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I have to agree, Y'all have the accent. :-) Part of the problem is they wear headsets now and there is a delay when talking to them. I keep asking if they are still on the line because sometimes it seems like we have lost the connection.

They sent us a package with the drawer catches and some other new parts that we never knew had been sent... Turns out that FedX dumped it somewhere else. But Jason sent us out a new package and Richie made sure that we got the tracking# and we haven't had a problem with communication. They don't have an accent in Howenwald, we are the outsiders there. Having worked with people from many different cultures, we have had no problems with dialects except in Georgia where the English language was completely different :) We haven't emailed in a while, but it was fine. Anita has had Richie call me back once and it was business as usual and I've had no problems talking with any of them. I grew up Blue collar and I would fit right in just fine even with my California accent if I needed a job there. I enjoy the person to person engagements myself and have talked to many of them like brothers and sisters and I really have no problem waiting for a call back even a few days later after the weekend. Reed

I have never had a "long term"problem communicating with the folks at Oliver. Yes, there have been times when an email with a number of numbered items on it have taken more than one follow-up to get all items taken care of, but, they were taken care of. When I have had the situation of employees not calling me back or returning my emails I have asked for the intervention of my sales rep - Anita - and that, in turn, was all it took to get the situation back on track. For those that are continuing to have problems I would suggest taking a look back at the Oliver Family posting on the Forum from June 9, 2017 which read in part: "we kindly ask that if you have a problem or concern with your Ollie, please call us directly so we can help you. This will provide us the details we need in a timely fashion and expedite our course of action." Keep going up the ladder until you get the help you need. Bill

This is a timely conversation for me, given that just Friday I had a small dust up with Oliver's sales staff that stemmed entirely from poor communication and not following up on commitments. Emails not returned, phone calls not returned, promises to follow up that aren't kept - it's a surprise when I don't encounter any of that. Like Dave, a regular theme I've run into is that I'll ask three questions in an email but only one will be answered, and often so minimally that it requires an additional string of emails to try to tease out the information I need. It's bad enough and common enough that I often wearily decide it's not worth the effort. I also find I have difficulty on the phone with them. I was born and raised in the south but even so, I thought at first it was something oddly cultural that we almost just weren't using the same language. But I've decided that the problem is simply that when I talk with someone there I'm just not receiving their full attention. There's often a bit of a pause after I've said something that makes it seem like they're doing something else instead of listening to me. And often their replies seem like they weren't listening to the question. I have to say though that Anita is always the exception to this - she is invariably attentive, helpful and professional - and when I do get Jason the phone or face to face it's obvious that he's giving me his full attention. (Jason I think is just being pulled in too many directions to be as responsive as I'd like.) And I can say that 100% of any frustration that I've had with Oliver could have been prevented with decent communication and follow up, either between Oliver and me, or among themselves. There's a point in every small company's growth at which they're forced to transition from being small but accommodating, to being big but professional, and Oliver hasn't made it through that transition yet. And of course, despite the above, we are on the whole pleased with Oliver and remain thoroughly excited about receiving our trailer someday.

Accents? We don't have an accent, Y'all do. As far as communicating with the people at the OTT factory and getting a response, I have always found their response to my questions and concerns to be timely and helpful. As an example - When we first bought our current trailer, it developed a leak in the fresh water line. It turned out to be a hairline crack in a check valve in the fresh water line. Oliver set us up with a local shop for repairs and when their technician couldn't find the problem, one of the factory service reps got on the phone and talked them through the problem. OTT even sent pictures to the local repair shop. We were back on the road in a couple of hours. Over the years when we've had warranty work done while on the road, the shops that we've dealt with always seemed stunned (and quite pleased) with the quick response and helpful attitude from OTT . Sometimes at our home in Florida, currently in Salem, Ma. and headed to the higher elevations for leaf peeper season. Hap Hometown, Atlanta, Georgia. LOL

Accents? We don't have no stinkin' accents!

I’ve had generally good responses from both sales and service. Always had timely answers and follow ups from Tommy and Jason. Accents haven’t been an issue either. They are in central TN and folks there have accents, just like we have here in south TX. I like being able to talk directly to Oliver employees and would hate to see things get too sophisticated. I can tolerate an occasional delay knowing how busy they are getting. I agree that a “contact us” tab on the web page with a list of names and phone numbers/email addresses would be helpful. Mike

Could anyone help recommend (or post a picture) of what they carry in their Oliver as mechanical backup/replacement parts such as spare fuses, washers, shear pins, etc.? Thanks

2015 Oliver Elite II 12 VDC “NEGATIVE” Connection Issue After replacing the battery tray and the stiff wiring going to the batteries in our 2015 Oliver Elite II trailer; I checked out the trailer electrical system. I discover that the trailers on board battery negative was never bonded to the negative coming from the tow vehicle. Because the two negatives were never connected together it created two problems. First the tow vehicle would never charge the trailers on board batteries. Second the trailer brakes negative lead was connected to the trailers on board battery negative buss bar. Second the trailer brakes were obtaining the negative connection only through the trailer ball when connected to the tow vehicle. The tow vehicle’s negative lead was only connected to the exterior lights on the trailer (marker lights, turn signals and back up lights). Up until the past two months our trips have been a max of a day or two travels. During July and August we travel throughout the west, after the first couple of weeks I started logging the start of the days battery voltage and then logging the end of the travel days battery voltage and all of the time it was about ½ a volt lower at the end of the day (we don’t have solar); for all of the other travel trailers we have owned the tow vehicle would keep the trailers on board batteries charged. I have bonded the two negative systems together, which has corrected both issues. I located several pictures of wiring diagrams that Robert Partee – Oliver TT Sales Manager at the time we purchased our trailer gave us. The pictures were so bad you could not read anything. After blowing up the pictures, there was one of the tow vehicle cable and how it routed throughout the trailer and it did not show any connection between the two 12 VDC negative systems. Also it did show that the brakes negative lead was connected to the trailers on board battery negative buss bar; as I described above. I have discussed this issue with Richie Carroll at Oliver Travel Trailers. There is a simple test you can perform to see if your trailers tow vehicle 12 VDC negative lead is connected to the trailers on board battery negative buss. Using a multiple meter at the tongue of your trailer and the cable that connects to your tow vehicle; connect one lead from the multiple meter to a metal point on the trailer and the other multiple meter lead on the ground terminal of the trailer cable. If the two systems are connected together you will read a shorted connection; if not your meter will show an open connection. If you obtain an open connection, I suggest you correct the issue.

My porch lights started leaking very soon after we picked up our Oliver. Water was visible on the inside of the lenses and the bulb socket was beginning to rust a bit. I have the old style lights. Problem was in trying to fit a flat based fixture to a curved trailer. Unfortunately, silicone was used to "seal" the gaps. The job was not that well administered, with gaps in the bead and silicone residue smeared about.There is an old adage in the boating world about silicone: "Silicone sticks to nothing, and nothing sticks to silicone" Perhaps it has uses somewhere, but after 35 years of painting and construction, I still don't know where that is. It's a scourge to any finishing shop, and makes repairs much more involved. First, I removed the fixtures. They are chromed plastic (sigh) and impossible to clean without ruining the finish on them. I tossed them and bought new ones, luckily they are not too expensive. Next I used plastic razor blades and a citrus based adhesive cleaner to remove the bulk of the silicone that was on the gelcoat. It cleaned up well and looked clean but when misted with water the silicone oils which penetrated the pores of the gelcoat made the water bead up. So, more work to do. No sealant will stick to that for very long. I bought a can of Debond at West Marine here. I then bought 1000, 1500, and 2000 grit automotive sandpaper (3M). I was nervous to take sandpaper to my precious Ollie but I needed more to vanquish the silicone demon! I sprayed the Debond on the 1000 grit paper and wet sanded all around where the fixtures were mounted. I could tell instantly that it was working. Wiped the area clean and repeated with the 1500 grit, then the 2000. All silicone completely gone and just the very slightest loss of sheen to the gelcoat. I talked to Jason on the buffing products they use at the shop and he said they use Shurhold Buff Magic Compound. I bought a foam buffing pad here for my random orbit sander (Festool Rotex) and buffed/polished the area. To my relief, it blended in perfectly, and I am particular. With the area clean of contaminants and polished I reinstalled the new fixtures. I decided to use butyl tape for the sealant. I felt pretty confident that for this situation, it was the best material. But not all butyl tapes are created equal, by a wide margin. The product that kept coming up on all the boating forums was Bed-it Butyl Tape I can confirm that this is the best stuff I have ever used. Before installing the fixture. I had to re-drill the mounting holes that were way undersized, and then slightly countersink those holes. The gelcoat was badly fractured around the original holes, in a few spots, it just flaked off. Countersinking relieves the compression forces of the screw expanding the glass substrate, which would otherwise fracture the relatively brittle gelcoat. In a thru-bolt situation where there is no compression, the countersink also creates an extra space around the fastener where the butyl tape will be thicker allowing better expansion/contraction ability and a better weather seal. A very good article for those wanting to get deeper into this subject:https://forums.sailboatowners.com/index.php?threads/bedding-deck-hardware-with-bed-it-butyl-tape.117172/ I doubled up the tape top and bottom of the fixture to allow for the curve of the trailer, and added some extra bits where I thought they would be needed in the corners. I also, rolled up some small bits of tape and stuffed them in the enlarged screw holes. It was a warm summer day so no problem pressing the fixture tight to the trailer shell. Screwed down the fixture and with my plastic razor and a tiny bit of paint thinner, cleaned off the excess. A word of caution, try not to get any solvent on these chromed plastic fixtures, it messes up the finish. Next time I would tape off the fixture before installing it to make cleanup safer. As it was I did get a little discoloration to the chrome but not too bad. Finally a good coat of Collinite Fleet paste wax to the whole trailer and fixtures. What a difference! Also swapped out the clear lenses for the amber ones which I like better. Fixture with original silicone sealant above. You can see some of the fracturing of the gelcoat. The picture doesn't quite capture the flaking around the holes. Cleaned, polished, re-drilled and countersunk. Some of the chipping went beyond the countersink...but will be covered. Tape applied, holes filled with a small coil of tape. Fixture screwed down. Next time, I'll place the tape more carefully so there isn't so much to have to trim off, and carefully mask the fixture to protect it from solvent during cleanup. Final pic in next post. Guess I can only do three at a time....

Hunting Island State Park Closed: Hunting Island State Park is closed until December 31, 2017 due to damages by Hurricane Irma. The Nature Center is open and serves as an information hub for the park. If you have a reservation at Hunting Island between now and December 31, 2017, you will be contacted and a full refund will be issued. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time. If Charleston is not too far, James Island County Park is very nice.

Have to stay in Salem for Halloween?

I think that John Davies brings up important issues regarding Oliver communication channels. I also empathize with Mike and Carol's concern about things getting too "sophisticated." I have communicated solely by phone since we took possession of our Ollie this past June. I have spoken to Anita, Heather, Jason, Richie, and Scott Oliver. All have been helpful, courteous, and friendly. (I too appreciate the "lovely" Tennessee accent, by the way, and haven't found it an impediment to communication.) Overall, I like the personal interaction, especially with those whom I have met in person. It does, nonetheless, seem to me that John is correct: As the company grows, it needs to grow in the way that it interacts with its customers. I would just hate to lose the "personal touch" in my interactions with company folks. The company, at least, needs to incorporate, as John puts it, "e-commerce standard features like email notification, receipt, and tracking information." Dave is exactly right that "the good will of Oliver’s customers is worth more than most anything else." I hope that one or more faithful company representatives are monitoring this conversation and will be able to convey our concerns to company decision makers. Right now, it seems to me, we all retain that good will--along with our appreciation of and pride in the products we have purchased. There must be a way for Oliver Travel Trailers to improve communication efficiency and still retain their helpful, courteous, and friendly (and personal) interactions with their customers. Thanks, John Davies, for initiating this discussion. --Jeff

The next is the new front logo. These decals are easy to order and very durable. This one is based on a picture of our coyote "Sandy" as she howls. Beautiful.

Hull #200 had the problem but... I had continuity and 14vdc between the positive terminal and the trailer tongue, but the trailer wouldn't charge from the car. John and I are at a Rally together and after fixing his 2015, hull #92, he wanted to look at my 2017 Elite II. There are substantial differences and when we tried to trace the white ground wire back from the 7 pin, it just disappears into the vanity from outside and doesn't come out into the front right side dinette... So I pulled out the schematic and take a look... The white takes off from behind the vanity and meanders all around and then connects to the attic ground bar according to the schematic, so there is no direct ground to the frame that we could see. When we tested the ground up at the 7 pin we were getting less than 9vdc, so it was obvious that we didn't have a good ground, which is more then likely the cause of the problems that you Ford guys are experiencing. John had brought some 10ga wire with him, so we opened up the 7 pin connector, pushed the weather seal inside to make enough room to run a temporary ground to the frame directly from the white terminal and everything works now. I removed the Camco LED foreign car adaptor and tested it without and it works. We then brought John's truck over and hooked it up to my trailer because it has the voltage meter on the dash. Low and behold, the trailer now charges from the tv without the "Tow Ready" connector needed anymore, the lights all work and everything is working the way it's supposed to. Now all that I need to do is find out what happens to the white wire behind the vanity and then hard wire it directly to the frame or the ground bar beneath the rear Dinette seat. So the answer for all trailer owners, not just trailers below 100, is yes, there is a ground problem that can easily be fixed. I'm sure that this is the main issue with the Ford Truck problems along with the trailer not charging for everyone. So I suggest, those of you with the electrical knowledge, check out your ground wire and make sure that it goes directly to ground out of the 7 pin connector on every trailer made to date! I hooked up to the Mercedes and all is well now, I don't have a voltage gauge, so when I leave here in a couple of days, I will make sure that the trailer is charging without the tow ready. I'm thinking that it will not be needed anymore but an actual drive test will be the tell all. Right now the lights and everything work like they are supposed to. Here's a pic of my simple temporary fix - We simply ran from the white terminal inside the 7 pin back to the frame, then wrapped it in electrical tape for now until I call Richie and find out where the white wire comes into the trailer. Reed

I have to agree with you John with many of your points. My biggest problems have been with email correspondence, where only one question in my email will be addressed and none of the others. My last email was about the fresh water tank retrofit. Jason asked if I was going to be around Tennessee (I live in Oregon), I said it might be a while, but do they offer a retrofit kit that I could install myself. Never heard back.... When I talk to Anita, or other office folks, it often sounds like we have a bad connection. Maybe they use headsets? Between the conversation cutting in and out and the accent (which I find lovely and have no problem understanding face to face), I have a hard time keeping up with the conversation. It's good to bring this up because the good will of Oliver's customers is worth more than most anything else. I love their trailers and all the folks there that I have met, but they do need to polish up their Customer Relations a bit. Better follow through correcting problems and clear and thorough responses to emails would be a good start. Dave

Final pic of new fixture with amber lenses Hard to duplicate this using 3M 4000 or the like. The butyl tape is tight, clean, and most importantly hasn't leaked a bit through all the downpours and sleet and snow that has followed me around this Fall! This is now an outdated fixture for Oliver. But I hope that anyone who may have silicone sealant on their rig and wants to get rid of it for real will find this post useful. Also if you want to add any accessory items like a plug for aux. solar panels, or need to reset a window, or whatever, will consider using this technique. Contrary to what some folks think of butyl tape, this brand has not oozed out in the heat or collected dirt and turned black. If you keep it tight to the fixture and use a quality product like Bed-it, you should be a happy camper! Ok, it's past happy hour..... Dave

Overland, CradlePoint does have a 5in1 antenna on their website that amplifies both the Cellular, GPS, & WiFi signal which would be more than capable of reaching your tow car and a 50-yard radius around your trailer. The antenna is made by Pantheon Antenna SKU: 170654-000. I PM'ed you additional info. Thanks --- Jim

Maverick, I just fixed mine (Hull #92). The brakes had a negative wire to the bus bar but no wire from buss to the ground lug on the frame and no wire from the umbilical negative to the buss or the ground lug. Nothing connected to the frame ground lug at all. The umbilical negative had three small wires which I suspect were light negatives, but they were not brakes. Not sure as they disappeared in the maze. So, I ran a #10 from the umbilical negative to the buss bar and two #10s from the buss to the ground lug. I also kept the small (light?) negatives connected to the umbilical. Before this I had no continuity from the TV negative to the frame and no charging current to the batteries while plugged into the TV. Now it is charging. Thanks for the heads up! I've been working on other items and did not notice the charging problem. I also had no trouble with the brakes. John