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I’ve never known Oliver to purposely select an inferior product in order to save a few dollars.

Hello @HDRider from another rider. We leave to pick our Ollie, God willing, in two days. It was a hard decision for us as well as we had to drastically downsize our home and lives to make this commitment possible. But in the realm of RV life, the Oliver is the only way to go that has any level of financial stability. I don't feel like we are throwing money down the drain. Ollie-Haus will be an investment that will get passed on to my son and his wife when we are done using it and the investment will reward them with great times down the road as well. There's much to be said about the recovery process from a lifetime of working, and there's no better way than reconnecting with your wife and the simple but valuable things in life. Traveling in your Oliver will be very simple and will teach you to enjoy the moments together again no matter where your front porch is sitting each day. Congratulation!

I wanted to let everybody know that Anita has had an accident inside her home. She fell while descending a flight of stairs to her basement and has sustained a hip fracture. She endured a 10 hour procedure to remove hardware placed during a (years ago) surgery after car accident before her hip could be repaired. She states she is currently in a lot of pain. I know she is facing months of rehab and recovery. She is hopeful she will be well enough and her doctors will allow her to come to Guntersville in May. Please keep Anita in your thoughts and prayers as she works her way through this difficult time.

Mine had cracked, and judging by the pink discoloration, the cracking was probably due to the winterizing anti-freeze. I couldn’t find just the clear bowl/screen part available as a replacement so I just ordered the entire assembly that John linked above, and swapped out the bowl/screen. When you do replace the bowl, make sure that the O-ring is in place and properly seated when you install the new bowl, otherwise air can get sucked in and prevent the pump from priming.

I have a vintage Diana 100 that is an absolute joy to shoot. The trigger is amazing and it has same hole accuracy at 10m.

My 2016 (Hull #117) that I picked up in mid-February of 2016 came original with Michelins. However, Mike's at hull # 135 came with BF Goodrich. Go figure. Bill p.s. about two months ago I replaced the Michelins with four new Coopers - if there is ANY doubt replace them!

My wife and I will be looking to get our degree! We plan to hit the wonderful state parks here in Arkansas first to get our RV legs. My wife loves the beach, and I love my wife, so Florida is on the horizon. From there we will follow the seasons.

Next Monday is my last day to cancel my order without penalty. I think we are committed. It is a lot of money, but after studying RVs for over two years now, I simply do not see other brands being as well built and the culture there at Oliver in Tennessee seems to be all about building a good RV. I am excited, and to be honest a little nervous. My expected delivery date is early August. More about us. My wife and I have been married for a long time. We have two grown kids who don't live close by. I retired from corporate life about six years ago. We spent that time decompressing from suburban life and the demands others placed on us. We now enjoy the country life. Over the last six years we stayed close to the farm with our cattle and sheep. That really helped me come back to life after sitting behind a desk for almost 40 years. We sold the livestock last spring and are now anxious to hit the road and see this great country. I am learning patience. We are waiting to take delivery of a fully outfitted LE II. I hope to see you Ollies out and about. Stop by our camp and say hi!

It looks like the mystery of my hot brake drums on one side has been solved. Last fall I learned that the tires we received from the factory at delivery last summer contained balance beads. This is relevant because the first thing I did when we got the trailer home that summer was take it to a tire shop to have metal valve stems installed. I also had the wheels spin balanced for good measure. A little research revealed that tires containing balance beads will not spin balance correctly. It'll look right on the machine, but not be correctly balanced when the beads shift on the road. Maybe that was why both clockwise-rotating tires were running hot... Before putting the trailer to bed last winter I removed all the stick-on and clip-on weights installed by the tire shop. We just returned from our first trip of the season, 2300 miles. Whereas the right wheels were running 60 degrees hotter than the left before (per IR measurement of the drums), I saw no more then 10 degrees difference between any two wheels on this trip. I think the problem is solved. (I will, however, continue to monitor wheel temps going forward in case there was residual damage to tires or bearings.)

I was looking for a way to prevent a road bump from releasing the TV from its horizontal stowed position. I know some have put pieces of pool noodle between the TV and the underside of the "attic" cabinet, but I didn't like the way that pressed on the plastic back of the TV. I wanted something that would fit against the metal bracket instead. I came up with this: It's a section of large pool noodle, slit lengthwise twice, with that section removed to make a large "C" shape. The "C" then clips around the bracket attached to the back of the TV and wedges between that bracket and the underside of the "attic" above. This way, all the pressure is on the metal mount, not on the TV, and it still prevents the mount from bouncing up and releasing on a rough road.

Hello Oliver World I have spent the last three summer and shoulder seasons either tent camping out of my Land Cruiser or towing the pictured UEV 490, a South African overland camper. This setup has allowed me to cross many “gatekeepers” in search of remote camping locations. These solo excursions have been awe inspiring and on a more recent trip, harrowing. But alas, a greater power has intervened. My wife and a neighboring doctor friend has commanded this 74 year old kid return from the abyss to a civilized camping life. Today, I sold my beloved 490. I will toast her tonight with some Tennessee whiskey. In a couple of weeks, I will begin a 1,400 mile trek to Howenwald to attend an egg hatching on April 24th. SPOILER ALERT: I have never been within 50 feet of an Oliver. Yes I hear you. “The guy must be an idiot”. My defense: 20 years of camping in fiberglass eggshell Bigfoot campers, five months of perusing u-tube videos and the Oliver forums. As any IH8MUD member or Oliver forum member knows, if it passes the John Davies Seal of Aproval, it must be gold. The purpose of this posting, is to apologize in advance for the heavy load I will no doubt become to the Oliver family. I am more intimidated by the technological advances of this camper than some of my gatekeeper crossings. If alarm bells go off the first night, I will retreat with sleeping bag to my Land Cruiser and fall fast asleep in the fetal position. Deal with the educational curve the next day. For the record, I will not blame John if he blocks me. Looking forward to safe camping with both my family and the Oliver family. Steve Corzette

John, I already installed Firestone airbags per your instructions. In an effort to reduce overland gear weight, I removed the 270 awning (54LBS). Remember, I have deleted the second & third row seats which offsets the ARB drawers. I will delete (for this trip) my foldable e-bike which sits behind the driver. So in essence I have only the armored belly & roof rack. also took your advice on tire size. LT285/60R18 ...General Grabber A/TX Needless to say, I will not have a need for my roof mounted overland gear, extra water, no genny, etc. The 30LB propane tanks will add an extra empty wt of 12LBS but as a general rule only half full, offsetting 10 of the 12 LBS. I wanted the extra capacity to feed my propane fire pit for extended boondocking. For some strange reason I ordered the front rack, which will be empty. The BIG QUESTION.... WILL SHE FLOAT?? Solid fiberglass construction...reminds me of my boat. I will be returning home around May 1st...maximum flood conditions. I want to avoid the Denver/ Eisenhower Tunnel climb. Going north via Poudre Canyon or to IH80 via Laramie/Walton or Cresent/Craig are flood prone areas. Craig is already flooded. The southern route via New Mexico/ Moab may be my only option. Long route with many possible wash out areas. Should be fun. Just kidding about the boat. Cheers, Steve

Welcome, you are probably fully aware that your Cruiser is already pretty darn heavy, with the offroady stuff, so if you do not already have it, install an OME HD suspension kit. Try to keep the LE2 light (no cargo on the tongue, OK on the back). Rear airbags for leveling “may” not be needed with the stiffer springs. The stock LC suspension is pretty cushy - comfy but not especially great for heavy loads. Keep the gear off the roof of the Cruiser, it gets really tippy.These trucks are super stout and you can safely go over the GVW with suspension work. But it isn’t really advisable, legally speaking, in the event of a collision that causes injury, so publicly I am saying don’t do it. I purposely avoided falling into the bottomless financial pit of overland accessories. Been there, done that with my LX450. Do not be like this Tacoma, he probably has a negative reserve payload for essentials like food, wife, and firearms…. 🙂 PS, the LE2 is great if you have company, but for *solo* camping the LE1 will be a far FAR better choice behind an LC200 in any form of modification. PPS I don’t have the authority to block anybody, nor would I wish to. WELCOME WELCOME. John Davies Spokane WA .

We ordered our trailer in Sept ‘15 for delivery in December/January sometime. We put off our delivery until May so I was told our chassis and other parts were put aside until early ‘16 when work on it resumed. So, parts of our trailer were pre-2016, including tires. I believe that is why we got the BF Goodrich. Mike

I use this Thetford drain valve lubricant in both the black and gray tanks to lubricate the valves. So far no stuck valves. https://a.co/d/4RTsboO

Michelins weren’t used in trailers through 2016, BF Goodrich was standard. I think they went to Michelin sometime in 2017. Mike

Awesome plan, @HDRider! Happy wife - happy life, right? We cruised from our casa in NM to Key West several years ago with our rig - May timeframe. Enjoyed the beaches along the panhandle from P-cola to Apalachicola. KW was incredible. Welcome aboard and enjoy your trip in your new Oliver! (PS, I'm thinking there's quite a few of us out there in Ollie world that also ride bikes... just say'n. Maybe a topic for the forum?)

OK - but if you have to get a restraining order to keep me from following you around - it will be a problem!🥰

And l thought the saying was “keep the greasy side down”, but I guess they do go hand ‘n hand! Mossey

Like THIS After I purchased mine I have not had the need to use it even once - nice insurance though. Bill

Steve, terrible news! I hope they can get her back to where she was. We will certainly keep her in our prayers. I hope we see her at the rally. Mike

I bought one from Amazon.

Complete strainers are cheap and easy to find. SHURFLO (255-313) 1/2" Twist-On Pipe Strainer I read an article that some RV antifreeze brands can affect and crack the plastic housing, you might think about changing brands or researching that topic John Davies Spokane WA

THAT explains it.

Welcome and good luck. We too are anxiously awaiting our delivery date, about four weeks away. I don’t drive an 18 wheeler, but my dozen roses are on order for Friday. Our Kathy Mattea moment is this Friday! We cannot wait to start our new adventure together. Ollie-Haus, give a toot when your hit Louisville. We live just west of I65 and the ballpark. We will be on the lookout for your return. We have a clear view of the expressway from our place. Assuming you are taking I 65.

Hi Everyone, We are happy to be the new owners of Hull #402. We have done a lot of tent camping, but we are new to RV camping. Looking forward to many adventures and excited to be a part of the Oliver Family!

It's nice having the gas regulator "fixed" in position on the threaded rod with the nuts/washers when you're filling/changing-out tanks instead of flopping around!

Just bought some. I'll slowly knock out labeling the cables/harness system as I go through the systems. This could become mind-numbing....🤪

I have run Michelin's on all my rolling stock for 52 years. Never had a problem. As such, I consider my experience to their products to consistently be top notch. As such, my comments were pretty explicit. None the less, eventually my Ollie Michelins will require replacement based upon their condition, not some arbitrary age opinion. Sadly, as indicated on other posts, I understand that they no longer make LT or ST tires for our OE2 16" rims. Are there any brands that offer such quality tires as Michelin, that wear out before they age out, and fit our rims? GJ

This is pretty neat and reminds me of when my dad got me a Crossman air rifle for Christmas when I was 10 years old, and set up a target range in the basement. It was about a 30' range with a plywood backstop against a block wall. I could staple paper targets on the plywood and practice all I wanted. It was pretty much an empty basement besides boxes of Christmas decorations and some exercise equipment. Couldn't hurt much besides a light bulb or window. Dad was an Expert rank rifleman in the Marines in the Korean war, and carried the BAR in combat. He used to tell me the average life span of a BAR rifleman in combat was measured in hours. He come home alive after nearly two years of heavy combat engagements. Needless to say he wanted me to hone my skills at a young age, and learn to respect the weapon. The rules were simple, never load the gun until I was ready to shoot. Safety on and don't touch the trigger until the bullseye was in my sights. Nobody else besides dad or mom in the basement while I was practicing. And last of all, if anything but the plywood got hit directly by a BB, the gun would be gone. I got the message loud and clear, and didn't want to lose my new gun. Thanks for sharing this John, I'm not an airgunner much these days, except for dealing with the occasional vermin in the garden. But I do love practicing with all calibers at the local outdoor range to to stay competent. I'll be following.

I make a placard on my iMac, print it out, laminate it and stick it down with double back clear tape. I try to make them all look alike with equal sized fonts. John Davies Spokane WA

We've talked about this before - Prior to sometime in 2017/18 there was no standard wiring harness. All wiring was done on an individual trailer basis by one (or more) of what I believe to have been three different "electricians" who used what wire and wiring they thought best. Bill

Thank you. https://topairgun.com/faq/ https://hardairmagazine.com/ Watch lots of videos before you buy. NEVER PAY RETAIL. These airguns are frequently discounted heavily, up to 40%. They are awkward and heavy to ship, so if you buy from an individual, expect to pay up to $50 for shipping. The online stores have deals with shippers, usually they ship free or for a small fee. John Davies Spokane WA

Welcome. Enjoy the new adventures to come.

I agree with Both Mike and Steve in their cautions. But, I suggest you have your tires inspected by a qualified technician: If your trailer came with Michelin LT tires, and don't have a lot of miles, there is a probability that they are still in pristine condition as they have been stored inside out of the sun and weather. My experience with Michelins is that they slowly age out compared to other brands. However if they are not Michelin tires, then the odds decline. Any age related defect, regardless of brand should result in a reshod of your Ollie. Follows is a lot of "IF''s": If you are towing your trailer long distances in areas where assistance is unlikely then stretching the life of the original tires is generally a bad idea. If you are traveling at or below the posted speed limits on paved roads. If on the other hand, the Tech finds no defects, and if you are camping local and if the sites are paved, then your risk factor may be acceptable. And the BIG IF is: Are you comfortable and capable of changing a flat trailer tire on the side of the road? That's a lot if "IF's". So basically for me, this is more about Risk Management and not a hard and fast rule that all tires should be retired at age X. Geronimo John

This is an update based on data gathered over the past 6 days using the Varioheat furnace during cool weather on the Oregon Coast. We kept getting an error code on the CP Plus wall control unit advising that either the supply ducts or the return air vents were obstructed. It would shut down, then re-ignite. We ensured there was nothing under the bed on our standard floor plan Hull #1291, but the error codes persisted. So, I removed the air filter I installed as described in my original post on this thread. VOILA! No more error messages. I have concluded that the Varioheat furnace is calibrated to function without a filter, and that my addition of a filter set off an airflow sensor causing it to shut down. So, my experiment with a homemade add-on filter created an unintended failure. I plan to leave the filter off of my Varioheat. I recommend you do the same.

Welcome to the group. Some of our favorite state parks are in Arkansas! Mike

@mossemi: "...and the shiny side UP!" HA!

There's an old saying in the motorcycle world - "tires are cheap insurance".

Mark, Welcome to Oliver ownership and the forum. For your truck specifics, look at the RECEIVER of your F150 Hitch for a Rating Sticker. The one below is from a 2018 F150 with max tow package. It shows two sets of numbers, Weight Distributing: States max trailer weight and max tongue weight for the hitch if you are using a weight distribution trailer hitch (like the Anderson used on Olivers). In this case 12,200 lb trailer and 1,220 lbs direct downward force of tongue weight. An Elite II full of food and gear weighs between 5500-6500 lbs. The tongue weight is about 10% of that and can range from 525-700 lbs depending on how you've loaded the trailer. (10% of Trailer Wt calculated as tongue weight is a goal for a very stable tow with the Oliver Elite II) Weight Carrying: States the max trailer weight when you are NOT using a weight distribution hitch. This is just dropping a trailer on the ball and driving away. Note it's set to a 5000 lb trailer (like the Elite single axle) and 500lb's max tongue weight. Most of the time you'll find that a loaded Oliver Elite II will have greater than a 500lb tongue weight. (Ours runs in the 620+ range because we have a front basked full of gear. Implication: If you have an F150 with these receiver ratings, you should be using a weight distributing Anderson hitch with your Oliver Elite II for safety purposes. Hull 505 Galway Girl Craig Short

OK... We are very "jelly" that y'all will be attending the O-Rally... we'd love to join, but we're previously committed. That said, are there plans to have Jason's presentation recorded somehow so those of us who can't attend will be able to glean from his information?

Welcome to the group Steve. I don’t think you’ll regret your decision! I would be a little intimidated by the tech that is on the new trailers, too. There was much less tech on 2016 models. There will be lots of help here when you need it. Mike

Welcome and congrats on your new to you LE2 Ollie! We also did plenty of tent camping years ago, we love camping in Ollie!

@Ollie-Haus PS —- Chris, did you get the Mopeka Tank Rings too? Those will protect the base of your tanks and give some distance between the floor and your sensors. Highly recommend! BL

Dang Brian, you and I could be brothers! 😃I just got my Mopeka propane monitors, and have been looking for the perfect tank security method. Love what you have here. And I have the Gastops in my Oliver shopping list on Amazon for a purchase after we get back home. Glad to see they fit together in the assembly and still fit with the tank cover installed. Thanks a million for the suggestions! BTW 3 weeks until delivery day!

These are some great mods to the propane set up. I chose a slightly different locking mechanism (since I had it left over from my AS days) and I didn't like the way the regulator assembly was just placed on the threaded rod. SO, I went and got two 1/2" nuts and matching washers to secure the regulator assembly to the rod by itself. Then I installed my "GAS STOP" devices and my Mopeka tank monitor sensors. Finally, I got my Torklift Fortress tank lock in place. Picture below along with second pic of tank monitor wall mount console.

Time will tell. I registered all of our Truma products, to extend the warranty from one to two years. Logically, a simple filter, using purpose-built filter fabric, should extend, not shorten furnace life. But, after 35 years of litigation practice, it does not surprise me when companies latch on to any excuse to deny warranty coverage. On balance, I would rather try to protect the furnace I have, and take the warranty denial risk, than leave it unprotected and rely on the warranty. In any event, Murphy's Law suggests that the furnace will fail two years and one month after purchase!

Final update (I hope). Just returned from a 500 mile trip to midstate NY. All 4 brake drums are running approximately the same temp now. I'm thinking the left shoes are finally broken in and all 4 brakes are working properly now. 😀

Don, On our trip home from the Oliver factory, we used our on board water tanks as you plan to. We also carried some store bought bottled water in the 2 gallon size with the built in spouts. For us the lesson learned was that for whatever water container you use, make sure it has a screw down lid! Many of the store bought water jugs we came across have a press on soft plastic lid, I'd avoid those, they were a major headache. In our smaller Elite, we found it a hassle to have a large water container kicking around, but luckily I had brought along a 1 gallon BPA free water jug from home with a handle and screw down lid. This worked great for our daily water needs (cooking/drinking) and was easy to refill from a larger 5 gallon water can that I kept in our TV. Depending on time of year and destination will have a huge impact on water use. In the early season, many BLM and FS campgrounds don't have their water turned on yet. Summer in the desert...well, you get the idea. Water still can be found though. I purchased an inline water filter to refill the trailer and our drinking water containers and was glad I did just for piece of mind. Can't have too much of the stuff if you ask me. Having extra can also be handy to refill your trailer for showers, dishes, toilet, etc., when there are no hookups and you don't want to drive looking for water. My setup ultimately will be two 5 gallon cans (maybe more if we're really going to be out in the tules.) and two or three of those smaller 1 gallon jugs for taking in the trailer. I was looking at the Wavian NATO water cans: https://gijerrycan.com/water-cans/blue-water-can.html, but those Scepter cans look pretty good and are much cheaper. Although the Wavian cans are bomb proof so I have heard. They certainly make the best gas cans... Have fun! Dave

There might have been another 22 footer there if only............................