Steph and Dud B

Doesn't have to be diesel, either. Our GMC 6.0 gasser tows our LE2 just fine. We've been from Tennessee up I-81 to mid state NY and points in between so far. While diesels are clearly the best for towing power there's a premium to be paid upfront and for maintenance.

There's a 1/2" hex wrench for the exterior water hose fittings. I bought this one, but it's not currently available: Bondhus 12116 1/2" Long Hex L-Wrench https://a.co/d/6MCI0Jf I also find a spring hook can be handy in many situations, not just for springs.

They make a small GPS tracker with an integrated solar panel. A roof mount would give you solar power and good GPS tracking and communications.

2 OTT design decisions strike me as odd: Why aren't there separate switches for left/right flood and outside courtesy lights? Sometimes I want to light my patio area without blinding my neighbors on the street side. Why isn't there an indoor switch for the 120v water heater element? Sometimes the campground voltage goes low and I want to switch to gas hot water instead. Both of these are pretty common in other brands, so I wonder why OTT opted against them.

Hi, Doreen. You don't have to worry about the kitchen sink. Only the bathroom sink can back up into the shower pan. Hope you feel better soon. Maybe we'll see you guys at Hammonasset sometime! Dudley

Yes, as long as there are no other large draws on that circuit in your house. Then, when you have 30 amp shore power at a campground, you can set it back to 25.

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.