topgun2

Mike, I'm not the expert in this area, but, hope that some of this might help. Yes, you can charge your batteries as a group - your onboard charger does this all the time by either charging while you are plugged into shore power (110 voltage line from your house or campsite power pole) or while you drive down the road plugged into your tow vehicle. Obviously, the simplest way to charge is to run an extension cord from your house to the shore line input on the street side of the camper, plug it in and let the batteries charge. You might want to check the water level in the batteries prior to doing this just to make sure that they are topped up. It does take a little bit of time for a charge to show up but overnight should just about do it unless there are other issues going on (such as low fluid level in the batteries). With regards to battery switches - the first thing that I would check is the breaker panel located under the dinette. Make sure all those breakers are in the "on" position. Then ,if you have the solar option, under the access panel on the street side rear of the camper is a large red "dial" switch that should be in the "on" position and near it are two reasonability strange looking "breakers" that are black. If either of these two breakers have "tripped" you should see a little "yellow" flag sticking out to the side. Simply push this yellow "flag" back into the black thing - don't worry you will not get shocked as long as that is the only thing you touch. Finally, unless your batteries are dead (which I doubt) and you have solar, I'd hook-up and leave and let the sun and your tow vehicle take care of the batteries (assuming of course that the fluid level in the batteries is good). Have a safe trip! Bill

Matt - I've got "issues", but, not with you. Thanks for staying on top of this thing. Bill

Steve, Welcome, congrates on the new Oliver and try looking at ScottyGS's post below re winterizing. He posted the following link for tire cover at Camping World. Hope this helps! Bill

David and Susan, And now - let the real fun begin! Between making it your own, the where did I store that thing and the joy of getting friendly with your new "baby", this is a really enjoyable time. Whole worlds that one never knew existed open up. Have fun and be safe out there. Bill

Mine built January 2016 doesn't have four screws that I can see. Bill

Dang! A loss and a scare! Thanks all around - to Tommy for all that he has done for me personally. Certainly I wish Tommy and his family well. to medical staff and/or those above for Phil's recovery. That smile in the picture is how I remember Phil from my delivery day. to Steve for letting us all know - perhaps Steve can apply for Tommy's job? Bill

Mike, "I will get out there tomorrow and find that hot water bypass. My understanding is that it is a valve of some sort under the water heater which is under my bed next to the furnace." If you can't find a picture of the winterization valves in question, you might want to take a look at Buzzy's article - EZ Winterizing System written July 17, 2016. This article has a picture of the valves in question AND shows the direction the valves should be placed in to by-pass the water heater. Obviously, once you have drained the heater, make sure that you put the valves back into the "standard" position so that the water heater may once again be filled BEFORE you try to heat water. Bill

Coy, As of 5:39pm (CDT I have no PM from you. Bill

Mike, With regards to Buzzy's water heater issue I would think that it would be fairly simple for short term "winterization" to simply use the by-pass (winterization) valves to by-pass the water heater, pull the anode rod/drain plug to empty the water heater and then, as you suggest, simply heat the rest of the camper. Certainly this would be fairly easy assuming that you store your Oliver at home or at a place that has electric. With regards to the outside shower - it is already inside two doors, but I would still pack that area from the outside with a little bit of insulation. Just to be on the really safe side you might also want to leave open the dinette "hatch" and the curbside rear "hatch". Bill

Coy, I've tried to PM you but that function is not currently working for me. If its working for you can you PM me your email? Bill

Randy, Indirect via (as you mention) the cold air return and the heat that radiates from the exterior of the supply ducts plus that of the heater itself. I'm guessing that the difference in temps you noted is due to the air being "hotter" the closer that you get to the heater and less due to the function of the cold air return. I'm no HVAC guy, but, given the above I somehow doubt that moving the cold air return will have that much effect on your temp differential. Perhaps a better spot for the cold air return would be nearer to the thermostat (or move the thermostat) so that it "senses the "cold air and pumps out more heat. Seriously, I'd guess that the majority of the problem has to do with heat loss from the duct work on the run towards the bath plus the lack of hot air volume getting to the bath. But, I repeat, I'm not a HVAC guy. Bill

Coy - Good idea on the new thread - thanks AND you've got some good ideas here. I think that I've heard a nomination from the floor for Hardrock to spearhead this this! Bill p.s. I'll get back to the Forum as soon as either Tommy or Anita get back to me regarding corporate interest and possible dates.

Scotty, For what its worth - I really don't think that you have much to worry about with a temp of 28 degrees even for several hours. I assume that you have left the outside shower faucets in an open position. These are the most exposed to the outside and water in the valve might freeze at that temperature (although I still doubt it would be enough to cause damage). Other than that I think you are good given what you have already done given the "protected" other parts that could freeze (protected from the wind and they have insulation). Bill

Just can't resist - I get false readings all the time - at least according to my wife! Bill

Nope - no bacon! Pig Out Inn Barbeque · Menu 116 S Canal St, Natchez, MS 39120 Pulled Pork$5.25 Beef Brisket$5.75 Hot Sausage$5.25 Sliced Turkey$5.25 Chicken$5.25 Sloppy Joe$4.00 House Special$10.00 Any sandwich, 2 sides & a drink, w/ beef Salads Fresh greens w/ veggies & your choice of meat

Since I left Twist off at the Mother Ship for a bit of TLC on my way home from out West this summer, it was time to reunite and retrace a trip that my wife and I last took some 30 years ago. We arrived at the plant on Friday afternoon, October 7th at about 2:30pm not even thinking about the normal plant working hours (7am to 3pm). I simply can't say enough about both Justin and Dusten. They were just about the last people there and simply didn't hesitate to make sure that all was well prior to waving goodbye (at just about 5pm!). All the folks at Oliver have always impressed me but these guys went well above the call of duty. They even thought ahead and already had the fridge cooling down for us! After a quick trip to say hello to Anita (yes, she was still there on a late Friday afternoon) and a stocking trip to WalMart we were off the Fall Hollow to see about our reserved camping spot. Unfortunately, they were very busy - (it was Octoberfest weekend in Hohenwald) - and eventually they informed me that even though they remembered speaking with me on the phone, they had no reservation for me. While not too happy with this once again I quickly realized the beauty of the Oliver. With a little water (which Fall Hollow provided) we could camp anywhere - and, we did. The added benefit was that instead of paying Fall Hollow $35 for the night, my cost was $0. On Saturday morning, at the suggestion of Anita, we avoided Route 20 due to the traffic caused by the numerous garage sales of Octoberfest and took Claude Carroll Road off Route 412 to Route 20 (note that the normal entrance to the Natchez Trace was closed to South bound traffic due to bridge construction). Then we took a left on Route 20 a short way to the Natchez Trace and the Meriwether Lewis Monument site at mile post 385.9. Because we were relatively early there were few people there and were able to speak extensively with both of the Park Rangers on duty. We learned ten times more about Meriwether Lewis than we knew before - these two really knew their stuff. Then we were off towards The Parkway Visitor's Center, Tupelo and The Campground At Barnes Crossing. This Good Sam campground was very nice, but, if you are there on a weekend make sure to phone ahead for reservations (if you stay here, be sure to ask about the Clydesdale over in the horse pen) . Just before you get to the Parkway's Visitor's Center (assuming that you are headed south) be sure to look for the Confederate Grave Sites at mile post 269.4 That night at the suggestion of one of the Park Rangers, we drove about 2 miles from the campground to the Blue Canoe tavern. If you are VERY hungry and like burgers, try the "Smash burger". Also the sweet potato fries are excellent. On Sunday morning after church (just down the road from the Blue Canoe for Catholics) there was an IHOP for breakfast. Also note that there are all types of "chain" eateries and a mall, etc. along this short stretch of road. Then it was back on the Trace. Since the Trace was originally a trail developed by the Native Americans, it is not surprising that there are several "Mounds" to visit along the way. Bynum Mound and Village site at mile post 232.4, Pharr Mounds at mile post 286.7 and Emerald Mound at mile post 10.0 are samples. If you can only stop at one of these, make it Emerald Mound. An early stop for the evening found us at mile post 193.1 and the Jeff Busby Campground. Of the two Park Service campgrounds we stayed at, this was by far the nicest. Reasonably clean restrooms are available along with a few spigots from which you can fill your fresh water tank. There is a nice fairly short trail to hike to one of the highest points in Mississippi (603 feet). The next morning we are off to mile post 180.7 and the log cabin village of French Camp. These cabins were constructed in the 40s - the 1840's that is. At mile post 122 you will find the Tupelo-Baldcypress Swamp. Even though this swamp showed the effects of the Eastern drought, there was still water in it. Other than a fairly sizable snake skin that we saw beside the trail, there were no noticeable signs of alligators. We decided to stay at the Rocky Springs campground at mile post 54.8 for the night. Campgrounds run by the Park Service on the Trace are free. This is a good thing since they have not been maintained very well. It is advertised that these campgrounds do not have electric, water, or sewer - there are toilet facilities, but, if you look carefully near the restrooms you will find a water spigot from which you can fill your fresh water tank and then proceed to a site. As a general comment: we found that the entire Trace was in need of care. Certainly the road itself is in very good shape, however, some of the exhibits were in need of help and there was not a single trail or exhibit that was free of litter or in need of maintenance (note the bottom of the information sign for Emerald Mound above). Unfortunately, this seems to be the general state of many of our National Parks. After a nice peaceful night we drove just down the Trace to the "Sunken Trace" at mile post 41.5. A short five minute walk takes you to a short section of the original Trace that is deeply eroded. Just can't imagine hiking this back in the day without Gore-Tex rain gear, Deet, lack of an Oliver, snakes, unfriendly Indians, bandits, etc. Wanting to take a stroll around downtown Natchez, we headed to Natchez State Park for an early check-in - about 8 miles outside of the town of Natchez. This is a very nice State Park located on a fairly sizable lake. All the sites have water and electric and are on concrete pads. The restrooms/shower houses are clean, air conditioned and have plenty of hot water. It was also pleasant to have a quick lunch down by the lake prior to heading into town. All of this and a quiet night for $13 - there is some benefit for being of age. We finally found the Natchez Visitors Center - note that it is a few miles off the Natchez Trace and fairly difficult to find - be sure to ask for directions or do your research first! This is a very nice facility with very helpful people. They will be sure to help guide you towards those things that might interest you. We just wanted to take a walk around downtown and see what has happened in the past 30 years. While there are certainly some bright spots and it appears that the locals have tried to "spiff" things up, it still could use a bunch of work. However, given the nice day, we had fun strolling the pre-planned walking tour, reading the signs describing the various buildings and just generally being tourists. Even though it was a bit early 4:45pm on our way out of town we stopped at The Pig Out Inn BBQ. This is not so much of an Inn as it is a hole in the wall. The menu is fairly limited, but, if pulled pork BBQ and a beer is what you desire then make plans to stop here no matter the time of day. If you are a light eater, you might want to share that sandwich - you can always get another one. The next morning it was off to New Orleans. But, I'll write up that part later. I've only highlighted some of the places we stopped - there are many more. A fairly good quick quide is "Camping Road Trip along the Natchez Trace Parkway" by Anna Sibal and Julian Fenn. Just Google it. Bill

John, I assume that either you didn't see my comments, chose to ignore them, or really wish to have your camera mounted near the roof in a similar fashion to the Oliver camera. In any case I can tell you that mounting the camera in the spare tire cover is very simple. The power wires were run by Oliver during my build and they even put a lighted (so you can tell when it is on or off) camera switch just inside the front door. This power cable runs through the same hole as does the power for the rear license plate light and the only additional hole that needs to be drilled is the one through the spare tire cover - I only drilled a small hole big enough for the video wire and mounted the camera with exterior 3M tape. As I think I mentioned in my original posting on the camera install, Oliver charged me $125 for the switch, wiring (with fuse), and labor. And, that included the drilling of the hole in the spare tire cover, placement of the camera on the outside of the cover and placement of the WiFi transmitter on the inside of the cover. The switch that they used is the exact same one they use for their own camera installation. I would guess that if you insist that the camera be mounted on the roof, there will be a slightly higher charge. Bill

Don, I have used this - https://www.amazon.com/Camco-40246-Drain-Valve-Lube/dp/B000EDSSG6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1477089759&sr=8-2&keywords=rv+valve+lubricant - to lube the slider valves on several RV's including the Oliver. Its $12.19 fir 16 oz at Amazon. Also, I just noticed today that there is a section in my Owners manual covering Winterization - I didn't realize that the outside shower unit had to be treated separately. I'll be sure to take care of that prior to the really cold weather setting in. Bill

I just thought of another thing that you can order if you wish - The standard Maxx-Air vent cover is translucent white, but, if you want to reduce the amount of light and be a little different, you can ask that the cover be in "smoke grey" at no additional charge. But, do this relatively early in the ordering process so that you allow Oliver enough time to order it prior to the start of production. Bill

John - See my forum article on my installation of a non-Oliver camera on my 2016 LE2. I too didn't want another screen on the dash of my TV. There was not a camera cable run from back to front in my Oliver and I believe that with the unit they use they simply transmit from the rear of the trailer to you TV. Initially I put my transmitter under the spare tire cover. But after experiencing some intermittent transmission issues I purchased an extension cable and move the transmitter up front, placing it under the propane cover on the front of the trailer. I've had no issues since - it works like a charm. Note that in looking from the rear towards the front of the LE2 there is a propane line run in a nice place on the right side frame the entire way. It is very easy to run your camera cable in the same space with just a few zip ties. Hope this helps! Bill p.s. The "mount" that I made for the camera basically didn't weather well - the sun apparently attacked the plastic housing and it became brittle. Therefore, over the winter I'm making an aluminum housing for the camera.

When the Andersen WDH is disconnected from the two vehicle the "whale tail" is usually just left laying on the ground. This allows it to get sand, mud, etc. to get all over it and can make it more difficult to re-attach it when it comes time to move. A zip tie, a ring and a large hook help solve that problem. Bill

Just got back from a visit to the factory, a trip down the Trace, and a few days in New Orleans. While at the factory the guys placed a couple of zip ties on the tongue of Twist in order to hold the electric power cable in place. The zip ties are tight enough to hold the cable in place but not so tight as to prevent it from being moved if necessary. If your Oliver doesn't have this arrangement, it is simple to do and makes for a much neater and safer control of this cord. Bill

Dave's "solution" sounds good to me, but if you are thinking that you might want to go the fiberglass route it really isn't that difficult. The product is available in most WalMart stores and if you go over to the Fiberglass RV forum there is a bunch of information there as to how to go about dealing with repairs such as this. Good luck and let us know how it goes. Bill

Welcome aboard (almost). As Anita will tell you - consider the "hatch" on the front of the propane tank cover so that you can access that area without taking off the top of the cover. Also, think about where you might want extra hooks. Unless they have changed it for the 2017 model, the hook on the outside of the bathroom door is located on the left side as you look into the bath. This is OK, but this does not allow you to hang your cloths in an easily accessible spot while you take a shower. So, an additional hook on the right side of the bath door is a great idea. If you get the surge protector (given all the sensitive stuff in the Oliver it is a great idea and could save you a bunch of money in the long run) ask that the readout panel be placed inside the pantry instead of under the bed. It is easier to get to it and yet the red display lights will not "bother" you at night (this readout constantly rotates its display to show amps, error codes, voltage and cycles). Good luck and, hopefully, your time to delivery will pass by at a quicker pace than mine did. Bill

Greyghost - Try typing in "Noisy AC" in the search box. There are several discussions there and if your question is not fully answered I'd suggest sending a private message to anyone there asking for more information. Bill