You don’t need a 3/4 ton truck or an Anderson hitch to tow an Oliver elite 2

[STEVEnBETTY]

All new 1/2 ton trucks with the towing package, even heavy duty, come with a class 3 receiver hitch. Al that’s required to tow an elite 2 legally is a class 4 or even 5 hitch, the catch is you can’t use your existing bumper and swap out hitches. If you took delivery of a 1/2 ton truck with no reciever hitch the class 4 hitch bolts right on, no Anderson required.

[jd1923]

Not gonna touch this one! 🤣

[STEVEnBETTY]

Why not? If you look up the specs on class 4 or 5 hitches it’s right there, my guess is manufacturers are leery of specking class 4 hitches because people don’t know how to weigh their equipment and overload their rear axle.

[STEVEnBETTY]

I’ve been towing my elite 2 for 8 years and 95,000 miles with 2 different f150’s with no Anderson, and I’ve only had 1 original one spring break and I just replaced the 1 spring with a1750 lb Dexter.

[jd1923]

1 hour ago, STEVEnBETTY said:

Why not?

For a change, I’m loss for words! Given your post, I have far less Oliver towing experience than you.

User manual of our old Dodge, given a 2500 Cummins, states to use a WDH when towing over 5000 LBS (?), even though GVWR is 8800 lbs. It does level the rig, less porpoising from the light Oliver tongue weight, stays nicely level.

I install the latest technology and use it to the max, yet down the highway I’m just an ol’ fart conservative! 🤣

Good to hear from you @STEVEnBETTY!9

[STEVEnBETTY]

Thanks for your response, I guess more than anything else I’m disappointed in hearing members on this forum, disparage people’s attempts to do something different, I’ve heard for years now you need an Anderson hitch to tow an elite 2, you can’t tow with an ev, you need to completely revamp your suspension, because of a broken spring, you get the idea. 

 

[Tideline77]

10 hours ago, STEVEnBETTY said:

I’ve been towing my elite 2 for 8 years and 95,000 miles with 2 different f150’s with no Anderson, and I’ve only had 1 original one spring break and I just replaced the 1 spring with a1750 lb Dexter.

How did you deal with the squat on the F150  ?

 

I towed ours home from the previous owner about 300 miles ( no Andersen) ……. my F150 was nose up and ass down 

it was miserable driving 

Edited July 3 by Tideline77

[STEVEnBETTY]

On my 2014 f150 I installed cheap manually adjustable air bags, on the 2021 none are needed. Full disclosure, I still use my class 3 receiver and I’m perfectly legal. One of the other things that I highly recommend is either xl (extra load) or lt( light truck) tires, the oem tires are p rated (passenger) tires

 

[rich.dev]

I thought this is a pretty good video explaining the difference between a 1/2 and 3/4 ton truck. 

 

[STEVEnBETTY]

One other thing about tires, what some people “can” interpret as sway is sometimes just the tires sidewall flexing, the xl or lt tires eliminate that.

[John Dorrer]

13 hours ago, STEVEnBETTY said:

Thanks for your response, I guess more than anything else I’m disappointed in hearing members on this forum, disparage people’s attempts to do something different, I’ve heard for years now you need an Anderson hitch to tow an elite 2, you can’t tow with an ev, you need to completely revamp your suspension, because of a broken spring, you get the idea. 

 

I'm sorry, but you miss the big picture. It isn't about driving 90K+ miles without problems. It is about  your tow vehicle requiring the use of a WD when towing over a certain weight and the Oliver is over that weight.

 

It is about making a high speed stop to avoid stopped traffic or to avoid being cut off and taking evasive action. If you total your tow vehicle and Oliver there is a high probability that you insurance may decline your claim, when their investigation uncovers you weren't using the required WD. Worse yet, what if you kill someone or put them in a wheel chair and you insurance carrier declines to cover the claim. The other party will go after you in court.

 

I hope that never happens to you. I'm sorry but this appears to be a bit risky, and others that have responded to you and others are pointing out their concerns.

In the end you will do or continue to do what you want. I leave you with this question. "Is it worth the risk to loose everything".

 

 

 

 

Edited Thursday at 05:04 PM by John Dorrer
Updated Comment

[Mike and Carol]

10 hours ago, STEVEnBETTY said:

Thanks for your response, I guess more than anything else I’m disappointed in hearing members on this forum, disparage people’s attempts to do something different, I’ve heard for years now you need an Anderson hitch to tow an elite 2, you can’t tow with an ev, you need to completely revamp your suspension, because of a broken spring, you get the idea. 

 

I share your disappointment when owners get into personal comments.  Truck discussions, unfortunately, can be contentious leaving no room for alternate viewpoints.  I am aware of a number of owners towing with a half ton and no Andersen.  I’m interested in the experiences one of our new members will have towing with an EV.  

I’ve towed our Oliver well over 100K miles.  About half of that was with a 2500 (no WDH)and half with 1500’s/Tacoma (with WDH).  Only 5K on the Tacoma, it was adequate but very limiting (payload, range without refueling, braking/acceleration, etc).  The half tons (both Ram 1500 5.7L) towed the Oliver with ease.  Mountain towing proved more challenging for both braking and having the high RPM’s going uphill.  I still needed to be concerned with payload.

The 2500 with the 6.7L Cummins is an entirely different experience.  Level towing is effortless with the engine barely above idle RPMs.  Mountain towing is much better, very little braking going downhill (exhaust brake is wonderful) and uphill it may downshift to get RPMs up to 2500, but nowhere near the 4500+ of the half ton V8.  I get the about the same mileage in the 2500 as I did in the 1500s.  The bed is bigger, interior is bigger, and it feels much more stable.

We were camping in AZ and went by a Mesquite lumber store south of Tucson.  I bought a fair amount of mesquite planks for some projects.  Loaded them up in the 2500 along with our camping stuff and didn’t have to worry about the extra weight.  Not possible with the 1500s, we were always near our cargo limit.

Diesels are more expensive to buy and maintain but for us and the amount of towing we do it is worth it.  As the title of this thread states, you don’t need a 3/4 ton truck to tow your Oliver.  You might not even need a WDH on your half ton depending on how it is configured. It comes down to personal choice.  Mike

[STEVEnBETTY]

Thanks for your response Mike, I agree, there is more than one way to do things, just trying to give people options, not opinions. I really thought I’d get more push back, I pm’d bill Jones’s apologizing.😄😄

[STEVEnBETTY]

I’m sorry but my response for being selfish went to another thread. If you do some research, the sticker on the underside of the hitch says 500 lb tongue weight 5000 lbs gross weight, without wdh, 1000 & 5000 with, those are recommendations, the wdh just redistributes weight, the tongue weight rating is 1000 lbs. The sticker on your door jam is what matters, if you are within the parameter’s of those ratings you’re legal. I’m not going to debate wdh benefits or drawbacks I’ve used both, it comes down to personal preference & comfort level.

[jd1923]

On 7/2/2025 at 8:34 PM, STEVEnBETTY said:

Thanks for your response, I guess more than anything else I’m disappointed in hearing members on this forum, disparage people’s attempts to do something different...

Traveling our longest trip ever, 5 weeks now, some 4600 miles Arizona to Minnesota and back. Chris and I have learned a lot. And for me, I've spent hundreds of hours in M&R and Mods on our wonderful Oliver and finally we're enjoying the fruits of my labor. 😂

Shopping and dinning in Telluride a couple of days ago, we stopped at a shop that carries, "Life is Good" products, a sentiment to which we truly believe!

I'm not much for souvenirs or T-shirts that advertise where I've been, though I had to buy this shirt. It states nicely in two lines surrounding the image of a compass, perfect for all of us who wander, and It goes like this:
"We do not see things as they are... We see things as we are."

So I turned 70, far more careful today than I use to be 10 years. Left our AZ home one morning at 4:45 AM to return to Texas, sitting on the pass looking down on Van Horn TX, I thought WTF, let's go! After 1100 miles, by 1-2 AM I was home in Lakeway TX. This recent trip, my longest drive was 5 hours, average 3 hours. I know y'all understand!

@STEVEnBETTY, I have no idea your ages, your life experiences, where you live, you training, where you've traveled in the last 8 years with your Oliver. I'd love to know, and I'm not picking on you alone. I believe and I'm sure you agree, all of this matters.

You wrote, "I’m disappointed in hearing members on this forum, disparage people’s attempts to do something different."

I agree, and very often are suspect to your criticism!

I've been told that if I do not regularly re-apply caulk to my Oliver, that it will damage it and destroy its value. Sorry, I will never add caulk on this hull, uglied by OTT in its original manufacture and again gunk-on-gunk after two return trips to Hohenwald.

But caulk is more important in humid and rainy locations. Point in life, current needs, home and travel locations, part or full-time OLiver use, makes all the differences.

You know how many times I've heard that annual bearing and jack maintenance is mandatory? Sorry to those who believe such, but when I pack bearings or grease the jacks correctly (not an Oliver University video) it will certainly last 3-4 years. I can tell by ear when the jacks need maintenance!

Those who do not work their own maintenance cannot know, must trust Manufacturer's Recommendations and be at the mercy of hired mechanics. Normal to ask questions, but then it's one suggestion after another. This creates more worry which creates more,

I just purchased new D52 axles and Alcan springs, parts only, will do the work myself this summer. I did not need to, as our leaf springs are clean, rust-free, nicely arced, no issues. My primary want was in having 12" brakes for safe mountain towing. and make everything new, restored. I can afford the parts and do the work now, replacing a 10-year-old suspension with hopes of carefree use for another 10. Not for fear of a spring breaking, as for that I have a spare pair under the toolbox and all the tools I'd need to make the roadside repair.

there are 26 pages of leaf springs recommendations listed on one post alone! Most Oliver owners cannot do this work at home, let alone if stuck on the road, so such concern is understandable. We all have different comfort levels. 

Love technology and my Oliver has more mods than most, yet not of the @ScubaRx fame! 🤣 Tesla has made EVs mainstream and EVs are amazing technology. We have a wonderful forum where we all voice opinion. So in my opinion, if I had to tow with an EV just on this recent trip, I would need to stop 2x more often and 10 times longer to recharge vs. refueling and would not have been able to boondock in many of the remote spots we visited or the same trip would have taken 1-2 weeks longer. OMG, boondocking means no electrical hookup and charging! 🤣

I'm going to stop now, but Steve, or is it Betty? I've gotten a kick out of this post! We can all read here and learn something, or at times we think to ourselves as we read and  say to ourselves, "what, no way, that's nuts! I'm not doing that."

Edited Friday at 10:43 AM by jd1923

[STEVEnBETTY]

After talking to an attorney friend it’s time to eat some crow and admit my mistake. The Oliver is an extremely well balanced trailer and I can get the truck and trl within all legal weight limits without the Anderson hitch, however, it was explained to me that vehicle oem’s install the class 3 hitch and derate it with the caveat of using a weight distribution hitch, he told me that there is no federal law to require me to use the wdh, however I could get in trouble on a state by state basis. 
so… after 8 yrs my options are, get an Anderson, or replace the class 3 hitch with a class 4, and replace my bumper to make it fit, I ordered an Anderson this morning. The next vehicle I order will be spec’s with a class 4 hitch, sometimes lessons learned can be embarrassing, but it happens🤷

[Mike and Carol]

5 hours ago, STEVEnBETTY said:

The next vehicle I order will be spec’s with a class 4 hitch, sometimes lessons learned can be embarrassing, but it happens🤷

We ordered our trailer in September 2015.  I had a 2012 Tacoma which was just inside towing specs for the Oliver.  A neighbor, who is an original Oliver owner, was hosting three Oliver owners passing through San Antonio in Jan 2016 for dinner.  He invited us over.  All of them told me my Tacoma was not a good TV and I should upgrade to a half ton.  I resisted.  We picked up our trailer in May 2016 and by July I was towing with a Ram 1500.  They were right, I was stubborn and had to learn first hand why a correctly sized TV is important.  I find myself now being one who gives advice and I always remember my stubbornness and that some folks learn best by doing not by just accepting advice from others.  Mike

[Steph and Dud B]

@STEVEnBETTY, it was wise to talk to an attorney and brave to admit you were wrong. We've been towing various trailers for 26 years. In our first year we had a combination that was marginal, within the specs but just barely. It was fine for many miles. Then one day, in the middle of a bridge, we got sway. Bad sway, all of a sudden. There's no question in your mind whatsoever when that oscillation starts. We were lucky not to wreck. Never towed with that setup again.

It's not just the hitch. It's the brakes, transmission, weight of the TV, and wheelbase. They all factor in. For us now, better to size up and hope to never experience sway again.

[Boudicca908]

29 minutes ago, Steph and Dud B said:

There's no question in your mind whatsoever when that oscillation starts

Years before I even considered buying a travel trailer, I witnessed a TV struggling with sway and since I wasn’t driving, I was able to focus on the entire event. In slow motion, from my point of view, the trailer eventually took control and rolled both vehicles over on the highway. They were just ahead and beside us and it was a real eye opener. Beyond that, I had a friend who killed her TV by towing up a steep incline, and it was a problem. I knew I wanted to travel in the mountains, so my decision was firm. Occasionally I hear comments about my “oversized” TV with my Oliver, but I drive with confidence in the match — no regrets! 

[John Dorrer]

Years ago, pre-Oliver, I had a pop-up camper in the bed of my F250 and was towing an off-road trailer through Pennsylvania on I-80.

 

I was going 70 mph, light traffic and vehicle at a distance ahead of me in my lane and traffic passing on the left. The next thing the vehicle ahead of me was almost in my front bumper. The close rate was the snap of my fingers. An elderly women going 35 in a 70. I locked it up and some how managed to miss her by 6"+/-. Fortunately the car on my left saw this and hit the brakes to allow me to swerve. 

 

Same truck with my Oliver. I was lucky that day and know that today my F250 is safely towing my Oliver. Whether I could have stopped with the Oliver I will never know, but the truck would have given me a good chance. 

Edited Friday at 03:39 PM by John Dorrer
Typo

[Zodd]

15 hours ago, STEVEnBETTY said:

sometimes lessons learned can be embarrassing, but it happens

We are all learning lessons. It is ok for them to be embarrassing, we just hope they are never painful. 

[Geronimo John]

On 7/2/2025 at 5:34 PM, STEVEnBETTY said:

On 7/3/2025 at 8:36 PM, jd1923 said:

"what, no way, that's nuts! I'm not doing that."

 

Yep, me too.   I felt the same way for sure on several threads during the past 8 years......

Despite another JD (John Davies) telling me in the most polite and kind way possible, that my 4.7L Sequoia was not "Ideal" for a 6,000 # Ollie in the mountains, I used it.  Then one day after being passed by the US Olympic Cycling Team several times in an hour, my son said  "Dad, you need a truck".   BAM, like slam dunk reality check from a 15 year old....

We all see life through OUR rose colored glasses.  But here my friends we can get the experiences of many great owners.  And it may not jive with our experiences.  But we all benefit from their inputs  and then can decide, from an informed position, what is best for each of us based upon our circumstances.

What is cool is that it did not take 25 PAGES of texts and thoughts to get here today.  🙂

GJ

Edited Sunday at 04:47 AM by Geronimo John

[Patriot]

[StillGame]

I'm going to add my two cents worth here. Mostly for folks reading these discussions who are about to purchase an Oliver.

I've been towing my Elite II for only 5 years. Started with my F-150 and the Anderson WDH. It was adequate and worked well. However I was restricted by payload limits, and at times could have used more power and braking on steep roads. When I had to buy a replacement truck I moved up to a 3/4 ton. I felt I had better control with the new truck. Also appreciated been able to carry much more in the bed. Had I had the experience, I would have started with a 3/4 ton truck.

[Rivernerd]

On 7/3/2025 at 8:26 AM, Mike and Carol said:

As the title of this thread states, you don’t need a 3/4 ton truck to tow your Oliver.  You might not even need a WDH on your half ton depending on how it is configured. It comes down to personal choice.  Mike

I agree, but am compelled to add:  "And, how much risk you are comfortable taking."  We use an Anderson WDH because the owners manual for our 2019 Tundra tow vehicle requires a WDH when towing over 5K lbs.  This requirement is not enforced by police, but by insurance companies and courts should you ever be involved in a traffic accident while towing.  As a retired attorney whose practice included defense of serious accident cases, I consider the Anderson WDH "cheap insurance" against the risk that I will be found at fault because I ignored Toyota's WDH requirement.