topgun2

Rleog - THIS may be the post (by JD) that you are referring to. Bill p.s. note that a video by Jason in Oliver Service is included in this thread.

Well, since there is a red one and a black one out there, being in the white one certainly narrows the field - 😁

Welcome Mary & Tom - Double shell, no rat fur on the walls, insulated with double pane windows, no press board cabinet doors, no rust on the frame and a plie of options. Since you've had a Casita then basically all you have to do is go see an Oliver to note the difference. Of course, the Oliver is somewhat more expensive too, but, once you see one I think you will realize why it costs what it does. Good luck and don't be afraid to ask those questions. Bill

Sure - but it misses you!😍

REALLY? Damn! I've been trying to fight physics all my life. Both high school and college physics courses tried to tell me differently but exactly why should I believe that requiring an increased amount of work out of an engine could/would/should increase the amount of fuel it uses?🤪 Bill

ROCOMO - Besides your noted "significant improvement" in towing with your 2019 half ton, it is almost certain that a weight distribution hitch is required by your truck manufacturer when towing the Ollie (or other trailer of this size/weight). Therefore, you also further protect yourself from potential liability issues in this regard. Over the years, Oliver has delivered campers with either "regular" safety chains or safety cables. There have been discussions here on the Forum regarding the "safety" of both and the desirability of one versus the other. Assuming that the ones you have are the ones that were delivered with the camper, you can reasonably expect that these cables met all regulations regarding them at the time of manufacture and therefore will do the job that they were intended to do. Of course, there are those that will argue that bigger, stronger cables and/or chains are desirable and/or even necessary but that is really another subject. In addition, there are those that simply do not like the "curly" nature of the cables. I have found on my 2016, these cables are simple to use, keep themselves out of the dirt and are easy to maintain. Assuming that your brake away cable has enough (but not too much) slack in it so you can make turns without putting it under stress, I'm sure that it is OK. At least once per year it is a good idea to actually pull that cable so as to engage the "emergency" brakes and either test the voltage to the trailer brakes or (as I do) actually see if the brakes "lock up" thereby stopping the trailer in the event it becomes unattached from the tow vehicle. Bill

Gooey - I've towed my Elite II with both a 2011 and 2017 3.5 ecoboost. Never a problem in the East, in the West, in the mountains (of either), in the heat )105 degrees air temps with pavement at about 120) and on the flats. The only thing you might have to be concerned with is your payload that you carry in the truck. Given that I get around 22 mpg when not towing on the interstate and between 12 and 13 mpg when towing on the interstate, I have always thought that towing would have better gas mileage. However, that 3.5 is really an amazing engine and sooooooo much fun on the rare occasion that I feel the NEED to press my foot to the floor (not towing of course 🙄). Bill

Shouldn't that be 500 pounds (hitch weight)? Bill

Go to THIS Oliver site and fill out the form. Obviously this will get you into contact with the Oliver Sales team, but, they really do not EVER pressure you. Via this form they will put you into contact with an Oliver owner near you for either discussion and/or a visit. Bill

RV magazine has just released their "Guide to Towing" in the latest issue (June, 2021). Try looking HERE for a start. Bill

I'd be surprised if there wasn't already a strong enough floor there already given that there is a porcelain toilet sitting there whose weight is probably fairly similar to that of the composting toilet. However, it never hurts to check! Bill

These "new" lights actually look fairly similar to the "old" ones. The main difference is that instead of being turned on and off via a external switch on the wall, you simply reach over and touch the lens of the light and it comes on. Touch it again and it goes off. Nice feature in that most of the lights will work independent of the others. In my case, if I turn on the "kitchen" lights, actually two will come on - the one over the sink and the one over the cook top stove. With the new lights you can turn each of these on/off individually. From Oliver's perspective this change was a win-win. Apparently wiring was simplified, a second switch panel was done away with (both of which saved time and effort in production) and the owners got more choices as to which lights could be turned on/off at any given time. Sorry, but, I don't have a source but I'm sure that it should not be too hard to find. Bill

Maybe at the next non-non rally (aka real rally or Oliver rally or ....) we can arrange a intro to fly fishing? Its really not that hard - ask ShallowGal! Remember - trout don't live in ugly places (for the most part). Bill

I do this virtually every year. Some of the best trout streams and lakes require a backpack. The way I figure it - if I'm going to hike four or more miles into a spot, fish all day and then hike another five or so miles back out, why not just take the tent and sleeping bag with me? I can be a bit more relaxed as to the time I get to the trailhead, hike in, set up camp all in a relaxed manner. Fish a bit in the afternoon and/or evening and get a good night's sleep. The next day I can fish in the morning, pack up camp and take a relaxing stroll back out - or, decide to stay another night or two if it suits me. No crowds, no hurry, fish that rarely (if ever) see an artificial fly and nature. For me, it doesn't get much better than that. Bill

There was a time when there were more Ollies in North Carolina than any other State. However, I certainly don't think that is the case anymore. Steve & Cindy - welcome. It will not be too long now until you are a full card carrying member of the Family! BIll

Ralph - I happen to know that Patriot had many of the symptoms you are describing with his kitchen lights. You may want to send him a PM (private message) in this regard. Bill

Is THAT why you seem to like that stuff?😂

Really a nice front end on that truck. Is that price for real?

Yes, this is basically correct - the "star wheels" are used even on the self adjusting models to "snug up" the brakes after servicing (usually the bearings) but the self adjusters should still work even if this set is not followed - its just that braking performance will be reduced until one has backed up enough times for the self adjusters to do the magic. The rubber plugs indeed may be missing but they do help keep un-wanted things out of the area and suspect that is why some engineer put them there in the first place - I always replaced mine when/if they disappear. I've had many campers and boat trailers over the years that have had self adjusting brakes and have NEVER had issues with any of them. Particularly with trailers that are routinely driven/towed over 5,000 miles per year and with boat trailers that routinely see water, bearing service at least once per year is necessary. Because of this I have always cleaned/serviced the brakes at the same time and I suspect that is the reason they have always performed well for me. Of course, on the other hand, I could just be one lucky dude. I'm not surprised that this manual process works - that is how it was designed. However, even though the process of lubing the EZ Flex system is simple, doesn't take much time, is not really labor intensive, nor, does it require any special skill, I still find myself reluctant to do it. This same thing would apply (at least in my case) to manually adjusting the brakes. I'd prefer to make sure that the self-adjusting system is working properly once per year when I have the hubs off anyway versus keeping track of my brake mileage, getting under the Ollie and spinning star wheels. Different strokes for different folks I guess. Bill

Yes, it is But those 17 years cicadas are driving me crazy!

But I thought that Maverick was nothing without Goose. Or, was that something else? In my experience, locking gas caps are much like "locking" anything else. A person that REALLY wants your stuff is going to get it. However, for the more casual thief it just might cause them to move on to an easier target. And, it gives the owner a bit of peace of mind knowing that they have done something to help their cause. In this regard, I recently installed front and rear "dash cameras" - at least I'll know what they looked like when they take my stuff.

Well, they (drum brakes) are inferior in some (even perhaps most) circumstances. Repair is one area where disks are much easier to work on. In "performance" situations disk brakes are also superior. If I was doing a bunch of hills or needing my brakes to be applied for relative long periods of time then disk brakes are much better. But, having said this it does not necessarily mean that drum brakes are junk from the standpoint of - do they get the job of stopping the vehicle done. I believe that while drum brakes are not the most elegant nor the newest or greatest technology, they still get the basic job done - i.e. they stop the trailer (assuming that the maintenance factors pointed out above are good). If I had the choice of drum versus disk brakes - I'd take the disks every time. But that is not to say that drum brakes are junk. Bill

The "easy" way to tell is to take a look at the back of the drum. If there is a rubber plug take it out and look for a "wheel" on the inside of the drum that can be turned (via the notches in the wheel). Turn it one way and the brakes tighten while turning it the other way loosen the brakes. These are manually adjusted brakes. Since I'm hull number 117 and you (Mike) are fairly close, I'd guess that you have the same brakes as I do - self adjusting. Basically these brakes adjust each time you drive the Oliver in reverse. These are not as finely tuned as the current Dexter "never adjust brakes", but, generally they do a good job. This is particularly so if during your annual wheel bearing job the brakes are adjusted properly when you hub is put back on. Right after this annual job your first few stops just might be a bit lacking in stopping power - that is because you probably haven't backed up the Ollie enough times yet in order to allow the self-adjusting mechanism to full work its magic yet. As long as the big magnet inside the drum is still good, the magnet is getting power, and, you have reasonably good brake lining, you should be able to get more that reasonable stopping power from drum brakes under "normal" circumstances. Yes, this is arguably ancient technology. Yes, disk brakes are easier to service and can provide more consistent and reliable stopping power under a broader array of circumstances. But, properly serviced drum brakes have proved to be a reliable source of stopping power for many years on many vehicles and trailers. Bill

Yep - I can make a bunch of trips to the grocery store (2.5 miles round trip), to Lowes (7 miles round trip), or even WalMart (8 miles round trip) before I start to be concerned about that large gas tank in the truck getting below half full. I do feel a bit sorry for those that do not have as much choice as we do regarding how and when they must use their vehicle. This evening's local news still said that upwards of 70% of the gas stations in the Asheville area are without gas. But, by early next week things should be greatly improved. Bill

Today (Friday May 14) two of the three gas stations nearest my home did not have gas. However, yesterday all three had gas at least for part of the day. News reports tell us that the pipeline that was shut down is now fully functional. Therefore, once the "panic" stops and once there are enough fuel delivery drivers to deliver the product from the pipeline terminal to the individual stations, everything should return to "normal". Bill