Mike and Carol

When we picked up our trailer we had a 2012 Tacoma. We were at the upper limit of its towing capability. As I’ve posted before, it did fine. We did about 6K miles with it. Did some Ozark mountain towing and bad weather towing. It did fine and I never felt like we were on the edge. What I didn’t like was the small fuel tank and limited cargo capacity - which combined with 100K miles “encouraged” me to look at a new TV. Our Ram 1500 is much better in all categories. We now have 70K miles on it, mostly towing, and I’m looking at upgrading again in the next 12-18 months to a 2500 or F250. Sometimes, actual experience will influence your decisions. Mike

Welcome, Celia! I’ve been using Rejex and am happy with the results. It does take some effort to put it on, so maybe I’ll try duragloss like Bill recommends. Also, you’ll be good with a 20a connection in your storage, no need for anything else. Mike

We are doing National Parks and hiking. We are on our way home now and just did Death Valley, Pinnacles and Yosemite National Parks this last month. We also spent a week in Napa and did some serious wine tasting. Enjoying some mountain scenery in New Mexico the next couple of days. We like photography too, with a Canon digital SLR and iPhone. But, we are amateur amateurs! Mike

Nan, you can do this. I had done no serious towing before picking up our Ollie. Hooking up with and Andersen hitch is not difficult once you know how to do it. Jason or one of the Oliver folks can give detailed instructions when you pick up. Backing is a learned skill, but the hand on the bottom of the steering wheel and going SLOW is the best advice. We just had a tight back in site at a state park near Phoenix this week and with the help of my neighbor across we got in on the first attempt. Mike

I had a 2012 Tacoma when we picked up our Ollie 3 years ago. It pulled fine. The issue for me became range with the smallish gas tank and limited cargo capacity of the bed. Our Ram 1500 is a fine tow vehicle, 70K miles so far. When it’s time to get something new I will be looking at the new Ram 2500 or other 3/4 ton.

SweetiePie, welcome to the group! There are some full timers living in their Ollie’s and others who spend months at a time. You’ll get lots of advice so feel free to ask questions! Mike

When we picked up we didn’t bring chairs so we bought a couple of cheap ones at the Hohenwald Walmart. Comfortable if you didn’t sit in them for more than 30 minutes. Very lightweight and small when folded. We still have them and throw them in the back of the truck when we travel. We also have a couple of zero gravity chairs that we don’t use much, while they are comfortable they are big, bulky and heavy. We also picked up a couple of director style chairs with an attached side table at Costco that we don’t use much anymore either, they are lighter weight, comfortable for short periods of time but take up more space in the truck than I like. For the past year we’ve been using these chairs from Core. They were about $50 on Amazon. When folded they take up very little space, are light weight and comfortable.

Thanks, Bill. Another good idea for my rally presentation. Mike

We didn’t go back to Quartzsite for the rally. We’re at a COE campground between Fresno and Yosemite. We’ve been working our way up CA, head to Napa tomorrow. We had a great visit to Death Valley NP and also Yosemite NP. Yosemite was a ghost town yesterday, hardly anyone there. Great weather but 5 feet of snow forecasted for today and tomorrow. Hidden Lake COE campground.... Yosemite yesterday....

Steph, your Ram will do fine. Ours is similar to yours and we’ve towed over 30K miles so far. No issues! Mike

Franklin Mountain State Park only has 5 RV sites. No hookups and no dump station. $7/night. It’s basically a small loop with three sites on the outside and 2 on the inside. Sites 1 and 2 are not very level. Site 3 (our site) was better. 4 and 5 on the inside are pretty level. We didn’t venture into the brush, it was just an overnight stop on the way to Quartzsite. We walked the road down to the tent sites.

Franklin Mountain State Park outside of El Paso.

Our small town uses it for city streets. Every couple of years we have a mess. They announce it ahead of time and we try to be out of town when they are doing it. I agree with Bill, why don’t they just put down a quality surface once and be done with it instead of this constant mess. Mike

The attachment opens fine for me. I’m on an iPad (we’re traveling) and it opened on the first click - nice truck. This is an interesting discussion. When we first started looking for a trailer I had a 2012 Tacoma and wanted something I could tow with it. When I found the Oliver I knew I was at the upper limit but didn’t want to get a new truck. The Tacoma was fine and did the job. I just had to stop every couple of hours for gas and couldn’t carry much in the bed. After 6K miles I traded for my Ram 1500. Much better, big gas tank, lots of towing features, more cargo capability. I plan on replacing it next year and am looking at going bigger again! The all new Ram 2500 looks nice as does the GM and Ford. The more miles I tow the more I appreciate the capabilities and advantages of larger trucks. Mike

Hey Bruce, welcome! I’m sure you have some interesting Oliver stories from the last 3 years. Nice art, too! Mike

Stan, welcome! You got a good trailer and have a good mentor in Malcolm. You’ve also got a bunch of owners on this forum to help mentor you too! Mike

We haven’t had a moisture or mold problem. Camped in heat and in cold, no issues. I’m not sure why some do and some don’t.

We did change our cushions out so we could use them for our occasional twin bed conversion. We stayed with the medium density to match the mattresses. It doesn’t seem like it would be difficult to change to a firm density. If you are not changing the fabric covering it’s just a matter of cutting the foam. Easy do-it-yourself or any upholsterer could do it. Mike

The second pic is the fresh water overflow. If you hook up to a city water supply and fill the fresh tank you will know it is full when you hear/see the overflow from there. We’ve never winterized, so no advice there. Mike

Bigfoot makes a very nice trailer. You’d get more living space and a dry bath if you went with the 25 foot model. Lance is one of the better stick built trailers but is entirely different from the Oliver and Bigfoot. With the Oliver you get a double hull, smaller footprint than a Bigfoot, and more dry camping capability. Oliver also has great factory support and a growing user community that is available to help when needed. There seems to be a surge of used Olivers for sale right now, it might be a good opportunity to get one without waiting. Mike

If you’re making the trip to Big Bend it’s worth scheduling an evening at McDonald Observatory for a Star Party. If you stay at Davis Mountain State Park it’s a very short drive and then you’re just a couple of hours north of Big Bend. Mike

Hey John, welcome to the group. Glad you’re enjoying your new Oliver. The forum is a great resource for issues and also for advice and ideas. Mike

We use the ones that Steve linked to above. They work well and keep everything tight and in place. Mike

I used the little stick on bumpers (either rubber or felt) that are used to sometimes cushion cabinet doors and drawers. I got them at Home Depot or Walmart. Should be easy to find. Before we left on this current trip I did Spike’s solution and removed the one on the side of the dinette and moved it inside. Still enough magnetic power but the door doesn’t warp when you disconnect, plus it looks better.