Steve and MA
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We used our old EU2000i with a SoftStart equipped Dometic for a couple of years. Our OEII has the 3000 watt Xantrex. We only used the generator for summer boondocking in the Texas Hill Country, never at high altitude. The combination worked well most of the time. We couldn't use the microwave concurrently with the AC, and if the batteries weren't at 100%, the Xantrex had to be dialed back to the lowest charge rate. When outside the trailer, the generator was much louder than advertised due to the higher rpm and frequent surging as the AC compressor cycled. It was annoying. At least when inside the trailer the generator surging couldn't be heard over the noisy Dometic. We recently switched to the Truma AC and a 3200 watt generator. They're both much quieter, inside and outside the trailer.
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Never heard of a generator that could run on gas or diesel. Must be a misprint. There is a dual fuel gas/propane version of this generator. Champion Power Equipment 4000-Watt Dual Fuel RV Ready Portable Inverter Generator with Quiet Technology and CO Shield
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I took a picture of every Oliver that I could find while walking around the park this morning. Sorry if this large post takes time to load. Most, of these pictures include the campsite number. See if you can find your Ollie. Steve
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It was fun meeting with so many Oliver folks yesterday. If you were taking pictures, please post. My phone battery needed a charge, so these early pictures are all I could take. Steve
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We arrived mid afternoon Sunday. Several trailers already set up, and new arrivals the rest of the day. We've met several folks already. Most of our camping in the past has been tailgate type events. This is shaping up to be a wonderful "no host" rally. Our plan is to just hang out and meet fellow Oliverts. Tomorrow we're making a batch of chili with 6 lbs of meat at site #68 to share while it lasts. It should be ready around 5 pm. Not enough to fully feed the 80+ folks that are expected at the rally, but it's a good start. Make this a pot luck and there should be plenty. Bring what you'd like to share. Here are some early photos. We can't remember everyone's names, but even if we did the pictures remain uncaptioned for those who prefer their privacy. Our campsite is the one with the Sprinter van.
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Did he quote a price for the soft start installation?
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A few days ago we confirmed our prepaid reservation with TPWD and they gave us a link to print our camping passes. Our vehicle info is in our signature line. Texas plates are RKY2365 & B565011 for our TV and trailer respectively. We plan on making a pot of real south Texas chili (no beans) on Monday afternoon to share with the group at site 68. Nothing against beans, but they deserve their own pot.
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We asked Oliver service about the Aventa Eco + Soft Start when Truma started advertising it a few months ago. It wasn't available through Oliver then, but maybe so in the future. The standard Aventa Eco requires a 3kw or greater generator, or an external soft start. The specs on the units equipped with a soft start are the same as without, except for the startup current of 30 amps vs 59 amps. The Truma retrofitting services web page has a link to SoftStartRV for an approved external soft start. You could probably use that with a 2.2kw generator to run your AC. We've had experience running our old Dometic Penguin equipped with soft start using an even older Honda EU2000i. The normally quiet Honda made annoying noise as it revved up every time the AC compressor kicked in. It worked as long as we had no other significant loads. We couldn't use the microwave or other appliances when running the AC (which can also be a problem when on shore power) and we dialed back the Xantrex battery recharge rate to 5 amps/hr. We now have a non-soft start Truma and an EU3200i generator. Both the AC and generator are much quieter both inside and outside the trailer than the Dometic + 2kw generator were. Though we won't need it since we'll have shore power, we'll bring the new generator to the Inks Lake Rally next week for anyone who's interested in evaluating its noise level while running the AC. Steve
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Does "everything fine" when plugged into shore power mean both 12 volt DC and 120 volt AC are working? What goes crazy when unplugged? Since you were boondocking for 9 days, then you were running on your batteries. What was the state of charge from day to day? There are a lot of helpful and experienced folks on this forum. Someone is bound to respond if you provide additional details about your coach (type of batteries and inverter/charger) and the troubleshooting steps you've already tried.
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Sea Biscuit Rear Basket and Storage Boxes
Steve and MA replied to Steve and MA's topic in Ollie Modifications
Yes, the basket and boxes are sold separately. If you don't already have the dual receivers for the OEM bumper hitch, then you'd have to get those too. The basket is very solidly mounted. There is no free-play. -
We were in Hohenwald this week and saw some new products made by SEA BISCUIT METAL DESIGNS on display in the Oliver showroom. One product caught our attention, so we decide to visit Johnson City. The rear basket carrier and storage boxes are very well crafted. We already have the OEM rear bumper receiver option so installation was simplified. Since we weren't using the bumper receiver on this trip, we replaced one for the other. We're very pleased with the quality and the design. The lockable boxes increase the secure outside storage, and they're easily removed from the basket in case we want to use it to carry odd shaped/sized cargo. We went with two separate storage boxes, but they also have a larger single "coffin" box that spans the width of the basket. The low profile doesn't cover the original license plate location, so no need to move the plate and rewire its light. The CNC cut "Oliver" name on the carrier is also a nice touch.
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Not an electrician here, but searching online suggests you could have a loose neutral wire.
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Discoloration on propane cover
Steve and MA replied to Steph and Dud B's topic in Mechanical & Technical Tips
Then maybe it's just a coincidence that it happened to ours when it wasn't parked at home with us. The yellowing on ours looked just like your photo. Before the doghouse cover yellowed, our trailer had only been hand-washed and waxed too. -
Discoloration on propane cover
Steve and MA replied to Steph and Dud B's topic in Mechanical & Technical Tips
We had very similar discoloration earlier this year. We had loaned out our trailer to a relative for a few weeks while she was moving from one house to another. She had laid our rubber backed doormat on the cover because she didn't care for it. We used rubbing compound followed by polishing compound and it took care of the yellowing. -
It seems we all agree that the Tesla Cybertruck isn't a suitable tow vehicle for our Olivers. Even if you could live with its looks and limited range, the 11,000 lb tow rating should be called in to question. Imagine what might happen if its bumper breaks off like in this comically abusive test at about 5:45 in the video. To be fair, it looks like the WhistlinDiesel guys may have set up the bumper failure at the 5:25 mark. They used a Ford F-150 for comparison and ended up rating it higher even though the Tesla was the clear winner of the important C-4 explosive testing.
