Ray and Susan Huff

Following

We are also considering a portable inverter generator. Our Elite II will have the Lithium Pro Package, so not as much need for a generator, as with the AGM package. However, we would like the extra assurance of another power source. We have no experience camping/traveling with as much available power as the lithium batter package will provide. Though it will certainly be a great improvement over the two 12v flooded batteries and 200W of solar power we had in our camper van, we will be entering uncharted waters where untethered power is concerned. Here are a few of our thoughts: I anticipate less concern over battery state of charge/maintenance and more enjoyment of onboard comforts, especially where climate control is concerned. We camp a lot in the PNW, and often in forested areas where placement of solar panels might not be ideal. We also plan to use our trailer more in the Winter months, than in the past, as our van was not 4-season capable like the Oliver. A generator will make cooling/heating possible when camping off-grid. We expect our Oliver will be less efficient at charging the batteries during travel than was our camper van. In addition, we spent more "road time" in the van because it was our only means of getting around (aside from our bikes). Our "Oliver camping style" will look much different, as we plan to set up camp and spend time exploring with our pickup. With a travel trailer we are more apt to need a generator to recharge batteries. A small, portable generator will be useful at home. While we have a larger inverter generator for emergency power use on our ranch, it weighs about 150#, so is not easily portable. Theoretically, we could use it with the Oliver, from the back of the pickup, but it is a bit noisier than a smaller Honda/Yamaha. However, the larger generator would be less apt to get stolen. A portable generator is not as handy as the onboard, self-contained generator we had in our motorhome. Remote start/stop inside the RV and it used onboard fuel; no need to carry gasoline. However, it was much noisier than the Honda/Yamaha. Of the two (Honda 2200i and Yamaha 2200i) we favor the Yamaha. Both are reputably great generators, but the Yamaha has a few features not found in the Honda: fuel gauge, lighted control panel, dedicated 30amp RV outlet, and three handles - one for single handed carrying plus two for 2-person transport. The Honda is a tad-bit quieter, but probably not a noticeable difference. Unfortunately, we have found there are many Honda units available but can't seem to find a Yamaha. Both the Dewalt and Ryobi generators are rated at a higher noise level than the Honda/Yamahas. Foremost, you should consider when and where you will be camping and the available solar exposure, especially in regards to heating and cooling needs. My guess would be, if you plan to use either the A/C or furnace extensively, you will need the generator. Before spending $1,000 on a generator you might not use, you can calculate your daily estimated power usage or simply make some trial runs and see how long the batteries hold a safe charge level. Remember, for optimal life, batteries should be discharged to no lower than 50% capacity. On the other hand, know that with a generator you will have the ability to use power consuming appliances that you might otherwise have to forego. Here are just a few links I found to estimate daily amp hour requirements: http://trailertraveler.net/calculate-rv-amp-usage/ https://www.rvwithtito.com/articles/battery-capacity/ https://www.fateunbound.com/sizing-rv-solar/ This is a detailed calculator to determine solar power needs: https://gpelectric.com/calculator/ I have seen charts listing amp draw of common RV components and appliances, but can't seem to find one. Hope this helps

Here's the thing: We have never had a roadside plan for any of our vehicles, daily drivers or RVs; our auto insurance roadside assistance pretty much covers our cars. Now, with the prospect of traveling across the US to pickup our Oliver I'm wondering if we should have a plan: AAA or Good Sam. With our campervan, where chassis mechanical failures can (and did) occur, we had M. Benz roadside assistance as it was still under warranty. I'm not so concerned about a trailer breakdown that would prevent us towing it to a shop (brakes, axels, tires, tongue/hitch) but rather if the pickup breaks down and we have to have it and the trailer towed. What we do have is State Farm Insurance with roadside assistance, which will pay up to $100 if the vehicle that is being towed has an RV that also needs a tow. I believe there is a mileage limit, but I'm not certain of that; will have to check. Am I correct: the AAA and Good Sam RV memberships also cover the tow vehicle? Whether you are towing the RV or not? If this is true then is there a coordination of benefits if you also have roadside assistance with your regular auto policy? Or could that coverage be dropped if double coverage is not allowed? (I'm not sure this is an option; as it might be built into our premium. If not, it is only $2-3 per month) If the Good Sam towing is as far reaching as they claim - ie: will they go off paved roads? With no mileage limit? This is better than AAA which allows up to 4 tows a year, with one up to 200 miles; additional up to 100 mi. And, if the pickup and trailer require towing, does that count as 2 tows?? AAA does have trip planning (don't know if we'd use it though) and paper maps (do they still give you these free?) as well as discounts at some hotels/RV parks. (although lately we've received a 10% veteran discount at most every place we've stayed 😀 I guess my question is: is it worth it doing the membership thing, or better to just self-insure, get your own help, and take whatever reimbursement your auto policy allows?

As well as better bikes . . . . . . and better bikes need better racks 😁

We ordered the Lithium pkg as well. Plan to take the tax credit, though there seem to be a few "grey areas" where it is concerned. Not sure what "Surf, rock gardening and tide race play" are, but it sounds like something goats would enjoy, capricious creatures that they be.

Any anti-theft device is merely a deterrent . . . . . a means of keeping honest people honest. Aside from taking valuable items with you, theft-proof security is a rarity. Make it difficult for thieves to "help themselves" to your gear, but remember that "out of sight" removes the temptation.

Yes . . . . . "possible" is most likely, but it was not included in the explanation I was given. With a 2" receiver, it would be easy to overload the hitch; not so easy with the smaller receiver. It's sad, but true, that a few people who don't act responsibly can ruin things for others. Sorry if my comment was skewed.

Originally there was a 2" receiver option, but Oliver reduced it to 1.25" as a result of litigation. Not the best option, since most robust bike racks have 2" receivers. Some people have or have had a 2" bumper mount receiver fabricated, but it is a bit complicated calculating the change in tongue weight, etc. Others have utilized a riser mounted rack on the trailer's A-frame. A search should bring up posts about both of these. I will share the result of our method - hopefully it will work. We don't want to carry the bikes in the back of the pickup, but have an alternative plan to install mounts on a tonneau cover. Oliver did have the 1.25" receiver rated at a 100# load limit, but it was recently upgraded to 150#. The latter is an improvement, but still not sufficient for those wishing to transport e-bikes. Our bike rack is 2"; the rack alone weighs 50# and two mt. bikes add an additional 70#. Not wanting to ditch our bike rack that we love (1upUSA), we are hoping there is room to mount the rack to the pickup receiver with this dual hitch. Won't know if this will work until we have our Oliver hitched up; based on measurements given us by Oliver, I'm almost certain there will be enough clearance between the back of the rack and the Oliver's tongue jack. We are not getting the tongue accessory basket. Hope this helps.

We will also be picking up our new Oliver in December also (the 7th). Perhaps we'll see each other on the road, at Hohenwald, or at Davy Crockett SP; we'll be spending a couple of days there, to make sure everything is working properly, before heading back to Oregon. I can answer the "bonus question"! We had the same surge protector in the Leisure Travel Van (that we sold to make way for the Oliver). Yes, the Progressive Industries will identify all of those conditions mentioned above and shut the power off to the RV to protect the wiring and components from possible damage. It's a bit of a bother, but it does occur at campgrounds and RV parks where sometimes the power is not up to snuff or perhaps being used heavily for A/C. Be prepared, if this happens, to make do with solar (if you have that option) battery, and/or generator as your power source. If you suspect the problem is with campground/RV park shore power, be sure to let the host/owners know as they may not be aware of the problem. They may even offer to move you to another site, to see if that resolves the problem. I'm sure you are getting excited about your new trailer; you've reminded me I need to visit the "University" and get ready for delivery. December will be here before we know it! PS: If you don't mind my asking, what is the meaning of your avatar? I ask because at one time I raised goats 🐐 🐐 🐐 🐐 . . . . . . .

Welcome . . . . . you'll be right behind us. We pick our Elite II up on December 7! You've done the right thing by joining this forum . . . . . . what an awesome group of folks ❤️ Also, take advantage of the Oliver University on Oliver's webpage where you'll find manuals for all the Oliver components. Don't be afraid to ask questions. . . . . . there is always someone willing to answer . . . . . and one day, you'll be the one answering the questions. And, if you make your way to the Pacific Northwest, we've been most everywhere in Oregon so can steer you to some great boondock, USFS, BLM, etc campgrounds (once the fires are out and the forests open back up). Regards, Susan Huff

I'm sure you've checked already, but . . . . . . what mode is the fridge running on? Running on battery would quickly draw them down.

Planning our first trip . . . . . to Hohenwald to pick up our Elite II December 7! In the meantime purchasing "stuff" we need just to take delivery: Snow tires (needed these anyway); tire chains (just in case); Garmin GPS (so we don't get lost getting there); Several jugs of anti-freeze (again, just in case) New seat covers for the pickup (can't have old upholstery and tow a new trailer)

Yahoooo . . . . . . and welcome! Looking forward to following a new Oliver owner

I have a hard time believing it is almost Winter already? They say, "Time flies when you're having fun" . . . . . but I don't recall anything fun about 2020 thus far!

Perhaps @LiFeBlueBattery will comment on this.

I believe you are correct that 3 lithium batteries will fit on the Elite II tray; that is what Oliver told me when I asked.

We will be towing our Ollie with a 2013 F350 SuperDuty, diesel, supercab, 4-wd XLT. I know the 6.7l engine doesn't get the best reviews, but we have had zero issues with it. With low mileage (less than 60K) it is still worth nearly as much as when purchased (we did get a great deal, end of year and it doesn't have all the fancy options many want). We purchased it to tow a 30' 5th-wheel and for towing an equipment trailer. Though we certainly don't need a 1-ton tow vehicle for our Elite II, we plan to keep the F350. It is well outfitted for towing with built in brake controller, heavy duty alternator, and hill-hold (saves brakes when descending steep grades). More importantly, it doesn't have as many of the electronic engine controls found on newer vehicles. Here is one comparable to ours. We paid $40,000 new 😁

OK . . . . that makes sense since you can use it to take up water to the fresh water tank. Thanks!!

Fresh water, city water, black tank flush and what is the other?

All four being???

Thanks for the advice and encouragement. We will know, from our drive out to Tennessee, what to expect the weather to be on the tow home. I've thought about having Oliver delivery be winterized, but wouldn't this restrict our test run (staying at Davy Crockett SP a couple of nights). We want to be able to run the water system in different modes, using fresh water tank as well as city water connection. Also, testing dumping of the holding tanks. Not exactly sure how delivery works; so will ask Oliver: should we take delivery not-winterized, test water systems at Davy Crockett, then winterize before we begin the trip home. Or ????? For sure we want to enjoy our delivery and trip home 😃

I don't think this is a factor, when towing with a Benz, but feel I must mention it: We had a B+ class motor home based on a MB 3500 Sprinter chassis. With 6-cyl diesel it had plenty of power and handled well, aside from being susceptible to sway when driving in heavy wind. However, in four years time, we had two wheel speed sensor failures. The added height/weight/sway of the coach was probably a big factor leading to these failures, but it was spec'd by MB for RV use, so perhaps it was an engineering flaw in the 2016 model chassis. My bit of warning is: These breakdowns were a huge inconvenience, as they occurred during road trips. In theory, you are not totally disabled; without the speed sensors working properly you have no anti-lock brake function, but brakes do still work, and the electronic cruise control is disabled. However, Mercedes feels it must protect you from harm, so you only have a limited drive time before the engine computer puts the vehicle into limp mode and forces you to "visit a workshop now!" Here it gets interesting. Scenerio #1: May 16, 2019. We're driving a MB Sprinter motor home and breakdown in the middle of nowhere (I-80, somewhere east of Winnemucca, NV). The throttle begins acting erratically so we pull into a rest area just as the computer switches the engine to "safe mode" (think Windows Blue Screen of Death!). We call MB roadside assistance. Long story short - two days camped at the rest area (first tow truck couldn't find us, then couldn't haul us), they send another tow vehicle; a three hour drive to the nearest MB "workshop" in Reno (three of us in the cab of a 1 1/2 ton tow truck, me sitting on the console jump seat), three nights on the street in Reno (we arrived 15 min before service closed). 5 days of our momentous trip to Arizona stalled due to a right rear wheel speed sensor failure. Scenerio #2 was better, since we knew what to expect: It's May, 2020 - a year since the occurrence of Scenerio #1. We were only 75 miles into our trip, so we returned home and arranged for repair (again, nearest MB service is 2 1/2 hrs away). This time we took a chance and drove to the shop without limping in. Though we might never have another wheel sensor fail, interrupted trips aren't in our retirement plan. On the drive home we decided it was time to sell the motor home (thanks to Covid-19 it's a seller's market!). These are adventures we won't forget, but some good did come from our mishaps - they led us to purchasing an Oliver 😁 Bottom line is, with all else being good, and you can tow an Oliver Elite with the Metris, if breakdowns require warranty service (some components are warrantied for 5 and even 10 years), MB certified shops are not as windspread as Dodge, GM, Ford, or Toyota, et al. If not under warranty, service may be easier to obtain, as Dodge shops that work on Promaster vans can make Sprinter repairs, though they might not be warranty certified. The MB Metris might have more options than the larger Sprinter chassis. Just be aware that towing with a MB, whether it be the Metris, a larger Sprinter van, or an SUV, you will need to tolerate few-and-far-between MB service locations. Not so, towing with most non-European vehicles. For sure, when on the road, identify the locations of MB service along your route.

I am thrilled to think of not having to winterize, as long as daytime temps remain above freezing. Our previous RV was not four season; except for the fresh water tank, plumbing was exposed, with the macerator pump being the most vulnerable, so winterizatioin was recommended any time temperatures dip below freezing. We aren't serious winter campers, but do venture out when nighttime temps dip below freezing. I think it is possible, by pumping antifreeze into the city connection, fresh water connection, and black flush valve, to protect these exterior portions of the plumbing, without having to winterize the entire plumbing system. This can be done with the use of this hand transfer pump. Someone, please confirm my expectation.

Thanks! So, if daytime temps are above freezing, keep the inside plumbing active . Should we winterize the exterior plumbing (city water inlet, fresh water fill, outside shower and black tank flush valve)?

That's basically our plan. Hoping the weather will be favorable for travel towing. The rest will be an adventure!