Leaderboard

MarkC - Absolutely nothing wrong with Spike's suggestions. The Andersen levelers are really easy even when you are alone. However, be prepared for a bit of sticker shock as they are not inexpensive. I think that one or two other companies are now making what are basically knock-offs of the Andersens, but, I have not seen them in person and therefore could not judge the quality - the Andersens are guaranteed. I also carry the "lego" type blocks that Spike mentions. But, I've found that I tend to use the wood blocks in the picture below more often than the legos. These do not have to be "stacked" since they are one piece. If you cut these right at 11 inches tall, they will fit nicely under your rear jacks while on a level or stern (rear of the Ollie) elevated surface. If the stern is lower than the front then I just lay the block on its side for what is about 5 1/2 inches of height. And, if you keep your eyes open around construction sites, you can pick up scrap pieces of 6 x 6 lumber free. Bill

Here is a list of acronyms and abbreviations that are often used on the forum. Suggestions for additional terms are welcome, and can be posted in this thread. Popular and relevant suggestions will be added to main list periodically. 4X2 or 2WD – 2 Wheel Drive 4X4 or 4WD – 4 Wheel Drive 5er or Fiver – Fifth wheel trailer, also abbreviated FW A/C – Air Conditioning AC – Alternating Current ACE or CE - Army Corps of Engineers, more commonly abbreviated COE; often operate campgrounds near their projects. A – Amp or Ampere AGM – Absorbent Glass Mat, referring to a type of batteries many of us use. Ah – Amp Hours Al – Aluminum AS – Airstream ATF – Automatic Transmission Fluid ATS – Automatic Transfer Switch, often shortened to TS Attic - The overhead interior storage area located at the rear of an Oliver AWG – American Wire Gauge, sometimes abbreviated Ga Basement - The exterior storage area located at the rear street side of an Oliver BC – Brake Controller BLM – Bureau Of Land Management, overseer of public lands and operator of many campgrounds, typically in more remote areas of the country. BTU – British Thermal Unit CAT Scale – Certified Automated Truck scales located throughout the US. Many RVers use these scales to weigh their trailers if they don’t have access to another private or public scales. CCC – Cargo Carrying Capacity (payload capacity), sometimes abbreviated NCC CG – Camp Ground COE – Corp of Engineers, also abbreviated ACE or CE; often operate campgrounds near their projects. CONUS - Contenental United States CW – Camping World, a chain of RV supply stores DC – Direct Current DEF – Diesel Exhaust Fluid DS – Dump Station Egg – Fiberglass Trailer FG – Fiberglass, also abbreviated MFG FHU – Full Hook Ups, often abbreviated WES, for Water/Electric/Sewer FT – Full Time FW – Fifth wheel trailer, also abbreviated 5er or Fiver Ga - Gauge (wiring), more commonly abbreviated AWG GAW – Gross Axle Weight GAWR – Gross Axle Weight Rating GCVW or GCW – Gross Combined Vehicle Weight GCWR – Gross Combined Weight Rating Geezer Pass - Lifetime Senior Pass from the National Park Service. Currently, for age 60 and above, $80. Free entance to many National Parks and sights, and often camping discounts in the park campgrounds, and some other participating state and national campgrounds. Gen – Generator GPM - Gallons per Minute, a measurement of water usage and mountain pass fuel consumption GTW – Gross Trailer Weight GTWR – Gross Trailer Weight Rating GVW – Gross Vehicle Weight GVWR – Gross Vehicle Weight Rating HP – Horsepower ICE - Internal Combustion Engine or a conventional ICE vehicle (as opposed to electric) Inch WC - Inches of water column, a measurement of gas pressure often used instead of PSI. LA - Lead acid batteries, typically referring to non-AGM batteries LE – Legacy Elite, Oliver's single axle trailer LEII or LE2 – Legacy Elite II, Oliver's tandem axle trailer LED – Light Emitting Diode LFP or LiFePo – Lithium Iron Phosphate, an alternative to LA or AGM batteries LP – Liquid Propane LT – Light Truck (tires) MFG - Molded Fiberglass, often shortened to FG MVU or MVUM - Motor Vehicle Use Map from the USFS; shows which national forest roads are open for dispersed camping NCC – Net Carrying Capacity (payload capacity), often abbreviated CCC NPS – National Park Service Ollie - short for Oliver. Olly will also be accepted by the judges. OP – Original Poster, the person who started a topic OTT – Oliver Travel Trailers OTTO or Otter – Oliver Travel Trailer Owner OTTOR – Oliver Travel Trailer Owners Rally PM - Private Message; a forum function allowing members to send messages privately to each other, without needing email addresses or phone numbers. PU – Pop Up tent trailer PSI – Pounds per Square Inch Romp - A gathering of OTTers RTV - A silicone sealant of a variety of types RV – Recreational Vehicle SOB - Some other brand; in our forum, any type of trailer other than an Oliver. SP – State Park Stick Built - A travel trailer constructed from wood and panels, unlike an Oliver and other eggs Sticky - a) Stick Built trailer; b) On the forum, a topic of some importance, pinned to the top, so that it "sticks around" and doesn't get lost. TPMS – Tire Pressure Monitoring System TS – Transfer Switch, also abbreviated ATS TT – Travel Trailer TV – Tow Vehicle TW – Tongue Weight V – Volts VA – Volt Amps (Watts) VIN – Vehicle Identification Number USFS – US Forest Service W – Watts Wally World – WalMart Wh – Watt Hours WDH – Weight Distribution Hitch WES – Water/Electric/Sewer, also abbreviated FHU, for Full Hook Ups

First a thank you to John Davies for the right 3M sealant and the reminder to get some good stainless steel screws for this project. I got up early this morning to install our replacement camera and beat the Florida heat index expected to hit 102 today. I took my time and wired up everything for a test run. Last thing I wanted was to mount and seal it in place and find that it needed to be removed. The 3M 4000 sealant was surprising easy to work with and to clean up overage as well. The rubber grommet supplied from ASA is intended as a seal through the hull on thin walled RVs. As my camera was installed by Oliver they drilled a hole larger then the grommet and use the grommet to seal the hole in the bracket while dropping down into the oversized hole in the hull. They then sealed around the hull hole, grommet, screw holes, bracket holes and the screw heads. I followed their lead by applying a liberal amount of sealant in the hole until it came out on the other side of the hull in the attic storage. This creates a good 3/4" plug of sealant from the inside of the hull all the way to the grommet and bracket on the outside. ASA supplied a new Black bracket which, I decided to paint it White with 3 coats of a good exterior enamel to better blend in with the Oliver. The old screw had started to rust and while ASA supplied new ones, I opted to replace them all with stainless. All ready to hit the road. [attachment file=175971]

I carry/store my 2000w Honda generator and fuel in my basket. They are strapped down, locked and covered.

You put 21k miles a year on your truck. Depending on conditions, local fuel prices, how much you tow, how fast you tow, that represents anywhere from $100 to $1000 in fuel savings for the Diesel at today's prices - over the next 5 years. Diesels cost $10,000 more new and a lot more to maintain. Plus you need to keep topping of the Urea to not end up in limp home mode. So from a financial perspective it doesn't pay off. I know for the price difference you can get a Lariat with the Ultimate pack compared to an XLT with no options on it. While the diesels are rated higher for towing in many cases, the big block and all the emissions gear weigh more and so you have less available payload - which is what most exceed first. Where diesels do shine is when towing, they deliver much better MPG, which means more range between stops. If you are trying to make it across Texas as fast as possible in a headwind, you probably want a diesel. Other than that, the economics don't work out. If I _needed_ a diesel, I would look at a 2006-7 Chevy LBZ. But those are enjoying some really nice resale values now in good condition with lower miles. As John said, there are some new trucks on the Horizon that are definitely worth waiting to see how they stack up if you can. Especially if your LLY is running well and not overheating. 2021 F150, 2021 Tundra, the 2020 F-Series with the 7.3 gas, 2020 2500HD with the 6.6 gas, and more. There are rumors for Hybrid power trains for Ford and Toyota, that if they don't eat into the payload, could make for some ridiculous 1/2 truck efficiencies. Bonus if it plugs in and I can run to the train station and back without paying for fuel. If Ford or Toyota's next 1/2 tons can pull Ollie without a WDH, they may take the place of the SD/HD trucks in my book too. For now I am kind of infatuated with the Expedition, but we'll see how the test drive goes.

Attached you will find some of the documents from the Rally last month. You can download the following PowerPoint Presentations from Google Drive. Camping for Dummies: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rxnkwYLQUtrpQ58Ikc-kfI1aRTCrEK8G/view?usp=sharing History of Molded Fiberglass by Ian Giles: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LvezYWimCBAZIQDAFEIT7_dOqr-9flV7/view?usp=sharing 2019-OTTOR-Anodes-Workshop-Handout.pdf Truma-Cheat-Sheet.pdf Truma_Decalcification_Full-100-color.pdf Truma_Maintenance-and-Winterization-100-color.pdf Truma-AquaGo-Comfort-and-Comfort-Plus-Control-Panel.pdf Medical-History-Forms.pdf End-of-Life-Workshops.pdf

Thanks for the helpful info! So nice to be able to click and see exactly what you are talking about and where to purchase those items. I'm going to talk with my kids on their next visit on how to insert internet sites when you email. Very helpful! Thanks again!

Speaking of KOAs and I-40, we have tried a few RV parks in Flagstaff, as we play every year--the end of June--at the Flagstaff Folk Festival. We have discovered that the Flagstaff KOA is by far the best for us--used by "real" campers, kids, etc. instead of stuffy, often uptight types in their class As. Flagstaff is also a great base for exploring a number of awesome local features, including the Grand Canyon.

Here is what we do and use to level our Elite II. Use the rear stabilizers only to fine-tune the leveling. First use Andersen Levelers to level the trailer side to side as precisely as possible. With a little practice, these make leveling very easy: One just rolls up on them until the side-to-side leveling is reached. We place this Stanley I-Beam Level on the bumper to determine that side-to-side leveling. Once the side-to-side leveling is the best you can do using the Andersen Levelers, use these Camco Wheel Chocks on the trailer's wheels on the opposite side of the trailer. Use these (no more than four) Tri-Lynx Levelers with these Tri-Lynx Caps under all three stabilizers. Here are the advantage of using these: 1) It reduces the time and energy used to raise and lower the stabilizers. 2) It provides a wider base for the stabilizers so that they don't dig into the earth or damage any surface under them. 3) If you forget to raise the stabilizers before moving the trailer, you have less of a chance of damaging them. Use the I-beam level to check the front-back level of your trailer. We have discovered that placing the level above the top refrigerator vent, using the handle to secure it, gives us a good indication of front-back level, which we have ascertained by the way a dog leash hangs from a hook and the way the bathroom door will stay open at a 45-degree angle--not swinging towards the fully open or closed position. You may find some other surface a better place to put the level on your own trailer. (The floor does not seem to be a good place on our trailer.) You can fine-tune the side-to-side leveling with the stabilizers. I am a bit of a perfectionist, so I often go back and forth with lowering and raising all three stabilizers before I am satisfied with the final leveling. Use this Camco Wheel Stop-Stabilizer to increase your trailer's stability. I hope our method and suggestions help. I'm sure that others have different methods that work just as well for them.

Appreciate the details of how the camera is installed by OTT. I'm getting ready to replace my camera and was specifically concerned about that grommet. Now I know what to expect and suspect the job will go much quicker. Regarding the screws: The camera housing is cast aluminum. If you are going to use stainless steel screws, be sure to as a minimum to lubricate the threads with an appropriate anti-seize to combat galvanic corrosion. Best to stick with the supplied screws though.

Per Hobo's suggestion, we've added a topic for common acronyms and abbreviations here. Please post any further suggestions for additional terms in that thread so that we can keep track of them and periodically update the list. Thank you Hobo for the thread suggestion - it's sure to help both new and old users alike.

I carry two full jerry cans of gas, an empty water can and chocks. I moved the cargo tray to the rear onto a custom rack because I hated the front position for a number of reasons. I carry the generator in the back of the truck where it remains secure, out of site and clean. I can pop open the tailgate and run it in situ without having to remove the cable lock. You are not supposed to run a generator within 25 feet of your Ollie so that you do not gas yourself. The company lawyers wrote that rule, just be careful about which way the wind is blowing. BTW three years ago the tray was commonly referred to as a “generator tray”, that is why the opening is there next to the optional front shore power receptacle, for the power cable to go. I guess they changed the terminology so you can’t sue the company. Just as they changed the definition of the rear jacks to leveling, not lifting. The trailer tows better without all the weight on the coupler. John Davies Spokane WA

I use my basket to hold two milk crates ( one 12"x 12" and one 12"x 18" ) for storing my 6x6 blocks, my 11"x 11" 3/4" plywood bases, my Anderson levelers, my wheel chocks, and my outside door mat. I do that because these are the items I need immediately when setting up and/or the last items I need to put away when departing. When I do get a generator, it will ride in the back of my TV or I can construct an additional platform above the previously mentioned items to place the generator. In either case, it will be on the ground or on the tailgate of my truck when running to mitigate vibrations through the chassis of the trailer. Fuel storage location for the generator is still TBD but I'll figure that out when I get the generator. I have lots of buddies that can weld aluminum so my options are endless.

You nailed it, if you plan to keep it for a really long time and for 200,000 plus miles, either avoid a diesel entirely or delete it if you don’t have inspections. ..... Some of the new gas engines are amazing ... have you researched the new 7.3 Ford? Even the older gas engines are getting better, the newest Power Wagon with the eight speed automatic and a few aero tweaks got 25% better mileage than the previous year (The Fast Lane 100 mile test loop.) It was hard to give up that endless diesel torque, but I am way happier with a gas truck. Go drive some gas trucks, see if any appeal to you. The Tundra is overdue for a complete makeover, it will be interesting to see what the new model offers. The Ram 2500 with rear coil or air springs drives really nice compared to leaf spring trucks. John Davies Spokane WA

I can only offer up that, although I own a 2006 Dodge 5.9L diesel, 3500 MegaCab, towing an Oliver doesn't require that kind of power. I just happened to have already owned my truck before we decided to purchase our trailer. I actually have equipment trailers and tractors that require the power I have. I also will advise that to replace my current truck with a new one would probably cost well in excess of $75K so essentially, close to the cost of the trailer itself. I do like the diesel but if I had to purchase a replacement vehicle for the purpose of towing my Oliver, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't go that route. Of course, any good TV will cost you plenty if you're purchasing new. If you want to pursue diesel though, I would do some serious on-line searching for good, low mileage trucks out of Texas. For some reason, they seem to have an inordinate number of great, low mileage diesels down there. That's where mine came from. (I live in VA). Good luck.

Overland, You've nailed it as far as what a more off-road suspension might really offer. Speed is not really the issue and rock crawling is out of the question anyway. I've walked my Ollie along in 4 lo until the truck was near it's limit and Ollie dutifully followed along and never touched bottom. It's extended tongue is one of it's best features and allows sharp turns, at those walking speeds, the suspension is adequate and possibly even desirable. The seven foot Oliver width is an advantage too. Every trip I remind myself how important that is when towing. The HQ19 is 7.5', so I've made a compromise of 6" there. Airstreams, with their 8' width, and extremely delicate body, are out of the question for me (besides the many other issues that take them out of contention). Ollie's wheel track is about 3" narrower than my Ram, so it tracks in almost the exact same lines. The HQ is 6" wider overall and may be an exact match on wheel track. This is nice on the highway, but narrower is better while turning on dirt tracks. The HQ is about 14" taller than an Ollie and I'm hoping it is a very stable platform. A friction style sway damper might be a good option after testing. I'm going to a McHitch 6 ton fully articulating hitch too. This is a better hitch than the HQ comes with and will allow a WDH if needed. I'll resist using one of those and my 3500 Ram has plenty of capacity. I'm expecting a drop of about 1 mpg, with the HQ, and possibly a slightly slower cruise speed. It will net about 1,000 lbs more, all geared up, and is less streamlined. But power is never a concern with my Cummins. Traveling along on dirt roads at a moderate speed, of 20 MPH or so. Not pushing it, but just cruising, I've had a hard time finding a sweet spot that Ollie likes. We live out here in the vast West and the wilds of Northern Nevada. I've tried airing down to various levels too. But invariably, when we stop after a few miles, the interior has suffered. This was the situation where my microwave tried repeatedly to escape and lead to my microwave cabinet conversion. Things actually turned out more secure and more useful in that area. But the window coverings fall off, the cushions are on the floor in spite of being set sideways to lock them in, and a few of the overhead cabinets are open. I've shimmed the cabinet catches and pretty much solved that problem too. Somehow, the damping, limited compression travel, natural harmonics and vibration are working against us and the trailer. We hit a big bump at a concrete ford area on a paved road at Little Sahara. The truck handled it better than I expected. We found the coffee pot had jumped out of the sink and a glass, one quart bottle, in the pantry, had jumped up and turned upside down. I was glad the shower door survived. The spring U bolts had contacted the steel frame truck hard enough to make little dents in the steel. My previous Thor toy hauler was about the same size and weight of our Ollie. It had identical suspension. I figured it would be fine in Death Valley, but it wasn't. Screws kept backing out of the floor and all indications were that it would destroy itself in a few trips. It was a poorly made and poorly designed sticky. So I decided it was time to get an Oliver. The streamlined Oliver, with it's very stable highway towing has really opened up a new world and we've crossed the country twice, as well as made a number of shorter trips to Oregon, Yosemite and around the Eastern Sierra. The recent heavy winds and rain/hail in the Texas Panhandle were just part of the fun. We are toying with the idea of taking off for a number of months at a time. This might be far and it might be not so far, where we simply spend a lot of time exploring a place. We'll find ourselves living in the trailer as though it's an apartment. Studying, reading, writing and being at home. And possibly taking on projects where we spend time at certain locations for a week or a month. I'm seeing Ollie as better for traveling and the HQ as better, for us, for living. I see these monster, fifth wheel stickies everywhere and I can't imagine taking one of those anywhere. In my view, Airstreams are bulbous, delicate, fair weather apartments, for weekends. Again, the HQ fills the gap. It's a durable luxury apartment on a heavy duty frame with off-road capable suspension. More water with a interesting dual tank fresh water system and triple filtering system, solar, an outdoor kitchen, queen bed, excellent shower/bath, oven, washing machine (!). A bit more room, without being ridiculous and a very durable exterior. While it's size can limit some situations, it invites exploring and staying out there. One of the things we do too, is simply stop for the night at truck stops and rest areas. I like to just pull in and crash for the night. Being stealth is important in those cases, because we may stay for 18 hours if the place is nice and we are in no hurry. No slide outs, pop ups, no generators and nothing to indicate we are doing anything more than just parking for a short time. Arkansas, Texas and New Mexico have some of the best places to stop and we've never been questioned. Big Piney Rest Stop in Arkansas is so nice is comical. A beautiful park. The picnic area about 20 miles north of Big Bend is a place to plan to stop. A gorgeous mountain top with views forever, nobody around, picnic tables and wifi. We spent some time there and were treated to a powerful thunderstorm. I only stopped giggling long enough to shake my head in wonder. Ollie is in pristine condition and even improved in a number of ways. Getting so much as a scratch on it would be devastating. HQ is ready to kick-ass and take names. While being a longer term home, if asked to. Luxury and tough at the same time. Ha! As far as the Oliver rally is concerned, we've had a wonderful time there twice! Making great new friends and using the trip as an opportunity to see much more of the country. Here's the plan. Shhhhh. (as I glance both ways to make sure nobody is listening). We have already named the new trailer "Ollie". We're planning to attend the next Oliver Rally and not mention the change. Maybe nobody will even notice! Or, maybe we'll be politely asked to leave! What if we win an accessory at the big dinner drawing and it is designed for an Oliver? Will Scott Oliver slam the door as we approach the dining hall, giving us a disgusted glance? I can hardly wait to find out! "It's heresy, I tell you!" or, just one more friend attending the party, as it was at the two Casita rallies we went to in Oregon. I don't see having the right brand of trailer as part of the price of admission. We're starting to get serious about getting Ollie emptied, photographed and in the classifieds. The next chapter begins. And I hope to cross paths with the new owner at various places over time. We'll be at Quartzsite in January, for instance, and the Oliver rally next year. I fully intend to be lurking here too, and jumping in with my two cents now and then. John

As John mentioned, we tried the spring over axle mod and it didn't work, for the reasons he mentioned. And I agree that the drop axle idea is worth exploring. Another option is the MorRyde kit that many RVers swear by. I don't think that any Oliver owner has seriously looked into that as of yet. My personal leaning is the Lippert Centerpoint suspension. It seems dead simple to install, gives you about an inch lift, and has probably the softest ride of the above options, which, imo, is really what you need. I've changed my tune on suspensions since having the Ollie, and I no longer think that big travel suspensions are needed or even desirable. When you take a trailer off pavement, size and soft surfaces are the limiting factors. I have yet to find a road where terrain is what stopped us - it will be mud or sand or the inability to get back out that stops you first. I think the Black Series trailers are cool and all, and I'd love for someone to buy one and report back; but my opinion is that regardless how tough they look, they're still honking big trailers that aren't going through mud or sand or tight roads any better than an Ollie can (worse in some cases since they're as wide as an Airstream). And even in situations where they're better off road, I think you're buying a very narrow slice of capability while giving up a lot of highway stability. Yes, the Ollie could stand a bit more compression travel, but more for on-pavement potholes and such than for off road travel. You just don't travel fast enough off road to really require much suspension travel - the trailer will rock back and forth with the terrain, and since the wheels aren't driven it's not like you're trying to maintain traction. So, for off pavement suspension mods I think it's better to think in terms of reducing vibration; i.e., try make your trailer a gravel eating machine rather than a rock crawler, which is why I think something like the Centerpoint is likely to be the sweet spot in off pavement performance vs cost vs highway stability. My strategy for dealing with terrain that's too rough for the Ollie is to pack a tent. Then you can really go places. Much cheaper than buying a separate trailer for a few roads ;) . Your suspension won't move this wall any further away - Nor help you around this bend -