Fly on the Wall

[RodgerS]

After 5 years of digging around the subject of an RV, I'm getting close to committing to a Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 and the shorter Oliver Elite.

 

I have some previous trailering experience and a lot of RV technical training. Took my wife on a 10-day motorhome rental trip last year and found out she was not hot on the idea...she would rather we buy an SUV and stay in hotels. Since then she bought an SUV and is still working. She recommended I also buy an SUV or a class B van, but told me to do my thing...it's my separate money after all. Have pretty much killed the idea of a van and DIY build.

 

As some have told me, Rodger, you will never hit the road. Well, there have been timing and responsibilities issues and I'm not stressed over it.

 

My 98 pound Boxer is ready to go, now that I have trained him up with a remote collar. And I have had a good year of art training so I can do some pretty nice landscape art work when we get going. I probably will be pretty quiet as to forum interactions, but I will be floating through the posts meantime. Don't plan to say much until I buy an Oliver.

 

"Mace" and I want to dry camp on low to moderate off roads and avoid the private campgrounds. The wife may show up for a short vacay if I find a nice spot...fly in for a visit. For sure, we will also do some overseas traveling as well. But like I told my wife, it is time for Mace and I to get out of town from time to time.

 

Cheers.

 

 

 

 

[ScubaRx]

After 5 years of digging around the subject of an RV, I’m getting close to committing to a Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 and the shorter Oliver Elite...

 

That should make for a very nice combo. Are you planning on a diesel?

[Raspy]

I wish you the very best and lots of satisfying adventures while you follow your dream. Have fun! Sounds like a good combination of truck and trailer too. But somehow it all sounds a little sad.

[RodgerS]

Yes on the diesel and probably worth waiting for the 2019 model to come out.

Not planning on waiting forever, but a few more months is no big deal...sort of a spring/summer 2019 hit the road plan.

[Try2Relax]

Congrats on the moving ahead with the plan. I started basically the same way, she wasn't interested but gave the go ahead, we don't have separate money so that was required, she has since determined that she enjoys it quite a bit. Last year we came to for in the road, so I left the option of direction to her, she was good enough to have let me choose the last time and she rather emphatically stated that "we will not be getting rid of the Oliver"

We both still work, my job is highly flexible hers is not, so I drive to our selected destination (slowly so to enjoy it) and then she flies in and it works great for us, it would be pointless to burn her valuable vacation time driving back and forth.

I will only advise to ensure that the smaller Ollie will service all your needs should she find she likes it (unless the certainty is great she won't) the price difference isn't that great at the start but having to do it over might be and resale of the larger one is pretty good.

Good luck with your planning and execution.

[John E Davies]

Rodger, welcome to the Forum.

 

For what you plan to do the Elite should be a teriffic choice, but I think you need to reconsider your choice of truck. I have been unable to find a recommended max tongue weight figure for the ZR2 diesel, anywhere, but after reading this ..... http://coloradofans.com/forums/114-2nd-gen-chevrolet-colorado-forum-2015-gmc-canyon-forum/362209-actual-zr2-towing-experiences.html .... I believe that you will have no choice but to use a WD hitch.

 

For normal unpaved surfaces the Anderson does just OK, but an offroad coupler would be orders of magnitude better for rougher situations where articulation becomes a critical factor. It is a PITA to worry about wrecking your ball mount or having to stop in a filthy ranch road to reduce tension on the nuts, so that the vehicles can move independently.

 

For normal easy forest roads (groomed gravel) there would not be any real worries, but for “moderate offroad” boondocking you would be MUCH better off with a half ton truck with a 360 degree coupler, so you can go anywhere the rig will fit without the constant worry that you will bust something. At the very least you will need airbags or Timben bump stops - along with the severe lack of payload after considering tongue weight, have you considered this and their affect on offraod performance?

 

With a tow vehicle like a F150 Raptor or the new ram Rebel TRX (slated for production, hopefully with smaller tires and less power) you would have a much better setup, be able to use a dead weight offroad hitch, and still be able to go everywhere the ZR2 would go, just with more pinstripes....

 

 

Ask Overland to chime in. He is using a Raptor to tow an Elite II and would be able to give valuable advice, about his cool hitch especially. In your shoes I would be buying a new Power Wagon during an end-of-year sale (up to $13k off MSRP), but I like brute motors and solid axles.

 

BTW what part of the country will you be primarily visiting?

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[roguebooks]

@RodgerS Welcome. For what it is worth I use a 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Sport 4x4 to tow my 2018 Oliver Elite (single axle) and it tows like a dream. My truck is tow-rated at 6,800 lbs whereas the truck you desire is only rated at 5,000 lbs which IMO is not enough for me to feel safe in. I added leather seats and my wife loves this truck and she is NOT a pickup-type girl. She also loves to drive the truck (though she does not tow) and she also loves the comfort and quality of the Toyota product when she is riding shotgun. There is at least one other forum member with the same trailer and TV configuration as mine and he loves his too!

[skalywag]

Welcome @rodgers,

Roguebooks is correct.

We just returned from a 3500 mile trip towing our LE with a 2017 Toyota Tacoma 4X4 Manual to Maine and back. The trip was great and our Ollie performed beautifully whilst towing and camped. The Toyota requires a WD to provide the 6400# capacity, so we use an Anderson hitch, but not sure how much it is needed ( No sway to speak of).

The LE comfortably sheltered 2 adults and a 42 pound dog with equipment and provisions for 2 weeks ( we had enough stuff for a month). My guess would be that we were around 3900#.

 

There is much good info found here on this forum, so feel free to ask anything.

 

Cheers for now,

[RodgerS]

Per Raspy "But somehow it all sounds a little sad.

 

"all?"

 

The only thing I can think you are talking about is my wife not being hot on the idea.

 

As Try2Relax said, "she wasn’t interested but gave the go ahead...she has since determined that she enjoys it quite a bit." So that may work itself out in time with my wife as well, once I get on the road.

 

There is some difference between a class C rental RV and a truck (that rides good like the Colorado ZR2) pulling a quality trailer. My wife basically doesn't like big trucks but after I showed her a mid-sized truck she said she understood what I was thinking and was a bit more positive.

 

 

[RodgerS]

By the way Raspy, I almost purchased a new 2017 Ram 1500 4x4 diesel a couple of weeks ago...$13,000 off MSRP.

Took three demo rides...but I have been driving sports cars all my life. My current ride is a Mercedes CLK 350, so

a medium sized truck at my 68 years of age, kind of pulls me away from full-sized trucks.

 

However, great ride and great gas mileage.

 

I have requested to go see a local owner's Elite II, since I have not found an Elite model nearby.

That, as I understand it, would require a full-sized truck.

[RodgerS]

Hello John E.

Thanks for all your comments.

 

To add a bit more information. I'm kind of using the words low to moderate somewhat arbitrarily.

 

You could absolutely be smack on with your advice. I will know more once I take an off-road workshop and

spend some time off-road doing some day trips. Then I will be better able to describe what I'm after. Experience trumps logic/research.

 

Note: I will be able to look at the new Ford Ranger as well within the next few months...supposed to have increased towing capacity...but don't know if the ride will be as good as the Colorado zr2

 

I don't want to go far enough and rough enough where I need to be with other people for safety and off-road concerns.

However, I'm hoping I will from time to time find similar focused people to caravan around with and would like some flexibility.

 

No real clear focus on where I'm going, but I know what I want to do. Some fishing, some hiking with Mace, some on location art work. I'm in excellent shape from lifting weights and losing a few pounds. No physical or mental issues at age 68. Probably in State Parks and BLM land for a big portion of it.

 

Yeah, I know the savvy advice...buy the trailer, then the truck, but I want to gain some off-road experience with my own truck. I have added your comments to my notes, in particular the hitch issues. Am prepared to change trucks if needed based on future experience.

 

I will know a bit more after I see an Elite II. Airstreams under 23 feet are also an option. Don't care for the off-road campers/tents.

But so far, am still focused on my original post choices...

[RodgerS]

Thanks Roguebooks for "My truck is tow-rated at 6,800 lbs whereas the truck you desire is only rated at 5,000 lbs which IMO is not enough for me to feel safe in."

That is correct as I understand it, which is why I focused on the Elite size vs Elite II, and avoided the Honda Ridgeline.

 

Stability, braking, diesel,and the tow hitch are all critical issues to be matched up to usage. Tough decisions that are a bit muddy.

 

The ride ability of the truck is a big deal to me, so hopefully I can work it out with a Colorado or Ford Ranger 4x4, diesel.

Yeah, may have to step up to a RAM 1500 or step over to a Tacoma or Ford raptor/Ram rebel.

 

First the off-road experience, then the trailer, then change the truck if necessary.

 

But I'm listening to all of you, which is why I registered in this forum early on.

[RodgerS]

A pic of Mace

[RodgerS]

Sorry, forget to include the power wagon in the above post.

[RodgerS]

"At the very least you will need airbags or Timben bump stops – along with the severe lack of payload after considering tongue weight, have you considered this and their affect on offraod performance?"

 

Nope, you got me there...will work the issues. Thanks.

[Raspy]

Roger,

 

I understand how it can sometimes be an uphill battle to follow your dreams. I'm the same age as you and have to work through stuff at times too. I only meant it was sad that your wife is not excited about it and others have told you you'll never go. Too bad they aren't all encouraging you to go for it and wanting to be a part of it. Having a dog along is a tremendous benefit.

 

I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time traveling and there is nothing like a small trailer to open up the possibilities.

 

I first found the Elite model Oliver years ago and really liked it. There is one that lives near us that I saw at an annual event we have. This was before they made the E2 model. I finally got a chance to go in and found it didn't have enough head room for me (6'2"), but by then they were producing the E2. I already had my truck, so that was not part of the equation. The main differences that are important to me, besides the headroom, are the pantry and extra counter space in the E2. Also, I really like tandem axle trailers for their inherant stability and ability off road.

 

We just got back from a month long trip across the country from northern Nevada to Florida. Along the way we went to the Oliver Rally and on a factory tour, among so many other things. I also like going out into the desert and being off grid for some time. Having a 4X4 pickup as a tow vehicle is perfect because we can carry bikes, a bar-be-que, extra fuel, equipment and tools. It seems like there is always something to fix or tinker with and we can get out to places only accessable with four wheel drive. My wife always seems to want to bring home a big cactus too. An E2 is almost the same width as a full sized Ram and has just about the same wheel track. So wherever the truck can fit, Ollie can too. And being only seven feet wide means much easier towing when compared to wider trailers.

 

It doesn't hurt to keep your eye open for a used one either. I found ours used and it was the same as new. The price was better, we picked it up near by and there was no waiting for them to build it. Since then I've made a number of changes to make it even better. If you order one, you might share your list of options to see how others like those items.

 

 

[RodgerS]

Yes, you are right Raspy that sometimes fellow travelers can be negative (which is sad).

 

I do appreciate that some or many RVers can be quite emotional and act very quickly on their dreams. They may find it irritating interacting with someone like me who is slow to act and slow to just get out there.

 

I did have one fellow who told me what to buy and to just do it. He wanted me to buy a used 40 foot diesel Country Coach motorhome. He was very persuasive, of course.

 

It made a difference for me to rent a class C last year and take the wife on a 10 day trip, otherwise I might have made a huge mistake. Some have refused to rent saying it is too expensive, but at this point a bit more experience and a bit less logic/research seems to be very valuable.

 

I spent $1,500 getting qualified during a 3 day workshop as a Mercedes Van build kit installer, which really helped me to understand not to go that route.

 

The value of experience...

[topgun2]

RodgerS - First - welcome to the Forum!

 

Only you can decide what is right for you. If you need time and/or more experience in order to make those decisions then by all means take all the time you feel you need. However, remember that time is one of those things that you can never buy or get more of. The clock IS ticking and the older you get the louder it tics. Certainly there are those times when we must simply gather what information we can, make a decision and move on before time passes us by. If we make the wrong decision then do whatever is within our power to correct it and continue moving down the road. Each and every day spent in analysis paralysis is another day we simply can not get back. Many people have said that making a decision - any decision - is better than making no decision at all.

 

There are just too many beautiful places to see, wonderful people to meet and exciting experiences to be had out there.

 

Bill

[RodgerS]

Anything worth doing is worth doing slowly. Mae West

 

[John E Davies]

Rodger, where do you live? You could really benefit from attending an Overland rally, they have sit-down classes, hands-on winching and other events, offroad driving area, vendor displays, trail rides (you can easily beg a ride) and the potential to meet great companions and learn how to safely travel those remote areas you are interested in seeing. See this  thread for general info.

 

http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/any-ollies-want-to-meet-at-the-nw-overland-rally-in-central-wa-06-28-17/

 

These events are more numerous in the West, but just about every region in the US will have something going on, within a reasonable driving distance.

 

Watch this.... 

 

This is THE greatest source of info for this kind of travel: https://expeditionportal.com

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[ShallowGal]

@Rodger & all you adventurous AARP members, you are awesome! Great advice from all of you; here are my 2 cents to help you convince Rodger to get moving!

 

Duke & I got married in 1995. At that time our retirement dreams were pretty far apart, & far down the road, but the common denominator was we knew we wanted to travel. (He wanted to convert an old school bus & have a tree farm in Georgia. I didn’t.) Anyway, fast forward, we are now getting all our ducks in a row to make that leap to retirement &, at the end of the year, start long term traveling in our Ollie

 

However, to get to where we are today, the best & scariest picture painted for me was this: Get out your tape measure & extend it to 80 inches. Go head, do it. Now, point to your age in inches. That looooong distance between the beginning of the tape and your age is the life you have already lived. Now look at the distance between your age & 80 inches. THAT is approximately the life you have left to live, maybe. Duke is 68 & I am 60 & it scares the hell out of me that we MIGHT have twelve years to enjoy our retirement together.

 

Most of our parents were depression babies. They worked hard, lived frugally, saved their money, lost their health, and then died. They did not get to enjoy the retirement they worked so hard for. I refuse to let that happen to us.

 

 

 

[Raspy]

I used to be much more impatient and wanted instant gratification on all endeavours. Many of the things that stand in the way of adventures and dreams have value of their own and are worthy of being in the way of other things. Like raising a child for instance, or pursuing a career.

 

Having someone tell you what you must do is ridiculous. The best they can offer is their own experience based on their own priorities and the results of those decisions. After camping all my life, I have come to the conclusion, for me and at this stage, that a trailer is excellent. A little cabin that offers so much, yet can be parked, unhooked and left behind to allow side trips. A place to get out of the worst weather and be so comfortable. The ability to stop anywhere and be there.

 

I have also realized, at least for me, that things take time and time makes them better. I now try to not look for the completion of the project, but at the process of the project. This has helped me build a much better house, for instance, that took about seven years to build. Or build a cruising sailboat and live the dream while building it. I had never had a boat and didn't know how to sail, but while building it, I was able to learn a tremendous amount about everything involved with building, rigging, sailing and cruising. Then it was time to go and the adventure unfolded in front of us. Unforgetteble.

 

The only problem is if you stop making progress. Even as you prepare for your adventure, you are living the dream. Of course, all adventure includes some risk and we will never be prepared for everything. So we all must find the best balance between "go now" and "wait until absolutely prepared for everything", which isn't possible. While dealing with other priorities, we have the perfect opportunity to prepare for the next adventure that must wait for it's time to arrive. Dream, imagine and prepare.

 

I don't worry so much about waiting too long. None of us know when the end will arrive and completing an adventure isn't really the goal. But looking back on so many fine times, learning so much and making such good connections with others, certainly gives a lot of peace. I want to keep travelling, but I'm not in a hurry to go. I just don't want to get so weak I can't do it and realize I missed the chance.

 

Adventures always turn out to be far richer and different than I could ever imagine while in the planning stage. Preparing and going just start the wheel rolling. Then the real fun and experiences come along and make it all so worth while. Because of that, I do very little planning or reservations or set dates to be places. Come up with a rough outline and go. Play it by ear. Have a few definite goals along the way. Judge when you are ready to head back. It's good to go and it's good to be home.

 

 

[RodgerS]

Hello all, I live in the Bay Area California.

 

Good advice on the Toyota Tacoma. Went for a drive in a TRD Sport - a) rode very well b) 6,400 lbs tc and almost 1200 lbs payload c) has safety features the chevy Colorado does'n't have. So, it now moves to first place on my list. Now just a Ford Ranger to experience.

 

I think I confused driving a Toyota Tundra last month with a Tacoma, so good to get it back on my list...hated the Tundra.

[RodgerS]

After my retirement I found that every day I have the equivalent of time available I use to have every two weeks. So, my time expanded.

Also, every day I have lots of things I like to do, so I'm not missing out on anything.

[RodgerS]

I think Raspy and I have a mind meld.