John and Debbie
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Posts posted by John and Debbie
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On 11/30/2022 at 12:56 PM, chiwald said:
Thanks everyone!! We have been to several local campgrounds in our area just to get things figured out. Boondocking question, we haven't done this yet, but are planning to boondock up to the Adirondack Mountains in January 2023. After we get there we will be in a campground but want to boondock to and from. We want to go play in the snow! 🙂 ❄️ Could anyone tell me what kind of drain on the lithium batteries the furnace would be while not using shore power? We weren't planning on buying a generator just yet. Thank you!!
Pic of our new tag!
CW
Hull #1261.
Both Rivernerd and I boondocked coming back to the Pacific Northwest. He is #1291. I am #1290. We both used 14-15 % of the Lithium pro batteries using the furnace fan and some lights in sub zero temperatures with a Truma furnace for one night. We were both traveling during the day and the solar panels brought us back to nearly 100% even with mid November sunny or cloudy days. We weren't traveling together as we had a few days between our delivery day. In January in the Adirondacks, it will be even less sun. It sounds like you will hook up while there. You may not have city water with freezing temperatures at night.
John
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9 hours ago, CnC said:
Well, I think Dolly said "you can't put 10 pounds in a 5 pound sack" or something like that 😶
Charlie.
Someone said maybe the gauge was wrong. I just paid, but wondered how they got 6.4 gallons in a 20# container!
John
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1 hour ago, Steph and Dud B said:
We never stored mattresses on their sides in previous trailers. What's the concern, that there will be condensation under the mattresses? Would there be enough temperature difference, or humidity, inside a trailer stored without heat in winter conditions to form condensation under the mattresses?
Good point, it seems that condensation would only occur with differences of temperature and humidity. If stored with no heat and closed up, I am not sure where the problem is. Do you run a dehumidifier when it's stored with no heat? I have the heat on with a small heater during the day if I will be outside. Mostly I am not inside and I haven't seen any condensation yet on walls or windows. It's about 40°
John
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I couldn't find a thread on this topic, but is there an easy, effective way to get leaves off the roof? I have the second awning also. I am hesitant to take a blower up the ladder where I might blow leaf bits into the MaxxFan or A/C. I have mostly vine maple leaves up there so they're small and haven't had time to decompose yet and make a big mess. Maybe a garden hose aimed very carefully with a nozzle? The trailer is out in the open and we plan to get the Calmark cover that OTT sells, but we don't have it yet. Thanks.
John
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On 11/12/2022 at 9:01 AM, Patriot said:
I disagree. In our experience storing our 11” thick memory foam mattresses on their edge standing alone when we are not using our Ollie. We have had absolutely zero issues with either of them not retaining their original shape.
Just an observation.
Patriot 🇺🇸
I suspect yours store well upright due to their thickness. Mine are maybe 7 inches thick and don't have the same mass as yours. Yours can support themselves on the sides where a thinner mattress can't. So many variables that it would seem that what works for some might not work for others. You must sleep great on those!
John
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35 minutes ago, ScubaRx said:
I'll bet this has been stated thousands of times through the years. Yet still, there are folks that pick up and leave the same day. When they have a problem down the road a bit they want to get on here and complain. This is GREAT advice and and should be heeded by all. There's really no good excuse not to stick around a few days and check everything out, just build the extra time into your pickup experience. I promise you won't regret it.
John, it's really good to hear you've been taken care of by Oliver and I believe you will never be disappointed "...that I chose Oliver over some other brand."
We picked up on Monday and left the area on Friday. I should have returned before leaving as I suspected that I smelled gas, but I thought maybe it's was just new furnace smells. My error actually in not returning. Lesson learned.
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28 minutes ago, CnC said:
Sounds like a pump calibration problem to me. Wonder when the state last check it (if ever?)
Charlie.
Charlie,
It was in Tennessee. Usually they take a screwdriver on the tank and turn off the gas when some escapes. They didn't do that there. I thought, maybe it's a new style tank.
John
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13 hours ago, Rivernerd said:
We boondocked one cold night in Oklahoma on our way home from Hohenwald a couple of weeks ago. We ran the furnace all night. By morning there were white flakes falling from the sky. The power drain on our 390 Ah Lithium Pro Package was about 15% (meaning the Lithionics app showed about 85% State of Charge on all 3 of our batteries that morning).
Even though the next day was mostly cloudy, our batteries were back close to 100% State of Charge by that evening just from solar recharge. Our trailer, like all Olivers with lithium batteries, is not recharged by the tow vehicle alternator.
While battery drain should not be an issue when running the furnace overnight for up to 4-5 nights, you should also keep tabs on your propane supply. We burned through about 1.6 gallons of propane every cold night. So, with the two stock 5-gallon propane tanks, you should be o.k. for those same 4-5 nights before getting your propane tanks refilled.
I had a similar draw on our Lithium batteries in Wyoming. It was 5-10°f at night and I went from 100% to 84% soc with the furnace going for 12 hours. Driving in mostly sunny Utah/southern Idaho the solar panels brought the batteries back up to 97% soc the next day. When I went to fill up the propane tank from that one night, they only were able to put 0.6 gallon in. I wanted to see how much I had used.Oddly enough, after a week in Tennessee they put 6.4 gallons in one 20# tank. It was empty, but how is that even possible? I thought they only held 4.6 gallons when full. I watched him zero out the gauge. Still scratching my head on that one. Can a tank be over filled?
John
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On 6/30/2021 at 12:21 PM, SeaDawg said:
It would surely look much better than my gallon of rv antifreeze that I use as a door stop....
I have a gallon of that. I can put a red bow on it and no one will know it's a gallon of rv antifreeze.
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Hi y'all. Some of you know that I picked up #1290 on 11/7 and have now arrived back in Oregon where I discovered a gas leak from the flange nut on the Truma furnace. After weighing all the possibilities for a remedy, even considering just tightening the nut, I wrote Rodney Lomax who then talked to Jason Essary who contacted me and said he was now taking control of the gas leak ticket. Initially I was told by the service department it wasn't a warranty issue and I thought that was odd. That's why at the suggestion of a couple forum members, I wrote to see if they would pay for this repair. Jason assured me that they take gas leaks seriously and yes, OTT would make sure that a technician would fix the leak and test the propane system thoroughly. I made an appointment in Oregon which is two months out, but that's OK since we aren't going anywhere.
Key points. 1, make sure you test everything out. Stay nearby, ideally at the OTT campground. 2, if something isn't quite right, let them know so it's fixed before leaving Hohenwald. 3, this company makes a good product and does everything they can to be transparent and will work with you to fix a problem. At this point I am still happy that I chose Oliver over some other brand.
John
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4 minutes ago, Bill and Nancy said:
I thought it was kind of expensive from OTT and there are a lot on the market for less than 1/2. I didn't think it would be necessary but after getting off the wrong exit on the way home and ended up in the Bronx NY I wish I had one. By the way I crossed the George Washington bridge and the toll was $72.00 Yup you read it right $72.00 There is a guy and wife on youtube called fit RV and he does a ton of modifications to his camper. I know that he installed a back up camera basically to replace his rear view mirror. I will have to watch it again to see what he used.
Bill
Bill,
That's the beauty of these campers. They're built like a sailboat. Next time you have to cross a river just float it across the water and rehook. Our son lives in Australia so I need to outfit it with a propeller and take my time crossing the ocean.
I dread going through a city. On the way back to Oregon I avoided the cities by going around them. That must have been a white knuckle experience for you.
I might add a better back up camera if it's like a rear view mirror. Between the regular dash, the tire pressure monitoring system and the back up camera monitor it's beginning to look like a Boeing 777. 🛩️
John
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18 minutes ago, Bill and Nancy said:
John we have a GMC Diesel Canyon it was very easy to tow no problem at all. Altho I do find the mirrors a little small especially vertical, its hard to see the curb and side of the trailer at the same time I constantly re adjust them while backing up. I was wondering what back up camera do you have is it the one offered by Oliver?
Thanks Bill
Bill, yes, it's the Furrion camera. I went with that as OTT installs it. I don't know if it's the best on the market, but it works ok. At night the camera picks up glare from the three red lights at the base of the red Oliver sign making it hard to see. I don't know if there's a camera system that replicates the rear view mirror quality of vision. For my purposes, the camera works ok.
John
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57 minutes ago, Dave and Kimberly said:
That looks like Foy's table top. What size did you get? How is it working out?
John
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1 hour ago, MickeyMouseCamper said:
Thanks everyone for the pictures-helping with my perspective!
Kate
I am 6'2", 200 pounds and it feels spacious to me. Plenty of headroom and the bed doesn't feel cramped in the twin bed model. It looks small from the outside, but not inside. My standard mirrors on my 2017 Ford Expedition allows me to see the traffic as the trailer is the same width. I bought the back up camera for the trailer and that can be left on to see behind you while driving. It's more like a wide angle view, so don't expect the same view as you might have with your rear view mirror. After driving 2500 miles back home, I mostly just used my Ford side mirrors, but would check if anything was directly in back of me with the trailer camera. No pictures of the inside showing people which was your forum post request, but just my observation after a long trip back.
John
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4 hours ago, Mike and Carol said:
Even some of those that have a vent in the bath get really cold with the door left open, especially when using an electric space heater. Our bathroom door is open almost all the time, unless it’s being used. Mike
How do you keep it open? Mine has a 1/2 inch square clear soft bumper at the bottom.
John
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2 hours ago, SeaDawg said:
Did you call, or open a ticket online?
I've found better response and followup with online tickets. Better paper trail, as well. You can always do both.
I'm really sorry for your issue, but I'm sure you'll get it resolved.
Thanks. I opened a ticket online. I like the paper trail too. It's a high quality camper so I am confident that I can get it fixed. I wrote to Rodney Lomax too at Rivernerd's suggestion and included comments by bhncb (something like that) where it was pointed out that these flare nuts can fail for a variety of reasons. Hopefully it will be authorized for service here. If I attempt to fix it and fail, OTT won't know where the fault was. My attempted repair, OTT, or a defective flange nut. As far as I know my camper was the first to get the Truma package.
John
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1 hour ago, bhncb said:
Before attempting to stop the leak on your own, I would advise exhausting all attempts at getting the warranters to fulfill their obligations. By documenting the leak with your detector, you've already proven the fault is either with Trauma or Oliver's installation. Let them sort it out among themselves and recommend the appropriate course of action.
Most flair connection leaks are due to either over torquing, improper flair fabrication, or a damaged fitting. If you do get involved, first disassemble the connection and inspect the tubing flair for uniformity and if it had been seated squarely on the mating fitting. Then, use a magnifying glass to inspect the fitting surface for any defect that could cause a leak. Hairline scratches and minute dinges are notorious for this. When reassembling, backup the furnace fitting and torque the flair nut to whatever specification Truma provides, corrected for your crow foot adapter. Then, back it off a quarter turn and torque it again.
I wrote to Rodney Lomax as I feel like this should be addressed by a person knowledgeable on repairs of this type. Truma is new, but this problem is just with the flare fitting so those I am quite confident have been used for years. I will see what he says. Thanks for your comments.
John
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17 minutes ago, bhncb said:
Before attempting to stop the leak on your own, I would advise exhausting all attempts at getting the warranters to fulfill their obligations. By documenting the leak with your detector, you've already proven the fault is either with Trauma or Oliver's installation. Let them sort it out among themselves and recommend the appropriate course of action.
Most flair connection leaks are due to either over torquing, improper flair fabrication, or a damaged fitting. If you do get involved, first disassemble the connection and inspect the tubing flair for uniformity and if it had been seated squarely on the mating fitting. Then, use a magnifying glass to inspect the fitting surface for any defect that could cause a leak. Hairline scratches and minute dinges are notorious for this. When reassembling, backup the furnace fitting and torque the flair nut to whatever specification Truma provides, corrected for your crow foot adapter. Then, back it off a quarter turn and torque it again.
That's good advice too. That's exactly why I felt that I shouldn't be trying to fix this. Once I start working on it, Oliver won't have any idea where the fault lays. On the one hand it seems a simple fix now that I have the tools, but I didn't realize all the things that could go wrong with that fitting. The camper/trailer (depending on what part of the country you live in) has only been in my possession 22 days! Thanks very much for your comment. I have literally spent hours trying to figure out the best approach to this. Luckily I am not in a hurry to fix it as it's parked by the garage plugged into a 30 amp dedicated socket.
John
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1 hour ago, Rivernerd said:
It's not me! I was never licensed in Oregon, and am no longer licensed to practice law anywhere, having retired 5 years ago.
But, before you even consider retaining counsel, I recommend you contact Oliver's Sales and Operations Manager Rodney Lomax. His email address is: rlomax@olivertraveltrailers.com.
My impression, when I met with him personally about two weeks ago, was that he has a high level of integrity, and cares very much how Oliver is perceived by its customers. I recommend you offer the explanation found in my post above (that the gas line must have been connected to the Varioheat furnace by an Oliver tech during production, because only Oliver could have installed the gas line in the trailer) and politely ask him to intervene to get Oliver to cover the repair under warranty.
I will be quite surprised if he doesn't get the problem solved for you, by Oliver, not Truma.
Before contacting Mr. Lomax, I would buy the necessary wrenches (it looks to me like 3/8" drive 17mm and 19mm crowfoots will work in that tight space, attached to 3/8" ratchet extensions, and controlled by 3/8" ratchets). You may even be able to get an open-end wrench on one of them--you likely will not know until you try it. I would then hold the "bottom nut" with one wrench while tightening the flare nut with another wrench--carefully, a little bit at a time, until the leak stopped. This is the way brass flare nuts are commonly tightened.
If you are not comfortable with that approach, then take it to an RV service center, and ask Oliver to pay the bill.
"But, before you even consider retaining counsel, I recommend you contact Oliver's Sales and Operations Manager Rodney Lomax. His email address is: rlomax@olivertraveltrailers.com."
Ralph, I was kidding about finding a good attorney. I have been pleased with the quality and this is just a hiccup along the way. I believe your assessment of who was responsible for the leaky attachment falls in Oliver's hands for the reasons you mentioned. I did buy the Crowfoot wrenches from Harbor Freight and have the thin metric 19 mm wrench for the bottom nut. I believe you're right about the approach of how to tighten it also. When Truma service confirms how we both think it should be tightened I will proceed and let you know. Thanks for your comments. I appreciate you checking in.
John
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3 hours ago, Rivernerd said:
That fitting connecting the gas line to the Truma Varioheat could not have been installed by Truma. It must have been installed by Oliver when the Varioheat furnace was installed in the trailer, and the gas line, which was installed by Oliver during manufacture, was connected to the furnace. If the flare nut connecting the gas line to the furnace was not properly torqued, that failure was by Oliver.
Did Oliver service pass the buck to Truma in response to your service ticket?
Oliver said it wasn't a warranty issue so won't cover it. I think your assessment is spot on. Truma will get back to me. Hopefully I can get the crowfoot wrenches from Harbor Freight today. I just need to know if I back off the bottom nut or just hold it in place while I turn that flange nut 1/4 turn until the leak stops. I think the latter on that bottom nut. A bit frustrating. If only I knew a good trial attorney! 😂🤣
John
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On 11/22/2022 at 6:21 AM, topgun2 said:
Welcome home!
Sure enough - your trip back West was an adventure but glad you made it without any trailer problems.
Hope that your tow vehicle ran well after the "operation" in Denver.
5 degrees is reasonably impressive. I assume that it was only one person in the Ollie overnight given the "no condensation"?
Happy early Thanksgiving!
Bill
Just me. My wife flew out from Denver as she needed to be back at work.
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On 11/25/2022 at 5:49 AM, Frank C said:
Note that there are some things that can trigger a false alarm on the propane monitor. A lot of aerosol sprays like air fresheners, hair spray, etc. will trigger it. Our propane alarm will trigger anytime I use Lysol spray anywhere in the camper. Did your alarm trigger shortly after you used any type of cleaner or spray in the camper?
No. I used a gas sniffer to locate the area and then confirmed the leaking fitting with soapy water. It's the gas fitting on the Truma Varioheat furnace. I am in the process of getting the best advice on how to tighten that brass fitting. I am waiting.on Truma now. It's a tight spot naturally.
John
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26 minutes ago, John E Davies said:
This is a great deal on a used lens….
John Davies
Spokane WA
Mildew in the optical system but not cloudy (yet). Such a deal.
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Congratulations from #1290 picked up on 11/7. Good name for your camper. Camper out east, trailer out west. I like the eastern term! We haven't come up with a name yet. Enjoy your adventures.
John
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Best way to clean leaves off the roof
in General Discussion
Posted
David,
Quite right. At this stage they're just dry leaves that haven't decomposed. A leaf blower would be fast, but I'm not sure if blowing them off will get any leaf bits in the a/c.
John