SeaDawg

I did some reading and youtube viewing on the separret today. I doubt that's it's a great alternative to the nature's head in the Oliver (the big vent, particularly), but I think it could work well in a tiny house on our camping property. Has anyone here used one in a cabin or tiny home? Or, in an rv? https://sustainable-solutions.info/separett/

Back in the day, before led lights, it was possible to buy a replacement lens, and be done. We also replaced the bulb with an led equivalent in our 2008 , after changing the lens. The amber film in the new led one should do the trick, as. ?mark did. We did find fewer bugs attracted to the amber lens. The mosquitoes, not so much. They seem to be attracted more to a campfire that puts out more co2 than we do.

Hi, and welcome! We'll be excited to see your photos, too! Glad to see another Florida Ollie. Which model are you getting?

So, back to sealant testing. I found a few articles on various forums, and more importantly, testing by Practical Sailor, on a (relatively) inexpensive adhesive sealant, Loctite pl Marine fast cure. We had to order it, from our local Lowe's. Not on the shelf. It has a 12 month shelf life from date of manufacture, unopened, so important to read the date code. Opened, a few months, maybe, if sealed and refrigerated. I'll let you know. It's double sealed, in the workshop fridge, now. Like 3m 4000 uv , it's polyether, not silicone. Cleanup is alcohol, uncured, or mechanical, cured. We'll see how it works out. It's supposed to be non yellowing, and we used it next to butyl with a bead around the new maxxair bath vent, among other places. If it does yellow, we should see it earlier, on the roof, is my guess. I think it's a good place for a test, as appearances aren't much of a concern. Workability was ok, according to Paul. No worse than 3m 4000 uv. https://www.practical-sailor.com/boat-maintenance/mildew-resistant-caulks-for-boats https://www.practical-sailor.com/boat-maintenance/marine-sealant-adhesion-tests I can't recommend at this point, but we'll see what it looks like in a year or two

Starshine, since we own one of the very first Oliver Elites, solar wasn't a published option when we bought ours. We towed ours 6 months and probably 10k miles before my husband came up with a sidemount design for two 100 watt fixed panels. Oliver kindly accommodated us, and built some beautiful saddle brackets that hug the curve of the hull. And did our initial install, 6 months after we picked up the trailer. It opened up new worlds for us. We noticed only a negligible difference in mpg with our truck. On the sailboat, we didn't have a real choice. There's not room for framed fixed panels between the hardtop bimini and the boom. But, so far, we're very happy with the Sunpower flexible panels. Looking at the Oliver trolley roof, there isn't a lot of space for flexible panels anyway. As far as the rpods, they're definitely lighter, but I personally doubt they are as aerodynamic as an Oliver, Airstream or Casita, because of the big/wide frontal area, and squared off sides. My guess. No wind tunnel tests, at least that I've ever seen. 🤔 This winter break, we're upgrading the 2 x 100 panels to 2 x 200. While I've spent the last few days working on repair projects for my mom at her condo, Paul has modified the mountings to accomodate the longer and slightly wider panels, and dryfitted everything. We're pretty excited to put them to work, but there is still wiring and install of an additional controller to be done. Though most of the Tesla superchargers are located along the interstate, I've noted that they're often not far from the secondary roads. (Sometimes, the old highway parallels the interstate. ) With Tesla's map planner, and patience, I'm sure you'll figure it out. Til we both get our Cybertrucks.

Nice idea. I installed shower antislip strips when our trailer was new (13 years ago.) Our panels don't have screws to secure them. The antislip keeps them in place, and it's very thin.

I'm curious about a few things, with an x as tow vehicle. (Which I'm sure is doable, within range limits.) I've read about issues with Tesla 7 pin connector wiring, as it's not the same as typical? Could be older models. The hitch receiver is way low. Photos I've seen show safety chains almost at highway level . I'd be looking at cables,, with velcro wraps to keep them off the roadways , maybe? Are you looking at solar panels? Fixed or suitcase, or both? To achieve best aerodynamic performance, I'd be tempted to explore flexible fixed panels, like the sunpower panels we used on our sailboat hardtop Bimini. Negligible drag, and though more real estate per watt, they work very well . Keep the rooftop as clean as possible. Plus a portable pv system. Maybe, two controllers, piggyback wired. Actually, I'm really looking forward to seeing your towing reports, with an Elite I. 👍

Audrey, which battery size do you have in your x? https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1122487_towing-a-camper-with-a-tesla-model-x-thank-elon-for-superchargers

Welcome to the forum! Friends of ours used to live in your area. It's so beautiful! Sherry

Starshine, allelectricfamily recently did some youtubes and a blog post about their experience towing a rented airstream bambi with their x. The interesting part is their comparisons with towing their own travel trailer, an Apex sticky with comparable weights and stats. They found a significant increase in range with the more aerodynamic form of the airstream. They did get over 150 mile range at times. (Flatter land. They towed from Kansas City to Fairland, Oklahoma. ) They found a significant increase in range with the more aerodynamic shape of the rented airstream. The tongue weight and base weight of the bambi aren't much different from an Oliver elite 1. My guess is that an Oliver is at least as aerodynamic as an Airstream.

Back a few years ago, I followed the adventure of this Canadian couple that towed an Alto Safari (very light teardrop) with their new Tesla X. This was before there was much of a Tesla charging network across Canada. They made it. Had a great time. https://teslaxcanada.com/ I wouldn't really expect very good range, towing an Oliver, with an x. However, I am still looking forward to towing with my Tesla Cybertruck someday. #250,000 something in the reservations. 😁

Probably true.. Not for us. We pretty much live on solar everywhere--home, Ollie, boat. But, we've learned to manage power and water. Second nature, now. We don't have lithium yet. That would really expand our parameters. I keep studying. We probably have another 3 to 4 years on our Agm batteries.

JED, it gets really interesting if you read all the articles in the series, and the comments. If you really want the Aussie version, it's attainable. I'm really sad that our Aussie camping trip was not possible this year. Our friends in Tasmania only got out a few months ago. First year they'd spent the winter in Tassie in almost 20 years. 2020, is what it is.

I suspect it's a bit more complicated to do b2b/ dc to dc, as it requires modification to the tow vehicle as well? Oliver can warrant their own production, but modifying your truck, with current electronics, is another story. (My costco store won't even install batteries, anymore. Just sells them in the automotive store. Probably for the same reason.) In a van conversion, it's all in one. Short distance, one vehicle involved? Just for more reading material, I found this great article about adding dc to dc/ b2b capability to a 2016 Ford f150, employing an aussie version of the redarc uniy John Davies discovered. Comes with this warning: Disclaimer: Mistakes in the electrical system can cause fire, injury or even death. If you have any doubts about working with electricity in your RV, consult with a professional electrician. https://www.adventurousway.com/blog/rv-electrical-upgrade-part-3-dc-charger-truck-12v-socket Since I understand about 85 per cent of it on the first read, I'll let you guys poke holes. Especially in light of newer vehicles. 😁😁😁

Reminds me of one campground we stayed at in the Yukon. They had an electrified bear fence around the tent camping area... (Congdon creek, yt. Free firewood. $12 a night, Canadian. Beautiful spot, but keep your campsite clean and clear.)

I'm really sorry to read your list of troubles. Most items should have been sorted out before or at delivery . The single axle should not make noises. Ours doesn't, even after 100,000 miles. I'm sure Jason and his crew will get it all sorted out, but it's disheartening, I'm sure.

Hey, and welcome, from Florida. So very happy that everything worked out for you!

I'm about number 250,000. Might get a bump as Tesla owners. We'll see. I'm waiting to see the final size. Make sure it fits in the garage. It will be much bigger than my 2005 Silverado, I'm sure.

I am really glad this topic is once again being discussed. After we finish the Oliver install (upgrading the panels), we've been thinking about an additional panel on the outriggers of the radar arch, where we would have far fewer shade issues. I was looking at a fixed high wattage single panel, from a different manufacturer. I'm rethinking this solution, as adding another controller won't likely be easy. And, we have plenty of room on the Victron controller for a 300 watt panel of similar voltage. We'll see. More time to think. One install at a time.

I remember reading in a number of places that mppt vs. pwm was not a big deal in efficiency in small installations. I do suspect the marginal gain of an mppt controller is most important to those of us who live on solar, and stay put for more than a few days at a time at unserviced campsites. The availability of service for Zamp probably drives Oliver's selection of Zamp as their product. All the big manufacturers use Zamp. And, it's well built and reliable, from what I've read.

On the boat, with six x 100w panels on the hardtop Bimini, Paul compromised. Each two panels are wired in series, then all three strings in parallel. The two panels in series were selected by likeliness of being shaded at the same time. But then, we have all those shading obstructions, mast, boom, and, underway, sails. The Victron equipment has been great. We haven't had to plug in since the install, and even when the alternator failed in the last trip, the batteries were always charged.

John, I knew that I had read some info on shading and series vs parallel when we were trying to determine best setup for our 6 x 100 watt panels on the boat. This set of tests is 4 years old, but probably still relevant. https://www.altestore.com/blog/2016/08/wiring-shaded-solar-panels/#.X8UsyWlOkwA

I seem to remember that John Davies installed a caframo fan. I'll see if I can find the post for you. I'd probably recommend a pair of Caframo Sirocco II fans if I were in your situation. The Sirocco model has been around for decades, highly rated by users, and tested and recommended by Practical Sailor. The Sirocco fan does not have a remote, but it has a timer with three settings, and moves a lot of air for .38 amps on high. It can fold up and out of the way when not in use, and offes 360 degrees of directional airflow adjustment. Mounting hardware included. https://www.practical-sailor.com/boat-maintenance/product-update-facnor-fx-furler-caframo-scirocco-ii-and-more

A few photos, and a video of the fan running. We had a good rain this morning, so I could check for leaks. Everything looks good. 20201129_124314.mp4

We installed the maxxair dome plus yesterday. Since Paul had already removed the old ventline and cleaned up the caulk on the roof, the install took less than an hour. (Would have been even less, but I inadvertently dropped the four screws for the interior trim ring into the shell and turf blocks where we park the trailer. Took a good five minutes to find them.) We bench tested the fan and light in the workshop before installing. It is indeed much quieter than the old ventline and the led light is very, very bright. The screen is indeed removeable from the inside for cleaning, but requires removing four tiny screws to do so. The handle for opening and closing is much beefier (our first ventline handle cracked), and it has a button to release. That motion is a bit sticky. The interior trim ring is almost 3/4 inch deeper, to accommodate the light, which might be important to taller people. I don't know about the trim ring on the unlit fan. We bedded the van with grey butyl tape before Paul fastened the screws. He added some extra at the curve of the hull. We'll run a bead of caulk around the ring when we do some other caulking. We did need the provided extension tube to reach through the two hulls. Paul cut it to length. We were able to use the original rough opening, without enlarging it, though it was very tight. The trim rings are larger in diameter than the ventline, so all original screw holes are covered . Maxxair provides a real gasket to seal the opening dome to the unit when closed, much superior to the foam weatherstripping of the Ventline. The unit itself is all plastic, but a thicker guage than the Ventline, and everything is white, inside and out. Hopefully, the quiet operation will last. I've read some reviews that the fan became louder with months of operation. We'll see. I ordered ours from rvupgrades. The price for the fan with light was just $4 more than amazon price for the fan without the light. Free shipping on $99 or more, so I bought a new water filter cartridge instead of paying $10 shipping. Sherry