Steph and Dud B

How would a battery load cutoff help in a battery fire? In a lithium battery fire, the battery's internal cells are compromised and burning, usually from a physical shock or damage.

Just saw an Oliver on a video taken at the Tampa RV show. It was at the end of the latest YouTube video by LivinRVision. They said they were in the media camping area. As they pull out at the end of the video you can see an LE2 with a white crewcab pickup with cap 2 sites over. https://youtu.be/nmNd9y8kGus

You weren't the only one, Jim. Our old Ford 6.0 diesel ate turbos for breakfast. When the high pressure oil sensor popped out of the engine on I-80 in the middle of PA with our fifth wheel in tow, spewing the entire volume of engine oil all over the truck and brand-new trailer in the process, I had enough. That truck was gone a week after we got home. It was a pretty truck, though.

There is no battery cutoff switch in a 2022 with the lithium package. Only the built-in switches on the batteries.

Which Lithionics do you have? You need to read the Lithionics storage procedures for your type of batteries. The larger (Platinum Package) batteries have internal heaters and will discharge in a few days to a week in cold weather. The smaller Lithionics do not have internal heaters and should not be stored in freezing temperatures. Improper storage and complete discharging will damage your batteries. The manuals are in Oliver University.

DO NOT TRY TO CHARGE THE BATTERIES IF THEY ARE BELOW FREEZING. You will need to change the charge settings in the Xantrex. Specifically, Setting #28. Leave the batteries off. Make sure the Xantrex inverter is off (button out). Start the genny. Connect your generator to the ground plug. Connect the trailer. Change the Xantrex setting #28 to 15 amps (see Xantrex manual). Turn your batteries on. It will take a while. if you leave the Xantrex setting at the factory default it will try to pull 25 amps from your small generator and trip the circuit breaker. It would be better if you could recharge via a 30 amp shoreline connection.

After reading it all again, I'm back to my starting position: With my 2022 I can only claim the panels, wiring, installation, and (apparently) the inverter. The batteries are no-go because they aren't 100% solar charged. There is some verbiage about "standalone" power storage systems being acceptable in 2023 if they are large enough (https://programs.dsireusa.org/system/program/detail/1235), which is interesting because those are not necessarily powered by solar at all! That might overrule the 2018 ruling @Rivernerd referenced. But, it won't help me with my 2022. 😕

I read that article, too, which was what I was referencing in my first post. But, I also see the date was 2018. Now I'm wondering if that requirement has changed. ??

Then I found this: https://www.solar.com/learn/how-getting-a-home-battery-affects-your-federal-solar-incentive-tax-credit/ which says the 2023 cutoff is only for the minimum size, and all batteries in 2022 are included. Very confusing.

Found this: https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/homeowners-guide-federal-tax-credit-solar-photovoltaics Says the inverter does count. They changed the battery rule recently, too: https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/articles/solar-investment-tax-credit-what-changed "[batteries] that have a capacity rating of 3 kilowatt-hours (kWh) or greater (for systems installed after December 31, 2022)." So, from what I can tell, I can't claim my batteries because they were installed in 2022, but anyone with a 2023-built trailer will be able to. Somebody tell me if I'm reading this wrong...

Last I checked, an RV is considered a second home if you live in it at least 14 days of the year. You can claim the cost of solar generating equipment (the panels, controller, and wiring to the batteries) but not the storage batteries or any non-solar charging equipment like the converter/inverter. (You can only claim the batteries if they can only be charged by solar and have no provision for charging by shoreline, etc.) I asked OTT to send me the dollar value of my panels, controller, charging wiring, and installation and they did so. This is mostly from memory, so check further before committing.

Nice!

I put a REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT keychain on the bathroom faucet handle when I close the valve before travel. Too many wet socks... 1x Remove Before Flight Red Key Chain by Apex Imports(1 Pack) https://a.co/d/2OxwnZE

If your trailer came equipped with tires containing balance beads Oliver should have sent you new valve cores. These replacement cores have a screen on them that keeps the beads out of the valve. You can also get this type of valve core at any tire shop.

Welcome! We picked up this $40 tool kit from Harbor Freight: https://www.harborfreight.com/hand-tools/tool-sets/tool-kits/tool-set-with-case-130-piece-63248.html Pretty comprehensive and sits nicely on the floor of the closet. The tools aren't the best quality, but they're certainly in the good-enough category for on-the-road problems. I did add some slip-joint pliers, wire crimpers, a spring hook, and a few other odds and ends to another tiny $7 Harbor Freight tool box that sits on top: https://www.harborfreight.com/12-inch-polypropylene-toolbox-96602.html Good luck with your delivery trip.

Thank you.

This is our fourth, and smallest, trailer. My wife wanted the Oliver more than I did and she still likes it better than I do. She'll tow this trailer, too.

I've noticed several owners mentioning the bathroom window fogging up. I also noticed that, on our delivery walkthrough, the OTT rep demonstrated closing that window by just releasing the catches and letting it drop into place. Wondering if people are doing that in their trailers? We always lower the window into place gently after releasing the catches.

As for the wet bath, it was a big concern of mine as well. I won't lie, I miss the big shower and dry bath in our last fifth wheel. Luxury. Being 6' myself, washing my hair in the Ollie requires bending over, which I don't love. However, so far the other Ollie advantages - including its compact size, quality, and solar/lithium - have outweighed the shower drawbacks. Last summer we got the last available site in a COE campground. It was designated as a tent/pop-up site but we fit just fine. This year we're staying in a state park we couldn't fit in before, even with our 27' travel trailer.

It depends where you are. Out west a lot of the forested national park campgrounds were built when trailers were small and 25 feet is probably a pretty good top number. Above that your choices will be limited. Different for dry camping in the desert and commercial campgrounds.

We're starting a garage project now. Current plan is for a 14' tall and 12' wide Ollie door, flanked by two 12' wide x 10' high doors for the truck and car. The bays will be 30' deep. We went with an oversized trailer door so it would fit other travel trailers, Class Bs, or large trucks, too. And backing a dually into a 10' wide door isn't fun.

Same one, set up the same way in our trailer. (BTW, newer model years don't have any USB or power ports on the nightstand.)

"A Participant’s indemnification obligations hereunder arise in the event that a Participant acts in violation of any law, rule, or regulation or contrary to these Terms, and in such event, you agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless Oliver for any loss, damages or costs (including reasonable attorneys' fees), resulting from any third-party claims, actions, or demands arising in such limited circumstances." I read this as saying we'd be on the hook for everything, including OTT's costs, only if someone sued based on an event where we did something illegal or against Oliver's rules. I think that's better than the previous terms(?). However, they won't extend any protection to us, either: "The Released Parties will have no liability for any losses, damages, or harm (whether bodily injury, death, and/or property damage) that the Participant may incur by performing the Activity." The absolute limit of any compensation for loss from OTT would be $500: "NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING TO THE CONTRARY CONTAINED HEREIN, ANY AND ALL RELEASED PARTIES’ CUMULATIVE LIABILITY TO PARTICIPANT ARISING FROM ANY CAUSE OF ACTION WILL AT ALL TIMES BE LIMITED TO THE LESSER OF (A) YOUR ACTUAL LOSS AS PROVEN; OR (B) $500." To me, not bad, not great. Seems like I'd have to screw up to be on the hook for any of OTT's costs, which seems fair. However, if something goes wrong, I'd still have to pay for my own defense and damages, unless OTT decided to give me $500. Very much interested in what someone with actual legal training/experience like @Rivernerd thinks of the revised terms.

I just received my set of covers last week. Will put on before before our first trip of 2023.

My wife made a little insulated curtain for the bath window. She had an unfortunate experience with frosted glass in our first trailer. Turns out, if you're close enough to it, and the lighting is good, it doesn't hide all that much. 😲 Didn't realize that until we'd had that trailer for a few years. Probably amused a few neighbors... 🥴