Leaderboard

We are spending another week at Chantilly Farms in Floyd, Va. Friends joined us! Hopefully future Ollie owners. A Blue Ridge Parkway photo at Ground Hog Mountain. “The Beast” did an outstanding job as our new TV, very happy with the Tremor so far. Happy Camping!

We’re jazzed that the weather is looking great for our beach trip! Starting Sunday and returning on Wednesday. This will be our first time camping right on a beach so we are really looking forward to it. We’ve never been to Edisto Beach; Folly Beach further to the north has been our favorite. We don’t camp right on the beach there but the campground at nearby James Island County Park is awesome. Anyway I hope to post here again after this trip. Keep safe everyone. - Brian

Thought I would follow up on this thread. Our Oliver Elite II is #104 manufactured in 2015. We have a SAFE-T-ALERT RV propane alarm under our dinette. It just began to alarm last month at approximately 5 years of age. The End of Life (EOL) signal began to beep and I reset the alarm which silences it for 3 days. After 3 days it occurred again and the the EOL light once again came on. Per the front panel the EOL will not mute after 30 days. I was able to find a replacement alarm (30-442-P) on Amazon with a manufacture date of March 17, 2020 (so they are shipping new alarms). I removed the old propane alarm during my winterization process and will put the new alarm in the Ollie when I dewinterize this spring. My plan (hope) is the 5 year clock will start at that time. I also plan to install quick disconnects as Yukon did for the same reason. Here is a link to the new alarm https://www.amazon.com/MTI-Industries-30-442-P-WT-Propane-Alarm/dp/B000AMBHG4 I have also attached pictures of the old alarm (front & back) and the new alarm in original package.

We have no experience camping in the southwest, yet. Only 2 cents I can add is to suggest the River View RV Resort that is right across the river from Natchez, MS in Vidalia, LA. We were there a couple weeks ago because hubs wanted to stay somewhere with a view of the Mississippi. The place is spotless, sites are spacious, and the rates were amazingly low. I must admit it was fun to watch the barges go by. https://www.riverviewrvpark.com/ If you go, request site #2.

We WERE more than grateful! We even called Duke later for more TV advice... now our new F150 is awaiting the partner who is scheduled to come "home" mid-December. Thanks to Chris and Duke who were very helpful and friendly. Today we sold the "SOB" (some other brand) and are planning the tin shed building for the Ollie.

We stayed at James Island State Park in late February this year . We really enjoyed it. We had a spot that was very close to the beach. You could hear the waves and walk on the beach. It was pretty convenient to Charleston. We did a carriage ride and trip to Fort Sumpter among other things. Pre covid Charleston had a street fair one Sunday per month that was awesome and very dog friendly. We also stayed at Hunter Island a little further south. James Island was nice and was not very crowded in February!!!. It was our first campground after David Crockett. It was one of our favorites on our trip. Enjoy your stay.

If at 2:00 AM that water was to freeze, you would go from level to full standing saying, " what the heck was that?" Or something close...

Here's something that I've been carrying around with me while on the road and using a lot lately. Seems I'm either trying to get/stay in shape or work out an elbow or shoulder pain. These are lightweight and if creative, you can get in a full low impact weight workout. Manificent Resistance Bands Set, Heavy Duty Workout Bands, Exercise Bands, Fitness Tube Bands, 150 LBS with Handles, Door Anchor, Leg Straps, Mini Band for Men Women at Home Workout, Weight Training

Jason Essary OTT Service put us in touch with Xantrex tech support. We were walked through a system reset. No further issues. It was undetermined what caused the error code (4). Xantrex tech support was outstanding. All is well. edit- documented everything and everyone we talked with should this issue occur again when out of warranty. Happy Camping! Patriot

Prescott is north of Phoenix. We’ve been through Prescott but didn’t spend enough time there to form an opinion. Sedona is up closer to Flagstaff and has a higher cost of living and is more touristy than Prescott. We have friends who live in Sedona and while it is very scenic they say there is a lot of tourist traffic. I previously mentioned Sierra Vista, AZ - we lived there many years and it is nice. We go back quite often to visit friends. There are also some Oliver owners that live there. We also have friends in Payson, also a nice medium sized town close to some nice camping areas and just an hour from Phoenix but with totally different weather. We were just there in August and it’s a town we could live in. Mike

Getting it closed would be even more difficult! 🤣🤣🤣

Well that would solve SeaDawg’s problem of the window not opening enough.

As a kid my Dad and I went to Edisto and the surrounding area fairly often. Absolutely no one was there and I was a fierce pirate 🏝️. Things have changed but it is still a very nice beach. Have fun! Bill

Look at it this way - you had a built in level! 😁

I forwarded the link to those suits to my wife. We ran into some Africanized bees at organ pipe a few years ago and could have used a few of those. 🐝 🐝 🐝 Probably a bit hot to wear for hiking though, especially in Arizona.

A couple weeks ago, while at a Harvest Host in Atkins, AR (Paw Paw's Pecans-Great place!) we met a couple from FL who were moving to Wichita, KS to be centrally located for traveling. I'm fairly sure I failed to disguise the "are you crazy!?" look on my face. (The aeronautical industry took my brother there 40+ years ago. He agrees. 🤓)

We were in Hohenwald for service Oct 4-7. The 1st night we camped in the sales office parking lot. They have several power pedestals to use. There were three other campers there with us & one was a couple scheduled for a factory tour. While Oliver had our Ollie, we stayed in Linden at the Commodore Hotel. It is an historic building on the main drag. The room/bldg needs some love but was clean. The Commodore allows pets & a continental breakfast is included. The Meriwether Lewis campground was still closed.

Their public beta has begun, with pricing announced at $99/month plus $500 up front to buy the antenna. Pricey, but not insane if the speeds are good and you spend a lot of time away from cell coverage. Any takers?

No pictures, yet . . . . but exciting news. I received a call from Rodney Lomax yesterday. My heart just about stopped when he announced who he was - the sales manager calling use???? I was sure the plant had burnt down and we weren't going to get our Oliver! But, not to worry. He called to say they had a build slot open up and wanted to know if we would like to take delivery the first part of December. Of course, I said yes. After requesting a Feb 3 delivery, because we were hesitant to travel cross country in the dead of Winter, I was getting nervous about making the trip in February. The beginning of December we'll be less likely to run into Wintery weather; we might even be able to take the most direct route, on I-40. Now I have to decide on our options and complete the order . . . . . 60 days cut off our wait time . . . . . yahoo!

Hi All, We are thinking of scheduling a visit to the Ollie factory. I see several camp grounds listed on the internet near by. Does anyone have experience camping near the Ollie factory and do you have any recommendations? In addition to seeing an Elite II we would like to do some social distancing site seeing. Thanks

Thanks everyone for help with this issue. We just got a call from the RV shop we deal with and they finally got an eyebrow panel from Dometic. So we won't be buying Mountain Oliver's old Dometic fridge after all!

We had to replace ours this spring; I purchased a replacement at a local RV dealership. In five years we will need to replace them again.

Jerome is an interesting visit, but not a place to live!

Thanks @Mike and Carol! If we find ourselves drawn to really small towns we’ll have to check out those too.

It was a little more than a reboot. Disconnect from power and let sit for 6 hours before reconnecting. I was surprised at the length of time with no power, but it worked.

Hope the weather stays nice - the newest Hurricane seems to be dissipating across that middle east coast. I'll put this one on our list.

We had the lower pane of our bathroom window fill with moisture. It was covered under warranty. I replaced it myself, using only butyl tape. A great seal and a very clean installation. I have found no need for caulk. As far as a cause of early failure, reflectix does seem to cause the window to get hotter. I suspect it speeds up the seal failure. Andrew

The original ollies had a single pane bath window. We replaced it with the new thermal pane about five years ago. I actually liked the old window better. Easier to operate, and opened a little further.

We had an inverter issue a few years ago and the Xantrex support team was excellent. Walked me through a bunch of troubleshooting until we did a hard reset that did the trick. Mike

Although we try to avoid the heat (not easy living in south Texas) we’ve camped in temps above 100 numerous times. Our AC is 13.5K but it kept us plenty cool on Low. You aren’t cooling a very large area. I think you should be fine. Mike

I'm surprised the seals are failing that quickly. I'm just now getting some "fog spots" on a couple windows in our 2008. There's a company in Hudson that will remove the window, replace the seals and gas, and reinstall for $250 a window. Another in Arkansas, but you're closer to Hudson. We haven't tried them yet, so I can't recommend. But I called them for pricing. My issue is they bed the window with silicon, and I'd rather use butyl. Haven't decided which way to go yet. And the fog spots are small, but two windows. https://suncoastdesigners.com/rv-services/defog/

Fast forward to 2020... Since I am unable to find other posts about this issue, I'm curious if anyone else has had windows fail. We just had our street side/aft window replaced during our Ollie's annual checkup. Unfortunately, we are out of warranty so that added $400 to the bill. Now, on the road, we've noticed the other street side window has failed. What are we doing wrong? Any suggestions? (While in storage, streetside faces east & Refectix in all windows.) Thanks, Chris

That really sums it up, right there! I am very fortunate, and VERY grateful all this is happening. Been through a buncha years o’ sheer hell I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. No lie. So excited. Still have tons of questions and no time to read much right now. Apologies in advance for asking stuff that is probably already answered and easily Googled. I am a web nerd (one of many hats), but damn there is a LOT to read up on and learn and I’m trying not to “overthink” but that too is one of my charms. Ha. Thanks again to ALL. I really hope to attend a meet up. Or run into some of you - well, not literally - after I am out there FT. Especially any of you Ollie folks who FT!

BTW if you like rock features like those concrections, also check out Salt Point SP along the NorCal coast - it has some fantastic rock features.

I have a couple of personal reasons to really dislike this new technology, though it is a game changer for rural folks and especially for emergency response teams moving into devastated regions. The possibility of space junk from collisions - they weigh nearly 600 pounds each, with over 4000 satellites planned, and there has been a very near miss already - and night-sky light pollution. This is what happens when a ground telescope takes a long exposure picture while a string of these satellites is passing overhead: These can probably be reduced, but not eliminated, by tech improvement. Starlink is planning to do this at other locations too, specifically our moon and Mars: ...https://www.tesmanian.com/blogs/tesmanian-blog/starlink-on-mars As a long time sci-fi fan, the idea of surfing the Web from Olympus Mons or Valles Marineris simply boggles my mind... And FYI Season 5 of "The Expanse" starts in a six weeks John Davies Spokane WA

We plan to stay at the Commodore on our way to delivery. Spending 2 nights, maybe more, at David Crocket SP before heading back to Oregon. I see you are social distancing . . . .

I use the the little countertop above the fridge, and the small dinette table for prep, often. In the smaller kitchen of the Elite, the only "counterspace" is a few inches between the sink and stove, and the additional space of the cooktop with the lid closed. A few people installed a swing up top at the side of the stove, back in the day, but it had to be very small. What would be even more helpful would be an adjustable table in the small dinette, like the Lagun or Springfield marine hydraulic pedestal, that would allow me to raise the tabletop to counter height. Not sure about how to handle the window shade protrusion, though, in moving the top up and down.

1. Payson, AZ. Medium size. 5200 elevation’. 1 hour from Phoenix. Moderate weather. 2. Sierra Vista, AZ. Medium size. 5200’ elevation. 1 hour from Tucson. Moderate weather.

I had a similar problem this summer, with water leaking inside the hull from the outside shower unit. The insulation below was wet, and water was coming out of the seep holes. When the shower valves were open, there was water coming out of the hole in the photo. I found part numbers from the manufacturer’s web site, and then found parts on Amazon. Replacement Vacuum Breaker. https://www.amazon.com/Fontana-97022-006-DB-Replacement-Vacuum-Breaker/dp/B015Q89WCM Replacement Straight Nipple, Seal Collar and O-Rings. https://www.amazon.com/Fontana-97020-080-DB-Replacement-Straight-Nipple/dp/B015Q89WA4 Replacement Faucet Set. https://www.amazon.com/ITC-97022008-Exterior-Shower-Repair/dp/B007HRVOHW They also had the entire unit for $99: https://www.amazon.com/Fontanna-97022-Compact-Exterior-Shower/dp/B019F81FQ0 I contacted Jason in Service, and he said that it would be much easier to replace the unit than to try to swap out parts in that hard-to-reach space. He also was able to send me a replacement unit for a price much cheaper than Amazon's. The outdoor shower unit is held in place by rivets, and since I don't have a rivet gun, I called a mobile RV tech that I had used previously, and he came out to where my trailer was stored and installed it. He charged me $75 for 45 minutes work. So, I agree with @topgun2 and I suggest you call Jason.

Here's a photo from Harris Beach State Park in Brookings during a warm stretch between Xmas and new years a few years ago - so many nice little islands and sea stacks! And one from just north of there by Cape Ferello (this is from last week)

There's a road marker 7 or 8 miles from our property in NC, about David Crockett. At least there used to be. He did, indeed, get around. Those were really long distances, at the time. https://www.obcgs.com/crockett-david-and-elizabeth-patton/

I would like to point out once again that the “Wet Sides” of WA and OR are actually a fairly small percentage of the Pacific Northwest region, which stretches clear to the Northern Rockies..... It is only because most people live there that the silly “moss everywhere” public image persists. The Cascades effectively block that Pacific Ocean moisture; just twenty miles east of their crest you enter arid and semi-arid climates, with clear skies, hot summers and chilly winters. And WAY fewer people. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_Northwest Certain locations like the Okanagan Region are “banana belts”, low elevation river valleys aligned due east of rain- blocking mountains, where irrigation is most definitely required for the orchards and vineyards (not a moss to be found). These spots are popular with retirees looking for mild weather, spectacular beauty and much more affordable housing than in Seattle or Portland. Just saying. Come visit and see for yourself. John Davies Spokane WA, AKA The Dry Side. No moss or slugs here:

Remember how I talked about (way back at the top of this thread) getting climate data as one of the things to consider when choosing a place to live. Well, my search of that data produced exactly two areas of the country that had the kind of climate we wanted - the PNW and a small area generally located in Western North Carolina (there is a little bit of it in extreme north west South Carolina and north east Georgia). In both of these areas one of the main detractions is the amount of rain. Not surprisingly, both have mountains that interact with coastal fronts and general weather patterns. Bill

Oliver reserved a site for us at "David Crocket SP" the night after delivery. I called the park and reserved an additional night which they added to Oliver's reservation. Had to pay up front, but they offer a Senior Rate - less than $20/night, including tax.

If you want to visit Nashville and the factory in one trip, I would recommend Montgomery Bell State Park. It’s 35 miles from Nashville and ~40 miles from Hohenwald. It’s located in Burns, TN (my hometown). From Davy Crockett SP, you can get to The space center in Huntsville and the Ollie factory but, it’s a longer drive to Nashville. It is in Lawrenceburg, TN. If you would rather move closer to Nashville, and, depending on the time of the year, there are several campgrounds on Music Valley Drive close to the Gaylord Hotel. After Thanksgiving and until Christmas, the hotel is really something to see when it is decorated. Hohenwald would be about 90 miles away or close to 2 hours. You can Uber or maybe shuttle downtown or the Opry is nearby also. They just started back with limited live shows. Downtown has become a Las Vegas atmosphere pre-COVID; not my thing but may be a place to visit. If you want to hear good music, I would recommend 3rd & Lindsley (the address and the name of the bar) on Monday nights to hear the Time Jumpers. Get tickets! Finally, if you want to see Nashville from an RV, I think the an alternative would be to look at some COE campgrounds around Percy Priest Lake. That is on the east side and I wouldn’t recommend getting to Hohenwald from there due to traffic. There are some other locals here and I’m sure there are some that have made the trip in their Ollie! PM me if you have specific questions about the area and I’ll help if I can. And, welcome to the forums! Next to a factory visit, it’s the next best place to learn about OTT.

Nice. We used shower slip guard strips from Walmart.

Not the large vent I had envisioned, but I do hope it's the white version . . . . it will blend in with the Oliver's white exterior. Here is the info I received from Matt Duncan, OTT Marketing Director We just started building 2021 models. Here is a list of most of the changes on a 2021. - Girard Awnings replace Dometic (standard is powered) - Furrion stereo replaces Jensen - Vizio smart TV replaces Jensen - Furrion backup camera replaces voyager (option) - MaxxFan bath fan I believe we added a 12v/5v charging station back under the dinette and a few other electrical changes. Decor options are now packaged to included flooring, upholstery, and countertops. These are on our website.

Milwaukee makes a cordless 12v transfer pump... works pretty well..

The onboard pump won’t suck 50 feet through two filters, I doubt it would even suck 20 ft with no filters, and certainly not if there is any air in the hose. It will simply airlock. To do what you want, you need a remote “booster pump” at the water source, to push water through the filters to the trailer. A simple RV water pump screwed to a piece of wood might work, using a long heavy gauge 12 volt power cord to minimize voltage drop, or better yet, carry your generator over to the water source and power something like this: https://www.amazon.com/VIVOSUN-Transfer-Utility-Impeller-Gasket/dp/B07R7V1HJW/ref=sr_1_12?dchild=1&keywords=120v+transfer+pump&qid=1602019961&sr=8-12 It is far easier to just carry extra fresh water in a can and set it next to the rear inlet, or use a big storage bladder in your truck and feed it that way. Have you thought about converting your black tank to fresh? That would provide an extra 18 gallons, and it would gravity feed to the (empty) main fresh tank. We have talked about this endlessly, but nobody has yet posted a how to thread. John Davies Spokane WA

As the cold season closes in on most of us, it is time once again to discuss proper winterization to protect all the plumbing and water systems inside the camper. First let's discuss what components are susceptible to freeze damage which would result in water leaks and potential costly service repairs. 1. Brass Check Valves – These valves are in-line valves that keep water from spilling back out of the water fill ports. These valves will be located on the Fresh Water Line, City Connection Line and the Black Tank Flush Line. 2. Plastic Check Valve – The Dometic Standard toilet has a plastic check valve located at the rear of the toilet. 3. Water Valves – These valves are used to control the flow of water. You may have 2 or 4 valves located next to the water pump, 1 located on the lower shell floor to drain the fresh tank, and 1 located on the black tank flush port line. 4. P-Traps – These are used in the sink and shower drain plumbing lines. It retains water and traps debris that has drained from the sink and prevents it from forming a clog deep within the plumbing system, and stops sewer gases from passing into the camper. 5. Water Pump & Filter – The water pump filter is used to trap debris and keep it from entering the pump and water line system that is delivered to the faucets. 6. PEX Push Fittings – These fittings are used to connect different runs of pex pipe through out the camper. Pex itself is freeze tolerant but these plastic and/or brass fittings are not. 7. Faucets – The kitchen, bathroom and external shower faucets all maintain water at the faucet when in use and thus present a potential freeze issue if not properly winterized. 8. Water Heaters – All water heaters should be fully drained of all water and the bypass valve must be set to winterization/bypass mode. This allows for RV antifreeze to be utilized in the plumbing system without filling the water heater itself. *Even when using the camper in cold weather it may be necessary to fully drain the water heater when traveling between campsites, especially the on-demand water heaters as they only hold a small amount of water that can freeze in a short period of time. *Proper winterization method to ensure that all components are protected. You can visit the following link for a walkthrough with John Oliver on how to winterize your Oliver Travel Trailer: Step by Step Methods provided below 1. Drain all water from the system (All tanks, water heaters) 2. Set bypass valve at water heater for winterization mode. 3. Change valve configuration at water pump for winterization mode. 4. Use water pump to draw RV Antifreeze (potable Safe) into the camper. 5. Turn on the kitchen faucet (Cold Line) and run until antifreeze comes out. 6. Change to the Hot line and run until antifreeze comes out. 7. Perform steps 5-6 for the bath faucet. 8. Ensure plenty of antifreeze drains into the P-Traps for the kitchen, bath and shower drains. 9. Flush the toilet until antifreeze starts to fill the bowl. Leave antifreeze in bowl to lubricate seal. 10. Turn off water pump. 11. Connect hand pump with antifreeze to the fresh tank fill connection. Pump at least 3- 4 times. Antifreeze is potable safe and will not hurt if it goes into the fresh tank. 12. Connect hand pump with antifreeze to city connection line, turn external shower cold line on and pump until antifreeze comes through shower faucet. *TIP: It will be hard to pump in the city line if the faucets are closed. 13. Turn cold line off and hot line on, pump until antifreeze comes through shower faucet. 14. Connect hand pump and antifreeze to black tank flush port. (You may have to go inside and turn the in-line valve open to allow the antifreeze to freely pump into the tank. One pump should be sufficient as we are only protecting the check valve.) For proper battery storage please visit: TIPS • The camper can be used in cold weather applications as long as the furnace is utilized to keep the components warm and above freezing temperatures. • If traveling between campsites during cold weather season it may be necessary to winterize depending on outside temperatures. • If water is left in the water heater during freezing temperatures even for short periods of time, it can cause damage. • RV Antifreeze is designed to replace water and should NEVER be mixed with water as diluting it will defeat its purpose. Oliver Travel Trailers Service: 866-205-2621