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There is much activity in the past few days regarding an Oliver TT rally in 2017. I think much of this is driven by our calendars and the desire to attend if we can schedule it in. I think it is important enough to start a new thread, so here goes. I do not want to bias the discussion by immediately interjecting my opinion as to what I would like to have the rally look like. Rather, I want to add structure to the discussion by offering some format that we collectively would want to address in each response until we have a consensus on the "looks" of the rally. 1. Location- Should Oliver Travel Trailer rally 2017 (OTT-17) be held in the Hohenwald vicinity? If so, where? Considerations- Many future and current customers need to visit the "Mother Ship" to take plant tours, to have upgrades and repairs and to learn about changes within the Oliver Corporation. Were we satisfied with the past campground? 2. Should OTT-17 be a OTT owner driven rally? Owners would need to step forward to form a committee and do the logistical planning? 3. What activities would you like to see as part of OTT-17 ? By activities I am referring to such activities as Show & Tell your Travel Trailer, latest modification, travel discussions, etc 4. We will incur some expenses related to a rally. How do we offset these expenses ? 5. We all want to see Oliver prosper, to maintain the quality we have all come to enjoy and count on for future service of our Ollies. How do we promote this and future rallies to encourage new owners, component and parts manufacturers to help maintain the quality, integrity and growth of Oliver ? 6. How can we make this a fun activity, a rally that offers assistance, knowledge and sharing so that future rallies will have more owners and future owners in attendance? 7. When - what time of the year should this be held ? We should consider weather , our calendars , etc. *** I am using OTT-17 because I got tired of typing " Oliver Travel Trailer rally 2017" too much to type !! please use the above as a general guideline when responding. Feel free to add additional topics. Coy

Tommy Staggs replied this morning and said that the following is ok as a winterization procedure. I will probably read all of the posts and add things to the list, but here's what Tommy gave his stamp of approval to: Winterization: 10/14/2016 Conversation with Tommy Empty black and grey tanks Drain freshwater tank Release water pressure in water heater Remove anode from water heater to drain Bypass water heater (access from inside under bed—on bottom of water heater) Use air compressor set at 35 psi to blow air through fresh water fill, city water and the one in back of the trailer for at least 1 minute each. Do this with faucets open. Should expel all water Replace anode in water heater Reverse step to bypass water heater Pour small amount of RV antifreeze in kitchen/bathroom sinks and shower drain to protect the traps Pour a small amount of RV antifreeze in toilet to keep toilet thing lubricated. To use the trailer when ready in the spring, you don’t need to do anything because you don’t have antifreeze in anything other than the drains. Add remove strainer bowl on inlet side of water pump, empty water from bowl, clean any debris from metal screen, and reinstall

We have modified our plumbing system for the 2017 models by eliminating our 90 degree elbows eliminating potential water leaks. We haven't had any issues with water leaks but we are always looking at how we can make the Oliver better. We are now using pex bend supports. We have also started using a different diverter tee which allows for greater flow.

Randy, thank you! Randy gave us the grand tour of his unit two days ago. He had us in every nook, closet, and hidden spots. You can feel the pride he takes in his unit, and the best part? His previous non-camper wife loves it. If you have a chance to meet up, it is recommended. We think he made up our mind on what we will order, and how we will equip...

This is excellent and has a great summary of GVWR, CVWR, GAWR, payload, hitches, controllers etc etc. http://rvsafety.com/rv-education/matching-trucks-to-trailers The only thing I dispute is that he says the GVWR includes a 150 lb driver and full fluids and gas. Not all manufacturers include a driver, you must research this if you are flirting with overloading your truck. He does mention that for all types of trailers, over half of all rigs exceed at least one of these ratings. One thing to understand about towing the bigger Ollie is that not only does your receiver need to be rated over 7000 lbs, the mount and ball must also be that strong. You can't expect a 2 inch 3500 lb ball to be as strong as a 7500 or higher rated ball. Check the info stamped on the parts. You do not want something to break when you hit a bump at speed.... Finally, they did not address one factor that most RVers never need to worry about: articulation. If you think you might one day take your rig off-road, meaning off of a graded surface, and through sharp dips or gullies, consider an off-road coupling that will allow the truck and trailer to move to more extreme angles without binding or breaking parts. A typical ball coupler (even the excellent Bulldog that comes on the Ollies) is hopeless and even dangerous in these situations. John Davies Spokane WA

This is usually an installation error that we have been seeing. When installing the bracket rotate it so the bottom is angled toward the tow vehicle and the top of the bracket toward the rear of the trailer. The two bracket bolts should be touching the top and bottom of the frame. This not only creates a bind on the frame that will prevent movement but also aligns the square tube with the tensioned chains. Tighten the main bracket bolts with the bracket in this position and then tighten the set screw. Drilling a small hole in the frame for the set screw to rest in is also an option if the bracket continues to slide when properly installed.

Jaque, You've made the right decision about getting an Ollie in lieu of a bunch of condos all over the place. With your Ollie, you'll be able to experience an infinitely large number of vistas throughout this beautiful land. A long bed Silverado 2500HD attached to an Elite will be just over 37' in length and if you attach it to an Elite II, you'll be over 42' in length. As far as living in the smaller Elite for and extended period of time, my pup, Oscar, an I spent 6 1/2 months straight in The Wonder Egg last year and never felt constrained by space. From the inside, the numerous windows, polished fiberglass interior that gives a sense of "depth" when you look into it, and the full length mirror on the bathroom door add a mental sense of space that makes it feel much bigger on the inside than would otherwise appear from the outside. Besides, the outside sitting room is absolutely huge! Owning a heavy duty work truck, I take it you have experience maneuvering trailers around into spaces. An Elite II with your truck might preclude you from parking in line within a smaller camping site, but you could simply disconnect and park the truck sideways, like many do. I believe the main difference would be maneuvering the entire 42+ feet around a parking lot whenever you fetched the groceries, etc. but you could always park on the fringes and enjoy the exercise as you hiked into the store. Perhaps some Elite II owners can chime in on any issues of maneuvering in campgrounds with a large truck. Pete