ScottyGS

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

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