Jump to content

Leaderboard

Popular Content

Showing content with the highest reputation on 05/25/2021 in Posts

  1. Welcome from fellow Texans! We drove over to Rice and looked at the Casitas but the carpet on the walls was a hard no for me. Discovered Oliver online while looking to downsize from a 42' 5th to something smaller to travel after retirement. We took a trip to Tennessee for a factory tour and we were sold! There are a good many Olivers in Texas now and I'm sure someone close would be happy to show off their trailer. We have a 2021 LE2 that we picked up in February with the twin bed floor plan. We are just south of DFW area if you are anywhere close to us otherwise Oliver can put you in touch with someone. Lots of helpful folks here on the forum who are more than happy to answer questions and offer their opinions. We learned a lot while waiting on ours to be built. Cindy
    3 points
  2. I took delivery of #797 on May 7th. The delivery was a very pleasant experience. Having owned an Elite 1 previously, I knew how most of the stuff worked and had already done the research on the stuff I didn’t know about. As I advised this forum, I discussed electrical diagrams with Jason. He has been asked about this by old and new customers many times recently, so I got a smooth and polite response. I’m guessing my experience was similar to Donna and Scott. The short of it is electrical diagrams are not available to us at this time. Liabilities, many variations in design due to options, etc. He suggested I use the 2019 version in the Oliver University, and call and ask questions about anything I can’t figure out. I’m In the process of inspecting and mapping out the key systems, and labeling the wires, fuses and breakers myself that are not already identified. Yes, it’s a hassle, but I try to pick my battles. I had several questions my delivery person could not answer, but she went and found Jason, who expertly answered them all, I was very pleased I did not find any significant problems with my Oliver (still looking). I had come prepared with a checklist of every problem I had read about on the forum, and I went looking. Many of the minor problems have been corrected, it seems Oliver has been listening to feedback. The trailer was not perfect, but much better than my expectations, and nothing I can’t fix myself easily. My wife and I are just grateful to have it, been waiting since September! Life is good.
    3 points
  3. Re: Truma, their manual does say NOT to use vinegar in the Truma. They say you must use their stuff for descaling the heater. But you can still do a vinegar flush of the rest of the system with the water heater cutoff valve set to divert it from from the heater.
    3 points
  4. Mike . Yep. Thats why we decided to take the bait. Gonna find a way to make good camping without rez. Lot of boondocking planned. Will use various apps and see how it goes.
    2 points
  5. So it was Maummelle on the river last night. Tonight Oklahoma flatlands 35 west of OKC. Territory Route 66 RV. Small newer perfect. Fuel prices diesel from $2.75 to 335. We chose 275.
    2 points
  6. If your agms are swollen, you may want to replace the charger, anyway. Or, at least check that the settings are correct. Sounds like those batteries may have been overcharged. I personally wouldn't go to the expense and trouble of a redarc, for two batteries. Your solar should keep them charged, while driving, if you have any kind of decent weather. (Really nice for a bigger installation, but would add a lot of cost and time to your "simple" upgrade .
    2 points
  7. If truly after a basic upgrade, I'd skip the solar controller and inverter upgrades for now. Just remove the Progressive converter section and wire in something like a Victron 30 amp Blue Smart charger that has a true Li-ion charging algorithm. You'll save a lot of wiring and needless equipment replacement and may find your requirements will change.
    2 points
  8. Hello All! I am a CG owner and as a result have seen every size and type of RV there is and a few "things" that would not fall into any class of RV. I must admit that I was not aware of the Oliver by name until this month and that is a result of my interest and research into smaller 5th wheels for my own use that led to the Escape in Canada that led to Oliver in Tennessee and my decision to purchase one shortly after understanding exactly how they are constructed. I am a semi-retired builder both commercial and residential so I had no difficulty seeing the quality of the Oliver and it fits my desire for a smaller, quality, RV that I can drag around the country without white knuckles behind my One Ton Ram. I have most of you to thank for shedding more light on the Oliver RV as a whole and your candid stories, questions and answers were a huge part of my decision to move forward with the purchase of an Oliver. I have spent several hours snooping around in this forum and I appreciate most of what you all have to say and share with one another and I look forward to more of the same. That being said I will be avoiding one or two of you mega posters 😉 If any of your are ever in MT near Butte look us up and mention my name and this forum if you need a spot for the night you will benefit as a result. Safe Travels and Happy Trails Dan
    2 points
  9. I have upgraded to 4) 100AH Battleborn, and also added Victron Smart shunt. I kept all other factory installed charging components only switching them to LiFePo. We had spent the last two weeks of April in Utah and Colorado with out ever being hooked up to shore power. We had to use the furnace every night and used inverter for coffee pot every morning and some use of microwave. I was happy to see that my batteries were always at 100 percent after a short time of solar charge. So at this point I am not planing on up grading my charging components, time will tell.
    2 points
  10. IR thermometer would be good to have here. First thing to do is pull the battery tray out and check the battery cases for abnormally high temp. If nothings feels unusually warm/hot, check the negative battery terminal that has the zamp temp sensor connected to it. (This is the forward outer battery on my 2018 with the agm option) If the 604 is valid (>65 degrees C ) you should not be able to touch it for very long. If hot, remove all charging sources and loads and disconnect batteries for test or replacement. Next, assuming all battery temps seem normal (604 is false), pull the zamp controller out and disconnect the two temp sensor wires. The 604 error should clear and charging will resume. If this occurs, the temp sensor likely has a fault in the wire somewhere and the entire sensor will need to be replaced. If the error doesn't clear, the controller may be bad. Not having the temp sensor hooked is okay just not optimal for charging.
    2 points
  11. This past weekend: Buck Hall Recreation Area/Francis Marion National Forest just north of Charleston.
    2 points
  12. Appreciate the responses. I don’t have a voltmeter unfortunately. If controller is bad I already pulled that out once to check connections and yes that seems like pretty easy to swap out for a new one. I honestly can’t remember if lights were working in orientation. I think power indicator was on because she said this charging one won’t come on because we are inside. I didn’t really even think about it at DC until just before left which was a Sunday. Service is really important to me so I will keep working with Oliver to get this sorted. Getting plenty of good sun to work on bubbles, never knew that. Hotter in Indiana then Texas, weird. I do really like the trailer. The inside design is better than I expected and size was just what I was after. It tows great. I had driven motorhomes but never towed so was pretty nervous that. A long day of driving Sunday fixed that. I have been very impressed with towing behavior. In another newbie mistake I had accidentally changed display mode on tireminder to temp vs psi. When I left yesterday morning tires look good as air temp very close to my psi setting. Going through Indy and I am getting very concerned as it appears psi is getting close to 90 and the previous day they never did that. Panic was starting when I looked at saw temp vs psi on display. Changed display and all good.
    2 points
  13. Thanks everyone, exactly what I needed. Will go find the manuals in the University, thanks for the heads-up about their location. I'll read them front to back!
    2 points
  14. I took a screenshot of John's checklist. You can edit it for your trailer by using his link in the thread he referenced.
    2 points
  15. As for the bubbles - over time the sun and heat will get most - mine did anyways. The other - JD covered it - if you have voltage feeding the controller and it stops there - bad connections or bad unit. One is Oliver's bad, the other - Zamp. I'd call but you don't want me..... I am beginning to believe a "pre-owned" unit is the cats meow. Time tested and heat/cold cycled..... I look forward to your satisfaction on the situation. RB
    2 points
  16. It sounds like a failed controller. That isn’t common, but it could happen. It may have been working fine at delivery. I would not get too upset, let Oliver work with you and an RV tech, ask them if they will pay for a mobile one so you don’t have to go to a dealer. It is much less stressful to have the tech come to you. Do you have a digital voltmeter and the skill to do some simple testing? It is easy enough to see if there is power coming in from the roof, and you can electrically check the wiring from there to the batteries. It will only take a couple of minutes. If all that checks out, including the fuses, then the controller is bad. The wiring is actually VERY simple for these units. This is a generic one, not for your hull: John Davies Spokane WA
    2 points
  17. Agree. Just disable the 7-way charge line like Oliver does.
    1 point
  18. Yup, that's flat, all right. Safe travels!
    1 point
  19. Congrats on your Oliver purchase! I haven’t done anything to my back Oliver light in over 5 years and it has never leaked. If it ain’t broke…. 😁 Hopefully everything is in good condition! Mike
    1 point
  20. Welcome! You’ve come to the right place to learn and have questions answered. Glad to have you here - Mike
    1 point
  21. Congratulations on your new Ollie! Without having to order you will get in an extra season of camping that you would have missed out on. Wishing you many happy adventures in the years to come. Cindy
    1 point
  22. @Minnesota Oli did a great post on his upgrade, with lots of photos
    1 point
  23. Hey Mike, Could you post the checklist you created of problems to look for. Thanks, John
    1 point
  24. Thanks @John E Davies for the idea. Will try first and let you know the results.
    1 point
  25. Before you get too excited, try a vinegar flush of your entire water system, it is mild acetic acid and will dissolve any hard deposits and MIGHT restore things to normal. You need a 50/50 mixture of common vinegar and water, enough total to fill the water heater plus a couple of gallons more, I use 4 gallons of vinegar from Walmart. You don't need to treat the fresh tank itself. Use the winterization port to pump the mixture everywhere, including the outside shower, let it sit for four hours, drain the tank and HTW, and flush really well. Don't do this over nice concrete as it will leave a stain. If you also want to treat the three other outside check valves, you will have to inject the mixture with a hand pump. CAUTION: I don't know about the Truma heater, check to see if this is OK! They do have their own decalcification chemical. I haven't had the vanity cover off yet, it isn't hard to remove. Try the flush first, you may not need to do any more.... John Davies Spokane WA
    1 point
  26. This is off topic, I sure do like your Foy table top, do you know what kind of finish is on it and if it needs any special care? I have his cutting board. They are very attractive enhancements. I am glad you got your set working. I remained in the background with your TV troubleshooting, because my older unit and the mount are wrapped in plastic and have been sitting on a garage shelf since the day after I got home from delivery. 😃 John Davies Spokane WA
    1 point
  27. You’ll find the lowest gas tax in Alaska at 13.77 cents per gallon, followed by Missouri at 17.42 cents per gallon and Mississippi at 18.79 cents per gallon.
    1 point
  28. You didn't mention it, but can we assume that the solar was working when you picked it up? If yes, then can we further assume that it worked during their recommended shake down stay near the factory? Oliver does not run a multi-day testing of the solar systems they install. They are taken out of the factory and placed in the sun. If the charger comes on and is putting current into the battery, then the solar is deemed "fully tested" and good to go. I really don't know what else I'd expect them to do. John asked if you had a voltmeter and the skills to test the output of the panels. It's not hard and would probably save you a lot of headaches if you do. In my case, when something brand new doesn't work like I think it should, it's usually operator error on my part. If all the connections are good and power is getting to the controller with no joy, then I agree that it is probably a bad controller. Easy fix, pull the old one out, install a new one and go camping. As far and the vinyl graphics are concerned, there is virtually no way to install them without getting some small bubbles of air trapped underneath. A few days in the sun and they will most likely all disappear. If some remain stick them with a needle and express the air out, just like popping a zit. I'm sorry you're having some problems and frustrations, I can promise you that Oliver will fix them to your complete satisfaction. Best of luck...
    1 point
  29. Great to meet you all! Pam, we will be there on June 24 (sorry meant 2021 since delivery is a year out for people). 🙂
    1 point
  30. I agree with you. However, since no salaried Oliver Employee actually owns an Oliver ($80K), I suspect that they had no knowledge of television operation and nobody has ever pointed this out to them. I will speak to the powers that be tomorrow and give them this information.
    1 point
  31. Greetings, Clare from Hull #050. We have owned two different Oliver's since 2008. You are about to have the time of your life.
    1 point
  32. Thank you! We picked Metallic Silver to match our new truck. We were immediately pleased when we saw it. That color is among the ones to be discontinued for the 2022 models, I believe.
    1 point
  33. FYI the dozen (in an LE2) stainless steel “scupper” drains in the belly have screens on top, to prevent critters from climbing in. But double check anyway. It’s not just rodents you need to be wary of, wasps build nests wherever they can get, and they especially are attracted to propane, they can really mess up your appliances if they are unprotected. John Davies Spokane WA
    1 point
  34. Hi Clare - we are from Washington State and will be picking up our LE2 on June 21 too! We will see you there! pam
    1 point
  35. Try this one. It is specific for my trailer so you need to alter it as needed for your equipment. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2094-my-tow-camp-checklist/ John Davies Spokane WA
    1 point
  36. There are also pre and post towing checklists in the 2021 model year manual (which can be found on the Oliver University section of the Oliver site).
    1 point
  37. Hey Clare - welcome! We’ll be in Colorado the entire month of July. We go often since our son and family live in Durango. Mike
    1 point
  38. There are also a number of these types of lists from various channels on YouTube - KYD immediately comes to mind. Bill p.s. check the Oliver University for this and for a bunch of other stuff that will make you delivery much more enjoyable.
    1 point
  39. Welcome, Clare! June 21 will be here before you know it - REALLY. Great time of year to be taking delivery (as if there really is a bad time of year?) and by the end of summer you should be a real "seasoned" member of the family. Let us know if we can help! Bill
    1 point
  40. OK Clare!! Welcome to the tribe. Perhaps we will see you in a few weeks - gonna be running around CO a bit. Does that me you do taxes and accounting for bison and such.🤣 RB
    1 point
  41. Yes - there is one on the forum - do a search - JD put one out there - Oliver has one - somewhere. RB
    1 point
  42. yes KM. Just depends on the vibe. We gonna call ya'll in a few to check in....
    1 point
  43. A "dream home" in a "dream home" - what's wrong with that?😊
    1 point
  44. Month #11 with our Ollie stored here in our back yard on a 12X55’ pad we had poured. We have had zero issues with any critters entering or making a home inside our Ollie. We always remove any food source if we know we are not going to be traveling. I have installed S/S fine mesh screens over exterior appliance inlets and exhaust vents. I also cover our AC unit after every trip to preclude and Carolina Wrens from building their dream home. 😄
    1 point
  45. The morning coffee view. Persimmon CG.
    1 point
  46. The area is in the heart of the Scablands of central Washington and an oasis for migratory birds. Potholes Coulee (NOT my picture!)... this area gets 8” of rain, so without irrigation there would be nothing here but sagebrush and rattle snakes: This is a typical WA state park, nicely laid out, over crowded and a little seedy because of long term lack of funding. We booked three nights ($35 full hookup, including sewer and decent 4 mbps camp wifi). There are primitive sites available but they are tightly packed, dusty, close to the very busy boat launch, and close to marshland (bugs and ticks). The CG swarms with families on the weekends, and lesser numbers of fishermen mid week. The lake is stocked with various game fish, and the area is crowded with fishing resorts. Many primitive camping spots like BLM and Dept of Wildlife are still shut down due to Covid-19, so we picked this location so we could explore the nearby wildlife refuges, looking especially for migrating Sandhill Cranes. Fishing: https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/locations/lowland-lakes/potholes-reservoir. You can rough camp at any of the unimproved boat ramps, but they tend to be close to busy roads and crowded with fish folk. Not super relaxing, but free. Or you can book a spot at a number of RV resorts. There are a dozen or so rough water access points in the surrounding wildlife refuges, they tend to be very lightly used by fishermen with very small craft, and rather remote. A lively ORV area is located at the north end of the reservoir close to the city of Moses Lake, much of it is off limits during bird nesting season, but from July through September it is wide open sand paddle mayhem. If you want to tool around in your 4wd truck, air down and be sure to wear an appropriate flag if you get off the main routes..... https://www.grantcountywa.gov/SHERIFF/SpecOps/ORV/ Thirsday night the park was half full and dead quiet, by Friday night it had filled up and hordes of young people circulated on ebikes and screamed at each other. Arriving parents tooted their ahoohgah or locomotive airhorns (!!!) to announce their arrival, and set up their party spots. Social distancing and masks were notably absent. We spent a couple of mornings looking for birds and wandering the isolated and rough gravel roads and sandy tracks. No camping allowed in any of the cool remote spots.... We had our two labradoodles along, usually they stay at home. We discovered a vast number of juvenile ticks on them after one hike along a marshy area.... Oh joy. My newly installed iPad Mini BSMS aka battery/ solar monitoring station worked great, but it definitely needed to be powered down at night: This is not turning out to be the greatest of trips, but I really enjoy driving the remote back country. The higher spots, such as lookout towers, are still snowed in under many feet, so a desert destination works best this early in the season. John Davies Spokane WA
    1 point
  47. We bit the bullet and rented an enclosed garage nearby. They added an electric outlet so we can keep it connected to shore power to keep the batteries charged. This worked for us since we can't store RV's in our neighborhood. Decades ago, we used RV covers. They are HEAVY, especially when wet. At the ages we are now, there is no way I want my husband on a ladder to do this task. In fact, I recently removed the ladder from the front closet for this reason. Please consider the safety factor when making your decision.
    1 point
  48. I made this because the Owners Manual towing and camping lists are simply lame. This one is set up like an aircraft preflight checklist. Feel free to edit and change as needed, some items may not apply or you may just want to do it differently. Mine is laminated and posted inside the closet door: Click the attachment at the bottom to download the Word file. John Davies Spokane WA OLIVER-TRAILER-CHECKLIST-–.docx
    1 point
  49. Hey Minnesota Oli, thanks for this! You mean to say I don't NEED to change my inverter? Somehow I presumed i had to go w/ pure sine wave when converting.... can't explain the rationale that made me arrive at this conclusion, but this is, indeed, great news for my dusty wallet:) @SeaDawg, these poor AGMs are badly swolen, and no longer keep a charge for >15 minutes or so. Yikes!
    0 points
  50. To escape the summer Texas heat we like to go north. I’m planning a July Colorado trip and state parks and USFS campgrounds that take reservations are full. Some locations had no availability. Hopefully, we’ll find some dispersed or no reservation sites. I’m not sure it is all COVID. My son bought his first travel trailer this week (they’re in Colorado). My niece and her husband here in town did the same. They are all in their 30’s. Now I find myself providing lists of essentials to them and recommending good camping locations. A new camping generation is on the way.... Mike
    0 points
×
×
  • Create New...