Leaderboard

My water heater quit working on gas a couple of days after delivery. I did some basic troubleshooting and determined after ten minutes that the ignitor was not firing. The system would cycle on and off three times, then lock out with a solid red light. The overtemp switches were not tripped, and there was gas, which I proved by carefully sticking a long camp stove lighter in the burner hole. I clicked the lighter and the flame POPPED and whooshed out and burned all the hair off the back of my hand. Check, there is gas! Note to self: do not do this again... I called Jason at Oliver Service and asked if he could send me a replacement board so I could install it myself. He told me that they do not warranty the appliances and I would have to take it to an RV dealer for repair. Fine.... I found a new OEM module on Amazon for $79, and also a much better aftermarket one for about the same price, but it would require a new plastic cover. https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0002MG2IK/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=IY2Y0Y0X7RVZF&colid=1X5H11EH41351 https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B007HRVXY6/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I3LZPCEN833TPC&colid=1X5H11EH41351 Since it was going to be a warranty repair, and I am a confirmed cheapskate, I scheduled an appointment at a local shop in Spokane. They told me it would be three weeks before they could see me, and that they stocked a lot of boards for the Suburban heaters, so most likely they could fix it while I waited. I told them that I would be surprised if the job took more than fifteen minutes, and access to it was great. Three weeks later I showed up, checked in, watched with concern as they took Mouse away, and then I waited. Half an hour later I was called into the office. "The board is bad." ME: "Right, I knew that and I told your tech." "In order to do this under warranty we have to order a replacement board from Suburban, and it will take two to six weeks to get here, do you need the water heater to work before then?" ME: silence, counting to ten very slowly. "Sir?" ME: "I do need it to work on propane. Is there an alternative?" "We can install an aftermarket Dinosaur Electronics board, it is a much better part and has a five year warranty, and we have plenty of those in stock since the Suburban boards fail so often." ME: Sinking heart. "How much would that cost?" "The board is $129 and the cover is $10, and it will be $279 total with labor." ME: "I wish this was mentioned when I talked three weeks ago. Just put it back together and I'll order the part from Amazon and fix the heater in two days." "OK, fine, that will be $50 plus tax for the diagnosis." As I left, the tech who did the work told me quietly, "I left your old board on the floor at the entry, and I also left a used one that was in our junk box. We strip stuff like that off old water heaters when we scrap them. It will probably work fine for years. They sure did build your trailer nice!" I was floored and relieved, and my faith in mankind got a very small boost. I thanked him and left with Mouse, feeling a lot better. I got home, plugged in the board and the heater fired right up. Woohoo! My old (brand new) board that failed (water pump is to the left): The underside, showing the bottom of the fried resistor. The white foam strip goes on the PC board and keeps it off the mounting surface (the water pump and manifold assembly plate). If I had the notion, I could have replaced that resistor for less than a buck.... I don't know how I should feel about the dealer, their parts prices are _over_ MSRP and they sure try to screw you, but then the tech went way out of his way to make things right. He could have got into trouble with his boss, too. Moral of story: unless it is an expensive repair or you can live without a part for a long time, just fix it yourself or have a buddy do it for you. I hope to never go back to a dealer, ever. There is no way I was going to leave Mouse there, and then have everybody start crawling around inside, looking. John Davies Spokane WA

Now I know many of you use a handy tshirt to block the light at your door window.....:) I recovered the head bumper ( I may have forgotten to mail it to the upholstery person!) oops ... and I made a simple roll up and tie curtain for the window. There was already a piece of Velcro at the top of the screen door so maybe it had a curtain at one time? Don't know. Anyone have a curtain? Besides light it seems like it's going to really help with the heat too. Hmmm I still have extra fabric. Maybe some toiletry bags and a dirty clothes hamper? Lol I Have time to sew right now since I'm a teacher still on summer break. Lol

It's also my birthday! It's a Monday. We are hoping to be out in the raptor conservation area south of Boise ID. While the eclipse path of totality will be north a ways, we can easily drive up for a view. ... https://fishandgame.idaho.gov/ifwis/ibt/site.aspx?id=65 A lot depends on how warm it is, we may head up into the National Forest if it is nasty hot. http://www.eclipse2017.org/2017/maps.htm Here is an interactive Google Earth map that has detailed info for viewing at any location along the path. http://www.eclipse2017.org/xavier_redirect.htm Where will you be? Do you care at all? John Davies Spokane WA

We spent last week visiting Big Bend National Park. It's one of the least visited National Parks and is somewhat off the beaten path. From Fort Stockton on I-10 you head south for about 3 hours. It is on the Rio Grande with Mexico in sight all the time. Even with the hot weather (low 70's at night, high 90's during the day) we had a great time. Lots of hiking, great views and no crowds! At times we felt like we were the only ones there. It's a fairly large park, bigger than the state of Rhode Island. This is at the end of the Boquillas Canyon hike. The bluff is in Mexico. This is where the Rio Grande enters a huge canyon that's been carved out of the mountain. After a hike to the top of the second highest peak (7550') this is the view down. It's called the Lost Mine Trail. Views are great all the way up and it's a nice little workout! We sat at the top and had some snacks and water while enjoying the view. At the other end of the park (western end) is the Santa Helena Canyon. Mexico on the left, US on the right. The upper water flow is the Rio Grande, the lower (muddy) is the Terlingua Creek emptying into the Rio Grande. You can wade through the Terlingua to the bluffs on the right and then climb up about a quarter of the way to a lookout platform. Another nice hike was Grapevine Hill. It's not too far, a couple of miles through the desert then some light rock climbing up to this balanced rock. Carol is enjoying the shade! It was right at 100 degrees when we made this trek. This is the view from the balanced rock looking back down at where the path goes back to the start through the canyon. We stayed in Lajitas, TX at a very nice, full hookup campground. There are three RV parking areas in the park, one has full hook ups. No reservations, first come, first served. If we do it again we will look at staying inside the park. None of the park RV areas were full. Peak season is November through April, so it may be more crowded. We think the Chisos Basin has the most scenic camping areas. It is surrounded by the highest peaks and is close to the start of the Lost Mine Trail. Most importantly, bacon was consumed!

We spent last September in the Estes Park area and stayed at Paradise on the River and backed right up to the river and could fish. Great people own it and keep it very clean and it is very quick access into the park. We also stayed near Frisco and Breckenridge at the Tigers Run Resort with full hook ups and backed up to the river. It is a resort and has many nice amenities.

Here is Mouse connected as a dead weight to my 200, no Anderson hitch. The trailer is dead level, using big washers stacked under the extended shank ball. The truck is really butt low (2.5 inches) and it was not a good situation. It proposed badly over dips and you could tell the rear suspension was not in control. This was with a lighter tongue weight of 625 pounds (one can full of gas, the others empty). After driving and tweaking the Anderson hitch, this is the final setup after a 45 mile drive over various road surfaces and up to 70 mph. I noticed a little steering vagueness and wandering at first, but the wind was fierce and gusty on the highway. I tightened the nuts down a little, a couple of times until the truck settled down and felt "as one" with the trailer. It is an amazing feeling - very stable and comforting. The second pic is with a heavy tongue: gas and water similar in weight to a bigger generator. (130 pounds plus the weight of the cans and the storage platform). I will not normally carry that much weight there. The truck was unhappy without the WD hitch. . The truck is rated to tow 8500 pounds and 850 pounds hitch weight. I am happy with the way it tows now. The trailer is a little high in front, and the truck is a little low. If I were to drop the ball height one hole it would be worse (they are 1.5 inch increments). I plan to put bigger LT tires on the truck soon. That will raise the ride height, and I can lower the ball accordingly to get a better level for the trailer, and my tailgate latch will not hit. I hope. I have another thread devoted to the Land Cruiser 200 as a tow vehicle. Any other pics and tech info devoted to the 200 will be posted there. I hope to keep this thread dedicated to just the Anderson Center Frame topic. I think that this is a great alternative to the official installation. Please discuss. Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

I thought about those stain glass window films. Would look really cool but I would think light would still come in. I attached the curtain to the screen door with Velcro so the main door can be hooked open and I can either roll up the curtain or remove it entirely. I'll probably just roll it up and leave it attached so it has a "home". I've seen fan shroud covers that look smoky but it seems quite cluttered up there already with the AC and that huge king dome thing that I will never use. :D I'm just piddling around trying to learn systems and make/gather things for the camper. Just finished making a drawstring bag for a travel blow drier and I monogrammed our names onto our camp chairs! I've only got a little bit of time left until school starts and all projects will have to stop until Thanksgiving break lol

Pull in to a campsite. Ask anybody there and I bet they would be happy to show you about the water heater. It is the same as every other water heater on the market. If you have one you might as well use it. Basically fill the heater with water before turning it on. If it does not fill probably there are bypass valves that prevent antifreeze from away entering the tank during winterizing. Those valves are inside the camper. Open the outside cover, locate the temp/pressure relief valve ( usually near the top middle) pull up on the little silver handle until water comes out Turn on the heater. Run the faucet to get out the bubbles. In about 6 minutes you should have hot water. Now for the black handle in the bath: Push it in and it shuts the valve (we assume yours is the same as ours). That prevents the water from the tank 'sloshing' up into the shower pan as you go down a rough road (or sudden stop). It does happen. Last thing we remember to do. Don't forget to open once stopped or your sinks won't drain. (I think ours vents better with it open too). Another part of the process that we do is make sure there is only just a very little water in the toilet bowl. You don't want that splashing around either. We do put a little water in each tank before a trip, that way going down the road the splashing water helps clean the tanks.

Eating good in the neighborhood ! Camp food stamp 2017. Turnip greens, purple hull peas, mashed potatoes and Dutch oven meatloaf. All cooked over a open campfire.

You might find this product useful, not as much fun as safety wire or tie wraps Vibra-tite VC-3 threadmate Adjustable and reuseable

Yes Reed, we paid the same price you did, and I sympathize with your concerns, and I guess you can ask for a refund if you felt deceived, but companies change components all the time for various reasons, I've never seen one reduce the price when doing so. I guess it comes down to perceived value, all the research I've done on the pwm vs mppt systems led me to believe that the perceived gains were dependent on extremes in temperature and sunlight, under normal conditions there is virtually no difference between the two. I do wish the Zamp had a separate monitor to keep track of the amps used and replaced and I may add one later if it becomes a concern, but for now I'm very happy with what I have.

My take on the quality of our Elite ll is outstanding! Is it absolutely perfect no, but I never expected anything hand built by man to be perfect. We were in Hohenwald last week to get some minor issues addressed and the staff took care of everything promptly and efficiently. I realize not everyone has the luxury of returning their camper to Hohenwald for every little issue, but when I first called Jason about an issue, his first response was to try to talk me through it, and if that didn't work take to someone who could fix it. I guess the point I'm trying to make is they go above and beyond to try to make things right. I didn't get the new suction tube installed in my water tank at this time but I was assured that the "fix" is forthcoming, and I believed them!! One of the engineers informed me it will be an easy fix that most fairly competent repairmen can perform on their own, or they will take care of it through outside vendors, but he assured me it will be fixed.

The way they mount them may have changed back but for a while you could technically tilt them but the lower end would hit the curb so that you could only get a few degrees of tilt.

After picking ours up, we went south and poked around for a month or so. We went up some rough ' goat paths' , camped on mountain tops, traveled a lot of dirt rough roads, and even traveled rougher paved highways. For lack of initial load up room we left our collapsible ladder home. And then headed home to Maine. Turns out we never needed it. Checked our knobs at home and they are still tight. We could always back up the tow vehicle and use that for a ladder I guess if we ever needed it. We have left the ladder home since and have never regretted it. Have a safe trip home to Ma. and may the roughest part of your trip be paying the tolls for the extra two axles... P.S. I have found that if you really need a ladder, and fellow campers happen to have one, they are more than happy to lend it. They also will give you a helping hand. You can meet some wonderful people on the road and share some interesting stories around a campfire or picnic table. All they need is a friendly smile and a handshake...

We have hull number 178 and picked it up last October. We brought it to Washington state and it wintered outside with only a small cube heater inside to keep things from becoming cold weather damaged. That worked out quite well and I figured it cost about 50 cents a day to maintain constant usability, and no other winterization efforts for Puget Sound area weather. It stayed totally dry inside and always ready for a hook up and go. In the last several months we have taken road trips every other week and have been on some mighty rough roads. Lots of opportunity for quality or design issues to show up. In that regard we have nothing negative to report from our usage. Our only real issue has been installation of wiring connectors inside the Blue Sky solar controller box. Jason and the Blue Sky rep. were very helpful in solving the problem. I received a new controller and a simple reindexing of connectors instructions and accomplished the fix at home. The solar system has been through some pretty rigerous testing since then and has been working quite well, actually exceeding our expectations. So in summary, we highly recommend the Oliver product and hope that you continue to look into their product and processes to satisfy yourself before making a purchase decision. The Kegebeins

Just wanted to add our very positive trailer pickup experience here. The actual trailer orientation and pickup was very professional and informative. I did not reveal our previous RV experience and feel like a newbie would walk away very comfortable and ready for a night or two at the local RV park. We spent two nights at the local campground testing everything and going over trailer construction. The only issues we found were the screen door didn't latch which was an easy hinge adjustment and I wanted a little more chalk around the bathroom vent. On our way out of town we stopped by Oliver and the "check out" team fixed us up. They also went above and beyond working with me on what I thought might have been an Easy Start issue but turned out to be my generator issue. After leaving the factory the trailer went through the literal shake down on the road. We don't use Wt Dist hitch and towing at 70 mph including gentle swerve testing was nicer than the little Casita a few years ago. After beating the trailer up on our Oklahoma roads we had no issues with drawers, cabinets, or even contents in cabinets and drawers. And it is so nice to have a truck width trailer again after the wide toy hauler. I also had a conversation with Scott Oliver (he brought his generator in for the team to use testing the Easy Start) and he told me about some of the quality assurance initiatives they had initiated. I am impressed with the commitment to producing a superior product and expect that any quality issues will be fully addressed for any customer but also addressed at the factory level.

We took that drive (Million Dollar Highway) with our Ollie about three weeks ago--going North to South (Ouray to Silverton). Have done it before in a single vehicle. It was not all that intimidating with Stan (our Tundra) and Ollie. One of the hairiest drives I've ever taken, however, was a few years ago over Engineer Pass--unpaved between Ouray and Lake City--with a two-wheel-drive Tacoma in late spring. The apex of the pass was pure ice and snow. Don't think I would try to take Ollie over that one at anytime--although pulling Ollie with four-wheel-drive Stan so far has been a pleasure and piece of cake. We are looking forward to more Colorado adventures for sure.

I'm very happy with the quality of my Ollie Elite 2. It's not a perfect thing and I don't expect it to be, but it is excellent and it is definitely a keeper. While being able to pinpoint a few things that are not perfect I can give a long list of things that are way beyond what I have ever seen or what I expected. I'm thrilled with it. As far as practical use goes, the Ollie design is far more useful than a Airstream, in my estimation. That is not a quality issue, just a "design for actual use" issue. Things like food storage, battery location and capacity, ground clearance under the tanks and plumbing, the ability to open the tow vehicle tailgate while connected, etc, are all better with an Oliver. The only Airstream with a narrow body is the Bambi, but it only has a single axle. The tandem axle Elite 2 tows extremely well. It's stable and easy to keep in a lane. Then look at the aluminum body vs fiberglass. I've seen a number of pictures of Airstreams lately, and I passed one on the road, with hail damage. They looked like the surface of a golf ball! Absolutely not repairable without new body panels. Even the slightest rub against a tree branch will press in a stripe that will be permanent. If you want to go camping in remote areas, are going to be out in bad weather or you plan to put a lot of miles on your trailer, I can't see how you can do better than an Ollie. If you only want a luxury apartment, for the weekend, in good weather, or if you want to live aboard and be always hooked up to shore power, the AS might work better in the wide body models. Just don't base your decision on a few negative comments about the Oliver as the AS has it's share of complaints too.

In my experience, it is those that have been wronged (or perceived to have been wronged) that voice opinions in the strongest manner possible. At the same time, those that are satisfied (or at least think they are) go merrily on their way without saying too much. I've tried my best over the years to write letters of thanks and gratitude when I have received good products or service, but, am usually amazed when I hear that this doesn't happen too often anymore. There have been voices on this Forum that have documented their displeasure at the quality and/or service received from Oliver. And, there have been others that have praised Oliver not only for the initial quality but for the long term commitment to making a better camper plus fixing any problems that customers may have with their campers. Rarely have I seen a company publish a public note explaining its position on this subject and then actually "do it". Olivers are not for everyone, but, from what I've seen and heard and experienced they are the best (by a long shot) out there. I know that I'm a happy camper even for $60,000. No, mine is not a Rollie - not that I've ever actually owned one - but, for me, it sure beats anything else I've been able to look at. Bill

John-- The photos were all taken with my iPhone 6. Hank is a Great Pyrenees mix--mixed with Blue Tick Coonhound and Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. The way I know his pedigree is through genetic testing. Here is a bit of Hank's story. We had lost a beloved Border Collie-Australian Shepherd to cancer, and after a while, my wife, Liz, would periodically show me photos from the pound of different dogs needing adoption. I'd glance at them and just say, something like "I'm not ready to adopt another one now." That was, until she showed me the face of 8-week-old Hank, who was advertised by the local pound as a Border Collie mix who needed a foster home because he was too young to stay in the pound. Seeing his face, I immediately said, "Yes!" However, upon picking him up, we realized that Hank (we named him this later) was going to be a giant. We told one another that we couldn't raise such a large dog (we were pretty sure we would soon be RVing) and that we would just give him foster care until he was adopted. You can guess what happened: As soon as someone called to see if he was still available, we answered that "No," we were keeping him. We have not regretted that decision. The genetic test was well worth the $70. We can understand a lot of his behaviors by learning about those displayed by the different breeds that contributed to our Hank. He is loyal, lovable, laughable, and all ours. He is well trained but sometimes can just not seem to overcome some of his inbred impulses. While he has never bitten another person or dog, he has great guarding instincts (from the Pyrenees line), and humans and canines respect his girth, height, and deep bark. He sleeps on the floor in Ollie. (We thought at first that we would bed him in the convertible dinette section, but soon realized that that idea was not very practical.) It is a bit of a challenge living in the Ollie with him, but he does not mind our feet as they maneuver around him. So far, we have avoided injuring ourselves or Hank. We always have two conversation starters when we meet folks on the road: our unusual small trailer and unusual big dog.

Mike and Carol, You've received some excellent advice--especially the recommendations from John Davies. My mother's uncle was a newspaperman in Lake City during the silver mining days and my mother started visiting Lake City with her parents every summer in a Model A. My parents, sisters and I made many trips to Lake City while I was growing up and I return to that part of Colorado at least every three years or so. John's comments about the Million Dollar Highway are accurate--I've driven it with my Touareg/Ollie and the experience is not one that I'll forget! If you rent a jeep to tour the Silverton, Ouray, Lake City backcountry, make sure you have a good map and a GPS device--I got lost last year because of a poor map. My handheld Garmin device that I use for hiking helped me find my way. I've attached some photos from my Jeep adventure on June 23, 2016. I love Mesa Verde, but there are a lot of visitors there. I suggest you go to Mesa Verde to learn--participate in ranger programs, ranger-led visits to the ruins, etc., and then go to Canyon of the Ancients National Monument near Cortez. You'll find great hiking, ruins, and you won't encounter many other visitors. If you have a taste for something different, Google Crestone, Colorado. It's located north of the Great Sand Dunes National Park. Here's an excerpt from Wikipedia: "The Crestone area, which includes the Baca Grande and Moffat, Colorado, is a spiritual center with several world religions represented, including: a Hindu temple, a Zen center, a co-ed Carmelite monastery, several Tibetan Buddhist centers, and miscellaneous New Age happenings. Crestone is easily accessible to visitors, a National Forest Service campground is about 3/4 of a mile north of town,[9] and other lodging is available, including several bed and breakfasts. Activities in the area include camping, fishing, hiking, climbing, as well as spiritual explorations." If you visit Ouray and like hot springs, consider Orvis Hot Springs just south of Ridgeway. It's about 9 miles from Ouray. It's a "clothing optional" facility (I have visited many times, kept my swimsuit on and have never been uncomfortable) with multiple outdoor pools, massage, camping, etc. The setting and grounds are beautiful and the people are very friendly and accommodating. If you are near Aspen, consider visiting Redstone and taking a 4-wheel drive to Crystal, an old mining town. I haven't been in Redstone/Crystal for many years, but have great memories from there. I haven't decided where to go this fall. I've been considering traveling from Iowa to the Canadian Maritimes, but I'm not sure I want to drive that far. I may head west instead--it's possible that I'll see you in Colorado! Visiting the Rocky Mountains in the Fall is a great experience.

Looks as if it will pass pretty close to Hohenwald.... John Davies Spokane WA

We visited there last December - it sounds like you guys enjoyed yourself as much as we did. You're right about the crowds. They have some peak weekends on the cooler holidays when the campgrounds will be full, but even then it's easy to get away. It's definitely a winter trip since summer temps are very high. Most of the backcountry campsites would be easily accessible with an Ollie so if you want to be out on your own then that's a good option. Some people will plan out a little trip around the park, staying at different backcountry sites each night.

Great report and photos. Excellent looking meal, too!!!!!

This is a very nice park in the Ozark Mountains just outside of Branson, MO. We stayed 3 nights, full hook ups. At campground 2 all the pads are concrete, large and well spaced with picnic tables and fire areas. There was a shower/restroom facility with washers/dryers. It's just a few minutes from Branson and all that there is to do there. When we come back to Branson we will definitely stay here. Very nice.

http://freecampsites.net These are not all free, but usually only have a small fee. We did find out about the rest area on I70 in Goodland, KS that was free and had a very nice area away from the traffic area. It's worth a look when looking for a one night layover on the way to somewhere else. Stan

http://www.USCAmpgrounds.info 13,000 public campgrounds - entire US and Canada This is my go-to site for finding great camping locations. It has an interactive map to help find all public campgrounds from City, to County, to State or Province, to Federal with easily displayed information and access to what amenities are available, phone number, lat/long, reviews, campground website, directions, etc.