topgun2

David - I wouldn't worry too much about the weather. I picked up my Ollie in February 5 years ago and even though there was a cold rain the day before (about 4 inches of the stuff) which made some areas fairly muddy, all was good. Your delivery is inside and the guys even hook everything up for you. Normal highs are around 50 for this time of year with lows being around 30. Yes, fronts can move through, but real chances of really bad weather are very slim. Bill

Unfortunately, all of the toaster ovens on the market right (that I know of) now are too big to fit in the cubbies either over the dinette or kitchen. We solved this by finding a older one at a garage sale. Warming pizza or making toast is no problem. However, unless I'm on shore power, I never "bake" anything. Bill

What you need is something like THIS. Simply attach the big hook end to you truck and the other end to your existing "breakaway cable". However, this entire length should not be toooo long nor tooooo short in that you want it to not drag on the ground nor do you want it so short that you can't make turns without it activating your trailer brakes. Note that this "thingy" does not help maintain contact between your truck and the trailer. Its purpose is to apply the brakes of your Ollie in the event the Ollie becomes detached from your truck so that the Ollie will not continue to roll down the road without you. It is more than likely that Tractor Supply has one of these in stock and either the guys in Service or at virtually any trailer/camper shop can adjust it properly. If it were me, once I had one of these extensions in hand I'd look for a fellow camper who looked like they knew what they were doing and ask them to install it for you. Bill

I don't believe that you can actually re-apply gel coat without sanding down to the fiberglass underneath and even then I think that there would be difficulties. There are a number of threads about this subject over on the Fiberglass RV Forums. Usually the preferred method is to polish the "chaulk" (sp) off and give it a good coat of wax. If, indeed the gelcoat is beyond repair then people resort to things similar to floor sealer after they have polished off the chalk. I'd first check with a good detail and/or boat shop before proceeding. Bill

These sun screens that hang off the awning are very nice in that they help with shade, help a little with a heavy breeze and give a touch of privacy. Note that they come in basically two forms - one that has a zipper about 18 to 24 inches from where it attaches to the awning and one that doesn't have that zipper. If you are shopping for one of these sun shades then strongly consider purchasing the one with the zipper - it makes attaching this to the awning much easier (particularly if you are doing this job single handed) and it allows for temporarily taking down the main section in the event of darkness and/or a sudden wind storm. Bill

I don't know about the Ram, but, when I bought my F150 my salesman basically talked me into buying the tailgate step. I reasoned that with the number of retired persons in my area this feature just might help with resale on down the road. However, this step has become another one of those things that I thought was "fluff" - like heated seats and heated steering wheel. It really is helpful. Bill

I just went back up in this thread and see that the GM camera can be used even when the TV is not in reverse - that is good. I'd still think about getting Oliver to install that switch by the door. Or, when you install the GM camera on the back of the Ollie, you could simply install a power switch in the attic near where the camera wires enter. This allows you to cut power to the camera in order to save batteries while boondocking. Bill

When the Clam is staked out at the corners plus at the "mid-line pull loops" it is VERY stable in very high winds. The only "issue" that I've heard is in a heavy thunder storm with a bunch of rain, the larger model's roof can "collapse" due to the weight of the rain. I've never had that problem with my four sided model though. And, since you are talking about Maine, I should note that due to the very fine mesh screening on this shelter it can become warm inside on a sunny non-breezy day. But that fine mesh does keep out even the smallest of critters and the average temps in your neck of the woods are generally lower which reduces this potential heat issue. Bill

IL - Whatever camera you decide on should be compatible with the GM system. Having said that - I'm a big believer in these cameras for a number of reasons. 1 - they really do help when backing up either on the street or at a campsite. This "help" includes the possible prevention of serious damage not only to humans and other critters but to your "R-Villa" too. One minor accident is all it would take to actually more than pay for that camera system. 2 - if the camera is wired with "constant power" (versus only being powered when the TV is in reverse) it can be used as an additional "rearview mirror". This really helps when you are in serious traffic and need to change lanes and/or when you suspect that someone is tailgating you. With the exception that the Oliver installed system involved the addition of another screen in the cockpit of my truck I would have been all over it. The cost of this system is fairly high but it is a good solid system. If you are still on the fence then I'd suggest that you have Oliver wire for the camera - labeled power switch by the front door - either during production or at delivery by the Service guys. This will make the addition much easier later on either as a DIY project or professional install. Bill

I don't have the exact setup you are talking about, but I do have one side set up as a bed and the other set up as a couch. When my wife is with me we simply take those extra cushions off the couch and place them in the dinette area and/or directly under the "lip" that hangs out into the isle from the bed itself. We don't have that acess door you mention but I think that it would be a tight squeeze for those cushions anyway. Bill

Dang! That's good. I know that you were just practicing, but, in "real life" it is a good idea to make sure that your trailer "bulldog" hitch is higher than your truck's hitch ball before you start the process. It is also a bit easier to see that bulldog hitch in your camera screen if it is a lighter color than black - I spray painted mine silver. All you need is a can of spray paint, a bit of masking tape and a few minutes for drying time. Bill

Jim - I moved mine into the pantry due to the very reasons you cite. Actually I initially wanted to move it into the first cubbie forward of the pantry but I didn't. For those that have the translucent doors on their cubbies I don't think that moving this readout into those locations would be a good idea given that this pulsating light will simply "pulse" right on through. I like your idea about moving it near the switch panel near the door, but, I'd bet that with all the reflecting surfaces of that beautiful nice white interior of the Oliver, the reflections will still drive you nuts. Therefore, behind a solid door is (in my opinion) the only way to go. However, don't forget that it is helpful to place it in a location that is easy to get to for those few times when you really need to see what it is telling you. Bill

Sheri - There are always Park Rangers around and I'm sure that one of them would be glad to help - if you really need it. Bill

JRK - Google it. If you go to the WalMart in Hohenwald, when you exit their parking lot all you have to do from the traffic light is go straight across the four lane highway and continue straight until the road ends (less than a mile). The building in front of you will have a sign on it that reads something like - "Oliver Sales and Service". Your Oliver will be waiting for you inside! Conversely, if you go to pickup first, all you have to do is go straight out of the Oliver parking lot, through one traffic light and you will run into the WalMart building. Bill

OK, on the smelly thing topic - Did you "flush" the toilet after use? If not - then all you have to do is step down on that pedal that is on the right side of the toilet near the floor. By depressing this pedal to the floor and looking in the toilet bowl at the same time, you will see the toilet "open" at the bottom. When you release the pedal you will see that the toilet "closes" at the bottom. With a little practice you will come to realize that this pedal actually has two functions - adding water to the toilet and opening/closing that trap door in the bottom of the toilet. A press of the pedal about half way will get you just water addition while fully depressing the pedal will get you a bit of water and a full open of that trap door. Obviously if you do not have any water in your fresh tank and/or are not hooked up to water at your camp site then you will not get any water. It is best to always have at least a couple of inches of water in the bottom of the toilet. This helps keep odors from the blank tank from seeping through the seal on that trap door and up into the bath area. However, too much water (or other liquids - let alone solids) in the toilet can cause "splash" while going down the road. Bill p.s. assumed that you did a bit of a cleanup of the shower area after you found out how to open the grey tank valve. p.p.s. (added edit) for the longer term and only after you feel settled in, you might want to take a look at THIS VIDEO. In the video they talk about (among other things) toilet maintenance.

Welcome back "home". Can we assume that all was good when you got back from town? James looks like he is just a pup - how old is he? Bill

Another point and/or suggestion concerning that valve. Yes, they can be a bit hard to open from time to time. It helps if you "lubricate" these valves by using something similar to THIS. I use this lube a couple of times per year. Leave this valve closed (in) for when you drive. With it in the closed position, any grey water that is in your grey water tank will not flow back up into your shower when it is closed. As you now know - any water in your shower will not flow into your grey tank when this valve is closed. Like most of us - you will forget to open/close this from time to time. After a few episodes of getting wet feet or finding the floor of your shower a bit messy after a drive, you will pay a little more attention to this issue. Bill

Sher - You don't need to twist that handle - just pull it straight out towards the front of the camper. The actual valve that you are opening is located under your forward dinette seat. If you feel comfortable in doing so, you might want to open the "hatch" under the cushions of that seat and look to see if there is something "jamming" or "caught" in or around that valve. Bill

I don't know about "We All", but, I did consider that issue. Certainly it would be possible to mount an item from the Builtright rack that could extend over into the area of airbag deployment near the passenger side but this item would need to be rather large and the extension arm off the rack would need to be fairly long. All I keep over in that area is either a cell phone or a TPMS monitor - both of which mount almost directly on the rack and are small. See my pictures near the beginning of this thread. Bill

So, now you are "officially" one of the family - welcome! After all the nerves, confusion and worry, you now have that dream of yours. I hope that you will find it much easier to get this new way of life moving forward. I've always found that if I can see and touch something, the whole idea of it is much easier to grasp. Yes, there is a bunch to learn. But, that is part of the attraction of the lifestyle. Don't rush (ever), slow down - you've got all the time in the world and as you have already seen, there are people around you that are more than willing to help. Keep those pics coming! Bill

Try THIS ONE. It is the 4 sided model. Bill

Are you kidding me? That's one nice clean job! You for hire? Bill

Note that - the smaller Clam tent is great for one person and comfortable for two. Three can fit but four gets really crowded and five is standing room only! Bill 😃

Clam tents are even easier to take down versus putting them up. I've got the small version of the Clam tent and it fits nicely in the closet of the Elite II, Bill

Paul & Mary - Welcome and I'm glad that you have decided to "show" yourself. From a quick look at your post about your mud flap mod I'd say that not only are you talented but you do great looking work. Can't wait to see what else you've got up your sleeve. Bill