Search the Community

The smaller box in the background.

Ship me the second one! 🤣 Is the second box the interior assembly?

I’ve heard that before about the Truma needing a soft start, hopefully there will be a more feasible solution on the horizon. There was no upgrade option for a/c with my 2020 OLEll other than adding a soft start, which I decided to DIY to save some $$. Also, I was disappointed Oliver started using the Dometic 11,000 rather than 13,500 BTU unit in my model year. Although it does the job, Texas heat has often left me wishing for the heftier version. And then there’s the noise issue, which is why you and so many others went the Truma route! I have never considered switching to the Truma, mainly because of the high cost, but have plans to dump the ‘noise maker’ and up the BTUs. My replacement of choice is the Atmos 4.4; 15,000 BTU a/c, 12,000 BTU heat pump; more energy efficient and quieter! We’ll see. Regarding the use of your generator, have you tried the ECO mode? I seem to recall others reporting ECO allowed use with a/c operation, but that may be for the Dometics.

A Jackery 2000 pro will not run any air conditioner, better suited for small AC appliances or DC supply/charging purposes. Yes, a small dual fuel inverter generator can be used to power the Truma, at minimum 2200W. I carry a dedicated 30# propane tank under cap, which will provide up to twenty hours of a/c comfort for long evening/night periods of cooling. Once that supply is exhausted, I can tap into one of the OTT-mounted propane tanks unless time is taken to refill. I stage the genny on the tongue of the trailer secured with a chain. I primarily use this setup for overnight stays while underway to a campground that has power service. Depending on how an Oliver is wired dictates whether or not the Truma can be used via the inverter. I had to install a dedicated transfer switch to be able the run on DC. If capable, then solar and/or a small generator will sustain limited use of the a/c in actual boondocking situations.

Look at your circuit panel description in the (2024) Elite 1 manual. Note that circuit #1 of the main panel is the air conditioner. This is shown in the diagram (below) that uses the Xantrex 2000w inverter. This means the air conditioner is powered directly from the AC source. If you have the optional front AC input for a generator, connecting it to the input will feed to a transfer switch which will determine the power source (front input in this case) to route to the EMS. The EMS will verify the input power is safe and route the AC to the main circuit panel. So, in the Elite I generator case, the inverter should not be in the circuit path to the air conditioner. I think a 3000w inverter is essential to power an air conditioner.

Another newbie question from the Campbell's in Nashville. We have a new LE I Platinum with the Lithium Pro Package (Lithium Batteries-260 AH). When it comes to running the AC off the lithium batteries, my understanding that it is/may be possible, but not on an ongoing basis. Is it accurate to say that for a sustainable boondocking solution for AC a separate generator will be required? If so, do most of you go the route of a small, quite inverter generator powered by LP gas? I actually have a Jackery 2000 pro that is used for home backup if needed. It is charged via solar, or 12 volt, or 120AC. And if the Jackery is an option, presumably I need to have a way to power the Truma directly off the generator rather than the on board inverter. There are several questions bundled in there, so if there is a good resource you can point me to I am happy to read. But the search terms I have been plugging in have not been turning up the kind of information I am looking for. Thanks for anything you can point me to!

So I feel like I've exhausted my options in tracking down a black tank odor so before I call the mothership, I'd like to solicit some opinions here. I've gone through all the Oliver forum posts relevant here and in other RV places on the web. I have a standard porcelain toilet and towards the end of last summer and this summer I've had an issue with an on and off smell, especially with the MaxxAir fan on and of course in warmer weather. For the record, I DO NOT put toilet paper in my black tank EVER and don't have any tank sensor issues. I'm also aware that gray tank smells can mimic black emanating from drains. I have been using Happy Camper treatment for over 7 years and have been happy with it but I've been following a company called KLEENTANK who advise not using enzyme treatments due to sludge forming in the lines. https://kleentank.com/throw-away-your-rv-tank-additive-use-this-instead/ so I've been experimenting with their DIY holding tank mix this season. I also use plenty of water (even though I hate to waste water while boondocking) and wait to dump until I'm at least 80% full. Here are the things I've done to track and hopefully fix the problem to no avail: 1. I removed and replaced the ball valve seal on the toilet even though it was holding water just fine. 2. I removed the entire toilet from the base and replaced the seal where the pipes meet the closet flange. It's weird that there's just a pipe to pipe connection there. Not exactly sure what the seal does except maybe prevent leakage if the black tank overflows. 3. If you know me, I have OCD and completely cleaned the toilet by turning it upside down and sterilizing every nook and cranny. A yucky job but I ain't scared. 4. I climbed on the roof and made sure no obstructions like mud daubers or nests were in the vent pipe. I even poured a weak bleachy solution down the vent to see if it would help. 5. I've taken a good look under the dinette seat closest to the bath to see if there are any loose connections on steel bands or any other possible loose connection. I see no evidence of prior leaks. There is a slight black smell but I assume some smell can come from the gate valves. I'm using a commercial ozone generator today in that area. 6. I sealed/blocked off both the shower and sink drains to try to isolate the toilet vent and still have smell. The only thing that I can think of is that I haven't removed the face plate from the bath vanity to see if the vent pipe has come loose or something. I hesitate to do this as Oliver repaired my courtesy light and did an outstanding job on the exterior caulk which I'm pretty sure I won't be able to duplicate. I guess this would be a good time as any to make that area accessible but I was hoping not to tackle that just yet. Any other insight would be greatly appreciated; I might be missing something obvious. Regards, Claudia

We were in Hohenwald this week and saw some new products made by SEA BISCUIT METAL DESIGNS on display in the Oliver showroom. One product caught our attention, so we decide to visit Johnson City. The rear basket carrier and storage boxes are very well crafted. We already have the OEM rear bumper receiver option so installation was simplified. Since we weren't using the bumper receiver on this trip, we replaced one for the other. We're very pleased with the quality and the design. The lockable boxes increase the secure outside storage, and they're easily removed from the basket in case we want to use it to carry odd shaped/sized cargo. We went with two separate storage boxes, but they also have a larger single "coffin" box that spans the width of the basket. The low profile doesn't cover the original license plate location, so no need to move the plate and rewire its light. The CNC cut "Oliver" name on the carrier is also a nice touch.

Yes have looked at these also from previous owners installs. The 460AH Epoch also seems to be a good deal, although would only have the one battery vs 2. We will be camping in TN next month for about a week without hookups. They do allow generator use during day. Hopefully this trip will give me better idea of our power needs. All our camping to date how been with full power hookup’s to run the AC 24/7 during these hot months.

I'm thinking yours is more than a coffee issue. We have always used an inverter. We stream TV shows or YouTube, play a Blu-ray at night, turn on Newsmax in the morning, can't do that on LP. We have two tea kettles for drip coffee. If it's going to be a sunny day (80/20 rule in Arizona) we use our 1100W electric and if SOC is low and the forecast is mostly cloudy we use LP instead. Forgot about your generator. We haven't needed one in a while, so I did not consider it in my earlier comment. We had a Class-C with a small inverter and at first no solar but a capable built-in 4KW Onan generator. We would watch TV, run any electric appliances including the microwave. During afternoons we would run the generator, run the A/C then too and meanwhile recharge the batteries. How OTT wired the 2KW Xantrex (pictured above) was as follows. 4/0 battery cables (2/0 is actually enough) go to the inverter first and then they used 6 AWG cables to power secondary 12VDC needs. The automatic transfer switch (ATS), is shown center of picture. Notice the label "connect to AC load only" which was wired to the one 120VAC breaker that handles the microwave and 110V outlets (make coffee, watch TV, etc.). The ATS allows this circuit(s) to be run on shore power OR inverter. The wiring is relatively simple. Besides an inverter with ATS, perhaps longer/heavier cables, I would suggest getting a shunt-battery monitor, so you would know when the inverter had used enough power to require recharging (50% SOC for lead acid). We have the tank level monitor too, but I never use it. I added one of these for reading amps and AH used, besides SOC. The VictronConnect app makes it so you can read this data via Bluetooth. It's good to know when parking/leaving your Oliver whether you forgot/left something on that would drain SOC, check the -Amps reading which should be very low. Hope this helps! Amazon.com: Victron Energy SmartShunt IP65 Battery Monitor (Bluetooth) - Victron Smart Shunt - 6.5V-70V, 500 amp : Automotive

Rearview Camera is on our pre-trip checklist: RV Quick Checklist: 66 items shared Monitors □ 1 Change GPS to Movement/Daily □ 2 Rearview camera on □ 3 Install repeater Bathroom □ 4 Bathroom drain closed (in) & flagged □ 5 Shower curtain secured □ 6 Bathroom cabinet shut □ 7 Bathroom window closed □ 8 Bathroom vent closed □ 9 bathroom items secured □ 10 bathroom door closed Interior □ 11 Check ladder secure points □ 12 Awning switches off □ 13 Awning remote stored □ 14 Microwave tray secure □ 15 fan in fridge □ 16 fridge doors locked □ 18 Sink cover stored □ 19 Stove off □ 20 cooktop cover closed □ 21 pots/pans/dishes □ 22 furnace/AC off □ 23 Marine fan stowed □ 24 roof vent closed/fan off □ 25 Remotes stored □ 26 antenna booster off □ 27 AC alarm off □ 28 TVs secured □ Solar on/off □ 29 Gas water heater off □ 30 water pump off □ 31 weather radio off □ 32 Xantrex setting #28 to 5 (storage) or 25 (camping) or 15 (generator) □ 34 tires checked □ 35 doors/drawers/windows closed □ 36 blinds closed □ 37 Cabin lights off Exterior □ 38 LP gas off □ 33 thermometer stored □ 39 Electric water heater off/on □ 40 sewer hose secured □ 41 tire covers off □ 42 leveling jacks up □ 43 water/elec./TV/sewer d/c Truck □ 44 Close tailgate □ 45 bikes secured □ 46 Wheel step removed □ 47 Ball hitch pinned and locked □ 48 parking brake set □ 49 Chains on □ 50 breakaway cable □ 51 Coupler pinned □ 52 Tongue jack up Hitched □ 53 vehicle lights checked □ 54 wheel chocks out □ 55 Linx levelers stored □ 17 fridge on 12v □ 56 door mat stored □ 57 doors/compartments locked □ 58 steps retracted □ 60 trailer transponder in Mechanical □ 59 trailer brakes checked □ 61 radiator clear □ 62 washer fluid checked □ 63 ATF checked □ 64 brake fluid checked □ 65 coolant checked

Hi, I have a question if I can hook up a 2000 watt inverter to my battery bank.I don't know much about these batterys.Is there a way to get the outlets to work on a inverter,or will I have to have the inverter inside the camper.I have no solor or inverter on my 2022 le 2. We just got back from a state park with no hookups and it is very hard to make coffee at 6:00 am and not be able to fire up the generator.We would like to hit more parks but generator hours are limited.

In another thread, the topic of a winter trip to Quartzsite came up. Since it was a thread hijack there, I've started this one here. Sometime in January next, we'll leave for Q. As usual, we'll be camped out at Dome Rock about 4 miles west of town. This is BLM and is free. There are zero facilities except what you bring with you so you will be totally boondocking. Solar is obviously necessary, without it you will have to have a generator. There is water and dumping available in town. There will be a fiberglass rally (of such) that usually occurs the first week or so of February. Calling this a rally is quite a stretch as there are no organizers or agenda. There will be a mix of all different brands of FG trailers. We've made many friends through the years while attending. January 18th-26th will feature the Quartzsite Sports, Vacation & RV Show. Death Valley NP is an easy drive and that time of the year is the PERFECT time to go. Joshua Tree NP is also close enough to drop in there. Both NP's have free camping and there is never a crowd that time of year. If this type of atmosphere floats your boat, Vegas is north of there as is Hoover dam. Lake Havasu City sports the London Bridge having been disassembled in London, shipped across the pond and reassembled there. Since there was no river for it to cross, they diverted the Colorado River to restore it as a functioning bridge across water. This will be a lazy time with plenty of opportunities to do nothing, sitting around talking to old friends and making new ones. I've started a list of folks who said they would be there. Join us, won't you? Quartzsite 2025 roster: 1 - Steve and Tali Landrum Hull #050 Tupelo, MS (scubarx) 2 - Art and Diane FLYNN Hull #226 Placitas, NM (maxburner) 3 - Lance Smeltekop Hull #898 Nederland,CO and Traverse City, MI (mountainman198) 4 - Richard De Villiers Hull #1368 Guelph, Ontario (rich.dev) 5 - John and Wendy Register - Hull #996 Full Timers (johnwen) 6 - John and Chris Dokos - Hull #113 Prescott, AZ (jd1923)

Yeah, definitely not considering one behind the rear axle, though I think I could get away with one in front of the front axle where it would be close to the same level as the bottom of the axle itself. It's pretty obvious this LE was raised a little higher than factory and probably doesn't have the same clearance issues a rear mounted box could have on ours. .

Some of you might have seen my recent post on another thread, Shake Rattle and Roll, regarding items including screws etc coming loose while towing. My situation had become considerably worse as previously stated in regards to the entire set of drawers and associated hardware with the kitchen cabinet drawers. Cutting to the chase I had to replace all of the soft close glides for a litany of reasons which I will detail below then rebuild and redesign the entire drawer setup and arrangement. Some of the glides had corroded severely preventing their ease of use, and in other cases the boxes themselves were made in what can only be described as sloppy construction, inconsistent sizes, and most of them considerably too small for their respective cabinet openings allowing for the glides to come completely out of, or off their rails. If this isn't enough the cabinets themselves were built out of square, out of plumb, and not parallel from front to back or side to side. Hopefully this will provide help to those who might be having some of the same issues. Let me know if you have any questions be glad to help if I can. For starters attached are some photos of the errant issues we were having. Image below illustrates how poorly this set of drawer glides were installed which of course imposed a closed drawer that pointed downward, top portion closed while the bottom tilted outward. The red arrow on this drawer points to the corroded glide rail. This is the worst example in all fairness. closer detail that illustrates the above perhaps better. In the photo below you can see where these drawers were only stapled together and with no glue anywhere. To make matters worse the cheap plywood used for the plastic face frame inserts was never treated for moisture and thus over a period of time would expand contract then warp and pull away from the drawer box itself. The only method for installing these drawer faces was nothing more than caulk, no screws nothing to hold them in place over a period of time in different weather or humidity patterns. Effectively each of the faces had warped convexly as seen in this photo. This is an example of the old drawer boxes once the plastic fronts were removed with scrapers, pry bars and chisels. Note how the 4 inch drawer is 1 inch longer than the 6 inch drawer, and this was consistent throughout for no discernible reason that I could determine. All of my new drawers are a full 20 inches long with the exception of the 12 inch drawer that mounts under the kitchen sink otherwise it would collide with the sink drain, probably not a good idea. Most but not all of these plastic face mounts to the drawers are cracked severely or in some cases mild cracks as illustrated below. Eventually I will replace all of the drawer faces with something else in the future and just be done with the cheap 1/2 inch plywood glued/caulked into these plastic cavities. Now for the rebuild. Below you can see where the drawer positioning is much different. Rather than the 4 inch depth drawer to 6 inch depth drawer, then back to the 4 inch on the bottom row it seemed to make much more sense to do two rows of 4 inch drawers (with 6 inch face fronts) then install the 6 inch drawer with 8 inch front on the bottom row. In addition the upper right drawer as originally installed was only 12 inches deep much like the drawer that mounts underneath the sink. This made no sense to me because there was plenty of room for a full 20 inch drawer to easily slide beneath the cooktop stove. In order to make sure there would not be an overheating issue I ran the both burners for a period of time with my hand touching the bottom of the stove. Never even got warm. It is important to note this stove is built with a second dead air space layer. This allows for much better usage of kitchen tools and storage. Details from the rebuild. Basically I used Kreg Pocket Hole jigs and screws to build the boxes but also used reinforcements below with right angle corner hardware and ran a bead of hot wax glue across all of the underside of the boxes/drawers. Materials were half inch baltic birch plywood, with 1/4 inch birch plywood bottoms dado'ed into the sides and fronts. Closeup detail of hardware and messy hot wax glue. I also used a small painters palette knife to spatula the glue while still hot and pliable further into each joint. It was fairly easy to run the heat gun for 6-8 inches of glue line then press the glue further into position, then start on the next 6-8 inches. Pocket holes can be seen in the photo below. To mount the face fronts back onto each drawer I used 3/4 inch Big Timber screws that are self tapping, however in order make sure they were solid each drawer front was clamped to its respective drawer during installation of screws. As you can see each screw is counter sunk as well allowing for a deeper bite. Note didn't want to glue them on in addition to screws knowing I would eventually replace the fronts with completely new materials. The photo below shows two sets of new drawer glides installed properly that being with front of the glide recessed approximately 1/16th of an inch as illustrated by the red circles, not the full 1 inch as originally installed by Oliver. By installing the glides so far back into the cavity of the cabinet boxes the glides would never fully come to their closed positions. Not sure why the water hoses to the kitchen faucet were installed to the front of the rear cabinet brace at the back as seen in this photo. There was plenty of room to route those blue and red lines between the hull and cabinet which I just might do the future. It is also worth pointing out the opening space on the plastic trim for the cabinets is about 1/4 to 3/8 th's different from right to left side which translates into building each side with different width drawers. The space allowed for this type of drawer glide accommodates 1/2 inch on either side for a total of 1 full inch smaller width drawer compared to the cabinet opening. This is and always has been a tight specification. The original drawers were off by at least 1/4 inch or more. View from the basement. Honestly I have no idea how the entire assembly of the kitchen cabinet drawers even stay in place going down the road. Boxes are screwed together with 3 drywall screws and sort of situated into these pockets made of 2-3 inch depth plywood. I have no idea how those pockets are held in place and it doesn't appear there is any support at the back of the cabinets as they set hovering over the wheel wells by perhaps half an inch. Would love to hear a more informed opinion about this. A few finished results installed. Some of you might see that instead of implementing 4 drawers at 4 inches I ended up building 4 inch on top, 5 inch in the middle, then the standard 6 inch for the bottom drawer. Increasing the middle 4 inch to 5 inch depth provides a bit better depth of space while still allowing plenty of adequate space between each drawer.

That's why (IMHO) it's best to install the EPO/EMS right before your breaker box. If not, you can have a wiring issue between the pedestal and the breakers causing a voltage drop that won't be seen by the EPO if installed at the pedestal.

I can only state ‘what I did’! Started off with a Renogy 20A DC-DC charger and the 50’ WndyNation 4 AWG wire set @rideadeuce mentions. The larger than necessary gauge wire was installed to accommodate any future upgrade in charger size, which eventually came into play. The charger was installed in the rear dinette seat hatch, mounted vertically on the interior wall, in like manner as the Xantrex, but on the opposite side just forward of the above battery box/pantry. This position allowed for the shortest cable run to the battery bank, being four 6V Trojan T-105s at the time, and this charger was the alternative of choice since my OTT did not have solar. However in short order, I ungraded to LFPs to be able to run the a/c via the inverter, and subsequently upgraded to a Renogy 40A DC-DC to further offset draw on the battery bank when running the a/c while underway or during brief stops with the TV at idle. This practice proved to be too stressful on the aging stock alternator and thus a high output alternator was installed. I convey all of this knowing that you are fully aware, but there may be some that read this and find it helpful information. I simply choose Renogy as a cost saving measure, half that of a Victron, and have been very pleased. A Victron SmartShunt was also installed at time of the lithium upgrade and the Renogy’s output can be monitored via the VictronConnect app.

Just a couple options for you to consider... 1. Install a 12v - 12v DC charger. This device will connect between your TV alternator and your Oliver batteries ensuring they are topped off after towing after a few hours (depending upon its output, 30amp and 50amp output units are available). 2. Modify your SL kit to run directly off DC power. Inverters are inherently inefficient as they "invert" DC power from your battery bank into AC electrical power - maybe 70 - 80% efficient, if you're lucky. Your OEM SL system will operate from an AC power outlet right out of the box from Star Link - then it converts that AC power to approx 40vDC in the dishy. So, essentially, using a 400W inverter from your Oliver battery box to your SL router, then the SL converts the AC power back to DC power, thus, you're increasing the inefficiency "twice". By converting the SL to 12vDC you can avoid these inefficiencies when boondocking and conserving your Oliver battery DC power storage at the same time. There are multiple threads on making this SL modification in these forums, FYI.... Cheers!

One issue with installing an EMS/EPO at the pedestal is that you're not picking up the voltage drop between the pedestal and the equipment/appliances in your TT. Might not be an issue, but also might be... I like a sacrificial surge protector at the pedestal and then an autoformer, and then an EMS/EPO unit before the breaker box. Maybe overkill, but I like overkill when it comes to electricity.

@mossemi I just registered this suggestion in my brain. Might be a very good addition for my tool box. Will look at these.

And how will it perform when you really need A/C, when temps are in the 90s vs. just 73F? Given these numbers, the Dometic FreshJet 3 on medium and high pulls more amperage than my Penguin II! Another vote for Atmos! Below is what @rideadeuce reported (see quote below) with the Atmos. BTW, 15A 120VAC = 1800W and 150A 12VDC = 1800W, so 15A AC equates to 150A on 12VDC. Given your generator runs the A/C on low pulling 13A, it would run the Atmos on any speed pulling only 7.5 A (75A DC). I can run the penguin II 3-4 hours on our new Victron 3KVA MP2 inverter with 600AH LiFePO4 batteries. Given these numbers, I would have less runtime with the FreshJet 3 or instead could double runtime to 6-8 hours installing the Atmos 4.4 A/C. "Here in TN it has been very humid and hot with no issues of increased humidity inside. Staying in the 40-60% range. As far as efficiency, it is at least 30-40% sometimes 50% better than the Dometic PII 13.5k. 75 vs 150 amps. 10 decimals quieter than the Dometic. Probably the best feature outside of efficiency."

Reports that Dometic claims that the FreshJet 3, 15K and 13.5K units draw the same number of Watts/Amps has lighted my BS warning lamp. I respectfully request that someone with a FreshJet3, 13.5 K unit actually measure the running amps of their A/C on low, medium and Turbo, and publish same on this forum. An easy way to do that is to use the handy dandy monitor located in the rear cubby of the Legacy Elite II. Please pick a time when your batteries are fully charged, and just before testing that the monitor shows 1 amp or less of current draw. It does not matter if you are on shore power or on generator power. Please mention ambient temperature during the test. With the 15K version of subject A/C, I measured 13 amps on low, 15 to 16 amps on medium and 18+ amps on high (Turbo). Many thanks to all who can respond. Signed, The puzzled Orca!

ADB is the "air distribution box" on the inside side of the roof. My install dealer and I are still working out the ramifications of they having installed a 15K BTU FreshJet3 instead of my requested 13.5K BTU version. There is now some question as to my Honda 2200 being able to run the 13.5 version. I can attest to the fact that it is NOT able to run the 15K version. 😒 Measured data 15K Dometic FreshJet 3 (with the Dometic Easy Start) and a Honda 2200 gen: Sea level, 73F. Low setting on the A/C - 13 amps. Generator runs fine Medium setting on the A/C - 15 to 16 amps, gen running hard, evidently right at it's max wattage output. High or Turbo setting on the A/C - 18 to 19 amps - Gen shuts down immediately due to overload. I am having difficulty getting my mind around the fact that Dometic claims that the amperage draw of the 13.5K unit and the 15K unit are the same. If they are the same, then why is one de-rated to 13.5K? in my mind, BTU = energy = watts = amps.... 🤯

Ours looks like this - Keyway is blurred because with AI these days you never know. It is a two-sided keyway - notches on the top and bottom of the key. If you did not get one with your lock contact service and there should be a serial number on the lock that would allow you to order a backup. Note that the key number is the blur where the grey box is.

got the latch fixed and on the list will be repairing the battery slide out box which is coming loose too thank you all for the information on repairs.