Leaderboard

We spend a lot of time on the Pacific Coast where rainforests abound :) We camp in severe rain like the 1/2" drops coming down for days on end in the winter and set the awning out to keep dry. Unfortunately, with the seal gone, you will no longer have a dry spot outside unless you have a Clam or another tent. We can use the awning as a dry entry and keep totally dry with the seal. But without the seal, depending on where you are... sand and water will blow and pour off the roof, splash off of the door seal, the fridge and window seals and there will be no clean dry place to sit without that seal in place. Wet blowing sand is the worst... One of the reasons that we sold our Casita was because it was only sealed by me half way across. Seals are simple to add back on if you ever find the need. I sit outside under the awning with the fire going with it raining all around and keep dry and comfortable with no leaks behind me dripping down my neck... If you don't camp in the rain then the seal is not a big deal.

We have used a macerater and the Sewer Solution on our last two trailers. Both work OK. But the previous posts cover the macerater issues. The sewer solution is slower and can be an issue at a dump station especially if others are waiting to dump. My bottom line now is keep it simple. With the big hose always hooked up, end cap on hose, and stored in bumper I am loving it compared to the hassles of previous experiences.

I'm planning on using this: http://www.valterra.com/product/sewersolution-system-boxed/ Think Macerator with no moving parts. Uses a high pressure water nosel to breakup the unpleasantries and send it all down a manageable see-thru hose. Reviews have all been very positive and the cost is far cheaper to the macerator without the failure points!!!!

One of my straps tore free because there was no washer under the little screw head to spread the load. They were all like this: Fixed: John Davies Spokane WA

Earlier this summer noticed the Progressive Dynamics PD4045 charging the batteries at 14.4V while on gen-set power. The batteries were at 12.5V. Disconnected the gen-set (output 120V) and disconnected 12V batteries, reconnected everything and PD4045 charging went back to normal 13.6V. Later this summer after connecting to shore power at another campground, the Progressive Dynamics PD4045 converter was charging at 14.4V again, batteries were already at 12.7V. The shore power coming into the Ollie was 117V, within the 105V to 130V recommended by Progressive Dynamics. Tested shore power with a Camco Circuit Analyzer before connecting to campground outlet, it was correct. Progressive Dynamics said the 14.4V does not come on until batteries drop to 12V or every 21 hours for 15 minutes to prevent battery stratification. Disconnected/reconnected shore power and batteries, checked all connections, and turned charger power on/off several times with charger circuit breaker, converter was still charging at 14.4V. Did not see any issues with circuit boards, battery connections, and connections to converter. Also talked to a Progressive Dynamics distributor, he though I was having converter section problems. Installed a PD 4045 converter section in the Ollie's original equipment PD converter. It took less than an hour with 5 wires to connect and one bolt. Tested during a camping trip earlier this week, new converter section took care of the problem now maintaining the batteries at 13.6V while on shore power. New converter section: Removing old converter section: New converter section installed:

The only downside to owning an Ollie I have experienced since we towed ours home from Hohenwald to SE Arizona this past June is the embarrassment I sometimes feel in falling in love with an inanimate object. After we decided on the Oliver, which was after conducting considerable research on travel trailers, we asked a lot of questions on this forum, and greatly benefitted from the answers we received. Ask away . . . --Jeff (Spike)

Nope, it's not something that I really crank down on unless the wind is severe. Having water pooling on top is what worries me as far as stretching. I came back to my motorhome one day after my kids went down and used it in the rain and forgot to lower it back down, and found the awning stretched into a swimming pool full of water... After bailing until I couldn't reach anymore water, I ended up grabbing my knife and putting a slice in the bottom of the lake... It still took an hour or 2 to drain and the weight of all of the water pulled it off of the track and I ended up having to cut it off before I could drive it. But at least they said sorry... Lol. An old pic of the motorhome, my sister and the kids at our mining claim on the Yuba river when the awning had been drained :)

Welcome to the family. While you may think you are sacrificing living space, you will be greatly expanding living real estate, with how many more places you can go and fit in. And, at least you don't have to worry about having a big enough tow vehicle.

Our Ollie is currently in production. We pick it up at the end of October. This is our first RV. We went through years of research of all types and always came back to the Oliver. We can't wait to get it! Congrats on your decision!

We just booked D8 for the rally. Maybe I will paint the Stream white so we fit in. LOL? Seriously, we just want to hook up with some really great friends. See you all there.

Thanks to all who offered their experiences, knowledge, and perspectives on the Anderson. I revisited the Anderson website and watched two videos, one of them on installing the system. I then wrote down several questions and called the number Anderson provided. I was connected to a friendly and helpful fellow named Tiger, who patiently addressed all my questions and--more or less--talked me out of buying their product. The upshot was that I may experience a BIT more stability than I do now towing with my Tundra, but the cost might not be worth it. I have towed more than six thousand miles and have experienced little sway in strong winds or when being passed by 18 wheelers. I have made one emergency stop when I Ollie ran over an elk, and the trailer did not come close to jackknifing. (Yes, I mean “ran over” and not “hit” an elk. It is a rather long and complicated story, which I may tell elsewhere in the forums. The elk was hit by an oncoming vehicle and pushed under my Ollie.) Here is one thing that may be of interest to those who already own or are considering purchasing the Anderson system. I asked about how easy it was to hitch and unhitch once it was installed. (The video on their website just shows how to install it.) Tiger said that many owners did not know that one could simply raise the trailer tongue to loosen the chains to remove the triangle plate (whale’s tail). It is not necessary to use the provided socket to loosen and tighten the chains. I probably will not invest soon in the system. However, I CAN now help confirm one statement about Anderson: Their customer support is impressive. Not only did Tiger patiently and clearly answer all my questions, but after asking me about my tow vehicle and my experience towing my Oliver, suggested that I may not benefit much from the expense of purchasing the system and the trouble of installing it. Nonetheless, I do feel OK about taking up the company’s time with my enquiry. I have previously purchased an Anderson product: Two sets of their levelers: https://www.amazon.com/Andersen-Hitches-3604-Authentic-Slipping/dp/B01MQNGOWD/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1504214275&sr=8-3&keywords=anderson+leveler I am very happy with how easy they make leveling my Ollie: I just roll onto them, as my wife eyes the level placed on the rear bumper, until the trailer is level. I use two sets when Ollie is at home, resting all four tires on the levelers to better distribute the weight and try to avoid the “flat spots” that can be generated when tires sit too long on a flat surface.

I think it comes down to how willing you are to fuss with the pump, or pay somebody to fuss with the pump, year after year. I never had one in an RV but I did in a power boat. It worked GREAT to empty the 30 gallon holding tank into my home toilet with a long hose strung outside to where the boat was sitting on its trailer. This would also work for your Ollie, but please never, NEVER, EVER leave the far end unattended and simply stuck down your toilet. If it should fall out un-noticed while your were outside running the macerator, you can imagine what your bathroom would look like, and smell like. And what your wife would say..... I did have to clean and lube the impeller annually or it would get sticky and stall the motor, and I also was sure to flush it very well with lots of fresh water after each use. I can't recall the brand, it has been 25 years. For my trailer, I much prefer low-tech, so I did not even consider the macerator, but bought the composting toilet instead. No regrets here. John Davies Spokane WA

We have the macerator system and like it. The way Oliver set it up is that the black tank valve is followed by a full size slinky attachment fitting with bayonet lugs. Attached to this fitting is a 2 ft flexible slinky section that connects to the Thetford macerator. Thus if there is ever a problem with the macerator it can be worked on with the black tank valve closed and the black tank contents contained. In addition, Oliver provided a 10 ft section of slinky hose which in an emergency could be connected to the bayonet lug attachment fitting. The tank could then be dumped by gravity, without recourse to the macerator. John Shkor SailorsAshore

I like the idea of the macerator, but decided against. In reading through forums there was discussion how some had to rebuild (doesn't sound like a fun job), and some had to replace their units. Sounds expensive if required in a short term. Also in an instance it was suspected that it might have been involved in a bacterial bloom, through cross contamination in a campground. That shut down two sections of that facility. We guessed we would wait. The slinky hose drains relatively well, replacement parts are relatively cheap and relatively available, is quite quick, has no power requirements, and minimum moving parts. Other than a tight opening in the bumper to get elbows and fittings in and out, we have had no problems...

I learned to be careful with the stalking. Funny story. We were in Germany last week and we were in areas with tons of caravans. I saw an Eriba that was beautiful. Noticed they pulled into a rest stop off the Autobahn and followed. Mmmm I just I should have thought about what a crazy red head speaking excited english and going towards the camper and gesturing would look like to an elderly couple who didn't speak English. Lol I felt bad. They didn't have en visit the restroom. They hightailed it out of there. ???? The Eriba had an interesting cog type wheel that was right behind the back wheel. I wanted to know what it was for. Lol. Alas, I didn't get to look inside either. They were literally the only people we encountered that didn't know English. Lol