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I have a little experience with corroded stainless steel. My experience is from when I TIG welded the stainless steel brewing fittings together for my home brewery. I already knew how to weld mild steel, but had to research the specifics of welding stainless steel and how to maintain its stainless characteristics. Are you using a chlorine bleach based cleaner on your sink? Stop doing that. Chlorine can dissolve the protective oxides on a stainless steel surface, exposing the metal surface to the environment which leads to rust. How about cleaning the sink with steel wool? That's not good either. Iron fragments can get microscopically lodged in the stainless which leads to rust. Use a ScotchBrite pad or bronze wool instead. In order to passivate (establish the protective chromium oxide layer) the recently cleaned spot on your stainless steel sink, you need to use a product containing oxalic acid. As mentioned earlier, Bar Keepers friend is one product. Others include Klein King Stainless and Copper Cleaner, and Revere Copper and Stainless Steel cleaner. Bar Keepers friend comes in a powder and a liquid. I always make a paste out of the powder and scrub the area clean with a ScotchBrite pad to passivate any recently welded stainless steel fittings. A paste of Barkeepers Friend powder and a green ScotchBrite scrubby pad should take care of the issue on your sink. Just keep the chlorine bleach products away from anything stainless steel. HTH, Ken

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. If your grilling or cooking a turkey out in the wild, please share your Turkey Day Photos. Happy Camping and safe travels where ever you are. 🦃🦃

Happy Thanksgiving. We're camping with some friends for the week. Trash can turkey on the fire, weather permitting. If not, ham on the grill. Have a great holiday, everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!! We are staying home and eating Turkey this year, nothing special. Safe travels to those who are traveling this year.

Happy Thanksgiving fellow campers and travelers! We’re home this year (although we considered joining our son and family who are camping this week at Grand Canyon NP). I’ll be smoking two 12lb free range turkeys on the Primo ceramic this year. We’ve been doing two turkeys for quite a while, one inside in the oven and one outside on the smoker. The smoked turkey always wins the taste test, so we’ll just do both outside on the smoker this year! Mike

I can't add anything to this. Well written and explained.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving everyone!

Happy Turkey Day "Week", Oliver owners! D and I will be staying home this year, too. We'll be deep frying a 12# free range Non-GMO bird on Thursday afternoon and smoking a heavily marinated 18# brisket in the BGE on Friday. Should have plenty of leftovers - so if y'all're in the AO; swing by! Gobble - gobble! HA!

After ~5 wonderful years with our Ollie and many adventures around the United States and Canada, we are moving on to a new phase of travel in our lives (overseas, cruises, etc.). So our much loved Hull #461 has been sold to a new owner. This forum has been great for support and sharing among the Oliver owners community, and a thank you to all for the great discussions and information shared over the years. We are definitely going to miss our Ollie, but she is going to a good home with a new owner that is very knowledgeable about trailers in general and also Olivers specifically, and I expect he will be joining this forum (he might already be a guest member). Thanks again to all. I'll still hang around/lurk here on the forums, and safe travels to everyone. Frank

We are staying home, I am working, and we are having family ang fiends over Thanksgiving day, about 20 people or so. Cooking two 20 pound local raised turkeys. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Kirk

Maybe this one?

I listed it on RV Trader and also the Oliver Trailers for Sale Facebook page. All of the legitimate potential buyer leads, and the eventual buyer, were from RV Trader inquires about the trailer. The Facebook page generated a lot of comments and likes but no actual buyer leads.

We’ve had a few small scratches on the inside of our cabinet doors from the cabinet contents rubbing against the door, so we installed a clear self-adhesive removable protective film on the backs of the cabinet doors. This prevents future damage and didn’t change the appearance of the doors. When shopping shelf liners and static cling window decals we also found there were lots of products that might work to both protect the inner side of the cabinet door and give them a different look. We went a step further and added a patterned static cling vinyl as well. The textured static cling vinyl we used didn't stick well directly to the cabinet doors, but it clings to the shelf liner. Time and seasons will tell how well it sticks. There are so many products available, some with bright colors and patterns and some more subtle. Since it was just installed this week we can’t speak to its durability, so we're not offering specific product recommendations. Your tastes are probably different than ours anyway. A self-adhesive liner with color or pattern could be used as a single layer if you find something you like. The vinyl material is easy to apply when the hardware is removed with the doors are laid on a flat clean work surface. We went for a subtle change to the original look, but we might do something with color in the future.

Battleborn is offering some good deals this week on batteries and kits. I'm still scouting a few items, for Ollie's Christmas presents. We'll see what we find...

My original plan was to wait until I retired to buy my Ollie. But, in a rare instance of good judgement, I bought two years ago and only just retired this past summer. I'm very glad I did. First, the prices have really gone up. Second, I've had two years to tinker and learn about my Ollie before taking it out on longer, more frequent trips which I'm doing now. And third, I used it as a weekend getaway where I have it stored at a friend's place and enjoyed it without even going anywhere.

Oh the things we learn here. Excellent explanation! Mike

Steph and I will be handing those out in about 2 months. Can't wait!

Thank you for that, very informative! a.

Barkeeper's friend,,seal with ceramabryte stainless steel cleaner. We have two stainless utility sinks from costco. No issues from either. A friend bought the same one, and got a stripe of rust down the front. Different water. He did the above method. All good.

Art and I are both using the same solar panel and have connected them up this past summer using the Z-amp 10 AWG Solar Panel Connection as shown in his picture. Down the road when I get past all the Priority A and B mods, I'll likely remove the Solar Charge Controller and make it portable as John D. did several years ago (See his post for details.) Short version is he sits it on top of his street side tire and runs a short cord into the batteries. But with just using the Solar Suitcase as stock, it's not a high priority. However, if you want to extend the (10') stock cable, then the JD upgrade mod would be more beneficial (B Level Mod). My only regret is that I purchased the single 200-watt solar suitcase vs. two each 100-watt solar suitcases. For my purposes, the smaller ones would transport better in my short bed TV. They would also be easier to move around and get out of the TV bed. This may require some smarts for connecting two of them up to a single charge controller. But likely Renogy already has this covered. GJ

We had the same issue when we first had our trailer. We use barkeepers friend for this issue at the suggestion of Jason at Oliver and others on this forum and the issue has resolved. We still use bar keepers friend if the issue returns.

Our extra solar panel setup is documented here: https://4-ever-hitched.com/ggs-blog/f/here-comes-the-sun

Best business card in the world… <Insert Name> Retirement Specialist Work is None of My Business Humor aside, welcome to the group, and thanks for the checklist!

@chiwald I prefer google search, i.e. "site:olivertraveltrailers.com forum portable solar panels", with portable solar panels being the search words you are looking for at olivertraveltrailers.com Here are a couple search results: - Portable solar panels - solar panel suitcase

I added a Zamp port to our Oliver, on the hull near the battery compartment, since it was an easy location to access the correct locations for the positive and negative connections to the trailer 12vDC system, and used a portable Zamp 140 watt panel with an integrated charge controller. It worked very well on trips for our stays at Harvest Host locations, and our recent stay at the Circuit of the Americas track in Austin TX (plenty of sunshine!) for the Formula 1 race, when no power hookup was available. The 140 watt panel was about the biggest that I would want to carry. They are “portable” and they do fold up into a nice suitcase style carrying case but they can still be heavy and bulky to transport.

Best of luck and safe travels, Frank. Enjoy the world we can't reach with wheels.

Frank, Sounds like you are about 2 years ahead of us. Thanks for your past posts Please consider posting some of your new adventures here! Good luck! Craig & Rose

Frank, good luck with your next phase! Enjoy the travel overseas, there’s a lot to see. Mike

Frank - Thanks for being such a supportive and active member of the Forum. Have fun but remember to stay out of trouble. Bill

Z My daughter was waiting for a bus near a friend’s home in Morro Bay and saw this Oliie across from the stop. She should now buy a lottery ticket!

Aloha all, I picked up my smaller Ollie in April 2021, having retired the previous year, and have enjoyed it immensely, dragging it from our Virginia home to Utah where I stayed for the month of May 2022 in various state & National Park campgrounds. As a newbie to trailer camping, I developed a checklist I relied upon to ensure everything was in order prior to departing a campsite. I've only just joined this forum, and at the risk of seeming presumptuous, I'm sharing this 2 page checklist as an attachment (I hope) for anyone to use/alter/or add to. I found that relying upon it, even after becoming reasonably comfortable with the departure process, typically reminded me of something I forgot to do. Hopefully it's helpful. Safe travels ! PREPARING TRAILER FOR TOWING.docx

Sherill, yes you have to create an account.. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

Here is are some I'm considering for our replacement. I have had one of the touch lights go our almost every trip. (Ok...just three times) I've never really liked that the OEM touch lights seem a bit more yellow than the other Oliver lights. These are 4000K (instead of about 3200K) and think the mechanism might not be so inclined to fail as the tiny OEM spring-contacts. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B093G9KFFB/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?pd_rd_i=B06ZZDM19W&pd_rd_w=2zJDd&content-id=amzn1.sym.0d1092dc-81bb-493f-8769-d5c802257e94&pf_rd_p=0d1092dc-81bb-493f-8769-d5c802257e94&pf_rd_r=AA9JC71TZA2WYECYSY4Y&pd_rd_wg=nbZUW&pd_rd_r=b8cd43aa-08e1-4b47-a826-58d019991397&s=automotive&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWwy&th=1

We're glad solar and 2000W inverter was factory installed by OTT in our hull. We likely would not have bought our older used Oliver without it. Like Seadawg, we had a 1000W inverter before (for us, in a previous RV). We used it for 1-2 years (prior to me installing an integrated 2KW unit). It ran my entire large-screen A/V system and coffee in the morning, an 1100W coffee pot or other small appliance, multiple computer adapters, all while watching the morning news). These are cheap and relatively easy to install, if just wired to 1-2 dedicated 120V outlets. I believe mine had 4GA battery cables only 3-4 FT long. You could install one under the dinette rear seat, short cable run to the batteries. It would be easy to run an outlet under the table for a coffee pot or toaster. It's right there on the other wall! A second run to the rear attic is not as simple, but for an experienced installer it would take 30 minutes. For us, I would build in a 3KW inverter system and upgrade the A/C too, but this could be done quickly for a few hundred dollars. Nobody likes running generators. Like SeaDawg wrote, "Much depends on your camping style, and your battery power." 🙂

Here, Here! We've replaced one of them once and another one twice, all under warranty. Love the concept, a great idea when they work. First one failed in about 3 months after picking up the trailer. They need to find another light to use, probably just go to one with a switch. albert

Yes, there is more to the story. It seems that for vehicles that get used more often than RV's the movement of the tire causes some distribution of the chemicals in the rubber. Whereas when a tire stays static there is (obviously) no movement and/or flex. In turn, this allows the surface of the tire to degrade faster than it "normally" would which eventually leads to cracking which leads to ..... When I put Twist into winter storage I first slightly elevate the tires from the gravel base by rolling the trailer onto pressure treated lumber that is covered in plastic sheeting. This helps keep moisture away from the tires. Then I cover each wheel with a tire cover and, finally, I place a 2 x 8 sheet of treated plywood over the covers. This keeps rain, snow, weed wackers and the like from damaging the covers. Perhaps a bit overkill, but, it makes me happy knowing that I've done all that I can think of to protect things while getting the most time out of them. Bill

Primarily covers are used to reduce a tire's exposure to UV light which degrades the rubber over time. The less light that the tires are exposed to results in longer life of the rubber. Some people will use tire covers virtually all the time when stopped - even overnight. But, most simply use them while the RV is in storage. Bill

@Frank C I have enjoyed your thoughtful and insightful postings. I know that I am just one of many members that have relied on your advice these last 4 years. Hopefully your next chapter is as enjoyable as your time with OTT's. Mossey

Perfect conditions with bluebird skies, low 70’s temperatures and low humidify.

A couple of years ago

Welcome to the Oliver family. We just pulled #1290 through Wyoming last week. Boondocked at Evanston in 17° temperature and stayed warm. A little condensation on the windows, but very little. Never on the walls. Ours is stored outside in Oregon, plugged in with tire covers. Ours was the third to last Elite II for 2022. John

Welcome to the forum Joe C - I have a set of these and they have served me well. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KYK3WLL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Patriot🇺🇸

A RotoZip spiral saw, or like product, will make circle and straight cuts much easier, faster and precise. Used mine when installing a forward receptacle in the propane doghouse; the result, very smooth cut edges in the fiberglass. In close quarters, the spiral bit can be set to a depth slightly beyond the fiberglass thickness. As 2008RN suggest, proper PPE and a shop vac should be used.

Our Oliver Elite 2 #1125 was one of the 25 or so units that had balance beads in the tires from the factory. My understanding is that the wheel/tire combos arrived at the mother ship already mounted and with the balance beads installed, a fact that was unknown to Oliver at the time. Once this fact became know to OTT, they mitigated the problem by sending out a set of 5 valves that have a sort of filter screen to prevent the balance beads from plugging up the valve mechanism which would result in the valve being held open and lead to loss of tire pressure. OTT also provided a visa debit card loaded with $25 to cover the cost of a tire servicer to replace the valves. We did the replacement last year and assumed all would be fine. The trailer has been sitting for about 2 months, a couple of weeks ago when I was prepping it for a voyage I discovered the TPMS was not functioning due to the batteries in the sending units having gone bad so I pulled out my trusty tire gauge and set out to check my tire pressures, only to find that when I removed the TPMS (caps) that the air was flowing freely out the valve stem, exactly as it had been doing before installing the "filter" valves meant to solve this problem. I immediately replaced the cap to prevent any further pressure loss, kicking the tires to determine if they seemed inflated enough for the 60 mile journey to the tire shop, which they were. Discount Tire in Montrose, Colorado was prompt to break down the tires, including the spare, thoroughly clean out the balance beads, replace all the valves, balance the tires the normal way (without balance beads) and remount the tires on the trailer, took about 60 minutes and they had 4 techs working on it at the same time. When I went to pay the bill the service manager smiled and said, 'Don't worry about it, just come to see us the next time you need tires." I told him that they had nothing to do with the balance beads installation, he acknowledged that fact but held his ground and refused payment. What a wonderful experience. To any of you who have had to deal with the Balance Bead issue, the solution of the filter valves is inadequate, the tires need to be remove from the rims and the Balance Beads physically cleaned out...Be Aware!!

Ray posts here occasionally. He is @BoondockingAirstream on this forum.

Tomorrow, November 10th, is the 248th birthday of the United States Marine Corps. Founded in Tun Tavern, Philadelphia in 1775. I hope that my fellow Marines stop to remember all those with whom we served. The following Day, November 11th, is Veterans Day. Please take a moment to honor those who gave their lives in the service of our nation. Semper Fi

@Ollie-Haus Great find! I just happen to be replacing a touch light over the dinette. So I took a photo of it. Thanks for posting the Amazon link as they look petty identical. Probably the same company in China just a different supplier. I purchased (3) spares on our recent trip to Oliver. I hope this replacement lasts! This is the third touch light I have replaced. 😏 Oliver TL Amazons version -

I suppose I'm one of the "few people" as I calibrated my Harbor Freight Torque Wrench about a year ago. It was not hard to do and I saved myself almost $105,607.27 by doing it with this method. Surprisingly, it needed very little tweaking but I thought it was useful to have gone through the motions just to make sure a less than $25 torque wrench was close to being accurate. Oh and, by the way, I start my torquing procedure using several of these and this, then use the torque wrench to reach a final value of 90 pound feet. ** **Torque is usually measured in Newton metres (Nm), or pound feet (lb-ft) – the latter not to be confused with foot pounds (ft-lb), as one ft-lb refers not to a twisting force, but to the amount of energy required to raise a 1lb weight by a distance of 1ft.