Mountainman198
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Posts posted by Mountainman198
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17 minutes ago, topgun2 said:
Did I see that you are not going to hang around for the Rally? If you do get there - please look me up.
No, not going to make the Rally this year, heading to MI for a few months. Hopefully will make it next year and meet many more Oliver owners then.
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1300 miles later and we arrived to a spot most of you will recognize. David Crockett State Park. Heading to Hohenwald for service tomorrow and will stay at the campground at the Sales Office. Trip was uneventful, here are my observations towing with the diesel vs. Tundra:
1) MPG - 16 total trip. As high as 16.4 in Kansas with a side wind. Even with the higher cost of diesel, I figured I saved about $15 in the cost of fuel on this trip. If You had to buy DEF it would be less.
2) Ride - a bit stiffer than the Tundra but not bad. Zero jounce as could be expected3) Braking- much better with the Dodge but not for the reason I expected. The aftermarket brake controller I had installed in the Dodge worked far better than the integrated unit that came in the Tundra. Much better adjustability and much more power. I could never get the trailer brakes to lock up with the controller in the Tundra but it was easy with the aftermarket controller. Tundra forums cover this issue if anyone is interested. I will be ordering a aftermarket controller for the Tundra when I return home.
4) Transmission - towing with a stick is great. Made me wish that Toyota offered a 6 spd manual. Oh well.5) overall - The Dodge is way more truck than I need for towing the Elite II. While a fun experiment, the Tundra will get put back in place soon as the Dedicated TV for the Ollie. The Dodge will go back to towing the car hauler.
I can see where if you were hauling a lot of gear in the bed the 1 ton ( or a 3/4 ton) would make a lot of sense or if you towed a lot in the mountains a diesel would make sense or if the cost of diesel ever comes down it would make sense for the fuel economy but since the Tundra can’t tow the car hauler and Dodge no longer makes diesel trucks with manual transmissions, its back to the Tundra for towing the Ollie.
Oh, and we stumbled across the worlds largest ball of sisal twine in Kansas. Clark Griswald was nowhere to be found.
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As recent as 2021 they still came with printed manuals. Agree that having it in print is handy, especially when off grid with no cell reception.
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5 hours ago, Trainman said:
Since you have been towing trailers before with your two vehicles, I'm not sure what you are wanting to find in your comparison that most of us probably already know. It a big 1 ton truck vs a 1/2 truck, diesel vs gas, rough ride vs smoother ride, etc. Personally I'd take the Tundra, newer vehicle and less change of some type of failure on a 15 year vehicle.
trainman
The Tundra was bought to tow the Oliver. It will continue to be the primary TV, regardless of how the Ram performs. The Dodge needs its legs stretched so it will get placed into service for this trip. Mostly interested in M.P.G. towing between the two. The ride is rougher than the Tundra but not by much. Dodge has 145,000 mi on it, >80% of this running at 1900 rpm in 6th gear on the interstate. Growing up in MI this truck would have never made it to the age of 19 without rusting apart, but as a CO vehicle from new it still has paper stickers on the axles and zero rust. It runs like new and will remain in service for many years to come. Drives like a new truck, just more than is needed for the Ollie.
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Up until now, I have been towing my 2021 Elite II with a 2018 Toyota Tundra Longbed with a topper. It tows the E2 great and I have never had issues with accelerating, climbing passes or stopping. M.P.G. is between 10-12 depending on terrain and wind. Fully handles the E2 as I had hoped.
I also own a 2003 Dodge 3500 longbed 5.9 Cummins 6-spd manual with dually delete. Truck also has a topper. Have had thus truck since new and it usually tows a 26' enclosed car hauler while carrying a popup camper in the bed. MPG while towing has been around 12 (13-14 without the camper).
Getting ready to head East to Hohenwald soon towing with the Dodge. Will be interesting to compare the two. Will post a update at the other end.
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2 hours ago, VBistro said:
McGukins rules!
I LOVE McGuckin Hardware. They have saved my bacon many times with their broad inventory. If they don't have 6061 Aluminum I bet they can point you to someone local who can help. There are a ton of fabricators in Boulder and Denver.
Good luck
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Watch RV Lcck's website for sales. They often offer 25% off, making the lock the cheapest I could find online. I had a issue with my lock and their customer service was great, walking me thru diagnosis then sending me a part to replace the broken part. Highly recommend them
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I await a company which will develop and launch a true Series Hybrid HD pickup, capable of towing on diesel long distances while running on battery short distances for errands around town and unladen commutes. Then I will get excited.
Full disclosure, our household has utilized a Chevrolet Volt for 6 yrs and appreciate the EV operation for commutes, errands and short jaunts near home, while having the option of heading cross-country on gas at 45 m.p.g.
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Waiting to see my first Tesla Cybertruck, with a trailer in tow, parked across (blocking) ten superchargers in order to charge their Tow Vehicle. Just wait, it's bound to happen once the truck has been launched. 🤣
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Use my Elite II almost exclusively for Boondocking, even when at campgrounds I prefer the undeveloped sites because of the Oliver capabilities (composting toilet, solar, batteries(6V AGM) and boondock port..
Re: leaks? I have been on the site now for several years and have read most if not all of the forum posts about leaks you reference. My take is that many posts incorrectly conflate a potential leak with condensation due to lack of ventilation. Have not had any issues with leaks and don't anticipate any as I will maintain the caulking and roof openings. Ventilation is your friend.
Good luck with your research and potential purchase.
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No impact to travel. Potential increase in Ramen purchases. 🤣
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CONGRATS! Glad to see yet another Ollie in N. MI!
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Congrats!
Take your time during orientation and performing your delivery inspection. Everyone at Oliver was great in answering questions and not rushing me thru the process. Grab a cup of coffee, relax and enjoy getting to know your new Ollie.
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13 minutes ago, John Welte said:
Certainly cheaper than the KTT mattress. Lighter too. It looks like a way to save money while still getting a comfortable bed. I might go this route.
If you have a REI store near you, keep an eye out at their Garage Sale section. The rotating valve appears to be confusing to many, so it gets returned and can often be had for $40-70. Get the XL model and don't worry that the corners are square as they will conform to the contour of the hull.
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I use one of these, wrapped in a colorful, patterned wool blanket, on top of the factory cushion. Then when it is time for bed, out comes the sleeping bag and ZZZZZ. In the morning, the sleeping bag goes in the stuff sack and into the closet, along with the pillow and the colorful wool blanket over the sleeping pad stays in place. This sleeping pad fits the twin perfectly and is just as comfortable as my custom, handmade mattress at home.
https://www.rei.com/product/147924/rei-co-op-camp-dreamer-xl-self-inflating-deluxe-bed
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Springtime in the Rockies. Taken two days ago. Bluebird sky today, but another storm on the way tonight, then yet another 2022 Spring starting Tuesday (the 4th this year).
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I didn't order Lithium with my trailer and have just returned from 2.5 months in the SW, some campgrounds with hookups but the majority was either campgrounds where dry camping was available or boondocking. The solar, 2000 watt inverter and 6V AGMs performed flawlessly. I had enough power each night to run the furnace from bedtime to awakening, run electriconics and have lights. I would not have benefitted from the Lithiums mostly because I don't use a electric coffee-maker, hairdryer, microwave, crockpot or waffle iron. For my use, the standard solar and 6V battery bank is more than I need. Now, if Lithium prices came down considerably by the time I am ready to replace my AGMs would I splurge? Maybe, maybe not since a lot of my camping happens during Winter months and in the cold and Lithium just doesn't perform to its full potential in the cold.
I understand why many upgrade to Lithium and it makes sense for their camping patterns.
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22 minutes ago, FrankC said:
So whose Oliver is in this photo on Amazon for these levelers?
Love the clean look without the lower fridge vent. Looks like it has a SOA lift as well. These two features alone should single this unit out.
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I love what the previous owners did to create their adventure vehicle but I love more what you have done to bring it back to its original form. I hadn't real;ized that the P.O. had cut the frame...bummer.
You get my award for Most Incredible Journey with a Oliver!
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I went a different route and am glad I did. The ladder I carry in the bed of my truck is a multi-position ladder and can be used as a stepladder, straight ladder or leaning ladder. The transition is done with one hand actuating a large grip latch. The ladder is made of fiberglas, supports 375 lbs and only weighs 24 lbs. I am tall so I use it as a stepladder which is quite stable, never touches the trailer and allows me to reach nearly everything on top of my Ollie (washing and waxing the roof included). If a person is shorter, opening it to be a straight ladder would allow you to lean it against the hull (with padding of course).
When I bought y ladder Home Depot had the same model for less and Lowe's price matched it (think it was $127 plus tax).
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On 3/4/2022 at 4:47 PM, Mike and Carol said:
At 71.5” the Elite II is no problem. I did meet an Elite II owner at Catalina State Park in January who seemed to be at least 6’6”! Maybe he @Mountainman198will chime in! Mike
Good eye, Mike. At 6’6” I have no issue inside my Elite II. I am a shoes off in the house kind of guy so my experience is in stocking feet.
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almost exclusively use iOverlander, but then again my camping style is freeform, with few reservations and on the hunt for last minute serindip away from the crowds.
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11 hours ago, BackofBeyond said:
My question - when is a basically a 2-person sleeper -, 4 season RV too much $$$
I think there will be enough buyers who would buy a EII even at a $90k base price. Granted a base of $90k would knock many of us out of play (me included) but there are those to whom the quality and exclusivity would be worth it and make the purchase.
Last week I had the pleasure of camping next to a Living Vehicle Pro-EV model. For those unfamiliar with these Trailers, they are 4 season, solar and lithium monster trailers with enough power to provide level 2 charging for a EV as well as run the AC on battery and solar indefinitely. The trailer camped near me has a base price of $470k. I understand that Living Vehicles have nearly all of their 2022 production sold out.
https://www.livingvehicle.com/models
I predict that Oliver will have no trouble selling all 2023 production slots at the new base prices.
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2 hours ago, Mike and Carol said:
It’s pretty much a non-issue. Yes, we’ve been to campgrounds that had sites that were too short for our Elite II. They also had plenty of sites that we fit in. Commercial campgrounds are no problem. Some public campgrounds, National Parks, some State Parks and some COE and BLM campgrounds may have short sites, but they also usually have sites an Oliver will fit in to. Mike
What Mike said. Only real limitations We have experienced were where We were only staying for one night and did not want to unhitch. Even then, the camp host let us use the larger group site instead so we could stay hitched overnight.
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Natures Head fan failed the day before first trip
in Mechanical & Technical Tips
Posted
We carry a few of these in the camper and a couple in the TV. Convenient when you are only out for a few days and dont want to use the toilet. Just open and lay into the bowl. Double bag when done and throw in trash. They can be found at Cabelas and REI when in the road.
https://www.amazon.com/Anywhere-Lightweight-Backpacking-Zip-Close-Towelette/dp/B089QRH56F/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=WWFQZX6G6AGQ&keywords=cleanwaste&qid=1652302465&sprefix=cleanwaste%2Caps%2C233&sr=8-3