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Replaced Ollie's hub seals a few times while repacking wheel bearings. Used a clawbar on a block of wood placed on the surface where the brake electromagnet contacts the hub. Pop the seal out with the claw placed under the seal lip without contacting bearing. Repacked bearings last month and just returned from a trip in VA. Ready for another season! :) Here's a Dexter video showing recommended bearing maintenance. https://www.dexteraxle.com/resources/videos/bearing-maintenance

1. Always turn Propane tank valve on VERY SLOWLY, otherwise the force of rushing gas can cause safety valves on furnace, frig, or hot water heater to shut that appliance down. Only remedy is shot of gas, reset appliance, then turn gas valve VERY SLOWLY. Seemingly faulty appliance has always worked after that. 2. Always lock bathroom door before driving even the shortest distance. Otherwise it will be broken for sure from swinging open. 3. Never camp between other RVs that run generators with exhaust pointed towards your Ollie. The CO detector will go off. NEVER ignore your CO DETECTOR!!! You might die in your sleep. 4. Never run propane appliances while driving. They can cause gas explosions at gas stations. 5. Viair Air Compressor makes winterizing water lines and keeping tires at proper pressure a piece of cake 6. Anderson Leveling wedge is worthless on ice and snow. They need a studded version. 7. Boondocking in Winter requires a decent and quiet generator. Solar power is gone for perhaps weeks. I recommend the Honda 2200i. 8. Protect front lower sections of shell from rock chips with plastic coating. Tow vehicle will spray a ton of gravel into it, especially in Winter. The folks who applied 3m film to my Audi are doing my Ollie. 9. Keep Drain hose attached to outlet in rear bumper and simply cap the end. This is way easier and cleaner than taking it apart each drain cycle. And always drain Black then Gray for odorless hose 10. Dehumidifier is a must when Winter camping. Otherwise condensation runs amuck everywhere. 11. Hoppy Rearview Mirror Level on front of Ollie saves tons of time. And, your head doesn’t get nearly as wet running in and out and in and out etc, etc in the rain and snow to get the darn trailer level. 12. Use other Ollie owners for tips and advice, especially for Set Up and Departure Checklists. They are valuable beyond belief. I’ll add more as they happen. Happy travels

I could not do it in the way you described. That's how I wanted to do it, but the seals were glued in and extremely hard to remove. Next time will be easier since I didn't glue them back in.

Hard to say without a baseline to go from. 100% on my unit means it is full. Dumping the grey water is very simple - I'd make the effort to dump it, make sure the rear is lower than the front, and monitor the readings on the monitor. When it drains no more - you will have the answer your looking for, to guess otherwise seems unwise. I have never used our black water tank - but it read 5% full for ever, not any more... Good luck. RB

I don't view the Oliver models as "Stay and Play" travel trailers, where one wants all the comforts of home in a mobile package, but rather more of a unit that can provide a good level of comfort, versatility, and utility, in a size that fits in almost any place one has a desire to go - backcountry and all. I agree the former would drive new larger models engineered from a different perspective, but I believe Oliver has so far decided to stay in their original lane. I understand new models represent a large capital expense for Oliver, not to mention all that goes into the engineering, design, and manufacturing processes. At some point Oliver may decide a new model would be revenue positive, but I doubt currently they are working that hard on a new model - perhaps- but given the current backlog - making the adjustments would be a monumental effort - especially for a smaller organization like Oliver. As I think about this, and consider my own experiences with my EII, there are a few things I believe could be improved/rethought which would drive additional revenue for the company, and represent more options for the consumer. Think convertibility, multi-use design type improvements. Sort of a "transformers" frame of mind set. If it were my decision - I would look at the opportunities for improvement with my current models. As an example - I would like to see some more versatility in the interior layout. There should be a option/process to cleanly convert the twin beds to a "queen" and back again -similar for the dinette area. (I have my own conversion process - but I digress). Wet bath - fine - then develop a better shower curtain - the current one just doesn't get it done - I have jury rigged mine to work better - I'm working on a better solution(Or I guess just don't worry about it....). Given the time I'd bet a focus group of current and former owners would come up with some great ideas. Some basic options that should be considered/offered - DC compressor refrigerator/freezer, factory rear mud flap, factory frontal protection package (think Airstream), additional exterior storage solutions, and on... Seems to me Oliver is leaving a lot of money on the table here - and where's the branded clothing, hats, gear. But I'll return to my original thought - if indeed Oliver started out as a solution to what the Oliver brothers found lacking in an RV that met their outdoor lifestyle needs, perhaps the move to additional larger models strays to far from that vision. All in good fun and thought, RB

Yesterday when I was there, they were putting the finishing touches on the Campground such as putting down grass sod. There has been modifications made to this section. Some campsites were consolidated to accommodate large travel trailers and the big pushers by turning those sites into pull thrus. We are in the process of determining how to contact the two Oliver owners that are impacted by this and give them a choice. This area is the oldest part of the state park. I remember camping here as a child. The electrical system needed updating for safety/convenience factors and the end result is this section now is up to date and should be very enjoyable to everyone. Coy

Looks like you got it covered - when the TV stations are weak in the first place just about anything that is possible will make them worse. I guess you could put an RF filter on that bathroom fan, but, it hardly seems worth it to me. Bill

We live just outside Denali National Park. There is plenty of flat space to park if you want to spend nights with us. PM us if you have any questions. David

I just inspected and re-packed my bearings too. It was time. I estimate about 15,000 miles on them and I had not looked at them previously. I'll be traveling with new bearings, races, high quality seals, grease and a punch to knock out the races. Don't forget the punch for the races, if you are going prepared to do the work on the road! I was told by the Dexter rep that they used to sell brass punches for this, but no one I talked to could find them in the catalogue. The concern is cracking the race, so the punch should be softer than the bearing race. There has traditionally been a little relief area where the race seats that helped you to get a purchase on the race with the punch, to knock it out, but my hubs have no such relief. This means you need a hard drift punch with a good square edge. But not hard enough to crack the race. Or a very large flat bladed screwdriver. Hmmm. I settled on a 1/2" diameter cold rolled steel rod about a foot long. With a nice squared off end. The next problem is removing the stock seals. Dexter says to glue these in with some hardening type gasket sealer. And apparently they do, because the seals are really hard to remove. It's a bad idea to pound them out by hammering on the bearing! So, I found, after several attempts to do it in a more straight forward way, to grab the seal with a very large Channel-Lock style plier and then pound on the pliers to lever the seal out. These seals cannot be re-used after this exercise. This is hard to describe, but we'll probably have a chance to do it in person at the rally and I'll show you my technique then.

Bill, not trying to alarm you, but I had a similar experience last spring. I was in the process of repacking my bearings and when I removed one of the wheels the hub/ spindle cap just fell out, I don’t know how long it had been rattling around in there, but when I inspected the bearings and races, they were already scored. I ended up replacing the bearings and races, luckily the spindle just required some light sanding. You might want to check for contamination. steve

Plans? We ain’t got no stinkin’ plans! ???? We do have a lot of info. Let’s get together at the rally.

Dwain, If you boil down the concerns to their most basic elements, it seems to be something like: If I continue with the routine I've always done, I'll be safe. If I stray from that routine, I'll be unsafe. It's the fear of the unknown and nothing more. Or, put another way, if I drive on the freeway, in the city, and go about my life (where there are X number of traffic deaths, X number of muggings, and X number of murders every year), I'll be safe. But if I take a risk and go out into the forest, where there is almost nobody around, I'll get robbed and killed for sure. Following that logic, why even go outside, or to the store, or on any kind of vacation? Or why vote for anyone other than who is feeding you the rhetoric of fear? If you long for a breath of fresh air, want to see the open spaces, listen to the quiet, or explore some natural wonders, you have to get out there and do it. And an Ollie is the perfect little cabin you can take with you to do it. I must say that wondering about these basic questions reveals that you are looking beyond the confines of the security trap. Good! Spending the night in the forest, or out in the desert, and just looking and wondering at the night sky, the sound of a breeze in the trees, or a babbling brook, will help you take stock in your life and the meaning of it. Making some new friends that are doing the same, will give you renewed confidence in humans. Hearing a coyote late at night, or watching bats swoop in for a drink from a pond as evening sets in, or hearing a bird screech, or poking at the campfire with it's quiet crackle and warmth, as you study the Milky Way, will reset your clock. And as you drift off to sleep, you'll know you've been changed. Your insecurities about being in a new place will melt as your fascination about it grows. But, of course, you must take more responsibility for your own safety by taking food, water and supplies, and a way to communicate as much as possible. As in being wherever you are, you should always be aware of your surroundings. Much of this comes down to addressing emotions with logic. Those two are incompatible and one cannot answer the other very well. But reason can bridge the gap. Curiosity can fuel desire. Desire and curiosity can lead to adventure. A taste of adventure can lead to more adventure. A desire for more adventure and good experiences can lead to acquiring an Ollie. An Ollie can lead to virtually unlimited adventure. None of this can occur without a bit of courage and curiosity. I say grab your courage by the tail and let it pull you out of the routine. Cautiously at first, if need be, at a rate the works for you. But grab that chance before it's too late. Or before fear of an imagined bogeyman keeps you hiding under the bed thinking you're safe. Find your adventure and relish it. We all have our demons, do they rule us, or do we live in spite of them? Step one: Get an Ollie and attend an organized Casita or Oliver rally. They are totally safe, fun and organized. You'll have chances to make lots of friends and get lots of ideas. Open house tours will give you a chance to meet others and look at their trailers. These are social events based around camping. Step two: Visit some State or National Parks with organized campgrounds. A safe, organized and a wonderful way to see natural wonders, like Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon. These are camping trips with no risk and easy access to resources. Step three: begin to visit some BLM lands in more secluded areas, if you wish. There is nothing wrong with steps one and two and they may be just fine forever. But you might want to get out farther, or find more seclusion. If so, Death Valley awaits. The National Forest lands await. Lakes, forests, deserts, hot springs, Bristlecone Pines, and all sorts of wonders can act as a backdrop to your escape and wonder. These are mainly boondocking trips where you are more on your own, but no too remote. Good examples are: an eclipse trip, a hot springs search, a place off the beaten path to wait for a campsite in Yosemite, a desire for solitude, an animal study of some kind, a gold panning trip. Or a trip to the east coast of Baja to fish and swim in peace. Or a few nights amongst the ruins of a ghost town as you ponder the past. Or simply a romantic getaway with your sweetie for a few days.

Safety while remote area boondocking is not something to worry about. A thief is not going to drive miles into the wilderness in hopes of finding a lone RV to rob. If they found me in the middle of nowhere hoping to find treasures they might score enough cash to pay the gas it cost to get to me. A lot of RVer’s carry self protection. Risk/benefit ration is low for a potential thief. Medical is another issue. If you are remote, especially with no cell coverage and you have a medical event, getting help might be a challenge. Most of the boondocking areas we’ve camped had others around, not necessarily close by but not too far away. Mike

This weekend my daughter and I boondocked in Kennewick (Tri Cities) WA. She is a member of a jousting club that performs at medieval faires. She does not ride, thankfully, she is a "squire" who assists on the ground, handing up new lances and picking up broken shards after the knights impact each other with a splintering crash. This is the spot I picked at Columbia Park, where the hydro races are held each summer: Here is the view out the back window, most unusual for a boondocking site! The List was about 200 feet away. Here is her group, they will be performing in Spokane in two weeks. https://www.facebook.com/joustalliance/ If anybody is in the area Oct 7 or 8, consider stopping by for a visit. It's a little silly but lots of fun. Look for my Ollie in the Actors camping area, near the horse paddocks and field. https://www.spokanerenfaire.com She also participates in another group called Combat Corps. She does sword fighting displays, Hollywood style. https://www.facebook.com/combatcorpsspokane/?ref=py_c Mouse is a wonderful help to her. Previously she was sleeping in the back of my Ram pickup or her Outback. John Davies Spokane WA