Jason Foster

Welcome and congratulations from NE Texas.

I would not pay $1600 for that. I would find a much cheaper alternative to replacing it. Something like this:

My guess for the cracks is unequal thermal expansion of the underlayment combined with either aging or ultraviolet light damage. Either poor material choices, wrong glue usage, or simple delamination. Very likely a known issue for Lippert but too expensive for them to acknowledge.

Some other culprits: Refrigerator, mulching toilet exhaust fan (if you have one of those), ceiling exhaust fan in bathroom, King TV booster (no idea how much power it uses, maybe nothing).

LifePO4s self discharge around 2% per month, so something has definitely been left on to discharge them that much in a months time. I believe the 3000 watt inverter goes into standby when not in use, so I don't think it uses much. The water pump cycling uses very little as well unless it runs constantly. That would be an easy diagnosis. They are loud. I leave mine out in the sun here in Texas and it stays fully charged. I have left the vent fan on to keep air movement constant. That only drops the batteries a small fraction over night. These batteries also have a heater built into them which could discharge them over time. Likely a red switch in the battery compartment. @Rolind had a good suggestion above: make an afternoon of this project with a beer some music and enjoying your awesome new trailer. This is what I did in conjunction with reading every bit of literature that came out of OTT at least twice. I get a bit obsessed with learning new things though.

By the way, for a person who goes by the nickname Snackchaser, your cabinets are curiously devoid of snacks....

About 8 the next morning for us but close enough.

Same. But the things I did when I was young don't like me as much as they used to.

We typically don't eat anything past about 6 pm, but cool idea.

Honestly, my EDC flashlight is my cell phone. It does the job and so much more. And I can't find my other ones.

I plea the 5th.

So, I spoke to Jason Essary about this particular model. It is called the Elite X. Below is an image of the cockpit...yes, cockpit: He also included a view of some of the luxurious cabin amenities: I mean, check out that state of the art dialysis machine. Or maybe it is an ultrasound. It even comes stocked with pets. Here is a picture of Rodney Lomax checking them out before delivery. Disclaimer: Jason and Rodney have not been consulted regarding this travesty of a comment.

And with that, the last of the big V-8s. Edit: Yes, Chevy and Ford still make them but for how long. I'm still reeling from the loss of the Hemi

Cut them down to the correct length if they hang too much but also make sure you cross them at least once, so if the trailer hitch comes off the ball, it drops onto the chain crossing.

Completely autonomous driving. Probably safer than most Class A'ers.

If it is worth it, then it is worth it.

I just want to go back in time. https://www.motortrend.com/features/60s-muscle-cars/

I have always been self sufficient. Ever since I was a young man, a kid even, I would refuse to pay anyone for something I could do myself. The first job I ever tackled on my own was fixing the crank on my bicycle. I was 12. From that point on, the toys got bigger and the repairs did as well. Instead of hiring someone, I bought tools and learned how to do it. That progressed to the point that I now have a shop, $20k (probably more) worth of tools and have enough trade knowledge in my head that I can do just about anything. Is it worth it? To me it is. I have literally built houses, cabinets, plumbing, electrical work, I have rebuilt a few engines that actually worked afterwards and I have never paid anyone a penny for it. On top of that, it has built wealth for me. I will die with more money left in the bank than I can spend unless the country falls apart and the dollar tanks. But even then, I will have the knowledge and the tools to keep going. Do it all again. Until I get old and spend $3000 to get my Oliver detailed. :)

I feel the pinch too. Everything has gone up except my pay and I am still paying for two houses waiting for the bigger one to sell. Hopefully, the economy will get better after the election.

I may actually do a camo wrap so I can lose it in the woods.

I ceramic coated my truck at home. It is a chore but it looks nice. I believe it cost me less than $100 for the product and about 3 hours of time. I already had the equipment, so no extra cost on that. If I did the Oliver, I figure 3 to 4X that at $400 and about 12 hours. If I paid myself $100 an hour for my time, it would only come to about $1600 total. That is being generous. It would likely take less time and less money. My truck was FILTHY. My Oliver had some swirl marks from the factory, so they paid to get mine polished. I took it to a local boat detailer and he put a nice ceramic coat on it for $1300. $3000 is too much in my opinion, unless they come to your house and your trailer is horribly oxidized. If I can't do it myself, I will take it to my boat guy.

Good to know.

Awesome trip report. I much prefer mountains over flatlands and snow over sand, but I always enjoy a road trip.