Cameron

I keep my Ollie about 3 hours away up in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Last time I left it, the fresh water tank was half full and the batteries were turned off. I'm planning to go up in another week or 10 days and hopefully everything is okay, with no frozen or burst pipes or lithium battery malfunctions. I would have loved to have been in it during the snow storm, warm and cozy.

congratulations! however much time do you have scheduled to pick up your trailer, plan on more time, slow everything down, ask lots of questions, and try to look at each and every component. turn all the switches on and off, and make sure everything works as it should. that includes turning the fridge on and off, putting it on natural gas and electricity, and also turning the furnace on and making sure hot air comes out of all of the vents.

I love that this is always a popular topic of conversation. No squeamishness among Ollie owners! I picked up our trailer in late July this year and the two of us used the composting toilet every day for about 20 days. We were in western states in very hot temps. The pee bottle smelled sometimes when full but not the toilet. We then parked the trailer where we're storing it at a friend's property in northern California. Also a hot dry area. During storage we turn off the lithium batteries, so, no vent fan for the toilet. I've been to the trailer five times since then for 1-3 days each time, using the toilet. I'm no where near having to replace the medium. It's not stinky. It's not full. There's a big pine tree nearby which gets the contents of my pee bottle as needed. In the past when I rented SOB trailers, one of the chronic irritants was where to dump the black tank. Once, the campground dump station was closed for repairs. Once, we went to an RV park but had to wait for Joe to get back from errands with the key to unlock the dump station (and we had to give him $10). Often, the internet said some truck stop or gas station had a dump station, but they didn't. So, for me, it was a cost/benefit decision. I like to boondock or go to primitive camp sites without hookups. For me, the benefits of the composting toilet outweigh the negative aspects discussed above.

Hi John, Seems like this original post went off in a fun direction but I wanted to throw my two cents in regarding the original question, and I'm looking at it from a different direction. The Oliver LEII is expensive, no question about it. It took me three years of delay before I finally laid down the money. The delay was to get confident that it was worth the money. I told myself that I could very easily get a Jayco for half the cost and be done with the whole matter. But, I was working hard at my job, saving my money, and continuing to look at other companies. When the time came to order, I went with the options I wanted (including the Lithium Pro) and tried to ignore the price. The way I figured it, I'd already decided to get one of the most expensive trailers on the market and didn't want to have any regrets down the road. So, if you want the Lithium Pro, go for it. I love my setup and it's worked very well.

Welcome! Please be confident that you made the right decision. It's a big investment but a safe investment. On one hand if you have a sudden change in circumstance in future, you'll be able to sell your Oliver with very little depreciation. On the other hand, as you can see from many of the "seasoned owners" on the forum, you can use the heck out of the trailer and not worry about anything falling apart as it would on any other brand. Plus the excellent customer service from the factory. Plus this incredible resource on the owners forum. It's a win-win! All you have to do now is think of all the great places to take your Ollie.

aluminum duct tape. https://www.lowes.com/pd/3M-2-5-in-x-30-ft-Pipe-Wrap-Tape/1002947426?cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-pnt-_-ggl-_-LIA_PNT_222_Applicators-Tape-Tools-Sprayers-_-1002947426-_-0-_-0-_-0&ds_rl=1286981&gclid=Cj0KCQjwnoqLBhD4ARIsAL5JedLDJJfSR561tDikPxT3o9hFO8zTMf0DXM5eANFFTNO9m4xVzjVuqWgaAjjcEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Be sure to check this out

I have to believe that some of these problems mentioned are random and one-off rather than a consistent failure to complete components correctly. For example, during delivery I did not catch that there was no caulking around my kitchen sink, and I did not catch that only one duct was connected to the furnace and the other duct was loose. Also, I didn't catch the big gap around my screen door until a week later when the trailer filled with mosquitoes! I think the people in the factory are doing a good job overall, but something is bound to slip by any given worker on any given day. In case the Oliver quality control process doesn't catch it, it's important to use this list and spend as much time as necessary at OTT before driving away so that you can catch anything that needs attention. The problem is that we're so excited and emotional to finally be picking up our trailer that our eyes are not as sharp as they might otherwise be. When I have a friend who wants to buy a car I always suggest they take me with them so that I can look at it with a more skeptical eye. Maybe I should have done that when I picked up the trailer.

that's genius! how do i do that?

Spotted in Marin County, CA at the China Camp campground in the camp host spot.

So, here's an update. Tried the furnace today and realized no air coming from the vent below the sink. A quick investigation found that the duct was not connected to the furnace. The knock-out hole on the rear side of the furnace was knocked out, and that's where the hot air was coming out. No one in the factory connected it. Since I picked it up in mid-July, here are the other problems I've had. No caulking around kitchen sink, allowing water to seep underneath and drip to drawers below. Put duct tape around sink for quick fix. Need to put silicone around it. Screen door misaligned, with big gaps allowing bugs to get in. Jason suggested tweaking it to try to close the gaps. Haven't tried yet. Lettering on light switch panel rubbed off. Mike sent out new panel. Lettering on Dometic stove knobs rubbing off. Waiting for new knobs. Xantrex inverter shutting off and not rebooting due to improper programming from the factory. This resulted in a new Technical Service Bulletin (Aug. 3), and after Jason helped me change the settings, the problem hasn't returned. In another post I shared an article about the horrible (really horrible) quality of SOB RVs and the nightmares those owners are having. In that post I promised not to complain about anything related to my Oliver, and I'm trying. I guess my point here is to remind new buyers to do a super thorough check of the trailer before leaving OTT. I spent two and a half hours at OTT before leaving and thought I did a thorough check but I missed some things. For example I turned on the AC because I wanted to make sure it really could run off the lithium system, but I didn't turn on the furnace. I will say that I'm very happy with the trailer and all the components. The composting toilet is easy peasy. The lithium pro package works great. The Norcold fridge is big and cold. The suspension takes rough roads like a champ. The KTT bed is super comfy. The windows seal tight. Yesterday and today I gave it it's first wash and wax, by hand. What a job. My arms are sore! But, with a little elbow grease I got all the bugs off and with the marine wax got the hull shining.

Yes, wetness is no good. The issue with closing all the windows during the rain is that it can get a little muggy or hot inside. I'm going to try to solve this by getting a small table fan that I can put on the kitchen counter or dinette table to blow air toward the bed during sleep. The MaxAir does move air in and out but when I'm in the bed I can't really feel it. I'd rather have the open window. Love that feeling of fresh air during the rain.

Hi DJM, I have the Girard and have found that it works great in the rain. We've sat under it a few times in a light/moderate rain storm with no problems. The only problem was when retracting the awning. It gave someone (?!) who was still sitting underneath a real splash of cold water! Lol. Wish I had a video of that! So, we learned to always get the heck away from the awning during retraction in the rain. Regarding the windows, I also learned the hard way that leaving the window open even a crack will get the bed wet! When closed, the windows do great even in heavy rain. But you sure can't keep them cracked until you get gutters or something on them to keep the rain away.

oh boy! after i read this i thanked my lucky stars i have an Oliver!! https://www.rvtravel.com/pathetic-quality-rv-dealers-fed-manufacturers-producing-1017b/

Welcome! I know how excited you must be. When I comes to camping in the Oliver, I don't think it takes too much more than the skills you already have if you have done tent camping. You already know how to break down and set up a camp. You already know about how to operate a propane stove and prepare meals. You already know how to improvise when something breaks or goes missing. Granted, a trailer is more complicated than a tent but it's your attitude that's the most important thing. If you were ever camping in a tent when a rainstorm hit or when bugs got into all your food, and you survived, you'll do fine in the Oliver. In fact, you'll quickly see why they call it "glamping"!

I also have the lithium pro package and was told by Hanna during our orientation that whenever the trailer will sit for three weeks or more we should simply turn them off, using the on-off button on the top of each of the three batteries.

Just saw this article, and I'm wondering if anybody knows whether this would apply to the Oliver? https://drivinvibin-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/drivinvibin.com/2021/08/18/rv-door-locks/amp/?amp_gsa=1&amp_js_v=a6&usqp=mq331AQIKAGwASCAAgM%3D#amp_tf=From %1%24s&aoh=16293964848621&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fdrivinvibin.com%2F2021%2F08%2F18%2Frv-door-locks%2F

a certified check is another name for a bank check which is legit, but i don't know what certified funds are. i wouldn't release the title until you take the check to your bank and confirm that it's real. have them meet you at the bank, they give you the check, you deposit it, you give them the title and a bill of sale, then go with them to where they can hook up the trailer and drive away.

Wow. Mark, this is really discouraging. I've had my own issues with my LE2 I just picked up and will be posting something similar to your post in coming weeks. I think OTT really needs to figure out how to up their quality control. I agree that OTT has great customer service, but like you Mark, I'm far away in California. After spending big for the trailer, I don't think it's reasonable for any of us to have to be doing repairs or maintenance in the first few weeks on parts of the trailer that should have been assembled correctly by the factory. A few little things, OK, but suspension? windows? flooring? These should all be identified before we arrive for pickup.

Hi Skigator I got the Lithium Pro package and have been very happy with the battery performance. I don't have a generator because I can't think of why I would need one with the camping I do. I've run the A/C for about 90 min at a time and it does drop the batteries down, but the sun will charge them back up again with the panels up top. Once I left after breakfast for an all day outing. The batteries were at about 60% when I left, and at 100% when I came back for dinner. I usually dry camp or boondock. I guess having the generator would be good for constant A/C, but like I said, I'm not doing that kind of camping. A couple of times after boondocking I arrived at a friend's house for a visit and plugged into a 120v from the house. That also charged up the batteries pretty quickly. Sorry that this isn't completely on topic with your question.

I'm sure that if I had the streetside awning I'd think of reasons why it's great, but I don't, so my opinions are just hypothetical. I went with just the curbside awning because I consider the curbside to be my "front porch". If I'm at a very organized campground that only lets me park the trailer a certain way, they I do what I'm told. Otherwise, if I'm boondocking or at an otherwise "open" campground, I'll stop and look around to see where the sun goes, where the view is, where other campers are, etc., and then position the trailer in just the right way to make me happy. I'll extend the awning, spread out my big mat, set up the chairs, and that's my front porch that allows me to go in and out of the trailer quickly and easily. I only go around to the other side (street side) if I need to get something out of the basement. In other words, I'm satisfied with just one awning because it's on the side of the trailer I would normally use. Sitting on the other side doesn't feel right.

Wow. The Nature's Head is on backorder? This Covid has messed everything up. It seems like these supply issues are creeping into every aspect of our lives! For me, the composting toilet is one of the most important upgrades I wanted, right up there with the solar package. I wonder if you delayed your production date a couple months if it would make a difference? Otherwise you could wait and see if they're available around the time of your pickup and ask Oliver service to install it at that time. I bet you wouldn't be the only one doing that.

My question is whether or not to use a power tool. I've only ever waxed cars by hand. Ollie is so big that I'm afraid my arms will fall off when I give it it's first wash, wax and buff. I'm thinking a power polisher with wool or microfiber pads would save some wear and tear on my body. I've done some internet searches but it's a bit overwhelming. I'd appreciate thoughts from other owners as well as what equipment they use. Thx!

Hi John, Each campsite is different. The private RV parks will often have a sewer pipe at each campsite, as well as a 30a outlet and a faucet for water. In that case, you connect your hose from the faucet to the "city water" connection on the trailer, and you connect the big "slinky" hose to the trailer black pipe outlet inside the rear bumper and put the other end in the campsite sewer pipe. The sink/shower water will go into the gray tank and the toilet will go into the black tank. You'll then have to periodically empty the tanks into the already connected "slinky" hose and campsite sewer pipe. So, no, you can't bypass the holding tank. I'd recommend waiting until both tanks are more than 50% full to empty them out because you'll get better results due to heavier liquid flow. Some private RV parks as well as most state and national park campsites have one or two dump stations at the entrance/exit to the campsite. So, you'll have to keep everything in your holding tanks until you exit. Hope that helps.

I'm very happy with the Nature's Head. But, I get that it's not for everyone. I'd imagine a sort of calculus before deciding: - Will most of my nights (more than 50%) be spent with hookups at more organized campgrounds? - When moving from site to site, am I confident (more than 90%) that I'll easily be able to find an operating free/cheap dump station? - Does the brief sight/smell of poo/pee make me uneasy? - Does the thought of maintenance, including disassembling the head and dumping the compost, as well as pulling out the pee bottle and carrying it outside sound super gross? - Does the thought of occasionally wiping down poop/pee from the bowl freak you out? If the answer to these questions is "Yes!" then stick with the standard toilet.