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Paul and I have done a lot of work on both the Oliver and the boat this winter. We looked at the calendar, and realized we're just a few (6?) weeks out from the beginning of our usual camping season. We still have to install new ac, sort camping gear, get fogged windows repaired. Wash , clean, and wax the trailer. Time is getting short. At least, at the rate we work these days. Are you ready? What's on your list? Oh, and we are soooo ready to pull the trailer out of the sideyard.

A big thank you to Topgun2 aka Bill for his recommendation/suggestion on this modification👍🏻👍🏻. The install is fairly easy. The holder is metal and is fairly stout and can be purchased on Amazon. I happen to have some left over pieces of 8mil paint protection in my shop so I installed 4X4” pieces just below the holder to eliminate any keys scratching the gelcoat. We will likely only hang our keys or fobs there while camped and not while under way. A few photos of the product and the install. Thanks again Bill now our key fobs finally have a home. Not that I have ever forgotten where I put my keys. 🙄😂 I added the 3m tape as it comes with a long flat magnet. I centered it, leveled it and mounted where I felt it would function best- Then installed the 8mil XPEL paint protection to keep the gelcoat protected. Added a small strip foam of drawer foam in the shelf- a great place for a small flashlight. Amazon -

I am in the process of replacing the tires on my 2015 Oliver Elite II, it came with BF Goodrich Commercial T/A All Season 2 tires, these have provided excellent service and still look like new. But since Oliver TT has switch over to Cooper Tires, I have been checking out Cooper at various tire dealerships. I just ran across this Cooper recall including the Cooper Discoverer that is current installed on many Oliver TT. Here is the site with the recall information: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/cooper-tire-recalls-400k-light-truck-tires/ar-BB1e3jKm If you have Cooper tires in the date range recall, you should have them checked out.

The GL is equipped with the Factory Tow Package that includes the Receive on the frame and the Wiring (pre wired under the dash) to install the Brake Controller, which I installed a few weeks ago. Additionally, I've found that the initial Height set-up of the Andersen Hitch ball to be at the recommended 23 1/2 inches without the Air Suspension increased or the Rear Tire Pressure increased either. I expect the Height to increase to around 25 inches when the Air Suspension and Tire Pressure are set to Specification for Towing!

Yep - that is the reason I've got two bath mats Bill

We always forget the opposite. We forget to open it when we set up at a campground, then we use the bathroom sink and suddenly realize our feet are standing in a puddle.

Ouch! Sorry to hear about the jack accident. We all have, or will, make a mistake like that at some point. Glad you were able to get it repaired. I have a very lengthy printed checklist of things to do before departing a campsite, but every so often I get over-confident and think “oh, I can skip the printed checklist and do it from memory”. And when I do that I almost always forget at least one critical item.

Rookie mistake and learning opportunity that hate to admit!!! The first time we dumped our tanks the gray tank reading was reading 15%. I was not too surprised having read this forum. So we jacked up the front of the trailer using the front jack. This got our reading to 0. We put away all of the hoses, removed my rubber gloves did a very quick, not very thorough walk around and got in the truck to leave. We even commented how smooth the whole process went!! The truck started forward and I heard terrible scrapping and grinding sound. Of course there were campers now behind us to use the dump station. I got out of the truck and we quickly realized I forgot to lower the Jack. We got some advice from other campers but the bottom line was the jack shaft was bent beyond repair. We ended up cutting the shaft off with a saw. My wife contacted the Jack manufacturer directly and they express shipped a new Jack to our next campground. Fortunately, I didn't damage the frame or fiberglass. The Jack arrived 2 days later. Removing the old jack and installing the new one was pretty straight forward. But the whole thing was embarrassing and a PIA. The trailer had to remain hooked up to the truck was installed so this did cost us some time site seeing in Savannah. The good news is I have the motor from the original Jack that has almost no use!!! I have a spare if needed.. So lesson learned!!!! I share this along with the embarrassment in hope this helps someone else avoid the same mistake. We were in a rural area and mobile techs get very slow and not in a hurry to help us out. Good idea to bring tools if you don't! Now if at a dump station I will live with a 15% full tank for travel and after unhooking at a full service site raise the trailer when we are unhooked!!!!! Dump away!!!!

I ordered 18’ and probably used about 17’.

I believe he's suggesting that since you don't tow with a diesel (as many of us do) you don't technically have a dog in this race.

I have a 2020 RAM 1500 EcoDiesel. I contacted BEM at the number on Patriot's invoice, and was told that BEM sells their locking fuel and DEF caps through Genosgarage.com. I just placed an online order for a locking fuel cap and locking DEF cap at Genosgarage.com. I called Genos to ask about keys, and was told that the keys are the same for both the fuel and DEF caps, with each cap coming with two keys. The fuel cap was $59.95, and DEF cap was $49.00, before tax and shipping. Both products are currently backordered, with expected delivery in early April.

Patriot, if that's where you're making your martinis, I hope you don't mind if I skip your cocktail party at the next rally. 🤢

I prefer shaken ice cubes in my tank...not stirred!! 🤣

Long install post- I decided it was a gorgeous sunny North Carolina day and just a good day to install the new tinted glass and blind I ordered from Zarcor. I made this a stand alone post as this window install was a bit different from other installs I have read about here. It appears the Lippert now uses a sealant on the exterior window frame which adheres the frame to the door frame opening. They also use a similar sealant on the interior of the exterior frame, which holds the glass FIRMLY in place inside the window. I could not remove the old opaque glass from the old frame. I decided since this really appears to be a one time use sealant that purchasing a new exterior frame would be required. Reusing the old frame and compromised sealant was not an option for me. You will see where the sealant on the old frame came off after removal from the Ollie window door cut out or frame. Some of the old sealant came off on the old opaque window. I was glad I had purchased a new frame through Zarcor to do the install. The new frame was $28 plus shipping. Once I removed the old frame and opaque glass, the install was pretty straightforward. The new window frames use what appears to be a ratchet mechanism which once both frames are sealed together they lock into place. No more rope caulk or screws to tighten down when you sandwich the new window interior and exterior frames together. Zarcor sends (16) little plastic tabs (pics) that release the frames from each other. Without these tabs you cannot remove the frames. Below are a few photos to help describe the process. It’s not terribly difficult; just take your time and read the instructions. We are really happy with this mod and like the idea of seeing who is knock knock knocking on our Ollie’s door. $175.00 for this mod including shipping from Zarcor. The staff at Zarcor made this mod seamless by answering all questions I had before moving forward. Just really great folks to do business with in San Antonio,Texas. This is a fairly easy window mod and I would highly recommend it if you prefer being able to see who is knocking at your door. Take your time and remember be gentle as your working with plastic and glass. link - https://www.zarcor.com/rv_products/rv-door-window-kit/ (16) tabs provided by Zarcor to remove existing frame. You insert equally around slots on the exterior of the interior frame edge. You will see the slots. Ratchet mechanism that holds frames together. Likely to speed up window/door plant assembly production cut costs. After removing the interior frame, a thin bladed puddy knife can be used to separate seal. Old frame and compromised sealant - Another photo of old exterior frame after removal- Throughly clean off old sealant off door frame- Installed new frame, and tinted glass, my bride was a tremendous help with an extra set of hands 🙌 👍🏻. The blind install was again pretty straight forward and it works great! It attaches with several small Velcro tabs. The blind can be operated with the interior screen door closed, just slide screen door plastic opening for access. Finished exterior - we like the way this tinted window matches the rest of our glass. The contrast of the tint vs natural light -

I hate to say it, living in Southern California, our camping season lasts 365 days a year. October - Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA November - Alabama Hills outside of Lone Pine, CA January - Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, AZ February - Zion National Park, UT March - Will be Organ Pipe again Don't hate the Camper, hate the weather! Wishing you all the most wonder and safe camping season ever! Andrew

We are so ready to go. All the camping gear is already sorted. It’ll be a few weeks yet till we hit the road though. The trailer was washed and waxed before being put under cover for winter, so all we need to do is to de-winterize and get everything loaded up. First destination will be Hohenwald for the annual 12 month checkup and maintenance on the Ollie and then hitting the road after that. This is pretty much the sad way it’s looked for most of the winter.

I agree with topgun2 comments. I think that the omni-directional antenna comes with a signal booster located in the attic (upper cabinet at the back of the trailer). I have a push button on the cable plate. At my home, I got zero channels with the booster switch off. Once I turned on the booster the signal improved so that I got 6 or 7 channels.

Performance? - certainly it is better than the standard antenna and I believe that it is much better than the old "bat-wing" antennas that I used prior to getting my Oliver. Is it worth it? - Obviously that depends on how much broadcast TV you plan to watch which is (somewhat) a function on where you plan to camp. Relative to the overall cost of the Oliver it is not that expensive, you don't have to raise and/or lower it, you don't have to turn it to find signal and it functions as your antenna for the radio too (weather band, FM and AM). But, if you plan to not watch TV much and mostly boondock then and/or don't plan to travel long distances where you might be interested in seeing the local weather/news then virtually any antenna is too expensive. Bill

Yeah . . . . . done that too!

In respect to crowds at the dump station, it sometimes pays to check out early and avoid the line.

You're not the first. Won't likely be the last. But really kind of you to make others aware. I think it's also important to not feel "hurried" at the dump station, just because there is a line. We wait our turns. Those behind us will wait theirs.

Bill: I have obtain price quotes from Discount Tire for the BF Goodrich which is owned by Michelin and also the Cooper Tires. I was also informed by Discount Tire that Goodyear had purchased Cooper Tires. I will probably just purchase the BF Goodrich tires, they have provided such outstanding service for a little over five years on our trailer.

Thanks, Susan. A different model of Discoverer (srx) and size. But, if you have any question at all, you can search your tire identification number on the website. Always better safe than sorry. https://recallinfo.ustires.org/

I don't think this affects any of the Oliver tires. I checked the Cooper site and the Discoverer tires being recalled are all 18"; Oliver's are 16" https://us.coopertire.com/CooperTireUSConsumer2017/media/Miscellaneous/Voluntary-Recall-172-Consumer-Letter-USA-(NHTSA-Approved-6-10-2019).pdf

Maverick, Been looking at Cooper tires at Discount Tire to replace the BFGs that came with Ollie, too. Here's the BFG replacement @ Discount Tire: https://www.discounttire.com/buy-tires/bfgoodrich-commercial-t-a-all-season-2/p/28036 Thanks,

Not so "newbie" of a question. Yes, there is a "standard" antenna. Its usefulness is subject to where you will be using your Oliver. Having said that - I believe that the standard antenna is not very good unless you are camped very near a transmission tower (i.e. a fairly large city). Bill

In case you haven't heard - Cooper Tire has been bought by Goodyear. I have not heard yet as to how Goodyear plans to operate or what they will do with specific tires in the Cooper line nor when the purchase will be finalized. Bill

Ditto on the steps down, and/or bathroom door not closed/latched mistakes.

FWIW - I don't use the blank tank - composter - and it has always read 10%. One does need to consider front to back elevation when dumping - sometimes I have had to use the front jack to achieve the needed incline - though I am only dumping dirty H2O. I have adopted the - walk around EVERY time I stop visual check - just to make sure I haven't done something stupid and it is ok to proceed. Leaving the steps down - is a repeat offense. Closing the bathroom door comes in second. We all make them - some more expensive than others. I am still looking for my tire monitor - the one I put away so I would not damage it or lose it while Ollie is in winter slumber!!!! RB

The three tank monitors are wired - connected - such that any one of them can cause an error code. In my case it was a loose connection on the black tank monitor -located in the port front access area- just behind the shower wall. If the connection is good at the black tank -You should also check at the grey tank and H2O locations - it may just be a semi bad connection that needs some love. You will need to use the hatch under the starboard side front under the "bed" cushions. The tanks are flat and a reach - but doable. I wiggled the connection - was not a visible indication - has worked fine ever since. The connection is a small wire that is soldered to what looks like a copper strip - running vertical on the tank - At least that is what my 2018 looks like. Good luck.

I am not sure if you are getting the Andersen hitch or not. We purchased the Andersen Hitch and we tow with a half ton Tundra. During our pick up and orientation Oliver adjusted the Andersen Hitch for the drop of our truck when the trailer tongue weight was added. I amnot sure if the still do this. They were super helpful as we also had some small corrosion issues with our 7 pin hook up. This was solved with some special "jelly" We are complete novices when it came to camping. We have made our share of mistakes, believe me!!! Good luck with your new Ollie!!!

SherMica, I am assuming this is the first time you have had this problem. I can only think of two things for you to check. - If you can get behind the SeeLevel monitor, try wiggling the wiring harness attached to the back of the monitor. - Check to see if your are storing anything that is metallic, that could be touching one of the senders attached to the tanks. The most likely place would be under the forward dinette seat. People often store items under that seat. The sender in attached to the side of the black tank, mounted under the toilet. If something metallic is touching the sender, it could show a short. Andrew

Here is an earlier thread. 2021 F150 John Davies Spokane WA

Until it breaks. 😉

Great pictures!

3M also makes a good marine fiberglass/gel coat restorer and protectant: https://www.amazon.com/3M-09005-Marine-Restorer-Wax/dp/B0000AY65X/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=2VJ0S4J967QA31EBVEA1 There are several formulations, depending on the degree of oxidation. We use this (for light oxidation) to restore and protect our fiberglass tub/shower. Works great for built up soap scum.

If using a water hose to the pump, be sure it is attached to an vacuum break (anti-syphon). I know of one seasonal, non sewer site, owner that thought they could by-pass the system. They ended up causing an algae bloom that shut down three sections of a campgrounds water system. Labor intensive, and costly, to correct. Don't be that guy!

This is our boondocking toaster . . . . Dixon, made in New Zealand . . . . . makes great toast.

2021 cabinet is different . . . . . only a light in the ceiling. The outlet in the overhead cabinet is not duplex, to prevent plugging in something else while microwave is running, which would probably trip the circuit.

Sometimes it’s better to just keep right on scrolling. 😉

I always consider the digital readout for the tank levels to be more of a suggestion than an absolute value. The gray and fresh water tanks are very long and flat, so any slight out-of-level with the trailer, front to back or side to side, will change the reading a lot, since the sensor is mounted in one corner of the tank. And the sensors are affected by water hardness, soap residue, toilet paper debris, and in the case of the black tank, other "nasty stuff" that can affect the sensor and cause it to read inaccurately. Follow the above recommendations of raising the tongue of the trailer a bit, empty the black tank first, then the gray. And it helps if you install a clear elbow or connector section on drain hose so you can see when the flow stops. I added these between each section of the drain hose. Camco Sewer Hose Adapter - Attaches to RV Outlet Connection , Extends connection for Easier Hookup- Transparent Adapter Allows You to View When Tank is Cleared - 3.5" (39562) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016V2JMBS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_NNAP7JSFTAYMD3C1KDVR?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Patriot Nice work. Great pics. I plan on doing the same mod. I don’t like the idea not being able to see out the door. As a safety reminder I’m sure most know this. At night and you need to look outside if you hear a noise or someone is at your door. Always turn on your outside lights on, and leave all interior lights off. Any one who is outside will not be able to see you inside due to the tinted windows, turning on interior lights you be seen plain as day.

Such an interesting question. Certainly many factors to consider. But perhaps the most important for me would be -WHY, and do you have the means to purchase, and the time to enjoy it.... My Ollie as a financial investment - Hah, NOT!! however, if you consider it an investment in our health and mental wellness - it does add to our living enjoyment, a decent investment indeed. I always get a kick out of price and design comparisons between SOB - AIRSTREAM and Oliver. One could spend a great deal of time and energy delving into the subject. I don't believe there is much to be compared. Each time I have attempted - it ends up that about the only similarities I find between the two major players at the top - they are both RV's and command prices well above industry norms. Otherwise they diverge from there. I am also on the fence if they even serve similar segments of the market. Course that is my opinion. Good day all

I just replaced my original tires with Cooper Discoverer HT3. I figured Oliver did the research on these, so why not? When Discount Tire installed them they inflated to 80 psi. I asked why and was told on trailers they inflate to max pressure but most folks air down later. I set mine at 60 in warm San Antonio weather. My TPMS is saying 53 psi in this cold weather here in Arkansas. When we picked up in 2016 our tires were set at 80 psi. The TV would flop down, window shades would fall off, MW unplugged, etc. went to 55 psi and all that stopped. That was with the original BF Goodrich tires. BTW, I like these new Coopers. More aggressive looking than the utilitarian looking BF Goodrich. Mike

Alternate viewpoint - If the delivered pressure is set to the max spec as a design requirement- fine - perhaps Oliver should cover this during delivery. Full disclosure would help alleviate the concerns of new Oliver owners - many often new to the RV trailer world. Tire pressures are clearly posted on the GVWR/Tire load ratings label pasted to the Outside of the Oliver shell. Perhaps - we as Owners- new or otherwise - have a responsibility to be better self -informed on our purchase The central point of my comment - was directed towards the roles of service as it pertains to Manufacturing roles and responsibilities. I have and will continue to point out where the two cross - in error - in the Oliver world. This forum - to its credit- is very open to the feedback of customers, past, current, and future. A reoccurring theme - and real-time in many instances- are customers with real concerns - some minor, some not, and some abhorrent. A brake system not complete and disconnected is a major miss where as tire pressure - within the design range- not so. An emergency brake disconnect cable - to short to accomplish the original design intent- knowingly delivered to the customer, is somewhere in the middle - it will work, but it was not correct. I fully realize - it is possible- an issue of concern, may not have been accurately portrayed here to the forum readers. Part and parcel of participation. As good as Oliver may be in "quality" clearly there is room for improvement. One could make a case that Oliver has "historically" experienced lapses in the production process, and relied upon Jason and crew to make the repair. Still, Oliver ranks well in the RV universe. We all hope they continue to earn the status. For my part - tire pressure is an objective design spec - that is subjectively applied to the situation at hand. I made no recommendation as to appropriate settings - only to the issue of responsibility. I would guess- an experienced guess - the supplier has their specs for delivery, Oliver may or may not verify, and the tires/wheels are installed, and the unit goes on its merry way. Does Oliver have a second level verification, not my concern. In any case - add the subject to the delivery process - and the new informed owner can tell the well meaning crusty 60 year young observer - perhaps 80 psi seems high, but its in the design range - I'll need to adjust as I get more acquainted with my new unit. A confident and informed Oliver owner is a satisfied Oliver owner. Off my soapbox - moderate away. 😉 Respectfully, A certified, well meaning, almost Old guy. Edit - I target 55psi in my EII- run tire pressure/temp monitors. And visually inspect tires/wheels/ chassis most every stop.

Very nice Steve, Congratulations!! I took delivery of my 6.7 Tremor back on Sept 1st and now have a whopping 4440 miles logged. So far we are very happy with the comfort level and highway visibility with the higher lifted Tremor pkg and how extremely quiet our cab interior is. I have since added an ARE Z topper, (5) custom Fuel wheels and (5) Nitto Ridge Grapplers and XPEL paint protection. I have found that the Nitto’s are a much quieter tire than the OE Duratracs. I did my first oil change the other day adding Schaeffer 5W40 full synthetic, yep 13 quarts. Extremely easy the way the oil pan and filter are configured. In the event you decide to do you own oil changes or just want to carry a spare fuel, air or oil filter, here -http://Dieselfiltersonline.com I have an account with Schaeffer oil and they ship a case to my door step within three days. Here is more info about the oil I use. https://www.schaefferoil.com/documents/244-9000-td.pdf Hope this helps! Enjoy that sharp new Super Duty!

Here's another of the very helpful PS articles

Yes, fwiw I recently rehabbed the long neglected white fiberglass top of a sixteen year old camper van with a buffer and two steps of buffing compound and then some paste wax, per pointers SeaDawg had given somewhere on the forum to Practical Sailor magazine, which has a fantastic set of articles on the topic including well done tests/reviews of various products for each step. I used it as an excuse to get another power tool 🙂 - I went with a pretty decent Shurhold dual action buffer rather than the awesomely powerful but perhaps hard for newbies to handle DeWalt - forsaking a little efficiency in favor of not burning my fiberglass. It will come in handy for the regular wax jobs required for the trailer too (presuming I stick with the paste wax which does seem to do a pretty great job). Here's one of the multiple PS articles I read to help guide me through this rewarding if time consuming task. There are businesses that do fiberglass work that will probably be up for doing this for you as well - often clustered around businesses catering to boaters but not always. The van top now looks great and more importantly is not a dirt magnet as it had become, and water beads up and runs off instead of just spreading out in a film on the formerly very chalky surface.

I don't believe that you can actually re-apply gel coat without sanding down to the fiberglass underneath and even then I think that there would be difficulties. There are a number of threads about this subject over on the Fiberglass RV Forums. Usually the preferred method is to polish the "chaulk" (sp) off and give it a good coat of wax. If, indeed the gelcoat is beyond repair then people resort to things similar to floor sealer after they have polished off the chalk. I'd first check with a good detail and/or boat shop before proceeding. Bill

I don't have an Ollie yet, but I've had my truck set up for working online remotely for years now. I recently upgraded some of my components and I'm very pleased with my results so far. Currently, I have the WeBoost Drive Reach cellular booster and I use an AT&T Nighthawk hotspot. The Nighthawk is positioned in the back of my truck very close to the WeBoost internal antenna so it can benefit from the boost. I have found that the Nighthawk is often great by itself and I only use the WeBoost when the cell signal is very weak. WeBoost actually hurts download speeds a bit but really helps upload speeds - so it's best to use when doing video conferences and things that require bigger upload speeds. If you are able to position your mifi near (I'm talking within feet) your cell booster antenna in the Ollie, I don't see why it wouldn't work well. Side note: I then use the WIFI network created by the Nighthawk for everything (iphones, ipad, wireless cameras...). With this setup I didn't order any of the electronics for our Ollie. My truck wifi hotspot should work great without modification (I'll just leave it in my truck) when we're in the Ollie as well. The wifi router also allows other cool things like using the wireless cameras as backup or dashmount while driving and security while camping (even when away from our setup the cameras will ping if there is some activity, etc.). I plan on checking for bears before I open the front door every morning. 😉