rideandfly

Welcome Ray, Here's some Oliver factory tour photos taken earlier this year. Hopefully this will help seeing Oliver construction until you see one in person. We purchased our used Ollie in Missouri last April and very happy Ollie campers:

Welcome to the forum! It's great to have a factory representative on the forum to help us better understand WD hitches!

Bill, We currently own a 2.4L Tacoma with Leer Shell and really like this truck. If we ever need to replace it, it will be with a 3.5L Tacoma. Got an honest 15MPG with the 2013 Nissan Frontier 2WD Crew Cab 4.0L pickup towing the Elite II. Did not want to tow in the mountains out west with the Frontier and had to install Timbren rear suspension upgrade for towing the Elite II making the ride very rough. The Tundra is our third Toyota Pickup and we like Toyota's durability. The fuel economy I'm getting with the Tundra is better than the majority of reports including Toyota's MPG claims, but I work hard to get better fuel economy towing, starting with 40PSI in all four tires and going very light on the gas pedal. Put white tape on the Ollie's hitch and can easily position the ball under the Ollie hitch using the Toyota back-up camera, using a back-up camera is new to me: Backing up to the Ollie at an angle: Ready to lower the Ollie hitch on the ball when the red line covers the white tape:

Stan & Mike, Very sharp Olivers!!!!!! Now both of you have me thinking about trailer art on our Ollie, too!

Bill, It's a 2016 SR5 4x4 5.7L Tundra built 7/16, the 2016 SR5 5.7L is equipped with tow package. It weighs in at 6120 pounds with two people on board, full 38 gallon tank, and 50 pounds of stuff, I call this unloaded. When checking MPG I'm light on the gas pedal, allowing speed to slow down 5MPH going up & allowing speed to increase 5 MPH going down hill. Unloaded not towing, best fuel economy so far is 20.6MPG during a round trip of 480 miles to VA using 23 1/4 gallons. With less than 1000 miles on the Tundra. Ran the Tundra with the tow-haul mode ON with tranny in Drive to the NC foothills. The Tundra with the tow mode on has a very responsive throttle and stays in gear longer without hunting gears, assume this is how most modern manufacturer's tow-haul modes are set up. Did not get to top off with the Tundra before & after the last camping trip, but took photos of the Tundra on board MPG display when arriving at the campground and arriving home after the camping trip with less than 2000 total miles on the Tundra. Towing the Ollie, 13.1MPG on this 135 mile round trip to the NC foothills. First leg of trip: Second leg of trip:

Mike, Thanks! The Ollie is a fine camper and happy we have the pleasure to camp with it!!!! More adventures to come in September!

We had a Oliver Plant tour scheduled last April when a 2015 Elite II was posted for sale in Missouri in the classified section here. We previously planned to purchase a larger tow vehicle first before ordering a 2017 Elite II at the end of this year. When the used 2015 Elite II became available, we had a Nissan Frontier Crew Cab 4.0L 2WD pickup towing a 2000 pound all aluminum LivinLite CampLite 11 travel trailer. Decided to go on the Oliver plant tour, head to SE Missouri that afternoon after the tour to see the Elite II. Thought the used Ollie might come in around 5,000 pounds with empty tanks with our Frontier's towing capacity at 6300 pounds with 630 pound tongue weight capacity. The couple we purchased the Ollie from had the Ollie set up on their farm with full hook ups. They told us we were welcome to camp in the Ollie for a few days to see how we liked it. We camped in the Ollie on the evening we toured the Oliver Plant. We decided to buy the Ollie and head home to Carolina the next day. A vehicle pulled out in front of us on the way home and had a real emergency stop situation, the Frontier/Ollie rig stopping easily. We were also amazed with the Ollie's fine towing manners and towing fuel economy. Weighed our Ollie once home and it came in around 4950 pounds with empty tanks. We recently decided to purchase a Toyota Tundra 5.7L 4x4 tow vehicle. Just returned from our second TV shake down trip and very impressed with the Ollie/Tundra rig. Like always, take too many photos: Oliver Tour the day before we purchased our Ollie: Getting ready to tow the Ollie home from Missouri: Camping at a TN SP on the way home: Happy Ollie Campers at an Egg gathering last May: Second visit to the Oliver Plant: NC Rt. 181 with Table Rock Mountain in the background: Dexter EZ Flex installation: Taken yesterday at Bandit's Roost ACE Campground NC: We're Happy Ollie Campers!!!!!

John, At the time she was one of seven Women in the world making these for a living with power saws. The little bear is guarding our front porch! We bought the black bear on the left for $50 from her at an antique tractor show. We were camping at a ACE campground in western Illinois when the family camping next to us invited us to the antique tractor show. Their family was showing 5 tractors there.

Just returned from another camping trip at Bandit's Roost. Spent time on the Blue Ridge Parkway during this trip. Blue Ridge Parkway NC & VA:

Wow, Like the Buffalo, Ollie, and Clam photo!!!!

Don, Wish we could make it. Will not be traveling through that area camping until next year! Have a Great Trip!

Randy, This may be Gary & Jona's Clam at the Egg gathering last May.

Snowlakemike, Welcome! You will enjoy your Oliver tour. The Ollie is our third camper we purchased used from the original owners. Our Elite II was 13 months old when we took it in for repair. The warranty covers the original owner for 12 months. The Oliver service folks took care of the issue for no charge. We did not buy our Ollie new, but the service tech told me when we purchased our Ollie, we joined the Oliver family! The Ollie is very pleasant to camp with. Plan to camp out west with the Ollie next year. Happy Oliver Campers here!

Bill, Beautiful shot of the Tetons!!!! When we're in Cody, like to drop our laundry off at the Cody Laundromat. They wash and fold all of the laundry by the pound. :)

Enjoyed the great trip report and photos! That's a fine brown trout, too!

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Talked to Oliver Sales today and we have 11 signed up for the rally so far!!!!

Randy, Will do. I take many photos and happy to post them!

John, We purchased our Ollie used, too. Surprised me seeing this on the road side pivot bracket. Bottom left plastic bushing had failed and was completely gone with the top right bushing very loose after 9000 miles. Taking the Ollie out for a short trip later this week, checking out a new TV and EZ Flex ride.

Buzzy, That's good to hear. Also looking at the roof rack like you have with removable flat cover bed option. Taking time to to make the best decision.

Agree, have another lighter single axle motorcycle/utility trailer we purchased during 1993. Can only imagine the condition of pins & bushings on this trailer. Will install new pins and bushings on this trailer, soon.

David, We are also looking at how to haul Kayaks and Bicycles with our Toyota Tundra 5.7 four door TV with 6.5' bed. Our previous TV had a Leer Shell and Thule racks we transported Kayaks with, the shell also worked well keeping animals out and contents dry. The new TV would be closer to 7' tall with shell/rack, giving problems loading Kayaks on a shell/rack combination due to a previous shoulder injury. Like the idea using racks over the pickup bed so I could rest the Kayaks on the tailgate, step up in the bed & load Kayaks on the bed rack. In another thread, Buzzy posted photos of a removable/locking cover made with hard panels that would keep contents in the dry and could still be removed for transporting bulky items. Like this idea, too. My idea is to transport bicycles in the back of the pickup and Kayaks on a rack over the pickup bed. This will allow us to transport a mid size motorcycle instead of bicycles in the pickup bed on camping trips. The Leer shell worked great for camping on our previous TV. Our Tacoma also has a shell. Debbie calls our Tacoma a great shopping vehicle, since she can load the bed while shopping keeping everything dry and secure. :)

Larry, Enjoyed the report and video. We have not camped in elevations that high yet!

RWsprage, Thanks, Our Ollie is a 2015 model. Believe Oliver started offering the EZ flex kit as an Elite II option during 2016. It's easy to clean & grease with a manual grease gun. My straight fittings are pointing out, some folks prefer them pointing in on their trailers. 45 degree fittings pointing out would be very easy to grease without crawling under the Ollie. Dexter recommends the pins to be greased every 3000 miles.

Good results on the kit! Was wondering if wet pins & bushing have been installed on a single axle Ollie before. This is a friend's kit we plan to install on their single Axle Ollie this fall. Will post a thread & photos about the installation.