elite 2 The wait

[Rivernerd]

9 hours ago, Jason Foster said:

On 11/10/2023 at 8:32 AM, Rivernerd said:

we spent 3 days at David Crockett State Park (had to do that, as my middle name is Crockett)

Lol.  Sounds like something I would do.

Then plan to do it!  With a Tuesday delivery, I recommend you consider spending Tuesday-Thursday nights at David Crockett State Park in Lawrenceburg, then return to Hohenwald on Friday with your (hopefully short) list of issues to be addressed by the Oliver Service Department.  Reserve a spot at the Oliver Service/Showroom facility for Friday night, as your Oliver may not be returned to you until the end of the day.

If you have more time, plan to spend Tuesday night at Oliver Service, then Wednesday-Sunday at David Crockett State Park, returning to Hohenwald on Monday morning, if needed.  We had a Thursday delivery, so we spent Friday-Sunday at the Park.  I spent nearly all of those 3 days thoroughly inspecting and testing the Oliver inside and out, which left me too little time to really explore that beautiful state park.

Once you finalize your plans, reserve a camp spot online.  It is a popular park.  We found that, even in November, most campsites were reserved many weeks in advance.  The spots along Shoal Creek are the first ones reserved.

Good luck!

[Geronimo John]

12 hours ago, Jason Foster said:

The mothership reference is quite funny.  When she hears it, my wife will start calling Ollie people aliens.

Keeping to that theme, and being a Star Trek fan for almost a century or two....   

I agree and believe that our Clan has a few Klingons and Romulans for sure.  Even a Ferengi gestor.  A bunch of Vulcan intellectuals (who tend to be detailed, long winded, but highly insightful).  And one that I know very well that can claim DNA from all of these races.  Luckily, most of the clan is just human enjoying our Space Egg traveling all over our Universe.  But there a couple that continue to take their Space Eggs "where no Eggette has gone before".  

GJ

[Jason Foster]

9 hours ago, Ollie-Haus said:

Funny you mention the mother ship reference. You'll find a lot of folks have an appreciation for the Olivers, but don't get what kind of folks would spend so much on a "small camper with no slides". All I can say is if you haven't owned one you will never understand. It is a camper designed for a certain kind of camping couple in mind. That's why when you watch the testimonials, those that have an Oliver usually knew from the first sight of one that it was the camper for them. 

Just an FYI, you will find that some of the manuals posted on the Oliver University have updated versions available from the manufacturer web site. Just a few, but the few revisions contain import information. I wouldn't go looking at this point, but when you have your camper, if something doesn't make since in a manual, just look to see if there's an updated version available. Much of the tech equipment on board gets updated regularly by the manufacturer, so just be aware. 

We are that kind of camper.  We went from tents to a Class A with three slides.  Then from there to various campers.  This one is smallest, but we enjoyed tent camping so it will be perfect for us.  Especially when my wife takes it solo.  

[Jason Foster]

5 hours ago, Rivernerd said:

Then plan to do it!  With a Tuesday delivery, I recommend you consider spending Tuesday-Thursday nights at David Crockett State Park in Lawrenceburg,

Either that or Meriwether Lewis CG.  Either way, it will provide a good opportunity to shake out all the bugs.

[Jason Foster]

2 hours ago, Geronimo John said:

Keeping to that theme, and being a Star Trek fan for almost a century or two....   

I agree and believe that our Clan has a few Klingons and Romulans for sure.  Even a Ferengi gestor.  A bunch of Vulcan intellectuals (who tend to be detailed, long winded, but highly insightful).  And one that I know very well that can claim DNA from all of these races.  Luckily, most of the clan is just human enjoying our Space Egg traveling all over our Universe.  But there a couple that continue to take their Space Eggs "where no Eggette has gone before".  

GJ

I'm not quite a Trekkie but I certainly love me some science fiction.  Probably going to have to mount some lights under the egg now.  

 

[topgun2]

2 hours ago, Jason Foster said:

Either that or Meriwether Lewis CG.  Either way, it will provide a good opportunity to shake out all the bugs.

I really like Meriwether Lewis.  If you haven't  been  there, you can get water from the  spigot located on the back side of the water fountain which is located right in front of the restrooms.  The price is right - free.  And, its located only about 7 miles from the Service area.

Bill

p.s.  if you need GPS just let me know.

p.p.s.  there is no dump at ML.  But, you can always dump at the Oliver Service area.

[SeaDawg]

2 hours ago, Jason Foster said:

I'm not quite a Trekkie but I certainly love me some science fiction.  Probably going to have to mount some lights under the egg now.  

 

The lights will chase away vermin too. Might not make you the most popular guys in a crowded campground,  though. .

Live long,  and prosper.

[Geronimo John]

23 hours ago, Jason Foster said:

I'm not quite a Trekkie but I certainly love me some science fiction.  Probably going to have to mount some lights under the egg now

Believe me when I mention that there are actually several threads about this very topic.  

Just don't make us all LOL by changing the entrance light to a red one that you switch on and off. 

Since I would not have ever personal knowledge of such matters, I'll just postulate it must be Ferengi humor.  

GJ

[Jason Foster]

On 11/11/2023 at 6:51 PM, topgun2 said:

I really like Meriwether Lewis.  If you haven't  been  there, you can get water from the  spigot located on the back side of the water fountain which is located right in front of the restrooms.  The price is right - free.  And, its located only about 7 miles from the Service area.

Bill

p.s.  if you need GPS just let me know.

p.p.s.  there is no dump at ML.  But, you can always dump at the Oliver Service area.

That all works fine with me.  I rarely hook up to more than electric and water where I camp and since we use little water, I don't even need that.  Plus, I'll be picking up in December, so i will only use what is in my tank anyway.  I really can't imagine filling up the black tank in the few days I will be there.  15 gallons. whooo.

[Jason Foster]

On 11/12/2023 at 3:20 PM, Geronimo John said:

Believe me when I mention that there are actually several threads about this very topic.  

Just don't make us all LOL by changing the entrance light to a red one that you switch on and off. 

Since I would not have ever personal knowledge of such matters, I'll just postulate it must be Ferengi humor.  

GJ

If I could do anything, I would turn the whole thing into an Intrepid class Captains Yacht.  Or better yet, a Klingon Bird of Prey.  Alas, my wife already thinks I'm a dork, so i will probably just opt for the rubber band slinging Phaser under the pillow.

[Jason Foster]

On 11/11/2023 at 6:54 PM, SeaDawg said:

The lights will chase away vermin too. Might not make you the most popular guys in a crowded campground,  though. .

Live long,  and prosper.

I'd probably just attract cops anyway.

[Jason Foster]

On 11/10/2023 at 7:13 AM, Ollie-Haus said:

BTW, if you have paid your initial installment and they have you on the build schedule, you have a VIN and a Hull number. Ask your sales rep to get that information for you. We worked through Josh White and he forwarded those numbers to us as soon as we were added to the build schedule. This is useful as you can get insurance quotes and other important information if you have the VIN. 

 

I got hold of Josh.  My Hull number is 1460.  

[MobileJoy]

7 hours ago, Jason Foster said:

I really can't imagine filling up the black tank in the few days I will be there.

Welcome to the Oliver community!

It appears that your intent is to boondocks quite a bit since you are opting for the Lithium batteries. Have you considered the composting toilet? There are many threads on this, but it is one of those things where you either love it or hate it. In our case, it's the former. It expands the time we can spend without sewage hookup allowing us to either boondock or enjoy partial hookup campgrounds. It is more work than a flush toilet, but I feel it's worth it.

Airstream was our first choice. We were considering a medium size (25'-27') when I noticed a very small ad in a sidebar of one of the news sites I read for Oliver. That sent us to their website, and almost immediately changed our direction. Our camping goal was to bring home with us as we traveled the country. We have tenting experience but no previous experience with RVs, although I am a homeowner / engineer with some experience in carpentry, electrical, and plumbing so the thought of maintaining a second home didn't bother me. We made the trip to the mother ship for a factory tour. That trip sold my wife on Oliver. She loved the bright interior and decided that living in an OEII would work for her. We had at that point been inside many travel trailers.

Thus far, we have done about 16K miles traveling. We have used the service ticket many times. This has been fantastic. The OEII has been pretty reliable. The downsides of it for us are the few things that require frequent maintenance such as the need to lube the chassis every 3,000 miles and to constantly inspect the window tracks to ensure proper drainage. Other things that require maintenance and inspection are done less frequently. Many of these are discussed on this forum (such as checking the torque on bolts that hold the stabilizer jacks in place, servicing wheel bearings, etc.). I can do most of these things myself, but I still do an annual visit to the mother ship for maintenance.

Regarding the small size, we are comfortable with this. We can get by each other with no difficulty. Using the wet bath is no problem for us since we are well under 6' tall. We have so far stayed in it up to 9 weeks consecutively and never felt constrained even on rainy days. We did endure a heavy 10 minute hailstorm which dented our truck hood but did no damage at all to the OEII or its solar panels. I'll bet there would have been dents in our Airstream!

Otherwise, I can only echo the advice given above. I believe you will love it! The level of service they offer, this Forum, their Facebook page, and the Oliver University are awesome. 

[Jason Foster]

14 hours ago, MobileJoy said:

It appears that your intent is to boondocks quite a bit since you are opting for the Lithium batteries. Have you considered the composting toilet? There are many threads on this, but it is one of those things where you either love it or hate it. In our case, it's the former. It expands the time we can spend without sewage hookup allowing us to either boondock or enjoy partial hookup campgrounds. It is more work than a flush toilet, but I feel it's worth it.

Boondocking is very appealing to me, not so much for my wife, but she is coming around to it.  The composting toilet would be fine for me as well, but my wife would never go for it.  She has a tremendous sense of smell which gives her migraine headaches from time to time.  

Quote

The downsides of it for us are the few things that require frequent maintenance such as the need to lube the chassis every 3,000 miles and to constantly inspect the window tracks to ensure proper drainage. Other things that require maintenance and inspection are done less frequently. Many of these are discussed on this forum (such as checking the torque on bolts that hold the stabilizer jacks in place, servicing wheel bearings, etc.). I can do most of these things myself, but I still do an annual visit to the mother ship for maintenance.

The maintenance doesn't bother me at all.  I have a shop and an incredible number of tools which allows me to tinker a lot.  I'd probably be bored if I didn't have some bolts to torque and chassis grease zirks to lube.

Quote

Regarding the small size, we are comfortable with this. We can get by each other with no difficulty. Using the wet bath is no problem for us since we are well under 6' tall. We have so far stayed in it up to 9 weeks consecutively and never felt constrained even on rainy days. We did endure a heavy 10-minute hailstorm which dented our truck hood but did no damage at all to the OEII or its solar panels. I'll bet there would have been dents in our Airstream!

I am 6'3" and my wife is 6'2".  The head will never be big enough.  However, I figured it doesn't have to be.  We don't spend much time in there, so size doent matter in this regard.  The twin beds might be a bit tight at 75 inches but I'm hoping it will be fine.  The dents in the Airstream during a hailstorm is one of the main reasons I went with the Oliver.  There are many others, but this was a big one.  We have endured a lot of storms while camping.  I would be nervous in a tin can, but this boat should be fine.

[ScubaRx]

We too have camped through some serious storms, most all of which were thunderstorms. I am always somewhat anxious during one while we are inside the Oliver. The fiberglass hull provides zero protection from a lightning strike. If it gets bad enough, we will leave the trailer and get inside the truck. This would be the only time that an Airstream is clearly better than an Oliver due to the fact that its metal body normally protects people from lightning strikes by acting as a Faraday cage.

We have never been in a hail storm of any consequence.

[Jason Foster]

1 hour ago, ScubaRx said:

We too have camped through some serious storms, most all of which were thunderstorms. I am always somewhat anxious during one while we are inside the Oliver. The fiberglass hull provides zero protection from a lightning strike. If it gets bad enough, we will leave the trailer and get inside the truck. This would be the only time that an Airstream is clearly better than an Oliver due to the fact that its metal body normally protects people from lightning strikes by acting as a Faraday cage.

We have never been in a hail storm of any consequence.

I agree there is a very small risk of electrocution inside of a fiberglass trailer during a lightning storm.  However, lightning is fairly predictable in that it strikes the tallest objects.  If you boondock on a hill with no trees around, then lightning will likely strike a metal object nearby, your truck.  Is it worth the risk?  Probably not.  I concede in this situation, the truck is the safest place to be. 

I camp in trees.  Preferably, big ones, so I'm not really worried about lightning.  Instead, I would be much more concerned with the trees falling.  Statistically, trees falling kill a lot more people than lightning.  Last March we were camping when a storm came through.  Dropped a bunch of huge trees.  One of which landed directly across an RV pad two campsites down.   I'm curious.  What would survive a tree falling better, my truck or the Oliver?  Perhaps, a good bugout plan should be implemented.  I'm a bit lazy for that so I will likely just sleep through it.

[MAX Burner]

We were at a commercial campsite years ago - as we were driving around looking for our site, we drove by a couple that were tent/car-camping who survived a "widow maker."  A huge Ponderosa pine tree branch broke off at some point and landed on their SUV rooftop - demolishing the vehicle.  A few more feet in the other direction and it could have taken them out inside their tent.  Serious "dodging of the bullet..."  Sh*t Happens.

[John Welte]

11 hours ago, ScubaRx said:

We too have camped through some serious storms, most all of which were thunderstorms. I am always somewhat anxious during one while we are inside the Oliver. The fiberglass hull provides zero protection from a lightning strike. If it gets bad enough, we will leave the trailer and get inside the truck. This would be the on awwly time that an Airstream is clearly better than an Oliver due to the fact that its metal body normally protects people from lightning strikes by acting as a Faraday cage.

We have never been in a hail storm of any consequence.

That's great advice.  Thanks.  I used your link and learned about the Faraday cage.

John

[Nancy K.]

As you watch the Oliver videos, start a list of questions by topic.  Then bring your list on a clipboard to your delivery day.  As the staff show you each part of your trailer, you will ask the questions for that part and won't forget them.

[Jason Foster]

8 hours ago, MAX Burner said:

Serious "dodging of the bullet..."  Sh*t Happens.

Life seems to be all about this.  I don't take risks, but I also don't worry about what I can't control. 

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

“Boondocking is very appealing to me, not so much for my wife, but she is coming around to it.  The composting toilet would be fine for me as well, but my wife would never go for it.  She has a tremendous sense of smell which gives her migraine headaches from time to time. ”

Jason, I was truly surprised at the lack of smell emanating from our composting toilet.  We use coconut coar in the base of the toilet, and the only odor we detect is a slight earthy coconut smell.  The toilet fan does a good job of minimizing all odors.  Being free of the need (and mess) to dump a black water tank when leaving a campground is a gift.  

[Jason Foster]

7 hours ago, Wandering Sagebrush said:

“Boondocking is very appealing to me, not so much for my wife, but she is coming around to it.  The composting toilet would be fine for me as well, but my wife would never go for it.  She has a tremendous sense of smell which gives her migraine headaches from time to time. ”

Jason, I was truly surprised at the lack of smell emanating from our composting toilet.  We use coconut coar in the base of the toilet, and the only odor we detect is a slight earthy coconut smell.  The toilet fan does a good job of minimizing all odors.  Being free of the need (and mess) to dump a black water tank when leaving a campground is a gift.  

While I am on board with the idea, I would have to convince my wife.  That might not be too hard to do since I would be the one doing toilet cleaning duties, but it will have to wait.  We can add one later if needed.

[John Welte]

5 hours ago, Jason Foster said:

While I am on board with the idea, I would have to convince my wife.  That might not be too hard to do since I would be the one doing toilet cleaning duties, but it will have to wait.  We can add one later if needed.

My wife said no to the composting toilet.  I believe 90% are bought with that option when I talked to Jason E a few weeks ago.  We can always do it later, but we like the flush toilet for now.

John

[topgun2]

11 hours ago, John Welte said:

My wife said no to the composting toilet.  I believe 90% are bought with that option when I talked to Jason E a few weeks ago.  We can always do it later, but we like the flush toilet for now.

Unless water is a very serious "problem" the benefits of a composting toilet can be debated.  

Over a thousand dollars is a fair amount of money to change the method of how one handles solid waste while handling liquid waste remain basically the same.

Bill

[Jason Foster]

And just like that, the wait is over.  I've been planning this trip for over a month now.  Part of my incessant need to control every outcome.  However, in the last few days I've been increasing the activity.  I just washed my truck and ceramic coated it.  Cleaned out the inside.  I don't know, there is something nice about travelling in a clean vehicle.

We bought a nice folding tonneau cover that locks out the would-be thieves.  I've made lists, checked them twice and have everything laid out in my storage shed ready to be loaded.  The only thing I won't be taking much of is food.  We can buy that on the way.  

My wife bought some fitted sheets and mattress protectors.  That was $180.  Custom stuff.  Yeesh.  We have pillows, blankets, clothes, toiletries, dog stuff, pretty much everything out of my old camper.  I'm sure I'm forgetting some things, but we have the essentials.  

Tomorrow, I will pull the wheels off, check the brakes and rotate them so the TV will get us there and back safe.  Got a few more things to do around the house and then it is off to Tennessee.  I think my wife is more excited than I am now.  Thats a good thing.  🙂