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GAIA is a wonderful resource for those who venture off pavement for any type of activity..... this article is a great review and at the bottom you will find a link to a free 90 day subscription. Note, they say it is a Premium version, but when I redeemed it I got the Standard one. Still a nice deal, a good software “test drive”. https://www.4xoverlandadventures.com/navigation-app-choice-gaia-gps/ John Davies Spokane WA

It's a blanket policy against trailers over some length. They started it last year. I asked them about it since I thought it was odd that they started that policy the same year they moved to a campground that had paved RV sites, and Jonathan told me it was mostly about the optics. He said he didn't want the 'Good Sam' crowd there. Seems silly to me since no one goes to the expo to see the campsite, and you'd think the crowd that does go there is sort of self-selecting anyway. The year I went, I don't remember seeing any elkhart style trailers or RV's, outside of the vendors themselves.

Is this from personal experience or anecdotal? Maybe they are trying to keep out stick and staple junk trailers, but I don’t understand the rationale behind banning an Ollie. In years past there have been plenty of non-hard-core rigs. BTW I have a very nice men’s Medium EarthRoamer shirt if anyone wants to borrow it to sneak into the Flagstaff event. The NW Overland group will welcome yourOllie here in Washington if you care to drive north a little ways.... LOL. John Davies Spokane WA

If you go to the Flagstaff expo, just know that they won't let you bring your Ollie into the campsite. They've gotten persnickety about who they allow in, and Olivers aren't overlandy enough to make the cut. Maybe if you put an Earthroamer sticker on the side you can sneak it past the guards.

When I need to remove a wheel, and I'm in the garage, I use a floor jack under the spring plate. This seems like the best place to lift the trailer to me. The only reason I can think of for saying "don't lift it under the axle" is to prevent people jacking up the trailer in the middle of the axle between the left and right wheels. That will not work, but it is how tire shops lift pickups, so it would probably happen, sooner or later if allowed. Putting a block on top of a floor jack is very dangerous at it will roll and spit out the block and drop the load. Not a good plan. When I installed my Heavy duty suspension kit, I placed jack stands under the frame after lifting with the floor jack under the spring plate. This allowed me to adjust the axle up and down as needed during the work and it was very safe with two stands per side. I can hear the trailer creaking a bit when running the jacks down under load. It makes sense because they are applying force behind the rear axle. Jacking under the spring plate for service applies the lifting force exactly where that force comes from normally from the suspension. The jacks are plenty strong enough to lift the trailer, but I see no reason to lift the tires clear off the ground just to level it. It just seems kind of silly to lift the wheels off the ground for leveling, especially since the jacks have play in them and the tires, while still in contact with the ground will make the trailer more stabile. Much better to drive it up onto a some blocks and then fine tune with the jacks. Or drive the high side into a hole and fine tune. Also, these units are "jacks" and not simply "stabilizers". They are jacks that we use to stabilize, but the typical stabilizers cannot be used for jacks. I'm referring to those simple scissors type units that are dropped down at each corner in other trailers. They are not for lifting. So, we have jacks, that we use for stabilizing the trailer AND that can be used for lifting if needed. I would definitely use them to change a tire alongside the road. It was common knowledge (whatever value that has) when I got my Ollie that the jacks were fine for tire changing. Oliver seems to not have their story straight, and it has apparently changed over time. But if there was a real issue, they would make it clear, I'm sure. Or they would upgrade to make it safer. Not bothering to answer tells me, besides being disorganized, that they don't consider it a no no, especially since they used to tout it as a benefit. Bottom line for me: Use the jacks to stabilize or change a tire on the road. Jack it up in the shop with a floor jack under the spring plates below the axle and set it on jack stands under the frame. NEVER use a tall block to extend the reach of a floor jack. NEVER leave it up on it's own jacks and work on it with the wheels off or when going under it. Don't level it at a campsite by lifting the wheels clear off the ground. Common sense must always prevail! Don't rely on Oliver to always give the absolute firm policy regarding these issues. One, they change their story over time and by who you talk to, or they just don't answer. Two, they make blanket statements that don't always make sense. Three, it's up to each of us to be safe and responsible for ourselves. Blaming them for a mishap is not going to reduce the pain.

What Jason was referring to is something like this. Alternatively, if you have leveling blocks, you could use those. I don't think every owner will necessarily find it intuitive to jack up their trailer like that - it's a bit of a hack, though it works and obviously people do it. But the procedure should probably be spelled out in detail in the owners manual, particularly since as John said, the current one tells you to use the decorative jacks. This is a good thread, and I think now that it's been raised, the topic deserves a technical bulletin from Oliver. In the past, Oliver owners have been pretty hands-on and mechanically adept, but that's changing. So owners need to be able to tell service technicians the proper way to lift the trailer, because without that instruction some technician is going to put a jack under the frame, and possibly bend the frame and crack the shell. And I'm also worried that John is going to use his hi-lift on the bumper. Also, if one of the options is to lift the trailer with a jack somewhere under the subframe, it should be spelled out exactly where, mostly because I'm not certain there's actually a spot to do that - especially on the older trailers that don't have the extended subframe.

The runner is great, now that Sherry mentions it I need an entry mat. In case you need it, 22 x 144 inches works perfectly. Ottomanson Ottohome Collection Carpet Solid Hallway Wedding Aisle Runner Rug with (Non-Slip) Rubber Backing, Black, 1'10" x 12'0" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B012P2CVF2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_U.NjAbXPBMTFP