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Hello everyone! Our Oliver build should have started and we are scheduled to take delivery in April. We have our reservations for the rally at Lake Guntersville State Park and are very excited to meet you all! I don't have a hull number yet.

Welcome to the newest members - Sojourner and Patriot. I hope you enjoy your new Oliver as much as we have in the last two years. What a great idea - I know I would have appreciated this at my first rally. Russell n Cindy n Harley...

Welcome! Looks like we are going to have a fair number of brand new 2020 Olivers at the Rally. Maybe all should plan a little get together if for no other reason than the campers just might want to spend a little time with their "litter" mates. At least it would be an excuse for a cocktail (or two).😁 Bill

I thought I would revive this dusty old thread .... I saw this $150 plug and play kit for late model Rams: engage 4 Low and flip the switch to keep the front axle UNLOCKED. For maneuvering a trailer at low speeds, or ascending steep low speed grades, this would be very useful. https://www.genosgarage.com/product/dodge-ram-cummins-bd-1030705-2-low-unlock-front-differential-kit/switches-sensors-drivetrain John Davies Spokane WA

If you have a camera that will allow you to watch when not in Reverse, you can turn it on in stop and go heavy traffic, like going through a huge urban area like Seattle or SLC (yikes!). Being able to see behind REALLY helps you with lane changes. This is especially true if your TV does not have really wide tow mirrors, like my Land Cruiser. I can just see the sides of the Ollie, but not anything behind it. I think that after adding the camera, my heart rate dropped by 40 beats per minute in nasty situations... it has a calming effect. 😉 It also allows you to check the load on a rear rack or tray, like bikes. For solo travel (no spouse) it is priceless. I have a Garmin BC30 camera that I use with my Garmin gps, it is low res but works fine, and I can add up to three more cameras... I bet that the factory BU camera can be hacked to turn on independently of the reverse lights. You could easily switch that power wire to the running lights. (BTW I always travel with them turned on, the little star-like LEDs look so very cool.) John Davies Spokane WA

The business of van life How the RV industry is falling short, and how van lifers are filling the gap...

Good article. Personally, I think we hit peak RV of any sort one or two years ago. Boomers are leaving the market faster than they’re entering, and the millennials who fueled the van life movement have reached the age where life gets in the way of travel. GenXers are more into the overlanding scene and while that will likely change as they age, there aren’t enough of them to replace boomers.

Hello! Our Oliver went into production February 17th and we are hull #622. We receive our Oliver April 22. The Shackelfords', yours and ours are all probably near one another. This is so exciting!

Hi jo79RI, keep asking those questions that's one way to learn, I will be curious on witch tow vehicle you decide to go with. Just get one with the Towing Package from the factory, you will be ready to go and you should have what you need. We do not have a backup camera for the trailer, just never thought I need one and have been towing for 50+ years, but being new to towing it can't hurt to have one. I would personally rather have the wife, or someone at the back of the trailer when backing, just can't backup and watch the camera, RV mirrors, where the front of the truck is going, and the wife giving me instructions. trainman

Welcome! It’s good to see so many new owners going to the rally. You’ll run into lots of experts eager to help and share knowledge and experiences. See you there! Mike

Don’t buy these https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0751TG8MH/ref=sspa_mw_detail_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I tried to use them on 2 separate occasions (on gravel and then on asphalt) and they just scoot along in front of the tires. Read the reviews and heed the warnings. I use a stall mat from Tractor Supply cut into 12x24 inch pieces. Works on any surface, conforms to unevenness in the surface (unlike hard plastic or wood), and leaves space to use a chock effectively. I also use an old piece of heavy conveyor belting material cut into squares that fit in a milk crate, and 6x6x8 inch tall blocks (left over from shop construction) that can be used as shown or laid down. The 8 inch height dimension was arrived at using the highly scientific and extremely accurate TWIH method of sizing things, and further validated by TLAR analysis. (That’s What I Had and That Looks About Right) I only use these jack stands if we are setting up for extended stays or if I have to set up with the front end elevated. These don’t carry the weight of the trailer, they are just snugged up to reduce movement in the front.

Welcome! We are new to OTT as well and continue to learn from forum members here. Our delivery is schedule for mid May. Look forward to seeing you at the rally! -David

As I have said before, with the limited space in our SUV, I really like to carry items that serve multiple needs while camping. Pictures of my filter stand and storage container. Mossey

Insurance rates are pretty much set by your states insurance board, so don't expect your rates to be the same for your trailer and even the same insurance company by what other post on the forum. I don't know about your state, but in Texas just living in another county can make a big difference in your premium. We have Progressive on our home and autos, but just couldn't get that good of rate on our Oliver. Wife called an independent agent that she used when she worked, she recommended Foremost Ins., RV's are what they insure, rates were pretty much half of Progressive and others that I checked out. I checked out Foremost Ins. and all seemed to be a good company to deal with on both service and claims. It's amazing how much insurance rates change just living 60 miles south of the DFW area. trainman

Greetings again from Western North Carolina! After taking the factory tour on Jan 21, we placed our order with Anita yesterday afternoon for a March 12 build date with a May 12 delivery date. After placing our order we went ahead and booked our camp site at Guntersville State Park for the May Oliver Rally. We are excited about meeting our new extended Oliver family at the rally, learning as much as we can and most of all fostering new friendships. Thanks to everyone on this forum for the knowledge you share. A special thanks to Topgun aka Bill for just taking his time to show us his Oliver aka “Twist” and all his help getting us started on this next chapter in life. Bill you really did a great job showing us your Ollie. We really look forward to delivery day and the Oliver Rally and especially meeting everyone and learning as much as we can. Yes we know delivery day will be like drinking water from a fire hose, surely we’ll get through it. 😂 We feel very confident the Oliver folks will take good care of us. Kind Regards & Happy Camping! David & Kathy Austin

Certainly it was MY pleasure to show David and Kathy "Twist". Again, WELCOME TO THE FAMILY! Bill

Trailer: Elite II = Loaded trailer wt. 6400 lbs. Tongue Wt: 740 LB => requires an Anderson Wt. Dist. Hitch Tow Vehicle: 2018 F150 4WD Super Crew with 3.5 EB & 3.55 rear end Mods: Have a canopy and installed SUMO Springs for overload/squat reduction and they work. Tow Experience: Grade B+ ( I'm sure a 3/4 ton would be an A+) Feels stable in all but the most extreme conditions. 3.5 Ecoboost has PLENTY of power due to turbo...but ....it has a turbo which can be a big ticket repair in future. Mileage: Towing from Tennessee to Everett (2500 miles) and in Western Washington have averaged 11 mpg overall. In mountains typically got about 6-9 MPG, on Flats as high as 14 mpg. Without the trailer but loaded with gear on the way out to pickup we got 20+ MPG on the highway. Most extreme towing scenario: High wind gusts (50MPH) through I-90 passes in Montana last summer. Felt a sideways wiggles and felt concerned for about 3 seconds, but the hitch + towing controls of F150 kicked in quickly. I remember thinking...I wish the truck was heavier than the trailer during that situation. Truck Stats: GVWR = 7000 lbs. Actual Curb Wt: 5200 lbs. Cargo Capacity: Calculated GVWR-Curb 1800 lbs Door Sticker Cargo Capacity: 1557 lbs door sticker for tire rating. Hitch: F150 Factory Installed Receiver/Hitch as rated below: with Weight Dist. Hitch..... Max Gross Trailer WT Rating 12,200lbs has 1220lb Max Tongue Wt. without Weight Dist. Hitch..... Max Gross Trailer WT Rating 5,000 lbs . has 500 lb Max Tongue Wt. Hope this is a helpful post.

I grade my 2019 Ram 1500 4X4 excellent for towing my Oliver Elite II, description of vehicle below. I will say here I'm pretty much an upgrade buyer, that is I wouldn't let money make my decision for me and if I though I needed the 2500 for this setup, that's what I would have gotten. I personally think many guys purchase their tow vehicle just because the bigger vehicle gives them bragging rites in the camping grounds and they like being seem that way. I'm not going to say here that I haven't done the same thing at other times in my life, so I know where some of you are coming from. Our main decision was the better ride with the 1500 over the 2500 and so far it was the better choice for us. Yes, we use the Anderson and personally I didn't really notice much difference with or without it, but it was required to meet the vehicle towing ratings per Ram. trainman

This gets discussed all the time, you need to decide how much you want to carry, gas or diesel, and how many miles you will tow, before you start looking at specific vehicles. Payload (which includes the weight of the hitch and the tongue weight) is normally the limiting factor for lighter trucks. The big advantage of a HD truck towing an Ollie is that you pretty much can forget about overloading it. Bigger tires, canopy? Check. Tools, generator, anvil, aftermarket foofooraw? No worries - load her down..... with a light truck you will constantly be thinking about weight. I really like the idea of the Titan XD but from what I have read, the execution is lacking. It really doesn’t pull much more than the regular gas model and the engine doesn’t deliver the performance you would expect from the much higher cost. If you are OK about doing deletes and aftermarket tuning, it could be a great rig. Not so much with the emissions junk.... John Davies Spokane WA

Those are some pretty nicely thought out systems and a first class job was done building and installing them. For ourselves we don't plan to travel any back roads (gravel or rocks) and boondocking is not to our liking, I see no need for me to invest in a system like that, but I will say here it looks like great protection for those who wish to camp that way. As you can see we probably won't be going to Alaska with our trailer, or camping beyond the paved roads. trainman