DavePhelps

A question about these remote panels. If you have the factory installed solar power setup, wouldn't it be more efficient to order your remote solar panels without a charge controller and just wire them in to the onboard controller? If your remote panels do have a built in charge controller, then I assume you are wiring them straight to your batteries? With the controller on the remote panels, I would think there would be substantial voltage drop between the controller and battery, seeing as most wire used for remote panels are 10 gauge. Just trying to sort this out. Thanks Dave

You can also get 2" balls rated at 8000 lbs. Although you may need to replace your ball mount to accommodate the 1-1/4" shank. It's the one I use. I don't use the Anderson WD hitch, so can't comment about John's comment about decreased wear with a larger ball. Makes sense though. https://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Ball/Equal-i-zer/EQ91-00-6080.html Dave

I would add to what Mike stated just so it's very clear: you also never want to leave your black tank valve open when you are at a site with full hook-ups. Let your black tank fill to 80% or more and then dump it all at once. Then, drain your gray tank. The GT is notoriously slow to get the last bit out. You don't need to raise the front to extreme heights however. Just raise it a bit and then wait if you have time. If you leave your BT valve open full time while camping, the liquid components of the tank will outrun, and separate from the solids. The solids then collect in the tank and will turn into a hard mass, often called the "brown pyramid". You don't want to go there! Waste tank management seems ominous at first, but you learn fast and it's very easy to balance the two come dump time. Enjoy! Dave

Spike, is that 4.5 x 4.5 inch screen you linked the same one that covers the furnace vent? That is what it seems like. Thanks a lot. Dave

Denise, Good idea to keep your safety chains (or cables) attached to your TV! When in any doubt, keep those on!! Topgun pretty much laid out all your options. Do you carry a shovel? Very handy for these situations. It will allow you to create a flat spot to stack your blocks, and in your case, trench out a spot to drop your tongue in to. Just be sure to put it in a plastic bag to keep the dirt out of it. Personally, I'd hate to put in right on the ground, even in a bag, but maybe use one block. Question: So has it been decided that temporary (a day or two) lifting of the rear wheels off the ground with the onboard jacks is not a good practice? I know it's best to block up the wheels and use the jacks more as stabilizers, but in extreme situations..?? Dave

So I found the Camco screens for the Water Heater and the Furnace. Thanks for the link as I've been wanting to cover these for a while. Regarding the water heater, what about the louvered vents? The Camco screen covers the main opening but not the louvered part on the left. And I assume you remove these vent screens while under way? Dave

You probably could not find a better Oliver than John's. I have no doubt it was meticulously and thoughtfully maintained. It is the layout you want, and the price is REALLY good. I'd be on the phone to John ASAP, it won't be around long. Dave

That's sweet. Oliver really does go the extra mile to make things right and help us out if there is an issue. Now you and your pets can rest peacefully! Dave

Overland, It depends on the width of the ledge, as noted by Newshoes. In any case, mine has no applied trim to the ledge, and the ledge is wide enough not to let the table drop. I'd put the table to the rear of the trailer with the fiberglass insert piece towards the front, and make adjustments to those trim pieces if possible. Dave

[postquote quote=175210][/postquote] Agreed, I'm having a hard time figuring how this could happen myself. Newshoes, are the recesses for the table parallel to each other front to back? Dave

Newshoes, Sorry to hear about your table. On my Elite 1, the table is 29-1/4" wide as is yours, but the space between the two molded ledges that it sits in to is 29-5/8". There is no way that my table can fall off the ledges whether slid to one side or not. If your space is indeed 30", that is too much and a call to Oliver is recommended. As you mentioned, it is a dangerous situation, especially if your pets are camping underneath. The cleanest solution would be for Oliver to build you a new table to fit the space. If the space is 30" then a 29-5/8" wide table would be the same fit as mine. Dave

If you are set on getting the F-150, I would take a close look at getting the Heavy Duty Payload Package (HDPP). It upgrades your frame, gives you the 3.73 rear end, LT tires (load C rated), 36 gallon gas tank, and increases payload around 800 pounds. In 2019, it was only available with the 3.5 ecoboost or the 5.0. But not available on Lariat and up trims for some unknown reason. Could be different for 2020 models. Payload (or lack of it) can be a problem with the 1/2 tons, depending on how you load up your truck with various accessories. You'll have to consider your personal use carefully. Personally, for my future truck, I'm letting go of the idea of a half ton for towing in favor of a 3/4 ton for many reasons. The 1/2 ton is still a good TV, though maybe getting close to the edge for the Elite2. The F-150 3.5/5.0 have plenty of power, just not nearly as stable a platform as a 3/4 ton truck. Just my 2 cents. Good luck! Dave

Greetings Mark, With a 3500 truck (or a 2500 for that matter), there is no need at all for the Anderson WDH setup. Save your money and simplify your setup. Your truck will be a very capable TV for the Ollie all by itself. Folks that do have the Anderson WDH will be able to answer your specific questions about turning radius and all if you are unswayed! Dave

On our last trip to SE Oregon, we encountered terrific thunderstorms with incredible downpours. As I watched our window wells fill up with water, I remembered this post. But had no pipe cleaners. But I did have 1/8" paracord! I cut off a bunch of 3" pieces and worked them in the weep slot of our windows. They worked beautifully with steady drips coming off the end of the cord and dry window wells! Another good use for paracord. Thanks for the idea. Dave Edit: I see now that the original post was started by Mossemi, thanks again!

I tend to agree about the superior protection you get with a quality marine paste wax. I store my Ollie outdoors all year. Two or three washes and two waxes a year, one in the Spring and the other in the late Fall. By the beginning of Spring, my trailer is a little green around the edges here in the NW. A month ago, after a quick wash before a future Oliver customer came by to have a look, the water still beaded up like it was just waxed after being out all Winter. Yes it's a bit more elbow grease to apply paste wax, but not that much. I have had no issue cleaning off bugs, tar, road grime, or whatever with a quality paste wax underneath. I personally really like Collinite Fleetwax, but I'm sure the others mentioned here are good as well. I also use a WHITE 3M scotch-brite pad, along with a sponge when I'm soaping down my trailer before I wax. The white pad is the equivalent of 1200 grit sandpaper. It has just enough tooth to cut through the tough stuff without affecting the natural shine of the gelcoat. It leaves the trailer smooth (no small embedded particles) and very clean, almost like it was clayed before a paint job. This has worked very well for me. https://www.collinite.com/marine-wax/fleetwax-paste-wax/ https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-us/all-3m-products/~/Scotch-Brite-Light-Cleansing-Hand-Pad-7445/?N=5002385+3293194061&rt=rud Dave

My best guess as well, and very easy to verify.... Dave

The first place I would look are the check valves (back flow preventer) just inside from the city water and fresh water tank inlets. On my Ollie, these are brass and when our trailer was at Oliver waiting to be picked up, they both froze and cracked (City Water & Fresh water Tank). Luckily, the damage was determined at our first night shakedown when water came pouring out of the weeps. This back corner is vulnerable to freezing, at least on our Elite 1 it is. We do not have to mess with the valves when in boondocking mode or hooked up to City water. If you can not visually see the leak, maybe when you get home, you could run some compressed air through the City water inlet (50 psi or less) and listen. A lot has changed with plumbing layout and valve type over the years so hard to give best advice to you. If you've been in freezing weather though, check the weak links first, starting with those check valves. Good luck. Dave

That is a good idea Oliver should check out! Put the return as far from the furnace as is practical. On the Elite I, the return is on the front dinette seat, basically right next to the furnace. Where I have had some freezing trouble is on the street side rear of the trailer, where the water inlets are. That might be a good place to locate the return (on the Elite I). The Elite I bathroom is the warmest room in the house as the furnace is just on the other side of the wall and the duct run is very short. For the Elite II, using hard ducting would improve flow (reduced friction loss) and there are insulation products available for this type of ducting. Anyway, I hope DonnaDuane are working out their problem. It's been mighty cold in the Cascades. Dave

On the Elite1, the furnace is under the front dinette seat. There are two supply ducts, one to the bathroom and a very short run out the base of the front dinette seat. I really wish Oliver had a third duct that warmed the area between the hulls better. I asked about this when we were in the market and was told the residual heat from the furnace itself would keep the water lines from freezing. This has not proven to be the case, and needs to be looked at. I would do what Randy suggested and remove the two ducts from the furnace outlet. Or at least the one that goes to the bathroom. That will send a blast of warm air between the hulls and hopefully thaw your frozen line. A more difficult solution might be to remove the access panel under the bathroom sink and put a small fan in there. Obviously not a solution you want to do regularly if you're a cold weather camper. Dave

Don't forget to add the tongue weight of your trailer to the payload calculation, which on the E2 is north of 500 lbs. (460 on website). The other "stuff" could include toppers, bed mats, spare gas/water, and all after market accessories. That said, you should be fine and safe in your Ram, at least to get you going. Dave

That's a pretty neat hose that Steve posted. But unless I misunderstand, it would not protect the spigot from freezing. Remember you have around 30 gallons of water to use in your FWT. If it was me, and I was in your situation, I would just use the FWT all the time. Then if it begins to run low, fire up the hose and refill the tank, then disconnect again. During fillup, you could also fill a container for drinking water if you don't want to drink out of your FWT, like some of us do. Just my 2 cents. Dave

Like Mike, I too bought an extra 25' water hose and have used them both. I often need the extra length while "camping" at friends' houses. At campgrounds that have water, you never know what side of the trailer the spigot will be, but 25' usually works great. If water is provided at your camp site, it is always best practice just to disconnect your hose at night and let the water drain out of the hose and your trailer (it will drain from the supply side of your backflow valve and out). Full timers will go to the trouble of heat tape and insulation, but for the traveler it's really not necessary. You also would need to tape and insulate the frost-free spigot or risk freezing and busting that and incurring a hefty bill from the campground owners. It just takes a couple of minutes to disconnect and stow your hose in the TV, and let the freeze come! Dave

That is "two Falls ago"... Damn auto spelling.

Glad you made it back safe and sound! Sounds like quite an adventure. We had a similar drive back from Red Rock Lakes NWR two For ago... Being chased by a major early Winter storm. The Oliver sure was/is a cozy shelter to retreat to when the weather gets ugly. And they do tow like a dream. Glad you made it home safely. Dave

Man those reveals are pretty bad. When I get home I'll check my window and get back to you. That shouldn't have left the factory like that.