BillATX

TESTING SO FAR (the past two days) - 1. I have connected water and tested pressure from kitchen faucet and bath. I have installed a basic Camco blue water filter and a Valterra brass pressure regulator (with the adjustable dial). I have found no leaks, but not sure I would since the leaks would likely be between the inner and outer shells. I also installed the Oliver-supplied quick connects on the white supply hose and the city water and fresh tank inlets. QUESTION - for those of you that use the quick connects, do you have a cap that covers the inlets while you are travelling? Road debris could enter the quick connects, I assume? 2. I have filled and discharged my fresh tanks multiple times. I have tested the Seelevel tank monitor with the trailer at different angles. FACT - An unlevel trailer will yield inaccurate tank level readings. I still have not experienced the loss of pressure caused by the plastic shavings caught in the pump filter, but I'll clean out the filter when I get home. 3. I have run lights and used outlets on shore power and battery. I am still ignorant about how the batteries work and how much I can discharge them with damaging them. I also have no good understanding about how long I could go without recharging the batteries and what types of power loads I could support and for how long. Lots of reading and testing still to come. 4. I have run the Norcold fridge on AC only and only when hooked up. I have tested on propane and appears to work fine, but I turned the fridge off when travelling today. I have not run the fridge off of batteries yet. No issues with fridge, but it is an RV (non-compressor) fridge, so it is small and doesn't get cold quickly. 5. Furnace heats up fast! The first night at Davey Crockett, it got cold (mid-20s). The furnace kept the coach warm enough. I set the temp to 64F. The thermostat seems imprecise, but when the furnace did flip on, it got the coach warm quickly. The second night, I used a small electric space heater (750W) and it kept the coach warm all night long. The furnace never came on. Outside temps were low 30s. One negative in the Elite 1 - the rear duct gets very little airflow and heat through it. 6. The propane stove works well. I made coffee and, yes, it definitely tastes better at camp. The front propane quick connect works well. I have not used the rear propane quick connect yet. I have torked the lug nuts once after about 50 miles. Only one lug was was a tiny bit loose, but all others were still fine. I'll tork the lugs again before I leave in the morning. 7. I have tried the shower and it works, though it is small. Really only good for a quick rinse, but it does the job. I got the Truma instant hot water heater and it works well. I had to reset it after travelling with the propane off. 8. I still need to test the microwave and the compost toilet. Not sure I am ready to grow a garden the bathroom yet😀. I hope this helps. I really believe these trailers are high quality - exactly AS ADVERTISED. Bill

Making my way back to Central TX after 2 nights at David Crockett. I am currently camped at the Clear Springs campground on Wright Patman lake near Texarkana. Thanks @Mike and Carol for the recommendation. All is good in Ollie-land.

Pick up day was long... I am currently camped at Davey Crockett Park. Yesterday I drove from Austin and stayed in a VRBO near Henderson. Drove to Hohenwald this morning and took a factory tour this morning. Lunch in Hohenwald at Southern Skillet, and then back to the Sales and Service office for payment, and walk-through. Walk-through took a little more than 3 hours. I left the Oliver Sales and Service facility at 4:30. I made a quick stop at the local auto parts store and I drove a portion of the Natchez Trace to the Davey Crocket park. Beautiful drive. Arrived at the park after dark, and in the rain. I have a truck full of stuff for the trailer, but I have all day tomorrow to get settled in. For now, I have electricity. I am warm and dry. And thankful.

I am pleased to report that hull #735 has been launched. Elite 1 (shorty). Pics to follow. Wife and I are from Austin, TX. We are first-time RVers. Looking to see our country from a different perspective. We would love to meet other Oliver owners on the road. We have already benefitted so much from this forum and the generous members of this community. Thank you to all of you in this community who have helped us get to this point. I am grateful for your advice, expertise, and inspiration. @Mike and Carol (fellow Texans) recommended a place to stay on our journey back to TX;@SeaDawg is the preeminent expert on the Shortys and always generous sharing their experience; @John E Davies is resident expert and @BackofBeyond helped me with my Tow vehicle issues; @Ray and Susan Huff@SherMica you have provided much inspiration. I have relied on contributions from @Overland @ScubaRx@topgun2@Landrover and so many others. THANK YOU! Bill

@SeaDawg - Do you recommend a 1" or 2" topper? Something like this? I understand that we are trying to balance the comfort of a more traditional mattress and accessibility to the compartments underneath the benches. https://amzn.to/38I6qye

I have fretted over this same issue. We pick up an Elite 1 in February. After much research (inlcuding some guidance from this forum), I recently traded in a Tacoma for a Tundra. My Tacoma had a tow capacity of 6,400 lbs. it had an advertised payload capacity at or near 1,300 lbs. However, my model (TRD model ) had an actual payload capaity (from my door jam) of only 950 lbs. In my view, that was not enough truck to easily pull the trailer ( with 300-400 lb tongue weight + 300 pound passengers + top for the bed + cargo weight). ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT FACTOR in my decision was my ability to tow without the Andersen. While I think the Tacoma would have pulled the trailer, I would have absolutely needed the Andersen (simply to shift some of the payload to the front axle). With the Tundra, I hope to not need the Andersen (although if I do, its not the end of the world). Therefore, my advice is to check the actual payload capacity from your door jam and also look at the wieght limit for each axle and consider if your rear axle can accomodate the weight of the Elite tongue and bed cargo. Again, I am not the expert on these forums. Just my 2 cents.

I don't have an Ollie until Feb, but I just had to reply and say, "THIS IS A GREAT THREAD!" Thank you all for sharing your responses and inspiration. Happy New Year.

I ended up with a new one (2021). I had a deal on a 2017 with 34k miles for a bit less, but decided to go with new. I am not sure exactly how Covid has impacted the truck market, but I can tell you I found fewer trucks for sale in my search than ever in the past. BTW, I drove my Tacoma for two years, put 19,000 miles on it, and traded it in for $500 less than I bought it for. Weird times. I know the Tundra is dated (to say the least), but I am a card-carrying Toyota fan-boy, so in the end, it was easy for me to overlook its shortcomings. I am working to get it in shape and camping-ready! Bill

UPDATE - I just picked up a Tundra. I got (what I believe to be) a fair deal and now I won't worry about pushing the limits of my truck. I have to set up the truck and get ready for delivery of our Oliver! Thanks so much for your help. Bill

Welcome from Austin. We pick up in February too. An Elite 1 (the shorty). Hope to see you on the road.

I recently faced this exact decision with not a lot of RV camping experience, and uncertain of exactly where we will camp. We finalized our options a couple of weeks ago. We chose the Solar Pro package. My thoughts . . . I wanted to be able to camp remotely for 1-2 nights at a time with absolutely no hookups, water or sewer. If I immediately need more power than the AGM batteries can store and / or the panels can recharge, I'll get a generator. In the meantime, when I replace my AGMs in a few years, the lithium technology will be more advanced and the options will be broader. I'll know much more about my camping style and needs before I have to drop the BIG $ on lithium. Just my thoughts. Good luck.

We finalized our order for the Elite 1 (shorty) and have a delivery date of 2/2/21. Looking forward to spending some time camping comfortably and exploring our beautiful country. Thanks so much to all of the active contributors on the forum. I look forward to meeting you on the road. Stay healthy and happy trails - Bill

My truck is a stock 2019 Toyota Tacoma TRD Offroad, 4WD, double cab (bigger, 4 door cab), and longer (6') bed, with no other options. In my research, I think, according to Toyota specs, my truck should have payload (with my trim level) of 1,175 lbs. So, I am a bit confused why my truck's payload is so low, but facts are facts. Thanks Back of Beyond and John Davies. I do appreciate your feedback. I now better understand that my truck is undersized for this trailer. I would prefer a large margin of error (in terms of tow limits and payload). Most of my previous camping experience has been spent backpacking (and counting ounces) and I'm getting an RV to be more comfortable while I am outdoors and I don't want to worry about weight.. A larger gas tank would be a big plus too.. All of that said, I am now looking at replacing the Tacoma with a half-ton (F-150 or Tundra, probably). Rest assured, I'll pay attention to the actual payload and tow limits

Thank you for the information on this thread. Much appreciated. We are picking up an Elite I in February. I am planning to tow with my Toyota Tacoma, but am concerned about my payload and tow limits. My vehicle is a 2019 Tacoma, 4wd double cab, longer (6') bed. My payload max (from the driver door jam) is only 950 lbs. My tow limit is 6,400 lbs. From the Oliver website, the Elite I's GVWR is 5,000 lbs, with a dry weight of 3,700 lbs. Tongue weight of "approximately" 370 lbs. My wife and I weigh 300 lbs combined which only leaves approximately 280 lbs for all cargo and the Andersen weight distribution hitch. I want to add a topper for more dry storage in the bed, but am seriously reconsidering that, given my narrow payload limits. I am fairly inexperienced with trailers, so any advice is much appreciated. Thanks again for the informative thread.

This thread makes me want to explore these areas that I have not seen. Thanks for the inspiration!

I am currently in the process of evaluating our upgrades for a 2021 Elite2. I finalize my order in a month and take delivery in February 2021. In my view, one of the more complex (and expensive) decisions with this purchase are the solar and battery packages and upgrades. It is complex for me because I do not thoroughly understand the basics of electricity (Amps, Volts and Watts) and because I am not at all sure how we will use the RV (both how much power capacity we need; and how often we will be with full hookups). My wife and I have never owned an RV and given our limited experience with rental and borrowed RVs (several trips, a few nights each trip), I suspect, we will spend most (more than 50%) of our nights without hookups, and will not stay in one location for many nights at a time. I do not anticipate parking the trailer for more than 1-2 nights at at a time at any one site. I suspect we will travel from location to location every few days. I am also inclined to buy only what I need and upgrade as I use the trailer more and better understand our needs and camping style. Current Oliver-offererd Options: (1) two (or four) basic wet cell batteries (12v) with no inverter; (2) four 6V AGM batteries with or withour a 2,000W inverter; or (3) two 200Ah lithium batteries with a 3,000W inverter. Also, of course two 170W solar panels are available with an installed solar charge controller. The options are increasingly expensive, but may well be worth it in the long run. I hate to be "penny-wise and pound foolish", but here is my thinking. Purchase the AGM batteries and 2,000W inverter, but no solar. If additional battery capacity is needed in the short-term, purchase a portable power station (probably one of the lithium stations like an EGO 3000W or an EcoFlow Delta 1300 or something similar). The trailer (house AGM) batteries can be recharged on travel days from my tow vehicle alternator (correct?) and on days when my trailer sits in one place, but I take my tow vehicle sight-seeing, I can at least recharge a portable power station the same way. If, after using the trailer, we discover we need more battery power, that only lithium can provide, I can upgrade. I can also add solar if needed. As a newbie, I would appreciate any other thoughts or insights from experienced RVers. TY in advance. Bill

I am very interested in a CO rally. My vote would be River Run. Thanks for the effort. Looking fwd to it! Bill

I am no RV expert. My wife and I have rented two Airstreams (a late model Flying Cloud 25 Twin and a brand new Caravel 22). My only experience with Oliver has been online research and we were shown an Elite 2 recently by local owners. We really liked both brands. With that caveat, we decided to place an order for an Oliver. Here are the primary reasons: 1. Fiberglass vs aluminum. We typically spend at least half our summer in the CO mountains and we have been in several (if not dozens) of hail storms. I suspect the aluminum might not last through a major hail storm. 2. Interior construction. We think the interior components are more sturdy in the Oliver. Because you are driving the trailer and it is shaking, anything that is attached to the walls is apt to loosen over time. All cabinetry, dinette frames, bathroom partitions, closets, etc. in an Airstream are riveted to the shell. In a fiberglass Oliver, these components are a part of the mold. To us, this made the Oliver "feel" more stable, secure and higher quality. There were other factors that weighed significantly in the Airstream's favor: 3. Exterior looks and "coolness" factor. This is entirely subjective, but we really like the aluminum exterior and think the Airstreams are a "hip" or "cool" trailer. 4. Interior designs - my wife preferred the interior decor of the Airstream. 5. Size and floor plan options - The Airstreams are wider. So it gives you a roomier interior. It also decreases visibility when towing. Airstreams have many more floorplan options. 6. Airstream offers ducted air conditioning. This is quieter and more versatile than a standard RV AC (that is in the Oliver). Our 2 cents. Good luck!

This is it ^^^^^^ How much would a trailer built like an Ollie with these features weigh? I am not sure I would be willing to tow it. How much more would I pay? $85k - $95k???

Have any owners installed the Airhead toilet in their Ollies? I would love to hear thoughts on how it performed and specifically how it was vented in the Oliver, and specifically where the fan was installed, whether it is necessary to install one or two fans, and whether the air flow created by towing created a problem. I know that Oliver offers an option to install the Nature's Head, and the venting may be similar issues, although the Airhead fan tends to be installed away from the toilet and at the Nature's Head tends to be installed on the side of the toilet.

I, too, have only see these articulting hitches on smaller trailers (offroad teardrops or teardrop-like trailers). But, after looking at the McHitch - as described in this thread, I started thinking about it for an Oliver. The Lock & Roll just seemed to be a potentially simpler solution, but honestly I have not researched in depth. I am concerned about backing a trailer with these hitches. How will the trailer respond? I think one of the benefits of the small, lightweight trailer is that you can move the trailer by hand in a pinch. Not happening with a 6k pound trailer. I don't even own an Oliver yet, so I have a LONG way to go. Thanks for your thoughts.

@Overland & @Raspy - Great information about this hitch and jack. Thanks for your effort to write this up and share it with us. Did either of you consider the Lock & Roll hitch? (https://locknroll.com/) I am interested in your thoughts or if others have installed on their Ollies. Thanks again, stay safe. Bill

https://tpwd.texas.gov/newsmedia/releases/?req=20200407a

Looks very nice and functional. Nice build. Congrats!