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Ok all you hot rodders, now you can have your cake and tow your Oliver too.

Looks like they're really giving the Raptor a run for its money. It certainly has it beat in the horsepower department, and I like that rear suspension much better. The cost though - this thing starts almost at what the Raptor tops out at. Ford has a new Raptor coming out, too, so I'll be interested to see what they do to match the Ram. I know they'll have a similar rear suspension setup, so the question is what they'll do with the engine. Some say they'll have to put the Mustang V8 in it, but personally I hope that they stick with a smaller engine and go with a big hybrid instead. People will love the sound of the V8's of course, but I'd prefer my truck to be as quiet as a mouse. With either truck, I'd hesitate to recommend them as a tow vehicles unless you really plan to take it offroad. Though if the coil springs on either one lend themselves more easily to air bags than the current Raptor, then I'd say go for it.

I've had three ecoboost vehicles, and would prefer that over a V8. The f150 with the HDPP (heavy duty payload package) and ecoboost would be my pick for a gas TV. Only downside is the HDPP is rare, and it generally excludes many of the other safety features like blindspot monitoring. For 2021, that's no longer the case, but the 2021s are not available on the used market yet 🙂. Some say turbos are unreliable, but they are generally quieter than a v8. Hidden in my answer: the TV that won't struggle in the mountains has forced induction. We crossed a few 9000+ foot passes in the last few weeks. A 5.0 V8 loses about a 100 horsepower at that altitude. Turbo engines generally aren't as effected, especially in the lower RPM region that is nice and quiet.

As we get closer to finalizing our 2021 Oliver Elite II order, I am picking up bits and pieces of changes in features from the 2020 to the new model. While many are obviously stated on the Oliver site, some don't specify the make/model of equipment. In addition, some cosmetic changes are not specifically stated. My suggestion to Oliver would be to compile a list of these changes so those who have been shopping based on the 2020 model specs will know what to expect. I will share what I discover as I finalize our build, based on questions answered by our sales rep. Forum members, please share any new information you have. I hope this information will help those who are still shopping and provide assistance to those in the process of configuring their Oliver trailer. The Forum already has an open discussion regarding the new standard awning in this thread. I will share additional items discovered from conversations with our sales rep, editing this post as new information comes my way. Frosted or Black are still the upper cabinet door options. The change is that the rear attic and the bathroom cabinet doors no longer have mirrored doors; they will match your choice for the other cabinets.

Welcome neighbors! Do the factory tour, you won’t be disappointed. We live in the foothills of Western NC and made two trips to Hohenwald, Tenn before placing our order for our 2020 OLEll. Looking back the two trips were so well worth it. It’s a big financial decision for most, so read and read, research, and do your due diligence. Go back as far as possible in the forum archives, you will learn a lot. Check out Oliver University...just a wealth of info provided by Oliver. We made a list of wants and needs. We also decided to consider resale when upgrading our options. Many options can be added later by Oliver, but it will come at a price vs factory custom order. There are certain creature comforts that we just did not want to do without given the price point of the Oliver. Now and then used Oliver’s pop up in the classifieds on here...possibly worth considering, however they move quickly. We took delivery June 16th and are very happy overall with our 2020 OLEll. Good luck on your decision!

The issues: 1. We wanted to flip the shade frames to allow more privacy when needed. With the “night” shades on the bottom--instead of the top--one can raise them up so that one can still view the outside world without having to consider that someone outside, would get a nice view of one’s midsection as one walks about the cabin. 2. We wanted to increase the “grip” of the shades so that they would better stay in place. Sometimes our blinds would slide down after being pulled in place. Since we figured that the “night” blinds are heavier than the “day” blinds, we thought this extra grip was even more important if we were going to reverse them. 3. We wanted to better secure the shade frames to the interior wall. Our frames have frequently come loose from the clips that are meant to hold them in place, actually falling off a couple of times. We tackled the second issue first. Someone on this forum or one of the Oliver Facebook pages suggested retying the strings to the springs on the top and bottom of the frames to increase the tension. (If you pull the frames off of the clips holding them to the wall, you will see those springs and the strings.) This proved very frustrating. (I think you will agree if you attempt this task; you might also appreciate the nimbleness of the worker who accomplished the initial tie job.) I thought there must be another way to increase the tension. There seemed to be enough space on the corner of the frame to insert an object that would stretch the strings around the corner and thus increase the tension. I came up with placing those do-hickies that are used to secure screws in drywall on all four corners of the frame. This seemed to increase the tension just about the right amount. (One nice thing about those do-hickies is that they have little grooves into which the strings can sit.) Next, we tackled the third issue. After looking at the clips and how they fit into the groove in the frame, it seemed to me that spreading them out wider might make them hold better. So I unscrewed them from the wall and went at them with a couple of vise grips, pulling the sides of the clips out just a little bit. (The clips are surprisingly strong.) With a little effort, I was able to smack the frame back into place with the palm of my hand, upside down from the way they were originally placed at the Oliver factory. (One should be careful to make sure that the lips of the clips are centered in the groove before applying much pressure so as not to damage the plastic of the frames.) I hope the photos I upload here help portray the process. I have just completed this project on the window over the dinette. The frame is flipped, it seems more securely attached to the wall, and the “grip” of the “day” and “night” shades is stronger. I plan to do the other four frames soon. I apologize for my Cro-Magnon approach to the project. Unlike some folks on this forum, who are retired engineers, mechanics, and the like, I am a relatively unhandy retired academic and musician. But I thought that I would post this in case another Ollie owner wanted to tackle a similar project, perhaps having dealt with similar issues.

http://trailertraveler.net/towing-travel-trailer-toyota-4-runner/ http://trailertraveler.net/4-runner-vs-tundra-travel-trailer-tow-vehicle/ John Davies Spokane WA

I’ll be watching this as Oliver starts putting in Lithium. I don’t know how long my AGM’s will last but when replacement time comes I’ll be using everyone’s lessons learned. Mike

The 2021 Ram TRX debuted today. 702 HP and 650 torque from a 6.2L Supercharged V8. 0-60 in 4.5 seconds. Starts at $70K, nicely equipped around $90K. Towing is only 8220 lbs and payload is 1350 lbs, not exactly optimal for towing a camping trailer while carrying some camp gear. Looks nice though!

You are most likely above 13.8 volts and charging your AGMs with your set up - you would know if you weren't. I was not impressed when I measured my voltages because I have the towing package and expected better. I suspect I have a problem somewhere. I think one important point is that for new owners that are getting the Lithium package (like me), there are increased voltage / amp requirements coupled with more stringent charging requirements that are really going to push the limits of some of the alternators in our TVs, and it looks like LifeBlue is recommending some significant upgrades to charge from the TV. Hopefully Oliver engineering is aware and will advise / adjust accordingly.

Take a look at the Super Duty 2500 with the brand new big 7.3 liter gas engine. It is tuned for low to midrange torque, like a turbo diesel. That would be my engine of choice, by a landslide, plus the Tremor Offroad suspension package, if I ever decided to buy a Ford. Which is probably never...... 😀 I just don’t like the interiors. We all love vehicle shopping vicariously, let the other guy foot the bill. In your shoes I might wait a while, see what the new models have to offer. Or buy a tried and true low tech, but utterly reliable Tundra 5.7. Or a Sequoia. Or a certified used three year old Land Cruiser. Check out the newer Rams, they have very nice interiors, the 2500s ride on rear coil springs or optional air suspension and won’t beat you up all day long, like old fashioned leaf springs. Of all the vehicles we have been talking about, the one your wife will fall in love with is the Land Cruiser. John Davies Spokane WA

John, I believe this is all about my camper, hull #267. While I have not been able to camp many times since I bought it, I was able to travel to Washington, DC and camped 3 nights both ways. I believe all of the fiberglass may have worked its self out of the ducks, because I found none in the cabin during the trip.

Oliver has been known to cut a hole and install a deck plate when repair access for the fresh tank overflow is required. There is a lot of dead space under the cabinets that's ripe for cleaver picking. Just be mindful of the access panel heights so they don't interfere with the draw bottoms.

On mine it’s not. But a jigsaw can quickly change that situation. Making an access port under each cabinet shouldn’t effect the cabinet integrity nor would it be visible. You’d want to make a lightweight cover of some sort so that something doesn’t bounce out of one of your drawers and end up in the hull space. I’ve had it on my list to do both that and create an access port in the closet floor. I may need to do both soon since I’m planning to insulate all the plumbing lines. Those access ports might even be enough to allow me to replace the flex duct with rigid, which might be a good project to tackle at the same time.

The 4" galley run from the furnace reduces down to 3" at a tee behind the galley outlet. 3" flex then runs straight forward and makes a 90 degree turn around the front of the tanks, angling to the front under the shower pan. This flex then turns up inside the vanity, where there is a high-loop taped up to the shell forward of the sink before dropping down into another right angle and attaching to the outlet. That's how it was done in my 2018 anyway. Closing off the galley outlet completely, along with removing the dampers in the vanity outlet, is the simplest effective approach for increasing flow to the bath. Adding a return vent also helps by relieving back pressure.

All of that. Right where you get in to adjust the water valves. You have to pick up the duct hose to drain the fresh tank? Right there. That duct laying on the pipes I am sure keeps them warm, but the straighter the pipe the easier air flow. It usually has a lot of twist and bends there. Have you ever gotten underneath and seen all the drain holes? Covered by those directional SS covers? As the furnace sucks in return air, how much cold air is it getting from those vents? Air will move in the path of least resistance. If there are restrictions of a tote or other objects near the return vent I am sure it does. Or if that vent is closed? I also have yet to look at where the furnace actually gets it's return air from, and if there are any restrictions in that area. It is a difficult area to get to and a potential for "quality control" to avoid?

We have found, by adding the vent high in the bathroom wall, that we were able to relieve a lot of the negative pressure in the bathroom. It works extremely well when the bathroom door is closed. This allows the air to return to the return vent easier. By adjusting the heat vent under the bed to about half closed, the kitchen one about the same and the bath vent full open we got the best results. We also found by straightening out the duct in the basement, from the heater, we eliminated some of the air restrictions and turbulence. The air seems to flow better. As the heat loss from the duct seems to be what keeps the tank space warmer as well as the return vent air we didn't want to insulate. What might help a lot is to close off those hull drain holes, which I am sure allows a lot of cold air intrusions and heat loss. As for the closet? I have noticed how 'cool' it gets, but can't find a reason to waste heat on that static space. Cloths and towels can be taken out a few minutes before?

All we have to do to keep the bathroom warm is leave the door open. No tricks with the vents or fan. If we're taking a shower, we keep it warm in there with a small electric space heater. Just messin' with you about that space heater...

Thank you everyone that contributed to this thread. If we order I'm sure we'll be happy with the the Girard (especially in that it can't be deleted from the build). But perhaps today's posting about a dead Dometic awning illustrates the benefits of a simple, sturdy, high-quality manual-crank alternative -- a simpler awning that gets the job done with less risk of failure...

Small RV furnaces were never designed to push air from the rear to the front of an RV or around bends. I would start with the furnace fan and determine everything is tight and the fan is running the proper speed. Then add a small prototype fan at the bathroom discharge and see if it closes the sail switch on the furnace. My guess it won’t and if the furnace doesn’t initially detect an open sail switch with thermostat demand it fail out. It kinda has to do that because a stuck sail switch would be bad. Then determine if the new fan helps. Your goal is to just create a small amount of negative pressure to overcome friction and turbulence in the bend. I’d try something like a computer fan in a custom housing.

Along these same lines, an app that I really like is Windy (https://www.windy.com/). The app shows world-wide wind patterns; you can zoom into local areas and look at projections for 7+ days into the future. It may not show local events (for example, it did not show the derecho that we drove through in eastern Iowa this week on our way to Idaho), but it does a pretty good job projecting general wind direction and intensity. We use it to plan travel days (or times of the day) to avoid strong headwinds or take advantage of tailwinds.

And Patriot also rented a large uhaul truck when he picked up his Oliver, full of stuff for the Oliver. That’s Anouther fun journey to take. Buying things for the Oliver. 🤪

In regards to manually closing the awning..,,,, See attached scan of the manual. It can be done, it requires a flat bladed screwdriver to remove an end cap, plus a 3/8” wrench to wind it in - when done it may have up to a 4” gap so it would not be towable. Unless you could somehow keep it in place with a bunch of 1” ratchet straps. Plus it requires (professional) servicing to reset the limit switches after doing this. There is no indication that you can manually open the unit. I wonder, how many buyers consider this sort of situation when checking that option? It would ruin your day and maybe your entire vacation if it failed. If it failed way out in the boonies, it could cost you an expensive tow fee. It would be prudent for an owner to understand how to retract it and have a ladder and the means to secure it in place to tow it home or to a shop. Maybe these super duty nylon ties would work? I have been trying to come up with a use for them ,.... https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/4359-griplockties-reusable-rubber-lined-super-duty/ Are you situated so that you can reposition the rig 180 degrees so you can use the functioning awning for shade? Good luck on your quest, please keep us updated. John Davies Spokane WA

Welcome and thanks for the introduction. I am new here, as well, and let me tell you - there are many forum members able and willing to answer your questions. And so the journey begins

Welcome to the forum! Lots of folks here with answers to about anything you might have a question about, so as Sherry said, fire away! Mike

Welcome to the forum! Sorry about your Sylvan Sport Go. I've admired them at the rv supershow. It's a really clever little camper. If you have any questions about the Oliver, fire away. Lots of people with answers. Sherry

This is Canyon Point USFS Campground. It’s about 30 miles east of Payson, AZ. 7,700 feet, perfect weather in early August (low 50s at night, high 70s afternoon). There are two loops, some sites have 30a hookups, most do not. Highly recommended.

We'll look forward to meeting you.