ScottyGS

Yep... One of the reasons for standardizing and eliminating outlets was that customers tended to want a lot of additional outlets and Oliver realized that they had too many outlets in some trailers.

Do the research. Understand the terms. Read the manual. Do the math. This will provide comfort when the terrain, the weather, and darkness all conspire against you... and they will.

Hey Steve... Would you still feel the same way with the 630ah Lithium package? I am thinking the extra power would run that fridge for a long time. Granted there would be other draws from the battery bank and the solar would have limited replenishment (thinking 2-300 amps in a sunny day). Would that change your mind? BTW... asking for an "in real life decision" not just wondering... and I would value your opinion. Hope you are well and look forward to seeing you in May. Scotty

On the topic of "Do I need the Anderson Hitch with a half ton pick up?" IMO... Nope.. you don't need it. A half ton will pull and Oliver just fine without a WDH... But change the wording of the question a bit to: "Is a WDH required with most half ton pick ups?" or "Is a WDH a good idea for most half ton pick ups?" I would answer with a resounding YES! Thought you all might find this article interesting. https://www.hardworkingtrucks.com/vocational/article/15047718/get-sued-the-easy-way-tow-trailers-with-pickups

I haven't really run the numbers over the years.. but it seems to me that the last big jump in price was 2015 to 2016. About 10k for a well equipped LE2. The price of the thermoplastics in fiberglass must be a big driver of this increase. Plus the OEM components have gone up during the 2022 order cycle and I don't think those increases were passed on. I really don't believe we are seeing opportunism with this increase. Everything is getting more expensive. I guess that's what happens when you print a bunch of money. Let's say that Oliver has capacity to build 400 trailers.... I know... it's probably a bit below that but it's a nice round number. Demand has been high and shows no signs of stopping. We could increase capacity and increase profit dollars by selling more trailers... but that comes with costs and risk. You'd have to expand production space and labor, which is expensive. OR... you could raise the price until you start to see demand drop... then you could gauge what price the market would bear and maximize profits. You still make more profit dollars but can more easily handle a downturn like the 2008 situation. To be clear... I don't believe that Oliver is engaging in a profit maximization strategy. I think they are truly walking the tightrope with profitability on one side and a possible decline in business (due to increased price) on the other. I want the company to be successful. That's how we get the support we need for maintenance and upgrades. The good news for current Oliver TT owners is...... Our trailers just went up in value. Plus FB travel trailers have always had a special / niche spot in the market. They may take a hit when the economy turns south.. but will bounce back when it recovers. Anyway... sorry for getting so long winded. Happy Camping!

Truma Aqua Go and Aventa A/C are packaged at $3500. The reason for the bundle is to have a single controller. (I believe the Aventa also has a remote control unit) Truma Vario Heater may be added to the package but the jury is still out on that. No upgrades available with the Aventa A/C because Truma only sells them for new installs, not for replacement units... That may change in the future but I wouldn't hold my breath. That's all for now.

I was surprised to see the 9.4 / 9.6 / 10.5 amp draw numbers for the Aventa. I had downloaded the European version of the manual and found 4.2 amps at 240 volts. I assumed (yes.. I know the pitfalls of that) that 4.2 at 240 would rough out to 8.4 at 120, giving us 1008 watt hours. Even after doing the math that would mean a 5 hour run time (vs. 5-3/4) with no other draw and no solar input. We are not big on A/C but the ability to run it for a short period of time is a plus. Hmmm .... Thinking again the ability to withstand the noise of running it at all is a bigger plus. Can't wait for the real world tests!

Another test

Wow... You said a mouth full.

This is what I see in my profile... after saving.. and the above map is what I get... Think I'm going to give up now.

Test.

Thanks for the link Sherry. (and DaveAndBecky) Lots of good tips and I am grateful for all of them...... But...... Donna wants to go to Quartzite in 23. So y'all <-- see how southern I am becoming.. know it wasn't wasted, I've already got a lot of this info on my google maps. Much thanks again. Scotty

I set my cube heater on the kitchen counter with a cutting board underneath. Even when it gets hot the bottom of it is cool enough that I probably could put it right on the counter. But why take a chance.

One thing I wish I had known more about when we picked up was the difference between "Camping" and "Traveling". We spend too much time getting into and out of a campground where we only spend one night. Now when we are "Travelling" (heading to a place where camping will happen) we meander along and see the sights during the day and then find a wal-mart, Sams, Craker Barrell, etc. to overnight in. I don't know how long your drive to and from will be but don't feel you have to stay in a "campground" every night. The All Stays app is easy to use and has great info on places to stay and stuff you will need on the road. Good Luck and Happy Camping.

I think a lot of factors went into this price increase. Gas and petroleum products go up in price….so does fiberglass. Plus all the OEM products are going up with inflation. So is it worth it? Compare a Winnebago Mini Winnie FLX at 50k vs an Oliver LE2 at 100k. What is the resale comparison in 5 years? I would take a swag at 25k vs 90k, so a 15k delta. That roughs out at 5k vs 2k per year not counting the time value of money. I think a lot of people would make that tradeoff. And talking about resale……. Seen quite a few more Used Oliver’s hit the market this year. And they sell quick. So I think demand will stay high. And yes I think those that got in on a 22 model had good timing. Will be interesting to see where this goes.

Hey Gang, Started doing some advance planning for a 2-4 week Florida trip (from WNC) thinking that about a year out would be good. But... guess I have to think again. We are pretty flexible about where we go... just want to get away from the cold a bit. Time frame would be Feb 2023. I find that just about every state park I look at is booked 11 months in advance. Any advice on how to navigate the state reservation system... Tips... Tricks... other sites or resources to explore would be much appreciated. Thanks in Advance, Scotty

Yes. At $200 it's cheap enough to store small items that you want handy. Also, the basement is long. I usually keep an old fire poker and use it to hook the milk crates I use to store stuff. But, if you had something small that was tough to reach it might save you crawling into the basement. You have plenty of time to think about it. 50% deposit and final build list is mid July - ish. Sorry for taking the thread off into the cube heater woods.

Our cube heater has a dial thermostat..... as you rotate it, there will be a point when it turns from off to on. Made the mistake of turning a bit too far past that point on the first night we used it. Woke up at 3 in the morning and it was 85 degrees inside. Won't make that mistake again. Those little heaters are awesome to run when hooked up.

We took a trip from NC to the Black Hills and Roosevelt park this past summer. Saw three Olivers on that trip. I guess with over a 1000 out there it's getting more common to see them. Happy Camping!

Not sure we really know what the configuration would look like. This photo looks heavily photoshopped. I could see Oliver going with a taller unit and sacrificing some storage above, but doubt they would encroach on the entrance. You would probably have to re-create the fiberglass mold for that section. If they did move the oven up to the curve near the ceiling.. you would block the port needed to service the light switch panel. Unless you moved the panel. Too many questions to speculate and I think most of us would like to see (pictures or in person) an actual trial install before deciding. That being said... with Lithium battery options becoming an RV standard.... I think a 2 way compressor fridge makes a lot of sense. Would probably run in eco mode for 20+ hours on 100ah of Lithium. No worries about being level and it would be colder on a lot less energy. Just my $.02.

Clamps! Best $35 bucks I ever spent at HD was a set of DeWalt Clamps. Nothing else will do.

Apparently it is ok to kill a grizzly... If you work for the forest service and the bear has already killed someone else. https://nypost.com/2021/07/09/400-pound-grizzly-that-killed-camper-in-montana-shot-dead/ Montana has constitutional carry (open and concealed) as long as you can legally posses. Some restrictions on where you can carry concealed. Know the law... and in the case of bears... Carry a caliber that begins with a FOUR. .44 and .45 come to mind. 1911's are great pistols but in this case I would go with a Springfield Armory .45 with a 13 round magazine and one in the pipe. And, a holster you can draw it from fairly quickly. It's no good sitting in the bottom of your day pack. Bears are serious animals. Happy camping and Say Hi to Yogi for me.

I am always impressed with the level of support that we get from the OEM parts mfg's on our Olivers. I would imagine that the amount of business any one manufacturer gets from Oliver (300 + units annual) is smaller than most of the other trailer mfg's. Yet, we still see a high level of support from just about all of them. Might have something to do with the cachet of the Oliver... Or, maybe they are just doing things right. In any case it boosts the level of confidence that Oliver TT owners have. Glad you figured it out. Good Luck.

That was a great video. Glacier is on our list. Very informative. Thanks.

Thanks for the pictures Bill. These little heaters come in real handy if the heat goes out.