Trainman

We have ordered the bike rack with our new trailer because my wife wants to take her bike with her, I personally don't care to ride a bicycle that much anymore, but an E-Bike does sound like a option I might go with. Looking at the rack with the small 1 1/4" tube mount just is not to my liking, but changing it out to a 2" one looks very doable. It's just bolted on with U bolts by the picture as I have not seen this rack in person, but I see many options for a heavies duty bicycle racks then this one is. All being said, I will have to know the strength of the aluminum that Oliver used in there bicycle rack before I could make any decisions in modifying there rack. Keeping the weight as close to the trailer as possible is what you want, not stuck out 2-4 feet beyond the hitch mount. trainman

When I purchase a new vehicle I pretty much have in mind what I'm going to buy before I buy it. Having looked and read about everything out there and how great each is it pretty much comes down to looking at the pros and the cons and when it comes to a new pickup truck it's getting pretty much down to color choice. One thing I don't do is set around the campfire and get into a discussion why one is better then the other, I like to listen and just hear how bias some can be over there truck and how inferior yours is, they may not say it in so may words, but it's implied. Talking about the Oliver trailer is much more enjoyable and why we made such a good choice. trainman

Quick question, since we don't have our new Oliver until July, will I have to raise the dinette seat everytime to to open the flush value so the water will come in from the connected hose outside. Looks like a one-way valve would work here and save the flush time by not having to move the cushion and seat base to get to it. Has there be an upgrade to this system or does it still operate this way. trainman

Thanks for the responses, all I needed was the fitting that plugs into the Oliver quick disconnect, since I have the quick disconnects on my Casita which I installed myself I shouldn't have probably not asked the question as the ones I have will work with the Oliver. Thanks once again for your input, do note that you do not use any regulators that come with the LP grills, or campfires, you are getting your regulated LP gas through the trailer quick dis-connect LP system that is all ready regulated by the trailer regulator. trainman

I have an Elite II on order and would like to know what type/style/model LP fittings will work with the quick dis-connects on the trailer that Oliver uses. I want to get my extra lines, etc. all setup so when we pickup our trailer I will have the correct fittings for our LP gas grill and Little Red campfire. I would think its this 1/4" style with the long end, https://www.ebay.com/itm/1-4-RV-Propane-Quick-Connect-Dis-Connect-Fittings-LP-Natural-Gas-Shutoff-Valves/332727949172?hash=item4d78219774:g:JJEAAOSw1r5bUqxJ trainman

A sign from the past, I guess they didn't have stabilizers back in the old days to help with wind and trailer movement, trainman

Well it's going to be close, the Little Red Campfire will fit ok, but the grill I have is 17 3/4" Deep, 16 1/8" Wide, and 12" Tall, it's going to iffy it it will go, but turning it and moving it to the right might work. All being said, it's been riding in the back of the truck for the last 1 1/2 years when we go camping, so why change now. Thanks for the info everyone. trainman

We have a new Oliver on order and just wondering what the actual size of the outside opening to the storage area is, not the door opening, but the opening to the storage area. Just wanting to know so I can see what size grill and fire pit will fit through the opening for when traveling. If you have the inside dimensions of the storage area that would be nice to, but the door opening is what I really need, thanks. trainman

Welcome, always nice to see another Texan take the plunge with an Oliver, we did two weeks ago and our trailer starts production this week, they say we are to pick it up July 8th. We also have a Casita at the present time, so time is not so important. We ordered another set of Anderson wheel levelers and a 25ft. propane extension hose and we ready to go in our new trailer. I'm glad we got one I don't have to do any real upgrades this time, just hitch and go. Hope to see you on down the road in your new Oliver. John and Susan trainman

Just wondering if anyone has tried any of these tool boxes, https://www.amazon.com/s?k=trailer+tongue+toolbox&hvadid=4966905251&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&tag=mh0b-20&ref=pd_sl_502xy55thh_e trainman

Thanks John

I don't know how thick of rubber you want, but the stall mats sold at Tractor Supply are pretty tough rubber, the smaller ones are 1/2" thick and are around $20 for a 3x4' panel. I've used them for rear bed mats for my pickup and bed mat for my 4x4 Polaris. I believe Tractor Supply sells small ones that lock together, but don't know the price. Checkout the website for prices and styles if that's something you can use. trainman

I would say, do your homework and not rely on the sales person for your towing needs. Remember sales personal are there to sell vehicles, but I will say that dealers that are on the outskirts of the larger city type dealers are much more knowledgeable for towing needs. I live in Ft. Worth, Texas where many trucks are setup for towing, but I purchase my new Ram from a dealer that was 35 north of the metroplex and just about every truck they had in stock was setup for towing, it's a farming and cattle area where these type of vehicles are needed for daily use, and the sales personal is very well informed on what works and what doesn't. trainman

I did pretty much the same thing in our Casita with a Memory foam mattress from Walmart. We have the twin setup in our Casita and the memory form works great, I just purchased a queen 4" mattress and cut it into two haves which made them 30" each and them trimmed the ends so the rounded corners would fit the ends of the trailer. Since these mattress are pretty much new I will be using them in our new Oliver, I will have to shorten the mattress a couple of inches as the Casita bed is 80" long and the Oliver is 75" long. We did put these mattresses on top of the factory cushions and the results were great sleeping and they had the correct firmness that we both liked. Ordering the correct firmness can be guess work, but we made the correct choice on the first order. For the $140.00 we spent on this mattress we thought we got a great deal and didn't have to spend the $1500.00 for the Oliver mattresses. trainman

We ordered our new Elite II with the 1.25" receiver rack and just wondering how much weight on the average will it add to the rear of the trailer, plus a two bike bicycle rack, and two bicycles ( 7-speed, 26", Cruiser style bikes ). Approximately what do you think the weight will be and will I have to add that much weight to the tongue end of the trailer to keep the weight balanced to that 10/15% of the trailer weight. I might guess the total weight to be 125 lbs. , but that just guessing, what do you think from your experiences. trainman

I think for you the best thing you can do is find someone who is pulling travels today and can help you with instruction on how to do things the correct and proper way. I do find that at the Casita Rallies that there are always people there to help new owners on backing, setups, and just things you need to know. I would never suggest that you just start off down the road form the dealer and learn as you go, too many factors involved here. I myself have been towing trailers of all types for over 55 years and even today things arise that need to be given some thought before going on, that is making the wrong decision can be very costly and even dangerous to you and others. I don't know if there are classes on RV towing, but there should be from what I've seen some people doing with there trailers. I feel you can do it, just get the proper training from someone who knows. trainman

Heather O, gave us a camping spot at Davy Crockett State for the first night and we opted for 1-2 extra days which is on us. Our delivery date is July 8th, this will be a good place to checkout the trailer and since it is close to the Oliver Plant we could return if need be. Oliver also have hookup facilities there at there place that are free to use when coming to Oliver for either viewing new trailers, or warranty work. All being said, staying close for a few days is probably a good thing. trainman

We to have been going back and forth between the Oliver Elite II and the Airstream 23FB and this week decided to go with the Oliver. We own a Casita at this time and have fallen in love with the fiberglass trailers over the last two years. When camping at rallies we toured many Olivers, Escapes, and Bigfoots and always told ourselves that the Oliver would be our next trailer. I have to admit that we almost went with the Airstream, but something keep telling me the Oliver was what we really wanted and a trailer built the way I like stuff done, 1st class all the way. The airstream defiantly has more room, duct-ed A/C, bath with a separate shower, Nev-R-Lub wheel bearings, etc., but I think once the fiberglass thing bites, your hooked. We know we made the correct decision with the Oliver and will never look back. Two different trailers, where the Oliver says camping at its best both in a camping ground, or boondocking, where the Airstream for me says, camping grounds only. trainman

Oliver will get my second payment at the end of March, is that when I get my hull # and is that when they start production. trainman

I would put a 2x12 stick of lumber (or whatever combination of lumber) in the ditch so the front wheels don't go so low when crossing the ditch/gutter/whatever to raise the front wheels, thus raising the hitch. I do question the raise of the trailer hitch ball so high, this just lowers the rear of the trailer more and could cause the trailer to hit the driveway when backing up the 7% grade. Lumber in low areas can solve a lot of problems as it is probably the easiest and least expensive way to solve this problem. I only know this from experience. trainman

Well after enjoying our Casita for the last couple of camping seasons we have just signed on the dotted line and will be getting our new Elite II in July. We are John and Susan L. from Ft. Worth, Texas and since the day we saw our first Oliver at a Casita Rally we said, that's our next trailer. I won't go into all the qualities of the Oliver, you all know about that and yes, I'm pretty picky about my stuff and the Oliver became our choice, so it's done. I go by "trainman" on the forums and also on the model railroad forums, yes I like trains, my favorite in the D&RGW Narrow Gauge, like in Durango and Chama. Susan and I both enjoy the outdoors and when at home we spend a lot of time outdoors, we do enjoy a glass of wine down by the lake enjoying the sites on our property. We will pass on the "Boondocking" part of camping, but spending a night in a Walmart parking lot is about as far we go when it comes to no hookups. We ordered our new Oliver without all the solar stuff and some of the other electronics that are available, we can stay home if we need to and enjoy that type of living there. I'm a real perfectionist and hands on guy and no project is something I won't give it a go, well I should say, if I will do it at this point in my life. Susan is an exceptional person and fits in where ever needed, she can handle it, I probably don't give her enough credit for the things she does. We both enjoy meeting and talking with others, I'm pretty outgoing, Susan is a little more reserved, thank goodness one of us is, she keeps me inline. We both are looking forward to meeting many of you down the road, camping is a wonderful experience enjoyed by many. trainman and trooper, John and Susan L.

I will have nothing to do with trains, well maybe a little bit now and then. trainman

Thanks for the responses, looks like we probably won't be needing one, just because of actual using it, or should I say not using it. Coming from a Casita a trailer that didn't have too many options to start with and for some reason we didn't seem to miss-out on too many things, we should be ok without one. I know I'm asking a lot of questions and many I probably know the answers to, but then again you learn something everyday and knowledge from owners like you will just help in making a decision for the correct setup for us, Thanks trainman

We just ordered a Elite II the other day and did not want the Inverter as we have not had a need for one in the past. I have no problems doing the work myself as long as I have the wiring diagram and know what parts are needed. Just any thoughts on this would be appreciated, I can still add one to our build sheet if need be, we did not order any solar equipment or extra batteries as we don't Boondock, only a Walmart stop if we have to. I did look at the wiring diagrams in the Oliver University site, but no Inverter wiring diagrams there. trainman

Great, I'm glad I own every tool known to mankind, now I just have to carry it with me. One thing I noticed about the hitch is that the 1.25" receiver part looks like it is mounted to the hitch framework with two U-Bolts, couldn't you just remove it and replace it with a short piece of receiver tubing to have a 2.0" mounting. I have seen these for sale, maybe it was etrailer who has them, they were steel, but maybe someone has them in aluminum. Also maybe you can just remove the 1.25" bracket and the cover for the spare will come off, don't have a trailer to look yet, so this is just an observation from looking at the picture. trainman