jd1923

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

Thanks, me too so I've not noticed the green. I too like to know when to refill the first tank!

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.

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.

🤣 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!

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.

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.

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!

It looks like @Geronimo John and I were thinking alike and writing at the same time! Great minds… 🤣

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-chart More 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

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. 😂

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

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! 😂

If label is missing or hard to read, look at the backside of the wheels. If the drum brakes backing plate shows it is bolted on in a 4-bolt square pattern, you have 3500# axles and 10” brakes. If you see 5 bolts in a pentagon pattern, you have 5200# axles with 12” brakes. Good to check, just to be sure, in case of mis-labeling!

I believe you meant you replaced the 3500# axles with 10" brakes (on 4-bolt backing plates) to 5200# rated axles that have 12" brakes on 5 bolts backing plates. The 5-bolt backing plate takes the larger 12" drum brakes or disc brakes like @ScubaRx has, which are not available on the 4-bolt platform. I'd upgrade for the better brakes more so than the Nev-R-Lube feature (someday).

I’ve never seen a generator catch on fire. I would not want a gasoline model on a trailer and don’t use generators anymore. Built-in ones are always LP.

My suggestion is that you join a Ford F150 forum to ask this question where there is specific towing expertise for your truck. That’s what I do for my TV. I’m a member of the Cummins Forum and the wealth of their experience is amazing. On a Ford truck forum you can certainly read the experiences of many F150 owners that have installed and used all of the aftermarket suspension helpers that you are considering. Best wishes an hope this helps!

Love the fox! It was the perfect snow, snowing while we were sleeping. It only stuck to soft surfaces since two days ago it was 60F and the streets and sidewalks were well above freezing. This never happened when we lived in the Midwest, LOL! We did shovel the decks to keep the redwood in good shape and we took a truly enjoyable late afternoon walk! 😂

Where’s Ollie? She’s in the snow! Not a biggie for many of you, but our first snowfall of this very dry season. Got 4” overnight but already half melted with temps near 40F now. Would be gone already if the sun had come out today!

What’s outside in open air is not monitored. Had a Class A and C, both had Onans. They are frame mounted in a cavity that has no openings to the interior, exhaust piped out a few inches. If you have an external LP leak in your Oliver, your monitor will not sense it. Those of us who have had a leak knows, the nose knows! 🤣 Ours had a leak when a rear Alum weld broke on the frame where the LP line is connected.