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We recently returned from a week-and-a-half-long trip through Glacier and Banff for my 50th Birthday. Farily last minute all 3 of my girls decided to join us on this trip. This created some logistical challenges we had to figure out. We got it all worked out but it left us with one night where no one had a place to stay except in the Ollie. That meant all 5 of us sleeping in the trailer! Who says it is just a couple's trailer, bring on the family camping 🙂 Not a great picture but had to share. The girls were great sports about it and we had a fun night hanging out and watching a movie. We ended up having a wonderful birthday trip through Glacier and Banff. It was our first time in Banff and it did not disappoint. An amazing hike up Avalanche Lake in Glacier. And then we got an amazing site in Banff Tunnel Mountain II Lake Louise did not disappoint either. We also had a great time talking with our neighbor, who was headed to Alaska in their EarthRoamer (pricey little machine)! Overall, an incredible way to celebrate a 50th birthday!

That's one opinion and mine is totally different. When I made the decision to buy an Oliver, I took delivery in Georgia. The seller and I had made the deal in November, so I had about 6 weeks to get my 2014 Land Cruiser ready. I needed an Andersen WD hitch and brake controller. My first was Tekonsha Prodigy 3 and I could not find a place to mount it that wasn’t in my way and it looked like a deck of cards screwed to the dash. So l bought a Redarc, which plugged straight into the Toyota wiring harness. I remove a blank button cover on the dash and modified it to accept the joke as you call it and the Redarc looked great and work flawlessly for the 5 years I used it in the Land Cruiser. Mossey

It was confirmed on the tour today that 2026 model Olivers will have awning style windows. Full details still being worked out and 2026 model details should available in the coming weeks.

Prompted by similar posts on the Facebook groups and here on the Oliver forum, I finally assembled my portable solar kit. I’ve had a Bluetti 200W solar panel (which does not have an integrated charge controller) for several years to help keep the EB70 in my truck charged up. I added a second after we got the Oliver, as well as a Vicrton MPPT 100/20 charge controller. My original intention was to interrupt the line between the solar port and the battery. But I really didn’t want to do something that invasive. So instead, like many owners before me, I built a suitcase case to supplement my suitcase panels. A Cabela’s plastic ammo box works great to mount the charge controller, an SAE solar port, and an MC4 PV port. It also holds the 10 gauge SAE and 30’ 10 gauge MC4 cables, inline fuse, polarity reverser, and MC4 tools. All in a handy box. This will be handy next weekend, when we leave for a ten day trip to New York’s Adirondack area at Fish Creek Pond. There are camp sites all around the lake; every one a waterfront spot. But no hookups and lots of trees. So hopefully 800W of solar panels will keep us well charged.

John, I had the Tekonsha P3 Prodigy for about 10 yrs and it worked well for me.

Another option, although more expensive, is satellite based tracker like https://www.findmespot.com/en-us/products-services/spot-trace. This is good for areas that don't have cellular reception.

I've noticed some comments/concerns that the 5 spring Alcan pack may be a bit too stiff for the EII with 3.5K axles. There apparently are Oliver Factory design concerns about how STIFF folks make their suspension when upgrading. Some flex is desirable for limiting shock to the frame and the trailer body. But if you're a true off grid person with tough terrain then that 5 pack may be perfect. I've been emailing Lew (owner of Alcan) to discuss options. For the same basic price Alcan will build the Oliver Springs as a 4 spring set with 2000 lb rating. They do this by leaving off the shortest (bottom) spring and adjusting other parts. This 4 pack still leaves in place the longer springs that cover all the way out to the last spring eye. Lew says they always recommend and provide wet bolts with brass inserts and the right size Ubolts etc. Lew also said they've had 4 Oliver's in this last week alone getting new spring packs. Craig Hull 505

Where's Ollie? She's hitched up and rearing to go! She's usually behind our Tuff Shed getting some shade, but I backed her in further so the Ram can get some shade as I work on a last few details. Mostly all packed, brakes adjusted and tires set, new Bulldog and Anderson parts. Hitched and did a test drive yesterday. Not a big deal for many of you, but we're leaving Thursday for a 5+ week trip, back home on the 4th of July! Our longest trip ever by far. Off to Minnesota to see Chris' sister. We'll take 10-12 days to get there and we'll have 3 weeks for a long return, camping in the northern Minnesota woods, boondocking on the Badlands with a Mt Rushmore night visit. Then we'll make our way across the Western Slope of Colorado. Cool thing about this trip is we have not made a single reservation! We'll find our routes and camps along the way. We have all we need to be off-grid for days! Signed up for Harvest Hosts which may help in the farm country and we'll see... 🤣

@topgun2, I can see this topic (Oliver switching to awning style windows in 2026) getting a lot of interest, maybe move these window posts to a new thread?

Same result here. Foolproof, easy to fine tune, and responds instantly. It is the overwhelming choice in the Toyota community; not a joke.

This is an excellent article for newby’s. It has taken me nearly seven decades of working with my hands and buying every tool listed to discover all the tricks mentioned in it. If I could have read it when I was ten I could have avoided a bunch of trial and error (and a good amount of failure) through the years.

Sleeping 5 may be a record! Congratulations and happy birthday! Mike

Cozy is an understatement! Making fun memories for sure. 😊 Glad your trip was a success. Really digging that Earth Roamer Beast 💯. - https://earthroamer.com/sx-explore/? 🤩

Happy Birthday :)

That's a good idea since we often camp far away from cellular reception. Yes, it's more expensive, but not terrible. And, @Steve Morris, it's good to know that your Trak-4 has been mostly reliable most of the time. This is going to be a difficult decision!

I did think of another negative to the windows. In fact, I discovered it today when I opened the window to get pictures. They stick out about face level. They do leave an impression upon the foolish or unwary.

We feel safe when the trailer is at home, but we want tracking abilities when we boondock in isolated areas in Utah and leave the trailer while we go off hiking for the day.

Great question. My SL Mini is tied to my account. If stolen it becomes a useless brick of no value. As the owner I can advise SL that it was stolen and they deactivate the account completely. After 48 days out west last fall, we never had a concern about our dish being stolen. When we leave our site to go XPLOR, we temporarily store it in our Oliver until we return and then redeploy. So far zero issues. The portability of the Mini is awesome, I will likely never permanently mount it for many reasons. If we are in a CG that I feel like I need to lock the Mini down with a cable, we have probably picked the wrong CG and will move on. We vet CG’s pretty hard when traveling and like gated SPs, and privately owned CG’s. Never had any issues with theft the entire time we have owned our Oliver. I always carry an extra cable lock, I find it much easier to just secure the dish in the Oliver if we leave.

To all those that served our great nation - THANK YOU To all those that served our great nation and didn't make it back - WE REMEMBER AND HONOR YOU

It has water proof plugs. Our Mini has gone through a serious rain and even a hail storm had zero issues. The custom case adds a little weight to the Mini and does a good job of keeping in grounded during light wind conditions. With high winds I will use a bungee to secure it to a table or just place it on the ground. I run an extension cord from the Oliver exterior outlet into the bed of my TV. I have a camper shell so water is not a concern when I plug in the Mini and our Truma cooler in during bad weather. Just how we roll. 😊 Here is a pic of a chilly 28 degree morning while camped in Yellowstone at Fishing Bridge last fall. Our Mini was working great. It has a built in heating element (you must go into your IPhone app to turn it on) to keep ice or snow from collecting on the dish. We love cold weather camping! 🇺🇸🇺🇸

It can take a pouring thunderstorm, also rated for 100 MPH winds to be roof mounted. Just as long as you use cables with the waterproof seals which they supply anyway, you’re good to plug in outdoors.

We are thrilled to announce the 2026 Oliver Rally will be held at the stunning Lake Guntersville State Park in Alabama from October 21 to October 25, 2026! Get ready for another unforgettable gathering of Oliver Travel Trailer owners and enthusiasts as we come together to celebrate community, adventure, and the great outdoors. This annual event is your opportunity to connect with fellow Ollie owners, exchange travel stories, learn helpful tips, and enjoy the camaraderie that makes the Oliver family so special. Location: Lake Guntersville State Park, Alabama Breathtaking lake views, hiking trails, wildlife, and top-notch camping facilities await! Dates: Wednesday, October 28 – Sunday, November 1, 2026 Wednesday, October 21 - Sunday, October 25, 2026 What to Expect: Welcome Reception & Meet-and-Greet Educational Workshops Vendor Exhibits & Product Demonstrations Group Activities, Games & Outdoor Adventures Evening Campfires & Entertainment Raffle Prizes, Giveaways & More! Whether you're a seasoned rally-goer or attending for the first time, there's something for everyone at the 2026 Oliver Rally. We can’t wait to make new memories and celebrate our shared love of travel, craftsmanship, and community. Registration details and event schedule coming soon – stay tuned! Until then, mark your calendars and start planning your route to Lake Guntersville — we’ll see you there!

Please note If anyone is looking for the posts concerning the possible new Oliver windows for 2026, that portion of this thread has been moved to a new thread titled: New Windows for 2026? Bill

They make an adapter to fit 1 1/2 in pipe. Thanks for original link.

Nice, I will definitely be interested in switching if the window openings of the 2026 are the same as my 2023!

Seriously looking into upgrading the cable pull valves to electronic. Despite regular maintenance the black handle pull has always been terrible. I have already ordered the cam lock waste connector and 20ft sewer hose that collapses to 6ft in length. They also sell an adapter if you need or want to use the old system. Love the built in features like 4:1 compression, see through terminal end with cutoff. https://drainmaster.com/rv/product/waste-master-20-sewer-hose-system https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFtTb2fHr9X3xyOsqr6QIZw I think from the above information and more research the drain master electronic valves could work on all three valves. But still investigating. If so, it would be a huge upgrade IMO. As my seven year old says emphatically. Mike

Thanks Rich. I went with your suggestion. Amazon will deliver tomorrow and the install should take me 5-10 min since I believe the wire harness is the same. Hang new bracket and “plug-n-play!”

Thank you for posting this! Had asked Lew before about a 4-leaf and hadn’t been given this option. Just spoke to him again and am now considering this as our appointment with them is tomorrow for axle and spring upgrades.

We’ve had the solar version of the Trac-4 on Curiosity’s roof since the first few months of ownership. Having its own GPS and cellular unit works pretty well. Occasionally it looses its location and tells me it has left the home geofence, but that’s rare. The hourly report works for us. I don’t need immediate location. In fact, it is more install and ignore. But if it gets stolen, it should be easy to find once the thieves stop for a bit.

No, I haven’t really looked much, but this could be a close fit https://a.co/d/1oQhfJi

Amazon, many brands but here’s just one https://a.co/d/1oQhfJi

We keep it simple and just use an Apple air tag. No monthly fee, so far it works great and we just replace the battery each year along with all the rest of the batteries. We store our Oliver at our home not in public view.

Looks like a great trip.

Remind me never to visit. 😂

While I agree with everything you said and do, I have some campgrounds I love that occasionally have issues with some interesting people. It happens in almost every CG I have visited. That said, most thieves are not only stupid but opportunists. They see something of value, they grab it, not realizing it can’t be used because it is tied to your account. They grab, try to pawn for drug money or such, get nothing and do it again. It is ridiculous, makes no sense, but it is human nature in its most basic sense. I leave nothing to chance on valuable items.

I like this idea. I may do it myself. By the way, is that your address on the box?

Anyone have an update on how many burners have been replaced? Sure has been quiet. I never heard back from Truma on replacing the entire unit at my cost, nor have I heard anything from Oliver on parts availability. Disappointing on both fronts.

You may want to consider a much longer hose than 6’. We use an 18’ hose from the LP QC’s on our Oliver. 😎

Figured it out. For me it was like putting square peg in a round hole. Stupid, Stupid🙃

I don't own an Oliver, but am going to the factory tour next week. What don't you like about the sliding window? I think awning style would provide a better seal, but less airflow when windows open, making me prefer sliding. Though awning style could be left open in rain without needing to have the trailer awning open. What else am I not thinking about?

I’m committed to my 50th reunion at West Point in Oct ‘26 (class of 1976) so we won’t be attending. We’ve got plans already for all of Sept/Oct. Fall at Lake Guntersville should be nice, though! Mike

Hoping for the new owners they will be awning style windows. The sliding windows in our 2023 is probably my biggest pet peeve, and I will seriously consider switching them out!

Final update: After 3 internal fires and 2 failed complete Truma units, and a request for a Truma Escalation, the company (Truma) stepped up and replaced our whole water heater unit and external (kinda warped/melted) door under a "warranty exception" after finding another problem in the unit during testing of the new Recall burner. That make the 3rd Truma water heater installed in our hull. This one now is fully registered and has a 1 year warranty. Hope this one is the last we need to install. Craig (Hull 505 - aka Galway Girl)

Here’s my adaptation in mounting the two Sirocco ll fans back in 2020 shortly after our OLEll purchase. By chance, my setup has worked really well, thus far! Rather than a permanent mount and hardwiring, I used Velcro for attachment and installed ports in the fan base for a detachable power cable. The fans and cables are stowed in the attic when not in use and can be deployed, as needed. The two primary locations are above each bed and an alternate in the galley to direct air flow toward the dinette. I like that the fans are multi-directional both forward and downward facing. The white Velcro is not very noticeable at the three attachment points and excess cable is simply wrapped around the base for a clean appearance.

Do any other manufacturers like Airstream do this? I was quite pleased when mine arrived a while ago. Thanks for the history lesson. I would like to see a company FAQ page with the full story of the early days, with comments like the one above. John Davies Spokane WA

The plaques were started sometime in 2019 because there was a problem that arose using the last 4 digits of the VIN as your hull number. Oliver had been assigning hull numbers in that manner since the first trailers were built in 2007. Each year's production just started with the VIN that was one number higher than the last years final VIN. Then in 2019 the state of TN told them they could no longer do it that way and each year's VIN's had to start back over at 0001. Rodney Lomax asked me just how important the "Hull Number" was to the owners. I replied that in 2008 Larry Harmon (Hull #003) and I had discovered the way the trailers were numbered and we started keeping up with who had which number way back then. We owned a 2008 Elite (Hull # 026). I told Rodney that most current owners would feel they were important enough to keep the system going. Thus the numbered plaques. At the annual Oliver Owner's rally in 2019 at Guntersville, AL, the appropriate plaques were given out to each of the owners of older trailers that were in attendance to be mounted in their trailer. Since then, the plaques are installed at the factory upon completion of each unit.

Wire it to this? https://fithops.com/products/fithops-camp-safe-12-gauge-perimeter-trip-rescue-alarm?variant=41448589459523&utm_campaign=1872547140&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=69485715785&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=1872547140&gclid=Cj0KCQjwotDBBhCQARIsAG5pinN8D3_ApmbpWX1uKkqAQuYFJpSrlq0JsbLG3ESk-hcciu7hNo8Mn8gaAkd1EALw_wcB

Last time out, we stayed one night... Let's call it a shady campground and I don't mean the fact that it was up in the woods! Too many homeless today living out of cars and vans! Last year we drove into a city park in central NM and as soon as we pulled down into it, we headed right back out! No way Chris and I would have spent a night there. It was like one of those refugee scenes from a disaster movie! I worried about the Mini since I had to place it a distance away from the Oliver to get clear sky. I fell asleep that night leaving it out there and in the morning I quickly looked out the dinette window to thankfully see it where I had left it. If they take our Mini, there goes the $450 plus tax we paid, $20 for the wiring kit and another $140 for my 10Ah DeWalt battery! All brand new stuff and they would probably even take the milk crate that I use to prop up the Mini above ground! The next loss is continuing the rest of your trip without satellite connection, and bummed re the loss. There is no way simple way to lock down a Mini. Lock it to what? Stretch out 50' of cable with a 50' chain? 🤣 We just have to be careful.

Uh, maybe? My house is surrounded by a moat filled with hungry crocodiles and piranha plus a security system of flesh burning lasers with motion sensors. Inside is a herd of trained attack bunnies (ala Monty Python and the Holy Grail). Good catch, I didn’t even notice.

Well, that's not the case anymore... Inquired about a month or so ago and they said they wouldn't send one out for free anymore. They are more than happy to sell me one for $237.00 dollars though! 😲