donthompson

Removal of the cushions was solely my idea--Tommy didn't mention it and I didn't review it with him. Added this to my list after talking to him. Don

Bought heavier ones than I had planned to. https://www.amazon.com/Torin-T43006-SUV-Jack-Stands/dp/B002E1AYKY/ref=sr_1_3?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1479239026&sr=1-3&keywords=jack+stands Don

Hi Scotty, I just got off the phone with Tommy Staggs at Oliver. He suggested that I purchase 4 jack stands and place them under the two axles of my Elite II--placing them inboard of each wheel. He said that I should not place them under any part of the aluminum frame. I plan to purchase 4 adjustable jack stands, each rated at 2,0000 lbs. Don

Randy, Originally I thought it was a good idea to avoid mildew. After thinking it through, I left all the cushions in place. I store the Ollie in a clean, unheated indoor storage unit. Our winters in Iowa are dry and cold. At home, we have to add humidity when we run the furnace in the winter. I think it will actually be less humid in the storage unit. Don

Greg, You mentioned a music educators' convention. I'm not a musician, but I am devoted to music. I've been very involved with Orchestra Iowa for years and I've booked a fantastic jazz festival for a number of years. Check out the Iowa City Jazz Festival history at www.summerofthearts.org. I started booking with the 2013 festival. Next summer, my Ollie will be the "green room" for some of our performers! Don

Greg, This is my final winterization checklist that I confirmed with Tommy at Oliver. That's 2 cups of antifreeze in each of the drains. Also, it took quite awhile to blow out all of the water from the plumbing using my small air compressor: * Attach air compressor set at 35 psi to the winterization/boondocking inlet. * Close all faucets except kitchen sink and operate compressor until no more water comes out of faucet. * Repeat for bathroom faucet. * Repeat for outside shower. * Repeat same process with air compressor attached to fresh water fill * Repeat same process with air compressor attached to city water connection. * Repeat same process with black tank rinse inlet. * Turn on outside shower and use water pump to pump dry. * Replace anode in water heater * Reverse step to bypass water heater * Pour small amount of RV antifreeze in kitchen/bathroom sinks and shower drain to protect the traps * Pour 2 cups of RV antifreeze into: * kitchen sink * bathroom sink * shower drain * toilet & flush * Pour 1 cup of antifreeze into toilet bowl to protect seal * Close fresh water drain * Return valves to normal configuration * Open all faucets including outside shower * Remove all fabric covered cushions including mattresses. To use the trailer when ready in the spring, you don’t need to do anything because you don’t have antifreeze in anything other than the drains. Add remove strainer bowl on inlet side of water pump, empty water from bowl, clean any debris from metal screen, and reinstall Don

Welcome! I've owned my Elite II for less than 9 months and I've traveled almost 8,000 miles since taking delivery in March. I winterized the camper last Friday and felt very sad when I closed the door to my storage unit! Weather and road conditions permitting, I plan to get it out and head south to Big Bend National Park in mid to late January. You've joined a group of very happy, involved travel trailer owners. Don

Sounds like you had a great trip! My wife and I have visited Sedona many times--it is a beautiful town and area. Don

I like the Lynx Levelers. You can stack them to get the height you need for each jack, they're light, take up minimal space in the basement, they're durable, won't degrade from exposure to water, etc. Having seen these wooden blocks, I plan to order a second set of 10 so I can limit the use of the jacks. https://www.amazon.com/Tri-Lynx-00015-Lynx-Levelers-Pack/dp/B0028PJ10K/ref=pd_lpo_263_tr_t_3/154-7504150-5611665?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VE3AJC5PMWDAT2AK9SGG Don

Bill, Thanks for the tip. I ordered two kits from "Redneck" today. Great idea to carry these, especially when traveling in the sparsely populated regions I prefer. Don

Do any of the members of the forum have a list of fuses used in an Elite II of recent vintage? Mine is a 2016. I'd like to carry spare fuses--but I'm not sure what type and amperage I need to have on hand. Don

Buzzy, You should visit Utah! Don

My Ollie lives in an indoor storage facility when I'm not using it. I called Jason at Oliver because my battery level steadily declined while in storage this year (my first year--winterizing next week for the first winter storage). He advised me to make sure the batteries are fully charged before putting the camper in storage and to disconnect the main negative battery cable in the battery compartment. Don

John, I remember your post about the dangers of towing in the West with a German SUV. As I indicated earlier, there's no perfect solution. I've driven my 2015 VW Touareg diesel over 32,000 miles since purchasing it about 1 1/2 years ago and it's been a solid, dependable vehicle. Other than an old Porsche that I only drive around 2,000 miles per year, the Touareg is my only vehicle. It fits in my garage and while larger than any other vehicle I've ever owned, it's a great vehicle when not towing. I strongly considered a pickup, but after test driving 3 different models, I decided that I didn't want to drive a pickup every day. The Touareg has proven to be a very capable tow vehicle. I've towed my Oliver Elite II around 8,000 miles this year, mostly in the intermountain west. The only time I had an issue with engine temperature was in Utah while towing up an interstate mountain pass when the outside temp was 110 degrees. I was pulling up a grade, traveling in a pretty straight line, running the A/C, and traveling at 75 mph. My temperature gauge started to creep up and I slowed to 65 mph and it returned to normal temp almost immediately. I decided towing at 75 mph was pretty silly--who needs to hurry that much, and I've never had another issue. The Touareg is also a pretty capable off-road vehicle, but it won't go where a Jeep Renegade will go. I've driven on 4-wheel drive roads in Canyonland NP but I'm very selective about where I go. I also find someone to follow or lead, typically someone in a Jeep! I may have a mechanical issue in the future in the West that will create complications I wouldn't have had if I had chosen a Ford, Chevy or Ram pickup, but I'm retired and willing to be inconvenienced if that occurs. The advantages of the Touareg as a daily driver and as a comfortable, secure, safe and competent tow vehicle outweigh my fears of mechanical trouble in a sparsely populated area in the West. Ultimately, it's a matter of personal choice. For people whose lifestyles match up well with owning a full-size pickup, a pickup is a great choice as a tow vehicle. For me, the Toaureg or Q7 is a better choice.

David, Your Ollie looks great behind the Audi! You've already been a valued contributor to the forum and I expect more great information from you now that you have your Ollie. Utah may be the best place in the world to own a camper like ours! Don

All, Has anyone figured out how high floor jacks need to be to support the Elite II during the winter to avoid flat spotting the tires? Also, any recommendations on specific jacks and where to place the floor jack pads under the Ollie to support it?

Hi Dave, I have a question. In your post you say "Don’t forget to blow out the black tank rinse inlet." When you attach the air compressor to this inlet, what do you leave open for any water to blow out? I don't understand all of the plumbing, but I assume the black water rinse outlet allows air (or water) to flow directly into the blank tank which can only exit through the toilet (ugh!) or the valve to dump the black tank. While my black tank is empty, I hesitate to open the black tank valve with the air compressor going. Will you please clarify how you do this? Don

Tommy Staggs replied this morning and said that the following is ok as a winterization procedure. I will probably read all of the posts and add things to the list, but here's what Tommy gave his stamp of approval to: Winterization: 10/14/2016 Conversation with Tommy Empty black and grey tanks Drain freshwater tank Release water pressure in water heater Remove anode from water heater to drain Bypass water heater (access from inside under bed—on bottom of water heater) Use air compressor set at 35 psi to blow air through fresh water fill, city water and the one in back of the trailer for at least 1 minute each. Do this with faucets open. Should expel all water Replace anode in water heater Reverse step to bypass water heater Pour small amount of RV antifreeze in kitchen/bathroom sinks and shower drain to protect the traps Pour a small amount of RV antifreeze in toilet to keep toilet thing lubricated. To use the trailer when ready in the spring, you don’t need to do anything because you don’t have antifreeze in anything other than the drains. Add remove strainer bowl on inlet side of water pump, empty water from bowl, clean any debris from metal screen, and reinstall

Buzzy, I sent another email to Tommy this morning. The folks at Oliver seem to be very busy these days, but I hope to hear from him next week. I'm going to Minneapolis on Sunday to hear jazz Sunday and Monday nights, but I'll be back on Tuesday. If I haven't heard from him by then, I'll try to reach him by phone. Don

Hey John, you are so right about the order in which to do those two steps! I've revised my checklist accordingly. Regarding the wand, did you purchase one? Can you post a website link so I can understand what you're talking about? That sounds like a good tool to have. Don

Thanks, Buzzy. I've ordered some Thedford toilet seal lubricant. How did you lubricate or treat the valves for the black and grey tanks? Don

I talked to Tommy Staggs at Oliver on Friday about winterization. I sent the following email to him after our conversation and asked him to respond. When I receive his response, I'll share the update. I'm pretty sure I'll add the step regarding the "cup/filter" for the water pump. Tommy, Thanks for taking the time to talk to me about winterization. I’ve prepared this short check-list. Let me know if I missed anything or got something wrong. Winterization: 9/14/2016 Conversation with Tommy Empty black and grey tanks Drain freshwater tank Remove anode from water heater to drain Release water pressure in water heater Bypass water heater (access from inside under bed—on bottom of water heater) Use air compressor set at 35 psi to blow air through fresh water fill, city water and the one in back of the trailer for at least 1 minute each. Do this with faucets open. Should expel all water Replace anode in water heater Reverse step to bypass water heater Pour small amount of RV antifreeze in kitchen/bathroom sinks and shower drain to protect the traps Pour a small amount of RV antifreeze in toilet to keep toilet thing lubricated. To use the trailer when ready in the spring, you don’t need to do anything because you don’t have antifreeze in anything other than the drains.

Bill, Thanks for the information about the Sway Master. Like you, I haven't experienced any sway issues towing my Ollie with the naked Bulldog hitch, but better safe than sorry. I have a Prodigy RF brake controller. I contacted Hayes and their technical support people did some research and concluded that I can use Sway Master with the Prodigy unit. eTrailer confirms. Don

George and Gretchen, If you have solar panels, you can switch your refrigerator from Propane to DC when you're ready to hit the road. I've traveled 8,000 miles this year with my Ollie and I have always traveled this way. When you set up camp, switch it back to propane, turn on the refrigerator fan and you're all set. Don

Thanks for posting, John. The photos are stunning. Don