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I will add my own ORF musings! I think we all embrace any technology that is capable of making our lives easier, as long as we can figure it out. My first bite of the Victron apple was adding a BMV 712 battery monitor and I continue to add Victron equipment as I find it beneficial to maximize my battery usage. And Victron’s technical support is truly world class. And if you have any doubts about smartphones making you stupid, just leave it at home when you head out camping! After all, the only phone number I remember off the top of my head is 911! Mossey

Our OE2 is in the sun out west in hot, dry and abrasive areas 3 to 5 months a year. The rest of the time it is stored covered in a dark barn. This year, our 9th season, I noted that I needed a finish tune-up, especially on the frontal facing areas. Was time to get out th Rupes dual action, and execute a full cut and polished. Used your method with great success. In retrospect, my annual Meguiars waxing has done the job well. For our use, I will endevour to repeat the Full Monte every five years vs. pushing a decade. The two products only cost $35 at Amazon.com and about the same at Super Walmart Centers. A good investment. GJ

Put me in that camp.

Could someone attending the upcoming 2026 Oliver Rally ask the Oliver folks: Now that Oliver is back to only selling from their facilities in TN (no retail RV companies), can the Classified section be reopened on the forum to allow used Oliver's to be advertised there,

So after a 2 1/2 year period of owing our Elite II and setting outside in the Texas sun our fiberglass gelcoat was beginning to show some chalking and dulling and in need of a buff and wax job. Now being a retired body shop mgr. for some 35 years at a large DFW dealership doing the proper job was not a problem for me, but at 76 it wouldn't be doing it like I was 40, for sure. I used my 7" buffer and wool buffing pads, I used the Velcro system pads and buffer backing plate, the tie on pads are pretty much useless. I first buffed with Mequiar's #67 RV and Marine compound which did a very good job and really cut the oxidation, probably running the buffer back and fourth on the surface 8-10 times till the gelcoat what at a very high luster, due note here, the top of the trailer and ends we the most dulled areas on the trail, but I did the whole trail just because I didn't want to do a partial job when it comes to doing something. Due note here, I did have to use scaffolding to do the top, you will not be able to reach far enough in with a ladder, plus the scaffolding is much more safe for this old guy. I did the top and ends in one day and the sides the next day. Now for the Mequiar's Flagship RV and Marine polish which I put on by hand and took off with a orbital buffer and a polishing pad for it's final on this project, I hope this will last another couple of years before it needs another buff job, but will polish once a year to help preserve the finish. I watched several video's on YouTube on this and this guy knew what he was doing, or the way I would do it, trainman

Likely: 10+ / (the current number of OTT Owners) = a stastically insufficiant number of reasons However, if money grew on trees, many of our owners would like to have the "Gismology" of an all Victron Package. But likely more would not want the complexity of them. Keeping life simple is also a virture for many of us. Just the musing of an Ole Retired Fart! 🙂 GJ

Boondocking: Reasonably often an occasional hot shower is wonderful! RV Parks: Not too often. GJ

Of course, that's were it should be. Having it poked up the tube is not ideal, but at least he has a screen.

Prior owner left us a roll of this and more of it was under the cushions. This stuff works, Con-Tact Brand Grip Premium by KITTRICH Corp.

Well, I guess I jinked myself, or at least proved why having a TPMS is valuable. On the trip from Utah to Grand Junction (to get us some new leaf springs), our TPMS went off, and my wife said, "One of the tires is down to 35 psi... now 30... now 25," all in the matter of 30 seconds. We pulled over, and sure enough, the tire pressure was dropping fast. The valve stem had ripped and started leaking. We did enough of a patch-and-fill job to get off the side of the freeway so we could change the tire. Glad we had it, so this stayed just an inconvenience! Also, so glad I had done dry runs of changing tires at home so whenever this day did come I was confident we could get it addressed. The next day I went to Les Schwab and got some nice steel stems put on all the tires!

Sorry you won't be there, and I hope you feel better soon. It seems to me this entire year has been full of false starts and changes in plans. I sent you a message.

@Olive2Roam and @topgun2 Krunch and I made it as far north as Murfreesboro on our 2026 OTTO Rally trip and while camping at Monte Sano SP in Huntsville, I had a recurrence of pseudogout effecting my hands, hips and shoulders. As a result of this, we headed back home and will miss the rally. Would you please find topgun2 at campsite E36 and handoff the Truma winterizing accessory and he will send it to me. Thank you for generous gift, Mossey

Most 30-40 degree nights when using the furnace we find that just cracking the Maxxair vent a tiny bit using the hand knob is sufficient venting to prevent humidity/condensation buildup. We never open it all the way with the furnace on.

We just had a freeze last night. My preparations were: turn on the "antifreeze" function for the water, disconnect the hose (we currently have fresh water hookups), "argue" with wife about the setting on the heater (she prefers 62, I prefer 60). EZPZ In my previous post I ignored a "feature" of the Ollie that I have found MUCH more challenging over the last 2.5 years: the CO alarm under the table. The Ollie seals up so tight that you could easily not use the heater on many freezing nights. Body heat is absolutely trapped. It's the perfect tent. So perfect, that certain gases accumulate and alarms get triggered. 😂 So, venting is required. Too much and you might as well be outside. Especially if it's raining. Too little and alarms will wake you up repeatedly. Last night we got it just right: Max air vent open, but off; heater ran intermittently, but never labored, no alarms. Comfort and safety. Check.

In addition to the Oliver regional rallies, there are also fiberglass rallies with more and more Olivers in attendance. Here in Ohio, the Casitas of Ohio put on a spring kick-off fiberglass rally and a fall rally. This past spring there were five Oliver’s in attendance out of maybe 20-25 total trailers. The Florida Eggs n S’mores fiberglass rally in January had at least a dozen Oliver’s. Hungry Mother fiberglass rally in Western Virginia had five Olivers. And there are similar rallies all over the country.

I have boondocked at the foot of the Athabasca glacier and on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. I am NOT Bear Grylls. It’s that easy. I have also done weeklong stays in sub freezing weather, and triple digit heat with hookups. Even easier. YMMV, but Ollie is easy to use, safe and durable IMHO.

@Skynyrd, there are several threads discussing this in the forum. Google "Oliver trailers forum Winter camping." There are weak spots in the plumbing that may or may not have been addressed with some of the changes in the more recent model years. Like @DanielBoondock says, any camper can be a winter camper if you want it to. I've seen Airstreams being used all winter here in CT. Full hookups, belly skirts, and lots and lots of propane. Not my cup of tea, though, and we also consider our Oliver a 3-season camper.

Yes, for sure anything prolonged at 32 degrees is 4 season and I'm not interested. For us the 4th season is - go south young man, go south - a little farther, perhaps. Now to be clear, we have spent a few nights in freezing temps at elevation (10,000) and all was fine and toasty. As we are outdoors folks, and generally the really cold temps preclude outdoors - usually. I'll take a south Fla beach, or the Texas gulf over the snow and cold any day. Waking up at 30 degrees, in a tent in Yellowstone was great. It's better in the Ollie, trust me.

Hello Apex #2 from Apex #1, Hull #1738, 2Dreamin👋 Totally agree on the dinette cushion backs, it was annoying every time we got up from the dinette so I see a solution in our future. City water connection is on the curbside and Fresh water tank fill is on the street side. We got the compost toilet and are very happy with our decision, this was after months of contemplating it, then deciding not to do it and then changing our minds after talking with the Whitaker's at Denali National Park in Alaska earlier this summer. We did fill the fresh water tank to test out the pump and also testing out the pressure of the pump for the tankless hot water heater (THWH) and that worked great. To set our preferred THWH temperature, I hopped in the shower, turned on the faucet hot water only while DH was setting the temp to 107 which worked great for both of us actually. Using only the hot water side of the faucet eliminates cold spots with the tankless. The only time we experienced any issues was while at a campground that had 'low' water pressure which reduced how hot the water came out, the tankless also works on water pressure, this is where the fresh water pump came in handy. We find the EcoFlow to be a dream to manage, so much easier than our Airstream Interstate set-up, even after we had all the wiring ripped out, soft solar panels ripped off and an entire new battery system, inverter, etc and solar panels installed. We love the ease of operation with the EcoFlow. Enjoy your new Apex!!!!! Are you going to the rally? We are in site F20

Agree. For winter, I drain the hot water tank. Don’t want antifreeze in there!

I think it is not good to put antifrezee in hot water heater. Maybe stronger mind’s know more .. or give OTT a call…

Updating the original crack situation: We did end up taking the trailer back to TN for repair of the fiberglass under warranty.

The Oliver Travel Trailer for Sale Facebook page is actually where I found and purchased my used 2022 Oliver Elite II. I really like the idea JD mentioned about having a dedicated used‑parts section. The Oliver Facebook page doesn’t allow used parts to be listed, and while Oliver parts can be posted on Facebook Marketplace, having a specific section or page just for Oliver accessories/parts would be a great addition. I have, for sale, the solid aluminum front basket you are looking for JD, but I am not interested in shipping it. I also have a working Xantrex 3,000 inverter, a Seabiscuit rear storage rack etc.... If only there was a place to list the used accessories.

When we first joined the forum and had not yet decided to splurge for a new trailer, the used forum was very helpful. Not only did we see that there was relatively low owner turnover, but also that almost any trailer being sold was due to the owner’s age and/or health problems. Not customer dissatisfaction. That’s built in advertising right there. Plus, you could look at the owner’s previous posts to see in they made modifications, had problems, or complained about quality or customer service. I think having the forum benefitted the seller, the potential buyer, and Oliver’s reputation.

I can tell you that this subject has already been discussed with some of the senior folks at Oliver. The reaction by Oliver has been "mixed" - but - in the final analysis there really is only one person who can make the Classified Section reappear. I'm sure that if a fairly good number of current owners would make it known to the powers that be (email, snail mail and/or personal requests at the Rally) the odds of getting it back would be greatly improved. Bill

The cable that runs from the valve to the handle has a set screw at the valve. Sometimes they will loosen and the cable slides back & forth but doesn’t fully close the valve. Check that by manually pushing the valve body closed and the T handle all the way in…then re tighten the set screw. Here are 2 photos of the valve as setup properly in a 2019 EII. when closed for travel When open for camping For the T handle remember Drive In ….Camp Out hope that helps.

We just spent 4 overnights between Flagstaff and the canyon. Not exactly the desert SW at 7600 feet but it was the week of July 20th with highs in the mid-to-high 80s, everyday up there (116F in Phoenix). Two of 4 nights we had monsoon rains and we had to cook indoors using a pressure cooker one night and Emeril oven another (microwave removed for the Emeril). We often use a portable induction cooktop but not this trip. We had the A/C on 24x7 in fear of overnight rains, when generally after dinner we would open windows. A couple nights the old Dometic 3-way fridge had the "Check" (LP) light come on, likely from the altitude, so we also ran the fridge on batteries for about 60 hours over the 4 days. With the Victron MP2 inverter/charger we can run the Chill Cube A/C, The Emeril Oven, the fridge, the TV and soundbar, etc. all at the same time without worry as to what we can or cannot run on electric. Coffee every morning with an 1100W electric kettle. With 900 Ah LiFePO4 batteries we have power to spare. I can see what you're saying, but of course with the old Penguin A/C you're not running A/C at all when unplugged. The P2 would bring 300 Ah down to ZERO in 2 hours. I thought we had all the power we needed to run A/C for 4 days straight, and we did but had not counted on running the fridge on electric too, which hour after hour takes quite a bit of Ah. The picture shows our remaining Ah on our 4th night at 7 PM. Epoch #2 was below 20% and it stopped showing up on the app (notice the pic shows 600 Ah total since it cannot see one battery). By morning SOC was 18% and when we got home late afternoon SOC was 43% with battery #2 again reading, recharged from the DC-DC charger. SOC of 43% might not sound too good, does it? But keep in mind 43% of 900 is 387 Ah. Instead of driving home, if we had driven to another campsite we'd be back in business for another couple days. I'd give up our 900 Ah right along with my right arm! 😎 But if you have no interest in upgrading your A/C and running it off-grid then 300 Ah is good enough. Those who go from 300 to 600 Ah can get down to 50% SOC and be at 300. If you have small Ah capacity, you always need it full. Having greater capacity allows you to run at lower SOC%. We were able to run A/C for 100 hours straight, including when towing, with our setup! And if you're always running near 100% SOC, the DC-DC charger will get lonely with no work to do! 🤣

Problem solved! I took the Oliver to a highly-rated solar installer in our area and he solved our problem. Galway girl was correct, the internal fuses (there were two) in the Xantrex inverter were blown. The service tech had another identical inverter on hand (he had replaced it with a Victron) and used those fuses, since he didn’t have new replacements in stock. We also had him replace our AGM batteries with a Vatrer 12V 300AH Bluetooth LiFePO4 Self Heating battery (only $599) and a shut off switch, so I don’t repeat my reverse-polarity blunder when it goes in storage. Thank you all for your help. Heading up to northern MN for some mountain biking next week.

Thank you, Garry. Decent price on this part! Not to worry, I had enough water leak down in the basement already. A lot comes out the hull weep holes and out here it all dries in minutes. BTW, re long "nasty looking" links. I delete all the extra characters after the ?-mark and replace the ?-mark with a slash (/). Then you can copy/paste a shorter version like this: https://itcshopnow.com/products/exterior-shower-service-parts/

So, here's where this project went a little of course... Next step was to test the jack. Something happened that I could not imagine. It started lifting the hull, wheels not yet fully off the ground and BANG! The jack and hull dropped, OMG! 🫢 I asked Chris to come out so she could operate the button as I watched the jack. As soon as she pushed to lift the hull, I observed the outer post lift up into the hull. The outer should remain fixed, welded and bolted to the frame. I thought, the weld must have broke (it did)! I figured that when remounting the alignment would be slightly different and this could put new stress on the weld. I didn't pay much attention to the welds when it was out since they had lasted 10 years. I talked to a couple of Oliver Elders, first was Ken @mountainoliver who told me that years back some Oliver owners found out that OTT did not finish the welding job properly. Then a conversation with Steve @ScubaRx confirmed this fact! I wrote a Service Ticket and Mike at OTT responded promptly. He was thinking it was a Barker issue, but after our call I realized there was nothing OTT could do except perhaps pay for me to hire a local welder. IMHO, this was certainly an OTT installation issue. The installation procedure is to bolt the two aluminum blocks into position, tack weld them when in position, then remove the assembly to complete weld along both upper and lower surfaces. Turns out they forgot to finish the job on the curbside but did the full weld on the streetside (pics of both below). Next time y'all have your beds off and basement doors open, take a flashlight to inspect yours to confirm you have a full weld on top. Your top weld should look like my 3rd picture. If it only has a tack weld like the 2nd picture you need to remove the bracket (the jack can stay in place if you like) and have it fully welded properly. Thank goodness this happened while home AND that when it failed it did not damage the fiberglass under the bed. On this side we have 1/2" between the top of the motor head and the fixed fiberglass. When it failed it merely pushed the basement cover and bed up and down a couple inches.

I'd suggest that if you're going through the trouble of repairing or replacing the shower box, that you add some cutoff valves on the water lines. This will allow you a quick solution to any future problems and might also be useful when traveling through cold weather, to cut off the supply and drain the unit as best you can. If you get the new model, I'd be interested if it performs any better than the old one. I wouldn't say that mine trickles, but it's not exactly forceful either.