Search the Community
Showing results for 'Generator box'.
-
After purchase of our OE II, I realized the first thing that I wanted to add was a cargo box for more external storage. Based on various posts in this forum, I decided to go with either the Arksen 29β Diamond plate (4.3 CF) or the Dee Zee DZ91717P (5.4 CF). While the Arksen has a look that more closely aligns with the Oliver, I chose the Dee Zee because of the larger capacity. As I will explain later, this turned out to be a problem. With regard to any modifications to our Oliver, my goals are to (1) minimize any drilled holes and (2) try to be consistent with Oliver installation techniques. With that in mind, I decided to use the same U-bolts that Oliver uses to attach their aluminum storage basket and purchased two of them from the factory (part #10839). This had an additional benefit since I only needed to drill two holes through the fiberglass (near the tongue jack) - the other U-bolt would be fastened at the tongue. Also, when it comes time to sell, it should be very easy to replace this box with Oliverβs basket should the new owner want to do so. Instead of buying the U-bolt plates from Oliver, I cut and drilled some old garage door hardware that I had laying around (apparently DW is right when she says I never throw anything away). To avoid the possibility of galvanic corrosion I placed pieces of vinyl siding between the steel plates and the aluminum tongue. Positioning and drilling the holes through the fiberglass was a little trickier than I had anticipated. They say measure twice, cut once. Not wanting to screw it up, I think I measured it six times. There isnβt enough space to get a drill directly underneath the fiberglass so I had to use a ΒΌβ x 12β bit to drill the first hole, enlarging it to 3/8β from the top side. Once that hole was drilled, I used the U-bolt to determine the position for the second hole and drilled that from the top, first ΒΌβ, then 3/8β. I then used my Dremel with a pointed abrasive cone to slightly taper the holes as others on this forum have advised to prevent cracking of the gel coat. Now comes the problem with the Dee Zee box. As you can see from the photo, there is an indentation in the rear of the box exactly where the rear U-bolt needs to be! (What did I say about measuring twice?) After considering other fastening strategies, most of which included drilling many more holes, I finally relented and decided to go with the Arksen instead. I trimmed a piece of interlocking foam utility mat (Designerβs Image 765-5058, 0.43β thickness) to use as a cushion between the box and the fiberglass. As luck would have it, I happened to have four 4β x 4β x 3/8β rubber vibration pads (UPE Group) laying around (did I mention that I never throw anything away?). After trimming to the width of the tongue with a razor blade knife I stacked the four pads and secured them to the tongue with 24β long cable ties. The ribs on the pads allowed them to interlock and stack nicely. And four of those pads adds just enough height to make the box level. To beef up the bottom of the cargo box, I added a piece of Β½β plywood. To minimize moisture entry from the bottom, I used gasket cutters to make tight-fitting washers from 1/8β rubber packing sheet and placed them on the U-bolts between the plywood and the interior bottom of the box. The U-bolts were then fastened down with the steel plates using SS nylon-insert lock nuts. Permatex nickel anti-sieze was used on the threads to assist future removal, if needed. Overall, I am quite happy with this install. Special thanks to MAX Burner for giving us a tour of Casablanca at the rally in Alabama, including his own Arksen cargo box.
- 5 replies
-
- 10
-
-
High Pointe Convection Oven Tripping CGFI Breaker
Steph and Dud B replied to 2008RN's topic in Mechanical & Technical Tips
Is it the circuit breaker in the breaker box under the dinette tripping or the GFCI in the outlet under the dinette tripping? They are different devices. -
Doesn't matter. Your mechanic thought this was the correct junction box and all the right colors are there for a trailer wire harness. This is referring to my comment on the black wire. The black provides constant 12V positive. In a cargo trailer that has no batteries it's used to power interior lights from the TV battery. In the Oliver and perhaps other travel trailers it uses the truck batteries to charge the house batteries. OTT disconnects it when installing LiFePO4 batteries. I believe it's a dumb and perhaps dangerous practice since a light gauge wire should never be used for this purpose. Anyway, this is not your issue. The only thing that connects power from your TV brake controller to your TT brakes is the blue wire. Just check to see if the blue wire connection tight. No, the Amazon link you provided has both male and female ends, its listyed as an extension cord. If you want to replace the male end, head only, get something like this. If the issue is at the truck to trailer connection only then this is the easiest route. Only takes an hour to replace this, Amazon.com: MECMO RV 7 Pin Trailer Plug Splice-in Replacement Trailer Side Male End 7 Way Round RV-Style Trailer Light Wiring Harness Connector, Heavy Duty 7 Prong Trailer Wiring Tow Plug for RV Boat Trailer : Automotive I like the idea of this one since it has a waterproof cable gland built into it, but it would be too long to fit on my truck. Amazon.com: Oyviny RV 7 Pin Trailer Plug with IP68 Waterproof Seal, Detachable 7 Way Round RV-Style Trailer Side Connector 7 Point Trailer Wiring Plug : Automotive If you need to replace the entire cable from the male 7-blade connector all the way back to your junction box under the vanity, you need something like this: Amazon.com: CheeMuii 7 Way Trailer Cord Heavy Duty 8 FT Trailer Wiring Harness Kit 7 Pin Trailer Plug Inline Wire Harness Cable for Trailers RVs Campers : Automotive Amazon links are to show examples. I'm not suggested these products specifically. No way you need a GM part and the picture of a part description you showed above is a combo 7-pin and 4-pin unit (4-pin for little trailers without brakes). You asked RE the clamp ammeter? I purchased a more expensive Klein product, their rugged version, but any will do just as long as it reads AC/DC, for the 120VAC systems and 12VDC systems we have on the Oliver. This one looks decent. Amazon.com: Klein Tools CL120 Digital Clamp Meter, Auto-Ranging 400 Amp AC, AC/DC Voltage, Resistance, Continuity, Non-Contact Voltage Tester Detection : Industrial & Scientific
-
Have use my honda generator to chargΓ© our batteries 2 times nΓ³w, today being The second Timβe, disconnected from generator, went inside to verify they full charges, and no Lightning or Power to anything on The master control at The door. Went inside when i initialy starter generator and had Power at than time. My FIRST attempt about a month Ago , same routine and no problem. We had our trailer winterized when we picked it up SO no experience with it SO far other than using generator to keep batteries chargΓ©d. Recommendations when to start looking.
-
@katanapilot You are not confused any more than I was at first. There are THREE major subjects being discussed, too much for a single forum thread. 1. We have a common situation where Automatic Transfer Relay (ATR) has melted down a bit causing a power outage from Shore power. This box switches from shore power receptacle outside to/from the front Generator 30A receptacle (by front jack), but ONLY if you opted for the front power plug/receptacle (an add-on at build time). The old style ATR box commonly melts down on the plastic bus bar or actually catches fire inside the box (usually a small flame). Most folks get rid of the old ATR box and replace it with the one I have pictured above. (New part # PD5110010Q). In the past two years I know of at least four of these old boxes catching fire or melting down. You would smell plastic/rubber burning. NOTE: If you do not have a 30A receptacle in the front of the trailer, by the front jack, then you do NOT have an ATR box. There is not need for an ATR at that point since you only have a single shore power receptacle next to the battery box. 2. We also have a discussion about a power converter charging the batteries. The AC charger is in the breaker panel box (part # PD405-CSV). I have already upgraded mine, as many have, to be able to charge certified Lithium batteries, but I have not changed over to Lithium yet myself. 3. Lastly there is talk about the inline Transfer Relay Switch (TRS) which provides automatic switching between shore power and the inverter AC source. My TRS is a Xantrex PROwatt SW Inline switch, Part # 808-0915. Not sure who has what in their older trailers these days, but I still have a 2000 watt Xantrex inverter in my trailer, which I have replaced once as well. The inverter provides AC power from the batteries when shore power is not available, so we can still have hot coffee in the morning from our electric water kettle and blow our aging hair with a hair dryer. LOL FYI, if you are plugged into shore power at a campground, there is no need to have the inverter powered on. It will do nothing for you. In my case, the Prowatt TRS detects shore power, and switches to using that to provide you AC electricity, versus getting AC from the inverter. Assuming everything is working correctly. These could all be dedicated threads and likely are in the forums somewhere. I hope I do not add to the confusion. I too was confused at first over all the subjects spoken about.
-
I do as well, and would like to have the extra space and security over the OEM basket. At the 2025 Ralley I spoke to the Seabiscuit Team and suggested that they consider an enhancement for the Olivers. My suggestion was to increase the box depth (Fore and Aft) to include jack inside. That would gain about 5" of additional space less the volume of the jack. My only problem, and reason for not following your lead is that without massive solar and a nuclear power plant (600+ amp Litho's), I have to carry a gas can. Not good in a sealed box with stuff that could spark a leak. For safety reasons I would not be safe carrying one in my TV bed (with a sealed cover), in the cab of our TV,or on the back of Ollie. With your set-up would it be realistic to mount a 2 gallon fuel in front of your box in mini basked with a stone guard? Another mod could be to address the gas can issue dirctly. Since gas fumes are heavier than air, maybe having a wire mesh for part of the bottom of the box to keep the box fume level below the lower explosive limit should there be a gas can leak. What do you think? GJ
-
Sorry to hear this and more so because I really like the design of your rear toolbox! I like how it has cabinet doors, opening to the rear, allowing the surface to be a tie-down area or spare work table. The boxes with hinged tops do not allow for such. I think about this every time I read a related post. I don't need one with an 8 ft open truck bed, but if I did... I would first remove the fiberglass cover and spare tire. Then mount the spare in the back left corner of the TV bed using a simple spare tire mount available on eTrailer and elsewhere. The cover would become a new garage ornament, a conversation piece! π€£ This would delete a lot of rear weight which is the most important issue with adding weight to the rear. Ever LB in back lightens the trailer tongue weight and the Oliver with 8-9% tongue weight is already a towing safety issue. Very few Oliver owners seem to be concerned re this matter. With the spare gone, a custom cargo box could be +/- 10" close to the hull. This also helps the weight issue (shorter lever arm). Maybe you can move the spare and still use your awesome toolbox. Later mount the box pulled up closer to center. If there's no room in the truck bed, the spare tire could be frame-mounted on the streetside of the doghouse using the same standard bracket. π
-
Cool @pjt, and thank you for your input as a new Forum member! I hope very soon you get a chance to have an Oliver of your own! This thread was quiet for two days which surprised me. Handy, yeah no problem and I have flare tools from working automotive brake and fuel lines, though I may need a larger flare die. I recently purchased a vacuum pump and gauges and have restored the A/C in two of our trucks. The kit has fittings for R134A, R1234yf, R32 and R454B refrigerants. The Senville 18K and 24K BTU models I've been looking at uses the very efficient R454B which is 70% R32 and 30% R1234yf. Starting to worry about whether I need permits in our city. Hate to get .gov involved, nothing but corrupt bottom-feeders! π€£ Much of electrical code is BS too, like having a power cutoff box at the unit, as any idiot can merely trip the breaker and I don't want the extra cost and another box mounted to the side of our home. Our city will likely add 100s of dollars in permit costs too. Glad to know that Pioneer is working out for you. We have a member here who installed a Pioneer inverter A/C rooftop on his Oliver. Most of the models are likely very close in features and quality, except for the refrigerant used. Did you sit the compressor/condenser unit on the ground or wall-mount it? In our application, I would like it wall mounted, but wondering if that would cause noise. Cooling bedrooms has different concerns than cooling a garage. Would love one in my garage but I just tough it out July and Aug when we see some real heat. Thank you for the suggestion on installation videos. I'll take a look. I'm going to talk to the heating & cooling company that I've used and trust to get some inputs on how to handle this in our area. More to come... Thanks again, and BTW feel free to ask us any questions if you are interested in purchasing an Oliver, the best little egg camper out there! π
-
Visual of how a A/C unit with an inverter compressor ramps up.
Ronbrink replied to CRM's topic in General Discussion
Thanks for posting! I routinely use a small dual-fuel generator on propane for a/c at roadside or parking lot overnight stays when traveling. I carry a dedicated 30# tank that will provide enough power for three nights of use. I have a larger dual-fuel for longer anticipated stays, such as hurricane evacuations on the Texas coast, which runs continuously on non-ethanol gas for the duration of stay. I can also run the a/c on inverter during rest stops and meals when traveling to a destination, utilizing 50% SOC for three hours of run time; the DC-DC charger will then recharge when back underway.- 1 reply
-
- 1
-
-
I am replacing original Gel batteries with a LFP battery. This is just the start of a major boon docking upgrade. First 2 parts are: 1) Pecron F5000LFP This will upgrade our inverter to 7200 watt. Battery capacity of 5120 watt hours at 48 volts. It has 2 solar charge controllers 3200watt each. Able to recharge with AC at 15amp or 30amp. It has a XT60 DC output port with adjustable voltage 12 - 40 volts which I will use to keep a 100 Amp Hour LFP 12 volt charged. 2) Li Time 12.8V 100Ah slim Edition Both these new battery units are self heating and bluetooth accessible. Both of these will fit on the original slide out tray in the Oliver battery compartment. Plan is to disable the converter in the Oliver. Wire the new LFP 12v battery to a buss bar, which will also have the original Oliver Solar charge controller, the lead to the 12v side of the Oliver fuse box, and possibly the original 2000watt inverter connected. I plan to tap into the wire harness that goes to the shore power outlet on the curb side with a 30amp pig tail routed to the battery compartment. This I will be able to plug into the Pecron power station's 30amp receptacle.
-
Hello. My wife Karen and I are purchasing the 2025 Oliver Legacy Elite1. What generator is being used by other LE1 owners, to run the Truma Aventa Eco air conditioner? I have determine the Predator 3500 will not fit the storage basket on the tongue. So Iβm open to suggestions. We drive a GMC Canyon with v6 engine. Thank you so much.
-
GJ added comments are great! Too he added his DC-D charger just before Victron came out with the smaller and more efficient Orion 50A charger. Either way, OTT would only install the Oliver half of the installation and last time they offered a sale, it included the older 30A version. We use front LP port everyday camping. We have a 12 ft extension LP hose with quick connects and a Y-coupler on the other end. Connect our fire ring and grill at the same time. You need to remove the regulators from your appliances since the LP on board is already regulator to low pressure. Too bad OTT installs the rear connection inside of the sewer compartment, where you must drop the bumper to use it. I would use it on rare occasion if it was accessible like the front but never have. Tried to remove it but the underbelly LP lines are not easy to access. Many carry an extra tank for their grill, and you should have an extra tank if you go with two 20# tanks. Also, if you must use a generator the front shore power outlet can be helpful. Better to order or modify a new trailer with enough electric to avoid this (we run A/C for days on battery with a variable-speed A/C). If you go without the second outlet you won't need the PD5100 Automatic Transfer Relay. These are known to fail. I replaced one in a class-A RV and later a class-C years ago. I bypassed the one in our Oliver since we weren't using it and I preferred a direct run. My picture shows the PD5100 still installed if needed someday and right now it's only holding up our LevelMatePRO, another very useful upgrade we wouldn't live without.
-
Automatic Leveling for the Oliver Trailer β DIY style!
Snackchaser replied to Snackchaser's topic in Ollie Modifications
Custom Automatic Leveling for the Oliver's Barker Jacks Part 3: I skipped over a lot of detail to keep this project interesting, and itβs probably still too much information. But some might be interested to hear about some of the background work that was involved. After the test board phase was complete, and everything was working well on the bench, the system was installed in the trailer for real-life testing. This was an anxious time because it had only been tested with simulated current, and I had no idea how it would react under real current conditions. Things went south immediately! I started testing with rear jacks because they were easier to wire and much more complex than the tongue jack. I didnβt want to run the tongue jack wires if the whole project could end up in the trash bin! I came up with a test procedure to verify each function in different scenarios of operation, and that required manual jack operation. Thatβs when the problems started! I was blowing the 30 amp jack fuses and couldnβt figure out why. I first focused on the H-bridge relay wiring as the problem. Then I suspected that the ESP-32 or driver outputs were miss-wired during transition from the test board. They had been soldered together one wire at a time under magnification, and back tracing the bundled wires was a nightmare. I couldnβt find the problem and came close to scrapping the whole project. I was so confident in the design, and overly focused on wiring, that I completely overlooked the obvious. There was a major flaw in the way the auto-leveling system was isolated from the manual jack switches. I had used a high-amperage relay that closed to a common ground only when the H-bridge relays triggered, which broke the short circuit path when the manual switches were used. However, I hadn't considered that the pole-reversing function of the switches created a different ground path through the hot side of the leveling system. The solution required major re-work, replacing the single ground isolation relay with six 30/40 amp relays that isolate the manual switches from both the ground and hot side. Although there were two spare Darlington driver channels capable of handling two relays each, there weren't enough channels for six new relays and a second driver was added. The system now runs 12 relays from 9 driver channels β six H-bridge relays and six isolation relays, two per jack. All the components were installed in a 12β project box that was limited in size by the 3-D printer capacity. So the relays were stacked 2 high on a stepped base to save space, and a elevated terminal block helped with wire congestion. I was able to mount the current sensors directly on the PCB with the ESP-32 and other modules. Itβs tight, but nicely compact too! The switches for the leveling system are mounted on a 3-D printed control panel inside the outside storage garage. The panel includes flush to the surface push-buttons to safeguard against accidental activation, one for βAuto Levelingβ and the other for βRetraction.β There is a master On/Off switch, status LED, and a Piezo Electric buzzer for the status tones. The entire panel is also recessed to protect it from cargo. The system can be shut down with the On/Off switch, or by re-pressing either momentary switch. The systems parasite draw is near zero when on, but itβs normally off when not in use. The existing freshwater control system was incorporated into the lower part of the control panel due to space constraints. It has a 4-way water pump switch for the outdoor shower, with indicator LED. There is also a 4-position, 6-contact, rotary switch that controls motorized valves for the four freshwater configurations; Normal, Freshwater Tank Drain, Boondocking, and Winterizing. The LED indicators show configurations other than normal. A printed weather proof hood was used for wire penetration into the tongue jack head, and a terminal board was used to splice into the rear jack wiring. This was a useful addition for quick disconnecting and troubleshooting. Those were the only modifications made to the trailer, other than enlargement of the existing switch panel cutout on the garage wall. All the custom components used in this project were designed with a free on-line CAD program called TinkerCad. Some items were 3-D printed from PLA filament, a plant based plastic. Other pieces were printed from ABS plastic for better durability, or TPU β a rubbery filament. Automotive Deutsch style plug-in connectors were used to connect the switch panel and control box, and they allowed me to connect a remote switch box that was used to operate the system from inside the trailer during testing. There is also a panel mount USB cable port for a laptop connection to view the serial monitor or update the software. The system needs a one time calibration that is done with the trailer perfectly level. Both momentary switches are held for 5 seconds until the Status LED quickly flashes three times and the audible calibration tone indicates satisfactory level. The software determines the pitch and roll off-sets from absolute level, and sets them as the new target level +/- 0.2 degrees pitch and 0.3 degrees roll. This equates to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch tolerance. The end result works great! There will probably be more software fine tuning in actual camping conditions, but it will be easier to do that in the future. Iβm just finishing up a Bluetooth App for the automatic leveling controls, and it will include setting adjustments for tolerance, ground contact pressure, clutch runout, leveling step durations, and more! If you made it this far, I hope you enjoyed the project! Cheers! Geoff -
On our last day together, I checked the 7-pin female receiver on the truck side. It was a strange assembly! The female socket was merely pressed into the bumper opening (not bolted), with only plastic tabs keeping it in place! Then the 7 wires were terminated in a plastic terminal that snapped into the backside of the receiver. These two parts were very loose, not strongly connected. It gets me the GMC design does not have this connection hardwired. I gave it a good shake, moving it back and forth and rotating it the terminal. Maybe I cleaned up the connections (temporarily) since @Boudicca908 did not see the error message in the next 2 days towing. If it was my TT and TV, I would replace the 7-blade connections on both sides! replace this female receiver with a part that has a short wiring harness fused to the socket. Then replace the Oliver male plug and cable all the way back to the junction box in the bathroom vanity. Purchase both male/female sides from the same quality manufacturer for the best pairing. Anybody know of a good supplier for quality parts? It's hard to read through all the Amazon offerings and eTrailer wasn't much better. Who makes the best 7-blade connectors? It's not what OTT used on this 2022 hull. The other thing I learned is there are two types of 7-blade connectors (see pic). One has a single blade which I've used for decades, and another must be a newer style where there are two (IMO flimsy) blades. All of my trailers, including our hull #113 has the older single blade style.
-
A different refrigerator fan option
Snackchaser replied to Snackchaser's topic in Ollie Modifications
Great job! I think this set-up is way better than the Beech Lane with that goofy control box. The original switches are hard to source because the indicating LED is on the top side of the switch. Most of them have the LED on the bottom side of the switch and I bought several before finding the right one. The specifications just don't say! For future reference, LighthouseLEDS sells them for $2.99, SKU# SPST12VROCKERSWITCHBLUE, and they ship fast! -
Do I Really Need Self Heating Batteries
Geronimo John replied to Cort's topic in Ollie Modifications
For sure if your Litho's are going to freeze, then Isolate them! Our Litho's are in a semi-sealed box. That box prevents wind chilling and provides some insulation from the outside situtation. it also gets some heat tranfer from the cabin thru it's inside walls. So when does the battery actually freeze? It would be have to be really cold for a long duration. If I were in your shoes, I would not get the heaters. But I would give myself some "Options". As I have stated many times, "I Like Having Options". Some suggestions for your situtation: Determine the brand/model Extreme Weather info: What is their recommendation for long term storage of the battery in extremely cold conditions with no supervision by the owner. This will give you a worst case process for that battery. For the Battleborns: Charge to 50 - 60% and isolate with master switch until thawed. Then recharge at a reasonable rate to 100% SOC. Remember that is for their battery only. Other MFG's have their process. This would be a consideration in which ones to buy. In your situtation I would consider these (In priority order): Park with the sun on your street side if expecting temps may be an issue. When it warms up, open the battery box door. Close it before it starts cooling down for the afternoon/night. Insulate the door of the battery box. Installed a master cut-off switch if you don't already have one. Just in case your situtation gets really bad. Create cabin air circulation into and out of the battery compartment. A couple of vents (High and Low) and a small 12v fan exhausting the top vent, with a coin style switch to come on when the box is getting near freezing. This would afford significant protection. For less than $200 you could do all four of the above. But, if you really want to go overboard, you could get some bluetooth temperature sensors to monitor the box temperature. Severall greats posts about this topic here in the forum. Hopefully their authors will comment back with their link. Good luck, and enjoy your Ollie! GJ -
True Induction Stove Top will not turn on
jd1923 replied to Lamar's topic in Mechanical & Technical Tips
Lamar, the GFCI under the dinette should power ALL your AC outlets in line. Plug something into the outdoor outlet (or the one above the kitchen sink) and trip the GCFI under the dinette. The other AC outlets should then ALL be OFF. @topgun2 Bill suggested this in his comment. However this is NOT your main issue re your induction cooktop. If the induction cooktop is on a GFCI circuit it should be wired to an independent GCFI (not that outlet under the dinette). And if your induction cooktop works on Shore Power, then GFCI is not your issue either. I see you have a Legacy I. What inverter and battery setup do you have? I hate to think that what @Steve and MA wrote is correct in that OTT did not wire your induction cooktop to your inverter circuit. If you have the Xantrex 3000, all 120VAC circuits should be wired to it, but not so with a lesser 2K inverter. Wow, if this is the case, OTT should have installed an LP cooktop instead! You wrote that your microwave works on inverter. Given all this is true, you need to get this corrected for the long-term. (OTT wired several things in very strange ways in our hull, so I have rewired everything!) Not the right time while boondocking, but I have a short-term on-the-road fix for you! π First be OFF shore power and turn your inverter OFF. This ensures there is no 120VAC in your hull, so you can safely rewire the AC power panel. You can do a quick fix in your breaker box! Do the following at you own risk (I would do it)! Remove the breaker box cover and remove the breaker labeled for your inverter. Loosen the front screw and pull the black wire free (the hot). Do the same for the microwave breaker. Replace the hot for the induction cooktop into the breaker for your microwave. Now you have induction cooking on inverter but your microwave will not be powered. You could wire both hots to the microwave breaker, if you want to use both on inverter. However if you do so, it would not be wired "to code" and you'll only want to use only ONE appliance at a time. However, if you turned both ON at the same time, the breaker would merely trip, no big deal. If it was me and I found it to be TRUE that OTT did NOT wire the induction cooktop to the inverter circuit π, I would get this done in 10 minutes just in time for breakfast! π€£ -
This long awaited swap-mod is now checked off my to-do list! Like many, I tolerated the noisy Dometic Penguin ll long enough; so glad I was finally able to take decisive action with this install. After a couple years of mulling over the various replacement models being marketed, a unit emerged that caught my attention; the newly available Atmos 4.4 seemingly met all of my expectations. I will forego the removal of the Dometic, here is how I proceeded forward: First and foremost, all AC and DC power sources were turned OFF! Scaffolding and equipment/supplies were then staged for Dometic βliftoffβ and subsequent Atmos βlunar landingβ (only appropriate since I live a couple miles from the NASA Mission Control Center in Houston). Roof area in need of cleaning. Notice the raised fiberglass landing on my year model and that the former condensate drain tube was simply disconnected rather than cutoff. Roof area throughly cleaned and prepped. I decided to adhere the square self-adhesive foam roof seal directly onto the fiberglass and then apply non-leveling Dicor around the cutout perimeter to further ensure the best seal possible. In positioning the foam seal, care was taken to center it as evenly possible, thereby allowing about 1/4-3/8β of exposed fiberglass to lay a bead of the Dicor and finger smooth to finish. Interior view of the Atmos being positioned over the roof cutout. Note the use of the mounting bolts as a guide, as recommended by SDG. Because the βrough cutβ edges of the layers of fiberglass (inner and outer hulls, and spacial filler) were inconsistent, I used the foam seal as a reference to accurately center and align the unit; distances measured to each respective bolt. Initially, installation instructions were followed by adhering the supplied straight piece of self-adhesive foam onto the bottom of the unit as a rear support, but it did not make contact with the roof due to relief of the aforementioned fiberglass landing. Alternatively, the foam piece was cut in half and each adhered onto the fiberglass, in like manner as the square seal, along the outer edges of said landing. This adaptation proved very effective in application and purpose, as the last of the next three pics demonstrates. Now that the exterior unit is properly positioned and supported, itβs back inside to further installation. As a side note, I made use of a portable a/c to buffer the heat and humidity of the day! Although my son helped with the heavy lifting and positioning, I cut him loose and completed the remaining tasks solo. Before proceeding, I used foil tape to treat the end of the aforementioned condensate drain tube and secure it to the side. Next the installation of the fabric air plate duct subassembly was started (provided Dreiha Atmos 4.4 Manual details the process). Note I used foil tape on both the upper (at Atmos bottom) and lower (at mounting frame) duct plates, even though most installs viewed applied to the mounting frame plate only. Between the upper and lower duct plate installs, the ceiling assembly mounting frame was bolted in place and hand torqued using a screwdriver only (torque specified in Manual). The AC power connection was very straightforward. The ceiling assemblyβs junction box cover was removed, a strain relief fitting installed at one end (the other end had a preinstalled protector) and respective wires routed inside. I reused the Wago Lever-Nuts from the Dometic install, but first tinned the stranded wires of the Atmos lead for optimum assurance in application; electrical tape was used to further secure the Wago connectors. Ground wires were secured per the Manual. The junction box cover was then replaced, DC thermostat wire bundle loom wrapped and tucked away for future use, and ceiling grille fastened in place. . Iβm very pleased with this mod, quality of the Atmos and ease of installation! I should mention that SDG preinstalled a SoftStartRV. I will provide an update once the furnace wiring and thermostat mount is completed. A special shoutout to @rideadeuce for forging the way with his install of an Atmos!
- 144 replies
-
- 16
-
-
-
-
LOL -- I have all my remote controls in there, where Oliver Delivery team placed them -- but also these things: my fire lighters; a clear plastic travel "soap box" that I use to collect miscellaneous "mystery parts" that I find now and then; I keep 'em just in case; sandwich baggie with bulldog clips, paperclips, rubber bands and twist-ties small flat koozies small pliers and a screwdriver with changeable tips; pens, pencils, sharpie markers; small box of magnets; a pad of sticky notes; my extremely condensed "GO LIST" that is my pre-travel checklist -- it sits on top and I only have to take a peek to be sure I'm ready. But I like your use as spice drawer. My spices wouldn't fit in there, though.
-
Lithionics large phantom draw
Wayfinder replied to DaveAndBecky_NorthernMI's topic in Mechanical & Technical Tips
@DaveAndBecky_NorthernMI I would look over that emergency brake away switch VERY carefully for any signs of damage. If the box was warm, or worse, hot, when you pushed the plastic pin back in, it could have melted the pin at the crimp point, essentially cutting off the end of the pin at the narrow point. I had a pin melt, and when next pulled for annual inspection, the "point" of the pin remained inside the box. Then, I got in my truck to find a tractor supply store. They have crap for good emergency brake aways, but in a pinch, they'll do. That's a lot of amps on two pieces of metal in a tiny box. A pretty easy replaceable item, if you're back is not crap like mine. LOL -
PD-5100 Automatic Transfer Relay - Loose connectors
taylor.coyote replied to Wayfinder's topic in Mechanical & Technical Tips
Last year my original box shorted-out due to loose connection screws. The loose connections caused melted wire coating, melted part of the housing and could have started a fire. The new box has much better connections. Based on my experience, the price of the new box is cheap insurance. The issue with screws loosening is well documented within this forum. At minimum, you should check screw tightens regularly. best of luck -
MaxxFan Mod to Add a Fan Motor Switch and Deep Cleaning
jd1923 posted a topic in Ollie Modifications
The goal was to add a simple toggle switch to the fan motor so that when the fan is ON, the fan motor can be turned OFF while leaving the vent door OPEN! I contacted MaxxAir CS to see if there is a better way to do this, but they really had difficulty understanding my use case and after asking 3 times in 3 emails, as they cc:d 3 more staff persons, I gave up to "Do It My Way!" (as usual) π€£ Often during evenings, we have the fan on low to exhaust heat from the Oliver ceiling. Later when going to bed, I want to turn OFF the fan but leave the fan door open as a vent. The fan open/close mechanism is very NOISY! Often Chris had drifted off to sleep, and I hardly wanted to CLOSE/OPEN the vent door twice to double this annoying sound! I used to place a pillow over the opening to cut down on the noise. First thing I noticed was how dirty the fan parts were which was not as noticeable when camping day-to-day. Certainly, much more worked was involved in a detailed cleaning than the 20 minutes it would take to split a wire and crimp in a toggle switch. We mainly cook breakfast indoors, always with the fan exhausting. The screen and other parts had a layer of bacon grease and whatever else. I had to scrub the screen with Dawn for quite a while to get it completely clean. In fact, so much scrubbing removed the shine (coating) on the screen. (I found an open box replacement on eBay for $20). Please keep in mind this fan is 10 years old! The fan blades too! They were so dirty after sponging with Dawn, I had to wipe each blade several times with rubbing alcohol on paper towels to finally achieve clean/clear plastic! At this point, I figured I would disassemble and clean it completely. Adam is my "Second Story Man" so he grabbed the ladder and I handed him the Phillips. The complete exterior unit is held on with only 4 screws. With everything removeable out, I stood on a milk crate under the opening and cleaned it inside and out. To start there are 4 swivel clips to hold the screen (I'm going to start cleaning the screen every 1-2 weeks). Under the edge of the screen are 4 screws holding the lower plastic assembly in place which contains the electronics and wiring. Every screw on the MaxxFan is a Phillips so all you need is one screwdriver and wire tools if you're wanting the toggle switch. MaxxFan uses terminals to connect power to the fan motor and opening mechanism, but OTT did not add a terminal for power to the unit, so I cut the black and white wires and used butt connectors upon reassembly (adding a terminal disconnect would be nice). I'll show a picture of the internal wiring later, as I forgot to take one, but I have to open it again next week when I get a new swivel pin for the screen. One of 4 had a broken tab which would occur as somebody tried to pry off the pin vs. turning it. The outdoor assembly comes apart into pieces by removing 5 + 3 + 6 more screws (see pics). When I reassembled this section, after cleaning all, I put a matchhead sized dab of clear silicone grease on the white wheel-shaped bushings on the ends of the lift levers. What is really amazing is it's now so CLEAN that it allows twice as much light to enter the cabin. We might now need a cover for sleeping, LOL! It's hard to photograph it all clean and installed due to lighting contrast (last picture). Love the simple switch! The video should get the point across. We can now turn off the fan at night without making more than the click sound on the toggle! π Fan Power Off Button.MOV -
Hopefully, these will be available in the US one of these days, or the shipping from the UK is reasonable. These would come in really handy for cleaning up some of the sloppy wiring we've all found. https://quickfixjb.co.uk/
-
- 4
-
-
-
So, you're not glamping, but we sure are! π€£ I would say an OEM Oliver, one purchased without any lithium package, little to no owner mods/upgrades, yes that shiny fiberglass is only skin deep. Leaky windows, the Dometic P2 A/C and with other OTT installation issues, it is hard to be comfortable. Glamping means comfort! Yeah, the G is for Glamour, but nobody is glamorous parked in a campground or anywhere else without all the creature comforts you desire! When you seriously upgrade the Oliver, at some point you're no longer roughing it! To start with, throw out the little $89 TV that OTT installed and replace it with a Samsung 32" 4K TV monitor, on a better mount and add a soundbar. Then correct the awful furnace ducting, vent the closet, bath and basement, and do something about those leaky windows! And it will take a while to move all those misplaced switches, water valves and breakers out from under the beds! And speaking of beds, all the OEM cushions and mattresses are way too basic to be glamping. The next item going to the junkyard is the common RV microwave (I use a Craig's Free Stuff ad and a driveway full of stuff is gone in hours)! A small Emeril Air Fryer fits there perfectly. We have 6 ways to cook indoors and outside, including the dual-burner Napoleon grill/griddle, cooking on the fire ring, a mini pressure cooker and an induction cooktop. Not hotdogs and smores, but glamorous meals for sure. It's not glamping when you get stuck somewhere making life uncomfortable. Or you can't use the bathroom or run the A/C while on the road or taking a break. Got to have freshwater tanks full, the one onboard and 35 gallons extra in the TV for if/when needed. With two 30# LP tanks full, 900 Ah LiFePO4, 720W solar, a 50A DC-DC charger topped off with the Victron MP2 3KVA inverter/charger, we can be VERY comfortable for a week or more and even throw some loss sole a 10 AWG extension cord to power their trailer overnight. And of course, remove the old-school rooftop cameras and nobody uses Wi-Fi repeaters anymore, or campground cable or Wi-Fi, OMG! Got to add a cellular router and antenna and the Starlink Mini is a must. Can't be glamping if you're not online 24x7! Then you could be riding on the lame Oliver OEM suspension or upgrade it with new D52 axles, Alcan Springs, Bulldog shocks and speaking of Bulldog upgrade the hitch coupler too. I can't believe OTT went with the 4-leaf Alcan Springs on this odd X23! Just so they could derate it to a 7k suspension? The tires are so out-of-place on the white egg! My forecast, OTT stops making the X23 after 2 years of meager sales. There are several REAL off-road trailers in the marketplace, and if that's what you want, it's not an Oliver. Some old guy said, after having a knee replacement, "I should have done this years ago!" Just like those of you who have that freight-train-engine sounding Dometic P2 still sitting rooftop! Even if you claim, "We hardly use it." You're fooling yourself and either way, once is enough! Our Chill Cube keeps the cabin cool on battery for 3 full days with daily highs of 94F outside! And at nighttime when outside temps drop, you can hardly hear it running while it's sipping 2Ah. Why did I wait 2 years? This is only the half of it and then there's the TV! I won't bore you with the technical details but the 45L CFX5 fridge in the truck bed never runs out of cold drinking water in our desert. With room for new groceries, it's much easier than adding to the fridge inside. Pantry full and closet floor lined with adult beverages and soft drinks, craft cubes in the freezer - yes, we're glamping! I was 3 nights camping in The Valley for a major sinus surgery. Everything I needed to recoup was at arm's length, only a few paces to the bathroom, truly all the comforts of home. Spending nights in a hotel was not an option, not near the comfort. Love our Oliver!π Our first RV was a 39' Fleetwood Discovery diesel pusher with 3 slides. Thought the way to go, was to go BIG! It had the big screen TV, but otherwise, it was awful. The Class-A is only comfortable on US Interstates and large paved lots in RV Parks and must have 50A service. If you get stuck, you have to run the generator because unless you spend another $50K in solar and lithium, all you power you have unplugged is enough to reheat up a cup of coffee in the microwave! Don't try big city streets or much in dirt roads. Only ex-truck drivers are comfortable in a Class-A. BTW, generators and glamping do not mix. π€£ So, when you're done with all these electrical and mechanical system upgrades, you gotta make it look as good outside as it runs inside. We know it, but it's the only way people will know we're glamping too! π
