Ray and Susan Huff

I was also told about the smart TV (vendor unknown). It was also mentioned that there will be additional charging ports and "plug-ins" I assume that means 120v outlets? Also a change in ultra-leather. And the decor choices are now packaged, not ala carte. I will email my sales rep and see where they stand on changes and if any more are expected. I do appreciate retirement . . . . I loved my job, just not the stress, deadlines, and regulations. Governmental accounting and financial management is definitely a challenge, but then I enjoyed the diversity of "wearing many hats"!

We would like to secure our portable generator to the pickup and use it from there. My question is this: is the 25' power cord long enough to reach from the standard, street side plug on the trailer to a generator in the back of the tow vehicle? I can see where perhaps this might be a problem, depending on how/where the tow vehicle is parked - perhaps diagonally across the driveway as might be necessary since ours is an F-350 long-bed crew cab. Of course, times when the generator is used might be in a less restrictive site, such as boondocking. Question for those with the additional 30 amp connection: does it come with an additional power cord? If yes, length?

It is my understanding Oliver is still finalizing the details of both the 2021 brochure and build worksheet. I was given a 2021 price sheet, but it does not reflect the recent awning changes. I am certain everyone at Oliver is very busy right now, transitioning to a new model year. Business goes on and changes make it difficult to keep on top of everything. I imagine it's very much like the transition from one fiscal year to another. Perhaps this will put it in perspective: As a business manager for a small school district, the first months of transition - June, July, and August - were my least favorite time. You are still working in last year's budget, accounting for receivables/payables from both budget years, preparing the new fiscal budget for submission to the State Dept, (deadline) and importing the new budget into accounting software. There are new contracts to approve, purchase orders to process, forms to update, and then the chaos of a new school year. Now the focus is on the new fiscal budget, but there are reports to compile for the annual audit of the prior year (deadline). Once the audit is complete, and submitted to the State Dept (deadline), accounting data (last year's budget) must be uploaded to the State Dept (deadline). Spreadsheets for projecting the next year's budget for presentation to administration and the budget committee (deadline) Oh, and I forgot to mention, negotiating union contracts for two bargaining units, Federal grant reimbursements to process (deadline), administrative meetings, staff to supervise, questions to answer . . . . . . . . Looking back on my career gives me an acute awareness of the things Oliver is faced with as they continue to build a quality travel trailer. In addition to the transition to a new model year, Oliver is most likely scrambling to get back up to speed after a month-long Covid-19 shut down. They are undoubtedly making modifications to their production line and office operations in order to provide a safe workplace during the pandemic. I commend them for their perseverance and dedication. As we all know this isn't a normal year. Like our school district, Oliver is a small operation; it behooves us all for Oliver to remain small so they can continue to build and support a superior product. Yes, it's hard to wait. Yes, we must be patient. If it is any consolation, we are in the same situation. My mantra - "This too shall pass" - Persian adage, Americanized by Abraham Lincoln,

The standard features for 2021 models are listed as follows: Smoke Detector with Alarm Standard Carbon Monoxide Detector with Alarm Standard LP Leak Detector with Alarm Standard This makes it sound as if the '21 models have separate LP and CO monitors. I don't know how the 2020 features were presented. Adding this to my list of questions to ask my sales rep. Once it is certain what components are being used (at least initially), Oliver should present a list of changes. Many prospective new owners are using 2020 standards for decision making, so this would avoid a lot of confusion, especially due to the lapse in the online descriptions while transitioning from one model year to the next. I did ask this question of my sales rep. Waiting for him to investigate and reply.

The idea of the shorter Elite is intriguing . . . . . My thoughts: For two people, foul weather camping would be crowded. For solo use, can you manage with the smaller galley (no counter between the sink and stove) and without the large pantry between the dinette and the bed?". Those would be huge trade-offs for me. However, as has been said before, it all depends on your style. If you haven't yet, my best advice is to see each in person. Oliver helped us arrange a visit with a locally owned Elite II Twin, which is the model we are considering. We had some idea of the interior space, since it is similar in size to the cabin of our small motor home. We mainly wanted to "try on" the twin beds, since they are 4" narrower than ours, check the bathroom size, and evaluate interior storage. Our reaction: The interior is more open than our MH which has the bathroom situated in the middle. The narrower beds are still roomy enough to be comfortable; I like that you can sleep with your head at either end (can't in our MH with wardrobes at the foot of each bed with a TV attached to one. The bathroom is larger than the MH's split configuration (toilet and sink in one small space and stand-alone shower across the center aisle), discounted for the separate shower that we don't use much as a shower, but as a storage area, especially for wet items. I was amazed at the interior storage. The upper cabinets are much larger than I envisioned; the large galley drawers are easier to access than the under sink storage in our MH which has very small drawers; the pantry is much larger than our pull-out; and the hanging closet larger than our two small wardrobes situated at the foot of each bed. Our MH has 10x the exterior storage, but the tow vehicle will replace that. Since you are considering another make of trailer, it is imperative that you see both, in person. If you can't manage a tour of the Oliver plant, watch the video. Look at an Escape before you see an Oliver. The differences are amazing.

The Girard site says the motorized awnings have crank "handle/manual override". I wonder if manual operation is the same as a non-motorized awning and, if so, could be treated as a manual awning simply by not using power? Waiting to hear which model Oliver is installing

I feel relatively secure as far as Tornatos, in early Feb; ice storms, we can wait out since we won't be in a hurry to get home. Our delivery window at the time we secured a build slot was December on. We still think Feb is better than December or January, as far as weather goes. Hope my hunch is right.

Just what I was told . . . . . but the specs say otherwise 😖

I see that, now. I guess we'll live with it . . . . don't use the awning much. I hope it has the ability to open partially.

The 2021 build sheet I received shows manual as standard. I hope we can still get it. Has anyone every asked for no awning?

Good question. Does anyone have clarification for Oliver on the battery warranty?

Lithium package description says it has a built-in heating system for temps down to -4 F

I asked if more batteries could be added. Oliver says there is room for 1 additional for a total of 3.

Very nice. Maybe a future Oliver option? Looking forward to hearing how much power you gain.

We are opting for the manual awning, too. We like the fact that the Oliver gives you a choice of manual or power awning and also a manual step. Simpler is often better. Our current RV awning (Carefree motorized, non-wind sensing) has hardly been used because it has several bad traits: support arms that are hard to deploy and have locking mechanisms that break; awning hangs up on deployment and retraction; no manual override provided. We experienced a sudden wind event once, in Arco, Idaho. It was all the two of us could do to hold the awning down, and the retract switch was just out of reach. We finally managed to get it in . . . . . . . . would have made a great video! It seems today's RV awnings are overpriced sunshades that work only in the best weather conditions.

Does the Girard manual awning have support legs? The Dometic manual did not.

We still have cordless phones 😀 But I hear what you're saying.

Great approach! This will get me started. Thanks a bunch 😊

@Dean Thank you,. . . . . I don't expect to recover the cost of lithium batteries, nor limit the initial cost of our Oliver, but rather confirm that the benefits of lithium power are worthwhile for our needs. If they only give us less concern about battery health - SOC, maintenance, storage, etc. - I am willing to pay the extra $$$$. Not totally understanding the contrast between lead-acid and lithium, in terms of maintenance, We are still undecided regarding our choice of battery package (AGM/solar vs lithium/solar). I do believe there are long-term benefits such as a much longer life, quicker charge times, and higher resale value, in addition to the fact that the cost of lithium batteries should continue to drop. There is also the possibility that the lead-acid battery will go the way of incandescent light bulbs and internal combustion automobiles - though probably not in our lifetime. I appreciate your input. I'm leaning more toward the lithium option, but would like a better understanding of how RV life with lithium compares to our lead-acid/solar experience, especially in regards to power management, maintenance, and storage.

I looked on the Oliver site but do not see PDI information. Is there a check-list or some guidance to prepare us for delivery? I would like to know, ahead of time, the checkpoints of a typical walk-through so we can outline questions we'd like to ask. Perhaps our salesperson is the person to ask, but I'm wondering if current Oliver owners went prepared with their own list.

So Oliver does install the breaker switch? I would like to discuss further, but am in the midst of canning peaches right now. As we are still deciding which solar option to order - AGM or Lithium - it all comes down to which system will be less trouble. We do dry camp often; with our current RV system (2-6v flooded deep cycle batteries, 200w solar and 1000w inverter) we have to continually monitor the batteries, even though we don't use a lot of power (no inverter use and onboard generator occasionally). Under these conditions, our solar panels mostly keep the batteries topped off, depending on weather conditions. That being said, here are some of my thoughts: 1. The Oliver lithium solar package would supply more power than we currently use. Not to say we wouldn't use more if we had it. We camp about 50/50 hookup/boondock but prefer boondocking as we enjoy remote outdoor camping vs RV resorts and overpopulated state parks. 2. The upfront cost is greater, but recovered over life of the batteries. Cost is no object if our RV experience can be more enjoyable without having to think so much about batteries. 3. Our energy needs will change with the Oliver. Our motorhome is not 4-season, so it stays parked, for the most part, 4 mos out of the year. Just having more power is attractive, but less power management is our goal. Our decision rests on this factor more than the availabilty of onboard power. It's nice to have reliable power when camping off-grid, but we there are still other limiting factors, the biggest being waste water holding capacty. I've read about the differences in lead-acid vs lithium, but without experience with lithium power we'd like to know if we will see a big difference in the management of our batteries. I'll send you a message when I'm done canning peaches. I do have a lot of questions, especially how lithium batteries are managed during down time. Thanks for reaching out.

So this does the same thing as a battery cutoff switch? It opens the circuit between the battery and the onboard electrical system, but not the solar input?

Thanks . . . . . I have a message in to my tax advisor. Edit: My tax advisor agrees the RV is considered a second home, for tax purposes, with no prorate for usage if it is not rented part of the year. Based on this, she is comfortable claiming the solar tax credit for the cost of the solar/lithium pkg . . . . . however . . . . . . . . . . there is one restriction that might prove problematic: language suggests that the power source used to charge the batteries must be 100% solar. If charging comes from other sources (shore power, generator, tow vehicle), the tax credit must be prorated based on the percentage of solar charging vs other sources. If one has to prove this, to satisfy the IRS, the tax credit becomes less attractive. I'm not sure how you would document the source of power used for charging. It seems that applying the credit to an RV as a vacation home is like comparing apples to oranges - solar power for a stationary vacation home vs a vacation home that is mobile with multiple sources of battery charging going on. The language just doesn't fit both scenarios and I see no practical way to define the amount of charge supplied from each of these sources.

Breaker on the positive lead from the battery? Picture?

I read the guidelines and it says, for a vacation home, the credit is prorated based on how much of the year you spend in the home. This seems odd, since the solar energy is not used in a given year, only the credit is claimed during the year following the installation occurs. Benefits continue year after year. Has anyone claimed the credit? I'm wondering how to calculate the credit - what is the cost basis? - cost of total package, panels, batteries, controllers, inverter? How would one determine the cost of the Oliver Lithium package?