bugeyedriver

Hey Sherry, If i join you guys up on the continental divide sometime, would your applicator guy do mine? I'll bring the EZ Gutter materials and some refreshments for The Shabin!

The Wonder Egg was the first Ollie with solar. When I told the company I must have a solar system, they said it hadn't been done before and asked me to help them out and point them in some direction. I am one of those types who always thought of electricity as "voodoo magic" stuff, so it's not like I had a Double E degree, or could even wield a voltmeter with competence. Sooooo, I researched around the internet and found a company who had been installing solar on RVs for a long time, called them up and spoke with the folks, choosing the best system for my needs at that time. Their 100w package which, so far, has served me well since the spring of 2008. I believe Oliver still deals with the folks at AMSOLAR for many of their installations unless some prospective owner with a EE major has other plans afoot. Then, of course, they meet the customers request with a smile on their face. I thought about going with 6v batteries for the large AH available. But after one of my 12v AGMs tuckered out on me after five years, I still had 12v available from the remaining battery to run my systems until I got to a town and could replace both at the same time. (I figured the other was getting long in the tooth as well.) If I had two 6v batteries and one quit on me, I would then have a 6v battery pack and would have have lost all of my 12v systems. That's what is inhibiting me from going for the larger amount of AH 6v batteries now. When this second set of Optima Blue Top batteries needs replacement in the future, my plan is to go with military grade 12v batteries by Lifeline. They will more than double my current AH. Very pricy, but peace of mind is worth a lot to me.

Rob, Don't know. Most of my friends with Casitas use some combination of anti-sway and weight distribution device. I've been caravanning many miles with them down Route 66, Southern Utah, and a great Lewis and Clark expedition trip. I was often amused at the bouncy way their trailers dealt with road bumps. There is a slow movement within that community to add after market shock absorber kits to their high lift torsion axle set ups to alleviate this malady. Also, a lot of Casitas seem to have a larger amount of weight on the tongue than the Ollie's. Looking at some of the forum threads speaking about weigh ins done at rallies, I was surprised at the number of trailers bumping up to or exceeding 500 lbs. Now, Casitas have been happily plying these roads for decades, and many have undergone significant modifications which could be part of the reason for the extra tongue weight. But my guess is many exceed the recommended 10-12% total weight on the tongue. This could cause steering problems for the tow vehicle. Then there are the folks who have the added on contraptions on the back of their trailers so they can bring all the comforts of home along with them. They risk lightening the tongue weight too much and setting up a sway problem. Of course, even an Ollie could be pushed out of limits of you extend the tongue all the way out, build a HUGE metal box, strap on a monster 3500 watt generator, and pull it with a short wheel based Jeep. But then, if you do that and your name is Mountainborn, all of your extensive experience hauling stuff with trucks and your in depth knowledge of proper weight loading garnered from years with a rescue mule pack team in the Ozarks likely compensates. (Heh, heh, heh . . . Gonna catch heck from Larry now) With my Ollie and truck both sitting level, the tongue weight in the zone, awesome trailer suspension system, and conservative driving habits, I am one Happy Camper. Pete

After seeing this post, I took a good look at my 2008 Tacoma crew cab with towing package (6500 lbs tow limit). There is a sticker on the front of the class IV hitch that says refer to the operators manual for limitations. In the towing section, it "recommends" using a sway bar with loads above 2000 lbs. (who'd a thunk it). It says nothing about a WDH. I did add a Timbren suspension assist system to keep the Taco level, because they all tended to have sagging rear ends under load. By getting the correct hitch, along with the Timbrens, both the trailer and truck sit level while towing. In my personal experience of more than 80,000 miles towing The Wonder Egg with my Tacoma, in all sorts of weather and wind conditions, (well, OK, I haven't done the snow thing yet), I have yet to encounter any sway or other scary problem while being passed by 18 wheelers or during the rare firm braking. I personally believe the great leaf spring suspension and double shock absorbers facilitate a uniquely smooth ride. I think I'll easily get another 80,000 trouble free miles with my current set-up.

Hello again, Karen, A few of us "early timers" had small leaks coming from the air conditioner. It seems there is a gasket thingy between the a/c and the top of the trailer which had not been tightened and snugged down sufficiently. It appears to be a grayish rubbery object which needs a bit of "schmoosh" to do its job properly. If this is the case in your trailer, and the original owners lived in a very arid environment, they might not have noticed. Have your local Rv guy take a look. If that is the problem, it is an easy fix. Good luck, Pete

The Wonder Egg was roaming around Amarillo the first weekend in May and spent a little time on I-40, west of town. If that 's not where you guys were, you probably saw the one other "Smilin' Ollie" I'm aware of. I think it lives in California when it's home.

Karen, Your link didn't work for me, for some reason. Six years ago, they offered an option with only seven bright spots arranged in the disk. Today, I see the fewest in the disk mode is nine bright spots. Taking the bulbs in an out was easier than I expected. Simply gently pull the old halogen bulb out sideways and the two pins slide right on out. Your new circular replacement disk should have two side mounted pins that will easily slide into the connection. They offer two different color temperatures. I'd go for the "warm" one which would be less likely to have your interior looking like a surgical operating room. You might want to buy one or two at first to see if you like them, before replacing all. Good luck and let us know what you finally use and how you like them. http://shop.ledwholesalers.com/index.ph ... uct_id=346 Pete

Hi Karen, A few months after bringing The Wonder Egg home in 2008, I purchased LED replacements from www.ledwholesalers.com It is important to get the right connection for your replacements. The tiny halogen bulbs on my trailer were the two pin system, called a G4 base. Instead of going for the brightest ones I could find, I selected a subdued LEDs for the inside lights ( to prevent too stark of a lighting situation with the pure white interior already ) for the exterior porch light, I went for the brightest possible. Here is a good place to start. I did not change out my swivel reading light then because the LEDs at that time would flicker if turned down very much. http://shop.ledwholesalers.com/index.ph ... path=43_47 Pete

Ooohhhh ooooh, I want one! Then I won't have to do THIS anymore . . .

Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm good! I look forward to having some "Shabin biscuits" the next time I visit you guys on the mountainside.

12string, After loading up The Wonder Egg with supplies and filling up the fresh water tank, I dropped by a weight scale and learned my trailer came in at 3900 lbs. The bearings on my 3500lb axle were not designed for those stresses and indeed, before getting a 5200 lb axle, I had experienced failure of bearings on both sides. You don't want that to happen to you. I'd have it swapped out as soon as you can and, in the meantime, be careful of your gross weight. I now have the brakes inspected and the bearings repacked annually, at the beginning of the traveling season. Pete

12strng, My trailer is an '08 model and the last year or so, I have noticed it sometimes takes a couple pushes of the start switch to get the fan to turn on . . . the motor has had no trouble at all. Perhaps dust or grit effects the contacts of the switch. I'd look there for the first culprit, if you can get it out and apart try dousing it with WD40 first before ordering another. Let us know how it turns out for you. Pete

I camped in each of mine so far. Hope to color in the far northeast ones next year.

Tom, Older Pal, I learned that when there's a will there's a way . . . Finally got it out didn't I? Don't worry about the chuckle on my behalf. Ya gotta have a sense of humor. And thanks for letting me charge admission to the "Watch the Professor back up his Ollie" show. I earned enough to help buy the double step. Thanks, buddy.

Here's an example of a tight fit I snuggled the Wonder Egg into. I slipped between the grill and the bent palm tree with about 6" clearance on each side and then made a slight turn to nestle into a tiny grove of trees. With the high lift option, and now that I have gone to 16" wheels and light truck tires by Michelin, I have 18" of clearance from the ground to the lowest frame point under the trailer. This allows me to back up over small boulders or logs until my leveling jacks will just clear the obstacle. This has come in handy more than a few times with challenging boondocking locations. With this added height of the Wonder Egg, the Oliver folks created a new, super-de-duper, alimunum double step to facilitate entry and exit for me. (Ya just gotta love those guys!). I have the prototype on my rig which is awesome enough . . . they are refining it even more and should be offering it as an add-on option soon. Compare the strength of this Ollie step with the erector-set style offered on Airstreams and this one wins, hands down! So yes, you can easily squeeze a 17'er into some great spots . . . BUT . . . If you head for the great outdoors with a couple of people and some great furkids and stay out for a looooong time, the extra length and width enjoyed in the 23'er could make a HUGE difference in everyone's mental well being. As with most things in life, it's a trade off. One thing is for sure, you just can't beat the style and quality in any Ollie you may select.

Hi routlaw, good luck on your search for your next trailer, you seemed to have gotten it narrowed down to some well built, highly praised units. Both Oliver and Escape listen to and customize trailers for the customers, to some extent. One of my favorite things about my Ollie Legacy Elite is its narrow footprint on the road. No need for extended mirrors to see down alongside the trailer while driving and the ability to maneuver into that small, special, magical camping spot where you melt right into the landscape. But, coming from the T@b world, you know what that's all about! Happy hunting . . .

Hi Scriptx, When they started up the production line again, they figured the first year, they'd crank out 23 footers and bring the 17'ers back in 2015. Things are going well. Who knows? Perhaps we'll see some new 17'ers rolling out late this year . . . Pete

Ozbarry, (Sorry about the slow post approval...after a few, then your posts will appear immediately when you post them) Eco diesel! You must have the new Ram 1500 diesel truck. Wow! That would be a most excellent tow vehicle for the Legacy Elite II with plenty of torque. Did you get the Ram Box option for storage space? I'd love to hear what sort of gas mileage you achieve when pulling a sleek 22'' Ollie down the road. Pete

Which engine do you have with your GC towing package? I see it may pull from 6200 to 7400 lbs trailer weight, depending on engine configuration.. What does your owner's manual specify for your vehicle? The dry weight on the 22 footer is 4200 lbs, but with two 3500 lb axles, if you liked to haul a bunch of rocks, theoretically, it could weigh up to 7000 lbs ( very unlikely ). Chances are good that you would be fine . . . Check your tow vehicle's manual! Personally, I prefer a little overkill in the potential towing capacity. But that's just me.

Deborah, Recently, Flyrod picked up his 22'er and towed it to California with a 2014 Tacoma. He went through some rough weather and reported the trailer towed very well and gave him no problems at all. Whatever you chose for a tow vehicle, just make sure you stay under the towing limits as specified in tour owner' s manual. The newer Tacoma, with a factory installed towing package which includes extra cooling capacity for the engine and transmission, is rated at 6500 lb towing capacity. What other experiences have you 22' owners had?

Welcome to the family of happy Ollie owners. Go forth, wander, and most of all . . . ENJOY! Have you heard of the FiberglassRV.com forum? It is another very supportive group of fiberglass trailer owners. I bet they'd love to hear about your 22' Ollie pickup and initial impressions of the trailer and how it tows.

Welcome to the forum! Whereabouts are you from in Texas? We have a few 17' Ollie owners in the state right now. I'm in the Hill Country myself. There is a treasure trove of information to be found within the postings of this forum. Right now, new activity is low . . . Probably due to the production break. Now that Oliver trailers are being produced again, hopefully it will pick up soon. They are currently producing a 22' version which is very nice, indeed. Next year, they should start up the 17' line! If you currently have a fiberglass trailer, what do you have? Seeing that you're Texas, will you be at the Casita Bluebonnet rally that is coming up in Bandera in a week or two? There will be a 22' Oliver on display. Happy camping, Pete

Larry, did the dry weight measurement include the younger weight plus the weight on the axles? (the pics were too blurry to read well)

Steve & Tali Try www.uscampgrounds.info and scroll the map over to Cincinnati, OH. I see about a dozen county or state parks in the area. Then head to www.rvparkreviews.com to see how the have been rated recently. That's how I have come across some real gems over the years. The uscampgrounds.info has all county, state and federal campgrounds listed for the US and Canada...it is my go-to site for campground information. Let us know what you choose and how it works out for you. Pete

Steve, I understand the concept of equating the tongue jack use to the rear jacks, since they are the same product. But with the way the trailer's weight is distributed I think the rear ones would have too much of a load for full time wheel off the ground use. The reason I think this is that the tongue weight on my 17' unit is about 360 pounds. This would require the other two ground points to support the rest of the entire weight of the trailer. While I know the rear stabilizers can get the wheels off the ground to help with changing a flat tire I'm not quite sure they would be up to the long term stress of full time wheel up support. What do you think? My foggy brain seems to recall an thread on this topic in the old forum where BuffaloBob may have said the rear stabilizers were not intended to be used that way. I think it was in reply to a user who had developed a problem with a rear jack. Yo BuffaloBob! Do you recall that far back?