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One of the main features I love about the Oliver is its solid double hull construction and great crash safety. I have been a long time hater of slide outs since they are constant maintenance hogs and they can be so darned deadly in an accident. https://axleaddict.com/rvs/RV-Slide-Out-Dangers Scarey stuff indeed. I have never owned anything with a slide out and never will. I will never buy anything that uses wood as a structural member. I wonder when the design of RVs will start to become regulated to improve occupant safety? If you have never googled "RV wreck images" then you need to go look at what can happen to "non-Oliver's" ... Comments? John Davies Spokane WA

Do you need that many watts? Do you have the solar package? What is the intended use of the generator? This 2400 watt Yamaha is on my wish list - it gets really excellent reviews and has a very high initial surge capacity, which is useful for starting an AC. From one of the reviews: "More watts and amps than the Honda [2000]. The Yamaha is "rated" at 16.7 amps with "rated" surge capability to 20 amps. Very useful when trying to start electric motors such as a freezer compressor or and A/C unit. Hayes Equipment Company tested the Yamaha 2400 on a load bank and it held a 30 amp (not a typo, 30 amp) surge for 10 seconds, this is how the unit is advertised to start newer 13,500 BTU A/C units in RV's. The 10 second surge is enough power to start the compressor until the running wattage drops to below the rated amps when the unit is running. Give serious consideration to the Yamaha if you are going to run anything with a compressor such as a A/C unit. Honda Amps are 13.3 rated and 16.7 surge." https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00AYUWDZG/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1X5H11EH41351&coliid=I2JD9IQIOTZ9EY I've had a little Honda 1000eui for many years and it is stellar, but I no longer believe that Honda is the best choice in terms of best bang for the buck. I think they are all overpriced, even at Internet pricing. Anyway, have loads of fun and post pictures... where are you headed? If into the Cascades, then bear spray or a large caliber firearm will let you sleep much better at night. John Davies Spokane WA

For Scotty, and anyone else wanting to build structural stuff out of aluminum, here are some cautions: Be sure that you understand the different alloys and their uses. Here is a good basic reference: http://alcobrametals.com/guides/aluminum Never never ever build a critical weight bearing structure (that will be subjected to repeated shock loads) out of the dead soft stuff available at the box store, you need a good strong weldable alloy like the tried and true 6061 T6. Think "airplane" rather than "greenhouse". Look for a material supplier who specializes in non- ferrous metals like the link above, which will cut and ship small quantities. I get stuff from them regularly since they are ten minutes from my residence. Aluminum is nowhere as strong as steel so everything has to be upsized to compensate, which means thicker walls and larger diameters. Just take a look at the Oliver frame for reference. It's relatively expensive compared to plain steel, so buy no more than you need. But by paying more now you are rewarded with years of low maintenance use. Aluminum can be welded but to do it correctly (and beautifully) is something of an art. The local trailer hitch guy most likely will not want to do it, if he even has the right equipment, and he may botch the job. You need to find a local specialty welding shop, not Uhaul, that can do this. I am lucky enough to know a guy who will do walk-in jobs for cash-in-hand. I never asked him if he reports the income. His work is gorgeous. He specializes in aluminum boat repair and race car fabrication. Your metal supplier will probably be able to refer you to this kind of shop. I suggest modifying Grayson's design to include a new cross member parallel and right next to the bumper. That gives you two beams to mount your bike crossbars to. Include a second 2inch square tube at each receiver hole, welded at 90 degrees straight up. Now you can remove the rack when not being used and remount it sticking straight up for transport. Allow enough clearance so you can open the bumper! You could use locking trailer hitch pins instead of bolts, though they don't hold as tight as big bolts. This last suggestion depends on your bike rack design, you may not have room to clear the spare cover. You could use a minimalist rack like my favorite the Yakima Boa and have no clearance worries, though it does require removing the front wheel. One thing I really like is that when they are removed from the bars, two pairs will fit in a big ziplock bag. Regular racks take up a ton of space in your garage. Finally, use stainless fasteners. Just like your Oliver. Aluminum trailers are great. Scotty, if you are going to use the rack on your truck, you must stick with a single receiver tube design. This is going to be inherently unstable, but you can deal with that by adding a clamp on brace to the tubes, to keep them locked together and prevent wiggling. However, I am not sure I would trust a lot of weight to a single aluminum receiver. The twin setup is way stronger. How heavy are your bikes? John Davies Spokane WA

Found this thread today started during 2008 on rv.net about Dexter EZ Flex installations. After jacking up the Trailer, many folks use two jacks to lift and lower axles during the modification. Many photos and good ideas. http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/21609645.cfm