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I have been trying to get pics from my wife's DSLR camera since September, when we returned form our four weeks in Canada,, She finally got me some. Here is the south end of the Cassiar, the truck and trailer look reasonably clean. There had been no rain yet, just lots of wildfire smoke and ashes. The price is per liter, that is US$4.40 per gallon, about average for the trip, we did see it as high as CAD$1.93 (US$5.86) First gas stop, this is typical along here, the single gas island is pay inside first, so everybody is jockeying around the waiting cars, and a single big rig really gets in the way. About a third of the way up, near the Stewart turnoff, we hit 25 miles of road construction, in the rain. The truck is actually a little cleaner here, there was about five miles of pavement before this gas stop, so some washed off. Notice how clean the back window and hatch are! Most of the chaos (gravel and water spray) is channeled under the fabric. The trailer did not fare so well. No chips, just spray:: Then there was 50 km of freshly chip sealed pavement, posted 50 kph; although we only encountered a handful of cars, they were doing 90. Rain and no striping. Yikes..... The southern third is nice fresh asphalt, well striped for the tourists. The northern third is mostly unstriped chip sealed pavement. Here is the north end of the highway, in Yukon Territory, 540 miles from the start, after two days of steady light rain the mud is mostly gone, what is left is oily sludge from the chip sealing. This is in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory at the RV park: Another week of steady rain eventually removed most of that gunk. A car wash would have been pointless. I will eventually do a trip report, later in the fall or winter, it will be quite long. John Davies Spokane WA

As a future owner whose Elite II build is months away, I have added "inspect battery box support bolts--nylock nuts?" to my growing list of items to double-check when taking delivery. I hope Oliver staff monitor this thread, and take steps to further improve their quality control before mine comes up...... But, I commend Oliver for the transparency of this forum. As a retired lawyer, I have been persuaded by the content on this forum that, like the American legal system, Oliver's imperfect production quality and customer service are the "worst in the world, except for all the rest." We remain committed to complete the purchase of our Ollie.

I just towed the Ollie 1800 miles this week with this treatment and have the following observations: It stayed put well. No peeling at the corners or along the edges The vast majority of the visible flingings from the tow vehicle appear to have made contact in the 12" vertical area from the bellyband to the bottom of the trailer where I had applied the 3M product. NOTE: I run with a hitch-mounted, rubber rockguard across the rear of my tow vehicle (like rock tamer but a different brand). I have heard from some that 3M told them not to use their product on gelcoat. If anyone has been told this and reads this, I'd be interested in the why as it was explained to them by 3M. Is it due to the breathability required of gelcoat? Other reasons? I cannot imagine a 36"x12" application on each front corner would cause any worse issues than where the front Oliver logo and other vinyl graphics are applied. UPDATE: I went back to my receipts and found that I spent $35, not the $25 I reported earlier for a roll of 12"x72" 3M paint protectant. It really is simple to apply with the proper squeegee (also found on Amazon), a spray bottle of slip (just water and a few drops of soap). 1637704968_Ollie3M.webarchive

Thank you John and all. I did use a 3/8 drill bit to drill out any burrs and now the pin is going in and out freely.

Rex - There are a number of "reviews" of this type of protection here on the Forum. Try the "search" function in the upper right hand corner of this screen to find them. Like THIS or THIS or THIS or THIS or THIS or THIS. And the list goes on ........... Good luck. Bill

Test drove a new 2021 Ram 1500 with 3.0L Diesel last Friday. Best riding pickup I have ever driven. Hard to find one equipped how we want one. Talked to a local Toyota dealer yesterday and he told me they had three 2022 SR5 Tundras allotted & coming in December, He would not let me place a deposit on one because he does not have pricing yet, even though adjacent region Toyota dealers are disclosing pricing. Still looking at other brands, too. Here's one of the 2022 Tundra pricing videos:

Unfortunately I had a similar experience today, traveling an hour each way on a friend's recommendation, to look at another dealership. What I found was 1) slim pickings, 2) extreme prices, PLUS 3) dealer "fees" that were not mentioned on their website price quotes that added up to $10,000 per used vehicle for a "protective coat" they added to the paint jobs (done deal on every car in the lot) PLUS a second dealer fee that varied from $3,900 down to $1,900. They had 2 used 3/4 ton 2500 trucks (one Chevy, one GMC) and the salesman wouldn't even retrieve the keys to let me look at the Chevy (!) but it didn't matter because the extra $9,999 + $2,989 drove the price to $62,000 (plus tax title license) for a 4yo vehicle with 100k miles. The new one I'm considering is $69k (plus tax, title, license) and has a much nicer trim, plus modern accoutrements. Did I mention the Heads-Up display in the Chevy? It's the first I've seen in a vehicle.

Installed 3M film of the front corners yesterday. Couldnt get in to a shop to have the whole lower front wrapped before leaving for a trip so this will have to do for now. ordered a 12”x72” roll of 3M film from Amazon and decided the area directly behind the truck tires was the most important to protect. Cut the sheet in half and installed as shown (if you look close you can see the inner edge), vertically from the belly seam down. I’ll report back on how well it works on this trip. Depending on the results it may as it is or Ill order a sheet large enough to do the entire front, lower half. Total cost was $25 plus about an hour of my time.

We have owned 2 Airstream Excella Classic trailers in the past and just recently have sold our Barth motorhome. We have toured many miles in MX and the U.S over the last 30 years but now I am considering a smaller tow-behind trailer and came across the Oliver. I am just learning at this stage but know that we would not be in the market for a new one. I will browse the Oliver site and the forums trying to fill in the gaps in my knowledge of these fiberglass units.

My wife and I have a 2022 Elite II on order. We are weighing battery upgrade issues as well. Although I have no RV experience, I would not spend the extra $1200 to upgrade from wet cell to AGM. Both wet cell and AGMs have lead/acid chemistry, and will likely last anywhere from 3-5 years. Like most folks, I have wet cell batteries in my vehicles, but until recently, used 12V AGMs to power my CPAP machine on extended wilderness river trips because they are sealed (I now use 12V LiFeP04 batteries to save weight). 5 years is the most I ever get from either wet cells or AGMs. It would not be worth $1200 to me ($240-$400 per year depending on whether they last 3 or 5 years) to avoid topping off the wet cells for that period of time. When they die, I would then replace the wet cells with AGMs, because the price differential between wet cell and AGM is not that much. You can buy highly-rated 100Ah AGM batteries today for about $200, so about $800 for 400Ah. https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Battery-Marine-Off-grid-Applications/dp/B075RFXHYK/ref=sr_1_3?crid=7JH0DV2V7EOD&keywords=100ah+agm+deep+cycle+battery+12v&qid=1636300229&sprefix=100ah+agm+deep+cycle+battery%2Caps%2C279&sr=8-3 That said, we are presently planning to spend the extra $$$$ on the Lithium Pro Package, for many reasons: (1) we view it as "future proofing" (it's a lot easier to have the more robust 3kw inverter and wiring infrastructure installed during construction); (2) we hope to be able to run the AC with just our 2kw generator, which requires the Micro Air Easy Start (which is also much easier to install in the factory before the AC goes on the roof); (3) we want to be able to run the AC, albeit for only a short time, on the batteries; (4) LiFePO4 accepts a full charge much faster than lead/acid, and so is more efficiently recharged with solar; (5) 390Ah of LiFePO4 provides much more usable battery capacity than 400 Ah of wet cell, because only about 50% of lead/acid capacity is usable before recharge compared to 85% with LiFePO4; (6) payload,and therefore trailer weight, is an issue with our 2019 Tundra 5.7L Double Cab tow vehicle, and LiFePO4 saves a couple hundred pounds vs. lead/acid and (7) the increased cost is offset to some extent by the 10-year probable life of LiFePO4 batteries. If I had a 7.2kw, relatively quiet and efficient, generator built into my tow vehicle, I may view the lithium upgrade differently. Hope this helps. Ralph Pond

As Bill mentioned there are a number of threads on this. I used XPEL paint protection in 10 mil thickness on our Ollie corners and dog house and under the street side and curb side areas. We have used XPEL p/p for over a decade on cars and trucks we have owned. It’s an excellent product. XPEL.com - David

Wow -- I had no idea. This appears to show up on the windshield, but it's hard to really say. I could see the speed limit, my current speed, and there were warnings as I approached a school zone. The downside of all of this new technology (imo) is that it's all requiring those pesky little chips that are stuck somewhere 'in transit' or not yet available. I miss the days when I helped my Dad gap the plugs and change the timing belt, when it felt possible to do some of the maintenance on an engine.

I appreciate the effort that you put into this post. My soc percentage on the app and battery voltages never seemed to correlate. After reading your post I have flashed firmware. Hopefully the new firmware will do a better job. Thank you.

The dealership has disconnected the battery and will do nothing further until a Toyota inspector comes to look at it. Due to the serious nature of this failure Toyota wants to send their own expert to try and determine how this happened. I had to call Toyota USA and report the incident so they could open a case file. They gave me a case number and said that an investigator will call me back. I used a dry chemical fire extinguisher on the fire and used up about the whole thing. It was a full size household type. Never smelled gas when I went out to the truck. I can't rule out rodent damage, but I have never had a problem with them fooling around in my vehicles. Plenty of more comfortable places for them in my 92 year old garage! Thanks to all of you for your concern. We are sad and upset but safe and unharmed. We are fortunate this happened at home rather than on the freeway with our Ollie in tow!

I am sorry and also very surprised to hear about your fire. That engine has been stone reliable in the past, it must have been a build issue… did you smell gasoline or could this have been electrical? Every vehicle needs an onboard extinguisher. A cheap dry chemical one will do if it is rated for fuel fires, but the powder residue is highly corrosive and must be removed immediately after! I suggest that everybody buy one of these for each of their vehicles, it fits in a glove box easily, runs for 30 seconds, leaves zero residue and never expires. I hope the price will come down, it is definitely too high IMHO, but it might save somebody's life one day. Most likely you would have to use it on another vehicle, but you never know. Do not call me anal, but my LC200 has two cheap box store extinguishers in the rear door pockets, for fast access from either side, and an Element in the glovebox…. And my small house has five extinguishers. 😳 Like bear spray, if you do not have a backup and need it, you could be in deep trouble. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/4291-how-to-element-fire-extinguisher-install/ Please post some pics and keep us advised. Good luck. John Davies Spokane WA

Wow! really sorry to hear this news. Most importantly you both escaped unharmed. I have owned several tundras over the years and was really surprised to see this. I do agree with you I would no longer keep the truck even if repaired. I would never have full trust and confidence in the truck ever again. Fire does untold damage anywhere on a vehicle, but especially the engine bay. No repair can ever make you whole in that truck again IMHO and it has diminished the present value for sure. Looking forward, it would be interesting to know the cause or how the fire started. If you learn the cause please post up as it could save a life. And yes with supply chain issues not improving anytime soon and how upside down truck prices are it will be a bit of a challenge finding an exact or close replacement. Again sorry this happened, but glad you both are safe. Patriot

I agree. There are more than a few Ollie owners who happen to be excellent photographers--plenty of great images to choose from. Thanks! I'll do it.

Having gone from a 1 ton crew cab short bed pickup, dead weight ball setup, to a half ton short wheel base body on frame SUV…. In comparison the Andersen is a pain. NO doubt in my mind. The pickup rarely had problems with porpoising, not often enough or severe enough to be bothersome. Only on truly horrendous choppy highways. The only way to make an Andersen ready to go at the drop of a hat is to never disconnect it, which is what I try to do. (Careful campsite choice helps, find a spot that is dead level or slopes a little to the back, and it isn’t hard, but you have to be lucky.) It is a beautiful bit of engineering, and is mostly functional, but it does not contribute to my mental well being. I would be interested to hear more comments from those who went the other direction, after ditching the Andersen….. maybe it is time for a poll. OTH, as I grow older I have less and less tolerance for hardware that does not function seamlessly with me. 😳 Does that mean I am becoming a grumpy old man? Or just a realist? I look back at a long trip and the happier times are when I can stay hitched for three or more nights in a row.😀 John Davies Spokane WA

Welcome to the forums, there are a bunch of folks pulling with the 3.5 EB, not so many with the smaller boosted engine. Which trailer are you considering? That setup would be dandy for the LE1 but you will quickly run into payload limitations with the larger trailer. Typical tongue weight for that is about 650 pounds plus or minus 100, depending on how heavily you load the tongue and / or the rear….. Mine is unusually low at 480. These LE2s can safely handle reduced tongue weights, though some traditionalists will argue the point.. Add another 50 pounds for an Andersen hitch, the only one that will work. (It is not needed with a Hd truck.) For a forever setup pulling an LE2, I think you would probably be lots better off trading up to a Super Duty to get way more payload, if you don’t want a diesel, the 7.3 gas pushrod motor would be wonderfully torquey and very low maintenance. With a HD truck you won’t need to buy the Andersen, nor constantly fuss with it. At times it can be a big pain in the posterior, it is definitely not “go at the drop of a hat” simple…. I am not a Ford guy, I am just repeating stuff, but you definitely need more payload in the truck if you are going to be full timing with two people and all their “stuff”. Of all the LE2 owners who switched from a light to heavy duty truck, I cannot recall a single one that regretted the decision. John Davies Spokane WA

Hopped into the truck yesterday afternoon to go to the market and it burst into flames. When I started it, smoke started rolling out from under the hood. I told my wife to get out, move away from the truck and call 911. When I got out of the truck there were flames in the drivers side wheel well and my driveway was on fire under the engine bay. I ran to the house and grabbed a fire extinguisher. I killed the flames under the truck and then the flames in the wheel well. I stepped back and it burst into flames again. I gave it another shot and put it out (or so I thought). I opened the hood and there were still flames so I attacked it from above and finally extinguished it. Fire dept. showed up and made certain that the fire was out. My truck is a 2020 with less than 8,000 miles on it. Not happy. Not a good time to buy a new truck if they total it. Even if they can repair it I don't think I want to keep it after it suffered a fire like that. Who knows what hidden damage it caused in addition to the obvious.

This morning I, unfortunately, read an article in the current edition of "RV Magazine" (page 54 - Tech Q&A) which talks about GM's L84 5.3 liter V-8 and L87 6.2 liter V-8 gasoline engines. Apparently (according to the article) there is a manufacturing defect in these engines for 2019 and newer models across most of the General Motors line to include Chevy and Cadillac. Also included are V-8 engines used in 2500 and 3500 trucks (L82, L84, L8T) Repairs are covered under warranty. Bill

Update... I went out this morning hoping to find that the bracket was indeed a slot and that the shock could be loosened and pushed inboard a bit. No such luck. It is a hole, and its centerline is only 1/2" from the end of the bracket. There is no logical reason for this. The hole could easily have been another 3/8" inboard which would have allowed the rubber bushing to have 360 deg. contact with the bracket. It would only make sense that the hole was punched in the bracket prior to it being welded onto the subframe assembly. That being said, this is either a manufacturing defect or a poor design. Now that I have taken a closer look at the bushings I don't believe that they are over torqued. It doesn't help that they are deformed because they hang over the edge of the bracket, but the cracking is likely due to poor quality rubber than anything else.

With some cross-bracing on the 'floor' of the interior wall where the mount is and judicious use of a small hydraulic jack against the aluminum mounting plate upper base(with wood between), I was able to inch the mount up so the holes matched, maybe 1/2". Not real thrilled thinking about fiberglass moving, but figured I got it back where it was from the factory. It was obvious the screws had loosened over time and bounced around in the holes before falling out. Guess I've got two nuts and four washers floating around in hull somewhere. The bolts were nice enough to drop right in a crevice by the support. I ended up installing zinc-coated bolts, with smooth portion going through the braces, in there for now, since I had them. That and double washers. John, worth getting stainless bolts with nylon locknuts? I have a hard time believing they were tight from the factory given the minimal highway miles on the trailer. 5000 miles on the trailer, but no idea when they fell out. I have no idea why they don't use nylon locknuts in places like that. Critical bolt and hard to get too.... Will see what Jason says this week, before I close it all up. This is the second time troubleshooting one small problem and discovering serious structural QC issues under the fiberglass. All fixed reasonably easily, but would have been serious if left undiscovered.