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Well after great trips in CO, UT and SD this year our Oliver is winterized at the RV storage lot. I though I would share my expeience with a generic-size cover and exteral solar set-up to maintain my batteries while the roof-top panels are covered. The 100-watt Renogy exteral solar panel with charge controller that has been discussed in other forum threads was just reduced in price on Amazon. At $189 now it's well worth it! The included battery clamp cable is long enough to reach from the battery compartment to the rear of the trailer where I have it to get morning sun. The cable can be routed to exit the battery compartment at the bottom corner and still close and lock properly. It's just long enough to reach to the back of the trailer where it can absorb morning sun. I was worred about possible theft but have added a locking cable to the very robust steel solar panel handle on the side which is rivited to the frame. The cable is locked to the frame crossbar on the underside of the trailer. Renogy 100 Watt 12 Volt Monocrystalline Off Grid Portable Foldable 2Pcs 50W Solar Panel Suitcase Built-in Kickstand with Waterproof 20A Charger Controller https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079JVBVL3/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_6?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1 I decided to try a cover that is sold by Costco Online knowing that if I wasn't satisfied I could easily take it back to the store. I've been pleasantly suprised at both the quality and fit. Just thought I would share in case others are looking for options when covered storage is just not an option. The cover has already disappeared from the Costco website but here it the link to Amazon for the same model. The 15-18 ft cover reaches to cover the propane/electric jack and the rear spare tire. Once the straps are secured, its a pretty nice fit. Classic Accessories SkyShield Travel Trailer Cover, 15'-18'FT https://www.amazon.com/Classic-Accessories-80-382-103001-EX-Travel-Trailer/dp/B01KHX27HS I've only had it set-up for a couple weeks but so far it's working well and hasn't cost me a fortune. Wanted to share in case others are considering similar options. (Photos attached) 2020 Elite II, Hull 627, 2020 Silverado 1500 3.0L Duramax

George: I started towing my 2018 OE2 with a 2005 Toyota Sequoia. Before my egg hatched, I reached out to the owners, just as you have. It was John Davies that responded back with the very excellent and PROVED to be spot on responses. The Sequoia I had was with their "New" 4.7L engine. My 2018 Summer Voyage was TX to OK to Oregon to NC and back to Texas; just over 8100 trailer miles. When JD responded, he intonated that mine would be underpowered out west, and would take a lot of energy on my part for long trips. I found that it was actually adequate for flat land use, it was not adequate for towing my Oliver out west in the mountains. Flat lands, it did much better so long as I kept mindful of brake heating and stopping distances. The MPG was pretty dismal though as I was always hard riding those ponies. Just north of the Denver area, I was crawling up a four lane highway, down shifting as my rig slowed until I was in first gear crawling up the mountain. I was actually passed by the US Cycling Team. I caught them and passed them on the down hill, and the process repeated itself several times. At one point we opened our front doors and were doing the "Fred Flintstone" one legged push off''s as they went by. We had plenty of water and passed it out to each rider as they passed by us on the next hill, and collected the empties as we passed them on the flats to the northwest. My passenger stated: "I think it is time for a new TV". I had to agree as I was a hazard on long climbs. For our Summer 2019 voyage, 7000 Miles, I had purchased new F-150 3.5L SuperCrew. That's when I finally figured out what Mr. Davies meant by my having to invest a lot of my energy into driving my Sequoia TV with an Ollie OE2. Having a very capable TV is MUCH easier on the driver. The Sequoia's are one of the most reliable vehicles on the road. (Shameless Plug Follows) Except for the Toyota Land Cruiser that is better in every way (Except Cost of course). Their relatively small fuel tank was found to be a time and energy sucker from "Low Fuel Shortage Syndrome". If you have the 5.7 L engine, 4 X 4 Sequoia, I would suggest that you give it a shot for a year. Then consider what YOUR needs are. In my case, that process worked well. Good luck, GJ

John, I agree with all you’ve said but the world is filled with idiots and apparently there is one among the owner’s because that is exactly the reason that the engineering change was done.

Learning all the systems and how they work is all the fun especially when you have a great support forum like this. Congratulations and Safe travels from Hull # 901 in MD

It didn't take us long to see the benefit of having a screen door handle but I couldn't bring myself to drill holes in my screen door so I made these plates to install the handle without drilling. I used 1/8 inch X 1 inch aluminum and drilled and tapped for #8-32 X 3/8 SS screws. The plates "rotate" into place with the hook at the bottom fitting into the cross bar of the door to keep the assembly from sliding up in the door channel. I shortened the handle tube to 19-13/16 inches, slid the end caps on and attached the assembly to the adapter plates. [attachment file=127613] I know, a lot of trouble to go to when I could have just drilled the holes and been done with it but I think it makes for a cleaner installation.

Installed 3M film of the front corners yesterday. Couldnt get in to a shop to have the whole lower front wrapped before leaving for a trip so this will have to do for now. ordered a 12”x72” roll of 3M film from Amazon and decided the area directly behind the truck tires was the most important to protect. Cut the sheet in half and installed as shown (if you look close you can see the inner edge), vertically from the belly seam down. I’ll report back on how well it works on this trip. Depending on the results it may as it is or Ill order a sheet large enough to do the entire front, lower half. Total cost was $25 plus about an hour of my time.

A little fall maintenance on Hull# 634. If you own an RV lock it’s only a matter of time before the original cheap plastic key pad wears out. I called and ordered a new replacement from RVlock.com for $16.00 shipped. The install is pretty straight forward and the new silicone key pad hopefully will last much longer. Cheers! old - new installed -

A few years ago, I conducted a similar experiment (and posted it on the forum), comparing black and gray water tank treatments using dog poop. In that experiment, TankTechsRx came out the winner over the other product (I’m sorry, I no longer remember that other product’s name), as it did a much better job of reducing the odor. I recently encountered another treatment with very good reviews, so I bought a bottle of it—Unique RV Digest-It—to compare with my TankTechsRx. The experiment was this: I mixed a capful of each product with water to nearly fill a small glass, and then I placed five pieces of small dog food kibble in each glass and let them sit. The photo showing the glass with the brown colored liquid is the one with TankTechsRx product, which is naturally brown. Result: Within 12 hours or so, the Unique RV Digest-It had reduced the kibble to a sludge at the bottom of the glass, whereas the glass with the TankTechsRx still held solid chunks of kibble. The odor was also different, with the TankTechsRx glass smelling a bit funky, while the Unique RV Digest-It glass had a faint, but rather pleasant, almost floral, smell to it. I will be using Unique RV Digest-It from now on in my gray water tank. We have a composting toilet, so we don’t use a black water tank. However, we have been spraying a mixture of water and TankTechsRx in our composting toilet, which has seemed to help with the composting process and odor control. I will now be trying the Unique RV Digest-It in the same way, expecting good results. I would surmise from my experiment that Unique RV Digest-It would work well in a black water tank and accomplishing what it advertises: 1. BREAKS DOWN SOLID WASTE INSIDE TANKS. Liquifies human waste and all brands of toilet paper. Digests residual sludge from years of build-up. Works in black and gray tanks. 2. ELIMINATES TOILET & TANK ODORS without masking. Extra strength activated cleaners eliminate odors at their source without covering them with overpowering perfumes. 3. HELPS PREVENT SENSOR MALFUNCTION. Cleans and removes solid waste and paper before it can cling to sensor probes, preventing misreads. No, I have no association with either company. Yes, I suggest others give Digest-It a try.

The compass graphic is measured at 22”

You can buy 4 of these for the price of the CalMark and have money left over. The last time I checked the CalMark was over $1300 shipped. Thanks

Nice logo! Thanks for the measurements and the additional pictures to see it in perspective. That’s very helpful.

700lbs is 13%. Well within the recommended 10-15% range. I dont have any issue with it but will measure total loaded and tongue on a CAT scale when I get a chance. 490 lbs seems light for a trailer weighing 4,900-5,000 lbs. i have towed trailers with 10% (and less) tongue wt before and it could get whippy. Ill stick with 12-14% as my target

That does look like a nice cover and for the price you can buy three for the price of a CalMark cover. There doesn't appear to be an access door but again - for the price. Let us know how it makes it through the winter. Bill

They started doing the freshwater pickup tube mod as standard equipment some time in mid to late 2017, I think, by having their tanks delivered to the factory with the correct large fitting in the top. They were made aware of the serious design flaw before that, by angry owners, and were offering to fix older trailers gratis, if you drove to Tennessee. The factory fix for the old trailers involves adding a new “spin welded” fitting on top to allow the installation of a suction “dip” tube, and they will also change some of the connected plumbing. This should be a free in the field repair IMHO, I am sure many owners who live 2500 miles away never have plans to return there….. like me. It does require a substantial 20,000 rpm router and the very special spin weld “fixture” to do the job. Four years ago that fixture was about $140, IF you could even find one. And the job is not for the timid or faint of heart. https://www.dukane.com/plastic-welding-process/what-is-spin-welding/ My hull number 218, delivered in 05/2017, was certainly one of the affected ones, but I do not know the cutoff date or hull number. I would guess anything made after 2017 would be fine. If somebody can supply me with the information, I will add it to the top of this thread. Thanks. FYI it is super easy to see if your tank has the current design top pickup (suction) tube, it comes out of the top right (street side) corner. Older tanks have no fitting or tube on top anywhere, other that the big vent line way to the front of the tank. If somebody could send me a picture, I can add it here. Maybe it is shown in a factory tour picture of the tanks and plumbing…. John Davies Spokane WA

Yes!

The rear tail light leak is a known issue caused by failure of the exterior caulking. it is likely that the leak in the front closet is due to the same thing. Exterior caulk inspection and maintenance is a normal task for any RV or travel trailer. Caulking issues are by no means an indication that you have a "lemon", and it is no surprise that the caulk needs a little TLC on a four year old trailer. Faulty blinds, bad regulator, leaking window, and blown shocks are all components manufactured by others and installed by Oliver. Unfortunately the overall quality of many RV components available in the USA market is not the caliber that Oliver would like to see. I was told by an Oliver employee that they have voiced complaints to vendors and were pretty much told to "take it or leave it". The onus is on Oliver for the fresh water pick up tube, as well as for lifting flooring and over-torqued fasteners. Take a look on the forums of SOB's and see what woes they experience on four year old travel trailers and you will be grateful that you purchased an Oliver. Good luck with your shock replacement!

We have the cell booster and it helps. We also installed a lagun table ourselves. We did the side mount option following Overland's directions. We had a custom top made by a local craftsman. We have the twin bed plan. The side mount allows for the basement door. Ours is in use all the time. We also have 6 inch mattresses from southern mattress. The side mount is also further off of the floor allowing for more height. There is a member on this forum, Foy, that could probably make a top to your liking. You can order the lagun parts directly from lagun. Check out Overland's posting for very good directions. You can also find pictures of our installation. Ours is up all the time. I just lower it on to the bed for travel.

Jstone, Yes that was us! Thank you for reaching out and also for the info on Huntington Beach SP. 👍🏻👍🏻 Patriot

We use butyl "tape" for bedding windows, hatches, ports, and vents. It's butyl rubber, old school, but pretty much lasts forever, and creates a really strong seal. You can get it at camping world or amazon, in various widths, and grey or black. We only stock grey in the garage fridge. It's easier to work with cold, as it's pretty sticky and stretchy when warm. It's not really a "tape", per se, but comes in a roll with one side covered with waxed paper, that you take off after applying and pressing down on the first surface. If you decide to use it, make sure you buy real butyl tape, not putty tape, which isn't as good. Butyl is a great sealant, but not an adhesive, so it's used in combination with mechanical fasteners. Camping world sells dicor brand.

Congratulations you two!!! We're very happy for ya'll 🙂 Lol on the drain valve...if that's the only thing that went wrong, I'd say you were off to a fabulous start! Jason, our salesman, called us today, as we were on the road back to S.C., and asked us if we could move our delivery date UP to 5 Jan (from 13 Jan). I thought "is this a trick question?" Well, of course!!!! Wendy and I wish you the best of times in your new "Lucy", and hope to meet up with you one day 🙂

Congrats! be safe and enjoy your Rig! I have a short must do mental list before I start my truck and that valve is on it. List is still a work in progress as I add things to the trailers contents. Happy Trails Dan

We have had a foot of snow on our solar panels after a storm. I have a snow broom that allows me to push it off from curbside to the street side where there is no awning. We never leave the snow on very long. We live in NH and have it in the snow for the last two winters.

I attended the Non Rally last week and thought I would list, (not in any order) what I saw/learned from all the Oliver Guys/Gals I met. I made my list, starting on day one of things I thought would be of value to me, maybe others also. I don't have pictures of each of these, but maybe the "Guilty Parties" could follow up. On a personal note, I did experienced a Flat Tire on my TV, which needed a new tire. Also had an Andersen Hitch Link failure, which I'll cover separately. The Gas Shortage wasn't a big deal, but I did see several Stations that limited purchases. My list: 1. Reflective Red/Silver Tape on the lower parts of their Oliver, like you would see on a Semi Trailer, to improve visibility at night. Great Idea! 2. Motion Detector Lights mounted on all 4 sides of the trailer, I liked this idea to improve security. 3.Andersen Hitch Pin Handle, available from Tractor Supply, 8000 lbs capacity. This replaces the "Bat Wing Pin" and greatly assists in pulling the Pin in/out. 4. Mount a Level on the Front Basket or front of the trailer, that is visible in the TV's Back up Camera to assist in leveling (side-side). This tell you when you are level, without having to get out of the TV and checking several times. 5. Umbrella Storage PVC Tube mounted inside the door. 6. Entry Door Clear Window Kit, I go to add this. 7. Bed Mattresses, KTT or Southern or just Cushions, I am still on the fence! 8. Screen Door Towel Bar, of course. 9. Andersen Hitch Chains, Link or Dog Bone connectors? 10. Trailer Jack to change a Flat Tire. 11. Reverse the Window Shades to improve privacy! I've already done this! 12. Extra Back-Up Lights mounted on Back Bumper of the trailer. I likes this idea and plan on adding these. 13. Business Cards, great to exchange when you meet people. 14. LPG, Fire Pit. both Outland and Heiinger offer them. No wet wood to try to get to burn! 15. Apple/Sirius Radio added to the Oliver, must have. 16. Apparently the 2021 Olivers have added an extra 3 way Switch, in the lower Panty Cabinet to turn on/off the Courtesy lights, nice addition. Overall, the Non Rally was a big success, I understand there were 28 Olivers in attendance, very nice time. I look forward to next year's Rally!

Hi Pat, I noticed #1 on your list was: "Reflective Red/Silver Tape on the lower parts of their Oliver, like you would see on a Semi Trailer, to improve visibility at night. Great Idea!" I got the idea for my trailer by often night driving with the big boys of the road and their DOT reflectiveness too. But who is to say it has to be so industrial looking? My camper; my artistic expression with some 3M reflective tape:

Thanks JD - great material.

I do not care for the Delorme atlases, I find them to be WAY less useful (recreationally) than the Benchmark ones. Unfortunately there are only 13 western states available. I have all of them except for Texas and Alaska. https://www.benchmarkmaps.com/atlases However, they are a great tool for research and a final backup in case my electronic devices fail. I use 1/4” stick-on colored dots to mark points of interest and major turns. My iPad Mini 4 has a number of camping and nav apps on it. I have tried most and deleted many.... The one I most recommend is GAIA Premium ($40 annually) since the Layers function lets you add just about any kind of info, like Forest Service MVUM (Motor Vehicle Use Map) data, which will tell you where you can and cannot drive. I can’t stress enough how important this is. GAIA is OTH pretty rotten for simple road navigation. The other app I use all the time is Pocket Earth Pro. The basic app is free, the Pro upgrade is $5 and adds topographic maps. For just driving away from urban areas where your cell phone is dead, it is wonderful. The graphics are very pretty and the thing that sold it for me is the user adjustable font size. You can make the city and town labels almost any size you want, and they are dynamic. When you zoom out they get bigger too, so older eyes can easily read them. All other similar map apps I have tried do not have this feature. Map downloads are quick and simple and you can use the app anywhere in the world. GAIA is for really hard core users, Pocket Earth will be useful for anybody. Try it out, see if you agree. https://pocketearth.com/ That said, for routing on normal roads I use a Garmin RV gps. It is way better than the factory nav systems I have seen. Plus the maps are free and updated quarterly. My 2013 Toyota maps are pretty lame, and they cannot be updated without a very expensive trip to the dealer. John Davies Spokane WA

Bill - I'm not sure about "a cleaner installation", but, I would think that it is a bit stronger. Those four small screws holding the handle on in the typical installation are screwed into such thin aluminum. I always try to remember to tell "guests" to not put too much pressure on that screen door handle - the aluminum door simply is not strong enough to handle any real weight. At least your design helps spread any weight over a larger area. Besides, it is simply cool. Bill

Nicely done.

Great idea. I'll bet you could sell some of these at the rally. I for one would be interested. Thanks for sharing.