ScubaRx

Really, the ultimate cool is to just get an Oliver Tractor to be your tow vehicle. It won't be as fast as a Chevrolet, but it'll get you up any hill anywhere. Kinda tough in wet, cold weather though. That's when I just ride in the trailer.

Sherry is correct here and this is important to remember folks. Covering even one cell on a panel with a shadow will reduce the panel's output to 50%. Keeping them clean is just as important. By the time we got home from Winnipeg this summer, our panels were covered with red dirt. They were hardly putting out anything. I had to get up there and wash them off in Quartzsite.

There is only the valve in the floor of the trailer that needs to be opened to drain the fresh water tank. Raising the nose will definitely help.

Well, to reply to the OP, over the past 10 years we’ve traveled from coast to coast in our Oliver’s. We’ve visited 41 of the 50 National Parks in the lower 48 and over 200 National Park units with never a reservation and have never failed get a spot. To me, making a reservation is tantamount to being told what to do and when to do it. I love the freedom to be able to say “we’ll stay a night” and then find that we love it and stay a week. I just don’t want or need that much structure in my life.

During our build I had an interior switch placed for the electric aspect of the water heater. The switch controls 12VDC power to a relay which controls 120VAC power to the heater. An LED illuminates to tell me the system is in the mode to provide power to the electric element and reminds me if I have left the system activated. Sure does make it easier than fiddling with a breaker or having go outside to turn it off or on.

I’ve swapped the tires and wheels on the last three vehicles we’ve had, always going smaller than what was delivered. Our Silverado 2500HD now has the 18” wheels from a friend’s 3500HD and he has my original 20’s. A young guy who is employed in his family’s 60+ year old tire store, thinks the 20” wheels and lower profile tires look cool ?. I like the 18’s better because you can get a higher load range tire in that size, it now perfectly match’s my stock spare, you can get that size tire anywhere (try getting a 20” or 22” tire at Walmart on a Sunday) and they’re less expensive. He’s happy and I’m happy. I think your plan to swap out your tires and wheels is a good plan and I agree that doing it sooner rather than later is the best advice.

You can have the same effect by simply turning the ceiling fan on while the furnace is running. It will literally suck the warm air into the bathroom.

Nan, don’t let the naysayers scare you away from your dream of owning an Oliver. There are many thousands of solo travelers out there right this minute happily pulling their trailers all over the Western Hemisphere. Most of them are women. Many of them of a certain age. I know quite a few of them and, to a person, they do not want to stop traveling. You can do this. We all had to learn to back up. Some folks are better than others, but it’s not gender specific. You don’t need someone to scout the road ahead on foot unless you plan to go down it. And, you could do it yourself if that is your plan. Remember this, most of us here will give you all the help and support needed for you to happily and successfully own an Oliver Travel Trailer. Most of the places you go will have a good Samaritin that will do the same. Get out there and “live the dream.”

I own both trucks. The Silverado 2500 HD diesel is our tow vehicle. The Canyon SLT with the “baby” Duramax is our daily driver around town. Would it pull the trailer? Of course it would. Would I consider using it on a 10K mile cross country trip or to go to Alaska? No way. You don’t NEED a dually to pull an Elite II. But it’s what you have. It would do a fine job with never a worry about weight. If you want to get another truck go to a SRW 2500. You will have the same capabilities without wearing out two extra tires.

Back to the OP’s original question, when traveling we “collect” National Parks. We are up to over 200 of the 400+ National Park units. We have been to 41 of the 59 National Park’s. This summer we will go to Alaska and see the ones there.

I plan to do our valves while we’re at Quartzsite. I will be happy to assist anyone here that wants theirs done.

Back at Quartzsite

I used plain WD-40 years ago. Recently, I’ve used spray silicone (WD-40 branded) but I plan to use this soon. Just take a rag and spray it liberally. Hold it around the cable as you insert it into the housing. Keep the rag wet with the lubricant as you push it back in. You’ll need help at the end to get it lined up and inserted back into the valve slide. Make sure the cable is pushed up snug and the valve is completely seated. Tighten the set screw and you’re done.

It’s doubtful that there’s any kinks in your cable. It there were, I don’t think you could have ever moved it. It only need lubricating. Disconnect the valve, pull the cable completely from the sheath, lube as it goes back in. You will never be able to properly lubricate the entire length without removing it and it’s a four handed effort. I’ve done it several times over the past ten years of ownership. It will be better than new. This is not an Oliver quality control issue. I doubt they are lubed very well when shipped.

Be aware that OEM tire pressure sensors are NOT available on the 3500HD Silverado.

We’ve used front hitches on all our tow vehicles since 2007 for all the same reasons as everyone else. One saved our bacon down a narrow road in West Virginia.

I agree with everything everyone said about the 3/4 ton diesels. We’ve gone through several different tow vehicles and our Silverado 2500HD outperforms them all. You don’t need the one ton truck. The engine, drivetrain, suspension and frame are exactly alike on both the 3/4 ton and the 1 ton trucks. The only difference is an extra rear floating spring leaf to increase your bed capacity for 5th wheel or gooseneck towing. Otherwise the weight ratings are the same for both trucks until you add the dual rear tires. Diesel fuel costs more than gasoline but we’re somewhat making up for it in increased mileage. Get the 3/4 ton diesel and fergetaboutit.

These will work much better because the sheets are really only too wide and these will pull it taut. We’ve use them quite nicely for years without resorting to expensive custom made sheets.

I can’t think of an alternative.

Try this, Mike. If that’s not suitable, google 7 wire trailer wiring.

If you are adverse to drilling holes then this is your solution. It’s better that 90 mph duct tape. For installation of the bubble levelers, nothing would be better. They won’t come off till you want them off.

http://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/8175/the-mighty-265000-earthcruiser-4x4-is-a-preppers-fantasy-machine https://www.caravancampingsales.com.au/editorial/details/unimog-earthcruiser-tops-780000-111445/ Sorry, my info came from these two sites. I’ve never researched them as there is virtually no place in America that needs their capability to get to and I’m not planning a trip to Australia

Mike, you’re fine. The neutral to ground bonding is happening in the house.

Based on less than 500 units sold in the past ten years, if Oliver were using marine appliances costing more money than the industry standards, how many thousands more would the units have cost and how many fewer people would have been willing to plunk down even more money than they did in the first place? No one will ever know. I’ve owned two Oliver Travel Trailers over that period of time. I understand that there are those that have had, and maybe we’ve been fortunate, but we’ve never had an appliance issue with either one. At about $265K for the Earth Cruser (you could spend from $580K to $720K and get one of the really nice ones) I’m willing to bet not a single Oliver owner was willing to buy one - better appliances not withstanding. I’m happy with what we have, but if I had a another million or so in savings I’d get an Earth Cruser as a tow vehicle.

The wire chase between the top and the bottom is in the rear on the street side. I pulled a tape thru there right after Hull # 050 came off the line. I leave a length of weed-eater cord permanently there to facilitate any future wire pulls.