Boilermaker Chemist

To each his own, but from what I’ve seen from trailer sway videos, I’d rather have more protection than less, so I’m willing to forgo a little wear on the ball in the unlikely event that I would have to take evasive action at highway speed. So I’m stayin’ on the “Don’t lube your balls team” for now. 🤣

Just a note for those who are using the Anderson WD hitch - you are not supposed to lubricate the ball. It has to swivel with the trailer, otherwise you interfere with the anti-sway function.

Anybody notice that they appear to be using a different coupler on the new Apex X23?

Like many others, I had to replace one of my touch lights because it went “wonky”. For the replacement, I purchased the 3000K Obeaming RV Interior Ceiling Dome Light 4.5 Inch from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZDM19W?ref_=ppx_hzod_title_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1_1&th=1 In the hope that it might help others, here are a few things that I observed during the repair. The light that failed was over the sink. Since the original light was fastened with rivets, I used a 1/8” drill to remove the old rivets. Apparently there is another layer of fiberglass inside the overhead cabinet that would have had to be removed to get access to the rivets. So I just used a needle punch to push the rivets out of their holes without bothering to retrieve them. After removal, I cut the wires close to the old light. The wiring was about 20 gage, so I used small wire nuts to connect the new light. Note: make sure you rewire based on polarity and not color. In my case, the black wire on the old light was positive but the black wire on the new light was negative. I wrapped the connections with silicone tape to prevent the wire nuts from loosening up. There was enough room to stuff all of the wiring back in. As luck would have it, the mounting holes on the new light were a nearly perfect match to the old one, so no new holes needed to be drilled. I used 1/8” x 3/8” rivets to fasten the new light in place. I like that the new light has its own push button switch. Hopefully that will help prevent it from getting “wonky” :-).

True enough but there will be 7 of us owners there. Assuming the forest fires don't get us it should still be fun. And I will just happen to be in Colorado at that time so for me it makes sense. Nevertheless, I AM looking forward to the "real" Oliver rally in October too.

You might be interested in the Rocky Mountain Rendezvous. See: https://sites.google.com/site/rockymountaineggrendezvous/home. It is not exclusive to Olivers, but open to any molded fiberglass trailers such as Scamp, Casita, Bigfoot, etc. Unfortunately registration is full for 2026 so they cannot take any more campers for this year’s rally. But maybe something for you to consider for next year. Also in the past there has been a local rally held in Texas in October. But now that the official Oliver rally has moved to October I’m not sure when that one will be held again. But you can keep your eye on the Events and Rallies topic in this forum where that information should be posted.

I get that. On the other hand, I had to replace the lock anyway, so keeping in mind resale, I decided to upgrade to the keyless entry lock which many people like. When I sold my previous camper, the buyer told me that all the accessories that I had added was a key factor in their purchase. Plus the lighted keypad looks really cool! 😂

@Patriot thanks for the suggestion, here you go: https://www.campingworld.com/bauer-bluetooth-keyless-rv-entry-door-lock-124590.html?objectID=124590&queryID=46bc1a32228c9fdf516d0676ebf18aca&indexName=production_na01_campingworld_demandware_net__CampingWorld__products__default Also, E-trailer has a nice video review here: https://www.etrailer.com/RV-Door-Locks/Bauer-Products/BA53UR.html E-trailer also has spare keys for the lock too.

I just installed a Bauer Bluetooth Keyless Entry Door Lock. Currently on sale at Camping World for $217.

Since purchase of my OTT last year, I had been thinking of installing a MicroAir EasyStart on my Truma A/C. However, I wasn’t sure if it would allow my Truma A/C to run off my Champion 2000W generator, especially since I run it on propane and often camp at elevation. Fortunately for me I met @mossemi at the Oliver Rally last May and it turns out that he has the same generator and like me, runs it on propane. He told me that with the EasyStart, his A/C ran fine off his generator even at elevation. Thanks to Mike for that info. So now you can imagine my excitement when they announced that there were going to be ten EasyStarts given away at the Rally! But alas, I was not one of the winners. However, I met a nice couple from Oklahoma who did win one. And as luck would have it, they had decided not to use it, so they graciously gave it to me! Although I made several attempts, they refused any compensation. So I owe them a big thanks. Below are the details of my installation. First, thanks to @Patriot for previously posting this video: SoftStart Install on Truma A/C I found it to be very helpful for understanding how to remove the A/C covers, where to mount the EasyStart, how to run the wiring, how to get access to the control board and for making connections to the capacitor. However, DO NOT follow the detailed wiring instructions because the video is for a SoftStart not an EasyStart. Next, a couple of thoughts on safety. After I removed the A/C cover I found an old mud dauber’s nest. Fortunately it was not inhabited at the time. But they seem to like that area, so beware. Second, the video doesn’t mention it but you should make sure that the capacitor has been discharged before working around it. Since I’m not a qualified electrician, I won’t comment any further. Finally, I used my 17’ Werner ladder to get access to the roof. The optional Werner platform made this much easier. Also, accessing the roof from the curb side felt safer since the awning acts as a short railing. I used a sheet of rubber tool box liner and a piece of interlocking foam utility mat to protect the fiberglass and provide slip protection. With those additions, I felt safe enough to work in my stocking feet. As shown in the video, the white cover can be taken off by removing the eight screws (covered with lap sealant) with a T30 Torx driver (note that the two screws at the back are shorter than the others). Following that, removal of two additional T30 screws allows the foam cover to be lifted off. Be careful as you work with the cover off because the exchanger fins are easy to dent. Access to the silver electrical box is achieved by removing three T15 screws (one on top, and one on each side). Here’s the EasyStart device that I installed and the universal installation kit that comes with it: In general, I followed the wiring instructions provided by Micro-Air. I will say that I found the generic wiring instructions to be a little confusing (did I mention that I’m not a qualified electrician?). However, I was able to find specific wiring instructions for the Truma (that even I could understand) here: EasyStart Wiring Instructions for Truma A/C Although not necessary, I first removed the cap covering the wiring connections to the compressor motor with an 8 mm socket to confirm the wiring colors at the R, C and S terminals. (I don't know why but this photo is upside down and I couldn't figure out how to change it). I did deviate slightly from the installation instructions in one aspect, as I chose not to cut any wires but instead use terminal connections. That way, if I ever decide to remove the EasyStart, I can put everything back exactly the way it was. So instead of cutting the Red wire coming from the control board, I removed it and installed the provided 14 gauge Black wire with female terminal in its place. I then cut the Black wire and crimped on a male terminal to the portion not used and connected it to the female terminal on the Red wire that I had just removed. Finally, I used a WAGO push-in wire connector to tie these two to the black wire on the EasyStart. Next, after removing the white cap from the run capacitor, I installed the Orange wire from the EasyStart onto the Herm terminal next to the White wire. Then, I removed the Blue wire from the capacitor terminal and replaced it with the White wire from the EasyStart. Finally, I connected the Blue wire that I had just removed to the Brown wire from the EasyStart. Here’s a look at the wiring after everything was tidied up with zip ties: Overall, I’m pretty happy with the installation. However, looking back there is one thing that I wished I would have done and that is to add a bit of HVAC tape to the top of the EasyStart to give some additional support. I’m not sure how well the double sided tape will hold to the foam, especially given the conditions that some of our roads are in. I’ll probably go back and do that at a later time. BOTTOM LINE: After the install of the EasyStart, I noticed a very gradual ramp up of the compressor, as expected. More importantly, I can report that my Truma A/C runs very well with my 2000W Champion generator running on propane, even at 6000’ elevation. Added bonus: Unlike before, I can now run the A/C off my 15 A circuit at home. If you have any questions about this install, feel free to comment below.

Considering the mixed reviews on the changes for 2026, I wonder if Oliver does any consumer research before deciding what to change. For example, has this forum ever been used by Oliver for customer feedback by way of polling the changes they are considering ?

I would guess it’s the Dometic NRX 130C. I believe the door has to be removed to take out the freezer. Not sure how difficult that would be.

I would think code would require a fuse on that wire.

I’m curious, has anyone that has installed a battery disconnect switch addressed the potential issue of “inadvertently de-energizing the emergency breakaway brakes? I wonder where the power for that switch comes from.