topgun2

Pete and Oscar, Any reply to the email you sent yet? Bill

As of this morning, Anita was still there, but, I believe that Alicia left well before the end of the year. Bill

For those of you who have not heard - Ron Merritt has sold his 2015 Oliver and purchased an Artic Fox. While Ron's You-Tube video was not the only reason I purchased my Oliver, it did have a great deal to do with the decision making. Certainly it was a good job on his part and much appreciated by me. In talking with the folks at Oliver they also appreciated his work. Ron has said that he still very much likes Olivers, but, given how he used it he felt that something a bit bigger would serve his purposes better. Bill

I agree - anyone interested in a group order? Bill

Buzzy, Replied to you via PM. Bill

John, Welcome! I find it interesting how others also found the way to Oliver. Trust me, there has been absolutely nothing in the entire process that has changed my mind concerning either the Oliver Travel Trailer or the people that have anything to do with making it. They really do become a bit like family. Over the past few days with the eastern snow storm hitting both the mountains of western North Carolina and virtually all of Tennessee, Anita and I have exchanged several emails dealing with snow totals and "real" family doings. The "hardest" part for me in the ordering process was making up my mind regarding all the options (both standard options and some that are not so standard). Even color choices were a bit hard in that I started by thinking that something "striking" or that looked nice would be the way to go with such a clean palette to work with. In the end I chose a more subtle decorating theme that would wear well, not show the dirt and be practical - I can always use throw pillows for a dash of color if need be. Some things, like solar, were easy. But others, like an extra outside 12 outlet curbside or a smoke colored max-aire fan, placement of an extra charging station, rearview camera options (I chose to not get the Oliver version but had the factory place a wire and switch so that I can put a camera in the spare tire cover) took a bit more thought. Given the time of year and my travel plans, I placed my order in September with a delivery date of February 16th. For a number of reasons the factory had my camper, "Twist", basically finished just before the holidays (over a month early) but I kept the delivery date unchanged because after picking it up we are heading to Florida for a few days and there was no reason (other than my excitement) to go pick it up and then store it here. Bottom line is: read everything that you can on this and (perhaps) on the fiberglass campers forum in order to help you with ideas on what you might want to do with your Oliver. Also, let the folks at Oliver help you. Don't be afraid to "bother" them with questions and/or concerns. They have been down the road before, are honest folks, and really do not seem to mind. Good luck! Bill

Or, try this:

I know that if you email Anita at Oliver, she can send you a list of the sizes of all the storage areas (drawers, overhead and basement) in the Elite II. I assume that they would also have this same information for the Elite. Bill

Have a safe trip! Bill

Linda, Thanks for the picture - of the silverware, remote control, and wine stuff drawers. Nice to see someone who has their priorities right with the wine stuff. I thought that you two were supposed to hit the road yesterday? Bill

Linda, Since it is still a month before I get my Ollie I can only comment on what I've done in the past and plan on doing with Twist. Each summer for the past ten years I've traveled from North Carolina to either Colorado, Wyoming or Montana to fly fish for periods of from 6 to 15 weeks at a crack. I found that by rolling my cloths and then stacking the rolls in some basic order I am able to find the exact shirt, pair of shorts, pants, jacket, etc. quickly. From left to right I start with socks, underwear, short sleeve shirts, long sleeve shirts, shorts, pants, shells and sweatshirts, and finally jackets. I also hang a couple of slacks and better shirts just in case I want to do something "fancy" (I've only used these once in ten years though). Just by looking at the color of the rolled item in the stack I know exactly which article of clothing it is. Certainly nothing fancy here but it works for me - hope it helps. Bill

Buzzy, Thanks, but I'd already looked at each and every one of those on Amazon. I am hoping to find something that fits a bit better than any of the sizes that are listed there. If I can't find something I'll be reduced to making something. Linda, Could I bother you to take a picture? There are several way to mix and match, but without taxing my brain too much I didn't see a combination of bins that would result in a nice tight fit. Bill p.s. how's the trip doing?

Has anyone found a silverware tray that fits nicely into the drawers of the Elite II? Since those drawers measure 16.6 inches wide by 10 inches deep and 3 inches tall, they are not a "standard" size kitchen drawer. Bill

I'm a bit confused here. Is the process being talked about here another way to get fresh water into the fresh water tank for dry camping? I have understood that one can simply use the onboard water pump for this purpose? What am I missing? Bill

Daniel, Welcome and good luck. Most of us here have been down the same road and it is an exciting one. Feel free to let your imagination run since the Oliver folks are very easy to work with. If you have not done so already, be sure to take a look at Ron Merritt's YouTube video of the Elite II. Also, scan this forum for additional ideas and/or options that current owners have had installed. Finally, feel free to ask questions! Bill

We got the small version - big enough for 4 people or so but you can't put it over a regular picnic table. They are really great and the people at the factory are also easy to work with. A bit on the pricey side, but, in my opinion, well worth the price. Bill p.s. we also bought one of those "magnetic" screen doors that are "seen on TV" via Amazon and sewed it onto the Clam. Now we do not have to be bothered with zipping the door shut - it just closes automatically.

Greyson and Ann, Yes, be careful regarding the Blue Ridge Parkway in March. Presently there are several sections that are closed due to either repairs and/or weather. It is normal for some of these sections that are south/southwest of Mt. Mitchel to be closed in the winter either due to snow or to ice formation in the tunnels. Look up the BRP on the internet - they do a good job of posting what is closed. Another Florida State Park that is good for both camping and kayaking is Blue Spring. And, if you are lucky, the Manatees hang out around this area particularly if the Saint John's river is a bit cool. Bill

P.S. Sorry, forgot - re the temp sensors - You might want to take another look at Ron Merritt's you-tube video regarding this. He simply bought a regular commercial unit that has four remote sending units. He placed one in the bath, one inside the hulls, and one or two outside with the central monitoring station on the wall to the left of the front door as you enter. I think that he was happy with the result - I plan to do something similar when I get "Twist". Bill

Linda, Certainly I'm no expert on Oliver's but I've done a fair amount of cold weather camping. Given that your Ollie is winterized, I'd just leave it that way until you are out of the tundra and not worry about it. Assuming that you winterized it properly, you have anti freeze in the pipes and drains. Therefore, they will not freeze. You really do not have to worry about the black or grey tanks in that they are OK even if they do freeze and your fresh water tank is the same even though it should be empty anyway. Your batteries will be OK in that they are either being charged by your tow vehicle or your solar. Anything that you have in the fridge should be OK. All that is left is the "stuff" that you put inside like shampoo, lotion, etc. Even though I think that this "stuff" will be OK, you could always simply carry it inside your tow vehicle for awhile. Assuming that you will be camping at least one night where it is still fairly chilly, I would suggest that you carry a small electric heater (unless you are boondocking it). This way, the interior of the Ollie will heat up faster and you will save on your propane - use the campground electric versus your own propane. I also carry a gallon milk jug that can be filled with water and use this to "flush" the toilet in the event it is not possible (or too cold) to connect to "city" water. Hope this helps! Bill

Steve, Really nice touch with the red and green at the front. At what speed did you take this? Or, is the dog stuffed in order to make it just sit there? Also, really like the fire pit. Bill

Grayson and Ann, Great look except for that overstuffed dog on the left - need to put her on a diet! Have a good four months on the road. Are you headed for Florida, the west or both? Greg and Janet, We are picking up ours on the 16th of February. Hopefully the weather will be good for both of us. Bill

For those of you that have recently picked up their Ollie: Do you have any additional thoughts on this matter - things that you could have done without and/or things that would have made the pickup nicer? Bill

Con, I'd take the batteries out, store them in a cool dry location with a "smart charger" (specifically designed for AGM batteries) attached. Bill

Been down this same road - the bottom line is that it will work, BUT, you will need to trim out parts of the cowling that covers the propane tanks to make room for the brackets that attach to the frame. I choose not to do that. Bill

Dave & Linda, Sorry no name, but, it sure is a gem! Merry Christmas! Bill