stuartw

All of his contact information is listed on the Oliver website by clicking on the "Place Order" link .. http://olivertraveltrailers.com/oliver_order. Good luck! Stuart

My neighbor has one of these great Dodge rambo trucks he's trying to sell and I suppose he gets 8 miles to the gallon. Hi Frances, Actually I drive one of those "great Dodge rambo trucks" ( )with a Cummins diesel and I consistently get 16+ around town, 20+ on the highway, and 10+ towing a 4 ton travel trailer over just about any kind of road at just about any speed. I could probably do better when towing but I tend to roll with the traffic flow, leave the A/C on, etc. On my recent 1600 mile loop down through the mountains of NC and VA I did a fair amount of interstate at 65-70 MPH and quite a bit of twisty back roads with steep climbs - the trip computer at the end of the trip showed an average 10.1 MPG. Not too bad considering the truck itself weighs about 7200 lbs and can pull a fifth wheel nearly twice that heavy. I've found that the camper shell (see picture) actually adds 1-2 MPG because it streamlines the truck bed. Now if your neighbor's truck isn't diesel then it probably is a gas hog - my old V-10 2500 proved that before I gladly sold it to buy this one! Cheers, Stuart

The real interesting question... What would you use for a tow vehicle on Mars??? *grin* A Space Utility Vehicle (SUV), of course! Stuart

Thanks, I appreciate that! Sometimes you just get lucky; in this case my camera didn't quite know what to do staring straight into the sun so it picked an exposure that created some very interesting effects ... other photos taken just about the same time were quite different. I've found that one of the really neat things about digital cameras is that the film and developing are essentially free, so why not take way too many pictures and simply delete the ones that don't work out? Cheers, Stuart

Here's a picture that I took from Mallory Square (Key West) in the fall of 2003. Cheers! Stuart

technomadia, This is an excellent article (speaking as both an electrical engineer and an RV owner!) and does a great job of explaining complicated stuff in reasonable terms. I wish that every RV manufacturer had to read and sign off their understanding of the information that you've discussed, especially in terms of charge cable sizing. My experience has been that boat manufacturers pretty good in this arena but that RV makers just the opposite. Oh well. There is one thing that I might add / emphasize in your discussion of inverters : these devices can pull HUGE amounts of current while operating. For fire and personal safety they require a large fuse (typically a rather unusual T-style) with ratings as high as 300 amps (yes, *300*) to be installed as close to the battery as possible. The user/installation manual for the inverter will usually call out exactly what is required (and where) based on the inverter's rating. This is, quite simply, not a place to take short cuts (or short circuits ) just because the T-style parts are expensive - nominally $75+ for the holder and $25+ for the fuse. They can also be hard to find and generally won't be available at your neighborhood auto parts store. Installation usually requires the addition of a short heavy gauge cable to complete the circuit, another added expense. They can also be cumbersome to install depending on battery location and coach wiring, especially when you consider that the fuse needs to be mounted somewhere to allow for testing or replacement as needed. FWIW Stuart

Let's pretend it's Christmas - here's part of my wish list for the next gen Oliver : No stripper pole 8' width, nominally 22' long Factory brackets for Equalizer hitch (or at least no obstructions to install one) Factory installed back up camera Optimized for a couple with island queen or option for full twins (30x80) Dual axle with Dexter never-lube hubs Minimum 2K net carrying capacity Provision for four golf cart batteries (T-145 size) on pull out rack(s) Dual bank battery switch (1/2/All/Off) with supporting wiring to battery rack Larger black tank (40 gallon minimum) with option for factory installed black flush and Sani-Con systems China toilet Larger gray tank (40 gallon minimum) 10 gallon DSI hot water 5.7GPM VSD smart water pump Best-in-class tank level monitors Racks and plumbing for 3 x 5 gallon propane vs. 2 x 7 - allows exchange anywhere Provision for 3kW true sine wave inverter/charger Provision for Honda 2000i generator (with propane conversion and remote start) Provision for solar panels Provision for DirecTV dish on roof plus supporting wiring Provision for cell booster antenna on roof plus supporting wiring Upgraded DC wiring throughout - more copper! Provision for Link2000 battery monitor or similar Suitable panel area for remote panels to manage electricals, tankage Stove - 3 burner with oven 8 cubic foot fridge/freezer Receiver hitch on rear bumper (for bike rack) Ladder to access all roof accessories LED lighting throughout rig to conserve battery power (including running lights) Fully enclosed underbelly, heated tanks, and upgraded insulation throughout Dual pane tinted glass windows Day-night shades throughout Two Fantastic fans (one in bath, one in main area) with hoods Ducted A/C with heat pump capability Upgraded electronics (AM/FM/CD/DVD/iPod/MP3/WMA/etc) with serious speakers and wiring Comfortable seating for two that points towards the standard TV location Good pantry space Good hanging locker space At least one good outside storage locker, ideally pass-through side to side (for skis, etc.) Alarm system to protect all this stuff OK, so maybe it'll need to be more like 40' long ... Stuart

Hi Ugojoe and welcome to the Forum. Take a word of advice from another newbie - don't ask about the chrome pole! Stuart

We are hoping to begin working on a larger "Oliver" by the end of the year. This is not written in stone yet, but that is our tentative plan. I will give all of you the scoop as soon as I know something definate!!! Northwoods Northwoods, I'd be glad to provide input as a prospective buyer if you ever do that sort of thing. My wife and I have owned a 31' Carri-Lite fiver, a 22' Arctic Fox TT, a 31' Arctic Fox TT, and a 26' Holiday Rambler TT (the current rig). We've also owned a number of boats so we know our way around fiberglass ... Cheers, Stuart

Well this is definitely a lively bunch, isn't it? I can just see the new 2009 Oliver brochures proudly highlighting the stripper pole, the first to be installed as a standard production item in *any* RV : "Our careful research shows that none of the high-end rigs like Provost offer this glittering feature - for the new model year we've even included a special place in the silverware drawer to keep extra $1 bills for tipping as appropriate". Thanks to all for their responses! Cheers, Stuart

This is our first stop when shopping for a campground : http://www.rvparkreviews.com/. It's based entirely on camper-submitted reviews. Cheers, Stuart

Greetings all ... I'm new to this forum but not to RVs (we're on #4). I must say that I'm intrigued by the Oliver size / quality, the loyal owner community evidenced by this forum, and by the ability to customize the unit at the factory - it seems I spend the first few months with each rig adding this or changing that just to get things the way they should've been in the first place. We just got back from a 1,600 mile 9 day loop down into the Great Smokies with our current rig, a Dodge Ram 3500 SRW and a 26' Holiday Rambler TT. The $4.50 a gallon diesel got a bit old after the first 150 gallons or so. So something that might tow a bit easier and give us better mileage would be a good thing! One quick question that probably belongs in the FAQs. I searched but didn't find anything that clearly explains what the chrome pole inside the trailer is for and if it can be removed. I saw one post re: twin beds that implied it can be removed to make the one twin longer (good because I'm 6'1"). Also, are there any rumblings about a longer/wider unit at some point in the future? Thanks in advance! Stuart