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When I started researching bike racks for the back of the Oliver, like Don Thompson who started this thread, I found that for many bike racks, mounting them on a towed vehicle voids the warranty. I wondered why, and I searched the internet with terms like “catastrophic bike rack failure trailer.” There are lots of examples and discussions on trailer forums. Most (all?) of these failures are on stickbuilt trailers, where they have bolted a receiver hitch onto a possibly flimsy bumper. And catastrophic failure can occur. After seeing this, I figured that the lawyers for Thule and Yakima were simply doing their jobs and voiding the warranties when the racks are on trailers. I felt that the Oliver bike rack was much stronger, and I would take my chances. After my research I decided on the Yakima Holdup bike rack that fits into a receiver hitch, and I am quite happy with it. I have the rear view camera, and I can see the rack as the car travels, and the rack and the bikes are remarkably stable. The new Oliver design for a rear bike rack that Yvonne & Doug posted pictures of looks very good; it was not available when we ordered our unit. However my reason for posting here is that for some people there is a good rationale for a standard bike rack. I am an experienced bike rider. I commute to work by bike and I did cycle touring multiple summers. I am comfortable riding on many kinds of roads. My wife, in contrast, is happiest riding on an empty road with wide shoulders; even better is a protected bike path. So for us, the campground may be on a poor road by my wife’s preferences. However, if we transfer the bike rack from the trailer to the tow vehicle, we can transport the bikes to a more desirable bike path. We camped at a BLM campground last month near Moab. The road was narrow with no shoulders. However, eight miles away there was a great bike path along the Colorado River. Some photos enclosed. There is a bridge across the Colorado River for bikes and pedestrians, and at each of the bridge piers there are wonderful sculptures of rock and steel. David

I guess the point I was trying to make is the progressive dynamics system does more than just protect from surge spikes, the outlet tested ok until it was put under load, the air conditioner would have kept running on low voltage without my knowledge if the "surge protector" had not tripped. Rv parks are notorious for low voltage "brown outs"in the summer when ac use is high, low voltage will kill your ac compressor over time.

We did not get the built-in model, but we have the Progressive Industries EMS-PT30C Portable EMS RV Surge Protector - 30 Amp - and it's saved us many times. Most of the time the campground owner will at first try to convince us that its the Surge Protector's problem, but thank goodness, we've never fallen for that excuse. When new campers ask if I think a Surge Protector is worth the cost, I always tell them: You will be getting one, either before you need it or after you've needed it, but you'll be getting one.

Brandi, I'm pretty sure Oliver used the Ventline round 12v vent on our trailers. Chances are, they still use the same one. I'd call Tuesday to verify, but I believe it's this one https://www.etrailer.com/RV-Vents-and-Fans/Ventline/VP-543SP.html?feed=npn&gclid=CjwKEAjwja_JBRD8idHpxaz0t3wSJAB4rXW5ii-OICIDxEW7I3BiMrkXCj_gsENfUfUU3xSTEuJ9phoCrVrw_wcB They also carry a replacement cap, only, for around $5. The pull down handle on ours broke a few years ago. Oliver replaced the whole unit on one of our factory visits.... Etrailer also carries a locking plastic shore power door that looks similar to ours. You'll want to check the measurements to be sure. Again, I'd check with Oliver tomorrow. They might have both pieces in stock, even though they've changed up the shore power connection to move the furnace location. Sherry

"Either of Progressives top of the line models will give you full protection, but for me, I want to see what’s going on before I plug in ????" Reed and Karen, I must admit that before I had the readout of the Progressive moved to a place where I could see it - the original location was under the streetside bed - I would plug in, enter the camper and wonder why the electric was not on. So, I went back outside, unplugged, re-plugged, went back inside only to find that the electric was STILL not on. On at least one of the two occasions that this had happened, I repeated this dance at least a third time before it finally dawned on me to check for error codes on the Progressive. Re-locating the readout to the inside of the pantry has simplified things greatly - note that since the red readout is constantly on and flashes between several items (voltage, amps, etc.), I had to place it were it was not constantly visible or it would be like living in a cheap motel with a neon sign right outside your window. Now, all I have to do is open the pantry door to see what the problem is. Note that at no time does the Progressive allow electric to "enter the camper" if there is a fault. So, in my case, on that dark and stormy night I'm not out there in the rain, snow, sleet, gloom of night trying to read what the Progressive is trying to tell me. Is that plus the convenience of having it hardwired worth the extra $250 or so? Bill

According to Progressive Industries, the manfacturer of my electrical unit, the following is what it does, certainly much more than what I could do, test for, or evaluate Product Features: • Over/Under voltage Protection • Open Ground, Open Neutral & Reverse Polarity Detection • Accidental 240V Protection • Miswired Pedestal Indication • Surge Failure Indicator • Amperage Meter Display • Previous Error Code • A/C Frequency Protection • Time Delay (136 seconds) • Adjustable Time Delay • Thermally Protected • Built-in Scrolling Digital Display • Field Servicable • UL Certified and Canadian Approved • Lifetime Warranty • Made in the USA

Before I hook up to shore power I test both the voltage and the circuit wiring. This website describes a simple device to do this http://www.myrv.us/electric/Pg/tester_30amp.htm I ordered all the parts for this device from Amazon for about $25. https://www.amazon.com/Camco-55233-Electrical-PowerGrip-Adapter/dp/B00192QB3I https://www.amazon.com/Globe-Electric-46505-Single-Tap-Grounded/dp/B007XQORTO https://www.amazon.com/Prime-Products-12-4055-Voltage-Meter/dp/B002P48KLK https://www.amazon.com/Sperry-Instruments-GFI6302-Outlet-Tester/dp/B000RUL2UU I keep the testing device in the box with by 30Amp connector cable, and use it each time. David

David - Got the Oliver - check got a nice camping site - check got a blanket, hat and gloves for the lady - check got the remote for the camera - check got a mostly empty bottle of something on the table - no wonder you two are having FUN! Jealous! Bill

Last month we were at Costco and saw the Outland Mega Propane Fire Pit for $99. Amazon has this model for $160, although right now it is $130. I had not seen these so I read about them when I got home. The reviews are impressive. You don’t get smoke in your face and clothes with these. The flames are pretty to watch and it gives off good heat. So we bought it, brought it home, and I carefully unboxed it. This is the Mega model with a 24 inch diameter, and we decided it was too large for our needs. So I boxed it back up like new and returned it. We then bought the 18 inch model from Amazon for $130. LOL, we paid more for the smaller version! Go figure, this 18 inch model is currently $160 at Amazon. (I can’t figure out Amazon price changes, but if you want to follow the price of an item over time check out https://camelcamelcamel.com, where you can also set up alerts for price drops.) We used the Outland Propane Firebowl on our trip last weekend, and it was great. You can sit fairly close to get the warmth, closer than I would with a regular fire. I swapped out the propane hose for one that uses quick connect. I think the propane firepit takes up less room in the tow vehicle that the box of firewood we took to Moab in April. There is one major advantage to the Propane Firebowl over a regular fire. We made fires every night when we were in Moab last month at a BLM campground without water, and we had to use water to make sure the fire was completely out before retiring for the night. We were boondocking, and water is a precious commodity to use for putting out a fire. David

When I had my Ollie built, I think (according to Oliver) my Ollie was the first Ollie they built and installed the built - in Progressive Industries unit. Soon after I picked up my unit I drove Route 66 as a retirement celebration. I stayed at a state park in OKlahoma halfway through the trip. When I plugged into the 30 amp power outlet, my unit immediately issued a loud click. I could tell this was not business as usual so I looked at the monitor attached to the Progressive Industries unit. I then called Peogressive Industries and the electrical engineer told me the code I gave him indicated the polarity was crossed, posited to negative / negative to positive. I looked at the box and could tell someone had recently tampered with the unit. I opened the box and indeed I could tell from the wiring colors that the wires were crossed. I did not have access to turn off the main, so I reported this to the ranger station. They sent a repairman and he corrected the wiring. The cost of the surge protector was certainly worth the preventative cost of a Oliver camper catching on fire ! I will never have a camper without the Progressive Industries unit.

My husband likes the rack. We have not had it on rough roads yet to give it a real challenge but seems good for the highway. We will find out just how good it is this summer when we are traveling on the rough forest service roads in Colorado. It is a pricey option at $995. And yes, I think we will have to relocate the licence plate. As far as access to the stinky slinky, yep more of a challenge but certainly doably. Worth it to us to have a place to carry the bike besides inside the truck bed or blocking the access to the truck bed.

The new rack will certainly be more stable, not having that single hitch pivot point. It doesn't look like there would be any flex or bounce whatsoever. Two concerns, license plate visibility and tank dumping access. What are they pricing the new mount for, coming with the Thule?

We have a two burner propane stove which is light and folds up very nice and the optional bag to carry it in. Also we have the propane campfire similar to Lukens but we ordered from Amazon. Sorry, we haven't used them yet as wife still works full time and then some. The two burner cooking stove can be used with small canister type propane or with the adapter hose a 20# propane tank or from the trailer hook up. We pretty much follow the Lukens equipment as we appreciate their camping knowledge and experience. But many others have been helpful to us too. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004S3HDBO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007V4SJSS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008JORKP2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

My friend has the camp fire in a can and he prefers ours after seeing it because ours looks like coals and can be stirred up and arranged so that the fire works better. We bought ours at Lowe's and add our own extra special lava rocks when we find one. We cook hot dogs, hamburgers, marshmallows over it like any other fire. The Campfire in a Can has the fake logs, so arranging the fire isn't possible unless you toss the logs and add your own rocks. From what I can tell, they all have the same burner that can be modified for huge flames if you want also by drilling out the orifice a bit. There are tons of videos of them all on YouTube. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Garden-Treasures-18-5-in-W-54-000-BTU-Bronze-Portable-Steel-Liquid-Propane-Fire-Pit/50037272