topgun2

NC - I think you are on the right track - unplug and re-plug in everything associated too. Good luck! Bill

For those not familiar with the camper Bshaffer is talking about - it is one of the few that were actually delivered by the factory in a color other than white - hers is RED. Certainly it is a wonder Oliver to take a look at if you ever see her out on the road or at a rally. Perhaps Seadawg will chime in here - if not then I'd suggest a PM to her. I know that she has removed her microwave and (perhaps) remembers the process. Good luck. Bill

The Buffalo River is very close and the fishing there can be OK if you are willing to do a bit of walking between runs. This campground has a pit toilet (surprisingly clean in that it is not maintained by the Forest Service - therefore you have to bring your own TP) and several hiking trails right out of camp. While there is a nice view from the meadow at the western side of the camp, the better views are from Buffalo Valley Road about a mile to the west from the campsite. Potable water and trash bins are available in the Turpin Meadows campground - located about 9/10 of a mile east of the campsite. But, the really nice thing is that this campsite is free. However, several years ago, there was a "resident" griz that came into this camp every so often - there are still bear boxes in the campground for that reason. I could not get a cell signal from camp - if you travel back down to route 191/89 and turn south (left) there is a commercial campground/gas station/store on the right where you can get WiFi and/or a strong cell signal. For a fee you can also dump tanks here while you look at a wonderful view of the Tetons. Bill

Bob - For me this is easy - Box Creek de-commissioned NFS campground. N 43degrees 51 minutes 42.5 seconds W 110 degrees 17 minutes 39.0 seconds.

one fish, two fish nice! Bill

Thanks for the photo but I want more! I just might be slightly biased in that I also have no graphic on the front and I have the silver pinstripes, but, that is one nice looking Ollie. Just take it easy on that drive and enjoy all of the sites that you can see driving across this wonderful country of ours. Bill

Fritz - Since our Forum is not monitored at all times by the staff at Oliver, you might want to simply copy your post above and submit it here. I'd suggest that you direct the message to either Scott Oliver and/or Rodney Lomax. Bill

While it does not look like I will be attending, anyone that is interested in Olivers can certainly attend. They can either bring what they already own or simply rent one of the many rooms that this State Park has available - camping cabins to rooms in the lodge. Surely, all are welcome and it is a great opportunity for prospective owners to talk to current Oliver owners and see what they have done to make the Oliver an even better camper for them. Bill

Off the top - I don't remember such a thread, but, certainly I could be wrong. However, while mine was not originally in the attic I did move it. Originally these displays were in the street side basement and if you wanted to see the error codes you had to move the mattress and/or cushions and lift the hatch in order to read it. I moved mine into the pantry and have been meaning to move it further into the first cubbie above the dinette. The process is a fairly simple matter of "fishing" the wire. Bill

Well, there is at least one other - Bugeyedriver (Pete). He originally towed his Elite I with a Tacoma but switched to a Ford F-150. I think that he may have made that switch mainly for his owner - his dog , Bosker. 😆 Bill

I always use a relatively inexpensive lock on the bulldog hitch in order to "prevent" someone from casually lifting the lever which closes the hitch around the ball. I had this happen once some twenty years ago while parked in a motel lot and I almost didn't see it before leaving. BoB makes good points above, particularly regarding prevention while traveling. While in storage I use two hitch locks plus a "boot". There are some owners that use devices that can track the Oliver. Good luck. Bill

Paul & Linda - First of all - welcome to the Forum, glad you're here. Be sure to take a camera with you and be sure to ask all the questions you can think of and touch whatever you want. Finally, keep that checkbook close at hand 😁. Bill

I'm with KenB. When boondocking I use the outside shower for washing dishes if grey tank capacity is any question. And, since I use a solar shower whenever I can there can be those days when the temps are too low or the sun is not strong enough to heat the water. When this happens I simply turn on the water heater and fill the solar shower from the outside shower. Bill

Brendan - I'm sure that you are going to get a fair amount of comments/answers to your questions and many of the answers that are applicable to you depend on where and when you will want to tow. However, to get things rolling: The only places that I've encountered difficulty in navigating have been out in the boonies. There are times that forest roads simply get more and more narrow, bumpy or overgrown. Or the terrain becomes more difficult than I want to deal with. However, since the Oliver is the same width as my truck it is "normal" for me that almost anywhere I would want to take my truck - the Oliver will simply follow. Google maps in satellite view is a good tool. However, if that is not available (lack of WiFi or cell signal). As you gain experience you will develop a sense as to when you are getting in a tight spot. You learn to look for ways out or around a situation before you get into them. For instance - when pulling into a gas station it is good practice to chose a gas pump that has more than one exit just in case someone pulls in and blocks you. When exploring unfamiliar places, many people simply un-hitch in an open area and then explore to make sure the road ahead is passable and/or to find a suitable camping area without having to worry about towing the Oliver behind. This approach also makes that job faster. Only once in five years have I had to back out of a spot and that was because someone else blocked the road. Thank goodness I only had to back up a few hundred yards, but, as long as you take it slow backing up is really not that difficult. Routine travel is actually relaxing for me once I get into the rhythm of the road - learn to slow down! I put tunes or an audio book in the player, sit back and enjoy the ride in the slow lane. Since the Oliver is under 10 feet tall I've never had a problem pulling into a gas station. However, note the answer above - always look for more than one way out. Most "small towns" are no problem and I can always find a place to park - either on the street or in a lot. Again, the Oliver is the same width as the truck, therefore it is only the length I have to be concerned with. Obviously, there are places in some town that you are not allowed to tow and/or you really don't want to tow. Really narrow streets, congested traffic, etc. are to be avoided even without the Oliver AND, certainly know the height of that parking garage BEFORE you even think about entering. I have never "bottomed out" my Oliver. Particularly out West where and other places where the roads have a deep crown to the road or deep gutter it is best to approach these areas at an angle - not straight on - and take it slow. This might mean that you have to wait for traffic to clear before entering/exiting but so be it - what's the hurry? Even after RV towing now for over thirty years and boat towing for something like sixty years I still get a touch "keyed up" for the first ten miles or so. Making sure that I can see behind me, is the unit I'm towing following properly, are the brakes working as they should, is everything attached properly, etc. But after I've convinced myself that all is well the entire process is no big deal. Get a good checklist and follow it - always. If you have a friend that tows, ask them to show you the ropes. Get yourself in a large open space (parking lot) and practice turning, backing up and parking. Remember that your stopping distance and acceleration will be slowed, therefore, allow more room for everything. Slow down, relax, enjoy the world and have fun. We were all where you are at with no "special" skills and have learned to tow safely. Bill

Early yesterday afternoon I placed an Amazon order for several items that I had in my "cart". Then early yesterday evening I received a phone call from Amazon where a recorded message from a very professional lady told me that there were some "problems/irregular transactions" in my account and that Amazon was placing restrictions on the account. If I wanted to immediately speak to an agent I was instructed to "press 1". This call was fairly similar to emails that we have received from our bank in the past when a charge was mistakenly doubled or when we had purchased something a bit out of the ordinary. However, all of the contacts with our bank had been via email - as per our request. I didn't remember how we had told Amazon to contact us in the event of "issues" but one of those little voices in the back of my head said something just wasn't "right" with this call. Therefore, instead of immediately talking to an agent, I hung up and went to my Amazon account. There were no messages from Amazon there and all appeared exceedingly normal with the orders I had placed earlier in the day. So, I contacted Amazon and once I got past their computer's myriad of questions I actually got to talk with a real person. After explaining the reason for the call I was placed on hold and two minutes later they came back and said that there was no internal record of Amazon trying to contact me and that all appeared in order with my account. Also, I know that this phone call was not associated in any way with this Forum in that I have never given my phone number out on the Forum and it is not stored anywhere on the Forum. Given the amount of purchases that many (all) of us make on Amazon and the time of year that it is, I urge all of us to be very careful. If something just doesn't seem right or if you have that little voice in the back of your head talking to you then just pause for a moment and check things out. Bill p.s. Just for grins - I also changed the password to my Amazon account!

So, over dinner I was thinking - instead of buying enough film to do the lights 100+ times, how about going to a auto supply store (like Autozone, Pep Boys, or even Wally World) and take a look at a tail light lens repair kit. I wonder if it has enough material in it to do the four Ollie lights? Bill

Questionmark - Any hints on the install? Did you simply use a razor or exacto knife to trim around the edges? How's it sticking so far? A couple of years ago Mike - (Mossemi) actually installed replacement lights that are amber. Bill

T & S - Let the shopping begin! Besides the lists there are reviews of numerous things that just might strike your fancy depending on what you already own. I'd just start scanning through all the posts (I'd probably start with "Mods") and simply look hard at those things that seem to interest you. If you have further questions about anything in particular you can either just reply to the post or send the original poster a private message (PM) requesting more info. Glad you are with us and soon to be proper members of the family! Bill

What took you so long? 😁

I'm worried! Please hurry up! 😉😁🤣

JD - Yes, I also stumbled across another mount that fits in the "slot" between the air vents and nav/control screen. However, it was basically designed for only one device at a time and the install was considerably more involved. As the picture you posted shows, it will not be difficult to get the Garmin to sit about half way above and below the front of the dash. This will still give access to the controls above the nav/control screen while also not blocking that much of the view out of the windshield - kind of picture the Garmin "ball which is centered on the back of the unit right where the RAM mount is in the picture. Bill p.s. when I purchased the truck in 2017 I immediately had window tint (street legal of course) put on the two side windows and a strip added to the windshield to aid in blocking some of the light and reflection from that large glass. It is much better than the 2011 model that I had and the front side windows now more closely match the very dark tint of those read windows.

Yes you will need the Andersen since Ford requires one anytime you tow anything that has a hitch weight of 500 pounds and over. There is probably a sticker on your hitch assembly - look under the rear of the hitch. Certainly with the "max tow package" your F-150 can tow without a weight distribution hitch and I've never heard of a Oliver swaying. However, the Andersen will lessen "porpoising" (the bouncing caused by things like bridge bumps on Interstates and may improve handling in the event of emergency maneuvers. And, since Ford requires it, you subject yourself to legal issues in the event of an accident if you don't use it. Bill

Given the recent price drop on the Garmin 890 I bought one. Even though my old Garmin (nuvi 2797) has a 7 inch screen I thought that the 8 inch screen of the 890 plus the added RV related features available on it would really help me since most often I tow my Oliver solo. Upon receiving the new unit I found that the advertised features are, indeed, what they say they are - really very nice. The touch screen also is better than previous models I've tried and both the Bluetooth and WiFi functions performed without a hitch as does the trip planning and all other features I tried. The nuvi 2797 is attached to whatever mounting system via a 7mm ball and socket. However, probably due to the overall size and slightly increased weight, Garmin has gone to a 1 inch ball and socket (Garmin says 21.83mm but the one inch is close enough). That meant that I could not use my "bean bag mount" unless I obtained a new mounting arm with the larger sized ball. In looking at this more closely, I took the 890 out to the truck (and car) and found that even though the new unit is only 1 inch larger, it takes up too much of the viewing area when looking out the windshields of both the car and the truck (2017 F150). I've never been a fan of those suction windshield mounts and found that with my old GPS supported by the bean bag mount it was at a good level without obscuring the windshield too much, but, the 890 is simply too big. So, the issue was/is with the slanted (towards the interior) "storage tray" that is in the center of the dash on the Ford, how could I mount this 890 so that it "cleared" they top of the storage tray and still could be lowered so as to not obscure the windshield too much. I believe that the answer is to install the dash mount rack made by Builtright Industries. There is an installation video on their website and it should be a fairly simple process to hardwire the GPS and maybe even a USB port at the same time of the install (think cell phone here). With the addition of a simple RAM mount extension arm I will then be able to slightly lower the large screen while at the same time get the screen placed just a tad closer to my normal seating position. If anyone has a better idea - please let me know! Bill OffroadAlliance.com currently has the dash mount rack on sale at $38.25

Bummer! Glad that you have the attitude to take these issues in stride. Jason is a fairly busy employee - if he doesn't get back to you within 48 hours or so then I'd contact him again. Hopefully you now have things fairly well sorted out and smooth sailing is in the future. Bill

Welcome you guys! It certainly looks like all of the stars aligned just right for you on this one. With all of the Oliver owners in Texas I'd think that Oliver just might (someday) consider a branch office there 😉. I too took delivery of my Oliver in February and while you will need to keep an eye on the weather, since you don't have to cross any mountains it should be fairly good for you. I'll be looking for you out there on the road! Bill