jd1923
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Posts posted by jd1923
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On 12/3/2025 at 8:32 PM, Gene G. said:
Just got 2 230 amp hr Litime with blue tooth. Charged 1 to 100%. Will do other tommorrow
Let us know if you have questions getting ready to install! Good upgrade for you! 😂
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2 hours ago, taylor.coyote said:
Grand Canyon south rim
If you happen to head south, you have an invitation to visit and we can fix this! 😎
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Thank you so much @Roger and @rideandfly!
I just bought one Amazon used “Like New” for $79! (they have more available at this price.)
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4 hours ago, Roger said:
It is a compressor dehumidifier and did an excellent job.
Roger, were you able to confirm this after purchase. The Amazon listing does not state "compressor" anywhere on the page. Thank you, JD
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Just now, taylor.coyote said:
Jd1923,
don't understand your note. please explain
I meant ATS, not EMS. You wrote "tapping on the transfer relay make the power go on and off."
The ATS can short out and fail often! I have replaced these on 2 RVs in the last 6 years.
You can open the box and tighten all lugs which may work. Or you can bypass it. Ours burnt out recently. I could have replaced it but i bypassed it connecting only the streetside 30A outlet, since we do not run a generator and never use the front 30A port.
I am assuming you have two (2) shore power inlets (side hull just front of the battery bay and up front behind the basket in front of the LP tanks), otherwise you do not have a shore power ATS.
Ours looks like this and your hull is of same generation. The ATS has two (2) incoming 10/3 cables and one outgoing connected to the 120VAC power panel. You can bypass the ATS using wire nuts to connect the hot/black, neutral/white and ground/green wires together.
If this is not applicable or does not work...
Do you have an inverter? Make sure it is powered on and test again.Is the main 30A breaker in the power panel and/or other breakers tripped?
I'll stay online for awhile tonight if you need more help. Best wishes, JD
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12 hours ago, taylor.coyote said:
Already checked the master power switch under the bed and all the fuses and breakers under in the kitchen.
certain breakers are not the issue. tapping on the transfer relay make the power go on and off.
You need to service or replace or when in emergency circumstances bypass your ATS!
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Boondocking on FR 401, east of AZ-87 (Beeline Hwy Mesa to Payson), with amazing views of the Four Peaks Wilderness due east!
It only took me a week to get ‘er dirty after polishing and ceramic coating, serious washboards getting here! Dirt not sticking like before though.
Too much an OHV location, but as the sun sets early they’re already gone for the day! Quiet and truly majestic and should be a great night for star-gazing!
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23 hours ago, taylor.coyote said:
Or should we consider adding DC to DC charging from the truck for more charging capacity ?
Yes, YES certainly! (Now you'll get at least 3x feedback on this question!)
It's the lowest cost addition (~$600 in parts) you can do to create Ah, increase SOC while towing! We boondock often, lots of short stays, and when you're going from dry camp to dry you can always count on gaining considerable power. Our 320W rooftop solar is about breakeven running our fridge on DC (10 Ah on average in the sunny SW). With our Victron Orion XS 50A charger (get this model) we get +40 Ah every hour towing! Here is info on my installation and performance results:
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On 12/4/2025 at 9:36 PM, taylor.coyote said:
thanks for sharing. we sleep with the temp at 60F with no issues. The issue is if it's 40F outside, a cold trailer takes at least an hour to get to 65 and I don't think it can get to 70F. The vent under the bed flows at 119 degrees, the kitchen at 99 degrees and the bath 72. We camped two nights ago at 20F. No problem to maintain the desired 60F while we sept but it topped out at 68F when we turned it up in the moring. I have read that 120 -140F is the temperature expected from an RV propane heater. Our heater is adequate but at the bottom of what seems to be expected from an RV heater.
I would like to hear about other's heater experience / performance in cold weather.
These are bad numbers, so I would conclude your furnace needs some sort of maintenance. An easy task is to remove the exterior panel and LP vent. Make sure all is clean and there are no flow obstructions. Fire it up for a minute with vent off and see if you can observe the burner in action for a clean blue flame. Check for any documented manufacturer's troubleshooting steps.
I say these are bad numbers in comparison to our Atwood furnace. We left camp for a long dinner with friends last night. Since we left our dog in the cabin alone, for safety reasons, I turned off the HWH and furnace and the LP at the tanks.
When we returned it was 57F in the cabin (outside was 49F and windy). I turned the thermostat up to 66F and although I did not time it, it seemed like 20 to 30 minutes max and the cabin was up to 65F. I do not have a proper instrument to measure air temp, but I placed a meat thermometer in the main duct. It started at 119F and stepped up to 172F! After I heard the gas shut off, the temp dropped back down at a similar rate.
I also have an infrared temp gun which measures surface temps. The inside of the duct measured in the 140s. Our furnace works better than new with ducting changes I've made, and given the numbers, yours seems to be in need service!
Hope this helps and please let us know what you find out! JD
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(Post deleted after noticing I was answering an old post.)
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On 11/24/2025 at 7:48 AM, topgun2 said:
I don't know if I'm in the minority or not - but - I happen to like the rear jack switches located on the front of my Ollie.
Unlike Mike, I found the bubble level that is on the top of the front jack to be virtually useless. So, I installed three small bubble levels on or near the front of the Ollie.
I'm with Bill and Mike on this one (except for the bubble levels thing)!
I prefer to have all 3 jack controls in one location and the best possible location for all 3 is up front, right where they're installed! I back into our spot with the LevelMatePRO App ON (hardwired and always powered ON) to get as close to level as possible. We use the Andersen Rapid Jacks on one side when needed and then place the 8" round Andersen Blocks under the rear jacks. Next I'll place some sum of 1" blocks up front to achieve the best height.
First I'll get the rear jacks to just touch (often in lieu of wheel chocks when the campsite is mostly level). I don't need to see them, I just listen to the motor, use your ears instead of your eyes! The motor will change pitch, just start to grind, when contact is made (first I turn off our noisy old diesel)!
Then lift the front jack to release from the TV hitch, bring up the rears a little more and finish level using the LevelMatePRO App. We like to have the front up 0.5" and level side-to-side. No way you can be this exacting with a bubble level and the LevelMate can be used starting from the driver's seat!
Adding the LevelMatePRO will be something you'll never regret! Get the PRO model which can be hardwired, easiest to mount under rear dinette seat (see pic). Add this great accessory, train your ears, and leave the switches alone! 😎
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Our much older 2500 series truck was borderline in needing the Andersen WDH. I’ve used it since the manual says to do so over 5K trailer weight and it towed much more smoothly!
New Alcans, new 5200 lb axles and we had a few items bounce around. Hanging clothes came off the closet rod, a kitchen drawer opened (never before) and stuff in the attic certainly bounced around! Nothing during a second trip and we only have 1000 miles since.
This trip, I went without the Andersen WDH. Descending from Prescott at 5400 ft to The Valley, a 4000+ ft descent, more than most of us do day-to-day, our rig drove like a train on rails! I believe the Oliver suspension is now taking care of itself, very lightly affecting the tow vehicle.
Secure the items that bounced around and set correct tire pressure! 55 PSI is only correct if you are carrying about 8,000 LBS GTW! We run at 45 PSI.😎
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We had the KTT mattresses which on our very first trip seemed uncomfortable, too soft and too difficult just to sit up in bed to watch TV. We have Brooklyn Bedding and home and went with two of these"
https://rvmattress.com/products/brooklyn-wanderlust-memory-foam/rv-bunk-30x75-12-inch
I went with the 12" for its 3 layers of foam and medium firmness. They are very heavy and 12" is really too tall! Added Bonus: at this height our old dog Charley can't jump up on the beds anymore! (He has his own bed.) We opened the stitching on a corner seam and with an insulation knife cut a 14" radius to fit. They have the 30x75" size in several mattress heights.
As far as lifting beds. Stop doing that! We use our boondocking port almost every time out. When I'm ready outside, Chris just throws two switches under the bed to refill the FWT from the backup water tank in the bed of our truck! OTT should read the below post for new design ideas, but who cares about what comes in a new Oliver anyway? Not me, now that this has been corrected!
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On 11/14/2025 at 11:07 AM, Tony and Rhonda said:
I called Andersen and was told I could replace the friction cone under warranty or I could upgrade to the newer style ball housing and triangle plate (whale tail). The price has increased but is still pretty reasonable compared to full price replacement purchasing the parts. The upgrade now costs $150 and includes the 2" Ball, Ball Housing, Triangle Plate, Friction Cone, Snap Ring, Pin and Clip. The 2 5/16" ball may be available also. Tony
I upgraded ours to the 2 5/16" ball with new cone earlier this year. After upgrading to Alcan Springs, I do not feel the need for a WDH anymore! It's like since the Oliver suspension is holding its own, not porpoising up and down, we're now towing smoothly without it! Anybody need a full setup like new? Likely there are a few sitting in Oliver garages! Still pretty much necessary for many 1/2-ton trucks.
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On 11/13/2025 at 3:16 AM, taylor.coyote said:
Our Vortex coating was applied recently...
Did you coat this yourself or did you have a local dealer service the coating?
Looks like it requires special equipment. We just got our Oliver polished and ceramic coated and it looks better than ever up front and all over. However, we off-road with a Lexus GX470. Had it painted a couple years ago and it looks great except the LARGE plastic front bumper has gotten scratched up, paint pealing only on the plastic from off-road use and pressure-washing. A black vortex coating may be the answer! I would remove the bumper to get it sanded and coated properly.
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On 11/29/2025 at 11:03 AM, taylor.coyote said:
… our heater works hard to get the cabin temperature above 65 degree (starting at 55 degrees inside). We find 65 comfortable but concerned about heating when it's 25 degrees outside. Is this normal? please share your heatings experience.
Original owner replaced the Suburban furnace with an Atwood, so ours is somewhat different.
It works great, coming up to temp in a few minutes. So, if you set yours to 70F, will it not get there? We set ours at 64F overnight, comfortable sleeping temp, but I often bump it up to 68-70 in the evening when I feel cold.
I also did duct work. Removed the duct under the beds, removed the furnace outlet facing the rear, so that greater airflow would be in the proper direction. The air out of the kitchen duct is HOT to the touch and now we get decent heat to the bathroom.
Does the heated air at the kitchen duct feel HOT? Do you feel good heat outside at the exhaust? Hard to determine cause from afar…
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On 11/28/2025 at 2:30 PM, Geronimo John said:
A farm back-hoe bucket worked best for our Houghton install.
I had a great Kubota with front-end loader 20+ years ago when we lived in N VA.
But not anymore!
We just installed our new Greenland Inverter A/C. It did not seem as heavy as advertised and much less weight than the Dometic P2 we removed!
My son Adam and I carried the new unit onto a stand I positioned near the scaffolding at the rear of the Oliver. Another lift got it up head-height and onto the scaffolding. Then we climbed up and one more lift from the scaffold flooring to the roof of the Oliver. Easy Peasy!
I had raised the scaffold platform another 6” from where it’s pictured and raised the upper bar to be level with the roofline to provide a temporary holding position. I also placed a towel on the roof since we just had it ceramic coated.
We slid it on the towel. Then I went inside as Adam stayed outside for a final adjustment. I found it already 2" further up than needed. I lifted the A/C and pulled the towel down through the opening. The two of us pulled it back a little and wiggled it until the 4 corner bolts lined up nicely. Took 15 minutes at most with the scaffolding already in place.
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I put some caulk UNDER not around the furnace frame and none around the windows. Looks much better now!
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On 11/15/2025 at 9:42 AM, Mountainman198 said:
I can confirm this, having removed and replaced a bathroom window. Proper (and judicious) application of butyl rope compressed between exterior window frame and hull is what keeps water out. A THIN application of caulk is all that is needed at the outside edge of the window frame.
I'm going with NO silicone after spending many HOURS removing all the caulk on caulk spread aimlessly through the years. Compare this picture to the ones above! And notice all the CR@P on the ground, never again! 😎
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3 hours ago, topgun2 said:
Any idea of what the ceramic guy used for the coating? Bill
Sorry I don’t. Didn’t ask any trade secrets and I’d never do this myself. I figure I’ll just let ‘er get dirty and bring it back for an “annual!”
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On 11/27/2025 at 2:36 PM, Geronimo John said:
If so, do we need all the above tools for just physically checking the drum brakes?
You’d need the smaller snap-ring pliers, a 1 7/16” socket and breaker bar to service the brakes. Then a torque wrench at 150# to reinstall. Dexter via Alcan replied the spindle nuts are reusable. Easy job, no grease to mess with! 😎
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Cave Creek Regional Park, our 3rd visit! Site #9 is the best spot in the park!
Better yet, @ChristianD will stop by soon to meet. They live only 15 min away. 😂
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On 11/10/2025 at 1:09 PM, Geronimo John said:
JD: You sure don't fool around when doing a project. Congrats! Looking forward to the finished project this summer.GJ
John, my good friend! I’ve been away from this forum and very busy! Like my new theme? (grey accents to match our graphics and tow vehicle).
Found a local guy. He brought back our pasty 10-year-old hull to looking factory fresh again! Didn’t cost near the CGI advertised price. 😎
I was cleaning and painting parts while it was in the shop and it took me 2 long days to install everything including the new A/C (I removed the old unit, temporarily patched the 14x14” opening so the detailer could clean everything up top!).
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@Gene G. Most here have gone to Epoch (15% OFF ended yesterday! 🙃) or LiTime. Search for these keywords.
Install new batteries, get rid of extra wires in bay in preference of new internal busses. Change charger configuration or replace charger for LiFePO4 type. That’s all.
I installed 600 Ah Epoch summer of 2024. Just purchased on sale another 300 Ah Epoch Essential and soon we will have 900 Ah snug in the bay! 😎
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Where’s Ollie?
in Campgrounds & Parks
Posted · Edited by jd1923
We entered from the east, Hwy AZ-87 to Cline Cabin Rd to FS 124 then 401. Dirt as soon as you leave AZ-87 and it's a long way to Four Peaks. We drove about 6 miles to where we camped. This route and the one via El Oso Rd both go all the way to the wilderness area. It would take a good 2 hours on dirt to go the whole way! "The Rolls OHV Area" is on this route which was fine for an overnight, but even though we did dirt riding for 20 years, I do NOT like to camp with engine noises and the dirt in the air the OHV creates! Perhaps El OSO is better? It's a shorter run off AZ Hwy-188.