SeaDawg

I'm actually surprised at the number if people in rvs who have chaged out to nature's head and other composting toilets. They make so much sense on boats, where pumpout can be difficult to find, and awkward. Jo, you can change out later, if you find the rv dump system isn't to your liking , or doesn't meet your needs. It's not that hard, as I've read. We still have the standard toilet and dump system, 12 years in. I'm totally onboard with the nature's head, but til something breaks, we'll stay with what we already own and have. I've seen the nature's head, at shows, love the simplicity, and ine day, I'm sure one of the heads on the boat, at least, will be converted. Dumping isn't rocket science, nor is it as bad as Robin Williams made it look. If this is your first rv, take a bit of time to discover your camping style, and what works for you. Ditto on the portable rhino/ blue boy. We've never felt the need for one, in 12 years of camping without hookups.

Mattnan, your table is beautiful ! Great installation, and your local craftsman is just that--a true craftsman. The bookmatched grain is so lovely. What finish did he/you use on the tabletop? Does he usually work on boats? Thanks for the photos. I think I'll go sit in the trailer to finish my coffee, and try to figure out how we could do this in the small dinette area, someday. (Sigh) Sherry

I saw a blurb on the new Ft Knox channel lock, to prevent a thief from swapping couplers by locking up the bolts. 🙃 i wonder if it would fit the Oliver tongue?

Thanks. I saw the honda 3000, and immediately thought of the heftier 3000is. I've never physically seen a handi 3000i. Looking at the specs, it's pretty comparable in weight to the Yamaha 2400, and quite capable. . And, the generator you already own is often better than buying something else. I agree with john davies, though, as far as carrying it on the tongue. We carry our genset in the truck bed. Too much temptation out in the public view. And, no need for extra weight on our tongue.

Curious. Why do you want such a big and heavy generator? 125 lbs extra on the tongue? I suspect a Yamaha 2400 , 50 lbs lighter, or a Honda 2200, 70 plus pounds lighter, could do the job. But, we need to know your needs. Maybe you want to go to the spring rally and see how others manage their ac/generator/ recharging needs. We've lived happily for 12 years with a honda 1000, but it won't run ac or a microwave. (Don't use ac, and no longer have a microwave) . The Honda 1000 keeps our batteries charged when the solar can't. Sherry

Patriot, thanks for bringing up this post. Definitely worth rereading. Glacier is an amazing visit .

I doubt it will happen at pickup, or in the first severalyears. Our first leak at the light was 6 or 7 years in, as i recall Stuff happens. Hulls flex, over the miles. Leaks around lites/ ports happen on our 40 plus year old sailboat, usually at the smallest, tightest radiuses, earlier. The added issue with the third tail light on the Oliver is no real eyebrow, on our older elite. Maybe next year, when we update some of the eyebrow/ rv gutter material, we'll add a little strip above. So far, so good. Every six years for a reseal is not a really big deal. Sherry

It was a joke, I'm sure I guess he forgot the emojis. Me, I'm one of those who gets cranky when I pull into a site where someone, legally or illegally, has dropped a tank of grey water and left a trail of dinner bits . Not only are they stinky and unsightly, but they attract raccoons and larger 4 legged visitors to my tranquil spot

We built something like Mossemis solution for the outdoor shower on the back wall of the shabin, at our camping property, about 10 years ago. Total cost, with leftover pvc pipe and old shower curtains was under $20. Overland, a collapsible baby tub might work in your shower enclosure. OXo and a few others make them. Sherry

Friends of ours bought a screen room in the early 2008 days. It was a huge production to install it, and break it down. They only wound up using it if they stayed somewhere at least a couple weeks. Changed my mind on the whole screen room idea. We bought a separate screen structure, which was a little less of a pain, but we still didn't use it. I'd highly recommend looking at a quick deploy screen room like a clam. Sherry

We've had to reseal the upper brake light a couple times over the last 12 years. Sherry

John, I agree that the Webasto diesel appliances on the Earth Cruisers are tried and true, but how practical are they in a travel trailer with no integrated diesel source? I've loved diesel heat in camper rentals in Australia and NZ, but, those were in diesel vehicles. I'm on a different tack, sometimes. I love the reliability of our unducted old Suburban furnace, and its outdated analog thermostat. Though I hate the fan noise, and its greedy power consumption, I do have to say how happy I've been with its longevity and reliability. I really wish Oliver would offer a 12v danfoss/secop fridge, for those who are willing to manage and monitor power. I love ours. Wish we'd changed it up when we changed the norcold 3 way for the Dometic 3 way, years ago. Maybe someday I'll find a good spot for a 12v freezer drawer. That would really make me smile. That, and an oven. 😃 Well, a girl with a tiny camper can dream, right? I've also been very happy with our Smev cooktop. Probably similar to the new trailers. Very reliable, easy to use. Water pumps are easy swaps, or rebuilds. We've just rebuilt the one on the boat. Swapped out the one in the trailer a few years ago. A/C isn't a big deal for us. So, we're still patching up the cracked shroud on our 12 year old unit. It works, on its once a year trial while I'm cleaning the camper for the first trip. I'm really hoping by the time we have to replace it that there will be a quiet, 12v compressor unit available, like the cab coolers being developed and sold for no -idle semis around the world. The 13.5 k ac in ours is way overkill in a little trailer. And, noisy. But then, I can't run it camping, anyway, as we almost never have power. We deliver rvs, and have rented others around the world. I love coming "home" to my 12 year old Oliver.

Oh, but it's so cool in orange.

I've never seen that brand. Could you post a link? Is this a faucet filter? Rv inline filter? Thanks. Sherry

Very cute. And a great idea.

Mirna, many of the less expensive 12v coolers are thermoelectric. They use more power, and can really only cool 30 to 40 degrees below ambient temperatures. ABS, Dometic, Indel and other far more expensive machines use a danfoss/secop compressor, using half the power, and cooling through greater temp ranges. That's the similar compressor used in our 12v box, and others who have replaced their three ways with 12v fridges. A less expensive thermoelectric may work fine for you, if you don't often camp in extreme temps. I have a thermoelectric wine cooler in the family room. It's great. But, I'm only trying to go from 78 to 45. If you want serious refrigeration, with minimal power, youll want to look at units using the danfoss / secop compressor. ABS, Dometic, the new Truma, and the like. The danfoss/secop compressor units are much more expensive. It's up to you to decide if it's worth the much larger investment, based on how you will use it, and how often you will use it, and ambient temps. I'd honestly wait on buying an electric cooler til I'd camped a few seasons, to detrmine your needs . We just use a cooler, and ice, to refrigerate beverages, and save room in the fridge. Although I'd love to have another portable fridge, I'm good with the cooler plus fridge for the last 12 years. Just my thoughts. Sherry

I love it. I'm relatively new to the handle game. Just a few decades. Can't even remember my dad's handle on cn radio . Wish i could. So many memories. If I were choosing today, I'd probably use Cybertruck. But, you know, Seadawg has been our name for a long tome, too. We'll stick with that. As you have. It's all good. Sherry

Townesw, that's a "solution" I've seen on several of the 40 plus threads I've read on this thermostat's problems. It looks like a good trouble shooting idea, but not long term solution. Everyone who left the cover off, in the threads I read, had problems later, within a few weeks? Corrosion? Moisture? Would be my guess. Definitely, a worthwhile exercise to troubleshoot, Just not a long term solution. I've never seen so many bad reviews on a thermostat. I was stunned. I hope Dometic has resolved the issues, as I haven't found a replacement/ other brand stat yet in my research. Then again, others reported corroded connections, loose connections, on the ac and at the furnace, as other issues causing similar problems. It could be worth a try, Nan, if you have the time. It can rule out the messed up face plate. But, it won't rule out a faulty thermostat. Edited to add: townesw, that's a great troubleshooting technique for the faulty faceplate. . Not discounting it, at all . Sherry

No worries. I just hope it works for you. Fingers crossed.🤞 Sherry

Kudos on your persistence. And good luck. Sherry

Nan, I looked online for a manual for your thermostat. I found one for a newer "bluetooth" model. What I also found were many threads on other brand forums about the thermostat faceplate causing problems with the thermostat changing settings and causing erratic operation. Before I did anything else, if it were me, I would call Dometic technical support again. Do you have the model and serial number of the thermostat? They will need that to determine which version of the thermostat you have. With certain models, Dometic has apparently shipped replacement face plates to resolve the problem. The comment that you made about the dometic tech asking you to remove the faceplate, and the thermostat switching to celcius on its own, lead me down this line of thinking. From what I've read, on some of the models, the foam on the back of the faceplate springs back and changes settings on its own, sometimes hours after the user adjusted settings. 🥴 Again, I'd call Dometic. Especially since I don't have your model thermostat and furnace. I don't have any firsthand knowledge, just research. I wish I did. Sherry

I'll tell you why I ask. In our home system, two heat pumps, the Honeywell thermostats are the crash points. They do display weak batteries, on the display. If we replace batteries without shutting down the entire system, I'll get heat instead of ac. Sometimes, if the batteries are weak, we get heat, when the ac is called., after a power outage, so, weak battery in the thermostat. It's maddening, but now, we know where to look. Omg, not fun in Florida. 90 degrees outside , and running heat when the system is calling for cooling. Yikes. Our solution, as recommended by one of the several techs, was to cut power to the thermostat, and the heat pump. For fifteen minutes. For you, that would mean cutting dc and ac to the furnace (and everything else in the trailer) , and the thermostat . Or, hoping you can find the appropriate breakers. I'd just cut it all, if you want to try. Ps, before you go that route, what model is your dometic thermostat, and what are the current settings displayed? Sherry

Nan, I'm curious. If I remember correctly, the preloved Oliver you bought had a furnace replacement? Or am I wrong? Was the thermostat also replaced? Which furnace and thermostat do you have? Sherry

For those of you in Florida, or traveling through, Truma opened a corporate sales and service office in Lakeland, just a few minutes off of I-4. (That's about halfway between Tampa and Orlando.) I spoke to the manager there a few months ago when I was looking into their new furnace. Sherry

210 ah, total. The battery tray in the 2008 Elite I only holds two group 27 batteries. And that's obviously not all useable. It's ok. With some conservation (maybe read power miser controls), and good monitoring tools, we've boondocked successfully for 12 years. 😃