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If the white interior does not suit you, there are a few less extreme things you can do other than apply paint to make things look more appealing to you. I would bet that by just addressing a few areas of the interior you would make a big difference. There are a variety of adhesive backed wall coverings that you could apply. Perhaps start by covering the flat wall between the dinette and toilet room. Then, as @SeaDawgsuggested; apply a backsplash behind the kitchen counter. Hang a few small framed photos and a few decorations. The impact will be enormous as compared to the stark white factory finish. I agree with the others that painting will really hurt your resale value. It would also negate the advantages afforded by the gelcoat finish. Gelcoat is terrific for any of the 3M command tape products. It is easy to clean. Suction cup mounted accessories work great. You will lose those benefits by painting. The first night that we spent in our Ollie I lay in bed looking at the reflection of the lights from various electronics on the sleek interior, and I felt like I was on a space shuttle or something. I thought it was pretty cool. I wanted to drink some TANG... 🧑‍🚀

We wish everyone on the Oliver Forums a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Stay happy, healthy, and safe travels to all from Hull #837.

Search for LED Dimming Tape. Here's an example: LightDims Original Strength - Light Dimming LED Covers and Light Dimming Sheets for Routers, Electronics and Appliances and More. Dims 50-80% of Light, in Minimal Packaging. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CLVEQCO/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_23QKMHRXF291XRET77YH

I love the white interior and would never change it. Plenty of ways to add color, and it wipes clean so easily.

Thanks to all who offered advice on how I might modify my system. My goal, using my newly installed Battle Born battery bank (now with 400AH) and solar compatible components (charger/converter and monitor), is to be able to run an air conditioner (looks like it will be the 13K RecPro/Houghton) while still being able to control the furnace. If I understand the advice correctly, these are the items that I should consider ordering to allow my tech to complete the modification: 1. RecPro AC: https://www.recpro.com/rv-air-conditioner-low-profile-13-5k-quiet-ac-with-heat-pump-remote-non-ducted/ 2. KISAE Technology TS20A 20 Amp Transfer Switch: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IKVHA9K/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1 3. Emerson 1E78-140 Non-Programmable Heat Only Thermostat for Single-Stage System: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00204WWGE/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1 My understanding now is that, after obtaining these items, my tech—who has been reliably competent and has done several jobs for me on my solar equipped 2017 Oliver Legacy II—should be able to help me achieve my goal. (I will be asking him to switch out the MicroAir soft start recently installed in my Dometic to the new AC.) I will, of course, share the wiring advice and photos graciously passed along to me by Paul (A.K.A. Minnesota Oli). If I misunderstand something, or further things need to be considered, please let me know. Thanks. (I don't know what I would do without the great input I get from folks like you on the forum.)

Well what do you know! I haven't seen any in decades. And to think that all this time I have been pretending with my Metamucil. Wow, I could have had the real thing!

If I wanted to change some colors inside I would definitely follow John Davies advice and do the vinyl wrap. We like the ease of cleaning the factory jell coat. We have a bunch of my wife's photos mounted on canvas along with a couple decorative items held up by command strips. I have also seen some very nice vinyl graphics installed both inside and out. We know one Ollie that did a couple neat vinyl graphics inside including their bathroom. The vinyl is waterproof too. Prep work to paint the interior would likely ruin your jell coat and you would be out thousands of dollars to paint it and then later repair it back to original. That type of paint, is generally a 2 part paint with toxic fumes and for a great job probably needs to be applied via spray and professional car or boat painter.

IF I were to decide to paint any part of our Oliver, I would do it with Plasti Dip. It comes in a boat load of colors and is completely reversible. I've used it many times on various parts of our vehicles with complete satisfaction. Get on You Tube and spend some time watching the tutorial videos. It might be just what you're looking for.

Successfully painting gelcoat can be extremely difficult and prone to failure. It can be done by those with the experience and equipment to pull it off but for a beginner, the potential for a real mess is very high and reversing the effect may or not be possible. The only sure outcome, as stated by others, is to lessen the resale value of your Oliver.

Thank you, thank you everyone! We haven't even turned the propane on yet this trip (it's only day two) and all of a sudden this evening our LP alarm started going off. We could NOT figure out what it could be and Chad suggested I check here. John, you are a life saver, because Chad might have followed in Mike's footsteps and cut the wires if we hadn't found that fuse. The wiring diagram in the user manual makes it none too clear. For reference, we have a 2019 LE II, and the date of manufacture on our detector was also 2015. It is a Friday night, so now we need to figure out how to proceed. Might try to find a battery or plug in one for the time being, as we have full hookups this trip. Can't tell you how much we appreciate you ALL for keeping us sane and reassuring us it probably is just malfunctioning. - Kathryn and Chad, currently east of Orlando, FL

In Roswell we like the Red Barn RV Park. It is very small, maybe 16 sites. The owner, Leigh, is very nice and helpful. We stop there when we travel to Durango to see our son. Just south of Waco is a very nice state Park, Mother Neff State Park. It has to be one of the nicest state parks we’ve stayed at. We’ve been there many times, it’s a good stop for an overnight before we head the rest of the way home. It’s the first Texas state park, gifted by the mother of Governor Neff in the early 1900s when her son was Texas governor. I would avoid Houston and take the back roads to Austin from Louisiana. It’s probably not much slower but more interesting. We’ll be leaving in a few weeks to head west to Arizona! Mike

The white walls are a nice background for however you want to decorate. Hanging things is easy, command tape is useful for a variety of things. Besides pictures, you can hang fabric things and an number of other items. We have a couple of hats, a wooden flute, a wooden cross and some other things on our walls. I would not even attempt to paint the interior. Mike

Thanks! The dimming stickers look interesting & worth a try! We have an Elite with less solar / battery capacity, so phantom current draw is more of an issue than it is for the Elite II's. We replaced the factory USB charging outlets with higher capacity ones with no LED; less phantom current draw and faster charging. We put a rolled up pair of socks in front of the surge protector display in the upper rear attic compartment 🙂 We also added an in-line on/off switch to the TV in between factory power cord and the jack on the TV, which was very bright and in-our-face all night since we sleep "sideways" in the smaller Elite. It kills the light when we're not using the TV, is easy to turn on/off, and eliminates yet another phantom current draw.

Mattnan, Don’t forget to explore the options of County or City Parks if you’re looking for a place to stop for a night, I can think of a couple that are in the general vicinity of where you are headed.. East of Houston there is one in Winnie Tx we stayed at off 10.. There is one in San Jon NM on 40 just west of the NM/TX state line. We’ve stayed at both and will again if the timing is right..

That dimming tape looks great, I might try it. You can kill the power to the radio and the “inside the window” antenna completely, in my hull 218 there is a switch type breaker in the rear “attic” cabinet, I don’t know where yours is. Please add your Hull number to a signature so we don’t have to ask. When I added extra USB charge ports, I intentionally picked versions that have no LEDs, they are very hard to find. All those lights are not just a nuisance, they create a parasytic electrical load, that runs down your batteries. The fewer there are (or the more you can switch off manually), the better, when you are boondocking. John Davies Spokane WA

That made me smile. Yes, they still make Tang. There's a canister in my hurricane kit.

Thanks for the help and suggestions we are also heading to AZ. Tucson then north to the Grand Canyon then on to southern Utah, 4 corners then south to route 66 east, home via Memphis and Nashville on to the Blue Ridge Parkway and skyline drive. We are in the Smokey Mountains now and off to Honenwald for service Monday. Then to Naples Florida before heading to New Orleans. Lots of exploring this winter. Thanks for the suggestions. Much appreciated.

32.2 gallons should give our new Tundra a 740 mile range (no reserve) not towing, highway @ 23MPG. Will have to wait for Ollie towing mileage to see what the range will be, hoping for 540 mile range (no reserve) if we can get 17MPG towing, will see. Our fuel economy with the 5.7L Tundra towing Ollie without cruise control on and staying in the truck (slow) lane up & down mountains was 12MPG with top speed around 60MPH. Here's standard fuel tank sizes for 2022 Tundras with the SR5 having optional 32.2 gallon tank. Fuel Capacity 22.5 gal. (SR, SR5) 32.2 gal. Available on SR5, Standard on Limited, Platinum, 1794, TRD Pro

11-27 to 11-30, 2021 Eastbank COE campground near Bainbridge, GA. Very nice campground with clean facilities and grounds. And the heated shower house was a bonus as the low temps were 50, 34 and 37 our 3 mornings there. Mossey

Today while winterizing, @MarkVgot a nasty little sliver from the exposed fiberglass edge. Has anyone come up with a clean, simple way to “finish” these edges? My first thought was to use some white electrical tape. thanks!

From casually reading I think you can just use the heat portion of the current thermostat. I’ll be looking to do the same thing in 6 months or so. Current thinking is trying out the 9.5k unit and see how it will cool an elite II.

That's not fun, Mary beth. Which edge? The one under the bed? Where it can't be seen? White duct tape would be my choice there.

I agree with the above statement about the difficulty/expense of modifying your current garage. However, since you want a spot that is heated and has water/drain access I’d suggest removing the AC unit and replacing with a vent cover. Keep all the parts so it can easily be converted back. What about suing a steel beam, would that gain any height?

Thanks, John. I didn't even think about the little LED lights when we bought the USB charge ports. I'm not too worried about battery drain - we got the Platinum package. But they do annoy me, so I need to get them under control.

Bill - From my experience with the Ford 3.5 liter twin turbo and from THIS up to date review of actual MPG, you might be a bit optimistic on what gas mileage you will receive. With my Ford I get right at 22mpg when doing 65 mph on the interstate not towing. When towing my Ollie I get between 11 and 13 mpg averaging out in the low 12's. Certainly the Tundra in the sighted review is still new/not broken in, but, I don't think that the mpg will change more than 1 gallon at the most. However, I really do hope that I'm wrong about this because I've got my eye on a 1794. Bill

With the looks of what you already have plus what looks to be fairly level ground slope on the exterior - if you have "set back" room it might just be easier (and not that much more money) to construct either a garage addition or an "awning" plus parking pad on the side of the existing structure. But, I'm guessing that you have already considered that option which may be against HOA or local rules. Bill

@Spike, our 2008 Ollie has the original old school analog thermostat for the suburban furnace (which I really like), and our 2008 dometic ac had no thermostat, just dials on the adu/interior unit . We replaced the aged dometic with a 9500 btu houghton/recpro ac, but we have the smaller elite. It has a remote, no thermostat capability, and no heat pump. It does have a dehumidifier function, which is great, in Florida humidity.

Great shots! We love COE campgrounds too. Usually clean, well laid out and the price is right for old folks. Mike

My Hull 218 has an Air Command AC, it does not communicate with the furnace. Oliver installed a cheap mechanical stat (circa 1940, using a mercury switch) for that, it failed after three seasons and was very hard to adjust, so I replaced it with this Emerson digital one. It has been fine and it is easy to use and very precise, with a minimal dead band. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00204WWGE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 John Davies Spokane WA

Since the furnace is separate wouldn’t the wall mounted thermostat still control it? The AC would be separate, controlled with whatever is on the unit. I hope someone knows, I’m thinking of getting the Houghton unit too. I agree with Sherry that a 15K unit is too much for an Elite II. Mike

Painting gel coat is best left to professionals, imo, and expensive. Special paints, protective gear, etc . I actually love the clean white interior. So easy to clean, bright and a nice backdrop to the fabrics on the bed and dinette. Some people have installed backsplashes. Really nice. Others warm up the interior with wood tops from Foy Sperring, really, really nice. A few have added non adhesive graphics. I love mine the way it is. Though someday, I might like a walnut top from Foy.

I think it would be 100% crazy, but a 3M vinyl wrap in your choice of colors would look fine and also be 100% reversible. Lots of folks like the bright white walls and ceiling, me included. If you painted them, you would have a REALLY hard time selling the trailer. There are a lot of color choices, and also patterns like carbon fiber. Go for it! Rvinyl 3M 2080-G12 Vinyl Car Wrap Film Sheet Roll with Air Release Technology - 5ft x 1ft with Application Card, John Davies Spokane WA

They started out as a way to provide a hot spot for cell service to those overseas. With Covid 19 limiting foreign travel, they turned to seducing USA users. I've had one of the two we purchased for USA use for more than two years. They are 3G/4G and when it works, it works well. They have had a number of software updates that have improved their hot spot. However, I've have had difficulty with connections in the past. It sometimes reported "no partners" are available in the area when I see others using their cell phones. Lake Powell in AZ was one place and the Navajo Reservation in northern NM was another. In summary, I think it may be a good choice as a backup service as their cell phone plans have become more inexpensive and convenient to use, but it doesn't seem to work where there are only 3rd party providers for the major cell phone providers.

Looks great! How were the biting bugs this time of year?

Congratulations 🙂

11-10-2021 Overnight stop while traveling. White Oak Creek COE campground near Eufaula, AL. Very typical for COE campgrounds. It is clean, waterfront and cheap for old people. And they even had the heat on in the shower building. Sweet. Mossey

Thanks for posting this Mike and Carol. We are taking a similar route in January we will leave New Orleans and head directly for Austin. After that we are going to Waco and Fort Worth. From there we are heading to Roswell NM. We appreciate the referrals. We will take I 10 from New Orleans but will look to go north of Houston if possible on our way to Austin. Thanks for all the great advice you offer on this Forum.

I agree about the bathroom. . . . . my husband is 6'2" and the Elite II is ok for showering, but barely. Elite would not pass muster for him. I guess you can always shower while sitting on the toilet.

I only know of one Elite somewhat near you, and that's in the Twin Cities, MN, and quite a hike for you, if you're in Eastern Wisconsin. Theirs is put to bed for the winter, and, it's an older one, but it's in heated storage. They'd be willing to show theirs to you, if you want to make the drive. I spoke to them this evening. Pm me if you're interested.

Thanks, Mike, for the suggestions! I’ll check them out. Meanwhile, we’ve had a perfectly lovely stay at Bayou Segnette State Park conveniently located 20 minutes from New Orleans. Since it’s a state park, you’re supposed to call before 48 hours of your arrival through the park booking system to get a reservation. We had no problem getting a spot this time of year just driving in.

Tom, have you considered installing a front receiver? That would make positioning your Ollie in your storage space really simple. If you have a backup camera in the trailer, it would be even better… John Davies Spokane WA

We spent Thanksgiving at the Oregon coast at Sunset Bay State Park near Coos Bay. The total mileage for the trip was 450 miles. I wanted to report back on the performance of the new hitch. The Curt hitch was phenomenal. I was able to level the trailer easily and it towed remarkably well. The hitch resolved all the problems I had with the Gen-Y Glyder hitch. My confidence in the performance of this hitch was far superior to the Gen-Y hitch. I'm sure the Gen-Y hitch is a great hitch, it just did not work for my application.

I used this - but then - it was around before Ollie...

I should've used amber ... 😁