topgun2

Have you tried one of THESE fridge fans? I've used one of these for years due to the fact that our RV fridges are subject to a bunch of factors that simply are not present with our fridges at home. The fan helps to more evenly distribute the air and, thus, evens out the temps throughout the fridge. Bill

Two years ago I installed the "Gas Stop" devices on both my propane tanks. Given that my Oliver was 7 years old at the time I thought that it would also be prudent to install new "pig tail" propane hoses at the same time. At the end of the camping season last year I suspected that I had a small propane leak but since I was placing the Ollie into storage for the winter I didn't investigate the possible leak any further. However, I did purchase a propane leak detector - exactly like the one that Rivernerd mention in THIS THREAD. While attending the Annual Owner's Rally this year, my suspicion of the leak returned. So, today was the day to get serious about finding it. After getting the propane tanks in place and attaching the pig tails I opened the valve on what I thought was the offending tank. Sure enough, I not only smelled it but I even heard it! Obviously, the main brass fitting at the end of the pig tail was the problem (i.e. the fitting that screws directly into the regulator). So, I took that apart, cleaned it up, wrapped yellow Teflon gas specific tape on it and reinstalled. That solved the main smell and certainly the "hissing" issues, but, I still thought that I could smell a leak. Out comes the "bubble test" (i.e. a little dish soap in water sprayed onto the offending area and look for bubbles). Well, sure enough, there was a small leak in the brass reducer between the end of the pig tail and the main brass fitting that I had just repaired. OK, take it apart again, new tape all around, reinstall and using the "bubble test" I thought I had this issue nailed. Sure enough - no bubbles! Great, but maybe my nose was just getting to used to that wonderful propane smell. Maybe I was just imagining it - surely I had fixed everything that there was to be fixed AND there were no bubbles. Just to be sure I used the "test" feature on the Gas Stop devices. Yep - the needle in the little gauge was slowly dropping. I bubble tested again but had the same test result - no bubbles. Being a bit slow witted it was only at this point that I remember my purchase of the propane leak detector (thanks again Rivernerd). I got it out, read the directions and proceeded to "sniff". My repaired connections didn't set off any alarms. But, the connection from the pig tail to the large knob that screws onto the propane tank gave off a "faint" reading (actually a beeping noise on the detector). Sure enough - even though this was a "factory" installed item and I've never had one of these leak in over 25 years of dealing with propane tanks and pig tails, this was the final source of the leaking. I'm still surprised that the "bubble test" didn't show this leak but the "Smart Sensor" picked it up right away. There are a number of these types of sensors available currently on Amazon - both models that are priced higher and lower than the Smart Sensor (HERE). But, as Rivernerd said, "Not only is it worth the peace of mind, but even if only used once, it is less expensive than a motel stay!". Bill

Highly recommend you try the plastic hack that Seadawg mentioned - you simply will not believe how much easier it is getting the foam back inside the covers. Bill

OK - this will not explain the 2.3 - but - did you pull the fuse on the propane detector?

Chris - I'm so sorry but I don't presently have the time to study your drawings - but - the thought occurs to me that there is some truth in what jd1923 has to say about the shunt in the original Oliver setup. As far as I can tell mine (hull #117) will capture everything EXCEPT for the loads placed through the inverter - the 4/0 positive and negative wires go directly from the batteries to the inverter and, thus, bypass the inverter. This really is no problem for me in that I seldom use the inverter and, thus, virtually never have it on. Could this be the source of your -2.3 amps? Bill

OK then - the obvious answer is that you should be on the road. Problem solved!😇 Bill

Is it just me or is there something extremely satisfying about that sound of yet another mosquito being fried when hit with the "tennis racquet"?

Each year prior to heading out to the Rockies to fish for a couple of months, I treat several changes of cloths with THIS STUFF. It lasts through washings and helps keep the bugs off for about 6 weeks. Have a great trip! Bill

You can use anything that one might use on any vinyl flooring. I've used - Simple Green, Ajax, 409, Mr. Clean, Fantastic, Awesome Orange, Spic & Span, etc.. Yes, I do know that at least one person replaced the flooring but I don't remember exactly who that was. If I were going to do it, I'd ask Oliver Service for suggestions regarding what to use for removing the old glue. Good luck. Bill

JDB - I understand your frustration - its simply no fun trying to chase down what is most likely a "simple" issue. However, electrical problems are very difficult to pinpoint via phone and/or internet. Basically the procedure is a process of elimination and tracing the most likely flows of current and this is difficult to do without the proper equipment. Do you know of a local electrician that you trust (or even a friend that knows a bit about electricity)? Or, a local RV tech that you trust? Either of these should be able to get to the bottom of the issue reasonably quickly, have the tools needed to test for grounds and/or continuity, and that would save you a long drive. As jd1923 points out, your issue is most likely with the grounds that these three circuits share. And, my bet is that the location is at or near those three switches on your Master Panel. As far as liability is concerned - if you are not plugged into shore power, there is not much in or near these switches that can "kill" you. Yes, a bite on your flesh and/or the flash of a short will get you attention and it is a tough learning lesson that can be avoided with knowledge and proper equipment. Stick with it - you'll get to the bottom of the problem. Bill

Is THAT what they mean by - "Cowboy Up"?

OK - you asked for it:

Molly is one of the very few Ollies that have been "wrapped". Looks great. Bill

Thanks - except for that "old dog" part.😁

Please tell me that there is a "valid" story behind this! Bill

AI T from Alberta - Welcome (even though a bit late) to the Family! Our Ollies provide so many opportunities to do and see so much of our world. Many here on the Forum are also into biking - in all its forms. Pictures are always welcome! Let us know if we can be of help. Bill

Don't know - Oliver has always taken care of anything that they had something to do with and the rest of the stuff has always worked as it should. Besides - I never bought the "extended warranty". And, since most professionals advise that these extended warranties are a waste of money I never buy them for just about anything. Bill

Me toooooooooo!

Simply put - there is a ton of them. google is your friend on this one. Good luck. Bill p.s. also some Garmin units like the 890 include a bunch of camping data

Note that - like anything else - these warranties are only as good as the company that issues them. If the issuing company is no longer in business 5, 6, 7, etc. years down the road then the warranty means little. As I said in a recent post, most, if not all, of these lithium battery "cells" are actually made in China. The batteries that we see are then either also made in China or assembled in the USA. And, the same can be said relative to the battery management systems that are such an important part of the overall battery. Due to this, in my recent purchase of a set of lithium batteries, I relied on a fairly well known YouTube "professional" who (I hope) knows much more than I do about the construction, operation and overall quality of these things. Hopefully, once this market settles down and a "normal" pricing level is reached all of us can approach purchasing batteries with the same kind of analysis that we presently do with AGM and/or lead acid batteries (i.e. you get what you pay for - in most cases). Bill

Thanks! There are so many ways and products that can be used. And, some of these are really slick (I'm thinking of the Victron line here) and once started down that "rabbit hole" the walls are very slippery. If I traveled with pets, lived and camped in a hotter/more humid climate, traveled with my wife more or any number of different situations, I'm sure that my approach would have been different. While I've been happy with both my purchase and install (so far) and the people I've worked with at LiTime have been both helpful and quick to reply, the fact remains that LiTime is located near Hong Kong. This presents an "issue" in that if you need to contact them, you can be certain that you will not receive a reply until the following day. Bill

My Oliver Elite II is a 2016 model that I purchased from the factory with factory solar and 4 T-105 Trojan lead acid batteries. Over the 8 years with the lead acid batteries I never saw the charge level of the batteries below 83% full! Mind you that I'm very conservative regarding energy usage to include having only actually run the furnace twice over this time. I also never have the inverter on unless I'm actually using it and even then it was seldom used for more than 6 minutes at a time (a good sized baked potato in the microwave). However, even though the batteries were still performing as they should, I simply thought that as I approached my 9th year, I was simply taking too much of a risk that these batteries would leave me stranded while out in the middle of nowhere. So, in late 2023 I began my search for replacements. Since I do not live under a rock, I was reasonably aware of the "long-term" benefits of switching to lithium batteries. But, in the short-term, the expense of this kind of upgrade was a bit difficult to justify. Note here that I live in the mountains of North Carolina and do most of my camping in the summer at altitude in the Rockies where sleeping at night is usually a question of how many blankets versus will I be cool enough. Yes, the driving trip from NC to the Rockies each year can be a bit warm (think 100 degrees going across TN, IL, MO, KS and the eastern plains of the Rockies) and, yes, it would be nice to power the a/c via the batteries on rare occasion. But, I made the decision that until my current 2000 watt inverter dies, I would not spend the extra money to upgrade which would certainly add to the overall cost of the project. In addition, I'm not a big cell phone user and prefer a simpler life. Given the energy usage noted above plus I do not need to let anyone know that I'm presently on isle #5 at my local WalMart, and, I don't want or see the need to be attached at the hip with a cell phone. So, going into this replacement of the lead acids I simply assumed that I'd purchase something that I could "drop in", use the same wiring that came from the factory along with the same Blue Sky MPPT solar controller, IPN remote (shows typical shunt readings), existing cables, and not change a thing (or at least very little) from what has worked very well over the past 8 years. The price of lithium batteries was/is still coming down but was still too high to justify the extra expense versus the alternatives. OK - this is the base from which I started and certainly I recognize that my situation does not apply to everyone - nor should it. After looking at several alternatives I had almost decided on purchasing 4 VMAX XTR6-235 AGM batteries at $1370. Of course, another possible alternative would have been the Brightway Group EVGC-220A-AGM batteries at 4 for $995.00. But, I saw a YouTube video by Will Prowse that highlighted the LiTime 230 amp hour lithium batteries. Next it was the Christmas holidays and I saw that the LiTimes were discounted plus I could get an additional 8% off my order since I had served in the military. So, with 2 of the 230-amp hour batteries plus 2 bus bars, my total for 460 amp hours was near $1,075* – well within the cost of non-lithium batteries. Yes, I was aware that the LiTimes "only" had a warranty of 5 years versus the 10 years for Battle Borns or the 11 years for the Epoch. But, since most (if not all) of these lithium battery cells are made in China (with some assembled into the batteries we see in the USA) I figured that since the LiTimes are about half the cost, if they died at 5 years I would still break even versus the Battle Born's. The "final straw" was seeing Ronbrink's post** on his install of the LiTimes! Upon receiving the 2 batteries*** (3 days after order) I found that the battery terminals were recessed relative to the tops of the batteries. Therefore, I purchased 4 terminal blocks with 250-amp fuses at a cost of $68 on Amazon. So, I was just about set for the install at a total price of just under $1,150. Next, I took a hard look at the wiring necessary for the install. My original intention was to install the bus bars either inside the Oliver (near the solar controller) or on the wall inside the battery box. But, for the "quick and easy" install that I was hoping for it appeared that I could use the two 4/0 cables (each about 7 inches long - end of lug to end of lug) plus two additional cables of this length that (hopefully) I could get from a fellow Ollie owner. Indeed, Mossemi came to my rescue and supply me with those two cables that he no longer needed after his Lithium conversion. Putting this all together resulted in what appeared to be a nice tight package that I could simply "drop into " the existing space in the battery compartment. I "bench" tested the batteries in my workshop and even performed what is called a "top balance" on the two batteries just to make sure that they were ready to go (i.e. a "top balance" is performed by charging each battery to 100% and then connecting the two batteries together and letting them adjust to each other for 4 to 24 hours). Indeed, the 2 LiTime batteries easily fit into the existing space and I had some foam blocks that I used to make sure that the fit was snug. Also, the original Oliver tie-down straps could be used to hold the new batteries in place. When connecting the cables from the Oliver I found that I needed to slightly alter the openings into the bus bars so that the “tops” of the bus bars would seat nicely onto their bases. This was simply done using a Dremel tool. And, even though the LiTimes have “low temperature charging protection” (lithium batteries should not be charged when they reach a temperature of below approximately 32 degrees) I decided to insulate the battery compartment door with some ½ inch foam board. Finally, my original intent was to keep my original converter which did not have a lithium battery setting. These old converters will charge a lithium battery, but, it would not charge it to 100% full. However, upon resetting the Blue Sky solar controller from the Lead Acid parameters to the Lithium parameters, the solar panels would take care of getting the total charge in the new batteries to 100%. But, I saw a lithium capable converter on Amazon Warehouse for $147 and could not resist****. With a total cost of now just under $1,300 I was in the lithium world with (hopefully) longer lasting batteries and considerably more usable amp hours than the T-105's I started with. In addition, should the inverter decide to fail, I can now replace it with a 3,000 watt inverter and be in a position to run the a/c off the batteries for a short period of time. During the Owner's Rally and in the weeks after the Rally, the batteries, solar, and converter have all been working as they should. I would still prefer to install a battery cut-off switch but that will have to wait until the summer camping season is over. In a nutshell, here is what I did: 1. Disconnected the solar panels via the cutoff switch (street side bed) and opened fuses near the negative bus bar (also street side bed) and do not be connected to shore power. 2. Removed the old Trojan batteries (disconnect negative terminals first and take pics of wiring configuration prior to disconnect). 3. Cleaned all wiring connections. 4. Cleaned battery box and repainted tray. 5. Inserted new LiTime batteries and connected the two battery cables to the first and third bus bar posts, the main negative from the Oliver to the second post and the other negative cables to the fourth post. Performed the same procedure with the positive cables. 6. Closed the two cutoff fuses near the solar controller. 7. Reprogrammed the MPPT controller via the IPN Remote using setting provided by LiTime. 8. Disconnected the charge wire from my tow vehicle – actually I removed fuse #17 in my 2023 F-150. 9. Verified that the dip switch inside the solar charge controller was turned off – you do not want to “equalize” lithium batteries. 10. Verified that the solar system and the new converter were operating correctly and were charging as appropriate. Bill Notes *As of 6-24-2024 the price of 2 LiTime 230 amp hour batteries is $1048. **Part of Ronbrink’s install can be found at: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/3333-battle-born-lithium-ion-12-volt-batteries-in-an-oliver/page/3/#comment-98774 AND https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/9395-prime-deals-on-battleborn-and-renogy-suitcase-solar/#comment-99676 *** I wanted 2 batteries to protect myself in the event one of the 2 developed a problem. ****Installation of the lithium capable converter can be found at https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/4812-how-to-progressive-dynamics-pd4045-lithium-upgrade/

Coming soon to a Forum near you!

#1 - sends the information to your IPN remote where you see information similar to that info you will see with the Victron you bought. #2 - this "switchable breaker" can be used to interrupt solar power from getting to the batteries. #3 - this "switchable breaker" can be used to interrupt dc power from the batteries to the rest of the Oliver. note - both #'s 2 and 3 should be "tripped" prior to working on your batteries. Bill

Close - how about 460?