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Greetings from southern Oregon (and many times Bay Area California)


Xuxu

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Hi, we are Dawn and Warren. We are scheduled to pick up our Elite II in late May, having had an event planned in southern Minnesota in early June. Due to Covad-19, the event has been postponed until September. We are strongly considering having a transport service moving it from Tennessee to Oregon. After reading some of the experiences of individuals with their new trailers, I'm starting to wonder if this trailer was such a good idea. I believe the best approach is to take short trips, not too far from home, then gradually expand these trips to longer trips, both in a longer duration and additional distance. And if we had it transported, that is what we would do.

We have owned a Roadtrek for the last sixteen years. As we got older, the height of the van (from the ground), the close quarters of the living space/driving space was too confining, and we stopped using it. We also would almost always rent  a car at our destination. 

So we did our research and came up with the Oliver. We will be pulling it with a new SUV. 

I have a few questions. 

1.       I plan to add an Andersen anti-sway hitch to the trailer/tow vehicle. However, I have another utility trailer which I would also like to use the anti-sway hitch with. This trailer uses a 2 5/16 inch ball. I would like to modify the hitch on the Oliver (essentially replace the Bulldog 028243 with the Bulldog 0282462). From the pictures in the brochures, it appears both of these units are weld on, however, it also appears Oliver Trailers has drilled holes in the hitch and bolted it on. I would match drill the holes, however, it would be helpful if I could know if it is bolt on or a combination of bolt on and weld on.

2.      Looking at pictures of the current models, it appears the trailer frame is covered with fiberglass to the Bulldog hitch. If this is the case, how is the anti-sway hitch installed? Does it require the fiberglass to be modified? Can the Aluminum Storage Shelf be used with the anti-sway hitch?

3.      Does anyone have any transport service they would recommend?

Thanks in advance for any information that is provided.

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54 minutes ago, Xuxu said:

...

1.       I plan to add an Andersen anti-sway hitch to the trailer/tow vehicle. However, I have another utility trailer which I would also like to use the anti-sway hitch with. This trailer uses a 2 5/16 inch ball. I would like to modify the hitch on the Oliver (essentially replace the Bulldog 028243 with the Bulldog 0282462). From the pictures in the brochures, it appears both of these units are weld on, however, it also appears Oliver Trailers has drilled holes in the hitch and bolted it on. I would match drill the holes, however, it would be helpful if I could know if it is bolt on or a combination of bolt on and weld on.

It is completely bolt on. You could not weld a steel hitch to an aluminum frame. I swapped mine out also.

2.      Looking at pictures of the current models, it appears the trailer frame is covered with fiberglass to the Bulldog hitch. If this is the case, how is the anti-sway hitch installed? Does it require the fiberglass to be modified? Can the Aluminum Storage Shelf be used with the anti-sway hitch?

There is no need for any modifications to the fiberglass. Oliver will do all the installation of the Andersen. You can fully use the front basket

3.      Does anyone have any transport service they would recommend?

I can't help you here. But I would suggest that, if you can, make the trip to pick up your trailer. I promise you it will be enjoyable and educational.

Thanks in advance for any information that is provided.

Congrats on your pending Oliver from Hull # 050, The Outlaw Oliver.

Steve, Tali and our dog Rocky plus our beloved Storm, Maggie, Lucy and Reacher (all waiting at the Rainbow Bridge)

2008 Legacy Elite I - Outlaw Oliver, Hull #026 | 2014 Legacy Elite II - Outlaw Oliver, Hull #050 | 2022 Silverado High Country 3500HD SRW Diesel 4x4 

 

             801469912_StatesVisitedTaliandSteve08-23-2021-I.jpg.26814499292ab76ee55b889b69ad3ef0.jpg1226003278_StatesVisitedTaliandSteve08-23-2021-H.jpg.dc46129cb4967a7fd2531b16699e9e45.jpg

 

 

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7 hours ago, Xuxu said:

Hi, we are Dawn and Warren. We are scheduled to pick up our Elite II in late May, having had an event planned in southern Minnesota in early June. Due to Covad-19, the event has been postponed until September. We are strongly considering having a transport service moving it from Tennessee to Oregon. After reading some of the experiences of individuals with their new trailers, I'm starting to wonder if this trailer was such a good idea. I believe the best approach is to take short trips, not too far from home, then gradually expand these trips to longer trips, both in a longer duration and additional distance. And if we had it transported, that is what we would do.

We have owned a Roadtrek for the last sixteen years. As we got older, the height of the van (from the ground), the close quarters of the living space/driving space was too confining, and we stopped using it. We also would almost always rent  a car at our destination. 

So we did our research and came up with the Oliver. We will be pulling it with a new SUV. 

I have a few questions. 

1.       I plan to add an Andersen anti-sway hitch to the trailer/tow vehicle. However, I have another utility trailer which I would also like to use the anti-sway hitch with. This trailer uses a 2 5/16 inch ball. I would like to modify the hitch on the Oliver (essentially replace the Bulldog 028243 with the Bulldog 0282462). From the pictures in the brochures, it appears both of these units are weld on, however, it also appears Oliver Trailers has drilled holes in the hitch and bolted it on. I would match drill the holes, however, it would be helpful if I could know if it is bolt on or a combination of bolt on and weld on.

2.      Looking at pictures of the current models, it appears the trailer frame is covered with fiberglass to the Bulldog hitch. If this is the case, how is the anti-sway hitch installed? Does it require the fiberglass to be modified? Can the Aluminum Storage Shelf be used with the anti-sway hitch?

3.      Does anyone have any transport service they would recommend?

Thanks in advance for any information that is provided.

Welcome to the forum and congrats on your Oliver order!

1. Several owners have replaced the 2” Bulldog with the 2 5/16” Bulldog.  It bolts on.

2.  The Andersen attaches to the tongue under the fiberglass onto the aluminum frame.  No modifications required and the storage basket can be used.

3.  I don’t know of any transport services but there have been several that have had their trailers delivered.  You should have some recommendations over the next few days.  A disadvantage of delivery is missing the orientation and opportunity for quick response to anything that isn’t quite right.  But, Oregon is a long way from Tennessee!

Good luck - Mike

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

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Where in southern Oregon?   We have a home in Eureka, CA and are spending most of our time here.  This next 6 weeks being the exception.   We’ll be spending time in San Luis Obispo County, then on to Death Valley until mid-February when we’ll return to Eureka with The Pearl - our Oliver Trailer II.  We’re planning short trips into Oregon in the spring - perhaps we can swap stories.  

Kevin and Kathi

 

TV: 2018 GMC 2500 HD Sierra Duramax 4 x 4 

 

 

“Do Your Own Ride”

 

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The Anderson, as stated, mounts under the fiberglass, to the frame - the only WD that seems to work without modification to the Oliver. JD (a regular forum contributor) has a well documented tutorial on this forum regarding the switch to the larger Bulldog.

I'm sure Oliver has contacts for transport to customers. However, towing across country, given no time constraint - is just a series of short hops - towards the destination. 

RB

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"
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Welcome, you will find lots of help here. You can swap the Bulldog coupler or the service department in Hohenwald can do it for you before they ship it. I do recommend this mod, especially since you have another trailer with the big coupler. While the Andersen mounts bolt on (you cannot weld steel to aluminum) it would be a pain to move those from trailer to trailer, so a second set on your other one makes the most sense. If it has a steel frame, they could be welded on.

Take a look through my “How To” threads, they should be useful in helping you to make a decision. See the link in my signature.

I also agree about towing it yourself, back to your home. It really is a big trip, but many of us here in the Pacific NW have done it and I don’t recall anybody regretting the decision. Being able to spend a few days in the middle TN area, to make sure everything is working and that you fully understand the systems, is very important. The factory can fix any issues and it is fairly hassle free process.

I do remember one owner who was very upset because the Truma water heater did not work from the first day. He made a big fuss here in the forum, then finally admitted that he was in the area near the factory for several days and just thought it was “user error”. He never even called Service to ask about it, and he didn’t give them a chance to fix it before heading back across the country. Then he got mad..... don’t be him, give Oliver a chance to correct any issues there rather than at some random RV dealer who may not be able to get you scheduled for six weeks.

John Davies

Spokane WA

Edited by John E Davies
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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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Dawn and Warren, Congrats on purchasing an OLIVER.

As a new owner Hull 665 (9/2020), I would strongly recommend that you take a relaxing drive to the Oliver Factory in Hohenwald, TN, go through the New Owner Orientation, Take Notes & Ask Questions, and then hook it up and spend 2-3 nights at DCSP (David Crockett State Park).   

Whilst at DCSP, if you have any issues, you can try to resolve yourself by reading (all the) Manuals that come with your New Ollie.  Alternatively, call the factory and they will discuss your issue and walk you thru a resolution.  We had a couple of issues; however they were pretty much self-caused and we did not call the factory as Wifey likes me to figure out things by myself with her assistance…   

If by chance, you need to return to the factory, you are an hour away, as opposed to 2,345 miles, the mean distance from Oregon to Tennessee.  Then begin your journey home, and learn some more as you go.  If you do have any issues, better to shake them out and become seasoned Oliver Travelers on that trip home, rather than when you travel to Minnesota for that important Event.

We did ND to TN to pick up #665, and then 3 weeks 9 states back to ND.  Learned a lot and loved every minute & mile of it.

 

Bryan

Edited by SNY SD UP

Maggie & Bryan | Arnegard, ND | 2020 LE II "Twins" Hull #665 | 2021 RAM 2500  6.4L HEMI Gasser  4dr  6.5' bed

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Alexandra & Benjamin, Welcome to the Forum & Family and Greetings from Arnegard, ND.

Sny Sd Up (Hull#665) is in a Quonset for the winter  (WHAT WINTER... 20's-40's & NO SNOW...) and we are plotting our routes for this New Year.

Bryan

Edited by SNY SD UP
oops wrong thread, but oh-well ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Maggie & Bryan | Arnegard, ND | 2020 LE II "Twins" Hull #665 | 2021 RAM 2500  6.4L HEMI Gasser  4dr  6.5' bed

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Congratulations and welcome to the family!

For reference: We drove from SW Oregon to pick up #699, leaving home November 29; it took us 8 days, via I-80, to get to Tennessee.  We could have made the trip in 6 or 7 days, but left a few days early to stay ahead of an incoming weather front.  We spent 3 days in Tennessee before making the return trip.  To avoid snow and inclement weather on the trip home, we chose the I-40 route to Southern CA, then I-5 north to Oregon.  Had it been a better time of year, we would have taken our time and done some exploring, but we wanted to be home before Christmas and the weather was not ideal for enjoying the outdoors.

For comparison, our cost of delivery was just shy of $2,000 (hotels on the way to Tennessee, fuel (diesel) both ways, and RV accommodations on the trip home.  We took food for all of our meals, not knowing what Covid restrictions we might encounter.  This worked well; on the trip out the temperatures never reached much above freezing, so keeping food cold in a cooler was not a problem; cooking in hotels was not ideal, but better than a week of take-out fast food.  The cost of delivery does not include food, since I figure we had to eat whether on the road or at home.

I would recommend taking delivery at Hohenwald; the experience of meeting the Oliver folks and visiting parts of the US we had not seen was time well spent.  Had we not, I would have worried the whole time, putting our Oliver in the hands of strangers. 

You will be traveling during much better weather than we experienced (though I must say we were fortunate in that respect).  We encountered one small snow flurry in Eastern Wyoming and not a bit of rain, until we reached Northern CA.  If you should choose having your Oliver delivered, I'm sure Oliver can recommend a carrier; I would ask for delivery on a flatbed truck/trailer as opposed to towing, but that's just my opinion.

Hope this helps.

Ray and Susan Huff

Elite II Twin "Pearl" - Hull#699; delivered December 7, 2020

2013 F350 6.7l diesel Super Duty 4x4 long bed crew cab

1UP-USA Heavy-duty bike rack

2017 Leisure Travel Van Unity Twin Bed (sold)

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Another thought, if you are retired, and have the time.

Postpone pickup by a week or two.  Spend a week in Tennessee,  shakedown. Then, head east,  and North. Follow the Blue Ridge and Shenandoah parkways. Maybe also the Crooked Road, if you love old time music.

Go up into beautiful New York state, maybe the Catskills, perhaps New England.. .then Canada.

Camp a few miles away from Quebec City,,and drive in.. That's a day trip to Europe. So lovely with the the old city.

Follow the St. Lawrence east. Circle the Gaspe. Do that circle clockwise, so you can hug the inside lane. It's fabulous. 

Maybe visit Bay of Fundy. And my favorite,  Deer Island, NB. . Campobello. There are so many choices!

And/ or, circle across the top of the great lakes  following Canada HWy 1. Come down into Minnesota below Thunder Bay.

Stop awhile in delightful Grand Marais. Visit Duluth and Two Harbors, and work your way down through Minnesota state parks, ending in the "pineapple belt" of Southern Minnesota for your event in September. 

We've done all the Canadian routes i discussed, in separate years. And, camped down through Minnesota and Wisconsin.  It's really beautiful in the summer and early fall. (My family is from Southern Minnesota, primarily Steele and Freeborn counties .)

I say this because you may not feel motivated another year to drive so many miles east, and the northeast of the US, and eastern Canada offers amazing scenery and camping.

Again, only if you have three or four months.   It would be a long shakedown, but the trip of a lifetime, imo.

Sherry 

As I write this, I'm flooded with great memories,  and a desire to return to New England, and Canada. When Canada reopens the border .

Edited by SeaDawg
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2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

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

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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Xuxu

Here's a pix of a 2 5/16" Coupler and how the Anderson Hitch Parts Fit on the Tongue.
They fit perfectly under the fiberglass without cutting.

I added chain shrouds to our Anderson Chain's to keep them from getting scratched up and preventing rust.
Since we've upgraded to an F350, we won't be using the Anderson Hitch with 2 5/16" ball much longer so it's posted for sale in the classifieds section as is our "Towtector" rock guard system.
 

Craig

 

 

203422393_hitchpix.thumb.jpg.fa4660a7682f374c933057947d9db846.jpg

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2019 Elite II (Hull 505 - Galway Girl - August 7, 2019 Delivery) 
Tow Vehicle: 2021 F350 King Ranch, FX4, MaxTow Package, 10 Speed, 3.55 Rear Axle
Batteries Upgrade: Dual 315GTX Lithionics Lithiums - 630AH Total
Inverter/Charger: Xantrex 2000Pro 

Travel BLOG:  https://4-ever-hitched.com

 

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