Frank C

Thanks Mike. A very nice setup. I’m thinking about doing a similar tongue box setup when I get my Ollie II. And can you tell me what the gap is between the treads of the two tandem tires on an Ollie? That’ll help me to make sure I order the right Camco wheel stabilizer. Amazon has two sizes as options. The small size says it’s for a tire gap of 1.5” to 3.5” between the treads of the tandem tires, and the large size is for 3.5” to 5.5”. The small size looks like it might be about right (see photo). Thanks, Frank

Mike, is that the Camco brace between the wheels? Camco has two sizes. Which size fits the Ollie II? Thanks, Frank

The capillary wick material can actually help the drainage. The weep holes by themselves can sometimes not drain because of surface tension of the water. And given that the windows are tilted inwards, the tracks won’t drain completely because the outer weep hole is actually a little higher than the bottom inside track surface. A capillary wick material can actually get liquid to flow uphill (just like it does in a wick lantern) to help drain water out of the track. Just have to position the outside end of the wick a bit lower than the end inside the track. As mossemi mentioned, the pipe cleaner works as a pretty good wick as well. I just went a little further and figured I’d try a fiberglass lantern wick material as an experiment, just because I like tinkering. No metal wire to rust. ?

Thanks to all for the info. I think I’ll go the safe route and get the Andersen hitch.

Bill, My spec sheet for the Expedition EL says that without a WD hitch, it’s 6,000 pounds max trailer towing capacity with a max tongue weight of 600 pounds. With a WD hitch it’s 9,200 and 920 respectively. Here’s a pic of the Ford site. The Expedition (6,000/600) is slightly higher than the F-150 (5,000/500) without a WD hitch. With a WD hitch the F-150 is higher (12,500/1,250).

Thanks for the input John. I’ve been going back and forth (a sway pun) on the need for the Andersen hitch with my TV. The Ford Expedition that I’ll be using has the factory heavy duty tow package with the electronic sway control built in, utilizing individual wheel braking to control sway. Some people have advised still having the Andersen hitch as well as a belt and suspenders approach to make sure that there is never a sway issue. I still have almost 6 months to decide till I pick up my Elite II in May so I’ll be researching it a bit more.

Has anyone done any mods to the Andersen hitch to make it just a sway control type hitch but NO weight distribution function? Some way of arranging the chains and attachment points to still utilize the friction cone/tapered ball mount drag to dampen sway, but no WD. As mentioned, the WD function can cause some issues with frame/hitch stress with large dips in the road, driveway approach and departure angles, etc. I’ve seen some of the other friction bar sway control accessories available but just curious if the Andersen can be configured that way.

I did finally receive those fiberglass wicks. They are extremely flexible. See photo. I did some quick tests with a glass of water and they do provide a good capillary action. So I have a pack of them all ready to install when I pick up my Elite II in May. Legends Direct Premium Long Lasting 18-Pack 1/8" x 6" Round Fiberglass Replacement (Tiki) Style Wicks https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008FP73LG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_KNC.BbRPWHWXF

Thanks John. I agree, I want an adjustable regulator with a gauge to actually know what’s going on. And yes, having equipment that’s both functional and looks cool does matter. ?

The Oliver webpage mentions that they provide most of the items needed for campsite hookups like the potable water hose and a water pressure regulator. Is the water pressure regulator an adjustable type or a fixed pressure setting with no adjustment ?

Thanks for the comments. I realize that travel trailers all require regular maintenance just like a house or a vehicle. And I’m pretty handy with those types of projects. So I don’t mind doing that kind of work, just wanted to get a feel for whether or not the water leaks were a hopeless battle. And I’ll be looking at tweaks and upgrades just like most members here do. As far as design issues, that was primarily as mentioned above, the sloping sidewalls of the trailer create a tilt of the windows so if the track overflows it goes to the inside of the trailer. As far as the use of dri-dek, it’s more than just a condensation issue. A few owners have mentioned water leaks coming in at the metal belly band trim that then gets under the mattresses. Looking forward to our delivery day. Hope to see some of you at the rally in May.

Asking as a future owner (May delivery), I’m curious who has experienced or is currently having water leak issues with windows, lights, ac unit, etc.? And what is your hull #? Seeing some of the forum posts, it seems to be a common issue, with a lot of owners adding drip rails over the windows, trying different sealants and caulks (silicone and non-silicone), putting Dri-Dek under the mattresses, etc. Oliver owners appear very patient in dealing with what seems to be a major design or production flaw. Just looking for a trend to see if Oliver has this issue under control or not with newer production.

I’m following this thread because I’m a future OTT owner. We have a May 2019 delivery date scheduled, and I’m hopeful that Oliver has addressed most, if not all, of the common issues by the time of our delivery date. It’s surprising and disappointing to see significant issues even on recent 2018 units. And knowing about the past and current issues gives me an idea of things to look at closely during the new owner orientation/ walk through at delivery. I realize that many of the components used in the Oliver are the general low quality RV industry standard parts like awnings, refrigerator, heater, etc. and every travel trailer manufacturer has issues with those (you should have seen the “things to be fixed” dealer inspection checklist on a Little Guy Max trailer that we looked at!). But I would hope that Oliver at least can fix things in their control like sealing a window frame or their Oliver light to the hull!

Did Oliver ever upgrade the factory installed trim based on this idea?

New to the forum. Just ordered our Elite II on November 2nd. Won’t be delivered until May 9th, but yeah, I had the same thought about using fiberglass lantern wicks. I plan on trying these when I get my trailer. Should provide good capillary action to wick water through the weep slot and out of the track Legends Direct Premium Long Lasting 18-Pack 1/8" x 6" Round Fiberglass Replacement (Tiki) Style Wicks https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008FP73LG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_B5l6BbVAPFHT7