[Freezing Rear Water Lines]

I have been following the discussion on this topic and just want to restate that with a mod done to the furnace duct system and zero changes to the water piping and adding no extra insulation I have tested in sub zero temperatures for two and half days with  water system not winterized  and experience no adverse affects.

I have read about many different mods to accomplish the goals of a four season camper and the troubles to hit that goal. I will admit that I have not had the opportunity to do further testing such as how it would do traveling with the furnace on, or if parked and experiencing very windy conditions. I think the initial test show very promising results and the mods to the duct system were not that difficult to do. I know this is relying on the heating system functioning but even a house up in Minnesota relies on the furnace working to avoid plumbing freeze ups. I did my mods not so much to camp in the winter but to have a bench mark of what it could withstand if I got caught in a cold snap while out camping.

Here is a link to a how to for anybody that is trying to get the Oliver ready for winter camping.

Here are some temperatures in different locations in the camper during testing.

 

[Girard Awning Issue]

Has this been a issue from day one. The reason I ask is on my 2019 the mount brackets are not aligned and my awning has a visible twist in it from front to back, is it possible the middle mount is not in line with the two outside ones. Maybe pulling a string on the back side of the awing mounts would verify alignment. Just a thought of a possible explanation.

Paul   

[Brake lights come on when disconnected from truck]

That would be water in the plug. When wet inside power from wire that leads to battery shorts to wire going to the lights.

[Actually a 3.75 Season Trailer?]

This is a interesting topic. My first trip with the new to me Oliver was in October in my home state of MN along the north shore. The temp at night was in the teens and just below freezing during the day. I was nervous about the conditions because I found my AGM batteries were in a low sate of charge just from running the furnace  over night. It was decided right then that I was going to come up with some solutions so I could enjoy camping without worrying about freeze ups and low batteries.

I made some modifications to the heating system simply by adding two extra runs of heat ducts. I identified the weak points in the water system and targeted those areas. I tested my modifications by spending three days in sub zero temperature with water on board. I added no extra heat sources other then the furnace and left no compartment doors open on the interior. Now I have no plans on doing sub zero camping but now I know what the Oliver can handle and can just enjoy camping without worrying.

The issue with the AMG batteries was addressed by switching to lithium. Here are a couple of links that explain my modifications.

 

[Bathroom Vanity Cubby Modification]

Frank

I think you hit a home run with this mod and also in the write up. Thanks for sharing.

Paul

[Oliver insulation R value]

4 minutes ago, SeaDawg said:

I'd say the magic works, then. Especially,  with your retrofit.

For us, it's mostly the air gap of double hull, in our 2008. 

Did you do anything with the windows? Just curious. 

The only place I added insulation was behind the battery compartment door and that was a piece of 1-1/2 inch open cell foam and I probably didn't need it. To answer question though  I did not do anything to the windows.  

[Oliver insulation R value]

I was impressed with the Olivers ability to hold heat. I did a modification to the heating system by simply adding ducting to the street side. With full fresh water tank and pump turned on I spent two days in sub zero weather, negative four down to negative twelve. I had the thermostat set at seventy degrees and was burning .274 gallons per hour but was toasty warm inside including the bathroom.       

[Finally! My Batteries and Inverter Now Run My AC!]

I believe the sold blue wire heads to your relay board on the furnace. I believe the blue with the white stripe is 12 volts hot. Check with a voltmeter to verify with fuse for furnace in place. If you touch those two wires together it will start the furnace, you will have to let the furnace time out before it will shut back down. If that checks out then you will splice one unused thermostat wire to blue and another unused thermostat wire to the blue with white stripe. Then back at where the thermostat wires come out of the wall you will use those two newly allocated thermostat wires to hook up the new single mode thermostat.

Hope that helps.

Paul

 

[Got Earplugs?]

I have also bought the  Yamaha 2200 and was profoundly disappointed, after a lot of back and forth between Yamaha representatives I found no fix for there design flaw of trying to achieve fuel economy by using a under powered engine. It is incapable of handling the load of the AC from eco-mode. I ended up buying a Honda 2200 that utilizes a larger engine, this was my solution to my problem. This was a costly solution and I had done my research but did not find any indication that there was issues in that regard. Here is a post I made back in February of 2021 to try to warn people about the Yamaha 2200.

 

Minnesota Oli

• 
• Members
• • 86

Posted February 3, 2021

Good Morning

Yes it does  require a neutral ground plug, with the adapter I use it is workable. I thought the fuel gauge and the lit front instrument panel were nice features also, but if it is not capable of running it's claimed max load from eco mode with out suffering a temporary low voltage it neglect's the purpose of a inverter style generator. I tried to politely tell Yamaha that in the long run they were going to lose a lot of costumers in the RV market by enticing them with the RV receptacle and then fail on performance. That is the problem when the bean counters have more input then the engineering and R&D departments in product development. 

I also included pictures to show the difference in physical size.

Paul 

• Ray and Susan Huff
• 1

•  

•  
• Quote

   

[Got Earplugs?]

I also installed the Micro Air EasyStart on my Houghton AC. I wanted to ensure that my Honda 2200 which is set up with propane conversion would be able to start the AC from eco-mode. In my mind it defeats the purpose of the the inverter generator if it can not function from eco-mode. I also think it's make or break when running off batteries with the 2000 watt inverter.

The captured inrush amps before installation was 67.1 and 48.9 after install.

Paul

[Eyebrow for Oliver windows]

Eyebrow For Bathroom Window

Well to finish off this project short of the testing, I had to design a eyebrow for the bathroom window. Since this window frame is mounted vertical it required a different approach. I thought it might interest some of the readers to see some pictures of the machining processes. Also I changed the finish on the mounts for all the eyebrows to a polished finish, I think its a better look.     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TPMS sensors and valve stem failures]

 

What if you slip on a rubber grommet to help support the valve stem from the centrifugal force of the spinning tire. Just a thought.

[Got Earplugs?]

14 hours ago, Jps190 said:

Has anyone found themselves using it for heat?

 I have used it in my Oliver storage shed that I heat to only to 55 to 60 degrees, I store my garden produce in the same shed. If I am working on the inside of my Oliver and I want to heat it up that is what I used and it does a very nice job. I have a brother that installed the very same AC when I did mine and he stays in electrical provided spot quite often and he is very happy with the heat pump availability of this AC. So I think if you are going to utilize electric sites it would be a useful feature, It does run quieter and you are saving propane.

[Got Earplugs?]

23 minutes ago, Jps190 said:

 Has anyone done the 9.5 btu unit on an elite 2?

Spike installed a 9.5 btu in his elite 2.

Here is some info that Spike relayed to me.

 unit: 9.5

•    Input needed for cooling: 1370 W
•    Rated current for cooling: 12.6 A
•    Maximum power input: 1590 W
•    Maximum current: 14.6 A

 unit: 13.5

•    Input needed for cooling: 1300W
•    Rated current for cooling: 12Amp
•    Maximum power input: 1550W
•    Maximum current: 14Amp
 

So there's very little difference between the two units as far as power consumed to run them but you would be giving up the heat pump feature that the 13.5 has. When I tested my 13.5 for amp draw, Olivers monitor that is in the attic was reading 10 amps when the compressor was running.

[Eyebrow for Oliver windows]

18 hours ago, Geronimo John said:

Were the brackets "printed"?  What are they made from so as to flex for tightness, yet be strong?  Ingenious solution!

GJ

 John

 These are made from 6061 aluminum and have been glass bead blasted to help break all the sharp edges from machining, so it gives it a even texture. The leading edge of the eyebrow does have the radius to help deflect any object that would strike it. It could of been a longer taper but I was limited to sheet stock drop I had on hand. I think they are tucked in close enough that the benefit of having them outweighs the risk. The eyebrow with out the mounts weigh in at about 2-1/2 pounds. But this is just the prototype and there is always a better mouse trap.

Thanks for the complement and I appreciate your comments.

Paul

[Eyebrow for Oliver windows]

34 minutes ago, VBistro said:

Nicely done!  We'd be interested in a set, too.  

Have you traveled with them in place, or do you uninstall before hitting the road?

mb

I intended for them to stay in place. They are removable for window maintenance.

[Eyebrow for Oliver windows]

When I took my first camping trip with the new to me Oliver I was thrilled with the experience it gave me, and as I added more trips I started a mental list of things that I could tweak or add to the Oliver that would make that experience even greater. Today's post is addressing one of the items on that list concerning the windows and how they are limited to only being able to be open in fair weather conditions. Because they lean inward at the top of the window they can create problems in rainy conditions whether the window is opened or closed. When closed they have to deal with all the water that runs down from the roof and sidewalls, this can overload the drainage holes in the window frames which can result in getting the bedding wet. Many Oliver owners have installed rain gutters to help alleviate that problem, but there's still the problem of having the windows open while it's raining to mitigate high humidity or that closed in feeling.

 What I came up with for a solution I'm calling window eyebrows. I created a list of design parameters or considerations that I wanted to hit for this project.  The first one was I did not want to alter the Oliver in anyway, that included the drilling of hole to mount the eyebrow to the windows, this really slowed my project down. I'm the type of guy that builds it in my mind before the prototype is built, I went through many different design ideas before I settled on this one. I designed a mount that clamps into the window frame and to spread the load out over a larger area I utilize  three of these mount per window. The mounts are inserted into the window frame and the screw on the bottom is tighten which draws down the 5/16" diameter rod in the tapered slot which then spreads the mount to engage the ribs that are formed into the window frame that hold the rubber molding in place. I inserted a still picture in the following video showing that process. To remove the mount you have to take that screw out with the 5/16" rod and there is a hole on the bottom where that same screw is inserted and when tighten it releases the mount.

The eyebrow itself is made of 3/16" thick x 5" wide x 29" long aluminum which has 3/4" of the outer edge turn down. I used a neoprene edging trim bought from McMaster-Carr along the length that mated with the Oliver, my hope was that it could be pushed tight enough to seal the water from coming between the eyebrow and the side of the Oliver making for a easy instillation. When I tested this in the rain it looked like it was going to work but after about ten minutes I noticed each window developed a drop of water by one of the mounts and it would fall and hit against the screen about every couple of minutes. So plan B I was forced to use a 1/4" wide weather strip tape between the neoprene edging and the fiberglass wall of the Oliver. There was one more problem, I had to incorporate a drip edge to the eyebrow to keep the water from following around the edge and falling towards the window. This eyebrow is fastened with two stainless steel 1/4-20 button head hex drive screws to each of the three mounts. This makes for a quick install or removal of the eyebrow,

Here in Minnesota we had a warm up and it rained one day so that is all the testing I have been able to do, so time will tell if all is well with the design. As far as the rigidity of the eyebrow I'm extremely pleased you can literally grab onto them and push and pull with no flex of the eyebrow.

 

 

 

 

[How to add 4-way connection for lights on rear mounted cargo carrier?]

Don

 There is a wire that goes out the back to the light for the license plate, there is plenty of room to run the extra wires and this is all very accessible.

Paul

[Fuse #F52 Zamp Ext Solar Plug]

2 hours ago, mossemi said:

The original post is the first reference I have ever seen to fuse F52.  Where is the fuse located and is it specific to the Xantrex Freedom XC 2000/3000 inverter/charger installations?

Mossey

On my Oliver there are two inline fuses, one just inside the wall  where the wire comes in from side wall solar port and if you follow that wire as it heads to the battery compartment, there is a second inline fuse just below the battery compartment. Why mine end up having two I don't know.

[Fuse #F52 Zamp Ext Solar Plug]

I thought I would mention I ran into the same problem when I hooked up my Zamp 230 watt portable panel. It is rated at 12.6 amps and I blew the 10 amp fuse so I checked wire size and length and found that I could switch to a 15 amp fuse. I thought that would do it but no It showed I was still not connected to the battery. Checked the fuse and it was not blown, a real head scratcher. It ended up having two inline fuses installed on the positive wire between the battery and the side solar port. I changed that 10 amp fuse to a 15 amp and I was good to go. My Oliver is a 2019 so I don't Know if yours is wired the same way or not but I thought I would share.

[Have Airstream 2 5/16" Ball, Equalizer Hitch 2.5 inch Shank... Oliver has 2" Ball and Anderson Hitch 2 inch Shank]

This is what I love about Oliver forum, topics get summited and people may or may not choose to  partake in the discussion but a lot of people take the opportunity to learn or confirm or disagree with what gets discussed with out having to be part of the discussion,I find it to be a great tool.

 

[Have Airstream 2 5/16" Ball, Equalizer Hitch 2.5 inch Shank... Oliver has 2" Ball and Anderson Hitch 2 inch Shank]

Ray

This is what I use and I use it for all my trailers that I have and It has the ability to switch to what ever ball size you need. It's great to know at a glance what your tongue weight is especially when positioning equipment on flatbed trailer . I bought my Oliver gently used and it came with the Anderson hitch system. I pull with a Chev 3/4 ton so I do not use the Anderson and I kept the 2 inch receiver on the Oliver and it pulls like a dream.

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Weigh Safe 2-Ball Mount w/ Built-In Scale - 2-1/2" Hitch - 4" Drop, 5" Rise - 18.5K

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Weigh Safe Trailer Hitch Ball Mount - WS4-25

• Fits 2-1/2 Inch Hitch
• Adjustable Ball Mount
• Drop - 4 Inch
• Rise - 5 Inch
• 2 Inch Ball
• 2-5/16 Inch Ball
• Two Balls
• Class V
• 18500 lbs GTW
• Built-In TW Scale
• Weigh Safe
• Aluminum Shank - Silver
• Stainless Steel Ball

 

Measure your tongue weight to determine if you can safely tow by simply coupling your trailer to this ball mount. Ball platform locks to shank. Tow up to 8,000 lbs with the 2" ball and up to 18,500 lbs with the 2-5/16" ball.

 

Features:

• Ball mount with included hitch balls lets you hook up your trailer to your tow vehicle
  • Shank slides into hitch receiver
  • Ball provides connection point for trailer coupler
• Tongue weight scale built into the ball mount platform helps you balance your trailer
  • Promotes safe towing - lets you know if your load needs to be adjusted before you tow
  • Simple operation - automatically provides a measurement every time you couple your trailer
  • Efficient and hassle-free - eliminates the need for separate or commercial scales
• Adjustable height lets you tow trailers of different heights with the same vehicle
  • Slide ball mount platform up or down shank and secure in place with included dual locking pins
    • 2 Keys are included
• 2 Different-size hitch balls let you tow trailers with different coupler sizes
  • To switch ball, simply remove the ball-retaining lock pin from the platform, insert ball, and reinsert pin
• 6061 T6 billet aluminum shank and mounting platform provide superior strength and durability
  • Solid block construction provides greater strength than hollow steel competitors while also maintaining a light weight
  • Rustproof for a clean finish that stands the test of time
• Stainless steel hitch balls are corrosion resistant
• Hitch pin and clip or hitch lock sold separately
• SAE J684 certified and VESC Regulations V-5 compliant
• Made in the USA

 

Specs:

• Application: 2-1/2" x 2-1/2" trailer hitch receivers
• Gross towing weight:
  • 2-5/16" Diameter hitch ball: 18,500 lbs
  • 2" Diameter hitch ball: 8,000 lbs
• Tongue weight: 2,200 lbs
• Distance from center of hitch pin hole to center of hitch ball: 8-3/4"
• Maximum drop: 4"
• Maximum rise: 5"
• Incremental height adjustment: 1"
• Scale gauge diameter: 1-1/2"
• Warranty:
  • Limited lifetime for ball mount
  • 1-Year limited for scale gauge

 

This Weigh Safe ball mount has an easy-to-use, built-in scale that measures your trailer's tongue weight every time you tow. If the scale indicates that your tongue weight is too low or too high, you can adjust it before you head out so that you can complete your journey with the peace of mind that your setup is safe.

 

What is Tongue Weight?

Tongue weight (TW) refers to the weight that the fully loaded trailer exerts downward on the hitch ball of the tow vehicle. Tongue weight is typically 10 percent - and should not exceed 15 percent - of your gross trailer weight. For example, a 10,000-lb trailer should have a tongue weight between 1,000 lbs and 1,500 lbs. You can adjust the tongue weight of your trailer by removing or adding cargo, or redistributing the load on the trailer. The tongue weight should not exceed the capacity of your tow vehicle, your hitch, or any of your towing components.

 

Why is Tongue Weight So Important?

 

Simply put, too little tongue weight can cause trailer sway and too much tongue weight can cause the tow vehicle to perform poorly. You may have difficulty steering, gaining traction, or braking when driving a setup that has too much weight pushing down on the rear of the vehicle. Ultimately, towing with an improper tongue weight can cause you to lose control of your vehicle or cause your trailer to separate from the vehicle.

 

Built-In Tongue Weight Scale

 

The Weigh Safe ball mount's built-in scale signals you to adjust your load before you hit the road, resulting in a much safer and enjoyable towing experience. Before this ball mount, gauging your trailer's tongue weight was a hassle. You had to rely on inefficient bathroom scales, make a trip to the weigh station, or purchase a separate tongue weight scale. But with the Weigh Safe's built-in scale, measuring your tongue weight is as easy as coupling your trailer to your ball mount. Simply hook-up your trailer to the Weigh Safe ball mount just as you would any other ball mount. The weight of your trailer will push down on the hitch ball, which in turn pushes down on an internal hydraulic piston that sits on a bed of oil. When the piston drops into the oil, the pressure reading is sent out to the scale.

 

Easily Adjusts to Fit Your Setup

 

Adjusting and setting up the Weigh Safe ball mount to work with your specific trailer is easy. First, unlock and pull out the dual pins and remove the platform from the shank. Next, pull out the hitch ball retaining pin from the back of the platform and insert either the 2" or 2-5/16" hitch ball. A 1-7/8" hitch ball (WSB-L - sold separately) is also available. Then reinsert the retaining pin to secure the ball to the platform. Replace the platform and slide it along the shank to the desired height. Insert the dual pins and use one of the included keys to lock the pins in place.

 

The Weigh Safe ball mount can be used in either the drop or rise position to best suit your application.

 

Superior Aluminum and Stainless Steel Construction

From the first moment that you lay eyes on the Weigh Safe ball mount you'll see that you're getting a superior, well-made product. The Weigh Safe's shank and ball mount platform are made entirely of 6061 T6 billet aluminum, which is the same material that is used to build aircraft components, automobile frames, and freight liners. This type of aluminum is known for having superior strength while maintaining its light weight, which makes it highly desirable over hollow steel components. 6061 T6 aluminum is also rustproof, which means the Weigh Safe hitch will maintain its clean, shiny, and impressive appearance for years to come. And the hitch balls are made of solid stainless steel, offering far greater protection against rust and corrosion than other steel hitch balls that are only painted or plated on the surface.

 

The Weigh Safe ball mount meets VESC V-5 regulations and is SAE J684 certified. These regulatory bodies - the Vehicle Equipment Safety Commission and the Society for Automotive Engineers - create standards for the design, construction, and performance of automotive and towing accessories. Weigh Safe has had this ball mount thoroughly tested in simulation to ensure that it complies with these standards. The result is a strong, safe, sturdy product that is built to last.

 

WS4-2.5 Weigh-Safe Trailer Hitches with Tongue Weight Gauge - 2" x 2-5/16" Ball Combo - 4 Inch Drop - 2-1/2 Inch Hitches

 

[Hot Water At The Bathroom Faucet]

1 hour ago, mossemi said:

One thought that I had was to connect the return to the fresh water fill line near the check valve on the street side if I couldn’t route it back on the curb side to the fill line.  Did you give any consideration to connecting to the fill line on the street side instead of the curb side?  And could you share a picture of your connection to the fill line?

Mossey

 

Hey Mossey

I originally tried to run the line up the curb side but ran in to a obstruction about by the door, figured it had to be some kind of support for the floor. I tried going from both ways but had to abandon it. Starting from the bathroom and running it down along side the drain pipe for the black tank work out really well and once clearing the end of the grey tank it is wide open to cross over to the curb side. The plumbing part of the job went really fast compared to the wiring side of the job. To be honest I never checked out going back to where the fresh water line comes into the trailer.

Here are some pictures of where I tee into the fresh water fill line a short distance before the tank.

 

[Hot Water At The Bathroom Faucet]

It always bothered me especially when getting ready to use the shower the amount of cold water coming out of the faucet and heading to the grey water tank. So when Overland put up a post back on January 3 titled Truma Comfort Plus via Modification, it got me thinking. I went out to the Oliver and tested actually how long and how much water was being used before getting hot water to the faucet. My results were 14 seconds and a volume of one quart and I thought that's not that bad. But then why does it bother me when I'm standing there waiting and then I think about how I'm just transferring my fresh water to the grey water tank and how many gallons go this way during a camping trip.

 So for the next week the subject was percolating in my mind and I came up with some ideas and settled on what I thought would be feasible solution. I installed a normally closed solenoid operated stainless steel water valve. I made a bracket out of stainless steel that I attached to the valve and then utilized the four bolts that were protruding through the front of the camper that help secure the cover for the propane tanks.

 

I installed a tee in the hot water supply line just in front of the faucet and run 1/2" pex between it and the valve. Next I ran 1/2" line following the black tank drain pipe towards the back of the trailer and crossing over to the curb side and then teeing in to the line that fills the fresh water tank.

 

Next I planed on putting a switch to operate the valve next to the switch that is mounted on the vanity towel rack that operates the water pump. I wanted to avoid standing there and holding the switch so I found a programmable multi function time delay relay module UCTRONICS model U6030 to allow me to accomplish this.

 

This module is inexpensive about $12.99 but is very flexible ,it has 18 programmable delay modes with two settable timers. The static current is just 5.5 mA. I wanted this module to only be powered up when the water pump was turn on so I brought power from the water pump relay, this way both switches activated the module.

 

 

This module also needs to have a 12 volt power supply to operate the water valve, so I ran a wire from a unused slot in the fuse box under the dinette, the valve draws 1 1/2 amps.

I was a little worried about getting the module programmed for my needs, we all know how Chinese instructions are poor due to the language translations, but it went really well.

I mounted the module in a 4"x4" waterproof box and put that under the front dinette seat,that way I had access to it in case I need to change programming.

  

 

The last picture is of the vanity and the switches for the water pump and the water diverter valve. I used a waterproof switch I had and I plan on replacing it with a smaller easier to push model.

I'm happy with the way it works, flip the water pump on then push the other switch and release, you hear the water pump start and run for 15 seconds, it will shut off and you have hot water at the faucet.

 

[ANOTHER electrical question]

5 hours ago, mossemi said:

I agree!  My 2017 was equipped with a automatic resetting circuit breaker on the positive output of the Zamp charge controller and without a manual disconnect before or after the charge controller.  
I did install a circuit breaker before and after the Victron charge controller when I installed it.  If you do not have a method to disconnect the solar charge controller output, I would suggest you purchase a moving blanket and cover the solar panels whenever you are working on the solar system and batteries.

Mossey

Mine is a 2019 and was set up the same as Mossey. I also added a disconnect switch before the charge controller and a circuit breaker after charge controller.

Here is a pic of disconnect switch and Victron charge controller monitor.