DavePhelps

OK, better pic.....

I just completed a Victron update to all the solar components in our trailer, including the Victron 50amp DC-DC charger. It has been great. I was originally thinking of doing the work myself but soon realized I was too far out of my comfort zone regarding the complexities of the install. This job I delegated! Expensive, yes. But The job as it was done went way beyond my expectations. I was very lucky to find an outfit locally that really knew what they were doing and take great pride in their work. The cost of the DC-DC charger was part of a much larger project so hard to break it out. There will be two sides to your install, the TV and your trailer. I found a way to fish 4awg cables from the streetside rear dining seat (where the battery box is) forward, under the bathroom sink, and then out the front of the trailer next to the 7-pin plug cable. The charger is mounted on top of the battery box. My truck luckily has a battery distribution fuse block with multiple fuses up for grabs including a 60 amp fuse to which the truck-side wiring was attached. The truck wiring terminated with an Anderson plug that was bolted to the underside of my bumper with a custom bracket directly under the 7 pin plug (which is next to my license plate). This location I highly recommend as it makes attaching your fairly large 7 pin and DC-DC charging cables nicely aligned and easier to manage. I'm getting similar charging profiles as JD iirc. For me, I don't like traveling with propane on, so I switch to DC mode on my fridge when under way. Always have full batteries on arrival! These new lithium batteries charge up fast if they can get the power and this little charger really delivers! Of course, it only works when your running your TV. So, as JD mentioned, this will be of no benefit if boondocking and stationary. That's where your remote solar panels come in to play if you have them. I suppose worst case, you could use your TV as a giant generator to charge your batteries but many campgrounds, especially in the National Park system, or in CG's that don't allow portable generators, this would not be allowed. Super glad I got the charger, no regrets! 👍👍 Dave

I don't have the Truma, but on mine, the condensate line at the AC was not hooked up at the factory. I'd pull off your interior cover and see if yours has come loose, or was overlooked at the factory. Easy fix if that is all it is. Good luck. Dave

As far as the more traditional RV hoses that won't collapse in a siphon scenario, the very best that I have found are the ones sold by The Water Filter Store. The fittings are excellent and the hose is also very high quality material. They will also custom make them to length as you require. https://www.rvwaterfilterstore.com/products/custom-built-hoses Dave

OK just checked my PM's and looks like my charger has found a home in csevel's Ollie! 👍 Onward. Dave

Right you are! I was thinking of the service rating for the trailer. It is a 45 amp charger. Hope someone could use this. I was hoping to keep it "in the family"! Cheers, Dave

I will mail it out to anyone who could use it FREE of charge. PM me with your address if you are interested! Dave

Yes it does! You can see it in the bottom left of the pic. It's a small switch. Dave

Greetings all, I bought this 30 amp charger from Etrailer a while back when I was planning to convert to Lithium batteries. My plans changed in the end and I ended up using all Victron components. I'm sure it's too late to return it now. So, if any one out there could use this brand new and never used/installed PD 30 amp converter/charger, I will mail it to you free of charge. It does have the Lithium switch. Model Number PD4045CSV Serial Number A24225FO325851 Cheers, Dave

Glad you discovered the problem. Regarding the water filter o-ring, I like to lube it with a small amount of silicone based plumber's grease. It helps with the seal and keeps the o-ring in good shape. Also, don't over tighten the filter screen housing. Firm hand tight is all that is needed. No tools! Cheers, Dave

I've read that the PB Platinum models have a payload capacity around 1250 lbs. The Lariat will be a bit more, but not sure how much. Do your calculations and be safe! Cargo weight adds up in a hurry with just the most basic things (passengers, canopy, hitch/mudflaps, tongue weight...) The 6.5" bed would be what I would pick for many reasons including the longer wheelbase, which will improve your ride. Living in the great state of Wyoming, and the inter-Mountain West, if I was towing with only a 30 gallon gas tank, I'd for sure carry an extra 5 gallons in the back. My tank is 36 gallons and I have already needed it! Good luck and hope the new truck works well for you. Dave

So the rear Oliver lense strikes again.... I would also check those marker lights. The one under the O of the Oliver sign especially. If it leaks, the water would run down its supply wire where it looks like it touches your TV cables. The water would then continue down that cable and into the cabin. All those wires up there with no drip loops designed in are are major pathway for water to travel to far off places. I had drips out my rear speaker from one of those marker lights.... Cheers, Dave

That connection can be a sticky one and I've had the same issue. What works for me is to keep the leg attached at the floor, position yourself facing the window, up against the table, back straight, and give that table a good quick lift. If it comes free I would recommend paraffin over trusty WD-40 to lubricate the connection. On my leg, it's just a plastic cap over the aluminum leg with a single metal spring clip. Rub the paraffin all over that and you should be good to go. Don't be afraid to reef on that connection to get it to come off. Good luck. Dave

The FWT drain is at best slow draining given the design constraints of the system. One issue that can make it much worse is when bits of plastic end up inside the tank from drilling the various holes and not meticulously cleaning it out before installing. I have had these bits bunch up at the tank outlet and at the drain valve. When I added my new water supply draw tube, I cleaned and vacuumed out the tank best I could, and cleaned out the drain valve while I was in there as well. Now, not really wanting to go through that all over again, if it seems plugged up, I'll take my air compressor and blow up the outflow tube (30psi is good) into the tank. This usually clears the occlusions long enough to let the tank drain more normally, which is still slower than I'd like. Hope that works for you. Dave

It is my understanding that propane tanks under 100 pounds have 12 years before they need to be re-certified. So you have until 06/2030! 👍 Dave

Here's a pic of a couple of "dummy" 200 amp/hr Victrons mocked up in my tray to see if they would fit. Dave

Well, plans change! After deciding this whole conversion project was above my pay grade, I spent some time talking with my local solar company reps about my system. I have run out of battery several times with my old AGM's when camping off grid where the sun was rarely seen. Rain and gray here in the PNW, especially in the shoulder seasons. For my current needs, the 400 amp/hr Victron will have more than 3 times the power available to me compared to my old AGM's. Maybe overkill. But looking to the future where I may be getting a compressor fridge (when my 3 way gives up the ghost) then things start to even out. As far as I know, this is the most power one can pack in to the Elite 1 while maintaining the OEM battery box and tray. I also changed my mind and am getting a Victron inverter/charger. Mostly for the better charging compatibility with the Victron batteries. We'll see how this all pans out. The components are expensive but I believe Victron makes a quality product with stellar representation. Pics will be forthcoming when this all gets completed for Elite 1 owners (and anyone else) who may be interested. Cheers, Dave

Not sure if there have been changes since my 2015 Elite 1 was built, but it has an hot air supply in the bathroom. Even still, a return air vent under the sink makes very good sense. Dave

I would recommend cutting in a small 4" return vent under the TP holder. I think this area would be good with no water intrusion from showering. At least, I have never noticed this area to be wet after I take a shower, ymmv. Not sure of your model or year, there have been changes made. I don't get the closet vent at all. It is a separate space from the under sink area. I would rather have a return vent move air directly from the bathroom into that space, not from the cabin, to the closet, to the under sink area. I had great success adding new return vents in the rear of my trailer (my furnace is under the front dinette seat). I blocked off the OEM vent which was right next to the furnace. I had substantial temp increases between the hulls. I have also wanted to put one in the bathroom as well but got sidetracked with a pile of other projects. It is now on the short list however. Good luck. Dave

My battery box tray is the same as your on my 2015 Legacy 1 trailer, 14.25" X 14.25" X 11" I was ready to go with the Epoch battery but pivoted after consulting with a local solar company. I am now getting 2 of the Victron 200 amp/hr batteries. They fit beautifully in my tray, and together will give me 400 amp/hrs of battery power ( well, almost). These batteries have a remote BMS, so the room in the battery where the BMS is normally located can be used for more Lithium cells and/or the batteries can be comparatively smaller with more available energy than other brands. Not cheap by any means. The batteries are expensive and then you also have to purchase the BMS module separately. For me and my needs however, it was worth it. I also elected to have this outfit do the install for me. The whole project just grew way beyond my comfort zone for a DIY job. After seeing their part list for the job, I'm really glad I'm going this way. My hat is off to all you folks who took this on yourself. You saved yourself a pile of money! When completed, I'll post a review with pics. Cheers, Dave

Had similar issues with my Legacy1 trailer. Washboarded roads really puts these connections to the test. I had Oliver send me some extra clips which I added in addition to the OEM clips. One or two per shade as I recall. I then used thin nylon washers to shim the clips out so they were all in plane and fully engaged the groove on the back of the frame (use a straightedge). Since then, I have also started towing with all shades in the up position (both sheer and blackout pulled up). This puts the drawbars (?) at the top of the shade frame, placing a little more weight at the top of the frame and not stressing out the clips as much. So far so good. Dave

Don't have a Clam shelter, but have been snug as a bug in my little legacy1 in very high winds. I can't imagine any of these shelters are up to the task of the high intensity winds and micro blasts of the inter-mountain West and other areas. Best to take them down at night. Also, there is a pretty good app called Windy that gives detailed wind information, both current and projected, worth looking in to. Dave

Thanks for that. Now that I've thought this through, I can see that in this case, ability to vent both in and out would be best. Dave

Looking forward to your renovation JD. You could add more solar panels up there if needed. Regarding the vent. I wonder if it could be replaced with an Air Admittance Valve inside the trailer. That would clean the slate up on the roof. My vent goes up through the closet, a great place to put the AAV. Used them a lot in residential plumbing to solve difficult routing issues in old homes. Any plumbers out there to comment? I know Oliver already uses one to vent the kitchen sink, so why not the main stack? Good luck and like your new scaffold! Cheers, Dave

I have what rich.dev showed above and has worked great. Otherwise zip ties as Mike and Carole suggested. Twisting chains to adjust length is not recommended and can dramatically reduce their strength. Best to cut them to the required length with no twist! Dave