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This posting is in response to a PM which I received from David Thompson (aka – thompsonkd). He mentioned some of my previous attachments may not have transitioned to our new and improved Forum. I thought this posting might be helpful. David, first off congratulations on the purchase of your new Ollie. Oliver travel trailers are the best! I have attached three files. The Campsite Arrival Checklist, The Campsite Departure Checklist and The Core Competencies for Travel Trailer. I picked up my Ollie back in June of 2016 and developed these documents prior to my drive to the factory. I should note, the Arrival and Departure Checklists are scanned documents. I maintain a color laminated card, 5.5”X7.0”, with a checklist on each side. I keep it in the center console of my truck and refer to it all the time. I use several abbreviations which may need clarification: TV=Tow Vehicle, TT=Travel Trailer, PTBA= Pro Trailer Backup Assist (an optional feature on my F-150), Hitch Evolution=A series of steps to connect the trailer which includes an Andersen hitch. When I purchased Ollie, it was my first time owning and operating an RV. I knew less than nothing and felt checklists would be helpful. Keep in mind, my lists do not pretend to be best practice. They are also customized to how I think and progress through a series of operations. For the most part, they have stood the test of time, but could use some updating. As a case in point, I became a widower in 2017 so I no longer have anyone to operation the Walkie Talkies with me. A will add, being a solo camper, makes the lists more essential. David, so there you have it! Please note, I am off again tomorrow morning camping in a state park in Vermont with my dog, Buddy. He loves camping, so we head out all the time and may be off the grid for a while. Buzzy [attachment file=Campsite Arrival Checklist 1.pdf] [attachment file=Campsite Departure Checklist 1.pdf] [attachment file=Core Competencies for Travel Trailer.docx] Campsite-Arrival-Checklist-1.pdf Campsite-Departure-Checklist-1.pdf Core-Competencies-for-Travel-Trailer.docx

Ross and I took the Oliver out for the first time since our trip home from Hohenwald. On that trip, I made reservations the whole way, and we had electrical and water hookups in each CG, so this weekend we took it out boondocking to try out all those features on the trailer. The trip was a great success- we had a great time and the Oliver was perfect! We camped out in the San Isabel National Forest, between Buena Vista and Poncha Springs. We were walking distance to a trailhead that lead to a great waterfall (relatively speaking, we’re in the great but dry State of Colorado!), and we did some mountain biking. We had nice views of the Collegiate Peaks from our camp. This is a great area for dispersed camping if you are looking for an area near Salida/Poncha Springs/Buena Vista. I was so impressed with the Oliver. We don’t use anything fancy that sucks a lot of energy, but we did listen to music through the speakers, watched two movies, ran the Maxx fan, used the lights freely, etc. Yet, each night at bedtime, our batteries were at full capacity. The solar panels basically kept the batteries near or at full charge the entire time. I was also amazed at how cool it stayed in the Oliver, despite sitting in direct sunlight. In short, it was a great trip in our new trailer and we couldn’t be happier. I’ll post a few pics and hopefully they don’t come out upside down. Alison

I showed this to Scott Oliver at the Rally and he had not seen it before. The trip to Lake Guntersville has this starting to happen again on both sides. I am going to Hohenwald in June and will see if I can get them to address it. Hope this is helpful to others. Hello All, I wanted to update those of you following this thread on our fenders. We had a service call in Hohenwald last week and I got the opportunity to met Daniel Oliver as he wanted to see our trailer and what was going on with the fenders. He introduced himself and went right to work crawling under our trailer and looking at the fenders. 5 minutes later he was back in front of me saying - "That's not right. Sub-assembly (this is what Oliver calls the tandem wheel carriage) is mounted too far forward by almost an inch." He then went right on to tell me the solution "Going to order you a new sub assembly with no mounting holes drilled in it. This way we don't re-drill your frame and weaken it. Instead we will drill the sub assembly one inch back, to make it all perfect" I have to say Daniel knows his product and made me feel very good about how Oliver was going to address my problem. Few company's admit their mistakes and even fewer fix them on their on dine. Very happy and proud to be a Oliver Owner. It will require another trip back to Hohenwald but, we love TN and it's just another reason to go camping. One interesting note to share: Parked right next to our trailer in the factory service area was the Muckle's trailer. This is the trailer that made us Oliver owners. The Muckle's spend two hours with us that day and it was the best orientation we ever got. I still hear Gary talking to me every time I setup or pack-up our trailer. Onward!

Update: Had time today to work on the plumbing and got to the problem. First, as big thanks for all of you who helped me trouble shoot! I started from the toilet and work back to the city water hook up. The shut off value for the toilet was clean with plenty of pressure, but the hose connection to the toilet was full of what I can only call plastic chips. A lot of them. (SEE IMAGE) I opened the toilet shut off value and used the hose to wash all the derby out on the connection. That fixed the toilet. Next the bathroom sink shower, I started to remove the four screws that hold the towel rack to the cabinet but stopped when I noticed it was clacked in place. Being a day from home I will do this when I get back to the shop. I look forward to seeing the cartage I have heard so much about. Next the kitchen sink, same thing - plastic chips. Cleaned and flowing better now. Last was the water filter on the water pump. Shut the value so no back flow and took off the filter trap. Full of hardened glue strings and bits of black plastic. (SEE IMAGE) How or why this got into my system is an mystery to me. I have had the trailer for a year and always used a water filter on the city water or water tank fill line.

I see no reason to go measuring, looking for a problem that has not shown up on it's own. Foy's trailer had an obvious mistake. Next, everyone will be looking for a 1/4" difference somwhere and demanding a new frame. Relax. This is a one-off mistake that actually was a problem. Good on Oliver to fix it. If your wheels aren't rubbing and the trailer tows straight, you're golden. Oliver builds trailer frames for other brands at their other location and I bet that is where the suspension truck/subframe is produced. They can easily call over and order a new one that is not pre-drilled. Most likely, the guys on the line over there, just reversed a couple of members and welded them in. Their proposed fix makes a lot of sense. I bet they could even just remove Foy's truck and re-drill it to the proper spec, but they instead chose to replace it completely. Foy, I'm curious about the small zinc anode washers that are mounted just ahead of the truck. Are those there and where they should be? It would be interesting if they drilled the aluminum frame incorrectly instead of the truck. Either way, I'm glad they are taking care of it.

John, I agree with your statement about the appliance issues being between you and the manufacturer, however oliver will try to intervene. My story began the day before we were leaving for the spring rally, on my pre trip inspection, I discovered a loose wheel bearing, when I removed the wheel the axle dust cap was rattling around in the hub cap, I had no idea for how long. Needless to say the bearings and races had to be replaced, I replaced them and when I got to the rally and talked to the dexter rep, he said " it happens" and told me to turn it in to oliver. When I got home two weeks later I called Jason and sent a copy of my receipts, one week after that I called and he said dexter denied the claim (out of warranty) give him some time he'll work on it, four days later a check arrived in the mail. Outstanding customer support! Steve

I would love to be there. Winnipeg is a beautiful city. And, some of my relatives entered into Canada in the last century, at Winnipeg. On to beautiful Saskatchewan.... Can't make this event, but we did attend a bolerama in Quebec 6 or 7 years ago. It was soooo much fun. If any of you in the plains, or travelling Canada, can make it, you will have a wonderful time. Our Canadian neighbors to the north have always been great hosts. Warm, welcoming, fun around the campfire. Wish we could be there. Sherry

Foy, good to hear about the excellent service. The Muckles, Slushers and Landrums convoyed through San Antonio in January or February of 2016. We had dinner with them at Pete Marks house then saw their trailers the next day. We had already ordered our trailer, but Gary, Lee and Steve all had great words of wisdom (as did Tali, Jona and Teri!). We all become part of the Oliver sales force pretty quickly. Mike

We got home a couple of days ago with our new Ollie and I thought I'd share some thoughts that may be useful to other prospective / waiting buyers. On factory options: ■ Solar is hands-down the easiest choice. Keeps batteries topped off all the time. Allows you to run the fridge on DC while driving and not run down the batteries. Yes it charges off the tow vehicle wiring, but I doubt this would be enough to keep the batteries charged when also running the fridge. ■ The Lagun table was the worst choice for us. I liked the idea, but in practice the table is too bulky in storage (a 3" pipe sticks out from the bottom of the table, plus the arm is not small either) and we're too worried about scratching the surface. We don't like leaving it up while sleeping, and since we're already converting the side dinette to a bed every night for our son, we don't need yet another daily stow/deploy operation. Also now that Overland has pioneered a better mounting method, I would never order this from the factory; do it yourself and get a cleaner solution. ■ The KTT Latex Mattress upgrade was definitely worth it for us. Very comfortable and slept cool in the warm weather we experienced. Yes we had the AC on but we turned it down (raised the thermostat) for bedtime. Man that thing is loud! Anyway we also bought the plastic looped mat to enhance air flow after following this thread. We ended up buying Hypervent from Defender since it was cheaper and looked to be the same material as Aire-Flow. ■ The WeBoost cell booster was a win. We camped mostly in state parks on the way back, many were far off the interstates. It gave us a functioning connection in several places where we otherwise had none. Sometimes it didn't give us a functioning data connection, but even being able to make/receive calls and text messages was great. However having to hold your phone close to the antenna mounted over the dinette is not ideal. I want to plug the output from the WeBoost into a mobile router to enable our devices to connect anywhere in/around the trailer. One day. ■ We ordered the shower track but haven't purchased a shower curtain yet. Wiping down the toilet seat and area around the toilet is not fun. Plus a lot of water seems to collect there so it really saturated our towel (that we keep only for that purpose). So the jury is still out on the shower track but I don't think that having a curtain will be useless. ■ Truma tankless water heater was great. When on full hookups all three of us took nice long showers and never had to worry about running out. Maybe not "needed" but neither is a $65K camper. We got it for the performance but also the ease of use and maintenance. I found Reed's posts on this topic influential (which of course I cannot find right now). Other noteworthy stuff we bought: ■ 18" milk crates. Overland mentioned this in his Snowball thread. I was excited to essentially have the basement packed before we left home to pick up the trailer. I bought these because I wanted to organize my stuff logically: blocks chocks and jacks went in red, water hoses and filters in blue, electric and gas in green. Black stays in the garage and is where I put the hitch, tow mirrors, etc. Perfect. Except that when we picked up the trailer, there was this white plastic sheeting material closing off part of the basement area so the milk crates wouldn't fit in width-wise. I had to crawl in the basement and unscrew the sheeting from a stringer and then the stringer from the floor of the basement. I re-installed the plastic sheet all the way against the rear of the trailer with duct tape to protect the wires and hoses back there but now the milk crates fit. I can get all three in plus my toolbox and Viair compressor, and everything is so easy to pull out and find what I need. Suh-weet! ■ Water filter. Thanks to DavePhelps in this thread for turning me on to RVWaterFilterStore.com. We bought the two-canister Essential system because it seemed like the best compromise between cost, effectiveness, and convenience. We were very pleased with the results. Always had great tasting and feeling (for showers) water even when the campground water was kinda harsh. When we got home and my wife showered in our house she remarked "Meh, unfiltered water...." Also the build quality is very nice. ■ Bed sheets. After much consternation we ordered custom sheets from CustomLinensDirect. They were very soft, well-made, and fit perfectly. We supplied the measurements 75"L x 29"W x 8"D (this is for the KTT Latex mattress upgrade). We bought the 300TC sheets but they also have 500 if that floats your boat. We also bought a few sets of sheets from two different sellers on Amazon as backups and for our son's bed on the side dinette. They were allegedly 300TC Egyptian cotton but after washing just once (and dried on delicate) they were very rough feeling. ■ Plates. We found Corelle knock-offs called Oftast at Ikea. These don't shatter into a billion little shards like Corelle but are still tempered glass so you can use them in the microwave unlike melamine or acrylic. They're also super cheap: less than $1 each. We switched our 4-year-old to these dishes after we discovered them in February and none have broken yet, other than the two I broke for testing purposes. I also want to thank Reed and Karen Lukens for compiling their Amazon Wish List. We didn't buy close to everything on the list, and sometimes we bought different items than what they recommended, but it was a great resource to see things we might have forgotten or not thought about.

For those of you interested in my craft of making cutting board, I though I would do a quick overview of the process. It all starts with templates for the sink, in this case 2017 Elite II. A top cardboard template that is cut to the finished size, faucet location/cut-out and corner details are establish. I second template is made for the bottom which is use to hold the cutting board in place by dropping down into the sink bowl. Once these are checked for fit, I can make as many as I need knowing they will all be the same. Rough saw 1 1/4” thick Cherry and Maple are select and measured for total board feet need to build all the cutting boards. The board are then milled on the jointer to establish a flat bottom side and then passed through the planer for a perfectly flat board. The final thickness is 7/8”. These are then ripped down on the table saw – Cherry to 2 1/3” and the Maple to 1/4”. [attachment file=IMG_0859.JPG] With all the milling done the boards are then arranged in the ship decking pattern and glued together with food safe, water proof glue. These large panels are then cut to rough size cutting boards. Using the top template the corners are rounded and faucet location are cut on the bandsaw. The final size is cut on the table saw for last minute adjustments. The bottom template is then use to mark the bowl location and the wood is removed from around the edges at the router table. This allows the cutting board to sit inside the sink and not move. Last step is sanding and more sanding and more sanding. 80, 120, 220 and 320 grit sandpaper are used. The final step is a coat of mineral oil and they are done. It takes about 3 days to make a run of 4 cutting boards. Some people have ask why I do this? And think I am a bit crazy. It's not for the money for the wood alone cost what I charge. It is for the love of working with wood and created something I can share with others who value my craft. Over the next few week I will begin shipping these board to their new Oliver Owners. I hope they enjoy them as much as I did making them.

Come join Oliver Travel Trailers from August 15th -19th as we attend the Boler 50th Anniversary gathering at Red River Exhibition Park, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Boler was the first fiberglass travel trailer invented in 1968 and made approximately 10,000 units before stopping production in 1988. Join us as we pay homage to the pioneer of fiberglass travel trailers! The event is limited to the first 1000 trailers. Daily activities include trailer showcases, workshops, entertainment and much more. All campsites have asphalt parking and electric hookups. There is also fresh water and dump locations inside the park. For more information about the rally, visit their website at http://myboler.com/ or their Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/888471907908283/. If you own an Oliver Travel Trailer, there is a “Camp Ollie” with limited space that will allow you to camp next to other Oliver owners. If you are an Oliver owner and plan to attend, contact “Camp Ollie” directors, owner Coy Gayle (hardrock) or Phil Andrews of Oliver Travel Trailers. For any prospective owners, the event will be open to the public on Saturday August 18th if you do not plan to attend the entire event. If you would like a chance get up close and personal with an Oliver Travel Trailer come on by and take a tour of either our Legacy Elite or Legacy Elite II trailer models.

I should have named this thread, dog in the truck.

You guys are going to make me give my dog crate lecture again aren’t you?

We made friends with a couple from Winnipeg when we led the Southern Utah Tour last year. They were traveling in a 40-something year old Boler. Coy has asked us to attend the Rally with him. I’ve spoken with our friends and they will be attending.

I did not even try to get reimbursed. It was made very clear that it was a warranty claim between me and the heater manufacturer. Oliver really has nothing to do with it. Same with all the other appliances, 1 year warranty, deal with the part manufacturer as needed. Or just you or a skilled friend fix it yourself;( in the end it saves so much worry. BTW my water heater has been working fine since I swapped out the burned board for the free used one the tech gave me. John Davies Spokane WA

Foy, thank you for your follow up, just another great example of Oliver's outstanding customer support, they could have tried all kinds of jury rigged fixes I.e. Modifying the fenders, re drilling the existing subframe etc... Maniac, I wouldn't overthink this issue, if foy's fenders hadn't been damaged, he would have never known he had an problem, I've towed mine (219) over 12,000 miles and upon hearing of this problem checked my fenders for damage, and when I couldn't find any quit thinking about it. The subframe being located forward or aft a few inches, can change weight distribution by a few pounds (tractor trailers subframes are designed to move several feet to redistribute weight),but as long as nothing is making contact, and the trailer is tracking straight, no harm done. STEVE

Yes, that's the filter. A good tip when emptying it is to first shut the valve leading to the fresh tank before unscrewing the clear bowl. This will prevent the water left in the line from sucking anything that was caught in the bowl back into the tank as you release the seal. Have a towel handy as it will always spill a bit. The city water bypasses the pump and fresh tank, so there's no reason to turn it on when connected. If you haven't already, I would disconnect the city water, add some water to your fresh tank, and then test the pressure with the pump on. That will help narrow down where the blockage may be. And if it does work, then you at least have the option of filling your tanks and working from the pump. You can actually use the onboard pump to flush out the city water line, same as you would compressed air. You just have to remove or reverse the check valve at the city water inlet and then turn the pump on. Since I always forget to check the obvious things, have you checked for kinks or a blockage in the hose? Also, how is the hot water pressure relative to the cold? If the hot is fine and the cold not, then likely there's blockage at the second tee. If it's the same, then the blockage would have to be at the first tee or in the line between there and the city water inlet.

Parked beside this guy overnighting in a truckstop in Greentown, PA.

As Bill stated, that is a Golight Wireless Remote Control LED Spotlight. It is mounted on a custom mast. We use it to help us get into spaces after dark. It comes in real handy if there’s a need to spotlight wildlife like Sasquatch and such. Also, if we are boodocking someplace, I will pre-aim it to light up an area (such as the entrance to where we’re parked) in case something goes bump in the night. It’s just fun to use, and it’s bright, it will light up the dark side of the moon ?. Not really...

John, That kit will not fix Foy's problem of both axles needing to move in the same direction and the same amount. This is because the kit shown does not move the center equalizer pivot forward or aft, only down. The excentrics are only good for a very small tracking correction. Look at the photos carefully and you'll see that one picture shows the shackles sitting nearly straight intead of hanging the axle. This will lead to them flipping over where the spring is not hanging, but pushing on the shackle. If both axles were moved, the shackles would also be uneven and the equalizer would not work right. This kit is only good for very minor tracking corrections and for lifting axles that are already correctly aligned.

I would really like to see the factory offer this as an option. https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Suspension/Lippert-Components/LC87220.html#exp-productdetails=.all-description I am thinking about doing this just to get the 2 inches of lift without altering the factory suspension. I could use a little extra departure angle (rear bumper scrapes) but the alignment capability would be a big bonus. If you don’t mind the lift, the 1/2 inch adjustment would probably correct your issues. I asked Jason to comment, and if it would affect the frame warranty significantly. John Davies Spokane WA