Ollie Ollie in Free

This is indeed disappointing. I certainly hope the dealer network will be expanded. At the moment, there is nothing remotely close to Southern California.

I like that idea. It accomplishes two objectives: draining the freshwater tank and flushing the grey tank.

That's a great upgrade.

This ROF is due for cataract surgery this year, so I take those comments to heart. Does this signature look better? The Beast frequently draws comments when towing our single axle Ollie. From time to time, I look back to make sure I remembered to hook up the trailer. 😆

Thanks, Bill. I am slowly getting used to monitoring the voltage and other SOC read-outs on the Lithionics app, as well as on the inverter and solar charger. For purposes of prepping the batteries for storage, though, I think I will target 13.2V rather than any percentage SOC displayed on the Lithionics app. Trailer management, like life, is a journey.

I checked the system documentation for my Lithionics batteries, and it recommends that the equalization mode be disabled, so I turned off the batteries after turning off the solar charger and inverter, let them sit for a short while, then turned everything back on again (the modern equivalent of hitting a malfunctioning part with a hammer). This, combined with some charging from the solar panels, cleared all the error (RVC) codes from the batteries. For this purpose, I plan to pay more attention to voltage levels in this process rather than the percentage SOC displayed on the app.

Thank you for the advice, as well as the signature suggestion. I will look into the recalibration procedure, and (if I have done this correctly) my new signature should display below. (I borrowed your format - seemed to work well. I even figured out how to add that cool map, with a little help from a forum post.)

Another winterization issue on which I could use some help from this wonderful forum: I am trying to discharge my lithium batteries for storage. The manual for the batteries recommends (for longer storage periods) discharging the batteries to 13.2V (50% state of charge). In discharging the batteries, I was paying attention to the percentage of charge shown in the Lithium battery app. Overnight, the batteries went into RVC (reserve voltage cutoff), even though the app is showing 67% of charge. Should I be looking at the voltage specified in the app (or on the solar charger or inverter display) rather than the percentage in the app? Having gone into RVC, should I charge up the batteries again, then discharge them again for storage? The only things for which I need the batteries before storage are pumping in antifreeze and operating the jacks.

Thanks. I think that is the process I will adopt for the future (in addition to the rolling drainage suggested by mossemi).

Excellent suggestion. If anyone complains, I can just tell them the trailer has BPH. 🤣

Thank you both. I will check the outlet tomorrow and make sure it is down as far as it can go. I did finally get the sensor to read 0. I realize that some water in the tank is not a major issue. I am paying more attention to this at this time, though, since I am concerned that the sensors are not measuring properly and/or I am not completely draining my tanks. (I have been getting some odd readings for the waste tanks.) Thanks again for your advice.

In winterizing our trailer, I am encountering a challenge draining the freshwater tank. To get it to drain completely (which I have still not accomplished, according to the tank monitor), I am cranking up the front of the trailer and the opposite side, and it is a time-consuming process. Has anyone encountered similar issues, or does anyone have any tips? I checked the forum, but did not find any posts directly on point.

Great Texas SP video! If I may ask your advice, what Texas SP would you recommend for a one week visit in late March? We are eying Palmetto SP, because it looks so interesting and unique.

My inverter wouldn't switch from battery to grid mode when I connected to shore power. The mechanic found that the neutral cable into the transfer switch had come completely loose, so the inverter in fact wasn't getting any shore power. It has been reconnected, snugged down tight, and so far, everything is working properly.

I just had an electrical system overhaul done by Royal Coach RV in Bakersfield, CA. They did an excellent job.

Hey Christi, Is your Xantrex Inverter switching from battery to grid mode when you hook to shore power? I encountered this issue recently and am in the process of getting it fixed. The mechanic found that the screw that secures the grounding wire had come loose, and some wires got burned and will need to be replaced. (You may be more adept than I am with such things, but this is not a repair I would attempt on my own.) If the inverter is not automatically switching the grid mode, shore power will not charge the batteries, and the trailer will continue to run off batteries. This will run down the batteries, and you will get that chirping when you try to put a load on the electrical system and the lithium batteries are approaching low voltage cutoff. There is more info on this in the sections of your manuals on the inverter and the lithium batteries. You might also check to see if there are any error codes on your surge protector display. Hope that helps. Good luck with it, and let us know how it plays out. Tod

Wonderful photos! Thank you for posting. This is a magnificent area. I have been in the Wind Rivers on horseback, but not yet in the Ollie. I know what you mean about that road. It takes patience. Also, be prepared for snow at virtually any time of year. We had a snowstorm on July 4 one time when we were in that area. As a friend from Wyoming put it about that neck of the woods, if summer falls on a weekend, let's have a picnic.

With this year's abundant rain and snow (temporary inconvenience, long term blessing), we are expecting a super bloom of California wildflowers. I found this article to be a helpful guide to expected timing and travel suggestions: https://www.moon.com/travel/outdoors/where-to-see-california-wildflowers/ There are some good posts in this forum about California camping. We are long term California residents, but relatively new to RV life, so if anyone has any additional California RV travel recommendations, I welcome them and thank you in advance.

Heartily agree.

https://www.rvtravel.com/noticing-changes-travel-sales-lots-campgrounds-empty-1091/ I found this article interesting and want to get the views of other more experienced travelers on this forum. We have been on the road this fall and winter, but don't have much basis for comparison, since we are relatively new to RV travel.

We boil all our drinking water, rolling boil for one minute per CDC guidelines. Probably belt, suspenders and cummerbund, but it's become habit. All of which brings to mind that old adage of the American West (which takes on new meaning as we consider the modern relevance of the Colorado River Compact): whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting over. 😄

This is all valuable and reassuring advice, and I thank everyone for the contributions. My conclusion for the moment is: 1. Fluid Film on steel components, especially the undercarriage of my aging, but still chugging, 2008 Ford F350 TV (plenty of rust to adhere to on that one), but also the hitch, stabilizing jacks and axle on the Ollie) 2. Regular wash and wax on the fiberglass 3. Hose down (but not pressure wash) aluminum with water periodically I can assure you that none of this has deterred us from using our Ollie: with the exception of a few days here and there, we have been full-timing in it since November 4! We really enjoy it. The beach experience has also made me a fan of lithium grease on moving steel parts (hitch, door lock, stabilizing jacks).

We are glad to hear that you arrived home safely, albeit without power. We also heat with a wood stove in the Sierra Nevada. We keep a couple of big pots of water on it, which helps heat and humidify the house. More importantly, having been through a number of power outages over the years, it provides hot water for bathing, and we keep a pot of beans going on it! Here's hoping you get your power back soon. In the meantime, the Ollie is a nice alternative.

Thank you, topgun2! You have "waxed eloquent" on the subject.