ScottyGS

You want the Trim Lok Drip Rail with the 3M backing tape. https://www.trimlok.com/plastic-extrusion/drip-rail The 3M adhesive is awesome. Put it on #145 in 2016 and still doing the job. I would actually be afraid to take it off now for any reason. It's part of the trailer. Good Luck Scotty

One very important point is missing from this article. How fast will the Q7 trailer combination go with the supermodels and can your wife outrun it? Enquiring minds want to know... Scotty

There have been folks who have towed an LE2 with a Q7. I don't know of any that reported problems or issues. That being said... I personally would not tow an LE2 with a Q7. I don't believe it would be able to stay within safe limits. But... You can start with the payload number found on the sticker on the driver side door. Take that number and subtract 650 lbs for the tongue weight of the trailer. Then subtract the weight of the occupants and whatever gear you plan to take with you. If you still have a positive number you can start looking for the GCVWR limit in the owners manual. That would be the Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating. Take that number and subtract the weight of the fully loaded Audi and 7000 lbs for a fully loaded LE2. If that number is still positive... you might could give it a shot. But, I would still take it to a scale to see if you are still in spec for the axle load limits. Good Luck and let us know how you made out. Scotty

you could do TWO Olivers with that..... Nice...

That would be Trim-Lok Drip Rail. Great for around the windows. Looks like it could be great on the awning application as well. Link is: https://www.amazon.com/Trim-Lok-Drip-Rail-White-Height/dp/B01CJRH19Y?th=1 Scotty

For those who want to come to the area to see the fall foliage, you might consider the Robbinsville / Topton area. We have reservations at Hidden Waters Campground later in October. It actually looks like we might be making this trip. Here is an update from The Campground that you might find useful. This was sent on 10/3/24 Scotty ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ We wanted to take a minute and thank everyone that has reached out to us about how we fared through Hurricane Helene. Our community was so very fortunate and did not endure the flooding, power outages and road closures that our neighbors to the East did. We had no damage in the campground and are running normal operations. Some of you may not know this, but we are almost as close to Metro Atlanta as we are to Asheville. We are well outside of the impacted disaster zone. Below are a few notes if you have an upcoming stay with us. Transportation All major thoroughfares leading to us are now open with the exception of I-40 on the North Carolina - Tennessee border between Waynesville, NC and Knoxville, TN. We personally keep a physical Rand McNally Motor Carriers spiral bound road atlas in our vehicle in case we ever have to detour in an area with limited GPS. We would also encourage you to check your individual route from your hometown. You will all be so glad to know that some of your favorite rides are open: The Tail of the Dragon, Cherohala Skyway, Wayah Road and Moonshiner 28. Unfortunately, the Blue Ridge Parkway between Cherokee and Asheville is still closed. Fuel The majority of the fuel in our community comes from Chattanooga. We have plenty of gas to get you here and back. If you are coming in the next week, we would encourage you to keep your tank half full if riding the roads as some of the more outlying areas are still cash only. Food Our Ingles grocery store is open, but their operations have been impaired by the flooding of their corporate headquarters and Asheville distribution center. Deliveries are slow and they are currently cash only as of yesterday evening. If you are coming in the next two weeks, the best bet may be just to stop at the nearest Walmart from your direction of travel. We go to the one in Murphy. Our restaurants are open for business! It has been a bit of a ghost town here lately and the local restaurants have been hurt. They have had to cut staff and hours. We would encourage you to eat at least one meal at a local restaurant while in the area if possible. You will be welcome with open arms! Cell Phone Coverage We have three bars with most carriers in our campground. If you are out in the mountains, the coverage can be spotty, but that can be true on even the best days up here. Thank you for booking a stay with us. We look forward to hosting you. Please don't hesitate to reach out to us if you have additional questions. -- Hidden Waters RV Park & Campground 4509 Tallulah Road Robbinsville, NC 28771

One week update from Mars Hill NC. Seven days sure can change a lot of things. We like many others were not prepared as well as we could have been. Like far fewer others we were lucky beyond belief. Madison County is about 15 miles due north of Asheville NC. There are three main towns, Mars Hill, Marshall, and Hot Springs. Mars Hill is the only town NOT on the French Broad River, and as such was spared much (well, all.. ) of the destruction that Helene brought with her. Downtown Marshal and Hot Springs were devastated. Many buildings are gone. The ones that are left sustained heavy flooding and damage. Other nearby communities not near a river, like Weaverville, were hit hard and are still without power. Why? I think it might have something to do with wind, micro-bursts, and other stuff above my pay grade. Why does a tornado take a house but leave the one next door unscathed? Mars Hill was without power for 2 days, without decent cell service for 4, internet for 6, but we never lost water. Like I said... lucky! We had enough cash on hand, enough gas in the vehicles, plenty of food. The freezers held out and we did not loose anything. Steaks and stuff still frozen solid when the power came back on. We didn't open the door at all. Lanterns from the trailer were available after we remembered where we stored them when we emptied #145 for the trip to the RV repair place. Speaking of the trailer... We were relived to find out it is NOT a BOAT! RV Services has a locked lot (lots of trailers stored there) and was dry. They did loose electric for a week but are back and we should be ready to pick up next week sometime. Lots of lessons learned. We had prepped a bit in the past so we had the stuff we needed... but it was not stored where we could get our hands on it readily. So, some wandering about was done... but we had time. Things on our list for the future: Starlink (already on order), Honda EU3200, Small ham handheld and take the damn test already. Trying to pick stuff that will be useful in non-emergency times as well. We are thankful for our friends and neighbors. We live in a small tight knit subdivision with no HOA. People look out for one another and take notice of those folks who might not have any business here. Been carrying everywhere just in case... thankfully not even close to being needed. All for now. Thanks for the kind thoughts and prayers. Hope to see y'all soon. Scotty (and Donna and Mistletoe the Westie)

Rob, Thanks for that info. I was considering airbags but now will do some research on RAS vs. airbags. I have to say that the "ride" with the Titan was better than my F150. Will have to see what a fully loaded setup brings but looks promising at this point. Take care and thanks again. Scotty

No issues using the Anderson.... it's been 8+ years and I am used to it. I'm pretty sure that mfg's obtain the payload (cargo) capacity by subtracting curb weight from the GVWR. Agreed that you have to pay attention to axle ratings, but this truck has a RAWR of 4900 lbs. It dropped an inch when I hooked up the LE2. The lightly loaded (damn near empty) LE2. Got it riding nice and level by flipping the hitch. We'll see how that goes when we load up for a trip. I think it's more likely that Nissan (and probably most other mfg's) think that requiring a WDH reduces their liability. Not an engineer so I have no idea what the "science" is behind making that determination. Plus the Titan XD is "beefier" than the Titan. A bit over 600 lbs difference in max payload. If Nissan wanted to do the work I am sure they would determine that a WDH is not "required". But again.... it's all academic. Thanks for the reply. It will be interesting to see what the numbers are at the scale. Scotty

Hey Bill, Couldn't agree more. Thought for a bit that I had a choice... but I kept reading. Once they say "required" the choice is made. But it is frustrating that Nissan... and probably a lot of other mfg's are either non-precise, or more likely just want to cover their hind quarters. Shame too... The truck is a beast... I call it a 5/8th ton. I am sure it would do fine without a WDH but I really don't want to sit in court and have the plaintiffs attorney read out page 22 to the jury. Happy Camping Scotty

Hey Gang, Just completed a short tow of my LE2 with the new Nissan Titan XD. It was short and I kept it under 50mph for towing break in and because the leaf spring was stressed but... It towed pretty well. I used the Anderson as I had previously with the F-150. One of the first things I did research on was using a WDH with the new truck. Here is what I found: In the Owners Manual On page 10-38 " *2: Use of a weight-distributing hitch system is recommended when towing over 5,000 lbs. In the Towing Guide On page 5 - "For Armada, Frontier, Pathfinder, and Titan vehicles, a weight distributing hitch ball mount (Class IV) is recommended if you plan to tow trailers with a maximum weight over 5,000 lbs." On page 22 - "2. Use of a weight-distributing hitch system is required when towing over 5,000 lbs." There is some confusion over the difference between a "hitch ball mount" and a "weight distributing hitch system". But clearly page 10-38 of the owners manual and page 22 of the towing guide are saying two different things. So... What's your opinion? I am going to use the Anderson for liability. The Titan XD is heavier and has higher payload and towing capacity. Does the Titan need a WDH over 5k and the Titan XD not? Anyone work for Nissan? Or have any advice on contacting them? Seems a bit sloppy for an important topic in a tech manual. Thanks, Scotty

Made it! Took it slow and it was all good. The spring is flat like a pancake, but it held. The Nissan Titan pulls it well and I'm pretty sure will be a great towing platform. Although I am puzzled as to exactly why you need to keep the speed 50mph or below for the first 500 towing miles for break in. Thanks everyone for the advice. Sure do appreciate it. Also... The place I took it to, RV Services in Asheville looks like a good shop. They have two Oliver owners that store their trailers with them. Will give a better review after the work is done. Thanks again, Scotty

Thanks for the update and the info. Spring is not broken but there is a piece missing. See picture. I will look for some matting or other before I make the trip down. I also have a mobile repair place that I will call to see if they can come out. It will cost a premium but probably cheaper than a flatbed. The place I am taking it to says they will keep it 1-2 weeks before it's ready. Not thrilled about that. Thanks again for the help. Sure do appreciate it. Scotty

22.5 miles. Mostly highway but surface streets about the last 4-5 miles. My fear is that if it goes it lets the tire hit the fiberglass trim or wheel well. That puts me at a hard stop. Anyone had theirs go on the road. Is there any wiggle room to get it over to the side without tearing the wheels off? TIA, Scotty

I am getting nervous! I have our trailer all hooked up to take it in to have the leaf springs replaced tomorrow. I just checked and see that the flattening of the Left Rear spring has started. This is the one with about six inches missing off the second leaf. If this thing goes in transit, am I stuck stuck? Or, can I limp it in? Any advice would be most appreciated. Scotty

Thanks for sharing this info. Very interesting. I recently saw a video from some financial guy who said... If you're going to buy a boat or RV, just think of it as putting the money in a big pile and setting it on fire. And for many RV's I would agree. Nice to see that Oliver owners are not in that category. That being said.... As far as Donna is concerned, we will be making our LE2 (hull #145) a true Legacy and leave it to our son after we are gone. When you add up purchase price, maintenance, upgrades, etc. there is a whole bunch of money we won't be getting back, BUT... Just owning our trailer is a joy. And, now that we are both retired and have a new TV, we'll be looking forward to more trips. Happy Camping Everyone! Scotty

Pricing?!? I always cringe when I see used Oliver TT's priced at what IMHO.... is way too low. Wasn't long ago that you could sell an Oliver that was 4-5 years old for close to what you paid for it. I would get out my build sheet and compare what those options are going for today plus the base. Also consider what options are no longer available. Mirror cabinet doors... Lonseal Floor anyone? I would start at 5% below what I paid and make further discounts from there, if needed. You can then compare what it would cost to have a "new" Oliver vs. your used one. Plus get it now instead of waiting. There are a LOT of folks out there that would LOVE to have a six year old Oliver at the "discount" that you paid in 2018. My opinion only and I would love to hear what your experience is after it sells. Good Luck. Scotty

Nope. 5.6 Liter V8. No turbo, no fuel management crap. Just raw gas eating power. I know I'll still have to manage the downhills, and the mileage will probably be worse than the F150 ecoboost with turbo, but think we may get better mileage while towing. That remains to be seen. The other thing about the XD that was a really big plus is the rear seat. It seems almost all the half ton... and even the 3/4 Chevy have back seats that are small and hard. Not comfortable and Donna likes to travel in the rear seat at times so that was important. I put up a post on the XD and the reasons we went that way. Thanks again, Scotty

We just took home a 2024 Nissan Titan XD pickup as a new tow vehicle for Hull # 145. I thought it might be of interest to the community the reasoning that led me to this decision. Our old TV was a 2016 Ford F-150 with 110,000 miles. This was a good TV for most of our trips, but as our half ton owners know.. you have to be very careful about payload. Short trips were no problem but longer trips that require more gear... we were limited. So... I figured a ¾ ton was in our best interest and started our research. I was looking at the 2500 Duramax (Diesel) from GM. Chevy or GMC didn't really matter and I really thought that would be the answer. But... It's a BIG TRUCK! I didn't mind, but it was too much for Donna to climb into. And, if I am honest with myself... great for towing but not so great for regular driving. So I started looking at half ton Chevy 1500's. The Baby Diesel just didn't have enough payload. When I started looking at V8's I actually found one that had an 1800 lbs. Payload. Yep you read that right... but it also had 22” wheels. That really wasn't going to work unless I put in a shock kit that makes the thing dance and some weird color lights to accent the under carriage. Then, I became aware of the Titan XD from watching a you tube video. So, I turned my microscope in it's direction. Here are the main reasons for choosing this Tow Vehicle. Reliability - The 5.6 Liter V8 has been around for a while and while not the best mpg wise... it doesn't rely on a turbo for power, or have other gas saving features like Direct Fuel Management, which shuts off cylinders when the computer decides you don't really need them. Just a powerful V8. If I wanted a V6 or V4, I would have bought one. Plus DFM can cause problems when you hit the 50k mark. Comfort & Ride - 18” wheels give the truck a much nicer ride than a ¾ or full ton pickup. This is very important for Donna. She is recovering from back surgery and I need to keep her comfortable. All in all the ride is as good or better than our old F150. Payload & Toughness – This was the kicker. Payload on our Pro4X is 1,840 lbs. That lets us put a topper on and still have almost 500 lbs for stuff after accounting for tongue weight and the two of us and the dog. If we max out the payload we still have about 9k left before hitting the GCVWR. If we ever put that much stuff in the Oliver we are going to need a LOT more than the ALCAN leaf springs to keep the trailer from falling apart. The XD has a lot stronger frame and suspension. I would say somewhere between a half ton and a ¾ ton. Just enough oomph for when we have our LE2 hooked up but still manageable when we don't. Why we feel Lucky! - When I found out about the Titan XD, I also found out that 2024 is the last year they are going to make them. So, I knew I had to act quickly. The other good news is that dealers are offering pretty decent discounts on them. So, if you are like us and in the market for a new TV you might want to look at the Titan XD. Act fast because when they are gone... they are gone. And, final note. You WILL need the Anderson WDH with this truck. On page 24, the towing guide says a Weight Distributing System is “strongly recommended” for trailers over 5,000 lbs. But on page 22 in the notes..... it clearly states that weight distributing systems are “required” for trailers over 5,000 lbs. Nice of Nissan to add a little bit of confusion to the WDH discussion. We could confidently state that the guide only recommends... but the plaintiffs lawyer in court will have some expert read aloud from page 22 that it is “required”. So, I guess I will continue using it. All for now. Please let me know what questions you have and I will do my best to answer. Scotty

Yes... The Chevy 3/4 had a power step like our F150 but higher. It was a no go. We finally decided on a Nissan Titan XD. I will get custom power steps that solve the problem for her. Look for my post about that one and thanks! Scotty

Hey Everyone.... Update and closeout of this thread. We test drove both the Ram and Duramax 2500 trucks. They are awesome tow platforms but.... a bit too high for Donna to climb up into with her back situation. Our TV would be about 1/3 towing and 2/3 regular driving. I think we have found a good compromise and I will have a post on that in a week or so. Thank you all again. Nice to have knowledgeable people to bounce ideas off of. Happy Camping!

WOW! We have been sidelined this summer since the aborted eclipse trip and have been attending to other more important issues... So, no camping for us. But now we are looking at a short trip in October, so I thought it would be a good time to freshen up on recent issues. And WOW! What a thread. Yes.... I read it all. So, THANK YOU to the brain trust. It's nice having talented, knowledgeable, articulate, and kind owners to collaborate with. Really... you guys are awesome. So, I figured I should get my butt under the trailer for a look see. First spring looks good... no flattening. Same for second and third. Fourth looks good too...... Wait a minute.... The second longest leaf is shorter than it's supposed to be. Better take a closer look. See the picture. The second leaf broke about a half inch shorter than the third leaf. Guess it's time for a call to ALCAN. (Sorry GJ) Thanks to you all I have almost all the info I need. Except for someone to do the work after I get the springs from Alcan. We live just north of Asheville NC. Bumgarner in Lenoir NC is an Oliver dealer about 91 miles out. Camping World in Hendersonville is 35 miles out. I would like to minimize my travel and risk of breakage on the road. Are there any other type of shops that could do this work? Any personal recommendations to be made? Thanks again for all the help. Scotty

I would appreciate the brain trust weighing in on considerations for a new TV. My F150 has about 110k on it and I think I am ready to follow the advice of so many and upgrade to a 3/4 ton truck. Have pretty much settled on the Chevy 2500 LTZ Duramax. I "Think" the Ram would be too rough a ride and Ford is out of the question. So the Chevy looks good to me. I am wondering...... How much rougher is the ride on a 2500 over a half ton truck. Assuming I air down the tires to just above what will set off the sensor... while NOT towing. Donna has recently had back surgery so I am looking to make travel as comfortable for her as possible. What would my options for improving the ride be? Thinking sway bar, leveling, or better yet. Airbags. I looked into liquid springs but they are only for Ram and the F word. If Airbags are the premium way to go... Would back only do it? How much do you think that would cost? (good system with a compressor and cockpit controls) And finally. What am I missing? Is there another option that would get a better ride out of a 3/4 ton? Should I do more research on RAM? Any advice on moving up to a Diesel 3/4 would be appreciated. Steve Landrum... I am thinking of you. We have owned #145 for a bit over 8 years now and Donna just pulled the pin on the retirement grenade, so we are going to be stepping up the travel. I want to make sure we are safe and ready for that. Thank you all in advance. Can't wait to read your thoughts. Scotty

Well... last trip out the fan lift mechanism exploded. That gets your attention real quick. Got the part and just re-installed. Wanted to pass along a tip that I did not see here or in the instructions. That spring that attaches to the lifting arm is curiously absent from the instructions that I got with the new part. Ordered it from RV Products directly and they said it would be 3 weeks to arrive but it came in 2 weeks. OK.. here goes. The part of the spring that gets bolted onto the mechanism goes in the hole on top and the same side as the post that turns the bar to raise. That's the hole closest to the hinge when installed. Mine was blown up so I didn't have a reference. Lots of fun... only had to go up on the roof about a dozen times. But no falls and nothing broken. Happy Camping Everyone, Scotty

People really don't have much consideration for their camping neighbors. OK... SOME people... We've had folks using generators (that were placed behind their camper and in front of ours) right up until the 10pm cut off. And most recently a group that set their campfire ring and chairs right next to our trailer and were yakking away until 11:30pm. (OK.. it was in NJ.. I should have expected it) The first night when I told them we were trying to sleep they knocked it off. The second night one guy who had a little too much to drink wanted to start a fight. Preference is state or NP campsites, but when we have to book a commercial campsite I look for one with sites as far apart from each other as possible (Thankful for google maps satellite view) and always check the quiet hours rules. Scotty