ScubaRx

I don't use the built-in extension, BUT I had the factory extend my tongue receiver 26 inches to accomodate the genny basket. So, in essence, I guess I effectively do. That's got a lot to do with why my tongue weight was less than I had feared. I forgot to mention that I have the thirty pound propane tanks also, so there's an extra 45 or so pounds also on the tongue. I know you guys are excited and Thanksgiving will be here in no time. Maybe we could get together sometime and have a little rally.

Sorry, I think I actually edited your original post instead of quoting it and responding. I knew it didn' t look just right. Anyway, I hope that answered your questions.

I have a Yamaha 3000 on the tongue in the box that came off our former Oliver. After delivery I started thinking (that's sometimes not a good thing) and I "estimated" our tongue weight at somewhere over 900 pounds. I based that on the fact that the genny and box weighed in at about 200 pounds, the trailer weighs North of 6000 pounds, and a few other guesstimated pounds thrown in for good measure. When I actually weighed it at the factory it was only 535 pounds. So, there you go. I was pleasantly surprized, then at once concerned that it was not even 10% of the weight of the trailer. BUT, after pulling the trailer several thousand miles so far, I can honestly say I find NO need for anything to be added to my standard hitch setup. It pulls straight and true, I'm happy with it like it is.

We plan to pack up the Outlaw Oliver II in a few days and head out to ... somewhere. Not being cryptic, just don't know yet where we'll go. I'm "thinking" about maybe over into Arkansas. We need to stay within one day's drive from home to be able to maximize our time. The tree's should be turning some and there are plenty of little eclectic towns scattered about to explore. We might wander up to the Buffalo NR. Or we may go toward Gatlinburg and parts around there. Not having a lot of time limits my creative planning of a trip. Anybody else going to be out and about? Today is the first day of my last year to work. I plan to retire next year at 65. Then we’ll have time to do some decent extended trips. I plan to make the first one to Alaska, maybe take 6-8 months. If anybody has any thoughts about that, feel free to share them with me. Nothing is set in stone yet.

Francey, How far are you willing to drive. We may be somewhere in that neighborhood next week (at least within a hundred miles or so), it's still kinda up in the air but I could let you know if you're interested in seeing ours. Steve

Has anyone been to Fall Creek Falls SP (Tennessee). We’re planning a quick trip maybe up that way soon. A lot of the folks we work with that camp have recommended it. Don’t know much about it but thought we would give it a look see. We may stop by the Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburg either going or coming as time allows. Been there many times but it’s always interesting. Or we may get distracted and head in another direction all together. After that we have one more trip for the season and don’t have any idea where we’ll end up for that time period (7 days) which is not enough to do anything too exciting (like driving to the Grand Canyon or Alaska) so we’ll probably stay within 8 hours of home. Who knows a good place somewhere in the Southeast? MS, TN, AL, FL, GA? Just looking for some suggestions!

I will try to answer any questions you have about solar and battery's . Call me if you care to Steve 662-255-0181

Go to Lowes, Home Depot, any Big Box Store and look for a Marine Grade Caulk. 3M 5200 is a good one. I've used in on the OOII with good success. It states on the tube that it takes 7 days to cure. It will be tack free in 24 hours and it will cure under water (I guess that's in case your Ollie is at the bottom of a lake or something ). Clean up is NOT with water. I used a little charcoal lighter fluid to clean out the application nozzle so I could replace the top on the tube. I bought it in a small 3 oz tube but I believe it is also available in a caulking tube. Avoid any silicone based products and if any previous owners have used any on your windows, scrape it off first. The factory did not use silicone. Caulk your leaky spots, quit worrying and head out for Canada.....

The biggest difference is that at sixty five mph the Tahoe was turning about 3000 rpm. With the Sierra, it's about 1750 rpm. So it's not too much greater than idle speed. Plus the Sierra has a 3.73 rear end that's only available in the Max Tow Pkg (NHT).

I'm still not planning on getting one.

It's the same with General Motors. The following is copied from their trailering guide on the internet but it is echoed in our manual as well. This info was printed underneath a chart that showed the max tow weights for their various vehicles. Our new truck, as equipped, is rated at about 11,000 pounds but in the fine print, sans a WDH it's only 5000 pounds. Guess the Outlaw Oliver will have to stay home since it's a lot heavier than that.

Ditto on Handy Bob. I've read that blog a dozen times and am just now starting to understand it. He's pissed because he feels he is dealing with a bunch of uncaring dealers that are only interested in their bottom line and not whether the customer is getting what they really need. He thinks he knows more than everybody else and he may be right, at least he's convinced a lot of folks of it (including myself). He may be the guy Will Rogers or Walt Whitman or Dizzy Dean (we don't know which) was talking about when he said "If you done it, it ain't bragging..."

Were you guys running the A/C while the leaking was occuring? Did it appear the leaks were coming from the ceiling thus perhaps the A/C? If you think it is coming from the Max-Air fan, I would test that theory by lowering the front of the trailer, closing the lid of the fan, getting on a ladder and running water (from a slow hose) around the perimeter. Don't let water get near the A/C so as to eliminate that as a source. If you're getting nothing around the fan in this setup, then raise the tongue and try the same procedure around the A/C. If nothing around the A/C and you WERE running it when you noticed the leak, remove the inside cover (4 screws) and turn it on. It could be the drain is stopped up and overflowing into the coach. It could be a leaking fitting in the drain system (if so it will be obvious with the inside cover down). If you were to determine that it is actually leaking AROUND the A/C (during hose test) then tighten the 3 bolts on the inside of the unit that squeezes the inside and the outside parts of the unit together (creating a "sandwich" of the roof) again these will be obvious with the inside cover down. Then hose test again. Sorry this is so dis-jointed sounding, I'm just thinking out loud (on paper) And, YES the customer service is absolutely second to none.

I'd venture a WAG that the Oliver is no worse than any other RV and MUCH better than virtually all the rest.

We're getting about 14 mpg with the new tow vehicle. Our former TV was a 2007 Tahoe 4WD 5.3L, it was getting a little over 11mpg. Our tow speeds are usually between 60 and 65 mph. I don't particularly care for Interstates unless we want to get somewhere fast.

The center nightstand is not molded-in. If you didn't want to have it, they can leave it out. The U-shaped "bench" in the rear is molded in as part of the inner hull. It covers and provides space for a lot of the mechanical accessories such as the rear jacks, furnace, water heater and pump, wheel wells, plumbing, electrical, etc. As such, it is not removable. It is the support for the rear bed and when the rear table is set up it is the seating surface for your cushions. If you can envision what you want, it can be done. They can provide you with outlets (12v or 110v) wherever you might need them. As Sherry mentioned, they did a lot of custom work on ours, just to my specifications.

I'm not exactly sure what you're trying to achieve with the bed situation. Have you looked at the twin bed model? You could actually have one permanant bed at the rear (on either side) and make down the front dinette daily for the second bed with a work space in the rear. Or have both beds in the rear and use the front dinette as your work space. I still don't understand what you need.

New tow vehicle...

Yes, it has a nice size freezer. It is the width and depth of the fridge interior with a height of 6-7 inches. (I'm not at home to measure it) This is the same one that we had in our Original Oliver 17.

Rob, Since the length of a travel trailer is typically stated using a measurement from the tip of the hitch to the back of the rear bumper, the 23.5 foot length you see stated for the Oliver Elite II is from "end to end." I’m not really clear on how the term twenty two foot Oliver originated. The usable inside length of the OE II is seventeen feet (our former 17 foot Oliver was around 12 feet). The tongue length of 6.5 feet seems correct. We had our frame modified as it was built to accommodate an addition on the tongue making it about 21 inches longer. So our Outlaw Oliver’s overall length is greater than 25 feet. Combine that with our new GMC Sierra’s 20 foot length and we’ve got a veritable train going down the road. Still, we’ve not found any place that we could put the OO I that we can't with the OO II. The 5 x 2 x 3/16 inch tubing frame is made from 6063-T52 extruded aluminum. As to the longevity and structural integrity of aluminum vs steel, I have no personal knowledge but an internet search of "aluminum vs steel trailer" yielded: http://www.fthr.com/owner-support/trail ... l-trailers perhaps that article can help you understand the pros and cons of each. I know we must be very satisfied with our aluminum frame since I never think about it. I’ve seen several threads devoted to the care of various other trailers steel frames. Hope this helps...

Hello Rob, glad you found your way onto the Oliver forums. I saw your post on FGRV last night and had a nice long reply written and was going to add some pics to it and ended up losing the whole thing. It was late and I just said pfooey on it and went to bed. I'll re-create that post here a little later and maybe cross post there too. Steve

Welcome to the forum and to the group of people who love and own the finest molded fiberglass trailer in the world. The Oliver folks...

Has the axle been swapped from the 3500 lb to the 5200 lb? If so, I have all the part numbers for you.

We're pulling one of the new 22 footers after having owned a 17 for 5 years. I too would be happy to share my experiences with you.

You can use the upload attachment button down below the text box. Just be sure the size is not 6 megapixels . Water got inside our rear view camera. ASA Electronics has most graciously agreed to replace it (even though the warranty was several months gone = great customer service)