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Hi everyone... we actually have thought about this and would like to run an annual photo contest out of it. Possible prizes could be a nice new DSLR or Mirriorless camera or other stuff. I have a mirrorless Panasonic Lumix GH4 that is pretty awesome. Probably several prizes to be given away. My thought is that registered members of the website could upload photos and also vote on the photos. You could share them on social media possibly. Let me put some thought into this. I think we could build a map with thumbnails or markers that indicate a photo has been taken from the location. I'll need a few fields for the upload form. Upload - upload the file Title - Whatever you want to name your photo Location - possibly can pull this from the photo's meta data and if missing you can input a location Description - You can write up something about the location, experience, etc. Date - When the photo was taken, possibly pulled from the photo's meta data Maybe some type of category field... Campground, National Park, On the Road, etc. Any input will be appreciated.

Now that the weather in Florida has gotten a bit cooler, I turned to cleaning our trailer after being on the road the last two weeks. The oxidized bumper and diamond plate were really bugging me and needed a good cleaning. I took the bumper off and brought it into the shop where I could secure it to a bench. Two hours later it's almost a mirror finish. I used Zephyr yellow, blue and white fast cutting/polishing wheels with brown, green and white rouge bars. It's a really dirty job but a great pay-off. The diamond plate took almost as long as my Dewalt polisher is just too big and I did not want to hit the gelcoat. So hand polishing was the way to go. I used Zephyr Pro-40 metal polish and while it took 4 passes I got most of the oxidization off the diamond plate. A product I would highly recommend is Star Brite Hull Cleaner the Gel Formula. This product sprays on and just wipes off most everything! We park our Oliver under trees to shade it from the Florida sun and the pine needles mixed with daily rains make a nice brown tea that is really tough to get off unpolished fiberglass. I will not let this happen again. Today I am going to use 303 Aerospace Protectant on the hull. I will report back on how this hold up vs a traditional fiberglass polish.

Summary: It remains to be seen how well the dip tube connection endures the rigors of trailering with 32 gallons of water sloshing around. If it seeps, I will tighten the nut. If it continues to be a problem, then maybe the official spin-welded fitting will be needed. I will not know for quite a few miles, but I think it will be fine. I can imagine a situation where the suction dip tube has air in it from trailering, and you can't get water to flow out the tank drain. Simply turning on the pump should clear the line of air and start the siphon going. Attached are the original water capacity placard I made up shortly after I got Mouse home, and the new one I just made. There is quite a difference in usable water, I think this mod is definitely worth doing, unless you are forever connected to city water at your campsites. Note that while I did measure capacities while filling and emptying using 5 gallon buckets, there is some error and the numbers are not 100% accurate. I plan to print the new placard,laminate it and place it above the Tank Monitor in the trailer for easy reference. I checked the water filter after a few minutes of operation and it was FULL of white shavings, but I have never cleaned it before, so that may be a present from its birth in Howenwald. I plan to check and clean the filter every few hours until I see no more plastic shavings. Comments, questions and possible improvements are welcome. Oh yes, I never planned to run naked outside the trailer to raise the tongue if my shower ran the tank dry. I would most likely scream at my wife to do that.... with clothes on. John Davies Spokane WA Fresh-Water-Capacity-Placards.docx

Agree, Will post shots in "Where's Ollie" and hope we get a section on the front page seen all the time. It would be a great place to let Ollies be seen in use at wonderful places we camp. Sometimes we meet other fine forum members camping, too. Mr. Trumpetguy:

It's a bit windy here on the west coast and I bought these really nice paracord adjusters on Amazon and thought that I would pass them on because they really work great :) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013FOVIGC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s03?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Then I bought these stakes and they came with the 4 pieces of paracord that made the perfect combo for securing our awning in the wind with the Awning Deflapper Max https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AT2L34A/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s03?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I'm using rocks to hold the cords down here at the Pacific Ocean but the stakes work when used. A week on the ocean :) Reed

Love the shiny bumper, but if I ever get the urge I hope somebody takes me aside and talks to me. Afraid the sun, or those new headlights, would blind someone. Maybe I should just go out and put some of that diagonal red and white reflective tape, like the 18 wheelers have, so I don't get the urge. If I see a sunny flash while out on the open road, I'll know you are around...

How do people feel about creating an “America the Beautiful” photo section so members can post beautiful & interesting photos of areas they have visited while traveling in their Ollies? We could post a brief description & location so others could see what we are finding and possibly add the site to their list of “places to visit” during their Ollie travels. The reason I ask; I recently posted some awesome photos on my “Clever Beast travels” topic and don’t think many saw them. I know that I have found photos in various topics that have made me want to travel to those areas. I would love to be able to share and see what others are seeing while out on the road. Would anybody else be interested in doing this? Comments & opinions appreciated. Smiles....Kathy

I did think about the larger ones but went with the 30 gallon because my intent is to use it just to replenish my fresh tank. My thought was to put it behind the wheel well and in front of the tailgate and use my (heavy) toolbox with bungee’s to hold it against the side of the bed to prevent rolling around. I don’t plan on traveling with it full, just transporting water between the source and the trailer. I may be surprised the first time I use it! I was surprised at how small it is empty. Mike

Reed, I have never used a bladder, but I think it would be awkward at best, I assume they have tie-down grommets? How hard is it to clean out and dry off-season? I was considering something like this, and then my pickup truck went away. I think they are available in smaller capacities. This one is 48 gallons: “It's a little hard to get totally empty, but excellent for those horses who won't drink anything but home water. The shut off valves that come with are plastic- probably want to pick up metal ones from a local home improvement store for $5 and then this thing is bullet proof. Functionally everything you need, lightweight to mount on top of the trailer in the hay rack, and has indentions where it's easy to use ratchet straps to lock it in place. Overall very pleased with the tank after upgrading the plastic valves for metal.” https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=59683DCB-1ED0-47C7-B732-D487536EF290 You could go by an equestrian/ ranch supply house and talk to the folks there. LOTS of extra water is a really common need for horsemen. John Davies Spokane WA

Clair has spent many hours polishing our bumper, storage box, steps, etc. Our bumper was not polished coming from the factory. It had ragged edges & grinder marks that drove him crazy. I’m sure he will be interested/impressed by the process you have used.......Looks professional and very classy!

Mine was never polished. It seems to have a satin finish. The diamond plate part still looks good. Will keep your polish in mind. Don't think we will ever compete for shine...

Matt, fine ideas! If this section is always seen on the forum home page, it would be beneficial to prospective Ollie owners and also helpful to existing owners seeing new places to camp. Have seen beautiful photos posted here already, but currently hard to go back to find them all! When Mike started "Where's Ollie", it's a fine idea. That thread is not always seen on the home page. When I see someones post, would be nice to go back a year or two from now and find the post, maybe the new section could have photos/descriptions by state or region? Just a thought. Thanks, Bill

Wow! That looks great! So far, I've just thought about finishing our bumper and it looks like keeping up with the Roamy's will be tough :) HaHa, I've also been thinking about replacing the bumper bolts with polished carriage bolts for a cleaner looking fit. Reed

Obviously you went "all in" on the bumper polish - nicer look than even when it was new I'll bet. A good coat of just about any good wax will now keep it shiny longer, but, it will still dull over time. Nice job! Bill p.s. I deleted that second post for you.

Interesting and what appears to be a simple fix. I like it. A couple of questions: while sitting in the cold water of the tank will the 90* bend 'relax' and eventuality straighten out? If the pick up tube was cut on a 45* at the bottom, wouldn't it draw down more before sucking air? (Is that what you meant with an "angle" cut?). Did you reverse the fill and pick up lines? Surely the factory wouldn't remotely have had the standard pickup line at the top. And maybe it is time for you to put a waterproof remote switch in for the electric front jack. The thought of you rushing out to raise the front of your trailer, halfway through a shower, maybe just disrupt a campground...

Don, if we’ve got electrical hookups I’d rather use electricity than my propane. Our little Vornado is quieter than the furnace and keeps a more consistent temperature in the trailer. It doesn’t take up much floor space and is not in the traffic pattern in front of the nightstand. Mike

Like the way ya’ll are thinking! Never thought of using Where’s Ollie. I think a sub section would work well too. I love sharing those unexpected pleasures that we find during our travels....most are momontary or off the beaten path, etc. Bill, I love your SC beach photo! This is the one I took last week in Hiawasee, GA - lke it so much I put it on our profile page [attachment file=75922] [attachment file=75922]

Bill, I’ve been using the Where’s Ollie thread too. In fact I was just getting ready to post some pics from our trip to Colorado and Utah last month. Folks need to post there to bring it out of the past! Mike

Just attached to pump with supplied coupling and looped hose under and around.

Posted photos in the "Where's Ollie" thread, but it's not always seen on the home front page. We need a section always seen on the front page. While camping with our Ollies, it's so easy to see beautiful scenes. Most are not planned, that's why I keep a point & shoot camera in my pocket while camping. Here's an example, walking on the beach in SC one morning while camping: Here's another one on the Blue Ridge Parkway: Bill

Making a new forum section or a new sub forum is something Matt can do. Would it be better to have a sub forum section under Oliver Camping or Oliver Campfire? I think it’s a good idea! Mike

We use a small Vornado. It has three settings, 750W, 1150W and 1500W. We almost always have it on the lowest. It’s quiet and doesn’t blow hot air. It blows warm air and keeps us plenty warm. We had a few nights in the low 20s last year and it kept up on the medium setting. It’s here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00W1Q5GWI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1 We leave it in front of the night stand, so it doesn’t get in the way. At night the bathroom door is open so the heat blows back keeping the bathroom warm. It’s easy to reach when in bed. In our trailer: Mike

I winterized my Ollie yesterday and took it to a shop where they lovingly care for my 1986 Porsche Carerra Coupe. https://www.hartek.org/. I didn't have time to wash the Ollie yesterday, so I helped one of their employees wash it inside and left before they started waxing it. I've included a couple of photos including photos of a much better brush than I have used for washing the Ollie. They use a brush on an extending pole that is sold as a paintbrush! Much better than what I have used for the past couple of years.

In this new world of "Customer Service" I would never pass up the opportunity to talk to a real person on the phone. Thank you Oliver Travel Trailers for being small enough and considerate enough to still have this option. I, personally, love being able to call OTT and put a face to the person on the other end of the line.

Personally, if I leave someone a message and they've not returned my call in two hours, they're getting a return call. After two weeks, surely you've realized it has slipped between the cracks. Perhaps I was not clear earlier, Oliver had a breakdown in their phone system and NO MESSAGES were getting through. They disappeared into the ozone. For about 10 days. None. Now call back on the provided number. If they don't return your call in a timely manner, call me. 662-255-0181

We went to a big box lumber place (Lowe's maybe?) And bought this piece. It is designed to fit on the top of a rolling Husky tool box. It slides over the sink easily. We left ours snug where it goes over the faucet, this keeps it from "drifting" while we travel. It stayed snug when a drawer didn't. We trimmed the length a little, used a hole saw in the drill, and made two cuts. Simple, works well, adds usable counter space, and hides dirty dishes.

Fuses, you really can't have too many. I carry at least a few fuses for everything that needs one with the bulk of the collection being 10, 20 and 30 amp ATO blade type. I also recommend a few 30 amp slo-blo glass type for the jacks. This will tell you more that you every wanted to know about automotive fuses. I also carry a spare water pump and an extra head for the rear jacks. These are by no means necessary but I have them so.... I lead a group of FG trailers on a trip earlier this year into the Utah back country and one of them had a water pump go out in his trailer. He spent the best part of two days sourcing and installing it. I would have given him my extra but he had left to search for a replacement before I heard about it.

This chart shows what your "readings" should be when the battery is at rest. Rest means that you are not on a charger and it has been at least a couple of hours after you were on a charger. While on shore power or while solar panels are working you will be getting a charge put into your batteries that is in excess of what this resting battery status will be. If you are worried, simply unplug (or turn off you solar panels if you have them) wait a couple of hours and then look to see what your batteries read. During this time you should also turn off all things (that you can) that draw battery power. Bill