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Hello Aidan. The gray tank will drain quicker if the front of the trailer is raised a little. Raising the curb side a little near the end of the process also helps. The gray tank is long, narrow, and thin and the drain valve is on the left side rear corner of the tank. The gray tank level sensor on hull 313 is located where the yellow blotch is shown on the picture below. My tank level could show 0% and still have water in the rear of the tank if the nose is too high. Bill

Hi , I'm new to the Oliver scene. We had a 5th wheel and are getting use to the Oliver Elite 11 . I have one question , why does the gray tank drain very slowly. The black tank drains quickly. Has anyone had or have the same issue? Thanks Aidan 1455

Exactly. The newer models, certainly not ours, have many of those electric controls out of the basement. Some Oliver owners have also installed remote valves for the water/plumbing side. Good idea I just hate fiddling with plumbing. It really is a far easier to deal with sheet changing with two twin mattresses and piece of cake to lift them for access below. We should've done this years ago. No regrets so far.

I try not to in there too often - but not the usual reason people avoid basements. Winterizing/un-winterizing, and to the other side to manually trip and reset the main DC breaker when storing and recommissioning. It certainly is a pain when you have the original cushions, condensation mats underneath, topper and bedclothes on top…

You have a real flair for understatement!

I have two sets of Flag Pole Buddy suction cup mounts; one with black cups for the flagpole, one with white cups for the SLM pole. Neither leave a lasting mark on the Oliver’s gelcoat once removed and surface wiped clean. Could be that they use synthetic rubber compounds specially formulated for a non-marring grip on RV fiberglass surfaces; unlike the typical natural rubber that does leave a mark (think black streak issues we all battle)! Been using 303 Aerospace Protectant for years on a skiff and many suggest this conditioner be applied to keep rubber cups soft and pliable for a better seal and UV protection.

For years we used a Temperpedic 3 inch memory foam topper. It works, was heavy and also a pain to deal with while trying access the basement. So earlier in the year while doing some repairs and other mods we decided to eliminate the cushions altogether and replace with two twin mattress we bought at Costco. Since neither of us are tall sleeping in line with the trailer works just fine for us and we have never used the main dinette anyway. The smaller dinette at the kitchen works great for the two of us. This method is far easier to access the basement too with only one thing per side to lift. So far so good. I would recommend this method as a possibility.

Yep

Happy 250th Birthday to our great United States!

Happy July 4th and 250th US Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

From what I’ve heard Mike, you started serving our country back on its 200th birthday! Thank you Mike, and all our Oliver Veterans for your years of service! 😂 We all have to continue to fight for our country in these difficult times. It makes this 250th all the more special! God Bless America!!!

Our Ollie does not have factory solar or inverter. I use portable suitcase solar panels or a 2000W Honda Gen-Set when away from shore power. Copied @Snackchaser idea converting the Furrion Cable TV inlet to a Starlink Mini power outlet using a 5.5 x 2.1 mm DC Power Jack Socket. Thanks Snackchaser for the idea! Used a 7/16" drill bit to drill the new Furrion power outlet for the power jack socket to fit. Had enough threads on the 5.5 x 2.1 mm DC Power Jack Socket to install water/dust cover, lock washer and nut. Old Furrion inlet on the left: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKB4YSM5?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DLKN8J7M?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title Purchased a 12/24V to 48V DC to DC step up Starlink Mini converter and switching with a manual switch to be installed.

Thanks. Mine is less fancy. In particular, the coupler lock is the Curt longer rod varient that wouldnt survive a decent set of bolt cutters much less a good hit with a hammer. You are probably correct that it doesnt matter that much.

Walker Fork Campground (BLM) approx 15 miles north of Chicken, AK. 33 degrees this morning but warmed up nicely while we panned for gold...not much luck...this time. Dirt courtesy of Top of the World Highway coming from Dawson City, Yukon Territory.

We use a 2.5” matress topper and love it. It is no longer available from Amazon but was listed as BedStory 2.5 Inch Mattress Topper RV Short King Size. It works great but sometimes pulls up from the sides a little after 5-7 days, but that’s when we usually change the sheets anyway. I would note that changing sheets and making the bed in a king Oliver ain’t easy, but we have gotten used to it

There are several of us here!

Thank you from at least one of us who isn't on facebook!

Just pressure cook any decent beef roast! Sometimes she adds a few cuts of meat but nothing expensive. You want flavor, the tenderizing comes from cooking. Then it's beef broth and Italian seasonings (PM me for recipe). In a separate pan, steam sliced Sweet Peppers (Chicago for steamed green peppers). She makes this in the Oliver too as we have a mini pressure cooker under the front dinette seat! And if you like Hot Peppers which is actually a spicy Giardiniera, order something like this and get some Vienna hot dogs while you're at it! Vienna Condiment Variety Packs Now it's time for a late lunch! 🤣

I know this is an old thread, but figured I’d add onto a thread that is close to my topic rather than start a new one. We’ve tried a couple of mattress toppers to make the “king” bed in the LE2 a little more comfortable for our old backs and stiff joints. Wr started with the basic 3” “memory foam” topper from Walmart that has no cover. It was just OK - but lacking a cover it tore easily and basically ended up in several pieces and had to be tossed. Next was the roughly 2-1/2 inch memory foam topper from IKEA that has a thick cotton/poly cover on both sides. The cover protects the foam and keeps it from getting wedged between the gaps between the cushions. BOTH memory foam toppers are incredibly heavy! Also too heavy for one person to carry by themselves. Both come compressed (Walmart - folded and strapped into a box about 2 feet square, IKEA - rolled in a dang heavy cylinder wrapped in heavy plastic. Between several spills - mostly cats launching morning coffee or tea onto the bed - the covers on the IKEA pad were looking pretty gross. They ARE removable and washable IF you have a super high capacity washer and about two hours to dry it. Getting the foam zipped back into the cover is fun to watch, but not impossible. When a window leak left us with a soggy bed, we decided to replace the topper. Off to IKEA. (Remind me never to go there again. I got my 10,000 steps that day.) We remembered that the memory foam topper we got the first time wasn’t quite the top of the line, so we figured “Oh boy! Upgrade!” but once we got there (and there wasn’t an employee to be found) we discovered they no longer have the topper we have - or the better one. Bummer. We chose a 2-3/4” standard (not memory) foam pad with similar padded cover. A bit lighter than the memory foam - but still just as expensive. $299 plus tax. We lugged it to the truck, unpacked it and heaved it on. Put on our sheets, and instantly - hated it. It bunches up. Pulls away from the sides, and leaves a mound between us. To be fair, we gave it two weeks to let it - and us - “adjust”. Today - we decided it’s not gonna work. We took it off, slid it back in the bag, and rolled it up. We dried out our previous IKEA memory foam mattress topper and I think we’re back to being mostly happy. When I get ambitious, I’ll pull the covers off and see if I can at least lighten the coffee stains. For those curious - the current IKEA product that gets our 1-star rating is the “Norrsele king très Grand Deux Places”. (If anybody wants it after I dissed it so thoroughly, let me know - I’ll make you a helluva deal.)

Thanks, Steve. Hey, mine is nothing fancy. I searched for an older thread where several owners had posted more high-end locks and coupler covers but could not locate it today. I do like this simple Curt coupler release lock, but one hit with a 5-LB hammer and the whole assembly would fly off: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T9N6H06/ The front ball lock I have is something that came with a used trailer I bought, not sure of brand name. For me something simple and less expensive is a basic deterrent. I believe unless your trailer is attached to the TV it's easy prey to steal. It can be towed away regardless of our efforts! Anybody can chain any trailer to the rear of a pickup, regardless of what is used to lock the coupler. Some buy expensive locks. Some have added an internal switch to prevent the jacks from being lowered (a really bad idea). This would cause additional damage because the thief would prefer to lift the jacks, but if you prevent that, they'll just drag 'er down the street anyway, damaging the jack(s) at a minimum and likely body or frame damage too. I used to rent garages in Cicero IL which is not exactly a safe neighborhood! Did all I could to keep my old cars and bikes safe. When I stored a trailer long-term, I would chain and padlock the two wheels together through the holes in the steel rims. If towed away the wheels on one side would lockup/burn rubber which would look rather odd while being towed on a slant down the road. I would make the chain/padlock obvious to a prospective thief as an initial deterrent. Lots of different opinions on this topic🤣!

I used to be fairly active on Facebook - even before social media became the way official government information is disseminated - but quit cold turkey several years ago and haven’t looked back. I found that even without all the suspicious groups and the collection of our indie action (Which can be used against you in SO many ways…) I found the “signal to noise ratio” to be very poor. Far too many trolls, too many people trying to scam you, people who had severe cases of rectal-cranial-inversion, or just folks whose parents never taught them manners. Unfortunately (I find I use that word a lot) it seems that many businesses and government agencies use Facebook instead of maintaining real web sites. They assume everybody is there. So I miss a lot from local police and other organizations. No Facebook, Twitter/X, instagram, “truth social” (hah!) or any of them.

Couldn't agree more. JD, I like your lock setup better than my own. What are you using and have you been happy with them?

Would LOVE to be able to make great Italian beef (sandwiches - dipped!) but have t tried my hand at that. I found Mariano’s deli has the meat and au jus - not bad. Unfortunately, “Greek Town” on Halstead street is a shadow of its former self (perhaps not quite as decimated as Maxwell street.) but condos have taken over all but two of the dozen Greek (and Cypriot) restaurants that were there ten or fifteen years ago. Yeah - I spent 50 years there and EVERY February I swore I’d had my last Chicago winter. Yeah - the traffic’s a pain - but so is Dallas. Seems like they’re always tearing up the interstate and clogging up the works. We needed to pick a place to officially call “home” - so no state income tax, and about half as much to put tags (plates) on our vehicles mean Texas beat Illinois. Also not fond of Illinois’ gun laws.

Where are all the Ollies? On this 4th of July, the 250th Anniversary of our Great Nation? In 2 weeks, we'll be camping the Coconino NF, first Walnut Canyon and then boondocking the Kaibab NF just south of the Grand Canyon. But on this special holiday, our Ollie is just parked at home. We enjoyed Prescott Frontier Days, the "World's Oldest Rodeo" this year. Annually, it runs over the 4th of July weekend. It was a fun evening! 🤠

Good idea. We did ours May 2025 when they were readily available. This upgrade sure provides a reassuring feeling when towing! 😎