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Hey all, I do this... and this... often on one of these In case that was too obtuse, I'm a writer, photographer, and digital marketing consultant (my day job). I write motorcycle stories for RoadRUNNER Magazine, the largest motorcycle touring magazine in the country. It's been a lot of fun - I've seen much of the country and parts of the world on two wheels and I hope to continue to do so for many more years. This past July I rode an electric motorcycle from San Francisco to New York, following the route of George A Wyman, the first person to cross the country by motorized vehicle. Any guesses when Wyman did it? Anyone? Guess? Last chance! 1903. Fun fact - there were only 200 miles of paved roads back then, and the dirt roads were so bad in spots that Wyman rode nearly half of his journey on the railroad tracks. Yes, on the railroad tracks. On this thing Crazy, huh?! Now I'm planning for the next phase of my zigzag life. For years I wanted one of these I was also thinking of a Class B RV, but then I found Oliver and I think that I've found my rig. I'm still a couple of years away from shoving off, but my plan is to full time for 3-5 years, writing, taking photos, just spending time in this beautiful place. I think the Oliver will stand up to the remote dirt roads that I want to take it on. I'm thinking of a Ford Transit as my tow vehicle, so that I can haul a motorcycle in the back protected from the elements and prying eyes. Well, that's it for now. I've been lurking for a couple of weeks and have already learned a lot from everyone here. Glad to make everyone's virtual acquaintance. I'll certainly have a ton of questions as the months go on, so thanks in advance...john

Give the sales office a call again. I know the ladies that handle the VIN's just issued several yesterday and I did call her to see if yours was. She said Jason at the Sales Office should have it now.

John, Welcome to the forum. I will be most interested to read your posts. I have read a few of your articles. I have not ridden seriously in a few years due to joint issues, but I still like to read Adventure bike travel stories, especially those with great camerawork and water crossings ;) You need to seriously rethink your tow vehicle. For dirt roads you need AWD or better yet real 4wd with a low range. No 2wd van like the Transit, no matter how capable, is going to be safe and satisfactory for any extended off pavement towing, especially if you pick the heavier tandem Ollie, which is really the best choice for full timing. You need the extra capabilities for those times when conditions are less than clear, dry and flat. Is the Sprinter's new 4wd version rated at 7000+ pounds? That might prove to be a great TV with it's superb 4wd system and raised suspension. Or a Quigley converted Nissan NV3500, or a used 4wd Econoline. There are not many van bodied choices that drive all four wheels, unfortunately. There are tons of choices if you are willing to consider a long bed pickup with a tall canopy, or a cab and chassis with a utility body. Again, welcome. John Davies Spokane WA

Ollie's are very stable trailers. Like topgun, I have tried to induce sway in mine and it won't do it. I've also been in crosswinds and been passed by semi trailers. No problem beyond a little response to the draft. Stability is not an absolute number. As the tow vehicle gets narrower, higher and shorter. While it's tires get softer and it's weight gets closer to the trailer weight, stability suffers. Not because of the trailers inherent design stability, but the ability to overpower the tow vehicle and the tow vehicle's stability issues. Heavy duty full size pickups are more stable than smaller, narrower and lighter mid size trucks. I think the biggest threat is not the Ollie design, but an emergency stop, especially on a curve in the road, or with limited traction. This is where the brake controller better be set up right. Otherwise the trailer can either push you into a jackknife or it will lockup and slide sideways pulling you around with it. But to anyone concerned about it, remember, if your trailer becomes unstable on a straight section of road, all you have to do it reach down and apply the trailer brakes manually on the controller. Everyone who tows should be familiar with this procedure. When a swaying trailer gets it brakes applied it immediately straitens itself out. Then you can slow down and get to the bottom of the problem. You can pull the tow vehicle down to a safe speed where the trailer is again stable.

My wife and I live in New Hampshire and we have been researching and are interested in an RV lifestyle in retirement. We are currently tent campers, backpacking occasionally (of late that’s turning into much more occasionally). We have 3 dogs and a couple of cats, bees didn’t make it through the winter and we’ll be taking a break from beekeeping. We don’t own a truck (yet) and at this point are researching TT’s and have been drawn to the molded fiberglass models for all of the stated reasons; the Ollie in particular has us infatuated. We have enjoyed reading posts from this community and are encouraged by the warm and welcoming atmosphere. We love hiking, fly fishing, scuba, travel and all of the stuff a lot of this community enjoys. Thanks for having us! Pete

Anyone else having guilty thoughts about the new Airstream Basecamp? So light, so maneuverable, so nicely detailed, only $40k completely loaded... Someone needs to talk me back from the ledge. https://www.airstream.com/travel-trailers/basecamp/

Overland Expo is a wonderful experience if you are at all interested in getting (completely) off-grid. If your idea of a great campsite includes wifi and hookups, you should just stay away. There is an amazing amount of two- and four- (and more) wheeled vehicles and equipment to examine, as well as live demonstrations (winching, bridging, etc), Range Rover offroad drive opportunities, and classes on everything from motorcycle gear to cooking to first aid to photography. I have been to two already in Arizona. I HIGHLY recommend this event if you are anywhere close to Asheville. The only downside as far as I can tell is that this one does not offer back-door access to countless square miles of National Forest, as does the one near Flagstaff. EDIT: it is close though, about three miles by road to the edge of the NantahalaNF. It has been 45 years since I was there but I expect it is still very pretty. Also Great Smoky NP is not far. http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/nfsnc/recarea/?recid=48634 Do not expect to see many travel trailers. The ones you do see tend to be small single axle, lifted tent campers and teardrops. Some are very hardcore. Here is a rare-in-this-country T-Van from the 2012 event. (Note his solar panel.) Here's a Mitsubishi FUSO based EarthCruiser from Oz, by way of their new factory in Bend Oregon. The interior has a very similar feel to the Ollie: And the folks that started the modern craze for a fully self contained overlanding vehicle: An Adrenaline Camper's tongue: "Farkles" for your tow vehicle from Equipt: Don't miss the outlying camping areas, which have as many neat visitor vehicles as are officially on display. That is where you would park your Ollie, should you choose to stay overnight. I can guarantee that you will receive a heavy amount of interest from these folks! The visiting rigs are not officially open for inspections as are the cleaned-up show ones, but if the owner is around you can always chat and perhaps ask if you can poke your head inside for a look. http://www.overlandexpo.com/east/ Ticket info: http://www.overlandexpo.com/weekend-pass-east NOTE !!!! No tickets sold at the gate, all tickets including day passes must be purchased online. They do offer a discount on the last day for a day pass, but be aware that some vehicles may depart early that day, so you may miss a few of them. This is truly a very cool event, even for a non-believer ;). John Davies Spokane WA

Our agent was able to add the Oliver same day during a five minute phone call. Perhaps that's because I already had a trailer on the policy, and replaced it with the Oliver. But I can't imagine that yours would not be able to do the same, with coverage starting at midnight that day at the latest. Seems to me that Oliver would have your paperwork ready at least the day before delivery day, and would be able to give you the VIN # then, and you could call it in and be insured by delivery time.

This is the one I use. I think other Ollie owners have chosen this device as well. The only drawback is the price. Progressive Industries EMS-PT30C Portable 30AMP Electrical Management System

So great to hear from you guys and your adventures. RoadRUNNER is my favorite magazine and the only one that I am still subscribed to (other than IBA mag and AMA). Ann and I have been traveling all over North America by motorcycle for 25 years. Did the Trans Labrador Highway in 2005 on a 25 year old touring bike ( Ann says never again). We are now proud owners of a 2016 Oliver Elite II and take a small Dual Sport with us. Hoping to see much of Big Bend this winter by motorcycle and foot. I'm sure I have seen some of your articles in RoadRUNNER but will review past issues and remember the name in the future. Welcome to the forum I will follow your posts and John Davies as well.

We got one of these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JFWKM2K/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1 It works well. Tells me if power is okay before I connect to the trailer. It popped a couple times during a storm, reset itself after about 90 seconds. The only thing I don't like is the color. I wish it was gray, black or blue so it wasn't so noticeable. Mike

Bill, That's an interesting unit. It applies all of the trailer brakes if it detects sway, just as I suggested the driver do manually. I believe my Ram does the same thing with the truck brakes, but it applies them individually as needed. I tried to drive my way out of a severe sway problem once while towing with a Chevy S10 Blazer (not Ollie) and it had no affect. I had no trailer brakes on that unit and had to go to full throttle to get it to settle down, which is sort of the same dynamics as applying trailer brakes. Scary! Once it got it stabilized I was able to get on the brakes hard to get slowed down below the swaying speed. By that time everyone around me on the freeway had backed of to give me room. John