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I will follow John into the wilds, any time. The older editions of DeLorme Atlases had more going for them than the new editions. They also changed the pagination so one having an older atlas can not give a location using a page number and coordinates of letter and number. If anyone buys a DeLorme Atlas from their site there is a coupon on it for 50% discount. I think competition is getting tough and like John... he has enough to navigate anyplace with accurate information at his finger tips. Great post John. Give everyone you license plate number so we can follow you.

Buzzy, for Western states the Benchmark atlases are hard to beat as a primary reference, supplemented by highly detailed NFS maps. The problem with the latter is that they are pricey and in some states like Idaho you may need a dozen or more. Plus they show no elevation data, which makes navigation a lot harder than it should be. https://www.benchmarkmaps.com/products-page/atlases/wyomingroad-recreation-atlas The Benchmark ones are way more useful away from urban areas that the similar Delorme ones - once you try the black BM atlases you will toss your red Delorme ones! While Google Earth and other resources are great for planning, I do long road trips with a Benchmark Atlas nearby, my Garmin RV760 LMT on the dash, for autorouting and Points of Interest, and my iPad Mini on a RAM mount, running MotionX GPS, usually zoomed out to about 2 miles to the inch for complete situational awareness. At this scale I see lots of features that the Garmin is completely blind to. http://gps.motionx.com/ipad/overview/ I usually view the excellent downloadable (included) MotionX Terrain maps, but I also have downloaded most USGS 24K topos (free) for my areas of operation. The beauty of this program is that it lets you view many, many different types of maps, including satellite and conventional road, but those require a data plan and cellular coverage, which in many places out here are simply unavailable. You MUST have cached maps! This is critical! It _is_ possible to load topo maps onto many NUVI models that have a flash card, and it is possible to display both topo and road features simultaneously with effective Auto Routing and voice prompts, but the display gets a little weird and I do not often do this. Plus Garmin TOPO is a little lame. Having two displays showing two different map types is a revelation when you are wandering in the boonies. The very best resource I have found for this stuff is a sub-forum at Expedition Portal: .... http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/forums/46-Mapping-Navigation-GIS-(Software) Here is a good start for you: .... http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/156098-Overland-Navigation-Overview-and-Tutorial?s=d2dbbcd414c6594cc6df60746eae59cb John Davies Spokane WA EDIT: There are a number of excellent local forums dedicated to overlanding, plus there are regional forums at Expedition Portal. While their focus is far more "off roady" than the stuff we have been talking about here, those folks _really_ know the back country areas around them and are friendly to visitors to their website asking for advice about places to visit. Just be sure to emphasize the fact that you will be hauling a trailer and do not have a locked and lifted Rubicon to pull it with. Avoid the 4x4/ Jeep forums as those are way too dirt oriented to be useful to an Oliver owner. In the past I have posted questions online about visiting southern Utah and the Colorado Plateau and these folks have been extremely helpful. JD

The USFS MVU maps are indispensable since they show where you can and cannot camp. Buzzy, you can get them at the ranger stations, or order them ahead of time here - http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/ohv/ohv_maps.shtml They also have a nice online version now that should be a great help when planning - http://www.fs.fed.us/ivm/ It's always advisable to check in with a Ranger when you arrive to get the current road conditions. Also good to know the locations of the BLM offices so you can check in on road conditions, camping restrictions, etc. Not a bad idea to just let them know you're out there anyway. Like Ray said, GPS can sometimes lead you astray, but then so can any old map. A combination of a dedicated GPS like a Garmin, that you can use offline, as well as an online solution like Apple or Google maps, seems to work well. There are also apps that are designed specifically for overland travel, like Delorme Earthmate, Motion X, Gaia or the new HEMA Explorer. These can be preferable to a dedicated GPS since the maps can be displayed on an iPad at a much larger scale. HEMA North America is a bit rough around the edges still, but they promise to make it as robust as their Australian version and if they do, should be pretty nice.

John E. Davies... we were camped Off the Grid thirty miles NORTH of DuBois, Wyoming about August 21, 2016. Just a year too early. Two of us from our 2016 Wyoming Adventure scouted the high country to the southwest of DuBois for an Off the Grid site, only to discover very few campsites offered a great view of the Eclipse due to the trees and lack of open areas. The ENTIRE State of Wyoming is promoting this event. You can even pick up Wyoming Eclipse 2017 stickers from any Wyoming Welcome Centers and State Parks. We drove from DuBois to Moran Junction, Wyoming which is on the way to Jackson, Wyoming. When you come into Jackson Hole country, the Grand Tetons fill up your entire view from north to south when driving west. At sunrise, it is a view you will never forget. Many years ago we took our 23 foot Safari to a National Forest site that required some skill to navigate, but it was high above Jackson Hole and would be near the CENTER of the ECLIPSE path! Maybe we could have a contest and have one to five Oliver trailer owners WIN the GPS Coordinates. There is no doubt of others knowing of this obscure area, as I did camp there myself... but the 'early Oliver gets the prize Base Camp Site'. Any ideas? One campsite has room for 8 trailers. Other sites in the trees and two possible access roads of questionable quality today.

I appreciate your comments. There appear to be a good number of Off the Grid and Base Campers owning Olivers.

I am very impressed with the responses from Oliver owners and those of us who find this website welcoming to those that have a different approach for the uses of their trailer. Obviously some serious Base Campers and Off the Grid travelers! I am very familiar Base Camping with a 23 foot Airstream after eight years of the learning process from 2006 to 2014. There are no books that will provide actual 'experience' on the real reasons why my wife and I went directly from Tent Camping to Trailer Camping. Anyone... and some of the previous posts are from those willing to learn or already hard core former Tent Campers... are going to Oliver Trailers for several reasons. 1- There is a very positive atmosphere at Oliver. Their Sales and Promotion people give out their office phone numbers, email address and make themselves available. I cannot do that at Airstream, easily. 2- Oliver owners are much like Airstream owners. Proud of their trailer and the utility of their trailer in many travel situations. IF my Airstream, which is set LOW on the Dexter Axles, can travel some of the most remote roads on the Rocky Mountains... Oliver's need not add lift kits. The 16" wheels as standard is a huge PLUS. 3- Oliver owners out in the Western USA are a bit bashful. None have come out to have a Some Other Brand (SOB) sniff out the plus and minus between two very road worthy trailers. Olivers and Airstreams. Airstreams can be found everywhere. Olivers are just getting a following that is working their way to the West. Although after Four Airstream Adventures... my wife and I agreed that we would not do another. There is a lot of background work required and no matter how you stress this is not for Tea Time campers, and the weak hearted... they come and leave as soon as they see a RV Park in town. There is no 100% perfect trailer for Off the Grid camping. None. I have been replacing hardware and adding bolts, where wood screws once were to hold things together. I have a thousand or more rivets... of which seven have popped and I installed Lathe Screws to secure the inside aluminum... forever, I hope. With use, you will find the weakest parts of any brand of trailer, upgrade them the best to your ability and go at it, again and again! After two years of camping trips, you will possess the BEST trailer you will ever own. If one of the two local Front Range Colorado Oliver owners, either one, want to sponsor a 2017 Oliver Wyoming Eclipse Adventure, I would be willing to assist in the planning from my experiences. This would be a July 2017 or August 2017 Adventure as the best time to be in the High Country is during June, July and Augsut. I am an optimist among the Oliver owners on this Thread. If YOU have only half of what I consider required experience... when you are finished you WILL be a Off the Grid / Base Camper.

Hmmm, beyond the above, annual spring cleaning, wax twice a year, review tire dates.... I will ask Paul what else he looks for. Tires, batteries, brakes, bearings, chains, lugnuts, wheels are all periodic checks.

Stan... you have great taste in reading material! I will use your reference to pull up some of my favorite topics that Airstream owners find important. Airstream owners have several major topics they consistently bring up: Typical Question: Toilet Paper clogging up their Black Tank, what should I do? Answer: Put all toilet paper used into the trash can next to the stool. No paper down the hatch, you do not have to get your arm into the Black Tank to find the problem. Typical Question: My Marathon trailer tires keep coming apart, wear irregular or have blow outs. Answer: Buy an Oliver. It has 16" Michelins. E Rated. Or replace your D Rated 15" with 16" wheels and 16" Michelin LTX M/S2 tires... like Olivers. Typical Question: Should I have my propane refrigerator operate while pumping gasoline? Could I cause an explosion? Answer: More people die from Food Poisoning. Not from exploding refrigerators near a gasoline pump. Your trailer's refrigerator ignition system is 20 feet or more from your vehicle's fuel tank entry. Maybe you should stay home and worry about meteorites impacting your swimming pool. Typical Question: My tow vehicle is a converted riding lawn mower. Do I need a license plate on my riding lawn mower while towing my 30 foot trailer? Answer: No. You do not need to put plates on your riding lawn mower while towing your trailer. What you do require is an AM/FM radio while you are towing and I include a photograph of my tow vehicle. This is what Ethanol can do to your paint job, while pumping gasoline. ... and please. Detach your trailer when mowing your yard. Been there. Done it. Of course, some of these Q&A's are spoofs... some are not. Let you serious Boondockers figure it out. And Stan... this is our secret. OK?

When I was recently at the Oliver facility, I saw a battery operated trailer mover. I asked about it and was amazed the cost, rather expensive. It has extra large wheels. I was also told they were not real well pleased with the performance. I was especilly interested because I am terrible at backing into a tight space. I will pay extra for a pull thru campsite. I have a 90'long driveway, downhill, with two turns and put my Ollie into my man cave garage. I do all of this very easily with my front mounted trailer hitch. I can both push and pull the TT, turn it extremely easy in an accurate path and get it through a 10 X 10 garage door. The only downside is there is a lot of weight on the front (truck drops several inches when the TT is lowered onto the front hitch) thus when turning, it leaves black marks on my driveway. Recently while camping in Savannah Georgia, I had to park in a back in campsite. I unhitched, turned my truck around, and pushed it in. There were large overhanging trees and a few turns. I was able to easily maneuver it in. I can see clearly on the drivers/TT door side, no problems. On the passenger side, I only had to turn the truck a small amount to see on that side. I have a rear view camera on the back of the TT but did not use it. I stacked two bricks I found near by to mark my final stop and maneuvered to the brick. My wife watched for the overhanging branches and gave me a few course corrections and we got it in perfectly. Below are shots of my driveway from street curb to garage, my garage where the TT rests, and of my front trailer hitch. My simple solution for tight spaces, turns and a mentally impaired back in driver is a front hitch. It is always on my TV and works great. Coy