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Last Call! Currently at 73 listings. I'll and/remove up until sometime Sunday evening, and then print a Buch of copies to bring with us. I'll post the final PDF at that time, too. Thanks again to everyone who has contributed! It sure makes it easier for owners new and old find people they've only conversed with online. 2025 Oliver Rally Attendees as of 4-26.pdf

We have a CHORTAU dash cam purchased from Amazon in 2022. It can only be plugged into the truck cigarette lighter, but I believe CHORTAU makes a newer version that has a USB-C power connector. Our CHORTAU dash cam continues to work well, turning on each time we drive our 2019 Tundra. Fortunately, we have not yet needed to access video footage for evidence of an accident or vandalism, but we like having the dash cam installed for that purpose.

Please post Oliver's response to your service ticket, and your ultimate solution. Yours may not be the only hull with this issue.

I made the above comments on April 18th, at which time I played around with the Sleep Mode on the Atmos. Upon departure of these routine visits I always check to be sure everything is turned Off, except for the dehumidifier. Admittedly, there have been a few times after locking up the Oliver and then the Cow Barn when I question whether or not the dehumidifier was turned back On, or the closet light and water pump turned Off and thus, back inside to check all again. I recall everything to be in good order so back to lockup and departure. Well, when I went back on April 24th to pay rent I was baffled to see a puddle of water upon entering the Cow Barn; my first thought being somehow the roof developed a leak from recent heavy rains. However, when entering the Oliver I felt the cool and comfortable 73° interior and noticed the Atmos’s fan was On, then realized the puddled water was condensate. YIKES, it was SO QUIET I didn’t even realize upon last departure it was still running! Now this isn’t a testament to the how wonderful the Atmos is and pleased I am with its performance, but rather that of the Hughes Autoformer I permanently installed. Fact being, the storage facility only provides 15A service and with recent severe storms that device’s surge protection may have prevented damage to my Oliver’s electrical system or even the Atmos. More importantly, upon checking the Autoformer was boosting voltage, which I have observed a few times since the install during storage. This occurs when line input voltage drops to 116 volts or below, wherein the unit’s output is automatically boosted 10% over the input. It is a known fact that insufficient voltage, both spikes and surges, can cause irrepairable damage to sensitive electronics and RV air conditioners, and the primary reason for having this extra layer of protection the Hughes Autoformer provides. There is comfort in knowing that if I inadvertently leave the Atmos On at the Cow Barn, given the minimal service, or run it at a CG where service issues may occur that my electrical devices and Oliver are fully protected. ‘Nuff said!

@topgun2 -- Which Garmin device do you use? Would you buy the same, or see reasons for a different selection? I bought the Starlink so that I can make calls in areas without cell service (using phone over wifi) -- BUT I don't leave my Starlink outdoors and I don't leave it on all the time. There was one occasion last year when I wished for cell access and couldn't make it happen.

OTT DOES fabricate these mounting plates "in-house". There were a couple of earlier models (in the low 100's hull numbers) where the welds did fail and Oliver both repaired these and changed the way these brackets were manufactured. Bill

In my opinion - if you are going to spend virtually any time in the out of doors and/or where cell phone service can't be guaranteed then (if you can afford it) having one of these satellite communication devices is not a luxury but a necessity. Most of these can be used for many functions in addition to their SOS feature. These include: messaging, real time tracking by friends and loved ones, trip planning, "bread crumb trails", weather, etc. I spend the better part of two months each year in relatively remote places fishing and hiking - usually alone. Certainly it is comforting to know that I can get help in the event of a medical emergency and I can let my wife know that all is OK. I must admit however that I never considered many of the uses that are noted in the report above. In addition, during the hurricane Helene back in October, 2024 we were without telephone and internet for about 5 days (many others had it much worse) and the only communication that we had with the outside world was via our satellite communication device. We also (now) always carry it with us when going on trips in the event we have a vehicle or other issue. Bill p.s. No, I do not own stock in Garmin nor any other of these companies.😁

Our Garmin Explorer is a great safety backup. Never had to use it. At one time when we did off-grid camping, I used it to plot our routes and used it to hike. We would also message our kids. We would set it up so our kids could see where we were at all times.

That’s a neat review.👍🏻 We have iPhone 14’s with IOS18 operating system and Verizon as our satellite service provider for an emergency SOS off grid. Our Starlink Mini is also another option we can use when are at our base camp. https://www.verizon.com/wireless-devices/smartphones/messages-via-satellite/ https://support.apple.com/en-us/105097

This is a bummer Dan. I see a few issues. In your very first picture there is a grease stain on top of the jack. In your last picture, the jack head looks somewhat cock-eyed to the post assembly and even more so to the fiberglass opening above. Neither picture looks normal, as I know for a fact that the tops of both of my rear jacks are bone dry/clean shiny paint and they are level, square to the cover that sits above them. I measured both of mine and they are left-to-right side identical within 1/16". They both measure 3 and 9/16" from the fixed post section to the bottom of the aluminum mount, where yours measures 4" on the good side and about 3" on the other. Your hull, 4 years newer, could have a different measurement but of course both sides should be equal. My feeling is the weld of the mounting plate to the post assembly has failed. Not sure, but these mounts were likely fabricated and welded by OTT, as they do not look like off-the-shelf jacks like our standard front jack. Given the age of your hull, likely it would no longer be under warranty. You could remove the bad side, simple enough by removing the two nuts you tried tightening earlier and pulling the jack out from above. When it's out, you'd quickly see whether a weld has failed (please post picture when you do). If so, then choices would be to get it welded locally and service the head <OR> enter a Service Ticket with OTT. If they did fab the mount and weld it, they may replace it for you or in lieu of a local repair, OTT could supply the replacement part. Again, don't use it until corrected as it would soon cause much more damage than the rub on your basement cover. I could be wrong but this is my best guess from looking at your pictures and measurements. You've taken all the right steps.

I was bending over too, never on knees, but now with these shorty extensions I do not have to crane my neck. Not truly risky. Check out the picture for perspective. The trailers tires are much further out and so is the rear bumper. They are also flexible so if something was to hit them they would just fold back. If something was to het them it would also hit the rear bumper which would be a big owie! I've loved them ever since adding them. Lead-free brass, good for drinking water (not that we drink water from the Oliver). https://www.amazon.com/Fevone-Extension-Flexible-Protector-Drinking/dp/B0BFWPFTFH/ Then I got these simple 1" chair leg caps for the Eley male ends which are inexpensive and fit nicely snug. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000SKXR0C/?th=1

I can still bend over and screw the quick connect on. No kneeling🤣. I must say, it can be a pain. However, I prefer to do as I do rather than having something sticking out there that is a target of road debris. To risky for me.

On your knees to connect a hose! 🤣 Sorry, not on my knees. I'm only getting on my knees for necessary repairs under truck or trailer. These make it easier and thanks to @Patriot the Eley connections can be put on and taken off one-handed (off pressure released).

Each year Garmin provides a "year in review" which shows the kinds of activities, places, reasons for users asking for help, etc. for users of the Garmin InReach satellite rescue device. There a number of these types of devices on the market, but this report by Garmin highlights some of the reasons for using any of these. The Garmin report can be viewed HERE. Bill

We have the ROVE Dashcam, front and back. I can connect to my phone Wi-Fi and there are very clear front and rear pictures. Extra safety, including preventing scams.

That is strange. Time to submit a ticket on this one. GJ

Thanks for your suggestions. As @jd1923 suggested, I checked the mounting bolts under the trailer and they looked tight visualy with lock-washers fully compressed. I put a wrench on them anyway and was able to tighten both bolts (on both sides) by about a quarter turn. This did not seem to change anything. Before pulling anyting apart, I started to measure differences between my curbside (too high) and my streetside (just fine) stabilizer jacks. I've attached the photos and I'm stumped. The curbside jack seems to be somehow mounted about an inch higher than the streetside jack. The inside photos are measuring to the mounting bracket. The outside photo shows that the cylinder for the shaft is an inch lower on one side. Is there some adjustment that I am not seeing? I believe that the curbside stabilizer jack was always touching the fiberglass lid but I never thought much of it. It seems to be doing damage to the lid now. Both jacks operate just fine as always. I am going to open a ticket with Oliver, but does anybody have a suggestion.....?

I too have been using a dashcam for a number of years now - so many years that (as far as I know) they didn't produce a camera that used anything but the cig lighter for power unless you wired it to a hot and negative yourself. However, there are a couple of things to be on the lookout for. I got both the dash and rearview cameras and with this there is almost a 360 degree of the vehicle. Make sure that you get a fairly big memory card for your dashcam. Having a "parking mode" (this is when you are parked the camera still records) is very helpful for things like someone trying to break into the vehicle when you are not there or if you are hit in a parking lot. GPS integrated into the dashcam can be a blessing and/or a curse - it will show speed and location. Certainly this is helpful IF you are doing the speed limit at the time a problem is recorded. My camera does not have an interior view but I've read that this view can be helpful in the event you are the victim and have to go to court. Good luck choosing in that there are a ton of these cameras on the market. Bill p.s. mine is branded as Apeman for what its worth.

I'm currently listening to "Hell or High Water" by Peter Heller -- about the first-ever successful traversing of the Tsanpo Gorge in Tibet. It's a detailed account by Heller, himself an adventurist and expedition paddler. "In the winter of 2002 he joined, on the ground team, the most ambitious whitewater expedition in history as it made its way through the treacherous Tsangpo Gorge in Eastern Tibet. He chronicled what has been called The Last Great Adventure Prize for Outside [magazine], and in his book Hell or High Water: Surviving Tibet’s Tsangpo River."

If you are looking for a restaurant, we had a nice dinner at Rock House Eatery in Guntersville last year. It's about 10 mi from the campground.

I have been running this D/C since 2022 and am really pleased how it works and how small and compact the camera is. Clear crisp photos or video. https://www.amazon.com/Garmin-140-degree-Monitor-Connected-Features/dp/B0931YZ82P/ref=sr Memory card -https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Extreme-microSDXC-Memory-Adapter/dp/B09X7CRKRZ/ref=sr I also recommend this polarized lens cover- https://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Polarized-Lens-Cover-010-12530-18/dp/B07LDCK7ZR/ref=sr_ Here is the Ford specific plug and play dongar.tech short connector which plugs into my review mirror and powers the camera. Install is a breeze. You can barely see the Garmin Mini 2 while in the cabin as it mounts up hidden discreetly forward of the review mirror. Note: you must have the auto dimming rear view mirror with the 16 pin connector for this plug’n play to work. 💯 happy with this dash cam set up and would buy again. You may want to call Dongar tech to determine which connector will work for your Expedition trim level. https://dongar.tech/products/16pin-ford-f150?srsltid=AfmBOookPpMlEZvtWy9Hi5SQfoIIYMJNOU0HJqtJewLLbWFu9zZgQjjS

I have the FITCAMX, it’s nicely integrated into my Silverado’s rear view mirror housing, and plug and play installation with the power wire hidden and connected to the rear view mirror wiring, and hidden inside the mirror housing.

Hi all, we leave in about a month for a month long tour in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Does anyone here use a dash cam and if so, which one do you use? Ideally I want one that doesn't need to be plugged into a cigarette lighter as I use that plug for the Oliver back up camera that is on while driving. Looking forward to getting out and seeing more of the country. First stop is Grand Junction, Colorado for the five leaf springs.

I Good first step and of course don't touch it until you get their answer. If they will not warranty it, I would tape where it's cracked and then add an UV protective loom around it. Do this even if they do replace the wire harness, so the new one won't look the same in another 5 years.

Your knees will thank you! My foam kneeling pad lives in the Oliver’s basement. 👍🏻