate or best for lifepo4 batteries? No, imo, not really. I suspect that will change, in the future. In the meantime, if I were buying a lithium option, I'd ask for an mppt controller, and if turned down, I'd swap it out. The more people who ask, the greater likelihood of change. Heck, maybe zamp will even come out with an mppt someday soon. A solid industry tested mppt controller would be a great addition to the system, imo . We have victron on the boat, blue sky in our trailer, and lithium in neither (yet.) Both solar controllers are capable of working with lithium. We may, or may not, change up to lifepo4 in the future. I'm personally not sold, yet, on the expense or necessity, for our needs. But, truth is, most relatively small pv systems (like what fits on the Oliie rooftop) could not fully recharge the big lithium batteries being sold today, on a regular basis, if drawn down to zero. The math doesn't support it. So, reliable, proven easy to use Zamp is not such a bad choice, either.

I think the "design capacity" in the older trailers included the volume contained in the pipe between the valve and toilet. That can be considerable, depending on where the valve is/was. I'm pretty sure we get an extra 3 to 4 gallons in our older Ollie, in the pipe. The math isn't that difficult, just never had to figure it out. We dump when we can, use cg facilities when available, including pit toilets, and never been a problem for us. Except for when we are on extended stay, at our camping property, we don't tend to stay in one place more than a few days. Then, it's off to new sights.

Do you already own the Ranger? It's a nice small truck, good safety features, great seats and visibility, kind of a small version of an f150. I test drove one a year ago, and liked it. It would be fine to tow my smaller Elite, in most situations. If you stay in the east, (I don't know where you are), you'll likely be "fine." Flatter roads, not too many 5 per cent or higher grades, ok. You'll likely struggle in even some roads in the east, like i26, green river gorge. A number of places on i40 in TN and NC that I can think of. Southeast, coastal, (sc, much of NC, ga, al, ms, fl,) you'll probably be golden. If I were looking for a TV, I'd look for something with at least half ton capacity. Look for a bigger, used suv , maybe. Trucks are really hard to come by, these days . Where do you live , and where do you want to go? Everything everyone says about gas tank size, comfort, joy, is really true. We've towed our elite with three different vehicles, Volvo xc90, 2005 Silverado stepside, ram 1500 4 x 4. Big gas tank, bigger TV weight, stability comments are all true. The bigger, heavier ram, with the big 34 gallon tank can get us from sw Florida to Asheville in two gas stops, if we so desire. The Volvo was probably 4. And, green river gorge was slow lane slowww, with the heaviest trucks. That said, Volvo was great around flatlands, local. It's a big decision. Take your time.

Fritz, thanks for taking the time to compile all this information! It will be very helpful to many people, I'm sure. Certainly helpful to me.

Nceagle found a worksround (setting 26) for turning off the charger. Another member asked about inverter draw, but never got much for answers, some time ago. Anything else on in the trailer? Especially big draws on dc or ac, like fridge and furnace fan? Or, water heater on 110? I hope some of the owners with new trailers and lithium can help you.

Great idea! I see a lot of calendar quality Ollie photos here.

Yes. Ours was similarly installed with brackets and a couple pieces of threaded rod. We pulled the fridge when we removed ours. Others have said you can get to the brackets without doing so, but it's really tight.

There's also the issue of propane mix in changing climate/altitude With 20# tanks, we can refill the empty with local mix, at a trusted source like tractor supply, and feel comfortable that we have the right mix. Lugging big tanks around the country, not needing refill, may actually be detrimental to performance of the fridge, and furnace, imo. (Note, we no longer have a gas fridge, but it was a concern for many years, for us.)

Depends on the campsite as to where the tongue is. Thigh high to waist high on me, usually, and I'm 5'4". Try the 20# first, imo. Full, only 35 to 37 pound. Not so bad to manage, empty or full. You can always change up later, if you need to.

Thank you for your volunteer service. Those of us who spend a lot of time, and own property in rural areas, recognize and appreciate what you and your friends do. Here in rural wnc, much of our emt/fire service is manned by people like you.

30 # tanks empty weigh 10 to 15 pounds more than 20s, and are taller. We looked at that idea,,and stayed with 20# tanks. We can carry an extra 11# or 20#tank in the truck bed, secured in a milk crate, for long trips, but pretty much never do. One 20# tank lasts a really long time, unless we're camping in really cold temperatures, and run the furnace a lot. We refill when we have to change to the second tank.. Propane refills are not hard to find, but lifting a tall 55 pounds over the lip of the tank enclosure is not enticing, as Mike noted.

What year Ridgeline? And configuration? Our friends in Virginia towed an Elite with a Ridgeline years ago, and were happy.