This picture illustrates the difference between Pro-dex and Reflectix. Notice that the core is foam as opposed to bubble-wrap.
My Mom, wishing she would have worn sturdier shoes by this point.
An outer shell.
Ditto.
Ditto.
The frame is constructed with a grade of aluminum typically used in the aircraft industry.
Frame for a single axle Elite.
I thought you gear-heads would like this shot. Now, please tell me what it means?
Double axle waiting its turn for installation.
This is Oliver's version of a gutter. The awning is fully enclosed while stowed but it is a manual awning,
These 6-volt batteries are maintained by a single water source. There's probably a name for this but my vocabulary is lacking. Anyone want to satisfy my curiosity?
In response to my question about the most likely place for stress cracks, I was told that, at one time, the battery box was it. Since then, I'm told, there have been design changes and the problem is now remedied.
Yep. That's me... leaving no stone unturned.
Entrance to the factory. Shiny Ollies have humble beginnings.
150,000 square feet of manufacturing space and 60 employees produce 2 Ollies per week.
This is the mold for one of the fiberglass shells. There is only one. It's the cornerstone of the design. Any floorplan changes would necessitate the manufacture of a new mold. Oliver employees do not anticipate that happening anytime soon.
I crawled inside this shell but I didn't have very good light.
Ditto on the light.
An inner shell covered with insulation.
One upgrade possibility is to swap plain white fiberglass for this composite material designed to look like granite.
Front door of the showroom/office.
Prepare to sit in a camping chair while you choose your finishes. I thought it was appropriate for the occasion.
It's a full house on the roof.
The throne. Enough said. Unless you care to opine?
The bedspreads are messy because we'd given the beds a whirl.
This was, IMHO, the most fascinating discovery of the trip. Anybody know what it is? This funnel-looking thing (not the blue tube) is found multiple times on the bottom hull? It is... drumroll... a weep-hole. They're designed to shed any moisture which may accumulate inside the hull. So, while other manufacturers would like to hold us personally responsible for the fact that moisture accumulates, these guys accept it readily & plan for it. Different, right? Maybe not? I'm a newbie. Please set me straight?
All the metal parts you see are heavy-duty, high quality stuff. I think it is impossible to convey this with words and a picture. Seeing is believing.
The handles for the knife valves, as well as the valves themselves, are all fully insulated. You'll notice that even the door on this exterior panel is insulated?
The waste hose is stored within close proximity of the connection. In fact, you could drive with it connected, if you so desire.
There were a total of sixteen units in various stages of manufacture.
The shell on the right has Nida-core on the outside and fiberglass on the inside. The right hand shell is an "inner" shell while the shell on the left is an "outer" shell.
Scaffolding used to install components on the roof.
Spools of wire before they are cut to length.
Jigs are used to measure the lengths of wire by hand.
Lengths of wire are eventually bundled.
More jigs.
My 73- year old mother. She was a good sport.
Mattresses, sort-of. It's 4" of foam. And upgrade will buy you 6". We thought it was comfortable enough but for how long?
Yet to be tattooed.
