Overland

I removed my black tank and sewer line entirely. Not the easiest operation but not impossible either. No photos but I could walk you through it if you want to go that route. There was a lot of cutting involved. If I remember correctly, Oliver adds a T to the vent pipe and there’s a pvc adapter to get the size down to fit the vent hose.

Welcome Sandy. Follow this link for a good thread on interior storage ideas. If you do a search for storage, you'll find other threads as well. Mike T. also put together a really nice 'Camping for Dummies' presentation for the last rally that contains a ton of good storage ideas. You can find that here. You can find all the interior dimensions for your Ollie in the Oliver University section - just click on 'travel trailers' in the menu above, and Ollie U is the last item in the menu. I think the document you want is titled 'measurement index'.

I think I might give that one a shot, too. Like Mike, I haven't had any luck with the caps. I've been draping mine over the tongue like him, but recently I've been getting water through the cord side like Maverick was talking about. I was going to try sealing it with silicone, but for six fifty, this is at least worth trying.

You could do that. As you flush it, most of the water will flow out of the overflow rather than the drain. But if I were you, I'd fill and drain it once, sanitize, and then flush with another full tank. Also, instead of just draining the chlorine solution out of the tank, run it through the faucets into the grey tank and let that sit overnight.

Like Steve said, you need the Easy Start to run the A/C with the 2200i. Otherwise, you can move up one size to the 3000. I think the Easy Start is a worthwhile investment, and a fairly easy retrofit if your trailer doesn't have one from the factory.

Yeah, be careful with Siri as well. She likes to take you to the geographic center of parks rather than their entrance.

If you'll be carrying a generator, then that opens up a lot more opportunities, since it will be hot and you'll probably want the A/C going at night. Travel times vary greatly from person to person. Some only like to travel 4 hours or so a day, while others will put in a 10 or 12 hour day. For planning purposes, maybe take whatever distance you're comfortable traveling normally and then take off a few hours. You'll figure out quickly what you're comfortable with. The main thing when you're learning is to give yourself plenty of daylight for setting up at the end of the day, and don't give yourself a hard deadline for ending your trip, just in case something goes wrong and you need an extra day or so to sort it out. I'm not a fan of KOA campgrounds; but for beginners, they aren't a bad choice. You'll have hookups, a small shop to buy supplies, and plenty of fellow travelers to ask advice or assistance from if you need. They're also regularly spaced along 40 and so you can always find one close to where you want to stay the night. And they're reservable - I'd certainly start off your trip with reserved campsites since not knowing where you're going to spend the night is a bit of stress you probably don't want to add.

People do store and run the generator from the basket, which is why Oliver offers the additional 120v connection in the front. Some people will in fact run their generator while traveling to cool the trailer down before getting into camp.

Per Hobo's suggestion, we've added a topic for common acronyms and abbreviations here. Please post any further suggestions for additional terms in that thread so that we can keep track of them and periodically update the list. Thank you Hobo for the thread suggestion - it's sure to help both new and old users alike.

Very soon - http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/faq-common-acronyms-and-abbreviations/

Here is a list of acronyms and abbreviations that are often used on the forum. Suggestions for additional terms are welcome, and can be posted in this thread. Popular and relevant suggestions will be added to main list periodically. 4X2 or 2WD – 2 Wheel Drive 4X4 or 4WD – 4 Wheel Drive 5er or Fiver – Fifth wheel trailer, also abbreviated FW A/C – Air Conditioning AC – Alternating Current ACE or CE - Army Corps of Engineers, more commonly abbreviated COE; often operate campgrounds near their projects. A – Amp or Ampere AGM – Absorbent Glass Mat, referring to a type of batteries many of us use. Ah – Amp Hours Al – Aluminum AS – Airstream ATF – Automatic Transmission Fluid ATS – Automatic Transfer Switch, often shortened to TS Attic - The overhead interior storage area located at the rear of an Oliver AWG – American Wire Gauge, sometimes abbreviated Ga Basement - The exterior storage area located at the rear street side of an Oliver BC – Brake Controller BLM – Bureau Of Land Management, overseer of public lands and operator of many campgrounds, typically in more remote areas of the country. BTU – British Thermal Unit CAT Scale – Certified Automated Truck scales located throughout the US. Many RVers use these scales to weigh their trailers if they don’t have access to another private or public scales. CCC – Cargo Carrying Capacity (payload capacity), sometimes abbreviated NCC CG – Camp Ground COE – Corp of Engineers, also abbreviated ACE or CE; often operate campgrounds near their projects. CONUS - Contenental United States CW – Camping World, a chain of RV supply stores DC – Direct Current DEF – Diesel Exhaust Fluid DS – Dump Station Egg – Fiberglass Trailer FG – Fiberglass, also abbreviated MFG FHU – Full Hook Ups, often abbreviated WES, for Water/Electric/Sewer FT – Full Time FW – Fifth wheel trailer, also abbreviated 5er or Fiver Ga - Gauge (wiring), more commonly abbreviated AWG GAW – Gross Axle Weight GAWR – Gross Axle Weight Rating GCVW or GCW – Gross Combined Vehicle Weight GCWR – Gross Combined Weight Rating Geezer Pass - Lifetime Senior Pass from the National Park Service. Currently, for age 60 and above, $80. Free entance to many National Parks and sights, and often camping discounts in the park campgrounds, and some other participating state and national campgrounds. Gen – Generator GPM - Gallons per Minute, a measurement of water usage and mountain pass fuel consumption GTW – Gross Trailer Weight GTWR – Gross Trailer Weight Rating GVW – Gross Vehicle Weight GVWR – Gross Vehicle Weight Rating HP – Horsepower ICE - Internal Combustion Engine or a conventional ICE vehicle (as opposed to electric) Inch WC - Inches of water column, a measurement of gas pressure often used instead of PSI. LA - Lead acid batteries, typically referring to non-AGM batteries LE – Legacy Elite, Oliver's single axle trailer LEII or LE2 – Legacy Elite II, Oliver's tandem axle trailer LED – Light Emitting Diode LFP or LiFePo – Lithium Iron Phosphate, an alternative to LA or AGM batteries LP – Liquid Propane LT – Light Truck (tires) MFG - Molded Fiberglass, often shortened to FG MVU or MVUM - Motor Vehicle Use Map from the USFS; shows which national forest roads are open for dispersed camping NCC – Net Carrying Capacity (payload capacity), often abbreviated CCC NPS – National Park Service Ollie - short for Oliver. Olly will also be accepted by the judges. OP – Original Poster, the person who started a topic OTT – Oliver Travel Trailers OTTO or Otter – Oliver Travel Trailer Owner OTTOR – Oliver Travel Trailer Owners Rally PM - Private Message; a forum function allowing members to send messages privately to each other, without needing email addresses or phone numbers. PU – Pop Up tent trailer PSI – Pounds per Square Inch Romp - A gathering of OTTers RTV - A silicone sealant of a variety of types RV – Recreational Vehicle SOB - Some other brand; in our forum, any type of trailer other than an Oliver. SP – State Park Stick Built - A travel trailer constructed from wood and panels, unlike an Oliver and other eggs Sticky - a) Stick Built trailer; b) On the forum, a topic of some importance, pinned to the top, so that it "sticks around" and doesn't get lost. TPMS – Tire Pressure Monitoring System TS – Transfer Switch, also abbreviated ATS TT – Travel Trailer TV – Tow Vehicle TW – Tongue Weight V – Volts VA – Volt Amps (Watts) VIN – Vehicle Identification Number USFS – US Forest Service W – Watts Wally World – WalMart Wh – Watt Hours WDH – Weight Distribution Hitch WES – Water/Electric/Sewer, also abbreviated FHU, for Full Hook Ups

Well I'm excited for you. Suspension aside, there is a lot about the Black Series to like. The layout, separate shower, exterior storage, exterior kitchen, dual spares, more rugged exterior, etc. Like I said in one of our previous conversations, if I were still in the planning stages, it would be high on my list. I'll be very interested to hear how it tows, how it does in cold weather, etc. When do you get it?

Well, that's ambitious.

Nothing goes in our sink drain that would cause a clog. Dishes are scraped and wiped clean, and we use a strainer on the drain to catch anything else. Something in our plumbing is defying the laws of physics.

As John mentioned, we tried the spring over axle mod and it didn't work, for the reasons he mentioned. And I agree that the drop axle idea is worth exploring. Another option is the MorRyde kit that many RVers swear by. I don't think that any Oliver owner has seriously looked into that as of yet. My personal leaning is the Lippert Centerpoint suspension. It seems dead simple to install, gives you about an inch lift, and has probably the softest ride of the above options, which, imo, is really what you need. I've changed my tune on suspensions since having the Ollie, and I no longer think that big travel suspensions are needed or even desirable. When you take a trailer off pavement, size and soft surfaces are the limiting factors. I have yet to find a road where terrain is what stopped us - it will be mud or sand or the inability to get back out that stops you first. I think the Black Series trailers are cool and all, and I'd love for someone to buy one and report back; but my opinion is that regardless how tough they look, they're still honking big trailers that aren't going through mud or sand or tight roads any better than an Ollie can (worse in some cases since they're as wide as an Airstream). And even in situations where they're better off road, I think you're buying a very narrow slice of capability while giving up a lot of highway stability. Yes, the Ollie could stand a bit more compression travel, but more for on-pavement potholes and such than for off road travel. You just don't travel fast enough off road to really require much suspension travel - the trailer will rock back and forth with the terrain, and since the wheels aren't driven it's not like you're trying to maintain traction. So, for off pavement suspension mods I think it's better to think in terms of reducing vibration; i.e., try make your trailer a gravel eating machine rather than a rock crawler, which is why I think something like the Centerpoint is likely to be the sweet spot in off pavement performance vs cost vs highway stability. My strategy for dealing with terrain that's too rough for the Ollie is to pack a tent. Then you can really go places. Much cheaper than buying a separate trailer for a few roads ;) . Your suspension won't move this wall any further away - Nor help you around this bend -

John, it shouldn’t be possible but our kitchen sink backs up first no matter if the shower valve is open or closed. I haven’t been able to figure out why but I do know that when it happens, I can ‘burp’ the grey tank by tilting the trailer to one side and the sink drains. After doing that I’ll still have a few more gallons capacity before the shower tub starts to back up. I don’t think that there’s any sort of check valve in the tank but that’s the only thing I can think would cause that behavior.

So are they making a custom sized table for you, or is it that the tables aren't all uniform and they're picking a larger one from inventory?

Can't wait to see your install. AMSolar gave me a ton of advice on my electronics install, even though I didn't buy any large components from them, only lugs and some wiring and stuff. Great people and if they say you can tape them down, I believe them - nonetheless, I'd still be nervous. At some point, I want to reinstall my front panels, since I don't like how Oliver did them, so I'll want to know how your experience goes. Welcome to the Big Solar Club. :)

I see that now. I know there's at least one brand that doesn't require drilling (on a Ford, at least), but of course I can't find it now. Looks like both Cargo Glide and Bed Slide want you to drill. I might be O.K. with that on a steel bed truck, but not sure about an aluminum F150 bed being able to hold. I'd want some serious washers underneath at a minimum.

I think I'd trust screws least of all. Rivet nuts (if you can find some long enough) + VRB tape + 3M Caulk is probably what I'd want to do. Of course if you can get access, then bolts would be best.

I think most if not all of the slides use the factory mounting bolts for the bed.

Math says it can, unless I’m misunderstanding what you’re saying.

Looks like it would work. Of course, it would take a lot of faith to trust VHB tape only. I know it should work - I think half my truck is put together with that stuff - but...still.

Mike, I have awnings on both sides so they mount the same. Oliver did the mounts for me and I’ll post some photos below. You might call service and see if they’d do the same for you. Not sure about mounting them at an angle since what you gain one side you’d lose on the other so it would probably be a wash at best. Some of the Ollie solar pioneers mounted their larger panels at an angle like you’re talking about so you might search some of the early posts for photos. It would be nice to somehow hinge them or attach them with pins so that they can be removed for cleaning. Though as mine are, I can clean under them though it’s a bit of a bother. The A/C is the only thing to worry about shading the panels but that’s late in the day when you aren’t getting much solar anyway and shading those panels won’t affect the others.

Yup - http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/640w-of-solar-on-the-roof-with-ac-im-pretty-sure-its-possible/