topgun2

I realize that "having never owned a tow vehicle or a trailer" the question of "what kind of camping are you going to do" becomes a bit of a problem - you don't know what you don't know. But, try answering questions such as: we are interested in traveling to visit family, we want to see national parks, we want to see America, we want to go to Alaska, etc. And/or: we have experience camping in tents or backpacking and prefer getting out away from people; or, we enjoy a good meal and visiting museums. Do you have to have air conditioning? Living in Florida the answer is probably - yes. I have found that living in western North Carolina I only actually use my air conditioner less than 6 times a year. During those times I can stop at a campground that has full hookups and this saves me from having to have a generator. The standard air conditioner is noisy. Can you sleep with ear plugs or even the noise just may not bother you The standard battery setup on Oliver is fine if your intent is to virtually always use campgrounds that have electric hookups. However, if you really want to travel, the Oliver solar setup can't be beat. It allows you to camp virtually anywhere without having to sacrifice (much) in the way of electric usage. I've lived with the standard toilet for 8 years. But, normally I travel alone and I use rest areas and campground restrooms whenever possible. There are many ways around the issue of disposing of human waste. Lean on your Oliver sales agent "hard". Search this Forum for help on just about any topic that enters your mind regarding Olivers and camping. But, enjoy the process! It is a great learning experience that we all continue to have. Bill p.s. Welcome to our world!

If you are really going down this additional "rabbit hole" then I'd suggest getting some 1/2 inch foam pipe insulation and putting it on both the cold and hot water pipes. Even without removing the kitchen drawers you can shove that pipe insulation almost all the way to the entry door. Also relative to the above post - don't forget about putting some around the inside of the outside shower. With a pair of scissors and a little of that tape you can get a good layer around and over that plastic box. The same can be said of where your shore power comes through the outside wall. Another place is around the turn signals (from the inside of course) and that wall in the basement that separates the basement from the area under the street side bed. And - how about another layer around the Styrofoam that covers your water heater (assuming of course that you have the standard water heater). Get creative! But, be a bit careful around electric areas. Bill p.s. not only does that pipe insulation help with regards to freezing issues, but, it also helps keep your hot water a bit hotter such that you will lose less heat during the water's travels from the water heater to the shower in both warm and cold weather. And, it helps keep your water usage quieter - yes, some sound does travel from the water pump through the water its pipes. p.p.s. just remembered another place - the underside of those "hatches" that allow you to access the area under the dinette seats and under each bed. Actually instead of using Reflectix in these areas I used an insulation/sound proofing material like THIS STUFF. It not only insulates part of the bedding area but it also cuts noise from the water pump on the curb side.

Also get yourself some tape like THIS. That way you will not be getting the spray adhesive in places yo don't want or need. Indeed, where possible I'd only use the tape. The reason for this is because an air gap between two layers of the insulation will only increase the insulation qualities (i.e. R value). Then, with my Ollie I first looked at places that were most exposed to the cold and/or heat. Things like the basement door should be considered and, depending on what types of batteries you have, you might want to put a layer of insulation on the battery door. Then - the attic is a place and all areas you can reach in the between the hull's. Have fun! Bill

ALL absorption fridges work in this manner. It usually isn't a "problem" while traveling because the ammonia (liquid) gets "moved" around a fair amount in all directions. In fact - if one of these fridges stops working because of being left in a unleveled state for too long, driving it around on rough roads possibly will settle the liquid back to where its supposed to be and the fridge will work again. You can Google it but here is a quick idea of why they must be "fairly" level: RV fridges are susceptible to issues when not level because it can cause the ammonia/water solution to not flow properly and accumulate in low points of the system. Additionally, an unlevel RV can allow ammonia crystals to form inside the refrigerators piping.Oct 28, 2019 Basically, a good rule of thumb is that if you would feel "comfortable" living inside the trailer (i.e. sleeping) overnight, then the trailer is level enough for the fridge. However, the closer the trailer is to level in all directions - the better the fridge will work. Bill

Since we are "bumping an old thread" on this old subject for the benefit of the owners of older Ollies then we should also bump THIS THREAD which gives more background, frustrations/compliments by owners and explanations by Oliver staff along with what should be done if you are the owner of any Oliver with this problem that has not been previously fixed. Bill

Lookin' good! Bill

Actually - your assumption is correct. But, as SeaDawg mentions, the valve is located between the shower pan and the grey tank. This means that when you run water in the bath sink, the water flows towards the grey tank but when it hits that closed valve the water can't flow into the grey tank and, thus, winds up coming up through the drain in the shower pan. I agree that this is an honest mistake. But, I disagree that you will only do it once - at least if you are anything like me 🤪. I did this so often that I actually went out and bought a second shower mat so that I could let one dry while I still had one to use. Of course, once I bought that second mat I've hardy ever had the need to use it. But, like the good Boy Scout that I used to be - I'm prepared! Bill

More than likely, under the assumption that there is still a plastic plug in the water tank, anything inside the tank isn't causing your problem with the readout (however, this is still a possible explanation). As Steph and Dud B mentions above, Olivers are very susceptible to rather "wild" tank" readings due to the trailer not being level and this is due to the shape of the tanks. The sensors are on the exterior of the tanks - the easiest ones to actually see are the ones on the black tank. Lift the dinette seat nearest the bathroom to locate the black tank. Then look at the sensors usually located at the lower right side of the tank. Unless you have placed something against these exterior sensors that interferes with the connections it is unlikely that these are the source of the issue. Given where you live, I assume that you will be taking your Oliver back to Service at some point (something just before the first year's anniversary would be appropriate) in order to have it re-checked and to get anything fixed under your one year bumper to bumper warranty. Bill

Yes - the original Trojan T-105's are still in the same place. I thought that this year they just might give up the ghost but - they performed as they usually do during my major camping trip out west for fishing. Since new they have never been under 87% full! I'm fairly conservative on my usage of electricity but I do watch a DVD movie about three or four times each week. About all I use the microwave for is popcorn with the occasional heating of left overs for dinner. After treating the battery posts with anti-corrosion treatment during the first year I've never had to get after them with baking soda. But, I do clean them each time I wash the Ollie. I'm going to wait until Spring and assume that at that time I'll replace them. Certainly they don't owe me a dime and I'd rather not have them die while I'm on the road next year. Bill

Certainly my batteries (also lead acid and still original) were not delivered with those bolts. I'm guessing that there is nothing specifically "wrong" with them but .... I check my lead acid batteries about every 60 days and find that they usually require a bit of water - never more than a cup for all 4 batteries. During the winter I have a small solar panel always feeding them since I have a CalMark cover that shields the main panels on the roof. Bill

JD makes a good point about the solar switch being in the "on" position - it appears to be in the "off" position in your photo. Bill

When I originally started down the molded fiberglass trail I didn't know Oliver existed (like most of us). So, I arranged to take a tour of a Casita. My initial "problem" was that I could not stand straight up in the shower. But, as we sat at her dinette I looked around and saw that the "oak" cabinets were actually particle board with an "oak" decal. The floor simply looked "cheap" and the fit and finish was not good - and this was a trailer that was only one year old. A week later - I found Oliver!😃 Bill

Make sure that your valve configuration is proper and that those valves are fully set into the position you desire.

Oliver #117 takes offense at being called "Older"! I'm not exactly sure what question you are asking. My solar system still works just like the day I took delivery and there have never been ANY issues with it. Its a little hard to tell exactly from your picture - but - is the battery terminal at the upper right as tight as it should be? Is the wire/spade on the second terminal from the left tight? I would not trust a bungee cord on the batteries but would contact Oliver Service and ask them to send you a new battery strap. Or, make one yourself. Bill

Use the "search" function here on the Forum. There is even a "Q & A" summary taken from this year's Annual Owners Rally on this subject. Good luck with the planning. Bill p.s. I just took a quick look and there are pages of Forum material on this subject. HERE is the post I was referring to above.

You'll get used to it. Its those guys that "surprise" me at the gas pumps that I still don't like.😒 Bill

That Ollie is looking way too clean for being on the road a month! Really nice shot of main street - do they still have a campground at the end of main street? Bill

Good for you! Even more important than the camera - in my opinion. Bill

JD - Even though I'm not a Facebook fan - I did try to take a look at your video. Unfortunately I received a message there that the "link is broken". Bill

Note that I said that "the good fishing". While I've never actually fished at that access you mention, I've been told that it does not have the best fishing there. So glad that you two are having a good time and that the weather has been about as good as you could have wished for. Hopefully this weather continues for you! Bill p.s. Note that during the two times I did the hike down and back into the canyon, I too never actually saw a snake (of any kind). However, in two different fly shops I was warned - both about the hike and the snakes.

There's some very good fishing at the bottom of the Black Canyon. However, the good fishing comes with three "problems": 1 - getting down there; 2 - getting back up from down there; 3 - rattlesnakes! Certainly those three things do not take away from the beauty though. Bill

I quit AAA after years of membership due to a bad experience. I needed a tow in Hayes, KS on a Saturday early afternoon since a wheel bearing on my SOB RV gave up the ghost on Interstate 70. There I was - stuck - with a ton of traffic wizzing by and AAA told me that they didn't have contracts with anyone in that area that could help me. They didn't even offer to look up the names of ANY local towing outfits and I didn't have a cell phone that could do that either. Lucky for me that a KS State Patrol officer stopped and gave me the name of what turned out to be a great towing company that was located not 5 miles away. The towing bill for that 5 miles was several hundred dollars and once I submitted receipts and waited 6 months I did receive a check from AAA for $75. More than the money - it was the lack of being willing to provide any help. Bill

I've also used a bit of Goof-Off to get sap off the Ollie and truck. Go at it lightly though. Bill

Glad things worked out and that your tour of our favorite travel trailer was a success. Let us know if you have further questions. Since we are "family" - we'll keep a light on for ya! Bill

Speed Demon, seven hub, Parsec, and gland box! Sure do wish I knew what you guys are talking about, but, it sure does sound interesting anyway!😁 Bill