jd1923

Is a switch needed in the DC-DC charger installation? I'm going with fuses vs. breakers. Is it OK to merely connect and disconnect the Anderson SB175 pole connector at the truck-trailer connection? I would assume engine off would be better when connecting, starter battery present of course but not the extra current of a running alternator. When the connection is open the Orion DC-DC charger should go into a sleep state. This is how the the Victron MPPT SC works. It's always wired ON. The app shows zero voltage and current until I plug in the solar suitcase. I'm hoping to leave it wired ON. I purchased the environmental boots pictured above which keep the Anderson connectors insulated, dust and waterproof. I meant to list this in my previous post. These are the MRBF fuses I purchased from South Bend: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BR4X7ZP5?ref=fed_asin_title&th=1

I always understood this in Residential and Commercial AC power panels, but did not realize this in DC circuits until recently. There are no breakers in an automobile or truck, where is my experience. When I relocated ALL the breakers and fuses from under the streetside bed to the rear dinette seat, this became obvious from the terminal markings on all DC breakers. OTT had wired the 40A breaker in our hull, powering the rear positive bus (leveler jacks and more attached to this bus) in the wrong direction. After all of your excellent feedback, I decided to go with MRFB fuses on both sides vs. ny sort of DC breaker> Blue Seas is the gold standard! However, their fuse today are made in Mexico. I found this company, made in South Bend IN, USA with a 4.7 Amazon rating (not easy to achieve) NP, I have a good 4" above the starter batteries in my old Dodge! Also have nothing but room above the positive bus that connects all solar chargers, etc.

Not for me. I have entered 3 service tickets in the last 18 months and not a one turned into a definitive or helpful answer. Yes, I did comment on the May 2024 thread. There is no solution for me there. I will read the older threads, thank you. I asked for installation instructions, the OTT service rep said there are none. I asked for suggested location of the spin weld, he didn't know. Why did they not document the past repairs they made? I asked for repair parts, no "it depends on the tools used" was the answer. I asked can they do the work if I drive to Hohenwald, he would not promise this. It seemed like they no longer have the inhouse capability. PM me if you want the name of the OTT service rep. I also have several related emails. Am I being inaccurate is showing pictures of shoddy work? Our roof looks pretty good now after 20+ hours of my labor. Wish they had never violated it. Lastly, take a look at the dates of the earlier posts you cited. This proves OTT new of the issue as far back as 2017. What is their excuse for not fixing hull #113 in April 2018 when it was there for other service? Or 2020 when it was there once again. Oh yeah, I read here they do not keep service data by hull numbers (a basic first step in tracking defects for quality control). And a manufacturer cannot blame poor quality on subs as you have suggested. Has quality improved through the years? This cannot be determined, without tracking defects and service by hull number, but I sure have read many, MANY posts re issues on hull #s 1200 and above! We love our Oliver too! (Now that I have 600 hours into getting her right!) Sorry, but my posts are accurate, though maybe not always appreciated.

Asking @Snackchaser, @Geronimo John and @Coddiwomple what did you use for fuses in your DC-DC charging systems? The wiring diagram shows fuses on B+ at the both truck and trailer batteries. The user manual for the Victron 50A DC-DC charger states the fuse should be 60A or 70A. What do you suggest, or what did you install? 60A would be better protection but would not want to blow a fuse during a short surge. I want to go with ANL or other fuse type and not a circuit breaker.

I agree with this completely but not all defects we see fall into this category. This does not explain the circuit breaker wired in the wrong direction, not the lazy cutout opening for an outlet. I would not be proud of this level of effort (two pics). We have the fresh tank defect, the water pump pulling air when FWT is still half full. This was a design and production issue for OTT on some older hulls. They should have communicated a recall, but did not and instead kept it hush-hush. Years ago they would fix it at no cost, but ONLY when the owner realized the situation and drove down to OTT Hohenwald for a scheduled appointment. Our Hull, a 2016 model, was returned to OTT for service in 2018 and again in 2020. Prior owners likely only camped at campsites with full hookups. Perhaps they did not know of the defect and had not asked for the repair. OTT knew or they could have checked and had it fixed years ago. I entered a service ticket on this last year and OTT Service would not help me. I asked for the repair parts to get it done locally, and the answer was NO. They could not even confirm that if I drove 2200 miles to Hohenwald that they could fix it! My short-term fix is a 35-gal FWT in the bed of our TV! We refill the FWT every 18 gallons and with the extra tank we have 3 x 18 gallons, for 54 total. When y'all who do a regular pilgrimage to OTT for service... Do you think OTT will remove the cover of your EMS and tighten the lugs? 🤣

I agree to a point, yet this ISSUE is NOT a QC issue of the component manufactured by Progressive Industries. It is actually a QC issue of OTT the installer/trailer manufacturer. I promise you! Over the last 18 months, I have rebuilt EVERY electrical and mechanical system in our older hull. I have 50 years experience in automotive repair and accessory installations, mechanic and electrical work in restaurant systems and residential construction. This is poor quality in the installation of OEM and aftermarket accessories by OTT. I have found that OTT is relatively lax in their product installations. Very good at fiberglass manufacturing but much less capable in accessory installation. It's always difficult to get good help! I have found breakers installed in the wrong direction (yes, they have designated source and load side), I have found bad crimps and multiple crimps along a path where a direct run could have been achieved. Awful installation of furnace duct work, bad grounds, etc. OMG, how many Truma issues have been documented in this forum? Is it the Truma product or is it the installation. The list goes on... They installed a basic 110V receptacle in the attic of our trailer. Did they cut a properly sized rectangle opening with square corners, no far from it! I have showed this awful picture in another thread. If I was ever to order an Oliver brand new (not happenin' in our lifetime) I would order one with absolutely NO options and install everything myself. This is the state-of-the-art with OTT manufacturing. BTW, our older hull has so far lesser issues as compared to the many I read here with newer hulls. The difference is you with newer hulls have warranties, given you are nearby and have the time to travel to Hohenwald. Back to the issue at hand... The PI EMS is a simple device, but often fails due to improper installation (lug nuts not tightened adequately upon installation, nor retorqued later after some travel). There is an incoming feed (shore power after the ATS), three wires (hot, neutral and ground) on both sides, in and out. Wires fail when connections are not sound!!! It is the installation! Our older hull came without an EMS. I installed this one which is the same part OTT uses as OEM. I advise you to open the EMS (6 small Phillips screws to remove the cover). Inspect all the wires (looking good? insulation intact with good bright colors?). Then tighten ALL 6 connections (grounds too). That is all that is necessary. If you find a lose connection, that would later produce a burnt wire. It's just that simple. You're welcome and best wishes, JD

That's one way of looking at it. Another is 25% is going through the frame because it has less resistance than pushing more current through the 4 AWG wire at that amperage. Yes of course, the path of least resistance. My plan it to use the truck steel frame only. One solid piece of frame steel, not the back path of Oliver Aluminum frame through the Bulldog and Anderson hitch, etc. What will allow for more current, 4 AWG of copper or the huge beam of frame steel? I do not know this answer, but I believe it will be fine as every automotive system is body or frame grounded, with ground straps connecting body to frame (including the Alt). Notice the grounds in the wiring diagram. Also notice the bottom left corner of the diagram showing the truck alternator. Running B+ and B- 4 AWG wire to the truck battery only as good as the B+/B- wiring between alternator and battery. Your truck alternator is only grounded by contact through the engine casting and then a ground strap to the body. Your truck battery is also grounded by a ground strap to the body. I suggest running 4 AWG cables from battery B+ to Alt output and a B- cable to one of the Alt mounting bolts directly. This alone should improve your numbers (decrease resistance in the charge circuit). An interesting test would be to see @Geronimo John's number with and without the hitch connected running the truck at idle. It appears the frame ground is helping and without it charge numbers should drop. Another good test would be to see improvement after adding the additional cabling to the alternator. Make sure you have purchased a HO alternator which I believe everybody here has done.

Why not contact the vendor/manufacturer for a return authorization? Ask them to send you the PRO+ model in exchange so you can use the leveling app and forget the batteries! You certainly have just cause for them to pay for return shipping and exchange.

So GJ, are you really grounding through the hitch this way? I plan to ground to the truck frame at the rear bumper, but not through the hitch. I will use the Anderson connectors shown above and have a 2 ft ground lead from the Anderson connector to the frame.

Got the goodies yesterday. The 50A Victron DC-DC charger is much smaller than I would have thought! It’s 5x5” with mount height at 1 1/2”, only 1 1/8” thick with 3/8” feet. The SB175 Anderson connectors, which as pictured, added $79 to costs. They are larger than the charger! Why did I need 175A terminals for a 50A max system? It’s for 4AWG wire and larger. I purchased a similar SB50 10 AWG Anderson with “Environmental Connectors” for our 400W Renogy Suitcase solar. Very nice product! Makes me think about heavier cables. Go from 4 to 2 AWG, add $55 on my frame grounded 65 run. Make it 1/0, why not add another $135 for $230 plus tax. Need near 100 ft battery to battery 1/0, plan to spend $350, more if you like fancy brand names!

The speed is not the issue as I just wanted to see power usage when the Pepwave was busy. But since you asked, I measured again this afternoon. This time on the 2.4 GHz band I got 105 down, 13 up. On 5GZ it read 340 down and 70 up and on 5G cell with Wi-Fi turned OFF is was 716 down and 39 up. Where the truck is parked the antenna is blocked by the garage. When I back it away from to the building even 20 ft the numbers improve. You wrote, "...it would be charging the truck battery." That's what I would need to run the Starlink Mini on the truck batteries. Maybe I could install a switched relay in the DC-DC cabling. Charge the Oliver batteries when towing and throw a switch to bypass the DC-DC charger, when camped, to hardwire the 600AH LiFePO4 in the Oliver to supply the drain caused by the Mini.

Jason, that’s the healthy way to be! Wish I could do the same. Lucky for me when it’s not after 9 PM. I used to be a huge midnight snack guy in my younger years.

So curiosity got me and I powered on the Pepwave, truck sitting in driveway. Connected my living room TV and my cell phone to the 2.4 band. Streaming a news show inside and ran Ookla Speedtest on my iPhone. The test got 95 Mbps down and 50 up, on the phone with the TV streaming. The Pepwave pulled between 0.10A to 0.17A. Call it 0.14A on average, amazingly efficient! No wonder I can leave it powered on for days. The 2A draw for the Mini is likely too much for truck batteries. Could I use the 4 AWG cabling for the DC-DC charger setup in reverse direction to power when parked, hmmm?

Yesterday I wrote I would use the 120VAC adapter for the Starlink Mini. My router and cell antenna are truck mounted. The RJ ethernet connection to the Pepwave would be at the interior rear wall of the truck cab (see pic). I run the router off the dual Ram batteries that I had recently upgraded to AGM. I have a simple power switch under the hood but when camping the Pepwave is always powered ON. I need to measure the AH draw of the Pepwave. From experience, I know it can run 3 days with ample voltage remaining to start the truck. I also have a 50’ extension cord and 10A charger in case of trouble. Wonder if the truck batteries can take another 2AH overnight, the number Geoff mentioned for the Mini while streaming. I would add the Mini with Victron Orion-Tr 12/25-5 to the truck if possible. Though it may be simpler to just pull out the Starlink when cell signal is too low. Love the truck mounted router and would like to integrate the two. We can be on a day trip or sitting in a restaurant and we have our own Wi-Fi. The 2.4GHz band over the Parsec antenna has easy over a 100’ range!

Thanks Geoff, for again being a leader in technical electronic HW installations! Not easy to pair compatible electronics with so much in the marketplace! 😂 I will add a Starlink Mini at some point. Hope the HW prices keep coming down! Like the $50 monthly service option for the limited data plan. I would merely use the included 120VAC power adapter since we run our Victron MP2 inverter ON always. You wrote you would not "use that feature" but given I have a smart Pepwave router that can chose between 4-5G cellular service (T-Mobile monthly business plan with unlimited data) and a WAN RJ45 input, I'm hoping this is compatible in the way I'm thinking. This way you have one Wi-Fi login for all devices, not having to switch to a Starlink-only Wi-Fi. I would manage the settings to prefer cellular connection to minimize Starlink data usage for when it is truly needed. Has anybody else integrated cell and Starlink services in an onboard router? I will ask tech support at MobileMustHave.com where I purchased the Pepwave system for configuration help, and will post later when I get their answer. Another question is does the Starlink Mini have to be positioned at an angle? Thought I read somewhere it should be pointed at the northern sky. The manuals just show 110 degrees unobstructed is necessary. I see rooftop mounts that are flat and pole mounts that are angled. Can it lay flat to the horizon to receive signal or must it be angled? Best wishes and thanks again. JD

Sell it on Craig’s for half price and buy the PRO+ model. I remember choosing the PRO+ for an extra $20 at the time. There is a “wake on motion” setting, but I used the full ON 24x7x365. Must be some parasitic draw but I don’t care. It’s always on when I need it and no worrying about turning it on and off. I’m on my deck now 80’ away and it reads level from here. The Bluetooth on the PRO+ has a stronger signal than any Victron device or Ruuvi sensors. Very reliable product!

Yeah @Steve Morris, you need to get south and get warm! 67F and partly cloudy today, here a mile high in the great SW! Too warm today to wear a sweatshirt in my garage while installing new struts on my ‘92 Lexus SC400! Love the people of the Midwest and the ethnic foods in the city, but... We left the Windy City a full 25 years ago and not looking back. Too cold!

I strongly suggest anybody buying new to get the PRO+ model and hardwire 12VDC, forget the batteries and the app should work too. I have the app up EVERY time we are parking and I get level while sitting in the driver's seat! Why buy the model that needs battery replacement? The new MAX model needs AAA batteries vs. a CR2032 battery (I recycled mine since it is hardwired). Don't know how to crimp two wires? Get somebody to wire it for you! Mine is wired under the rear dinette seat where 12VDC is readily available. It does not have to be in plain view. Notice it's mounted to the side of the shore power ATS box, wire harness coming down from the bottom, https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083ZMZPR8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

I would start with your local Craigslist, since it is free or a $5 posting. That is where we found ours! There is also https://www.rvtrader.com/Oliver/rvs-for-sale?make=Oliver|765336542&zip=24301&radius=any where today across the country there is an amazing 45 Olivers for sale! (mostly new dealer units)

Now that our Oliver is so nicely setup for boondocking, extra 35 gallons filtered fresh water in the TV, plenty of battery power, power accessories and tools, etc. it makes what they do seem so difficult. In one video Ozgur sets up an outdoor shower. They wash their faces in snow in another video. Watched one last night where their tent on a cliffside was blown down in the high winds. The have a saying for taking care of their bodily functions, "picking flowers!" They work through everything nicely, though it sure shows the glamping luxury of the Oliver! I only tent-camped a few times through the years. Too old for that now! 🤣

This guy, Ozgur Atik, never wears gloves when shoveling snow or splitting wood. One video he’s out in the snow barefoot. I’m just a sissy! Burcu is always making bread dough by hand. Onions in everything, love their campsite recipes! The Oliver is so easy compared to the many rigs they use. Except for a huge 4x4 camper they have named “Maniac.”

I understand, feel your pain! First thing I did was to replace the corner mounted 24" TV. Prior owner had replaced the OEM with an Amazon Fire TV, but still bad and ugly. I also do not like the folding center mounts that OTT uses since they fold forward and the TV is hanging out in front of the nightstand vs. back against the rear window for better viewing while in bed. Another goal was also to install a WHITE framed 32" smart TV! Samsung is my favorite brand (better OS than Android, Roku and other). Added a Samsung soundbar too that connects automatically via choice of Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. The very thin hi-rez screen is beyond the quality most and the sound sure beats the 4 cheap OEM corner speakers. It's been 18 months now and I would not change a thing!

Yes Geoff, I took a tax credit when I added a solar/inverter system to our Bigfoot Class-C in 2020. I plan to do the same here. The Oliver or any RV is considered a second home for tax purposes. That's also why I purchased the DC-DC charger, TEMCo 4 awg wire and Anderson SB175 connecters on New Years Eve, so that I would write off all my Oliver solar improvements for the 2024 tax year. This is the way to go! Much better price than the ones I bought.

Over the last few months of 2024, Chris and I found this channel on YouTube. The Atik Family (Ailesi) camps in Northern Turkey. I've been to SW Turkey decades ago and I always thought the country of Turkey was desert, like much of Greece. What a winter wonderland! These guys get a 1/2 million hits on most of their camping adventures. This one has 3.4M views! We love their special bond, positive souls, interesting camping gadgets and GREAT food they cook at every campsite! 😂

My son got me this for Christmas and a standard flashlight model for Chris. I spent a good part of today working under a car replacing PS pump and alternator. I would say this wonderful tool cut 20% off my time doing everything. I had it on all day. Wish I had this 40 years ago and ever since! So bright with 3 settings and angle adjustments. Just set it on my hat, nice! https://www.amazon.com/NEBO-Rechargeable-Waterproof-Impact-Resistant-Adjustable/dp/B09F6YKZ14/ref=asc_df_B09F6YKZ14?tag=bngsmtphsnus-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=79989588513701&hvnetw=s&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583589117188773&psc=1