bugeyedriver

The Wonder Egg, Ollie #14, single axle with a spring over axle high lift is set up as follows: 16" wheels tire outer diameter 28" Trailer level to ground, the distance from the ground to the top INSIDE of the Bulldog (Where the ball touches) is 21.5" Loaded tongue weight 360 lbs Taco for TV with Roadmaster Suspension Assist springs attached results in about a 3" drop when trailer is attached. Hitch has a 3" rise, resulting in the top of the ball being at 24.5" With my spring-over-axle setup, my hitch height might vary from a newer single axle Elite. Getting 360 lbs worth of friends to hop on the end of your TV is a good idea to see how much you might settle. Thanks for your pictures, Dave. Any more recent Elite I owners out there with a tape measure care to chime in? ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Although my Taco has 233,000 miles on it, the leaf springs are newly replaced due to a Toyota TSB. I replaced the shocks at the same time. It has always had a "soft" rear end that liked to sag under weight. The Roadmaster Suspension Assist springs have greatly enhanced the ride while towing (and not towing) and the sag has been reduced from its original drop. Whatever your TV, check the anticipated drop under load and buy your hitch accordingly.

As an owner of one of the early "Stripper Pole" (woohoo!) high lift Ollies and someone who flew jets and helicopters for a living, I am very familiar with issues regarding center of gravity and dynamic rollover. With The Wonder Egg sitting high, the reason I always travel with a full fresh water tank is to keep the center of gravity as low as possible in order to improve stability during angular acceleration under windy conditions. I also moderate my speed under those conditions whenever possible. This has worked well for 112,000 miles (knock on wood). Given the extra 5 feet of length and additional height of fiberglass in the Elite II, combined with additional storage space at higher levels you will be catching more wind and can raise your center of gravity higher. I realize your stance is slightly wider but would want to know, engineering wise, what the implications of any lift would be. Perhaps you would be encroaching on an unsafe condition with an extreme lift to your trailers. While it might enhance off road travel, you need to consider all ramifications of such a modification. Be safe out there and have FUN.

I can also vouch for Boerne RV. They are located about 20 miles north of San Antonio, TX which is also a nice place to visit and see the sites. Over the last 9 years, they have helped me with The Wonder Egg (Elite I) and the work has been done professionally. They have experience with both the Elite I and Elite II. The owners, Ron & Debbie, are very personable and easy to work with. They can be reached at: 830-816-3883.

Early Oliver owners knew Robert well. His smile and personable approach helped us greatly as we went through the process of selecting and building our Olivers. Robert was more than a super salesman, he was a friend, and he shall be fondly remembered and missed. Godspeed, dear friend. Pete

I'm one person, with a small dog and although I use electric hookups quite a bit in my travels, whenever I boondock with my single 160W panel and 200 AH of battery storage capacity, I have never gone wanting for energy needs. For me, that includes the occasional use of the furnace and associated fan and my all important Keurig coffee maker in the morning X3. I always keep my Fantastic Vent on low for a good air exchange and my lights have been swapped to LEDs. I am usually back up to 100% by noon of the next day. For me, this system can go forever. (Caviats: No A/C or microwave usage)

Popcorn-Billy, Greetings and welcome to the forum. Thanks for coming out of Lurkerville and saying hello. As a fellow widower, old pilot, and recumbent bike owner, I think the Elite will suit your needs very well. A single axle Elite has been my wander-home 4 to 7 months a year for the last 9 years. Fully loaded with my camping goodies and a full tank of water, my 2008 Wonder Egg tips the scale at 3900 lbs. A 5000 lb tow weight capable vehicle will get you down the road, but may be working a bit harder in mountainous terrain. As an old pilot, I still adhere to the saying that "More is Better" . . . more runway in front of you, more air below you, and now, more towing capacity is nice to have. Good luck on your quest for your trailer. Pete

Aubrey, You Eagle drivers just can't stay out of afterburner, can you? Hog drivers don't have that problem. You're retired . . . relax! I have a cover over my fan and always have it pumping out air while traveling. I crack the side rear windows a smidgen to aid in the air exchange. Pete

Sherry, Yes, that is Lois' Casita. If I knew Aubrey was grabbing a photo, I would have waved. ps I have done a good amount of beer tasting with my flights in the past. Most memorable was at an Air Tattoo with Canadian fighter pilots.. Now those guys are crazy! They manage to combine gulping prodigious amounts of ale with the chewing and swallowing of whole, raw eggs. (It is an acquired taste, for sure) Pete Pete

I remember that formation! # 2 was unique, but fit in very well. (BTW, nice foto bomb by your finger, Aubrey)

Ollies, by Golly!

After several years of fighting the yellowing of the plastic frame by wiping it with acetone, I opted to have a replacement window installed. Edwin makes a door window with a white metal frame. It also has the feature of being able to slide the bottom half of the window up for ventillation, which comes in very handy. http://www.easyrvwindows.com/order-edwin.asp

Mine was removed several years ago . . . no regrets . . . wish I had done it sooner.

Bill - I drove up to Old Harry and tourists were asking just how old Harry was. Locals would say that Harry was very old, but not near as old as " this guy" and then they held up your picture! Ha

Brandi, It is nice to have an escape pod when you need one. Inks Lake is a nice distance north for you, and also a great campground. Is Texas allowing all evacuees to camp for free? I love the picture of your great dane inside JellyBean. Hope you can enjoy your adventure. Pete

I believe The Wonder Egg ( hull #14 ) is the first deep water Oliver. We are currently located in the I'sle de la Madeleine where Bosker and I will be exploring the wonderful French Quebec culture where the waters of the Northwest Atlantic mix with the waters flowing from the Great Lakes and St Lawrence River. An amazing journey . . .

Mike, Greetings from Nova Scotia. I just finished a month in Newfoundland and Labrador with my 18.5er and had a marvelous time with the Vikings, icebergs, whales and puffins. Do it now . . . Sell one of the homes and purchase your Ollie with cash from the proceeds. I have a similar background...flew all over, looking down on the land but never really "seeing" it. I retired at the first available moment and now cruise around at 60mph with my Oliver happily folowing behind ..... meeting folks from all walks of life, seeing and smelling the land, enjoying different cultures and cuisines, and being thankful for the opportunity to do so. I'd be glad to talk with you and show you how well an Ollie weathers the time and miles after I complete my five month wander this year. Send me a pm in the latter part of September and let's get together. Perhaps we can get Mike & Carol to show you their 23.5er at the same time. Pete

What year is your F150? Could it be a problem with new software in the late models?

What year is your F150? Could it be a problem with new software in the late models?

Bosker suggested I put on my tinfoil hat and look into this because he's considering having me purchase an F150 diesel next year. My hat quickly tuned into this discussion on an Expedition forum: http://www.expeditionforum.com/threads/what-causes-trailer-disconnected-message.28308/ The post originator seemed to follow a logical path on his diagnosis and narrowed his problem down to an issue with the electrical brake resistance being read by the controller. Any EE majors in our group who can say if this would be a good fix? Here is his last post . . . "Solved. It was not poor grounding or LED lights. I finally had a chance to tow the trailer to a dealer (2 hours away). There, we were able to connect and tow an identical trailer with the Expedition. There were no trailer disconnects. This finally and definitively pointed to the trailer as the problem. To make a long troubleshooting session short, we found that the resistance of the trailer brakes, as seen by the truck, on the "good" trailer was about 1.7 ohms. On the "bad" trailer it was about 2.0 ohms. That does not seem like it would make much difference, but as an experiment we decided to lower this resistance by adding a parallel resistor (across the brake control line to ground). I pulled from my EE degree 40 years ago to calculate the needed resistor should be 0.8 ohms or so. Of course we did not have a resistor that size, so we used a 10 W dashboard lightbulb. We ran a wire from the brake line all the way into the truck cab. Then, took a couple of different light bulbs with us. While I drove, the mechanic would connect the light bulb using the ground from the 12V plug-in power port on the dashboard. Sure enough, when we used the 10 W bulb, the trailer stayed disconnected. In fact, he could force it to "disconnect" by removing the bulb from he circuit. Problem diagnosed. The solution we implemented may be temporary, but it worked the entire 90 mile drive home! We simply wired a bulb socket between the brake control wire and ground underneath the trailer. Now, whenever I put on my brakes, a small light bulb is coming on under the trailer ;-) The good point is that I can pull that socket and wire in a small resistor to make a more elegant and permanent fix."

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Magdalen+Islands,+QC,+Canada/@47.3877013,-61.9011978,8z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x4c9e36ff1ba95d09:0x2b9a57800de32977?hl=en-us Watching the international sand-castle building contest and Enjoying fresh lobster, cooked on the beach campsite with fresh salt water from the ocean. I think I'll miss the eclipse. Oh, well, Everyone has to be somewhere.

Check out the reflection of the icebergs on the side of the 9 year old Wonder Egg. Fogo Island, Newfoundland.

Indeed it is! Bosker and I are not finished heading north yet. Today, The Wonder Egg will roll onboard a large, deep water ferry and "swim" over to Newfoundland. While there, after visiting the Viking settlement at the northern tip, it will hop on another ferry and hop over to Labrador. This is turning out to be a great summer! In August, the Wonder Egg gets on another ferry from Prince Edward Island and visit the Magdalen Islands just in time for the International Sand Castle Building Contest. WOOHOOO!

There is nothing in the world quite like slipping onto the glassy lake shortly after sunrise, warm cup-a-joe in your hand while Butcherknife passes out the Honey Buns for that sugar high and Captain Mountainborn steers out toward them jugs standing proudly on end with a 26 pound Ictalurus furcatus on the line just rarin' for a fight.

Nice mod for a persistant problem. Did Oliver sound like they might incorporate this style pickup in their new trailers, or offer it as a mod they would do in the service departmnt for those of us who may be mechanically challenged?

I think we are talking about two issues here. 1---How to drain the tanks at the dump station quickly and efficiently. Answer: Raise the nose. The more lift, the faster the gray tank will drain. 2---How to maximize the fresh water you have access to. Answer: Raise the nose a little bit above level should do it. (unless your water pump pick-up point is wrong, as may be the case in #200)