jd1923
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Posts posted by jd1923
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I preferred to stay with the self adjust, only worked the Timken upgrade. No other parts on our Oliver needed replacing, though our hull is likely low mileage. Here’s my take.
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2 hours ago, Wayfinder said:
All good thoughts. It would be best, for my own experience, if I were to do all the work myself. Erggg. But the body is feeling its age. LOL
I could also find a good shop near me to do the heavy lifting and me get the parts.When I do these jobs, I do all I can, prep everything, get to the point where I can grab my son, and he helps with the heavy lifting! This is at times a two-person job.
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1 hour ago, hobojoe said:
We always started unit on high and set temp to 60 to get camper cooled then switched to low fan setting and adjusted temperature to desired level.
Is this required? Should not be so in a well engineered A/C. When set temp is several degrees lower than actual temp, the A/C should be full on, no compressor cycling.
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17 minutes ago, Geronimo John said:
Maybe. What about the taller ALCAN spring height added? Getting closer to that 10 foot number?
GJ
Should not matter to you or me. You already purchased a Houghton and I my Oliver sits outdoors!
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26 minutes ago, Dirt Duff said:
Are the L-shaped aluminum support also bolted to the brackets? Or, are they just between the brackets? Great info. Thank you everyone.
Zoom in on pics #1-2 in my post above. They are bolted separately. You can see one bolt into the bracket and behind that 1 of 4 bolts into the L-support. That’s why I wrote a 24” angle support, commonly available, could be used.
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3 hours ago, Steve Morris said:
good thing my wife doesn’t see your saying she weighs more than average! Combined we are 318 pounds.
Nobody said that. 🤣
At your number, you two are petite! Gallup says the average weight Americans ‘“say they weigh” is 181 (average of adult men and women). Let’s add 10 lbs each for the little white lies and you have realistic 380 lbs AVERAGE for an American couple! Easily 400 for an older couple, those of us who eat well at home and at camp!
I’m 6’ 2” and 220 LBS. Though I always weigh 230 at the doctor’s office, dressed with jeans and leather belt, hiking shoes size 12, with phone, and wallet, keys in pocket. At 318 lbs total, Chris would have to weigh only 88 lbs and that leaves zero lbs for our pup Charley (65 lbs) and ANYTHING else in the cab!
Put the dog in the trailer to save GVWR!!! No, not our special pup. Do you have any bags up front? Phones, computers, camera, a smaller cooler, a packed lunch?
I’m an industrial engineer with years of estimation experience. I’d say the 3 of us with our stuff in the cab in our truck is 450 lbs min, just plan on 500 being honest.
I weighed all that in place at the scales and we have 1300 unused GVWR, the amount any 1/2 ton truck has to work with from empty!
God bless @ScubaRx. He has every suspension upgrade in his E2 to carry 10K lbs max, likely 8500+ in his Ollie and room to visit several flee markets on his winter missions out west.
Love you @Steve Morris, and love our discussions. You ever get that Pepwave mounted? 🤣 Can’t wait to meet you, and your pretty thin wife, on the Oliver trail.
”On the road again…” Best wishes, JD
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1 hour ago, rich.dev said:
You can tell from this picture he’s overloaded?
I agree fully with @ScubaRx, except he underestimated the average weight of two adults. The truck picture shows it. These Toyo trucks sit with much more space between the rear tire and the fender vs the front. This pic the front gap looks a little larger than rear. That takes weight off the steering. The Anderson should be tightened some to help.
Also see the pic showing what’s in the back of the truck, the plywood platform, the cooler, etc. wail until the shelf has stuff on it. Yep, overloaded.
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29 minutes ago, Wayfinder said:
Otherwise, the fridge pretty much cools the same on AC, DC, and Propane. Just not keeping up with the outside temps.
That's why I took the recommendation of others to replace the OEM fan with a larger dual fan setup. You could change out the thermal switch screwed into the top RHS of the condenser. Given your fan works this is likely the issue. Note all the comments here.
It's worth the $80 plus tax and a few hours and YES, run new wires to the switch or wire without the toggle switch on the lights panel. The Beech Lane fan product it very nice. I just purchased and installed a second one to cool the streetside bed basement area where I'm installing a 3KW inverter.
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We stream most nights, but when there is no cell reception for the Pepwave we can always play a Blu-ray! Downloading movies reminds me of when I used to have to fly for business. Want to keep that a distant memory.
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Monsoon rains all week! We love it since now we are at 47% RH and a month humidity it was down in the teens. 20 years ago, it was our last spring in Northern VA and Adam's little league season got rained out 7 of 12 games! The next year he joined a Prescott AZ team. We got rain one evening and all the boys were jumping up-n-down in joy, smiling faces looking up to catch the rain. The game continued.
Last night this bad boy had all the look, but not enough energy to dump buckets of rain! Weather report says no rain this weekend, with monsoons coming back next week. 😂
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1 hour ago, ScubaRx said:
L shaped.
As usual Steve and @mossemi are correct. It is 1" Aluminum angle. mine measured 25", Mossey wrote 26". There is no reason at all (two) 24" pieces would not work. The T-shape I noticed in the above picture was an illusion seeing the mounting bracket.
I just climbed up and measured. The mounts are 27" center-to-center and if yours measure the same (and about 59.5" front to back) then your installation was likely the same as mine. Good time to CLEAN the roof! 🤣
With these pics you could rebuild yours to match. The two panels do not have a center support. They are just bolted in 5 places, looks like 1/4" HW. Since you're build from scratch, not sure if angle mounts make real sense, but check out this post: HOW TO: Solar panel extension arms. - Ollie Modifications - Oliver Owner Forums (olivertraveltrailers.com)
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1 hour ago, Dirt Duff said:
Is the aluminum angle a simple "L" -shape? Or, U-shape channel?
Ours is an Elite 2, but also older 2016 hull. Maybe solar on E1 vs. E2 was not different, not sure, but the width is the same, only length differs in the hulls. Your E1 appears to have the same 4 mounts to the roof.
I took some pics recently. If you zoom in on picture Solar3 below you can see the support bar on ours is T-shaped but an L-angle would work fine. I also show measurements. Another pic shows a Zamp serial number. I believe ours are two Zamp 170W panels for 340W total. The 58.25" measurement is the length and the 52.43" is the width of two panels.
This item is likely the current replacement: Amazon.com: Zamp Solar Legacy Series 170-Watt Roof Mount Solar Panel Expansion Kit. Additional Solar Power for Off-Grid RV Battery Charging - KIT1009 : Patio, Lawn & Garden
Not sure why Zamp is so expensive! I would replace with Renogy or Newpowa (bought these for a Class-C and was very happy with them). Hope this helps!
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8 hours ago, John Dorrer said:
The big things would be capping the propane line...
This phrase caught my eye. If the LP line is in the area of the fridge that vents ONLY outside, then this is OK not best. I've read some about this fridge needing an interior vent, then not OK at all.
Best installation would be to remove the gas line T-coupling down at the frame below the cabin and replace it with a straight coupling. This way there is absolutely no chance of LP leak into the cabin interior.
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6 hours ago, Geronimo John said:
I wonder how much this tall unit and base adds to the standard height of the trailer.
This was asked and answered in another thread titled, "AC upgrade conundrum." At that time, I checked and the Atmos is spec'd at 0.9" taller than the OEM Dometic Penguin.
Given OTT specs the EII as "Outside Height To Top Of A/C: 9' 8" call it 9' 9" with an Atmos which should not make any real difference, even for a 10' garage door.
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1 hour ago, Steve Morris said:
Maybe you bring too much stuff? 😜
I've seen pictures of the Oliver rallies. Oliver owners that easily have twice the outdoor gear than we do, extra tables & recliner chairs, camp lights, screened rooms and so much more! Can't get a 35-gal water tank in an SUV and we don't leave home in the SW w/o extra water. We don't pack an extra fridge, no generator, lots of available space in the bed.
We love our GX470 too and the two cars and two other trucks we have on the property. I have not spent a year (cannot) without a pickup truck since I bought my first one 40 years ago. My best friend from high school said at the time, "What took you so long?"
I always get a chuckle watching SUV owners load up at the Depot! 🤣 As they are busy making room, I quickly load my purchases in the bed and drive off. Ya gotta admit the back of your truck is quite full near GVWR and you could not get me or my wife to spend one night in that other camper!
After we pack for a trip, our TV has 1300 LBS available GVWR and our Oliver sits under 6400 LBS. It's easier with a pickup and safer not to push the limits.
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Arches NP has an online reservation system. We could only reserve a 4PM entrance, which worked out fine as the sun was softer and the day was nice cooling off. Drove all the roads and made two short hikes to Landscape and Delicate Arches. Left after 7PM to enjoy a late dinner at Dewey's in Moab.
Next door is the Moab Diner. Had great breakfasts there a couple mornings!
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BTW, I did get a return authorization on the KISAE and just got refund less shipping yesterday. I have not heard if they tested it to determine the issue. Twice for me it would not recognize shore power, so the A/C would not run and later it ran fine for 2 weeks in bypass mode from shore power before I removed it. The combination of lead-acid batteries, 2KW Xantrex inverter (older model w/o charger) and old Dometic Penguin (according to the EMS draws 15A on shore power), did not add up to a viable solution.
I wired the A/C back to the breaker directly. I received 600AH Epoch LiFePO4 batteries, waiting on shipment of a 3KVA Victron MP2 inverter that of course has the built-in ATS (shore or inverter) that will power all Oliver 120VAC needs.
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10 minutes ago, Ronbrink said:
If you would go back and reread my last, I may have been editing it as you were sending this. But then maybe not!
Yep, you were editing. I'm on this site too much! I need to get out, work on the Oliver and get some yard work done today. Lunch break is over!
Now that you have the highly capable Victron charger, if it were me, I would bypass the Xantrex charger if at all possible. Use its inverter function only. As you wrote, "soon after showed erratic output." This could be caused by the Victron charger sensing amperage supplied by the Xantrex charger.
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Just now, Dennis and Melissa said:
TYVM!
Do you have any opinions about camping in Kodachrome SP (for Bryce area) or Dead Horse Point SP (for Moab area)?
Don't know Kodachrome. Loved out visit to Dead Horse and wish we would have camped there. Do that for sure!
I agree with @SeaDawg, where she wrote, "Zion is beautiful. So is Bryce. Don't know if I'd be up for a week at each." I would spend a week in St George area, so many things to do and we've made it an annual trip for us. You are a close commute to Zion. April is better than later, as it will get more and more crowded. The shuttle system gets full and you can wait at some stops for a while. For me 2 days at Zion is enough due to the crowds.
Separately I suggest camping somewhere up between Bryce and Capital Reef NP, weather permitting. This is all 8000+ FT elevation. Leaving Zion you can drive Hwy 9 east, the Mount Carmel Highway for more great views. Then take Hwy 89 N to Bryce. So many options!
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Maybe it's only lead-acid chemistry where you have to be worried re puching to many amps. @Ronbrink thanks for the chart!
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On 7/15/2024 at 10:46 AM, SeaDawg said:
You could wrap a chunk of pool noodle or...
I had this thought too and then there I was in our local Walmart, a box full of thin noodles! Chris is creating an Americana-Patriot theme for our interior decor, and she came up with the flag idea! I found a cheap 18" wide poly flag on Amazon. Had an old broomstick in the shed.
Cut it to size and just a little sanding for the correct diameter. Used 3M spray glue and rolled it tight. Can't drill cloth, so first I used a needle tool to puncture and a center punch to widen the hole. Measured the first hole and mounted it to get the exact point for the second hole, two screws go through the wood center.
It sure beats the ugly old burlap brick! Turned out pretty good. When I find a quality cotton flag, I'll do it again in a couple years. I have enough leftover noodle! 🤣
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@Ronbrink 108A is a lot of charge amps. Is there a point where it can be too much for your 460AH battery bank? Can you setup your Xantrex to be inverter only? I will soon be a LiFePO4 newbie with much to learn!
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Honestly, I don't how any of you manage, towing with SUVs! Go back to @John E Davies posts and you will see the custom shelving and everything else he did to store just a few small items.
We feel inside storage of the Oliver EII is good with ample room for kitchen, bath, clothes and personal items. Where do you put all the camping items in an SUV? The Oliver has little outside storage. The front bin for generator (we stow a fire ring and cooking grate there). Then you have the awkward trunk. All we keep back there is the shore power cord, hoses, an accessory bag, empty jugs for fuel and radiator emergencies and our campground blanket.
Back of the pickup is needed for lawn chairs, grill and stand, a folding table, tools and much more. To allow boondocking for a full week, we bring extra water too (35-gal tank). The only constraint is the black tank (will just last a week), but no, we're not composting poop. 🤣
Get a pickup truck eventually and make it a 2500! Still use the Anderson, unless you purchase a modern beast of a truck. It will make setup and tear-down quick and easy and if you find something you want to buy along the road, you'll have the room to bring it home.
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5 hours ago, MAX Burner said:
What a fantastic upgrade! We'll be doing this over the fall in prep for our JAN Q-site outing.... Excited to see how this shakes out, @jd1923!
Will you disable the PD converter/charger function and use the MPII charger function? Just curious...
I will disconnect for sure. It is designed for lead-acid and to run LiFePO4 you need the upgraded model as Chris @Wayfinder had installed. I will use that end fuse for the microwave, now our Emeril Air Fryer, to separate it from all the 110V outlets.
Wondering if it's worth just leaving there as a backup, in case of Victron MP2 failure. Charging with a LA pattern is better than nothing. But with solar, I will likely pull it to save 2 LBS! That spot then becomes a vent. 🤣
Weird water problem
in Mechanical & Technical Tips
Posted
A small amount of hot water can pass through the kitchen faucet valve. Those lever-operated combination valves will do that, even a "dribble" when new, more when the internal O-ring seal wears with some age.
The real question is why the cold ran so long without the pump kicking in. The cut-in pressure did not work correctly on your water pump allowing the cold side to drain completely. Given this has happened before, you likely need a new water pump.
It kicked in later when at zero pressure and likely water leaking in from the pressurized hot side backfilled the cold allowing the pump to prime. Just my hypothesis. Could also be you run more often on City Water and the pump pressure switch got stuck from lack of use.
Either way, I would replace your water pump, knowing this is likely to reoccur. I also suggest replacing with an upgraded model over the OEM pump. You can add 5 PSI with no ill effect on the plumbing and go +1 GPM for much improved performance. Water pumps are relatively cheap and an easy swap.