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Oh yeah, all your search history is being traced! It knows what you searched for and is feeding you what you like! I stopped using Google years ago, use MS Edge only if a website error occurs with my browser of choice. We use DuckDuckGo which removes many tracers. They’re not that smart yet, but of course getting smarter. I used to always get tire ads for a couple months AFTER I made my tire purchase!

12 volt heat trace is about 3 watts per foot, and I'm not sure how you would calculate the length needed to protect the hot and cold loops. We picked up our trailer during a terrible ice storm with icicles hanging off the trailer while going down the road. There was real concern of freezing pipes. We said: Damn the warnings, we're running the gas furnace while going down the road!

As far as I can tell, I’ve made the first automatic leveling system for the Oliver’s Barker stabilizing jacks! Maybe even the first 3-jack leveling system on a travel trailer! It’s simple to operate, safe, and works great! I built the leveling system as a novelty for my own entertainment, so I’m only posting it as a interest item not a recommended project. In reality, manually leveling with the electric jacks is already easy, particularly with a LevelMate, so automatic leveling isn’t really needed. There are even warnings that the jacks are stabilizers, not to be used for leveling. However, I believe the warnings are more about liability than capability, as long as the jacks are used within reasonable limits. I'd been thinking about an auto-leveling project for a long time, but was deterred by the thought of modifying the jacks with fiddly proximity sensors or revolution counters as used in conventional leveling systems. I didn't want to alter the jacks for a DIY project that might not even work. But then it dawned on me. The only time I really needed to know the position of the jacks, is when retracting them to their parked position. I wasn’t interested in returning the tongue jack to the truck hitch hight like some systems offer. So this led to a revelation that automatic leveling could be done with nothing more than current sensors mounted in a control box rather than on the jacks themselves. This was only possible because of the Barker jack’s mechanical clutch. When the jack reaches the end of its travel, the clutch activates with a distinct clack-clack sound. It was likely that clutch engagement would produce a unique current signature that could be used to detect when the jack is fully retracted. A plan was developing, but I needed actual amperage values for proof of concept. Fortunately I had a data logging ammeter, and the chart below illustrates the results for one of rear jacks starting from its fully retracted parked position. The jack was extended through free air until it touched ground and began picking up load, maxing out when the wheel lifted off the ground. Then it was retracted to the parked position until the clutch actuated: I didn’t include the tongue jack chart because it's far less dynamic — it's always under load, and the clutch doesn't normally actuate during leveling. The clutch only comes into play after trailer is hooked up to the TV and the tongue is manually retracted. The amperage results confirmed that current sensors could work, and beyond detecting the parked position, they could also be used to distinguish the different leveling phases: rear jack extension until firm ground contact for stabilizing, and then transition to "roll" leveling if needed. Completion of the rear jack phase could then trigger the tongue jack phase to handle "pitch" leveling. The amperage chart became the basis for the circuit and software design. No proximity sensors. No revolution counting. No permanent modifications — just two wires to each jack, a component box, and a control board. Sounds easy, but this was only just the start of a long process to perfect the system. I hope someone finds this interesting! Cheers! Geoff

I have to admit the Black Series are not the most attractive campers out there but they do appear to be rugged. Thanks for the info.

He initially went to a Black Series HQ19, we saw it at Quartzsite just after he got it. He’s since moved on to other Australian trailers. He hasn’t been on the forum in a while but does answer PM’s. Mike

I find it VERY interesting that recently there are more ads for Battle Born on my MSN page. Anyone else seeing this increase in advertising? Bill

That’s exactly what we miss as well…the Alde radiant heat system is amazing!

Thanks @mossemi read through the entire post. I remember raspy from the early days of the forum and recall him going another route but did not know he was the Mchitch distributor. Watched an excellent video from one of the guys at ROA Off Road in Utah describing the various articulating hitches. The best one I've seen yet is a new one on the market, American made and engineered by the folks at Pause travel trailers that incorporate a ball hitch. Massive heavy duty thing too but see no way to use it on an Oliver without massive mods to the Oliver frame. I wish Oliver had gone the route of an articulating hitch and independent suspension.

@routlaw This link will take you to a post from @Raspy, who was the US distributor for McHITCH! It is the articulating hitch that Overland installed on his LE2. Mossey

One other possibility is that if you fully drained your FWT for winterizing, the water pump may be sucking air because the siphon tube in the tank is not in water. This was an issue with the earlier Olivers (pre siphon tube) before they changed the design. Dave

Looking forward to reading this interview. Thanks!

Congrats on your new Ollie! Like how the new windows look, too!

Yes.., my Oliver is great but I do still miss my nuCamp 400...sure wish the Oliver had the QUIET furnace heating system.

I have never seriously damaged my gear by bad decisions. Did get to experience a dust devil as it scooped me from landing to 25' and decided to ball up the glider and dropped me like a rock. That hurt......But no gear damage. GJ

Congratulations and welcome.

Mike Sokol's Newsletter will be sharing his interview with Battleborn

Hey John, did you wreck your paraglider one time? 🤣 My Mom, may she rest in piece, once when watching me do yardwork all day, then work on my old car 'til it got dark on a summer day, said to me, "You're going to hurt when you get older!" She was certainly right, but at 71 I'm still working with all my old body parts! 😎

Really amazing to read all of this! If you are at 119 I’m sure you’ll get to 130. - but depending on the mechanics, that is about it. One recommendation is to also extend the other direction - extension. If you don’t also work with your PT on that, you can ever so shortly decrease your stride. I couldn’t figure out what was going on when my wife started walking faster than me after “full healing “. I’ve focused on it, but there is still a small gap. One of the hardest exercises for me was the bike - so many forward and reverse rotations, but they really seem to make a difference. I live in Jackson Hole and as you might imagine there are a tremendous number of excellent athletes here. When I asked my Doc what was the greatest indicator of potential success he said that those who had a history of working the hardest heal the fastest. He also said that a large percentage of the skiers on the hill have mechanical parts. Personally, my biggest issue is putting weight on my knees on the ground- but otherwise really few limitations as long as I don’t go too fast. Good Luck! You’ll likely do great - amazing really!

Yes we made advanced reservations but we found many campgrounds less than 50% occupied by mid September. Probably the best to book in advance at the “National Parks “ as they are the busiest. We were in Canada Sept 5-Oct 1 Weather was very mild , in 55-65F range most days . Nights in 40’s. There were 3 rainy days, but some campgrounds are on bluffs so pretty windy.

Rob: Great for you! When I commercially air travel, I always go to the new scanners. I love watching the operator as he sees my replacement ankle, two replacement knees, and two replacement shoulders. Usually utters holy s h _ t and looks over to see who is grinning back to him/her. I often get asked what happened. I smile and say I sort of wore them out. Other than getting a great surgeon, it is all about the PT. Each joint has it's own protocols, and they DO NOT transfer to other joints. For knees, the PT is can to can't deal. Under supervision, you can work them at your MAX tolerable effort to exhaustion. Do it every time and keep improving that up-slope curve and the "Bean Counters" will keep you getting better. For the knees ten weeks after surgery I was with my wife a Snowbird UT. First run I was being passed by all the first graders. Each run I got faster... first 6th graders, then some high schoolers. After four runs I was feeling 75% of what I was many years before. After run 5, I was feeling stoked and asked my wife if she wanted to bet a pitcher of beer for the winner to the club house. Her response was sure, but I want a 30 second head start. She bought the beer. Point is do the PT and do the PT homework to the max your PT team will allow. Tell them your goal is the knees of a 29-year-old. Then do the work to get them. Now at 74, I can outwork anybody I know even close to my age. I'm still flying paragliders, swimming three miles a week, doing weight training, and of course sure surf kayaking. Aim high! GJ

Thanks!

Thanks Bill. Likewise I tend to come and go depending on the seasons. Hopefully he is ok. I will look into it.

@Galway Girl Thanks for your post. Great pictures Did you make advance reservations at the CG's in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI and Cape Bretton? Were you at those locations during September and early October? What were the outside temperatures during that time? Thanks

I seem to remember that Overland did something to his hitch on Snowball. Unfortunately, Overland has not been here on the Forum for quite some time. Perhaps a PM to him would get a response. Good luck! Bill

Welcome from Hull #1045, Jolli Olli