SeaDawg

Congratulations, and welcome,, Dan and Theresa. What a way to start 2021! You've already chosen two great parks to explore. We'll look forward to hearing about your adventures. Lots of folks here to answer any questions. Sherry

Neither Mr. nor Mrs. Claus has worked on this idea in awhile. Lol. We'll see what 2021 brings in mods. 2020 has been pretty busy.

Overland's original mod is well- described on the first page of this thread. Good luck in your table.

I'd like to know that, too. We went with victron for much of the boat install, but xantrex xcpro 2000 inverter, which had to be replaced a year before we added solar and victron charge controller, monitors, etc.. That we're sorry for,as all victron communication is so nice. But, victron lithium batteries are not only more pricey, but a much more complicated install, from what I have read. We're thinking the boat batteries will fail before the Ollie, so we'll be installing lfpo4 there first. The Ollie will be a few years behind .

Seriously, Paula, it's a terrific storage solution. Ours sit outside in the sideyard. Your solution will make everything (especially the fake chrome) last much longer. I love it. Just couldn't help seeing the bat. Probably because I grew up in the country.

And now with the same shower mixer as Mountainoliver... Wow, that looks great! What a difference you made with the addition of the mixer. Congratulations on a job so very well done. Sherry

I know many of us are in a mood to say "good riddance" to much of what 2020 brought, but I'd like to say, I'm thankful for many things that did happen this year. Early in the year, my nephew married one of the sweetest young women I've ever met. Much of my family was here. I'm really thankful my nephew and his bride chose a February date for their wedding. It's the last time in 2020 that joy and hugs abounded, and so much family could gather. During our more quiet, more isolated time, since March, we've completed dozens of projects we'd been postponing. And, of course, made new lists. I'm studying yet another language, hoping to be able to speak to some of Paul's cousins when they (hopefully) can visit next year from Italy, without resorting to Google translate on my phone. I've renewed several old friendships over text and phone, as we check in with each other. Most especially, I've reunited with a cousin who was my BFF as a little girl, but we grew apart. We speak often, now. The shared experiences of today have brought renewed memories of our shared childhood experiences. I'm thankful that my mom, with all her health issues, has done well so far, with the help of all my siblings, and great doctors . I'm thankful that the younger members of our family who still work are all employed, happy, and healthy. And the few who did get covid, survived and are back on their feet. And, I'm thankful for my neighborhood, where we can talk over the fences, or on patios, share stories (and eggs, sugar, etc.), and never feel alone in quarantine times. Not to ever make light of this strange year, or minimize the tragedies. I lost one cousin, and there was only a small, immediate family only funeral. For those of you who have lost loved ones, I offer my heartfelt sympathies. I know what loss feels like, and this year, without our customary practices, it's especially and uniquely difficult. Not to be able to travel, and hug my aunt and hold her, and comfort her in her time of loss, was very difficult for me, and for my mom, her sister. In these difficult and very different times, I'd also like to say thank you for the community here. Every morning, I look forward to seeing friends here, as well. I wish you a very happy, and healthy, new year in 2021. Sherry

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.