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Boudicca908

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Everything posted by Boudicca908

  1. So.... I only partially emptied the tank, because I took a trip on Saturday. I'll continue to drain it and see how low I can get it. If the tanks have a small bit of water left in them, is that okay for winterization, as long as I fill the lines between ports and tank? ** I only use fresh and gray -- I have composting toilet. @dewdev -- Did it hit you in the face?! @topgun2 I have the Truma Aqua-Go water heater, and I believe I have to use the bypass valve for it, as well, whenever winterizing and also when sanitizing the tanks and lines. I will watch those videos again because I want to be sure I'm doing everything correctly. I do have the optional electric heater / filter for that Truma. Can it run using the solar lithium batteries, if I'm boondocked? Does the Truma WH need to be TURNED ON at the Water Heater AND at the Truma control inside for that heater element to work? I believe it does. My friend has a wild hair to boondock for about 3 weeks in the Black Hills, Yellowstone and Grant Teton beginning after Labor Day; I don't have a generator. I'm hoping that my batteries will last that long, if I'm not using anything else. I can recharge my phone in the TV, and I can use a flashlight if need be. As long as I can keep my Oliver safe, I'm fine with the cold. I brought a down sleeping bag. I'm likely going to drive back to Bismarck to stock up on things for this upcoming journey (parts unknown!) which is the adventure I have been yearning for. Since I'm still without use of propane, I am preparing to winterize, stocking up on drinking water and alternative foodstuff that doesn't need to be kept in the fridge. It's a bit frustrating since I brought a lot of great food to cook, but that's okay. @topgun2 thanks for the advice on 4-6 gallons of AntiFreeze.
  2. Yes. LP was shut off at tanks from 7/15 to 8/3, and now from 8/3 to present. I did not smell propane the third time, but the space was definitely feeling 'close' and stuffy. I'll check around everything, from the front at tanks all the way to the back. What do you mean by 'clamshell fittings'? After the Truma replacement, I had to ask several times whether they actually did another pressure test, and they finally did confirm that they did and it passed. They didn't give me anything in writing. Should I have asked to see the test results?
  3. I'll do that. No pet. A friend's pet sets her alarm off all the time. :0 I'll check the toilet with the sniffer. :-D Will be interesting!
  4. I didn't smell anything, but it was definitely 'stuffy' in the Oliver. I do have a composting toilet; a friend suggested that it could be the culprit, but 2 of 3 times it went off when propane was on, and last time with it off for days. It's a conundrum! EDIT: my Oliver is just a bit over a year old and the alarm says replace by Sept 2026, but now I'm suspicious of it.
  5. A partial update: 1) Truma actually provided excellent turnaround on this. The delay was on the service center side. Truma even called me after I submitted a question via email contact; rather than emailing me back, they called and that was really nice. In fact, they called to answer my question, and then a few days later they called again because they thought of something else they wanted to relay to me. Then they sent me a little pigtail that goes with the optional electric heater to use during cold weather. It arrived today. So I will say Gold Stars for Truma. 2) The propane regulator and lines up front were replaced first, before the WH was replaced -- just as an FYI. 3) After I brought my Oliver 'home' I waited a day to turn on the propane; I was too tired. So the next day, in the morning, I turned it on and used the cooktop to make breakfast, and I used the WH to wash dishes and hands in the evening. Then, about midnight, the alarm went off again. So OFF went the propane and WH and I've been without again since 8/3/23. 4) I ordered the combustible gas detector; it's supposed to arrive today or tomorrow. 5) I bought a small electric space heater by Dreo that I haven't tested out yet (thanks @John E Davies for the recommendation) and an induction cooktop by Duxtop that has been great to use on foul weather days (thanks @SeaDawg for that idea). 6) I tested the alarms (both of them -- the smoke/co alarm above the bed, and the co/lp alarm below the dinette) to train my ear to know the difference in the sounds and lights etc. I HIGHLY recommend this to anyone who isn't familiar with the different sounds, because it always seems to bleeping bleep off in the middle of deep sleep and I can't say what the heck it was doing before I pushed that SILENCE button. 7) Then, last week, it went off a third time. With the propane off, the WH off and in the middle of the night again. This time I had my wits about me and it was definitely the LP alarm and not the CO alarm. It went back to green after I silenced it and opened the windows wide. And slept in 58 degrees. hahaha. I love sleeping in cold air, anyway, so no complaints there! I reopened or created a new ticket with Oliver and I'll be visiting Hohenwald before I go home in late October. I would really like to know though, if I could use my propane before that time, since I'll be heading to higher elevations and colder temps before I get there. I'd rather not have to winterize -- but I'm preparing myself for it, in case. I spoke to Mike briefly about the potential for faulty alarms; he conceded that there isn't really a way to test if it's the alarm itself. It could also be a problem elsewhere, or with the WH installation. Who knows. Maybe my 'sniffer' will help out. I have just 3.5 weeks left here in ND, where I could receive a package. Then I'll be mobile and moving west and east and all over the map, mostly boondocking without power or water. If I winterize, my water will be limited to what I carry in the TV. I'll post more after the sniffer arrives and I do some testing. Thanks to all for good advice and help. I'm learning, and I love my Oliver.
  6. I've been meaning to read Elmore Leonard -- enjoyed the "Justified" show that I believe was based on his novels. Which one did you just read, @Steve Morris?
  7. 25% -- and it hasn't moved a bit, and no water coming out. I'll try adding to it, and let you know what happens. Okay, I added water to the tank to 31% AND I lifted front of the trailer a bit more, and it worked. THANKS!
  8. I feel that rinsing and gently wiping with clear water before I begin helps a lot to get the grit off before I rub it with anything (sponge, rag or brush). What are you using to apply, and to buff the wax?
  9. On the OTT winterization video, they say "Concentrated Non-Toxic RV antifreeze" and "do not dilute". Maybe I'm misinterpreting what they are saying? EDIT: here is the video for Elite 2 Winterization... https://support.olivertraveltrailers.com/portal/en/kb/articles/article Unfortunately, Walmart is about 80 minutes away, like everything else. I called around. Even places that carry RV stuff locally say they can't obtain it at a decent price (they don't sell large enough quantities). @topgun2 I actually have Nature's Head composting toilet, so I can skip that part. And I'm guessing I won't have to worry about pumping antifreeze into the Black Tank Flush port either, since it isn't used. Any ideas on draining the Fresh Water tank? I've lifted the front of the Oliver some but not a great deal. Do I need to run a faucet to break a vacuum or something? I tried with the City Water on and the City Water off. Nothing -- not one drop -- comes out of that drain port. I think I see where the drain tube goes through the hull, right next to the valve, just inboard from the rear tires on curbside, correct?
  10. Help! DRAINING THE FRESH WATER TANK? I've watched the videos, and I find learning to be fun -- but I opened the valve to drain the Fresh Water tank and nothing happens, even after several hours. What am I not doing here? Is there something else to it? I have never filled that tank; I always used City Water connection. But a service center put water in there. I want to drain it out, clean the tank and drain it again, then possibly winterize before I get back to OTT headquarters in October. WHAT "CONCENTRATE" VERSION OF NON-TOXIC RV ANTIFREEZE FOR WINTERIZATION? I'm in a very very remote location. No one has concentrated nontoxic antifreeze (even within an hour's drive), so Amazon. I notice a few different versions, and BOY are they expensive. I want to order the right thing. Can someone chime in for me? Notice that the second one doesn't say "concentrate" -- it's "ready to use" whereas the other one says "concentrate ... 3:1".
  11. I ordered a decent marine paste wax; I'm waiting on the marine cleaner to wash again. I've been lucky during my volunteer stint with US Fish & Wildlife because the big boys have toys -- I use a wash bay and it's better than my normal situation. However, I'm not allowed on a ladder for the time being (post hip replacement) so... I feel the pain that is expressed by everyone here. I've used gentle methods of cleaning, to avoid taking off the finish, and I do it by hand. It's a labor of love, is it not?
  12. Yes! I forgot to mention the tie downs - very useful.
  13. So… I had a hail storm blow over me, while parked at my volunteer station here in the middle of ND. Thankfully, the hail was minuscule here at the hatchery (golf ball size, down the road.) I just realized this poll asks for input “if you have experienced hail damage”, and since I didn’t have damage, I haven’t answered any of the questions.
  14. I bought a Sand Mat like this, after reading about it in another forum post: CGEAR Original Sand-Free Outdoor Rug Camping Mat - Water-Resistant & Anti-Fade Material - Military-Grade Construction - Reversible Design - Area Rug for Beach, RV, & Picnics - Includes Travel Bag https://a.co/d/6dzNKWn Mine was on sale, maybe from REI, and maybe half the price. It works well to filter out the sand and seems durable; it came with a bag that also is open mesh (which means I don’t store it in the trailer.)
  15. Do you mind sharing what product you use? Also, what you use for washing?
  16. I literally bought myself a 1/2" Allen wrench today, at a local hardware store. The fix on that is SO easy; I went through all my hose connection ports and every one of them needed to be snugged down. No leak now. Just remove the screened-gasket and you will see the hex-shaped backflow valve mentioned by @topgun2 above.
  17. The kitchen drawer latch (not latching) is one of the issues I've encountered as well. The first time, I called OTT service and Mike walked me through the fix over the phone (how to remove the drawer from the hardware rails, how to check the latch and how to fix it -- THANKS MIKE!)... In my case, the latch was missing a screw and replacing that screw fixed the issue. But I find it tricky to get the drawers 'secured' back on the rails (making the rails snap into place on the drawers). In a month, I've had to fix latches on 3 drawers; each time they seem to be missing at least one screw that holds the latch securely in place (thanks @John E Davies for the latch photo provided above). Maybe they need to be using longer wood screws? Or glue and screw? My friend taught me her brother's "fix" for re-installing screws into small holes in wood when they basically won't take a bite: put wooden toothpicks and wood glue into the hole, let them set, cut the exposed ends off flush, and then screw back together. So far, so good. I've never had anything come out of my drawers, and I'd like to keep it that way. I'm going to have to visit the hardware for extra screws to finish securing these drawers.
  18. I'm looking forward to weighing my rig for the first time -- thanks for all the info about this. I'm curious how I'm doing, after having a spreadsheet prior to hitting the road (and then having to buy tools and extra equipment, LOL).
  19. I'm so very happy that I found the Oliver -- and that I was able to see one of each size, in person, before placing my order. I'm also glad that I took the time to read many posts on the forum about Tow Vehicles (TV) and systems and other questions posted by owners. The Forum is like family and you'll find sage advice throughout the forum site. In addition to the Oliver University mentioned above, there is a LOT of information that Oliver provides in their Service Departments portion of the website called Knowledge Base. I'm a new owner (picked up last Spring) and while I have decades of camping experience, this is my first recreational vehicle of any kind (boat, trailer, etc). I have a lot to learn, and I've been enjoying it all -- even when it's a challenge to learn so many things at once. Good luck and enjoy your visit to the factory!
  20. Thanks for the reminder! I have at least one quick connect and a friend took it off, thinking he was going to solve my leak problem. I'll reinstall it now.
  21. My City Water connection started leaking A LOT and my neighbor took a look and said I was missing the check valve -- but after reading the forum posts related to this subject, I learned that my check valve is moved inboard, and I was able to fix my City Water connection with borrowed hex key and plumber's tape. Now to buy my own hex key. Also -- I don't have fingernails long enough to grab that outer red rubber strainer, so I used a sewing needle to gently pull it out. I plan to buy spare strainers and O-rings that go on the other side, especially since there are 3 of these connections (City Water, Fresh Water and the Boon Docking inlet) -- can anyone tell me what size the O-ring is? I'm not sure how it's measured. Thanks for all the help, Forum family!
  22. John, congrats on the sale and I wish you the best in your new adventures. I've certainly appreciated your many informed posts, and I'm just getting started with using and understanding my Oliver and the systems. I do hope you will stay involved, as much as you desire -- and want to thank you for all you've done to help us here. Toni
  23. I'm new at towing (bought my Oliver last spring) but I will say that my Chevy Silverado 2500 HD tows like a dream. I was advised by Oliver TT that with this vehicle, I didn't need to add an anti-sway hitch. As Mike mentions above, I don't worry about payload (but I've made a spreadsheet, so that I have a very clear idea of what I'm doing, in my demands on the TT and the TV both) and it's been a wonderful experience so far. My TV is never straining. I did not want to find myself on the side of the road with a TV that has been pushed beyond its limits. My vehicle is a diesel; diesel costs a bit more at the pump, but I expect my engine to last a lot longer than a gas-powered vehicle (hopefully that holds true) and I'm averaging between 13 and 15 mpg towing, so far. I've towed approximately 4,000 miles this summer, and approximately 4,000 last year. I recommend driving every vehicle that you can (if possible) and make sure you pay attention to the creature comforts that might make a difference to you (heated seats, lumbar support, center console, etc). Good luck. It's exciting!
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