SeaDawg

Great solution. But, does it make anyone else think of a giant bat? Sorry, couldn't help myself.

Today's mild rant from Will puts me off the Bluetti, at least for awhile. https://youtu.be/m-Am_hqD4tg I think he believes he got a better unit than general customers have been receiving.

The Grohe valve is really beautiful. Their starlight chrome is some of the best chrome finish I've seen. I wish I'd used more of it in our house when we built it. Delta's chrome doesn't hold a candle to it, though it's pretty, too. I'm a chrome finish fan. Timeless.

The Elite doesn't have the same ducting through the various parts of the hull as the Elite II, so the furnace us less helpful unless you open a drawer, and some access ports. That said, unless you're constantly camping in really cold weather, you can guage some results from here. I will say, that if it's cold out, and we have free power, I love running a small electric heater. The furnace doesn't kick on as often, so it doesn't wake me up as often. (I'm a pretty light sleeper.) And in our older elites, the furnace is in the kitchen, next to the bed. Make sure you buy a heater with a tip-over cutoff switch, since you'll be traveling with your dog. Just in case. The heaters work best if on the floor (duh, right? Heat rises.) The cutoff is pretty standard on most electric heaters. You won't need a very big one. A choice of two wattage is nice. Ours is 700 on low, I think, and 1200 or so on high. I usually run it on low, and use a nice blanket, and furnace on low.

I'm exploring all kinds of alternatives. Right now, we don't have a need for any new batteries, or a solar generator. But, i like to know what's out there. Jrk, I'll take a look at the bioenno.

I would drain the water heater and bypass it, for the winter. Small spaces freeze first. Easy enough to refill when you want to go camping .

I can't yet comment on the nature's head composting toilet, as we've never had one. From my reading, I think they're a great solution for boats, where pump out stations are a big pain. Most owners here think they're great. We have used cassette toilets in Australia and New Zealand, and many of the usual and typical rv dump systems here, including our Oliver for 13 seasons. It's neither rocket science, nor as ugly as a Robin Williams film. Not really a big deal. If you've already learned to dump grey, the black isn't any different. You already know how to get the connections right. Good luck in your decision. Good news is, if you hate the nature's head and frequent dumping of the pee bottle, it's not difficult to retrofit to a typical rv toilet.

Good on you to ask now. I bought our insurance on the phone, on the way to pick up our Oliver in 2008. I figured I'd shop later. And I did. But we didn't fid anything better. For us. Good sams allows us a discount for seasonal layup. SInce we are put of service four to six months most years, it helps. Others will chime in . Its really not a big expense, in the grand scheme of things. Just make sure you have the coverage you want.

I'd personally spend 15 or 20 bucks on a green or grey garden hose, and keep the supplied white hose for fresh water. You'll want the white one in the spring. Maybe you already have an old colored hose to use for now?

Nice faucet. I'm really sorry to hear about your misfortune. We froze our outside shower once because we didn't winterize in time.

Btw, since you are new to camping and rvs, as many people are when they buy their first rv, I'll offer this idea that I've used with several friends new to rv camping. Practice learning to dump with clean water. It's a bit of a waste of water, but so much easier on the nerves. Fill the grey tank to maybe half using a faucet, and the black with clean water by just depressing the foot pedal for a good long while, or run the shower wand into the toilet at the same time. Half full is enough when there are no solids or tp in the black tank, but do whatever you like. Hook up and dump. If you do make a mistake, the only thing you're spilling is clean water. No panic. This works really well if your first campsite is full hookups, but I'd fill the fresh tank, and work from there. It can flush some of the plastic taste and smell from new plumbing, at the same time. Sherry

We have a different one because the original wore out. We're probably on the third hose in 13 seasons. Maybe 4th, but I think 3rd. I don't know which hose brand Oliver supplies these days. Any of them will last awhile. We store ours in the bumper storage area, and I think the diamond plate abrades the hose as we travel. That Valterra hose that Bill uses looks really nice. I'm guessing you still have to stretch it out to totally clean and rinse, but how nice to be able to adjust the length before use, and have it stay that way.

I doubt that commercial daybed covers would work well. Personally. With the curve of the hull, and bed length, there would be adjustments to be made I looked at fitted covers, and I can sew them, but fitted covers don't work well at night. Imo. Difficult to store, Difficult to use. We use normal full/queen on our Ollie i, set up as a full time bed.. I work with the excess. Not a big deal.

Depending on your batteries chemistry, you can't run a lot on ac. Which batteries do you have?

I watched five different YouTube videos today on the bluetti ac200 and ac200p. (3 were by Will Prowse, over a period of six months.) This looks like a really impressive unit, though Will noted some of his forum members had some issues with early units. Has anyone here tried the new Bluetti? Their new inverter seems to be quite efficient. Input for around 700 watts of solar for recharging quickly. It's pricey, at almost 2k, but it has a lot of features, data readouts, and choices of outlet types. I'm subscribed to most of these YouTube presenters. Girl in the woods, and her husband, are rather interesting woods dwellers. Lately, I've followed their progress building a tiny cabin in the UP. Will Prowse, of course, is my most followed source. I love watching his testing and teardowns, of all things solar and battery. Sherry

That said, I would try Overland's adjustment first. Also, check pump mounting to make sure it's not rattling. Maybe play with the other pressure adjustment screw, 1/4 turn at a time. Before I tore into a rebuild. Or replacement. We don't have a bladder on our system. So, some of my experience is limited.

There won't be that many changes, imo, to the 2021. No lithium available for our shorties. The big question (ask your rep) is if you have the progressive dynamics charger/inverter, or the xantrex xcpro inverter/charger in 2021. We have both. Pd in our trailer, xantrex xcpro 2000 in the boat. Both are good. You'll learn a lot studying 2020 manual and watching the videos.

The sewer hose Oliver supplies will get you going. There are probably a number of better brands. Lately, we are using a Rhino 20', which comes in two ten foot sections. You can find good sewer hoses at any camping store. Even at Walmart. I can't imagine carrying 50' of sewer hose. No way. You're only one person, and a dog. If you're careful with water, you can go days, even a week or more without dumping. You can dump with a 10 ft. hose at most dump stations. And, at most campsites. The longer the sewer hose, the tougher the job. It's called a stinky slinky for a reason . It really becomes a slinky under load. The last thing you want is a sewer hose that's too long.

Wow! Your son did an amazing job on the model. This made my day. Thank you.

Merry Christmas !

We are fortunate to live in a neighborhood like the old days. Borrow an egg, a cup of flour. Air up tires, if you have a compressor. Etc. We share . One of my newest neighbors dropped off cookies on our doorstep today, Christmas eve. We had lost my mother -in-law's recipe for spritzen cookies, though I had saved her 50s press for my daughter. My new neighbor's cookies tasted just like the cookies my daughter "helped" her gramma Zizi make, so many years ago. My neighbor, Beth has offered not only her recipe, but lessons for my daughter. Which is wonderful, because I never was much of a baker. I depended on my mother-in-law for cookie exchanges , among so many other things. She was amazing, and I miss her so much. This may seem silly, and a small thing, but small things do indeed matter. Spritzer cookies are small, but big in memories in our family. Merry Christmas. Sherry

Christmas Florida style. The little boat parade in our daughter's neighborhood, past weekend. We wish you a safe and happy holiday.

Overland had it right. Our first gen Ollies had one outside dc outlet here:

The idea is that the cable is long enough to make turns and maneuvers, but actuates if you actually have a hitch failure. Yes, it's tricky. But should something give, you want it to work. I've never had it happen. But I've known a few (non oliver) friends who actually needed that safety.

Imo, they're all weak on 12v. Better to get a good lithium battery vacuum, like a Dyson, and charge when you have 110. I have a 12vhair dryer. And a 12v blender. Neither really strong on 12v