donthompson

Securing the Ollie has been a subject of discussion on this forum a number of times. I've seen lots of ideas and products, but the comments that have swayed me are the ones that suggest that insurance is the best protection. I may be wrong, but I think it's uncommon for a thief to steal a travel trailer from a campground or a boondocking site. When I'm not using my Ollie, it's in a secure indoor storage facility. Has anyone heard of an Ollie or similar travel trailer being stolen? Don

Responding to John's post: I agree with your comments on the Y-shaped rack that attaches near the front jack. I have used roof racks in the past but want to avoid this for two reasons. First, they kill gas mileage. Second, I can't lift a 52 lb. E-Cargo bike up that high. Regarding the movement of the rack in the receiver, my Saris rack has a bolt that you tighten and that removes any hint of sloppiness. I don't know if the Swagman has this feature. I plan to investigate. Responding to the posts about a front receiver, I don't think my Touareg will work for this. I'll post after I've visited my local bike shop to talk about the Swagman. Don

This is a reply to Grey Ghost's post. I investigated this option last fall. It looked promising, but there isn't enough clearance to avoid issues when making tight turns.

Well, I think I found the solution myself. http://www.swagman.net/product/escapee/ This rack is approved for use on the back of an RV and it is E-bike friendly--will transport a bike that weighs up to 60 lbs.

When I ordered my Elite II in the fall of 2015, Oliver had just added the bike rack mount option. I ordered it and discovered later that most bike racks, mine included, are not intended to be used on the back of a travel trailer. In fact, such use voids the warranty. I discovered this after transporting my bike about 90 miles on my Saris bike rack on the back of the Ollie. I was a bit alarmed as I watched the movement of the rack and bike through my rear camera. I understand now why bike rack manufacturers say this is a "no-no". I usually take my Bike Friday folding bike on camping trips so I can fold it and put the bike in a bag that travels in the back of my tow vehicle. However, I'd still like to use a rack if I can find something that works. I would also like to consider taking my Felt Bruhaul, an electric cargo bike on some camping trips. It has a long wheelbase and weighs 52 lbs. It obviously won't fit in the tow vehicle and I don't think I could maneuver it through the door of the Ollie even if I would want to try to transport it inside (and I don't). I found this rack: https://store.lci1.com/jack-it-bike-carrier-retail-boxed. It looks intriguing. I could easily lift my Bike Friday and my wife's to use this rack, but not the Bruhaul. Any ideas?

The Camp Chef is a great stove. See Buzzy's posts--he's a very happy Camp Chef stove owner. I'm not sure, but I think the Camp Chef will work at high altitude, but it probably won't perform as well as a high-pressure stove and it will consume more propane than a high-pressure stove. The main reason I've decided not to follow Buzzy's lead with the Camp Chef is its weight. It weighs 47 lbs. In his posts about his stove, he's commented that because of its weight, it's not the right choice for all Ollie campers. The performance of the Partner Steel stove at altitude is a plus, but not a game changer for me.

Sherry, You provided lots of helpful information--thank you! While I camped for a few days last spring at 10,400 feet, high altitude camping/cooking isn't my most important consideration. The size, weight, and quality are very important to me as well. Most of my outdoor cooking before buying my Ollie has been on tiny backpacking stoves. I've owned at least a half-dozen and quality has always been the primary consideration when choosing a backpacking stove. The last thing you need when you're 3-4 days away from civilization by foot or paddle is a nonfunctional stove! I'm pleased that there is a stove in the Ollie, but it's not very robust and it's nice to get outside to cook as long as the bugs aren't too bothersome.

Do you own a Partner Steel camping stove? These are actually hand-crafted stoves made of aluminum by a company in Idaho. They sell to a lot of outfitters. I'm looking at the 22" 2-burner model. It doesn't take up much space and it's light: Dimensions - 22" X 12" x 3.5"; Weight - 17lbs. I've read lots of reviews and people love this stove. Unlike the Camp Chef stoves, it is a high-pressure stove so it works really well at higher altitudes, is more wind resistant, etc. The downside is the cost. I'd love to hear from any other Ollie owners who have used a Partner Steel stove.

On an early camping trip with My Elite II, I walked into the office of a campground in Utah where there was a sign warning campers of the high water pressure at the spigots. They sold pressure regulators and I bought one. I keep it on the end of my water hose and always use it as well as a filter. It makes sense to turn off the water when you leave your campsite to hike, etc.

As I travel around in my Ollie, I meet a lot of people in campgrounds who love music festivals. I've been involved with the Iowa City Jazz Festival for many years and have booked the main stage artists for the past 6 years. This is a free outdoor festival located in downtown Iowa City. Downbeat Magazine once named the festival one of the top 10 jazz festival in the United States. If your travels will take you to this area in late-June, early-July, please stop for a few days. If you live within a day's drive, consider making this a special trip. There are many campgrounds available including a number of Corps of Engineers campgrounds near my home. Here's a link to the bios of the performers for this year's festival. http://www.summerofthearts.org/festival-menu/jazz-festival/performer-bios.aspx. Send me a message if you have any questions about the festival, campgrounds, other things to do, etc. If you aren't a jazz fan, check out the other Summer of the Arts festivals at www.summerofthearts.org.

This may be a silly question, but why do you turn off the water spigot?

Adding my thanks for the tip, Karen. Also, want to thank you for posting great photographs of your travels--you are taking a great maiden voyage in your Ollie!

I should add that I've towed a 23' Mastercraft boat (I don't recall the weight, but it was a heavy boat with a V-8 inboard) from Iowa to Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan, and I test-drove the Ram 1/2 ton with both the hemi V-8 and the diesel and a '16 Ford F150 with the 3.5 liter Eco-boost V-6. When I buy a new tow vehicle, I'm planning to ask the dealers to allow me to test-drive towing my Ollie. I know the local Ford dealer is willing to accommodate me.

While the Elite II weighs under 4700 lbs. dry, it will weigh more when you're out exploring. Mine typically weighs between 5100 and 5500 lbs. depending on what's in the tanks (fresh water, grey and black). My tow vehicle is rated at 7700 lbs. and 660 lbs. tongue weight. I wouldn't be comfortable towing unless I had at least 1,000 lbs. more capacity than what I am towing. You also need to consider what your tow vehicle is rated for the weight of what you have in the vehicle plus the camper. Many Oliver owners who frequent the forum are very happy towing with heavy duty pickups--F250s and F350s for example. Others, like me, sought a tow vehicle with adequate capacity that has better handling characteristics. Mine is a VW Toureg TDI. It has the same towing capacity as the Audi A7 and the Porsche Cayenne (both of these vehicles also tow Ollies). I've been warned by members of the forum about the likelihood of breaking down in the middle of nowhere. Hasn't happened to me or anyone else I know who has chosen this type of tow vehicle. I guess time will tell. So, my advice is to pay attention to the numbers. Buy a tow vehicle that has more than adequate capacity to tow the Ollie. Second, chose something you are comfortable driving. Third, talk to people who tow with the vehicle you are considering. Fourth, don't assume all pickups have adequate towing capacity--some don't. Fifth, if you want to tow with an SUV, your options are very limited. Mercedes, Audi, VW and Porsche are the only manufacturers of SUV's that I'd consider. I've owned Suburbans, but the last time I checked, they didn't have the towing capacity to make me comfortable. I've towed my Elite II about 16,000 miles in my first year of ownership of my camper with my VW Touareg TDI and I have been very satisfied. I've towed in the mountains of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming and I've yet to find a mountain pass that made my Touareg breathe hard and my descents have been comfortable and safe because of the excellent handling and braking characteristics of the Touareg.

I took my Oliver to a local RV dealer to have some issues addressed after a Jan/Feb '17 trip to Big Bend, etc. Jason was coordinating the repairs--nothing serious. The service manager left a message on my cell phone. He called all owners who had campers in storage or sitting outside for service because of a major hail storm and resulting damage. He explained that he hadn't inspected my Ollie but suggested I come out and inspect it, submit an insurance claim, etc. I called and learned that the hail had been large--some approaching golf ball size. Drove out, inspected, and saw no damage. I brought the Ollie home a few days later and washed it, winterized it and prepared it to go back into my indoor storage facility. There was absolutely no evidence that a piece of hail had hit the Ollie! Not only is the fiberglass thick and strong, the solar panels appear to be as well. After washing, they looked like they did when the camper left the factory last March.

I've had issues with the nightstand drawer in my twin-bed Elite II. Last summer, Jason shipped a replacement locking device (the red piece) and that solved the problem for the rest of the year. During my January/February trip this year, I experienced the problem again. It's disheartening to open the door and find the contents of that drawer strewn around the cabin of the Ollie. Jason is working with a local RV dealer to have a latch installed on this drawer--the same type of latch that Oliver uses for the pantry door. They haven't installed it yet, but I'll post a photo once it's finished. I like this big drawer and want to use it without concern about weight. Given the orientation of the drawer, I think it's inevitable that it will fly out if its contents are too heavy and you have to hit the brakes at some point. In about 16,000 miles of towing, mine has come out an estimated 7-12 times.

John, I camped at Tishomingo State Park in March, 2016 after I picked up my Oliver. It's a beautiful state park and worth a visit. I also visited Shiloh--well worth your time. I recommend that you also visit Corinth, Mississippi to get the full story of the Shiloh battle. The interpretive center/museum in Corinth is very interesting despite its unimpressive appearance from the outside. Here's one of my experiences at Tishomingo: " First afternoon in Mississippi. I was getting ready to back into my camping space with the Oliver and a fellow about my age wearing an NRA cap walked up and asked if I'd like him to help guide me into to my spot. I eagerly accepted his offer. After getting the Ollie parked, we talked for about 30 minutes. He and his wife live in southern Mississippi. He's a retired Methodist minister. We talked about Civil War battlefields in the area, the Civil War, stereotypical views of people in the North have about people in the South and the opposite. He grew up in Mississippi in the 50's and 60's. His father was very "country"--he shot squirrels for meat with a slingshot until getting his first .22 caliber rifle. He mentioned that his only exposure to the Klan growing up was when the Klan came to their house out in the country and tried to trick his Dad into coming outside to help them with a pickup supposedly stuck in a ditch. Earlier in the week Klan members had visited his Dad at a garage/service station his Dad owned. His Dad employed a black man and the Klan told him he had to fire his employee. His Dad refused, hence the night-time visit by the Klan." An experience at JuJu's Shrimpboat Cafe in Corinth, MS: "After I sat down at a table in the restaurant, a rather disheveled man in his early 70s walked in and complimented me on my choice of headwear. He asked where I was from, and I told him Iowa City, Iowa. He surprised me by telling me, in a thick southern accent, that he lived in Iowa City in the 1940s. His mom and dad both graduated from the University of Iowa. His dad was a MD and had a PhD in chemistry. His mother had A PhD in English literature. At some point, his father had a chemical company located in Dubuque. He decided to move the company to Jackson Mississippi. His mother knew Faulkner, Carson McCullers, Walker Percy and others. He still owns a farmland in Iowa and travels to Iowa City couple of times a year. We had a very interesting conversation for about a half hour." I found people in Tennessee and Mississippi to be very friendly and interesting. I hope you have a wonderful adventure like I did!

I have a very nice indoor storage facility for my Oliver. They guy who owns this facility added two units that are very tall to accommodate RVs. Unfortunately, they are too short for most RVs but they work beautifully for an Elite II. The other one is available. I don't know if there are any other Oliver owners who live close enough to Iowa City, Iowa to take advantage of this situation, but if there are, send me a message and I'll fill you in with the details.

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Thanks to all who responded. I decided to upgrade my AAA membership to include the Ollie. Hope I never need it.

I've had a AAA membership for many, many years. I have rarely used AAA's roadside assistance, but when I have, I appreciated it. I received a packet from Good Sam for roadside assistance for my 2016 Elite II. Introductory price of $69.95. After that, it's $117/year. Two big benefits are unlimited distance towing to a repair facility and flat tire service--they come and change tire and help you locate a replacement. Have you purchased this service? if so, please share your analysis. If you know about it and have decided not to purchase, share you thoughts as well.

Thanks, John--this is a great video with lots of valuable information. Don

Buzzy, Thanks for responding--I now understand what motivated you and it makes perfect sense to me. Enjoy your time away from work, your family, your new dog and go camping!! Don

I could be wrong, but I think Buzzy is still with us. This is his profile now, I believe: Anonymous Registered On: Topics: 96 Replies: 555 Been thanked: 460 times I don't know why he changed to Anonymous if this is Buzzy. Don Buzzy--if you see this, I want you to know that I'm very happy to learn that you're still with us!

I hope we can get him back. I've been camping during the last 30+ days at Big Bend and other places in Texas. I had very spotty wireless access so I haven't been on the forum for awhile. I did see some posts about etiquette when I returned. I wonder if those posts related to something involving Buzzy? If anyone knows, please send me a private message. Maybe we can find a way to fix this if he deleted his account because of negative occurrences on the forum. Buzzy has been a valuable member of the forum and a great resource to new and experienced Olliver owners. I know he's made a lot of friends through the forum. Don