Rivernerd

This is an update based on data gathered over the past 6 days using the Varioheat furnace during cool weather on the Oregon Coast. We kept getting an error code on the CP Plus wall control unit advising that either the supply ducts or the return air vents were obstructed. It would shut down, then re-ignite. We ensured there was nothing under the bed on our standard floor plan Hull #1291, but the error codes persisted. So, I removed the air filter I installed as described in my original post on this thread. VOILA! No more error messages. I have concluded that the Varioheat furnace is calibrated to function without a filter, and that my addition of a filter set off an airflow sensor causing it to shut down. So, my experiment with a homemade add-on filter created an unintended failure. I plan to leave the filter off of my Varioheat. I recommend you do the same.

The only weight distribution hitch that works with the Elite II is the Andersen. I expect your F150 owners manual requires a weight distribution hitch when towing over 5K lbs. If so, you need the Andersen. We use an Andersen with our 2019 Tundra tow vehicle. Once you get used to it, easy-peasy.

The quality of posts on this forum, the quality performance history of Oliver's Service Department and the overall quality of Oliver travel trailers all persuaded my wife and me to pay the premium, and drive all the way to Tennessee, to acquire our Elite II last November. Our only "camping" experience in it so far has been the 2000+ mile "shakedown" drive back to home to Idaho. It remained stored during the longest winter experienced in central Idaho for many years. Yet so far, none of the three things mentioned above (the forum, the Service Department and the overall quality) have disappointed. Today we head out for the Oregon Coast for our first actual trailer camping experience with the Elite II. We expect it will perform well. Following in the footsteps of so many who have provided informative posts on this forum, I will report any issues that arise.

Looking forward to your new thread, including your usual helpful narrative, when you are finished.

Short term, Lithionics' stellar level of customer service will be unchanged. During my 35 years of law practice, I represented many senior execs when their smaller company was acquired by a "big fish." Long term, expect Winnebago management to impose their corporate culture on Lithionics, which usually results in senior management turnover at Lithionics. And, relevant to those of us who own Lithionics batteries, one usual, eventual, casualty of acquisition is reduction of customer service staff to cut costs and improve the bottom line for the parent company. Do not be surprised if, in a year or two, when you call Lithionics instead of a real person answering the phone, you get one of those hold messages stating: " We are experiencing an extremely high call volume. Thank you for your patience."

As a "belt and suspenders" guy, I bought the Power Watchdog, and use it in addition to the built-in surge suppressor. In hindsight, I wish I'd known of the Progressive tester/surge suppressor duo referenced by Galway Girl above. Would have saved me over $100!

I turn on all the interior lights, along with the inverter, and run a space heater plugged in to a 110V receptacle. You know when you have reached Reserve Voltage Cutoff when the space heater and the lights go off. This means the BMS in the batteries has done its job by turning off the batteries before they get fully depleted. Once the lights go off, it is time to unplug the space heater, ensure that the inverter is off, turn off the master light switch, and reconnect shore power to recharge the batteries. You can then leave shore power connected for another 6 months, or until you put the trailer back into regular use. Hope this helps.

Congratulations! A reminder to use your time the next 2 nights at Camp Oliver and over the weekend at David Crockett State Park to thoroughly inspect your new trailer. Hopefully you will find, and have addressed by the Service crew in Hohenwald, any production oversights before you head back to Ohio. My detailed inspection checklist can be found here, posted on November 24, 2022:

Our situation is similar. We took delivery in mid-November, drove our Hull #1291 back to Idaho, then garaged and winterized it for the winter. Per Lithionics' protocol, I did the "run down and recharge" cycle a couple of weeks ago. For our Lithium Pro package, I was surprised that, after shore power was disconnected, it took a couple of days with just the 12V lights and the battery heater drawing power to run the batteries down to reserve status. Next time, I plan to turn on the inverter and run a 120V space heater to see how much that speeds up the "run down" process. I recommend you make it a priority to do the "run down and recharge" cycle soon, to maximize the life of your lithiums.

Since Camp Oliver has been available, I believe Oliver no longer reserves sites at DCSP. Verify with your sales rep. When we took delivery on November 10, 2022, we stayed one night at Camp Oliver, then 3 nights at DCSP. We were glad we booked our DCSP site a couple of months in advance, because it was over a busy weekend. I recommend booking ASAP. You should be able to rely on the delivery date Oliver has specified. If that changes, the DCSP cancellation fee is nominal.

I believe I am the one who coined the term, in a post on this forum, "four-season trailer in the South, where they are made," not Jason. I don't want Jason (for whom I have high regard) to take the blame for my choice of wording. I accept full responsibility for that statement. For what it's worth, I believe it accurately represents the true design capability of the stock Oliver trailers, including the ones, like our Hull #1291, that include the Truma Varioheat furnace with a return air duct in the bathroom. Jason's post of February 8, 2023 may be the one you are thinking of. It appears here:

Or, buy a trailer or motor home that has factory-installed 12V tank heaters, and a furnace design that properly heats the area where the tanks and plumbing are located. Stock Olivers are true 4-season trailers only in the Southern US, where they are made. Knowing what I know now about the stock Oliver trailer's performance in below-freezing temps, I believe it is remarkably "aggressive" marketing for Oliver to include on its website photos of its trailers being used for snow camping.

No. It takes many hours in below freezing temps to fully freeze the water in the Pex lines. This will not be enough time for the water in the Pex lines to freeze. But overnight at 0 F. without heat in the trailer? That would likely be enough.

No issues the first 2K miles on Hull #1291. But, bearing issues usually do not appear for at least 10-12K miles. That said, I ordered a Nev-R-Lube bearing cartridge to have on hand as a backup, just in case. In the event of failure, it will save at least a week of down time waiting for shipment of the replacement cartridge.

As Oliver's tire purchasing practices seem to be in flux, I would wait until you actually take delivery of your trailer before purchasing tire covers. Those tires won't be exposed to much UV between the time you get back home to order tire covers and when the correct size tire covers arrive. I wouldn't risk ordering the wrong size just for those few days of exposure.

It depends on whether you consider ebay reputable. I have purchased from sellers with multiple 100% positive ratings before, with good results. The $66 price tag would interest me, compared to $124 from etrailer: https://www.ebay.com/itm/144977315480?chn=ps&_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3A1LXuh-QgGSqeAryZhSSnfng90&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=144977315480&targetid=1644837435723&device=c&mktype=&googleloc=9029558&poi=&campaignid=16743749222&mkgroupid=138744546207&rlsatarget=pla-1644837435723&abcId=9300842&merchantid=6296724&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsNjQr5Po_QIVYAWtBh2ZbATpEAQYAiABEgIVePD_BwE

I find the standard tank heaters on the Cortes intriguing. Some folks would love to have those on Olivers. Oliver aggressively markets their products as "4-Season Travel Trailers," yet offers no tank heaters. Does anyone have experience with tank heaters? Are they 120V only? If so, not much help when on the road on below-freezing temps. If 12V, how large a battery bank is required to operate them?

What were your questions, and what were Mike's answers to them?

You have precisely described the leak we found in our Hull #1291 the day after delivery. When we took it back to Oliver, they also sealed the roof penetrations, which seems to have solved the leak issue. I wonder if Oliver has yet figured out that all screws that penetrate the roof must be sealed during manufacturing to avoid leaks from the Truma AC unit?

One of my concerns when opting for the Truma water heater, AC and furnace package in our Hull #1291 was service. I knew that Truma will sell repair parts only to "authorized" RV service centers, including the Oliver "Mothership." Living in the Idaho mountains, I do most of my own auto and RV repair work. I figured that in the event of a failure, if I can't get Truma parts, I can just replace the entire Truma unit with, for example, a Fogatti water heater or RecPro air conditioner. But, the way Truma "whipsawed" you by withdrawing the AC install offer after you had towed your Oliver 5 hours one way, takes customer disservice to an entirely new low. Thanks for posting about this outrage. Anyone considering anything Truma, beware!

My quick Google search suggested that your V6 Highlander should have at least 1485 lbs. of payload capacity. 4700 lbs. of Legacy Elite I will likely result in at least 470 lbs. of trailer tongue weight. That leaves about 1000 lbs. of payload capacity for 3 passengers+gear. IMHO, this is within the safe range as long as you are not carrying 3 NFL linemen. But, I would strongly recommend an Andersen weight distribution hitch.

Have you done a thorough inspection? How does the build quality compare to your former Airstream?

Last November, I, too, looked forward to the opportunity to thoroughly inspect the build quality of our new Elite II. I found several issues while camping over a long weekend at David Crockett State Park. It took two work days, but they were all promptly addressed by the Oliver Service team once we returned the trailer to Hohenwald the following Monday. My report of that experience is detailed here: I am looking forward to your post-delivery report, given your experience and training. I expect I will learn things that enable me to address potential issues while our Elite II is at home with access to all of my tools, rather than out on the road.

I shared your concern, based on those same threads, until I took delivery of our 2022 Elite II, Hull #1291, last November. My inspection of the factory wiring, bus bars and other electrical components visible through the access ports and hatches in our trailer appears to me to be done with greater care, and often with higher quality components, than are shown in John Davies' photos from his 2017 Elite II. This suggests to me that Oliver has raised the production quality of the electrical installations in the interim. It made my feel a bit better about paying so much more in 2022 that Oliver was charging back in 2017! In fact, my impression upon inspection was that the electrical issues noted in John Davies' many posts appear to have been passed on to the "right" people at Oliver, and that they have since implemented needed improvements in component and production quality. Time will tell if our 2022 electrical system is less trouble prone than earlier models. Ollie-Haus, I hope you are pleasantly surprised by the quality of the electrical components and work in your 2023. As you are obviously more knowledgeable about such things than I am, I look forward to reading your observations following delivery!

When sizing tow vehicles to trailers, the issue is not just how fast you can pull the trailer up a steep hill. It is overall control, particularly in emergency situations. Undersized tow vehicles have smaller braking systems, which can make the difference between an accident and a near miss. On the road, I steer clear of big trailers which appear to me to be hitched to undersized tow vehicles, for that very reason. Then there is the legal liability issue. This Motor Trend article is instructive: https://www.motortrend.com/features/1703-tow-ratings-and-the-law-discussing-limits-of-trailer-size/