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Today we toured the Great Sand Dunes NP which finishes out seeing all (4) NPs here in beautiful Colorado. A convergence of a whole lot going on with nature that created these massive dunes. The scenery almost looks fake it’s so beautiful. It was 69d and sunny which suited us perfectly. Onward to New Mexico tomorrow. Patriot🇺🇸 The truth. My bride!

After reading this post, I am even more glad I have a composting toilet and not deal with liquid in the black tank.

While I love CV@ grease, you might want to consider either a dry spray PTFE or white lithium instead on exposed applications like your steps. While I am no grease expert, some suggest that since dry spray PTFE or white lithium is not as tacky or sticky as CV2, it will not keep as much road grime. For this reason, I use CV2 in non-exposed areas (like bearings, wet bolts in suspension, etc.) and I use white lithium on exposed areas like hitch ball, rear bumper pins, etc. I use a dry lube PTFE spray for steps, door latches, etc. I have even switched to PTFE dry spray for jack struts as normal grease (even lithium) was getting nasty with road grime. The downside to the PTFE is having to apply is more frequently, but it is very easy to do. I use the 3-in-1 RVCare Window Track Dry lube spray for my window tracks. I am sure there are others much more experienced with grease applications and I would defer to them.

During our present trip touring the (4) gorgeous Colorado NP’s and a few Service Parks our Atwood CO/LP detector started alarming and would not reset. Of course it alarmed in the middle of the night. 😄 I removed the detector and saw that it had a manufacture date of 2018. We took delivery of our new OLE2 in June of 2020. So our Atwood detector was actually 5 years old. I called Oliver and asked about purchasing/shipping me a replacement. Mike Sharpe said they are no longer installing the Atwood’s and Oliver is now installing RV Safe model #RVCOLP-2W CO/LP detectors. So not wanting to go a day longer without a detector I opted to just buy local and made a call to a local RV dealer in Montrose CO. They said they had plenty on hand. I swapped out the old Atwood and installed the RV Safe and we are back in business with no alarms. The new RV Safe detector comes with a choice of (2) backing plates. So Pro tip- If you have to replace the old Atwood use the larger backer plate that comes with the RV Safe detector as it will take cover the hole in the hull wall under the dinette that the Atwood required. It’s a pretty straight forward clean install. Onward!! Patriot🇺🇸

Hope you have a great trip. Some pearls that were found on our forum that we gathered and mostly followed: Get mud flaps for the front and rear tires, and another set at the rear of your TV. Protect the front flanks of your trailer as presented in several posts. Beware of wet puddles in the roads, They can be over a foot deep. Do not go north much past Fairbanks with your Ollie. Doing so can be extremely exprnsive in harm to your rig. GJ

This might be a good place to bring back an older thread concerning the installation of a mod for the purpose of TEMPORILY stopping that noise in the middle of the night from these "false" alarms. At about the same time John Davies and I installed a switch on the back side of the propane/co alarm. This simple on/off switch can be used to turn this alarm off in the middle of the night without having to search for the fuse and can be used while the Ollie is in storage to remove one more parasitic drain off the batteries. John came up with the idea of being sure to place a ribbon (or something) in a very visible spot to remind you that you have turned this detector off - a good idea. Anyway - here is mine and JD's looks very similar. The power wire to the propane detector is cut and placed on a switch that is mounted in the hole in the bracket. I used epoxy to attach the bracket to the interior of the wall below the aft dinette seat - where the detector is already located. Bill 2 inch square bracket for propane switch.jfif

Yes, Mesa Verde was gorgeous. The cliff dwellings were amazing too! A few pics.

When the clamp that holds the black tank sewer line to the rubber connector piece under my dinette seat broke a couple of years ago I spent a fair amount of time even finding where "THAT" odor was coming from. Once found and the clamp replaced I had the same basic problem that you now face. After trying the usual Pine Sol scrubbing thing I resorted to waiting for a hot dry day, parked the Ollie in the sun and then I hosed out the area in question. Note here that I didn't go crazy with the hose or the pressure. Just a nice steady stream to make sure that everything in that area got thoroughly rinsed. Then more Pine Sol and repeat the spraying. Finally, about three days in the hot sun with all things opened up and fans blowing I was done. Good luck! Bill

Jackery units have their own internal controllers, and use unregulated/uncontrolled voltage input from the portable panels. . So yes, that's likely a problem. You could install a switch before the controller, and a separate lead to thr jackery. And you'd likely be fine. Look at the specs on jacery panels.

Well, forgot to check the hose clamps for the black water pipe hose clamps to make sure they were tight after the last winter & came back from a hike to find water or something coming out of the rear of the Oliver. it was an easy fix after I determined what the liquid was 🫨 tightened everything up & no more leak👏🏻 but now how do I clean out all the urine from the channels??? I tried pouring a little water & pine sol & raised the front of the trailer & then put a fan in the dinette basement but it still a little stinky!! help

Yes...that's it. Just be certain that your new panels have their own solar controller and that the polarity (reversing adapter (if necessary) are there. Bill Just to be safe - you might also want to check the fuse on that Zamp external port.

The zamp connector, as installed by Oliver, requires input from a separate controller. It's set up for "suitcase solar", ie, panel(s) with their own separate controller. The zamp connector connects directly to the battery bank, via an inline fuse to protect against over-voltage. If you want to upgrade your portable panels, you must provide a separate, appropriate controller between the panels and the batteries, in the standard configuration. So, yes, you can upgrade to 200 watts, add a controller that accommodates the new panels, and you'll be fine. What you CAN'T do is send unregulated power from panels without a controller to the port.

Check out Hard Alee Adventures on Youtube... https://www.youtube.com/@HardAleeAdventures

have you tried searching the overall forum on this matter? i searched for insurance roadside assistance and the following popped up look at the "didnt find what you are looking for" and maybe change selection to search to insert AND or OR. there are other member who have had this question, so the answers may be out there.

We had a brief false alarm while in Fruita, CO last week.also in the middle of the night. We have the RV Safe model and the fault cleared quickly. Maybe the air there is different! lol

Thanks — I saw that bulletin, but I think OTT listed dates or something that would rule out my Oliver. I trust OTT’s Service Dept will figure it out. Meanwhile, my propane tanks have been off for weeks (whenever it was that I was testing with the combustible gas detector, in August). I don’t know if the continuing alarms are sensing propane (perhaps a leak in the lines? and that makes no sense to me, because the lines should be clear by now) or if the sensors are faulty. But the alarm clears when I open the windows and turn on the exhaust fan. And if I don’t use the fan, it often sounds again after the time programmed in the alarm. The upside of this experience is that I now have equipment that serves me without the propane — the heater and the induction cooktop and an additional tank that I use with my griddle outside.

Try OdoBan, I use it to eliminate lingering fish odors in my skiff.

That's the one we use and it works great. John

Our Girard remote batteries died this weekend while camping. We had to manually shake the awnings to activate the wind sensor in order to retract. For removing the backplate, we found online somewhere that there is a tiny groove in one corner under the word "OPEN" that you can slip a screwdriver into and twist. From there it was pretty simple to pop the plate off working our way around the edges. The 2430 batteries seemed fairly secure and not slipping around, so that may be some variability between units. The 2450 is an equivalent battery that is a bit thicker, so it might be an option if the mounting slot is too loose. Replacement 2430s were actually pretty hard to find and not stocked at most locations locally. Got the last three at a Walgreens. Surprisingly, the display was actually bright with the new batteries.

Thanks guys! I already have the hand pump, so I’ll just get a barb fitting to connect. Didn’t think of that! Mark

That's exactly what we carry, too. Just used it yesterday, in fact.

The similar Camco pump at Menards is $17.79 (HERE) versus $7.49 at Harbor Freight. I'll bet that the fitting doesn't cost anywhere near the difference in price. Bill

Good point! Currently scheduled for a Tuesday delivery…Subject to change,with no notice by higher authorities. 🙂 I’ve already watched many of the videos leading up to the decision to purchase, however, I will review them again. In the What to expect a delivery video, I do not see OTT providing manual transfer pump for use in winterization. Depending upon home temperatures when I take delivery in December, I will have to winterize prior to departure. I have a manual transfer pump. However, it does not allow the use of a threaded hose for use in connecting to the trailer port. What would you recommend? Mark

We spent 3 days at David Crockett State Park after picking up our Elite II last November. When we drove back to Hohenwald the following Monday morning, the Oliver Service staff jumped right on the few issues we had discovered during my thorough 3-day inspection and testing. Their commitment to ensuring that all issues were promptly, and properly, resolved before we took the trailer home to Idaho was exemplary.

@FLYnGATOR Congrats, first off, on retirement!! It is a beautiful time in life where you are free to do the things YOU want to do. Here are a few suggestions. As much as possible DO NOT take delivery on a Friday. If you have an issue Oliver service is closed over the weekend and you will burn two days sitting at Camp Oliver waiting to get your issue addressed on Monday. Another suggestion is to consider few extra days at David Crockett SP to do your shakedown of your new Oliver. A few days spent at the SP will allow you to familiarize yourself with your Oliver. While at Oliver Service, go through every system, push every button and make sure EVERYTHING works. If you have an issue and new Olivers can have issues, you are close enough to OTT to get it addressed before heading home. Before heading home, take as much time as you can. Now is the time to hit the books and watch the videos in Oliver University. This gave us an edge up delivery day. Oliver goes to great lengths to provide this info and the more you learn the better it gets. Scour this forum. There are lots of pro tips and suggestions on mods that will help you make your Ollie your own. Enjoy delivery day, and get out and travel!!! 😊 Patriot🇺🇸

For this purpose while on the road - I bought a cheap Harbor Freight "set" that includes both metric and SAE plus a hammer, set of screw drivers, etc. - something like THIS ONE While at home I've already got both sizes covered in both regular and deep sockets. Bill

I personally can’t envision not having exactly the right tool for any and every job I do. You’ll soon learn that using the wrong size socket will quickly round off the flats on either bolt heads or nuts.

Hopefully you have view the videos in the Oliver University. Be sure to get very familiar with the one that covers "what to expect on delivery day". Most of us were basically overwhelmed on that day - the excitement and all the information and the people you meet are all a bunch of "stuff" to take in during the relatively few hours that you are there. Take a camera (and use it), take a note book (and use it), don't be afraid to ask that question - yes, stop the person who is playing tape number 36 from memory and ask, ask, ask. Make sure that you actually understand the answer to that question and don't be afraid to ask it again if necessary. If something doesn't "look right" to you - ask about it. Be sure to actually test every thing and all systems on your new Ollie. If it doesn't work (or if you can't get it to work) don't be afraid to walk back over to the Service Department and ask for help. They (and the rest of Oliver people) are really nice and are actually glad to help you. Give yourself a break! You will forget things - there are simply way too many to remember. But - most of all - HAVE FUN!!!!! Bill p.s. We need pictures of your new rig! Most likely you will be in site #1 in the Oliver camping area. All of these sites have water and electric but the sewer dump is located up by the entrance road. If you can't find it then ask someone to point it out to you. Finally - if you are too tired to cook or simply want an easy dinner out then the Mexican place that is located right across the street (in the small strip mall) from Tractor Supply is fairly good. Also, WalMart is right there too in the event you think of anything you forgot to bring.

It does drain into the gray tank, but it has to get through that valve first in order to get there.

@Wandering Sagebrush, don't be too hard on yourself. Some of this stuff isn't even in the manual, or it's buried. Or, you heard it and forget. Wet feet, backed up drain, etc, etc. I'm guilty of being that loose nut at keyboard, from time to time. It's all good.

It’s one of those problems created by failing to RTM. Similar in nature to an issue those of us with an IT background refer to as “Loose nut at keyboard.”

Thanks, @topgun2. I should have been more clear, but I think @Steph and Dud B covered it. The sink doesn't drain "directly" to the grey water tank, as it shares a drain with the shower, and, thus, the valve restricts odors and backup while traveling/jostling, but also means wastewater from the sink has nowhere to go but backing up into the shower, if the valve is closed. In our boat, our bath hand sink water goes to the toilet. (Water saving/flush help.) In some rvs, sink water goes to black tank. You just have to know where it goes. (as in, I have to remind folks on the boat to make sure the hand sink isn't overflowing the toilet! I installed faucets requiring contact to make sure they were never left running..) It's all good, once you know your way around. Former girl scout. Be prepared, for myself, and others. Lol.

Actually - your assumption is correct. But, as SeaDawg mentions, the valve is located between the shower pan and the grey tank. This means that when you run water in the bath sink, the water flows towards the grey tank but when it hits that closed valve the water can't flow into the grey tank and, thus, winds up coming up through the drain in the shower pan. I agree that this is an honest mistake. But, I disagree that you will only do it once - at least if you are anything like me 🤪. I did this so often that I actually went out and bought a second shower mat so that I could let one dry while I still had one to use. Of course, once I bought that second mat I've hardy ever had the need to use it. But, like the good Boy Scout that I used to be - I'm prepared! Bill

It's an honest mistake you'll only make once. Just like the ankle high water, when showering, and forgetting to open the valve. Fortunately, the valve handle is actually IN the shower are, instead of elsewhere, as in a few other trailers.

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

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.

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

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

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!

Here’s a recent example of why you want to have a working CO/propane detector. Exploding Northern Lite In addition to working common sense.