Leaderboard

I own both the Champion 3500W and now the 2500W Generator. I wanted to mod both to run off the Quick Connects from the Oliver...and also still have the ability to quickly setup with stand alone propane tanks for other applications. Both use the 2500W and 3500W us a dual stage regulator propane hose (one with the little finger, one without.) The first stage small regulator connects to a standard propane tank with the larger plastic ACME fitting. The first stage regulator knocks down the high pressure from stand alone propane tanks in prep for the larger diameter second stage regulator. This second stage (much larger size) provides a more precise regulation needed for the generator under various load situations. Stage 2 is really a flow regulator. It doesn't change pressure, it just restricts the amount of gas that flows into the generator. Without it you basically flood the generator with gas and it won't start. To make the Generator work with the quick connects from the trailer, one must remove that smaller first stage regulator. The Oliver Quick connects are already regulated to the correct pressure for the larger second stage regulator on the generator propane cable shipped with the Champion Dual Fuel Generators. In my case, I've disassembled the original dual stage and broken it into two pieces at the coupler between the stage 1 and stage 2 regulators. 1) The second stage regulator has been modified to have a quick connect male feeding into the larger regulator. That stage 2 regulator now connects to my long extension hoses that attach to the female quick connects on the trailer. 2) The first stage regulator is then coupled to a FEMALE quick connect for re-use with stand alone propane tanks. Shown below: First stage regulator with ACME fitting is modified to have a female quick connect coupler. The benefit of this mod is that I still am able to use stand alone 20lb propane tank by coupling the modified smaller regulator to the tank, and the larger stage 2 regulator hose to that this modified coupler. This may be a repeat but I was writing up for my blog anyway so thought I'd post it here. Craig Hull 505

I thought some people might find this interesting for what is worth. With gray and black water empty I filled my fresh water tank to capacity and it added 43 pounds to the tongue. It went from 509 lbs to 552 ponds. I then put my bike receiver and mountain bikes on the rear bumper a total weight of 88 pounds and the tongue weight went down to 508 lbs a 44 pound difference. I was surprised the bikes made that much difference. It goes to show where you put the weight can make a big difference in the CG.

Awesome write-up, Frank! We've been using Berkey Water Filters in our campers for years. Our house water is supplied by an artesian well and tastes great without any weird smell to it - so that's what we start of with on our camping trips. For the Ollie, we like the Travel Berkey - smallest one they make (19"H x 7.5"W), and easy for carrying in the Oliver, we move it around but it usually lives on the night stand. We typically don't drink from the fresh water system but I'm sure we've cooked with it. The Berkey system is simple - no moving parts, gravity drains. Here's a pic off their website: So it holds 1.5gal and can filter up to 2.75g/hr depending on how frequently it's filled. This feature makes the it a great solution for emergencies when your water source is questionable. Like you, we keep our rig watered, fueled, and loaded with dedicated kit just in case something "HTF". We like to keep the fresh water tank as sanitized as possible - so it gets treated 2-3x annually. We also carry a Katadyn KFT Expedition pump filter - works great when the situation presents itself. Water is the next "gold", IMHO.

@MobileJoy I agree John Halter was more than helpful when I had a few questions about this install/mod. One of the best most memorable dinners we enjoyed at MB was here - https://www.seacaptains.com The food and dinning area view of the Atlantic was excellent! Enjoy Myrtle Beach. Patriot🇺🇸

Long install post- I decided it was a gorgeous sunny North Carolina day and just a good day to install the new tinted glass and blind I ordered from Zarcor. I made this a stand alone post as this window install was a bit different from other installs I have read about here. It appears the Lippert now uses a sealant on the exterior window frame which adheres the frame to the door frame opening. They also use a similar sealant on the interior of the exterior frame, which holds the glass FIRMLY in place inside the window. I could not remove the old opaque glass from the old frame. I decided since this really appears to be a one time use sealant that purchasing a new exterior frame would be required. Reusing the old frame and compromised sealant was not an option for me. You will see where the sealant on the old frame came off after removal from the Ollie window door cut out or frame. Some of the old sealant came off on the old opaque window. I was glad I had purchased a new frame through Zarcor to do the install. The new frame was $28 plus shipping. Once I removed the old frame and opaque glass, the install was pretty straightforward. The new window frames use what appears to be a ratchet mechanism which once both frames are sealed together they lock into place. No more rope caulk or screws to tighten down when you sandwich the new window interior and exterior frames together. Zarcor sends (16) little plastic tabs (pics) that release the frames from each other. Without these tabs you cannot remove the frames. Below are a few photos to help describe the process. It’s not terribly difficult; just take your time and read the instructions. We are really happy with this mod and like the idea of seeing who is knock knock knocking on our Ollie’s door. $175.00 for this mod including shipping from Zarcor. The staff at Zarcor made this mod seamless by answering all questions I had before moving forward. Just really great folks to do business with in San Antonio,Texas. This is a fairly easy window mod and I would highly recommend it if you prefer being able to see who is knocking at your door. Take your time and remember be gentle as your working with plastic and glass. link - https://www.zarcor.com/rv_products/rv-door-window-kit/ (16) tabs provided by Zarcor to remove existing frame. You insert equally around slots on the exterior of the interior frame edge. You will see the slots. Ratchet mechanism that holds frames together. Likely to speed up window/door plant assembly production cut costs. After removing the interior frame, a thin bladed puddy knife can be used to separate seal. Old frame and compromised sealant - Another photo of old exterior frame after removal- Throughly clean off old sealant off door frame- Installed new frame, and tinted glass, my bride was a tremendous help with an extra set of hands 🙌 👍🏻. The blind install was again pretty straight forward and it works great! It attaches with several small Velcro tabs. The blind can be operated with the interior screen door closed, just slide screen door plastic opening for access. Finished exterior - we like the way this tinted window matches the rest of our glass. The contrast of the tint vs natural light -

It didn't take us long to see the benefit of having a screen door handle but I couldn't bring myself to drill holes in my screen door so I made these plates to install the handle without drilling. I used 1/8 inch X 1 inch aluminum and drilled and tapped for #8-32 X 3/8 SS screws. The plates "rotate" into place with the hook at the bottom fitting into the cross bar of the door to keep the assembly from sliding up in the door channel. I shortened the handle tube to 19-13/16 inches, slid the end caps on and attached the assembly to the adapter plates. [attachment file=127613] I know, a lot of trouble to go to when I could have just drilled the holes and been done with it but I think it makes for a cleaner installation.

Hull 193 is pre wired for power. The pink B+ and yellow B- are accessed from the left end of the bath overhead cabinet. Mossey

Yeah, this plastic edging treatment is very useful. Now that I've read Patriot's post, I wish I got more - I will anyway this stuff is cheap from Amazon. Totally a friction fit, FYI. Ollie On!

A drop of Loctite (blue) should take care of that issue. Bill

I installed this several weeks ago while in storage and we are now testing it out on our first (short) trip with it. So far so good. We are at a Myrtle Beach site where there is some but not a lot of outdoor lighting hitting the white blind. Very little light is coming through. Will have a better report next month when we have had a number of sites behind us as we travel to the west coast. But so far we can say this is one of the better bang-for-the-buck improvements that can be made. Thanks to all of you above for your installation comments. While working with John Halter was a pleasure, it was nice to have a number of questions to ask, and it was helpful to have warnings about installation issues. The end result of the installation is beautiful, and the function is very good. The only negative I have to report is that one of the handle screws will come loose after a number of openings and closings using the grip button on the handle. Retightening works, but only for a short while. I found that using the grip button to close the blind applies sideways torque to that screw. The workaround is to open or close by pressing the handle where it curves at the top of the vertical handle shaft portion. I was careful not to over tighten the screws and not to elongate the drill holes during installation.

Thanks Steve, I didn't get hold of Josh today so I'll try tomorrow. I'll see if I can get an extra night at Oliver. If not I'll try my luck at Meriwether for a night or two. I'm reserved for DCSP Friday 21st - 23rd. From there I will either swing back by Oliver for anything on the punch list or heading north toward home. Appreciate everybody's help very much!

Chris, after initial order, our delivery date changed one day, but that was because they stopped making Friday deliveries and had to move people around. We never heard anything else from our sales rep since ordering unless I emailed and called repeatedly. Needed to do that to get the VIN for insurance and hull number for the rally (Which Matt ended up getting since I never heard back.) They schedule you one night at Camp Oliver I called to see if I could add one one additional night We’re at DCSP over the weekend, and when I reserved early February, the river loop was full, and the other about half full.

We have chlorinated city water at our house so when we get home after camping trips I drain the fresh water tank to empty out any water left from our last campground hookup, then I run our house water through the trailer city water connection to flush all the faucets and toilet, then I fill the fresh tank, drain it, then fill it again and run all the faucets again using the trailer onboard pump. This gets our chlorinated house water into all the trailer lines (and I leave the fresh tank full with our house water). I repeat this process once a week or so, including draining and refilling the fresh water tank if the trailer is sitting at home for any length of time between trips to keep the water fairly fresh. I also plug into shore power about once a week at home to keep the trailer batteries charged, and I get the propane tanks refilled. It’s easy to do (I have quick connect hose couplings on all of the trailer water connections) and this way I have a 30 gallon emergency fresh water supply at the ready if anything happens at the house with city water being turned off due to borough water line maintenance, etc. Plus the trailer is ready to go on short notice if needed (think of the situation of the folks in East Palestine Ohio that had to evacuate after the train derailment). I like being prepared for emergencies as much as possible, and a stocked & ready Ollie provides a good backup for a lot of situations. We do drink and cook with the water from our fresh water tank while camping, but we always use a multistage filter system. I do winterize as recommended during winter months, and I do the bleach sanitizing process in the spring after de-winterizing.

Immediately got on Amazon and ordered it. I love this forum. In addition to helping me fix problems I have, it teaches me about problems I didn't even know I have. Yea!

Depends who's flying it...

7 years ago I attached a plastic paper towel holder above the sink with command tape. I think it’s a Camco, got it on Amazon for less than $10. It’s still there today after a lot of miles and years. Mike

HA! That’s exactly how we do it! Great minds…, rights?👍🏼😎

Our situation is similar. We took delivery in mid-November, drove our Hull #1291 back to Idaho, then garaged and winterized it for the winter. Per Lithionics' protocol, I did the "run down and recharge" cycle a couple of weeks ago. For our Lithium Pro package, I was surprised that, after shore power was disconnected, it took a couple of days with just the 12V lights and the battery heater drawing power to run the batteries down to reserve status. Next time, I plan to turn on the inverter and run a 120V space heater to see how much that speeds up the "run down" process. I recommend you make it a priority to do the "run down and recharge" cycle soon, to maximize the life of your lithiums.

You can’t travel with the filter pitcher full of water, it will leak like crazy, but you could store it anywhere empty….just keep a small full juice bottle in the fridge for chilling and refill it as needed. Or a gallon milk jug. When you stop for the day, fill the pitcher and it is ready to drink in five minutes. John Davies Spokane WA

Couple drops of Blue Locktite on the threads should keep those screws where they need to be...

That water source at Meriwether is located at 35.52419, -87.45465. Note that there is no sewer dump nor electric but Hohenwald is only about 6 miles from this camp. Bill

Craig, Nice write up! Hope to see you both at this years Oliver Rally! David

Thanks for all the information this is our first year with the trailer we bought it last October and only got to use it for about 10 days. It sat for 3 months winterized and we just flushed and bleached everything. So the tank is now empty and I will leave it empty until our next trip hopefully the weekend after easter. Its been plugged into shore power all winter so I guess we need to run the lithium batteries down and re charge them. Thats next on the list of things to do Bill

If you camp at dcsp after camp Oliver, your tanks should be empty and fresh water full. However, if you need water at Meriwether it is available. Just look at the water fountain closely and you will find a spigot where you can attach a hose. The water fountain is located right in front of the campground restroom. Bill

Will be checking this out while down there. Thanks!

Thanks for the tip. Went ahead and reserved three nights.

I should have mentioned that I have the good old fashioned lead acid wet cells.

Frank: Great water process and planning for an emergency BugOut. The only caution I would suggest to new owners is to be aware that if they have LiFePO4 batteries, to know their specific charging requirements. For our Battleborns, it is not recommended to keep floating them to 100% for both use or for storage. Each mfg has specific charging and storage requirements for their batteries, and some, such as Battleborn, especially so for unattended deep cold winter storage, and it is not anywhere close to 100% SOC. Thanks for sharing your process. I'll be copycatting some of your thoughts into my routine as a result. GJ

If you want to test out your boondocking capabilities while in the area, there is a free space available National Park campground near Hoehenwald at milepost 385.9 on the Natchez Parkway. Meriwether Lewis Campground

Since Camp Oliver has been available, I believe Oliver no longer reserves sites at DCSP. Verify with your sales rep. When we took delivery on November 10, 2022, we stayed one night at Camp Oliver, then 3 nights at DCSP. We were glad we booked our DCSP site a couple of months in advance, because it was over a busy weekend. I recommend booking ASAP. You should be able to rely on the delivery date Oliver has specified. If that changes, the DCSP cancellation fee is nominal.

Love this photo!

Invest in a backup camera for your trailer, it's worth it, as well as a good brake controller for your tow vehicle. Also tow mirrors with upper and lower sections which make it easier to keep an eye on the wheels when you're making tight turns or backing.

Thanks for that David. I just didn't want to be constrained in any way and not be able to get a spot at DCSP. I don't know how much time Stace will get to spend with the initial shake down, but she'll be there with me 2-3 nights. I won't head back home until I'm comfortable with everything and confident every thing is up to par, within reason. Plus it will be a nice place to spend a few days this time of year. I'll check in with Josh White today and discuss the particulars. Thanks again!

Depends on your tow vehicle. For lighter vehicles (less than a 3/4 quarter ton) Anderson's would probably give you great comfort. My 3/4 ton truck and no anderson does fantastically around big rigs. To me, no push.- not scary.

I use a portable 3-stage water filtration system for ANY water going into my baby. I also do the annual bleach cleanse. We fill up at home regardless of the distinations hookup arrangements (just in case). Most of the time we drain it after each trip, unless we're blessed with another trip within a couple of weeks. I'm in Bakersfield, CA, so freezing is not a concern, but due to heat in the summer, all water is drained after every trip.

We usually leave water in the fresh tank. If it’s only a month or so between trips we’ll just go with what we have. If it’s a couple of months or more I will empty and refill right before we leave. I do the bleach thing once a year. We don’t drink or cook with our fresh water. I also carry a small water softener for when we’re on city water. Mike

Chris, Our sales rep coordinated closely with us on the details of delivery day. Yours should as well. As you get closer to your delivery day your sales rep will email you confirming your delivery date other details and and hopefully info on a reservations at DCSP. Oliver usually has a few campsites set aside at David Crocket SP solely for new owners. Hopefully they are still doing this but you may want to ask your sales rep and confirm. We took delivery June 16, 2020 and we stayed at DCSP. We enjoyed this park. I believe our first night at David Crockett was compliments of Oliver. You can add a few extra days on your dime. Think hard about staying a few extra days at DCSP (highly recommended) this will give you time to give your Ollie a really good systems shakedown, push every button! If you have any “shake down” issues you can head right back to Oliver Service and get them addressed before heading home or beyond. Your special day is right around the corner and approaching fast! The team at a Oliver will go to great strides to get you taken care of, that I can tell you. - David

After each trip when returning home we empty our fresh tank. We refill again with home tap water the day we depart on our next trip. We sanitize usually once a season. We do not drink water from our fresh tank. We carry plenty of bottled water. Patriot🇺🇸

Congratulations Steve and Deb! Now the fun begins in earnest. Sounds like you have a well thought out plan. That brings up a couple questions for me. We have a delivery date of April 18 based on the original invoice information. How accurate is that date and can we expect more of a window as far as pick up date? And with that question I wonder how late we can wait to make reservation at David Crocket not knowing the exact schedule at this point being three weeks out? Thanks for you help and most of all, enjoy and safe travels!

Almost like triple tow.

This would make backing up almost impossible because of the extra added hitch connection between the tow vehicle and trailer, plus the extra length. The patent mentions a stability function while towing but unless it includes some incredible computer assisted smarts to also help with backing up while connected to the tow vehicle, this wouldn’t be practical. The one diagram shows a person using this tow assist as a trailer valet but having to unhook and do that every time you needed to back up would be a pain.

Steve and Deb, Congrats! Try and get some good rest Tuesday evening before delivery day. And most of all have a great time! David & Kathy

Have a great time! Don't be afraid or too courteous to approach anyone you see to just say hello or ask a question - I've never met an Oliver person that wasn't anything but kind and helpful. From what I've seen over the past months, you guys are as prepared as you can be. But, you will still be fed a bunch of information in a short period of time. Make sure that you give yourself some "relaxing" time. Bill

w00t! Tomorrow morning, @DebMand I leave on a leisurely two-day drive to Hohenwald, Tennessee. Wednesday morning, we will take delivery of #1360, and stay two nights at Camp Oliver. Then two more nights just down the road at David Crockett State Park. We are beyond thrilled that this day is soon upon us, and thank all of you here for your encouragement, suggestions, and answers to endless questions!! After DCSP, we head to Pine Mountain, Georgia, where we will spend three nights at the Callaway Gardens lodge with [name redacted] in the parking lot. As mentioned before, Deb is an avid vegetable and flower gardener, and decades long member of our local garden club. We visited Callaway Gardens 25 years ago, but missed the rhododendron and azalea blooming. Hopefully, we will be at peak bloom next week. Then we will head home {unless a stop is needed at Oliver for any fixes) where we have several accessories to install before our spring/summer camping begins. If anyone will be at Oliver Wednesday through Friday, stop and say "Hi!" We'll be in the white trailer. 😉 A new thread with delivery photos, our travels, and modifications will start soon!

That's the same price I paid (out the door, no tax) at the Big Tent in Quartzsite last month. I bought an extra 100 amp hour battery to put into the truck to run the Dometic fridge/freezer.

MAX Burner - Nice job, neat and tidy. I guess Oliver has to skip small visual detail improvements due to cost and the extra labor involved. I protected my cover edges by wrapping the entire unit in stretch wrap, and storing it permanently on a garage shelf 😉 I love your shop floor. John Davies Spokane WA

We still have the original standard cushions in our elite. We use a 2 inch memory foam topper. (3rd version) 15 years later, we are happy,,and sleep very well.

Great writeup, David.

I did the same thing last year. Home Depot only had white handles, so that’s what I got. A little retro, reminds me of our screen doors when I was a kid.

At the Oliver Rally several people commented on my low tech solution to the door handle problem. The handle was $2.50 at Ace Hardware, and I used two sheet metal screws. I decided on this solution after reading Topgun2's post about the screen door handle, and that the bar did not have the strength to support someone when getting in or out of the camper.