topgun2

Bruce - An Elite II is basically 5,000 pounds empty with a 500 pound tongue weight. What this means for you is that you would be able to put approximately 1,200 pounds of "stuff" in your Oliver and you would be right at the maximum towing capacity of your jeep (note that the Elite II can carry up to approximately 2,000 pounds of "Stuff"). The 1280 payload is a bit tougher to figure - you have to add up all the "stuff" "weighing" on or in your vehicle. So, the tongue weight mentioned above (500) plus what the driver weighs (say 200) plus what the passenger weighs (say 130) give you a total of 830 pounds out of the 1280 allowed. Now you have to add all of the other "stuff" that you might have in that vehicle - lawn chairs, chocks for the camper, blankets, emergency roadside kit, etc. Bottom line is that it appears you can tow the Elite II with your Jeep, but, you do not have very much room to spare. Bill

Scouter - With regards to your Christmas week problem and stopping by the Mothership - I'd call Anita in the Sales office and ask her if someone could meet you there for a short look at an Elite II. They are very accommodating people and if they can arrange it I'm sure they will. Bill

Canoe - I really don't know the answer to your question. I suspect that the panels can stand that much weight, however, if it was me, I'd want to get at least some of that snow off given the amount and the heaviness of wet snow. Bill

Not like our Olivers attract much attention anyway - so, why not put a flashing red light on the outside. Not withstanding the above, I too like the idea of putting a readout on the outside street side. Certainly would save the walk about looking to see if all was OK. But, to save the attention gathering, I'm thinking about something with a flip up lid - see it when you want, hide it when you don't. Bill

Pete - I too loved my Taco and still miss it. However, you are really going to love the ride on long trips and Boskar has sooo much more room to play in the back. All of this while getting at least the same if not better gas mileage. Not much question in my opinion as to just why the Ford is the best selling truck out there. Even though the sun came out yesterday afternoon and melted just about all the snow off both primary and secondary roads, the temps last night dipped to 16-17 degrees! The thin blood of these southern boys just find that a bit cool. And, there's nothing like a bit of black ice on those roads to make one pay attention going around that next mountain curve. Forecast for Monday is low 50's and snow will be a distant memory. Bill

As of 10:30 am Saturday there are reports that Highlands, NC has 18 inches on the ground. To make matters interesting, the temps are forecast to be down to 24 by 8 pm. So, the roads will certainly freeze. Should be fun here in these here mountains for a day or two. With the wet snow the sled goes like crazy - at least until they plow the street. Bill

I chose this area (Western North Carolina) of the country to live in for many reasons. One of those reasons was that it had all four of the seasons - Spring - Summer - Fall - Winter. However, during the summer the high temperature rarely hits 90 and if it does, when the sun goes over the mountain it cools right back down to something more tolerable. And, in the Winter, the little town I live in has an average annual snowfall of between 6 and 7 inches total. The day before yesterday the weather forecast was for temperatures to be in the low to mid 30's (average for this time of year is low 50's) and for 1 to 2 inches of snow that would not stick to the roads. Well, now it is about 30 hours later, it is STILL snowing and there is 7 to 9 inches on the ground! Sure is pretty though. Bill

OK, I know that it is a bit shallow on my part, but, am I the only one that just can't stand the look of those "square" wheel wells on GM trucks? Bill

Brad - I've got an old (bought it for my first truck) rubber mat that I put in the bed when hauling the motorcycle. Even though I have a spray in bed liner, it still gets slippery. So, that rubber mat helps out a bunch. And the Tractor Supply job is a bunch cheaper than any alternative I know of. Bill

I agree with JuniorBirdMan - the "flashing" or "scrolling" of those red numbers were more than I could take. Heck, those little amber lights on the fridge bother me! Even where John put his would have caused too much reflective bouncing of the light waves for my taste. Therefore, behind closed doors it went. But, if you put it behind closed doors make sure that the door is easy to open and the display is not blocked. Bill

From the oil fields to Hohenwald - WELCOME! Somehow RV'ing in an Oliver is a bit different. Let us know if you have questions and pictures are always a great thing. Bill

Mark & Joni - Good answer! Thanks! Bill

Scotty - any chance of starting a "zip line" list. If yes, count me in! I trust that when a program schedule becomes available Hardrock will post it so that reservations can be made for these activities without having to miss out on Oliver program items. Bill

Relative to Sherry's post above and what I think was a post from Randy on this subject, just find a spot to your liking preferably up high and between the two hulls. Cut out a section of the reflextix insulation that is about the same size as the Spot. Using double sided tape or Velcro stick it on. Run a USB cord from the Spot to a place you can plug it in (again note Randy's recommendation about the electric connections that are located in the "attic" that are usually used for satellite TV and the like). Run a test to make sure things are working OK. Then if the place you chose to mount it can be seen when opening a cabinet door, I'd replace the section of reflextix over it and hold that in place with "foil" tape in order to better hide the Spot. Bill

In the "Owner's Manual" that I received there were a bunch of warranty cards from Dometic, Suburban and ????. I copied them, sent them in or tried to fill them out online. Included in the Owner's Manual was a list of all the non-Oliver supplied equipment which included serial numbers and model numbers for each piece of equipment. Now, having said this, all I ever got back were requests to extend the usual lame warranties at what I felt to be rather high prices. The failure of a refrigerator control panel was taken care of by the good guys at Oliver without mention of a warranty card. The failure of the Furrion radio was also taken care of by the good guys at the plant even though there never was any warranty card for that product. So, bottom line is that I simply would not worry about it, but, I would follow Jason Walmsley's advice above. Remember, you've got a one year bumper to bumper warranty from Oliver and you've already filled that card - your final payment check. For those products that have a warranty longer than the one year, I'm absolutely certain that Oliver will help you with any claims you may have. Bill

Lou Anne & Bobby - At least three owners that I know of have some sort of GPS device "hidden" in the Oliver. Two of the three have the "Spot" version. I can tell you that it works, but, since the one Oliver that I'm familiar with has never been stolen (thank goodness), I can't tell you much more. Bill

Corcomi - Welcome to the real excitement! Glad everything went well for you and I hope it continues. Now - let the FUN begin. Got pictures? Bill

Similar to Reed, I keep a small mat for right outside the steps. It measures approximately 2.5 feet by 3.5 feet and is basically "astro-turf". I use this most of the time as it is great for getting most of the dirt/sand off prior to stepping into Twist. When I'm set-up for a stay of over a couple of days, I'll get the bigger mat out of the truck bed - it measures approximately 8 by ten feet. Bill

Yes, but, when my friends ask me to move the Ollie so that he can get his truck out at 5 am I'm not so happy. Perhaps we should have thought about that prior to that first glass of ....... Bill

Let me understand this - you, and ScubaRx were in the same place at the same time and someone was in bed at 9 pm? Either someone is getting old or supplies were low on the adult beverage front or there really was a tight schedule for the next day. I remember camping here when a nice young person lived in the little structure at the rear of the picture. About 2 am I got up and turned on the air conditioner in order to drown out the music he was playing. The next morning as I was leaving to head over to the factory the music was still playing and I was none too quiet in preparing to break "camp" at 6:30 am. Bill

Actually I use two separate runners - each about 6 feet long and an entry mat. I use the two runners because I find that they are easier to handle - particularly when shaking them outside - and, the one in the "bedroom" has a thicker pile which is nice on the tootsies. The runner in the kitchen is similar to those indoor/outdoor mats that can be rinsed off with a hose in the event something nasty gets spilled onto it. Of course they are matching colors! Bill

Jason Essary sent me the picture below this morning (thanks to Jason!). It shows the Oliver factory 2017 model installation. Bill

Bill - I really like those locks. As we all know, a determined thief can get into most anything, but, as far as the tonneaus that I've seen these keyed locks are stellar. The Bakflip is a bit difficult to get into as long as you remember to lock the tailgate - of course on my 2017 truck this happens every time you lock the doors. However, with the use of a well placed coat hanger, the crook is into the bed. Bill

I know a fair number of owners use a couple of "runners" all year round. I'm among them not only because I find a rug a bit more comfortable on the tootsies but it is easier to clean the floor by just taking the rugs outside, giving them a shake of two and laying them down again. Sure beats a vacuum and/or the old broom thing. Bill

MountainApple - I"m aware of at least one Elite II that has tank heaters and they were installed at the factory. The original owner was from South Carolina and did extensive winter job site camping in the North East. I know that this unit was sold about a year and a half ago, but, unfortunately, I do not remember to whom it was sold. While I've not done any extensive camping in my Oliver in consistently cold weather, it sounds like something is amiss here. With that big old cold air return vent on the street side of the isle I wouldn't think that it would be even possible to have that big a difference between the hulls (at least anywhere on the street side). Bill