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Check the owners manual for Ford Transits. I believe they state that they are incompatible with wdh hitches. Probably due to uni-body contruction.

Hi All, This will be our 2nd Oliver Rally. Our previous one was September, 2016. We missed the May, 2017 rally. We will be in site D4. Looking forward to the rally! Happy Travels, Dean

Another Mercedes :) Nice choice, the GL's are really hard to beat for comfortable driving. You're going to need this to make the brakes and lights work correctly - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FZTWVE4/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I3M1UBD7YV0VPN&colid=DVETVI1ZF5E8 Then if you bought the 4matic version, you're going to want to fully understand how to engage all 4 wheels for off-road. If it's an older model from 2012 or before then there's a simple button on the dash with a car and skid marks that you push. When the yellow light is on, on the dash, then you're ready to go off-road :) Reed

Debbie, As you know from my comments on your blog, we only ordered our Ollie, "Amazing Grace", a couple of weeks ago so we haven't towed yet but when I was researching vehicles (number 2 of travel trailer decisions), we were looking at used Toyota land crusiers and Mercedes GL450. These have lots of room, are very dependable and good for high mileage. We have had pick-ups which didn't make our list at all because for a female, if you aren't at least 5'10" (maybe more), you can't reach anything in it without a ladder so definitely not convenient. As fate would have it, our first day out browsing dealerships (I'd already checked out cargurus and autotrader to check out vehicles and get values), we happened upon a white (nice match) GL450 with no tags or for sale signs but decided to ask about it anyway. Well, a doctor had just traded it that day at this Toyota dealership for a car for his daughter. It had the tow package, looked like a new one, rode like a new one and when the price was right, we were sold. Now some would discourage one from purchasing a Mercedes because of maintenance/service costs (an oil change is like $200 at a dealership) but there are many import shops around to deal with rather than dealers, we have a good one. Bottom line...everything has pros and cons but you know that after all your research into this endeavor. The most important issue, I think, is being comfortable with the "handling" of whatever vehicle you choose and get it sooner than later so you aren't having to get use to towing a trailer at the same time as learning the feel of the tow vehicle. Well, that's all I got on the issue.....BTW, surprised you aren't picking up earlier than October as it looked practically finished 2 weeks ago.

Check out two blogs for full timing Airstreamers towing with vans. Less junk more journey The More We Explore

There are a number of aftermarket 4wd conversions, Sportsmobile, for more radical trucks, and Quigley, more mainstream, are the big names. The OP could order a new van with added 4wd or get theirs done later. http://www.quigley4x4.com The Sprinter is now available with a VERY good factory system with low range and added ride height, but that truck is marginal for the bigger Oliver. Any if the full sized vans will tow well with a proper engine selection, but I agree that 4wd is highly desirable! A big downside is that repairing the engine is lots harder, since access to the back is through the cab. Most mechanics hate working on them and you will pay extra labor cost. That may be acceptable to you, to get the huge cargo volume they offer. Any of the 2500 or 3500 vans (and most trucks) will ride uncomfortably when lightly loaded. A half ton pickup makes more sense in this regard, you can get a long bed and install a canopy, to maximize cargo space. OTH the latest Ram 2500 with rear coil springs rides very nicely. You won't find any HD van with that design. John Davies Spokane WA

I've been towing with my old and trusty Ford E-250, a remnant of my old life in construction. It tows very well, although the 5.4 liter Triton struggles in the mountains. As much as I love it, my van has inconveniences as a TV for my use and has me wanting a pickup truck instead. First, it is only 2 wheel drive. Depending on what kind of roads you travel, having 4 wheel drive can be of great help. Second, it has only 2 seats (cargo van). This is really a pain when traveling with friends. The seating arrangement you could alter with your list of vans, but I don't think any are available in 4 wheel drive. If you find yourself on pavement all the time, then that may not be an issue either. Vans are great for storage and are very versatile, but you'll have to decide what kind of camping/driving you'll be in to and go from there. Good luck! Dave

Dave, I want my brakes to be able to lock, even if I keep them set below that point. In the beginning, they would not lock at the max setting of "10". For a while I wanted the larger 5200 lb axles because of the larger brakes that come with them. Mine have gotten gradually more aggressive as the miles add up. I first ran at a setting of "10", then "7" for a while. Now, after about 4,000 miles, they are set at "5.5". I like them to be a bit more aggressive than the truck brakes so I can feel them come on. And I can at this setting when I touch the brakes. I don't really want the truck stopping the trailer, but want them working together with the trailer pulling back just a bit. This theory also will help if the trailer ever begins to sway. Just touch the brakes and it should straighten right out if it is trying to pull back. And, of course the proper way to deal with that is to apply the trailer brakes manually. Fortunately, Ollie is extremely stable. I test them on every outing to make sure where I stand with them. On my dirt drive I can see if they are all willing to lock up at about the same amount of brake pressure by watching them in the side mirrors. Then a hard stop on pavement without quite skidding is what I'm looking for, while being strong enough to really help on a downgrade or an emergency stop. On our last trip I began noticing they were skidding sometimes as I stopped and that is when I went from "7" to "5.5". This position will skid easily in the dirt, so sometimes I'll back off a bit off road, but not generally. I don't really care if it skids at 5 or 10 MPH going downhill in the dirt. It just takes some load off the truck. The rain or snow is a different story and I wish the trailer brakes were antilock. There is no good compromise in poor traction conditions, so I just reduce the setting to where the trailer won't push me too hard, and yet won't lock up and slide sideways on a curve. That is a tricky balance that will never be right. The trailer could easily jackknife the truck in that situation. I also have engine braking and that gets the majority of the highway descent duty. It too, must be used cautiously as it can generate about 128 Horsepower in braking force at the rear wheels only (in 2WD) and in slippery conditions on a winding road, especially pulling a trailer, can jacknife the truck. This is because the trailer brakes are not on at the time the engine brake is and the trailer is pushing hard. I find it comforting to feel the trailer pulling back and I don't mind those brakes working hard. I don't even mind the additional tire wear from occasional skidding, as I think the tires will time out before they wear out. My truck brakes get a lot more miles overall than the trailer brakes too, so using the trailer brakes aggressively is fine. I have a couple of downgrades where I used to be able to make the brakes fade on another trailer I have with the same brakes Ollie has. With my newer Ram, with engine braking, it never happens, but I sort of have a feel for how much they can take before getting weak. I'm perfectly happy to use Ollie's brakes to their full capacity. Safety is the most important to me and rebuilding trailer brakes is no big deal. I am surprised at how long they took to break-in. Seems like a strange situation where they are constantly changing for 4,000 miles. But overall I'm pleased with them now that they are working like I expected them too.

Hi, We plan to be Oliver owners later this year. My wife of 50 years and I are flyfishermen who travel to fish for trout. We have been to the northern tip of Newfoundland to the southern tip of New Zealand, but never to Alaska. Next Spring we will go first to northern PA and then off to Alaska. We hope to have exchanges with other Oliver owners about our trailer, alaska, fly fishing ,etc. Bruce and Lois