Ray and Susan Huff

Will have to check this out . . . . Ford F-350 Super Duty Diesel. Thanks for checking on this. Keep us posted on your response from Jason.

It sounds like you intend to disable the TV charge to the batteries. How?

For a variety of camping choices . . . . . . . come to Oregon!

Would this be in reference to leaving the batteries connected to a charge source continuously, such as a trickle charger, or connected to shore power so the trailer can have a heater on during cold weather? @LiFeBlueBattery: Perhaps you have information explaining how a lithium battery/solar power system functions as configured in a travel trailer. How the system works in comparison to flooded acid or AGM battery power and basic maintenance. We are ordering our Oliver Elite II with the lithium Pro package. This is a whole new realm for me as I'm sure it is for many other seasoned RV owners who are accustomed to older style RV power, or lack thereof. Thank you for your support.

Does this mean it is likely our TV won't charge the LifeBlue batteries? I'm asking Oliver what their take is on this.

Thanks for the info . . . . this whole decision making is overwhelming

I'm going to ask my sales rep again, but I was told the external solar port does use the onboard Zamp controller. I will ask again to verify. If the external port does not go the through the house controller, does that mean you can't monitor the input of the external panel other than by the SOC of the batteries? This is our situation: The Oliver will be housed in our RV carport, so rooftop panels will not be supplying power to the batteries (Lithium Pro Package) during storage. We would use the external Zamp port to connect a portable panel, mounted to the side of the carport that faces South, for the purpose of keeping the batteries charged and to power a low wattage space heater, as needed. Living in the PNW, solar conditions are constantly changing, especially during the winter months. My hope was that we could monitor the output of the external panel, to best position it and to know when we need to plug into shore power, using the onboard Zamp controller. Maybe it doesn't work that way. In addition, I have read that trickle charging the lithium battery bank is not advisable, so it will be more important that we have a good way to monitor battery charge. Does any of this make sense? 😀

I agree . . . . . a good option, if the powered awning ever fails, replace it for a manual one.

Thanks for the diagram . . . . . Looks like I can use two between the beds, one between the galley and dinette, and one in the entry area.

Thank you . . . . . they should be perfect!

2021, or so I'm told. Not sure what would be in a mix.

I've searched the forum for rugs, specifically sizes for the floor of the Elite II Twin. I see, in the measurements Oliver has posted, the twin bed rails are 18" apart, but what is the floor measurement between the base of the beds, as well as the galley and the dinette seats. I'm hoping we can use the 4 throw rugs from our camper van; they are 19.5" x 35". Also, the measurement of the floor space inside the door, between the closet and the end of the galley cabinet. Thanks a bunch!

Welcome and thanks for the introduction. I am new here, as well, and let me tell you - there are many forum members able and willing to answer your questions. And so the journey begins

As we get closer to finalizing our 2021 Oliver Elite II order, I am picking up bits and pieces of changes in features from the 2020 to the new model. While many are obviously stated on the Oliver site, some don't specify the make/model of equipment. In addition, some cosmetic changes are not specifically stated. My suggestion to Oliver would be to compile a list of these changes so those who have been shopping based on the 2020 model specs will know what to expect. I will share what I discover as I finalize our build, based on questions answered by our sales rep. Forum members, please share any new information you have. I hope this information will help those who are still shopping and provide assistance to those in the process of configuring their Oliver trailer. The Forum already has an open discussion regarding the new standard awning in this thread. I will share additional items discovered from conversations with our sales rep, editing this post as new information comes my way. Frosted or Black are still the upper cabinet door options. The change is that the rear attic and the bathroom cabinet doors no longer have mirrored doors; they will match your choice for the other cabinets.

More reason to keep our Ford. Living where we do, in the Pacific Northwest, sun is not always abundant. I can live with paying for a hookup, but staying home is not an option . . . . . been doing that too much, lately, thanks to Covid 😊

Sounds like you need all the power you can get in your pickup - good reason to not have its battery connected to the trailer. Someone else, please chime in . . . . . it's my understanding that the pickup engine must be running for the trailer to draw power from the vehicle battery. Maybe I'm wrong . . . . . or maybe it depends on your specific vehicle. Needless to say, power management can sometimes be a mystery.

I agree that on demand hot water is the new technology, but I think both options should be retained. On demand hot water is not a priority for all RV owners. The fact that the standard heater is easily serviced by both technicians and owners is an important feature, as is the choice of power sources - LP/electric. We have used both types and I could go either way, but have chosen the standard heater for the reasons stated above. If the Truma Comfort Plus (our current RV water heater) had been an option, it might have been a tougher decision. On demand hot water is not a top priority for us. The fact that the Truma Comfort (not Plus) does not circulate the hot water through the supply lines, a feature which adds the benefit of water conservation with the Comfort Plus model, gives me little reason to pay 1,300 - 1,549 to upgrade. I agree that someday on demand hot water may become the standard for RVs, but not until tech support becomes more readily available and price more affordable. On demand makes more sense in a residential installation, and yet how many homes still have the tried and true tank water heaters? This being said, I feel it would behoove Oliver to offer the Truma Comfort Plus, or similar make/model as an option. This would extend the benefit of not having to run water until the hot reaches the tap. With limited onboard fresh and grey water capacity, every little bit helps. Perhaps someone with a Truma can take a measurement and see, on average, how much water this would be.

John: Have you considered starting a mobile Oliver repair service? Just a thought . . . . . . .😉

I agree about the Truma. We have one in our motorhome. While it works well, I have always worried, if it needed repair or replacement, Truma authorized service would be hard to find, at least on the West Coast. I will say, it is easier to drain than the Suburban. No tools needed. I am opting for the standard water heater for our Elite II. When we purchased our RV, we had no choice - it came only with the Truma Comfort Plus. We like it, but the Truma Oliver is installing is the Truma Comfort - but not the Plus model. The plus has a pump that recirculates the water in the faucet supply lines so you don't have to waste water waiting for the hot to get there. Not having this feature would negate some of the benefit of on demand hot water in respect to water usage and grey water storage. For this reason, and the lack of Truma service centers, the standard heater will do fine. We only turn it on our water heater when hot water is needed. We'll just have to remember to do that a bit sooner. I also like that we can use shore power to heat water where the Truma is only LP powered.

Following: With Lithium option would solar top off the batteries while on the road? If solar is adding charge, will the batteries still draw from the TV battery? How do you "not use" the 12v hot lead when connected to the TV? Isn't it integrated into the plug?

I think the life expectancy is because the new units come with a sealed, non-replaceable long-lasting battery. We had to have our house smoke alarms replaced and that is what they are. I think the safety folks are trying to prevent people from disabling the alarms by removing the battery.

Thanks, Dean. You are probably right about our PU not having RVC. One of the things we like about our "older" pickup is that it only has a few of the new, sophisticated features. Edit: If the distribution panel and the solar controller independently regulate charge to the batteries, are both solar and TV battery both supplying power to the batteries concurrently or does one default over the other? I think I'm setting myself up for the "accountant's response" - It depends 😀

I think we'll do this. We have been carrying filtered water from our home Berkey gravity filter in plastic bottles, carrying enough for 4-5 days in an outside cargo area of our camper van. When on the road for longer, we would either refill the bottles when water is available, but then, it's not filtered. Often we just buy more bottled water. Yes, all those containers are a pain. The pitcher filter seems like a better solution, although it would take 3-4 pitchers full to supply our usual water consumption, but doable. Thanks for the tip for storage. It's always good to know a specific item fits in available space. I see you have Triscuits. Have you tried the Garden Herb variety? Mmmmmmm, good!

Interesting . . . . . we have a 2013 F350. I don't know if it has the RVC and we have not towed with it since trading our 5th-wheel for a camper van. It does have towing mode. How would one evaluate whether the tow vehicle is charging the house batteries? Would idling while connected to the trailer (no battery load on tow vehicle) tell the charge voltage on the trailer battery by way of the onboard battery monitor. This also brings up another subject I've not thought of: How does the charging work when you have the solar system and are also towing where there would be two sources of incoming charge coming into the house batteries? I'm sure there's a logical explanation, but I'm not savvy on the details of 12v systems.