hardrock

When I was recently at the Oliver facility, I saw a battery operated trailer mover. I asked about it and was amazed the cost, rather expensive. It has extra large wheels. I was also told they were not real well pleased with the performance. I was especilly interested because I am terrible at backing into a tight space. I will pay extra for a pull thru campsite. I have a 90'long driveway, downhill, with two turns and put my Ollie into my man cave garage. I do all of this very easily with my front mounted trailer hitch. I can both push and pull the TT, turn it extremely easy in an accurate path and get it through a 10 X 10 garage door. The only downside is there is a lot of weight on the front (truck drops several inches when the TT is lowered onto the front hitch) thus when turning, it leaves black marks on my driveway. Recently while camping in Savannah Georgia, I had to park in a back in campsite. I unhitched, turned my truck around, and pushed it in. There were large overhanging trees and a few turns. I was able to easily maneuver it in. I can see clearly on the drivers/TT door side, no problems. On the passenger side, I only had to turn the truck a small amount to see on that side. I have a rear view camera on the back of the TT but did not use it. I stacked two bricks I found near by to mark my final stop and maneuvered to the brick. My wife watched for the overhanging branches and gave me a few course corrections and we got it in perfectly. Below are shots of my driveway from street curb to garage, my garage where the TT rests, and of my front trailer hitch. My simple solution for tight spaces, turns and a mentally impaired back in driver is a front hitch. It is always on my TV and works great. Coy

Hello Marc Welcome to the Oliver family. You will love the trailer ! I live in Madison, Al just on the otherside of Huntsville from you coy

Dave several of the manufacturers push their wares on YouTube. Some have more features than others. I have learned that in the past I have bought things with more features/costs than others. The videos may help you decide what you want. I personally like the features of the ones that go to sleep when not in motion, the unit locks on the valve stem and the unit has a big display. Below is a great article from RV Life magazine regarding TPMS systems http://rvlife.com/stop-blowouts-monitoring-rv-tires/

Aubrey Having individuals such as you with years on the road with your TT, really helps when you post something this. THANK YOU

Here is the website I found that compares several manufacturers of TPMS Systems. There are probably other comparisons out there but this site seems to focus on systems for the RV Industry. Also YouTube has several customers and manufacturers reviews with installation instructions. Several have some slick features such as turning itself off if no motion is defected (to greatly extend battery life and not having to remove the battery for storage), large screen displays with constant monitoring/reporting, extended warranties and small size so they do not extend beyond the hub of the wheel to be broken off when getting too close to a curb, and locks to prevent theft. http://www.fiveina5th.com/landing/top-4-tpms-systems-comparison/?gclid=CMe-ndvEpM4CFdgQgQodnTkJWw Thank you coy

I can tell that This advice is based upon real experience and knowledge THANK YOU

All Thank you for your replies. It appears that I need to put a Tire Pressure Monitoring System on my Christmas List, no road trips in the near future. I have found a website that compares the leading brands of TPMS. The one ranked the highest is the cheapest, EEZ Tire Pressure Monitoring system. Amazon seems to have the best price as well, based upon the number of tires you want to install a monitor. I will get enough monitors to install on my truck since it has no monitoring system. It appears that new vehicles are required to have these, but they are "indirect" as opposed to the direct system installed on each tire with an instant display for each tire. Thank You coy

I see from your maps that you are a seasoned traveler in your Oliver and have expirenced what I have not. I value your input. Thank You

I have a 2015 Elite, single axle. The single axle concerns me in the event of a tire failure (blow-out). I have not had a tire failure and have made several long haul trips. My current tow vehicle is a Tundra V8 and my Elite handles extremely well with the Tundra. I religiously check the tire pressure with my trusty Snap-on professional grade pressure gauge each day and do a visual check each time I stop. I have a heat sensor infrared gun that I use as well for tires and wheels. I have been considering purchasing a monitoring system but I do not feel that the monitor will warn me ahead of time for a blow out. Does anyone use such a system and what is your opinion of its safety usefulness? If I regularly check my pressure, is this not sufficient ? Lastly, has anyone had a tire failure on a single axle Elite and what was the outcome? How did your Ollie handle ? Your opinion is greatly appreciated. Coy

I have had a problem with my chains falling down in the campsite at night and getting dirty or even worse, my TV electrical plug falling and getting sand in the connections ! I have found this "gadget" from GR Innovations LLC, that solves this problem. This is a metal plate that attaches to the front Jack and has 3 holes and a slot. The slot is to place your TV plug and the holes are to put your chains in. (One extra hole!) The black Towing Organizer (I think it may be hard plastic) sells for $19.95 and the aluminum unit sells for $29.95. Both come with the blue 7 way plug cover or it can be puchased separately. It includes everything you need for installation which takes 2 minutes to install the two bolts and tighten. I did not buy the plug saver tether, I prefer to make my own. The chain saver organizer is well built and easily installed coy The address is grinnovationsllc.net

Bill I have a few additional holes in my hull, but all are "Oliver - made". An example is the Satalite radio antenna I had Oliver to install. It works great ! My luck does not run on the good side when doing self installation of that magnitude, especially considering all things electrical, water and mechanical that lie just beyond eyesight. My point is, if Oliver were to offer such a feature or someone was able to master this task, I would be in-line to have mine retrofitted. Coy Very

I recently attended a fiberglass rally in Georgia with app. 40 fiberglass trailer owners. Across the way was a family of 4, Dad, Mom and two teenage sons in a small Boler fiberglass trailer. I was curious about sleeping arrangements and they showed me the twin bunk beds with everyone having their own bed. I have a 2015 Elite, larger than the 2-twin bed Boler. A twin bed option, even one, would maximize sleeping capacity and that would be great. I purposely ordered the smaller Elite because it is easier to pull, lighter and I can get it into smaller places and I store it in my garage during the winter- no winterization... Maximized sleeping capacity with the top bed folding up to increase headroom would be a huge plus. I have played with the idea of retro fitting mine Coy

You guys at rough! Buzzy just got his Ollie and not home yet. He is being initiated by fire to accomplish something that none of us have fully accomplished. Buzzy If you choose to do this, would you want input from others? I think your peers have lots of confidence in your ability OR the only person organized enough to take on such a daunting task. We will await your return home and give you adequate time to think about this request. In the meantime, we can all be thinking about the elements of the checklist and how it can be structured to encompass both Elite and Elite II both younger and the more mature models.

Hey Bill the next time you visit Hohenwald, ask them for one of the blanks they cut out for the Windows or door. They have lots of them and no use for them. You can have a table that identically matches your Ollie. You may want to put a rubber mold around the edges.

Has anyone developed a checklist (BEFORE you go) / (AFTER you get to the campsite) that you would be willing to share? My daughter and son-in- law want to borrow my trailer and asked if I had a checklist to use of things to do before leaving, either before leaving home or the campsite or after arriving at the campsite. Since most Oliver's have standard features, it would be a useful toolbox for all. If you could share your checklist, everyone would greatly appreciate it. I searched the forum but found no resources. THANKS

when I ordered my trailer, Robert Partee, the salesman at that time, asked me if I wanted an awning on both sides. He said that a few people ordered a trailer with a awning on both sides to camp in areas with bright sunlight, access to the sun for solar panels and maximum shade. This may be one of those units

Geez, You guys/ladies have provided me a plethora of choices. I had not seen the video before. It was much more comprehensive than the brief delivery/orientation I received at Oliver. I showed it to my wife and then Bill's pics. Since she is the driver of this project, she has opted to try out the shower feature before going to the Oxygenics Spa Thanks to everyone for your feedback. If we decide to change out the head, I will let you know. In the meantime, I will watch all of the video to learn what else I may have missed. Coy

It appears that no one has opted to exchange shower heads but we all struggle with the same issues. I will venture out onto the ice and give it a try. Will let everyone know how it fits thanks !!

Since the Oxygenics head stands straight up, it will work simply by adjusting the water pressure, I presume!

Fall Hollow is adding more services. In particular, they are adding needed sewer services. They have 4 rows of RV sites. The sewer run on the line(s) between rows 1&2 and between rows 3&4. In other words, the sewer connections are in the rear of each site while water and electrical is in the front. If you pull up to the electrical/ water connections, you will need additional sewer lines. If you stay 1-2 nights, you can use the sewer dump.

Has anyone changed out the Oliver supplied handheld showerhead? More specifically, has anyone changed over to the Oxygenics showerhead that so many other RVers rave about? The current shower head is heavy and could break the fiberglass if dropped, has poor water dispersion and could be drastically improved. I am considering changing out to the "Oxygenics showerspa handheld for RVs", but cannot determine if the fittings are a match. THANKS, Hardrock

It appears that Airstream has purchased a fiberglass travel trailer manufacturing company (Nest) to manfacture fiberglas trailers under the Airstream logo. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but Airstream will be have a long way before they will begin to match Oliver ! https://www.airstream.com/nest/ See how the Airstream Nest compares to the Oliver Travel Trailer.

Bill I will be next to you in F-1 Coy

Larry, I have been reading your articles regarding cooking outdoors, especially using cast iron cookware. I have several pieces that I have purchased, and some inherited all the way back to my great-grandmother. One of my favorite, Lodge, manufactures all of their cookware in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, not too far from Chattanooga. Although Lodge has several outlet stores, the "Mother"store is next-door to the manufacturing plant in South Pittsburg. There they also manufacture a line of cast iron stoves, like my grandmothers "Warm Morning" cast iron stove. In the "Mother" Lodge factory store, they carry all types of cookware, accessories and new items. Disclaimer- I am not associated with Lodge, just a loyal customer of iron cookware and much more importantly, the great food that is much better cooked in ironware.

Thanks for your kind reply. My sensor does not appear to be the same as the brochure. However, they are probably functionally the same. So,I disconnected Ollie from the shore power, disconnected the negative side of the battery(s) and then making sure my gas tanks were in the off position, I disconnected the tanks from each gas line. Before I started turning power back on, I looked at my electrical panel. The far right breakers were in an off position (strange ??) I turned the shore power back on, reconnected the gas lines and flipped the two breakers to an on position. It appears as though all of this resetting was effective. The alarm is peacefully quiet. Postscript - This alarm is LOUD- It will wake up neighboring communities!! You need a set of ear plugs to reset it or you will go deaf