Steph and Dud B

In the past, we were able to go cross-country with a lot of flexibility. Very few advance reservations, picking our next campground the day before, using the first-come-first-served sites at national parks, overnighting in a few Walmarts. Just free-wheeling it for the most part. It was great. Now with COVID and a billion new RVers everywhere, is it even possible to travel without a fixed itinerary and reservations any more? Walmarts are kicking RVs out, state and national parks are fully booked a year in advance, COE and BLM lands are more crowded than ever. Can you still just hit the road and travel day-to-day? If so, what are your tricks? And, if not, (just guesswork here) do you think the COVID campers will tire of camping and things might ease up in a few years? We've been waiting for retirement to enjoy that type of travel again. Hope we haven't lost the opportunity!

Sounds like another "couple's activity" challenge in the little Ollie......

Some of this is understandable considering the large degree to which they've ramped up production in the past couple of years. New employees to train, altered processes, etc. But it is somewhat concerning. My hope is that the "newbie-camper-due-to-COVID" surge will run down as my production date approaches and the factory will settle into a more comfortable pace and rhythm with a higher degree of QC. But, to be fair, look at all the reports of massive QC failures being reported in the mass-produced RVs of the past 18 months. Still better off buying an Ollie, as far as I can tell.

Good catch on the reviews. Did find the Scandvik at Boaters Plus. Thanks.

Has anyone retrofitted one of these: Trinidad Shower Combo Faucet to a newer Oliver? Apparently, they used to come as standard equipment? I like it because it has the on/off valve on the showerhead. Easier to conserve water and keep the temperature the same. You'd have to replace the entire bathroom faucet. How hard is it to get under the sink for that plumbing?

We have semi-rigid mud flaps on our dually, right behind the rear tires,approximately 9” above the ground. Adequate protection for the Ollie?

He says in the video, "Don't do it with something that's obviously an RV." Don't think the EV owners and charging station owner would take kindly to a truck and trailer backed up to their charging station.

This is what we hope to do as well and why we chose an Ollie. When retired, we want to do more extended trips.

How many days can you usually go before needing to dump the black tank?

Glad you're ok. You might want to report this to the NHTSA so they can follow up as well: https://www.nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem#index History shows you can't always rely on the manufacturers to promptly report vehicle defects and initiate a recall.

Wow. Great information. Thank you!

Interesting reading about corrosion from road treatments: "Aluminum oxidation actually enhances the stability of the aluminum. The oxidation layer will form and stay microscopically thin, preventing further oxidation. This protective layer will stay in place until it gets scratched off or cleaned with an acid wash, at which point it will regenerate." (https://nhtrailers.com/aluminum-trailers-vs-steel-trailers/). Also from https://www.truckinginfo.com/151041/trailer-report-controlling-corrosion, a commercial trucking publication: "Aluminum stands up well because a protective oxide coating forms on its surface, and the oxide renews itself when exposed to oxygen. But the oxide breaks down in the absence of oxygen or if acidity becomes high." So, it appears oxidation on the aluminum frame is more of a cosmetic issue than a structural concern. Of course, there is still the steel undercarriage to be concerned about, as well as the hitch/wiring. But, if you're going to go out in the winter, an Ollie will certainly hold up better than it's steel-frame competitors.

How high off the ground is the lip of the tank enclosure?

I've been a volunteer firefighter/EMT for a long time. Use of one of the bays for vehicle work is definitely one of the perks. Nice set of tools in there, too.

We live in the Northeast and would really like to use our soon-to-be Oliver to get away in the winter. Not full-season snowbirding, just a month to go to Quartzite, etc. We could leave it winterized until we hit warmer areas and wouldn't travel when there was snow on the roads. Then we could wait until clear weather is forecast to re-winterize and head back home. What worries me is the road chemicals. Even when the roads are dry there's usually still salt on the surface. We could find a carwash down south then stop at the firehouse a couple miles away from our house to rinse it off on the way home. Is that enough? It seems a shame to have an almost-4-season camper and park it for the whole winter. Do other northerners venture south during the winter months? Or do you just winterize in the fall and wait until spring to camp again?

Do the locks come with key fobs, too?

Thanks. That does look like a nice setup.

Jealous. Congratulations!

Our Ollie hasn't been born yet, but we have RVed for many years and we always carry water in the fresh water tank. On at least 2 occasions we arrived at full-hookup sites to find there was no water in the campground. The first time it was because the campground's water pump had failed. The second time there was a sign on the office door advising campers not to use the water because it had tested contaminated and had just been super-treated with bleach. Plus, it's nice to have if you need to use the bathroom on the road.

Got it, thanks. Was looking in the wrong place! Now gotta make the map a little smaller.

Hi, all. Would like to add a signature to my posts. Went to edit my profile but there's no signature line option, only About Me. Filled that out, but it doesn't appear at the end of my posts. What am I missing? Dudley

I was thinking about a foam snow rake to clear the panels and then some kind of angled broom or car snow brush to clear the buildup behind the awnings by pushing it fore/aft and off the hull.

That's pretty cool. Those look bigger than the stock solar panels. To be honest, we were planning to get the second awning to have more windows open in the rain, but I was getting concerned about getting snow off with two awnings. Undecided again...

Ordered our Elite 2 twin. Looking at a late July delivery. Gonna be a looong wait. Thanks for all the help making the decision!! Very excited. 😁 Dudley

Any special concerns storing the trailer outside in the winter (Connecticut)? Snow loads on the roof?