topgun2

If you did not feel comfortable then it is most likely you were not comfortable and THAT is never a good thing.😉 My guess is that with the F-250 not only will you feel comfortable but (for the most part) you will not even know that you are towing the Ollie.👌 Unless there are other things going on - with the F-250 you are not "required" to use the Andersen. Do you have a specific reason for continuing to use it? Bill

Another way to clean out this area on the water heater and the fridge is to use a can of compressed air - I always have one onboard. Bill

K-n-J Make sure that you check the payload capacity of that Titan before you commit. Bill

JD - The "pigtail" receptacle shown in the picture is only resting there for purposes of showing it in the picture. Actually, it is connected to about 4 feet of wire which makes it easier to connect it to the Ollie's pigtail and to place the entire connection under the Calmark cover to protect it from rain, snow, etc. Two additional side notes on the panel's construction in the picture above- 1. I used an old camera tripod to mount the solar panel in order to be able to point the panel more directly towards the winter sun and to shed snow, leaves, etc. from the face of the panels. 2. The yellow "ropes" that can be seen at the bottom of the tripod are used to secure the assembly to the ground - I use 15 inch spikes through the rope and driven all the way into the ground. This not only prevents the assembly from tipping over in a strong wind but also in making sure the panels don't "walk away". Note that the knots on nylon rope around the tripod legs have been "heat treated" (i.e. melted) so that they are not easily undone. Of course a decent knife could be used to cut those in short order but enough is enough and the storage facility would probably have pictures of any attempts of this nature. Bill

OK - first question - because on my 2016 Elite II there is no Zamp plug on the side of the Oliver. second question - if you look at the top left hand corner of the picture above, you can see the "pigtail plug" that I mentioned ( like THIS ONE ). third question - you simply wire the panel to this "pigtail plug" and then plug your Oliver 7 pin "pigtail" into it just as you would plug it into your tow vehicle while towing. You assume correctly - the charging of your batteries from your tow vehicle is wired directly from your tow vehicle to your batteries. Therefore, when using a solar panel wired in this way, you are charging the batteries directly from the solar panels in exactly the same manner as you do when driving down the road except that the charge is coming from the solar panel and not the tow vehicle. Note that to be on the safe side you should have a charge controller on this "storage" solar panel, however, most of the ones of this size already do have a charge controller that comes with the panel. Also note that given the size of this 25 watt panel, it will have a hard time bringing 4 lead acid batteries back up to a full charge (particularly during the winter months). So, I always make sure that my batteries are fully charged prior to placing the Ollie in storage. Of course you could always simply get a larger panel(s) but that involves more money and (as SeaDawg points out) a greater chance of those panels "walking away". Bill

Hint - be sure to bring your camera so that you can take a photo of all the mods (you will not believe Foy & Mirna's decoration of the interior or Steve & Tali's lifted beds and switches or Mike and Krunch's Raspberry Pi or .........). Bill

I store my Ollie at a storage yard that does not have electric or water. Obviously, with the Calmark cover on the solar panels do not work. So, in order to maintain the batteries over the winter (or while covered) I use a 25 watt panel plugged into the Ollie's pigtail (the connection usually used to connect to the tow vehicle). For the past four years this arrangement has work like a charm with the batteries always being at full charge. Bill

I absolutely agree with your last comment about there not being a manufacturer presently making a bad truck. I've now owned two F-150 ecoboost trucks in a row (2011 and presently a 2017). I live in the southern mountains of North Carolina and spend at least two months each summer out West in the mountains chasing trout. I've never had an issue with either truck pulling my Ollie Elite II. Both trucks have been very comfortable even though I have the fixed running boards 😁. Having said this, I'm looking forward to seeing the new Toyota next week while at the beach - it'll give me something to do on that rainy afternoon that always seems to happen. Finally, yes, my 2017 and 2011 both have/had adjustable pedals and steering with memory for at least a couple of drivers. Bill p.s. I see that K-n-J are going to be at the Florida mini-rally. I'll be there too - let's talk!

On the 19th. Should be interesting. Bill

Just a "small" word of caution about this electric water heater switch - If, for some reason, that switch is turned to the ON position and you have 120 volt power to your Ollie and you do not have water in your water heater tank you will most certainly burn up the heating element in the tank before you can correct the situation. This is the reason that I always leave my electric water heater switch in the off position unless I purposefully want to use electricity to heat water. Even then, as soon as I heat that water I immediately turn it off again just so I will not forget. Bill

Beth - Even though I think that Foy and Mirna have closed attendance for the "scheduled events" (Friday dinner, Saturday lunch and Sunday's dinner), I'm sure that there would be no problem in coming to the park to meet everyone and hang out. However, you might want to send Foy a PM (private message) just to make sure and to answer your other questions. Bill p.s. if you decide to come, you are more than welcome to stop by site 117 - would like to meet you.

Dave - I've mentioned the Garmin 890 in a couple of posts and I continue to like it for both planning purposes and for actual travel. Having said this, just like all of the GPS devices on the market of which I'm aware, the 890 is not without its "issues". During a 2 month road trip out West this summer there were two occasions that my 890 tried to route me on roads that I know do not exist (any longer). In addition, I found out that there is no "simple" way of changing a trip that was planned in the 890 from "car mode" to "trailer mode". Other than losing the benefit of the Garmin knowing your length and height and weight (generally these are all no problem when towing the Ollie but they certainly could be) there is no harm in this. In addition, having a fairly large POI information base plus Ultimate Public Campgrounds, Tripadvisor, Foursquare, KOA, iOverlander, National Parks plus other "apps" already in the unit make changes "on the fly" and when planning much easier. Bill

As I said - Bill

I was told that the sod was simply laid directly over the gravel base that you can see being used for the drive paths. At the time this was done there were questions asked of the installer regarding this installation method with the answers being that Oliver should simply water the sod and it would be OK. I know that there have been further discussions on this matter but I do not know of any resultant decisions. Bill

D & K - As Foy mentioned - this top is being made for a Lagun table system - not to replace the original top(s) in the Oliver. However, I'm guessing that Foy would welcome talking to you about replacing any of the original tops with something special like this black walnut. Bill

Watch your TPMS and as had been said over and over - you really should have one. Any increase in tire temperature much more than 10 degrees above ambient temperature tends to indicate that your tire pressure is too low. Of course, one must allow for a number of variables such as load, amount of sun directly (or not) on the tires, type of road surface (black new asphalt will be hotter than "white" concrete), average speed, etc. Bill

I've got a 2016 also and it appears to me that your valves ARE in the correct positions. Given this, the first thing I would do in addition to JD's advice would be to make sure that all connections are tight and that I didn't have a leak. Bill

John - There are numerous ways to "lock" the hitch of the Oliver - both while moving and while parked. I always use a "locking pin" such as shown in the photo below to prevent anyone from simply lifting the bulldog latch. At delivery, Oliver does supply a "pin" to keep this latch closed but it does not lock. Since this locking pin is reasonably easy to defeat - think crowbar or stout hammer - I will take other theft prevention measures when leaving my Oliver in questionable places. This "locking pin" is available at most Walmarts and/or search coupler lock on Amazon - there are numerous styles to choose from. Also you can use this Forum's search function - try hitch locks or just locks - since this subject has been discussed numerous times. Bill

A couple of years ago a member of this Forum did a post where they recommended a wall file holder (like THIS) be located under the dinette in order to hold maps, medical info, travel documents, etc.. Using a basket allows for easier access and even two small baskets could be placed on the shelf. Nice idea. Bill

Pam - That's great to hear! Thanks for the info. Bill

Last I heard - Oliver does not give you a paper copy of the online manual. However, I'm not certain of this. Ask your sales agent. Even though I do have a paper copy for my Oliver, I also downloaded several copies of the online manual and several videos that I thought might be useful in the future (one set on a USB memory stick, another on my tablet and a third on my laptop). Finally, I have kept copies of other articles (both printed and online) and posts from this Forum. I store all of these in one of the "secret" compartments. Oliver does supply you with a temporary license plate. They will be in contact with you prior to delivery to get your insurance information for your Oliver since this is TN State law. Or, as soon as you have this insurance information, forward it to your Oliver sales agent. Other than the actual "act" of writing the final check, I think that you will find the paperwork part of picking up your new Ollie to be quick and easy. Bill

This morning I realized that if I combined the total of people that perished on this day 20 years ago with those that have fought and died in the Middle East over the past 20 years, it would total approximately the same number of people that currently live in the small town where I presently live. It is simply difficult to imagine all these people just not being here. I worked in the investment business and had numerous occasions when I visited both towers of the World Trade Center and knew a number of people that worked there every day. Certainly I can not and will not forget and encourage every citizen to at least remember everyone touched by this tragedy. Bill

Great hull number! Please let us know how it goes and certainly what/how was the experience at the new Service campground. Have fun with both your relatively new retirement and that new Ollie. Bill

Good for you two! Most owners are overwhelmed at delivery - and its not just the writing of that big check!😊 Take your time and, hopefully, you have had a chance to go through the Oliver University so that you are at least somewhat familiar with what you have ordered. Then, like SeaDawg recommends, test your systems and knowledge at least a couple of times during that first 24 to 48 hours. Most of all - have fun and try to relax with your new baby. Bill

In researching weather data for Meeteetse, WY for July 15, 2021, Weather Underground shows a wind gust of 51 miles per hour. Certainly I wouldn't call it a gust when the wind maintained its speed for about 15 minutes. However, since the area I was camped is devoid of trees, buildings and even hills that could help block the wind, I suspect that the real wind speed was somewhat higher than this reported gust. Another possible reason for the four stake tabs becoming detached from the body could be that the thread used to sew them had become "tired". While I have used this shelter for 6 years, it has never been put away wet nor has it been abused. But, as I mentioned above, Clam just might have engineered these so that they would "release" during this kind of event. In any case, I would suggest that anyone who owns a Clam should take a look at the area where these tabs are sewn to the tent just to make sure that all is OK. Bill