topgun2

FrankC - Assuming that we are talking about an Elite II then, in my opinion, you don't have much of a choice. Off the factory floor an Elite II - full propane tanks but all tanks are empty is going to weigh in right near 5,000 pounds = or - a few pounds. Unless you plan on keeping yours this way, I believe that you will soon get it very close to that 600 pound number (assuming a 10% hitch weight versus total weight). And, if you are at all like ScubaRx you will be much closer to 700 pounds. Either way, not enough room for error in my book. If for no other reason (and I do believe that there are other reasons) I'd use the Andersen. Bill

FrankC - Do you know what the tongue weight limit is for your Ford? My F-150 has a limit of 500 pounds (without a WD hitch) even though it can tow 12,000 pounds, and I'd be a bit surprised if yours wasn't the same with regards to the hitch weight. I also have the electronic anti-sway on the truck and leave it on even when towing with the Andersen. Bill

Initially don't over think this. Prior to delivery simply get your hitch ball height to between 23 and 24 inches on level ground. At delivery your Andersen will be set up for you with (probably) 6 threads showing beyond the nut (which is to the rear of the red bushings). Then after delivery you can use John's guide above for tuning it to your liking. Bill

Brandi - Nice to see you! Hope that little "RED" Oliver is treating you nicely. Not that I think that it really matters much, but, I noticed that the magnets you reference already have 3M tape on the back of the magnet. I believe that this is the "regular" 3M tape and not the removeable 3M tape. I put mine on with the removeable but have not touched them in over two years. So, I'm guessing that either one would be fine unless you think that there just might be a reason to remove them in the future. However, with the regular tape one should probably be a bit more careful with the original placement of the magnets just to make sure that they are exactly where you want them. Bill

Due to my own "not getting to it", I only made my reservations last week. All of the area near the lake is now reserved and most of the next area above that is now taken. While there are still camping spots left, the choice is getting slim. So, if you are still thinking about joining the party, I'd plan on making my reservations sooner as opposed to later. Hope to see you there! Bill

Welcome home - glad to hear that you made it safely. Now - all those Holiday presents for your new baby! Bill

For what its worth - I ran my first 3.5 Eco-boost DI engine for right at 60,000 miles prior to selling it and getting a new one. I never had a problem with it. However, I understand that those engines didn't usually start to have problems until they had over 100,000 miles on them. Bill

For a look into what 2.7 owners have to say about that engine, have a look here - https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1562099-any-experience-with-new-2-7-eco-and-towing-out-there-2.html Bill

Michael - A quick call to the Oliver Sales Office could help you in finding out exactly what came with your camper when it came off the assembly line. Yes, the WiFi setup could have been changed after that but it is highly unlikely. If you decide to make that call, I'd ask them to send me a full list of your unit's production since this will include all options, manufacturing dates, color choices, etc. Bill p.s. Welcome! You now belong to a very small group of like minded RV owners. Also, I'm jealous! I've been wanting to come to Austin for the Formula One Grand Prix for a number of years now. You are fortunate to be so close.

FrankC - You'd be better off asking this question to your sales rep at Oliver since they change items every so often. However, from what I know, the pressure regulator that Oliver supplies is not adjustable. Bill

George - Have you tried talking to Scott Oliver? If not, I'd at least give him a chance to help you. Bill

Even if you are not a fisherperson this very short video is a nice view of nature. Enjoy - Bill http://click.email-orvis.com/?qs=35e939a676b35728ba1f847522eb92025e6e9767e4290f4bd0cfd9da8d9eff4e964baf94311072c121c9c59431e683bddde555564ba090e8a94e6a00ced49f29

Yukon - yes on the heat being on via the propane furnace and city water disconnected. However, depending on just how cold you are talking about, drawing water from the fresh water tank could be a problem for you. Whenever I camp in sustained cold temps I simply keep my water in portable containers (gallon milk jugs for the toilet and other water needs if I'm not out too long and larger 8 gallon containers if I plan on being out awhile). This way, there is no water in the water lines of the Oliver at all. Bill

Guess who's coming to dinner? These birds showed up outside my rear door. Bill

FrankC - I really do not see a design issue here. Virtually all RV's have holes in them that must be sealed in some manner - usually caulk. One of the benefits of the Oliver design is that with an inner and outer shell, there are times when any leak through the outside shell will simply "flow" between the shells and out the scupper holes in the bottom. There is virtually no wood to rot, mildew or grow fungus on either. While some of the leaks reported here on the Forum were more than likely caused by the lack of proper sealing at the factory during production, many others have been caused by a simple lack of proper inspection and/or maintenance by the owner. Of course, either way a leak is a leak and can be very frustrating to find and stop. Your mention of Dri-Dek has almost nothing to do with leaking. In fact, it has more to do with the Oliver being so sealed and tight that moisture/humidity simply can not escape from the interior without measures to reduce it. Primarily this product has been used under mattresses so that the moist air emitted from our bodies can escape from under the mattress. However, there are a number of ways that this "problem" has been attacked. Insulation directly under the mattress, simply lifting the mattress to ventilate that area each day, sleeping while in a vertical position (just kidding), have all been used for this purpose. Finally, the sliding windows on Olivers can leak for a couple of reasons. If the windows were not properly installed, if the "weep holes" are not clear or if there is a huge amount of rain directed at a window, can all cause leaks. Of these the most prominent is the maintenance of the weep holes. I own an Elite II, hull number 117 and have been fortunate enough to have never had a leak (that I know of). I check all places where water could enter at least once a year, repairing as necessary, and clean my window weep holes at least a half dozen times a year - particularly when I've camped under some shedding trees or driven down some nasty dirt roads. Most of these same maintenance procedures should be taken with all RV's and since the Oliver has no seams those potential points of leakage are eliminated as compared to all non-molded fiberglass trailers. Bill

A special THANKS to all that participate on this Forum. Without each of you our Oliver world would be so much smaller. Bill[attachment file=P1010962.JPG]

https://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result/index/?dir=asc&order=EAScore%2Cf%2CEAFeatured+Weight%2Cf%2CSale+Rank%2Cf&q=multi+use+transfer+pump Try the above link for the kind of pump that you can use for adding anti-freeze to any camper. I assume your question about the toilet is for John given that he has the composting throne. Certainly the smaller Oliver can fit into places that the larger one can't. However, both are very easy to tow. You really should arrange to see both before you you decide. Bill

I've been camping with temps as low as 22 degrees with no heat on inside the Oliver and no harmful effects, but since I didn't stay up all night I can't tell you exactly how long it stayed at that temp. I didn't winterize anything. However, since the daytime temps were in the low 80's the day before, I'm certain that everything was nice and toasty prior to that overnight chill. For reference, it was in the mid 30's inside the camper when I got up to turn the heat on. Given the situation you describe, I would think that an interior temp in the mid 40's with hatches and/or drawers open to allow heat between the hulls would be more that sufficient to protect you. But, as John points out, there are a couple of areas that just might be a bit more venerable at that interior temp- such as the area around the winterization port, the black tank flush port, and the exterior shower. I would certainly err on the side of caution in this area. Bill

I've had two 3.5 liter Ford F-150's (2011 and 2017) and both have performed without a "hitch" (sorry) in towing my Elite II. All of the extra specs of the 3.5 versus the 2.7 come in handy for a more relaxed towing experience. Yes, the 2.7 would probably do the job, but, in those situations where you need a bit more grunt - like merging onto an Interstate - or a bit more load capacity, or a bit more … the 3.5 can more than do the job. Bill

There is another related issue - at least in the State of North Carolina. Vehicles with a combined weight (when towing) of greater than 5,000 pounds must declare what maximum combined weight will be towed and your license plate fees are increased from the standard (5,000 pounds). This is supposedly to make those that tow more/weigh more pay for the additional wear they have on the roads. If then that combined weight is exceeded and law enforcement pulls you over, you could be cited for excessive weight. The only times I've seen this actually happen is when a light duty 1/2 ton pickup was towing a front end loader. However, I've noticed many instances where 1/2 ton pickups are towing reasonably large campers and the license plate is a standard plate therefore only rated for the 5,000 pounds. As John points out though, I doubt very seriously that law enforcement would cite an out of State person under this law. And, of course, all of this has nothing to do with a weight distribution hitch. Bill

Mark - I thought of that but didn't think that it was very likely for both bottle to get stuck at the same time. However, I've heard of stranger things and it is worth a check. Bill

Coy - A quick internet check with the NTSB showed nothing (but I assume that you have already gone down this road). However, as I assume you also know, the various vehicle manufacturers list their requirements for each vehicle they produce. Beyond this you can be cited for ancillary things like not having control of your vehicle (and camper), your headlights are too high (or low) (whether actually cause by your camper or not), driving in an unsafe manner (sway, bounce etc.) - all of which just might be caused by the lack of a weight distribution hitch. And, of course, there are always the potential liability issues which are magnified if your particular vehicle is deemed (by the manufacturer) to need one and you don't have it. Perhaps a good lawyer (is there such a thing?) could argue that even if you didn't have one or need one and you still chose to get one, you were showing that you had taken all steps above and beyond what was necessary to drive safely. For the record - I do use a weight distribution hitch (and always have). Not only is it required by my manufacturer for towing the Elite II but I would use it anyway in that bounce is reduced (at least with the Andersen) and I believe that in an emergency situation it helps better "balance" my tow vehicle so that it will handle in a more stable and predictable manner. Bill

George - Bummer! These regulators don't go bad very often (at least in my experience). In all the campers I've had over the past twenty years not one of them has failed. I don't use the "automatic" switch over feature in that I prefer to know when a tank is emptied. Certainly there have been times when cold weather was forecast for the night and I knew that the tank I was using was getting low on propane. In these circumstances I simply switched tanks before going to bed and then switched back the next morning. There was only one time when the red window failed to turn green and that was corrected by shutting off the full tank and quickly turning it back on. Obviously it is that change in pressure that is causing the window to show the green and it would seem that yours got stuck for some reason. I'm sure that they could be repaired but I would also think that for the price of a new one the repair cost is probably at least as much money - if not more. I hate adding to the landfill but that is the way it is particularly since even finding someone qualified to work on one of these is problematical. At least the removal and install of the new one is not difficult. Just be sure to use sealing tape or compound. Bill

George - I've done the same thing that I mentioned above with both the upper and lower marker lights. Clean them and the surrounding area well with mineral spirits and/or alcohol and then re-caulk without removing them. Of course I'm sure to try to "force" as much caulk as I can into the area that is cracked and/or separating and then carefully wipe both the light and the "silver" ring while not removing the caulk from the area I just sealed. Bill

George - If this were mine I would first remove and then reinstall both tanks. Then I would move the switch over lever back and forth a few times. Then, assuming that neither of the first two have corrected the problem, I would GENTLY tap the pressure regulator and move the switch over lever. Of course I am assuming that you are sure that you have propane in the tanks and that the tanks are in the "open" position. If none of this works and your operating temperature is not too cold, I would then assume that you have a bad regulator and would replace it. Good luck! Bill