ScottyGS

If you just want to get a weight on your Tow Vehicle you can go to your local dump and use their scales for free. Cat will give you front and rear axle and trailer.... very useful. I'm pretty sure they charge about $15 for a weight and $5 for a re-weigh on the same day. So, yes.. very useful to have. They have an app for your phone too. Scotty

I know this has been discussed on the forum but not sure if anyone has done this or if it can be done. Been thinking about the water inlets and the outdoor shower controls. Is there a way to put a shut off valve to the lines going to them? Would it be practical? I am thinking that by shutting off water to the points going out of the trailer and draining it would eliminate those parts of the plumbing system from freeze damage. The rest of it would be kept warm either by the furnace (while camping) or by running a heater inside the trailer with the hatches open (while stored) We have a garage that rarely gets below freezing in winter but it could if outside temps really dropped. Then I would just run the heater over night. TIA, Scotty

Oh....that guy...

Sorry to quote myself but I did re-watch this movie. Very funny... stands the test of time and shows what genius's Lucy and Desi were. Forgot about the whole "rocks" thing and Donna and I were laughing hard at that part. It was funny hearing the "tech" guy explain the brakes using magnets and shook my head realizing that we have the exact same brakes that they did in 1953. Before I was born for crying out loud! The movie is available free on TUBI. You'll have to watch some ads but not too bad. If you have not seen this movie... or not seen in it a while I strongly recommend "The Long Long Trailer" with Desi and Lucy. Scotty

Buddy Heater Jr. and a small ceramic heater (like the Vornado). I carry both as back up if it's going to be cold... like almost freezing cold. The ceramic for when we are plugged in and want to save a bit on propane. The Buddy Jr. for when we are not plugged in and the on board furnace craps out. You will only have to spend one really cold night with a non working furnace before making sure you have a back up plan. Scotty

You were one of the first... probably THE first... to have your trailer ceramic coated. I remember talking to Colin and he said you watched him and the crew the whole time they did the job. I told him that if you were willing to refer them... there was no better endorsement they could have. Well worth it... Now I have to find a detail shop to wash my trailer after each trip. Scotty

Can't recommend CGI and ceramic coating your Oliver enough. I store indoors and they did mine 2 years ago and it looks like new. I am thinking if you cover or store inside you will see at least 5 years before a re-coat is needed. I just washed my trailer yesterday. It had been out doors and was filthy. The dirt just wiped away. Much easier washing (especially those damn bugs) when you have a ceramic coating. So...... while washing the trailer I was thinking. Everyone thinks waxing their trailer is going to be this great Zen-Like experience. Like... you're going to be the next Karate Kid... Wax on.. wax off Daniel-san. Or, at least satisfying when you see the results. Bulls*&$. It's a pain in the A$$. After ten trips up that damn ladder you'll think 3k for ceramic coating is a bargain. Speaking of washing. CGI will recommend special soap to use that will help your coating last.... And there is a spray that can be used after washing that helps as well. Good Luck! Scotty

It works fine. Been on for years. Our original seal around the edge of the propane cover departed this earth after only a year or so. (2016 LE2) It was a pretty flimsy plastic strip. The only problem now might be finding it in white. I did an Amazon search and there are some white edge seals (non trim lok) but only black from Trim Lok. You could measure the thickness and find one that you think will work and if it doesn't look good when it arrives send it back. Amazon is pretty good that way. Good Luck Scotty

I thought it would be cool to mount a Star Link Mini in there. **** My Bad.... I misunderstood OP's post. Thought Claudia was talking about the Winegard Satellite TV antenna. See Picture. Now if we someone other than me... can figure out how to get a Star Link Mini in there... we're golden. Back to my first un-edited post. Full disclosure.... I have not seriously explored actually doing that, nor am I certain that it would even be possible. Just wanted to put the idea out there in case someone more mechanically talented than me would steal the idea and write up a post with pictures, circles, arrows, and a description of exactly how this is accomplished. Then maybe I could think about it some more. Good Luck on the removal... Don't forget to take pictures. Scotty

WOW! Have not thought of that movie in a while. I DO remember watching it on TV when I was very young. It made an impression on me. And, I like almost everyone at that time did truly "Love Lucy". Thanks for digging that one up. Scotty

Pay close attention to the Combined Weight Rating. Rough math on my part would be ... 500 lbs. tongue weight. 400 lbs passenger weight leaving 600 lbs for cargo. Do you have a cap? That would subtract a lot. But if not, payload should be a GO. On the 7000 lbs tow rating. The mfg. will usually figure that on the truck being completely empty with a 150 lbs. driver. Every pound you put in the truck subtracts a pound you can pull for the trailer. Easy way to figure would be: If you max out your 6,000 lbs GCVW on the truck and you have a 12,000 Combined weight rating ... The max tow is now 6,000 lbs... not 7k. It sounds like you are going to be fine. But if you are out west and your wife want to stop at the "Rock Shop" .... you might have to have a discussion on exactly how many rocks can be brought home. Do not ask me how I know this... Best of Luck and again welcome to the family. Hope we see you at some future rally. Scotty

Here are some pics I took of the "Jelly Bean" before being owned by Brandi and Winston Schaffer and becoming the Bean. I guess Oliver was restoring this trailer and brought it back beautifully. Not all Olivers are white. Enjoy, Scotty

Trim Lok does make some good products. I replaced the original trim of the propane cover with their "edge trim".

Wow! 20 vs. 30 lbs propane. Didn't realize I was lighting the fuse on that one. I still have my 30 lbs tanks and would use them if we were going on a longer trip and boondocking a lot. But for shorter trips the small tanks make a lot more sense to me. The main reason I suggested the smaller tanks was OP has a GMC Canyon, a mid-size truck. Don't know year, don't know what accessories have been added. Don't know how much "gear" they will take. Don't know the payload..... But weight could be an issue. I guess you could order the 30 lbs tanks and then get 20 lbs tanks to use for shorter trips like we do. But in the end..... It's another choice to be made. Nice to have them... sometimes. Scotty

First off... Welcome to the family. And, welcome to the life of choices! So damn many choices! I would not get the 30 gallon tank upgrade. We did in 2016 and have now switched out for 20 pounders. I find the using the 20 lbs size makes things simple on the road. Stop at HD or Lowes or where ever you can switch out a tank and off you go. You can run one empty or near empty... switch to the other and then swap out when convenient. Lifting those 30 pounders gets old fast. Sorry JD. Also the 30 pounders add more WEIGHT. And speaking of weight as mentioned before. Tongue weight and payload weight in general will be something that occupies your mind. Start by checking the inside driver side door for your trucks payload number. Don't forget to subtract any additions you might have added to the truck like a cap, or slide, or fancy winch bumper. Then subtract the weight tongue weight of the LE1. (About 10% of total trailer weight so maybe about 500 lbs. guesstimate) THEN subtract weight of occupants and gear. (I put wife, me and dog together so no one gets singled out.... don't ask how big the dog is) Do you still have a positive number? If so, I guess it's ok to add the tongue basket and generator. But remember you won't really know how the numbers add up until you get it all together and run it over the scales. Like I said... choices. But you already made the best choice with the Oliver. Not only for a great camper but a great community to help you fret over all those damn choices. Good Luck and Happy Camping, Scotty

Hmmmm..... A trim lok installation business..... I'll look forward to your presentation at the 2025 rally! Scotty

For the 7 pin I have always just looped in around the tongue so that it hangs straight down. Never had the dreaded ghost lights or problems with moisture. Tire covers... Prefer the type that covers both wheels. Couldn't tell you what brand because I bought them so long ago. The double ones fit well and have a bungee like chord to attach them which I never use... they aren't going anywhere. Important to use them to keep the sun off the tires. Good Luck and Happy Camping! Scotty

Search on this on Amazon. They sell 25' lengths. I put the trim lok site link in my reply because it was the company site. If memory serves you can do one LE2 with a 25' length, but you have to be careful. Scotty Trim-Lok Drip Rail, White – 1/2” Height, 25’ Length – PVC Plastic Rain Gutter for Cars, Vans, and RVs, Easy to Install Flexible Drip Rail Molding to Control Water Runoff, Durable 3M Tape Included

I have read so many posts about clogged weep holes and how important it is to keep them clean to avoid horrendous leaks. The trim lok's were just about the first thing I did to my trailer. When I do check the window channels and weep holes they are always free of debris. Maybe some dust but that's about it. I think the trim lok's prevent a LOT of problems. Gregg

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