Dave and Kimberly
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Posts posted by Dave and Kimberly
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We just saw the price increases as well... and of course calculated what our specific order would have cost as a 2023 model. It's now $10,747 more. I'm glad we have ours locked in because I'm not sure if I would have been able to swallow this higher cost!?!? Obviously it's because of the rising cost of various raw materials, shipping cost and so on... so I'm guessing that the Airstreams are going up as well. It is interesting that now you can upgrade to the Truma a/c instead of taking the standard Dometic. I would have liked to have that option. Nevertheless.... we are looking forward to our May 2 pick up date... and the Guntersville rally.
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We are happy for you! Your Ollie is being tested right from the get go... and sounds like it has performed well! We are not far behind you. Finalizing our order on Monday morning! Drive safe... and happy trails!
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I am still contemplating this "Trailer Valet XL"- An update to those that might be considering it is that it's currently available from Costco for $540 (shipping included) and they throw in both the 2" and 2 5/16 balls as well. Having watched several videos... I'm convinced that if installed per there videos... it would work fine.
And if for some reason you didn't like it... Costco's return policy is second to none. Just an FYI for those that might be interested.
https://www.costco.com/trailer-valet-xl-with-2”-and-2.516”-ball-bundle.product.100745138.html
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So.... I was thinking the same thing.... I could use it when storing it briefly in my driveway.... and also in the storage facility. Like you... I was looking at the XL (capacity). How does it work out? Is it something you are glad you bought and does it work as advertised on your Oliver Elite II?
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My wife and I are excited to be attending as well. We will be picking our new Ollie on April 29.... and after a few shake-down days the Rally will be our first event! What a great place to watch, listen and learn from those that have done this for a while. I'll probably be the guy that is always waxing his Oliver in spare moments.
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Congratulations on your Ollie purchase! We are waiting for ours as well (plan is April end). I can't say enough about this forum and the experience that is available.
The Oliver University is extremely informative. I like to maintain and do most of whatever will be necessary to keep anything I own in top condition. The more you know about your Ollies "systems"... the better prepared you will be for those problems that invariably happen when traveling. Some day... when something seems to fail (heat, a/c, hot water, electric, etc)... it is often something minor... and a basic understanding of those systems will lead you to a quick resolution. Information is power.
Another thing to be cautious about: Remember when someone complains about this quality problem or that... recognize that it might be something that only happened to one individual. So take note of it... and what the resolution was... Just don't panic and automatically think your Oliver is going to come off the line with that problem. Enjoy learning all about your new Oliver and you will be fine. IF something isn't right... know that the company will make it right.
Purchasing STUFF: pay attention to the things that people buy and find very useful... and consider the type of camper they are. Do they sit in one spot for days on end.... or is their Oliver a rolling hotel room? Do they boon-dock or do they spend most of their time in places with hook-ups? Most experienced folks will say they are still paring down what they take on the road with them.
Most of all... just have fun even while you are waiting... for your brand NEW Oliver!!
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I know that a natural result of a forum like this is that any "problem" tends to get a bit more press time. So with that in mind, I've learned to try to not get overly excited about one-off problems and instead watch for those impacting more customers. My concern rises a little bit however, when they do know about something and don't seem to put effort into a resolution. It doesn't take an engineer to see that something just isn't right in this case. Your service ticket response tells us that it's the same on all the units currently being built and for some reason that person thought that was a satisfactory answer?? I wonder if this would merit a phone call into Oliver... to try and run this up the chain of command a bit higher? Anything related to the suspension could become a "safety" issue... and normally that will get a company's attention a bit faster.
I'm just someone on the list... waiting on mine to be built and would really like to see it resolved before then!
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I've been following this (since first seeing it and then reading the older posts)... but is this doesn't seem to be "Dexter problem" but rather an Oliver problem. They welded and put together the frame. It certainly looks wrong... and its evidently been happening for a while? Has Oliver been made aware of this? Sure would like to see them rectify this soon!
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I've noticed that sometimes the order of posts are sometimes listed "newest" first... while others are listed the oldest/first post... and then to get to the more recent commentary.... you have to go back several pages. Is there a setting somewhere that I'm missing? (I looked hard before asking. 🙂 )
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To rideandfly: I like the way you answered... very easy to follow... but of course i have one question :-). On your " twin custom memory foam mattresses from AB Lifestyles". Are your mattresses the 11" version? And are you happy with the way they look, fit and of course feel in your Ollie? I've spoke with the very nice lady at AB Lifestyles (Janice) and want to purchase from them (waiting on supply chain issues to clear up for them). My concern is buying them before we actually take delivery of our Ollie... (thinking of the 11" thickness?) but at the same time want to get all the "solid" purchases made and delivered in preparation for our 4/29/22 delivery date.
Steph and Dud B- you are asking all the right questions. For what it's worth, our purchase is coming from the other direction when we found Oliver. We have traveled extensively in our high-end teardrop camper. After much time considering what we wanted for creature comforts, what features/amenities would have "fixed" this problem or that... the Oliver just checked all the boxes. It's not the biggest camper, but it's enough for us. We can boondock, moochdock, and every other dock because now we are self sufficient. We are travelers, more than campers... so it needed to be easy to move around. We also needed to know that if the weather goes to heck in a hand-basket we can be comfortable till things clear up. We simply had to have quality because shiny things aren't at all pretty when they break! On the resale end of it... I know from my own research that they hold their value and someday, if we have to sell it... the only thing we did was tie up some money for a while (most of the other brands you need to know you are going end up taking a real hit!). Because I'm still waiting on ours... I'm watching, learning, paying attention to how the veteran owners feel about their Oliver experience... I must say I'm quite impressed and seldom have I felt so secure in a decision "to buy".
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Congratulations Shawna and Scott! We are waiting for ours to be built as well.... and also from Ohio. We have a room that is starting to look like an RV store! This forum is an excellent place to learn about your new RV while waiting on it! Have fun!
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Didn't know Steve... but clearly he was loved and appreciated by many and I said a prayer for him, his doctors and his family as soon as I heard.
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14 hours ago, Mike and Carol said:
The 16K grain softener I used for a couple of years did not fit in the basement and it was very heavy. An 8K grain would be more manageable, although I’m not sure it would fit in the basement. I checked Amazon and they have our small softener HERE. It’s lightweight, fits in the basement standing up and lasts an entire 6 to 8 week trip. It’s easy to recharge with table salt, and only takes 30 minutes or so. Mike
It's ordered! Thanks again Mike!
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I think Ollie #110 is happy its been adopted by Wayfinder... and probably hoping its found its forever home! Great job on that clean up! I'll remember that 3M cleaner!
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Thanks Mike! I'll keep looking for that one. I did several searches and couldn't find the 3.2k grain ABCWaters... There were a few others (On The Go OTG4-DBLSOFT-Portable 16,000 grain, 22" high) that might fit in the basement? I'll check with Oliver University and determine the size that will fit and keep looking. A water softener isn't something I had considered much till I read these posts. We will be picking our Ollie up on 4/29/22.
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I'm interested in a "portable water softener" for our new Oliver LEII... partly because we have (and like) very soft water at home... and am thinking the Truma Aqua system might be happier with soft water.
So... any links for portable systems that you have found work and fit inside the Ollie would be appreciated.
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SERIOUSLY!!! You just can't put a price tag on the experience and general know-how of this group of Ollie owners! Just a quick scan of today's "forum headlines"... and there was at least three scenario's where the other owners saved the day for someone...somewhere, that had a problem! Good job, thanks and kudo's to all the older owners!
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Very nice Foy! Does this (as you engineered it) replace the existing table that comes with the Oliver? I would assume you re-purpose whatever hardware is on the original one. I can't wait to get ours home so I can look at some of these possibilities.
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Following this thread. Our "drop dead" date for changes is late February... and I'm not at all sure, technology wise... what is worth it. I do know that it seems in most of the country... internet, cell phone signals, etc... are pretty dismal.
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Here is my two bits (for what its worth?)- I started out in this rv world pulling a tiny camper that also hit near the extreme end of my towing capacity. I went ahead and did it. Once. My vehicle was at it's max "design spec" and acted like it. It's fuel range was at 150 miles. It was pulling its heart out. Stopping was there... but fortunately never had to really test it. I called a spade a spade.... decided all I was going to do was prematurely ruin a great SUV making it do something it wasn't really designed to do. This is not to mention the safety aspect that ... I have since come to realize was also border line. Towing vehicle weight, wheel-base, BRAKE power, tongue weight... and several other things, all were "border line". Anytime you are pushing a design spec to near its max.... you have to decide how long you really want to do that.
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I agree with the disappointment in finding somewhat serious quality issues with an $80k travel trailer! Sure the factory will repair it... but that isn't always a convenient solution nor is it satisfactory. I really don't want to have a "laundry list of manufacturing defects" to check on during my April, 2022 delivery day inspection (but I will). I had owned another (here unnamed) brand... that as a company was very similar to Oliver in their dedication to customer satisfaction. They would jump thru hoops trying to make everyone happy, even after the warranty had expired. Their failure (to this day) is that far too many times the SAME customer problems would crop up over and over to the point that their Forum was really a "how to fix the design/manufacturing problems yourself" site. Based on my experience with that brand... I made a point to ask Anita and Jason a very specific question when I took our factory tour; "When a problem happens in the field... how do you handle it?" They assured me that when something happens in the field... they go back to the manufacturing point and attempt to get to the "root problem"... and fix it so that it doesn't happen on future builds.
I hope that turns out to be true... because most of the problems that pop up... if they do a proper root cause analysis... these things shouldn't happen again. It's in their interest to do so because every "repair" is profit lost, whether its done at the factory or by an authorized rv repair facility.
I sincerely hope that somebody at Oliver is monitoring this site to be aware of problems... especially repetitive ones. In addition, I think it would be nice to sometimes hear from Oliver on what they are doing to resolve some of these problems (for example the shackles with wet bolts that should have a bushing?).
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Towing an Ollie EII with F-150:
I put this together (generally from an example somebody else posted) and then plugged in my particulars. Ultimately, I should be good when towing my Ollie. Interestingly, what I discovered was that I have plenty of towing capacity... but my payload capacity in the truck is going to be close... ok, but still close.
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On 5/24/2021 at 11:26 AM, Pat Maundrell said:
I attended the Non Rally last week and thought I would list, (not in any order) what I saw/learned from all the Oliver Guys/Gals I met. I made my list, starting on day one of things I thought would be of value to me, maybe others also. I don't have pictures of each of these, but maybe the "Guilty Parties" could follow up.
On a personal note, I did experienced a Flat Tire on my TV, which needed a new tire. Also had an Andersen Hitch Link failure, which I'll cover separately. The Gas Shortage wasn't a big deal, but I did see several Stations that limited purchases.
My list:
1. Reflective Red/Silver Tape on the lower parts of their Oliver, like you would see on a Semi Trailer, to improve visibility at night. Great Idea!
2. Motion Detector Lights mounted on all 4 sides of the trailer, I liked this idea to improve security.
3.Andersen Hitch Pin Handle, available from Tractor Supply, 8000 lbs capacity. This replaces the "Bat Wing Pin" and greatly assists in pulling the Pin in/out.
4. Mount a Level on the Front Basket or front of the trailer, that is visible in the TV's Back up Camera to assist in leveling (side-side). This tell you when you are level, without having to get out of the TV and checking several times.
5. Umbrella Storage PVC Tube mounted inside the door.
6. Entry Door Clear Window Kit, I go to add this.
7. Bed Mattresses, KTT or Southern or just Cushions, I am still on the fence!
8. Screen Door Towel Bar, of course.
9. Andersen Hitch Chains, Link or Dog Bone connectors?
10. Trailer Jack to change a Flat Tire.
11. Reverse the Window Shades to improve privacy! I've already done this!
12. Extra Back-Up Lights mounted on Back Bumper of the trailer. I likes this idea and plan on adding these.
13. Business Cards, great to exchange when you meet people.
14. LPG, Fire Pit. both Outland and Heiinger offer them. No wet wood to try to get to burn!
15. Apple/Sirius Radio added to the Oliver, must have.
16. Apparently the 2021 Olivers have added an extra 3 way Switch, in the lower Panty Cabinet to turn on/off the Courtesy lights, nice addition.
Overall, the Non Rally was a big success, I understand there were 28 Olivers in attendance, very nice time. I look forward to next year's Rally!
Thanks for the "List" Pat! While waiting... watching and thinking carefully what we: A) want on Day 1, B) what to wait and see on, and C) what mods I'll be doing. So far you are my closest Ollie owner as we live north of you in West Liberty, Ohio.
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On 7/4/2021 at 2:50 PM, Mike and Carol said:
I’ve never tried to run either grill on 2 regulators. I took the regulator off of the Weber, it was mounted to the grill. The regulator on the Blackstone is on the hose. I have hoses with and without regulators so I can run either off of the tanks on the Oliver or off of a separate 20lb tank that I carry for the fire pit. If I use the Oliver quick connects I use a hose with no regulator. If I use the separate tank then I use a hose with a regulator. This arrangement has worked well for years. Mike
Mike... We ordered our Oliver with the two 30lb propane tanks and the two exterior propane quick connects. I anticipated using this in the same arrangement they had in the display room at Oliver... with one fire bowl hooked up outside and one grill. I'm understanding (from these posts) that the Oliver propane "quick connects" require a non regulated hose coming from Oliver to Weber Grill (we have Q1200). I believe I've found the kit (Torjik) that requires the Weber regulator to come off and thus be hooked directly to the Oliver (now with only one regulator in line).
I also confirmed that my Outlander gas fire bowl has a regulator as a sub-assembly of the hose itself. Is there a quick connect hose assembly without the regulator that I can also plug directly into the Oliver quick connect... and is that set up satisfactory? I guess this is coming from the fact that you sometimes use a separate 20Lb propane bottle that I was hoping not to need to bring along, especially with my two 30Lb bottles.
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Anyone use a tongue dolly/ Trailer Valet or similar device?
in Mechanical & Technical Tips
Posted · Edited by Dave and Kimberly
clarification
Please let me know what you think! For our Oliver... I have upgraded to the 2- 5/16" coupler (just cus). Our pick up date is May 2... and our needs I suspect, would be similar... which is just to tuck it back a little closer in the corner. The Costco bundle included both a 2" and 2 -5/16" balls. IF you do experience anything like some have reported, you can be assured Costco would give you a full refund with no questions asked.