Now it's in the back driveway

[revolvedigitalnomad]

I already started a thread in Palomino owners because I was trying to learn more from anyone who might also be the owner of the Revolve line of trailers. I pulled the plug about 2 weeks ago and decided to take my giddyup and go and take the new permanently remote position I started April 1st on the road. First I need to fix up and sell my home near Sacramento and downsize into the roughly 160 sf space.

So a few details:
My name is Raelyn, 50 years old female as of April 19th, Sales and Marketing Lead for an IT services firm based out of New York State. I'm in a long term committed relationship but will be traveling solo with my protector, Ava a 5 year old german shepherd. My guy is wanting to spend some serious time in the woods and had hoped to go to Alaska before COVID so this seemed to be a good compromise while eliminating a lot of living expense. Family in Washington and Michigan, friends throughout the West, Southwest and Southeast. Spent a lot of time and miles on the road and prior experience with trailers, motorhomes, boats etc. Contemplated tiny homes for years but wanted the mobility of a rig easily moved.

Why I chose the Revolve EV2? (I didn't - I chose the EV1 but the guy brought home an EV2 and you make it work)
- On board solar with batteries and inverter that is expandable
- Had the required major spaces for me - work zone, sleep zone, cook zone, bathroom
- It's the smallest space that I felt like I could work with considering I have a 75 pound furry travel companion
- MFG specs list is at just under 4,000 pounds dry weight
- I can stand up in it (and not hit my head on anything except in the shower) and I can sleep in it (i'm 6'1")
- I liked the interior, I like the 'murphy bed/couch with large drawers under, liked the overall look and feel
- What I miss about the EV1 over the EV2 the dinette was on a slide and was slightly larger for working, but setup in the 2 is overall better location of fireplace, pantry, and dinette, and I don't need to worry about slide maintenance.

Hoping for an on the road date of July 2021.

Raelyn
'Revolve Digital Nomad'

[RockwoodTexan]

Welcome to the show!

[Fun finders]

Welcome to the forum from Winnipeg Manitoba

[Guspech750]

[revolvedigitalnomad]

Finally got the rig on the road for a first shake out trip to visit the kids and family in Washington. After a lot of back and forth over email with the Forest River service and warranty folks it was determined that the integrated solar in the Revolve was not installed correctly. (Forgive me here as I only became a very novice solar installer through these emails over the last week). All of the solar equipment - the box with 4 lithium batteries, pure sine, charge controller and battery charge controller are under the bed so it is hard to get to but the leads from the solar panels from the roof and the lead to the battery were installed backwards. As such for the first month it was in the back driveway I was apparently just draining out the batteries and not capturing the power. Fast forward to 2 days before I leave I get it all going and we are charging them batts up.

I plan to leave Saturday around noon as I plan to hole up for the night at a rest area to sleep and the rig is designed to boondock so I should be good.

Okay time for some fresh newbie mistakes:
- I don't put everything down on the floor assuming if its not tippy it won't tip over
- I don't tape, nail, bungee cord (if there was a way) my cabinet doors
- I trust the very stupid swing arm fridge freezer closure to hold it shut
- I had not as of yet got the emergency backup inverter generator before I left
- I hit a bad rut groove in the road, slightly overcorrect and when the trailer starts to swing a little I stupidly brake to slow down more going down the side of one of the 9 mountain passes I am going over and at just 20 minutes from the rest area I am tired

Let's just say I had a harrowing few seconds of the trailer swerving out of control pushing the truck and swinging a good 6 feet left and right behind me before my past hauling experience kicked in and I accelerated and got it tracking again behind me. I land with two agitated german sherpherds in a hot durango and find everything crashed out except the front closet areas. Even the toilet paper in the bathroom broke through the cabinet doors and was everywhere. I spend an hour cleaning broken glass and fluids from the stuff in the fridge out and finally get me and dogs in the trailer and am stabilized for the night, soaked with sweat and exhausted. Sit down and plan to microwave something quick and crawl in the bed with windows open and a fan to try to combat the 80 degree heat and 80+ humidity and the whole rig just powers off. And a night of no sleep because of no air flow and two shepherds that want to snuggle.

The next morning I am up at 4 am trying to troubleshoot GFIs, the battery disconnect etc as travelling another 300 miles north with a dead on the interior rig seemed not smart. When from inside came a small chirp and I go to look and still dead. A few more chirps later as the sun is coming up and I figure out I am powering back up (Yay!). Time to move and continue to shake out. I land in Washington around noon having travelled 650 miles in just under 24 hours with no sleep. And there was no crashes inside this time. The rig is still generating power so I think we are good and now the problem is the lights work but every single outlet in the rig is inoperable. We head out and get a Firman gen and I start messing around with the disconnect again and resetting GFIs and finally we have outlet power.

Thankfully fixed just in time to go back to work this morning at 6 am in the rig. Made myself some coffee with the pour over pot and powered up the laptop and hotspot and finally feel like the Shake out trip hasn't terrified me from doing this full time. And the only lasting damage is one overhead cabinet door torn from hinges and a small dent on the fridge door.



Raelyn
travelling with Ava (5 year old german shepherd)
2021 Palomino Revolve EV2
2017 Dodge Durango (and not the hemi)

Originally Posted by revolvedigitalnomad

I already started a thread in Palomino owners because I was trying to learn more from anyone who might also be the owner of the Revolve line of trailers. I pulled the plug about 2 weeks ago and decided to take my giddyup and go and take the new permanently remote position I started April 1st on the road. First I need to fix up and sell my home near Sacramento and downsize into the roughly 160 sf space.

[49cal]

I responded on your other thread but reading what you said about your system being wired backwards made me remember mine was in the same condition when I made arrangements to buy it. The sale was delayed until the Renogy guy could come to the dealer and basically replace the whole system. So the dealer said I got a 2020 trailer with a upgrade to the 2021 version of the electrical system components. I agree there's a learning curve to all this - for us and for Palomino.

[WanderMore]

Sooooo, let me first say I’m glad to be retired with no more “Must be at X by Y”.

Secondly, do you have a break controller in your tow vehicle? If yes, sometimes safer to apply trailer brakes than speed up.

Thirdly, please do a YouTube channel and start out with this story, you will make a fortune.

Now, do yourself a BIG favor and purchase an inverter generator. Even if you never use it you will be glad you have it.

[BobandAnn]

@ revolvedigitalnomad; regarding the “chirp” you heard, we have had our revolve since July and only had it out a handful of times and every time we have a an incessant chirping. It is from the inverter switch. Any ideas on what could be causing it? Guessing it may be the inverter/wiring as well, judging by previous responses. .

[revolvedigitalnomad]

Originally Posted by BobandAnn

@ revolvedigitalnomad; regarding the “chirp” you heard, we have had our revolve since July and only had it out a handful of times and every time we have a an incessant chirping. It is from the inverter switch. Any ideas on what could be causing it? Guessing it may be the inverter/wiring as well, judging by previous responses. .

Mine seemed to do it when it was out of power in the batteries is your battery full? Secondly did you change the battery capacity to 400Ah from 100AH?

I do get an occasionally light alarm but that typically resets with toggling the battery disconnect in under outside storage hatch. Sometimes I need to let it go off for 30 minutes then cycle it again. I'm 3 months in to living 24/7 out of my EV2 still resolving solar issues on occasion and can't seem to get hot water tank to actually heat so I have plans to take it to the dealer for service in January

[BobandAnn]

There is a switch on the outside in the water heater tank area that needs to be on, if you haven’t already checked that.

[revolvedigitalnomad]

Originally Posted by BobandAnn

There is a switch on the outside in the water heater tank area that needs to be on, if you haven’t already checked that.

I did and ran water for 15 minutes and never got warm and yes I have the valves open under the bed access area. I am still have some solar issues with my roof panels they have yet to produce much power but my 2 200W solar suitcases I added are. Granted I will share I had to rewire my charge controller as my leads were reversed so the whole system needs a once over I've just been on the roads for 2 months and 6000 miles.

A few other tips for you. The over dinette storage which is my pantry in the EV-2 collapsed on my route west through wyoming and montana on the one end. The valance kept all my food from falling out but I added screws to gain support and transferred the heavier can goods to the under dinette seat storage. My under seat storage doors are falling off and the dinette back is held on only with staples and adhesive so I have to add screws there as well. I tend to lift off my induction burner about every 1000 miles and retighten my under sink plumbing it has come uncoupled before and my microwave continues to slide back about a 1/2-1" so the door will not open after travel I plan to brace that so it stops. My exterior trim on front edge of awning side came loose and was flapping it is not adhered at all so I used exterior double stick tape. And I am added some child lock tabs to all cabinets as the pressure clasp things are not holding with travel. Just some odd tips and tricks.

[18LT]

Welcome. I remember being 50.

[WanderMore]

I remember being 50, most days … I think. Wait, what were we talking about.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by WanderMore

I remember being 50, most days … I think. Wait, what were we talking about.

Both my Son and Daughter are in their 50's. Mid 50's and watching them makes me glad I'm not.