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I recently purchased the Zamp 230W (Item USP1004) portable solar panel directly from Zamp at a good price and not directly from Oliver. In preparation of a trip departure of next week I decided to do a test run. I have discovered that the Zamp exterior port on the exterior of my 2022 Oliver (photo #2) has a "rounded" top of the entry opening while the cable that comes with the Zamp solar panel (photo #1) has a "square" top; thus no connection possible. FYI: If you purchase the Zamp solar panel Item USP1004 you must also order Zamp cable Item ITC3018 to make the connection with the Zamp port on the side of the Oliver...at least so on hull 1242. Not a big deal with a cost of only $19, but good to know before you are at the campsite... Be well.

Agreed. But, one reason I understand Oliver chose Lithionics for its LiFEPO4 batteries is the built-in Battery Management System, which includes "shut down curtain technology" designed to prevent thermal runaway. The Lithionics website says it this way: "Lithionics Battery® uses an organic Lithium-ion Iron Phosphate chemistry in all of our lithium battery models. This naturally safe chemistry is paired with an internal shut down curtain technology inside each lithium cell, preventing any flame or explosion from thermal runaway events." I once had a lithium-ion cell phone battery heat up and expand to more than double its original size. That scared me. LiFEPO4 is one kind of lithium-ion battery, but "ordinary" lithium-ion batteries (like those used in cell phones and laptops) are not LiFEPO4. LiFEPO4 chemistry is much safer, and is not prone to explode, like a laptop battery can. I sleep better at night knowing that the much larger Lithionics batteries in my Elite II are not only LiFEPO4, but have the shut down curtain technology built in.

Hi, Doreen. You don't have to worry about the kitchen sink. Only the bathroom sink can back up into the shower pan. Hope you feel better soon. Maybe we'll see you guys at Hammonasset sometime! Dudley

Hello All - Thank you for your thoughts. We have a composting toilet so no water possible from that source and luckily we had mostly good weather for our ride back to CT (very lucky to avoid snow and ice storms!). For sure, the drain valve was closed as well. In thinking back, I don't believe we ran water in either sink after closing the valve, but I wouldn't bet on it as we did have rest and lunch stops along the way and we might have washed hands without thinking about it. I like the idea of signs near both sinks to remind us not to use them after the valve is closed! We will post some pictures and list the few issues we have had in the near future. Unfortunately, in the week we have been home I have been dealing with severe lower back and thigh pain - apparently from a pinched nerve. PT will hopefully have me ready for local weekend adventures in Olive in a few weeks. Tom retires 3/31 so we will be heading south soon thereafter - very exciting as we love our cozy home on wheels! Best, Doreen

More pics

Very true! The Battleborns also have internal management for overcurrent and temperature. And also are the same chemistry as the Lithionics. As such, I don't worry about our batteries running away to thermal overload. What I do keep in mind is the remote possibility of something drawing less than 300 amps when it should not be, and having a way to shut that down too. For fire.... belt and suspenders. @ $40 bucks and some DYI time.....no brainer.... PS: Additional benefit is having a simple way to isolate every DC parasitic current draw with a flip of a switch. As a sage owner reminded me some time ago when I said I just took off a terminal wire... His response was something like "Every weekend???" Slam dunk great response. I know at least one of you is out there smiling now. 🙂

Although we have the heaviest suspension then available in the F150 when we bought it in '21, we still found that there was a bit of porposing while towing when you encounter severe frost heaves or a road bed which is extremely uneven. Added a set of air bags under the rear springs and that cured the issue. I also suspect the problem can also be mitigated through more robust sidewalls than found on stock tires (20" rims on my truck). Probably beef up the next pair of tires and shocks when replacement of the originals becomes necessary. Still, I find the F150 to be a very, very comfortable ride and is a fine match for the Legacy 2. I don't think there is a wrong choice between the 5.0 and the 3.5 ... both are fine, proven power plants.

RV Absorption Refrigerator Fires.pdfRV Absorption Refrigerator Fires.pdfRV Absorption Refrigerator Fires.pdf I recently pulled out my 3 way Dometic from Hull 218 and found this: That spot is right at the upper exit of the burner flue. Not good at all! I am going to install an Isotherm 130 DC/ AC fridge, the same unit Oliver is currently using, but it appears to be lost in shipping. Related thread: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/8816-removed-my-dometic-fridge-a-couple-of-concerns/#comment-86140 FYI it is so EXTREMELY difficult to remove and then reinstall these in the older Hulls with their tiny outside vent openings, that you should just plan on doing the conversion. Also, I was informed that the reason Oliver started using the Isotherms as standard equipment is that the supply of 3 way fridges THIS SIZE has dried up. Dometic "requires" that they be completely inspected and tested ANNUALLY, which just isn't going to happen in an old Ollie. You simply cannot see the parts in situ. Mine has six short camping seasons of wear. FYI here are some pics of my old fridge:

Had some nice weather this last weekend and cleaned out the window tracks of our beloved Oliver. The seals seem to have shrunk more to the point where I am replacing them with the Pellandent H109-376 seals. Thanks to all the previous posters for the info and tips. BTW, I am getting all BLACK seals.

If it doesn't apply to an Oliver, why post it here? Charlie.

Bryan, Welcome to the Ford family! I have an F-250 with a 7.3L V8 so I don’t know how yours will tow but I do know you will be happy with it. I have towed with Ford and Toyotas and I strongly feel Ford knows towing much better! I am originally from New Bern, NC and still have many friends back there. Hope to meet and see you at the rally in May. We get our Ollie next month! (Former Airstreamers..) Cheers, Brian

Hi Bill, Too bad engineers don't have to use the equipment they design. :) This is a bit off topic and I apologize but you mentioned it in your post. We swapped our AC out for the Truma...Oliver's service did it. As it was done less than a month ago, I don't know if it will keep up with the summer heat. I will tell you that I didn't realize the fan runs all the time in auto, the compressor just kicks in and out, but it's hardly noticeable. From what I understand the Houghtons do the same thing. I was told it was designed like that to keep the whole unit from cycling on and off, thus preventing unnecessary wear and tear on the unit. It is much quieter and I suggest you see it in action for yourself and determine if it's good or bad for you. For me...I think I would do it again given Dometic's disaster of A/C engineering. Here ends my rant! John

They definitely work so well!! Thanks for sharing your testimonial.😃

No I’ve been playing email tag with Oliver for months. They said that they got approval from Dometic to send me a new thermostat but is back ordered. I haven’t gotten an update in weeks. No I never got a schematic either but there are two wires that come out of the furnace and they are labeled thermostat. It was pretty straight forward. In my drawing what I labeled thermostat is the new thermostat I mounted on the wall. It was -13 degrees this past weekend and the way I have it wired works perfectly no cycling on and off. My wife spent a better part of today in the trailer and she said the heat worked perfectly. Feel free to email me if you have any questions bill

TopGun, You have been very kind, I would be happy to have stay at our place.. We like fly fishing, motorcycles, hiking and kitty cats around here.

Not a V8 but mileage on the 3.5 twin turbo (2017) was 12-13 on several round trips from the mountains of Western NC to the Rockies and back. Tonneau cover on FX4 trim truck with a 6.5 foot bed, max towing, and max payload. I understand that the V8 performance is about the same while towing but that the ecoboost has better gas mileage (22 to 24 mpg) when not towing. Bill

5.0 V8 here, but not LE2. Love the 5.0 and 65mph avg mpg is 13.5 - 15.5 depending on wind and rain condition towing 3900lbs. 3.15 gearbox

I wouldn't even consider mounting flexible panels directly on my Ollie's roof as they can get hot enough to ruin the gelcoat underneath. I've witnessed this happen on a boat where the gelcoat turned brownish with a cracked finish after just one season of use.

Been planning for a travel trailer for several years getting ready for retirement. We finally purchased the new tow vehicle last year and got it paid for. We finally settled on the Oliver LE II and decided to place the order this week. We have a build schedule of March and deliver around the middle of April. We can't wait to begin this chapter of our lives and start exploring all the places we've only dreamed of till now. We aren't new to camping, nor are we inexperienced with travel trailers. We had a 34' Jayco Eagle with a super slide back in the late 90s. Sold it by around 2002 and haven't owned a camper since. We started researching brands about three years ago, watching tons of YouTube channels about full timing and all the other RV topics that are there for the watching. We started narrowing down the brands and models we like last year and the Olivers were at the top of the list. We did take the factory tour about a year and a half ago and were blown away. We are both semi retired right now, meaning my wife works part time for social outlet and fun money at a local farm market, and I work for myself at my own pace when I feel like it. We have several hobbies we enjoy and I'm also in the middle of remodeling our downsizer retirement home in the country in preparation for full retirement soon. We have two dogs, Border Terriers, at home. We have one married son and one grandson a year old. Part of our RV life will include spending extended periods in Texas with our son's family and enjoying our grandson as much as possible. We look forward to becoming seasoned Ollie owners and participating and getting to know the greater Oliver family.

We are so fortunate the have trailers that help us get outside to see spectacular views and critters. But, occasionally, no trailer is required and nature comes to us to show its wonders. Bosker and I were inside, reading a good book when we heard a soft noise at the front door. Thinking it might have been a package drop off, I went to the door and opened the top half of my dutch door and found this newborn fawn hunkered down in the corner. Momma deer often find a safe place where their baby fawn can hide with its natural coloring or someplace hidden away from the eyes of predators, such as at Bosker's front door. Momma will sleep nearby or go out foraging until coming back to retrieve "Bambi". Nature is awesome. Show us your best wildlife photographs you've taken while traveling or at home.

@skalywag This tool made quick work of cutting the new black seals. It provides a nice and clean edge on the seal. It’s also very handy If you decide to install rain gutters over your Ollies windows. It was worth every cent of the $8.00 paid. If you lay your new black trim in the sun it for 20 minutes or so it will cooperate much better after being coiled up when shipped if you live in a cold climate. Enjoy your install, just passing it forward. 😊 Patriot🇺🇸

@John E Davies That is a great article and the authors have some really good credentials. I did not like the absorption fridge in our Airstream. It was “ok” at keeping things cold once it did get cold but it needed to be defrosted often. I didn’t like running on propane while traveling but also didn’t want things to get too warm. For that reason, I always ran with GAS STOP devices and will have them on my LE II. I was happy to see Oliver went with the Isotherm AC/DC fridge. I am not sure as to “why” but I heard it was because many trailers in the industry are moving to all-electric compressor style fridges. This could account for a low supply of the absorption fridges in this size. I also like that if you are not level when parked we don’t have to worry about damaging the fridge. I think you made a good choice. My brother-in-law has had Isotherm on his boats for as long as I can remember and they always perform. Another great share, thank you! Brian

Make sure you order a little extra. Then you can add a little piece if they shorten up. I have added pieces to the top of the windows to fill the small gaps. I never figured out if I cut them short or if they shrunk on their own, but I do usually blame myself. After all, I touched it last. Mossey

I would say it's pretty hard not to buy any one of the Big Three trucks, RAM, Chevy/GMC, and the Ford. I myself would go with the V8's over the V6's, not that the V6's will not do a good job towing, because they do, but just like the more simple design of the V8's and cost of repairs when the engines get older and higher mileage, plus nothing sounds like a V8. Owing a RAM with the 5.7 Hemi engine for me has truly been been a great power combination for me, but if I were the change brands it would be the Ford with the 5.0, or the Chevy/GMC with there V8's. I have given the Tundra some thought as I like the Japanese vehicles, but never purchased the Tundra because of its outdated vehicle design, now that it's been upgraded and only offer a V6, I'm still out on the Tundra. Good Lucky with your Ford, good choice with the V8, due note here I say a video on YouTube that interviewed Ford Techs at a dealership and there choice was the V8 over the V6, eight out of ten times. Reason was the V6 cost of repairs and turbos are just more expensive to work on and the 5.0 V8 has less problems in the life of the engine. trainman

I have the 2019 F150 with same engine, tow package and axle ratio. I tow an O Elite 2. I get approx 14 mpg.

Usually when we've camped, I work from camp for at least a couple days so need my starlink working --- flagpole buddy has been great. https://flagpolebuddy.com/

Came here to post "thermacell", saw your post, don't need to 🙂 2 covers the two of us comfortably at a picnic table. We live in the middle of the swamp, so use em at home alot as well.

Thanks - I will check it before we head out.! Good to know.

My experience with lithium and fire is relatively small - a laptop battery pack. However, I can tell you that it can get exciting! As those individual cells that are on the inside of the battery come shooting out of the case, bounce off the ceiling of my office and then melt into the carpet while setting it on fire and other cells have already turned paper, a trash can, a lamp shade and a desk on fire, I knew that I had to pull the plug out of the outlet in the wall in order to stop the current from igniting even more cells. Once the power was removed from the equation then a Tundra aerosol spray fire extinguisher ( like THIS ONE) quickly took care of the fires. Given what I believe would be somewhat larger individual cells in our Ollies I believe that you simply can not afford to be too safe. Bill

No. "Equalization charge" occurs when the Lithionics batteries reach 99% as reported by the Lithionics app. It can take a couple of days connected to shore power. Thereafter, Lithionics does not recommend a "reset of the SOC." But, Lithionics does recommend that when stored, a discharge down to Low Voltage Cutoff (which Donna and Jim Y have just done by leaving the batteries without shore power connection for a couple of months), then recharge back to 100% State of Charge (which they are now in the process of doing), at least once every 6 months.

Stranded, Grateful for your help. You have a standing invitation to camp at our place on the way Alaska or if you get by this part of state. We live on 8 acres surrounded by big Redwoods. Plenty of room to camp with some 15amp power. Not so good for solar panels here. We like the desert and spent a good portion of 7 weeks in southeast ca and parts of Nv over the holidays. We are headed back to southeast ca and maybe other areas in about 30 days with the hope of some great super blooms. My wife is an artist and paints Plein Air and I'm a wildlife photographer, aspersing to be a better landscape shooter. Doing a few locations for super blooms could be fun but not sure about the crowds. We like to be remote away from all the action. Alaska is on our list. I have read about how bad the roads are for flying rocks and the ways to protect the fiberglass... This has slowed down get to Alaska but that's a different project.

Hello Everyone: Goodness I do have a lot to learn about the elictrical system on this trailer. Sorry I didn't put complete info down about the trailer. We do have a Platinum Pro package with 3 Lithium Batteries hat equal 390 amp hours. They do (I think) have internal heaters with blue lights that glow blue when on. There is also an off/on switch that is connected to a red wire that runs above the batteries that I honstly don't know exactly what it goes to.. Yesterday it did not get above freezing. Today we are above freezing. The Lithionics app says the batteries are 81%, 81% and 83% with 12.21V, 12.2V, 12.22V and the battery temps show 33F 34F 34f. The batteries did turn on for me just now and I have reset the Xantrix to 15 amps from 25 amps. Xantric shows 12.2V on wall and app shows battery 25%. So I am now going to go hook up my generator. I'm also learning how to use this site - so thanks for the messages and I am going to read more about charging lithiums fro John also. More soon. Jim

The key word in my post was FED. Fires being fed power from lithiums can transfer a lot of power to the electrical short(s) as compared to the instantaneous power that LA and AGM batteries can generate. I witnessed this at a solar farm where the battery storage building had a short downstream of the Litho's and the fire fighters were in a pickle as the breakers fused and they could not kill the power to the short. What started as a rather large short circuit fed by the litho's ended up turning into a major fire that then involved the batteries themselves. They were there for several days. I absolutely recommend having a Master Shut Off switch that is rated for more amps than the fuse is. In our case many of use 300 amp fuses to power 3000 watt inverters. For this the Blue Seas 350 amp rated switch is a great choice. Best peace of mind I have spent on my Ollie.

Excuse me, I'm in trailer #3 and need to leave now. TILT....

I would first check the charge status before doing anything else. "It is dead" may mean the trailer is dark and the master switch is in the off position. Good to know what the posts of the battery says.

AND - Review all of the threads in the "Mods" section here on the Forum. Bill

We had a cracked bathroom exterior fan cap that that would drip water on the shower floor when raining. Did you drive through rain when the water appeared?

We added new singles from Southern Mattress in North Carolina when we converted from a standard to twin bed arrangement. They are very light and easy to lift or move. We find the comfort level to very good, although comfort is very subjective. I would suggest locating a mattress manufacturer in your area and discuss their bedding options. It would make it easier to try before buying. Mossey

Charlie, We have had Tochta Utopia mattresses for about four years now and like them. The wife likes it better than our mattress at home. They are lighter than latex. Andrew

I decided to fix it my self because I dont trust a lot of the service people. Everyone I spoke to were hours away and i would have to take time off from work, and Im sure it would have been more than one trip. On top of that no one I spoke to would fix it under warrantee they would bill me then I would have to submit the bill to Oliver to try and get compensated. Jason from Oliver got me approved to send me a new thermostat for free but I dont believe it is the problem.When I finally decided to fix the problem my self it only took me a couple of hours to complete. I spent about $50.00 and It not only is working perfectly but I dont have to shut off the heat in order to see what the temperature is. The thermostat from Demetic that was installed by Oliver still controls the AC but the heat its controlled by a separate thermostat that I mounted above the passenger side bed. Its been in the 20's all week and its working perfectly. I also think that its using less propane because its not going on and off like it was before. Bill

We switched from red to black several years ago. Best decision ever. No streaking.

We’ve had black since new, almost 7 years. No issues. I remove and clean a couple of times a year. Mike

No streaking issues at all with the black window seals. I tossed the white seals in the recycle trash bin. Patriot 🇺🇸

I changed our Oliver window seals from white to black a couple years ago. Here are the before and after photos. I haven’t had any streaking from the black seals.

There are several threads discussing this. Here’s one: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/6249-window-weatherstrip-cleaning/#comment-66198

Here's the link to order the black glass seal. 🙂 https://www.pellandent.com/Half-Inch-Glass-Vinyl-Seal

Here is a list of acronyms and abbreviations that are often used on the forum. Suggestions for additional terms are welcome, and can be posted in this thread. Popular and relevant suggestions will be added to main list periodically. 4X2 or 2WD – 2 Wheel Drive 4X4 or 4WD – 4 Wheel Drive 5er or Fiver – Fifth wheel trailer, also abbreviated FW A/C – Air Conditioning AC – Alternating Current ACE or CE - Army Corps of Engineers, more commonly abbreviated COE; often operate campgrounds near their projects. A – Amp or Ampere AGM – Absorbent Glass Mat, referring to a type of batteries many of us use. Ah – Amp Hours Al – Aluminum AS – Airstream ATF – Automatic Transmission Fluid ATS – Automatic Transfer Switch, often shortened to TS Attic - The overhead interior storage area located at the rear of an Oliver AWG – American Wire Gauge, sometimes abbreviated Ga Basement - The exterior storage area located at the rear street side of an Oliver BC – Brake Controller BLM – Bureau Of Land Management, overseer of public lands and operator of many campgrounds, typically in more remote areas of the country. BTU – British Thermal Unit CAT Scale – Certified Automated Truck scales located throughout the US. Many RVers use these scales to weigh their trailers if they don’t have access to another private or public scales. CCC – Cargo Carrying Capacity (payload capacity), sometimes abbreviated NCC CG – Camp Ground COE – Corp of Engineers, also abbreviated ACE or CE; often operate campgrounds near their projects. CONUS - Contenental United States CW – Camping World, a chain of RV supply stores DC – Direct Current DEF – Diesel Exhaust Fluid DS – Dump Station Egg – Fiberglass Trailer FG – Fiberglass, also abbreviated MFG FHU – Full Hook Ups, often abbreviated WES, for Water/Electric/Sewer FT – Full Time FW – Fifth wheel trailer, also abbreviated 5er or Fiver Ga - Gauge (wiring), more commonly abbreviated AWG GAW – Gross Axle Weight GAWR – Gross Axle Weight Rating GCVW or GCW – Gross Combined Vehicle Weight GCWR – Gross Combined Weight Rating Geezer Pass - Lifetime Senior Pass from the National Park Service. Currently, for age 60 and above, $80. Free entance to many National Parks and sights, and often camping discounts in the park campgrounds, and some other participating state and national campgrounds. Gen – Generator GPM - Gallons per Minute, a measurement of water usage and mountain pass fuel consumption GTW – Gross Trailer Weight GTWR – Gross Trailer Weight Rating GVW – Gross Vehicle Weight GVWR – Gross Vehicle Weight Rating HP – Horsepower ICE - Internal Combustion Engine or a conventional ICE vehicle (as opposed to electric) Inch WC - Inches of water column, a measurement of gas pressure often used instead of PSI. LA - Lead acid batteries, typically referring to non-AGM batteries LE – Legacy Elite, Oliver's single axle trailer LEII or LE2 – Legacy Elite II, Oliver's tandem axle trailer LED – Light Emitting Diode LFP or LiFePo – Lithium Iron Phosphate, an alternative to LA or AGM batteries LP – Liquid Propane LT – Light Truck (tires) MFG - Molded Fiberglass, often shortened to FG MVU or MVUM - Motor Vehicle Use Map from the USFS; shows which national forest roads are open for dispersed camping NCC – Net Carrying Capacity (payload capacity), often abbreviated CCC NPS – National Park Service Ollie - short for Oliver. Olly will also be accepted by the judges. OP – Original Poster, the person who started a topic OTT – Oliver Travel Trailers OTTO or Otter – Oliver Travel Trailer Owner OTTOR – Oliver Travel Trailer Owners Rally PM - Private Message; a forum function allowing members to send messages privately to each other, without needing email addresses or phone numbers. PU – Pop Up tent trailer PSI – Pounds per Square Inch Romp - A gathering of OTTers RTV - A silicone sealant of a variety of types RV – Recreational Vehicle SOB - Some other brand; in our forum, any type of trailer other than an Oliver. SP – State Park Stick Built - A travel trailer constructed from wood and panels, unlike an Oliver and other eggs Sticky - a) Stick Built trailer; b) On the forum, a topic of some importance, pinned to the top, so that it "sticks around" and doesn't get lost. TPMS – Tire Pressure Monitoring System TS – Transfer Switch, also abbreviated ATS TT – Travel Trailer TV – Tow Vehicle TW – Tongue Weight V – Volts VA – Volt Amps (Watts) VIN – Vehicle Identification Number USFS – US Forest Service W – Watts Wally World – WalMart Wh – Watt Hours WDH – Weight Distribution Hitch WES – Water/Electric/Sewer, also abbreviated FHU, for Full Hook Ups

I hope Tom will be feeling better soon! I don’t know of any Oliver owners who haven’t had wet socks or bath rug because they either forgot to close the gate or closed it and then ran water. After 7 years I just did it after we returned from Arizona a couple of weeks ago. DUH! Mike

It depends on driving habits and one's foot heaviness. I usually drive conservatively and see 23mpg on the highway with my V8. However, If I'm in a rush and use heavy accelerator while zooming along in the passing lane the mpg drops to 19.