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Happy New Year!

One of the reasons we're going to purchase the 2022 Tundra is increased payload capacity compared to our previous 2016 5.7L Tundra. Like how the new Tundra is built with lighter materials in some areas increasing payload like Ford did with the F150. Some folks are waiting for the new Hybrid Tundra, too. As far as the battery location goes, it will not present an issue if I need to replace it. Looks like the double cab rear seat is larger on the 2nd generation compared to the 3rd generation, that's why we're buying the CrewMax larger cab version We're buying a SR5 "work truck" model, without many of the available electronic features with 32 gallon fuel tank. but understand why many buyers may want new technology features. Buying this truck as an Ollie TV and daily driver work truck. After required break in mileage, looking forward to towing with the new rear suspension coil springs, V6TT with maximum torque achieved at low RPMs for a gas engine and to see towing fuel economy improvements. The new Tundra may not be for everyone, but looking forward to seeing how it performs as Ollie's new TV!

@ChrisMI, we do manage to keep and enjoy both, but I will say that the boat requires far more time and maintenance than the trailer. And, $$$. And, as we get a bit older, the sailing itself is much more challenging physical work. We'll keep both as long as we can use and enjoy them both, and continue to upgrade the boat to make sailing easier. There are many Ollie owners with both, and others who have moved from boating to the Oliver, as we've/they've learned the advantages and longevity of well built fiberglass hulls. I count us very lucky, in this respect. Double lucky, we enjoy the company, camping and sailing, with another younger couple we met with an Oliver, over decade ago. We've enjoyed a lot of sailing adventures, and also Ollie land miles with them, and they're like family to us. And, another younger friend who is like family, too, who enjoys both sailing and camping, and helps us with the boat locally, and tent camps with us. All three are experienced blue water sailors, as are we . Camping and rving, imo, is far easier than sailing, from many perspectives. But, you're right. You don't always have to choose. We did 150+ days in the camper last year, probably only 45 or 50 days on the boat, but boat maintenance was probably 2 to 3 times the hours and dollars to the Oliver. And, even for us retired folks, there's only so much time available for both/each. And, we're lucky, again, that over 30 years ago, we bought a home for us, with a protected dock for the boat. It would break my heart if my backyard view didn't include our boat. Sometimes, you have to just pick. I totally get it. I'm hoping we don't have to make that choice anytime soon.

This thread is like a trip down memory lane for me ! Caught my first marlins (one blue and one white on the same day) out off the Baltimore Canyon from Ocean City. Thrasher's french fries on the boardwalk. Flounder fishing and crabbing in the bay. Digging for cherry clams with my toes (couldn't afford a clam rake) in the mud flats. Crab cakes in a little dive bar in Suicide, MD. So many places to explore in that Oliver and add to the great memories. Bill

I think we can all share observations, and experiences, without getting wigged out. Let's calm down, folks, and look at the real world. (And forum guidelines.) These new trucks are a really, really big investment, and everyone has the right to post observations. That doesn't make any poster a "naysayer." It makes the poster perhaps someone less infatuated with what he sees than you, in your opinion. Though we have many Toyota fans here, I am personally not very "brand loyal," so I tend to look at the broad scope, and everyone's comments. We (hopefully) won't need a new tow for a number of years. I see real world observations as a help in making future decisions. I weigh all of them, positive and negative. Sherry

Picture taken a few years back at the COE Eastbank campground on Lake Seminole near Chattahoochee, FL. Notice the Jim Woodruff Dam in the background which forms Lake Seminole and serves as the origin for the Apalachicola River which runs 100 stream miles to the Gulf of Mexico.

You need to talk to @SeaDawg, no reason you can’t do both 😉!

22 tundra and 22 oliver e2 are going to make a solid platform for the next 10yrs....thats a good start.!

Bill, I believe your new 2022 Tundra Crew Max will be a fine tow vehicle and we are looking forward to seeing yours! The expert key board “nay sayers” and “joy stealers” for some reason seem to take a level of pleasure in raining on the parade of how some folks choose to spend their money. Quite frankly some of the needless negative vibes on this forum continues to really get old. This could reflect why some owners just “ghost” the forum and don’t engage in posting. A few thoughts - If you don’t have something decent, kind, helpful and really positive to add in comments maybe just pause and please don’t feel compelled to respond, maybe use a little restraint…or better yet just keep scrolling! We are all in this together! Happy Camping! -Patriot

I am sure that this will be a big success for Toyota. The hybrid drivetrain is the same as the new Land Cruiser, so they must have confidence in its durability. OTH, I recall the first time I walked around and sat in a brand new FJ Cruiser. After a few minutes, I told my wife, “This is the first time I have ever seen a vehicle where there is not a SINGLE feature that I like! Not one!” I haven’t seen a new Tundra yet, I hope that it is not another FJ. 😬 “Bold” designs do not usually wear well in the long term. Though Toyota has a recent tendancy for in your face agressive style, it could have looked like this. John Davies Spokane WA

@rideandfly I totally agree with you that the increased payload and a 32 gallon fuel tank are big pluses. There are many useful and exciting improvements on the new model and I think that it will probably perform wonderfully. It sounds like it is going to be a great towing machine and there is no reason to doubt Toyota's commitment to quality and dependability. I just can't get past a few of the things that I feel are designed poorly. Kind of like building a fine watch and then putting a plastic crystal on it. Things like that bother me, yet others will find them to be totally inconsequential. We are all different. Enjoy your new truck. I am excited for you!

Welcome! We live in Maryland, Northern Carroll county. We split out time at Ocean City and our Oliver. Retirement will come fast, almost one year for me. Had a count down app on my phone and when I had a rough day at work it was nice to watch the time pass. I did love my job. You can’t go wrong with the Oliver built like a boat. Very high quality. Hull 901 Chris and John

Went to our local dealership to take a look at the new Tundra yesterday. I am sorry to say that I was very disappointed. The first thing that jumped out at me was the massive grille. It looks even bigger in real life. The grill openings are so large that a small bird could pass through and slam right into your radiator. I can't recall ever hitting a bird, but I have picked up a few stone throws from semi trucks over the years. Not much protection there for anything smaller than a ping pong ball. Mayflies, cicadas, bees, beetles and bugs will likely plaster the cooling fins on the radiator (look at the front of your Ollie after a long summer trip). Just seems to me that styling beat out function and practicality there. I have never been a fan of that behavior in mechanical design. The battery is directly below Andre's hand on the curb side in the photo shown above. It is partially below the hood cowling and packed in there tight. I would not even attempt to change it myself for fear of smashing something adjacent to it during removal and reinstall. You can't pick it straight up because of the cowling and the hinged side of the hood. Awkward at best. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth for some. It just seems like they did not put much thought into the location. The wheel wells have rather flimsy (IMHO) plastic spray shields fore and aft of the tires. Other than that, the wheel wells are wide open and there is no option for a liner offered. If you drive it in muddy or snowy/slushy conditions you will not like it. By the way, the model that I looked at had mismatched fasteners on the spray shields. They were distributed randomly and some were black oxide and others were silver. When I peered into the rear street side wheel well my tour ended abruptly. Standing upright just as I would if I were walking by the truck in passing, I saw the silver canister of a catalytic converter that is in such plain sight it literally screams "steal me". It is so exposed that if you had a long blade on a sawzall you might be able to cut it off just by reaching into the wheel well. Then all you have to do is poke your head under the rear bumper and cut the hanger off the tail pipe. You would not even need to crawl under the truck. Even an unskilled thief could have that off and be down the road with it before you could even slip on your glasses (insert shotgun as applicable) and look out the window to see what the noise was. Those of you that have read my latest posts are aware of my sensitivity to catalytic converter theft. Even so, it is still a really vulnerable and really stupid place to put the converter. Unless they have been sleeping under a rock for the past few years, the engineers knew that when they released the new model. Funny that reviews from folks like TFL Truck (who I really like) don't mention these things. It is big. It's brawny. It's expensive. It's packed with the latest and greatest electronic gadgetry and a high tech drive train. That is what the american market is hungry for. Now they are truly in the ring with Detroit. Did they alienate the fanbase who depended on them to provide good dependable trucks with solid design and bulletproof engines, all at a reasonable price? Time will tell. For those of you who really like the new design, I say "good for you" and I sincerely hope that you are happy with your decision should you purchase one. For me, the redesign fell short. I am disappointed and sad. I was really looking forward to it. Cheers! I wish all of you the best for the coming year and beyond.

I think Nobody, or Everybody should Always be cautious in using absolutes: Perfect, Always, & Never are my favorites.... just a few of them. However in my case, I never am always correct, never Totally Wrong or Totally Right..., and my words are always perfect. Except this time for sure. 🙂 GJ

Just a reminder for those Southern Ollie owners and soon-to-be ones. There were a lot of RVs that suffered severe damage then through lack of awareness and bad preparations. One Ollie owner in Oklahoma had his trailer completely freeze up, he posted a frantic thread about it, but I never heard the results, if it destroyed his tanks or not. If somebody can post that link, I think it would be a good warning for the rest of us. Don’t let that be you…. Once the drains freeze, you can no longer empty pipes and tanks! This shows that event, not the current forecast! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_2021_North_American_cold_wave It is going to be below zero here tonight, but at least here in NE WA we expect that sort of chill. It’s 48 degrees in the RV bay. Stay warm. John Davies Spokane WA

EDIT 08/29/19. Added extra bolts here: ... https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/how-to-reinforce-your-bulldog-coupler-by-adding-extra-bolts/ EDiT 08/23/20. Replaced Grade 8 bolts with Grade 5 - IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ THIS: .... https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/3564-bulldog-coupler-complete-bolt-failure/ EDIT 06/07/21. Link to coupler: https://www.amazon.com/Bulldog-028462-Trailer-Rectangular-Straight/dp/B00ZRVQPVK The supplied 2" coupler and hitch is marginal. It has a 7000 pound GVWR and the chain thrust wears the ball badly because of the small contact area. Here's info on the newest Andersen coupler and steps to swap the parts. Andersen is really bad about not showing the latest images. The newest ball mount is WAY different than the one pictured on their website. I think it is so they can dispose of obsolete parts rather than discounting them heavily, or scrapping them. EDIT 08/23/20. Andersen shows the latest style ball unit, I don’t know when they updated the pictures. Here is the new ball mount, which I received for $100. Included was a return shipping label for the old parts. It is next to the new larger Bulldog coupler. See this thread for upgrade info: .... https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/fyi-andersen-wd-hitch-ball-locking-up-or-load-noise-11/ EDIT 06/07/21: Andersen is still offering their special $100 upgrade deal as of this date, according to member “rleog”. The new design uses an aluminum collar to retain the seal, and to hopefully keep out moisture. The insert will extrude upwards and make a more intimate contact with the ring. I reinstalled the screws with anti-seize compound to prevent future problems. The new ball mount sits about 5/8" above my old one, with a fresh insert (500 miles towing). John Davies Spokane WA

Greetings fellow Oliver enthusiasts, haven’t ordered my Elite II yet but still in the planing stages. I have 4 years, 3 months, 8 days and 6 hours till I retire. LOL. (Not that I’m counting down or anything!) My last “RV” was a Cruising Power Catamaran that I explored up and down the east coast. Looking forward to traveling on land with the Admiral and seeing more of our beautiful country. We currently reside in Maryland on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. Anyway, thanks for having me and I am looking forward to the next Journey. Cheers!

Welcome Andy! Congrats on your new Ollie. Enjoy Mt. Hood staying in your toasty trailer. We lived in WA for 26 years (Olympia and then Felida/Vancouver) before moving to Colorado in 2019. We were super lucky to find a barely-used LE2 a year ago here in Denver. We have loved exploring with it! Awesome places to take your new trailer around the PNW - Enjoy! Dan

Apparently Winnebago is installing the Truma air conditioners on their Micro Minnie FLX trailers. Quote from a review: "Enter the German-engineered Truma Aventa air conditioner. The Aventa is an extremely quiet and very efficient air conditioner. Based on specs on the Truma site, that unit consumes just 4.2 amps in cooling mode. That is literally less than one-third the power consumption of a Coleman Mach 13,500 BTU air conditioner."

FWIW If you don't agree with someone else's opinion I don't think it is fair to portray them as a keyboard expert "naysayer" or as a "joy stealer". It is also not appropriate to accuse someone of raining on the parade of others just because their viewpoint differs from yours. I thought that my observations would be useful to others or I would not have posted them. I recently retired from a career working in mechanical design (not automotive). That does not make me an expert, nor do I claim to be. However, it does give me pause when I see things that I consider to be poor design. Conflict and inflammatory remarks have no place on this forum and I am disappointed that my comments rattled someone enough to get nasty about it. From now on I believe that I will just keep my comments to myself.

We live in Jacksonville, FL, area and it seems winters are things old-timers recall with fondness. Our winters are not much different than our other seasons - hot, muggy, buggy. Our 2019 Oliver is parked at our home in our pole barn which doubles as our outdoor cooking and gathering place, so the Oliver is being watched every day. A wonderful way to keep a check on the temp, humidity, barometric pressure, and dew point is to place sensors in strategic places in your Oliver. The SensorPush monitoring system is a great method for tracking climate data in your Oliver (SensorPush). I have 4 sensor placements (dinette, refrigerator, Truma water heater compartment, and one in the Barn itself). Also purchased the Gateway to monitor data from anywhere using my iPhone and our Oliver Cradlepoint WiFi system. Useful to monitor climate data while camping but away from the Camper. Highly recommended, and a cool technology. Maybe a bit pricey for some ($89 per sensor and $100 for the Gateway). We are comforted monitoring temp remotely while away from campsite so our valued camping partner (Magnum, our lab dog) does not overheat (or freeze) should Oliver climate control system fail.

David, Totally agree, looking forward to the new and improved Tundra! Bill

That number is not the actual payload of the vehicle because it factors in reduced load capacity of the tires when under-inflated up to 25% below the specified value, or the point at which the TPMS system will alarm. In other words, 937 lbs has been determined to be the maximum safe additional load with the tire inflation 25% less than the value specified on the label. There have been a number of different weight specs published for this vehicle but none I've found result in a payload rating that low. I'd suggest finding the GVWR number listed on the vehicle information label and having your vehicle weighed to determine its actual curb weight. The difference between these two numbers will give you a better idea if the GLE can be an adequate choice for towing. I suspect you'll find the actual payload is around 1300 lbs.

Many states are decriminalizing calcium. I'm worried it will be a gateway mineral and lead our camper to harder stuff. 😁

I spent some summers of my youth at a Boy Scout camp on the Chesapeake Bay and learned to sail there - a beautiful part of our country. Glad to have you here and it really is not too early to gather info, plan your Ollie and even start planning your adventures. Please let us know if we can help. Bill

Woots! Exciting times for sure. Enjoy your new Ollie and we hope to meet you one day! We picked up ours in October - the only thing they didn't tell us at pick up was that they get dirty and they didn't tell us where to find the "clean and wax it" power switch/breaker!🤪

Glad you saw that Oliver, glad you toured the factory and glad you have not only joined the family but have also joined (officially) us here on the Forum. Welcome! Bill

Awesome! We are close neighbors indeed!

Thanks Mike!

Greetings from another Clark County Oliver owner! We picked up hull 836 in June 2021 and absolutely love our trailer. We are located in Hockinson. Pam

Andy, welcome to the group! I’m sure your modifications and experiences will benefit everyone here. Happy New Year! Mike

We won’t be doing any winter camping… if I wanted to be where it’s really cold, why I could just stay home.. We do however seem to end up occasionally driving where it’s cold, or dealing with overnights in the low 20s. Sometimes we travel with the furnace on, but not often. We do always make sure the hot water heater has been doing it’s thing so we can run hot water through the pipes once in a while. I added insulation to the basement door, and have some in the outdoor shower compartment as well, where if needed, I can stuff a 10hr hand warmer. I cut a hatch in the basement to gain access to the check valves and pipes at the water intakes, where I can stuff hand warmers as well. I also made an insulation block for the water inlets out of 2” rigid foam insulation. It basically clamps tight on the intakes when in place. When temperatures are in the upper teens or low 20s I can keep those intake fixtures at least 10 degrees warmer than the outside temperatures, so it helps somewhat. These little things help with occasional cold spells.. but wouldn’t do much good if the temperatures didn’t moderate during the day.. Insulation block Inside the block, cut our for water intakes.. the bolts, wing nuts, and steel plates squeeze it together in place

Just to head off a small stampede of owners that think otherwise....... the issue is not strength of any of the Anderson components. But rather wear of the ball itself. This is especially the case of those needing extra weight distribution (Ergo high chain tension) such a Sequoia's, Land Cruiser's, and some half-ton trucks. The increased size of the 2 5/16 ball provides a larger contact wear surface at the ball.

I agree with JD in the above post. I took my trailer to a certified scale when I was ready to travel and after loading all my gear in the trailer (no water in tanks or groceries) I returned to the certified scale and and my hitch weight was 480 pounds. very little increase

Adjustable hitches are cool and extremely handy IF you tow a lot of different trailers, but they may rattle, and they do hang down very far, and that can lead to certain situations where it smashes hard into the ground. If it happens to be onto a paved road, it will rattle your teeth and spine and make you swear. You can hacksaw off the bottom few inches, but that is irreversable 😀. I did that to my Andersen one. The Weigh Safe is very neat, especially if you tow different big trailers, but in reality, once you weigh your Ollie’s tongue you probably will never have to do it again, so a portable scale like the Sherline LM1000 works great. I have used mine twice in five years, normally it stays safely stored in its box in my garage. I bought it when I sold my Ram 3500 and bought the LC200, I had no need of it before then. So if the only “heavy” trailer you tow is the Ollie, the Weigh Safe is overkill. Plus an 18.5k (max 2200 pounds TW) hitch gauge will be inherently less accurate than a 1000 pound one. (Gauges are most accurate right in the middle of the scale.) I suggest that you buy a simple one piece drop mount steel unit like FrankC posted, plus a “slopper stopper” anti-rattle device of some type (especially if you also add mudflaps, they rock around like crazy otherwise) and in the future you could choose to invest in one that is ten times as expensive….Plus a cheap unit is much less likely to get stolen. If you want actual numbers, load and stock your trailer, fill the fresh tank and get Oliver to weigh it for you with their portable scale before you leave Hohenwald. However, if you tell us your options and what stuff you plan to carry (generator, ebikes, cast iron pots) we can probably guess your TW within about 100 pounds. Finally, I suspect that most Ollie owners have no clue what their tongue weight is, and for those with HD trucks it is pretty much irrelevant unless you own an oddball one like a Power Wagon. So don’t sweat it too much. These LE2 trailers are not all sensitive to tongue weight variations. John Davies Spokane WA

I used this hitch and towed about 3500 miles this summer with no issues. Hope this helps! $229.99 $0.00 Receiver Size Ball Size Qty: type: Hitches & Towing Vendor: Nationwide Trailers Parts Store Description: The Andersen Rapid Hitch makes it easier than ever to quickly adjust height: pull pin, adjust, slip pin back into place - done! Polished aluminum rack won't rust, chip, or peel. Details/Specs: Available options: 2" Receiver 1-7/8" x 2" GTWR: 7.5K lbs (1-7/8" ball) - 8K lbs (2" ball) 2" x 2-5/16" GTWR: 8K lbs (2" ball) - 10K lbs (2-5/16" ball) 2-1/2" Receiver 2" x 2-5/16" GTWR: 10K lbs (2" ball) - 12.5K lbs (2-5/16" ball) 6" Drop/Rise Combo Ball Tongue capacity: 1.5K lbs Zinc-plated steel Meets V5 and SAE J684 certifications Made in the USA Don't forget your Rapid Hitch Locking Pins

Albert, I am sure You will be very happy with the Weigh Safe Hitch. I use one as well and am very satisfied with it. The ability to instantly see adjustments you make to your payload is priceless in my opinion. Good luck and Happy Trails. Dan

This is the hitch I got when I went to the 2500. Top of the ball is just under 24” and I get about an inch of drop when the trailer is connected.

Thanks for that Chris and Steph & Dud, that is helpful. I'll get a measurement to find the drop needed to make 20-25" off the ground, that should take care of the change in tire height when I return to the stock tire size then order the Weigh Safe rated for 18.5K and I should be all set on arrival. Can't wait!! a.

With a 3/4 ton truck a weight distribution hitch is not "required" by any truck manufacturer. Given that there is no "discount" for the Andersen, you have nothing to lose by waiting, test the towing experience and if you are happy then nothing more needs to be done. Obviously, if you are not happy or if you feel that the Andersen gives you added benefits (such as additional safety margins or the like) it is reasonably easy to install. Bill

Albert - my wife and I bought a 2021 F250 this year and we don't feel the WDH is remotely necessary. It tows quite easily and there is no sway whatsoever. We bought the F250 to have a better overall towing experience and to avoid the need for a WDH. We towed with a 2020 Toyota Tundra before the F250 and there was also no sway with that truck but there was a fair amount of jounce. We also had Oliver install the larger 2 5/16" bulldog and I'm glad we did. This upgrade from Oliver was around $250 if I recall correctly.

Welcome to the forum and to your future Ollie. There is a growing number of us from MI (part and fulltime). Gotta know though, are you a Yooper or a Troll?

Nope, something John said stuck with me. That is, that WDH will end up being a pain. That rules out even the Ollie LE for me. I could only add 400 lbs of payload to the truck and about 900 lbs to the trailer comfortably. That puts my GVW right around 6000 lbs. and I'm rated at 6500 lbs. Thanks again for your help.

Yeah, sounds right. No doubt about it. Thanks for taking the time to clue me in. Really appreciate it.

Just a pic with a lake reflection…..

Well the project I’m working on isn’t quite as cool as yours that’s for sure, and is just getting underway.. but I thought I’d share.. All the potential storage space around the propane tanks has been nagging me for some attention… It just seems like a perfect place for things I don’t need very often but need a dedicated place to be stowed in Dearie. So I installed 1/2” hardware cloth in the bottom to keep stuff from falling out, and have got a couple of plastic “tubes” set up.. one for the grease gun and related stuff, the other for the winterization pump and the like. I’ll stash extra lengths of pex in a 3” capped PVC pipe that will be lashed to the hardware cloth behind the gas bottles, probably along with emergency short term winterization gear. I already have a garden hose that I use to flush the black water tank that lives in front of the gas bottle, and there is a fair amount of space in there for “something”… just gotta figure out what that something might be.. Judging by some of the older posts on this thread you have a very cool shop John, resulting in a small pang of jealousy on my part, though I’m not complaining about my workspace…. Dearie in the dooryard.. working out some storage solutions…

@ Renagade, first good luck with your trip up here to Big Sky Country. Welcome! I have lived in MT (Bozeman) for well over 40 years and have been to Glacier countless times during all seasons and have watched the tourism in the park explode since the mid 70's. With that in mind while I agree with some of the responses here I also have a somewhat different perspective on a few things. Weather: come prepared for winter. Montana weather is extremely volatile and at times just as unpredictable, and the park itself on any given day can have dramatically different weather compared to just a short drive out of the park. Given that you are from southern FL, your idea of winter and ours is on an order of magnitude different. On the other hand you might experience days that are sublime and think my suggestions are an empty threat, they are not. For instance just over a year ago, late May-early June, I left home in low 80 degree weather here in SW MT. Arrived in Glacier and the next day the weather turned upside down and stayed that way for 5-6 days. It was what most people would refer to as dead of winter or near so. Heat of the day, 42º, down to near freezing at night howling winds, some snow and often rain. This past fall, winter came early. Perhaps the 2nd or 3rd week of Sept, fall color died on the vine sub zero temps for a week or two with plenty of wet heavy snow. The day before the storm hit my wife and I were hiking in tees and shorts. This is not uncommon at these elevations and latitudes. The closer we get to the shoulder seasons the more volatile the weather can be. Campgrounds: You can get RSVPS at Fish Creek just across the lake from Apgar as well as St Marys and Swiftcurrent in the NE section of the park. John is correct Two Medicine is beautiful but it fills in the short summer quickly every day. It also closes fairly early but don't recall how long after Labor Day, sorry. East Glacier is on the Blackfoot Indian Reservation so laws regarding many things including alcohol can be very different and for what ever unknown reason can change from day to day. Supplies in the area are limited at best IMO. Most hikes from Two Medicine campground tend to be quite long, some with serious elevation gains. In addition to Apgar, Fish Creek, St Mary's (by far my least favorite) consider Swiftcurrent as well as Avalanche Creek which also closes earlier than most. There are size limitations at Rising Sun Campground but you could probably squeeze an Oliver in to one or two of them the rest are far too small. Its also first come first serve. Avalanche Creek does not afford much in the way of views, it is deep into the forest but still a very nice campground centrally located for day tours, hikes and what ever your'e up to for the day. Travel, The route into Glacier: Most are beautiful drives. However I do not recommend the route from Missoula to Kalispell. While there is some beautiful scenery along this route the traffic is VERY HEAVY almost the entire year. It's become more trouble than its worth to me. However I would be remiss if not mentioning the state park campgrounds scattered along the shores of Flathead Lake, all are nice with awesome views and fairly good facilities. My preferred route at least from Bozeman is a trip up the Seely-Swan River Valley that terminates in Big Fork and from there about another hour (towing speed) up to Glacier. There are a slew of very nice USFS and BLM campgrounds along this route as well. The Front Range route through Augusta and Choteau Highway 89 are also very nice but the closer you get to the east side of the park count on steep narrow winding climbs and descents. Its a slow go after Browning assuming you continue on to St Mary's. Camping along this route is virtually a no go unless you decide to head due west into the Front Range where you can find some awesome USFS camps there. This would be a detour however. The southern perimeter route highway 2 will be an easy cake walk though a bit more exciting than what you normally might drive in FL. From Mid August on tourism tapers off considerably both in Yellowstone as well as Glacier, due to kids/family back in school. However the weekends assuming really nice weather will experience quite a bit of day use and some camper influx from the locals out in Flathead Valley. It is worth noting, not once have I ever been able to get a drive up camp spot in Glacier even during the peak of summer season including but not limited to the 4th of July weekend. Bowman Lake can be overwhelmed with local day users during the weekends with nice weather. However don't miss this place, its about an hours drive up there from Apgar but not to be missed. Take the outside road. There is a nice hike along the north shore of Bowman Lake that will take you to the far end of the lake about 14 or so miles RT, but very little elevation gain a rarity in this park. That should be enough to digest for now, good luck on planning your trip. Let me know if you have questions.

We were at Glacier the week of 8 September. We got a site at Two Medicine at around noon. Amazing views.

Glacier NP has problems handling all the visitors due to the short season, curtailed federal budget, and limited facilities. There are WAY too many people for the available parking, and Going To The Sun Road is dangerous enough without a bunch of clueless flatlanders in rental cars or too-wide dually pickup trucks with extended mirrors. In July 2019 Glacier had more visitors than Yellowstone. The chart above is interesting, Visitation was low until the 1930s. There was a small train stop, a rough dirt wagon track and tents at Two Medicine for visitors. In 1913 the Great Northern RR started upgrading the facilities at East Glacier, adding a huge hotel next to the station, a better road and small hotel at Two Medicine. They advertised and started bringing in increasingly large numbers of tourists before the effect of the 1930s recession hit, big time. Here is the inside of the great lodge (not my photo); Well into the Great Depression tourism was down and a forest fire broke out at Two Medicine, the employees heroically defended the small building, and then drove back to the train station and reported to headquarters that it was saved ... Who responded back "Why?" Things probably looked bleak to them at that time. The Going To The Sun Road had opened in 1933 and the south entrance became increasingly less popular. ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Going-to-the-Sun_Road The big dip in the early 1940s is due to WW2; the railroads were carrying materiel and troops rather than tourists, who had no extra cash anyway. Our last visit here was in 1979, on the tail end of a big 5000- mile trip of exploration, which culminated in our moving to Seattle from Nashville TN. When we first went over Going To The Sun Road, the mountains were completely socked in by dense clouds. All we saw was the lower scree slopes. I don't recall any problems with an excessive number of visitors.... Forty years later, we got to see them naked and in their full glory. (The mountains, not the visitors.) ;) John Davies Spokane WA

INSTALLING THE BULLDOG COUPLER: Remove the old one. The bolts are tight. Uh oh.... Not good - a 1/2" bolt inside a 5/8" hole: The only thing holding the coupler tight is the pinch effect against the side of the frame rail. The loose fit at the holes is a poor design. New vs old: The new one has a heavy sleeve welded inside the front part. The smaller one just has a thin reinforcement gusset: The new one has less "free length" since there is more stuff at the front. There is enough for the Ollie frame however: Here is the oversized hole in the old coupler: here is the frame, showing the staked in place steel inserts, to keep the sides from collapsing under the load of the bolts: There was some damage due to sharp edges inside the old coupler: John Davies Spokane WA