Leaderboard

The problem with the first video, there are no trucks that pull doubles in this country, that look like that. That's a pure Ausie rig. The doubles you see here, like FEDX and UPS pull are a completely different deal. There are guys that can back doubles, and it's a special skill. I drove a semi for 12 years, pulling flatbeds and double drops, but I had it easy, we had day cabs, so you could look out the back window on a off side back. I had many times the we were hauling bridge beams or large box culverts and had to back in a mile or more. Fun times. There is one thing that is guaranteed, the more people watching, the worse your backing job is. Stan

Most likely the reason your gate valve is not closing completely is because the cable has slipped slightly where it attaches to the vertical slide on the valve. To fix it: loosen the set screw where the cable attaches to the gate valve slide, manually push the gate down to firmly seat it, push the cable handle completely in, tighten the set screw. This will re-adjust the blade where it is completely down when the cable is pushed completely in. Whenever you have to do this process, it is a good idea to lubricate the cable and the inside of the housing also. To lubricant the cable: while the set screw is loose, pull the outside handle to remove the entire cable from the housing. Wipe the cable with a clean rag along its entire length. As you re-insert the cable, spray with a lubricant such as silicone or WD-40. Work the cable back and forth a few times to distribute the lubricant. Tighten the set screw. This process will be a four-handed project. You will have to be inside to guide the cable back into the gate valve while someone outside is easing the handle into place.

I left Ridgeway, Colorado this morning and enjoyed a beautiful drive through the San Juan Mountains in SW Colorado. The scenery was incredible. Arrived at Hovenweep National Monument around noon and set up camp. I was the only camper until late afternoon--there are three other campers here now. Very remote and beautiful campground. I've posted some photos from the drive, the campground and a hike on a loop from the campground.

Foy and Mirna, I was at Oliver this morning when Phillip opened your package of samples. They loved them and my wife loved them even more. She made me take the cutting board out to the Elite II so she could see how it looked. She loved it! She said that we needed to get one. If you have a cancellation send me a message. We get our Oliver Elite II in December. Great work, they are beautiful.

Overland, you're right in the endless shower idea. I guess I'm guaging on our van camping, where we always use the campground shower facilities. In that scenario, it doesn't even matter if you have a water heater, at all ... Dishes are easy with a kettle. The extra 5 or 6 gallons are only accessible if you drain the Atwood into a bucket, is my understanding. To me, it was an extra 40 pounds to drag around for no real reason... The endless shower isn't part of our camping, but I can see the luxury... The endless rv park shower lux makes sense for RV park camping with the truma, I guess. Our Girard runs only on gas, so the free electric heating of water is lost in full hookup situations... Sherry

Both. You need to treat the rubber with 303 Protectant or a similar product, to keep it from drying out. You need to cover the exposed tires during storage to prevent long term UV damage. John Davies Spokane WA

Welcome, Mark and I are picking up our Elite II on October 4th. We plan on roaming around Tennessee for a bit. At least until we get comfortable with her. Melinda

Bill, After adjusting/lubing the 3" black tank valve & cable, it continued to bypass when in the closed position. Replaced blade valve and seals today following Valterra video instructions starting around 3:10. New Valterra 3" black tank valve body and seals: Valve located under dinette seat: 3" Black tank valve on RH side: Loosen 3" black tank hose to allow removal of the 3" blade valve: Removing cable mounting bracket: 3" Valve removed: Build up on seal surfaces contacting valve blade causing bypass: Silicone lubricant used on seals and blade rod: New valve/seals installed and working great: https://www.valterra.com/product/waste-valve-body-3-with-coupler-seals-hardware/?pcat_id=1445

I am on a very weak internet link, so my apologies if this response gets garbled. I purchased the Telesteps 1600E OSHA Compliant 16 ft Reach Telescoping Extension Ladder via Amazon.com Services, Inc. for $172.31. It is a 12 foot ladder, advertised as a 16 foot reach. I have used it extensively during the past month on a construction site. I am about 240 pounds and have made at least 300 trips up it. It is well made and fits EASILY in my Oliver Elite II closet at the front door. I would buy this ladder again and recommend it for use on our OTT's. Geronimo John

The main things I got out of it were: John jokingly mentioned the easy access to the brakes while the trailer is upside down. And he pointed out the very poor constuction. These seem to be the two points he wanted to make, while sharing a dramatic photo. Sorry you are having trouble understanding. That trailer was poorly built. Demonstrated not only because it came apart in a crash, but look at the poor frame, the poor subfloor and the total destruction from rolling over. I would expect an Oliver to be totaled to, in a rollover, but not turn into a pile like that. That sticky would never last, under normal usage, like an Oliver. Looking at the differences in the quality of construction brings that fact home. Who knows why that trailer got out of control? Olivers are known for being very stable. We don't know the details or the TV, so we can't conclude much there. Having working brakes is critical and knowing how to use them is also critical. Sway was mentioned and brakes cure sway. Your attack on John seems unreasonable. Challenging him for an explanation on what he meant, with supporting data, while he merely showed a destroyed sticky and pointed out some obvious problems with it. I find it interesting and sobering to see how a cheap sticky just collapses. Don't you?

http://olivertraveltrailers.com/blog/is-travel-trailer-insurance-necessary/ Reading the below from the Oliver website, I see no representation that an Oliver is better or any less destructible than any other trailer when it comes to mishaps or that an owner can not suffer a total loss. If you want to argue that Oliver owners are better at choosing appropriate towing vehicles, better drivers, better at avoiding accidents, and maintaining their Oliver, will never have to worry about fire, rust damage, water damage, totaling their trailer in an accident, that would be an interesting discussion and the trailer is probably worth twice what it costs new. "When considering new travel trailers for sale, many people forget to take insurance into consideration. Although it is not a requirement in any state for fiberglass travel trailers to carry insurance, they can be very expensive assets. It would be very foolhardy for anyone not to properly insure one, no matter what the value or the size. If the trailer is being purchased with any sort of financing, the finance company may require insurance. Even if it doesn’t and the trailer is a total loss, the finance company will still be owed the entire outstanding balance of the loan. Some automobile policies will provide basic coverage for a trailer, for others it needs to be specifically added on. Some auto policies specifically exclude trailers. Before looking into what additional coverage may or may not be needed or wanted, it is important to check with the existing insurance company to find out exactly what the policy covers. Once the limits of the existing policy are known, consideration can be given to what additional coverage is appropriate. For a small, secondhand pop-up trailer which costs a few hundred dollars, it may not be worthwhile to purchase additional insurance. However, some fiberglass travel trailers can cost tens of thousands of dollars, often more than the value of the vehicle towing it. For these, a fully comprehensive trailer policy is the smartest option. As with any insurance, you hope you never need it, but it is essential to have in place if you ever do. There are several different types of travel trailer insurance offered which depend on the usage. There are policies which cover extensive road use, for example, and others where the trailer is occupied full-time for all or part of the year. The only situation generally not covered by a specialist trailer insurance policy is where the trailer is parked full-time. After determining the appropriate type of policy for the trailer’s intended usage, the items which can covered are similar to those in an automotive insurance policy. These include: – Total loss replacement – Liability coverage for personal injuries – Collision coverage – Comprehensive coverage for loss from fire, theft or severe weather – Coverage for personal possessions – Roadside assistance – Emergency expenses – Parked trailer coverage The last item is especially important to consider. Parked trailer coverage provides insurance while your trailer is parked in an RV site or campground and everyone is away, hiking or biking for example. This is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all of the reasons that insurance should be considered when looking at new travel trailers for sale. It is also not intended to be a comprehensive list of all of the reasons to have trailer insurance or the risks to be insured. What it is intended to do is to provoke some thought about how best to get some peace of mind while enjoying a new travel trailer.