bugeyedriver

Whatever torque you chose for your aluminum rims, be sure to re-torque them after 50 miles or so, to make sure a lug has not become loose.

The Wonder Egg has new shoes! Tires - Maxxis 8008 Plus ST205/75R15 / Max load: 2150 LBS at 65psi, 2040 at 60psi / Tread depth 9/32" / 8 PLY Wheels - Raceline 870 Element Wheels Size: 15 X 6 bolt pattern 6 X 5.5. / Load rating: 2830 LBS

Well, after more investigation, I've settled on Maxxis M8008 Plus ST205/75/15 radials, with a load carrying capacity of 2150 lbs at 65psi and 2040 lbs at 60psi. They have a deep aggressive tread which, according to "Tire Hungry", will "allow sipping and gripping on all weather conditions, including icy, hot/dry, and warm". It tended to better a competitor with a shallower tread configuration. I plan to run them at 60psi, cold temp. They have a speed rating of "N" which is 87mph, although I will still plan for 65mph or less. Not meaning to hijack a thread about LT tires, but from recent extensive research, it seems that between 2005 and 2008 a lot of ST rated tires, predominantly from China, were experiencing a large number of failures. This is why I chose to go to LT tires in 2009. After 2010, "ST" tire manufacturers appeared to get their act together and current ST tires have a much better dependability from their earlier models. Having a 2008 Elite, my spare tire cover is not as spacious as the later Elites, so I chose a thinner 205mm tire to ensure fitting well under the cover without rubbing against the fiberglass.

I currently have Michelin Defender LTX M/S 225/75/16 tires on the ground and an old Goodyear ST 225/75/15 (because 16" tires don't fit well under the 2008 Elite spare tire cover) The Wonder Egg already sits up high, due to its spring over axle arrangement and 16" tires puts it even higher. This week, I will be getting 3 new LT 225/75/15s for the trailer. It will lower the center of gravity just a bit and all tires will be new with a compatible spare on the back. With a single axle trailer I don't have the sidewall strain when doing a tight, slow speed hard turns, so beefed up ST sidewall is not required. Although my highway speed is in the 60-65 MPH range, there was a time where I needed to push it hard for three days at 75MPH in order to make it to a rally on time. I prefer using LT tires when going that fast and hard. The Wonder Egg, loaded for travel, tips the scale at 3900 pounds. I plan to run 60psi cold tire pressure and monitor them with a TPMS system going down the road. They will usually increase pressure about 5psi during travel.

The Ollie is also a handy stay-at-home resource in the event you are not expecting a severe enough impact in your area to evacuate, but might be subject to power outage or drinking water shortages. Many years ago, when a storm was threatening the San Antonio area and everyone was clearing the store shelves of drinking water, I simply filled my fresh water tank with potable water. If electricity were to go out for and extended time, I would have pulled The Wonder Egg out from under the parking shelter and the solar system would have taken care of that issue. An impromptu driveway campout . . .

About 8 years ago, I had an additional fan added to the exhaust port of my Dometic fridge. Well . it blew so much air out of the hot exhaust that it was immediately inhaled by the intake panel, resulting in an increase in overall temp! Ha! I fixed that by devising a cardboard deflector, that moved the hot air away from the trailer's body.

For those of us in the single axle Elite, having awareness of the health of your tire is imperative! I encourage ALL Ollie owners to be aware of how your tires are doing at ALL times, not just when you check them from time to time.

Visiting all the US National Parks and forests is a commendable goal . . . not trivial at all. Have at it! You will also, serendipitously, experience many other wonders in your travels. Enjoy!

We enjoyed Two Medicine Campground in 2018.. It is first come, first serve. The view of the lake was nice and medicinal to the soul. (Please forgive the photo bombing that Bosker managed as he soaked up the healing view)

Brian and Sondra, congratulations on your upcoming Oliver purchase!! It will open up a new world of exciting road trips and wanderings ahead. An Elite will provide years and years of enjoyment across this beautiful land. The last two years have really slowed down my traveling . . . only 139,000 miles on The Wonder Egg so far. So far, I've camped in 48 states, (missing Delaware), 10 provinces, one territory, have seen unbelievable giant Redwoods and Sequoias, monuments, canyons, ancient ruins, pueblos, Viking settlements, and camped with an iceberg grounded in a cove right behind the campsite. The Wonder Egg still looks like it just rolled off the factory floor and is ready for 15 more years of 4 to 7 month wanderings each year . . . roll on!!

Yes, upper storage cabinet. Dry as can be for 14 years so far. (knock on wood)

OTT installed a Xantrex 2000W inverter in The Wonder Egg (#14) on my pickup day. I was waiting in the lounge, when Daniel Oliver walked in with one still in the box and he said they'd be offering it as an option soon. When I asked if I could have it installed in my trailer they said "Sure!" (Back when things were a bit more fluid). So they pulled the trailer into the workshop for a 3 hour installation. It's nestled in the street side corner of the rear cabinet. This makes for the shortest run of the very thick cables to the battery. In order to fish the large cables between the hulls, it required removal of the rear window to help them gain access of the inter-wall space on the rear street side corner. It is very easy to reach the on/off switch. It was worth the three hour delay.

Welcome back to the fiberglass community. We're glad to have you as part of the Ollie family!

There are no questions or problems about your Ollie that can't be brought to this group of fellow owners. No matter how stinky a problem you might have. We are glad to share our experiences, thoughts and ideas. I've circled the drain with minor issues regarding this important system in The Wonder Egg over many years. I've even installed two different macerator systems thinking I'd get real fancy. Well . . . they both failed over the years and I have reverted back to good old gravity. It's always there to help in a pinch. Yeah, our grey tank profile does not provide much motive flow without a bit of elevation on the front of the trailer. If I am at a full hookup site, I will leave the grey valve cracked open just a bit, providing a regular dribble of grey water from the slinky. This eliminates the need to do a full grey dump and I will have minimal soapy water left in the grey going down the road. Since I have the black tank clean out valve, getting a good flush of the black system until the water runs clear is easy. Of course, while boondocking, I keep the grey valve closed to use it for the stinky slinky rinse. Townesw, thanks for the information on the twist on waste valve. That device looks like a great addition to our trailers! Perhaps OTT would consider making it a regular feature.

The Wonder Egg had a Happy Canadian Day and cool time in the mountains of New Mexico -

Thanks for the memories . . .

I really like my Diamondback. I have all of the tie down points, which makes it convenient for hauling oversized items on top, knowing they won't budge at all. It did leak underneath the fat rubber seals initially. That was easily remedied by adjusting the height of the hold down rod brackets. It is an impressive, yet expensive looking piece of equipment for my F150. ALSO . . . after bonding all panels together and bonding the center piece to the truck bed, which is bonded to the entirety of the truck with 15 large brass ground straps, it provides a magnificent ground plane for my ham radio antennas. I've talked all over the world with the ATAS 120A on the left!

On our trip across the Top of the World Highway, as we headed towards Chicken, AK for a chicken pot pie, we only saw one set of tire tracks heading over the edge. !#?*!! (No vehicle was visible in the bottom of the valley) My Vortex coating added about 40 pounds to the trailer and is still holding up very well. Tiny flecks of paint can get knocked off by debris, but can be easily fixed with a bit of matching touch up paint. The fiberglass is well protected.

Well, that's about as gross as it gets! gazillions of cannibalistic, squishy, slime creating, Ollie splattering critters ambling across the road. Yuck, just yuck. On the other hand, it is not all as bad as it seems. Should you break down amidst the infestation, you will not want for food. According to that all knowing source, Wikipedia, "Native American tribes historically hunted and ate the wingless Mormon cricket as a staple protein, and today Thai bars and restaurants serve deep fried crickets with beer. Additionally, over 80% of the world today incorporates insects into various cuisines." Break out the griddle . . .

It would be nice to gather with some of the Ollie clan in South Texas. As topgun2 says "Build it and they will come". Simply gathering with other owners, sitting around a campfire sharing stories and camping tips, etc, and maybe a pot luck dinner at a meeting hall and presto ya got yerself a rally! It's a great way to make new friends and share ideas.

Wow! It adds another level of awesomeness to the trailer. Very impressive setup, indeed.

Congratulations and welcome to the Ollie family!!

Like SeaDawg, I've had my Elite 14 years. With the exception of the last two years, I've roamed around the USA and Canada 4 to 7 months per year. It has been, and still is, the perfect fit for myself and my traveling dog, Bosker, the little fellow in my profile pic. I'm on my second companion dog and my second tow vehicle, but still the original "Wonder Egg" which has rolled over 139,000 miles and allowed me to garner a treasure trove of memories and friends along the way. I believe Jim Oliver was being modest when his goal was to make a trailer that will "last a lifetime". With proper care, it will last several . . . I'm looking forward to seeing the new Legacy Elite when it comes out. While I can't envision a different trailer for myself, it will be great to see more Ollie owners out there with trailers that will last for generations.

Perspective, it's all in one's perspective. From the earth's surface, our moon appears not to rotate. But someone viewing the moon from the sun (ouch) would perceive the moon rotating 13.5 times per year, along an elliptical path while circling the earth, as explained in John's video. Those whose entire universe is comprised of two people (a loving match, indeed) are happy with a sample size of two, since it is the whole world. Those who also have a statistical background would prefer a larger sample size. Perspective changes one's reality. You will LOVE your Ollie, when you find it . . . you will use it to rotate all over this land.

My 2008 Tacoma, with a 4.0L V6 engine had a towing capacity of 6500 Lbs and it pulled The Wonder Egg (Elite), which weighed in at 3900 Lbs fully loaded, 110,000 miles, crossing the Rocky Mts about 6 times. It could maintain its speed uphill, although the engine would be at very high RPMs, under redline, but still it was pretty high. I usually settled for a (slight) speed reduction to be nice to the engine. It was a Prerunner version and I swapped out its rear-end for an Eaton Industries limited slip differential, which helped when going up steep dirt roads. When it achieved 150,000 miles I searched for my next tow vehicle. The engines in the newer Tacomas were 3.5L V6 or a 2.7L 4 cylinder options. Even though the torque specs looked good, I was not as comfortable working a 3.5L engine as I did the 4.0L one, so my search expanded to the F150 and I went for the 5.0L V8 engine with a SuperCab and a 6 ft bed. I got more grunt and cargo space. I still have the Taco, now with 260,000 miles. It runs like a Swiss watch and has been "retired" to local Texas, non-towing duties. I expect to achieve 450,000 miles with it.