topgun2

My 2016 Elite ll is on its third sensor. I tried to get Dometic to warranty the last dead one but after six sets of forms they had me fill out I just gave up (my bad in that these guys should not be allowed to get away with this sort of stuff but I really did have other things to do). Either prepare yourself for a long warranty battle or take JD's advice or place a small fan in front of it that constantly blows fresh air into it or take the risk (not what I'd do) and disconnect it. Note - that reset button only silences the alarm for a few minutes. Bill

GJ - You might want to PM Patriot in that he jus might miss your request for info on his batteries. Bill

Can't wait to hear how this update goes. I've always thought that the "old" interface was unduly complicated for most users. As a side note referring to the quote above: I've mentioned several times before that the WiFi booster is problematic when used in a typical campground setting due to the (usual) limited bandwidth of the system that the particular campground is using. However, I've learned that while on the road, the booster is very useful to me in that I can pull into virtually any fast food joint parking lot or Walmart or Lowes or Home Depot or small town library or ....... and not even have to get out of my truck in order to send/receive emails. If you don't have a cellphone or are trying to save cellphone expense, these WiFi boosters are great when used in this manner. Bill

You can also use Duragloss black streak remover (or several other brands). Oliver Service now stocks and sells Duragloss products and are big fans of this black streak remover. They even use it for cleaning up that big shiny floor in the new Sales area. Bill

Sorry that we will not get the chance to see you in Florida. Foy & Mirna really do put on a very nice event. Why not start your own mini-rally out in the Boise area? I know that Foy & Mirna would be more than happy to share any and all of the details about what they do. Bill

Crap! I was hoping for an 80 inch screen.😉 Hopefully I'll get a chance to see one in person in a couple of days, but, from the vids, I'm still not a big fan of the nose. Bill

Shelly & Bill - simply use the "search box - at top of this page, right hand side - type in checklist and chose any number of posts you'd like to start with. If THAT doesn't do it then come on back and ask away. Bill

Sure do! I've been married for almost 50 years and she lets me know all the time.🤣

I've never heard of, nor have I experienced, any Oliver that swayed even under fairly violent circumstances. Having said this - I'm a firm believer in that it is not a bad thing to have as many contact points as possible between the tow vehicle and any trailer. Certainly the Andersen helps on that front. Also, I agree with you that the Andersen is really not that big of a deal (most of the time) to put on and take off. Bill

I've used THIS Stuff. A bit expensive but it works. Bill

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