NCeagle

@Stranded, I think that's a really cool (I mean warm) idea! It would actually address the entire system. Would this take some significant modifications to the plumbing? How would you get the water "flowing" around all of the plumbing in a closed loop? Another option worth considering is 12V self regulating heat cables: https://www.oemheaters.com/. I installed some of these heat cables in the plumbing areas that were most vulnerable (Water inlets, front bathroom and rear storage area water lines) a couple of years ago. I'm pretty convinced that the areas I've protected would never freeze (camping, towing or otherwise) as long as the cables had power. As an example of power requirements, I have 4' of cable installed around the lines and valves that compose the fresh and city water inlets and it takes 1.5 amps at full power (single digit temps and below). Very interested in hearing what you decide to do and your results.

I've been very interested in and following posts talking about modifying the vents to improve heating / airflow - including a return vent in the bathroom as Oliver now does in the new units. Many owners have also added a return vent in the bathroom and all seem to like it. However, if you have a composting toilet I've learned that ANY airflow in the bathroom can easily overrun the little fan in the toilet and can potentially reverse the airflow from the toilet exhaust back into the main cabin. My greatest fear is that a return vent in the bathroom might be more than the little composting fan can handle and the toilet air would reverse and be sucked into the cabin when the heat / fan is running. Anyone with a composting toilet and a return vent in the bathroom have any data / comments on this? Thanks!

Same here for the main floor in our house (in NC also). The HVAC system keeps the humidity between 45-55% even when the dew points are in the 70s because the AC runs a lot and therefore keeps the moisture at bay. However, we do have to run a dehumidifier along with our HVAC in our basement, as do others I know that have a basement anywhere in the US (basement is cooler and the AC doesn't run enough). As I mentioned in a post above, if you truly want to control BOTH humidity and temperature, then you need both as they are designed for different purposes. There are many articles and research out on the web that state the same.

@Roger P, this diagram is correct and what I used for our 2020 Elite II (Hull #688) - even though we don't have the older "recalled" wiring, so I suspect it's correct for you as well UNLESS Oliver has changed refrigerator models. I tried to take some close up pictures of my wiring but it's just too difficult to see things since I've bundled and tie-wrapped all the wires. I spliced the green wire into that green jumper wire between terminals 1 and 3, but you could also use terminal 4. Anything that's ground / negative works. I hope the buzzing from the ARP doesn't mean you accidently hooked the green wire to a positive 12v feed. Best of luck getting your fridge defender installed!

Thanks @SeaDawg - Good news - I actually did email back asking for "someone in a position of authority" to at least review my request. The person I was working with did that for me and it was agreed to make an exception and process the refund. I'm very happy they changed their position on this - now I can apply my refund to next years event. 🙂

Our Houghton rapidly dehumidifies (and cools) the cabin whether or not the fan is on high or low, as long as the compressor is running (AC or "dry" mode). Water literally pours off the roof for the first 30 minutes. The problem with humidity coming back up is definitely related to the compressor not running while the fan is running - which of course would happen more often if the unit is oversized and cycling (normal operation by the way). It's been a bit of a learning curve, but no way I'd ever go back to the Dometic or something that loud. We are still super happy with the Houghton over the original Dometic.

We have the Houghton and I do find everything in this video to be accurate (I also have data to confirm this). We do use a dehumidifier along with the Houghton to control humidity/dewpoint AND temperature. I think this is normal as an AC unit is specifically made to operate based on temperature (not humidity) and a dehumidifier is made to operate based on humidity (not temperature). I know lots of people in NC that have a dehumidifier in their home and run AC and the dehumidifier to control both humidity and temp. Auto on the Houghton does not stop the fan from running when the compressor is off. I thought it was just circulating the cabin air when the compressor is off, but if it' s mixing in outside air that may be something that could be improved with the design, but it still wouldn't control BOTH humidity and temperature. What I've found works best for us is keeping the temp set at the lowest point (60F) when cooling so the compressor doesn't shut off. The cabin cools quickly and the dewpoint drops dramatically just as quickly. Once we've got the temperature where we want it, we turn off the AC before it starts cycling. The dehumidifier then keeps the dewpoint in check so even if the temperature goes up, it's still "comfortable". If the temperature does get uncomfortable, it means waking up in the middle of the night and running the AC for about 30 minutes to get things comfortable again, but this is rare. On nights when I know it's going to get too hot, I've used the timer function to have the AC come on for 30 minutes in the middle of the night and then shut off again without me having to manually turn it on and off.

I guess a double negative means you've successfully had multiple jury summons rescheduled - good for you if that's what your goal is. I chose to be honest and 2 planned camping trips and the Expo wasn't acceptable criteria. Not sure what you mean by your Covid comment being a personal choice, but it's not always my personal choice to have to pre-plan and make reservations pretty much anywhere we want to stop.

It's great to see that Oliver will have the Elite and Elite II at the Overland Expo East this coming weekend (as they did in the West Expo)! I wish I was going to be there as I had planned, but jury duty has snatched me away from the world for a month or so it appears. I hope some other Ollie owners go and take some good pics. **Word of warning about pre-purchasing Overland Expo tix: We've all learned to "plan ahead" with respect to our camping plans - that's just the way Covid has made it. However, Overland Expo has a very strict policy of not giving refunds inside of 60 days out from the opening day, even if it's something "unexpected" like jury duty or a death in the family. Kinda un-American if you ask me. Bottom line is I'll NEVER again buy Overland Expo tickets early and my desire to attend an Expo has all but disappeared after this experience.

Hi @Gliddenwoods, that error code means the remote display is not communicating with the Xantrex inverter, but it doesn't/shouldn't impact the functionality of the inverter in any way - you just have to use the display and controls on the inverter itself rather than the remote. Check this thread about the "20" error code and make sure your firmware, etc. is up to date. It may not fix your specific problem, but it's a good place to start: https://support.olivertraveltrailers.com/portal/en/kb/articles/xantrex-inverter-error-20 Keep us posted - there are quite a few owners that have wrestled with the Xantrex and learned quite a bit about it in the process. Good luck!

I think the easiest way to think of solar is it's just another battery charger. If you don't want anything charging your batteries, include solar in your list of chargers to turn off. I have Lithium batteries as well, and I don't keep any of my battery chargers on all of the time because the Lithiums don't always like to be at or near 100% as you mentioned. Our hull #688 (2020) has a nice solar cutoff switch in the cabinet above the street side bed. Hope this helps!

I wouldn't have guessed that because you would still have to replace half of the connector anyhow if replacing the jack. 🙂 I was thinking the wires inside the jack could be easily disconnected and reused for the new jack but I may be wrong - I serviced the jack earlier this year but didn't pay attention to how the wires connect.

Thanks for sharing this tidbit John! Our hull #688 also has two inline fuses for the tongue jack. I have seen both fuses but I never really connected the fact that they were both on the tongue jack mentally, so troubleshooting may have frustrated and embarrassed me at the same time - especially with no electrical diagrams. 🙂 This is now on my To Do list as well. I was thinking of using a crimped butt connector with heat shrink tubing for this task. Any reason you recommend a single pole wire connector like the Anderson?

The Ollie doesn't need a large dehumidifier for the small space, and I've found the Ivation brand to be the best for its size (small). A compressor type works best in warm humid climates and a desiccant type works best in cooler, humid climates. If you live in the Pacific Northwest, the desiccant would work well year round. If you live in Florida, the compressor would work best. If you live in North Carolina like I do, you may opt to have one of each and use the compressor most of the year and the desiccant in the cooler months. The drain hose is just some standard vinyl tubing. I think it's 1/2" and you can buy a roll of it at any hardware store and have as long a drain as you like. Ivation 14.7 Pint Compressor Dehumidifier - Small and Compact with Continuous Drain Hose for Smaller Spaces, Bathroom, Attic, Crawlspace and Closets - Ivation 13-Pint Small-Area Desiccant Dehumidifier Compact and Quiet - With Continuous Drain Hose for Smaller Spaces, Bathroom, Attic, Crawlspace and C

I really strive to keep my posts positive and I LOVE my Ollie, but continuing to see posts like this still stirs up negative feelings for me. This was also my very first problem to solve on our first camping trip after picking up our Ollie in 2020. It was aggravating that I ended up having to call Oliver Service after more than an hour of fiddling around with the fridge. Even more aggravating that Oliver told me that all is normal due to how things are electrically connected to the inverter. Embarrassed that it was such a simple issue, it was the first time I realized and mentioned to Oliver that the electrical diagrams for my trailer were MISSING from my owners manual! I was told then they were no longer being made available. Many owners of 2020+ Ollies have asked for electrical diagrams and the answers given by Oliver always vary and never make much sense. I love my Ollie and I think Oliver is an outstanding company all around, but I have already spent WAY too much time tracing wires and trying to figure out what is connected to what. Another silly example is the time I wasted trying to figure out why my TV wasn't charging my batteries while driving. Another call to Oliver resulted in a simple answer that it wasn't connected when you order the Lithium package. I have several others and I'm sure I will have several more. I've spent WAY too much time making tweaks to the 2019 electrical diagrams so I actually have a partial one. I dread having any type of electrical issue that I can't fix and have to take to a specialist. Guess what they are going to ask for first? I wish I didn't keep get these feelings of anger whenever I have any type of electrical issue or feelings of fear that I'll get one I can't figure out. Ok, I've vented on this topic again. Unfortunately I don't think this is going to go away. Guess I'll try not to read posts that have silly electrical issues new owners are trying to figure out without a diagram. 🙂

We bought a Dometic CC 40 Portable for $524.99 two years ago right before we picked up our Ollie. It's no frills AC or DC and has worked great. It seems to be a good size for us. Coupled with the Ollie fridge, we've had plenty of room for everything without having to buy ice. I can even manage to lift it on the back of the truck tailgate when it's full of drinks still... barely. 🙂 I use it a lot even when I'm not camping. Definitely love not buying ice, so whatever you end up with you will be happy with that!

After more than a year, the TV stabilizer shocks have worked as far as not letting the TV unclip and fall down while towing. I suspect the noodle stabilizers do help a bit to reduce various stresses on the bracket and surrounding fiberglass by keeping it from bouncing around, but proper inflation of the tires is probably much more effective and important to everything else in the trailer as @John E Daviespoints out. I run all my tires at 50 psi with a tpms, so not quite as cushy as 42 psi, but much less than when they came out of the factory. I think the best we can all do is soften up the tires and make sure everything is tied down and secured while towing - but it's still like putting the trailer and it's contents through an earthquake every time it's out on the road - so things are going to happen...

Yeah, not much room in there. I think your idea of removing that junction box to make room would work, but you would still want to aim the blower to get air flowing up the left side as that's where your cooling absorber coils are. If the blower blew air straight up into the boiler I think it would be defeating the purpose of the boiler a bit. Also, the fan temperature sensor goes on the lower absorber coil and it's even obscured! wow.

In a pinch I've also used a bolt with a hex head on it that's the right size before. I clamped the bolt on the threads with a pair of vice grips or something and then you can use the bolt head as a hex wrench. 🙂

John, that really stinks that you have to remove the fridge - I would have just done the fans for that benefit and waited (for a required maintenance or something) to connect the boiler sensor if I would have had to remove mine. I'm camping in some really hot conditions though, so if you are not you may not get as much benefit from the fans as I'm seeing. Worth considering though?

I just installed the full kit with the 4 additional fans. Glad I did as the fans seem to have an immediate positive impact on efficiency on hot days even though Oliver had already installed one fan within the vents. Based on some initial tests, I'm pretty sure the ROI is pretty good for this device on efficiency improvements alone. The installation on our Norcold 4000 was pretty straight forward but tedious with all the small wiring required for the full kit with fans. Fortunately I did not have to remove the fridge to get the sensor on the boiler tube. I also had an easily accessible drip tube to run the interior fan wires. It took me 12 hours start to finish (4 hours per day for 3 days). That includes the research, planning, getting the electrical components needed and the installation, testing and configuration. Of course, knowing what I know now, I could install another one on the same model in a couple hours max. 🙂 Here's a few pictures - not a lot of detail as online manuals and videos are really good - and each fridge is going to be different wire colors, etc. I mounted the external fans pretty much exactly like @C&MCurrie, so not going to duplicate those. Happy to answer questions though! Here's where I put the boiler tube sensor: And here's a picture of the two little fans I installed on the roof of the fridge: What it looks like after the install:

Fans do indeed help in hot weather. I have just installed the Fridge Defend by ARP on my Norcold 4000, which included 4 fans..Two small fans inside the fridge as well as two larger fans for the lower and upper outside vents. Oliver already had installed an optional fan in the middle of the outside vents, so I now have 3 fans working in sync outside on 3 different levels (bottom, middle and top) and the two interior fans. I have run a few tests the past few days with the new fans on and off in 95F-100F heat. I started with a room temperature refrigerator and a setting of 6 on the fridge temperature. The minimum temperature the fridge could achieve was reached in each case in about 15 hours (when the first off/on "cycle" occurred). The results were pretty convincing: Min temp in 15 hours with single Oliver installed fan: 40.0F Min temp in 15 hours with all 5 installed fans running: 28.1F I wish I knew which of the fans were most important, but the way the ARP is wired, it's all on or none on. I suspect it's a combination of all the fans. Nice thing is I bought the ARP for peace of mind as I do tow with my fridge running as most of us do and I know the absorption fridges are inefficient and can be dangerous when off level for even a few minutes. Nice bonus to add the fans (relatively inexpensive) along with the ARP controller.

@Katjo, check this site out: https://www.zarcor.com/rv_products/rv-door-window-kit/ There are several options from tinted to clear glass. Several owners have made this modification, so if you search the forum for "zarcor" you should find lots of good info. Cheers!

They do use bear proof trash containers there and preach to everyone about not leaving trash of any sort around. People are people though - the guy in the camp sight right next to mine left a 3/4 jar of peanut butter in the burn ring along with all his other perishables. Riding my bike around I saw several dog bowls with food/water out in the open. Fortunately the rangers patrol and come around quickly after check out and clean up after some of the idiots but you're right - they may need to be relocated eventually which is sad for the bears. Definitely glad it wasn't a big brown bear!

After all these years of hiking and camping in places where bears are common, I've seen lots of damaged garbage cans and coolers and many other things that proved bears were around, but I had never actually seen one. Boy, did that change in a hurry at Lake Powhatan campground in Asheville, NC a few days ago! I had one leg out of the trailer headed to pick up my hat that I had left on the table next to my bike when I saw one!! I had my iPhone in hand and snapped a shot while stepping quickly back inside with a heart rate that was probably looking like I had just finished a marathon. 🙂 But wait, the story doesn't end there. I'm peeking at the bear through my door window (I have the Zarcor you can see through) and here comes two cubs right behind her. I stick my arm back out the door and snap this picture: Wow. Even though mama isn't very large by bear standards, I'd not want to get between her and the cute cubs. I had just gotten done riding my bike and I had my bear spray on my belt as I always do when hiking or riding in bear country. I did not have either on me stepping out of the trailer thinking I was grabbing my hat and coming right back in. Lesson learned!