rideandfly

Towed our LE2 with three different 1/2 ton tow vehicles. Installed either Timbren rear suspension system or Firestone Airbags to get rid of rear end sag on those trucks. We purchased a 2024 F-350, we don't need a WDH or rear suspension modification. The F-350 with 6.8 Minizilla handles Ollie great and this truck has over 4,000 pounds of payload capacity, too.

I subscribed to Mike Sokol's report/newsletter after you mentioned him. Looking forward to seeing Mike's results after his experiments with a BB battery.

Looking forward to reading this interview. Thanks!

Congrats on your new Ollie! Like how the new windows look, too!

Very nice upgrades. We’re planning the Alcan upgrade, too!

Welcome and Congrats your fine looking Oliver. Believe you can learn to back your "new to you" Ollie easily. There is a very knowledgeable group of helpful folks here if you have any questions! Bill

We had two newer BB 100AH batteries in Ollie, but recently installed two 105 AH Epoch batteries in parallel. I like the physically smaller/lighter Epoch batteries for our application compared to BB along with Epoch's customer support and Epoch's app to monitor Epoch Bluetooth Smart battery condition. Really like the built in Epoch carry handles on the 105AH batteries making it easy to install & remove these 22lb batteries. We don't have factory solar or an inverter like many folks here. We have a Progressive Dynamics 45 amp charger and also charge with up to two Renogy 100W Portable Suitcase Solar Panels and Renogy Solar controller when away from shore power. Looking forward to seeing how fast the Epoch batteries will charge with 100W Portable Suitcase Solar Panels during the 2026 camping season.

Mike, I have been thinking about moving from LT to ST tires next year, just a thought for now. Thanks, Bill

John, Our ready to camp weight is with empty water tanks. We normally camp where we fill the FWT at the campground when they don't have water at the site and dump the B&G tanks at the campground. We don't have factory solar charging system and now using two 105AH Epoch Lithium Batteries instead of two BB 100AH lithiums. Ollie weighs in around 5100lbs, honestly added a little weight to Ollie since we started towing with a F-350. When we towed with 1/2 ton pickups got creative to keep Ollie's weight under 5000lbs. We have the original 5200lb axles with 12" brakes & Dexter's 5 leaf springs (no 5 leaf failures yet), but I don't like Dexter's wet bronze bushings in the their springs, I like Alcan's spring bushings that are double the wall thickness compared to Dexter's spring bushings. If we have the wheels refinished, will start another thread about it. Thanks, Bill

Mike, are you moving from LT to ST tires? I'm just curious what other folks with older trailers are doing. We are currently running 16" Cooper LT class E tires at 40PSI without issues with a ready to camp weight of 5100lbs (don't remember the exact tire model without looking at them). We don't take Ollie off pavement, unless the campground is not paved. I'm thinking about replacing four wheels when we replace the tires next year since the original 11 year old wheels need to be refinished. Found a local shop that will probably refinish my old 16" wheels, too. Our original spare tire had a 16" wheel with a lower profile passenger tire installed because the larger diameter LT225/75R/16 tire would not fit in the spare tire housing. Believe Oliver fixed spare tire housing size around 2016 or 2017 so the LT225/75R/16 would fit. I replaced our spare wheel/tire with a 15" Sendel trailer wheel with the ST225/75R/15 Goodyear Endurance tire that fits in our spare tire housing. Believe Oliver is now equipping new trailers with the ST225/75R/15 Goodyear Endurance tires.

We smelled an acrid odor one time. When I found it, very similar wiring failure connected to the Surburban Hot Water Heater, too.

Here's additional photos of the spare tire removed on our LE2:

Will do!

We installed two Epoch 105 AH replacing two 100AH BB batteries on Ollie. We don't have factory solar charging and only have an onboard Progressive Dynamics 45A Lithium charger. The BB worked nicely with this setup. The Epoch 105AH batteries are a little smaller physically and lighter than the 100AH BB batteries. I like the carry handles on them, too. The new Epoch batteries with the carry handles are easy to install and remove on Ollie. I removed them in less than 10 minutes when I put Ollie in storage this winter. It will take a little longer to install them later this month. Really like the Epoch app, too. Edit: I looked at the Epoch 105AH link in your post and thought you were installing 105AH, what ever size is used, they are very nice batteries.

When we lived in Ohio, we used to use jet snow blowers on the railroad equipped with old military jet engines to clear switches. We have 6 1/2" so far, 25F, getting windy, too. It's a dry fluffy snow.