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The Oliver Travel Trailer Community is saddened to announce that our founder, Jim Oliver, passed away last night. As many of you know, Jim and his late brother John, were responsible for creating the original Legacy travel trailers which many of you own and love. Jim passed the baton to his children in 2014 who have created the Legacy Elite II which even more of you own and love. His wit, wisdom, and guidance will be deeply missed. Please feel free to add your thoughts, condolences, and memories of Jim to this thread.

Glacier NP has problems handling all the visitors due to the short season, curtailed federal budget, and limited facilities. There are WAY too many people for the available parking, and Going To The Sun Road is dangerous enough without a bunch of clueless flatlanders in rental cars or too-wide dually pickup trucks with extended mirrors. In July 2019 Glacier had more visitors than Yellowstone. The chart above is interesting, Visitation was low until the 1930s. There was a small train stop, a rough dirt wagon track and tents at Two Medicine for visitors. In 1913 the Great Northern RR started upgrading the facilities at East Glacier, adding a huge hotel next to the station, a better road and small hotel at Two Medicine. They advertised and started bringing in increasingly large numbers of tourists before the effect of the 1930s recession hit, big time. Here is the inside of the great lodge (not my photo); Well into the Great Depression tourism was down and a forest fire broke out at Two Medicine, the employees heroically defended the small building, and then drove back to the train station and reported to headquarters that it was saved ... Who responded back "Why?" Things probably looked bleak to them at that time. The Going To The Sun Road had opened in 1933 and the south entrance became increasingly less popular. ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Going-to-the-Sun_Road The big dip in the early 1940s is due to WW2; the railroads were carrying materiel and troops rather than tourists, who had no extra cash anyway. Our last visit here was in 1979, on the tail end of a big 5000- mile trip of exploration, which culminated in our moving to Seattle from Nashville TN. When we first went over Going To The Sun Road, the mountains were completely socked in by dense clouds. All we saw was the lower scree slopes. I don't recall any problems with an excessive number of visitors.... Forty years later, we got to see them naked and in their full glory. (The mountains, not the visitors.) ;) John Davies Spokane WA

We spent four days there in mid September, the trailing end of the busy season. I don’t know much about the West Glacier part, we rushed through it on our way home. There are tons of activities if you like go-carts, zip lines and trinkets. It is just like Gatlinburg TN without Dolly Land. If you are headed east, it’s a great place to stock up on supplies and do laundry since things will get VERY bare in that direction. US 2 over Marias Pass is an easy, pretty drive along the Flathead River. There is a rest stop at the top with an OK view of the south end of the Park. Also a NFS campground (Summit, 12 sites) which is spread out but has minimal sun and no views. Elevation is right at a mile up so it may be windy and chilly. Once you start descending the east slope the dense trees go away and the terrain opens up. There is much less rainfall there. The Burlington Northern main line follows US 2 for many miles, be aware of this when camping and try to pick a spot a mile or two north or south and well away from any crossings. It is very busy hauling freight and coal. Amtrak has two stops, one in West Glacier and one in East Glacier. The East Glacier stop is a short walk from the huge, cool old hotel, so it is busy with visitors, many from other countries. There are mouldering 1930s cottages and tourist shops along the park road road for a mile or so, but nothing really worth a visit. There is gas outside ALL the entrances on this side, but prices will be 30 to 40 cents higher. Browning is the only “big” town (with 1026 souls). The Blackfeet Reservation dominates the entire area. Be very aware of their laws about firearms. If you have any, they must be empty and secured completely out of reach. NO concealed or open carry! Browning itself has cheap gas, a grocery store, post office and a few odd shops, and a museum, but other than despair nothing is present. It is known to be a rough town and you probably wouldn’t want to go bar-hopping there. Expect a lot of visible poverty and a few street beggars. The Museum of the Plains Indians is interesting if you like that sort of stuff. I found myself bored silly, but Jac liked it a lot. The Cenex north of town has a prominent sign posted "No Sticky-Fingers Allowed", with a long list of Blackfeet folks who were banned. The names were astonishing but I didn’t feel it would be OK to take a picture…. https://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/native-american-indian-names/blackfoot-names.htm ... Two Medicine is a wonderful place, we spent four nights there. It is right under the craggy peaks and the boat launch/ day use area is a good spot for time lapse video of glorious sunrises. It can be ferociously windy and camping is limited now, but if you can snag a spot it would be better than St Mary. There were no generators allowed in that section in season, but they may have relaxed that rule when it went Primitive. Running Eagle Falls and Nature Trail is a delight, with short and easy access from the entry road. The camp store is closed this time of year. Bears are around, the rangers had to chase a sow and her two cubs from the campground by firing a rifle several times. Even when walking park roads you each need to ALWAYS carry bear spray and keep your heads swiveling! Narrow brushy trails are nerve wracking, keep talking or clap your hands loudly to alert any big predators to your presence. You can buy spray in the Apgar and St Mary gift shops. US 89 is the main RV route north from Browning to St Mary and Going to the Sun Road. At Kiowa Junction there is major MAJOR construction and the entire highway should be avoided They are ripping out the hillsides and rerouting and recontouring the road bed. Expect 30 minute delays, pilot cars and one way traffic. It is NOT a place to take a trailer. It might be OK on a dry day without the Ollie. MT 49 goes from East Glacier to Kiowa. The south part is fine as far as the turnoff to Two Medicine. Further north it is Not Recommended For Trailers. It is fun in a truck - the roadbed is heaved, repaired, potholed, washed out and extremely undulating. To get from East Glacier up to St Mary, go into Browning, gas up at the big Cenex a mile north of town, and take MT 464 as a 70 mph bypass. It is straight and smooth with some great views of the Park mountains from the higher hills. Watch out for free range horses on the reservation, especially just north of Browning. You may see them grazing on the shoulder! The Blackfeet love horses but some owners don’t care if they lose one to a collision… St Mary park entrance is busy with tour and shuttle buses. There is adequate RV parking. Since the GTTS road closed for construction on the west side of Logan Pass (September 16), it may be worse. It’s now the only way to access the high country near the Pass.If you want to hike up there, take the shuttle and don’t even think about parking your truck up there. There are several short hikes to viewing areas along the road that are worth visiting. Sunrift Gorge is gorgeous. Parking lower down should not be a problem. St Mary Campground is just OK, it has plenty of room for an Ollie and adequate sun exposure, but it has no views. One section is prone to flooding. It may be posted Hard Sided Campers Only due to problem bears. This is the best choice to stay on the east side of the Park, unless you luck out and find an open spot that is large enough in one of the other smaller campgrounds. I suggest that you stay here two nights. Explore the second day and keep an eye out fo rougher camping options that would be closer to the scenery. You can always claim a spot and leave a small tent or chairs there, and go get your Ollie that day to shift it. Many Glacier is drop dead beautiful, but crazy busy with back-country hikers. It allows low elevation access to a bunch of spectacular trails.The road in is very nasty, potholed and uneven. It is a disgrace for a national park. Parking will be very tough around the trailhead and hotel. You can go past that turnoff and find a spot along the road and walk back.The hotel has a nice affordable restaurant with stellar views out the back windows. The campground there is very tight and heavily treed and not a good spot for an Ollie. Plus it will probably be full of hikers and their tents. Waterton Lakes National Park - we did not go there since we could not do a Canadian border crossing, but it would be an excellent day visit. It’s about 30 minutes north of the Many Glacier entrance on a very twisty road. RV camping outside the Park - practically none. The Blackfeet do not seem to care to exploit tourist dollars. Most of the small towns outside The Res have an RV camp of some sort. Choteau to the south is a neat, prosperous town (it’s the county seat) with a nice little city campground and a $5 dump/ potable water station. Cell signal is spotty at best, you will be able to connect at the entrances and in the bigger towns, but forget about it completely once you are inside the Park. The campground hosts post weather reports in the busy season, that may not be an option this time of year. On a hike you should always carry enough clothes for unexpected rain or cold, and carry basic survival stuff in case you get stranded. A satellite communicator like an inReach provides great peace of mind and a limited degree of two-way communication. A big handgun is OK in the Park if you are legal in MT to carry one, but it is a crime to actually fire it inside there. It cannot be carried inside any Federal facility like a visitor center, so if you are using the shuttle system it probably has to stay at the trailer…. I am still working on organizing pics, I will post some later. John Davies Spokane WA

We were at Glacier the week of 8 September. We got a site at Two Medicine at around noon. Amazing views.

We are deeply saddened by this announcement. Paul and I would like to share our heartfelt sympathies to his wife, all their children and grandchildren, and the Oliver family. Jim was a great guy, with an amazing vision. His entire family worked to make it come to fruition. He will be missed, by so many. Sherry

Just to clarify my position, a little background. Our Toyota Land Cruiser requires a weight distributing hitch for the load of a LEII. The Oliver is our first RV, Trailer or camper we have owned. We have rented a class C before and that helped with the decision of what I wanted to own. I started out wanting an Airstream after seeing a vintage 16 footer that was probably a Bambi, in a camp ground in Northern California in 2001. It was as shiny as a mirror and was pulled by a red 1954 Ford F-100 and that set the hook. I watched Airstream's both vintage and newer and never found anything I could afford without getting divorced, as my wife wanted absolutely nothing to do with camping after about 1980. She was quite comfortable staying in cabins in National Parks or hotels nearby. We visited about 70 of the properties within the National Park System in that fashion and she was quite comfortable with that arrangement. So I faced an uphill battle in my desire to purchase my own motel room. I saw my first Casita in 2005 while visiting my mother in Ottawa, IL. After talking with the owner, I set off in a different direction, fiberglass. And although the price point was within reach, I still struggled getting approval from the WAR department. So I kept looking and dreaming and stumbled onto Oliver's shortly before Chris and Cherie of technomadia fame were upgrading from a TAB Trailer to an Oliver Elite and that really lit my ?. I started following Oliver’s from afar and remember the red and black Elite's being offered for sale in Quartzite and then production stopped and Oliver's were very, very scarce. Fast forward to 2014 and Oliver's were back in production and then Krunch and I met Mountianborn at a rest area north of Tampa in 2015. Larry gave me a great tour of the EliteII and Krunch showed her displeasure by staying in the car. Then in 2016, we stopped by Hohenwald on our way back from buying the Land Cruiser in Kentucky and Krunch and I visited the sales office and the factory. We had turned the corner, my persistence was beginning to pay off and my plans were coming together. I volunteered for early retirement in November 2017, leaving 5 months earlier than planned and immediately found a 2017 LEII for sale. I ignored it for a month as my dream was to order my own and I was waiting until the first of the year. In December I talked Krunch into going to Georgia just to look. Of course we bought it and went back in January to pick it up. Now that I have made a long story longer, let's talk about the Andersen. I knew I needed a weight distributing hitch prior to buying the Land Cruiser as a tow vehicle. I ordered an Andersen from Amazon, saw a couple of postings about the center frame connection and also saw it in Andersen's installation guide. Using information from JD's center frame how-to, I picked up the additional truckers chain and miscellaneous hardware needed. We put the hitch together in a parking lot after picking up the Ollie and headed home. We stopped about 50 miles down the road and tightened things up and it’s been all good ever since. Sure, it is sometimes difficult to connect or disconnect. Andersen's YouTube videos have helped with that aspect. Sometimes I have to throw a tarp down and loosen or tighten up the nuts, no big deal. And I am sure that sometime in the future, I will have change a tire on my TV or the Ollie while parked on the side of the road and it won’t be fun. But when we get to the next camping spot, it will be forgotten. Then the first cone made some noise and Andersen sent me a new and improved one, no questions asked and no charge. I have purchased other Andersen products and always felt like they have value. I gave the Andersen rep's that attended the 2019 OTT rally a locking drawbar pin that I could not unlock anymore and a month later a new one was at the house. One thing I have discovered in my limited RVing experience is that it is a participation sport. Sure we could all go to a lodge somewhere and have someone else light the campfire fire, but who, here on this forum does that? There may be better options than the Andersen weight distributing hitch, but I’m not looking for it. I have to have one and I am quite happy with mine. Sorry to take up so much of your time, but you asked. Mike

This is a LOCKED thread. I wanted to put all my links in one spot so that they are easy for folks to find. Search remains a real problem with this forum! This thread does not allow comments. If you have questions, find a dead link or just want to talk, you can comment on the appropriate thread, or start a new thread or just Message me. I will add to this page as I start new threads, so hopefully it will continue to be a good up-to-date reference. NEWEST POSTS ARE AT THE TOP. I am not going to bother to alphabetize them, LOL. I put a link to this page in my signature, so you can get here directly from any of my comments. Thanks JD _________________________________________ UPDATED 09/07/24 GENERAL TECH THREADS AND MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/9567-new-apogee-adapt-x-4x8-ft-folding-aluminum-trailer/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/9473-security-and-battery-risk-change-your-victronconnect-log-in-password-from-the-default-setting/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/9045-door-holder-rubber-grommet-online-source-part-number/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/4941-brakes-emergency-breakaway-switch-power-wire-has-no-fuse-holder-or-fuse/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2139-bulldog-coupler-destroys-anderson-ball/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/6812-check-your-rear-jack-mount-hardware-bottom-frame-bolts-were-1-turn-loose/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/6766-apollo-pex-installation-manual-pdf-excellent-resource-for-everything-pex/ 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Replaced Grade 8 bolts with Grade 5 - IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ THIS: .... https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/3564-bulldog-coupler-complete-bolt-failure/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-upgrade-the-bulldog-coupler-and-andersen-hitch-to-2-5-16/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/flag-pole-and-mount/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-remove-modify-the-cover-over-the-waste-storage-bay/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-caframo-sirocco-ii-12-volt-marine-cabin-fan/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-dometic-refrigerator-cooling-fan-noisy-disconnect-the-power-wire/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-move-the-factory-cargo-tray-to-a-rear-rack/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-service-your-furnace/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-external-solar-dc-power-cable-using-factory-furrion-port/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-service-and-inspect-your-suburban-hot-water-heater-gas-system/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-reflective-and-non-skid-tape/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-outside-shore-power-monitor-for-winter-storage/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/hot-water-heater-110v-element-switch-safety-label/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/waste-pipe-plastic-dust-grommet-not-secured-pipe-moves-around/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-solar-panel-extension-arms/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-aircraft-tiedowns-for-the-storage-tray/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-wire-cable-clothes-line-full-cabin-length/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-closet-tie-down-rings/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-davies-rv-travel-log-service-inventory-spreadsheet-excel-numbers/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-protect-the-gelcoat-under-the-spare-tire/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-anderson-friction-cone-service/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-brake-wiring-is-undersized-some-answers-and-partial-solution/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-junction-box-for-trailer-harness-repair-or-extend-the-harness/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-garmin-inreach-powered-mount/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-install-a-dual-high-output-2-1-amp-2-1-amp-usb-charger/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-nev-r-adjust-brake-initial-adjustment-and-how-it-works-plus-discussion/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-stone-stomper-gravel-guard/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-subframe-gravel-guard/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-rear-mud-flaps-for-the-ollie/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-bleach-service-tee-to-sterilize-water-during-tank-fill/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-fix-your-waste-tee-handles-so-they-wont-break-off/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/overnight-visitor-checklist/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-fix-and-flip-your-blinds/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-fresh-water-tank-suction-tube-mod-no-spin-welding-required/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-relocate-the-surge-suppressor-remote-display/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-tire-pressure-placard/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-bathroom-door-hold-open/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-galley-drawer-travel-straps/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-fix-your-overhead-cabinet-latches-wrong-hardware/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-fix-your-inside-access-panel-straps-wrong-hardware/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-anderson-weight-distributing-hitch-center-frame-location/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-install-a-big-bubble-level-no-drilling/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/my-tow-camp-checklist/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-spare-tire-and-wheel-lock/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-install-safeties-on-the-solar-panel-mount-knobs-important/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-install-a-garmin-bc-30-backup-camera/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-drain-holes-in-the-lower-step/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-santa-cruz-locking-shotgun-mount-in-the-closet-3/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/how-to-jack-bubble-level-adjustment-and-indexing

EDIT 08/11/18 Uploaded a (corrected) Numbers Revision 01 file and a (new) Excel Revision 01 file. Note: I will keep any future major updates or important comments in this first post. I do not want for them get lost in subsequent replies. If you are at all familiar with Excel or Numbers, this may be helpful. I was keeping my records in a variety of forms, and the data was getting increasingly messy and hard to interpret, so with the help of my wife I now have an all-in-one spreadsheet that I can update on-the-fly, as long as I have an internet connection. I back it up in the Cloud, so I can do data entry from my iPad at a campsite as easily as I can from my iMac at home. It has four tabs or sections. The first is the Trip log. The Date column "self-formats" so all the dates look alike. The Total column automatically updates when you enter the Trip (daily) number of miles. Don't mess with the figures in the TOTAL column. [attachment file=Trip log capture.png] The second tab is the Service Schedule/ Tech page. I have service reminders (stuff I need to do soon), torque values, service info and my Squawk List (aka the "Honey-Do List") - stuff I either want to or need to address, eventually. [attachment file=Service Tech Capture.png] The third tab is the actual Service Record, which includes all routine work, repairs, and mods. I did not include extra columns for cost and detailed lists - I summarized since a future owner would only need that rough data. The paper records are there if I need to get down to small part costs. [attachment file=Service Record capture.png] The last tab is an Inventory section, for me to keep track of loose stuff that is carried in the trailer, in case of loss. [attachment file=Inventory Capture.png] The sample file, which includes the data shown in the screen captures above, but not all my history, can be found at my Dropbox page. Follow this link for the NUMBERS file: https://www.dropbox.com/s/u4fmo7ko7oxde6y/DAVIES%20SAMPLE%20RV%20LOG%20Serv%20Rec%20Inv%20REV01%20%20NUMBERS.numbers?dl=0 Follow this link for the EXCEL file: https://www.dropbox.com/s/07kvpx7u1d9l7bc/DAVIES%20SAMPLE%20RV%20LOG%20Serv%20Rec%20Inv%20REV01%20%20EXCEL.xlsx?dl=0 I strongly suggest that you save your file as a Master, duplicate it and work with the copy in case you mess up some how. Change all the entries and headers as you see fit. I hope it is useful to some of you. The first and third tabs print very nicely in Landscape, the other two work in Portrait. Use the "Fit to Page" option, print one tab at a time, and they will all stay on one printed page, so they are easy to read. Please let me know if there are any problems downloading or opening the file. I know very little about spreadsheets, but way more than I used to ;) John Davies Spokane WA

Pictures at the end, plus a super long pick-up/trip report going from Hohenwald to Greenville, SC. It was a baptism by fire (almost literally thanks to the 100+ heat indices), but we managed to deal with most of the problems (a few not even of our making!), and made it home safe and sound with our new LEII. Sept. 8-12, 2019 About us: Never RVed, tent camped a bit decades ago, never drove a large vehicle or towed. Bought a Lincoln Navigator in April to use as a tow vehicle. We read all the manuals in Oliver University, watched 100s of hours of YouTube videos, and attended the 2019 owners' rally. Me: Medically disabled, severe reactions to chemicals/fragrances/foods/heat/sun/you name it. Thus, the Scent Free Ollie. First I'll give a shout out to Merriwether's Retreat in Hohenwald. The Voorhies House is a house rental/B&B right in downtown Hohenwald, making it easy to get over to the Sales Office first thing in the morning. Melissa, who runs things, was amazingly friendly and understanding of my chemical/fragrance/food issues. The house we stayed in was a lovingly renovated and restored historic home. Thus, it does have a slight musty smell, so I wouldn't recommend it for anyone with serious allergies to that sort of thing. I surprisingly didn't have too much trouble, though I took my own food, soap and pillow. For most people I think this would be a good option if you need a place to stay before pickup or while having multi-day work done. We showed up to find our lovely Ollie in the A/C'ed back of the Sales Office. Thankfully, the Oliver team was kind enough to have let it air out for a few days, so most of the chemical smell, other than in the cabinets and the back of the bathroom door, was gone. I am so appreciative of that, since it made it vastly easier for me to be in it. Chuck, our delivery specialist, gave us a rundown of the Ollie. He's new-ish to the company, so he wasn't as familiar with some of the systems as I might have hoped, though he was more than willing to find out answers to questions he couldn't answer. We've mainly seen 2018 and older Ollies, so we were rather surprised by some of the subtle and not-so-subtle changes to the Ollie compared to what we thought we were getting, from the extended sewer hose attachment to the location of the inverter to the fuse/breaker panels. Chad pulled the Navigator around and Chuck started setting up the Anderson hitch, only to discover he had the wrong size ball. He had to go back to the factory to get the right one. He showed us how to attach and detach the whale tail/triangle, but his instructions were not at all what I had read and seen in instructional videos. I expressed a concern about this, but we weren't given any explanation for the discrepancy, and we're still not sure that everything is set up correctly or that we're tightening to the right tightness (our Ollie rides a bit higher in front than in back, with 1" squat on the Navigator - back up from 2" squat without WD - and we have to tighten the chains 9 turns to get them tight). I'm thinking we may have to lower the hitch ball height? And maybe take out links in the chains? This was something I was not expecting to have to worry about. So, off we go, totally nervous newbies, heading to David Crockett State Park for the night. We were very pleasantly surprised as to how easy it was to tow, even to make corners. We drove slowly and just took our time and made it to the park with no trouble. We checked in, drove to our site, and proceeded to take hours to level, unhitch, hookup and generally get our crap together moving stuff from the Nav to the Ollie. In upper 90 degree temps. In the sun. While we could have taken a production date picking up as early as July, I had specifically decided to wait in order to avoid the heat of summer. The fates had a good chuckle at our expense. While learning anything this complicated (and expensive and/or life threatening) can be overwhelming, doing it in this kind of heat is another kind of crazy. After we got leveled and unhitched with the power plugged in, I went inside to turn on the A/C and Chad came to tell me the driver's side stabilizer wouldn't go down. He hand cranked it just to get it down and not slow progress. Later, we determined that it had a blown fuse! Replaced the fuse and all was well. We picked site 23 and I recommend it, and the one to the north of it. These are smaller, relatively level pull-through sites right along the creek. We sat outside for dinner and just enjoyed watching the birds flit through the trees. You know how when everything is new and unfamiliar, you have no idea what is normal and what is something you've done wrong? Well, we had an interesting experience overnight our first night. Some time in the night I woke to a *clunk* *beep*. Had no idea what had just happened. I eventually realized that the microwave was on 0:00, so the power must have gone out and come back on. I got up and looked out the window to confirm that our external surge protector/circuit analyzer attached to the post showed everything was A-OK as far as it was concerned. Weird. Eventually got back to sleep. Some time in the wee hours of the morning, happened again. Confirmed I saw microwave on, circuit analyzer on post happy, I may have even peaked at the EMS and saw E O, so I went back to sleep. Well, Chad gets up early and immediately informs me that there is NO power and we've been using the batteries for who knows how long (though I don't think we had much on). Far as we could tell, the power was fine at the post, but not coming into the Ollie, and thus was likely being stopped by the EMS or a breaker. Chad checked the breakers and none had tripped. He tried flipping the breaker off and on again (you know sometimes they don't flip all the way), and I went to look and see if the EMS showed a Previous Error Code and what it meant. Sure enough, it said that the voltage had been too high. Soon after, the power came back on. I don't know if it was because the voltage was only now low enough, or because the EMS waited the two and a half minutes after Chad flipped the breaker, but we were back in business! The nice lessons here were a) the EMS sure as shootin' did it's job and b) we have a decent handle on trouble shooting some of the basic electrical issues in the Ollie. Later, Chad went for a walk and saw them working on a transformer...aha, our culprit! That made us feel much better. The park has a nice little museum with outdoor exhibits (it was closed), so we drove up and parked near there and enjoyed those before we left. Skipping over the nitty-gritty: Hot, stressful morning and drive but nothing went terribly wrong, we spent the second night at Poole Knobs COE campground. Nice enough campground, terrible hike up to bathhouse, mostly pull-throughs, site 24 was not quite level, but our levelers made us off the other way. Gave up and went with not level. While we had a nice lake-front site, the ones on the inside of the loop have a nice lake view and tended to be more level, though steep to get up to and down from. Note that at this time of year there are very large nuts falling from some of the trees. Finally got smart and started the departure process while it was still cool-ish out. Couldn't figure out why, but the tow/haul light, which is supposed to engage automatically when we're attached, didn't go on until we were on the road out of the campground. We made it smoothly through Tennessee on I-40, including some traffic around Knoxville. It helps, as Chad gets used to the size of things, to have me keep an eye in the passenger side mirror to let him know how close he is to the lane marker/edge of road on my side, particularly with semis around us. The tow/haul mode performed beautifully without having to do much of any breaking or manual downshifting on hills. It was startling at first how loud the engine would get, since we never asked much of it before, but we got used to that quickly. Our last night was at Anchor Down RV Resort, which is a very highly rated private resort overlooking a lake. While the views were stunning and the facilities well maintained, it was packed with huge RVs, most with dogs (some who barked), had no trees to speak of, and had an unbelievable list of rules and regs. You had to be out by 11am, and if you weren't, they'd charge you $100/hr, minimum one hour!!! I was actually stressed that we had to make sure that we were out by 11am on the dot, since who knows how long we might take, being total newbies! We spent less time outside due to the heat/sun and the many people using lighter fluid and other things very nearby. I didn't think this sort of place was our cup of tea, and this confirmed it. It was nice to have full hookups so that we could dump tanks at our leisure, since this was our last stop and we were doing it for the first time, but we likely could have found a more laid back and much cheaper place. We left with 20 minutes to spare. The tow/haul mode decided not to come on for the last day of the trip, which is when we had to go over the Appalachians with 4% and 6% grades. Chad did some manual downshifting and a bit more breaking, but the Navigator did pretty well considering it wasn't in tow/haul mode. Of course, 20 minutes from home, not long after the 6% grade, the tow/haul light comes on! Chad almost immediately washed the Ollie and applied a coat of Duragloss Aquawax, along with adding silicone to a number of the chrome brackets around the tiny marker lights because they were loose. His first mod was to add reflective tape to the ends of the bumper and glow-in-the-dark tape to the stairs. The Ollie is now safely tucked away in a field at the storage place, waiting for it to cool off enough to go for a long weekend nearby and just relax! The Navigator has an appointment scheduled to see if they can diagnose this intermittent problem (not holding our breaths). Feel free to ask questions about any part of the trip or the campgrounds we stayed in, or put in your two cents if you have ideas for us to improve our techniques! -Kathryn (& Chad) P.S. I developed very extensive departure and arrival checklists, based on an amalgamation of those from the forum and other online sources. No good plan survives contact with the enemy, and these didn't, so I'm going to try to revise them. Once I have, and maybe after we put them through their paces a few more times, I'll post them for anyone who wants to use them. They really did help us (mostly) keep our heads screwed on straight when the heat and stress was making us more than a little scattered. And it really does pay for both people to do visual inspections inside and out and when pulling out of the site. We found things that were overlooked on a few occasions. P.P.S. One basic thing I would like suggestions for involves leveling. It seemed that everything we used , which included regular "lego" type squares and Camco's shorter version of the Anderson-type levelers (these are less likely to get caught between the two tires), wanted to slide. Nothing wanted to stay still on gravel, and the Camco levelers even slid on asphalt, despite being hammered in under the tires before starting. Do we need to get thin sheets of rubber to lay under these to keep them from moving? What have you done to deal with this?

We picked up Hull #306 April of last year. Since then we've put about 5K miles on the trailer, including a recent trip to Yellowstone and The Grand Tetons; and we absolutely love it. We previously had a Casita 17 Deluxe. The Oliver LEII is everything we wished for in the Casita and more. We've been part of the fiberglass community for some time and were accustomed to the curiosity people have for these trailers. However, we never get tired of the universal “wow” people express when they step inside an Oliver. I want to give a special shout out to “Jam49” who left a kind note on our windshield in Blanco, Tx. They spotted our trailer parked in the square. Made the block and left a note just to say hi to a follow “Oliverian”. And the woman with the pink Boler, who waved at us from the service road, somewhere in Colorado as we sped by. What can I say; fiberglass people share a kindred spirit. I don’t post much, but have benefited from this forum for the past year. Thank you to those who share their experiences here. Judy and I live in Fair Oaks Ranch, Tx (yes there are at least two Olivers here) which is just North of San Antonio. We’re looking forward to the miles ahead.

I made this because the Owners Manual towing and camping lists are simply lame. This one is set up like an aircraft preflight checklist. Feel free to edit and change as needed, some items may not apply or you may just want to do it differently. Mine is laminated and posted inside the closet door: Click the attachment at the bottom to download the Word file. John Davies Spokane WA OLIVER-TRAILER-CHECKLIST-–.docx

This is a picture of my 2017 EII. The outside aluminum frame member in bolted to a galvanized steel channel. You want to place your jack under the steel channel, never under the aluminum. The have been some pictures of the 2019 or 2020 trailers and they have a sticker pointing to the jack points, but I can’t find them now. EDIT: The picture of the jack point stickers is in the September 2019 newsletter.

Flathead Lake State Park, West Unit looking east at the Park: http://stateparks.mt.gov/west-shore/ EDIT 04/20/20: I misnamed this park and have corrected the description. The water is crystalline clear. There are no sites at water level, you have to hike down. John Davies Spokane WA

Going To The Sun area: The big red buses are cool. They have a soft top and the tourists pop up all together like meerkats when there is a photo stop. (Not my picture): John Davies Spokane WA

It is smart to check the park website as often as possible, the campgrounds fill up fast; Two Medicine Campground and vicinity: The lighting changes dramatically minute by minute, and the mountains are either shadowed or lit up brightly. It is really hard to get good pics due to the variations....

Many newer cars have rear proximity sensors that auto-brake if it detects something within a particular distance. Too many heard the solid tone and kept going I guess. Trimming the excess mount may help, but if the sensors are in the chrome part of the bumper, it may still detect the ball. Disabling the sensor/rear cas might be the right thing. I don't drive with my hitch mount installed if there isn't a trailer, partially in case of collision and partially to save my shins.

Thank you, John! This is very helpful! I have been wondering how to create a checklist. Excellent! We are working little by little to understand as much as possible before receiving our trailer and to find all of these links is outstanding. Thank you for taking the time to do these. Best, Mirna and PK

So very sad to hear this. Our love to Evon and the kids, and to the entire Oliver family. He and John had a great vision and created a great product. He will be missed deeply. Dave and Ruth Meilstrup

We are saddened to hear this news! As we ordered our trailer, we have been met with kindness and compassion beyond anything we ever imagined! The Oliver family's values have definitely been passed down to all who work there. Our thoughts and prayers are with the entire Oliver family.You have touched us deeply! With heartfelt gratitude, Mirna and PK.

Mary Kay and I were greatly saddened by this news! We are thinking of and praying for strength in the coming days for the Oliver family. We are very thankful for knowing Jim. He will be greatly missed.

Shocking and sad news. We are so sorry to hear this. A great guy who will be missed. Our condolences to the Oliver family. Mike

I'm so very sorry to hear this news. Hopefully all of the immediate Oliver family knows just how saddened all of us are even those who never actually got the chance to personally meet him. There is no question that he has left this world a better place. Talk about leaving a legacy - obviously he left more than one or even two. Bill

I came up a different solution, using a split key ring and a zip tie, both of which I already had. I put the fridge power cord through the key ring. I could then put a zip tie around part of the electrical box and through the key ring. I think this should prevent the plug from coming out during travel.

Parked outside the Clark Fork Pantry, a stunning bakery and cafe in the teeny town of Clark Fork Idaho, way up in the Panhandle, next to the gorgeous Clark Fork River. Truck and trailer are filthy, but we have been asked twice on this thousand mile trip if the trailer is new..... I don't quite know what to make of that. John Davies Spokane WA

We just left Yellowstone and Grand Teton NP’s this morning. Currently in Utah. Fair Oaks Ranch might be setting the record for Oliver density/population. Hope to see you around town. Mike

I posted some pics in another thread but will repost them here. Heaton Bay CG outside Frisco CO after a late spring severe snow storm.

The March 22 2018 link is good, not the one at the top of this thread, which is a dud, and I cannot edit that post! Or try here. http://olivertraveltrailers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/OLIVER-TRAILER-CHECKLIST-021818.docx Be sure to edit it for your particular equipment. For example external solar panel or sat antenna, tv coax, etc, none of which I have. Also, I have tire pressure listed as “80 psi recommended.” While true, you could change it to your actual running pressure, in my case for an Elite II, I use 45 psi. As far as I know, Oliver still has not changed their recommendation to reflect actual real world pressure, rather than the very high sidewall rating. John Davies Spokane WA