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I found Oliver trailers sometime during 2017 - I was seriously considering a class C 4wd - of the Elkhart clan. After much consternation - it finally jelled in my mind - the trailer was the more flexible platform - with a 4wd TV. I toured the Oliver factory - visited Oliver at least twice before purchase - and we took Ollie home July 2018. As someone with decades of manufacturing experience - I recognized Oliver was perhaps at the top of the heap in RV manufacturing - but just decent -in the whole. Has my ownership experience been perfect, great, good, met my expectations, or worse. Since I began reading this forum - a constant reoccurring theme has been the various questions, concerns, and praise for the OLIVER quality level - and in a few threads - some - second guessing the purchase altogether. Personal consternation over real or perceived quality issues that arise within days, weeks- or months of delivery. And too their credit - forum members are always eager to help - often with personal experience on an issue. We see repeat issues, we see obvious defective build issues, we see a very responsive service group and we see owner mods that make Ollie better, and we see a community of like minded caring Oliver Owners - a preponderance of them with previous RV experience - or - who are handy with tools, and repair procedures - and have no problem fixing many of the minor things that can go wrong with RV ownership. Lets face it - The modern Oliver RV is a complicated multi system RV that relies on its many parts to work correctly - together- to deliver the experience a new owner expects. As good as the forum experience aids and supports the Oliver brand - when your Ollie let you down - soon after writing that check - good intentions don't help much. So what is a reasonable, realistic customer expectation level for the new Oliver owner at purchase. Is it acceptable to have any of the systems inoperative - at delivery- or within days. Is it ok for a system to be less than fully installed. Is it ok for the delivery day process to be less than top shelf. Is it ok that the service department is relied upon to carry the day - too often. Or, does knowing RV's are historically hit and miss on the quality front, and with Oliver's reputation in mind, we look past the initial disappointment. It's not a Toyota after all. (I couldn't resist poking) Your opinions - your feedback - are important - here - and to me - I can be very critical on the subject - but I attempt to temper my comments - and expectations, due to my time in the trenches of manufacturing hell. I believe Oliver is connected to this forum - as it is a feedback loop, and an important first hand accounting. I also believe - we owe it to ourselves, a personal responsibility - to educate and learn about our purchase - and try to understand the issue at hand. But where does the line of responsibility begin and end. You put $$ down, eagerly waited months, happy anticipation for delivery day, and you fully expect your high dollar purchase will be 100% perfect - right? Well - at least be fully usable. So, after 2.5 years of med/heavy use, at least 4 trips to Oliver service for R n R, a few phone calls for info on this or that, does my experience meet my expatiation. Well - mostly - because I expected less than perfect. I understood the Oliver was only as good as its components and the build process - itself. And I inform and educate myself on the product, as best as I can. Yea Oliver is better than SOB, so what, I bought an Oliver, Would I buy my Oliver again. Probably. But if I was a normal ordinary customer - new to the RV world, my view may be less generous. I don't bleed Oliver, that is Scotts job, but I do care about the brand and how customers feel about their purchase - as I represent Oliver with my purchase and continued use. It is much more pleasant to promote than to defend. So, for those of you out there with less than favorable experiences - hang in there - Oliver will get it right, for the satisfied of you, happy trails, and for the rest of us, well - we're never satisfied anyways - well - not for long. 🙄 RB OFD

Here's a pic of a furnace reset switch from an owner (who posts in the Facebook group) who had to reset theirs to get it going again after having drained their batteries empty and then got them charged again. They said this about its location: "inside. We opened the panel on curbside back of the trailer. 4 screws to remove the panel. Then we looked for the reset switch. Really hard to see. Finally found it. Click it once and the thermostat is turned off. Click it again and everything started back up." The folks in Service had them reset via this switch:

One destroyed tire (and wheel well) at speed will have you installing TPMS. My one experience on a boat trailer was enough - fun though - my wife who was driving at the time - freaked out - at 70 mph... TPMS she said YES.

Depends?😇

If your tires are already balanced, I would not bother. I did not do it for my sensors. OTH if your tires are NOT already balanced, install the sensors and have them spin balanced with those sensors in place. so the balance will be perfect instead of just pretty close. It makes sense to have a good baseline - you know the balance is good - before just randomly adding more weight. If they are imbalanced already, you might accidentally make them worse. John Davies Spokane WA

Had a similar experience with our Elite (#409 - late 2018) shortly after pickup. Fridge was working fine on AC at first, then it wasn't... After a bunch of poking around I discovered the AC plug was dangling almost out of its receptacle, which was located on the curbside wheel well (to the left of the refrigerator as viewed from the outside lower vent panel) behind a foil-sealed "plastic cardboard" panel. It was tricky to get in there without messing up that panel. No way to tell if that plug was initially fully seated or not. Haven't had a problem with it since. I'm surprised that such a "buried" outlet location meets code... or maybe it doesn't? Seems like that outlet should be in plain sight behind the refrigerator lower vent cover, probably with a weather-proof cover on it. Also had issues with the window shades falling off a few times. I found & replaced a couple of broken clips... and... lowered the tire pressure to 55-60psi. No problems with either of those issues since!

Purchased the Truma propane gage. Easy to use, simple, and accurate - just like the hot water trick - really.😀 I'm not sure why I am so anal on this topic - I can never remember the settings - in the middle - left - right, leave both tanks open, leave just the one - on. The damn thing is green, no red, no wait - turn the other tank on. Watch this - hold my beer - damn, the tank is empty. RB

We are one of the registered Oliver owners who show our trailer to those thinking of buying an Oliver. We created new "trading cards" to hand out as appropriate to visitors and for friends we meet on the road. In this instance we've also included a QR code, which when scanned with a smart phone or tablet will show the link to our blog page where we review various campgrounds, and list some of the many accessories Oliver owners find useful. Please give it a try and see if scanning the QR code takes you to our website: https://4-ever-hitched.com Craig

Wow! Looks like a serious snow storm will pass through Snowhenwald, Tennessee. Be safe everyone!

I'm pretty much on the same storm swath - currently its fine. We will see what tomorrow brings. In 20 years the worst of cold, icy, snowy weather has never last more than a few days. Given the last years restrictions - staying home will be almost normal. Come Friday - this will be a memory. Happy Netflixing all. RB

I doubt that Hohenwald is very prepared for this kind of snow. However, it appears that by next weekend they will be having a major melt going on. Certainly that is a good thing for those that had to postpone delivery due to this storm.

Hi John This 6061 aluminum, I had little bit of it on hand. It description from the catalog is; This is the most versatile of the heat treatable aluminum alloys. It has most of the good qualities of aluminum, and it offers a wide range of mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. Applications- This grade is used for a wide variety of products and applications from truck bodies and frames to screw machine parts and structural components.

posting from an IMAC - no issues

I’ve got an iPhone and no issues.

No problems here. I’m almost always viewing and posting on the forum from my iPhone. Just posted this from my iPhone.

I have a lot of respect for a company that doesn't censor customer feedback/issues on the forums they host and pay for. I don't expect a flawless product because I've read a large percentage of the posts made here over the years; I do expect a trailer that far exceeds the standards found in the rest of the industry. I also have expectations that each year, the quality of the product will improve. This is especially the case when the price increases are outpacing material costs and general inflation. I'll be documenting my trailer's build quality and trouble spots because I want companies like Oliver to succeed and constantly improve. A public forum creates the perfect "feedback loop" for better or worse. Hopefully always the former! 😁

Here are some prints of the main parts needed to mount flaps. i just want to make a couple of points to maybe help someone making this mod. The first one is to remind people that this is a wonderful custom built trailer and like snowflakes they may look the same but each one is unique in it's self. I strongly recommend that you take the print and build a mock up out of a stiff piece of cardboard or a thin piece of plywood. Then put up in place and check the fit of the mount holes and how it aligns with the fender well. This way you will see if adjustments to the holes need to be made. The part that the rubber flap is bolted to has to align perpendicular to the trailers main frame and be aligned with the trailing edge of the wheel well. This way when the rubber flap is bolted on it will extend a little way up into the wheel well and also match the seam of the trim that goes around the outside of the wheel well. You may have to refer to the pictures included in this post to see what I mean, pictures are truly worth thousand words. I suggest getting the main mount plate held by the mounting bolts of the stabilizer jack, checking position and alignment to the wheel well then hold or clamp 3" x 12"long x 1/2" thick plate up against the trailer frame and aligned with the edge of the mount plate. Now transfer the two 1/4" mounting holes positions to the edge of the 3" x 12" plate. These can now be drilled and tapped. On my trailer the curbside stabilizer jack is mounted 1/2" closer to the wheel then the street side that is why there are two sets of prints for that part. They are somewhat picky to install, but I think they are the most effective at protecting the trailer.

A very nice upgrade. I personally would not consider it. My current Chevy duramax 2500 averages 450 + miles full to empty that a lot of miles for us to travel at one time. Towing a large Rv it may be a good idea less time at fuel station’s trying to maneuver around. With the Ollie we are in and out in less than 30 min that’s with taking a bathroom break, stretch out and a quick snack. Recharged and back on the road.

Netflix? You've always got the Daytona 500 at 2:30pm today if you want to take a nap 😃.

This is an interesting shot from the NOAA “predictive” weather site. I really like the old school graphics showing the fronts. I don’t recall ever seeing this much chaos spread all over the USA at one time, keeping in mind that the one solitary “H” represents the middle of the Polar Vortex. I think Sunday would be a good time to just hunker down and binge watch cable TV, if you still have power. NOAA Weather Prediction Center And here is a screen cap from my Windy app, showing temperature. https://www.johnnyjet.com/windy-best-free-weather-app/ So far in NE Washington we have missed all but some single digit night time temperatures, no snow, ice, or wind storms. No snapped trees or multi-car crashes. Stay warm and safe. John Davies Spokane WA

I numbered my tanks # 1and # 2. Let's assume both are completely full, mounted in the trailer with the hoses attached. Open the valves on BOTH tanks. Turn the lever on the regulator toward either tank. The indicator will be green. Use your trailer and appliances normally. When the first tank is empty, the regulator will automatically begin using from the second tank. There will be no interruption of the flow of propane, but indicator will now be red. The lever on the the regulator DOES NOT physically move. You will need to be aware of how long a tank will last you and after a period of heavy usage, check the color indicator. When you see it is red, close the valve on the empty tank, remove the hose and take it to be filled. At that point swap the lever to the remaining tank. The indicator will change back to green. When the first tank is replaced, leave the lever pointed toward the second tank until the indicator again turns red indicating the second tank is now empty. I use and highly recommend the Mopeka tank monitoring system. I can check the level of propane in the tanks from inside the coach on a readout or with an app on my phone. I also invested in a couple of these.

To be clear, I believe this was a local repair tech, not an Oliver service person that drove from Hohenwald to Houston to do this work. Just like any of us who have an issue at home or away from Hohenwald, we get a local repair tech to do the work. Oliver picks up the bill.

John, Thanks for the tip, I just removed the pix with the detail...left one with the QR code. CS

Maybe we should resurrect the old airplane term "flying boat"? Or a kind of hover plane? Cool video: What Happened to Giant Ekranoplans? John Davies Spokane WA

Touche'. Thanks. I forgot about all those 1/2 inch holes in the belly. Together they should be around 10 square inches. That is actually quite a lot of built-in infiltration. John Davies Spokane WA

Occam's razor “With all things being equal, the simplest explanation tends to be the right one.” ― William of Ockham And for us guys - usually asked by our spouse - Did you read the instruction manual? Occam's razor - Wikipedia If my 3 power source RV refrigerator/freezer runs on propane and DC - and initially once ran on shore power AC - my method of trouble shooting: the simple answer is the unit is not connected - somewhere- either at the plug, the breaker, or somewhere in-between. At the AC receptacle - verify 120 volts ac. yes - plug it in, no - find out why not. Receptacle has AC power - fridge is plugged in - and still no workie - check voltage at point of connection in the units access port. AC is there - perhaps the units control circuitry is bad. (very low probability but possible) Any decent RV repair person could figure this out in about 5 min. Oliver does pay for such services. Take 5 min - lower the tire pressures to 55 psi. Done. If not done - don't bother with next suggestion. Align the window shade clips - parallel to window - place the shade in the top clips - aligned correctly -do same for the lower - a swift but stern "smack" at the location of each clip will seat the frame. Done. Read owners manual - every page - twice. No RV is perfect - regardless of the price. Oliver is not any different. I've never met an Oliver owner that was not outgoing, friendly, and willing to help as much as possible. Oliver owners are your friend, until proven otherwise. May the force be with you. RB And: I once told Jason my furnace did not have the on/off switch he said it did - in the location he said it was located. I was certain - until I proved I was an idiot - it was exactly where he said it was - right behind a bundle of control wires my preconceived yes said it wasn't. A lesson I have relearned way to many times. We are all human after all.

For those who are buying the tools for tire removal for the first time. A suggestion, it would be a good idea to practice changing the tires if its your first time. It would be better to learn how to change the tires on the Ollie in your driveway and get comfortable with it than have to change a flat tire on the side of the road. Which in most cases will be in poor conditions. Un even surfaces. Not a lot of walk around room given that vehicles and trucks will be wizzing by you at 60 -70- 80 mph’s scary. you should also check with your insurance carrier most policies now have some kind of road side assistance for tire changing. The down side to that option is a very long wait time or you may not be able to get service. It all depends on the situation your in at the time you have a flat. Safety first.

In order for the automatic switch over to work - both tank valves must be open. Many of us leave one of the tank valves closed so that we know when that first tank runs out of propane (i.e. we do not use this automatic switching feature). When the first tank runs out you will notice that something running on propane simply isn't working. If this happens to me with the fridge or the water heater or the furnace I will try to light the stove just to make sure that it is not an issue with that particularly appliance. It also helps that after awhile you get a sense for when you are about to run out of propane. If the stove doesn't light, I simply go outside open the access port, open the full tank, go back inside and light the stove. Perhaps there might be a couple of seconds before the stove lights but usually it lights very quickly. If you are using the automatic switch feature then you will have both tanks open. Basically when the switch occurs you will not know it. This is very nice if you are right in the middle of something or if it is pouring rain, gloom of night, middle of a long hot shower, etc.. But, it could be very bad if you do not remember to check to see if you have run out of propane in that first supply tank. Bill

That's realky nice! Low angle sun and heat may still affect your tires. Looks like 5 to 6 ft. high open wall? I'd still cover the tires , imo.

Just got this protection for my Ollie against the desert sun

It was cold today - didn't get over 66

Our "newest" tow vehicle is a 2008 dodge ram 1500, 4x4, hemi. It has the idiot lights that show low pressure, but not tire pressure numbers. Still valuable. No way to monitor trailer tires. I am in the camp of --if you own a reliable vehicle, with proper ratings, run it til you really, really find something else you want. Or, in our case, we hope to run ours til it dies. I'm excited, and also concerned, about all the new tech in trucks. As in, if the truck always "backs in for you", how do you learn when it "doesn't ", because some board component fails? (More for new people than us, obviously. ) Conversely, I will have to say, that I love the new safety features of newer vehicles, that we obviously do not have, like blind side monitor, always on rear camera, pexestrian awareness, etc. And, hopefully, someday when I'm less confident about driving, the autopilot programs will be perfected. I know it's been really, really difficult for my mom since she gave up her driver's license. My two cents. Probably worth the same.

Many vehicles do not have a true TPMS, the only thing it looks for is low pressure in any tire, then the idiot light flashes. My Land Cruiser shows all four pressures (to the nearest 1 psi) plus the spare tire. It would be nice if the TV system showed everything, including temperature. Having not owned a Big 3 truck later than model year 2006, I can’t comment on the newest ones. Do they show pressure for each tire? Is the alarm setting adjustable, for example if you changed tire types, or aired them down to 20 psi for off-road? John Davies Spokane WA

SNY - Most newer TV's come standard with a TPMS. Both my current and former truck had it and our Subaru Outback has it along with the two previous Volvo's.

Here are some in-production pictures I took mid August during our tour. It might give you some idea of the hidden wires that are between the inner and outer shells before they are put together. We were very impressed with the quality.

What I’d love to see Oliver do is glue in a 1x2 strip of PVC all the way down both sides of the trailer and then attach everything to that - plumbing, electrical, and HVAC.

Angler, I've read numerous ideas on propane level checks, from a stick on decal "thingy" to pouring a special fluid down the side and watching it change colors, and the good old standby "tap test". In your post, you mentioned tanks, meaning I suppose, that you have two. If this is the case, I'm sure you also have the automatic crossover valve. In this case you're all set. With both tanks connected to the auto-switchover valve, operate with both propane tanks to the full open setting (full counterclockwise on the tanks). There is a lever on the crossover valve. Place it full to the side towards one of the tanks and this will become your initial primary tank. It should last a long time, depending on use. I have 30 lb tanks and one lasted five weeks of continuous camping. (For one guy and his dog - no furnace used) Go camping and have lots and lots of fun, occasionally lifting the cover to your tanks and checking the GREEN stripe in the view window of the crossover valve. When it turns to RED, your initial primary tank has gone totally empty and you're now running on the back-up tank. Swap the lever over so it points at the back-up tank. It now becomes your primary. Close the valve on the empty tank and get it filled at your leisure, being sure to not tarry toooooo long. When you fill it up and put it on your trailer and open its valve full open, it is now the back-up. By using this method, you really don't need to know the exact level because you always have a full back-up waiting to take over. Enjoy!

My wife and I have lived in our Ollie Elite 2 for 7 months now waiting for our house in Oklahoma to be completed. It's currently minus 18 degrees out there with a snow blizzard. It will last for over a week. If this doesn't test Ollie to the max I don't know what will. I would have gone to a hotel by now if I didnt feel I had to hang with the ship to make sure we don't have damage. Can't dump because valves are frozen. Using outhouse nearby. Hoping gas continues to the furnace and Truma water. Filled fresh water from only un- frozen spigot used for boon docking. Trying to keep heat inside to 70 degrees but floor is really cold. Have small electric in basement working. I think Ollie is great 4 season but not sure about this 5th season. Dan and Jennifer Brumfield