JaquelynK

I am camped about 20 miles south on Seligman Arizona with Hull 519, delivered in September. From the beginning it seemed like I lost voltage too fast or the solar didn’t charge much. But it is much worse now. I ran the generator last night and got it to 12.1, dropped to 11.5 off of the generator. This morning I was at 9.1 volts running almost nothing but the heater (40 degrees at night). So I fired up the generator again at 4AM so we could go hunting. Got it to 12.5 and left it with nothing running in full Arizona sun all day. Came back to 10 volts at 2PM. My sister had 13.5 in her Forest River. I find nothing loose or obviously wrong in the battery tray, under the couch or at the panel under the dinette. The panel indicates charging on solar but voltage never gets very high and drops like a rock with no input. Seems to be getting worse, like something is drawing a lot of juice. I am running almost nothing. Is there anything at all that I can check or fix or work around? I can’t stay on the hunt like this.

Greetings 517! Sometimes I wish I had a travel partner to share the freak outs. But today I get to Flagstaff for a comping trip with my sister. She had a trailer will help me get sorted out better. So far I have just been driving and driving. The actual camping begins today. Whew! Enjoy your Travels. We chose wisely.

Stayed two nights at David Crockett and flew the cool. All the way in Gallup now. Having some issues with solar charging and the fridge that are probably operator error. Should be at my destination tomorrow and can start learning about my new toy for real and using it as intended.

Shellback delivery day 20 Sept 2019. 80% excited and 20% terrified.

Thanks for all the great advice as always. I'm going to go with the standard 20# tanks so I can lift them out of there until I am 90. I'll carry spares in the truck if I think I'll need a lot. I can use the composite tank I have now for portable things like the gas grille, a lantern, or a propane generator if I go that way. And I'll fill my own tanks whenever possible, exchanging only when desperate. One more thing checked off the list. Almost there.

I am zeroing in on my Oliver order and wondering about the propane cylinders. I would kind of like to have the big cylinders, but the standard ones are pretty heavy for me. It would probably be easier to just carry more small ones and swap them out. Even easier if I could use the Viking composite cylinders. The larger ones might even be manageable for me so I could have the big tanks without the weight. Is anybody using those. When I did my plant tour it looked like they would not fit exactly in the standard mount, so some modification might be required to make sure they are secure and not rubbing. I would love to hear with anyone who is using those cylinders of any size. I have some at home that I love for the gas grill, and I would love to have a set of them for the Oliver. On a similar topic, I'm thinking it would be better and maybe safer to refill my own cylinders versus using an exchange program. I read some unsettling stories online about those tanks that you get with an exchange program being leaky and maybe not even filled up correctly. While the convenience of an exchange is tempting, I don't want to have a leaky half full tank if I am boondocking in the winter somewhere.

Thanks to all for the good answers. I am now leaning toward the composting toilet, which initially I thought I didn't want. It's just one less thing to deal with when I have to pass through town repositioning or resupplying. It does seem like a lot of money for what you get, but it should minimize town time waiting in the dump line and maximize boondocking time, so maybe money well spent. And it looks like I will be saving on the Truma hot water heater which I was originally pretty sure I wanted. If I don't think I need 6 gallons of hot water, I certainly don't need endless hot water. I will embrace the idea of just heating it up to the temperature I want to save propane and not let anything go down the sink unused. I hadn't thought about it heating the hull. And of course it carries another six gallons of drinking water, which I expect will be my main limiting factor for boondocking. I'm still researching the cameras but when I talked to them at the factory it did sound like they would work with me on giving me a "factory install" on a higher end system if I want. So thanks to all for your help. As always, the Oliver forum is a tremendous resource and part of the reason that convinced me to buy one in the first place. If I have trouble, there is an apparently endless supply of knowledge generously shared by Oliver owners. I'm looking forward to becoming an expert myself in time so I can be on the other end of these discussions.

I did my plant tour at the end of October and am almost ready to put in my order, planning on taking delivery in September of 2019. I am on the fence about a number of critical decisions. 1. That darn composting toilet. I'm not in love with the idea of having to climb up on that thing. I'm only 5' 4" and apparently for a guy of 6' 1" it is "a stretch." And I don't believe it is going to magically separate pee and poop without a lot of wiping around in there afterwards. I will be just one person almost always, so I would think a black water tank would last me for weeks and weeks if I am careful. I'm not particularly bothered by the idea of gloving up and dealing with the black water dump business now and then. I used to be a river guide and the way we dealt with poop was 100 times worse than that. Heather also told me that some people use Sani-bags that they get on Amazon. The composting thing sounds kind of heavy to deal with, and the fan will use electricity all the time. Plus the fairly high up-front cost for a relatively simple thing doesn't seem worth it to me. For a solo boondocker, I'm thinking to go with the regular toilet. But any thoughts would be appreciated. I am also undecided on the camera system. As a solo traveler and only a moderately experienced trailer-backer, I would actually like to have a LOT of cameras. And a BIG monitor. It seems that I read in an older post that the Voyager camera system just wasn't that good a deal. It is only a 4.3" screen, which isn't very big. I think I would rather have Tadi Brothers put a system together for me. But then again, I don't want just anybody drilling holes in my Olie. And I wouldn't have cameras when I take delivery. It sounds like I might be able to buy a system and make a service appointment to have it installed the day before I take delivery. So I want a "factory" system, just a better one than they currently offer. Has anyone had experience with making a deal like that? Recommendations? I am also on the fence on the hot water heater. It seems wasteful to heat a full six gallons of water when I can never, ever imaging using that much at once when I am boondocking. I'm pretty sure I can take a more than adequate shower with less than a gallon of water. And dishwashing doesn't take much for one person. The wasteful part of either system would be whatever water you had to let run before you got hot water to the shower or tap. I think fresh water is going to be my main limitation for boondocking, so I can't just let it run down the drain while I wait for it to get hot. The demand heater appears to be simpler to winterize, but it has the potential to be more complex if anything goes wrong as many have noted. But in general I am leaning toward the Truma since it makes no sense to me to heat six gallons of water when I only need a gallon or so at a time. I am set on the idea of a propane generator, so I will be carrying extra propane bottles anyway. But it seems more cost effective to just heat what I will use. Thoughts? And last for the moment, I am seriously considering the Champion propane generator. Anybody have one? Like it? Is it quiet enough? Thanks to all in advance.

I'll talk to the local Ranch Hand dealer and see if I can add a receiver hitch to the Ranch Hand bull bar I already have without welding. Somebody must make a bolt-on. And I am definitely getting cameras. A lot of cameras. I will hang on to that truck if I can. At 50K miles it is just barely broken in for a diesel. It has been very reliable and is a dream to drive if not park. I sure hope fuel prices go up pretty soon. I work on a drilling rig on the North Slope of Alaska, and I need to work about another five years to pay off my Ollie and set me up for retirement. So a return to $100/barrel would make me a little more confident. At $50/barrel, I'm holding off on placing my Ollie order. Times are too uncertain in the oil business right now.

I loved the Airstream trips I did as a kid, but even a brand new one doesn't really measure up to the boon docking capabilities of the Ollie. So I'm not tempted to go over to the Aluminum side. I'm such fun tricking out my imaginary Ollie! Jaque Ollie Elite II of the Future A 2017?) with a Chevy Silverado 2500HD Duramax diesel, Allison six speed with tow package

That is a good trick with the marker rock. But since I have more money than skill at his point, I'm still going for a camera system with probably at least 3 cameras for driving and backing. The Tandi Brothers site is proving very helpful for figuring that out. For hitching up, I think I might be able to rig something up with my GoPro camera. I can mount it near the ball and watch it on my iPhone or iPad. I'm going to test that theory out on my utility trailer. I might also add a backup camera to help with backing the truck. That thing sorely needs one anyway. So I'll do all that AND use the marker rock trick. I like that, thanks. Jaque Ollie Elite II of the Future A 2017?) with a Chevy Silverado 2500HD Duramax diesel, Allison six speed with tow package

I had read some similar posts about the camera. Many owners seem to be opting for having Ollie run the wiring and then provide their own camera of choice. The technology on that sort of thing changes so fast that I am reluctant to build something in that will be obsolete before I take delivery. Since I will usually to always be backing the thing by myself, I was even considering a two-camera setup with one at each corner. And I will shop around for my own camera system. I am also toying with the idea of a front bumper hitch so I can push it around looking forward. Lots of options still on the table (except buying the Ollie camera system I think). Thanks again. Jaque

That is just what I was hoping to hear. I am considering an Elite II and possibly a tongue extension as well to accommodate a generator basket. It's good to hear that someone else has had good success with such a rig. Thanks so much! Jaque

Thanks. That makes me feel better. It will be a pretty long rig, and maybe some places I will have to give a pass. But that would still leave about a million places I can get into. And that truck is a dream on the highway. If I am pulling a trailer I have to be careful not to forget it is there. I will get at least one backup camera and maybe find a big parking lot to do some practice maneuvers so I will know what the rig will and will not do. Jaque

Excellent! I am consumed with envy. Nice photo. Might have to speed up my egg order. Jaque Elite (TBD) Ollie of the Future with 2006 Chevy Silverado 2500HD Duramax Diesel, Alluson transmission and tow package