Our Team’s Favorite 2022 Oliver's Features

[JWalmsley]

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Every year the Oliver Travel Trailer improves to fit your needs best, and the 2022 model of the Oliver is no different. We spend hours upon hours researching the best options to maximize your travel experience. We leave no stone unturned when it comes to our customers. We asked different team members which feature was their favorite with new and improved features, and we are sharing them with you. Enjoy!

1. Stainless Steel Convection Microwave

Microwave

With the RV Stainless Steel Convection Microwave, you can now bake, brown, or crisp foods using the convection function or the combination convection and microwave oven. In addition, this RV Stainless Steel Convection Microwave has cooking power and additional heat settings that allow you to cook just about any food you want.
See our Stainless Steel Convection Microwave.

2. Memory Foam Mattress

KTT Latex Mattress Upgrade

Need an even better night's sleep while you're on the road? This comfortable latex foam mattress will serve as a replacement cushion for any of your needs. In addition, the pin core foam allows superior breathability. Talalay latex foam is a rubber-based product derived from the Hevea Brasiliensis tree. Unlike plastic-based bedding materials such as memory foam, Talalay Latex foam is biodegradable, uniquely healthy, naturally hypoallergenic, antimicrobial, dust mite resistant, and makes this latex foam bedding the logical choice for allergy sufferers.
See our Memory Foam Mattress.

3. Front & Rear Propane Quick Connects

Propane Quick Connect

To truly enjoy your outdoor experiences, consider adding front and rear trailer connections used for grills, torches, and propane campfires.
See our Propane Quick Connect.

4. 4G Cell Phone Booster

Fusion2Go 4G Cell Phone Booster

The cell phone booster for vehicles extends the cellular signal range to ensure you get better voice and data with fewer dropped calls, improved voice quality, faster uploads, and downloads. This booster is compatible with all US and Canadian wireless networks such as Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular, Straight Talk, and more.
See our Cell Phone Booster.

5. Nature’s Head Composting Toilet

Nature’s Head Composting Toilet

This toilet replaces the standard Dometic toilet. The toilet is self-contained, urine-diverting, and the waterless operation allows for ease of use for many applications. The Nature's Head is lightweight, odorless, and compact, making it a perfect fit for your Ollie. In addition, the toilet, with its stainless-steel hardware, robust construction, and user-friendliness, has been designed to withstand the harshest of conditions.
See our Nature's Head Composting Toilet.

6. Solar Panels

- 340 Watt Solar Package with Charge Controller
- Four (4) 6V AGM Deep Cycle Batteries
- 2000 Watt Xantrex Freedom XC Inverter
(Legacy Elite II Option)

With the minimal electrical draw of our LED lighting and other technologies, this will allow you to use your Ollie off-grid and without the need for a generator. Efficiency is dependent on sun exposure.
See our Solar Panel Packages.

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The post Our Team’s Favorite 2022 Oliver's Features appeared first on Oliver Travel Trailers.

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[Geronimo John]

Outside noise is pretty much eliminated!

GJ

[John Dehne]

All great stuff! Thank you for all you do to build a quality trailer.

[Rivernerd]

My wife and I have a 2022 Elite II on order for late summer delivery.  The upgrades referenced in your post are much appreciated.

We would be thrilled if you offered one more upgrade:  a quieter air conditioner.  A number of Oliver owners posting on this forum have replaced their stock Dometic Penguin II AC units with Houghton/Rec Pro or Coleman Mach 10 NDQ units.  They report that these are MUCH quieter than the Dometic, which has been compared to a "lawnmower in your trailer" or even a "jet engine."  If you can find a way to offer a quieter AC unit for a reasonable upgrade price, we want one!

Ralph Pond

[Steph and Dud B]

10 minutes ago, Rivernerd said:

If you can find a way to offer a quieter AC unit for a reasonable upgrade price, we want one!

Us, too. July delivery. Just sayin'...

[dewdev]

I love my Oliver.

I wish it was possible to change out the standard microwave for the convection oven, but service told me that was not possible as the size of the hole in the fiberglass is different.

I wish that Oliver would look into an offer a AC unit that is not so noisy? Has/is Oliver looked into this possibility of a quiter AC unit?

[John E Davies]

1 hour ago, dewdev said:

 

I wish that Oliver would look into an offer a AC unit that is not so noisy? Has/is Oliver looked into this possibility of a quiter AC unit?

We have been asking this for many years. I ordered mine (Hull 218) with an Atwood Air Command 9.5k as a zero cost custom option, it is way more quiet. They no longer do requests like this, but I do not understand why they continue to use the noisy brand which NOBODY likes.

John Davies

Spokane WA

[Steph and Dud B]

1 hour ago, John E Davies said:

I do not understand why they continue to use the noisy brand which NOBODY likes.

I'm assuming they have a pricing deal with Dometic that involves bulk purchasing a certain number of Dometic products every year. Which is fine. However, they are marketing a top line product to a discriminating niche market that is willing to pay a premium to get upscale items. Since this keeps coming up as a customer complaint, it would seem reasonable to offer an optional upgrade. If they stray too far toward economies of scale they risk becoming just another RV manufacturer in a sea of competitors. Why risk losing sales over a cheap A/C unit?

[SeaDawg]

FWIW, Dometic, nor any other brand ac, is actually "cheap." They all cost over 1k. The Dometic equivalent of my unit was more expensive,  considering the Houghton comes with the adu (interior unit), and Dometic and most others are priced separately. 

We had the original Dometic in our trailer for 13 seasons. It always worked. It also drained through the Oliver drain lines. I don't think any of the other brands, to date, have that facility. 

I would say it's true that getting Dometic units has seemed to be a  reliable supply chain for Oliver. That's an important factor for a manufacturer. But, i wouldn't regard that as a cost savings, by any means.

Do I love that my Houghton replacement streams water down the rear of the trailer? No. But, it fit my size requirements for our self-installed bigger solar panels. It's narrower (which we needed), but longer, which might interfere with Oliver's current panels, with shadowing.  IDK. I could have saved $$$ by installing a second fan, instead of ac, for as seldom as we use ac.

Unfortunately,  the majority of the US accepts the noisier ac in most cases, so the big guys don't spend a lot on bringing the quieter, more efficient European/Australian available units here.

I see that changing, as Dometic has brought one of their quieter units in, as a retrofit only, perhaps as a test. Truma has entered the US market. As has Houghton. Coleman ndq is making some advances, though I think supply chain is still tough. Keep asking. Eventually,  something will work.

In the meantime,  yes, it would be nice if service were allowed to install the Houghton. But then, who warrants it? Will there be parts availability? That's a much bigger deal for them, than for us, as individual owners.

 

 

[mossemi]

I guess it’s time for me to try selling my Ollie!  I probably won’t be able to find anybody that wants to buy a used trailer with an air conditioner that nobody likes, but it does keep me cool when I use it.  Not to mention the junk brake system that left skid marks when I made a hard stop last week.  And the Andersen WD hitch ball has some chrome worn off, maybe I should replace it before it kills a potential sale.

But wait a minute!  My Ollie is the only RV I have ever owned, which also makes it the best RV I have ever owned!  So maybe I’ll just keep it, warts and all.

What I should probably do is stay off the forum and avoid all of the expert opinions trying to convince me that I bought a piece of poop.  I think I’ll just make a better effort to remember my mother’s sage advice, “if you don’t have something nice to say, keep your mouth shut".

Maybe I’ll join Facebook, I heard it’s a great place to get information and I just might find somebody like me, that likes their Ollie!

Sorry, I do know the rules for capitalizing some words, but I think may be a form of shouting, so I left those out.

And if I offended someone, I didn’t mean to, I was just going with the flow of the postings that stuck in my mind today.

Peace, Out!

Mossey

[ChrisMI]

2 hours ago, SeaDawg said:

Dometic, nor any other brand ac, is actually "cheap." They all cost over 1k.

My guess is the wholesale price on the Dometic AC units is less than half of the other options available. They’re standard equipment on sub 20k trailers and they sell a bunch. 

57 minutes ago, mossemi said:

What I should probably do is stay off the forum and avoid all of the expert opinions trying to convince me that I bought a piece of poop.  I think I’ll just make a better effort to remember my mother’s sage advice, “if you don’t have something nice to say, keep your mouth shut".

If the owner of a company cannot handle constructive feedback from current and perspective owners that would be pretty sad. I’m sure he’s paying attention and weighing customer satisfaction with profit margins and additional R&D required. 

[SeaDawg]

19 hours ago, ChrisMI said:

My guess is the wholesale price on the Dometic AC units is less than half of the other options available. They’re standard equipment on sub 20k trailers and they sell a bunch. 

I seriously doubt that.  I have friends in the marine industry, with volume, maybe, 3 to 10 per cent. Pretty much across the board. Why? Because, seriously,  they don't have to. There's a big market, and if you can supply, you don't have to cut price. 

I understand lots of folks wanting to make the best, even better. I get that. Some of us just wing it, and try rogue stuff on our own. 

If you actually need ac a lot, I commiserate.  Virtually none of the readily available, standard  ac options on rvs today are very quiet. We camp at altitude in heat. Or, live with the consequences.

I'm with @mossemi. I happen to really enjoy my Oliver.  Yes, we tweak from time to time.  We're like that. 

Nothing changes my opinion, made 14 years ago, that our Ollie was the best choice, for us.

Hopefully,  we'll get to enjoy another 14 years.

[SeaDawg]

1 hour ago, ChrisMI said:

If the owner of a company cannot handle constructive feedback from current and perspective owners that would be pretty sad. I’m sure he’s paying attention and weighing customer satisfaction with profit margins and additional R&D required. 

I'm sure they do  continue r& d , always looking for best available, in a steady supply stream. That's why we've seen so many advances in equipment,  over the years .

I've said it before (multiple times), I  personally don't think a manufacturer can change horses, midstream, in supply chain issue times.

If ac is your biggest issue, you're going to be limited to a few winnebago model vans, from what I've seen 

 

[dewdev]

I want to restate that I love my Ollie. Out of the 5 campers I have owned over the years, this is hands down the best. I would not trade it for a different trailer manufactured in the US (or anywhere else for that matter). 

Yes I do not like the noisy AC unit but I have lived with it as it does work and does the intended purpose. I like that the Dometic controls which control both the AC and the furnace. I have not really camped in the deep south US so have not had to use the AC at night. Camping up North, I just use the AC in the late afternoon to cool down the trailer and then turn it off when going to sleep and use my fans. Works for me.

Mossemi - Looks like you were kidding about selling your Ollie. Stay on the forum (not Facebook) as we like you ideas and opinions!

[Steph and Dud B]

Apologies if my comments were construed as a criticism of anyone's trailer, or of Olivers in general. Oliver makes two of the best RVs on the market, which is why we're selling our current fifth wheel and buying one. Likewise, the use of the word "cheap" in my final sentence was not intended as a criticism of the A/C quality, but of my theory that OTT may be able to source the Dometics for less money. But that air conditioner is loud. Louder than any of our previous RVs. That's not Oliver's fault, per se. The roof is lower, the space is smaller, and the A/C isn't ducted, so it's just... loud. It's a side effect of the overall design and construction. Still, it is a downside for those who will be camping in hot, humid climes. Is it a deal breaker? Not for us. Olivers have many other positives that outweigh the negatives. Even so, I can see where there might be potential customers who would consider it a deal breaker to not be able to watch TV at a comfortable volume with the A/C on. So, it would be nice if it could be addressed, even as an upcharge option.

[katanapilot]

Several of us took the initiative to replace the noisy Dometic with a RecPro/Houghton. I believe that all of us that did that are happy with the upgrade - I know it's the best modification we have done so far to our Ollie.  Even if you can't do it yourself, there probably is an RV service center that will.

I don't think offering constructive criticism of a noisy a/c (backed up with actual sound level measurements) is the same as calling a trailer a POS.  Clearly, the Ollies are one of the best built (affordable) fiberglass trailers. However, they can be improved - also backed up by an entire forum category on "Ollie Modifications". 

[ChrisMI]

55 minutes ago, katanapilot said:

I don't think offering constructive criticism of a noisy a/c (backed up with actual sound level measurements) is the same as calling a trailer a POS.  Clearly, the Ollies are one of the best built (affordable) fiberglass trailers. However, they can be improved - also backed up by an entire forum category on "Ollie Modifications". 

Obviously everyone is thrilled with the overall package, myself included. However, as an option to new owners, they could have a different unit available.  Just think in a year we could be reading a thread just like this showing the company’s/customer favorite option.  An AC unit that is dramatically quieter that uses a lot less power.  Thus allowing a full blown lithium upgrade to really shine. Make the option $2k and customers will still gladly pay IMO. 

[Mainiac]

20 hours ago, dewdev said:

I wish it was possible to change out the standard microwave for the convection oven, but service told me that was not possible as the size of the hole in the fiberglass is different.

I bet it would be possible to put the microwave in your unit. However, there certainly would be challenges. High Pointe makes a variety of units. The question is would you be happy with the final appearance? I believe the unit requires a deeper 'hole' so that you would have to build out an adapter plate on the front to hide the hole cutout. Also it would have to be strong enough so the micro doesn't float out going down the road. Also I wonder if additional supports would be required inside the hole and how that would be secured?Then there is the question of whether or not your batteries can provide enough power when boondocking. Maybe it would be time to trade your unit in for a new one?

[Mike and Carol]

Replacing our AC is near the top of my mods list.  We’ve been complaining for years about the noise, it has even influenced our camping locations… we tend to go to much cooler climates and endure the AC while we’re escaping the Texas heat.  Although loud, it does cool the trailer down pretty quick.  We’ve camped in 100+ degree weather and ran the AC on low.  Ear plugs help!  Mike

[Geronimo John]

On 11/21/2021 at 9:57 AM, Steph and Dud B said:

Since this keeps coming up as a customer complaint, it would seem reasonable to offer an optional upgrade.

Let's assume that for several more years that OTT is between a rock and a hard place with an exclusive contract with Domenica to provide their Hammer Mill A/C's.  Was a great contract back then, but Owner expectations have changed since then.  One would conclude that they are in a pickle that they can't get out of.  So, until that contract expires they just keep taking unwanted beatings.  My thoughts are one of condolences and a plea asking them to once again "think outside of the box", just as Mr. Oliver did when he created the first OE and OE2! 

If OTT were to reverse engineer a Houghton 9.5K and a 13K base plates to fit between Ollie and the A/C so as to facilitate use of the OEM internal condensate drainage line, this issue would effectively make this issue go away.  It certainly would make peace with existing owners and give prospective owners a reasonable path via a full credit for not having A/C.  This would also give Oliver cover with Dometic until their contract(s) run out.  The cost to OTT would be some engineering and inhouse fab time.  Not going to cost them anywhere the cost of having a festering wart on top of all their products.   

Such a path likely would be the best goodwill investment OTT has made in years.      

MODERATORS:  Please forward this to Mr. Oliver.  I would do so myself if I had the address.    

  

[Ralph Mawyer]

Another thread shows photos suggesting they are testing a new Truma.

[JWalmsley]

On 11/21/2021 at 4:00 PM, mossemi said:

I guess it’s time for me to try selling my Ollie!  I probably won’t be able to find anybody that wants to buy a used trailer with an air conditioner that nobody likes, but it does keep me cool when I use it.  Not to mention the junk brake system that left skid marks when I made a hard stop last week.  And the Andersen WD hitch ball has some chrome worn off, maybe I should replace it before it kills a potential sale.

But wait a minute!  My Ollie is the only RV I have ever owned, which also makes it the best RV I have ever owned!  So maybe I’ll just keep it, warts and all.

What I should probably do is stay off the forum and avoid all of the expert opinions trying to convince me that I bought a piece of poop.  I think I’ll just make a better effort to remember my mother’s sage advice, “if you don’t have something nice to say, keep your mouth shut".

Maybe I’ll join Facebook, I heard it’s a great place to get information and I just might find somebody like me, that likes their Ollie!

Sorry, I do know the rules for capitalizing some words, but I think may be a form of shouting, so I left those out.

And if I offended someone, I didn’t mean to, I was just going with the flow of the postings that stuck in my mind today.

Peace, Out!

Mossey

[Geronimo John]

On 2/3/2022 at 10:27 AM, JWalmsley said:

What I should probably do is stay off the forum and avoid all of the expert opinions trying to convince me that I bought a piece of poop.

My post was whimsical  about a problem that Oliver is actively working to correct.  Your post was intended to be satirical, I get that.   

However, your above statement, even from a satirical perspective, is disrespectful to OTT, as well as all the owners who have taken time to research, solve, document and then post their work.  Not to mention their time freely given to answer scores of PM's about it from new owners as well.  These senior most experienced owners, like your self, represent a cadre of the very best and most helpful people on earth. 

 I am sure that your intent was not to offend or slander OTT, or the members of this forum.  None the less....         

[Mainiac]

But wait a minute!  My Ollie is the only RV I have ever owned, which also makes it the best RV I have ever owned!  So maybe I’ll just keep it, warts and all.

 

well done. Well stated. Reflects the feelings of the majority of us owners that are out there. To us our Oliver is like a hammer to a carpenter. A tool to get the job done. Not an object that has become a central reason for our very existence. Again, "Well Done".