topgun2

jordanv - I think that your estimate of what "most people's Oliver Elite II's" towing weight is a bit high. I tow mine at right near 6,000 pounds (depending on the level of water/stuff in the tanks - these are all normally empty unless I need the water for boondocking). I own a 2017 F-150 just like the 2018 you are looking at and have never had one hint of an issue. Usually I have in the bed of the truck - two sets of wheel chocks, three 11 inch lengths of 6 x 6 blocks (for use under the Oliver's jacks), two 8 gallon water containers (one is almost always empty unless I need it for extended boondocking), a shower tent, a cheap charcoal grill plus charcoal, a light (plastic) rug for under the awning and a fairly good sized truck box that contains all my fishing and/or backpacking gear (with the exception of the rods which I carry in the truck with me). Hope this info helps you. Bill

On Amazon type in RV levelers ramps and you will find an assortment of different brands. Note that some people here on the Forum have said that they have experienced these ramps sliding. To prevent this they have started using small rubber mats under them. For what its worth, I've never experienced my Andersen's sliding. But, normally I'm not camping on pavement of any sort. Bill

Dennis1 - As usual, the answer to the question of what's "best" depends on where and how you are camping plus from whom does the answer come. For chocks you can go from simple blocks of wood to plastic to rubber. If you camp on relatively steep concrete surfaces both the wood and plastic will tend to slide or slip more than the rubber. However, the wood and then the plastic are generally cheaper than the rubber. I use the plastic chocks because they are cheap, don't retain water, and are easy to clean. But I also always carry a set of rubber chocks just in case. For leveling your choices range from (again) wood planks stacked until you reach the height you want or legos style square blocks that (again) are stacked until you reach the height you want or the ramp style levelers like Andersen. While there are cheaper versions (and one or two more expensive) available generally the Andersens are considered just about the top of the line. These ramp style levelers are a bit easier to use as compared to either planks of wood or legos styles, particularly if you camp alone. However, as a general rule the ramp styles are limited to a height increase (on the one side of the camper) of something approaching 4 inches. This height will take care of a huge percentage of leveling situations and then you are forced to either supplement with something additional (like wood planks ) under them or change sites. Again, I use the Andersens but also carry a single stack of ten legos just in case. Bill

OEM 36 gallon.

That IS exciting news. And now you are even two weeks closer. While Mother Nature is sure to do things her own way, you are right that your chances of bad weather are less in early December. Hopefully it works out that way for you guys, Bill

Not that we are biased or anything, but, nice pics of a beautiful camper in super locations. Just so you know - the Oliver does well in not so nice locations too. Bill

Now THAT is what I call an excuse!

Certainly you pick a delightful couple to have them show you the Ollie. If you ever get the chance, be sure to take the factory tour. There you will see the detail of how they are made which makes the finished product even more impressive. Let us know if you have any questions and enjoy this new journey you have embarked on. Bill

You might be a touch high on that tongue weight but better safe than sorry. If it helps your mind any - you probably still have a long ways to go to get anywhere near what ScubaRX is hauling around 😄. Bill p.s. you'll simply love that bigger gas tank. When I got my 2017 F150 I got the bigger gas tank and it has been wonderful. Your tank is even bigger!

Sherry - I believe the stabbing was before the new owners took but it wasn't long before. I admit that I really didn't take a tour of the facility last week but it didn't look much different from the road. Bill

I'm not sure about the status of TN health inspectors but as you may know, Fall Hollow used to be used by Oliver for that "free" first night camping in a new Oliver. However, given that a guy was stabbed there a couple of years ago - that was when Oliver stopped using them. Certainly not good for ones health either way. Bill

JD - Yes, Fall Hollow RV is open. I'm not sure if the B & B part or if the restaurant parts are open though. The look of the RV park has not changed - still not appealing. Also, Thousand Trails hasn't gotten any better either. Bill

While the new Sales/Service building is being improved, the Sales folks are still (as of the end of August, 2020) located at the old Sales Building on Route 412. For many years Oliver has graciously allowed owners to "camp" at the Sales Office but space was limited to one or two Ollies. Recently, Oliver has installed "pedestals" along the outer edges of the Sales Office parking lot that have electric connections on them and are to be used by Oliver owners for short-term camping while waiting for Service appointments. As always, there is a faucet on the exterior of the old Sales building that can be used to fill the fresh water tank. Discussions are continuing as to what will be done with this "old sales office" once the move to the new location takes place and there are discussions about creating a camping area in the grass area directly in front of the new Sales/Service building. But at least for the time being, owners are welcome to use these new pedestals. Given that the Meriwether Lewis camping area near the Natchez Trace is completely closed and other nearby campgrounds are either not the best or involve a bit of a drive, these new facilities for the Oliver Owners are greatly appreciated. Bill

Yes, I went inside for breakfasts both days - biscuits, bacon and coffee were very good. In the event this Cracker Barrel was crowded, there is a WalMart located nearby. The only "downside" of this location was that they do not open for breakfast until 8 am. Bill

Sherry - I talked with the owner of the 4 Bears Bed & Breakfast that is located nearby and he told me that even though the stay limit is 14 days, there is no enforcement of that rule. I stayed there 6 nights. It is a central location for fishing all three branches of the Wood River and for fishing the Jack's Fork area of the Greybull River. As JD mentions, it is also only just over 30 miles of easy driving to Cody, is a bunch quieter and cheaper. Nearby is the ghost town of Kirwin, the partially constructed cabin of Amelia Earhart and the DD Ranch which she liked visiting. Meeteetse is also near the location of a colony of black footed ferrets that were thought to be extinct until found here just a few years ago. Butch Cassidy spent a night in jail here too. But don't trespass!

For whatever reason I had never tried camping overnight at a Cracker Barrel. However, I thought that I'd try one out and was so impressed with the one in St. Joe, Missouri I stayed there on the way out to Wyoming and again on the way back. This Cracker Barrel welcomes RV'ers. The RV parking area is actually the first thing you come upon when entering the grounds. Since the front of the restaurant faces the Interstate, that means that the building is between you and the traffic noise. There is plenty of landscaping with mature trees and this also helps reduce the noise level. On one side of the property is a motel but it is the back of the motel that adjoins the Cracker Barrel and on the other side there is just woods. So, once the restaurant closes at 10pm it really is fairly quiet - no ear plugs! If you decide to try it, remember to park facing out. Not only does this make leaving in the morning easier but it also prevents you from being partially trapped if there is a delivery being made to the rear of the building. GPS: 39.774065, -94.794746 Bill

I've just returned to North Carolina from 2 months in Wyoming. One of the place I stayed was in Meeteetse. I took a look at both the upper and lower Sunshine reservoirs. The spot on the upper reservoir that JD mentions above is right by the water and has a pit toilet very near. However, it involves a drive on a dirt road of something over a mile and was very crowded when I arrived there Saturday in early July. The Lower Sunshine Reservoir is a bit closer to town, and involves driving on a dirt road for as little as a couple hundred yards. There is also a pit toilet but it is near the water while most of the camping sites are well up the hill. Since I'm told that the fishing is not as good in the Lower Reservoir it was much less crowded - in fact, there were only three campers there and that included me. Neither the upper or lower have electric or water (other than the lake. However, there is both a water supply and dump in the town of Meeteese - on your left just north of the bridge as you head out of town towards Cody.

Let me see - New Ollie, the Blue Ridge Parkway is right between Hohenwald and Raleigh, and, it is mid-October for the leaves. Of course there is also the Natchez Trace south and then over to Florida and back up. Or, there is the grand tour heading West, winding up in Quartzite in February and taking the southern route home. Choices, choices, choices! Almost a shame that the Oliver is your first camper/trailer. Perhaps you'll think that they all are like this. Bill

Its getting to be that time of year when we are starting to think about winterizing the Ollie. Certainly it is easy to winterize using the port at the rear of the Ollie but an often overlooked past of the process is putting a bit of antifreeze in the other three ports - City Water, Fresh Water and Black tank flush. This is also easy if you use a hand pump - https://www.amazon.com/Horusdy-transferencia-combustible-multiuso-líquidos/dp/B075C3NNZF/ref=sr_1_7?crid=1TBR3DRPDJK7&dchild=1&keywords=liquid+transfer+pump+manual&qid=1598820277&sprefix=liquid+tran%2Caps%2C180&sr=8-7 But, these pumps come with both the intake and output hoses simply cut off at the ends. Buying a plastic fitting with one end barbed and the other end compatible with the ports on the Ollie really simplifies the entire process. Simply insert the barbed end of the fitting into the output hose on the pump, secure it with a clamp and you are ready to go. Screw the fitting onto the Ollie port, place the other end into the antifreeze, give the handle a couple of pumps and you are done with that port. Bill

Yes on the water hose and regulator. You are also "given" a sewer hose. In years past there was also a lug wrench. Literally down the street from where you take delivery there is a Tractor Supply - good for getting a better "pin" that has a handle for the Andersen WDH (note the red handled pin on the whale tail in the photo below) - and a WalMart for all those other things that you either forgot or simply "need". Bill

The Rock Tamers install directly to the hitch - just behind the Andersen hitchball housing. Since the 2X2 hitch assembly which slides into the receiver was not exactly square, I had to use a couple of shims in order to get everything lined up to my satisfaction. But, once that is done and you cut the rubber flaps to the desired length (allowing for the sag of the rear of the truck once you are hitched), you never have to touch them again. However, they do add to the weight of the Andersen (which is not light) assuming that you do not remove and reinstall them each time you remove your hitch from the truck. This plus the overall size of these things makes the entire unit a bit cumbersome. I have found that between the mudflaps on the truck, the Rock Tamers, and the protection film that I had applied to the front of the Oliver, rock chips, scrapes and dings have been reduced as compared to what I had prior to the Rock Tamers. Bill

The current forecast for Hohenwald is that they will be a bit damp over the next few days. At 4 this morning it rained until 5am but there were only a few light showers during the dya until1 pm when I hit the road towards Asheville. Even if they do get the 4 - 5 inches they are forecasting, at least the Service Department should be nice and dry in their nice new digs. Hopefully all will stay safe from this weather. Bill

OK, you guys, you are making me homesick. I'm presently overnighting at the St. Joe, MO Cracker Barrel on my way towards home - 16 miles from the Pisgah Inn. After two months of Wyoming mountainsand night temps of as low as 33 degrees, the current temp of 89 degrees at 8pm is a bit of a shock to the system! Bill

Unfortunately, I still can not be there due to a previously arranged trip to the beach that conflictsfor those dates. Everyone have a good time! Doesn't alcohol kill the virus? Bill

Perhaps its a bit late in the day for this but it is never too late to remember. Bill Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. What kind of men were they? Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well-educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags. Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward. Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton. At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt. Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months. John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid. Remember: freedom is never free! We thank these early patriots, as well as those patriots now fighting to KEEP our freedom! It's time we get the word out that patriotism is NOT a sin, and the Fourth of July has more MEANING to it than beer, fireworks, HOT DOGS, and picnics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daqwGRdRIsk