jd1923

If you look at mine there is quite a dent in it, like a prior owner kept hitting their head in the same spot! Cool you were able to chose fabric!

Doubling up cables can increase the overall amperage in the connection. They have tables for that online. The dual terminals in the Victron multiplus can be used in this way, but as evidenced above, one 4/1 is already overkill. I'm going to use the second post to connect 12VDC +/- to the Oliver 12VDC fuse panel. The OEM wiring has both connected directly to the batteries. This will clean up the battery bay, using the built-in Victron bus vs. adding another. The true reason for the dual terminal is that Victron products are designed to be installed in multiples. Use of the second terminal can daisy-chain multiple inverters side-by-side.

It's funny that in a year of use, 30+ days camping, and so many ins and outs doing repairs and mods, at 6'2" I never hit my head because of the way I carefully enter and exit. This weekend doing my fridge fan mod, I banged it pretty good! You can see in the picture; it's not even shaped squarely anymore. It's a big 3x3" wide, old foam on old plywood, not worth the time to reupholster. I'm thinking something semi-round and thinner like 2x2" wide, a cushion but not something upholstered. Still wondering if anybody had else replaced theirs with something else?

Mine is an inverter and it appears @katanapilot has a Xantrex 2KW inverter/charger.

Worked on this Saturday afternoon and an hour today to button it up! I started working it like some installs here, and I was able to poke a steel fish-tape from the back of the pantry down and right through the foil-wrapped Styrofoam to the exterior fridge opening. Then I thought about routing the wires down and realized if I fish the wires down about 20" further back at the rear of the fridge, the wires could go straight down to the bottom in one line. The bottom of the close side of the fridge is where the LP burner is located, and you would have to divert your wiring somewhere. The whole Beech Lane wire harness and a pair of switch wires (yellow/stripped red) fished through after cutting the opening shown with a rounded chisel and a few tugs. The temperature sensor taped to the upper incline. Switch legs run up and the across the back of the upper kitchen cabinet. Yes, removing the 110V outlet makes fishing easier. One leg is connected to the ground at the exterior base of the fridge and the other to the fan ground. I taped this switch prior to reinserting. The fan comes with clips to mount to the exterior vent cover (not a great idea for several reasons). I modified the fan assembly so that the cabling would be captured by the frame and tied down. Notice the screw holes left and right drilled larger for mounting to the ceiling of the vent opening. The fan was first rubber-mounted with one screw bottom center in place of a small screw that held the two fans together. Drilled pilot holes and screwed up in each top corner. Notice the 1/2" automotive wire loom LHS that holds the harness and switch wiring. Bottom vent opening showing the junction B+/B- source, with harness +/- connected here and taped. Control panel in upper kitchen cabinet, mounted with 3M VHB. No interior drilling harness just hides behind rubber floormat. Can reach in nicely or move the tea kettle if you must. Everything tested positively, the ON/OFF switch on the OTT light panel, manual mode with fan speed adjustments, and auto mode temp settings matched my RUUVi sensor readings. It was hot in the afternoon and then a front came through and dropped temps 20 degrees. The fan turned itself off and when I set temp two clicks lower it resumed. Thanks @Ronbrink for your help! The Beech Lane product is great, works well, fits the opening fully, and is quiet even on 100%. When it's running, and you're inside with the entrance door shut, you will not hear it. If you do not have the OEM built-in ON/OFF switch, don't worry you should not need one. My panel has one, so I felt obligated to make it function again. No complaints from this old installer! 🤣

Same here and that means there is no GFCI unless running the inverter. It's also odd that Mike with hull 308 has a GFCI outlet and your hull 628 does not, like my old hull 113 does not. Why? I believe we have two generations of OTT hulls and Xantrex products, mine being a 2016 and yours a 2020. My 2KW Xantrex only has 6 possible connections. On the backside with the fans, there are 3 DC connections, B+ an and B- connected by 4/1 AWG cable directly to the batteries and a 6AWG(?) ground that connects to the yellow ground bus under the rear dinette seat. The front side does have a dual GFCI outlet, rated 120 VAC 16.6A, the monitor cable and LCD screen The older Xantrex in our hull does not have what you wrote "20 amp feed to the AC input of the Xantrex." Do you have the more modern look Xantrex, fully rectangular, squared edges painted gray? Or does yours look like mine, rounded edges metal looking black vinyl coated? I believe you have the newer generation Xantrex. BTW, who cares! I'm ripping mine out end of July, the Xantrex, the Xantrex ATS, the funky little electrical box stuck in the corner that connects inverter supply to most 120V circuits, all the but the A/C. I will show my work here and looking forward to seeing yours. All that matters, is... After all the old is removed, you connect the Victron MP to the batteries in the same way and to the ground bus. You connect shore power from the PD5100 ATS to the AC input and connect the 50A L1 output circuit to the entire Oliver 30A AC panel. This time including the 20A breaker for the air conditioner that was previously bypassed. Can't wait! Pictures to follow: 1) GFCI close-up on inverter 2) PROwatt SW, with junction box above and inverter below 3) Rear Dinette seat with PD5100, self-installed EMS, Xantrex 2KW inverter and self-installed KISAE TS20 switch for running A/C on inverter.

I have thought there is no GFCI protection on the Oliver. That's the way it appears to me. Given the Xantrex has GFCI outlet(s), you must realize that when on shore power that outlet is not utilized so you have no GFCI protection. Residential code (don't know for RVs) requires GFCI protection for bathroom and exterior outlets, for where water is present. You could replace the 15A breaker for "110 Outlets" with a GFCI breaker or replace the first outlet in line with a GFCI outlet. It's crazy that OTT strings all the 110 outlets including one for the microwave. There is an independent breaker for the fridge. All they needed is an extra breaker for the microwave and a parallel cable run to the fridge run. Not sure if a 15A GFCI breaker can handle the microwave and still be responsive to a fault at another outlet. When the microwave is running, there is only about 5A available. We have a 15A GFCI breaker at home. The builder wired 5 outlets in 3 bathrooms plus two exterior outlets on the deck. We added a flat grill on our deck. When the grill is running and Chris starts her blow dryer, we instantly lose power to all 7 outlets. Sometimes it blows without two heating appliances. It's 45 years old as is our house. I should buy a modern 20A GFCI thinking the cable AWG is adequate.

Anybody change this item with something better, something thinner and more aesthetically pleasing? We are replacing our dinette cushions too, so this would be the last piece of this old ugly/bland fabric in our Oliver. Any ideas?

Thanks Mike, I had not run across the manual. Reading this makes more sense. Not sure when I questioned Kevin, he didn't inform me that I could use COOL vs. AUTO modes for what I asked. The fan will still run all night. My fix for that is the timer or the remote would be in arms reach, powered off when needed. Now that I have the furnace duct mod, with bedside duct capped off, I believe I would likely rarely use the heat pump which would blow warm air over the beds and not front or in the bathroom. Many voice they like the heat pump option. I'd give it a try to see but would likely prefer the warm bathroom and heat aimed on the floor vs. up in our face. For those of us who camp more often on inverter than connected to shore power, when A/C the sun is out and there is some positive AH offset. When you need heat, most of the time it's dark outside using considerable AH without solar replenishment and we carry 60 gallons of efficient LP.

Given the PD5100 ATS, the MP inverter would treat a small generator as a form of under-powered shore power and the Power Assist would kick in, adding required power. But yes, adding the SoftStart lowers the initial surge to allow running on a household 15A circuit without tripping a breaker. The extra features of the MP2, I will likely not use. It is the dimensions and +1AH more on idle is 24AH per day. Still what fits best will make the decision. Next week I will open all street-side basement panels, measure, plan, decide and purchase. Given the MP2 is better, why can I buy one for $997 and the MP is $1,169, from authorized dealers. Another point for the MP2!

Why MPII vs. original Multiplus? What other Victron HW? Thanks

That's a good way of wording it. My 2WK Xantrex is inverter only (no charger and no ATS). All it does is supply 120V AC to two plug-in outlets. The switching in this system occurs in the PROwatt SW, an external switch.

You're not misunderstanding. Without doing the math myself, Victron's numbers appear correct. Over-engineering is common in DIY efforts and going to heavier gauge cable doesn't hurt, just costs more money. OTT installed 4/0 in our hull too. The length of the run, from the batteries to our 2KW inverter under the rear dinette seat is about 1m or 4 ft at most. The Oliver is over-engineered in many ways, and we appreciate that. The cost difference of 2-3m of 4/0 over 1/0 cable, at wholesale to a manufacture, is not much and they are being over-safe for a few bucks. When I go to install a DC-to-DC charger, two cables the length of TV and TT, likely over 25m, I will buy the gauge required and nothing more due to the retail cost of copper today!

This is the issue. For example, at home we program our thermostat for summer A/C temps between 78 degrees in the heat of the afternoons and much cooler to 74 overnight to keep some air movement and sleep better. For winter heat, the numbers are much lower; down to 64 degrees prior to dawn and up to 70 in the evenings. This makes us comfortable at home. The last thing I want in the Oliver, or anywhere else for that matter, is for when it gets naturally cooler overnight approaching dawn is for the heat pump to come on when the temp gets 1-2 degrees lower, OMG! A valid design has at least two set temps, one for each system (at home we have 4 per day for A/C and 4 more for heat). Why do these design engineers not understand something so basic. When I talked to Kevin at SDG, the Atmos rep and installation co., he explained it in this way. I asked him, why would I want that? He explained it as a positive feature, and I replied that to me this is an issue. I would rather the A/C not have heat pump, or at least the ability to turn it off. We use the ceiling A/C when it's hot, run the LP furnace when it/s cold and I have NEVER seen a 24-hour period where we want or need both.

From the Mulitplus manual: "Automatic and uninterruptible switching In the event of a supply failure or when the generating set is switched off, the MultiPlus will switch over to inverter operation and take over the supply of the connected devices. This is done so quickly that operation of computers and other electronic devices is not disturbed (Uninterruptible Power Supply or UPS functionality). This makes the MultiPlus highly suitable as an emergency power system in industrial and telecommunication applications." The ability for the inverter to choose between an AC source or DC battery power is what I meant by internal ATS and ALL Victron 3KW inverter/chargers (and greater models) have this functionality. They all also have Power Assist, which is not only internal switching but smart partial switching when shore power is lacking in covering the full load, it pulls what's necessary from the battery bank. Another way to word this is these more capable inverters do not require an external switch, like the Xantrex PROwatt SW (see pic1) or the KISAE TS20 that some of us have added to switch the air conditioning between AC/DC. The common usage of the term ATS in a RV is the switching between generator and shore power, like the PD5100 (see pic2) installed in our Olivers. The Quattro can switch AC/DC uninterruptable as the Multiplus and ALSO has the capability to switch between 2 AC sources like the PD5100, hence the PD could be eliminated if installing a Quattro. I thought about this for about a second, but it's more expensive and I'm not running a generator anyway with a 3KW inverter and 600AH in new LiFePO4 batteries. I had a PD5100 fry in our Bigfoot RV that I replaced, but if it does so in the Oliver with this upgrade we'll just run on the inverter. It's funny in the video, he used the name Multiplus all through the video and in his last sentence he said "Quattro." The 3KW Multiplus, MPII, Quattro, and other high-end models, all have a 50A line1 output. In my hull the Xantrex PROwatt SW is wired to all AC circuits but the air conditioner. The purpose of the KISAE TS20 is to add another ATS for the air. When the Multiplus is installed, given 50A output for a 30A panel, it will be wired to all loads on the panel, including the air conditioner, and no need for external switches like the Xantrex PROwatt SW and KISEA TS20! Why not?

I got ours done today and I asked Chris to walk on it first with her light touch. I didn't want to even climb aboard with my work shoes on! 🤣 Yes, they will get dirty again as soon, as we hit an Arizona dirt road, likely September. Man, all-in-all this turned out really nice! Dirty later yes, but I can pull it down and put it up with one centered hand and just a light push. I did make a minor modification, adding washers to take up space on the axle, since there was about 3/8" of left to right slop (way too much). The added washers cut that in half. This is some of the issue in the difficulty in working the steps. Anybody considering this full maintenance, order a new set of short splined Torx bolts from OTT first (see pic). These are very short and upon compression, they get somewhat deformed. I was able to rethread one, but not the other after many attempts. Temporarily I used a 5/16" bolt with nylock nut. I have rebuilt a half dozen old car and truck suspensions, done over 20 brake jobs and if I could not get these bolts to thread, most DIYers would not have a chance, I promise. I have another item or two I want to order from OTT and will likely by 3 of these. One to replace the bad one and a pair for the next time (unless they cost $20 each)! The secret in getting the steps to push and pull smoothly is to file the up-n-down slanted groove where the axle lies (pic above). Then I lubed all contact point with Napa Sil-Glyde: Lubricant - Multi Purpose Sil-Glyde Lubricates 4oz. Plastic Tube BK 7651351 | Buy Online - NAPA Auto Parts (napaonline.com) I've used this product in multiple brake jobs, rebuilding the calipers on my '84 Goldwing and more (lasting for YEARS now). After rubbing it into every contact point, the ends of the axle, every spacer and washer, the bottom edge where the steps contact the frame, and the frame contact points too (not a WD-40 fan)... Work the steps back and forth several times and then spend time removing all the excess, as excess grease collects dirt. I'm not going to fight with these steps anymore, and for years to come!

@rich.dev has the 3KW Xantrex. I hope your model has built-in ATS. I'm replacing for sure and will purchase next week now that our batteries are on the way. My criteria for replacing is the 2KW inverter is first that it's borderline on running the A/C for any period of time in HOT conditions. Also, I've never purchased an inverter without built-in ATS, can't have the goofy 15A outlets. Those are for those that cannot wire an AC outlet, just plug in the blow dryer right into the inverter! 🤣 My inverter must have built-in ATS with hardwired 120V AC IN and OUT terminals (I also want to know if the Victron Multiplus fails, is the fail-safe condition is that it still allows pass-thru shore power AC). So, back to the questions posed above...

Not much better than what we have! Most owners of travel trailers are getting out with their cordless impact guns screwing down manual jacks. The VP-3000 jacks work great. I start my LevelMatePRO App when we arrive at a site, choose the most level spot. Get out and place the Andersen leveling chocks. Pull up or back to level and adjust the 3 jacks. We get level to 0.00” in 2-3 minutes every time since adding the LevelMate. Had a Bigfoot class-c, fancy $4K hydraulic leveling system. What a PITA! So many times, we got close, but not good. Had to drop all the jacks and start over. I did a complete rebuild on the front jack, our hull being 8 years old. I have a thread here about that. Not doing the rears, as my mechanic’s ear says, they sound great. The rears are out of weather and are used less. Don’t do the maintenance as in the OTT video, check my post instead, as it’s just “lipstick on a pig!”

Would never had thought of that! Another reason I’m never owning one of them. I put them with EVs, modern products NFM!

Very cool @Ronbrink, they look great! Keep us posted. They support many makes & models, but too bad for me they only have product for the 6.7L Cummins Ram (2011+) and not the older 5.9L.

In what I've read so far, at least @Overland and @Ty J, and more recently @rideadeuce have upgraded to the Victron 3KVA Multiplus or MPII. Maybe others? If I remember correctly, Overland installed the original Multiplus and others went with MPII. Does the Multiplus II truly have necessary features. I read 1 amp less draw on stand-by, thinner (but not actually smaller), anything else? I see just fitting the Multiplus in my current Xantrex location (rear dinette seat), where the MPII would certainly be too long. I'd like to avoid adding extra 12V cable length installing it under the bed area or front dinette seat, though there is nothing but room up front and I haven't yet moved that bed since I've been working on the other side. Overland worked a novel installation! He also stated (cannot find the quote today), something like you could keep the batteries in the battery bay or install the inverter there (he wrote it better). Wow, thank you, that got me thinking! Overland also commented the Multiplus was not noisy except when supplying a large AC load or upon shore power connection/bulk charging. It is quiet enough under the dinette seat when just using small AC appliances like when watching TV? Is the MPII truly more efficient? Could it be quieter? I just purchased two 300AH Epoch batteries and I cannot believe FedEx tracking says they will be here on Tuesday. It only makes sense to work these installs together.

Many of us with older hulls with solar have the Blue Sky SC model SB2512iX-HV. The language on this webpage is a bit ambiguous: SB2512 – Sunforge LLC Prior to further research, or calling tech support, can anybody answer this yes/no Q? Can the Blue Sky SC model SB2512iX-HV be reprogrammed for LiFePO4 batteries? I'd rather wait but if not, I will purchase a 50A Victron SC to handle the current load and possible upgrade to an additional rooftop or portable solar. Thanks

Why not just sit normally on the toilet seat, lid open? It's certainly more comfortable too!

It amazes me that since OTT created this defect, back when hull #110 was built, that they did not correct it now when you were in the shop. They should have cut out the old hangers, and welded new ones at their expense and then you could have paid for your desired axle upgrade.

You can use them temporarily, for example lifting high enough to mount the spare tire if you get a flat. As far as when camping, you want to have 90% of the weight on the tires and front jack. Use the rear jacks just for finish leveling. I use these to bring the trailer to the right height, left or right, and then apply the jacks for enough pressure so that the trailer does not wobble in the wind or when climbing the steps. Amazon.com: ANDERSEN HITCHES | 3604-2 2-Pack Camper Leveler System Must Have RV | Camping Travel Easy Storage Jack Stabilizer Block | Levelers Blocks for Campers and Fifth Wheels : Automotive