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I asked my husband to build me some closet shelves after seeing posted photos of others who have added shelves, and here they are! I love it! So much more space and so much more organized! We opted to not wrap the shelf around the right side because I hang a shoe rack and I didn’t want to lose hanging space. He did add a small shelf on the opposite side. We ordered the black rubber shelf lining from Oliver which will be here soon. I also added command hooks to hang hats. I love that the wasted space behind the clothes rod is now useable and valuable space. ❤️ IMG_7332.mov

My first reaction is negative. When shopping for a trailer, I decided on the Oliver because it was a small company where I could tour the factory, ask lots of questions from people doing the hands on work, and well, because it was "Elite". It was elite because few people had one, you could only get one from the factory, and it was the antithesis of the mainstream RV brands in America. Although I live in California and can't easily take it back to Tennessee for routine maintenance, I've received excellent customer service that helped me resolve all my issues, so I don't care about the distance. Sounds as if one of the issues is to partner with various RV businesses so that those businesses can provide service with the blessing of OTT. That's good, I guess. But if they're going to have units on site and selling them apart from OTT, I see that as a negative for the brand, not a positive. If OTT wants to grow the company, I think there are other ways they can do it without resorting to the standard model of RV sales lots. When I was kicking tires before getting the Oliver, I had some unpleasant experiences at those lots. It's the "used car salesman" syndrome. I don't want Oliver to get mixed up in that. My impression of Oliver owners is that we are passionate about our trailers because it took some effort to get them. We are a dedicated bunch who love discussing every aspect of the trailer in our very active forums. We are committed, which adds brand value. Putting Oliver trailers on a lot with Jaycos will diminish the brand value.

I keep a small cloth shopping bag on a hook to the side of the toilet. Every day or two, it gets emptied into two Ikea blue bags in the back of the truck. One bag is for jeans and heavy cotton stuff, one bag is for synthetic/ microfiber stuff. It's all sorted ahead of time for the laundromat.

The proposal to change the channel of distribution to a network of dealers is more than a detail. All of the companies I mentioned also had tremendous histories of quality and brand loyalty. They are also examples of the fragility of brand equity and as you say, how "ridiculous" it would be to demolish decades of work in an instant. I am not knocking anything about Oliver. What I am saying is that it is naive to think that partnering with any entity that is of lower repute, less quality, less competent technical service will not damage this brand. The only question is to what extent, and how quickly the brand will be diminished.

Slight topic hijack here, apologies... In another thread you asked "My expected vehicle (2016 Volks Touareg diesel) is rated to tow 7700 lbs. Will it be happy towing the Elite 2 at 6500 lbs?" If you plan to go somewhere and stay for six months at a time that tow vehicle should be "OK". Nothing great, but it would do. On the other hand, if you plan on full timing, you would be carrying all your worldly possessions with you everywhere you go. Further, if you really plan to explore the U.S, and Canada like you indicate in your opening post here, you would be traveling more than staying in one place too long. You are going to need a much more capable tow vehicle. You need something that can carry all the cargo weight and tow the trailer anywhere you decide to go. A 3/4 ton diesel pickup would be minimum and for the minimal price difference between the two, I'd go with a 1 ton diesel. Carry on.

I think this is a wise move by Oliver. Thinking forward and into the future about potential new customers and more exposure of the Oliver brand and having approved dealerships that can work on existing Oliver owners trailers. If you are in Southern California or Washington State or Maine and you need service on your Oliver it’s a long trek to Hohenwald. I think if Oliver can partner up with a strong dealership sales network and get techs trained up on servicing Olivers it has the potential for a very successful venture. It appears from Anita’s email nothing will prevent owners from still having service done at the Hohenwald Service Center. Onward! Patriot🇺🇸

Thinking more about this, I’d like to see OTT set up their own regional centers for both sales and service. While I ended up buying used from an acquaintance, I was still left with a very positive impression of the Oliver organization. IMO… They should replicate that culture and experience to accomplish their planned growth.

Yes, Nick always camps with us and we have never been asked to leave a campground. And dogs led us to buying a RV. When Krunch's parents were still with us, they were our dog sitters. When our dog got to be too much for them, we started staying in hotels that allowed dogs. And we soon realized that most hotels considered smoking rooms and pets allowed rooms to be the same. When smoking rooms were outlawed in most states it made things easier, but the Ollie was the game changer. National Parks are a real challenge with limited dog friendly areas and COE's are extremely dog friendly in our experience. If we leave Nick alone in the Ollie, we try to limit his ability to see anything outside and sometimes we will leave him in the bathroom with a radio on. Our biggest fear is an electric failure and the loss of the of the air conditioner so we try to limit the amount of time we are gone. And I must say that one advantage of the Dometic AC's are their ability to drown out outside noise😎. Like David and Paula mentioned above, behavior modification does work and consistent direction is the key. Research clicker training for information. And don’t give up, you be rewarded with a loyal best friend! Mossey

Turn it tighter until it aligns, it should turn with minimal effort... If it is very hard to move, you will have to remove it, clean the sealant from both parts, and reinstall with a proper soft pipe dope or thread tape. And always leak check your connections when finished. John Davies Spokane WA

It has angle iron underneath that’s attached to side boards the long shelf to the left acts as a wedge to the front closet wall so it’s not possible for it to move forward, all edges have foam stripping to snug the fit and protect fiberglass, once the unit is placed inside it’s wedged in very tightly.

I’m camped at Shadow Mountain Designated Dispersed Campsite #15 near Grand Teton National Park. The road to this campsite may be a little too rugged for the Elite II that I used to own, but I saw an Oliver lower down the mountain when I arrived on Thursday.

We camp with a dog-reactive girlie. Fiona is great with people, but having had some scary dog-dog interactions when she was younger, she does bark and sometimes lunge especially if the other dog comes at her. It requires some management but certainly can be done. I've become much better at telling other dog owners to NOT let their dog greet mine. The phrase "but mine is friendly" from other dog owners now has me bluntly replying "mine is not". After lots of training she can walk pass campsites with barking dogs and not make a peep. That is amazing! One thing that helped a lot was learning and practicing pattern games, especially those from Leslie McDevitt. You can find several of them on You Tube. If another dog passes our campsite she will bark a bit but then is quiet, as she gets paid with a treat for being quiet. 🙂 We don't leave her outside the trailer if we are not out there with her as we know she will bark more then. If we meet other dogs while hiking we move off the trail and I toss her a few pieces of food into the grass or leaves and tell her to "find it." She's too busy sniffing them out to react to the other dog. We have worked on "find it" a LOT, over and over, especially without other dogs in the picture. The cue to "find it" is so strong now that she doesn't stop to think, her nose just hits the ground. Unleashed dogs with owners who can't recall them are a nightmare though. I've tried to teach Fiona to go behind me if an unleashed dog approaches her but haven't been to successful at that. At least not yet. 🙂. Like I said, it requires management but is doable. We've been very happy many times to find that she's one of the better behaved dogs in a campground, despite her dog-reactivity! Here she is relaxing at an HH. Paula

I would love to see Oliver owned and operated dealers and service centers here. Key phrase "Oliver Owned and Operated"

Ray's been driving Airstream's all over the west - and is now out there in an Oliver. He feels its a fine boon-docking trailer. I don't see any reason - given a good tow vehicle with 4wd - why you can't get an Oliver into many backcountry places. Clearance is fine and the suspension - while not up to trailers engineered for off roading - seems to be strong. I should find out pretty soon actually 🙂

I've been on the road by myself for ten years. Yes to heavy duty. Diesels are fine but are much more expensive, less reliable overall (with emissions in the US), and mechanics are harder to find. A big gasser will do fine. (These are not heavy trailers). Yes, to lots of storage in your tow vehicle!

David just fixed the light above my bed. He drilled out the rivets, tightened the nut and used the blue Loctite to (hopefully) prevent loosening in the future, and reattached the light using 1/2 inch aluminum rivets (per Oliver). Paula

You need a tow vehicle that is serviceable in most small towns. NOT a German, Swedish, Tesla, or other non-mainstream brand. You will be spending lots of time away from large urban areas where those brands have (a few) dealers. Ford, Chevy, Ram, Toyota, and no other brand, if you want to avoid major headaches in the event of a major breakdown. You really should have a HD vehicle, so that takes Toyota off the list. Ollies have very little storage capacity for full timers. Actually they have very little storage for two-weekers …. They are not the best choice for full timing, so you need to have massive cargo volume and payload (weight capacity) in the truck. If I were going to full time, an Ollie would not even be on my wish list. I would look for a smaller used high quality diesel pusher motorhome with NO slides. John Davies Spokane WA

This is an easy fix. If you don't already own a rivet gun, drill out the rivets, take the light down, tighten the backing nut (Loctite here?) and put it back up with some one inch #6 screws. You may not even have to un-wire it. The wiring can be accessed from inside the cabinet above. Just lift the rubber mat in the bottom.

Given Oliver's history of quality and service I think it's pretty ridiculous to make those comparisons even before any details are known. They've earned that much.

We also have a 2016 VW Touareg diesel, one of the best VHs we’ve ever owned and it’s a wonderful very capable tow vehicle. We towed a 2016 AS 26U with twin beds for almost 3 years, it towed like a champ (and stopping), only issue is cargo capacity, at 1180lb you have to watch what you pack. We now own a 2023 LEII and fully packed weighs approx. 6000lb with a tongue weight of 610lb. No issues so towing it or stopping. Fuel consumption towing our Ollie from Hohenwald to Guelph ON (Canada) was just shy of 16mpg. The Touareg is a great towing vehicle AND daily driver. Again, the limiting factor is payload/cargo capacity.

Before I bought Oliver I looked at other trailers that did not have a wide dealer network. They certified service centers across the country and enabled that model to work.. That is a good thing. Another trailer sold through a few select dealers. The story I heard over and over was that every trailer coming was already sold. The manufacturer did not sell direct. Dealers' emphasis is on selling. Dealers view service as an afterthought, or a necessary evil to sell trailers. I can see Oliver wanting to sustain a certain volume during this downturn. Using dealers is certainly the first idea one might have to do that. Dealers will push whatever trailer gives them the greatest margin. Oliver will either languish on dealer lots, get even more expensive with dealer margin tacked on, or Oliver will have to lower the cost to dealers to move units.

My first reaction was negative. I can't lie. Oliver is very expensive now. Dealers have to make money. The price will go up even more for dealers to make their margin on top of the profit Oliver makes. Or,,, Let's not think about the other possibility. Perish the thought. And even worse than the perished thought, the next thing we will hear is that Warren bought Oliver.

Thank you. I keep a laundry bag in the truck.

Personally, I would go the option #3 route.

For those with the electronic door lock that was supplied in 2021( RVLock brand) that may have peeling numbers, here's the fix. The lock has a decal that was peeling on the numbers used for my entry code. I just installed a replacement one piece membrane that solved the problem, took 15 minutes to remove the lock and install the membrane. https://www.rvlock.com/products/upgraded-silicone-rvlock-v4-rh-keypad-membrane?_pos=1&_psq=V4+Durō+Keypad+Premium+Membrane+-+Right+Hand&_ss=e&_v=1.0&variant=42649755713730 V4 Durō Keypad Premium Membrane - Right Hand

Thank you!!! I'll get right on it 🙂

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That's really nice. Thanks for sharing.

I'm on the West Coast - glad to see service centers out here.

The Touareg diesel is actually a very capable tow VH, and very underrated by folks who have never owned one or towed with one. I do agree with you 100% about cargo weight, that is definitely the limiting factor for us. For full timing we can probably also say the Ollie is too small, it’s all about making compromises, definitely downsizing and keeping an eye on the cargo capacity.

Stellar work! Very clean modification... Thanks so much for sharing your job in this post!

I hope if OTT decides to do this, they reach out to existing owners for personal feedback on service experience -- because a service center can have a "great reputation" locally or even regionally and still fail on providing good service for an Oliver.

Great job! This truck will make a great Ollie TV! Thanks for posting progress!

I can see how the shelves are held up in place with supporting boards. Is there anything preventing them from sliding forward if you have to brake hard? Thanks, Paula

Turn that elbow 90 degrees tighter. It most likely does not have Loctite.

Very nice work. I love the way the baskets fit.

@Patriot Thank you!

@Patriot I completely agree. They are spreading their wings and I feel it will be beneficial to the Oliver Company as far as sales go and especially for Oliver owners in regards to nationwide Oliver trained service centers.

Looks amazing, nice work!

Nice work! This begs the question, where and how do you folks store you dirty clothes for laundry. We have used the a large net basket affair stored on the floor, however like many I've never been completely satisfied with the storage shelfs and situation as they are but also don't want to give up that space for the laundry.

It would appear the first sentence of the note says it all, "sales and service". As for service well I've done everything that needed to be serviced so far. Not sure how any of this will be of much help to me. In the meantime we will just have to wait and see how this pans out apparently.

Lordy Gawd, don’t let it be anything connected with Lithia Motors. As you might infer, I’m not a fan.

Same thing happened on our lock keypad, and we did the upgrade as you did.

Made it home from the Alaska trip. The yoga mat's worked really well keeping away rock chips. (Thanks for the ideas from previous owners). The 3M no-residue tape was also a godsend...it peeled off without any issues. We saw 3 other Oliver's out on this trip. All of them had some type of front covering. One person used very flexible linoleum flooring they picked up in Whitehorse YT. Dirty trailer and beat up yoga mats upon arrival home: After stripping off yoga mats and a quick wash:

We are on our way home with about 9k miles so far pulling our Elite2 with a Q7. We get 14 to 15 mpg on highways and 11 to 12 in the mountains. The power is sufficient as is the braking. The Oliver tows really nicely but that is probably true for any vehicle. The biggest downside is a lack of storage for what doesn’t fit in the trailer. Feel free to reach out if you have specific questions. We do have air shocks so there is no sag, with normal shocks the sag may be a little more than you want. Audi/VW state in their manuals not to use a load balancer.

Thought I would add to @John E Daviesfine original post. I purchased a nice flag pole with tire foot for Ollie-Haus and wasn't thrilled with the options to secure with camper tire or tongue jack, so I decided to mount it to the front storage box. The foot fits nicely between the box and trailer tongue so I chose to bolt it to the bottom of the box with four pan head screws/nuts. After that it still seemed slightly wabbly so I decided to add a couple of pipe saddle clamp mounts to the mounting post. This turned out to be very solid and adjustable for plumb. The mounts are all stainless with silicone protectors to keep from scuffing the mounting post. I'm very pleased with the results and the quality of the pole. The pole is anodized aluminum and is telescoping and removes in seconds for travel. This is a high grade pole sold by a veteran owned American company that accommodates two 3'x5' flags. Flag Pole Kit: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BG6NBVC6?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details Light Kit: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09XH4M1SR?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details Pipe support brackets: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083FCV9FS?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

I blew up your beautiful photo, looking for wheel chocks. 🙃 Me, no. I wouldn't bother anymore. My husband would probably disagree. He loves the challenges. To drive that type of "scenic " highway, sometimes it's wiser to leave the camper in a secure park, and enjoy the ride from our 4x4 truck windows.

Ranger, That is such good work! I know it provides many happy memories for you and enriches the lives of so many others. We love cycling and it does nourish the soul, I can only imagine what it would be like to be able to cycle through the Badlands each day. We are also Trek riders, nice gravel bike you have there (if I am seeing it correctly). We currently have hard-tail MTBs - I used to be an FS rider but things are slowing down for me so I have to take it easy(er). Keep up the good work my friend! Brian

Brian, Thanks for sharing your post on the Badlands! I am blessed to do volunteer work on the Pine Ridge Reservation each year where we work on the local's bicycles (73) and donate bicycles (120) to those in need. I boondock on an Elder's place outside of Wanblee, just south of the Badlands. Thankfully, I was able to bicycle each day in the Badlands and the land massages my soul. The Lakota there are challenged in many ways but, are warm, friendly and loving. They are deeply appreciative of the bicycles - for most, it is their only means of transportation. I am truly thankful to be invited and be a part of such a wonderful program. Here are a few pics from this year's trip and the Give-Away with "Bikes to Pine Ridge":

When I was a kid, the family car was a big Ford LTD, so I have a soft spot for land yachts. That car was a little bigger than our Ollie of course.