Overland

Who makes the water tanks?

I see that the 1.5" measurement is to the outside of the tank. What is the thickness of the tank wall?

Hey, that was quick! Thanks!

It does look nice. I also appreciate the effort you guys are putting in. Along the same lines as above, it would be nice if you can add a 'View recent posts' menu item or something similar. Right now, you have to drill down into each topic in succession to see what's been posted, which is...annoying. It's made worse by the new server being a bit pokey at the moment. 'View Activity" is limited in what it shows, as is the web notifications button, so the forum really needs something that includes all the recent posts. Thanks!

If you're using a max 80Ah a day (82% remaining charge), then 320 watts of solar is more than enough. The typical estimates for solar charging are in the range of 20-30Ah a day per 100w. Obviously that's highly variable, but taken as an average, that gives a range of 64-96Ah a day that you can reasonably expect out of the Oliver's 320W array. So @ 70-80Ah a day, you're within the limits of the system. But if you want to use all of the recommended 50% capacity of the batteries, then you need to recoup 225Ah, which can't be done without a gen or alternator providing the bulk of that charge. Double the solar and you can get closer, 128-192Ah of charge, which is more reasonable in terms of usage. What you're really saying is that you could get by with a smaller battery pack. Nothing wrong with that. What I'm saying is that the solar package is undersized for the battery capacity. It's not Oliver's fault - there's only so much you can fit on the roof, and most people will prioritize AC, fan and satellite, and will settle for an undersized solar array. If you want to match the solar to the batteries, then at the moment I think you have to be willing to forgo two of those three. Most people wouldn't do that, I don't think, but it would be nice if Oliver offered it as an option. Don't get me wrong, what Oliver offers is far better than the token systems that other manufacturers provide.

75dba is at the level that it will annoy you as much as your neighbors. If you do a search over at expeditionportal.com, you'll find a few threads on diesel gens, most of which just point out how loud and big they are. Though 2.5kw is smaller than any I've seen. The alternative, if you're set on diesel, is to size up your truck's alternator or add a second, and then just run your truck each morning for the bulk charge, letting the solar take over for the remainder of the day. Fred Cook, aka DiploStrat, prefers this method and has the experience and knowledge to back it up. You can read some of what he's written on the subject here - https://diplostrat.org/documents/ Unfortunately, the Oliver's battery bank and solar package really aren't designed for extended boon docking. It's better than most, for sure, but not where I'd want it to be if you're going to be out for 5 days or so. The rule of thumb is 1w solar for every amp hour of storage. So with the Oliver you're starting off behind the curve, and that's before you eventually swap the battery bank out for lithiums (which eventually everyone will do, given the expected life of these trailers). So they really need to squeeze another panel of the roof somehow. We're going to try for two, even if that means eliminating the AC. I wish Oliver would offer an 'expedition package' that included a lithium battery pack, larger fresh water tank, and doubled up on the solar.

300 watts of solar would be less than 100lbs, probably closer to 50. AC would add about 100lbs. 4 T-105s would be 275lbs. Fiber Granite might add 100lbs? No idea, really. Maybe if you've added some heavy memory foam mattresses, that would add to it. There's certainly nothing I can think of that could combine to be 1000lbs. One of those measurements has to be off. One important variable is the fiberglass itself, though. One tub may have gotten sprayed more thickly than another and I can see that affecting the weight a good bit. But 1000lbs? Perhaps if you add all those things together... I wonder if eggpiper's weight was with the trailer hooked to the tow vehicle; i.e., no tongue weight. I also don't understand the 500lb discrepancy on the Outlaw between the weighed value and what Oliver told you.

I've been looking at various AC options out there. There's some interesting stuff, though I don't know how practical they are. It seems to me that the units that Oliver uses are probably oversized, given how well insulated the campers are. Maybe some of those who have used their AC in the mid-summer heat, say 90 plus temps, can chime in to confirm that. I'm guessing that Oliver uses 13,500btu units only because that's really the smallest AC that the major providers offer (I don't know if they still use the Polar Cub in the Elite since we know they've switched to the Dometic on the Elite II - but it isn't that much smaller and the Coleman noise issue that others have complained about would keep me from getting that one in the Elite II). Regardless, it's unlikely that my wife and I are going to be camping anytime soon in the mid summer, so we see our AC needs as being fairly marginal to begin with - we're more fall/winter/spring travelers. So for us, I'm convinced that 13,500btu is oversized, even for the Elite II. That opens up some intriguing options. For one, Indel B makes some true 12v systems that are geared towards truckers, and which are neat because they have a separate, integrated battery pack and switching to protect your main battery bank. That way you can use it at night, then recharge in the day with solar/alternator/generator. They have units up to 6000btu. Problem is that the higher btu units are bulky split systems. - http://www.indelb.com/products/parking_air_cooler/sleeping_well I've also looked at some small residential units. There's a cool new 5000btu window unit on Kickstarter right now from a company called Noria. It's small enough that it might be possible to find the wall space for it (can't be mounted on the roof). It's also highly portable for a window unit - you could keep it stowed while traveling, and just snap it in place when you need it. Or leave it at home when you know you won't need it. And it's more than a third lighter than the rooftop units. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kurt/noria-cool-redefined/description One of the reasons a wall-mount appeals to me is that if you get the AC off the roof, then you could slide the fan back - and since we won't be adding any satellite system, we'd have enough space then to double the solar capacity. Both Dometic and Truma make some smaller, ducted units for the European market that unfortunately they don't offer here. But they're nice to think about - one day, perhaps... http://www.dometic.eu/products/air-conditioners/under-bench-air-conditioners/ http://www.truma.com/uk/en/air-conditioning/overview-storage-compartment-air-conditioning-systems.php Of course, one obvious option is to forgo AC entirely. I'm curious what the rest of you think about any of these ideas.

Here's a link to the manual... http://www.atwoodmobile.com/manuals/gas ... 011.07.pdf There is no internal battery.

How would insurance work with renting out you trailer? Seems like some liability would be involved as well.

Wondering if anyone has ever asked Oliver about the possibility of adding a window over the kitchen counter? Seems like it would fit. I'm thinking it would make for a nice pass through when one of us is grilling and the other is inside using the cooktop, and also it might help vent the cooktop area. You could even put a small fan in the window maybe to help send the cooking odors outside.

Awesome - thank you! I knew there had to be a reason. And I kind of like those lights - I wish they'd have kept them.

Robert had mentioned the Truma tankless hot when we took our tour earlier this year. It looks like a really nice unit and it has a circulator so you can have near instant hot at all the taps. One other thing he told us that they were looking at was a switch to flush, top-hinged windows. Perhaps we'll see that when they switch over to the 2017 models.

Just saw your delivery photos on the Facebook page - congratulations. The custom light on the back is awesome - did Oliver do that for you, or is it something you had a 3rd party make for you?

On the marketing photos that Oliver uses for the Elite II, there is a narrow, horizontal indentation on the front of the trailer, just above the graphic. It was obviously intended for something, but I guess it was removed from the mold shortly into production since I've never seen it on any Oliver out in the wild. Does anyone have a trailer that has this, or know what it was intended for?

That's the first cross piece at the front? I noticed the very same thing on the only trailer that I looked under when we were on our factory tour. You can see it in the photo below. Something is happening at that point, but I can't imagine what. The cross piece in question is just inches behind the major structural cross member, so I can see how the frame would be flexing.

I think if it were me, I'd have installed a mounting channel across the frame first and then mounted the stabilizers to that. That way, I wouldn't be limited by the width of the frame member in how I attached the stabilizer, and I'd also have more options in where to drill into the frame. Using just two bolts per stabilizer seems like it would allow for a lot of flex, and I'd think I'd want to drill as close to the center of the frame as possible, rather than near the corner. Better yet, I suppose I could ask Oliver to weld a couple of flanges where I might want to add these. That way, I wouldn't be worried about diminishing the integrity of the frame and I could also bolt the stabilizers much more securely. It's a thought. At least it might be good to have the option, but I still don't think I'd find them necessary, judging from what I experienced with the trailers at the factory. I wonder if you're taking to much weight off the tires and if that's causing at least part of the problem.

I found this company in Willmington NC that makes beautiful aluminum racks and other accessories for boats and trucks. The polished aluminum looks like a perfect fit for an Oliver and their prices seem fairly reasonable. They have a catalog of stock pieces you can look at, most of which wouldn't be applicable, but they also do custom work. Just thought I'd post it here in case anyone might be looking for sources for a generator or storage rack. http://www.boatttops.com That link takes you to their marine site, but if you click on Ladder Racks it will take you to a different site with a larger variety of products.

Reading through that article, it seems that the effect of those chemicals on aluminum is cosmetic (pitting), so it doesn't look like the frame would be an issue. Perhaps more of a concern for the exposed aluminum like the bumper and wheels - and of course hubs, brakes, etc. Sounds like it does quite a number on wiring also.

Are you lifting the tires off the ground? Using wheel chocks?

How much movement are you taking about? When we walked through them at the factory, they all seemed pretty solid just sitting on the tires.

Well, if you need a bigger trailer, you need a bigger trailer. If I understand how he uses his, he pretty much lives out of his trailer full time, also uses it as his office, moves it very rarely, and isn't too concerned about it lasting more than a few years. To me, the Oliver is more for someone who is on the go and wants something that can handle the years and the miles while being super easy to care for. It's a similar story to the Technomadia folks, I guess - living full time in their trailer and trying to run a business out of it at the same time - eventually you're going to want a bit more elbow room.

There are conversion kits available to convert your Honda generator to LP, or I think actually they're multi-fuel, so that too might be an option. A google search will get you a handful of options - no idea if any are better than others.

You might try giving the guys at VMI a call. They're in Bellingham which isn't too far from you I suppose. I know they've done an upgraded suspension for at least one Airstream, and they'll do a trailing arm upgrade for their own trailers. They might be able to build you a subframe and suspension for a reasonable price. It's worth calling to see.

I know the flipped axle was offered on the smaller trailer, but I'm not sure if it ever was on the larger. I can't see how a raised axle would add stress to the frame, so doing so may be fine with Oliver as far as warranty work goes. Have you asked? I'm sure they would no longer warrant the axles, springs, etc. If you have it done yourself, at least you could do the upgraded EZ Flex then and maybe save some money on the install. I'd take the opportunity to strengthen the spring mounts as well. But that obviously means re-galvanizing. You might be able to keep the shock mount in the same position as it is and just install a new plate over the spring to attach the u-bolts. Assuming the plate would clear the shocks of course. When (if) I got around to ordering, I was going to talk to Oliver about them offering an upgraded suspension package sourced from someone like AL-KO (http://www.alko.com.au/al-ko-enduro/). They be more willing to do something like that, since it is engineered and off the shelf, and could perhaps be bought as a complete subframe that installs the same as what they have now. I believe they just merged with Dexter, so they might even be able to get it through them. Who knows what the cost would be, though. Might be worth asking. It would certainly help my decision if I knew that were an option. Unfortunately, I don't think as a consumer you can buy directly from them. Oliver is getting noticed by the overland crowd, but I think for them to truly be appealing to that market, they'd need a more rugged suspension option of some sort. Of course, they may not be interested in that segment and that's fine. It's a small market, but of course it's a market that doesn't blink an eye at $200k EarthCruisers, $350k Earth Roamers, or even million dollar plus Unimogs.