SeaDawg

We've used the "collar" for the last 11 years, along with the round padlock shown below the photo. I think a number of other people use this type, as well. Sherry

I regret that I did not find out about these trailers a decade earlier Sorry about that, jd. I'm only 11 years in. Happy camper, so far... what else can I say?

Welcome aboard, John and Susan! Most upgrades can be added later, if you find you actually want/need them. Portable solar panels, for instance, are an easy upgrade. Hope you have as much fun as we've had for the last 11 years... Sherry

If you've been getting 31, thats awesome. I'd expect 20 to 24 towing. Looking forward to your report. Please keep a log. We did paper and pencil for the first few years... I think your truck and the Oliver elite will be a sweet rig. :) Sherry

We installed an inverter in our elite ten years ago, because we then used laptops. Now that we use tablets and phones, we no longer need it. When it died, we didn't replace it. But, we don't have the battery power to run much on an inverter, in all fairness, in our 2008 Elite. We do have an inverter in the truck thst we can plug into the cigarette lighter type plug, if we need it. Can't remember the last time we used it, though. Sherry

Thanks, John! One of my uncles is a steam train guy... I will send the info on to him. His train models pretty much fill their basement hobby room... Sherry

Congratulations! Wherher you have rvd before or not, the Oliver will certainly be a lot of fun. No better way to see the country than camping. Now, the wait begins... Welcome aboard! Sherry

Corcomi, fwiw, I've never had a manufacturer give me a hard time about parts and warranty labor, and I have never filled in a warranty card for any if the equipment. Norcold, Dometic, Alterra, Fantastic, among others, simply asked for proof of the date the rv went into service. Including the second year from Norcold, Alterra, and Dometic. Some were parts only, but went beyond the one year that Oliver wraps. Truma could be different, but I would doubt it. I think the cards are more for people who buy assemblies as replacements. Even then, a receipt has been enough...in my experience. Hang in there. Most of these manufacturers really do care about their reputation and goodwill in the marketplace.

Our yamaha 3000 stays at home for power outages. The lighter genset is the traveler. May upgrade from the honda 1000 someday, but, our plan has always been to move on if the weather is too hot or too rainy...

If it were my choice, I would take the truck. It's winter. You have a towing package, 4 x 4, and, well, it's a truck. :) and, that's my favorite vehicle, towing or not, but especially towing. The volvo was 4950 towing capacity. It did ok, but we definitely could feel the trailer in the hills. Not so much with either of our trucks. Yeah, definitely. Take the truck. It's made for the journey. Enjoy your trip! Sherry

We weighed our 2008 Elite many years ago on the way home from a camping trip. Loaded for camping, with two 20 lb propane tankd, our tongue weight was a little over 400 lbs. 420 sticks in my mind. With gear, some grey, black, and fresh water, I think we were around 3550 to 3600 pounds. I probably still have the weigh ticket in the records. You could call Oliver for your weight, I would think. Then add in your gear and water, propane, etc.. Are you planning to drive the Colorado? Should be a great looking rig. We picked ours up with a Volvo xc90 in 2008, and towed with my stepside 2005 Silverado for awhile, til we got the 4 x4 Ram. Happy to see a few more Elites on the road. Hope you enjoy yours as much as we have enjoyed our little trailer for the last 11 years. Sherry

John Davies, thats a great link. Thanks. Our Honda 1000 ran our daughter's refrigerator for a week, plus a small fan and at night, two led lights, after Irma knocked out power in much of our county a year and a half ago... Our yamaha 3000 ran our refrigerator, plus our next door neighbor's, and a few lights and fans in both homes. And, most importantly, it powered the igniter for our instantaneous home gas water heater, so everyone in thr neighborhood could shower.:) The little honda is awesome as a charger, but it won't power a lot. Sherry

I don't have a dog in the hunt, as our water heater is a Girard, but I also found the info David S. found, plus the (also) 11/18 winterizing video from Truma. What I do remember from a few years ago, when we were looking for an instantaneous water heater, was the Truma claim of simple winterization. Pull the lever... and done. I poked around today, as I feel really bad for Corcomi. I found two videos on the Truma site, still talking about just draining... nothing about removing filter. The kolbe segment. Start watching at 10:30 And. The zagami segment I also found this, still on the website: And this

We have used a Honda 1000 for eleven years, for just that purpose... a series of rainy cloudy days. We use only nonethanol gas. Not that it uses much, and, it's rarely used. A gallon goes for days, running it a few hours a day. Can't help with the propane idea...

I know that at one time there was a thread about recommended rv repair sites for warranty work.. I think Jason may have started it, but I can't find it. It was quite awhile ago.. Sherry

Very sad news. We used to see their trailer model from I26 every trip to Asheville. Last time, in November, noticed it was not visible, but thought they might have taken it indide for the winter. Both their facebook page and website are taken down. I worry for their customers with deposits down.

(Sigh) sometimes, I just think it's a result of a perfect storm. Just the right angle of the trailer, the slits all the windows have, and the type of rainstorm. I like the rv gutter to keep the heavy runoff out of the path of the weeps. If you decide to use it, get the bright white, not colonial. The bright white is an almost perfect match. Sherry

Overland, I have to admit, I'm not to worried about transporting a $100 panel. We experimented with it a bit last fall, but had to use a multimeter to get any readings, as it wasn't yet wired onto the trailer's controller. We just used the little cheap 8.5 that came with it on the Costco sale. I just wrap it in a packing blanket and lay it over crates in the pickup bed. It only weighs about 15 pounds. Easy for me to handle. I think i will try to make an adjustable frame from spare pvc pipe, rather than prop it against milk crates this spring. I'm surprised at how well it works for the sale price. John, love the blanket solar, but I just picked up 5 100 watt panels (flexible sun power) on a closeout deal for around $2 a watt. These will go on the boat. Even the hard korr is too pricey for me, at $7 plus per watt. Suaoki has some 60 watt blankets on amazon, quite reasonable, but I question the quality. Suaoki used to have a decent rep in the boating community. The amazon reviews were quite mixed. As we've been shopping for solar for the boat, I am surprised at how much more reasonable pricing has become. But, i still think we're better off with sun power panels in a marine environment. Even if i had to pay twice as much, their rep in flexible panels is pretty strong in the boating forums and reviews... we'll see. Sherry PS, John, if it makes you feel any better, we've had rain, and the high tomorrow is only in the 60s. Have to dig out the long pants..

Brings a new dimension to the phrase " cool cat." Hang in there, John. Spring is around the corner...

Back in the early fall, 2008, we had 200 watts solar installed on our Elite. Last year, we installed a 12v refrigerator, which adds to our electricity appetite. We also picked up an inexpensive Coleman 100 watt panel, to use as a "suitcase" solar, though it doesn't fold. Last fall, Oliver installed a Furrion port for us. Paul recently wired it to our solar controller. Today, we had a nice clear day, and I tried some tests on the Coleman panel, just to see what we could expect. Yesterday, Paul covered our existing fixed panels with dark moving blankets, so I could record readings only from the portable panel. Yesterday, feeling really decadent, I purposely ran down the batteries so I could get to bulk stage charging. Not essy to do, with all led lighting. Ran the front jack up and down a few times. Tried running the power hog furnace fan awhile. But in 78 degree weather, I had to turn it off after awhile. Finally, started today with 20 hours down, leaving both exhaust fans on overnight. Our $100 /100 watt panel recharged the battery in less than four hours of full sun. But, when I covered some cells with another blanket, I saw a huge loss of power coming in. Even two cells covered lost 50 per cent. 12 cells covered obliterated any gain. The good news is, I think I can manage between the cheap portable panel, if i can keep it out of the shade, and our much better quality fixed panels, and not have to run the generator most days. We honestly didn't expect a lot out of the Coleman, but in full sun, I was getting 5 amps in. It will definitely require attention, though, to keep the batteries up. Sherry

There's a newer website for listing and renting rvs and trailer direct from their owners, rvshare.com. My sister and her husband thought they wanted a tab, but after renting one for a weekend, and camping on our NC property, they decided they wanted something a little bigger. They ultimately bought an rpod. They both still work, and really love our oliver, but don't want to invest in one, yet. That's in the future. The good news is, you can find a variety of trailers to try, and some of the owners will deliver and pick up. So, you don't always have to borrow a tow vehicle. But, you can discover some of the joy of trailer camping, and learn about rv systems. Here's a link to st Louis area offering: Rv share st louis

Our Oliver was in a hailstorm in North Carolina a few years ago. We were visiting friends in Waynesville when the storm passed through, so I was a bit nervous about what we'd find when we got back to camp. I found hail the size of steely marbles still on the ground around the trailer, but neither the Oliver nor the solar panels sustained any damage. Sherry

Is this it, Skalywag? Thanks for the info. Sherry

Nbd. It's really "Howard " on the home depot review who deserves the toast. I went on the app to try to give his comment a thumbs up, but couldn't get it to work. Glad you get to spend your time on the beach, instead of chasing wires... Have you visited the remains of the fort yet? It's kind of fun. Enjoy your visit. The weathermsn ordered exceptional temps for our February visitors this year. I haven't had the heat on since a year ago, but the ac is kicking in a few hours a day, and that's unusual. Sherry

I looked at your profile, thinking mountain oliver might be a clue. The gas absorption fridges sometimes have problems at higher elevations, but I don't think that's likely in your area. Mountains of Colorado, maybe. Since the fridge has already been replaced, i would be zeroing in on the gas, and the burner unit, if that wasn't replaced.