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I took my Oliver to a local RV dealer to have some issues addressed after a Jan/Feb '17 trip to Big Bend, etc. Jason was coordinating the repairs--nothing serious. The service manager left a message on my cell phone. He called all owners who had campers in storage or sitting outside for service because of a major hail storm and resulting damage. He explained that he hadn't inspected my Ollie but suggested I come out and inspect it, submit an insurance claim, etc. I called and learned that the hail had been large--some approaching golf ball size. Drove out, inspected, and saw no damage. I brought the Ollie home a few days later and washed it, winterized it and prepared it to go back into my indoor storage facility. There was absolutely no evidence that a piece of hail had hit the Ollie! Not only is the fiberglass thick and strong, the solar panels appear to be as well. After washing, they looked like they did when the camper left the factory last March.

TaDaaaaaaaaa! Way to go, Matt!! Looking forward to the new forum platform with real moderator tools in case the forum ever gets bitten in the future. Good job . . .

StoicJim, I'm all about loving my Taco and understand your desire to stay in one. These things are bullet proof. My '08 Taco with the V6 - 4.0L engine is almost broken in, at 218,000 miles. 99,000 of those miles were towing my '08 Elite Ollie and it still runs like a Swiss watch. It's 6500lb towing capacity is very capable to my 3900 lb Elite. I'm only towing at 60% of the truck's capacity. Although the new Tacoma has more torque and HP than the older ones, I wonder how the smaller 3.5L engine will tolerate heavier towing when it gets into the higher mileage ranges. Also, it is good to have a nice healthy safety margin going both ways on hills of significant grade. I'm not too sure I'd want my Taco to go over Lolo Pass and down the long steep approach into Dent Acres campground in Idaho with an Elite II fully packed for camping behind me. If you do go with a new Tacoma, I strongly advise adding a Roadmaster Active Suspension Assist to the rear springs.

Just to give everyone the heads up... We finally hired me some help and we are in the process of building a new forum that works faster and better. We are migrating posts, attachments, etc. now and should launch it first of next week. It will use the same logins everyone has now. It will not be much different, but will be faster and have all the tools need for moderators to ban/delete users and posts.

The frosted glass in the bathroom window doesn't do a lot of good when the window is open. In thinking about that over the winter and seeing what I had laying around the workshop, I came up with an inexpensive easy curtain rod. Using a 3/8 inch wooden dowel rod (cut it to whatever width you wish since the newer Elite II models have a slightly larger window) slide on two 3/8 inch plastic/nylon wire hangers. On each end place a "Closet-Maid" large plastic end cap - these fit very tightly so it helps a bit to first round off the edges of the ends of the wooden dowel. Finally, using "Command strip" decorating clips attach to the wire hangers - this takes a bit of fiddling in that these fit fairly tightly - and stick it to the wall. Of course it helps to put curtain material of your choice on the rod first. Bill

We drove maybe 5 miles from our last store and when we came inside, we walked into this - [attachment file=48331] What happened is that the drawers were not screwed down to the roll outs and only these 4 screws , maybe 4 threads were holding the cabinets in. [attachment file=48334] So over the last 7 weeks of driving home the little #8 x 1/2" screws vibrated their way out, cracking the wood and those 4 screws in the face were ALL that was holding the drawers in place. The actual slide outs were still in, and never slid out with the drawers as you can see in the first pic. There should also be screws into the wood from the holes in the pics below [attachment file=48337] [attachment file=48340] And this way, the drawers would be screwed in properly and would have never pulled out the screws in the face. This is something that everyone should check. To do so, simply open the drawer and look for the holes above. If there are screws in them then all is good. If not, then they will need to be screwed down. This is a pic of one of the drawers still in place and you can see that it hasn't been screwed down either... So, now, it's off to a cabinet shop to get them fixed. We left a message with Jason, but it was after 6pm in Tennessee, so we will hear from him tomorrow. So take the time to check all of your kitchen drawers and make sure that they have all of the screws needed to keep them held together. Had this been installed like this in a house, there would have probably never been a problem, but in an RV with all of the vibrations from the road, it's just a matter of time and bumps in the road before you will be crossing this hurdle. [attachment file=48343]

StoicJim, bigger is better, no doubt. While I am glad I have the additional capabilities in my Ram 1500, the many miles I towed with the Tacoma were trouble free in all kinds of conditions. It was a fine tow vehicle and great daily driver. I'm sure a new Tacoma would do the job, there are others out there towing the big Ollie with a Tacoma. Mike

StoicJim, I share your newbie to owning a travel trailer status. Last June, when I took delivery of my Ollie, I had never owned a travel trailer nor had I learned to tow a trailer. Three months prior to June, I took delivery of my Ford F150. Prior to that I had never owned or driven a truck. Despite my lack of experience, I knew this journey would be a good fit for me. For what it is worth, I set two over-arching requirements for myself and my journey which I would not compromise. I sought to purchase high quality equipment. My Ollie met the criteria. More importantly, all my decisions on equipment selection and procedures would need to stress safety. Safety for me and the loved ones who would join me on my travels. I quickly found the focus on safety brought great joy to my journey. My decision-making suddenly had a solid foundation and it all made sense to someone like me who lacked experience. Whether it involved a decision regarding a weight distribution hitch, a tire pressure monitoring system, proper torque on lug nuts, using a digital laser infrared IR thermometer, they all met the goal of achieving the highest safety for my RV camping trips. I understand each prospective owner has personal preferences. Those preferences can apply to whether you select an Elite II versus an Elite and which tow vehicle. I would recommend you use safety as your guiding principle and you will tend to make wise decisions. Keep in mind, the decisions you make early in your journey will set the framework for many of your later choices. From my experience, it can be heart-warming when a loved one looks at the final collection of all your decisions and says, “You did good, I feel safe!” Safe journey my friend! Buzzy

(Hmmm, had a whole comment disappear. I'll try again.) My wife and I are currently retired, in our early 60s and living in FL (in a condo, not loving it) for the past 6 years. I'm a newbie at all this and have never owned or operated a TT or RV (but am a quick learner). We hope to eventually move into a single family home sometime in the future but because I think the R/E market is overheated (and over-valued) in many of the potential locations we can agree on, we plan to get a TT and do some scouting (for a few years) by "moving about the country" to get a feel for new places. But I don't see us as full-timers, just maybe 2-3 months out of the year. We also have access to RV parks on military bases. My criteria for a TT is at least two twin beds (I'd prefer a third because we have two adult children, either one of which can potentially join us for a couple of weeks a year in our travels), fridge, shower/toilet, and cooking. I don't want a "second home" behemoth. I'm not too interested in a full-sized truck for reasons already stated. After reading some horror stories about quality issues in the RV industry (and other issues) I'm only interested in making sure whatever I pick has the highest standards of quality. As of now, I'm looking at the Elite II but might step it down to the Elite if it works better with my other criteria.

Please correct me if I have this wrong, last time I checked it’s possible to currently buy 3.5L TRD Tacoma with up to 6800 pound tow capacity. With V6 Tow Package it's 6400 lbs.

Actually ,our trailer sat in at least steely sized hail for over an hour. We went to dinner with friends. On our way home, the roads and banks looke like a snowstorm had just passed. Needless to say, we were very nervous about what we would see when we got back to camp.. We were thrilled to find big chunks of hail next to the trailer, but no damages to the trailer , nor the solar panels, which are our lifeline. Hoping your experience is the same. And, I can't blame you for anxious feelings. I d be the same way. I'm just glad we have the heavier fiberglass trailer mold. It takes a lot of weather, with no damages

FYI Anita told me yesterday that a good deal of the confusion is due to the Sales office moving half a mile from the main production facility and setting up a new computer system. A lot of bogus emails got sent out erroneously and I also received a call from Heather Oliver asking if I could show my Ollie to an interested customer in Coeur d'Alene ID. If I actually owned one, I would have been delighted. Anita also said that it is going to be much harder to just go out onto the production floor and snap "baby pictures". I am a little disappointed since my trailer is more than half way through the build. But I guess I could just collect any old pics from the production line to use for my album. How would anyone tell that it wasn't mine, other than obvious external clues like maybe lack of panels? Anyway, I am eager to experience a new, better, fast running forum. John Davies Spokane WA

Canoe12, The little pup (Buddy) is wonderful. Thank you for asking! I posted pics in the images section of my profile. He is growing like a weed. Buzzy

Hi Matt, Thank you for all your good work. Just one thought. Kelly in the sales office might want to consider an email notice which she would send out to all the owners and prospective owners regarding the great news on the "new and improved" forum platform. Most members who might have dropped out would probably appreciate the heads-up. It sure doesn't hurt. Buzzy

Cool, but I discourage the use of wood here. It will absorb water and discolor, maybe even mildew. How about a section of aluminum or stainless tubing instead, or a fiberglass driveway reflector rod? John Davies Spokane WA

These guys got 8.4 mpg towing 5600 pounds at 70mph and felt that it was working too hard. Admitedly their trailer has more wind resistance than an Ollie. It did not appear to be a relaxing driving experience. http://www.tfltruck.com/2015/12/2016-toyota-tacoma-real-world-mpg-towing-test-video/ John Davies Spokane WA

StoicJim, welcome! I have owned two Tacoma's, a 2009 and 2012. We picked up our Oliver with the 2012 Tacoma. It did an adequate job of towing, we put 4K+ miles on our Tacoma towing our Elite II. Hills in the Ozarks, freeways, and backroads - no real towing issues. I don't tow fast (60-62mph) and am generally pretty cautious. When I went over 100K miles we decided to go with a bigger replacement, our current Ram 1500. Going in, our main reasons for going bigger was to get a bigger fuel tank and a bigger truck bed. With the Tacoma, I was constantly looking to refuel due to the small gas tank. I also didn't want to always be "full to the brim" cargo wise when we traveled. Now that I've got many more miles on the full size Ram, there are other things I appreciate. Besides the big gas tank and larger bed, I like the integrated brake controller and the "tow mode". I also appreciate the additional power and braking capacity. Gas mileage is about the same. You might consider any cargo/supplies you would want to carry when you tow. As Buzzy points out, with some water in the tanks you are pushing the upper weight limit of the Tacoma which can make hills more challenging in both directions. Hope this helps. Mike

Hi StoicJim, First off, welcome to our Forum. The short answer is, maybe. The weight of an Elite II is dependent on the options selected, your camping gear and any contents to your fresh water, gray or black tanks. In my case, I average an Ollie weight of 6,000 pounds each time I go camping. I also like to navigate mountainous terrain in the White Mountains of New Hampshire as well as the Green Mountains of Vermont. I wanted a tow vehicle which could get me to my camp sites and back home with plenty of towing and braking power. For me, it was more a matter of feeling safe on the road. My current tow vehicle meets all my requirements. Buzzy

Overland, For what it is worth, I can share a few of my experiences during the order cycle up to the delivery day. It might be important to remember the sales office and factory are physically separated and may appear at times to be separated in their lines of communication as well. For any prospective owner, obtaining an accurate invoice which lists all your options is an important first step. In my case, Anita did a superb job in that regard. At the time, the invoice was an Excel document with two separate tabs. One tab showed the owner what they agreed to buy and the other tab showed the factory what they would need to build. It would be important to verify both for accuracy. During my purchase cycle, the Excel document “evolved” into three separate parts. The third tab contained a “QA” document for the quality control process once the trailer was built. Keep in mind, the sales staff may not educate the potential owner regarding the Excel tab concept nor regarding their obligation to verify the accuracy of the documents. Please keep in mind, my observations may not reflect current process. However, any build requires a process and it would be to your advantage to determine the process currently in place. One other important observation I would like to share. During my purchase cycle, I felt the sales office was very well versed in both verbal and electronic communication. At the time, I was unable to determine if the lines of communication between the sales office and the factory were as clear. That feeling of uncertainty continued until I arrived on delivery day. I will add the communication did appear to have taken place. As a result, my delivery day was excellent and my trailer was delivered as requested. Buzzy PS - So....will you be buying a 2018 Raptor? What color?

Hello & Welcome :) We started our Fiberglass RV binge out with a Casita also and then started saving up for our Oliver that we just picked up last month. This 4 season trailer really is the best of the best and you guys will be really happy :) It's big enough and comfortable enough to live in full time with room to spare, yet still tows like a dream behind many smaller crossover SUV's :)

Canoe12, We have 3 1/8" clearance between the tailgate & top of Bulldog hitch latch with a 1" rise ball mount on our 2016 Toyota Tundra. Hope this helps,

I've found that no matter how easy the new propane cover latches might be, the porthole is super easy and doesn't require lifting off that big cover to get to the valves. I mounted a quick disconnect propane fitting inside where I can reach it through that porthole too. Then I can run our outside stove without the moving the big cover as the hose comes out of the port. For me, that was the best place for the quick disconnect and did not require running any pipe to another location.

I really like seeing the circuit before I plug the trailer in, so I went with a regular plug in style surge protector. There's a bunch of brands but you can't beat the price on this one - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JGJH8QU/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=DVETVI1ZF5E8&coliid=IEQRWJQ65XFVP but many of the hook ups have doors on them and the ones with a short hog leg allow you to close the door in the rain. This puts the connection outside but it keeps the water from getting into the main circuit - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015G2YYN0/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=DVETVI1ZF5E8&coliid=I93WIN41CDMPD&psc=1 Another thing I really like that they give out on the Casita's are these Multi Clamps- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BUQOAY/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=DVETVI1ZF5E8&coliid=I3O4GK5QN3L5SH they insure that your 7 pin connector stays connected because it clamps the lid to the connector so that there's no way for it to bounce out on the road. I always like carrying a few of these because it's such an easy thing to store and you can instantly use it for lots of things. If you're going to be boondocking a lot, then a couple 12vdc plugs mounted above where your head is going to be makes it easy to plug in tablet's CPAP's, etc... We had them add both ac and dc outlets above both heads of the bed for each of us. Best Wishes and have Fun!! :) Reed