topgun2

Sandral - Welcome! Really glad that you are with us and look forward to seeing you at the Owner's Rally. I'm guessing that owning the Oliver will be more like being on the boat versus being in that big 5th wheel. It will be interesting to hear your take on it. Enjoy the Forum searches but don't be afraid to fire those questions! Bill

GJ - Perhaps you are correct about "pop there goes an elbow" but - in addition - it is very difficult to remove ALL water in the lines via the compressed air method. On previous campers I used compressed air and it seemed no matter how careful I was, there was some part that always was destroyed due to freezing. It is not a surprise when I finally realized that these parts were either small - back flow preventers - or at the extreme ends of plumbing runs - exterior showers, toilets. Given the work involved in using compressed air to make absolutely sure that ALL water had been removed from the system, I simply decided that the RV Antifreeze method was far easier and less time consuming. With regards to your heater question - I really don't know. However, there are other ways fellow Forum members have posted concerning getting heat to that area that sound simpler and even possibly cheaper than what you propose. Check out Bugeyedriver's bilge heaters for instance. Bll

Don - Bet you can't wait for that new camper. Certainly one does get a bunch of space on the interior when you move the kitchen and the bath from the inside to the outside. However, one also gets a much smaller foot-print. It appears that once the beds are deployed you will be sleeping under canvas. If that is the case, be sure to take a look at a product sold by a company called "Popup Gizmos". This product is basically a tarp with one side being reflective and is held on via bungee cords. It greatly helps in both reducing interior heat transfer (both in and out). If you decide to purchase this product - get the "wind proof" (most expensive) version. This version is both stronger and easier to put on. I have never stored many cloths in my closet - perhaps a jacket and a decent shirt/pants for use in the event I needed something a tad nicer without wrinkles. However, given the amount of "stuff" I've got in there I can certainly see where the addition of shelving would allow for a ton of cloths. In my case, I still am not using all my closet space, nor the storage space under the street side bed, nor the space aft of the furnace, nor the space in the back of the truck. Bill

Welcome to the Forum and thanks for the kind words! Nothing will take the place of that factory tour - be sure to take a camera and ask all the questions you want. There are a number of Oliver owners her in Western NC. If you'd like a tour of the Ollie prior to (or after) your factory visit - simply call the Sales Office and they will set you up. Note that at Oliver you will not be pressured or "bugged" by some sales person. Again, welcome and if you have questions for us on the Forum just let us know. Bill

Charliep - Fellow Forum member - Mossemi - replaced his and posted a "how to" on the Forum some time ago. Unfortunately I don't have time at the moment to "search" for that post. However, you might either want to do a search for it yourself or send Mike a private message. Bill Found it quickly! Try this: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/3312-amber-porch-lights/?tab=comments#comment-32409

Here is a new video that seems to cover the subject well - the part about the TSD Logistics card starts at 10:58: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsznjKP18hY Bill

There's humor in this somewhere, but, I just can't put my finger on it.

C & M - Depending on your schedule - it might make sense to see if you can do a factory tour in conjunction with the annual Oliver Owners Rally in May. That way you could come down to the Rally either before or after your tour and hang out with a bunch of us while taking in some demonstrations and getting ideas for what you might want to do your Ollie. Bill

And exactly what is that corkscrew for? Seriously, there is a Tractor Supply and a WalMart less than a mile from the Oliver plant and less than two miles from the Sales Office. If you forget anything and/or need something at the last minute, you can usually get it. We also picked up in February and the weather was chilly and very wet - no snow though. Unfortunately, the campground we stayed at for the first night was very muddy and my beautiful, clean, shiny nice new Oliver was covered in mud. Luck was in the cards though and the campground for the second night allowed me to get most of that dirt off. Bill

Thanks! And, yep it looks the same to me. Its even a dollar cheaper ($98.95) on etrailer.com. Please let us know what you think once you get some experience using it Bill

I just stumbled on a new product that came to market a couple of weeks ago. After calibration for your tow vehicle it reportedly can tell you all sorts of weights and weight distribution. The price of $99 doesn't seem bad but I'd prefer to have a few reviews of it prior to plunking down the cash. BetterWeigh video Bill

C & M - Welcome and congrates on joining the "family". Don't be fooled into thinking that you have sooooo much time with regards to both the Ollie and retirement. Once we all get to May, 2021 I'm guessing that you will look back and wonder just exactly where did all that time go. Certainly, if you have any questions along the way - just yell. In the meantime, enjoy looking through all the posts already here. Bill

Happy New Year Everyone! May your 2020 Oliver adventures be many and your travels be safe. Thanks for a great 2019. Bill

I don't run diesel but you might want to take a look at this YouTube video for info about the TSD/EFS card: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QESkQOBARYI Bill

Ouch!

Yes, those guys in Service are amazing. I had a small spot (about 1.5 inches in diameter) on the roof that needed repair. After they were done I can't really tell exactly where the damage was. However, just as with a re-painted car, many times the color simply will not match exactly and in the right light it will look different either due to the color or the sheen as Overland points out. Bill

Look at ScubaRx and where he's from and even he has one pair of shoes.

Mike is right about the frequent stops for gas and that is also what drove me (initially) to a larger tow vehicle. Prior to getting my Oliver I was towing a 15 foot "stick built" hybrid camper across Kansas into a 40 mph headwind. My gas mileage with the Tacoma was 4 miles per gallon. With the 18 gallon tank it wasn't very long between fuel stops. However, within safety margins one usually has to dance with the girl you brought to the party - at least for a little while. In any case, enjoy that Ollie II. Bill

Just who is that Ollie? After a busy Christmas day and early dinner, I was poking around on YouTube and started looking at a video by "RVer TV" that was posted by him on December 22, 2019. At between 14:52 and 15:25 minutes into the video I spied an Oliver Elite II in a rest area of Interstate 40 (west) fairly near the entrance of the Mojave National Preserve. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZayupUvxY4&t=996s Anyone know just who this lucky devil is? Merry Christmas everyone! Bill

WOW! Nice "break in" for that good looking Ollie. Also, I'm really jealous of that storage barn for the winter. Now, you can really plan for all those goodies that you will just have to have for the Spring when you can get camping again. Bill p.s. that's a heck of a first post - thanks for the pictures - and, welcome to the Owner's Forum!

Carol sure is going to be looking good in that truck - you, not so much. I've always been interested in how those fender boxes work in real life. Seems that they would be very handy. Just who gets the job of keeping that nice dark paint clean? Bill

MarkC - With a human "system" that seems to be fairly sensitive to differing mineral content in water, I always use "bottled" water while on the road for drinking and cooking. For the most part I buy gallon jugs in order to cut down on the plastic waste of all those one liter bottles. If I'm drawing water into my fresh water tank from a reasonable source, I do not filter it since I'm only using it for showers and/or flushing the toilet. However, if the source of the water is questionable (i.e. there appears to be heavy mineral deposits near or on the faucet or I'm drawing out of a stream or lake) I do filter the water while drawing it into the tank or Ollie. For this filtering I simply use the standard "Camco" inline water filters that I get either at WalMart or Amazon. Bill p.s. While hiking and/or fishing I usually carry a personal filtering system so that I can replenish my water supply on the go.

Initially I slept with my head under the TV/by the nightstand/at the stern. But, the nightstand and curve of the shell restricted my elbows when I wanted to put my hand(s) under my head. So, I switched positions and now my elbows are happy. Bill

As with most things, the answer to your questions is.... It depends (no pun intended). If you assume that the two of you are boondocking and only using the Oliver's indoor facilities then I would think that David's answer is correct for "most normal" people using the standard toilet . However, there are products that can be used along with an "outdoor" setup to prolong this time frame when boondocking. Or, if you are not boondocking then using "pit" toilets or a campground's facilities (assuming no sewer hookup) can dramatically prolong intervals before a tank dump. For me (us) the cost of the composting toilet versus the standard one simply didn't make sense. Also, my wife found the higher "seated position" on the Nature's Head to be very uncomfortable. Bill

Mark - Part of your answer depends on you and how you're going to use your Ollie. I'm on the road usually for two months at a crack and prefer the mattress upgrade that I have on only one side. I've slept well on the standard 4 inch foam mattress but I think the upgrade is simply more comfortable in the long run. With regards to the condensation mat - I have used a simple 1/2 inch foam board for the better part of the past four years without any problems. Certainly foam board is a bunch cheaper as compared to any of the mats I've seen. You could always start out with the foam board and if it didn't work for you then upgrade. Bill