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jo79RI - Just because you will not have your Ollie until 2021 is no reason for not attending the Owner's Rally. The State Park has both rooms in the Lodge and they have cabins. Just think how far above the learning curve you would be if you joined us. Certainly you are welcome and I think that you'd learn a bunch along with having a good time. Bill

Bill, As you know we were just at the Oliver sales office finalizing our order for our OLEll with Anita this past Wednesday, February 12. While there we had the pleasure of meeting Scott Oliver. Scott was kind enough to introduce himself and speak with Kathy and I for about a half hour about Oliver TT. Needless to say we were really impressed with Scott and all of his dedicated professional staff at Oliver. Talking with Scott and also meeting Rodney was unexpected and just very cool. No question in our mind, Scott Oliver truly stands behind producing a fine travel trailer. Kathy and I left Oliver knowing we will really be taken care of as Oliver “family”.

Humidity inside a structure that doesn't "breathe" can be a problem. The obvious answers are to allow it to breathe or to reduce the source of the humidity. This means to either get air circulation with less humid air or remove the source. Opening a window - sometimes a crack will do and sometimes you might need to go "all in" by simply opening it. Turning on the MaxAir Fan with a cracked window. Use the air conditioner. Use supplemental fans. Use products like "Damp-rid" or an actual de-humidifier. Take your showers in the campground shower house. Cook outside. Certainly open that MaxAir fan when you cook inside - it helps reduce humidity and odors. Remember that while your Oliver furnace takes in outside air for combustion an then expels that back to the outside, any other propane devices you might use (propane cooktop, propane heaters such as the Mr. Heater) produce moisture as a by product of combustion. I've found that the "answer" to this problem depends on the conditions. But the first think I do is crack that window. Bill

I live about an hour from Guntersville, I have land for anyone who wants to arrive a couple of days early to boondock. Of course no charge for my Ollie Family.

Last week before we picked up it was suggested that a "Where's Ollie" thread might be good for folks to post pictures of where they've been, maybe with a few comments about the location. I'll get it going.... This is Hillman Ferry State Park in KY at Land Between the Lakes. Nice campground, with lots of lake water activities. You can get a site right on the lake to fish from!

I have AAA Plus for roadside assistance and Progressive put me with Safeco Insurance for the Oliver. I have replacement coverage. It is for $52,000 (that is what I paid for my 2017). Comprehensive, collision, loss of use and vacation liability and my premium is $684 per year.

Good Sam's gives us a credit if we notify them that the trailer is off the road and in storage at our home. I think this is limited to once a year, but not sure of that.

Insurance rates are pretty much set by your states insurance board, so don't expect your rates to be the same for your trailer and even the same insurance company by what other post on the forum. I don't know about your state, but in Texas just living in another county can make a big difference in your premium. We have Progressive on our home and autos, but just couldn't get that good of rate on our Oliver. Wife called an independent agent that she used when she worked, she recommended Foremost Ins., RV's are what they insure, rates were pretty much half of Progressive and others that I checked out. I checked out Foremost Ins. and all seemed to be a good company to deal with on both service and claims. It's amazing how much insurance rates change just living 60 miles south of the DFW area. trainman

It is entirely up to where (and how) your unit is stored. I have been a very longtime AAA member and have their RV Roadside Assistance (with 200 mile free towing). But even so, their insurance rate for “Mouse” was not so great. I went with Progressive. Call around or ask for quotes from their websites. Be sure to compare features, a stripped rate will not provide equal loss coverage to a premium policy. Mine will replace my stolen Ollie with a “similar” new replacement Ollie for the first five years. After that it will pay me the purchase price. John Davies Spokane WA

I ordered our new 2178-B Provenlock last Wednesday afternoon and it arrived this morning. Fast shipping from FLA to NC and very well packaged. We upgraded to the optional stainless Steel puck and Medeco lock. I may just order another spare set of keys from Medeco it comes with (2).

AAA offered a great RV prices, but had auto club and vehicles insured as well.

John, I think for me it was just the easy of use over the cables, probably more of a hands on thing then anything else. That crisscross thing was probably my biggest dislike, plus the coiling action just seemed to be hassle to deal with. I guess I have always had chains on every trailer I've owned regardless of what kind it was, so at my old age why change now. Yes, I don't leave my chains on the ground, I just purchased some "S" hooks to hang the chain. trainman

When we purchased our Casita (we now have an Oliver) we went to a Casita Rally before we got our Casita, we learned so much about the Casita and by the time we picked up our new Casita we were totally into everything we wanted to do to it and my upgrades were all ready to go in my shop. The wife had her stuff for the inside and we went to our 1st rally like we were old hands at this. We really knew from the rally visit we were making a good decision at the time, but as you can see as time went by we visited some Oliver's at rallies and now we own an Oliver. We still go to Casita rallies in Texas as we have so many friends with Casita's and yes they still make us welcome, once a fiberglass trailer owner you will always be welcome. trainman

I live right outside of Savannah. What campground are you in? Nan Wallace Hull #267

My wife and I took the tour in October and chose the twin bed option because of accessibility to the cabinets and not having to deal with taking the bed up and down each day we camped. We still questioned our choice so we went back in February and spent several hours in the Ollie. We are very comfortable with our final decision on the twin beds. The only real advantage of the king bed would be diminished every time I had to climb down the bed at night. We do want the access door and the Lagun table so I will have to make the modification after we take ownership in July. Not being real comfortable with my craftsmanship skills I will probably find someone to do the Lagun table install. (I am hoping the decision is made to offer both by Oliver. It seams like a no brainer to me)

We are attending and have a site in section G. I can't remember which one. We are excited as this is our first rally. We picked up #537 "Beacon" in October. We left Maine February 2, for 4 months on the road. We are currently in Savannah and will be heading to the Keys next week. The rally is our last stop before heading home to Maine for the summer. See you all there!!!!

Hi. We had the same discussion. Mainiac was kind enough to show us his Ollie. We discussed both floor plan options. Ultimately, we chose the twin plan and did a modification of adding a lagun table mounted on the side. Check out Overland's thread in the Ollie modifications. We can't seat 6 for dinner but we can seat 4 and we have the night stand with basement door. We use the lagun table daily. It can also be easily stored in the closet. When I saw Overland's modification, it provided a good solution for us.

Depends on your lifestyle. We have the standard. Sometimes the wife thinks she would have wanted the bunks. With the bunks it is easier to get into the cabinets, especially as the body ages. We met up with two other couples from different parts of the state. Where we met, as usual, it was rainy. We dined together, potluck style. Guess what? The only place where the was room, for the six of us on those rainy days, was in the Oliver. The tables in their SOBs (some other brand) was small and like an old wobbly ironing board. Now, normally, we leave ours made up as a bed most of the time, but is nice to know the table is there. The fur baby loves it that way. And the dinette serves us fine when not outdoors.

Thanks everyone. I was just going by the diagram while laying on the floor with a flash lite in my mouth and it says 7.5 amp. I am leaving the 10 amp alone. 😃 Thanks, Nan

It’s not a big deal for us. For those that are bothered by it carrying extra jack stands is probably worth having. The more we camp the more we go with “less is more”. I’ve got two sets of the the yellow legos (20) and three homemade 6X6X8” blocks that are carried in the aluminum tongue box. This has been enough to fix almost all leveling situations. Mike

Camping certainly does not come without its challenges. 👍🏻😊

I agree wholeheartedly.

I don’t run any jacks down at all, if I can get the trailer level by positioning it and it is hitched. The exception is when it is gusty windy, then the trailer shakes and needs the extra help of the factory jacks. Everyone’s tolerance is different, but please keep in mind, it isn’t a house, it is going to move around. You will adjust to it. Ever slept on a boat at anchor? LOL.... now that is motion. I think a lot of first time RVers especially have unrealistic expectations about the comfort level of their trailers. That is why I recommend that they rent an RV of any kind for at least a week, before committing to buying one. Finally, an Ollie is definitely built like a little tank, but is not going to stay planted like a 20,000 pound Fiver.. John Davies Spokane WA

Thats good advice, because I am terrible. But I sure have fun hiking through the woods looking for my ball.

Warning - Warning! Watch out for Matt Ducan - he can seriously play some golf.

The current systems in the Oliver's are designed to manage the battery charge appropriately while on continuous shore power. Depending on battery type, you may need to perform some sort of battery maintenance. My AGM's require nothing extra. While the Zamp equipment doesn't provide a ton of information, for most of us, its sufficient., and the onboard charge/power management system works in the background keeping things up to snuff.

I live close to to Guntersville, what can i do to help? I'm a brand new Ollie owner hull #126. She's probably seen a lot more country than me.

I spent 20 year of my career as a business partner and the VP of Sales and Marketing at Yakima Racks. Hopefully I can add some value to this conversation. To begin, the Yakima engineering team never liked mounting bikes to the rear of trailers. This was unpopular with the engineers because of the long fulcrum and the leverage at the bumper of a trailer can act like a launch. The further the bikes are extended behind the bumper the more dramatic the effect. The forces here are magnitudes greater than anywhere else you can attach gear to your rig. Anytime your trailer bucks or goes through a dip, the forces transferred to the bike/gear system are much greater than any other location. The bumper of a trailer is appealing because your gear is mostly out of the way and the access is really convenient. Unfortunately, the back of your vehicle is the absolute worst place for your bike’s drive train. Your chain and gears suck up girt like a magnet. Given other reasonable options, I would recommend to transport your bikes at a different location. There are many good brands/products available that can be safely secured your rig/trailer. If you want to mount bikes to the Oliver, I would favor the front of the trailer example provided by shallowgal in an earlier post vs the rear of the trailer. Below are the some general pros and cons for other locations you may consider securing and transporting your bikes and / or other gear. Top of your SUV/truck/camper shell • Bugs come into play on the front facing parts but the good news is the drive train will remain much cleaner than rear of the vehicle • Accessing your bikes on top of the car can be challenging • The forces on the bike and the rack system are modest • The bikes/gear is out of the way • Need to be mindful of overhead clearances • Allows for the option to transport boats and/or most other gear, even your solar panels • Theft security is modest Bed of Pickup with camper shell • Reasonable access to your bike • High function, low cost attachment systems available • Minimum of forces on bike or system • Can be a valuable space hog • The space is not as clean as you may think.. it’s hard to seal the tail gate on many trucks. This can be a tough location to keep your bike’s drive train clear of grit if you spend any time on gravel • Best theft security Open pickup bed with rack system that bridge over the bed • Functions much like roof racks • Does not impact pickup bed storage space • Easy access to your bikes and gear (standing in bed) • Bike drive train will remain reasonably clean • Bugs come into play like a roof rack • The forces on the bike and the rack system are modest • The bikes and gear are out of the way • Need to be mindful of overhead clearances • Allows the option to transport boats and/or most other gear, even your solar panels • Theft security is modest Rear of SUV / front of trailer • Does not impact other valuable storage space • Easy access to your bike and gear • Might hinder accessing rear of you vehicle • The forces on the bike and the rack system are modest • Terrible environment for your bike’s running gear • Theft security is modest Front of car (front receiver hitch application) • Most viable for larger trucks but are an option for some ½ tons and SUV’s • Does not impact other storage space • Easy access to your bike and/or other gear • Able to carry other gear • Can hinder accessing to engine / under hood • The forces on the bike and the rack system are modest • Bugs are in play • Bike running gear will remain reasonably clean but this is a tougher environment that the top of your rig • Theft security is modest

No matter what power source you use, 30a shore power, generator or inverter/battery power, you should better understand power management. Your Oliver camper was designed with the 30amp power in mind so your factory installed components are designed to work within the constraints of 30 amps. The inverter option that we currently offer can provide about 15 amps of power to the 120v receptacles before it will max out and shut down. Generators can vary based on their rating but they will be constrained to the 30 amp max that the camper is designed for. How does this impact you or your style of camping? Campground Camping with 30a Shore Power What happens if you go over the 30 amps? The breaker will kick just like at home if you turn to many appliances on in a single room. This situation typically will only occur when you are plugging in high power demanding appliances or devices in the camper. Every appliance that you want to add to your camper should first be checked to see how many amps are required to power it. Many hair dryers can pull 1800 watts of power which will immediately take up about half of your available power. Add in a space heater and it may just put you over the limit. What this means is that you must be conscientious of what is plugged in and pulling power. The worst thing that could happen is it would kick the breaker and you would simply reset it and turn some things off that aren’t being used at the moment. Boondocking with Generator Power When you are connected to a generator power source you are limited within the 30 amps but also the max amp that the generator will put out. A typical 2000-watt generator will only supply 15-16 amps of power so this means the max power is limited to the generator and if you are demanding more than the generator can supply it will kick the breaker on the generator. The generator may continue to run but will not be supplying power into the camper. Some of the components in the camper like the Dometic Penguin II A/C will demand much of this power especially when the compressor engages (Start Phase). The optional MicroAir Easy Start does help to contain this short fast burst of power to about 11 amps but that is about 75% of what the 2000-watt generator supplies. Once the compressor moves into the run phase it requires less power and drops to about 9 amps. The compressor will continue to run until the cabin temperature reaches the requested temperature on the thermostat. The compressor will then disengage or shut down. Once the cabin temperature drops below a certain threshold the compressor will once again enter the starting phase which requires 11 amps of power. This is where you may run into an issue that is normal. You may have a coffee maker running or a laptop plugged in or a combination of any other type of added appliance that under the compressor running stage falls just under the max 15-16 amps provided by the generator but when the compressor re-enters the starting phase it can cause it to jump over the max long enough to kick the breaker on the generator. No worries, all you need to do is practice power management and unplug something temporarily and reset the breaker. TIP: When using a generator, the surge protector may see it as an ungrounded power supply and stop all power from entering the camper. The best resolution for this is to plug in a neutral ground plug into the 120v receptacle on the generator. Boondocking with the Inverter The optional inverter is a 2000-watt Xantrex inverter but it actually only supplies about 1800 watts of power. If you remember from earlier, we mentioned that many hair dryers require 1800 watts of power. Power hungry appliances they are! This means you are even more limited to what you can use at the same time or even by itself. The inverter is connected to the 120v receptacles and also the microwave. The microwave by itself will pull most of the power supplied by the inverter so when running the microwave on inverter power be sure not to have other things plugged in and running. Also keep in mind that the inverter is dependent on battery power. The inverter pulls battery power and converts it into 120v power. So, with this option you must manage both the available battery power and inverter power. For instance, the microwave under 120v power uses 12 amps but the converted rate from 12v battery to 120v through the inverter actually means you are using about 135 amps. Has this gotten a bit confusing yet? Putting it simply, you manage the 12 amps required by the microwave from 120v to the available amps of 15 amps provided by the inverter. With the 135 amps you simply need to know that this is draining the batteries at a much faster rate as they cannot sustain that rate of power consumption for too long before loss of 12v power would occur. However, the inverter will shut down before total power loss from the 12v battery system will occur as it requires at least 10.5v for it to operate. The good news is that the microwave is usually only used for short periods of time. You would however want to apply this way of thinking to other appliances that you may want to use while on inverter power so that you better manage the available power.

I used to have a nice Viair compressor, but one of the first things I did with my new truck was to run over it. That still seems to be the most recommended brand. Instead of replacing mine like for like, I decided to try out a PowerTank. More expensive, and definitely more bulky, but it does have some nice advantages - like being able to set a bead on a tire or drive air tools. It's also much faster than a compressor and mounts nicely to my rack so that it doesn't take up any storage space. In that respect, it's as good as a built-in air compressor. Portable air compressors do the job, but if you just want to adjust your tire pressures a bit, you'll give some thought to unpacking it, hooking it up, packing it back up, etc. Having used both, I'd say that the best route is probably neither, though I'd pick the Power Tank over a portable compressor, but only so long as you don't have to sacrifice valuable storage space for it. But ideally I'd rather rather take the time to build in a compressor, mounted under or in the bed of the truck. That way it takes up next to zero space and is always ready when you need it. The ability to set a bead on a tire is rarely if ever necessary, and with today's power tools, air tools are well on their way out. Edit - looking at PowerTanks's website, they've gone way up in price, moving an already questionable purchase into crazy territory, imo. So with that in mind, I'd look elsewhere unless you can pick up a good used deal on eBay.