Spike

Welcome to the club! I too like the fabric. Our floor is similar (gray), and the fiber-granite is the same. We also chose the black/grey exterior. What good taste!

Thanks, Matt!

Thanks, Mike. I know that you are familiar with the winters here in SE AZ. Good to know that you think we'll be ok with just heating the interior when we expect some freezing. I can remember only one or two days--from living around here for about 30 years (where does the time go?)--of the temperature staying below 32 degrees during the day. We will, however, be relying on the gas furnace, I think, to keep it warm; as of now, we don't have a way to hook Ollie up to shore power. Since we took possession of our Ollie in June and live in this area, we haven't yet checked the efficiency of that furnace. We'll be taking a trip soon, when we may get a chance to see if it actually functions. I appreciate your input--always.

I am glad to learn this, as we haven't covered ours yet (we took it home this past June) and are happy how the solar takes care of everything, excepting the AC. At 5,000 feet in SE Arizona, we get intense sun but not unbearable heat. I like parking it on our property. I visit inside everyday to adjust the lights (keep the interior courtesy lights on at night) and the fan (I've been keeping it up high during the day to ventilate). I am happy to read that keeping it waxed can let the gelcoat hold up well in the sun. We might consider other options later, but are satisfied with just using the wheel covers for now.

Thank you, Matt and John, for this helpful video. I hope that someone can answer this question. We are the proud owners of a 2017 Elite II and live in SE Arizona where we don't experience many hard freezes. I have read posts from other Oliver owners that suggest that one can keep the water from freezing in the trailer's plumbing by keeping the interior warm (someone suggested setting the thermostat at 40 degrees) and opening some of the hatches (under the twin beds and/or dinette seats, for example) when expecting a freeze. This is, so far, what we are planning to do, but I am hoping to get confirmation that doing so will suffice to protect all the plumbing. I would like to know whether you can confirm that this process is sufficient. I would also appreciate receiving any additional suggestions for protecting our Ollie’s plumbing. Thank you. --Jeff

Thanks, Bill. Clearance certainly looks good. I am going ahead with mounting mine in the location shown in the photos of my previous post. I'm hoping that I don't have any clearance issues with left-hand turns. I'll take Ollie out for spin soon and see . . .

Since John asks, I will chime in with my 2 cents: Yes, questionnaires seem appropriate. However, I would be much more inclined to fill one out if it were online. Perhaps something like an online "suggestion box" would also be appropriate. In addition, as I mentioned before, it might be wise of OTT to have someone like an ombudsperson monitoring these forums and reporting issues to the decision makers. (ANYONE OUT THERE? If so, have you taken notice of these comments on communication issues? If so, can you let us know?)

I think that John Davies brings up important issues regarding Oliver communication channels. I also empathize with Mike and Carol's concern about things getting too "sophisticated." I have communicated solely by phone since we took possession of our Ollie this past June. I have spoken to Anita, Heather, Jason, Richie, and Scott Oliver. All have been helpful, courteous, and friendly. (I too appreciate the "lovely" Tennessee accent, by the way, and haven't found it an impediment to communication.) Overall, I like the personal interaction, especially with those whom I have met in person. It does, nonetheless, seem to me that John is correct: As the company grows, it needs to grow in the way that it interacts with its customers. I would just hate to lose the "personal touch" in my interactions with company folks. The company, at least, needs to incorporate, as John puts it, "e-commerce standard features like email notification, receipt, and tracking information." Dave is exactly right that "the good will of Oliver’s customers is worth more than most anything else." I hope that one or more faithful company representatives are monitoring this conversation and will be able to convey our concerns to company decision makers. Right now, it seems to me, we all retain that good will--along with our appreciation of and pride in the products we have purchased. There must be a way for Oliver Travel Trailers to improve communication efficiency and still retain their helpful, courteous, and friendly (and personal) interactions with their customers. Thanks, John Davies, for initiating this discussion. --Jeff

Liz and I (Jeff) may be a bit obsessive, but we have four lightweight clipboards with these checklists for setting up and breaking up camp with our Ollie. Liz starts in the inside while I start in on the outside. As MS Word documents, they can be modified to suit. We have found that, without actually checking things off, we can easily forget something--and forgetting some things can be very bad. (Note: References to "Stan" on the checklists are to our Toyota Tundra tow vehicle.) Breaking-Up-Camp-Checklist-OUTSIDE.docx Breaking-Up-Camp-Checklist-INSIDE.docx Setting-Up-Camp-Checklist-INSIDE.docx Setting-Up-Camp-Checklist-OUTSIDE.docx

Hardrock, I wasn't thinking about the internal electronics when I was thinking of covering the top of the Sway Master. You report that you extended the tongue and used the open holes to mount the Sway Master. How does one go about extending the tongue? Does the extension affect the way the trailer tows in any way? Do the "open holes" just coincidentally match up perfectly with the holes for the screws in the Sway Master? Thanks to everyone for your input thus far. I really appreciate it. I will also take the advice of contacting the Hayes company, perhaps sharing my photos with them.

We stayed at the Commodore Hotel in nearby Linden. (We were coming from the west--Arizona.) They welcomed us with our large Pyrenees-mix, Hank. The historic hotel was interesting but not cheap. Address: 114 East Main Street, 120 East Main Street, Linden, TN 37096 Phone: (931) 589-3224

I’d like to get, if possible, some input from some of the folks on this forum who, I know, are much handier and more technically knowledgeable than I am. After some research, deliberation, and input from some Ollie owners, I ordered this Sway Master from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hayes-81775-Master-Electronic-Control/dp/B01GT91SY2/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1506379779&sr=8-3&keywords=sway+master Bill (rideandfly) generously gave me some very helpful photos and information about how he installed his Sway Master. He installed his on the (aluminum?) tongue to avoid messing with the fiberglass covering the A-frame. I am considering mounting mine on the A-frame, as shown in the photos here. I have no problem with mounting it on the outside of the fiberglass if 1) I will not damage the fiberglass more than putting two holes in the top and two on the side for the screws needed to secure the Sway Master, and 2) if the unit will not get smacked by my Tundra’s bumper during a left-hand turn. There is a gap, about 1.5 inches wide, between the fiberglass and the A-frame beam, as can be seen by one of the photos. I am thinking of filling this space with some material (hardwood? aluminum?) before I screw the unit with four screws into the outside of the A-frame cover. Here are the issues I can think of asking for advice on before the installation: 1. What kind of filler material that I could easily obtain from my local hardware store would be best? 2. Four screws came with the unit, but I suspect that there is a type of screw that would be best to help avoid damaging or discoloring the fiberglass. What type of screw should I ask for at the hardware store? 3. The top of the unit, where it would attach to the top of the fiberglass cover (see photo), would accumulate some moisture. I wonder if this would be a problem and, if so, would it be a good idea to fill it with some material or cover the unit when I am attaching it with some thin piece of metal or other material? (Should I just cover the screw heads with some kind of sealant?) Any input on these or other issues on installing my Sway Master that may occur to any of you would be appreciated.

We also decided upon the Progressive: Progressive Industries SSP30X 120V/30A Smart Surge Protector. Ordered it from Amazon after reading several customer reviews, some that compare it to the other brand.

Here are three products that I have ordered from Amazon that, among other things, help protect the plug and its connection: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XYJVQ91/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AL8VD2/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N48H8NB/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Welcome! I am curious about your decision to tow your RV with an RV. What led to that decision, and what arrangements have you made for your camping set ups, etc?

We too thought we wanted an SUV to accommodate more people, dogs, and cargo. We thought we would trade in our Toyota 4Runner for a Sequoia. (Loyal Toyota owners here.) However, we decided on the less expensive and perhaps better towing capacity option of a Toyota Tundra extended cab and purchased a camper shell to cover the bed of the truck. We are happy with the result.

We too are glad we have the WiFi and cell-phone boosters. They work. We are also glad to have the rear-view camera. All three are good investments.

About the Laurel and Hardy reference: We named our Tundra, with which we tow our Oliver II, "Stan."

Congratulations! I know how you feel. Our Ollie was ready before we could make the trip (Liz had to finish out the school year teaching), and it was hard to know it was sitting there waiting for us. The wait, however, was worth it. Even though Ollie is just outside our front door, I often just have to go out there, open it up, and visit (using the excuse to check on things). It is a bit embarrassing being in love with an inanimate object. Itching for our next trip, to California this time.

Just thought that I would share our way of keeping our trailer tires off of the ground and from developing flat spots when storing our Oliver Legacy Elite II at home. We use these Anderson levelers on both sides. They keep the tires off of the ground and on a rounded surface. When we travel, we only take one set. They are great for leveling. You need only to put them under the tires and roll up onto them until you are level side by side. At home, we roll the trailer up on them on both sides and use the electronic stabilizes to relieve just a little weight from the tires. (Not shown, of course, are the tire covers put on after rolling onto the Anderson levelers.)

I like the sound of "An Alliance of Ollies."

Bill, can you share more information about what brand and model of sway control device you use when towing with your Tundra? Thanks, --Jeff

Thanks for the clarification, Bill. I appreciate your input and am still considering adding the Anderson, for I totally agree with your view that "Virtually anything that I can do to make towing a bit safer for me, my family, and for others on the road is worth strong consideration."

The only downside to owning an Ollie I have experienced since we towed ours home from Hohenwald to SE Arizona this past June is the embarrassment I sometimes feel in falling in love with an inanimate object. After we decided on the Oliver, which was after conducting considerable research on travel trailers, we asked a lot of questions on this forum, and greatly benefitted from the answers we received. Ask away . . . --Jeff (Spike)

I am with John E Davies on this one: We too decided on the Nature's Head composting toilet and have no regrets.