jd1923

Question is Tom, would additional adhesive work, when it did not work the first time? (Can I say, what a lame glue job OTT! 🤣) When I installed our Victron inverter, I had seen installations on this forum using a vertical mounting board and adhesives which made me worry. That's a lot of weight to to be glued to a wall of a travel trailer! I decided to build a shelf sitting on the floor below and after the inverter was in place, I used anchors and strapping to hold it against the wall (see pics). You should see if you can move the inverter up and out of the way and see if building a floor-mounted shelf would work in your hull. Pull the battery ground or turn a shut-off switch before moving or removing your inverter. In the meantime if you must travel, stuff some insulation on both sides of the inverter to keep it from moving!

Cool project! What model fridge are you installing? In our Oliver, I replaced the vent under the bed with a filter housing. I had to make the opening a little wider in both directions and found the fiberglass cut easily with my DeWalt cordless jigsaw using a fine steel blade (see pics). Cutting the fiberglass should be easy as long as the base of a jigsaw can fit and sit level on the taped fiberglass. You may have to use a sawzall in the corners which is not as easy to control and cut in a clean straight line. Looks like there is ducting or something under the fridge base, so you may not get a full 3" there. I would work below first. Not much room up above either! You will likely need to "combine the two" approaches. Maybe make the base about 2" lower and cut 1" in the fiberglass above. Keep us posted!

This is not true. You can certainly double-up grounds. I would double up the lighter gauge yellow wires, 2 per screw-down which can give you many available spaces in the negative bus. I did this on ours after adding a new longer negative bus. I'm not familiar with your 12VDC fuse panel pictured. Our much older hull has 12VDC fuses and 120VAC breakers integrated in one combined panel. To see if this is grounded correctly, use the continuity setting on a multi-meter. Touch this negative bus with one probe and touch the main negative bus (with all the yellow wires) with the other probe. If you hear the alert sound for continuity then this bus is properly connected to the battery negative post and can be used for any negative 12V wire. If the unused bus is not grounded (connected to B- in a 12V system), you can ground it by running a 6 or 8 AWG wire to connect the two negative buses. I would not count on a frame ground in a trailer or RV electrical system. All 12V negative wiring must terminate at negative battery terminal. In an automotive system, the negative battery terminal is grounded to the steel frame. Positive +12V wires can be wired to positive buses connected to the battery + terminal. Negative -12V wires (some use the word "ground" but "negative" is correct) can be wired to positive buses connected to the battery - terminal.

I drilled one 4" hole and five 3" holes for closet/bathroom vents and to vent an oven that replaced our microwave. I just used a new high-quality standard hole saw, likely it was carbide steel, not diamond. I did not bother to tape using a hole-saw. It really doesn't help anything. I do tape when using a jigsaw since the base can cause surface marring. In some places the fiberglass is thin, like the 1/8" stated at the pantry. In some places it's double-layered and a plug about 3/4" could be removed. Use a low-speed and a clutch setting on your drill since large hole saws will catch when very slightly off angle. The clutch will save your wrist and the work surface since it will slip when catching vs. jumping. It's late July, so summer is here another 6 weeks and it's hot everywhere. Our weather has been a little cooler for a few days now, but I'm working a brake job this weekend regardless with my son on his '97 T100. We don't have the choice to wait for cooler weather! Two weeks ago, it was my truck and my garage was 105F in the afternoons, fortunately without your humidity. A floor fan helped, lot's of water and electrolytes! Working in the Oliver? NP, just turn on the A/C! I installed my new inverter/charger and moved all the wiring that was under the streetside bed to under the rear dinette seat during July 2024. It was 100+ in my garage and a cool 75F inside the Oliver! 🤣

We generally see more of the frost-proof hydrant style (an example pictured below) which do not have these restricting smaller orifices. I have seen some launch water 30 feet though the air, even through our filter system which also has 3/4" fittings. I've measured over 5 GPM flow rates at many campsites, but I've seen as bad as 0.5 GPM rates at others, waiting forever to fill our FWT! We fill the fresh tank and run from the fresh tank since we are more often boondocking and are not used to using the City Water connection. We just want to fill the empty FWT quickly! I promise you, the fresh tank can be filled faster with a greater diameter hose at many hookups. Also, our 35-gallon extra tank onboard the TV has 3/4" ID fittings at the tank outlet. If I was to draw water with a 1/2" hose it would take considerably longer. 50 feet of 1/2" hose will create more back-pressure, working the pump harder, than a single point orifice or the 5 ft of 1/2 plumbing internal to the Oliver to the pump. And if I was to try the hoses suggested here that compress or flatten, pulling water through the boondocking inlet would not work at all! 🤣 Nice and handy, just not usable for our needs!

Any explanation of where the wax came from?

Bluetooth dead on one? Maybe Epoch tech support can reload app or replace battery. The non-communicative battery is likely OK. If worried, disconnect cables and see if both batteries show good voltage. It’s more than likely there, working as should be, just not sending a Bluetooth signal.

Lotta money, why 1/2” ID?

I would not have an 1/2” ID hose. It’s like having a built in water restrictor! You want 5/8” with 3/4” fittings, min. Commercial hoses are 3/4” end-to-end. Per Ron, get the gray if you gotta have this brand!

Me too. Copied some who posted here. I purchased one 4” vent (over closet door) like others had, then went with 3” vents on the rest. I like how the upper closet vent lights up the entrance when the closet light is on. Make sure your drill is on a clutch setting!

We use a 35 ft rigid hose to get from our truck bed to the Boondocking inlet! (when hitched) Here I used only the 25’ hose since I had backed closer. Not carrying those little water jugs! We fill about 18 gallons at a time, every 3-5 days, half our 35-gal storage tank. Filled up this morning while breaking camp (in the rain) and dropped some gray which is allowed in our remote NF location. Ready for our next camp!

Drove us crazy, June in Wyoming and Colorado with temps in the 90s! We had to pay for electric to run the noisy Dometic A/C! It's 60F here today, 10AM at 8910 FT. Was a low of 48F at dawn and a forecasted high of only 64F today, got to 73F yesterday. It breaks all stereotypes of Arizona weather! Love it, love wearing wool socks, shirts and hats!

Don't forget Hawaii! 😂

God’s country with great people and taking time to enjoy! Chris calls this camp “Our Place!” We hiked today and found 2-3 backup campsites down our small FS road, with great views along the way!

If it wasn’t for my bad directions, mountain rains, wet dirt roads and no cell reception at 8900+ ft in the Arizona White Mountains, we would have had three Ollies together! The next day, we spent the day together at our camp. Picture by Art with Diane, then John & Chris and John pictured. @MAX Burner, @jd1923 and @Geronimo John all in one place… Priceless!

Correct, but not for just a small few of us who need to pull water (vs. push) though the Boondocking inlet. When a hose shrinks or flattens it cannot be used as a suction line. We just had a thread on this subject.

Keep in mind, flat hoses and other compact hoses recommended do not work for filling the fresh tank via the boondocking port. Something we do often, filling from our extra 35-gal fresh tank in the pickup bed. When pulling water by suction you need a rigid hose, one that will NOT shrink or flatten. We go with the standard Camco hose. 35 ft is what's needed to get from our truck to the boondocking inlet when hitched. I had a 25' hose so purchased a 10' hose which is great alone when we have water hookup at a campground. They are firm and many complain about rolling them up. I roll in big loops and it fits in the Oliver Trunk and unwinds nicely. Good reviews on this Amazon item: https://www.amazon.com/Camco-TastePURE-Heavy-Duty-Construction-22843/dp/B004VHXS20/?th=1

What the trip computer reported in Austin traffic carrying that weight for that short period of time. Yes, the average would be better. The Prius carries 1-2 people to work efficiently but far less efficient carrying much extra weight. That's why I prefer a 2WD long-bed full size pickup. On identical models the 2WD truck will sit lower and the steering and suspension by design are more stable (though it's difficult to source high-end aftermarket parts). The long bed provides a longer wheelbase which also provides for more stable towing. We climb a lot of sketchy dirt roads out here, with only 2WD towing our Oliver. Some Oliver owners who have visited here recently could vouch for that! Just keep your rear wheels over good dirt and you be fine! 🤣

The following example took place 10 years ago, and perhaps hybrids are better today. At a job in Austin, 4 of us big guys 800+ LBS total, went out to lunch together a few times a week. One guy had a Prius and he bragged about MPG when commuting! When the 4 of us, packed in like sardines, went out to lunch in the Prius, the onboard trip computer showed an insulting 12 MPG, equal to an old 80s carbureted pickup truck! 🤣 On lunch days when I drove our 2014 VW Passat TDI, getting 38 MPG commuting daily with no measurable difference with 4 big guys onboard, seated comfortably! When we moved from TX to S Fl, Chris drove the Passat alone while I pulled a cargo trailer with the Ram Cummins. We packed every cu ft of the Passat, passenger side, back seats and trunk full. We got 45 MPG highway the whole trip one way! I’ve had 2500 series diesel trucks for 22 years now and will continue to do so.

The highest number I ever got was a reading of 367W for a few minutes! Was I limited by the 30A SC or will a 400W panel actually get greater than 90% the advertised number in real world usage? Let us know if you get 450W readings with your new setup. To get this number the panels were lined up to the angle of the sun as close as possible. Then a cloud comes by and it’s reading 220W. Later the alignment was off and it’s reading 260W. Given ONLY near perfect alignment and dry sunny Arizona sky will get over 300W, the 30A SC is enough. Could be enough for a 450W panel too but the 50A would produce more in perfect conditions. Of all the mods I’ve made, adding the Renogy 400W solar suitcase, extension solar cables and internal wiring, the Victron MPPT SC has been our least used mod, wished I had saved the money, close to $800 total. It is only useful when staying in one location, without electric, for a week or more. When moving more often it’s unnecessary because of the following - We spent less money on our Victron Orion XS 50A DC-DC Charger and it pays for itself everyday we tow adding +35Ah on average every hour on the road, rain or shine! No fuss, muss, just attach the DC-DC cable when you hitch up! (panel setup is a pain!)

Me too. Sales low due to being ugly and it’s just not a pickup! Where do you load 20 sheets of drywall? 🤣

The Life is Good collection is available at Ouray Emporium. A few doors down the street is Mouse Chocolates. We had to go there both days in town! Get some Scrap Cookies 😂 at a deal and a morsel of chocolate at the going price.

Ollie #113 is on way to meet new friends tomorrow! We were here just 2 weeks ago. Was our last stop on the way home, and this time our first stop on the way out, 3 1/2 hours from home. Great place! Last time we bought two nice samples of finished Pertrifed Wood. Wonderful Mother & Daughter running the shop! Free Parking on the east side of the park road. $25 for electric on the other side. And if your comin’ here, don’t take my corner spot! 🤣 Nice pics, huh?

You would have a good margin of safety with that (450 / 12 = 37.5A) and you would not hit the 100V limit either. I went with the Victron MPPT 100|30 for our Renogy 400W suitcase. Thinking 30 x 12 = 360W and this number is the highest I've seen (for a few seconds), most often getting between 200-300W from 400W panels. https://cleversolarpower.com/what-size-mppt-controller/

We were just there 3 weeks ago! It’s been drought out West for a couple years now. We got our first rain this week since last fall!