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Overland - Nice move. Please tell me that alcohol was involved (that way you probably didn't care as much at the time). Bill

@Tom and Cheryl: I vote with you on the Telesteps ladder. I am 250 pounds dressed out, and very much appreciate the attributes of the OSHA compliant Telesteps 1400E Telescoping Extension Ladder. This past summer I used it to build lean-to walls that were 48' long by 12' high. This project along with washing and waxing Ollie for over three months worked out very well. The project put me up and down this ladder many dozens of times a day for weeks on end so I know it has excellent durability. Beyond being well made, this Telesteps has three good attributes: It fits nicely into the back of the large storage cabinet at the entry door. As ladders tend to walk off some times, not having it in my truck is a distinct advantage. At 18 pounds vs. the Yesker's 26 pounds, it takes less of a toll on your back if moving it a lot. It performs well and I would buy it again should it become necessary. However if you are over 250 pounds, I would suggest John D's Yesker as it is rated for 300 pounds.

Snowball's photo could well be of my unit, Hull 64. The two front jacks were installed by the previous owner at some point in response to his wife's complaint (same as your wife). I agree they are an eyesore. I agree that there is some degree of risk in having them sticking out from the frame. They DO, however, help to greatly decrease trailer movement as you walk about the diniang and bath areas. That said, we never bother to deploy them unless we are to be parked a week or greater. The little rocking in the Ollie as delivered by the factory, does not bother us.

Over the winter I put a coat of Rejex on our Ollie. Having just returned from a week in Pensacola and PCB, I washed the Ollie and it looks great. The grim came off with little effort as did the bug splatter. So far I'm happy. I imagine I'll use up the bottle before trying anything else. At least one more coat. However, I may try something else on the interior. As for those pesky plastic window channel covers - NOTHING gets the black stains off of them. Best I've done is turn them a light grey. If I can find another of same design only black, I'll go that route. Surly there is a black window channel cover somewhere in the universe. RB

Overland, There is a product called "Roll-Off" that is available at RV, Marine supplies and amazon. This stuff is amazing for removing those black streaks . Wet, spray it on rub with a soft brush or microfiber and let sit and rinse. This stuff has been a boaters secret for a long time cleans shines and does not hurt the wax. A quart may save you some elbow grease. https://www.amazon.com/Amazing-Roll-Off-Multi-Purpose-Cleaner-oz/dp/B000FSDZTU/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3MIO9T6WAA6YI&keywords=roll-off&qid=1553953984&s=gateway&sprefix=roll-off%2Caps%2C157&sr=8-3 Doug

Full disclosure: I have the Telesteps and have never hesitated to recommend it. I would also recommend the Xtend and climb This video is entertaining and informative. As to that Yesker ladder, one of the things I do when shopping on Amazon is to search by manufacturer name, products by Yesker include USB charging cables, iPhone cases, glass bottles with eye droppers, fingernail scrub brushes, pineapple corers, ultrasonic jewelry cleaners, waterproof fitness trackers... While I don't hesitate to purchase Dexter authorized bearings that may be made in China, there are some products I would stay away from.

Can't be too careful. Eyes are always on the ground when I am walking. Of course, I miss some beautiful scenery sometimes, but I stop from time to time and look around. Then eyes back on the ground. I respect all our living creatures. And it is generally myself who is visiting their habitat, and not the other way around.

A few thoughts from a Mechanical Engineer's perspective: With the advent of ten speed transmissions, the importance of getting a 4.XX rear end simply is not anywhere as important as it used to be. For example with a Ford 10 speed transmission, while towing an Ollie II, you will not generally be using the top gear or two. So depending on the rear end you pick, at high speed you may be in 7th or 8th gear. Pick an higher number axle and the transmission will simply run in 8th or 9th gear. Pick a lower number axle and you will be running 6th or 7th gear. Point is you can now get an axle that works really well for daily use as well as towing. For the Ford F-150 3.5L, many people are getting the 3.55 locker axle where they can use all ten speeds then daily driving, but also have the ability to drop down and keep their engine exactly where they want it based upon the trailer and cab loadings and the grade of the highway. In the past with 4 or 5 speeds this was impossible. When doing your test ride, make them as long as you can. Be sure to consider the daily ride of a 3/4 ton vs. that of a 1/2 ton. I really preferred the F150 with the FX4 package ride over the F250. After a few hours in the super duty, my butt was ready for a transfer! But loaded with about 9,000 pounds of trailer and its tongue weight, the F250 ride was excellent. So knowing your likely tow vs daily driving needs is important. Look at the curb weights of the trucks you are looking to buy. Remember having extra weight has pros and cons. The pro's are that the heavier the truck, generally the better it feels on the road when hauling a loaded trailer. In my case, one of the reasons I chose the mostly aluminum F-150 was to save hauling another 700 pounds of dead weight around. Above a certain point, weight is simply a extra load that you just don't need. As mentioned above, all the 1/2 ton trucks have pretty limited payloads. This likely will be fine with Oliver in tow, but not if your also plan on loading up the bed with ATV's or other such toys. So sit down and study your truck payloads to determine which class works best for your. Good luck!

I had my Ollie outfitted with the larger Bulldog and Anderson ball. Ran 8,000+ trailer miles last summer and was pleased with the reduced wear rate of the larger assembly. If I were buying another Ollie, I would go with the larger set-up again.

If any one has pictures of the upgraded 2 5/16 coupler I would appreciate it The 2” coupler isn’t a big concern although I was surprised that they use a 2” coupler. 2 5/16 is the norm for most Rv trailers. 1 7/8 are a thing of the past.

Looks like great mileage. Congratulations!

Travel to Hoenwald 800 miles 29.5 mpg, 350 lbs in the truck averaged 73 mph. return with a “dry trailer” 3800lbs per Oliver. Average speed 62 mpg 21.3 i know that probably the 3 most important factors relative to real world mileage would be weight, speed and terrain. No point in analyzing friction coefficients for various tire pressure or road surfaces, prevailing wind speed or wind direction relative to travel direction Bottom line: mileage was better than I expected. Looks to me that the Canyon diesel and Oliver Legacy will be a great matchup! Safe to say 30 mpg not towing and 20 mpg towing.

Yikes. I think no matter how good of one you buy, you can't get complacent with these telescoping ladders.

Looking good Tom. Isn't that mixture on the interior great? So easy and fast with no streaks - hard to believe. For touch-ups on the exterior (like the top of the propane cover and the bug splattered front) I use just the 952 Aquawax or the same mixture that I use on the inside. Nothing hard about it - glad you like the stuff. Bill

Tom, that looks fantastic. I really like the streamlined look of the Ollies without the solar panels. I couldn't decide between the 501 RV polish or the 152 Fiberglass polish. I ended up getting the 152 - no idea if that was the right choice. I also got the 601 Bonding Agent. I've never used anything like that before so I'm half interested and half nervous about trying it.

A sign from the past, I guess they didn't have stabilizers back in the old days to help with wind and trailer movement, trainman

You guys are so creative, and talented! Seems everything I do involves a bungee cord

Did my pre delivery for 431 yesterday (3/21/19) and asked about the 80 psi in the tires. the response I got was that was what the tire / rim supplier delivered them with. Guess that would be for maximum weight in the trailer. I asked them to bleed them down to 60 lbs as I didn't want the trailer "bouncing" along I 40 and I81 for 800 miles!

This is not just me being wierd, this time. Rubber valve stems can be replaced by a mechanically competent Ollie owner in a couple of minutes sitting beside the road. https://expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/rubber-vs-metal-valve-stems.92386/ John Davies Spokane WA

I am sorry for your pain, I would try very hard to get Oliver Trailers to replace this at no charge. I do not think this is your fault. You should fill out a new online service request and also call the shop and explain the vague and conflicting instructions. There should be a Service Bulletin!!!!! There should be a very prominent warning placard at the outside of the heater. There should also be a Winter Plug of some sort - a dust shield that will prevent winter gunk from contaminating the open tank, but will also let any moisture pass by. An old-lint free microfiber rag would be adequate. OTH I think owners of the plain vanilla water heaters should also learn a lesson,,, leave the anode rod out over the winter. Usually there will be no worries, but if you are using the trailer's fresh water system and one of your winterization valve leaks internally, you can get water into the tank that might freeze. The very high cost of the Truma has always bothered me a lot - that and that they do not recommend using RV antifreeze inside the unit, or compressed air.. A new Suburban tank type one is only $350 and is super easy to replace. How much labor did they quote you for yours? Good luck and keep us updated. John Davies Spokane WA