Towing Info

[Mrs Z]

Hi, can anyone give me your experience  of towing your Oliver Elite II with a vehicle towing capacity of 6800 lb?

[Mike and Carol]

I towed with a 2012 Toyota Tacoma for 6 months and about 6,000 miles.  6,500 lb and 650 lb tongue weight limit.  It towed fine.  I was at or over my payload limit and I had to stop for gas every 150 miles or so.  Not really a pleasant towing experience.  You need to check the payload capacity for a light weight vehicle (add tongue weight -600lbs plus passenger weight plus whatever you will carry in the bed and cab that will approximate your payload).  Also check the size of the fuel tank.  A smaller engine tow vehicle won’t get very good mileage and that can be a factor depending on where you tow.  Also, hills and mountains can be a white knuckle experience with a small tow vehicle, both uphill and downhill.  Uphill you’ll be spending time in the slow lane with the big rigs and downhill becomes a safety issue as you have a 6,000 lb trailer pushing down hill and around curves.  Mike

[Mrs Z]

Thanks Mike and Carol,

We have payload cap 1395, we think our payload will be apx 950lb including tongue wt, our tow cap is 6800lb, and we have a 21 gal gas tank, do you think these specs would have made a dif in your towing experience?  When not towing we get about 18 miles per gal! 

[topgun2]

Not knowing what engine or even vehicle you are talking about makes this a bit difficult.  However, as a ballpark estimate you could expect you "normal" gas mileage to be cut in half while towing.  If that is correct then you are looking at about 9 miles per gallon and a maximum range of about 180 miles given the size of your tank.

Of course anything like mountains and/or head winds will cut into those numbers dramatically.  For instance - several years ago I was towing a camper across Kansas when I encountered a 40 mph head wind.  My gas mileage with my Tacoma dropped to 4 miles per gallon and I was right at 60 miles per hour!  Add to this that the camper I was towing weighed right at 3,500 pounds.  To be fair - this camper was shaped like a brick versus the Oliver with its smooth lines.

Bill

[Mrs Z]

Thanks Bill

we have a Toyota Tacoma 2021 with towing cap 6800 lb

[SeaDawg]

Somewhere down this thread, @Trainman talks about friends towing an Elite II with a late model Tacoma. Maybe he'll chime in. 

 

[Mike and Carol]

1 hour ago, Mrs Z said:

Thanks Mike and Carol,

We have payload cap 1395, we think our payload will be apx 950lb including tongue wt, our tow cap is 6800lb, and we have a 21 gal gas tank, do you think these specs would have made a dif in your towing experience?  When not towing we get about 18 miles per gal! 

21 gallon tank getting 13 miles/gallon gives you a range of about 270 miles.  You’ll want to fill up before you get below 1/4 tank (I usually start looking to fuel up once I start getting below 1/2 tank).  So, every 200 miles you’ll be looking for a gas station.  If it’s windy or lots of hills expect gas mileage to decrease 3 or more miles/gallon.  As far as payload goes, Carol and I combined are about 270 lbs.  But we carry more than 80 lbs of stuff in the truck which is your 950 lbs.  Grills, Clam, chairs, fire pit, portable table, rug, extra propane tank, Tupperware with spare parts, ladder, sometimes a generator, etc.  I always say start off lean and add what you need.  950 lbs might be a good start point.  You’ll know after camping a while!  I think there are several owners that tow with a Tacoma.  Just realize that your margin of safety is much less than a larger truck, especially in hills and mountains.  Mike

[NCeagle]

10 hours ago, Mrs Z said:

Thanks Mike and Carol,

We have payload cap 1395, we think our payload will be apx 950lb including tongue wt, our tow cap is 6800lb, and we have a 21 gal gas tank, do you think these specs would have made a dif in your towing experience?  When not towing we get about 18 miles per gal! 

We may carry more than most camping, but it would be way too "borderline" for us with a payload capacity of 1395 / towing capacity of 6800 - well, maybe if I was alone I could squeeze it out.  For example, here's our weight calculations for what we carry in our 3/4 ton pickup on a typical ~2 week camping trip:

Essentials:

Ollie tongue weight - fully stocked with food / clothing / full fresh water tank + other essentials (620 lbs), Passengers (300 lbs) + BIG doggy (100 lbs) = 1020 lbs.

Various tools (58 lbs), Emergency gear (39 lbs), 20 gallons drinking water (166 lbs), Clam tent, stakes, hammer (49 lbs), Camping chairs & table (42 lbs), propane fire pit (24 lbs), outdoor rug (11 lbs), camp chef propane stove (8 lbs), hiking gear for two (23 lbs) = 420 lbs.

Non-essentials (combination of following depending on type of trip):

Generator + generator stuff (70 lbs), extra full 20 lb propane tank (36 lbs), spare solar panel (41 lbs), 2 e-bikes (100 lbs) = 247 lbs.

Sure, we could jam more into the Ollie with heavy stuff near the rear to reduce tongue weight and payload, but it becomes even more dangerous and not fun (imo) when the overall trailer weight is approaching the tow vehicle weight / limits.

John

[Mike and Carol]

3 hours ago, NCeagle said:

Ollie tongue weight - fully stocked with food / clothing / full fresh water tank + other essentials (620 lbs), Passengers (300 lbs) + BIG doggy (100 lbs) = 1020 lbs.

Various tools (58 lbs), Emergency gear (39 lbs), 20 gallons drinking water (166 lbs), Clam tent, stakes, hammer (49 lbs), Camping chairs & table (42 lbs), propane fire pit (24 lbs), outdoor rug (11 lbs), camp chef propane stove (8 lbs), hiking gear for two (23 lbs) = 420 lbs.

John, you have a more detailed oriented memory than I do!  I forgot that we also carry a case (40 bottle Costco) of drinking water and case of big bottles for coffee, stakes and sledge hammer for the Clam, and at least 50 lbs of tools.  Mike

[topgun2]

Where do you guys store/carry the cases of wine? ☺️

[Mike and Carol]

2 minutes ago, topgun2 said:

Where do you guys store/carry the cases of wine? ☺️

Since the wine is usually boxed it fits about anywhere!  I need to add that to the list!!

[topgun2]

At least "boxed" is lighter than bottled.

Look at the weight savings - particularly after you drink it!

[Rivernerd]

3 hours ago, NCeagle said:

Sure, we could jam more into the Ollie with heavy stuff near the rear to reduce tongue weight and payload, but it becomes even more dangerous and not fun (imo) when the overall trailer weight is approaching the tow vehicle weight / limits.

We don't yet own our Ollie (scheduled delivery in September), but I have loaded and towed raft trailers for 40 years.  I agree with NcEagle 100%.

About 60% of trailer weight should be forward of the axle(s) for safest towing, and best on-road handling.  I would never consider loading heavy stuff in the rear of a trailer to reduce tongue weight.  If you can't "make tongue weight" when loading your trailer a bit front heavy, either leave some stuff home or get a bigger tow vehicle.  Life and health, including not just yours but that of those on the road around you, are too precious to risk loading any trailer tail heavy.

My 2 cents.

[Chukarhunter]

I have owned my 2020 LE II for 18 months and towed about 10,000 miles including 2,400 miles from Hohenwald to Oregon when I picked up the trailer.  My vehicle is rated to tow 7,000 lbs.  Horsepower is about 245 and torque about 320.  Payload is a dismal 1,120 lbs.  I couldn't afford a new tow vehicle and the Oliver at the same time   I have been mostly satisfied with my towing experience but certainly look forward to getting a beefier tow vehicle at some point.  I definitely feel safer towing the LE II with my current vehicle now than I did towing my former 3,000 lb tent trailer with terrible towing manners. 

If you can afford more tow vehicle, then don't hesitate to get a new one.  If it comes down to no Oliver, then you can start out with your Tacoma with the Anderson hitch and upgrade your tow vehicle later.  It seems that many have done that.  Oliver will set up the Anderson hitch properly when you pick up the trailer.  If you pay close attention to loading and leave the toys at home to stay within all specs, you will not be unsafe on the road.  The double axle LE II tows extremely well without sway.  Look to adjust tongue weight to no more than 9% and plan on a mostly empty truck bed.  Pack any extra weight in the Oliver on the floor or bunk centered over the axles as much as possible.  Move this weight to the pickup when you set up camp.  And don't travel long distances without first emptying the blackwater tank which adds considerable tongue weight.

When loaded for a week of camping, my LE II weighs about 5700 lbs with 520 lbs tongue weight (plus 60 lbs for the Anderson hitch) and my tow vehicle is usually pushing its GVWR of 5,700 lbs.  I limit tow vehicle payload to one driver, one passenger, one dog and less than 100 lbs of cargo.  (If I had young children, it wouldn't work).  And yes, I need to stop for gas every 200 miles or so.

Note that to achieve the full GVWR safely, it is critical that the weight be properly distributed over the front and rear axles of the tow vehicle.  That is what the Anderson hitch is for.

My current tow vehicle is a 2004 4Runner V8 Limited with 220,000 miles.  The 2004-2006 V8 4Runner is the only 4Runner ever built with a V8 engine and a towing capacity of more than 5,000lbs.  I am the original owner.  Eying the 2023 Sequoia as a possible replacement.

 

 

[Trainman]

On 2/9/2022 at 6:20 PM, SeaDawg said:

Somewhere down this thread, @Trainman talks about friends towing an Elite II with a late model Tacoma. Maybe he'll chime in. 

 

Our camping friends who tow there Oliver Elite II with there Tacoma tell us when towing the vehicle does have a few down falls, the main one I see is lack of power at highway speeds. One they do loose power on hills that will drop there speed say from there towing speed at round 62-63 mph do down around 53-54 mph on long interstate hills. Two they can only tow at around 62-63 mph on interstates as there vehicle labors too much that when we tow together it is very obvious that there speed is does go up and down, thus we have to make adjustment to wait on them. I tow at around 65-66 mph with the Ram and for me I wouldn't care for the big speed change all the time. All being said, what works for you is what you deal with. 

trainman

[AlbertNTerri]

We'll be picking up our EII in a few weeks. When I was looking for a tow vehicle I was set on the Tacoma for many reasons. It's a very nice truck and being a Toyota means a lot, not least of which is it's the highest rated tow vehicle on consumer reports as far as customer satisfaction and reliability goes. That said, with an Elite 2, the load carrying capacity of the Tacoma is dismal. After accounting for the tongue weight, two adults, dogs, basic travel gear, add a truck cap, and a full tank of fuel, now you have a vehicle that MIGHT be able to carry 100-200 pounds in the bed before you reach capacity. I finally started looking a 3/4 ton vehicles and after much research decided that the least worst vehicle that wasn't the Tundra was the Ford F250 which I bought (2017 model). The advantages are:

1) load capacity of almost 2,800 pounds which means I can have a truck cap on my bed AND carry things in the bed

2) (MOST IMPORTANTLY) Braking capacity. You can tow anything with a small vehicle, the question is, will you be able to make a panic stop while coming down a steep grade in Colorado (where we frequently drive). 

 

By maxing out your vehicle's load and towing capacity you risk having precious little wiggle room if you need to stop the rig while coming down a hill. Stopping is the bigger question. Opting for a larger tow vehicle will (generally) decrease your fuel economy and increase your maintenance costs, but it also markedly increases your safety margin. I believe that if you are carrying so much stuff that you need to consider shifting your load to the back of your trailer in order to keep your TV within its limits, then it is reasonable to consider that maybe your TV is undersized for your needs, marginal at best.

 

While towing with an SUV certainly is more comfortable, the newer trucks really ride well. I think a 1-ton is over-kill for an Oliver but at the same time it completely removes the concern of having to do a "weight and balance check" every time you change something in the gear you're carrying to determine if you're within the limits of the tow vehicle...Just toss it in the back and be on your way. The 3/4 ton by-and-large is the same, but at some point I certainly could overload my F250 If I just keep loading stuff in without regard to how much weight I'm adding. I have to be aware, but not like if I had gone with the Tundra. The Tundra would have required a close look every time and then some shifting or possibly leaving stuff behind. The 2022 Tundra's numbers are a bit improved from the previous model years, the problem there is they won't be available when I need it and I also wasn't in the market for the price of a new one. Ideally I'd like a cyber truck, but no telling when they'll become  reality. 

 

Good luck with your search, I hope to see you on the road. Happy trails!!!!

albert

[Hoosier]

I'm with you Albert. I had a Ford 150 on order since November. its still not built or delivered but we all know why. I was very hesitant in the F150 for the reasons you picked out. Choosing between bringing the wife or the dogs with the spare capacity was somewhat laying heavily on my mind. when I told the Admiral that she could go and the extra 6 suitcases that comes with it, she was all in for the the +$25,000 for the F250. So when one came in at the dealership (F250) I got a call from sales rep and i went home with it a day later. She drove from our property in Ft Lauderdale to Punta Gorda like a champ. Looking forward to her dragging the trailer for awhile. 

[johnwen]

On 2/10/2022 at 12:30 PM, Chukarhunter said:

Pack any extra weight in the Oliver on the floor or bunk centered over the axles as much as possible.  Move this weight to the pickup when you set up camp.  And don't travel long distances without first emptying the blackwater tank which adds considerable tongue weight.

This is what we have to do also.  120 lbs worth of stuff gets transferred every time we tow, but it's not so bad.  We have a shell on the back of our Silverado that took 200 or so pounds from our GVWR capacity.  6720 for the Oliver, 680 tongue, 10.1%.  All weights are barely legal, but legal.  We tow great and get 12 MPG with 87 octane or 14.5 MPG with 88 octane (level and no wind).

[CRM]

On 2/10/2022 at 1:30 PM, Chukarhunter said:

Eying the 2023 Sequoia as a possible replacement.

 

 

Same here, but still no payload specs on it that I can find. Only ads touting the towing capacity...