bugeyedriver

John, you are so right. A number of years ago, I don't have all the specifics, but there was an incident involving an Ollie, ice, a rapid angular maneuver, etc. etc. etc. ........ you get the picture. Well, the Ollie wound up sliding down the road on its side. The insurance adjuster was simply amazed at the robust Ollie, whose worst damage (other than some items out of place on the inside) was an abrasion to the belly band where it scraped along the ground. Ollie, built like a tank!

The Roadmaster system is awesome while unloaded or while towing for my Tacoma. I couldn't be more pleased. Go for it! It also has a minor effect on increasing gas mileage a bit because it greatly reduces the sidewall flexing and thereby reduces the tire footprint on the road (due to flex) and reduces rolling friction.

A lot goes on with our sophisticated electrical systems in these fine trailers. Don't forget that your Progressive Dynamics charging system will sometimes draw down the battery on purpose as part of its maintenance cycle. Could that have been occurring during your 6 hour drive, competing with an incoming charge? There are much greater electrical minds on this forum the me (i.e.: ScubaRx or Buzzy) perhaps they can chime in. What if you hooked up your trailer to your TV and put a voltmeter directly on your battery pack without the engine running and then had Karen turn the TV on and rev the engine a bit to get the alternator giving what it is capable of and see if the voltmeter registers a positive change?

Reed & Karen, Spot on! Watching the tires is the best measure of proper inflation. After driving over a dusty surface, look to see if the dust covers the tire from one edge of the tread to the other edge. This would be and indication of proper inflation. If there is a space from the dust on the tire to the edge of the tread, you are over inflated and may experience faster wear on the center of the tire over time. Dust extending past the tread and onto the sidewall would indicate under inflation and the tire will experience excessive flexing, potentially leading to sidewall failure over time. As far as the door numbers go, my Tacoma recommends 29 psi on all four tires. That gives a real nice, smooth ride and handling and sells a lot of Tacos. My Micheline LTX 10 ply, load range E tires can handle 44 psi cold tire pressure. I've also added a Roadmaster Active Suspension to my truck which greatly aids with load bearing duties. When I head out, fully loaded for extended camping, I use 35 psi in the front and 42 in the rear. That is over the door number recommendations, but for hauling and towing, it works fine, keeps the rig level, without exceeding limits on my tires. Monitoring their pressure and temperature with a TPMS system is also part of my scheme. Pete

Check your vehicle's owner's manual under TOWING and see if it says anything about that. My '84 Nissan pickup's manual actually said to increase the rear tire pressure when under load. It helped to keep the truck level because the tires did not squat as the sidewalls puffed out. Although that little truck is history, I still follow that practice when I am towing. While doing all the things STEVEnBETTY mentioned, it will also help reduce wear on the rear tires because they will not flex as much. Be sure not to exceed the pressure limits found on the sidewalls of the tires.

Well heck, we can't let THAT happen! (happy wife = happy life) I imagine if she whomped onto the floor, your life might take a downturn. My Ollie is one of the shorter ones and more than a few times over the last 9 years I've found it necessary to lift a wheel off the ground to reach level. I carry a bunch of 4x6 and 2x4 lumber in the basket and will usually place some under the airborne wheel. Not necessarily enough to take all the load off the jack, but enough to help support the load a bit. It has worked well so far. No door problems at all. The shorter Ollie would not produce the potential twisting moment that might be encountered in the 23.5er. Are you hearing a great deal of creaking as you walk around your trailer that has airborne wheels? Perhaps try some support under the wheels and see how it sounds then.

In addition to the hot water heater and furnace vent covers, I fashioned my own screens for the refrigerator intake and exhaust vents by purchasing screening materials from Home Depot and then cutting / molding them to fit the right shape. Be sure not to get too fine a mesh because it will inhibit airflow which is necessary for cooling. (I speak from experience here) They do have one that will do the job of confounding mud daubers without slowing air movement much.

Canoe12, Most likely, but maybe not. It depends on the height of your hitch, the motion and drop of your tailgate, whether or not you have the basket option, etc. There is no definitive yes or no to this question . . . it depends. In my case, I have an Elite I with a (the tongue is set at the optional middle length . . . something not adjustable with current rigs). My TV is a Tacoma and I have a 2 1/2" rise on my hitch. My tailgate folds down without a problem when I am hitched to the trailer. If I use my hitch with a bike rack receiver addition, I cannot open the tailgate. Tell us about your tow vehicle and whether or not you will have a basket. If someone here has the same setup they might chime in and let you know. Pete

Again, (on a new thread) WELCOME to the Ollie family and get ready for treasured memories to begin!

You are an evil man, Reed. Now, just to be sure, (and fair) you should both swap places and do it again like that. Exactly. Just to be sure. Right, Karen? (sssshhhhhhh, Karen, in the middle of the confirmation test, lower the front stabilizer about 10 degrees while Reed is "engaged in business") That'll show him.......Uh huh.

Keeping the hull of an Ollie looking factory new is doable. My nine yr old Elite shill shines like the first day. If you can somehow keep it out of the sun when you are not traveling, that will help stop UV damage from beginning. I have managed to wax mine at least yearly, sometimes semiannually with various products along the years. My go-to product right now is ReJex, mentioned above. Initially, I intended only to put it on the front to make Bug removal easier. But it went on so effortlessly, I did the whole trailer. Great stuff. Gets rid of bugs . . . get some now.

geO, I use a two step filtering process that is inexpensive, takes up little room, and has worked well for me for years. First, I use those one of those "blue" filters that is readily available at RV supply locations. Be sure to change it out occasionally and run a bit of water through it first to get rid of the loose carbon dust. Secondly, inside the trailer, I use a small Britta water filter system. Pete

Reed ans Karen, That sure is one beautiful looking trailer! I like how you can see the reflection of the barren trees in the twilight hour. They must have given you the superdeedooper-extra-special glossy finish on that one. Nice, real nice. Take your time getting home, it is pretty wet back there. Pete

Mike & Carol & Bill, I emptied that pot of gold a few years ago and put the top back on so it would appear unmolested. It helped me build the storage unit for The Wonder Egg and my new Jurassic Park fence! But don't tell Steve. He'll have a lot of fun looking for it. he, he, he Pete

geO, A filled 30lb tank will weigh about 55 lbs due to weigh of the tank itself. I have found that locations who will fill your tanks require you to disconnect the tank from the trailer so they can place it on a scale as they fill it. This gives them an accurate read on the amount and grounds the tank to protect it from a static discharge. 55lbs is not too bad until you are lifting that tall tank over the top of the fiberglass to place it in its place. One way to help with that is to lower the tongue of the trailer so your lift is not as high. Pete

Congratulations you two! The waiting is over. Let the FUN begin..................... :)

Buzzy, Have a wonderful time bonding with your new pal, Buddy. Thanks for your contributions. ENJOY! Pete

I've used a monitoring system on my single axle Elite for about 6 years and it gives me a good sense of awareness on The Wonder Egg's tires. Great peace of mind with only one tire on each side. Be sure to have your tires rebalanced with the TPMS on.

BugBite, As I am sure you know, this forum is primarily used by Ollie owners and prospective owners to share information and help each other learn how to maximize their enjoyment while camping. Occasionally unexpected issues may crop up and we all pitch in to "crowd source" a fix when appropriate. While some members of the Oliver staff may be members of the forum, their busy duties with Oliver Travel Trailers (OTT) do not permit them to hover over the forum to "be on the lookout" for issues. Occasionally an owner will contact the factory to discuss an issue and then share what they have learned here, on the forum. It has been a nice flow of information that benefits all. If you have a specific expectation of OTT regarding your trailer delivery it is best to contact the sales department and specifically tell them your needs. That way you will be assured they received your message. Do not assume that simply because you have expressed your desires in this forum, the factory knows about it. This does not mean your "are taking the lead", but rather, you are communicating effectively to maximize your delivery experience. I would suggest you call them direct to share your concerns. Good luck, Pete

Along Route 66, in Wilmington IL........ Oscar and I visit The Gemini Man!

Overland, Bwahahaaaa on the mumbling comment! I like maximum flexibility while camping. One time I was camping high in the Rocky Mts, at a federal park where Mountainborn and Butcherknife were camphosts. There were no hookups, but water was available at scattered points. The source of water closest to me was across the street, about 125 feet from my trailer. If campground rules permit greywater discharge, it is convenient to have water hoses that can reach a distance. I now carry 175 ft of water hose. Two 25' coiled hoses and three collapsable hoses ( two @ 50' and one 25'). These take up a very small footprint in the bed of my truck. Pete

Overland, While it is technically possible for OTT to produce a trailer of a different color (they did two of them back in "the early years") it is extremely cost prohibitive. In order to prepare the pressure hoses and guns for a different color, they would first need to be totally rid of the previous color via a deep internal cleansing process which is very time consuming, involving huge labor costs. And after the unique trailer was produced, the cleaning process for all of the hoses and guns would have to occur again in order to get ready for normal production. I don't know the figures, but I daresay it would cause a prospective buyer to say "Ya know? White ain't all that bad after all." The capital investments of complete sets of hoses and guns for all potential customer color requests would not pay for itself due to the infrequent times they would be put into use. If they sat around for a long time before use, they'd need to be cleaned too ensure a smooth application, without goofy glitches from dried debris in the lines. Now, if some new owner wannabe said they would pony up $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ just to get a chartreuse trailer, OTT just may oblige them. Ya never know. Pete

Overland, Perhaps they can hold a timed fire drill event at the upcoming Ollie rally, where the winner gets one of those fancy fire alarms with a ten year battery. It would make for an interesting video! Pete

OPEN.....DROP.....JUMP !!!!! OPEN the escape hatch DROP Bosker out the window JUMP out after him (assuming, of course, that we cannot simply walk out the front door)

Well, if anybody could pull this off, it's Steve. And no, Steve, we don't need to see the video.