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Highly unlikely that you'll get Oliver to make that change. It's a DIY job for sure. Besides, Oliver's m.o. for the past two or three years has been to carefully study what owners want, have researched, implemented, are satisfied with, etc., and then do something different.

I’m way overdue introducing myself, but I guess it’s better late than never, as I joined the forum a few years ago. I have been researching and thinking about RVs off and on ever since. I finally came to the conclusion that an Oliver Elite II was the best choice for me so I put down my deposit last month. Much to my pleasant surprise, Anita gave me some early build dates so my pick up date is early February. I thought I might have to wait until late spring or early summer. 😁 I’ve done tons of tent camping ( go figure..I’m an Army retiree) and pop up trailer camping (mostly during my 14+ year Army tours in Germany), but I think now at the ripe old age of 68 I’m ready for a little less roughing it. I’ve seen enough of Europe, now it’s time to explore my own country. I wish my wife, Kitty, could join me but she passed away recently due to a long illness, so I’ll be going it alone now. This forum is such a valuable resource! My hat’s off to all the contributors. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the time and effort that goes into sharing your expertise. David

You won't find any production trailer manufacturer willing to make one-off modifications this extensive. Oliver and others have limited to no engineering capabilities, instead relying on component suppler services, like Dexter, for this expertise. For an Elite, you're talking about a complete sub-frame redesign.

😀 Well said, but we should keep trying with stuff like this. At some point, maybe when RV sales are in a deep slump, they will decide to offer more “adventurous” options for us, the fringe market. It certainly does NOT hurt to keep asking. John Davies Spokane WA

The dual fuel, inverter champion we got from Costco is quieter than all the Honda/Yamaha inverters I've run into at campgrounds. I know you've been mostly looking at those, but I see quiet brought up a lot in your post so I thought I'd mention it. It's a little bigger than the 2200 series you are looking at, but it also can power the air conditioner at Gros Ventre (6000-7000') without a problem and no voided warranty to be able to run propane. It's not showing in stock now, but it pops in and out of stock as they get shipments. https://www.championpowerequipment.com/product/100204-3100-watt-dual-fuel-inverter/ Here is the super-secret link to Costco, it will show you a bear if it's out of stock: https://www.costco.com/Champion-DUAL-FUEL-2800wt-Running--3100wt-Peak-Digital-Inverter-Generator%2c-Electric-Start%2c-RV-Ready%2c-Parallel-Capable%2c-CARB-%2526-EPA-Certified%2c-Low-Decibels.product.100284958.html?bvstate=pg:2/ct:r Champion has been super-responsive to emails, and sent me the high altitude jet for free in case we need to run gas at elevation. If Champion stops being super, then it goes back to Costco. For us, the generator is pretty low-risk as we only need it for AC or brief periods to run the microwave or convection oven - we are 12VDC only when boondocking otherwise and the solar keeps up so long as we aren't running our laptops hard on a cloudy day.

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

We certainly agree about living versus visiting the beach. I can't tell you the number of times my wife and I have talked about buying a second home on the beach only to slap ourselves back to reality. We "need" another home like we "need" a hole in the .......... And, living at the beach full time without the mountains, trees, motorcycle roads, hiking, etc. is just simply not something we want to do. But, for a vacation, we find the beach, the ocean, the food , and the different life style very refreshing and relaxing. Bill

I agree. But putting my snarky comments aside, I think there are many other areas that Oliver could and should put their efforts into before they ever try to tackle the offroad market. And even if I limited my wishes to just offroad and boondocking related items, the suspension would be pretty low on my list.

We were just a few miles south of you on that same day at Holden Beach, NC. In fact, on the 23rd, we drove over to Hampstead, NC (Surf City) to look at a new home my son and wife are purchasing. They're relocating from VA to coastal Carolina. Not my cup of tea of a place to live but nice to visit.

Great topic but the level of comments and detail is dizzying. Can some simply provide me with just the proper part #s for the Timken bearings, seals, & races or otherwise a part # for a complete kit? Thanks, Hobo

It is possible that we are mixing a bit of "apples and apples" in this discussion. I believe that the comment about NOT recommending blown air for winterization pertains to the practice of ONLY using blown air and has nothing to do with using blown air in COMBINATION with using RV antifreeze. While not impossible to remove ALL water from the plumbing system using the blown air approach - it is very difficult. Given the small spaces in back flow preventers and single handled faucets a single drop of water can do a fair amount of damage. Given that most RV antifreeze protects down to between 10 and 50 below zero any residual water that is left in the system from pumping the antifreeze through simply gets mixed into the antifreeze solution. Yes, this might reduce the level of protection by a few degrees but given the winters we experience here in Western North Carolina, I do not worry about it. I would guess that in more severe climates and/or if you are worried about this potential mixing of a small water and antifreeze, you could use the blown air in combination with the antifreeze. Bill

With a short hose you are able to pump directly from the anti freeze bottle directly into the plumbing system.

Welcome and now is a great time to read and become even more familiar with Oliver University and your owners manual. Congrats on your new Oliver! -Patriot

Welcome David. Your trailer will not be a unit to be lonely in. There are plenty of people that will talk to you about your camper. They will follow you into rest areas and restaurants to ask about the Oliver. They will stop at campgrounds too. The Oliver is a great unit to see our country in. From the pink granite at Acadia, to the Blue Ridge, to Natchez Trace, to the tumbleweed of the west you will always feel at home in the Oliver. The pillow you put your head on will be the same one you had last night. You can wear different color clothes everyday and no one will notice. You made a good choice. See you around a campfire.

David, welcome to the group! We’re about the same age and I had several tours in Europe before retiring as well so we may have crossed paths somewhere. I’m sorry to hear about Kitty, traveling in retirement would have been such a joy. You’ll find a friendly community among Oliver owners who will be quick to welcome you in. If you’ve been on the forum for a while you know everyone is here to answer questions and help. Mike

One of the "problems" that you will encounter is that there are very few alarms of any sort that fit into that hole under the dinette. So, unless you are willing to live with the hole, or, live with gaps around the hole, or, patch or cover the hole, you are basically stuck with what's there. Bill

Both are dual. So the co part is duplicated - thanks Mike 😊

I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest some cooking lessons as a better alternative.

It's really nice for me to see "Mountainborn's topic" pop up in my feed. So, thanks for that, Susan Huff. Larry and Betty, (mountainborn) were the original Ollie pioneers. His grainy cellphone youtube videos brought a bunch of us into the first 50 ownership group. They're both amazing people, with vast camping, life, and outdoor experience, and we feel blessed to count them as friends. Sherry