topgun2

The Smith's got the description of where that valve is located down to a science. I too remember my first venture into that area to try to find that puppy. I can now even find it in the dark! Yes, that picture does show the valve in the closed position. Bill

Thanks for the update AND the photos. No wonder you two like it! Bill

John has a good point about the bugs. Many of them - most of them - perhaps all of them are acidic. Therefore they will eat into whatever wax you have applied if you leave them there for too long. There are a number of other waxes and "detailer" products that will do the job. If you have a good base of wax on that nose almost any of the "detailers" on the market will get them off without a bunch of work but it is certainly easier and more friendly to the surface of your Oliver to do this cleaning when the bugs have had a chance to soften a bit with dew or rain. I've found that the products sold specifically to remove bugs are only marginally useful when applied prior to a normal washing. Bill

I recently replaced my original TPMS with an EEZ tire unit. My old system still works and I would be happy to give it to anyone at this year's Owner's Rally for the price of a beer. So, if you are sitting on the fence or are just curious as to how these things work, you certainly can't beat the price! Bill edit: the old TPMS has been spoken for - if this changes for any reason I will let it be know at the Rally.

Good luck on you delivery. Don't forget to take pictures to include those newly implemented storage ideas. Bill

Woody - Welcome and Congrates! Hopefully you will be able to get rid of that "stuff" easily and quickly. Can you make it to the 2019 Oliver Owner's Rally? Certainly you could meet a bunch of us there and learn all about that new (to you) Ollie. Bill

Yukon - Here's the Oliver warranty on your hull: Limited Lifetime Warranty to the original purchaser on the fiberglass body being free of defects in material and workmanship under normal use. Bill

KWR - Really a nice job on both the camper and the pics. That screen door latch can be fixed - for whatever reason I never seemed to be able to fix it, but, the guys at the factory got it to work fine (twice). Haven't had a problem with it in over two years since the last time they worked their magic. Bill

KWR - Your "problem" with picture orientation has been with us for some time. A partial explanation(s) can be found about half way down in the following thread: http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/pictures-of-various-store-cubbies/ However, even when editing photos in various computer software there are times when the edited picture will still not be in the correct orientation or the Forum will simply not load the requested picture. When this happens to me I simply change either the file format that the picture was originally saved in (from .jpg to .png or any of the others listed below) and that seems to help, or, I change the photo editing software I'm using and try it that way. There is no real easy straight forward solution that I know of. Bill

Checklist - got the grill going, got the awning out, got the chairs out and the table cloth out AND best of all got the smile out. Looks like fun to me! Hopefully this is amongst the first of many happy journeys for you guys. Bill

Dwain - Both John's give you good advice. When one has the time it is certainly better to get off the interstate and explore. However, I do not find interstate travel to be stressful at all. In fact, there are traffic studies that claim that the interstates are safer - primarily due to the lack of "cross traffic". Unfortunately, the interstates tend to be boring - very boring and not as "scenic" as other alternatives. Having said this, interstate 40 has some particularly nice areas. While dangerous (think curvy roads, rock slides and the trucks and cars that JD mentions) the Pigeon River Gorge section of interstate 40 (just east of the TN/NC line) and the section of 40 west of St. Louis are very nice. I used to think the Great Plains as seen from the interstate were boring and lacking in virtually any human stimulation. However, over the years I've developed a liking for those vast fields of sun flowers, waving wheat or corn fields and gently rolling hills. If you look for it and open your mind to something different that what you are used to, you can find beauty and interest in some of the strangest places and/or things (who would have thought that the Corn Place would be a place of interest?). I certainly would not plan some grand trip for my first excursion in a brand new camper of any sort. Give yourself a bit of time and experience with the new Oliver. You will feel more comfortable and confident and relaxed once you are more familiar with this home on wheels if you take a few shorter trips first. Bill

KWR - Looks to me like there is a center "plate" on the carrier - the area right in the center with the four bolts/screws? I assume that this was designed that way in order to attach a plate to it. However - John has point in that I too think that you have other things that are at least important to think about with this set up. I'm guessing that if you back off a bit more from the pictures posted above you might be able to see at least a bit of the signals. But, they certainly could not be seen from a vehicle or pedestrian that happened to be towards the other side of you. This not only has legal issues but safety issues as well (and maybe liability issues). Just how heavy is that Yeti (assuming that you want to have something in it)? Hard to believe that the small hitch receiver would not allow that thing to bounce around and twist on that relatively small center point. Don't know about your State, but, in North Carolina it is required that anything extending more than two feet beyond the bumper of the vehicle must have a visible flag on it - stickers and/or lights are not enough. With your current design I believe that you are all but begging one of our police officers to have a conversation with you. Bill

Wow - that certainly is a strange location for that kind of scar. I'm a bit hard pressed to think of how that would be possible via a stone hit given that the axle would actually tend to protect that area at least a bit. But, depending on the types of road and the size of stones - anything is possible. THAT was one heck of a hit! Bill

Ditto on most of what has been said above. If you plan on camping in the desert or beach a fair amount then the second awning can be of real use. The extra shade it provides will keep thing a bunch cooler and (perhaps) free you from having to use the air conditioner as much. I think that the antenna is fairly expensive - after all it really is only an antenna. However, it is much better than the standard and once it is installed you never really have to do anything with it (i.e. you don't have to put it up or down, you don't have to turn it for direction). Misery loves company! I too had great difficulty making so many choices and really didn't find it "fun". Good luck! Bill

Geokeg - Be very careful (at least until you short out that capacitor). While recently working on a microwave oven I was "shocked" to find out that the capacitor in those contains upwards of 20,000 volts! Don't go near there without discharging that thing first. Bill

Randy - No, there is no pros and cons list for the items on the options list. Certainly any pros or cons would be fairly dependent on exactly who was doing the proing and conning. Many of these items have been discussed here on the Forum, but, you will need to either use the "Search" function or simply just start "leafing" through these pages to see what various people have to say. Certainly you can also just ask if you have specific questions about any item offered. In your example you will find owners that are virtually dead set against a weight distribution system while others simply swear by them. As far as I know, we have never had an owner say that their Oliver swayed. So, that feature of the Andersen hitch is not usually an issue. Check with Toyota regarding as to the need for a weight distribution system - your owner's manual or labels on your hitch may be an easy place to look first. Perhaps a good place to start would be to let us know a bit more about the type and style of camping you intend to do. Then Forum members might have a better idea as to which direction(s) and/or options might be fitting for your purposes. Bill

Yukon - There have been several lengthy discussions of this topic here on the Forum. Generally speaking it seems that the consensus is that "normal" on road tire air pressure should be between 50 and 65 psi depending on weight (heavier loads require greater air pressure). If you need more information - try the "Search" function or this for starters: http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/how-to-tire-pressure-placard/ Bill

No rules against solar - portable or otherwise. Both noise and air pollution are reasons against generators. Bill

May 1st is getting close - time to start thinking about packing up that tow vehicle.

Several years ago (pre-Oliver) I was camped in Yellowstone National Park and was aware that YNP didn't allow generators in that campground. When my battery died I thought I would simply hook that battery up to the truck and charge it - no "generator" involved. Fairly quickly after getting everything hooked up, a Park Ranger came by and informed me that there was really no difference as far as he was concerned and I should stop using my "generator" immediately or risk a fine. Of course I didn't argue and can certainly see the logic. Unfortunately, taking the battery into either Cooke City or West Yellowstone to have it charged cost me about as much as it would have cost to simply replace the battery with a new one - ouch! And, all of this was caused by a blown fuse that cost less than a buck to replace. Bill

Ya got to do the math. How many amp hours out versus how many in. Obviously, four batteries give you virtually twice the useable amp hours as compared to only two batteries. So, if your math (or experience) shows that you tend to have to use your generator more than you (or your neighbors) would like and you only have two batteries, you should strongly consider getting two additional batteries. And the converse is also true. Of course there are also the additional weight and cost of the two additional batteries to consider. Finally, I believe that the standard batteries are 12 volt. Of course you could replace these with two six volt or simply get four of the six volt. Most studies suggest that the six volt batteries will last longer that the twelve volt ones due to a more robust construction of the plates inside the batteries. Cost, weight, convenience, longevity, and usage - simply too many variables for almost anyone to tell you what to do except for you. Bill

I've been a Good Sam Club member for almost 20 years mainly for the discount they give at Good Sam related commercial campgrounds. After being stiffed by AAA two times I switched to Good Sam's roadside assistance about six years ago. Of course, since the switch, I've not had to use them. However, any time I've had a question they have been quick to respond. The question as to are these extended warranties worth it depends on a bunch of factors. Most analyses that I've ever read claim that if you can afford to self insure you will be better off in the long run. However, if you are THAT person that happens to have a run of bad luck and happen to have purchased one of these insurance policies, you will sing their praises all day long. In the immortal words of Dirty Harry, "You've got to ask yourself a question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well do you ….?" Bill

Like Mike, my 2016 (hull #117) has that input on the street side near the bumper. I've only used it a couple of times for cable TV input at a commercial campground. Bill

Kayrae51 - Nice tow vehicle, but I just can't thank you enough for bringing back the memories of those Can-Am beasts. Unlimited horse power cars! The ground would shake when they started them up - and that was several hundred yards away! Mark Donahue and that Sunoco Porsche or UOP Shadows - WOW! Bill

mtkadan - Perhaps it was because of a late night last night, but, I'm having a bit of difficulty understanding exactly what you are asking. There have been a number of discussions on the Forum about using the black tank as a fresh water tank, joining the (unused) black tank and the fresh water tank but I don't recall any talk about joining the black and the grey tanks (if that is what you are suggesting). Bill