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dougi

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Everything posted by dougi

  1. I'm pretty lame when it comes to hooking up audio and video equipment properly. I'll likely need some help. I did get the Satellite radio to work, after some help from their tech folks. However, when the sat radio is sending its FM signals to the Jensen radio, the Fantastic Vent fan provides a noticeable static, so I turn it off in order to hear the sat radio. Also, when I am recharging some 12V device anywhere in the trailer, it causes the sat radio not to work. I think I need to take the trailer to an audio/video specialist to have them check things out and improve reception and reproduction where possible.
  2. On our return trip from Oliver to Texas we got 17 MPG towing with our 2002 Silverado Big Dually diesel crew cab truck. I was astounded at that mileage. We drove slow, at between 50 and 60 MPH, mostly at 55 MPH. Now I have set up the portable satellite dish at home and am watching TV on our Jensen 19 inch TV. I assume there is a way to run the TV sound through the Jensen radio and the four speakers located in the trailer? Maybe someone can tell me how to do this? Also, I tried to program the Direct TV remote control to operate the TV but no luck. Does anyone know the correct 5 digit code for these remotes? The ones Direct TV gave me do not work. It's always nice to program the Satellite Remote control to operate both the TV and the satellite receiver. Has anyone done this?
  3. The hot water heater fills us automatically any time it is empty and you use your water pump or hook up to city water connections. It may be a good idea to confirm this by turning on a hot water faucet and getting all the air out of the lines prior to turning on the electrical switch outside the trailer, behind the hot water heater door. The electrical switch should be left on constantly while you are camped with shore power, if you want to heat with electricity rather than propane. It should be turned off (1) when you are charging your batteries with a generator so as not to use generator power to heat your water, and (2) any time you drain your hot water tank. Propane and electricity can be used simultaneously, if you wish, and will heat up the water as fast as possible. What I have not confirmed yet is whether or not you can use electricity to heat your water while the interior hot water heater switch is off, but my expectation is that you could. If you are hooked up to shore power and both the exterior 110 AC switch and the interior propane switch is on, I think you will be using both sources of power to heat your water, unless the electrical power is adequate to serve your hot water needs without the propane coming on. Perhaps some more long-term Oliver users can confirm or correct any of my above assumptions.
  4. It looks great Herm. I really like the looks of the floor and the upholstery. You have done a lot of driving between Florida and Minnesota.
  5. I've also wondered about the thermostat location, considering it could be a wet area. However, I can't really think of a better place for them. It's centrally located, not near windows or other vents, and at an appropriate height. Regarding the water heater, we have only used it on propane. Because it heats up very quickly on propane, we are able to switch it on a few minutes before there's a need for hot water. I think the reason for the electric switch being on the outside is that one would typically turn it on and leave it on, as the time to heat/reheat on electicity is much longer. That's my theory anyway. I'm with Bugeye on the AC noise...there's no such thing as a quite AC. But when it's hot, I'll take my loud AC over no AC any day. I can sleep through noise better than through hot, humid air. Herm We will also take the noise and vibration over the heat but that doesn't keep us from wishing that the A/C manufacturers would build quieter and more energy efficient units. It might cost us a bit more but it would be worth it IMO. I might look into lining the shroud with some sound insulating materials to help absorb the sound waves. Some kind of soft material incorporated where the unit mounts onto the trailer might help with the vibration issue. We camped in a strong rain in Natchez Trace State Park Mississippi and had no leaks that we noticed. That was a blessing for us. Thanks Oliver! As to the hot water 110AC switch, it needs to be switched off every time one uses the generator to recharge the batteries. Otherwise, the hot water heater will cause the generator to needlessly run the hot water heater on electricity, using more fuel in your generator. The lack of an interior 110AC switch is not a big deal but it would be a plus for convenience and be a reminder to turn it off prior to using your generator. Chris and Cherie, if and when you come up with a mounting/orientation improvement for your interior antenna box, please share it with the board. I've noticed that when I remove the antenna from it's mount and point it downward it seems to help to keep the two lights on the amplifier green rather than red. Good luck with your political activities. Nevada is a swing state, and therefore very important to the outcome of the election.
  6. We have found the furnace to be noticeably quieter than the air conditioner and that has been a pleasant surprise. I can't help but think that RV A/C manufacturers could make their units quieter and more energy efficient, if people demanded they do so. My guess is that the vast majority of RV A/C units are sold to RV manufacturers, rather than RVers, and they don't care how noisy they are so long as they are cheap and serve to help keep the cost of their units low. I'll tell you what is quiet and that's the hot water heater. I can't even hear it when it cycles on and starts burning propane. Do you other Oliver owners run your hot water heaters on electricity when connected to shore power? I like to do so in order to save my propane every chance I get. In order to do this, I have to switch the hot water heater on 110 AC outside, and then turn it off when I run my generator to recharge the battery. I think there should be an inside switch for this. All my other RV's had this switch inside the unit. Another surprise was that I found my wall controls for the A/C, the furnace, and the vent fan were all located just to the left of the kitchen sink, where they might get wet. I thought these were going to be mounted on a wall next to one of the beds so they could be operated while we were in bed. I asked about this and was told this is where they always put them. I think they should be placed where they can be operated without getting out of bed, in case you want to change a setting without getting up in the middle of the night.
  7. We have found that the Coleman Polar Cub 9,200 BTU air conditioner is very noisy, even when the fan is on low. It sometimes wakes us up at night when the compressor cycles on. The entire trailer hums with minor vibration when the compressor is on. Is this normal, based on other's experience with this A/C?
  8. No Doug, it's not just you. I've also had a fair number of things that needed attention - some that were quickly taken care of the next morning, and some that became evident later. It's unfortunate that we're now back in Minnesota (we did not allow time in our schedule for a return trip to Hohenwald), but I have complete confidence that the company will make it right. Herm, congrats on YOUR new trailer. I saw it when I picked up mine. Nice! Sorry I missed meeting you. The folks at Oliver are all very nice and accommodating. Occasionally, one of our window treatments will come undone and fall down on one side or the other, but they are very easy to put back up. I think we have everything on ours working, except the heat strip on the AC. Apparently, they get too hot and automatically trip off, causing them to be worthless. The cell phone signal amplifier and repeater is still unusable. At this point, I would advise anyone to save your money and not get this option. Maybe it can be made to be useful, but so far, no luck. I'm going to contact the seller of this equipment and see if they can offer any suggestions. Maybe Pete and Oscar can help me when I meet up with them at the Matagorda Madness Rally in early December.
  9. Hi Sherry and Paul, We are now back in Texas, visiting my Birth Mom in Pasadena, just south of Houston. We will head home on Monday, after my Brother has his heart surgery Monday morning. I look forward to getting home and better organizing our trailer. Geneva took far too many clothes for this trip and they made us very crowded in the trailer. We forgot our remote control and couldn't watch any TV during our trip. I'm glad I got the satellite radio because that is what I used to keep up with the news. I wished the news had been better. I'm concerned for our Nation.
  10. I'm becoming accustomed to the narrow twin bed opposite the dinette. My wife is still having her problems with the rear twin bed, primarily because she can't seem to stay still when she sleeps. Be careful and watch out for the tee-nuts that fit on the bolts on each side of the the retracting step. They can quickly loosen during travel and fall off, eventually damaging the threads on the bolts. I will put Locktite on them when I get home, but I've already lost one nut and have purchased a replacement. The trailer tows like a dream. I got 16.36 MPG towing the trailer with my 2002 Silverado Big Dually Diesel Duramax at speeds primarily between 50 and 60 mph, much of it on the Natchez Trace Parkway, which we traveled up and back between Natchez and Hohenwald. All three parks on the Parkway are free and are very nice. We stayed at both Meriwether Lewis and Rocky Springs. We drove through Jeff Bigsby (sp) and it too is nice.
  11. Tonight and tomorrow night we are staying at Natchez Trace State Park, about 10 miles west of Tupelo, MS. The park is nice but not fancy. It has full hookups for $14 per night for seniors (65 and up). I think that is a good value. The park is on a lake and the camp sites are right on the lake. We have phone service although it's not real strong. We have broadband internet through Verizon. This morning we were at Oliver getting some things working right. Left just before noon and drove down to Tupelo on the Parkway. Wednesday we head for Natchez to stay a couple of days and see the town and the antebellum homes. Natchez, MS and Savanna, GA are two Southern towns that were spared the burnings during the Civil War.
  12. Sherry, there are 32 sites at Meriwether Lewis (mile 385.9), 18 sites at Jeff Busby (mile 193.1), and 22 sites at Rocky Springs (mile 54.8). Miles are from Natchez, MS. We do have cell phone service and broadband internet on Verizon here at Meriwether Lewis. I'll post from the other site we stay at, if we have internet access (cell phone service on Verizon). If not, I'll post when I do have access. Our cell phone amplifier and booster is almost worthless as it is currently installed. It amplifies for a few seconds and then stops for a minute or two, dropping our calls when it stops. It is not reliable enough to use at this point. I think the interior antenna will have to be reinstalled at a different location or different orientation from its current location and orientation. Maybe some other users of this system can offer some suggestions? I've noticed that when I take the interior antenna from its mount and hold it facing down, rather than rearward, the system works pretty well, but who is going to stand there and hold it while I use the computer or cellphone? No one I know.
  13. Sherry, this campground is about one mile from the Lewis Monument and is well suited for big rigs. There are a number of pull-thru sites and most sites can accommodate 40 foot rigs with a dingy. According to what I'm told by the campground host, who is present only during October and November, this place is almost empty during other times, but is almost full when the snowbirds start coming down from the north. This is the nicest free campground I've ever seen and there are two more on the Parkway, south of here, on the Parkway. I plan to stay at one of them on our return trip home.
  14. It's currently in the design phase. I'm told it will have higher interior ceilings and a tandem axles. The trailer is being designed to accommodate larger people who want more space. I saw the first frame for the new trailer being worked on. Production will be early next year. Anyone want to trade up to the 21 foot model? If so, call Robert.
  15. When we left the campground that Oliver paid for, we went to Meriwether Lewis Park Campground at mile 385.9 on the Natchez Trace Parkway and camped free. There are no hookups but there's water (with threaded faucets) and flush toilets are available in the campground. It is well maintained by the National Park Service and very attractive with a lot of trees. You can't find a site that is not shaded, so your solar panels will not do you much good. There are fire rings/grills, and picnic tables at each site. Roads are all paved as are the trailer pads. We like the place very much and have spent several days here. The price is right (free) and the park is great. Hiking trails surround the park. Meriwether Lewis was shot, died, and buried here in the park in the fall of 1809. Driving on the Natchez Trace Parkway is a real treat. Unique in all America. Low traffic, none commercial, 50 MPH speed limit, great fuel milage, no stop signs, no billboards, no private driveways, just very beautiful scenery and a peaceful drive with much history to learn and share. Try it. I think you'll like it.
  16. I'll be implementing this innovative solution when we get home among all the field mice. I will not be surprised to see them chew through the foam, but it's got to be better than nothing. I guessing that when the wind gets up the loose cover will bang against the side of the trailer, keeping us awake, so if anyone has a solution for this, please share.
  17. Two more things I like very much are: The electric leveling jacks. Makes setting up and taking down much much easier. The bulldog hitch. Never a hitch when hitching up or unhitching.
  18. What we like most: Window treatments. The day/night/combo blinds are wonderful. Back-up camera and monitor. It gives me a great view of what's behind the trailer while driving. Overall trailer quality and design. It's seems great, as everyone said it would be. What we like least: Cell phone amplifier and repeater. Very unreliable so far. I hope to get it working better as I become more familiar with it. May have to relocate the inside antenna to get it to work properly. Beds are too small. Getting used to them, but they are only 2 feet wide and no more than 6 feet long. May ultimately regret getting the twin bed option due to narrowness of the twin beds. The rear bed is awkward to get in and out of, and won't get any easier as one ages. Too many things not working properly when we picked up the trailer. However, they are fixed courteously and promptly when you go back to the factory. Plan to stay nearby for several days, if necessary, to get everything fixed. May be just our poor luck?
  19. I have no problem with our table pedestal. It seems like an ideal compromise between cost vs. benefit and simplicity vs. complexity.
  20. Sounds like a worthwhile modification. I'm too lazy. I keep a small headlight inside the entry door and use it every night to walk our pooch and get stuff from the truck.
  21. IMO, solid as can be. No sway control necessary.
  22. I've never had any difficulty finding propane retailers, even in the smaller towns. I am very pleased with our two 20 pound composite tanks. They are worth the extra costs to us. We aren't getting any stronger these days and the lighter tanks are easier to handle and manage for us.
  23. Hello to All: Geneva and I picked up our new Oliver on Wednesday, September 24, 2008, and are now camped at the (free) Meriwether Lewis Park on the Natchez Trace Parkway (mile 385.9) near Hohenwald, TN. We will go to the Oliver facility in the morning to get some final small problems corrected. At my request, our trailer was weighed by Oliver prior to delivery, totally empty, and it weighed 3,540. We have not weighed it since loading it up. For comparison purposes with your trailer, we have added the following options to the Elite that weigh enough to be considered (my weights for the options are estimates, but should be close to actual): Twin bed option in back, standard setup across from the galley. Plus 100 lbs. Two 100W solar panels mounted on the roof (no satellite dome). Plus net 60 lbs. Aluminum tongue basket on hitch. Plus 20 lbs. Two composite 20 pound propane bottles. Minus 20 lbs. The rest of the options are of minimal weight, but in total may add 20 lbs. Therefore, a fully equipped Elite, without options, would likely weigh about 3,360 lbs, or 960 pounds above the 2,400 pound weight listed in the web site. The bottom line for us is that we can't tow our oliver with our Toyota RAV4 and be within it's towing limitations, thereby costing us either what extra money it will take to tow with the Silverado big dually diesel, or the additional cost of a new tow vehicle, or the risk of towing with a vehicle that may expose us to substantial legal liabilities and an inability to collect on our insurance. That's disappointing, but we will just live with it. There is no problem with the carrying capacity because the trailer is rated at 4,500 GVWR, leaving 960 pounds of carrying capacity. I trust this post offends no one. It is not my intention to do so.
  24. When you tow your trailer at 90 MPH, I doubt there is any place in the Oliver that your meds would be safe. Sorry, MB, I couldn't resist teasing you about that.
  25. When you feel it necessary to personally reprimand or admonish a poster, please do it privately in an email, a PM, or over the phone. The quickest way to insure that this forum will turn bitter and discourteous is for moderators to scold board members in front of all other board members. This is a major NO No when dealing with people. Thanks for your consideration, Doug As a forum member here "Please do not speak for me" . If in your above post you were referring to yourself.... well then I may understand. Moderation of this forum is anything but oppressive and i don't think members are going to rally with you under the banner of "The Downtrodden" . Even the biggest of egos here seem able to be the friendliest and most helpful of any of the forums I frequent, aaah ...such a breath of fresh air! I for one would certainly be disappointed if things went the way you suggested they might. Hoping all will be able to offer each other a handshake of reconciliation on this forum when disagreements arise I wish you all long sunny days and happy travels. -Wayne Wayne, I can assure you that I was speaking for no one but myself when I made this suggestion to the moderators. If you think it is a poor suggestion, I encourage you to make an alternate suggestion. If you want other Board members scolding you in front of all the other Board members, you can make that sentiment known. IMO, none of this is about me, about you, or about anyone. It's not personal and I see no relationships that have been torn to the point where any "reconciliation" is called for. I think it's about the Oliver Forum and Oliver Travel Trailers. I think that the Oliver Forum is terrific, and that all the board members are terrific. I think the Oliver Travel Trailer Company is terrific. I think the Oliver travel Trailers are terrific. The only think I think that needs some attention is that we don't have to take everything personally, get upset with others, dislike others because we suspect they have misplaced intentions or inflated ego's, or whatever. We all have the ability to assume that people are well intentioned and are nice individuals, until it becomes painfully obvious, through direct personal contact with them, that they are not. We are not yet doing that on this forum, but I see no reason we can't, and I see no reason we shouldn't. Thanks, Doug
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