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We have towed Ollie (LE2) with 5 different tow vehicles. Found a new 2024 F-350 6.8L (gas) on the lot last summer (2025) and got a super deal on it, lower price compared to many 1/2 ton pickups with an old school normally aspirated gas engine. No weight distribution hitch to worry about and no worry about running out of payload capacity when loading for trips with Ollie connected. Olivers are known for how stable they are when towing, but with the longer wheel base of our Heavy Duty pickup our rig is extremely stable. I used to modify 1/2 ton pickups rear suspension to get rid of rear end sag with either airbags or Timbren systems, not needed with our current rig. Installed a Diamond back bed cover, but we have enough payload capacity to install a fiberglass shell if we chose one, a little over 4,000lbs payload. Heavy Duty pickup trucks have heavy duty brake systems and heavy duty cooling systems for towing in the mountains, too. Best Regards, Bill

You'll probably get a lot of different opinions on this but here is my current take having used F150's for all the years I have towed an Oliver. I used to jack up the back tires about 5 psi more, then did the front tires also at the same psi. Over time it became obvious the center tread was wearing faster than the outside so I just went back to the what the door label stated. Unless you are really maxing out your load this is what I would recommend too. However this can change depending upon the tires you have installed. For instance if you were to install a set of LT Tires rather than the passenger tires that came on the vehicle PSI goes up substantially and ride quality plummets substantially too as well as fuel economy. I can attest to this having done it on my previous F150, big regret on that one. Stock half ton trucks/SUV's simply do not have the frame nor suspension to properly accommodate a set of LT tires IMHO. Aside from gas mileage you also need to take into account whether or not the full tread is planted equally on the payment not only for handling but also breaking. An over inflated tire might NOT be properly planted on the road. You could also use the chalk method of to determine the correct PSI, but would be willing to be dollars to donuts the result would be just about identical to the door label. Hope this helps

I wouldn’t touch it. Ignore the headlines, RAM doesn’t have the battery production capacity or (as far as I can see) the engineering commitment to this truck. They originally planned on three plants, scaled back to one which is on life support last I checked. “Follow the battery production …” that shows how serious they are. At any rate the REV will probably just get delayed again, if we ever see it. Philosophically @jd1923 nails it. IMO hybrids (of whatever variety) are ‘worst of both best of none’. In addition I’d add that they’re solving a problem that has been solved. You want EV? Buy a Sierra or Silverado EV, I can guarantee you’ll have a wonderful towing experience with no trouble with charging or whatever. You still want ICE? Plenty of choice. There is literally ZERO reason to buy a hybrid at this point. Pick your poison and run with it.

The above posts are all good advice. For us, it's all about payload. We are not minimalist and love to bring our toys such as kayaks, propane grill and don't like using a weight distribution hitch. We tow with an F250 short box ( pay load of about 2000lbs) . We love the truck but run at the top of the trucks capacity. If given a choice today, we would go with an F350 for more payload. We only use our truck for towing because 3/4 ton+ truck are lousy daily drives (stiff and poor turning radius). Everything to love about diesel except the current fuel prices here in crazy California. Might want to consider a gas engine for lower fuel and purchase prices. After towing with 3/4 ton, we would never consider going back to a 1/2 ton truck

Well you could pull the toilet and the base gasket off and use a flexible inspection camera and see if the tank does in fact curve with the hull. Or perhaps fabricate a feeler gauge out of a clothes hanger and follow the front corner of the of the tank top and determine if it is a sharp or round corner. Even if I really had to know, I’d probably wait until I needed repair the toilet flange! Mossey

Mountain driving was a significant reason I decided on my 2500. I knew I wanted spend a lot of time towing in the mountains, and I didn't want to be restricted on the payload, nor to have any doubts about my truck's capabilities. A neighbor of mine used a 1500 for her trailer in Montana and was stranded on the side of the road when it died. My Elite 2 follows me like a dream and I travel without worry. I also travel for months at a time, and I bring things along (toys, tools, food, etc). My two cents.

Seems odd to me to almost have an EV truck, but in addition to an array of batteries and all their weight, to have a v6 engine and fuel tank. Charge your tow vehicle and fill the tank, or use the fuel in your tank to charge your truck? Perhaps it's the best of both worlds? I've been driving 2500 Series diesel trucks for 23 years. @DanielBoondock was first to tow with the Sierra EV. I tow our Oliver with enough electrical upgrades to never need or use a generator when camping. If I was to go EV, it would likely be full-out! 🤠 We had this discussion just 2 weeks ago and this subject comes up every couple of months if you study this "Towing an Oliver" section of your Forum. Once Oliver owners tow with a 2500 Series pickup truck, we won't go back! Just ask @Rivernerd or @rideandfly, will you give up your F350? (recent TV upgrades)

This has been mention before. The ride is stiffer, the ride smooths out as the springs get worked out. I noticed this at first, I got used to it, then after a 1,000 miles of a 8K trip I paid attention to the ride of the trailer and roads we where on, and noticed a nicer smooth ride. The only thing that are still a problem is larger imperfection in the road, cause movement front to back. as the truck hits a large bump/ pot hole and then the trailer hits the bump and you get that front to back movement and feel it in the truck. Heavy washboard dirt roads are still tough. I just no long get the side to side just front to back movement.. The Oli on the original leafs was like a drunk sailer doing the bob and weave, and that was on nice highway. Inside the truck on rough roads it was like the truck became a bucking bronco. I did upgrade my shocks on the truck when I did the upgrade on the Oli. Now I like it, and you almost forget the Oli is behind you.

The BIG question is.... What are you planning on adding to the truck? Cap? That's about 300-350 lbs. Slide? Add another 100 lbs. If you look at the real simple payload math a 1/2 ton with 1500 lbs payload is an OK tow vehicle. Hitch weight = 600.... Man, wife, dog = 400... That's 500 lbs in payload left. Add a hard tonneau (150 lbs) and you have about 350 lbs left over. You can do that. BUT... if you add that CAP... Your payload goes to about 150 lbs in camping gear. You can eat that up real quick. Especially in the mountains... if that is where you live and can swing it dollar and life style wise. 3/4 ton is the way to go. Also you should educate yourself on towing math. Youtube has some good videos on this. And finally RTFM! Get the manual and read the hell out of it for any TV you plan on. Best of Luck to you. Scotty

I agree with Bill. We’ve towed our E2 with two different Ram 1500s. We spend a lot of time in Colorado since our son and family live there. Both 1500s did a respectable job towing, with the typical high revs going up the mountain and lots of braking assisted by the engine going down the other side. Payload was below max but we don’t travel with a lot of stuff. We’ve been towing with a Ram 2500 diesel for the last 6 years and towing is night and day, especially in the mountains. Engine brake going down the mountain means very little braking needed. Payload never a concern. A 1500 will do the job, a bigger truck makes it less tense. Welcome to the group! Mike

Even though this RAM's payload capacity is fairly good compared to the competition, it is one of the main areas that all of the 1/2 ton trucks tend to be on the "light" side. Remember that ANYTHING you add to the truck "counts" against this payload limit - this includes even things like the tongue weight of your Oliver which will be (plus or minus) 600 pounds. In addition, given where you live and the mountain driving that you will do, the brakes and overall drive train on any 1/2 ton will likely be pushed towards the maximums for the truck. Having said this - I own a 2023 Ford F-150 with 3.5 liter twin turbo engine plus Ford's max towing and payload package and I've never had any difficulties with the truck's abilities. But, generally I travel alone and am what one might call a light packer. Bill

UPDATE on Sept 24, 2026: It has now been over 3,000 miles of towing since the wiring work, and NO warning messages....

Been using the two Meguiar’s products @rideandfly highlights on our 2020 OLE ll since new. I installed fall protection on the scaffolding, and use an umbrella as not to apply said products to a heated surface and personal comfort.

Our owners are the most important part of the Oliver Travel Trailers brand. The experiences you have, the places you visit, and the ways you make your Oliver your own show what this community is really about. We’re inviting owners to share photographs, videos, travel stories, helpful ideas, and memorable moments with the Oliver marketing team. This content may help us tell the Oliver story through social media, our website, email, video, and other marketing projects. We are also developing a new Oliver Magazine. As owner content is collected, we will identify stories and photographs that may be a strong fit for the magazine and work directly with those contributors to develop the material for publication. You do not need to be a professional writer, photographer, or videographer. You also do not need to submit a completed article. A contribution can begin with a few photographs, informal notes, a video, or a simple idea. I’ll help review and curate the material so we can find the best way to tell your story. We’re especially interested in: Memorable trips and destinations Why you chose an Oliver Traveling with pets Campsite cooking and outdoor living Interior decorating and organization Boondocking and four-season travel Hiking, kayaking, fishing, cycling, and other hobbies Lessons learned over years and thousands of miles Gear you rely on and what you have learned to leave behind A favorite photograph and the story behind it Everyday moments that capture what Oliver ownership means to you Not every submission will appear in the magazine, but each one helps us better understand and represent the Oliver community. We will work directly with contributors and confirm the intended use before publishing their material. To share your story or idea, email Media@olivertraveltrailers.com. Please include a short description of your submission and the best way to contact you. If your photographs or videos are too large to email, let us know and we can provide an upload folder. Thank you for helping us tell the Oliver story through the people who live it.

About an hour ago 2:15pm EDT I spied an Oliver LE 2 headed south/east on Interstate 26 near the Blue Ridge Parkway bridge. The TV was a black Ford (Super Duty I think) and both the Ollie and TV had Florida plates. Looking good over in the slow lane just tooling along. Bill

Reviving this thread for those who are not interested in the ceramic path for what ever reason. Thanks Trainman! It works! My gelcoat was beginning to chalk and shadows were present where the Oliver logo was removed in the lower rear. Using a 120v makita rotary buffer, a white Presta wool pad and Meguiars One Step polish, the gel coat is again glossy and shadows have been eliminated. Took about 2 hrs to do the entire lower half of the trailer. Will finish buffing the upper half using scaffolding then apply 3M Marine paste wax by hand. While I wax the entire trailer each year, this is the first time the lower half of trailer has had to be buffed since new (upper half was buffed 2years ago for the first time). Trailer lives outdoors 24x7x365.

Looks like they are opening a new state park in Hohenwald, Dry Branch State Park. Not open yet, info at the link below. Mike Dry Branch State Park