Wayfinder Posted May 19, 2021 Posted May 19, 2021 Chris here. If all goes well, we will be picking up hull #110 on Monday. Though reported earlier on the forums as selling for a very high amount, the dealer came to their senses by the time we came upon it and had dropped the price considerably. Looks like new inside and out, really. Someone took great care of it. I myself have been researching RV'ing and travel trailers for seven years now; certainly didn't rush into anything. It's time to stop watching YouTube only. The Oliver is in EXCELLENT condition from what we can tell. We've visited it a few times and gone over it quite thoroughly. I've been watching any Oliver videos I could find since 2015; not too many out there by private owners. Erika and I will ”attempt” to change that. We'll see how we do. We're both software support and video editors (desktop recordings). The only immediate concern we have is the rear Oliver sign and if it's sealed well enough. Does anyone have a link to a how-to for the rear sign? More to come as these TT n00bs get their feet wet. No more tents for us. Also, kudos to the dealer. They even took it camping one weekend and said it tows excellent. They could have tried to sell us an anti-sway or weight distribution system, but said that with my 2020 RAM Limited with 4-way airbags and 3.92 differential (for towing ability), it should not be necessary and to try it first before buying that extra gear. That's a good sign. We're looking forward to upgrading some basic components and making it our own. We'll supplement the 4 new flooded lead acid batteries with our two 1000 watt Jackeries. The trailer does have the 320 watt panel and everything seems to work well. More to come, Chris 1 1 Chris 2016 Legacy Elite II o--o Hull #110 o--o Wayfinder o--o Twin Bed o--o 2020 RAM 1500 Limited 5.7L Augusta, Georgia
Moderators topgun2 Posted May 19, 2021 Moderators Posted May 19, 2021 Welcome and congrates! When I took delivery of my hull #117 in February, 2016 there was only one person that had a video tour of the Oliver posted on YouTube (Windcrasher). It was a good video showing just about all the features of the Oliver and I bet I watched that thing 50 plus times - there was no such thing as the Oliver University either. After that a good Forum member posted a number of videos on various aspects of the Oliver but after encountering some family problems and nefarious people on YouTube he took most (if not all ) of those videos down. Since then there have been a number of "reviews" by various people but they tend to be somewhat generalized in both information and content. Regarding your concern about the rear "sign" - you might want to send a PM (private message) to SeaDawg. I know that they have worked on theirs and would be happy to provide whatever help they can. With regards to your tow vehicle - I assume that it is a 1/2 ton pickup. If that is the case then you might want to investigate the use of the Andersen WDH a bit further in that these hitches are generally "required" by all of the major manufacturers for vehicles under warranty. It could also affect your personal liability in the event something happens while out on the road. Assuming that your batteries are good then I think you will be surprised as to how well the solar system works. In the years I've had mine, I've never been below the mid 80's in remaining battery capacity (and that was after 4 straight days of rain camped in a site that had fairly heavy tree cover) and in full sun the batteries are virtually always back to 100% by no later than 11am. Bill 1 1 2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist" Near Asheville, NC
Moderators SeaDawg Posted May 19, 2021 Moderators Posted May 19, 2021 We replaced the lens last year. We've had some really heavy rains since then, and all is good. You could try cleaning it up and recaulking first. And, the little strip of rv gutter helps divert the rainwater, I think. 2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4 2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12 Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes.... 400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries . Life is good.
Wayfinder Posted May 19, 2021 Author Posted May 19, 2021 2 minutes ago, SeaDawg said: We replaced the lens last year. We've had some really heavy rains since then, and all is good. You could try cleaning it up and recaulking first. And, I think the little strip of rv gutter helps divert the rainwater, I think. Thanks so much for the info! Erika 🙂 Chris 2016 Legacy Elite II o--o Hull #110 o--o Wayfinder o--o Twin Bed o--o 2020 RAM 1500 Limited 5.7L Augusta, Georgia
Wayfinder Posted May 19, 2021 Author Posted May 19, 2021 1 hour ago, topgun2 said: Welcome and congrates! When I took delivery of my hull #117 in February, 2016 there was only one person that had a video tour of the Oliver posted on YouTube (Windcrasher). It was a good video showing just about all the features of the Oliver and I bet I watched that thing 50 plus times - there was no such thing as the Oliver University either. After that a good Forum member posted a number of videos on various aspects of the Oliver but after encountering some family problems and nefarious people on YouTube he took most (if not all ) of those videos down. Since then there have been a number of "reviews" by various people but they tend to be somewhat generalized in both information and content. Regarding your concern about the rear "sign" - you might want to send a PM (private message) to SeaDawg. I know that they have worked on theirs and would be happy to provide whatever help they can. With regards to your tow vehicle - I assume that it is a 1/2 ton pickup. If that is the case then you might want to investigate the use of the Andersen WDH a bit further in that these hitches are generally "required" by all of the major manufacturers for vehicles under warranty. It could also affect your personal liability in the event something happens while out on the road. Assuming that your batteries are good then I think you will be surprised as to how well the solar system works. In the years I've had mine, I've never been below the mid 80's in remaining battery capacity (and that was after 4 straight days of rain camped in a site that had fairly heavy tree cover) and in full sun the batteries are virtually always back to 100% by no later than 11am. Bill I just took a look at the owner's manual & you called it. Any trailer over 5,000#s requires a WDH. Time to add that back to the "things to buy before pickup day" list. So glad you mentioned requirements for warranty & liability purposes. Erika 1 Chris 2016 Legacy Elite II o--o Hull #110 o--o Wayfinder o--o Twin Bed o--o 2020 RAM 1500 Limited 5.7L Augusta, Georgia
Wayfinder Posted May 21, 2021 Author Posted May 21, 2021 Adding in @John E Davies. Sorry to bother everyone! We want to get the Andersen WDH added to our "new-to-us" 2016 Elite II. Either we will add it ourselves or have the RV dealer do it. They do have a service guy who is familiar with the Olivers, but to what extent, we do not know yet. The dealer is highly rated (4.6 to 5 stars), so that's a good thing. I'm pretty handy myself, but I've only seen Mr. Davies' guides showing how the Andersen is actually connected to the bottom of the Olivers. There is a 2017 Oliver at the dealer, which does have an Andersen WDH connected to it. I'm going to take pics and videos of that one today to get a better perspective on the installation. We "intend" to pickup on Monday, and go just a few miles down to the lakes to camp through the week and holiday weekend. Here's to getting a "first available" empty site early in the week. QUESTION: Which model of the Andersen is Oliver installing on their trailers. Again, in my case, the 2016 model. I'm looking at the Andersen site, and we "think" it would be one of these two. The bracket size is my biggest question, again, we think that's my biggest question. I know John has upgraded to the larger size, but I won't be doing that. Again, we will be towing with a 2020 RAM 1500 Limited with the tow package and factory-installed self-leveling air bags. From: https://andersenhitches.com/collections/wd-hitch/products/4-drop-rise-weight-distribution-hitch Quote Part # Ball Size Shank Size Bracket Size Weight Rating 3324 2" 2" 3", 4", 5", 6" 10K lbs GTWR 3343 2" 2" 4-3/8" 10K lbs GTWR Thank you again for any assistance. Chris 2016 Legacy Elite II o--o Hull #110 o--o Wayfinder o--o Twin Bed o--o 2020 RAM 1500 Limited 5.7L Augusta, Georgia
Moderators topgun2 Posted May 21, 2021 Moderators Posted May 21, 2021 YouTube is your friend! Take a look at THIS for your install questions. Call either Andersen (208-523-6460) or Oliver Service (click on "Service" at the top of this page) for your sizing questions. Note that your Andersen can be placed in a couple of different places on the Oliver frame. Bill 2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist" Near Asheville, NC
Time2Go! Posted May 25, 2021 Posted May 25, 2021 Congratulations on your new Ollie! Without having to order you will get in an extra season of camping that you would have missed out on. Wishing you many happy adventures in the years to come. Cindy 1 Charlie & Cindy / Cleburne, TX / 2021 Elite II Hull #743 / 2013 Ford F250 Diesel 4WD Supercab States we've camped in our Oliver:
Moderators Mike and Carol Posted May 25, 2021 Moderators Posted May 25, 2021 Congrats on your Oliver purchase! I haven’t done anything to my back Oliver light in over 5 years and it has never leaked. If it ain’t broke…. 😁 Hopefully everything is in good condition! Mike 1 Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L
Nancy K. Posted May 25, 2021 Posted May 25, 2021 Is this the Ollie that was at the dealer in Apex? We live pretty close to there in Fuquay-Varina. Congrats! "Creativity is the fun of putting together unexpected ideas." Hazel Edwards
Wayfinder Posted May 26, 2021 Author Posted May 26, 2021 13 hours ago, Nancy K. said: Is this the Ollie that was at the dealer in Apex? We live pretty close to there in Fuquay-Varina. Congrats! Yes, ma'am. Thanks so much! We're excited to be a part of the Oliver family. 1 Chris 2016 Legacy Elite II o--o Hull #110 o--o Wayfinder o--o Twin Bed o--o 2020 RAM 1500 Limited 5.7L Augusta, Georgia
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