Leaderboard

Have been in Maine (Bangor & Acadia area) for 2.5 days. Enjoying (making best of) the Rain & Fog. We will not try to enter Canada this season, but will drop down to Mass. tomorrow, do the East Coast for a while, then head back West and (then Home) up to ND, before the snow fly's. Been on the road 65 days, enjoying the various landscapes and all that this wonderful country presents to us. Bryan (Scrambled), Maggie (SnySdUp) & Willis (the Kamper Kat)

A few weeks ago an issue came up on Facebook concerning a customer that wanted to sell their production slot to someone else because some unforeseen situation came up and they wanted to cancel their Oliver order. It was requested to be able to do this so that they would not lose their deposit of $1500. The contract had been signed in December of last year. There was a back and forth discussion on FB with no consensus. I discussed this with Rodney Lomax, and reported back there that it would not be a problem. I got a call from him today and the sales team had examined all the ramifications of doing this and decided that they would not be able to do this now or in the future. The sales staff was in complete agreement that this was NOT a good idea and would only add to their workload while not increasing their compensations. (Personally, I agree with them.) The reasoning is that the deposit is a good faith promise from the customer to the company that they will buy the trailer. I have included the first paragraph of the contract that is being signed by new customers. It explains the circumstances under which deposits will be forfeited. Even though the deposit money is eventually applied to the cost of the trailer, it is used immediately to be able to fund the sales team's commissions and the costs of advertising. If the the whole process were to be started over, the sales member would be spending an equal amount of time with the second customer with no compensation. Another issue is the new customer is essentially breaking in line before existing customers who have been waiting their turn. As we all know, sales are booming in the RV industry and the Oliver team is working very hard to give us the very best trailer on the market. They are doing a Great Job! Let's all thank them for all that they do. Bold italics are mine... TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE 1. Offer, Governing Provision, and Cancellation: This writing constitutes an offer to purchase by the party designated as Buyer, identified above, to purchase the products described herein in accordance with the following terms and conditions. This writing is not an acceptance by Oliver Travel Trailer Sales, Inc. (hereinafter “Oliver”) of any offer made and acceptance by Oliver of this offer made by Buyer is expressly conditioned upon Oliver’s signature below and Buyer’s assent to these terms and conditions. Buyer will be deemed to have assented to these terms and conditions when Buyer signs and delivers this purchase order form, along with an initial deposit of $2,500.00 to Oliver. Buyer will be given a seven-day (7-day) grace period to cancel the order and receive a full refund. Cancellation after the seventh day will result in a cancellation fee of $1,500.00 being retained by Oliver, the cancellation fee will be deducted from the amount of the deposit returned to the Buyer. A separate cancellation fee, as detailed below, will be applied if the Buyer cancels the order after forty-five days prior to the production start date.

Hi gang, first post. When we ordered our Elite II twin last spring and Jason in sales said we’d get it Feb 1 of 2022 that seemed so far away, we’re getting excited now!! We’ve had tents, tent trailer, and a Class A previously but haven’t camped in about 12 years since we moved to SC and all the open space. Used to boondock every other weekend and on vacations when we lived in the Los Angeles area just to get away. The “bug” bit me about a year ago to get back into it and after talking the boss into it we started looking. Kinda had my mind set on a Class B because we only have room for two vehicles in our driveway and thought I’d be able to use it as a daily driver (HOA issue🥴). After driving one I realized that wouldn’t work so we went to a show looking at TT’s but weren’t too excited by what we saw. Stumbled upon the Oliver site and knew it was the one!! Been reading your posts for months and have gotten a lot of great info. Looking forward to meeting you in our travels soon. Steve

Earlier this summer mine acted up a couple of times. THANK YOU FOR THE ABOVE POSTS!I That said, four detectors are failing long before the seven year standard... why reward the MFG for their POS detectors by buying more? Does anyone have a suggestion for a longer life more reliable CO/Propane detector that will fit in the same space? Or one we can remove and toss into the trash can at 2:00 AM? Thanks JD: I LOVED "when you are trying to figure out how to kill power to that pesky alarm at 2:00 AM, with that bed occupied by a disgruntled spouse with her pillow held tight over her ears…." I would wager that more than a few of us have experienced your same "joy". LOL

Mossey

Since this is a fairly rare occurrence, I don't personally see it as a big issue. The Oliver folks have always tried to be very fair, imo, in my 14 years of dealing with the family, and staff. A contract is a contract. A slot is a slot. The factory needs a schedule, too . Most manufacturers don't allow selling a slot. Actually, none that I know of. The contract wording is pretty straightforward and clear.

John, I've got a National Luna in my truck, too, and power it with a small AGM battery, which is charged from the truck while driving and also pair of solar panels attached to a rack. With that setup, I've never depleted the battery while traveling. I used a Victron Cyrix smart relay to prevent the fridge from draining the starter battery, and just allow the truck's electronics to act as the regulator for charging the house battery. And I've got a Victron BMV to monitor everything via bluetooth. It's been a good setup and made the fridge something we don't really think about. I've got a DC fridge in the trailer, but now that I've had experience with the NL in the truck, I'd keep the absorption fridge if doing it again. It's just a big drain on the trailer batteries that I wouldn't have to worry about. Propane for us seems to last forever.

Sometimes I don't really get Oliver's service department. I mean, it's a business that one assumes makes money for the company, and therefore the more work the better. Especially when the work has R&D possibilities for the production team. Maybe they're just too busy or short handed.

I think I agree with that. Structurally, the aluminum sleeve can be thought of as a shim to hold the rack snug to the steel U-bolts, which are what's truly holding the rack. That is, I think the only stress on the sleeve is compression, not shear or torque. The anti-rattle bearing on the 1-up is certainly a stress point, but I think you could solve that by lining up the bearing with the forward U-bolt. From the photos, it looks like that would be possible. I do wonder how thin the aluminum is where it's been routed to accept the U-bolts. I think a failure there could allow the sleeve to work it's way out. But it would have to fail at both bolts for that to happen, which is probably unlikely on a single drive. Worth inspecting every so often I'd imagine, but I don't see a failure as being catastrophic - you'd have time to notice.

That is great customer service, and a little unexpected IMHO; take him a some doughnuts the next time you go there. A positive review on Yelp would also be appreciated, I am sure…. John Davies Spokane WA

I find the cables a PITA to attach to my F-150 due to their tension and interference with the Anderson system. Frankly, I would swap the OEM Ollie curly cables for some DOT rated yellow chains in a flash. However the PITA they are, is not yet very high on the improvements list. But, before changing hooks, I would fix the latch hook. It's a lot less expensive.

Be safe out there and load up on that seafood. Its generally a bit fresher where you are now versus where you will be when the snow flies. Bill

Steve & Ann - I too picked up my Ollie in February. Generally not too bad on the weather front and really lovely in Florida. We took delivery, hung out for a day to test everything and then headed down to St. Augustine for a week to really settle in and relearn all that stuff that we heard at delivery but certainly didn't remember. Depending on where you live in SC it just might be a fairly short trip down to Jacksonville, FL. There is a mini-rally down there next month and even though offical attendance is full, you could certainly drop by the campground on Saturday for a visit. Let us know what questions you have and how we can help you spend more of your money on all things associated with Olivers.😁 Bill

I always clay bar if tar remover won’t get it baby butt smooth, it looks fantastic afterwards, but boy is it slippery! As the old cop used to say on Hill Street Blues “ Be careful out there!” John Davies Spokane WA

I would call Oliver service. They were doing quite a few installs on the ‘16 and earlier trailers and should be able to give you a definitive answer. Mike

Yes. Only two small screws on the back . The Velcro covered and sealed the screw holes, i wanted to put the screws back in but they would not screw in flush with the back of the camera, I had heavy rain on one trip no problems no fogging camera lens.

This is the URL for the new Wi-Fi Ranger firmware https://wifiranger.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/WFR-User-Manual-710b11-09152021.pdf

At the end of the season, I'll use a "Clay bar" with a lubricant (Maguires makes a great kit), then wax with "Rejex". The "clay bar" will remove a lot of grime you don't notice, but you feel; slide your fingers over the fiberglass. Using the "clay bar" produces a smooth surface to be waxed over. I highly recommend this procedure for the roof section. The roof takes the biggest beating and accumulates the most road/camping dirt. At least up there you're working horizontally. Take your time, it doesn't take that long. When you're finished you really get that "warm fuzzy feeling" knowing you're done! Sure makes a significant difference with the gelcoat over time. Try the "clay bar". It truly does not take that much extra effort and produces a superior surface to cover with wax. Best, E

Yeah, unfortunately, I think Lewis County has been one of the worst epicenters in TN. I hope Oliver has been a leader in trying to get that turned around.

Thanks Bob and Mike. Since we will be at the CG for 2 months, full hooks ups are desired. I think the wife wants to stay closer to Albuquerque as she will be going to the Son's home daily. What do you all think about the CG's close to ABQ? Also are these CG's safe?

That's an odd reply - did he say why?

I have done a fair amount of research prior to pursuing this mod/application with a local aluminum engineer, aluminum tech and actually spoke at length with Oliver Service and 1Up USA. I have also communicated recently with another OLEll owner who has several thousand miles on this same identical mod and bike rack with zero structural integrity issues with the rack or receiver. Based on these conversations I am not concerned about the structural safety of this mod. My 1Up USA Super Duty bike rack (engineered for a TT) just shipped from the factory. I look forward to the install sometime next week. *My understanding is one of the big reasons Oliver inserted the 1.25” reducer is owners were overloading the aluminum receiver and exceeding the engineered rack weight limit which will naturally could result in a catastrophic failure. Cheers!

Our previous RVs have had Dometic absorption fridges which defaulted to LP when set to "Auto". The Norcold default is 12v; we always choose the power mode and never set to Auto. In our experience, the Norcold fridge does a much better job of cooling than the Dometic in our Leisure Travel Van. However, the Norcold lacks one feature the Dometic had - it had an audible alarm if the burner failed to light, after a certain number of attempts or the door was left open. The only indication you get of no LP supply, when in LP mode, is an error code on the display. I wish it had an audible alarm. What we do is set an alarm for the remote temp sensors we use in the fridge, to let us know if the temp gets above 40 degrees in the fridge and 25 degrees in the freezer.

Scubarx brought up an important point on the Norcold. I, too, advise owners to manually select the power source each time. The older dometics didn't ever default to dc. The norcold will, if left in auto, and can leave some with depleted batteries unknowingly. There are a few areas where you must turn off propane tanks, not just the fridge. Many ferries require it, and some check and tag the bottle at boarding. Some tunnels, either because they're heavily trafficked, or don't have the typical little rise in the center. They're usually clearly marked, and have an alternative route, or have a pullout area to turn off tanks. Most can be avoided with planning, and if not, it's just a minor inconvenience.

We run our fridge on propane when traveling. We’ve never used 12V. It switches to 110V if we have hookups. Mike

I can't believe that right after I read your post, the next day I get a call from the manager of the place where I store my Oliver 2018 Elite II that there is some kind of alarm going off in my trailer. When I went by to take a look, sure enough it was the propane/carbon monoxide sensor. The date on the back of the sensor was January 25, 2015. This post probably saved me a bunch of time. I just took the old one out and ordered a new one. Thanks!

Here's a paragraph from Got Earplugs by katanapilot from My version of the Houghton AC install posted May 27. As a sidenote halfway through the install I thought of a different way of doing the wiring for the thermostat. If a person replaced the LCD thermostat with a older manual style you could do away with the LCD relay board. If you look at the first picture that shows a group of wires that are in a black sheath, these are the control side of the wiring for the AC. In that group of wires there are two blue wires one with a white stripe. The one with the white stripe is hot 12 volts DC and the solid blue is the wire that goes to the furnace relay board. So re-allocate the existing thermostat wires by doubling them up ,two of them hooked to the solid blue and the other two hook to the blue with the white stripe. Then at the wall hook the two thermostat wires that are hooked to blue with white stripe to the power in on the new manual thermostat and the other two to the power out. The reason I would double them up is because of they're small gauge. This would do away with having to pull wires and using the LCD relay board. Also save you having to toggle through the unusable modes (heat strip, cool) on the LCD thermostat to get to the furnace mode. By re-allocate the existing thermostat wires and doubling them up ,two of them hooked to the solid blue and the other two hook to the blue with the white stripe. Now you are able to utilize wires that are already there saving you having to run new ones. Simply switch out the thermostat with one that does not need a control board. Paul

On all of the RV's I owned prior to getting my Ollie, I had chains. Hopefully I never have to go back to the "chain side". The cables are up and out of the way both while parked (unhitched) and while underway. They are cleaner too. What's not to like? Bill

My 2016 Elite ll is on its third sensor. I tried to get Dometic to warranty the last dead one but after six sets of forms they had me fill out I just gave up (my bad in that these guys should not be allowed to get away with this sort of stuff but I really did have other things to do). Either prepare yourself for a long warranty battle or take JD's advice or place a small fan in front of it that constantly blows fresh air into it or take the risk (not what I'd do) and disconnect it. Note - that reset button only silences the alarm for a few minutes. Bill

Ours started sounding in the middle of the night a couple of years ago. No propane was on. I got aggravated and just cut the wires so we could sleep. Called Oliver service and the sent me a new one. We were sleeping with plenty of ventilation, so I wasn’t worried about no alarm. They do wear out. Mike

You probably already saw this, but I'll put the link here for others: https://explorenorth.com/library/roads/bc_driving_routes.html Not all have the really great photo albums, like this https://explorenorth.com/library/roads/hwy37photos.html

I heard a rumor that Oliver was thinking about offering it. I have one - we had an owner on the forum four or so years ago who could get them for owners at wholesale. So relative to what we paid, that’s a remarkably expensive price. Plus cradlepoint now requires a subscription service plan for support. It’s a great little device - really love ours - but it would be difficult to recommend at that price. And I’d never recommend it for anyone who’s not comfortable with complex tech. It’s a professional router that’s designed for corporate clients whom they assume have dedicated and trained staff to maintain it. User friendly it is not. I’d say that nice though it is, even if Oliver is offering to pay the subscription support costs, give it a hard pass and don’t look back. Satellite internet is way too close to spend a chunk of money on an expensive cell router.

The cradlepoint system was developed for companies that had a need for wide area communications. Police, Ambulance, etc. It is now developed for Boating and RV purposes. This is NOT a cell booster. It is a combination Router and WiFi with a super ability to locate signals. Like a cell phone but with much more powerful antenna that are external. It is not dependent on a park or campground antenna, but uses cell towers with the ability to pull signal at 4k and HD from great distances. Still doing my research...A lot of recent You Tube video on this technology new to RV and Boating............If anyone get this prior to August let me know how it works......THANKS OLIVER FAMILY!

Maybe you should post a link? This is the very first I have heard of this, it isn’t even shown in the website Options page. It isn’t WIFI but rather cellular based. Is it 5G and does it include a proper roof antenna (the Weeboost stubby antenna is junk). For nearly $2000 I would just wait and get a Starlink system…. Or use a portable hotspot and a good external antenna on a TALL pole. Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

Well, we're not fantasizing and probably a bit crazy, but we're actually going to try towing our Ollie with a Rivian R1T. It'll be a steep learning curve, but guess we can always bail down the road if it doesn't work out. Depending on conditions, we're expecting only about 150 miles between charges, so that's obviously a negative. But, maybe it's time for us to slow down and . . . Rivian is designing an "adventure" charging network with 600 fast charging sites and 10,000+ level 2 charging stations around National/State Parks and more remote locations. But that system won't be up and running for a couple of years, so we'll be relying on the existing network, mostly along interstates/major roads and urban areas. It will definitely be a challenge.

Bill is correct, we’ve been using a water softener for several years. We originally bought a 16K grain from ABCWaters on Amazon. I have since downsized to a 3.2K grain softener, also from ABCWaters. The small one is lightweight and fits nicely in the basement standing up. I kept the 16K grain softener to wash cars and to wash the Oliver. We have softened water at home, so it is nice to have the same in the trailer. The small one stays charged for a long trip (4-6 weeks) and is easily recharged with at container of Morton table salt. Amazon has a decent selection of portable softeners. I wouldn’t go bigger than 8K grain, they tend to get heavy! Mike

Lol, I wish I had a picture of our dining room while we were waiting for our Ollie. It looked like a camping world annex.

I get a bit concerned when I read comments like these, as Dometic just keeps on acquiring major brands. Eight companies so far this year, and many times with cash on hand. This month, it's Igloo. Earlier this year, Valterra/Gopower Solar and Zamp Solar, along with five other companies around the globe... I hope their acquired companies keep up their previous levels of customer service.