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The Oliver is an attention getter. One guy came up that was in his second Casita. He is seriously considering going to an Oliver. We talked about our trailer and gave him the tour. I expect he is going to join our forum, and stop by the factory on his way home to NC. He was struck by the component quality of the Oliver compared to the Casita. We talked to a young man that was interested in our Oliver. He and his family are big long time campers. He was in a refurbed 1966 Avion. He fell in and out of love with our Oliver as we discussed the cost of an Oliver. I suggested he join our forum and look at an older used model. Oliver's sell themselves.

We took a four day, three park trip through northern Arkansas this week. Our Oliver is still very new to us, and we love it. I think this is our third trip since getting it in August. Every single time we have been out we have at least one person ask us if our Oliver is an Airstream. One was kind of funny, he said, "I did not know Airstream made a plastic camper." Do you get that question, or Airstream comment?

Ours usually reads 100% well before water comes out the overflow. Not exactly precision instruments.

Met many nice folks showing Ollie. Sometimes we have questions, “What is it” or “It’s like an Airstream”, or “Is it new”. We had a note on Ollie one time in PA from a couple with their campsite number wanting to see inside Ollie. We were the same way when we first saw an Ollie during 2010, after being shown the interior and exterior by a very nice couple from FL, we hoped we would be able to buy one.

On our way over to Cortez CO we detoured into the town of Telluride aka “ski meca” with our Ollie in tow and actually scored a spot to park right on Main Street. The Aspens are just popping in peak color in many areas. We enjoyed a great lunch in town and took the free gondola ride up the mountain. It was short sleeve weather and really a great day. We will do a little exploring in Mesa Verde NP today. Onward!🇺🇸 Telluride from the mountain side State route 145 is a really beautiful drive especially this time of year.

One of the early Owners lathe turned some inserts out of 4x4 composite fence posts that fit perfectly. He gave some to his friends. I still use mine.

When the Oliver travel trailer went back into production in 2013 after the 4+ year hiatus, one of the items that had previously been included was deleted, the motorized electric cord reel. Since we had owned one of the early models that had that feature, I was disappointed to learn that it would no longer be included in the list of standard features. I insisted that we have one included in our Hull #050 and being the wonderful company they are, my "request" was accommodated. As far as I know, none of the trailers built after mine has had this feature.

If the valve is closed, and you put water down the bathroom sink, it will back up into the shower pan. If your valve is open and sink water is still backing up into the shower, I would suspect a clog in the sink drain line downstream of the shower drain.

I hope you are joking about using that antifreeze tester in your batteries. John Davies Spokane WA

Yes - the original Trojan T-105's are still in the same place. I thought that this year they just might give up the ghost but - they performed as they usually do during my major camping trip out west for fishing. Since new they have never been under 87% full! I'm fairly conservative on my usage of electricity but I do watch a DVD movie about three or four times each week. About all I use the microwave for is popcorn with the occasional heating of left overs for dinner. After treating the battery posts with anti-corrosion treatment during the first year I've never had to get after them with baking soda. But, I do clean them each time I wash the Ollie. I'm going to wait until Spring and assume that at that time I'll replace them. Certainly they don't owe me a dime and I'd rather not have them die while I'm on the road next year. Bill

It is back to normal now that I have water in the FW tank.

When I originally started down the molded fiberglass trail I didn't know Oliver existed (like most of us). So, I arranged to take a tour of a Casita. My initial "problem" was that I could not stand straight up in the shower. But, as we sat at her dinette I looked around and saw that the "oak" cabinets were actually particle board with an "oak" decal. The floor simply looked "cheap" and the fit and finish was not good - and this was a trailer that was only one year old. A week later - I found Oliver!😃 Bill

The Avions were kind of cool.

We've found the Blue Sky equipment to be almost bulletproof (we did manage to short out our 2512ix around 5 years ago, but it was completely our fault.) Are any of the lights lit up on the 2512 controller? What does the indoor (in pro) panel tell you about charging? Do you have a battery disconnect switch, and is it on or off? If you don't have the manual you can download it on the sunforge/blue sky site. There are also great videos to assist you in troubleshooting. You probably want to look through the manual, and the videos, and send an email to Ryan Gurin at Blue Sky, or give him a call. He's an amazing tech, and very helpful. Ryan really knows his stuff. (Watching the videos and reading the manual first helps you gain familiarity, and you can probably eliminate a few troubleshooting steps before you speak with Ryan next week.) https://sunforgellc.com/learning-center/ Solar panels don't often "go bad." They may not generate all the power they once did seven years ago when new, but degradation would likely be less than 3 to 5 per cent. Because of the reliability of Blue Sky, and Ryan's great customer service and technical support, we kept our Blue Sky gear, and added to it when we upgraded from 200 to 400+ watt panels a few years ago. Before you do any actual "work" on the system, other than checking with your meter, I'd cover up those panels, as they are undoubtedly producing power. We use dark blue packing quilts to cover ours.

Wet batteries need to be checked when fully charged, using a cheap electrolyte hydrometer. Each cell should be close to each other. The acid should be clear, not dark grey. Even one low specific gravity cell will cause the other two to discharge. The two front batteries are probably damaged beyond repair - they must be strapped down solidly to prevent motion, which causes major internal damage to the lead plates. The exception is if the trailer was parked all the time, but if that were true, why even add a bungee? When you service them you should make sure that all the terminals and cable ends are very clean and all the hardware is tight. Clean the batteries with a baking soda mix to neutralize any vented acid. Never add tap water, distilled only. Have you read through the battery owners manual? All your manuals are available to download. Wet batteries are insanely heavy, a continual PITA to maintain, a risk of corroding your battery tray and the aluminum support structure, and are really are not suitable for RVs any more. This isn’t just my opinion. Consider replacing them with SLA. Upgrade the system right, don’t band aid fix an “older” design that isn’t ever going to provide peace of mind and low maintenance. Unfortunately lithium$ are very inappropriate for your hot desert location, if the trailer is stored outside, they do not tolerate lots of heat very well. It should be easy to relocate the remote solar display to head height. It will tell you exactly what is going on with the panels. There may be a loose or corroded connection up top. The terminals on all these parts should be cleaned, including the hidden ones inside the controller and under the master switch. Blue Sky is uber high quality, marine grade hardware. Better than consumer grade stuff from Zamp or Renogy. Have you verified that the solar switch is in the ON position? John Davies Spokane WA

What is Facebook?😇

I don't know how many older Ollie's there are out there with the retractable power cord, but if you have one, this simple mod should help prevent any small rodents from gaining entry through the opening while the cord is in use. There is a mesh installed from the factory that somewhat fills the space around the cable, but as you can see in the pics it's really not a tight enough fit to prevent mice from squeezing by and it seems highly "chewable" too. It's just a 3" PVC cap with a slot cut with a Dremel that fits tight against the cable without really putting any pressure against it.The O ring on the Ollie side fits snug to the inside of the PVC cap to hold it firmly, though I'll probably add a set screw or two to secure it further. It sure beats the sock filled with steel wool that I've been using up until now...

I was going to go with a wood stopper myself until I realized a PVC cap would be a perfect fit.

That should work, and looks nice. Maybe you could add velcro? First year, we used a rag. Then, we modified a koozie cup. One of our friends made a cool stopper from wood. (He's a real craftsman. I bought a little plastic door with just a small slot. It works great, too.

The cable lugs with the spacers have been address, but I have to say I was shocked, no pun intended, to see these kind of connections. This is grossly out of standard and a serious problem. It's hard to tell from the overhead photo, but it appears there may be additional spacers at other connections as well under the cable lugs. As was mentioned above, you need to have sparkling clean connections and all lugs should be stacked together against the lead base of the battery terminals, no spacers if possible. Any resistance at any and all of these connections will play havoc with your charging control system and it's efficiency. I firmly believe this could be a root cause that needs addressed before you trouble shoot other components downstream. I would systematically check/correct every connection in the system as a starting point. I wouldn't replace any component without verifying it's function first. Doing otherwise just introduces more variables to the problem, and of course adds undue cost.

Bingo! I assumed the bathroom sink drained into the gray tank. Thank you!

As far as the pump running all the time. You could have a air leak on the suction side of the pump. Check all the threaded connections to make sure they are tight and put your hand on the other connections to see if you can feel a suction.. A good test of the tightness of the suction side of the water lines is to line up the valves to suction water out of a bucket using the rear boondocking connection. If you can pull in water from a bucket then your piping is tight. If not that would indicate a loose connection somewhere.

That post extension is very bad. Steel is VERY wrong for this application. Put back the OEM style short stainless bolts, never put steel washers or extensions of any kind between a cable terminal and the battery terminal. If you feel the need to have increased height, use a solid brass or copper extension. Also, the cable should not be stressed like those are, the tight curves will cause wire strands inside to break. John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks @SeaDawg everything you have here is great advice. Thanks for the link. Had no idea there are videos available like these and yes, I've been into so much other maintenance that I've been dreading studying the Blue Sky manual. I was really good with our last Solar/Inverter system, because I installed it and understood every component. Not near yet on this one. You asked the question, "is it on or off." @John E Davies asked it first, but it was at the end of so much other stuff that I didn't see it, and after your post @topgun2 wrote it again. Thanks Bill, third times the charm! I hate to have to admit, that I simply had the switch off! What a dumb newbie thing. Sorry to waste everybody's time, but I do have other battery related questions to follow... First thing will be per @John E Davies suggestion, I should move the Blue Sky panel to head height! I remember about 2 months ago, reading a post about Inverter issues, needing a complete power off to reboot and I went out to learn some about this system. I had turned the big red switch off, then found out there is no battery disconnect switch, and after some interruption I forgot to return and switch it back on. It was summer then, connected to shore power to run the A/C when parked, set at 84 degrees. It has been disconnected from shore power 3-4 weeks now and I run the Exterior Courtesy Lights 24x7 to fend off the dreadful Arizona Pack Rat! So, over 3-4 weeks the batteries dropped from 100% to 78% as normal. Back to 100% this morning. Threw the main switch, input from the solar panels. The Blue Sky lights came on and with voltmeter measured 14.42V across both pairs of batteries, showing it's charging as designed. What a dummy I can be at times. 🙃

Certainly my batteries (also lead acid and still original) were not delivered with those bolts. I'm guessing that there is nothing specifically "wrong" with them but .... I check my lead acid batteries about every 60 days and find that they usually require a bit of water - never more than a cup for all 4 batteries. During the winter I have a small solar panel always feeding them since I have a CalMark cover that shields the main panels on the roof. Bill

Make sure that your valve configuration is proper and that those valves are fully set into the position you desire.

Our tank gauge also differs quite a bit depending on the level, which makes sense knowing the shape of the tank - long and flat. It takes forever to drain if not at the right angle. The pump running continuously would be a concern. My understanding about pumps is don't run them dry. This typically destroys the impeller. Be interesting to hear what you find out.

A couple of things here. First, the pump kicking in and running non-stop. This usually indicates a water leak somewhere. That would also explain the initial low tank reading. With water in the tank and the pump running, or hooked to a water source, look for water draining from any weep holes under the trailer. Next, the erratic readings. I have seen our fresh water readings jump significantly with minor changes in trailer level front-to-back or side-to-side. Haven't seen a 0-69% variance, though. I would experiment with multiple readings, adding water/draining the tank without moving the trailer.

Where are you coming from? Best route depends on where you start and your goals along the way. Whichever way you go, give yourself time to explore the spectacular country along the way.

The rig has had a few washings in various parts of CO. And we have had only a day or two of light rain in the last few weeks. We were busy finding a lunch spot, a little shopping, hit the farmers market and rode the Gondola, so I can’t speak to the CG at the end of Main. A great day! Onward!

That Ollie is looking way too clean for being on the road a month! Really nice shot of main street - do they still have a campground at the end of main street? Bill

This is all excellent information. Thank you! Unfortunately we don’t have time for an upgrade before we start our month-long trip tomorrow, but it’s definitely something to consider in the future. Who wouldn’t t want a quieter system?? 🙂

For best performance of any radio repeater, the repeater should be located roughly 1/2 way between the transmitters and receiver, at a slight elevation to avoid obstacles. Also, the antenna on the repeater should be oriented the same way as the antenna on the receiver. However, in practice, the distance from our sensors to the TV dash is so short, pretty much any installation (short of the back bumper) should be sufficient. K1PDB

That makes sense to put it on the batteries. Good idea. John

Just glue it back on and forget about it.

For sure no sense changing wheels sizes, when thinking new TV! I went with 17s and I believe it is the best upgrade in size when starting with an OEM LT265/75R16 tire size. The 17" wheels allows you to go to the LT265/70R17 size, keeping the exact tire height (do not get taller tires when towing) and width in this case. This upgrade also allows me to go to 17" front brakes, as mentioned above. Also, the 70-profile tire is a better highway size than a 75-profile tire (for off road, 75 and 85 are preferred). 18" wheels become too large an upgrade from 16" and you would need a 65 profile or they will be taller, causing drive-train stress and difficulty climbing mountains. Newer trucks with 65 profile or less will handle firm and drive rough, and the OEM 75 profile is softer, a little bouncier. "Tire guys" that say 18s or larger, do it from muscle memory, since "everybody" wants BIG 35-37" tires that stick out beyond the fenders, right?

For sure their logo is unique. If you want the covers, some are against them, and do not care re the logo, you can go with any number of caps. The domes are standard, and the cap size standard, with so many choices of logos or art patterns. These solve the issue at $15 for set of 4. Hundreds of other choices too. The size (47mm OD of inner stays) listed in this ad is what you need: Amazon.com: Modengzhe 4 Pcs Plastic Snap-in Type Wheel Center Hub Cap 54mm Outer Diameter and 47mm Inner Diameter for Cars, Chrome ABS Base Lattice Top : Automotive

Here is where we put ours...thanks for all the help

I believe she figured it out about 4 hours ago and said that it is working now.

I don't think it really matters where the repeater for tire minder system is actually located, but I am positive that you are correct in thinking that having the system is a must rather than a nice toy. It could very well save your (or someone else's) life or, at the very least, your bacon!

Good for you! Even more important than the camera - in my opinion. Bill

I think that I remember a similar post some months ago and it was mentioned to check for a good ground as well. There may be 12 volts at the pump but if the ground isn’t completing the connection the pump won’t run. I think that the issue then turned out to be a faulty ground connection. Good luck

I know you mentioned posting on the Oliver Facebook and also here in forums, given your urgency due to a month long adventure coming up. Give the Oliver service department a ring and see what they can help you with. Service phone number: 1-888-526-3978

OK. Our last attempts at troubleshooting: 1. “primed” the pump by using the old “run city water through the system while in boondocking mode” trick (we’ve had to do this before when we had an airlock). Turned everything back to normal mode: nothing. 2. Now we are really at a last resort: replacing the replacement pump with a brand new one that Mr. Amazon Driver delivered bright and early this morning. “Bleepity, bleep, bleep, bleep!” SO MANY BAD WORDS…..the replacement for the replacement dropped right in and started pumping! So….the replacement pump we bought as a “spare” at Camping world this spring is apparently faulty. Glad we discovered that here and not in the middle of nowhere. Good news: I ordered 2 new pumps from Amazon yesterday, so we still have a spare. SO FRUSTRATING. We’ve been spinning our wheels for 24 hours, completely flummoxed and driving ourselves nuts. Grrrrrrrl

Note that I said that "the good fishing". While I've never actually fished at that access you mention, I've been told that it does not have the best fishing there. So glad that you two are having a good time and that the weather has been about as good as you could have wished for. Hopefully this weather continues for you! Bill p.s. Note that during the two times I did the hike down and back into the canyon, I too never actually saw a snake (of any kind). However, in two different fly shops I was warned - both about the hike and the snakes.

You may have been disappointed with the initial end results, but I see a huge benefit with this mod when it comes to cleaning and maintenance matters. I can see where having the trailer positioned in alignment with the rising and setting sun would probably give the results you are seeking. Good luck with your endeavor!

SeaDawg. You are correct those direction were not in the manual. Thanks to your search and posting, I printed the directions on my printer and it is now in my o&M manual.

Reaching New Heights- Yesterday we drove through the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. We have had excellent weather and it was a beautiful day. We had the park pretty much to ourselves. We entered free with our senior pass. A must see for sure. Onward to Cortez CO today for more exploring. IMG_9898.mov

Interesting suggestion. Doesn't look bad without and would eliminate another ongoing maintenance (however small it is) task. Thanks.

Someone took GREAT notes here! We attended most of the discussion but could not take notes. We are looking at a 2024 trip up to AK. Brian