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It never fails to amaze me how far out in front of Oliver corporate we owners are. I inquired of HWY RV in Salem Oregon as to the install of a Dometic Fresh Jet 3 to replace the Penguin II noise generator in my hull number 615. They messaged Jason E, and he advised them that "as we have not installed a Fresh Jet 3, we advise caution as the fit might not support the unit properly." That is a very reasonable decision, and stopped me from proceeding. However, in searching the Forums it appears that at least three of us have switched out the A/C and no one mentioned any problems. Lack of reporting is not "data," so I have asked Dometic to provide me with footprint and bolt pattern drawings of both the Penguin II and Fresh Jet 3. Will they do it? I guess that depends on the attitude and enthusiasm of the person at Dometic who gets my email. I sure hope they do as I am very leery of proceeding when "not 100% sure." Could someone who HAS switched a Penguin II for a FreshJet 3 please comment on footprint and bolt pattern? (Please!) In summary, so far I have not found actual data as to the direct comparison of any of the three units mentioned. If and when I get actual data, I will append it to this topic. I can say that I really liked the attitude and professionalism of the service folks at HWY RV in Salem, Oregon. If my replacement project becomes a go, you can be sure that they will be the folks that do the work.
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Atmos 4.4 vs the Dometic FreshJet 3 (13,500BTU) vs Penguin II
jd1923 replied to theOrca's topic in Ollie Modifications
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." -
Yes, that is the same plastic box and I did remove about 2/3 of one of the dividers to mount the timer. I also cut two small slots on each side to catch the mounting clips of the timer. For your information, I have seen at least one YouTube video where someone removed and discarded the plastic box to mount something else in its place. This is a bad idea as the plastic box/spacer has a purpose. It is there to ensure that the air flows correctly over the coils.
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Thanks @rich.dev for the attached links. As was mentioned above, I also would advise against mounting a tray or box by the 1.25" receiver. There's a lot of dynamic load with an extended cargo tray, or bike rack for that matter. The single point Oliver hitch allows a lot of movement side to side and up and down. The two point mount used by those of us that installed boxes or trays inherently provides a high level of stability as well as a direct mount to the trailer main frame rails. Also the 2" sockets at those locations allow you to use a heavy wall 2" square tube which substantially increases the strength of those connections. Even mounted by the 2" tubes, you still use the hitch pins Oliver used to secure the bike rack mounting frame. This still allows the tray or box to be quickly removed for installing a bike rack or service needs. All this having been said, I still believe you should limit the total weight mounted to the back to the maximum that Oliver recommends. The tray or box mounted doesn't extend much farther from the bumper than a double bike rack would, so the loads should be somewhat similar to those exerted by two bikes mounted on the Oliver mount. But again the cargo box is mounted directly with two points that are extremely stable and secure. Just my thoughts. Edit: Additional thoughts. Regardless of your method of mounting a cargo box, clearance for the lid to open without hitting the spare tire cover must be considered. Also if you make the mounting tubes extend far enough into the frame sockets, you will be able to slide the box back far enough to remove the spare tire without completely removing the box from the trailer. This was very important to me because complete removal requires two people and sliding it back enough for tire access can be done by one person.
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On my recent fly fishing trip to Wyoming I stumbled upon a Forest Service "de-commissioned" campground. My destination was fishing the Buffalo Fork River and I knew that there was a large Forest Service campground (Turpin Meadows) at the end of the paved Buffalo Valley Road. I also knew that there are numerous boondocking sites on this road. However, when I arrived I found the Turpin Meadows campground FULL and even the availability of many of the boondocking sites were hard to come by. So, as I headed west back toward Moran Junction I saw a small sign 9/10th of a mile west of Turpin Meadows for Box Creek Trail Head. The 3/4 mile dirt road ends at the trail head where there are 8 campsites. The Forest Service took away the picnic tables but left the bear boxes. While the pit toilet is not "serviced" by the Forest Service (this means that it is not cleaned nor do they provide TP) the campers using this facility do sweep it out and the result is that it is in better shape than the average. There is water but it is marked that it is not potable, however, both potable water and trash disposal can be done at Turpin Meadows. During the week I camped here it was never full and most nights there were only three of us staying there. It is super quiet but certainly be "bear aware". So, if you are in the Grand Teton area and want to get away from the crowds but still want great hiking and/or good fishing without a long drive on a dirt road, you might want to consider Box Creek. There are stunning views of the Tetons from many of the hiking trails, from the river and from the drive west on Buffalo Valley Road. GPS: N 43 degrees 51minutes 42.5 seconds, W 110 degrees 17 minutes 39.0 seconds Bill
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Generator Inverter Usage
Chukarhunter replied to Wandering Sagebrush's topic in Mechanical & Technical Tips
With no offense intended, I believe there is some questionable advice in this thread. In particular, it is counterintuitive to me that reducing the input amperage to the inverter is the best way to limit the level of charging current that the inverter is delivering into the batteries, especially when the inverter has a setting (#24) designed specifically for that function. Wandering Sage Brush is apprehensive about using the smaller Honda 1000 to charge his house batteries while boondocking. There is nothing to be nervous about as many of us do it all the time. The only issue you need to be aware of is ensuring that the combination of trailer loads (120 volt loads and 12 volt charging load) is less than the maximum output of the generator. If you try to run higher loads (i.e., greater watts) than the generator can produce, the generator will overload and shut down. The table above showing inverter settings are for a 3,000 watt inverter. Setting 28 is factory defaulted to 25 amps because 25 amps * 120 volts = 3,000 watts. If you lower the amperage limit in Setting 28 down to lets say 15 amps, you are turning your 3,000 watt inverter into an 1800 watt inverter because 15 amps * 120 volts = 1800 watts. There is no need to do that. If you want to charge your batteries with a 1000 watt generator, then you need to limit the draw on the generator to less than 1,000 watts. If you want all the available 1,000 watts to go into your batteries, then there are two steps you need to take when you decide to charge. First is to turn off your inverter and any 120 volt loads if you want to all the generator output to go into your batteries. You don't want any 120 volt trailer loads drawing on the generator at the same time you are charging the batteries. Second, you need to reduce the amperage limit in Setting #24: Charger Current. The charger typically charges at about 14 volts when the batteries are getting close to full. Since volts x amps = watts, 1000 watts into the batteries is going to require 71 amps of Charge Current (14 volts * 71 amps = 1,000 watts) . Adjusting for losses and generator derating at altitude and in higher temperatures, you should probably limit the watts from the generator at no more than 900 watts which equates to 64 amps (900 watts / 14 volts = 64 amps). So whatever inverter/charger you have, set the max charging current at 60 amps and your Honda EU1000 will probably charge just fine without overloading. If you are running the Honda 1000 and you are also getting 20 amps from your solar panels at the same time, then you will be putting 80 amps into the batteries (60 amps from the generator and 20 amps from the solar). This is equal to 1,120 watts (80 amps x 14 volts = 1,120 watts) You can leave the Charge Current setting at 60 amps all the time if you want unless you want your batteries to charge faster when you are on shore power. If so, just increase the max charging amps in setting # 24 before you go back on shore power. -
No display, just the VE.Bus device connected via ethernet which allows connection via the VictronConnect App (link and pictures shown above). Given this is true, if the Victron MP2 fails, there will be NO shore power. You'd have to pull the bed, pull the AC wiring from the MP2 and use wire nuts (have 3 in my Oliver parts box) to connect to shore power. I get soooo frustrated with design engineers that do not understand common let alone severe use cases! It would also be crazy to install a secondary ATS!
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I have been in contact with OTT Service department recently, to ensure that I have my Xantrex settings correct, before I test out using a small generator that was given to me. I plan to post a separate thread about the generator, but during this conversation with OTT Service, we were unable to find the definition of a setting labeled "nAt". Anyone know what it stands for? For reference, here is my description of it and the OTT Service response. Apparently it's not a setting that can be set via the Xantrex bluetooth app, but has to be done by using the Xantrex Panel. That is a process that I have not succeeded doing yet, as I get lost in the endless codes and can't seem to follow them from one screen to the next, book in hand. MY QUESTION TO OTT SERVICE: Checking through my Xantrex Settings, I noticed the following settings on MY XANTREX APP are different from the "normal recommended" settings in the Knowledge Base article. (The Xantrex App doesn't provide the setting #, only the setting name; I've tried to insert the setting #s here for clarification). INVERTER (heading on app) #13 Inverter Shutdown Recovery -- mine is set at Manual Restart. In MY MANUAL for 2022 Elite 2 components, the default setting reads "Manual -- Man". On the app, my Xantrex is set to "Manual". BUT on the OTT Knowledge base it says the setting should be "nAt" and I don't find that defined anywhere ... I am still not sure what this setting should be. OTT SERVICE RESPONSE: I cannot find a definition of that abbreviation but this is the setting that would need to be changed through the panel. I want to note that OTT Service department has been extremely helpful to me.
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Truma Soft Start Technology Now Available
Coastal Aggie replied to dewdev's topic in General Discussion
If this would allow it to be run off a honda 2200 Id definitely be amenable to swapping my dometic for the truma. I was a little miffed that i was forced to go with the truma furnace in the 2023 despite not wanting the truma package which meant furnace and AC control are now on separate panels. I didnt want the truma package because i dont want to 1.) buy another generator when i already have a 2200 and 2.) have to haul a bigger generator around. -
I concluded my battery solar-charge test. After using the A/C to run the 600AH batteries down to 27% yesterday, today by 3:20 PM they got up to 53% SOC being charged ONLY by the 340W (or 320W?) rooftop solar via the Blue Sky MPPT SC. Given this measured 26% increase in SOC, what additional would occur by adding a 400W suitcase? It's 20% more wattage, tilted to the sun. A new Victron 100/30 could be a more efficient MPPT SC than the 25A Blue Sky manufactured in 2015. I estimate a good 35%, maybe more. This could get us up to near 90%. Not too bad. Also, replacing the A/C with say the Atmos, using half the number of AHs, we might get back to 100% <OR> we could run the air twice as long. This will work for us. When camping and the weather gets hot, we'll go do something, leave in the truck for the day. Get back at say 4PM and it would be great to run the A/C for 2-3 hours. Unless it's winter we're camping at altitude, and it always cools off enough to sleep well at night with the Oliver windows open. We live at 5440 ft elevation and of course the air is dry. I can see that most points east, being humid and when close to sea-level this would not work, needing a generator or shore power. Thanks for reading.
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Very nice! These accessories are certainly something to consider! Thanks again, Mike. Their "HPP+ Solar Bulkhead Inlet" would be a great replacement for the OTT installed Zamp port. I could not quickly find dimensions, but it appears it would cover those messy screw holes and have enough surface to use VHB tape instead of the included screws. At 45A and 10 AWG, it's higher grade than necessary but at $45 is reasonable for the quality and the hinged cover plate makes for a clean install. I like their 30 FT extension too, maybe pricey at $60. Notice it is 12 AWG which s/b fine for a 400W suitcase where the SC is in the hull. With the addition of something like this (or a short one) you'd be all set: Amazon.com: Bateria Power 10FT 10AWG Solar Panel Cable Connector to Anderson Adapter Compatible with Anderson Generator Power Station, for Goal Zero Yeti Portable Outdoor Camping (3M Vertical) : Patio, Lawn & Garden This Amazon listing mentions Goal Zero. Also notice it can be ordered in vertical layout vs. the more common horizontal. I immediately thought the HPP is merely a vertically configured Anderson Powerpole connection. This video confirmed my assumption.
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Upgrading the MPPT SC for Suitcase Solar
mountainoliver replied to jd1923's topic in Ollie Modifications
John, the Blue Sky solar controller is supposed to be mounted vertically (I think according to the manual) but that’s not practical every time. I added a fan and a snap type temperature sensor. I don’t remember the on and off temps but typically this type of sensor has a 30 deg dead band. The fan only draws about a tenth of an amp and run it on a one amp fuse. I added some slots in the plastic box for the air to pass through and this setup has made a huge difference in the temperature. -
Upgrading the MPPT SC for Suitcase Solar
mountainoliver replied to jd1923's topic in Ollie Modifications
John, that’s approximately what I do for my suitcase solar. I wasn’t real pleased with the SAE plug being used for repeated connection disconnection so I added a secure two prong Cnlinko socket to the outside of the trailer. The Cnlinko plugs have a stainless latch that secures the connection.The Cnlinko socket is connected through a 10 amp fuse directly to the shunt for the Blue Sky solar controller. The Blue Sky IPN Pro remote displays all of the battery input information such as roof mounted solar, shore power battery charger, and the suitcase solar panels. I removed the solar controller that came with the suitcase panels and plug it in to the trailer and then plug the panels into the controller using the generic solar plugs. This allows a little bit higher voltage from the panels to travel the long distance from the panels to the controller. The wires from the controller are only about two feet long so less loss. All wiring is #10. The box that the controller is in is not waterproof so I just set it on top of the tire under the fender skirt. This idea was originally developed by John Davies. -
Last night I heard the fridge gas ignitor kick in, which shouldn't happen because we're on shore power and the fridge was on Auto. This morning I went looking for the 120v fridge plug and didn't find it behind the kitchen drawers. It's actually under the drawers in our 2022, away from the water hose, so that's a design improvement. The fridge was plugged in. (There was even a big ziptie to hold the plug in, but nobody at the factory bothered to actually connect that.) My multimeter said the outlet was dead. Tracked the wire back to a junction box on the water heater and found this inside: Best guess from looking at it is that the fridge wire (top in photo) pulled partially out of the splice connector and overheated. There's no strain relief entering the j-box. I was lucky enough to find another splice connector lying in the bottom of the hull (dropped at factory) so I cut off the burnt wires, restripped them, and used the "spare" connector to reconnect them. Then I tied the two Romex cables together with a zip tie just outside the j-box to add some strain relief for the connectors. Seems to be OK now.
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Good Day All, Just purchased the aforementioned generator (my first) and I’m wondering if it's normal for the unit to vibrate so much in ECO mode. The throttle doesn't surge and it idles very steadily. When ECO mode is off, vibrations go down. Does anyone have experience with this particular model? Thanks in advance for any thoughts.
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Yes, you have a good point. Not wanting to carry a generator though. I just need to get enough in solar upgrades with a more efficient A/C to run it 2-3 hours in the late afternoons. Looks like I should get the 400W suitcase! We do have the advantage of being mostly sunny and dry in the SW for most of our travels.
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I think that it will take a very large solar panel array to be able to reliably recharge your batteries after any significant AC use thru your inverter. I’ve played around with our system running the AC at night for 8hrs with 400w solar and 640 amp-hrs of lithium from the factory. Even if we had double our solar wattage, I think it would take 8-10 hrs of full perfect angled sun exposure in the summer to replace what the AC consumed overnight. Although running a generator is less desirable, our EU2200 could likely bring the batteries back to near full in 2-3 hrs and solar could top of the last 10-20% throughout the course of the day. If it it hot and humid when we camp, we try to have shore power or go north, or to elevation out west.
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Same here and that means there is no GFCI unless running the inverter. It's also odd that Mike with hull 308 has a GFCI outlet and your hull 628 does not, like my old hull 113 does not. Why? I believe we have two generations of OTT hulls and Xantrex products, mine being a 2016 and yours a 2020. My 2KW Xantrex only has 6 possible connections. On the backside with the fans, there are 3 DC connections, B+ an and B- connected by 4/1 AWG cable directly to the batteries and a 6AWG(?) ground that connects to the yellow ground bus under the rear dinette seat. The front side does have a dual GFCI outlet, rated 120 VAC 16.6A, the monitor cable and LCD screen The older Xantrex in our hull does not have what you wrote "20 amp feed to the AC input of the Xantrex." Do you have the more modern look Xantrex, fully rectangular, squared edges painted gray? Or does yours look like mine, rounded edges metal looking black vinyl coated? I believe you have the newer generation Xantrex. BTW, who cares! I'm ripping mine out end of July, the Xantrex, the Xantrex ATS, the funky little electrical box stuck in the corner that connects inverter supply to most 120V circuits, all the but the A/C. I will show my work here and looking forward to seeing yours. All that matters, is... After all the old is removed, you connect the Victron MP to the batteries in the same way and to the ground bus. You connect shore power from the PD5100 ATS to the AC input and connect the 50A L1 output circuit to the entire Oliver 30A AC panel. This time including the 20A breaker for the air conditioner that was previously bypassed. Can't wait! Pictures to follow: 1) GFCI close-up on inverter 2) PROwatt SW, with junction box above and inverter below 3) Rear Dinette seat with PD5100, self-installed EMS, Xantrex 2KW inverter and self-installed KISAE TS20 switch for running A/C on inverter.
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That's nuts that Dexter would mix SAE and metric sizes on the same suspension, but Ron knows his stuff and has given you all the info you need. It could be that there was one size for the outers and another for the E-Z Flex on the inners which was an add-on component. I just took a look at mine and inner to outer Zerks appear somewhat different. Both took either a 5/16" (.3125") or 8mm (.3150") wrench, since they are close. All you need is an 8mm open-end/box-end combo wrench. Because of the bolt/wrench size you can't tell if the threads are metric or SAE without removing them. To buy extras, remove one at the end and one at the E-Z flex. I use brake line (aka flare nut) wrenches for these, because I have them. They are the safest for soft bleed nipples used in hydraulic brake systems and work well for Zerks too. Unnecessary, but this is a nice tool to have for $9 for the two most common sizes today: Utoolmart Flare Nut Wrench, 8mm x 10mm Metric Double Open End, 1Pcs - Amazon.com
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As a general rule, any tool that does multiple things or sizes doesn’t do any of them well and adjustable wrench’s have a place, but it’s not for zerk fittings. And that also applies to me, I can break any thing. So my advice and using @Ronbrink information is to go to an auto parts store and see what they have as far as zerk fittings go. I seem to remember that the NAPA store I frequent, has variety packs that have different styles like straight, 45° and 90° and maybe different sizes. Pickup several types and sizes and also check for box end wrenches that fit while you have the zerks in hand. And check their return policy so you can return the wrong ones. Also try some penetrating oil on the zerk threads. Mossey
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Dexter EZ-Flex zerks not accepting grease
Ronbrink replied to Fargoman's topic in General Discussion
Q1 - A word of caution, my 2020 OLEll had two different thread size zerks; specifically 1/4-28 and M6x1mm. Other than a couple of 90° at EZ-Flex top, I choose to replace the stock straight ones with 45° angle zerks to ease servicing. I ordered mine from Grainger’s. Q2 - Turn counter clockwise (left) to loosen, clockwise (right) to tighten. Q3 - An adjustable wrench will have too much play and you will end up rounding the bolt head. Use the appropriate box end wrench, based on the thread type as to whether a Standard or Metric wrench is needed. Likewise a proper socket may suffice, but I like being able to see the zerk when removing. -
Houghton Retrofit Process & Questions
Geronimo John replied to Geronimo John's topic in Mechanical & Technical Tips
Update: July 13, 2024 I completed the Houghton 3400 “Humidity Mod” as presented in the attached "Wiring Modification for Interior Fan" document. This excellent write-up was provided by GSM Bear, Version 2 and posted 7/30/2023. His document needs to be fully understood before starting this Mod. It took me about 2 hours working off a ladder on the curb side to carefully complete the mod. Suggestions: The suggested wire measurements are adequate and allow for re-termination if necessary. No need to add any extra length. I recommend that you prefabricate the new brown, black, and white wires. Much easier to do so on your bench vs. on the roof. Then physically plug them into the relay. One less thing to worry about when on the ladder. You will need all the “Parts and Tools Needed” as listed by GSMBear. Additional Tools and Supplied I Found Useful: Ladder Head lamp Wire cutter Magnet on a stick Large Phillips bit Silicone to reseal the electrical box Needle nosed & regular pliers Camera (I took pictures to allow me to “blow up” to get a closer look into the electrical box connections.) Mod Results: The Houghton ran as expected as the fan shut down with the compressor when it cycled down to low speed (Fan set to auto). Houghton also worked as expected with the fan set to low speed. This is the ultra good dehumidifying and quietest setting. Significantly lowered the humidity levels in the cabin. I had to set the remote temperature to a MUCH lower setting to get the cabin to a cool level. The unit Cycle time was significantly extended with the mod. As in extended way too infrequently. I believe that at the end of a compressor run, the fan shuts down with the overhead super cold coils, The coils then chill the air in the unit and being heavier it sinks down past the thermistor. As a result, the process keeps the thermistor “Chilled”. This delays the restart longer than desired. Moving the thermister to a location outside of the unit is needed Hence, the Thermistor Mod is required, as GSMBear states in his document. More to follow with completion of the Thermistor Mod in the next day or two. GJ GSM BEAR V2 RecPro Houghton Interior Fan Mod v2.pdf -
It would be easier to not what to stream if we could just cast or view downloaded content via HDMI connection but that is another thread. It is nice how small it is. Packs up easily. I may need to invest in your packing solution. Right now I just put it back in the box it came in.