Would you recommend this as a good Oliver TV?

[SissyBoyFloyd]

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=516066166

 

Just narrowing the field right now.  Would this work well or should I just forget about anything less than a three quarter ton?

[Townesw]

TL,DR: You need to look at the GVWR and the GAWR.

 

Here’s why:

 

I had a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab Short bed 4x4 Z71 with the 5.3L V-8. Then we found out about Oliver Travel Trailers and ordered an LE2. This truck pulled and stopped the trailer just fine and all weights were well within the limits. But then I wanted a camper shell to keep the stuff in the back of the truck dry. The back of the truck is like your storage shed at home. I carry tools, a grill, chairs, a cooler, some spares, blocks, chocks, grease, and a few more things. Now with my truck loaded and the Oliver sitting on the ball my Gross Vehicle Weight is 7180 lbs against a GVWR of 7200 lbs. I can’t add a CargoGlide, a portable fire fit, a sewer tote, a generator, a clam tent, an outdoor carpet, etc. without putting me over my GVWR. I come from a farming background where “if a truck could pull it we loaded it” but that won’t work on the open road. You must stay within the weight ratings of the TV, the trailer and the combination. So, given my situation I just bought a 2500 Duramax with 10,000 lb GVWR. Now I’m not saying that you need that much truck, but I suggest that you consider what you want to carry, how you want to carry it, then add some capacity to carry more, then consider weight ratings on any TV before you buy.  Or you will end up buying again. And soon.

[Landrover]

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=516066166

 

Just narrowing the field right now. Would this work well or should I just forget about anything less than a three quarter ton?

 

If you have time to wait. Sometime in August Chevy is introducing and will be available there 2020 1/2 ton Silverado with a tow rating of 12,500 plus now it is at 9000lb big difference, The new tow ratings for the 1/2 ton 1500 is the same as the current 3/4 ton 2500 HD.  Worth looking into.

[John E Davies]

This gets discussed all the time, you need to decide how much you want to carry, gas or diesel, and how many miles you will tow, before you start looking at specific vehicles. Payload (which includes the weight of the hitch and the tongue weight) is normally the limiting factor for lighter trucks. The big advantage of a HD truck towing an Ollie is that you pretty much can forget about overloading it. Bigger tires, canopy? Check. Tools, generator, anvil, aftermarket foofooraw? No worries - load her down..... with a light truck you will constantly be thinking about weight.

 

I really like the idea of the Titan XD but from what I have read, the execution is lacking. It really doesn’t pull much more than the regular gas model and the engine doesn’t deliver the performance you would expect from the much higher cost. If you are OK about doing deletes and aftermarket tuning, it could be a great rig. Not so much with the emissions junk....

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

 

 

[ScubaRx]

Just get the 3/4 ton diesel and fergedaboudit. Anything smaller and you will be constantly thinking about weight and will most likely be close to or over your limits. You don’t need a one ton unless you really plan to carry your machine shop.

[Trainman]

I'd be a no go on the Nissan, you can buy a new 1/2 ton 1500 Ram, F-150, or the Chevy 1500 for the same price and get a 4x4, crew cab, V8, towing package with the lower gears for towing, and it will be a well equipped vehicle, not a stripped down model. The Nissan trucks have had several issues and the resale is not so good on them.

 

 

 

trainman

[SissyBoyFloyd]

Thx for the input.  Scratch the Nissan.

[Townesw]

Yes you can get a nice Chevy truck with plenty of towing capacity but I think you will quickly reach the GVWR of the 1500.  Occupants, tongue weight, gear in the bed and you quickly approach the 7300 lb rating on the 2019 Crew Cab. I don’t think the towing package or gear ratio affects the GVWR.  All 1/2 tons are max 7300 lb.

 

 

 

[SeaDawg]

2005 Silverado stepside, shortbed, still our favorite memories towing our 2008 shorty. Nimble. Could u turn in a lot of spots impossible with bigger truck. Plenty of power for the lighter Elite I... just not 4 x 4. And my regular cab limited us to just me and Paul.

[Kenny & Penny]

As an owner of a 2016 Nissan Titan XD (not the 4x4), I can tell you it pulls like a dream. I picked my Ollie up in Hohenwald and pulled her to Texas through some high winds. I traveled 70 mph all the way. I think the only issue with the truck you are looking at is the 4x4 is probably going to lower the towing capacity just from the weight of 4x4 package. On my 4x2, I think the towing capacity is around 10000, well beyond the 7000 lb trailer weight. I will say that when we get our next TV, we're going to look at other makes to hopefully get something a little more comfortable in the cabin. By then, maybe Nissan will have something a little more upscale. Of course I bought a cheaper model (I paid about the same price you're looking at brand new). I know there is one other Ollie owner that pulls with the Titan XD because he was helpful to me when I was asking the same questions because I owned the truck before I bought the Ollie.

 

I forgot to mention that I've had the cooler replaced under warranty and the wiring harness with partial warranty. It was out of warranty but I think this wasn't the first truck with the wiring harness issue, so they paid for like 70% of the repair.

 

Good luck in your search!

[WhatDa]

The gas XD should actually have pretty decent payload - would need to verify in the door jamb sticker. However they are not viewed as being very reliable from Consumer Reports (take their reporting with a grain of salt). Also the Titan needs a weight distributing hitch - that isn't bad but the simplicity of a 3/4 truck dropping on the ball and plugging in and being off vs the WDH are pretty convincing.

 

If you can put off purchasing at this point, I would wait to see what MY2020/2021 brings for the new F150 and other brands' models. If nothing else, it should help depreciate some lightly used stock significantly - probably across other brands too. Ford Pro Trailer Assist is pretty convincing as it might be the only way I get my wife to park a trailer.

[SeaDawg]

Big discounts on 2019 trucks are already showing up here in Tampa Bay area. I suspect they'll get better.

[JPatrickJ]

I've added up all my numbers and done the calculations.  This is not my first rodeo with RV's, although I am new to Oliver.  I think the bottom line is that in order to use most 1/2 ton pickups, there is a need to be frugal and plan well.  You have to be a minimalist.  Some people are, and some aren't.  If you're the kind of person who cannot resist throwing in an extra cord of firewood, half a dozen bicycles, 5 gals of generator gas, etc, you should be looking at a 3/4 ton pickup.

However, if you're a minimalist, keep  your needs trimmed down and don't overload, I think there's a good chance you could make a 1/2 ton vehicle work.  

[Overland]

I think you've been misled by some of the discussion here.

A half ton pickup is the default tow vehicle choice for an Elite II.  You absolutely do not have to be a minimalist for it to work, and in fact many owners tow with far less capable vehicles.  There are certainly some ½ ton models, and even some ¾ tons that are offroad oriented and so aren't made for towing, like my Raptor or a Power Wagon.  To tow with those, you have to do some small modifications.  But apart from those specific models, a dead standard ½ ton off the lot, with pretty much any engine choice, will suit an Elite II just fine.

There are advantages to having a ¾ ton truck, but they don't come close to being necessary unless, like a few owners, you travel with a small machine shop in the bed of the truck.  (Lookin' at you, Steve 😛)

FYI, I travel with two heavy bed racks, an offroad jack, a winch, a fridge-freezer, 15 gallons of water, a 10" telescope, two boxes of recovery gear, 4 max trax and 2 aluminum bridging ladders, camping gear (tent, stove, grill, table, chairs, etc.), portable campfire, 200W of solar panels, a house battery, CO2 tank, 5 gallon propane tank, all my tools, hiking gear, first aid, a drone, all the chocks, blocks, etc. for the trailer, and 3 weeks worth of food.  All that is in a half ton with the lowest tow rating and cargo capacity in Ford's lineup.  I never think about weight and I don't use a WD hitch.

Now, all that plus the trailer puts me over my cargo capacity, and so I'm not saying that I would endorse carrying all that in a ½ ton.  (I use timbrens to carry the extra load.)  But I know that I, and some of the other posters in this thread, load up our trucks much more than the average Elite II owner will ever need or want to.  Most people don't need portable winches, tools, recovery gear, etc., etc.  (90% of the time, we don't need all that junk either.)  We're the oddballs, and sometimes it's tempting for us oddballs to make recommendations based on what we do, rather than what the average owner needs.  Point being, if you're not an oddball like us, then refer to my earlier statement - a ½ ton truck should be your default choice.

Edited December 20, 2019 by Overland

[JPatrickJ]

Overland,

I agree with you 100% or else Oliver completely missed their market.  Sorry if I came off otherwise.  I wouldn't even be looking at Oliver seriously if I didn't think my 1/2 ton Sierra could pull it.

I used to tow a 30' travel trailer with a Ford F150 and 2.7 Ecoboost (great engine, btw) and it was okay...doable, but quite sensitive to wind and trucks. But the Ollie is not a non-aerodynamic 30' TT, it's a very aerodynamic 24' TT.  From all accounts it has very good road and wind manners.

Edited December 21, 2019 by JPatrickJ

[carnivore]

I have a Tundra and have towed our Oliver roughly 5,000 miles including time in the mountains of CO & UT.  I travel with the water tank full and carry a generator, gas can, water cans and a large cooler in the back of the truck. I don't use a weight distribution hitch and have had absolutely no problems what so ever. The truck doesn't get good mileage (12 towing - 15-16 not towing) but I would probably only replace the Tundra with another one. 

[Mike and Carol]

Agree with Overland.  A half ton is a fine TV for the big Oliver.  I’ve towed over 50K miles with a Ram 1500.  An F150, Chevy 1500 or GMC 1500 or Tundra will work fine if properly equipped.  

Bigger is better, so a 2500 from any manufacturer will provide an great towing experience, but half tons are fine.

[The Shackelfords]

I recently bought a 07 Nissan Titan with a tow rating of 9500 pounds for 4200 dollars. It's in great condition however it does have some miles on it. Honestly at that price I can replace anything that breaks many times over before I could justify a new truck. The 9500lb tow rating is more than enough for towing the Oliver. With a cargo capacity of 1500-ish lbs, it should have enough capacity left over for tounge weight and whatever I put in the bed of my truck. My point is, there are deals to be found out there, and I don't think there is any need to sell the farm to purchase a truck for farming. 

[Patriot]

On 12/20/2019 at 5:40 PM, carnivore said:

I have a Tundra and have towed our Oliver roughly 5,000 miles including time in the mountains of CO & UT.  I travel with the water tank full and carry a generator, gas can, water cans and a large cooler in the back of the truck. I don't use a weight distribution hitch and have had absolutely no problems what so ever. The truck doesn't get good mileage (12 towing - 15-16 not towing) but I would probably only replace the Tundra with another one. 

PM sent. We own a Tundra Crew Max and have a few Tundra TV questions. Thank you.

Edited January 30, 2020 by Patriot

[katanapilot]

Please share the results, as we have the same model Tundra that we intend to use as our TV.  I can't imagine there would be any issues with the Tundra. Thank you.

[Maverick]

We have a Toyota Tundra and have towed our Oliver Elite II around the USA with no issues at all; we do use the Andersen Weight Distribution Hitch.  And our gas mileage while towing is between 12 - 13 MPG.

[topgun2]

Thanks Maverick for posting since observations from the owner of a specific vehicle are usually better than from someone that doesn't have first hand experience.  Having said that, I believe that all of the current late model 1/2 ton trucks in the USA can make good tow vehicles for the Oliver II.  To be within the manufacturers recommendations, all require a weight distribution hitch for the big Oliver.  And, as has been discussed on the Forum previously, one should be careful of the payload being carried in the truck.  Even though I currently am driving a Ford, I really do not have a brand loyalty.  For me, the decision on which truck I own comes down to which truck do I feel currently (at the time of purchase) has the best price and features to do what I want it to do.  I've found that given how competitive the 1/2 ton market is in the past number of years, if your "preferred" manufacturer doesn't presently have what you are looking for then (if you can) wait a year and they will not only catch up to the competition but probably surpass them. 

Bill 

[katanapilot]

Maverick, Top Gun, what's next Viper, Goose, IceMan?  Sorry, had to chuckle a bit about that.  Best movie ever, BTW.

[Maverick]

3 hours ago, katanapilot said:

Maverick, Top Gun, what's next Viper, Goose, IceMan?  Sorry, had to chuckle a bit about that.  Best movie ever, BTW.

I have been using the handle “Maverick” for over 60 years as a ham radio operator.  So someone else copied my handle!

[SeaDawg]

15 minutes ago, Maverick said:

I have been using the handle “Maverick” for over 60 years as a ham radio operator.  So someone else copied my handle!

I love it.

I'm relatively new to the handle game.  Just a few decades. Can't even remember my dad's handle on cn radio . Wish i could. So many memories. 

If I  were choosing today, I'd probably use Cybertruck.  But, you know, Seadawg has been our name for a long tome, too. We'll stick with that.  As you have. It's all good. 

Sherry