Brian and Maria

Corrections: The shackle size that I used as pictured in my original post is 1/4" made by National Hardware #N100-278. I apologize for any confusion. - Brian

Hi SeaDawg: We just returned from a three-night stay at Roan Mountain S.P. and it is now one of our favorites. My wife left a post with some pictures on the Oliver Owners FB page. I appreciate a well-run campground and this is one of them. We found the grounds and facilities well kept with the rangers making regular rounds in vehicles and sometimes on foot which I really appreciate. The lower loop sites are closer together than those on the upper loop. The trade-off is the upper loop road is on an incline and its sites are not consistently level whereas the lower loop sites are nice and level. The upper loop has a more quiet/secluded vibe and the lower is more families/kids at least it was when we were there. It's just the two of us but nonetheless we enjoyed the lower loop in site 10 directly next to the bathhouse. Nice campground check-in/store with tee shirts, firewood, ice cream etc. An eight-mile drive and you're at Carvers Gap and some awesome hiking and views. - Brian

On our most recent outing one of our battery tray latches failed. The pin on the left/fore side of the battery tray was totally missing as was the rivet/pin on which the rear of the latch pawl pivots. Fortunately I found the latch pawl itself loose in the battery compartment. Our temporary fix to get us home included tie wraps and, of course, duct tape to secure the latch pawl in place. The right (aft) side battery tray latch was not affected. Until such time we can arrange a permanent repair, I'm confident that our semi-permanent solution pictured below will serve to keep the tray secure. It consists of a stainless steel anchor shackle holding the latch pawl in place so that it cannot be raised whatsoever, thereby preventing the battery tray from sliding out. I found that the 3/16" shackle fits perfectly, with the anchor shackle pin fitting snugly in the holes. For reference the particular shackle I used is made by National Hardware, #N100-347 and available at Lowe's. Hopefully this information is helpful to those who may experience the same failure. Be safe everyone. - Brian

Hi QuestionMark: Thanks again for the heads up PM on this topic, I appreciate it! I subsequently checked our 2020 EI and found that (1) the 3 5/8" shackles were used and (2) there are no bushings on the top zerks. Clearance between the frame and suspension is less than 1". I'm already in touch with Jason, he's offered to ship out a replacement Dexter HD kit or have the work done there at Oliver (I don't have the skills to do the work myself or I would). QM, JD, All: Your comments and those of other experienced Ollie owners here and elsewhere in the forum are invaluable. . . I'm a first-time travel trailer owner and have never even towed before so suffice it to say the learning curve is steep. In this case, I likely would have had no idea anything was amiss with the suspension until a failure, which easily could have been catastrophic. Many, many thanks to you all for taking the time to share your knowledge and research. -Brian

I understand, I'm also about 6' and there's no way I will fit back there far enough to see the plug and outlet. One thing that worked for us is a mirror to initially locate the outlet and plug without having to do contortions. Make sure there is no AC being supplied to your trailer (i.e. disconnect your shore power plug from the outside) to prevent a shock. Then you can reach in there to feel if the plug is disconnected and if needed put the plug back into the outlet. In the meantime and as suggested by someone else, you could run the frig on LP. Good luck! - Brian

Hi SherMica: It may help you to know that we experienced several code "10" errors very soon after picking up our Elite I. Each time it was caused by the refrigerator's AC plug coming unplugged from its electrical outlet. None of the temporary fixes we tried work until we simply (1) (gently) squeezed the plug's terminals together to create a snugger fit when plugging it into the outlet and (2) moved the plug to the other outlet on the receptacle. Not sure if the latter helped but it hasn't unplugged for several months now. There didn't seem to be any consistency or pattern . . . it would stay plugged in on bumpy roads sometimes and then other times it would be unplugged after all day on the interstate. As you've found out it's a tight squeeze to get back in there to see the refrigerator's AC cord and plug. I can't fit in there but my wife can and, with a good flashlight, she is able to actually see the plug and receptacle. You may want to try again to see if your refrigerator's plug is loose and if so, attempt the fix and maybe leave the plywood panel off until you're sure that the plug indeed is staying in. BTW Oliver maintenance advised me that the refrigerator warranty would be voided by swapping out the standard plug and receptacle with the locking type. Too bad, that would work perfectly I think. I hope this helps. Good luck to you. - Brian

Hi Carl: 2020 Elite I Kitchen Drawers Interior/Usable space in inches Top 17 x 9 5/8 x 3 1/4 deep Middle 17 x 21 3/8 x 7 1/4 deep Bottom 7 3/4 x 21 3/8 x 7 1/4 deep We've been using the top drawer for standard-sized eating utensils and the like, kept in a regular-sized organizer (i.e. knives, forks and spoons holder). The middle and largest drawer holds our pots and pans with room for coffee mugs, hot pan holders, etc. The bottom drawer holds longer utensils (bbq tongs, spatula, etc) and our aluminum foil and cling wrap. I hope this helps. - Brian

A falling branch wiped out our backup camera antenna recently. I found this replacement at etrailer.com (p/n PXXHD0006301R fits camera model WVCMS130AP, $21 plus tax and S/H). First experience with that site, fully satisfied with their prompt shipping and protective packaging. Hoping this info may help someone. - Brian

Hi dewdev: I think that I may be the only Elite I owner using the Andersen with a 1/2 ton. We towed without it for the first few months and never had any issues except for slight porpoising at times. I decided to buy the Andersen mainly because of liability concerns: our TV requires a WDH for a 500 lb+ tongue weight. While our tongue weight is normally sub-400, we do draw near 500 with a full fresh water tank. I just didn’t want to worry about it so added the WDH. The Elite pulled very nicely without it, since adding the Andersen the improvements are minimal but noticeable; less porpoising and a bit better tracking. - Brian

As follow up on this, I reweighed at a CAT scale during our camp trip earlier this week. With a full fresh water tank, the tongue weight was 498 so much less than the 640 that I earlier estimated and thanks to those who pointed out that possibility. The truck with trailer attached weighed in at 6,960 - a good 90 pounds under GVWR. And I still have yet to trade out that heavy rubber bed mat so I'm in pretty good shape weight-wise. By the way, I recommend Calhoun Falls State Park (SC). Level RV sites with large, level living area pads, good spacing between sites and right on Lake Russell. - Brian

Hi bobc: This reply may be too late to be useful for you but I’m finally on a level pad and I measured 20” from the ground to inside the Bulldog. Cheers. - Brian

We’re going to miss Edisto Beach State Park. We’ve enjoyed our stay and we were happy to see a very nice looking Elite II at the campground and meet more of the Oliver family! The ocean is on the other side of the dunes in the second picture so you’re not exactly “on the beach” but close enough to hear the surf and take a nice long walk on the beach whenever you want. Many, many shells on the beach. The first night the no-see’ums were terrible and had us making a hasty retreat indoors. The next day they weren’t an issue because it was quite cool but they were back again today, a warmer day. The showers are convenient and clean, the grounds well maintained. We were able to pick up the free wifi with our WiFi Ranger so two thumbs up for that. The antenna picked up a good selection of television stations. Our site (#27) had absolutely no shade but it wasn’t an issue with pleasant daytime highs. Sites have electricity and water, no full hookups. The dump station is located off site, about 1/2 mile on the way out. I’ll happily give this campground an overall rating of “we’ll be back.” Be safe everyone. - Brian [And yes, we did vote early back home!]

Mattnan, thanks and happy to hear that you enjoyed your Edisto Beach stay. We love the mountains but also enjoy surf and sand so we're jazzed to see Edisto. We have a camper friend who spoke well of Hunter Island. I'd be interested in your impressions, we're considering a stay there as well. Be safe. - Brian

BackofBeyond, thank! and so far, so good, looks like the weather will cooperate. Booking so far in advance is a roll of the dice we sometimes lose, weather-wise, but in this case was necessary to get a spot on the beach. Be safe. - Brian

We’re jazzed that the weather is looking great for our beach trip! Starting Sunday and returning on Wednesday. This will be our first time camping right on a beach so we are really looking forward to it. We’ve never been to Edisto Beach; Folly Beach further to the north has been our favorite. We don’t camp right on the beach there but the campground at nearby James Island County Park is awesome. Anyway I hope to post here again after this trip. Keep safe everyone. - Brian