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We took delivery of the Prairie Schooner on Thursday 11/17/2022. Prairie Schooner is another name for a covered wagon – nothing better epitomizes the adventurous spirit! We found a few service items that needed fixing during our delivery walkthrough and we parked in the Oliver campground just after sunset. We recommend you ask the delivery team to fully de-winterize for you or show you the steps: We had to complete some de-winterization tasks, in the dark and without help (everyone had gone home). Shout-out to our new friend Rob who took delivery on the same day – we helped each other out! Another recommendation for those of you who opted for the compost toilet: Bring some prepared moss/coconut coir – Oliver provided two coconut coir blocks, but they were not moistened. Luckily, we did bring some prepared coconut. We were also surprised about the size of the freezer in the Isotherm Refrigerator; it is half the size of the freezer we saw in the model EII. We stayed in the Oliver campground until Saturday, then started our four-day journey west to Texas. We stayed at St. Luke’s Lutheran church, a Harvest Host site east of Memphis, then Caddo Valley RV Park in Arkadelphia, AR. Lastly, we visited another Harvest Host site: Bee Happy Farms in Brashear, TX – very peaceful surrounded by the animal paddocks and enjoyed farm fresh eggs! A beautiful starry night. Now, we need to watch all of Katjo’s organizing videos, do some local camping, and put the Schooner through her paces. We have a few items to follow-up on: We can’t reset our RVLock, we need to try to replicate an inverter error, and we need to submit a ticket for the grill (they ran out of supplies).

I would think that your best bet would be to give Oliver Service a call tomorrow morning ask ask these questions. They should be able to help you with particular specifics about your specific hull number. Good luck! Bill

Unfortunately I don't believe the Counteract filtered valve stems are the issue. The wheels already have them installed. I believe that I caused the problem by attaching screw on tire pressure monitors. They allow the valve stem to remain open at all times and the balancing beads bypass the filter mechanism and get stuck in the valve core causing it to remain open. I have Counteract beads in my motorcycle tires and its never been an issue, but I have internal tire pressure sensors. So I think I will either remove the beads or install internal sensors before spring. Either should solve the problem. Thanks for the feed back Bill

This is an older thread but if anyone is considering a portable refrigerator, Truma has a really good promotion on 3 of their models right now.

I guess there are pro’s and con’s for the never-lubes. Seems like a good thing, not to have to worry about repacking all the time. I have my bearings repacked and brakes checked every spring before the rally. 7 years and still original bearings. We do 10-15,000 miles a year. Mike

Not more than once-

Congratulations and welcome back to Texas! There are tons of nice state parks for you to try out for your local camping. We also stayed at Bee Happy Farm a couple of years ago. Mike

Let the "fun" continue and the real adventures begin. An official and warm welcome to the Family! Bill

Congratulations from hull 997, picked up in January 2022.

We not only asked, but got lucky. We were also initially told "no," because there were no open, later, production dates into which we could be slotted. So I put in a request, advising that if a later production date opened up, we would be happy to defer delivery to get the Truma AC upgrade. When that later (September 29) production date became available (which meant a November 10 delivery date), Rodney Lomax called to confirm, and we accepted, even though it meant towing our new Ollie back from Tennessee to Idaho in November instead of September--when driving conditions in the west can be icy. Mr. Lomax also made clear that getting the Truma AC was not a sure thing, because it depended on that first shipment of Aventa units from Truma being received before production began on our trailer. That shipment date was projected, but not guaranteed. We understood the risk, and accepted it, knowing that we might be driving back to Idaho in icy conditions with a Dometic Penguin II AC unit instead of a Truma. As it turned out, the shipment was timely received (in this era of supply chain issues). We got the Truma AC and, despite an early winter in the west, and the delays in Hohenwald detailed in my report, ended up with a timely weather window. It allowed us to complete the trip home on mostly dry roads (but dealing with some cold nights with lows in single digits and teens at high elevations). Our first notice that the $3800 Truma upgrade included the Varioheat furnace came when we received an updated Deposit Receipt from Oliver in July noting that the Truma upgrade included the Varioheat furnace instead of the stock Suburban. At the time, we were focused on the Truma Aventa AC, and honestly didn't have a preference for either furnace. But, since the Varioheat furnace came as part of the package, we hoped it would be an improvement. For what it's worth, we did have some furnace ignition issues on cold nights at high elevation in New Mexico, Colorado and Utah last week, but we suspect it was the elevation (4800 to 6200 feet) affecting propane gasification, which probably would have occurred with either furnace. But, as noted in my report, we are pleased with the more robust ducting, and the additional return air vent that came with the Varioheat. I am sorry you are having so much trouble with your furnace, and apparently wound up with balance beads without the screened valve stems. I recommend you submit a service ticket to Oliver, advise them that you have had two stuck valve stems, and ask them to ship to you 5 of the Counteract filtered valve stems they mailed to everyone else who mistakenly got balance beads. Swapping out valve stems should be much easier than trying to remove all of the balance beads. In your shoes, I would have a less positive view of Oliver as well...

I read your post and Im wondering if I may have been the cause of some of the balancing bead issues. On the way back home from TN to MA this past October and two days after we took delivery of hull number 1265 I decided to take off one of my tire monitors to add a little air to one of my tires. When I removed the monitor I noticed that the valve was leaking and poking it with a pin would not stop the leaking. So I screwed the sensor back on to stop the leak and we looked for an auto part store so that I could get a new valve stem and buy the little removal tool needed to take the stem out. . When I went to change the valve stem I could not remove it, it was stuck, it would unscrew but would not come out. So rather than fussing with it while on the road I decided to put the spare tire on and deal with it when I got home. When we got home I called Oliver and spoke to Mike and they had no Idea what could be going on. So I called a local tire garage and asked them if they ever had this happen. The first word out of his mouth was do you have balancing beads in your tires and I said I have no idea. So I called mike again and he said they no longer used them but I believe my trailer still has them in it. I then decided to check all my tire and sure enough another one was leaking and once again I couldn't get the valve stem out. But this time I was home with a shop with an air compressor and more tools and I finally got the valves out and replaced them. My best guess is there is beads in my tires. So I think I will pull them off this winter bring them to the garage and remove the suspected beads. On another note we also begged and asked Josh from the day we order our 2022 trailer on multiple occasions if we could wait and pay the upgrade for the Truma furnace but we got no for an answer, l guess we didn't beg hard enough. The fact that we are having a problem with our Dometic furnace makes it is even more annoying. Hey its all good, life isn't perfect we will navigate the bumps in the road and figure it out. All in all we love our little house and for the most part Oliver has been great.

Thank you for the suggestions. Two complete flushes with fresh water and baking soda down the drains and into gray tank later. AF Oder is gone. FYI the best Oder free AF we found is Splash -75degree at Home Depot. We used it to winterize and no smell now!!😎

Thanks for the tip!

It seems that many of us (with Oliver Sales increasing) are facing our first Winter down time and after winterizing the plumbing... are now wondering about our expensive Lithionics batteries. I spoke to both Oliver and Lithionics regarding the battery storage. Lithionics is careful to say that if you want to ensure "best practice"... you need to keep your batteries between 14~86 degrees. Whatever you have to do to ensure that range is what is needed. For the larger 690AH system has it's own battery heater and should keep itself protected from the cold. The smaller 390AH batteries do not have the internal heater but do have Olivers battery heater pad. Based on Olivers recommendation I am going to keep the plug and extension cord handy and keep the batteries charged up as needed to provide that heat pad the energy it needs to protect those batteries. An interesting side note: while talking to Lithionics, I told them I was looking for something like the Odometer on a car. Something that I could gauge where in the overall life expectancy these batteries are. The batteries are expected to last a minimum of 2000 cycles (with 3,000 cycles likely).. mine are 130AH batteries which equals 260,000AH (2,000 times 130AH= 260,000AH). I have used 1773 AH to date or only .0068% of it's warranted life expectancy. In fact, this is a "value added" feature on Lithionics batteries. Their battery (thru the app) has a quantifiable number that the consumer could use to calculate the prorated value in the event of any warrantee claim. Assuming that it has been used and stored in accordance with their guidelines.

This is the method Andersen recommends. It is fine IF you have room to pull forward. Some really short sites don’t have that room. And if you want to hitch up the night before departure, while the truck is at an angle, it isn’t very practical. John Davies Spokane WA

After one experience of having the whale tail not in line and having a hard time hooking up, because you need to be at the same angle, now I just unhook when straight and hook up when straight again. I take the rubber shock cords used to secure the top of the the storage basket bin and hold up the chains. I only need to drive without the whale tail for a very short distance until I am in line with both truck and trailer. It works for me. John

We camped all around Colorado this past summer. In State Forest State Park we were at 9,100+ feet and all propane appliances worked fine, furnace, hot water tank and cooktop. Also my Weber Q and Blackstone griddle worked fine. That was in July and the temperature only got down in the high 30’s. Mike

I'd like to add that this moisture problem is not unique to Oliver, it can simply be more apparent for a few reasons. First, the Ollie is built very tight , like our home. Second, the built in furniture, no wood, allows more evidence of moisture, in my experience. That's not necessarily a bad thing. You can actually see what you're dealing with, instead of moisture collecting in cabinetry and walls. Using methods to evacuate moisture is important. Even something as simple as wiping walls with a microfiber towel, and drying it outside. Moistute mitigation is important. Think about why you have a shower fan at home.

Perhaps for a better understanding or at least a more complete background knowledge on this topic everyone should review THIS thread. Bill

I just ordered two sets of 4 rubber brake backing plate adjuster plugs from Amazon for a total of $13.50. Link below: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B002EP9U50/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Apparently, Oliver's choice to not provide these plugs with the Dexter drum brakes is not unique. I found reviews noting that other folks' RVs did not come with these either. It's a cheap and easy preventive measure.

Whether it is a downgrade is a matter of opinion. I would have preferred the 15" wheels with ST tires. Too bad we can't swap! ST ("Special Trailer") tires are designed for trailer use, and have thicker, stronger sidewalls than LT ("light truck") tires, which are designed for "Light Truck" use. ST tires have higher load ratings because of the thicker sidewalls. And, with 15" wheels, you have more rubber and less metal, which provides a softer ride. I believe a softer ride is better for a "tiny house" on wheels, with all of the plumbing, electrical, refrigerator, TV on a hinged bracket, etc.

No worries, getting to the back burner is no more trouble than using the back burners on your range at home. We tend to use our left arm, so we don’t bump the shield on the right side, and it’s easier to get to the two control knobs. The splatter shield is built in, keeps a hot pot or skillet from accidentally being pushed onto the bed. That being said, we mostly cook outside, and don’t cook anything inside that has a chance of splatters.

Or - you can use something like THIS shield. Of course it doesn't do much for tipping over that wine glass but it is great for keeping splatters (think burgers, bacon and the like) off the bed. Bill

Newbiex, I had the same concern until I tried the husband pillow beneath my regular pillow and reclined in the corner by the pantry. Very comfortable for me :) John

We have wedge pillows we put on the bed to recline, watch TV, etc. inside. We put them on the dinette seats when we want to sleep at night.

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like the right kind of cushions can turn the beds into decent places to recline (without being completely flat). I'm relieved by your replies. Didn't want to have to get a big, maintenance-intensive, class A just to recline!

Not necessarily fiberglass, just a similarly sized trailer. I didn't find reclining seating in travel trailers until the Airstream Classic. Most (all?) of the other similarly sized TT's seemed to have basically the same setup as Oliver - dinette and beds.

John I am visiting our grandson in Denver on the way to Hohenwald. He has a cup with a lid that makes it difficult to spill. I can get the name of it if you're interested. 😂🤣 John

John, did you make that divider between the stove and the bed or was that standard? They have rotated the stove 90° so the cover now act as the splatter shield. John

My wife and I like to recline on the single beds, looking out the back and side windows. We try to select a site that has something worth looking at in that direction. Lakes are good 😬 If you are traveling solo, you can do this. It’s a Zero Gravity type recliner. It will work in either direction, but this way is better for access to the sink, pantry, bathroom and outside door. Welcome to the forums. John Davies Spokane WA

Michelin stopped making the tire. Papa Bean counter had nothing to do with it. Bill

No, the bad bypass valve still felt normal when opening and closing it. The faulty seal inside the bypass valve wasn’t noticeable until I removed the valve. The new CAMCO bypass valve is installed and works well so far. One nice little detail of this CAMCO valve is that the positions are labeled (open or bypass). And I changed all water lines into and out of the Truma to braided flexible supply lines and brass fittings to eliminate the issue of breakage of the rigid plastic connections that some owners have had. Camco 37463 3-Way By-Pass Valve Replacement - Brass https://a.co/d/8qur0uz

I guess I was lucky, because I've hitched up my Ollie a grand total of three times (leaving the factory, leaving the factory campground, and leaving an enroute stop on the way home). The last time is when I tried my approach described above when we were at a curved pull-thru at a state park. The Anderson went on easily. I pulled forward and the ball was below the coupler but off to the right maybe an inch. Like you said, the lever did not close, so I pushed and my wife pulled and the ball dropped into the correct position. We closed the lever and were on our way, the first time. If I needed to reposition, I have two options: Back up (a few inches) and try again. This is a delicate maneuver--no heavy feet. Don't run the back of your TV into the hitch. If relatively level, I'd even consider pulling forward (inches, not yards) while still attached to the Anderson and restarting the hookup. This lines up the TV and the trailer better. The risk is having the trailer not stop moving forward when the TV stops, and hitting the TV. For safety, I could put my chocks a foot in front of the trailer wheels or I could even plug in my 7-pin connector and have brakes, if long enough.

I may not be the smartest camper around, but why not back the TV a couple of inches past the hitch coupler socket, hook up the Anderson first (should have slack), and pull the TV forward to drop bulldog onto the ball and tighten the slack on the Anderson chains? No mods necessary.

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

Lithionics Technical Service Bulletin Note: This only applies to campers that have a 3000w inverter AND the 130ah batteries. Information was released recently regarding potential for internal battery BMS damage. This is a rare case as certain things would have to fall in place in order for the situation to have an opportunity to potentially occur. Lithionics has found that under certain conditions if your 3000w inverter is left on, which many people do, and your batteries are turned off, by you or the BMS, and you were not connected to shore power, and you turn a single battery on by itself; the entire load from the inverter for in-rush capacitance would hit the single battery which was not designed to handle that much load. So to help ensure that you do not accidentally damage one of your Lithionics batteries we have released a technical bulletin for a restart/reboot process to eliminate this small potential for error. For more information regarding the proper Restart/Reboot sequence, please see the attached technical service bulletin. Q&A Do I have to do this every time I use my camper? - No, this is only done if the batteries have been turned off. Do I have to follow the restart process if I am aware of the situation and plan to turn on all the batteries at once? - Yes, Lithionics recommends following this procedure to ensure that the batteries are brought back online safely. Why do I have to do all the steps with the inverter? - If the inverter loses 12v power as it does when you trip the inverter breaker then it must be powered on properly to load the communication software to the remote display. Failure to do this will cause an Error 20 condition and the remote display will not function. Additional Notes: I recommend that the inverter is NEVER left on. Make sure that you understand that the Xantrex Freedom 3000 is an Inverter and a charger all-in-one. When you connect to shore power it will automatically power up as the incoming 120v power runs through it to power your microwave, receptacles and A/C. Since the power automatically runs through it there is no need to turn it on or off. However when you are not connected to shore power aka a 120v power source, then you must manually turn the inverter side on and/or off as needed. On the Xantrex Remote display there is a round button with the power symbol next to it. This button is to power the inverter side only. The only time I recommend having this power button ON is when you are NOT connected to shore power and you want to utilize the microwave, receptacles and/or A/C. The reason for this is that if it is left powered on and you are connected to shore power but the onboard surge protector sees an issue with the incoming shore power, it will shut it off. When this happens the inverter can pick up the load within seconds and you may never know that you have lost incoming shore power. This may sound great and you may think why wouldn't I want it to pick it up and keep supplying the power to my microwave, receptacles and A/C. Well, if you are unaware of this power changeover to the inverter you may keep letting the A/C run and keep working on a laptop that is plugged into the receptacle for power and a few hours later ,unbeknownst to you, your batteries shut off because they have become depleted. If on the other hand you lost the incoming shore power and were aware of the situation then you have the decision to inspect and determine the reason for the failure and/or make an informed decision to switch to inverter/battery power and manage how much you use to ensure you do not deplete your batteries. lithionics-proper-boot-sequence.pdf

Thank you everyone for your input, I do agree the Ranger is too small to pull the E2, so after additional research, and all your input, going to order an F-150 w/2.7 V6 and 3.73 axle ratio w/"Payload Package" (and use a WDH) and with this configuration this will get me up 10k towing capacity (per Ford towing guide). And with 2,480 lb. payload for the 4-door crew cab (and max 3 passengers with gear, 490 lb. tongue weight + (2) 20lb. propane, and no aluminum box) the math says this should absolutely work.... This is such a great forum here with very helpful information... Looking forward to more discussion and thanks to all for your time.. Best John

I'd bet a bunch that a WDH is REQUIRED by Ford for towing anything that has a tongue weight of any Oliver Elite II. And, given that Ford requires it you risk not only your Ford warranty if you decide to disregard this requirement but you also risk untold liability if you are involved in a mishap regardless of who is at fault. Bill

Using a black marker you can have any ratings you want for towing, just apply the marker ink, hookup your trailer, and go. trainman

Welcome! There are several critical towing capacity numbers you need to look at on your Ranger. You mentioned one of them and that is your towing capacity of 7,500 lbs., but you also need to find out the following info, which you should be able to get from the Ford Towing Guide for the Ranger (link below), and from stickers/labels on your truck. And the Andersen hitch is both a weight distribution hitch (WDH) and an anti-sway hitch. - The tongue weight limits (both with and without a weight distribution hitch). Look for a label on your hitch receiver on your truck. See photo below from my F-250 for example. Tongue weight is typically about 10% of the trailer weight. - Payload/cargo capacity limit (this will be on a yellow & white sticker on the door frame of your Ranger. See photo below from my F-250 for example. That number has to include your tongue weight, weight of driver and passenger and any luggage, the weight of any bed liner, bed cover or cap that you have, etc Most people with smaller tow vehicles will exceed the payload limit without realizing it. - Frontal area limit. - Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR). Based on the numbers I’ve seen, the Ranger is marginal at best as a tow vehicle for an Elite II with options and equipment loaded up. https://www.ford.com/cmslibs/content/dam/brand_ford/en_us/brand/resources/general/pdf/guides/20Towing_Ford_Ranger_Oct15.pdf

Oliver installed the larger coupler. It is an option, or it was on my 2021 model year build sheet.

I have the same question for the 2 5/16. Waiting for our trailer build and will definately request that size ball for our 1 Ton. PerryG

Curious if any owner uses a 2019-2021 Ford Ranger 4WD w/Towing Package to tow an Elite II? It has 7,500 pounds towing capacity and I've used it to tow a 6,000 Gross Weight Trailer before with very positive results. And, do you all recommend an Anderson WDH if this vehicle has electronic Anti-Sway control built in? Any experience or comments would be appreciated... Best, John