Steph and Dud B

I like the blower idea but my 2-step step stool isn't quite tall enough to get my eyes above the Girard awning. I do have a 12' collapsible ladder, but that won't work in this application. Any suggestions for something tall enough but compact?

It's all trade-offs. We had a big fifth wheel. Living room recliners, big dry bath and shower, etc., etc. It's was nice, especially on rainy days or when one of us was sick. And we could entertain friends inside. But we didn't have as many choices for campsites as we do with the Ollie and towing mileage was about 20-25% less. When we purchased Eggcelsior we were planning on multi-month trips, which we thought it would be ideal for. Circumstances have ruled that out for now but, two seasons in, our Ollie has worked for us anyway because we can fit it into campsites that were out of the question with the fifth wheel. (And that's just the physical footprint advantage. The real game changer has been the solar and lithium package.)

Count Steph and me in. Dudley

Well, if we all pitched in...... 😁

I suspect weight is a consideration. The Flying Cloud is 8' wide, so there's more material there. A comparable OTT would be heavier, but probably still within reason. As for technical limits, I don't see why OTT couldn't build something that big. There are 30' fiberglass boats. I think the closest RV comparison would be the Bigfoots, but even they only go up to 25'.

The top green LED tells you the Xantrex is receiving shore power. The center green LED tells you it's running off battery power. For some reason you still don't have shore power for your Xantrex. You need to determine if it's only the Xantrex not getting power or the entire trailer. Is your microwave working? What does the red power management display in the rear "attic" cabinet display?

One of the reasons we got rid of our fifth wheel and bought the Ollie.

That would be great, not just for those who live in the West, but also for those traveling there. I suppose it depends on the growth generated by the east coast dealers. I think Bigfoot and maybe Escape keep their dealers geographically close to their factories. Maybe logistics are easier that way?

I can't see how this can be avoided. The dealers will have other manufacturers` RVs on their lots, too, and those RVs will have "RV Show" sale prices, "Summer Blowout" sale prices, "End of Year" sale prices, etc., etc. The customer will want the same kind of "deals" on the Oliver or they'll think they`re getting a better value on the "sale" units. Pre-COVID the rule of thumb was never pay more than 70-80% of MSRP for any RV because we all knew the MSRP was wildly inflated. Fair enough, but those manufacturers weren't also trying to sell factory-direct at those stated MSRPs. This will be a challenge for OTT. Don`t some of the other fiberglass manufacturers (Bigfoot, Escape) have this mixed factory/dealer sales arrangement? How do they handle it? Are the trailers bought at the factory more expensive than the ones you can get at a dealer? It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

So are we.

So, here we go with "MSRP," "sale price," etc. One of the things I liked about our purchase experience was the fixed/no haggle price. I'd be interested to know which of those two prices matched the factory price for that trailer, if either. They can't have the factory charging less than the dealers and undercutting them. OTOH, I can't see the dealer charging less than the factory and still making an acceptable profit margin.

Just read that. A fairly balanced review.

Yes, there are check valves at the water inlets as shown, but there is also a check valve at (or inside) the pump. If the pump didn't have a check valve, pressurized water in the lines while connected to a city water supply would backflow through the pump and fill the water tank. This is actually how most people find out their pump check valve has failed: the water tank keeps filling up on its own. Also, when using your pump, without an integral pump check valve, your system would lose all pressure as soon as the pump shut off, because the water would push back into the tank.

I've been thinking about this. There's a check valve in, or behind, the water pump that would prevent water from the lines from draining back into the tank. It's there to prevent city water from backfilling the tank when you're hooked up.

That's what's we do. The first vent under the curb bed is closed.

I read a post on one of the RV forums that claimed they got pulled over by a trooper while draining their fresh water on the road. The trooper said police had received calls that a trailer was dumping something on the highway. The OP said he was ticketed for "failure to secure a load." (BTW, you don't need to open your faucets to drain the fresh tank, but it does help if you want to drain all the lines, too.)

Our delivery was on time. We spent the first night boondocking up at Camp Oliver and tested all systems in that mode there. Then we moved to David Crockett State Park and spent the second night hooked up to water and electricity to test those systems. Found an issue with the A/C and service took us in first thing the next morning to address it.

We're very risk-averse, so I would wait until we reached Southern climes before dewinterizing and use bottled water and campground bathrooms/showers until then.

We always travel with at least 10 gallons of water in our fresh tank, for emergency bathroom stops, etc. In the past, when we got home, I'd open the fresh water drain while the trailer was in the yard to empty the tank. Now that the trailer's in the garage, with no floor drain, I wanted a way to drain the tank without it dumping on the garage floor. I bought a low profile bucket and some garden hose bulkhead fittings on Amazon, drilled a hole in the bucket, and installed the fitting. Now I can slide the bucket under the fresh water drain, attach a hose, and let the water run out the garage door. Parts: 3 Gallon Super Bucket with Ergonomic Handle https://a.co/d/fOahpl0 SNUTUYA PVC Garden Hose Bulkhead Fitting With Plug, 1/2" Female NPT, 3/4" Male GHT (garden Hose Thread), For Rain Barrels, Aquariums, Sinks，2 Pack https://a.co/d/3lRxTCu

Our 2022 Oliver is our 4th trailer: 1 travel trailer and 2 fifth wheels prior. Our main goal in moving to a molded fiberglass trailer was to reduce potential roof leaks and the damage they can cause. Ease of towing was a secondary reason. When it comes to the molded fiberglass trailers, Oliver has no equal, as you'll find when you see one in person. (Note that Olivers are heavier than their molded fiberglass competitors, requiring a more substantial tow vehicle.) What we've found to be the Oliver's strengths are: construction materials, size/maneuverability/ease of towing, the lithium/solar package (love this), and sound proofing (the double hulls and dual pane windows can really block outside noise at night). Service has also been better than most RV manufacturers. Weaknesses have been various errors made during its construction and the inherent limitations of its size (limited storage, smaller tanks, etc.), but we understood that we were downsizing. To be 100% honest, our Oliver has not been as trouble-free as we had hoped, perhaps because it was a COVID-era unit. I've detailed our problems in this forum so I won't repeat them now. Fortunately, Oliver service has largely lived up to their reputation in addressing our issues quickly and we're starting to enjoy our trailer more now. Also, to be honest, we've heard far worse from many people who bought non-Oliver RVs in the same time period, so I suppose it was still a net-positive for us. There's only one other manufacturer I would consider today, and they're brand-new, so it remains to be seen if their reality can match their promise. How do you plan to transport your sea kayaks while towing the trailer? Rooftop on the truck?

They could dip their toes in some of the smaller (less expensive) shows. There's 3 in the Northeast in the next couple of months: Hartford, Agawam, and Foxwoods Casino. No doubt many more like that throughout the eastern US. The nice thing about a show is that it could expose people to Olivers that would never even have considered (or maybe even heard of) fiberglass trailers before. They'd go in looking for a conventional camper and say, "hey what's that white one?" That's how we bought our unusual Glendale Titanium fifth wheel: saw one at a show and was amazed by the unique over-cab bedroom. Prior to stumbling on Oliver via an RV news article, we had seen the occasional Scamp or Casita but assumed they were cheap junk, never having seen one up close. An RV show gives curious buyers a chance to investigate products they normally wouldn't consider. If Oliver wants to expand their customer demographic, I'd think RV shows would be an effective way to do that.

Now that they're starting a dealer network, why isn't Oliver displaying at (not "near") any of the RV shows? We picked our last 2 fifth wheel models at shows in the Northeast. (Didn't buy them there, but used our research from the shows to make a decision that we acted on later.) I've been dubious about the dealer network, but I can see Oliver really standing out at an RV show, where people can look at lots of different trailers and see how Oliver compares directly.

Lots of eastern campgrounds close for the winter, including March, so check in advance. As @John Dorrer suggested, heading south will increase your choices. (So envious of those who live in the South and West, with all your camping opportunities.)

We bought a couple of these but haven't installed them yet. Camco Camper/RV Drink Holder | Features Adjustable Space-Saving Design & Holds Almost Any Size Mug, Cup, Bottle or Can | Extra Cup Holder for Cars, Trucks, RVs, Vans, Boats, and More | White (44040) https://a.co/d/ayMR3mZ