topgun2

MarkC - Absolutely nothing wrong with Spike's suggestions. The Andersen levelers are really easy even when you are alone. However, be prepared for a bit of sticker shock as they are not inexpensive. I think that one or two other companies are now making what are basically knock-offs of the Andersens, but, I have not seen them in person and therefore could not judge the quality - the Andersens are guaranteed. I also carry the "lego" type blocks that Spike mentions. But, I've found that I tend to use the wood blocks in the picture below more often than the legos. These do not have to be "stacked" since they are one piece. If you cut these right at 11 inches tall, they will fit nicely under your rear jacks while on a level or stern (rear of the Ollie) elevated surface. If the stern is lower than the front then I just lay the block on its side for what is about 5 1/2 inches of height. And, if you keep your eyes open around construction sites, you can pick up scrap pieces of 6 x 6 lumber free. Bill

These are pictures of the "new" versus the "old" Andersen whaletails. First the "old" Now the "new" Note that the "ball housing" is also a bit different from "old" to "new", but, the differences do not show up in a photo very well. Bill

Trainman - My feeling is that you are over thinking this thing with the Andersen. It really is no big deal - at least 95% of the time. However, to specifically answer you questions: Yes - it is possible/probable for the whale tail to turn even without the chains being attached. This is because the place where the chains are attached is simply the bottom of a "shaft" with the top of the "shaft being the ball to which the bulldog hitch of the camper gets attached. Even with the ball having a bit of grease on it, the simple pressure of the camper sitting on that ball should be enough to make the entire shaft turn. As has been discussed a number of times on this Forum, the "secret" to attaching /detaching the whale tail is in the act of creating "slack" in the chains. This can be done basically in two ways. 1. unscrew the large chain adjusting nut (located where the chains go through the bracket that holds the chains to the frame of the Oliver) Note: if you unscrew this nut all the way it will result in the ultimate amount of slack (i.e. the chains become detached from the bracket) and, 2. with the bulldog hitch firmly attached to the ball of the hitch, using the front jack, raise the front of the camper. Note: when you do this, because the camper is attached to your tow vehicle, you will also be raising the back of your tow vehicle. This results in creating a shorter distance between the whale tail and the point where the chains attach to the brackets that are attached to the frame. This shorter distance is what causes the "slack" in the chains and thus makes it easier to both disconnect and reconnect the whale tail to the Andersen hitch assembly. By far, number two is the way to go. In my four years of towing with the Andersen (over 30,000 miles), there has only been one time that I had to resort to detaching a chain from the frame in order to get the whale tail back into a more suitable position. And, even this time was only due to being forced to hitch up at an extreme angle due to others parking so that I could not get to my Oliver any other way. When you pick up on the 8th, ask to have this procedure demonstrated for you. I'm sure that Phil or whoever does your delivery would be more than happy to show you. Bill

trainman - If you have not already done so, it would be good for you to watch the following Andersen video which covers the topic: I have found that it rarely is a "problem". However, via experience, when in situations where I think that getting back to the same angle/alignment that I had when I unhooked, I'll simply take a couple of rocks or sticks and place one by each of my driver's side tires. This way I have something concrete (versus my memory) to guide me back into the "correct" vehicle position when I'm ready to hook back up. Bill

Unless I'm missing something here - with that TV you do not need nor are you required to have a weight distribution hitch. As long as you keep the tongue weight at approximately 10 to 15 percent of total camper weight you should not worry about "sway" - therefore, you are good to go on that front too. Bill

Yep - looks to me like you are good to go but, as Whatda says, do pay a bit of attention to how much stuff you are carrying in the F-150. Bill

"tree fiddy"? "Loch Ness monster"? You always carry Girl Scout cookies too?

I first towed my LEII with a 2011 F-150 ecoboost and now tow with a 2017 F-150 ecoboost. Both trucks had the Ford tow package but the second truck has the "offroad" package. I find that the suspension on the second truck is a tad more firm (which I prefer). Make sure that you get the tow package (makes the brake controller use a no-brainer) and make sure that the truck has the larger gas tank (particularly if you plan to tow out West). Finally, in addition to the liability issues that Scotty mentions, note that the hitch on the Fords has a little label on it which states that you need a weight distribution hitch when towing anything over 500 pounds hitch weight. Bill p.s. I could not be happier with either of these two trucks and have never had a single problem with either one. Both were the first Fords I've ever owned. There is a reason why Ford sells more F-150's than any other brand.

I agree with Mike on the Andersen. However, late last year I was having increasing difficulty in getting the pin holding the "whale-tail" both in and out. Not being the brightest bulb, it took me way longer than it should have to figure out that all I needed was a very small amount of lube on that pin. Now everything is back to normal. Bill

Last Fall on my way back to Western NC from being out West for two months I had planned on staying overnight at this Casino. Driving south on Interstate 55 within five miles of the exit for Caruthersville, MO I saw a funnel cloud just to the southwest. I simply decided to just keep on driving given that this is where I turned to head east towards Hohenwald. As it turned out, I never even got a shower nor any wind to speak of. Looks like a nice place though. Bill

He pays the clean up costs but we (RV'ers) all wind up paying.

Thanks for your comments about the Forum. Alas, no Ollie III (yet), but start thinking about what you would like an Oliver "app" to look like (i.e. what functions would you like it to have - trip planner, service department scheduler, the ability to order Oliver swag, distance log, check lists, etc.). There will be a post on this subject soon. Sorry - no Sam. But he is a local (TN) person that sure does sound a bunch like Mr. Elliott! Bill

Since there hasn't been an immediate response here, I'd suggest a call to the "Service" number listed above. With a bit of sweet talking they just might be able to get either the supplier and/or part numbers for you. Of course they could also sell you the parts you need, but, I assume that you might be looking for a less expensive source or, if you are still under warranty, Oliver will simply mail them to you. Bill

Dave - I really do like the "unswayed" part! MarkC - Dave is correct about your tow vehicle - the Andersen would not be required. However, to specifically answer your question: from a practical point of view the answer is no, it would not limit your turning radius. From a theoretical point of view I would think the answer would be yes it would limit turning radius. But, by the time you got to that point you would already be in relatively dire straights. Does this help you? Bill

John - I assure you that Oliver is aware of the issues with the Forum at the highest levels. While I am not, nor have ever been, an IT guy even I understand that using a tool for a job that it was not designed for can cause both problems and limitations. Certainly losing posts is not desirable and I do know that there are backups of the Forum (in fact, it is highly likely that reverting to these backups is what caused the loss of some posts and PM's over the past day or so). However to think that these backups are done every instant of every day is probably not realistic. When an issue happens that does not allow for an easy fix in real time, I can only assume that the most recent backup that is known to not have this issue is used to then restore the Forum to that "stable" point. Therefore, I would just as certainly not call this action "irresponsible". While I do not routinely visit the "many dozens of websites" that you seem to, I would have to agree that the ones that I do visit are generally more stable and have features that make them a bit more user friendly. However, I can only assume that these sites use platforms that were specifically designed for the kind of use that makes them so user friendly. As I understand it, the platform that we are on is only an "offshoot" of the general software that Oliver uses for the rest of their operations. Thus the issues that we experience. Again, the current platform does not allow for external ads (as far as I know). Even with the limitations that the Forum has, it is still the best source of information regarding our Olivers for the travel of like minded folks, modifications, warranty technical service bulletins, classifieds, general Oliver oriented discussion, etc.. As with all the other things "Oliver", I'm sure that as the Travel Trailer division continues to grow, our Forum will get better. We, the first owner's have a unique opportunity to be a constructive part of this growth. And, as with virtually all growth, there will be some growing pains. Bill

I do not know the exact causes of the recent "hiccups" with the Forum other than there has been work going on to try to clean up some of the "code" and to try to speed it up a bit. However, I do believe that the Oliver people that are working on our Forum are highly capable and hard working (not so dissimilar from most, if not all, the other Oliver folks). These people are well aware of the limitations and issues that are present in the platform that is being used for the Forum. However, it is highly unlikely that we will get a new platform anytime soon due to the fact that most (if not all) the Oliver companies are presently using this software for their needs and we are only a very small part of that rather large picture. Even though we have some "problems" from time to time and our "search" function has never been all that great, it is hard to argue about the price and the lack of advertisements. Oliver is well aware of the benefits to the Company and to each of the Oliver Travel Trailer Owners that our Forum provides. But, they must balance that with the potential costs and disruptions to the total company that a switch to another software platform would cause. Bill

I could be wrong (hasn't happened before but ya never know), but, the tag light only will come on when your TV lights are on. I'd probably split off the basement light with a switch right at the basement door so that you could turn the camera on/off when you want or need it. The switch in the photo above was placed by Oliver during my original build and my camera is mounted in the spare tire cover. Bill

Mike gets all the advice he needs - from Carol!

If one is so inclined to GO the "plastic bag" route then a safer, more sanitary method would be to use these: https://www.amazon.com/Reliance-Double-Doodie-Toilet-Waste/dp/B00602LKBA/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2JWAFRGD7SPA8&keywords=toilet+bags+for+portable+potty&qid=1559998768&s=gateway&sprefix=toilet+bags%2Caps%2C156&sr=8-3 Bill

Don't see why not - Mike's original idea was to use something that would simply wick the water out of the window area. Pipe cleaners, paracord, plant watering cord, whatever..... Bill

I know that Jason Walmsley was working on some upgrades, cleaning code, and generally trying to make the Forum faster this morning. This work caused some Forum functions to temporally be suspended. It is likely that at this time all functions should be back to normal. Bill

Hobo - Very nice indeed. I wish that our home owners association would allow something like this. Bill

While I have the Elite II, my experience is that the fresh water tank does drain slowly. When I want to empty it I usually open that drain just as soon as I'm ready to pull out of camp. That way the tank is empty by the time I get to my first gas stop. Note that normally I only do this when I'm headed home. Hope this helps. Bill

"DoD" - Dead on departure or Department of Defense?

UP or UP of Michigan or Upper Michigan refers to the upper (or most northern of the two) peninsulas in Michigan. Bill