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No ruffled feathers. You should definitely choose what you think is best for you and yours. Every trailer today is a large investment. To me, the most important thing is to get out and camp. Not just sit around a fire ring in the backyard, and poke around the internet. I hope you enjoy whatever you buy. Still enjoying mine, 15 seasons in. Happy camping.

For those of us in the single axle Elite, having awareness of the health of your tire is imperative! I encourage ALL Ollie owners to be aware of how your tires are doing at ALL times, not just when you check them from time to time.

I also contacted Eric @ Cooper Tires with a request to provide load rating table. He sent me the attached. Note at 45 psi cold the LT rating equivalent to my Cooper Discoverer HT3 LT 225/75R/16 shows a max load rating of 1630 lbs per tire. In my case, this is more weight than I typically travel with. Cooper Contact Info: Eric Consumer Relations Specialist Cooper Tire and Rubber Company 1-800-854-6288 Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm EST

Spend some time over on Airforums to get a feel for initial quality issues and reliability. We personally like Airstreams, they are an iconic part of American camping history. If it weren’t for Oliver we’d probably be in one. Good luck on your decision. There is a forum member here @BoondockingAirstreamwho owns both an Oliver and an Airstream. He’s pretty active on the Airforums (Ray Elklund over there), maybe he could give you some insight. Mike

Tonight’s dinner, Off the Blackstone with a good IPA. Life is good!

I don't carry a crock pot, nor an insta pot, since we rarely have hookups, but I do love campfire cooking. Our freezer in the truckfridge is very tiny, so my method of flat packing really helps. I do the same with burger patties. Make the patties, wax paper under and above, spray one side and season. Vacpac, flat freeze. Accompaniment for any red meat, or even pork chops, is often campfire roasted onion. Take as little off the onion as possible, top and bottom, with a sharp knife. Score lightly and remove the husk and thin first layer. Set the onion on its now flat bottom, on the cutting board, create 6 or 8 segments, not quite through. Open up just a bit, add butter or olive oil in the center. Add a bit of balsamic vinegar, if you have it. Wrap twice with foil, tightly. Cook in the early coals, tucked into the side of the fire, as you prepare everything else. It's done when you've turned it a few times, and it's soft. (Using long tongs, obviously. ) if it's done early, you can always set it on a hot rock while everything else cooks. Depending on the type of wood, and heat of the coals, 20 to 35 minutes. I buy whole pork tenderloins at Costco when on sale, and cut my own boneless chops. Marinade and freeze, flat pack. (Cilantro lime and Italian dressing are favorites for pork.) They continue to marinade as they thaw. Vac packed, they never leak.

Not yet. I sent my request to cooperinfo@coopertire.com on 8/18/22. Oliver should include this information in their Ollie operators manual. Great information, Thanks!

Did they not get back to you? I sent a request from the Cooper website a few days ago. Note the table Eric sent me is from The Tire and Rim Association, Inc. 2017. The Toyo table that @DavePhelps sent above is from The European Tyre and Rim Technical Organisation v2007.3.30. I read the same value @ 45psi on both tables.

I concur. I also recommend that you verify whether the particular Airstream model you are considering has a plywood or a composite subfloor. I understand that Airstream is now installing composite subfloors in some, but not all, new models. Then, if the model you like comes with a plywood subfloor, Google "Airstream subfloor replacement" and watch the multiple Youtube videos that come up in response to that search. The Airstream model we evaluated, before committing to buy an Oliver, came with a plywood subfloor.

What time is dinner tomorrow? 🤣

Not required but recommended which likely gets Nissan off the hook should something catastrophic happen and puts it on the owner. Open source - In both the 2021 Titan and Titan XD, Nissan recommends a weight-distribution hitch be used for trailers over 5,000 pounds.

A good thing about frozen burgers is that you can grill them without thawing. We usually thaw, but there have been times when we weren’t able to and we just threw the frozen burgers on the Weber or the Blackstone and they cook fine. Mike

I know I've posted this in previous threads about campfire cooking, but I'll add it again, with photos. My husband's favorite campfire meal is teriyaki flank steak. I remove any chine and tendons, then stab the flank steak both sides with a fork, probably about 100 times each. Place it in a ziplock or vac bag, and add low sodium marinade. (Mrs dash is really good, but not always available. My own recipe is pineapple juice, low sodium soy, a bit of rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, honey or cane sugar, and a bit of water. ) Place the steak in the bag, add some marinade to cover (needs less than you think, as the holes allow the marinade to sink in), and marinate at least one day. I usually marinate one day, flat, in the fridge, then freeze flat between two cookie sheets in my chest freezer. Easier to carry and store flat pack items. (I do the same with chicken, pork chops, etc.) Flank steak cooks quickly to medium rare, about 5 minutes per side, on a really hot fire. sliced thin against the grain, on the diagonal, the little ribbons of meat require no knife. I sometimes just make veggies with it (seasonal), sometimes rosemary baby potatoes.

Fresh trout salad if I am near a trout stream…amazing.

This is off Toyo's website. Scroll down to page 23 to start LT metric tires for pressure/load ratings. https://www.toyotires.com/media/pxcjubjs/application_of_load_inflation_tables_20200723.pdf Dave

While scooting around underneath my Oliver on my creeper greasing the chassis, I did a quick inspection of everything I could see. I noticed one of the the two 3/8” stainless steel bolts that secure the propane tank enclosure to the hull was loose, had backed out about 1/2”. Both of the bolt heads could be turned by hand, but could not be tightened externally, there are nuts on the other end that were spinning. I turned in a service ticket and asked for DIY instructions. Jason got back to me right away with 2 local RV repair centers that would fix it under warranty. He also gave me step-by -step DIY instructions, which were easy to follow. I prefer to do it myself, it was an easy task. It involved removing the bath vanity to get to the nuts on the ends of the bolts. The SS nuts had flat & lock washers, but obviously had not been tightened during production. I replaced the 3/8” SS nuts with SS nylon lock nuts, and all is well. While I was in there, I removed the toilet water supply line and valve, and capped off the tee it was connected to. I have the NH composting toilet. I also removed the black tank flush lines and back flow preventer, will save for a future owner that might want a flush toilet. I opened up the black tank drain and found it had quite a bit of RV antifreeze inside. Apparently the factory had added it to the black tank during the winterizing process. This was obviously not needed, but perhaps they do them all the same, regardless. So if you are underneath your trailer, you might give those bolts a quick check.

Thanks, that is a terrific overview. One thing to mention … he talks about the tire placard, in his case it is for a ST 8 ply tire that originally came on his Airstream, so it shows a pressure of 65 psi. Which is also the max for any Load D 8 ply standard size tire…. . Only by referring to the manufacturer’s load chart was he able to determine the ideal pressure for his new set of LT 10 ply tires. He decided on 67 psi for his 9000 pound AS. The Ollie Placard is for 10 ply Load E and 80 psi. I think Oliver should have a video just like this one, and ALSO tell us the correct pressure for the two trailers at their 5000 and 7000 lb max GVWs. And at lower weights! Just give us the proper chart(s). John Davies Spokane WA

I just happened to find this video today and thought it could be helpful in regards to this thread. It does a great job of breakdown tires and tire pressure. Not saying it is perfect but helps level set on what all this is about.

Mike, Great, going to keep a copy in my operators manual and inflate accordingly, with first pressure reduction test to 45PSI. I still have not received a reply to my email request, but I did not contact Eric either. Thanks, Bill

That works!?! I figured the thawed cob would get mushy. Gotta try this!

Sounds like it may be the bolts that hold the propane shroud on. This thread may have some information for you.

Just something to keep in mind with towing at altitude with a smaller truck. Engines lose power at altitude. Something that is often forgotten. Just keep that in mind. Here is some info on it. I just bring it up since you said you where headed to the Smokey Mountains (granted not the elevation of the Rockies). F-150 and Chevy 1500 overheat from PickupTrucks.com. Other brands say they essentially take elevation into account and have enough Just something to keep in mind depending on where you are headed and how heavy you are loaded.

@tallmandan Thank you so much for that information. I will check with my husband on that. I love the idea of not having another gadget on the dash! I’m going to screenshot your comment and show it to him, if we do have it that’s the way to go! Really appreciate that info!

I love roasted onions. This is such a great tip for an accompaniment for meat! It all sounds so good. I really like the flat pack idea too and using the vacuum sealer. I just put my vacuum sealer to work yesterday, froze up 20 ears of Michigan Sweet corn.🌽😋

From a towing capacity, you won't have a issue. A 2022 TITAN Crew Cab will have a towing capacity up to 9,310 lbs. Cargo capacity is and will always be an issue with any brand of the smaller trucks. A 2022 TITAN Crew Cab will have a cargo capacity up to 1,650 lbs. From this comes the weight of all passengers, and any gear being carried plus the tongue weight of the trailer. Since this is a 1/2 ton rated vehicle, even with a tow package, the Class III hitch mount is only rated for towing up to 5,000 lbs so it will require that you use Andersen WDH for towing an Elite II. The Andersen hitch weighs 52.49 Pounds. Don't forget to subtract from the vehicle's cargo capacity.

We’ve used TST for over 5 years. Works well. Tireminder is also good. There are others. Just get one and use it! Mike

Thanks for sharing the prices Steve, certainly prices have gone up since we ordered from Southern Mattress. Since SM is located here in NC we had them “yellow freight” delivered to our home and our total cost delivered was $900, I believe $150 of that total was freight. Happy Hunting!

We have stayed at Many Glacier and St. Mary campgrounds. We enjoyed both, St. Mary was convenient being right at the east entrance of Going to the Sun road and quick access to Logan Pass area, and easy road access. Many Glacier was more scenic and maybe we were lucky but we saw wildlife in the campground everyday, but the road to Many Glacier is not the best and part of it is gravel. This is a photo of our site at Many Glacier. I'm not completely sure but the mountain in the photo with the sun on it is part of the Mt. Grinnell range. The pic is taken towards the southwest.

Thank you All for your insight. The chain was twisted -- flipped it twice. It lengthened to meet the under side of the hitch. Thanks again.

Georgia Peach Smoked Pork Chops. These are so good and so easy! I’ve done it with apricot as well as apple preserves (whatever sounds good) all are delicious! Enjoy😋

Dessert: Campfire Banana Boats! So many variations, always so good.😋

Imelda, you may not know this, I apologize if it is familiar to you. While the 6.4L Powerstroke offered some improvements over the 6.0, they are still largely unreliable. There are a number of common 6.4L Powerstroke Problems that owners of these trucks consistently encounter. What’s worse is that like the 6.0L Powerstroke, repairing the 6.4 often requires raising the cab to easily access the engine. This makes any repair more expensive. https://dieselresource.com/diesel-resources/6-4l-powerstroke-problems/ I personally would not keep any aging Ford 6.0 OR 6.4 diesel, things will only get worse IMHO. If you want to get away from diesel entirely, look for a 3/4 ton (2500) gas truck, something like the F250 with the excellent 7.3 liter “Godzilla” engine, or a Ram with the 6.4 gas Hemi truck engine. You do not have to buy in Texas, consider finding a dealer in another state, fly in, buy your truck, drive it home. As long as your current F250 is running well - go ahead and replace that fuel pump first - it should be VERY easy to sell locally. A F150 will certainly get better mileage and be a better daily driver, if you need that, but it will always be a big compromise for towing, drivetrain strength and durability, and payload. I am not sure why you think new HD trucks are hard to find in TX, Autotrader shows 230 F250s within 200 miles of Dallas. …. Autotrader New F250 for Sale John Davies Spokane WA

There are those of us that will remember Oliver’s ill fated foray into building a more “affordable” trailer. A steel frame, cheap plastic hardware, no standard equipment like a furnace or an air conditioner. The Sport, they called it. They built a single example and even at about the same price as a new SOB, it sat unsold at the factory for 5 or 6 years. Nobody seriously considering an Oliver wants that and anyway, there’s already a stripped down Oliver. It’s called a Casita.

As far as the price increases, I don't think Oliver is jacking stuff up, or gouging. Fiberglass is a petroleum product. Raw materials have doubled. I posted a chart somewhere last year. But, you can look for yourself. Everything else has gone up as well. Salaries, insurance, you name it. The Oliver family is an honorable family, imo. During the last downturn, they kept virtually everyone in the plant employed, in other roles, even though they had to close the trailer line. They never let us "orphan" owners down, if we needed help, parts, repairs. Someone always helped. I'm a small town, country girl by upbringing, and that just speaks volumes to me. You don't find that a lot. By all means, shop around. Everything else has gone up, too. My elite 1, in 2008, was probably slightly more than half the price of today's elite 1. I get that. But, what's included in a base trailer today is phenomenal. I really wish they'd roll it back a bit. Include fewer items that should, imo, be options. Many people don't need, or even want, what's in the base package. And, some non-techie folks shouldn't want it. Just my opinion. Happy to still camp in my 15th season, 2008 Elite 1. If our daughter wants it, it will be hers, when we're gone. Hopefully, decades from now. We'll see what life brings. For now, all is good.

Welcome to the forum, and also welcome to potential Oliver ownership. If you’ve never camped with an RV or trailer before, you may want consider renting an RV or trailer from a place like CruiseAmerica to see if you’ll really enjoy the trailer life. CruiseAmerica rents both travel trailers and RV motorhomes. Very doubtful that you’ll find anyone willing to rent you their Oliver. The Oliver is a big investment (along with a tow vehicle) and there have been a few owners who sold their Oliver soon after purchase when they discovered all that is involved in trailer life (hitching and un-hitching, campground setup, emptying holding tanks, sanitizing the water system, troubleshooting issues at campgrounds, general annual maintenance, repairs, problems on the road, storage of the trailer when not using it, etc.). Some of their (mis)adventures have been very interesting to read. You mentioned you’ve done backpacking so you at least have some idea of what’s involved in camping. We spent 3 years car camping before moving up to an Oliver. Now in our 4th year camping with the Oliver Elite II and we love it, and it’s a perfect size for just me and my wife, but it is a lot of work and expense compared to just checking into a hotel. But we love the freedom of travel and having all of our own stuff with us no matter where we travel.

As a previous Airstream owner, I found more value in the Oliver. The $20k increase includes improvements and upgrades. But if price is a problem for you, there are used units available from time to time - just be aware that unlike other TTs they don't lose value very fast. Here's hoping all your retirement plans go as planned. Charlie

What you tow is not nearly as significant as understanding the additional responsibilities you're taking on when towing.

Also, CAT Scale has a couple of nice apps. Check out: "Weigh My Truck" and/or "CAT Scale". The latter app is newest and has a subfunction link to the the former. These really make the weighing process easy.

I’ve got 5.5 years and 60,000+ miles towing my EII and have never had a sway issue or any other misbehavior. That’s towing with a 2012 Tacoma, 2016 Ram 1500, 2020 Ram Rebel and now a 2020 Ram 2500 Diesel. I used the Andersen hitch on the first 3 trucks. I do not use the Andersen on my new 3/4 ton. Mike