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Showing content with the highest reputation on 07/18/2017 in all areas

  1. Hi all.....I'm sorry that some owners have had issues with their Olivers, I'm sure it's been heartbreaking but I do believe that the Oliver team will take care them, learning from their issues and helping all of us. We will be picking our Ollie up the 31st of the month. I know I've build up some high expectations after lurking these board for so long but I'm also a realist & aware that nothing is perfect. Even the most expensive motorhomes have problems! It's how those problems are addressed by the manufacturer that makes the difference. From what I have heard here and at the rally, the Oliver company truly cares about their owners and goes out of their way to take care of problems, regardless of whether they are on warranty or off. To me, that says it all. They may be having some growing pains but they'll get it all worked out, I'll bet on that! Clair & I started started out, many years ago, with a small pop up trailer. I really loved it and we had so much fun! Clair broke 3 fishing poles that he'd tucked inside when he pulled the beds out during a rain storm one night. He was not a happy camper. We moved on from that unit to a small 5th wheeler that we pulled with an under powered & very old Dodge truck. That was interesting & quite funny at times, to say the least. I enjoyed the 5th wheeler but Clair hated the siding on it. It was far to difficult to keep clean and drove him crazy with black streaks....so we moved on to a small Class C. That one was a big mistake, we both hated it! So, that was traded for a larger Class C that we lovingly named "Big Bertha". For some reason, it didn't suit us for very long but it was nice when we were showing our dogs. From there we moved on to a Titanium 5th wheeler that turned out to be a wonderful unit but we had to let it go with the economic downfall. I kept telling my husband that I wanted an Oliver when we retired because I wanted something small, easy to travel with, and easy to clean but we had a few years to wait for that. A couple years ago we decided it was time to start camping again. We wanted something small so we ended up with our 26 ft. Rockwood. It's OK but doesn't meet up to the standards of any of our others and it's got constant nagging little issues. Just little things but it's always something. On our last trip a weld broke on one of the supports holding up the gray water tank. We had cars & trucks flagging us down on that one...sparks flying everywhere. I'm very happy that we chose to go with the Oliver Elite II. I know that we will be happy even if we do have a few minor issues here and there. We want this one to be our forever trailer. There are so many things to love about the Oliver! I know it's not for everybody but it's definitely for us. We can get the same experience we had when we were in our pop up living in a classy, easy to clean, modern Ollie. I am getting so excited, can't you tell!? I have all of the bedding made and I've been pulling together the basics for inside, trying to keep it as simple possible. Clair has everything prepped for outside. Just a few more days guys and we will be part of the Oliver family! Smiles....Kathy
    7 points
  2. Kathy, I enjoyed your post and agree that you will be a happy camper.!!! Beverly and I picked up our Elite II about a week ago, and the pulling experience back to New Mexico was wonderful. It tows like a dream. We prioritized the punch list and got the major items addressed before we left for our trip home. We're planning a trip back east in a few weeks and plan to stop in Hohenwald to get a few other minor problems resolved. These guys are proud of their product and will see to it that it's as good as possible. Someone asked today how many RV's we've had since we started 40 years ago. I believe this is number 12. And like you, we think this will be our forever rig. I consider owning a RV to be comparable to owning a boat or airplane - there's always going to be some minor issues. But if it's safe, let's enjoy the trip. Brad - Santa Fe, NM
    5 points
  3. After putting many miles on two Legacy Elite ll's, it is my opinion that the quality has gone up, not down. Sorry to disagree but, we have been on two long trips with our current trailer, and we have had only a few minor issues and nothing that the Oliver people haven't quickly addressed while under warranty. Recently while on our way home from the west coast, we stopped in Hohenwald to have the bearings greased and a couple of other minor out-of-warranty issues addressed. We had the opportunity to see some of the new Olivers and we were impressed. As far as the problem with the fresh water tanks and leveling: Although I'm not anal about leveling, I do try to get the trailer mostly level side to side, but I've always had the trailer slightly higher in the front. No one has ever told me to do this, but I've always just thought that would be better for draining the shower and we've never had an issue with the fresh water tank. Also having the trailer slightly higher in the front is not noticeable to us while in the trailer. We have never had an issue with the refrigerator, so I assume that it doesn't hurt the fridge.
    5 points
  4. Thought I would put this up here in case anyone else is having the same issue I had. Soon after leaving the factory, the plastic strip that lines the bottom edge of the tank cover started to come off. It was a very cheap piece of 'L' plastic kind of glued on here and there. Really, it was pretty ugly even when new. So I finally found this very nice 'U' channel on Amazon that fits perfectly. These trims come in a vast variety of sizes and colors. It appears to be a very high quality vinyl compound and has internal fins that grab the cover on both sides, so no gluing is involved. I just set it in the sun to warm up and gently tapped it on with a rubber mallet. Before doing this, I carefully scraped off all the old glue residue with MEK and a plastic razor blade, followed by a light scrub with a 3M WHITE scotch brite pad (love these for tough cleanup jobs on the trailer, no scratching) Then I filed all the edges to make sure there were no sharp edges or bumps in the fiberglass. Then a good wash. Here's the product: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01F9FXQLU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 This looks so much better to me, and the fit is great, better than with the stock plastic trim. It's supposed to be marine grade, so hopefully it will last. My Elite took 5 feet to do. Those with the Elite 2 will need to measure, but the stuff is available in different lengths. It's all in the details! Dave
    1 point
  5. Jeff, long wheelbase trucks may not need a WD setup, most half tons do, simply because they have soft suspension and tires. A heavy duty pickup definitely does not need one. In spite of your good experience with your long wheelbase (145 inch) Tundra, it is likely that your towing experience and safety would be improved with the addition of the Anderson. My 200 has a short 112 inch wheelbase and a relatively long rear overhang (center of axle to hitch ball) and also a soft cushy, long travel suspension. All this contributes to the need for a WD hitch. I didn't want to beef up the rear suspension, or the unladen ride and offroad articulation would suffer. I need to keep the truck comfy for exploring the back country, without Mouse in back. I do think I will add Timbren rubber bump stops in the future, for when I am forced to remove the hitch chains due to really uneven terrain (such as a washout or severe rise). Dragging a trailer with WD connected in these situations is not advised, for many reasons. The Timbrens should help here, without compromising the ride. My thread is not intended to deride the standard installation. It works fine for most owners. I just want to promote what I think is a more refined setup for Olivers with their unusual frame configuration. John Davies Spokane WA
    1 point
  6. Jeff, a lot of the people have the Andersen not for the sway control as much as for the weight distribution, my Sierra 1500 had a max 500lb hitch weight without weight distribution, 1000lbs with, so I needed it and it had GMCs max tow package.
    1 point
  7. We have found several also and had them replaced at the rally.
    1 point
  8. Randy, the 9/16 inch BOLTS must be at 90 degrees across the frame, and parallel to each other. The reason the bolts need to be at 90 degrees is that, if angled, there would be some extra slop or clearance that could result in loosening. Plus it would just look bad ;) The chain brackets themselves are angled forward fully, using the chain tension to pull them into place. Pictures can be misleading due to the angle and also the fisheye effect of the lens. Plus the front braces would not rotate fully back for 100% contact with the chain brackets, I never did figure out a reason for that. As long as they hit hard at the bottom of the chain brackets it should not matter. That is where movement would occur. John Davies Spokane WA
    1 point
  9. 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.
    1 point
  10. 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.
    1 point
  11. Wow, you really scare me, I'm thinking I might have to decide to never retire, just so I can keep all the free time having to work provides...
    1 point
  12. Here's using 2X6 on the low side. Going to cut shorter 2X6 planks to place under the rear jacks when backed over a curb. Jack blocks normally used were too tall to fit between the jack pads and curb:
    1 point
  13. 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.
    1 point
  14. 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.
    1 point
  15. I chuckled right away and appreciate the humor! It made for an amusing thought cloud......
    1 point
  16. My post concerning "screaming" was intended to be "cute" and not in anyway disparage anyone's ability (or lack thereof) to drive mountain roads. By taking the railway both people can look around without the hassle of also having to watch traffic. Both people can look for wildlife, both can look at the view, both can relax. Certainly it gives you another alternative. Bill
    1 point
  17. We carry an assortment of lengths of 2x 6 and 2 x 4 cutoffs in a crate in the truck bed. We have a lot of short lengths leftover from building our house. One year, camping with a group, we went to a local Lowes and paid to have 2x 6 es cut into 12 and 18" chunks for us and our friends in a hilly campsite, to shore up the tires and jacks.it was worth the $25. For me, the chunks are a renewable resource, and most of what we carry is scrap destined for landfill, anyway.. Eventually, we burn it. But many of the chunks survive years of use, sweeping then off after use . I separate the ground contact chunks from the others. I've learned how to build "ramps" to get us to the proper height in hilly unlevel sites. I like to have support under the tire, not just jack the wheels off the ground.... Sans fancy level bubbles, a half filled water bottle on the floor or table, on its side, will tell you if you are close to level . Sherry
    1 point
  18. Thanks for the ideas everyone. I'd been looking at the Anderson but thought they were a little pricey so have held off ordering. I did catch a good price for a pair of X Chocks on Amazon of about $45 for a pair but they're now over $71. I saw the lower price about a month ago, placed in my cart to order the next day and the price jumped. Saw them again with the lower price a couple of nights ago. So, if you catch a lower price, order immediately. I'll be reporting on an electronic level system that displays on your android device, sorry Apple user, it's Bluetooth version isn't compatible to your devices. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XZDNR3W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 If you want to play with it before ordering, you can download the app and use your android in local mode without the $75 sensor that mounts in the trailer. (You could actually use it by laying your phone inside the rig on the floor.) We'll be picking up our Elite II July 6th. Brad - Santa Fe, NN
    1 point
  19. We have four Andersen levelers and highly recommend them. We take two with us on the road and use one under each tire when our OTT is in storage. Hap
    1 point
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