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Hi Y'all. Got a little Tennessee in me. #1290 towed great. Semis give a little nudge first to the trailer that is felt in the tv steering, but it's not a problem. I just give them more room. Winterization was done in Denver and was easy to do. I boondocked in Evanston, Wyoming in 5° and was comfortable. The furnace did run all night, but I had it set for 68°. I turned it down to 64° and the Truma furnace went into maintenance fan speed so it was able to handle a 60° difference. No condensation!! That surprised me. The walls were cool and windows dry. I didn't open any windows or vents. I assume there's some way for the air being pushed into the trailer to escape. Manual reading is next. My grade so far on Oliver trailers is A+. It has exceeded my expectations. John

Very glad to hear your assessment John! Part of the secret is in what you said "Manual reading is next." It's not reasonable to own an Oliver (probably any RV) and not spend a fair amount of time getting educated on the "systems" in it. Three different plumbing systems, two different electrical, two different electrical sources, a third if you add a generator. A refrigerator that operates on three different sources of energy. A water heater that is has three different settings when it's on.... and its all exposed to a variety of conditions while in use and in storage. Oliver put a lot of thought into all of it... and everything has a reason. Between some effort to educate yourself and real world experience using it I'm sure you are going to give it the same assessment after a number of years. The other advantage in getting educated on the systems... is that when something goes wrong... it's not going to happen in your driveway, but rather when you are in the mountains, on the road, far from home... in the middle of nowhere. YOU have to become the RV tech... unless you want to be cold and go without dinner 🙂

Mike, it has variable speeds. I like it. Our furnace in our 2003 Coleman tent trailer was either full on or off. I doubt it would have kept me warm in sub zero Wyoming. It was easier to park beside the garage. Either you or Topgun said it would be easier as it's longer. Spot on. Much easier! John

If it's not the cable, it could be the valve itself. Our last trailer had a tank valve where the seals were very tight against the gate, making it hard to operate. Adding some RV tank valve lubricant every spring solved the issue. You just pour some into the tank before a trip.Thetford RV Drain Valve Lubricant... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BGK2L0?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

On the trip we are presently on, we have experienced the same problem Margaret mentioned about water dripping from the bottom of the window frames. We were camping in Yosemite NP with nighttime temps at 26 and daytime temps in the low 40s. Humidity was between the low 30s during the day and about 70 overnight. There was about a foot of snow on the ground. The temperature dropped below freezing by 7:00 pm and did not move above freezing until about 10:00 am. Overnight the main roof vent was fully open, windows next to the beds were cracked open and interior humidity was in the low 30s to low 40s. The interior thermostat was set at 60. The interior shell radiated cold all night long. When we woke up, we turned the thermostat to 67. As the interior temperature raised, each of the window began to have moisture drip out from between the hull and the interior compression frame of the window. Note there is very little to no condensation on the windows or window frames themselves. My theory is there is moisture building up between the upper hulls and freezing overnight. When were turn up the temperature in the morning, the ice begins to melt between the hulls and leaks. There is no evidence of water in the lower hull and that makes sense as the upper and lower shells are mostly sealed from one another at the adhesive joint along the belly band. Without removing the window and examining the area in more detail, I don’t have any idea for a fix at this time. I am interested in anyone’s thoughts. Andrew

Initially this suggestion by Frank C. seemed like a good option, but Frank measured the compartment and determined it wouldn’t fit. So my amended post would state “ unless you know for sure you need more than 200AH, just start with 2x 100AH, and add a 3rd later if it’s not enough. In my case, I should have stuck with just 2 x 100AH, but the Black Friday sale prices lured me in. 🤑

I have found that it is not difficult to loosen the nuts to put slack in the chains when needed. I have done so without even using a ratchet handle on the socket to adjust the nuts. OTT supplies a large socket and I am usually able to tighten or loosen the nuts with with only my hand around the socket. Just use the front tongue jack to raise the trailer tongue while still attached to the tow vehicle until the chains start to slacken. Then loosen the nuts and lower the tongue back down and the chains should now remain slack. Be sure to count the threads showing before loosening the nuts which makes it easy to tighten them back to where they need to be when the time comes. Reverse the process to tighten them again. Jack up the tongue again (while still hooked to the ball) and tighten the nuts until the proper number of threads are showing. Then reverse the tongue jack to lower the tongue back down and you are good to go. I have found it only takes a few minutes to loosen or tighten both nuts if you raise the tongue to take pressure off the chains. OTT demonstrated this technique when I picked up our LE II. Raising the tongue while still attached to the tow vehicle also allows you to routinely hitch and unhitch the trailer (i.e., attach/detach the whale tail) without ever having to adjust the nuts. If the road is so terribly rough that loosening the chains will not provide for sufficient articulation, you are probably pushing the ability of the bulldog hitch to articulate sufficiently, even with the Anderson disconnected.

I have showed the trailer 3-4 times I do worry about those who are unfamiliar with the trailer, mainly the entering and exiting of the trailer using the steps and door way. I tend to stand at the door way and show the visitors where the safety handle, stepdown, and best way to enter and exit the trailer. This is probably the place where injuries could occur for those who are unfamiliar with trailers. trainman

Great news, John! The new Truma heater must be a great improvement over our old Suburban furnace. The learning process will be fun! Mike

Sorry took so long to finalize this tread; my computer got the virus. I ended up putting in a new gas valve and after removing the old one, you could see the valve handle was broken off.

If gray water is leaking into the hose when the valve is closed, raise the street side bed access hatch nearest the pantry and you will see the gray water valve. Push the silver cylinder at the end of the cable as far down as you can. That should solve the leaking. It is probably time to remove the cable from the outside and clean and lubricate it. It’s not difficult, loosen the screw on top of the gray water gate (under the street side bed), then pull it out from the outside. Clean and lubricate the cable then stick it back in and push it until it reaches the gate inside. While the outside handle is in the closed position, re-tighten the screw on the cable inside. That’s really all there is to it. I’ve done mine (and the black tank gate cable) twice in 7 years and it works fine. Mike

Other than the terrestrial TV antenna, we did not order any wifi, satellite, or cellular boosters. All of this technology is changing so rapidly, that we figured anything we order now will be obsolete in a couple of years. And, the Oliver options seem pretty expensive. So, we plan to do our own. Figuring out the antenna, cellular router, data plan, etc. is discussed ad nauseam across YouTube, so I don't need any help there. What I do need to find, is where Oliver routes the cables that penetrate the hull. Is there a "tube" bonded between the inner and outer hull with a waterproof connector? Or a single hole with a typical RV waterproof connector epoxied to the hull in an area where the inner hull is cut away? I know that there are AC and DC available in the cabinet above the TV. Is there anything in the front closet for either AC or DC power? Thanks for any input, Steve

I’m not an expert, but I would certainly use it. A light coat of any quality grease seems to last a long time. Mike

Ok thanks i wasnt able to see that on the pictures when i ordered it. Im trying to organize everything while im away for work in guam right now. unfortunately i wasnt able to get the build date to line up with while i was still stateside so i had my Oliver delivered to my parents a week ago and am letting them play with it for a couple months till i get back. trying to get everything figured out through pictures and the time difference makes things more complicated than they should be. thats why i originally didn't bother ordering the Anderson from the factory but since i had to get one for my parents to be able to tow it i might as well use it.

@Going, If are asking me these questions, I cannot say. I kept my Oliver installed Zamp 30A solar controller and Progressive Dynamics PD9260 60A Charger/Converter. I don’t have nor want an inverter. For me, it was a simple swap of batteries, with an addition of a Blue Seas battery switch. Others in this forum have made the conversions you referenced. A diligent search of posts will reveal detailed instructions.

John, Congrats on your new Ollie and Thanks for the furnace report!

If I understand at least one of the "issues" that you are trying to deal with - the ball is held in place via a snap ring on the bottom of the ball which prevents it from being "lifted" out of the top of the Andersen housing. As for the "whale tail" and the chains - I've either removed them (from both the ball and from the frame of the Ollie) or wrapped the chains over the tongue or attached the whale tail to an "S" hook that I've suspended under the frame up near the hitch. Which of these three I use depends on all the factors associated with the "off road" situation. Having said this - in seven years I've only removed the tail and chains once. But, I really do not do a bunch of true off roading while hitched. Normally I'll simply find a place that is a bit more "comfortable" to park the Ollie and then go out looking for trouble. Bill

hello there! I`m new here

That’s wonderful, John! So happy to hear your new Ollie is exceeding your expectations!

John Great Job and description of the project. Thanks,

I have a 2017 Legacy Elite II, The previous owner did take it back to Oliver service and all they did was re-caulk the windows. As I mentioned I went to my local RV center and had the Sealtech 430 test done which is a leak detection test. In the spring I will check the water system. Thanks,

I remember reading that thread. We were in a cabin on the Magellan strait, outside Punta Arenas, (and actually had decent wifi for 18 hours or so). There was a lot of drama, but definitely not from you. Maybe you could start a new thread here on Black Friday deals for Ollies. I promise we won't shut you down....

Rivernerd: Cograd on your new Ollie. Could you summarize the location of the hot air vents and the location of any return air vents in your new trailer. I would like to know that to consider making improvement in air flow in my Ollie.

Are you referring to caulking under the windows inside, or outside? As Mike mentioned above, the windows are already caulked outside. They need to be re-caulked periodically, Oliver has a video and detailed instructions as to when and how to do this. Do not caulk the windows inside. In fact, don’t implement any solution until you have determined the root cause. You previously reported window leaks in a post on August 8th (see link), due to rain. Patriot recommended you remove all your window seals and clean the weep holes, and provided additional info as to how. If the weep holes are plugged they can cause a leak inside, from condensation, just like you describe. Have you removed your window seals, cleaned your window tracks and confirmed that the weep holes are not obstructed? Margaret’s Window Leaks

Cracking a roof vent will help with internal condensation. You want to create a convection airflow, where warm most air inside rises and leaves via the roof vent. We usually crack ours just a little to accomplish that. If you also crack a window, I'd use the one by the dinette instead of over a bed and, again, just a crack to let cool dry air replace the warm most air leaving via the vent. Not running the furnace may be contributing to your problem, too. The furnace warms up the space between the hulls a bit so the outer hull is the one in contact with the coldest air. That should cause most of the condensation to occur on the inside of the outer shell, then drain out the bottom. I hope Service is able to help you get this resolved. Good luck.

Did the RV tech go up top? It most likely is seeping in from the roof, as you said the floor is a tub and it is highly unlikely that a leak from a window or plumbing joint will pool there. It could be the top of the entry door too. My roof vent leak; https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/4003-how-to-maxxfan-remove-and-service-preventive-maintenance-to-avoid-water-damage/ Please post your model and hull number. John Davies Spokane WA

When you say between the “two rear bunk beds” assume you are talking about the twin beds since bunk beds aren’t available in an Oliver. I also assume based on your description that the water collecting is on the floor inside the trailer and not between the hulls. What year is your trailer? Is it under warranty still? Have you opened a service ticket? The service team at Oliver can help troubleshoot if they are aware that you are having a problem. Folks here on the forum can also help troubleshoot but we need a little more information. Start checking under the curbside bed and under the dinette to see if you can find any moisture. Does it happen if you are hooked up to city water or when you’re using the water pump? Any leakage outside of the trailer from the back? Keep us posted. Mike

Looks like UW colors on the Oliver. Shouldn't have to worry about anyone stealing it!🙂

Your frustration is understandable. What are the obvious areas you’ve checked? Have you determined what fluid is leaking? Probably fresh water and not gray? Since it is leaking all the time, have you emptied your fresh tank to rule that out? In Arizona you aren’t getting enough rain to make it leak all the time. Is there any moisture that you can see between the hulls? Have you checked under the dinette seats and under the beds? Does it make any difference if you raise the front of the trailer? If your tanks are empty and it’s not raining I can’t think of what would be causing a leak or what could be leaking. Did your reconnect the black wire to your light? Have you thought about getting a local RV repair shop to look at your issue? You should still be under warranty and Oliver should reimburse any cost. Have you opened a ticket with Oliver service? There is a long time Oliver owner down in Sierra Vista, not far from Benson, that has an RV guy there who has done work on their trailer that might be able to help. If you are interested, let me know and I can PM you their info. Mike

Margaret: I may be totally off base with this as I'm 4,000 miles from my Ollie to check your pictures against my railer. There are two "intended to drip/leak" drains for our OTT's. One just aft of the entrance door is the water tank overflow drain. The second is on the street-side rear for the A/C condensate drain. Could these be the leaks you are seeing? GJ

We have been pulling our 2017, since 2017, with a 2500 gas Ram. It has been more than adequate and quite comfortable. Easiest unit we have ever winterized. Have backed it down a narrow mountain road when the Garmin didn't know the rain had washed out the road. Have had a meal and an extended "nap" in a warm unit, at a rest area, when a sudden ice/sleet/snow storm came barreling through. Have camped at a small city park, next to a stone building with a working water wheel. No room for bigger units. I have seen and owned SOBs (some other brands) and would never go back. Welcome from Maine and hull #211. Ask any question, and weigh your answers. Some k but even be correct. See you around a campfire someplace...

Welcome @Mike11. It sounds like you are downsizing from perhaps a 5th wheel. We had a much larger travel trailer several years ago ourselves so the towing and all that comes with a smaller travel trailer should be a joy. Learning to live in a smaller space will take a little more effort for us. We placed our LE2 order a couple weeks ago so the learning and preparing is just ramping up. I'm very much looking forward to the convenient size of the Oliver and love the idea of being able to stay in places the larger rigs can only dream about. I too highly recommend the factory tour, they are very warm and knowledgeable folks at Oliver and will go out of their way to make your visit worth while and enjoyable.

John Davies suggested I apply my experience as an attorney retained by insurance companies to the issues raised by this old thread. As I feel indebted to him for his dozens of incredibly useful posts on this Forum, here are my thoughts. Per the quote above, Oliver asserts it cannot purchase insurance protecting Oliver owners who show their trailers. But, Oliver surely can choose to use its corporate resources to defend and indemnify those owners against personal injury claims arising out of a showing, including retaining counsel to defend any such suit. It would be an uninsured sales overhead expense. I'll bet Oliver has agreed to fully defend and indemnify its senior corporate officers (using company funds) against personal liability when they are acting within the scope of their employment. This is common language in executive employment agreements. Oliver could do the same for owners who agree to show their trailers. But has Oliver done this? Not that I can find. Given the substantial financial benefit Oliver enjoys from the "See an Oliver in Your Area" program, I believe Oliver should offer that defense and indemnity. Also, my quick review of this thread revealed no hold harmless agreement published by Oliver, despite the suggestion in JWalmsley's above-quoted post three years ago. Did I miss it? And, upon review today of the Terms and Conditions on the "See an Oliver In Your Area" page on the OTT website, I could not find such language. If I have missed it, or missed language published by Oliver agreeing to defend and indemnify owners who show their trailers, please let me know by reply to this thread. So, where does that leave Oliver owners participating in the "See an Oliver in Your Area" program? Unprotected. There are lots of interesting legal issues raised when an injury occurs while showing someone your Oliver. Although these may fascinate the lawyers engaged to resolve a personal injury claim, no legal doctrine offers any real protection to the trailer owner. This is because attorneys' fees are often the biggest expense associated with resolving the dispute, and in this country, even if you win, you get to pay your lawyer--which means a huge financial loss for you, period. That is why contract language usually refers to both "defend" and "indemnify." "Defend" means pay a lawyer to defend the claim. "Indemnify" means pay any judgment rendered against you arising from the dispute. So, regardless of: (1) whether you are deemed to be affiliated with Oliver in some way, or (2) where or under what circumstances you show your Oliver,or (3) whether you require the prospective buyer to sign a heavy-handed liability release before setting foot in your trailer, there is presently only one "safe harbor" for anyone showing an Oliver to a prospective buyer: umbrella insurance coverage. Why? Because it pays for your defense, as well as providing indemnity. As noted in March, 2019 by Geronimo John, umbrella coverage is relatively inexpensive because it is secondary to your primary insurance policies. Such a policy is designed to transcend, and provide coverage beyond, any limitations of your homeowners' insurance or your auto/RV insurance. So, should you show your Oliver to potential buyers, even though Oliver has not agreed to defend and indemnify you against claims arising from the showing? I cannot recommend it. Maybe if enough owners decline to participate, Oliver will decide to "do the right thing" and provide defense and indemnification. Until then: do you feel lucky?

I’ve shown our trailer a couple of times in the last month or so. Once at home and once while camping. My risk assessment is that the risk is very low. We enjoy meeting like minded people and being able to help folks in their decision making process. YMMV. Mike

Well, the map is really for you to feel good about. There are no "rules" so color yours in however you like. I have passed through about 40% of the lower 48 with "Mouse" but I don't feel a need to post a map. Do whatever strikes your fancy. I prefer to collect pretty park stickers from places we especially enjoyed - the kind they sell in visitor center gift shops - and the best ones go onto the pantry door. Like this: John Davies Spokane WA

I decided to drop out after conferring with my insurance agent. I could have increased my Umbrella Liability to a safer level but that would have been costly. I sent this to Oliver Sales: "I have become uncomfortable with the liability issues and do not want to have customers referred to me. I will happily continue to show “Mouse” to interested passerbys, and send in referral cards for them. My big concern is that Oliver Trailers does not “vet" the referred customers in any way that I am aware of, and I have no option but to let them in when they show up. If I am doing this at a campground I have a chance to look them over, speak with them and send them on their way if they look at all sketchy. I have never had a bad experience with my several showings, but OTH I feel as if I have no control over who comes knocking." I have been accused of being overly cautious when it comes to insurance.... so be it. Everybody has a comfort level. John Davies Spokane WA

Gentlemen, Thank you for bringing this topic to light. I apologize if you have written emails to our Sales Staff that have remained unanswered. I have spoken to our General Manager and he has spoken to one of our attorneys and is waiting to hear back from another attorney that specializes in this area of the law. In the meantime, we would like to thank you for bringing this to our attention and for all of your efforts. We will post updates here when more information becomes available.

@ Bill: Umbrella coverage riders are common and relatively inexpensive. I carry one due to living on a mountain side and also participating in extreme sports. I suspect that OTT owners tend to be a bit better off financially than most, and as such a would have resources that ought to be protected from such legal entanglements. Hence dropping a dime to ask their insurance carrier about an umbrella and its cost is worth more than a quarter. @ John D: Liability waivers are effective in the majority of states. We use them at 99.9% of our hang gliding and paragliding sites as a result. So far they have been effective in court scores of times. In my case, a pilot while on tow made critical errors and crashed. My Texas waiver was reviewed by USAA and they stood behind me as a result. The law suite was filed not by the pilot that crashed, but by his medical insurance provider OVER his objections. Same likely will happen to the OTT owner with the face plant incident. The lady likely will admit she was not rendering due care and fell. But her insurance company will go after the trailer owner and OTT as well. A liability waiver would at least even the playing field.

I hope you both recover quickly! The folks who took delivery of #1292, the last of the 2022 models, ended up with a non-working toilet all last weekend in the Oliver campground. They were understandably irked. A very long and divisive thread resulted, then disappeared. After a couple days with no news, I asked what happened to the posting, and said that I hoped it wasn’t deleted so as to only show positive deliveries. For that, I was put in detention for a month, only allowed one post a day and one reply an hour. When I could next post, I asked what I’d done wrong, explained I’m not being confrontational, and asked that the detention be removed. For that, I was permanently banned. Makes no sense to me. First time I’ve ever been reprimanded in nearly 40 years of forums, groups, listserves, etc. Hey, you asked… 🤪