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After having the starboard wheel of our first Oliver drop into a hole when I made too tight of a right turn, I discovered the door to our microwave had been opened by the force. The tempered glass platter on the inside had sailed out along with a brand new Coleman lantern globe that I had placed inside to keep it safe from breaking. It appeared that they had both encountered the side dinette table top during their exodus and had shattered into about a million tiny shards of glass. Never wanting to have to clean up that mess again, we started placing the platter under a mattress while on the move. Feeling that this method was really only a patch to the problem, I searched for some sort of catch or latch to keep the microwave closed. I found these Multi Use Latches on Amazon. We have used them on the microwave door, at the base of the shower door to keep it open and behind a Keurig coffee machine to keep it on the counter, all with great success.

After removing the microwave glass, we tape the door closed. Found the bathroom faucet bumps against the wall during travel, so we installed clear bumpers where the faucet contacts the bathroom wall. Sounds like checklist items.

We have reserved for the Eggshells in the OBX Fiberglass RV rally. Web site is: https://www.gardentablet.net/eggshellrally/ Dates are Friday October 7 to Monday October 10th. Anyone else planning on going?

The recent discussion regarding the Andersen WDH and the location of the water drain valve got me to thinking about what other items can be overlooked, not remembered, forgotten, etc. One of those items just might be the glass plate in the microwave. Even though I've never had a problem with the microwave door coming open while on the road, I was cautioned that I should always remove the glass plate prior to traveling because the door can come open on rough roads and the glass plate would certainly shatter as it bounced around. I simply take it out of the microwave and place it in the cabinet right above. Does anyone remember any other thing(s) of that nature? Bill

I bought a Dodge Ram 3500 (SRW) new in March 2012 and have presently 40,000 miles on it. It is by far and away the best vehicle, whether it be car, truck or SUV, that I've owned. I'm currently getting 16.5 mpg city and 21 mpg highway. Have had zero issues. Once I reach the 5 year mark I'll be deleting the DPF system, only for better fuel economy and somewhat better power response. It is overkill for pulling an Oliver TT but for me I just plain enjoy driving it everywhere.

Do your research really well before deciding. There have been a number of complete engine failures: http://www.carbuzz.com/news/2016/3/28/Why-New-Ecodiesel-Owners-Need-To-Beware-Of-Engine-Failure-7732734/ but OTH they have produced a WHOLE lot of these engines worldwide, and I think they are a good design. OTH I would never own a modern diesel without buying an extended warranty for at least the drivetrain and emissions systems. The emissions are so darned complex and failure prone that you will surely have expensive failures. If you get all the Ram extras like the cool air ride suspension, be sure to get a bumper to bumper warranty. There are a lot of complicated and interconnected systems in a high end Ram, like active grill shutters. That is how they get the stellar mileage. It makes the truck more prone to nuisance problems. Diesels do not make good commuters in stop and go traffic. They need to work hard to be efficient. Steady highway driving is fine. Towing is finer. Stop and go fills up the particle filter (DPF) and requires lots of regenerations to burn them off, which kill your fuel economy. If you think your driving pattern fits a diesel and you want the wonderful torque, this would be a good choice IMHO. The new Titan XD will do a better job with more power and a better reputation for reliability, but it's 5.0 V8 is a new design that has yet to build a record in the real world. I suggest that you drive one of those and the Ram back to back before deciding. The Ram will pull an Oliver without a sweat, but the Titan will do it more effortlessly, while using a little bit more fuel... Personally, I would pick a Cummins engine any day, over any other brand. They are brilliant. In regards to towing capacity, remember that the tongue weight is added to your trucks payload. It is often impossible to tow a max weight trailer without overloading a light duty truck, after you have added all your other stuff in the bed along with passengers and accessories. There is a tow test where the guys used a Power Wagon to haul a max payload up the Ike Gauntlet, but they could not actually use the max amount because the soft springs of the PW would not carry enough payload. Same with a Ram 1500 and a heavy trailer. Be sure you can also load your people and stuff in the truck! I would NEVER attempt to tow over 7000 pounds with a Ram Ecodiesel, unless it was a short trip on flat terrain. That is too much weight for a light duty truck to be safe and reliable. 10,000 pounds? No way Jose! But the Titan could do it. John Davies Spokane WA

We use Thetford Black Streak & Bug remover for RV gelcoat, fiberglass, and painted aluminum. OK to use around windows or decals, too. Buy it at the local Walmart. I'm in a habit of cleaning bugs, stains, and tar off of the front of the camper & TV with a soft cloth and bug/tar remover at the end of each travel day. http://www.thetford.com/product/ultrafoam-rv-black-streak-bug-remover/ Use bug and tar remover by Turtle Wax for our pick up trucks. https://www.turtlewax.com/shop/products/turtle-wax-renew-rx-bug-tar-remover-16-fl-oz Use Plexus to clean plastic windscreens on motorcycles, helmets, and airplanes: http://www.plexusplasticcleaner.com/about.html Always wash the Ollie at home with fiberglass boat wash.

Don, yes we are familiar with most of these campgrounds except Dewey Bridge and Hittle Bottom which are much further up 128 and well past Castle Valley. However we have camped at Goose Island and Hal Canyon but not Big Bend though we have been through it and are familiar with it. Goose Island fills up the quickest because its so close to Moab and the other areas to venture into. Hal Canyon is small but you should be able to fit into about half the campsites there with your Oliver. Big Bend is quite a bit larger but also much further out. Most of the side canyons along this part of the CO river corridor are used for mountain biking, there may be some hikers but not many compared to the cyclist. One campground you did not mention and our favorite along the CO river corridor is Williams Bottom along Potash road to the south of Highway 191. Turn right almost at the same junction for the entry into Arches. We prefer it over all the rest but your preferences maybe be different. There are also some excellent hikes near by, one within easy walking distance of the campground and some amazing rock art in this area, huge prolific panels. Further down this road and at the end there is another BLM campground but can't remember its name and it is quite large and more open than Williams Bottom which has more shade. The north corridor road (128) will receive quite a bit more traffic during the night than Potash Road which quiets down at night. Also there are some campgrounds on the opposite side of the river, what is referred to as Kane Creek but with the exception of one of them they are not as appealing, however there are some of the nicest tent campgrounds along this area I've ever seen. Lots of ATV's, dirt bikes and other motorized backcountry vehicles in this area as well as mountain bikes but still there are some good and quiet hikes too. You didn't mention Fisher Towers which is up past Castle Valley and off 128 but that campground is way too small for anything but tents and truck campers. The day we went up there on this last trip it was pouring rain, otherwise a fairly popular hike. Some other interesting areas to explore but further to the west are Goblin Valley, San Rafael Swell, and a very small extremely isolated part of Canyonlands NP referred to as Horseshoe Canyon. Don't attempt The Maze in your own vehicle, either rent a jeep in Moab or better yet hire a guide. You can camp at the large parking lot at Horseshoe and there is normally room for an Oliver, but there is also well over 30 miles of backcountry gravel, sand rough road to get there. I wouldn't degrade it to a jeep trail, but its also not something I would want to attempt in a passenger car, high clearance and preferably 4WD are better and if its wet don't do it. The road can be quite narrow at times, but otherwise you shouldn't have any trouble doing it with the Oliver but all the campers we saw there were either truck campers or tents so proceed at your own risk. And don't overlook going into the Needles District, very nice campground there (fills up fast during peak season) and dispersed BLM just outside the park. Arches will be so crowded this time of the year its hardly worth the effort. We were there a few years ago in about this same time of year and some people were having to park literally 1-2 miles away from the trail head it was so congested. I'm not making this up. We felt like we were in a heard of marching ants on most of the hikes until you start heading deeper. Hope this helps.