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Showing content with the highest reputation on 10/28/2021 in all areas
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Picked up hull 927, Lucy, on Tuesday 10/26/21. Hanna, Ryan, Crystal, Meghan were a great delivery team. They were patient and answered all out questions including the ones we didn't asked but needed to know the answer. It was an absolute pleasure and flawless delivery. We spent the first night Oliver's new site which was very convenient as we could walk 100 feet to ask more questions. We left Wednesday to David Crockett State Park - absolutely beautiful. And of course, the one thing I was not support to forget to do before we left the Oliver site, was to ensure the valve to prevent grey water from sloshing into the shower pan was closed. I forgot LOL. Fortunately, our grey tank was not full and our shower pan was dry. Then, we forgot to open it on Thursday and our shower had a bit of trouble draining. We will learn. Thanks to all the owners in this forum that helped us prepare for this new adventure.9 points
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To follow up on a Facebook post from Oliver Trailer owners. A nice upgrade to Oliver’s design would be increase the fresh water drain to 1” with a full port 1” valve. This would help with drain times or flushing and removal of the small plastic pieces that causes other problems. It’s the small things that make the Oliver great.3 points
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Ok. You are charging. The -70 amps is nothing I've ever seen. But, the blue sky runs on algorithms, and can give some weird state of charge numbers until the batteries reach 100 per cent, then it resets.2 points
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It looks like the 30 amp breaker was tripped. I had no idea those breakers were even there but my monitors are on again. Thanks for pointing that out! I'm now going to wait a bit while plugged in and try the batteries again. The blue sky monitor reads 14.1V and -70.4A. It shows the same when I click the battery button on the other guage.2 points
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What voltage are you showing on the seelevel guage when not plugged in for 30 minutes? What are you showing when plugged in, on the seelevel? If plugged in and showing 13.2 to q3.6, you are charging your batteries. Unpluggrd for 30 minutes (at least), and no sun, your batteries will settle down a bit to show current state of charge. If fully charged, somewhere between 12. 7 and 13.0 should show on the seelevel after 30 minutes of no charge/ no load. Our solar has a 30 amp breaker. If that's tripped, we have no display on our bluesky monitor (also ipn pro remote). Do you have a progressive dynamics charger/inverter, or a xantrex inverter charger? The progressive dynamics units convert 110 to 12v, and charges the batteries, but does not supply 110 to outlets when not plugged in. That's an inverter function, separate from the progressive dynamics converter charger.2 points
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I’m sure someone smarter than I am will give you some ideas. My understanding is that all the 12V stuff works off the batteries, so if lights work while connected to AC the batteries should have some charge. Check under the street side bed where your Blue Sky box is and there are two big circuit breakers, make sure one or both isn’t tripped (there will be a red “flag” sticking out if tripped, just push it back in). I recall once when I had no 12V and it was because of one of those breakers. Not sure why it tripped, happened just once in almost 6 years. Mike2 points
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I wish I could tell you that after a few trips you won’t forget to open/close that valve. We still forget occasionally! It’s on our departure checklist so we usually remember to close it for travel, but setting up can sometimes have distractions and we realize we forgot to open it when our feet get wet while brushing our teeth! 🤣2 points
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I try to tow longer distances (i.e. over 400 miles) with empty tanks in order to help improve fuel economy. But, if I know that I will be without access to fresh water at my next stop and there are few if any places to get it on the trip, I'll tow with a full tank. I dump grey and black whenever I can - more for peace of mind than anything else. Like Mike, I really do not notice any difference in towing regardless of the state of the various tanks. Bill2 points
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I tow with a full fresh tank mainly to have water available on the road and especially if we’re going to dry camp. I also tow with various levels in the gray and black (except when we’re starting a trip). Sometimes you can’t dump until you arrive at the next location or somewhere on the road. To be honest, I’ve never noticed any real difference with full tanks, empty tanks or partially full tanks. After dry camping, the fresh tank is less, gray and black more. I think it is a testimony to the Oliver design of flat tanks positioned well. I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it. Mike2 points
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This mod is great for either working on your roof, for repairs or detailing, or for angling the panel toward the sun if your Ollie is parked long term, such as in the off-season. I used the following: 40” of 6061-T6 angle, 1 x 1 x 1/8”. For ease of fabrication, you could use 1 x 1/4” flat bar. I wanted angle since it is more rigid for the same weight, but I think the flat bar would be adequate. 2 - 1/4-20 x 1” stainless bolts, 4 - flat washers 2 - self locking nuts (nylocks) Cut the material into two 20” sections. Drill a 1/4” hole 1 inch from each end along one side of the angle. Center the holes in the inside of the angle (3/8” in from the edge). Since I wanted to use the existing knobs at the top of the arms, I trimmed away a section to allow the “ears” to clear. I left a 3/8” wide section for strength. You need to make two “mirror image” arms (front and back). Radius the corners, and file and sand with 180 grit paper. A workbench belt sander like my 4x36” Harbor Freight one works great for this. To use the arms, you have to climb up carefully with a ladder with padding under the top part. You can start at either end of the panel, the right side is shown in the pics. Attach the appropriate arm at the bottom hole of the bracket using a bolt, snug it down. Make sure that it can rotate up. Remove the knob and let the panel settle. You can put some foam underneath but I didn’t need any. Go to the other end and attach the second arm. Remove the knob, raise the panel and screw the knob back through the arm, into the panel. Go to the other end, raise the remaining arm, and secure it. You can see in the above pic that there are lots of threads sticking out the back of the nut, so if you use thicker 1/4” flat bars, they should work fine. If you are going to leave the panel up long term, in the weather, tighten the lower bolts and all knobs. If you are just going to have the panel up for maintenance you can leave the lower ones slightly loose. With the arms in the bottom holes of the roof brackets, the panel will be at a 35 degree angle. You could get a few extra degrees by selecting higher holes, but the other end of the panel frame might hit the gelcoat on the roof. Use caution. I have NOT tested this mod outside in strong winds. It feels very solid when the hardware is tight, but I cannot guarantee how well it will work in violent weather. Use caution. I thought about not mentioning this last part, but I will anyway.... Please leave a prominent note inside the trailer on the table, or a bright piece of surveyor’s tape flying from the panel, so you do not drive away with the panel up. John Davies Spokane WA1 point
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Yep! I scratched my head for a minute or two when I had a similar situation and then figured that was going to be it and it was. Glad it was only that for you, too. You should be back to normal. Mike1 point
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Like mike, our 30 amp has only tripped once. We attributed it to lightning storms, but really don't know. Fortunately, we caught it before our batteries were toast, as we were not plugged in to 110.1 point
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Most auto parts stores (Napa, etc) or other that sells batteries, can test your batteries to eliminate them as the culprit.1 point
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Our Ollie hasn't been born yet, but we have RVed for many years and we always carry water in the fresh water tank. On at least 2 occasions we arrived at full-hookup sites to find there was no water in the campground. The first time it was because the campground's water pump had failed. The second time there was a sign on the office door advising campers not to use the water because it had tested contaminated and had just been super-treated with bleach. Plus, it's nice to have if you need to use the bathroom on the road.1 point
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Welcome to the forums. It takes nearly half an hour to drain a full fresh tank, and you need to raise the tongue a little too. That is fine for winterizing, but not something you would want to do daily. Sometimes you might not be able to find a good source of clean water at your destination. Sometimes you might not find a hookup site at all, and you will have to boondock. The water tanks are all very low, below the floor, and mostly centered over the axles, so full or empty makes no real difference to towing stability. Theoretically full tanks will help it handle curves better. Empty tanks do reduce the load on the TV a little. For a marginal engine that can make a noticeable difference. Filling the tank should be done carefully with at least a basic filter, from a known good source. Sometimes if the water is suspect, you should just say no to fecal bacteria. (An example is the Fall Hollow RV park 10 minutes east of the factory, the water outlets are in the same muddy hole in the ground as the sewer connections 😳.) If you are connected at a full hookup site, it is much easier to drain the waste tank(s) and top up the fresh one completely in the morning before you disconnect, than to do it en route or when you get to another full hookup site. I try to have my fresh tank fully topped up, and the grey one empty, every time I leave a site, just in case I need to dry damp for a day or more. I have no black tank contents to worry about. This really is more a concern out West, where full hookup sites are much more rare, and sometimes finding a fresh water tap can be a challenge. John Davies Spokane WA1 point
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I had a similar issue. My problem was the fittings on the hose I was using was not air tight and causing a pump priming issue...intermittent or none at all. I resolved it by using a new hose with a "factory crimp" and some telfon tape. Once I did this the anti-freeze flowed to all faucets within a few seconds. There was no question when the water changed from clear to pink.1 point
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LOL, this isn't really a mod, but I wanted to post this somewhere. It never occurred to me to see if my Cabelas recliner would fit inside the cabin. It measures 24 inches at its widest point, so I gave it a try. It blocks the beds but the rest of the interior is still fairly accessible. It will make a great place for me to hang out on a cold dreary day if I am by myself. There are no other choices that don't force you to be bolt upright or flat on your back. It obviously will not be good with more than one body inside Mouse. Has anyone else tried this? John Davies Spokane WA1 point
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Generally I have either been at CG sites that have good cell service or no cell phone service at all. The one time I tired the booster was at a CG site that had 3 bars of strength and the booster did not help in that case. As far as the lagun table, I store my in the closet against the interior wall of the Ollie closet. I put in some strips of velcro tape to hold in it place and put the bracket on the top shelf. This way they take very little space and are easy to retrieve and replace.1 point
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There are a number of great ideas in this thread about lagun tables. And various tabletops, including folding tops, and a link to @Overland's nifty mount invention, which allows you to keep the nightstand drawer. Today, I found lightweight tabletops (10 and 12 pounds) at recpro. https://www.recpro.com/reclite-ls-rv-dinette-table-38-x-30-with-optional-leg-system/ Very light for a larger size. We bought our ac from recpro, as did several others. Reliable company with good customer service, imo.1 point
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I know the feeling! The older I get the more I appreciate the warm weather. We will be holding off for at least 2 weeks here in Maryland before winterizing and hopefully get out one more time. We would like to plan a trip to head south so the winter depression don’t get that bad. Come on spring!1 point
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We have the cell phone booster and it helps out when there is little signal to be had. We normally eat at the dining table and find it comfortable. When we went on a 17 night trip last month friends flew to meet us in UT for the week and stayed in a cabin. We did breakfast in our trailer each morning before heading out to the parks. We let them have the table and we sat on the bed and used the nightstand. To me the lagun table would be a lot of putting up and taking down and taking up storage space in the closet. For others it might be the perfect answer. Cindy1 point
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We use our cell booster. It usually gives us an additional bar. I can’t imagine eating a meal on a Lagun table while sitting on the bed. Unless you have long legs your feet might dangle if you have an optional mattress. I’m sure there are those who have done it and maybe they can chime in. Mike1 point
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Mine is a 2017 F-150. Answers to your questions - 1: no 2: no I've never had a hint of sway with my Elite II regardless of Andersen, no Andersen, Ford's anti-sway or no Ford anti-sway or any combination of these. Bill1 point
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Just open your awning about a foot and it will shield the curbside window. That's SOP for us when we set up camp. Works great, and at 12" the awning isn't extended far enough to catch any wind, so you can leave camp or sleep without worrying about it. One of the main reasons for opting for the second awning IMO is to be able to do the same on the street side.1 point
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About four years ago I found Oliver and these forums while browsing the Airstream forums looking for our 1st Travel Trailer (some tenting camping). The next four years consisted of mostly reading these forums, sending for brochures, to "unofficially" spec'ing out ours (dreaming), to using the referral program to see one in person, and to finally scheduling a tour this past Monday. I was impressed with the detail and thought that Oliver puts into these but not surprised since so many on here had prepared me without any of you knowing it. We sat down with Jason and went thru all the options then the question came, "do you want to secure a production date?". I couldn't have been more happy to tell him absolutely. So we now have a delivery date next July (15th I believe). We are newbies to the travel trailer scene and look forward to meeting many of you over the next few years. I will continue scouring these pages to help me finalize the options before April and to help prepare us for alittle life on the road.1 point
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One last thought on the subject, as to why the Olivers do track so well without swaying. During the factory tour with Robert Partee we got to talking about this and at that time seeing just the frame and large wheels naked without a cabin attached it occurred to me the reason for this stability unlike so many other travel trailers is the relative immense size of those wheels. Its not just the diameter of them which no doubt helps but also the distance from the center of each axel point which due to the size of the wheel tire combination has to be much further apart than a conventional trailers with their skimpy little 14" rims and crappy trailer tires. Modern day mountain bikes have almost all gone to 29" wheels. The reason is simple, better stability. While I haven't measured the relative difference in the diameter of Oliver wheel sets compared to conventional travel trailers my guess is there is at least a 25% increase in the size of the diameter, then spread those two pivot points further apart and you have a built in anti sway prevention system. Thats my two cents worth.1 point
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Likewise I also cannot ever remember anyone complaining of sway issues with an Oliver. These things are just amazing in this regard.1 point
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Not saying it couldn't ever happen, but 14 seasons, 2008 Elite, 3 different tow vehicles, over 100k miles, no experience with sway, ever. No wdh, no sway bar, older tow vehicles with zip for electronic sway control. Except for change in mpg/range, have to remind ourselves we're towing.1 point
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We have a Hayes electronic SwayMaster installed on our LE2 Ollie. Not sure if this device is still on the market, there were problems with this unit working with some OEM vehicle sway systems. This unit applies trailer brakes when it detects sway events. It's equipped with a GPS to activate system above 45MPH. It's also equipped with a directional gyro that applies trailer brakes during a sway event with rapid direction change. On two occasions I had the brakes to activate when I was towing too fast down mountains halfway through both curves. At the time I thought both cases were sway events that activated the SwayMaster applying trailer brakes. In hind sight, I don't believe I experienced trailer sway or instability. Did not sense or see any sway or instability. Only thing experienced was trailer brakes being applied, due to going too fast through the curves with rapid direction change through the curve. I slowed down and never experienced this scenario again. Have always wondered why Ollies are so stable when properly loaded and towed reasonably. Is it the suspension and commercial light truck tires that contribute to Ollie's stability? I'm sure during slick conditions, improper loading, or towing recklessly any trailer can have a sway event.1 point
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I'm curious if you tall folks (e.g., 6'2" or 74" +/-) find the the "twin" beds comfortable, given the 75" (6'3") bed length. Do you end up sleeping slightly sideways? Does the rounded corner feel like a space constraint? I apologize if this has been asked and answered, but a search on this topic didn't result in an answer for twin beds... In advance, thanks for your insight. BTW, I've enjoyed lurking in this forum; I've been impressed by the number of thoughtful, engaged owners and the abundant, useful information. Fritz1 point
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Fritz, I am 6’3” and have no problems sleeping in the curbside twin. I haven’t tried the street side as my wife sleeps there. I have tried in both directions and prefer the head to the rear especially since our 40lbs dog spends about 40 percent of the nights on my side.1 point
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6'3". 295#. The twin works fine for me. I sleep with my head to the front which gives me room to hang over a foot if I need to. Shoulder room has not been an issue. sometimes I turn to face the side and bend my knees. The first night or two I did have a little adjustment but I compare this the same as getting a new mattress. After about 12 nights total I do not even think about it. I have not tried sleeping with my feet at the rear yet. Maybe I will try that sometime but I like my head near the end I use a CPAP and I put the machine in the top cabinet and the hose just hangs down with the door left open. This set up seems to work. Erv1 point
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Thank you, Bill and John, for your comments. I've seen one LE2 (thanks to Carol and Stan) on a trip back east last fall, but it was not a twin bed version. I recognize that the bed length is the same, but the twin bed version has less space to hang one's feet over the edge. So yes, we'll look for an opportunity to see a twin bed model in the future.1 point
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At 5’10” and sleepng feet to the rear, I find the length OK, the width is more bothersome since there is no room to just roll over. (The mattresses are not regular Twin sized, but Bunk sized - 30 inches.) You must lift your body and reposition.... At your height it would really be best to test one in person. If you buy a Two Bed trailer and find out you don’t sleep well, that would be very upsetting. A King would without a doubt give tons more room and sleeping comfort. Also you need to see if you can live with whacking your head in the head.... especially when using the toilet. I showed Mouse to a couple who really liked the design, but the severe lack of headroom was a 100% deal breaker for the husband who was 6’6”. The entry opening to the head is a low head knocker, as is the main entry, but at least the latter is well padded. The metal head door frame can be painful... Try before you buy! John Davies Spokane WA1 point
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Fritz - I'm only 6' even so I'm perhaps not the person that can best answer your question based on length. I do have plenty of room at both the top and bottom. However, I can say that I originally started sleeping with my head towards the rear of the camper (at the rounded corner end) but changed to sleep in the other direction. I like to sleep with elbows out near my head. This caused me to bang one or the other elbow on either the nightstand or on the rounded corner. Once I flipped direction there have been no further issues. Bill1 point
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A sad day in that I had to put my Elite II to sleep for the next couple of months (at least). Fall is in full swing, the leaves are changing and falling and the temps have been above normal. However, next week has at least a couple of days of rain forecast plus the temps are going to finally take a dip. Added to the changing weather is a full schedule of appointments for the next two weeks. Is there some medical name for feeling sad because the camping season has come to an early end? ☹️0 points
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Hello Everyone, We only started looking at Oliver Travel Trailers a couple months ago due to a need we had in the family. After reading everything we could find and watching lots of videos we decided it was the one for us. On our way home from a 36 day driving vacation out west, we decided to get an appointment to tour the factory and talk to someone in person. We met with Anita on 9/23 for the tour and discussion. As someone mentioned earlier there were several Ollie's sitting in the parking lot awaiting pickup. However, there was also one whose owner had a major health issue and was not able to pick up his 2021 Elite II. Anita told us to take a look at it. We fell in love. It had more options than we were planning to purchase, but since it was a 2021 the cost was within our budget. We bought it! And we pick it up next Wednesday, Oct. 6. We are so excited and can't wait to take our first trip. We have learned so much from these forums and are looking forward to learning a lot more from you pros. We are totally new to camping. We both recently retired and looking forward to many years in our Oliver. Thank you all for the wonderful information you have shared. Kathy0 points
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My driving partner, in a panic, terrified me by over correcting with a sharp right, then over correcting with a sharp left, then another over correction to the right. I was sure that a life changing event was beginning. But the combination of anti sway on the truck, the Anderson hitch, and the Oliver design actually straightened out the induced sway. I’m a believer in all three.0 points
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