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Perfect weather for picking up Hull #676! Staying one extra day at DCSP.

The cost of antifreeze?

The grey valve should always be closed when opening the black valve, otherwise when you use the black water rinse feature, if you choose to do so, you can get some fecal stuff backed up into the grey tank. Not good. I personally feel bad about interconnecting the two systems at all, black waste should always remain fully separated from grey. But with Oliver’s two into one discharge design, they have to meet at the very end, in front of the outlet tube. Just try to keep them separated upstream from that. If you are going to flush the black tank complete that before touching the grey handle. My hull 218 did not come with a 90 degree adapter. John Davies Spokane WA

Use one quite a bit. No problems. The PI doesn't notice it and not sure it's all that finicky. It does what it's supposed to do, quite well.

This isn't a gadget, but it sure is handy to keep around. Shoe Goo. My favorite hiking boots, and my favorite waterproof shoes, have both had issues with the soles coming detached in places, in the last few years. The stuff is waterproof when cured (24 to 72 hours). It's messy and true to it's "goo" name. Goes on like sticky putty, but it really works. Best if you have a way to clamp it while it cures if you're fastening the sole to the boot.

NC Eagle, I also ordered the Oliver because I wanted to be able to do the same thing you're planning to do in terms of skiing out west. I live in Maine not far from Sugarloaf and Sunday River but I still want to ski out west. I've only skied Steamboat and the conditions weren't great when I was there. I also like to fish and plan to do some of that out there too. I'll be following this thread and if I find anything that might be of interest regarding the skirts or other ways to keep the cold out and things working I'll post it. Hope everything goes well with your upcoming delivery.

Picked up #762 last Friday. Drove to Memphis then Houston. 2019 gmc Denali canyon 4 cylinder diesel. 900 miles about 60% state roads, multiple towns, lights etc., moderately hilly, on state roads 17,5 interstate 18.5. Crazy towed amazing could pass easily going up hills, no movement in trailer. Overall 18, Better than I thought. Drove 60-70

Agree with that. We always close the black, before opening the grey.

Anyone have experience camping with a 50a to 30 adapter? Booked a site a couple of weeks out and it only has a 50 amp hookup. I have an adapter that I have use in the past with another camper. I am guessing it only configures the contacts. But wondering about the Ollie's Progressive Industries surge protector. I know the progressive is finicky about low voltage and flux in the current. Will it throw an error code? Or will it be just fine plug into 50 amps? Thanks in advance for any insights.

A 50 amp plug has: a ground, a neutral, and two 120 v lines. A 30 amp plug has: A ground, A neutral, and one 120 v line. The adapter has eliminated one 120 v line, just what the Oliver was designed for. If you was to see the inside of the electrical box that has a 50 amp, 30 amp, and a 20 amp plug, you would only see 4 wires coming in to feed them. That wire carries all the power to the box. There is NOT a separate circuit for each outlet. That box is also only designed to feed ONE camper at a time. If you see a CG with only one plug in the box, it is either an older CG with older equipment, or a CG that is trying to eliminate people plugging into more than one plug at a time and overloading the circuit.

Congratulations! Enjoy the trip . . . . . in 52 days till we arrive at Hohenwald 😀 . . . . . . #699

Thanks connor77. Good to know there will be someone else with an Oliver trying some really cold weather camping. We'll have to share things we learn. I've skied Sugarloaf and Sunday River in the past... love it when the conditions are right. I've started buying some things for winter camping just in case although this winter I'm unlikely to try and pull anything off before I learn more. No skirts yet - that's going to require some testing first. btw, there's another Oliver owner / skier on this forum that I've met virtually called DonnaDuane who skis the west coast mts. in his Ollie. Cheers!

Congrats on your new Oliver! You could not have selected a better time of year for delivery. May your adventures always be safe, relaxing and enjoyable! David

676 is a great number - congrats! Hope you have as many great miles and smiles as we have. Hope to see you on the road. Mike

Welcome. See you on the back roads of America. Pack some referral cards in the trailer and tow vehicle, you will soon see why.

On some Olivers there is a valve under the back dinette seat that opens and closes the black flush line. For years we used to just keep it open because there is a back flow on that line as well. Once, when our black tank was pretty full and we had traveled most of the day to our next site, I took the cap off the black flush connection and a small amount of fluid came out. I though it had an odd smell. So, I don’t know if the backflow valve failed or something else happened, or if it was just my imagination. After that, we just decided to keep it closed until we are putting water through the flush connection. I don’t know if newer trailers have the same valve or not. Mike

The advanced rv/houghton system is really, really pricey. Here, and in Australia. I haven't given up hope yet on the inverter compressor Dometic Freshjet showing up here someday soon, despite the Dometic responses . In Europe, a kit can be bought to allow it to run on 12v dc, eliminating the loss of using the inverter to cgange dc to 120 ac . There are some dc ducted systems in vans, but they're kind of clunky installs, at least the ones I've seen. And, there are the systems designed for truck cabs, no idle zones. Europe and Australia have had better systems from Dometic for close to a decade.

I don’t really think so, especially if I’ve raised the front with the front jack. You’d need to be pretty big to change the attitude of the trailer. Our dump routine is Carol is inside, I’m outside. She is monitoring the black tank level as I am filling it with a hose connected to the black tank flush. When we hit 80% to 85% she tells me and I open the valve. We do this a couple of times, unless we are at a dump station and we don’t want to hold things up too long. When our last black dump is done she shuts the valve under the dinette seat while I open the gray valve. While the gray tank is draining I unhook the hose from the black flush. I don’t think we need to over think this. If the front of the trailer is a little higher than the back everything will be fine. Mike

We shoot for 300 miles a day. That gives us time in the morning for some coffee and gets us to our next location in time for a glass of wine before we fire up the grill. We’re retired, so we try to make the journey interesting and relaxing. We have covered more miles, a few times many more. When we go to Durango to visit our son and family we drive to Roswell, NM about half of the 900+ miles and finish the next day. Same on return trip. There just isn’t decent place to stop between San Antonio and Durango except for the very small Red Barn RV Park in Roswell. Once, while camping on the Missouri River in Leavenworth, KS we were jolted out of sleep at 2am by emergency personnel and told to evacuate immediately. The river was cresting and a few hours after we left the campground was under water. We headed south on I-35 and had fierce storms the whole trip to include tornado warnings all around OKC with several touching down. We stopped at a Cracker Barrel in Waco after almost 700 miles and finished the trip home in the morning. Our Ollie tracked like a champ through high winds and driving rain. No leaks either! Mike

I usually try to keep it under 8 hours. I will push to 10, but only if not traveling or doing a short two to three hours on the next day.

2020 Chevrolet Silverado 6.8L gas engine. 10.1 (rolling hills 20-25 mph headwinds) to 13.8 (calm flat interstate cruising) Avg just under 12 MPG under all conditions over 3000 miles of towing.

My mom and I were just talking about our friends in Louisiana, and all those in the path. We are certainly holding you up in our thoughts today. Stay safe.

Just a side note: don't hurry, if you can help it. The Interstate in Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland, or anywhere else looks pretty much the same. The real interesting spots are where the world has forgotten. The services are usually cheaper, the food is tastier, and the people are friendlier. You also will not find a "big box store" or a "fast food" outlet, but Ma and Pa stores are the BEST. You may have to slow down for a moose, or even a cow in the road, but that is ok. The RV life takes some getting use to, but a day or two should do it. If you need a snack, a restroom, or a beverage while traveling, remember you have all that and even a bed following you around...

Thanks @DCdude. I definitely lost track of some of those distances. Bit of a blur. No chance we stay four hours away.

Here are some in-production pictures I took mid August during our tour. It might give you some idea of the hidden wires that are between the inner and outer shells before they are put together. We were very impressed with the quality.

Here’s my favorite item for under $20, an Aukey night light. We got it for $17.99, but it is currently $19.99. We get up to pee at night, and when we first got our Ollie we left the inside courtesy lights on as a night light. We quickly discovered that this produced too much light, especially in the sleeping area. We then tried a battery powered candle on the dinette, but it also produced too much light, and it chewed through batteries at a prodigious rate. I then discovered the Aukey night light. Instead of batteries, it is rechargeable via micro-USB. With our overnight use on the dimmest setting, one charge lasts at least five days. The brightness is adjustable, and the reviews said that it goes very dim. This was one of the main reasons I bought this, and I am quite pleased with how dim it goes. It also has a built in loop and comes with a carabiner to hang from something, and a magnet to attach to metal surfaces. We take advantage of that magnet. It comes with small circular metal disks with adhesive backing. We put one of these adhesive disks up on the pantry wall above the dinette. In this location, no light goes back to the sleeping compartment. It is hard to take a photo which accurately reflects the low light, as a phone always overexposes dark situations. The magnet appears pretty strong, but we don't drive with the light on the wall. Taking down the night light is part of our Departure Checklist. There are other features that we have not taken advantage of, including that the light floats and the light can display a variety of colors. Finally the controls are simple and intuitive.

I have a 2020 GMC HD which is the same as far as components here are concerned - no issues with the Oliver directly connected (ie no adapters) - so either your truck has an issue or your connectors do.

We tried that boondocking in Colorado. The darn thing turned on & off all night long but I never saw anything. Maybe it worked but I couldn't sleep & didn't put it out anymore. 🙈 Another good place to put it is behind your steps. Handy if you leave during the day & return after dark but failed to turn on courtesy lights. The key is to remember it when you leave. We only have two now. Oops.

This key chain ready Olight 3EOS is hands down one of the best little lights I have ever owned. It’s extremely bright and is an excellent lamp unto your path. We have several.

The short answer to your first question is no, your inverter will not supplement shore power with battery power. As to your second question, the answer is that there’s no distinction between power coming from your solar panels and power coming from your batteries. It’s all part of the same pool of electrons. Think of the 12 volt system like water, with the batteries being a big bucket, and solar and charger power being faucets that you can turn on to fill it. If you want a glass of water you could dip it into the bucket or you could hold it under one of the faucets or do both - it’s all water.

If you're moving around all ski season, I can see why the airskirt might be an attractive product. I doubt anything else would set up as quickly. Unfortunately, it's so new that I haven't been able to find a single review for it anywhere. Just a couple press releases, a fb page, and a few questions on the airstream forum, with no users there, either. Not even a YouTube from one of the rv shows they've participated in. I did notice slightly lower pricing on their fb page on a few kits. But, the wheel wedges are yet another $300+. Ouch.

Hi SeaDawg, if I were going to name my Ollie, it would probably be "Powder Hound". I love skiing, especially in the deepest powder I can find. 🙂 For the past 3 seasons, I've been driving my truck (from NC) to CO, UT, WY, etc., and bouncing around for 3-4 weeks at various ski resorts. I love having the mobility and flexibility to pack up quickly and go wherever the best conditions are. I have gotten so many more quality days in the past 3 years doing this than I had in the past flying in for a week and hoping it snowed where I was staying. Anyway, I can't live in my truck so I use expensive hotels and my dream is to try and do this in the Ollie. I specifically picked the Oliver because I feel it's the best true 4 season TT in the industry. Conditions in the Rockies in the winter can vary from sunny and 40 degrees to storming and below zero - not to mention high altitudes where propane and other things also don't work as well if at all. The more prepared I am for cold, windy conditions for days at a time, the higher my chances are of not having to pack up and leave. My ultimate winter camping trip would be to get to a ski resort and set up camp in nice, 30 degree sunny weather just before the big storm. I would need to hunker down and ride out the storm. These storms often include huge wind, thus I am thinking about the skirts as something that would help in those situations. I would dig out after the storm and have several epic days of powder skiing. I'd find out where the next storm was going to be and go do it again. This is truly possible: https://rvacrossamerica.net/winter-rv-camping-ski-resorts/ The plan was to have most of this year to get to know the Ollie and prepare a bit for the much more difficult winter camping adventures, but having to wait 6 months for the Ollie put a damper on that. The pandemic also may force me to try it this winter as a rookie. I've PM'd with DonnaDuane, who has experience skiing with the Oliver and offered some very good tips. They have not considered a skirt where they ski (Cascades), but said that if in the Rockies at higher altitudes they would. It's rare to see a camper without skirts in a ski camp area. I can't find any data/proof that they actually work, but common sense dictates that they most likely help and certainly don't hurt. I don't want to be the only travel trailer to have to pack up and leave for some reason - that would be embarrassing. If I decide to try skirting, I would want something that doesn't take up much space, is lightweight/portable, doesn't require drilling and is fast to set up and take down. The air tubes seem to meet these criteria but I'm still researching. I don't think they look cool (I'm laughing at the hovercraft vision 🤣) but I'm glad someone does! By the way, my expectations of pulling this off this winter are low - but if I don't it won't be because I didn't try. Here's a great video about challenges RVs, TTs and MH's have in the Rocky Mt. winters: I think the weakest link in the Oliver is going to be the refrigerator. Unless the model has changed, I don't think a heat kit can be added to the one we have in the Oliver. I will prepare to live without a fridge on my first ski trips, but that will be one of the first things I "upgrade" (there are models that supports heat kits, etc. - very similar to the low temp lithium batteries Oliver chose) I'm going to at least practice and test around here on some cold nights. 90% of the time my wife and I will be leaving winter gear behind and camping in tropical sunshine and fair weather and loving every minute of it!

I don't see anything out there yet as far as reviews, etc., as I think they may be too new. I suspect they would work as well as any other skirt if it fits - I was interested due to it's simplicity and portability (cost aside). Skirts can be made for free using snow if one so desires, but I'm willing to pay for something if it's innovative and works. So skirts.... no I don't plan to live full time or camp through and arctic winter in my Oliver. But... I want to insure that if I'm on a winter camping trip and it gets pretty cold (Rocky mountain cold) for a few weeks or even a few days in a row, I won't have to pack up and leave because my plumbing may freeze. I actually prefer to chase storms in the winter as opposed to run from them. I'd love to hear from other owners about this if they have cold weather experience in their Ollies. There really isn't a ton of information to go on in this forum as far as owners sharing cold weather camping experiences, but I've read the few posts I could find and there are definitely comments and common problem areas in and around the basement and/or plumbing called out. Everyone has tried various things to move warm air around better from the living area to the basement, etc. I'd rather use skirts if they would accomplish the same or make the best in the industry even better? In the end, it's $$ for skirts or $ + time for electric heaters and fans and heat tape and insulation, etc. Have any owners tried or run some tests in the cold and found skirts to be a waste of money on an Oliver? If not, I'll be running some tests with makeshift skirts and a bunch of temperature sensors at home before I splurge on anything. If it saves money (less propane/elec in the Winter and Summer), headaches and potential damage, then it pays for itself pretty fast.

This is a little late but I want to comment on Steve's extensive tool box and what he said about helping others. While camping with Steve and Tali last October I mentioned that I had bought some extra coat hooks from Oliver but had not installed them because I was uncertain about the thickness of the wall. Next thing I know here comes Steve with drill and tool kits. Ten minutes later my hooks were ready to use and they are quite handy. Friends of mine poke fun because I carry a ready pack full of emergency supplies at all times. Yeah I am a prepper...not doomsday though. While hiking near the Blue Ridge Parkway last August we came across a downed man suffering from a Diabetic episode with no help anywhere. I carry Cliff bars and after a few bites he was good to go...and so grateful. Scouts motto...be prepared. It may be someone else who needs help.

We also have a 2020 Silverado 2500HD and sometimes experience the same indicator readout BUT it’s not consistent. Sometimes the readout shows no problem, recognizes the Ollie, etc., and other times the readout indicates a problem. So far, the signals, trailer brakes, Ollie recognition, etc, work fine, regardless of the readout.