Galileo

I figured if I got totally locked out - even though we kept a set of trailer keys in the truck - I can just slide a side window open from outside and climb in cat-burglar style. The 2025 Sierra has the keyless entry (fob in pocket or purse) which is reliable (so far) and you can also unlock it with your smartphone. (Which is usually reliable - u less there’s no cell service…) So I’ve kinda gotten used up not using it needing a key. As I mentioned before - I know there are a lot of keyless locks around, though most likely not suitable for RVs. I’m sure there’s some other ones out there that are simpler and less prone to failure. As I also mentioned - using our trailer for several months at a time for five years now, I’m not going to gripe too much about things that quit working. I’ve had to replace the smoke alarm twice, the CO/propane detector, swap out the tire valve stem cores, stop the Truma water heater from sending fireballs out the side of the trailer, replace the television, yank out the awning seal, replace the Nor-cold freezer hinges twice, the Furrion Stereo, one touch-light and another one failing, replace the black tank valve, patch up a leaky window frame, tear the MaxxFan down to replace the motor, oh - and the dang Dometic A/C still sounds like a 747 with full takeoff power. (see there? You got me started….)

Probably a logical conclusion. The lock was part of the “Electronics Pro Package” that OTT offered as part of the initial trailer ordering. Pretty sure it was bundled with the rear camera, Auto drain, and the cell booster as well. I never use the rear camera (remote view screen too clunky) and I’m not convinced that the cell booster does much - if anything - to increase your cell signal. The keyless lock is the only part of that package that I found any value in. (OK - the auto drain - I forgot that was part of the package. Thought you be fair, “auto” is a bit of a misnomer as you have to actuate it manually.) We use our trailer - and the door lock - A LOT. So I’m not sure that failing after two years is really terrible MTBF for something that may have been designed for being used for a couple of weeks a year. Then again, I’ve seen a lot of residential and commercial keyless locks that seem to last forever. Whether any of them is suited for use on an RV door is up for grabs. RVLock is sending me the parts “free” - no shipping charges this time. I did have to take a video, edit it down to be a small enough file to attach to an email, and took four tries to get it to send. (Yahoo never did work, had to use GMail).

We’ve had good luck with RVLock support - as they are responsive and quick to send out parts under warranty. I forget the exact failure mode, but our original OTT installed RCLock quit working. After chatting g with them on the phone they mailed out a replacement circuit board for the cost of shipping. (I’d whine about having to pay shipping - but I’ll get over it.) In the meantime, I had purchased a whole new unit from Amazon. This one talks yo you and had a lock/unlock sound that doesn’t wake the neighbors. I replaced the circuit board in the original lock and kept it as a spare. Last season, the “new” lock stopped unlocking reliably - only withdrawing the deadbolt about halfway and requiring a second attempt to get in to the trailer. So, the “spare” gets re-installed. Several more emails and sending them a video of the lick not working and they say they’re sending me something. Not sure what yet. I still don’t care for the battery situation. Trying to install 2 rows of 2 AA batteries stacked vertically and getting the battery cover on takes dexterity and fast hands.

We’ve got half as many years and maybe a third of the miles, so I’d expect you have more wear and tear. I do all my own cleaning and polishing - so I’m intimately familiar with the whole front end of the trailer. The upper half gets WAY more abuse from bugs - especially in the Southern states. I’ve only spotted one tiny nick of any significance and it doesn’t even penetrate the gelcoat. I’d guess our “paved roads” mission combined with our low-slung tow vehicles (and not doing burn-outs on gravel) keep the nicks to a minimum. Just from a drivability standpoint, I avoid the jacked-up, high ground clearance vehicles like the AT-4 (or is it ATX?) trim level on our GMC Sierra. Just keeping the truck body close to the ground keeps the amount, trajectory, and velocity of road debris mitigated adequately. I like a vehicle that my wife can enter and exit without a rope ladder - and also at least a bit of ability to see objects close to me when maneuvering in tight parking lots.

On our LE2 that DC breaker is under the forward, port side of the king bed - just aft of the pantry/battery compartment. (Inside the trailer) I manually “trip” that breaker when we store our Ollie to kill all the DC power drains so that a small battery maintainer can keep the batteries topped up. It takes only a very light touch on that red button to open the circuit. (Pop that “swing arm” that has been mentioned.) Rather than a LARGE electrical load opening that breaker, I’d bet an accidental touch with the back of your hand or a battery charger cable or whatever manually tripped the breaker. Just my SWAG based on my experience with that style breaker.

I purchased a “Rock Tamer” mudflap setup to use on our two vehicles, assembled it part way and essentially abandoned the project because of not having the right tools handy to trim the mudflap height/length and “drill” the holes through the gummy “rubber” material. After towing the Ollie for a season, I checked and found so little evidence - much less “damage” to the lower front area of the trailer that I decided that the added weight and fooling with the RockTamer (that fits over the ball carrier shaft) really isn’t necessary. If anything, weathering of the gel coat and nicks from rocks kicked up by -other- vehicles that strike the sides of the trailer are at least as big of a concern as gravel thrown up by our tires. We primarily travel paved roads, and find the few times that we’re on gravel that the roads are SO rough that slowing to walking speed is required to keep dental work and trailer contents where we last stowed them. That said - if anybody is looking for a Rock Tamer setup - I’ll make you a helluva deal on the one I have in storage. It’s in Hammond, LA, but I could arrange to have it in Winnsboro, TX this winter/Spring. https://a.co/d/01fojEhk

(And my wife says -I- spend too much money on stuff from Amazon…) 😂

We’ve been using this one for several years - either set on top of the (closed) propane cooktop in the Ollie, or on a picnic table or small accessory (Lifetime) table: https://a.co/d/0aWqQ1by Though - the one you have looks a little sleeker. I stash this one on the second drawer on the left under the sink. We keep rolls of toil or cling wrap around it to keep it from shifting.

You don’t really have a robotic floor cleaner in your trailer?!

I guess they located the receptacle there for the earlier units. I think it makes more sense. That way the power cord doesn’t have to pass through and walls and all the wiring is in one spot. WHY they changed that is an interesting question. Perhaps someone was worried about moisture or corrosion?

Well - so far - the window leak appears to have been fixed. Been raining here for a couple of hours - not heavy - but it didn’t have to be to leak. I can see a trace of water through the holes in the plastic track - which is what I had seen previously - but none is leaking down the wall. That said - I’ll have to keep an eye on this as if I should open the window fully and it hits the stop - it may break that seal. I suppose that this winter I’ll have to put a slightly longer, thicker screw in to get a better grip as I think that only the first few threads of the existing one engage the metal of the frame.

We do that too with the carpet runner. That way I can walk around in bare feet. We found that in colder weather, it also keeps your feet off the cold floor.

Where the fridge plugs into a standard 15 amp duplex receptacle sure, but not where the battery charger plugs into the back of the AC breaker box. Thats not a standard receptacle. Anyway, if I’m cutting plugs off, I’m gonna hard wire it.

I don’t think I missed your point, I’m just not buying what you’re selling. Our 6v batteries don’t have fill caps. Nor do they even have covers you can pry out to get to the cells. (Trust me, I looked.) Rather, they have the “Delco Eye” (magic eye, whatever) that is a combination hydrometer and electrolyte level indicator. It’s the mark of a maintence-free flooded cell battery. Short of overcharging these batteries, they’re designed not to need watering for the life of the battery due to removing antimony from the lead and using calcium instead to reduce gassing and electrolyte loss. I even had distilled water ready to service the batteries. I was a bit disappointed that there was no way to do that - but - I got over it and finally stopped carrying that jug of distilled water. And yes, as a former mechanic, I’m well aware that old cars had 6 volt batteries, generators rather than alternators. I even know why neither of those is true today. Anyway - we’re happy with our antique 6v old technology batteries. I guess it’s a good thing that we still have the freedom to choose our own style of camping and to choose what we each consider “good” places to camp. We -like- campgrounds with 30 amp power and water. We also like campgrounds with showers - and laundry when we can get it. We can always hike out to experience the ticks and chiggers if we feel the need. BTDT. “Boondocking” isn’t our style. If it were, we would have opted for the (at the time) expensive lithium package and probably solar. Frankly, I don’t think the sleek, low-drag fiberglass shape of the Oliver is well suited to solar panels. Perhaps when flexible solar panels that can conform to the curves of the roof are perfected, I’ll reconsider that option. Anyway, there’s no reason for us to equip our trailer with capacity we’ll never use.

I must admit to have skipped over reading the details of @Cameron’s testing efforts. The two above would likely eliminate by best guesses. Though some of the exotic possibilities are certainly options, by first thought would be “look up” as I’m fairly acquainted with gravity. Without knowing what else might be mounted on your roof, I’m not able to make other guesses. Anyway, I’m still curious as to what @Cameronfound on this issue…

I think we’d be voiding the warranty that way as well. I doubt a snap-in twist-lock receptacle is available to fit into the back of the A/C breaker box. Rather than upgrade the band-aid, I’d opt to eliminate the disconnect entirely.

Watering batteries? You have heard of “maintenance free” batteries with lead/calcium grids? They don’t even have the ability to be “watered” unless you do surgery and attempt to pry off sealed lids or drill holes. I don’t know what other owners who took deliver in 2022 have in their units - but our are sealed and can’t be watered. A little sight glass (of sorts) in the top cover tells you when the electrolyte level has dropped too far - then you replace them. Good quality batteries - like the Delco Voyager - have been maintenance-free since the late 70’s. They’re also primarily a deep-cycle battery, so the plates and cells are optimized for use in RV’s and cruising sailboats as “house” batteries. They’re not the traditional cranking batteries. I’d have to compare prices between lead/acid batteries and LiFePO4 batteries. On a cost/AH basis they -may- be a helluva deal, but for our mission, we already have more amps than we need. For me, hooking up shore power takes less time than chocks and jack pads. Usually, by the time I have the rig u hitched, my mate has shore power connected and the clock on the microwave set. Heck, our old motorhome only had -one- 12v deep cycle battery - and we never ran it down.

We do the same with the “Dustbuster” to pick up the loose dirt and grit and various grass clippings and such. Since we have a cat box crammed under the dinette, this is the prime spot for kitty litter that refuses to stay where it belongs. I’d be leery of anything that sounds like “wash and wax all” on floors. I had a previous roommate who thought that Pledge was great for shining up wood floors. It it - but it makes them into ice rinks if you try to stop or change direction wearing socks…

Hey guys, I see this thread is two years in the past, but wondered what the final outcome was and to see if my leak issue is related. Barring the possibility of @Cameron ‘s leak coming from some remote location and following wires to where it manifests itself, I was thinking it -could- be a simpler but more difficult to fix problem. If I read @Cameron’s description right, it sounds like leak is directly under the center post/divider of the window. To me, that points an accusing finger at the screw that holds the center post to the frame at top and bottom. I just noticed these screws on my window and got a very bad feeling about this. (To paraphrase George Lucas) That screw penetrates the lower part of the window frame and -if- that screw isn’t sealed well, it’s ab invitation to leak water into the hull regardless of how clean your window tracks are. What I’d LOVE to know - or see - is if anybody who has pulled out their windows can attest to how that screw is sealed. As I think my leak is “new” on a 5 year old trailer with 10’s of thousands of miles in it, between vibration and corrosion between dissimilar metals, that seal between the screw may have failed. Can anybody out there attest to what this area of the widow frame looks like? If that screw is reliably sealed? Id be willing to bet that IF that seal has failed, the window will have to come out as it will be about impossible to clean and reseal the area.

I don’t think we’ve had our Norcold fridge set for “auto” fall back to the DC mode. (Yet) My understanding is that running the fridge on DC is terribly inefficient. (I guess that’s why you got to toss your old AGMs?) I don’t need the expense of replacing my batteries yet - but I suppose at 5 years - I need to be planning for that day. Its really pretty rare that we use our batteries at all, so I doubt they’ve ever been deeply discharged. I think keeping the USB outlets and other vampire loads powered up for a few hours at a time between shore power is about it. I think with our mission - at least so far - the most sensible option for me is just replacing the four 6 volt wet cells with a good quality equivalent. I’d likely go with a Delco Voyager as I’ve had good experience with them before.

Wire nuts?! Yikes. My SOP for this kind of hard wiring would be soldered connections and heat shrink tubing. Using a higher quality receptacle for the fridge is certainly an option. Pretty sure even Leviton is made in China these days… As I mentioned, that the battery charger plugs into a single snap-in socket on the back of the A/C breaker box, a high-quality replacement may be difficult to source. Just as an aside that drives home the point of how much vibration that the trailer and everything in it is subject to, I noticed a screw holding the rain gutter above the door had backed out by about a cm. I guess going over the whole trailer and tightening things back up is just one of those things that needs to be done periodically.

I think I’ve seen the tie-wrap trick somewhere - perhaps even on the fridge plug. If that’s where I saw it, then it slipped off. I suppose that’s one band-aid that stands a chance of working. On the battery charger outlet/plug, if there’s room I could use a couple of the adhesive tie-wrap mounts to provide a place to anchor the tie-wraps. Still, the only permanent, craftsmanlike repair is to cut off the plugs and hard wire the devices. I suppose that will void the warranty - but at 4-5 years old - I doubt there’s much warranty left if any.

Though I’ve cleaned and dried out the hole where this screw/bumper go, and re-installed it with some sealant, I won’t know until the next rain if it fixes the problem. Upon looking closely at the window, I discovered that the center muntin (divider between the fixed and moveable window) is held in place by screws through the bottom - and I assume - top of the window frame. It’s just as likely that the screw in the bottom of the window frame is a source for the leak as this number. If that turns out to be the case, the whole window will likely need to come out to remove, clean, seal, and re-install the window. That should be fun (not).

Sounds like a good idea. I typically like to keep my vehicles as “stock” as possible as I’ve found a lot of aftermarket accessories to be pretty poorly made and (IMHO) detract from the value of something rather than enhance it. I’m generally a firm believer in the people who designed, built, and service a specific item being more expert on that item than I am. I also realize that I’m unlikely to live forever and be the only owner of a vehicle, so I like to have it as OEM as possible to retain resale value. That said - when I see obvious poor design, construction, or installation - like HUGE air infiltration issues, or duct routing on a furnace that chokes off airflow or has such long runs that no air flow can be felt at a vent when the blower is running - THEN I’ll carefully consider and select ways to improve upon something that was poorly done from the factory.

Point well-taken on the replacing the socket and/or plug - and if this one were old or worn I’d agree. However, since this one hasn’t been subjected to multiple plugging/unplugging cycles - which would cause one to be loose or weak - I doubt replacing it would yield any better results. Short of cutting off the plug and hard-wiring it to the source, replacing it would be unlikely to solve the problem or eliminate the need to check on it periodically. Additionally, though the receptacle the fridge plugs into IS a standard duplex outlet, the one the battery charger plugs into is a special one that that snaps into the back of the A/C breaker box, and probably doesn’t have a higher-quality replacement available. Only cutting off the plug and hard wiring it will truly “fix” the issue. Anything less is just a band aid. IMHO - having installed items like the battery charger and fridge plug into a household socket is a pretty cheesy way to handle power on a vehicle subject to vibration and shock as part of its everyday mission. Kind of akin to using household Romex on a boat. (Which I’ve seen done - but not by professionals or knowledgeable laymen.) And correct on the “auto” mode on the Norcold fridge switching to A/C when available. It normally does this. When it stayed in LP mode even with shore power connected is when I went into trouble-shooting mode. The issue was not my failure to understand or select the operating mode I desired.