Mike and Carol

Off-grid? Oliver is a great choice! We’ve been down gravel roads, dirt roads and just plain desert (think Quartzsite, AZ). Oliver does fine in those situations. Boulder crawling, not so much! Mike

We give honest opinions here! If I was looking for true off-road capability I would look at the smaller Australian trailers. Black Series and Kimberly fall in that category. We’ve looked at Black Series and they are very capable. There is a dealer in Salt Lake City (Shane at RVs of America) who sells them and Xplore, which is what former Oliver owner Raspy is going to - we spent a very informative day there with him. He’s got a bunch of YouTube videos where they really put these trailers through some challenging off-road situations. We had another Oliver owner (Don Thompson) who also sold his Oliver for an Australian off-road trailer (Conquerer). You could PM either of them for details on their experiences. Mike

Makes sense.

Looking forward to seeing the new truck! A small crane would come in handy….

I’m getting better mileage with my 2500 diesel than I did with either of my last two half tons both around town and towing. That will be offset some with maintenance costs of the diesel. It is slightly larger but works fine as a daily driver, comfort is great - it has all the gadgets and gizmos. But, here in Texas 3/4 tons are everywhere…. Mike

The chip shortage is making things tough. I notice dealers around here with half empty lots. It’s kind of depressing. The good news is that the chip shortage isn’t affecting Oliver production! Here are my thoughts on your questions: 1. I’ve towed with a Tacoma, half ton and now 3/4 ton. The smaller vehicle can tow an LEII but has significant limitations. Fuel tank size coupled with low gas mileage (small engine working hard) means you need to stop for gas frequently. Payload will be at the limit if not over when you figure tongue weight, bodies and stuff. A half ton seems to be the sweet spot, if configured with adequate payload and towing specs. A 3/4 ton is towing heaven. 2. See above. Check the smaller truck for payload and gas tank size. 3. How do you intend on camping? 2WD is fine if you stay on the pavement. If you are going to venture off the pavement any, the 4WD. We were recently at a campsite (state park) in Vermont that was grass. It had rained and if I didn’t have 4WD I would have been stuck trying to get up the small hill to the paved road. 4. It might be time to start looking at Carmax. I used them once and it was a good experience. I can provide details if you’re interested. Just my thoughts, good luck! Mike

I used Polar White from Amazon. It’s a good match. Mike

Good point. The reason I turn mine on when leaving for a trip is that I always have water in the tank. I drained it once to replace the anode a few years ago, but other than that it is always full. I do have a mental checklist that includes turning it off if we’re dry camping and I’m going to use the generator. You definitely don’t want to heat just air! Mike

3 or 4 years ago we were camping up outside of Dallas. It was late fall and the weather was cool. We left for the afternoon and we left the awning out about 5’ and the window underneath open a couple of inches. One of those big pop-up thunderstorms happened. When we got back, the bed on the awning side (mine) was soaked. Bedding, mattress, everything. Not fun. Now, we usually never leave the trailer with windows open (bathroom is an exception) and I almost always crank the awing in, if it’s out it’s only 2 or 3 feet. EZE Gutters also help. Mike

Rain runs off the roof, down the sides and over the windows. With the Fiamma manual awning the rain runs between the back of the awning and down the sides. Initially, there was a rubber strip between the awning and trailer, but that came off years ago. We’ve found that the rain gutters we installed help during light and moderate rain to route the water around the window. Otherwise, if we need air when it’s raining we use the maxxfan to pull air through the bathroom vent or window. John Davies’ HOW-TO on the EZE gutter install is here. Do a search on “gutters” and you’ll find more. Mike

I had 4 AGMs for 5 years, about 280 lbs. I replaced them with 2 Lithium’s, about 75 lbs, 9 months and 10K miles ago. I don’t notice any balance issues. The trailer sits level side to side. I do notice that the tray is much easier to slide in and out! Mike

Your furnace should warm things up pretty quick. I run the furnace with the fan on auto so that the AC unit remains off. I run the AC with the fan on Low to prevent fan cycling. Check under the bed to ensure the ducting is attached to the furnace and ducts. Mike

If I have a 30a hook up I use electricity. In fact, before we leave on a trip I turn the outside switch on so that as soon as we have electricity the hot water is heating. Propane is only used when we have no electricity. I don’t know which is easier on the tank, it should be fine either way. Mike

Here’s a thread that discussed camping apps: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/3957-useful-camping-apps/?tab=comments#comment-38531 Are you interested in mapping and route planning or in campground locations and facilities? For campgrounds, I like the Allstays group of apps, Campendium and Ultimate Public Campgrounds. For route planning I like InRoute as well as Apple Maps and Google Maps. We also use the Harvest Hosts app since we’re members and like to use them occasionally for one night stops. Mike

Hey Brad, welcome! You live in a beautiful part of Tennessee. We had 4 AGMs for 5 years and enjoyed the low maintenance they provided. We never had an issue with them when dry camping. Let us know if you have questions. Mike

We’re leaving in a couple of weeks for Colorado to camp with our son and his family and then on to Taos, New Mexico. We’ll be gone until the end of October so we’ll miss Pineknot this year. ☹️ Mike

I just switched to the same tires earlier this year. I’ve been at 50 psi on our E2 for the last few trips. I watch my TPMS for temps and I haven’t noticed any difference between 50 psi and when I used 65 psi then 60 psi. I think I’ll stick with 50 for a while. Mike

I’ve said before that one of the few things about our Oliver that desperately needs improvement is the AC situation. We rarely use it only when we have to. To sleep with it on, we use earplugs. The position right over the beds makes the noise worse with air blowing on you all night. I’m watching these replacement threads closely for the right unit. Thanks to all who post. Mike

Yes, I do. These are what I use and are available on Amazon. Oliver may be stocking some locking devices now, you could check with Jason.

Zodd, thanks. The links are informative, I’ve been reading through the first one on bike laws by state and it explains the different classes nicely. The last one has some nice videos on e-bike trails. I’ve read it’s important to have a local dealer or at least a qualified repair shop close by. Being close to a big city helps, but I guess reliability is important when you’re out riding trails around Moab! Mike

Bill, that must have been quite a wind storm! We have the larger 5 sided Clam. I use heavy duty cargo tie-down straps on the sides with 12” re-bar stakes to attach them too. Not sure that would be enough to withstand the wind you experienced. It’s been through some pretty bad storms but the worst that has happened is that the top collapsed. Not sure what else you could do! Mike

We’re two meal a day as well. One at around 11am and one at around 5pm. Some call it intermittent fasting, we call it normal. When camping the grill is king so we do a meat and a vegetable for dinner and then call it a day. Weight gain isn’t an issue! Mike

Hey Carl, It’s good when you get your hull number! 6 weeks isn’t too far off. You’ll be picking up at a good time of year, hopefully there will still be some fall color in Tennessee. Mike

Steve and Mary, congratulations on #888! Will look forward to hearing about your camping adventures - Mike

Welcome Keith and Jill! Your journey sounds familiar, a lot of us became Oliver owners the same way you are. There are many experienced Oliver owners and RV-ers here to answer any questions you may have. Glad to have you on board! Mike