topgun2

First question - there are plenty of people that leave the "standard" bed as a bed full time. In fact, I'd venture a guess that most people leave it that way. Even though SeaDawg has the Elite I perhaps she will comment on the "problems" associated with leaving the bed setup in this manner - one of which is having to disturb your partner when getting up in the middle of the night. Second question - I'm not sure I understand the question. Other than adding something to fill in the space between the two twin beds such as Foy's creation, there isn't much to be done without either getting rid of the nightstand or making the aisle too narrow to be of much use. Bill

Basically the plates in a 6 volt battery can be (and usually are) larger that those found in the same (exterior) size 12 volt battery. This is due to the fact that since you only have 3 "cells" inside the 6 volt versus 6 "cells" inside the 12 volt battery there is simply more room to put larger plates. Larger plates usually equate to longer life and a battery that will withstand rougher treatment. There's more but I don't think you want to hear it at this point.😁 Bill

Pool noodles are your friend. The bigger the better. Just slit them long ways and shove them onto the panels. Don't forget to do the same with your rear bumper ends. Bill

I've been using a NOCO Genius for the past two years to maintain 12 volt batteries in my garage over the winter. It is very simple and easy to use. Just wire up as JD describes above and basically forget about it till Spring. Bill

Way cool! Welcome even if you are "OLD". Perhaps a private message (PM) to ScubaRX might result in a bit of a history lesson on your unit. Bill

A number of years ago - back in my "stickie days" I had a canvas cover made by ADCO. It was fairly similar to the CalMark but a major difference was that the straps used for "snugging" the sides were only sewn onto the canvas at the bottom - apparently like this SkyShield Cover - while the CalMark straps encircle the entire camper. With the CalMark design it is the straps that take the strain of tightening the cover down so it doesn't "flap" in the wind while the other design makes the material take that strain. After three years, my ADCO needed repair to the material in several places because the material was pulling apart - not because it was torn by a sharp corner. Even with this issue a strong case can still be made that for the price this SkyShield warrants a look. Perhaps the addition of two or three two inch straps around the camper could be used to lessen this strain and prolong the service of the cover. Bill

From the pics - it looks to me like this cover would fit with the solar panels in that there appears to be plenty of fabric below the step area on both sides. Bill

That makes sense that your propane tanks are the larger ones. Even though I've never heard of an Oliver swaying it is still prudent to have the tongue weight between 10 and 15% as you mention. Bill

That does look like a nice cover and for the price you can buy three for the price of a CalMark cover. There doesn't appear to be an access door but again - for the price. Let us know how it makes it through the winter. Bill

Wow - that's heavy. What propane tanks do you have?

Yes!

There are those on the Forum that claim much higher tongue weights than others. Some of these differences can be attributed to "caution" or conservative guessing. But, I would guess that most of the differences can be attributed to what is loaded or how it is loaded in any particular Ollie. Each Oliver is weighed at the end of production and has its specific weight noted in that Oliver. In my case - a twin bed with solar, 20 pound propane tanks, nothing in any tank and ready for a trip, the tongue weight varies from 600 pounds to 640 pounds. Again, the standard configuration and the twin bed configuration will each have their own individual weight depending on the specific trailer. Having said this, I don't believe that there is very much difference between the two with regards to total and/or tongue weight. Bill

John - No - the jugs of water is used on those occasions when there is NO water in the fresh water tank. These times are usually in the winter months when water in the fresh water tank might be at risk of freezing or during the rest of the year when you might not want the weight of the water in that tank while towing. The standard Oliver toilet works just like most other RV toilets in that the amount of water used to flush is regulated by how long you hold down the handle (foot peddle). Bill

I always carry one to two gallon jugs of water in the Oliver next to the toilet primarily to be used for flushing. This practice started out during cold weather camping but during the past several years I've found it to be useful even during the warmer weather months. Bill

JP - Try THIS thread for starters. In many cases, just like with mattresses, comfort is in the "eye" of the sitter. Bill

Unless you are planning on living in a VERY unusual place in VA, I would not be concerned with any of the normal amounts of snow that generally are received in the State. Since I store my Elite II at a storage facility that does not have covered spaces, I use a CalMark fabric cover to help keep the sun and dirt off the camper during storage. Certainly most places in VA get more snow than we do even though I live in the mountains of western NC. In six years there has never been enough snow (largest was about 12 inches) that I've even thought about it. And, what snow we get is gone within a day or so. Bill

I try to tow longer distances (i.e. over 400 miles) with empty tanks in order to help improve fuel economy. But, if I know that I will be without access to fresh water at my next stop and there are few if any places to get it on the trip, I'll tow with a full tank. I dump grey and black whenever I can - more for peace of mind than anything else. Like Mike, I really do not notice any difference in towing regardless of the state of the various tanks. Bill

Certainly, there is no question when one wishes to compare towing without a weight distribution hitch or towing with one, towing without will almost always win. Why would one wish to add ANY work to what they already have to do without some reason. For many, that reason is that they wish to have the added security and/or functionality of a WDH or they are required to use one for "legal" or warranty issues. Indeed, I too rarely have problems with porpoising. Mostly this occurs on Interstates with construction or those wonderful bridge abutments. But, when things really start to bounce, the Andersen dampens this while other WDH (that I'm familiar with like the Equalizer) actually amplify it. Would this alone be sufficient reason to purchase and use the Andersen WDH? - I think not. But, I suspect that this is not the reason most of us use the Andersen to start with. Bill

And, for a price, Oliver will even install the custom top for you.

Certainly the Andersen WDH is no worse, and, in my experience with other WDH, it is actually better than anything else on the market. This applies to both how it functions and how it is to use. Yes, there are those times - less than 5% - where it always seems to be raining or dark or I'm in a rush - where the entire process of hitching up is a "pain". But as an every day "chore" the Andersen is no big deal. And, it does help reduce porpoiseing while other WDH actually increase it. Bill

FINALLY! - a place to land that helicopter. Looks good too. Bill

How about another pic?

HERE is the measurement for the twin bed area.  I'm not aware of an actual "template" that you could use and virtually all mattresses will be different due to the thickness. Bill p.s. scroll up a couple of posts from where this link takes you to see the measurements.

Note that the 90 degree hoses are also 10% off when using the Flash10 promo code.

I'm no help on the adjustment since mine are of the vintage variety. However, they and your rig do look good! Bill