hardrock
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Posts
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Posts posted by hardrock
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Spike
I have a 2016 Elite. At that time, Oliver manufactured Ollies with a tongue that could be extended WAAY out and could even be removed. Every 6" is a hole that could be used to adjust the length the tongue is extended. I have my tongue extended 12" and it rides very well. My TOW is a Toyota Tundra V8. Unfortunately, Oliver no longer has the extendable tongue. They currently have a "fixed" tongue on new Ollies.
Look at Bills mount. He used some aluminum flanges he made from Aluminum stock. I did the same, used the stock, marked where the bolts were and drilled holes in the stock to fit. I went to Fastenall and bought bolts that are longer than the Ollie stock bolts. I then put the longer bolts back in with the appropriate hardware and torque. I still had 1.5 inches of thread on the bolt so I then put the aluminum stock on that I previously had drilled matching holes in. I put the Sway Master on the aluminum stock, centered the Sway Master bracket and marked the holes. I then drilled the holes in the top part of the aluminum stock and mounted the Sway Master with stainless steel bolts. I put a second nut on top of each bolt. Now the Sway Master is parallel with the tongue, I drilled no holes in the tongue, only in the Alumnium stock. I bought two black lots that were 1.5 inches longer and more threads on the end. If you go this route, make sure you get the hardened steel, usually #8 sold at Fastenall.
Hope this helps. If not, I can send pictures when my daughter returns with my trailer
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Spike
I have the Sway Master and have used it for more than a year. I am pleased with it but honestly did not have any problems with sway BEFORE I purchased it. I did so because of the reduced insurance premium.
Because the Sway Master has some internal electronic sensors, I would hesitate putting any type of covering over it, especially metal. I have an Elite and it is mounted on the tongue. I used stainless steel hardware, no discoloration and very strong. Not here, but in another area I used a piece of Oak as a filler to keep the Fiberglass from squishing. I extended the tongue and used the open holes to mount the Sway Master. I do wonder about the Sway Master being mounted at an angle not parallel with the direction of travel. I am not an expert but would suggest calling a technical advisor at e trailer and discussing the mounting and your concern with water pentatration.
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Sherry, apologies for not answering sooner.
Look at my posting " Custom Made Mattresses" . I had the mattresses made specifically for the Elite. I went to the mattress factory in North Carolina and they took measurements of my 2016 Elite. They custom made the mattresses. I use queen sized fitted mattress sheets. I use single size on the dinette/bed. the post I did gives you much more details.
I am curious. Are you saying you have two SOLAR 100 watt panels? Are they mounted on the trailer roof or stand alone? I am in the process of obtaining a generator for backup. I have about 10k and look forward to having 100k on mine. If I can answer more questions for you, please feel free to PM me.
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Rougebooks
I have a 2016 Elite. I have towed it more than 6k without a Anderson hitch. The lighter model, the Elite, does not need a Anderson hitch. If sway control is your concern, there are electronic units that are very good and hassle free.
Regarding the length overall, earlier models have removable tongues that shortens the length when storing the trailer. The interior size is great and you can upgrade to a queensize mattress.
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A "Grove" of Olives
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Are you purchasing a Elite or Elite II ? I think they are different heights
I store my Oliver Elite (small) inside my garage. I think the Elite II is a bit taller than the Elite. I too have a 10x10 garage door. It is a overhead roll-up door. A factor to consider is your garage door opener. The opener may be a bit lower than the door. I am not good at backing into a small place so I put a front hitch on and can push it in perfectly. I have 30 amp service, water connection and sewer drain from my house. You may want to consider these amenities as you construct.
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I have a 2003 Toyota Tundra small V8, and a 2016 Oliver Elite, first Elite in production after the 2008 Oliver shutdown. Hull # 73. I traveled 4000+ miles on my first trip, Alabama to Califonia and return, mostly on Route 66. I had no weight distribution hitch, no sway control. As I drove west across Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico, I encountered very strong winds daily. On two separate days, the winds were so strong that the semi trucks and "Pusher" RVs were getting the heck off the roads because of the high winds. Truck stops and roadside parks were full, they would pull out at dusk when the winds slowed down, somewhat. I drove through the high winds and was in complete control with my Ollie in tow. The rounded aerodynamic hull makes a huge difference. I never once felt that the winds adversely impacted my driving in an unsafe manner. I dove between 60-65 most of the time.
Last Spring my insurance company said they would give me a discount if I would install a sway control on my trailer. I did NOT want anything that was difficult to attach, detach or otherwise encumber my travels. Bill (Ride and Fly) put me onto the Hayes Electronic Sway Control. It is easily installed and can be bypassed with ease. I researched it and saw that it was designed at Aburn University here in Alabama. I asked some of the electrical, mechanical and aerospace engineers I worked with before I bought it. They felt the design and components were unique and based upon sound engineering. I purchased it but saw little difference as I drove because I had never had any difficulty with adverse sway. On my next trip I drove to Grand Isle, Lousiana State Park. It is a small island with the Gulf of Mexico on one side and the Mississippi River on the other. To get to it, you travel on an immense causeway/tollroad into the Gulf of Mexico. I decided to test my sway control on my Ollie. Several times I would quickly move the steering wheel to the left or to the right to check the sway control. The trailer itself would self-correct immediately and go back to center. I tried doing this both left and right after making sure no one was near me. Same results, it self corrected very quickly. Since I installed the Hayes Electronic Sway Control, I have traveled another 4K+ miles with no incidents or safety concerns.
When I travel, I travel light. I have leveled my Ollie while it was sitting in my garage with a 8' carpenters level, documenting the tongue height from the floor. When my Ollie is fully hooked up, loaded and ready to roll, the trailer's tongue has dropped about 1/2 inch. I have gone through the CAT commercial scales thing to make sure my tongue weight, trailer weight and vehicle weight and related requirements are well within the reccomended specifications. It all checks out.
Bottom line. I bought the Elite size BECAUSE it tows easily, is lightweight, has 90 % of all of the "stuff" that the Elite II has and I do not have the concerns of add ons to get me to the safety perimeters that many are concerned about. I will buy a new tow vehicle in the next year and will have some additional factory installed features that I do not have now such as the factory installed sway control, the factory installed trailer brake control and other features. Oliver builds a great travel trailer. I have not pulled a Elite II. I waited 2 years and hounded Robert Partee and Scott/John Oliver to begin production on the Elite. I feel that I do not need the WD hitch, the sway control and other items that may be necessary on the larger Oliver. Safe travels to all of my fellow Ollie owners. Hope to see you at the next Oliver Rally in Sweet Home Alabama
Hardrock
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Bradbev
Micro-Air is a member of the Forum. As a engineer of Micro-Air, Matteo (Micro-Air) is able to offer technical advice to installations. He was able to install a soft start for my Ollie at the last rally. You can send a direct PM.
Good Luck
Hardrock
Matteo Giovanetti
Electrical & Controls Systems Engineer
Micro-Air, Inc.
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Bill
I called campground reservations this morning to determine the number of people that had registered to attend the rally. I was told that we have only 16 registered for the rally. However, it appears that there are a significant number of Ollies that are attending the rally based upon the surge of reservations for campground sites for that week. When making reservations, everyone should use the code 7066 to receive the rally discounted rate of $20.00 per night for a campsite. If someone has not registered using this code, please contact Guntersville Lake State Park Reservations at (256) 571-5455 to receive the discounted rate. This also provides a headcount # so we will know how much food for the meals we will provide
Coy
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All
We have had a number of inquiries about a reserved section of the campground at Lake Guntersville State Park for Oliver Travel Trailer Rally participants. We have not reserved a section because of the many choices of campground sites. This campground offers a diversity of choices. Some are wooded, those in sections B, F and H are in the heavily wooded areas. Section B are pull - thrus. Sections G, D and E are near the lake, but the trees are small, as a result of a tornado a few years ago. Most all sites have full hookups, but not all. When making reservations, make sure your site has all that you need. There is a primitive area in the trees, near the lake. Again this year, we will be inviting all Fiberglass RV enthusiasts, those that have a travel trailer or an interest in becoming a travel trailer owner. I will be posting an invitation on the Fiberglass RV Forum soon. Lake Guntersville State Park offers a multitude of choices in activities and we are building free time into the activities to allow you opportunity to enjoy all that the park and North Alabama has to offer. As an example, just a short drive from Guntersville, is one of the "coolest " places in Alabama. Cathedral Caverns State Park, offers a constant 56 degrees year round, has an opening of 126 feet wide and 25 feet high. Inside are many stalagmites and stalactites , one of the world's largest stalagmites "Goliath" , 45 feet tall and a 243' base. One of the larger rooms has a prehistoric shark tooth embedded in the ceiling. Buck's Pocket State Park offers a deep canyon and great hiking trails. We will be posting many sites and events that we are gathering from the Guntersville Tourism Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce. Our goal is to make this the best Oliver Travel Trailer Rally ever !!
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All
thank you for your kind replies. From the number of PM's and replies I have received, this seems to be a common problem, both at the TV connection and at the Stereo head. I will try some of the suggestions you have sent me. Thank you very much
Hardrock
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Sorry for the long delay in replying. My daughter and family were using my Ollie. While they were at the campground, they too experienced the same problem. As Mike suggested, it is a HDMI cable that is coming loose. My son-in-law, (a IT manager for Boeing) expierenced the same thing while camping in my unit. He removed the head and said the HDMI connection was out and dangling at the back of the unit. He plugged it in and it worked fine. When they returned, we checked it again and the HDMI cable was out. When I bought my Ollie, I had a XM Satellite radio installed. Upon further inspection, these connections from the radio (and the satellite antenna going through the roof just overhead) may be creating the problem. Too much stuff in a small place. It appears some of the cabling may rest upon the HDMI cable. However, the HDMI cable slides out of the connection on the head VERY EASILY. Not sure how to hold the cable in place. Can you squeeze/ <b>LIGHTLY</b> crimp the cable to make a better connection? Can it be taped in?
thanks
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I have the standard Furrion Stereo and standard TV. Many times when I get to the campsite, my TV works, my stereo head works, but they do no "Talk" to each other. No DVD player signal. Upon close inspection, removing the stereo head, I can see the TV cable dangling, unplugged from the head. I plug it in, all is well. However, each trip in the camper, same issue, the cable unplugs too easy.
Any suggestions?
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Malcolm/Ursula and Oliva
Its great you are enjoying your new Oliver, Olivia !
I hope to see you and Ursula again at the next Oliver Rally in Guntersville
coy
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I bought a "rabbit ears" antenna for $9.00 and a cable for $4.99. When I am near a larger city that is likely to have a TV station, I hook up the antenna and sit it on a table. I am careful to not have the Ollie between the antenna and the direction of the TV station. The aluminum insulation in the Ollie causes interference with the TV signal. If there is a TV station in the viewing area, I can usully pick it up. I have compared my antenna to the campground signal. Unless you put a booster on the campground connector, you get better reception with your own antenna. Otherwise, you are sharing a signal that is split with many others. The unit is very easy to store
Hardrock
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I prefer RV PARK REVIEWS
It is a web based resource that released its Beta Version app a few months ago. If you know what city you are going to, you can search for that city and surrounding areas. It will list the RV parks in the searched areas and have a detailed description of each with a listing of amenities and costs. The part that I like best is the feedback from others that have stayed there. It is clear that you have varying opinions, but if a thread runs through most the feedback, it is usually credible.
The web based site has been around for years, the app is in its infancy.
Coy
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Hello Roughbooks
I have the Oliver Elite built for me in 2015 with a few custom fetures. I now have a queen sized bed , custom matress as well as the ability to convert my side dinette to a single bed. Look under my posts in the forum and you can see my custom matress. I love my Oliver and find it fine for my wife and myself.
If I can answer questions for you, PM me with your number and I will give you a call
Hardrock
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According to Progressive Industries, the manfacturer of my electrical unit, the following is what it does, certainly much more than what I could do, test for, or evaluate
Product Features:
• Over/Under voltage Protection
• Open Ground, Open Neutral & Reverse Polarity Detection
• Accidental 240V Protection
• Miswired Pedestal Indication
• Surge Failure Indicator
• Amperage Meter Display
• Previous Error Code
• A/C Frequency Protection
• Time Delay (136 seconds)
• Adjustable Time Delay
• Thermally Protected
• Built-in Scrolling Digital Display
• Field Servicable
• UL Certified and Canadian Approved
• Lifetime Warranty
• Made in the USA
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When I had my Ollie built, I think (according to Oliver) my Ollie was the first Ollie they built and installed the built - in Progressive Industries unit. Soon after I picked up my unit I drove Route 66 as a retirement celebration. I stayed at a state park in OKlahoma halfway through the trip. When I plugged into the 30 amp power outlet, my unit immediately issued a loud click. I could tell this was not business as usual so I looked at the monitor attached to the Progressive Industries unit. I then called Peogressive Industries and the electrical engineer told me the code I gave him indicated the polarity was crossed, posited to negative / negative to positive. I looked at the box and could tell someone had recently tampered with the unit. I opened the box and indeed I could tell from the wiring colors that the wires were crossed. I did not have access to turn off the main, so I reported this to the ranger station. They sent a repairman and he corrected the wiring.
The cost of the surge protector was certainly worth the preventative cost of a Oliver camper catching on fire ! I will never have a camper without the Progressive Industries unit.
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Bill
last years rally was great and I am very sorry to have missed this one. I want to put next years rally on my calendar. When will it be?
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Great idea, Matt
Thanks for all of the resources !!
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And to all of you Mothers ( with respect!)! who log on tomorrow, <b>HAPPY MOTHERS DAY! </b>
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Brandi
I suggest you contact Anita at the Oliver sales office and request the name, contact information of the upholstery company in Mississippi. This gentleman is very easy to work with. He will have all of the templates for all of your cushions. We chose our own fabric at a fabric store then had it shipped to Mississippi. He can make you the covers for your cushions and send them to you. Since he has the templates, they will fit much better than you taking them to a local upholstery shop.
Another note. It is important you buy the right fabric. I worked in a sewing factory and have my own heavy duty (upholstery) sewing machine. My point is not all upholstery material will be suitable for cushions. Some will rip, crawl, or come apart. I got a swatch of material and sent it to Mississippi. He checked the material and call me back saying it was good material. Give him a call before you have covers made.
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My wife is the genius, not me
follow the Link below to see pictures
http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/custom-made-mattresses/
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Sorrow
in General Discussion
Posted
Sadness and sorrow can’t fully describe the loss all of the Oliver customers feel for Robert. He was an advocate for us to fully understand our needs, exceed our desires and get it right the first time.
After Oliver started making the Elite II, Robert helped me to convince Oliver to go back into production again on the Elite. I live near Hohenwald and made many trips to Hohenwald as Robert and I worked together to get the unit I wanted. Robert helped me by explaining the pros and cons of my selections, amenities and accessories. Thanks to Robert, I am very satisfied with my Ollie. During these trips, I became good friends with Robert. We stayed in touch after I bought my unit.
I pray for Robert and his family. I am extremely thankful for his kindness and understanding. Robert, we will greatly miss you
Coy