Leaderboard

After this year's journey through 19 states, I will admit that -- as I dodged left and right around asphalt potholes and cracking concrete highways with large chunks missing -- my thoughts have wandered into the same zone mentioned by @jd1923 above. Our interstate system (and other roads) are in shambles, literally crumbling. And the conditions vary by county and state lines, changing significantly as one crosses administrative boundaries. I have followed the sage advice of many owners on the forum: keep the tire pressure on the low side, and go slowly enough to be able to dodge debris and potholes. The "BUMP" issue is impossible to dodge, so going slow in those areas with heaving swells or significant shifts in height at bridge junctures is very important. It's a wonder that the DOT seems to maintain the frequent signs reading BUMP AHEAD but doesn't (or can't?) fix the problem. I have earmarked Newfoundland on my wish list as well, and hope to go one day. Like a trip to Alaska, it will require special preparation and forethought, but I hope not to shy away from adventures due to challenges.

@Dennis and Melissa PM Dave...Oliver forum name @Sully, if I remember correctly Dave and Kris spent 2 months in the Maritimes (Nova Scotia and Newfoundland) last year June/July. Here's a link of their trip to the Maritimes.

Finally, going to have an oven. I checked the hotspots of the Toshiba MW/oven and the only place it got warm was the back and on top. So I decided to take the plunge with an abundance of caution while using it because I really miss: warm cookies, birthday cake, biscuits, pizza, etc. I did line the cabinet with 1 mm adhesive backed fiberglass high heat barrier. Luckily with a little modification I was able to use the old MW SS trim kit. So plug and play essentially. Again, I will be measuring the cabinet temperatures while using. I think the most likely problem may be that the unit gets too hot or prematurely stops working. Although every looks good so far, nothing abnormal or high temps The highest wattage pulled that I saw while using the convection oven and AC on high was around 2800 watts. Will try to only use one at a time though. Links: Heat shield https://a.co/d/14NmCvX Toshiba https://a.co/d/gGyB2Gc Best, Mike

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.

You sound like us. We also travel with a work schedule and a teenager, who was 11 and considerably smaller when we purchased 4 years ago! 😁 There has only been one trip of many where I had to get creative with finding places for all our stuff and it was a 3-week trip. Love that you decided to go ahead and go for it!

Thank you @Donna and Scott for all your efforts coordinating this rally. We had a great time and met many wonderful people. We would definitely try to make another in the future. As an added bonus we added Texas to our list of States we have camped in our Ollie. 😀

GJ We are all over the country and we encounter those massive dips in many states but mostly in Louisiana. We strive to use roads other than interstates but have to use the interstates every once in a while. I'll slow to 60 (from 62) while traveling and give much more respect to those dark streaks on the roads. They almost always indicate a dip worth respect. At times the TV bottoms out on the front end and I feel as though the trailer has at times come close to weightlessness. I'm anxious get the shocks replaced on the truck (121000+ miles) and start out again in January. Will update the forum early next year. John "lead me to believe the failure was during compression of the shock and then when the trailer came back down and bounced off the highway/road, the shock would be extending with extreme force. Likely the structural failure occurred as the bottom separated from the top of the shock." I think you are correct, sir :)

I just drove the cassiar highway down from alaska and if it's anything like that its doable but you're gonna be going well below the speed limit so take that into account when planning stops. The road itself wasn't in terrible condition, they did ok with fixing most potholes but definitely still gotta keep eyes peeled for them. The bigger issue I've seen on remote sections of Canada highways is just getting bucked up and down from the frost heaving pushing up the road and making it wavy. Coupled with how windy and curvy they can be the first day and a half after getting on the cassiar was driving maybe 35-40 mph.

I took a picture of every Oliver that I could find while walking around the park this morning. Sorry if this large post takes time to load. Most, of these pictures include the campsite number. See if you can find your Ollie. Steve

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!

After several months of researching a suitable replacement TV, a van was decided to be our best choice based on perceived criterium, ie engine/drivetrain, cargo/tow capacity and tongue weight requirements for our OLEll and style of camping. The former 2012 Silverado 1500 4x4 was reaching ‘retirement age’ and I’ve been pushing its limits, regarding carrying capacity, for a couple of years. I will acknowledge up front that we are not minimalist! That said, this Explorer conversion van well exceeds my expectations in both spacial and towing considerations, as well as comfort and convenience. BTW, I told my wife “remind me to never buy another tow vehicle days before a planned trip!” Although ‘well appointed’, the passenger seats had to go; at least when towing our Oliver. The two second row captain’s chairs are easily removed via a release mechanism from the floor mounting base for occasional use, as needed; the third row couch/reclining bed not so much and will go to storage. By removing the passenger seats, I now have 10’ of open cargo space from the rear doors to the front seats; the Silverado’s bed only measured 5’8”, plus limited space in its back seat. Having double doors on both side and rear of the van vastly improved access to the cargo area. The two vehicles were positioned end-to-end to facilitate easy cargo transfer for organizational purposes. Ultimately, two storage boxes were acquired to safely stow much of the cargo; specifically, underbody tool boxes. Yep, delivered one day before our departure to the Texas Oliver Rally at Inks Lake SP, what was I thinking! The boxes are serving their purpose by providing secured organization of supplies and gear, with ample room for our folding e-bikes, Dometic fridge/freezer, portable power station, generators, spare 30 lb. propane tank and a couple of small bins. Camp R&B, Inks Lake SP, Site 227; Texas Oliver Rally, October 20-25, 2024.

Congratulations to the winners of the fire pit and Weber travel grill! Thanks goes to Jason Essary and Oliver Travel Trailers for providing these prizes.

If you haven’t already done so, I recommend downloading the FXC Xantrex Control app. It makes it much easier than using the remote display to check or change the settings.

Thanks, John! That’s us in the middle, just finished up. Happy to have made 5 nights on our tanks! 🤣 We’re getting better at Oliver living.

Thanks for this report. A trip to Alaska someday has been on our radar. To your point, frost heaving can really make it rough on equipment and an exhausting no fun adventure.

Jon: Wow, not seen total structural failure of shocks like the above picture in a long time. Your initial post stated "but had oil that had leaked from the top of the shock" would lead me to believe the failure was during compression of the shock and then when the trailer came back down and bounced off the highway/road, the shock would be extending with extreme force. Likely the structural failure occurred as the bottom separated from the top of the shock. "after traversing some pretty rough roads across Louisiana": Could it have happened on these roads? GJ .

All good things end.........at the dump.

Update- I brought the camper back to Hohenwald and they determined the mount broke due to a defect during manufacture. Apparently the holes were drilled in the wrong location and a repair was made that ultimately failed. Bottom line, they upgraded me from a regular microwave to a convection model at no cost. Got it installed yesterday. I also had an issue with the vent cap on the roof. Looked like it was over torqued during installation and cracked at all the holes. Since I had not reported that during warranty, I did have to pay to have that replaced, but they basically charged me their cost- $49. Outstanding customer service for a camper that is out of warranty.

So many bad roads in these United States as well as Canada. For some reason today an Infrastructure Bill is passed and then monies are spent on perceived social issues. First line item re infrastructure is building roads. Hopefully .gov will spend necessary monies to replace all the roads and bridges damaged or destroyed by Helene. President Eisenhower RIP would be ashamed of his interstate system, except for in Texas and a few other states. I moved from Chicagoland (always potholes for decades) to Tidewater VA in the late 70s. Driving on I-64 back then was like floating on glass! We drive highways, back roads and dirt roads throughout the SW, roads not so good. Keep tire pressures on the low per the chart, drive slowly. It be a shame fear would keep you from this dream trip, IMHO. You have to ask what’s more important, the trip or the trailer. Yep, have a pair of replacement leaf springs.

Try a PM (private message) to Bugeyedriver here on the Forum. I know that he has spent some time in that area. Bill

Is that on one set of tires? JD: It would not surprise me at all if it was. JohnW's and mine came off the line within a week or so. Both have these tires: My 2018 Ollie Michelin's now have 42,000 miles on them with no cracking and about 2/3 of the tread left. Close inspection by Discount Tire cleared them for a couple more years. But I changed out the springs and shocks ten thousand miles ago. I thank Scott Oliver on a regular basis for these tires on ours. Down the road, regardless of what springs our OE2 owners choose to use, it is my strong recommendation that if you have over 30,000 miles and you have the Dexter 1750# rated ones, it is time to change them when it is easy for you to do so. I strongly recommend doing so where you like, and not being forced to do so on the highway somewhere out in the boondocks. ESPECIALLY if you are considering Alaska and don't live there. 🙂 GJ

I just wanted toast and English muffins and hot left over pizza - I didn't care what it looked like but it did have to fit in the cubbie over the dinette. This one does all that. Bill

Hi GJ, I haven't had the Alcans but for only a couple of weeks (Colorado to Mississippi). Tucker did say he wouldn't be surprised if the stiffer springs would HELP with absorbing more of the road oscillations and make it a little easier on the shocks. We travel with the cruise on 62 mph...max. And most of the severe dips occur on the interstate for us. I try to use the tell tale signs of trucks black tire marks around those dips I'm talking about, but with a few floaters in my eyes I sometimes don't see them as fast as I should. A few on the back roads but mostly on the interstates. Potholes are the main surprise on the back roads, not so much on the severe dips. We attempt to avoid interstates if at all possible...fewer crazy drivers, better roads, and much better views (we don't need to get anywhere fast). We will continue to replace the shocks as needed for I feel they do smooth the ride out for the trailer (IMO). I could tell a difference when living in our Casita. Things remained in place better for the ride down the road. I have experience with and without shocks for the Casita. I'll take the shocks! I may take the speed down to 60mph...I'm in my own world at those speeds anyway :) Could be that the Oliver could benefit with a redesign to accommodate larger shocks similar to that of a vehicle. I need to find and test out a Bulldog shock, if I can find one. I'll post back in a couple of months to reveal my experiences. John

You may be the high mileage leader on the Alcan's. Sounds like you logged 21,000 after getting the Alcons. It us statically interesting that you would have problems with so many shocks from different stores over such a short period of time. We did over a month in Alaska two years ago, and also transverse fire roads much of our of our 3 - 4 month season each year. When I replaced our springs and shocks this past summer, we had seven seasons and 31K miles on the Monroe's and our Ollie. I frankly was surprised that all four shocks were still serviceable. I hope I don't get tared and feathered for even suggesting... But with such experience from several batches of Monroe shocks, a third possibility could be that with your miles you may have uncovered another hidden concern with having really strong springs under your trailer. Something to monitor as you gather up more miles and others with this combination travel. Stronger springs for a given load will have different rebound characteristics. For the Alcon/Monroe's, the Monroe's may not be able to handle the springs. Something to ponder further. GJ

Probably won't get the TV shocks changed until Dec and won't know the effect until our trip out to Quartzsite mid January. Will follow up!

JD Tucker at Alcan shares that view as well....that's why we don't mind driving with the bad one removed until I can replace it. Good point about extras. I'm getting pretty good with the changeouts :) My bad experience was having to change out the severely cupped tires that I suspect was the fault of the sheared shafts on the front 2 shocks (previous post). Hopefully changing out the TV shocks will help.

At the price point you could buy two extras so you could do the warranty exchange and always have two good shocks on hand. You know, I’ve owned many cargo and stock trailers 7K and 10.2K and none of them have had shocks. Are they necessary? Many Oliver Owners have 1-4 blown shocks and do not know so.

Thanks Jonwen, appreciate your response. Look forward to hearing what you say about the shocks after a bit of time.

Wondering if you or anyone else has recommendations for a brand of shocks. Sounds like you still like Monroe, despite the issues you have had; I have heard people also recommend Bulldog shocks but had trouble getting them? I think most Oliver’s come stock with Monroe. We are planning on replacing our shocks as well as the springs in the next few months.

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 does not surprise me at all! 🙂 GJ

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!

@FloraFauna I strongly agree with the above comments. I live in Maine and we have some cold snaps in the witner, like you. With the tanks empty, the worry is really freezing of the water lines, particularily the plastic fittings and backflow preventors. That type of damage is a real pain to fix. The backflow preventors and some of the water lines are difficult to access. Play it safe and winterize. You do not have to have water in the lines to camp in the winter; just bring bottle water to drink. If going south, then dewinterize when you get below the freezing zone.

I have attached a Norcold Service Manual that explains the "n" error message with some troubleshooting techniques. See page 24. Hopefully the pdf will be allowed to upload. Norcold Service Manual.pdf

Glad to hear you found your Oliver! Sounds like a great trip home. We’ll see you out there! Mike

I like the white marinetex, as I've suggested many times, for minor projects. It's always in our supply locker, as in most boaters. It's "pretty close" to our Oliver color, "pretty close" to the boat color, to fill in screw holes. If you cover the filling with saran wrap or tape (remove promptly after set), it stays fairly glossy. And smooth. Wprk on cooler days (70s) No need in inobtrusive areas to gel coat, as you would need to do with bondo or fiberglass paste. . Which is a pita. If you don't like the end result, it's easy to drill out and redo. There are many videos out there on YouTube.

Grand Codroy RV camping - Very nice private park, would recommend staying 2 or 3 nights to see the area. Sandbanks Provincial Park - The road from Hwy 1 to Burgeo has a lot of pot holes and takes a long hour. This was our first real excursion off Hwy 1, it doesn’t seem so bad now that we have experienced a wide variety of the roads in Newfoundland, it’s not hard to find worse roads. The campground and surrounding area is very nice especially if you like sandy beaches. We stayed 3 nights which was the right amount of time for us. Blow Me Down Provincial Park - We stayed 4 nights at the park, for us it was the right amount of time we like to hike and there are several nice hikes in the area Gros Morne National Park, Berry Hill Campground - We stayed 7 nights here, there is a lot see in the Gros Morne area. Pistolet Bay Provincial Park - We booked 7 nights but departed after four. The park is very remote with no services, but nice enough campground. There is a nice little beach to swim at. We enjoyed L’Anse aux Meadows and the town of St Anthony. Mountain Waters Resort - We stayed one night here to recharge our batteries. We visited Port au Choix which is worth seeing, there is a private campground on the ocean I think I would stay at if I did this again, It’s much closer to Port au Choix and far fewer bugs. Sir Richards Squires Memorial Provincial Park - We stayed 2 nights which was plenty unless you are an avid fly fisherman. It is a nice campground like all the Provincial Parks we stayed at. There are two roads to the park, 422 west of Deer Lake is a partially paved long road with many pot holes. We didn’t enjoy that drive so tried the other “road” out that intersects with 420 just north of Hwy 1. I strongly recommend not using that “road” it’s more like an off road trail in many spots. Crescent Lake RV Park - We stayed 3 nights here at this top notch private park. Very nice trail around the lake it’s on. The owners are very friendly and helpful. ***** Run Provincial Park - This is a beautiful park, the only downside is it’s about a 15 minute drive to Twillingate which we really enjoyed. We stayed 7 nights here there is a lot to see in this area. We took a day trip to Fogo Island the main attraction are the historic buildings on the island. Tera Nova National Park - Newman Sound Campground - We ended up canceling this reservation due to electrical issues at the park and our batteries were low after a week in ***** Run without any hookups and not much sun. We stayed at Shriners RV park which had full hookups, good cell and WIFI service. We spent 4 nights at this campground which was adequate to see the area. Lockston Path Provincial Park - Long 5k gravel road to get to the park entrance. Once there the park is nice similar to a lot of other provincial parks. The Bonavista Peninsula covers a large area, the highlights were Trinity, Cape Bonavista and Tickle Cove. Four nights gave us enough time to see the sights but does require a fair amount of driving. Butter Pot Provincial Park - Decent campground very similar to other provincial parks, clean, well maintained, nice sites. We stayed 4 nights which was plenty for me. I am not a big fan of cities and crowds. Most of St. Johns is like any other large city, except for the downtown area. Heading Home from St John’s we stayed at: Notre Dame Provincial Park - Beautiful provincial park with sites backing up to a very nice lake, good cell service, sites have electrical hookups. Barachois Pond Provincial Park - Another beautiful park, one of my favorites There is a lot to see in Newfoundland, highlights I wouldn’t miss are the Gros Morne National Park, Twillingate area, Bonavista Peninsula and St. John’s downtown area and signal hill. There are many other very nice places to visit if you have the time, just not quite as spectacular as the above, depending on what you like to see and do. There is much of Newfoundland we didn’t see. There are many RV campgrounds not on any maps I had, plus boon docking opportunities. We did not have any issues making last minute modifications to our schedule and finding places to stay. I reserved all of our camping for the entire trip, if I had to do it over I would probably have a less rigid schedule of reservations. We never found any campgrounds to be completely full, but you will need reservations for the prime sites.

I think Tucker is right, but only with the assumption that the shocks have the dampening capability to do so. More detail follows: The dampers job is not only to control the rate of energy transfer to the spring, but also the rate at which it is released. The process takes the movement (Up and Down) and converts it to heat. Generally speaking stiffer springs require stronger damping to deal with the heat being generated by the stiffer springs. You can see this in many Asian suspension systems that use stiffer springs and are tuned with stiffer damping. Spring rates and damping are definitely connected. An increase in spring rate will require an increase in rebound damping to control it. This principle is in my opinion why I think that the Monroe shocks we are using do not have sufficient dampening capacity when used with the Alcon's. The net result I believe is that the Monroe's are being damaged by the heat generated by the Alcon's. For those wanting a deeper dive, here is a great web site to guide you through the math to do so: https://www.shimrestackor.com/Code/Sample_Applications/Spring_Change/spring-change.htm Just be aware that you'll get into some deep math pretty quickly. LOL! GJ GJ