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BeauDog

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Everything posted by BeauDog

  1. John, I like this idea. I wonder how the spacing of the holes would be relative to the existing 1 1/4" receiver holes? Too close could be problematic, right?
  2. The exhaust pipe on our GMC 2500 gasser came with a dealer-installed tip, which added about an 10" extension to the exhaust pipe. The exhaust pipe vents to the rear and extends almost as far back as the bumper. I have been looking at both the Rocktamer and the Rockstar hitch-mounted mud flap systems, but am having a difficult time deciding which would work best with my exhaust being so near the bumper due to the exhaust heat generated. I contacted the manufacturer of Rockstar and sent their representative some photos of my exhaust. He was non-commital as to whether their system would work with my truck and didn't even try to come up with a solution. The Rockstar system comes with precut exhaust holes, but I don't know how well they would line up with my exhaust and the rep was of no help. With the Rocktamer system, I could either buy a heat shield accessory or an exhaust outlet accessory to try to deal with the heat from the exhaust. I suppose I could also remove the exhaust tip, which would shorten the tailpipe by about 10". Please share your thoughts and suggestions as to which system you think would work the best with my setup. Thanks, Marv
  3. Yes, couldn't agree more with this sentiment. Oliver apparently had an issue in the past with some fool doing something stupid with the original 2" factory receiver, so now they are making it very difficult for all subsequent customers to figure out how to carry their bikes. Seems to me a clear disclosure by Oliver as to the limitations of a factory-installed 2" receiver would save many good customers some misery.
  4. Thanks for that information, SeaDawg. We do plan on taking our Oliver to Alaska, most likely in 2023. We also want to spend some time exploring Canada, and of course many remote areas of the great lower 48. Marv
  5. Patriot, I really like the look of your Rock Stopper. I also like the idea of the XPEL 10 mil PPF. Do you mostly stay on paved roads or do you also travel and boondock on gravel and dirt roads? Would your Rock Stopper work well on gravel and dirt surfaces? Although the majority of our miles will be on paved surfaces getting to and from, we expect to do a fair amount of remote traveling and boondocking on gravel and dirt surfaces, so I am trying to figure out which anti-rock system would work best with those multiple surfaces. FrankC said he travels mostly on paved roads and his Rock Tamers work well on those surfaces. I wonder if they would also work "well enough" on rock and dirt surfaces? John Davies uses a Stone Stomper that he modified and it apparently works well on all surfaces. I love the functionality of the Stone Stomper for that reason. However, I re-read John's excellent posts regarding his purchase, modifications, and installation of his Stone Stomper and I was exhausted just reading about the time and effort it would take for me to replicate that process, even with the detail that John provided. I decided I must try to find a simpler, if less effective, solution. A Rock Stopper or Rock Tamer type system would certainly be a simpler solution. I just need to determine how effective they would be on gravel and dirt surfaces. Thanks to all for lending the benefit of your experiences. Marv
  6. I have read several threads on this forum regarding various measures current Ollie owners have taken to protect their trailers while towing. Those include installing mud flaps on TV and TT; installing Stone Stompers, Rock Tamers, Bow Buddies, etc. Some of you have the ability and creativity to develop some pretty cool custom products and/or make modifications to existing products. I have neither the ability or the creativity, so out-of-the-box solutions are what I seek. We are scheduled to pick up our Legacy Elite II on August 22, 2022. Between now and then we will be out of the country for about five weeks. We need to get on the stick and get some stuff ordered so that we have it with us when we get to Hohenwald. We are not new to camping, but we are new to trailer camping. So, my questions are: 1. Do Stone Stompers work well right out of the box on the Legacy Elite II, or do they need to be modified (like John and others have done) to be effective? 2. If one has a Stone Stomper installed, is it still important to have mud flaps on the TV? If so, can any of you recommend an especially effective out-of-the-box mudflap that you are happy with that would work in conjunction with a Stone Stomper (we have a 2021 GMC 2500 crew cab)? 3. Am I right in assuming a Rock Tamer type of mud flap would not work with a Stone Stomper because there wouldn't be enough real estate on the stinger of a typical trailer hitch ball mount? 4. I take it from past threads that the only way to mud-flap an Oliver is to individually fabricate the product. Is that right? Are any of you making them for sale to others? 5. What other exterior protective measures should we be prioritizing for the maiden voyage? The maiden voyage will be several weeks, and a few thousand miles, long. Thanks, Marv
  7. Yes, our AC will come equipped with the easy start.
  8. Liana, does your AC have a soft start feature? We have a Honda EU2200i and I was hoping it would be capable of running the AC on our Ellite II when we pick it up in late August. Our air conditioner will have the soft start option. If the Honda alone won't be capable of running the AC, then I need to start shopping for a Honda companion generator.
  9. Yes, the Truma on-demand water heater is listed as an option for 2022 builds, but the Truma A/C is not. I believe you have to have the Truma on-demand water heater If you want to upgrade to the quieter Truma A/C in the future. Given all of the complaints about the noise of the Dometic A/C, that could influence one's decision about which water heater system to go with.
  10. Hi Richard, we are in the same boat. I appreciate the responses to your question, because the differing opinions help us think through the pros and cons of that decision. One more thing to consider; I seem to recall reading or hearing that if you want to upgrade to the quieter Truma air conditioner you would need to have the Truma on-demand hot water heater installed. Hopefully, someone that is better informed can weigh-in on whether that is accurate.
  11. Thank you for your comments, Tallmandan. I have enjoyed reading about the various experiences and opinions in response to my question. They have given me much food for thought, and this is exactly what I was hoping for. Marv
  12. Thanks - I appreciate your thoughts. Theoretically, If you were to buy a 3/4 ton or one ton GMC with the 6.6L gas engine would the accompanying 6 speed transmission be of concern to you, particularly during mountainous travels? Marv
  13. Thank you for your thoughts. It is a goofy time to be on the hunt for a TV, but that is where we find ourselves. Have you ever felt like your trailer pushed your Tundra around? I am leaning toward a heavier TV for safety, but those half ton diesels are intriguing. Thank you for your comments. I am leaning toward a 3/4 or one ton for safety reasons. I would have somewhat less concern about the GMC 2500 Denali 6.6L gas if it came with an 8 or 10 speed tranny instead of a 6 speed. Any thoughts from any of you regarding the suitability of a 6 speed transmission in a gas 3/4 ton TV?
  14. Thanks for the question. I did not see the sticker when I posted that it had 3,760 lbs payload. I got that number off of a GMC webpage. After you asked the question I contacted the seller and asked him to send me a photo of the door sticker, which he did. The door sticker shows the max payload is 3,339 lbs.
  15. Thank you, Landrover. I've heard plenty of good things about the Duramax and it has a very loyal following. Marv
  16. Thanks for that info. That would indeed be a valuable feature. Marv
  17. Thank you, John. Interesting option should I decide to go the big gas truck route. Marv Thanks, Jim. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts with me. Marv
  18. Thanks Bill. I like the idea of an engine brake since we plan on a fair amount of mountain driving. I am hoping/assuming that the hill-decent assist feature found on many of the newer gas trucks will help greatly with decending, but I have never owned a vehicle with that feature. Marv
  19. I have hesitated to ask this question and beat the tow vehicle dead horse yet again, but I really could use some advise from those of you with towing experience. I have very limited towing experience. I have never owned a diesel truck. I have only owned a half ton truck - never a 3/4 or one ton. Our 2022 Elite II delivery will be the end of October of this year. Our 1998 Dodge half ton gas truck is too old and too tired for the job of towing the Oliver. We are retired and we plan on spending several months a year traveling with the Oliver and exploring. We intend to primarily boondock, mostly in the mountainous west of the U.S, explore Canada a bit, and hopefully a trip or two to Alaska. I have located a 2021 GMC Sierra Denali 2500 4x4, with a 6.6L V8 Gas engine. It has a 6-speed automatic transmission. 401HP, 464 torque, 3.73 rear axle ratio. It has the max trailoring package and is rated at 14,500 lbs towing capacity and 3,760 lbs payload. The truck has very low miles and the asking price seems pretty reasonable in this crazy market. The Carfax history looks good and I found no recalls. According to Fuelly.com, real world users of similar GMC 3/4 ton gas trucks get an average of 11.6 mpg. It doesn't specify whether that is towing or not towing, so I am guessing it is a blended average of both, with the majority of the data coming while not towing. This is a big, gas-gusseling rig. I am debating whether to buy this rig, or be patient and wait for something like a Ford F150 3.5L EcoBoost 4x4 SuperCrew to come along. If I'm going to own a gasser, I certainly like the idea of driving a 1/2 ton around while not towing, provided it has adequate payload capacity. Or, if I am going to own a 3/4 ton rig, would I be wise to wait for a good diesel to come along for the benefits it would provide, including better demand on resale? As I stated above, I have never owned a diesel so I only know what I read and hear. I don't know what I don't know, and in the realm of towing that is plenty. I would appreciate the thoughts of the experienced people on this forum regarding the pros and cons of using the GMC 2500 6.6L gasser as a tow vehicle for our Elite II. Thank you - I appreciate all thoughts, comments, and opinions from this group. Marv
  20. I have been interested in this topic for some time, because we are considering purchasing a Calmark cover for our 2022 Oliver Legacy Elite II which will be delivered in late fall of this year. Movement does create abrasion and wear - on both the cover and the TT finish. In a windy area, even a well-secured cover will flap against the TT to some extent. Have any of you who store your TT outside noticed abrasion and wear on the finish of your Oliver caused by movement of the Calmark cover?
  21. This solar tracker system was/is such a great concept. It appears the company may now be defunct, but Happy Camper Solar is listed as a rally sponsor on the 2022 Oliver Travel Trailer Owners' Rally page. Coy said in one of his posts above, " I am good friends with Scott Oliver and others in the Oliver family and staff." I suppose there could be many explanations as to why Coy has not communicated futher with this group, but if he is not in ill health it would sure be nice to receive an update from him.
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