topgun2

Ralph - Be aware that some of Yellowstone National Park forbids the use of generators. Having said this - also be aware of Yellowstone's altitude. While it can be fairly warm during the daylight hours there, I've never had a night where the temps didn't go into the 40's or below. The same can be said for much of the nearby surrounding area. Seadawg has a fair amount of experience with a small generator and I believe that she and her husband have had no issues with using it to top off their batteries over the years. Bill

You lucky devil - my most very favorite (NOT)😝. As Mike said - those screens should come clean of the smell since they are made of fiberglass. If not for some reason they are fairly simple to replace. If you decide to "scrub" the shades - do so with a gentle hand. Both the shades and the operating cords can be damaged if not treated with care. Don't forget to take the air conditioner filter out and (at least) wash it. Again, these are fairly easy to replace if you can't get the smell out. The rest of the interior is reasonably to wash down and polish. Perhaps the rubber mats that line the "floor" or each of the cabinets could use a scrubbing too. Let us know how it goes. Bill

Faust - Yes, you can remove them and some are more difficult to remove than others. In my case, the bathroom window always gives me trouble. With the main windows on each side of your Oliver you should be able to slide these screens in the tracks. In doing this you can note that they are held in place via springs (kind of like a leaf spring on a truck). Normally these springs are at the bottom of the screen but if the previous owner reversed them they may be at the top. In either case, press the screen towards the spring. Once it is depressed enough, you should be able to slide the end opposite from the screen towards you and from there it is easy to get out of the track. The rear window (at least on the Elite II has a red tab at the bottom of the screen. Pull the tab up and towards you to release the screen. If you decide to replace the screen material - get the "small insect" screening (available at Lowes, Home Depot and Ace). This will help keep very small critters out. Bill

Tough question that only you can answer for yourself. The only time I've wanted larger windows in my Elite II is when watching a bear, deer, moose, elk walk through my campsite - this would have saved me from having to jump from window to window. Bill

Dear "Debbie", Decisions, decisions! Most (if not all) of us have made changes to our Olivers - some big, some small. It's a great canvas that allows this sort of thing. My take on the whole "solar thing with the large battery capacity" is that Oliver was trying to address the need of some customers to have air conditioning available for use for relatively short periods of time without the need of being plugged into shore power. Obviously a limiting factor for the solar array is the space available on the roof - yes, there is still more room for additional panels on the roof but at what price point? For me, the decision would be fairly simple - do I really NEED to have the air conditioner run off the batteries? In the six plus years I've owned my Oliver there have only been two times that it would have been nice to have this feature - I can virtually always find a campground where I can plug in if necessary and I can do that a bunch of times for that $ you are talking about. The whole MPPT controller story is discussed here on this Forum multiple times. Yes the MPPT is a bit more efficient but the change to the current controller was done (at least partially) to make the whole solar process easier for owners. In most situations it seems that this current controller works as intended. The black tank conversion has also been discussed at length here. But, given the seemingly limited number of owners that have actually done something in this regard it would appear that it is either still a "work in progress", too difficult to do the conversion for the resultant benefit, or simply a "nice to have someday project" versus something that really impacts current camping utility and enjoyment. Finally, the running of the fridge on 12volt versus propane has also been discussed here on multiple occasions. As MM198 says above, the fridge is really efficient running on propane. If you are nervous keeping your propane lines "open" while traveling, there is a product called "GasStop" that should alleviate that worry. If you are still nervous then you should know that a number of people simply do not open the fridge door while traveling and unless it is very hot or the travel day is exceedingly long, the interior of the fridge stays cold enough until you are stopped once again. Unless you are planning on doing a fair amount of winter/cold weather camping, the 20 lb propane tanks should be enough for the reasons Mike & Carol cite above. Finally, WELCOME! You'll find that many of us here came from a motorcycle background. Right now you are in what I believe is the "hard part" of owning an Ollie. Trying to make all of the decisions on options, trying to come to grips with the money spent on a relatively small camper, trying to get working knowledge on the Oliver systems. Please know that all of this is really not that difficult. And you still have plenty of time to get comfortable with this Family. Bill

WHAT? - No crate?🤣 I really don't think that either Foy or Mirna ever worked for a shipping company (USPS, UPS, FedEx and the like) but, somehow, they must have learned about the abuse packages take when out there is the shipping world. Good job.

As we sat down to breakfast this morning, 10 wild hen turkeys flew over the back deck! Hope they are having a good safe day too. Happy Thanksgiving especially to those on the road. Bill

Yes - I believe that it is TN State law that requires proof of insurance prior to delivery. Good luck! Bill

I'd be willing to bet that Foy's wife - Mirna - has a hand in that packaging somewhere too.😀

There have been a number of owners that have had their Ollies delivered. Hopefully some of them will chime in here with their specific details. In the meantime, I'd talk to my Oliver Sales agent and ask them about this possibility. Good luck! Bill

I feel bad for all that are being caught up in this global affair. Hopefully these delays and changes to your schedules will not be too dramatic and your Ollie deliveries will still go relatively smoothly. Generally speaking, the weather in middle TN isn't really too bad over the entire winter. However, it does require that you keep an eye on the weather in that short duration storms can move through the area. These storms can have a localized effect for short periods of time. Obviously, for those that must travel greater distances, the odds of encountering delaying weather are greater. Bill

I seem to recall reading that in certain situations that using two surge protectors together can cause "issues" with one or both. If I remember where I saw this, I'll post it here. Bill

You're right in asking Service - but - I'm aware of at least two different owners that were given permission to stay more than one night in the Oliver campground. While you're at it - also ask if you can get your camper back for the night so that you will not have to get a motel. Bill

Solar gives you the freedom of choice. Even if you do not intend to use it often, at least you will have the knowledge that you can travel without being "tied" to the "grid". Now - keep reading and watching Oliver videos. This will make your initial trips much more enjoyable and relaxing. Welcome to the Family! Bill

I've owned two of the 3.5 liter Ford engines and have been basically very happy with both. Unbelievable power, speed and decent gas mileage (as long as you are able to control those urges in your right foot) when not towing and acceptable gas mileage when towing. No issues what so ever in towing on the flats or in the mountains - plenty of power for both. For what I think are obvious reasons, any relatively smaller turbo'd engine is somewhat more complicated than a comparable non-turbo'd V8 engine. There are numerous YouTube videos out there where pundits champion one versus the other. I tend to not keep vehicles any longer than 5 or 6 years. Unless I'm on the road my vehicles are always stored in a garage, all maintenance is completed at or ahead of schedule and I consider myself a conservative driver - if I have a "need for speed" I hop on a motorcycle where the sensation of speed is generally amplified. Perhaps these are the reasons I've not had any troubles with either of the Ford trucks I've owned - or - perhaps, it is because I'm lucky 😉. If you tend to keep your vehicles a lot longer than I do, you might want to pay more attention to the "simpler is better" argument. If you plan to use this new truck as your daily driver and put a bunch of miles on it then, again, perhaps simpler is better. If you embrace newer tech (even though turbos have been around for quite a number of years), want better gas mileage, don't mind the "sound" of the turbo'd engines versus the "growl" of a V8 then you've got your answer. Good luck! Bill

Carl - Sorry that it didn't work out for you on the Glyder. I'd guess that the fact that the camper was nose up to start really didn't help things and only amplified the tongue lifting up. However, it looks like your new hitch will give you some of the same functions as the Glyder. Good luck with it. All this being said - how's that Ollie working for you guys? Bill

While I very much agree with the overall sentiment of John Davies (JD) post above, I very much disagree with the quoted statement above. I'm guessing that JD has had a negative experience with drum brakes (perhaps to include those on his Oliver) but I've been towing various camping and boat trailers for over 50 years (oh my!) with only one hydraulic boat trailer brakes ever causing any problems at all. Specifically, the brakes on my Oliver have performed very well over the past six plus years and can still be made to fully stop the Ollie's tires from turning - yes, I do test them and I do inspect the components of the braking system at least once per year. Basically drum brakes were invented in 1899 and have been used on a fair number of trailers and vehicles since then. According to Haynes.com, "drum brakes provide more braking force than equal diameter disc brakes", "drum brakes last longer due to increased friction contact area versus a disc brake", "drum brakes are cheaper to manufacture", and, "drum brakes have slightly lower frequency of maintenance due to better corrosion resistance". Basically the reason we now have disc brakes on most of our vehicles is because, "disc brakes deliver better performance in both wet and dry conditions" as per napaonline.com. Certainly this is true when brakes are "heavily" used or abused. While the brakes on our Olivers are reasonably typical in that they are delivered from a respected manufacturer - Dexter - who also supplies a number of other trailer manufacturers, this does not mean that they are "junk". However, it does mean that the inherent "problems" of drum brakes still do apply to those used on Olivers and we should be aware of these potential issues. Drum brakes will experience "fade" when used heavily (i.e. long downhill runs where the brakes are heavily used or when a driver "rides" their brakes) thus causing the driver to have to apply even more force to the brake pedal to get even the same braking force. In extreme situations this fade can even cause a major loss of braking power - such as when "the pads or drums become "glazed". Drum brakes are slightly more susceptible to malfunction when used in off-road conditions versus disc brakes because debris can more easily become lodged in the parts of the drum brakes. And, drum brakes are somewhat more difficult to inspect for wear in that the drum must be pulled in order to inspect the brake linings (however, this should be done at least annually anyway when the bearings are greased). Are drum brakes the absolute best braking technology ever invented? - Obviously, the answer to that question is a resounding NO. But, are they "junk" and more specifically, are the brakes that Oliver uses "junk"? Again it would seem that the answer is a resounding NO. Bill

Heck - I've got over 2,000 days and my "high expectations" are still being exceeded. 😃

Ah - got it. Perhaps I should have looked at the rest of the thread and I would have known that you were talking about the fan in the bath. I'd bet that Oliver is still using the same fan that they have been using for years. Good luck! Bill

More often than not I find myself coming back to the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac. Just brings back good vibes and feelings while "takin it easy". Bill

A call to your sales rep at Oliver would be the easiest and quickest way to get a definitive answer to this question. Having said this - perhaps I don't understand your question in that my 2016 has a MaxAir fan and I'm not aware that Oliver has changed this. Bill

With a 3/4 ton truck a weight distribution hitch is not "required" by any truck manufacturer. Given that there is no "discount" for the Andersen, you have nothing to lose by waiting, test the towing experience and if you are happy then nothing more needs to be done. Obviously, if you are not happy or if you feel that the Andersen gives you added benefits (such as additional safety margins or the like) it is reasonably easy to install. Bill

Yes, it is nice in typical Oliver style. I'm told that the area is VERY well lit at night -so - remember to bring something to help shade that exhaust fan opening and/or your front door if you are sensitive to light. Don't forget to reserve your camping spot.

Why is there no emoji choice for - "I'm jealous"?

I got a Ryobi handheld only because it uses the same lithium battery as my drill and other shop tools. However, I understand that Black & Decker makes a popular one. Bill