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I often have to travel there for work and try to avoid summer. All my co-workers who live there remind me that the unofficial state bird is the mosquito.

Our first year after a short 3-day trip, our Oliver was parked at home for 6 months. I needed that time to rebuild the suspension, replace all belts and hoses, brakes, etc. on our tow vehicle. Hard to travel with the TV up on jack stands! We're opposite than most. We travel the fall, all winter long and spring and stay home most of the summers. Summers by us are not too hot at 5440 ft elevation but as soon as we go anywhere it gets hot in the lower elevations of the southwest. Summers of 2024 and 2025 the Oliver was home for 3 months at a time receiving all our many upgrade mods. No big mods this summer since I'm done with all that. Now that we can run A/C for several days on inverter we'll do more summer travel. We've been parked since early May but leaving tomorrow for Walnut Canyon, just east of Flagstaff. Just going for 4 nights, off this week, working next. So, two months now since our last trip. We enjoy lots of short trips around Arizona. We go camping, boondock often just an hour to a few hours from home, more so now with fuel prices high it's nice to get remote after a short drive. In 3 years, we have never put our Oliver into a storage state. No RV antifreeze, blow out the water lines when needed. Last winter was so mild it wasn't necessary. After our trip this week, I have two weeks off Aug-Sept and are planning 2 weeks in SW Colorado. Then another 6 weeks if all goes well we'll head east for The Rally. Longest time between camping trips? Going forward, I'd say it will be +/- 6 weeks for us! 😎

As I suggested - everything is negotiable.

We’ve been hiding out here for the past two years as camp hosts. “Free” site with electricity for a month. All we have to do is play nice with the other campers, be helpful once in a while, liaise with the rangers - and make sure the washrooms don’t run out of toilet paper. We did have to buy an annual vehicle pass last year - $35 - so I’m not whining too much. Though “North” is usually cooler than South - think Texas - it hasn’t been so great this year with the heat dome. We actually would have preferred even further North - like Lake Vermillion SP in the Boundary Waters, but Glacial Lakes is who invited us. Being 35 miles away from the nearest decent sized town (Alexandria) means we don’t head out too often to spend $$$ at nice restaurants. (Yeah, we’re spoiled.) But there IS a winery pretty close (Rolling Forks) which is a weakness of ours. Now that we have a few weapons against the various flying, biting pests - we don’t feel quite so helpless.

About three months every autumn since 2021 - but we’re not complaining too much as we’ve been spending that time in Europe and the UK.

We usually take a trip every couple of months, but since moving to another home and getting the former ready for market it’s been five months and counting! Bummed as well, but occasionally run the a/c on inverter to exercise the batteries and enjoy my morning coffee in the Oliver, stress management!

I operate mine on the temperature auto mode regardless of the source of power/fuel being used. It’s generally set at 85°/50% fan speed, but in extreme heat I will bump the fan speed up. The evaporator fin fan in the fridge is turned on to run continuously whenever the unit is in use. These external and internal fans will indeed improve the cooling efficiency and likely extend the life of the unit. However, when stationary it is imperative to have the 3-way perfectly level to ensure proper cooling.

I am never going anywhere near MN in July. 😜

I run our fridge exhaust fan when it's hot regardless of how it's powered; AC, DC or LP. LP runs a little hotter but the real heat is generated from the cooling. We choose between DC/LP based solely on battery SOC. Of course, when we're plugged in we switch to AC. I can notice the heat coming out of the top vent when entering the cabin which reminds me to turn the fan on. Living in the SW, if the sun is on the entrance wall, turn on the fan. We also have Ruuvi temp sensors in fridge and freezer compartments to monitor cooling.

Question for the more technical people. Now that I have the Fridge exhaust fans in place, I know to use it when on propane in hotter weather. Would it be beneficial to use it on 120V and/or 12V in hotter weather? Maybe make the fridge more efficient and take a little load of off the compressor from running as much? Would this maybe extend the life of the fridge?

His first time camping.

Six months, usually in the Winter.

Late February 2022 until Mid October 2025 - 3 years 8 months no trips. Bill

Doing all business factory direct has proven to be a good business model for Oliver. Selling through dealers reduces the company's margin and in theory should increase units sold. If Oliver were my company, I would choose the be a specailty smaller company with a higher margin than selling more at a lower margin as long as your are able to reasonably absorb the factory and indirect overhead. The overhead has to be a significant number that rolls up into the cost when spread over only couple hundered units. I'd love to see their books "get peak under the hood" to truly understand the business puzzle. I'm sure they have an interesting challenge.

For 10 years we usually had 3 months or less between trips. This year has been different, also family health issues (not us!) and grandkids are keeping us close to home. Our last real camping was last October. I’ve got car seats and a wheel chair in the trunk of my car, kind of explains where we’re at. We did make a quick trip to Hohenwald in March for a maintenance item, not really a camping trip. Mike

Because they wouldn't build one like that.

Every winter. Columbus Day to April.

Due to some health problems we have not been camping since April and I am really bummed. And really missing our Oliver. What’s the longest span between camping trips that you guys have had to deal with.

That was a concern - as was the extra drag/friction from spinning those parts even when you’re in 2wd mode. Too many CV joints IMHO. That said, the Canyon was the only truck available for us with the engine I wanted at the time we were taking deliver of the Oliver - so I literally bought it sight-unseen over the phone with a credit card. It was a great truck, and we traded it before wear and tear became an issue. We all have our preferences, biases, and red lines. As I mentioned - I’ve only used the 4wd once while towing - and that was strictly precautionary. It WAS handy while driving on snow while not towing - but I’d driven RWD cars on snow my whole life with no problem. Though I carry enough tools to do most of my own work, I’ve given it up. With the new, in-warranty trucks, I leave that to the dealer. Even oil changes and tire rotation. I know people love to hate dealers, but even independent shops charge an arm and a leg now, so I go with the folks who know my vehicle best. My TPMS display has been showing a tire a bit low, so I checked with my “high accuracy” digital gauge and found that most likely the sensor was off. I kept an eye on it checking every so often. Finally I saw an actual decrease in air pressure - slight - so I aired it up and checked even more vigilantly. It took two or three days, but I lost a PSI or two. At that point, I confessed to having a leak. I dragged out my floor jack (yes, floor jack - A/C “racing” jack) and pulled the tire off. After picking peck of gravel out of the treads - I found a -tiny- nail in the tread. I marked it, put the spare on, and nearly gave myself a hernia hoisting that punctured tire into the bed of the truck. I’d never played with tires on full sized pickups before. The mounted 275/60R20 Tire on the cast aluminum wheel weighs in at about 80# - like a sack of cement. Long story short - I’m DONE even rotating my own tires. I can’t even imagine changing a flat on the side of the road - in the rain - in traffic - with factory screw jack. Sure, I’d do it myself before I’d call AAA (and wait four hours) but I’ll not volunteer for that duty anymore. Maybe it’s my sedate driving style, keeping things slow and gentle, or just picking good roads, but I don’t see a lot of sway or top-heaviness. We have the Andersen “no-sway” hitch, but standard suspension on the 2022 Oliver. I just make sure I slow down well before I hit the exit ramps from the highway. I do my own lubrication and inspecting of the suspension, but I’ll have a trailer shop give it a once-over this winter. (In Texas, there’s a trailer shop every 5 miles or so.) If it looks like it needs help, I’ll consider the upgrade.

I have to think they suffer with it. I hear that over and over from business owners.

We stayed at James Robb SP in Fruita. It’s close to ALCAN. It’s also just a couple of miles from the entrance to the Colorado Monument, a must see if you have time (plan on at least a half day). We’ve stayed at Robb SP several times, always nice. We’ve also camped at Rifle Gap SP several times, also very nice but not very convenient for going to ALCAN. We had a nice breakfast at Dream Cafe in Grand Junction. Good food and service. There’s a Bass Pro Shop nearby if you want to kill some time while waiting. Mike

We stayed here.. https://www.canyonviewrvresort.com/ Very new and nice and close to Alcan

Yeah, I had the pleasure of driving a full-size 4WD GMC diesel TV last week. Beautiful truck! A climb up to the driver's seat like a snug cockpit up there. Leather luxury with the dashboard all lit up, I felt somewhat disconnected from the road. The view out seemed narrow, even with the huge, self-folding mirrors. My old truck, I can get my old butt up into the seat np without using the step, old-school dash, very connected at ground level. We all get used to what we have. Driving 4WD trucks where you don't need 4WD has gotten old for me. I've owned work trucks and farm trucks, all but one 2WD. 4WD trucks have steering and suspension maintenance and longevity issues that 2WD trucks do not have. On the upside, they make high-performance parts for 4WD trucks, but not for 2WD trucks. They are literally a pain to work on (it's only me doing the work). When we replaced the starter motor on my son's '97 T100, I had to remove a skid plate and the driveshaft to the front diff! If it was 2WD there would be nothing but room down there. We had a thread a couple years ago and there was NOT ONE forum member that said they would tow without their 4WD. I tow the Oliver up CRAZY ROCKY STEEP dirt roads out here in 2WD, np. The weight of the trailer on the rear wheels keeps them from spinning. We generally don't have mud in Arizona but be careful of sand when crossing a wash bottom. If I would have to tow with anything less than a 2500 diesel, it would be a midsize diesel, like yours, or the Nissan with the Cummins! I would not be able to sleep at night if I knew I had to tow with much less. We now tow much more smoothly with Alcan Springs, now that the top-heavy Oliver doesn't sway left to right as the hull porpoises front and back, not anymore. Anybody towing with a half-ton truck or less, please upgrade your leaf springs and use the WDH. Fortunately, the OP is buying an Apex with Alcan Springs! 😎

I try not to put any of the chemicals directly on my skin, instead dousing a hat or bandana or a loose over-shirt. The Lee County Florida Mosquito Control District (recognized around the world for combatting mosquitos) recommends oil of lemon eucalyptus in addition to the usual DEET, Picaridin, and something called IR3535 -- a 'biocidal active ingredient made by Merck'. https://leecountymcdfl.gov/fight-the-bite/

Greetings to the Alcan Oliver Club plus! I'm looking for suggestions for campgrounds in proximity to Grand Junction. This will be a detour for my summer, and thankfully not too far off course from my planned route. However, I haven't had much time to research for places to camp before the day. I have tried to read the entire Made In USA Leaf Springs thread (now at 37 pages) but haven't been able to complete that task. I am looking for suggested campgrounds but also favorite things to do during a day or two in the area. Also suggested good eats. CAMPGROUNDS So far, I've found two campgrounds mentioned in that thread, and I am seeking additional input to add to this list: James M Robb Colorado River SP FRUITA SECTION CO 8 miles W of Alcan Spring; https://www.cpwshop.com/camping/james-m-robb-colorado-river-state-park-fruita-section/r/campgroundDetails.page?parkID=50069&media=3 James M Robb Colorado River SP ISLAND ACRES SECTION CO 23 miles NE from Alcan Spring; 1055 I-70, Palisade, CO 81526 https://cpw.state.co.us/state-parks/james-m-robb-colorado-river-state-park/james-m-robb-colorado-river-state-park-camping Rifle Gap SP 76 miles NE from Alcan Spring; 5775 CO-325, Rifle, CO 81650 https://www.cpwshop.com/camping/rifle-gap-state-park/r/campgroundDetails.page?parkID=50038&queueittoken=e_snasoco01~ts_1784416095~ce_true~rt_safetynet~h_7c7fd3b7e002cd85f34c1de9feaf47d1b6c0c9a91e25de9abdb5894558bc513e Other campgrounds in the regional area: KOA Grand Junction (commercial) this is close, but not my cup of tea... Rabbit Valley Mcinnis Canyons Conservation Area (NPS) 30 miles W of Alcan Spring; Mack, CO 81525 https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/10227416 I camped at Rabbit Valley in 2024; it's very minimal but has some interesting formations. I was actually in the Horse Camp area, and had the entire place to myself. That section was easier to access, and better suited to my limited time that year. Saddlehorn Campground (NPS) LIMITED LENGTH (will not accommodate Oliver E2, not sure about E1) max 40 feet combined length https://www.nps.gov/colm/planyourvisit/camping.htm *The length limit in Loops A and B for all RVs is 40 feet. The length limit for trailers is 40 feet total for the vehicle and trailer combined.* LOCAL EATS Dream Cafe 314 Main St, Grand Junction, CO 81501 I resisted posting this in the MADE IN USA LEAF SPRINGS thread, but I hope it will serve as a good reference for those of us making the journey to Alcan Spring in Grand Junction. Moderators might be able to better link, if they see fit to do so. I am inserting that thread below. Made in USA leaf spring