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Inspired by dhaig's use of a Harbor Freight suction cup to make an external towel rack, I decided to use another Harbor Freight suction cup, https://www.harborfreight.com/4-58-in-aluminum-suction-cup-lifter-110-lb-57500.html, to make an interior shelf. I fabricated the shelf out of a 1/4" sheet of polycarbonate. I'm using the shelf to hold a CPAP machine on the back side of the pantry cabinet of our standard bed Elite 2 but the suction cup shelf could be adapted to a number of different applications depending on a person's need. The suction cup is rated for 110 Lbs. Of course this is a straight line pull and not side loaded like it is in this shelf application, but that said, the shelf is quite secure and can support quite a bit of weight.

Hello all, I started a new series of YouTube videos all about products, storage solutions and optimizing space for the Oliver, as well as a tour of my Oliver/decor. I have tons of great tips/products to share and really enjoy the challenge of organizing small spaces. My previous camper was a 16ft Airstream Nest so I’ve learned quite a bit about optimizing space and functional organization. I really hope to grow my channel for Oliver users since there are so few organization videos specifically for an Oliver. I’am not affiliate with any business, I do not get paid for links shares. It’s just me sharing ideas and products I love that work well in the Oliver. Please like and subscribe and I hope you enjoy the videos. Here are the links to the videos thus far.

Glad you've found bits useful in your nest and Ollie. Some very nice ideas! And, thanks for taking the time to do the videos. For those of you who are newer, these ideas pop up over the years. Here's a five page thread from a bit ago. Many others if you use the search button for storage or organization.

That towing capacity and range would be helpful to local contractors, like my nephew and some friends who are still working. (We're retired.) It wouldn't be helpful with an Ollie, for sure. Things will change, as everything evolves.

Ralph, We recently ran into the same issue while out at the beach in +95F temps. We use a fan inside the frig for circulation but we likely had a little too much food inside. We also have screens installed, top and bottom. We could not extend the awning to provide some shade due to high winds. We ended up using a little 120v fan sitting on a little table blowing into the base of the unit with both lower and upper covers off. This helped a lot. The stock internal fan was working - just not enough heat exchange going on. A quick online search reveals ammonia cycle refrigeration is challenged in +90F temps. Lots of ideas for extra fan kits to help out. We opted to try our own tapping into the frigs 12V power and using a normally open 30C temperature sensor switch. Temp mounted on aluminum bar with lots of snap-lock strips (not sure how the adhesive on these 3M strips will hold up in the heat). We be testing soon to see how it works.

20% off: GasStop Propane 100% Emergency Shut-Off Safety Device-for RV ACME type connections If your high pressure hoses are cracked or more than four years old, consider replacing them with their “90 degree” ones for better routing and clearance. Leak check them anyway with soapy water, before ordering the valves, to be sure that are safe! John Davies Spokane WA

I finally got my WiFi Ranger connected to the internet afer working on it off and on for five days trying all kinds of configurations. Thanks to Ray Kimsey and David (GraniteStaters) for your assistance in the correct way to connect. I was not able to connect to my slow house WiFi internet (provided by my phone company). I also tried to connect to a "Open" web site that the Ranger found and that did not work. For my third try, one of my neighbors let me try their medium speed cable WiFi, but that also did not work. For my 4th try my other neighbor, who had a fast cable WiFi, the WiFi Ranger immediately connected. Now I know that my WiFi Ranger works. The other lesson I learned about the WiFi Ranger company is that they are very slow in returning phone calls. They are very fast if you go to their Support page and open a trouble ticket, which I did as I wanted to update the WiFi Ranger firm wear. I got an answer to my trouble ticket within 2 hours. That is pretty fast in getting a responce. I responded the the tech's e-mail and asked him to call me back as I had some other questions. He called back within a couple of hours and I asked him a bunch of questions including why I could not connect to 3 sites, but I could to the faster one. He could not provide a good answer as he did not know the WiFi configuration and speed of the failed locations. Good lessons learned here on how to communicate with the WiFi Ranger company.

Katjo, Thank you so much for doing this! Yes, there is so little on YouTube about the Oliver from owners. Our Ollie is being built right now, delivery August 11, and I'm trying to devour all I can. Looking forward to you upcoming videos!

Katjo, Many thanks for the wonderful tips on organization. We have subscribed to your channel and look forward to more great content!

Glad they could help you. I'm in Florida, so obviously not close to Panther rv, but I still got my parts on a timely basis. Nice folks. Perhaps you could post the appropriate part number for folks in the future? And is lh rh, facing the awning? Those end caps, on every awning, take a lot of abuse. We have had two different awnings. End caps discolored on the first.. We removed and painted, with krylon. We're on our second awning, after many years, and end caps are ok for now.

FYI, I just took these pics showing pedal clearance with the handlebar resting on the rear window glass. This is a custom rack that is not elevated like many “plug-in” types. John Davies Spokane WA

Kudos to Panther RV. They responded promptly to my query with a link to the correct part, and I have placed an order.

800938B8-233B-44D1-A132-63215504A46D.MOV I like quick connects on our Ollie - Thanks to an Oliver owner Craig Short for the pro tip!

I believe this is the parts explosion for your awning https://youngfartsrvparts.com/pages/dometic-9500e-power-case-awning-12v-product-id-201-parts-list?_pos=1&_sid=cbd8213ae&_ss=r And, a portion of the parts is below. Rh or lh is as you face the awning (if i remember correctly.. verify!)

Have you tried panther rv? I've found some difficult to find bits there over the years... Did Oliver give you the part number to search with? https://pantherrvproducts.com/search.php?search_query=Awning end cap dometic 9500e&section=product

Excellent points as usual John.

This is a great point, not only is it not a good idea, it is very bad. A used race with a new bearing will probably cause failure in a short time because the used one has some wear, even if it isn’t visible... New Timkens are sold as matched sets, meaning the two parts were machined for a (nearly) perfect fit. Cheap poor quality no-name ones, especially counterfeits, most likely were not, even if they come packed in the same box or blister pack. It is definitely a buyer beware situation. Don’t be a cheapskate if you tow a lot of miles, and never be one if you tow in really remote locations. Also, keep the removed bearings separated, keep track of where they came from so you don’t accidentally install one into the the wrong wheel! That actually means you installed two wrong ones, with two possible failures! I put a blue paper shop towel on the ground at the axle and put the drum and the removed bearings on it, then I take the parts to my bench to clean, lube or replace one set at a time. That greatly reduces the chance that you will have a “senior moment”. But that can still happen, I recently drove in my last inner seal backwards. 😳 I caught my mistake right away but I had to drive to a bearing store for a replacement, and to buy a spare… John Davies Spokane WA

These had 13K miles on them, the bearing cups/races looked fine. RB, Not certain if you replaced the bearings AND the bearing races. I do hope you replaced both the race and bearing. Just replacing the bearing is not a good idea. Steve.

We picked up our Ollie 2 Hull #1139 (We thought we were getting Hull#1132 lol) on June 9, 2022, 1 pm appointment time. After our orientation and education walk around and through by Ryan (very knowledgeable) and our last Financial Paid in full payment to Shelli (A Sweetheart)......We spent the night loading what Camping supplies we brought with us and operating everything we could to make sure everything was working before departing the next day. We met at least three other Oliver owners during this time and found that Nice people do own Oliver's. Some even shared helpful advise of the things they had experience about their unit. Awesome folks! We found a couple of items that needed attention. A little caulk needed below and above the bathroom entrance door (btw these these two seams really need a cover piece to make them more attractive). The front door needed adjustment and the Air Flow fan in the center of the Ollie would not operate properly and had to have a new board installed the next day (June 10). After leaving the factory, we drove to Cullman, Alabama about 140 South of Hohenwald, Tn and spent 11 day's at the Palomino RV Resort ($54 a night) A very nice place to stay! There we utilized the Camper while visiting relatives in the area. We had two other issues pop up with the unit. The battery straps buckle that are in the battery compartment (AGM batteries) had broken. Jason in Service sent out new ones to my home and they have been replaced. The touch led lights over the sink & cooktop both went on the blink. Jason in Service authorized new lights be sent to my home. They are Riveted in and I replaced them with the help of an experienced friend who had done some Riveting in the past. (Note: a small instruction should be wrote up on exactly what to expect if you need to replace these lights in the future). Example: The original connection on the wiring, once the lights are removed, will not pull out of the hole to replace them! You have to splice the new wires to the old wires, so now you have two connection splices. The room to reinsert the wires is very small but we got them back in by removing some of the foam. The new lights are now functioning as intended! The Ollie will be parked in the RV garage (affectionally nicked named Ollie Avenue, for the time being). We are searching for a name to give the Ollie but no hurry. We are in the process of awaiting a mattress topper from MATTRESS INSIDER and 4 sets of fitted sheets. My new Dodge Ram Limited 1500 5.7 liter truck is due for some warranty electrical work and once that is completed and the sheets arrive, we will be off and running to enjoy our new Camper. Hope you enjoy the pictures!?

Congratulations! We sold our 5er and picked up our Oliver a couple of weeks ago. I was a little worried I'd miss the living space but I really don't. And we love the easier towing and additional site choices. Spend the next months researching the Oliver and planning out which items you'll be transferring over and what you'll need to replace. Have fun.

Campsite sewer connections are placed for RVs with mid vehicle dump valves. Olivers have the dump valves in the bumper. I used this setup at a campground on the Keweenaw Peninsula so that I could dump up hill And at another campsite where the sewer connection was too high to allow proper flow

Valterra has a twist on waste valve that you can attach to the end of the pipe in the bumper to provide a “last line of defense”. I carry one in case I have a valve failure upstream, but you could use it all the time. https://www.amazon.com/Valterra-T58-Twist-On-Waste-Valve/dp/B000BGHYJS/ref=asc_df_B000BGHYJS/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312128189269&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=18049546831347238612&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9013575&hvtargid=pla-448831038926&psc=1

I feel your pain. Trying to get your hand in that small bumper space to attach and detach the sewer hose from the trailer outlet pipe is a real pita. So, like AndrewK, I never detach the hose. Makes life easier and far less fussing around. Never had any issue doing this. Just be sure to cap the end of your sewer hose, which you can only do after you have collapsed most of it into the bumper area. If you cap first, you won't be able to fit the hose in there as you'll be compressing trapped air in the hose with the cap locked in place. I also use one of these, and wouldn't be without it: https://www.amazon.com/Camco-Sidewinder-Support-Lightweight-Plastic/dp/B000BUU5WW/ref=sr_1_2?crid=205BE4AEGCSY8&keywords=rv%2Bsewer%2Bhose%2Bramp&qid=1657242718&sprefix=rv%2Bsewer%2Bhose%2Bramp%2Caps%2C137&sr=8-2&th=1 Very simple and really helps get a continuous slope down to the sewer inlet. Take a little time to set up your hose and all will drain well. Tanks drain best when they are near full. If you have time, drain the black tank, refill to 50% with the black tank flush inlet, then drain again. Then drain your gray tank. And like others have said, tip up your trailer for a better drain! It does get easier! Dave

Ditto to what AndrewK said. I just leave one 10’ section of sewer hose always connected to the drain connection inside the rear bumper, and then just cap the end of the hose. That way there’s no need to be getting on your knees to cap or uncap the drain fitting inside the bumper every time you empty your tanks. Extra hose sections added as needed (I carry 30 feet of hose total) depending on the sewer connection I’m trying to reach.

My 6" inspection hatch in the propane tank housing is really discolored and this hatch would certainly be an upgrade. Maybe after I win a lottery! Mossey

tripmushrv, Very nice work on your checklists! As a relative newbie to the RV world, I appreciate the effort you have put into this and that you are freely sharing. I use the checklists on each trip, as I also tend to hurry too much. 40 years of military and commercial flying cemented the benefits of sticking to checklists, no matter what the operation. Thank you again for sharing your work. When I can contribute, I will. Jumper69 Hull: 2019 Elite 2, #528, Purchased second hand June 2021 2017 GMC 2500 Denali

Ralph, did you put screening on your fridge vents? That cuts air circulation. We always had them, but didn't routinely camp in high temps. Do you run fridge on propane or dc while driving? Are the fins clear or frosted over, and fridge not packed so tight that air can circulate? On our older dometic and norcold fridges,, the thermostat could be adjusted a bit by sliding the thermistor down the fin. I'm not sure how the new ones operate . Someone else will have to chime in on that. I'm guessing you have the norcold fridge. 45 is not a good temp for foods. Ok for produce, meats won't last as long. Any ground meat, and raw poultry, I'd put in the freezer. If it's 90 to 100 daytime, your fridge may take awhile to cool down a bit after nighttime temps. A fan inside the fridge can help circulate air. A clip on fan outside top vent while camped can help pull exhaust . You can also just open the top vent, for awhile, to allow more exhaust area.

We picked up two of these commercial grade extension poles at Lowe’s to assist in draping the Calmark Cover over our Ollie when it comes time to store it. Our intention is start from the front using the poles to lift the cover with one person on each side of the Ollie walking back and slowly draping the cover as we go. I purchased a cheap pack of tennis balls at Wally World to protect the cover from the threaded ends of the extension poles. This is just an idea or lets say a work in progress. The poles extend up to 8’ and are very rigid. We will only need to extend the poles 3’ to clear the 9’7” top of the AC. So we’ll post up our thoughts on how this idea works when we give this a try at some point in the future.

"ShallowGal" because our "flats" boats were always called that because in Florida we fish in shallow water & I'm a gal, &, well, yes, I can be shallow when it suits me. ;) Also, Duke didn't like "Bubbles."

Hull 89 is Picasso due to my van which is pueblo gold constantly being mispronounced "Pablo gold" by the ford service department so it became "Pablo" hence the Ollie became "Picasso", also it is kind of a work of art. Anya

Well, we decided to name ours “The Lone Star Oliver”. We even had those words on the side of the trailer in place of “Legacy Elite II”. We never say, “Let’s hook up the Lone Star Oliver and go on a trip.”, we always just say “the trailer” or “Ollie” or “Oliver”. Last year I took the lettering off the side of the trailer because everyone kept asking where in Texas it was made. It was a nice conversation starter for a few years, but got a little tedious, so now we’re incognito. Mike