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Arrived a few hours ago. From the lodge, the view is quite amazing. Checked out the campsite too and talked to Coy. Lots of Olivers in the house!

Spring Canyon Campground, on Lake Roosevelt two miles east of Grand Coulee Dam, central Washington. The dam lights are in the background. Lake access is very good, even when the lake level is low this time of year. Rates are $9 off season, $18 starting in May, and you get half off of that with a Federal geezer pass. There are two camping sections, the upper is newer, flatter and more easily navigated with a trailer. But the sites are really strange - they are all very short and back-in, and most have a strange partial carport roof overhead. You are expected to park the TV beside your trailer. I think this was designed before slideouts became ubiquitous. It is very unappealing to me, like camping in an apartment complex parking lot..... Has anyone seen this sort of odd arrangement elsewhere? It certainly would defeat the purpose of roof solar panels! The older lower section is on a substantial slope and the gravel pads are not real even. But the best view is there. Verizon cell signal is very strong a little way up the slope where we are. There are restrooms with running water but no hookups. There is a dump station. While shaded, there is lots of sun and it may be really hot in summer, though winter conditions are mild due to the low elevation. Winter camping here is encouraged. If you want to visit the dam area including wonderful Steamboat Rock State Park, and not pay $40 to camp, this is a teriffic location. But very busy in summer! Some sites are reservable. John Davies Spokane WA

I saw about 50 Oliver’s parked beside a pond in Alabama today. Looked like they were having some kind of meeting or something.

Rumline, I’ve had my unit number since early February. But here’s why I think I got it so early- I got a call from Anita in early December that our Oliver was going to be ready ahead of schedule - they were ready to put it into production and she said it would be done by early February. I told her we didn’t want it in February - as you know, we are here in Colorado and February is not a good time of year to drive a camper trailer from TN to CO! When I told her we would prefer to stick with out earlier schedule and pick up in June, she said they would move the date back to its original production date, but I suspect it was actually finished in February and has been ready since then. This would explain why I’ve had my number for so long, and why it is so much earlier than units being finished right now.

I won't go into all the small stuff, but you definitely need a cheap compact ladder, preferably one that telescopes and will fit in the closet. You need to be able to get to the roof in case of a repair or stuck tree branch. If you are a heavy fellow, buy a good quality one for safety. Rock protection for the truck, since you will be going off pavement. Mudflaps at the very least. Gravel roads will trash the finish on your Ollie very quickly unless you drive dead slow ALL the time. If you have to drive 30 miles out of the national forest, driving at under 10 mph is just not practical ;( Spares for the composting toilet - peat, cleaning spray, extra fuses. Check yours since they seem to always install a too-small one. It needs to be 2.5 or 3 amp, not 1 amp, which will blow. Read my thread on the Natures Head if you have not already. You already talked about shovel, you need a little extra stuff for recovery if you get the trailer stuck. For example. consider ahead of time how you would go about pulling the trailer out of a deep rut. "Trailer offroad recovery" would be a good subject for a new thread since I can't recall anyone talking about it. Who wants to start? John Davies Spokane WA

Yes, the search functions on this forum are severely lacking, something I have posted about on several occasions... I think this is the thread that Bill was referring to: http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/oliver-tool-kit/

Thank you for the replies. I saw the AB Lifestyles sheets, and they look quality, but I'm not sure I would like a half-fitted top sheet. I mean it sounds like a nice idea but I like to stick my feet out to regulate temperature and prefer my top sheet to float. I was looking at "Advanced Bedding" but they're almost twice as expensive for roughly the same product (300 thread count cotton). Maybe I'll contact AB Lifestyles to see if they can make a regular top sheet.