Geronimo John

Sherry: Thanks for the 5 year ago warning. Very important to keep in mind. My TV is rated at GVRW 6700, Combined Gross Weight 12,000 pounds. Curb Weight of 5070 with all extras loads it out to no more than 5800. My decked out Elite II will weigh in at 5450 max. Combined with the max weight of the Sequoia loaded out with all gear is 11,250. Just under the 12K max. I will be using an Anderson. Total loads will generally be less as I will travel 95% of the miles pretty much with a dry trailer. G.J.

Thank you John. I had not thought of the Toyota L.C. Pretty stout vehicle. Come to think of it, I have not ever seen one broken down on the highway. Geronimo John

For this year, we will be using a 2005 Toyota Sequoia (4.7L V8) to tow our Elite II that will be hatched in May. I am a Mechanical Engineer and have well maintained this one owner vehicle. I have exclusively used only Mobile 1 synthetic oils and I believe, as a result, our Sequoia is mechanically still in very good condition despite having 215,000 miles. Our first trip with our Ollie will be coast to coast and back this summer chasing the Paragliding competitions across the USA. If we have the endurance, we will be covering just over 8,000 miles. And YES I will be using an Anderson. :-) I anticipate that by our second major trip (Summer 2019) we will be in a position to upgrade our TV. Hence the purpose of this post. We generally base camp at sites with maintained dirt/gravel roads. Then load up four adults with gear and climb up less kind roads to higher altitude paraglider launches. In past lives, we were tent campers and used a 1994 4-Runner, then a 1999 1500 Suburban, and for many years our 2005 Sequoia. All were/are 4X4, with center locking diff, a locker rear end, and off road tires. I loved the old solid axle 4-Runners for climbing; but they are now outdated and would be way too small for the Elite II. The Suburban was a bit too large and heavy for the off-road use. Our 2005 Sequoia is about the right size for us; and is good enough off road. But I do agree with several Ollie owners that our 2005 is a bit on the light side for long distance towing of an Elite II. I would love to hear your recommendations for a used SUV TV to tow an Oliver Elite II AND that has pretty good off road capability. Thank you,

Spike: The tow capacity is from my original brochure from Toyota. Yes, I have kept it all these years. I had a devil of a time finding the MFG max tongue weight. I did finally get this spec's off the internet. Frankly, I had a hard time with the 1300 pound number myself. Besides, even if the Sequoia could handle it, the hitch can't. I could find the Class III Receiver Hitch info. It is much more realistic: Trailer Receiver Size: 2 Inch Hitch Opening Towing Capacity: 500 Pound Tongue Weight and 5000 Pound Towing Weight Distribution Towing Capacity: 650 Pound Tongue Weight and 6500 Pound Towing This makes finding the right one pretty much a requirement I think. Thanks for the push back on the numbers. GJ

I again thank each of you for the considered responses and perspectives. Mentally I am having to re-calibrate to a 24' trailer vice a similar sized I/O tail heavy boat trailer. The tandem axles of the boat are well behind that of an Elite II due to the big block being near the transom. The impact difference on the TV of course is a lot more tongue weight (due to tail heavy I/O) and a higher propensity for sway due to side square footage of the trailer vs. boat. I think that the "Insurance" provided, ride comfort advantages, and limitations of my specific tow vehicle combine to make getting a WDH a good expenditure. I have the expertise to install it so I will be looking at the Equalizer 9000-1000 (With necessary mods to the Crowl) and the redesigned bolt on Anderson with no mods. I prefer no mods, but I also would like to see more time on the road for the new Anderson design field reports to accumulate. Good news is I have time to do both as my Elite II Egg does not hatch until mid May. Again, thank you all. I very much appreciate the great responses to my questions and look forward to the future with the Oliver Community. Mahalo, Geronimo John

I have posted updates to the below message in italics and bold. The responses from our community have been wonderful and very much appreciated. GJ Hello. This is my first post, so a bit about my background. I have extensive Idaho, Utah, and Colorado high mountain off road and heavy boat trailer experience. My vehicle of choice for hauling hang gliders and paragliders up mountain fire roads is my 2005 Toyota Sequoia 4x4 (4.7 (updated typo) liter V8, 7100 pound tow limit with a max tongue weight of 650 (Updated) pounds with a WD hitch). I have very little RV experience, but have owned a 23' inboard or years. Starting this Spring, I will be using this vehicle as my Elite II tow vehicle with my target trips almost all being in mountains with all types of road. As I am looking at options for my Oliver Elite II, the Anderson topic is very much on my mind. As I have not needed a anti-sway or WDH before, I would appreciate your thoughts on the below: A. Would you classify my Sequoia as a heavy duty or a light duty tug? (Updated: Consensus Answer NO. Get an Anderson) B. Is it safe to assume that Oliver new builds if specified to have an Anderson WDH, will have the new design Red inserts and "Whale Tail"? C. Is the Anderson designed to handle maintained (updated) mountain roads that likely will be causing a bit of trailer rotation and movement, not to mention switchbacks? D. Finally, with a limited budget, in your opinion, is the Anderson an expense that I should undertake with the above circumstances? (UPDATED: With my TV capability be marginally above the Elite II requirements, IMHO, a WD hitch is required. ) I thank you for your time and sharing your expertise. Geronimo John