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Elite II proformance in snow


MarkC

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First off,  I'm not considering attempting traveling on western mountain passes.  I have experienced driving in winter conditions,  Just not pulling a trailer.  I like to travel in North and South Dakota in the late fall.  Sometimes you get a snow storm, Does one just sit it out or can you operate safely on compact snow and ice with an Oliver.  Do you go as far as putting studded tires on your trailer?  I know they restrict trailers sometimes on passes. Just wondering what people do in the winter months.  Head South or store the trailer until spring?

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I won't tow when the roads are slick with snow or ice, no way. The risks are just too high to both the trailer and the tow vehicle. I know that some owners use their trailers in winter, at a ski resort, for example. I am sure that one would get used to it, but it will never be an acceptably low risk, IMHO.

OTH, If I were trapped back in the forest by an unseasonable early Fall snow storm, I might attempt getting the trailer out before it became completely trapped for the season. I would drive out in my tow vehicle and call a  pro with a flatbed truck....

Call me a weenie if you like, I don't believe in winter camping when the roads are unsafe. And this doesn't even consider caustic deicers like mag chloride.... If I had to winter camp, I would buy a beater 1 ton truck, 4wd with studded tires, and a nice Northern Lite truck camper, no worries then...

"Mouse" is parked inside for the winter season.

John Davies

Spokane WA

 

Edited by John E Davies

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.

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I agree with John here.  I’m not going to tow in snow.  I might move off of a remote campsite in snow to a road that has been cleared.  I’m fairly confident in my abilities driving in snow, but don’t  trust others that are on the road.  We will head out in early January for a month or two, but will stay clear of slick roads.  Mike

Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L

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I drove I70 west through Denver and up and over the Rockies last March on a trip from Minnesota to Moab, Utah while towing our Elite II. Had to drop down to Kansas to avoid ice and snow in Nebraska.  I70 was shut down to clear avalanches for an hour or so someplace around Silverthorne, CO. Parked next to lots snowmobile trailers in the CO mountain pass rest stops. There was packed snow and ice on the pass everywhere.  The Oliver behaved itself and stayed back behind the truck where it belonged. This winter driving was in addition to a few trips towing in snow during hunting season in MN. 

Being from Minnesota I’ve driven on ice and snow my whole life. Towing the Oliver, or any travel trailer, in the winter isn’t exactly routine, but certainly possible. My 200 series Land Cruiser had AT tires at the time with the mountain snowflake rating.  It would have been even less stressful with my current set of dedicated snow tires (I have three sets of tires now; all season (daily driving), all terrain (trips out west, hunting season), and dedicated snow). My Oliver has the Michelin tires  

The worst part of driving in the winter is the road chemicals. All the alloy on the trailer frame/bumper/storage basket has lost some of its luster.  One of the stainless handles on the propane cover has started to corrode. The coupler and shocks are showing rust. Its not horrible, and it still looks good, but it’s not new looking anymore.  The fiberglass and anything above the belt line is still as new.  It might bother some people, but I Just see all the fun I’ve had with it.

If you need it to look like new, leave it parked. Otherwise go have fun. Obviously I’d rather use it than keep it pretty while in storage. My camping season would only be six months long if I didn’t risk winter weather. It tracks fine on winter roads if you drive according to the conditions. 
hth, Ken

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2013 Toyota Land Cruiser 200

2018 Twin Bed Elite II #351

 

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Late fall, early spring,  I'd wait for the melt. Winter season, I'd wait for the road crews, and leave after melt.

I grew up in icy sothern Minnesota. And, I hate the ice. Every once in awhile,  I  still get caught.

Like march, 2018, driving from CEDAR RAPIDS airport  to Missouri. In a huge late spring snow drop, 25 trucks and cars in the ditch in 8 miles. Me, in a front wheel drive rental, white knuckled Florida girl, remembering the old rules, staying steady in the one sort of clean, plowed sometime ago lane., slushy but sort of clear, ice beneath the surface   Watching people spin out ahead of me.  Total yuk.

Next day, after picking up my mom, back to CID airport, roads clear, sunny skies,  but still overturned semis in the ditch from the day before. Grateful I had made it south some 20 miles to the end of the snow band.  

Now that I've lived in the south for almost 40 years, I  love to see the snow in shoulder season.  I  also have the patience,  and time, to let it melt.

We've only towed our  Elite I shorty in snow a few times. It towed admirably.  We don't put it in our plans. Don't care to .

Sherry 

Edited by SeaDawg
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2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

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After my brief time in the northern territories - I agree, the lasting affects of the road chemicals are much worse than the short term towing on slippery surfaces.  Even around here, the mere threat of snow/ice brings out the salt trucks. At least one can quickly rinse the stuff off - as its here and gone in a day or two.

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

2018 Oliver Legacy Elite II - 2018 GMC 2500 Duramax 

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Seems strange to me to buy an Oliver only to leave it parked for the winter!  So much to do and see and usually you have it all to yourself.  I'll be picking mine up in late January and driving it back to Montana after a quick scoot down to Florida for some fishing.  I fully intend on beating the snot out of it.  I'll let you guys know if I can break it.  

  

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ahattar -

Let me answer that for you - Yes, you can break it!  However, most likely, you will have one heck of a good time doing it.

Bill

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

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15 hours ago, ahattar said:

Seems strange to me to buy an Oliver only to leave it parked for the winter!  So much to do and see and usually you have it all to yourself.  

  

I have never camped in Montana other than in the normal season. Where do you plan to go during the winter? The National Forest campgrounds are either snowed in and/or gated, most dump stations are too. The National Parks are not open to RVs.... though some State Parks are. BLM, BOR at lower elevations etc may be accessible if they are plowed..... and ski access points will be very accessible.

Do you plan to carry chains for your Ollie? Do you have a heated enclosed space where you can frequently wash off the corrosive deicer?

I really hope that you don’t break it, and please post pics of your adventures.

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.

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3 hours ago, John E Davies said:

I have never camped in Montana other than in the normal season. Where do you plan to go during the winter? The National Forest campgrounds are either snowed in and/or gated, most dump stations are too. The National Parks are not open to RVs.... though some State Parks are. BLM, BOR at lower elevations etc may be accessible if they are plowed..... and ski access points will be very accessible.

Do you plan to carry chains for your Ollie? Do you have a heated enclosed space where you can frequently wash off the corrosive deicer?

I really hope that you don’t break it, and please post pics of your adventures.

John Davies

Spokane WA

The good news is the Oliver is on wheels for a reason.  I don't have to stay in Montana.  We don't stay in campgrounds very often so none of the closures really matter to us.  I know you wanted to visit The Breaks at one point.  While its fantastic at various times of the year, it and many places like it can be life changing in the winter.  We like to go up late December early January and watch the smaller 100+ elk herds bunch up.  Sometimes we're lucky enough to have a shoulder tag for December.  I've stopped counting at 800 and figured there were at least double that.  I've heard of a group in Eastern Oregon as big as 6000.  The game preserves of the world are ok, but put yourself in the middle of them all in a natural setting with deer, antelope, big cats, wild dogs and sometimes even bears in a warm winter, it feels like you're in the middle of a great migration.  Snowmobile in yellowstone, hot springs in Idaho and New Mexico, skiing anywhere, hiking the parks in Utah and Arizona, rafting in Moab, fishing and stone crab season in Feb. when people from Florida think its cold!  Winter camping is literally endless depending on what you like to do.  I'd highly recommend it.     

As for dumping, thats the magic of the composting toilet.  It is not technically raw sewage until you mix liquid and solids so you can dump anywhere once you've dried everything out sufficiently.  We always carry an extra primed and ready container for a composting toilet, the hardest part is keeping the full one warm enough to compost.  Between the two though even if we don't dump it, we can get well over a month.  As for the liquids, it's no different than taking an Andre The Giant sized pee in the woods!

I don't cary trailer chains.  I keep two sets for the pickup but rarely use either.  I expect the Oliver to be the best tracking trailer I've ever owned so I don't anticipate much we can't get through.  I've towed a horse trailer with 6 horses through 16" of snow getting into The Bob during an early season storm.  You'd be surprised what vehicles can do nowadays and as long as you're not doing anything silly, your trailer will just follow your tracks.   

 

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Seems strange to purposely want to destroy any trailer but what ever floats your boat. One thing its going to be harder to break the Oliver than any other travel trailer of its same size. I believe the Oliver family built the Oliver because they destroyed many other trailers over the years. They wanted to build the best because of the junk out there. Good luck have fun.

Edited by Landrover

Grant  2022 GMC Denali 2500 HD 2019  Elite 11😎

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50 minutes ago, Landrover said:

Seems strange to purposely want to destroy any trailer but what ever floats your boat. One thing its going to be harder to break the Oliver than any other travel trailer of its same size. I believe the Oliver family built the Oliver because they destroyed many other trailers over the years. They wanted to build the best because of the junk out there. Good luck have fun.

Thats a bit literal.  I'm not going to drive it off a cliff, I just don't let keeping toys shiny get in the way of what they're built for.  I'll take very good care of it, but I'll use it.  

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