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Hello from East Tennessee, My wife and I are picking up our new Oliver Elite II next week and thought this would be a good time to introduce ourselves. I have been retired from state parks for a few years now and my better half is planning to work a little while longer. We are new to RV camping, so we plan to start with some short trips and eventually work up to traveling across the country. I grew up in Middle TN, so I am proud to know that our new Oliver camper is a Tennessee made product. I have found this forum to be a great source for information, and I look forward to meeting other Oliver owners in our travels. Alan & Judy Strawberry Plains, TN

I looked for one 13 years ago for that very reason with Hull #026. No luck, I built one. It is about three feet long and perfectly goes from the generator to the front of Hull #050, our current Oliver. Not being aware I was not supposed to, I have been known to run the generator while under tow, but with no apparent problems. I suppose I’ll just chalk that up as further justification of our Oliver’s name...The Outlaw Oliver. I’m still using the same generator I bought in 2008 for the first Oliver. It has ridden in the baskets of both trailers for over 150K miles and has been on every trip we’ve ever been on. I would just purchase the parts to make my own cord. That way, it will be perfect for your application.

Just add a big 62 gallon tank like I did recently. Now I bitch about having to put my credit card into the slot twice to fill the tank! 🙂 But deep down I hope that retirement planner app that I'm using isn't lying about our chances to outlive our money. 😬

Yes Jim I concur. But then again it gives me something solid to bitch about. ...

It may impact the weight of my right foot while driving but otherwise mostly no I think - I'm grateful for the ability to say that but this ability is pretty much paired with the ability to buy and own a trailer like the Oliver and a vehicle worthy of towing it, and having the time to do so. I'm pretty sure that if you are truly needing to heavily factor this in to your travel plans then you can easily find some far more economical ways to travel the country.

Almost the entire original Southern Cross album is good.

GJ - Be a bit careful to not drop your tire pressures too low. According to Goodyear Tires, "Just as colder weather can cause PSI to drop, excessive heat can cause your tire pressure to temporarily increase. For every 10 degrees of increased temperature, your tires can be expected to increase by 1-2 pounds of pressure." Therefore, if your tires increase temperature any more than 10 to 12 psi and there isn't some other mitigating factor (like the tires being in direct sunlight) then the tires are most likely under-inflated. An under-inflated tire is more likely to be the cause of a blow-out given that excessive heat weakens the carcass. Bill

My Ollie sits for about 8 months in a dark barn with the batteries hooked up to a 1.5 amp battery maintainer. As I don't have a Nature's Head, and I always service the batteries both at the end of the season, and again before my first trip........... I just disconnect the negative battery cable. I'm down to zero phantom electrical loads guaranteed.

With my 2019 F-150 3.5 Ecoboost, SPEED is the major factor in my fuel consumption and costs. So long as on flat land intestate I keep it at 67 MPH (Low turbo boost zone), I get 14 MPG with Ollie in tow, 24 MPG solo. But kick it up to turbo boost zone, and the MPG drops quickly. With the huge power potential of twin turbos feeding basically a NASCAR engine, it will zoom up any interstate grade at any speed I would want to call legal. BUT, the mpg is severely impacted.

For anyone that now owns an 890 - Garmin has released a system update and it takes about 10 minutes to complete the install. Bill

Agreed. I plan on doing a full review at some point with more detail and descriptions. I loved seeing photos like this when I was considering a purchase so I just wanted to dump them in an unorganized fashion for the time being. Yeah, I was bummed when I saw this too. I'd be curious to know if all of the new ones are like this and why. Practically zero heats makes it to the bathroom even with one of the vents completely closed. The person wielding the caulk gun should probably have their privileges revoked. It is a train wreck in almost every out of sight location. At least stuff like that can easily be resolved in the future. 😁

NCeagle - I used four pieces of fine SS wire. Looped it through the screen back out to a fastening point on the screen twisted it together snug and snipped the excess wire. Done. You would have to look hard to see the wire.

hobo- This is what I use. Made right here in Raleigh, NC and not cheap. It’s a high quality cord. - Patriot

Just a classic...plain and simple...with wonderful harmonies

What a funny bastard...this is LOL funny.

Yup... me too.. crazy amount of dust down below... no need of it. If I’d taken the trailer home after picking it up I’d have been able to do a real clean up... blast out with compressed air, fans, vac.. whatever it would take.. but we will have been on the road almost 5 months before that happens. What I wonder about is impact on the inverter and or furnace that are likely sucking the stuff into themselves

Look on the bright side, lightly used, previously depreciated tow vehicles will flood the market. SOB trailers will also flood the used market. All of this should result in fewer campers on the road and more availability at campgrounds. At least this was my experience during the last round of high fuel costs (over $4/gal). As for impact to personal travel plans it will force us to do a more adequate job of routing instead of merely traveling willy-nilly like pollen in the wind. Also, use of gas apps and GoodSam fuel discount locations will become a focus.

I got tired of seeing my Anderson hitch chains looking rusted and I knew paint was only going to be temporary solution. I considered replacing the chains with plastic/rubberized covered chains but found a lower cost option. I used Techflex Flexo Clean Cut 1 1/2-Inch Braided Cable Sleeve, in black - 10 Feet. Amazon sells it for $8 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VT09LS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 The 10 foot length is perfect to cover both chains in my case. It cuts clean with scissors and the ends can be burnished with a lighter. You can still see through the braiding to make sure you have no twisted in the chain and it only took a few minutes to put on over the chains. I used tie-straps braided through the last chain links on both ends to hold them in place.

OK - so I just gave him a second thumbs up for you - you owe me one for use later.

The price of postage stamps too... And today’s music.... And those damn kids on my lawn... And I’m cold!!! 😆

Sounds like your yamaha's tank might be a little bigger than our honda's. What we normally do is run the generator in the morning , maybe a half hour to 45 minutes, thrpugh boost and the high end of absorb, figuring we get the most bang for the buck (and noise) and hope the solar will take care if the rest. If it's still not charged by the time the sun is getting lower, we'll run it again for awhile in the evening. The solar does the most effective job at the low end of the ramp down , to take the batteries to 100 per cent, even on some cloudy days. How long it will take is really a matter of how much power you've used, so I can't answer that for you. But, we only two 105 ah agm batteries, and try to not run below 75%. I'd think you could surely get several days of charging, maybe a week, if you're conservative with consumption, with one tank.

Great, I just ordered the Towel Holder, it looks fantastic.

I took four brackets that I purchased at a hobby shop that sells model airplane stuff, although any strip brass or metal should work. I bent the ends at a 90 degree angle, one to the right and one to the left and drilled holes there the put the screws through. On the inner part of the bracket I just removed the factor screws and mounted the brackets, on the other end I used JB Weld and glued nuts to the brackets, then I had some 4-40 screws that were looped on the ends and I just hand tighten them through the screen to tighten up the screen grill. I know this sounds like a lot of work, but I found it rather easy to do as I'm a hobby modeler and it was just another project. So far it has not come loose in the two years it has been on there. Here is a pic, it should show what I have done, any questions just ask. Other grills done with mesh wire I got from Amazon and cut to fit. trainman

Thanks for posting, some of the locations are a complete mystery to me. It is helpful to add an “annotation” text description in those cases. This is disheartening, I would have expected better than this Rat’s Nest. That looks just how mine did in 2017.... including way too long cables. And this? Does installing the black dump valve angled across the middle of the ONLY decent storage area in the front of the trailer make any sense at all? This is what mine looks like, the valve is hard up against the rear wall. And mine came with smily faces everywhere (inspection marks)... If I had a new trailer with that black valve location and a Natures Head, removing the thing would be my very first mod. Kinked duct means a cold bathroom: And WTH? This is just sad - the sealant should go on the bolt shank and underneath the washer, not globbed on top after installation. Oh well, if wishes were fishes we would all cast nets. At least there are still things to complain about, if these trailers were perfect, what would we talk about except tow vehicles, grills and campsites?😬 John Davies Spokane WA

The problem with a regular RV male plug is that it doesn’t have a lock ring, so all the stress is on those weak, soft plastic and brass inside parts. So traveling with one of those connected is not at all good for it, nor is it good for the generator connection! I found a good marine cord, 12 feet long. I doubt that anybody makes one shorter with the correct marine plug. Marinco 30A 12 feet John Davies Spokane WA

Good article. I agree. I don't even carry or plan to carry a generator in my "generator box". That's where I keep all my chocks and blocks and locks. I like the idea of putting some chill in the cabin (and batteries in your case 😉 ) whenever stopped on warm/hot days.

Although its been forecast for a few days now, it appears as though this "winter" storm that is coming across Colorado and the Midwest is something to be careful with. Hopefully everyone is aware and prepared, Good Luck and please be careful out there! Bill

Very nice work! Might you be doing some hi-lo temperature measurements on hot or cold days -- I'm curious about the temperature difference this will make.

New related threads started here: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5270-how-to-redarc-dc-to-dc-11-amp-output-trailer-charger-installation/ and here: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5301-how-to-lithium-battery-powered-vent-system/ Thanks, John Davies Spokane WA

As many of you know, I craft custom upgrades for Oliver Travel Trailers. As we head into the camping seasons I have refreshed my catalog to reflect my current products and a pricing increase. If you have an order on my production list or I have sent you a price quote, your price will not increase. You can find my catalog - Foybles Catalog V2.3f below. Onward, Foy Sperring 48ocean@gmail.com Foybles' Catalog V2.3f.pdf

Barbecue and more

Battery door - plug holes and add insulation. This did not work out well, I am not very satisfied with the results, but I will post pics anyway. Maybe somebody can suggest a better solution. 1/2" foam board would be much easier to fit, but the insulation value is not so good. The material is Dow Corning rigid foam board, 1 inch thick, which weighs essentially zero pounds. This stuff is incredibly light. $20 for a 4' x 8 ' sheet at Home Depot. It is fire retardant, which is important. For comparison, this is R-5 (insulating value) whereas a typical foil/ air bubble sheet, which is used extensively in an Ollie, is R-1. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Owens-Corning-FOAMULAR-150-1-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-R-5-Scored-Square-Edge-Rigid-Foam-Board-Insulation-Sheathing-20WE/207179253 It can be cut easily with a VERY sharp razor knife, and rough edges can be rapidly sanded smooth and contoured with a bench top belt sander and coarse 80 gr belt. WEAR A MASK. BTW it is indeed completely waterproof, I soaked a piece for 12 hours to make sure. I had to wedge it in place, it pops out like a cork otherwise: Cut four hole plugs to seal off the existing openings. (My door has 8 holes, yours may vary.) Cut them in half: Glue them into the holes with clear RTV sealant, some will squirt out through the front Perko vents. Remove that excess with alcohol and paper towels: Wait at least a full day and then trim off the excess foam and sealant flush with a razor blade: SUPPORT the door with something, a 30 inch high rolling work table fit perfectly, and it gave me a nice place to put tools and materials... Remove the support cable. Cut the foam. This is pure trial and error, because it has to fit past the rubber seals, and also have extra material removed to clear the battery tray and knob, and the support cable, and the lumps and bumps on the door itself. Take your time, trim a little, test the fit, trim some more. It should fit as closely as possible, for maximum insulation value, yet allow the door to close easily without stressing it. I used a router bit in a drill press to carefully carve out areas that needed clearance. Be sure to allow some room for rivet tails! When you are satisfied with the fit, clean and smooth the parts and use 3 M VHB tape to secure it to the door. I used 1/4" wide tape placed vertically, so any water leaking past the rubber seal will drain straight down. Add some weight and go take a long break: Remove any weights or clamps. Seal the edges with clear RTV sealant. Use tape as shown to leave clean lines. Reattach the support cable. BTW when trimmed as shown in the top pic, the airflow from the fan underneath the tray is not blocked. EDIT: Leave several small gaps in the sealant at the inside (bottom edge when closed) so moisture can drain out. John Davies Spokane WA

Russel, those are classics, every one. There was a dive in college that I used to go to, for some reason only with with this one girl - but it had a jukebox full of Patsy Cline and that's all we'd listen to. But I don't like country music, of course 😁 My wife and I got to see John Lee Hooker in a small club a few years before he died. Wonderful experience.

If you visit any of the winery’s or distillery’s you will definitely have to stay the night. Taste testing🤪

I am:

Here are some cup holders that are more rigid/durable than a lot of the others on the market. The divider is Velcro and can be removed for use as a storage bucket. 4 can be placed above the sink with a 5-6 inches remaining on one side. The price is all over the place but $26 is the lowest I've seen for the large pictured below. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M4116L0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

Any thoughts on how effective something like this would be for those hard to reach places? I also have a Fein shop vac that has a narrow diameter hose that's seriously long. I wonder if this could be carefully snaked into the hull without dislodging anything? My wife has allergies and probably won't do well with excessive fiberglass dust. https://www.amazon.com/Flexible-Crevice-Tool-Attachment-32-1832-67/dp/B075L7N5ZY

One strong gut of wind can be just as serious as high sustained winds. Be aware, in certain areas of the country, sudden gusts can occur with little or no warning. We experienced this while eating dinner outside our camper van in Arco, ID a few years ago. . . . . .

Just saw Duane Betts and Devon Allman at the Ryman . Duane is his fathers clone lick for lick. It was a great concert.

I was not familiar with him until now, just checked him out on Youtube, his music is beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Forgot to mention David Gilmour:

Stevie and Slow hand....

I wonder if Oliver would help fund the first Ollie Antarctica Expedition?

First - I'm so sorry for your predicament. It's frustrating at best, and at worst can cause you a loss of confidence in your trailer...and perhaps a loss of frozen foods. Neither are good. Now as to the troubleshooting flow I see in your manual it shows this diagram: Hopefully pushing the button for source selection works, and it let's you manually select DC or Gas. Until you "AC Power" issue is solved, at least you can keep your food cold on Gas or DC. FYI - If we are hooked up to AC we use AC for the fridge, other wise we use GAS as our first choice (as others stated, Norcold's actually cool better on GAS than on DC.) Also, for these Norcold units, they suck a lot of DC current (like 5-7 amps) so they run down your batteries pretty quickly. Running on GAS is the most effective way if you don't have AC or if the AC circuits have an issue. As far as the troubleshooting workflow I think the idea is if it seems to give an ERROR 10 , and is looking for AC power...the troubleshooting tree might look like this. First start at the power pedestal, making sure you have power to the trailer. Then inside the trailer if you have power, check for power to the wall plug where the fridge is plugged in. That comes through the circuit breaker panels (black box). Then if the power is ok, it may be the fridge came unplugged....not likely but it has happened before in other cases. After that if you have power to the fridge and it's still saying Err10 it may be a board fault with the Norcold unit. I'm so sorry for your issues at the start...but once you get beyond those I'm sure you'll be doing joyful dances...more often. Galway Girl's Owners - Hull 505

I am glad my qs help others! I am both terrified and excited. Fluctuates! Ha. Right now as you said just thrilled to be ok in trailer (furnace on - cold and going to be colder tonight), dog not sick anymore, and bath house shower awaits. Finally slept last night. Had been a week of packing to be FT all the driving to get to TN etc. Exhausted.

To be clear, I love music, of many genre's, and I also equally enjoy the solitude of just being out "there". I usually get my fix through ear buds, or something similar, and usually when I am exercising. I don't consider sharing a tidbit of my musical tastes as condoning any type of noise pollution. I often find the constant cacophony of noise in the common campsite/rv park overwhelming and a nuisance. Big rigs, kids, generators, the constant back and forth of vehicles are all distracting. And that my friends is why "we" have invested in an Oliver - it gives us what we want in comfort, with an ability to go where the noise makers usually don't. However, to be honest, I do enjoy, at times, some of my selections at very high levels, blasting forth from my barn/garage. Yea, I love old vintage equipment, big amps, great sound! Now, I am out there, in my own little rural world, wildlife haven't complained yet (more distracted by the dog!), and the neighbors are to distant. To each his own - silence can be enjoyable - the following is cool.

I’ll chip in here. I hated Fall Hollow, it is simply gross that they have holes in the ground to hook up your fresh water, near the sewer pipes. Fresh water taps should always be elevated on risers well away from the dump pipes so that spilled sewage cannot possibe seep into them. I honestly don’t understand how such a gross code violation could be permitted to exist. From their appearance they have been like this for a very long time. There are a number of wonderful State Parks in the area. Henry Horton east of Columbia is very nice. I definitely recommend that you have your trailer delivered in 100% functional condition. You can test the systems locally over a few days to make sure they all work, and you can get stuff fixed before heading home. They or you can winterize it if you feel it to be necessary. John Davies Spokane WA