Jump to content

astrocaster

Members
  • Posts

    119
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by astrocaster

  1. Hi, All, In a previous thread, it was established that the tow vehicle should be set up so that the top of the hitch ball is 19" from the ground, if one has the Oliver with the 15" wheels and the 4" lift option (please correct me if I misunderstood that point). Would folks please tell me what the required size of the hitch ball is: Is it to be 2" in diameter? Thanks, Steve
  2. Hi, All, Elizabeth and I have gone camping together for over twenty years now, and one meal that I always ask for her to make on each outing is her "Chicken Foil Dinner." It's a whole tasty meal in a foil package that she cooks on coals. Yummm! Highly recommended! Steve
  3. I am seeking recommendations from those who have purchased a Honda EU2000i generator on-line. What on-line vendor did you buy the generator from? What was the price? Shipping cost? Was it a good purchase experience? Thanks! Steve
  4. Thank you for your response, Sherry. Yes, I believe that the Suburban half-ton is built on the same frame as the Silverado half-ton, and the towing specs are probably the same or similar. We got the factory tow package, but that did not include any beefier suspension, or at least it was not mentioned. Nonetheless, the points you make about the relative weight of the Suburban versus the Oliver are well taken. Unless we hear something new on this within the next month or so, we will not be doing anything other than getting the brake controller installed. Yes, we are very much looking forward to having the Oliver and to taking it some of our favorite high-mountain streams and lakes here in Northern California and into Oregon. Thank you for your advice and encouragement! Steve
  5. Hi, Chuck, Thanks for your response! It's good to hear that you have not noticed the need for a WDH towing the Oliver with your girlfriend's Trailblazer 6 cylinder. Our initial tow vehicle will be a 2002 1/2 ton Suburban 1500. There's plenty of towing ability there, I know, but it doesn't have any additional springs or heavy duty suspension. What I am finding interesting is that several folks are not using WDH's, but their tow vehicles either already have extra suspension aids (extra springs, air lift kits, etc.) for the rear, or they are getting them installed because they have decided that they need them when towing the Oliver, to handle the tongue weight, even though it relatively light. On the other hand, I haven't seen anything on the Oliver Forums that indicates that anyone has considered using a WDH. I just wonder if the enclosed tongue of the Oliver would make it extremely difficult or impossible to install the clamps to capture the WDH bars. Thanks, again, for your response! Anyone else? Steve
  6. In an earlier thread, I asked if folks found it necessary to use a weight-distributing hitch (WDH) when towing their Oliver Legacy. Two people responded and said that they had not found the need for a WDH. However, more recently a couple of folks have posted on another thread in the Oliver Forums that they have added a suspension enhancement system of one sort or another to their tow vehicles, since the tongue weight of the Oliver Legacy was causing some rear-end sag in the tow vehicle. My wife and I have recently ordered an Oliver Legacy Elite, so I would really appreciate it if those who have purchased an Oliver Legacy could reply with information regarding whether they have found it necessary to make any alteration to their tow vehicle or whether they are using a WDH. After we pick up our Oliver this summer, we will be making a 2,500 mile trip back home, and I would like to be prepared! I am particularly interested in knowing whether anyone is actually using a WDH with the Oliver, since it looks to me like there may not be any way to install one without drilling some holes in the side of the tongue and having special brackets constructed. If you have installed a WDH or have tried, please respond. Thanks! Steve
  7. Many thanks to Mountainborn and Pete for your very informative answers! That really helps. And special thanks to Pete for returning my call this evening and generously taking the time to go over some of this and additional information in more detail. I really appreciate it! Steve
  8. Hi, Everyone, My wife and I are planning to purchase a travel trailer and are seriously considering the Oliver Legacy Elite. We are very experienced car and tent campers, and I have done some extended backpack camping. However, neither of us has every owned, operated, or even stayed in a travel trailer or RV, nor have we towed a trailer with our vehicles. Therefore, we know very little about what to expect in the electrical system or other systems in the Oliver. Some things that may be common knowledge to most of the folks on this forum are probably a mystery to us. So, I will post our "newbie" questions, in hopes of getting lots of help and advice from the good folks here on the Oliver Forums. Some of you have already responded to a couple of questions I posted recently. Thank you. So here goes: Electrical: (1) We understand from the Oliver brochure that we received at an RV show that the Oliver comes with three 110-volt outlets and one 12-volt outlet. Is 110-volt current supplied to the 110-volt outlets at all times or just when the trailer is hooked up to shore power or to a generator? From what I understand, this would require a built-in current inverter to provide 110-volt AC from the 12-volt DC of the batteries. Does the Oliver come with an inverter? If not, have you added one, in order to use the 110-volt outlets? (2) Does the Sound and Video package (LCD TV, DVD/CD player, AM/FM radio, etc.) run on 110-volt AC or on 12-volt DC? (3) Additional 12-volt outlets are available as an option. Would you find that useful? (4) Does the "convection oven/microwave" described in the Oliver brochure require shore power or generator power? If so, how many watts does it draw? Does convection operation require more power than microwave itself? If so, how much? (5) Similarly, the 13.5 KBTU A/C unit would seem to require quite a lot of power to start. Have you run it with a generator? In particular, have you used the Yamaha EF2400iS successfully? (6) I understand that a "generator quick connect" may be available for the Oliver as an option. Can you tell me what that is and what the advantage would be in having one? LP Gas System: (7) I understand that 30-pound LP tanks and regulators are available as an upgrade. That sounds like it would allow one to go for quite a while longer without having to get a refill. Would there be any downside? The reason I ask that is that sometimes I have found that something that seems like it could only be for the better may present problems that would not be considered until they actually show up. (8) I understand that there is a "gas line quick connect" available as an option. Can you tell me what this is and what the advantage would be in having one? Towing: (10) Have you found the use of a weight-distributing hitch necessary or helpful? Sway control devices? Our tow vehicle will be a 2002 Suburban with the factory tow package. (11) The description of the trailer on the Olivertraveltrailer website says that "The axle also contains a powered braking system. The installation of an electronic brake control is necessary for use." Does that mean that one needs to purchase an outboard electronic brake control box (I have searched the Web and see them advertized for $60 to $200 or so) and have it installed in your tow vehicle's cabin, so that it can be accessed by the driver? As part of the tow package for our Suburban, we received a "brake controller pigtail." It seems that this would be what we would use to connect the electronic brake controller to our vehicle's electrical system. Would you agree? Again, we would really appreciate your help with these newbie questions. Thanks, Steve
  9. Hi, My wife and I saw the Oliver Travel Trailers at the Sacramento RV show last weekend and were very impressed. We have a few questions that we hope members of this board can help us with. One question involves the twin bed version of the Oliver. One of the two trailers at the show was the twin bed version. It has a permanent set up where there is a twin bed across the rear of the trailer and one in place of the dinette and seats. If your Oliver is this twin bed configuration, would you please let us know how you like it. Are there any additions or modifications that you would like to see to make that version work better for you? Thanks! Steve
  10. Hi, My wife and I saw the Oliver Travel Trailers at the Sacramento RV show last weekend and were very impressed. We have a few questions that we hope members of this board can help us with. The first is that we would like to know from those who have opted for the four inch lift and/or the fifteen inch wheels why you chose those options and what the benefits and drawbacks have been of each option. Thanks! Steve
×
×
  • Create New...