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This is our second night in our new Oliver. The first was in the dealers parking lot. Traded in a tab 400 with lots of fond memories. We’re on our way to the grand Tetons for a new adventure.

Beautiful campsite at Joshua Tree. On the way to California leaving from Palmetto Ga. Spent 2 nights heading to Seal Beach CA to meet the kids and grandkids for a week of R & R.

Perhaps Oliver should consider adding a ‘Rant and Rave’ segment to the forum. This Neanderthal is not alone, many Human Beans have posted in like manner. Just say’n!

We just use the auto-changeover regulator. When the first tank runs out it automatically switches to the second tank and the indicator turns red. I check the indicator every day or two. When I see red I plan to replace the empty tank. Haven't run out off propane in 26 years.

Theodore R NP site 21 in Cottonwood

Crater Lake and Yosemite also! Nice trip. Were the California Condors hanging in the trees above the Pinnacles NP campground? Keep an eye on the big tree on the ridgeline above the campground - its the one with the green below it from all the Condor poop. They often hang out there. We got treated to a show put on by nine of them a couple of years ago. Kind of makes you hopeful when you consider they were near extinction just a few short decades ago.

We’ve always drank the water from the fresh tank. A properly sanitized RV fresh tank is no different than any other plastic container that is used to carry and store water. But then again I drank from garden hoses, hand pumps on old farm wells and public water fountains and even artesian springs in many locations without a worry our ill experience most of my life. Unfiltered well water was all I knew until I was an adult. We use a Costco pitcher filter these days for consistent flavor in our morning coffee or tea.

Ray, it looks like you've been a long contributor over at airforums. Can't see why that can't be the case here as well. It seems to me these brake threads just got too personal. Believe me, I know how frustrating troubleshooting can be. My wife will tell you I can be a bear to be around when some device is defying my efforts to make it perform as it should. Leave if you feel you must, but consider sticking around. Now that your brakes are working you can get out there and share your BoondockingOliver stories with us. Safe travels.

OK folks, let's all relax and get back to normal 'decorum on the forum'. Different approaches and solutions to confounding problems are understandable and toleration of different approaches is encouraged. The forum Guidelines state: You’ll find a wealth of experiences here, and many owners willing to share their experiences. Have fun, but please keep others’ viewpoints in mind. Respectfully state your point, share your information, or ask your question. Keep it casual and friendly. Reread your post before you hit submit. Is it helpful? Thoughtful? BoondockingAirstream, so glad your brake issue has been resolved. Your towing safety is paramount.

Yes I do. After sanitizing the water system before this year's walkabout, I used a hospital-grade water filter, the Ultra Mini, by Clearsource and filed and emptied the tank three times to remove any residual taste from the sanitizing process. We've been on the road for almost three months now and every drop of water that goes into the tank first goes through the Ultra Mini filter, which removes tiny bacteria, like Giardia and even viruses. Water from the faucet then goes through a BRITA pitcher. Tastes great. Weighing in under 8 pounds, it is very convenient to use.

Yes, we drink and cook from our fresh water tank. I sanitize the tank if it sits for more than a month and use two water filters. Never had a problem.

I use the LifeSaver Jerrycan water purifier for our drinking water, coffee and ice. Fill it and the freshwater tank before leaving on a trip, and on occasion refill the LS from the freshwater tank when traveling. If ever our home water in the freshwater tank is exhausted, I would not hesitate to use sourced water with this water purifier. However, we do carry Ozarka Spring Water as a backup and for convenient cold water stocked in our Dometic DZ portable cooler. If our Oliver is in storage for a couple months, the freshwater tank will be drained and sanitized prior to next use. I do carry the recommended Clorox in the event remote sanitation is deemed necessary.

During the hot weather this summer, our Norcold refrigerator was also struggling to keep cold while on propane. The fridge fan could not remove enough heat for it to work properly, so it was time to install more cooling fans! I ordered the $75 Beech Lane fans based on the positive reviews, but there was no way they would fit in my Norcold’s lower vent area as intended. They could fit in the upper vent with modified mounting brackets and reversed air flow, but why pay for something that didn’t fit as designed. In addition to fitment issues, I didn’t like the control box being mounted outside behind the vent cover where the blue LEDs can be seen glowing. I wanted the ability to turn the fans off, but the control box didn’t remember the last setting when the power is switched off, and I didn’t want to be opening the vent cover to reset it. These are multi speed fans with 3 wires so switching the fan wire wasn’t a good option either. I returned the Beech Lane fans and bought 2 similar (water resistant) fans and a Normally Open 500c (1220f) thermo switch for lots cheaper. I made a rectangular frame of 1/2” aluminum angle bar for the fans, and installed them in the upper vent. Because the upper vent has an angled back, I used long deck screws with short PEX pipe standoffs on the bottom screws to keep the fans mounted vertically. The Beech Lane fans would have to be mounted the same way if I had kept them. The fans are powered from a new switch in the master panel and it’s in series with the thermo switch so they will only work when the switch is on, and the temperature is above 1220. I used a laser thermometer on the condenser fins when the refrigerator was operating on propane. The temperatures were significantly higher on the right side above the flame chamber, and they got progressively cooler towards the left side. So I hung the temperature switch between the condenser fins just right of center. It can easily be moved left to cooler fins if the fans are running too often. I installed a terminal block as a centralized connection point for all the wires, but they could be spliced together in any manner of ways. “Y” spade adapters worked well to connect to the refrigerators existing dc power terminal via a 5 amp fuse. The fans use less than 1 amp combined. The microwave was removed (six screws) to get wires up to the new switch on the switch panel. The tension jack to hold the microwave in place has to be loosened too, it’s accessed through the round marine hatch behind the switches. Just takes a couple of minutes to take it out. We have been testing the fans in 100 degree weather for the past week, and they've been working great! I hope someone finds this useful! Cheers! Geoff

To my surprise, our answer has become NO. We use it for cooking and washing dishes, but not for filling our water bottles. Water bottles always get filled from one of 2 places: 1) Buy bottled water from the store 2) Some places (like certain visitor centers in national parks) give away GREAT water. In the truck, we have about 20 gallons worth of collapsible water "bags" to take advantage of this when it happens. I would love to stop doing #1. But my adorable wife is very picky about the taste of her drinking water. 😃

V.2 Updated outdoor Hitchen to house my camp stove and propane hose as well as attach a Lagun table. Like several of us, I prefer to cook outside and digging my camp stove and table out of the back of the truck can be a pain. Hoping this latest version will work well. The use of a Pelican case as a outdoor kitchen is popular in the overlanding community and should be easier to setup and stow than pulling cooking gear from the back of the truck. A pair of cables will be installed on the lid of the case so it rests parallel to the ground and can act as a surface upon which the stove can sit while cooking. Last image is the from a overlanding site. For those wondering why I don’t use the rear receiver to haul bikes, well I did this in the past but found that with a dog I would rather be on foot with her than on wheels without her. I also prefer not to cook inside the trailer as I detest cleanup of cooking residue (yes, I am lazy).

I too made the jump from a NuCamp 400 to an Oliver. I don't regret my Oliver purchase; but I still have a fond spot in my heart for NuCamp in general and my Boondock 400...

Congrats and good to know OTT is over the 1600 mark!

Nice LE ll. We also sold our TAB 320 Clamshell. After we got the Oliver.. my wife still misses our clamshell. Stay safe out there…

From Seal Beach to Pinnacles NP, Yosemite NP, Crater Lake and then to Theodore Roosevelt NP. 9500 miles and the Ollie tagged along perfectly. Our longest trip and it was great. Stopped by the headwaters of the Mississippi and then 3 nights at Smokemont in the Smokies where I first started camping as a kid in the 60’s.

Yosemite was breath taking. The crowds were I guess normal. Found a parking spot and used the shuttle service. Stayed at Chilkoot Seirra National Forest Campground 30 minutes away and getting into the park was about a 15 minute wait 1 day and no wait 2nd day. The campground was great and not crowded at all with large sites I think we saw a Condor one day soaring and it was a beautiful sight. We were the campground favorites since we had been given about 25 avocados by our daughter in laws grandmother in CA and shared them with all the surrounding campers First camping trip that far out west and looking forward to next years trip to some of the other parks. May travel more in Aug and Sept so opportunity to reserve more popular campgrounds may be available.

Here you go:

The GasStop has a ‘purge’ feature, which is an important first step when opening a cylinder tank valve. By pressing the pressure gauge several times, the lines are re-pressurized and the internal automatic safety shut-off valve is reset. Just opening the tank valve without purging will not get the propane flowing again. Many have experienced when first opening a tank valve that an appliance will not light and thus, encouraged to go inside the Oliver and turn on the cooktop until there is a flame; basically purging air out of the lines. However, I find this procedure unnecessary since installing these GasStop devices.

September 10, 2024 Hello fellow Oliver Elite owners! I am letting everyone know that the Highsierra company has made a handheld bathroom faucet with adapter (chrome or brushed nickel) that fits the original Oliver hand held bathroom sink faucet plus hose and I LOVE this design! This way you no longer have to replace the whole faucet housing while looking great and you'll only need to replace the handheld part by screwing on the adapter to both the original hose (will only connect to the hose with the female threads) and Highsierra handheld shower head. Due to this handheld design and being metal not plastic, I noticed when I showered that my hot water lasted longer during cold weather and the force of the water was stronger than the original hand held. If interested, below is the link to the handheld faucet and you can call if you have any questions. I hope this helps! Highsierra Shower Heads Company # 1-888-445-1941 https://www.highsierrashowerheads.com/shop/rv-handheld-olivtrailers/F

Ray, I’ve been reading posts over on the Airforums for many years, always entertaining and informative. I hope you keep your Oliver and tell us about your boondocking experiences! Mike

We have great memories of Joshua Tree NP. It’s a special place.

What a great trip! We were just at Crater Lake, amazing. We’re currently visiting some of the few parks we haven’t seen yet, Great Basin, Lassen Volcanic, Redwood, Crater Lake, Olympic, Mount Ranier and North Cascades.

The TAB 400 is a nice trailer. The Oliver will be a different experience! Enjoy Wyoming, Grand Teton NP is one we plan on returning to since we enjoyed it so much the first time! Mike

Awesome trailer, awesome destination. You are sure to have a great time. Savor the moments.

How many miles/days to the Grand Tetons? Nice looking set up! Enjoy the journey and welcome to the forum.

Welcome and Congrats on your new Ollie!!!! There are plenty of knowledgeable folks here, if you have any questions. Please post photos of your Ollie adventures, too!

Have fun!

New Starter. Diagnostic port code P06E9. Real hot weather (SW USA camping trips) reported as additional P06E9 performance impact in powertrain control module.

Looks like a great trip. Thanks for sharing. Yosemite was one of our favorites. How were the crowds?

What site number was that and which loop? Really great site!

@Steve Morris, could you please provide details on the water filtration system shown in the photo you posted. Also please include details on how you mount the filter system to the side of the waste hose storage compartment. Thanks, Don

Beech Lane attaches labels to both sides! Look at the two photos I attached, and Ron's, and note the side where the wires are showing which is the exhaust side. When you look at the my first picture and Ron's you see the wires and the fan bracketing (the exhaust side). My second picture show just the fan blades, with wiring and frame on the back side. I did not realize these were "designed to be in the lower cabinet." I must have missed that as I'm not one to carefully read instructions vs. just start installing parts! 🤣 My thought when installing was exactly what Ron stated here. I also tried the additional interior fridge fan that Ron suggested, but returned that one as I could not measure fridge interior temperature improvement, it took valuable fridge space and you could hear the fan when sitting at the dinette. Geoff ended up with a superior installation with his great knowledge of wiring sensors and switches. The Beech Lane control box, although I installed it in the interior cabinet above the microwave where the LEDs are not visible, you still have to reach in there every time you turn the fan switch giving it power. Correct it will not remember a previous setting when last powered on. I do not use its temp sensing function, even though it's wired for that. When camped on a hot afternoon, I will turn the panel switch on and then the fan to 50% speed on the control box (the lowest speed setting) and generally I hear the fan running after dinner or before bed and with the panel switch turning it off is easy! It appears in Geoff's installation the fan is powered by temp sensor where ON/OFF is automated! 😂 I was able to feed wires without removing the microwave which is a bit of a trick! DC power is located through the bottom vent and it's easy to feed new wires to the upper vent. Then I poked through the upper insulation with an electrician's steel fish-tape to push new wires to the panel switch. With a curved section of fish-tape I was able to follow the curve of the hull up into the cabinet above the microwave for the fan control.

Actually, the upward ‘chimney’ airflow of hot air rising (convection) is best achieved with the fans at the top vent and blowing outward, which is how ours are orientated.

@jd1923 and @Ronbrink you guys did a good job too! I will check out that evaporator fan, I could run it from the same switch perhaps. It's hard to tell from your photos, and forgive me if I'm mistaken, but it looks like your Beech Lane fans are blowing air in the wrong direction! They are designed to be mounted in the lower vent to push air out of the top vent. When installed in the top vent, they push air out of the bottom vent, which is working against the Norcold fan and natural convection. Try flipping the fans around in their mounting brackets so the label is in the back, and they will work much better! Cheers! Geoff

We have quite a bit of chlorine taste at the home tap. So all of our drinking water goes through a 3 gallon Berkey filter. I know that's not a purifier, but it at least tastes good. When travelling, we use the Berkey to fill eight 1-gallon square water bottles, as found at Wal~Mart. We bought them once, and have refilled them dozens of times. The square jugs fit nicely on the floor of the closet, next to a crate where we keep the Keurig and a counter-top pitcher. (Actually, a Brita pitcher, but without the filter, which we found *added* a nasty taste.) Eight gallons lasts us a long weekend. For extended stays where we will have access to water, I can refill using my home-made filter system. I just use the output hose to refill the gallon jugs. Or if no potable water is available, I can use my Lifesaver Jerrycan water purification system. https://lifesaverusa.co This is what we used when camping in the square drop before we got the Oliver.

Four pages of mostly nonsensical diatribes. Plenty of help offered. “I’ll tell you what the fix was. Maybe. Someday. If I feel like it”. Can’t believe I even bothered to read most of this and offer advice.

Tim, The "blown fuse" LED indicators in the Oliver's dc panel will create a voltage even with the fuse pulled. This is mere milliamps, not a hazard, but a multi meter will pick it up. Cheers! Geoff

Yes. Never had an issue. Sanitized several times a season and especially if sitting for over 2 months. I never leave water in the tank. We use the On The Go Water Softener, which helps prevent any calcium build-up. We also use a high quality water filter, as post previously by Steve Morris (not the cheap blue Camping World Special).

After packing our truck up this morning, going through our checklist, and getting ready to rollout on a trip, I thought about how useful these tool boxes have been on previous trips. I think I may have posted this a few years ago. So I pass this forward for the benefit of any new members with a Super Duty TV and the rear collapsible cargo tray. These three Craftsman tool boxes (link) fill the rear seat cargo basket just about perfectly and allow easy access to my tools. This mod does not allow use of the rear seat. https://www.lowes.com/pd/CRAFTSMAN-DIY-20-in-Red-Plastic-Lockable-Tool-Box/1000578365

You guys and your big trucks............................

“One is none and two is one.” Like minded here Ron. My past years of military training and deployments have always kept me thinking contingencies. Better to have it and never need it than need it and not have it. As we use to say prepping for deployments, you don’t want to be left flapping. That is what’s great about the compact Mini, well done, nice pack and kit! 👍🏻

Have two 30lb tanks and never even bother to weigh them. Run one tank until it's empty , switch to the full one, and then just plan on filling the empty one as soon as I can.

We were planning to visit Jordanelle State Park, near Park City for three nights. The angle of the strong afternoon sun means limited shade protection under our awning, so we got the Tentproinc sun shade screen (the 6' X 14'3" size) that Overland recommended, and it worked well to increase our area of shade. We were worried that we would not like looking at the world through the mesh, but it was actually pleasant, even cooling, to look through it. There can be gusty winds, and we always stow our awning when leaving camp or before bed. While it was not hard to attach or remove the shade screen from the track in the awning front bar, I did not want to have to do this once or twice each day. So I left the shade screen attached when I rolled in the awning. Unfortunately, the hanging shade screen creates one serious obstacle, at least if I want to open the trailer door. So I used these 10 inch mini bungee cords to attach the shade screen to the awning front bar. And, I can open the trailer door. Jordanelle State Park was really nice, and we will visit again!

Maybe a pothole on the highway??? I’m hoping it’s just cosmetic But the chunk out of the wheel worries me

I wish I could depend on that. On my previous rig, the indicator got stuck and no longer worked. Although it was replaced under warranty, after several months same problem. Same thing happened on my Oliver. Seems to be a quality issue.

All of you are 100% correct. I should not blame Oliver Inc.. I blame myself for not checking everything out and made a mistake trusting someone. This will be my last post on the Forum. When I smell the Tar and see Feathers... time for me to check out.