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  1. Any one install a rear hitch. I want to put a generator in the back.
  2. Summary I have installed a rear mounted cargo carrier, with lights, to our 2022 Oliver Legacy Elite II (LEII) travel trailer. We recently completed a two week, ~2000 mile trip, using the cargo carrier, which performed flawlessly. Below are photos of the installed cargo carrier, which are followed by a detailed description of its installation. Storage Constraints Prior to ordering our Oliver Legacy Elite II (LEII) travel trailer I knew we would need additional storage space on the trailer. We are using a 2014 BMW X5 35d (diesel) as our tow vehicle, rather than a pickup truck. Thus, we could not plan to use the pickup bed for supplemental storage. We also needed to stay within the tow vehicle's cargo capacity of 1100 lbs and maximum tongue weight of 600 lbs.. Expecting a tongue weight of approximately 500 lbs. plus two occupants at approximately 300 lbs, we could only accommodate a maximum of 300 lbs. of other cargo. The available payload will be partially used by our camera gear, which must be protected from exposure to moisture. A tongue mounted cargo carrier was not viable, given the tongue weight limit for the tow vehicle. Storage Requirements I anticipated needing additional storage space for the following items: Champion Dual Fuel Generator- 2500 watt (~45 lbs.) (too large for basement storage) Napoleon TravelQ™ 285 Portable Propane Gas Grill and hose (~35 lbs.) (too large for basement storage) Anderson Ultimate Leveling kit (~25 lbs) Harbor Freight rubber chocks (4) (~20 lbs.) Camco Stabilizer Jack Supports (3) (~10 lbs.) Miscellaneous accessories All of these items can tolerate some exposure to moisture, which is likely when stored in any external cargo carrier. A closed and reasonably secure cargo carrier was needed. Searching the owners' forum, I found examples of rear cargo carriers/bike racks and found several examples, including: Oliver's original bike rack design using twin receivers and extending approximately 3 feet beyond the rear bumper; Various rear mounted metal cargo boxes, including custom designs; Rear mounting of an Oliver tongue cargo box by John E. Davies. I also looked extensively at aluminum cargo boxes from various manufacturers, trying to find options which could accommodate the cargo items listed above. I already owned a cargo carrier which we had used on the BMW X5 tow vehicle. This carrier has a heavy steel swing-away frame which mounts to a standard 2" receiver. Mounted on the steel frame are a polypropylene tray and an enclosed container with 13.5 cubic foot capacity. The tray and enclosed container interlock. This cargo carrier also is equipped with fully functional lights (running, brake, turn, flasher). Interlocking pins on the enclosed container mate with the tray. Locking latches secure the container to the tray. Solution Approach I decided to re-use the polypropylene tray and enclosed cargo container, but not the heavy steel frame. Instead, I would use a design similar to the original Oliver bike rack. I ordered the current optional Oliver bike rack when we placed our LEII order, planning to utilize some, but not all, of its components. The current Oliver rear hitch (photo below) utilizes twin receivers that are 11" long, constructed to receive 2" x 2" X 0.25" (wall thickness) T6061 aluminum square tube support arms, which are 17 inches long. The receivers are each mounted to the LEII frame by two long 0.5" diameter stainless steel bolts and nuts. The other components of the rack are a 2" x 5" x 0.25" T6061 aluminum cross-member, 51-1/8" long (with end caps), and a 1-1/4" receiver for connecting a bike rack. I planned to use the twin receivers, and the cross-member, but not the support arms, nor the 1-1/4" receiver. Instead, I would replace the 17" long original support arms with longer equivalents, whose length was to be determined. I would utilize the original 2" x 5" x 0.25" T6061 aluminum cross-member and add another cross member, this one 2" x 2" x 0.25" T6061 aluminum, also 51-1/8" inches long with end caps. The cross members would be bolted to the support arms, in the same manner as on the Oliver rear hitch. The tray and enclosed container from my existing cargo carrier would be mounted to the cross-members. Note the clevis pins circled in the photo below, there are two 0.50" diameter horizontal clevis pins securing the support arms in their receivers. Each clevis pin has a washer on either side of the receiver. Removing the clevis pins permits the support arms to be pulled to the rear, enabling removal of the spare tire cover and spare tire without dismount the support arms. Solution Model A critical dimension to be determined was the length of the 2" x 2" x 0.25" support arms. The new support arms need to be long enough to: Support the polypropylene tray and enclosed cargo box and attach using the molded mounting holes in the tray; Allow the lid of the enclosed cargo box to open without striking the spare tire cover; Permit removal of the spare tire cover and spare tire without removing the cargo carrier and support frame; Permit access to waste water hoses stored behind the bumper; Minimize the additional length of the cargo carrier and support frame to the LEII's length. I fabricated 2" x 2" wooden support arms, approximately 40" long. Using woodworking equipment, I cut slots into one end of each support arm to fit around the bolts holding the twin receivers to the frame. I also drilled horizontal holes for the clevis pins which retain the support arms in the receivers. Positioning the Cargo Carrier on the Cross-members The wooden support arms were inserted into the twin receivers and secured with the clevis pins. Then the 2" x 5" x 51.125" T6061 cross-member was placed across the support arms near the bumper. The additional 2" x 2" x 51.125" wooden cross-member, was also placed across the support arms, but further from the bumper. Clamps were used to hold the cross-members in place on the support arms. The polypropylene tray and enclosed container, latched together, were positioned on the cross-members, centering both to the trailer's width. I opened the lid of the enclosed container and adjusted the spacing (fore and aft) between the lid and the spare tire cover to ensure they did not contact each other. Once I had located the joined tray and enclosed container in what appeared to be a desirable position, I adjusted the positions of the cross-members fore and aft to establish alignment with the mounting holes in the tray. The 2" x 5" cross-member engages two mounting holes on each side of the tray. The 2" x 2" cross- member engages only one mounting hole on each side of the base of the tray. Six 5/16" carriage bolts will fasten the tray to the cross-members. Only four carriage bolts attached the tray to its original steel support frame. I used a mason's string stretched across the width of the tray with weights on either end to aid in aligning the mounting holes in the tray with the positions of the cross-members. I also used carpenter's squares to verify the cross-members were perpendicular to the support arms. Another check of squareness was made by measuring the distance from the trailer bumper to the cross-members. Once I was satisfied with the position of the tray and enclosed container on the support structure, I marked the locations for the holes to be drilled for the six mounting bolts to secure the tray to the cross-members. The tray overhangs the rear cross-member at the rear. With the cargo carrier tray and enclosed container in place on the clamped cross-members, I wanted to determine if the spare tire cover could be removed without removing the entire cargo carrier and support assembly. I found I could remove the clevis pins and pull the support arms aft approximately 7 inches out of the twin receivers and enable removal of the spare tire cover. With the tray and enclosed container positioned on the cross-members, I could now determine the required length of the support arms, which is 33.75 inches. The location of the rear cross-member determines the length of the support arms. After locating the mounting position of the tray and enclosed container I marked all key positions and hole locations on the wooden support arms and wooden rear cross-member. I cut the wooden support arms to the desired final length. Material Sourcing and Machining The required T6061 aluminum components required are: 2" x 2" x 0.25" x 33.75", square tube, quantity 2 (support arms), cost= $110.18 2" x 2" x 0.25" x 51.125", square tube, quantity 1 (cross-member), cost= to $99.08 2" x 12" x 0.125", flat bar, quantity 1 (to be cut into 2" squares for end caps on the support arms and rear cross-member), cost= $6.86 Sales tax= $17.83 No shipping charge. I picked up the materials at the local Metal Supermarkets warehouse Total cost= a $233.95 The above T6061 aluminum components, cut to specified length, were obtained from: Stainless steel bolts and nyloc nuts were obtained from: I was referred by Metal Supermarkets to a local machine shop: When I received the materials I took them and my wooden mockups of the support arms and cross-member to Air & Earth. I also took one of the original support arms. I discussed the machining needed: to cut the slots in one end of the support arms and to drill the needed 0.50 diameter holes for the clevis pins and mounting bolts. I also asked them to cut the 2" x 0.125" flat bar into 2" x 2" squares. I did not ask them to drill the smaller holes for mounting the cargo tray to the cross-members. I was quoted $220 and turnaround of the job within a week. They did an excellent job within the promised timeframe. Finishing and Assembly of the Support Structure After Air & Earth completed the requested machining, I performed the following finishing steps, which included: Rounding the edges of the 2" x 2" square tubing on the slotted end to be inserted into the receivers. I used a 3" wide belt sander with 100 grit sanding belts to round the corners of approximately 12" of the tube which would be inserted into the receivers . The original Oliver support arms also had the corners rounded to more easily slide within the receivers. Several trial fittings were required to verify smooth insertion and removal to/from the receivers. The support arms and the rear cross-member were sanded with an orbital sander using 200 grit disks. This sanding removed markings on the tubes and made the surface textured, similar to the Oliver rear hitch components. The support arms were inserted into their receivers and fastened with the clevis pins. The cross members were aligned with the mounting holes on the support arms and bolted into place. The cargo tray was positioned on the 2" x 5" cross-member at the previously determined mounting position and holes drilled to mount the cargo tray. Holes were then drilled in the 2" x 2" rear cross-member. Carriage bolts, flat washers and double jamb nuts were used to secure the cargo tray to the cross-members. Once all test fittings of the support assembly were completed, lithium grease was applied to the ends of the support arms which are inserted into the receivers. 2" x 2" x 0.125" caps were attached to the open ends of the support arms and the rear cross-member, similar to the end caps used by Oliver. These were attached to the square tubing using JB Weld epoxy. Cargo Carrier Lighting The cargo carrier partially blocks visibility to the taillights of the trailer, which is most noticeable when viewed from close behind the trailer. At a distance the taillights are largely visible. The cargo tray is fitted with two LED light fixtures and a wiring harness with a 4-pin flat connector. A corresponding 4-pin flat connector was installed on the LEII to integrate the lighting on the cargo carrier with the trailer lighting. Details of the installation of the 4-pin connector in the trailer are covered in a separate article. The lights on the cargo carrier ensure the trailer is quite visible from behind. A license plate mount was added to the cargo carrier tray, since the license plate mount on the spare tire cover is blocked by the cargo carrier. Lighting for the license plate mount is provided by adding a Y connector to the license plate light cable under the spare tire cover and adding an extension cable routed to the cargo tray mounted license plate mount. I also added reflective tape to the support frame members. I used the following reflective tape: https://www.amazon.com/gp/your-account/order-history/ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_search?opt=ab&search=reflective Conclusion This addition to our trailer provides significant benefits, with no significant disadvantages. It does add approximately two feet to the length of the trailer. Besides the additional storage space, the cargo carrier and its load slightly reduces the tongue weight. I measured the tongue weight, using a Sherline scale, at 450 lbs., with no water onboard. Tongue weight seems sufficient, as no swaying or other handling issues have been observed. This project had a successful outcome due largely to the information I was able to glean from the Oliver Owners Forum. I hope this information is useful to others on the forum. Comments and suggestions welcome. Regards, Don
  3. For your reading pleasure : https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/search/?q="Rear hitch"&updated_after=any&sortby=relevancy&search_and_or=or using "rear hitch" vs rear hitch in search bar narrows the results down from over 4,000 entries. As others have already mentioned, the rear is not an ideal place for a generator, especially if you want to leave it permanently mounted, and run it in place. The weight on the rear end is a big consideration. It's also (imo) a poor choice of place because of vibration, under travel, for an expensive genset, and also for you, trying to sleep in the rear bed(s), as well as noise. Then, of course, there is the increased possibility for intrusion of co fumes/station wagon effect, as most of the windows and vents are in the rear of the trailer. I'm remembering the first time Pete/bugeyedriver camped with us in WNC, in a 2008 summer monsoon storm. I left our rear window cracked a tiny bit (it's an awning window in our older trailers, not a slider.) The fumes from our little gas grill, with a closed lid, set up at the rear of the trailer, set the co monitor into "full moon wolf howling" mode. Super glad the alarm worked. Super unhappy to deal with it in the mountain darkness, rain, and wind... Never did that again. I always set the grill up further away from windows, now, and genset somewhere that the prevailing winds carry the co away from the trailer. Free advice, often worth the price.
  4. Reading through this thread this morning I like the many perspectives being shared. But the best part is for a new person with minimal or no travel trailer towing experience, it quickly becomes obvious that loading and balancing for proper tongue weight is a concern and focus for the experienced and for good reasons. We are fortunate in that Oliver has engineered our trailers to be easy if not forgiving in this respect. We do have a considerable amount of cargo capacity, so it is important to be mindful of the placement of cargo in relation to balance and especially tongue weight. This also emphasizes the importance of understanding the capacities of your tow vehicle. Everything you put in the trailer effects the TV loading. If you are operating on a thin margin with the TV it is critical to be mindful of all these considerations. A good emphasis on tongue weight is the focal point because that is the one factor that will most effect stability and safe handling of the trailer while driving. It also effects the steering characteristics of TV. The last thing you want to do is add weight to the rear in a way that reduces tongue weight, especially weight at the bumper hitch. It's fine if it offsets weight added to the front but should never cause a reduction in tongue weight below the 10-12% that's required for stability. Like @Katjoeluded to, weight added to the rear hitch has a way of magnifying the "whip effect". Point being it's wise to be mindful of loading cargo, especially heavy cargo. For a new person my advice would be to stay mindful of all these factors, and if you load a certain way and notice a change in stability, consider alternatives to the load to improve. Each of us kind of seek out the sweet spot for a TV/trailer combination. Great discussion folks.
  5. Gladly, If you use the Maxxhaul 70422 Aluminum Cargo Carrier, it looks like the support connector fits a 2" hitch. That's what I see on most of the carriers, so you'll need an adapter for the 1.25 on the Ollie. I happened to have another carrier ( Apex ACC2-4820 Metallic Aluminum Cargo Carrier) that came with two supports for either 2" or 1.25". I used the Apex 1.25" support on the Maxxhaul carrier as it fit perfectly. In a short search I don't see the Apex currently available. The box fits in either. I think it's important to use some very large washers or plates in the floor of box when mounting to prevent cracking. Now that I've used this for several trips, I think I'm going to add a small support chain inside connected to the lid to prevent it from going so far back when it's opened. All the other premade carriers I saw online were too heavy for the Oliver rear hitch or just didn't allow practically any cargo because of their weight. I uploaded screenshots of the box and MaxxHaul and hope you can open as I'm not sure how effectively I navigate around this forum. Hope it's all ok. Ron
  6. The rear hitch is only recommended to be used for weights of less than 100lbs and it's also important to note that the weight should be placed as close to the bumper as possible and not cantilevered outward. Typically this hitch is used for mounting a bicycle rack ( and that's truly what it's intended purpose is ) as is evident by the 1 1/4" acceptor. I would not risk mounting a cargo tray back there others may disagree.
  7. Big Cat, if you could provide a little more information you would get a lot more help! There are a lot of Olivers with a rear hitch. You indicate you want to carry a generator on the back of your Oliver. What size, what weight? I had an inverter generator that weighed 95lbs, I now have one that weighs 37lbs. Big difference. I’m sure you’ve followed travel trailers with a load on the back - if the road isn’t smooth there’s lots of bouncing around. Keeping the right amount of tongue weight is also important, what is it that you want to carry on the tongue, will it counter balance the weight in the rear? You’ll get lots of good help here if you could be a little more informative on what you want to do. Mike
  8. Yah they have the rear hitch, I did not get it. I looked at the camco rear bumper mount, looks like the only parts I have to change are the u-bolts (too short for the taller/higher Oliver bumper) and maybe the bottom brackets, the brackets depth are max 4.5”, not sure how deep/wide the Oliver bumper is, and if there is clearance behind the Oliver bumper for the u-bolts to clamp around…. I don’t have my Oliver yet, pick up is early May!
  9. Has anyone successfully added a rear hitch to their Ollie. If so please share photos of the installation.
  10. While traveling back to Redding CA on Interstate 5 from Vancouver WA, we saw a northbound LE2 a few miles south of Canyonville a little after noon today. I only had a few seconds to look, but the Ollie had what appeared to be bicycles on a rear hitch-mounted rack, under a black cover. We see few Ollies out west - I'm curious where the owners live. There were more travel trailers than I usually see this time of year heading north on Interstate 5 today, including three Escapes and six Airstreams among all the usual stick-built RV's. I'm guessing that the recent winter storm that shut down Interstate 5 north of Redding for two days created a back-up, and people were finally able to travel. We had to wait two days for the highway to reopen before heading home, but fortunately we were staying with family members in Vancouver, and had no reason to rush home. I was glad we weren't towing our Ollie on this trip.
  11. Certainly - the bottom feeders in the practice if LAW cause havoc on the well meaning amongst us - but to often its initiated by unreasonable demands of customers - as they place undue overloads on TV's, pile more into an RV than its rated, and strain that poor little 11/4" hitch hanging off the rear. Oliver once provided a very robust rear "Rack" platform - and discontinued due to - well doesn't matter. Oliver continues to provide the basics of what could be a robust platform. I'm in the camp of - good start - I'll take it from there. Or copy the parts of the design I like - and go from there. Does any other SOB even provide a platform? I understand what Oliver is doing on the rear hitch option. In the end it is attempting to meet customer demands without giving them a potential weapon that could sink the company. RB
  12. I had the Livelymachine shop fabricate these “Rock Stoppers” for our F 350 and have been extremely pleased with the design and performance and most of all a clean Ollie. Constructed of powder coated aluminum tubing and all stainless fasteners these are high quality. They are also custom fit to the F Super Duty trucks for a clean install on the side openings of rear hitch and can be easily removed if not towing. The aluminum face plate In front of the rubber flap deflects debris and stones as and also facilitates rubber flap anit sail. I have zero sailing issues with this product. If anyone is interested or you have questions about pricing contact Lively machine @Livelymachine.com. After a recent camping trip - a clean front and XPEL 10 mil PPF did its job a long with Rock Stoppers performed great.
  13. Now I truly regret I did not order the rear hitch option on my Olie 😞
  14. We're going to put our 21 gal "Turd Taxi" in a cargo carrier in the rear hitch of the Ollie: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004QEKGA0/?coliid=IYU4N4K30PK4C&colid=3HP9GD89VQ4XP&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it There's room for our tank and a few other things.
  15. Full Disclosure - I am a NEWBIE RV owner. I have owned our Ollie (Elite 1) for less than a month. With that said, I just recently had all of the questions you listed above and here are my thoughts. I hope this helps, but there are experienced contributors to this forum who generously share their knowledge. I am planning on getting the Andersen ultimate trailer gear package for leveling, chocking and pads for stabilizer jacks. Would I need anything else? The Andersen's are easy to use. I also got these stabilizer blocks and these chocks. I have read that a water filter is a good idea? Do you have suggestions for a water filter. I got this filter and I also got this water pressure regulator I have also read that you should use a polarity and voltage tester to make sure you have safe power at campgrounds? Suggestions for one of those. I do not yet have one of these, but I am considering it. I understand you get a 30 to 15 amp converter plug with the trailer. Would you ever need a 50 to 30 amp converter plug? In looking at some campgrounds it looks like if they have 50 amp service they also have 30 amp service. I got this 30A female to 15A male adapter and a 12 gauge extension cord. I do not yet have a 50A to 30A adapter. We are getting a rear hitch on the back of the trailer for a bike rack. I have been looking at various models of that but many of them specifically say not for use on back of an RV or trailer. Does someone have suggestions of a bike rack for 2 bikes? I also got the rear hitch, but haven't put a bike rack on it yet. I have read that some campgrounds require a sewer hose support. Suggestions for one of those. I did the compost option. I drain gray waste through a garden hose with one of these with no hose support I did print off a list of tools, fuses and other things you should have. Is there any other things we should be thinking about getting? The water hose supplied by Oliver is very stiff and hard to use. I replaced with a Zero G hose
  16. Thank you everyone for all the words of wisdom and for sharing your experience(s)! We have a much better understanding now on what to expect and also moving forward how to mitigate some of our tongue weight to safely travel with our new PW tow vehicle and Oliver. We are looking into composite propane tanks, not getting the front storage basket (didn't have it on the original order), sticking with getting the rear hitch for our bicycles (we love to bike) and have a much better idea on how we want to load our Oliver so as to lighten the tongue weight. So much to learn but, we feel as though this forum has given us such a great supportive team of experts, with lots of experience to ease us safely into our (first-time) towing adventures. Again, thank you or as we say here on the island, "Mahalo!" M&K
  17. You should be fine with those specs. However, when ordering your unit you’ll probably want to avoid the front basket and go with the rear hitch carrier instead. Resist the urge to fill the back of your tow vehicle and instead pack it into the camper.
  18. You could be right about the X5 tow capacity - I'd have to go check. I do think that it's considerably lighter, 4500 lbs or so and a 1500 lb cargo capacity. My experience though is that it can really handle only about half of that and still act like you expect it to. When we load it up Clampett style for camping, it's 300 lbs on the rear hitch, probably 150 on the roof between the sky box and the roof rack, and then another 300 inside. Plus us and the barrel of whisky strapped to the front, so 950 lbs or so, and it's a bit much. It feels sluggish going up grades and the rear end can begin to step out if you're too agressive with the steering or get going too fast. On the other hand, the sag with that weight is barely noticeable. Maybe and inch or so - much less than it looks like on yours, which is interesting. One thing about using a hitch rack is that the COG of the load is further back than it would be with a regular hitch. In our case, it's twice the distance, so the torque on the receiver is actually twice what it would be if we were towing with the same tongue weight. I'm not a big fan of hitch racks for that reason, even though we use one. On the WD hitches - I know that there are SUVs and even some trucks that say not to use it. My guess is that on a lot of unibody vehicles, they design for loads in one direction and not both like they'd need to do for a WD hitch. Like I say, I don't know about the MB, but I'd certainly check on it before you add one. You said it raises up - does it have a load leveling suspension? That might be another complication with a WD hitch - don't know. I think I'd be O.K. with the X5 and the smaller Ollie. With the bigger one, the numbers might work on paper, but I wouldn't feel safe. I like to have a big margin of error. Plus I'm just very picky about how cars handle - I don't know how I'm going to deal with this whole pickup thing.
  19. Years ago, soon after the release of the Elite II, Robert Partee asked me to come up with a design for a rear hitch. His goal was to be able to mount a bicycle rack, but, as I envisioned a way to do it, I realized it would be strong enough to pull another vehicle. Understand, this never went beyond my most basic of thought processes. IF we had attempted it, our plan was to machine (or weld up) two lengths of STEEL tubing sized to fit the inside of the longitudinal frame rails. We planned to make them as long as we could force them inside the rails and still stick out about 6-8 inches. The rear bumper would have had to be removed and/or redesigned. The rear body bolts would have had to be removed and then reinserted after the steel was slid into the frame. Also, new holes would have to be drilled after the steel was in place. Way overkill to carry a couple of bikes. But, if I wanted to pull a forty foot stock trailer full of Percheron's behind the Oliver and could figure a way to overcome the tongue weight, this is the way I'd do it. In the end we abandoned this idea as being too too much. I did draw him a sketch of what, years later, would become the (now discontinued) two inch, top of frame mounted, dual receiver bicycle rack that they ultimately built (for a while.) Like a lot of things in the world, after the attorneys got through with this, it was abandoned because of the fear that some idiot would overload it (despite the ubiquitous "warning label" to the contrary) and the world would end. And I believe one ultimately did, so I suppose the lawyers were proven correct this time.
  20. We have finalized our LE 2 order. Now I am looking for advice on accessories for the trailer. I am planning on getting the Andersen ultimate trailer gear package for leveling, chocking and pads for stabilizer jacks. Would I need anything else? I have read that a water filter is a good idea? Do you have suggestions for a water filter. I have also read that you should use a polarity and voltage tester to make sure you have safe power at campgrounds? Suggestions for one of those. I understand you get a 30 to 15 amp converter plug with the trailer. Would you ever need a 50 to 30 amp converter plug? In looking at some campgrounds it looks like if they have 50 amp service they also have 30 amp service. We are getting a rear hitch on the back of the trailer for a bike rack. I have been looking at various models of that but many of them specifically say not for use on back of an RV or trailer. Does someone have suggestions of a bike rack for 2 bikes? I have read that some campgrounds require a sewer hose support. Suggestions for one of those. I did print off a list of tools, fuses and other things you should have. Is there any other things we should be thinking about getting? Thanks, Larry
  21. We all order our trailers with the options that will work for you, our Casita we did not order too many options and wish we would have ordered a few more, but when we went to sell it, it took 2 days to sell it. Our Oliver Elite II was also ordered with very few options as most everything is standard that we wanted. Our only options that we ordered were the Convection Microwave, Rear Hitch, 2 Propane Outside Outlets, no other options. Were totally happy with our trailer and all works just fine for us. trainman
  22. Overland, That is a very nice upgrade! I have a new McHitch 6 tonne, with vertical pin, sitting right here waiting for my new HQ19 to arrive so I can install it. The HQ comes with a DO-35 Polyblock hitch, but the McHitch looks much better and I like the truck Ujoint swivel. You probably know, but the McHitch can be had in a "kit" that includes a parking brake lever. Or the levers can be easily sourced. They bolt right up the two rear hitch mounting bolts. Parking brakes are standard equipment in Australia on Caravans. I don't know about other brands, but the HQ, from Australia uses a standard Dexter style electric backing plate, bearings, etc. I looked on ETrailer and found electric backing plates that include the parking brake option. I don't see why this would not bolt right onto an Oliver. Then simply route the cables and have a parking brake! Cool. It would be very nice in a recovery situation, or for getting setup at a camp. It's one of the features I love about the HQ, and one I would have looked into for the Oliver if I knew it existed. I think that is the same jockey wheel that comes standard on the HQ. An excellent tool for recovery or turning around at the end of a one lane road. I really like that you've put it on your Oliver. That could help you tremendously out in the desert sometime. That, the parking brake, and some rope would allow you to turn the trailer around in it's own length with total control of it. I'll post some pix of the tongue area when I get the trailer and get the McHitch installed. About a month from now. Thanks for the write-up and pix. John PS, What is the black coiled wire plugged into the bumper and running back to the trailer?
  23. We just placed our first big deposit this week and went back and forth with many of the options. The option we struggled with the most was the Nature's Head. We almost always use the campgrounds facilities when we camp at National & State Parks and I do not enjoy the smell of the black tank additives. Our kids were shocked we went in that direction but we are giving the compost toilet the thumbs up. If we find we totally do not like it we can always do a refitting. I also felt like with the cost of the Ollie, I was spending so much more than any other camper, how much more did it really add in the scheme of things. The rear hitch and the street side awning were two items I will probably use the least. I figured the street side I could operate manually when I used it. We did not get the TV booster because we have found we watch internet tv and almost never network programming. In 40 years of camping, TV watching while camping was never on our mind but that is a personal thing. The solar option to me is a no brainer since technology is moving in that direction by leaps and bounds. The twin beds are a better use of room and flexibility. and the final note....the stock markets swings so much in both direction I figured I gained or lost more than the options every day.....
  24. The Wonder Egg's rear bumper is too short to accommodate the new rear hitch option. After almost having a front receiver hitch mounted on my truck, I went to a specialty hitch shop and found a 6000 lb tow rated, long tow bar with the correct rise for the main ball which can accommodate a 600 lb tongue weight. We took some measurements and they firmly welded a hefty new receiver with a 17 inch rise for the bike rack. My rack is a Swagman XC2 Platform. I think this is going to work better than putting the bike in front of the truck where it would be the first item to hit the air, resulting in a huge parasitic drag issue.
  25. Pete. That hitch looks good but would not work for me because I access the bed of my pick up truck frequently during our camping trips. I did have a rear hitch fabricated at a local shop out of steel and it is working out well although it is so high I have a hard time lifting our bikes up to it so I'm putting a platform on that hitch to carry my extra black water tank now.
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