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A friend of ours frequently uses an outdoor shower with his teardrop trailer. He has something similar to this underneath to direct the water away from the trailer, and to keep the shower pan clean. Another simply uses a teak shower mat similar to the ones many of us use inside the trailer. I think I'd prefer the first option, so as to not need to store a wet, dirty platform somewhere onboard. https://a.co/d/06PyWIjw

Nifty solution. I’ve been mooch camping at a relatives out in the country a lot this year and have been working with grey water similarly. I charge the house batteries off the truck, fresh water from a garden hose off the well and since we’re composting it’s just a grey water dump of biodegradable dirty water into a ditch. Super easy and convenient, if we had a black tank toilet it’d be a big problem with lots of long drives to a dump station. Anyhow about an outdoor shower, especially with dispersed camping and such, aren’t you taking a shower in the dirt? We’re camping in a mowed field essentially under a big old oak tree, I’ve got the ground pretty well cleaned up, but I have to be careful with the water hoses and such as any water into the dirt creates a muddy mess. I’m happy with the wet bath and just squeegee and towel dry it down, but an outdoor shower would be a dirty mess unless I had some kind of raised platform. Even then I’m still creating a mudbath around the trailer.

Welcome to the group. Cool name!

@2008RN what are the dimensions of your shackles and what material did you use? Bill

I don't know what exact shackle Oliver is using with the Apex with the Alcan springs. What I do know is the reason to use the Alcan Shackles with the LEII with the 5 leaf springs. The only real thing that I know the Shackle difference is the Dexter are galvanized and the Alcan's are painted. As long as Alcan improved their punch quality they should be the same. Note most all of this is cover somewhere in the 38 pages here. As far as quality goes the both Alcan and Dexter shackles are very close to each other. The original Dexter Have 4 leafs and the 3rd leaf is around 4-5 inches away from the eyelet. With the Alcan 5 leaf the 4th leaf is an inch away from the eyelet. With the 4 leaf so close this is what gives the needed support for the 5 leaf so it will not bust. Here is the rub. The addition of that 5 leaf causes interference with the EZ-Flex and does not allow full movement because of the 4 leaf was interfering with the EZ-flex with Dexter Shackles. What Alcan did was lengthen the distance between holes on shackles to help with the clearances between the 4 leaf and the EZ-flex. (My opinion ON.) I still did not like the distance between the 4 leaf and the ez-flex was still not enough less than .060 in resting state. Due the Alcan punch manufacturing shackle problems at the time, I built my own shackles with an extra 1/2 distance and a slightly wider width on a mill. Opinion Off. As far as wet bolts. I tried the Alcan's wet bolt (they had splines at the time) and torqued to their specs. The shackles and hangers were so tight that no grease would go into the wet bolts. I had to loosen the wet bolt to get grease in. I also felt that the tightness of the Alcan wet bolts hindered free movement of the Ez-flex and leafs. I went back to the Dexter shoulder wet bolts and found that there was 0.010 inch clearance using the Dexter Shoulder bolts with Alcan leafs with the lighter torque. I have around 20K miles since installing the Alcan leafs in this fashion and Happy with the results. How I changed my leafs out. I lifted each side and supported with Jack stands. If I had to do it over again I would probably use Jack stand on all 4 corners. I did get 2 light scissor jacks to lift each axel. I could turn the scissor screws by hand to lift the axel just right to align the EZ-flex and the leafs and hangers. Cheers, Bob

Appreciate your feedback Chris. I recall reading that too, but several owners in your post report otherwise. Please explain. Apparently Oliver is satisfied with Dexter parts durability as that is what they are using on new Apex model. Perhaps you misunderstood my comments. I would never suggest re-using old and/or worn parts. @DanielBoondock has a 2026 model, and has said he lubricated his wet bolts. They should be inspected of course, but there should be essentially no wear on the bolts or shackles. If any wear, it will be the bronze bushings in the springs, which of course are being replaced. I’m not knocking Alcan, I am a customer, just haven't received my springs yet. I’m only summarizing what I’ve read. All of these reported shortcomings are not deal breakers, they are just not ”optimal”. Working together, we can do better, but it’s important to get the facts straight and pay attention to the details on our running gear. We are moving in the right direction, and have Oliver’s attention.

Yes, it’s built on the Tacoma chassis. It’s a light vehicle. The 2026 non-hybrid has a 2.4L turbocharged engine, which works just fine as my wife’s grocery getter.

Legally, you sure can. Realistically, you may be super anxious and unhappy in mountain passes. Not sure on the specs of your 2026. I like a TV with weigh exceeding the trailer, and excess towing capacity. We towed our Elite home from Hohenwald to Florida with our Vilvo xc90. It was fine. Towing to Asheville, through Green River Gorge, we wete definitely in the slow lane, and wishing for more power. Volvo weighed around 6000 lbs, trailer probably 4900. We've been happy towing it with a half ton. Is the 4 runner built on a truck chassis? Not familiar with them.

The shower hose I purchased was a stainless steel hose on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0dgsEMfQ   It was very straightforward..open the street side access hatch and a little teflon and you're golden! I have had it on there for five years and it fits just fine and hasn't bound up inside the compartment. Here are a couple shots of the suction mount. It's a ratchet style with two additional suction cups below it for some added strength.

2026 meaning you just bought it? Thinking of buying it? Is it true all 2026 4Runners have 2.4L 4-cylinder engines? Wow! We had an older 4Runner with the 3.4 v6. Sold it for a GX with leather and the 4.7 v8. We never even towed with it, but it needed more power just around town! If possible ditch the idea (or get the dealer to take it back) and get a 5.7L v8 Tundra, any half-ton American truck, or the midsize trucks with special towing packages. OTT claims the Elite is 3700 dry weight, 5K GVWR and 370 LB tongue weight. Doable yes, reasonable no. The stock 4Runner is made for suburban driving with some gear, occasional dirt roads. The little engine is certainly not made for towing and will wear quickly as well as the drivetrain and suspension parts. Another point I always make is the very, very short wheelbase. The WDH will help, but tail wagging the dog for sure!

I own a 2026 4-Runner, and I used to own an Elite 1. Even if the numbers indicate it’s possible, I wouldn’t recommend it.

We used to tow a 16’ Airstream Basecamp with a second gen 4wd crew cab Tacoma. We made several trips west to Moab and the mountains were a grunt. The truck was underpowered and I eventually had to add an axillary trans cooler to maintain acceptable trans temps going uphill. Just bc you can doesn’t mean it will be fun. All the above points are also correct, fuel range, braking downhill etc.

Unless the new 4Ruuner has a *lot* more oomph than my2016 4.0 six cylinder, I’d say nope! You’ll be at or near cargo capacity with the back of the 4R empty. Mine was woefully underpowered with a 3000 pound trailer. I’m currently in a V8 200 series Land Cruiser, and “adequate” is generous with the EII trailer. I’d never go near the western mountains. Maybe switch up to a V8 Tundra or Sequoia? Friends tow their EI with the new Tundra with zero issues.

No way! I’m in the River Hills Community. Small world indeed. I’ll definitely be in your area at some time in the future as I love to fly fish and the White River is fantastic to do.

This is always a difficult question to answer as an "adequate" towing experience means different things to different people. Your 4Runner will be on the edge of safe towing in my opinion. You will be always having to worry about payload (895+ pounds?) Count on your tongue weight for a fully loaded Elite 1 being at least 400 lbs. Then add passenger weight, hitch weight, cargo weight, and any other add ons. Next, the 4Runner has a relatively short wheelbase which hinders stability, especially in wind. Braking on long mountainous descents will be harder and much scarier as the small displacement turbo gas engine in the 4Runner will not be able to deliver much vacuum braking (not like compression braking in a diesel) and you will be on your brakes a lot more. In fact, I've read turbo gas engines produce less vacuum braking than naturally aspirated gas engines due to their comparitively smaller displacement and lower compression ratios. The Oliver1 is a small trailer, but heavy for its size. You can try it and see how it goes, but every person I know who started out with a light TV eventually got at least a 1/2 ton truck/SUV or more. I tow my Elite 1 with a 3/4 ton truck and just love it. No drama, just a peaceful driving experience. You also need to consider how your TV would handle an emergency like a flat tire, or an animal running out in front of you, not to mention all the jack wagon drivers on the road these days. The Inter-Mountain West you describe as your target area is great country, but can be challenging for towing. One last item that comes to mind is that your range will be pretty limited with only a 19 gallon gas tank. Some things to ponder.... It's a great vehicle, but you'll be running it at its limit. My 2 cents! Good luck! Dave

Wondering if my 2026 4Runner (full-time 4WD, non-hybrid) using weight distribution hitch, and with 700 lbs of CCC left (after passengers, gear, etc) can reasonably tow an Elite 1 Platinum Pkg in mountainous terrain, fully loaded with water, propane, food, gear, etc (but staying below GVWR some)? (for instance I-70 from Denver to Grand Junction, or Beartooth Highway US-212 from Yellowstone to Red Lodge, or Trans Canada/Iceflow Hwys from Calgery to Jasper, and the like) By reasonable I mean adequate. Is it sensible, prudent for safety and wise for vehicle longevity?

I lived in Fort Mill. Kept my boat on Wylie. Still have friends in the area.

Congratulations and welcome! The OTTO Rally will be a great experience for you and the rest of us will get a chance to check out the new Apex model. We'll look forward to meeting you in October! Mossey

Thank you both! I’ve definitely been impressed with and feel incredibly welcome to the group. Answers to your questions: 1. Home is Clover SC (just across Lake Wylie from Charlotte). 2. There were a few options for the Apex and out of those I chose the rear hitch for my bike rack, and the Anderson weight distribution hitch. I’m also having an OGO composting toilet installed (prefer over the brand Oliver offers). 3. I decided to go with the Oliver for the two main reasons of their quality build and 4 season capability. As I prefer to camp more off the beaten path having the Apex model option sealed the deal. I’ll be at the Rally in October and hopefully will meet y’all there!

I still remember the excitement I expect you are feeling. Does the Apex let you pick your options? I am curious what led you to pick an Oliver. You will find this forum a very valuable resource as you learn your way around. Just ask. Welcome to the family of Ollie owners. I hope we see you on the road.

In June we had our Dexter OEM axles upgraded to 5200's. Our replacement 2400 pound rated Dexters were retained. No reason to replace them after just a couple of seasons. What I did learn of interest follows: As of that time, Alcan has replace abut 300 sets of OEII springs at their shop. They have also sent to other Oliver owners about 450 sets of springs. Both 4 and 5 leaf. They have also sent a bunch of 5 leaf springs to Oliver for use in the new Heavy Duty suspension, and sent four leaf springs for the other 90% of their customers. I specifically discussed with Alcan the repair method for spun spline bolts. He stated that the Hex Head Washer approach IS the best solution. He also stated that the second best solution is to weld a spacer washer and try to create a new splins. I asked if it was his trailer which he wouldl do: He stated the Hex Head Washer approach if how he would do it. I asked what he thought about the Dexter 1750 rated springs: He stated they are too light for a 6K trailer full time loaded. I am glad to hear that OTT has gone with the suggestions made about 30 pages ago..... GJ

Amazing coincidence of 1743. Congratulations, Wow an Apex. I hope you enjoy your trailer and this user group as much as we have over the years. Where do you call home?

Wow! Thats some serious “bucks”!

Good day all! Wanted to share my hull number and the selected name of my Apex 23 that I’ll be picking up Oct 7th at the Mothership if all goes according to plans. In honor of the hull number I’m choosing a name taken from the writings of Thomas Jefferson (who was born in 1743) along with a “tongue in cheek” nod to part of military career as an Infantry Officer. His “Cannons of Conduct” contain 12 wonderful recommendations about how we should live our lives that I wholeheartedly agree with. So hopefully all will welcome myself, my pups and “Cannon Fodder” to the group. Cheers! Douglas

You read my mind, I anticipated there would be interest lol .. I made sure to wrap this up by the last Dexter trip GM just dropped an Surround Recording feature via OTA, but it ‘only’ records four cameras front/back/sides, so ill have to have my wife point a phone at the screen Just thought I’ll check the trucks App Store and see if there’s a screen record..