topgun2

Brian & Maria - There's more of us around WNC than you would think - some above Asheville and two of us about twenty minutes west of the airport. Any time is good for questions or a meet-up. If you are REALLY interested in meeting Sherry & Paul, just throw in an offer to meet for lunch at 12 Bones! Heck - I would probably join the group for that one. At least Interstate 40 through the Gorge will be back open by the time February comes along (assuming no landslides and warm enough weather so they can get the concrete work done on the bridges). You're correct though - that stretch is VERY interesting even in the best of times. Bill

Glad you are with us and are soon to be a full fledged part of the Family. I too picked up my Ollie in February. We also live in Western North Carolina and must drive about 6 hours over the mountains in order to get to Hohenwald. The night before our delivery the forecast was for temps to be hovering around freezing and for snow at the higher altitudes. Indeed, that forecast was mostly correct and it was a nervous drive being careful to make sure that the roads were not icing. All was good except that it was a cold rain for a total of three days - the day before delivery, the day of delivery and the day after delivery. All this rain made the campground outside of Hohenwald a sea of mud which, in turn, made my nice new Ollie brown! The good news was that it washed off easily and we spent a nice warm week down in Florida getting to know each other. Your delivery will take place inside where it is warm and dry. And your Oliver will keep you warm and dry. All other things will work out. Bill

Yep - as far as I'm concerned Bruce and Cheryl get the credit for this one. I'm not sure just how they came upon these products from Duragloss other than the Duragloss Company is located in North Carolina. I'm also not sure how they came up with the detailer/liquid wax combination, but I do know that it really works on all surfaces (yes, that includes the mirrored surfaces) inside the Oliver. A light spray, wipe with a micro-fiber cloth, flip the cloth over and wipe again and you're done without streaks and/or haze- its so easy.

It has just been announced that the new RV oriented TV show - The RVers - will debut on the Discovery channel (DirecTV #278) on November 17th at 8am. Two one time Oliver owners - Technomadia - are one of the three co-hosts for the series. Bill

MarkC - Yep I've taken a look at that Ollie with the black. It is spray on truck bed liner - like "linex" or "rhino". Before I saw it I thought that it would basically destroy the look of the camper, but, I was wrong. While it is not something I would do (at least in black) I really didn't think it looked all that bad. Bill

Have you re-checked that water pump filter? Assuming that you had your valves in the correct orientation then I'd move each of those valves back to original position and then back to the winterization position (several times). Hopefully this would loosen any particles that might be stuck in those valves. If you do this, re-check that water filter pump again. Hopefully this will take care of the problem. Bill

I use plain old foam board - 1/2 inch thick - and have never had a problem. Given the cost comparison it certainly is worth a try. If the foam board does not work for you then you can always go with the high priced spread. 1/2 inch foam board

Another way to have all the tools you will ever need while on the road is to always travel with ScubaRX. And, he will have most of the parts you will ever need too! Bill

hobo - There are a number of ways to do this job. Using something like this: RV blow out plug or like this: RV Blow Out Plug can help - note that there are a number of other hoses and plugs that do similar jobs. Make sure that you do not put any more than 60 psi into those lines. Simply screw the plug device into the appropriate port, control the psi of the air from your compressor, attach the compressor to the plug device and blow the water out of that line. Make sure that you do all of the lines that you are concerned about - winterization port, black tank rinse port, city water inlet, fresh water tank inlet. Also, make sure that you get the water out of the outdoor shower - both hot and cold water. Remember that this does not take the place of a full winterization. Bill

For my "smaller" tank that I described above I got one of these: Waste tank level indicator As long as I watch the indicator I don't worry about overfilling the tank. Bill

The one that Oliver sells as an option is great - you simply never have to worry about it working or getting stolen. In the case of surge protectors - the more you spend almost certainly means the more protection and functions/features you get.

Mirna - If you "hover" your mouse over the "heart" another window will slide out giving you four options. One of those options is a "trophy cup". By clicking on this trophy cup a "thank you" will be posted. Bill

Chuck - No, I really did mean a 25 watt solar panel. A 2.5 watt panel would not be strong enough to keep 4 batteries fully charged - particularly during the winter months with the shortage of sun. I don't remember how low temps can get before a fully charged battery can have problems - google it. However, I do know that it is fairly low. Bill

Trainman - A number of years ago I purchased a fairly large one of these puppies and found that while it held a bunch of "stuff", it was difficult to handle - (read that - it was heavier than sh**). So, I sold it and got a smaller one. I don't remember the exact size, but, it is small enough that in the event that there is no dump in the area, I can simply wheel it into a regular toilet or pit toilet, lift it onto the commode and dump it there. Yes, I might have to make more than one trip but the smaller size is much more flexible with regards to where I can get it emptied. Bill

Mav - Sorry to hear that you don't like our new sand box given both the work that has gone into its development and the obvious improvements that Mike points out. Is there something other than the "format" that you don't like? Jason is still implementing improvements and fine tuning a number of things. So, if there is something that we can help you with, please let us know. Bill

Denise - I'd go as far o say that it would be a mistake to not attend the Owner's Rally. And, we'd love to have you join us. Besides getting a good look you will also get to see what owners have done to this great camper. From modifications to decorations you will see all kinds of things. These things will help you get your own creative juices flowing and help you with the design of your very own Ollie. Virtually all owners are more than willing to show you their camper - just ask and bring your camera. Hope to see you there! Bill

Ya might think twice about removing those batteries. Given the location - right over the axles - they are fairly easy to get to. However, they are about 4 to 4.5 feet off the ground. Unless you are a fairly strong guy and/or are fairly tall - something over 6'2" then I'd say that you are going to have your hands full lifting each of those 90 pound batteries off the sliding tray. I did it once and then figured out quickly that there simply must be another way. In my case I leave them in place and hook a 25 watt solar charger to them. Welcome to the Family! Enjoy the heck out of that beautiful camper! Bill

Thanks for representing the "Family". Bill

Mac - Enjoy your Ollie pick-up. Ask questions, take notes, take pics but most of all - have fun. The excitement is just beginning! Bill

Looks like it going to be a very nice "peanut shell".

Vector - Jason has already increased file size limits as per his post above. If that doesn't cure the issue, I'm sure that other steps will be taken. Thanks for the suggestion! Bill

RE question #1 - What Sherry said - or - if you are using a computer versus a tablet or phone - simply click on the "Home" tab at the top of the page in order to get to the Oliver website. Re question #2 - From this "Home" tab which takes you to the Oliver website you can then hit "contact" and a drop down menu will show "Service". Re question #3 - I don't know (yet) - so, I'll have to leave this one to another Moderator or Jason. Bill

Thanks to months of hard work by Jason Walmsley we are now allowed to play in a brand new sandbox. Over the past weeks the Moderators have had the ability to poke around, throw some sand and generally play as we tested and tried to make things break. As we get familiar with these new surroundings, we trust that everyone will find the new Forum easier, more stable and yet more flexible while still allowing for the great discussions, stories and information that we have always had. If anyone has problems with the Forum, be sure to let any of the Moderators or Jason Walmsley know so that we can seek a solution right away. Enjoy!

Perhaps this is not what you want to hear, but, given the your constraints of not using propane - I simply leave my Ollie winterized during such travel. I do carry a couple of gallons of water in milk jugs in the bath for flushing the toilet. And, I carry other water in my truck for drinking, bathing and food prep. Once I get to warmer climates, I flush the lines and proceed normally. Since winterizing the Ollie is so easy, I then re-winterize once I get back to the chilly north. Bill

Wow! They sure are proud of those little hand held vacs. I think that I'll stick to shaking out carpets and sweeping with an old broom. Bill