Mountainman198

1. Yes. Installed Firestone airbags. Eliminated jouncing when towing and squatting when carrying a large load in bed. Run 25 lbs. 2. I keep 25 lbs in the bags at all times. Firms up ride a little but not too bad. You need to keep some pressure in the bags at all times so they do not get pinched and damaged (I think it is 5-10 lbs minimum) so you could tailor your ride as desired. 3. The amounts on the door plate did not change. Wink!

2018 Tundra SR longbed doublecab 4wd. ARE topper and firestone airbags. 1450 lbs payload Average 12 mpg towing E2. I also have a 2003 Dodge crewcab 3500 4wd SRW that I tow with at least once a year (16-17 mpg towing). I prefer towing with the Tundra even though I have less payload. Were I to carry more gear in the truck bed I would use the Dodge more or replace the Tundra with a 3/4 ton.

Many of us carry our generator in the back of our tow vehicle.

I just ordered Timken bearings for my E2, from Summit Racing Equipment. Upon receipt and inspection they are ALL labeled, “Made in USA”! shipping was quick and free.

Based on my observations from 2.5 months of travel this Winter across NM, AZ and CA, this is already happening. Greater vacancies in campgrounds, BLM land and fewer rigs on the road than the two prior Seasons. It will be interesting to hear the experiences from those who camp and travel during the Summer months and in other States as to whether this trend is greater than just NM, AZ and CA over this past Winter.

I saw several of these overloaded diesel crew cab DRW 4x4 3500 trucks in the SW this past Winter. Many had huge, tall truck bed campers with substantial rear overhang (some with slides on rear and both sides), some even with long stinger hitches, hauling dual axle toy haulers which likely had over 750 lb tongue weight. Saw one with all of the above at Walmart in Deming. The poor truck was squatting and they were not running any type of weight distribution hitch. Must have been like a carnival ride going down the highway. I much prefer the balanced, easy to tow experience of the Ollie for enjoyment of the trip down the highway.

Still have the original front logo but am planning to remove and replace with the attached. If you are thinking it looks as though it was designed by a Kindergartner, it was. One of the kids who used to ride my school bus drew it and I thought it was apt for "Lottie".

I use a bungee cord hooked into the Andersen whale tail pin and wrapped around the Bulldog coupler when parked.

pretty sure it is a Kia. The unique body line at bottom of B pillar, unique eyebrow roofl;ine at top of Windshield and mirror turn signal slits match up. From what I have seen, a Telluride has a 5,000 lb tow capacity.

I believe the TV is a KIA Telluride.

“Lottie” is what I named my E2, as in, “la di frickin da!” “Down by the river” seemed too long for a name. 🤪

I bought a cheap 2"hitch ball, cut off the shaft and secure it in the coupler mouth with a collar and abus lock. When underway, the collar and abus lock remain in place to lock the coupler to the hitch.

I have owned a Dodge 3500 crew cab SRW (single rear wheel), 8' box for the last 20 yrs. Even my 2018 Tundra is a crew cab with 8' bed. Both trucks have hard shell toppers/. My views on trucks is rigid old school and that anything less than a 8' bed is not a true pickup. I realize this is a personal and likely silly opinion to hold and like my face, it is not for everyone. 😉 This said, I have never wished either of my trucks had larger cabs or shorter beds. When not hauling the Ollie, they serve as junk, plywood, motorcycle, lawnmower haulers and short term camping rigs Having the 8' bed helps in all of these uses. The longer wheelbase of each pickup also makes for a stable ride when hauling the trailer. I would dissuade you from a dually if the only hauling you do is the Ollie. Best of luck in your search for a Tow Vehicle.

I tried this when I ordered mine in 2021. No such luck. You want the couch, no wing for you.

I travel alone with Pets. I decided against the couch option and went with the twin configuration for the following reasons: -couch option deletes the bed wing on the couch side, making for a narrower bed. -I didnt want to stow all of the couch cushions when I have a human guest travel with me -couch cushions are vertical and not that comfy for slouching (those who have tried lounging at the dinette can attest to this) Instead, I bring four down-filled throw pillows with me and can stack them into a wedge for slouching etc. It’s also easier to stow the down pillows when using as a bed. Works for me. Should you experience condensation on the inner wall under the belly band it is easier to spot without being covered with couch cushions and the pillows are easily moved Also, I can switch sides for sleeping easily and not have to deal with a narrow bed on the one side

I have been out camping in NM, SoCal and AZ since mid-Dec. Observations are as follows: AZ -While State Park campsite reservation systems have often shown no spots available, up to 1/3 of the campsites remain empty. Talking to camp hosts at several of the campgrounds they blame people who make reservations, pay and then don’t show. So no spots available but many spots empty. Frustrating! NM -State Park campgrounds continue to fill up in improved campgrounds with hookups. Where available, room remains in campsites without hookups -the “reserve, then no-show” behavior noticed in AZ does not appear to be impacting NM State Park campgrounds ability to fill the improved campsites SoCal -had no issues finding campsites in FCFS areas within Joshua Tree -had no issues finding campsites with hookups or without hookups along the I10 corridor General observation: AZ and NM seem to be about as busy as they were during the 2020/21 and 2021/22 Winter seasons. Even though the Canadians are back in full force, there does not seem to be a overload at State Park campgrounds or boondocking/BLM areas (including Quartzsite). This tells me that more people are parking their RVs and not coming out to camp this Winter. I just wish they would cancel their reservations so the rest of us can use the sites that sit empty.

The neighbors like to shortcut thru the yard when I am away

Don’t overlook the issue of maneuverability and width when visiting National Park campgrounds. I speak from experience of having gone into some campgrounds where the 8.5’ width and length of the other trailer I was considering (Bigfoot 25b25T) would have been a burden. The fact that the Ollie is 7’ wide and the wheels track close to that of the Tow Vehicle make for a very “sneaky” approach (as well as retreat if the need arises to back out of a twisty and narrow campground road). Sure, there are times I wish I had more room inside but ONLY when I am sitting inside the trailer. When towing down the road and finding a campsite I have never regretted the Oliver. I have camped in areas where I am certain I would not have been able to visit in the bigfoot. The right trailer for you is the one that gets you out camping. Best wishes in your decision

I realize this is overkill but I already had this for use outdoors and away from the trailer. I place it on the nightstand, floor or counter and you can charhe 3 each of usb and 110ac gizmos. i agree that having a couple usb ports on each side of the nightstand was/would be a great feature to have. https://www.amazon.com/EF-ECOFLOW-Portable-Multiple-Recharge/dp/B08T1KY8SG/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=ecoflow+river&qid=1674411442&sr=8-3

If he doesn’t have it downloaded yet, the iOverlander app has proven extremely useful to me for finding boondocking spots (BLM land, National Forest campgrounds, State land and Wildlife preserves that allow camping.). There is no cost for the app and it shows not only boondocking sites but also established campgrounds, dump and water sites, truck stops and Walmarts etc

I know a lot of us travel with our pets. Would love to see pics of your pets in or near your Ollie. I’ll start

Bummer to have missed you two. Was there a week ago in site #18. Perhaps we will connect somewhere in AZ again. Safe travels

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Hoping to meet even more Oliver Family on the road this Winter. image from Rockhound State Park (Deming, NM)

Classy!