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I've said before, and still believe, that Oliver needs to add a customization department; or spin off a group as a separate company. That way, they could handle special requests like they used to, without interrupting their production line. It would be an extra amenity that would set them apart even further from the crowd. Then if people wanted higher end packages, they could be easily accommodated, and Oliver could continue to learn from owners requests how to improve what they offer on the line. Old timers know that much of what makes Oliver's trailers what they are today came directly from owner modifications and requests.

I have the 2" Heavy Duty Single 1UP rack and couldn't be more pleased. With the sun at the right angle., I was able to monitor the bike's shadow while going down the road and over bumps. The bike and rack had zero wobble and both were as solid as a rock. Make sure you check your tongue weight after placing two bikes and the rack behind your trailer so you remain within proper balance. On my short single axle Elite, the tongue weight went from 11 percent to 10 percent of the overall weight on the tongue. [attachment file=bike loaded.jpg]

Woodrow_apples, We tow Ollie with a 2016 5.7L Tundra. No issues with stock Tundra mirrors over 20,000 miles, so far.

When I towed with vehicles other than a 1/2 ton truck I felt the need for rear side-view mirrors. But, since the Oliver is just about the same width as my F-150, I can see behind it just fine. Like John, I too turn on my rear camera when I'm in heavy traffic and/or am backing up - think safety here. That camera also helps avoid the bozo who is right on your bumper and just about the time you decide to move right, they jump out trying to get one car ahead. If you decide to get the mirrors anyway, don't get the kind that "strap" onto your existing mirrors. Those rubber straps are difficult to deal with and do not last more than a couple of years. Nor would I purchase the type that just "clips" onto the existing mirrors. This type that "slides" over the existing mirrors is better: https://www.amazon.com/CIPA-10700-Custom-Towing-Mirrors/dp/B000CISLSI/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&qid=1547649821&sr=8-18&keywords=slide+on+towing+side+view+mirrors Of course, mirrors that can be "tilted" back alongside your vehicle are great in that you can swing them back when getting into tight spaces and then back out when the area opens back up. I've never owned a vehicle that had mirrors that can be extended while towing since I've always thought that most of these were a bit ugly. Hope this helps. Bill

Darrel: You mentioned your "Generator Ground Plug". My assumption is that your plug is to bond the neutral and ground at your generator. I suspect that some new owners may not be aware of this issue. I have cut and pasted an article from Fiberglass RV Forum that describes the problem and a simple fix. It is a good read for those not familiar with the electrical grounding requirements of code and how/why some generators give our Progressive Industries surge and monitoring system fits. Thanks for the reminder, Geronimo John FROM: FIBERGLASS RV FORUM – 7 DEC 2018 03:15 PM, Mr. Casita Greg, Senior Member This is a description of the N-G bond plug that I wrote some time back which I posted on some forums: Portable Inverter Generators and Neutral-Ground Jumper for RV Use Only While we're on the subject of portable generators, all RV electrical systems are wired with their Ground and Neutral buses floated, (un-bonded from each other.) There’s lots of good reasons for this, most specifically it’s an NEC and RVIA code requirement that the safety ground wire never carries any load current, and there can be only one Ground-To-Neutral bonding point in any distributed electrical system in the USA. Now, when you’re plugging your RV into power from a building, such as your garage outlet or a campground pedestal outlet, your RV has its Ground and Neutral buses “bonded” (connected) together externally as part of the service panel’s earthed safety ground system. Again, lots of reasons for this, but the fact is you can only have a single G-N bonding point according to the National Electrical Code and RVIA building codes. So when your RV is powered by a portable generator, and if you have an inline voltage monitor system from a manufacturer such as TRC or Progressive Industries, (like the EMS-30 that I installed in my trailer,) your voltage monitor is checking for the Neutral and Ground voltages to be very close to each other, probably within 3 volts or so. This works well if you’re plugged into shore power that’s properly grounded and bonded, but this voltage protector can be tripped off by plugging your RV shore power plug into a portable generator without an internal Ground-Neutral bond. If you don’t have a voltage protection device on your RV, then you may never know that your generator has a floated neutral (un-bonded G-N bus). Contractor-type generators, such as a Coleman 5000 for example, are generally G-N bonded internally, which is why it runs your RV just fine. However, many portable inverter generators from companies such as Yamaha and Honda (such as a Honda 2000i or EU3000 for example) have floated Neutrals (i.e. no internal Ground-Neutral Bond) since they expect an external G-N bond to happen somewhere else. And while RV-approved generators may have an internal G-N bond, it seems that many of the most popular portable inverter generators from Honda and Yamaha have floating neutrals. So your 2000i or your EU3000 isn’t providing the Ground-Neutral Bond that your RV requires to think it’s getting properly grounded power, while a Coleman 5000 has a Ground-Neutral bond already so it operates your RV properly. Seems crazy, but that appears to be the scenario. It’s pretty simple to wire a special “Ground-Neutral Bond” jumper cable for your Honda or Yamaha generator which will allow you to power your RV through its voltage protection device. You can obtain or make a dummy 15 or 20 amp “Edison” plug with the Neutral (white) and Ground (green) screws jumpered together with a piece of 12 or 14 gauge wire. This G-N jumper plug can be plugged into one of the generator’s unused 20-amp outlets, and the entire generator’s electrical system will be N-G bonded. You can then use the other 20-amp Edison outlet or the 30-amp outlet to power the RV. Just be sure to mark this plug specifically for its intended purpose. It won’t really hurt anything if it’s plugged into a correctly wired home outlet, but it will create a secondary G-N bonding point that could induce ground loop currents and create hum or buzz in a sound system. So this is a generator-only G-N bonding plug which should be only plugged into a portable generator while powering your RV. What's going on inside the plug? Jumper wire between the silver screw terminal and the ground screw terminal. Be careful not to hook to the gold terminal screw. (Which is the "hot" prong and can be easily determined by looking at the two power prongs. The "hot" prong (usually the black wire,) will be the smaller of the two blades on the plug and is the power supply. Do not connect to this one.

I think that the EC's have risen in price substantially over the past few years. At the time we were debating our Ollie, I think EC's were in the $160k-$$240k range. They were just on the edge of us thinking that they weren't that much more than a top of the line truck and Ollie combined. But now it seems like they start around $240k or more. That Unimog thing was a one-off custom deal I'm sure. You can imagine that they're a pretty small company and like Oliver of old, are willing to customize about anything. At those prices, they should. We ran across a pair of EC's in Big Bend a while back, and I have to say that they looked like they were having a blast. They could definitely go further into the park than I'd be willing to take our Snowball. I've talked with owners and the company owners and have had the opportunity to really check out the EC's in person. I think what would surprise you, Steve, is how similar everything is to Oliver. Same concept, similar detailing, and they share a lot of hardware. The owners seem cut from the same cloth, albeit wealthier, lol. I'd say that they are to an Oliver exactly what an Oliver is to a Casita. Apart from that Unimog, they're also reasonably sized. Their wheelbase isn't much more than a long bed truck. Interior space is a bit more cramped than an Elite II, but I think their layout is more efficient so it's probably a wash. Interior storage is probably close, but the Ollie's storage is much more convenient. EC's really lack in counter space, so I think you'd notice the size difference the most when cooking. I'd love to see what they could do with a trailer, but I think they're all in on integrated vehicles. I'm just glad they exist so when people talk about how expensive an Ollie is, I can say, "Yeah, expensive but worth it. But those Earthcruisers - now that's a questionable purchase."

Nice looking rack...bicycle rack that it. I like that it has a model for the 1.25" hitch on the new Oliver and can be expanded to extra bikes should the need arise. Just can't bond with the aero-wing design..looks shakey. Most platform bike racks would need an adapter which is not optimal (esp at the cost). Sold.

Mike, you’re fine. The neutral to ground bonding is happening in the house.

Agree with the above. I had planned to swap out tow mirrors on our Raptor, since they're not available from the factory, but found the stock mirrors to be perfectly fine. Tow mirrors are really only necessary when what you're towing is wider than your truck. Having said that, bigger mirrors are always nicer. I also agree with John D. An always-on rear view camera (I use a wired system from RVS) is a big asset, for backing up as well as keeping an eye on what's coming up behind you.

Our tow vehicle is a Toyota Tundra with the standard mirrors and we have no issues with towing the Elite II. The Tundra has the 5.7 L engine with a 4.30 axle and have had no problems towing anywhere in the country. Good luck and safe travels.

I tow with a 2013 Land Cruiser and don’t need extra mirrors. However I think a trailer backup camera that is NOT wired into your backup lights is mandatory. I turn it on when in heavy traffic to watch for tailgaters or idiots. It is extremely helpful! When I towed with a Ram 3500 with wide mirrors it was certainly nice, but I don’t have a problem with the 200’s stock ones. I suspect your Tundra is a few inches wider, so no worries. Since you are getting an Elite II, I hope you have the 5.7 engine. If so you definitely have the needed power and those wonderful 4.30 axles. My 200 has 3.90 axles and with my Plus 2 tires it struggles a little at high altitude. I may regear them, eventually, maybe go all the way to 4.88.... so I can tow in fifth instead of forth. If you have stock tires or up to 33” ones you should have no difficulties. John Davies Spokane WA

I tow with a VW Touareg TDI and would not be comfortable towing without towing mirrors. Without them, you really can't see behind the camper. The ones I've used successfully for a number of years are Dometic DM-2912 Milenco Grand Aero3 Towing Mirrors. You can purchase on Amazon and other places. They are easy to attach and give you a good field of vision.

Several of us have them and they've definitely been discussed - the search function here is useless. Short story = highly recommended.