SeaDawg

That looks great, John. I'm glad you decided on the butyl. Now, we have three methods to compare.

I saw this recent review today. Campbell River, so probably Surrey, BC. https://www.loveyourrv.com/starlink-satellite-dish-internet-first-look-setup-test-on-the-rv/

I'd second Bill's suggestion to call service. Gel coat color match is tough. We've had Oliver repair a few spots in ours, and I can't tell you where they are, now.

Summer can be chilly, too. I remember camping up by Duluth back in the 70s, running the furnace at night in the summer. Lol.

I think that statement is true for many of us... Glad you are enjoying your Oliver!

I'm glad you notified Oliver, as the factory should be taking a look at this issue. We're now 2 for 2 on new Elites with the same issue, and that's disappointing. Maybe mounting the outlet differently, or securing the cord, solved this issue with the Legacy II trailers. I remember reading about that issue years ago with the larger trailer.

That sounds like a beautiful new campground. I'm sure it will be very popular in that stunning area.

Butyl was our other choice, as we use that for boat hatches, trailer windows, vents, etc.. We debated the topic for days, as we had butyl tape on hand, as well. The foam seal is from leisure coach works, via Amazon. It's a nice one piece , dense foam seal, much like the one Oliver used in our original install, 13 years ago. We used the extra provided strips provided to make leveling "feet " for the rear if the unit. Paul torqued the 4 m8 bolts to 6 lbs, and we'll check it again in 30 days, as recommended. Without the foam, the unit would hug the roof, and be about 1/2 shorter. We'll see how it works out. My only concern is all the plastic vs metal in the mounting plates.

If they're minor, try buffing and polishing first.

Don't skip the Dakotas, and their unique beauty.

@BillATX, I'd encourage you to open a service ticket on the fridge and door, if you haven't already. Even though you plan to fix it yourself, Oliver should be made aware if your problems. At that time, you could also ask best practices on battery disconnect, for your system and equipment. Glad you had a fun first trip!

We liked Custer State Park. Don't remember if we had an electric site or not. It was fairly close to the wildlife loop, which was great at dusk. Teddy Roosevelt is awesome, and a very different view of the Badlands, but you'll want to stay close to Rushmore, for that, I'd think.

A few notes on our install of the smaller 9500 unit: We had another motive for changing out the ac, besides age and noise. The size of the Dometic 600 interfered with fully adjusting our two sidemounted 200 watt solar panels. We picked up several inches of gap with the new smaller ac unit. The old Dometic 600 was a well built, heavy unit, that lasted a long time. The new unit, though well built, has a lot more plastic, so we'll see if we get the same longevity. I'm also going to have to buy or sew a cover, as the outdoor unit has a huge rooftop grilled opening over the fan that will offer an open door to mud daubers, dirt, and leaves. The new unit has the convenience of a remote, but the remote is the only way to fully operate the small unit. So, I will be taking very good care of that remote. (Edit to add: limited function is available through a tiny touch screen in the bottom of the plenum. Ac will run at 24 or 22 c, fan on high.) The indoor distribution box is made of a glossy, lighter weight plastic. It's very slim and sleek, and we gained about an inch of headroom vs our old unit, but it's very light. It also just barely leaves room in the trolley part of the roof to easily remove the washable filters on each side. I'm not sure the larger unit like Katanapilot's would work in the smaller Elite. The install went very smoothly because the pieces are well thought out by the manufacturer. If you get the first indoor piece right, the rest falls into place. I wouldn't necessarily recommend our 3 person/two ladders/rope safety install without a lift, unless you have a sure-footed, strong young friend like ours, who volunteered to do the rooftop part of the job. He noted that our roof is very well waxed, and it would have been pretty easy to slip. (And, he's used to working on fiberglass boats.) You definitely want two, or better, three people, though, to make it an easier job, even with a lift. It's a very precise fit, and one on the roof, one inside, at least saves time and aggravation. We used a foam gasket, instead of silicone sealant to install the top plate. This method had served us well for the last ac. If it doesn't work out, removing it and replacing with butyl or silicon will not be that difficult.

I would have been far happier with a 12 v inverter compressor unit, but, that's not in the cards, today, in the US. It is what it is. Since our unit needed replacement soon, we took the chance. I'll let you know how it works out, long run. We don't mind being "pioneers. " Just hope it works as long as the old Dometic unit.

We used ropes and bull power. It worked. My outdoor unit is barely over 60 pounds. But, it's cool, only. No heat.

My hope is that our units become more readily available. Right now, it's very limited supply. As a retrofit, it's great. We needed to replace our 13 year old unit, soon, anyway. I've seriously been watching European and Australian units for at least six years. Finally, there's a bit of inroads. But, not readily available for manufacturers. Personally, I would have been happier with a 12 volt unit. But, I'll take this. For now.

Quite possibly. It did cool the trailer. Still did. And, in 2008, no noisier than any other. Ac vs no ac?

We installed our Houghton 2801 today, and it's just great. Love it. 1 hour and 45 minutes, dumping the old, and installing new. Really nice design, and easy install. Whisper quiet. Hardest part was getting the monster Dometic Dino unit off the roof. At least we had three people. Thanks again, katanapilot, for the heads up on availability of the Houghton, through RecPro.

Have any of you tried any other brands of AGMs? We have been quite happy with the Intimidator agm (Deka/East Penn) marine deep cycle 12v batteries we've had in our Elite for the last 4 or 5 years. I saw the Duracell agm 6v gc2 batteries on the samsclub site for $179 each. (They have 30 fewer amp hours at 20 hr. rate than the Brightways), but they're also manufactured by East Penn.

@chuckstovall, don't feel bad. I wish I had a dollar for every post (on this forum and others) about the dometic thermostat. Makes me glad for our less sophisticated analog furnace thermostat, and button controls on the ac, in our 2008.

And, if you change tow vehicles, you can purchase replacement flaps. Actually, most of the bits and pieces for rock tamers can be purchased online. We've used Rock tamers for over a decade. We don't travel enough gravel miles to justify John's stone stomper. That's the ultimate, though.

I don't know if @Commanche still tows with his Durango 5.7 hemi, or not. Haven't seen him in several years. He was quite happy with it then.

I'm not that familiar with your model and features, but if you don't have a battery disconnect, you should get one. Others with your model and year will offer better suggestions, I'm sure. Agms, fully charged, and in good health, should survive 10 weeks storage on self-discharge, imo, in your zone, if no phantom load. There's another thread going on storage under cover that you might find helpful.

BoB, I looked for a stock photo of the toaster we use on the boat, and I found this instead--"vintage, antique toaster pendant light." <sigh> I guess I'm beginning to resemble the vintage label, too.

Wow, sorry to hear that.. Av8wife, does your Oliver have solar? Is your trailer in open or covered storage? And, in what part of the country (climate zone) are you located. If I remember correctly, you just got a pre-loved trailer last year? What year is your Ollie? Elite II, right, since you have 4 batteries.