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Hello from Albany, NY! My wife, Mary, and I just took the plunge on an Elite II and have been sifting through the Forum to learn as much as possible before we complete the "options build worksheet".... so many decisions!? I'm sure we'll ask many questions, despite all the advice and opinions available here, before finalizing that list... thanks in advance for any help 🙂 Anyway, here's our story: we recently (March) sold our Class A diesel pusher after 6 years of ownership (and a lot of expense) and decided to downsize for a variety of reasons, mostly to start traveling the country and seeing the sights. Previously we had owned a 5th wheel trailer that sat permanently at a seasonal NH campground for 10 years (our weekend get-away); a 24' travel trailer for a couple years (used mostly locally with grand-kids); and then the motorhome when we started snow-birding in FL from Jan to Apr over the past 6 years. Also, we already have a GMC 2500HD Denali tow vehicle that I use to pull a 20' enclosed car trailer... so we're all set in that department. So, we're now ready for a new chapter and after having looked, over the last 5 months, at many Ultra-lites and Mini-lites of all Brands, happened upon the Oliver! Quality and uniqueness won out over the more traditional, roomy, and flimsy alternative 🙂 So, we look forward with anticipation to the next few weeks and months of build decisions, Ollie construction, and travel plans ... while awaiting a late August pick-up! The current Covid-19 situation has thrown a dark cloud over everything, but we are optimistic that the sun will come out again, and our decision to move forward with this purchase at this time was a good one and that the adventure that is to follow will be memorable. Stay safe, and we look forward to the open road and meeting other Ollie owners in the future. Best Regards, Roy & Mary

Rhino Clear 5 inch inline 10 foot hose clear 90 degree adapter with Addison also 10 foot I never disconnect the short auxiliary hose, just cap it (stole idea from K Lukens)

We have had a TST 507 system for 5 years for our motorhome and Toad (Honda Fit). We will use it for the Oliver as well. Oliver doesn't use the "china bombs" that many trailer manufacturers use, but I still think it's a great investment. TPMS wasn't required either on cars or trucks for many years, but it is a safety feature that has probably saved a few lives. I've had both the older B&W monitor, but upgraded to the newer color screen. Both work well.

Nan, I know it doesn’t make much difference, but TST is located in Cumming, GA. And it is always good to support your neighbor’s and also benefit from all of the other positive features others have already mentioned. Mossey

The really big deal with using a TPMS for the trailer is the great peace of mind it gives you. Like having a backup camera that can be operated when driving, it removes a whole lot of worries, making your trip more enjoyable. Which I think is pretty darned important...... John Davies Spokane WA

Every one must make their own decision about this. Personally, I'd rather know immediately that there is something going on with one of my tires than wait till someone flags me down to let me know that I now only have three tires left.

After 4 and a half years of using a re-purposed paper shredder bucket for a trashcan in my LEII I finally found a reasonable replacement. While the shredder bucket did the job of holding regular plastic bags as liners and was small enough to fit on the floor under the pantry without sticking out too far into the aisle, it certainly wasn't very stylish. While running errands after a doctors appointment in the big city of Asheville, NC today my wife and I stopped into a Big Lots store where I found this (see pics below): The dimensions are approximately 12.5 x 12.5 x 6.25 inches. It can be found at: https://www.biglots.com/product/clear-slim-2-4-gallon-wastebasket-with-flat-gray-base/p810428520 I did check Amazon when we got home and they only sell these in sets of 6 and even then they are $5 each and WalMart wants $10.32 for exactly the same thing. Bill

My BF Goodrich tires have been stellar these last 4 years/50K+ miles. But, being able to check both pressure and temperature before we start and while underway does provide peace of mind. If I have a leak due to puncture or any other reason I should know before we’re at a crisis situation. I’ll know about a blowout almost instantaneously. Mike

Thanks for everyone’s feedback...we chose the 20’ Valterra Dominator, hopefully it will serve us well. There are a number of great choices out there. -Patriot

I used a Rhinoflex for about a year. There were a couple of issues I had with it. First, it developed a small leak (drip, drip, drip) at the end joint where the cap or 90 degree fitting goes. I couldn’t find where the leak was, very frustrating. Second, the hose wasn’t easy to collapse into the shorter, non-extended length for storage in the bumper. I’ve been using a Valterra Dominator for about 18 months and like it a lot. When stretched or compressed the length stays exactly where you put it. That also makes it nice when I don’t need the full 15’, I can stretch it out to what I need and it stays that way. The Rhinoflex tended to want to stretch out. My Rhinoflex looked like the picture T-Oliver posted. The picture from WhatDa looks more like the Dominator I use. It is black with red end fittings and comes with a clear 90 degree fitting. Mike

I'll second the RhinoFlex. I bought 2 of the 20' kits (so 4x 10' sections). I like them because they are more rigid and less likely to sag, but more importantly they compress into sections that fit neatly in the bumper. The neatness is the win in my book. I use the 20' Sidewinder to support it, but just delinked it in the middle so it also fits in the bumper storage area. We keep a 10' as the first section and that's enough for many places and visits to the dump station, but having the flexibility to position our trailer just about anywhere on a site has meant some spectacular views or added privacy - hence 40' total of hose onboard. Note that the rhinoflex 15' sections can't disconnect form the elbow - so I returned my order of those when I discovered that. Here's 20' of rhinoflex in the bumper: the other 20' are currently hooked up.

I replaced our smoke detector with one of these First Alert Atoms. Looks a lot nicer and they come with a 10 year battery. I give it a test before each trip just to make sure.

Good job, I’ve been considering doing a backsplash as well to add a little color and I like the look you have going there. Encouraging, may get me started!👍

My wife was unsure until our factory tour. After the tour she was ready to buy the same day.

I appreciate fine welds on my Moots and Steve Potts titanium bicycles. The craftsmanship is beautiful. When I get a chance to see an Ollie, I will look for the fine welds. I am close to sold on the Oliver travel trailer, and will be surprised if an in-person tour doesn't confirm that. My wife, however, is a little more careful and unsure about selling our Leisure Travel Unity. So we will take our time until we both are sure.

John Davies is spot on regarding Oliver’s welders. When we did our factory tour one thing I looked at were the aluminum welds...I saw “stacked nickels”. If anyone knows anything about welding “stacked nickels” is a very high complement of beautiful welds. So Thank you to the welders at Oliver for fine work. -David

Welding aluminum correctly by hand is very much an art. Your average trailer hitch shop cannot do it, a specialty company is usually the best place to have something like a personal project welded. Robotic machines are taking over in the larger factories like Aluma. In a shift they do the work of ten men, and with very repeatable high quality. I don’t know if Olivers will ever be machine welded, it would not be a bad thing, but their human welders do beautiful work, and as owners we should appreciate it and thank them. John Davies Spokane WA

Whatda - Your comment about the frame welds brought back a memory - After having just purchased a new SOB travel trailer I passed through Hohenwald on my way out West for some fly fishing. At that time, the first stop on the plant tour was the frame jig where they weld up Oliver frames. I was so impressed with how those welds looked that I was ready to sign a contract right there. However, there was the not so small matter of that brand new camper sitting outside and a wife that I'm sure would not appreciate those welds as much as I did. At the end of the day though the "new" camper was sold for what I paid for it and the wife (finally) saw the quality of the Oliver. Now when I show my Ollie to interested parties I always have a clean piece of cardboard for them to kneel or lay on so that they can see those beautiful welds. Bill

If you're totally new to the dumping procedure, you might try a suggestion I've made to a few friends. Spend your first few nights at a full hookup site. Get set up, rest a bit, then fill both tanks at least halfway with clean water. Then, try dumping for the first time, at your own site, and at your leisure. We've camped the first few nights with a few new owners ( my sister, neighbors) of different brands, and this has been very helpful to them. Trying out your new dumping procedure with clean water is a bit wasteful, but a heck of a lot lesss intimidating. Should you fail to get the hose on right, oh well. It's all clean, anyway. Jo, full hookups means you have water, sewer, and electric at your site. So, you can dump where you are parked. Newer owners, is the black tank rinse feature standard now?

We’ve only had a few adventures so far, but here’s a couple pictures. One is boondocking near Salida, CO. The other is my daughter reading during a rainy afternoon at Arapaho Bay CG- you can see that she has really made her little corner her own!