topgun2

Canoe - turning on the dinette light doesn't help? I rarely use the microwave, so, I'm not of much help. Good luck. Bill

Gregg - Any update on the Towready 20142? Hopefully it has solved at least one of the problems you have been having. I'm leaving on a Western trip in a few weeks and would appreciate any feedback that you can give. Bill

Randy - I just read that article and it made me proud that I made the decision to purchase an Oliver. Bill

After all these years I finally find out that it was really Mike behind that curtain. Thanks for the pics! Bill

u075908, Shame about the garage door, but if you have the room, an awning off the side would work and be less expensive compared to changing out the roof line. Unfortunately, my "planned community" does not allow campers that can be seen from the street and my garage is not only not big enough but it is already full. In your planning, try to allow for electric - 15/20 amp would be adequate in that you probably do not need the air conditioner while you have it in storage. Bill

Coy, I have no idea of when next year's rally will be. I'm fairly sure that the River Bend Campground (706-896-1415) knows or keep an eye on the Rally schedule page over on the FGRV Forum. Bill

As J-Rhett says - everyone packs differently. With regards to another thread on the Forum concerning the use of "Cubes" primarily for packing cloths, I've found that using the old Army/Navy trick of rolling cloths works for me. I roll each T-shirt (or pair of shorts or jeans or virtually anything else), place a rubber band around it and then simply stack them into the overhead bins. I can obviously tell the color and from that know which shirt (etc.) it is and pull it out of the stack. With the rubber bands holding the rest in place they do not become a jumbled mess as a result. I do use "Space Saver" bags (the kind that you can force the excess air out of simply by rolling the ends as opposed to the ones that require a vacuum cleaner to suck the air out) for cloths that I pre-treat with insect repellent. These bags are also used for items like fleece jackets/sweaters that are a lot less bulky if the air is taken out of them. Bill

Also, don't forget that there are a bunch of places (including National Forest Service camping areas) out West that allow the discharge of Grey water onto the open ground. Where it is allowed, I always look for a ground squirrel hole or a likely bush that needs watering AND I ALWAYS ask if it is permissible prior to letting it go. Bill

With regards to the curtain valance - I just saw a couple of Olivers with this treatment over the weekend. Regular metal curtain rod supports/hooks were used with a regular metal curtain rod. The supports/hooks were attached to the shade frames with "Command" strips. Actually very simple but attractive if you want to go that route. Bill

Yes, I think that there are several of us who store outside with a cover. I do not remove the batteries during winter storage, but, I do go over to the storage site about twice during the winter to uncover the solar panels for a couple of days to allow them to charge the batteries. No real issues. Bill

The second annual Eggs on the Hiawasee River Rally finished last night (May 20, 2017) only an hour or so before the rains moved in. Starting with a fish fry supper on Thursday night and ending with a pot luck supper on Saturday evening. Numerous brands of fiberglass campers were there along with about seven Oliver Elite II's and a demo Elite II ( and a bunch of door prizes ) that Brent and Kelly Robinson (shown in the orange and blue t-shirts in the picture below for those that have not met them) brought down from Hohenwald. Being the only sponsor/vendor in attendance, Kelly and Brent kept very busy showing the Oliver to campers and non-campers alike. The Rally is help at the River Bend Campground which has nicely spaced campsites, cut grass, a pool, flowers and clean shower facilities. The entire campground was full for the weekend, so, if you plan on attending this event it would be wise to get your reservations in early for next year. Bill

uo75(etc), Do a search for Calmark on this site - there is a bunch of info there about custom covers. Bill

Hopefully you are not exactly like Mr. Wallace in that wasn't it right after he yelled "Freedom" that he died? Or, perhaps you are exactly correct in that the spot in your picture looks like heaven to me. Nice job and thanks for sharing it! Bill

Brandi & Air Force, Congrates and welcome to the Oliver Family! Certainly hull #10 has a storied history - hopefully you got at least some of the details about your new baby. I'm sure that many more adventures await the three of you. Please keep us posted and pictures are always welcome. Bill

Matt and the gang - Thanks for getting this done Not only is it a help to those of us fortunate enough to own an Oliver, but, I'm sure that it will also be a great resource for those interested in owning one of these fine camping trailers. Good job to all those involved! Bill

I've used a Mr. Buddy for years with no problems. The small one (single panel) is more than enough to heat the Elite II. I always keep the bath vent open and have never smelled anything, but, I'm not particularly sensitive to most odors anyway. My usual operation is to not have heat on at all during the night. Then when nature calls an hour or so before normal getting up time, I take care of business, then light the Mr. Buddy (simple and very similar to lighting the cook top) and jump back in bed. By the time I get up it is nice and warm. One of those small propane bottles last three to four days - not cheap but there is no drain on the batteries from running the furnace fan. Of course, when I'm in a place that has electric available I use a small ceramic cube heater that I picked up at a garage sale for $5. Bill

Randy, Ahh - the missing link thing. My chain is a bit different than yours, but, I suspect that will make no difference. However, I'm preparing to leave on a long weekend trip in the morning, so, don't have time to deal with it right now. Besides, between you and ScottyGS if I wait long enough you two will have it figured out. Gregg - thanks for getting on this thing and sorry for the troubles you seem to be having. I did originally have a problem with my IPN remote because it was wired backwards. Once the guys at the Mothership got that straight all has been well. Finally, don't worry about the name thing - I too have had a recent problem along those lines. Bill

Pete - sorry about that. With such greatness it is hard to tell the difference between you two. Now - take a look at your PM's! Bill p.s. of course you could have given details on storage particularly as it pertains to your truck.

With the toaster oven, just make sure that it is small enough to fit in the overhead bins and that its wattage is not too high for the inverter. I've found that some foods (like pizza and toast) are simply better using the toaster oven versus the microwave.

Randy, Interesting thought on the ground. In my case, there doesn't seem to be a "problem" when it is dry - only when it was raining cats and dogs. And, even then, the problem was sporadic. I would have thought that the safety cables would take care of the grounding issue around the Andersen WDH, but you never know. At least, thanks to you and DavidS we have avenues. Bill

Dan, I'm also glad that you are here. But, why wait until 2022? Think of all the fun you will be missing. Besides, if you are anything like a fair number of us, you will need time and experience in order to get your Oliver just the way you like it for those longer adventures that can be taken after you retire. The sooner you get to it, the sooner you will do it. Bill

Wow! Get ready for a bunch of different ideas. Certainly you can go to the extreme and basically "do a Scubarx". Steve and Tali have twin bed risers for more storage space inside and has constructed a really neat storage box that fits on the rear of his Ollie. I do have a "storage tube" fitted to the frame near the rear of mine. I place a small rug and a black water 10 foot extension (that I never used) in this tube. Obviously, anything that hangs down under your camper is subject to all kinds of hazards, so, nothing of importance goes in there. My fishing rods always get a prime storage spot - either in the back seat of my truck or in the closet. Black water items go in the storage area behind the rear bumper. Chairs go in the closet. Clam shelter goes in the closet. Kitchen items - pots and pans go in the two center drawers of my Elite II due to the height. Eating utensils go in the small drawer right in front of the sink (models prior to the 2017's have an obvious silverware drawer in this location). Junk drawer is bottom on the right and cooking utensils are in the top right. That leaves the bottom left for garbage bags, table linens, and other "stuff". Other items like tool bag, electric cube heater, collapsible table, go on the closet floor and storage bins with things that don't fit in the "junk drawer" go on the shelves of the closet. I do carry a shower tent and solar shower which I store in the area under the streetside bed. A toaster oven is carried above the dinette while all other "kitchen" items are in the storage areas above the microwave and cooktop . Hope this helps! Bill

Kathy, Looks like you found the solution to the problem you were having since I see your packing cubes post about 15 minutes after this one. If you continue to have problems PM one of the Moderators or Matt Duncan. Bill

Scotty, Wow! Talk about timing. You could not have hit it any better. Last week I towed Twist over to the Oliver Rally. This was the first time towing with my new 2017 Lariet 3.5 eco-boost. In the pouring rain on the way over I "got the message". Thought that it was a bit weird when I looked in the rear view mirror and saw that the marker lights were still on - just how could the trailer be disconnected if the marker lights were still on? In any case, I pulled over at the next exit and could not find anything wrong. During the rally I mentioned this to Jason and he thought that the problem could be related to the led lights simply not pulling enough current. He also said that he thought there is a product sold that attaches between the trailer pigtail and the truck that helps take care of the problem. I've not had a chance to take a look at this any further, but, if I find something I'll be back here in a flash. I should also note that I never had this problem with my 2011 F-150. But, it didn't have as much "stuff" on it as the new one does. Also, I fully agree with you on the rest of the truck - sure is comfortable. Bill

I'm with Mike. After almost a year and a half I first used my furnace at the Oliver Rally. I was actually pleasantly surprised at how quiet it is. Hopefully you will be driving past the Mothership sometime soon 'cause that noise just ain't right. Bill