Jump to content

Looking at an Elite II and appropriate tow vehicle


tatlmt

Recommended Posts

OK, I’m a new guy on this forum so be gentle with me.  We’ve been traveling internationally continuously for 3 years and have decided to tour the US for a few years.  Yes we are homeless and unemployed, aka retired.  We would be living full time in our caravan, aka travel trailer.  The Elite II is top on our list but we’ll need to see one before making a decision, obviously.  We’re have been in Europe for 17 months.  I am also looking for an appropriate tow vehicle and this is the real purpose of my post.  My first choice is a 2019 Ford F-150 with the 2.7 L turbo.  On paper it’s rated to tow over 7000 pounds and the total gross weights look fine, but the marketing people write those numbers.  The question is will I be happy with the engine performance or do I need a more powerful engine?  My brother, a long time F-150 owner and professional mechanic in Denver but does not tow anything has suggested that I would be happier with a bigger engine.  If the turbo-diesel is offered in the XL I’d jump on it since I love diesels.  I am soliciting your personal opinions/experience.  I expect the responses to be all over the board, and that’s fine as there will be some valuable nuggets in there somewhere.  Thanks for your help.

 

tatlmt

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to the world of Oliver!

 

You pose a question that will generate plenty of opinions, most will probably come from folks with personal experience towing an Oliver, and perhaps some from folks who will prefer to quote marketing data, and internet chat room factoids. In my experience, the folks in the Oliver forum are very kind and knowledgeable with their answers to these type questions.

 

What you choose matters not to me, however I would like to pose a few things that may make a difference in your choice. In every case - double check the actual ratings posted on the vehicle in question - the marketing blather and sales person are not reliable - usually.

 

Like you, we plan to spend large amounts of time traveling about the continent - and as so, what you carry, how much, and where it all goes becomes important. Space for "stuff" is limited in the Oliver, therefore the TV becomes somewhat of a storage unit. I am leading up to  - PAYLOAD. Yes the tow ratings, powerplant, fuel type, and on, are important, but when you start looking at the "legal" ratings posted on each individual 1/2 ton truck like vehicle, you may find you are within the tow ratings, but have little room to carry anything else. And at the top end of the weight ratings the powerplant may also be in a similar position.

 

Additionally, the vast majority of 1/2 ton trucks will require some sort of weight distribution hitch.

 

Generally, when you find a truck rated to handle "all" the weight you will have in total, the powerplant, chassis, gearing, etc.,  will be more than sufficient.

 

I have a lot of experience with the Ford ecobost 3.5, it is a fantastic powerplant, and I would have used as my TV, except for the payload ratings of the Transit van it powered. A few adults, a large canine, and a couple cases of beer and I was getting close to fully loaded.

 

Because I wanted a truck with a camper shell for additional storage and convenience - I went to a 3/4 truck with a diesel powerplant - and 2400lbs payload, the rest was way more than needed - HP,  torque, chassis components, and powertrain well mated for towing an Ollie. . One thing I didn't expect - was how comfortable and effortless towing was with this setup. Higher mileage, longer days, are not near as tiring as with my previous 1/2 ton.

 

I would love to talk to you about you international experiences - in a few years that hits our travel timeline.

 

Good luck in your search.

  • Thanks 2

Cindy,  Russell and  "Harley dog" . Home is our little farm near Winchester TN

2018 Oliver Legacy Elite II - 2018 GMC 2500 Duramax 

"Die young - As late as possible"
ALAZARCACOFLIDMTNVNMOKORTNTXUTWAWYd56201

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

The performance numbers for the 2.7 are impressive, but I always like to have a bit of breathing room between what is "required" and what is safer, more comfortable, and easier to live with.  Therefore, I got the 3.5.  Its faster, and can tow more.  However, if I had planned to keep a truck for more than 100,000 miles, I would have given very serious consideration to the V8.  I never really consider diesels simply because I do not normally keep a vehicle long enough nor do I put enough miles on them to come anywhere close to having a diesel pay for itself.

 

I've said it numerous times before - I do not believe that there is a "bad" 1/2 ton truck on the market at this point.  Find the range that satisfies your "requirements" for what you are going to use it for and then pick the one that gives you the most overall value for what you are going to have to spend.

 

Bill

  • Thanks 2

2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Owner of a GMC Canyon Diesel with the 2.8 turbo baby max. I love the little beast

 

Yes it is. In addition to my professional experiences with the manufacturing facility of said vehicle, I had a long conversation with a building contractor with same truck - he had nothing but praise, and many speeding tickets as evidence.   Seems the fuel mileage was also very favorable. Fast and fuel efficient - go figure.

Cindy,  Russell and  "Harley dog" . Home is our little farm near Winchester TN

2018 Oliver Legacy Elite II - 2018 GMC 2500 Duramax 

"Die young - As late as possible"
ALAZARCACOFLIDMTNVNMOKORTNTXUTWAWYd56201

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just sold my 2016 Winnebago Travato. I'm new to towing, am thinking about an Elite I, maybe an Elite II and am looking to get the right tow vehicle. Would love some suggestions; I realize there are different specs for a I & II. Ford is coming out with a new Ford Ranger in the spring of 2019 with a towing capacity Ford says will exceed 7,700 lbs, but the exact capacity has not yet been released. I'm thinking of waiting for this. Any thoughts?

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't pick up my Ollie until November but my tow vehicle will be 2016 Nissan Titan XD Crew Cab /w Cummins 5.0L V-8 Diesel Engine.  This truck has been marketed as a "5/8", something between a 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton truck.  I get between 18-20 mpg in this truck just driving around.  I'm sure that will go down with an Ollie in tow but impressive none the less.  The sticker price is real nice too.

  • Thanks 2

Kenny & Penny | Beach City, Texas

 

Oliver LE II Twin Bed Hull #402 | 2016 Nissan Titan XD Crew Cab /w Cummins 5.0L V-8 Diesel Engine

 

 

LAMSTNTXmed.jpg

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don’t pick up my Ollie until November but my tow vehicle will be 2016 Nissan Titan XD Crew Cab /w Cummins 5.0L V-8 Diesel Engine. This truck has been marketed as a “5/8”, something between a 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton truck. I get between 18-20 mpg in this truck just driving around. I’m sure that will go down with an Ollie in tow but impressive none the less. The sticker price is real nice too.

 

Kenny, can you please start a new thread about your own truck, pictures, mods, driving impressions, issues etc? You can update it with towing info after you get your Ollie. I think it will work fantastic as a TV for a 6000 pound trailer, my only hesitation is the new power plant. How has that been holding up, in the real world and in your own experience? have you thought about tuning it? You could get an extra few mpg and 100 ft lbs, easily.   ...  http://afepower.com/media/catalog/product/files/pdpfiles/7/7/77-46101j1600.1472848785.jpg

 

Thanks.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

SOLD 07/23 "Mouse":  2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/john-e-davies-how-to-threads-and-tech-articles-links/

Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Back of Beyond:

 

Thank you for your thoughtful post.  I am impressed that nobody trashed me.  It speaks well of Ollie owners/potential owners.  Information is power and what I’ve learned from people’s posts gives me several more threads to follow.  I’ll need to look at Consumer Reports when I get back into the states mostly for reliability information.

 

Regarding international travel take a look at our blog:  http://footloose-travel.tumblr.com  Click on “archive” at the top and you can see pages of thumbnails by the month.  You can contact me directly at:  tatlmt@yahoo.com

 

John & Charlotte

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Kenny, can you please start a new thread about your own truck, pictures, mods, driving impressions, issues etc? You can update it with towing info after you get your Ollie. I think it will work fantastic as a TV for a 6000 pound trailer, my only hesitation is the new power plant. How has that been holding up, in the real world and in your own experience? have you thought about tuning it? You could get an extra few mpg and 100 ft lbs, easily. … http://afepower.com/media/catalog/product/files/pdpfiles/7/7/77-46101j1600.1472848785.jpg

 

Thanks.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

 

 

Hi John,

 

Sorry about the delayed response, I thought I already replied to this a few days ago.  Anyway, I'll start a new thread at some point.  I've been a Nissan fan since before they were Nissan (anyone remember Datsun?)  I've had this truck for about 2 years and the only real issue I've had is a leak in the EGR cooler just last month. It was replaced under warranty.  One thing I've noticed is that when coming to a "near" complete stop and then re-accelerating, there is a delay from hitting the gas pedal until the transmission is engaged, which can feel a little rough.  It doesn't do that from a complete stop.  I've read on forums that some people drive with the Tow Mode on all the time because they say it helps with that but I've never done it.  I've got great hopes for this diesel engine, it's a Cummins after all!  To be honest,  just about anything, including a hamster in a wheel would be better than the Ford F-250 6.0L I had previously.

 

Kenny

Kenny & Penny | Beach City, Texas

 

Oliver LE II Twin Bed Hull #402 | 2016 Nissan Titan XD Crew Cab /w Cummins 5.0L V-8 Diesel Engine

 

 

LAMSTNTXmed.jpg

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...