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Since the night of February 13th, 2017 we have been living and traveling in our new Oliver Legacy Ellite II and we named her,"The Lil' Nugget". Everything from then until today can be found here - http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/hull-200-in-service/ And here - http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/hull-200-in-service-pt2/ The above links were in the "Delivery Day photos" section and went above and beyond our delivery day by far. So it's time for a fresh start... __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 4/24/17 - An Oliver in the mist... Yesterday we arrived in Yosemite just before dark, then quickly set up the basics because this week we are Boondocking below Half Dome. After that we went over to our friends site across the meadow to see them before bed time. When boondocking we try to not use much water and between yesterday and today, we used up a whopping 5%, which leaves us at 75% today... 75%? But... That doesn't add up? We had filled up with water before leaving Sacramento, but between there and here in Yosemite, the roads are so steep, and winding and rough that 20% had bounced out by the time we got here. We are staying in Upper Pines Campground with 3 other couples and this is the first year that we haven't been able to get our camping spots next to each other like so many times past. This is our yearly Spring gathering here together and this time there's an Oliver in the list :) It was a rainy day today and we finished setting up everything and working around camp. Also more friends came in today and one had never been here before :) 2017 has been one of the greatest flood years ever here in California and just last week the campgrounds were still flooded. So the Falls this year are huge... "How huge?" you ask, well those pics will come soon :) We counted 40 different waterfalls here in Yosemite last night as we drove in. And that was just from the Highway 140 enterance. We even have a small one living right out our back window. Here's a few pics from dinner and around the fire tonight Tonight we broke out our new Cobb Grill for the first time and barbequed Tri-tip along with some broccoli. And I switched out one of our propane hoses and hooked our propane fireplace up to the rear port on Lil and had some great fun, good times, and great food. <span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5;">Our first night using the Cobb Grill was a very satisfying success :)</span> Did you see the mist...

I'll second that recommendation. We go at least twice a year - helps that the in laws live in hot springs. Springtime is beautiful, and if you're ever there during the holidays, they do the most amazing light show you've ever seen.

I have a Drawtite, Activator III on my 2014 Tundra and I am currently pulling a 17' Casita Spirit Deluxe. Mounted under the steereing wheel just to the right. I had mine professionally installed. It works fine and I would suppose it will work fine pulling my Legacy Elite II when I pick it up from the factory next month.

Eisleen and all the Casita folk said that the Honda 2000i would run the Dometic AC, so I started it up tonight and it did the same as yours with the fan starting first, etc. It was running at full throttle but it worked fine and cooled the trailer with the fan on low in just a few minutes. I had kicked the fan down to low to see if there was any noticable difference but I couldn't hear any change at all, it just stayed on high throttle. I bought the easy start but haven't had a chance to install it yet as we have been either in the rain or enjoying our trip and haven't been home yet where the ladders are waiting :)

I'm enamored with Toyotas and am currently researching getting an Oliver TT. My current 2004 Tacoma is completely unsuited for towing but I'm willing to upgrade to a new Taco. And, no, I don't want a Tundra. :-)

Can anyone comment on this SUV for towing in the mountainous West? How about a Tundra owner? Can you comment on the drivetrain? Towing mpgs? The 2008 and later Cruiser has the wonderful 5.7 liter V8 rated at 381 bhp and 401 ft lbs, six speed auto, max tow is 8500 pounds. 90% of peak torque is at 2200 rpm. Here is a great thread about it... https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/towing-with-a-200-series-toyota-land-cruiser Here's my background, and the reason for asking. I owned a very heavily modified 1996 Series 80 for 13 years but my son has been driving it for the last year, and a month ago he totalled it on an nasty icy stretch of I90 in central WA. I love Land Cruisers of all kinds, but for some reason I never realized that the new trucks had the tow rating bumped up so darned high. I think it would pull a tandem Ollie without working hard, and be a _much_ more capable and civilized ride the rest of the time, compared to my Ram 3500, which my wife loathes. To be frank, there is not ONE feature of the truck that she likes except for the superb Corbeau suspension seats I installed, once she manages to get into hers... She does like Land Cruisers, a lot, and that is an important consideration. The plan is to park the Ollie at a camp site in the National Forest, then explore the surrounding area with the tow vehicle. While the Ram will carry you to your destination, it will destroy your kidneys in the process, not fit in many tight places and will get stuck easily. It is just not a pleasant place to be on anything but perfectly smooth pavement. The LC would make a fantastic back country explorer and a great daily driver... You could take it over a ledgey 10,000 ft Colorado primitive pass, do the Alpine Loop, or explore the White Rim Road, and you won't get beat up or stranded. Prices are becoming reasonable for a five or six year old used one. With proper mauntenance these will go 300,000 miles and 20 years with minimal issues. Besides sucking gas. I would need to use an Anderson or other equalizing hitch and airbags. Otherwise it won't need anything except a brake control. I would probably go with one of these new (and highly regarded) remote mounted ones from Oz: ... http://www.ebay.com/itm/REDARC-TOW-PRO-ELITE-ELECTRIC-REMOTE-EBRH-ACCV2-TOWPRO-BRAKE-CONTROLLER-EBRH-C-B-/221714079748 Comments are very welcome. John Davies Spokane WA

My wife and I took delivery of our new Oliver. Pick up went very smoothly and Jason did a great job going over all the features and answering questions we had. We are looking forward to many great adventures and can't wait to meet other Oliver owners and learn as much as possible during the upcoming rally.

geO, All the inverter does is convert 12 volts to 110 volts. Depending on the size of the inverter one can operate virtually any electric appliance up to the inverter's capacity. Assuming that you have the standard 2000 watt inverter that Oliver typically sells with its campers, you could theoretically operate any 110 volt electric appliance up to 2000 watts. However, there is some loss in the conversion from the 12 volts to the 110 volts (and a couple other technical things), thus it is best to not try operating anything above about 1500 watts. This 1500 watts includes most hair dryers, toaster ovens, coffee pots, TV's, radios, computers, microwaves, etc. Simply look on the appliance you want to use to see how many watts are listed - if it is below 1500 you are good to go. If it is above 1500 watts or if you can not find the watts on the appliance then it would be better to not use it. Also, don't forget to add up those watts if you are trying to operate more than one appliance at a time - you still should not go over the total of 1500 watts. Mind you that this is a simple explanation and not all inverters are as good as the one in the Oliver. So, do not use this as a blanket statement for all inverters. Hope this helps! Bill

Mirror Lake's reflection of Half Dome in Yosemite on April 29th, 2017

The inverter is used for the microwave and any 110 outlets. It will not run the air conditioner. That's the end of my knowledge :-)

Congrats! Glad to hear all went well and the weather cooperated. Looks great - Mike

It was a pleasure meeting you guys as well and look forward to meeting up again in the future when we have a little more time!

Congratulations guys! We enjoyed meeting you both at Fall Hollow. Wish we could catch-up with you at the rally but previous plans prevent our attending. Safe travels and enjoy!

The Ollie has great towing manners and braking manners. Believe the Drawtite unit would work fine. When we picked up our Ollie in MO, had to take a detour in the mountains on the way home to North Carolina. A vehicle pulled out in front of us forcing an emergency stop. The brake controller on the Nissan Frontier TV, was a basic Tekonsha unit and set the controller up with the Ollie before heading home from MO. Very impressed with the Ollie's brakes during an emergency stop. Congrats on your new Ollie, hope we can see many photos when y'all pick it up!!!!!

Congratulations! I love yor graphic color choice. Kathy

Congrats. Judging by the sunshine, you guys must have timed your pick up just right to miss all the rain that's come though this past week.

I sent a link to a friend who will be camping near Hot Springs tonight. If you are in the area, Gravan Gardens are beautiful, and Anthony chapel is modern, rustic, and amazing all at once. If you are in the area, do spend a few hours there. Your well behaved pup is welcome, too, for a small fee. Sherry

Overlander, since you are out test driving vehicles, try a Land Cruiser 200. It is more expensive than a Disco but much more capable offroad than any uni-body LR, and WAY better built. You could pick up a really nice Certified 2014+ for the price of a new Discovery. The downside is that people will mistake it for a Highlander instead of a space vehicle.... or that's an upside, I dunno. Stock articulation: A Disco would have one tire a foot in the air. John Davies Spokane WA

I think 2 axles will be enough for us. We aren't really interested in towing a big rig. We like the footprint of our new Ollie. Our Bigfoot wasn't much longer than Oliver but it was 8ft 4 in wide and I can tell you it makes a big difference in towing and visibility. My husband loves towing the Oliver. He can see around it! Easy to maneuver. FYI, we saw Scott Oliver during our pickup, he mentioned they were considereing an Oliver with a dry bath option...

We use to use Frontline plus on our dogs but have switched to Seresto collars for past 2 years. We have had 2 dogs develop seizure disorder and the vet said the topical treatments have been associated with that. The collars seem to work well. No ticks since the change. Dogs like it. They hated the stuff on the back. We are in tick country and we wildernesss canoe camp with our pups for 2 weeks every year in Quetico Provential Park ( Canadian Boundary Waters) in June. We always find ticks but none on pups! If you are going to the rally be sure to take precautions. My husband found 4 ticks in the 3 days we were there picking up Ollie. Bumper crop of ticks this year.

The last two years I have had fantastic success, no ticks or fleas seen on my GSDs, with the Seresto collars. I change them, as recommended every 8 months, and I find that applying a fresh one in March or April and leaving it on until November/December works very well indeed.

Sherry, A good flea and tick med for your dogs is great advice. In my section of New England, we have a lot of white tailed deer. The ticks associated with the deer are infected with Lyme disease. We need to take two precautions based on our geographical region. Most of the dog owners I know, treat their dogs with Frontline Plus monthly flea and tick medicine. We apply it for 10 of the twelve months, we exclude January and February. In addition, the dogs get an annual Lyme disease vaccination which involves two shots spaced three weeks apart. In addition, we have a habit of carefully checking our dogs for ticks after each walk. Sometimes the ticks are loose in the hair and could enter your trailer and bite you. Not a good thing! Sometimes it is wise to mention your travel plans with your veterinarian to determine if any additional vaccinations are recommended. Think of it as travel protection for your canine buddies! Buzzy PS - Pic of my little tick magnet, Buddy, in Kindergarten. At 20 pounds and growing on his way to 30+. He got his Frontline Plus treatment this morning!

http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2017/05/which-premium-truck-performs-best-as-a-daily-driver.html Don't let mpgs rule your search. The best unladen fuel economy of the group came from the Titan XD but it really struggled pulling a trailer near its max load. Its always best to err on the side of "too much truck" than the other way around, which happens all too often. John Davies Sokane WA

I have the P3 and it works great. I had mine installed inside the center console below the arm rest hatch. So it's easy to get to anytime on or off road by just flipping open the armrest door. This way it's out of sight but still totally accessible.

Reed, Thanks for the reply, sounds like your AC runs the same way ours does on Gen-Set Power. Assume after Easy Start installation, the fan would not stop when the compressor turns on. Would appreciate learning if your fan continues to operate when the compressor turns on after Easy Start installation. John (Raspy), My first concern was about AC reliability when using a Gen-Set, too. Since we're on the east coast, I had not given much thought to reduced power at higher elevations, you make valid points. We will be taking the Ollie out west to higher elevations. Thanks for sharing your approach to Gen-Set use while camping. Would appreciate learning how your inverter system works out. Believe Larry (Mountainborn) uses a Yamaha 3000W Gen-Set, enjoy learning from his high elevation camping experience, too. John Davies, This Yamaha takes only one pull to start, even when the fuel valve was turned off to run the fuel out of the carburetor during shut down. Let it sit for a year after letting it run out of fuel during shut down. Had a little surging when I cranked it up, so removed the old gas and filled it up with fresh gas. Still had surging. Removed two panels secured with four screws, removed air filter, and carburetor. Found a little fuel left in the carburetor during disassembly and a little build up in a jet, cleaned it out with compressed air. Reassembled the unit and it runs fine. It only took 1 1/2 hours to take it apart, clean the carb jet and reassemble, very easy unit to work on. If left without running for a long period of time in the future, would remove one side panel secured by two screws, drain the carb float bowl completely and reassemble, probably taking 15 minutes. Always liked Honda and Yamaha motorcycles, they build quality Gen-Sets, recommend the Yamaha EF2400iSHC, too. Thanks for the comments,

How do you like the Yamaha and would you recommend it? I currently have an older EU1000i and am considering getting the Yammie and selling off my Honda. The EF2400iSHC gets stellar reviews, here especially. http://portablegeneratorguide.com/yamaha-ef2400ishc-review/ I would carry it in my TV most of the time, weight is not a big issue, and would use the generator ocassionally for really cloudy times or running the air conditioning in the boonies. I had an Air Command 13.5 installed.... Thanks John Davies Spokane WA

I want to see how reliably, if at all, the AC will run on the Easy Start and a 2000 watt generator. I already have the 2000 watt Yamaha. It may be OK, provided there are no other loads, but the battery charger will also be drawing power unless the batteries are completely charged. There is also the problem of lower generator output at higher elevations. About 3% per 1000 ft. if I remember correctly. I'm designing my inverter system to have a 3000 watt inverter (6000 watt surge) using an inverter that I already have. With a manual transfer switch it seems I could set the switch to position 1 and supply all 120 volt power to Ollie from the inverter. At the same time the generator could be plugged in and charging the batteries, but no 120 volt power would feed on through from the converter/charger to Ollie. The on-board charger would simply be charging the batteries. This would allow a 6000 watt surge to start the AC and allow the generator to charge the batteries through the onboard battery charger. The effect is, the batteries would buffer the output of the generator and allow a huge starting load. Then the genny could catch up on the charging before the next start cycle. The onboard charger, at full output, doesn't overload the generator. As long as the average charging amps met the average AC load, the system would run fine. There are some inefficiencies. The inverter is only about 90% efficient and the charger has some waste of unknown percentage. Plus the batteries have losses during charging. But it might work and adapt the smaller genny to the larger, intermittant load, even at altitude. Then position 2 on the transfer switch would be for normal shore tie duty and take the inverter out of the circuit. Thoughts?

Check this out. Outdoor charcoal cooker, smoker, boiler, fryer, oven Weighs just 8 pounds and cooks for 3 hours on only 8 briquettes Here's the store link http://cobbgrillamerica.strikingly.com and on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Cobb-Premier-Portable-Stainless-Smoker/dp/B000GGTYIW/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492021876&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=cobb+pro+smoker

I see by your profile that you are in Florida and wanting to escape. Do you ever plan to go to the Rockies or Sierras? Towing up a 12% grade in 100 degree heat at 10,000 feet is another world completely compared to the Southeast! What are your payload requirements? Love makes us all do things that don't necessarily make sense. Buying a very marginal tow vehicle like a Tacoma will be a very expensive mistake if it doesn't work. Risky! My goal in the next year is to downsize to a Series 200 Land Cruiser. I won't go lighter than that. Have you considered a five year old LC? Bulletproof and not that big - more like a Highlander in dimensions, but with the Tundra's brute power, and a build quality second to none. No wife would turn down a ride in a late model Land Cruiser! Ride and interior are excellent. http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/towing-elite-ii-with-a-land-cruiser-200-v8/ John Davies Spokane WA

We don't plan on using the TT more than 2-3 months out of the year and I don't want a full-size truck for the rest of the year. PLUS my wife, who is otherwise fine with my Tacoma, would refuse to go along with a bigger truck. :-)

The Tacoma came with the 4.0L engines up to 2015.

Please correct me if I have this wrong, last time I checked it’s possible to currently buy 3.5L TRD Tacoma with up to 6800 pound tow capacity. With V6 Tow Package it's 6400 lbs.

StoicJim, I'm all about loving my Taco and understand your desire to stay in one. These things are bullet proof. My '08 Taco with the V6 - 4.0L engine is almost broken in, at 218,000 miles. 99,000 of those miles were towing my '08 Elite Ollie and it still runs like a Swiss watch. It's 6500lb towing capacity is very capable to my 3900 lb Elite. I'm only towing at 60% of the truck's capacity. Although the new Tacoma has more torque and HP than the older ones, I wonder how the smaller 3.5L engine will tolerate heavier towing when it gets into the higher mileage ranges. Also, it is good to have a nice healthy safety margin going both ways on hills of significant grade. I'm not too sure I'd want my Taco to go over Lolo Pass and down the long steep approach into Dent Acres campground in Idaho with an Elite II fully packed for camping behind me. If you do go with a new Tacoma, I strongly advise adding a Roadmaster Active Suspension Assist to the rear springs.

I got 12-14 mpg towing with my 2012 Tacoma with the 4.0L six. I also had the TRD supercharger. My mileage with the Ram with a 5.7L V8 is about the same or slightly higher.

The folks at Trailerlife, "Oliver's Twist" article, evaluated the Tacoma/Oliver Elite II rig yielding 13.1MPG and stated, "On the road, the 23-foot 6-inch Oliver towed like a dream".

These guys got 8.4 mpg towing 5600 pounds at 70mph and felt that it was working too hard. Admitedly their trailer has more wind resistance than an Ollie. It did not appear to be a relaxing driving experience. http://www.tfltruck.com/2015/12/2016-toyota-tacoma-real-world-mpg-towing-test-video/ John Davies Spokane WA

StoicJim, Welcome!!!!! We have two Toyota pickups and really like them, too!!!!! We tow our Ollie with empty water tanks ready to camp coming in around 4950 pounds with about 450 pound tongue weight. The Ollie has great towing manners, too. We picked up our used Ollie in MO, the previous Ollie owner had towed the Ollie 6,000 miles with a 4.0L Tacoma between New England, FL, and MO. He had Timbren rubber block rear suspension installed on his Tacoma to reduce sag. We towed the Ollie home with a 4.0L Nissan Frontier Crew-cab 6300 pound tow capacity, we were amazed how well the Frontier handled the Ollie and fuel economy in the NC & TN mountains, over 15MPG. Even had an emergency stop when a vehicle pulled out in front of us in the TN mountains with the rig stopping easily. Eventually traded our Fronty in for a 2016 5.7L Tundra. The Tundra tows the Ollie easily with fuel economy of 13.5MPG with cruise control off in the NC/TN mountains. We purchased the Tundra as our Ollie's TV for now, the Tundra's tow capacity is close to 10,000 pounds. The 38 gallon Tundra fuel tank is very nice to have, too. If we only had one TV for the Ollie, it would be the Tundra. Our long range plan is to replace our 2003 2.4L Tacoma with a 3.5L Tacoma if the 2003 Tacoma ever wears out, only has 143,000 miles, so may take another 143,000 miles or 14 years before replacement, will see! When the 2.4L Tacoma is replaced, plan to use a 3.5L Tacoma with tow package to tow the Ollie east of the Mississippi River and use the 5.7L Tundra for towing the Ollie in the higher elevations out west. Please correct me if I have this wrong, last time I checked it's possible to currently buy 3.5L TRD Tacoma with up to 6800 pound tow capacity.

StoicJim, welcome! I have owned two Tacoma's, a 2009 and 2012. We picked up our Oliver with the 2012 Tacoma. It did an adequate job of towing, we put 4K+ miles on our Tacoma towing our Elite II. Hills in the Ozarks, freeways, and backroads - no real towing issues. I don't tow fast (60-62mph) and am generally pretty cautious. When I went over 100K miles we decided to go with a bigger replacement, our current Ram 1500. Going in, our main reasons for going bigger was to get a bigger fuel tank and a bigger truck bed. With the Tacoma, I was constantly looking to refuel due to the small gas tank. I also didn't want to always be "full to the brim" cargo wise when we traveled. Now that I've got many more miles on the full size Ram, there are other things I appreciate. Besides the big gas tank and larger bed, I like the integrated brake controller and the "tow mode". I also appreciate the additional power and braking capacity. Gas mileage is about the same. You might consider any cargo/supplies you would want to carry when you tow. As Buzzy points out, with some water in the tanks you are pushing the upper weight limit of the Tacoma which can make hills more challenging in both directions. Hope this helps. Mike

My answer is, yes maybe for flat land. Definitely 100% no for high altitude and steep grades. It really is a poor choice. Why buy a new TV that will only be marginally acceptable? It does not compute. You ideally need 20% reserve towing capacity, and the Taco gives you essentially zero reserve. You should be shopping trucks that will pull 8000 pounds or more. You also need to consider the truck payload and whether or not you will be able to bring all the stuff you need in the TV in addition to the 600 + or - pound tongue weight of an Ollie. A new 4wd Taco has a payload of around 1200 pounds. That only gives you 600 for driver, passengers and your stuff. IMHO that number is really too low, unless you travel alone with no heavy gear. With four normal sized people you would have no reserve capacity whatsoever....! Why don't you like a Tundra? Or a Sequoia? Either would be a highly satisfactory choice for the bigger Oliver. If you are determined to tow with a mid-sized truck, then you might consider the Elite instead of the heavier Elite II. John Davies Spokane WA

Hi StoicJim, First off, welcome to our Forum. The short answer is, maybe. The weight of an Elite II is dependent on the options selected, your camping gear and any contents to your fresh water, gray or black tanks. In my case, I average an Ollie weight of 6,000 pounds each time I go camping. I also like to navigate mountainous terrain in the White Mountains of New Hampshire as well as the Green Mountains of Vermont. I wanted a tow vehicle which could get me to my camp sites and back home with plenty of towing and braking power. For me, it was more a matter of feeling safe on the road. My current tow vehicle meets all my requirements. Buzzy

If you are going to compare units, AS Basecamp to an Ollie, keep your comparison to the Oliver Elite. While similar in size, amenities and price (base price) there is no comparison on quality. Oliver is superior. I would advise revisiting the need for a solar powered unit. I have a 2015 Oliver Elite. After purchasing it, I drove over 4 k from coast to coast. Although I struggled with solar or not, in the end I am glad I did not have it installed. I spent 3 days in Monument Valley, Utah with just battery power, gas water heater and my fresh water tank full. After 3 days, my electric monitor displayed 12.5 batter life, despite running the fan day and night, lights, water heater, everything except AC and Microwave. My style of camping is staying in a park for no more than a few days. The ability to camp using battery power, pulling my trailer that is more aerodynamic and no drag from a solar unit (more MPG vs. solar power) much better fits my needs. The electrical, plumbing, wiring, water tanks, etc is all contained WITHIN the hull, with nothing hanging down, exposed to the elements of weather, etc, makes the Elite a true 4 season camper. Also, do not overlook Oliver's new approach to upgrades. The new wiring harness is built as a "Plug and Play" capability. In the event you are unsure that you may /may not want the upgrade, you can add so many other amenities later on post purchase, with little trouble because the unit is prewired. As a owner of a Oliver Elite, I too compared the AS Basecamp before purchasing my Ollie. My Elite meets all my needs and exceeds many of my expectations. Look at what your NEEDS and EXPECTATIONS are before purchasing. Do a fair comparison, not larger to smaller a satisfied and Happy Camper Hardrock