Leaderboard

We picked our trailer up on 12/19. We opted for the storage cabinet rather than microwave. The plan was for a toaster oven but none that I wanted would fit so we made a bar out of it. I love it! Here is a picture.

GeronimoJohn, welcome to the forum. Everybody defines “offroad” differently. If you mean true off road vs off pavement, then you need to rethink your trailer or TV choice. For maintained forest service roads there would be no problem with your choices other than the inherent difficulties of manuevering a 24 ft tandem in tight places. These difficulties are significantly harder than for a shorter single axle trailer. The Anderson does limit articulation badly, and that is where you will have trouble once you get onto those washed out secondary forest roads and high mountain passes with their ledgy sections and creek crossings. You have to relieve the load on the chains (not remove them entirely) and then you have some motion, but in no way will the connection move around like a true offroad coupler. I originally hoped to find a campung solution that would let me go anywhere but in the end I realized that stopping before the roads got nasty, dropping the trailer in a civilized campground, then proceeding to explore the back county in my 200 was a better choice. Less risk of getting stuck, damaged or rolled down an embankment. Is your Sequoia stock? If yes, then you definitely 100% need the Anderson. If modified, then maybe you would be OK if you are lifted with stiffer suspension and oversized LT tires, and it might work fine with a dead weight hitch or Lock N Roll type hitch. Maybe. The short wheelbase is still a liability. If you bought an Elite then there would be no worries and no need for the Anderson. If you bought a long wheelbase pickup, then you could maybe haul the bigger trailer without the Anderson. My 200 has stock suspension but 10 ply tires. No way would I consider not using the Anderson, except for dead slow maneuvering. John Davies Spokane WA

I agree with everything Bill said. I got the Andersen because I initially towed with a Tacoma and felt the need for a WD hitch with the smaller truck. I still use it with my Ram even though it has 10K+ capacity. Once you figure it out it’s quick and easy to hitch and unhitch. The folks at Andersen have been very responsive to issues. Mike

GJ - I'll bet that you are going to find the answers you get to most of your questions to be either in the "for" or "against" categories regarding the Andersen. Simply put - there are those of us that like WD hitches and those that don't. I'm in the "for" catagory. From the numbers you supplied, it appears that a WD hitch is not absolutely necessary for your vehicle. However, be a bit careful on this in that with my 2017 F-150 pickup I can tow up to about 12,000 pounds, but, a little label on the hitch says that I must use a WD hitch if the tongue weight is over 500 pounds. Also, while at a 7,100 pounds tow limit, the Elite II will bring you too close to that limit (at least for my taste). I would not consider your vehicle as heavy duty. As far as I know, Andersen does not sell the "old style" ball assemblies anymore and Oliver has had only the new one for a number of months now. As I think you already know, the Andersen has a typical ball hitch. As such it will handle most situations just like any other ball hitch assembly. Beyond that, as you probably know, there are other hitch assemblies that can handle extreme off-road situations a bit better. But, only you can determine just how extreme you are going to get with your Oliver. Finally, regarding budget - that depends on you and your risk tolerance. Do you absolutely HAVE to have a WD? It would appear that the probable answer to that is - no. But, are you willing to void the warranty on your TV and possibly assume increased vehicle liability if that hitch says that you should have a WD hitch for anything over 500 pounds? Are you willing to accept (or not notice) a somewhat more bouncy ride (due to the dolphin or porpoise effect) and due to too much weight being put on your rear axle (as you may know, there are other suspension mods to take care of this problem other than using a WD hitch)? Are you willing to take more risk of adverse TV and/or trailer movement in an emergency situation (note that this point can be argued)? Perhaps it is a bit unfortunate that the Andersen is the only WD hitch that will easily work with the Oliver without some fairly significant alterations to the Oliver and it is not cheap. However, I am more than happy with mine. Bill

We were at the freezer again tonight, on our way home ( sort of) from St. Augustine. We've been up there once or twice a year since 2010. The drive is worth it. The shrimp are a legend. The stone crabs are amazing. It's a little bit of old Florida fun, and great, really great, seafood. Cash only, cheap, for what you get. Everything comes to the table in styrofoam or plastic or paper. Some would call it casual, others crude, but it's quite unusual. The view is the river harbor and fishing boats. You'll pass the old stone sugar Mill on the way in off the highway. Our family from Western New York had a great time, as we did, too. If you camp anywhere near by, you shouldn't miss this unique dining and happy hour experience. It's truly something else. Tonight, we still had holiday decorations on the fence???????? and a few of the fishing boats. Sherry

Debbie - I'm with you on both zip lines. I'm guessing that a preliminary schedule will be out fairly soon so that activities such as the zip line, golf, etc. can be scheduled and reserved without impacting attendance at any of the "real" Rally functions. Bill

Well done...will wait for your test run!

After looking at the options for the Elite and being on a limited budget, I would not order any options that you can not put in yourself at a later date. I would definitely not waste my time with a 200watt Solar system because you will get more out of a 100watt Renogy Solar Suitcase that you can point directly at the sun. I have the Zamp 320watt system in my Elite II and still I always use the Renogy Solar Suitcase to charge my batteries. Especially this time of year when the sun is low on the horizon. The Zamp solar panels just point up and have basically no adjustment. You can do so much better getting Solar on your own or just by pointing the 100watt Renogy System at the sun that it blows the Elite 200watt system totally out of the running. You can get a way better 200watt system for under $1000.00, so be sure to ask Oliver how much they are going to charge you to put in their Zamp system... Zamp has partnered with other RV companies as well and are known by consumers to be good, reliable, and way over priced... If it's just going to be you... do you need an inverter? Regardless, if your getting it with the microwave then, yes get the inverter but if not, then you can put your own inverter in later. Karen uses ours daily with an induction cook top and the microwave, but that's 2 of us. If you want to get the inverter, then get the Lifeline Battery Upgrade. No microwave, no induction cooktop, no inverter = no need for extra batteries that you can put in later. Personally, I would get both the inverter and the batteries. The only other option that I would consider is the Truma water heater because in the long run, it saves water and propane. Honestly, none of the rest matter to me because I can put in my own options, exactly where I want them and when I can afford them. Reed

In previous discussions regarding weight distribution/anti-sway hitches we have beaten the issue to death. I believe that most agree that the Oliver does NOT sway during normal and possibly even some emergency situations. I also think that most of us agree that for vehicles that do not REQUIRE weight distribution, these types of hitches are simply NOT necessary. However, many vehicles (like the Ford F-150) DO require the use of a weight distribution hitch. I have used several different brands of these types of hitches - all have had good and bad points and all have had times where the process of connecting/dis-connecting has been a "problem". I have found that the Andersen is certainly no worse than any of the others in this regard and it is, perhaps, even easier. My argument regarding these hitches is not only regarding the FACT that they are required for some (actually read that most since I believe that most of us do not tow with vehicles rated in the "HD" range), but, I believe that they add a measure of additional safety. This safety is obtained in at least two ways. First, with the weight of the combined unit (tow vehicle and Oliver) more evenly spread over the axles and therefore the things that actually touch the road, one has better use of the suspension and brakes thus making the ride and performance of the tow vehicle more stable, reliable, consistent and safe in virtually all situations. Secondly, in the event of a situation where the combined unit (this includes the tow vehicle, Oliver and driver) was placed anywhere near its maximum the fact that there is additional connection between the tow vehicle and the Oliver should help. Certainly I hope to never be in this situation. But, I also hope to never need my house insurance (nor my life insurance). The decision to buy "insurance" (or not) is a personal one (even though I hate it when some people whine about not having insurance after the fact). I too have had some "problems" with the Andersen making noise while turning. Beginning today Andersen is shipping a new design which (hopefully) will get rid of this noise once and for all. They have increased the taper of the ball shaft inside the housing and changed the "whale-tail" where it attaches to the bottom of the ball shaft. This change now allows the whale-tail to "float" or pivot up and down on the end of the ball shaft see (picture below - note that the old design had a complete circular "collar" where the two "tabs" are now located for attachment to the ball shaft ). I've been told that for any current owner of the "old style" unit, Andersen will do an exchange of the tail and ball/housing unit for $100. Finally, I can say nothing but good things about the way Andersen conducts its business. Certainly they are in the class of Oliver in this regard. They have bent over backwards to try making sure that I am a happy customer and have done all that I've asked for and more in this regard. Bill