What Are Your Must-Have Oliver LEII Upgrades?

[Keithinator]

For those of you who have owned an Oliver LEII for some time, what upgrades have been most valuable for you? 

And knowing what you know now, what options do you wish you'd gotten?

Conversely, which ones have you found out aren't nearly as nice or as useful as you thought they'd be? 

 

[BackofBeyond]

Solar (and all the attending equipment), Composting toilet, front/rear LP connections, Front storage basket, rear storage/bike rack (old design), 30lb Propane tanks ,  Fiber granite countertops,   All in that order.

The extra couch cushions were a waste of $$

[John E Davies]

Unless you tell us how you plan to camp, these opinions are not meaningful. If you stay hooked up all the time in the East you don’t need the NH or the solar, or the big batteries or an inverter. But you might love all those electronics on the roof for watching football.

Different strokes, etc. Tell us where you will be going and what you want to do when you get there.

John Davies

Spokane WA

[Overland]

Excluding stuff that isn't currently on the menu -

Things I'm glad I got:

1. Rear camera - I have a different brand but I'd have been fine with Oliver's 
2. Solar
3. Composting toilet 
4. Second Awning
5. Fiber granite
6. Truma water heater
7. Larger propane tanks
8. Propane quick connects
9. Basement access hatch
10. Extra outlets
11. Bike rack - not the current one, though
12. Reading lights

Things I'm ambivalent about:

1. Dexter EZ Flex - will probably upgrade to something different

Things I wish I didn't get:

1. Zamp port - never used and super easy to install yourself if needed
2. Mattress upgrade - we didn't get ours from Oliver, but we ended up with cushions so I wish we hadn't paid for them

Things I'm glad I didn't get:

1. Any entertainment, phone or internet gizmo - we did our own boosters and would use an iPad for entertainment if needed
2. Front basket
3. Extra shore power port
4. Oliver's electronics (inverter, batteries, etc.) - installed my own and really happy with it
5. Microwave - toaster oven is better for us
6. Automatic sewer valves

Looking at the current menu, here's the things I wouldn't care for:

1. Lithium package - I'd do my own
2. Inverter - same
3. Extra shore power port
4. Any antennas or boosters
5. Microwave
6. Condensation mat - imo, it's only needed with the latex mattress
7. Mattress - I prefer cushions but I'd have better ones made than what Oliver provides
8. Shower curtain - needed, imo, but I'd do my own like I have on mine
9. Auto valves
10. Andersen hitch - I'd pay for a ¾ ton truck before I'd buy their hitch
11. Truma antifreeze - assuming it's cheaper just to buy it direct
12. Electric door lock - would do it myself
13. Front basket
14. Rear receiver - would see if I could get the old platform style rack fabbed somewhere or make my own with 80/20
15. Power awning - I'd ask Oliver if they could attach the mounts for the street side awning, then buy a pair Carefree awnings like I have
16. Easy start - needed, but I'd do it myself

 

Edited August 28, 2020 by Overland

[Keithinator]

@John E Davies I'm happy for general feedback on what folks like and don't like for their specific usage/situations.

[John E Davies]

5 minutes ago, Keithinator said:

@John E Davies I'm happy for general feedback on what folks like and don't like for their specific usage/situations.

That is fine, no worries. Just be aware that if we don’t have a clue how you plan to camp, It doesn’t make a lot of sense to discuss in detail all possible options. 
 

I normally stay disconnected and I rough camp whenever possible, so the NH toilet and solar is a prime feature. Downloaded videos, the cell booster and an unlimited cellular data plan replace the TV, Wifi Ranger and other electronics.  The front cargo tray is useful but detrimental to a lighter tow vehicle, so I moved mine to the back for better balance. The microwave aka Battery Killer is crucial to my wife, but I would toss it in a heartbeat in favor of more storage space and less stress on the batteries.

This is discussed very often, a search will bring up past threads. Have you ever camped, what is your background?

John Davies

Spokane WA

[Keithinator]

@John E Davies I'm on the East Coast in Maryland, so my journeys will mostly be to the Mid-Atlantic, New England and local mountainous areas (I'm close to the Appalachians), along with lots of Civil War areas (I'm a buff, like George Costanza). We'll be doing a fair amount of winter camping, as my wife and I like cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and cold-weather camping in general. One of the major reasons for the Oliver purchase, in fact, is its superior 4-season abilities. 

We'll also be heading west, but much less often until we retire. Probably no really long trips until then as well; mostly a week-10 days or less until our schedules allow us some more free time. 

[SeaDawg]

We have an older Elite, so many of our upgrades are already included in the base model.

Solar is the #1 upgrade for us, as it has allowed us to camp without hookups most of the last 12 years.

What I wouldn't get:

Kingdome/satellite receiver or TV antenna. Frankly, I'd leave out the TV, though I think it's standard. It just takes up space, and we never use it. If we want to watch something, as we rarely do,  it's fine on the tablet or my phone.

Convection microwave is another item we added at the last minute. It died from lack of use, I think, and we replaced it with a big storage cabinet. I can reheat foods on a pot or skillet on the stove, or in foil on the fire. I love my big cupboard.

Sherry

[Jairon]

4 hours ago, Overland said:

Things I'm glad I didn't get:

Do you use a generator? I'm not sure where we would place ours if we don't opt for the basket since we're in an SUV.

4 hours ago, Overland said:

Things I'm glad I got:

How often do you deploy the 2nd awning and what do you use it for? Window shade?

4 hours ago, Overland said:

Rear receiver - would see if I could get the old platform style rack fabbed somewhere or make my own with 80/20

I hate the current design but the old one didn't look much better. Any reason you prefer the older design?

Edited August 28, 2020 by Jairon

[SeaDawg]

Maybe consider a propane genset?

Extra portable solar is not dangerous to carry. That would be my first choice.

Edited August 28, 2020 by SeaDawg

[Jairon]

9 minutes ago, SeaDawg said:

Maybe consider a propane genset?

We're going to pick up suitcase panel but would like the generator for extended trips as a just-in-case should the batteries get too low. I've been looking into the Honda EU2200i propane conversion kit but wasn't sure if it could work off the already regulated quick connects on the Oliver. If anyone has info on the subject I'd love to hear about it!

Edited August 28, 2020 by Jairon

[Overland]

42 minutes ago, Jairon said:

Do you use a generator?

No.  With our LFPs and extra solar we can get by without one.  If I were buying today, I'd really consider the new F150 with the built in generator as an alternative.  

42 minutes ago, Jairon said:

How often do you deploy the 2nd awning and what do you use it for? Window shade?

All the time, and to block both sun and rain.  I'll always roll it out about a foot just to keep the mid day sun off the side of the trailer, and if we're someplace where we feel comfortable leaving the trailer with the windows open (most everywhere), then we can leave without worrying about an unexpected shower getting anything wet.

Funny, we bought it because we had noticed in some campgrounds with pulloff sites, that people who got left hand sites couldn't use their awnings.  That, or they set up camp right by the road.  But we've yet to run into that situation ourselves.  Still, glad to have gotten it.

42 minutes ago, Jairon said:

Any reason you prefer the older design?

The one I have is the square platform, which was copied from the one that ScubaRx made for himself.  I bought a rhino rack basket that fits on it about perfectly so it functions as extra storage.

This is the only photo I can find that shows it, sort of...

Edited August 28, 2020 by Overland

[Jairon]

6 minutes ago, Overland said:

The one I have is the square platform, which was copied from the one that ScubaRx made for himself.  I bought a rhino rack basket that fits on it about perfectly so it functions as extra storage.

I think I've looked at every receiver modification posted on the forum. They are starting to all blur together at this point 😁 I really don't understand why they don't add a 2 inch receiver to allow for racks like the 1up. It is one of the only racks I'd feel OK about strapping to the back of the trailer. Slap a sticker on it with the weight limit and call it a day. I'd be happy to sign legal documentation if that is what it takes...

[John E Davies]

1 hour ago, Jairon said:

Do you use a generator? I'm not sure where we would place ours if we don't opt for the basket since we're in an SUV.

What is your truck? I always carry the Yamaha 2400 in the back of the 200, no problems, no petroleum smells, no oil leaks. I keep all gas cans outside, always. To run it I lay it on the ground near the coupler, or if I only need it for a little while, I will pull it out 8 “ onto the tailgate and run it in place. I reposition it this way so the upper hatch cannot possible close all the way on it while it is operating. Carrying a generator inside a passenger compartment is not the best idea, but it can be done with care. 
 

John Davies

Spokane WA

Edited August 28, 2020 by John E Davies

[BackofBeyond]

The original 2' SQUARE ALUMINUM  rack. I currently have a Yakama bike rack mounted on it. In the future there will be an aluminum box, with the bike rack mounted on top of the front opening box. 

[Jairon]

2 hours ago, John E Davies said:

What is your truck?

Hey, John. I'm the guy with the LC200. I'm encouraged to hear that the Yamaha doesn't stink up your vehicle; I'd like to keep the tongue weight around 650 so every bit helps.  Have you considered a propane conversion? I'd love to hear your reasoning for or against it. I'm OK with the efficiency loss but on the other hand, keeping an extra 6-8 gallons of fuel that I can toss into the LC should I miscalculate also seems forward thinking 😬

[John E Davies]

54 minutes ago, Jairon said:

Hey, John. I'm the guy with the LC200. I'm encouraged to hear that the Yamaha doesn't stink up your vehicle; I'd like to keep the tongue weight around 650 so every bit helps.  Have you considered a propane conversion? I'd love to hear your reasoning for or against it. I'm OK with the efficiency loss but on the other hand, keeping an extra 6-8 gallons of fuel that I can toss into the LC should I miscalculate also seems forward thinking 😬

I do not want or feel the need for a propane conversion. I always carry 10 gallons of gas on the back of the Ollie on the relocated factory Ollie rack - BTW this reduces my tongue weight to under 500 pounds, when those jerry cans are full. So I never worry about having gas for the generator, and I can refuel the 200 using a fast flow syphon pump if I want to top up at the campsite before I head into the boonies. Or I can easily refill the gennie tank the same way. It was easier when the tray was up front, but it isn't a big deal now.

I removed the third row seats and stored them away the day I got the 200 home, and I recently put down a nice Toyota rubber mat for a Heritage Edition since the OEM mat has those cutouts for the seat mounts. I added a stainless loop at the right rear seat back bolt, to allow me to run a Python cable through that hole and through the Yamaha, so it can't wander off. Unfortunately, all the other stuff inside the truck could wander off, so it is not advisable to run the gennie this way unless you are entirely alone, or you can watch the proceedings through the window for bad guys. Here it is, running - you do NOT want to completely trap a running generator inside the truck.:

 

The Yamaha is a brute, I normally see close to 20 amps without issues and it runs my Air Command AC without a soft start kit, using a super heavy duty 10AWG 15 amp cord:

 

When running it on the ground, I lock it to the tongue:

Ands when switched off I hide it behind the Stone Stomper mesh, after it has cooled:. This shows the tray before I moved it around back:

 

Was that too much information at once?

John Davies

Spokane WA

Edited August 29, 2020 by John E Davies

[Jairon]

7 minutes ago, John E Davies said:

Was that too much information at once?

Never! 🤪 I love the setup and it is something I never would have considered. Very cool! I've also been flip flopping between the Yamaha EF2200iS and the Honda EU2200i. I'm guessing that is pretty normal though...

[John E Davies]

I forgot one more thing, in Spring I carry a 110 volt Makita 16” chainsaw plus 75 feet of cord, that I can run off the generator, for when I come around a turn on a forest road and find a tree down across the road. I have no winch (you don’t really need one with a 200, as long as you are cautious, and have a shovel and Maxx Trax), so this method allows me to clear a downed tree, or cut firewood, quite easily. It is more clunky than a gas saw but the saw is silent and relatively mess free, and there is no gas/ oil mix to carry. I really should carry the saw all season long, because you never know when a williwaw will come through and trap you in your camping spot.

Aaaaaaand, if you wanted to carry a small automotive battery charger, you could recharge a dead truck battery from the generator in a couple of hours, so you don’t have to call for a tow truck. Assuming you have a cell signal or an inReach. But I carry a lithium jump pack, so I don’t need a charger..... I have used that pack in the wild one time, on another truck. The driver was very grateful but I refused cash.

Honda vs Yamaha is an individual preference really, but I think the Blue is definitely better. Honda has had a lot of recalls lately that are worrisome..

John Davies

Spokane WA

Edited August 29, 2020 by John E Davies

[Ray and Susan Huff]

18 hours ago, Jairon said:

I think I've looked at every receiver modification posted on the forum. They are starting to all blur together at this point 😁 I really don't understand why they don't add a 2 inch receiver to allow for racks like the 1up. It is one of the only racks I'd feel OK about strapping to the back of the trailer. Slap a sticker on it with the weight limit and call it a day. I'd be happy to sign legal documentation if that is what it takes...

We have a 1up rack and hate to give it up.  So, we are hoping it will fit between the pickup and the trailer using a dual receiver adapter.  We are not getting the aluminum storage basket.