Oliver trailer cover

[John and Debbie]

Hi all,  I believe OTT has a custom trailer cover that they sell.   In looking at our parking area where our current tent trailer is,  it looks like we could use that area.   I had been thinking that I needed to pay $250-350/month for covered parking.   Has anyone used that cover?   My current cover lasts about two years,  but even if I only get one year of use it's still cheaper than covered electrical RV lot storage.   I imagine it's a chore to cover an Ollie.   Anyone have experience with these covers?   Thanks

[Frank C]

Yes, we use the Calmark cover that’s made for the Oliver.   Had it through 3 winters so far and it’s worked very well to keep the Ollie clean.  The cover itself has held up very well also, no rips.  It is a 2 person job to get the cover on the trailer.  We bought ours directly from Calmark in 2019 but I understand that now the cover is only available from Oliver. 
 

[topgun2]

I'm now well into my 7th year with the CalMark cover and it is still going strong.  

Yes, even though the "new" cover is much lighter weight than what I have I believe that it is a two person job to get the cover on and a one person job to get it off.  Having said that - I've always done both jobs solo.

In order to keep the cover from wearing and/or ripping on things like the roof solar panels and the rear bumper, get the largest pool noodles you can find, cut them to size and put them on those areas.  In the event of a worn spot or tear (like around the steps for me) CalMark includes a repair kit and will even send you more patching material if needed free.  I've used this material to patch and/or reinforce a couple of small areas over the years but have not had to ask for more material beyond what came with the cover in the first place.

In the Spring every other year I take the cover to a local laundromat where they have these large washing machines and give it a wash.  This is easier for me than trying to do the job while it is on the Ollie or laying on the drive or hanging it over the deck rail.  

Yes, these things are expensive.  But, they fit well and keep the dirt and sun off your baby.

Bill

 

[John and Debbie]

3 hours ago, FrankC said:

Yes, we use the Calmark cover that’s made for the Oliver.   Had it through 3 winters so far and it’s worked very well to keep the Ollie clean.  The cover itself has held up very well also, no rips.  It is a 2 person job to get the cover on the trailer.  We bought ours directly from Calmark in 2019 but I understand that now the cover is only available from Oliver. 
 

Is there a trick to getting it on or off?   If you have the lithium batteries like we're planning to get when we pick up in November,  do you have to do battery cycling to keep them healthy?   We will be able to plug in at the house if that helps during winter storage in Portland,  Oregon.  I understand that there's a battery heater for the lithiums that comes on near freezing. 

[connor77]

We have a new Calmark cover and as Topgun mentioned, it is very light considering it's overall size.  They are well made but expensive.  Any and all sharp edges must be protected.  We also use pool noodles on the top of the trailer and old, neutral colored bath towels for the corners on the bottom rear of the trailer.  The better it is secured, the less it moves.  Movement creates abrasion and wear. 

[Frank C]

12 minutes ago, John Welte said:

Is there a trick to getting it on or off?   If you have the lithium batteries like we're planning to get when we pick up in November,  do you have to do battery cycling to keep them healthy?   We will be able to plug in at the house if that helps during winter storage in Portland,  Oregon.  I understand that there's a battery heater for the lithiums that comes on near freezing. 

We don’t have the lithium batteries.  We have the old fashioned lead acid wet cell batteries (and no solar).  During winter storage I plug the trailer into our household AC about once every two weeks or so to keep the batteries charged.    
For our method of getting the cover on, I lay the cover out on the ground on the curbside of the trailer, and I tie a rope through one of the grommets around the bottom of the cover, then toss the rope over the top of the trailer to the street side, and then with one person pulling on the rope on the street side, and one person on a ladder on the curbside, it’s just a matter of getting the cover up over the awning housing and up onto the roof of the trailer.  Once the cover is up on the roof it’s easy to work it down around the sides of the trailer.   

 

[connor77]

John W - I'm sure others will chime in but getting the cover on isn't that hard if you have two people.  The new covers, as I mentioned, are pretty light.  If you get each side "started" and just work from back to front it's not too bad to install.  I could do it myself but it's way easier with two.

We have the Lithium batteries and we live in central Maine which can get quite cold so it was suggested to me by people on this forum as well as a tech at Lithionics to remove my batteries which I did.  They are stored in a cool, dry place in my home.  I feel much better about having taken them out considering some of our night time temps this winter.

[Steph and Dud B]

52 minutes ago, John Welte said:

If you have the lithium batteries like we're planning to get when we pick up in November,  do you have to do battery cycling to keep them healthy? 

I just emailed the battery mfg (Lithionics) about winter storage last week. If you have the larger CS200 batteries and are storing them in cold winter weather, they recommend leaving the batteries and solar panels on and the trailer plugged into shore power. A quote from the storage procedures document they sent me: "If your battery has the Lithionics Internal Heater, and you are subject to winter conditions, keep the battery ON, solar ON and plugged into shore power. Shut down all appliances, lights, and other DC loads. You may purchase a very small charger from Lithionics Battery (KF Series) and power this from an extension cord if shore power is not available. This will keep the heater running and protect your battery." Note that these instructions are different than those posted in Oliver University. I assume they want the solar on as a backup to the shore power since a loss of shore power could cause the batteries to discharge from running their internal heaters. I've attached the document below. This is something I'll discuss with OTT at delivery.

I'd prefer to remove them for the winter but the larger lithiums are 68 pounds each, so that might be a challenge depending on how they're mounted.

Storage-Procedure-Rev-07-WEB.pdf

[John and Debbie]

55 minutes ago, Steph and Dud B said:

I just emailed the battery mfg (Lithionics) about winter storage last week. If you have the larger CS200 batteries and are storing them in cold winter weather, they recommend leaving the batteries and solar panels on and the trailer plugged into shore power. A quote from the storage procedures document they sent me: "If your battery has the Lithionics Internal Heater, and you are subject to winter conditions, keep the battery ON, solar ON and plugged into shore power. Shut down all appliances, lights, and other DC loads. You may purchase a very small charger from Lithionics Battery (KF Series) and power this from an extension cord if shore power is not available. This will keep the heater running and protect your battery." Note that these instructions are different than those posted in Oliver University. I assume they want the solar on as a backup to the shore power since a loss of shore power could cause the batteries to discharge from running their internal heaters. I've attached the document below. This is something I'll discuss with OTT at delivery.

I'd prefer to remove them for the winter but the larger lithiums are 68 pounds each, so that might be a challenge depending on how they're mounted.

Storage-Procedure-Rev-07-WEB.pdf 143.34 kB · 4 downloads

"If your battery has the Lithionics Internal Heater, and you are subject to winter conditions, keep the battery ON, solar ON and plugged into shore power."

If the trailer is covered with that Calmark cover, is the "solar on",  just a setting?   Isn't shore power and an extension cord about the same thing?   Maybe shore power is the 30 amp plug you see at campgrounds versus an extension cord that plugs into I don't know where on the trailer. 

[John and Debbie]

1 hour ago, connor77 said:

John W - I'm sure others will chime in but getting the cover on isn't that hard if you have two people.  The new covers, as I mentioned, are pretty light.  If you get each side "started" and just work from back to front it's not too bad to install.  I could do it myself but it's way easier with two.

We have the Lithium batteries and we live in central Maine which can get quite cold so it was suggested to me by people on this forum as well as a tech at Lithionics to remove my batteries which I did.  They are stored in a cool, dry place in my home.  I feel much better about having taken them out considering some of our night time temps this winter.

"They are stored in a cool, dry place in my home"

Are they on a trickle charge to maintain them at 100%.  I thought they had to cycle through a discharge/charge cycle.   I have SO MUCH to learn about these batteries! 

[Steph and Dud B]

10 minutes ago, John Welte said:

If the trailer is covered with that Calmark cover, is the "solar on",  just a setting?   Isn't shore power and an extension cord about the same thing?

If the trailer is covered the solar will not be active, or at least not much. Shore power can be the trailer connected to a 15 amp outlet at your house with an extension cord and adapter. I think Lithionics wants to be sure your trailer batteries will be receiving a charge while their internal heaters are on. Having active solar panels will maintain battery charge even if your shore power fails. All of this applies to the Lithium Platinum package. The Lithium Pro package uses smaller batteries that would be easy to remove for the winter. 

13 minutes ago, John Welte said:

Are they on a trickle charge to maintain them at 100%.

The document details appropriate state of charge and temperatures for long term disconnected storage. Batteries should be at 50% state of charge if being stored over 3 months disconnected. 

[John and Debbie]

6 minutes ago, Steph and Dud B said:

If the trailer is covered the solar will not be active, or at least not much. Shore power can be the trailer connected to a 15 amp outlet at your house with an extension cord and adapter. I think Lithionics wants to be sure your trailer batteries will be receiving a charge while their internal heaters are on. Having active solar panels will maintain battery charge even if your shore power fails. All of this applies to the Lithium Platinum package. The Lithium Pro package uses smaller batteries that would be easy to remove for the winter. 

The document details appropriate state of charge and temperatures for long term disconnected storage. Batteries should be at 50% state of charge if being stored over 3 months disconnected. 

Thanks very much.   You're getting close to your pick up date!   June if I remember for you. 

John

[Steph and Dud B]

Yes. Getting close now. Finalizing plans and supplies for our delivery trip.

[tallmandan]

16 hours ago, John Welte said:

Hi all,  I believe OTT has a custom trailer cover that they sell.   In looking at our parking area where our current tent trailer is,  it looks like we could use that area.   I had been thinking that I needed to pay $250-350/month for covered parking.   Has anyone used that cover?   My current cover lasts about two years,  but even if I only get one year of use it's still cheaper than covered electrical RV lot storage.   I imagine it's a chore to cover an Ollie.   Anyone have experience with these covers?   Thanks

Hi John,  I understand the Calmark cover is excellent but also more expensive.  Thought I would share that I purchased the Classic Accessories SkyShield cover  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KHX27HS/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_6?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&th=1 last October and have been very happy with it so far.  The fit is not custom but the 15-18ft size is a pretty good fit once the straps are snug.  Time will tell if it holds up to the sun and weather but so far so good at about a third of the cost for a Calmark.

I've copied here a post that I wrote on the facebook group about how I get the cover on the trailer by myself with a 5 foot step-ladder...

 Lay it out flat on a clean driveway. Now fold it back from each end toward the center (roll and fold about every 2 ft. Once you have both “rolls” against each other at the middle, take several webbing straps and secure them around both “rolls” toward each end to hold them together. Now use a sturdy A-frame ladder at the middle of the trailer and carefully pull up the cover and heave the end over the trailer between the solar panels and the air conditioner unit. Move the ladder around to the other side and carefully pull the cover until it is roughly centered over the trailer. Remove the webbing straps and now unroll the cover each way toward the front and back (alternating with the ladder on each side). I’m 6’ tall so I’m able to do it myself with the ladder but may be tougher for someone not as tall. When you take it off again repeat the same steps in reverse order and store it in the rolls and it’s ready to go on next time.

 

[topgun2]

Much like FrankC I too lay out the CalMark cover on the ground (on the curbside) but as I said earlier, I install it by myself.

After laying it on the ground, the next step is to get the cover on the roof in the area behind the awning.  First I pull one end of the cover and get as much as I can behind the awning and secure it to the awning with a clamp.  I work my way down the Ollie and repeat this process two or three more times.

Once the cover is on the roof I then find the black straps that are used to encircle the trailer once the cover is all the way on (note: I think that these straps may have been discontinued on the current "new" covers) and toss each one (there are three of them) over to the opposite side of the Ollie.  Then, again much like FrankC, I simply tug on those straps until I either get the cover all the way over the camper or until I meet with too much resistance.  Resistance means that the cover is caught on something on the top and I simply go to where that is and free it.  Once the cover is on it is fairly simple to adjust it to the correct evenly distributed position.

In taking the cover off I always start from the front once the straps and cinch rope at the bottom have been loosened.  I get the cover up and over the omni-directional antenna, tank vent and WiFi booster and then pull it off from the rear of the Ollie.  Given the pool noodles and shape of the air conditioner, the cover slides off easily into a pile at the back.

From start to finish - putting it on without another person takes about two hours.  Taking it off consumes about half that time.

One of the historical complaints about covers on campers has always been that they will abrade, scuff, or dull the finish.  I've never had that problem with the CalMark but I've always been careful to make sure it is cinched down as tightly as possible.

Bill

[Rivernerd]

A cover would not be sufficient for winter storage in our Idaho mountain location.  A robust roof structure over the trailer is required because the weight of accumulated snow in heavy snow years has caused some trailer roofs to collapse. 

With regard to a list of stuff to take with you when picking up an Oliver, I will PM my current working draft to John Welte.  It needs editing before public posting, but it may be useful to John.

[topgun2]

I have moved the sub-topic concerning lists at delivery to a new topic called -  Delivery List.

Bill

[BeauDog]

14 hours ago, connor77 said:

We have a new Calmark cover and as Topgun mentioned, it is very light considering it's overall size.  They are well made but expensive.  Any and all sharp edges must be protected.  We also use pool noodles on the top of the trailer and old, neutral colored bath towels for the corners on the bottom rear of the trailer.  The better it is secured, the less it moves.  Movement creates abrasion and wear. 

I have been interested in this topic for some time, because we are considering purchasing a Calmark cover for our 2022 Oliver Legacy Elite II which will be delivered in late fall of this year. 

Movement does create abrasion and wear - on both the cover and the TT finish.  In a windy area, even a well-secured cover will flap against the TT to some extent.  Have any of you who store your TT outside noticed abrasion and wear on the finish of your Oliver caused by movement of the Calmark cover?   

[Steph and Dud B]

2 hours ago, tallmandan said:

I purchased the Classic Accessories SkyShield cover

@tallmandan I've been watching that thread you posted. Interested to hear your review when you uncover this year. Chafing, wear, etc. I've got that cover on my Amazon list and will probably give it a shot if it worked well for you this year.

[John E Davies]

Different battery manufacturers have different storage requirements. If they are disconnected from ALL loads they won’t discharge significantly and they do NOT need a constant trickle charge like a lead acid battery. That is so very primitive…..😬

My Battle Borns get charged to 100% and then disconnected (I installed a master cutoff switch).

https://battlebornbatteries.com/faq-how-to-winterize-your-batteries/

I use my VictronConnect app to check them every now and then, this is the latest screen capture. The batteries have been offline since December.

John Davies

Spokane WA

[John E Davies]

13 hours ago, John Welte said:

Are they on a trickle charge to maintain them at 100%.  I thought they had to cycle through a discharge/charge cycle.   I have SO MUCH to learn about these batteries! 

https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/6629-how-to-find-happiness-with-lifepo4-lithium-ion-batteries-solacity-article/

Always follow the battery manufacturers recommendations, storage requirements do vary wildly. 

John Davies

Spokane WA

[ChrisMI]

4 minutes ago, John E Davies said:

https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/6629-how-to-find-happiness-with-lifepo4-lithium-ion-batteries-solacity-article/

Always follow the battery manufacturers recommendations, storage requirements do vary wildly. 

John Davies

Reading the article quickly it seems all lithium batteries would rather be stored off charger / disconnect from a load.  Also they mention a mid level charge being left in the battery to protect them from extreme temperatures. Any particular reason you leave them at 100%?  Recommendation from BB?

[John E Davies]

22 minutes ago, ChrisMI said:

Any particular reason you leave them at 100%?  Recommendation from BB?

Yes, “charge to 100% and disconnect”.: read that page…. https://battlebornbatteries.com/faq-how-to-winterize-your-batteries/

Cell equalization (balancing the voltages) in a BB happens as the battery reaches full charge, It is performed by the onboard battery management system (BMS). I do not know details about the other brands. If you never charged a BB past say 95%, it would not equalize the cells. So charging fully is good, but you should NOT keep it cooking at 100% for long periods, for example, plugged into shore power through an entire winter... That is stressful and is needlessly hard on the cells. 

FYI, if I had to winter store my Ollie outside, I would definitely remove the batteries and bring them to the garage.

John Davies

Spokane WA

[topgun2]

1 hour ago, BeauDog said:

Have any of you who store your TT outside noticed abrasion and wear on the finish of your Oliver caused by movement of the Calmark cover?   

See my comment on this several posts above your question.

OR

3 hours ago, topgun2 said:

One of the historical complaints about covers on campers has always been that they will abrade, scuff, or dull the finish.  I've never had that problem with the CalMark but I've always been careful to make sure it is cinched down as tightly as possible.

In addition - I never cover my Oliver unless it has just been washed.

Bill

[connor77]

14 hours ago, Steph and Dud B said:

 

The document details appropriate state of charge and temperatures for long term disconnected storage. Batteries should be at 50% state of charge if being stored over 3 months disconnected. 

This is what I did.  My batteries were at 50 SOC prior to storing them.  I did buy a charger directly from Lithionics for them which I will use if I need to.