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We bought our Oli and truck on the same day 2years ago yesterday. Note not from the same person. It has been a great 2 years of camping both boondocking and with utilities. I have learned so much. Trying to find the campground I made a wrong turn and had to back out, then I found the park office to ask directions to the campground and then had to back around to get back out. Then finally back into the space. Each time backing up without a problem. 2years ago it took about a half a dozen shots to make it into a camp space. Also a reason to celebrate this will be the first weekend without rain. Going hiking today to see some of the waterfalls at Silver falls Oregon. Sorry if the picture is upside down. I can’t seem to get it correct.

DYMO Label Maker with Adapter | LabelManager 420P High-Performance Label Maker, Rechargeable, PC and Mac Connectivity, Bright Backlit Display, Easy-to-Use, Portable, for Home & Office Organization This price has dropped 46% since I added it to my Wish List a couple of years ago. I just ordered one and a bunch of generic bulk packed tapes, the Dymo ones are from europe and are $$$. Plus a padded case (this unit doesn’t come with one). Reviewers comment that the 420P fits it fine, it is returnable if that is incorrect. Case Compatible with DYMO Label Maker LabelManager 160/280 Portable Label Maker, Label Printer Storage Organizer for AC Adapter, Tape Cartirdges and More Accessories(Box Only) Black You can get flexible nylon tape for wires or cables. It will print up to 4 lines on wide tape, for example addresses or barcodes, rechargeable battery, computer interface, etc. Make an Ollie label, stick it down, add a strip of regular clear tape on top for protection. It will beat printing from my iMac, laminating, trimming, and sticking down with double sided tape. I hope…. These are a blowout sale, this price may not last long. John Davies Spokane WA

JC, Welcome to the fourm. And good for you on forward thinking and planning your retirement years. Naturally only you and your financial planner can make the best informed decision on this next chapter in life. You will know when it’s time. If you are interested in an Oliver I would highly recommend you initially spend your time reading through Oliver University owners manual and watch the great “how to” videos developed by Oliver. Oliver University is a wealth of information and Oliver has gone to great lengths to produce the videos. Personally I think the videos are invaluable. I can assure you time spent reading on this forum and taking a deep dive in Oliver University will put you in a really better place should you decide to place an order. Oliver also offers factory tours if you’re ever in Hohenwald, Tenn. The tours are awesome! You can also contact Oliver and they will help arrange a showing of an Oliver by a local owner in your area. Many owners are more than willing to spend time with you to show and tell their Oliver. Here is a link to get you started -https://olivertraveltrailers.com/oliver-university/ Most of all have fun on here, ask questions, we are all glad to help. Patriot🇺🇸

Hi J.C. If you haven't started doing this, start subscribing to some of the popular RV channels on YouTube. There's a wealth of knowledge they share, their experiences and many of them are very honest about the typical obstacles and difficulties that can come up that you should be prepared for. Just to name a few, Long Long Honeymoon , Keep Your Daydream, CheapRVliving, Today Is Someday, All About RVs, RV with Tito DIY........ there are many more but these are all good and will give you plenty to watch and learn about. Welcome to the forum and good luck.

John, I had the same issue with my awning. There is a small allen-head screw that needs a quarter to half turn that will likely fix your awning to close all the way. I believe the screw gets turned clockwise but this detail is in the Girard manual for sure. I would try this first before adjusting anything else. Mine looked like yours in that it wouldn't close all the way. I made a very small adjustment to that allen-head screw and now my awning retracts completely.

Replacing xantrax on my Oliver Elite II 2021. Can't beat power assist on Victron components (Uses battery to meet power requirements when specificed amount of current is set) I have had Victron Multiplus in my old camper and I am crying for the first time , I hate drilling into this beautiful Elite but can't get wires from upper cabinet to lower components without drilling. Going to install Victron MPPT - 100 /30 for outside solar panels 400 watts of ground deployed solar panels Victron Orion 12 volt to 12 Volt charger for vehicle charging and for a Pecron 500 amp hour battery I have under the bed. Victron Smartshunt for monitoring batteries Victron Cerbo GX for the brains of the operation all components plug into and are monitored by this device. Victron small touch screen Built wood support for Multiplus much heavier than xantrax probably double. (I did not lift or look at weights but had a friend put in place) (6 back surgeries lifting days are over) Here are some pictures Had one heck of time getting hole centered perfect to drill. Went as far as I could in corner of cabinet . . . . . .Little scary but turned out ok. Going to work on Battery box holes at same time and maybe add ventilation for batteries at same time. Thanks to everyone for posting information on ventilation Take care Montana Oliver

After 3 years, for reasons too numerous to mention, (with the exception of one 300 mile trip) hull 98 hitting the open road again. Starting 5/17 - Grand Canyon, Bryce, Canyonlands, maybe Arches, depending on crowds, Tetons, Yellowstone, and my wife is flying home to Maine from Bozeman on 6/4, and a friend flying in same day to do some fishing in Montana and Wyoming for a week or two before heading back east. Not the best time of year for fishing due to snow runoff, but we’ll be out there so won’t pass up the opportunity. Gray Ghost is 7 1/2 years old now , so new tires, wheel bearings, shocks, batteries and changed out the water pump. Carrying a spare propane regulator. Found the first leak since I’ve had it coming from the porch light over the dinette, re-caulked that. Others checked out fine. The caulk around the bath fan was missing 1/4” chunks, but wasn’t leaking. Upon removal discovered it was bedded in plumbers putty, with a protective silicone caulk around the outside. The plumbers putty was like new, and not leaking, so reinstalled the same way. All systems go (🤞🏻)…..

And - now you can see it both coming and going (or left and right?) Looks good either way. Bill

Awesome location, enjoy!! Attached an upright version of your picture.

I doubt it.

There used to be a locking plate for truck bed and foot. We'll designed, but no longer available. The plastic handle can be protected with one of these. (I'm showing home depot, but available from a myriad of places) Honda EU2000i Generator Theft Deterrent Handle https://www.homedepot.com/p/Honda-EU2000i-Generator-Theft-Deterrent-Handle-63230-Z07-010AH/206798584 SKU# 206798584

Welcome @HDRider. I took approximately 8 years to make my first RV purchase. And even though I knew of and dreamt of owning an Oliver, I accidentally found one at a North Caroline RV dealer. They purchased two used Oliver E-IIs from Florida. Mine, hull #110 was in the best shape and, from what @Anita Johnston said, was a demo model back in 2016. Anita is the one who helped the original owner get it all setup (via Oliver purchase). She is a wealth of historic information. I hope to meet her someday. Anita and others at Oliver (service) have been good to work with when I had questions or inquiries. And this forum, WITHOUT A DOUBT, is superb. So many resources and experience here. Next month I will be attending my first ever rally of any sorts, and it will be an Oliver rally to boot. At first I was nervous, but after getting my "Wayfinder" out for the weekend last weekend, I'm really excited now. I even had to setup the Ollie on a 3.7 degree slope, first time ever. That was scary. But, it never moved, with lots of chocks and common sense, or luck. It's been a very long 18 months in this family, and now hoping to get back on track with fun. I "hope" my first ever RV purchase is also the last, unless.... it's another Oliver? Hmmmm. Actually, I'm torn between new tech and keeping everything original on #110 as long as possible. We'll see which side of the brain wins that battle. Good luck. Take your time, create and USE your checklists every time. Cheers, Chris

I wonder if someone will someday rip out some of the complexity having solar, batteries, inverters, etc, and put in place a Jackery 3000 Pro, or something similar. Where everything is built in to the power unit. If it goes bad, just replace entire unit. Bam, done! I thought I had posted here back in 2021, but could not find my thread, but I once left the fridge on DC over night and it drained my four 81 AH batteries to just under 50% state of charge. The sun was not yet up so I placed my Jackery 1000 on the tail gate of the truck and using a dog-bone directly plugged the Oliver into the Jackery using the front 30amp receptacle. Worked like a charm and quickly got my house batteries to around 70% charge by the time the sun came up and my solar panels could take over. I'm envisioning an easy plug & play system where the Jackery (or other good system) has everything built-in. The 3000 pro now has bluetooth app to manage the system and a 30 AMP RV receptacle. Heck, no more need for a generator, place Jackery inside, run 30 amp cable thru window screen to plug in trailer. LOL. Sure, a bit redneck, but that's what made America. 🙂 Maybe some day. Hey Oliver, call Jackery. Make a new cutting edge industry first system. It goes nicely with Oliver quality. IMHO. 🙂

An Airstream concept trailer. No production date projected, and combining Airstream and Porsche means this will be a REALLY expensive little trailer. https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a43234914/airstream-porsche-camping-trailer-concept-sxsw/

This happened tome recently. Very easy fix. Drill out the two rivets. Tighten up the nut inside the housing and then put two new rivets back in. Easier done than said. Good luck

Good luck on that one - since Michelin doesn't make them for a 16 inch wheel anymore. THAT is the reason that Oliver changed tire manufacturers. Bill p.s. please be very careful on tires of that age - they may look perfect on the outside but you really can not see what's going on inside the tire.

Same thing happed to us as well. I did exactly what conner77 did. All's well after 2 1/2 months. Best of luck, John

Looks like you've mastered Oliver camping, even in the rare upside down camping sites! I'm sure this will get corrected, but glad you are getting out and about between rains. Looks like a beautiful location. We are entering early mushroom season here in Indiana and will be picking up the Oliver just in time. Can't wait!

Thanks for setting the record straight. I really questioned the accuracy myself. That is why I posted two articles. Buying real US products is important to me. I try very hard to avoid products made in China, or products made by Chinese companies if I can.

JC, welcome to the forum. Good advice above. Take some time to go through posts on this forum and then ask any questions you might have. There are some smart folks here eager to help. Mike

Thanks for the info. But some of that is either misleading or wrong. Harbor Freight is an American company but the Predator generators are built in China and imported, like almost all HF products. Companies will use wording like “designed in USA” (Apple does this a lot) to give a more positive impression.

I thought some of you might like reading this. Here are some of the top generator brands made in the USA. Generac Craftsman Kohler Briggs and Stratton Cummins https://thesavvycampers.com/where-are-champion-generators-made/ While the generator brands mentioned below do not have their headquarters in China, many of them still produce at least a few components overseas. Kohler – Kohler is a very reliable generator brand with its headquarters in Wisconsin, U.S.A. The brand has manufacturing facilities in Wisconsin and other states to account for high demand. Generac – Generac generators are proudly made in the United States, more specifically Wisconsin at their many manufacturing facilities. Onan – Elkhart, Indiana, is the epicenter of production for Onan generators, but in 2010, Onan outsourced the production of engines and other parts to China. Like so many other brands, the sticker will say made in the United States, but certain parts likely get produced in China. Honda – Honda is one of the best generator brands you can purchase, and they are made entirely in Japan. Japan has a reputation for producing reliable and excellent small engine products, and their generators are no exception. Champion – Champion generators are made and designed in America, but their engines get produced in China. Like many other brands, Champion will say that they undergo production in America, but this isn’t completely true. Pulsar – Pulsar generators are great products and get produced in Ontario, Canada. Pulsar generators are comparable to some of the top brands in the U.S. and Japan and have a much-deserved reputation of excellence. Their base of operations isn’t in the United States, but they’re still American-made. Westinghouse – Westinghouse is one of the oldest manufacturers of electronics and generators in the world. They are based in the heart of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and produce thousands of products, including generators. Craftsman – Craftsman generators, like the parent company Generac, is an American-based brand that produces excellent generators. Craftsman is a more affordable version of Generac, the leading manufacturer of generators in the world. Predator – Predator generators are an American product that gets produced by the American tool manufacturing company Harbor Freight Tools. While they have a reputation for producing cheap but decent tools and products, generators are no exception. They come at a lower price and will have a quality and lifespan that reflects that price. https://pickgenerators.com/generators-made-in-china/

Don't wait to retire longer than you have to. Things can change on a dime and take time away from you. That's my best advice. As for RVing, consider renting 1 or 2 and trying the lifestyle before you commit big dollars to a new purchase. Some people find it isn't for them. Don't expect a problem-free idyllic RV lifestyle like you see on RV ads. You'll need to be flexible and handy with basic repairs on the road. Read, read, read RV forums. Good luck.

They go hand in hand. Enjoy the journey . Our experience has been that not everything goes "as planned," and we make few reservations. National parks are an exception.

It’s “HAMster” English 🤣

it’s definitely aerodynamic - concur that an Airstream/Porsche design team will ensure this rig will not be a cheap date…. That’s a lot of bitcoin riding on a single axle!

Well - that certainly clears it up!😜

Do NOT swap them at the BATTERIES! You could safely swap them at the back of the sidewall connector. But either is a bad move IMHO just buy the adapter, and verify that there is a fuse of the correct size in the positive line going to the batteries. If you swap them at the batteries the color coding will now be wrong, and the fuse will be in the negative wire, and that hot one will now be completely unprotected. If it should short out a LOT of current can flow back from the batteries through it. 10 AWG wire is rated at 30 amps continuous, and will melt instantly with maybe two or three times that current. Zzzzzzap! Older Ollies with the Furrion port should have a 10 amp fuse, the max that the port can tolerate, but I don’t know the size for the Zamp one. John Davies Spokane WA

Years ago, our friend Chuck talked about his plans to (maybe) make window awnings from solar panels. This company is planning to go bigger, and better. A flexible solar awning that can supply 1200 watts when deployed.... Novel idea. Create shade, and use the sun to create power. Wonder how well it will hold up? https://www.rvnews.com/xponent-power-partners-to-produce-solar-awning/

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!

Hi, I'm J.C. and at the point where I have to think about retiring and preparing for it. Knowing the time is something I can't revert back, wishing to learn from wise folks in the forum. Totally new to RV life yet, hoping to do most of national parks in both Canada and US, and play golf around the country in my retirement years. Thanks for sharing your experience and wisdom with me. /JC

Small world. Tonya's side of family lives there and her parents lived outside there for years. Going back for a high school graduation, thus the transition route to YS. Weather in May, might drive me west vs north, we'll see. Tonya may have to learn to enjoy boon docking. 😉

Revisiting my post above, I don’t think you can complete this repair without drilling out the rivets. The nut and washer have to be trapped in the chrome base which is still attached to the bottom of the cabinet. The hole in the cabinet that the wiring passes through is not large enough for you to work through to line up the washer and nut. And of course there is no way to get a wrench on the nut to secure it either. And I will add that the lights I installed are screw mounted, not riveted. The lights Oliver installed are riveted. Sorry if I miss directed you with my first post! Mossey

And I'd have no wife 😜 Charlie.

My statement about tire brands and model years was not correct. We had BF Goodrich tires on our 2016 because it was started in 2015, then put on hold and finished in early 2016. Mike

Likely will never happen. We'll see. It's a concept, and lovely. That rear "patio" would totally be a disaster in the east, bug country, however.. The raised roof reminds me of a hymer/eriba puck redesign. A legend in its time, the eriba puck was (and still is, if you can find one) one of the coolest little trailers ever built, imo. Hymer brought out a redesign, but it only lasted a few years in north America. I saw one at tampa rv supershow. Tiny, but extremely cool. Maybe airstream will call it the nest, v2, if it ever materializes?? Sad that Airstream blew that one up.

They go hand in hand. Enjoy the journey . Our experience has been that not everything goes "as planned," and we make few reservations. National parks are an exception.

Actually, and I know mileage will vary, no pun intended, but my #110 still has the Michelin LTs on them and they are dated 2016. Like some of you said, if they've been protected well and not all the wait was on them and moved periodically, they hopefully look good, on both sides. Before I leave for the Rally next month I am going to have my neighborhood tire shop take a peak at mine. Frankly, I've looked hard at them, and you could tell them as new. But, we'll hopefully get an honest pro tire-guy. Also @LindaShields I have hull #110. Very cool that you have #111. Mine came with twin beds and 320W solar along with Microwave. It was a demo unit back then from what @Anita Johnston told me. I'm sure you found your checklists, but here is what I've been using, and recently updated since last weekend's trip. Still a work in progress. I've provided both PDF format and Excel spreadsheet, but they were all created in Google Sheets (spreadsheets), so they will import perfectly, well, they should. Naturally we all have our own way of doing things and we all bring slightly different stuff. Good luck, Chris Scarff Oliver Camping - Weekend Packing List.xlsx Oliver Camping - Weekend Packing List - To do.pdf Oliver Camping - Wayfinder Setup List - To do.pdf Oliver Camping - Wayfinder Setup List.xlsx Oliver Camping - Wayfinder Breakdown List.xlsx Oliver Camping - Wayfinder Breakdown List - To do.pdf

Installed the Renogy 20A MPPT solar controller on the existing plastic mounting board with the temperature sensor and 9’ of cable on top of the battery this afternoon. Plan to install a “taller” plastic mounting board relocating the controller higher than it’s current position. Decided to leave the original battery compartment door vents plugged since rain can get in the compartment if left unplugged, but plan to install additional louver style screen vents on the battery compartment door for air circulation. These vents will be the same style that Oliver installs on new Ollies, unless I come up with a better vent system, will see. Additional photos: Furrion solar port with Zamp 20A modification mounted on Ollie. The new 100W Renogy Suitcase panel is smaller than the older panel:

It certainly does! Ha! 🤪

I follow Escape pages and I like mods done by Johnny Hung. He made a few with solar panels that slide out from back and both sides. Not only do they provide more solar power, but they act as exterior shades over the windows.

From your link Rather than a rounded rear end like other Airstreams, the concept features a truncated, flat design that's better for aero. The trailer's completely flush underside is yet another attempt at making it more aerodynamic.

Why aren't you guys posting pics? This started out as a used cheap ($130 street price)) Diana Chaser .22 CO2 pellet rifle/ pistol kit and morphed into something better. It now has a High Pressure Air adapter so I can tether it to a small 3000 psi “buddy bottle” with a paintball coiled hose. 120 shots before I have to refill with air. It will still shoot with the 12 gram CO2 cartridges, but they are actually quite lame and expensive in the long run. The rifle barrel was cut and threaded by the previous owner to a carbine length. The camo paint was factory done, I added rubber grip panels. It all fits into my old (discontinued) Allen Takedown Rifle Case. https://www.pyramydair.com/product/diana-chaser-co2-air-rifle-kit?m=4613 John Davies Spokane WA

Yep, after a couple of close calls with mine trying to run away and become a wild free range cover, it’s now on a short leash. It never unthreaded on its own though. The close calls were due to me leaving it laying on top of the doghouse when getting ready to leave a campground. Stainless tether from Amazon, link below. Problem solved. https://a.co/d/5ipX5mE

Yes, they have a separate charge controller.

True that. I have trouble getting a decent discharge on our 640 AH lithiums to exercise them. The solar keeps topping them off. And we only have 340 watts of solar.

I spoke to Anita yesterday and passed on everyone's well wishes. For some reason she is unable to access the forum inside the facility so she's not been able to respond here. She is currently in a step-down rehab facility in Columbia, TN. She states she is still in a lot of pain, but she is very appreciative of all our thoughts and prayers. She thinks she may be there several months. I'm hopeful that won't be the case. She did say that she is able to get into a wheelchair for short periods of time. They do not want her sitting up too long at this period of her rehab.

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!

This time will go by fairly quickly AND will drag by all at the same time. Use this time to learn all you can about your new baby. Between this Forum and the Oliver University there is more than enough to keep you entertained over the summer. Start planning all of those trips you've been wanting to take and things you've been wanting to see. Get everything else in your life ready so that you can not feel guilty about neglecting anything while you spend time pampering that shiny new Oliver and/or while you're relaxing at your favorite camping spot. Would love to do this - but - where might this camp be? Bill

If you decide to visit the North Dakota badlands, the south unit of TR National Park, and the Medora, ND area, there are a few options for camping. The National Park campsites were full in July when we were there. October should be better for finding an opening. Most of the National Park sites we saw in the South unit campground were shaded. By October the leaves should be down so the solar should work better. Avoid the RV city park in Medora. They were literally stacked slide-out against slide-out. We drove out of town to check out Sully Creek State Park. It was wonderful and I can’t imagine why more people weren’t there. Downside was no electricity or flush toilets, though they did have showers, water, and a dump station. Our Campsite was marked by a stake on the edge of a field with the bluffs in the background. I think it was site #8. Our nearest neighbors. There was some generator noise off in the distance. Our camper is the one in the far middle of the photo. Neighbors look closer that they actually were.