SeaDawg

Agreed. Every time someone unfamiliar with an Elite steps into ours, they're amazed at how many creature comforts of home are built into our tiny trailer. We have everything we need, in miniature, and nothing more. It's a complete tiny house on wheels, and a wonderful hard sided tent, that tracks behind our tow vehicles perfectly. No worries about tires scooting off into the ditch on a narrow mountain road. If the truck can do it, the trailer can, too. The other comment someone made last summer was, "you two must really love each other a lot, to get along in such a small space, for months at a time." While that's true, it's also true that every camper of any size lives bigger on the outside, which is where we spend most of our time. The interior can go from cozy to rather cramped, however, in several days in a row of inclement weather. But, it pretty much heats "with a candle," (or sporadic use of the furnace) in that cozy space. We have learned to respect our tiny bits of space, each, in those days, or we can always move on to better weather. As BoB suggested, more battery capacity would be great. The elite has a smaller battery tray than the II. Going lithium would fix that, I guess. And, im a bit quirky, I i know, but I'd love to see fewer standard features, frankly, in a great little boondocking trailer. We've used the ac only a handful of times, in 14 years, other than running and testing it in the driveway. We removed the microwave after it died from (I think) lack of use, and I love the additional storage in the microwave cavity. I personally wouldn't care for a power awning, either. Ditto on the fibergranite countertops. Heat duct to the bathroom? Nice, but it's easy to prop the door open at night. Increased solar? For sure. We now have 400 watts fixed in our sidemount configuration. If mold changes are in the offing, I'd suggest 8" longer, if the trailer could still work with a single axle. 6" to the bed, to make it a true queen, 2" to the entry. Wider? Not appealing to me, but maybe to others. A few inches taller, maybe, as interior height in ours is 6'1", in the walkway. Like trainman, I doubt we're really looking at mold changes, as that's ridiculously expensive, but who knows? I don't know what changes they're contemplating, but I'll look forward to seeing them.

Looks like you got it, Scotty.

? Do you mean, Victron?

And, I meant every single word. If you have the time, and we've had a lot, obviously, in 14 years. This has been the best, for us. I hope all of you can experience and enjoy even half of what we have. No matter which trailer you choose. My husband and I have spent many hours over the last few difficult years, reflecting. We've often said we'll never regret any of our traveling. We'd regret it more, if we had not gone. Whatever trailer/van/ motorhome/tent/truck camper you decide on, camping is the best way to see our, or any other, country. (We've also camped in many other countries, in rentals.) Our Ollie has made it easy to explore much of the USA and Canada, at our pace. It's truly our second home. Small, but comfy. Perfect for us. We'll keep on going, till we can't.

Actually, i wouldn't likely trade up. Even for $1. Yes, I'm one of the originals. Hull #12. This week is 14 years. Mine won't likely/hopefully be available for a very, very long time. If our daughter decides to sell it, after we are permanently 'camped,' it might go on the market. Hoping our daughter keeps the legacy boats and our trailer. Her decision. At that point, hey, up to her. We'll not be able to speak up, and she'll have to use her judgment. We love our little Elite. It's been our summer home (150 days a year) for 14 seasons, and hope for many more. My hope for improvement in the new model? Taller head height, so folks taller than us can enjoy what we enjoy. Maybe get the fridge a few inches off the floor. Maybe shed some weight. Other than that, it's the perfect trailer, imo. Perfect boondocking machine. Seriously. When we can't physically camp anymore, I will still keep it for our daughter. It's been paid for a long time ago, and we're way ahead in the value of memories. My trailer doesn't owe us a dime. We are owing it, imo. I suspect you may feel the same way. The trailer is "small." Our experience has been huge.

Your big truck helped keep you out of trouble, but whew! glad everything was ok, and you found a good shop. That's not always easy to do, on the road. I would also add, super kind of you to add this information. Lots of new folks don't know, and don't have your big truck. Thank you.

Oliver doesn't often post on the forum. When they do, its usually technical bulletins, rally info, or forum software updates.

@DaveAndBecky_NorthernMI, thanks. For those unfamiliar, here's a Campendium article on Water District camping/boondocking. https://go.campendium.com/free-camping-floridas-water-management/

Like Topgun2, we place the portable heater on the floor, not on a rug. We feel it does a better job than on the counter or table. I would not leave any portable heater running when not in the trailer.

That's great news.

In our 2008 Elite shorty, the manual thermostat is mounted in the small kitchen.

For those of you who love state park camping, especially because of the lands and ecosystems they help to preserve, here's an article from the Dyrt that provides a thumbnail on each of the 50+ Florida state parks that offer camping. (NOTE: we're a big water state, so some state parks offer only boatslips or walkin tent camping. This article discusses campsites.) Why is it so hard to find a campsite here? Florida is roughly 1/5 the size of Texas, with half as many state parks, and over 2/3 the population of Texas. Probably 1/4 of our land is protected wetlands. We're a straight shot south from Eastern Canada and New York state, via 95. So, we get a lot of winter visitors, and struggle happily to support them. We welcome and love tourism, because many of our businesses depend on it. But have just a bit of patience with us. Our traffic in season can be equally as frustrating to residents and visitors. My advice is to find campsites outside major metro areas, and drive in for visits to attractions and beaches in the tv. Our cities and beaches are really, really busy with visitors, and winter residents. We have a lot more to offer than just beaches. Our rivers, wetlands and springs can also be very beautiful. Some of our state parks are home to very old species, and vegetation not found anywhere else. Take it slow, follow some of the secondary highways, and you'll see some of Florida that many Florida residents never see . Many of those older and smaller fishing, railroad, and agricultural towns are awesome, and rich with history, but today struggle economically. "Seeing" Florida in 2 weeks is impossible. But, seeing even a part of it is very rewarding. https://thedyrt.com/magazine/local/florida-state-parks/amp/

If you have your heart set on that particular heater, I'm pretty sure the tan one sold at west marine is the Caframo, under their store label. I was in West marine a few days ago for a blower, but likely I'll be there again sometime this month. If there's a heater in stock, I'll turn it over and see if it says "made in Canada" on the label. If so, it would pretty much clinch the Caframo manufacture. https://www.westmarine.com/buy/west-marine--portable-cabin-heater--7867500?cm_mmc=PS-_-Google-_-GSC>Brand%20(LIA)-_-7867500&product_id=7867500&creative=504872101344&device=m&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=Cj0KCQiAjc2QBhDgARIsAMc3SqQKPpqtlmXoe29Vy-RpmmBwQxBVhxAXZty_pZ6ZGzR6rA6XHrMGDK8aAllLEALw_wcB

The state parks are nice, but you can find some nice county facilities and, as Landrover said, some nice private parks, too. Don't count on staying in a walmart here. Many municipalities have ordinances against overnighting in parking lots. As Florida residents, we don't get a one month jump on reservations. Some counties do extend that privilege to their residents, though, as their county taxes support the parks. Florida state parks are supposed to cancel the remainder of a stay of a "no show," after checkout time of the first night's reserved stay. That site is then released to the public. Here's the link to reservations. Note that you can reserve for the first night, and entire stay in one site, 11 months before your arrival date. https://www.floridastateparks.org/reservation-information

I feel your pain. Even as a Florida resident, it's really hard to get reservations in the most popular parks, in February and March, our most popular tourist months. I've been told that there are folks who sit up til midnight every night to get on the system, just as the dates open up, 11 months out, and I actually believe it. I won't do that, and I doubt you'd want to, either. You won't be able to make any reservations for February 2023 til next month. Then, what you can do is look by "city" instead of a specific park, for the days you want. The popular parks may indeed be booked, but it will bring up availability in many other state parks. In my example, I was really surprised to see Anastasia open, but maybe because I was only looking for a one night stay. As you can see, results may not be all that close to the city you enter, but at least it's a place to start.

I'm personally not a fan of portable gas heaters, but everyone has to make their own decisions. Some are more efficient than others. Some emit more co and h2o than others. Some like Mr buddy, some like wave. With my tiny little dog, I'm not partial to either. I just leave the furnace on lowest setting, and reach over to turn it up in the morning, from bed. That little fan is really great, though, Topgun2! Love it!

The blocks that fell off are there because the "pioneers" like us, felt they were helpful. Not original equipment in the first generation. Not essential, but they do help reduce rub. We added them, circa 2011 or 2012. . A small tube of jb weld is probably 6 or 7 dollars. It's in our kit, anyway, for trailer and boat. Even so, if you would experience the same rare failure, I'm sure Oliver would reimburse you. They've always been decent and generous. Make sure you open a ticket, and get advice, before you launch out on your own, imo. Like others, I've not heard of this failure before. Anything can happen. Block placement is important, and jb weld is pretty permanent.

I'd guess there are a couple compelling reasons. The first I can think of is certification for rv use, to keep their rvia/Canadian certification. And, get warranty reimbursement? I haven't (yet) seen a unit designed specifically for rvs. The second is where to put both the inside and outside units. The indoor units are pretty big, even the small ones. We installed a small (mr cool diy) minisplit in our garage workshop a few years back, and we really enjoy it on hot days. Very quiet and efficient. I can see why you'd want one. I thought about it, too, years ago, but gave up. There used to be a portable Canadian minisplit sold in the US that was really small. The indoor unit was about the size of a typical box fan. Originally, it was designed so that the lines could be detached at each use, and reattached. I think they had some issues with that. A few years ago, I bought one from Costco online, for my mom's Florida room, and then returned it after testing and finding the lines to be fixed, as getting it in and out with the fixed line to store out of season would be too difficult. I don't know if this could work in the bigger Ollie, or not. The only window in my trailer large enough to pass the indoor unit through would be my rear awning window, and then there would no good way to seal it, and not a really good spot for the lines and indoor air handler. There's a good video in the link below. https://www.forestair.ca/en/serie-mini-anglais Here's one of the many threads where ac alternatives have been discussed. There's a good discussion on minisplits as part of the thread. If you find a good solution, please post it here. There's been a lot if interest over the years.

One of the reasons we've always stayed with cushions. We keep the rear dinette made up as a bed, all the time. The older Elites have a tiny access port, about midway back, and just about big enough for a man's arm. Add to that the joy of pulling out all the stuff stored under the bed, finding a spot for the crates, and then lying on your stomach under the bed, trying to reach anything. Pulling up the cushion to gain full access is much easier. Or, Galway Girl's slick transfer pump that Frank C referenced above.

Isn't it wonderful to be able to slip into those smaller spaces? Looks like a very pretty spot.

The only person that I can remember installing an autoformer is @WhatDa. He hasn't been on the forum for awhile, but you could try a pm. Here's the thread where he discussed it.

It helps keep the coffee grounds together. If you're tempted to give it a try someday, here's a recipe: https://www.thespruceeats.com/egg-coffee-2952648

After you've had your Oliver a bit, I'll look forward to your comments on both heating systems. I've never had a hydronic system, like the alde, in a camper. But, I have had Radiator heat in homes in the Midwest not glycol, though. There are pluses and minuses, and I truly look forward to informed comparison. Sorry for the thread drift, jules2go, though maybe it's not? Important to compare all features.

Hi, John, and welcome to the forum! There are a number of Tundra owners here, and I'm sure you'll hear from some of them. You've been fortunate to live in some very beautiful states!

Frankly, I never said that. Your issues have zero to do with the worn Anderson hitch ball, in my opinion, if I can understand your issues, after reading this thread, at least 5 times. What I said, is, the wing mechanism to close the bulldog coupler requires some regular cleaning , lubrication, and maintenance. Like any other coupler, the bulldog requires minor but regular maintenance. The other alternative might be, as I said before, you didn't have the hitch ball truly centered under the bulldog coupler. It's very important. Centering can be done with the truck at various angles, but the ball must be centered under the Bulldog cup. You tend to confuse some basic terms, in reference to hitches, couplers, balls, "shanks" and receivers. It's all ok, but please don't get upset when we ask questions to understand what you're talking about. We know you're new as an Ollie owner. Was it difficult to release the bulldog, at your home, when you backed straight in? (Great backing skills, btw.) I don't really care which system you choose. Get a bulldog coupler. Get something else. You'll pick what you like, anyway, as we know from your comments. Pick what you like, and "get on with life." No psychological inferences. Just a phrase many of us use, time to time. You can easily replace the 2" bulldog with a 2 5/16" bulldog. You've been given at least three sets of directions. Step by step. If you find a better solution, we're all ears. Truly. With the rugged roads you seem to love, an articulating hitch, like some of the Aussie campers might just be your ticket. Idk. Take your time. You may want to research beyond our forum, as well. Google mchitch. Like John E Davies , at this point, I'm out. At least for awhile.