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SherMica, On your pick-up day, ask whoever gives you your walk thru if you can use their parking lot after your orientation to Maneuver, Backup, Make Turns, just to get a feel on how your entire package handles, especially stopping. Maybe ask them for a "Backing up lesson...with you as driver", just make sure your copilot is okay with a stranger in the cab with you... If you have never towed anything before, just take your time when you drive (i.e. no DRIVING FASTER than you can react) have your eyes sweep Straight ahead, Left & Right. And if no Topper on the TV, then you can have that view also. As I remember, the roads from Hohenwald to DCSP are not High Speed Interstate Rated. They are somewhat windy and meandering, so you can drive 35-55 or slower. Make sure you stay on your side of the yellow lines, and at the same time make sure you do not slip off the passenger side of the road. [When we are born, we cannot walk and chew gum at the same time, it is a learned process; I gave up gum years ago and my walking/driving has not suffered from it…] THE BEST THING I LIKE ABOUT TOWING AN OLIVER IS IT IS NOT WIDER THAN MY TOW VEHICLE, so I can see if the ZOMBIES are trying to get in that side access door I forgot to check/lock before I took off. I believe your "Ram 1500 Rebel 4x4" is about 82" wide, not sure if that includes the mirrors or not. I believe the LE I is 78" in width, so you should be able to see both sides of #731 (to be named later...) with a quick glance in each mirror. When making Right-Left turns, drive slow and do not cut them too tight. Practice your turning in the OTT Parking lot to get a feel for space/distance whilst looking in your mirrors. In addition, remember, you only get points for CURBIES when skateboarding… Concerning theft of your Vehicle or #731... Sometimes bad stuff happens to nice people thru no fault of their own. It is just stuff, as mentioned by others, and that is what insurance is for. Be SMART, Be AWARE, Be MINDFUL, but do not Be AFRAID. If you are going to live in fear of theft, then maybe, we should have had the "is this really for me" discussion months ago. Finally, “Stuff”, we went thru checklists of others, and made our own, bought some “stuff” before, and some additional “Stuff” after we picked up. I did order some “Stuff” we ended up not needing/using, but we did okay (Wifey was in charge of the “Stuff” list). Purchases of “Stuff” were minimal on the 3-week camping trip home, I believe we looked at “Stuff” at a Camping World, but no purchases. Christmas was a completely different story, Santa has a Workman’s Comp Claim against us for all the “STUFF” he brought us, but hey, we were home. And Wifey does not know it yet, but she is going to get a bunch more “STUFF” for Valentine’s Day… The best gift of all was a replacement set of those “Black Hard Rubber Chocks” I drove over and away from at a camp in AL. At the time, I thought our camping neighbors were being rude by laughing at us as we were driving away. Which reminds me, there is a “Towing Checklist” for when you are preparing to get underway, it does not hurt to review that each time. It is cheaper than replacing damaged or left behind “Stuff”. Enjoy the Adventure, Bryan (and Maggie),

The Fire TV stick works great in the trailer too. There is a USB connection on the back of the television to provides power. The Fire TV also requires internet to be of any use. I have both the Fire TV Stick and a Roku Stick Pus. The ROKU as a cleaner interface than the Fire stick (IMO) and supports screen sharing if you use IOS and/or MACOS devices, which is very handy. I like both but prefer the Roku. Both work great and do not require the inverter to be powered on to use them.

The stainless steel counter, the kitchen fold down extension, and the 80/20 lagun mount were some of the most functional mods I've seen on the forum to date. I would have opted for stainless if Oliver offered it.

I would suggest that you never fly wind art or a flag of any kind while having an antenna deployed on your mast. The antenna itself will create enough deflection in the mast to affect the cellular performance. MiMo technology would certainly help, but why add to your problem with a moving antenna. And if you are in a cellular signal challenged area, you may not have the benefit of the latest cellular base station equipment suppling your signal. Mossey

SherMica, The cell booster brand is SureCall, a copy/spinoff of an older model WeBoost. I have an updated WeBoost and I wish I had not wasted the money. I have yet to get better reception with the booster. If your phone is new (less that a few years old) it uses MIMO (Multi In Multi Out) antennas built into the phone. A booster only uses one in and one out, which most of the time diminishes the signal. Here is a link to a Internet Resource Center YouTube video on the subject. MIMO vs Boosters: Do Cellular Boosters Provide the Best Signal & Data Performance? - YouTube I would save your money and see how well your phone works as a hotspot and if that is not sufficient, try a Jetpack/Mifi with a MIMO antenna. Andrew

If you read the Oliver TT FAQ and scroll down through the page you will see what items you need to bring and what Oliver will provide. We also received a detailed list from our sales person well in advance of our delivery date. We did a lot of reading and research and asked questions on the forum which was extremely helpful. I seriously doubt your going to see Oliver post Amazon links and or photos to suggested locks & chocks and the mountain of other things you can purchase off Amazon. This forum and Oliver University is a very good resource of information and a great way for you to learn and decide what items will work for you. Continue to read and do your research and you will be much better off than someone handing you a list. If you put the time in and work on a comprehensive list you will reap the rewards later. This approach has served us well as fairly new owners. A salute to Oliver for providing a mountain of information readily available for its owners and future owners. 👍🏻🇺🇸 here- https://olivertraveltrailers.com/travel-trailers/frequently-asked-questions/

John, here is link to the Internet Resource Center's YouTube video, on a simple antenna you can just put in your window. If I needed an MIMO antenna, I would try this first. Netgear MIMO 6000450 Antenna for JetPacks & MiFis - Affordable Cellular Signal Enhancing - YouTube Keeping is simple! Andrew

Does anyone know the brand of black rubber matting Oliver currently uses in the storage compartments? We like it better than the "spongey" black non-skid toolbox mat we've purchased for use in drawers. The mat Oliver uses is ribbed and more rigid than what we've found. Thanks

Personally, I have adapted to using my phone for most things. Your Verizon choice will likely get you signal in 95 per cent of US. Paul and I swapped carriers a few years ago, because I'm the power user. He's now tmobile, I'm verizon. When and if Canada opens up, tmobile has a connection with Roger's, so his tmobile works better there. As well as most of Europe, and Australia.

The aluminum "attenuation " (diminished signal) is basically the Oliver reflectix/foil insulation. Think-- tin hat. I have that problem at home, with aluminum ribbed roofing. We've worked around it.

I'd probably keep the dot, and a few smart plugs. They don't weigh much, and take up little space. If you later decide to get a Verizon jetpack, your dot could be useful. As far as Netflix, prime tv, hulu, youtube, etc, I can watch TV on my phone , and/or broadcast it to my "smart " TV upstairs . Or, download when I have wifi, and watch later. You could download music and movies to a thumb drive, or portable hard drive, and store a lot. We routinely download some shows to a notebook or laptop before an Alaska trip, because we often have zero signal in our favorite spots in the Yukon and Northern BC. Something to watch on a rainy day. With our unlimited Verizon plan, we never get capped, but there is a throttle back in speed, if we exceed some limit that we've never exceeded . I don't remember what the limit is .

Echo Dot works great for listening to music, getting weather updates, etc., etc. so long as you are connected to the internet. Just use Bluetooth to link it to the Furion/Jensen unit and you are good to go. The older version Dot (the one that plugs into a USB outlet) uses less power than the newer units and do not require turning the inverter on. Mike

Here are few pix of my stainless counter top. It was upgraded after this pic with a barrier on the right side to prevent spills and a nicer faucet. The microwave cabinet was a very successful upgrade. It gave more counter space, a place for knives and utensils, a wine rack and a secure microwave that could not fall out of the cabinet. The microwave that came in my Ollie, tried to jump out of the cabinet twice.

That's how we keep the Martians from reading our thoughts!☺️

A number of years back - corian was tried in the Olivers but was deemed too heavy to be practical. I thought that the stainless top was done by Raspy. Bill

I have seen photos of Foy Sperring's wooden dinette tabletops, and they are not only beautiful, but "warm up" the look. Fran, would you consider changing up the table top and microwave and pantry tops, leaving the dark fibergranite in only the wet areas? There's hardly any countertop showing, anyway. I don't know about today's trailers, but the wood top above the fridge in my 2008 is held in place with industrial velcro, and has never budged during travel. Sherry

If there is aluminum in the hull shell, then radio inside the shell will be attentuated. How much depends upon the frequency. John

What attention to detail! Excellent job...makes my neck and back ache just thinking about how you "Houdini it" in such tight places....5 gold stars!

I found these videos somewhat helpful - they are focused on the Elite II, but the generic information is good. What to expect at delivery answers some of the questions. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/travel-trailers/videos/ The University location has some info up to 2020 trailers, but not for the 2021, yet. However, the 2020 info should be mostly applicable to the 2021 models. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/oliver-university/ SherMica - when is your delivery date? I would like comment from others on my perceptions of where to buy stuff. I do not normally like WalMart, for now dumb reasons, but they used to have a great RV equipment supply area. Usual reasonable WalMart prices. Everything from water filters, grounding adapter plugs, fake grass floor mats for under the awning. Camping World of course has stuff, but they tend to be higher priced - but you know that you will probably find stuff there. Harbor Freight will have some items. You can get a basic tool kit there, if you need one. They have varying levels of tools. I use them for tools that I use in the field that I may lose or forget. Their bags and cases (like Pelican) are pretty inexpensive and durable. Tractor Supply, one of my favorite stores, has a trailer supply section (not RV specific), and my favorite clothing store, Cabela's/Bass Pro Shops has an RV section. Keep a notepad nearby as you drive and sit about the campground. Make a list of what you think about that you wish you had, or actually need. I have accepted that I forget stuff, so keep notes. I learned that many years ago from fiction writers who keep a notepad on their nightstand to remember brilliant ideas when they wake. John

I’ve seen products with a corian veneer over some other substrate so perhaps you could find something along those lines that would work. There’s also at least one owner who went over his original countertop with stainless steel.

Yeah I kinda went with the sales-pitchy too, but I can't blame anyone, really, because ... "Ohh! Shiny! Gadgets!" I will let you guys know re: Elec Pro Pkg, yea or nay or meh. D-DAY. Heh. Delivery Day. Jan 26. I am still running around trying to deal with all life has dealt me and thus have STILL not had time to watch very many of the OTT site videos. I HAVE tried to prioritize the time I have, and watch the ones I think I will need to know immediately. Like, that night in the cold campground, backing in, then "hooking up" for the first time with a dog bugging me. Dog (English Lab, speaks with accent) will be all, "WOT's oll LISS then? We're LEVVIN' in 'ere? Ya CON'T be seer-yuss. In this? This OIT-TEEN FOOT FOY-BUH-GLOSS MOO-ving lorry or wot evah? Right. I've got dibs on the BED. You lot, on the rug there." Fear not, good OTT Forumites. I am NOT leaving that OTT parking lot until I feel ok with driving, (you should hear my monologues while driving, even on a good day, heh), turning, backing up, hitching and unhitching. Srsly. They know I am new. I think the take-them-donuts idea will help. I sure hope so. NO one wants a n00b running loose on the highways or in the campgrounds. "Oh, so I plug this big cord into the water hose and flip the switch? Yes, that's what I remember reading." Zzzzt! No. I have common sense, just new to this. I can read. I can follow instructions. I will be ok. And thank you all again.

Great advice. A friend who has towed trailers since she was a late teen gave me a few lessons and the first thing we did once we had gone through the basic of hitching and hooking up and adjusting the brake controller and avoiding colliding with median strips on left turns on our way to the parking lot was "going straight back" a long ways across the empty parking lot we used. She stressed that this was a) harder than it might seem and b) an essential foundational skill that would help with turning back into sites etc. The way she put it was that being able to "find center" while backing would be used in all those other maneuvers. She also stressed that it takes at least a few months to really get the hang of backing up trailers.

the problem with weefee/phone use is that when the signal is marginal, or non-existent, no amount of boost or antenna will process the signal, whether receive or transmit, SherMica. I think that you understand that. Until Elon Musk gets his satellite system installed, with a gajillion geo stationary satellites, there won't be universal coverage with any system. And even then, when parked under that nice shade tree, the satellite will be screened and the signal will be diminished. WeeFee uses one set of frequencies and phones use a different set of frequencies, so hence the need for different boosters and systems. So if using a JetPack or similar hotspot type system, that is your phone, which means the weefee or wired connection would be between the computer and the hotspot device. No booster needed. As you get more comfortable with camping and set-up, you might want an antenna, such as a mimo antenna, on the end of a 20' or taller mast. Actually easy to set up. I play ham radio, and set-up a portable antenna mast at most campsites or even for portable day use. Of course anything is easy when you know what you are doing, and have experience. Let us know what you think of the package. One of the pictures is of the electronic door lock. I also purchased the package, bowing to a bit of sales talk. If it works, I am happy. If no improvement, then it is the cost of a learning experience. I looked at the cost of the package, what came in it, and decided that it would be worth it. I wanted the doorlock, for some reason. I have some other ideas on weefee and cell phone antenna systems. Learning about that now. John

I’ve seen it occasionally over the past few weeks. I’ll mention it to the admin.

Will do! Thanks! I have iPhone 11 Pro with a Verizon “unlimited” (ha!) business plan.

Good Morning to All, Just became an Ollie owner of a 2019 LE II, twin setup. Hull 471. It came from the south Florida area and was in great shape. Hope to get it on the road as soon as I get it setup. I'm in the Florida panhandle. Sputnik

Yes, basically the cushions do fit the platform exactly and they are using 4 inch foam. Bill

Dan & Theresa, Greetings from Western ND. Bryan

Colorado is a much nicer place to live than Portland/Vancouver! We are actually 50 miles west of Roseburg, just off of Hwy 42 and the Middle Fork of the Coquille River. Lots of trees and far enough inland to be out of the fog belt. My husband grew up here; me - I'm a transplant from California, but consider myself an Oregonian as I've live here since 1966.

I agree with Andrew. If you can't get a signal with the Netgear antenna, you'd probably need a directional antenna to pole mount. It gets clunky (wind, signal search, gain/loss, additional coax, etc) so I'd opt for the Netgear solution whenever possible. If you do opt for a directional, here is some info about the setup.

At 6'7" I resemble that remark, and we Love our LEII and all that it has to offer us.

Another vote for the MIMO antenna. Seems to work more often/better than the 4G booster. I would also recommend crossing two or more wireless providers. Phone with one company (TMO or VZ) and Jetpack with another (ATT). Mike

@Ray and Susan Huff I hear you. Our kids are in 4 different states now and no grandkids yet. We moved to Colorado in the summer of 2019 from Vancouver, WA. I used to travel most all of Oregon on business. Guessing you probably live in Medford or Grants Pass. I used to fly fish on the Rogue River. We enjoyed the PNW and it will always have a place in our hearts but we do love Colorado so far. It’s not inexpensive and it seems crowded sometimes but the weather is truly great with tons of sunshine. There is so much to do if you love outdoor adventure. We were lucky to find hull 627 for sale here in CO and we are looking forward to exploring!

We'll be in Colorado next fall (October) and maybe we'll see you around. Craig & Rose Hull 505 - Galway Girl Here's our Blog which features write-ups on NW Campgrounds, Some Maintenance Items and an Amazon Oliver Trailer Outfitters list...which includes comments on how the items work for Olivers. https://4-ever-hitched.com/

The hitch we purchased from etrailer is rated for 7,500# - 750# tongue weight. https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Hitch-Ball-Mount/Curt/D210.html There is plenty of clearance for turning radius. It doesn't look like it in the photo, but with this hitch the tailgate can be opened while the rack is in place and loaded with bikes. The only problem is me getting into the pickup bed with the tailgate down . . . . but that is always a problem. We carry a collapsible step stool for this, but usually it's easier to just use the bumper and climb over the tailgate. A retracting step at one corner of the bumper would be nice. I am so happy we found a solution for our 1up rack . . . . didn't want to give it up!

We are all wishing you well. Take a night off, or, two, to breathe and relax and recharge. This is a really big change, but many others have done it. You're as capable as most, even if it's all new. None of this is rocket science . I would also like to add my sympathies for the loss of your brother. And, for the deteriorating health of your mom. You'll be fine, eventually. Keep your head up and clear. You have friends here that you've never (personally) met. Sherry

The "bulldog coupler" is the connection point bolted on the trailer. The bulldog coupler connects to the Anderson trailer hitch ball which is slid into the "receiver" on the tow vehicle. When you hook up that the "Bulldog Coupler" is lowered down onto the "Anderson Hitch Ball" as shown below: That picture of the hookup is from John Davies...(thanks for the great post John.) Have fun with your new Ollie. CS

All: some day I will look back on all this and laugh. I am already laughing at myself. Need a clue bat upside the head, I do. They probably sell clue bats on Amazon. Heh. I drive to pickup the Elite one in 10 days. The OTT people will be laughing too, I’m sure. “So, you’ve NEVER towed anything, have a new truck that can launch missiles, don’t understand your new truck’s features yet, and don’t know anything about hitches and couplers and receivers and locks. Well played!” Haha

The Grohe valve is really beautiful. Their starlight chrome is some of the best chrome finish I've seen. I wish I'd used more of it in our house when we built it. Delta's chrome doesn't hold a candle to it, though it's pretty, too. I'm a chrome finish fan. Timeless.

Thanks! . . . . . that's what we are doing.