ScottyGS

Get a good nights sleep on Sunday. You’ll want to be well rested. And Congrats

Like loosing an engine on a twin... gets your attention real fast.

Will the trailer be at your home? Easy to monitor? Assuming you have the Platinum Package (630 ah) ... I would reduce the charge to 13.2 volts per the manual and then turn the batteries off using the BMS power button. Get one of those weather stations with a remote temperature sensor to monitor the temp inside the battery box. If it looks like it's going to get above 86 degrees you may want to take them out and put them inside where the temps will stay in that 14 - 86 degree range. Good Luck and please let us know how things are working out. Scotty PS.. just realized you have the PRO package... I checked the Lithionics manual for those batteries and the storage requirements are the same as for the larger batteries. I would also download the manual and read it thoroughly.

Only those with two awnings... and both have to be extended.

Here is a bmp file with the 2016 config on it. I believe OP has this already but for any other 2016 owners. Guide-Sheet.bmp

He's got a 2016 and has the picture describing the configuration. Not sure if the video show the 2016 version or just mentions it.

I made Donna get out and look. But that's a good plan if travelling solo. People behind you may get pissed off but would be more inconvenienced if you jammed your rig in the tunnel.

I have just replaced the 4 AGM batteries on our 2016 and have been happy with the performance they have given us over the past 5 years. However.... We are planning on increasing the time spent camping going forward over the next 5 years. So I have been researching Lithium Batteries for some time now. The point I took from the video you posted is... The choice to go AGM vs. Lithium's depends on the amount of load you plan to put on the off grid electrical system. So... in making the choice I would advise that people consider how they want to use their camper and what the load will be. There are people... (just saw one last week) who order LE2's with NO solar. That would not be my choice but if you plan to camp mostly at RV parks... it could make sense. We are looking at MORE off grid camping with A/C use when we "need "it and all the other demands that type of camping puts on the system. For us it's Lithium by a wide margin. As to the system being overpriced. I think you have to consider the whole price of the camper. I have been a defender of the 2023 price increase that Oliver came out with because I truly do NOT believe they are "profiteering". Inflation and raw materials cost have skyrocketed. And, if you look at the price increase history of our trailers, it's clear to see that Oliver has not given us linear increases. (that is a steady percentage or dollar increase every year) There are peaks and valleys with the two biggest peaks being 2016 and 2023. I have worked for companies with a maximum profit strategy and the price actions that go with it and that's not what I see from Oliver. As to doing the upgrade work yourself.... there are those on the forum that have done it. Not me thank you. But for those with the tech skills and desire to tinker it's a way to save some money. I would pay to have it done for me. Anyway.... hope this has helped. Best of Luck no matter what you decide. Scotty

Maybe that is one of the factors that contribute to stable sway free towing manners.

Jim! I need the internet because I refuse to think ahead! Only joking... I would rather have and choose not to use connectivity ... but also realize that not everyone can do that. Those dopamine hits keep us coming back to the magic rectangle. And... that will change how things go when we do get away from it all. I wonder what other new tech will cause things to change ... ? for the better or worse. Certainly with battery tech improving.. more folks will feel comfortable camping "off grid". I would hate to see BLM land become like the most crowded RV parks. But I bet we'll see more impact. Hopefully not too much, too soon. Happy Camping! Scotty

I've been doing some advance planning for a 2023 trip to this area. One resource I have found very helpful is Sean and Kristy's youtube channel "The Long Long Honeymoon". I would search on that and the names of some of the NP's you plan to hit. Not sure they will have winter specific tips but they do pack in a lot of good info. And you get to see some of the campsites you may be planning on staying at. Good Luck, Scotty

I agree that it's nice to be out in the world and not connected. Gives you a chance to truly relax. But I also realize how easy the internet makes research and planning during a long trip. Also, last summer we were in the Black Hills and had to leave early due to a family emergency back home. It was dicey getting information as to what was going on. Glad for the cellular boost because without it we would not have had communication with home. It will be interesting to see what Starlink does going forward. I think many of us would invest in the hardware if it meant that we could take our internet connection on the road. Also makes me wonder if having hardware installed in the trailer is the right call. If tech is changing this fast maybe a portable solution is better. Easier to change when the technology does. Scotty

Does not look like a DIY job. Not for me anyway. If you're not near Hohenwald... Check for a boatyard that does fiberglass repairs. There was a thread a while back about someone who drove into an overhang and put a triangular hole in the front corner. He took it to a boatyard and you could not even tell.

1001 uses..... Never leave home without your Rubber Mallet!

1994 to 2001 were the Giuliani years. I've lived in the shadow of NYC most of my life. Those years were the apex. Stay in populated areas in daylight and you'll be fine. I certainly would not be walking at night down a lonely street anywhere in the city these days.

So ... If your TV is an F150 and you are pulling an LE2. The larger Anderson would be overkill? Would it provide any benefit? I have the 2" now and no issues other than having to get it replaced due to the moisture related screeching. (yes that is a horrible sound - like your trailer frame is being ripped up by an invisible monster) The new 2" ball works just fine, no signs of wear with about 20k on it. $400 difference is not a lot of money (in the scheme of things). So if you were buying a new LE2 and towing with a half ton... would you go to the larger ball absent the cool factor?? Thanks in advance, Scotty

Oliver is very protective of owner information. If a directory is to be created it would have to be a private endeavor. And even then I would not post a link to that info here. Owners are very proud of their Hull #'s. I think it's a great tradition and glad that Oliver came up with the plaque idea. We got ours (#145) at the 2019 rally and mounted it above the switches LH side of the entry.

If you are looking to 1 or 2 full days in NYC... then Liberty Harbor would be a good location (not a great campground). You can walk to the Path (subway- at the end of Essex St.) and be in lower Manhattan in a short amount of time. You'll come in off the NJ turnpike to 78 .... OR.. Rt 9 to 78. Either way be prepared for traffic and rough roads. Batten down the hatches inside your Oliver and avoid rush hour. Think of it as a tactical mission... get in ... sight see... get out. Steph and Dud's plan of camping upstate upstate at Newburgh but near a train that you can take to NYC is good too. There may be other state parks or independent sites near public trans as well. Take snacks and sight see from the train. Plus when your day is over you'll enjoy relaxing at a real campsite. If you usually travel armed you might consider leaving that particular piece of equipment home. NJ and NY have some of the craziest gun laws in the country. And armed or not, never give the police permission to search either your Oliver or TV. Once you stop for the night the fed firearm transportation act no longer applies to you. Good Luck and hope to see you at the rally. Scotty

Took the side roads on our trip last summer and passed a sign that said "Tunnel Ahead - 10 foot clearance". Ok.. so that's getting close to our trailer height.... Approached very carefully and found that we had more that a few feet of clearance. Not even close. Which led me to wonder.... Are tunnel heights measured to center? Or, to the side? Are there highway construction standards that measurements are supposed to conform to? A lot of tunnels have a curved roof.... the Oliver is higher in the center than at the sides, so that should work for us. Inquiring minds want to know! Any highway experts out there that can shed some light on this topic. I did an internet search and now know more about measuring the airflow speed in a wind tunnel than I ever wanted to know. But not so much on this. Thanks in Advance, Scotty

For all you Star Trek Original Series fans out there.... If you are ever near Ticonderoga NY take the Star Trek Original Set Tour. https://www.startrektour.com/ I thought it was going to be a cheap tourist trap kind of thing. I could not have been more wrong. It's about as perfect a re-creation of the original set that could be made. Very enjoyable.

Nice campground just west of Medora named Buffalo Gap. No hookups. Water available and vault toilets. First come first serve and $20 per night. Oh and the musical was a lot of fun.

To be fair... it's easy to over look the importance of using a WDH with a half ton truck and an LE2. The damn thing tows so well. In practical application you don't really need the Anderson hitch. Until you start to look at it from a legal standpoint. You're not just risking your trailer and TV.. but your house, retirement savings, financial portfolio... etc. Imagine how life would be if instead of figuring out where the next road trip will be ... you got to spend that time saying... "Welcome to Wal-Mart". Thanks for the free legal advice... $850 / $1200 is cheap insurance for the Anderson. Scotty

https://www.hardworkingtrucks.com/vocational/article/15047718/get-sued-the-easy-way-tow-trailers-with-pickups

Anita sent us a package of samples recently and it arrived in 2 days. TN to WNC, about a six hour drive. Surprisingly fast service from USPS these days.

Thanks for a great towing report. You have truly set the bar high for this type of feedback. I agree with John Davies on travelling speed. IMO.. the biggest not talked about problem with Oliver trailers it how easy they tow and how that can lead us to travel at higher speeds than we might with a less forgiving trailer. We tow our LE2 with a 2016 F150. I use cruise control a LOT on the highway because it keeps me at or under 65 mph. Under manual speed control you often look at the speedo and see that you're going over 70 and didn't even know it. I always check my tires and do a complete walk around at rest stops, but you never know. And, there is no shortage of idiots out there who for some reason love to cut in front of folks pulling trailers. Best of Luck to you with your new rig and welcome to the family. Hope to see you on the road someday. Scotty