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Doing my pre-camping season checkout of the Oliver, along with de-winterizing, and I noticed the clear plastic filter screen cup on the pump inlet showed a pinkish-white discoloration, and also some stress cracking probably related as well. I’m thinking it’s the pink RV antifreeze solution used (the standard stuff sold at Walmart for RV potable water system winterizing). Anyone else noticed this? I’ve already replaced it with a brand new one, and that’ll now become an annual maintenance check/replacement item. It’s on the intake (vacuum side) of the pump so not really a major water leak issue if it did crack, but it could create an air leak on the pump intake side that would affect the pump efficiency.

Hi everyone, Mr.J here and happy to be so! I'm one of the few, the proud, the future Oliver owners. It's probably a bit early to do an introduction, but better now since I'm starting to be active searching through the forums and following interesting (to me) folks and conversations. My family is probably a little younger than most, we're in our low thirties, but I've been drawn to RV adventures for a long time. Growing up in urban California, having an RV was not something that was possible, and I was never exposed to it. Let's just say that watching several of my Utah neighbors over the last years pull up their travel trailers load up from their house, and take off for fun and adventures really cemented my journey, which should begin here (anticipated delivery January 2022) in a few months. I spent a year searching and browsing, looking for the right choice for us, but learned along the way of the generally horrible build quality and resale value. I noticed that several popular RV enthusiasts were swapping trailers/rvs every 3/2 and sometimes every year. They would say new features enticed them, new layouts seemed better, but putting it all together, I saw a confirmation that most were good for 3 years max before needing major repair/investment. So a few years ago, my search stopped. Fast forward, and now we have on the market several African/Australian style options, and a huge surge in popularity of teardrop/overland style trailers and travel. Add the Wuhan flu. Then add, traveling out to explore in 1/2 day trips around Utah and in the middle of the disastrous pandemic I saw hundreds of families out and about, living their best possible life, living a normal kind of life. Camping, biking, exploring, and all with their own little piece of privacy and convenience. Expedition style trailers seemed to make the same kind of compromises on quality (at least the American market options) and for the price of a nice teardrop, I don't see the added value of the small usable space, I don't own a rock crawler. And they are pricey too! I don't know how exactly I found Oliver, it wasn't that long ago, but it was definitely around 2 AM on the internet, so safe to say it was a blur. I'm hopeful that all will be well, that my small family, mom/dad/baby will enjoy our new travel home, and that it will enhance our lives to the fullest, and provide us with some amazing opportunities. We have on order an Elite 2, standard floor plan. Planning on sharing the king(-ish) bed with the little one, which is perfectly fine for us, and one day maybe adding a nice 4 season tent to our arsenal for when the extra sleeping space becomes important. I am working on a design for a custom dinette table that will simplify the process of transforming from bed to dinette, and some strategies and custom work to simplify making up the bed in the morning. If I stumble across anything great, I'll be happy to share along the way. Special thanks to Jason (at) Oliver and @DavidSfor doing a walk through with us. David, you'll know us from our matching tow vehicles! Best to all! Mr.J

This might be a good opportunity to update that I haven’t used antifreeze since my first winter with the Ollie (compressed air only) and haven’t had any issues yet. Well tested with nine days below freezing this February with no heat going in the trailer. John, I believe the plastic PEX fittings are polybutylene vs nylon or acrylic so they may not react with the antifreeze the same way.

Having had personal experience with Honda Ridgeline and Pilot, I can say that they are TOUGH overbuilt vehicles, with fantastic AWD systems. I personally do not feel that they have the power needed to cross mountainous regions of the US with anything more than 3-4k lbs of additional weight, combined trailer + payload. The V6 is low on low-end torque, and the Pilot has a low payload rating when put into towing duties. Same with the Ridgeline, but between the two, the Ridgeline is the better tow vehicle. We upgraded to an Audi Q7 which is one option for you, also Dodge Durango, and Tahoe. I think those are some of the best options close to the Pilot after very recently being in the same position as you.

SNYSDUP is heading out today, meandering its way down to Lake Guntersville & the NOT-Rally. We look forward to meeting all who will be there. We are starting out with the "Willis" (cat), let the adventure begin... Bryan & Maggie

Thanks for posting! This is not at all uncommon, https://www.practical-sailor.com/blog/antifreeze-ethylene-glycol-vs-propylene-glycol I wonder how the plastic water fittings are affected? This is perhaps a good reason to use compressed air for a major system purge, and then add a little pink stuff to just the outside ports and inside sink and shower traps. John Davies Spokane WA

We just put our deposit down for a LEII and its expected in Feb. We are super excited to get our Ollie and we look forward to meeting those in this family!! I've owned a couple trailers since 2000 so I'm not new to camping but my Mrs. on the other hand.......... 🙂 We are down sizing from a Grand Design Imagine 30' TT which was a great trailer and company. We are looking to do more boondocking and the over build quality of the Ollies is undeniable and was one of the main things that attracted us. We went a couple weeks ago to see an Ollie in person and we were both very surprised (in a good way), loved the layout and that was pretty much all we needed to call Phil and place our deposit. Cheers, JJ

Try this for that link. Bill

In past rvs living in New England I only used the air blow out method. And only used enough rv anti freeze for the sink and shower traps. Now in Florida I still do the same the antifreeze is only used to keep the traps from letting any smell in from the tanks. Last longer than just water.

I may have to rethink the above Trunk idea! The above picture shows our old Folding Bikes, not ebikes attached to the back of our old Motor Home. It wasn't a problem lifting these into the Trunk because they are much lighter. My intent was to put only one ebike in the Trunk, about 55 lbs without the battery, over twice a regular Folding Bike. I am 72 years old and could probably lift the ebike, but sooner or later it would probably hurt myself. My ebike is expected to arrive in one week, so I better get in shape.

As of today, still a 1 year waiting list 😲 and if you want to order one, you need to do it by phone as their website doesn't work for orders. I didn't ask what the current price was as I didn't want to wait the year.

Will be having permanently mounted HAM radio (trailer as the base station) mobile HAM in vehicle and on person, and mobile CB in vehicle for when useful. Will be relying on the HAM gear, primarily. GPS features, family groups with text/picture/location and guidance features, trailer base station as cross channel repeat (trailer as a mini repeater to extend range/horizon), digital modes, and APRS tracking make it too good to pass up for me.

I'm upgrading my 2019 to the 630AH Lithiums this month....because my 4 - AGM's died after 18 months. I'm choosing to NOT upgrade to the 3000W Inverter as it would cause major rewiring of my 2019 EII. As you choose, first notice that there are two "inverter" options also at play along with the Lithium Battery sizes. A 2000W inverter/charger is wired to run the uWave, fridge and outlets. And normally are sold with the 3 - lithium batteries. The 2000W charger will output 80-100A for charging the batteries. A 3000W inverter/charger is wired to also be able to run the A/C off the inverter and is available with the upgraded 630AH batteries. The 3000W charger will put out 150A for 50% faster charging of the LI batteries. The Lithium Platinum package includes the 3000W inverter, so you'll be able to run the A/C off of the 630AH Lithium batteries for a while. (How long depends on how hot it is, how much power you're solar is bringing in etc.) Differences with the dual 315AH Lithionics Batteries offered in the Platinum Package: 1) Housed in a rugged Aluminum Alloy Enclosures 2) Built In Battery Cutoff cutoff switches 3) Internal heater for cold weather charging 4) Also has the built in Bluetooth monitoring via a phone/tablet. (See Attached PDF of the battery Owners Manual). I'm confident if you choose either of the current Lithium Packages you'll be getting a very well designed system that will last many years longer than the typical AGM based systems. GTX12V315A-E2107-CS200-Battery-User-Guide-RevA.pdf

You might want to contact ShallowGal - they did this exact trip. Bill

Welcome, Mr J. You’ve got time to plan before January gets here. We’ll be interested in your dinette mods! Mike

Hi, and welcome to the forum! Very nice to see another young family, too. Have you looked at a Springfield telescoping base for the small table? That's one thought. I'm sure others will have ideas.

Something to consider is that you can pretty much wipe the non-stick version clean with a paper towel, and so there's a lot less wasted water when washing. Like I said above, since we're not full timing or anywhere close, I have to imagine that for us the finish will last for years. At home, I give a non-stick pan two years at the most, regardless how much you pay for it. Though we bought some Green Pan cookware recently that is holding up surprisingly well. We did stop using the carry case that's in the photo and started using a bungee instead - it's definitely more convenient.

This is very interesting in that I've been using the WalMart stuff for 20 years with absolutely nothing happening. Bill

Guess I’ll have to break the news to Jason shortly, but I jumped at the opportunity to acquire Jay’s immaculate 2020 Hull 645 listed in the Classifieds, originally delivered last May, right before the factory shut down for Covid. Mike and Carol allowed us to check out their 2017, so while I would have loved my 2022 on order, getting this now got me an additional season of usage, which at my age is worth a bit. 😉 As his listing noted, it was truly turnkey and virtually new. First night is boondocking at a Cracker Barrel on the 1000 mile trip back to San Antonio. Colorado in July. Ralph @ San Antonio

Thanks everyone, made it home yesterday, just in time to tuck in out of the way of T-Storms and tornado warnings. At this point the only thing I'd really change is to move the AC from my 2002 Casita to the Oliver. I wonder how many they would sell if sales had to discuss the trailer with clients while inside and the AC running. 😉

Hello from CT. We are Jeff and Katie. Just a few weeks away from our delivery date in mid May of an Oliver Elite II. First time owning a travel trailer so we've been doing a lot of reading on the forum. We took a couple of years researching other brands and made our final decision after taking the Oliver factory tour. Cant wait to join this group and get out on the road this year.

I second the ROK Straps! They are amazing. I have used them on my motorcycle for years to secure my touring loads. When I sold the motorcycle, I kept the ROK Straps. Carl

SeaDawg, the way I understood jjbhm’s post, he was asking about upgrading TO a Pilot, but if he already owns one, then yes, it would be OK to get the Ollie home, but not a “good” choice for long term . Maybe he can clarify.... John Davies Spokane WA

5000 pounds towing is sufficient. We took our le1 home with a 2004 Volvo xc90, similar tow rating. We felt it in the hills. Otherwise, ok. We never towed in the mountains with the xc90, expecting it to be a poorer choice than my 5.3, 2005 Silverado. My concern would be the tongue weight rating. If that's still 350 with the all wheel drive, you're going to have to be careful about weight up front, even in the relative flats. Our tongue weight, no basket, loaded for camping, is 320, at the scale. That's a pretty close margin. Just things to think about. I don't know where you live, but I would say, I don't think I'd like to take your vehicle through the western mountains. Eastern US, probably ok, but annoying on high hills, even if you watch loading, because of the tongue weight limitation. I would say, the Pilot is probably ok, but marginal. Enough to get home, explore locally, and find the TV you want.

Welcome to the forums. You need more reserve capacity, say 6500 pounds or more. A fully loaded LE1 will max out the Pilot, and that doesn’t include any of your payload inside the trucklet. The LE1 is a heavy little tank, it needs a good sized SUV (preferably IMHO a body on frame one like a Tahoe) or a half ton pickup truck to pull it well and safely under strenuous conditions. John Davies Spokane WA

Might you consider Ft. Tuthill County Park in Flagstaff Az. It has alot to offer. They hold the overland expo west there - lots of room. We may not have our ollie in time for the first western rally ( come on Feb 2022) but would definitely attend.

We travel with a mix of boxes and bottles. We found this at Costco last month and bought quite a few. We aren’t sweet wine drinkers, but this is pretty good. Nice name too.

Good news - I just opened the drain valve in the closet and the shower pan drained right away! I also opened the grey water tank outside, but nothing came out. Interesting to know about "burping" and using the angle of the jacks to help empty the tanks. Love knowing the members of this forum are always available to help!!!

We're excited for just ordering an LE1! We'll pick it up next Feb 2022. Until then, enjoying another camping season in our truck camper while dreaming about the Ollie. In researching fiberglass TTs, we stopped at Oliver because of the obvious high quality. We had a 25' AS and downsized to a Northern Lite which we love. However, looking forward to dropping hitch at camp and running around unencumbered. TV is a Ford F250 super duty. Also considering an appropriate tow SUV (to replace a 10-yr-old Toyota RAV4) for shorter trips. Safe travels everyone, and maybe we'll see you down the road! Sherry and Patty

It would be great if they offered a factory option for the compressor fridge, especially with the expanded lithium/solar packages they now offer. Even if they offered a factory delete option for the propane fridge, not having extra holes in the side of the trailer would be a bonus. From what I have read, the compressor fridge cools down faster, has a larger capacity for the same footprint, and is not temperamental about being level. The only negative I have read would be extra white noise it makes when the compressor is running.

I prefer my multipurpose, strong as nails, self defense throwing spike, the ever popular 90 cent landscape nails at Home Depot. They don't require a brass hammer, break rocks, and if lost are easily found by the next guy. And, they don't require oiling for at least 15 years! However, I have found that by wearing red sketchers they are an eye catcher. But most wise campers don't generally comment when I have half dozen of these in my nail belt.

If you install a DC fridge you will need a better way to recharge. For your gas fridge, use the propane mode when towing, but always be aware of the wind direction when refueling at a gas station. I have done this forever and have yet to blow something up. You can fix the lack of TV charging for the factory lithium batteries relatively easily, but you have to be able to fabricate a mount and run wires or hire somebody to do it. If your TV has a “smart” alternator you have to run a small gauge voltage sense wire all the way up to the engine bay, but most TVs do not require this. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5270-how-to-redarc-dc-to-dc-11-amp-output-trailer-charger-installation/ Consider a separate DC compressor fridge located inside your truck, it will be very useful for stocking extra supplies. I carry a mid-sized ARB one for any trip longer than two weeks. I haven’t camped at over 8000 feet, but so far the gas fridge (running on propane) has been fine, even going over 10,000 foot passes. Run with what you have before getting too worried about upgrading..... John Davies Spokane WA

Hello everyone! We did it! Just put our deposit down on an Elite ll. We'll pick it up in Feb. We will be stopping to tour the facility the first week in May on our way to the Red river gorge. After spending 5 months traveling in our class A 30 ft we decided to go smaller. We will be towing it with our 2018 nv 3500 4x4. Has the pop top so still room for when the grandkids come along. Really excited about this forum and hoping to learn alot here. Looking forward to a western states rally in the future! We are a bit new to the forum and social media thing.... hope the picture is allowed.

That should work great. May I suggest a different tie down system? Those steel hooked bungee cords are nasty and can remove a finger or an eye if you are not really careful. These ROK Straps are terrific, they look very classy and they probably won’t damage any of your body parts. I use them inside my Yakima Rocket Box and also to secure my two MaxTrax together, plus other applications. For anchors you can install stainless 1” footman loops in the front and back. If you want to stick with hooks, a safer choice is SmartStraps. John Davies Spokane WA

My thoughts exactly, great point Mike. I may re-evaluate cables.

Wow. I wonder if my safety cables would hold my truck... might need to think about an upgrade to real heavy duty chains.

Larger Dinette Table Having a properly sized dinette table contributes significantly to the pleasures of life in an Ollie. That’s how Sheila and I feel after I modified our dinette table to add 4 1/4 inches to the table’s length. What a difference a small amount of additional space makes. We find it more comfortable, now have room for morning computers and coffee, and indoor dinners are more gracious. Also, I can now put both elbows on the table if I want to. We have had a desire for a larger dinette table ever since we picked up our Ollie (hull 217) and got some experience under our belts. We camp as a couple, never set up the third bunk, and don’t like having a table that is too small because of the bunk design issue. Oliver wasn’t interested in making a larger table when I broached the subject. Why mess with a successful product? But hunkering down to avoid corona virus gave me some extra time, and I used it to modify my existing table to see if I was on the right track. I worked up a design that used material from my leftovers bin, and which would allow me to undo the mod if it didn’t pan out. Unless you are really looking for it, the additional table length is not readily apparent. Aesthetically everything still looks proportional. The added length doesn’t interfere with the refrigerator door, and there is plenty of room to move about. While the pictures below show what I did, this isn’t really a how-to-do-it report. My goal is to stimulate Oliver. My hope is that the powers-that-be at Oliver will order a mock-up of a table like mine to be made, sit at it, and confirm for themselves how much nicer it is. It is my hope Oliver will then authorize a supplemental mold for laying up the larger table, offer it as an option to new buyers, and make it available for purchase by existing owners. I would be one. If you think you might like a larger dinette table too, please tell me in a comment to this string. I would like to ascertain if there is actually any demand for this, and if so, report same to Oliver. And if you are so inclined, please contact Oliver directly as well. Best regards, John Shkor SailorAshore

I have been working on a Drop-Leaf design for another customer that would increase the size of the pantry countertop for serving and fold down for storage when not in use. Something similar could be done for the front edge of the dinette. I will post pictures once I have a prototype of the pantry drop-leaf.

We also have the Magma nonstick version, which usually stay on the boat. To protect the coating underway, I used to separate the pots with thin microfiber cloths from Harbor Freight. Then, I picked up sets of asterisk shaped felt pot protectors on a camping trip to Iceland at the IKEA. A set could easily and cheaply be made from a yard of polyester felt, sized for your specific pots.

As our Oliver has the same type of marine gelcoat as our boats, we've stayed with the marine paste wax we use on the boats, 3M Marine Ultra. It's not inexpensive, but one can lasts for several applications, and it's formulated for fiberglass and the harsh marine environment . It's worked well on the sailboat ( now over 40 years old) , the powerboat and the Oliver. The wax lasts, even in the Florida sun. It's been one of the top two paste wax products in Practical Sailor's testing over the decades. Sherry

Yep - as far as I'm concerned Bruce and Cheryl get the credit for this one. I'm not sure just how they came upon these products from Duragloss other than the Duragloss Company is located in North Carolina. I'm also not sure how they came up with the detailer/liquid wax combination, but I do know that it really works on all surfaces (yes, that includes the mirrored surfaces) inside the Oliver. A light spray, wipe with a micro-fiber cloth, flip the cloth over and wipe again and you're done without streaks and/or haze- its so easy.