topgun2

For those that may not have stumbled upon it - there already is a FAQ section here on the Owner's Forum. Yes, it could be improved but there are some things there. See: Oliver FAQ Bill

You're probably not going to tow your Ollie up Pikes Peak. And, even if you were to tow it up to Cripple Creek - there's a decent campground in town - the nature of the roads up to that historic/gambling town would not allow for much speed anyway. Yes, there are probably tow vehicles out there that will and do perform better in a fair number of situations, but, many times you simply got to dance with the one you're with. Just be extra careful not only with the ascents but certainly with those descents as well. Bill

Ya gotta do what ya gotta do and that is what is right for you. While I don't think that I'm as tall as you and therefore didn't worry about grazing my head, I thought that for my style of camping - use a site as a base and then explore or fish from there - the Elite II was better suited for me too. I've found that I was correct. The II is wonderful and rather luxurious for one person (from a space standpoint) while still more than acceptable when there are more than just me. Now, sit back, relax and let the excitement build for that day when you get to see all of that build sheet come to life. Bill

LC - On VERY RARE occasions (usually when the nose of the Oliver is either severely high or low) I've found my Andersen's to be fairly tight between the tires. For this and a couple of other reasons I carry a rubber mallet. A couple of taps and its free. June is going to be a great month to pick up your baby - like there really is such a thing as a bad month! Hopefully you are doing a bunch of trip planning so that you will be ready for the road. Bill

Richard - Re propane usage - the fridge really doesn't use much and it runs best (stays coldest) on the propane setting. I've gone almost two months (during the summer) on one 20 pound bottle of propane with the fridge constantly on propane, cooking and the rare water heater use. I do travel with the fridge on propane unless it is prohibited by law. I do not know about charge state on the batteries since I never use the fridge on 12 volt power. Bill

And, that 23.5" should be with your tow vehicle loaded with all the "stuff" that you would normally carry on a camping trip. However, don't get too excited about being too precise on this measurement. The guys at delivery will adjust it further and/or after you have towed for a bit you should find a level piece of ground and examine the "look" of your combined rig. level to having the Oliver slightly nose down is good. Having the nose of the Oliver higher than level - the back of the Oliver lower than the front of the Oliver is not good when hitched on level ground. Fine tuning can be done with washers but be sure to re-torque appropriately. Bill

Fritz - You might want to take a look at THIS YouTube post. There are a number of additional reviews besides this one on YouTube. Bill p.s. I do not recall anyone posting here on the Oliver Forum about these things.

Ray - When I had metal stems and my TPMS installed I simply towed my Ollie over to a local tire shop and they did all the work from there. If you go this route - just make sure that they jack up your Ollie exactly where you tell them to jack it up and certainly NOT under/right on the axles. Bill

I'll second that on Blue Springs. For 15 years in a row, I camped at Blue Springs during Daytona Bike Week. Even if you are not going to camp here it is worth a stop for either the manatees or simply the varied assortment of fish that hang out between the Springs and the St. John's River. Bill

If you were EVER going to do this kind of trip then NOW is the time. With our Canadian snowbird neighbors basically prohibited from making the journey this year, finding camping spots should be a bit easier. Good luck and can we assume that you will report back here on exactly where you went? Bill

Mike & Carol - It's terrible hearing about all of the issues going on in the great state of Texas with the weather you are having down there. I trust that the two of you, Bugeyedriver, both your Ollies and your Mom are all OK. I'm hoping that once your politicians get done blaming each other things will settle down, repairs will get done and plans will be put in place to help mitigate future issues of this nature. Stay warm until it gets too warm. 😇 Bill p.s. BoB - nice snow creatures. Over here on the other side of the mountains in NC we were supposed to have an ice storm last night but it never happened - too warm. Now, given the amount of rain we are looking at the chance for minor flooding.

Pat & Molly - There have been a number of Oliver owners in addition to Mattnan that have walked down this beach before. Hopefully even more will chime in with some pics in order to help you get that "look" you really want. Good luck! Bill

You might try THIS Bill

Pat & dewdev - Its been awhile since I took a look at my nightstand, but, as Bill says above, removal of the nightstand really should not be a big deal. As I recall, there may be a couple of screws or bolts holding this unit to the fiberglass edges under it. If that is correct then these should be very easy to see once you remove the drawer and poke your head inside. Past this, the only other thing really holding it is the caulk at the bottom where the nightstand rests on the fiberglass under it. I'd use plastic razor blades something like THESE in order to cut and remove that caulk without "nicking" or cutting the fiberglass. Many of the nightstands do have electric and USB outlets in them. But these can either be easily moved to the area under the nightstand or simply disconnect them and cap the wires. Good luck! Bill

A couple of days ago I finally received a replacement extension cable and 5 new fuses. Even though I've got a fair amount of THESE, I didn't have any of the 1/2 amp fast blow fuses that Garmin uses. Again I went down to the workshop in order to "bench test" just to make sure that all worked as it should. Unfortunately, when I plugged in the "new" second extension cable it worked at first but the signal would be lost thereby cutting out the picture on the Garmin 890. Also, unfortunately I do not have the equipment, time nor patience to accurately test for the appropriate power that is or is not being transmitted through some 16 feet of total cable. However, since this unit only takes a 1/2 amp fuse and the specifications provided by Garmin show that the camera plus transmitter have a total current usage of only 150 mA at 12 Vdc, I seriously suspect that the reason for the outage is due to voltage drop. So, my current plan is to mount the camera in the usual place above the Oliver third light on the roof. Then I will drill a hole and feed the camera cable into the attic, run the cable over into the curbside cubbies and then towards the kitchen cubbies via the single extension cable and WiFi transmitter. Once out of cable I will get power from the "camera" switch by the door that I had installed during my build that also powers the camera I have in my spare tire cover. The WiFi transmitter will be secured to the top of the inside of the kitchen cubbie. Given that Garmin claims WiFi transmission of at least 45 feet, there should be little problem. But, if there is an issue I'll simply move the transmitter to a spot where I can get through the "foil" insulation. Pictures will be posted when I actually do the install which will not be until the weather gets a bit warmer (not that I'm complaining about the high temp of 48 degrees we had today while much of the nation is well below that). Bill

First - I do not own an F-250 but do have the F-150. Certainly not the same duck by any means. However, a fair amount of the answer to your question(s) has to do with how you mainly want to use your truck. If you are going to do some mild off-roading then you will probably be happier with the slightly wider but more aggressive A/T tires. And, I'm sure that there are those that will advise you to get even more aggressive. If you are going to do mainly paved road and the occasional dirt road or forest road then probably the standard tires will be OK. If you are really into how the tires "look" then the A/T's might give you that "bad", "mean", "big boy" look that some prefer. Good luck with your decision. Bill

Its all relative. 😇

Go2 - I'd add to what JD said above and strongly suggest that if your 1500 is still under warranty you there is no "probably" in getting the Andersen unless you want to take the risk of losing that warranty and/or having liability issues in the event of an accident. Bill

Time2Go - I'm conflicted! First I wanted to give you a "Wow" with regards to the weather issue. Then I wanted to give you a "like - thumbs up" for your new delivery date. AND, then I see that you have sent me a PM. I've not had that second cup of coffee yet!!! Hang in there. Bill

The Andersen WDH tends to get maligned here and elsewhere upon occasion, but, in my experience 95% of the time it is better than any other WDH I've seen or used. I've never heard of an Oliver that really "needed" the anti-sway features but those red bushings on the Andersen really do help with dampening the "bounce" or "porpoiseing" that can occur with large bumps like interstate bridge expansion joints. Yes, life would be easier using a TV that didn't require a WDH in the first place. But, these larger vehicles do have some distractions/features that make them not the best choice from an overall perspective for many people - like me. Bill

I do not disagree with anything said above. However, there is an old saying that goes something like this: "always give the man a chance to say no". In other words, you will never know if you could or could not have received a better price unless you ask. Bill

I'm also in an Elite II but don't think that I'd sleep much differently in either Ollie. I did get a mattress for one side and I use the other side as a couch unless my wife or fishing buddy is along. Initially I tried the regular bedding thing with special sheets but soon reverted to my long time tradition of a sleeping bag with a mattress cover and bottom sheet on the mattress. I bought a "rectangular" sleeping bag so as to have more foot room and it is only a 25 degree bag. This weight bag allows me a fairly wide range of conditions where I can use it along with a microfiber bag liner and a couple of blankets. If it is hot I simply use the liner. If it is cold I use the liner in the bag along with blankets at the feet in the event I get chilled towards morning - note that I almost never sleep with the heat on. In the morning, the sleeping bag is much easier to smooth out and/or roll into a neat "pile" at the foot of the bed. Either way - experiment a little until you find what works for you for a great nights sleep. I'd bet that moving the bedding back and forth to your TV will get a bit troublesome after awhile though. Bill

Maybe. There are so many differing systems and components in and on all RV's all being produced by differing manufacturers that the odds of something(s) not working properly are better than they should be. Being somewhat "handy" is usually not really all that difficult and most of this kind of stuff is fairly easily learned by simply watching some YouTube and listening to what respected contributors have to say. Yes, there are some things where the discussions tend to get more "technical" than is really necessary for the "casual" observer. But, that is really no different than a couple of engineers talking about the inner working of the internal combustion engine when all one might care about is that if the car will get you to the grocery store or how does one wash it. On balance, the more you know about your RV the better prepared you will be to take appropriate measures when a situation presents itself. Bill

One of the many benefits of living in the Southern States. While it can get cold here and it can get hot here, the extremes don't usually last very long. And, that's a good thing.

I doubt that Hohenwald is very prepared for this kind of snow. However, it appears that by next weekend they will be having a major melt going on. Certainly that is a good thing for those that had to postpone delivery due to this storm.