DunnYet

Yep - the whole time I was typing that I was thinking “This really should be a new thread.” Thanks for helping me out!!

Sorry for the delay in responding, was on a work trip and finally have a couple of hours on the flight home tonight to catchup. @John E Davies you will be happy to know I’m on my iPad rather than the work Precision Workstation Laptop due to extreme turbulence 🙂 Attempt one - Southwest WiFi, iPad, photo selected from my iPhoto library taken on iPhone and synced to iPad via iCloud. No Windows involved in transaction. Upload unsuccessful, same message “Sorry, an unknown server error occurred when uploading this file.(Error code: -200)” Is it just me 😁 guess I’m limited to painting descriptive word pictures with very long posts. Returning to perusing the new and improved Southwest drink menu (cocktails have returned) in case turbulence subsides.

Ok this photo makes all my problems go away 😀

John not going to type it here but when we meet in real life remind me to tell you about my first meeting as CIO with my CEO 🤣

Windows 11 (all released service packs applied) using Edge Version 99.0.1150.30 (Official build) (64-bit) Photos taken on iPhone in HEIC format, synced to OneDrive then converted on the Windows 11 laptop to JPEG format with extension .jpg and .jpeg (also tested with .png) Conversion done using the Windows Store provided (Microsoft developed) HEIC driver and built in Photos application (Method "Save As..." -> .jpg or .jpeg or .png) Photos are viewable on PC and are able to be viewed when uploaded to the link services below. Have tried the following attachment methods: (1) Upload directly from local hard drive using "Drag file here to attach, or choose files.." method. Have tried both the drag and chose through the file browser. (2) Created a public OneDrive link and attempted to use the link in the "insert Image from URL" function on the post. (3) Created an Imgur account and attempted to use the link in the "insert Image from URL" function on the post. (4) Uploaded to Box and attempted to use the link in the "insert Image from URL" function on the post. Error message is "There was a problem uploading the file. Please contact us for assistance." on the "Drag" and "Choose" methods. Links just turn red and don't accept / close. Hope that helps 🙂 Yes - I am an engineering personality at heart and our company support center is part of my department so I get all the stories that include the line "I don't know ... it just does not work."

Would love to - even went out and took a photo. Unfortunately I can't figure out a way to attach a photo currently. Have tried three different image hosting sites as well as direct upload and nothing seems to be working. Will try again later.

I carried a TPMS unit with me to install at the factory. Rolled out to the campsite without doing it. Decided that losing fingers in 28 degree rain was not worth installing them on the trip. Risk of losing fingers vs risk of brand new tire blowing out came down on the fingers side of the equation. Possibly I have an unreasoned faith in the tire manufacturers. Installed the TPMS in 75 degree temps on the driveway today 🙂 Fortunately, traffic on the way back was calm so no crash stops. Focused on burnishing the brakes on the Ollie, light to medium braking. Eyesight kicked in a couple of times and I saw the indicator on the Redarc go red, so I know that the wiring harness is correct and the automatic brakes are being relayed to the trailer. I have, had not pulled the trigger yet, but this sounds like a good excuse. I will tell Rebecca that "John said I need one." 🙂 I need to verify this, but my understanding is that the Subaru factory harness on the Ascent does not support pushing charge power back to the trailer. Unlike a truck, the alternator is not sized for charging loads. However, this is based on reading the Ascent forums as well as the owners manuals, which can be a bit contradictory at times. Will do some work with the old multi-meter and try to update on the charging. On this trip it was raining and grey all the time, and I know that we got to our second night with the batteries at 80% after running the fridge all day. So definitely something I need to get a better understanding on as we want to be able to do some light boondocking in the near future. Reset is equipped with the 2022 Lithium Plus package for the Elite I, so two Lithionics batteries and the rooftop solar. Will be reading all the back posts in the forum on care and feeding for those. I had a Forrester with the CVT when we started looking at our Happer Camper HC1 back four years ago. The HC1 is about 990 lbs dry and likely 1200k the way we had it kitted out. When I discussed it with our Subaru tech his comment was "I'm in service, not sales. However, I would not recommend anything more that utility towing with the Forester. The Outback has the CVT setup properly for small travel towing. I would not be surprised to have problems on a Forester CVT with that load." Good advice is invaluable. We replaced the Forester with an Outback. Lots of trips over four years, including a Dallas, New Mexico, Colorado, across Death Valley, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Arizona trip. That one made liberal use of the paddle shifters in and out of Phoenix and through the Durango area. No issues with the CVT, traded the Outback with 100k miles in great condition on the current Ascent. You are absolutely correct - being on top of the fluid changes is key. I am one of those people who has the dealership do all my adjustments and fluid changes so they keep the Subaru approved stuff in and I always discuss the "suggested" service bulletins so they are generally keeping up with the hidden ones as well as the public ones. Thus the relationship with my Subaru tech and the reason he felt comfortable shooting straight with me. Fun fact - my son currently drives my older 2004 Forester (not the one mentioned above but it's predecessor) with over 360k miles. 🙂 Pre-CVT of course. Now - Tow - Haul setting. That's a bit of black magic on the Ascent, lots of people have lots of opinions. You can't use anti sway hitch on an Ascent since it has special anti sway capabilities built in that are activated when it detects a connected 7-pin. No idea what else is activated when that 7-pin goes in, however just from "feeling" the way it changed after picking up the trailer my gut tells me that they are tweaking the shifting and power ratios. Love the questions, makes me think through things and possibly gives me questions of my own. Will post more photos - after I get the road salt and grime off of Reset. Appreciate the fix on the photo - I need to play with photo posting on this forum. iPhone photos and the new heic format are a PIT* when working from the laptop. And now - without starting a new post... Of course everything was dormant grass wise, I don't know when they laid it down but I don't think it got much time to get settled before the winter. The worst thing was the drainage around the pad - I thanked them for the "lakefront" camping spot (Slot #1) for our overnight stay. I looked out of the trailer around midnight the little lights that mark the edge of the pad were glowing underwater at the rear of the pad. In the morning one had broken half way free and was floating. These are the stock wheels for the Ascent Limited (think they are the same on the Touring but not sure), I do like the way they look. When I first started looking at the Ascent platform I felt it was a bit clunky, but have come to really appreciate the details of "Blue Moose" in our first 4k miles. Thanks John for all the great questions - I don't think I missed any 🙂 Kevin

I need to take a look at that, or possibly even a large capacity usb battery of that’s an option. Every time I unsnap those panel clips I cringe…

WIll get pictures when I pull the footwell dash parts again to run the TPMS display wires in the next week or so. I just posted the initial towing report to the "Towing and Oliver" thread - don't have all the weights I wanted but will add those in as I collect them.

Wanted to provide my experiences with our first trip home from the factory with 2022 Subaru Ascent Limited “Blue Moose” and Oliver Elite I Hull #1030 “Reset.” Your mileage and experience may vary from mine. Note: I’m missing some numbers here (intended to stop at a scale and get weights) so those will either be added to the comments or edited directly into this post at a later date. The Tow Vehicle Blue Moose is a 2022 Model Year Limited trim line in the 8 seat (middle bench seat) version. We went with the Limited for the middle bench seat as we anticipated it being a cargo platform more than a seat. We opted for the factory towing package, which includes pre-wired 4 and 7 pin receivers as well as an under dash pre-wired brake controller plug in. Rated towing capacity is 5,000 lbs on the 2 inch hitch receiver. We opted not to purchase the Subaru hitch and ball, instead opting for an aftermarket hitch and ball. Brake Controller I installed a Redarc Tow Pro Elite V3 unit behind the dash secured with zip ties and automotive adhesive tape to the beam behind the steering wheel. Unfortunately, I did not take photos but I may go back and get those and add to a separate article. The Redarc unit stock cable matches up perfectly with the Subaru brake controller harness provided with the factory tow package – connect color to color. On this trip I ran the controller in proportional mode at setting 3 – will likely move to 5 on the next run. This likely deserves it’s own writeup and I would appreciate collaboration with other on the forum regarding your setup, testing and experience with the Redarc. Towing Setup After reading a large number of different opinions on hitch height, I opted for a 2-inch drop / 4-inch rise hitch and installed it in the 4-inch rise position. This was anticipating a 2-inch sink once Reset was connected. However, it turned out that even with all the items in the back of the ascent that would eventually move to the trailer, the 4-inch rise was way too high and we flipped it to the 2-inch drop side during delivery. Pulling out of the bay we were slightly nose down on the trailer, however once we moved the cold food, the trailer furnishings, and the cooking gear the weight shifted and the tow vehicle and trailer rode almost precisely level. I think that once we put our normal camping load in we may end up needing to move to an effectively “flat” hitch. I am planning to add the new Weigh-Safe Ball with an integrated scale to get more precise measurements of tongue weight. Another future edit. Towing Experience We set up our return trip using the 3 hours / 300 miles guidelines, even though we had towed our prior trailer much longer days in the past. Our goal was to be able to work through the launch and landing process carefully, and then have a shorter drive each day to learn the feel of the trailer. The first day (Hohenwald to Memphis) I limited speed to 65 mph max as that was the max on our previous setup. Stability was rock solid, engine RPM’s drifted in the high 1k to low 3k depending on the hills. We had no issues on the “back-roads” section between Hohenwald and Lexington, handling both the curves and ups and downs of the hills. We were driving in intermittent rain at slightly above freezing temperatures and had no traction or steering problems. The engine spent no significant time above 2500 RPM at the mid 40’s speeds. Once we pulled onto the highway, I brought it up to 65 mph and allowed the Eyesight driven adaptive cruse control to take over. The Ascent has a tendency to gear high in Adaptive cruse, generally adding 300 to 500 RPM onto what a careful human foot can achieve. Engine RPM settled into the 2-3k band with the instant gas milage reading settling around 14 MPG. Based on mileage calculation filling up at the fuel pump, the tank average was 12.92, however there was some significant idling time with warming up the car and also having it running while doing pre-launch activity in the morning. Second day was Memphis to Little Rock. Temperatures were cold and we spent some time during the day with a crosswind. Again, the Elite I was rock steady. At about the midway point I decided to start edging up the speed, first to 70 then to 75. Making measured steady passes of big trucks while towing was a new experience from our prior unit, which due to being light would get very tail happy above 60. Engine RPM drifted higher as I moved up to 75, settling in at 3,500 for the majority of the day and breaking the 4k line on the occasional hill pass. Even at 75 in the light crosswind Reset followed true, not giving any indication of wanting to move side to side. Display MPG dropped to the mid 13 mid, and tank fill calculation was 13.13 for the day. Final day we decided to make the Little Rock to Dallas leg a single run. The day was a repeat of the prior day – most of the day spent between 70 and 75 where permitted and display MPG in the low 13s given the longer stretches above 70. Tank fill MPG was 13.18 for the day. Observations The Ascent + Elite I combination has me impressed. If you need a “daily driver” that is a car frame and want something with a quiet comfortable ride, the Ascent made for an excellent long distance vehicle. It steers like a much smaller vehicle, and offers a solid feel both with and without a towing load. I will update this with better weight, hitch height information, and future impressions as we go forward, but my hope is this this info will help others considering this equipment combination. Safe travels all! 20220224_143014929_iOS.jpg

Ron - I am planning to write up a full note on our towing experience back from the factory - overall it was very good with MGP in the 12-14 range. Should get that done this week. What brake controller are you going with? I did the Redarc and while I was in too much of a hurry to get good photos of the install (waited till the minute after the last minute to install) I would be glad to give you the tips I learned doing the install. I do really like the way that it fits into the dash - looks very OEM. We moved to the Ascent from an Outback also - Outback took our Happier Camper HC-1 to California and back by way of Colorado. Kevin

Agree 100% - even after reading in the forums about how good the heat is I turned it on and set to 69 and five minutes later Rebecca was asking “why is it so hot in here” - it gets warm fast and stays very comfortable. My only regret was not thinking through my choice of gloves- non waterproof non insulated was a poor choice :-). I did cringe everytime we went through mud, but the rain did keep the hull pretty clean!

Yes - Duncanville Tx just south of Dallas. Moved to the Duncanville / Cedar Hill area with the Supercollider project in the 90s and have been here since then. It’s a great area, close enough to downtown Dallas for events and entertainment but far enough out to be livable.

Dewinterized, three nights of cold and learning to connect and disconnect the systems in sub-freezing weather. Arrived back in Duncanville with a list of things needed - waterproof thermal gloves being on the top of the list 🤪and installing the quick connects for the hose ports right after that. ”Blue Moose” towed our Elite I great through the hills of Tennessee and “Reset” was rock solid at highway speeds. No real workout for the Redarc brake controller this trip, even though the threat of ice and freezing rain has us worried. Managed to complete the rewinterizing process in the driveway and likely set till the Oliver Rally in May - unless we can make time for a quick trip before that. Till then just studying the stack of manuals and looking forward to being on the road again. Cheers all!

Just finished our initial three day trip from the factory to Dallas with Hull 1030. Have to say that the backup camera is the only system that I am truly disappointed with. Admittedly, we had no decent sunlight the entire trip and it was cloudy each time I tried to use it, but the video is blurry and its hard to really pick us even the hand signals my wife is giving behind the trailer. The best value is the audio, I can hear her better than I can see her. I am happy I got it because the wiring is in place with the switch and the run up to the back of the camper. Will likely seek out a clearer improved camera in the near future. Understandably the bandwidth available for sending video is not great on the frequency the manufacturer of the camera is using. However, we live in a world where you can do HD on low bandwidth WiFi so I know there must be a better alternative.

Hi all - Kevin and Rebecca Dunn here. We are scheduled to pick up Legacy Elite I Hull #1030 on February 23rd. After much consideration we have landed on the name "Reset", to be pulled by "Blue Moose" our 2022 Subaru Ascent. We are based in Duncanville, Tx - just south of Dallas on US 67. This will be our second fiberglass trailer. We started with Happier Camper HC1 # 48 "Shadow" and have had some wonderful adventures traveling to Colorado and on to California as well as visiting many of the Texas State Parks. Shadow has moved to some very good friends and will be reappearing as "Peggy Sue" soon, complete with Pegasus wings. Moving up to the LE I will give us the opportunity to broaden our camping options outside of just State Parks and other locations with facilities. I have been listening to the great advice and ideas on the forum for the last several months as we got closer to our delivery date, and greatly appreciate the community that is here. All the new systems on an Oliver can be a bit intimidating, especially when our pickup date could occur in inclement winter weather. We have our reservations already for the Oliver meetup in May and hope to meet many of you there. Looking forward to being a part of the Oliver owner's community.

The Ascent is the more “designed for towing” of the Subaru line and with the towing package has the 7 pin pre wired. Have a Redarc brake controller that should arrive “any day now” 😀if UPS follows through. It’s a 5k rating overall. We loved our Outback and have towed our HC1 from Dallas to California and back through both mountains and deserts while keeping 20+ mpg. The Ascent is a new platform to us - we are hoping that is performs as well. Unfortunately not able to make the jump to a truck at this point due to daily driver and work commute requirements.

Making final prep for our pickup in late February and I feel like I am asking a question likely answered elsewhere, so apologies in advance. I swear I searched multiple ways first. I find lots of posts around hitch height for the LE II, but not many with the LE I. It seems from the factory tour that the height would be the same, but just wanted to be sure. Planning to get an adjustable hitch but want to have some rough parameters to work with. The Anderson will not work for us due to tow vehicle systems incompatibilities so need to have one with us on delivery day. Thanks so much, I know we have not done our intro post yet so signature incomplete below. Looking forward to getting our hull number soon 🙂 Kevin & Rebecca Dunn | Subaru Ascent 2022 “Moose” | LE I 2022 “Reset” Hull # ????