Ollie-Haus

We are booked for the rally and looking forward to meeting everyone there. The ARB is not fully installed yet but will be mounted vertically on the side of the driver's side battery under the hood. This makes for a very short connection to the battery. If you don't have dual batteries there's even more room. The concept for the install is in this thread: https://www.fordtremor.com/threads/another-arb-compressor-install.9918/#post-211910

I had already installed an ARB Twin air compressor system on my truck, so the air bags were a no brainer. I only had to add the bluetooth control system to the kit. You guys are probably getting the willies with delivery only a week away. We're about six weeks out so I'm getting more focused on getting all the related things in order.

I love my LEDs. I call the high beams my landing lights. As good as any I've seen on an aircraft. Speaking of aircraft, I love your "Tug" and "Tail #" reference in your signature line. I hadn't thought of that but I like it.

Nice to know you have positive experience with the heavier spring pack. Makes it an option down the road.

That is correct. I'm guessing if they put the heavier springs on the LE2 it would ride like a log wagon to the detriment of everything on board. I did say "but you do have increased actual axle capacity", not increased trailer load capacity. You do get the benefit of more brake capacity and heavier bearings, so there are performance gains with the same ride quality for the trailer. I mentioned this in the context of the OP's questions about the newer LE2's having increased dry weight over older models. This is why I emphasized the heavier undercarriage, which of course is because of the heavier axles. I didn't do a very good job of articulating my point.

Having a 350 crew cab truck you wouldn't think air bags would be needed with the lite tongue weight of the LE2. Unfortunately we often get the brights flash from oncoming cars at night thinking I'm driving with high beams, even with no load on the truck. I've confirmed my headlight aim is correct and it still happens. As has been mentioned by others, our truck rides much taller than most stock trucks, but the problem is actually due to the projector beam LED headlight having a very focused cut off line for the top of light beam. with the slightest rise in the road contour you can see the focus line rise above the eye level of the oncoming car. For that reason I have already purchased the bluetooth controlled air bags for the rear suspension to make possible correcting headlight aim while loaded. If your new truck will have LED headlights, I would recommend you get the factory leveling system. Oncoming traffic will appreciate your effort. BTW, sometimes folks will just turn their brights on instead of just giving a quick flash. If they are far enough away to not cause a safety concern, I will give them a quick taste of the high beams, I call this an appreciation flash. When they see how bright the actual high beams are, they appreciate the low beams much more.

Wow that's nice. This is one accessory we will probably be looking into down the road. I'd heard of this somewhere but this is the first time seeing one. Love all your fine work and will be in touch as we figure out which items we need to add to our Ollie once delivered.

Sounds like you pushed forward with confidence. Congratulations and thanks for the nice report. Even having travel trailer camped a lot in the past, a new rig to us will come with it's customary unfamiliarities. Looks like you were more than successful. A couple of things I learned years ago as a newbie. Never be an early bird checking out on Sunday morning. The Type A's that live and work on a "Railroad schedule" are there waiting in line and you can feel the tension if you're unable to get in and out in 7.2 minutes. Also regarding checkout schedule, staying Sunday night and checking out on Monday or even Tuesday is very pleasant, especially if you enjoy a little quiet solitude. A lot of camp grounds and especially state parks are ghost towns by 1-2 pm on Sunday.

I'm with you. And I too am baffled when people ask me questions like, "how do you know how to do that". I've always sought out knowledge about anything I endeavor to do, it used to be the library and how to magazines. Today it's the internet and YouTube primarily. I never was that good in school as a student of the established system of learning. But I've always been very good at finding answers to my questions and more so on the how to of things I've yet learned to do. When I get asked that question I just refer them to the internet. Often you get the "that's too much trouble" look in return. Oh well.

Interesting that Tennessee has a "booster seat and seat belt safety mascot" named Ollie Otter. I was thinking of some kind of a mascot type toy that Oliver TT could pick up on. In trying to find ideas for this concept I ran across on line information about the state's Ollie Otter safety mascot program. Not sure if this is in any way usable but it's an interesting twist. https://ollieotter.org/ https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Ollie+Otter+safety+mascot&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images

This is a good example of the kind of resources available to the novices, and even as a refresher for us experienced haulers. Anybody looking to get into towing for the first time or who are just unfamiliar with the governing factors of towing and tow vehicles need to dig into this kind of information before buying a tow vehicle.

Yep that was part of the discussion as well. The components on the 5K axles are more universally available and the brakes and hubs are a more standardized size than those on the 3.5K axles. Lug pattern matches more available wheels, etc. I was very surprised and happy when he told us about this change. All part of a push to streamline components, suppliers, inventory and parts management. He talked a lot about efforts to better organize the assembly process as it applies to component management. Obviously to improve everything and get more efficient in the process, reduce errors and probably increase throughput as well I'm sure. All positive.

That's the reason I tend to think in terms of sizing for maximum trailer weight and then add in a good margin. It's easy for folks to get fixated on the trailer weight and what you will add into the trailer, but other gear loaded in the truck, passengers pets and misc. is significant in the overall load equation. I just like to have plenty of truck and not have to carry a calculator. With that I mean if you have say 3000 lbs of payload capacity on the truck and a tow capacity of say >12000 lbs, it's good to know how much you weigh total but your margins with and LE2 are substantial, and you don't have to worry about whether tanks are full or if you bought an item, say a grill or bike or something and have to worry about capacities. With plenty of truck you also know you are traveling with plenty of braking capacity, thinking mountains. For what it's worth BTW, it was explained to us on our last plant tour that Oliver is building the LE2 now with the same 5K axles as the LE1 uses. This is for cost and logistics/supplier streamlining. The LE2 still has the same load sticker on the side, but you do have increased actual axle capacity with two 5K axles under the trailer. Just a more robust and heavier undercarriage in this configuration. This works well with my thinking of having more than we need. Many RVs are built to be at axle capacity with full holding tanks and almost no margin for gear at all. Oliver is not doing this to say the least. With the trucks you are looking at you will have a lot of capacity beyond the Oliver. It's good to know where you stand but that will be the extent of your towing worries.

I laughed at this comment because I was the same way. Used to go to all the diesel truck pulls, subscribed to tuner magazines back in the day and all that. I get it. I'm older now and getting quite settled in practicality more and more these days. I'm also a little nostalgic when it comes to the old school big block gas engines these days, takes me back to my youth. But low and behold you can save a ton of money buying a truck with a "new" old school engine. I know they don't perform like the high output diesels, but they are so much better than the engines we used to love when we were right out of high school. And coupled to a modern 10 speed and wow can they pull. I open the hood of my truck and I can actually see all eight spark plugs (coils) and if I get up above that tall engine compartment l can see all the way to the ground. It's like they made a 180 and started making basic again. Anyway You know what will make you happy in the end and that's what counts. I do like many of the creature comforts that come on the upscale packages though. I get pretty sore and stiff driving more than an hour or two and for that I really love heated and cooled seats with the massaging feature. It really takes the misery out of a 5 hour drive. I also love adaptive cruise control. I'm never in a giant hurry to get there ahead of the rest of the world, so setting my cruise at 65-70 and just letting the traffic "pull me down the road" is perfect for me. Pulling the Ollie I won't be going any faster than that anyway. I was in your shoes about three years ago when we were finalizing our truck and RV acquisition plans. The nice thing is with a new truck and an Oliver, you have the best value scenario in many ways. You have a truck that's separate from the RV which multiplies it's value in every way. And you have an RV that will last decades and really retain it's value. and when you get where you're going you have your sight seeing vehicle with you. Motorhomes just seem like a nightmare to me when it comes to service and overall value. And logistically you have to own more vehicles when you go that route. And the stick built campers are just a mistake. Sure they work but you loose your rear and they are just replete with quality issues. I'm looking forward to seeing what you get and maybe we'll sit around the campsite talking trucks and horsepower some day. 😆

Two trucks back I had an F350 Diesel Crew Cab Dually 4x4. Unless I was planning on pulling an extremely heavy 5th wheel or hauling a full sized truck camper, I would not buy a dually for camping again. The dual wheel configuration will be of zero value pulling and LE2. They will get in the way a lot, they preclude you from most car washes, you won't be able to rotate tires without dismounting the tires from the rims, and the finders are always at risk when entering any tight space. My fenders got hit by other drivers while sitting in parking lots two times in five years. Also duallys are terrible in snowy conditions compared to single wheels. I've owned two 6.5' beds on full sized trucks in my two trucks since the dually. I've built a house, a 36x26 finished garage and remodeled another house from top to bottom and built a one car garage using the short bed trucks. Never once did I feel I needed a long bed for the many loads of materials I hauled to do those jobs. In other words the short beds were more than adequate. One truck back was a cab and a half configuration with the short bed. Often I wished I had gotten the crew cab, even though it was always just my wife and I. The back seat just wasn't very useful and the few times folks rode back there it was less than comfortable. The one caveat with it was it was the shortest of the last three trucks and was a joy do drive around. Leap forward to the current truck. F350 Crew Cab 4x4 with 6.5' bed. The first thing I got for this truck which was purchased with the LE2 in mind, was a fiberglass camper shell. There is more than enough secure storage in the bed under the cap. We even got a fitted "Airbedz" inflatable mattress that's the size of a queen bed. If we happen to have guests travel with us they could sleep comfortably in the back of the truck, plenty of room to stretch out. The new truck is still much more maneuverable than the old dually, is very easy to daily drive and the back seat is very spacious. I can't think of what I would do different if I had to get another new truck. I think you will really like the megacab and I think it's worth the other "sacrifices". I really doubt you'll feel like you have insufficient storage with the short bed, but you will have an easier driving truck. Regarding the 30 gallon tank, there are aftermarket companies that can fix you up with a larger replacement tank even with the short bed configuration. Now I'm going to go there. I was in love with diesels years ago. Nothing could convince me that a gas engine was worth even a consideration. Move forward a few generations and with the epa required "clean diesel" fuel and exhaust management systems, the only way I would buy a diesel would be if I was pulling more than 15000 pounds regularly. I like the power and fuel economy of a diesel, but I don't like the astronomical costs up front, which is mainly because of the additional epa equipment added to the trucks. But I also don't like the added maintenance requirements and expense that comes with the new diesels. You mentioned trying to save money by getting lower level trim packages, but you could also save 10 grand or more up front by skipping the diesel. And you would get a much simpler and easier to maintain truck with a standard gas engine. I don't blame you if you are in love with the diesel choice, I get it. But that's another "feature" that you really don't need at all if your main load is an Olliver LE2. Oh, did I mention diesel averages a dollar more a gallon. I know they get better mileage but there went a lot of the "advantage" until the fuel prices come down a lot closer the gasoline prices, if they ever do. With epa regs tightening up over the next decade the price spread will probably get bigger. There's my two and a half cents.

Congratulations on your Ollie acquisition, and welcome to the Oliver family. That's one sharp looking mascot you have guarding the camper there. Look forward to getting to know both here and in person some day. We pick up our Ollie in about 7 weeks.

I saw them on YouTube as well but wanted to watch later. Nowhere to be found this evening. 😒

Here's a page from the Super Duty Tremor Forum with links to conversations with Zach at Granger Ford. He and Granger are very up front with their pricing and policies and many have bought from them on the Tremor Forum with nothing but praise for the outstanding service Granger offers. This applies to many of the vehicles Granger offers. In today's market this is a great place to work a deal. https://www.fordtremor.com/threads/welcome-granger-ford-as-a-sponsor-of-fordtremor-com.6551/

Yep that system swung west of us and wrapped around us to the north about 75 miles away. We were 68 yesterday and 66 and bright sun today. Looks like we'll be staying above freezing for the most part all the way into March. Strange winter.

I've been putting together an on board tool kit for our future LE2 and I'm including in that kit spare fuses specific to our build. For anyone that needs spares or wants to do the same and put a kit together, a good source for high grade UL rated fuses at reasonable prices and quick shipping is McMaster-Carr. Most come in multi packs of 5pcs. Also I've found they usually ship within 24 hours. I usually receive items I order within 3 days. Here are links to pages for various fuses that would apply to our campers: Time delay fuses: https://www.mcmaster.com/products/fuses/time-delay-glass-tube-fuses/ Fast-acting fuses: https://www.mcmaster.com/products/fuses/fast-acting-glass-tube-fuses/ Blade style fuses: https://www.mcmaster.com/products/fuses/automotive-fuses/ Blade Style circuit breakers: https://www.mcmaster.com/products/circuit-breakers/blade-style-dc-circuit-breakers/ For those unaware McMaster-Carr is one of the largest industrial supply companies in the US and carry substantial inventories of hardware items, industrial components and materials. And they sell retail to the general public. They aren't the cheapest, but you will find almost anything you would ever need in their warehouses ready to ship.

We have good friends that live in the Sun City area that we plan to visit once we get settled with the Ollie. It would be great to meet up with you when we head west.

Back when we first visited Oliver in 2019 they had about six campers in the lot outside the old sales building. I think orders have just been strong enough that we've gotten used to no time to schedule stock campers. Regardless it's nice for anyone that wants to move a little faster.

Just a few days ago there was only one LE2 listed as inventory. They may have been able to fit some inventory builds in between customer orders due to slower orders. It is nice that they can have some for immediate sales. Some folks who would otherwise pass up Olivers due to lead time may jump on a stock trailer since there's no waiting.

Hey Rene, I don't have any doubt you will pull it off with a flare. Patience is on your side. My wife and I knowing we were just a few years away from retirement started working our plan a little more than three years ago. It was an elaborate plan that has been adjusted a couple of times, but we have stayed the course. We started out by selling a piece of vacation property that we decided we weren't going to develop, and used that money to buy a small fixer upper for retirement. We pulled that off and 3 years later I'm finishing the total remodel and we are ready to move in in a few weeks. While all that was playing out we knew we wanted to travel in an RV and had to narrow down the type and brand/model that would be the mobile half of our retirement. Long story short after waffling between a couple options we settled on the Elite 2. All the time we were whittling down our RV choice we pulled the trigger on the required new tow vehicle. We settled on a Ford F350 with a gas engine and placed an order in Jan. of '21. The plan was to get it paid off as quickly as possible and then place the order for the Oliver. With the housing market at a peak we decided last April to place the current home we had been living in for sale and use the proceeds to pay off the truck, and all other debts and order the Oliver. Everything was falling into place. We rented the house next door to the remodel, I retired from my job to focus on finishing the remodel as quick as possible, and move into the retirement "cracker box" just in time to pick up the Ollie. Well as you can see, sometimes things fall into place. We are scheduled to pick up "Ollie-Haus" on the 18th of April and I'm hoping we are moved out of the rental and settling into the house by then. I'll need some vacation time at that point for sure. You have a lot of ambition and a plan you are developing, and I have no doubt as I said you will pull it off. Bide your time, make informed decisions and do everything you can to knock the debt down to a minimum and you will be there before you know it. I like your enthusiasm and can't wait to read about your milestones on the way.

One thing to keep in mind regarding pickups. Regardless of 150/1500 series all the way up to 350/3500 series, the overall size or footprint of the truck is essentially the same. You will have small variations in overall length depending on the size of the bed and some cabs are slightly shorter or longer. Point being they are all full size trucks so regardless of capacity, they are all basically the same size. Also as close as you can get as far as on board features when comparing, the prices are relatively close as well. A well equipped F150 with V8 engine and towing packages, will not be much less than an F250 with similar equipment and a gas engine. If payload is important to you, it's better to look the direction of the heavier series trucks as opposed to just getting by with a half ton and limited payload for nearly the same money in the end. Just trying to throw out thinking points since you are at the decision stage right now. You know your budget and comfort level best, but it's most economical as you know to do this once and get it right rather than revisit the TV purchase process a year into owning the Oliver.