bugeyedriver

Steve, I like to ride the bike trails that are being built around San Antonio. Eventually the trail system will circle the city with about 80 miles of seamless, interconnected trails that keep you out of vehicular traffic. It is frequented by walkers, joggers, skaters, and bikers. No motorized vehicles allowed, (the peddle assist eBike is not considered to be in the motored vehicle classification) The terrain, for the most part is fairly level, with the occasional hill / bridge to climb. I have some great friends, a couple, who I've enjoyed getting out on the trail with for many years. After being gone 5 months in the Ollie, I bought the Trek Verve + and asked Gayle if she'd like to hit the trail. I didn't tell her about the eBike and since it was similar enough in appearance to my previous bike, she didn't notice. Two thirds through a gentle 20 mile ride, I pulled alongside of her and could hear the slightly labored breathing. My heart rate was elevated some, but breath came very easy, since I used more assist on the hills (he he he). I asked her why she was winded and she thought she had gotten out of shape while I was gone. We stopped, and I asked her to give my bike a ride for a bit. I turned up the juice to TURBO and gave her my bike. After about 200 feet of travel, she stopped, looked at me, and yelled "Cheater!" On that ride, we averaged about 10 mph and I only used more than the minimum assist on the hills. The battery used only 20% of its energy on the 20 mile ride. A few days later, I rode with her husband, Richard, who is very competitive rider and was not going to allow some short, round guy on an eBike get the better of him. Well . . . we went a competitive 25 miles on the same terrain, and averaged about 17 mph. The bike has 4 levels of assist: Eco, Touring, Sport and Turbo. On the way out, I used Touring and Sport, boosting to Turbo only on hills. On the way back, as my bum leg started to speak to me, I upped the assist to Sport and Turbo a lot, and at the end, Turbo only. I had no problem at all pacing along with Richard. He was worn out at the end and I was just starting to breath heavier. Without the Verve +, I would never have been able to keep up with him. The battery used about 40% of its power over the 25 miles, averaging 17 mph. As far as pulling up hill, I let Richard try out the bike in Turbo and his comment was "There is no such thing as a hill while riding this bike." While I don't get the same cardio workout as on a standard bike, I get whatever level of workout I desire and do not over stress the bad knee and ankle. I figure at least I'm out there enjoying nature and not sitting back at home with a lame-leg excuse. The eBike will keep me moving and that's what it is all about for me. 20 mph assist max is plenty of speed for a trail system. Any higher and it becomes borderline dangerous as you mix it up with other folks on the trail. Richard and I rode in the evening, when fewer people were out and we pretty much had the trail to ourselves. I would definitely purchase this bike again.

This is a shredout post from another topic. John Davies commented on my custom 2" hitch thread and asked a question about the eBike I have on my bike rack. I thought his comment was worthy of its own, dedicated post. Here goes . . . From John's comment: "I like your Trek. I have been researching ebikes, but I think this brand is out of reach in terms of cost. Do you have a recommendation for a full suspension mountain bike, mid-drive, for about $3000 street price? Max desired weight less than 55 pounds. I rode a Haibike hardtail with the Yamaha drive and was really smitten..... but I need some rear travel. I like this one.... https://www.haibikeusa.com/emtb-full-suspension/2018-sduro-fullseven-5-0.html Can you comment? Any others I should specifically look at? Thanks. John Davies" John, I saw my first e-bikes while camping this summer. A Canadian couple had Trek Verve + bikes on a rack behind their Class-A motorhome. They appeared different from your standard bike, so I inquired about them. They were eBikes, and the owner told me he and his wife (who are in their late 60's) have rekindled their love of bike riding. I saw them both head out for a bike ride at Colorado National Monument park, which is rather hilly. As I watched them return about three hours later, and they were both refreshed, with smiles on their faces. It was then that I decided to look into this thing, called an eBike. I learned that basically, an eBike utilizes a battery to add a selectable amount of energy (or none) to your own effort as you are peddling the bike. This mode is called "peddle assist" and is the most common type out there. A Class-1 electric bike is limited to 20mph and, at this time, is permitted pretty much anyplace a regular bike can go. You may peddle faster than 20 mph, but the "assist" will not kick in above 20mph. eBikes with higher energy levels are out there, but local restrictions may consider them a quasi motorized vehicle and not allow them on trails with other people. Six years ago, I buggered up my right leg pretty bad in a bike accident and residual complications from the wreck were severely slowing down my riding experience. The ole' ankle and knee would speak to me going uphill and for several hours after a good ride. The eBike would allow me to request an "assist" going uphill and take the stress off the buggered up joints and bones. I took a look at what was out there and decided to go with the same bike the Canadians had, the Trek Verve +. Although it is one of the lower costing Trek bikes, the Verve + has everything I need to get me back out on the road: geezer fenders, bright running lights, and soon, a way to take my dog, Bosker along for the ride. eBikes are heavier than your standard bike and will require a bike rack built for the load. My Trek Verve + is one of the lighter ones and weighs about 45 pounds. So far, I have about 100 miles on my new ride and look forward to many, many more miles of pleasure biking throughout the years. John, the Haibike mountain bike looks great. Go for it! If you've ridden bikes in the past, but have slowed down because the pleasure was starting to ebb a bit, consider letting a battery assisted bike get you back out there. Is there anyone else out there with eBiking experience? How do you like them?

The LED tail lights are really bright. I am betting these will do adequately for me. I will let you know if "Mr Smokey" ever tells me otherwise. (I'm going to take the rest of your comment and open a new thread on E-Bikes in order to maintain on topic here. The E-Bike phenomenon is worthy of its own thread.)

Done

Here are some pictures of the hitch with a bike rack and loaded bike. The rack I chose was the 2" Super Duty Single, by 1UP USA. It does not require additional tie down points for the bike and the bike is held rock solid over bumps and exhibits no wiggling at all. It can be expanded to hold up to 3 bikes. I appreciate the ease of loading and unloading, no need for tie-downs, and the great clearance from the ground and trailer. Pete ps Larger pics added . . . (The 1UP-USA rank is not safety pinned into the rack, it is secured through an internal tensioning bearing which is built into the rack)

RB , The hitch itself weighs about 25 pounds. While I cannot vouch for its exact load rating, I watched as Rob stood on top of the attached hitch and it was solid as a rock. He used the same welding techniques he applies to extreme high pressure pipelines used in industrial applications. As to the cost . . . custom designed and executed fabrication does not come cheap. I believe you would find the price somewhere around $1000. But for a trailer that will last a lifetime, amortized across the years, I believe the quality gained is well worth the cost. I know it is for me. Pete

Camping in Wyoming, I met Rob & Amy, co-owners of BABCOCK METALS, of Talmage, UT. Rob is a world class welder / fabricator who does work on major industrial products and household furnishings. He also loves the challenge of creating custom designed solutions for customers' unique needs . . . such as an elegant and strong 2" receiver hitch for the back of my Ollie which allows unhindered access to the sewer hose inside the rear bumper and removal of the spare tire cover. Let me show you his creation . . . It started with two machined stainless steel brackets for the exterior of the frame, cut to permit the bumper to swing down without interference. The brackets each had three holes to accommodate a 5/8 inch hardened grade 8 bolts. Inside the frame, he added six solid blocks of aluminum which had also been drilled for the 5/8 inch grade 8 bolts. Using stainless steel curved tubing with a 2 inch ID, Rob measured the angles required to ensure clearance would permit access to the rear bumper compartment and spare tire. Finally, he made a 2" receiver, curved exactly for welding onto the stainless steel pipe. His artistry at welding is evident in the finished product. After applying a brushed finish to the exterior of the hitch, Rob installed it onto The Wonder Egg. The hitch fits the rear portion of the frame perfectly and each of the six grade 8, hardened steel bolts was snugged down with 200 ft lbs of torque. I feel very confident in the ability of this custom hitch to do the job. If you ever think that you may be traveling near eastern Utah and are in search for a hitch solution for your Ollie, contact Babcock Metals (678.480.0204) and I bet they could create just what your are looking for.

Sherry, I received your PM on my MacBook Air and tried to reply. The "submit" button lightens, but nothing else happens. No reply sent. (MacOS V 10.13.6 and Safari V 11.1.2)

Jim, I do not have an Elite II. My Elite weighs in at about 4000 lbs, loaded. Mileage over the last 10,000 miles towing (from Hohenwald, to around Lake Superior, to Fairbanks, AK , to the Rocky Mts of Colorado, yadayadayada, has been 13.4 mpg. At 60-65 mph, I've seen as low as 10.5 traveling up a long mountain grade and there was one fortunate 150 mile stretch of flatland where I had a 20 mph wind from the rear and achieved 17.5 mpg. Yippeeee! More important than + or - few mpg is the safety factor of your rig. Do you have enough overhead capacity or are you maxing out your TV capabilities? Do you have adequate braking capacity for those very long descents down mountains, so you don't overheat your brakes? Both of these will effect your driving comfort and the longevity of your TV, if you intend to keep it for a long time. It is easy to find and download the owner's manual for any new vehicle you may intend to purchase. The manual will have a very informative section on Towing that will aid you with your decision. Good Luck, Pete

I definitely concur with Bill's statement about opting for a bigger gas tank. My F150 (5.0 V8) has the 36 gallon fuel tank. As I travelled through Yukon and Alaska this summer it was very comforting to look at the "Distance to Empty" calculation and see it read 488 miles after topping off the tank. Not only are some fuel stops far apart from each other, more than a few times I came upon gas stations that were closed. Didn't bother me a bit.

There are a few things about an Ollie's construction that may preclude this . . . The bumper of an Oliver trailer is made to swivel downward, and provide access to the sewer hose for dumping the black and grey water tanks. All the required "stuff" for dumping is usually maintained in a compartment located behind (as looking from the rear) the bumper. Your solution looks good, on the surface, but several issues would arise: there would be no room for the two bolts you can't see that hold the receiver on the bumper; the bolts that permit the number to swivel downward are not made for bearing that sort of load; there may not be sufficient clearance for the rack to go through the receiver and clear the fiberglass spare tire cover. It was a nice thought, though. Thanks for trying.

As owner of Hull number 14, picked up in March of 2008. I've now pulled The Wonder Egg 124,000 miles from Florida to Alaska and California to Newfoundland, including most points in between, I do admit that 2018 Olivers include a more refined bit of quality control "between the hulls", and some cool toys are being thought of (push button awnings). That being said, my venerable Wonder Egg has faithfully provide me with the dream retirement, wandering the roads 4 to 7 months each year and traversing everything from smooth interstate highways to mind boggling frost heaves in Nova Scotia, car swallowing potholes in Newfoundland, and literal hundreds of miles of dirt roads in Alaska and Montana. The trailer's "bones" are sound. Items that have failed over this period have either timed out (10 years for the original microwave and water pump) or been abused by my failure to properly care for the entire mechanical system (because I live in south Texas and was complacent about winterizing). I believe this was causative to one of the internal pressure regulator's failure. Many wonderful changes have been made by Oliver over the years, such as placing a furnace between the hulls to quiet the noise when it is on. But to do this, the power cord reel was eliminated. I do love my 45 ft, 30 amp cord that winds into the trailer with a push of a button. Sure, there were QC issues at the beginning as the company went through the slow maturation process to where they are today. But since the first Ollie graced the roads of this nation, the company has stood by their "Trailer to Last a Lifetime" idea and always made it right for the customer. Even second owners are treated like part of the family. Now, with checks and double checks taking place throughout the building process. They have, indeed, come a long, long way in the Quality Control department. Some owners have minimal skills when it comes to turning a wrench or selecting the right widget for a mechanical job (take ME , for instance) Others are gifted with the ability to discern how something could be improved upon, and have the tools and wherewithal to make it so. Bless their hearts and thank goodness they are out there to improve their rig and help the Ollie be the best it can be. Some of their ideas make it into future Ollies and others stand as examples of how their unique rig has given The Starship Enterprise a run for its money in the "pizzaz" factor. It is apparent that recommendations for improvement are noticed by the company and incorporated when it is deemed feasible to improve the Ollies rolling off the line. But, we must realize not every good idea will make it to the production floor for a myriad of reasons. Ultimately, the company decides. It is nice, though, that they have and will likely continue to listen to us. Keep those ideas coming. Bottom line, to the original post of this thread, how is the quality control of an Oliver Travel Trailer? Has it improved over the years? You bet it has. This opinion is formed from my years as an early adopter of the Ollie and talks as well as face to face meetings with owners all over the country throughout the last ten years. Pete

Yes. About 4 years ago, I noticed a trashy looking nest at the bottom street side corner of my Elite's A/C. The mess was cleaned out using a 6 foot ladder, skinny grabbing tools, skinny poking items and several copious streams of water from the hose nozzle. A quick search on Google or Amazon will help you find several options for a cover for your specific A/C size. While a 6 ft ladder worked on my Elite, an Elite II may require a taller one. As long as you do not stand above the "do not stand above this step" line, ensure the feet are firmly grounded you should do OK unless you are accident prone. A spotter may be a good idea as well. My A'C sits way back on the trailer and was easily reached. These outer shells are very strong and load bearing if you need to "get up there". If that is the case, use a spotter to support the ladder as you ascend and descend. Also, be sure to remove any clothing items that might scratch the gelcoat, such as belts or shoes with metal buckles or eyelets. Have your spotter help guide your foot to the ladder as you descend. Slow and easy does it. Putting the cover on is a bit of a hassle but is better than having damage done. I only had minor damage done to some of the styrofoam around the unit. I caught it before anything major was done. Good luck and be careful.

I recently acquired a nice, small YETI cooler (ask ScubaRx) that's perfect for any cool items picked up on a long distance grocery run.

Greetings from Fairbanks, AK! I've been out wandering from Texas since April and have cleaned out the water exit pathways twice to prevent leaks. I use four items: A small brush; tweezers; pipe cleaners; and a compressed air can with one of those small red straw nozzles. I remove the screen and slide the window all the way left and right to access the channel. The compressed gets into all of the holes in the channel on the inside and sprayed in both directions from the outside slots. No leaks so far and I've been in a few frog chokers. I had no idea regular cleaning was required ten years ago (in my early Ollie days) and found out the hard way.

Greetings from Grand Prairie, Alberta! This is my third year up in Canada and I have found it to be a breeze (except for the Quebec Province where all of the signs are in French and some store personnel look at you like you're from Mars) Border crossing with a passport or border card is easy . . . bring NO firearms or ammo!! ATMs are all over, just like the states and will gladly give you Canadian dollars for a nominal fee, just like the states. The exchange rate is close to 1CND = .74USD. You'll quickly get used to the colorful paper denominations and coins that are similar in size to their US counterparts. Cell phone service is widespread. Check with your provider about coverage. I have a Version plan that includes Canada. Although my data plan is unlimited, after a lot of use, to may "throttle down" for the rest of the day. No biggie. All town libraries have great, high speed data flow, as do many fast food restaurants. Best of all . . . it's not as hot up here.

ENJOY!

Never Lube Bearings? Not....So....Fast....Moosebreath. I spoke to the Dexter Axle guru at the Ollie rally and inquired about the newfangled "Never Lube" bearing products on the market. He stated the "Never Lube" concept is for those folks with trailers who may take them out several times a year to a campground relatively close home. In this case, their need for maintenance would be very minimal, virtually making it a never-lube proposition. After asking him how that would apply to a guy like me, who takes his trailer out for 10,000 to 15,000 miles a year, he said that, in all honesty, the never lube bearings still need inspections and might need a major repair/replacement somewhere around 40,000 miles. So I figure I'll stick with my ten year old protocol of getting them inspected and repacked or replaced annually before I head out on a big wander. How about you?

I just received an email notification about a PM. Yippeeeee

Many years ago, my A/C drain problem was fixed by giving a firm tug to the tube as it exited the trailer. It straightened out a kink in the line and everything flowed nicely after that.

I did it just like that for years until a fellow traveller told me of a simpler method. Now, I simply pour the clorox directly into the water hose prior to hooking it up to the water bib at home. I find this to be easier and it cleans some bugs out of the water hose at the same time.

You'd smack the ground just as hard falling from 80 feet as 250 feet but the woohooo should be better up higher! Count me in - level 2 Anytime would be fine.

From John's customer service contact: My two monitors arrived today and shall travel with me this summer. I plan to use the small snack Zip-Lock baggies as an extra moisture / dirt barrier. I get so many good ideas from the forum. Thanks, ya'll!

My 2008 Tacoma Prerunner with a 4.0L V6 faithfully towed my Elite 18.5 over 112,000 miles. Because it currently has 236,000 miles on it and I go to some far away locations, I've recently purchased a new TV as an insurance policy. I've chosen a 2018 F150 FX4 with the 5.0L V8 and a six and a half food bed for more cargo space. The Tacoma is a proven performer but I wasn't sure about the newer, smaller 3.5L engine going the distance towing as much as I do. The extra cargo space will also come in handy. So far, the F150 gets the same or better mpg, not towing, as the Taco. Haven't tested it yet on a long trip pulling the trailer, but am hopeful on its performance under load.

The other lady does rather well, being one legged and in a high heel.