jd1923

I'm home working, leading virtual class 10AM - 2:30PM on May 12-13. You end up with some extra time, we are about 1 1/4 hours past Sedona with Jerome on the way (Hwy 89A south).

I tried Epoch CS a year ago when I was trying to figure out if two of the 460AH batteries would fit in the Oliver without the tray. They have the dimensions listed two ways on their site vs. the use manual. After finally getting to a person, he said he would "look for a tape measure!" 🤣 He never came back to the phone. The reseller I purchased from helped me with my question. Their CS is certainly questionable. I use the basic app, had not heard of a Pro version. The issues I have with their app is that it lists every Bluetooth device in our Oliver and nearby and it does not know which Bluetooth signal is its own batteries! I have to click on each battery, some cryptic string of letters and numbers and once it registers I go to the second page to see the battery stats. Once there everything works well. The Epoch app numbers are always a bit off from the Victron numbers, more conservative meaning lower SOCs, but I believe them to be more true than what Victron calculates as SOC. It's not user-friendly but good enough for my use.

Interesting how Will Prowse pronounces "Epoch" batteries. Take another look at his video. He is NOT reviewing the less-expensive Epoch Essentials battery that most of us have purchased. He has issues with the software (only) of the high-end model with "Victron Comms" (don't remember the name of that model). From what I've read here, only @rideadeuce has purchased this model. He also is only talking about the recent firmware update. So perhaps Mike should not update the firmware on his batteries. Our Epoch Essentials batteries are perfect in every way I can see. I have used them for 9 months, have brought them under 20% SOC charge twice on the road, all without issue. I love them! 😂

Sorry Gary, when y'all are at the OTT Annual National Rally, I will be working, teaching my PMP class during that particular week in Albuquerque NM! Maybe one year, I'll make it that far east. It's not on our short list however since we lived 10 years in VA and 4 in FL and 40 years in Chicagoland where almost every year we drove SE to Florida! There are so many travel opportunities that are new to us out west. We made the Texas Rally last year and it was so great to meet so many Oliver owners! Can't make Texas this year either since I have 4 weeks off ending the week before that event. When you travel with your new Oliver out west at some point, please come to Prescott. I have an RV parking spot for you and we can drink and break bread together! You're welcome! 😂

You will remove 3 components; the 2KW Xantrex inverter, the Xantrex PROwatt SW and the crazy junction box, full of wire nuts, OTT installs in this setup. We had the same setup. The Xantrex PROwatt SW (pictured below) is an Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) that connects shore power when hooked-up and uses inverter power when not. Inside the standard residential junction box (shown in your pic2) there should be pairs of white 14 AWG cables (they might be yellow #12 cables since your hull is newer than ours). One set of cables is the source wiring to your 110V outlets and microwave which must be rewired directly to the circuit breaker labeled "110 outlets - 15A." You will also remove and not reuse the short jumper cable currently connected to this breaker. You recently purchased a new PD converter that you do not truly need once upgraded to the Victron which has a built-in charger which your old Xantrex did not have. I'm not sure what would happen when you connect to shore power with your new Victron in the ON position. As-is you would have two chargers running. I disconnected the original PD converter that is internal to the power panel. I reused the breaker labeled "Converter / Battery Charger - 15A" to power our microwave circuit separately. We replaced our microwave with an Emeril Air Fryer and I did not want it on the same circuit with anything that may be plugged into an outlet (e.g. a blow dryer)! I left our PD converter where it was, so if the Victron was to fail I could open the panel, re wire the black wire (the hot) and the charger would then again work. I doubt I will ever use it but I did not want it on. You could do as I did, or remove it completely (return it if uninstalled) or merely trip the breaker so you do not have 2 chargers working in parallel. This could confuse the Victron charging algorithms and perhaps over-charge your new batteries. The Progressive Industries Electrical Management System (EMS) is shown in your first picture. Your installer will need to reroute the output of the EMS to the 120VAC input to your new Victron and then wire the Victron output to the panel exactly where it is wired currently from the EMS. I used residential 10-2 cable for this, however there are some here who believe you must have stranded cable which is expensive. You'll need 12-15 ft of 10-2 cable either way. Read my installation thread again and ask your installer to do so. He (/she) will have their own way but I did not start on mine until studying the good work Mike had done@rideadeuce and there are 1-2 other Oliver Forum members who also posted some insight. Best wishes, JD

Thank you, John. Please allow me to correct my above statement, by not including OTT. I remember reading this with your reminder. That's two strikes for Truma, on just one hull.

No way it could bounce to the point of bending an internal copper pipe. Sorry, but there’s no physics that would explain that. Call it Truma manufacturing defect #2, and counting, having read 5 pages of this thread. So sorry Craig, that this has disrupted your travel plans. That s#cks! Your last thought is likely the way to go. Personally, if neither OTT nor Truma would correct this situation after all these demonstrated issues, neither company would get another dollar from me. And it’s easier to swap the unit than to rebuild it on your own, with expensive parts, and then what? I’d like to think there is a viable brand of tankless HWH in the marketplace! Until so, we’ll keep carrying an extra 6 gallons of water…

Agreed, the Blackstone is a popular flat grill and not what you want. Heed Steve's advice @ScubaRx in the post above. They do not regularly sell low pressure. They all or almost all come with regulators to reduce the high pressure. It is easy to remove them, add a HW fitting or change the hose and add a quick disconnect that mates with the Oliver fitting. I modified our Weber grill and our LP fire ring. Added a 12' extension with a 'Y' so we can connect them simultaneously. There are hundreds of choices. Here are a few... https://www.amazon.com/ONLYFIRE-Adjustable-Removable-Tailgating-GS301/dp/B0DF71PPC7/ https://www.amazon.com/Concord-Stainless-Roadster-Propane-Burner/dp/B0BGMGLGTM/ https://www.amazon.com/ARC-Adjustable-Pressure-Portable-Regulator/dp/B07TWZ1H2T/

Remind me to keep my old tow vehicle 4-ever! 🤣 Good work Ron, as always.

This is as clean an installation as I've seen! 😂 Excellent work. I didn't bother with a temp sensor wire. As per the Epoch manual: Wide Temperature Range Engineered to perform reliably across a broad temperature spectrum, it operates effectively from -20°C to 60°C (-4°F to 140°F). Integrated Heating System The built-in heating system enables charging in cold conditions, safeguarding the cells and ensuring battery efficiency in freezing temperatures. But then again, we do not live in Minnesota (nor would plan a winter visit). 🤣 We will be traveling through your area this June though. Where we live and travel, we could never possibly be outside of this very wide temperature range. You go Epoch!

I didn’t need one and you shouldn’t either. I think that’s for people that run 12V systems with 24V batteries. Those with marine experience herd would know more.

Wow Bill, this looks great! I'm not a woodworker so this would take me a bit of time! Two 1" squares of 3M 4950 VHB tape on the lower back sides would keep it there nicely. BTW, if you save your photos as .jpg vs .heic files, they will show on the page and not have to be downloaded.

Looks good to me! I moved our 6 AWG cables inside, but I do like the extra terminals you added. Only detail it's better to connect the + cables first and lastly connect the final ground. This way you cannot accidentally short the + while connecting. Not a change in wiring, just your order or assembly. You should add a heat shrink and optional wire loom to the main positive cable like you did the others. Ours is very similar. Both arrangements work fine since the main positive is connected to one battery and the main negative is on the other.

Thank goodness, our 10-year-old OEM Dometic “absorption” fridge is still working like a champ! God bless one past forum member, @John E Davies, argued emphatically that we all must replace these or likely when the trailer was not perfectly leveled, it would blow the side of our trailer clean off! (he showed pics of 100 occurrences). 🤣 Please notice the picture of our Ruuvi sensors last week while camping not far from home. We get better numbers most of the time (was near zero before we refilled an ice cube tray). I installed the Beech Lane dual fan system for when it’s hot and the numbers are equally as good when hot out! When anybody finds a modern compressor fridge with a full, left-to-right freezer, let me know! This freezer holds 2 full ice cube trays, 2 steaks, 2 chops, some vacuum-sealed veggies and a half gallon of ice cream, that it keeps frozen!

For sure Bill, and you and I are good ol' school restorers! If you were to paint this part, I would suggest removing the lid to paint and just mask the surround and paint it attached. Removing it and remounting was truly a pain! In this case, paint would not help. The threads were bad and would stick. Also, check out my cropped pic. There were chips and scrapes in the plastic and a 1" x 1/4" gash in the top opening, just left of the word "close!" 🤣 This part had seen its better days!

Click on my second Amazon link for an example. Just like dum-dum the term speed clips is shop talk I learned from other automotive installers in Chicago during the 70-80s. 🤣 They help to install parts faster where you would otherwise have to get a nut behind the item. You can clip these onto sheet metal and they are ready to be screwed down. However, in the case of this hatch plate, I did not clip them on as that would not allow for a flat seal. I just held the clip on the underside to thread the screw. On the doghouse with 3/16" thick fiberglass you can hardly put a lb-ft of torque to the screw. Turn it more and the fiberglass will crack or shred. With these clips you can torque them down and they will hold tight. OTT made up for the weak screws with extra sealant and caulk. These clips are great to have on-hand. I was getting low on parts I've had for 40 years and when I found this Amazon listing, I purchased all 3 sizes; #8, #10 and 1/4-20!

Our hull is near 10 years old. The PVC was dried out, chalky to say the least and I wanted to replace it last year but never got around to it. It took me over an hour on Amazon to find one with exact measurements. Most important is the diameter of the screw hole pattern. I found this and after installing it, I like it's better than the OEM. The threads are much larger, easier to turn with less/wider threads, and it seals better. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08H4HX29J?ref=fed_asin_title&th=1 As with all things OTT installs, it took me a full hour of labor to remove the silicone caulk. I installed the new one with dum-dum ONLY (what us installers called butyl tape back in the day). Why would you caulk something that does not have to be waterproof anyway? The bottom side of the doghouse is wide open, right? And butyl when squeezed out is waterproof enough. The original hatch had tiny screws, maybe 1/2" #6 screws. I upped the size to 3/4" #8 screws, drilled the holes out to 9/64" and on the back side I used speed clips on the underside to hold them tight. This way you can torque the 6 screws tightly and evenly to squeeze the butyl. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08H8STNFJ/?th=1

When you word it this way, it certainly makes sense. That's a lot of amps! I upgraded the stock 130A alternator to 180A, so I figured adding additional 4 AWG cables was sufficient. The manufacturer had not suggested upgrading the wiring in their first level upgrade.

Your 1/0 cable is huge. I added 4 AWG B+ to alternator and B- to frame for the addition of the DC-DC charger. An automotive alternator is already grounded through the engine and the engine has ground strap(s). My batteries only had a 6 or 8 AWG ground wire and same lighter gauge for the alternator connection to B+. Yours should be excellent as-is!

Very nice Ron! You can see the smaller pulley will spin the HO alternator twice as fast. Also, the additional ground will provide less overall resistance for your DC-DC charger!

The interior switch turns the HWH on LP only (located under the pantry, in our hull). To turn the Suburban HWH on by 120VAC shore power, there is a switch outside. You have to open the exterior cover plate and you should find it in the lower left corner, a bit hidden by other hardware. See @Mike and Carol's post above. He leaves it on and when connected to shore power it would automatically turn on by electric power. When they boondock, then he would would flip the interior switch to power by LP. Nobody has been able to explain on this forum how OTT wires the Lithium Platinum package which I assume includes the 3KW Xantrex inverter/charger. Is it wired to ALL 120VAC circuits? If so, and if you have the Suburban HWH with dual AC/LP capability, then YES, you can run it off inverter as I explained in my first post above.

Yes, given you have a 3KW inverter wired to all circuits, including the hot water heater (HWH). If I remember correctly, OTT wires the 2KW Xantrex inverters to 110 outlets only, which includes the microwave, but not the fridge, A/C or the HWH. Our 3KW Victron inverter is wired to all AC circuits, so I've done this a few times when we first get to a campsite when battery SOC% is high. If I remember correctly, it takes 20+ minutes to heat up the 6-gal Suburban. Ours SOC decreased 8% and based on our total 600Ah that comes to 48, call it 50Ah of power used. Don't run the HWH and A/C on inverter at the same time! Then I suggest switching the HWH to run on LP. If it's windy out the HWH can cycle often. We turn ours off after dinner dishes and back on again in the morning. I do not like hearing it turn on while in bed (or wasting energy). When on LP you can certainly hear it fire up. When on 120VAC power it is much quieter, just a soft whine. I leave the outdoor AC switch always in the ON position and unless we want it on AC, we leave the breaker in the 120VAC power panel OFF. This keeps from having to go outside and take down the awkward panel to access the switch. And of course there is the interior switch to power the HWH on/off by LP gas. Hope this helps. Best wishes, JD

Password = ZZZ

Good to read this Gary. You've really made progress here! Having the mobile guy come out was the #3 option I suggested in another thread. 3 hours would be amazing (don't count on it) and get him to do the 5 hours max with Multiplus configuration which should only take 20 minutes. The Multiplus requires setting physical dipswitches (this was replaced by software in the MP2). You want LiFePO4 settings of course and for Epoch batteries I set bulk charge to 14.2V and all other charge settings to 13.6, but check for these numbers in the user manual for your specific battery choice. I'm not seeing any reason for external Zamp ports unless at some point you add portable solar (and when you do, add one Zamp/SAE or other port without drilling 5 holes into your hull like OTT does)! This guy has thorough Victron installation and configuration videos. He shows the Mk-3 USB interface I mentioned previously. I purchased the newer USB-C version which is the next-gen interface, given your laptop has a USB-C port (standard USB ports will soon not be offered on laptops. My new Dell Latitude 9330 has 3 USB-C ports only).

After 3 days out boondocking, I tested the Orion XS 50A DC-DC Charger while driving 90 minutes to return home. SOC increased from 57% to 66% (9% of 600Ah). Ahs gained were 53.8Ah (271.8 - 218.0) or 36Ah per hour (pic1). I'm assuming the 10-12A generated from the solar charger covers the fridge on DC and +2A for our Inverter on standby, etc. It was a mostly sunny day with some haze. We started back on 20 miles of dirt roads, some washboard, then 20 miles paved roads. Our speed ranged from 10 to 50 MPH. I would consider it more equivalent to suburban driving, certainly not highway driving. The highest output charge rate observed was 47.8A early but most of the time it sat somewhere in the 30s. Battery voltage started at 13.10V and 13.35V ninety minutes later. Highest output charge voltage was 13.7V (pic2), even though it was configured up to 14.2V in the setup. I have an accurate voltage gauge in the truck measuring voltage at the starter batteries. With any amount of fuel pedal, it will most often read 14.2V. After I connect the DC-DC charger this reading drops to 13.8, then 13.7 and back and forth. Let's call it 13.75V. The difference between this and the input voltage of 13.1V (on Orion charge screen) shows a 0.65V voltage drop (TV batteries to input side of charger). This is likely normal for the length 65' of 4 AWG copper wire and 16' of the TV frame. That's all I got for now. In 3 weeks we are heading to Albuquerque and with some boondocking on the way home. It should be about 1,000 miles total. The real test will be in June, 4,000 miles in a big loop from AZ to MN and back! This is sure a great investment at $540 parts plus a day of labor.