Mike and Carol

We’ve always had the manual Fiamma awning. It’s probably not as convenient as an automatic but it has proven to be very reliable. It’s easy to stake down when winds are more than just breezy. The support poles can sit on the ground or in brackets on the side of the trailer. We do have to be careful not to leave it out when we’re not there in case some kind of storm blows in. I also usually roll it in at night unless I’ve very sure the overnight winds won’t be bad. Mike

We prefer to use propane since it works wherever we are. An electric unit only works if you have shore power. We’ve got a Blackstone grill and a Weber Q1000 that we use outside almost all the time unless the weather is really bad… then we use the inside propane cooktop. Mike

We sit outside a lot. Comfortable camp chairs are important, there are a bunch to choose from. It’s mostly personal preference. As far as reclining goes, we recline on our beds quite often. A couple of pillows on the back wall and you’ve got a nice recliner, not laying flat on the bed but sitting leaning against the wall. It’s quite nice. We sit in the dinette but also recline on the beds. Our trips are usually much longer than 1-3 weeks and comfortable sitting hasn’t been an issue. Mike

UPDATE: I opened a ticket with service and was told that the drain pipe is just inserted into the rubber grommet with no adhesive. I asked if there were any issues with my repair (epoxy both the grommet and pipe to the tank) and was told there were no issues that they were aware of. It might be a good periodic check to look under the dinette seat and ensure that the drain pipe is seated tightly into the rubber grommet on top of the gray tank. Or, it looks like you could make a more permanent seal like I ended up doing. I will say that it took about 90,000 miles and just under 7 years for my drain pipe to dislocate itself. Mike

Hey Mike, welcome to the forum. There is a lot of information you can spend time on here. Also, from NW Arkansas you aren’t too far from the factory in Hohenwald. It would be worth a trip there to take a tour and see some trailers there. As you think of questions just make a post and you’ll get lots of answers, experience and opinions! Mike

This was my third deer strike, the first not in our local area. We normally have a half dozen or so deer in our front yard most days. Saw this guy 15 feet from my front door the other day as I was going out to check mail.

We’re fine, the deer not so much. It came out of nowhere and ran into the corner of the bumper on the drivers side. It happened about a half hour before I found the gray water leak. Mike

We spent most of October in the Ozarks and Tennessee. Great trip, except for the last few days! Besides hitting a big deer in rural Louisiana and not being able to use our black tank flush, we also had a significant gray water leak. While stopped at a rest stop just inside Texas to check and fix all the inside chaos after driving I-20 through Shreveport, I noticed a steady trickle of water coming out of the rear bumper. We were parked facing uphill. Further inspection showed water coming out of the area where the black/gray drain pipe exits the trailer. It was pooling on the ground and was easy to see that it was gray. I started inside by checking under the dinette seat near the bathroom. There was standing gray water in the area where the drain pipe exits the back and goes to the gray tank. At that point we decided to cancel the rest of our trip and head straight home. After the deer strike my ability to turn right was cut in half without significant rubbing and I knew that black tank was an issue until I got the part. By the time we got home the area under the dinette seat was dry. I decided to tackle the issue in the morning so we just unloaded and called it a day. The next morning I checked again under the dinette seat, still dry. I checked as far under the shower pan that I could reach, it was dry. I check the gate and the connections there and it was dry. I moved to where the drain pipe enters the gray tank and BINGO, there it was. The drain pipe makes a 90 degree turn down into the tank after the gate. What I saw was the drain pipe half over the entry hole and half on top of the gray tank. So, showers and teeth brushing sent drain water half into the tank and half on top of the tank and then down to the floor. I disconnected the section that included the gate to get a better look at it. There is a rubber ring that fits inside the hole on top of the tank. The end of the drain pipe is somewhat tapered and it looks like it is meant to be held in place by friction - just jam the pipe into the rubber ring and call it a day. I cleaned the area on top of the tank, the rubber ring and the drain pipe end then mixed some epoxy and…, well it won’t be popping out anymore. I neglected to take pictures, I was still on my first cup of coffee and was intent on getting it fixed. I took one after I was done. So, my truck is in the body shop - should be done next week, the black tank flush is fixed and the gray water drain pipe is fixed. Ready for a January trip to Arizona! I’m going to open a service ticket to see how that drain pipe is supposed to be connected to the gray tank. Here is the drain pipe epoxied to the rubber ring which is epoxied to the top of the gray tank.

We didn’t go to Mesa Falls when we were at Henry’s Lake, mostly just Yellowstone. Driving through Idaho we were impressed with the scenery and landscape and plan on returning. Mike

Gray water already goes directly to the gray tank from the sink and shower drains. Not sure I understand this. Fresh and Gray tank capacity are good for an Oliver sized trailer. Black capacity is the limiting factor for boondocking. A 20-30 gallon black tank would be better! Mike

I would add Gros Ventre campground in Grand Teton NP. Also, a good place to camp while visiting Yellowstone is Henry’s Lake State Park just across the border in Idaho. It’s about a 20 minute drive to Yellowstone from the campground. Mike

Congrats and see you at the rally! Mike

Great pics! Looks like it was a great trip.

When I looked at both valves when I disassembled them, they both looked very similar. I assumed they were both check valves. It makes sense that the one that screws into the tank is a spray. Mike

Good question. Also, why do I have two check valves, one connected to the other? I thought about just eliminating the bad one (gray in the picture) and just going straight to the one that screws into the tank (white one).

Just to close this out…. I ordered a replacement Thetford valve from Amazon, $8. It’s one in the picture in John’s post above. There are actually two valves, one inside the tank (white) which comes out when unscrewed and the gray one which is the one that went bad. I put on new thread tape and reinstalled and we’re back in business. The replacement is a little shorter than the original, but fit with no problem. I’ve seen some pictures of what is in other trailers and they are not all the same. Here’s the assembly and the new part. The white part on the right is the second valve that screws into the tank. The new black valve replaced the old gray. Here it is back in place.

John, here are links to my “fancy” (as Bill says) cord holder and cover. Cover Jack Post Cord Storage I don’t really have a clear picture of them on the trailer. I mount the storage thing high enough on the post so that when the plug is in it the jack cover is over the entire thing. It’s worked well and isn’t expensive. Mike

Don isn’t on the forum much anymore, he’s moved on to some very nice Australian trailers. You could send him a PM, I’m sure he’d answer right away. Mike

Like others, we got a cord holder that mounts to the front jack post. It covers the openings when the plug is seated. Then, we cover the whole thing with a heavy duty cover that goes over the top of the jack and extends down past the plug holder. Keeps it nice a dry. Mike

Avoid I-20 through Shreveport if at all possible. Worst stretch of interstate we’ve been on in a long time.

There is no need to connect and disconnect the flush hose when you flush. My hose has been connected for years. After I dump I simply cap the end and stow the hose in the bumper area still connected to the trailer. Mike

Quick connects help a lot when hooking up water….

This has been discussed several times over the years. I’d have a quieter AC and a larger black holding tank. Mike

Congrats on your new Oliver and successful trip, I’m sure there will be many more! Mike

Radiant heat is great. I remember our homes in Europe having radiant heat, either from wall radiators or heated floors. It’s very consistent, doesn’t vary like our forced air heating. Mike