Leaderboard

I wanted to especially thank all the moderators who handle the increasing amount of traffic here in the Forums. More Ollie owners and more members equals more potential friction, and sometimes things get said that shouldn't be said. Everyone makes mistakes, that is expected. I do greatly appreciate it when intentionally harsh or overly aggressive posts are removed promptly. Bravo. The same for spam posts with links to other websites - they are usually taken out very quickly if flagged right away. Sometimes I post in the wee hours of the night if I can't sleep, or I am in a hurry and my words do not come out exactly as I intended. I hope that anybody who might take offense understands that no harm is ever meant. Once written, words are hard to take back. John Davies Spokane WA

Yes, thanks for the kind comments. We Moderators are Oliver owners and Forum members just like everyone else on the Forum. In addition to our "moderator" duties we too have opinions, emotions and overall views of our world that may or may not coincide with virtually any particular topic out there. However, we try our best to be guided by the "Oliver Forum Guidelines". If anyone hasn't read these Guidelines in awhile, now might be a good time to do so. They can be found under "General Discussion" - "Read First: Oliver Forum Guidelines". Bill

Thanks, John. Well we're sensitive and it causes us to act out on occasion.

Thanks, John. We enjoy being here so volunteering to moderate isn’t a hardship! Traffic has increased a lot, both new owners and those interested in becoming owners. This is a nice community to belong to. Mike

Well to make a long story longer, a friend who full times in a Class C was scheduled to work on the peninsula this summer. Her vague assignment was in the Hoh Rainforest area so we made a reservation at a campground nearby and Bogachiel was the closest I found that didn't have a 21' limitation. We made a single night reservation and would move somewhere with her guidance. It turned out she was actually was going to work at Fairholme, but that’s all on hold at the present time with the park still closed. As far as Bogachiel is concerned, the map placed it right on US 101, so I didn’t think I could get into too much trouble finding my camping spot. And it only cost $8 for an online reservation and another $8 to cancel as the state waived the % based fee on how long you held the reservation which would have been another $11 dollars. So all of you Washington State forum members should contact your representatives and let them know where you would like the remainder of my $16 spent in your great state. Maybe they can repair one of those washed out bridges you mentioned.🙂 Mossey

Yep, if our plans had not been interrupted, we would be drinking coffee in Bogachiel State Park on the Olympic Peninsula this morning. Oh well, shed happens, brush it off! That’s what we do in "the dog house", Mossey

Good luck, I hope it works out! I replaced the original faucet with this Delta model. It has been a very good mod. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012I44QG4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

OK, once again - there are obviously those of us that do not like Andersen products and those of us that do like them. The Blaylock's are better? Maybe and maybe not. I will do my utmost to treat ANY attendee at our OWNER'S RALLY with the same courtesy and respect as I give to any other. Bill

I installed the new designed Anderson WD Hitch that I obtained from Sage; then we took a 10,000 mile trip out west for two months, we did not experience any noise. During the trip we hid some very hard rain at times and so far no issue with the upgrade, other than having to pay a $100.00 for it.

Rumline - I thought that I did a short review of the new design in a previous post but can't seem to find it at the moment. Anyway - I only did a relatively short trip of less than 1,000 miles with it prior to putting Twist to bed for the winter. I did have a little bit of rain one day but I did not travel any real dirt roads. Having said that - the hitch performed great with no noise at all. In addition, the new design is easier to hook up because you do not have to get the "whale tail" up tight under the hitch ball post while at the same time aligning the holes for the pin that holds it in place. Since there has been precious little discussion about it on the Forum, I'd take that as a good sign that the previous noise problems have been taken care of. Hope this helps. Bill

Hardrock, While towing the Ollie down a mountain earlier this week I entered a curve too fast and felt the Swaymaster apply trailer brakes in the last half of a curve. The Swaymaster detected/corrected a sway event before I noticed it. I slowed down for the rest of the trip. Happy the Swaymaster was installed, too.

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