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While having the Truma retrofit done which usually takes two days, we opted to book a two night stay at Meriwether’s Retreat Bed and Breakfast. This is without question one of the best B&B’s we have ever stayed at. Miss Melissa the owner is an amazing sweet gal catered to our every need and then some. The homemade breakfast Quiche, fruit, granola and all the personal touches that she provided were top shelf! Our stay was excellent. We wanted to pass on this awesome place to stay if your going to need accommodations while your Ollie is being taken care of! Patriot🇺🇸

NOOOOOOOO, no it was not easy. LoL OMG that was two hours I'll never get back. It's done and with no leaks. I filled up the grey tank to 100%, and then some. I let it sit for over an hour, checking for leaks very carefully and with a very bright light and white glove test. I also opened and closed the gate valve a few times and checked for leaks. The grey tank valve in this 2016 model is extremely difficult to do. Unlike the black tank valve that has rubber pipe connectors to loosen up for wiggle room. Next time, I drive to Tennessee and let Oliver curse through that grey tank valve. Errrgggggg. If you have a bad back, are over weight, or have arthritis in the hands I would think twice before attempting this. I hope the newer models have improved this part replacement. I had to rest my head on the jack motor several times. Oh, long arms are required. I've annotated some pictures. No certain order. Hopefully the plumbers grease will add an extra two years of life. I think the job could have been substantially easier if the gate valve could have been 1/8 to 1/4 inches off the basement floor. It would have at least saved time getting the two lower nuts off and on again. It's tricky for sure. I'm considering doing a short video with the pics and doing a voice-over to describe the challenges. In some of the pictures you can see what I believe is the grey tank sensor board in the background. Be careful with tools around the sensor, it could be damaged and work even less affective than it already does. I used a hammer as leverage to separate the grey tank side of the valve with the main black tank pipe. On my TT many of the electrical wire bundles were between the hull and the main drain pipe, preventing movement. I was however able to lift the bundles up to relieve some of the pressure on the drain pipe.

We are very happy to report that our 13500 BTU Truma Aventa AC retrofit was seamlessly completed today. A special thank you to Director of Service Jason Essary, Mike Sharpe, and Tucker the technician that did an excellent job on our install. Just amazing work and we are so grateful. A Big Thank you to the entire Oliver Service Team! David and Kathy Patriots🇺🇸 New Truma Aventa decibel reading on high setting. Former Dometic Penguin on high setting. New Truma CP Plus Control panel. https://www.truma.com/int/en/products/truma-operating-systems/truma-cp-plus

A small chisel helped to wedge it up a tad bit.

BTW, our reserved spot...A14...is under major construction so we were able to spend 2 nights on C58 and will move to E37, on Sunday, for 7 nights. Yay! Next to the lake :) John

We have been there a few times have ALWAYS had a wonderful time. Melissa will not disappoint! Her choices of food/snacks are so delicious. We have not seen the new kitchen but understand her new baker does a superb job. If you are a dog lover, be sure to ask to see her dogs....they will love on you until you tear up...guaranteed! John

Same here. I do my thing, Carol does her thing then we check each other.

@MobileJoy That is not the OEM Dometic digital thermostat you see in the photo. I made a suggestion in April to Oliver to consider using this Honeywell furnace only digital thermostat in the below link. It was approved by their electrical engineers and is now an option when having the Truma retrofit done. Otherwise you will get the Dometic mechanical thermostat. So no Oliver is not using the original dual control thermostat. I much prefer the look, fit, and finish of the digital Tstat below. This ended up being particularly helpful to me as I presold our Dometic Penguin prior to the retrofit being completed. I needed the original thermostat to sell with the Penguin. here- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H6ARNXO?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details Patriot🇺🇸

Hello Oliver Travel Trailer community! As the Digital Media Manager for Oliver Travel Trailers, I am always looking for ways to make your travel experiences more enjoyable and stress-free. I want to work with you to create a comprehensive travel and pack-up checklist to ensure that you have everything done correctly and have everything you need before hitting the road. However, we know that everyone's travel needs are different, which is why I want to hear from you! I would love for you to share your own travel and pack-up checklists with the community. Whether you have a list for a weekend trip or a month-long adventure, I want to see it! Not only will this be helpful for other Oliver owners who may be looking for guidance in their own travels, but it also gives us valuable insights into the different needs and preferences of our community. So, if you have a travel or pack-up checklist that has worked well for you, please share it with me in the comments below. I can't wait to see what you have come up with and thank you in advance for your contributions to our wonderful community of travelers! Safe travels, Aaron Wolters

Tap the wrench with a small hammer to see if it will clear/ break away any paint. FYI you can always strap it down tight in an emergency to get you to service or back home, using heavy bungees or web cargo straps. John Davies Spokane WA

Funny you should ask. Still trying. The bottom bolts are right on the basement floor. TIGHT, very! No curse words yet, but no promises. I tried to shim under the pipe, but man it would budge. So, slow going with big man fingers.

We have also stayed there and strongly recommend it.

John, We mentioned you and Wendy to Melissa. She just went on and on about how she enjoyed having you both as guests. She really is an awesome inn keeper and a great person. Patriot🇺🇸

The breakfast quiche Melissa the owner provides is excellent! So good, we purchased from her for the road. 😋

This is a special place, the work Melissa has done inside is amazing. She loves having Oliver owners!

I wanted the ES left in in the Penguin. The buyer of my Penguin wanted it as part of the sale as he has a small genset. Oliver removes the ES along with the Penguin during the retro fit. Patriot🇺🇸

I made this because the Owners Manual towing and camping lists are simply lame. This one is set up like an aircraft preflight checklist. Feel free to edit and change as needed, some items may not apply or you may just want to do it differently. Mine is laminated and posted inside the closet door: Click the attachment at the bottom to download the Word file. John Davies Spokane WA OLIVER-TRAILER-CHECKLIST-–.docx

I’am so excited to kick off another camping season! Time to dewinterize our Oliver (yeah) and get it ready for some summertime glamping! I love decorating my camper, I recently added this mural to the bathroom, keeping my botanical theme.🌿🍃🪴😍 I also will be adding some new videos to my Oliver YouTube series starting next month, so many new items, decor, tips and organization hacks to share. Like and subscribe to get notified.😃 Happy camping!

When we got the LE2 home last evening I plugged in with an adaptor to the standard 115v outlet. Mine are on 15 amp breakers so may not actually answer your question. As soon as the AC kicked on, it popped the 15 amp circuit breaker. Will be installing my 30amp RV plug in the garage today. BTW the Truma did run OK on the 3200 watt generator all night. Just another test I wanted to perform.

That is fantastic! We so want to do this with ours. My husband wears hearing aids so the noise doesn’t bother him, but me…..I call it the freight train!😳😬

We use an app called Check Off for our lists. I exported our preflight list as a CSV file here so it can be opened by other applications: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nAse-4wJWtPWX7akFvRi8jG1lTG0NWpS/view?usp=drivesdk

Haha feel your pain, I also have sausage fingers!

Same here -100% concur @Rivernerd. But, I believe much of the satisfaction comes from many years/miles of experience with various TVs.... With the Tundra, we're still mindful of payload weight and distribution. At the end of the day, it's always a very pleasant Tundra/Casablanca towing experience (knock on wood.).

Exactly - the "foot-stomper" is the double-check.... at least for us, that is

YUMMY! Brilliant business model - Bfast-to-go B&B...👍

That is a a great story wow!! Thanks for sharing. No doubt life is all about relationships and a decade later still going strong! 👍🏻

Thanks. I didn’t want to go through the Oliver site as I will be in the market for a used model. I also hate for someone to clean up their rig just for me to see it. Those of us who are active showing trailers, as I used to be, have the choice to accept or decline. When our trailer was newer, we loved showing it. Made some new friends. (I don't often show ours anymore, as it's 15+ years old, and most folks like to see the new stuff. A few like to see how "gracefully " an Oliver ages. ) Here's a fun story. Back many years ago, I got a request from Oliver to show our Elite 1. I talked with the folks, told them we'd just come home from a long camping trip, and explained that it would not be in "showroom" condition. After spending an hour or so with the trailer, we sat on our patio with a drink, chatting. I explained that we'd just returned from my college roommate's daughters wedding in ***, Connecticut, ending two months on the road. Turns out, they had been invited to the same wedding, though they declined because of prior travel plans. We discovered we shared a mutual, very dear friend. We've stayed in touch now for over a decade. Life is fun, when you keep the door open just a bit.

Many of us carry our generator in the back of our tow vehicle.

https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2094-my-tow-camp-checklist/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2208-overnight-visitor-checklist/ https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2363-how-to-tire-pressure-placard/ After six seasons I no longer refer to any of these, it becomes habit. John Davies Spokane WA

Hello, I’m sorry I don’t remember who posted/made these lists (please chime in if it’s you) but we love it and use these checklists every trip!

Kathy and I called and spoke with Anita last Monday and she is now at home and still recovering. She is busy with PT and is very grateful for everyone’s thoughts and prayers of support. We text with her regularly and check on her. We let her know that everyone is thinking of her and still lifting her up in their prayers. Patriot🇺🇸

Hey Aaron, We have a fairly extensive arrival departure check list that we use all the time and we are happy to share it with you when we see you at the rally. Right now we are camped at Monte Sano SP for a few days and our internet is sketchy at best. See you at the Rally! David & Kathy

You get what you pay for. I tow our Elite II with a 1/2 ton Toyota Tundra, with tow package and an Andersen WD hitch. The experience is totally acceptable. But, we have to watch payload carefully, and I can sure tell there is a trailer back there on the road, especially on curves. But, when I eventually replace the Tundra, I will look hard at a 3/4 ton Chevy, Ford or Dodge (the only options presently). Why? More worry-free camping, less scrimping on payload, less stress when towing.

Thanks. I didn’t want to go through the Oliver site as I will be in the market for a used model. I also hate for someone to clean up their rig just for me to see it. Eric

I took a screenshot to save. Sounds perfect!

What a great tip! It looks adorable, I love a good Bed and Breakfast.👍🏼😍

I so appreciate your comment. Thank you❤️

@Katjo A beautiful Ollie interior and zero criticism here as you certainly have a talent and tasteful eye for jazzing up your Oliver! Don’t let ANYONE on here steal your joy with critical comments. 😏 Thank you for sharing! Great work!! Patriot🇺🇸

Eric, Reach out to Oliver Sales and they will locate an owner in your area and arrange a visit. Most owners are more than happy to show you their Oliver. As for towing you will receive a variety of many different opinions. Only you can decide what comfort level and safety level you are happy with. Consider safety in stopping distance, cargo capacity, and and long range driving comfort that 3/4 or 1 ton trucks have to offer. There is no comparison in our experience. We initially pulled our Ollie with a half ton and quickly realized we were splitting hairs on cargo and tongue weights with our gear and Ollie ready to camp. So for us the half ton was just not going to work. Best of luck with your choice! Patriot🇺🇸

Thanks to everyone for your input, and to John E.Davies for orienting my picture correctly (show off 😊). I don’t have a lot of recent experience towing (used to tow a motorcycle trailer and a 16ft pop up camper after that), and no real experience with travel trailers, or wdh’s. I’m a pretty safety conscious person on top of that, which is why I asked for experiences and advice. Thanks for a great forum/sounding board, much appreciated. I’ll put some good thought in to my next steps regarding a travel trailer and tow vehicle. Eric

Here's the rub. Is it nice to have a 3/4 or 1 ton pickup to tow? Sure. Bigger the better. It's always easier with a bigger TV. Been there, done that, back in the day.. Been towing for over 55 years, first with my dad. I had a special license, and we probably towed a lot of trailers that wouldn't pass,today. (Overloaded, then, for sure, by today's standards.) But, we towed safely, and made every cross country trip. Even so, back then, learned about loading and balancing. You do NOT need a 3/4 or 1 ton truck to tow an Oliver 2. You will need a wdh, and a legit tow package, with a half ton. You may need to watch payload. You will not be able to carry all the contents of your garage workbench with a half ton, or a rock collection, or a gazzillion heavy spare parts. If your tow vehicle fits specs, and has the above, and especially if you already know how to tow, you'll be fine, imo.

John Davies Spokane WA

Steve's Theorem: Stuff will always expand to fill the entire space that is available.

Absolutely! Site #G23. I do wish it had separate lids, and that the hinges could be swapped side to side. It I’m extremely happy with ours, though! It’s got well over 40,000 hours on it so far. (Mid-March until Christmas every year since fall 2016.)

It's Sherry, though. Paul is taking a well deserved nap. 😃 Squaring up doors is not fun. As gj said, check the repaired door, first. Get out your little speed square, if you have one. Check both the door, and the opening, with a good tape measure. Check the diagonals,,as well. If the door, as assembled, measures the same on both diagonals, it's likely not the door. If the opening differs on the diagonals, check the levels front to back, and side to side, first, before making mechanical adjustments. Imo.

Awesome. Keep us posted , as you continue to use it.

Looking good! You guys will be sleeping in quiet comfort at the rally!

There’s a small cooling fan inside the plastic cover/vent grill of the Progressive Dynamics Power Control Center under the dinette. My bet would be that a motor bearing on that small fan is going bad. You may want to remove the cover and check for dust buildup on the fan, but it’s likely a bad bearing.

Being new to all this, I have recognized that folks with older models do have upgrades installed occasionally. Perhaps Jason could speak to the process of upgrading items on the camper as newer appliances or systems become standard. Also maybe tie in how a buyer's decisions when having their camper built effect the ability and or cost of future upgrades.

Everything oxidizes when left outside and in the sun, so not doing anything will defiantly speed up the oxidation process. On ours I buffed in once a year with a good marine fiberglass compound and our trailer after four years looks just like new, yes it does require getting up on some scuffling (ladder not recommended) with a buffer and buffing it, not a fun job. Like I have said many times, being a retired body shop manger for some 30 plus years there is no miracle product that will stop oxidation, but removing it is possible and that's buff it off. The ceramic coatings my be the best way to go for some, but for myself, it's just a coverup and in time your will still have to have it buffed to get down to the original gel coat finish to get the original luster of the trailer back to where it all started. I realize this process may not be able to be done by many, so I would do what works for you, a nice metal building would also work, plus it does bring value to your property. trainman