First Real Camping Day Pic!

[topgun2]

OK, on the smelly thing topic - 

Did you "flush" the toilet after use?  If not - then all you have to do is step down on that pedal that is on the right side of the toilet near the floor.  By depressing this pedal to the floor and looking in the toilet bowl at the same time, you will see the toilet "open" at the bottom.  When you release the pedal you will see that the toilet "closes" at the bottom.  With a little practice you will come to realize that this pedal actually has two functions - adding water to the toilet and opening/closing that trap door in the bottom of the toilet.  A press of the pedal about half way will get you just water addition while fully depressing the pedal will get you a bit of water and a full open of that trap door.  Obviously if you do not have any water in your fresh tank and/or are not hooked up to water at your camp site then you will not get any water.  It is best to always have at least a couple of inches of water in the bottom of the toilet.  This helps keep odors from the blank tank from seeping through the seal on that trap door and up into the bath area.  However, too much water (or other liquids - let alone solids) in the toilet can cause "splash" while going down the road.

Bill

p.s.  assumed that you did a bit of a cleanup of the shower area after you found out how to open the grey tank valve.

p.p.s.  (added edit) for the longer term and only after you feel settled in, you might want to take a look at THIS VIDEO.  In the video they talk about (among other things) toilet maintenance.

Edited January 29, 2021 by topgun2

[Carl Hansen]

Congratulations on your new Elite I.  I am very excited and happy for you... but I must admit also being a bit jealous.  We have ordered our Elite I but will not take delivery on it until October!!! Yikes!!! Keep your stories and pictures coming.  Some of us are living vicariously through you new experiences.

Along with many others, I encourage you to take a deep breath, take your time, never be in a hurry and enjoy every new thing you learn about about your new trailer.  Oh... and don't forget to laugh a lot along the way.  You do have a large following here that are rooting for you so you are never alone.  I've already learned so much from the members of this forum, all of which have been very helpful.

Something else I would recommend is to check out the Oliver University online.  They have a ton of great information and videos on each of the systems in your trailer.  I have watched almost all of them and they have been a great source of information.

Don't forget to savor each new day you have with your new Olie!  We are all here cheering you on!  You can do this!

Carl

Edited January 29, 2021 by Carl Hansen

[SeaDawg]

Btw, your toilet probably came with a little bottle of tank treatment. Put most of it down the toilet, but put a quarter down the bathroom sink.  The odors will go away, even for those of us with hypersensitive noses, if the shower floor is now clean.

Um, when you treat the toilet, open the valve/hole by depressing the pedal at the bottom of the toilet. It will close when you let off the pedal. 

Ps. Put an inch or so of water in the bowl from a jug, if you still haven't connected to water. There is a rubber seal around the valve at the bottom of the bowl that likes to stick, if it's left without water or rv antifreeze in it. 

After every dump, you'll need to add a little toilet tank treatment to keep everything happy. An ounce ot so of the orange liquid, or one pod if the pod packets is quite enough.

The inexpensive orange liquid at Walmart is fine. 

[TexasGuy]

Congrats on your Ollie!  I pick up in May and am so ready to get on the road!

[JRK]

If you don’t smell the odor now, it was most likely the first splash residual until it aired out. Maybe a spray bottle with a diluted vinegar solution for such cleaning? It will clean the spillage and odors. But still needs to air out. Open windows/doors use a fan and freeze but odor needs to escape. Or just wait once it is cleaned to naturally air out. 
no different than a perfume. It will hang out for a while. You are learning about air movement inside trailer. 
 

where was Walmart? I either need to shop before I get there, or after I park. Leaning toward waiting. 
 

enjoy. 

[katanapilot]

12 hours ago, BackofBeyond said:

How long are you staying in your current spot?  Sat weather  looks interesting -  would you like a visit - my SO needs to get out for a brief trip. (ok, so would I , and  the dog - Harley) 

text me - 615  six 0ne three two four23.

SherMica,

You don't know me and you don't know Russell - but you would greatly benefit from taking him up on his generous offer.  He doesn't live too far from David Crockett and he has several years of experience with his Ollie.

I bought his Andersen weight distributing hitch when we were on our way to pick up our Ollie.  It was a fair and honest transaction and I appreciated his advice.

And he loves dogs, too.

I know I dislike inconveniencing folks asking for help, but he is volunteering and you should take advantage of the knowledge and experience he is offering.  Just my opinion, of course.

Edited January 29, 2021 by katanapilot
corrected dumb misspelling

[John E Davies]

Propane goes fast in below freezing temps if you are not using electric heat as a secondary method. You should definitely take advantage of shore power when it is there! I rarely camp in cold weather so my supply is not usually a worry, you are full timer, so you should get some sort of monitor. This is well regarded ... 

https://www.amazon.com/AP-Products-024-1001-Propane-Indicator/dp/B01C5RQJHS/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=AP+Products+024-1001+Propane+Tank+Gas+Level+Indicator&qid=1611919630&sr=8-3

You might maybe have to raise the tanks up a little to make room to install the transmitter(s) under the bottle(s)... https://www.amazon.com/Mopeka-Tank-Check-024-5002-Halo/dp/B07HQZRR9F/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Mopeka+024-5002+LP+Check+Tank+Halo&qid=1611919707&sr=8-1

Some people complain of poor battery life. That is probably from using crap counterfeit cells which infect the Internet. If the price is just way too good to be true, it is FAKE. Buy a name brand multi-pack of CR2032 cells at a local hardware store so you know it is genuine!

I have no personal comments about how well the sensor actually works. I would definitely not install the butt ugly display unit they have available. Instead I would install just ONE sensor underneath ONE tank; call that your Secondary  tank and write that on the tank near the shutoff valve. Label the other tank Main. Set the little movable arrow to point at Main. When your gas supply has been used up in Main, the regulator will automatically switch to Secondary. (The green indicator window for Main turns red.)

At this point you can monitor the gas level in Secondary using the electronic sensor and your phone app. When that drops to say 1/2, take out both bottles and get them both refilled. There is no need to have two sensors, just check the app daily to get an idea of your gas usage. Once the valve switches itself, you will start to see the level go down. Make a habit of checking it daily first thing in the morning, so if you need to buy more gas, you will have a full day to deal with that....

That would be my setup.... right now I leave Secondary turned off; when Main runs out, my fridge, furnace and hot water quit working and I freak out and go outside to open the other valve. Then I have to reset the fridge and water heater; sometimes it is the middle of the night. But at least I do not completely run out and then start to freeze my butt off or lose food..... Maybe I should install one of those gauge doohickeys!

When you remove the tanks for servicing, you should remove the sensor so it is not damaged in transit (setting it down on a rock!).

Some owners carry a third propane tank in the bed of the truck as a backup, that sounds awkward and just a little dangerous to me. I would strap one to a rack on the Ollie if I were to do this.

When transporting for service do NOT lay them on their sides, upright only!

Hang in there. Some days of worry will get better, to be replaced by many days of pleasure and new experiences.

John Davies

Spokane WA

Edited January 29, 2021 by John E Davies

[Moonlight Mile]

12 hours ago, Carl Hansen said:

Congratulations on your new Elite I.  I am very excited and happy for you... but I must admit also being a bit jealous.  We have ordered our Elite I but will take delivery on it until October!!! Yikes!!! Keep your stories and pictures coming.  Some of us are living vicariously through you new experiences.

Along with many others, I encourage you to take a deep breath, take your time, never be in a hurry and enjoy every new thing you learn about about your new trailer.  Oh... and don't forget to laugh a lot along the way.  You do have a large following here that are rooting for you so you are never alone.  I've already learned so much from the members of this forum, all of which have been very helpful.

Something else I would recommend is to check out the Oliver University online.  They have a ton of great information and videos on each of the systems in your trailer.  I have watched almost all of them and they have been a great source of information.

Don't forget to savor each new day you have with your new Olie!  We are all here cheering you on!  You can do this!

Carl

Carl, cannot thank you enough for what you wrote, de-lurking or what-not too. Helps a LOT to know you guys are “there.” Trying to collect some text numbers (PMs) for Panic Moments. I am glad my stuff may help others. Once I know what I am doing I am going to blog. I am a writer (humor mostly, tough market because so subjective), among other sorts of unusual hats I wear. Or have worn. Normally not this frazzled, but it’s been a horrific 4 years or so. Relentless family, friend tragedy, etc. 
 
I have not had time (priorities and all) to set up internet, but when I get my MacBook and all set up I made a site (another hat I wear) where I plan to write whatever silliness and travel stories.  https://whendogsdrive.com
 

Sheri

Edited January 29, 2021 by SherMica

[Moonlight Mile]

1 hour ago, katanapilot said:

SherMica,

You don't know me and you don't know Russell - but you would greatly benefit from taking him up on his generous offer.  He doesn't live too far from David Crockett and he has several years of experience with his Ollie.

I bought his Andersen weight distributing hitch when we were on our way to pick up our Ollie.  It was a fair and honest transaction and I appreciated his advice.

And he loves dogs, too.

I know I dislike inconveniencing folks asking for help, but he is volunteering and you should take advantage of the knowledge and experience he is offering.  Just my opinion, of course.

I did text! We are in touch! Dog people are my people. I think I was a dog in a past life. Haha.

[Moonlight Mile]

1 hour ago, John E Davies said:

Propane goes fast in below freezing temps if you are not using electric heat as a secondary method. You should definitely take advantage of shore power when it is there! I rarely camp in cold weather so my supply is not usually a worry, you are full timer, so you should get some sort of monitor. This is well regarded ... 

https://www.amazon.com/AP-Products-024-1001-Propane-Indicator/dp/B01C5RQJHS/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=AP+Products+024-1001+Propane+Tank+Gas+Level+Indicator&qid=1611919630&sr=8-3

You might maybe have to raise the tanks up a little to make room to install the transmitter(s) under the bottle(s)... https://www.amazon.com/Mopeka-Tank-Check-024-5002-Halo/dp/B07HQZRR9F/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Mopeka+024-5002+LP+Check+Tank+Halo&qid=1611919707&sr=8-1

Some people complain of poor battery life. That is probably from using crap counterfeit cells which infect the Internet. If the price is just way too good to be true, it is FAKE. Buy a name brand multi-pack of CR2032 cells at a local hardware store so you know it is genuine!

I have no personal comments about how well the sensor actually works. I would definitely not install the butt ugly display unit they have available. Instead I would install just ONE sensor underneath ONE tank; call that your Secondary  tank and write that on the tank near the shutoff valve. Label the other tank Main. Set the little movable arrow to point at Main. When your gas supply has been used up in Main, the regulator will automatically switch to Secondary. (The green indicator window for Main turns red.)

At this point you can monitor the gas level in Secondary using the electronic sensor and your phone app. When that drops to say 1/2, take out both bottles and get them both refilled. There is no need to have two sensors, just check the app daily to get an idea of your gas usage. Once the valve switches itself, you will start to see the level go down. Make a habit of checking it daily first thing in the morning, so if you need to buy more gas, you will have a full day to deal with that....

That would be my setup.... right now I leave Secondary turned off; when Main runs out, my fridge, furnace and hot water quit working and I freak out and go outside to open the other valve. Then I have to reset the fridge and water heater; sometimes it is the middle of the night. But at least I do not completely run out and then start to freeze my butt off or lose food..... Maybe I should install one of those gauge doohickeys!

When you remove the tanks for servicing, you should remove the sensor so it is not damaged in transit (setting it down on a rock!).

Some owners carry a third propane tank in the bed of the truck as a backup, that sounds awkward and just a little dangerous to me. I would strap one to a rack on the Ollie if I were to do this.

When transporting for service do NOT lay them on their sides, upright only!

Hang in there. Some days of worry will get better, to be replaced by many days of pleasure and new experiences.

John Davies

Spokane WA

Thanks John - I will try to deal with this at some point. Right now I cannot even hardly unhitch, done it ONCE when I arrived at SP here, and am very concerned with re-hitching alone in a few days when I must leave here. It is quite overwhelming, all this. I am still exhausted. My brain won’t work as well as it should. The campground is near empty and I am hoping to disable a fancy feature in the truck that slams on the brakes and will not even let the truck back up because “it” thinks the ball in back on my receiver thing is something I am going to collide with! I MUST disable this feature or I will NEVER be able to even practice backing up in order to re-hitch, hard enough to do alone — even at OTT delivery the experienced TECH guy guided me and we had to repeatedly make adjustments and HE even manhandled the whole hitch a bit to get the ball in the right spot and it took 15 minutes — but as an exhausted newbie even harder. My priority today is to turn off the truck feature that thinks my ball in back is a baby carriage I am about to back over. Technology. It’s good buy sometimes it actually takes over TOO much.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 29, 2021 by SherMica

[Moonlight Mile]

8 hours ago, JRK said:

If you don’t smell the odor now, it was most likely the first splash residual until it aired out. Maybe a spray bottle with a diluted vinegar solution for such cleaning? It will clean the spillage and odors. But still needs to air out. Open windows/doors use a fan and freeze but odor needs to escape. Or just wait once it is cleaned to naturally air out. 
no different than a perfume. It will hang out for a while. You are learning about air movement inside trailer. 
 

where was Walmart? I either need to shop before I get there, or after I park. Leaning toward waiting. 
 

enjoy. 

Wiped down shower basin with a cleaner and not smelling it again (so far). Likely it was “residue.” Walmart is 6 min from park in Lawrenceburg TN. Fairly large city really has everything. All the chain stores etc.

[topgun2]

8 hours ago, JRK said:

where was Walmart? I either need to shop before I get there, or after I park. Leaning toward waiting. 

JRK - 

Google it.

If you go to the WalMart in Hohenwald, when you exit their parking lot all you have to do from the traffic light is go straight across the four lane highway and continue straight until the road ends (less than a mile).  The building in front of you will have a sign on it that reads something like - "Oliver Sales and Service".  Your Oliver will be waiting for you inside!  Conversely, if you go to pickup first, all you have to do is go straight out of the Oliver parking lot, through one traffic light and you will run into the WalMart building.

Bill

[Moonlight Mile]

12 hours ago, SeaDawg said:

Btw, your toilet probably came with a little bottle of tank treatment. Put most of it down the toilet, but put a quarter down the bathroom sink.  The odors will go away, even for those of us with hypersensitive noses, if the shower floor is now clean.

Um, when you treat the toilet, open the valve/hole by depressing the pedal at the bottom of the toilet. It will close when you let off the pedal. 

Ps. Put an inch or so of water in the bowl from a jug, if you still haven't connected to water. There is a rubber seal around the valve at the bottom of the bowl that likes to stick, if it's left without water or rv antifreeze in it. 

After every dump, you'll need to add a little toilet tank treatment to keep everything happy. An ounce ot so of the orange liquid, or one pod if the pod packets is quite enough.

The inexpensive orange liquid at Walmart is fine. 

Thanks - they had pink stuff in tank at delivery. Gone now. Big concern today is truck not letting me back up bc of sensor thinking ball is an object. All this will have to wait I think. Hope it doesn’t damage Ollie but I MUST start practicing re-hitching or I am not going anywhere. There is NO one here to help. Here meaning in the campground. It’s dang near empty.

[topgun2]

Sheri - 

There are always Park Rangers around and I'm sure that one of them would be glad to help - if you really need it.

Bill

[Mike and Carol]

1 minute ago, SherMica said:

Thanks - they had pink stuff in tank at delivery. Gone now. Big concern today is truck not letting me back up bc of sensor thinking ball is an object. All this will have to wait I think. Hope it doesn’t damage Ollie but I MUST start practicing re-hitching or I am not going anywhere. There is NO one here to help. Here meaning in the campground. It’s dang near empty.

Look at the row of toggle switches underneath your display screen.  There should be four or so that do something.  One of them is your rear parking sensor, just push it down until the light comes on.  That means it’s off, you will also get a notification on the display between your speedometer and tach.  Just leave it off as long as you have your hitch on!  Mike

[SeaDawg]

5 minutes ago, SherMica said:

Thanks - they had pink stuff in tank at delivery.

Pink stuff is rv antifreeze. Orange and blue are the typical colors for rv tank treatment.

 

Edited January 29, 2021 by SeaDawg

[Mike and Carol]

3 minutes ago, Mike and Carol said:

Look at the row of toggle switches underneath your display screen.  There should be four or so that do something.  One of them is your rear parking sensor, just push it down until the light comes on.  That means it’s off, you will also get a notification on the display between your speedometer and tach.  Just leave it off as long as you have your hitch on!  Mike

Here’s a pic I just took.  The toggle with the light on is the one you want to push.  I have my hitch on now and leave that rear parking sensor off.

[Moonlight Mile]

4 minutes ago, Mike and Carol said:

Look at the row of toggle switches underneath your display screen.  There should be four or so that do something.  One of them is your rear parking sensor, just push it down until the light comes on.  That means it’s off, you will also get a notification on the display between your speedometer and tach.  Just leave it off as long as you have your hitch on!  Mike

Mike I have the 2021 and I am going yo caffeinate and go sit in truck in a few minutes with manual and deal with this. Will keep posted. Had to tire doggo out - 2 mile walk. He keeps me going, I tell you. NOW he is sleeping and I can start dealing with everything else here til he needs to go pee!

[Moonlight Mile]

51 minutes ago, Mike and Carol said:

Here’s a pic I just took.  The toggle with the light on is the one you want to push.  I have my hitch on now and leave that rear parking sensor off.

Got it turned off - my panel looks diff but thank you!!!

[Moonlight Mile]

Look! I backed up without Annoying Park Assist thing on, and this almost looks doable alone when it comes time to re-hitch, am I right? Used the Ram’s backup camera. 

[topgun2]

Dang!  That's good.

I know that you were just practicing, but, in "real life" it is a good idea to make sure that your trailer "bulldog" hitch is higher than your truck's hitch ball before you start the process.  It is also a bit easier to see that bulldog hitch in your camera screen if it is a lighter color than black - I spray painted mine silver.  All you need is a can of spray paint, a bit of masking tape and a few minutes for drying time.

Bill 

[Moonlight Mile]

2 minutes ago, topgun2 said:

Dang!  That's good.

I know that you were just practicing, but, in "real life" it is a good idea to make sure that your trailer "bulldog" hitch is higher than your truck's hitch ball before you start the process.  It is also a bit easier to see that bulldog hitch in your camera screen if it is a lighter color than black - I spray painted mine silver.  All you need is a can of spray paint, a bit of masking tape and a few minutes for drying time.

Bill 

Thanks Bill! Any bit of encouragement that I am on the right track here is SO comforting right now!! I cannot tell you what-all else (non trailer or camping) I am dealing with, every day, what with mail issues, tax time docs going back to sender, dog, on and on. Life happens. This is cognitive brown-out. Ha.

[Moonlight Mile]

1 hour ago, topgun2 said:

Sheri - 

There are always Park Rangers around and I'm sure that one of them would be glad to help - if you really need it.

Bill

Great idea!! The one I met on arrival was super nice.

[John E Davies]

56 minutes ago, SherMica said:

 

Woohoo! How many tries was that? That is pretty much perfect. Obviously further back whacks the parts together. That is why the wheel chocks are there, but go super slow to minimize any impact. Add this to your Honey Do list. A Magnetic bubble level, stick it on the side of your Bulldog coupler. When you DISCONNECT the hitch (it is raised up enough to clear your ball) move the level until it is horizontal ... the next time you get ready to hitch up, like in those pictures, you raise the tongue with the jack until you see the bubble where it is level. Then you know you have enough room for the ball to clear, with no bangs. Without the bubble it is a matter of trial and error. 

Once the BD is aligned pretty close to the ball, you can use a little brute force with your foot to kick the Andersen left to right, since there is play where it connects, or even kick the trailer tongue. It will wobble a bit too (sways as the tires shift against the pavement ). Sometimes if the coupler seems reluctant to drop in place, a little kick is the best option. Keep hands clear!!! Having the small trailer makes this part  of hitching up a lot easier. The tandem is more difficult to shift sideways. 

John Davies

Spokane WA

Edited January 29, 2021 by John E Davies

[Moonlight Mile]

20 minutes ago, John E Davies said:

Woohoo! How many tries was that? That is pretty much perfect. Obviously further back whacks the parts together. That is why the wheel chocks are there, but go super slow to minimize any impact. Add this to your Honey Do list. A Magnetic bubble level, stick it on the side of your Bulldog coupler. When you DISCONNECT the hitch (it is raised up enough to clear your ball) move the level until it is horizontal ... the next time you get ready to hitch up, like in those pictures, you raise the tongue with the jack until you see the bubble where it is level. Then you know you have enough room for the ball to clear, with no bangs. Without the bubble it is a matter of trial and error. 

Once the BD is aligned pretty close to the ball, you can use a little brute force with your foot to kick the Andersen left to right, since there is play where it connects, or even kick the trailer tongue. It will wobble a bit too (sways as the tires shift against the pavement ). Sometimes if the coupler seems reluctant to drop in place, a little kick is the best option. Keep hands clear!!! Having the small trailer makes this part  of hitching up a lot easier. The tandem is more difficult to shift sideways. 

John Davies

Spokane WA

The backup cam on the Ram is just amazing. Three different colored lines and very specific as to actual location as you slowly move in reverse. The *slightest* touch on the steering wheel lets you see very clear dotted lines,  pretty precise alignment guide, on the dash screen, which is HUGE, like a big iPad. So, that was ONE try. One!
 

See, this is an example of when I *love* technology.
 

At other times . . .  not so much. Ha.