Overland

Sounds like you’d really enjoy the smaller Elite I, but I hate to say that I think even that will be too heavy for your Subaru, especially at elevation. I think to be comfortable towing the smaller Ollie at higher elevations, you’d want a tow vehicle with a 5,000 lb limit at least. Ollies are definitely cozy, but light they are not.

In that image the closet does look a lot like a shower so I can understand the question. But a closet it is, for better or worse. Oliver could probably turn that space into a separate shower with some clever design work, so you ought to mention that to your salesperson, if only so they can gauge interest. Perhaps in the future they’ll be able to offer options. For the most part, Oliver leans toward the practical when it comes to design trade offs like that. That tendency appeals to some, not to others.

Fill the toilet with peat moss and you’re there I think.

Many of us can make a real mess of things, too. We don't post those. 😄

Truma doesn’t even sell the Comfort Plus retail. It’s only offered via a factory install, so it’s highly unlikely that they’d offer an upgrade. For good reason, since the unit depends on a properly plumbed recirculating line to work - could you imagine doing the customer service with amateur installed units? I’m not seriously asking anyone to do this, of course - just throwing the idea out there since I know at least a few people have thought about adding a separate circulation line and pump. Thought it would be interesting to discuss. I already have the Comfort Plus with the recirculator, so I can attest to its value. It’s been nice (at least since I fixed Oliver’s plumbing error* 😡😂). * justifying Truma’s decision not to sell the unit retail. Until I found and fixed the problem, I’d just assumed that the problem was with the Truma. I thought it was unreliable and not worth it, but now I love it.

Who wants to take their Truma apart? You know, for the benefit of mankind. PMing with someone about this so I thought I’d post my idea for discussion. See, I have this suspicion that the only thing that separates the Truma Comfort model that Oliver installs, from the Comfort Plus model with the recirculating line, is a single little copper tee. If that’s the case, then the more adventurous, perhaps foolhardy, of you might be able to upgrade those units. The software for the two models seems to be the same. I can’t do it myself, of course, due to laziness and lack of need. But you all know I would if I could. Here’s the part in question, the little tee just inside the inlet labeled 3: That tee, and the line it would attach to, are missing on the model Oliver installs. Intuitively, you’d think that there’s a separate pump for the circulator, but apparently they’re just using the same pump they do for internal circulation, and depend on the pressure difference at the points of connection to make the water circulate through the trailer. So I really do think that if there’s room inside the unit to add the tee, then you could do the conversion. Loss of warranty, chance of destroying your Truma, etc, etc. Should be fun. Any takers?😂

Here’s the company’s web site - https://www.vanessential.com/learn They don’t give an r-value. A lot of talk about radiant barrier, etc. It’s essentially reflectix type stuff.

I think that from Oliver’s standpoint, if they we’re to go though the trouble of plumbing a recirculating line back to the fresh tank, then they might as well plumb it back to the water heater and just offer the Truma Comfort Plus as standard. But from a modification standpoint, I think it’s an interesting idea to plumb back to the fresh tank. Although I think you’d end up with a better looking solution just using a standard shower diverter valve - that little section of exposed blue pipe is a bit weird. I think you could do the plumbing all within the vanity with only the handle exposed, mounted to the right of the caddy. Might create a small campground flood if you inadvertently opened that valve while hooked to city water. 😂 Would be interesting to see someone tackle it. Of course, if you go that far…

Saw this on Amazon and thought I’d share - it seems like a well made and easy to install solution if you want to insulate or block light from the MaxxFan. Attaches with magnets. MaxxFan Cover

Noticed that myself. It’s interesting wording, isn’t it? Regardless if it’s a slip or just bad wording, it could only be a bad thing if it’s poorly implemented, and there’s no reason to assume it would be. They could certainly use a west coast presence, if nothing else, perhaps a Canadian one, and any additional place to get service would be welcome. I can imagine some questions arising about pricing, dealer vs factory direct. I’d be curious, only because I’m curious about random things, if there’s some accounting advantage to Oliver treating it’s sales group as a separate entity, selling to them and then they in turn sell to the customer. If only I knew an accountant to ask.

This knob? Maybe the socket end of a ratchet extension would stay put on the end of the one of the arms so that you can whack it with a hammer, if you can get enough angle to make it work. Thinking of tools you're sure to have on hand - how about the tire iron that Oliver supplies? You could place that against an arm and then hit it with whatever you can find. Maybe too see if there's any play in the tire cover - if so you could try wiggling it around to see if the nut will loosen up any.

I'll insulate the door at the same time, too. The thermostat description says that it will do both a heat and cool mode, but doesn't give more info than that. I suspect that I'll have to do some guesswork to find out if that's something I'd have to manually switch, or if I can set it so that the thermostat will kick on automatically either above or below a set range. I suspect it will be something I'd have to switch over. That's not a priority for me since the trailer is in storage in the shade during summer.

Is that for all the trailers though or just with the lithium package?

Here you go - https://qiewascooter.com/collections/scooters/products/q-power2 Costs more, but that thing is 6000W, 90 mile range and 60mph top speed!

No clue, but it does seem like something they should consider unless the factory batteries have internal heating elements. You can get Battleborns with heating elements now, but mine are old old.

Crazy thought of the day - The Trailer Valet RVR 9 is rated at 720W (24v x 30a), and costs $7,700. This Chinese scooter is rated at 800W, and costs $899. It has a 600lb capacity, so it won't get crushed. Question is what would it take to modify it with a tow ball? You get a great scooter for zipping around the campground, plus an all-terrain trailer mover. 🤣🤔

This is a mod that I think I’ll finally get around to doing, with a few modifications. Rather than switch the fan remotely, I’m going to add a small thermostat control that I’ll mount in the hull; and I’m going to use a smaller 3” hose that mounts directly to the fan. I’ll tuck the inlet under the twin bed extension and mount the fan in the side of the box rather than the bottom. And since the fan is rated for 30+ cfm I’m not worried about blocking the flow with a more protective grill in the battery box. I’ll use the same one on the cabin side since it’s white and will mount easily to the hose. I’ll just use an inline fuse. Simple, automatic, and out of sight. Will probably set the fan to come on at 40 degrees and go off at 50. Here’s a list of what I’m getting: Fan Hose Thermostat Grills

That, I don’t know. I don’t think there’s a reason that it shouldn’t be, unless they’re worried about parasitic draw if you leave them connected overnight. I’d assume that connection is cut when the truck is off though.

This is venturing off topic but since it’s come up, I give my spiel; and if that spurs more discussion, we can break it off into a new topic. The charging issue has been discussed in some of the battery threads more thoroughly, but both types of batteries will be charged, a little bit, when your truck feels like it. It isn’t about the batteries themselves, but rather the wiring size and length going from the engine bay all the way back to the trailer, and the electronically controlled alternators in today’s trucks. It started with GM vehicles a number of years ago, but they’re all like that now. Essentially your truck won’t recognize the load and so won’t keep the alternator going at a high enough voltage to do you much good. And even if it did, the wiring is too small to get a full charge anyway. Good thing, with lithiums, since with decent wiring they’d burn out your alternator in nothing flat. I suspect that with lead acid batteries, most people have never had reason to become aware of the issue - the adoption of solar panels preceded the new electronics, and driving all day out in the sun will usually charge a small bank just from solar alone. You naturally assume that the truck had something to do with it. But it becomes obvious with large lithium banks since if they’re considerably discharged, they may not charge all the way through solar alone while driving. The solution for both battery types is a battery to battery charger, but most people are perfectly fine without, even with lithiums. It would be pretty far down my modification list unless you’ve found that your solar isn’t keeping up, or like the peace of mind of having an additional charge source, or just enjoy modifying things, etc.

I found this little Swiss camping stove that of course also does raclette - pretty neat, though it doesn't seem to be for sale here. Instructions are printed in English though, so maybe someday https://fouclette.com/idees-recettes/

Thanks. That looks like the 1.5 x 2.5 banana model - is that a good size or 4 people?

We were actually thinking about getting a raclette grill earlier this year and then promptly forgot about it. I don't even remember how it came up. But you guys have rekindled my interest - maybe there's a raclette/fondue party in my near future. Any recommendations for a grill?

Probably not, since it's citrusy. But cognac pairs well. It's pretty snooty pie. To make a Snowball and impress your friends: 1. Make one of these. 2. Insist that its original name was a Snowball...which it was. In a pinch, you can make it with Disaronno instead of orgeat, since the latter is impossible to find.

Lol, well it does travel well, but I’ll decline the honor. I can teach you all how to make a Snowball cocktail though. 🍸😂

Sure thing: Taoseño Pie Roast, peel, seed and chop: 3-4 medium red chiles Mix in saucepan: 2 T cornstarch ¼ cup sugar (none if using sweetened cherries) Add and heat until thick: Juice from 2 cans of cherries (preferably dark unsweetened) Add: ½ t almond extract 2 cans drained cherries Line pie or tart pan with dough from biscochito recipe, add cherry filling, decorate with biscochito shapes. Bake on convection at 400 for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Biscochitos Cream: 1 cup sugar 1 cup lard plus 1 cup butter Add: 2 eggs 4 t Cointreau 2 t vanilla extract Zest of one orange Mix separately, then slowly add: 1 T baking powder 1 t salt 2 t cracked or whole anise 6 cups unbleached all purpose flour Roll to ¼”, cut into shapes, and bake on convection at 350 for 12 minutes. The biscochito recipe is pretty standard, but you can look online for variations. If I’m making them just for me, then I’ll use all lard rather than half butter, but some people don’t like that flavor and half and half still gives a good texture. I usually sneak in a little extra anise for me as well. The pie is my own invention - I call it Taoseño Pie because I like saying Taoseño …Taoseño… Maybe they’ll name something for me one day. You’ll find plenty of green chile apple pie recipes around NM but I’ve never seen cherry and red chile, which is odd to me because roasted red chiles, especially the native NM varieties, have really strong cherry notes, imo. So I think you’ll find that the flavors meld really well, and to me has just the right amount of heat. Pair it with some vanilla ice cream if you want to cool your tongue. I’ve also made it with a few spoonfuls of green chile added in but that ups the heat considerably. So, experiment. bon appetit