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UPDATE July 8, 2026: I arrived in Cimarron NM two weeks ago. On June 28th, I connected my TV to my friend's Oliver 7-pin and didn't get any error messages. I was not able to tow her Oliver though, because she is fully connected and set up in camp -- so this was not a definitive test. On July 3rd, I towed my trailer to Eagle Nest -- the TV dash warning lights came on within a mile, and my TT brakes were not working for part of the haul through Cimarron Canyon. They worked, then didn’t, and then they worked again. That is all the same as before. Today July 8th, my friend's schedule opened up and she was able to come hook up to my Oliver to test towing my trailer with her new Dodge Ram. She drove around for about an hour, trying to simulate conditions (I have noticed a lot of the time my warning messages come after I have been over rough road surface, or else after braking for a traffic light). We had no warning messages. After towing for about 10 miles (maybe 40 minutes), we stopped on a pull-out and reached out to @jd1923 who talked us through his testing method with the clamp ammeter. (Luckily, my friend has a clamp ammeter; mine is not a clamp style and I think mine would require penetrating or cutting the wires to test them.) Here are my notes: I struggled to pull the emergency breakaway pin out of the socket. John suggested a wrench and hard tug, not on the cable but on the pin. I used a wrench on the looped end of the pin, and it broke off. The pin itself was still inserted. (I did manage to get the pin out, which engaged the emergency brakes.) Here are my notes: With the emergency breakaway pin still engaged, the ammeter showed 0.02 on the front street side wire. Once I was able to pull the emergency breakaway, this front street side wire read 6.60 (as expected); IMG_7447.HEIC the street side back read 6.39 (about the same); then I measured the curb side front and it was 2.89 (as expected). IMG_7450.HEIC I couldn’t get the clamp ammeter to fit between the shocks and the drum in order to measure the rear curb side, but these measurements seem to show power (from the emergency brake battery) running through the wires. I believe that this is not a definitive test. For one thing, the trailer is sitting still, not bouncing along the road, so there could still be an issue with worn brake wires inside the axles (or somewhere else). But it was worth testing, and without any error messages in my friend’s truck, it seemed more likely an issue on the TV side. She continued to tow my Oliver back toward my campground. At two stop signs, she used the gain control to see if my trailer brakes were working (and they were.) Then, as she braked on the highway to slow down and pull into my campground, the brakes seized up (or… something). She felt as though the trailer brakes quit working and that the Oliver was pushing her truck. I felt (though I wasn’t driving) that my brakes had seized — I heard the tires skidding on the road. As soon as we pulled into the campground, she used the gain control to test and the trailer brakes were indeed working. I could only see out my side, but the curb side wheels were turning, not dragging or seized up. We unhitched, and tried plugging the 7 pin into my truck — no error messages. At this point, a storm was coming down and the wind was picking up, so I put down my stabilizer jacks and got Oliver settled into the space. When I opened the door to my Oliver, I could smell burning rubber (I am pretty sure); no smell or smoke from under the aft dinette seat, and the wind was blowing so hard that the smell from outside was already dissipated. We looked at the highway and could see the skid marks — apparently only one tire, on the street side. Tomorrow I will raise the wheels and try to determine which tire it was. And then I will try to find and purchase a new Breakaway Emergency Brake switch and pin; I think there is one available in Raton (about an hour northeast of here). IMG_7455.HEIC ** I don't know why my photos don't seem to show up correctly. This happens to me sometimes, but I am too tired to worry about it now.**

I thought it was “all boots” but - I’m not a native Texan. 😂

Not sure if this is the same one we bought. Also from Amazon (where all good things come from) and has a physical pushbutton as well. As @Boilermaker Chemist notes - a real ‘switch’ means that when the power is off - it’s off. With the touch light, they’re always “on” and waiting to sense your finger. We had some weird ‘on’ conditions on the same (over the sink) light that preceded full failure: flickering, inconsistent operating, half-brightness. That kind of behavior always worries me. Maybe it’s obvious, but the most frequently used fixtures are the ones failing. I wouldn’t expect that with a “switch” that shouldn’t “wear out”. Of course, the second most commonly-used light - over the dinette - is showing signs of failure. Luckily, the package from Amazon had two lamps. Replacement as @Boilermaker Chemist describes are similar to my experience - except I did soldered splices with heat shrink tubing to insulate.

The Apex X23: All hat and no cattle as the saying goes.

We’ve been accused of “glamping” because we have a nice trailer. I’ve heard of ‘glamping’ obviously, but didn’t think we qualified. Now, if you’re cruising around in one of those 4mpg 40 foot coaches with a laundry room, hot tub, 4 slides and a 50” TV - THAT’s “glamping”.

Our old/original lock has an obnoxiously loud lock/unlock sound. The new one is much more subtle. It even had voice guidance. Just putting batteries in gives you a “Welcome to RVLock!” Anyway, it’s the only part of the “Electronics Package” I’d buy again. I actually just disconnected the power from the cell booster. We keep spare bedding in that compartment - and having anything remotely flammable pressed against something that looks like a heatsink is obviously worrisome.

Like many others, I had to replace one of my touch lights because it went “wonky”. For the replacement, I purchased the 3000K Obeaming RV Interior Ceiling Dome Light 4.5 Inch from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZDM19W?ref_=ppx_hzod_title_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1_1&th=1 In the hope that it might help others, here are a few things that I observed during the repair. The light that failed was over the sink. Since the original light was fastened with rivets, I used a 1/8” drill to remove the old rivets. Apparently there is another layer of fiberglass inside the overhead cabinet that would have had to be removed to get access to the rivets. So I just used a needle punch to push the rivets out of their holes without bothering to retrieve them. After removal, I cut the wires close to the old light. The wiring was about 20 gage, so I used small wire nuts to connect the new light. Note: make sure you rewire based on polarity and not color. In my case, the black wire on the old light was positive but the black wire on the new light was negative. I wrapped the connections with silicone tape to prevent the wire nuts from loosening up. There was enough room to stuff all of the wiring back in. As luck would have it, the mounting holes on the new light were a nearly perfect match to the old one, so no new holes needed to be drilled. I used 1/8” x 3/8” rivets to fasten the new light in place. I like that the new light has its own push button switch. Hopefully that will help prevent it from getting “wonky” :-).

Great story! It's exactly why I'm a big RVlock fanboy! They are an underrated convenience. I can't count all the extra steps we've saved from having to fetch the elusive keys! I'm totally fine with my failures, I blame it on living in the great northwet rainforrest, where it even rains in my garage. I respect how they've used the failures to refine a more reliable and better quality product. The last free upgrade they sent looks well sealed, should last a long time! Their outstanding customer response is reason enough for me to be faithful to the brand! Besides, they're great looking too! They compliment the Olivers modern hi- tech look, and the neighbors are always impressed! Love the sound effects!

Welp, after first talking to Anita in 2021 and putting maybe 30k miles on the microminnie we ended up with, we paid for an X23 build slot today. We live in SETX and have been scheming for an Oliver for a while now. Did the factory tour 2 years ago. We should be taking delivery during our annual trip to Tenn. to see family. Decided to skip thr solar awning -- spider sense tells me we'd break it somehow. We'll catch flack, but we'll be using our 3rd gen Tacoma as a TV for a good while. No plans for mountains, and when we do we'll get a full-size. We live in SETX, and it is _flat_ here.

Yep, that's about it! They're just for looks. Besides A/C efficiency... Ah = Ah! 🤣 He already converted the 100 Ah 48v battery to be equivalent to 400 Ah on a 12V system. 600+ Ah on 12V is 200+ Ah better. One problem that can occur in a 48V RV system, is when the 48/12 DC-DC converter fails, you cannot use your trailer jacks, any cabin lighting, the CO detector, USB chargers, the fail-safe for the trailer brakes and every other 12VDC device (unless they also integrate a 12V battery).

Wow, two new members just today - Welcome!

I agree. I did some napkin math when the specs first came out and it seemed to make much more sense to have 600-900ah of 12v over 400ah of 48v and run everything though either 12v or the inverter. Even the AC efficiency came out better running a 120v inverter compressor unit over the 48v Houghton unit, especially at the lower BTU rating of the 48v Houghton.

Agreed its the same old chick dressed up in a different skirt, nothing really of substance here that one couldn't implement themselves and many or most of us have already such as the Bulldog shocks, LT off road tires etc. It preposterous they are promoting this as an off grid off road travel trailer yet still using the basic old leaf spring dexter axles rather than an independent suspension. The least they could have done was adopt the Curt independent suspension as so many others have for a better off road experience. Then there is the same old (mostly) bulldog hitch rather than a full articulating hitch. The gravel road they test drove this thing on is joke. This might be off road for back east but it sure isn't out west. And what on earth is the point of going off grid just to set in your camper and run the air conditioner just because you can. People out in this neck of the woods who choose to go off grid and off road are certainly not setting around knitting, watching tv in an air-conditioned camper. What happens when that solar awning jams, or gets off center and will not retract properly. The 48 volt system seems a bit weird too. There are several dozen more ruggedly built campers than this for off road and over landing that do not use a 48 volt system and get by fine with a tried and true 12 volt system. What happens is you have issues with that system in the middle of nowhere? The interior is certainly nice and at least theoretically love the new windows and shades but thats about it. All the black isn't appealing to me, might be to others. Not sure who is in charge of marketing at Oliver but man oh man this is making much ado about nothing. By no stretch of the imagination is this an off grid/off road camper any more than my old 2015 model is with some modifications. They really need to rethink this before releasing it to the public in its current configuration. Not impressed.

That was us. We were heading home to Woolwich, ME from Campobello Island in New Brunswick. Just set up an account so I could reply.

So long as your keys for your manual lock are always in you’re pocket, you’re golden. I never have to carry a key. Even when the lock “failed” it didn’t fail in a catastrophic way. We got the keyless lock as part of the electronics package. Honestly, the lock is the only thing in that package I’d buy again. We never use the backup camera, the cell booster is a joke, and the “auto-vent” isn’t really “auto”. I guess if someone wanted to be truly “manual”, they’d still have a knob on the dash for the choke, you could makes the same argument for that. Automatic chokes would frequently fail open or closed - causing a no start/hard start - or flooding. Maybe even a lever on the steering column for spark advance. (Let’s see how many know that reference!) Like I said - I’d gladly deal with the RVLock failing every six months than to have to put up with windows that can’t be opened - even a crack - when it rains - and leak even when they’re closed. It’s all a matter of scale. I can deal with RVLock via email and they do the right thing. Of the things that vex me about the Oliver - the RVLock barely merits a mention. I only bring it up because we’ve all agreed the windows inhale deeply and with great force, and the Dometic A/C is like putting a class D fluorescent ballast in a library.

Just been daydreaming about the subject and wondering about alternatives. I’m definitely with @jd1923 as far as 7’ v 8’ width. Extra room comes with a price and I don’t want anything wider. I don’t find the 7’ width confining or anything. I’m feeling like the Oliver “bones” is really about all it has going for it. If I were modification happy, I could see myself changing a LOT of things. (Like everything we all ***** about here - and a few more of my own.) I guess when we park in one place for four months this winter (Texas) I’ll see how I feel about reworking some things. Not sure I want to spend the $$$ it will take to remedy the Window and A/C woes - much less rework the heating and hot water systems to make sense.

And you are a forgiving person. For me the first call is pressure, and I certainly wouldn't bother with the second, let alone a 3rd or 4th call! Earlier this year, I purchased a Fairview LP regulator. It failed in two weeks camping. I asked around and found out Fairview is not considered the better make. I could have done a warranty claim for the $50 I spent, but not worth my effort. Why, because I would get the lesser product replaced after all the time and hassle. So I purchased a Marshall Excelsior regulator, spent new money for the more reliable product. Happy I spent $60 on a new manual lock. I could have spent triple for keyless with all the issues cited in this and other threads. I expect the manual door lock to be out-of-sight, out-of-mind, for another 10 years. 😎

Yes, but it’s a no-pressure kind of situation. I already have my “spare” RVLock installed, which I’ll just cycle out when the new one arrives. It’s either that, or toss out an item that still has life to it. Besides, I have so many spare parts I can keep these things going for years! As for our least favorite things - if EVERYTHING went smoothly ALL the time - we’d get bored. If only my leaky windows and LOUD A/C were so easily fixed - and at no cost to me - I’d be a happy camper. Actually, I’ve come to realize that -everything- that you own - car, home, board, trailer - requires maintenance, repairs, cleaning, etc, etc, etc. To avoid all of that - you’d have to live in a cave. (Aw nuts - I have to haul firewood and keep these things sabretooth tigers away?!)

The thing that gets me most is the tires. “Aggressive tread” for sure. Maybe they make sense, but they look like what you’d use if the trailer wheels were actually used to propel the thing. I suppose if you’re braking down a muddy hill they come in handy. Im not one easily impressed by trim and accents. But, seeing all the bright orange and lime green sports cars on the road these days, I guess I’m the old guy who’s behind the times.

Yup, and why on earth did Oliver switch from the MaxxAir fan with cover to that weird brand name fan without a cover? 🤷‍♂️ The issue is that the new fan will close in wet weather, so there’s no vent option while cooking in the rain. The MaxxAir with cover could stay open in wet weather, which would pair perfectly with the new awning windows that also stay open when it rains!

Calls to Customer Service or Tech Support, filing warranty claims, submitting Service Tickets… Are Quite the Opposite from the song line in The Sound of Music, “these are some of my favorite things!” 🤣 So, when the new one fails, are you going to go through this again?

Aside from the 48volt electrical system and a few accessory changes, the main changes seem to be cosmetic - black trim and such.

Well, I appear to have spoken too soon. We’ve had several days of torrential rain and some pretty intense thunderstorms with high winds and flood warnings here in Starbuck, MN. Through the first few deluges it seemed we were all set. Last night - another wave of storms came through and I’m seeing a trickle of water now and then. It’s coming from between the frame of the window and the inner shell of of camper body - so it’s not filling and overflowing the track. It’s leaking out the bottom of the track. Perhaps the repair I did to the window stop screw wasn’t sufficient, or perhaps that screw holding the center muntin in through the bottom of the window frame is the culprit. Either way, I’m getting a little fed up with the lack of care that goes into building at $65,000 (at the time) trailer. It’s making it very difficult to answer the question: “So, how do you like your Oliver?” when people approach us at campgrounds…..

@Martin White I sent you a private message with a few links and I hope that helps. You should see a notification about a 'new private message' near upper right corner (on my computer, that is where my notifications show up).