KarenLukens
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Posts posted by KarenLukens
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Just for clarity and for anyone else stumbling into this issue and conversation allow me to explain how one cuts off all power to all devices so there is no parasitic drain. On the street side of the camper in the storage area below that side of the bed (king for us) where the Blu Sky controller is mounted for those with the solar system there exist one large red switch that turns the Blue Sky off, but there are also two rather unusual circuit breaker switches, one for the solar controller and the other for the entire electrical system. Our Oliver is in storage several miles out of town otherwise I would provide a quick and dirty photo for those interested. Anyway the circuit breaker to the far right is the one that turns off all electricity flowing from the batteries thus preventing any parasitic drain. Just in case there is confusion on how these breakers work, given their unusual nature each of those should have a smallish push button mounted to the top, one is yellow the other red. Once that button is pushed a lever underneath swings out approximately 30 degrees or so while cutting off the respective circuit. The circuit it turned back on by pushing the lever back to its original position. Presumably those without solar power would have only one of these circuit breakers. Hopefully this will be helpful to prevent any major battery drains in the future.
Then it changes for the 2017 models with the Zamp Solar and only has the one switch under the street side bed again, but only for the 12vdc. The only way to disconnect the Zamp Solar itself is to unhook the negative ground cable from the battery... The Zamp is a much cheaper system, not to be considered top of the line.
Reed
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Having the wifi booster really depends on how you're going to use your trailer. If you're going to be in campgrounds all of the time and don't have unlimited data on your phone, then wifi can be a good thing. We didn't get it ourselves because we mostly boondock. Plus we've always had better service with our cell phone with unlimited data. Like Bill said, wifi can really get bogged down with everyone connected to it at once, and this is where it will come in handy because you can actually get a lot better wifi connection with the booster.
For us, we stick with the 4g unlimited because we are rarely in campgrounds and simply prefer our own connection. So we did get the cell phone booster but we've only needed it a handful of times. It will pull you up to 3 bars from no service sometimes, and that's why we bought it. But we don't use it at the Dinette, we use it in the bed mostly with our heads at the back window, so be sure to have them put the boosters into your trailer where you will get the most use out of them. My list of projects includes moving the booster to the rear of the trailer now, where it will be used daily. Plus it's really limited on how close you need to have your phone to it, to get a signal, pretty much 18" or closer, so you will be holding the phone up to it to make it useful. If we are in a place with no service, right now we hot spot a tablet right under the booster and use our other tablets to connect to it from back at the bed, which is a pain mostly because our best tablet is now dedicated to the front of the trailer, where we are always together in the back. We turned our Dinette into a full time sofa because we usually cook and eat outside, so the tablet can't just sit on the table and the sofa cushions are too far away for it to work from the sofa, so...
In other words, correct placement of the Boosters in the trailer is the key :)
Reed
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For the first time, I sense vulnerability.
Buzzy
You need to give yourself some time to mentally recover and most counselors will say take 3 to 5 years after losing your spouse to stay single and recover. Basically, you want to take enough time to let you feel good about your life and get back to making good decisions again on your own. I solo camped for 7 years in many places, thru many states and I have plenty of friends to visit from coast to coast. A lot of the time in the beginning, I preferred to be alone and I spent much of that time watching others so that I could learn how to feel normal again. The emptiness was tough at first and right now for you, it's a new beginning where you will be second-guessing yourself, while thinking about the ways that you would have done things together.
You make movies, and for me, this was a big part of my recovery. You know what it's like now being alone, you know how it feels at its worst. I would sit out in the woods for hours, swimming in emotion and regaining control of my life. A lot of the time I spent just talking to myself in front of the camera just so that I could go back and see how far that I had come. Because you will always remember just how you felt at that time, when making that little clip, I recovered, then remarried 7 years later. In that time I put out a bunch of movies that to this day, continue helping others, but many other hundreds of hours never made it to the public because it was for my recovery, for me to be able to see myself and know exactly where I was.
Honestly, you don't need much when solo camping and for me, the first thing that I noticed was that it didn't need to cost anything to camp. In those first few years of being alone, I rarely ever stayed in campgrounds, only if I was visiting a National Park and you will be shaking your head at how much it costs for you to live now, compared to when you were a couple... :)
There's so much more, but don't sweat over details, just set up your Ollie your way now, for you and you alone. Then set out and don't look back. Find new friends on the road, enjoy your new beginning. It really helps to have a network of friends and you have made a bunch right here, so start visiting everyone when you feel ready :)
Reed
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A Horde of Ollie's... Well maybe we herd a gathering of Ollie's :)
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:) Hi Buzzy :)
A smile here, a smile there, and a big hug from all of us :)
Reed & Karen
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Travel Straps done! The equipment arrived yesterday afternoon and I was prepared to start upon their arrival. Took me about 1.5 hrs. to complete. Of course, this is Friday afternoon and was setup with my Sirius radio set on the 60’s and a beverage to sip doing the process. Only one tho! Had to stop to dance with my wife to one old Beatle song too. I decided to apply same application to the night stand on our twin bed model. The drawer has been found open and some contents on the floor in the past. Not any more! The final product looks and functions great. Cost much less than burger, fries and each a beer at local pub. Peace of mind – priceless! Thanks John!
Cool, please post pics of the rear drawer strap! I was going to install a locking stainless latch in mine, like outside for the battery compartment, but had not got around to it yet. Then I found my drawer completely busted, lying on the floor near the bath; the too short screws ripped out and wrecked it. So now I am waiting on a replacement and I will secure it before towing with the new one…. that will be a new thread. John Davies Spokane WA
Yuk... Still, I pulled Oliver's replacement screws even in the new drawers they sent us and put in 1" grabbers angled throughout, they are rock solid now.
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If I would have known that I wouldn't be able to edit my movie settings on my tablet, I would have made this first half public :) But here's the link anyway. There's actually 2 movies on the Bulldog Hitch and the second is also mostly on hand cranking the front jack but I need to upload it. I haven't hooked up to a house connection for a week or more because we are still boondocking after 7 months :)
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We are praying for all of you :)
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There's a big difference between the old slides and the new ones, overloading isn't and never has been the issue... The quality of the slides is... Our drawers always open because Oliver had a careless employee who did Not install them correctly, and plain and simple, this is the issue with the new drawers. I've seen the older 2015 models, drawers and there is a big difference in the overall quality of the slide. There is no comparing the 2 in any way. The new slides are designed for houses, not RV's. On ours, the magnets that were put behind the drawers to catch them and hold them closed, weren't even lined up with their strike plates, so they couldn't do their job. The self closing drawers from the past went out the window with the increase of the production line and now they have locking mechanisms that have been sent out for us to install. If I would have known that we were going to be guinea pigs for the new high production Oliver and all of it's "New" lower quality features, like the cheap drawer slides, no sliding tongue, and the Zamp Solar, I would have never bought a new Oliver... I would have waited for another pre-2016 model with the options that we wanted to come up for sale... They cheapened the Olli this year, yet raised the price of a fully loaded one to $70,000.00.
Nobody told us new buyers in advance that we would be paying $2800.00 for a cheap, run of the mill, $1100.00 Zamp Solar System or more money for cabinets and drawers with inferior slides... I realise that we got ripped off but all of us early 2017 owners have lived with the bait and switch and fortunately some of us have brought other issues into the light like only being able to use 62% of the water, and then fixed it ourselves, leading the way for Oliver to become a better thought of company once again.
Reed
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It's simply common sense... We have 18 gallon black tanks, which will not overflow MOST septic tanks unless you have a home made old 50 gallon drum and leach system from the depression era... Your not going to force anything into the leach field unless you dump directly into the leach field side of the tank past the baffle. If you have a 30, 60 gallon or larger black tank, this could cause a problem but the 18 gallon Oliver tank isn't going to make a dent in a normal 1500 gallon baffled septic system. If you have a cleanout port between the house and the tank, it will work fine but you don't want to dump directly into the leach line side of the tank. Basically know your septic system, mine works fine and I have a cleanout/ RV port built into my 1500gallon baffled 2 tank septic system with a 21st century domed leach field. I'm not a dump station for everyone but needing to dump my 18 gallon tank every couple of weeks or more isn't going to hurt my septic system at all. Would I dump a 60gallon motorhome tank into my RV port? Nope, but if truly needed, the tank could be dumped in small amounts and then flushed clean with water after.
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I used to run its big big brother, so working on it is pretty basic to me... It's a simple yet small water tube boiler, so as long as you keep the tube nest clean or free of scale in the pipes, not much can shut it down. Most people will only need to clean it every year or so, but it has a light to tell you when it's time. There's not much difference in the master controls between the 2, they have the same sensors and basically run the same. One just heats a big tank of water with a small flame, while the Truma heats a small amount with a lot more flame going between the tubes. It's a basic design that has been used for over 100 years, just not in this nice small package. It's a Smart boiler that is set up to tell you what is wrong with it when it has a problem.
If you don't plan on using your trailer in the winter, then the Truma really is not needed anymore then the 4 season trailer itself. But for those of us who use our Oliver's to the extent that they are built for, then the Truma is a must for below freezing relaxation :)
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We just placed our order for a new Elite II also and I am having a hard time seeing the payback. Although the Truma is very cool we have had the six gallon on several campers and never had a problem running out of hot water. At $1300.00 that’s a lot of propane refills that would need to happen to get the payback. We have a instantaneous in our home and I understand not heating 50 gallons of water but for 6 gallons I just don’t think I see the payback.
Looking for payback? Congratulations on ordering a Legacy Elite II , the best of the best, that's the reason we ordered the Truma. Looking for payback never entered my mind because to me payback is not why I ordered an Oliver. The payback comes in the ease of use. I don't have to change an anode rod or even need to pull it to drain it in the winter. I don't need to worry about it freezing in the winter because the Truma gives you 2 choices in sub-freezing temps, Comfort mode which keeps it at 113° while circulating the water, or winter mode, which circulates the water and keeps it above 37°. This was a big selling point for us because we are out year round, using it daily and we don't need to worry about it freezing up or having the wind blowing the fumes back into the trailer like we did with the Suburban, setting off the CO2 alarm all of the time like it did in our Casita Liberty Delux. Plus I don't have to remember to shut it off to save gas because it shuts off on it's own. I ran on 6 gallon heaters for years also and they're fine, they heat the water, but... There is no comparison between the 2 other then that and until you own one, you will never be able to feel the difference. Hot water is instantly at the tap, I don't need to remember to turn it on, let alone ever have a need to turn it off. It takes care of itself and is a true Legacy Elite option that gives you the best of the best. We bought the Truma because we didn't want to just settle for another run of the mill standard 6 gallon water heater like we've used for the last 4 generations. We bought the Legacy Elite of water heaters in my own personal oppinion :)
Reed
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Reed & Karen – Perhaps you do have a point in that you do have to remember to turn it off – certainly that alone takes a bit of energy. Bill
Remembering to turn it off for me always came when I heard it come on at night under the bed... You don't need to remember to turn off the Truma, just leave it on and it only starts after hot water flow is detected. To save even more $ we leave it on Eco mode, turn the water on for a sec, listen for the gas valve & flame, shut it off again while it heats it up to 120° and 30 seconds later you have hot water until you shut it off again. I used to just shower with the pilot light heating the water in one of our old tanks but that was when I was single for a time :) Women like their hot water, especially Karen and for her it makes a huge difference not ever running out :)
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I'll never go back to the 6 gallon. The main reason is if you need a gallon to wash dishes, you just heat one gallon of water, you don't need to wait for it to heat up the 5 other gallons that will just sit there and cool back down. There's no comparing the instant to the 6 gallon, the 6 gallon is old school and costs a lot more to run because you always need to heat up 6 gallons even if you just need enough to wash a plate and silverware. I use a lot less propane now with the instant because it's not cycling on all the time to keep 6 gallons hot when your not using it anyway.
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With the carport you can go in and still use your trailer in the winter also. We had a Calmark cover for the Casita but never used it because we travel and use the trailer at home, definitely go with a carport if that's a choice.
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We spend a lot of time on the Pacific Coast where rainforests abound :) We camp in severe rain like the 1/2" drops coming down for days on end in the winter and set the awning out to keep dry. Unfortunately, with the seal gone, you will no longer have a dry spot outside unless you have a Clam or another tent. We can use the awning as a dry entry and keep totally dry with the seal. But without the seal, depending on where you are... sand and water will blow and pour off the roof, splash off of the door seal, the fridge and window seals and there will be no clean dry place to sit without that seal in place. Wet blowing sand is the worst... One of the reasons that we sold our Casita was because it was only sealed by me half way across. Seals are simple to add back on if you ever find the need. I sit outside under the awning with the fire going with it raining all around and keep dry and comfortable with no leaks behind me dripping down my neck...
If you don't camp in the rain then the seal is not a big deal.
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John, I don't know what brand other then we can still buy them at an Ace Hardware. They were 12" with the blue ball in the video and they really stretch out strong. Then I also got a pack of small 6" from Amazon later on that don't stretch much but are perfect for my hoses.
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I’m really liking the videos. Thanks for the tip on the deflapper – are you worried that it will stretch the fabric at all?
Nope, it's not something that I really crank down on unless the wind is severe. Having water pooling on top is what worries me as far as stretching. I came back to my motorhome one day after my kids went down and used it in the rain and forgot to lower it back down, and found the awning stretched into a swimming pool full of water... After bailing until I couldn't reach anymore water, I ended up grabbing my knife and putting a slice in the bottom of the lake... It still took an hour or 2 to drain and the weight of all of the water pulled it off of the track and I ended up having to cut it off before I could drive it. But at least they said sorry... Lol.
An old pic of the motorhome, my sister and the kids at our mining claim on the Yuba river when the awning had been drained :)
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Well... we've been home for 5 days but we are still sleeping in the trailer. After 6 months it's our home! Sure we have a cabin in the woods also but home is where your heart is... And we haven't lived together in the new house yet, so here we are, out in the trailer where everything is set up perfectly already :) It will be a few weeks before we head out again to the Quincy Fiberglass RV Rally and in all honesty, we are still moving into the house between trips, so... Yup we love our Oliver,yea the voltage is down to 12.2 tonight but I'll set up the Renogy Solar Suitcase tomorrow and charge it back up. I will be changing out the Zamp Solar soon but this week I have a bunch of rewiring and plumbing repairs to do on both the house and the trailer now that we are home and all of the parts have arrived from Oliver. We found out tonight that the USB recepticals can only handle charging one cord at a time. Karen tried plugging in her iPad and her phone and it kept kicking out until she removed one of the cords :)
I've been making or finishing up some more movies and here's part 4 on the Fiamma Awning -
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Yup, we had that on the door over the microwave also... I just replaced them with #8 x 1/2" and nylocks also a couple months back. Now they don't move either :)
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Welcome Darrell &Kathy :)
We have been in ours for over 6 months and Oliver continues to make improvements every day, you made the right choice.
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That's probably from water shifting in the tanks, so it wouldn't be a constant on the road, is my thought on it :)
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Regarding the Ford Transit and weight distribution hitches–I tow with a 2015 VW Toureg TDI and VW doesn’t recommend the use of a WDH. I’ve towed with the standard bulldog hitch for almost 2 years and I’ve never had any issues or problems with my setup. I have a highly adjustable ball mount that allows me to fine-tune the ball height and tongue weight. I’ve towed the Ollie with the TDI over 13,000 miles. I’ve towed in the mountains, desert, in high winds, etc. and have never felt insecure or unsafe. I typically tow at 55 to 65 mph on two lane highways depending on road conditions and 65 mph or a little higher on interstate highways.
And the new map looks great! :)
Reed
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Nope, that's a setting on my P3 and it's from 2015. I will look at it again day after tomorrow and make sure but it's in my owners manual that way also. My problem was with the P3 settings and it came right on after we changed the settings.
Reed & Karen's Blog -
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Then here's the next installment -
Then I reloaded the Honda 2000i venturi and orifice cleaning for people having trouble keeping a smooth idle -