Snackchaser

Here are the release notes for the current version, didn't see anything about earlier versions. Probably only meaningful to techies: https://lithionics.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/154000170433-firmware-release-v1-1-11-and-v1-0-11-for-the-internal-bms-batteries#:~:text=This firmware is-,specific,-to smaller batteries

If you have Lithionics batteries, you should check their Firmware. Mine was three versions outdated! The latest version of Firmware includes upgrades and corrections to the Battery Management System (BMS) and State Of Charge (SOC) accuracy. The Firmware can be checked and updated with the Lithionics Application. Go to settings and pick “Firmware Update.” Then press the “Flash Firmware” button if you don't have the latest version. Be sure to up-date each battery.

Custom Automatic Leveling for the Oliver's Barker Jacks Part 3: I skipped over a lot of detail to keep this project interesting, and it’s probably still too much information. But some might be interested to hear about some of the background work that was involved. After the test board phase was complete, and everything was working well on the bench, the system was installed in the trailer for real-life testing. This was an anxious time because it had only been tested with simulated current, and I had no idea how it would react under real current conditions. Things went south immediately! I started testing with rear jacks because they were easier to wire and much more complex than the tongue jack. I didn’t want to run the tongue jack wires if the whole project could end up in the trash bin! I came up with a test procedure to verify each function in different scenarios of operation, and that required manual jack operation. That’s when the problems started! I was blowing the 30 amp jack fuses and couldn’t figure out why. I first focused on the H-bridge relay wiring as the problem. Then I suspected that the ESP-32 or driver outputs were miss-wired during transition from the test board. They had been soldered together one wire at a time under magnification, and back tracing the bundled wires was a nightmare. I couldn’t find the problem and came close to scrapping the whole project. I was so confident in the design, and overly focused on wiring, that I completely overlooked the obvious. There was a major flaw in the way the auto-leveling system was isolated from the manual jack switches. I had used a high-amperage relay that closed to a common ground only when the H-bridge relays triggered, which broke the short circuit path when the manual switches were used. However, I hadn't considered that the pole-reversing function of the switches created a different ground path through the hot side of the leveling system. The solution required major re-work, replacing the single ground isolation relay with six 30/40 amp relays that isolate the manual switches from both the ground and hot side. Although there were two spare Darlington driver channels capable of handling two relays each, there weren't enough channels for six new relays and a second driver was added. The system now runs 12 relays from 9 driver channels — six H-bridge relays and six isolation relays, two per jack. All the components were installed in a 12” project box that was limited in size by the 3-D printer capacity. So the relays were stacked 2 high on a stepped base to save space, and a elevated terminal block helped with wire congestion. I was able to mount the current sensors directly on the PCB with the ESP-32 and other modules. It’s tight, but nicely compact too! The switches for the leveling system are mounted on a 3-D printed control panel inside the outside storage garage. The panel includes flush to the surface push-buttons to safeguard against accidental activation, one for “Auto Leveling” and the other for “Retraction.” There is a master On/Off switch, status LED, and a Piezo Electric buzzer for the status tones. The entire panel is also recessed to protect it from cargo. The system can be shut down with the On/Off switch, or by re-pressing either momentary switch. The systems parasite draw is near zero when on, but it’s normally off when not in use. The existing freshwater control system was incorporated into the lower part of the control panel due to space constraints. It has a 4-way water pump switch for the outdoor shower, with indicator LED. There is also a 4-position, 6-contact, rotary switch that controls motorized valves for the four freshwater configurations; Normal, Freshwater Tank Drain, Boondocking, and Winterizing. The LED indicators show configurations other than normal. A printed weather proof hood was used for wire penetration into the tongue jack head, and a terminal board was used to splice into the rear jack wiring. This was a useful addition for quick disconnecting and troubleshooting. Those were the only modifications made to the trailer, other than enlargement of the existing switch panel cutout on the garage wall. All the custom components used in this project were designed with a free on-line CAD program called TinkerCad. Some items were 3-D printed from PLA filament, a plant based plastic. Other pieces were printed from ABS plastic for better durability, or TPU — a rubbery filament. Automotive Deutsch style plug-in connectors were used to connect the switch panel and control box, and they allowed me to connect a remote switch box that was used to operate the system from inside the trailer during testing. There is also a panel mount USB cable port for a laptop connection to view the serial monitor or update the software. The system needs a one time calibration that is done with the trailer perfectly level. Both momentary switches are held for 5 seconds until the Status LED quickly flashes three times and the audible calibration tone indicates satisfactory level. The software determines the pitch and roll off-sets from absolute level, and sets them as the new target level +/- 0.2 degrees pitch and 0.3 degrees roll. This equates to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch tolerance. The end result works great! There will probably be more software fine tuning in actual camping conditions, but it will be easier to do that in the future. I’m just finishing up a Bluetooth App for the automatic leveling controls, and it will include setting adjustments for tolerance, ground contact pressure, clutch runout, leveling step durations, and more! If you made it this far, I hope you enjoyed the project! Cheers! Geoff

Custom Automatic Leveling for the Oliver's Barker Jacks — Part 2 Here is some more detail of the automatic leveling project as it transitioned from an idea to a working prototype. The project evolved from concept with safety and trailer protection as core design priorities. Limitations were built into the software including current-based motor cutoffs and maximum leveling offsets to prevent over-stressing jack capacity and minimized frame stress. On the mechanical side, the design incorporates fail-safe circuits, redundant shutdown methods, and four levels of overcurrent protection. A side benefit is the electronic monitoring of jack condition where abnormal current can reveal lubrication issues, mechanical wear, or circuit degradation before they become catastrophic failures. First step was writing a program script with open source Arduino software, and then uploading it to an ESP-32 microprocessor. The ESP-32 is basically a $10 miniature computer with programmable memory and integrated WiFi module (I might develop a Leveling App later). It receives inputs from a Inclinometer and two 50 amp current sensors, and it sends outputs to a status LED, a piezo buzzer for audible tones, and a 8 channel Darlington driver that converts digital inputs to 12 volts for relay coils. Six 30/40 amp Bosch style automotive relays are wired in an H-Bridge configuration to run the jack motors in forward and reverse. With a basic design plan and software, a test board was needed for proof of concept before anything could be installed in the trailer. The test board included potentiometers to simulate jack current, and LEDs to indicate the jack's up and down movement. It had a status LED, an isolation relay LED, a piezo electric buzzer, and a circuit board mounted with the microprocessor, inclinometer, drivers, and power supply. These standalone plug-in modules are wired together with soldered jumpers on a generic printed circuit board. Testing resulted in many design and software changes as the bugs were worked out. During this time it became evident that the tongue only needed the inclinometer for leveling, no current sensor required. I also realized that the jacks should be run in decreasing intervals with a limited number of leveling attempts before timing out. Another improvement was to run the jacks uninterrupted in free air until they were firmly seated on the ground for stabilization — before starting incremental leveling movements as needed. Current values are easily adjusted if more or less stabilizing pressure is desired. Testing found a flaw with the inclinometer. Thankfully they came in three-packs and I replaced them because they wouldn’t stay calibrated. The inclinometers have accelerometer and gyroscope functions, and it turned out that the accelerometer has known drifting issues. After turning off the accelerometer in the software, it worked great! In the end, the Arduino script grew to over 1,000 lines of code. With a lot of trial and error, a sequence of operation was developed: When the Level button is pressed, the rear jacks lower without interruption until they are seated on the ground in a firmly stabilized position (phase 1). If the trailer is level at this point, then there is no further action and an audible “happy tune” indicates successful level was achieved. If the trailer is not level after phase 1, then the left or right jack is cycled in intervals starting at 1.5 seconds (~1/2” travel) depending on how close to level it is. As the trailer gets closer to level, the interval shortens to account for coasting and fine adjustment to within 0.2 degrees of level. During the roll leveling sequence, a pitch limit of 5 degrees prevents the rear jacks from inducing too much pitch. It's a safeguard that temporarily interrupts roll leveling while it moves the tongue jack to bring pitch back within limits. Phase 2 pitch leveling begins, if needed, after roll level is achieved. When roll and pitch are level, the “happy tune” is played. The system allows up to 20 level correction attempts per axis before declaring unsuccessful leveling with a “sad tune.” The operator can stop the leveling at anytime with the On/Off switch or by re-pressing either momentary button. The “Retract” function proved difficult to program because of the mechanical clutch. Originally it was programed to shut off when the mechanical clutch actuated in the parked position, which is 13 amps. This didn’t work because the jacks had a current spike when coming off load, and there were oscillating current spikes during the clack-clack of the clutch that caused shutdown before before a clack was heard. These spikes hadn’t shown up in the time compressed current chart, but they were picked up by the current sensors. This was resolved in the software with a current delay when coming off load, and a longer delay when the clutch actuated so a few reassuring clack-clacks could be heard for audible confirmation that the jacks were fully parked. The leveling system was designed so that the jacks manual switches could remain fully functional. However, the H-Bridge relay configuration reverses the motor polarity for the up or down direction, and that could cause a direct path to ground when using the manual switches. To prevent this, I used a normally open relay to isolate the ground when the leveling system is not being used. I used a single 250 amp generic lawnmower starter relay on a common ground bus for all 3 jacks. It seemed reasonable. .. what could possibly go wrong? Hope this is still interesting…Cheers! Geoff Please excuse poor photos, I just didn't take very many!

I'm late to the party, but just reading this real quick it sounds like the GFIC outlet is tripping. This has nothing to do with over current, it's completely different than a overcurrent device such as a circuit breaker or fuse. Rather it detects an imbalance in the circuit. So if either the hot side or neutral side of the circuit has a path to ground, it sees an imbalance and trips the GFIC. This imbalance can be as low as 4 milli amps, so even a little moisture is enough to trip it. You should be looking for any dampness on your main power cord and where it plugs into the outlet or trailer. Look for cuts in the cord, not ones that are a direct short, but ones that can use current leakage to ground. Someone suggested that you turn off each breaker in the trailer, I assume you did that and eliminated any trailer issues. I seem to recall writing something about GFIC's in the past, perhaps JD could find it. Good luck, Geoff

12 volt heat trace is about 3 watts per foot, and I'm not sure how you would calculate the length needed to protect the hot and cold loops. We picked up our trailer during a terrible ice storm with icicles hanging off the trailer while going down the road. There was real concern of freezing pipes. We said: Damn the warnings, we're running the gas furnace while going down the road!

As far as I can tell, I’ve made the first automatic leveling system for the Oliver’s Barker stabilizing jacks! Maybe even the first 3-jack leveling system on a travel trailer! It’s simple to operate, safe, and works great! I built the leveling system as a novelty for my own entertainment, so I’m only posting it as a interest item not a recommended project. In reality, manually leveling with the electric jacks is already easy, particularly with a LevelMate, so automatic leveling isn’t really needed. There are even warnings that the jacks are stabilizers, not to be used for leveling. However, I believe the warnings are more about liability than capability, as long as the jacks are used within reasonable limits. I'd been thinking about an auto-leveling project for a long time, but was deterred by the thought of modifying the jacks with fiddly proximity sensors or revolution counters as used in conventional leveling systems. I didn't want to alter the jacks for a DIY project that might not even work. But then it dawned on me. The only time I really needed to know the position of the jacks, is when retracting them to their parked position. I wasn’t interested in returning the tongue jack to the truck hitch hight like some systems offer. So this led to a revelation that automatic leveling could be done with nothing more than current sensors mounted in a control box rather than on the jacks themselves. This was only possible because of the Barker jack’s mechanical clutch. When the jack reaches the end of its travel, the clutch activates with a distinct clack-clack sound. It was likely that clutch engagement would produce a unique current signature that could be used to detect when the jack is fully retracted. A plan was developing, but I needed actual amperage values for proof of concept. Fortunately I had a data logging ammeter, and the chart below illustrates the results for one of rear jacks starting from its fully retracted parked position. The jack was extended through free air until it touched ground and began picking up load, maxing out when the wheel lifted off the ground. Then it was retracted to the parked position until the clutch actuated: I didn’t include the tongue jack chart because it's far less dynamic — it's always under load, and the clutch doesn't normally actuate during leveling. The clutch only comes into play after trailer is hooked up to the TV and the tongue is manually retracted. The amperage results confirmed that current sensors could work, and beyond detecting the parked position, they could also be used to distinguish the different leveling phases: rear jack extension until firm ground contact for stabilizing, and then transition to "roll" leveling if needed. Completion of the rear jack phase could then trigger the tongue jack phase to handle "pitch" leveling. The amperage chart became the basis for the circuit and software design. No proximity sensors. No revolution counting. No permanent modifications — just two wires to each jack, a component box, and a control board. Sounds easy, but this was only just the start of a long process to perfect the system. I hope someone finds this interesting! Cheers! Geoff

The pump stops running when the pressure set-point is reached. So it’s pumping, but not reaching full pressure. This happens when there is a leak on either the suction or output side of the pump. If the leak is on the output side, it’s easy to find because it will be leaking water. However, if it’s on the suction side, it will suck air but it will not be leaking water. The most common cause is the suction side filter right next to the pump. You won’t see any signs of leakage, but make sure the cap is on straight and tight with o-ring. I assume you have re-checked proper valve line-up and full closure, and any open faucets. Other than that, it’s unlikely a leak developed by just sanitizing. Good luck, Geoff

As JD said, the inverter should run the microwave. Three things you should try first: 1) Using the Xantrex App or control panel, check/lower the low voltage drop out. It's usually set between 12 and 12.2 volts. Try lowering it to 11.5. The battery voltage will drop under load, and there could be voltage calibration errors in the inverter so that if it's set to 12.2, it could actually be higher. 2) Also check/increase the low voltage cut-off delay. The delay prevents nuisance trips from inrush currents, and the microwave might have a delayed power surge. 3) Try a hard reboot. This has worked for some folks, but it's more difficult because you have to disconnect the battery leads for a few minutes. Hope that solves the problem! Geoff

Check to make sure that your brake "breakaway switch" wasn't accidentally pulled out. If so, the electric brakes have been on the whole time. Four brakes would draw 3-4 amps each. If you were reading 2-3 amps draw on your Lithionics battery App, then that's only one of the 3 batteries. So it's actually 9-12 amps. Add in the solar input and it's about right for what the brakes would draw. Good luck, Geoff

Amazon carries it, but theirs is sometimes low quality and thin. I got some from an HVAC contractor/supplier for free. It is used for duct insulation and was much better quality.

Yea sorry, those Amazon links were questionable, so I updated that reply with a better link. 3-pin dc power connectors are typically switched, to disconnect a battery when an outside power supply is plugged in. Those Amazon knock-offs have a sketchy description, so without actually testing one there is no telling what they are. I buy parts from DigiKey. Look up Digikey part PJ-005B and view the datasheet. There is a schematic showing the Pin-2 to Pin-3 switch. They are under $3 at DigiKey plus shipping, Amazon sells them 5 for $18 with free shipping: https://a.co/d/04TQyt2M

Edited to correct link. Here is an updated Amazon link: https://a.co/d/04TQyt2M

Just as an FYI, new tech is out there! Although probably impracticable for most, others might love the Safiery LP tank sensors! Check out today's new post "AI is here for your trailer!" Cheers, Geoff

There are plenty of posts about new products and technologies for our trailers in this forum, and it seems there are endless choices. But for those willing to pay for cutting edge and high quality, take a look at products from Safiery. Safiery, based in Australia, began as a Victron supplier and is now marketing their own RV and Marine products to integrate with Victron equipment. It’s a somewhat confusing array of technology that is mostly overkill for our little trailers. But I’ve been eying a few items that look very attractive: Since I titled this post with “AI tech,” then I should mention Safiery’s Smart AI DC-DC charger. Cutting edge for sure, but not cost effective for small systems IMHO. If I was looking to upgrade or replace my lithium batteries, the Safiery SOLID STATE batteries are worthy of consideration. They are expensive, but cheaper than the Oliver’s Lithionics, and they have many advancements such as 10,000 cycles, improved BMS, better cold performance, smaller size, more robust, and much safer than liquid lithium. For those with Victron Cerbo, Safiery has compatible tank level sensors for liquids and LP gas. I had been waiting for something like this before upgrading to a Cerbo. These sensors are easily adapted and competitively priced with some of the lessor alternatives. Liquid tank sensors are top mounted and use Radar for very accurate measurement, LP gas level sensors are similar to Mopeco, but with built in signal processing. How about an Electric Stovetop? A safiery induction countertop stove looks very cool and affordable for those with 2k inverters (can be drawer mounted too!). Then there is a whole array of digital wireless switching options with Multi-channel receivers, bus management, and other options I haven’t even gotten around to looking at yet. It’s an exiting new world for the tech minded DIYer! Cheers! Geoff

I'm not sure what vintage the old unit was? However, I recall that there was some question whether it was an AGM only battery charger. So if your new replacement has charge profiles for both AGM and Lithium and you want to retain the lithium option - then it's not worth keeping as a spare. Besides, no telling if the resistor is the only issue. Glad you're whole again! Geoff

I haven't examined these shades in this regard. However, I believe this would be a good job for a 3-D printer. A glued or snap-on shade could be drawn in free CAD software, such as Tinkercad. The drawing can be saved as an STL file (for 3D printer) and shared in any of the free design sites such as Thingiverse where anyone can download it. If you don't know someone with a 3D printer, there are plenty of local and on-line services that would print them for a small fee. Shades could be printed in any of the numerous available colors and materials. Basic PLA (plant based plastic) or ABS would be perfect. You could make it more stylish than a pipe fitting, and refine the shade thickness to diffuse the light without glare. This would require experimentation to get it right. I'm not overly keen on the idea, but if you want to sketch something up to get started, I'd be willing to collaborate with you to design a decent shade. I have plenty of white PLA and white ABS on hand for prototypes. Cheers! Geoff

Hey Fred! Even with all the other options now availible, this Starlink Mini power supply is a great way to go! I provided Amazon links to the Victron, timer, and programmer to someone else above, and the links are still good. As far as the 3-pin connector, there are several choices on Amazon. Search for 5.5mm 3-pin DC power connector. Go to timers.shop website for programming instructions. Iv'e provided a screen shot of the settings above. The programer is powered by USB, and the settings are flashed to the timer via WiFi by a cell phone or computer, No Apps are required, just open the URL address and plug in the settings. Have Fun! Geoff

Ron, You've had good advice to check the converter fuses. If that is not the issue, then iI's time to break out a voltage meter. 1) Disconnect shore power, and your battery tender, then check voltage at the battery (it's probably the 12.4 as you were seeing). 2) Reconnect shore power and check voltage at the same location, it should be higher which would indicate if your converter is converting and charging. If not, the converter is bad. Update: I looked at the converter manual link from above. The converter has 3 stages of output, each with a different voltage of 14.4, 13.6 and 13.2. One of those voltage values is what you should see when you test the battery on shore power. The manual also has a section that describes a simple test to absolutely confirm it's faulty before replacement. Be mindful that electrical problems are elusive and tricky, so the manual's test is important. As Jd suggested, the batteries are older and you could upgrade to lithiums. That would be a big improvement. However, unless there are pages missing from the manual, it looks like your converter is for lead acid batteries only. So if you upgrade batteries, also upgrade the converter. Fortunately, repair kits are available to replace the converter/charger section of the older PD units, and that also upgrades them to lithium chargers at the same time! Also, you would need to check/set your solar charger profile for lithium batteries. Looks like you're making good progress! Geoff

Okay, shore power looks good, but battery is dead! Sounds like you had been using outdoor solar to keep the batteries charged, then moved the trailer into the garage where there is no solar charging. If you didn't have shore power connected right away, then normal parasite power could have drained down the batteries and they just haven't had enough time to charge yet. A deeply discharged lead-acid battery looks almost like a short circuit to the charger initially. The battery voltage is so low that the converter/charger dumps maximum current into it trying to bring it up, which could cause brownouts both on the AC and DC power circuits. Deep discharge cycles and age can also degrade batteries, so they may not be charging, or they could be acting like a short. A faulty converter/charger can cause similar issues. It could have been weak or bad for a while, but un-noticed if you were solar charging. They can degrade and still work, but at a lower output. Where are you reading voltage? This could provide clues. To answer your question, yes a tender will charge both of your batteries at the same time. That would be a good next step.

Ron, 9 volts is critically low, you've got a dead or dying battery situation, and everything else is a symptom of that. Due to a lack of information, I'd guess your shore power is dead or faulty. This would result in battery not charging, and the TV (120vac or 12vdc) is not getting needed volts. Same thing with the 12 volt dc stereo, only it has different tolerance to low voltage and that's probably why either one or the other was working. If battery was dead, your lights and stereo should still work from the converter/charger that converts 120vac shore power 12vdc. More evidence of bad shore power. There could be other causes, but shore power is a likely culprit with the information provided so far. Geoff

Ron, From what you describe, this is a power issue, not an audio source issue. So you can rule out the HDMI ARC feature of many modern components that sends a signal to automatically switch the stereo to the active sound source. However, there is another HDMI feature on some higher end TV/Stereos that allows the TV to also turn on another component such as a stereo. If this is the case with your TV, then you might have a HDMI cable issue causing spurious signals. Try unplugging the HDMI cable to see if that resolves the problem. If it does, then try a new high quality HDMI cable with a Ferrite choke (little barrel looking thing that goes over the cable). This is a quick and easy check to eliminate one potential cause. If that doesn't work, then it could be something to do with the yellow Accessory trigger wire common on 12 volt stereos. I'd have to think on that one a bit more, so let us know what you find. Cheers, Geoff

If you like gadgetry, then the hardwired LevelMate PRO PLUS is highly recomended! Unfortunately, a lot of us bought the LevelMate PRO that is not hardwired, it's powered by a short lived button battery. No worries though, it can be hardwired with a simple DIY upgrade: Hardwire your LevelMate for under a buck Talking about gadgets and leveling, I heard a reliable rumor that some old fool built a completely unnecessary AUTOMATIC LEVELING SYSTEM for the Oliver's stabilizers! 🤫

Jd, have you looked into running wire for a DC unit? I'm fairly sure I could get a couple #4's into the attic space, although I v'e yet to actually confirm it. I've read comments that some people have been unable to fish wires down the wall. However, Iv'e done it a good number of times. The trick is to use a stiff fiberglass sectional rod made for this purpose (Ace or Amazon). They won't follow the curve and go off track like the flexible fish tapes. The gap on the corners is a little wider, one just has to make sure the rod tracks straight down, and add rod sections as you go. It might be harder to get the wire from the attic to the unit. Although it certainly wouldn't be hard to put a small hole through the attic ceiling/roof, then 3-d print a short/shallow wire channel/cover that could be caulked to the roof right up to the unit. But I'm curious to hear from someone like you who's had the unit out. Is there's enough gap between the ceiling and the roof where a couple #4 wires could be fished from the attic to the unit? Then there's the bigger question. Has anybody has done the research to know if there is any significant advantages to a 12 volt unit over a 120 volts? Happy new year's! Geoff

Jd, so sorry to hear the bad news, what a drag! I'm still biding my time waiting to see how this all plays out with the different brands. . . well actually, wifey put an end to my new AC dreams; "we don't need no #&@! AC around here, buy a bigger heater!" We did get one of those $79 dehumidifeirs though, I set it up with a Temp/Humidity gauge on top, then I saw your photo using the same gauge! Had to laugh🤣