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@Tideline77 Shortly after taking delivery of our 2020 LE2 we had a local shop install 10 mil XPEL PPF (paint protection film) on both front corners of our Oliver. I also had the LP storage area, and a strip run down under the quarter panels. It’s not a matter of if you will get stone chips on your pretty gel coat, from road rash and missiles, but when. With well over 25k on our Oliver I can say it was really worth the install, and has really protected the gel coat especially the front corners. It’s not cheap, but neither is repairing chipped gelcoat and getting it to match. https://www.xpel.com/

Followup... I took the truck and trailer to Hohenwald on 11-12-2024. I left the trailer to have some custom bodywork done. On 11-15-2024, I returned to Hohenwald in the truck to pick up the trailer. On the way up the Natchez Trace, driving no more than 55mph, I averaged 23.5mpg (about 160 miles). After the drive home, towing the trailer, the combined mpg (for both trips) was 19.5mpg.

If you are worried about MPG, get a gasser. Prior to 2005, when diesel cost less than gas, you would pay the 10k upfront on a diesel and recover it on fuel economy overtime. That has not been the case in 20 years. A diesel will cost you more due to fuel cost, filters, additional maintenance cost, etc. The only reason to get a diesel is if you need the towing capacity. That is not the case with an Oliver. I have a 2006 F250 with the 6.0 that I bought new...have about 250k on it... and get 14-15 mpg when towing in flat areas. My next truck is going to be the new GM gasser 3/4 ton with the allison tranny. I would not buy a new diesel for an Oliver.

This has been discussed in other threads but the advantage of the pedestal surge protector is that it's disposable if it takes a hit whereas the onboard unit will need to be repaired. Also, having one on the pedestal means you'll never be without protection. After a surge you'll still have the onboard unit to protect you while you wait for your replacement pedestal unit.

Great addition, John. Now, grab a can of Krylon semi-gloss black spray paint and give that hitch a shot. All will look new again. Bill

Less is more, IMO. Go on a couple short local trips. Make notes of things you wish you had. Things you have you and didn’t use remove when you get home. Bothers me to buy gadgets that don’t get used. Recent trip to Texas, realized we needed a fly-swatter (not necessary in AZ). Stopped by Walmart and spent $1.49 plus tax. All you need to get started are your basic bathroom and kitchen needs. Also with merely a half ton truck and rather small engine, weight really matters, unless you’re not ever traveling in the mountains! 🤣 I would keep your Oliver under 6400 lbs. We do so and we have a 3/4 ton TV. Understand your truck GVWR and stay well under. Again, less is more!

Spent the day in Apache Junction with friends. The friends included the man who hired me at Motorola in 1989! Got back to camp and noticed another Oliver! Spent the evening with Gary (Hull #1200) from Colorado. A great ending of our weekend trip. Back home to Prescott tomorrow. Thinking of a short stop in Scottsdale for pickleball and lunch.

2020 F250 w/ 6.7 diesel. Towed around 60K miles so far and averaging just shy of 16 mpg while towing all around the US and Canada (Alaska, Maine, PEI, etc.... Another benefit is you get a much larger tank on the diesel (over 400 miles between fill-ups) and can utilize the fuel discount program "Open Roads" to save on every gallon of diesel. In addition you get to use the much nicer and larger commercial truck lanes when filling up. Only complaint my wife has had is that the fill rate on these commercial lanes is much faster and she hardly has time to utilize the facilities (bathroom) before I am ready to go 😀.

@Tideline77 btw congrats on your lightly-used 2022. June of 2023, we found a 2016 obviously a bit more used. Of course, you'll need a small Weber or other brand grill. We love our LP fire ring. I never want to start a real fire anymore and you rarely can in the SW. We add a cooking grate on our fire ring to cook bake potatoes or veggies, anything but animal fats. Why not keep yourself warm while cooking! We keep ours in the front generator basket: Heininger Portable Propane Gas Fire Pit 5995 - The Home Depot You must remove the regulators on LP devices to run off the Oliver tanks. I purchased an extra 12' LP line and a Y-connector to attach both grill and fire ring. Strongly suggest these Anderson products. I use two 8" rounds for the rear levelers but use the stackable 1" blocks for the front since to level sometimes I need 3" and sometimes up to 15". And the dual wheel ramps will nicely add 4" to the low side in a minute! Andersen Hitches Trailer Jack Block (3608) with Magnets, Red, 1 per Pack, Plastic - Walmart.com Andersen Hitches Camper Leveler (3604) | up to 30,000 lbs | Red | 1 per Pack - Walmart.com MUST HAVE ITEM! I get level most times without leaving the driver's seat. Chris places the Anderson levelers while I'm backing up, reading heights from the app: Amazon.com: LevelMatePRO LogicBlue Technology - Wireless RV Leveling System, Bluetooth Leveler for Campers, Must-have Accessory for Travel Trailers, Effortless Setup for Phones with App : Automotive There also is a similar product made by Beech Lane of North Carolina, though I prefer the LevelMate App.

Thanks Robert & Ying! I have seen that video before. Like that guy. You can learn a lot about engines and engine care by watching his videos. He is soooo good at tear down which I have done on some old cars, but much more slowly! Yes, we have the 2nd Gen Cummins 5.9, only 165K miles now which is only a baby for the Cummins (especially one that is 24 years old). We have extra available GVWR since ours is a 2WD which weighs less and a long bed which takes more weight. My numbers show a 1/2 ton truck is adequate if careful with your extras. It appears you are well versed in GVWR and trailer capacity. Re the comment above on extra pedestal mount EMS... When you find the previous thread, you'll see I'm against that, yet most Oliver Owners are in favor. The onboard PI EMS is all you need. Ours and the older hulls did not have one, so I installed the OEM model. I put the display in the Oliver trunk where I keep the shore power cord. If present, I can read an error code immediately and disconnect if needed. It will not get damaged but just do its job and send an error code (rare occasion). If you use a redundant EMS, you're just wasting money spent on the internal EMS. It's not just the few pounds of weight for me, it's the hassle of extra electric devices, water filters, antennas, and so much more that others carry. One of the fun parts of campsites (prefer boondocking) is watching all the rigmarole that RV'ers go through in their campsite setup! 🤣

I've got a 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4 with a 3.0 diesel. Since starting with the Ollie E2 (15k miles so far on the trailer) I've averaged 15.8 mpg.

thanks the local farm supply has a scale for weighing fertilizer trucks and cattle hauling trucks,other Ag commodities my background is in perishable food distribution so I am knowledgeable about truck scales,axle weight,etc

If you have the 5.9 Cummins …….that one will run forever this is an interesting video of a tear down

Last summer after our first Oliver camp, when we returned I drove our rig to the Prescott “Solid Waste Division.” No Cat Scales anywhere near our mountain county, 50 miles from any Interstate. I go there often to recycle engine oil and antifreeze. Just told the attendant the same, took a pic of the weight readout each time. Full rig was 13,220 lbs. When we got home, I told Chris, we’ll unload tomorrow. Went back the next day, tow vehicle only. Chris and our dog Charley was not with me next day so adding their approx weight and water used in the Oliver, the TV loaded came to 7,220 lbs. Net weight was only 6,000 lbs for the Oliver, fresh tank full. I was so happy. We’ve added another 400+/- lbs to the Oliver yet still very good on GTWR. Our TV GVWR is 8,800 Lbs which gives us 1,580 available lbs. We’ve added some there too but still have 600 lbs available in the Oliver and 1200 in the TV. We also have 35-gal fresh tank full in the TV! Everything runs nicely, tows up steep mountain roads with OD off smoothly at 55-60 MPH, happy with that. It’s an older diesel. We had a Class-C and we were always fighting the 14,000 GVWR.

If you just want to get a weight on your Tow Vehicle you can go to your local dump and use their scales for free. Cat will give you front and rear axle and trailer.... very useful. I'm pretty sure they charge about $15 for a weight and $5 for a re-weigh on the same day. So, yes.. very useful to have. They have an app for your phone too. Scotty

A little off topic but are you familiar with CAT scales? They only charge per visit so no upfront layout. A useful tool especially if you have some nearby where you can get weights for multiple configurations.

When doing a modification to install an outdoor valve control switch (Electric valve control… with a twist,) I realized that an outdoor pump switch would also be nice when doing valve operations. Not only that, but the pump switch is handy for the outside shower too! To understand this modification, it helps to know about 3-way and 4-way switches. The two existing pump switches are common “3-way” switches like you would find in a hallway to turn the light on from either end. To add a third switch to the circuit, then you need a “4-way” switch, but they are less common and not readily available in RV style switches. Fortunately though, the more common Double Pole Double Throw (DPDT) - On/On switch can be modified to make a 4-way switch just by adding two jumpers. This modification requires removal of the cubby/shelve under the bathroom vanity, and it’s a good opportunity to do the “Bathroom Vanity Cubby Modification“ by Frank C, it makes access to this area a whole lot easier. With the cubby removed, locate and cut the two grey wires going to the bathroom pump switch, these are the “travelers” that go to the main pump switch. Splice four new wires to the cut grey wires and route them under the dinette to the new switch. I used a rubber booted DPDT switch and mounted it in the outdoor storage area on the front facing wall. It snap-fits into a 3/4” hole. The new wires were protected by split sheathing. I also added an optional LED indication light for the new 4-Way switch, which is powered from the pump’s +12v whenever the pump is energized. Amazon LEDs are ridiculously inexpensive and easily mounted in a 3/16” hole. I hope someone finds this useful. Cheers! Geoff Shopping list: DPDT On/On switch No KDH3BNA1BBB (From Digi-Key company) 3/8” split wire sheath Optional 12 Volt 5mm LED Light with LED bezel Holder

Awesome! I prefer the black color over the red. Looking great John! 🤩👍🏻🇺🇸

1/2", 12,000 lb Hammer Locks installed. Great addition. Thanks Patriot.

Might something like THIS work for keeping that door closed? Bill p.s. "invention is the mother of necessity" and I really like your work.

This is most likely a good part of your problem. Raise the front of your trailer a few degrees. This makes the water in the gray tank run toward the rear of the trailer and the air bubble in the tank to move forward toward the front of the trailer. This is where your gray tank vent pipe is attached and it will facilitate easier entry of the water plus exit of the air.

We have a round rug that fits in the square bathroom floor. It stays there until shower time and then, like others do, it becomes a bath mat during showers for when you step out of the bathroom. We’ve never seen the need for the fancy teak floor coverings. They do look cool but seem like a bit of extra work. Mike

I second this suggestion. I installed the Truck System Technologies TST 507 TPMS on our Ollie and our previous TT. Wouldn’t consider towing a trailer without this important safety equipment. Now on clearance for $149 at TechnoRV!

I think you can probably eliminate the pedestal surge protector, you should already have a hard-wired EMS (Electrical Management System) in your Ollie. Since your TV is a half ton PU, my advice is to carefully consider what you plan to put in the bed because it’s pretty easy to exceed your max payload capacity. I feel your pain on that hitch lock!

We love Lost Dutchman. Took this last winter. Paula

I love diesels but I do not love what the EPA is doing to them. I have a 2014 Cummins that gets about 25 on the highway, 18 in the city and about 13 towing. This includes stopping, idling and everything in between. Mine is not EPA compliant, however. Personally, if I needed a new TV, I would buy a Ram 2500 with the Hemi. It gets decent fuel mileage and doesn't suffer the ill effects of emission equipment.

Tali and I currently tow with a Silverado 3500 HD. We did tow with a Silverado 2500 HD and before that, a Sierra 1500 SLT 6.2L gasser. Both the Silverado's have be diesel. We found the 2500 HD to have a minimal payload of just over 2000 pounds. As many of you have pointed out, we carry a lot of gear, too much according to some (I have a list.) The poor Sierra was seriously overloaded, probably by about a ton (literally). It's no wonder it got a dismal fuel mileage of around 10.5mpg. Moving up to the 2500 HD was great for fuel mileage coming in around 13.5-14 mpg right out of the gate. Unfortunately, I discovered that I was still 7-8 hundred pounds overloaded so we moved up to the 3500 HD. The engine and transmission in both the Silverado's are the same. I was pleasantly surprised to get exactly the same fuel mileage from the 3500 HD. With the exception of driving the 3500 HD around town, it is always a tow vehicle. We've had it nearly three years and it doesn't even have 30K miles on it. Our trips are always at least 4500 miles so the mileage we've racked up are virtually all highway towing miles. We have only ever made a single one-way trip to Huntsville not towing the Oliver. We went there to pick up another trailer to tow back to Tupelo. I can say that in the 2500 HD we made a few non towing trips in. It got 22 mpg on the open highway. Mileage around town seems to be the same as towing mileage.

And that huge mat might push the Beast a little closer to its max payload.😃 Mossey

Installed 3M film of the front corners yesterday. Couldnt get in to a shop to have the whole lower front wrapped before leaving for a trip so this will have to do for now. ordered a 12”x72” roll of 3M film from Amazon and decided the area directly behind the truck tires was the most important to protect. Cut the sheet in half and installed as shown (if you look close you can see the inner edge), vertically from the belly seam down. I’ll report back on how well it works on this trip. Depending on the results it may as it is or Ill order a sheet large enough to do the entire front, lower half. Total cost was $25 plus about an hour of my time.