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Starshine

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  • Gender or Couple
    Couple

My RV or Travel Trailer

  • Do you own an Oliver Travel Trailer, other travel trailer or none?
    I don't own a RV or Travel Trailer
  • Hull #
    TBD
  • Make
    Oliver
  • Model
    Legacy Elite II

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  1. Thanks, looks like a trip to Tractor Supply is in my future.
  2. I have a similar John Deere tractor and was considering moving our trailer with it. What type of set up do you use to hitch the trailer to the tractor? Thanks, Vincent
  3. Maniac makes a good point. Glad I was happy with the service. If not I would not have responded. Hope my review does not reflect negative on others because I think the entire company tries hard to please. Audrey
  4. We agree with the above responses. Our sales person is Anita. We will be receiving our camper in a couple of weeks so we are still in the process. Anita has been wonderful. She has a great personality and is always available to answer questions. An additional plus is the entire Oliver family. They communicate well with each other. A few of our questions were about new equipment. If Anita was not familiar with it in her experience or company videos or manuals, she would research (talk to staff) and get back to us with an answer. We love her honesty, great sense of humor and effort to get us the camper look that we want. So far we have been extremely impressed. Audrey and Vincent
  5. In July, we delayed our production order on our Elite 1 because we hoped they could give us the lithium batteries. Plus. like on Games of Thrones "Winter was coming". We knew they were placing them in the Elite ll and questioned about placing them in the Elite l. Oliver was gracious enough to say they would get back to us. We understood it may require additional changes to the camper like a different solar controller/charger, battery mounting in tray and wiring. So, we kept our fingers crossed. Lithium or not, we are anxiously waiting for our camper scheduled for the end of March.
  6. A big congrats to Hull 735! Good luck on your adventures. FYI: Comparison chart Lithionics and Battle Born We will be picking up our Elite l this month, hopefully with lithium batteries. We purchased the Solar Package and specifically asked for the batteries. At the time, we were thinking Battle Born but after the above info it looks like it may be Lithionics. We will be glad to get either one during this pandemic since supplies can easily be depleted. Although we are not familiar with Lithionics we are impress with the effort Oliver makes to bring us the best products available for the price range. We checked out a few websites and I thought others may want to see the comparison chart below. We were researching the temperature range of the batteries. My concern is the hot Vegas temperatures in the summer. My husband is not so worried. Audrey & Vincent
  7. Thanks! Just went back and corrected my misspelling of composting (composite) from a couple of days ago. That was just too embarrassing.
  8. Wish this software had a grammar checker. I am too quick to hit the enter key. Audrey
  9. SeaDawg saw it yesterday and loved it. Their attitude of stop and smell the roses is spot on. We are like Katie and Steve, I like planning apps but my husband, Vincent, like Steve enjoys following the data found on the touch screen display. He constantly monitors energy usage, battery level, charging rate ( smiles if it hits 150kw ) and so on. As mentioned earlier, the Model X would have a difficult time towing up some mountains if it does not have a great battery range. (Depending on the distance and battery level, an X could beat an ice truck). Unfortunately there are not many chargers in some elevated and or isolated areas. Everyday Tesla is adding chargers all over the world. In the mean time, we ordered a Tesla Tri Motor Cyber Truck . We want the large battery not only for towing but to have plenty left for the outlets on the the truck. We will not need additional collectors with all that energy. Heard there may be a slight delay but we expected that to be the situation. Just like many EV owners or future owners, we enjoy traveling in our vehicles taking breaks to charge and enjoy the scenery. While charging there is a multitude of games, podcasts, news channels, music, Internet and Google Map to explore. However, If people in a hurry to get to their destination or live in an area that is very isolated than an EV is not for them. Luckily, for us we have the time. So glad you order a cyber truck too. Can't wait!
  10. No problem with our hitch receiver; not even rattling. We do have to add the electronic brake controller around $500. Wow, like that electric bike!
  11. SeaDawg your article above on the 2017 RPod180 is a great example of what we are planning to do with our Oliver. For 45 days, this couple towed 7,700 miles across the southeastern U.S. using a Model X and a travel trailer. They were happy with their 45 days round trip. I must admit the RPOD180 is like the Casita both having a small TW, UBW, and GVWR. Plus the 2 of them like the Oliver are aerodynamically built. So our experience will require more charging but like the other Model X owners we are not bothered by the extra time charging. Unlike them, we charge for free so why we pay for breakfast, lunch or dinner, our Tesla eats free. A note, even if we paid it is not very expensive. Loved the article. Impressed with their mileage considering their Tesla has a 295 range and they were getting a cut of 45 to 60% depending on hills and wind. We figure on the 60%. Also, like us their average speed when towing is 55 to 60. East coast laws require towing vehicles to drive slower and most of our highways and parkways have lower speed limits anyway. Out west it is harder to go 60 when the speed limit is 70 but I worry about safety towing that fast not only for me but other people too. We don't anticipate any problems with the hitch or the brake controller. Like the Oliver Forum, Tesla Forum has plenty of info on how to install their brake controller and working with hitching a trailer. Thanks for the sunny outlook.
  12. SeaDawg your article above on the 2017 RPod180 is a great example of what we are planning to do with our Oliver. For 45 days, this couple towed 7,700 miles across the southeastern U.S. using a Model X and a travel trailer. They were happy with their 45 days round trip. I must admit the RPOD180 is like the Casita both having a small TW, UBW, and GVWR. Plus the 2 of them like the Oliver are aerodynamically built. So our experience will require more charging but like the other Model X owners we are not bothered by the extra time charging. Unlike them, we charge for free so why we pay for breakfast, lunch or dinner, our Tesla eats free. A note, even if we paid it is not very expensive. Loved the article. Impressed with their mileage considering their Tesla has a 295 range and they were getting a cut of 45 to 60% depending on hills and wind. We figure on the 60%. Also, like us their average speed when towing is 55 to 60. East coast laws require towing vehicles to drive slower and most of our highways and parkways have lower speed limits anyway. Out west it is harder to go 60 when the speed limit is 70 but I worry about safety towing that fast not only for me but other people too. We don't anticipate any problems with the hitch or the brake controller. Like the Oliver Forum, Tesla Forum has plenty of info on how to install their brake controller and working with hitching a trailer. Thanks for the sunny outlook.
  13. We have to look into the Tesla 7 pin connector wiring and the Velcro wraps. We were planning on getting the solar package. As far as aerodynamics and the roof, the air conditioner, vents and antennas already effect air flow so we figured it wasn't going to make that much of a difference. Collectors aren't new to us. We have had them on our house since 1983 starting with mechanical and then updating to solar. There are even solar collectors on our pool area pergola. Not sure the flexible panels would perform or last as well as the framed. The Bimini brand sounds like a good alternative if we need it. Usually we go with Panasonic and would do it ourselves but we figured we would leave the design to someone who knows our fiberglass trailer. As always thanks for the info.
  14. We live on a NJ farm and have traveled to Las Vegas several times using a Model S and Model X with no problem charging. Since 2011 we have used Tesla charging stations all over the country. Tesla charging network has been constantly updating and there are many apps you can use when traveling the northern, mid or southern routes across country. So, we are comfortable traveling with a Tesla even thru the energy draining mountains areas like Utah. If there is a problem, we will take the southern route to Vegas and visit the Hoover Dam. Our Model X currently gets an average of 295mpge. Add an Oliver Elite I TT with GVWR of 5000lbs and TW of 340lbs and things change significantly. On a nice day with sunny skies and a flat road and no head wind we estimate we will get an average of 100mpge. Down hill or with a good wind 100 to 150 (150 is stretching it). Uphill is a challenge and would cut the mileage significantly. So, we would definitely rely on map planning apps that included coefficient drag data and charging stations. If we did do a long-range trip, we probably would rely on campgrounds like KOAs to overnight stay and charge as well at stations along the way. Time is not a factor so many extra stops for charging is OK especially since it is not too often that we take such long trips. Plus, Vegas is a stop off where we spend a lot of time with family and friends. Most of our travels will be spent at parks closer to home with a visit to Florida and Vegas once in a while. As soon as we get the Cyber Truck it will be easier for us to do more boondocking across the country. We are aware of the negatives of pulling a TT out west but we have seen several videos where it is doable. Yes, a Casita is less weight but I have seen videos of people wasting energy driving them 80 mph and getting acceptable mileage. Several videos show larger frontage trailers that are longer, wider and taller than the Oliver being towed by smaller EVs averaging 100mpge. We have even seen model Ys that have towed 19’ and 20’ Airstreams at a reasonable distance. We have looked at the Alto Safari, Airstream Bambi, Caravel, and Basecamp and other small campers for their aerodynamics but chose the Oliver. We have looked at ICE trucks for towing but found them to be expensive to buy just to trade them in 11/2 years and lose money. We have looked at both the Elite and Elite II and love them both. Most of our travels will be just my husband and I so the Elite is perfect especially if we do a lot of hiking, biking, and running. We hope to get back to a lot of outdoor adventures. As far as Fenske’s hypothetical trailering scenarios, I thought his Model X video of a family driving a Model X up a 1-percent grade at 75 mph is unrealistic. Why would one use speed to carry a load up a mountain? The higher speed would affect his outcome. It sounded a little bias to me. Of course, an ICE vehicle will do great against an EV when elevation is included. Why would anyone doubt it? Watching results of the aerodynamic shape TTs and Teslas pulling them makes me feel we will be just fine. I hope to start building our Oliver Elite I this month to find out. Thank you again for all the input. It really help us to make a final decision. There were so many points that I jotted down from above: Be aware of traveling conditions including weather, speed and road inclination. Safety! Emergency -What If. Anita has on our list a composting toilet and other items mentioned above. If we could find a cheap ICE vehicle it should be something to consider. Are we letting the tail wag the dog or is this what we really want. Buy an adequate trailer for your car or truck. Plan your mileage correctly between sites. Charging stations anywhere. We see them even at gas stations. Aerodynamics is a major factor when towing. Audrey
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