Boudicca908

No news is not always good news.... On Friday 7/21 morning, Riverwood RV asked for my purchase date; they already had the hull # and VIN, and things sounded fairly positive for some action. I reached out to Mike at Oliver and he confirmed the prognosis (Truma WH propane leak). He also gave me the phone number for Truma, since it was their warranty that would cover. Then I phoned Truma; they gave me my case number but were not willing to discuss much else, "because it's Riverwood's case". The person on the phone explained that if my case involves "Servicing Parts", Truma requires a trained and certified technician; full replacement can be done by a non-certified technician. In the end, Truma said that they were just waiting on Riverwood to provide information. This began to make me wonder, because Riverwood mentioned on Thursday that they hadn't worked with Truma. A followup call to Riverwood did not produce any information. I explained, I'm trying not to harass them, but I'm not feeling great about imposing on the intern next door, whose fridge and freezer and shower I'm using (it's US Fish & Wildlife property, not the intern's trailer, but still). Saturday I called during my lunch break and Riverwood said the service tech went home early that day. Yesterday I sat tight. This morning I called and got an earful of "it takes time" and "we had to register with them as a service center" and was told not to call Mike back because "it's out of his hands". They denied that they were having to go through training before my case would be approved. They denied that there was an argument about whether it might only need parts replacement (though I have to wonder). I certainly understand that he cannot estimate timelines when he hasn't worked with Truma -- how could he know about their potential turn-around time? I asked if he thought it could be a month (I'm here another 6 weeks) and he scoffed, but with global issues for parts and components, I'm not sure that I'll be here still if/when a replacement is shipped. Then he said my only option "would be to take it to another service center, and that's not going to happen." ?!? I asked why is that? He said, "because we do 80% of the service around here." Does anyone have experience with Truma customer service timelines for replacement? Truma's website has an option to find dealer/partners and I'll be darned if there isn't one just the other side of Bismarck from Riverwood. Hmmm. I called and inquired about their schedule (4 openings in August), and how much time it takes (probably a few hours to diagnose) and the warranty situation ("likely a week to 10 days for Truma, all by email, to approve warranty coverage") and then he said that sometimes people just go ahead and make the repairs -- meaning that they have pieces fitted locally for lines or hoses, if it's that simple, and then they try to submit for coverage on their own. I need to think about this. Maybe I should ask him for a price to diagnose, so I can decide what to do from there. I need more caffeine.

So, people obtain diagrams by asking for them individually? If that's the case, I'll definitely call and ask for them. It would be really nice if Oliver posted diagrams with each year's manuals. It would be very helpful to owners and mechanics. If the diagrams are 'guidance' and not literal, they could put a statement on the diagram that says so.

Is there a diagram for that? I didn't see one in my manual. Does the LP go to the WH first, then the furnace, then back to the stove and fridge?

This is great advice -- I've never heard of a vehicle or trailer creasing. Nothing like witnessing an event to drive it home. I watched a (poorly loaded?) travel trailer sway on the interstate and roll, taking the TV into the ditch. I'll never forget that. Winds are curious because they do unexpected things around static objects (buildings, other vehicles). I have some great straps for tie-down, and lots of big rocks, and they're necessary for daily living here. In spite of that, I've noticed very little blown debris on the roadsides. I had forgotten what it was like to drive down a highway and see pristine landscape, whether farm field, forest or rolling plain.

Another important lesson learned through the forum. I sure do appreciate all the questions and answers here. I'm glad that you discovered and fixed the issue before too much damage, and that you were able to fix it for a reasonable fee.

The picnic table has skinny slats but I think I'll just cover the surface, close the lid and strap it down when I'm not using it. We have some crazy winds here, and things move around in the night. I'm working on buying another propane tank and hose with regulator to dedicate to the griddle, since my quick-connects are not an option and my friend and I want to go boondocking on our days off from the volunteer job.

John, I think this may be a good point — your best buyer will know what they’re doing, but new owners may not. I believe you can reorganize your ad to make it clear that your Oliver has been meticulously cared for, and upgraded — and perhaps mention up front about the “many extras and fully documented…” and put all the details at the bottom, or offer on request. I am a geek when it comes to keeping documentation of work and service done. To sell my 16 year old Volvo with over 200,000 miles on it, I advertised “meticulously maintained, ALL Service Records available, original clutch” and it sold in less than a week — to THAT guy who was also a geek for maintenance and knew it would last another 100,000 plus miles. Hey — Did it sell?! Congratulations if so.

I opted for the 17" Blackstone with the lid. Normally, I would just leave it sitting on the picnic table, but I'm thinking about critters (rodents) that might decide to help themselves, and the lid doesn't fit tightly enough to prevent their entry. The fabric bag won't stop any rodent that is determined to get in there. Does anyone have a solution to this, besides moving the grill each night?

Thanks for the instructions. Now that I've finally hit the road, I added a map. Apparently I have traveled and camped in 10 states on my trek to North Dakota. More states to come for this summer. What a joy it is, to see the country this way.

That sums it up! Congrats -- I'm very happy that you were able to see it -- it's glorious and mesmerizing. Thank you also for the updated photos of your Oliver and the yoga mat method. Did you do anything for the front of your TV, in similar fashion?

Another update: 1) the Truma WH has a 2-yr warranty; 2) Riverwood RV Service was in contact with Mike; it seems they all suspect the WH to be the faulty device. They’re ordering a replacement. Fingers crossed!

Brief and incomplete update, because I have to report to duty in 5 minutes: I will definitely let the forum community know what happens. The small brass tip on the regulator that came with my Blackstone came OFF with the propane bottle when I detached it yesterday -- and yes, all the propane left in that bottle escaped. I had to wait for it to settle down and was thankful I had needle-nose type pliers to reach the nut and remove it from the bottle. I'll reach out to Blackstone about that; the brass tip screws into a 'silver' colored metal section and I see no propane tape or anything in that joint; not sure yet if it will go back together and hold the pressure. RATS. So... I'll probably end up buying a cooktop. I brought food to cook that doesn't work on the grill. Glad I have a truck that can handle all this equipment I'm adding. I went to the ND Heritage Museum for much of the day yesterday, plus hit the Costco for fuel and sundries. Thank you for this. I think it's probably worth having this tool, even if I don't plan to 'fix' an issue on my own. Nutshell: they had the trailer 8 hours and didn't definitively confirm the source/s of the leak. They DID confirm there is a leak with a drop test that "held for 7 or 11 or even 20 minutes and then suddenly dropped." More later.

@SeaDawg thanks for the great feedback and ideas. I had a headache the morning the alarm went off, and that's a rarity for me (maybe once every 10-15 years) so I took it as a warning. Luckily I do have shore power on the days I'm parked for my volunteer job with US Fish & Wildlife -- but the idea was to get out camping and exploring on my days off (up to a week at a time) so that's frustrating. And after Labor Day the plan is to be on the road, but as you say, a hard-shelled tent is better than my favorite canvas side any day. Did I say 5 lb tanks? D'oh! What I brought as backup is (4) 1 lb tanks, the non-refillable type. However, I can buy a 5 lb tank and while I'm working they will refill it for me! I do not have a generator (yet). I need to learn a lot more before I buy one. I must learn to use (and manage) my lithium batteries. Boondocking is my goal, but I have so much to learn. Trial by Fire might get me there sooner than I imagined. Every time I begin to read the manual, I feel lost before page 2. I feel like I need to take a course in electrical systems .... I need to check the videos in Oliver University again, and maybe other sites. All suggestions are welcome. Small electric heaters sound tempting.... any favorites? I was thinking about buying a decent moist heating pad, just to take the chill off, like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008UZT4YU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 -- it has 3 temp settings, plus an automatic shut-off after 25 minutes (you don't have to hold the button to keep it on). My friend, who is a massage therapist, owns this model and highly recommends it. I've also thought about induction hotplates; I have friends who use them exclusively (in small apartments, overseas). I'm trying not to gather too much gear, though. I'm going to try to make my grill work for the time being, and I love cooking outdoors (except when the mosquitoes come out). After reading all the possible gas leak areas (I had just switched to the other tank, for instance, and a thread mentioned a leak at the tank setting off the alarm), and then thinking about the toxicity, I called Riverwood RV Service Center in Mandan ND and they were very accommodating -- they are going to fit me in first thing on Thursday (the other place was booked for 3 weeks) and try to service before the end of the day if possible. I had to empty the fridge of course (I'm very lucky to have a fridge here on site to use). I moved my latex mattress from the curb side to the street side, to make access to the water pumps easier, for me and them, if they have to dig around. I'm trusting that I don't have to empty the entire trailer, and that things will be safe while it's in service. It's true that my bike-camping experience has come in handy, many times. I can get by with very bare minimum and still be happy. And even with some issues to handle, I really really love my Oliver. I'll update as things progress.

Where do people find these diagrams? I looked in my manual and didn't find anything... thank you for posting them.

Thanks! I've been wondering, because my search efforts have not been up to par on this forum. And I just know there is information there!

After a year of life’s distractions, I am finally able to take my Oliver on the road. In February, I had the trailer serviced by a local service center in Southwest Florida, with the standard tire check, grease and lubrication, and checking the sealant on the shell. No service was done on other systems. I've been traveling since July 5th. Eleven days later, I'm trying to figure out how to ascertain the source of a suspected propane leak. On July 10th-11th I stopped at a friend's house, keeping the Norcold 3-way fridge cold with propane, but otherwise out of the trailer for 2 days. I noticed a bad smell when opening the door (more like dead animal than propane) but couldn’t find the source of smell. One day later while camping, with the fridge on AC, I noticed propane odor after making my morning meal. Early the following morning of the 16th, while I was in the shower naturally, an alarm went off. (hahaha) It took me a minute in my morning stupor to realize it was the RVSafe unit. Then I realized I could distinctly smell propane. I had not used the Dometic stove yet that morning (the fridge was running on AC), but I HAD just been using my Truma Insta-Hot Water Heater. I opened the windows, shut off the propane, and used the Maxx Fan to vent the trailer. I opened the top 2 drawers below the stove and I’m sure I could smell propane in there. Now I’m at my summer “job” in the middle of North Dakota, volunteering for US Fish & Wildlife, where my Oliver is my home — but I’m without my stove, furnace and water heater. It’s in the 40s at night — that’s okay for me, but I’m worried about freezing temps in the near future, with my city water connection. Needless to say, I feel hogtied. I’ve tried using dawn+water to look for bubbles on the one section of gas pipe that I can see under the Dometic Stove (didn’t see anything); I did this with the tank on, with the tank on plus stove lit, and with the tank off, but saw nothing. I looked at the back of the fridge (outside panel) and tried the soap test there also, to no avail. I have not checked out the Truma WH. I did not hear anything hissing at the propane tanks. My one tank emptied and I switched to the second, just a day or or so before this, and I was surprised, since they had been filled just before the trip. Mike, our excellent technician with the Oliver service department, isn’t allowed to verbally walk us through “how-to” on propane issues, due to liability. He sent me 3 recommended Service Centers — all an hour drive away, which I could do on my “day off” but I would need to sleep in my trailer overnight. I don’t know what I should expect in terms of this type of service — how long to expect it to take to track down the issue nor how long to repair, but obviously I’m in a jamb given my housing and my obligations at my job an hour from service locations. Mike confirmed that there is no ’shut off valve’ between the tanks and the trailer, so I can’t use my quick connect to cook on my grille either; I may have to use the 5 lb tanks, as long as they last. Questions: 1) I saw mention of a “sniffer”. Is that a technical term? (joking) On Amazon (my quickest option, I think) they range from $18 to $70. Are there preferred brands, or preferred options that I should look for? How reliable are they? It might help me source the issue, but not fix it. 2) Should I suspect the WH since I was using it just before the alarm? 3) Should I suspect the fridge, since it was on propane while sitting for a few days? 4) Are there any other suggestions that might help me approach a solution — both for short term living and ultimate fix? 5) How long does it take to find propane leaks (probably .. "depends" but I'll ask anyway.) My lunch break is over, so I’m going to wrap this…. I'll check for replies as I can. Thanks in advance for any assistance. Oliver #1060, March 2022 production date. *** I searched the forum ... "propane leak" "propane stove leak" "dometic propane leak”, read through 6 pages of results, but haven't found a similar question or solution, but please point me in that direction if I missed an earlier thread for this. ***

I discovered a leak under my sink last week. Luckily a friend knew to check this area and mine was not tightened down either. I think that resolved my leak, but I need to check it more thoroughly. Right now I can't access due to mobility limitations after hip replacement.

I'm not sure I'd be comfortable lighting a flame right in front of my tanks. My Blackstone was initiated last night when I reached my destination in North Dakota. I'm very pleased with it!

I discovered that some of the Costco locations offer diesel -- yesterday Costco in Bismarck ND sold diesel for $3.29. My Costco membership is paid for in savings easily. I do wish that my local warehouse in Florida carried diesel.

If you can access USAA (for veterans and family members of service members) I can recommend USAA for truck and trailer. They didn't offer insurance on the trailers when I purchased my Oliver, but this year I learned they started offering it. LAST year, I lived through Hurricane Ian and my tow vehicle did NOT. USAA was prompt and easy to deal with, and I had a replacement before the end of October (less than a month later - which is good, since many of the vehicles in SW Florida were totaled and the supply was lean). I've only had to use them for vehicle issues (being rear-ended and then the hurricane) but both times I had excellent service.

Is this to protect from rocks and mud?

At Denali, I highly recommend the End of the Road bus tour with the guide -- it was one of the highlights of my 3 weeks in Alaska (sans Oliver)...

My water was flowing fine (using city hookups) and then, after visiting a particular campsite it wouldn't flow at the next campground. At that previous site, I noticed that the water started out muddy at the spigot -- I flushed until it was clear before hookup, but I believe that the hose was clogged. Good pressure from the spigot but nothing through the hose (and I tried the filter on its own and it was fine). Bought a new hose and it worked.

My friends sighted an Oliver I in a KOA campground near DesMoines Iowa either 7/10 or 7/11 -- the next morning they walked around and it was already gone. I'm wondering who it was?

Thanks to all for the examples of calculations -- We have to be mindful that some people's Olivers might have different tires (am I right, that they had to switch during tight supply chain issues?)....