Mike and Carol

We've added a lot of miles since this TV relocation, including some off-road miles in the desert at Quartzsite. It makes making the bed easier and prevents any head knocking on the TV when in bed. I'm planning on installing a SiriusXM receiver soon. I think there is room in the area where the Furrion is for the radio. The display can be mounted next to the Furrion. I think the small satellite antenna could be mounted on top of the "Oliver" in the back, routing the wire behind the "Oliver" light, through the overheads to where the Furrion is. I like clean installations and don't want to cause any leak possibilities. I need to check to see what kind of inputs are left on the back of the Furrion. This would allow us to listen to our favorite music stations, news and sports when we're out there away from civilization. The monthly subscription is a fraction of what satellite TV is. Mike

We stayed at Trace State Park just outside of Tupelo on our way to the rally. We had a nice lakeside side, except the lake was drained. We were going to drive by your house and honk but since you were in Utah we just went to Walmart instead! Mike

Applying graphics is not difficult. As you can see in John's photo's above all you really have to do is to ensure it's straight and then slowly apply. I did my nose graphic at Land Between the Lakes: Other ideas: hull number. This actually causes some confusion. Folks see "Lone Star Oliver" and think it is made in Texas. We have to explain it's made in Tennessee and then a conversation develops. I guess it is a good conversation starter.... You can always tell folks who you are and where you're from: There are lots of great ideas out there. I like seeing all the unique Olivers. Mike

Oliver pays for a night at a local campground. Recommend planning on two nights - even if there are no issues it's good to have a full day to check out all the features. We didn't get to the campground until late afternoon. We did do some checking out, but had to have time for a nice dinner and celebratory glass of wine! Mike

Karen, I'm sorry your Oliver experience has been disappointing. I hope Jason and his guys can get some resolution for your problems. Mike

We had our star logo designed by a local artist/graphic designer here in Boerne, TX. She gave us a digital file and we had it and our custom lettering printed at a print shop in San Antonio. I put everything on the trailer myself. Mike

We use two apps: Allstays and Ultimate US Public Campgrounds. We tend to look for state parks, county parks, and COE parks. Many have FHU. Some of the nicest campgrounds we've stayed at were state parks. We stay at commercial RV parks when there's nothing else. Once we find some possibilities we check RV Park Reviews to see ratings. Mike

John, we experienced a few of the same issues when we picked up last year. Had an issue with light switches the first few days but the problem resolved itself after a week or so - I didn't do anything. Not sure what that was all about. I never liked the position of the TV and did move it to the center above the nightstand about 6 months ago. Now, it folds back flat when not in use and is no longer in the way. When I moved it and installed an HDMI splitter I discovered the unorganized pile of wiring on either side of the back overhead. Seems like it would take little effort to bundle and organize wiring during installation. My cell booster showed two green lights and two red lights for months, indicating feedback. While we were at the rally, Jason and Justin moved the inside antenna toward the wall and then we put a piece of metal backed insulation in the upper storage under the rubber mat and we haven't had any problems since. My solar wasn't working because of the way the controller was installed. I removed the controller and sent it to Blue Sky, they repaired and sent it back with instructions on re-installation. My black tank vent connection to the black tank was not secure, it was fixed locally a few months ago at Oliver's expense. I would say these were all minor annoyances and haven't detracted from our travels. We've got about 20K miles under our belts the last 12 months with well over 100 nights of good sleep. I've had great cooperation and assistance from Tommy and Jason on anything I contacted them with. There are two other issues that are brewing. The Dexter EZ flex wasn't available when we ordered so we have the standard suspension. It's getting pretty creaky and I'm planning on replacing it in the next year. Also, my Andersen hitch has become noisy as the ball now "ratchets" instead of quietly sliding. I contacted Sage at Andersen and they are sending me a new lining and some lube. It seems that they are now using a new lining material that solves the problem. There have been other maintenance issues that have come up that forced me to become more familiar with my Oliver. I had an issue with one of the back jacks that made me get out the supplied wrench to resolve. I had a blockage in the black tank knife valve that I removed, cleaned, lubed and reinstalled. My water pump quit working on a trip last year - the two wires that connect to the pump had worked themselves lose so I crimped the connectors a bit for a tighter fit. As we rack up the miles our Oliver is really becoming our second home. We've had some issues, but the good news is that they are not things that affect longevity and if Oliver needs to get involved they willingly do so. Count us a very happy Oliver owners! Mike

I noticed today the side menu is gone. I'm using the top menu. Speed on my iPad is good, I'm traveling using my iPhone as a hotspot. Mike

Great photo, Pete. Glad to see you and Bosker are up early! Mike

We camped at Big South Fork NRRA a few weeks ago during our Rally trip. We were at Blue Heron campground. Nice campsites and good hiking! Mike

I have the Weber Q1000 too, modified to run off the propane quick connect. I also carry the small, rectangular Weber charcoal grill. Even though the Q1000 works great, I use the charcoal grill 90% of the time. In fact, this last 5 week trip I didn't use the Q once. There's something about the ritual of firing up the charcoal grill! Mike

Good article. We learned about Oliver on the Airstream forums! I still visit Airforums and Fiberglassrv forums regularly. Good info on both. Mike

Mike, looks like you figured out who was behind the curtain! Since Carol and I are both Kansas natives we identify with Dorothy and Toto... Mike

Now that we have an experienced SUT leader maybe it's time for an Oliver SUT! Mike

We store ours at a local RV and Boat storage place. It is covered and has 20a electrical service. It has two security gates and cameras. Just 5 miles from our house. We would store it at our house but our restrictions don't allow that. Mike

Brandi, that's great news! We are also just outside of San Antonio and are neighbors to another Elite owner (bugeye driver). Let us know if you have any questions or need help with anything. Mike

That's a great picture! It was good meeting you on your pick up day and we're glad it's going well. We're not home yet from our rally trip - probably another week or so. Mike

Bill, I've got room in the truck for my clubs. Camping and golfing - what a great combination! We've camped in two locations this trip with nice water falls. Helen, GA and Anna Ruby Falls, and here at Big South Fork NRRA and Yahoo Falls. We hiked to Yahoo Falls yesterday, it's 113 feet and you can walk behind it. No golf course though! Mike

The issue may be getting the piece of the screw that didn't come out. Mine broke right at the head of the screw. I'll ask if he can send me a few. I don't like being a loose screw. Mike

Bill, great photos! This park is on our list for our next visit to Tennessee. Mike

Our heater is a Vornado and has three heat settings, the highest is 1150 watts. You should only need one. We keep ours on the lowest setting 90% of the time and only go to the middle setting (750W) when it's real cold. They are very quiet. Mike

In the bed of the truck I carry two larger "zero gravity" chairs and two small camp chairs, a camp table, Weber charcoal grill, Weber propane grill, charcoal, chocks and blocks and on long trips or boondock trips a generator and 20lb propane tank (we have all that on this current trip). The closet is for hang up clothes, shoes, hamper, and miscellaneous things (first aid kit, small hand vac, tool kit, etc). The back overhead (attic) is for some of my clothes and then containers with DVD's, spare parts (fuses, hose gaskets, on command tape, etc). The back two side overheads are for clothes. The two over the kitchen for kitchen things. The two over the dinette for some bathroom items, a toaster and a small coffee maker (Nespresso Pixie). In the basement I carry water hoses and accessories (Y spitter, pressure regulator, nozzle) power cables, 50a adapter, 20a adapter, surge protector, toilet additives in a bucket (detergent, water softener). Mike

I had a couple of these. It looks like the manufacturer over tightened them. Let us know what Jason says. Mike

When we're camping in cold weather a small cube heater is enough to keep things toasty inside. We just left Banner Elk, NC where morning temperatures were mid 30's and our small heater kept us toasty on low. The few times I've run the furnace is when temps were in the 20's, just to keep the area between the shells warmer. I always have one or both of the ceiling vents open. No condensation issues. I keep it buttoned up when we're not traveling because of insects (mud daubers). If it looks like sustained temps below freezing I will turn the cube heater on low and open cabinet doors and drawers. No condensation issues. Mike