topgun2

Mokid - I use a 25 watt panel while my Ollie is in storage. It has a built in controller and is rigged so that all I have to do is plug my Ollie's pigtail into the solar panels. I do disconnect both the solar panels and all other power drains from the batteries while in storage. Admittedly the winters are not normally too bad here in western North Carolina. But, we do have occasional temperatures down to as low as single digits and do get from 6 to 20 inches of snow each winter. Last winter my batteries stayed fully charged all winter without doing anything additional. Previous to getting this solar panel, like DavidS, I too disconnected the batteries. However, once or twice during the storage season, I'd uncover the camper for a couple of days and re-connect the batteries in order to allow the Oliver solar panels to charge the batteries. This procedure also worked well. Bill p.s. See my October 14th post under the thread" Cover for Legacy Elite" for pictures of panel, connector and tripod. Also, for reference, I have four Trojan T-105 lead acid batteries that are now over three years old and still going strong.

Pete - That really is slick. I'll bet that even Bosker likes it. Bill

How about a few more pics? And, another big THANK YOU to Oliver and Matt Duncan for providing attendance prizes!

Chris - Thanks for putting this together! Please don't tell me that Duke took the last shot of the sunrise over the ocean. Just as I got to Interstate 95 on the way home the sun was coming up and it was simply special. Bill

Don - See Mike's post under "Recent Topics" concerning clogged window weep holes. I suspect that this is not your only problem, but, it might help. Bill

As I have said or implied in other posts - I like my CalMark cover. However, there are two comments that are appropriate here. First is that one should not be surprised about how heavy the cover is and how "interesting" it is to put on the Oliver. Certainly it would help if two people worked on putting to cover on but I have always done this chore by myself. I first lay out the cover on the ground and then moving from front to back take the cover up the ladder and clamp it to the curbside awning. Then without climbing on the roof I throw as much of the cover as possible over the bath vent, TV antenna, solar panels, MaxAir vent and air conditioner making sure that the three black straps make it over the street side edge of the Oliver. Next I go to the street side and pull those black straps (and cover) the rest of the way over the camper. After adjusting for side to side and front to back I then fasten the black straps and cinch the bottom. Start to finish it takes the better part of an hour and a half to get everything the way I like it. Second comment is that I did not purchase the CalMark wheel covers. These covers are also made of the same fabric as the full cover. I felt that the vinyl exterior of the Camco covers would repel dirt better and be easier to clean than the CalMark's. Except where the storage facility's maintenance person hit these covers with a weed eater I've been happy with them. Bill

Welcome and congrates! Having lived in St. Louis for 25 years we know what a joy it was to be able to travel either east or west and already be half way there. I'm sure that there are many places that your Oliver has already seen but is more than willing to take you back to. These really are special campers in many ways. Bill

I'll second Mike and Krunch's comments! As noted in many news outlets, last week brought some interesting weather to a fair part of the Southeast and devastating weather to some parts of Florida and Georgia. Fortunately, while the weather in the Jacksonville area was a bit damp and breezy at times and required Foy and Mirna and Miguel to do a bit of a two step from time to time, all turned out great. Virtually everyone pitched in to help and there was plenty of time for site seeing, bike riding, running, beach walking, swimming, etc. To me, one of the benefits of having a "small" rally is that there is time to be able to see, meet and talk with most, if not all, of the participants. Try that at the annual Owner's Rally! Bill p.s. Towards the end of the rally there was a rumor that Bob Mitchell was not feeling well. Mike and Krunch and I stopped by his camper on Friday night to check on him. As it turns out, he was taking a nap and there were no problems at all - an annual physical and a day spent with the grandkids was why he was not around his campsite all day.

Flyniah - I'm afraid that what you are experiencing with the Forum has to due with some technical issues we have been having over the past few days. A "PM" that Mike refers to is simply a Private Message (PM) and can normally be sent via this Forum by simply clicking on the Forum member's name of looking up the members name under "Members" which is a drop down menu under "Forums" above (between "see an Ollie and blog). I'm sure that the PM function will be back in business tomorrow (Monday) or Tuesday. However, if you want to get a head start, simply call the office and I'm sure that they will have Jim get right back to you via email or phone. Bill

I saw Mike and Krunch's pipe cleaner trick at the Jacksonville mini-rally this past week and it is slick. Simple yet effective AND it sure does get the attention of snoopy people like me - "what are those things sticking out of your weep holes?" Certainly worth a try and one could always use different colors for the different seasons of the year as decoration - just kidding. Too bad they don't make pipe cleaners with stainless steel wire. Bill

yes, as Overland posted, there is a door in exactly the right spot that is included in the base price of the Calmark cover. Sherry - the connector used with the little solar panel is similar to this: https://www.amazon.com/58150-7-Way-Blade-Connector-Socket/dp/B001EP0G72/ref=pd_sim_263_12?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B001EP0G72&pd_rd_r=8ce001d1-cfae-11e8-b413-df24a88cfed6&pd_rd_w=56hr4&pd_rd_wg=2vses&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=18bb0b78-4200-49b9-ac91-f141d61a1780&pf_rd_r=CJ7ZW8D2EMEM2WVYAP9V&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=CJ7ZW8D2EMEM2WVYAP9V Since there are only two wires coming from the controller on the solar panel, the appropriate "posts" on the connector were used so that the charge from the solar panel goes to the appropriate "posts" on the pigtail from the Oliver (that would be posts 1 and 4 with 1 as the ground and 4 as the 12 volt charging or positive terminal - see wiring diagram for Pollock or Bargman plug)). If anyone is interested in this application they should make sure that the solar panel has a charge controller. The tripod that was used was an old one and the "yellow" plastic rope that extends from the legs of the tripod are used for anchoring it into the ground. Hope this helps! Bill p.s. I'll post pictures when the website will accept them.

Looks like a bunch of Ollies are going to get a bit damp this week. No problem! On the way to the rally I stopped for the night at Colleton State Park just north of Waltersboro, SC. It is right on the banks of the Edisto River (one of the few "black water" rivers) - great for canoes and/or kayaks with another SC State Park about 25 miles downstream for a great day's paddle. This campground is about 4 miles east of Interstate 95 so there is no noise from that wonderful road. I should arrive between 1 and 2 this afternoon. Bill

June - There are no covers that I'm aware of that will allow you to still use your solar panels while the Ollie is covered. Prior to getting an additional small solar panel that I plug into my Oliver's trailer plug (just like I plug it into my tow vehicle), I would disconnect my batteries and turn off the solar panels when I put the camper to bed for the winter. Then once every six to eight weeks (when the weather wasn't too bad and sun was forecast for at least two days) I'd uncover the camper just enough for the solar panels to get sun, reconnect the batteries and turn the panels on in order to have them charge the batteries. Other than the work of uncovering and re-covering the camper I never had a problem with this procedure. Bill

Perhaps you are correct, but, I just can't imagine the hoops that one would have to jump through for just about any type of warranty claim due to corrosion. Bill

I got a CAMCO branded rod when it was on sale somewhere a year or so ago. Mine just says on the package that it fits the Suburban but I have not actually tried it yet. I think that an anode is an anode and given its purpose I'm not too sure just how it could be any different. Previous stick built campers have not shown any difference between branded and n0n-branded rods. Bill

That sure is one heck of a curve you're going around. Didn't know that they had those in Florida! See you two/three/four on Monday! Bill

John - Mouse looks like it is nose up in the picture. Is that just the angle or do you tow Mouse that way? Good shot! Bill

David - No wonder your hair has so many curls! A man that likes to live life on the very edge. A bit of a kindred spirit in that I would have done the same as you except that I would have still probably flipped the switch on the solar panels just to make absolutely sure that there wasn't anything coming in from that direction - some interior lights (in the storage building) can be enough for solar panels to send a charge on down the line. Thorough check - you did good in my opinion. Bill

OK, Mike - got a question. Given the size of both you and Carol why did you use 3/4 inch plywood? Seriously - good job. Assume that you cut that edge with a router? Bill

Thank goodness you asked for a practical answer 'cause I'm no engineer. I believe that the longer wheel base will give you a better ride. However, other than that I don't think that there will be any real difference in what you will feel when towing your Oliver. The reason I say this is because I took off my Andersen weight distribution/anti sway hitch and I switched off the anti-sway feature on my 2017 F-150. I then took my Elite II out for a drive and tried to make it sway - under what I would call fairly normal driving conditions (I didn't want to cause an accident for myself or others while conducting this experiment). The results were that I could not even get the camper to do anything but follow the truck. Sharp steering inputs caused the trailer to move right behind the truck. Hope this helps. Bill

One more thing - during the ordering process I asked if they would consider sewing clear panels into the roof section so that the solar panels could continue to do the solar thing. The answer was - no. So, I now turn everything off and connect a remote 25 amp solar panel directly to the batteries through the Oliver "pigtail" (the cord that usually connects the camper to the tow vehicle). This arrangement works great and keeps the batteries fully charged during the winter. Bill

They keep the dimensions on file so ordering one should be simple. However, if they claim to not have them just PM me and I'm sure that I have them around here somewhere. No, the cover is not form fit to the solar panels or antenna or Max-air vent or air conditioner. I use pool noodles on the edges of the solar panels and the bumper to keep them from tearing the cover. Everything else just has the cover draped over it. I do make sure that the camper is a bit high in the front and high on the curb side so that water will run off the cover. Works great - no rips in three years - but they do include some patching material and glue just in case. Both of these pics were taken before I cinched the bottom tight with the included rope in the bottom hem. There are also eyelets in the bottom if you want an even tighter fit and I use these when storing it for the three months of winter. This shows the solar panels with the edges covered with pipe insulation - I've since switched to pool noodles but they fit very much the same way. This shows how the cover fits on the front. It really is not as loose as it might appear and when you cinch it down everything is tight with no rubbing of the cover on the Ollie.

Kathi - Would you prefer screen rooms that attach to the existing awning or that are "stand alone"? If stand alone models are on the radar then you probably can't do much better than a "Clam" brand. There have been numerous reviews of them on this Forum. Attached screen rooms have also been reviewed , but, as far as I know only for the "old" Fiamma brand awning and not the one that is currently being used on the newer Olivers. The smaller Clam doesn't fit over the typical picnic table but it fits inside the closet of the Legacy II when folded and will seat as many as four people (its really great for one or two). Conversely, the larger Clam does fit over a picnic table and will seat a bunch of people. However, it does not fit in the closet and therefore must be carried/stored elsewhere. Bill

I've owned a CalMark cover since I got my Oliver three years ago. On previous campers I used a similar cover manufactured by a company called ADCO. Both covers are made from the same type of material and both are not inexpensive + or - $750 or so. I believe that the CalMark is slightly better due to the additional webbing material that they sew into the cover. Given that I have little choice on where I store my Ollie I certainly would not be without it and I believe that the CalMark cover has a 6 year warranty versus only 5 years for the ADCO. I know that CalMark has all the measurements for the Legacy Elite II and probably ADCO does too. Note that these covers are not light. I do put mine on (and take it off) by myself, but, it is not easy. Bill

Been there done that. The cost of the adapter, available at Walmart, is about $17. The process is fairly simple, but, unless you release the air that replaces the propane as it gets used you can only get a tank about 1/2 full. Unless, you also blead off that air by pulling on the little safety valve on the one pound tank. Here is where I ran into problems. On about every third or forth tank the safety valve would not reseat. This caused ALL of the propane that I had just put into it to leak back out that little valve. Perhaps this should not be too much of a surprise in that those valves are not manufactured to be operated in such a manner. Given that a half full tank is not of much use to me, I basically gave up on the refilling. However, I do still carry the adapter with me on trips so that in the event I run out of full little bottles I can refill one or two (1/2 full that is) until I can get to a store that doesn't charge $6 or $7 apiece for them. Bill p.s. some camping areas do recycle these little bottles - I've done this several times in Yellowstone. p.s.s. if you decide that you want to try refilling these one pound bottles - by all means be very careful!