topgun2

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!

Sorry for the delay - I just got home from a short trip to upper NY State. Jason sent me the parts that should have been there in the first place and I installed them myself. The hardest part was cutting a 4 inch hole through the cabinet above the microwave down into the area where the microwave sits - that fiberglass is really tough stuff and basically destroyed the carbide bit I used. The missing bracket was installed on the top of the microwave and then - via the 4 inch hole - it was secured to the microwave cabinet from above with a couple of stout stainless screws. Even though Jason included a "port hole" to be placed where I had drilled the 4 inch hole, I decided that I would not use it due to the "bump" it would cause in the bottom of that cabinet. Instead, I glued a thin piece of lexan that I had laying around over the hole and replaced the existing black rubber mat over it - you'd never even know that it was there. The whole process took less than 45 minutes and I was being super careful. The microwave has never moved in the three years since. The attached photos show the microwave before I attached the bracket that Jason sent me - that bracket is attached to the metal piece seen running from the front to the rear of the top of the microwave. In my case the only damage that was done was that three out of the four screws that hold the face plate of the microwave on were stripped out of the fiberglass and the fiber-granite top below the microwave was gouged by one of those screws. Jason replaced the fiber-granite top and supplied four screws that simply were a half inch longer and worked perfectly for holding the face plate while also concealing the stripped holes. Sorry that I didn't take a picture of the installed bracket. Bill

Yep - that was probably me. However, my microwave was only held in by the "face plate" and when the 3/4 inch screws that held it in place let go, the whole microwave almost broke loose going down the road. There is supposed to be a bracket on the top, middle of the microwave that holds it firmly to the surrounding cabinet above. One should be able to see this bracket by removing the face plate, shining a light across the top of the microwave right in the middle. The bracket is made of thin, but strong steel. Bill

Rick - You are one lucky person! There is going to be an Oliver mini-rally in Jacksonville from October 8th through the 12th at Kathryn Hanna Park, 500 Wonderwood Drive. There will be at least 6 or 7 Oliver Travel Trailers there. Welcome to the Forum - certainly many of the questions you may have are already answered here, but, if not, ask away. You might want to give the Sales Office a call regarding financing. Not only can they help you arrange it, but, they have been down that road before. Good luck and hope to see you on the road in that Ollie someday. Bill

They appear to me to be the same lights except they have left the old black gaskets off. How they seal them is described in a previous post - silicone caulk. Bill

For those that are really into this subject simply type tools and/or tool box into the search function and you will get even more tool information. Bill

Try sanitizing your tank. There are plenty of YouTube vids on the subject and/or use the "search function" on the Forum. Bill

The performance numbers for the 2.7 are impressive, but I always like to have a bit of breathing room between what is "required" and what is safer, more comfortable, and easier to live with. Therefore, I got the 3.5. Its faster, and can tow more. However, if I had planned to keep a truck for more than 100,000 miles, I would have given very serious consideration to the V8. I never really consider diesels simply because I do not normally keep a vehicle long enough nor do I put enough miles on them to come anywhere close to having a diesel pay for itself. I've said it numerous times before - I do not believe that there is a "bad" 1/2 ton truck on the market at this point. Find the range that satisfies your "requirements" for what you are going to use it for and then pick the one that gives you the most overall value for what you are going to have to spend. Bill

I too have the larger gas tank on the F-150. Usually I stop because I want to versus because I have to. The MPG with my 3.5 Eco-boost is right at 22 not towing on relatively flat interstate with the cruise at 65. On my recent almost 7,000 mile trip to Idaho and back to North Carolina towing my Elite II Oliver I got 13.1. Note that once in Idaho I really didn't do very much high mountain driving with most elevations well below 7,000 feet. The braking nor the acceleration with the Ford have never been an issue of any kind. The 10 speed transmission downshifts automatically to maintain whatever the speed that is set via the cruise control. And, there is a tow/haul mode that will maintain lower gears longer on uphills (in order to help prevent "wandering" between gears) and downshift more aggressively on downhills. Frankly, I virtually really never notice what it is doing - it is that smooth. Having said that, there are times when I see a long decent coming that I will shift the trans into manual mode and take care of the downshifts myself - this is mostly because I still miss standard shifting and get boarded when I'm not interacting with the vehicle. Bill

Add to all this the initial cost of a diesel versus a gas engine. Will you be keeping that truck the "required" number of miles with its better gas mileage in order to get a decent return on your investment? Perhaps many of John's comments really do get down to the most important point - just how do you see yourself actually using this truck. If you want to tow only on paved roads at relatively low altitude on the flats then larger tires, bigger engines, higher axle ratios, four wheel drive, larger margins of safety, etc., etc. are simply not "necessary". However, once you start adding altitude or mountains or dirt roads or more serious off road then you start to complicate the issue. Only you can decide and/or know which of these factors might be on the horizon for you. Certainly one of the things you mention is one that I regard as a MUST and that is a bigger gas tank for any of the engine options you may decide on. This is certainly true if you plan on towing in the western part of the US where gas stations tend to be a bit further apart than they are in the East. Bill

If they will not install this during the initial production of your Oliver, simply ask if you can get it installed by the "Service Department" right after delivery. Perhaps a call to Jason Essary (manager of the Service Department) would be in order in this regard. Bill

That's FUNNY!

Jim - Like Mike I'm no expert with regards to towing vehicles. I just figure getting something I like that has plenty of "safety" margin regarding capacities and I'm good to go. For virtually all 1/2 ton trucks there really is not much need for towing mirrors in that the Ollie is basically the same width as the truck. Therefore, you can easily see down both sides of the camper without difficulty. Having said that, I've found that a camera off the back of the Oliver is helpful both in traffic and when backing into places. An integrated brake controller is great. If the Ram offers one - get it. Certainly many of the after-market ones work well, but, having it integrated allows for a cleaner installation and the reading from the controller (as Mike mentions) show up on your dash where they are easily seen. The 3.55 axle will be no problem. Keep in mind that you will probably have to have the Andersen weight distribution hitch - primarily due to the hitch tongue weight limit. While I've never driven that motor I would not think that it would have any problem what-so-ever in pulling the Oliver anywhere you might want to go. Good luck! Bill

Hig - One more round in the chamber of arguments in favor of molded fiberglass campers is that they usually hold their value much better than virtually any of the others on the market. There is more than one previous owner of an Oliver who has sold theirs for more than what they paid for it. Bill

Besides stocking up on the "materials" needed for first aid it is good to get a reminder every few years on how to use these things and improvise if you don't have the "proper" materials available. The American Red Cross conducts both regular first aid and wilderness first aid courses in many communities around the country. While you're at it, the winter just might be a great time to also refresh ones self on AED's and CPR. Bill

KKMAIN - I assume that you are returning to CA via the southern route? What a grand trip you have ahead of you. I don't know if there will be an organized Quartzsite in late January - early February but it sure would be a wonderful way to break in that new Oliver. Bill

Yukon - While on a factory tour recently I noticed that there are "new" lights being installed that do not have this black gasket visible like the ones on my hull #117. I'm guessing that this gets rid of the "streaking problem" once and for all. I do not know when the factory started installing these. With regards to the "old style" that have the black gaskets - mine have done very well since I applied the sealant that Oliver gave for this purpose at the 2017 Owner's Rally. And, since I've not heard complaints about it from those folks that used Captain Tolly's I have to assume that it has worked for them as well. Bill

Hig - Thanks for the compliment to those of us who own Olivers. Not only is the general construction very boat-like but many of the components on Olivers are also derived from the boating industry. You should feel right at home - both here and in an Oliver. Bill