Olive2Roam

I did call service. Disappointingly, the response was, "we don't stock that part" and I may be better off finding a welder to spot weld it back on. I was happy to pay for a new part and have it shipped. I could have pressed the issue but I needed it quickly because we are heading out for 3-4 weeks next week. Like I said, disappointing response to say the least. I would have even been willing to drive to Hohenwald to pick up a part.

Ah! Why didn't I think of that? Good call. 🙂

Hey all, A quick search did not turn much up so maybe this is an unusual issue. The welded washer at the forward end of the steel rod that allows the entry steps to slide up for travel has broken off. See below. Oliver does not sell that part so the repair options and pros and cons that I can think of are below. Option 1: I considered having a welder reattach the washer. Cons, fairly expensive, $65-100 depending on the welder, and the possibility of recurrence. Option 2: Purchase a new steel rod, cut to length (24 1/2"), and drill holes for cotter pins to anchor. Cons, still expensive, and some machining required, but close to original. Option3: I temporarily cut a half inch threaded aluminum rod to length and used 2 nuts at each end to secure without tightening to the frame. Pros, quick and inexpensive. Cons, threads may bugger up the track that the rod rides in (maybe). Aluminum is not as strong as the original steel rod, but this temporary fix is functional. Option 4: Same as 3 but use a threaded steel rod for strength. This would almost surely wear grooves in the track as you pull out and store the steps. Thoughts from any of the metal working gurus out there? Bob

When I get over to storage I will get the exact dimensions so I know exactly what I have to work with. I agree, the bluetooth apps are a must. Bob

1000 watts of solar does sound like a lot, especially when we are at 260. I think even if/when I find higher AH batteries I will add at least one folding solar panel. I should have done that by now. By the way, love the Adirondacks. I climbed all 46. 🙂

Great information. Thanks so much for the reply. I will definitely add these to my list to investigate. Bob

Thanks JD! To answer a couple of your questions, our LE I has a battery tray that has two 130AH lithionics batteries. They are 12.5” x 6.5” x 8.5” (L x W x H) with about an inch to spare. Without having the it in front of me, I think the tray is roughly 14 deep x 13 wide. Not a lot of room. Here's a pic I took a while back. It looks like the LiFePO4 (looking at the 460AH) dimensions are L20.55*W9.45*H8.58 so I will have to see if there is any wiggle room with the tray removed. I'll take a look at some of the specs on the other Li Time options. If I can't find a good fit, maybe a 400W suitcase panel plus the DC-DC charging will get us by until we find an option with the right footprint.

Thanks Mike. We would love to get a 600 AH capacity. Did you do that with Lithionics?

We are looking to identify all of our options for increasing amp hours available when boondocking. We are in the Ollie I with the specs in our signature below. We have found that during the winter months (minimal solar efficiency even on sunny days) we get a maximum of 2 days out of our 260 AH Lithionics bank. We don't try to conserve, so we have a small ice maker going most of the time, use the microwave frequently, etc. We recently added DC-DC charging so if we are traveling frequently there are no issues. We are back to full charge by the next stop. But when we are stationary for 3 or more days we would like not to have to worry about running out of capacity. So these are the options I have identified for expanding capacity while stationary during winter or cloudy weather. Are there others we should consider? Thanks in advance! Add a portable panel(s) to more efficiently capture solar Replace the 260AH lithionics with batteries with a similar footprint but higher capacity Find a way to add another lithionics battery to our bank (Is there a way to do this? There is no enough room in our tray where the 2 batteries sit.) Use the DC-DC charging system to charge while idling (this has been a little unreliable so I have been researching why that is) Add a standalone power source to be used as reserve such as a 2000W Jackery power station Try to conserve while boondocking (probably not going to happen) Carry a generator (this option is a distant last) Thoughts!

And for the LE I owners, 9'2" is pretty accurate per the specs. The only thing we have had to back out of is a Chick-fil-a drive through and for that we only needed a couple more inches of clearance. 🙂

Can't help you with this one. Our TV is an SUV with a back hatch. But the pathfinder back door does not even come close to the box with our setup.

@2008RN Sounds like our travel patterns are very similar. We have lithium and prefer to stay at harvest hosts so I expect this year we will get plenty of use out of the DC - DC charging. Great idea about adding the connector on the front and a pair of jumper cables. I definitely will put those on my list. 👍

Good call on those plug covers @Patriot. I just ordered them. 👍

Hey John. Our DC to DC charging system is the detachable cable. There is a receptacle under the bumper at the back of the Pathfinder and there is a receptacle under the cargo box at the front of the trailer. We don’t leave that connected all the time so we made it detachable at both ends. Hope that makes sense.

Thank you for the kind words. Yes, the Texas was our first Oliver rally. Inks Lake was beautiful and we met a lot of great folks there, had some great barbecue, and learned a ton about our LE I. I agree with your comments about the Sea Biscuit accessories. The white powder coat finish and the diamond plate lid are a great match.