roguebooks

I had this problem and it was the pump. I replaced the pump and no more problems. Except one new one. After replacing the pump about three weeks ago I periodically checked the level in my fresh water tank which began at 19% and held steady until last week when it read 13%. That was a bit strange but OK. It then read 19% a few days later so I figured maybe the gauge was out of whack a bit. This morning I checked and it read 0%. I looked in the basement and all was dry. I have not noticed any water coming out of the bottom of the trailer except for A/C and fridge drips. We have remained hooked to "city water" throughout and only unhooked and re-hooked twice in three weeks traveling. I ran the pump this morning and there was no water to be had. The fresh water tank really was empty. I re-filled to 13%, the pump runs fine, and now we'll see what happens. I have no idea where the water could have gone unless the fresh water tank was siphoning back into the main plumbing. Very odd. Anybody have this problem?

Jason sent me a replacement pump. I decided to perform the job yesterday. How hard could it be? Videos and tutorials claim it is a thirty minute job. I always take more time when involved in my first mechanical foray. The unknown always provides a bit more anxiety than I am comfortable with, even when knowing I am capable of performing most repairs when it comes to owning a home. But this home is on wheels and less than a hundred square feet. Being confined to working within a tight space never thrills me. This job was no exception. But the new pump works, and so far there is no filling of the fresh water tank while hooked to city water connection. However, there were three points I discovered while replacing this pump: The four nuts and bolts used to fasten the pump to the makeshift metal plate need to be replaced with something like wing nuts so you can actually get to them with your fingers. Tools just don’t work too well with this poor design. Impossible to get the existing washer and nut back on and in one case one nut was lost. It took me another half hour to find a proper nut in the can that holds my spares. A most disagreeable introduction to a poor design. I was not aware that I would need instead of the typical wire nut tie a crimping style with tool to match. For the time being I installed the pump with the wire nuts I had and ordered from amazon what I need to complete the job properly. The flexible protective sheath of course would not fit over the wires due to what I did and that too will have to be done over. Replacement pumps cost about $70. The model Oliver sent me was a SHURFLO 4008-101-A65, 3.0 GPM RV Water Pump Revolution, 12V. According to Shurflo the exact same pump is also a 4008-101-E65 which is a brand new pump, whereas the A65 actually could be a used and rebuilt aftermarket. I bled enough for one day due to the sharp metal and less than admirable design. It seems the fabricators were more concerned with the initial installation instead of ease of operation if and when the pump might fail. And while speaking the other day to a man who has been living on a schooner for the last few years he informed me that this will not be the last water pump I replace. He also advised that everyday I will be working on something or other having to do with our new RV. It is the nature of the beast.

My wife and I live full-time in our Oliver Legacy Elite travel trailer. We are first-time trailer owners, but have a varied past tent camping and spending a great deal of time outdoors. Beginning in early 2018 we sold our Florida home and then this summer we dispensed with our cabin in northern Michigan. Our Oliver is now our only home. We chose this trailer because of visits to see first-hand the Oliver company and then its competition. We looked at other fiberglass trailers, Airstreams, and also whatever you call the higher end teardrops. The superior quality of the Oliver trailer stood out far above the rest. And so did the price. We both believed at this sales price the Oliver should be free of defects and all quality control issues handled at the plant during initial construction. But we discovered, again, that nothing is perfect when humans have a hand in making something. Oliver Travel Trailer Company has addressed the few problems we have had thus far. They have been accommodating and fair whether they personally make the repairs, send me the necessary equipment I need to do them myself, or reimburse us for expenses incurred in the process. Jason Essary has ALWAYS been available to answer a question, respond to a text message, or teach me something I need to know to better operate my equipment. There is a learning curve. One must be prepared to go through these sometimes disagreeable adventures. To read the posts of a few talented people on the forum who perform their highly detailed and complicated maintenance procedures or modifications is at the least daunting. It could be a bit overwhelming for those of us not so gifted with our hands. There is no way I will ever be doing the modifications these engineer-types perform. But I can learn the basics. I remember early on in this thread where the Lukens advised me that before my journey was over I would be everything I wasn’t in my forty-year career in the building trades. Our survival now depends on it. If I had to choose any travel trailer today my first choice would be Hull #309, the very one we eventually purchased. We love our Ollie and hope in the years to come it takes care of us as well as we take care of it.

No regrets. But being a first-time travel trailer owner was a bit overwhelming to say the least. I am of the opinion that you cannot study, read, and learn enough of everything about travel trailers before making the plunge. But there is not enough time to do it all the way. At some point you must pull the trigger and let the bird fly. The forum here has been extremely helpful and important to me. Oliver's service support (especially Jason Essary) has also been willing to handle any problem in a kind and fair manner. I was warned before purchasing a trailer that there will always be problems. That nothing is perfect. I have found that to be true. Oliver Travel Trailers factory is not exactly easy to get to or even a smart idea as a service center for probably most of us who own one. That makes learning how to do the maintenance and simple repairs even more important. I believe I can handle this. Because we sold our home in Florida and our cabin in northern Michigan, all I have to take care of now is this trailer. We built a garage/base camp in the panhandle of Florida and are heading there now. I look forward to washing the Ollie, waxing it, and learning how to do the basic maintenance required to keep things running smoothly. I also have to replace the water pump (I am not a plumber) due to a problem of my fresh water tank filling up when on city water connection. I opted to just replace the entire pump instead of fooling around with check valves, cleaning, flushing, and whatever else is necessary. I am hoping that afterwards I will be a water pump expert with pics to prove. We love our Oliver. It is our new cabin on wheels.

Thanks, but how do you flush everything out well?

@raspy, how do you "take it apart", the pump, to see what is in there?. Intermittently the pump runs so I do think the problem is in the check valve. If it is, it isn't just a mechanical issue requiring maintenance. It could have been prevented in construction and thus validates my earlier comment voicing my frustration with a new $60,000 RV. But nothing is perfect. I just need to learn. If I cannot fix it myself, or it flushes out by itself, then Oliver will need to send me a new pump. I was in the construction business all my working life. In all those years I never had a "punch list" because I personally made sure everything was done right before exiting the job. The person responsible for this job at Oliver is obviously not doing it well. Unfortunately, based on the problems presented in this forum, that is a fact. There should be absolutely NO pieces of plastic or fiberglass in our water lines. Ludicrous to think otherwise.

Update#3: Running completely off the fresh water tank for the next few weeks. I will update when I get hooked back up to city water connection. In the meantime, you fellas with these random bones of contention, please take your discussion elsewhere. This is a serious thread meant to help me and any others who might have the same problem sometime. You will run the good people off. I love my trailer, I love the Oliver company, and they have already proven to me that they stand behind their product. Nothing is perfect. I need to learn all I can about taking care of what I can. I appreciate any help I can get.

John E., The next time it happens I will attempt your exercise. Thank you. So far, so good. Though no plumber, I do think it has something to do with both the pump and valves. Setting two inches on a downward slope to nose may have commenced whatever caused the tank to overflow at a reading of 67%. Interesting to me that when leveled, and reading 100%, the ground stayed dry as a bone. I rely on you good folks of the forum to keep me going, and in extreme respects, in the long run, keep me alive.

Update #2: The fresh water tank never did overflow again before we packed up yesterday to leave the park. The tank gauge read 67% which was due most likely to the trailer not being level and nose pointing down probably at least two inches because I did not want to unhook for only one night. It is quite possible the not-level trailer contributed, or was the catalyst, for the overflow problem. Nonetheless, no more overflow happened after following Randy's suggestion on the outside shower. Upon arriving at our new campsite yesterday afternoon we leveled the trailer perfectly (unhooked as we are staying here three nights), hooked up to city water, and waited for the overflow. It has been twenty hours so far and still no overflow problem. Out of curiosity (instead of due diligence) I checked the gauge this morning and the fresh water tank read 100%. This tells me the system is working properly and the glitch is somewhere between the pump and the trailer not being level. If I can correct the overflow by simply turning off the hose, turning on the pump, running the shower off the fresh water tank, and then securely turning off the faucets before turning the city water back on, then I am okay with it. It just aggravates me to have to tear the bed up to get into the basement on a regular basis. I will continue to add updates, if needed, for anyone interested or who might have the same problem one day. For those who don't, or are not interested, my apologies. And please delete me.

Update: About two hours ago I ran the outdoor shower for a few seconds making sure the faucets were full out and then completely shut off before turning the faucets off again. I then turned the hose-connected faucet at the city water connection back on, went inside the Ollie and turned the pump off. I then ran some city water through the lines for a couple seconds. When I returned from both a nature hike with Bob the dog as well as a wonderful bike ride on the Hart-Montague Bike Trail, there was not yet any overflow from the fresh water tank. We shall see if this promising development maintains its good result. However, Bob and I are leaving here in a couple hours and heading to Montague, MI with the Ollie in tow. FYI: My wife Beverly is in California taking care of a grandson instead of getting into trouble with me in Michigan. Will advise.

I will have to text Jason and ask him if he checked the 12 volt pump's check valve. Hope it isn't that, but it very well could be.

Yes, we use the outside shower and I will check that today as we have had some problems with it shutting off and on. I recently purchased a replacement shower head but have not had to switch it out yet because I found with good water pressure the shower works fine. I believe the overflow is a slow fill like a bypass. And after doing my operation described in my initial post the fresh water level stays the same until I unhook, leave, and eventually hook back up again the next time I use a city water connection. As to your second suggestion, I may need a few more details to feel confident to perform that operation. I am no plumber, nor am I familiar with plumbing terminology. But I can learn. Thanks. I understand owning an RV requires maintenance. I also understand the industry (Oliver) is restricted by the junk available to install due to the mass production of cheaply built RV's. Nonetheless, it is disconcerting and frustrating at times to have to deal with crap, especially with a brand new, very expensive, trailer. My comments in no way reflect my feelings for the Oliver company. I love my Ollie, I just don't enjoy dealing with the garbage they have to sometimes use.

Does anyone here know how to correct the problem of the fresh water tank filling and overflowing while hooked to city water only? It happened early on last March after taking delivery of our Legacy Elite. While hooked up to the city water connection the fresh water tank overflow drain was in full bloom. I called Jason and he instructed me to enter into the basement through the street side rear cushions and turn every valve a quarter turn back and forth. He said they sometimes stick. I also drained a few gallons of water from the tank by opening the valve which is in the same location (a slow process to say the least). The operation worked but was not something I wanted to do on a continuing basis. It did work but it happened again in Apalachicola while recovering from my quadriceps tendon rupture. We live in this trailer full-time and this is simply a pain in the you know what. On our way up to the Oliver factory to have some fiberglass repairs made and a couple other warranty issues performed last June, it happened again. While in Hohenwald Jason looked at it. The service men tried everything and could not figure out why it was doing it. Has anyone else had this problem? Surely there is an easy answer to a simple plumbing issue. The reason I am asking for help now is it just happened again yesterday in northern Michigan. Seems every instance I hook to city water this problem is going to occur. This time I shut off the city water faucet and will resort to using my fresh water tank and pump for my water needs. But this problem must be fixed and it appears I will have to be the one who corrects it. Somebody please help me. Shouldn't have an issue like this with a $60,000 trailer.

Oliver has six trailers (all new) on their sales lot as of June 25. Four Elite II models and two Elites. No wait time at all.

Our Elite is in the shop there getting a fiberglass repair. Picking it up around noon. Hull 309

I would NOT use my Tacoma to pull an Elite II. Definitely go bigger. But I wanted a smaller truck and purchased the trailer to fit. Opposite of what most people are encouraged to do. But I am very happy with the small truck and small trailer. And, more importantly, so is my wife.

@ScubaRx, is there a particular caulking product you have found to be the best and also most conducive to the removal of your panel a "bunch of times"?

The good news is that somebody smarter than I am will surely get back to you quickly on here. This forum is a lifesaver.

Your fan set to "high" should never turn off no matter if the compressor is running or not. Could you try to reset the fan to "auto", cool, and 70 and see what happens. The manual says it takes the compressor two minutes to kick on after setting. It also says to cycle on and off once as well to set it. May not work but worth a try. Sorry for your trouble.

@RodgerS Welcome. For what it is worth I use a 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport 4x4 to tow my 2018 Oliver Elite (single axle) and it tows like a dream. My truck is tow-rated at 6,800 lbs whereas the truck you desire is only rated at 5,000 lbs which IMO is not enough for me to feel safe in. I added leather seats and my wife loves this truck and she is NOT a pickup-type girl. She also loves to drive the truck (though she does not tow) and she also loves the comfort and quality of the Toyota product when she is riding shotgun. There is at least one other forum member with the same trailer and TV configuration as mine and he loves his too!

Other than the Oliver-installed bike rack it is my understanding rear-mounted bike racks are not only unsafe for the bikes but create a possible hazard for vehicles traveling behind you. There are multiple posts here regarding bike racks. Through online research (google and youtube videos) I discovered that mounting a bike rack to the back of your tow vehicle is the safest way to go.

The worse part was the unknown. I have never been much of a plumber. I suppose you need to be a lot of things when you own an RV. DURA company was good after I proved I was legit. Jason tried to solve it on his end with DURA and then just sent an entire new faucet (which I will use if and when this one gives out permanently). The good news is I received the replacement part and ordered another one on Amazon for backup. It is NO FUN having a leaking faucet when you are living in your RV full-time.

I did try the above suggestion, and it did work for a couple days and then back to the steady stream of water. Long story short I got a replacement cartridge and wrote about it on my travel blog. https://cloudssoswiftrv.tumblr.com/post/174398003394/dura-rv-faucetshower

Absolutely. Of course. 30 amp service is wonderful and is something we will have here at my new garage. My point being that when connected to a regular 110 volt service such as my temporary electric pole, you can still run your A/C if you use gas for the fridge and hot water heater. I was always under the belief that you cannot run A/C with 110 volts. That is just not true.

Also, I have no desire to lug around a generator (or two) to power the A/C. We have solar and a composting toilet for environmental reasons, not to mention bookdocking, and I will not be boondocking anywhere it is so hot our fans and open windows will not do the job sufficiently. I will be in a full-service campground if that is the case.