Steph and Dud B

Funny, I've done that more at home than while RVing. Home is a wooded acre but can't think of any campground around here where I could get away with it. Really envious of those who live closer to true boondocking areas. The closest we get is dry camping in state parks with neighbors all on sides. But at least the ice cream shops are always close to the campgrounds around here!

I can't imagine full timing without a grey tank. There will be lots of places you end up in your travels that absolutely will not let you drain grey water onto the ground (including all of the Eastern US). You could get kicked out of the campground or even fined by the police. There's lots of truck bed water bladders available for extra fresh water. This one is food-grade. Just hook it up to your winterizing port and top off your tank. Available in 10, 25, or 50 gallon sizes: Jenlis Ivy Bag Large Drinking Water Bladder, Food Grade & BPA Free Container, Compact Collapsible & Foldable Storage https://a.co/d/aQE7Q8a

I updated my Lithionics firmware this spring. After that I was able to set up a PIN for the batteries. Really wish I could do that for the Xantrex, too.

@JRK, I see you have a 2021, so it should have the extra latch on the drawers. Silly question, but do you give the drawers a little push in before you leave - to engage the latch? Also, we had one drawer that opened. It was my wife's plates/bowls drawer. The contents were too heavy. After we redistributed the load all the drawers stay closed now. As I've posted, we've also been frustrated by many issues with our Oliver, but there is hope. We just returned from 2 weeks of dry-camping and had no issues with the Oliver at all! It worked perfectly. It took us a year to get here but we're hoping the teething pains are over.

The fact that a hail storm can total an Airstream was one of the main reasons we excluded them from consideration.

For many years we drank from our fresh tank but then I got to thinking about all the little places water can sit between trips, especially since we have well water, so we switched to bottled water for drinking and the fresh tank for bathing, etc. Probably overkill, but it also stretches how long our fresh tank lasts on trips.

I just posted a trip report on our last 2-week dry camping run. It was HOT and HUMID most days here in CT. We have the factory Platinum lithium package and found we could run the Dometic A/C for about 45 minutes at night while watching TV before going to bed. (We use the ARC input to connect the TV audio to the Furrion amp and speakers. With doors and windows closed, it was not audible outside the trailer.) That was enough to significantly cool and dry the cabin. We did that on the worst days, maybe 4 nights. If there was full sun the next day, rooftop solar refilled the batteries. If not, we lost maybe 4-5% SOC. We never used our Honda genny. Even with some cloudy days we could go a LONG time that way, probably a month. Last year we tried running A/C most of the afternoon. That definitely required the generator to run the A/C, recharge the batteries, or both. Not worth it. Also note, the Truma A/C requires a larger generator than the Dometic with soft-start, which runs fine on a 2000W Honda.

Wondering how this is better than the standard twist-lock. Reviewers talk about standard cords with melted connectors or arc damage on standard cords. Melted connectors are usually caused by operating large draws like the A/C with low campground voltage (a problem addressed by the Progressive EMS), or by loose connections. The standard twist-lock should provide ample connection surfaces if it is used correctly (twisted to the locked position). As far as arc damage, that will happen to any connector that is disconnected under load. The pedestal breaker should be opened before disconnecting the cord. The same would be true with the Smart Plug. With a special plug like this, you'd have trouble sourcing a quick replacement if something happened to it, while standard cords are available at every RV shop and replacement plugs/receptacles at any Home Depot. And what is "The retro-fit connector...designed to be used with your existing cord"? If it's an adapter that goes on the end of your regular cord, you still have a twist-lock in the system. I'd need a lot more convincing before purchasing.

Hi. Have you considered renting a trailer or RV and trying the lifestyle before you commit to a purchase? There are commercial rental companies, campgrounds with trailers set up on site, and AirBNB type RV rentals from owners. There's a lot to be said for the lifestyle, but it's not always as easy, fun, and carefree as some YouTubers would have you believe. Expect to be fixing things yourself and having to be flexible with your planned destinations. Once you've decided to press forward, make sure your tow vehicle is up to the job. Lots of posts about that here. Finally, and admittedly conversely, make the jump when you are ready. We were also a couple years shy of retirement when we put the deposit our Ollie. The week we brought it home my wife got a cancer diagnosis, so we're glad we moved when we did. (She's doing well on treatment now.) In the end you have to do what feels right for you. This forum is certainly a great place to start.

I would be interested in hearing more about the member who experienced baseball-size hail. I'm assuming they're also the one member that reported the more severe damage - solar panels, hull penetration, etc? Would also like to know if the hull was repaired successfully.

Last I knew, Dexter advises to NOT jack a trailer by placing a jack under their axle tubes as shown in the Trailer Legs photo.

If you do decide to replace the lock on the battery door, I'd suggest replacing the one on the basement door at the same time. Having only one of them with a better key sort of tells people there's something special behind that door.

I'd go with, "Cassette Toilet Access." More believable.

Mr. (Mrs.?) Osprey got take-out for dinner.

Unfortunately, if someone knows there are expensive batteries in your compartment, and they want them bad enough, no latch/lock will stop them. They'll just ram a crowbar into the compartment door and rip the fiberglass apart. Keys will keep the curious from looking but they won't stop a determined thief. At least the cut keys would stop someone with a paperclip from opening the compartment.

First time I've ever heard anyone say their Oliver was swaying, not to mention with a 2500 (if anyone else has, please link the thread). Somethings up. As others said, check the truck suspension then try towing without the Anderson.

Your can check to see if an IR transmitter is working with many cell phone cameras. In a dark room, point the remote at your cell camera and press a button. Most cell phone cameras can see IR light. FYI, another thing to watch with MaxxAir fans: some cell phones have a IR transmitter on the screen side. (It's used to detect when the phone is near your face, so your face doesn't press buttons while talking on the phone.) In our last trailer the fan was over the bed. If we left a cell phone face up on the bed the IR from the cell phone would interfere with the MaxxAir remote. (Took me forever to figure that one out!) I imagine the same could happen with a cell phone by the stove or pantry in an Ollie.

Unfortunately, I think you're selling in a soft market. The COVID campers have had their fill, dealer lots are piling up, and prices for used RVs are dropping across the board. Of course, Ollies are something of a special case, being in a fairly exclusive niche. I wonder if it's your price, or just a dearth of prospective buyers right now. Hope you get the answers, or buyer, you're looking for, John. Personally, I'd love to have Mouse since I know it's been so meticulously cared for. Good luck.

Not if you have a factory lithium package. They don't connect that 12v pin to the batteries. We used to carry a 7 pin socket wired that way for use in an emergency. If you had to leave your trailer on the side if the road at night because of a breakdown it would light the running lights while you were gone. (Should have incorporated a flasher unit, now that I think about it...)

I believe the Norcold requires 12v DC for the control board, even to run on 120v AC. As @SeaDawg was alluding, this could be a 12v power issue, especially if you have no lights on the display. If your batteries are charged look for a loose wire or 12v fuse.

I think we're one of the few with the factory-installed Lithium Platinum Package, and that's actually by accident. When OTT was doing our build they had trouble sourcing the batteries for the Lithium Pro Package so they offered us a deal on the Platinum Package instead. Gotta say, really impressed with this system. We just got back from a week long trip in full shade with rain every day and we didn't even put a dent in it. 63% SOC at the end of the trip with virtually no solar charging and no use of the genny. That's with using the microwave, coffee maker, and TV, too. If you frequently dry-camp or boondock in shady/cloudy environments, the Platinum Package might be worth the investment for you. We could have easily gone 2 weeks without a charge. I put a full trip report (and a one-year ownership wrap-up) on our blog if anyone wants more info. Happy Fourth of July!

TST. We've used them for many years. https://tsttruck.com/

@rich.dev, you are good! I didn't realize there were different key options for the various latches! Thank you!

That's a slam/press latch. It would probably chew up the gasket and the fiberglass edge of the opening unless you remembered to hold it open while closing the hatch. I don't see any Southco compression latches with real keys that would directly fit our application. If anyone does find one please post.

Someone overfilled your tanks. When they heated up, the pressure relief valves opened, venting propane. I'd get them filled somewhere else next time. Propane is heavier than air. The propane you're venting will flow downhill. If there's a lot of it, this could pose a hazard if it finds an ignition source. If you do have a lot venting, you can try cooling the tanks with water. Odd this happened to you. I recently had a propane place overfill one of my tanks, too. That's not supposed to happen. The tank's built in Overfill Protection Device should not allow a tank to be overfilled.