francesm

I have a question for you gentlemen out there. Let's know that I am going to view used tow vehicles, cars and trucks... Not being savvy in veh. engines and such, especially diesel, how do I determine a good vehicle from a lemon? Who can I consult to examine what I find to determine if it is as advertised? I'm not sure if I should buy diesel or gas yet, so either is a possibility. Outside the just sold Toyota 89 4 cyl MH, I've never bought anything but new vehicles: My 300ZX lasted & looked like new for 18 years, a turbo yet. I never had one engine repair in all that time. So, I don't want to get stuck with a lemon because I know nothing about used engines. I need some advice.. like who should I get to inspect whatever USED vehicle I've found.. whether gas or diesel.. I live in the Knoxville area of TN. Women have been notoriously gypped by sellers who know that we are not experts in engines and performance. Any comments, or advice?

Now I'm curious... about overdrive and cruise control. For 14 years I drove a Winn 20' 4cyl Toyota engine Weight 5600 lbs. I learned to drive using the cc and the od and averaged 55 all the time. Regardless of wind or weather or terrain I'd set cc at about 62, over drive OFF. As the engine labored starting a hill climb and the speedometer dropped to 55, I'd turn on the OD. Reaching the top, the engine would tell me by it's sound, and I'd OFF the OD. On average, I'd climb the hills at 55 without any further loss in speed. And this is with that tiny 4 cyl engine. I got 15-17 mpg consistently. If I didn't use this method and relied on driving without the OD I'd have to labor up the hills at 30. Now I have to ask. I read elsewhere that OD should be left on all the time, as it lessens the revolutions of the engine and thereby saves one's gas consumption. Would anyone reading this care to comment about cc and od use and explain it to me. My method never harmed my engine because in 14 years I didn't have any engine problems. Other than normal tune-ups and belt replacements, this little rig didn't owe me anything when I sold it, but I was always curious about the use of cc and OD. Nowadays one doesn't even have to think about it. I test drove a Ford 250 diesel yesterday and am told that OD and such is all automatic and kicks in when needed. My goodness, what a nice vehicle that is to drive... Wish I'd win the lottery I don't intend to test drive a Dodge or a GMC because it's too easy to like them too much and I'm looking for a used tow vehicle. The only reason (knowing I wouldn't buy it) I tested the Ford was that the salesman insisted, and I was curious to see if I could drive anything that big (after my little Toyota 4 cyl). It was N I C E . Trying to identify used vehicles, those that have been used by 'sports' that go off-road for fun is tough. Cleaned and washed and shined they look so innocent, til you read on what the guys do to them while off-roading.

Regarding the availability of filling up... I hadn't thought of that. That's a very important point for me. Quite often I don't fill up at the 3/4 point when I should, and it seems as if I'm running on the fumes and stress until I get to the closest station to fill up. I always vow I won't let that happen again, but you know how life is -smile-. I did do the figuring cost-wise of mpg for gas and mpg for diesel and they appear to come out the same, so diesel vs gas costs appear to balance out pretty even. What would appear to be daunting for a 'newbie' then would be the repair work when needed, diesel repair being very much more expensive than gas and fewer diesel mechanics than gas, and the important fact that you can't fill up 500 miles from home in the ease that you fill up with gas. I've read where people with computers with them can plan ahead in order to FIND stations along the way. I appreciate this input. I've certainly learned a lot in a short amount of time. FrancesM

I certainly appreciate the information given to me above... I've learned a lot in a short time. In addition, I wasn't aware that a Tow Package was different than a Tow Hitch. That's a good piece of information. After reading the posts regarding towing, I did some surfing and found some internet sites that were unbelievably confusing. People who favored GMC to Ford to Dodge almost fought over whose was the best towing vehicle, their reasons, and so forth. I left this very long discussion assuming any of the three would be desirable, with none having the 'edge' over the other. -smile- All had their 'short points' and all had their 'high points'. Certainly, with diesel up to almost $5 a gallon, that has to be a deterrent, especially since 99% of my driving is home and around town. A short bed would be ideal because the most I would have need to carry is typical home things and anything larger can be 'squeezed' in.. Like the 44x47" plate glass table top I managed to squeeze into my Honda's 43" trunk. What the real 'squeeze' was.. getting it out of the trunk when I got home. -smile- Have you any idea how heavy a plate glass table top is, and how unwieldy? Unbelievable! With all the help, I am getting more informed for what I am searching for. Certainly more informed than I was when I first entered the Tow Vehicle Wanted post. Thanks all.

Is it possible, when someone lists an Oliver, that a Form be presented for them to fill in indicating the model, the inside amenities, the year, the asking price, any improvements, 1st or 2nd owner, approx. mileage on unit, a photo and certainly last but not least, the asking PRICE. FrancesM

Great site Stuart. I read all the ratings for the campgrounds that I've visited and I agree with them all. My favorite of all is Defeated Creek and I've been there many times. I guess that most of the COE campgrounds are similar, well kept, very pretty and nice big sites. My son and his family came in from Kansas and they just loved the place.. clean swimming, hiking, and I agree that the best time to be there is Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday... The rest of the week is too crowded. Seniors are fortunate to be able to travel and stay on those days, and I'm one of them. -smile- FrancesS

I am looking around for a tow vehicle. I am not so interested in the year as I am in the engine performance and low mileage. Once I get a tow vehicle I can start thinking about purchasing an Oliver. At present I have my home-vehicle which is not suitable for towing. It doesn't even have a bumper... my Honda Civic EX '06. You can't install a hitch on it because of the wrap-around type fenders. It's a great little car in performance and looks. I would like to find a small truck similar to the F150 or Ranger, either of which will pull 3500 lbs as required. I understand that the Wrangler is a great tow vehicle also. If anyone reading this knows of a nice little, and note that I do say 'little' -smile- truck, I'd be very happy to hear from you. I'm not interested in a gas-guzzler. My neighbor has one of these great Dodge rambo trucks he's trying to sell and I suppose he gets 8 miles to the gallon. I'd like something that gets the best mileage per gallon possible. Looking forward to your help. Thanks. FrancesM

Hi all. Nice site. I don't have an Oliver at this time. I just sold my 21' Winnebago Warrior after 14 years of pleasant camping. Encountering the empty spot under my stable shed, I feel the loss. However, it was an '89 and after 19 years things are bound to go wrong and I didn't want to spend additional funds to keep it like new. Thanks for the welcome. FrancesM