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Hey Dave, welcome! You’ll be fine with the Touareg, we’ve also got some Audi Q7 TV’s that work well. We ordered our trailer 5 years ago so I’m not up to date on some of the current options. A lot of the options back then are standard now. There are no options that we ordered that we regret. It was our first trailer and first camping experience, so we were sort of buying blind. Things we’re glad we have are: solar, 4 AGM batteries, cell booster, a couple of extra 110V outlets. We weren’t sure if we would be boondockers, thought we’d be FHU folks. What we found out in our quest to see national parks is that a lot of those campgrounds don’t come with any hook ups! National Park campgrounds and other Corps of Engineer campgrounds, Forest Service and BLM campgrounds are in the most scenic areas often have no hook ups. So, we’ve become prolific boondockers. That is why I’m happy with the solar and extra batteries. Enjoy your factory tour! Mike

Hi all! Long time lurker and finally getting serious. The nest is nearly empty and we are done messing around. Two days after deciding we’re doing this we scheduled a trip to Hohenwald. Next week we get to meet the Oliver folks, do the factory tour, and take an in-person gander at an Elite II. Really, really (really) excited about the trip. Stops in Asheville and Nashville are also part of the fun! We’re a long way from putting down a deposit (759 miles to be precise) but wanted to ask the group where you would spend your money on options. I’m determined to keep those under $10k. If you would do it all over where would you spend your first $5k, then your next $5k? I’d mostly like to spend it on things that are difficult or impossible to change later. It’s a big purchase for us (with five kids in college) so we want to keep the price down, but we don’t want to make compromises we’ll have to live with forever or spend a fortune reversing. What things have you realized you didn’t really need, or wish you’d added? We are mostly campground campers, but we hope to work our way up to boondocking and more adventurous stuff. We live in Maryland but picture ourselves moving west in the next five years and spending as much time as possible exploring the great outdoors. Tow vehicle will likely be a VW Touareg TDI. Thanks in advance! Dave

The YouTube channel, Long Long Honeymoon, had a series on how their AIrstream had to be rebuilt by a specialist in California. Now thank you! I want a rig that will hold up without frequent trips in for repairs. The Olivers travel in their rigs and know what works. I can’t imagine how much stress, say the Alaskan Highway, would put on all those rivets. Even airliners are moving toward composites and away from rivets. I’m thinking through the Twin v. King bed issues for my solo travels with an occasional additional widower on board. My TV will be either a Land Cruiser 200 Series, a Touareg TDI, or a Half Ton Pickup.

All great picks. We did the Navigator L for a while and it did a great job - it is the fancy version of the Expedition Max . The L/MAX get a 28 gallon tank and the smaller versions get 23 gallons. The nice thing about an SUV, is your payload is all for payload. With a truck, you have to spend some payload on a cap/tonneau cover first. The only time it didn't feel good is with "M+S rated" all season in a blizzard with high wind. Once I had the actual Blizzak snow tires on, things felt way better. We now pull with a truck as someone _really_ wanted my Navigator. Life has changed for me and I no longer need to go to the airport as much, and then COVID happened so I don't go at all, so we went with a much bigger truck. Upsides for the truck for towing is you don't hear the hitch receiver clanking around, so it's quieter. Also, propane/gasoline runs are less sketchy with a truck bed. Also, while the Oliver is narrow enough that the Navigator mirrors could see past it, I do love the tow mirrors now. Ram's online guide will diverge from the sticker. I haven't towed with the Q7, but we had 2010 Touareg Diesel that turned some of the best towing mileage I have seen (22 mpg with an enclosed car hauler). I think we saw around $30k of warranty work as each computer box on it died over the course of a year - I suspect because the dealer killed the battery at one point and didn't jump it correctly. While on the road, there are a lot more GM/Ford/Chevy dealers than VW group. If it were me and I could wait, I'd look at what a 2021 F150 Ecoboost looks like in terms of payload and price once optioned out the way I want it. Maybe even take a look at the hybrid version. If Titan brings their 40/48 gallon tanks to the 2021, combined with the onboard generator, that'd be pretty appealing.

Donthompson towed his LEII with a VW Touareg TDI and was really happy with it. Mossey

There are a number of owners towing with an SUV. The ones with the Audi Q7 and VW Touareg tow without the Andersen because the manufacturer says don’t use a WDH. There are also half ton truck owners towing without the Andersen. I would check to see how your suspension handles the tongue weight when you set the trailer on your hitch. The Andersen can correct any excess dip you may have. Airbags work too. I’ve not towed without the Andersen. I got it for my first truck, a Tacoma, then just kept using it on my two Rams. Mike

I have a 2016 VW Touareg TDI (diesel) for sale. I towed my Elite II with it. Search for Touareg on the forum and you’ll find more info. Also on Autotrader—located in North Liberty, IA. The Touareg is more luxurious, handles and rides better than the Highlander and has a towing capacity of 7700 lbs. You’ll also get significantly higher mpg towing your Oliver. Message me if you’re interested. Approx. 31,000 miles.

Payload is 1,970 lbs. Towing capacity is 11,470 lbs. I don’t think I’ll come close to either limit. My cargo slide will have a 1,000 lb. limit, so that’s the maximum amount I can carry in the pickup bed under the topper. First trip will have about 340 lbs. in driver and passenger, less than 100 lbs. from three bikes. I don’t think I’ll have more than another couple of hundred pounds in the cab/bed combination. I don’t know what the Conqueror will weigh when it’s ready to travel, but I hope to keep it below 4300 lbs. I don’ t see a problem using the truck as a daily driver, but I’m used to zipping around in a VW Golf Sportwagon TDI 6-speed. Nice town car, gets great mileage, easy to park, decent cargo capacity and it has the same size receiver as my truck and Touareg so my bike racks fit.

Boy, I really opened up a can of worms! I guess it isn’t so much that I want a full-size pickup, but I want to have a capable off-road vehicle and have room to carry two mountain bikes out of the elements. If I could find a way to modify it to get more clearance and store a full-size spare, I’d keep the Touareg. I have looked at and considered a used Land Cruiser, but I haven’t found one that I’d buy. I also am concerned about the reliability of a Land Rover but agree that a Defender would be perfect for my purposes but for the reliability issues. So, I’m very close to purchasing a Rebel. Let’s see how it works. The distributor of the Conqueror started me on the search for a full-size pickup—it’s what he recommended. Other 490 owners tow with a variety of vehicles from Power Wagons to Tundras, Tacomas and even 4-Runners. All seem to like their tow vehicles except for lack of power in the Tacomas and 4-Runners.

Don, the Tundra is a good truck. This is the first Ram I’ve owned and now have 85K+ miles in a little over 3 years. 50K miles towing. No problems at all. I had heard of Ram reliability problems too, but couldn’t pass up the price for features 3 years ago. I had owned multiple Ford and Toyota trucks previously. I am planning on either a Rebel or Power Wagon after the first of the year, depending on available options (split tailgate). Just FYI. I wish I needed a Touareg! My son had a diesel and loved it. Mike

I appreciate the insightful comments and questions—just what I’ve come to expect from knowledgeable Oliver owners. I’ve been working hard trying to find the right components to make the Touareg an adequate partner for this 490 and I’ve given up. Two things can’t be fixed in any reasonable way: 1) 7.9” of ground clearance which is inadequate; and 2) the difficulty of finding a place to carry a full-size spare. So, I’ve been driving pickups! After driving all the full-size pickups that can be optioned for off-road use, I’m about ready to buy a Ram Rebel. I haven’t decided on the engine—I’ll buy one with the V-8 or the new 3.0L Eco-Diesel. Can’t decide if I want to spend the extra money for the diesel. I can save a lot of $$ if I buy a new 2019 and the diesel is only available in the 2020 model. John identified the trade-offs I have to make to have the off-road capabilities that the Conqueror offers. I can’t load it up with gear, etc. because of the 1,100 lbs. difference between the dry weight and the GVWR. If I have a full fresh water tank and fill the two Jerry cans with water, I’ll add just under 370 lbs. That leaves approx. 730 lbs. of capacity. I think I’ll add the air bag suspension to the Ram Rebel, and I’ll put the heavy stuff (compressor, tools, etc.) in the truck and keep the load in the camper pretty light. My Ollie usually weighed 5200-5400 lbs. when I towed with a full fresh water tank, so I’m pretty sure I can keep the total load in the Conqueror below 1,000 lbs. I asked David about the tongue weight but failed to write it down. I remember that it was less than the Ollie. I think around 450 lbs. John, there is a lot of canvas, isn’t there? That’s another are where there’s a real compromise. However, the Conqueror 490 is the only off-road camper I found that I liked that actually had a living space enclosed without canvas. When I stop for the night on my way to a destination, I don’t have to deploy any canvas. I can sleep on the bed that doubles as the dining area without raising the roof—sort of a stealth mode. I’ll carry an electric tea kettle and make pour-over coffee inside and then get on the road again. When I find a place I want to camp for more than a night, I’ll have a lot of options. The newest model has a roof that raises straight up and not at an angle (think wedge shape) and there are long rectangular windows on each side. If I use the main bed, I can limit the canvas to the rain fly over the bed. Next option is to deploy the Bundutek awning. It is really pretty simple to deploy—I’ll eventually be able to do it in 5-10 minutes. Then I have two other options—deploying the standard awning on either or both sides with or without sidewalls. I should have plenty of power when off-grid. I’ll have 245 watts of solar panels on the roof and a 160 watt portable panel (one that is much lighter than the Zamp portable I had with the Ollie) and 2 100ah lithium batteries. He typically installs a 1000 watt inverter but I added a 2000 watt inverter. David recommended the propane furnace they supply rather than the diesel heater. He said the diesel heater is noisy and requires a lot of maintenance. I chose not to add air conditioning. I rarely used the A/C in the Ollie and didn’t like it when I did—the noise drove me crazy and I couldn’t sleep with it running. I plan to pick the Conqueror up in January and leave for Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park in February. Hope I run into an Ollie or two en route or in one of the parks.

I can understand camping with a trailer like the UEV-490 and taking on the outback, but what I don't understand is doing it with a Touareg and making it an offroad vehicle. OK, I looked up the Touareg and from what I could find it can be a capable offroad vehicle if properly equipped, so looks like you are setting it up right. Have fun on your new adventure. trainman

Cool those are super strong and well built. It comes with a cabin pressurization system standard - WOW, I was wondering about dust ingress... Are you OK with the cargo capacity? With full water and both jerry cans full (love those!) it will take away almost 400 pounds. Though with your engine you probably don't need extra fuel. Maybe extra water.... Do you have any idea about tongue weight? Are you OK with all that canvas when the strong desert winds blow? What tires are you getting for the Touareg? You can get Cooper ST Maxx as options on the trailer, those would also be a great choice for the trucklet. They are uber strong and extremely puncture resistant, though rather heavy. They would sure look great together. Be sure to post lots of pics, before you say goodbye forever. John Davies Spokane WA

I sold my Elite II after almost 4 years of great experiences camping in my Oliver. Many of you know that I was close to replacing it with a ZoneRV EXP-12. I got cold feet. Buying a camper from an Australian company with no presence in the U.S. was just too risky. So, last week, after much research, i drove to Ohio and spent a day with David Bates, a mechanical engineer who worked for years for Honda. He's the U.S. distributor for Conqueror, a South African off-road camper. I spec'd and purchased a UEV 490 Extreme Platinum. It will arrive in Ohio this month and I'll pick it up in January and then head for Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park, etc. for it's inaugural trip. It's not a camper that most Oliver owners would want to own, but I really want to spend more time on gravel and more primitive routes. I'm adapting my Touareg with skid plates, new wheels and all-terrain tires, etc. Purchased the new Garmin Overlander and Garmin's inReach Mini to help with back country navigation and communication. I hope to continue to enjoy my Oliver friends and can't wait to run into some of you while traveling towards my off-road destinations. Here's a Youtube video that David made relating to the 490. There have been a few changes since he made the video, but you'll get the idea.

Lots of helpful comments! I’ve asked to join the FB owners’ group as well. I also like the outdoor kitchen. When I travel with my Ollie, I prefer to cook outside when the weather permits but I have to carry a Partner Steel propane stove, table, Cobb Grill, etc., and run in and out of the camper for utensils, etc. I’d use the outside kitchen frequently if I owned the MDC. Regarding the Black Series, the Iowa dealer I’m talking to sold the Black Series campers for awhile and can still order one, but he said the company is having growing pains and he isn’t satisfied with the quality of the product. Like any camper purchase, there are trade-offs. The tires, suspension, etc., on the MDC are designed to handle very rugged terrain. I wouldn’t expect the camper to be as well-suited to barreling down a U.S. interstate highway at 70 mph like the Oliver. On trips out west, I use I-70 and I-80 to get through Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas, but switch to two-lane highways in Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, etc., and when I’m exploring an area, I have towed the Ollie many hours on very rugged roads. I’m willing to trade 10 mph on the interstate for true off-road capability. The MDC should handle terrain that is more than my Touareg is designed for. I’ll start a new thread once I get the ball rolling with the dealer.

I was in Cornwall and missed this discussion. David is correct—VW/Audi forbids the use of a weight distribution hitch. I’ve towed many miles with tow Touareg TDI’s with the standard bulldog hitch. The Touareg/Q7 platform is great for towing an Elite II. If you can find a good used ‘15 or ‘16 TDI, that’s what I’d recommend, but the gas engine will do the job as well.

Hi Don, this is good to hear. Do you have the Andersen hitch with you Touareg/Elite II?

If having something more nimble is what you want - I'd take a look at folks that are towing with more 4x4 friendly TVs like John's LC200, the Touareg mafia (it is a very capable offroad platform), and even the Jeep Gladiator if you can make the payload work. We're still trying to figure out what to do if we go somewhere and I need to take off on a trip and don't want to leave the wife without a car. It looks like Uber/Lyft/Rental cars will be the best option.

I use the Dill TPMS system. It uses the same type of “in tire” sensors that my Touareg has and the monitor is small and unobtrusive. Monitors tire pressure and temperature. I towed without a TPMS system for a couple of years without any problems, but I think its a good investment.

My monitor for the backup camera quit working. I've taken one long trip without the monitor and I'm leaving on another on Saturday. I miss it when backing into a tight camping spot. But, I just jump out of the Touareg and look to see where the trees and obstacles are. (I'm a solo traveler) Today I backed up into our narrow, ice-covered driveway with snow drifts on both sides of the entrance to the driveway in Iowa to get the Ollie packed and ready to leave on Saturday morning for Big Bend National Park. While I've backed trailers for over 50 years, I've learned to be more proficient owning and towing the Ollie. It's really simple if you follow a few basic rules: 1) Place your hands on the bottom of your steering wheel. If you want the rear of the camper to go to the left, move your hands to the left. If you want the camper to go right, move your hands to the right; 2) Drive very, very slowly; 3) Use small and gradual steering inputs to avoid having to overcorrect.

I tow with a VW Touareg TDI and would not be comfortable towing without towing mirrors. Without them, you really can't see behind the camper. The ones I've used successfully for a number of years are Dometic DM-2912 Milenco Grand Aero3 Towing Mirrors. You can purchase on Amazon and other places. They are easy to attach and give you a good field of vision.

LOL, one could argue that, but it was a 5.0 V10 tdi with 8 TONS of ballast and they towed in Low Range.... the V10 was an absolute brute but a nightmare to own. To do just about anything to the engine you had to drop the entire drivetrain. “Seriously, parts were scarce but the main thing that made me sell it is no one could work on it and even the knowledge base online was scarce. It was terrifying to own as a DD because you literally could have a part fail with no warning and struggle to source parts and a reliable mechanic to do the work within weeks.” https://jalopnik.com/the-volkswagen-touareg-v10-tdi-was-more-of-a-nightmare-1822934503 Really, that is not a vehicle you should be using as a poster child. John Davies Spokane WA

I have a 2013 Touareg TDI (which has had the modifications) and I plan to drive down to Tennessee from Vermont in March to get my Elite I. The Touareg is an amazing tow vehicle and it should do just fine. You could argue that if a Touareg can tow a 747, it can handle an Olie.

Here’s the brake controller. http://www.tekonsha.com/mobile/products/brake-controllers/proportional-controllers/trailer-brake-control-proportional/TzaIxkVx1cI5XOy!osRB508pViEKmVBf I think a Q5 is too small. Good luck searching for a Q7 or Touareg! Don

Bill, I'm the guy David referred to in his comments about the Touareg. I towed with a 2015 Touareg TDI that I leased. Towed my Elite II over 20k with that Touareg and put over 70k miles on the vehicle in 3 years. I replaced it with a new 2016 Touareg TDI that I purchased in January 2018 after VW released them for sale. I've already towed my Ollie over 5,000 miles with the '16. John is a very knowledgeable and valuable member of the forum, but I don't agree with his conclusions about the reliability or lack of reliability of the Touareg. Consumer Reports rates the '16 Touareg a 5/5 for reliability--its highest rating. The Landcruiser is unrated because of lack of data. The 2016 Tundra is rated 4/5. There are a lot of reasons to like the Touareg. First, the fit and finish of a German-made vehicle are outstanding. Second, the handling is far superior to any SUV other than a Porsche or Audi--and that's true when you're towing as well. Third, the gas mileage (diesel) is great--I get up to 32 mpg at freeway speeds when I'm not towing and 16 to 19 mpg towing depending on speed and how much mountainous driving I'm doing. I got over 18 mpg in Colorado this summer/fall on two-lane highways towing my Oliver. The only downside I've found is the relatively small cargo area. I use a Yakama cargo box to carry bulky items to solve this problem. The only issue I've had with either Touareg was with the emission controls on the 2015. VW paid for some repairs/replacement to the emission controls under warranty that would have cost about $1500 had they not been covered. After that experience, I decided to modify my '16 when I bought it to simplify the emission control system. I followed the advice of another TDI (Audi Q7) owner I met at the Oliver Rally this spring. My 3.0 litre TDI now has 305 horsepower and 490 lb-ft of torque compared to the 240/406 in the stock tune. Before doing this, I spent a lot of time talking to the manager of the service department at my Audi/VW dealer and he consulted with the VW warranty people before assuring me that I could make these modifications without affecting the warranty. The engine runs so much better now and the extra torque makes towing the Ollie a breeze. If you want to talk to me about any of this, please send a personal message to me and we can exchange phone numbers.