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Merry Christmas to our Ollie family!

Merry Christmas everyone!!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

I assume that your Elite Hull #12 is not in Florida in that picture. Merry Christmas to All !!

Wow you guys are good I’m full in three days and that’s with no toilet paper. I guess I am full of 💩

Here's Colin Hay (Men at Work) at Norman's Rare Guitars:

Here's a 2022 Tundra Brochure that gives trim curb weights, gross weights, tow capacities, and load capacities including the hybrid. https://www.toyota.com/content/dam/toyota/brochures/pdf/2022/tundra_brochure.pdf

We use a Marmot Halo tent when we’re away from the Ollie, and really like it. Plenty of room for two cots with room to walk around them, and the halo feature really expands the stand up room beyond the center of the tent. It’s held up well for several years, and weathered some good winds.

My directing career has yet to take off, but this gives me hope.

That really depends on the person. The small dinette is roughly 24 x 72, so physically possible, yes. This is about the size of the seat (not arms) of a standard 4 seater sofa, or a standard sleeping bag. Someone who sleeps restlessly, or starfish sleeper, would have a hard time. I'd personally be ok with it. I would, however, likely make a quilted pad and velcro it to the side of the hull at night. Back in the day, Oliver offered a twin bed plan for the Elite, with a slightly wider bed at the rear, and the 24" side bunk, which allowed for an additional cabinet, and a fold down table. I knew two couples ( @ScubaRx and a couple from Texas) who had the twins. Scubarx upsized to the Elite II. The couple from Texas kept theirs a few years, and traded for a 5th wheel. His wife was never a fan of compact campers. A friend of mine converted her Casita (similar floorplan) to two twins to take her handicapped friend camping. She adapted the full size bed in back to a 39" twin for her friend, and took the smaller bed for herself. This opened up the cabin space a little to make it easier on her friend. Maybe scubarx will chime in with his thoughts.

I think you realize from many posts, this is actually untrue. And, probably, just a kneejerk reaction to your post being hidden. It was not deleted.. We look for improvements, through honest reviews and comments. We have never, ever deleted or hidden a "problem with a trailer" post. We have, from time to time, hidden posts for moderator discussion that we felt could possibly trigger a firestorm of political commentary. We're here to share ideas on improvements (as you have, many times) , share camping sites and fun, and sometimes, joke around, as well. Your many posts have been very valuable, to me and others. I would like you to reconsider @katanapilot bowing our of the forum. We really, truly just try to avoid politics on this forum.

No one was offended but this is a good opportunity to remind everyone of the forum guidelines, which I’ve linked to below. Inflammatory content, which includes politics, is taboo. If you want to talk politics, there are quite a few spots on the internet where you can do just that. Also, as an FYI, if anyone ever has any issues with moderation here on the forum, the correct course of action is to send a PM to the moderators. It’s often that posts come across in a way that was unintended, and that’s why the moderator team hides posts rather than delete them. This gives the poster the opportunity to speak with us; and perhaps if needed, make some wording changes that bring the post in line with the guidelines so that it can be unhidden. Forum Guidelines

We plan four nights with no other facilities. If there’s a vault toilet or other facility we can stretch to a week. It’s a little hard to predict how long you can go because everyone is different with different amounts of inputs leading to different amounts of outputs. Mike

We decided to go with a LEER fiberglass cap with Thule top rails and a BedRug. No regrets. Stays dry.

Now THAT will be a great way to start the New Year! Good luck! Bill

The dealer said the delivery was moved from 12/24 to 12/28. Hope the Tundra comes in next week, will see. Don't plan to tow with Ollie until we have at least a 1,000 miles. Going to add sideboards and a Diamond back bed cover while breaking in the new SR5. There's some other members here with a Tundra coming, too. Used to call our last Tundra Stan, guess that will work for the new Tundra, too.

The older BAKflip covers required the tailgate to be closed first before the last section of the tonneau cover. My first one was like that. The new covers (last couple of years) don’t require that. The tailgate can be closed and the last section will just snap down when closed. Much more convenient. Mike

r and f did your new tundra come today???

Like some of the others, I have a Bak Flip on my RAM truck. It has served me well. However, I've had to repair the back latch and discovered that a well placed tire iron could easily pry the rivets from the thin sheet metal if someone wanted into the bed of the truck while parked. Couple of other considerations. My Bak Flip requires you to close the tailgate first and the cover second which is counter intuitive (at least for every delivery person that has helped me load my truck) Also, because it flips up, it prevents the use of most ladder rack type systems (we'd like to carry a couple of kyaks over the bed and still have access). Finally when fully retracted, it blocks the rear window preventing me from seeing if the straps holding my motorcycle are still tight. My son-in- law has a Peragon cover on his Raptor. I'm aways jelous how easily it opens and closes.

Well, at least there are four of us!😊

Other than being VERY quiet up here in the mountains of western North Carolina it hardly seems like Christmas at all with temperatures in the low to mid 60's. Of course, I'll still take that versus Idaho snow. I'll bet that the rideandfly pic and the seadawg pic were taken within 40 miles of each other. For those traveling - please be safe and warm out there. For those at the Mothership - thanks for all you do in making most of us very happy campers. AND, for everyone - MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY HOLIDAYS. Bill

Before our pop-up tent trailer days, we used to have a stand up tent with 2 cots that allow us to sleep off of the ground. Now with the Ollie, I am looking for a new similar tent (still got the 2 cots) so the grand kids can go camping with us. We have square sleeping bags that can be unzipped so they are almost like sheets. We do not have the issues here in New England that out west has with bears. No posion snakes and after spring passes little bugs (somewhat). We use a tonneau cover which was purchased before the Ollie. If I were starting new, I would consider the cap with racks and side opening windows and carry the bikes on the cap roof instead at the rear of the Ollie. Happy Holidays

Really like this video/music, nice work!

Thanks John valued opinion I’m in the looking stages. Like you I’m always looking at the good bad and ugly and don’t like to buy unless I get up close and personal I have to touch it. It’s amazing how many big items are being purchased by a internet picture or video. Thanks

Well…., we’ve been full in three days too. I guess some days we’re more full of it than others!

We use the diamondback cover which is nicely made and very durable. I needed the visibility during the winter months plowing and could take some abuse for the next decade or two. If I didn’t require the extra rearward visibility I’d probably buy a ARE DCU or similar with toolboxes along with a cargoglide to have easy access to everything.

I currently use a tonneau cover because I like to be able to climb up into the bed without crouching or being on my knees. It has obvious drawbacks though. My model is not as secure as a cap, and if I need to access the bed in the rain my gear gets wet. The front of the trailer dominates the view from the rearview mirror while towing. I leave the rearview camera monitor on all the time and I use it in conjunction with the side mirrors to navigate safely. If you prefer a cap, don't let the view in the rearview mirror sway your decision. Not much there to see anyway. However, if your TV will also be a daily driver you may be more comfortable with the added visibility afforded by a tonneau cover.

I saw the levelmate pro on @Mike D.'s trailer. Pretty sweet gear. If I were traveling alone, I'd probably get one.

And, there are such things as "wag bags" and "blue boys" that can be used to greatly extend stays.

My husband loves them for this reason. He normally goes out and sets up while I'm still at work and then I drive out when I get off. He has no problem getting level by himself. On our 5th wheel we had the Level Mate Pro but left it in it when we sold it. So far he said he hasn't really needed it with the Oliver and the Andersen levelers.

This is good to know for others of us who are / will be solo travelers. Thanks!

Tali and I can easily go a week and possibly 10 days if one of us is willing to pee outside.

We opted for a high topped (but not the highest topped) A.R.E. shell. I like the extra height; it's easy to crawl into the back; taller items (e.g., bicycle, chairs, patio rug) can be transported vertically. Eventually I'll build slide out drawers that can double as a bed platform. I agree with Jim and Francis: build quality is good but not great. I really like the flip out side windows for side access.

We use the Andersen levels and jack stands. We had used the Andersen levelers for 5 years with our 5th wheel. They are easy to use with out having to add blocks.

We also went with the Leer painted to match our truck with the Thule bars on top. We added Thule Hullavators to lift our 12’ kayaks easily on top. Inside we carry 2 electric bikes, 12’ Clam, a propane fire pit, chairs, a 22” Blackstone Adventurer grill with stand, a 12’ rug, an aluminum table that folds to fit in a bag, a tool box, small air compressor and 2 stackable crates with cords, lights, helmets, battery chargers, etc. The cover also has lights and it locks with the remote when you lock the truck. We have had no issues at all with leaking. We also have a bed slide that pulls out to easily load and unload items.

We have a Diamondback also. We have the optional toolbox under the forward compartment for all the small stuff. Not difficult for me to reach in and get what I need, but my wife cannot without a stool. Pros: Ease of removal by myself (~ 15 minutes), very secure from theft, does not leak, strong enough to stand on or load gear on top. I carry a dual sport motorcycle on trips occasionally so I take the cover off and store in my garage. Cons: It’s very expensive, but same logic as Oliver vs SOB. I had a black coated one on my previous truck. I liked the way it looked, but it got too hot to touch (~140F) in the hot sun. This one is the shiny aluminum which matches the rear decking on the Oliver, reflects the heat well, costs several $ hundred less. Next mod is to mount a bike & solo canoe rack.

We went with the ARE high top (TW model). Since we've got Decked brand drawers, we needed the extra height in the cap. We also went with the flip up side windows that are a real plus (though costly). Color match to our truck was just about perfect. Build quality is good but not great. Local installer made some mistakes. One big downside is security. We will likely get the windows blacked out to mitigate lookie-lous. Weight is about 200 lbs. No noticeable impact on mileage. Dry as a bone.

I like the Andersen’s. They are more expensive but I am mainly a solo traveler and find them easy to use on my own. I bought levelmate pro as part of pre trailer pickup supplies and have yet to install.

I am commenting from past experience and future desire, there are two really good fiberglass canopy brands, Leer and ARE, I have used a Leer and I felt it was adequate, but no more than that. To avoid long term hassles, you have to spec the canopy so cleaning the back of the truck cab isn’t a nightmare, and so you can get good ventilation. They all leak dust and water, so you need to use weatherproof containers or covers. None of them hold up well on rough washboard roads…… check the warranty to see if that would be considered abuse. Few are rated to carry much on a roof rack, the Leer can be ordered with factory installed rails and a thicker roof structure. In an alternate future I would have a Power Wagon with a Go Fast Camper on it, so I could boondock a couple of nights in the rooftop tent when exploring the back country, while “Mouse” is safely parked at a more developed base camp campground. The last I heard, GFC was backlogged forever, but recently they have been hiring and working extra shifts to meet the demand. https://gofastcampers.com/ John Davies Spokane WA

Your neighborhood is requiring a bed cover for your truck? I’m as progressive as it gets but I know the three types of bad governments: dictatorships, church committees, and HOAs. Regardless, how covered is covered? Do solar panels count?

I always tell people that the choice of cap vs. tonneau cover really depends on what else you want to use your truck for besides camping. I haul a lot of stuff for home projects, hauling motorcycles in the bed, and moving furniture for friends and relatives, hauling top soil or mulch, etc. So I wanted full standing access to the bed when needed. I went with the WeatherTech folding rigid tonneau cover and a home built bike rack mounted over that as our setup for camping/towing the Ollie. The bike rack is built with quick release attachments so the rack can be easily removed so I can fold up or completely remove the tonneau cover.

Yeah, but sometimes you've got to bring in the big dogs. And most parks frown on that...

We use the big square black and yellow Camco legos. I have two sets of 10. I use them under the jacks with wood blocks so that I only move the jacks a few inches and under the tires if we’re not level. Mike

Thanks guys. I really haven't "used" the batteries very much yet. I'll go ahead and run them down to RVC and the give them a full charge to see what happens. John

Greetings from Washington state. I have the 3 130ah batteries in our Oliver and I have seen pretty much the same thing you have on the phone app. The fact that the voltages are the same tells me your batteries are fine. lithionics has admitted that the percentages shown are not always as accurate as we would like. A few things they recommended I do has helped the app SOC to be more accurate though. I updated to the latest firmware for the BMS. This can be done in settings on the app. Make sure your phone has good Wi-Fi connection when you do this because the battery bms needs to go out on the lithionics site and get the correct firmware. Next I drew my batteries down until they shut themselves off. This is called the reserve voltage cut off. Then I charged my batteries to 100% or 14.2 volts. This seems to have helped make the % state of charge numbers more accurate. Hope this helps, Mike

Pete, @bugeyedriver, told me about this shop. Boerne is a small town but with several mega RV dealers with repair shops. Our shop is very small, husband/wife operation and they do great work.

Never heard Kacey before, great sound!

Been packing all of our trailer bearings with Redline CV-2 Full Synthetic grease for a few years, we have four trailers including Ollie, no bearing issues.

I'd suggest Summit Racing Equipment if you want legit parts for cheap. They ship all over the US. Summit Racing is 20 minutes from the Timken factory and is an authorized distributor. Odds are good they are legit. 😁