Leaderboard

Oliver’s are now out of our price range too… so I’m thinking I’ll keep #135 as old as it is. It still feels new. Oliver won’t have any problem selling all the trailers they can make. Mike

I would like to mention one important aspect of electric trailer brakes….. as the driver YOU are responsible for making sure they are working and are set correctly, You, not the Oliver tech that adjusted your hitch, or some guy on the Internet who told you to set the controller to some arbitrary number….. The trailer brake performance varies dramatically between the time they are brand new and not seated, and when they are working at maximum effectiveness. You should drive at about 15 or 20 mph on a loose surface and adjust the gain (the current or voltage, depending on what your unit shows) so that when you fully operate the manual lever with your finger, the tires just barely skid. That will get you close to the right setting, then adjust a little up or down as needed until the trailer “feels right”. That takes some time and experience, once you get it right the trailer should share the work but not drag or jerk the TV. There are also other adjustments, Tekonsha calls theirs “Boost”, that affect how quickly or aggressively the brakes are operated, try some different settings to see what happens. So, bottom line, play around with all the adjustments and try to find the sweet spot. A rain slick surface or gravel will require you to back off on the gain, or the tires will skid. Remember to bump the power back up when you get back onto dry pavement. And at least once daily on a long trip, check your trailer brake drums for overheating, they should be warm after a steep descent, but not skin blistering hot. Or stone cold, that indicates they aren’t working. And all two or four should be reasonably close to each other. If one brake is doing all the work, it will burn up. If the temperatures aren’t fairly similar, you should have a tech check them out ASAP to figure out why….. maybe you have a bearing that is failing and running hot. It’s better to discover that in a well lit, heated garage that by the side of some deserted back road in foul weather. Learn to routinely observe your trailer tires in the TV side mirrors when turning and slowing, for example, maneuvering in a big parking lot, that will teach you a lot about how the brakes are working. John Davies Spokane WA

Actually, you are probably familiar with this "process" if you have ever bought a new car, truck or motorcycle. You are cautioned to drive "carefully" for the first 500 miles or so - try to not apply too much pressure to the brakes (i.e. stop too hard) or "drag" the brakes by keeping your foot on the brake pedal for too long. Basically - drive it like you're breaking it in versus driving it like you stole it.😇 This "process" allows the brake shoes to conform themselves to the brake drum. This same process happens with disk brakes but disk brakes are not quite as sensitive to this process. Bill

There is a sensor module for the awning wind retraction system that has a battery that needs replaced every so often. When the battery gets low the sensor starts chirping. Not sure which power awning you have so check your owners manual for the details. The sensor on ours is mounted on the inside surface of the outer extruded rail of the awning, around the midpoint of the rail.

Actually, i wouldn't likely trade up. Even for $1. Yes, I'm one of the originals. Hull #12. This week is 14 years. Mine won't likely/hopefully be available for a very, very long time. If our daughter decides to sell it, after we are permanently 'camped,' it might go on the market. Hoping our daughter keeps the legacy boats and our trailer. Her decision. At that point, hey, up to her. We'll not be able to speak up, and she'll have to use her judgment. We love our little Elite. It's been our summer home (150 days a year) for 14 seasons, and hope for many more. My hope for improvement in the new model? Taller head height, so folks taller than us can enjoy what we enjoy. Maybe get the fridge a few inches off the floor. Maybe shed some weight. Other than that, it's the perfect trailer, imo. Perfect boondocking machine. Seriously. When we can't physically camp anymore, I will still keep it for our daughter. It's been paid for a long time ago, and we're way ahead in the value of memories. My trailer doesn't owe us a dime. We are owing it, imo. I suspect you may feel the same way. The trailer is "small." Our experience has been huge.

Congratulations !!! We will be first timers also, well if you don't count tent camping. Our delivery date is July and I have been busy trying to finalize our build sheet. I have learned so much from the folks on here willing to share their opinions and lessons learned. Use the Oliver University and read all the manuals, research what options you think you might want, watch videos, etc. I find I learn something new almost everyday reading these forums and using the search facility. We are just using this time as "part of the journey". Scott

Let’s see…. Add a second axle, a twin bed option, a bit longer, wider and taller…. Oh, wait….

It's been comforting to see how active this community is - and knowing many first timers have come before us also reassures that we will figure it out too, maybe with a little help from our "forum friends." I just ordered bedding for the camper...only 9 months to go until Delivery and I just can't wait that long, so trying to get the accessories now to keep myself occupied. The wait is the worst!

I have a camp chef 2 burner stove that comes with all sorts of accessories, including griddle and grill. Heck, even a pizza oven.

I have a cast iron insert that replaces one of the grill grates on my Weber. It’s small, but big enough for bacon and eggs for two. You could get one for each side, but Weber recommends against it, I think for air flow reasons. We have a 17” Blackstone griddle (and a 22” two burner for home) that is our camping griddle. It works well for about anything. We have the 5 sided Clam and with the fire pit in the middle and the sides attached it’s a toasty sitting area even in the coldest weather. Mike

We were on the fence for a 2022, but decided in January to order a 2022. Our pick up is November 7 so I imagine that all 2022 production slots have been taken by now. I am glad we didn't wait longer.

Some pics. first is my new Acura OEM jack, it is fairly thin steel but has rolled edges and rolled “gear” teeth and grooves in the sides. All help to increase durability and strength. It has a black paint finish. Here is the one from my 1998 Lexus, it actually has separate teeth/ gears, the parts are cad plated and the drive rod is stainless: Both are about the same size and weight, and both operate very smoothly and feel pretty well put together. Here is the IMAYCC one from Amazon: It is definitely stouter, with a larger foot, but they are relying on thicker steel for strength, there are no reinforcing rolls or ridges. It works OK, but it is stiff, a little bit kludgey, and definitely feels like a cheap tool. I decided to keep it as a extra or quick access jack, it fits very neatly on the shelf beside my jack stands, it will be much easier than dragging out my monster floor jack, which works great, but it is overkill sometimes. John Davies Spokane WA

JD, I TOTALLY agree, All this was on ME and me alone, looking back at it, we are fortunate that we made it without any accidents. B, Out

One thing I wish I had known more about when we picked up was the difference between "Camping" and "Traveling". We spend too much time getting into and out of a campground where we only spend one night. Now when we are "Travelling" (heading to a place where camping will happen) we meander along and see the sights during the day and then find a wal-mart, Sams, Craker Barrell, etc. to overnight in. I don't know how long your drive to and from will be but don't feel you have to stay in a "campground" every night. The All Stays app is easy to use and has great info on places to stay and stuff you will need on the road. Good Luck and Happy Camping.

Another option is water management district camping. I just booked for April 2022 and found availability after facing same issue with lack of availability. Campendium app for phone is very helpful identifying all options in the area you are interested in.

There are some great county parks.. Brownville Park near Arcadia is my favorite.. They take reservations starting 90 days out from your arrival date, which we did.. but we spent more than a week there and there was always open campsites..

Timely post, I’m also using my vintage Coleman 2 burner stove. I’m reluctant to give it up for sentimental reasons, but unfortunately it won’t operate off the low pressure QD on our trailer. I don’t use the small green bottles, I carry an extra 20 lb tank with a conversion hose. Griddle pans readily available to fit the stove. I’m worried it’s going to die soon so I’m researching new stoves.

No need to get out of bed! The thermostat on the newer models will connect to an app on your phone.

I think there will be enough buyers who would buy a EII even at a $90k base price. Granted a base of $90k would knock many of us out of play (me included) but there are those to whom the quality and exclusivity would be worth it and make the purchase. Last week I had the pleasure of camping next to a Living Vehicle Pro-EV model. For those unfamiliar with these Trailers, they are 4 season, solar and lithium monster trailers with enough power to provide level 2 charging for a EV as well as run the AC on battery and solar indefinitely. The trailer camped near me has a base price of $470k. I understand that Living Vehicles have nearly all of their 2022 production sold out. https://www.livingvehicle.com/models I predict that Oliver will have no trouble selling all 2023 production slots at the new base prices.

I use both a Weber Q grill and a Blackstone griddle off of my trailer quick connect. The Blackstone required no modification. The Weber required removal of the propane regulator and the installation of a quick connect fitting. We have an Outland propane fire pit that we use a separate 20lb propane tank since it is usually in the Clam away from the trailer. If you go to propanegear.com you’ll see a bunch of adapters for various stoves. I carry an extra hose for my Blackstone that has a regulator on it that connects to a separate tank in case I want to cook away from the trailer. Mike

On my 2016 Elite II the width (from the rear of the camper towards the front of the camper) right inside the outside basement door is - 35 1/2 inches. The width then narrows down to 26 inches. Note that these are the "maximum" measurements - due to the slope/curve of the hull, these measurements are a touch shorter when measured right at the floor level. Hopes this helps! Bill p.s. also not that the outside basement door opening as measured from the interior is 15 3/4 to 16 inches wide by 13 inches high.

My salesman told me about a month ago that the only change for 23 he was sure of was a price increase. What a doozy. So glad I have a 22 on order. Does anyone know yet what changes there may be

With the help of a number of good folks on this forum and my great RV Tech, Mathew Gonzales, who has worked on my 2017 Elite II since I brought in home to SE AZ, I finally achieved my goal of being able to run my AC off of my 2000-watt inverter and my new battery bank: 4 100ah Battle Born lithium batteries. After asking for, and getting, advice from folks on the forum about a number of issues that Mat and I ran encountered when attempting this upgrade, I made these decisions and Mat did this work: I first made the decision to purchase the Houghton 9.5K Low Profile Air Conditioner from RecPro--due mainly to how much quieter it runs compared to the Dometic Penguin that came with my Ollie, and to its lower amp draw (10 vs. the 16 for the Dometic). I learned that the Houghton could be run off of the 2000-watt inverter that came with my Ollie, using a transfer switch plugged into it running to the AC. I asked Mat to move the Micro-Air soft start previously installed in the Dometic to the Houghton. We discovered that he needed to reprogram the soft start to coordinate with the new AC. Since, unlike the Dometic set-up that came with my 2017 Ollie, the Houghton did not have a way to control the furnace, Mat installed and wired an Emerson non-programable thermostat--once again using information gleaned from folks on this forum--to control the furnace. I figured it was a good idea to supplement the 320-watt solar panels that came with my Ollie with a 180-watt Zamp solar panel kit. I also purchased a Zamp solar port that Mat installed near the shore power input. When my AGM batteries overheated last fall, I found I had no way to easily disconnect the battery bank. (This, I suspect, is something that is an original defect in the electrical system of my Oliver. Is it for all Olivers still?) So, while Mat was doing all of the other work, I had him install a battery disconnect switch near the inverter. I don't want this to appear as a straightforward process. It took a lot of back and forth between Mat and me trying to come up with solutions to problems encountered along the way. This back-and-forth involved a lot of advice from folks on this forum, some of whom I have not thanked by name. I would like to give special mention and thanks, however, to CnC and Minnesota Oli, who spent a good deal of time with me exchanging private messages. Man, were they patient with this technical novice! The outcome is that I now have a much quieter AC that runs off of my solar, batteries, and 2000-watt inverter. One can read elsewhere about the advantages of the Houghton. Mat told me, before I took my camper home, that he ran the Houghton for about four hours, supplementing the roof-top solar with the Zamp portable kit, and the voltage never dropped below 13 volts. I ran it when I brought the camper home, and verified that the system seemed to run the AC flawlessly AND much more quietly than before. I am delighted, as I have been wanting for a long time to be able to boondock in climes needing cooling of the cabin without having to resort to the hassle and noise of a generator. I will follow up with another post if I run into any issues. Disclaimer: I still have very little technical understanding about how this system functions and how the components and wiring fit together, so I will not be the one to answer many, if any, technical questions, but I know that on this forum, if you ask, you receive. There are some good posts on this forum involving the Houghton AC and related issues, so take a look around, and don't hesitate to submit your questions on this forum. Doing so paid off big time for me! Here is the interior view of my newly installed Houghton 9.5K Low Profile Air Conditioner: Here is an exterior view (birds won't be able to nest in this one!): Here is a photo of how Mat secured and wired the transfer switch and battery disconnect switch: Here is a photo of the Emerson non-programable thermostat to control the furnace (thanks go to John Davies who suggested the purchase): Here is a photo of the Zamp solar port with cord leading to the Zamp 180-watt portable solar panel kit: Here is a photo of the charge controller on my Zamp 180-watt portable solar panel kit, showing the voltage just after I plugged it in. (In less than 10 minutes, this controller and the interior Zamp showed the voltage up to 14.6 before dropping back into the floating voltage range.):

Is it true Seadawg? 14 years with an Oliver? They should trade you the new model for $1?? And put yours in the RV Hall of Fame....

If you have an older TV (2010 GMC 1500 Sierra w/tow pkg) you bought new or used like us, you want to make sure that you have a functioning "Trailer Brake" mechanism, either from the factory or an add-on usually near the Steering column. Our TV owner's manual implied that we had one and there was even a section on how to engage and adjust it, but I could not locate it in the dash area, I thought it was maybe hidden, so I BLINDLY thought we had one. Later I became painfully aware that just because you have TT Brake lights does not mean that your TT Brakes are engaging. Along the Blue Ridge Pkwy and coming down one of those grades and finally being able to pull over at a pull-out with the “Blue Smoke” rolling out of the rear TV wheels, I knew something was not right, but I thought it was because I did not gear down for the decent. What was strange to me was, the OTT brakes were not hot or smoking... Later we were able to locate a FANTASTIC Automotive repair shop (Weibert's Auto Place, 720 Creek Ln, Youngstown, NY 14174). They are friendly, fair, fast & did not take financial advantage of a couple on Vacation... On the initial visit I whipped out my 7-pin tester and showed them I had current running back to my TT Brake Lights so I should have brakes, right? They in-turn popped the hood, had a look around inside and they were able to diagnose the issue. My words not theirs “Your wiring for your Trailer Braking is stilled rolled up and covered in plastic because your vehicle does not have a factory installed or aftermarket Trailer Brake mechanism to connect the wires to". They added an aftermarket trailer braking system the Steering column. They also repaired / replaced (my words, their action) parts for the rear brakes" on the TV and showed me how to adjust the sensitivity of the TV braking for the TT. From that point on, stopping distances were greatly reduced and the trip no longer had any "E-Ticket rides" or caused any broken fingernails. Bryan, Out

Oliver doesn't often post on the forum. When they do, its usually technical bulletins, rally info, or forum software updates.

We just saw the price increases as well... and of course calculated what our specific order would have cost as a 2023 model. It's now $10,747 more. I'm glad we have ours locked in because I'm not sure if I would have been able to swallow this higher cost!?!? Obviously it's because of the rising cost of various raw materials, shipping cost and so on... so I'm guessing that the Airstreams are going up as well. It is interesting that now you can upgrade to the Truma a/c instead of taking the standard Dometic. I would have liked to have that option. Nevertheless.... we are looking forward to our May 2 pick up date... and the Guntersville rally.

Thanks for the link Sherry. (and DaveAndBecky) Lots of good tips and I am grateful for all of them...... But...... Donna wants to go to Quartzite in 23. So y'all <-- see how southern I am becoming.. know it wasn't wasted, I've already got a lot of this info on my google maps. Much thanks again. Scotty

Just In : "We have decided it is time to redesign and improve our single-axle Legacy Elite travel trailer. We have suspended production and taking orders on the 2023 Legacy Elite while our engineering team finalizes the redesign process. We currently do not have an ETA when we will take orders on the redesigned Legacy Elite. We will be fulfilling all 2022 orders that are awaiting production. Please call or contact us for additional information." From a post on Oliver owners FB page. Very interesting - RB

This is good advice. I feel the same about spending too much time getting into and out of campgrounds where we're only staying a night or two. We definitely don't mind taking a break from the amenities at campgrounds so staying at places Scotty mentioned above will be fine with us. We just need to learn more about these places which the app will help with. This forum was a huge influence on our purchase. We might not have purchased our trailer if there wasn't such an incredible group of very knowledgeable and helpful people. Lots of helpful info about pros and cons on options so do some searching and researching of older threads and then ask away if your question wasn't answered. Good luck!

You need to do nothing more than you would do at home. No floor insulation needed but (as at home) be careful getting any heater near any combustible material. I always place my portable heater (either electric or propane) either right inside or right outside the bathroom door. Bill

Lornie and I also travel frequently with our dog and two cats. The basement access door is the perfect solution for the litter box. Oliver should really market the basement access door option to prospective Oliver owners that intend to travel with cats. Elegant solution to locating the litter box outside of the living space but easily accessible at all times.

Skinny P - Look at the time you have to buy even more "stuff" for that new Ollie! 😁 Just let us know what you are thinking and we will be more than happy to spend your $$$$. The wait will be over before you know it. Between now and then watch as many Oliver University vids as you can stand and read a bunch too. Pay particular attention to delivery day so that you are prepared. And, plan at least a couple of those trips! Bill

We also like to sleep cold - our bedroom windows are cracked/open year round here in CO. Well, at least until we hit negative temps…. But I have to ask, how do you just reach over and turn the heater on? The thermostat in our ‘22 is above the aft dinette seat. Time to figure out a thermostat replacement - something with a remote! 🙂

Just saw this today. So glad we ordered and purchased ours in 2020 wow. This is great news for future resales of really well maintained used Olivers.

I think a lot of factors went into this price increase. Gas and petroleum products go up in price….so does fiberglass. Plus all the OEM products are going up with inflation. So is it worth it? Compare a Winnebago Mini Winnie FLX at 50k vs an Oliver LE2 at 100k. What is the resale comparison in 5 years? I would take a swag at 25k vs 90k, so a 15k delta. That roughs out at 5k vs 2k per year not counting the time value of money. I think a lot of people would make that tradeoff. And talking about resale……. Seen quite a few more Used Oliver’s hit the market this year. And they sell quick. So I think demand will stay high. And yes I think those that got in on a 22 model had good timing. Will be interesting to see where this goes.

We're preparing to sell our Ollie so I downloaded the current pricing worksheet to see what changes there are for 2022.. Checking off the options we have on our 2019 unit, it would cost over $10K more to buy it today. Still cheaper than an Airstream and better quality to boot.

I think there will be some sad customers that remained on the fence for the new model year. The past two years have been doozies for inflation related price increases.

There are also sites where you can have them alert you to "open" sites. I've used Wanderinglabs.com twice with positive results both times even though the campground that I was trying to reserve was originally booked solid. Good luck! Bill note - Wanderinglabs.com does not make a reservation for you but only alerts you that a campsite has become available. You still have to call or go online to make the actual reservation yourself. I assume that the similar sites work in a like manner.

For those of you who love state park camping, especially because of the lands and ecosystems they help to preserve, here's an article from the Dyrt that provides a thumbnail on each of the 50+ Florida state parks that offer camping. (NOTE: we're a big water state, so some state parks offer only boatslips or walkin tent camping. This article discusses campsites.) Why is it so hard to find a campsite here? Florida is roughly 1/5 the size of Texas, with half as many state parks, and over 2/3 the population of Texas. Probably 1/4 of our land is protected wetlands. We're a straight shot south from Eastern Canada and New York state, via 95. So, we get a lot of winter visitors, and struggle happily to support them. We welcome and love tourism, because many of our businesses depend on it. But have just a bit of patience with us. Our traffic in season can be equally as frustrating to residents and visitors. My advice is to find campsites outside major metro areas, and drive in for visits to attractions and beaches in the tv. Our cities and beaches are really, really busy with visitors, and winter residents. We have a lot more to offer than just beaches. Our rivers, wetlands and springs can also be very beautiful. Some of our state parks are home to very old species, and vegetation not found anywhere else. Take it slow, follow some of the secondary highways, and you'll see some of Florida that many Florida residents never see . Many of those older and smaller fishing, railroad, and agricultural towns are awesome, and rich with history, but today struggle economically. "Seeing" Florida in 2 weeks is impossible. But, seeing even a part of it is very rewarding. https://thedyrt.com/magazine/local/florida-state-parks/amp/

If you have your heart set on that particular heater, I'm pretty sure the tan one sold at west marine is the Caframo, under their store label. I was in West marine a few days ago for a blower, but likely I'll be there again sometime this month. If there's a heater in stock, I'll turn it over and see if it says "made in Canada" on the label. If so, it would pretty much clinch the Caframo manufacture. https://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-marine--portable-cabin-heater--7867500?cm_mmc=PS-_-Google-_-GSC>Brand%20(LIA)-_-7867500&product_id=7867500&creative=504872101344&device=m&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=Cj0KCQiAjc2QBhDgARIsAMc3SqQKPpqtlmXoe29Vy-RpmmBwQxBVhxAXZty_pZ6ZGzR6rA6XHrMGDK8aAllLEALw_wcB

The state parks are nice, but you can find some nice county facilities and, as Landrover said, some nice private parks, too. Don't count on staying in a walmart here. Many municipalities have ordinances against overnighting in parking lots. As Florida residents, we don't get a one month jump on reservations. Some counties do extend that privilege to their residents, though, as their county taxes support the parks. Florida state parks are supposed to cancel the remainder of a stay of a "no show," after checkout time of the first night's reserved stay. That site is then released to the public. Here's the link to reservations. Note that you can reserve for the first night, and entire stay in one site, 11 months before your arrival date. https://www.floridastateparks.org/reservation-information

"First I might try 3M double sticky tape as the glue is still stuck on the fiberglass panel which is not that smooth, but the glue surface does look smooth and the other part has a smooth surface" Good idea. 3M makes some great products and you make a good point.

I can get three milk crates in my basement, 2 that are the 14"x19" long ones and 1 of the standard size ones, maybe 14"x14" ones, I would have to measure then to see. I also took a wood dowel and put a hook in the end to grab the crate that is pushed way to the back as you will not be able to reach in an grab it very easily. I will say here I have just gone to using the two larger crates as have the free space in the front works better for me and I find I do get more room for the quick needed things at the front. trainman

Being a modeler and using every type of glues out there and pretty much know what works and what doesn't I would have my own ideas on what to use. First I might try 3M double sticky tape as the glue is still stuck on the fiberglass panel which is not that smooth, but the glue surface does look smooth and the other part has a smooth surface. All being said, the 3M tape will hold more then you think it will and for a long time. A lot of glues that were mentioned above are being misused for that type of application for the materials involved. trainman

The blocks that fell off are there because the "pioneers" like us, felt they were helpful. Not original equipment in the first generation. Not essential, but they do help reduce rub. We added them, circa 2011 or 2012. . A small tube of jb weld is probably 6 or 7 dollars. It's in our kit, anyway, for trailer and boat. Even so, if you would experience the same rare failure, I'm sure Oliver would reimburse you. They've always been decent and generous. Make sure you open a ticket, and get advice, before you launch out on your own, imo. Like others, I've not heard of this failure before. Anything can happen. Block placement is important, and jb weld is pretty permanent.

My experience over the last 6 years has been that Oliver goes above and beyond for warranty work. If a tube of epoxy is an issue, I’m sure they would reimburse or send a check for the glue. Mike

Most trucks sold today with trailering option will have the hitch (2"), trailer brake module, and will all be adjustable on the dash of truck from the factory with this option. Our new Ram only requirement is to push the trailering option switch on the dash and the computer does the rest, if not mistaken I did have to set the trailer brakes one time on the first pull and I think Oliver did that upon delivery. Note this option from the factory will reset the transmission and engine speeds for trailer pulling, it does all the work for you, no manual shifting required. trainman

I haven't measured it lately, but If you go to Oliver University on the bottom of the web page, you will be able to find most measurements while you wait for someone like me to measure. It is definitely wider at the outside access door then under the nightstand curbside bed. David

Yes and Yes