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We picked up our trailer on Thursday and had a great orientation with the Oliver team. The delivery specialist was thorough, patient and knowledgeable. There were 2 very minor issues that were quickly resolved by the Service Department and we were on our way to David Crockett. We are enjoying David Crockett SP. It is clean, quiet and peaceful. This is our first RV. We did a very limited amount of tent camping many years ago. The forum has been invaluable to my wife and me. So many people to thank. We hope to learn enough about our trailer so that we can assist others at some point in the future. Thanks to all of you who so willingly share your knowledge, fantastic mods and simple tips which are so helpful especially to newbies like us! Safe Travels!

To have a more central organized spot to charge our iPads and iPhones I ordered this power strip. I purchased the white cord moulding from Lowe’s which has a strong adhesive strip on the back. It matches fairly close. It’s a fairly straight forward install and really cleans things up a bit. I have ordered one for the galley so we don’t have the coffee pot cord or toaster cord dangling in the air while in use. It has pretty solid reviews and has worked well for us so far. I used a small piece of white Velcro to hold it in place while in travel.

We use the Netgear Nighthawk with the $50 Netgear portable MIMO antenna with AT&T. Everytime we have used it, it has had better reception than my Apple iPhone SE on Visable(Verison). We just put the antenna in the window with the best reception. Andrew

The Bulldog hitch is a great hitch! Please don't take a pry bar to it🤯. Something is amiss. It's a very simple, solid design. As soon as you lift the lever and the retaining collar slides back, the hitch should pop open releasing the ball. So I would say what Mike and Carol said about the swing gate not opening fully is a good place to start. Is the spring in place that opens the spring gate when the collar is retracted? When open, is the back of the spring gate pressing against the inside of the retaining collar? The hinge is at the front of the hitch and the retaining collar is what limits how far the swing gate will open. If these are both yes, I'd call Bulldog and see what they say. I can't think of what else it may be other than a faulty hitch if the above questions are both positive. And yes, be sure to keep a light coat of grease on the hitch ball! Good luck. Mine has worked flawlessly for over 5 years. Dave

I just saw that Garmin has released a "small" update for the 890. Apparently this update is for the iOverlander portion and brings it up to date. This might be helpful for those that are soon to be on the road to the "Non-Rally". Bill

Fritz - Have you tried putting a bit more weight in the back of that 3/4?

Here is, I believe, a working link to Jason's video:

I have to agree with JD on this. Our city chip seals every few years, including the street we live on. I’ve never seen anything like that. Even driving right after they’re done there is little to no tire residue. Mike

FWIW, be sure and check the screws holding the top plate on. I got the upgrade kit and one screw was very loose and three others marginally so.

I did and I am glad I did, the best $100.00 you will spend!. You not only get an improved Bat Wing but you also get the updated Ball Assembly with the new Friction Hold down Ring. Don't forget to add get the Tractor Supply Pin & Spring Clip at your local Tractor Supply Store, again the best $8.00 you will spend!

I'm sure this is not the case, but just to be sure: the hitch size is the same size as the ball, right? A 2 5/16" ball in a 2" hitch would be difficult to separate (if it fits at all...).

Sometimes it's kind of tight, even when the lever is completely released, because of the positioning of the ball against the side of the hitch, or tight to the front. Try what townesw said. If the jack still wants to "lift" the rear end of the truck, try sitting/bouncing on the side of the bumper when it's lifted an inch or two (enough that it should have disengaged) to break it free. It doesn't take a lot. Paul can do it by pushing down on the lifted bumper. I have to bounce my body weight on the bumper. Yes, put a tiny bit of grease on the ball. Don't use a pry bar. This is the best hitch ever, imo, and might just be a learning curve thing since you're used to the old school hitch. The reason it "sticks" occasionally is also the reason it's so bulletproof. When hitching back up, check to see if the ball is not centered, but is actually resting against the side of the latch. It won't close if it is resting next to the latch. If it is, you need to raise the jack, and reposition the truck so that the ball is centered in the actual hitch, mostly to the non-nonlatch side, so you can close the lever. Btw, this is so obvious I hate to ask, but you are retracting the collar, right? Reed Lukens did a nice video a few years back explaining (with video) the working concept of the bulldog. Maybe you (or someone else) will find it helpful.

Yes, but those dangling cords Frank..😂…

Their big map updates come out about every three months, I usually hook up my Garmin to the iMac before any major trip to check, if I haven't updated it recently. FYI when updating, select the “Computer and Device” option so that you can also use the newest maps with the Garmin Basecamp program for trip planning . This new file is ADDED to the same folder as any existing map files on your computer, it does not over-write them, so try to locate and delete any older "City_Navigator_North_America_NT_20xx_xx.gmap" files because they are huge (almost 4 gigabytes) and the old files will definitely clog up your storage otherwise. The one that goes on your gps is twice that size but gets over written. John Davies Spokane WA

When unhitching, chock the trailer tires, shift truck to neutral, release the brake while in neutral, press and hold the brake, shift to park, set parking brake while still pressing the brake pedal, then try raising the tongue off the ball. Are you putting grease on the ball?

Looks great, inside and out! Enjoy your time at davy Crockett, and try every system while you're close to Hohenwald. Welcome to Ollieworld.

Looks great! Congratulations and enjoy your journey into the world of RV-ing. Mike

No problem. Given that I camp a fair amount in the western Rockies where there can be a bunch of wind, after I had the issue with that latch I made a "holder" for the door. The picture below shows it in action - it is nothing but a nylon rope with a stainless steel hook attached to a bungie that has a hook on it. The stainless steel hook is attached to the interior door latch handle and the bungie hook is attached to the "latch" for the dog house propane cover. This arrangement takes the stress off that Oliver door latch and allows me to keep my door open even in the most windy conditions. Bill

WOW! Shiny clean Ollie, shiny clean floor and really nice words for the folks at Oliver. Glad all went well for you and that you are now enjoying that camper. Be careful and certainly take your time - this is especially important as you get used to all of the new things around you. Bill

We have a Cradlepoint and their omnidirectional roof top antenna that was installed by the service department since 2018. Love the wifi and reception in and out of the Ollie but have to agree with Snowball not sure I would recommend at this point. It has been a pain at times not having the subscription nor computer savvy to fix simple issues easily. One good thing, there are finally some decently priced unlimited data plans from the big 3 which makes a cellular modem more useful. We recently got a 100GB un-throttled data plan through ATT for $55/month prepaid. A lot of times cellular companies do not want to give you unlimited or fast data for hotspot usage without charging an arm and a leg. It has been the real issue for me trying to save money and switching plans only to find out the data didn't work as advertised. I do feel like their should be a simpler option that would work just fine like some of the mobile hotspots, satellite, etc. but saying that there are some very cool features like better reception than from a cell phone due to better technology combined with stronger antenna, better GPS signal, Wifi outside of the camper ( good for when in TV), can have 2 SIMs installed for switching between services, nice being able to keep Ollie connected to the internet and for wifi connected devices like alarms, cameras, door bells, temp sensors (main cab and fridge), Victron energy, etc.

Apparently it is that time again - Garmin has just released two updates. A small on for iOverlander takes only about two minutes to download and install. However, the second update is for the full set of North America maps and it takes considerably longer. Bill

Hi Kendra, I agree with the recommendation to rent first. My process started three years ago when I rented a Jayco for a three week trip around the West. I had a full size pickup so towing was no problem. I learned a lot! I went through Outdoorsy.com and everything went very smoothly. I repeated that process twice more with different size trailers and learned a lot more each time. So, when the time came to decide on the Oliver and put down my deposit, I felt very confident with my decision.

Welcome and congrats on your upcoming Oliver! I’m not a tire expert by any means, but I’ve learned a lot from sites like Tire Rack that lists specs and provides explanations of those specs. There are some pretty knowledgeable members here that can give some good advice. Stand by! Mike

It’s true.. there is a lack of East /West routes across northern New England.. if you want highway driving you’d have to go back down to Portsmouth NH, then head north into NH or VT. if county roads are what your looking for…get yourself to Augusta, then work your way to RT 2.. this gets you through the western part of the state, into the White Mts of NH and over to VT.. very very pretty drive, and a good cross sectional view of this part of the country IMHO…

Yes, it is thrilling! I suddenly have a bunch of cool badges , but I seem to be stuck at the Newbie level since 2015….. I feel like the day I joined the Cub Scouts, more than a few years ago….. Maybe a moderator can explain this new and exciting system😬 However, I do really think I should be a Rookie by now. Do I have to send doughnuts to somebody? if you zoom in on a badge icon it says “Rare”. That must be good, like a rare pokémon card….. I do not yet have a Conversation Starter badge, Susan, I am a little jealous. Could I have yours? John Davies Spokane WA

We camped in our pop up pre Ollie last August in mid coast Maine and lived every minute of it. Searsport Shores campground is a wonderful campground - right on the ocean- their gardens, art / pottery facilities are fabulous. Wel worth the higher $ for the experience. Rented kayaks from them and sea kayaked 3 Mikes down the coast for a lobster lunch at a lobster shack - so good ! This site was a great base for Belfast Maine and we actually daytripows 2x to Acadia but would stay closer next time. We also moved further south as stayed out by Pemaquid. The lighthouse out there is one of my all time favorites. Pemaquid Point campground - very simple, very clean facilities and great price point. Sites are level , great shade and adequate size.

I saw a couple of you tube videos about Nighthawk M-1 mobile router....looks interesting! Anybody using a Nighthawk?

If you think that you need that sledge then simply look for another way to get the job done. It really shouldn't be that hard. Unfortunately, the times I most remember where difficulties occurred were when I was in a rush and/or when the conditions were not ideal - swarms of mosquitos, heavy rain, etc. Bill p.s. A hitch pin like THIS ONE makes removal and insertion of the whale tail a bunch easier too.

Hi Everyone, You may have noticed some members with a different name markup (Bolded) and user group Member+? This is a new user group created that helps identify members that are highly active on the forums. These members have over 200 posts and have become fairly well known around the forums to everyone and staff. There is no real benefit, no extra permissions, but it is fancier and an incentive to be active in the Oliver Owner's community. If you have over 200 posts and have not been automatically promoted to this user group, then you need to logout and then log back in so the automated system can upgrade the account. If you have any other trouble or questions please feel free to private message me. In the future there may be more user groups to be automatically promoted to as the forums grow. This is a common practice to adapt to a growing community. Thanks y'all and have a good day!

It's orange-barrel season out west, and in the last 5 miles of a 6,500 mile trip we picked up some newly chip-sealed pavement from I-84. Not just a little tar, but an entire piece of roadway. Thick, gooey stuff. It incapacitated our rig. After removing the worst of it, we drove about a mile to an off-freeway parking lot, where the road contractor (responding to my substantial fuss) and I removed another 14 lbs of tar and gravel from the left side TV and trailer tires. Next day I went to the Commercial Tire store, which sells Cooper tires, to make sure there was no lasting tire damage. The fella told me that the tires were OK, but that the Oliver tires are truck tires (no surprise -- I knew that) but that truck tires shouldn't be used on trailers. He said they are not designed for the sideways scrubbing that occurs when turning, and that excess scrubbing can lead to tread separation. He said trailer tires ("ST" for "Special Trailer," instead of "LT" for "Light Truck) are meant to handle sideways scrubbing, but do not come in the size of tire that is installed on the Oliver. I wanted another opinion, so I took the rig to another tire dealer (Les Schwab, a regional shop), and the guy said "don't worry about it." He said they see truck tires on trailers all the time, without problem. So there you have it, FWIW. Just thought I'd share. Opinions? p.s., tires look clean again, after driving a couple hundred additional miles. I drove very slowly both prior to scrubbing (had to: the tires were too unweighted) and after scrubbing, to avoid slinging any remaining tar onto that new, freshly waxed hull. There are mudflaps in our future. p.s.s: The first tire dealer also said that they'd recently seen a couple cars with so much tar in the wheel wells that the wheels would not turn, and if the tar sets up (which in our case it did not) it completely ruins the tires.

That door mat sure looks like a putting green to me. So I guess you practice putting when the fish aren’t biting. I think that’s great idea and you know I’m a big fan of multiple uses for items I carry while camping.😆 Mossey