ScottyGS

You might say... That they are DAMN fine photos's. Sorry... just could not resist. Scotty

Good Description Trainman! I struggled with hooking up the safety cables at first until I started rotating the hook 180 degrees so it was upside down and putting it on from the bottom. Once on.... rotate the hook again 180 degrees again so the meat of the hook would take the force in the event of unhitching. The F150 has a flat plate with oval holes and the width is such that you need to kind of slip the hook on this way. To remove, I do the opposite 180 degree rotate but as you do that you have to move the flap to the open position. A real pain at first but now it's pretty easy. I suggest new owners with F150's lie down on the ground and play around with it a bit. This way you can see what you are doing and figure it out. After that you can do it blind. Good Luck.

Up on the Roof.... Spend the last few days up on the roof of #145 waxing and checking seals. Found that the MaxxAir fan seals were cracked and worn. Removed the old and applied new sealant. I used Loctite PL Marine Adhesive Sealant. It was a bit expensive..... about $9 for this small tube. But went on very easy, dried quick and appears to be a tough, durable seal. Pics attached.... Be careful up there. Scotty

Sorry.. in a silly mood today. Here is your link. https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/tree-fiddy Now you know the answer to the question: What should you do if you meet the loch ness monster? Ans: Give him tree fiddy

Yep... that's why I chose to use an inexpensive garden hose quick connect. If it gets hit by something on the road it should break away and then it's like.. $3.50 to replace. If it doesn't get hit then I have tree fiddy to give the loch ness monster .... If he ever comes to my door selling girl scout cookies. :-) Scotty

I put these on this year. Quick trip to Lowes and pretty cheap. Also thought the plastic vs. aluminum was a plus. YMMV, but working good so far.

We bought a 2016 F-150 when we got our LE2. Very happy with it so far. Tows the Ollie very well. I would recommend the Anderson WDH, not that you really need it... a half ton pick up would tow the LE2 easily, but for the liability. Here is an interesting article on that: https://www.hardworkingtrucks.com/get-sued-tow-trailer-with-pickups/ Good Luck, Scotty

I am very interested in your experience with the Dash Cam. I have been thinking of getting one for some time now. With the amount of people that cut you off or otherwise to stupid stuff near you..... might just pay for itself someday. Scotty

KenB, Thanks for the info about adding the screen. I have never had the gnat problem but will be waxing next week and be up on the roof anyway. What type of screen did you use? Something similar to what would be on a screen door? Thanks, Scotty

I would think the best place for this type of arrangement would be under the bridge.

I just changed out the composting toilet and filled with Coconut coir. We switched from peat moss to the coco coir just to try something different. Changeouts are not difficult. I use the white garbage bags and a larger heavier duty contractors bag. The white will cover (mostly) the top section. I disconnect the hose and power for the fans and put it over the top section before moving it out of the trailer. Then I unbolt the lower section and put the contractor bag over that before removing from the trailer. I tried the Coco Bliss brand of coconut coir. One brick fills to just below the agitator. Hydrating is very easy. Use a white garbage bag and any small trash can or other container. Put the brick in the bag and then give it a hose down. The coir will shed from the brick pretty easily. I added water over time and broke up the last bits at the end. Once it was the consistency of wet earth, I dumped the bag contents into the lower half. Pretty easy and the coir bricks are about the size of a real brick, so easy to store a few on your travels. Good Luck, Scotty

Pictures or it didn't happen. :-)

Nice to be able to go camping with the family. Glad you had a good time and hope to see you at the 2020 rally. Scotty

Question is “catfish or chicken?” Why not both?

Bill, I am using a Cargo Glide 1000. It's been installed for about 3 years now and no issues. Here is a pic of the slide and the "shelf" I build for cheap... just 2x3's and some peg board. Works fairly well for what I need to store in the bed. Scotty

Bill, It's good to consider everything and sounds like you are doing your homework on this. For what it's worth.... I never towed anything before the LE2, so you will have a leg up on me. On the road things are pretty straightforward. It tows so easy that I have to keep reminding myself I am pulling a 6k + trailer. As far as backing, I cheat there. I have an F-150 with pro back up assist. That said, I take opportunities to back it manually whenever possible. I am sure that if you take things slow and easy an LE2 with your Tundra will be fine. Good Luck.

Suggestion on choosing colors. If you want to match the color of your Tow Vehicle to the stripes. Oliver uses a company called Oracal for the vinyl stripes and graphics. You can visit most any sign shop and ask to see their Oracal color book. Then you can get a near exact match with your TV paint. This pick is on pick up day. Good Luck.

The trick to the Anderson is to hitch the ball and then use the front jack to raise the back of the truck a bit. The whale tail plate will then go on very easy. Also.... You don't want to pull an LE2 with most 1/2 ton pick ups without a WDH, so imho the Anderson is the best of the bunch. Here is an article on half tons and towing liability. https://www.hardworkingtrucks.com/get-sued-tow-trailer-with-pickups/

Don't have pics at the moment... But... We are using the Cargo Glide in a 2016 F-150. We bought the TV and Oliver at about the same time and got the CG right away. I was going to wait and see how NOT having the CG would work but Donna said that one crawl into the bed to get something and i would want to kick myself for that decision. So, we got it and she was right. We have a cap and I put some 2x3's across the lip and added 3 sheets of pegboard to create a shelf. Steve has a much better option... He made a shelf that is attached to the glide so they both slide in and out. I would love that but not sure I have the skills. (Unless Steve posts a detailed tutorial.... HINT HINT) Worth the money.

Attention 2019 Rally Campers! ACTION REQUIRED! The time for the 2019 Oliver Travel Trailer Owners Rally is just SIX short weeks away. The time to have the T-Shirt order in is way shorter! WE NEED YOUR T - SHIRT SIZES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! If you have not previously sent in that information Please PM me and let me know. Hull #'s appreciated as well. Donna and I are looking forward to seeing all of you at the Registration Table. We have plans in place to make that process quick and easy. Scotty

Dang... I never would have thought of that. Neat solution. Look for a PM from me. Scotty

Pro Backup Assist was a big reason that we chose the F-150 as a TV. It has been extremely helpful for a guy that had little to no towing experience previously. (That would be me) I have found the Pro Backup Assist to work very well. It's been great when I need to get the job done quickly and efficiently. That being said... there are some drawbacks. On a sunny day, if the light hits that sticker just right.. you can get an error message. Same for backing up the crest of a hill, when the angle gets too much for the camera to "see" the sticker. And, it does take some time to engage. But it is a good system and helps me a lot. BUT.... I am aware that skills are skills and look for opportunities to go manual. If I am in a large area, or have lots of time, AND... if there is no one around to laugh at me. I try to improve my backing up skills. As far as my ego in this area... I don't really have one. And besides, unless you are really close to me you can't tell if I am using Pro Backup Assist or not. At my last home, my neighbor would compliment me on my backing in skills and I would just smile. :-) Happy Camping, Scotty

Hey Katherine and Chad, ‘skimmed through a lot of this thread so,please forgive me if I go over old ground. apppreciate what you are going through deciding on a TV. We did the same. So, here are a short list of things to consider: 1 - Do the tow weight capacity math yourself adding the amount of after margin you are comfortable with. Download and read the owners manual and pay attn to the fine print. 2 - one question I did not see was...... how good are you at backing up a trailer. My answer to that question was... complete newbie. Which is one of the reasons we decided to go F150. The pro back up assist is invaluable when learning to tow your Ollie. 3- plug for the F150. Yes we are prejudiced but find it is a great veh towing or not. You get used to,it pretty quick. Donna has no,issues driving it and I have come to prefer it to,the car. BUT.... measure the garage first to see if it will fit. We had 4” to spare. all for now. good luck scotty

Hi RB, Certainly if you are required by law to disclose you are carrying concealed, I,would do that. For any state that has reciprocity with your permits. I was thinking of the restrictive states like NJ that do not have reciprocity. The logical thing to do if you are traveling through would be to unload and lock your firearms in a case. In that instance, I would NOT answer any questions about firearms or give permission to search. Politely and respectfully of course. Many folks not from NY / NJ area are aghast when I tell them about the crazy NJ gun laws. They just passed a ban on mags over 10 round capacity. How does 18 months in prison sound? Just wanted to warn fellow travelers not to fall victim to that craziness. Brian Aiken is the guy sent to prison for possession of his legally owned, unloaded pistols. Gov Christie commuted his sentence, but did not pardon him. Travel safe my friend. Hope our paths cross sometime soon. Scotty

Just two things....... then I will shut up. <for a bit anyway> 1. The whole hidden compartment debate centers around Oliver “advertising” their existence over the objections of quite a few loyal owners. at least imho. 2. Some well meaning advice for those who choose to carry firearms (really.... I am writing this with the best of intentions). Don’t advertise that you have them in any way. It’s not only keeping the bad guys ignorant, it’s the good guys too. There are states (NEW JERSEY) that will send you to JAIL for being in possession of your legally owned pistol that is unloaded and locked in a case. Yes, even though federal law allows this and is supposed to “pre-empt” state law. It’s happened, look it up. Don’t answer questions from law enforcement about firearms and NEVER consent to a search of your vehicle. I am not anti-cop and am an ex-LEO. ‘Next up on guns. Educate yourself on the use of deadly force in self defense. An excellent book is the Law of self defense by Andrew Branca. No one ever “wins” a firefight. If you do everything right you are still looking at about five years of hell, possible financial ruin, and loss of career (if you are still working). Off my soapbox for now. Happy and Safe travels my friends. Hope to see you at the rally. Scotty