Steph and Dud B

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?

Thanks. I'll check that out. Dudley

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?