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Everything posted by roguebooks
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Hate to beat a dead horse, but are you saying that sitting level your Ollie measures 22" up from level ground to the inside top of the bull hitch?
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To be safe I am ordering from Amazon a CURT 45270 Class 3 Extender Ball Mount (3/4" rise and rated at 7500 lbs) for the trailer so the bulldog hitch will clear the bike rack above it. I am guessing I will be able to "fine tune" my rig at Oliver when I go to pick up the trailer. Yesterday I purchased at Ace Hardware seven stainless steel one-inch x two inch washers to also get the ball closer to perfection. :)
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Terry's answer of 22.25" was for his TV ball height and not his trailer's bulldog hitch (top of inside) which is what I really need.
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I too would like to know if there has been a change. When I contacted Richie at OTT he responded, ” It depends on the type of tow vehicle you have. The tongue weight on the elite is considerably less than the elite II…I do agree, sometimes it’s hard to know for sure until you drop the trailer onto the ball, however at 20.5 you should be good.” So there seems there has not been any change, but for some reason it suggests otherwise. But Reed, your trailer is an LE2 which Richie did say is definitely different. I am preparing my TV for an unloaded top-of-ball height at around 21". If it ends up needing to be 24" like Skalywag's then my dual hitch receiver for my bike rack and LE1 will be useless as there is only 11" available from bottom of open tailgate to bottom of receiver hitch. Would appreciate getting a confirmation about this. Skalywag is probably my best bet if he provides the measurement of his actual trailer bulldog hitch like Dave did.
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It certainly helps knowing the trailer load lowered the hitch 1.75". That is good news. What is still troubling to me is the height of your ball. The pic Dave included above shows the inside top of his bulldog hitch on his LE1 at 19.5". It would be very helpful to know what your bulldog hitch measures compared to Dave's. I am hoping they are exactly the same, but they can't be if you are still getting a measurement of 22.25" on your truck when loaded. Loaded, the top of ball should measure 19.5", same as trailer. Or am I missing something here?
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The good news is I know my new heavy duty hitch will work and which way I need to attach it. My gizmo allows me plenty of room to raise the ball easily if needed. Skalywag says his Taco (exactly the same as mine) drops an inch and a half with same trailer, so mine should be close. Plus he has a beautiful cap over bed and all I have is my vinyl cover. Thanks again for all your help. Proof again that a carpenter can do anything.
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As promised, here is my email question to Richie at OTT: "I am looking for how far up from level ground on the level Elite (standard) trailer is the top inside of the bulldog hitch where the top of ball would be? I have gotten answers on the forum anywhere from 19" to 23.5". Attached is a picture of what I believe would be an accurate measurement of 19.5". My TV is a Tacoma TRD Sport 4x4 which I understand will drop about one inch with the trailer tongue weight. Therefore I am thinking the top of the ball on my TV should be set at a minimum 20.5" You agree?" And Richie responded, " It depends on the type of tow vehicle you have. The tongue weight on the elite is considerably less than the elite II...I do agree, sometimes it’s hard to know for sure until you drop the trailer onto the ball, however at 20.5 you should be good." Keep in mind this 20.5" top-of-ball height pertains only to the LE1. Thanks to everyone who contributed!
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Though I do appreciate all the information on the LE2, I cannot imagine the LE1 and LE2 as being the same hitch height. When we toured the factory it was pointed out that the LE2 suspension is very different than the LE1 (and also much better than the LE1) and only available on the LE2. So I am looking for owners of newer LE1's to chime in on hitch height if possible. I am also hoping Dave is spot-on with his measurement of his LE1 (and his pictures seem to prove it) as I am eager to get to work installing and securing my new hitch.
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Thank you Dave. Unless I learn definitively otherwise between now and tomorrow I plan to set the top of my ball at 20.5" to allow for a one-inch drop on the Tacoma. My new hitch gizmo will work just fine with these measurements. The 23.5" measurement would insure me having to mail the gizmo back to Amazon. Thanks for the pic.
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Skalywag, I am wondering if the Anderson Hitch requires a higher ball? I will not be using that system. Just straight-hooking the Ollie to the Taco. My guess is what I need will be the way Dave measures his trailer, but again, I am a newbie and don't know anything really. The posts at the beginning of this thread state 19" for the Elite, so Dave's measurement makes sense. But then Anita tells me something different. I bought a heavy-duty dual hitch so I can use my bike rack too, and I want to attach it to my Taco so I can be prepared. Or return the dual hitch to Amazon if it isn't going to work.
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Now I am really getting confused. Both numbers make sense, but how can they be different? Anita (from Oliver TT) answered my email: "MIKE, IT NEEDS TO BE 23.5 INCHES TO 25 INCHES FROM GR9OUD TO TOP OF BALL. HOPE YOU’RE WELL TODAY." ANITA
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The hitch height cannot be the same for both the Elite and Elite II. The trailers are different, the spring system is different, double axles, length, etc. and that is why I am am asking the question. I am buying an Elite, not an Elite II. I did send an email to Richie Carroll at OTT and have not heard back yet. I will post his response if I get one. Meanwhile...
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Can someone please tell me the hitch height to top of the ball for my prospective 2018 Ollie Standard Elite 18.5? In my search here on the forums I found most answers are for the Elite II. I am guessing 19" remains the preferred ball height for the Standard and perhaps 23.5" for the Elite II? Please advise.
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On 09-20-2017, 08:14 AM I posted “We put a deposit on a 2018 Sport 16 and will be taking delivery around November 1. After months of research and looking firsthand at many brands including the LGMax, T@B 320's, T@B400, Eggcamper, and the Armadillo, the final decision came down between the Oliver Elite 18.5 and this Airstream Sport 16. More to come later as we actually use it and can add something other than fantasy and hope.” Surprise development!!! In my joy and need for sharing good news with my friend in the neighborhood, I was informed that I would not legally be allowed to park my Sport 16 in the driveway when not traveling. Seems it is a violation of a Melbourne city ordinance. Because of all the Florida native trees we had planted on our property there would be no way around this predicament. That bit of news changed everything so I quickly cancelled my order for the new Sport 16 as I was not ready to make such a drastic life change, if at all possible, that I was not prepared for. Considering we would have to move if we wanted a trailer as much as we thought we did I began to research again the differences between the remaining two trailers on our list. Because I had previously rejected the Sport 16 I decided to go back over the reasons why and all the posts I had read and saved regarding it. The last thing I wanted was to spend my valuable time returning again and again to the dealership to have my Airstream repaired or critical items replaced. The quality control issues became again a major problem for me and the disagreeable price of the Oliver Elite 18.5 became more justified. The fact that I would have to spend a great deal of time boon docking the Ollie appeared to be the better choice due to its more durable construction and ground clearance. Knowing the Ollie was first designed by serious hunters and fishermen desiring a more robust life of sport in Canada and Alaska made me believe again that the Ollie was the one. The fact that we would have to leave our home and basically start over insisted we have a trailer we could live with, and, in. As much as we preferred the comfort and design of the interior of the Airstream Sport 16 we came to believe it was more a cosmetic thing like lipstick, and the AS Sport 16 certainly had to be minimally constructed due to its price being $15,000 less than the Ollie, not to mention it being sold through dealerships who also need to make a profit. It became a scary proposition to own this Airstream and rely on its performance to keep us on the road. I contacted Oliver again and had my quote updated to a 2018 model. My wife and I looked over everything and made the changes we felt were necessary on the Ollie to basically become full-time RV’rs, at least for the time being. We decided we would put our home up for sale this coming January and hope to close on it as near to the delivery date as possible. The Ollie we ordered is supposed to be ready sometime in late February or early March. In the meantime we are pursuing plans to build a climate-controlled storage garage and driveway on one of our vacant lots in Apalachicola. This would provide us a place to store our belongings safely and give us a place to park our rig when we required a needed break from the road or maybe take a trip by air somewhere. Won't need sewer as we are installing a composting toilet in the Oliver. Electric and water hookups for sure. Driveway will be for Ollie and the storage/garage for our personal belongings as well as a den for a work desk, computer, printer, books, and a 42" TV if we need to watch something we believe we are missing. Trying to make life simple enough to make wiser decisions regarding where to eventually live, so no additional setups will be required in other states. We also added a small 1100 sf home on the plat plan for planning and zoning approval just in case. The construction quote has not come in as yet, but we are confident it will all work out. If not, I suppose we would have to temporarily put our stuff in a commercial storage facility until a better plan can be made. Regardless, it looks like we will become the nomads we have always felt we really are. Next summer we plan on traveling with our new Ollie up to our cabin in northern Michigan and finally selling this sacred and beloved sanctuary as the Ollie takes its place as our cabin on wheels. The weather here on the east coast of Florida has become a hindrance. I had no idea my new trees would become such a problem of stewardship. It is disconcerting and defeating to have to keep staking up my babies due to two years of enormous amounts of rain and wildly erratic winds. It was a mistake to have created this latest sanctuary, and again we put too much money and time into it. But that is what we do and it is doubtful we will ever change. The buildings and infrastructure proposed for our lot in Apalachicola will most likely result in the same act of foolishness, but we hate cheap and refuse to partake in it, especially if we know beforehand the truth about the product. The Ollie should give us a reliable home to travel in for what remains of our lives. Adventure awaits, and we shall attempt again to charge the fire.
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After veering off for the summer and looking at T@B's, the LGMax, and then a 16' Airstream Sport we are back with the 18.5' Oliver. Seems the only trailer that will perform to our needs. We watched a youtube video starring the couple with the LEII and George was complaining a little bit about the Andersen No-Sway Hitch system. He says it is very hard to hook up to if the TV and trailer are not perfectly aligned. He does not think he even needs it now that they have logged so many miles. Anyone have any advice to share? Also, what about the inverter? I understand they are very important to have. True? What about the factory solar package vs a mobile one? Some sales consultants believe having a mobile solar suitcase is better so you can park your trailer in the shade. My brother wants me to get a Netgear WiFi extender N600 in lieu of Oliver's WiFi booster. What do you think? Any other helpful experiences you can share with us would be appreciated. Getting ready to pull the trigger.
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Well now, we have not, for the record, decided on anything as yet. My wife and I did take an Oliver tour of the factory in late June of 2017 and were extremely impressed. All of our questions were answered satisfactorily. Oliver makes a very good trailer. We must first sell either one of the lots we own in Apalachicola or sell our summer cabin here in northern Michigan. The price of an Oliver I admit is a bit prohibitive, but you get what you pay for. My wife and I have since evolved (we hope) into actually wanting something even smaller than the standard Ollie Elite. If we were ready to buy a trailer today the choice would be between an Armadillo, an Eggcamper, and the Ollie. So as much as I worried over negative comments made here about the Ollie's electrical problems, water levels and drainage issues, the drawers, the spare tire being undersized, as well as not being able to get a composting toilet for the standard Ollie, we still love them and the company. We believe no matter the issue that Oliver would take care of any problem and in good spirit. Brent gave us the tour and he was magnificent. Anita was our sales consultant and she was friendly and helpful as can be. And the workers there in the factory seemed happy, which means something, especially today.
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Spoke at great length today with Anita, sales consultant at Oliver. She called me. We discussed all these issues and she assured me all problems are taken care of by Oliver and ongoing issues are being addressed so they stop happening. But she also stated that most owners have no problems, except for the expected kinks that usually get worked out quickly. We are still planning on touring the factory at the end of June and talking about everything. I think the best advice I have seen on here so far is when picking up your new Ollie to plan on spending a night, or two, or however long it takes to get any problem you can discover worked out.
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Wow Karen. I am so sorry. I would be so pissed off and disappointed if this was happening to me. Hmm. I am going to do more homework. Oliver does not deserve my business when so much is wrong with their expensive luxury travel trailers. Thank you. Hope you get everything worked out. I will be following your progress.
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You all are scaring me. I am a talented carpenter who can build most anything. But I am not a trailer repair person, a plumber or electrician, I am not a mechanic. I don't do floors. I am however wiling to pay a higher price for a trailer that has been checked over appropriately and trails behind me like a good burro. It is my hope that Oliver addresses these quality control issues at their plant and also publicly here on the forum. It would make my decision to buy more comfortable and confident. I do realize there will always be a few issues to deal with and I agree when picking up a new trailer the new owner should stay in a campground nearby so everything can be worked over and out if need be. Airstream has a lot of problems now too because of quality control. Get too big and busy and things tend to go to hell. Anyway, I appreciate all the help I get on this forum and a couple others I frequent. Planning on placing an order for a standard Ollie Elite no later than this fall but no earlier than July of 2017.
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Talked with Anita at length yesterday. Tentatively planning a tour for sometime around June 27. Thanks for the lead time.
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I will call you tomorrow. Right now what I am most interested is in understanding the process. We plan on visiting your facility somewhere around June 28-29. I hope you will be open then. I also want to know how long from initially making the order until delivery? It would help me plan my trip to northern Michigan better. Thanks.
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I am expecting we will love them when we see them. I am expecting we will write a contract that very day. But until then I will keep diligent in my search and keep asking questions. I am interested now in the procedure, the process, how it all works. The quality of communication you get with Oliver. How long roughly does it take from ordering until delivery?
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