jd1923

It's hard to have enough spares for everything and me too! I've bought many spares we've never used. Want to be prepared but dislike wasting money! Two years ago, we were heading out in our Bigfoot Class-C on a 4-week trip to Page AZ (Glen Canyon), Mesa Verde NP CO up to Moab UT and the great NPs... We got to our first stop, a boondock nearby Sunset Crate NM. Stopped the truck to check the map and put the truck in park. When I was ready to continue, the truck would not come out of park. The P-R-N-D-L shifter would NOT move! What would you do? I took a deep breath and several more and stopped to think, why would this occur? finally, I thought of the brake switch. The simple electric switch behind the brake pedal that stops you from changing the trans position without having your foot on the brake. I got on the floor of the truck with this simple tool, bypassed the switch and we were able to drive to our campsite. Went to Napa a couple days later and they had the switch for $22. ALWAYS have one on these in your toolbox!

Many of us have cut foam mattresses to radius a corner. I'm doing this again in the next two weeks on new mattresses from Brooklyn Bedding as soon as Chris removes the underside stitching. Want the mattress cover to be intact, cut the foam inside and then will hand stitch the cover in each corner. Many mattress sizes here: Dreamfoam Essential - RV (rvmattress.com) We have twin single mattresses in an Elite II, but the idea is the same. I used a large piece of cardboard to create a template for the radiused corners. As far sheets, we just buy twin sheets which fit well on a tall single mattress. Then we use these: Amazon.com: RayTour Bed Sheet Holder Straps Sheet Stays Keepers Bedsheet Holders Fasteners - Elastic Adjustable Bedsheet Holders for a Wrinkle Bed Sheet : Home & Kitchen which they have for corners and there are other kinds.

Certainly, more BTUs means more energy. British thermal unit (BTU) | Britannica If their BTU numbers are accurate, the 15K BTU should require 11% greater amperage other things being equal. I don't have the data you are asking for, but the 13.5K BTU Penguin II uses 15A high fan on a hot day.

And how will it perform when you really need A/C, when temps are in the 90s vs. just 73F? Given these numbers, the Dometic FreshJet 3 on medium and high pulls more amperage than my Penguin II! Another vote for Atmos! Below is what @rideadeuce reported (see quote below) with the Atmos. BTW, 15A 120VAC = 1800W and 150A 12VDC = 1800W, so 15A AC equates to 150A on 12VDC. Given your generator runs the A/C on low pulling 13A, it would run the Atmos on any speed pulling only 7.5 A (75A DC). I can run the penguin II 3-4 hours on our new Victron 3KVA MP2 inverter with 600AH LiFePO4 batteries. Given these numbers, I would have less runtime with the FreshJet 3 or instead could double runtime to 6-8 hours installing the Atmos 4.4 A/C. "Here in TN it has been very humid and hot with no issues of increased humidity inside. Staying in the 40-60% range. As far as efficiency, it is at least 30-40% sometimes 50% better than the Dometic PII 13.5k. 75 vs 150 amps. 10 decimals quieter than the Dometic. Probably the best feature outside of efficiency."

We generally camp where we want to visit vs. any "home base" idea. Take the Oliver with you! It makes it through narrow dirt roads and busy city neighborhoods. We will leave our trailer parked for a few hours during the day, sometimes much of the day, but never overnight. If I'm at a state park or any well-kept campground, we do not worry. When boondocking we will not leave for more than a half day and I will worry. You can add any hitch lock device, spend hundreds and it will not matter if they want to tow it away. All anybody needs is a simple lever jack, the kind that are used on cheap travel trailers and a battery-powered 1/2" impact gun. Lift the front high enough to chain it to a tailgate. Pull the fuses on your leveling jacks and when they recover your trailer these will need replacing and likely some body damage! Use a decent hitch lock and chain two wheels together on the side of the trailer that would be most noticeable (I've done this when leaving a trailer on a property that I will not see for months). This would slow them down better than anything, or chain a wheel to a tree or the campground concrete picnic table! 🤣

Thank you for these links. We will visit here on our return from the Texas Rally this October! Davis Mountains State Park — Texas Parks & Wildlife Department

I work my own service, do not count on companies or the work of others... But inherent product quality is why we are all here as Oliver Owners! I have learned, and it took me most of my life to understand, that faith in good decisions, that we feel good about, outweighs fear in imagining alternatives. I will not, and do NOT watch the cr@p that is common with many YouTube videos and the like that promote fear over promise, period! It is the ethics base of our family, to which I/we stand (can I say PERIOD, again)? You/we made a good choice, enjoy the trip, fear less!

Those of you who work mods as often as I do may want to take advantage of this sale! I need 15+ ft of two colors to install a rear solar port. Bought 50 ft each color to have extra on hand at this price. Lowes has been clearing out bulk stock to sell pre-packages rolls. Only the white and green is at this price. Black is more $, red not available. I will use white for B+ and green for B-. I’m working now on a project, moving all DC buses, switches, breakers and fuses out from under the street-side bed to access under dinette seat instead. More on that later. Inflation fighter if you need any wire!

I'm leaning this direction. @rideadeuce wrote this post and I believe @Ronbrink is working his installation any day now!

Beautiful pups and daughter too! Charley is on the lookout for them. He would love having a little brother! (Don't tell Chris I said so.)

It was certainly after 2016 when OTT made the PD EMS-HW30C standard equipment. You may remember I added one end of last year. You just need to cut the 10/3 cable from the PD5100 ATS to the breaker panel and install in line.

No display, just the VE.Bus device connected via ethernet which allows connection via the VictronConnect App (link and pictures shown above). Given this is true, if the Victron MP2 fails, there will be NO shore power. You'd have to pull the bed, pull the AC wiring from the MP2 and use wire nuts (have 3 in my Oliver parts box) to connect to shore power. I get soooo frustrated with design engineers that do not understand common let alone severe use cases! It would also be crazy to install a secondary ATS!

Asking re the experiences of others who have upgraded to the Victron 3KVA Multiplus or MPII, including @rideadeuce, @Overland and @Ty J or anybody else who has a good idea! I had the MP2 in the OFF position via the VictronConnect app (not the physical switch). If you scroll up a couple of posts, I showed a picture of the app and its "On/Off/Charger Only/Inverter only" menu options. I also had shore power disconnected to run the A/C on inverter and later to charge batteries using solar only and the MP2 was in the OFF position for over 24 hours. The physical switch on the body of the MP2 is in the ON position since I will not be moving the bed to use the physical switch. A great feature is the software switch allowing these four positions. Next day, I plugged in the shore power and since the thermostat was on and set well below the 90F cabin temp, MP2 inverter still in the OFF position via app control, I thought the air would turn on immediately, but it did not. The shore power bypass in the MP2 was not working as intended. Then using the app, I switched to "Inverter only" and the A/C turned on, then I switched back to OFF, and it turned off, still not allowing shore power to run the A/C. Next, again via the app, I switched the MP2 to the "Charger Only" position. This allowed the shore power pass-through, and the air ran as it should and of course it charged the batteries as well. What is going on here? We need to be able to run shore power passed through the MP2 when it is turned off! Ideas? I sure thought this was working properly last week and since it was installed. I have shore power wired into the MP2 directly from the PI EMS and I used the main output L1 (L2 not used) wired directly to the 30A main fuse in the 120VAC panel supplying power to ALL AC circuits. Today, I will try again to turn the inverter OFF to see if it is working properly or not. If I cannot correct this, I will contact Victron Tech Support net week. Thanks

Thanks Rich, I was getting the same 104 MAX after running the inverter over 3 hours, 94F outside with A/C thermostat set at 78F. The Blue Sky MPPT felt much hotter on a sunny day than the Victron MP2 inverter case, both under the streetside bed. 10-15 minutes with the fan on brought temp down to 95F. These temps are fine for electronics. The manual for the Victron MPPT 100/50 and 100/30 states "operating temperature -30°C to +60°C, full rated output up to 40°C." 40C = 104F for fully rated operation and MAX 60C = 140F. The fan did just what it needed, bringing temp under 100 vs. much over. Yes, fan position is hard to tell from my pictures. I call the rear basement "the trunk" since it is for rear storage. You can reach in that opening sitting outside with drill and jigsaw to cut that opening. The fan is mounted inside the basement under the streetside bed, and the fan control and grill are outside in the trunk.

46 PSI here, and God Bless @John E Davies who swore by 42#!

I concluded my battery solar-charge test. After using the A/C to run the 600AH batteries down to 27% yesterday, today by 3:20 PM they got up to 53% SOC being charged ONLY by the 340W (or 320W?) rooftop solar via the Blue Sky MPPT SC. Given this measured 26% increase in SOC, what additional would occur by adding a 400W suitcase? It's 20% more wattage, tilted to the sun. A new Victron 100/30 could be a more efficient MPPT SC than the 25A Blue Sky manufactured in 2015. I estimate a good 35%, maybe more. This could get us up to near 90%. Not too bad. Also, replacing the A/C with say the Atmos, using half the number of AHs, we might get back to 100% <OR> we could run the air twice as long. This will work for us. When camping and the weather gets hot, we'll go do something, leave in the truck for the day. Get back at say 4PM and it would be great to run the A/C for 2-3 hours. Unless it's winter we're camping at altitude, and it always cools off enough to sleep well at night with the Oliver windows open. We live at 5440 ft elevation and of course the air is dry. I can see that most points east, being humid and when close to sea-level this would not work, needing a generator or shore power. Thanks for reading.

"Spring Chicken" yeah you and me both! Stop by or let's meet up this winter! That is one cool fan install! Though not sure if I'd want to pull 100-degree air into the interior directly, which is the number I read yesterday. Check out the third post in my upgrade mod. It pushes hot air to the trunk area and should pull some cooler interior air in its place from the dinette and bath/closet areas from other installed vents. The Beech Lane is a decent product and the thermostat is working well at the 85 degree setting (90 is max). I have one behind the fridge too.

Very nice! These accessories are certainly something to consider! Thanks again, Mike. Their "HPP+ Solar Bulkhead Inlet" would be a great replacement for the OTT installed Zamp port. I could not quickly find dimensions, but it appears it would cover those messy screw holes and have enough surface to use VHB tape instead of the included screws. At 45A and 10 AWG, it's higher grade than necessary but at $45 is reasonable for the quality and the hinged cover plate makes for a clean install. I like their 30 FT extension too, maybe pricey at $60. Notice it is 12 AWG which s/b fine for a 400W suitcase where the SC is in the hull. With the addition of something like this (or a short one) you'd be all set: Amazon.com: Bateria Power 10FT 10AWG Solar Panel Cable Connector to Anderson Adapter Compatible with Anderson Generator Power Station, for Goal Zero Yeti Portable Outdoor Camping (3M Vertical) : Patio, Lawn & Garden This Amazon listing mentions Goal Zero. Also notice it can be ordered in vertical layout vs. the more common horizontal. I immediately thought the HPP is merely a vertically configured Anderson Powerpole connection. This video confirmed my assumption.

We've not had issues with our drawers. They stay shut during travel without straps or locks. I did have a Blum Locking Device crack/fail and then that particular drawer did open during travel. Given newer hulls use the same, these were correct for ours, very reasonable and I have a backup part now. Side to Side Adjustable Locking Device for 563/569 Series Blum Tandem Drawer Slide - 2 Pair (4 Pieces) with Installation Screws - Amazon.com A couple months ago, I had to remove the drawers to fix a kitchen sink leak. I noted the drawer slides only had three tiny screws each! I added 3 more to each slide and used screws a size wider with larger heads. They are not going anywhere now.

@rideadeuce Great upgrade Mike, and very helpful showing all the details! Chris wants fabric color vs. a brown leather look. We are thinking of going with these (two sets) but still waiting on our purchase. I also like the increase to a 5" cushion vs. the original 4". Not sure how the backs will fit but we could tailor them shorter if needed. Just another idea! Available in many colors with good reviews: Amazon.com: RSH DECOR: Sunbrella Deep Seating Cushion with Pillow Back | 24” x 24” Seat | Water and Fade-Resistant Performance Fabric | Outdoor Chair Cushion Set for Patio Furniture | Canvas Burgundy : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Tood & Kat, this would be a simpler solution. Prior owner had this product under our cushions and an extra roll in the cabinet! Works great, cushions do not slide at all. You want the 20" roll, not the more common 12". Kittrich is the company name and "Con-Tact" is their brand. Con-Tact Brand Grip Premium 4 ft. L x 20 in. W Gray Non-Adhesive Shelf Liner - Total Qty: 1 - Walmart.com

So Mike, you must have a 4-prong 50A to 3-prong 30A adapter? That's a good idea. I have the 30A to 15A version. Here are examples of both kinds -- Amazon.com: RVGUARD 50 Amp to 30 Amp RV Adapter Cord 12 Inch, NEMA 14-50P to NEMA TT-30R, Dogbone Electrical Converter with LED Power Indicator and Disconnect Handle, Green, ETL Listed : Automotive Amazon.com: RVGUARD 30 Amp to 110 Volt RV Adapter Cord 12 Inch, NEMA 5-15P to NEMA TT-30R Electrical Power Adapter with LED Power Indicator, Green, ETL Listed : Automotive

Thanks Rich. Does it feel heavy to setup? (30.2 LBS) I was looking at the same item. So, OTT installed the Victron 100/50 for the rooftop solar? That was overkill as the 100/30 is fine for either. Do your SCs ever feel very hot at the heat of the day? I like your dual installation. I've ordered and will install the 100/30 for the suitcase and if the Blue Sky SC needs replacing, I will add a second one. I have a lot of room now on a HDPE mounting board where OTT had installed our 2KW Xantrex inverter under the rear dinette seat. Just checked the company that @rideadeuce suggested and their Nomad 400 Powerful Portable Solar Panel | Goal Zero I do not see enough value in the extra $300. The Goal Zero is also 6.4 LBS heavier, likely from more substantial legs (one pro). One picture bothered me where the panels look warped. Also, Amazon has the Renogy used VERY GOOD for $60 less ($541) which usually means a returned item with packaging damage. For me every dollar counts!

The outlet itself must have its own rating, based on the resistance of connecting hardware, so if it's stated as 10A that is its max rating. If it truly has 10 AWG wires, that's an odd design since 14 AWG is enough for 10A. I understand the reason for your question! I just ordered this, a CNLINKO rated at 25A with specs that state it requires 12 AWG wiring: CNLINKO BD-24 Industrial Waterproof Connector IP67 Circular Connector Device-Side Fast Plugging Connector Metal Aviation Connector Anti-Interference Shell Connector M24 Flange Socket (2 Pin): Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific I believe 12 AWG is all that's needed for a 20A circuit, and 10 AWG is required for 30A. I will double-check my numbers. Sure, buy 10 AWG for a short installation since the cost diff is small. Though I have a spool of stranded 12 AWG and will use it if OK. I do not have an OTT installed Zamp port, so I am going to use the rear opening that was designed for RV-park cable TV connection. It has a 1/2" hole and this CNLINKO requires a 3/4" opening. I have a good 3/4" bit but will wait until I receive this CNLINKO device to determine its feasibility and quality. The only issue I foresee is this housing is very small. It will not cover the original 4 screw holes. In my case the outlet removed was 2x2" and this one is only 30mm approx. 1.2". A cover plate could be used or perhaps this CNLINKO outlet could be built into your Zamp housing. I will fill the old screw holes and given the less-obvious location behind the rear bumper likely call it good. Can anybody suggest a good product to fill screw holes in fiberglass? I've never been or wanted to be the body shop guy!

I don't remember any other label on ours than the serial number pictured. I have to get back up there this week, pull the A/C cover to see what model soft start we have to determine if it's reusable with an A/C upgrade. I'll look again. Thanks