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  1. The 'business' selling Hitches to Vehicle Owners to Tow a Travel Trailer is very profitable. If you need it, or not. With a heavier Tow Vehicle, a Weight Distribution Hitch may be of no value and just not needed. It is NECESSARY for undersized tow vehicles, connected to a heavy travel trailer... of any brand. It may be UNNECESSARY for an oversized tow vehicle to use Weight Distribution to Control Sway of the Travel Trailer. I found, a bit too late, that I did not need the Weight Distribution to prevent Sway Control or leveling Trailer to Tow Vehicle. I tow our 27/28 foot Airstream, 7800# unloaded, 'On the Ball' with our F350. No sagging rear end, No sway. I tow our Oliver Elite II, 7000#, with the F350 On the Ball. We then know how to load our tow vehicle and trailer, as well. You want to add a lot of weight to the rear end of your travel trailer... reconsider there may be consequences. Sway is one. The Airstream Forums have worked with this... compromise... of Tow Vehicle versus Airstream length versus Sway Control that requires Weight Distribution. You probably should know why, as this is suppose to be a short observation learned by experience. The Oliver Elite II travels very well behind our F350 Diesel 4x4... always and On the Ball. I am speaking for our Double Axle Elite II. I do not tow a single axle Oliver. Are there other Oliver Elite II owners towing... On the Ball? What is your experienced response. Are there any Oliver Elite I or II owners with Positive or Negative experiences. Most owners want to use their daily driver to tow, I understand. I am a western cow paddy kicker and use to trying something, by testing step by step, so I do not 'step into it' and make a mess of things. (I am not an engineer, physics professor or sell travel trailers or hitches. Safety is important to you and others. Experiment in areas where you can test your Ball to Trailer Coupler height and weight onto the Ball.) Do not experiment with my explaining my experiences, until you are comfortable with alternatives and comfortable with the initial risk of towing on the ball. Our experiences towing was with a 2006 Toyota 4.7L engine Tundra 4x4, and was borderline towing the 2006 23 foot Foot Airstream, as the rear end was down no matter how much weight distribution I applied... and never tried towing on the ball... because of that. The Tundra was a 1/2 ton in comparison to 3/4 and 1 ton options. I add a photograph from an Off the Grid towing on the ball. I have been towing ON the Ball since 2016, any conditions of wind, rain, highway speeds, road grade down a mountin or up a mountain, passing 18 wheelers... not one issue. Towing on the Interstates, paved, unpaved or Off the Grid roads... Six Years of seasonal towing without one negative to report. What might your experiences been?
  2. Is anyone pulling an Elite II with a Toyota Tundra? We’re any modifications needed? Thanks
  3. It seems that the only suspension component on 2022+ Elite IIs that limits the GVWR to 7K lbs. is the 4-leaf springs. The bearings on each 5200 lb. axle should be rated to 5200 lbs., like the axle is. It stands to reason that replacing all four of those 4-leaf springs with heavier duty "Made in America" 5-leaf springs could enable an 8000 lb. GVWR (2Kx4=8K) , at least in practical application. Do any of you engineer types out there disagree with this analysis? That said, I don't plan to increase the load on our Hull #1291 even if we upgrade to the 5-leaf springs, because we tow with a 2019 Tundra. The low Tundra payload capacity is our real limitation, not the trailer GVWR. But, I like to overbuild, so a beefier suspension than is absolutely necessary appeals to me.
  4. Just got the tundra in december. Have not pulled the elite yet.. I had a 2020 Ridgeline before..
  5. As I expect you know, towing capacity does not tell the whole story, since it presumes nothing but a 150 lb. driver in the tow vehicle. Payload is what counts when both towing a trailer and hauling gear in the pickup. That said, your 2500 lb. payload capacity should allow you to add a 300 lb. bed slide without pushing the payload limit, presuming you don't carry too much other stuff. The Elite II tongue weight takes up between 500 and 600 lbs. of your payload capacity. Add 300 lbs. for the bed slide and you are still not over 1K lbs., leaving about 1500 lbs. capacity for passengers and other stuff. A 300 lb. bed slide in my 2019 Tundra, with only 1450 lb. total payload, would not leave enough capacity to work for us.
  6. September 5, 2023 Hello Rivernerd and or everyone else here! By looking at Rivernerd's August of 2023 photos, I cannot tell if you/he owns a SR5 or TRD Tundra? I am looking into purchasing a used 5.7 L Tundra (2019 and older) Double Cab and would like to hear Tundra owners responses if the SR5 or TRD is best for towing the Oliver Elite 2? Thanks everyone!
  7. I live in the Idaho mountains, and I tow our Elite II with a 2019 Tundra with the 5.7L engine and tow package. I agree that it is "sufficient," with an Andersen weight distribution hitch. But, I definitely know that I am pulling a heavy trailer, which has quite a different feel that my lighter raft trailer, even when the raft trailer is heavily loaded. So, when I need to replace the Tundra, even though I am a Toyota fan, I plan to carefully evaluate the marginal cost of a Tundra vs. 2500-level Chevy or Dodge, or a Ford F250. Based on posts on this forum from owners of 3/4-ton and 1-ton pickups, I expect the towing experience with an Elite II behind such a truck to be less stressful.
  8. 2017 TRD Double Cab, used Sumo Springs, which are easy to install. Loaded everything down and headed off on a 5000-mile trip with the Elite II in tow. Went from North Idaho to Middle Tennessee and back, including side trips. The Tundra did a great job at all posted speeds. I was selective of what I took along and did not officially weigh the rig but I felt I was nearing capacity. Moving forward, I will be looking into an HD pick-up, something like GMC 3500. I would like to take along more things I consider essential for long trips. Would like to add a canopy with a bed slide and not worry about being overloaded. But if I was just going to vacation once or twice a year and do some local camping the Tundra is more than adequate.
  9. I finally had a chance to monitor transmission temps when towing our Elite II up some hills with our 2019 Tundra 5.7L on a hot (95 F+) August day. Pan and torque converter temps hovered around 230-235 F most of the time, but shot up to 265 after one long, steep pull. Ouch! That said, the "High Transmission Fluid Temp" warning did not appear on the info screen. For what it's worth, I am advised it does not appear until 300 F is reached. Given Toyota's position that their 2019-2021 transmissions (and Toyota trans fluid) can handle temps up to the point where the warning appears, I am holding off installation of the expensive aftermarket transmission cooler. Have any more of you Elite II owners with Tundra tow vehicles had the dreaded "High Transmission Temp" warning appear on your truck?
  10. Oliver Service is right. The tow vehicle for my 2022 Elite II is a 2019 Tundra, 5.7L V8 with tow package. The top of my Andersen hitch ball sits precisely 23-1/2" from the ground, on a level concrete surface, without the trailer attached. Of course, when the trailer is attached the truck squats a bit, which then results in a level towing position. I am quite particular about ensuring that the trailers I tow sit level when towed. Placing the top of the Andersen hitch ball at 23-1/2" off a level floor, with a Tundra, will result in a level towing position for an Elite II, if both the truck and trailer are properly loaded. See photo below.
  11. Given that the basic design of the twin turbos in the Tundra and the F-150 are the same - I can concur that I've never had a single issue towing with this type of engine since 2011 (two different Ford Ecoboost engines). And, when not towing the Elite II these twin turbos really are a blast to drive when you even think about putting your foot to the floor. Bill
  12. If you want that much towing capacity AND that much payload WHILE TOWING (which is good), none of the 150/1500 level trucks is optimal. I tow with a 2019 Tundra, which only has a 1460 lb. payload. When towing an Oliver Elite II, which has tongue weight in the 500-600 lb. range depending on how it is loaded, we are right on that payload margin. Not ideal. And, we use an Andersen weight distribution hitch because is is mandated by the Tundra owners manual. The Andersen works well, but is an added hassle when hooking and unhooking the trailer. I have been a Toyota guy for a couple of decades. I wish Toyota made a 3/4 ton pickup. That said, you will be much better off with a 250/2500 level 3/4 ton truck, or maybe even a 1-ton, which limits you to Ford, Dodge and GM/Chevy. No Andersen WD hitch required. And, safer on the road because the tow vehicle will outweigh the trailer. Why don't I tow our new Oliver 2022 Elite II with a 3/4 ton pickup? Because this is a historically bad time to buy a new truck. I can't justify the remarkable price differential between what we paid for our 2019 Tundra in 2019 and what it would cost me to buy a new Ford F250 or Chevy/Dodge 2500 today. But if I were buying now, it would be a 2500 or even 3500 level truck for towing our Elite II. Good luck with your decision! And, please report what you decide to buy, so the rest of us can learn from your experience.
  13. 1300 miles later and we arrived to a spot most of you will recognize. David Crockett State Park. Heading to Hohenwald for service tomorrow and will stay at the campground at the Sales Office. Trip was uneventful, here are my observations towing with the diesel vs. Tundra: 1) MPG - 16 total trip. As high as 16.4 in Kansas with a side wind. Even with the higher cost of diesel, I figured I saved about $15 in the cost of fuel on this trip. If You had to buy DEF it would be less. 2) Ride - a bit stiffer than the Tundra but not bad. Zero jounce as could be expected 3) Braking- much better with the Dodge but not for the reason I expected. The aftermarket brake controller I had installed in the Dodge worked far better than the integrated unit that came in the Tundra. Much better adjustability and much more power. I could never get the trailer brakes to lock up with the controller in the Tundra but it was easy with the aftermarket controller. Tundra forums cover this issue if anyone is interested. I will be ordering a aftermarket controller for the Tundra when I return home. 4) Transmission - towing with a stick is great. Made me wish that Toyota offered a 6 spd manual. Oh well. 5) overall - The Dodge is way more truck than I need for towing the Elite II. While a fun experiment, the Tundra will get put back in place soon as the Dedicated TV for the Ollie. The Dodge will go back to towing the car hauler. I can see where if you were hauling a lot of gear in the bed the 1 ton ( or a 3/4 ton) would make a lot of sense or if you towed a lot in the mountains a diesel would make sense or if the cost of diesel ever comes down it would make sense for the fuel economy but since the Tundra can’t tow the car hauler and Dodge no longer makes diesel trucks with manual transmissions, its back to the Tundra for towing the Ollie. Oh, and we stumbled across the worlds largest ball of sisal twine in Kansas. Clark Griswald was nowhere to be found.
  14. Yep, pulled our Elite II once with our '08 GX470. Not a LX, but a similar Toyota 4.7L v8 (the Tundra 5.7L might work). It was fine around town, with the Anderson hitch, but I could not at all see it going down the 4000 FT drop on I-17 to the Phoenix valley and in the SLOW lane coming back up. Two weeks later, I found an older Ram 2500 Cummins so we can now climb anything! Love the GX on the Arizona dirt when not towing!
  15. Before even considering a larger aftermarket tranny cooler, I would reconfigure the factory gauges (as instructed by Tom and Doreen, and ridenfly above). If that doesn't work, you can get a scan gauge to provide transmission temp data under load. Veepeak sells an inexpensive one on Amazon for Android phones that plugs into your OBDII port, and reports tons of engine and transmission data to your phone via the OBD Fusion app: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011NSX27A/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 If you have an iphone, Veepeak also sells a somewhat more expensive version. I installed one in my 2019 Tundra, which reported transmission pan temps as high as 265 F recently, pulling up a hill on a hot day. Even with synthetic ATF, that is higher than my comfort level. I'll bet that even when towing your Elite II up a hill, you won't see temps above 230 F with your factory trans cooler. Which ever solution you choose, please report your results on this thread!
  16. You get what you pay for. I tow our Elite II with a 1/2 ton Toyota Tundra, with tow package and an Andersen WD hitch. The experience is totally acceptable. But, we have to watch payload carefully, and I can sure tell there is a trailer back there on the road, especially on curves. But, when I eventually replace the Tundra, I will look hard at a 3/4 ton Chevy, Ford or Dodge (the only options presently). Why? More worry-free camping, less scrimping on payload, less stress when towing.
  17. Catching this thread late but… Had a 2019 Platinum CrewMax, 5.7, Magnusen Supercharger, 3/1” level with Bilsteins and FS Airbags, 35’s on Method 18x9” rims. Loved the truck. Plenty of power and torque. 2019 Elite II (hull 536) lightly loaded with close to max in the Tundra cargo bed. Andersen WDH. No issues towing regardless of terrain (other than 9mpg avg). But…on a longish loop from NC out to Denver and back we kept throwing the “transmission temperature is high” fault. Happened maybe 6 times. Several Toyota techs along the way said “just ignore it”. Finally, after 6 weeks traveling, the entire dash lit up. All kinds of faults with trailer brake control the most annoying. Stopped for 30 minutes hoping for an ECU reset but no luck. Drove the last 150 miles with manual trailer brake and lots of yellow icons on the dash. Next day at the Toyota dealer they said the code required a transmission replacement. 45k miles. And…no warranty coverage as it was modified. The SC was installed at the same dealership and at the time (19k miles) the service reps said it would not affect the 5 year/50k drivetrain warranty. Silly me. I traded for a 2021 F150 Powerboost the next day. Still love the looks of the Tundra but think they lost the thread when they took the transmission cooler off the Gen3’s. And you can argue that they are engineered so that in the unusual case they throw a fault code, its replace only…no repair. Not sure on the latest V6 but if it performs like the Ford’s eco boost it should be a hit. Love the engine, like having the battery and generator on the powerboost. Don’t need to travel with the Honda 2200, 11-12mpg on the way out (again) to Denver from NC. And the 10speed transmission is much smoother than the ‘19 Tundra’s 6 speed. I’m sure the next gen 10 speed on the Tundra is great as well. Still early days on the Ford and towing but so far the hottest the transmission fluid has gotten is 212degrees. I’m guessing the Tundra was flashing a warning at 250 or so.
  18. As the owner of an Elite II with a 2-5/16" hitch towed with an Andersen WD hitch, I would not recommend it. We paid the premium to upgrade to a 2-5/16" coupler (we found no price differential between 2" ball Andersen kits and the ones with a 2-5/16" ball) precisely because we planned to tow with a 2019 Tundra, which requires the Andersen. I am a retired attorney, so I am sensitive to the liability and insurance coverage risks incurred when NOT following truck manufacturers' requirements. Given the experience reported by John Davies on this thread several years ago with a 2" ball/Andersen hitch combo, and the improvement to ball wear after he upgraded to a 2-5/16" ball, we felt the 2-5/16" coupler upgrade was a sensible precaution. Having now towed the Elite II about 2300 miles from Hohenwald to Idaho, I found a noticeable, but not severe, wear pattern on the 2-5/16" ball from the pressure applied by the Andersen. I believe, based on John Davies' experience, that the wear would have been much more marked with a 2" ball. Thus, the upgrade cost was worth it to us. BUT, based on the experience of those on this forum towing with 3/4 ton pickups, if we had a Silverado 2500 instead of a Tundra, we would not have bought an Andersen WD hitch, and would not have paid the premium for the 2-5/16" coupler upgrade. While an Andersen hitch may be recommended when towing with a 3/4 ton pickup, it is not REQUIRED as it is with our Tundra. And, without the Andersen WD hitch, your coupler/ball connection will not be subjected to the weight distribution force applied by the Andersen, thus you should have no abnormal ball wear issues with a 2" ball.
  19. I too am amazed/impressed at the ability of the little 4 cylinder diesel. Not sure it would do great up and down Monteagle, though. What I don't understand is the folks who say the Gen II 5.7 Tundra is not a great vehicle for towing an Elite II. We towed our Ollie from Atlanta to Alaska and back and the truck did great. Only time we had any issue was a long, steep downhill from Jasper to Banff. I think the trailer brake controller was a bit off, so we suffered from some brake fade. And no, I did not ride the brakes on the downhill. Would a 3/4 or 1 ton diesel do better? In some respects, absolutely - but they are expensive to purchase, maintain and feed. Pretty harsh ride unloaded too for a daily driver. No idea on how the Gen III Tundra will do, but I suspect it will do pretty well once all the early production bugs and fit/finish issues are worked out. Better mileage (maybe) when towing. Certainly better than the 5.7 not towing.
  20. 2018 Tundra SR longbed 4X4 with 1430 lb payload. Have towed all over the SouthWest, Midwest and thru TN and KY with no issues. Tow with the Andersen hitch. 12 mpg and plenty of power and braking. Added Firestone airbags and inflate to 25 lbs which eliminates any jouncing. Also tow with a 1 ton Dodge diesel single rear wheel 4X4. Mpg towing with the diesel is 16 mpg and obviously much more cargo capacity. Between the two, honestly I prefer the Tundra. Nicer ride and my 1 ton is huge overkill IMO for the Elite II the way I drive (65-67 mph). I have spoken to owners of the new Tundra who tow a 25' Airstream and they said it tows great. If you can find one, I don't think you can go wrong. I am a displacement guy so the 5.7 V* is high on my list but from what I have heard, the new turbo V6 Tundra does the job too.
  21. Even if a 40# tank would fit inside the "doghouse," could you lift it into place, up and over the housing? Even only 80% full (which is the legal max), it weighs 72 lbs. I am not even comfortable lifting 30# propane tanks into that enclosure. That is why we opted for the standard 20# tanks in our Elite II, but carry two spare 20# propane tanks in the bed of our Tundra tow vehicle. On a related note, weight is also the reason we have two 2200 watt dual fuel Champion generators (with a Paralink kit ) rather than one 3500 watt unit. Our Truma Aventa air conditioner requires at least 3000 watts of capacity to run (since Truma will not allow installation of a Micro Air Easy Start in its units). The 2200 watt units weigh less than 40 lbs. each. The 3500 watt beast weighs 96 lbs. I can lift each 2200 watt unit into and out of the bed of our Tundra without significant risk to my back. Not so with a 96-pounder!
  22. As you test drive interim tow vehicles, I recommend you also include a used Tundra with the 5.7L engine and tow package in your search. We plan to tow our Elite II with our 2019 Tundra 5.7L after we pick up it in November. Lots of folks on this forum tow very happily with Tundras, usually with an Andersen hitch. Our 2019 Tundra Double Cab Standard Bed would barely fit in your 228" garage; maybe omit the double cab when test driving? A well-maintained Tundra should holds its value well until you take delivery of your Rivian. My 2 cents.
  23. We'll be picking up our EII in a few weeks. When I was looking for a tow vehicle I was set on the Tacoma for many reasons. It's a very nice truck and being a Toyota means a lot, not least of which is it's the highest rated tow vehicle on consumer reports as far as customer satisfaction and reliability goes. That said, with an Elite 2, the load carrying capacity of the Tacoma is dismal. After accounting for the tongue weight, two adults, dogs, basic travel gear, add a truck cap, and a full tank of fuel, now you have a vehicle that MIGHT be able to carry 100-200 pounds in the bed before you reach capacity. I finally started looking a 3/4 ton vehicles and after much research decided that the least worst vehicle that wasn't the Tundra was the Ford F250 which I bought (2017 model). The advantages are: 1) load capacity of almost 2,800 pounds which means I can have a truck cap on my bed AND carry things in the bed 2) (MOST IMPORTANTLY) Braking capacity. You can tow anything with a small vehicle, the question is, will you be able to make a panic stop while coming down a steep grade in Colorado (where we frequently drive). By maxing out your vehicle's load and towing capacity you risk having precious little wiggle room if you need to stop the rig while coming down a hill. Stopping is the bigger question. Opting for a larger tow vehicle will (generally) decrease your fuel economy and increase your maintenance costs, but it also markedly increases your safety margin. I believe that if you are carrying so much stuff that you need to consider shifting your load to the back of your trailer in order to keep your TV within its limits, then it is reasonable to consider that maybe your TV is undersized for your needs, marginal at best. While towing with an SUV certainly is more comfortable, the newer trucks really ride well. I think a 1-ton is over-kill for an Oliver but at the same time it completely removes the concern of having to do a "weight and balance check" every time you change something in the gear you're carrying to determine if you're within the limits of the tow vehicle...Just toss it in the back and be on your way. The 3/4 ton by-and-large is the same, but at some point I certainly could overload my F250 If I just keep loading stuff in without regard to how much weight I'm adding. I have to be aware, but not like if I had gone with the Tundra. The Tundra would have required a close look every time and then some shifting or possibly leaving stuff behind. The 2022 Tundra's numbers are a bit improved from the previous model years, the problem there is they won't be available when I need it and I also wasn't in the market for the price of a new one. Ideally I'd like a cyber truck, but no telling when they'll become reality. Good luck with your search, I hope to see you on the road. Happy trails!!!! albert
  24. I reported the performance of our Tundra on downhill grades with a trailer in response to your reference to engine braking and hill-assist features. We bought our 2019 Tundra before we decided to buy a travel trailer. Since we own it, we plan to use it to tow the Elite II, but with an Andersen WD hitch because the Tundra doesn't weight much more than the Elite II. If we were now in the market for a tow vehicle for the Elite II, we would likely swallow hard (knowing we are giving up some reliability), and go for a 3/4 ton GMC 2500 or 3500 with the 6.6L gas engine and trailer package. Why? (1) Toyota does not offer a 3/4 ton pickup, yet a 3/4 ton provides a larger safety margin towing an Elite II; (2) our local mechanic has a low opinion of the reliability of Dodge pickups; (3) diesel fumes nauseate my wife and (4) Ford does not offer a Double Cab, which we prefer over either an extended cab or crew cab. So, we concur with your leaning: get a 3/4 ton for safety, even though it will not be a Toyota.
  25. No consolation from me, just congratulations on having a 2022 ready for production! We have a 2022 Elite II on order for late summer production. We are glad we didn't wait and order a 2023 because of the dramatic price increase. With our selected upgrades, our Elite II would cost nearly $8600 more in a 2023 model. On what do you base your belief that the Elite II is "being redesigned next year?" My review of many years of posts on this forum suggests that Oliver has phased in improved components on a periodic, and unpredictable, basis ever since the Elite II went into production about 8 years ago. These include solar panels, composting toilets, Dexter E-Z-Flex axles, lithium batteries, convection microwaves, backup cameras, better refrigerators (Norcold), better awnings (Girard), to name a few. Upgrading to a Victron MPPT controller and (maybe even larger?) Newpowa solar panels in the middle of a model year is consistent with this pattern. I hope those upgrades are implemented before our 2022 is built! If it is any comfort, major redesigns are not always the best for everyone. The biggest engine available on the significantly redesigned 2022 Tundra is a V6. We are glad we have a 2019 Tundra with a 5.7L V8 engine. For most folks the fuel savings may leave them better off with a V6. But for use as a tow vehicle, we prefer the V8. So, we don't want the "latest and greatest" Tundra.
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