jd1923

I also used Stabil in the past. When I was in the market this year I found this and she was convincing. What's BEST For Storage! Check Out These SHOCKING Results!

We have purchased two Brooklyn Bedding high-end hybrid mattresses for our home and love them. Made in Phoenix, so we can drive down to try them out and drive it home. They make their Dreamfoam Essential in a dozen different RV sizes. They roll them up and boxed shipped CONUS no additional charge. We have the twin bed layout, so we bought two 30" x 75" mattresses. They come in 6, 8, 10, 12, 14" sizes. We went with 10" thickness which is a bit tall for sitting but wanted 3 layers of foam density (2 layers in 6-8" mattresses). The 8" might be a better height but firmer and the 10" is med-firm. We removed the stitching in one corner to bare the foam and then with a long insulation knife I cut the radius from a template I made of cardboard. We could have sewn the cover back, but just tacked it and the mattress cover holds it together nicely. Check it out: https://rvmattress.com/products/brooklyn-wanderlust-memory-foam/rv-bunk-30x75-10-inch

Was a long day getting the new gray waste valve installed. But by 5PM today... it's done finally, yay! 😂 It's difficult to get the valve in place, in tight quarters, without the rubber seals slipping. The valves in the front have rubber couplings which can be removed giving so much room, but not down here. I applied a sealant on the back side of the rubber seals and set them on the flanges the day before hoping that would keep them in place. One slipped off but the other stayed which certainly helped. The two flanges were on different angles, tied down by the weight of the 3" gray plumbing on one side and the gray tank on the other. Pulled a long crowbar to raise and shift the plumbing over, used a longer bolt to get one corner started. Installed one part at a time as the full valve assembly would not fit being crammed into the floor. Got everything torqued down, "good-n-tight" after another hour or more... Removed the old cable to install the new one. You can only source 6 ft cables and must cut them down to fit. OTT installed a stock 3 ft cable. I found it to be jammed up in a corner for being too long. I cut the new cable sheath to 32" and the pull cable 4 3/4" longer. I also cut into the shelf that extends in the rear trunk area of the Oliver using a handheld coping saw, so that the pull cable would have a straight line to the valve (notice bottom left of picture). So all was good, ya think, but the thin SS steel cable would not fit into the push rod of the valve, the fixture which holds the cable with an Allen key. I tried and tried and then I got a thin needle tool and found that the opening was defective, made in Mexico POS, and mostly closed. In the bottom of the basement, valve installed, I had to drill an opening into the cable receiver using a 90 degree extension powered by a 1/4" impact tool (whoa, make sure yours is good before installing)! 🤣 New waste valve, new pull cable nicely realigned and this valve now opens and closes like butter, so nice! Tomorrow the 12' cable for the black valve should be delivered. I will also fill tanks to test all three valves tomorrow. Hopefully no leaks but given Murphy's Law, new plumbing often leaks somewhere on first try. I need a break on this project and hoping for the best! Hopefully we're done tomorrow so we can start the fridge, pack clothes and tools, hitch up and be ready for the next adventure! 😂

I made this fitting for quick campground connections. It should work well.

Wanted to provide an update on this statement. Just yesterday, in another post on this subject, I learned of Drain Master waste valves. This product is flush on one side, so it can be installed directly on the floor in the gray tank waste valve location. Looks to be a very good option when anybody needs a new gray waste valve. https://drainmaster.com/rv/product/pro-series-s3vt-kit-2-valves-6002

Thought this same thing soooo many times! Like changing the starter motor of a 4WD Gen2 Toyota 4Runner or pulling the PS pump (known for leaking) on my Lexus SC400. Can I add replacing the fuel pump in our TV - pull the fuel tank or remove the truck bed? I went with the latter. These are jobs I've done in only the last two years and I cuss design engineers that only care of manufacturing process with no concern for maintenance. Auto design engineers should be made to work an internship in service for 3 years before allowed to make one design decision! The 3" gray plumbing should have been installed 1/2" off the floor instead of pushing so hard on the floor to make an impression into the insulation! Also defeats the purpose of the insulation.

Yes, and thanks again Patriot. These are going to make water connections easy. @Ronbrink used Igloo caps and instead of the assembly hanging in your picture, I'm using these rubber caps for $1 ea. Three of the Eley female connectors total $50 (with 15% off) plus tax.

OK, so I broke down big-time and spent a lot of money on hose fittings. This is getting to be too much, but thank you @Patriot as I am looking forward to future ease in watering... I added quick connects to the 3 water inlets (not the black tank rinse), the 25' and 10' hoses we travel with, our water filtration system, the 35-gal tank in the TV, other hose attachments and I believe we are good-to-go. Nice that I can get everything connected and torqued down, knowing these connections should be mostly permanent. I could not spend another $50 or more for fancy hose endcaps, but got these instead: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000SKXR0C?ref=fed_asin_title&th=1 They fit just right, like the price and the retro look! 🤣

GJ, yes certainly. The relevant charging specs are the battery manufacturer's specifications. Most chargers are configurable. I spent time programming our NEW Victron MP2 and our OEM installed Blue Sky solar charger to configure per Epoch LiFePO4 parameters, voltage settings for bulk, float, etc. This is a must, however... For secondary chargers like the DC-DC charger, or for example a 30A MPPT solar charger, connected occasionally to a suitcase, it is so much less important! These chargers are temporary, so does it matter if the charge rate is somewhat off the specs? NOT. Your not using these secondary chargers to bring the batteries up to 100% SOC periodically. We use these secondary chargers when SOC is low enough to care and take the time to connect. Use your LI batteries to their potential. It's crazy that one 300AH Epoch at $900 today would replace the 3x Battleborn batteries. But as long as yours are working and satisfying your needs, @MAX Burner has talked to this, just keep them charged! Another consideration is the charge rate (Amps). our Victron MP2 can charge up to a 120A rate. The Epoch batteries can handle up to 200A, but they suggest 50A as a conservative charge, so I set my MAX charge rate to 50A. When you park at a campground and connect after a few days disconnected, a 50A charge rate will always get you back to 100% SOC by the time you leave the next morning. 😂

Wow, thanks Rich for this video! If I had seen this a couple weeks ago, I might have purchased Drain Master RV waste valves, expensive though at $635 for a 2-valve set. https://drainmaster.com/rv/product/pro-series-s3vt-kit-2-valves-6002 The design of these would allow installation at the gray valve which is flush to the floor. I did just buy a tub of Molykote on Amazon which will be delivered tomorrow. It seems better than the lube I've been using designed for swimming pool plumbing. I'll wait on reinstalling my last, most difficult to reach gray valve, until I can apply this product. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VV6QZ7N?ref=fed_asin_title

@Galileo Val, I hope you have made progress and are back up and running! Let us know. Mine turned into a project, as you can see here: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/10711-waste-valves-restoration-and-upgrade/

A bench inspection of all 3 valves showed something quite interesting. With cables detached, the black waste valve opened and closed easily yet the seals were crusty and looked more worn. The seals on the gray valves looked to be in better condition yet the valve mechanisms on both gray valves were stuck, all gunk-ed up! My thinking is soap and/or tank additives in the gray plumbing caused this and the black tank is certainly a different chemistry. I cannot be sure with 3 prior owners of our hull what was used through the years. I remember our good friend Steve @ScubaRx writing that he does not use additives, has not for years, and I believe we’re going with that plan going forward. I was so hoping not to have to replace the gray waste valve since I had installed our Victron MP2 directly over it. Last week I reached down and around the inverter and with much pain and patience. I loosed the Allen key on the cable and the two Phillips screws to remove the sheath. With the cable detached I found the valve was near impossible to move by hand. What I feared came true, and today with much pain I removed this valve. Was very happy to get the valve out and in only 2 hours, considering all. First of course, I removed the ground to the batteries and switched off the solar. I had to unstrap the inverter and pull the 42 LB beast up far enough out of the way to work below it. I used a steel bracket to hold it up. I feared I had taped the shelf down strong with the VHB tape, but it popped off with a strong pull due to the slick shelving material. The waste valve was jammed so hard into the floor that the two bottom bolts were extremely difficult to remove (see impression of the waste valve in the floor insulation in 2nd picture). They were also rusty given their bottom location. You needed two open-ended 7/16” wrenches and the back bolt is extremely hard to reach being under the aisle floor. I spent 30 min on these two bolts alone! I’m really good at wrenching in tight spots from considerable experience. Most of you reading this, I strongly suggest getting OTT to replace this valve when you feel "it’s time." If they charge more than a hour labor, a good retort would be, “Well you put it there!” There was a rubber mat installed under the gray tank which was halfway under the waste valve. I cut this rubber out in the area where the valve is bolted to make the reinstall a little easier. The gray valve was much worse than the picture reveals and the fact that this valve was installed horizontally makes all the residue collect on the lower side causing friction on one side adding to overall pull & push resistance. I replaced entire valve assembly for the gray and just the seals on the black. The gray pull cable is about 4' short and looks fine with a slight curve. I will replace the 144” black cable when it arrives. Before we travel next week, I’ll get the garden hose in the Oliver, fill the black and gray tanks some, run water into the shower drain to test all 3 valves. Tomorrow I should install the new gray valve. It will not be easy as the two flanges do not sit parallel. The two bottom bolts will be fun again! Then I need a plug and some fiberglass repair for the hole in the bathroom wall, and I'm sure I'll see other needs. Sure hope to be good very soon... and for another 10+ years!

There was a recent thread started by @Galileo where Val had a black tank waste valve beyond repair. OTT Service suggested replacing the valve with the Valterra motorized valve which would eliminate the need for the 12 ft pull cable replaced by an electric switch. This got me thinking as we have a 10-year-old hull and ALL three (3) waste valves, including the 1 1/2" gray valve for the bathroom, are very difficult to pull the valves open and to push back to close. It's always better to work preventive maintenance than to get caught on the road with a stuck waste valve! I wanted to install electric motorized valves in all 3 locations but we were made aware by OTT (through Val's service call) that replacing the gray valve would be difficult. From a picture I had taken of that area, I noted it was installed laying flat on the hull floor which would not allow for the considerably wider motorized valve. I couldn't see a design with one manual valve with t-pull handle in the rear next to an electric switch for the other. So my plan morphed into restoring the main waste valves replacing OEM parts as needed. I kept the idea of a motorized 1 1/2" valve for the bathroom because this valve must be opened/closed often, every travel day. What a chronic pain it is getting into the bathroom, reaching down ankle height and pulling the valve open before pulling a muscle! Yep, we're getting older... To start, I removed both valves under the front dinette seat. The 3" black and the 1 1/2" gray valves were originally installed angled towards and touching each other, with the gray valve jammed against the fiberglass wall. I sawed off the 1 1/2" ABS at the waste valve flange so that larger motorized valve could be installed. Purchase of a new flange and two couplings was all that was needed, as I was happy we had some ABS glue. With the plumbing out it was so easy to run wiring for our DC-DC charger from the hitch to rear dinette seat, an added bonus. At first, I wanted to install the power switch near the entrance door so that it could be reached while standing outside. Thinking through the extra work and that it could be easily damaged or switched accidently, I installed it right there under the dinette seat. Here the provided wiring harness reached the buses under the rear dinette seat w/o modification. I cut a tight-fit rectangle opening for the switch alone, tossed the large faceplate and by-passed the odd fuse/reset button, adding a 5A fuse at the +bus. When the valve is open a thin red LED shows which can be seen from outside the entrance door. It is soooo great to merely press a button to work this valve!

There's an Oliver in our neighborhood! It's not a standard issue, instead a classic early hull and with its own capable power plant! During Christmas it carried holiday lights (shoulda gotta a picture then, next year for sure). I love it and I miss owning a tractor! What a find! 🤣

Ever since @Patriot started this thread, I've had the Starlink Mini on my list, TY. Chris made me aware of a new Starlink Beta working with T-Mobile (gotta love Elon)! I'm not sure I understand it fully, so we just signed up for the beta. We have a T-Mobile business account for our cell phones and Pepwave router. Want to add the Starlink Mini wired to the WAN port on the router, but if this new technology comes to fruition will we need the dish? Looks like Starlink may become a satellite based cell tower for T-Mobile. Motorla was working on this with the Iridium Project in the 90s which never came to be. We went with T-Mobile since recently their 5G network is more capable than the competitors and they actually have 5G in Prescott and nobody else does. Verizon and AT&T could be in trouble when this launches! Check out this link FYI: T-Mobile Starlink Satellite Phone Service: A New Era in Connectivity

Love the first 3 and we quickly removed Flag from our list, as you said nosebleed, and SNOW and too much transient I-40 traffic/business on the way to CA or the Canyon! Great place to go to college though.

As it should be! I walked by a brand new GMC Duramax in the Walmart parking lot the other day. It was soooo quiet I could not tell the engine was running until I was within a few feet of it. Very nice, wish I could afford one! My Gen 2 Cummins at idle is quite another story! It is certainly much louder than a Honda generator. I never start the engine just when somebody is walking in front of me in a parking lot. Good thing it quiets down at highway speeds!

Come on Bill, don't stereotype! Meaning don't put the high country of AZ in the same boat as the desert valleys. We would never live in Phoenix, or anywhere from Lake Havasu to Yuma (The hottest parts of the country along with the Palm Desert of CA). And Tucson summers are just about as bad! An August day in Prescott will get to high 90s in the afternoons ONLY, for 4-5 hours, but dry and you're not sweating all day and night like summers in the SE! Don't you retreat to Wyoming every summer? 🤣 It cools off every summer evening and we eat dinners on our deck. You can sleep without A/C knowing it will be about 60F every morning! We do have the best weather as compared to the five states we've lived (IL, VA, TX, FL and AZ). Elevation is key and if we had to live east it would be nearby you somewhere in the Carolina mountains! 😂

Yep, though it's better to call these water restrictors. They restrict flow vs. regulate pressure. Ron's choice of a true adjustable/gauged pressure regulator is what you want. I've posted this picture before, but to show our hull came with BOTH restrictors and back-flow preventers (check valves) on both incoming water lines. However, the OTT plumbing diagram shows only back-flow preventers. There are likely several configurations out there!

Depends on what part of the west. I do not miss living in Northern Virginia. Our last year there (2005) our son's spring baseball schedule rained out 7 of 12 games, with fields soaked for days. The next year joining a team in Prescott, it drizzled during one game and all the boys jumped up and down with celebration, like the end of an Indian rain dance! Got over 60F yesterday, was a sunny beautiful Sunday; played pickleball, got my DC-DC wiring started, and ended the day with a Cadillac Margarita and a wonderful Fajitas Carnitas! We had a couple of cold days the week before. This week every day will be in the 60s and next week all 70s (for when we head to the Santa Catalina Mountains). Nice! 😂

Yay, wired our Oliver for the DC-DC charger today! (TT side only, wire lengths installed hitch to buses, no connections made yet) An injury and then rebuilding the waste valves took precedence. But after Reading @Ronbrink's comment (thanks Ron) about running the wires around the toilet and not having to remove the vanity shelf, I thought since I have the waste valves removed under the front dinette seat, I should get this done before putting them back in. I pulled the two valves yesterday and then thought, a couple of hose clamps and I could pull it all out and inspect for condition inside and clean the area. Good thing I rinsed the toilet 4 times when we dumped tanks. The 4 AWG wire is now laying across the floor in the picture. It made the wiring soooo easy! I stuck my head down where the waste valves were installed and looking forward I could see the OEM installed cables coming through the hull. I'll see if I can take a picture of it. If they truly sold me 65 ft and I have 28 left, then I used 37 ft for the round-trip in the Oliver (2 x 18.5 ft). I ran it as straight as can be leaving some extra length where the buses are located under rear dinette seat, and outside I made it 5" longer than the trailer cable to be safe. The amount left over is enough for the + run to the starter battery (~20 ft) with 8' left over for rear and front frame grounds, and a 4 AWG straight run from battery to alternator. We're leaving to Catalina State Park and the Coronado NF a week from Monday, so completing the DC-DC charger installation is second to getting the waste valves finished. So glad, I got this wiring run today. I'll be happier when the plumbing is done!

I was joking! 🤣

Prior owner had removed the OEM seal and replaced it with a rain gutter below the awning. Normally, I would be in the same camp as Art, but... Our Oliver has many rain stripes down the streetside body and windows that I do not see on the curbside. Since our Oliver has not had wax or anything since a ceramic job 3-4 years ago, these do not come off with a wash. I would say install none or on both sides.

You need to reconfigure your Xantrex, both solar chargers, and your new Orion to the same Epoch suggested charge rates. These specs are from the Epoch Essential 300AH battery manual. Bring Bulk and Absorption charge rates down to 14.2V. It will not matter that you ran higher for a couple weeks, but lower charge voltage over time will extend battery life. There is also no prescribed charge process like having to bring the batteries down to XX% SOC. Though if your only getting down to a min of 82% just use more 12VDC and 120AC power! Don't worry about leaving lights on (old camping habits), the TV or radio, use your microwave or oven, boil water in an electric kettle, or run your fridge on DC or AC, it doesn't matter. During our last trip to Q, the first morning we ran the HWH on inverted 120VAC and our 600AH dropped about 6%. But don't forget, leaving a high amperage appliance on. I'm sure you're checking the Victron Connect app often We stay at campgrounds with hookups and most of the time I do not bother hooking up. Like you mentioned, it is good every so often knowing you're up to the full 100%. I hooked up when we got home after a week to bring them up to 100%. The next morning I put the cord away and this week while working in it, running lights, radio and furnace, our 600AH has always been over 90%. And now you have DC-DC charging. Your system is in a great shape! 😂

Agreed Ron, you have automated this with an ignition circuit solenoid and if I though it was more important, your design is the way I would go too. I was referring to others who have mounted a manual switch under the hood.