jd1923

@Geronimo John, I'm not sure how this occurs, but 2-3 times now it appears like you are quoting me, be instead quoting a post that I had previously commented. My previous comment to @Nan who wrote the quote in your post was as follows: "They really said that OMG! Not sure how that would weather over time, but I could be wrong. My first thought would be nylon screening (not nylons) that you could buy a small roll at Lowes or the Depot. It is a coarser weave than women's nylons but is designed to be exposed to the elements for exterior use." You're not catching me with women's nylons. Where do you even purchase those things today? I have a faint memory of my wife wearing such, on a special occasion, say back in the early 90's. We are not inviting to, nor attend the parties of the elites, where in big cities such dress may be expected! 🤣

I believe OTT disconnects the black 12V at the + busbar, not in the coupler at the hitch. That’s how I did mine. Therefore it still has +12VDC down the wire. Somewhere along the path the wire to the awning sensor must be connected. OTT uses 3M Skotchloks, at least they did on our older hull. They are prone to fail over time with vibration. I worked for an aftermarket automotive installation co in the early 80s. The boss upset one morning re excessive warranty repairs said any installer using these vs hard crimps would be fired. @John Dorrer that could be the case in the awning staying open or the sensor failed. We all know we should not count on sensors for our safety and care of our expensive Olivers! Besides the basic driver’s ed rules, Always walk around your rig, looking under, do all 8 tires look right, eyeball all hitch connections, stabilizers up? Leaving an awning open is operator negligence! Or instead of system failure, maybe they disconnected the coupler and drove off that way.

Thanks @John Dorrer, it’s got to be that the sensor reads voltage on the black wire from the 7-pin connector. Sorry for being an engineering-nerd! The other wires are all open, no voltage when the TV is parked, wires for lights, turn signals, brakes are all open (off) when parked. Kind of a crazy precaution. Can you see driving away with an awning open? Check your mirrors is first rule of driver’s ed. Much more likely and damaging is driving away with a stabilizer Jack down. Like you, we very often camp with TV connected. It’s safer when boondocking in the mountains, as I want to stay connected on lose ground far up a dirt road. I don’t want to disconnect just the coupler EVER, since if you forget to recouple, you have bigger issues in having no trailer brakes and lights. If you want to negate that feature, you could disconnect the black wire at the coupler (or at the awning, which may be harder to locate). I have already disconnected the black at the busbar, since I don’t want to be camped and have house batteries going low on SOC, sucking power from my starter battery (OTT does this only on LI installs). The awning would be connected either way. I’ll bet that will do it for anybody who would prefer to use this model awning with the TV towing coupler connected.

My old ones were also an inch short. When installing new, starting from the bottom, I pushed hard as I could to compress the new rubber into the channel. I feel I got an extra inch in and later it should shrink from a very tight fit to looser, but hopefully not another inch gap. Thanks Dave, I’ll have to get a bottle of 303 for the rubber on all my cars and trucks.

@John Dorrer did Jason mention how it is sensing the 7-pin? Perhaps they pull a feed off the 12V black wire.

Most cows prefer a dirt floor! 🤣

I'm getting only -0.25A with the Xantrex 2000 OFF and breaker ON and -0.80A with the exterior courtesy lights on. I do not care since ours is never winter stored. If the Lithionics app shows total +/- Amps then the batteries have a built-in shunt. I installed a shunt since I have lead acid the only way to read SOC is via a Blue Sky panel mounted at knee height under the pantry. Clicking through the menus to get other data is also painful. We will be migrating to more Victron products over time. When I upgrade to a Victron 3000W inverter the shunt VE port will be plug and play. When I upgrade to lifepo4, we will go with Epoch without paying extra for an internal comms. I can read this display while sitting in my living room about 70 FT away. This is a screenshot today, 9AM on a hazy morning. Only +0.62A is being added by the Blue Sky solar charger since the batteries are full and do not need additional charge. Certainly worth $40 and the time it took to build a shorty battery cable.

They really said that OMG! Not sure how that would weather over time, but I could be wrong. My first thought would be nylon screening (not nylons) that you could buy a small roll at Lowes or the Depot. It is a coarser weave than women's nylons, but is designed to be exposed to the elements for exterior use.

@Dave and Kimberly and @roguebooks, something wired must be drawing current! Daily loss of 3% is not normal! Not at all. You must figure out what is ON and drawing current. I read a post or two here where the newer model fridge cannot be turned off. @connor77 mentioned a compost toilet. I have no idea, would never have one, but could the fan be running? Yep, that's a good 3%. Something is ON! I have a 105AH AGM house battery from a past project, just sitting on a shelf in our shed and it can sit there for 2 months, and it barely needs a charge (still 12.7V +/-). I would say it's losing 3% per month. Not a measured number, but this is a magnitude of difference vs. per day. I put a charger on it every 1-2 months to keep it good. At 3% daily loss, this battery would be completely dead in two months. BTW, lifepo4 batteries hold their charge over time even better! I do not store our Oliver, so solar is always active. However, I installed the Victron SmartShunt (something you should do for $40), so I can watch battery consumption day and night. At night our Oliver uses 10W (0.8A) consistently, meaning every night always! And this 10W consumption is mainly the outdoor courtesy lights I leave on every night to deter critters. Our peristatic draw is often 0.25A (3W). It amazes me since we have owned our Oliver how little power it draws, even with many lights at night, inverter on, TV and soundbar, etc. and we only have lead-acid batteries. First do a simple shunt install, so you can via the app see immediate changes in +/- amps. There are many threads on this install here. Read negative Amps (-A) showing usage at night and start pulling fuses until you see a change in the readings. Best wishes and keep us posted as to the resulting cause. JD

Sorry GJ, my post was poorly written. I meant that the original white ones were very soiled. The new black ones have no sign of mold/mildew. About 9 months now, still look new though very little grows in Arizona sun, and mine is parked outdoors. I don't believe black rubber needs any treatment. For city cruisin' you could trick them out with some tire shine! 🤣

Been reading older Houghton threads here. It seems several have stated the soft start is not required, even off inverter to small generator, please comment. That would be a good save at $350! Also, what is the Oliver roof thickness at the AC opening? I have not read this being discussed. An option for the "thick roof kit" for >2 3/4". Likely it's less since this has not been mentioned. Thanks

@Geronimo John so I’m thinking to change my mind to the 13,5K model. Went on RecPro to see it’s not only more expensive but + $350 for the easy start option. Yikes! Is it the 9.5K unit doesn’t need it? Also the 9.5K showed heat pump option, not sure if I care about that. The 13.5K model did not show the option, so it must be standard. Came to $1700 total, free ship plus tax and through 6/3 store wide 10% OFF. I’ll likely wait for the next sale, since I’m not sure and not traveling soon. Thanks

I did the black trim last year, and yeah I had mildew stain on those too.

Bill, your first guess was the charm. At first i could not even see that connection, as in our hull it is right behind the cabinet crossbar. I could turn it 2-3 turns with just my fingers. I pulled it out to make sure the o-rings were good. It's an odd little part, combination restrictor and back-flow preventer? But it seems like it works the wrong direction. Not sure, I was getting tired when I finished. Next chance to work on it will be Tuesday afternoon. The large threaded nut on the p-trap was also loose enough to move by hand. I was hoping to remove that to clean since it flows very slowly as compared to the bathroom, likely food gunk. Thoughts on cleaning that? Anyway, I'm day 1 into a lot of summer M&R and mods. Wish mine looked as good as yours and it's not like your hull is that much newer. I also do not have the port showing the air duct. Mine is just cabinet wood floor. I will be working on correcting the ducts soon too. Thanks, all input is greatly appreciated!

🤣 maybe they figure average voltage drop with compressor running.

Any chance you (or others) can explain what kind of switch? How/where installed? It must be integrated to the thermostat, so when it reaches temp, after the compressor shuts down, the fan stops 1-2 minutes after. The ONLY good thing about the Dometic is that in AUTO mode is behaves this way. I run the Dometic in our Oliver during late July-August when we got hot up here. Set at 84 to keep the interior from getting too hot when parked. It runs most of the afternoon while in the hot sun and it turns off all night long (we drop 30 degrees every 24 hours up in the dry mountains).

Derek, yes given your location, you should do more research and perhaps go with the 13.5K model. The spec says the 9.5K handles 400 SF and that is larger than an Oliver. I would not base it on what your current Dometic handles, as beside noisy it's basically junk. Replace a Dometic with another, not me. They are a RV parts company is all. Don't do it just because the thermostat is interchangeable. We had a similar Dometic in our 29' Bigfoot Class-C. A ducted unit that did not cool well at all. The fan froze up one spring and I replaced it with a 13.5K Furrion AC, since I got it for under $300 Amazon used! The new unit, after some riveting of the cracked cover (used) and some taping of the ductwork really cooled the Bigfoot, what a difference! With large slide out in this RV, rear queen bedroom, etc. it is a good double the SF and cubic feet of air that the Oliver. I asked @Geronimo John in another thread which BTU model he installed, but I don't believe he's had the time to answer yet. I would like to know what others have installed. I promise you that we would never visit your great state of Louisiana anytime from May through September, LOL, and the west is dry! It's a world of difference. Our summers are relatively nice up here at 5400 FT. Though we do not travel in the summer, since as soon as we leave the mountains, the valley below us is daily in triple digits. Even though Houghton writes you need a 2.5KW minimum generator to run, it also states, "The maximum power input of this unit is 1590 Watts and the maximum current is 14.6 Amps." (BTW, these numbers do not jive, as 14.6A x 120V = 1752, the numbers balance at 109V not sure why?) Both of these numbers fit within a 2KW inverter, so I want the smaller 9.5K unit for the possibility to run off inverter. There is a comment on the RecPro page that 1100W is the most one customer had ever seen. We run a 1100W tea kettle all the time and microwave on inverter, so why not the 9.5K model? Certainly not the 13.5K model. You want to be on shore power, summers in the SE US, likely go with the 13.5K BTU model.

Running off of a 2KW inverter (or compressor as mentioned) is likely a no-go. They list this at the bottom of their spec insert on the RecPro page: This AC unit requires a minimum 2500-watt generator with a dedicated 30-amp service. Using a lower-rated generator may cause difficulty when starting the AC unit or may require a soft starter.* *It is recommended to use a 3000-watt generator with a dedicated 30-amp service.*

Very nice shine @Derek B! When I get around to it, a good shine will take far more work, ours seeing a lot of desert sun and outdoor storage. Great new signature line too! Wish everybody would add location. SE Louisiana is great home base to for US travel east to west! We have solar and it's good yours has the wiring OTT installed. I'm going to replace that Dometic AC too, unbearable noise. We will make that purchase between now and the Oct Texas Rally (not too far for you). Thinking the small Houghton 9.5K BTU model which is a good match for the small Ollie interior. Enjoy and browse all the threads on campgrounds, rallies, and mods!

I love my wife Chris, and as each year goes by it becomes ever more so apparent! We purchased our Oliver just days short of a year ago and we love being together in our travels, no matter where we camp for the night, good or bad. I share this thought today with my virtual Oliver family. I do my things and she does hers and the best things are the times we spend together. She often asks, “How’s the blog going?” She’s referring to this forum and she is always interested. I tell her stories regarding y’alls antics, often over a drink or two before dinner. She listens and smiles, what a smile. Today is a very special day for us, as it is our 30th wedding anniversary! I have a difficult job every year from June 1st to June 7th. Her birthday being the latter date. Last year, as you can see, it was easy as can be, as to her surprise I brought home an Oliver! 😊 What in the world can I do this year! Good thing we do not need to top the great times we’ve had and will always have together. I write this for my partner in life. Love you, Chrissy.

Keep in mind, when running AC, at 70 MPH down a highway, as tight as the Oliver hull is, you're POURING BTUs in the wake behind you! Sitting at a campsite would be say 1.5 less SOC loss and if sitting in the shade, 2x LESS. Hey @rideadeuce, Buc-ee's is a Texas on-the-road tradition (though I do agree with your sentiment)! When we lived in Georgetown TX, Chris' daughter and grandchild in Houston, we would meet at the Buc-ee's in Giddings TX, for the hand-off, so our grandson could spend a couple days with us! He loved the place. Giddings a great east TX town, great Mexican food and a Super Mercado to stock up the fridge! Ahh, great memories...

Agreed @Geronimo John, as always you provide a solid engineering basis. It was a late night find, looked cool at the time! First thing I thought this morning is at a campsite, the 48V DC version is not a simple plug into shore power. Which model did you install? Do you believe the 9.5k unit is adequate cooling for the Oliver? I'm thinking so, we do not plan on extended summer camping in the east. At 1590W it appears it can run off our 2KW inverter, agree? I realize on my current 450AH lead-acid batteries it would not run for long, but later adding 600AH Epoch LI should do the trick. RV Air Conditioner Low Profile 9.5k Quiet AC Unit with Optional Heat Pump and Remote Control, Non-Ducted - RecPro Thanks for your feedback. When I replace our AC, thinking before leave for the October Texas Rally, I should have many more questions. I believe I read you are integrating the thermostat this summer and I would want to do that immediately. I'll be reading here for your updates. Likely will channel the condensate drip to the rear streetside in some way. It's not like our Oliver is what old-car guys call a "trailer queen!" 🤣 (pun intended) Thank you.

Hey @Geronimo John, I've been studying this thread, on and off over the last year and still need to read and learn more. An extremely quiet Low BTU model makes sense to me, and the Oliver does not require 13.5 BTU at all, given the interior cubic feet and insulated shell. I also need to role this into a lifepo4 upgrade. It will be a one or 2-year plan for me. It only makes sense to do these mods in unison. I will NOT but another Dometic product for any purpose. I have also read, too many times, how those who bring their Oliver for Truma and custom fiberglass work are "very happy" with their purchase. We cannot afford the time, distance and cost of such, so that's not happenin' for us. Loved how our friend @MAX Burner wrote about your side-by-side comparison last summer. I abhor motor noises, unless it's my Cummins pulling an incline, or a sports car tuned for performance at 7000+ RPM. We want QUIET and LOW fan speed and I believe the solution just might be a Houghton AC! Ran across these components in research today and somehow, I want to make this work! I read here about some member(s) are wiring 12V batteries in series which would of course produce 24V but then I'm wondering how, do you step 24V down to 12VDV for all the standard RV lighting and other accessories. How about 48V to 12V? Is that possible? Do we have any true battery/solar experts here? I'm going to spend weeks/months researching this, but is there a way to pair these components in an Oliver? I would truly love the read the opinion of all members who know the physics behind this! (maybe this should be a new thread?) Thank you GJ and OTT Forum members - 48V Air Conditioner for RV - 9.5K Low Profile AC Unit with Heat Pump and Remote Control Non-Ducted - RecPro 48V 100Ah LiFePO4 Battery - Heated & Bluetooth (epochbatteries.com) No inverter required if these two components can somehow be combined in an Oliver. I'm generally more of a "here and now" sort, yet technology will amaze!

Problem is too many company policies are created by lawyers. OTT is likely worried some of us will load our trailer up to 10K LBS, so they likely factored in a 50% margin in their number. The rating on the tire is MAX. Tire companies do not suggest running at MAX unless you are running MAX weight. This chart is for the OEM tire brand/model and you can look for a Cooper table, but for the same size tire, Load Range E, they will all be about the same. Notice at 50 PSI on the table the rating is 2090 LBS. We have four (4) single tires (The rows marked "Dual" are for dually TVs and Class-C RVs). Four times 2090 = 8,360 LBS and nobody should load that much stuff into their Ollies! 65 PSI on these tires is for a dual-axle trailer with two 5200 LB axles. At 40 PSI, 4 of these tires will carry 4 x 1795 = 7180 LBS and the Oliver Elite II has a GTRW of 7,000 LBS. Therefore, if you are not exceeding the GTRW you can run as low as 40 PSI. Most of us add a little margin, but regardless of the OTT company position 60 PSI is WAY too much. In prepping for our last trip, when I check pressures, all 4 tires were between 46 and 48 PSI, so I made them all 46 and did not have to extend the air line from my compressor. The all had just the right amount of bulge at this pressure.

When I saw this yesterday, I was thinking a pair. But why not, it's only money! But then I have a garage full of hydraulic jacks in all shapes and sizes, multiple pairs of jack stands, tire ramps, so I better use that money on something else. Art, what's in your garage? For Oliver owners that do not already have considerable automotive tools, a pair of these would likely allow for any maintenance work you would consider, working one side at a time. One is just not enough, except to change a flat. Nice combo tool!