Some thoughts after nearly a year on the road...

[technomadia]

It hasn't quite been a year yet, but Cherie and I are back where it all started last July -- camped inside (yes - inside!) the Oliver factory in Hohenwald, TN.

 

Even though a year has passed, we are still in love with our Oliver and we don't regret our decision to get one in the slightest. I couldn't imagine going back to a Tab like we had the year before, and I am SO glad that we didn't settle on a Casita. Our little 17' Oliver is the perfect trailer for us - anything less (or more) would have felt like a compromise.

 

Even though we have had our share of issues (some even serious), the overall quality of the Oliver design, and especially of the Oliver people, has continued to blow us away. The folks at the factory have always come through for us, even when we are on the opposite side of the country.

 

Today we are back revisiting the factory to get our uneven tire wear resolved and a few other minor things handled. They have been great in handling all of our issues, and they even threw in brand new tires to go along with the replacement for the defective axle!

 

The folks here really do make us feel like family.

 

 

After a year living in our Oliver, we do have a few design suggestions on ways that future models can be improved. This is a long list, but most of the issues are extremely minor:

 

Cabinet Doors: The sliding cabinet doors are the one area of the trailer that doesn't feel up to the quality standards of the rest. Ours do occasionally jam or fall off the tracks. The new cabinet design in the 22' Oliver model is a VAST improvement, and it would be great to make these sort of cabinet doors standard on the 17'.

 

Water Pump: There are too many water-related switches! There should be only one pump switch inside, and (maybe) one outside. The switch under the sink isn't really necessary when the master switch is just a few feet away.

 

Hot Water Switch Location: The hot water switch should be located adjacent to the water pump switch, not hidden away under the bed. Ours occasionally gets knocked on in the current location, and it can too easily go unnoticed when it does.

 

SeeLevel with Switches: The otherwise identical SeeLevel 709-PH tank monitor incorporates both a water pump and a hot water switch. Combining these functions into the tank monitor would make for a much cleaner and clearer setup than the current separate switches.

 

Propane Gauge: It would be nice if the Oliver offered propane tanks that can display their status on the SeeLevel display. I have found a 30lb tank that should be compatible. (I just posted in the propane thread with details...)

 

Grey Water: There should be a way to leave the grey water drain open while leaving the battery bay closed. This would be nice for when semi-permanently hooked up to a sewer system.

 

Battery Chamber Size: We rarely use the outside shower, but we would often appreciate having space for four batteries. Offering an option to forgo the shower for an extended battery compartment would be nice.

 

Battery Chamber Lock: It would be nice if there was a way to lock the battery chamber, and perhaps even the tongue propane storage area. (This may potentially not be allowed by law??)

 

Bumper Storage Chamber Height: The back bumper storage area does not have enough clearance to store a typical sewer adaptor, meaning that it can not be stored along with the hose. One inch more clearance would make a huge difference here.

 

Excessive Thermostats: Three thermostats on the wall next to the sink is overkill. It looks as if it is possible to wire the furnace and AC to a single thermostat - that would make for a cleaner design. (The third thermostat is for the remote control for the FanTastic Roof Fan.)

 

Interior / Exterior Master Switches: It would be nice to have separate cut-off switches near the door for interior and exterior lights. Often when leaving the trailer you will want to leave the outside lights on, but shut off all the inside lights.

 

Dusk-till-Dawn Lighting: I would love to be able to set the outside ground lights to be dusk-till-dawn... (And I have an idea of how to do this using some features in the solar charge controller!)

 

Clear Door Slider: Using clear plastic for the screen door slider lets in a lot more light when using the screen door... We bought a clear plastic slider at Camping World - it is a great simple upgrade that should be standard...

 

Door Window Curtain: There really needs to be a standard way to block the door window for privacy, particularly since all the other windows offer such great privacy with the blackout blinds. We have used some of our extra seat fabric to make a velcro attached curtain... Perhaps this should be standard for all Oliver's?

 

Spring-Loaded Tow Hooks: When we picked up our Oliver, it came with locking D-rings to attach the tow chains. We immediately replaced these with heavy-duty spring-loaded hooks, which making hitching up MUCH easier. These sort of hooks should be standard.

 

A Better Manual: Like every other RV I have ever seen, the Oliver documentation leaves a lot to be desired. I would love there to be a clear and simple owner's manual with maintenance guidelines very clearly stated. Advanced documentation like plumbing diagrams and electrical system schematics should also be available.

 

 

I wonder what other long-term owners think of this list. Do you have any other suggestions or ideas - major or minor, to add?

 

Overall though, there is very little that we would change. Having looked at a LOT of RV designs out on the road, I remain convinced that the Oliver is the best thought out general purpose travel trailer design to be found.

 

I am very much looking forward to our next year on the road in ours!

 

- Chris

[mountainborn]

It hasn't quite been a year yet, but Cherie and I are back where it all started last July -- camped inside (yes - inside!) the Oliver factory in Hohenwald, TN.

 

Even though a year has passed, we are still in love with our Oliver and we don't regret our decision to get one in the slightest. I couldn't imagine going back to a Tab like we had the year before, and I am SO glad that we didn't settle on a Casita. Our little 17' Oliver is the perfect trailer for us - anything less (or more) would have felt like a compromise.

 

Even though we have had our share of issues (some even serious), the overall quality of the Oliver design, and especially of the Oliver people, has continued to blow us away. The folks at the factory have always come through for us, even when we are on the opposite side of the country.

 

Today we are back revisiting the factory to get our uneven tire wear resolved and a few other minor things handled. They have been great in handling all of our issues, and they even threw in brand new tires to go along with the replacement for the defective axle!

 

The folks here really do make us feel like family.

 

 

After a year living in our Oliver, we do have a few design suggestions on ways that future models can be improved. This is a long list, but most of the issues are extremely minor:

 

Cabinet Doors:

The sliding cabinet doors are the one area of the trailer that doesn't feel up to the quality standards of the rest. Ours do occasionally jam or fall off the tracks. The new cabinet design in the 22' Oliver model is a VAST improvement, and it would be great to make these sort of cabinet doors standard on the 17'.

Our doors have never fell out or came open while traveling. But to look into one cabinet requires sliding one door half open, look inside, slide the half back shut so you can look in the other hald, then repeat the process for the other side.

Water Pump:

There are too many water-related switches! There should be only one pump switch inside, and (maybe) one outside. The switch under the sink isn't really necessary when the master switch is just a few feet away.

Our Ollie doesn't have the bathroom water switch and we often wish it did

Hot Water Switch Location:

The hot water switch should be located adjacent to the water pump switch, not hidden away under the bed. Ours occasionally gets knocked on in the current location, and it can too easily go unnoticed when it does.

Same here. We store stuff under the bed and when we go into rough areas the switch position has changed from being jossled by plastic totes.

SeeLevel with Switches:

The otherwise identical SeeLevel 709-PH tank monitor incorporates both a water pump and a hot water switch. Combining these functions into the tank monitor would make for a much cleaner and clearer setup than the current separate switches.

Sounds good, would like to know more about it

Propane Gauge:

It would be nice if the Oliver offered propane tanks that can display their status on the SeeLevel display. I have found a 30lb tank that should be compatible. (I just posted in the propane thread with details...)

Will this eliminate the ability to exchange tanks on a weekend or some other emergency ?

Grey Water:

There should be a way to leave the grey water drain open while leaving the battery bay closed. This would be nice for when semi-permanently hooked up to a sewer system.

We would likely not use such a feature because we dump the black tank first then the gray to provide a rinse and slight lubrication to the knife blade valves seals.

Battery Chamber Size:

We rarely use the outside shower, but we would often appreciate having space for four batteries. Offering an option to forgo the shower for an extended battery compartment would be nice.

 

Battery Chamber Lock:

It would be nice if there was a way to lock the battery chamber, and perhaps even the tongue propane storage area. (This may potentially not be allowed by law??)

Yes !

Bumper Storage Chamber Height:

The back bumper storage area does not have enough clearance to store a typical sewer adaptor, meaning that it can not be stored along with the hose. One inch more clearance would make a huge difference here.

If this change could incorporate the ability to carry a full size 8 ply spare we would be intrested.

Excessive Thermostats:

Three thermostats on the wall next to the sink is overkill. It looks as if it is possible to wire the furnace and AC to a single thermostat - that would make for a cleaner design. (The third thermostat is for the remote control for the FanTastic Roof Fan.)

We only have one, but it sounds good to me.

Interior / Exterior Master Switches:

It would be nice to have separate cut-off switches near the door for interior and exterior lights. Often when leaving the trailer you will want to leave the outside lights on, but shut off all the inside lights.

Yes !

Dusk-till-Dawn Lighting:

I would love to be able to set the outside ground lights to be dusk-till-dawn... (And I have an idea of how to do this using some features in the solar charge controller!)

Yes !

Clear Door Slider:

Using clear plastic for the screen door slider lets in a lot more light when using the screen door... We bought a clear plastic slider at Camping World - it is a great simple upgrade that should be standard...

Yes !

Door Window Curtain:

There really needs to be a standard way to block the door window for privacy, particularly since all the other windows offer such great privacy with the blackout blinds. We have used some of our extra seat fabric to make a velcro attached curtain... Perhaps this should be standard for all Oliver's?

 

Spring-Loaded Tow Hooks:

When we picked up our Oliver, it came with locking D-rings to attach the tow chains. We immediately replaced these with heavy-duty spring-loaded hooks, which making hitching up MUCH easier. These sort of hooks should be standard.

Not for us. They can come unlatched in deep snow as we were yesterday, or even in dessert chapparal

A Better Manual:

Like every other RV I have ever seen, the Oliver documentation leaves a lot to be desired. I would love there to be a clear and simple owner's manual with maintenance guidelines very clearly stated. Advanced documentation like plumbing diagrams and electrical system schematics should also be available.

I am not sure that we would ever need it

 

I wonder what other long-term owners think of this list. Do you have any other suggestions or ideas - major or minor, to add?

 

Overall though, there is very little that we would change. Having looked at a LOT of RV designs out on the road, I remain convinced that the Oliver is the best thought out general purpose travel trailer design to be found.

 

I am very much looking forward to our next year on the road in ours!

 

- Chris

[ScubaRx]

Cabinet Doors: The sliding cabinet doors are the one area of the trailer that doesn't feel up to the quality standards of the rest. Ours do occasionally jam or fall off the tracks. The new cabinet design in the 22' Oliver model is a VAST improvement, and it would be great to make these sort of cabinet doors standard on the 17'.

 

I do not like the fold up/down cabinet doors on the 22 footer I saw at the factory. I've not had any issues with the sliding ones that came with ours, in fact, I can't get the doors out of their tracks. Sometimes I wish I could. This would make working in these areas easier. I solved the "opening while moving" problems with some rare earth magnets.

 

Water Pump: There are too many water-related switches! There should be only one pump switch inside, and (maybe) one outside. The switch under the sink isn't really necessary when the master switch is just a few feet away.

 

I like the set-up just the way it is. I like being able to turn the pump on/off at multiple locations, in fact, I wish there was yet another switch in the bathroom.

 

Hot Water Switch Location: The hot water switch should be located adjacent to the water pump switch, not hidden away under the bed. Ours occasionally gets knocked on in the current location, and it can too easily go unnoticed when it does.

 

Ours never gets knocked on accidently since it is behind the fold down table on our twin bed option. I do wish it were in a more accessable place though.

 

SeeLevel with Switches: The otherwise identical SeeLevel 709-PH tank monitor incorporates both a water pump and a hot water switch. Combining these functions into the tank monitor would make for a much cleaner and clearer setup than the current separate switches.

 

Propane Gauge: It would be nice if the Oliver offered propane tanks that can display their status on the SeeLevel display. I have found a 30lb tank that should be compatible. (I just posted in the propane thread with details...)

 

As I understand it (from other posts) there is an addition that will accomplish this. Other that my fetish for the most bells and whistles, I don't see as I need it.

 

Grey Water: There should be a way to leave the grey water drain open while leaving the battery bay closed. This would be nice for when semi-permanently hooked up to a sewer system.

 

I have found that this might be useful, althought I agree with mountainborn, I usually would not want to continously dump my grey water.

 

Battery Chamber Size: We rarely use the outside shower, but we would often appreciate having space for four batteries. Offering an option to forgo the shower for an extended battery compartment would be nice.

 

We use our outside wash station several times a day. I wouldn't trade this for 10 more batterys.

 

Battery Chamber Lock: It would be nice if there was a way to lock the battery chamber, and perhaps even the tongue propane storage area. (This may potentially not be allowed by law??)

 

Good idea, I've seen some owners that actually had factory installed locking cams.

 

Bumper Storage Chamber Height: The back bumper storage area does not have enough clearance to store a typical sewer adaptor, meaning that it can not be stored along with the hose. One inch more clearance would make a huge difference here.

 

OK

 

Excessive Thermostats: Three thermostats on the wall next to the sink is overkill. It looks as if it is possible to wire the furnace and AC to a single thermostat - that would make for a cleaner design. (The third thermostat is for the remote control for the FanTastic Roof Fan.)

 

We only have two and we like them, if they could be combined into one, that would be OK too.

 

Interior / Exterior Master Switches: It would be nice to have separate cut-off switches near the door for interior and exterior lights. Often when leaving the trailer you will want to leave the outside lights on, but shut off all the inside lights.

 

Not a bad idea. I converted all my external light switches to 3-ways so I could turn them on/off from inside the trailer.

 

Dusk-till-Dawn Lighting: I would love to be able to set the outside ground lights to be dusk-till-dawn... (And I have an idea of how to do this using some features in the solar charge controller!)

 

Clear Door Slider: Using clear plastic for the screen door slider lets in a lot more light when using the screen door... We bought a clear plastic slider at Camping World - it is a great simple upgrade that should be standard...

 

Door Window Curtain: There really needs to be a standard way to block the door window for privacy, particularly since all the other windows offer such great privacy with the blackout blinds. We have used some of our extra seat fabric to make a velcro attached curtain... Perhaps this should be standard for all Oliver's?

 

Spring-Loaded Tow Hooks: When we picked up our Oliver, it came with locking D-rings to attach the tow chains. We immediately replaced these with heavy-duty spring-loaded hooks, which making hitching up MUCH easier. These sort of hooks should be standard.

 

A Better Manual: Like every other RV I have ever seen, the Oliver documentation leaves a lot to be desired. I would love there to be a clear and simple owner's manual with maintenance guidelines very clearly stated. Advanced documentation like plumbing diagrams and electrical system schematics should also be available.

 

This would probably be nice, I too am not sure how often I would use it. I usually attack a problem by simply looking at it, figuring out how to fix it, then going after it. My experience with owner's manuals it they are usually written be some goon that doesn't speak English then translated making little sense. That would be a good project for someone to take on. I believe there are other members of the forum that have expressed a similar interest. What I would like to see is a complete wiring and plumbing diagram.

[andrew]

It hasn't quite been a year yet, but Cherie and I are back where it all started last July -- camped inside (yes - inside!) the Oliver factory in Hohenwald, TN.

Congratulations!

 

Water Pump:

...

Hot Water Switch Location:

...

SeeLevel with Switches:

Here is the link:

http://www.rvgauge.com/products/model_709PH.shtml

 

I sent the factory an email recommending it a while back.

 

The problem that I saw is that although they have one with a 3-way switch and one with a hot water switch, they don't appear to be available together. It seems that an RV manufacturer should be able to special order from SeeLevel though and get exactly what they want.

 

Grey Water:

There should be a way to leave the grey water drain open while leaving the battery bay closed. This would be nice for when semi-permanently hooked up to a sewer system.

I have heard, although I don't know the details, that doing that increases the gunk build-up in the grey tank. I don't have experience, I have just heard not to do that in an RV.

 

Battery Chamber Lock:

It would be nice if there was a way to lock the battery chamber, and perhaps even the tongue propane storage area. (This may potentially not be allowed by law??)

Our battery chamber I believe does have a keyed latch, tho I have never used it.

I do know that the latches on our propane cover have locks, but they said they were not allowed by law to give us the keys and on newer trailers stopped using the keyed latches.

Bumper Storage Chamber Height:

The back bumper storage area does not have enough clearance to store a typical sewer adaptor, meaning that it can not be stored along with the hose. One inch more clearance would make a huge difference here.

 

Ours was close enough that I put our adapter on the table sander and made it the 1/8" shorter so now it will slide in there.

[technomadia]

Our doors have never fell out or came open while traveling.

 

Actually, neither have ours.. and I don't think Chris said they did. However, ours fall out quite frequently just opening and closing them. If you slide one of them over just a touch too far and put pressure on them, they fall right out of the bottom track, and then thus the top track. And it's very easy to get it lined up incorrectly and go on the wrong track when closing them, causing a jam. And quite frequently, stuff will shift inside the cabinets, blocking the track of the doors. Surprised others haven't encountered this.. maybe I'm just using them wrong

 

But overall, I'd just really rather have full access to each cabinet. Oh well, Oliver says the 17' cabinets can't be retrofitted with the style of the 22'.

 

Our Ollie doesn't have the bathroom water switch and we often wish it did

 

Are there Ollie's with a switch in the bathroom? That would be far more convenient than one under the sink.

 

Will this eliminate the ability to exchange tanks on a weekend or some other emergency ?

 

Yes, going to a 30lb tank in general eliminates that option. That's why we went with a hybrid of a 20 and a 30, so we could have the capacity and the ease of exchange if needed. I'm personally not in complete agreement with Chris that a tank with a gauge is necessary however.

 

Spring-Loaded Tow Hooks: When we picked up our Oliver, it came with locking D-rings to attach the tow chains. We immediately replaced these with heavy-duty spring-loaded hooks, which making hitching up MUCH easier. These sort of hooks should be standard.

Not for us. They can come unlatched in deep snow as we were yesterday, or even in dessert chapparal

 

Hmm.. not sure we're talking about the same hooks here. I think what we went with are referred to tractor claw hooks. It'd be quite difficult for them to come opened and unattached without deliberate effort to do so.

 

 

- Cherie

 

PS. Since we're making a list.. I'll bring back my desire to have lighting over the 'cutting board' and/or over the mirror bathroom door. And I do rather like the upper cabinet in the bathroom too of 22'.

[ScubaRx]

Cherie,

 

I'm with you about the upper bathroom cabinet in the 22 footer. That, I thought, was one of the nicer additions. I'm a little envious about your cabinet doors. I'm sure it's a hassel when they inadvertantly come out, but I've tried everything short of breaking them to GET them out. This is usually when I'm working on some mod and need complete access to the cabinet. I built a charging station and rack to hold electronics inside the back cabinet that spans the entire width. I had to design it so that it could be disassembled into several pieces outside the trailer then fed in thru the half opened cabinet doors and reassembled inside and mounted permanantly. I felt like Rube Goldburg.

 

Hope your axle/wheel/tire swap when smoothly. We're going up to the factory next week for the same thing.

 

Steve and Tali

[DCKiefer]

The water heater switch location is not very desirable to me either. I actualy took a crome curved drawer handle I got at Lowes and mounted it over the water heater switch to prevent it from getting turned on accidentally.

 

I don't find the AC thermostat necessary, wish the controls were in the unit. Don't like the two minute delay when I kick the air down. I want cool air on demand.

 

The bumper storage could be modified a bit to gain and extra half inch of access. I actually trimmed the aluminum angle in a couple of places to allow storage of sewer connectors.

 

I also would like to se the battery compartment with a lock. Just something to keep the honest folks out.

 

I will admit that the sliding cabinet doors might not give the best access, but from past experience anyhing that flips up or swings out gets in the way. Never had trouble with them coming out of the track and as some one else stated have tried to remove them on a couple of occasions but gave up out of fear of breaking them.

 

 

We haven't spent a year in our trailver, but we have been on a half dozne trips since purchasing our Oliver last June. The only issues thus far are as follows.

 

1. Didn't care fo the fact that the spare tire was of a lower load rating and smaller size than the other two. A very simple modification to the tire cover allows a 225 to fit.

2. Discovered minor water leaks at power cord in let, rear awning arm braket and battery box. A neat calking job corrected these problems.

3. Water leak around AC in rain at highway speeds. A/C was not torqued enough to compress gasket, don't correct this on your own without careful though or talking to the follks at Oliver.

4. I would like to see something that would shield the refreigerator controls. I found the frig turned off a couple of times becuase it is to easy to bump the off button.

[jam49]

The bumper storage could be modified a bit to gain and extra half inch of access. I actually trimmed the aluminum angle in a couple of places to allow storage of sewer connectors.

 

Picture available???

[jam49]

Chris and Cherie,

If you are still at the factory could you show Robert the hook that anchors the swing arm for the monitor while traveling? Thanks,J

[technomadia]

Will do Jam49.. we're not at the factory anymore (they handled everything on our list), but camped at the *fabulous* Meriwether Lewis National Monument campground just a few miles down on the Natchez Trace. If y'all are ever visiting the factory and want a FREE place to stay, this place is absolutely gorgeous. No hookups (and very treed, so even if you have solar, you won't recharge much) - but with a generator or an overnight stop, it makes for a great landing base near the factory.

 

 

We'll likely be seeing Robert socially over the weekend and will for sure show him the hook that Daniel installed for us to keep the swing arm more stationary while in motion.

 

- Cherie

[jam49]

Cherie,

Thanks - If I am able to get a hook such as yall have I wonder if I will have to still use the stuffed bear and puppy dog as cushions on top of the monitor as I travel down the road ???

I agree that park is beautiful. I went back to it after getting set up for the night at the campgrounds after picking Revilo up and took a lot of pictures. It is so peaceful and beautiful in those Tennesse mountains. I am glad all is well for yall now as you continue on your wanderin' ways. Sure enjoy the posts so keep em coming. J

[SeaDawg]

Congrats on your many adventures. We follow your blog, and posts.

Our Oliver has also served us well, now into our second year, and working on 18,000 miles.

 

We're finishing up three plus weeks in New Zealand and coastal Australia in rented motorhomes, and I can tell you, I wish I had my Oliver here...

 

Our Australian built motorhome has a panel where the water heater, water pump switch, and most other switches are located together overhead, taking up the space of one storage cabinet. Nice, but I'd rather have the cabinet. I keep three big bins under the bed in the ollie, and have had the water heater switch come on by accident only once or twice. A switch just beyond the bed, or near the water pump switch, would be great, if the wires didn't interfere with the generous drawer space.

 

We have one thermostat, for the furnace. Controls for the fan are on the fan, and on the A/C for the A/C, which we almost never use. So, I guess it's ok for us. On our rental unit, we have an electric heat pump, and an extremely confusing remote, which gives us problems all the time, getting heat when we want AC, and vice versa. I guess we'd get used to it if we had one... (It is quiet, though...)

 

I think a permanent place allowing for a grey water connection is an excellent idea. Grey water often fills faster than black, and it is ok to leave that connected where you have full hookups. (Black will get "clogged" without enough liquids...). In Australia, many campers have a grey water connection with a faucet and connector up forward, on the triangle of the frame, and it works well. Many with small tanks drain into a bucket, and water the trees (with the park owner's permission) as they're battling drought conditions in many parts of the country... though floods in others. Both our camper in New Zealand and here in Australia had "cassette toilets" something new for us. The whole (small) black tank pulls out, and is dumped like a blue boy at a dump point, no hose. Grey tanks are very small, too (30 liters instead of 30 gallons)... in our rentals, and it's the same in most other campers we've seen as well. Lots of ultralights and popups here, and tiny tow vehicles. Tiny everything. But campgrounds are set up with camp kitchens, big amenity blocks, gas grills, and lots of extras to make camping on the small side easier.

 

(Australia has very strict rules on campers, caravans and motorhomes. The Queensland camper guide warns against even minimal modifications made to campers... warning owners that they may invalidate the state certifications for their vehicles. Our rental in New Zealand had a very annoying vent in the door... very cold at night, and drafting in vehicle exhaust on the highway during the day. The Australian motorhome has a permanent vent on top. Each country requires fresh air exchange, even in a drafty motorhome. It is also against the law to drive with the propane on.)

 

Our rental here in Australia has European swing up cabinet doors instead of sliders, with push in positive latch buttons.Beautiful cabinetry, and full access to the interior spaces. However, after only 6000 kilometers (this camper is just about brand new), one of the hinges has already broken in our rental, and several of the cabinets have popped open going down the road, sending the contents tumbling everywhere.... Not fun. If Oliver goes to swing up doors someday, I hope they find a better system than this camper has.

 

I think we'd all agree that Oliver came up with an amazing, tough little trailer, and has an equally amazing, willing, and friendly staff to repair any problems that arise, or do any modifications that we may desire. After three weeks in rentals, I'm so looking forward to being in my own Oliver again!

 

Sherry

[DCKiefer]

Wow, your the first people I have known to take a trip like that and RV while you are there, cool. I don't like what sound like a lot of restrictions on modifications. I would probably be band from owning an RV with the things I have done over the years.

 

I do want to make a comment about the cassette toilet since our last camper, a slide-in, had one. If you do a lot of dry camping were dump stations are not available they are a great idea. There were a number of times were I emptied the tank into toilet or pit toilet. You don't get as much capacity, but options for empting it were much more available.

 

Have a great trip, I am sure your Oliver misses you.

[technomadia]

Wow... I'm envious of your travels in NZ and Australia!! How awesome! We have some folks camping with us at Burning Man who full time around Australia.

 

 

We had a cassette toilet in our T@b that we lived in for 7 months together. It was functional in a pinch, and did have the advantage of being able to be dumped in pit toilets, etc. But I wouldn't go back now that we're spoiled with the capacity of our Oliver .

 

- Cherie

[herm]

I enjoyed reading all the comments from those that have spent some serious time in their Olivers...a lot more time than me. In general, I agree with much that has been said. Here are my comments (though you'll have to take them with a grain of salt, being that ours is barely broken in):

 

Cabinet Doors: I too have had some problems in this area. It seems like there's too much play between the doors and the track guides, allowing the doors to jump out of their tracks. But perhaps that's better than the alternative which is that you can't remove them at all without great difficulty, as others have reported.

 

Hot Water Switch and Water Pump Switch: Yes, having these incorporated into a single panel along with the monitoring panel would be fabulous and look much more professional.

 

Propane Gauge: Frankly, I'm more than satisfied with the semi-transparent tanks. Yes, that means I need to lift the cover to check the level, but that's good enough for me. It would be nice if the SeaLevel panel was integrated somehow, but I wouldn't give up the fiberglass tanks to make that happen.

 

Battery Compartment Size: Camping with a dog means we really need the outside shower. Even though she's just a little schnauzer, she can get awful dirty in a hurry. Plus, we don't camp off-grid too often (right now, anyway).

 

Battery Door & Propane Cover: I too would love the ability to lock these areas, whether legal or not. It just seems like common sense, especially considering the cost of the items inside.

 

Excessive T-stats: Yes, I wish I had less. I am having trouble with my current A/C t-stat, and along with fixing this issue my local dealer is investigating the possibility of tying in the furnace too. If it works, I'll report back. At least that would eliminate 1 of the 3 (I also have a MaxxFan t-stat).

 

Int./Ext. Switches: Yes, having the lighting seperated in this fashion would be nice, especially considering there are 2 spare switches on the panel that are currently unused. Depending on how much work is involved, I may try to do this mod in the future.

 

Door Window Curtain: Yes, it's certainly needed and should be a standard furnishing as you suggest.

 

Tow Hooks: My biggest problem with the threaded links is that when opened, they barely fit around my hitch loops. I have to wiggle them on and take power-coated paint with it every time. I have the spring-loaded variety on our boat trailer, and they seem to be a safe solution too and definitely quicker to install/remove.

 

Manual: Other than the winterization section (which was previously discussed as needing more detail), I have not needed to consult the Oliver owner's manual. I too would appreciate having some schematics for future mods.

 

Other Items: I agree that a 225/75R15 spare should be on the list for improvements on future models. I suspect in the early models, all 3 tires did match. It's probably just that the spare cover hasn't caught up to the other running gear changes yet. I could do some more nit-picking over minor fit/finish items, but I don't want to send the wrong message about how we feel about the Oliver. In general, we are very happy and there's really no other trailer on the market that compares. Plus, it's sort of cool to have something unique and rare (at least for now).

 

Herm