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I've gone around and around with the bike carrier locations. Put 7k miles on the rear mounted one, but I hate how the road grime covers them - ok on my mountain bike, but not on my carbon road bike. I looked at mikes front location, and that was a nice set up - but it also is a dirt magnate location, and harder to load.... . I'm really considering putting the bikes in the truck bed under the camper shell, and moving some of the stuff to a carrier where the bikes were located. Cleaner and much more secure. Time will tell. I have thought about adding a smaller, front loading alum storage box to the rear, which would elevate the bikes, clearing the rear lights, and then I could cover the bikes, and have good vision of the trailer lighting. RB

Finally finished the build of the home base "Oliver Elite II" docking station. As a one person construction crew, it took me a-while, I started back in August, with just a simple 12 x 25 cover, and decided midstream - to add the enclosed portions, with a full bathroom, and a utility room for honey and produce processing, and whatever else needs doing. There are also two locations, fore and aft, for dumping the waste water. I'll run power and water to the structure later - once the temps return to a comfortable level, Jeesh 97 degrees in October - what?? Here are a few pcs,

Ken, Are fans in circuit with the t-stat of the unit, - what turns them on/off - temp sensor? RB

Nice job Ken. Really like the result - wondered how long you were going to put up with the problematic original unit. I will definitely want to look at the final product - seems like the perfect replacement. Please keep us updated on the results. For those of us with the full solar - Oliver should seriously think about this option - it is one I will consider should my OEM unit start acting up. It has , from time to time, shut itself off - when on propane - I keep an eye on it - but.... I have an ARB portable Danfoss compressor unit we use in conjunction, never a problem, uses little power, bulletproof. RB

I purchased the Anderson with my Oliver, however, once I upgraded my TV to a 2500 GMC diesel, I no longer use it. The Anderson performed fine with the older 1/2 ton, but makes little difference with the larger truck. So - it turned into a wasted $$ spend. I think I used the thing about 3 times. It was a pain to use, well perhaps just more work. I have seen them on several Oliver's, and noticed several in differing states of condition, one where the plastic housing had risen up about 1 inch. I know Anderson has been good at replacing and updating, but it seems like its a constant rework. For me, the larger TV is just so much more comfortable all the way around, using the Anderson may be needed in many cases, for me it just wasn't to be. Mine is for sale - cheap - if anyone is interested..... RB

Hobo, Glad you figured it out - I just turn my Truma off when I know it will not be needed. The constant cycling drives me nuts. The Truma rep said to just leave it on, in eco, as you do. I've not had any issue turning it off. We don't use much hot water any ways. Not to change the topic, you may find the Truma likes to go into a fault state every once and awhile. If it does a reset - power off/on of the unit usually clears it. I don't know why it does this, but I know others have the same issue, and the Truma rep was also aware this happens - ….. As for the "other" noises out there, I have found most are campground patron related - that's why I try to boondock as much as possible, or stay as far as possible from the humans in RV's....

Scentfree, As others have stated, fueling up is not usually an issue, especially if you do just a little recon as you pull into the station. However, I must admit there are times when it does get a little "tight. On our last trip, My wife pulled into a large Pilot stations regular pump area, we use diesel, and the diesel was on the far side - and once committed, found that for some dumb reason, the far side of the pump area was blocked off - by design, and there was no way we were getting around the turn between the pump and the "curb". And the station was packed - cars, trucks, - every open spot. As JD stated, sometimes one has to get out - stop the unaware patrons - and then slowly back out of the situation. Best to keep your composure and smile - ha. And - we were once poking along through a state park campground - very tight, trees, and curvy. About 3/4 mile in - on a one way single lane road -- two 35-40' motor homes are stopped in the middle of road - the front one is broken down - will not start. That was a fun - back up until we found a campsite with a large enough parking area to do a - back in and turn around. Moral of the story - get comfortable with backing up, practice turning around in tight places. And soon the stress turns to confidence and much less verbal consternation.... Good luck and happy trails. RB

Welcome to the Oliver family. Sorry to hear your first experience was not as expected. Overland and others have given you some good advice, a good thorough step by step problem solving process is in order. I would do as Overland suggested, test the supply system first - put some water in the tank and see if it holds pressure - if it does- then you know where to look next, use the city water connection, if it holds pressure, great, if it doesn't, find the problem and repair. It is possible your water system is not the issue, could be a drain system issue. A good flashlight and some compartment sleuthing are in order. When you overfill the h2o tank, water should flow out the overflow hose, no where else. I use the overflow as my indication the tank is full. I have no issue with using the city water connections, all SHOULD work fine, I have no need to run my pump when the city water connection is available. Good luck, let us know what you find RB

as with with most 1/2 ton trucks. For the vast majority - the real issue is upfront cost of the diesel 3/4 ton trucks. Some times its size and daily driver preferences, but honestly, nobody says I have to much HP/Torque, its to solid on the road, tows way to well, and I feel way to fresh after driving 800 miles in a day. Over the many years, I realized the right tool for the job applies to almost everything - my last error - a foray with a ski/fish boat combo was my last attempt at compromise. I hated to replace my trusted 1/2 ton GMC, but it just didn't fill in all the blanks. Payload/power. I hated to spend the $$ but honestly, the Oliver was also $$$, at some point it just doesn't make sense to anguish over the TV, if marginal, as one runs the risk of diminishing the overall experience of the Oliver - due to a poor TV. 23K miles on my 2018 GMC - Duramax - towing the EII, and I have nothing but good experiences in my Oliver travels to date. Many have great results with less capable TV, and are happy, its a big world out there. And JD, my location has little, if any, tell- on where I take my Ollie. I head west, and to elevation, every time I get the chance, but the flat areas - well they get some attention.... RB

There is no way I would put the Oliver in the middle - The frame was NOT designed to be a tow platform. I thought about this possibility early on - for about two seconds. My wife would be driving the Wrangler, or the TV, or I would still be at the house..... RB

Like many I tend to "hope" the products I purchase from known suppliers - like a Fastenal- are better quality -but unfortunately, it appears quality cannot be inferred by the supplier - sad. I use thread lock and never thought about the reduction of torque values - so I learned something here. But I never had a failure either. Were I JD, I would likely replace the bolts, and go at it again. Might do a failure test - may even use a thread lock nut. A fastening engineer, and I've had way to much experience with their "type" :-), would probably start at the calibration and lube issue, then go into some sort of bolt/nut investigation, an on on on on.... Just replace it, and check it regularly is my SOP. Like others, I don't know why Oliver would respond, not their problem, this was a customer installed upgrade. A sensational header would be something like - Warning! Bulldog coupler bolt failure! - Oh wait, that's what I thought was the subject when I first clicked.... Oh well we all know better now. Thanks JD, I did learn something here. keep us in the loop.

JD, Its difficult to determine the quality of the failed bolt, but certainly is an important aspect of your problem. Its been my experience that the softer grade 5 have a better stretch tolerance, than the harder grade 8. I broke many 8's on my brush hog, change to the softer metals, much better. Sometimes in our efforts to make stuff better, beefier, we inadvertently go backwards. I don't know what Oliver will say, but the quoted Bulldog instructions are clear. Good luck on your quest.

I have the easy start, and I closely monitor voltage when using the AC. My AC does a stop start, a sort of pause every once and a while, even with 122 volts, no large voltage drop. At first I thought it was low voltage, and indeed, there were a few times the voltage dropped to 115 or so, but it also does it at 122 v Doesn't seem to affect the AC unit - but it is disconcerting. If I were to do it again, I probably would not have installed the easy start. I fully understand voltage drop, amperage pull, and the overall response the AC has on the power source, but with the easy start, it is hard to understand what is going on - at various loads and voltages without a good monitoring device. I do like the progressive read out - it is a decent read out on amp, volts, and any other "issue ".

My experiences with Rejex have been - ok, to - good - - I have applied it twice, - the beading and appearance were good- and it lasted several months and 8k miles across the western US. However, it is harder than most to apply, and I don't believe it is all that much, if any, superior to the Maguire's I used previously. I will try something else on the next wax application. The black streaking many have mentioned seems to happen regardless of what wax I have used. RB

[ Very well, it appears! quote quote=184205]As it stands Oliver (seen) is #1, Lance Lance (seen) #2, Outdoors #3 and I’m scheduled to see one Labor Day Week, and Northwoods Arctic Fox #4 or Nash #5 both sight unseen. An interesting thought- what is the service life of an Oliver. Given the top shelf fiberglass shell, the sturdy and well designed aluminum frame, top shelf axles, and an overall well thought out design, the Oliver will be around for a long time. Few if any other manufactures produce a RV travel trailer that has the design quality of the Oliver. I'll go as far as to say -NONE! The weak links lie in the appliances and other supplier related equipment. All of which can be replaced when failure rears its head - and NO different from any other manufacturer! The real issue to me, seems to be how much people are willing to spend on a travel trailer - quality designed and built- not withstanding. As is usually the case, education and investigation will lead one to the obvious choice - given the choices fit with the buyers desires- and then we find the funds! Wish you well in the journey. RB \

Geesh JD, Now as an Oliver owner, I'm a geezer? Older, perhaps, probably more to do with wealth accumulation than anything else. Out live me, I'm planning on another 25 years, properly taken care of the Ollie will be in better shape than many of us in another two decades. Ya got me there! We agree here, wished my own chassis was as durable. RB

Nice job and great write up - as usual - with your meticulous detail. Lapping in the ball- just to much-but expected..... However - you somewhat mislead the uninformed - The EII is rated to 7000lb GVWR and the suppled 2in bulldog is rated the same - so evenly matched is more appropriate in my mind. Yes its not overkill, I grant you. I always enjoy you mods - was that a spec of dirt I saw on the garage floor, I'm not sure. RB

IF it were 2020 with the new torque design gas engines, and trans, and if they actually meet the expectations for mpg and performance I would purchase a gas engine. I understand all the deep dive into gear ratios and such - but in the end, it doesn't matter. For me its -how does the total package work for my needs - in 2018 it was the GMC Duramax / Allison combination. 2021 and later - its something to wait and see. As the trans go from 6 speed to 10 and on, it is diminishing returns. Not to mention complexity. If I could get what I wanted - My GMC truck, with a 600 ft-lbs torque, electric drive, 600 mile capacity, 5 min recharge, powertrain. Eliminate all the doodles, just give me the satellite radio, a good programable GPS, and a price of about $30k. All main modules plug and play, accepted industry standards for design replacement. Fiction I know. RB

Did I pay too much for a TT rv, yes, about $30k too much, if you listen to others, or compare competition prices (Airstream excepted). I am I crazy, why would you do that.... its a travel trailer for petes sake. Will I get value for my $$$$ - only time will tell. I was once very satisfied with a 4 season tent, and a good backpack. My Oliver has everything I wanted - and needed, in a 4 season, self contained TT RV. I am satisfied with my purchase - if I could have found a pre owned unit, I would have seriously considered one, but as we know - scarce as hens teeth. Pricing information would be nice, but in the end it would be similar to the Airstream products - oh you want an Oliver - this is how much you have to pay....much more than the rest of the market - ahh exclusivity has its costs. A happy and proud Oliver owner. RB

As has been stated, All warranties are not equal. Unlimited powertrain - great, but not on anything electrical...… and a great deal of todays powertrains have lots of electronic control. As I listened to the dealer rep go over the warranty he was trying to sell me, I got deep into the details, and he drew up a kind of flow chart to show how the coverage worked, very enlightening. The GMC Duramax has a factory 100 K miles coverage, so I passed. Yes one can find - at different prices, other warranties, with a multitude of coverages, its almost as bad as health insurance. From my experience - its not the powertrain I worry about. I had great experience with my former GMC truck, but after 15 years I had some simple AC controls fritz out, and the speedo cluster, I replaced them - myself, but the powertrain was as good as new....so who knows. My Toyota experience - the tailgate rusted out in 3 years, but ran fine.... Todays autos are computers with a mechanical drive train. Can't imagine self drivers - more electric stuff to go haywire. Not to mention all the bells and whistles on the interior - which are NOT plug and play. Rolling arcade and entertainment centers - connected and integrated to a chassis and powertrain - what's to go wrong.... I have high hopes for my GMC long term, but its just a crap shoot - if it goes three years with no issues, it will probably last 15, so we will see. I long for the old days - simple powertrains, a radio, mechanical controls, 4 steel wheels --- but horrible mpg, smog generators, and little crash technology - not in the same world as todays rolling technology wonders. RB

NAN- I'm in TN, about 2 hrs. from the plant. If your game, I can help you with you concern. You can practice with my 16ft farm trailer, in a big open a field. If your any kind of competent driver, we will have you ready to go in a jiffy. Come a day early, practice - go forth in confidence! RB

I just jiggle the bumper while pulling the pins, not a problem. Glad Oliver put a tether on the pins in the later editions, I'm sure I'd be looking for mine if not!!! RB

I read somewhere you plan to boondock a considerable amount, if true, the standard toilet is the wrong selection. I understand some have an aversion to the concept, but after 7 weeks of exploring the western US, and not needing any sort of black water dump, I would not have anything but the compost toilet. Not to mention the amount of water used in the flush. That will be the issue you deal with most - if you boondock much. Compost head - Simple, no smell, and no excessive use of H20. Changing/replacing the compost material - simple. A big strong plastic bag is all you need. The US is not Europe, your concerns, as stated, have no bearing in the US. Its a toss up Gas v Diesel, especially with the new "promised" torque gas engines. But banning diesels, not. Oh, in the big cities, why would anyone be driving through one with an Oliver? Just strange, you haven't been to the south much I would assume, nor Texas, NM, OK, and on, the diesel is far removed from the graveyard. 21000 miles later, I cannot imagine a better TV. (11K+ towing) To each his own. I must have missed something when I looked at the Ram trucks, were not anything I thought worthy, Ford was in the lead until I put about 100 test miles on the GMC, it was not close after that. Details, details, Landrover is on to something! RB

Come on, this is easy! As JD stated, go find a decent used truck, 3/4 ton, gas/diesel, and get on with it. worried about a lemon, have it inspected by a mechanic you trust (if your not capable), and go enjoy, the WWW is full of information on resale values, driving costs, etc. When your ready for the new TV, sell or trade in the former TV. Leasing or rental is dollars thrown away for sure. With the former, one has a shot at recouping some of the $$$. You are just way over thinking this. RB

To each his own, but it was the front end "butt ugly" look of the GMC that I really liked, over the Ford and especially the goofy look of the RAM. Funny I saw a very similar remark online by some supposed truck reviewer expert. As JD commented, test them all, and make your decision. If I have had one, I have had twenty people tell me how much they like the look of my truck. Guess beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder! Why one would purchase too less of a truck just to then add equipment to help with the shortcomings, let alone exceed the payload and tow ratings, is beyond me. Guess those guys with the 300K Duramax's are telling tall tales...... A nice Prius might be in order, with enough aftermarket upgrades. Esp for those with Toyota blinders. All in jest, RB