Mike and Carol

There is not much maintenance on the factory solar. I wash it when we return from a trip. That’s about it. I’m up there cleaning the roof anyway, so it’s not a big deal. I’ve never done anything while on the road. Mike

Welcome MJ. You’ve come to the right place to find out about Olivers. Olivers are built better but don’t have the interior “bling” that an AS does. We have some former AS owners so maybe they will chime in. Mike

Ummm, I wonder what is being said over on the Escape forums….

We stay at around 65 on the interstate except in west Texas when the speed limit goes up to 85, then we do 70 so we’re not a traffic impediment. Mileage is around 14-16. Cummins 6.7 diesel. Mike

Dan, we have the factory panels installed on our 2016. We’ve never had an issue with crosswinds or vibrations. We’ve driven through some pretty fierce winds in west Texas that prompted a lot of 18 wheelers to pull over. No vibrations either. We’ve also camped in some pretty strong winds, gusts up to 60 mph one night in southern AZ. No panel issues. I wash the panels and roof after every trip so I’m up there a lot and haven’t seen any mounting issues. I do check the T knobs while I’m up there and they’ve always been tight. Mike

Dan, feel free to invite him to join this forum. He appears to have a great deal of expertise that might benefit all of us. Plus, if I needed an install I would definitely talk to him. Mike

Our Dometic 3-way has been going strong for over 5 years, no issues. Not sure what we’ll do when it is worn out. Mike

The Dometic works most efficiently on propane. If you want to cool it down quickly use propane. It will take a couple of days using 110V to get it cool. We use propane for the initial cooling then switch to 110V if we have it. It’s on propane while we drive. Mike

Ours has been that way since my last post above and has worked flawlessly.

I have a Weber Q1000 that I use with our quick connect. It came with a regulator that I removed and replaced with a quick connect fitting. I also have a Blackstone grill that came with a propane hose with a regulator. I bought a propane hose that has a quick connect on one end and a screw in connector on the other end. So, if I want to use either with the Oliver quick connect I use a hose with no regulator. If I want to use either with a separate propane tank I use a hose with the regulator. Propane Guys have a nice selection of hoses and Amazon also has a decent selection. Mike

I can tell you that when we ordered in 2015 the base price for an Elite II was 46K. Over the years as the base price increased, so did standard features. The trailer is basically the same, shell and frame, but upgrades to suspension (Dexter) and internal components have been made. That’s why older trailers often sell for more than they did when new, especially if the owner has kept up with some of the improvements. Mike

We’re leaving July 6 for Maine. We will be going through Ohio, hope they aren’t “red” after the weekend! We usually fill when we get to half, at our age we need to stop anyway! 🤪

A good thing to know is what your tow vehicle will be. There’s probably someone on this forum that could offer their experiences with a vehicle the same or similar to yours. Oliver will install and adjust your Andersen, they’ve been doing it a long time! Mike

A combined gray/black would be a no go. I’m okay with the Oliver fresh and gray tanks but I sure wish the black was bigger than the advertised 18 gallons. It’s the limiting factor for our boondocking time. Mike

Agree with comments above. Ventilation is the main preventer of condensation. We keep a vent open almost all the time and have had very few issues with condensation. We shower, boil water for coffee, cook and even breathe inside our trailer. Mike

Does the refrigerator cool down on propane?

Which refrigerator do you have? We have the Dometic and keep the temp control right in the middle and the setting is always on auto so that we are on propane with no shore power and on 110V when on shore power. After 5 or 6 hours is the refrigerator still cool? Could it just be cycling? If on propane does it stay on? Mike

I’ve never had an issue with turning and my storage box. I also don’t lock it because I only carry my homemade blocks, Camco legos and rubber chocks. If I had the power cord in there I’d lock it too - it lives in the basement when not in use. Mike

Fred, welcome! The tour is a great idea and most of you questions can be answered there. Those that can’t wait for the tour can be answered here anytime. Mike

We used a local tire dealer to change our Oliver stems to metal and balance with the TPMS sensors mounted. We did it outside of a bay, it was no problem for them. When we replaced our 5 year old BF Goodrich tires I wanted the Coopers that Oliver is now using. I used our local Discount Tire and they had no issues with mounting, balancing and installing them on our Oliver. My one experience with Costco was that they would not install 16” tires on my Ranger because they didn’t show on their computer. They were standard on the 4X4 Ranger I had. I asked what they would install on the standard 16” wheels and they told me I would have to get new 15” wheels. OK. Back to Discount Tire. I’ve also used Tire Rack for wheels/tires. They ship to a local dealer who does the install. Mike

When we ordered we asked for 110V outlets in the closet and near the nightstand. We also asked for USB ports on the nightstand. They didn’t do the USB ports or the 110V outlet near the nightstand. When I pointed that out, they said “oops, we’ll fix that”. 10 minutes later it was fixed, both were done. Point is, installing additional outlets is not a big deal. So if you need an additional outlet it can be done fairly easily. Mike

If you didn’t turn the tank off it should keep running while on the move. Is it off when you stop? How do you know it shuts down once underway?

Agree with Steve and Sherry. Assuming you have a 3 way fridge. If the propane is turned on the fridge should run whether you are traveling or stationary. I don’t know why it wouldn’t work on propane if the tank is open while traveling. If it doesn’t work on 110V when plugged in to shore power, check to see if it is plugged in to its 110V outlet. You will need to remove kitchen drawers and the plywood panel behind to see if it is plugged in. I wouldn’t run it on 12V, your batteries won’t last long, especially without solar. I’ve never considered running my fridge off the inverter, not sure that outlet is even connected to the inverter. Our preferred power is propane unless on shore power, then 110V. We’ve never used 12V. Mike

I have to agree with JD on this. Our city chip seals every few years, including the street we live on. I’ve never seen anything like that. Even driving right after they’re done there is little to no tire residue. Mike

Yes, go with E rated tires.