Steph and Dud B

This looks like a Catch-22. Oliver says to use an RV-approved bike rack. Our carbon-fiber bikes require wheel support, no hanging by the frame. But every RV-approved wheel support rack I've found has a 2" receiver bar. So, either I knock out the 1.25" liner in the Oliver hitch or I use a non-RV-approved rack. The good news is our bikes are very light so maybe the non-RV rack would be adequate? Cargo basket and riser hitch preclude bikes between truck and trailer. Truck bed is full. Don't want them in front, getting pummeled by wind and rocks.

All good points, John. We're hoping a lot of the newbie campers will have had enough of leaks and bugs in a couple of years and gone back to their hotels, opening up campsites again. We do have a 2000W Honda suitcase gen we were planning to carry. Most of our trips will be east of the Rockies, with a few jaunts out West again. We try to avoid commercial campgrounds on the weekends, preferring midweek when possible.

Yes. I read that thread about the factory lithium systems. For us, I think the factory system might be adequate for a couple of reasons. First, we'll be taking possession while still working, so won't have a lot of free time to work on building my own system. Second, while we do plan to boondock, especially after retirement, we don't plan any extended boondocking. Probably 3-5 days before hitting a full hookup campground to refill/recharge as needed. Thinking the 390 AH factory lithium package is probably overkill for our needs but we want the option to extend a boondock a bit or to run the A/C while stopped at a rest area. Looks like I will be putting in a cutoff switch. Saw that, too. Doesn't concern me too much. I always considered that more of a trickle charge than anything else. Hoping the solar would be more useful for charging while driving, at least on nice days. Hoping my thought process isn't too far off here.

Considering Lithium batteries. It's my understanding that lithium batteries can be stored in sub-freezing conditions, but you can't charge them below freezing without damaging them. I don't think there's a stock battery cutoff switch. Is there a way to disable the solar charger? Or do you just disconnect the battery cables for the winter/install your own cutoff switch?

Thank you for the replies. That's what we carry now, 3 sections, so one less thing we'd have to buy.

For those of you with conventional toilets/black tank: Do you have any problem with the dump outlet being in the rear of the trailer rather than mid-street side? Most full hookup campsites seem to have the sewer fitting toward the middle of the site. Do you need to carry a lot of extra sewer hose to run up from the back of the trailer to the sewer connection?

I don't know. Maybe the wine isn't such a bad idea?? Will add it to the essentials list!

Thanks to all for the replies. I think we're really close to pulling the trigger on purchasing an Ollie. Going to see one tomorrow. Just going through the mental exercise of looking for potential issues so we can make an informed decision. Very different beast than our "stickie" rigs have been.

So the rain goes in the bathroom window and ultimately into your gray tank? Sounds like an issue if dry camping in a rainy climate.

All our previous RVs had swing out windows that we could leave open in the rain. That meant we could leave the campsite, sleep, etc. with open windows without worrying about rainstorms. Since the Ollies have sliding windows how do you ventilate them on rainy days? I know the Maxxair can run in the rain, but it needs another opening to pull fresh air in through. How do you manage that? -Dudley

Hi. My first poll attempt. Wondering what the typical ownership period is. Thanks!

Thanks for all the replies. Sounds like twins are an option for us after all. Choices, choices! Anybody prefer the standard package? We were considering that with an RV Superbag for the linens. Doesn't seem like it would be that hard to set up/take down? Or just leave as a bed all the time? It would be nice to spread out.

Since you folks are talking about twins, I have some questions about those, too. That floorplan seems really popular. Bill, you're 6'? I'm 6'1". I assumed based on some other reviews I've seen that a twin would be too small for me. Seems like you don't have any problem? Ditto question for the shower. Couldn't find a measurement of the headroom in there, but it looks tight on the photos/videos I've seen. Any feedback on your experiences would help. Thanks, Dudley

Thanks, Mike. Been learning a ton in the last 24 hours. Got the build sheet, read lots of posts, watched lots of videos. The little details keep surprising us. Truly a remarkable little RV. Put in my name hoping we can see one in real life before winter arrives here in New England. Dudley

Hello, Oliver owners (Ollies?, Oliverians?). My wife and I are pondering what will probably be our final RV purchase. We're approaching a somewhat early retirement in 2 years and thinking about what retirement RVing will look like for us. We're experienced campers, 22 years in a 26' stick and tin travel trailer, 30' Titanium 5th wheel, and currently 32' triple slide 5th wheel. Now considering the Elite 2. It would be the smallest RV we've ever owned. Anticipated usage would range from midweek jaunts to the local dry camping state park to cross-Rockies trips from our home in the Northeast to the Southwest. We're hoping a fiberglass RV will be superior quality to the typical stick builts we've seen. Our retirement RV goals: Best possible resale value, for when we're ready to settle down and buy a brick and mortar retirement house. Less time on the roof caulking 100' of seams. Comfortable for my wife to tow. (She did OK with our travel trailer, but wasn't comfortable with either 5th wheel.) Better fit and finish than we've seen in our 5th wheels. Good boondocking performance for 2-3 nights. Good cold weather performance to extend our camping season. Appropriately sturdy for long haul trips. Better fuel economy/potentiality smaller future tow vehicle. (Current truck is a gas dually pickup.) At least 10 year service life. Would love to hear how well current owners would rate your Olivers on those points. We do anticipate some challenges: Far, far less storage space than we're used to, inside and out. Moving from a fifth wheel will open up the truck bed, but we'll be back to storing stuff in bins and loading them into the truck before each trip. Our current rig has 2 big recliners we really enjoy. I'm 6' tall. Are the dinettes comfortable? The wet bath seems like a pain. Will miss the roof ladder. Although I don't enjoy being up there, the built in ladder does make repairs on the road easier. What say the experienced on this? Finally, a few specifics: Rear dinette vs twin beds: does the rear dinette convert into a comfortable bed, or is it lumpy with all the separate cushions? What kind of sheets fit that? Lithium batteries worth it, or AGM adequate? Street side awning worth it? How do you use a ladder with awnings on both sides? Does the winterizing inlet simply fill the fresh water tank with pink stuff, or does it feed antifreeze directly to the pump? Any other thoughts/suggestions? The Bigfoot 25' rear queen is also in the running. A lot more living/storage space but the quality doesn't seem as good and the boondocking capabilites are less refined. Airstream Bambi has come up as well, but I'm not a big fan of single axle towables. We're considering a factory tour next summer, with a possible purchase within the year after that. Nothing like hearing from those who've already been there, done that, though. Thanks for any replies. -Dudley