Mike and Carol

We have the Suburban heater. We’ve camped at 10,000 feet in Colorado and it worked fine. Mike

The windows on the door look like a nice feature. Really lets the outdoors come into view. Mike

Sherry makes a good point here. Even though we have the LEII, we maximize our outside time. Most cooking is outside, we sit outside and eat outside (weather permitting). We recently bought a Clam shelter and found it to be a great addition on our last trip. It’s like having a large living room and is useable even in rain/cold weather. Mike

Well, it depends! The LE is lighter and easier to tow. What kind of tow vehicle do you have? The LEII is heavy for it’s size but tows nicely behind the right TV. The LEII backs up a little more predictably due to the double axle, single axle trailers are a bit more “responsive” when backing. The LEII has a nice size pantry that the LE doesn’t. How much room do you think you will need? It’s a good idea to do a factory tour, spend time in both and you’ll know which one is best for you. Mike

Speaking of big V8’s, I’ve been watching the Rebel TRX news. They say it will either have a supercharged 6.2L with somewhere between 575 to 707 HP, depending on how they tune it, or a normally aspirated 7.0L with 525 HP. Mike

We don’t like to camp in weather where we have to run the AC. Usually the AC is only used while we’re getting out of the Texas heat to somewhere cooler. Even in the Texas heat, we will go to sleep with the AC on, but sometime after midnight it goes off and the windows get opened with the fan going. My AC will start and run on my 2000W Champion. We don’t do it often. If it’s after dark, I would not want to disturb my boondocking neighbors with the low drone of my generator. The only reason we bring the generator is to charge batteries in the late fall/winter/early spring when the sun decides not to fully expose himself. Mike

I have no reason to doubt Anita, she was transparent and honest when we began the order process some 5 years ago. Even if everything checked out on final inspection, things happen. After delivery your Oliver is going to bounce around as you travel and things loosen, dislodge, etc. Travel trailers, even if perfect when delivered, will develop issues. With Oliver you’ve got pretty instant response from the service guys, not something you find elsewhere. Mike

This is putting our full time brethren in a pinch. It’s becoming difficult to find a spot to park and stay. Mike

I think the number one annoyance with the Oliver (and probably any other trailer that uses the Dometic) is the air conditioner. Yes, it cools the cabin in a jiffy. The noise on the other hand is too much. I would give up cooling power for reduced noise. It’s difficult to sleep with it on. We were at Palo Duro State Park and the temps got to around 105 and we stayed cool with the AC on the low fan setting.... Mike

Nan, I’d get a new anode. They aren’t expensive and neither is the on/off switch. Both are on Amazon. Then, I’d get a wire brush (toothbrush size) and put some solvent on it, WD40 would work, and run it around the threads where the anode goes. I’d be careful not to get any WD40 in the tank. Wipe it down and put on new teflon thread tape then seat the new anode and see if that works. Is the pressure relieve valve closed? Buying used is usually a good experience. Sounds like the previous owners left you some issues to deal with. I’m disappointed and sorry about that. Mike

We were at Yosemite in February a year ago. Nobody there, mild weather, great time to to be there. Several feet of snow the day after we left!

I can’t speak to the anode leaking, I’ve never left the anode out. I did have the on/off switch “freeze”. At first it was just difficult to move then it refused to go off. I ordered a new one and replaced the uncooperative switch and no problems now. Mike

Welcome, Bill. There are trailers in the area you could arrange to look at when you get to that point. If you have questions, ask away. Mike

There are definitely things to like about the Black Series, especially the HQ 19. It’s a little wider and a little longer than an Elite II. The suspension is pretty heavy duty, the black and fresh tanks are larger, plus a separate filtered drinking water tank and it has good exterior storage. Inside, there’s a walk around queen bed, larger dinette, big fridge and a spacious dry bath. The frame and box are made in China and it is finished out in Los Angeles. Dealer support depends on the dealer, some good, some not so good. John’s (Raspy) dealer seems to be a good one. We were impressed when we were there. It’s not as 4 seasons as the Oliver. Tanks are exposed underneath but they are wrapping and will install a heat blanket if you want. Price is about the same as the Oliver. We’re still happy with our Oliver. Mike

He likes his HQ19 a lot. He had it at Quartzite in January. He’s done a lot of mods and is posting some of it on the Expedition Portal. We stopped by his dealer in Salt Lake City when we were there in the fall and agree that it is a nice trailer. He was going to bring it to the spring rally.

We’ve got the brown 5 sided Clam, a little smaller to fit in the bed of the truck. Yes, a 120lb woman would be able to put it up and take it down.

I agree with Steve on this. Get a 30a RV plug installed. We were parking in the driveway before and after trips using an orange Home Depot cord into the garage. Couldn’t run the AC during the summer. I had my electrician put in a 30a plug on the side of the house and now we can run anything. We’ve had fellow owners camp in our driveway use it to. It was well worth the cost. Mike

Oliver has been good about fixing defects on trailers even if the owner is not original. I’m talking about something wrong that was probably a manufacturing issue. Most used trailers have the kinks worked out and won’t need much work from the factory. Ours is four years old, we had a few warranty issues that were fixed both locally and in Hohenwald and we’ve been problem free for the last few years. So, our four year old, 50K+ miles trailer will have no warranty issues. They’re all fixed. On the other hand, there is something special about buying new and getting exactly what you want. Mike

I put one in my Amazon cart. Thanks!

If you don’t have a cover just drape the cord over the tongue so that the plug is pointing down. I used a cover for a few months, lost it and have been doing the “downward drape” for almost four years with no phantom lights.

We got the Vornado MVH in white, 3 heat settings, several years ago. It’s quiet and does a great job. Nice little unit. Mike

Tractor Supply sells a nice little 2000W Champion. Weighs 37 lbs and is as quiet as the Honda. I think normal price is $399, I got it on sale for $350. Works like a champ (pun intended). Gas only, not dual fuel. It kept us charged last fall at Grand Teton when the weather got very overcast and cold and the solar couldn’t quite keep up.

A lot has changed since March 6. At this point, we’re not going anywhere. Best to stay close to family, friends and our own health care. I also understand that full-timers in some regions are having a hard time finding open parks. I have a house so I’ll let the full time RVers use available camping spots. Mike

The answer is that you can run a space heater while on shore power. We have many hundreds of hours with our small Vornado space heater. It has three settings, the upper setting is 1500W. We can only run it at that setting if there is no other 110v draw. If we make coffee we either turn the heater off, or down to low or I have to reset the breaker. I’ve never had it pop the GFI. I would start there as previously suggested. I’ve replaced our GFI once, they do go bad. Mike

I agree with John on this. I routinely lift the back of my truck with the trailer jack. Not far, maybe an inch at most after the truck goes to normal level. Usually, just until the chains have some slack. It can’t be much weight. I’ve found the key to easy hook up is to get the truck and trailer aligned. Mike