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Lately, I've seen several posts from new or prospective owners contemplating purchasing a Weigh Safe Adjustable Trailer Hitch Ball Mount (WS) to tow their Oliver with. These are good looking hitches that have plenty of capability. They have HEAVY-DUTY TOWING CAPACITY: Made of 17 lbs of Aircraft Grade Aluminum & Stainless steel, with an industry leading towing capacity (GTW) of 12,500 lbs. The one I've referenced in the link above is the least expensive and has a four inch drop (6" 8" and 10" drops are also available.) I bought one for the Outlaw Oliver about 5 years ago and, after a while, I was satisfied with it. It took me about a year to finally get one that would consistently work. The first two I bought were returned and replaced (Other than my time and having to use an alternate hitch while waiting on their return there was no real cost to me). The reason that I'm sharing this info with the group is to provide you with food for thought. The WS's singular claim to fame (after it's good looking cool factor) is that it measures the tongue weight of the trailer. I'd guess it's accurate to 10 pounds or so. This is very useful information for safety. And, if you own a half dozen different cargo trailers this is the hitch for you. With this hitch you can instantly know what any particular trailer's tongue weighs and you can adjust its load accordingly. But, if you are only ever towing your Oliver, very little will ever change as to the way you will load it and the tongue weight will essentially stay the same every time. Don't expect that tiny little gauge to last forever. The WS from Amazon is listed for $308.99 + tax for your state. Not cheap. On the other hand there's this Sherline Trailer Tongue Weight Scale. Again, on Amazon, for $130.00. There are three models available; 1000, 2000 and 5000 pound capacities. They are all the same price because there is actually no difference between them other that the gauge. The 1000 pound model is all you will ever need for the Oliver. If you ever found yourself needing the bigger ones all you have to do is swap out the gauge. Either of these two options will accomplish the same end. One is somewhat cheaper and is more accurate. The other still has that cool factor that is important to a lot of us. Since I own both, maybe that makes me cool minus about $310.00. But, all is not lost. After we got the bigger trucks, I moved the WS to Tali's GMC Canyon Diesel so it still sees some use with our other two cargo trailers.

We’ve had a water softener in our current house since we built it 17 years ago. Last year we replaced the original softener with a new model. We’ve also been using a portable softener in the trailer since 2018. I originally bought a 16K grain softener. While it works well, it was very heavy. A couple of years ago I got a 3.2K grain softener, much small and lighter, fits in the basement and will last about a month before needing a recharge. They make a 8K grain that is probably the best solution. All on Amazon. I kept the 16K grain and use it for car/truck/trailer washing. They both recharge easily with plain table salt. Mike

PLUG had worked loose due to zip tie slipping off the plug. It had not been pulled tight. I have a 2022 Elite II. The plug is located under the wooden service panel on the bottom drawer. It is not located behind the drawers but under the drawers!

That’s an unfortunate add on. When I bought my Ram 2500 dealers here were taking that much, or more, off MSRP. You might want to look out of state. There are a number of dealers that specialize in long distance purchases with fair pricing. Mike

The questionnaire alsos implies that Austin will be an installation center.

Carmax can be a good option. I bought one car from them, a 2006 MINI Cooper S that was four years old. Low mileage and fair price. The day I picked it up I went straight to the BMW/MINI dealer and paid $120 for a complete bumper to bumper inspection resulting in a page of issues, mostly worn out seals and gaskets and a few other things. The next day I drove it back to Carmax and showed them the inspection results. They honored their 30 day warranty and fixed everything, about $2,300 of repairs. Unless you buy something that is only a year or two old or has very few miles I would recommend a good inspection and a possible return visit to Carmax. Mike

The ones in the showrooms have them and they are super quiet. I think they will freeze you out if that is what you were after. For all those considering, the Truma (US Version) does not have a heat pump. I am not sure what the Dometic Penguin has but I really enjoyed having the heat pump in our Dometics in the Airstream for those evenings where it wasn’t cold enough for the furnace. That being said, I am getting the Truma. Brian

Fly up, drive home….. screw those rapacious markup dealers! John Davies Spokane WA

Do you have a picture of this new location? So it is NOT directly below the water lines? If so that is very good news. I am sorry the plug slipped out, what tire pressure are you running? Too high makes all sorts of odd things happen from shaking the hull violently. John Davies Spokane WA

That is correct. Payload includes all occupants (people, dogs, spirits, aliens, etc), any additions to the vehicle since it was manufactured (camper top, bed slide, Andersen hitch, helper springs, all camping gear, cell phone chargers, GPS, boxes of Kleenex, snacks, luggage, etc). If it was not in or on the vehicle when it was sitting on the car lot it is considered cargo. However, payload does not include the weight of any of the fluids that are necessary for the operation of the vehicle (fuel, oil, antifreeze solution, transmission fluid, etc)

"Occupants" sure seems like it must include a driver as well as passengers. I stand corrected. So, the weight of all occupants must be added to cargo weight, and tongue weight, when calculating whether payload capacity has been exceeded. Good to know.

We just just spent a week at Bear Den CG just North of Spruce Pine, NC. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ with Hull# 634 which performed flawlessly. It was a well needed vacation post our blueberry harvest. We took time and spent a lot of time learning our Ollies systems- Love Love the Truma, long instant hot showers a win.I think it took like 6-8 seconds for us to have constant hot water at the kitchen sink and sink/shower. Microwave convection oven a must have for us. We were easily able to quickly cook/heat meals during a heavy storm one evening. Full hook ups allowed us to use our black and gray tanks seamlessly. The generator tray was extremely useful for a number of tasks. (We did not take our Honda generator this trip). Our AC kept us cool and cycled as it should. We did run the Dometic furnace on a cool 60 degree morning and it performed great. All in all a great safe week! A few photos....of our great State of North Carolina! 😊🇺🇸 Our Tundra CrewMax and it’s reliability delivered and performed outstanding. Check out Bear Den if your ever traveling the gorgeous elevations of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Happy Camping! Patriot

OK folks, I have heard many people asking when/if they can upgrade their current air conditioner with a Truma Aventa Eco and, until now, it hasn't been possible. I am just passing this along. I have no idea IF an Oliver is eligible but from what I can see, it seems like Truma is willing to install at one of their service centers. This is not an endorsement, just passing it along. Brian

I installed a Rheem Preferred Platinum 42,000 Grain Water Softener with Wi-Fi Technology last spring, and after a few months the spots and scale in the house plumbing are gone. The shower and inside of the dishwasher looks terrific. I had not thought about filling the Ollie tank, but decided to give it a try. Obviously I can’t do this on extended road trips, but for short ones and during the off season this makes great sense. I drained the hot water heater (ran about 6 gallons into a bucket using the outside shower) and flushed all the inside lines with soft water. I hope that keeping them treated for months at a time will be enough to clean out the existing scale so I don’t have to do a regular vinegar flush. https://rayneofsantamaria.com/blog/how-do-water-softeners-affect-mineral-deposits/ BTW I also teed it into my garden hose bibb that I use to wash cars, I can flip a couple of ball valves and finish the wash with soft water. It greatly reduces water spots and the cars look better too. Comments? How common are water softeners in small trailers? John Davies Spokane WA

Update: the part was installed today and was the correct part

See you in Ft Davis!

Are there any factory equipped Truma Olivers out there yet? Would like to hear how it performs. The Houghton gets good reviews. Mike

I like our Weigh Safe hitch. I do glance at the scale occasionally but it's the rest of the hitch I really like: the aluminum construction, the locking pin system, the interchangable balls. Just really nice design and quality. Did I pay too much? Probably, but in this case I don't mind.

It also includes any dealer installed options. They're supposed to update the plate on your vehicle to reflect the added weight but this doesn't always happen.

https://www.kbb.com/car-advice/payload-guide/

The driver is not included in payload capacity either.

That's the SAE definition.

That photo actually made my mouth water!😋Looks delicious!

We did similar at a TearJerkers event last month, except Deb concocted her own teriyaki-ish sauce. Mmmmm!

This is what we use also, works great!👍🏼

As noted by Frank C, no, you can't add payload and towing capacity. I like to think of towing and payload capacity the way car manufacturers do. Rated towing capacity presumes there is nothing in the tow vehicle except a 150 lb. driver. This enables car companies to advertise the highest possible numbers. In the real world, few folks tow a trailer with nothing but a 150 lb. driver. Payload capacity makes the same assumption: a 150 lb. driver, nothing else. No passengers, no cargo. And, when towing, the tongue weight (usually about 10% of a properly-loaded trailer) must be included in payload calculations. So for me, the critical limitation is payload, not towing capacity. Given that about 10% of the weight in a properly-loaded trailer is tongue weight, if your goal is to stay within your tow vehicle's limited payload capacity, you are better off putting more of your gear weight in the trailer, so long as you don't exceed the tongue weight capacity of your tow vehicle. That way, only 10% of it "counts" against your payload capacity. For example, if your actual tow vehicle payload capacity is 1200 lbs. and your properly-loaded trailer weighs 4500 lbs. (so tongue weight is 450 lbs.), you have 750 lbs. of remaining safe payload capacity. With your 115-lb. wife, you are down to 635 lbs. If you weigh more than 150 lbs., you must also deduct the difference between your actual, fully-clothed weight and 150 lbs. from your payload number. If you use an Andersen weight distribution hitch (and you should with a Highlander towing a Legacy Elite), subtract another 60 lbs. The residual determines the weight of additional gear you can safely carry in the tow vehicle. I, too, will be surprised if your Highlander actually has 1600 lbs. of payload capacity. I expect it may be closer to 1200 lbs., like my hypothetical above. I second the recommendation above that you post a photo of the sticker on the driver's side of your Highlander. Only with that information can a sensible calculation be done.

Just as a completely different recommendation, we have for 8 years now used an Air-Dryer 500 when our trailer (cough, Airstream, not an Oliver 🙂 ) is parked in our pole barn in Central Florida. Intended for boats, it's basically a small space heater w/no moving parts. We crack both Fantastic Fans, and this little unit keeps the interior air "dry" enough with heating and air turnover to prevent musty odors and mildew. It does of course require 120v power. For 8 or so years before that we used a large compressor unit in our motorhome, and it did a good job as well. Never did get around to plumbing it, just emptied the tank every 10 days or so. Hope this helps.

No, towing capacity and payload capacity do not add together. Think of it this way, PAYLOAD weight is the downward vertical load (towards the ground) on the tow vehicle, acting downward on the tow vehicle suspension. TOWING weight is the horizontal load being pulled that puts stress on the engine, transmission & brakes to go and stop. You could exceed the payload limit (and break the suspension on the tow vehicle) without even driving forward. And the tongue weight of the trailer (tongue weight is the downward weight that the trailer applies to the hitch, usually about 10% of the total trailer weight) must be included in your payload number total. And your vehicle has a tongue weight limit number as well somewhere in the vehicle manual/specs. Adding a basket and generator to the front of the trailer as you mentioned will increase the tongue weight as well as the total trailer weight going up.

Hi, i want to thank everyone for yours good advices. I really appreciate it. MERCI A VOUS TOUS!

Many thanks to John Davies for including instructions on drawer removal, and removal of the access panel behind the drawers. The Oliver video linked below includes instructions on removal of the access panel, and shows where the fridge plugs into the receptacle behind that access panel. Legacy Elite II Drawer Removal & Components Hope this helps.

Upper Horse Creek, Dubois, WY.

Removing the drwaers is easy if you do not over-think it 😬 It is easier if they are empty of any heavy objects. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/6734-how-to-drawers-remove-and-reinstall-your-galley-and-end-table-drawers-fix-loose-or-stripped-screws-and-glue-the-bottoms-for-extra-strength/ The fridge power cord is at the bottom front area of the access opening between the outer hull and the back of the cabinet (after you remove its four screws). Mine looked like,this: Good luck. John Davies Spokane WA

Yes, remove the drawers under the galley sink. I believe the refrigerator is plugged into its own duplex receptacle in the area under the sink. The solution might be as simple as plugging the cord back into the receptacle, then replacing the drawers. That fridge receptacle is not on the same circuit as the rest of the 120V receptacles; the rest are GFCI protected, while the fridge receptacle is not. So, it is also possible that the circuit breaker for just the fridge receptacle circuit has tripped. If the fridge plug is not the issue, then I recommend you check the 120V circuit breaker panel under the front dinette seat to see if there is a tripped breaker in that circuit. Good luck!

Finally - for those trout fishermen out there - a 17 inch fat brown trout.

Another accessory we really love is our VENTY fan. I did a video about it. It’s so versatile!

For those less industrious, "GO-STIK" products makes a single (4') aluminum towel bar that attaches with suction cups. Major difference is that the GO-STIK only has a single bar vice triple. The GO-STIK product is obviously more expensive. I have the GO-STIK myself and it suits my needs but I do like the OPs design. Another note: Make sure you avoid putting the suction cups on any graphics.

Or, You could just post the weight carrying capacity.

Thanks for a great towing report. You have truly set the bar high for this type of feedback. I agree with John Davies on travelling speed. IMO.. the biggest not talked about problem with Oliver trailers it how easy they tow and how that can lead us to travel at higher speeds than we might with a less forgiving trailer. We tow our LE2 with a 2016 F150. I use cruise control a LOT on the highway because it keeps me at or under 65 mph. Under manual speed control you often look at the speedo and see that you're going over 70 and didn't even know it. I always check my tires and do a complete walk around at rest stops, but you never know. And, there is no shortage of idiots out there who for some reason love to cut in front of folks pulling trailers. Best of Luck to you with your new rig and welcome to the family. Hope to see you on the road someday. Scotty

If taking the pressure off the suspension does not solve the issue and you decide to replace a zerk it is a fairly simple process. Take the old zerk out with a wrench, wipe it off, drive down to the local NAPA store (or other auto parts store if you don't have a NAPA, and purchase three or four. Now would also be a good time to decide if you want to buy "straight" zerks or ones that are at a 45 or 90 degree angle or a combination such that they will be easier to get to the next time you have to add/replace grease. Also, if you determine that dirt clogged the original zerk you might want to consider getting "caps" like THESE to help protect the zerk. Bill

Each bolt has a single hole in it, drilled at 90 degrees to the center hole, to allow the grease to flow outwards. Sometimes the weight of the trailer bearing down blocks one or three…. The first thing to try is to raise the hull to relax the suspension. Often that does the trick, if not, you could have a blocked zerk fitting, which can be replaced, or worst case, Dexter forgot to drill the holes properly. In that case, you need a new bolt and nut. The nuts are in theory one time use and should be changed. John Davies Spokane WA

We just spent a 4 nights at Willow Tree Campground in Longs SC. We really prefer the beach in the cool of the fall season as the heat and sand gnats are not as bad. This is one of the nicest privately owned CG’s we have ever visited. Nice and very modern clean bath houses, a lot of paved bicycle trails one of which surrounds a fairly large lake. Swimming, fishing, and kayaking is allowed and lots of places to get out and walk. The sites are really large and spacious with nice and level concrete pads. It’s located about 20 minutes from Myrtle Beach and we enjoyed some really amazing seafood. We had a really great meal at the Sea Captains house on the grand strand. Happy Fall Camping! Somewhere over the rainbow.. Large sites- We had a decent lake view - We really had a great time cycling. My bride and our rides! 🚴‍♂️

I must say Oliver (Jason and the Service Team) has been great and have asked if I would want to repair on my own or take it to a shop. I have chosen to do the repairs myself as the overall issues have been mechanically easy to fix, once the parts arrive, and having my trailer sit at a shop that is backed-up is not ideal. It would have taken me longer to drive to a potential shop than it took me to replace the window frame and doing it myself ensures it meets my expectations while educating myself on the inner workings of the trailer. The door window frame problem took a little longer to resolve due to the shortage of parts from the manufacturer (Lippert). The suspension bushings and u-bolts won't be a problem for me to just take care of myself as well as it is the same type of deal as the window frame. The squeaky shower floor is a lot more involved and I would rather wait until we take the trailer back to Oliver as they have the tools/knowledge to fix quickly and correctly. Overall, we have been very happy with the Oliver Trailer and the Service Team's response to our questions/fixes. My objective was not to give people the impression that Oliver trailers are not the best trailer out there but rather to share some of the things we have learned since picking up the trailer as it might help someone catch it earlier than we did and get it resolved before leaving the factory. We consider it much like the process when purchasing/building a new house and developing a punch-list of items to have fixed or addressed before moving in. Yes, I agree that Oliver should have caught some of these but we know that nobody is perfect and sometimes things get missed.

I completely agree with Overland's assessment... This post was really helpful QuestionMark but also quite disconcerting. Many of us live quite far from TN and, personally, I would have zero interest in traveling (back) there to have my trailer fixed especially after only a few short months of ownership. Great that they're sending parts but unfortunate that they're expecting you to install them yourself. As RB mentioned, we pay a premium for these trailers. Some of these issues impact being able to tow an Oliver safely - they are not just concerns around premature wear and tear. I really hope they get their production quality and QC back on track.

Oliver will likely churn out more trailers next year than any year prior. When a trailer costs this much, word of mouth and reputation is everything and it cuts both ways! I have no doubt that Oliver will fully resolve all of the issues outlined. The process to prevent issues from happening in the future requires far more work unfortunately.

I'm really sorry to read your list of troubles. Most items should have been sorted out before or at delivery . The single axle should not make noises. Ours doesn't, even after 100,000 miles. I'm sure Jason and his crew will get it all sorted out, but it's disheartening, I'm sure.

You need to have your shackle bolts fixed, what you have described is not right or normal. All my wet bolts accept grease properly and all have bright cad plated bushings, so the grease squirts out to where it needs to go, between the moving springs and the shackles. Without a bushing the hole is open to the sky, as you discovered. Plus you cannot achieve correct bolt torque with no bushings, the nut threads will bottom out (damaging the nuts and the bolts) and the shackles can pinch the springs. As shown here, the bushings for the equalizers are pressed into those parts. You need to open a service ticket and have all your hardware inspected and replaced if necessary. At the very least all the nuts have to be replaced. If the shackles or springs are worn from contact, they also should be replaced. Oliver should pay for it. You can get a mobile RV tech to do it if possible, rather than leaving it at some idiot dealer. This is not something you should let slide at all, it needs to be correct. Ollies do NOT squeak and groan, it is a warning sign, a cry for help. The axle ubolts can and will bang hard against the frame, but the other parts, if greased properly, should be dead silent. OTH old style Andersen hitches can sound like the Spawn of Satan if the friction cone gets wet/ contaminated. Please keep us posted. John Davies Spokane WA

Yes, Neither side was designed with a hanger that has an integrated bushing. Dexter sells rear hangers with and without bushings. Not sure why Oliver went with the one without the bushing. Biggest concern is that the bolt and/or the bracket will experience some significant wear in the near future. I will be keeping an eye on how much wear occurs over the next few thousand miles. In the meantime I am in the process of purchasing some spare bolts to have just in case the bolt fails out on the road.

Bummer! Glad that you have the attitude to take these issues in stride. Jason is a fairly busy employee - if he doesn't get back to you within 48 hours or so then I'd contact him again. Hopefully you now have things fairly well sorted out and smooth sailing is in the future. Bill

Thanks for the post. IMO, that's a worrying number of initial quality problems.

Very pretty! I'm really missing North Carolina views right now. Thanks for sharing. Glad you had a fun trip. Sherry