Spike

Bill-- To try to answer your question about the towing capacity of my tow vehicle, I searched online and found this towing information from a Toyota website that is specific to my 2012 Tundra CrewMax 4x4, 5.7-liter V8 with 381 horsepower and integrated tow package: "The tow Package on all V8 models helps increase towing capacity up to 10,400 pounds. A one-piece towing receiver is integrated into the frame prior to bed installation. The structure runs nearly two feet down the length of the frame and attaches to each side around the rear spring shackles' cross-member with 12 bolts. Tow Package rear springs help level full-load rear suspension height and maintain a full range of suspension travel. Trailer Sway Control uses the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) to help counteract handling forces applied to the truck in an effort to minimize the impact of trailer sway." When towing my Ollie, I have used and appreciated the "TOW/HAUL shift mode, selectable by a dedicated switch. The TOW/HAUL mode applies specific logic for adjusting the throttle sensitivity and transmission shift control, favoring and holding lower gears when accelerating or decelerating to help enhance control and safety." This is perhaps more than you asked for, but it helped me to review the capabilities of my tow vehicle. Thanks for asking. --Jeff (Spike)

Thanks to all who offered their experiences, knowledge, and perspectives on the Anderson. I revisited the Anderson website and watched two videos, one of them on installing the system. I then wrote down several questions and called the number Anderson provided. I was connected to a friendly and helpful fellow named Tiger, who patiently addressed all my questions and--more or less--talked me out of buying their product. The upshot was that I may experience a BIT more stability than I do now towing with my Tundra, but the cost might not be worth it. I have towed more than six thousand miles and have experienced little sway in strong winds or when being passed by 18 wheelers. I have made one emergency stop when I Ollie ran over an elk, and the trailer did not come close to jackknifing. (Yes, I mean “ran over” and not “hit” an elk. It is a rather long and complicated story, which I may tell elsewhere in the forums. The elk was hit by an oncoming vehicle and pushed under my Ollie.) Here is one thing that may be of interest to those who already own or are considering purchasing the Anderson system. I asked about how easy it was to hitch and unhitch once it was installed. (The video on their website just shows how to install it.) Tiger said that many owners did not know that one could simply raise the trailer tongue to loosen the chains to remove the triangle plate (whale’s tail). It is not necessary to use the provided socket to loosen and tighten the chains. I probably will not invest soon in the system. However, I CAN now help confirm one statement about Anderson: Their customer support is impressive. Not only did Tiger patiently and clearly answer all my questions, but after asking me about my tow vehicle and my experience towing my Oliver, suggested that I may not benefit much from the expense of purchasing the system and the trouble of installing it. Nonetheless, I do feel OK about taking up the company’s time with my enquiry. I have previously purchased an Anderson product: Two sets of their levelers: https://www.amazon.com/Andersen-Hitches-3604-Authentic-Slipping/dp/B01MQNGOWD/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1504214275&sr=8-3&keywords=anderson+leveler I am very happy with how easy they make leveling my Ollie: I just roll onto them, as my wife eyes the level placed on the rear bumper, until the trailer is level. I use two sets when Ollie is at home, resting all four tires on the levelers to better distribute the weight and try to avoid the “flat spots” that can be generated when tires sit too long on a flat surface.

This discussion is a timely one for me. Before we bought and brought our 2017 Ollie home from Hohenwald (Hull#222), I had the pleasure of viewing two different Elite IIs--one of which was towed with an Anderson and the other without. We decided to go without the Anderson after speaking to the owners who did not have one and who considered the Anderson unnecessary. We have towed our Ollie for about 8K miles now and have experienced no alarming sway, even in some strong winds. We pull with a 2012 Toyota Tundra, 5.7 liter, 4x4. However, one contributor to this forum suggested that it would pull even better with the Anderson, and I just met a fellow who told me the story of his trailer (not an Oliver) getting caught in a sudden crosswind that overturned his his trailer, turned his tow vehicle around 180 degrees, almost killing him and his family. He told me that he would have avoided the accident if he had been using his sway-control hitch, a Reese, and would never tow without one. So, I have started to think that a sway-control hitch might be a good idea even though I have read on this forum of folks having some problems with the Anderson. Hitching and unhitching seemed enough of a hassle without adding the sway-control apparatus, and now it seems, from reading the comments above, that an Anderson is the only option available. I'd like to hear from any Oliver owners who have towed many miles without the Anderson hitch why they think it is not needed--or from those (if they exist) who have found another form of sway-control that works with the Oliver II. Thanks. --Jeff

Thanks, John. I will take a look sometime at the spacers behind the clips. What you wrote makes sense. If I do a fix, I'll try to post some information about it as you suggest. However, I wouldn't worry about folks assuming that you are angry about your Ollie. I am sure that they, like I do, find interest in your informative posts and are grateful for them. I have learned a lot from them and from those of other knowledgeable Oliver owners on this forum. --Jeff

Since two others have reported window covers falling off during transit, I thought I would ask here if anyone has come up with a way to better secure them. We have had the dinette window cover fall off twice during bumpy rides. Luckily, there was no damage to anything, and we were able to replace the covers, but I don't like worrying about the next time. I've considered adjusting the clips that hold the frame in place somehow in a way to better secure the covers. Has anyone done that successfully? If so, how?

All I can report is that I've used the supplied wrench to check the lug nuts before each day's travel and have experienced no problem. --Jeff

Yes, those of us out West and thousands of miles from "The Mothership" need to know how we will be able to resolve this problem. Don't like the fact that we carry around a significant number of gallons of water that we can't use when boondocking.

Not sure of the size, but Oliver supplies an extendable lug wrench that works very well. --Jeff

Yes, Bill is correct: It doesn't depend on what product you use to wash the trailer; the black streaks are endemic to the gaskets used to attach the porch lights. We hadn't noticed any black streaks after many rains. However, we recently spent some time washing our Ollie. We had previously sealed the top of the light gaskets with the DAP product recommended. However, when the water and soap touched the bottom of the gaskets, the black gunk quickly spread. We now know that we have to go back and apply the sealant under, as well as above, the gaskets. --Jeff

As an example, just got word from a friend living in the eastern part of our county that her rain gauge, which maxed out at 4.5 inches, was overflowing yesterday from a single downpour. This is my favorite season here. The rain can be intense but short lived. Our summer monsoon season is often referred to as our "fifth season." Attached is a photo of Cave Creek/Portal area of the Chiricahua Mountains.

Our Ollie (#222) with black fiber granite (Dakota), Canyon Aspen flooring, and Tuxedo Grey cushions.

We live in SE Arizona, where the summer monsoons have, once again, made our area green, relatively cool, and beautiful. No fires. I highly recommend camping in the eastern side of the Chiricahua Mountains in the Coronado NF. Check out Cave Creek (not to be confused with the town north of Phoenix) near Portal, AZ.

We thought that we would order the Seagrass but changed our mind after getting the samples via snail mail. We didn't like the texture--kinda gummy and thick, as I remember. We ended up ordering Canyon Aspen flooring and are happy with it. We decided to go with a black and grey theme overall: black fiber granite (Dakota) and Tuxedo Grey cushion fabric, along with gray (American spelling) awning and black and gray graphics on the exterior. We are happy with how the Canyon Aspen blended in with this theme. However, I just looked on the Oliver site and did not see Canyon Aspen as a choice. perhaps it has been discontinued.

John's points are well taken: bugs, humidity, close horizon, etc. I am a Westerner and had not been as far east for over thirty years as we were this past June to pick up our Ollie. However, I feel the same way as Gary and Mike: I have never been in any region of the country that I have not found interesting or as having its own beauty. I still remember the enchantment, for instance, not far from Hohenwald, of waterfalls and fireflies along the Natchez Trace Parkway at dusk--pure magic. On the other hand, it was so refreshing to cross the continental divide on the way back to our SE nook in Arizona: towering peaks; wide vistas; clear, dry air; sparkling clear, rushing water. (I do miss those fireflies.) By the way, we now live about 100 miles from the location depicted in Gary's photo. My photo was taken at Lake Scott State Park, an oasis in the otherwise dry--and very flat--terrain of Western Kansas. --Jeff

You call them big dogs? Hank does OK on the floor and is patient as we maneuver around him. No upholstery for him.

I am glad that this topic has been generated. We brought our new Oliver ll (#222) home this past June with the solar option and inverter. I now wish that we had some way to run the A/C when boondocking. It looks as though we could find an RV mechanic in our area to install the (soft/quick) start doohickey and then purchase a generator. Never having owned or operated a generator (or RV, for that matter), I wonder what type and what brand might be best for us. Going online to compare generators, I ran across this WEN, which is listed here on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/WEN-56200i-Starting-Generator-Compliant/dp/B00SMNLF4M/ref=sm_n_se_dkp_US_pr_sea_0_1?sigts=1502048441023&sig=3a254f2ff9ecd55cebd87fe065fb8b1b99f76426&adId=B00SMNLF4M&creativeASIN=B00SMNLF4M&linkId=910dd6cfb03ff4c8f61c6fb2420124ee&tag=chainjourn-20&linkCode=w42&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chainsawjournal.com%2Fquietest-generator%2F&slotNum=2&imprToken=xtc8k7S07xjMOTIpMJ0HMQ#HLCXComparisonWidget_feature_div It catches my eye for a few reasons: 1. On one site I viewed, it is rated as the quietest 2000w generator. (This seems like a BIG advantage to me.) 2. It is less expensive than the Yamaha and Honda models. 3. It is smaller than both the Yamaha and Honda models (although heavier). 4. It is a Yamaha clone. (One reviewer on Amazon states that the internal parts are virtually identical.) I guess my questions are these. Does anyone know if this WEN will run the A/C with or without the (soft/quick) start doohickey? Does anyone own and operate a WEN to run their A/C in his or her Ollie, and if so, what are the results? Any other considerations/advice? Please excuse me if this in not the best place to pose these questions. (I'm still getting used to this forum thing.)

Yes. Perhaps a spring rally in the east and a fall rally in the west.

I love the idea of combining a western-state Ollie rally with this tank modification. I think it is important for us to keep up asking Oliver how and when the fix of this issue will be handled. I'm supposing that current owners comprise one of the most powerful promotional tools in the company's tool box. One they don't want to lose.

Can just add that on our way back to Arizona with our newly acquired Oliver II this past June, we happened to camp next to a couple in an AS, who we invited to inspect our Ollie. They approached us by saying, "We just looked up your trailer on the Internet. Wow!" They were very impressed with our trailer and bemoaned some of the things about the AS in comparison. We too were considering the AS before we settled on the Ollie. We are sure glad we did!

Nice set-up, indeed. Thanks for sharing. Enjoy.

Just checked mine. The door looks the same as John's. I too have AGMs, but the warning label atop the batteries announce that they need to be vented.

I hope this question is not too far off topic to annoy anyone, but the discussion of fuses reminds me to ask this: Exactly what kind of back-up fuses should one have for the Ollie II? I'd like to have a set but know close to nothing about the electrical system and would just like to be able to go into an auto parts store and ask for the correct type. Can someone tell me exactly what I need to ask for?

I am also considering purchasing some kind of TPMS. I would like to know while we are rolling if there is a problem with any of the tires. Also, I can't seem to manually check the tires without letting some air (nitrogen) escape. I found this system on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Bellacorp-Tire-Pressure-Monitoring-System/dp/B00ZAIKLHE/ref=pd_sbs_263_20?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00ZAIKLHE&pd_rd_r=VEC7513BNEZ4BE7B3JQD&pd_rd_w=4Eo3D&pd_rd_wg=EoEPN&psc=1&refRID=VEC7513BNEZ4BE7B3JQD It receives good reviews (more than four stars) and is less expensive than others with similar ratings. Anyone tried the Bellacorp Tire Pressure Monitoring System?

Reed-- I checked out the Hopkins level on Amazon. I especially like the idea of one level placed at the front of Ollie so as to be able to view it in the rear view mirror (or perhaps our Tundra's back-up camera?). While reading customer reviews, however, many commented upon the need to screw the levels to the trailer, writing that the adhesive causes the levels to slip out of level or even fall off after awhile. Did you screw yours to your Oliver? If so, do you know how screw holes affect the Ollie's gel coating? Does it easily take the screws or is there a chance of spitting or other damage? Do you know a way to cover up the holes well, masking them, if later one decides to remove the levels? Any insight(s) before I go ahead to purchase these will be appreciated. --Jeff

John-- As always, I am impressed with the thoroughness of your work and clarity of your descriptions and photos. I look forward to reading your posts. I have no technical comment to make on this one, for I am not very mechanically inclined or experienced. My comment here is just on the Anderson Hitch itself. When placing my first order for my Ollie, I ordered the Anderson, assuming that it was just about necessary to avoid sway and instability when towing the Oliver. Then I met an Ollie and its owners, who graciously invited me to inspect their trailer. These owners of an Elite II, who I won’t identify here (they may want to do so themselves), told me that they did not think the Anderson was necessary because the Ollie tracked so well. So, we deleted the Anderson from our order. We pulled our Elite II from Hohenwald to SE Arizona with our 2012 Tundra (5.7 Liter engine with 4-wheel drive and tow package). We hit heavy cross winds in Kansas and back in Arizona. Our Ollie swayed just a little in the heaviest gusts but immediately righted itself. I know that you wrote that your particular vehicle seemed to cry out for the Anderson, and I am glad it and your modifications worked well for you. However, if I had been looking to purchase an Oliver and read your post before buying one, I would have certainly been intimidated—perhaps assuming that all of this work might be necessary to pull my new trailer. I just want to let anyone in that position know that certain tow vehicles do not seem to need the Anderson and, of course, the impressive modifications you have made to it and your Ollie. Nonetheless, folks with tow vehicles for which an Anderson seems needed and who have the mechanical know-how and necessary tools should greatly appreciate the information you provide here. Thanks. --Jeff