DaveAndBecky_NorthernMI
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Posts posted by DaveAndBecky_NorthernMI
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Our DC water pump failed while on the road. It turns on but loses pressure pretty quickly. After spigot is turned off, the pump continues to run for about a minute. I cleaned the screen before the pump and same behavior. I have received a replacement pump. Questions:
- Is there a valve configuration to run city water with pump disconnected?
- Can the accumulator fail too (I only ordered the pump?
- Oliver pump says max 10 volts but has a 15 volt fuse?
Thanks for any guidance.
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File this under the "you never know category." We are currently in Catalina State Park in Arizona. Park host came by today to inform us that the wash was running and the road out and in from the park is closed until further notice. Some folks went for it and left. We took it as a sign and are waiting it out , comfy and cozy with plenty of food and water.🤓
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Well Oliver gang, as usual, this forum has provided not only a fundamental understanding of the spring issue but options for mitigation and replacement. Hull #1047 will be sauntering soon with anticipated travel of 5000 miles including the daunting road to Chaco Canyon. Planning and executing @Geronimo John
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On 6/20/2023 at 9:28 AM, topgun2 said:
Like Mike - I too noticed something that I'd like more information on - the white "hood" over your rearview camera. How's it working? What material did you fabricate it out of? Did you do it "freehand" or with a template or ....?
Love the Starlink setup and am proceeding with the same awning mount along with a second form my Cell antenna.
Wondering if there is a post about the camera cover @topgun2 asked about? I find the camera image in daylight less than ideal.
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Nice setup. I like how you can stow away enough cable for both the roof top mount and the flag pole option. I am thinking of a similar setup for my Starlink and also mounting cellular antenna.
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Some great information here for sure. My adult daughter asked to go to Glacier this year and this information is very helpful. Great advice on weather and bear awareness. We camped north of Tucson last spring and prior to arrival the entrance road washed out and campers were stranded from several days. Plan ahead and expect the unexpected!
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@Wildbrew Slick setup. How did you wire the DC molex connection? I like the Peplink hardware. Does this unit allow signal bonding?
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That's some impressive craftsmanship! Nice work.
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On 8/19/2023 at 10:06 AM, rich.dev said:
We also have a 2016 VW Touareg diesel, one of the best VHs we’ve ever owned and it’s a wonderful very capable tow vehicle. We towed a 2016 AS 26U with twin beds for almost 3 years, it towed like a champ (and stopping), only issue is cargo capacity, at 1180lb you have to watch what you pack. We now own a 2023 LEII and fully packed weighs approx. 6000lb with a tongue weight of 610lb. No issues so towing it or stopping. Fuel consumption towing our Ollie from Hohenwald to Guelph ON (Canada) was just shy of 16mpg. The Touareg is a great towing vehicle AND daily driver. Again, the limiting factor is payload/cargo capacity.
Like Rich.Dev we tow with a VW Touareg TDI. We have logged 10,000+ miles including mountains in North Carolina, Tennessee, and rally in Alabama. March and April were spent in southwest with drive out from Michigan to New Mexico and Arizona (Flagstaff area). Trip included Flagstaff to Sedona stretch which is 18 miles of 6% grade. Same experience as Rich, Touareg tows competently and brakes well. We also are limited with cargo capacity, so we stay mindful of that limit. I will say the road conditions in Flagstaff were horrendous with huge chunks of road missing on I-40 and I-17. Upon return home rear camber was off and I had to replace tires and have alignment done. I am planning a future upgrade to a 3/4 ton+ pickup truck for more flexibility. Happy travels!
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We started with a 22" Blackstone with quick connect hose to Ollie. It had 2 heat controls which was nice but it was a bit of overkill size-wise. Bought a 17" Blackstone and very happy with it. Neither model will fit in basement. Whatever you opt for, definitely get one with a cover for cooking in cold and windy conditions.
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While out west earlier this spring I saw a lot of vans running Starlink. I wonder what are you Oliver owners' impressions of service using Starlink in East and Midwest US? Thanks!
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If you have the Lithionics app on your phone you can see how much current you are drawing.
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On a recent trip out west we were pulling our Ollie through Las Vegas during rush hour. Google maps' algorithm calculated it could save us 8 milliseconds (😉) so it routed off the highway only to tell us to get right back on using the same exit's on-ramp 😠. I have also had Google Maps direct me down roads not maintained but the county in the middle of winter in northern Michigan 😟. Trust but verify. I always do a paper map or atlas reality check on these routes.
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You can use Lithionics app to monitor voltage during discharge. If you have solar you'll want to disable solar charging using red switch in streetside upper cabinet above bed.
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On 2/14/2022 at 3:32 PM, dhaig said:
@Happy Camper, I also purchased a Champion Dual Fuel 2500 watt generator, Model 200961. From reading the OTT forum I learned the regulator provided with the generator should not be used when connecting to the low pressure propane system on our LEII (pickup on Thursday). So I set about checking that I had obtained the proper low pressure hose and connectors to eliminate the Champion regulator.
I tried connecting a low pressure hose with common ¼" NPT quick connectors to my generator. I then learned the male quick connector on the hose was incompatible with the female quick connector on the generator, and could not be connected. Comparing the male quick connector on the Champion regulator male quick connector (below, left) with the ¼" NPT quick connector the low pressure hose (below, right), I found they differ slightly, as can be seen in the photo below. The ¼" NPT quick connector will not connect to the female quick connector on the generator.
On the left is the male connector on the Champion regulator assembly; on the right the low pressure hose and ¼" NPT quick connector I purchased on Amazon. DOZYANT 18 feet Low Pressure Propane Quick-Connect Hose, RV Quick Connect Propane Hose, Quick Disconnect Propane Hose Extension - 1/4" Safety Shutoff
I contacted Champion technical support and found them to be, essentially, no help.
I searched extensively online and found this link: https://www.forestriverforums.com/forums/f224/champion-dual-fuel-inverter-q-c-to-rv-on-board-propane-153043.html
The photo shows a layout of various parts, with detailed notes. This looked straightforward, so I proceeded to obtain the needed parts. Only after receiving the parts and attempting assembly did I discover the ports on the safety valve are NOT ⅛" or ¼" NPT, but some ******* size no one has ever seen before. I spent most of a day calling and visiting suppliers of hose connectors for gas and hydraulic applications in the DFW area. None had any compatible adapters to connect the common ¼" quick connects to the ports of the safety valve. The connectors on the Champion hose connecting the regulator and safety valve measures 0.44" O.D., with a 12 pitch.
Left- ¼" NPT connector; Right- Champion regulator hose connector
Left- 1/8" NPT connector; Right- Champion regulator hose connector
Having reached an impasse, I decided to purchase a Y connector and a high pressure extension hose, to run the generator directly from the propane tanks. DOZYANT Propane Splitter, Propane Tank Y Splitter Adapter with Gauge, 2 Way LP Gas Adapter Tee Connector for 20lb Propane Tank Cylinder, Work with BBQ
I don't view this as the optimal solution, as I would prefer using the low pressure connections. However, with no way to connect the Champion generator without its regulator, I have no other option. I want to be able to operate the generator at a safe distance from the trailer to avoid intake of carbon monoxide.
If anyone have overcome the issues described above, I would love to hear the details.
I have the Champion 2500 dual fuel generator and want to connect to Oliver quick connects. As @dhaig said, there is a safety nipple on the end of the hose that connects to the generator. I contacted Champion to try and get just the nipple but for liability reasons (grrrrrr) they will only sell me the entire hose with regulator which I can then have modified. When the hose is connected, the nipple activates the valve in the generator to allow propane flow. I don't think a hose without the nipple will work. Is this what you other Champion owners are finding? From the pictures shared I think the nipple is only used on smaller wattage Champion inverter generators (2500 and below).
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I keep ours off when not in use and then in comfort when hot water is needed. We have antifreeze option and as others have said, it circulates constantly and is a bit noisy while sleeping.
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Palo Duro Canyon in Texas is well-worth a stop. Not far off planned route in Texas panhandle.
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@Steph and Dud B
I couldn't agree more. We toured the Oliver factory in May 2021 and placed our order the same day. Two months later I was diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma. 6 months of chemo and several surgeries later, I am feeling great and scanning clean. We picked up our Oliver in April 2022 and have been hitting the road as often as possible while still working. While waiting for delivery, learning all that is entailed in owning one of these amazing trailers was a welcomed distraction from my health setbacks.
Wishing Steph (and you) continued good health and positive news on treatment.
"get busy living or get busy dying" - Andy Dufresne Shawshank Redemption
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9 hours ago, Rivernerd said:
Interesting. Radiant heating, rather than forced air, throughout.
Thanks for posting the link.
Radiant heat does seem like a great idea in the double hull.
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On 10/17/2022 at 11:49 AM, Rivernerd said:
I spoke with Mike from Oliver Service this morning. He advised that, "according to Lithionics," the storage procedure for Lithionics batteries warmed by the external heating pad Oliver installs with the Lithium Pro Package is the same as for Lithionics batteries with internal heaters. So, you CAN leave Lithionics G31 batteries in an Oliver connected to shore power during winter storage, so long as the red toggle switch that controls the external battery heating pad (mounted on top of one of the batteries) is left "On."
I recommended that the Oliver Service Department publish a storage procedure for the Lithium Pro Package which addresses this issue. I suggested it could forestall service tickets from folks who have the Lithium Pro Package and live in colder climates.
I am pleased that Lithionics has approved the simple procedure of leaving trailers with Oliver-installed external battery heaters connected to shore power during winter storage, without pulling the batteries. But, given the nearly universal recommendation from lithium battery manufacturers to conduct a discharge/recharge cycle at least every 6 months to preserve battery life, I plan to do so once mid-winter, with the batteries still in the battery box, protected by the heating pad. Per the Lithionics Rev. 7 Storage Procedure, I plan to fully discharge the batteries, then fully recharge, then discharge back down to about 50% State of Charge, then reconnect shore power, which will return the batteries to full charge for the balance of the winter.
If any of you electrically-savvy engineer types out there recommend a different approach, I would love to hear it.
This is really helpful information for those of us storing our Ollies with Pro package in cold environments. I was planning to remove my batteries for winter but am relieved that with shore power and the heating pad on, they can be left in place.
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1 hour ago, Stevon said:
I have the same three batteries. One always seemed to never discharge or charge as fast as the other two. A physical check of my battery bank revealed the + connection on the offending battery was loose. I couldn’t tell by trying to wiggle it as the short cables are too stiff. But a wrench quickly found the issue. Since it’s been snugged up they all stay very close on charge/ discharge rates.
What are recommended torque values for battery connections? I know I have seen a list on the forum for all torque values but could not find that thread in search.
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On 9/16/2022 at 12:25 PM, Rivernerd said:
While I laud Lithionics customer service response, I presume there is no way for a user to recalibrate the BMS, even with the app?
Lithionics did tell me their Tech support could walk me through the recalibration process if needed again.
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I had a similar problem with only two of my batteries charging. The blue power light should blink if they are charging. For me the solution was to return the battery to Lithionics and they recalibrated the BMS. Lithionics was very responsive. They sent shipping box and I had the recalibrated battery back in a little over a week.
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Water pump failure and replacement
in Mechanical & Technical Tips
Posted
Thank for the input. @dewdev was correct, pump replacement did not fix issue. I put in a ticket with Oliver and sent Mike video of flow. He said I will need to go to a service center for further troubleshooting. I am currently on the road so trying to figure out on my own. I did some additional testing and can't get water from the freshwater tank or from boondocking port (with valves configured for boondocking). I have removed and cleaned all fittings from water tank to pump. No leaks found. I isolated and drained Truma Aquago.
Looking at manual @topgun2 recommended, I confirmed valve configuration. I see check valves at freshwater tank fill and city water inlets. Could a failure of one of these cause air leak and pressure failure? How do I access these to check or bypass?