Trainman

We pickup up our new Oliver on July 8th, we camped all the way back to FT. Worth, Texas and got home just before the storm hit in Louisiana yesterday. I installed the Anderson at Davy Crockett State Park the next morning, had done all my homework, including getting the extra chain and quick chain links, thanks again to the forum members for all there help in advance. The install was very easy and took about 1 hour to do the job, including all adjustments, got it right the first time. My question is, I found that raising the trailer wile hooked to the hitch was the easiest way to hook up and unhook the triangle plate, thus not having to adjust the nuts every time, is this way of hooking up and unhooking acceptable. trainman

I looked at everything out there so I could safely tow our new Elite II with our new 2019 Ram 1500 4x4 Crew Cab, which has a 500 tongue weight rating without a WDH. After spending days on the internet and on this forum I was convinced by many to just go with the Anderson WDH and be done with it. My biggest concern was I would get a stiffer ride when the trailer was not hitched to the vehicle, plus the liability factor comes into play as I would be over the 500 lb. tongue weight limit of my tow vehicle. My wife and I decided that a 3/4 ton Ram was a little rougher ride then we wanted, yes we could pull our Elite II without a WDH, but in the long run the 1/2 ton was what we settled on. All being said, it's all about the ride, YouTube videos helped convinced me to not go with spring helpers of any type. trainman

[postquote quote=179619][/postquote] I agree with you. trainman

Well were somewhat in the same boat, we have been camping in our just sold Casita for the last two years, so we have just about got it down to the bare necessities. We packing what we think we need into our 2019 Ram 1500 Crew Cab without a camper top, or bed cover. We can put some stuff in the bed, but will be staying in hotels for two nights before we get to Hohenwald, so some stuff will either have to be brought into the hotel, or shifted up front for the night. Things we are not taking are the LP grill, outdoor table, just the bedding for sleeping , no food as we will probably eat out more as we are camping for 7 days heading back to Ft. Worth, Texas. Walmart for wine and smacks, McDonald's for breakfast, and and other restaurant that looks like we came survive the food. All being said it will be a little different as far a cooking, but the camping part should be somewhat the same. Biggest problem I see is it's going to be hot. oh well, we live in Texas, what's new. The wife and I both have our camping list, we both cut back on the list and we should be ok with the bare stuff and like I said before, there's always Walmart. trainman

Thanks for that info on the hitch install. I will be installing the hitch at the camping grounds we will be staying at after the delivery. I see no problem installing the hitch and I'm pretty handy with things like this. I already have my extra chain, quick links, etc. I will look at another trailer in for service to measure where the brackets go, or ask someone there that installs the hitches. I thank everyone who has answered my questions on the Anderson, I first started out and was not wanting to use a WDH, but you out there have convinced me to use one. Thanks again. trainman

Well the alternate location is fine, but I'm going to be at the camping ground and installing the Anderson hitch there, so I won't have the proper tools to cut steel, etc. So my original question was can I install the Anderson brackets with the fiberglass shroud on, or does it need to come off and how hard is it to remove. thanks trainman

My question is, to install the Anderson WDH does the front fiberglass cover have to be removed to get the chain brackets installed. I already have purchased the Anderson hitch, extra chain, and quick links. I will install the Anderson at the camping ground, no problem for me to do it, just didn't want to pay the $230 install fee by Oliver for 30-40 minuets of work. So do I need to remove the fiberglass shroud or not, if I had an Oliver to look at I would know if there is enough clearance to do the job, or not, does the shroud removal require any special tools, or knowledge that I don't know of. John E Davies I'm sure you have the answer for me, but any help on this matter would be appreciated by those in the know, thanks to all. trainman

Thanks, now I will go by some crates for delivery day, July 8th. trainman

Picking up #489 on July 8th, home Ft. Worth, Texas, another Texas Oliver, hope to meet everyone at the Oliver Rally in 2020. trainman

One thing I don't do is wave like I do on my motorcycle. trainman

We pickup our trailer on July 8th, my wife ordered custom sheets to fit from somewhere online which was posted on this forum in another post. We have been looking for bed sets and have not been able to find what we wanted in a twin, so our next step is to cut a king and do what was mentioned here, it should work out just fine per the wife's knowledge of sewing, yes she took Home Economics in high school, it's starting to payoff. trainman

So you are saying that you can get 3 12x18's in the storage compartment, thanks for your reply. trainman

Did someone say you can get 3-24qt. Milk Crates in the Elite II outside storage compartment. trainman

Is that the only bubble level that Oliver puts on the trailer in in the tongue jack? I do personally like the levels that stick on the sides of the trailer, I would rather install them myself for accuracy. What make/model do you use for this type of level system? trainman

I have found that between Walmart, Home Depot, and Amazon you should be able to get just about anything you need for camping in our Oliver. I have purchased more from Walmart since we started camping, never cared too much for Walmart, but now I shop there both in person and online, our camping headquarters. I will be shopping for the same things you have purchased, just waiting to pickup our trailer on July 8th and see where were going to hang and Velcro items in the trailer. trainman

I've never had a camping spot that was that bad, but I had one at Fort Davis State Park in Texas that was just about unusable for parking a Casita. I finally made it work by borrowing some 2x6's and using my Anderson leveler, I was really high on the street side of the camper. All being said, I wasn't too happy with that spot and told the park personal, do you really think campers with trailers can use that spot, I couldn't get another spot as the park was booked solid for the next 5 days. trainman

Just wondering if Camco or other companies make bug screens for bugs and other insects (dirt doobers) for the Oliver trailers. I know that they do for the furnace vents, but what about the refrigerator vents, hot water heater vents, and other vents on the trailer. On our Casita I had to make them as they were not offered by manufactures to fit the Casita, I guess if I have to make them again, I will. trainman

I passed on the front tongue basket upon our ordered unit, I may go with a tongue toolbox which I can keep the trailer setup stuff in as the side compartment on the trailer is not that user friendly for quick to get to items. I just need to look at the trailer tongue area and see how I can manufacture brackets that will fit over the fiberglass front panel, I'd rather not cut the fiberglass panel if possible. https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200620947_200620947 I've seen this box on sale for $219.00, I've checked them out in the store and all seems to be done nicely, plus it does match the rear bumper somewhat. trainman

Your install look great, I've given much thought to installing a paper towel holder and I think I going to look for a paper towel holder that has a little larger mounting base, I think I will use double sticky tape, I have found that using this tape and sticking to fiberglass is almost impossible to remove easily. Plus if I was to permanently mount it the wife would want it somewhere else next week. trainman

I was not aware that the ball would move with the trailer and tow vehicle not coupled. Anderson states in there videos that the ball will not move and trying to move it even with the triangular plate on will not work, even with a hammer. My thought here is that the balls that move are older hitches that have wear on the ball bushing thus letting it move somewhat. I will just work with topgun2 #2 answer, thanks to all for the info. trainman

We pickup our Oliver on July 8 and would like to ask this question, would it be better off to unhook the Anderson WDH when the triangular bar is in a correct position (that is tow vehicle and trailer are inline) before backing, that is so upon re-hookup I will not have to go through the process of aligning the triangular bar for correct towing. One other note, will the triangular plate turn when the trailer is still hitched, but the chains are not attached, if this happens, unhitching before backing will be useless to do. I would like to know what you do to make this process as easy as possible, thanks for your input. trainman

I got my Anderson yesterday and will be taking it with us when we pickup the trailer. Not knowing if Oliver will install it as it was not purchased from them, I will take what tools I need with me to do the install myself if they won't. Today I purchase the extra chain I will need and quick links for the install, plus I did purchase a different pin, the type with a handle to make it easier to remove from the "whale-tail" as some call it. As far as some have mentioned about backing up, my biggest concern is that I can keep the "whale-tail" in the correct possession when I'm ready to unhook, I think I will unhook when the "whale-tail" is inline and them back up where I want to park the trailer. I think this is just another step I would rather not do, but I don't see and easier way to do it, is there other ways to end up with the "whale-tail" in the correct possession and alignment I would like to hear for you, thanks. trainman

I wish I could get them in colors so my wife could get the right hose on the right water inlet, or drain. It hard having to get out of the recliner and point out what goes where and why. trainman

Thanks for the site, I even posted on that site in the past, but couldn't find it again, thanks again, trainman

Just wanting to know what the coupler height is on an Elite II with the trailer level, I will be bring my Anderson hitch with me to delivery and would like to have my ball set at the correct height on delivery day. Videos say to set the hitch ball at 1 1/2" above the coupler height, is this correct. I don't know if the delivery people will setup my hitch as I did not purchase it from Oliver. I would think they would, but I may have to do it myself. I just want to be ready if need be. trainman