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Featured
- #2,061
- Jul 29, 2023
- 4,027
- 11,710
- 2023 F350 XLT Premium Tremor, SAP, 7.3L
- 2023 F150 XLT Lightning, Extended range, 312A, Tow Tech/ Max Tow
Now that’s the kind of Camper I came here to see!!!!
Tremors and Campers let's talk camping!!
- OP 🔹 Warpath
- Start date
So, about 2k?
- Jun 17, 2020
- 695
- 2,745
- 2020 F-250 6.7L Tremor
- 2022 Airstream Globetrotter 25FB
Yeah that should be a safe bet, probably a little less.
Thank you for the info. We have looked online extensively at the Oliver as well as the Kingdom and Kimberley trailers. All seem really well built. Will keep digging and see where we end up. Leaning towards the Roamer 1.
We reeeeeally like it. Everything we need in an TT and nothing we don’t. It’s over an engineered TT with no sticks, or staples. I think there are 1450 Olivers in existence now. They are not mass produced and their Service Center is stellar In our experience. Do the factory tour, and you will see and know exactly what your getting.
Onward!
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The factory tour is on my list. I like the structural aspects of the double hull design.
- Nov 2, 2020
- 565
- 1,545
- 2021 F250 Tremor 7.3 Lariat
- 2023 Xpore Roamer1, 2013 Jeep Rubicon 2dr
The double hull does not really increase the structural strength of the trailer, except possibly at the beltline. The advantage is that it makes a place for the tanks and plumbing to be inside the trailer and get ducted heat. It also allows a smooth ceiling and cupboards, microwave cabinet, closet and pantry. Of course, that leads to difficulty in fixing any leaks, from exterior fittings or internal pipes, or adding wiring, etc. The inner lower shell simply hangs from the beltline of the outer shell.
May people have complained that the frame flexes when parked. Too much movement from people walking around inside. Some have tried to add additional jacks to stabilize it. I looked at the problem and discovered the frame is rigid and not flexing, it is the body that is flexing. The floor, or inner shell, is hanging on the beltline of the outer shell. That load is transferred to the frame by the outer shell, that curves under the trailer to where it mounts to the frame. At that curve, the body bends under loads on the interior floor. You can easily see this by watching as someone steps into and out of the door. The fender moves closer to the tire and away from the tire, even though the stabilizers are supporting the frame. The flexing is in the body. It seems this does not lead to fatigue, but it is unnerving. Mine had a number of hairline cracks develop in places, but I could not be sure it was a result of this flexing.
After a lot of thought, I was able to devise a way to get a better fitting into the water tank and enable everyone to get more water out of the tank. Originally, maybe 10 gallons were not available. There was a growing problem of people complaining the tanks were not as big as advertised, or that something was wrong. Oliver liked my fitting and method so much they awarded me and put the fix into new trailers and those coming in for service.
The original trailers were wired according to the options list, which meant you could not easily add equipment later, such as a cell booster, or TV antenna, etc. But later trailers are wired the same regardless of the options list, from what I understand. Also, up to about hull 200 or so, there were differences in the grounding system and many had the main ground wire left off. This meant you could not charge from the tow vehicle. I called out Oliver on this after finding my ground lug not connected to anything. They assured me that issue was fixed by hull 200. But my buddy had hull 200 and it was still not fixed. Related to this was the fact that they planned to ground the trailers through the trailer ball, instead of having a dedicated ground wire. Ridiculous! I called them out on this terrible idea and was told by Oliver that the trailers met industry requirements. Later, upon further digging, I found out they fired their electrician. He was being sloppy and possibly was part of the design team. I looked behind one panel and found splice after splice in the wires that were causing lighting failures. It was disappointing.
As time goes by, the design of the LE2 is becoming outdated. Now, solar is becoming more important, lithium batteries are becoming the standard, compressor fridges are taking over and waterless toilets are gaining in popularity. The batteries are the most immediate problem and the battery compartment is not heated and is exposed to outside temperatures. This can be fixed, but I don't think it has been yet. The batteries cannot be charged below 32 degrees and must be kept warm. I think it is time for them to make an LE3. This would have a larger fridge, more room and a better shape for solar, a reversed floor plan with the bath at the rear to provide full headroom there, an inverter/charger as standard equipment, a heated battery compartment probably accessible from inside the trailer, the elimination of the black tank and larger fresh water tank.
Oliver is a great company. Honest and reputable. I applaud their success. But it is time to step up to the next generation as the current design is beginning to seem dated and limited. I've touched on some of these subjects with Scott Oliver, but it is none of my business and they are selling all of the LE2s they can make.
- Nov 2, 2020
- 565
- 1,545
- 2021 F250 Tremor 7.3 Lariat
- 2023 Xpore Roamer1, 2013 Jeep Rubicon 2dr
With your Tremor and wanting to head out into the outback, consider getting a trailer with independent suspension. The Oliver is a nice trailer, but the suspension is archaic and really designed for highway use only. I took mine off road quite a bit, but we had to go very slow or the interior would suffer. There is no way to improve the travel or the shocks without an extensive redesign. Lowering tire pressure had little affect. Now in an R1 and loving the suspension. The X22 is also a good design.
Wow. All great info. Thank you John
raspy has some great comments, I would only address a few issues.
Oliver has two lithium packages 390 Ah and 640AH. The 640AH package has two Lithionics batteries with built in heating and The 390AH package has heating pads under the batteries as of 2023. Both are pricey options but will allow charging of your batteries below freezing.
i know that the larger lithium package does not allow charging from the 7 pin connector and the i dont think the smaller does either to prevent alternator damage. You could install a dc-dc converter to allow tow vehicle charging but this does require running a large gauge wire from the engine bay to the hitch.
Both lithium package have 400w of rooftop solar which generally does a great job of keeping the batteries charged during towing.
OurOliver is new in May and we are very happy with it. It is speced out almost exactly as I would like, with maybe the only exception being a Victron Multiplus instead of the excellent Xantrex inverter/converter.
Oliver has two lithium packages 390 Ah and 640AH. The 640AH package has two Lithionics batteries with built in heating and The 390AH package has heating pads under the batteries as of 2023. Both are pricey options but will allow charging of your batteries below freezing.
i know that the larger lithium package does not allow charging from the 7 pin connector and the i dont think the smaller does either to prevent alternator damage. You could install a dc-dc converter to allow tow vehicle charging but this does require running a large gauge wire from the engine bay to the hitch.
Both lithium package have 400w of rooftop solar which generally does a great job of keeping the batteries charged during towing.
OurOliver is new in May and we are very happy with it. It is speced out almost exactly as I would like, with maybe the only exception being a Victron Multiplus instead of the excellent Xantrex inverter/converter.
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- Nov 2, 2020
- 565
- 1,545
- 2021 F250 Tremor 7.3 Lariat
- 2023 Xpore Roamer1, 2013 Jeep Rubicon 2dr
Thanks for your response.
You have addressed a number of points that I raised and would be fun to dig into deeper. Maybe, the most important one is to remember that the heaters on the batteries are electric resistance heaters and use battery power to stay warm. The power to run them is very limited. The less we can use them, the better. You cannot damage the truck alternator by charging from the seven pin plug. Not possible. But a higher level of charging can be achieved from an Anderson plug and dc-dc charger, if you want one. The design of this system depends on the type of batteries you have. I know Victron has published fear driven videos about damaged alternators, but they are not related to the real world and are simply meant to scare people. Please don't refer to those videos and base your design on that nonsense. I have had great success charging both AGMs and Lithiums with an Anderson plug and related equipment.
I'm glad to hear that Oliver is installing more modern equipment and moving forward. At the Oliver rally last year, I was still not that impressed. The issues have never been about quality, but more about keeping up with modern practical technology. I fully understand that proven tech has it's place. But I also understand, from real world use, that lithium and related charging systems, have proven to be much more practical. We are transitioning from the 19th century lead acid batteries to the much more powerful and practical lithium batteries, and the methods needed to make them work.
Just wanted to add to the Dc to Dc conversation above.
You don't need a dedicated large gauge wire to accommodate a DC to DC charger. I used the +12v from the 7 pin harness to power a Victron 12/24 DC to DC to charge a Goal Zero that powered my trailer.
You don't need a dedicated large gauge wire to accommodate a DC to DC charger. I used the +12v from the 7 pin harness to power a Victron 12/24 DC to DC to charge a Goal Zero that powered my trailer.
Just got home from picking up this trailer in Edmonton. The camper exceeded all expectations. Spent 13 nights in the camper and drug it across the Canadian Rockies, down the West Coast and through the desert. Very easy to tow and handled rough roads with no issues.
If you're looking for an "offroad trailer" Arkto campers should be on your list.
Arkto Campers G12 - Overland and Off-road Hybrid Trailer Manufacturer | Made in Canada
Arkto Campers - manufacturer of the multi-functional hybrid overland and off-road capable trailer. Huge storage space, a proper outdoor slide-out kitchen, and all composite construction. Made in Canada.
www.arktocampers.com
- Nov 2, 2020
- 565
- 1,545
- 2021 F250 Tremor 7.3 Lariat
- 2023 Xpore Roamer1, 2013 Jeep Rubicon 2dr
Well, it depends.
If you have a large lithium bank, it's a good idea to charge it with a fairly high amp rating (up to 25% of the battery bank amp/hour rating). Otherwise the charge time will exceed the vehicle run time when towing and you won't get the batteries fully charged unless they are mostly charged when you start out. The 30 amp Victron dc-dc charger calls for a 60 amp breaker on the feed wires (twice the charge rate). This translates to #4 or #6 wires. The seven pin wire would never be able to properly handle the load of even a 20 amp charger, if you follow Victron's specs. So, it is better to run larger wires, both plus and minus, directly from the tow vehicle battery, with a proper breaker installed.
If you are charging AGM or flooded batteries, you really don't need a dc-dc charger because a direct connection works very well, except that it does not disconnect automatically. If the trailer is wired properly, the seven pin wire will charge the lead acid batteries, but slowly. For years I used an Anderson plug with #6 wires going directly to the trailer batteries from the truck battery and it charged very well.
The lithiums prefer a dc-dc charger.
- Dec 21, 2021
- 1,660
- 3,644
- 2022 7.3L F250
- Assorted vintage trucks, motorcycles, and bicycles.
Hit Sam A Baker state park here in MO for the weekend.
Perfect fall weather w maybe 10 other RVs in the whole park.
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And on our way out Sunday we secured a spot on the list of Tremor owners who've dragged their campers through a river, with an unplanned crossing of the St. Francois. The entire morning has me contemplating an axle flip on the starcraft. Nearly tore the bumper and spare off it at one point.
The truck was flawless in the sand and mud even with a 22' camper in tow.
(sorry about the blurry pics, wife snapped em on her phone)
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And Uki, because Tremor dogs go camping too.
Perfect fall weather w maybe 10 other RVs in the whole park.
.
And on our way out Sunday we secured a spot on the list of Tremor owners who've dragged their campers through a river, with an unplanned crossing of the St. Francois. The entire morning has me contemplating an axle flip on the starcraft. Nearly tore the bumper and spare off it at one point.
The truck was flawless in the sand and mud even with a 22' camper in tow.
(sorry about the blurry pics, wife snapped em on her phone)
.
And Uki, because Tremor dogs go camping too.
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- Staff 🛡️
- #2,078
- Jun 25, 2021
- 10,939
- 20,578
- 22MY F250 Star White Lariat Tremor
- 22MY Winnebago Voyage 2831RB
from 
Fair enough, there are always some variables. For my case it was not necessary, but we should all evaluate our use cases and design around that.
- Staff 🛡️
- #2,080
We spent last weekend at Speegleville Park at Waco Lake to view the eclipse. Clear skies and perfect weather with lows in the 40s, highs in the 70s. This was a small park but they provide a decent amount of space between sites. Our campsite was just a short walk to the lake.
www.recreation.gov
Speegleville Park, Waco Lake - Recreation.gov
Explore Speegleville Park in Waco Lake, Texas with Recreation.gov. Speegleville Park is perched on the south end of a scenic cove of Waco Lake. The park provides outdoor recreation options like boating, jet skiing, fishing, swi
