MAX Burner

OK... Been thinking of this for a while and with some encouragement from @Geronimo John - it's probably a good a time as ever to post this. So, last month the traveling Knuckleheads and I visited the "first come - first served" Oliver Campground for some maintenance activities. We pull in around mid-afternoon knowing there's likely to be some serious WX coming in our direction. Having never been to the much touted-about showroom and maintenance facility located in an industrial area "across the tracks" in Hohenwald, the puppies and I met all the fantastic people in the showroom and general workshop area. Josh showed us all the new upgrades to the 2024 models and Magnus and Oscar approvingly inspected every square inch of them. We were adorned with swag like one couldn't believe (albeit the coveted "Ravel Cups" were no where to be seen)... Retiring to the Casablanca as the only Oliver in the campground, we threw on some Chris Stapelton and settled in to chill for a bit. A few minutes later, a rap at the main entry hatch... "Sir, since you're still coupled, it would be advisable to bring your rig through the main gate and under the protective metal roof by the shop". Assuming he (I'm thinking it was Mike) knows the WX patterns a ton better than us - I "rogered-up" and by the time I managed to snuggle the Tundra under the awning, the hail went from pea size to "no SH!T" golfball size. Never experience hail balls like that. The noise was louder than sitting behind the JBD waiting to launch with an F-8 in full burner on the CAT! IMG_1665.MOV It lasted about 20 minutes or so... The Oliver folks literally save our Tundra from being destroyed by the storm's hail - our metal panels aren't like the thickness of trucks back in the day - they're very thin. Jason Essary came up during the deluge, explaining that they get this type of storm often and I asked about the 6 or 7 brand new OTTs in the parking lot totally exposed to the hurling ice balls like ours was... He said, "No worries, until those hail balls get to the size of frozen chickens, they'll be good as gold!" WOW! Our's was completely being pelted by the hail as Jason explained this and sure enough - no issues! We'd just like to take this moment to thank ALL of the OTT employees that were there that day, helping us save the mighty TV, our Tundra... Cheers, ALL!

I'm thinking the black option actually looks a bit better than even new white ones...

Huh? NOW you're talk'n! HA!

OK... that's just too cool for school! Just say'n... However, I'm thinking like @jd1923 - and might think about disconnecting the 7-pin hot wire (the black one) and seeing if the Girard still behaves that way.

Same here - indicated inspection was completed by "SELF".... Mailed, one and done for Hull #226.

We're north of 35k miles with zero issues - if we make it to 75k we might be good. The spread sheet showed very few failures in the higher mileage range. The engine/drivetrain warranty is 100k, it would be nice to get a new motor at about 99k! HA!

Those diatoms are wily little beasts - even after 175 million years! HA!

Good call, Bill - I'm thinking we'll be doing the same. Do you use the TOW+ mode when dragging the OTT? Just curious...

Our Tundra experience is the same as @rideandfly's. (Thanks for posting the spreadsheet, BTW, Bill!). We've had no engine indications such as those listed on the Tundra Forums spreadsheet. I'm planning to get our oil analyzed at our local FBO at ABQ Sunport next week to set a baseline. We've put north of 3,500 miles on the TV in the past 6 weeks - it tows Casablanca famously with over 35k miles. The only mods we've made are the AirLift 5000 pneumatics for the rear suspension. Planning 1,500-miler to WY in two weeks... Oh, well.

Congrats, John and Chrissy! Enjoy all the Oliver time you can together during this special time of the year! WOW!

@topgun2 - FYI, We'll be in Cody in September, but on the annual bike ride... Hitting SD, MT, WY, NE, and CO - about 3,500 miles worth of the Great Plains and the Rockies!

Should your plans include traveling anywhere near the Continental Divide - let's compare schedules, it would be cool to link up. We're headed to "Soldiers Stone" near Saguache, CO in August, FYI... very cool location. Safe travels!

No indication of engine issues after 35,000 miles (knock on wood) - getting engine oil changed next week and will inquire at the Toyo service center regarding the recall.

@Just Joe - Great move, Joe! Will do something similar to our "After-burner Penguin" before our next trip. Thanks for posting your optimum results....

We can fix that, @Wandering Sagebrush - plan on meeting us at the "Q" next January! HA! 😎 There were 4 or 5 there at one point last JAN, FYI...

@Half Fast Hugo - Nicely done, Hugo! Beefy and clean - always a couple of my design requirements. Looking forward to seeing y'all again down the road - we've already got our rally site reserved for next year, FYI. (OBTW: Todd should have his chocks by now). Magnus and Oscar send a big WOOF! to Bob & Cash... HA! Cheers!

Which one, if I may ask? We'll be moving from Alpha to the Echo section, FYI...

@Sparkinson; Concur with @jd1923's assessment 100%. Another option is to open your 7-pin and disconnect the charging wire from the plug housing inside, fold the wire back and tape it. Either way, you'll still have a full-up operational 7-pin outlet on your TV. Just say'n...

Hey, @jd1923; Clarification: I mentioned that I "want" four of these jacks, didn't say I was going to "buy" them... HA! I've got floor jacks, bottle jacks, jack stands - I'm running out of room, brother!

Piece of cake. Get one of these and you'll be able to convert your house battery voltage to whatever the output is for your vacuum's wall wart. Our's is a 14.4vDC wart. If yours is close to battery voltages, you can also simply use a cigar-type plug connected to the vacuum charging plug and use your OTT 12v outlet... We also use a handheld blower for both the TV and Casablanca - again, we travel with a couple fur missiles. Easy peasy.

@josmith68: Welcome to the Oliver family, Johnny and Juanita! With just over a week prior to your pick-up date at Hohenwald, please be prepared to be overwhelmed with a massive amount of new OTT operational information! Try taking a lot of video coverage -- it may help to remember key functions. Always know that you can reach out to these forums for an assist should you need it. Congrats on the retirement from one who's flunked it twice! HA! Cheers!

Congrats on your new Oliver, Derek! You'll not be disappointed - much to learn and this forum can be a huge asset for you! Looking forward to meeting you down the road sometime... Now post some pix of your new treasure! Cheers!

I want 4 of these bad boys!

Same here. When one travels with a couple "knuckleheads" like we do -- the handheld is definitely a "must-have": FYI: We converted the handheld's charging supply to operate on 12vDC - makes it way more convenient w/o having to fire-up the inverter.

@DunnYet - FYI: 100% concur with Patriot, @topgun2, and @mossemi -- the thick wire loom keeps the chains squared away and gives a cleaner look, IMO. Torch the ends after cutting to keep them from unraveling and tie-off with plastic wire ties: ...and as @Patriot has noted previously, the Sea Biscuit Designs OTT purpose-built rack keeps the "whale tail", chains, 7-pin, brake-away lanyard, and 12/12v charger cable tucked away cleanly and off the deck. Cheers!