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We just washed and cleaned up the Ollie for the winter nap. Makes us very sad to put her away for a while as we have loved this first season of camping. We at least got a fall trip knocked out before the end of the season. I have been dreaming of a fall trip in the Ollie for years so we very excited to finally do it. It was fall in the inland northwest so nothing much for those of you back east (I will get there someday). We got 5 trips in this season though and have to say we are very happy with our Ollie. Including 7 days with no hookups in a state park. We made it 7 days with power to spare and even a little water left even with a few showers (we used the boondocking port to add a little more just to learn how to use it and I think that will be a wonderful feature in the years ahead!). I have been worried about the sound of the heater as in past campers we have rented the heaters have been loud and wake me up in the middle of the night. Not with the Ollie and the Truma! That thing is so quiet we could nearly even tell it was on. Everyone has been nervous about the composting toilet. Been a fan in theory but it is another question when it comes time for real-life use. So glad we have it! I just emptied it for the winter and there was zero smell! It is so easy to use and empty plus no black tank smell and a huge water savings. It is a must IMHO. The amount of storage has also been a surprise. You all have said it but was never really sure until we got one. We even did half these trips with our 16-year-old daughter and had plenty of room for everyone's clothes and food. The pantry holds way more stuff than we thought and I always thought the size of the refrigerator would be an issue. Nope! We always had room for more in the refrigerator and we always came up with more than we needed. She has performed perfectly and towing her around the mountains has been no problem. Grateful for the tips I have gotten from you all over the years leading up to this. Looking forward to more adventures next season!

It was fun meeting with so many Oliver folks yesterday. If you were taking pictures, please post. My phone battery needed a charge, so these early pictures are all I could take. Steve

I have been on this forum for many years as my wife and I researched, learned, and awaited when it made sense for us to join the clan of Oliver ownership. First, I want to thank this group for all you have shared and knowledge over the years. My wife and I were introduced to Oliver a few years back. Like many of you once we saw the quality, community, and how Oliver conducts themselves we had a hardtime accepting anything we saw in other places. We have camped with our kids as they grew up and camped in many different ways including car camping, tent camping, yurt camping, popup camping, teardrop, and renting a few different types of TT. We thought it would be a few more years before we jump into Oliver ownership since we still have one at home for 2 more years. But all the stars aligned this summer and we decided to pull the trigger. We are now the owners of hull #1305 after working with @Snake River Idaho who were great to work with and had a wonderful trailer they had decided to part ways with (such great people to work with and a great reflection on the Oliver community). We just got home from a one-week trip to bring her back home. There is certainly a lot that goes into anyone making this decision. For us, we had heard stories on this forum about health issues making it hard or impossible to do things like this. We have also been personally close to a number of these stories with quite a few of them happening recently. So since we found ourselves in a place financially to do it we decided we were not going to wait any longer even though we have to account for a 3rd sleeper for 2 more years (which on the week trip home she did wonderfully on via the dinette setup each night). The trip home was wonderful. Despite spending a few years learning and researching, doing it for real still had me learning and trying to figure things out. We did have a few minor events on the trip home we had to figure out like the overly sensitive LP/CO2 sensor that woke us up in the middle of the night the first two nights. Or that leather cushions on fiberglass don't stay in place and slide right off (does anyone have a remedy for this?). But we got to experience things on the trip home we have always wanted to but never had before like Bannack State Park Ghost Town one of the most well-preserved ghost towns in Montana and a beautiful sunset in the middle of nowhere outside Dillion MT. Or the Atomic Museum (way cooler and more educational than my wife, I, or our girls expected) outside Arco Idaho along with Craters of the Moon (meeting up with some friends who just happened to be passing through). Not to mention and most importantly having some dedicated time with our youngest laughing, talking and playing games (she is in the final two years of High School and missing her older sisters so getting her away from all the teenage struggles and into a quiet place allowing her to connect with mom and dad and nature and history was wonderful!). We did the showering in the Oliver and I have to say it was easier than I thought. I am 6 foot 1 and while tight it worked great. We had a couple of nights when all our girls were able to come meet up with us and we spent those nights in the Ollie playing games, and eating dinner while watching the Olympics. I have to give a shout-out to @Foy_Mirna for his lagoon table as it was a major win for those nights being able to get all 5 of us around the table again (I expected it to feel more cramped with 5 in the trailer but it did not)! Towing the trailer was also a great experience. I am glad because my wife towed pretty much the entire trip given I was on a business trip the day before pick up and lost my wallet so no driver's license for me. We live in North Idaho so going up and down mountains will be a thing for us no matter what direction we head. It and the truck did great up and down passes, construction zones, and passing semi-trucks. We even had a day driving where we saw 20 MPH wind gusts and my wife did not even realize how windy it was until I told her. My wife did great (she even backed us into a camp spot on the last night and did great!). We head out on the next trip in a week and are very excited! Thanks for letting me learn and take part in this community over the last few years. We hope to see some of you on the road in the coming years.

My "old" toaster oven decided to retire itself after many years and miles of use. It seems that toaster ovens have not been watching their diets since I last bought one and they all have gained a considerable amount of girth. So, I've been on the search for a toaster oven that fits into the cubbies above the dinette and I - finally - found one. Certainly not the most expensive or feature filled, but, for toast/english muffins, warming pizza, etc. it does the job. It can be found HERE. Bill

One tweak to the above settings if you experience low battery shutdown when using the 3000-watt inverter to power high-wattage appliances (like the microwave) with some later 2022 Elite II hulls: reset setting No. 02 for LBCO (Low Battery Cut Off) voltage to 11.5V rather than 12.1. Our Hull #1291 has the "new" 12V bus bar, which Jason Essary advised requires that LBCO be set to 11.5V.

Try the service knowledge base here: https://support.olivertraveltrailers.com/portal/en/kb/articles/xantrex-inverters#Inverter_Settings

Thanks Steve and MA for a fun evening and great Chili. Sunset was amazing.

Steve and MA hosted a chili supper tonight. Thank you Steve and Mary Allyn for your Texas Hospitality.

I'm seeing several familiar faces! Keep those photos coming, so those of us not there can experience the gathering vicariously. And have a blast!

this table shows settings for various lithium batteries. The red is for 2 large Lithionics using the 2000 watt inverter. Hope this helps.

Congrats! You went through the same process as me (and probably a lot more owners) of researching, thinking, renting SOB trailers and ultimately deciding to get it now rather than wait. The learning curve on the Ollie with all the various systems can be steep but don't let it ever get you down. Think of the glitches as steps to becoming a master of your trailer. I've got around 15k on mine and I'm still learning plenty of how to keep it up and running, thanks to the forums, the OTT service center and of course, trial and error! lol

@Zodd It is a great feeling to sit outside in a nice campsite admiring your Ollie and thinking we must be the smartest people around! Most of us have enjoyed the same thoughts while sitting around our Ollie! Congratulations for sticking to the Oliver Travel Trailer plan y’all put together. Mossey

That a great looking toaster oven and I really like the helpful cooking tips on the glass door! Mossey

My mission after the first few camping trips was to install a better shower head in the Oliver. I especially didn't like the fact that I had to turn the water off at the faucet handle and lose the setting. Research turned up a highly regarded brand called High Sierra. I searched for those on this forum as well and found that at least one person (Overland) has also upgraded to a High Sierra. I chose the same ugly one with a nice new faucet but an even uglier diverter. 😄 I also hope my wife doesn't notice that her washcloth holder is gone now. 😬 I decided that a permanent access hatch (DasMarine Marine Deck Access Hatch & Lid with Lock, White, 24" Length X 14" Width (606MM. Length X 353MM. Width) in it's place was a better value (at least to me!). I can get at all my new valves now.

We're in southern Mississippi just after traversing some pretty rough roads across Louisiana. We've retorqued the u bolts per Alcan's recommendations and then some. A few still need minor tweaking so I'll continue checking for another 1000 miles or so. The Alcans seem to be doing great and I'm glad we went that route. Lew and Tucker were a pleasure to meet and they taught me a few things :) I changed my Oliver shocks in July, in Maine, with Monroe Magnum 555001s. Upon completion of the springs install in Colorado, Tucker informed me 1 of the struts were blown and would not extend after compressing it. We continued on to our next destination without the bad shock installed and I re-installed another 555001 after a visit with O'Reilly (not a common stock item so had to be ordered ahead of time). All was going well until Louisiana roads...after reaching Lake Mary Crawford, a public fishing lake by Monticello, MS, I discovered 2 more shocks leaking, removed them and ordered 2 more from O'Reilly. Only 1 came in so I reinstalled the best of the 2. They would extend ok after compressing so I figure they has some life left, but had oil that had leaked from the top of the shock. I wiped the shocks down and will check on them from time to time until getting back to SC. I'm thinking the frequent severe porpoising through dips in the road for over 30+ miles may have forced the oil out and down the bottom outside cylinder. We will see if the struts continue to leak and report back at a later date. My TV now has 121000+ miles (over 21000 so far this year alone since leaving SC) on it and I'm seriously thinking about replacing the shocks on it when we get back. They're not leaking nor appear in bad shape but the truck seems to be a little more springy on hard stops and porpoises a little more than when newer. The tires are new so no unusual wear at this time. I have had zero problems with exchanging the bad shocks at O'Reilly's (lifetime guarantee...thanks Steve L) but am thinking I'll want to try another brand to see if it lasts a little longer. Still happy campers here... :) John

Thanks for the report John! Safe Travels to you and Wendy my friend. David

Only after trying something the way I think it should function, three or four times over, and it still doesn't work! 😜 Mike did all the hard work. I'm just copying his.

I'd bet that his "brother", Jason is there too.🤔

Yesterday, I retrieve OTT LEII Hull 990 from storage to prepare for a photo trip to shoot fall color in The Smoky Mountains National Park. Upon arrival home, I unhitched, connected shore power and turned ON the Norcold 3-way Refrigerator. The refrigerator would not startup on AC shore power and the fault indicator on the door displayed an "A". I consulted the Norcold N41x_ N51x_Service Manual and found troubleshooting steps in P. 21. I checked the AC breaker in the power panel under the rear dinette seat, which was ON. I checked the GFCI protected outlets and they were ON. Next, I removed the exterior access panel to the refrigerator, next to the entry door. I removed the AC supply line from the refrigerator (located in the lower left, near the control board cover) and found NO AC voltage on the supply line. This morning, I phoned OTT Technical Support and described the problem and symptoms and asked if there we any other breakers or fuses between the breaker panel and the refrigerator. Mike Strong informed me there were none. He did, however, tell me the refrigerator AC supply line plugs into an outlet below the left/forward galley drawers. This outlet is accessed by removing the bottom two drawers and removing a thin plywood hatch attached with four wood screws to the bottom panel of the drawer cabinet. I proceeded to remove the drawers and found the plywood panel. Removal of the wood screws requires a short Phillips screw driver. I used a small ratchet set with a ¼" Phillips No. 2 bit to remove the screws. I found the outlet and the AC supply line to the refrigerator. The AC plug was partially dislodged from the AC outlet. I reinserted the plug and tightened the zip tie, which had been installed to prevent the plug from vibrating or otherwise coming out of the outlet. With AC power restored, the refrigerator now operates normally. The first step in the troubleshooting flowchart on P. 21 of the service manual calls for checking the AC power input to the refrigerator. However, it provided no clue to the existence of the concealed AC outlet beneath the galley drawers. My thanks to Mike for informing me where to find the concealed outlet. Our trailer was delivered in mid-February, 2022, and now has traveled over 12,000 miles. I suspect the cause of the AC plug dislodging from the outlet was vibration while underway. I would expect other OTT owners will have similar experiences. See photos below. Access hatch removal AC outlet as found with plug dislodged (note position of zip tie) AC outlet and plug with zip tie relocated and tightened Regards, Don

A huge thanks to Mike for letting me photograph his bathroom plumbing upgrade back during the rally in May, and for sending details on the connections and hardware. I’ve had the Scandvik and High Sierra components for months, but just now getting to that project. I’ve mocked up the system for location, and I just need to collect the fittings to tie it all together. And drill those big holes! Have I read that a diamond grit tipped saw is best for fiberglass? Or is a fine toothed carbide tip a better choice? Thanks @mossemi!!

Jadon Essary is here. Email him if you need him at your site. jessary@olivertraveltrailers.com

It has been a blast. Thanks for fixing my error😊

The two have been merged under the title of Inks Lake 2024. Bill Sure does look like everyone is having a great time! Wish I could have been with you.

I will certainly check out @Ronbrink's Atmos today! Sure Derek, stop by site 71 to talk. We're staying at the park today, so will be here or visiting others. I purchased Epoch during a 4th of July sale. They had just lowered the price from $999 to $899 and had 10% OFF. Last year they had 15% OFF for Black Friday. I went with Epoch to get 2x 300AH. The LiTime will likely continue to be the best price for 2x 230AH. 460AH vs. 600AH is the question, or you can do 1x 460AH Epoch Essentials (2 of the "Essential" model will not fit) as somebody here mentioned, or 2x 460AH and go all out as @rideadeuce did!

The chili was great, thanks Steve and Mary Allyn! It was good to see so many old friends and meet new friends. The weather was perfect. Mike

Girard remote update.. Went to use it nothing, this happened once before. Removed cover took batteries out reinstalled them it worked. Went and got new batteries at Menards, only place that had those CR2430.. I think these thing gets in a DUMB mode ..Thats what i call it..was in the repair business for 38 yrs. Unplug & plug back in seems to most of the time with electronic boards.. keeping new batt for back up.. Stay safe out there!!

Thank you @Ronbrink, Great to meet you as well. Your modifications to your trailer are top notch and enjoyed discussing and looking at your Atmos install. Definitely seems to be another great option for Oliver owners wanting to move away from the Dometic. I do plan to try and catch @jd1923 while here to talk battery upgrades. LiTime running great sales right now. Still have not seen any price changes for the Epochs. Maybe Black Friday? Will wait it out another month and make a decision.

Good meeting you yesterday. I totally agree with @Tideline77’s assessment, good job making use of valuable real estate on the battery box side wall! If memory serves me, @jd1923 got a Renogy 400W portable solar suitcase, which I’m hoping to visit with him about while at the rally. You may want to get up with him to see his super battery setup and even mine if interested in a cheaper alternative with the LiTimes. Later

Todd, I have logged you into the official owner's list as the new owner of Hull #1305. Wishing for you and your family, many happy future trips. Steve Landrum, Hull #050.

We pulled into a campground for the night in Ft. Stockton Texas, I started to unhitch and noticed that the front jack foot was loose. I tightened it and checked the other two. The rear ones were tight. I checked them all right after we purchased our trailer in 2017 and haven’t thought about them since. Probably something to check periodically and will add some blue loctite to each bolt. Probably not good to lose one, at least I’d hate to run over one.

Bingo!

Yes. This creates some pros and cons for the dish. It is small and compact and very easy to deploy. However, the further away you have to deploy it, the weaker your single and, in turn, your speed gest. So far, I have not found this to be a problem. The power cord is only so long and it can only get so far away. We just got back from our fall trip and had to put the SL mini as far away as we could to try and clear obstructions. Speed was still fine ( >80 mbps). The issue was still obstructions. As you can see we were pretty clear but had one section on the horizon that caused us to go between 97% ping success to 87%. At 87% zoom conference calls become an issue. Because of this I don't plan on mounting the mini to anything permanent on the TV or Ollie. I am looking for a stand to get it up higher but also mobile. This gives me the most flexibility to avoid obstructions. Also in case anyone is wondering. Here is what the power draw jump looks like when the mini needs to kick on its heater.

RV LIFE Trip Wizard also has filters for city and county parks, 2 of the 12 categories of park types it offers. @jd1923, kudos for assembling the route plan you posted. I learned there are categories which deserve more of my attention when planning routes. Don

Glad you found the pending loss before it happened. Last month in a response to Jason's post I stated: "A bit off topic, but important. I recently lost on the highway one of my jack foot plates. Recommend checking their single bolt tightness occasionally. Anybody know how to do so and to what torque? My concern is that one could damage the jack tube if it is not restrained during tightening." We now have two documented cases supporting the need to periodically check the torque of our jack leg feet. Jason mentioned using a strap wrency to back-up the torque process so as not to damage the leg when doing so. Pondering this further, I think it would be worth attaching a small diameter cable to act as a "safety chain" for the feet. GJ

You got exactly what I was trying to say. The lower hull in another color, or another shade of white would look very good.

We arrived mid afternoon Sunday. Several trailers already set up, and new arrivals the rest of the day. We've met several folks already. Most of our camping in the past has been tailgate type events. This is shaping up to be a wonderful "no host" rally. Our plan is to just hang out and meet fellow Oliverts. Tomorrow we're making a batch of chili with 6 lbs of meat at site #68 to share while it lasts. It should be ready around 5 pm. Not enough to fully feed the 80+ folks that are expected at the rally, but it's a good start. Make this a pot luck and there should be plenty. Bring what you'd like to share. Here are some early photos. We can't remember everyone's names, but even if we did the pictures remain uncaptioned for those who prefer their privacy. Our campsite is the one with the Sprinter van.

Bosker and I are loaded and ready to head for Inks Lake State Park and the 2024 Texas Oliver Rally. See ya’ll there!

Living where you do, @jd1923, you probably don't need either the oem seal nor what appears to be trimlock molding. In rainy east, we like ours.

30 pound tanks are great , if you can lift them. We run with 20s. That's enough pain, and enough weight. They last a long time. That's a personal decision. But, if you can, try lifting a full one up and over the lip of the propane storage area, and see what you think. Some places will fill tanks in place. Others won't. We don't swap tanks at rhino or others, until tanks go out of date, or, we are desperate. Swap tank site is a good place to get rid of out of date tanks. Then, we pick and choose for a good date on replacement. (True for trailer, BBQ, boat, etc) Twenty is plenty, for us, and, we normally boondock. Cold weather enthusiasts will probably want 30 pounders.

Not good advice, especially for a new Oliver. You will be supplied with brand new tanks with warranty, date coded for 10 years of use. The swap tanks are often abused/damaged. I got one once where the O-ring was missing and the LP would leak. Also, it’s expensive. I just got one 30# and one 20# we use at home filled from empty for $29.80 which is the price of a swap tank at our local big box stores! Our local Ford dealer charges $2.50 per gallon Keep your original tanks for cost savings and your safety. We’re on a 3 1/2 week trip and will likely only use one 30# for furnace, cooking and we love our LP fire ring. Years ago we ran out on a trip in a Class-C and best price nearby in the Phoenix valley was $5/gal. We have enough batteries/inverter/solar to keep us fine and can run A/C for 3-4 hours when needed. If I was going to run a generator for A/C, I’d have more than enough LP, would look to fill one 30 when starting the second. If the E1 can only hold 20s, I’d buy a 3rd tank at a local HW store and have it filled up ready in the truck bed.

Finished up the rest of my solar install. Went with the Victron 100/50 controller installed under the street side bed. Took the opportunity to clean up this area and made some room for any future upgrades with some PVC sheet I was able to find at local Home Depot. Also wanted to clean up the battery compartment so I have only (+) and (-) 4/0 cables in there. Forward street side bed under the pantry installed victron shunt and a negative bus bar. Under rear dinette installed a positive bus bar, battery to inverter cutoff switch and a solar cutoff switch. Finally installed the MPPT and shunt displays on forward street side cabinet above the dinette. I wanted to leave the area above the radio open in case I decide to install cerbo gx display later. Had to purchase the longest v.e.direct cable victron offers in order to make this run. The only area I get wires pushed through was from the basement to the rear attic by following close to the AC drain line. I was then able to route the wires across the back of the upper cabinets.

In our older trailers, the shower and faucet were one unit. Scandvik marine hardware. You lift the faucet out of the sink, and put it up on a hook. No diverter necessary. Pretty common in boats, especially older ones like ours . This will obviously work. But, you lose that precious bit of counterspace to the right of the faucet . I do like the idea of the access panel. Now wondering if I could modify the abs insert on ours. Probably not. It's not that strong. Not like your hatch. I do agree, high Sierra is highly rated.