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As some you know from our signature, we were originally scheduled for a late July delivery. Then, over the winter, the date slipped to August - which was a concern. Steph and I are both teachers up in CT, so once school starts we pretty much can't pick up an Ollie until the December holiday break. With all the supply chain issues, we were worried another date slip would put us in that situation. Then what? Pay to have it shipped up to us? Pay to have it stored until December? Made us really nervous. Many, many thanks to @SeaDawg who recommended mentioning our predicament to our sales rep. Jason was on leave, so Anita stepped in to take my call. She was great! She took the dates of our summer break and said she'd check around and see if there were any cancelled deliveries on an earlier date. Incredibly, she found an opening on the very first day of our summer break! So, our delivery is now scheduled for June 20!! 😃 But wait, there's more... Got a call a few days ago from OTT. We were planning on the Lithium Pro package. Apparently, those batteries will be unavailable during our build time (chip shortage). 😬 We had three choices: go to a later (August again) delivery date and hope the batteries become available, go with AGMs instead, or upgrade to the Lithium Platinum package at a substantial discount off the standard price. Really only one good option there. So, now our trailer will have 630Ah of lithium instead of 390! ⚡ ⚡ I have to say, OTT has been wonderful through this whole thing. Our build sheet goes to them tomorrow (still waffling on the street side awning, may have to flip a coin). To be followed soon after by a chunk of our cash. Quite a rollercoaster!

holy cow you guys are wonderfully full of suggestions. have next week secured at guadalupe for 4days and then on to hondo for the weekend.! ill get use to this lifestyle in the next few months...thanks for helping me along the way.!! the blue bells start blooming soon ive been told. just need a warm rain.?? 10-q dan

Since the Texas Hill Country is our neighborhood the database resides in my head! But, when venturing to other geographic areas my favorite app is Ultimate Public Campgrounds, followed by Allstays and Campendium. Ultimate Public Campgrounds lists all the National Parks, State, county and municipal parks, COE and Forest Service campgrounds, BLM campgrounds and dispersed areas and utility campgrounds. Allstays does the same but also includes commercial parks, and other things like truck stops, Costcos, Bass Pro Shops, etc. We’ve used RVParky too. Carol always checks rvcampgroundreviews.com once we narrow down our choices. Campendium also gives good reviews. Recreation.gov is what most national and state parks use for reservations and we spend time there too. Hope this helps! Mike

If you’re looking for states parks in the hill country, there’s Blanco, Perdenales, Guadalupe River. There’s a municipal park in Fredericksburg (Lady Bird Johnson), there are also some good commercial parks around Fredericksburg, one is brand new and just opened in the middle of all the wineries. Also a couple of commercial campgrounds around Kerrville. State parks here fill up on the weekends almost all year round, so reservations are important as early as you can make them. As you head this way I would try to avoid going through Austin, traffic can be pretty bad. Mike

So many things I use are online or on my phone/tablet...so I'll break this down into 3 parts: 1) My favorite "online - web based" roadtrip/camping planning tool: RV Trip Wizard is an Online tool I used for planning my trip to/from Hohenwald...it's great. - https://www.rvtripwizard.com/ 2) Apps my Phone/Tablet Tools for Finding and Reserving Campsites: Allstays Camp & RV - also a good lookup tool for campgrounds - https://www.allstays.com/ Campendium - For reviews of campgrounds - https://www.campendium.com/ The Ultimate US Campground App - For locating boondocking sites.= http://www.ultimatecampgrounds.com/ All Trails - for finding localized hiking info - https://www.alltrails.com/ Recreation.Gov - for doing many of the reservations in Nat'l forests, and parks - https://www.recreation.gov/ Harvest Hosts App - for one night stays at wineries, farms, etc. - https://harvesthosts.com/ RV LIfe - All round app I use as a portal into reviews and new campground info. - http://rvlife.com/ 3) Seeing the actual campground sites: I've found so far that I use several apps when planning a long trip. Some are great for finding "camping" others are good for planning the drive. In addition, there are resources we use that help us plan by showing actual campsites as photo's or drive through's including these three sites: Campsite Photo's - https://www.campsitephotos.com/ Campground Views : https://www.campgroundviews.com/ - featuring drive throughs of a campground in 360 deg format so you can look around. The Dyrt - a great site for what's good about a specific campground: https://thedyrt.com/ Hope that helps... Craig & Rose Hull 505 - Galway Girl

Thank you Mike. I've enjoyed your and Carol's comments. I just got a Clam like the one you all showed. I had considered it for a long time but her recommendation sold me. I appreciate your effort. Yes, August is right around the corner and will give me enough time to finish the addition on my metal building for the new Ollie's bedroom.

My plan is to run 4 gauge to just in front of the propane tanks with an Anderson connector. That line will connect directly to blue sea battery selector switch. Position one will connect to the battery bank (fuse protected) to allow 12v power outside the trailer (winch, fridge, compressor) and to connect to a 12v to 12v charger pulling from the truck alternator. Position two will connect to a Victron solar controller for portable panels. I’ll make a 50 extension with smaller gauge wires (Anderson plug at both ends) that can be used to find sunlight.

Thanks Bill. Being new to the planet, I have a lot to learn.

John - Not to steal mtkadan's thunder and I expect that he will answer your question when he gets settled, but, there are a bunch of apps that can be used to do this type of thing. You might want to start HERE for some that help. There are all kinds of ways to get these apps to work - computer, tablet, smartphone. Even the Garmin 890 GPS has a couple of them built into the device. Bill

Hi all! We are signed up for this year's Rally. We'll be the ones with that funny looking, olive colored, V nose trailer that is not an Oliver. See you there! Raspy (John)

Hey John, it will be interesting to see your funny looking not an Oliver! Looking forward to seeing you guys again…. Mike

I have photos somewhere, but not handy. We were actually almost to our exit when I saw the high temp. Was able to limp a couple of miles to our destination campground. The trailer was still under warrantee and the manufacturer agreed to pay for a mobile service tech to come out and do the work, so it didn't even impact our vacation much. He came out, pulled the wheel, ordered parts, and came back a couple of days later with everything down to the spindle including bearings, backing plate, and drum. Didn't cost us a dime. I have to give credit to Rockwood/Forest River RV for quickly honoring our warrantee claim and Coach-Net for quickly finding a mobile tech for us. The root cause was a defective spring in the Dexter brake assembly and we weren't the only ones that had that problem around that time (2017).

Home of Robert Earl Keen!

The original post is the first reference I have ever seen to fuse F52. Where is the fuse located and is it specific to the Xantrex Freedom XC 2000/3000 inverter/charger installations? Mossey

I thought I would mention I ran into the same problem when I hooked up my Zamp 230 watt portable panel. It is rated at 12.6 amps and I blew the 10 amp fuse so I checked wire size and length and found that I could switch to a 15 amp fuse. I thought that would do it but no It showed I was still not connected to the battery. Checked the fuse and it was not blown, a real head scratcher. It ended up having two inline fuses installed on the positive wire between the battery and the side solar port. I changed that 10 amp fuse to a 15 amp and I was good to go. My Oliver is a 2019 so I don't Know if yours is wired the same way or not but I thought I would share.

I've found most camping reviews are either great, or in the dump. Same campground. Either super happy, or ax to grind. If I click on the reviewer, and read their reviews, I often find a stream of the same. My needs are not the same as someone traveling in a sunblocker motorhome or giant fifth wheel, so I take some comnents with a grain of salt. Where I worry are multiple reports of lots of cranky permanent residents, old trailers, poorly maintained facilities, etc.

I use Campendium and Ultimate Campgrounds the most - I kind of play them against each other. As for the neg OR positive reviews - I have found them about 50% useful - just depends on what the reason for the rating. Needs to be really specific - and timely for me to really give it any consideration. Sometimes they are just ridiculous comments.. Used Harvest Hosts this last year - it provides another alternative.

We are using RVParky alot right now. It has been good for us so far

Well, it's been a while since I posted anything. Today I had to kick out some wrens building a nest in the air conditioner, on the driver's side, where there is open space under the cover. I temporarily added some screen material on the inside, but it will not stay without a better solution. I better add it to my pack-up check list to take down. Has anyone had this issue? Right now the trailer is in my driveway. Not where I want it, but for now, it must be.

If you’re going to be staying at Guadalupe River State Park here are some suggestions for things to do. It’s worth a day to spend in Fredericksburg. It has a nice old downtown (Main Street) with lots of shopping and antique shops and has about a dozen wineries along highway 290. Our favorite is Becker Vineyards just outside of Fredericksburg in Stonewall. There are a bunch of other good ones. Also, the LBJ Ranch in Johnson City is a National Parks Historical Park. I’m not a big LBJ fan but we spent several hours there while camped at Blanco State Park and it was time well spent, interesting and educational. If you keep driving west on 46 from Guadalupe, you’ll run in to Boerne (“Bernie”). Main Street (Hauptstrasse) has a lot of antique shops and other nice shopping. Several good restaurants Peggys, The Creek and Cypress Grille are upscale with good wine lists (my brother owns Cypress Grille and is the chef). Several other more casual places to include a couple of microbreweries. Dodging Duck is casual with live music and make their own beer. It’s just off Main Street across from Cibolo Creek on River Road. I’m not sure there will be many Bluebonnets in bloom yet, but you never know! Mike

I checked my axle on my 2021 Ford Super Duty with the 6.7 diesel and saw similar marks on the axle. I'm driving to Alaska this spring so will follow up with the dealer. Thanks for the heads up.

Putting together supply list for Sept. delivery. Any advice on mats. Looks like most are 9x12. Was thinking of going to Home Depot and getting some Astro turf. The better half is concerned about dirt collection and removing the soil when you pack up. Vacuum, shake out, hose off. I am sure some are harder to clean than others. I would like to just shake it, roll it up and throw in basement. But, basement will accumulate any dirt left behind. And, if I’m doing the shaking, each subsequent move, I will remove less and less dirt until l skip the shake out step. Maybe they come with a cover. Seems like a little thing. But, starting to see there are a lot of little things with this new RV life. Size, mat material, cleaning? Thanks!

Ron - I am planning to write up a full note on our towing experience back from the factory - overall it was very good with MGP in the 12-14 range. Should get that done this week. What brake controller are you going with? I did the Redarc and while I was in too much of a hurry to get good photos of the install (waited till the minute after the last minute to install) I would be glad to give you the tips I learned doing the install. I do really like the way that it fits into the dash - looks very OEM. We moved to the Ascent from an Outback also - Outback took our Happier Camper HC-1 to California and back by way of Colorado. Kevin

Welcome John and Susan in Ft. Worth, I did send you a private message. trainman

Thanks John, I'll take a look at that!

Congradulations DunnYet from the mountains of East Tennessee! I am thrilled to see your post, in fact, it's caused me to make my first. We are new to the Forum and live in Greeneville TN. Our Elite I will, hopefully, arrive 11 August having ordered it in Sept. I also planned to tow with a Subaru Ascent, a 2021. Our hills up here in East TN, SW VA, and Western NC where we camp most, are quite a bit steeper than those Tennessee hills you towed your Ollie over, but I feel so much better reading about your experience. To be honest most posts are from Elite II owners as they appear to be in the majority. You are the first, I have found towing an Elite I with an Ascent. The only Forum comments I have been able to find seemed to be second hand info from no one who actually used the Ascent but, referenced someone towing a boat trailer, I think. I have to admit, they were negative on the Ascent. I was worried I might have to give up the Subie, I just bought in September, having reluctantly passed down an Outback to my daughter. We have towed an Aliner A-frame pop up with the Outback for 4 years and I just didn't want a large tow vehicle if possible. My calculations and what I could find online all looked like the Elite I was well within the Ascents capabilities and properly loaded that it would safely tow the Elite I and with descent gas mileage. Still, I was preparing myself for possible disappointment. Thank you again for the post and I look forward to more! Ron

Try GAIA Premium, that lets you download all sorts of maps and layers for when the cell signal disappears. It has a fairly steep learning curve, but once you figure out the basics, it works great. Buy from their website to save 10% compared to the App Store. https://www.gaiagps.com/membership/?COUP=10OFFFIRSTYEAR Pocket Earth Pro, I think I mentioned that somewhere already, I love it for just routine “road atlas” type navigation, it gives great situational awareness for what the terrain is like beyond your truck’s OEM nav screen, or an aftermarket GPs with road maps, which might just show a line on a grey background…... Here are a couple of screen captures at different zoom levels. These are all downloaded maps, they work anywhere. John Davies Spokane WA

We are big fans of C-Gear mats. We plan to buy one for use with our Elite II. They are commonly used on river trips when camping on sandy beaches. The sand really does flow right through them, keeping the surface "clean" for walking.

Yes - Duncanville Tx just south of Dallas. Moved to the Duncanville / Cedar Hill area with the Supercollider project in the 90s and have been here since then. It’s a great area, close enough to downtown Dallas for events and entertainment but far enough out to be livable.

On my Oliver there are two inline fuses, one just inside the wall where the wire comes in from side wall solar port and if you follow that wire as it heads to the battery compartment, there is a second inline fuse just below the battery compartment. Why mine end up having two I don't know.

We need pictures. Did you say a lot of bad words, and how much was the repair? Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

Very nice Spike! It looks awesome.

This time of year costco has in store only...Grey RV mats that are 6x9, lightweight, made out of spun recycled milk jugs and we just recycle each year. They cost about $13

We have one of each. They both fold up to about 3’ X 12” X 8” and the small one is 3’ X 12” X 6”. Sometimes we use both when we put the Clam up. Typical camping mats/rugs, lightweight and porous. I wouldn’t plan on storing them in the basement, you wouldn’t get much else in there. Mike

We have used poly mats like ScottyGS recommended for years. Putting a mat down is one of the first things Steph does as we set up because it helps keep dirt out of the trailer. Aside from RV stores, you can find them at pet suppliers because they are commonly used at dog shows. We also have a storage bag for them that we found at Camping World.

What they call weekends are usually late Thursday -Saturday. Most every one leaves on Sunday which opens up a lot of spaces. I think most parks should go to a non refundable weekend deposits, which would cut down on the hoarding of rv sites for weekends.

I agree with ScottyGS go with the poly/ plastic mesh type for RVs much easier to clean they tend to pick up a lot of dirt. Most of it shake’s off when you fold it up. I bring a couple of 55gal HD trash bags to store the mat. After arriving home quick sweep off then wash down with a hose. They dry quickly. I don’t think the artificial turf will clean off as well imo.

We have a mat like this one. It's poly pro and folds up like a map. I use a broom to sweep off anything that collects and store it in the truck bed. There have been times when it's rained and I've just folded it up dirty... then you just have to sweep it off when you put it back out. It's breathable so doesn't hurt grass if left down for a day or so. Also it's a good idea to have a mat. You'll be glad of it when you have to camp in a grassy area that has not been mowed recently. Helps keep dirt and pebbles from getting into the camper too. And you can kick your shoes off and leave them near the door before going in. Not too expensive and should last a good long time. https://www.campingworld.com/reversible-rv-patio-mat-octagon-design-670190.html?dwvar_670190_color=cerulean

I too picked up my Oliver in February and much like you it was raining and near freezing. Made me appreciate the warm dry interior even more. However, I did shed a tear or two while taking that nice shiny clean beauty through the mud and dirty roads. Congrats! Hopefully we will get a chance to meet at the Rally. Bill

Congrats and see you in May! By the way -- is that Duncanville Texas? I used to have family there.

They are separate systems, but they do interact gracefully. The converter (charger) voltage is high enough that the solar sees the batteries as charged, so nothing happens from the roof. Disconnect shore power, the voltage drops, and the solar picks up automatically. Everything is based on the battery voltage. You don’t have to worry about any of it. John Davies Spokane WA

Ok, heard back from Jason. They were supposed to put a 20 amp fuse there. So, F52 should be 20amp. Jason is looking into it to make sure this was just a one time thing or if during manufacturing they are putting to small a fuse in all of them. Jason was quick to respond! Thank you all for your help!

The purpose of a fuse is to blow from too much current and to protect the receptacle and the trailer wires from burning up, you are overloading the circuit! You have three options. Stop using that large panel immediately, replace it with one that is about 150 watts or less. Or Use the suppled alligator clips and connect the panel output wires directly to your batteries. This assumes that your suitcase includes a charge controller! Some do not - never connect unregulated solar panels to your batteries! Or Rewire the trailer connection with a suitable (higher amperage) socket, 20 amp fuse and larger (heavier gauge) wires. Be safe, please do not set fire to your trailer! John Davies Spokane WA

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

Yes, your tow vehicle must have a trailer brake controller and the 7 pin connector near the hitch receiver to connect to the trailer brake/electrical/light system.

Great shots.

Good Morning and Welcome!! I'm a newbie to the Oliver Travel Trailer thing, but not to towing. Spent most of my life hauling livestock. From your numbers your truck can pull it. You see a lot of posts like this where people worry about their tow vehicle. In my opinion, the real question should be can my tow vehicle stop it in an emergency situation. I believe in overkill. I want much more vehicle than I need, but that is just me. If you are concerned now, you will be concerned on travel days. This concern will add much stress to your vacations or get away. Especially on these fine roads out there that are constantly under construction, no shoulder, tire debris that just pops up in front of you and those drivers that really shouldn't be driving. You know, the ones that stop in lane 2 of a freeway so they can try to get over to exit. So, in my opinion, if this is on your mind now, it wont go away. In my limited miles towing the Oliver, it tracks true, you frequently forget it's back there. I have already scared myself looking in the rear view and seeing someone on my tail, only to realize.... its just the Oliver :-). I haven't weighed mine full yet or I would give you those numbers to help you out for a general ball park.

I also like Outdoor Project for gathering details of an area. https://www.outdoorproject.com/

Second Campendium. Use that quite a bit. Reserve America is used as the booking system for many state parks. We normally just use the web site but they also have an app. It is called RA camping.

Allstays RV Campgrounds, Ultimate US Public Campground, Allstays RV Dump, Campendium. There are a bunch of Allstays Apps, depends on how you camp.