jd1923

Update from SDG on the Atmos 4.4 --

You all know I'm quite DIY-capable. However, I looked at the value in our older used hull in that it had two solar panels mounted on top, the cabling routed, the Blue Sky solar charger and Xantrex 2KW inverter all integrated and installed in working order. I have not yet had to change a thing there. Someday soon I will add lifepo4 batteries and need to reset the charging curve and perhaps later add another panel and/or a DC-to-DC charger. I did add an EMS that was not standard back in 2016. It's not easy working in the basement area of the Oliver. It's not like working on a truck where you can get it up on a lift to access many repairs. Always leaning into the basement openings is not at all fun. I have sore arms and rib muscles from leaning over that ridge for the mattresses! Think of getting under the pantry and behind the battery bay for this kind of solar/inverter installation, let alone the run to the roof. Buying the right used unit can be very helpful. Recently we had a hairline crack in the LP line to our Atwood furnace. I believe it was due to two frame welds breaking underneath and then pushing them back up to weld (LP lines attached to the frame). I removed the LP T-fitting below, but there was no way to remove the entire line without removing the furnace. My arms would not even fit through the opening behind the furnace. My plan was to cut off 2" of the copper LP line and somehow re-flare it under the body. I had to push the line from above, front side of the furnace and then pull from underneath, repeat that and repeat that until I achieved the required length below. It was amazing that I got my tubing cut-off and flaring tools between bottom hull and the aluminum frame. A whole lot of patience and about 2 1/2" hours later the job was done. (Would have been happy if that was the only thing I accomplished all day yesterday!) Wow, a big to-do is now off my list. 😂 Very happy not to do a solar/inverter install from scratch on our Oliver! I did that in a Bigfoot Class-C in 2020. There I could drill down, standing on a flat roof, down into a wall cabinet, through a race to the battery bank down below. Ran inverter connections under the truck through the chassis frame... Not on an Oliver. You should see how OTT installed the Dish Satellite on our hull. They did not go through the upper hulls front to back (dish up front and TV in the back). They ran the cables down, visible in closet to the basement area below, then runs towards the black tank and follows the drain all the way to the rear basement, then up to the attic. There must be 60 ft of coax with multiple connectors. It's like they added it after the build, not an option integrated to their build process. The Oliver is a great TT that's not real easy to work on for major upgrades (but will keep doing so as needed)!

If mine were to ever loosen (they are likely nicely tight now from some internal corrosion), I would match the thread and replace with automotive Grade 5 bolts. Torque them per the bolt size with thread-locker on them and forget about them going forward. T-bolts are designed to remove easily, but these are fixed panels.

Our hull has the Dometic Penguin II, and I believe it being an older hull has the 13.5K BTU model vs. the 11K of newer hulls. Our electrical panel has a 20A breaker for the AC. Can we assume my hull has 12 AWG wiring? (14 AWG should have a 15A breaker.) 14 AWG wiring can be an issue re voltage dropat high fan compressor running in any replacement unit.

So, we've decided to do this one way or another. Don't need a microwave, as I can reheat my coffee on the stovetop and save the carcinogens of microwaves! Chris says they kill the nutrients in all foods, so she doesn't use one ever in all of her amazing cooking. Measured our small model Emeril Air Fryer and it is the exact same dimensions, all measurements of length, width and height. Yeah, there is a heat issue that I mean to overcome. Yanked the microwave out of our hull in about 20 minutes today. Connected the Emeril and ran the air fryer at 375 for 16 minutes today. It got hot in the end, but there is 4 1/2" above the oven and 2 1/2" left and right (thermostat wiring to the right). I will need to raise it about 3/4" to fit the surround, but otherwise fits like a glove. I will cut some plastic off each side for the heat. I plan to fit the opening top and side with ceramic insulation made for woodburning stoves which comes in many thicknesses. I am wondering re OTT installed convection ovens. Anybody have one? Is there any exterior venting? Hey @bugeyedriver, you wrote on Dec 19, 2023 "The Wonder Egg - Hull #14, has extra vents in the side walls behind the oven, so I have gone to the micro/conv. option." Can you show pics of this venting. This will be a fun mod for me, and Chris will love it when she gets back from her sisters visit! Check out this pic after an hour of work today!

The claim is R32 is more efficient. I can give a flying fart if it is better for those who believe in climate conspiracies. I used to buy R12 for $4 a can at any AP store. Gone are the days of freedom in lieu of .gov regulations of those who know better (or not). If it is more efficient, then green science has produced something of value. R410 was never claimed to be more efficient than good ol' R12, cheap and capable.

You may be asking for company! Love northern Minnesota, just as long as you can get the fish biting and NOT the mosquitos! We are very likely going to visit Chris' sister in Farmington MN sooner or later. They snowbird down here some winters. We would role that into a Badlands visit, Mt. Rushmore and more. Hugo, you got a hook-up here too (not garaged). For us, perhaps 2025, or 2026 the latest! 🤣

Ours is the same vintage as Dave's (see pic). I took this when we first purchased our Oliver last year, so I don't have to crane my neck looking down there. @Steph and Dud B likely has the right reason if they are on the same circuit, what the... I was thinking of this today, after I first read the initial post. Been working on mine a lot lately. Was looking to see if there were any GCFI outlets as a cause, but my Oliver seems to have none. @Ron and Phyllis Does the Suburban HWH run off of 120VAC at this time? I would check that first. And if it were mine, I'd add a breaker, run another AC run and fix the larger issue (what was OTT thinking)?

But I really like COOL logo! 🤣

The Spec PDF on this page shows R410 for the Gree Eco-Cool: ECO-COOL White Free Blow (premierproducts.net) I wouldn't wait 'til next year, given a white R32 model can be purchased this year. New year price increases are pretty much industry standard. This one is certainly available in R32 with the WHITE version TBD "stocked within 8 weeks."

I read on the Sprinter Forum that the Gree Eco Cool used to be R-410a but switched to R32. I could not find a Gree on Amazon, but Tosot was there. Note this listing states R-410A, so be careful with any online purchase. It appears as @Ronbrink stated R32 is preferred/more efficient, less battery amperage. Does anybody understand the relationship between Dreiha Atmos 4.4, Gree Eco-Cool and Tosot? Amazon.com: TOSOT GO COOL RV Air Conditioner 15000 BTU, Non-Ducted Camper Rooftop AC Unit with Heat Pump, High-Efficiency EER 8.5, WiFi and Remote Control : Automotive

You went 2.4" lower with your Houghton. The Atmos is only 0.9" tall than the OEM Dometic Penguin II. I guess if you have a 10 FT garage door another 1" would matter, otherwise not. Ours is parked outdoors. I'll trade the inch for a more battery efficient AC system.

Just found this 5 months later - thank you @GAP, great idea! (Added to my furnace duct upgrade project.) 😂

A little thread-lock on the bolts. I checked mine last year and they're not movin'.

You're the man Art, great pic! Hard to keep up with you, though we love every episode. 😂

God Bless America and the fact with our meager means we can have so much in life! Vote 2024. 😂

Or you could just fall in love with it! We found ours of all places, on a local Craigs ad after we had just sold a Bigfoot Class-C. I showed the ad to my wife and said, "Let's go look, just to see. There's no way we're going to pay that $$,$$$ for a TT, but let's go look to see." Turned out we put $10K down within 48 hours and had it delivered in a few days! I've purchased near 100 total in old cars, trucks, motorcycles, dirt vehicles, trailers, a half dozen homes and even 20+ fine acoustic guitars... We have LOVED all of them! 😂

You guys got me thinking about this. Nice little key rack but for me it was lacking some important criteria. I need a rack that I can reach while standing outside the door. We climb in and out too much already for older bodies! Also wanted a combo key & coat rack, with room for Charley's leash, my long shoehorn, a jacket or two and why not the flashlight! This product turned out great. Five hooks at 15" for just $17 and you can order them in various lengths. It has a flat back, so I ran 3M VHB 4950 the length of it. So strong. We had 3M Command hooks here and there, installed without much thinking to placement, so I just removed all of them. Amazon.com: Vanloory Coat Rack, Heavy Duty Stainless Steel 5 Tri Coat Hook Hanger, Wall Mounted Storage Wall Hook, Rustic Clothes Hook/Key Hook Rail for Bathroom Kitchen Entryway(5 Hook White) : Home & Kitchen

Thanks again Sherry. Just found the picture I was asking for in the link you supplied. (It appears @Rivernerd has been offline for a week.) The vent is behind the toilet where you could actually fit a standard drill vs. a 90-angle drill. It does look like a 3" vent in the pic vs. the 4" installed elsewhere. I would not add another vent from under the dinette to the hallway, since the idea is to create air return from the far bathroom vent through the basement and around the rear back to the furnace. This could actually assist in pulling more air out of the bathroom duct too. Now I merely have to get up the nerve to pick a spot and start drilling! Will start with an 1/8" hole so I can adjust location of the full vent hole as needed. Just noted in the other thread that OTT installed a 2" vent in this location.

Given an 8-week wait, I should decide soon!

Thanks Ron, great info here. Have you made your decision? Your timing? This will take some study, questions I have... Can the Atmos connect to the Oliver condensate drain. Does the fan turn off with the compressor? Does it truly dehumidify? (not a big concern for us living in AZ, but on some travels) Any of these would certainly be an improvement over the Houghton. It's almost as quiet (53 dB at which fan speed?) and not like we need 15K BTU. It's 25 LBS lighter, 2" shorter, 5" less width, though 3" taller. Also, 4 fan speeds vs. 2 and only 1160W cooling! Our electric tea kettle is 1100. The Houghton is 1550 to 1700W MAX (meaning 34% to 47% more current required for the Houghton). This will easily run off a 2KW inverter all afternoon with decent AH rating in LiFePO4 batteries. I will read more. Please, let us know of your progress.

Was planning ahead re Epoch LiFePO4 batteries. @rideadeuce installed the more expensive model B12460A since two of them fit in the battery bay. I'm interested in saving some $$$ and do not need "Victron Comms" so I've been studying the 12300A-H (300AH) and 12460ES (460AH) models to see what would be the highest AH that can fit in the bay (also don't care at all about the sliding tray). At first look, it appears the 460AH is too wide to fit two in the bay. Specs listed as such on their webpage: length 20.55" width: 9.45" height: 8.60". Then open the User's Manual and you will see the width and height numbers reversed (which makes more sense). I just emailed Epoch to please clarify. If the specs in the manual are correct, I see two 12460ES LiFePO4 batteries in our future sitting side-by-side in the battery bay, tray removed with 3/4" to spare!

Can't find much on Atmos or who sells them. Read they are designed in Germany but manufactured in China. I wrote RecPRO on the Houghton dB ratings. They replied today with this: "Hello, the compressor in the larger one is a little further back in the unit from the hole to the RV which makes it quieter. I have listed the Houghton Information we have: Phone +61 8 8448 2929 Email contact@houghtonleisure.com"

I want to thank everyone who wished us well. Also, congratulations to all Oliver owners with anniversaries from near 10 to almost 50 years! I had a great Father's Day too and wish the other fathers and grandfathers here the same. Adam and I played Crokinole late into the night. He had a high score of 110 in one game and during another game, I hit 4 20s (placing in the center hole) and he had 3. We ended Chris' "Birthday week" with a night at Essence Kitchen! Go figure, fine dining in of all places Chino Valley AZ!

Lot less value without a solar package, or at least pre-wired. I read at some point they stopped pre-wiring when solar was not purchased. On the other hand, if you are only going to hook-up then no solar could save you money. Batteries less important since LiFePO has gotten much cheaper. I would not have purchased ours last year without this upgrade and we got a very good used price from a prior owner who lives in our hometown and delivered it to our driveway with cash-in-hand!