Maintenance & Restoration

Ron Merritt · 02-22-2015, 10:59 AM

Anyone hook up a dish tailgater? Connecting to the outside coaxial, it doesn't see the dish, but it does if you connect it directly to the box.

Also, how do you get TV sound over the stereo?

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Steve Outlaw · 02-22-2015, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron Merritt

Anyone hook up a dish tailgater? Connecting to the outside coaxial, it doesn't see the dish, but it does if you connect it directly to the box.

Also, how do you get TV sound over the stereo?

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Is the coax that runs from the outside hookup connected to the box? The coax is in the upper back cabinet and it may be tucked in behind one of the side walls.

The TV has to be connected to the Stereo in some fashion. I'm using an HDMI cable.

Ron Merritt · 02-22-2015, 11:10 AM

There is an HDMI, that is connected, but I think that is for the DVD feature of the stereo.

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Ron Merritt · 02-22-2015, 11:11 AM

Are those side walls removable? How?

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trumpetguy · 02-22-2015, 12:17 PM

I had to remove the Fusion and plug in the cables which were 'll sting loose in the cabinet. After that the surround is great. Carefully pry off the bezel and you will see the screws.

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trumpetguy · 02-22-2015, 12:18 PM

Crazy auto spell. Meant to say fusion. Meant to say sitting

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trumpetguy · 02-22-2015, 12:19 PM

Furion

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Steve Outlaw · 02-22-2015, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron Merritt

Are those side walls removable? How?

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We're talking about the side walls inside the upper rear cabinet (just to be clear). Mine are attached along their bottoms with three screws to a piece of angle behind it. Yours may only have two screws as I was told last time I was at the factory that that had been changed. Check behind the left one.

Ron Merritt · 02-22-2015, 01:56 PM

Yeah, they saved big bucks eliminating one screw.

I got it sorted. Since I had the powered TV antenna installed, they took that outside coax, along with the antenna coax and attached them to a junction with a wall panel that has an on-off switch. Guess the thinking was turn it on when watching broadcast, turn it off when hooked up to park cable. Honestly, who uses the crappy park cable?

So I unscrewed the wall panel, made my discovery, took off the outside coax and ran it directly to my dish decoder box. Bingo! Everything works. While I had the side panel apart, I also ran another hdmi down to the TV set. Eventually I'll put in an HDMI switch box so I can switch between the Dish, the Furion's DVD and maybe a blue-ray player or a streaming box.

I'll look into the sound issue when I'm feeling more ambitious. I did rip off that instruction sheet that hangs out the radio faceplate, but of course it didn't all come out, so I guess that bezel will need to come off anyways.

I did a thorough wash, as yesterday's trip was entirely in a downpour, and loaded up some stuff. I did take pictures of some things and will post that later.

Ron Merritt · 02-22-2015, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trumpetguy

The Ollie hooks are just so classy.

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I agree!

Pete · 02-22-2015, 05:14 PM

Ron & Dave,

My Ollie is one of the earlier models with a different type of insulation between the shells called Lizard Skin. To help keep the water areas from freezing I installed a small 300W bilge heater which automatically turns on when the air temp between the shells goes below 40F and turns off as the temp reaches 55F. It works well. One other benefit is that the floor is not too cold to the bare feet! Buy Xtreme Products

I installed it on the port side near the connections to the outdoor shower since they'd be exposed to more cold. It does have its limits though. Three days near 0F resulted in a frozen water pump which I thawed with a cube heater. Perhaps I need one over there also.

Pete

Ron Merritt · 02-22-2015, 06:15 PM

That looks like a good solution. It shouldn't really take alot of wattage to keep that space warm.

One "feature" I discovered on mine today was that, if you engage the electric heat strip on the AC, the gas furnace will kick on if there is a 5 degree difference between the thermostat set temp and the room temp. I guess it's an "emergency heat" function. Once you are up to temp, and the heat strip can maintain within a few degrees, then the gas furnace will stay off. Very neat.

trumpetguy · 02-24-2015, 06:35 PM

I tried the electric heat strip today and it was just cool air. The moving air actually made it seem colder. Give me the factory furnace.

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Ron Merritt · 02-24-2015, 06:38 PM

I found you have to give it a few minutes. If you are more than 5 degrees off the setting, the gas furnace kicks on to boost you up to temp, then the electric will maintain

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Darral T. · 02-24-2015, 09:21 PM

You're right. When the unit kicks on, it blows "cool" air for awhile. It "eventually" heats up quite nicely-- BUT, it still seemingly blows cool air.

My wife has complained about "cold air" because of it being roof-mounted, blows the air around and down the back wall.

I wouldnt spend the $80 for the option again if I was ordering my Scamp. I have a small portable heater on a plug wired into my cabinet-mounted digital Hunter thermostat. WONDERFUL temp control. It will keep my temp within 1 deg if I ask it to. (It has 3 span control settings).

Darral

QUOTE=trumpetguy;506404]I tried the electric heat strip today and it was just cool air. The moving air actually made it seem colder. Give me the factory furnace.

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cpaharley2008 · 02-25-2015, 09:15 AM

After looking at Ron's good write up and then reading this thread I'd like to make some observations. I met Mr. Oliver some time ago in Tennessee at the Townsend Rally when he appeared with 2 prototype units (one even had storage drawers built into the frame). I had my new Escape 19 then and both he and Robert toured it to see the "competition".
I suggested that the heat be ducted to the bath area as the bath in the 19' was cold. My 19 had the heated pads and winter package and I had camped that January down to 5 degrees in W.Va.. It was then I found the Escape door had not been insulated and as a result ETI now insulates the door as well as using a double pane window in the door. The 12v pads worked fine but with the heater on and a heated water hose they were not needed. When ordering my new Escape I dropped that option. With the cold bath issue, ETI now makes the door smaller which allows the heat and air to circulate better into the bath area.
By far having the heat duct in the bath is a better solution, but ETI does not use a ducted heater. In addition with ducted heat, Oliver like Airstreams and Bigfoot and Lance have heated underbodies where the water and waste tanks are located, thus they are protected as long as the heater is in operation, other wise the trailer needs to be winterized for protection.
My Escape 21 weighs "wet" at 3800 lbs at the axle and 500 lbs tongue weight for a total 4300 pull, with the Oliver standard dry weight of 4600# adding options and your stuff will probably put the wet Oliver at 5300#. Ron's shipping weight was 5300# without his stiff but he has some extra options that add some weight. I feel one can option the Oliver to come in around 5100 lbs which is about 1000# more than the Escape.
This added weight is comprised of the heavier frame, the larger wheels and tires and axles as well as shocks and electric jacks plus the additional length. The extra insulation on the Escape (foam) adds close to 100 lbs which is comparable to the arctic insulation on the Oliver. The extra shell vs the wood inside the Escape can be part of the weight difference. What does this mean, the Oliver is narrower and a little more aerodynamic that the Escape so does the extra weight mean worse gas mileage, or does the narrower,slimmer shape help, unknown until both can be verified.

Ron Merritt · 02-25-2015, 09:25 AM

Jim,

Part of that weight difference, I'm sure is the thick double hulls. The fiberglass is very thick in the Oliver. I agree with all your points though. Probably my heaviest option is the batteries at around 300 lbs.

I tow my trailer with a 3/4 ton diesel Silverado. Normally on the highway I get 18-22 mpg. On this trip back, running in a rainstorm, 60 to 65 mph, in 4 wheel drive, and rolling terrain, I got 14 mpg. I suspect on flat-land in warmer weather, 2 wheel drive, I might get 15-16 mpg. I'd be quite happy with that.

Weather you can get a similar result with a gas truck, I don't know. It's still a fairly heavy load. I have had square trailers in the past, I've usually only managed to get around 12 mpg with my Silverado. Plus needing the sway control and having to deal with passing semis, no thanks. I done with square shapes for trailers.

cpaharley2008 · 02-25-2015, 09:35 AM

I traded my 2009 Hemi Ram for my new 2014 Ram and went from 3:55/5 speed to 3:21/8 speed. My older Ram got 12 mpg towing or not. My newer Ram Hemi is averaging 17 around town. I have not towed any long distance so my trip to Tennessee will be it's first long test.

trumpetguy · 02-26-2015, 06:13 PM

Towing with a 2011 Chevy Avalanche 5.3 with 3:42 rear end. 12 mpg at 65 mph. I drive below the speed limit and stay relaxed while others fly by. Amusing when the speeder is pulled over by the blue lights a few miles up the road. The 30 minutes extra per 300 miles is not a huge price to pay for safety and economy. Relax. Chill. Smell the roses. We're camping.

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