Wandering Sagebrush Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 I did a quick pop up truck camper trip into Succor Creek and Leslie Gulch on the east side of the Owyhee river in Oregon, and was surprised to see this trailer camped on a pullout between those locations. Not a place I would have picked because of the steep slope behind the truck and trailer. To be honest, until I saw the Bowlus up there, I wouldn’t have considered taking the Oliver on roads like that. They’re bumpy, rocky, with flying gravel and some washboard. BTW, their top model starts at $319,000.😳 Would you take your Oliver on those kinds of roads? 4 2 Hull #364 - The Roadrunner 2014 F350 CCLB SRW 6.7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators SeaDawg Posted July 7 Moderators Share Posted July 7 I blew up your beautiful photo, looking for wheel chocks. 🙃 Me, no. I wouldn't bother anymore. My husband would probably disagree. He loves the challenges. To drive that type of "scenic " highway, sometimes it's wiser to leave the camper in a secure park, and enjoy the ride from our 4x4 truck windows. 1 2 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAX Burner Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 1 hour ago, Wandering Sagebrush said: To be honest, until I saw the Bowlus up there, I wouldn’t have considered taking the Oliver on roads like that. My guess he's minus a few rivets on his inside skin... 3 2 Art, Diane, & Magnus (Aaarrf!) 2022 TUNDRA/2017 LE II; Hull #226 "Casablanca", Twins; 3x Battle Borns; HAM call-sign: W0ABX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John E Davies Posted July 7 Share Posted July 7 That sounds like a spectacular trip with an Ollie AFTER going in to locate a practical site (one far enough off to the side of the main road to provide clean air when camping). That valley is waypointed on my GAIA map program. Just haven’t got there…. Gravel roads are GOOD, bring a gas leaf blower to de-dust the trailer and it doesn’t hurt anything. Beautiful picture! But that poor trailer, its owner has no mud flaps on the truck! I wonder how many dings are in the front. John Davies Spokane WA 2 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 More sharing options...
jd1923 Posted July 15 Share Posted July 15 What you cannot tell from the picture is what was the road up, to get to the campsite pictured. I may have a rivet loose too, but I prefer climbing a steep dirt road, than driving a rig 75 MPH, the speed limit, on our terribly maintained I-40 in Arizona!!! Maybe it's the old biker in me, dirt-riding these trails for years, but who knows. Looks like they found a level spot. My spot pictured, was quite a climb. Once your parked and level, all's good. Finding a level spot, priceless! 4 1 Chris & John in Prescott, AZ | 2016 EII #113 | '01 Ram 2500 Cummins! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jd1923 Posted July 15 Share Posted July 15 BTW, our Olivers look way better than the silver-looking stuff in the first photo. 4 1 Chris & John in Prescott, AZ | 2016 EII #113 | '01 Ram 2500 Cummins! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cort Posted August 19 Share Posted August 19 Ray's been driving Airstream's all over the west - and is now out there in an Oliver. He feels its a fine boon-docking trailer. I don't see any reason - given a good tow vehicle with 4wd - why you can't get an Oliver into many backcountry places. Clearance is fine and the suspension - while not up to trailers engineered for off roading - seems to be strong. I should find out pretty soon actually 🙂 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raspy Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 The Oliver can be a very good off-road, rough-road or boondocking trailer. But there are different kinds of rough roads. Steep rocky trails are fine if traveled very slowly because the Oliver has good clearance, is narrow and is not too heavy. I towed mine as far back in as my Ram 3500 would pull it, with all four wheels clawing for traction. Never a problem. But on higher speed dirt, with washboard, the suspension struggles and the interior suffers. I had my window coverings fall off, cabinets open and the microwave try to escape from its alcove, repeatedly. Lowering tire pressure to about 25 lbs seems to really help, but the vibration should be avoided. Hard suspension hits at speed are also a no-no. With only about 2" of suspension travel, metal to metal stops, and minimal shocks, the pounding can be brutal. Just take it slow, pick your path and don't be afraid to venture off the highway. The best camp spots are out there beyond where trailers usually go. 5 John "I only exaggerate enough to compensate for being taken with a grain of salt." LE2 #92 (sold), Black Series HQ19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Mike and Carol Posted August 26 Moderators Share Posted August 26 3 hours ago, Raspy said: I had my window coverings fall off, cabinets open and the microwave try to escape from its alcove, repeatedly. Lowering tire pressure to about 25 lbs seems to really help, but the vibration should be avoided. Hard suspension hits at speed are also a no-no. With only about 2" of suspension travel, metal to metal stops, and minimal shocks, the pounding can be brutal. An issue that Oliver must address is what John describes. We’ve had doors open, window frames fall off and TV drop. We don’t do much off-roading, this was on crappy interstates and rough backroads. Mike 2 1 Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coastal Aggie Posted August 27 Share Posted August 27 @Mike and Carol Has anyone found a good solution for mitigating the blinds falling off? That was something that plagued me on the way back from Alaska this spring. 2018 F150 FX4 5.0v8 2022 Oliver Elite Hull #1285 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator+ ScubaRx Posted August 27 Moderator+ Share Posted August 27 As most everyone knows, the blinds hang on two tabs at the top and snap onto two brackets on the bottom. To take them down, pull out sharply at the bottom and then lift the whole frame off the two top hangers. (Later Edit...some have the same snap in brackets top and bottom, but you still just pull them off, If you don't know which you have, pull the bottom off first to allow you to check) If you’re traveling on a bumpy enough road the bottom will eventually pop loose from the bottom brackets and then it’s only a matter of time before the top will jump off the hangers. The best way I’ve found to prevent this is to take the blinds down, squirt some adhesive caulk on the two surfaces of each bottom bracket and re-install the blind. Once the caulk sets up, they’re unlikely to come loose accidentally. But, they can still be removed as described above albeit a little more difficult at the bottom. 6 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Mike and Carol Posted August 27 Moderators Share Posted August 27 6 hours ago, Coastal Aggie said: @Mike and Carol Has anyone found a good solution for mitigating the blinds falling off? That was something that plagued me on the way back from Alaska this spring. The only solution I’m aware of is what Steve describes above. I’ve tried bending the clips to create more resistance with some success. I don’t want them permanently mounted because I remove them when I do a deep clean on the window tracks. Mike 5 Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John E Davies Posted August 27 Share Posted August 27 7 hours ago, Coastal Aggie said: Has anyone found a good solution for mitigating the blinds falling off? That was something that plagued me on the way back from Alaska this spring. Try this: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2202-how-to-fix-and-flip-your-blinds/ Once fixed, they should never fall off, unless you are running more than 45 psi in the tires. Mine never shifted over six years. No guarantees if you run the tires hard!! John Davies Spokane WA 1 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 More sharing options...
Skipster Posted September 20 Share Posted September 20 Our fix is a dab of goop on the upper and lower trac they can be snapped out easy enough but still stay in place on a rough road 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators SeaDawg Posted September 21 Moderators Share Posted September 21 @Skipster, little dab, without blind in place? That might just work Oliver caulked in one of our loose blinds, and I didn't know it til I tried to remove it for cleaning. I'm pretty strong for my size, but it wound up taking two of us, and a knife, to get the blind out. 🤷 1 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jd1923 Posted September 23 Share Posted September 23 Ours haven't come off on just a few miles of AZ washboard. Prior owner had new blinds installed by OTT a few years ago. Chris & John in Prescott, AZ | 2016 EII #113 | '01 Ram 2500 Cummins! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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