routlaw

Didn't have any issues uploading images to my profile, but lets see if this works within the forum using Safari. Yep, looks like it worked

Good points. Regarding the bubble, you are correct in that it seems to change over time. For that matter if you push on the bubble as often as not it will not return to the exact same position even after adjusting. Early on I also tried the two foot level across the floor also but found ours was not exactly flat and even and so abandoned that solution. Plus it really is more efficient to have access to the bubble while adjusting the stabilizers. Its interesting there is such a disparity between your fresh tank and ours regarding the volume of water inside though. Strange.

Hi Dave Interesting comment, thanks for starting. We've had our Oliver for just over a year also picked up on March 3rd 2015. We've encountered a similar issue albeit a bit different. First the measurement output of all of our tanks, fresh, gray, black are in 6% increments, interesting yours measures in 3% increments. That said we do not encounter the problem you bring up until we reach 13% though at 19% performance of the pump and pressure do start to diminish. We overcome this by adding more fresh water via the winterizing inlet and valves in bypass mode. I haven't measured the distance from the bottom of the tank to the outlet tube, but 1.5" seems high based upon a visual inspection. All that aside we discovered something interesting about the leveling of the Oliver on our last trip. You can't necessarily trust the bubble level at the tongue because its adjustable via the 3 set screws which are spring loaded from the back side of the bubble. During this recent trip I kept thinking the camper felt a bit tilted to one side and not level from front to back. So we made some crude adjustments until we returned home, it helped. Once home I got my Bosch laser level out mounted onto a tripod and set a beam across the belly band. Sure enough bumper to hitch was still out quiet a ways. Next step was to measure the back side for street to curb level and it was also off. Effectively I leveled the camper using the belly band as the reference with the laser level, then adjusted the bubble to coincide with that adjustment. I would suggest you try something similar to determine that your bubble is accurate and if not make adjustments. However if we need to drain the fresh water tank completely the front needs to be raised by several degrees to accommodate this. We also do this while hitched when dumping gray water, makes it go much quicker.

Hmm… I really like the Ram Truck too, our son in law owns one, very nice rig! But, gas trucks on long uphill hauls being hated. Lets take a look at this video and see if it that holds up to scrutiny, albeit the sideline whoop di la is a bit over the top. http://www.ford.com/trucks/f150/gallery/videos-and-demos/all/uphill-towing-battle/FMFS8536000/ FWIW, I've never, not once suffered the upload slug with our gas truck (3.5 Eco Boost), in fact we tend to pass quite a few other rigs on the long grades in high altitude. Just finished a two week trip in the SW for the second time with mesa grades from 5-10%, nary a problem. Its a zippity do da affair over the hill. Regardless Jaquelyn for sure should hang onto her existing rig, it will be more than adequate for the task. Hope this helps.

Pete, thats a really good method, but… the back up camera as its referred to is much more than that. Think of it as a rear view camera, its on full time and what this allows is theoretically is an almost 360º view of your travel surroundings, i.e. whats behind you, whats coming around you on the blind side and so. In this regard I have found it as much if not more beneficial than its backup vision. In fact on more than one occasion I've backed into a spot while forgetting to look at the rear view monitor. So in essence I think it offers an additional level of safety while traveling and some help while backing up if needed. But I do like your parking method assuming you have plenty of time to accomplish this. It would never work getting the Oliver into our driveway which is located in the historical area of town with a narrow and fairly busy street. Suffice it to say I have to have my ducks in a row when doing this, and it usually needs to be expedient. The camera does come in handy in this situation.

Good idea regarding practicing on large empty parking lots, it will definitely help to gain some confidence. Regarding backup or rather rearview cameras. The backup camera we have on our TV is invaluable and makes it so easy that I can do this by myself, love it. We also opted for the rear view camera on our Oliver and my enthusiasm for it is not so positive, though it is still helpful to some degree. This might be the one and only complaint I have about our Oliver. Image quality on this thing is abysmal especially when compared to the factory installed Ford backup camera. Perusing the manufacturers website one would think this thing has crystal clear vision and image quality, nothing could be further from the truth. Worse yet is there are no guides to tell you how close things are and given the very wide angle lens you can't depend reliably on your own judgement. And the monitor is a technological cruel joke that only a troubled mind could have invented. After this last trip I came home and started shopping for an alternative that can be used with our iPhone, turns out there are quiet a few options available. Haven't purchased one yet but probably will. I hope the good folks at Oliver read this and make plans to change to another more capable rear view camera for future customers.

I think you will be fine, as long as you don't need to turn on a dime. Our overall length on the F150 is right around 22' also, but with a shorter wheel base by 10". There have been some tight spots but we usually manage. We also have what ford calls the Super Crew cab 4 door affair, about the size of a basketball court in the back… eh, maybe not but its large and roomy.

Yep we are in the Bozone, that would be us. You're right there is much to learn regarding AC/DC voltage. The 400 watt portable inverter we got from Radio Shack is more than enough to charge our laptop, grind fresh coffee beans in the morning and so on. But a bit annoying to get it out and hook up when needed vs having one installed permanently. Just an fyi, not all Airstreams cost $130 grand, not that I'm trying to talk you into one. I've seen some of the lesser models like the Flying Cloud for around $80± a few and they used to make a very small one that is more in line with the Elite II but for that sort of money the Oliver annihilates the Airstream IMO.

Do you know what the wheel base length of your truck is, as well as the overall body length?

Couple more thoughts here in addition to some of the already excellent other post. But I do agree with Dave (trumpet guy) wish I had gotten an inverter installed, probably not the 2000 watt since we do not have or use a microwave or will never ever use the AC. But there are a few other things we could have used one for. I carry along a 400 watt inverter that plugs into the 12V port under the dining table and it does work so long as you don't tax things too much. The 12 V over the cooktop is all but worthless however due to the undersized wiring they used from the batteries to this area. Too much voltage drop. Don't know what part of ID you currently live in but we are just over the border here in MT. If you haven't seen an Oliver yet you're more than welcome to come visit ours. PM if interested. Back to solar, batteries and AC. We've camped where day time temps were either in the hundreds or near so for days on end, and never not once have we felt the need for AC. Just this past summer in Glacier we had those temps for almost our entire 2 week visit, in fact it reached 109º one day in Whitefish. But out west it cools down in the evening and you can vent out what warm air exist in the trailer quickly with the fan and all windows open. From our experience the Oliver doesn't even get that hot during the day parked in the sun. Now if you're down in Moab in the middle of July it might be a bit different story but this would not be high on my list of activities anyway. After May I don't want any part of that area, much prefer to head to Glacier, Beartooths, or some other equivalent place. But understand there is nothing wrong with the two options for batteries that Oliver already supplies. AGM's are maintenance free, while the T-105's tend to hold a bit more juice, both work great and will supply all of your electrical needs except for AC which you might never need anyway. At the risk of beating a dead horse regardless of what mathematical equations imply, unless you're using AC you will never run out of electricity with the solar package and 4 batteries on the Elite II even in the worst of weather. But there is more than one way to skin a cat. Back your TV up to the hitch, plug in the cable while running your engine and charge up that way. Beats the heck out of carrying generator around and if boon docking with no one else around your diesel engine will only be heard by you yet still quieter than all but the Yamaha's and Hondas. Another alternative would be purchase an additional portable solar panel, pull out the battery draw and hook that up in addition to the existing solar panel on the roof and charge at a faster rate. But the existing system is already overkill except in the worst sort of conditions none of this will be necessary anyway. We use lights freely as needed on our Oliver, furnace if needed, vent fan as needed, as well as water pump. We don't use the entertainment system however. We would rather be out hiking and exploring, then come in cook diner have an adult beverage get up and do it again. But I doubt that system would eat up more than a percent or two even if used.

Your wrong about this information. As previously stated above we have camped with our Oliver for two weeks or more and never not once have we need shore power… ever. The only time we dipped down into the low 80's% of our battery pack was the first week we had it, staying in TN at my sisters house when the weather was freezing cold, mid to low teens every night for 4-5 days running. We ran the furnace during the night to keep the camper around 58º and in the morning the battery pack would be around 82-85% but easily recharged even in heavy overcast days with the rain every day to 100%. As far as I'm concerned the solar package will keep anyone with electricity indefinitely based upon our experience. Campers will run out of gas and water long before electricity with this package. And again we just returned from a two week trip to Utah depending 100% on our solar package, we had rain, we had wind, we had overcast days and the lowest our battery pack got to was 96% but only because we ran the furnace in the morning. We had at least 3 nights of freezing temps at Sand Island Campground close to Bluff. Not sure why you think otherwise but this solar package is awesome providing more power than we will ever use. We have the Elite II with dual panels, 4 Trojan batteries. Hope this helps.

I've been trying to respond to some post regarding generators, but when I click on that link the system does not recognize my login, and says I need to be logged in order to post a response. Weird because the forum menu sees me as logged in. Anybody have a clue as to why this isn't working or how to fix it. Thus far my impression of the new design leaves a lot to be desired. Thanks

I suspect you just might piss off quiet a few other campers with a 75 db generator. Why not invest in solar? We have the two panels with Trojan T-105 battery pack and have never come close to running out of electricity… ever. We just returned from the desert country in Utah and were completely off the grid for two weeks, and the lowest we got was 96% on a very cold morning with the furnace running. Half the days were either overcast, or intermittent rain and the system still charged 100% by mid morning. Same thing last summer camped in Glacier with dappled shade. We have a Yamaha generator that is rated at 38 db I believe, quietest one available and even its too loud. We never take it with us though, as its not needed any longer. We used it with our T@b and hated messing with then. But that said, whats wrong with a gas generator. The Yamaha's are relatively quiet, more so than the Honda's and work well if you really do need one. We don't use our AC and probably never will but have on occasion used the Max Air fan through the night. Out west its all we've ever needed. Perhaps we're just cold blooded though:))

Jaquelyn, first welcome to the group. I can't answer your question exactly but will offer some relevant info. We have a F150 with Eco Boost engine and with the 6.5 long bed. Wheel base is 157" if memory serves me correct. Don't know how much longer your WB is but would guess it to be approximately 12 inches ± a few. For the most part we don't have too many issues getting in and out of places but much of this will depend on where you camp of course. Tight boon docking could get iffy but I've also seen some very small and cramped spaces in the USFS, BLM and NP campgrounds too. The long and short of it is for 98% of your camping most likely you will not have too many issues. That said personally I might prefer a slightly smaller TV but if you're attached to the one you have use it and enjoy it.

That strikes me as being a light load too (4850 lbs). Our Oliver had a dry weight of 5100 lbs ± a few when we picked it up last year. So with fully loaded camper, water, two propane tanks, clothes and food I'm guessing we're at close to 6000 lbs or more. But we do have solar and the 4 Trojan T105 battery pack, though I wouldn't think these two items would make that much difference. Makes me want to find a scale just to see for sure.

Just returned yesterday from a two week trip to southern Utah where we camped off the grid for the entire period. We use leveling blocks and have two sets of the plastic ones and wouldn't want to be without them. Can't speak for other campsites back east but out west its not uncommon at all to have campsites on BLM, National Forest and Parks where the pads are nowhere near level. Without the leveling blocks we often wound up both wheels on one side or the other completely off the ground. We've run into this in Glacier NP as well as almost all the campgrounds we stayed at in the red rock country. We also carry several 2x6's (2x8's would be better) cut to length and prefer to use them if possible for leveling. If the lumber is not thick enough we resort to the plastic lego blocks. But to that I will also add we use the plastic in combination with the 2x6's under each of the 3 leveling jacks if for no other reason the thing sets up way quicker and the jacks are not extended as far. A quick way to determine if the wheels are going to rise off the ground on one side or the other is to look at the bubble level at the front jack switch while still hitched but with camper in place. If that bubble is outside of the second circle (outer circle) partially is almost guaranteed we need to install leveling blocks under the errant side. Saves a heck of a lot of time. So to summarize we use the leveling blocks under wheels as well as the stabilizer jacks but for different reasons. I would highly recommend investing in a couple of sets, they are inexpensive and easy to store.

Understood on all accounts. And given your above travel descriptions you probably will be OK. Only time will tell. If you have the auto tranny, you'll probably be spending a fair amount of time in 3rd/4th gear unless its very level roads or going very slow I know we did towing the T@b. I did see that cover story regarding Trailer Life and the Oliver. Personally I thought it was irresponsible based on my own experience. But heck a couple of years ago down in UT red rock country we camped next to a very nice couple full timing in a Tacoma towing no less than a 25 ft Flying Cloud Airstream that probably was loaded to 7500 lbs. They were at their max at all times. It would be an understatement to say it just looked wrong, tiny TV by comparison to the camper/trailer. Best of luck with your decisions.

It would definitely be worth considering, but I also think the Ram 1500 is a very nice truck as well. Our daughter and son in law own one with the 5.7 L Hemi and its a very nice powerful truck, and has probably the nicest interior of all the trucks. The Chevy/GMC twins would also be worth considering. There are some videos on the Ford website, if you care to investigate where the smaller 2.7L EB engine is pitted against Eco Diesel in the RAM and 6L of the GMC/Chevy towing 7,000 lbs up the steep grade to the Davis Dam in AZ. The smaller 2.7L pretty ate the lunch of the Ram Eco Diesel and while it outperformed the much larger GMC motor the conclusion was not quite so decisive. The worst thing about the video of course is Fords over the top clamoring about the race. Each of these trucks have their own attributes worth considering and really you can't make a bad choice IMO. Good luck in your shopping.

First thing you need to consider, those specs are cut in half if you don't use a weight distribution hitch, so effectively without the hitch you have a tongue weight limit of 365 lbs and towing limit of 3500 lbs. Now at the risk of angering many I would emphatically disagree that your current TV is really adequate having owned two Toyota trucks in the past, an 01 Tacoma DC (V6) and an 04 Tundra with the 4.7L V8. Had that last truck for over 10 years. There is no other way to put it than to say it was a gas guzzling gutless wonder regardless of what the specs state. Also the torque values you mention I believe are a bit high, which should be barely over 300. My gut instinct is Toyota is very ambitious in their specs based upon my own experience. Our first camper was Coleman pop up we towed with the Tacoma. It was a wretched miserable experience, but somewhat better with the Tundra. From there we bought our second camper an 06 T@b, still a micro lite but heavier by some margin than the Coleman. Fully loaded perhaps around 2000 lbs. For long trips, again this was a miserable gas guzzling towing experience there is just no other way to describe it. But as long as the trips are an hour or so you can probably put up with it though. Cross country or into the Rocky Mountains no way with an Elite II. If this isn't enough, getting the thing going is one thing, stopping is another entirely. Our Tundra or Tacoma did not have rear disc brakes and to this very day Toyota still doesn't install them on the newest Tacoma or at least the ones I've seen on the road. I suspect your 05 4 Runner doesn't have them either. Keep in mind fully loaded you will be hauling some 6000 to 6500 lbs behind you plus what ever you put in the 4 Runner, i.e. people, gear, ice coolers etc. Relying strictly on the brakes in the Oliver is risking disaster IMHO. We actually get better gas mileage with our F150 with 3.5 EB engine towing the much heavier Oliver Elite II than we did with the T@b Tundra combination and the towing experience itself, even with a camper literally 3 times the weight of the T@b is on an order of magnitude better. Cutting to the chase I am a firm believer that one cannot have enough tow vehicle versus getting by with the least amount of tow vehicle available. Getting down the road is one thing, doing it safely is another issue altogether. Hopefully you find this helpful.

Stan we've tried that with very limited success. They constantly fall off. I find them to be a nuisance for than helpful, but who knows it might have more to do with the brand/type of suction cup. Could be some are more effective than others. We did permanently mount our paper towel rack to the under side of the Kitchen cabinet over the sink/cooktop with screws and that does work nicely.

Good info Buzzy. To that it should also be pointed out that tongue and tow weights are published depending upon whether or not one uses a weight distribution hitch. The tow/tongue specs are cut in half ± a few % points if not using a WDH. I brought this up on another thread and also the FGRV forum a couple of years ago that created a bit of consternation to at the time. This info can usually be found stamped on the underside of your factory installed hitch where they provide specs for both situations. So for instance on my F150 it has a tongue weight of 1000lbs, but only 500 if NOT using a WDH, while the towing is just shy of 10,000 lbs but cut to 5000 if not using a WDH. IOW's I'm at my limit ± a few lbs on tongue and total towing weight. Personally I wouldn't want any less than what I have for a TV for the Elite II. With a WDH I could theoretically pull some 10,000 lbs and be at my limit, but with no reservations this is not something I would want to do other than hauling something a short distance across town. A long camping trip across country, no way. Hope this helps.

Just for the record, I turn them all off including the charging switch, assuming I have a full charge. On another thread here on this forum I reported about the winter storage of our batteries. Left them in place during a MT winter, late Oct through yesterday without depleting anything fore than a few tenths and this with no solar charge given that our Oliver was under a covered storage facility. It certainly doesn't hurt anything to turn all 3 off. However during camping season and if our camper is at the house I don't both turning any of them off. The solar panels will pour way more juice into the batteries than the parasitic draw would ever deplete them. We have found during normal spring through autumn seasons the parasitic draw on the 4 T-105 batteries to be only about 2% maximum per night and even on cloudy or rainy days they will be back to full charge long before mid day, usually by 10 AM.

Below are two photos that illustrate the breaker switches that need to be off. Push the red button on top, and that should take care of it. To turn them back on, there will be a small trigger protruding once the red button is pushed, swing that back in place. This trigger runs perpendicular to the red buttons.

Bill there are two breaker switches just to the right of the large red round switch for the solar panels, those two also need to be disconnected. They should have gone over this on delivery day. I just brought ours out of storage yesterday, will try and get a couple of quick and dirty photos to illustrate the other two switches. If they are not tripped off, you will still have a parasitic drain indicated by the fact your control panels are still lit up.

What Buzzy said… ditto. To that I would like to add a couple of other considerations. The full size trucks/suvs have another attribute I'm not sure the smaller suvs have, that being electronic anti-sway capabilities and it works which I can attest too having towed our Oliver in some West Texas winds that had to be in excess of 60-70 mph. Not that the Oliver doesn't track well, it certainly does but given that wind storm we were amazed at how well the both of them stayed composed on the highway. Add to that the longer wheel base which provides yet more stability with a rather heavy 6000 lb load behind you for added safety.