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This rally is happening now at Davie Crockett Birthplace State Part in TN. It's coinciding with a tractor show. We're surrounded by classic tractors, including the rare Oliver! I couldn't resist posting this of Outlaw and the Olivers.

Thanks - we've just returned to Atlanta from a trip out west pulling a 30ft 5th wheel and I can tell you I am looking forward to downsizing. I don't have any trouble towing or backing the current rig but we saw some amazing places to camp if we had an Oliver....not to mention bumping my head under the camper. We have decided to get an Oliver already, just a matter of new or used and when. I am spending a lot of time on the forum learning what I can to make informed decisions.

This is our new tow vehicle. Top speed is only about 30 mph and the mileage sucks but it will pull a stump out of the ground! An Oliver pulling an Oliver. What could be cooler?

Bob, your always welcome to stop by again, we've had our CLAM up, in the yard, since we got it in the spring. With all the winds we've had this summer the only issue is the roof popped down. It's the large one and has the 5 panel covers. I wouldn't hesitate to put a heater in it, if needed, but with the panels on your only limited by air temp. Currently, for the last 2 months, it has only been staked down at the ground points, not the center screen tie downs, this works really well and eliminates the trip hazards.

We use our step a lot, be sure to get the adjustable legs on it because there have been places that we camped that each leg was set at a different height to level it.

We had a 27' 5th wheel which was ok for those two week vacations and an occasional weekend. It would have literally fallen apart going some of the places we have been with the Oliver. The Oliver is a whole lot more practical for us, and we go for a month or more at a time. The trouble of finding a used Oliver is finding a used Oliver. Good Luck.

Reed, This is the exact truck I have been drooling over!! Curious if you took the 6.2 out for a spin, and more curious to hear how the 5.3 does pulling your trailer. I was pretty set on the 6.2, but if the 5.3 is up to the task, then the mileage would be better. I've heard that the new 8 speed transmission has greatly improved the performance of that engine (well, both of them actually). Congrats on your new rig! Dave

Thanks SeaDawg...you are correct, we have a slow connection and it didn’t appear to be going thru. John, I tried deleting content but every time I tried to edit the words out they’d still be there. At least I got rid of the doubled photos ???????????? Reed, notice how high our steps are? I had to stack up some of our horse mat pads to be able to reach the bottom step. I guess we need to get one of those aluminum folding platforms. Anyway, back to the awning, we decided to put a light tie down on the one end (not straight down) because at its 4-5ft extension point it was too high for me to get a hold of the front edge in high wind conditions like we had at Lake Guntersville SP. We have since brought the awning out further to drop the front edge because it needs frequent leaf removal. Doesn’t need a tie down now. Sure is gorgeous here today! Smiles...Kathy

I don't trust the 120 covers either. Those are marine grade 12v outlets with rubber plugs, and they're switched from the cabin. (At least, they're supposed to be. )

We are in the process of locating third-party maintenance facilities across the U.S. that are qualified and have good reputations to service Oliver owner's trailers. We are starting with the West Coast since it is such a long haul for them to have service work done back here in TN. If some of you owners have had good experiences with third-party maintenance shops, please let us know. I'll start a new thread for input.

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

There are pros and cons to the Zamp system, as pointed out. I think Oliver is in the right for the majority of their customers. The ultimate solution would be for them to offer the Zamp as the standard package and then the Blue Sky or similar as a 'pro' package. I'm a fan of Victron equipment and think that it would offer the best of both worlds, but I think it's unlikely that Oliver will switch from Zamp anytime in the near future. The real issue is that a group of owners were caught in the transition between the two systems and feel that they got a lesser system than what they paid for. I sympathize and agree. Oliver will sell you an 'off the menu' 420 watt system if you ask. I'm also working with them on a 640 watt system for my trailer which may or may not ever be offered, as there are some mounting issues to be overcome. My personal opinion is that 420w, plus an expansion port, is the sweet spot for most users, but 360w plus the expansion port is far from awful. After all, you can get a 200w solar suitcase system from Zamp that you can place anywhere; the drawbacks being storage of the panels (they ain't small nor lightweight), the trouble of deploying them, and the risk of theft if left unattended. Nonetheless, I think the pros of having a set of portable panels outweigh the cons. If you want a system that will apportion power demands from multiple power sources - shore, battery, and generator - it's possible, but you'd need to replace the standard inverter and charger with a hybrid inverter/charger like the aforementioned Victron. That's my plan, and hopefully will be a sweet solution, but it's neither cheap to buy nor simple to install. In the end though, you could tell it to only draw 15 amps from shore power, the rest from the batteries, and to automatically crank up the generator if the batteries get low. The system I've bought won't autostart a generator, but my great hope is to not ever need one. As for price, my opinion is if you think you will need a larger system, then go ahead and buy one now. This looks to be the final year that you can take the full tax credit on the equipment, which should make up for any price drops in the coming years. Plus panel and battery prices seem to have leveled out a bit now that demand is rising at a similar pace to supply, and we have the new fear that threatened higher import tariffs will be levied on Chinese made panels which some articles I've read say will almost double the current prices. So, place your bets, I guess.