Leaderboard

We installed that (LevelMate Pro) and use Anderson levelers (aka Marriage Savers). I can attest that the combination is absolutely perfect when travelling solo. mb

Note that there are occasions when the 4 inch maximum height adjustment of the Andersen curve levelers simply isn't enough. It is in times like these that it helps to also carry other means of leveling such as "lego" blocks or pieces of wood (or both). A sense of humor also helps😉. Bill p.s. my Andersens do the job about 90 percent of the time.

Yes, yes, yes. Certainly if you are traveling solo these are a big help. Unfortunately, the Andersens are rather expensive and there are some users that have reported that these "slide" when used on certain surfaces. But I've had no issues at all in seven years of use. Bill

Did this last July, Ouray to Silverton, first time coming home in my L2. I had just done some seriously exposed 4x4 trails so was probably a bit desensitized, but wasn't difficult. Just pay attention and don't let the exposure transfix you. Like the trail leader said as we went over Imogene and Black Bear passes...when is the last time you just drove off the road for no reason. 😉 Better than when they created it... 127105122_ImogenePass.mov

John, you can disconnect the cable from the camera but it requires some simple disassembly. I did not want the cable to be run on the outside of the trailer and this does allow you to run the cable through a small hole. I am in the process of installing ours on the new 2022 Silverado 3500. I ran the cable in through the front wall of the trailer down low. From there, it enters the cabin under the bathroom vanity. I ran the cable down the street side with all the other wiring and plumbing to the back. Then out through the back wall inside the spare tire cover. I made a stainless steel bracket then painted it gloss white to hold the camera. It is mounted above the spare tire.

1001 uses..... Never leave home without your Rubber Mallet!

No issues sounds good enough. There are less expensive products on the market but it does not pay to go cheap

Done both and the Beartooth is easier. Bill

You may be right - you may be wrong - but, at some point in life (actually maybe at all points in life) you have to make the decision as to whether "this" is a hill to die on. Glad that you had the financial resources to make the decision you did. Sure does save a bunch of bother. Hope this new Chevy works better for you than the last one did. They certainly are nice looking trucks. Bill

I’ve had some experience with this type of problem and how to handle it to come out on top. This would have been a hard case to win considering everything that is going on. It’s a long dragged out process. I fought once before and won. Getting older and tired of all the fighting and battling. Some one was looking out for me. I walked into to local GMC dealer and this truck was just delivered two hours prior. 2022 GMC Denali 2500 Hd Duramax. The dealer was still willing to wait the 12-16 week repair time and i was still able to negotiate a lower price, not the best I’ve ever done but I was happy. Im back on the road no more repair headaches.🎉

Red one is about 1.5 feet from the rear bumper. Bill

Reason #1002, my wife can use it on me.

I have moved the sub-topic concerning lists at delivery to a new topic called - Delivery List. Bill

I saw a Bluetooth leveling aid that a person can mount in the trailer once the trailer has been leveled so that each time you're getting your trailer leveled at new sites, you just watch the monitor and know when to stop riding up on the Anderson levelers. That seemed to be a good idea.

With a big thanks to SeaDawg who actually found it - you might want to check the following by Galwaygirl: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/3892-new-almost-owners/ AND you can also look at: http://olivertraveltrailers.com/travel-trailers/frequently-asked-questions/ Bill

Much like FrankC I too lay out the CalMark cover on the ground (on the curbside) but as I said earlier, I install it by myself. After laying it on the ground, the next step is to get the cover on the roof in the area behind the awning. First I pull one end of the cover and get as much as I can behind the awning and secure it to the awning with a clamp. I work my way down the Ollie and repeat this process two or three more times. Once the cover is on the roof I then find the black straps that are used to encircle the trailer once the cover is all the way on (note: I think that these straps may have been discontinued on the current "new" covers) and toss each one (there are three of them) over to the opposite side of the Ollie. Then, again much like FrankC, I simply tug on those straps until I either get the cover all the way over the camper or until I meet with too much resistance. Resistance means that the cover is caught on something on the top and I simply go to where that is and free it. Once the cover is on it is fairly simple to adjust it to the correct evenly distributed position. In taking the cover off I always start from the front once the straps and cinch rope at the bottom have been loosened. I get the cover up and over the omni-directional antenna, tank vent and WiFi booster and then pull it off from the rear of the Ollie. Given the pool noodles and shape of the air conditioner, the cover slides off easily into a pile at the back. From start to finish - putting it on without another person takes about two hours. Taking it off consumes about half that time. One of the historical complaints about covers on campers has always been that they will abrade, scuff, or dull the finish. I've never had that problem with the CalMark but I've always been careful to make sure it is cinched down as tightly as possible. Bill

Hi John, I understand the Calmark cover is excellent but also more expensive. Thought I would share that I purchased the Classic Accessories SkyShield cover https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KHX27HS/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_6?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&th=1 last October and have been very happy with it so far. The fit is not custom but the 15-18ft size is a pretty good fit once the straps are snug. Time will tell if it holds up to the sun and weather but so far so good at about a third of the cost for a Calmark. I've copied here a post that I wrote on the facebook group about how I get the cover on the trailer by myself with a 5 foot step-ladder... Lay it out flat on a clean driveway. Now fold it back from each end toward the center (roll and fold about every 2 ft. Once you have both “rolls” against each other at the middle, take several webbing straps and secure them around both “rolls” toward each end to hold them together. Now use a sturdy A-frame ladder at the middle of the trailer and carefully pull up the cover and heave the end over the trailer between the solar panels and the air conditioner unit. Move the ladder around to the other side and carefully pull the cover until it is roughly centered over the trailer. Remove the webbing straps and now unroll the cover each way toward the front and back (alternating with the ladder on each side). I’m 6’ tall so I’m able to do it myself with the ladder but may be tougher for someone not as tall. When you take it off again repeat the same steps in reverse order and store it in the rolls and it’s ready to go on next time.

Working for a large DFW Chevrolet Dealer for some 35 years and in management, we never replaced under warranty any part that was not GM original. All being said, if you wanted an upgrade part that was not factory original then you could pay for it and have it installed at your expense. I will say here that there are defiantly parts that are probably better then factory original ones in some cases, but it's under factory warranty, what can I say here, I would feel somewhat out of place to ask such a question to the service department. trainman

I'm now well into my 7th year with the CalMark cover and it is still going strong. Yes, even though the "new" cover is much lighter weight than what I have I believe that it is a two person job to get the cover on and a one person job to get it off. Having said that - I've always done both jobs solo. In order to keep the cover from wearing and/or ripping on things like the roof solar panels and the rear bumper, get the largest pool noodles you can find, cut them to size and put them on those areas. In the event of a worn spot or tear (like around the steps for me) CalMark includes a repair kit and will even send you more patching material if needed free. I've used this material to patch and/or reinforce a couple of small areas over the years but have not had to ask for more material beyond what came with the cover in the first place. In the Spring every other year I take the cover to a local laundromat where they have these large washing machines and give it a wash. This is easier for me than trying to do the job while it is on the Ollie or laying on the drive or hanging it over the deck rail. Yes, these things are expensive. But, they fit well and keep the dirt and sun off your baby. Bill

We've driven the Million Dollar Highway over Red Mountain Pass on Hwy 550 between Silverton and Ouray. Most of the Youtube videos label it the most dangerous road in America. Personally, I didn't find it to be any big deal. This was after several locals in Durango warned me not to try pulling the Outlaw Oliver over it. We've driven the Moki Dugway several times both up and down with no problems as well as the Shafer trail in Canyonlands NP. Maybe it's just me, but roads like that don't particularly scare me. But I've never gone over the edge on one either. Tali, OTOH was petrified. She's emotional like that...

Happy to see you joining the ownership family. We are are hosts that show our trailer (Hull 505- Galway Girl) and have some resources to share. We've had many questions during our pre-purchase visits so we've built a wish list for Oliver Owners in Amazon called the Oliver Trailer Outfitter. You can find the list on amazon at this link: http://a.co/2v3Fpz8 If you look at the little description box to the right and above each picture on the list, I describe specifics about the item with respect to our Oliver trailers. For example if you get the front basket accessory, consider using the 24 Gallon Rubbermaid Action Packer as it fits perfectly into that basket and can hold wheel chocks, and other hookup accessories. You can buy many of these items directly from Amazon, e-trailer, or through various brick and mortar stores like Walmart, Tractor Supply, Coastal, Ace HW, etc. If you want to see our BLOG for our journey to pickup our Hull 505 last August 2019...check that out here. https://4-ever-hitched.com/ Craig & Rose Short

Planning a trip that is Westbound following route 66 in October. By November we would peel north from Santa Fe, up to Southern Colorado, then across to the Mighty 5 in Utah and Grand Canyon. (See proposed route below.) Our current timing has us in the Colorado/Utah & GC the first 10 days of November. I'm starting to experince campgrounds 'winding down' by Mid Oct. *(no water, no electric). Some are just closed. Are the first 2 weeks of November too late in the year "weather wise" to hit those Natl Parks? My main concern isn't as much the cold....but I don't want to be towing in snowy conditions in the mountains. Our backup plan would be to stay on the old 66 route through to Flagstaff, pop up to the GC then back down into Palm Springs area all before Nov 1. Advice/Thoughts? Craig - Hull 505

There is a whole very long thread over on Fiberglass RV Forums: HERE They cover the whole spectrum there. After a bunch of sanding, filler, sanding the hardest part will be to get the color match for your hull. Even all Olivers are not the same color. If you want to get that perfect then I'd suggest that you talk to Service and see if they can get you a small amount of the correct color for your Ollie. Good luck! Bill

This is what I did. My batteries were at 50 SOC prior to storing them. I did buy a charger directly from Lithionics for them which I will use if I need to.

John, Is there a cable disconnect at the camera so you can remove the spare tire cover and set it aside? Or is that the purpose for the coil of extra cable in the bumper compartment? Bill, how far away are those reference lines from the bumper, for example the red STOP one? Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

See my comment on this several posts above your question. OR In addition - I never cover my Oliver unless it has just been washed. Bill

Different battery manufacturers have different storage requirements. If they are disconnected from ALL loads they won’t discharge significantly and they do NOT need a constant trickle charge like a lead acid battery. That is so very primitive…..😬 My Battle Borns get charged to 100% and then disconnected (I installed a master cutoff switch). https://battlebornbatteries.com/faq-how-to-winterize-your-batteries/ I use my VictronConnect app to check them every now and then, this is the latest screen capture. The batteries have been offline since December. John Davies Spokane WA

Good morning Everyone! My husband & I are in the process of having our Elite II Ollie built. The expected delivery is in February. We have tent camped for many years but are new to travel trailer camping. I have looked over and/or read many of the topics in this forum, but I have some questions. We know there are a multitude of items we will need to purchase such as blocks, chocks, etc. I was wondering if someone on this list could give me an idea of what we might need to purchase and a good location/store we can get them from. I am sure this question has been asked before so I apologize for asking it again. Regards, Susan Ram 1500 4x4

I have gone on a few multiple month bicycle trips carrying everything and each trip I carry less. The first trip I had so much that I couldn't close the panniers completely. So, you're right, go with the minimum.

I’ve been using the Anderson levelers as well, simple & easy…good to about a 4” lift. I recently had to use them at the max height they provide, and they were as stable as when set for less lift.

Yes - that list does exist! I'll see if I can find it for you when I have a few minutes. Bill

Yes. Getting close now. Finalizing plans and supplies for our delivery trip.

John W - I'm sure others will chime in but getting the cover on isn't that hard if you have two people. The new covers, as I mentioned, are pretty light. If you get each side "started" and just work from back to front it's not too bad to install. I could do it myself but it's way easier with two. We have the Lithium batteries and we live in central Maine which can get quite cold so it was suggested to me by people on this forum as well as a tech at Lithionics to remove my batteries which I did. They are stored in a cool, dry place in my home. I feel much better about having taken them out considering some of our night time temps this winter.

We don’t have the lithium batteries. We have the old fashioned lead acid wet cell batteries (and no solar). During winter storage I plug the trailer into our household AC about once every two weeks or so to keep the batteries charged. For our method of getting the cover on, I lay the cover out on the ground on the curbside of the trailer, and I tie a rope through one of the grommets around the bottom of the cover, then toss the rope over the top of the trailer to the street side, and then with one person pulling on the rope on the street side, and one person on a ladder on the curbside, it’s just a matter of getting the cover up over the awning housing and up onto the roof of the trailer. Once the cover is up on the roof it’s easy to work it down around the sides of the trailer.

We were just in Zion in January. Some snow, but roads were clear. A couple of spots in the park were closed due to snow. Weather was high 20s at night and high 40s to mid 50s during the day. No crowds. We did the other four parks during Sept/Oct. Weather was good. My son lives in Durango and I can tell you they’ve had a lot of snow to date. The roads stay pretty clear, though. Mike

What little snow I saw around then was up along the highest roads, was brief, and was inconsequential, fwiw.

I've been down around there a few times at around that time. I think Zion and Arches and Canyonlands and the GC will be fine. It's *possible* that you'll see snow going over the flanks of Boulder Mountain between Capitol Reef NP and the Boulder/Escalante area, but odds are you'll be fine there. Same deal up around Bryce. If that is what the forecast claims to be in store once you get there, you could scoot around a more southern route from the Moab area toward Zion and then GC, going via Tuba City/Page/etc. There are a decent amount of boondocking options along with some established campgrounds along that route if you decide it would be more prudent than your Plan A, but Plan A will likely go at least based on my two fall trips.

Yes, we use the Calmark cover that’s made for the Oliver. Had it through 3 winters so far and it’s worked very well to keep the Ollie clean. The cover itself has held up very well also, no rips. It is a 2 person job to get the cover on the trailer. We bought ours directly from Calmark in 2019 but I understand that now the cover is only available from Oliver.

I took ownership of my new 2022 Chevy duramax yesterday. My salesman informed me that he had a couple of unsold vehicles delivered this week. PM me if you want more info. SW FL

We towed our Elite II with a 2019 Duramax diesel 6.5 ft bed over the Beartooth pass in Sept. of 2019 without issue. I wont lie, I experienced some anxiety in anticipation of the trip and my blood pressure may have been elevated a tad as we motored on, but it was worth it. We set the pace we were comfortable with, pulled over to enjoy the scenery and to let others pass at several of numerous overlooks. I must admit that having an engine brake makes mountain travel much easier. We were not the longest rig on the pass. I would suggest to be on the pass earlier in the day to avoid the masses.

I live in SW Montana and have been over the Beartooth Highway countless times. I have an F150 Super Crew and would not do it, period. Back when we had a T@b we crossed a couple of times with a Tundra TV (much shorter wheel base) and even that was pushing the envelope IMHO. During the summer months this road, as remote and extreme as it is can be very busy with a constant stream of traffic both directions including but not limited to lots of motorcycles. Aside from the fact there are very tight hairpin turns on the switchbacks and a lot of them at that, this road is extremely steep especially on the decent into Montana from the Wyoming side. This is a road that does not allow for mistakes. As for camping the Rock Creek area on the Montana side after cruising through Red Lodge all require RSVP's but there are some crude boon docking sites in the area if you know where to look. Back on the Wyoming side and between YNP and the ascent up to the passes there are several nice campgrounds albeit not very large ones that are all first come first serve. Mosquitos even at 9000 ft elevation and above are absolutely relentless up there so be forewarned and they are up at the crack of dawn, first light. Pray for wind. My preferred route is approaching from YNP and the west, then descend back into Montana. The Rock Creek campgrounds are nice but you'll need to RSVP way ahead of schedule they fill up constantly all summer. The drive in from the Montana side assuming you go through Roscoe is a gorgeous drive but again its very winding with lots of ups and downs and whoop-di-doos. This road is skinny with NO shoulder once you are passed Roscoe and the final leg to Red Lodge. There is another route from Billings/Laurel to Red Lodge but its boring as hell compared to the route south of Columbus. In all the years of crossing/driving over the highway and I cannot recall once seeing anyone towing a travel trailer even with modest size ones like the Oliver. I tend to er on the side of caution. One thing goes wrong on a route like this and you'll be into some very big trouble quickly taking others with you. Hopefully this helps.

Here is a picture of mine. Oliver installed it for me at pickup. Ran the cable from the tongue, under the trailer the up through the top of the spare tire cover. The have the cable come through a little chrome piece. The excess cable is in the bumper compartment. John

I added some pictures from the spare tire camera so that you can see the angle of view. Bill

I mounted my first rear camera in the spare tire cover. Given that I had asked Oliver to wire this area for a camera the actual install was basically a no brainer. Probably your camera from GM has a mount that allows for the camera to be "tilted". This is important in that the spare tire cover is mounted such that it is 6 degrees off from being perpendicular to the ground. My camera is mounted with a 4 degree offset thus allowing for less of a setting sun to blind it. If you do not wish to drill a hole in the cover for the camera wires like I did I guess that you could always place them in something like THIS in order to better hide them and to protect them. One disadvantage to this mounting location is that there is more "road spray" given that the camera is located closer to the road. Obviously another disadvantage is that the view is somewhat limited in the event there is another vehicle right behind you. For these two reasons I added another camera located in the usual spot on the roof of the Ollie. Good luck! Bill

The plaques were started sometime in 2019 because there was a problem that arose using the last 4 digits of the VIN as your hull number. Oliver had been assigning hull numbers in that manner since the first trailers were built in 2007. Each year's production just started with the VIN that was one number higher than the last years final VIN. Then in 2019 the state of TN told them they could no longer do it that way and each year's VIN's had to start back over at 0001. Rodney Lomax asked me just how important the "Hull Number" was to the owners. I replied that in 2008 Larry Harmon (Hull #003) and I had discovered the way the trailers were numbered and we started keeping up with who had which number way back then. We owned a 2008 Elite (Hull # 026). I told Rodney that most current owners would feel they were important enough to keep the system going. Thus the numbered plaques. At the annual Oliver Owner's rally in 2019 at Guntersville, AL, the appropriate plaques were given out to each of the owners of older trailers that were in attendance to be mounted in their trailer. Since then, the plaques are installed at the factory upon completion of each unit.

I always watch them fill my tanks and make sure they have the bleeder open.

If a modern tank is functioning correctly it can not be overfilled. Modern tanks have a internal shutoff valve that only allows a specific liquid level. Of course there is always the possibility that it is not functioning correctly.

I've come to the conclusion that every Oliver Owner, has a list of stuff that is a must have, only to discover, many miles and weeks down the road - after they have repeatably moved the items out of the way, just to put them back- again, that we end up with less of this, and a few more of that..... In a nut shell, it will sort it self out - eventually. As some have suggested, start out with a minimal list, and add as you go, wally world is always near by, as are the other supply it all stores. Enjoy your Oliver, don't sweat the small things. RB

And exactly what is that corkscrew for? Seriously, there is a Tractor Supply and a WalMart less than a mile from the Oliver plant and less than two miles from the Sales Office. If you forget anything and/or need something at the last minute, you can usually get it. We also picked up in February and the weather was chilly and very wet - no snow though. Unfortunately, the campground we stayed at for the first night was very muddy and my beautiful, clean, shiny nice new Oliver was covered in mud. Luck was in the cards though and the campground for the second night allowed me to get most of that dirt off. Bill

Welcome Moving into your new Oliver is tent camping on steroids. As with tent camping you bring certain things to make camping comfortable. Oliver supplies you a great starter kit. Bring things that you would use at home. Not to much. You’ll start up loading everything then with experience you’ll use and take less. Lately i have been going to Gander outdoor for rv supplies. There are many Rv supply stores, even Walmart. As with everyone who first starts out its a learning experience. It’s all part of the fun of camping. Good luck with your new Oliver the most important part, have safe travels and enjoy.