John E Davies

Yikes! These 3.0 V6 engines are reportedly great performing engines and you should be able to tow a small Ollie easily. Not the big one, since I believe the max tongue weight rating is fairly low. ... https://www.clubtouareg.com/forums/f66/maxing-out-tow-capacity-with-travel-trailer-134082.html However you should not even consider buying a used one unless it has had the complete emissions recall done and it also comes with a very long extended vehicle warranty. The fix will include an emissions warranty extension, but VWs out of warranty are a financial disaster from bumper to bumper. I am pretty sure that going from your super reliable 4Runner to a VW or Audi of any kind will be disppointing for you in the long run. What is your target price for a new vehicle? Do you really want a diesel, with all its complications? How many miles per year will you tow, and how many miles as a daily driver? Maybe we could help you pick a tow vehicle that would be more trouble free, like the big Mercedes GLS .... https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/road-tests/a10159528/the-mercedes-benz-gls450-is-a-shockingly-capable-tow-vehicle/ Or a Sequoia or Land Cruiser 200.... ;) John Davies Spokane WA

That is a great looking setup. but add a few ball bungees to secure those dangling electrical cables on TOP of the black box and on top of the tongue, so you don't collect a stick or something and damage them. Have fun. John Davies Spokane WA

One more - snow totals by Sunday: Go south..... SLC looks bad. John Davies Spokane WA

Happy Holidays and safe travels. John Davies Spokane WA

Good luck on your return trip, stay SOUTH there is a lot of snow forecasted for the Rockies starting Thanksgiving and again on Saturday. This is a good site for seeing weather at a glance .... the entire center part of the country looks teriffic at this moment but there is a bunch of moisture coming. . .... https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/exper/nationalforecastchart/map.php and the Weather Underground Storm app is good for severe forecasts for cities along your projected route. I know you have a deadline but take great care and don’t take any chances. And do take some pics.,. Enjoy your delivery experience. If I were sitting in your drivers seat I would take I-40 to Vegas, and then cut north thru NV on US 95 to miss the Rockies and high plains.... it adds a towing day, compared to direct, but that is way better than sitting in a rest stop waiting for the plows, or lying stuck in a ditch. Check your trailer tires, they come set at 80 psi, they need to be 40 to 45 psi for a light load. This will give them a larger footprint and better braking, and soften the ride significantly. John Davies Spokanw WA

John, what is the weight of the entire Supertruss system? All that mass has to be considered part of the truck payload. An Andersen is under 60 lbs. I have to admit that it looks very capable and rigid when the chains are tensioned. It will seriously affect the departure angle of the truck. I am not sure what will happen when you go into a severe dip and jam it hard into the road surface.... it could use a massive roller at the low point. I agree that you should do some in person testing and careful maneuvering before doing such a radical alteration. https://www.etrailer.com/tv-review-torklift-super-truss-hitch-extender-tle1532. They indcate a max deadweight of 6500/ 650 pounds, so it would be overweight with a heavily loaded Oliver II, but adequate with a more normal load. I really think it should be used with an Anderson to provide a better safety factor. If you can post a detailed pic of your rack it would help. Is it a one piece welded assembly or bolted together pieces? If the latter, could it be raised up in the back for additional vertical clearance? As a final note, how do you get to stuff in your bed? Sliding drawer? John Davies Spokane WA

I think your idea is problematic. Yes, you can extend your ball out past the open tailgate, but doing so greatly reduces its rating due to the extra leverage. Here is an article, this is a common problem when a guy puts an extended truck camper in the bed and also wants to tow a small boat. I am not aware of any setup that is safe for a 7000 lb trailer without using an equalizing hitch. Even then, it is going to be a major PITA. It will certainly be a knee knocker when the trailer is disconnected, and a real hazard to passing cars in a parking lot. https://www.etrailer.com/question-192372.html My recommendation is to see if Oliver can extend the tongue of the trailer 12 inches. That will cure your clearance worries and also LIGHTEN the tongue weight. This ideally should have been done when they welded up the frame. I don’t know if it is practical to do it afterwards. Give them a call to see what they say.... If that won’t happen, then I have to say you definitely need an Anderson when using that really long extension. When the ATV platform is not there, you will be fine with the short deadweight hitch. I have never tried towing with a long stinger, but I have experience with intermediate length ones (about 12-14 inches) and they definitely affect how much the trailer moves around. The “tail wagging the dog” effect becomes much more pronounced. If you had an extended tongue and a foot long stinger, the trailer would remain very well behaved. Call Hohenwald tomorrow and see what they have to say. BTW what is the weight of your ATV, gas and gear? 750 pounds? Weight of the platform? Your payload is about 2500 pounds so you need to make sure you are not going to be overloaded with a heavy hitch setup plus about 600 - 700 pounds of tongue weight. These Gen 3 Rams are not particularly good load carriers compared to the newer ones. John Davies Spokane WA

Buy the bigger engine, you will be delighted, especially out West in the high mountains. With the smaller one, the truck will never be more than adequate... Resale value should be higher too. John Davies Spokane WA

https://smile.amazon.com/Valterra-P23507VP-Plastic-Hand-Pump/dp/B00594AAJS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1542571006&sr=8-3&keywords=RV+antifreeze++pump You need it for the three left side fittings, not the right rear one which is connected to the inside water pump through a valve under the bed. You move a few ounces per stroke of the pump. It does not take much to fill a small water line. John Davies Spokane WA

Bottom line, save your money, you do NOT need the Andersen. I think everyone here will agree with that. For a half ton, the answer is you need one. The Elite II is fairly heavy for its size (especially fully specced out and with full tanks) but it tows way WAY better than any of your buddy's stick built trailers. Your truck will know its there, but the trailer is extremely well behaved, with NO sway issues whatsoever. Your (stock) 5.9 Cummins will do fine until you get onto 12% grades above 10,000 feet, then it will start to feel it a little. Airbags are a fine idea, but you won't need them for the Ollie just by itself. Expect a couple of inches of rear sag at the most, depending on the trailer's tongue weight. I towed for a year with a '06 Ram 3500 Cummins Quad Cab 4wd and a dead weight setup, I had no issues whatsoever except for a little coupler noise on really nasty concrete.. The Andersen would have silenced that. You probably need a ball mount "slop stopper" or silencer. I used the U-shaped one that is available at any RV store and it worked great. I used a 2 inch ball with extended 1 inch shank (intended to go through a thick truck bumper) with a regular drop bar with 1 inch hole. I bought ten hardened Grade 8 flat fender washers (large outside diameter, a little over 1/8" thick) at the bolt supply store. The washers are for fine tuning the ride height: add some under the ball flange as needed to raise it, and stack the others underneath to take up the space of the long shank. I have done this for decades with no issues. I actually did not have to raise the ball, but I liked having that option. See pics. https://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Ball/Curt/40038.html I don't know which mount you will need, mine was a 2.5 inch rise but I was running 33" tires. If you need help figuring this out, just ask. BTW get some big mud flaps on your truck, if you don't already have a set. Rock Tamers are fine if you don't venture off pavement too often. Make sure they are rigged correctly - with a 30 to 45 degree rear sweep. Did you order the cargo basket? The reason I ask is that without it you can carefully jackknife the trailer a little further and unload your ATV without disconnecting the trailer. If you should hit, it will contact your steel bumper, not the fender. With the basket there you would need to disconnect. John Davies Spokane WA.

For repeated exposure to subfreezing temps you should winterize at a minimum the four outside lines by injecting a lttle antifreeze with a hand pump, no more than three or four pumps, to clear out any residual water close to the outside, plus rinse both the shower head lines with AF. There is no easy way to do the shower without flooding the main water system with AF, so air makes more sense for a partial winterization. The fill lines are protected by internal check valves a foot inside the hull, so if you ensure that all water has dripped out of the outer section before capping them, you “should” be protected, but adding the AF is a sure fire method. Some people are OK with only blowing air through the entire system, this is not as reliable, but if you want to winter camp it makes a lot more sense.... I can’t comment on a recommended inside temperature, I don’t camp during this season. But you should never rely solely on internal heating for freeze protection, unless you are going to be monitoring the trailer temperature. Plus you need a backup heat source in case the furnace fails or the gas runs out.... say an electric heater and shore power. John Davies Spokane WA

I don’t think you should fret about state regulations, as long as you are complying with those of your OWN state. Certain things like mudflaps, light and bumper distance above ground, studded tire use, etc, are set by each state’s DMV, but they don’t enforce their own restrictions on out-of-staters passing through. That would be pure chaos. What does GM say about hitches for your truck? What are their weight limits? What is the truck’s wheelbase? My opinion is to stick with what works, add airbags if necessary to adjust ride height, and maybe a set of adjustable HD shocks in back. As long as the truck seems happy, I don’t think this is a problem. If you get a II, then I think you are going to need the Anderson hitch, unless you plan to buy a stripped one and tow it with empty tanks all the time. If I were towing the smaller trailer behind my Land Cruiser I probably would ditch the Andersen - I certainly would test that setup - but it MOST definitely is needed with the higher tongue weight of the Elite II. But the truck has a 112 inch wheelbase and has a comparatively long overhang in back, so it tends to move around more..... https://www.hardworkingtrucks.com/towing-liability-2-0-weight-distributing-hitches-still-needed/ John Davies Spokane WA

My trailer is stored inside and secure, but the power cord is hidden out of sight on the far side. Some power cords have a little LED to tell you they are powered. Mine did not, and the adapter that screws into the shore power receptacle failed internally, with no visible signs of distress... I had no clue that there was no power coming into the trailer. I went inside and found the 110v outlets and microwave dead and the converter not charging. I had made up a tester for campground power, so I just plugged it into the street side outlet and angled the Y adapter forward so I can see it every time I go into the garage, Here are the parts: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B007XQORTO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B017AVBIVG/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 For only $15 you can have a very obvious display to make sure your batteries don't discharge. If you count on an electric heater to keep stuff warm, this lets you know that it still has juice. If you store in inclement weather this will not be safe. I added the surveyor's flagging to keep somebody from bumping into the open outlet cover. In the dark the little blue display glows like a night light, telling you All Is Well. I think it would be very cool to have a teeny LED mounted in the exterior wall near the entry door that would glow any time the 110 VAC was powered up. That would be straight forward and quite cheap, and a great solution for those who keep their Ollies out in the rain and snow, or for those who camp in winter and reply on shore power. Wire one of these $2 lights to the microwave outlet box, and make sure the microwave breaker is always closed so it stays powered. ... https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Systems-120V-Green/dp/B000K2IKPK?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_1 John Davies Spokane WA

Weird. I reposted the pictures here at the end, and they reappeared in the original first post by digital magic. I hope they stay there. John Davies Spokane WA

More pictures.

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I received a PM asking about this mod, and I realized that the forum had lost a ton of the pictures I uploaded. Also I cannot edit my first post, so I am just going to replace the lost pics here. If there are any specific questions please ask for clarification.

I need to inspect the guts of my furnace and water heater - the burner cans mainly. Any recommendations? Length is not critical, , semi-rigid cable, price less than $40. I would prefer to also have a 90 degree adapter lens for looking sideways. Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

Resurrecting an old thread. My adapter failed - it did not get hot or discolored, it just failed to carry power - and I cut it open to see why. Here are the sockets: The metal is dead soft and thin, I can easily bend it around with just my fingers. That is bad. I am through with the no-name ones. It was not cheap at $25: .... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FYDAP6M/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I found these two: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001VSY6H8/?coliid=I38W9QOK4KU0LC&colid=1X5H11EH41351&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000NHZV54/?coliid=I26L1KFDICXXVR&colid=1X5H11EH41351&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it They appear to be similar in quality, the first one has a one year warranty, but I have never heard of Conntek. Is this a reputable company? Marinco is the Real Deal and has a five year warranty. I have used their stuff in the past on a boat and was not disappointed. I know it would be great, it is just $10 more. Comments? Thank you. John Davies Spokane WA

Fuel storage becomes a non-issue, or at least is greatly minimized, by using a good stabilizer and if possible, ethynol free gas. If you are not aggressive about treating your gas, yes it will go bad. You should also drain the carb on the generator at least semi-annually, if not after every period of use (ie: at the end of a trip, not every day). Otherwise the fuel there evaporates and leaves varnish in the bowl and jets. Nobody said these are low maintenance... ;( OTH it isn’t hard. On my Yamaha 2400 I remove two screws from the back cover zip zip, pop it off, drain the bowl, pop it on, reinstall the screws. Less than two minutes. If I drilled an access hole for a long screwdriver to access the drain screw, it would take maybe ten seconds. But I like to look around in there to make sure there are no problems, so I pull the cover. John Davies Spokane WA

How do you clean that section of roof, do you remove the panels, how long does that take, or do you just not bother? Is leaf and tree debris accumulation a worry? I see you still have the OEM rubber seal under the awning, removing that would let that area drain better. I really like the brackets (very nicely radiused corners) but I gotta say you have made it orders of magnitude harder to climb up there for routine maintenance or repairs.... Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

Welcome. I can’t comment on the Twin setup in an Elite, but I imagine somebody will help. I can comment that, unless you plan to go off pavement or do lots of boondocking, the bigger trailer will be a LOT easier to live in full time. The extra length plus the extra 6” of width dramatically increases the storage volume. With the Twin plan you can sleep on one side and use the other side for storage. With one mattress or cushions stored away there is a bunch of space for stuff on top of the platform. The pantry plus the extra column of drawers under the kitchen counter also offer a lot of extra space. If you plan to tow with a full sized pickup and use a canopy, you can put a lot of your gear inside the bed and in the second row area (especially if you remove the seats and put a platform there)... If you want to tow with an SUV, then the bigger trailer will help by giving you space for the things that might have gone into that pickup bed. I went from a full sized HD Ram to a Land Cruiser 200 and sometimes I really miss the room of the bigger truck! They used to offer “storage risers” for the Elite II Twin that raised the mattresses up and gave extra volume. I am not sure why these are no longer listed, but you could ask about them. Possibly they could be installed at delivery. For full-timing they would be wonderful. http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/twin-bed-riser-2/ I personally would trade my bigger one in on the small one if I were single, for better offroad towing dynamics behind my Land Cruiser, but I would never want to live in it full time.... Look at both trailers in person, if you haven’t already. Spend some time alone in each of them and I think you will get this figured out. Please fill out your personal profile so we know a little bit about you. John Davies Spokane WA

3M specifically warns agains using alcohol for prep. Right there on the back lable. It inhibits the cure. For other brands, read and follow the manufacturer’s directions. It would be very bad to spend hours on a job, only to have the sealant not kick off due to a stupid senior moment brain fart in the prep work. If I were doing this repair I would certainly use 3M 4000. It is a great product, though expensive. It is suitable for semi permanent repairs, where you hope never to have to do it again, but it would be possible to get the part loose. John Davies Spokane WA

Use a PLASTIC scraper and you will not scratch the gel coat. If you can find a piece of thick plexiglass, that works extremely well. I used this method for many years while working on aircraft. I used pieces of a busted windshield, but you may not be able to find that product ;) .... You can sharpen it with a belt sander or file and it cuts very well but does not damage soft surface. Tip for finding a leak: use a blue paper shop towel folded up under the area. When a drop falls on it, the paper turns dark blue and it is super easy to see that the area is wet. Much much more visible than a cloth rag. This is a great method for finding plumbing leaks, you can leave the towel in place indefinitely and see any water seepage at a glance. Follow the directions on the tube closely if you use a 3M 4000 type sealer. You must use MEK, toluene or a similar solvent to clean, NOT isopropyl alcohol, which will prevent the stuff from setting properly. That would ruin your day. Since you are doing this outside, try to pick a mild dryer day, use a fast set product and allow a few hours at least. If you like, you can secure a piece of plastic over the area before you leave, AFTER the sealant is no longer tacky to the touch and the blue masking tape is removed. If you have access to a canopy, you might be able to rig it close to the trailer and tape a tarp to the Ollie (across the gap) to provide a dry work space. Tip up the nose up if needed to get the top a little lower. Be patient, do it right the first time. Take pictures! Good luck. John Davies

Welcome to the forum. Several owners have done custom solar setups. “Overland” in particular has a fancy one, I believe.... May I ask why you don’t want the factory system? It works painlessly and seems to be installed fine in my trailer. I have no complaints about its performance, other than it doesn’t do very well in northern latitudes on short, overcast days. But I think that applies to any solar design.... adding support arms to tilt the array 30 degrees helps a little. Do you plan to install extra panels, or a different type, like the thin surface mount ones? Different brand? In regards to color schemes, please don’t hesitate to start a new picture thread, with a clear descriptive title. I don’t recall seeing one like that. Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA