Frank C

The Oliver has taken over my life and my budget 😂. I have no other habits like smoking, drinking, or gambling to spend money on, just the Oliver and travel. So I purchased one of the military surplus HUMVEE scissor jacks and the Agile Offroad adapter block. I know there are some Ollie owners that use their stabilizer jacks to lift the Ollie for tire changes, but I prefer not to. The HUMVEE jack is brand new in box military surplus from an EBAY source here in the US. A very heavy duty jack. Beefier than the scissor jack I was using from my old (long gone) Dodge pickup truck. HUMVEE jack on the right, Dodge jack on the left in the first photo. Nice features on the HUMVEE jack like a ratcheting handle, a very large baseplate for a big footprint on softer ground, a gear reduction box (see photo, on the right end of the jack screw) to give a big mechanical advantage while raising the jack, and a nice carry bag included. I’ll be doing my wheel bearing repack in a couple months before hitting the road again with the Ollie, and I think this new scissor jack will be a big improvement for lifting the Ollie. It’s appropriately sized for the Ollie, from the specs I’ve found it’s rated for 3.5 tons. I tried a bottle jack but that requires wooden blocks to get enough lift height, and bottle jacks require additional safety measures like jack stands or the Ollie stabilizers. And the old Dodge truck jack seemed just a little undersized for the Ollie (it was from a Dodge Dakota pickup). And the Agile adapter block fits perfectly under Ollie lift points on the suspension subframe. https://www.ebay.com/itm/AM-GENERAL-5939822-MILITARY-TRUCK-SCISSOR-JACK-NSN-5120-01-375-0070-/284624079355?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m2548.l6249&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0 https://agileoffroad.com/product/agile-h1-scissor-jack-axle-frame-jack-adaptor/

Welcome to the forum! You’ll find forum members that use each of the options you mentioned. We use the Andersen jack blocks (the big red bucket style) under the stabilizer jacks. They’ve worked well but take up a lot of space in the truck bed when not being used. And we use the Camco yellow Lego type blocks under the wheels for side to side leveling. And I built a two stage water filter system into a milk crate.

I think Rob K is asking how to do it when there is not a pressurized water source available, and without having to switch the valves to the boondocking setting.

Here’s a previous post on the forum on a Water Transfer Pump Project about making a portable pump for the situation you are describing.

There are actually 16 zerk fittings in total. There are FOUR hidden ones (2 on each side of the trailer) on the EZ flex links where the links are attached to the subframe bolts, one facing forwards and one facing backwards on each side of the trailer. You found two of them. See photo. I always crawl under the trailer to get to those 4. Sorry about the bad photo, really hard to get the phone in there for a picture. The photo shows the forward facing zerk on the link on the right in the photo. There is rearward facing zerk on the other link on the left in the photo.

Yeah, the aluminum adapter from Agile Offroad that fits over the post is another $90. This Oliver addiction is getting expensive!

Yeah thanks…. I didn’t even know that Army surplus HUMVEE scissor jacks existed until your post. Now I must have one! 😂

The mixed reviews on these scissor jacks on Amazon always keep me from buying one. A lot of good reviews but also some scary failures. I’ve been using a leftover scissor jack that I still have from my old Dodge pickup truck (the truck is long gone). It’s worked really well, very thick metal parts. Might be worth checking scrapyards to find an old factory scissor jack from a full size truck. I’m skeptical of the imported jacks on Amazon.

I bought this Garmin Mini 2. Very compact, inexpensive. Hides nicely behind the rear view mirror in my truck. Nice voice command recognition features. Powered from a USB port so it powers off when the truck is shut off. Optional parking monitor feature but that requires a Wi-Fi connection and a constant power option. Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2, Tiny Size, 1080p and 140-degree FOV, Monitor Your Vehicle While Away w/ New Connected Features, Voice Control https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0931YZ82P/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_9WY041SY5E7KGEAYYAZN

Thanks for sharing John. That’s quite a story. Glad that no one was injured. Stuff can be replaced. Hard to believe how much bad luck can happen within a short time on one trip. Things like this are the reason I’m adding a dash camera before we head out on our next trip in the early spring.

Very nice modification! 👍🏻

Have you disconnected from shore power to see if the noise goes away then?

Hello and welcome to the forum! Since you stated you are totally new to camping, you really should rent or borrow a camper/tow vehicle to try out the experience, at full hookup campgrounds and at boondocking/dispersed camping locations, before making a financial commitment of over $100,000 for an Elite II and a suitable tow vehicle. This forum has a few ex-members who had the dream of life on the open road and jumped right into the big purchase, only to sell everything a short time later when they found out all that is involved for the normal towing and camping experience plus the routine maintenance and the occasional problems that crop up on the road.

I have the 4 x 12volt wet cell option. I’ve been very happy with them. We typically stay at full hookup campgrounds for our long stays, so the batteries only get used for our quick overnight Harvest Host stops on our way to our destinations. No solar or inverter, just using the batteries for lights, water pump, and exhaust fans when stopped at a HH with no hookups. And my battery tray slides out far enough to get the caps off the batteries to check water level. They’ve only needed very minor top off of water on a few cells over the last 3 years.

I’m in the same group as Steve. Overkill when towing and loaded up with cargo is never a bad thing. I’m towing with an F-250 6.2 gas engine, and this is our third tow vehicle after a Ford Expedition and a Nissan Armada. Both of those were ok for towing the Elite II but when fully loaded there wasn’t much safety margin, and they struggled a bit when towing over steep mountains. I would never downsize to a smaller tow vehicle at this point. I love the way the F-250 handles towing the EII, even with the pickup bed loaded with all our camping gear, two bicycles, etc.

Oliver only offers two models: The smaller Elite I with a dry (empty) weight of 3,700 lbs. The larger Elite II with a dry (empty) weight of 4,900 lbs. And when the trailer is loaded with some options, tanks full, and camping accessories you can probably add 500 pounds or more to each of those weights. So even the smaller Elite I is too much weight for your vehicle. If you are really intent on towing with such a small vehicle like the Subaru, you need to be looking at trailers with a dry weight of less than 2,000 lbs. Or consider getting a bigger tow vehicle.

Is the 937 lbs. limit what is printed on the sticker on the Mercedes driver’s door jamb? (The sticker will look something like this shown in the photo. This is from my F-250, a cargo limit of 3,334 lbs and my towing capacity is 12,500 lbs, so the loaded Elite II plus all our camping gear, bicycles, people, etc in the truck is not a problem). If your actual cargo/payload limit is only 937 lbs. then that is definitely not adequate for towing an Elite II. The limit of 937 lbs. seems really low even if you aren’t towing. You would get close to that with just 4 adults and a bit of luggage in the Mercedes.

Yes, no tools needed.

I’ve had the same problem with mine but it seems related to the use of either vinegar for sanitizing or the winterizing solution. I think some of the rubber seals in the faucet head are affected/swell up from exposure to the chemicals, reducing the flow. I just replaced the sprayer head and problem solved. Cheap and easy fix. Dura Faucet RV Kitchen Faucet Designer Toggling Pull-Out Sprayer Replacement - for Dura Faucet Faucets Only (Brushed Satin Nickel) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009Y06H3Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_5WEG1XNWRCRX50546YVP?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I always tell people that the choice of cap vs. tonneau cover really depends on what else you want to use your truck for besides camping. I haul a lot of stuff for home projects, hauling motorcycles in the bed, and moving furniture for friends and relatives, hauling top soil or mulch, etc. So I wanted full standing access to the bed when needed. I went with the WeatherTech folding rigid tonneau cover and a home built bike rack mounted over that as our setup for camping/towing the Ollie. The bike rack is built with quick release attachments so the rack can be easily removed so I can fold up or completely remove the tonneau cover.

If all of your trailer lights and trailer brakes are working correctly when towing, it’s doubtful that those 4 unattached wires are related to the 7 pin harness.

No matter which toilet option you choose, you will still have the gray water tank to empty (the tank that collects water from the sinks/shower) and most states/campgrounds prohibit dumping gray water on the ground, so you’re still dealing with the campground sewer connection. And with the composting toilet you still have to dump the small pee tank somewhere.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Here’s the ball mount hitch and ball I’m using on my F-250. My F-250 has a 2-1/2” receiver. Truck, receiver, ball mount and ball all rated well in excess of the Ollie weight for a big safety margin. The ball mount is a 3” drop and that put the ball at the proper height for my truck. Reese Towpower 45322 2 1/2" Titan... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003JID6U6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share CURT 40056 Stainless Steel... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08557RHP1?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I use a couple quick links on the receiver frame slots to make it easier to connect the safety cable snap hooks. And yes, the Rock Tamers are from Amazon, but make sure you get the set with a 2-1/2” yoke to fit the 2-1/2” stinger. Stainless Steel 316 Quick Link 1/2" (12mm) Marine Grade https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MS5C49E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_R0TD0D7KRVPQPBAJ0HXF?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1