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Each day is truly a blessing....the leaves of Fall are spectacular and never fail to disappoint on our maple planted 12 yrs ago when we built our home.

I have the 2020 Chev 2500HD, z71 4x4, w/Duramax and 10 spd trans. The truck’s drawbacks to me are: rigid ride but only over things like speed bumps and pot holes (Z71 off-road suspension), large hood presence makes for tighter forward view than i like, cooled seats need more cooling umph, and the rear seat climate controls and vents are too limited. The positives, in my opion are many and excellent. The diesel is smooth, powerful and quiet, especially at cruising speeds. The steering feel and responsiveness is calibrated very well, as is the way the vehicle tracks on the road. The ride is very smooth. The technology, though not the latest in some respects works. The multiple camera views work great. The payload and towing #s are excellent with a lot of margin. I’m not saying that the gas options wont get the job done, but having towed and hauled with both gas and diesel, when it comes to getting the vehicle that will have no issues with any of it, i’m guessing you’d be quite happy with any of the big 3’s HD (diesel) options. They are all amazing. Besides all the great features on all these trucks, for me it came down to loving the look of the Chevy grill (seriously), the recent major updates to the Duramax engine, the 10 sp trans, and how planted and correctly calibrated it feels at the steering wheel.

I'll add - if you have time - a visit to the Jack Daniel distillery in Lynchburg is a good tour, - not to mention all the other nice areas to explore -- and I'll offer up our farm as a spot to park (camp) while your enjoying the sights. Distancing is not an issue here....

Check the junction box located just below the transfer switch. I and others have had loose connections in this area. There are solid wires and stranded wires connected together with wire nuts in this box. This is a difficult type of connection and it is possible that a loose connection in this box could cause the issues that you may be experiencing. Please make sure that your trailer is not connected to shore power and be sure that the inverter is off as well before removing the junction box cover.

SherMica - Your Oliver sales rep can tell you exactly how high your hitch ball should be prior to pickup. Bill

And of those 16 days of summer, 4 or 5 of them are hot and muggy... at which point we all start griping about the weather and looking forward to fall ...

Perfect weather for picking up Hull #676! Staying one extra day at DCSP.

If anyone is interested. Amazon now has the Camco Rhino 21 gal waste tote for $100.99 was once at $150.00 then Went down to $120.00 I ordered one, I don’t think they will get much lower. Once it arrives I plan on doing some testing with clean water to determine how full it will get base on the black tank readings 70-80- 90% it shouldn’t max out the tote. Hopefully some room to spare for extra rinse. 18 gal black tank 21gal tote should work ok. Will see. I’ll post results anyone else use this tote?

What I found when towing a car trailer with my Touareg, it towed better than an F150. My guess for the reason is while there is a weight disadvantage, the "arm" from rear wheels to hitch ball was much less. Also IRS with coils is generally tighter than live axle on leafs.

When visiting Nashville, we like Cedar Creek COE. It’s a very nice campground and pretty close to downtown. We stayed at Two Rivers RV park near the Opry, it was nice but pricey. In Hohenwald we’ve either stayed at the Oliver showroom or Fall Hollow campground. It’s been about 5 years since we were at Fall Hollow, not sure how they are doing now. For Lodging in Hohenwald, we’ve stayed a couple of times at the B&B at Fall Hollow. It is simple but clean and convenient to Oliver. We also stayed in Columbia at the Hampton. There used to be a B&B at Natchez Hills Winery, actually at the owners home. I don’t think they still operate it. Amber Falls winery has some rental cottages and they are also a Harvest Host location. We go to Amber Falls whenever we are in Hohenwald. Nice people and pretty good wine. Mike

DCdude- David Crocket CG is much closer to Oliver in Hohenwald Tenn. -https://tnstateparks.com/parks/david-crockett Davy Crockett CG is located in Crossville, Tenn. - https://www.davycrockettcampground.com Two different areas of your state. 😉 Davy Crockett CG is in Crossville Tenn, a much longer drive to Oliver in Hohenwald, Tenn.

Nope, I’m a modern day unicorn; a Nashville native. The moniker comes from my initials, the counties I have lived in and, my general lack of creativity.

All of the above + weight of the vehicle off road and the quietness! After 3 diesels, I’m really enjoying my 3/4 ton gasser. I’m sure there are hills where I will slow down. But, what do I care, it’s Saturday! (Oblique reference to another ongoing thread).

The first few days and even months of my retirement were filled with all kinds of "stuff". Getting projects done that were long over due, getting rid of old work things, catching up, getting organized, etc.. Then one day around six months into retirement I woke up one morning and while laying there in bed I realized that today I could do whatever I wanted. If I wanted to read all day, fish all day, lay right here all day - I could do it. THAT was when I finally realized what retirement is to me - freedom. And, that is when I really started to fully enjoy myself in this new phase of life. Yes, I'm busier than ever with more projects than ever, but, it is that freedom of choice that makes all of that fun and not really seem like work (at least most of the time). Bill

Nice. We used shower slip guard strips from Walmart.

Does Mane still get 2 weeks of summer? 🤣🤣 just kidding!

I find it immensely entertaining to watch as folks eventually work their way to the correct answer..... But honestly, I could be fine with a Ford, Ram, or GMC. - Arguing about the very small differences - well let em rip.

I've been curious about towing mileage of various vehicles. So, I did a search for gas, diesel, and mpg in the forum archives for reference since 1/1/16. The graph below shows the minimum mileage, average (mean) mileage, maximum mileage, and the number ("n") of references. For vehicles with only one reference, the maximum, average, and minimum values are the same. The references that I found cover a range of conditions (speed, terrain, temperature, etc.). Because of this, and because of the small number of listings for most vehicles, the results are anecdotal and not statistically significant. Nonetheless, in aggregate they provide some indication of what one might expect for towing mileage. The results are probably not surprising: (1) half-ton diesels (e.g., ecodiesel) or diesel SUVs did best, (2) gas generally engines fall into the 10-13 mpg range, (3) 3/4 ton diesels seem to get 13-16 mpg. And, of course, towing mileage is only one consideration for selecting a tow vehicle. It is unlikely that I found all mileage references in the forum archives -- the search function doesn't seem to be entirely consistent in picking up the same references over multiple searches. I can expand this mileage compilation with additional data if the results would be useful to enough of you. If you'd like to submit mileage, please respond with the following information: trailer (i.e., LE1 or LE2), tow vehicle, year, engine, gas/fuel mileage while towing, gas/fuel mileage while not towing, the number of miles over which you are estimating the gas/fuel towing mileage, typical travel speed, and the region of the country in which you travel (e.g., NE, SE, midwest, west). I realize that there are lots of other variables (e.g., transmission, axle ratio, vehicle modifications, etc.), but accounting for these becomes too complicated.

The stiffer black one, which might actually be yellow, that's attached to the post adapter on the inside front battery.

Also be aware that the tank, when full will be close to 150 pounds. Be prepared to handle that weight. Also remember there will be waste still in the pipe when the vent starts " bubbling crude". Be prepared for that as well. It is best to leave some in the camper tank, than clean off the ground in front of a line at the dump station? Some in the tank will splash around and clean as you travel...

Sorry - I guess I needed to be a bit more specific. The negative cable from your battery that goes back into the Oliver from the battery compartment is the one I'm talking about. Bill

I don't know about the Dodge/Chevy/GMC diesels, but our F-350 6.7l Powerstroke is extremely quiet, if that matters. If you order it with the tow package, it has hill descend mode, and possibly a more appropriate gear ratio for towing. Ours also came with the 200 amp HD alternator; not sure if that was part of the tow package.

That looks like it might be the Xantrex Remote Display Panel in the picture. And I think you are right about the PD5000 Power Distribution Panel and the inability of the Xantrex XC series to supplement the AC load with inverted DC power. Mossey

I wouldn't buy a 3/4 ton truck for towing an Oliver. Except that I did. The 3500/F350s SRWs drive the same, cost the same, but have higher payloads. I ended up with a 2500 because of supply issues during COVID. With GM it is less of a tradeoff (GVWRs exceed 10k on the 3/4 tons) so I relented, but for some of the other Diesel 3/4 tons have less payload than some 1/2 ton trucks. If I want gas, I would buy a 2021 F150 Ecoboost with HDPP, tow mirrors, and the 360 assist pack. Yes it will require the Anderson. But balking at paying for that is a little silly given the cost difference between the F150 and a 2500. This gets you: a built in generator that performs at altitude, a 36 gallon tank (maybe ~45 gallons if Transferflow brings their larger tank to the 2021), lane centering, blind spot that covers trailers, what looks to be great camera support both 360/trailer, the potential for fold flat seats in the truck, adaptive cruise with stop and go, automatic emergency braking, pro trailer backup assist. On the Diesel route, I go GMC Sierra 3500 SLT/AT4/Denali with tech. Rides much better than the Ford Superduty, gets great mileage (at 60mph straight/level 22-23 naked and 17-18 towing), and can take truck stop diesel at full speed (30 seconds to full). 56 gallon extended tank from Titan should give plenty of range, otherwise there are 100 gallon aux tanks for Diesel. For 1/2 ton Diesels: in theory they could be great. If I could get a HDPP F150 with a Diesel it'd be pretty compelling. But they generally come with low payloads, smaller tanks, can't take a truck stop Diesel nozzle, and have weak payloads. All from a truck that has roughly the same length/width as an HD when you get the 6.5'-class beds. Towing mileage is fairly close, but with 36-56 gallons in the HD vs 24 in the 1500.

Susan,

Fritz, I have an older 2500 Duramax and it definitely has tighter suspension and therefore a bit rougher ride than the 1/2 ton equivalents (which I drove plenty of before I got the 3/4 ton), but not enough that I'd go back to a 1/2 ton. John Davies mentioned the rear tire pressure and that's critical for the empty ride quality. If you are test driving trucks off of sales lots, the rear tires are likely at 80 psi or so - which is what the door sticker says because it has to assume full load. In reality, 80 psi is way too much for an empty truck - I keep mine at around 45 when empty and the ride is a LOT smoother.

The only reason I would consider the gas version is cost of maintenance - fuel is cheaper, but that almost evens out towing. Oil changes are about $30 more, and every 10k miles a fuel filter at about $50 - when home I do them, but still a cost. And the DEF is added cost - but not really that much - in the long run. However - a big thing is the added initial cost of the diesel - it is 1/6 or more of the price of the truck........ To date - the gas versions are not as powerful on the torque side of the power scale, and historically are at the top end of the RPM's - which is really annoying. At last check, GM was NOT paring the new 10 speed with the gasser, and it is std on the Duramax. And to add injury - the Gasser has not shown any improvement in fuel mileage - towing. Now I realize each year they claim better Gas engine numbers - but I haven't seen it in real world. Perhaps that is changing. My GMC runs at low rpm, pulling, and almost to low, running around the home front. My gas trucks were about 1000 rpm higher at cruise, and really worked hard on the steep grades. IF the new larger gas engines change - I will look at them - but I doubt they will match the diesel anytime soon. As I have stated previously - the total package - not just chassis/powertrain, are really comfortable on the long hauls, not to mention the feeling of safety and capability under tow.

Oliver reserved a site for us at "David Crocket SP" the night after delivery. I called the park and reserved an additional night which they added to Oliver's reservation. Had to pay up front, but they offer a Senior Rate - less than $20/night, including tax.

The differences I can see by comparing the manuals: Wattage Pro model is bluetooth capable. Pro has more custom setting options I hope to understand the electrical system better after our walk-through. I'm going to ask a lot of questions. Wish I could take my "electronic genius grandson" along 😎

Ok, Ok. But his real friends called him Davy!

The XC 2000 manual, which is easily found via google or the Xantrex website: http://www.xantrex.com/documents/Inverter-Chargers/Freedom XC/Freedom XC Series INV-CHG Owners Guide (975-0784-01-01_Rev-B)_ENG.pdf And the XC 3000 Pro manual, which is, not surprisingly, also very easily found via google or the Xantrex website: http://www.xantrex.com/documents/Inverter-Chargers/Freedom XC/Freedom XC PRO Owner's Guide (975-0799-01-01_Rev-C)_ENG.pdf So far, I haven't been able to determine what makes the pro a pro.

This is/was one of my personal favorites. They have water available and flush toilets but no electric, sewer dump or showers. However, when I was there two months ago this campground was CLOSED. The Meriwether-Lewis exhibits and area were open though and are worth a look particularly if you can snag one of the Park Rangers. Bill

Ahhh! Good choice! I would not want to discourage a visit to Nashville but even though I grew up there and love listening and playing live music, it’s way too crowded for me. One of my favorites of mine in the SP system: Cumberland Mountain SP in Crossville - that would set you up to take one of the prettiest spring time drives on Hwy 127 south thru the Sequatchie Valley then hit I59 to I65 to get back home. This would logically be done after visiting the factory and would be the long way home. If you want something quicker, the Natchez Trace Parkway runs close to Davy Crockett. The prettiest drive on the Trace is from there north towards Nashville. A nice day trip would be to drive to the northern terminus and eat at the Loveless Cafe (Southern food esp. breakfast) and drive back. There is a camp ground on the Trace (Meriwether-Lewis) but many here know more about that than I do. Another local favorite would be to take the backroads over to Lynnville, TN. It’s a small railroad town with a high end leather shop and a great cheeseburger place. East of Lynnville is Texas T campground on I65 exit 27 I think. It gets high reviews but I’ve never stayed there.

So I have been looking at a new truck for my TV as current driver is going to my son plus it cannot tow an Oliver. I have be really surprised how high the prices have been in the used truck market, at least in DFW market. If you are open to brands you might see if you can get a deal on 2020 F-150 as new design for 2021 drops in November. If they incentivise them enough it may not be much of price delta to a used truck. Just depends on the market where you live. I was looking at 2019 and above models. Good luck. I get my LE in May so I have to wait longer.

We are also planning to visit the factory sometime after Thanksgiving and before Christmas. Any suggestions on a reasonably priced motel/hotel near the factory? Thanks!

Surrounded here at home in the foothills by an incredible a North Carolina fall day, I decided to install a bit of left over 8 mil paint protection where the spare tire can potentially rub and leave marks on the Oliver during travel. I had a little 8 mil left over from a previous install and decided to use it. After a good through cleaning and waxing of the area, I installed the 8 mil XPEL covering the entire location where the tire touch’s the Ollie finish. This will help the finish looking decent for a long time. (A little caution flag - factory sticker on the rim states clean with hot soap water only.) Hope this helps anyone considering this mod. -Patriot

I am sure you will...

With global warming we are now up to 16 days of summer, with only one snow day in between...

Here’s another data point: 2012 Porsche Cayenne V6 gas, 300 hp and the same number for torque, towing capacity 7700 lbs. LE II loaded to approximately 5500 lbs; trailer tire pressure ~60 psi. I’ve towed my 2017 LEII approximately 28,000 miles which included three trips to Oregon from Boston. I generally cruise near 70 mph. Ave 13 mpg.

If there’s no power to the outlets when plugged in, inverter off, then something is wrong for sure. Possibly a bad transfer switch but hopefully there’s a simpler solution. I guess that I’d check the breaker on the house circuit first just to make sure that you didn’t trip it with the dehumidifier. That, or if the outlet you’re using is a GFCI then check that. Either way, I’d verify that you actually have power as a first step in figuring it out. Also, if you have a surge protector, make sure that it’s not showing an error (should cycle through E 0 on the display). It’s possible that it detected a wiring fault - no ground or maybe reversed hot and neutral.

My bad, I read over the part where you said Elite 1. I agree with the others, you’re definitely ok without the Andersen.

Thanks for the replies. The Cooper Discoverer was actually what I was thinking. I put those on my old X5 and they were great. Believe it or not, they actually made the X5 a decent off roader. We were at Overland Expo the year they were towing everyone out, but we plowed right through the mud to our campsite every day no problem. I’ve also heard good things about the Generals so I’ll take a look at those as well. Thanks.

Sherry, on your Elite I how high does the ball need to be to keep the trailer level? This is an important measurement for Sheri to know when buying a ball and mount. We have two Sherry/Sheri’s here, trying not to get confused! Mike

Agree. If you are going to get a truck and plan on living in your Ollie I would favor a 4X4 for those situations that one is needed. The reason I prefer a truck over an SUV is because I would rather have my camping gear (grill, chairs, clam, rug, etc) in the bed of the truck rather than inside with me in an SUV. Mike

Your “brake light controller” is actually a “brake controller”. When you step on the brakes in your Escalade or truck the brake controller sends a signal to the electric brakes on your trailer to have them slow the trailer at an equal rate as your vehicle brakes slow your vehicle. Your seven pin connector at the hitch connects the tow vehicle electrics to the trailer so that when your tow vehicle brake lights come on so do your trailer brake lights. Since you don’t want a diesel, if you get a Ram or GM truck you’ll want to look for a V8. If you get an F150 the 3.5L V6 works well, or you could go with the 5.0L V8.

We stayed at lamoine state park once, when Acadia was too full for our liking. It was quite beautiful.

Best low cost addition to the Ollie that I’ve made is this plug holder for the 7 pin connector. Keeps the plug off the ground and dry when set up at the campsite. Purchased from etrailer.

Looks like most get around the same fuel mileage regardless of what engine you have in your 1/2 ton full size pickup, or for me 12-13 about it. Now for you diesel owners looks like you get a little more mpg, but the extra cost of diesel fuel and the truck itself never worked out for me. My 2019 Ram gets right at 24-25 mpg at 70 mph without the trailer, so what can I say. Yes Susan, I know you pull other trailers and that's why you have a 1 ton diesel pickup, I would to if that was my situation. All being said, I buy what I like and will do the job, fuel prices don't let me stop buying what I want. Back in the day we pulled our 28 ft. travel trailer with a 454 suburban, it got 8 mpg with the trailer and 8 mpg without the trailer, I could outrun just about anything up Wolf Creek Pass, I loved it. trainman

Thanks for putting that together. I'm sure it will be of help to a lot of people. I can give you mine, which is for the high output 3.5 ecoboost, which Ford is using in the Navigator and Limited F150 as well as the Raptor. I see 10 minimum and 13 max, typically 12-something, towing an LE2. The Raptor is the least aerodynamic of the F150's and has big all terrain tires that don't help either, so given that, I've been satisfied with the mileage I've seen. Just remember with your research that there are certain numbers that men always exaggerate, MPG being one of them. 😛

Since my battery monitor will show amperage drain, I went through all the electrical items on our trailer one by one so that I would know how many amps each pulled. Here's the list, which apart from a few items like the fridge and inverter, should apply to most Ollies: All lights off, no fridge, no inverter - 1.2 A All lights off, fridge running, no inverter - 3.7 All lights on, no fridge, no inverter - 5.7 All lights + fridge - 8.2 All lights + fridge and inverter - 10.2 Fridge - 2.5 (3.5 starting) Inverter - 2.0 Reading lights, all - 0.3 Outside lights, each side - 0.7 Outside courtesy - 0.1 Inside courtesy - 0.1 Cabinet lights - 1.1 Main cabin overhead - 0.6 Right bed overhead - 0.3 Left - 0.3 Kitchen - 0.3 Dinette - 0.3 So I have 1.2 amps of parasitic drain. That's probably higher than most, since it includes my Cradlepoint router and Victron stuff. It's enough to kill my batteries in 12 ½ days, which I've verified. Solar is more than enough to keep on top of it of course, but if I were to cover the trailer or store it inside or in the shade, I'd want to disconnect the batteries.