topgun2

Sherry, Coming up from Florida there is a good chance that you will be near Brevard, NC. If yes, please send me a PM and hopefully we could get together for a refreshment. topgun2 (aka Bill)

Be careful! Be very careful! Retirement is not all that it is made up to be. I'm guessing that you have not yet considered the STRESS. Just think about this for a moment - when you worked you knew exactly what you were going to do each and every day. You knew where you were going to go, what you were going to wear, who you would see and meet and probably just about what you would eat. Now, each day is met with a bunch of decisions. It just one decision after another. Constantly, decision, decision, decision - never ending! Stress, stress, stress! What time do I get up, what time do I take a nap, what do I eat, when do I eat, what do I wear, where do I go, what do I do, where did I put my beer? All must be answered (or not) - it simply is almost too much to think about. However, those of us that have taken this "retirement path" must learn to adjust and simply force ourselves to live with all this stress so that others can go on with their happy working lives (and paying into those "entitlements" that were so hard earned) without having to endure this "pain" we suffer. Welcome to the "STRESS" club! Bill

For what its worth - I had just about given up on the Forum. I've been using Internet Explorer as my browser and decided to see if using the Google Chrome browser would make any difference. With Internet Explorer I'd "load" several pages and then on about the fourth or fifth page I would get the "hamster in the wheel" - that little icon that shows a wheels just spinning and spinning while the entire computer world waits for a page to load. After several minutes of watching the hamster I'd simply give up and go away. With the Google Chrome browser the Forum is still relatively slow (as compared to the Fiberglass RV Forum for instance), but, at least the number of times I've been caught in the hamster wheel has decline considerably. Bill

Its when one wacks the weeds. Using what is known as a rotary string trimmer a "lawn" maintenance person cuts or trims along a fence, sidewalk, house, or other places where it is difficult to cut "grass". In my case, these people are "trimming" the weeds away from the area around my camper while it is in storage. As they "trim" the weeds that are near the wheels, the "string" from the trimmer beats the hell out of the vinyl on the wheel covers. So, I made covers for my covers from some old plywood. It seems to have solved the problem. Bill

geO, This might be a bit late - but - if you go with the canvas, do not get the cheap kind. I bought a set from Harbor Freight several years ago and they lasted just about one season. I then purchased the vinyl kind that have the flannel on the inside. These have lasted several years and are OK except for where they have been "weed wacked" to death. If you plan on using these while on the road, be aware that they can be a bit bulky and are certainly stiff when it is below 50 degrees or so. Bill

Canoe12, I've owned a number of covers over the years (prior to Twist) and found that the Tyvek covers simply do not hold up very well - they rip way too easily and are very difficult to repair. Since then I've owned both an ADCO cover and presently own a Calmark cover for my Oliver. There are a number of owners that are using the Calmark (do a search on this site for Calmark). Unfortunately these covers (either ADCO or Calmark) cost a little over $700, but, just like the Oliver it is a bit of you get what you pay for. Bill

I've had Twist stored in what amounts to a fenced in field (the weeds are cut) over the winter. Prior to storage I placed insect screens as Mike and Carol above, covered the camper with a CalMark cover and placed two "sticky traps" on the floor of the interior. If you are not familiar with sticky traps - they will "trap" anything that comes in contact with them from mouse size all the way down to knats. Yesterday I was checking the camper and showing it to prospective new Oliver customers and I looked at both traps. There was one mosquito! Western North Carolina is one of the buggiest places around - our winters are simply not cold enough to kill the critters and prior to storage I had been in New Orleans. So, just make sure that your windows and door are closed, get the screens that Mike and Carol talked about and don't worry about it. Bill

Don, We did the same analysis that you are going through a couple of months ago. We too have rarely used the AAA service, but, three years ago I had a wheel failure in Hays, KS - right on Interstate 70 heading east. I was only one mile from the center of Hays and called AAA. Since they didn't have any "relationship" with any tow operator in Hays, they said that I would need to arrange towing personally and then submitt receipts for the (up to) $75 that they would pay for a tow. Thank goodness a Highway Patrol officer stopped since he had the name and number of a towing business. I don't consider Hays, KS as a small town and while it is in the middle of Kansas, it is right on the Interstate. Needless to say, I was not happy. Certainly the Good Sam Club assistance might not be any better, but, I hope that I will never have to find this out. However, at least I know that the reimbursement will be for a higher amount. Hope this helps you with your decision - good luck. Bill

I think that I'll borrow the 4' hose deal - I've always left my water filter connected to the main 25' and (as you do) simply connected the ends together for travel. But, the 4' deal sounds like it will be a bit easier to handle - thanks. Bill

For what its worth - I do cap my fresh water hoses and place them in plastic bags while on the road. I have used the quick connects on Twist, but I do not like traveling with them in place. They don't stick out far, but .....

I just saw over on the Fiberglass RV Forum that the organizer for the Eggs on the Hiawasee Rally (May 18-20, 2017) announced: "Been working on contacting sponsors this week and have good news! RV Widget Works and Oliver Trailers will be joining the sponsor list for this years event. Riverbend Campground, Vintage Trailer Supply and Discount Printing Service will be sponsors again this year. There may possibly be more as I am waiting on return phone calls/emails from potential sponsors." Really nice to see our Oliver in the mix! Bill p.s. If you have not signed up for this rally, I understand that it is almost sold out.

Last week I purchased a set of quick connects from Harbor Freight and one of the female connects does not work properly, so, they go back to the store. Be sure to check them before you need them. Reed & Karen - anyone that I know of using these quick connects either uses the standard Oliver caps or gets other caps for when a hose is not attached. Bill

Reed & Karen, In the past, and I assume in the present, there have been some owners that find the water connections on the street side of the Oliver to be hard to get to. Primarily I think this is because they have had some problems with knees, back or related physical issues. By putting a quick connect on these connections once and leaving them there, they have found it easier to simply push on the quick connect versus screwing and un-screwing each time. Bill

I feel like the step child! I didn't get the water quick connect nor the water pressure regulator. However, I did forget to mention the 30 amp to 15 amp connector plug thing. I guess that hug from Anita did more than make me forget about the check I had just written. In any case, this is why I said to give the sales office a call about this question. Bill

Reed and Karen, OK, I'll bite - where in North Carolina are you? Enjoying the relatively warm temps? If you are near Brevard, NC drop me a PM and I'll see if we can get together. Bill

geO, It would be better if you asked this question directly to the Sales Office. My February 2016 delivery came with a wrench and socket for the wheel lug nuts, a sewer hose, a 25 foot water hose and a bottle of black tank "treatment". Since I purchased the Andersen weight distribution hitch, there was also a socket for adjusting the chains on it. Finally, there was a big hug from Anita which (almost) made me forget about the check I just wrote. Bill

Reed & Karen, I didn't have the front graphic because it is harder to clean relative to the plain gel-coat. Bill

Canoe12 - If you have questions about the application of graphics, you might want to contact Mike and Carol regarding their Lone Star Oliver. They have posted at least a couple of articles here in that regard. Bill

Malcolm, Twist has the pinstripes in silver - I do not think that it ha the same (perhaps the metal flake in the gold is larger?) "sparkle" as the gold though. In any case, I believe that it is fairly understated and adds to the classy nature of the Oliver. Bill

Mine was absolutely pristine - no spots, no compound, no water marks, no ..... In addition, when I went back to the Mothership to get Twist this past Fall after they had performed a couple of additions, it was once again cleaned. Certainly they were not "testing for leaks" that time. And, even the tires were "dressed". Just got to love those guys and gals at Oliver! Bill

Mike & Carol, Now I know exactly where that pot of gold is located! Please say "hi" to Steve and Tali for me. Bill

Sherry, Yes, a launch is really amazing. While down at Bikeweek a few years ago a friend of mine and I made it over to Coco Beach for a shuttle launch. A bit over ten miles away and one could still feel their insides rumble! Even getting up at 3 am was not a problem after seeing that thing streak into the sky. If you are anywhere near - get there. You will not regret it. p.s. Sherry - please do not leave. I believe that these things come and go in cycles and I'm guessing that this cycle is just about done.

Prior to picking up Twist one year ago (tomorrow) I purchased a TPMS that was on sale at Northern Tool for about $100. While it is better than nothing, there are times when one or two (usually on the street side) of the tire monitors stop working. The fix is usually as simple as taking unscrewing the sensor from the tire stem and immediately putting it back on. This Spring I'll look at the "problem" in a little more depth to see if there is a simple fix. However, for the money and the peace of mind - most of the time and always on the curb side - I don't think that I'd be without this system. Bill

While not funny, I found this Buffalo Bill to be rather stunning. Located about two miles south of Interstate 70 just northwest of Oakley, KS. Bill

This is disappointing news. On the other hand - look at the time and effort I will save between now and the May Oliver Rally in NOT having to clean those nasty black streaks. Maybe after the folks at Oliver actually see how bad this looks, they will be inclined to either look for another supplier or be a bit more vociferous in getting the current supplier to correct the problem. Bill