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I got the long bed. It fits my needs and have always owned one. But definitely a challenge parking and turning around. I've always said you have to back up twice to turn around. If you've never driven one it can be intimidating at first. I like the space...dog kennels, waterfowl decoys, coolers, etc. Never seem to have enough room and only use half of what I take. What's that saying..."be prepared." I probably take it too far. Again, get what you like. I must say, two trucks ago, my wife and 3 boys talked me into getting a gas, short bed, 2500 chev. I was driving an F350 diesel at the time. I let them talk me into it. Pretty blue one. The boys thought it was much sportier than the old ford. First week I had to tow a tractor on a heavy trailer. First time I had to accelerate from a stop light convinced me I shouldn't of listened to them. No power and I filled it up 3 times in a week! Following Monday, took it back to the dealer and got a 3500 long bed duramax, black. Just what I wanted!

beaker is a handle I've used online before that is a reference to my name (B)ryan Kerr... B. Kerr.. hence beaker. It is also a nod to that muppet character, as he is one of our favorites as well. My wife is a microbiologist and science teach and her beaker figurine (of Beaker) can always be found close by.

We can figure this out. How about connecting the AC to the hull with a scissor lift and bellows so that you can decouple the unit from the hull?

My wife and I have been looking for our “downsizing” camper since the kids went off to college. We had been contemplating getting a used 23 or 25 foot Airstream when I came across the Ollie when doing a Google search for “4 season camper”. We live in Jackson, MS so the Ollie factory was just a quick trip up the Natchez Trace so we did the factory tour last Spring. I was blown away by the quality of the Ollie. We didn’t pull the trigger then for several reasons. One of which was wondering if we could camp in an Ollie with two Golden-doodles. I’m back doing research again on the Ollie. Just can’t get out of my head how well they are built. So if you see a post from me it’s most likely a question to help us decide on a purchase.

With the Covid 19 suggested travel restrictions keeping me home and properly distanced - I took the time to put Oliver in top shape: 1. Greased all fittings, repacked and replaced (one side) wheel bearings. 2. Verified all chassis fastener torques. includes the Dexter recall. 3. Rotated tires - front to rear, one rear to carried spare, one rear to "extra spare" . The trailer carried spare to front, and second spare to other front. (I purchased a second spare with my Oliver purchase.) So - two new tires to front, fronts now rear, spares are former rears. Basically a 13k rotation. 4. Washed and waxed Ollie. Used the Meguiar's Flagship Premium Marine Wax. I actually believe I prefer the regular Meguiar's. 5. Put a threaded "stop" on the powered antenna - it rotated around, a loose fit by design. Now it is secure and locked in place. 6. Pulled AC shroud off. Removed the bird nest detritus , waxed the shroud, replaced. 7. Added new gutters to all windows - the ones mentioned in other forum posts. I used a electric blanket to warm them up sufficiently and cleaned the surface with 3m cleaner. They are very secure - to my delight. 8. Enlarged the drain holes on the three side windows. (Just the ones on the "slide" glass) . Same rectangular look, just about 75% larger. 9. Added a bolt "stop" to the battery tray. Keeps the tray locked in place should the latch fail. I have seen one fail first hand in a friends Ollie. 10. Replaced batteries in all the remote Temp sensors. 11. Tested all the systems - except AC. Readied all systems for "GO". Sanitized the water system. 12. Thoroughly cleaned the interior, removed the excess floor glue that bugged me since purchase. 13. Bleach cleaned the window outside inserts, to almost new white condition - my new black ones are on back order...... Found my tire covers......... What did I miss? Other than a few "upgrades" I am contemplating..... RB

I looked at that unit, but the reliability seems less than stellar. Hence looking at the other options. A high efficiency mini split is definitely the gateway to Solar AC -- while that ARV is quieter, I don't think it approaches the up to 33 SEER in mini splits. I'm trying to find one that does a good job of humidity management, HEPA filtering, etc... to drop those boxes from the interior as well. Here's a ceiling mount that wouldn't go through the roof, which means more room for solar up there: https://www.fujitsugeneral.com/us/products/split/floor-ceiling/index.html

I agree with John on these points. I have two #40 English Setters that are hunting dogs. I spend weekends all fall with the two dogs in the Oliver. Most of the time I’m solo and the dogs get the other bunk at night. When my wife is along (mostly in the summer) the camper can get tight with 2+2 in the camper. Once it starts raining the dogs get moved to their kennels in the back of the Land Cruiser. Two wet and muddy dogs get to be too much. Often at the start of the day when they are rested and wound up they are too much and I put them in their kennels just to get a break from their constant energy while I get ready for the day. They also get left in the kennel until I can go over them well for ticks. Even though I have a tick plan, on a good day they can each carry a few dozen ticks into the Oliver. Yuck! Have a plan B for kenneling the dogs if you decide to get an Oliver. In my situation its too small for two active dogs and two adults 100% of the time. HTH, Ken

I think the number one annoyance with the Oliver (and probably any other trailer that uses the Dometic) is the air conditioner. Yes, it cools the cabin in a jiffy. The noise on the other hand is too much. I would give up cooling power for reduced noise. It’s difficult to sleep with it on. We were at Palo Duro State Park and the temps got to around 105 and we stayed cool with the AC on the low fan setting.... Mike

Thanks Mike. I have a new anode and a toothbrush wire brush. All I need is WD 40. I honestly don't think the previous owner had a clue about these problems. She had a new heater and air conditioner installed trying to rid the Oliver of all of the fiberglass that was left in the ducts. It is obvious she never turned on the heater (because it would not have come on) and she had no clue to not leave the anode out of the water heater. She had only pulled the Oliver about 1600 miles when she sold it to me. So, I am certainly not faulting her. This is all a learning curve for me and it has been a little confusing because I don't have an Oliver tech walking me through it. But, thanks to people on this forum, I am getting closer to being able to go on the road.

I will. It was too late when I stopped working on the problem to contact OTT. I expect that they will be attentive and helpful. I have to say the bones of trailer (frame/body) is amazing. I am suspecting the parts that change yearly and differ from customer to customer might not be as robust. I will update everyone when this is worked out.

I want to thank everyone for your generous assistance in trouble shooting my particular problem and educating me on the Ollie electricity in General. All GOOD. Stay safe out there. DJM

How big are your doodles, and do they stay where they are supposed to? We have two 40 pound Australian Labradoodles, who are not obedient enough to not get in the way constantly. Ollies have a rather narrow isle width, think about having to work your way around larger animals while doing chores. Consider dealing with a muddy or soaking wet animal after a night potty break. Consider what to do with them when the weather is foul and nobody can go out..... We normally try to leave them at home with my daughter, it makes everybody a lot happier. Well, except for the daughter ...;( A used Airstreams is a risky purchase. Do your research well, Google loose rivets, water leaks, rot, floor replacement, hail damage, polishing aluminum, screwed together interior, etc. Ollies are impervious to all those “features”. Welcome to the forum. What does your user name signify? Are you a chemist like my favorite muppet Beaker? I can imagine some really interesting exterior artwork for a new Ollie.... John Davies Spokane WA

Nan, I’d get a new anode. They aren’t expensive and neither is the on/off switch. Both are on Amazon. Then, I’d get a wire brush (toothbrush size) and put some solvent on it, WD40 would work, and run it around the threads where the anode goes. I’d be careful not to get any WD40 in the tank. Wipe it down and put on new teflon thread tape then seat the new anode and see if that works. Is the pressure relieve valve closed? Buying used is usually a good experience. Sounds like the previous owners left you some issues to deal with. I’m disappointed and sorry about that. Mike

I'm a bit late to the conversation on this, been busy with other things to think about camping unfortunately. And of course about the time I am ready all H*ll breaks loose with this disease. Steve you make some good points on this but I would also add the only time I have ever gotten a flu shot, while not serving in the armed forces in my younger years, I ended up with the worse case of flu ever. There were a couple of nights honestly I had my doubts I would wake up in the morning. This was some 15-20 years ago. Never had another flu shot since and for the most part other than an occasional cold stay fairly healthy. My wife and I do eat a very health diet and get exercise regularly. I don't know if this qualifies as a reasonable excuse but its the one I am sticking with for now. Its also worth pointing out that flu shots/vaccines are only about 40-60% effective depending on the year, the disease and a host of other factors. They are NOT 100% effective and nowhere near it. Regardless I hope all stay well and healthy and hope this dreaded situation ends soon.

Removing the mounting flange. MARK THE FRONT OF THE FLANGE SO YOU CAN GET IT BACK EXACTLY THE SAME WAY! Otherwise the holes may not match up. This is only needed if you suspect a water leak, or there are obvious signs of distress around the edge sealant. I used a thin stainless putty knife and hammer to shear the factory sealant. My shroud was obviously installed incorrectly, with unsealed screws and plenty of entry points for water and dirt. The sealant should extend all the way to the outside perimeter! Fortunately the Oliver roof structure is robust and can take some water entry without damage. If yours does have water entry, try to blow any trapped water out of the screw holes so it can dry out. Remove all the old sealant using a putty knife and mild solvent. This will take some time. Try to get it all off! The fan assembly sits down into a channel, with a rubber seal at the bottom. It traps water, so drill small weep holes in each corner (4 places). Clean the roof and mask off around the fan leaving about about 1/8" to 3/16" gap. I wanted to use 3M 4000UV marine sealant. It is removable, BUT I really did not want it oozing down into the gap and roof structure. If that should happen, you would never get the flange off again, in one piece! So I used a clay based automotive strip caulk along that area to form a dam. Apply the sealant in two fat beads, and use the putty knife to flatten it evenly. Any excess will ooze out to be removed later. Most importantly - this seals the screw holes and screws! CAREFULLY install the flange. Drive in the screws gradually to bring down the flange fully and let the sealant move around. When they are fully seated, lay a bead around the perimeter if needed: Smooth out the sealant with a rubber gloved finger. Remove all masking tape: Clean up any minor messes with solvent before the sealant hardens. More. John Davies Spokane WA

Inspecting and lubricating. I used silicone spray lube. Most other lubes will attract dirt and get gummy. Tri-Flow or a similar product might be OK, but I think even that attracts gunk. Remove the two screws holding the rear hinge to the upper cover. With the hinge disconnected you can run the upper cover up much further, for easy access. Lubricate all moving parts. My rear hinge was very dry and binding. I think that was causing the jerkiness. NOTE ! : The front hinge is pretty well hidden with the rain shield attached. With it disconnected and the top fully raised up, access is OK. If you want to disconnect the two arms, they simply press outward at the top and disconnect from the tracks. Make sure the two nylon bushings are OK. Obviously, if you are doing this with the fan removed, just flip it over to access the front hinge. Here is the "Operator" AKA gearbox. It can be disassembled if needed, but it isn't considered to be serviceable. The sides of the rain shroud attach at this point, the slot needs to be clean and lubed. More John Davies Spokane WA