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Those that might be contemplating getting a Levelmate should know that a newer model was released last year called the Levelmate Max. I had never gone for a Levelmate before but decided to try the Max version and have been extremely satisfied. There is absolutely no need to hardwire it because it runs on three AAA batteries that last over a year and can be replaced in under a minute. As far as technology upgrades over the Pro and Pro+, the Max adds a gyroscope in addition to the accelerometer. This enables one to observe continuous instant changes in level (side to side and front to back) with the trailer hitched and vehicle moving (called leveling on the go). This feature can be useful in finding the best spot to stop and unhitch when boondocking on uneven ground. Another feature is that it can remember the preferred tongue height when it is time to hitch up without having to back the vehicle up to the tongue first. Levelmate recommendz permanently mounting it with screws but I used 2 inch wide heavy duty velcro to mount it just inside the door under the rocker switch panel. No holes drilled.

Hello @Mroth, this is not truly my area of expertise, but given how many holes are drilled in OTT installation processes, and that I have removed many of the old-tech products on our Oliver, I've filled way too many holes! I've used this epoxy based product and the color match is good. It's just a touch whiter than our older hull and I've read somewhere that the newer hulls are a tone brighter. I would say this product may work well for your purpose in the shower. It's simple and inexpensive. https://www.amazon.com/Marine-Tex-RM305K-White-oz/dp/B0014419V0/ I have also plugged the holes made for the TV mount, the drain pull handle in the bathroom, the door hook outside, both cameras and everything in these pics (see before and after).

I’m probably a minority here, but I like my bubble level. It’s used everytime we set up. Generally accurate although it does take adjusting every so often. I haven’t gone for some of the electronic/automatic upgrades (digital door lock, motorized black/gray tank gates, auto levelers, etc). I like simplicity. It’s instructive to remember how Oliver Travel Trailers began. Jim and John traveled around in their Casita(s) for their fiberglass businesses. When it came time to get a new Casita they decided they could make their own. They did, and sometime around 2007 the Elite I was born. They were not RV industry experts, just experienced RVers who used their fiberglass experience to create a new travel trailer. The mechanical parts (electricity, plumbing, etc) have evolved over time with the early trailers not being very standardized. When I look at the newer models compared to those built when ours was, they’ve come a long way and have continued to refine and make improvements. Those of us with 2015/16/17 trailers don’t have that benefit of lessons learned over the years but we still have a solid trailer. Our trailer is 10 years old, just over 110,000 miles and can/does pass for a new trailer (thanks CGI guys). All systems work fine and reliability over the last 6 or 7 years has been outstanding. Mike

If for any reason you are not satisfied with the color match, I'd guess that you could lightly sand out some of the Marine-Tek and coat over it with the appropriate color gelcoat. Note - Oliver can tell you what type and color gelcoat is on your Ollie.

Hate to admit this here on the forum.... but..... Me as well. I travel solo a LOT and the number of wasted trips back and forth does get a bit old. As in older than this RoF! GJ

So the Max version has some new technology, and costs more. The older version tech works fine. IMHO, I would not want any battery model in view Hardwired it can be hidden under the dinette or anywhere else out of view. And why change batteries when we all have 100s of AHs on board. Took me 10 min to install under the dinette given you have the DC fuse panel and ground bus right there! 😎 I’ve been writing LevelMatePRO and Geoff @Snackchaser wrote a good correction above. The wired version is the LevelMatePRO+ (plus version). He has a cool way to wire the PRO. Maybe it could work for the MAX version too!

Sounds like it does more than my bubble level! Maybe it’s time I bite the bullet and upgrade.

I was told that it was a requirement of the RVIA. If you are at an RV show - look at that same area(s) and from what I've seen, all of these type panels are fastened in place. Bill

How wise you are. Been there and was suprised that my jack foot had taken a hike when I was not looking! Simple solution: Stainless Steel Cable (Really small) and a couple cable ferrules: Drill a hole in the jack foot and put a small loop and ferrule so it will not pull out of the jack foot. Another loop attached to the jack leg. Just enough room if you think small. In the event that the jack bolt leaves us, we should hear the tinkle tinkle of the foot being tortured by the pavement! Either way a spritz of black paint and a bolt and $35 saved. GJ

A short (by comparison for once) summmary: I concur with the "To Each Their Own" concept. That using hind-sight is an unfair approach to just about anything. That OTT has and still makes a product we all are proud to have, use and keep. That over time our requirements and circumstances will change. We will all end up modify, donating or selling our Olivers. We each exhibit moments of brilliance, and moments we wish we would have avoided. This forum is vibrant because we understand the above for ourselves and others. God bless Scott Oliver, his family and the OTT TEAM they have built. And all the participants of this forum. John Russell

If you like gadgetry, then the hardwired LevelMate PRO PLUS is highly recomended! Unfortunately, a lot of us bought the LevelMate PRO that is not hardwired, it's powered by a short lived button battery. No worries though, it can be hardwired with a simple DIY upgrade: Hardwire your LevelMate for under a buck Talking about gadgets and leveling, I heard a reliable rumor that some old fool built a completely unnecessary AUTOMATIC LEVELING SYSTEM for the Oliver's stabilizers! 🤫

John stated this nicely. Our first time out, everything in the Attic was upside down! We had the hangers in the closet bounce off, clothes on the floor! A new suspension needs to seat and settle, period. Since our first outing, never another issue. But perhaps Chris, you left the lid on the salsa jar a bit loose last time... 🤣 Removing the 5th leaf... IMHO, good thing you left things as Alcan engineering had designed. They do not suggest the 4-leaf configuration and they know more than we do. I will say however, as an experienced auto mechanic and engineer, I have not followed all of their torque specs. Yes, you certainly need 90 ft-lbs for the U-bolts but I personally believe their specs on the wet bolts are too tight. They spec 80 on the end bolts and 65 on the centers. I went with 65 and 55 so that the suspension flows better up-n-down. The nuts are NyLok, so they're not coming off. Just my take and this does help. 😎 Cabinets opening? They are loose to begin with! OMG, such blasphemy? Did I again criticize OTT? Shame on me! Please forgive me for suggesting DIY improvements! 🤣 I rode inside our trailer once, Chris towing gently down a local paved road, before our Alcan upgrade, and EVERY overhead cabinet was rattling, even banging loudly. I added a 2" strip of foam tape on both resting pads of every cabinet and they snug nicely now and do not rattle anymore. Something like this works great and I promise you will NEVER have an upper cabinet open again! Welcome to the 200+ Alcan Oliver club and I commend you in doing this install yourself as only a very few of have done so! 😎 https://a.co/d/0b1cbrph

Bill, Very accurate and well stated. Thanks for your thoughtful and respectful insight and most importantly your input! Without question based on our ownership and traveling across the country field experience Oliver is the best TT traveler on the market. As our good friend Rodney you to say -“Everything you need and nothing you don’t”. 👍🏻🇺🇸 - David

No one (certainly me) has said that "OTT has good reasons for all things they do!". As I would hope you already know, in manufacturing there are a myriad of factors that enter into virtually all aspects of even the smallest detail of any product. In my almost 11 years of dealing with OTT products and personnel I believe that they are truly concerned and connected with virtually every aspect and they seek to make our trailers better in every way that they can while still producing a product that meets all of the requirements necessary/desired for the broad segment they are trying to serve. Indeed, many of the "improvements" made to these trailers have been at the insistence of owners. In my personal opinion, some of these "improvements" have actually made the trailers less desirable to me. You have made this point before without consideration or concern for any segment of the market that chooses (for what ever reason) to not be "bothered" with yet another electronic device. I regret that it is "painful" for you to have to deal with those that (again) for whatever reason choose to not use a "LevelMate" or, perhaps, even cell phones. I'm truly glad for your delight in the ease and simplicity you seem to find in using these types of devices. I would certainly agree that they do have a place and time. But, ALWAYS and in ALL situations is a bit of a stretch. About 500 days ago the area where I live was badly hit with a "hurricane" that literally destroyed several towns and this area is still dealing with the issues caused. One of the things that simply didn't work during this storm was the cell phone network. Perhaps in the eyes of some (actually most if looking at the current stats regarding cell phone ownership - some 95% of adults in America own them) having a land line for phone service belongs in the "stone age". But, I'm sure glad that we still had/have ours when this happened. I've never felt the "need" for being perfectly level or perfectly comfortable, or virtually perfectly almost anything else since my days in the Army. Again, I'm sorry that "It gets me when...". I believe that people do with their money what they want (within the law of course). With cell phones to LevelMates, to Oliver's and beyond people can spend money as they choose. Yes, I do wonder sometimes about these choices that people make. Heck, I even question my own sanity from time to time but I sure don't let it bother me. I'm sorry too that you have had to spend "2 years making too many corrections and improvements!" to your Ollie. From reading most of your posts I believe that some of these "corrections and improvements" had to be made due to the neglect or mistreatment your trailer suffered from its previous owner(s). Others things that you have done, indeed, correct, improve or update original things done during manufacturing. Finally, I prefer to believe that much of our "100's of pages long" Mods section here on the Forum has more to do with improved technology, materials, design and related factors than it does with Oliver not having good reasons for doing what they did. As an example - I believe that you have basically rewired your entire Ollie (and nicely so too). You did this because you saw "problems" with the original wiring that (for good reason) caused you concern. And, since this original wiring was done during the original build your assumption is/was that Oliver was somehow "bad" for allowing the wiring to be completed in this manner. But, as with many things, there is more to the story than what one usually sees by only observing what they can immediately see. Back when your trailer was built, Oliver didn't have "in house" electricians. They knew how other RV's were wired but felt that if they hired certified electricians they would get the best wiring for an Oliver available. From the history I know, there were as many as three individual electricians (I'm sure that they knew each other given the small town/area around Hohenwald) that usually came into Oliver after normal working hours to wire our trailers. This is why not all trailers produced at that time were necessarily wired the same. After "problems" were being reported by owners, Oliver felt that they should have more control over how the trailers were being wired in order to reduce the number of "quality control" issues they were having. Once Oliver took this area "in house" they standardized the wiring for all trailers. This meant that all trailers would be wired with the same wiring harness and would, therefore, actually cost more in wire but less in installation as compared to hiring these "outside" certified electricians. These same type of issues were the reason for the switch from BlueSky to Zamp solar controllers even though Oliver was chastised for not having an MPPT controller, These same type of issues came up with the switch from 16 inch to 15 inch tires and with the orientation of the propane stove and with window blinds and with interior design choices and with ..... In my experience, Oliver has no comparison (not even close) to any other company in the world that I've ever been associated with or done business with. They have consistently done things for customers that are far and away beyond anything that might be considered necessary - regardless of warranties or any other related legal issue. If Oliver has a fault in this area I believe that it lies in the lack of marketing all of the things that they have done other than letting the final product speak for itself. Does this mean that I believe Oliver is perfect? NO! But the company and its product are the best thing on the market even at the price of $100,000. Bill

Here’s an improvised cover that anyone can make when out on the road….

OK, I will give you my 2 cents on this. I have a 10 year old hull, so don't know how Oliver is currently dealing with their hull cutouts. But I can say with some certainty that square inside corners in a fiberglass layup is just poor detailing. Especially in a RV that is subject to all kinds of stresses and vibration. All corners at the very least should be drilled out with a hole saw to a diameter that is compatible with the appliance (or whatever) being installed. Then the straights can be cut out with whatever tool: angle grinder, router, jig saw etc. seems best. The hull on my rear Oliver lense had square cutouts, and I have similar spider cracks at two of the corners. I checked my HWH yesterday and the hull was also square cut under the rounded metal flange. Last year my friend had to pull his HWH and his hull was also square cut (pretty badly as we recall). No spider cracks yet on ours but.... Look up in your attic at the back side of the Oliver light. If it was square cut, then that is a good indicator that your HWH is the same. You can also look from the inside at the HWH and see what the corners are like. If it is square cut, then the only repair I know that will last is to create a radius at the corner to spread out the stresses that concentrate there. This is what I did on my rear lense in the pic. For you, that will be a real PITA as the metal trim ring has to be removed and who knows what else. Mine is set with butyl tape and pop rivets. As I mentioned, your crack is probably just in the gelcoat and not structural. But it shouldn't be there in a trailer of this caliber. Any repair that doesn't address the root cause, will be wasted effort and money IMHO. Wandering Sagebrush's idea to drill a hole at the end of the crack could work. I have used "stop drilling" to stop cracks in fiberglass layups from migrating, but then you have a hole that needs to be gel-coated and polished out. Not sure if it would work for just a gelcoat fracture. Maybe a good solution? It could be! In the end, a good fiberglass technician will know what to do. But I think it will not be a quick and easy fix. Please post up what you find out. Good luck. Dave

Seems like we have some serious thread drift going on here.... Dave

Inside corners are a typical area where gelcoat, which is relatively brittle, can fracture. Which is why it is never good practice to have square inside corners that concentrate flexing at a single point. Surprised you had a fracture with a nice radiused corner (Or is it? Is there a square cutout in fiberglass under the round WH flange?) Pretty sure the crack is just in the gelcoat and does not mean the fiberglass underneath is also cracked. So mostly just a cosmetic defect. Not sure how to "repair" a crack like that, and if a repair wouldn't suffer the same fate over time. Hopefully someone may know and chime in. Sorry to hear about your other woes. Our 10 year old trailer had some issues at the start, some also potentially dangerous. But since getting all that sorted, all has been great. Just had to replace my plastic toilet flange that was broken. Just the usual maintenance one would expect over time. Good luck. Dave