FloraFauna

Hurray! Another OTT person in Wisconsin! Columbia Cty for me but I service my Oli near Sheboygan. Not quite sure how to have a private chat to share info but I am open to it.

Ditto. There have never been any Oliver dealers in Wisconsin or anywhere close to me. It is almost a draw between the closest out of state dealer and going to OTT in Tennessee. I am not complaining as I understood this when I bought the trailer. My solution: I found a reliable RV service center (and dealer of other brands) in the state that is also an authorized Truma service center. They work well with Oliver, Truma, Xantrex, etc. They did a couple of warranty repairs for me with no issues and Oliver providing reimbursement (Thank you Jason E.). If I need other repairs, I will go back there. At one time, we discussed having an informal Oliver service center directory. I understand there may be some implied endorsement issues with having that posted here but it sure would be handy (assuming everyone understood the ground rules).

Our story is different, but equally compelling. Hadn't camped in 30 years and had never owned an RV. Purchased Hull 1394 in August of 2023 sight unseen but after a lot of research. We knew what we wanted. Just completed trip #13 today arriving home from the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Little FS primitive campground nestled away through 10 miles of single lane gravel road. Temperatures got down in the 40's most nights - we love the northern cool. No regrets. Perfect trailer for us.

I think this is about right by my informal data and 62 is way better on the suspension than 70 mph. I don't have the patience for 62 so I will be more in the 65 to 67 mph range but keeping it under 70 dramatically improves the mpg and it just is a safer and less jarring drive. This is another reason to get off the interstate as well where the speed limits are lower. It may be only a few miles per hour difference in the end, but fuel consumption/drag and the dynamics of hitting bumps are not linear with speed.

When I think of mpg difference between my Duramax diesel empty vs pulling the Oli, it is easy to understand how a comparable range drop (or worse) occurs with an EV truck. I don't see EV trucks replacing my diesel for a long time unless they significantly increase the size of the batteries for towing. That said, I am suspecting my next car will be an EV but I think I will lease as the technology is still changing.

Not the lightest and probably not the quietest (although it is not loud). Most importantly it fits under the tonneau cover in my truck bed. I run off the propane so I am not mucking with gas cans. This and the size (both dimensions and power output) were primary considerations in my choice. Price is right. Powers the Ollie including AC with ease. Champion Power Equipment 5500/4000-Watt Electric Start Gasoline and Propane Powered Dual Fuel Inverter Generator W/CO Shield and Quiet Technology 201469 - The Home Depot. I use ramps to get it up in the back of my TV. Since I have the full battery package and solar, I only take it along if I think I am going to need the AC (which is not often). Provides a minimal home backup source until I do something bigger and better.

Same here.

I am using an older (now) Stihl BGA 86 running at 36V, 459 cfm and 154 mph. It is a camping essential for cleaning off our mat in front of the Olie door but never thought of using it for drying off the Oli after washing. So, thank you guys for yet another great idea.

What is the tool you are using in the last picture?

Looks like yours is bit taller than mine but I can still reach to the middle of my Oliver as well. Sometimes I use a microfiber wash mitt on a short pole. Nice thing about this is the setup is minimal - roll into place and go. The limitation is that you need to go up and down to move it.

This unit was a Peltier-type unit. Not the compressor-refrigeration-type that you suggested, and I knew this when I purchased it. I have an old Peltier-type refrigerator that has worked well for 20 years and is extremely efficient so I thought I might get some additional power savings with a dehumidifier operating on the same principle. I also liked the smaller footprint. This unit claimed to dehumidify 850 sq ft - not in my reality. See: Amazon.com - UBBO Dehumidifiers for Home, 850 sq.ft 95oz Dehumidifier with Drain Hose Timer Sleep Mode Auto-Off 7 Colors Light, Dehumidifier for Bedroom Bathroom Basements RV White So yes, your point and recommendation are still valid. We find that in cold weather the back windows and back corners of the Ollie can collect condensation. We continue to experiment with cracking windows and ventilation patterns. We have also found that rotating the head of the beds from the back corner to the center of trailer combined with judicious window cracking is one approach to avoiding condensation in the back (and it has a side benefit of your head not getting cold in the back corner). Your dehumidifier recommendation has to be more effective than what we tried but still not sure I want to trade the battery energy if I can manage the humidity other ways. The fresh air aspect is another consideration. (And I have not lost the link to the unit you recommended - still an option.)

I purchased one of those small dehumidifiers based on this discussion but returned it after one session. It lowered the humidity in the trailer from 78% to 74% after 6 hours - I was not impressed. I found it is much easier to control the humidity (assuming it is cool enough outside) by ventilation as you describe. The notion of fresh air and ventilation appealed to me and a small dehumidifier is just noise and nuisance in the system. I am boondocking almost exclusively, so power consumption is an issue. I also am generally not camping in wet, humid conditions. The biggest issue is when it gets cold at night - humidity and condensation will go up if windows are not crack and furnace is not running.

I DO enjoy this forum. I may not contribute as much as some of you but I find myself looking every day and learning something new every time I look. This thread is no exception. My takeaway is that both sides make valid points. I am also convinced that DanielBoondock knows what he wants and knows the tradeoffs. As he correctly points out there are tradeoffs both ways. RVing involves lots of experimentation. I am anxious to learn what he learns. There are lots of different ways to enjoy the experience.

I had a problem similar to this when my Ollie was still under warranty. My microwave and AC were unusable when off shorepower as the 3000 watt inverter would shut down. I can't recall if my voltage drop mirrored yours, but the behavior was at least similar. As such, a repair facility with OTT and Xantrex' guidance made the repair. I am not 100% certain what was done but I know there were issues with redundant and/or undersized or defective circuit breakers as it came from OTT. (There are only so many things you can check in the OTT campground if you stay a night or two there as part of shakedown following new trailer pickup.)

Water carry: Don’t know about the others (but probably average), but the Oliver is expressly designed for fresh water carry. Important for Boondocking and I want to bring water with me just in case the campground water is having issues For us, this is the main OTT limitation. We boondock almost exclusively and water is what we run out of first even with a composting toilet. I ultimately added an auxiliary 35-gallon tank in the back of my TV as my 3/4 ton has the capacity (wish I had opted for 40 or 45 gallons). We fill both tanks with softened water from the trusted home source and we are good for almost a week. I have a custom pump setup to simply refill the freshwater tank so I don't have to fool with the valve configuration using the Ollie water pump. This also serves the purpose of a backup water pump if ever needed. So all told, I am adding several hundred pounds to my TV payload - something to consider if you plan to boondock much.

I am a few years ahead of you. Also an engineer who still is nagged by projects well into retirement but when it comes to my Ollie, it is not on my project list and I hope it never is. It's my escape from all of that. Don't worry. I bought mine sight unseen as well. A couple of issues had to be worked out with my Ollie the first year but the service department worked well with a local RV place (not a dealer). I currently have no trailer issues. I have not regretted the purchase despite the price and have not found an RV of any type or price that I would rather have. I went through a similar process of elimination and arrived at the same point as you. I also went with your options minus the street-side awning. Without a basis I feel the awnings could become a maintenance issue. Hope you retire soon - life is short.

Related to this, has anyone used the dehumidfy mode on their Truma AC? Does it use significantly less power than simply running the AC? Looking at this issue from a humidity control approach while boondocking.

I assume you only run this when on shore power?

As a follow-up to this post last fall. Glad I took your advice and buried my wishful thinking. I winterized as suggested and we had a cold, cold winter and spring. Have now dewinterized and all is good in the Oliver. In the fall in Wisconsin, us older folks get wishful and hope it won't be too cold, too long. Nine out of ten times we are wrong. But there's always hope, just don't bet your Oliver plumbing on it.

Yeah, that's tough. I think I read somewhere an actual preferred moisture content but who is going to actually measure and monitor it that way?? I know if it's crumbly bone dry, we have smelly problems. That happened when I installed peat moss I had from a previous season and although it was sealed in a large bag it still was too dry. Your waste is NOT the way to remoisten. At the same time, it cannot be slurry wet. It should be wet enough to be slightly cohesive yet break apart easily upon agitation. When I install it, I place it in a 5-gallon bucket and thoroughly mix in water (like a cup or two at a time) until I get that "in-between" consistency where it is slightly sticky but not overtly wet. If your bag is brand new, you may not need to add much. I am still learning but if you have smelly composting toilet, you are doing it wrong and should not be interpreted as composting toilets are smelly - they are not, if you do it right. If smelly, easy enough to remove the compost between trips and start over. Quite honestly, we do not change our compost more than once or twice per season depending how much we camp. We also have chosen to avoid placing toilet paper in the compost and handle that other ways. When we started with the compost toilet we were very skeptical out of ignorance that we could live with it, but also adamantly wanted to avoid the limitations, water usage and other problems of a black tank. After a couple of seasons we are very happy with our choice.

Storing for how long? Generally, we have no issues with leaving the compost as-is for a few weeks sometime even a month, between trips. If there are only two of you, one week should not be end of life for your compost. Depending on where you are and your climate, you may want to unplug your Natures Head exhaust fan so you do not over dry the compost between trips. We have found keeping the compost at the right moisture content is the most critical factor in having an odor free composting toilet.

Don't forget to spend some time at the Quinault Rain Forest.

There are dealer (and nondealer) service centers that do just fine repairing specific problems on an Oliver. They get on the phone with OTT service and the component manufacturer to make the necessary repair. But for general maintenance and a good look-over specific to an Oliver I would go back to OTT as they know what the issues are for their product. I think this is an important reason why we all wanted OTT to keep their service center - they know the trailer the best. Any issue and they have probably seen it a dozen or more times already.

Just to be clear, my wiring issues above were not loose nuts or any other maintenance issue. They were a result of component installation at the factory. I love my Oliver trailer, it has generally performed well, and the service department is wonderful.

I had several electrical issues that were resolved under warranty at a local repair shop. In all cases, it "appeared" it was not the component but the OTT installation of the component. OTT honored the warranty and was very cooperative along with the component manufacturers (Truma AC and the inverter folks) in resolving the issues. But I learned just because electrical items work at trailer delivery does not mean they are right or will continue working. I hope my electrical issues are all resolved especially because I am now out of warranty, but I wouldn't be surprised if they are not. I too have noticed how crudely and unrefined the cutouts in the interior hull are for some of the components - glad it's not just my trailer, I guess and we can all share the aesthetic. Unlike JD, I don't have the time, skills or interest to do all of my own electrical work on this or a stripped-down trailer. As it is, I just wish I had more time to camp and cooperative weather to go with. Finally, although I managed to resolve these issues with Oliver's generous help locally (and the shop did a fine job), I feel it is critically important to have the Mother Ship as a backup and intend to have them do overall maintenance of the trailer every few years to supplement my own. No local shop (especially one that is not a dealer) is going to know the Oliver trailer and systems weak points as well as Oliver.