Carl Hansen

I’m considering purchasing one of these tongue weight scales. I think it will take some of the guesswork out of the equation. Does anyone on the forum use this scale? Carl https://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Tools-pt-Tongue_Weight_Scale.aspx?gclid=CjwKCAiAsaOBBhA4EiwAo0_AnBUPfGgzN1DKXwoSMpSCuw1NqCmGunjpQEKoJsPb2Rla5ZUafUMEMhoCXVoQAvD_BwE

This is excellent news!!! What a great endorsement of the Lithionics brand! carl

We are planning to use sleeping bags on top of sleeping pads for our bed arrangement. In an Elite I, we don't think leaving the bed made up with sheets makes sense for us. We need all the space we can for cooking/eating and independent work projects. Sharing the small dinette table doesn't seem feasible. So we anticipate quickly packing away sleeping bags and pads every morning to have more usable space. Of course the Elite I does not have much storage room for such things, so I am thinking these will be stored in a bin in the back of the truck. What has your experience been? What has worked for you? Please share your thoughts and your experience. Thanks in advance! Carl

For those of us that are not familiar with the Lithium battery package, can you give us some insight into this package? Do the batteries have their own battery management system? What can you monitor from your phone? Temperature, charge, etc? Thanks, Carl

I have found the same. The low setting is more that adequate even for warming a tent early mornings in the great outdoors.

I like the idea of multiple temperature sensors. It's a clever idea to put on behind the spare and one in the propane tanks. I will definitely consider that. We have a Mister Buddy Heater and love it. We use it for tent camping to take the chill off those brisk mountain mornings. Mister Heater now has a new omni-directional heater called the Flex. It looks interesting. The Flex is 11,000 BTUs vs. the Buddy at 9,000 BTU. https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Heater-MH11BFLEX-Portable-Propane/dp/B088ZXN7DH/ref=pd_lpo_201_t_0/137-7815592-6244265?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B088ZXN7DH&pd_rd_r=3c161cc8-cc29-4ec6-9ee0-12ae266e250c&pd_rd_w=srkTI&pd_rd_wg=lnBBV&pf_rd_p=16b28406-aa34-451d-8a2e-b3930ada000c&pf_rd_r=RF8ETPSCDGYP1BKM66ER&psc=1&refRID=RF8ETPSCDGYP1BKM66ER

That is a great suggestion. Once we get the trailer, I will look closely at the layout and see what options we have. I like the idea where you are using the electric heater as a supplement to the furnace. I also like the remote temperature sensors to help me learn about the distribution of the ambient heat. As always, this forum is always the best. Thanks for the time you take to help others out! Carl

Another great suggestion. Vornado looks to be a common brand you guys really like. I will seriously consider it. Carl

Thanks for the pics! Your suggestion looks like a good one! Carl

We are getting the Elite I. A "shorty". Carl

Which model do you use? I have been considering the Vornado line of products.

Ray and Susan, This is great information! Thanks so much for sharing. I'm sorry your heater died. I have been looking around for an appropriate electric heater. There are so many to choose from. As I read the reviews of the various models, there doesn't seem to be any one that everyone is happy about. Have you taken your trailer out since you got home or have you put it to bed for the winter? We plan on following I-40 home ourselves to visit Joshua Tree NP and then turn North to visit family and head for home. Carl

Great suggestion! I went on the Jeep Gladiator forum and they reference a Jeep bulletin that stated normal voltage could be between 12.4 and 14.5 volts. [The alternator] is considered a demand based smart charging system. Voltage will go up and down as required with the demand placed on it. There is nothing in the owner's manual that gives any detail.

Greetings! Some of you have shared the benefits of using a small electric heater when camping in colder climates and connected to shore power. It really makes sense that an electric heater will minimize propane usage. Although we will not be full-timers, I do plan on using our Elite 1 year round, even during the winter since we are avid skiers. My question is when using the electric heater in colder conditions, is the ambient heat from an electric heater inside the trailer enough to keep the tanks and plumbing from freezing? I have heard of some using an electric heater during the winter so they don't have to winterize their trailer. That seems a bit risky. I am assuming since the trailer is truly a 4 season trailer, the electric heater would be enough but I wanted to hear from your experience. Are there any winter weather users out there that can provide any insight? Thanks! Carl

My tow vehicle is a 2020 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon with a 240 Amp alternator. It has a 7,000 lb towing capacity. We are including the Lithium Pro package in our Elite I in our build later this year. I have been reading some articles lately about the demand of charging lithium batteries puts on your tow vehicle alternator as you travel. Some article reference the ability for lithium batteries to draw so much power that they can overheat and "cook" your alternator. Some suggest as a remedy a DC to DC charging system to "throttle" your alternator to reduce charging demand and protect your alternator. This has given me pause for concern and with no experience charging a trailer with house batteries, I thought I would inquire of this expert panel of owners as to your thoughts. Do you think that a 240 amp alternator would be up to the challenge or do you think I should consider adding a DC to DC charging system? Your thoughts please? Carl

I don’t take delivery on my trailer until later in the year but I would love to come and meet the future family. Count me in! Carl

Welcome to the Oliver family! I too am playing the delivery waiting game. Our delivery is in late October. The suggestions made in this thread are all excellent. May I also endorse both the Oliver University and studying the content of this forum. The people and expertise here are excellent! Enjoy the journey! Carl

Thanks for the information about the Lithionics batteries. I poked around on the Lithionics website and they make an impressive product. Once again, OTT has done their homework and have picked industry leading technology for their trailers. Carl

@SeaDawgis really a great resource for us "shorties". I have found his advice to be very valuable. I contacted OTT and they told me that I can order the Lithium package upgrade for my Ollie even though it is a 2021 which I plan on doing. My only concern about lithium is the cold weather. We love to ski and here in the Pacific Northwest most ski resorts have a dedicated portion of their parking lot for RVs. I have two adult children who bring their trailers up to the resorts. It is really nice to have our "home" right there in the parking lots. However, I have heard that lithium doesn't do well below freezing. OTT indicated their lithium package does include heating pads for the batteries. That should help. Enjoy your every day! Carl

Bill, Thanks for the detailed report! I can see there is a number of systems to check. You seem very thorough. What battery package did you get with your trailer? That’s a great idea to check the lug nuts. I will add that to my checklist as well. Thanks again for sharing! Carl

Congratulations on your new "Shorty". For those of us that have a long time still to wait for our delivery date (mine is 10/21/21) please feel free to share what you learn and experience. We can live and learn through your experiences and successes and will better prepare us for our delivery. We anticipate taking 2-3 days in the area before we jump into a long trip back to the Portland, Oregon area. What you experience in those initial days will be valuable information for the rest of us, the good, the bad, and the wonderful! Again, congratulations and many happy trails ahead for you! Carl

I had the same concern about them being in business. Their concept looks very interesting.

Greetings! I am planning on purchasing a Honda EU2200i inverter generator for our Elite I and am interested in how best to secure the generator. I am ordering the tongue box and plan to transport it there. I was interested in your thoughts on how best to secure it there as well as when you are using it in camp. Thoughts? Carl

Thanks everyone! These dimensions are very helpful!!! Thank you for taking the time to do this!!! Carl

Greetings! We are on the delivery schedule for an Elite I. My wife was wondering if the drawers in the kitchen are big enough for standard-sized utensils or do we need to look for something smaller. What are you using? How are you organizing your Elite 1 kitchens? Thanks, Carl