Leaderboard
Popular Content
Showing content with the highest reputation on 12/07/2024 in all areas
-
Having a grand old time reading all the posts. No need for controversy. Not even seeking advice... although I always appreciate the comments and alternate views from the brain trust. This was just one strategy for keeping the pipes from freezing in some very particular circumstances. I thought to share it in case someone was in similar circumstances and would benefit. I do have one observation for everyone that read this post and took a look at the picture I attached. NOT ONE OF YOU! ... Not one... Not even me and I took the picture... Noticed what was lurking outside the window of the trailer. Look again! Scotty4 points
-
4 points
-
I’ve have tried to extend our “season” to thanksgiving by not winterizing and running the Truma for heat. I quickly found that my anxiety was more expensive than the time and materials it took to winterize. The other issue is the weather and temps you will encounter when you pull out for your late Dec trip.3 points
-
The "new" Jason has got some big shoes to fill, but, the "old" Jason will still be around with the Service area still reporting under him (i.e. the "new Jason" will report to the "old" Jason). Obviously, the "old" Jason also has some pretty big shoes to fill in replacing Rodney. But, even Rodney (in his new job) will still be around in order to answer questions that the "old" Jason might have. I'll second @Shawna and Scott in wishing all those involved congratulations and the best of luck. Bill2 points
-
The sales department never closed. Phil Andrews left over a year ago to take a job at Pella Windows. Jason Lindsey left because a different job opportunity arose. Anita has been there since late 2014 or early 2015. There is nobody still working there that was present when the first run of trailers were produced (2007-2009) nor during the earliest of the second run (2014 and 2015).2 points
-
Ok, good to know. I just remember Rodney saying at the rally that the sales dept was closed and that Phil Andrews and Jason Lindsey were no longer with the company. But I think Anita has been there a long time. 👍 Things have changed a lot, obviously.2 points
-
As it has been all this year, the process of buying a trailer at this point in time is, shall we say...fluid. That is, it seems like it's always subject to changing. As I currently understand it, if you live in a state that has a dealer and you seek to buy a trailer, you will be directed to that dealer. If your resident state does not have a dealer, you have the option of going to a dealer of your choice, or you can contact Hohenwald and buy it there. None of Oliver's sales staff has been "let go". A few weeks ago, I was at the factory and I believe I 'overheard' they were looking to hire a new sales person. There has been some positional movements within the middle management staff and a new Service Manager is now in place, another Jason, last name Ballentine.2 points
-
This will only be our second winter owning the Oliver in Indiana. Temps here can be all over the map through the winter season. For that reason I thought it would be a fun experiment to install several sensors throughout the camper to have a running data log of seasonal temps in key areas. I also like the idea of being ready to camp year round, even if locally, if the weather is going to be decent say on holidays. I have winterized both winters at this point, but also leave a heater running in the camper set at around 50 degrees. Our camper sits in the driveway under the Calmark cover, and even when we have experienced temps in single digits and occasionally below zero, the basement spaces have always maintained above freezing with the access covers open. It’s nice if I decide to driveway camp in a snow storm just for the thrill of it, and go out to a relatively warm camper. Turn on the furnace and everything is toasty in 10 minutes. If/when we get the garage modified to make room for the camper inside, I would be very confident in doing as @ScottyGS has described without doing a full winterization. After all. If the power goes off at home in the winter, the house would be as big a concern as the camper, and we have contingencies for that in place. BTW, I’m using the Yolink brand of sensors with WiFi hub, and an older IPhone that stays permanently in the Oliver as a hot spot for monitoring. It adds only thirty dollars per month to our phone plan and has proven very reliable for this system. Anyway, my long winded $.02 of saying I like the way @ScottyGS is thinking. Edit: For anyone interested this is the system we’re using. It’s very effective for the price, and you can add as many sensors as you like. I have seven sensors including the cabin, basements, battery compartment, front under sink, refrigerator and outside under the propane cover. You can export the data every two months if you want to keep a permanent record. https://a.co/d/fjmAmBD2 points
-
2 points
-
That's what many in the Asheville area sadly said before Helene roared through killing over 100 people. 😢2 points
-
Hey John, Thanks for the comments. Yes.. I did forget some hatches.. will remedy that on colder nights. And, yes 100% of the time is a big ask. But, I monitor things pretty closely and adjust accordingly. The garage even though it's not heated usually stays above freezing. Last night it was right at that number but only for an hour or two. Can't run the heater because it's indoors. And hopefully the power stays on but if not I will have to haul the trailer out and fire up the furnace.... then make a fire in the wood stove to keep the house warm. If I am away I would winterize, and may wind up doing just that when we get back from our trip in mid January. This seemed like the best alternative for short periods and is serving me pretty well. At least it seem to be manageable so far. Thanks for the suggestions.. no matter how well we think we plan.. there is always something. At least the garage is in my back yard so easy to get to if something unplanned for happens. Scotty2 points
-
I'm keeping a video diary of my travels in the Oliver. This first episode is my trip to Hohenwald to pickup the Oliver and the first few days camping in it.1 point
-
We have a large unheated garage that we store our trailer in. We are in the WNC mountains about 2200 feet asl. It can get cold here in the winter and we have had a week of night time temps ranging from 13 to 35 degrees. Previously I have winterized and that was fine. But.. we are planning a late December into January trip so I did not winterize. So, here is my strategy for your consideration if you find yourself in similar circumstances. Outside temps dropped to 13 degrees by morning. The garage temps are usually 15-20 degrees warmer. A Sensor Push was placed close to the pipes that go to the outside faucet. All hatches were open and a Delonghi oil filled heater, set to 50 degrees was placed in the camper. See photos. In the morning this was the result. Outside Air Temp = 13 degrees. Inside Garage Temp = 33 degrees. Inside camper = 55 degrees. In the hatch where the outside faucets are = about 42 degrees. So, I am thinking this is a pretty good plan going forward and may not winterize again ... Unless I have to be away from home. If the trailer was stored outside and the inside temp was still holding 42 degrees vs. 13 outside... hmmm... don't know if that would work. It's going to be about the same temp tonight so I've already set the heater temp up. BTW... the Sensor Push is pretty awesome. Provides a lot of comfort knowing what happened temp wise inside the trailer. Happy Camping, Scotty1 point
-
Congrats on all the promotions and welcome to the new folks!! Look forward to meeting everyone. I did meet the "new" Jason (lol) when we had some work completed recently at the mothership.1 point
-
I heard recently from Jason Essary : "Just an FYI, Rodney is transitioning over to a new position within the Oliver companies and I will be taking on his role here. \He has already started training in his new position and will be here in a limited capacity the rest of this year."1 point
-
1 point
-
Many of us RoF's would love a separate (new) thread about this and other systems for monitoring temperature in and around our OTT's. GJ1 point
-
@shhQuiet Steve, Again, not accurate info. Oliver did not let there sales staff go. Oliver still has a sales staff that can and do sell directly from Hohenwald to buyers that do not have a dealership in their state. Anita and Josh are sales reps for Oliver and are still selling Olivers at the Mothership. This info was provided to me by one of the sales staff at Oliver. Cheers! Patriot🇺🇸1 point
-
Just turn your Delonghi heater up to 70F the night before you're leaving. It's NOT like you're leaving from the Yukon or the Twin Cities! Am I the only forum member here that is giving @ScottyGS confidence in his extremely thoughtful plan? (Yes) You guys with your pink stuff, I've never have used it and never will. Lately most of you have found your winterizing is signaling your CO Monitor! 🤣 Really? You can do better. Big Pharma, Big Food, Big Chemical, Big Gov, we don't use ANY of it, although we are stuck with the last one! Hopefully much of that is corrected soon! Scotty, God Bless you and your family and Merry Christmas. Let us know later that all was fine. Have a great trip!1 point
-
In June a couple of years ago I was heading to Medford OR. Stopped at a huge parking area and decided it was a perfect place to spend the night. it was 74 degrees. Set up the BBQ and grilled some burgers. Hit the sack around 9:30 and slept like a log. Until I woke up at 3:00 and Ollie was 40 degrees inside. Turned on the heater and looked out in the morning to 4" of snow and 24 degrees. Sure was glad I had not gone off down a logging road to boondock Getting back up to the snow machine parking lot would have been dicey. Point is, sometimes we get curve balls tossed into our chili pot!1 point
-
Ahhh, interesting! I stand corrected 🙂 I'm sure they are selling at the same price as the dealer so as not to undercut them. Unfortunately, you can't edit a video once it is posted to youtube, but I will include a comment in a future video that you can still order direct from Oliver (assuming there's not a dealer in your state). So they let their sales staff go and now they are still selling direct... 🤔1 point
-
Please GJ, what you wrote here is not at all related to the premise of the question! No place for fear and weather stats going back 40 years! 🤣 The premise as stated is for the next 3 weeks, while monitoring temp sensors, which have showed a low of 42F to date, is he good ? My answer is yes, YES, he’s is good! No Ice Age happening’ in the next 3 weeks and if temps get too cold, all @ScottyGS has to do is set the space heater temp up a few degrees! NP.1 point
-
Separate topic, but I also use Sensor Push to monitor temps in my Oliver, for both heat and cold, and I've also used their Gateway in other uses so I can monitor remotely. I'm working on a system now for the Oliver w/ a Hotspot so I can do the same. Great product, been using for years.1 point
-
We just returned from CGI detailing in Murfreesboro. I was amazed by how fantastic our Oliver looked after their detailing and ceramic coat application. The trailer is absolutely stunning. The guys were fantastic, did great work and were fun to talk to on drop off and pickup. We would strongly recommend them for their excellent work. Our trailer is only 18 months old and the improvement in its shine is awesome.1 point
-
Looks good to me @ScottyGS! I just used my compressed air method since we had a full 2 months, no travel plans 'til Feb 1. When it's just a few weeks, I have often set the Oliver furnace (and other RVs) to about the same 50F, leaving beds and basement doors alone. We keep our 30# LP tanks full at all times. Here we only get below zero for a few hours near dawn so very little LP is actually used. I also have a Ruuvi sensor right below the water lines in the rear basement. The Delonghi is a rather safe heater. Your plan looks very good to me. 😂1 point
-
We just took home a 2024 Nissan Titan XD pickup as a new tow vehicle for Hull # 145. I thought it might be of interest to the community the reasoning that led me to this decision. Our old TV was a 2016 Ford F-150 with 110,000 miles. This was a good TV for most of our trips, but as our half ton owners know.. you have to be very careful about payload. Short trips were no problem but longer trips that require more gear... we were limited. So... I figured a ¾ ton was in our best interest and started our research. I was looking at the 2500 Duramax (Diesel) from GM. Chevy or GMC didn't really matter and I really thought that would be the answer. But... It's a BIG TRUCK! I didn't mind, but it was too much for Donna to climb into. And, if I am honest with myself... great for towing but not so great for regular driving. So I started looking at half ton Chevy 1500's. The Baby Diesel just didn't have enough payload. When I started looking at V8's I actually found one that had an 1800 lbs. Payload. Yep you read that right... but it also had 22” wheels. That really wasn't going to work unless I put in a shock kit that makes the thing dance and some weird color lights to accent the under carriage. Then, I became aware of the Titan XD from watching a you tube video. So, I turned my microscope in it's direction. Here are the main reasons for choosing this Tow Vehicle. Reliability - The 5.6 Liter V8 has been around for a while and while not the best mpg wise... it doesn't rely on a turbo for power, or have other gas saving features like Direct Fuel Management, which shuts off cylinders when the computer decides you don't really need them. Just a powerful V8. If I wanted a V6 or V4, I would have bought one. Plus DFM can cause problems when you hit the 50k mark. Comfort & Ride - 18” wheels give the truck a much nicer ride than a ¾ or full ton pickup. This is very important for Donna. She is recovering from back surgery and I need to keep her comfortable. All in all the ride is as good or better than our old F150. Payload & Toughness – This was the kicker. Payload on our Pro4X is 1,840 lbs. That lets us put a topper on and still have almost 500 lbs for stuff after accounting for tongue weight and the two of us and the dog. If we max out the payload we still have about 9k left before hitting the GCVWR. If we ever put that much stuff in the Oliver we are going to need a LOT more than the ALCAN leaf springs to keep the trailer from falling apart. The XD has a lot stronger frame and suspension. I would say somewhere between a half ton and a ¾ ton. Just enough oomph for when we have our LE2 hooked up but still manageable when we don't. Why we feel Lucky! - When I found out about the Titan XD, I also found out that 2024 is the last year they are going to make them. So, I knew I had to act quickly. The other good news is that dealers are offering pretty decent discounts on them. So, if you are like us and in the market for a new TV you might want to look at the Titan XD. Act fast because when they are gone... they are gone. And, final note. You WILL need the Anderson WDH with this truck. On page 24, the towing guide says a Weight Distributing System is “strongly recommended” for trailers over 5,000 lbs. But on page 22 in the notes..... it clearly states that weight distributing systems are “required” for trailers over 5,000 lbs. Nice of Nissan to add a little bit of confusion to the WDH discussion. We could confidently state that the guide only recommends... but the plaintiffs lawyer in court will have some expert read aloud from page 22 that it is “required”. So, I guess I will continue using it. All for now. Please let me know what questions you have and I will do my best to answer. Scotty1 point
-
I always wash/wax my vehicles and also my trailer. Then, I GOT OLD. Since hitting the 70’s my stamina isn’t what it used to be. I can still wash/wax my trailer, but what the CGI team did is a different level. 4 guys, multiple buffers, scaffolding, ladders, thorough wash, buff and then buff some more, ceramic coat, buff, ceramic coat again, buff, measure shine with some kind of shine measuring thing. It would have taken me a week to do that, then two weeks to recover! Mike1 point
-
1 point
-
For sure on both accounts! For an hour of my RoF time, and about $7 dollars of RV antifreeze, I can easily do the full monte winterize. At what someone is willing to pay for my time, say $2 an hour or one of Art's fantastic home brew's (Priceless), it would only take two hours of anxiety caused sleep loss to amortize my time and materials rate. But for me, and many of those reading this, our anxiety is worth less than five minutes of time to cover the cost. Especially if we pull in to our boondock heaven, and CINC - House is stepping into the bathroom for a hot shower for happy time to follow. But she discovers our tanks are empty due to a frozen pipe the night before thawing. Now that alone is enough to make a man weep. 😢 So JD go right ahead and gamble you are right every time. But for me, "I just don't feel that lucky". LOL~ GJ0 points
-
Here are a few stark pictures! The before and WIP. Somebody gotta do it! Love the posts about pretty Olivers, ceramic coating, blah-blah-blah, sorry that is not our reality... 🤣 I recently drilled a 1 1/8" hole in a fiberglass board in the attic to install an outlet. I used this plug to fill in the obscene hole left by the useless front camera. I came up with another 9/16" plug for the Wi-Fi Booster that also has little value today. The front hole in the picture has a dark spot. So I rubbed a little white paint there with my finger, so that in a later picture it will be less apparent. It's a lot of work doing this, just one day at a time. It's not perfect, but not bad. My brake jobs, and other repairs, are perfect, yet not such artistic endeavors. If/when we hire a professional to restore gelcoat it would be the time to prep a better finish. Not bad for an old-school engineer/mechanic and good enough for now!0 points
-
Recent Achievements