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We are empty nesters, Deb and Rod (aka Wink) from Lancaster, PA, who thought our camping days were over when we sold our pop-up camper and eventually invested in a fixer-upper vacation home in NC years ago. And then along came COVID (just as we were approaching retirement and planning to travel), which prompted us to reconsider our options and research campers at the beginning of 2021. We stumbled on the Oliver TT website fairly quickly, but what really got our attention when comparing camper features was the Walkthrough Tour Video on the Oliver TT website. After a visit to see an Oliver (Hull #247) in our area and a factory tour in Hohenwald, we placed our order for an Elite II in March 2021 and requested a delivery date for April 2022, when we would both be retired. After over a year of waiting, we pick up "Captain Ollie" (long story) in TWO days! Shout-out to everyone at Oliver who guided us through this process and especially all of the Forum members who contribute such valuable information on a daily basis. While we have learned so much from the experiences of others, we also recognize there will be challenges and much more to learn along the way. We are super excited about the adventures that await and look forward to seeing/meeting you all at the 2022 Rally! Many, many thanks! wink-n-deb

We could not be more excited to pick up our Oliver on May 2... hull number 1097. I wanted to say thanks to all of you Oliver Veterans that have helped me get educated on everything we will need to know to be "happy campers". This world is not like our regular house.... it's a rolling unit and we need to know how to maintain it, how to some times trouble shoot problems on the road and make repairs. Most of the time the real secret is just understanding how all the systems work... and I have endured the long wait (10 months) by listening to the advice of of those that take the time to share experiences. I have watched with interest as folks run into problems... and then I wait to see what the community thinks and it's always interesting to see how it was resolved. Thanks so much to all of you for helping me not only get educated... but to be assured that we spent our money wisely. Seldom have I felt so certain of a new purchase as this one! After our pickup, we will be moving around Tennessee and Alabama for a few weeks... just playing with our new Oliver. I feel like I know some of you... at least to a certain level... so we are looking forward to meeting you in person either at the upcoming Rally... or elsewhere on the road!

I got tired of the old pump cluttering up my bench. I am not sure why the unit was stuttering, the motor shaft did seem to have some rough spots on it when I rotated it by hand, but it sure looked nice inside and the bearings were smooth. I was surprised to see how clean the pump section was, I do periodically flush with vinegar and my residential water is chlorinated city water. I tested the pressure switch with an ohm meter and it was fine, so I bagged that to keep as a spare, I put all that nice stainless hardware into their proper storage bins 😀 and tossed the rest of the parts. There is a lot of copper on that armature, I suppose I could have cut and removed it to recycle. I was actually impressed with the build quality for a cheap RV part, it seems to be well engineered.. John Davies Spokane WA

New Catalog. New Products. I have wanted to update my catalog for a few months and today is the day. I have three new products that I am very excited to show you. LINK TO PDF CATALOG First, up are my 7-piece Grain-Matched Drawer Front set. Whether on their own or combined with my wood countertops, they make a beautiful statement and are a distinguished upgrade for your trailer. Available in board match walnut or mahogany – meaning one board from left to right so all the wood grain lines up and matches across each drawer. Next, is my Bath Doorstep. Stepping into the Oliver bathroom can be a challenge for some of us. A normal step is 7” high yet, Oliver's step is 9.25” high. Added to this awkward height is that you must step down into the shower pan once your foot clears the opening. If you need a little help with this, my Bath Doorstep is a great option. And far from last, our 3-piece Acoustic Design Panel set creates a decorative opportunity that also reduces the reverberation and echoes in your Oliver. This improves the sound of your television/stereo and plain conversations, with the added benefit of making the ceiling all your own. Attached to the ceiling with Velcro. Change your décor, change your fabric. One Payment Note: I will no longer be using PayPal for payments. Their rates have gotten too high for the value they are providing in my opinion. Going forward I will accept Checks and Zella. If you have an order in process before today, you are grandfathered in to use PayPal.

I don't know for certain but I suspect that the only additional information will be handed out at registration. For any first timers out there - consider bringing: 1 - camera - to take pictures of the park, other Olivers and the mods that have been done to them and other people, dogs and critters 2 - note book - to make notes of names, addresses, locations, mod instructions, vendor details and presentation notes. 3 - good walking and/or hiking shoes - there are a number of hiking trails in the park. 4 - bathing suit if you like getting in the water - it will probably still be a bit cool this time of year but there is a nice beach by the lake 5 - bicycle(s) - Except for the Lodge virtually all other venues are within walking distance of the campground. However, if you prefer, there is also plenty of parking space near the beach pavilion and the vendor areas 6 - plan on driving VERY carefully if you are out after dark - the park is FULL of critters 7 - canoe or kayak - there is the beach mentioned above and there is plenty of dock space. AND, certainly there is plenty of water. 8 - any groceries and/or beverages that you think you will need for the stay. There is a camp store with limited stock and there are grocery stores in town (also an Ace Hardware) but it is a fair drive to town from the campground. 9 - golf clubs and/or tennis racquets if that is your thing. 10 - a big heart and smile for the great sunsets best viewed from the Lodge deck or right down by the water 11 - casual clothing is acceptable virtually anywhere in the area but be sure to have a sweater/jacket handy 12 - even if you have one of those fancy "automatic" awnings be sure to reel it in before you leave camp for virtually any reason. A couple of Oliver owners found out this lesson the hard way when a very sudden storm and wind hit the campground. Note that the Lodge sits at the top of a fairly steep hill. Most campers will want to drive up there for any activities scheduled in the Lodge. Be sure to allow yourself plenty of time to get up there , find parking and get into the Lodge. In years past presentations have been held in the ballroom which is located at the back right hand side. Bill

Question: Is there a risk of providing too much charging current to the batteries if you're hooked up to shore power and it's a sunny day with the solar panels on? Answer: No, the solar charger and inverter/charger can be operated at the same time. Each system will monitor the battery state and provide charge as required. Question: What if I am seeing a high voltage (above 14.8v) reading on the solar and/or seelevel system? Answer: Check to make sure your Lithium batteries are turned on

Planning to install a Diamondback SE as soon as we return from our final trip with our fifth wheel in a few weeks. Going to add the Frontrunner racks and put the bikes up there.

I will look forward to meeting you guys at the Rally. We own the first Elite II sold, The very unique Outlaw Oliver, Hull #050. We also owned one of the original Elite’s from 2008. Drop by our site and visit with us. There’s always a crowd so you’ll have a chance to meet lots of folks.

Regarding #9, even better is to dump gray for 3 seconds, then black, then rest of gray. This lubricates the sewer hose so that black contents doesn't stick to a dry hose. I'm now the proud owner of Kleen Tank of the Tennessee Valley. If you want your Ollie tanks professionally cleaned, give me a call at 865-224-8400 or go to www.kleentank.com Cheers, Scott Hull #961

You’ll get to know your trailer pretty quick. Each time there’s a little glitch you’ll dive in and learn all about it. We were new to RV’s when we picked up in May of 16 and the learning curve was steep but rewarding. It is our home on wheels. Don’t hesitate to reach out to all the experts here! Good luck! Mike

1. Always turn Propane tank valve on VERY SLOWLY, otherwise the force of rushing gas can cause safety valves on furnace, frig, or hot water heater to shut that appliance down. Only remedy is shot of gas, reset appliance, then turn gas valve VERY SLOWLY. Seemingly faulty appliance has always worked after that. 2. Always lock bathroom door before driving even the shortest distance. Otherwise it will be broken for sure from swinging open. 3. Never camp between other RVs that run generators with exhaust pointed towards your Ollie. The CO detector will go off. NEVER ignore your CO DETECTOR!!! You might die in your sleep. 4. Never run propane appliances while driving. They can cause gas explosions at gas stations. 5. Viair Air Compressor makes winterizing water lines and keeping tires at proper pressure a piece of cake 6. Anderson Leveling wedge is worthless on ice and snow. They need a studded version. 7. Boondocking in Winter requires a decent and quiet generator. Solar power is gone for perhaps weeks. I recommend the Honda 2200i. 8. Protect front lower sections of shell from rock chips with plastic coating. Tow vehicle will spray a ton of gravel into it, especially in Winter. The folks who applied 3m film to my Audi are doing my Ollie. 9. Keep Drain hose attached to outlet in rear bumper and simply cap the end. This is way easier and cleaner than taking it apart each drain cycle. And always drain Black then Gray for odorless hose 10. Dehumidifier is a must when Winter camping. Otherwise condensation runs amuck everywhere. 11. Hoppy Rearview Mirror Level on front of Ollie saves tons of time. And, your head doesn’t get nearly as wet running in and out and in and out etc, etc in the rain and snow to get the darn trailer level. 12. Use other Ollie owners for tips and advice, especially for Set Up and Departure Checklists. They are valuable beyond belief. I’ll add more as they happen. Happy travels

Yes, that is exactly what we did--four of the 100AH BB Lithium Batteries. I did not install them myself. I hired an RV tech to do that. My tech called me when attempting to place them in the battery compartment, telling me that they would not fit. I called BB, and was told that they would fit if placed on their ends. My tech was able to do that, and with the replacement of our Dometic AC with a Houghton AC (and some other modifications that I documented in a separate post on this forum), We are now able to run our AC on the battery bank. My tech, however, indicated that it was still somewhat tricky to place those BB batteries in the compartment.

Thanks to everyone that has contributed to this topic! We just experienced the same issue with our Trojan AGM batteries in our Ollie purchased late in 2019. (We have the same set-up as Spike listed.) We were on an extended trip in the southwest so I removed them and relied on shore power for the remainder of our trip. Now back home I am trying to decide on replacements. It appears that the Battle Born Lithium Batteries may be the way to go next. I am going to try and do the installation myself so any additional help or advice would be appreciated.

I too got business cards a few years ago - unfortunately without the hull #. Vista Print had them for $10/100 at the time but now I see that the lowest cost ones they offer are $16.50/100 (HERE). There may be less expensive offers out there and certainly shopping local helps the little guy.🙂 Bill

We also have business cards that the place that did our logo made for us. They have our names, email, cell # and Hull # plus our Star Logo. It’s not something I thought about but when they offered to make them we said why not? Mike

As to item #2, I carry business cards with our names, cell phones, and emails to make life easier when exchanging info. You can print them on the computer, or order them very inexpensively online. Next time around, I'm adding hull #.

Amazing work - really adds some warmth to the fiberglass interior. Oliver should offer a full “Foy” package as an option! Mike

Foy & Mirna - As usual your "stuff" is absolutely beautiful. Certainly the wood you use is very nice in and of itself. But, how you treat it really brings out its best qualities. Bill

Just wanted to report on some extraordinary customer service I have received from Blue Sky Energy a division of Sunforge that manufactures the Blue Sky Solar Boost model 3024iL I have on my Oliver. After our return home from a week in southern Utah the thing died on me out of nowhere. Called the company the engineer or tech guy had me go through a few of the settings on the IPN Remote controller and decided I should send it. Said they would repair it for free, this after 7 years of use and 2 years out of warranty. Only thing I had to loose was shipping to the company and of course I gladly obliged. Turns out the inductor had a broken leg, so they replaced that as well as the relay, and updated the firmware then packed it back up and its on its way back all in one day. No charge, not even for the return postage. Wow! I don't why Oliver decided to eliminate this company from their solar setups but I rarely if ever have experienced such great support. Highly recommended for anyone needing a solar charging system. Thanks

FWIW, my raft trailer has the EZ Lube grease caps because it has an EZ Lube axle. I have never had one of the "huge rubber plugs" in the center get lost or fail, even though I take my raft trailer on much rougher roads, to wilderness rivers, than I ever plan to take my Oliver on. Given that experience, and the comments in this thread, I plan to buy a set of the EZ Lube grease caps to keep as spares for our Elite II once we pick it up.

You are going to love your new Ollie!

I totally agree with Oliver's rationale in moving to zamp. So much simpler than any other brand. With the proliferation of lithium, I can understand also an oliver switch to another venerable company. Victron can be a bit confusing at times. We have victron and xantrex on our boat. It's not as simple as zamp, but not that difficult, for us. It will work well, I'm sure, as it has for us, if that's the latest decision. Imo, zamp should have brought in an mppt controller. Theyve had time.

We feel that way, too. Best of luck on your pickup. I know you've done the research, watched the Ollie University video, and you should be ready. If anything crops up, we're here for you. Looking forward to your delivery photos. Safe travels, and hugs.

Congratulations on your new Oliver! Looks great. We are (hopefully) taking delivery in Mid-August and your drive is steeper than ours, so that took some of the worry out that we had. Safe and fun travels.

So jealous. My delivery date is middle of October. Can’t wait. Congratulations to you. Have a great time. Be safe

OK - I don't have manuals here nor is my Oliver here but having said that the first thing I'd do would be to unplug from shore power and turn off and unplug my inverter and turn off my solar panels. Then I'd check to make sure the wires into and out of the inverter were not loose. Finally, I'd plug the inverter back in and turn it on - if the batteries were full the inverter should come on at this point. If all is well then I'd turn the solar panels back on followed by the shore power. Hopefully this gets you back up. Bill

I believe those touch light circuits are fed from the Master Light Switch on the panel by the entry door. Instead of having to pull the fuse, this switch can be used to turn the lights off. Flipping the switch off and on a few times might also lead you to the problem. Through the access plate in the overhead cabinet above the microwave, you can check the wiring for a loose connection and stress on the switch terminals.

I don't know what cables it uses, but there should be an appropriate "through hull" connector. I would drill a hole behind the propane bottles, mount that connector there. and run the inside cable from under the bath sink. From there it is simple to get to the rest of the interior. I haven't read through this thread, it has 60 comments so it might help. https://www.reddit.com/r/Starlink/comments/kl6a9d/installing_starlink_cable_through_exterior_wall/ John Davies Spokane WA

Ollie time! Congrats and happy travels!

for purpose of any common denominator, SNYSDUP was spawned 8/2020 as OE II Twin Bed Hull # 665 We too have had occasional/random issues with our Puck/Touch Lights located over the "kitchen sink & stove". As I remember it has happened under shore or battery power. 1. Ours do not always turn on/off with a slight tap of the lens, sometimes requiring multiple taps to turn on/off. 2. Or they would auto-magically turn on (very dim) or they would start to pulse/strobe in the middle of the night. Whichever one of us was awaken by this annoyance would remove the plastic lens, issue resolved. Sometimes we would just remove the lens before going to bed for the night, issue avoided. I did mention it to Oliver last year when in for service (hooked to their shore). They were unable to reproduce it, so it was not resolved. I was told I may have a bad puck/touch light, I said it happens to more than just one. The response was "Oh"! So now I am thinking both may be bad, or the circuit has issues. I have removed the lens cover and tried to adjust the pigtail actuator spring, but that has not appeared to resolve the issue. I have looked in from the cabinets above and did not see any wiring/connector issue, but I was limited in what I could see, so I will do that again soon. As soon as we get SNYSDUP out of the heated Quonset (we are predicted 3' of heavy snow falling in today's storm blocking that entrance), and then on the driveway for our trip (as in Rally) prep, I will have another look and try to resolve the issue. In the meantime, I will follow (and re-read) this thread closely as others contribute their experiences & knowledge. I'll open a ticket so it is noted and if something is discovered, hopefully I will be notified. B-Out

Me too. Sometimes there are a number of possible causes to a problem. If we all chime in with what we’ve experienced and the solution that worked for us then we’ve probably covered most all of the bases. It looks like that’s what happened here and like Mike says, teamwork works! Mike

I am often in awe of this forum. The collective knowledge base is just amazing. And the kicker is that Galway Girl learned from their mistake and passed that knowledge on and solved another’s problem. I think that is an excellent example of the importance of teamwork. Thanks to all who contributed ideas to help solve this problem, especially Galway Girl! Mossey

Galway girl you fixed the self induced problem I was fooling with the outside shower the other day and left the valves open and the wand handle valve closed thanks so much for your help on this make sure you post this where all can see Marc

John, Took a few additional photos and measurements this morning of Oliver's extendable hitch. I do not know what kind of aluminum they used, but I'm sure it has a pedigree. Steve (ScubaRX) probably knows. There are 3 different sizes of square aluminum tube used, outer sizes shown. Everything is 1/4" wall, the very short sleeve welded on close to the hitch is 4" square outer measurement, slipped on and welded in place over the 3 1/2" outer tube with the 3" inner telescoping square tube. The bolt through the short 4" tube is 3/4" Grade 8. The 3 1/2" tube welds to a cross member in the main aluminum frame, about 4' behind the LP tanks. Looks like a major conversion if someone tried to attempt this modification. I can gather additional information, if needed. Already see the next thing I need to do to Ollie, belly wash!

And double check that your outside hot water shower wand had the valves turned OFF. Once I had winterized and forgot to turn those outside shower controls back to off. With the wand head shut off, I was inadvertently cycling the hot and cold water through the system and it never got really hot. So...just for grins make sure the outside shower controls are truly OFF. CS

OH COME ON JD... Surely you would find additional projects/mods to utilize the remaining 8'... My guess is I was probably not the only one with this thought when we read your comments. Respectfully, Bryan

I agree. Sunforge/blue sky is amazing. Ryan on tech services has helped us through several situations. Amazing service, and I can tell you after 14 years, the gear has long legs . It is, however, a learning curve to use the blue sky. A bit of time invested.. Zamp was definitely more user friendly/easy/ interaction-free for the industry, as witnessed by the general acceptance across the board, and industry . When we doubled our solar a few years ago, we added more blue sky /sunforge gear.

When my Blue Sky controller had an issue 4 or 5 years ago I also got excellent support from them. I called and had a tech on the phone for about an hour. I ended up sending it to them and in a week I had it back good as new. Great company. Mike

I have a slightly different issue. I can log onto the Oliver web site using my main computer as well as my laptop. When I try to log on with my Samsung Galaxy S-10e antroid phone I get the following error message: "Something went wrong. Please try again" I have tried a number of times and continue to get this message. Any ideas on how to solve this issue would be appreciated?

I installed a new one, I will open up the old one some time to see what was going on. John Davies Spokane WA

After taking Delivery of Hull 1067 we decided to head to Gulf Shores for a little shake down trip. We where all good on the coast untill all the crazy storms and risk of Tornados. Heading North to Canada we where hit with everything that mother nature could through at us ànf thee Oliver performed like a champ. We are avid RV adventure travellers and I must say this unit is very impressive. We travelled 5500km since our April 1 pick up date and look forward to many more full time living miles over the next few years. He is the one and only parking lot pic I have. Cheers,Perry and Colleen

Access to the plumbing controls with the mattress and bedding is most definitely a major PITA. As is getting to the valve to drain your fresh water tank... and NO.. I have never been successful reaching that from the access port. So here is my solution: Push the mattress up and then use the hatch door to prop and keep it up. Then you can change the valve configuration to take on water. When you're done change the valves back, replace the hatch cover and drop the mattress. Not exactly what you asked for but it's been working for me. Good Luck and Happy Camping.

Spike, Have you ever checked to see if the 712 is "locked?" The 712 can only be "locked" or "unlocked" via the device itself - not via the app. If locked, changes made via the app are not actually saved. See attached. Charlie.

I had to change the settings on my Blue Sky solar controller and replace the 6 year old PD4045 with one that was lithium capable. Other than cleaning up some of the cabling it was just a drop in replacement. I reused the hold down straps and added some cushioning on the bottom and sides of the battery tray. When I add a third I will have to change a couple of settings on the solar controller. Mike

Plenty of great first-hand advice on the Natures Head system. In our three years of experience with the composting system we were glad we chose it over the regular system. However, we were often off grid, not in places with dump facilities. I don't think it takes any more work to maintain than the regular dumping of the black water tank - and driving past the other campers in the dump line is kind of liberating.... However, if we were going to stay in one place for an extended time - say a winter at a full-service site- or regularly stayed in such sites, I would choose the regular black water system. That would be the decision point. Otherwise - composting. Happy trails. RB

It never occurred to me to dump my poop on the ground, but I’ve been around enough humans to expect that some do, (with my luck, probably the previous occupant of my next campsite). But then those same people would probably dump their black tank in the same place so maybe we should be thankful. As for that first article, all I can say is that if you tell me that you allowed your pee tank to overflow 50 times, my takeaway isn’t that there’s a problem with the toilet. Having said that, yes there are drawbacks and yes we’ve had a few accidents and issues, but we learned from them and so haven’t repeated the former and have eliminated the latter, at least all but one. The first lesson we learned is that you need to empty the tanks more often than advertised. If you fill the poop bucket to much then it will indeed start to smell and will be more difficult and messy to empty. You need to keep the poop to peat (we much prefer the peat over coir) ratio below a certain level. Contrary to the normal advice, we’ve found that keeping the bucket as dry as possible is the key. You want your poop to be desiccated, quickly, and remain that way. If it is, then zero smell, even when emptying. I think the advice to add moisture comes from the idea that you’re supposed to be composting, but you really aren’t. You just want a sanitary, odor free storage bin. Same advice goes for the pee tank. Test its capacity, and you will have regrets. Our rule is that if you can see the pee, it’s time to dump. That’s about ⅔ full, so you’ve got a little time, but that’s when you need to start thinking about it. Trust me, you get over the shyness of taking the pee tank for a walk across the campground. If someone looks at you funny, just tell them that they went camping to get closer to nature and here it is. My one remaining bit of squeamishness is that I do hold my breath when dumping it. It can get ripe. Lesson number two is to carry a bungee or something to secure the trash bag to the toilet when inverting it to empty. Similar issue to the overfilled pee tank - you don’t want the bag to come off mid-dump. Lesson number three is to minimize the TP as much as you can, and to use as small of sections as you can. Unroll a bunch of TP and stick it in the toilet and it will wrap around the agitator and you’ll have to pull it out by hand. Lesson 3.5 is to bring gloves. Lesson 4, forget the vinegar bottles and what not. You’ve got a faucet on a hose there in the bath, so just give the toilet a quick spurt of water to clean it after peeing. If you do get a little smell from the pee trap, then a squirt of 409 or windex works better for us than vinegar. That only leaves the one problem I haven’t solved, which is how to thoroughly clean the toilet after a trip. The typical advice is to just leave it, but since I like to cut all the power to the trailer when it’s in storage, that would mean no exhaust fan. So I dump and try to clean the toilet as best I can. And one thing I can say with confidence about the Nature’s Head is that it was not designed with easy cleaning in mind. I’ve settled on the old clothes, pressure washer, and try not to think about it too much method but I’d sure like either an easier way or an easier toilet to clean.

We have a 2015 RAM 1500 eco diesel and I love it. Pulls the Ollie great. Get about 16 mpg overall with the trailer. I have gotten as high as 27 mpg on long highways trips without pulling. But I think the 2 re-flashes of tranny and EGR system for an emissions settlement may have dinged the mileage a tad. With a diesel, it just feels like you are not straining too much.

I’ve had my eye on the Diamondback for a while. We had Bakflips on our half tons and I liked them a lot. I’m not as happy with the Bakflip on my 2500, it’s harder to handle and leaks quite a bit. You’d think that with just one more section it wouldn’t be that different than the half ton model but it is. Mike