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Better watch out for the electric bicycle police…they will come get you and your little dog too!! 😂😂

I have the same "400 watt" outlet in the back of my GMC Sierra HD. It would not reliably run a 15 amp Victron battery charger without going into protection mode. It is most likely a modified sine wave inverter that is really only meant for small draw items. It will run my 65L ICECO fridge/freezer just fine but beyond that I wouldn't waste your time with it. A small 2000 watt generator would be exponentially more efficient. John

Why not simply run the electrical cord to your shore power input (via whatever adapters you need to use to get from your truck to the 30 amp plug)? Be aware that in places such as Yellowstone National Park, they consider this type of arrangement nothing more than using a generator (your relatively large truck engine is the generator basically) and in places where generators are prohibited this arrangement of using your truck for this purpose is also prohibited. Bill

You should run your A/C off shore power whenever it’s available, not the batteries. They do have a lifetime based on the number of times they have been charged/discharged.

I'll let the Stone Stomper guys speak about that. Mud flaps have to be custom made for the Ollie and I'm not aware of anyone selling copies of what they have done. A number of owners including me have applied automotive type clear film to the front exposed and elsewhere where rocks might hit. In most cases due to the curves involved these films are applied by a "professional". I'm certain that this could be arranged in virtually all medium and large cities. Even Columbia, TN might be big enough. If you go that route then plan on the installer having your Ollie for at least a day. Also, if you can get it, ask for 10mm film as it is a little thicker and therefore gives more protection. At a minimum I'd suggest that you plan on applying a good coat of wax to - at least - the front of the Ollie and those areas underneath where tar, road dirt and other stuff could get thrown by your tires - the wax will make cleaning it once you get home easier. Unless you plan on traveling on gravel/dirt roads on this first trip, your new baby should not be too bad when you get home. But that is what I always think with a new vehicle of any sort and am usually disappointed when I find that first dink😒. Bill

Try looking here, but there are other threads, scattered. With a new hull, prep time will probably be less, but still necessary. Need to make sure the mold release agent/wax is gone. Prep, of course, is a big factor in the process and price.

Alerts? We don't have the Lithionix upgrade. We have self-installed Battleborn with Victron equipment. The Victron apps can alert/alarm via software settings. Charlie.

None of the two electronics compartments are vented in any way. They trap heat. This is bad because it stresses the units installed there, makes them operate unnecessarily hot (at or outside their operating limits) and can greatly shorten their life spans. Simply put is a stupid engineering design. Especially for those blistering summer days when the street side of the trailer is facing full sunlight. Consider adding vents and/ or a circulation fan to get some airflow. The down side is that you will hear the converter and inverter fans running but they should not run as often or as fast. I would not be at all surprised if your converter has failed. It is an easy repair, you should buy the “lithium compatible” version so you can upgrade the batteries in the future more easily. (And they will also need proper cooling.) FYI the converter has both vents and exhaust openings in the outside, but they don’t do anything to remove heat from inside the compartment. The inverter is fully trapped and does not get any cool airflow at all. Running it hard in summer is like having a small box heater going in there😳 John Davies Spokane WA

That seems very unlikely. The entire interior is molded fiberglass, and the mold can't be changed. I don't see any way a wheelchair could maneuver inside. For instance, the aisle between the twin beds is only 18", there is a large sill under the bathroom door, and the entrance door is probably too narrow, as well. None of those things can be changed. I do know that other RV manufacturers like Forest River have modified some of their RVs to be wheelchair accessible. You might want to look into those.

Interesting question. Our trailer will also have lithium and solar. Between trips this summer I was planning to set the thermostat on the MaxxAir fan to about 75-80, figure out how to let airflow in without water leakage (going to try making one of those plexiglass window vents someone else invented), and let the solar and batteries do their thing. I wouldn't leave the A/C on.

Do you mean that you want to run the ac while parked at home, off the battery, and solar? I think , personally, that would unnecessarily "cycle" the battery. The lifetime of all batteries are dependent on cycling. "Exercising" is part of cycling. Lithium is not immune. Cycling determines life. Every partial cycle "adds up." Please excuse me if I'm misunderstanding your question. But, if it were me, on your situation, I "think" I'd run the lifepo4 batteries down to recommended storage state, shut them off, and run a 110 cord for a portable dehumidifier while in storage, and not deal with ac. My husband and I have been talking about all this, recently. We know we need to replace house batteries in the boat next year. With the many heavy lead acid batteries in the boat house bank. we check fluids, periodically, and solar runs everything on the boat. We don't ever plug in (and many times, can't. ) But, there are essential systems, like bilge pumps, that must work 24/7/365, so turning off lithium wouldn't work for us, if bilge pump ran off a lithium bank. We're probably looking at some kind of hybrid situation, for agm starter battery, (another agm battery?) bilge pump etc., and lithium for storage (runs everything else. ) One of our friends who works in the marine industry, and designs systems, is camping with us this weekend. I'll see what he has to say for you, and us.

I don't own (yet) this type of battery. But, I did attend the Lithionics presentation last week at our annual Oliver Rally and the presenter often referred to the "guides" that they have published on their website for each of their batteries. A large array of information is available there to include storage details such as you are interested in. Go HERE and then scroll down to your specific batteries to get this info. Bill

So an update to my problem on no clearance to get the street side jack head off. I finally broke down and cut a 1/2 inch of the fiberglass using a rotary cutter so I could get the head off. see pic below. I had no problem with getting the curb side jack head off. I wonder if anyone else has had to do this? All jacks are now greased.

We have found the coolest new tow vehicle. A restored 1968 Oliver 1250 tractor. We can also use it to clear an area to camp in.

I chose the SE version in rough black. Installation was a bit difficult, but straightforward. The panels weigh 35 lbs, but because of my height, removing and installing requires a second person (I can't see the hinges). The following morning, I noticed that there appeared to be a gap in the newly designed hinges on the tailgate panel. So I opened the lid and gave it an easy test push. The panel came right off the hinges while still attached to the shocks. The panel fell crookedly and warped. I called, and DB was very responsive, offering to replace the entire cover or to send new hinges if I would prefer to try that. He said that the cover could easily be straightened by me. So I gave that a try and also sent back the failed hinges for evaluation. All went as he said it would, and the cover is still in place with good hinges. A thoroughly inspection after the straightening showed no damage to any welds or support structure, nor any flex marks in the cover, i.e., it appears undamaged and brand new. For my trouble, DB gave me a substantial discount off of my purchase price. It's great to be able to walk on it as it makes cleaning my truck easier. Regarding utility, I can now access the front of the bed without having to climb into it. I carry a 20lbs propane tank for our CampChef stove, and this allows me to store it all the way forward in the bed and to lift it out by only opening the cab side cover (no ladder required even though this is an F250 with 20" wheels). The locks are Medeco with restricted keys. They will not be easy to pick. It also looks really cool. Speaking of cool, thus far I have not noticed the surface temperature to be too hot. The downside: No matter how you cover it, you're still packing a truck bed. The more you carry, the more shuffling you will have to do to get at the thing you want. Accessibility of the DB does help make this easier (when the middle section doesn't interfere). We are at the rally on site F62.

Chris, did you go with the 2 5/8 inch ball? I am leaning towards that for our November delivery. You also get a beefier Bulldog coupler. John

I thought I had researched everything correctly and came with a receiver and ball that I thought were perfect. Of course I was wrong. Fortunately there's a Tractor Supply Co. about a quarter mile from OTT. I actually had to go back twice (!!) to get the correct set up. The folks at OTT were so patient with me and I don't blame them if they were amused by me. Anyway, that's a backup option to make sure you get on the road with the right setup.

We don’t rely on the bath vent for much heat. I’ve had the panel under the sink off a couple of times (for other things) and didn’t see any kinks in the duct. I haven’t felt like tracing it back to the furnace. We keep the bath ‘door open and our electric heater by the nightstand blowing toward the bath. If we don’t have shore power we still keep the bath door open and it stays comfortable with the furnace. Mike

Indeed. When I order bulky items, this is often true. I have them shipped to my sister's office.

We have Southern Mattresses. I had them shipped to the house in 2019. There was a good savings over the KTT. We have been happy with them. Oliver delivered our trailer with the standard cushions. We also purchased the hypervent from Oliver. When we arrived home after delivery we installed the Southern Mattresses. We carefully wrapped up the original standard bed cushions and stored them in a very dry place. We will be including them in the sale of our trailer along with the Southern Mattresses. I could have saved about half the shipping if I had the mattresses delivered to a commercial establishment.

We had a Southern Mattress in our Casita for almost 10 years and I believe that our 2019 E2 has Southern twins. (no label) They are both very comfortable and in the case of our old Casita, they seem to hold up over the years. One preference I have of the Southern Mattress over the latex is weight; the latex seems a bit heavy to move around while getting into the bins beneath the beds.

You might want to reach out to Oliver directly. The last I heard they were no longer accepting deliveries of southern mattresses. If you decide to go that route you would have to take delivery yourself. I also read that Oliver has changed distributors and no longer offers KTT. We have the KTT mattresses and find them extremely comfortable. They are latex. I believe the southern mattresses are a traditional spring mattress or a hybrid? I remember talking to Southern mattress on the phone when we made our 2019 order. They were telling me about the composition of their mattresses but we ultimately decided to order the latex based on previous experience with that type of mattress. Also we knew that if we ordered the southern mattresses that we would have to toss the foam mattresses that Oliver provides because they did not want to give us a credit for them. We thought that was a bit wasteful.

Last I heard, KTT isn't supplying mattresses for Oliver anymore. Our sales agreement wording changed from "KTT mattresses" to "High quality foam mattresses." Don't know who the new supplier is.

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.

Here’s the ball mount hitch and ball I’m using on my F-250. My F-250 has a 2-1/2” receiver. Truck, receiver, ball mount and ball all rated well in excess of the Ollie weight for a big safety margin. The ball mount is a 3” drop and that put the ball at the proper height for my truck. Reese Towpower 45322 2 1/2" Titan... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003JID6U6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share CURT 40056 Stainless Steel... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08557RHP1?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

We wondered the same thing for our GMC dually. I was able to take careful measurements based on previously posted info that the top of the ball should be approximately 23.5" above the ground when hitched. Of course, that includes any sag from the weight of the trailer and truck cargo, so it's hard to know for sure before actually hooking up. I was able to connect another trailer of approximately the same weight as an LE2 and get a sense of the sag. We decided to go with an adjustable drop hitch and went with the Weigh Safe for 2 reasons: we wanted to see our loaded tongue weight before we left the factory campground, and I wanted an aluminum hitch for weight and rust resistance. One nice thing about Weigh Safe and some of the other drop hitch manufacturers is that they post detailed drawings of their hitches with all the measurements to help you select the correct one. In our case, I had to flip to drop hitch to a rise position. We needed a 4" drop hitch for our dually but your mileage may vary since duallies tend to sit lower and we also put 1" drop shackles on our truck for our fifth wheel.

Not knowing the height of your receiver the only recommendation I’ll give is to be careful of the gtw of the hitch ball and draw bar. One of the reasons I don’t really like a 2 inch ball for a 7k trailer is there are a bunch of 3.5k and 6k rated units out there. Personally id make sure the connection equipment is rated at or above the gross rating of the trailer.

Hello I just wanted to post what we had done to protect the front of the Oliver from the Belly Band down. We were going to Alaska for the second time the first was in 2012 in a Casita and I had lots of little rock chips in the front section from all the gravel and roads under repair, I knew I had to come up with a solution. It had to stops the rock chips, the road solution that they use and all the course mud in the rain and watered down road sections. I put it on as we started the ALCAN and left it on till I was well back into the states. We traveled the AlCAN up and the Cassiar down into Washington state. I used closed cell foam with non-residue duct tape and it all lasted more than a month of freezing temps, rain, heat, and many many miles. Here is a Pic of what I did at least this is a alternative for the question that pops up on line often. Thanks Gary

Honestly, if you can, go. I would offer to help. I love camping in the down under. Been there twice, and I can't wait to return. No, we didn't float the Oliver over. where we camped, our rented , very basic, Apollo camper van, was enough for two. I looked into it , but too expensive, and impractical to ship the Oliver, plus , the door is on the wrong side. With the shoulder season rates, and 35 plus days discount, there is absolutely no reason to try to bring a foreign camper to down under. Not to mention, all kinds of things we take for granted don't exist in Australia. That would be a much longer post. I m just going with, go if you can. And spend at least six weeks.

John, I didn't see a stone stomper, though I have researched them, and really want one. I did see a number of unique front trailer guards of something like packing quilts , attached to the front of trailers. I think I have some photos, but not on my phone. I vwill have to research I do have to say, camping in Australia, however you do it, is the best way to meet people, find the best sites, and understand their way of life. I truly think the Aussies camp more than we do. We met the nicest people, everywhere. Remote sites, and campgrounds, we shared conversation and campfires. In tins. Lots of fire bans last time we were there. Our first night in the blue mountains, we met a great couple from Tasmania. When Paul told him we had reservations later the next month to take the ferry to Tasmania, Kevin gave us directions to a free campsite not far from the ferry landing. We exchanged phone numbers and emails. Two weeks later, he sent us an email to make sure we were still on schedule, and re iterated his GPS address. Turned out, His free campsite was his driveway. We spent two nights enjoying his and his wife's company, one on the way in and one on the way out of Tasmania. Such great people. We talk to them thru email still. Australia is to me, like the Midwest, growing up, plus technology. I've said many times, if I had to ever leave the US, I'd go to Tasmania. It's a microcosm of mainland Australia. But more rural, like my background. Sherry

Cool, I visited with my wife and two very young kids in 2002 for ten days and we all loved it. We lived by camping out of the back of a Ford Falcon - the caravan parks are simply wonderful and at that time the exchange rate was extremely favorable so everything was dirt cheap. Ballarat and Sovereign Hill town are fantastic. The Blue Mountains are neat, we all went rough horseback riding there. In your trips there do you recall seeing a Stone Stomper or similar ballistic cloth guard on a caravan, and can you comment on the design? I really want one. Nobody in this country really has a clue about them... We have been manufacturing the Stone Stomper® stone guard for over 6 years, but have spent over 9 years testing the trapeze style stone guard as part of our travels around Australia. To date we have travelled over 200,000 kms using the Stone Stomper® with virtually no stone damage to our car or van. This includes the Gibb River Road, Cape Leveque, Tanami Desert, Donohue Highway/Plenty, Buchanan Highway, Gawler Ranges, Murray Sunset National Park just to name a few. Our most recent trip took us from Adelaide through Tibooburra via the dog fence up to Lawn Hill NP and Kingfisher Kamp. Coming home we travelled the Savannah Way and ended our trip with a trek along the Darling River Run. 5,000km of great out back dirt roads and no stone damage. A key benefit of the Stone Stomper® is it not only protects the vehicle but the complete A frame, gas bottles, gas and brake cables, coupling and the front of the van. It also stops tar stains on the van from the bitumen and in the wet, keeps the front of the van clean from road spray thrown up from the tow vehicle deflecting to the ground. Stone Stomper® is not just for off road. How many times do you come across road works on the bitumen with wet tar and stones only to be diverted to a dirt bypass. You may not plan to go off road on your trip but your plans may change along the way as my Dad found out on a recent 3 month trip up to North Queensland. He had no plans to do any dirt roads with his new on road Jayco Sterling. Along the way however, he was told a 'must see' was Lawn Hill National park requiring a 180km of dirt roads. He was glad he had fitted a Stone Stomper® before he left, keeping his car and van looking new. The mesh is not shade cloth, but a reinforced ONE PIECE Truck Mesh that is manufactured by our professional canvas makers. Each order is custom made to fit individual measurements ensuring maximum protection. All metal work is laser cut and electroplated for durability. http://stonestomper.com.au Could you please start a new thread or provide a link to your Australia trips? I would love to see a few pictures, well, no, lots and lots of them! Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

John, you are correct. The US instructions, at least for our two sets of rocktamers, didn't give that info. When I googled your statement, it took me to an Aussie site. The Aussies really know camping. And protection. And, from our experience there, they are just about the nicest, kindest campers we've ever met. Our two trips camping down under are some of our best memories. Ever. They know how to make it work. Tiny foldout trailers become tents for ten. Imaginative Jeep top campers. Camper vans. All terrain truck conversions. We only saw a handful of American style sunblocker class a motorhomes, because they just don't fit many places we go. And, can't get there. We rented a basic camper van, and were so very happy with it. Ordered an Aussie GPS and a portapotty from the US for pickup in Sydney, and were in the blue mountains by dinnertime the first day, last time. Can't wait to go back Sherry

With the name of trytorelax this might be a great addition for you it is a quick pop up screen room do a google search for clam screen room and you will see it, the green one is the older style they still sell which does not have the flaps on the out side top to go over the rain panels to stop the rain from dripping in if touched. The newer Brown beige Clam has the flaps outside to go over the rain/wind panels and can come with screen windows you would need to get all 5 or 6 panels they come in sets of 2 or 3 in a package. You will also need some tie down straps for the sides if the winds pick up and done right can really take a lot of wind as we had in Lancaster Penn last October rain, wind and cold and worked great with the Gas fire pit inside. The clam goes up in two minutes and comes down just as fast and only needs one person to do so, the only two negatives or thing to know about is the screen is very fine and Hot in the warm summer months for day use if it gets 90 or above its hot with no breeze second it is 6.4 FT long so long if you have a truck short bed oops so better with the 6.5 bed and not really heavy maybe 25 to 30 lbs not sure. Hope that helps check it out you see lots of these now in the CG's.Thanks Gary

So, did you get much chipping around the edges of your guards? Have you considered getting the vulnerable areas sprayed with a commercial quality bed liner instead? Your choice of a soft material has the benefit of dampening the ricochet effect of stones, so they don't bounce off quite so hard. How did the frame and axles hold up to all that gravel? I have thought about hanging two or more 1/8 inch rubber (mudflap material) strips right across the width of the frame, in several locations, to knock down airborne stones. I have not heard of non-residue duct tape, can you elaborate? How do you think a Stone Stomper tongue net would have worked in your situation? Did you get much damage to the back of your truck, or see much gravel on top of the bumper? Sorry for all the questions. I am on a never ending quest to reduce gravel damage to both TV and trailer..... Thanks for the commentary. John Davies Spokane WA

The Oliver performed on an outstanding level the solar and 4 Trogan batteries is a must for us as we used a lot of state, County, Provincial and National Parks when possible and many are dry. We never needed to be overly conservative on use even when using the Furnace when it worked as I will speak to later. If you are going to be in cold weather as we were in the Canadian Ice Fields and camped at the visitors center across from the Columbia Glacier when your furnace decides to stop working have a back up that does not include electric . We used the Mr Buddy Heater and worked well, heated the camper up quick before we went to bed and when we got up in the morning leaving a window open when using Gas of course read directions ( my Disclaimer ). We cooked most all the time outside and use a clam if weather is not conducive. The multi directional TV antenna worked well when station available, Microwave on Inverter was great, extra plugs in cabin we added we enjoyed the ease of use and the team at Oliver are always great Anita, Tommy, Jason & Dustin could not be better. Thanks Gary