Ollie-Haus

Still time for Cyber Monday deals. I put this kit together today for emergency tire changes and more. The little 1/2" impact is amazingly powerful, and the sockets will work for most tow vehicles and trailers. The kit stows nicely in the back corner of the truck bed. Plenty of juice to change multiple tires or just for general use. I had to use a pipe cutter to trim about 3/4" of the plastic guard from the 19mm socket to make it work on the Oliver rims, but that piece can be left on as in the picture for other uses. https://www.northerntool.com/milwaukee-m12-fuel-cordless-stubby-impact-wrench-kit-1-2in-drive-250-ft-lbs-torque-2-batteries-model-2555-22-72955 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C98ZHKQX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1&tag=fordtremor06-20

Love the flag pole mount concept, we have a similar pole configuration. How is the coax routed up the pole? Just wonder if the flag will get caught up in the wire. I was considering the same type of mount only for a shortwave/GMRS base antenna setup.

I can absolutely appreciate the durability of the panels, but my original intent was to create a permanent solution to protecting our Calmark cover from the sharp edges of the panel frames, and make cover installation easier. Turns out both were accomplished and the aesthetic improvement was a bonus. But by no means does every owner need this. I thought if it worked for us maybe others that use a storage cover would want to have the option. The whole project cost under $100 with the Formufit brand furniture PVC ordered through Home Depot. It does take a little patience and carpentry skill to cut and fit the assembly to the panels, but once complete, it only takes a few minutes to install or remove if you ever need to.

Welcome to the Oliver family. Sounds like you guys have lots of fun times ahead. Hopefully you can plan to attend the annual Owners Rally next May. You’ll meet lots of other owners and have a lot of fun. It’s the week fallowing Mother’s Day.

Of course one must have the required tools to actually accomplish the level condition, but the Levelmate Pro tells you exactly what you need to achieve level. We shoot for at least marginally level sites to start with and use the leveling wedges to accomplish the job. Sitting in the cab and rolling into the wedge you know exactly when you are at level. Chock the wheels, unhitch and level the tongue the same way and done. Love it.

If anyone has been considering the Levelmate Pro+ Amazon has a great deal going. Love mine, takes minutes to level up the camper when setting up. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083ZMZPR8/ref=syn_sd_onsite_desktop_0?ie=UTF8&pd_rd_plhdr=t&aref=E1D817237BBAC56D29C60E0FB0F93BD6FAAB932FB1C7E241DD083DED270EED39&th=1

Funny you mention the mother ship reference. You'll find a lot of folks have an appreciation for the Olivers, but don't get what kind of folks would spend so much on a "small camper with no slides". All I can say is if you haven't owned one you will never understand. It is a camper designed for a certain kind of camping couple in mind. That's why when you watch the testimonials, those that have an Oliver usually knew from the first sight of one that it was the camper for them. Just an FYI, you will find that some of the manuals posted on the Oliver University have updated versions available from the manufacturer web site. Just a few, but the few revisions contain import information. I wouldn't go looking at this point, but when you have your camper, if something doesn't make since in a manual, just look to see if there's an updated version available. Much of the tech equipment on board gets updated regularly by the manufacturer, so just be aware.

welcome to the family. I'm sure you will be pleased with your experience with Oliver the company and the camper they are building for YOU! That's the hardest thing to realize when going through this process, that you placed and order for a camper and Oliver has your name on it from the moment you sign your agreement, and that lasts for as long as you own your Oliver. This is hard to grasp especially if you've had multiple poor experiences with campers and dealers in the past. Either unfortunately or fortunately most Oliver owners have had many of the same experiences, or know of them first hand, and that's why they are now Oliver owners. They didn't give up on camping and their dreams, they just figured out the best way to make it a rewarding experience. BTW, if you have paid your initial installment and they have you on the build schedule, you have a VIN and a Hull number. Ask your sales rep to get that information for you. We worked through Josh White and he forwarded those numbers to us as soon as we were added to the build schedule. This is useful as you can get insurance quotes and other important information if you have the VIN. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of the moment come delivery day. Just try to stay focused, there's actually much to do now until that date arrives. And go in knowing that these are still built by people trying to keep up with a production schedule. Mistakes happen and flaws get missed during QC processes. Oliver will make anything that needs attention right, and you will be their priority when you are there to pick up your camper. Try to allow time in your schedule to go through a good shakedown while in Tennessee. And anything that is found later is still important to them. Also remember its a high quality camper but they still have to rely on the quality control of their suppliers. Things still break. Oliver will help make it right if it does. Congratulations and enjoy the experience. It's unique to the industry just as the camper is unique in every way. Make sure to sign up for the owners rally in mid May. It's a great experience and you will make a lot of friends.

I ordered a set of parts from Formufit and I may assemble the frame with the materials as received and than make my cuts. If you cut the material first it collapses slightly and then probably wouldn't solvent weld very good. My first frame I built with screws only because I recognized the the changes after cutting as the joints fit very loose, requiring a few more screws than I had originally planned. Now that I know the precise dimensions for my tubes I could solvent weld up the frame, let it set a day or so and then add a couple flat head screws at each joint with the nylon locking nuts on the back side, then make all my cuts. I haven't determined in my mind if this is the best approach but may give it a go. If I do I'll post a more detailed account of the build and installation.

Love all the great pics and stories folks are sharing. Keep them coming and everyone jump in and share your pet joy! Morning squirrel watch currently: Freshly groomed for the Fall season the other day:

Correct. It was a simple channel jig 60" long and the space between the 2x4's was the width of the pvc. I clamped the pvc on each end with a small C-clamp and used a simple battery circular saw with a carbide blade and a rip guide set to the right cut position. It cut the pipe like butter and very clean. The front and rear pieces need a 1/8" deeper cut on the bottom side to allow clearance for the panel mounting frame/legs. The corners I actually cut with a hand held oscillating cutter. I laid the corner piece flat on the table and held it firmly with one hand and used a spacer to hold the cutting blade the correct height off the surface of the table. The blade cuts the pvc easily. I realize this is just bits and pieces of information but it's the primary information you need to get started. There's more than one way to go about the fabrication and I already know I would approach it a bit differently if I built another one. If you have more questions, just pm me and I'll try to fill in the gaps.

So I've spent a little time researching this evening and there's clearly a product that's perfect for this project if anyone is entertaining a pvc guard to your solar panels. Formufit is an American made furniture grade PVC product line that's UV inhibited and has a much higher strength than standard PVC pluming pipe. It has a nice glossy finish that matches the fiberglass on the camper. You can get it direct from the company, Home Depot or even Amazon. For this project you would need 4 pcs 1-1/4" tube 60" long and 4 pcs 1-1/4" 90 deg. elbows. https://formufit.com/

Along with a fresh wax job, that pvc frame made installing the caver very easy. Started at the back and unrolled towards the front. Then stood on the bumper and pulled the cover back and down until it was centered on the camper. It was so smooth and slippery the cover just glided into position.

Thanks John, and I appreciate the tip on preserving the integrity of the material. Per the link you provided I think I’ll paint the frame with a PVC furniture paint. Like any PVC you buy at the big box store, this has scuffs and stains on it so it’d look better painted anyway and would shield from the sun. Regarding the CAD software, I subscribe to AutoCad LT. I believe it’s around $400 if paid annually and there’s no contract. If you let it expire you retain your account and can renew at any time. You also have the option to pay monthly at a slightly higher cost if you only want to use it occasionally. I don’t know if it’s Mac compatible. There are other 2D and 3D software products out there that are cheaper but being an old dog I didn’t want to have to learn a new system. It works for my needs. Oh and you can transpose the image colors when printing.

In the interest of making the solar panels much more cover friendly, as in Calmark storage cover, and to just add a touch of finished look to the panels to match the color of the Oliver, I fabricated a permanent guard from 1-1/4" PVC pipe. It's notched out such that it just sits over the perimeter of the solar panels and fastens through the panel frames in 6 locations. No need to remove, but if the panels need service it takes about 10 minutes to remove in one assembled piece. I'm sure not everyone's cup of tea but I think it serves the purpose well which it's intended. I made a straight jig out of a 12"x60" piece of plywood with two 2x4's attached to hold the pvc rigid. I used a guide on the side of a circular saw to cut the pvc into the needed profile.

I know this is an old thread, but I'd like to broaden the topic by asking if owners in cold climate conditions can comment on the heat produced by the inverter charger located under the streetside bed? We have the 3000 watt Xantrex in our 2023 Oliver, and I've noticed as @John E Davies mentioned earlier in the thread that the inverter produces significant heat in that compartment. I have a tracking WIFI temperature sensor in that space next to the outside shower box, and I'm wanting to see if the inverter has a significant effect on that space in cold temps. My thoughts being along the line of that being shared space with the outside shower connection, of course the inverter would only be producing significant heat while either charging the batteries or inverting battery power for 115v usage. If dry camping under battery/solar conditions, at night when the most inverter production is occurring, substantial heat would be produced during those critical hours. Just curious if anybody else has observed any effective benefit from this arrangement?

Love your scientific test methods! I'd love to help you in your analysis next time around! 😂 Good call on bringing the Ollie home to safety during deer season. I'd hate to find out the hard way what a stray high powered round does to the hull of an Oliver. The Ollie would be pretty invisible in the snow white countryside. Thanks for sharing your observations, actually pretty good information for us newbies. I've got tracking wifi thermometers in key locations in our Oliver to see how winter temps effect interior spaces. They wouldn't be much use in remote storage but in our driveway in Indiana they stay connected to the home WIFI for a permanent set of temp logs. Our first winter in storage will provide interesting data.

Thanks to my wife and our son, we are now Aeropress converts for life. We have a typical plug in induction water pot for any and all hot drink needs. Boils water faster than any other method. Using that to make tea, hot chocolate, hot toddies, you name it. Link: Induction Pot For coffee, the Aeropress is king. Once the water is boiling you can have a couple cups of perfect coffee in one minute each. No mess, simple clean up and fast. You pick your favorite coffee and grind. Very cheap and fast to operate. Stows away in the space of a coffee cup. link: Aeropress Video:

😆 I get what you're saying Steve, and to make it clear, this is an experiment first and foremost. I know I'll have the "climate" under control in the camper, but what I don't know is how much this will cost. 🙄 If it's ridiculous I'll simply revert to plan B. I do plan on keeping the camper just above freezing inside, we'll see how that works. Part of the experiment is on how well the little heater can keep up. Also how warm the basement spaces stay throughout the season. I have recording WIFI sensors in both sides and the battery compartment for tracking. Here's to throwing money out just for the fun of experimentation. 🍻

To directly address your question Steve, I would recommend closing the trailer up tight if you are using moisture absorbing packs. If you leave the vent open, whenever the humidity level outside rises higher than that in the camper, new moisture will be introduced into the camper which the desiccant will have to absorb. These packs only have so much capacity. If the camper is closed tight and the humidity level is brought down, the camper should remain dry after that until it's opened up again.

Ours will be sitting outside in Indiana. I'll be leaving the vents closed. I'm leaving a counter top dehumidifier running all winter in the Oliver. I don't think it's going to do much as when the temps drop below the 40 degree mark, it's readout on the front as well as a second hydrometer in the camper usually read a humidity level of less than 45%. I'm also leaving a small electric heater running all winter to keep the inside temps above freezing. This will allow the compressor style dehumidifier to run all winter without low temperature issues. It has a drain hose hanging in the galley sink so it won't have to be monitored regularly. Of course ours will remain connected to shore power throughout the winter storage. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BTBYT96F/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BB725X9J/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I haven't read through the entire thread, so I'm posting this risking it's already been mentioned. In a comment above you mentioned risking running out of water in exchange for longer stays in beautiful places. One thing I strongly encourage is considering a composting toilet based on your travel plans. 1. You will in effect double your fresh water capacity in a way because you will no longer be sending half your fresh water down the toilet. And if you can transition to sponge bathing you will use very little for that chore as well. We can easily go more than a week using most of our fresh water at the kitchen sink. 2. The whole drama of dump stations sort of fades into the background. We have yet to get in line at the dump station. You have many more options for dumping gray only, including that in most states you are allowed to dump gray water on the ground. You won't be able to at a park, but elsewhere it's fine. Some states encourage this practice to increase ground water around plants, etc. 3. The solids side of the composting toilet can last several weeks or months depending on your usage. We set up our composting toilet when we got the Oliver in May this year and just changed out the media for the first time this week while winterizing. We only use the camper toilet about half the time when at campgrounds so our usage is relatively low, but the system works perfectly and the whole waste disposal thing is very no drama for us. And we don't even own a so called stinky slinky. Our gray water is drained through a 3/4" garden hose dedicated for this purpose. The composting toilet just makes dry/extended camping a lot easier. BTW you can quickly switch to a standard toilet in the future with very little effort if you decide you want to go that route.

Funny thing is I already have six apps to monitor systems on our Oliver and for the most part they are on the phone just in case. I really don't do very much with them other than take a look once in a while. Having the GX Cerbo sounds nice but the stuff I monkey with the most are already on the Truma control. So like the inverter/charger, it would really just be a replacement. I do love the Victron equipment and also wouldn't be surprised if Oliver continues to move that way in the future.

We're just six months in but to date the Xantrex 3000w inverter charger on board has been flawless. The Bluetooth app is easy to use and makes adjustments to the charge rate a simple process. If we have to plug into a 15 or 20 amp outlet the change only takes seconds on the app. I too was toying with the thought of "upgrading" to the Victron down the road but if the Xantrex continues satisfactorily it will stay in place until it dies. I would be interested though to compare the efficiency of each brand and model in the interest of wasting less power while inverting.

I like the idea of spot facing the copper bars where needed. I also like the flanged nuts. If you could spot face a large enough area to allow for the flanged nuts on the battery studs that wouldn't be a bad idea. Like your idea and I too would run a test period to find out where you stand now. Knowing your connections are improved, any other issues could be traced to their true source. Electrical troubleshooting can be challenging. Here's an example. We had a relatively new front load washing machine, you know, the kind that have a hundred bells and whistles. The kind the average Joe can't work on. Just out of warranty I got an error code on the screen that indicated a failed main control board. You're talking $300 plus for the part. I was doing a little research and stumbled onto a discussion about failures due to poor connections on the connector plugs on the boards. The solution was to pull all the connections, clean inside the tiny spring sockets, clean all the wire pins on the board side, use a micro screwdriver to bend the inside of the plug socket contacts to increase their "squeeze" on the wire pins when plugged in, and finally smear a thin layer of dielectric grease on the contact surfaces. Sounds like a lot but actually took 20-30 minutes to do to all the plugs. Reassembled and tested. All was well and no more failures for the 5 years following the "repair". The new owners are still using the same washer and dryer. Now when I'm trouble shooting electrical, especially the new stuff with built in diagnostics, I always start by checking all connections and improving as described above to eliminate false error codes.