bugeyedriver

Mine stays connected and after using it, I fill up the black tank twice and give it two good flushes. While I've never had a full on "burst at the seams" sort of accident during a flush, the hose did come apart from the connector as I was inserting it into the ground connection one time, before pulling the lever (whew). So now, I occasionally ensure the brown hose is secured into the orange connector before releasing the "stuff".

I've used one of these Progressive Industries units for years. It is not as complex as the one they are building into the Ollie systems, but it is portable and easy to use.

John, Here are some links to the security / location awareness items I use. Hitch lock Braided cable with all weather lock - the holes in your wheels must be large enough to accommodate the loops on this cable. For big time emergency medical assistance, I use a Spot Locator that will be able, via satellite, to get a first responder heading in my direction if I am out of phone or radio contact. The Locator is an older system which has been replaced by newer items, such as the Spot Messenger. My Spot Trace is connected to a hidden 12V outlet and secreted between the Ollies shells. It also has a battery backup in case the battery cables are disconnected.

John, Marilyn & Gracie, For me, the level of security measures I put in place depend a lot on where I'm camping. If I'm at a large rally amongst a lot of friends I may have zero physical security on the trailer and rely on my numerous pals to notice when someone other than myself is attempting to hook up to The Wonder Egg. On the other extreme, I may be boondocking at some self check in, remote Forest Service campground where I am the only resident for days. In this instance, when I am away from camp, there will be a bright yellow locking device disabling the hitch with a thick metal bar that needs to be cut through. I will also run a thick, braided and vinyl covered security cable through a hole in my wheel, over the axle, and out through another hole in the wheel, secured with a big hardened lock in a conspicuous place for appearances. Although I travel solo, I also put out two chairs to give the appearance someone may be resting inside while I'm away. These are merely visible deterrents to help keep honest people honest and to ward off the lazy thief who may wander by. Inside the trailer is a hidden GPS tracker with a battery backup, and as a last resort, in my wallet, is my insurance card. Congratulations on your decision to join the Ollie clan! Get ready for a lot of very good times ahead . . . Pete

John, I managed to get rid of my two other duplicate posts. (Whew) One of the reasons I own an Oliver is because it makes my camping experience nice and convenient. I believed a macerator would put me even further down the road towards convenience, and for a while it did just that. I was as happy as a pig rolling in . . . rolling in. . . . well you know. When it came time to consider refurbishing my magical poo machine I thought that was simply a bridge too far to cross. So I cannot really tell you how stinky a job it was since I chose not to go down that path. Perhaps JuniorBirdman can chime in and tell you about that. He probably refurbishes his, but then Eagle pilots are just plane nuts. Call me a sissy. I believe in gravity. It is always there, (until we fly off into space) and I can always refill the black tank and hurl copious amounts of fresh water down it after I have taken care of business. Pete

In 2009, I had a Thedford macerater mounted inside my bumper storage area. It was hardwired to the battery. Stinky slinky was gone and I was living large, with my poo pump and a 20 foot extendable hose which collapsed to a 7 foot, easily stored system. A notch in the upper angle bracket of the storage hold was necessary for the larger diameter of the end fitting. If you drill a hole through the back wall of the storage area to run your wire to the battery be sure you DO NOT DRILL A HOLE INTO YOUR GRAY WTER DRAIN LINE. (ahem) Due to the shallowness of the bumper storage area, and the limited vertical distance from the 3" exit line of the trailer, this is not an optimum setup. It can be easily enhanced by raising the nose of the trailer before using the macerator, to allow for a better flow of "stuff" to the macerator. Run a small bit of gray water first, in order to "prime the pump", per se, and then close the gray, open the black, and, when it is complete, follow with the remaining gray. My first pump lived for five years before going off to macerator heaven. The second one suffered an unforgivable abuse by its owner when a white plastic measuring spoon was flushed down the toilet with soapy dish water. ( I didn't see it, OK?) After those two fails, I have returned to the ancient practice of gravity feed through a 3" stinky slinky. It has worked predictably since and I figure if gravity ever fails us, I have bigger problems to worry about. (Like spinning off the earth into space)

Always opening a link in another window would be convenient. Those on the forum who understand coding may be able to incorporate this into their writings. For many on the forum, however, getting the coding right all the time may not be possible, or even rise to the level of importance for them that they wish to incorporate it into their posts. Time for true confessions now . . . . until reading this thread and doing a bit of easy searching on the web, I never knew it was even possible to "right click" on my mouseless Mac. (call me a troglodyte, it's OK, my kids do already) Even if we could inform and inspire everyone currently on the forum to add the correct code, over time, new members would join the forum and the issue would surely raise its head again. As mentioned before, the best fix is to have it incorporated into the forum workings by our IT gurus. Like all, I notice the time lag that exists on our forum. I deal with it by seeing teaching moments, allowing me to practice the art of chilling out for a bit. The lag only lasts about two deep breaths ... a nice calming moment instead of a cause for frustration. That's just me. Buzzy, you can't fool us. Your main focus is not on content that pushes knowledge transfer . . . it's on BACON!!!

I've used the same system that JuniorBirdman uses on my single axle Elite. It's the TST system. I like the setup feature whichs allows me to set the low PSI warniing level. My tires are rated load range E and I normaly inflate them to 70psi (cold temp). My low pressure warning is set at 50psi...low enough to tell me there is something happening and high enough to afford me plenty of time to take care of the issue before a significant problem occurs. I still carry and use my infrared temperature sensor to check tire, bearing hub, and brake drum temps to keep abreast of their health and well being. Cheap insurance ... Peace of mind ... Luv it.

Randy, Tom & Karen, congratulations to all of you and to the well loved Ollie who will now continue giving joy to folks who love the great outdoors and seeing this fabulous country! Tom & Karen, give me a call the next time you're boot-scooting through Texas. Randy, see you on the road . . .

Mike, Welcome back to Fair Oaks Ranch after your trip to Kerrville. About the brake system, it is not only necessary to have a functioning brake controller, but your brakes, themselves, need to be properly adjusted. Once, I thought my brakes were a bit anemic, so When I took took The Wonder Egg to The Brake Company, in the north end of Boerne, to check and lube the bearings, I asked them to check my brake adjustment. They were both way out! After getting the proper attention by someone who knows how it makes all the difference in the world. The Brake Company is a nice, small, local run family business. About the condensation drain tube. Mine had a bit of difficulty initially, but after giving it a bit of a tug, the existing kink in the line straightened out and it drains normally since then. BTW, beware if you go camping out in the BIg Bend area at Ft Davis campgoround. They have an abundance of wild boar who enjoy munching on the condensation drain tube to get a sip of water. I'm considering puting a short piece of pvc pipe over mine before I visit there again.

Mike, Welcome back to Fair Oaks Ranch after your trip to Kerrville. About the brake system, it is not only necessary to have a functioning brake controller, but your brakes, themselves, need to be properly adjusted. Once, I thought my brakes were a bit anemic, so When I took took The Wonder Egg to The Brake Company, in the north end of Boerne, to check and lube the bearings, I asked them to check my brake adjustment. They were both way out! After getting the proper attention by someone who knows how it makes all the difference in the world. The Brake Company is a nice, small, local run family business. About the condensation drain tube. Mine had a bit of difficulty initially, but after giving it a bit of a tug, the existing kink in the line straightened out and it drains normally since then. BTW, beware if you go camping out in the BIg Bend area at Ft Davis campgoround. They have an abundance of wild boar who enjoy munching on the condensation drain tube to get a sip of water. I'm considering aputing a short piece of pvc pipe over mine before I visit there again.

Since the alimunim frame is made at the Oliver factory, perhaps they would be amenable to making its length to your specifications. Won't hurt to ask. They might just say "Yes, how long do you need it to be?"

John, I believe all current trailers coming off the line are being created with a tongue that is not adjustable. Folks were simply not in the habit of changing their tongue length, for the most part, and the new units' tongue is now a massive hunk of extruded aluminum to provide incresed structural strength. (They are always tweaking the design for improvements). The length of new tongues is set at about the middle extension of the older, adjustable ones. This will allow folks who desire an accessory basket on the front to have one. Perhaps a new Elite II owner could measure the distance from the center of where the Bulldog hitch would sit on the ball to the electric jack, which would be the first obstacle. Then you could compare it the the measurement from your hitch ball to the end of the down tailgate. Shoutout to any of you "big guys". How 'bout a little help! Pete

Randy, The F150 2.5L EcoBoost with factory towing package would be an ecxellent TV for an Elite. I believe its towing capacity is a whopping 8500lbs, more than double what the trailer would weigh fully loaded! The new F150 even has a sway control system to aid in towing. As for the Anderson hitch, not sure how simple it would be to add, but I can tell you after 97,500+ miles of towing my Elite with a smaller TV (Tacoma) I've never felt the need for one, even with some radical evasive maneuvers. The trailer does not sway under adverse weather conditions or while mixing it up with 18 wheelers. Tom and Karen are good friends and fastidious Ollie owners. That is a good find, indeed. Welcome (I hope) to the Ollie family. Pete

Portable induction stove . . . don't leave home without it!

John, Good point of consideration. There are actually several vertical inches of difference between the basket and anything on the arc of turn which might get close to the basket. Now, if I was simultaneously making a very radical vertical angular change between the truck and trailer while in a very tight turn I may have an issue, but in all my years of travel, so far, anytime I've approached my left/right turn limits I am on rather flat ground. I should be very OK in 98% of my turns and cautious in the other 2%.

A window in the galley area could enhance visibility and awareness of the outside environment and increase natural light inside. A few years back, Escape started to offer this option and it has been well received in their community. The fridge may be a bit smaller than some, but thankfully, I find hunting for food in grocery stores an easy task. (then again, I travel alone, so it makes a difference) Figuring out how to elevate it a bit would surely be a nice touch. We must remember as we dream about changes, that there are costs involved to both the manufacturer and the customers. The fiberglass molds are very expensive items to "tinker" with and any major change in a mold would involve a capital investment by Oliver. So it is important to be patient and understanding. Some other things are easy to do, but expensive to accomplish. For instance, all of the fiberglass is white in color. The exceptions have been two unique Elite models produced "in the early times" - one bright red and the other pure black. I understand the hoses and nozzles used for some of the spraying involved are super expensive to buy and the process of cleaning them perfectly to produce another color return to the normal white is very labor intensive, incurring significant labor costs. And we must also be aware of the disruption on the production lines. Anytime a new process is interjected it will involve technical training and expertise and if incorporated, retraining of other technicians . . . to say nothing about the extra time involved as they figure out how to do it correctly and efficiently. I'm looking forward to the vertical takeoff, hovercraft mod that will enable me to get to campsites only backpackers can find. Do you think I am expecting too much?

Oliver Travel Trailers initially designed a wonderful trailer including unique manufacturing processes and innovations that really allow us to get out there and have fun right off the "git-go" without having to tinker with it to make it great. As good as it is, another thing the Ollie has going for it is the company is continuously listening to owners and buyers who may have new ideas. After thinking about it, they have been known to accommodate these new ideas, or modifications, if they are safe ideas that don't interfere with the production line too much, and we are willing to pay the extra price for the mod. By being willing to think outside of the box, Oliver may start to offer new buyers some of these modifications as optional add-ons. If they think it makes sense, a new mod may even become part of the basic design. Over the years, this willingness has rocketed Oliver Travel Trailers to be known for its innovation in the industry. I can think of a few modifications that started with owners or buyers, that went from concept, to modification, to add-on option, and even standard item: Spring over axle lift . . . Solar panels . . . Cell phone signal amplifier . . . Front basket . . . Safety grab handle on exit . . . 16"wheels with Michelin truck tires . . . total control of exterior lights from inside the Ollie . . . double step . . . There are surely other items as well. What ones are you aware of?

Trumpetguy, The Wonder Egg sports the very first generator basket Oliver ever made. During the build, I was talking with Mountainborn, who was having a local welder in Arkansas make him up a monster basket with a solid cover so he could hide and secure his Yamaha 3000 generator. (You know those mountainmen, they'll try anything). He said it kinda looked like a mailbox and I told him it looked more like a whole Post Office! I thought that would be a great place for my 46lb Honda 2000, so I gave the Oliver folks some measurements and they fashioned my basket out of aluminum. It's 19x23" rectangular and 8" high. Now, however, I usually carry the generator in my truck bed and use the basket for my chocks & blocks or firewood. The tongue actually is extended to the middle setting. Because of the little bit of wiggle you mention on the earlier Ollies, I believe they are improving the newest frames coming off the line with a thicker, single piece extruded tongue, set at a nominal length wich can accomodate the newly designed, larger shiney aluminum basket with a cable pass-through cutout for a generator attachment. They may be placing a recommended weight limit on it so's the mountaineers out there don't try to place a 20 ton nuclear generator on it. hehehe About my fabricated bike hitch . . . Because I have a short Tacoma and not a tall full sized truck, I'm able to lift the truck bed cover and reach inside for items. That would be difficult with a big truck.

Following the Cabot Trail, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia - Summer 2015. Stunning scenery, friendly people . . .

The Wonder Egg's rear bumper is too short to accommodate the new rear hitch option. After almost having a front receiver hitch mounted on my truck, I went to a specialty hitch shop and found a 6000 lb tow rated, long tow bar with the correct rise for the main ball which can accommodate a 600 lb tongue weight. We took some measurements and they firmly welded a hefty new receiver with a 17 inch rise for the bike rack. My rack is a Swagman XC2 Platform. I think this is going to work better than putting the bike in front of the truck where it would be the first item to hit the air, resulting in a huge parasitic drag issue.

Glad all your issues have all been resolved by the factory. Call me when you are back home in the Texas Hill Country. I'd love to see my neighborhood Ollie in person. ;)

Many people have an aversion to drinking water from the fresh water tank. I've had no problem using the water for my drinking and cooking needs for the last 8 years. I sanitize the tank by pouring 3/4 cup of bleach into my water hose before filling the tank here at the house. I run the water pump and hot/cold water a bit and then let it sit overnight to kill all the "buggies". The next day, I open up the fresh water drain valve and allow the tank to empty before refilling it. I do this three times to ensure all the bleach taste is gone. While camping, all water gets filtered as it goes into the trailer with one of those blue water filters readily available at RV supply sections in WalMart. I use a Brita water jug to filter again before drinking it or adding it to Oscar's water bowl. If you are squeamish about the quality of the water you have available, check out the system JrBirdman used when he travelled through Mexico. He uses a triple canister system with Sterilight UV from the RV Water Filter Store: https://www.rvwaterfilterstore.com/index.htm

Then there is always this photo of Larry The Masked Chainsaw Madman to consider . . .

Happy Pick Up Day, Mike and Carol!! Let the wandering begin . . .