jd1923
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Posts posted by jd1923
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26 minutes ago, Galileo said:
Is that an Oliver-approved modification?
Frame/chassis designed (warranted) to carry that increased load?
I saw a recall come out a while ago that some LEIIs left the factory with 5,600# Bulldog couplers. (Ours is the correct 7,000# one) I’m assuming the folks who have upgraded their springs and brakes have also upgraded their couplers?
I'm not the warranty worry type and ours is long out of warranty! What is your warranty end-date? Your hull now being about 3 years old. I did not mention the bulldog before, but if you added two 5200 LB axles (which your hull may already have) and say the Alcan leafs that many have added (rated at 2750 LBS ea, 11K total) AND a 12,500 LB rated Bulldog coupler and 2 5/16" ball, you can certainly go over to 10K LBS (unless you really think the Oliver frame would be the weak link). Let's ask Steve to chime in! 🤣
@ScubaRx has all these upgrades including trailer disc brakes and I'll betcha his hull has been running well over 7K, closer to 10K GTW, for longer than a decade!
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3 minutes ago, Galileo said:
Sure, I could tank up and carry the 632 # ((32+32+15)*8) but that’s 632# less gold bars, guns, and ammo I can carry!
You can rationalize re not ever needing water while on the road, but where are your numbers coming from? There is no such 32+32+15 gallons in our trailers since it is impossible to have FWT, gray and black tanks all simultaneously 100% full! When you use the 32 gal FWT it empties from there to fill the others. We (Mike who replied, I and so many others ) would suggest you should carry some water or someday you'll be sorry. You could fill the FWT adding 32G weighing 266 LBS total. Or you could half fill it, for emergency use only, adding just 133 LBS to your GTW. Pick your poison! 🤣
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As I mentioned, I prefer not to add displays where unnecessary. This is the readout on my Epoch app today. The app is free to download.
I’m presently using 1.8A as she sits. It’s snowing this afternoon, and I rarely plug into shore power, so no sun no charging. Our Victron inverter/charger takes 1A on standby which I leave on 24x7. We also keep outside Courtesy Lights on (0.3A) and parasitic draw another 0.5A. This app is all you really need and perhaps Xantrex and/or Zamp apps. Love the apps! You cannot read a mounted display while towing or sitting at home.
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8 hours ago, tallmandan said:
With the 15% off sale that just started on Epoc lithium batteries, I'm considering upgrading my AGMs in my 2020 LEII now rather than waiting on their inevitible decline. I'm not an engineer or and electrician so I'd like to follow the "keep it simple" principle and do it myself. I know there have been several threads here about lithium upgrades and most seem to be extensive with new Victron equipment. It seems I could keep all of my current system and simply replace the batteries and reprogram my inverter and solar charger...I think...
I have the Xantrex Freedom XC 2000W and Zamp ZS-30A solar controller
I'm considering either a single 460aH V2 or two of the 300aH Essential batteries from Epoch.
So can I ask the advice of the incredible brain-trust here --?
- I think 460aH seems enough for what we do but would the two 300aH be worth the extra cost and still be easy to install/manage without additional equipment?
- I don't have a battery disconnect switch in my 2020 LEII so the built-in on/off switch on the 460aH battery is appealing and I wouldn't need a smart shunt...is that correct?
- The 460aH V2 battery comes with a nice wired remote state-of-charge display monitor. Has anyone installed this in your Oliver and where/how did you do it?
- Any other considerations or modifications that I would/should consider still under the "keep it simple" principle?
Apologize for yet another lithium upgrade post - but I thought this may be valuable to many other owners with aging AGMs like me. Thanks in advance for your advice!
Good thought to buy now. This sale will likely repeat, but most often it is 10% OFF. I have worked a complete upgrade of our Oliver to Victron but will keep this simple.
Two 300AH Epoch Essentials fit nicely fit (see pic). Only one 460AH will fit so upgrade possibilities are limited. Unless you're ever considering an inverter upgrade to run A/C for a few hours on inverter, you are correct in thinking 460AH is all you need and double the usable AH in what you have presently in lead acid batteries.
All you need to do is:
1) Install the new batteries in the battery bay. A cut-off switch is preferred by some who park their Oliver in covered storage. I prefer to not add extra connections. I go without and merely remove the negative battery cable when necessary.
2) You need to reconfigure (software setup) both your Xantrex and Zamp SC for LiFePO4 batteries. This is usually simple yet tedious. There are others here who have done so. I have not owned either product but worked the same for our Victron and Blue Sky chargers.
3) I was not aware that the "460aH V2 battery comes with a nice wired remote state-of-charge display monitor." My Epoch Essentials 300AH batteries did not. I can see battery State-of-Charge (SOC) % and +/- Amp usage in both my Victron and Epoch Bluetooth Apps. I use no displays, so nothing is installed into the walls of our inner hull.Hope this helps! Best wishes, JD
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2 hours ago, Galileo said:
Aside from not caring to tote around water to get stale and start growing things, my major reason is the 600 plus pounds you’re starting, stopping, and supporting with your RV and TV suspension.
The Oliver is made to carry this weight, up to 7,000 LBS and several members here have upgraded axles/brakes and leaf springs to carry 10,400 LBS. Hate to play engineer on you, but 600 LBS is 72 gallons of water. I carry that much weight in water but you can't (32G FWT, 6G, 3G plumbing and 35G in our extra FWT in the truck bed). That's 76 gallons which comes to 633 LBS and I have calculate I can carry this weight and have 1300 LBS available GVW between our Oliver at 6500 LBS and another 800 LBS we could put in our truck bed.
Say you filled your FWT and primed the plumbing, you'd have 35 gallons on board. Use some of it and if some is in the gray or black tanks (unless compost) matters not. I see you have on-demand hot water. This is under 300 LBS. Half fill the tank for 150 LBS.
If you run into bad weather you can stop-over for a night or two. If you break down, you can live in your trailer while waiting for a roadside repair. You may learn to 'roll' differently at some point. Full of water and batteries charge, we can live in relative luxury for 5 days until the gray needs dumping and over 10 for the black and our batteries will never be low unless I was to run A/C for a few hours. About a dozen Oliver owners dry-camped the Q this winter. @rich.dev was out there for months w/o hook-ups! Living out West you're not enjoying camping if only staying at campsites! 🤣
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1 hour ago, Galileo said:
Will prolly just set it up so that it tees into the “city water” line with a shut/off so the whole she/bang can be pulled out and taken indoors.
If one doesn’t look at ALL the information on winterizing, they wouldn’t know about flushing the city water and fresh water tank fill lines, nor the San-T-flush lines. I hadn’t been doing that. -Luckily- where our camper lives during the winter rately freezes. Like I said - lucky.
Yes, good idea. You could mount the RO system to a metal stand that is small enough to slide into the rear basement/trunk area with quick disconnects to the water line. You are certainly hung up on that City Water line, so keep in mind you would not have RO water when taking a lunch break on the road and of course not when dry camping or whenever not connected to a hose.
Personally, I could not fathom living fulltime in an Oliver ALWAYS requiring hookups. Last trip out, I left our water tanks empty thinking there was good water at our first campsite. Wanted to use the toilet and wash up during a rest stop and we couldn't. First and last time we ever leave home without our fresh tank full, HWH full and all plumbing lines primed!
Many of us think of the four (4) water lines that need to be free of water when below freezing (City Water, Fresh Water, Boondocking inlet and Black tank rinse). One reason I use compressed air vs. the nasty pink stuff. This is my procedure. I added step 13 from input from another owner, but I've never used plumbing antifreeze anywhere in any RV. Plumbing P-traps can freeze without harm since they are not a contained system and can simply expand upwards when freezing, like making ice cubes in a tray.
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Who's ready for ne LiFePO4? Got an email on this today, 15% OFF Epoch!
https://www.epochbatteries.com/collections/rv-van-camper-lithium-batteries-
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18 hours ago, Tideline77 said:
Can SDG reconcile the suburban furnace thermostat function on the install?
SDG includes an new thermostat that they would install. Ron in the thread above has shown how the original Dometic thermostat can be rewired for furnace only. The Atmos is controlled by the surface panel or remote.
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On 2/24/2025 at 10:36 AM, jd1923 said:
For the long black cable an easy way to run it is to first remove the old inner cable. Then cut the old cable sheath at the area under the streetside bed. Insert the new cable through the outside opening and feed it into the sheath and use electrical tape to keep them together. Then detach the old sheath from the waste valve and pull it through from there. This way it will run exactly where the old cable was with minimal effort and neck strain! Another 20-30 minutes of work for me when we return from our short trip.
Worked this step yesterday. The new cable pulled into place as written above. See picture, taken under the streetside bed. On the left is the new cable. On the right is the cut-off sheath of the old cable. Then I pushed these two sides together, taped them together with electrical tape, and it pulled through nicely.
Don't forget to put the nut on the new cable before pulling this! Now the entire waste valve system is restored. The rebuilt gray is a feather-lite pull and push. The black still takes a little tug, due to the 144" cable and the 180 degree turn at the end, but it is much better than before. We should be good for many more years to come.
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23 hours ago, Galileo said:
Last year or so - when everything seemed to go from USB-A to USB-C,
I replaced the double USB-A with these since we have both kinds of cords:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B1DHNLDS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1-
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10 hours ago, MAX Burner said:
just doesn't have the available space.
I was questioning the idea of a RO system in the Oliver, but Given @Galileo now lives fulltime in an Oliver, I certainly now understand the need. The obvious space is the back basement area. The water lines are there where you could add a 'T' to the RO system and then plumb a line to a countertop spigot.
You'd want it far back so the remaining area is still usable for storage. The issue is getting back there to install and later to change filters. You either must have real narrow shoulders to fit in or perhaps the furnace could be removed for the installation.
I was thinking of building in water filtration there but after advice from @SeaDawg I went with a portable unit that I use when filling our tanks. First pic shows the idea and the second pic shows what I ended up with. I used Clear Source filters and housings. Their parts are cheaper compared to their $400+ RV filter systems. This was intended for better bath and kitchen water on the road. We do not drink the stored water.
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2 hours ago, Galileo said:
I love it when my head spins…
Im always a little gun-shy about digging into new or relatively new pieces of equipment. With my old beater cars and trucks, I’d be hard-pressed to screw them up worse than they are.
So - assuming I can figure out all the wiring (I think I can, I think in can!) the main concern I have is proper support if the outside part of the unit.
I THINK I read that @Ronbrink cut some piece of supplied foam in half, apparently doubled it up, and that supported the end of the unit. Did I read that right? I think I also understand that OTT changed the roof design at some point, so older/newer hulls need/don’t need additional effort to support the unit?
Once that issue is put to bed, the other is the thermostat. I really don’t care for the capacitive thermostat that came with our unit (“hate” is such an ugly word) so I’d like to just go with the remote that comes with the new A/C. I’d probably even install a more straightforward one to run the remaining furnace. (Unless/until I decide to replace THAT unit as well.)
Val, if I was you and wanted this upgrade…
Given you’re a full timer and travel frequently to Chicago, why not go to the supplier SDG in Elkhart and have them install it?
I’m too far away and with rising costs, have to save the money by installing it myself. Also like Ron, I have all the time needed to do the install, leave things half done for a week or two and we have full workshops and tools. SDG would install in one day!
Mike @rideadeuce went to SDG as I’m suggesting. Search for ‘Atmos’ to find his post. Best wishes, JD
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13 hours ago, Galileo said:
Anyway, it’s the contraption that is supposed to automatically switch tanks when the primary one runs out of gas. I never use that function as I don’t wanna end up with both tanks empty because it switched and didn’t tell me.
Thanks, me too so I've not noticed the green. I too like to know when to refill the first tank!
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10 hours ago, Galileo said:
I suppose if you’re the “Hitch up a go!” kinda guy, then have solar and/or a lot of battery capacity would be more important. These days, we don’t head off -anywhere- without a reservation with at least electricity. We did a “Harvest host” overnight once just for the heck of it. We survived. Yeah, “technically” we can get by without any hookups for at least a few days, but we just like the ability to watch TV - more importantly - run our espresso machine - without needing a huge ($$$) lithium battery bank and a big ($$$) inverter.
We've planned most of our trips while we like more open land and less staying at campsites, NO RV Parks unless we need to be in the city. Longest trip to date is 3 1/2 weeks and from late May to early July we're leaving for 5-6 weeks and I'm not even sure of our route yet, let alone reservations. Like Bill suggested, we prefer the 2-legged carbon forms to be over 500 ft away. Out here 500 ft away from the road, water source and neighbors, and you can shoot guns, drop gray water and take an outdoor shower without looking over your shoulder! 🤣
Purchased our older hull which came with 320W rooftop Solar, a 2KW Xantrex inverter and 450AH of relatively new LA batteries. We ran coffee machines, microwave, streaming TV many hours day and night, NP. But that wasn't good enough. Goal now is to have a high efficiency A/C that can run 3-4 hours on inverted power, no generator.
So I upgraded our entire electrical system with a 3KVA Victron Multiplus II Inverter/Charger on 600AH Epoch LiFePO4 batteries, added a Victron MPPT 30A solar charger for a 400W Renogy suitcase in addition to the OEM Blue Sky charger for the rooftop panels. I've purchased a Victron Orion XS 50 DC-D charger and as soon as I can get over my latest pickleball injury, I will run the cable and get this system installed. With addition of the Atmos A/C this April, I will be able to run air using under 10A 120VAC.
Although admittedly I overdid it! I'd rather make these long-term investments than spend money on a generator or full hookup campsites. I wish there were more campgrounds that have room for 23 ft trailers without hookups. Half the time we have hookups, I don't bother connecting. We just don't need to most of the time.
I just added up everything we spent for solar tax credit purposes. Yay, got my taxes done yesterday! For the inverter, LiFePO4, Solar suitcase and charger, DC-DC charger, high-output truck alternator and every switch, length of wire, wrap, lugs, terminals, buses, fuses, beakers etc. it came to $5,379. Given I sold the used batteries and inverter, net cost is $4,800. What does OTT charge for their Platinum package? (which does not include near half of these components and capability.) Don't forget 100 hours free labor from this tech! 🤣
@Galileo Val, where do you live and travel mainly? Those of you who live east certainly cannot boondock readily as we do out west.
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25 minutes ago, Galileo said:
I think it would be more useful than the cell phone booster. I don’t even think that thing does anything.
Deleted the booster and the front camera when I removed the Sat dish and did fiberglass work to fill all the holes and clean up the top front of our hull.
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1 hour ago, Galileo said:
Not one to enjoy TOO much adventure, I may just travel the path more heavily travelled.
🤣 me too! Wow, 3700 miles oneway from here to Anchorage. Really a long trip for those of you who live SE! If we were to adventure up, I think we would take the ferry for one leg.
Check out what Apple Maps shows when I looked up the route. Take your pick Severe Weather, High Winds or Flood Warning. Obviously it’s too early in the season to drive up that far north!
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52 minutes ago, Galileo said:
Probably a good mod for one of our owners who like to improve things.
I believe the mod you suggested, a switch has been added by a few owners with mentions in these pages. I tend to believe the more you make it difficult for a thief, the more damage you will have when he’s done doing his mischief! Jack up or down doesn’t matter, or the fancy hitch locks, when all they have to do is wrap a chain around it to drag it away.
Not a big market for hot Oliver parts! Maybe with a Winnebago or Airstream we would have more worries.
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10 minutes ago, Galileo said:
They may well be LP fueled now, but I’d wager that there are at least a few 70’s-80’s vintage Onan-equipped RVs out there that were gasoline powered.
I suppose on a trailer, LP would be the obvious fuel. Motorhomes - the gas tank is -right- there….
This rings a bell and I stand corrected, thanks Val. Now I remember an RV we had was gas and when the fuel tank was 1/4 full or less it would stop feeding fuel to the generator. Likely a lot of RV generators are gas. For trailer use, pouring gas is messy and a safety hazard, like Ron wrote, LP is cleaner/easier for his small generator.
I'm glad to be generator-free now. There was a time with only two lead-acid batteries that I would have to run the generator in the afternoon to recharge them every couple of days, running a small inverter without any solar.
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2 hours ago, JT Long said:
I could then use the OEM Starlink 12V/USB cable kit to bring power from the 12V power port in the attic to the SmartPlug port and the other ethernet jack to connect to my Beryl AX router…
I think this will work and might be a cheaper solution. I would need to install a USB C port in the attic for the Beryl AX router.
You have 12VDC in the attic and adding a USB-C port is easy enough.
What @Snackchaser Geoff was suggesting is that his powered solution and the device you suggested earlier would boost voltage for a longer distance cable run.
Part of me says forget the extra length and mount the Mini on the roof of my truck right next to the Parsec cell antenna! 60+ days out camping so far, only a few days were in the woods and 50’ away, we’d still be in the woods! Most of our camping will always be in the SW where tall trees start at 7K ft elevation. I could always move the truck too since Wi-Fi distance on the Parsec antenna is over 100 ft. Keep us posted on your install!
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It looks like @Geronimo John and I were thinking alike and writing at the same time! Great minds… 🤣
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10 hours ago, TravelWell said:
Word on camper websites is that the 80 psi tires have a thin sidewall. Wouldn't it be better to have a 110 rim and 110 psi tire? When I buy mine, I will be going down some bumpy dirt roads and truly off-gridding.
The simple answer is NO, and since when does an E-rated LT tire have thin sidewalls? Please do not take advice from Overlanders, Van-Life or or Rock-Crawler types! 🤣
The Oliver is simply a 7K LB rated trailer. Ours weighs in at 6500 LB and 40 PSI is enough according to pressure-weight tables, so I go with 45 PSI. Yes, OTT suggests even more pressure for legal reasons, since not everybody checks tire pressure each time out.
https://tirepressure.org/lt-metric-tire-load-inflation-chartMore pressure AND more plies in the tire construction makes the tire stiffer, the ride harsher, which is not helpful to Oliver trailer systems. Many owners have drawers and cabinets opening, which is a sign, but a stiff ride also causes real damage. You want a softer ride, in fact the E-rated tire is already too stiff. Most 7K trailers run on ST tires. Many Oliver owners have run the OEM tires at 80 PSI because that's what the label says on the side of our older hull and that's what OTT used to spec which was very wrong.
Like you, we very often go, "down some bumpy dirt roads and truly off-gridding." There are more wash-board roads where we live and travel than most of you. You need strength in the drive tires on your tow vehicle, but the trailer should glide slowly over the rough terrain as much as possible. Think, why do off-road types air down when the terrain is rough? (to make them soft and flexible for better traction). And based on your location, cold weather also makes tires stiffer!
We owned a class-C where a prior owner install G-rated 12-ply tires instead of the spec for Load Range-E. The ride was horrible. Every time the front tires hit grooves on the highway (almost everywhere) the front-end felt like it was being hit with a 100 LB hammer!
Another example - we own a Lexus GX AWD truck. I added a 2-inch lift and suspension goodies. This truck comes OEM with P-rated tires (P for passenger). I wanted LT tires for our dirt roads. Everybody goes with an E-rated tire which makes sense if you are always pressuring down and crawling rocks but we are on city roads and highway 90% of the time. I purchased a Cooper AT tire because I could get the size I needed in a Load Range-C which is stronger than the P-rated tire but not stiff and harsh as E-rated. We run at only 32 PSI (not towing) and the truck glides down most roads. LOVE the ride and was so happy with this purchase decision!
I will likely replace our Oliver tires with Range-C tires when the time comes, since it is all we need and the Oliver will ride more smoothly at lower pressures. We only need 45 PSI, not 80 and certainly not 110 PSI.
BTW, welcome to the OTT Forum and congrats on your first post! I hope that my explanation helps! JD
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Thank you @JT Long and @Snackchaser. We have the “Speed Demon” kit also from MobileMustHave. The Pepwave modem runs on 12VDC too, installed in our tow vehicle. So far we are only connecting by cellular antenna. Something like this is in our future, connecting a powered-up Starlink Mini to the WAN port of the modem. 😂
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6 hours ago, Steve Morris said:
The entire garage is on one 20A breaker, with two wall outlets…
Steve, you should add an electrical sub-panel for your garage. You can replace the 20A double breaker with a 60A. Run 8 AWG wire from there to an inexpensive 60A panel. Buy a panel kit that includes some 15A or 20A breakers.
Try to separate the wiring to freezer, etc. to separate breakers in the new panel wherever possible. You could add a 30A breaker and a 30A RV outlet on an outer garage wall. You have 150A service, so this is possible for about $200 at the Depot.
I’ve added sub-panels for 2 outbuildings, our spa, and one in the kitchen so that we can have the fridge, microwave and air-fryer all on separate 20A breakers.
You can bring your home out of the 70s. Ours was built in 1980, but I learned in the 90s, on my first project, a 1943 farmhouse with a pole barn that needed power. One new sub-panel is a good weekend project after some good planning. Best wishes, JD
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57 minutes ago, John and Debbie said:
Lew wrote back that it's 916.83 for each axle.
John
If that’s left to right, new 12” brakes, bearings everything… that’s decent.
If that includes their installation labor that’s a very good price! 😂
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Epoc Lithium "Keep-It-Simple" Upgrade Advice
in Ollie Modifications
Posted
We use The LevelMatePRO app while backing into a campsite! Can't live without our LevelMatePRO, VictronConnect, Epoch Batteries, Ruuvi Station and Mopeka LP tank sensors and Apps!