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They would sell really well here in CT because people here already drive like they have no windshield!

Ah, yes, the Oliver Motorhome. They never sold well, possibly due to the lack of a windshield. You don't see them very often.

This modification improves electric valve control by adding a rotary switch to select the four different valve line-ups: Normal, Freshwater Drain, Boondocking, and Winterization. I was really inspired by JD1923 and C&M Currie who replaced their quarter-turn valves with electric valves so they didn’t have to lift the bed mattress to change valve positions. This is a fairly extensive modification because the heater vents had to be removed for access to the valves, the new electric valves had to be installed, a recessed enclosure was needed to protect the switch, and number of new wires had to be run Four of the original quarter-turn valves were replaced with two 3-way electric ball valves in the orientation shown in the photo. I used 3/4” valves with 1/2” adapters and SharkTooth PEX fittings for better flow. A little heat helped to slightly bend the PEX pipe into position, and the valves were clamped down with 1” electrical PVC clamps. A 1/2” electric ball valve was used for the freshwater tank drain. There was limited room to work in this area so it helped to pull out the PEX drain pipe where it penetrates the floor. The switch was mounted on the forward facing wall of the outdoor garage where it’s more convenient to conduct the valve operations. To keep it out of harms way, I made a recessed mounting plate out of 1/8” hobby plywood and moulding stock as shown on the drawing. The plywood can be cut with a razor knife if needed. The following legend helps explain how the rotary switch is configured. It shows the original five quarter-turn valves and the replacement motor operated valves. It also shows the four switch positions as they correlate to the valve line-ups, and the wire terminals used per the wiring diagram. Original Oliver Valves 1 2 3 4 Drain New Valve Identification Switch Position Switch Terminals Valve Line-up A (3-way valve) B (3-way valve) Drain 0 None Normal* Open Closed Closed Open Closed 1 1-2 3-4** Freshwater Drain Open Closed Closed Open Open 2 5-6** 7-8*** Boondocking Closed Open Open Closed Closed 3 9-10 11-12** Winterizing Closed Open Closed Open Closed * Valves in the de-energized position ** Terminals used for optional LED indicators *** Terminal-8 is Jumpered to Terminal-10 The rotary switch needs jumper wires that can be pre-wired on the bench using ring terminals. This will keep them in place while connecting the field wiring using the included forked terminals. The valves use very little current so the +12Vdc can be picked from any convenient power source and protected with a 5 amp fuse, I used a nearby breaker. An internal capacitor powers the valves back to the “Normal “ position when de-energized (Position-0.) Five wires were encased in 3/8” split sheathing and routed under the floor to the valves. This included three power wires for the valves, one ground wire daisy-chained to each valve, and one spare wire for an optional pump LED that I’ll cover in a different post. I also added an optional 1/8” plywood label board with LEDs to indicate which valve line-up is selected. I printed out a switch label, had it laminated, and glued it on piece of 1/8” plywood with holes drilled for the LED’s. This was a fun project and just as I finished, I had a big surprise! 😃 Another Oliver owner, Taylor.Coyote, just happened to drive by. 😃 It was great to meet Chris and I look forward to meeting again. Cheers! Geoff Shopping list: 2 - U.S. Solid 3/4” 3-Way Motorized Ball Valve #USS-MSV10004-G 1- U.S. Solid 1/2” Motorized Ball Valve #USS-MSV00007 4 - 3/4” NPT male - 1/2” PEX fittings 2 - 3/4” NPT male - 1/2” NPT adapters Four position, 12 terminal (6 contact) rotary switch Taiss #LW26-32 0-3/3 3/8” split wire sheathing Misc. PEX fittings Optional PEX crimp cutting tool Optional PEX crimping tool Optional - Amazon 12 Volt 5mm LED Lights with mounting bases

Neighbors next door to us recently put their house up for sale and the Agent obviously used AI to spruce up their recently flooded home and property for the MLS pics. I guess the AI never saw an Oliver before.. 😂

2020 F250 w/ 6.7 diesel. Towed around 60K miles so far and averaging just shy of 16 mpg while towing all around the US and Canada (Alaska, Maine, PEI, etc.... Another benefit is you get a much larger tank on the diesel (over 400 miles between fill-ups) and can utilize the fuel discount program "Open Roads" to save on every gallon of diesel. In addition you get to use the much nicer and larger commercial truck lanes when filling up. Only complaint my wife has had is that the fill rate on these commercial lanes is much faster and she hardly has time to utilize the facilities (bathroom) before I am ready to go 😀.

I have what rich.dev showed above and has worked great. Otherwise zip ties as Mike and Carole suggested. Twisting chains to adjust length is not recommended and can dramatically reduce their strength. Best to cut them to the required length with no twist! Dave

Get one of these John https://a.co/d/iYv5OWt

Mine is zip tied to the tongue so it doesn’t hang down.

Roadside Spring Failure: If I were in your shoes, I would make sure I had a jack and three each 2" X 6" X 11 inch blocks of wood. Elevate the broken spring and slip the lumber between it and the frame. Lower and maybe use a couple of band clamps or at least stout zip ties to secure. Then travel carefully to a recommended shop. At least one owner just drove there carefully. That could be risky to your fiberglass wheel well area. Hence my insurance blocks suggestion. Local Garage: It is an easy job with the right tools. But not one that you would want to do on the side of the road or at a rest stop. To your question, YES, a local garage will have floor jacks, hydraulic jack, jack stands, dead fall hammer and other tools to make it just a simple spring change. It took me a couple of days working alone. What to Buy: You will need four springs. Be sure to also order out BRASS shackle bushings and "U" bolts with the springs. For other owners with older trailers like our 2018 OE2, when doing the springs I also changed out the EZ Flex. Two Reminders: Your suspension has bolts that have splines on the shank on the bolt head end. Make sure that these bolts are "backed-up" (as in fixed in place with a wrench) on the head end, and only then loosened from the nut end. If you turn the bolt head you'll spin off the splines. That has resulted in several owners experiencing the suspension bolts actually walking their bolts nuts off. This is especially imperative for the EZ Center Bolt. Also, the Wet Bolts (Ones with a Zerk on them), have two grease discharge holes near the bolt's shank center. This is where the zerked grease comes out of the bolt to lubricate the suspension. These two holes are recommended to be at 9AM and 3PM. This allows for easier greasing. Be sure to back up these zerked bolt heads when tightening as mentioned above. GJ

Quick update.... All the numbers previously posted were my best guesstimates. I went to the dump to get a quick weight on the truck after the cap and slide were added and found that they were pretty damn good guesstimates. A Cap (6.5' bed) and slide added about 450 pounds to the overall weight. We took off some weight by removing storage boxes and changing out the running boards. Total payload is about 1500 lbs with full fuel. After me, wife, dog, and tongue weight we have about 500 lbs for gear. All in all still pretty happy with the performance. We'll have a short trip south after the Holidaze so we can see how she handles all in. Scotty

Being so close to the black tank maybe it runs on methane.

My Dexter leafs on the rear were flat towards the rear of the trailer. I ordered the Alcan springs. I had problems with Alcan’s shackles. The first set they sent me the holes were oversized and the knurls on the bolts just slid in. The second set were the right size, but they bent shackles when they punched the hole. The end of the bolts after being pressed in were about .230 out of alignment which makes assembly impossible. The Dexter shackles and bolts are .005 inch or less for alignment making assembly easy. Alcan said they would let me know when they figured out how to produce shackles that would work and that was on Oct 15th. I’m still waiting. I put the original Dexter shackles back on and set hummi back on the ground. The bottom of the second leaf to the ez-flex measures around .040 inch universally. Way too close to take her for a spin. I've gotten busy with a small remodel job on a wall into the kitchen. I need to get it done for the new fridge to fit. Once I get the stove and fridge set up, I will shift back to the shackles, if Alcan has not came up with a solution, I will buy the metal and make my own, I have a buddy with a vertical mill. If / when Alcan replies back to me I will update you. The 2000# Dexter leafs are starting to look a reasonable solution. I’m sure I will be happy when I get this back on the road. glad I haven’t retired yet I’d be a little pissed to not have the trailer available for a couple of months.

This is most likely a good part of your problem. Raise the front of your trailer a few degrees. This makes the water in the gray tank run toward the rear of the trailer and the air bubble in the tank to move forward toward the front of the trailer. This is where your gray tank vent pipe is attached and it will facilitate easier entry of the water plus exit of the air.

The Barker jacks typically used by Oliver are rated at 3,000 lbs., specifically model VIP-3000.

My husband likes the 460 on the sailboat. One set of connections. One battery to worry about. Me, I'd like a pair of 300s. One goes south, I have a spare. I'm old school. I like a spare.

I route my cable over the whale tail of the Andersen. This keeps it far from the ground

I always wondered if he ever figured out that weight and tension on that cable would inevitability pull that "simply caulked-in wall" down. I suppose that Updated Placard says it all. Just so everyone understands, the dividing wall between the coach and the bathroom/closet area in the Elite II is basically just held up with caulking around the edges.

Same here

Looks like a motorhome from the Woody Allen movie, “Sleeper”…

And they don’t ever see you!

My wife Jane (Hospice nurse) and I (former Bosch employee) retired earlier this year and after a cross country trip to California from home base in Chicago by car, decided we needed to investigate trailers. We had followed Oliver for a year or two, and looked at fiberglass truck bed campers prior to purchasing this Elite2. Very happy with our decision - but making many rookie mistakes as we weren’t camper prior. So far, only correctable mistakes and a few serious close calls! We head to Hohenwald tomorrow for a factory tour. Currently enjoying Green River Lake State Park in Campbellsville, KY ( beautiful park)! hope to meet you all in our coming travels! Rich and Jane Walker

Completely autonomous driving. Probably safer than most Class A'ers.

@Tideline77 Shortly after taking delivery of our 2020 LE2 we had a local shop install 10 mil XPEL PPF (paint protection film) on both front corners of our Oliver. I also had the LP storage area, and a strip run down under the quarter panels. It’s not a matter of if you will get stone chips on your pretty gel coat, from road rash and missiles, but when. With well over 25k on our Oliver I can say it was really worth the install, and has really protected the gel coat especially the front corners. It’s not cheap, but neither is repairing chipped gelcoat and getting it to match. https://www.xpel.com/

Less is more, IMO. Go on a couple short local trips. Make notes of things you wish you had. Things you have you and didn’t use remove when you get home. Bothers me to buy gadgets that don’t get used. Recent trip to Texas, realized we needed a fly-swatter (not necessary in AZ). Stopped by Walmart and spent $1.49 plus tax. All you need to get started are your basic bathroom and kitchen needs. Also with merely a half ton truck and rather small engine, weight really matters, unless you’re not ever traveling in the mountains! 🤣 I would keep your Oliver under 6400 lbs. We do so and we have a 3/4 ton TV. Understand your truck GVWR and stay well under. Again, less is more!

Oh boy, another one bites the dust! Those little notched pins for the freezer door hinge broke off on ours too, and now the door won’t stay closed or seal. I searched the net for new parts and nobody had the left spring holder assembly. But while searching, this post popped up and I found out Im not alone! Apparently Norcold is out of business and these parts are no longer available. So short of replacing the whole fridge, I figured out a way to repair them. I cut out pieces from 1” x 1/16” brass bar to “sister” onto the broken spring holder assemblies. Holes were drilled for a 3/16” brass pin and 1/16” rivets. I filed notch’s on the brass rod to match the original pins and soldered them into place with plumbers flux and solder. I trimmed the excess, and filed it flat. The new brass piece was riveted onto the hinge with 1/16” diameter x 1/4” flat head brass rivets. Fortunately I had all the brass and rivets in my stash, but most hardware stores carry this stuff. It was a little tricky to install the hinges with enough spring preload, probably because the repaired hinges were stiffer and wider than the originals. Here’s what worked for me: Put the repaired right spring holder assembly in it’s final position on the fridge wall. Remove the right door mount clip from the door. Install the left spring holder assembly onto the door mount clip so it has spring pre-load. Mount left side door with spring holder/clip assembly onto fridge while maintaining spring pre-load. While holding door in place, use left door clip to wind some pre-load and screw it on the door. Hope this saves someone a new fridge! Cheers, Geoff

I think you can probably eliminate the pedestal surge protector, you should already have a hard-wired EMS (Electrical Management System) in your Ollie. Since your TV is a half ton PU, my advice is to carefully consider what you plan to put in the bed because it’s pretty easy to exceed your max payload capacity. I feel your pain on that hitch lock!

We love Lost Dutchman. Took this last winter. Paula

That front wheel drive must be awesome though. 🤪

Many of you know this spot! Just down for the weekend!

So, I spoke to Jason Essary about this particular model. It is called the Elite X. Below is an image of the cockpit...yes, cockpit: He also included a view of some of the luxurious cabin amenities: I mean, check out that state of the art dialysis machine. Or maybe it is an ultrasound. It even comes stocked with pets. Here is a picture of Rodney Lomax checking them out before delivery. Disclaimer: Jason and Rodney have not been consulted regarding this travesty of a comment.

A very easy swap is to just use the PR4 Dexters. They are 2400 pound rated. Perfect fit replacement for the PR4B the lighter 1750 rated ones.

I hang my cable in the Sea Biscuit “Moose Rack”. It keeps it at the right height while under way. So far so good.

I find if I twist mine it makes it more taut and doesn't hang so low. Same for chains. I've always worried low hanging chains and brake cable could create a spark and possibly fire in dry conditions.

We will probably swing by Imperial Dam for a month or so before coming back to Dome Rock for the rally in February, then Magnolia Beach before we start the trek back north to Nova Scotia along the east coast. But that’s the beauty of being a retire with time on your hands, take it day by day!😊

Live in the west and in mountains 6.7l f350 gets 12.7 mpg and on east coast flats 13.8 mpg. Overall 80k is 13.5 mpg towing EII.

We really like our “Open Roads” card for all the reasons you mentioned and more. On our last 48 day trip out west we occasionally saved 65-70 cents per gallon on diesel. @QuestionMark you are totally on point about being able to safely fill up in the larger diesel commercial truck lanes, we are really spoiled. One of the other nice benefits of the O/R app is forecasting along your planned route and knowing where you can use it. Huge fans here of Open Roads! 👍🏻 🇺🇸🇺🇸 @Dave and Kimberly should you purchase a diesel beast here is the link to Open Roads. https://myopenroads.com/

If you are worried about MPG, get a gasser. Prior to 2005, when diesel cost less than gas, you would pay the 10k upfront on a diesel and recover it on fuel economy overtime. That has not been the case in 20 years. A diesel will cost you more due to fuel cost, filters, additional maintenance cost, etc. The only reason to get a diesel is if you need the towing capacity. That is not the case with an Oliver. I have a 2006 F250 with the 6.0 that I bought new...have about 250k on it... and get 14-15 mpg when towing in flat areas. My next truck is going to be the new GM gasser 3/4 ton with the allison tranny. I would not buy a new diesel for an Oliver.

When doing a modification to install an outdoor valve control switch (Electric valve control… with a twist,) I realized that an outdoor pump switch would also be nice when doing valve operations. Not only that, but the pump switch is handy for the outside shower too! To understand this modification, it helps to know about 3-way and 4-way switches. The two existing pump switches are common “3-way” switches like you would find in a hallway to turn the light on from either end. To add a third switch to the circuit, then you need a “4-way” switch, but they are less common and not readily available in RV style switches. Fortunately though, the more common Double Pole Double Throw (DPDT) - On/On switch can be modified to make a 4-way switch just by adding two jumpers. This modification requires removal of the cubby/shelve under the bathroom vanity, and it’s a good opportunity to do the “Bathroom Vanity Cubby Modification“ by Frank C, it makes access to this area a whole lot easier. With the cubby removed, locate and cut the two grey wires going to the bathroom pump switch, these are the “travelers” that go to the main pump switch. Splice four new wires to the cut grey wires and route them under the dinette to the new switch. I used a rubber booted DPDT switch and mounted it in the outdoor storage area on the front facing wall. It snap-fits into a 3/4” hole. The new wires were protected by split sheathing. I also added an optional LED indication light for the new 4-Way switch, which is powered from the pump’s +12v whenever the pump is energized. Amazon LEDs are ridiculously inexpensive and easily mounted in a 3/16” hole. I hope someone finds this useful. Cheers! Geoff Shopping list: DPDT On/On switch No KDH3BNA1BBB (From Digi-Key company) 3/8” split wire sheath Optional 12 Volt 5mm LED Light with LED bezel Holder

Spent the day in Apache Junction with friends. The friends included the man who hired me at Motorola in 1989! Got back to camp and noticed another Oliver! Spent the evening with Gary (Hull #1200) from Colorado. A great ending of our weekend trip. Back home to Prescott tomorrow. Thinking of a short stop in Scottsdale for pickleball and lunch.

I second this suggestion. I installed the Truck System Technologies TST 507 TPMS on our Ollie and our previous TT. Wouldn’t consider towing a trailer without this important safety equipment. Now on clearance for $149 at TechnoRV!

My 2 cents: We've done fine with just the Norcold 3-way trailer fridge. It holds more than we expected. Harbor Freight has inexpensive multimeters. We have the Progressive Industries 30 amp surge protector. It's an outlet tester, too. https://a.co/d/7r1GfAS We have the Fort Knox hitch lock. A bit cheaper. https://a.co/d/2mTY5Z7 Trash can that hangs on pantry door: https://a.co/d/c1gUm5B Agree on Magma pots, TPMS, and rubber chocks. Especially TPMS! I'm too tall for a shower floor cover. We have a small mat that fits the shower floor. During the day it keeps dirt, etc. off the shower floor. In the morning, it becomes the bath mat. The are other products reviewed on our blog. Have fun shopping.

That's good news. Long showers (defining long as over a few gallons/minutes) will fill the grey tank quickly. And, it will "think" it's full even before it is, if out of level. Keep us posted, as you continue your travels. The seelevel gages also are notorious for reporting incorrect values, if out of level . When we travel, we work strictly from the tank. When fresh water is pretty empty, grey is likely pretty full.

Cut them down to the correct length if they hang too much but also make sure you cross them at least once, so if the trailer hitch comes off the ball, it drops onto the chain crossing.

That's what came on ours in March 2023.

Great addition, John. Now, grab a can of Krylon semi-gloss black spray paint and give that hitch a shot. All will look new again. Bill

Nice mod and great write up! Thanks! Mike

Your list is pretty good. Although you might want to make sure you will use each item enough to warrant storing and taking them. Space is a consideration Here are a couple of additional things that I always take: - Small plastric storage bins for inside the pantry (take some measurements and look on Amazon) so your items stay in place while traveling - Since you have a F150, Anderson No-Sway Hitch - Anderson Levelers - 3 Anderson jack blocks (to reduce the length of travel for the electric jacks) - Camco Waste Tank (so you do not need to break camp to empty a waste tank) - Some replacemnt fuses (check the sizes that you have in your trailer) - Small electric Dehumidifer - Tire changing iron to loosen the wheel nuts in case of a flat - A second 30 amp power cord (and adapter to connect both cords) for time when one cord can not make the distance to a CG power pedistal. - Two water hoses to connect to a distance water source. - TPMS system to monitor tire pressure and temperature while in transit. - Trailer wheel chocks for use while disconnected from the truck. - Maybe a RV GPS. The Garmin RV 890 is great. You can program your trip, find gas, find CG's and it will keep you off roads that have height restrictions. - Lubricant to pour down the waste and gray tanks to lubricate the tank valves Welsome to the forum. Happy travels

Mike, I knew you would recognize the picture without introduction (rustic campsite 131).