hobo

We are in the very northern part of the Shenandoah valley of VA. We're just a couple of miles east of Winchester, VA (interstate 81) in the town of Berryville.

Has anyone checked with Oliver to see who they use for new trailer financing? I believe they do in fact have banks working with them. Perhaps the same banks would do used Oliver financing too.

Nan, Don't stress over it too much. The absolute worst thing you can do is hook up a little, tiny lawn mower trailer and try to back it up. The shorter the wheelbase on the trailer, the faster it reacts (or actually overreacts) to that your input. I have towed trailers all my life and I HATE those tiny trailers. As suggested, I'd rent something at least middle-weight, maybe a 14-16 foot U-Haul and practice with that. You'd be surprised how quickly you get the knack. If you get in trouble backing up, just STOP and pull forward a little and start over. No big deal. Feel free to contact me via PM is you want to further discuss. Hobo (Paul & Donna)

Jason, I, for one, am thankful that you take the time and resources to try to maintain the forum website and wish to applaud your efforts. A little anticipated down time for maintenance is not only acceptable in my mind, but actually mandatory in order to avoid bigger issues down the road which could have much more considerable impact on the forum members. What do they say, "A stitch in time....". During the downtime I can do other things like catch the news, weather or even prepare a cup of coffee or pour a glass of wine for my wife. All good uses of my time. Thanks again for all you and everyone else at Oliver does for us. I continue to be a Happy Camper. Hobo

When we took delivery of our trailer in May, it had just been de-winterized that morning. The water tank had a fair amount of volume in it so Hunter suggested that we leave the fresh water tank drain valve open while driving to David Crockett State Park to empty it. We did close the drain valve under the street side bed when we got to our campsite per his instructions. Since that time we have only used city water hookups for our water but the water tank still indicates it's about half full. The trailer has been sitting at our house for a little while now (very hot outside) so I want to flush this tank thoroughly and want to know the best method. Do I simply open the drain valve and let it empty and then refill with fresh water and empty again? If so how many times do I do this? Or, do I drain, refill and then open the drain valve and turn on the spigots till empty. Experienced opinions greatly appreciated. Thanks, HOBO

OK, I give up. I did a search but am not finding anything specific to the "risers" everyone is talking about. I do know they made an elevated version of the twins some time back but those have been discontinued. Is that what we're talking about here?

[postquote quote=70441][/postquote] John, I too am a little embarrassed to have anything HF branded in my tool inventory but as you inferred, any-port-in- a -storm. Having said that, I am SERIOUSLY considering purchasing the Harbor Freight Predator 3500 generator. It appears to be a quality product and runs about 1/3 the cost of the Honda EU3000i. Even when you pay the extra $150 for the extended warranty. I think Harbor Freight is starting to make a name for itself in a few select lines of items they carry.

[postquote quote=177711][/postquote] I doubt it. I have one 12 x 18 on the left side and two 12 x 12s on the right side. You "might" be able to get a 12 x 18 and a 12 x 12 on the right side but I'll have to check on that and get back to you later today. I think the curvature of the right side of the basement storage toward the front (closest to the door opening) of the right side would preclude placing two 12 x 18s over there even though there is enough length.

Another thing I did was take an aluminum telescoping handle (like for painting or scrub brushes) and drilled a small hole in the plastic tip and screwed in a "J" hook. This can be used for pulling out the crates or other items from deep within the compartment. I also use it for pulling items out of the bed of my pickup truck without having to climb up and under the hard lid since it can be extended and collapsed as needed. Very handy and cheap.

Congrats and welcome aboard. We picked ours up mid-May and when we got it back to VA, a good friend of mine who owns and operates an RV service and repair business came over to look at our new Oliver since he'd never seen one. After about two minutes of looking at the battery tray wiring and then looking under the cushions and beds at the wiring, plumbing, insulation, etc. he was blown away. He said "this is a SERIOUS trailer." He was taking pictures with his cell phone of the systems the whole time. This is our first RV and we're sure we made the right decision too. Again, welcome to the Oliver family.

In the basement storage compartment, I have two 12" x 12" crates on the right side (deep part) and a 12" x 18" on the left side with room to spare on the right side. (Might be able to fit both a 12 x 12 and a 12 x 18 on the right side but I haven't tried.)

[postquote quote=177369][/postquote] I use the same leveler as John but I attached it to the front of my basket on the tongue. I can see it clearly in my TVs backup camera and it's magnified. Beyond that, it keeps me from having to attach it to the trailer itself up above the "waterline" which I don't like the looks of (if avoidable). I installed mine in the delivery room at Oliver before we ever pulled out. The service person who watched me do this said it was the first time he'd ever seen that done but he liked it. It's worked well for me in my particular application. BTW: I did take John's advise and epoxy the ends of the level to ensure no leakage.

We took possession of our Oliver Elite II in May of this year and as we departed the factory, Hunter, who had just de-winterized it that morning, opened up the fresh water holding tank valve so that the contents would drain out on our way to David Crockett. We have only used city water since we got the trailer but the status display shows that there is still quite a bit of water in the fresh water holding tank. I want to actually flush this tank and am wondering the safest way to do this. I am thinking to simply hook up the city water supply line to the tank fill and slowly fill the tank while also opening the drain valve. Knowing that it will fill faster than it will drain, is there any down-side to doing this? Also, how many hours would it be recommended to run this flush procedure to ensure it's clean? Once clean, I would continue to let the tank drain completely and just fill it up before we go out again.

I just purchased three of these for all of my trailers that use the 7 pin connectors. Keeps them clean and out of the way. They can be mounted to upright posts or against a flat surface. On the Oliver, it will go up against the front basket. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MFFC0IU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[postquote quote=176814][/postquote] At this juncture, I don't tie them down or cover them. The contents sit low enough in the crates and the weight is formidable enough that it rides nicely just as is. I will have a cover made for them to hide the contents though. I'll post a pick next time the basket is full when leaving for a trip.

Here's another option that I think I'm going to go to: The Harbor Freight 3500 Predator Inverter generator is running head-to-head with the Hondas and at about 1/3 the cost. I have been looking at review after review of this generator with folks running them HARD and they are holding up very well. They are just as quiet as the Honda. The Predator 3500 can also be run parallel with another 3500 which is something the Honda EU3000i cannot. I can run everything in my trailer full blast without a blip. If I get another unit, I can have 7K watts for my home backup power supply. The cost of the Predator is running right at $700. The Predator also has a larger tank and therefore longer run time than the Honda. Down side (sort of ) is the Honda has a 3 year warranty and the Predator has only a 90 day warranty. However, you can purchase an extended, 2 year warranty for $150 which is bumber-to-bumper. Even with this cost, you're miles ahead of the price of the Honda. Toward the end of the two years, if there are ANY issues, just return it and get another one. You would have to pay for another extended warranty on the replacement if you wanted it. Weight doesn't matter to me since it will live in the back of my TV. I was dead set on purchasing a Honda but I think I am going to the "dark side" and purchasing the Predator from Harbor Freight. I'll report back when I get it and if and when I have any issues.

Was washing the Hobo yesterday for a showing to a prospective couple coming this weekend and of course tightened up the four knobs for the solar panel while I was up there. But I also accidently bumped my rear camera with my wash mitt and noted that the antenna was fairly loose. It simply screws in so I just snugged it up (quite a bit). Just a heads up.

[postquote quote=175881][/postquote] Yeah, I should have looked there first. I'm hoping that a formal glossary will be developed and posted where one doesn't have to look through an entire thread to find (or hopefully find) a term. Thanks, Hobo

WhatDA: "WDH"? What da heck is that?

I use my basket to hold two milk crates ( one 12"x 12" and one 12"x 18" ) for storing my 6x6 blocks, my 11"x 11" 3/4" plywood bases, my Anderson levelers, my wheel chocks, and my outside door mat. I do that because these are the items I need immediately when setting up and/or the last items I need to put away when departing. When I do get a generator, it will ride in the back of my TV or I can construct an additional platform above the previously mentioned items to place the generator. In either case, it will be on the ground or on the tailgate of my truck when running to mitigate vibrations through the chassis of the trailer. Fuel storage location for the generator is still TBD but I'll figure that out when I get the generator. I have lots of buddies that can weld aluminum so my options are endless.

I can only offer up that, although I own a 2006 Dodge 5.9L diesel, 3500 MegaCab, towing an Oliver doesn't require that kind of power. I just happened to have already owned my truck before we decided to purchase our trailer. I actually have equipment trailers and tractors that require the power I have. I also will advise that to replace my current truck with a new one would probably cost well in excess of $75K so essentially, close to the cost of the trailer itself. I do like the diesel but if I had to purchase a replacement vehicle for the purpose of towing my Oliver, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't go that route. Of course, any good TV will cost you plenty if you're purchasing new. If you want to pursue diesel though, I would do some serious on-line searching for good, low mileage trucks out of Texas. For some reason, they seem to have an inordinate number of great, low mileage diesels down there. That's where mine came from. (I live in VA). Good luck.

Raspy, I would like that part # too when you find it. Thanks, Hobo

[postquote quote=175125][/postquote] Not sure why you have 2 Jensen remotes. The one on the far left is the only one we have. To use it for the stereo, hit the "DVD" button and then the "power" button. This now allows us (you) to change the functions (stations, volume, etc.) on the stereo via the remote. If only using the TV, just hit "TV" and then "power" and you're in the TV mode. This is how it was explained by Hunter when we took delivery.

[postquote quote=174942][/postquote] We actually have two remotes. One for the TV/stereo combination and one for the Maxfan. The combination remote must be a fairly new change as the one we have is not pictured in the 2019 owner's manual. Ours looks to have many more buttons than the one pictured. Here's the "truth in lending statement": My wife is the tech savvy part of this partnership. I'm the guy that can't even spell "ATM" much less use one. (Seriously, I've never used an ATM.) Same with a debit card. I don't use those either. I pay cash (issued to me by my spouse) , use "credit" or write (please don't say it) a check. After all, how many pictures of Hobos have you seen with them carrying a cell phone or laptop??

Did in fact read the instructions and followed them. Problem is nothing happened. TV still read "no signal". We finally got it working by manually switching the input mode on the TV (on side of the TV). We could watch the DVD but couldn't get it fired up via the remote (initially) . I might play with it again this weekend to see if changing the remote power selections works to resolve. I'm fairly sure it's operator error and not anything wrong with the system.