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The Yukon Territory parks are beautiful in their simplicity and consistency. $12 CAD, roughly $10 US, so almost free. Free firewood. Clean, usually big sites, often on a river, Creek, or lake. Amenities, beyond a lovely campsite, include long drop/ outhouse toilet(s), a log kitchen shelter with a wodburner stove, free firewood, and a campfire ring inscribed with a welded bead of ytg. That's it. And, often, a fresh water pump for a bucket, not RV fill, often with a boil water notice. People are nice, and usually great campers. We often find that someone has left behind extra split wood. Especially nice if you are carrying only a hatchet.. We've camped in about half of the 45 government campgrounds. Guess it means we have to keep going back. I'll try to describe some of our favorites. Sherry

I'll keep working on this, but with the time changes, I'm a little tired and out of sorts. One very important thing to do, when you come into the Yukon, is to pick up the map of the government sites. Back in the day, it was a mineo sheet with mp markers. Today, it's a beautiful map, by region, with a chart of amenities. It'ss a great planning tool. Most folks, coming in from the Alcan or 37, will stop at Watson lake for the "sign Forest" and gas. The visitors center there is great. Lots of maps and forecast info, as well as printed highway info. ( And reminders to keep your dog, bait for wildlife, on a leash and close to you. That's important, too.) Watson lake has reasonable gas prices, some limited shopping, an observatory, and the not remarkable ygt campground outside town. The visitors center has good, free fresh water ( just ask). The free dump station is in the city park.. a half mile from the center. I'll rant a little here. Bring your sign to the forest, but omg, take your dog poop and trash home . Every year, the walk through the "forest" gets worse and worse. Bottles, cans, trash, dog poop.... Walk carefully. I guess that's my rant for this trip. I'm really tired of picking up trash from campsites and fire pits along the way. I won't quit, but geez. Several times I filled an entire 30 gallon bag. It's getting ridiculous. Maybe that's why I like camping in the Yukon. Almost never do I find junk in the fire or site. Sherry

Jason, very glad to see the article in Trailer life magazine on the LE2. However, I was VERY NOT GLAD to see pictures of the small storage areas that ONLY Oliver owners should know about in the article. Don’t know if the folks that allowed the pictures to be taken were Oliver associates or “helpful” owners but anything you can do to discourage this in the future would be very much appreciated. This (yes I am being intentionally vague even here) is a great feature of your trailer, but NOT a selling feature. Please PM me if you have any questions. And btw..... this is not the first time this has happened in this publication. Thanks, Scotty

So, this trip, we visited a number of new Yukon Territory campgrounds. my new favorite, Twin Lakes. Frances Lake. Pine Lake. Snag Junction. Drury Creek (very pretty, and easy entry). Little salmon river (don't go there with a camper in tow and rainy day. Narrow one lane road, lots of pit holes, steep, uninviting) I'll look at the book for the others. Twin Lakes was a recommendation of new camping friends from Juneau. Twin Lakes has nice sites, many on the lake, and amazing views of the lakes and it's many little pine covered islands. The Loons can be heard all morning and evening. We met our new friends here leaving Faro city cg, which I will describe later Twin Lakes isn't really on the vroute to most places... Faro or Dawson, depending on your whim... But so beautiful. If you can, go. About 20 km south is a legendary bakery , with cinnamon rolls the size of dinner plates, at Braeburn lodge. We dawdled leaving twin Lakes, mulling staying another night. So, we met our new German camping friend Gunther, bicycling from Anchorage to San Francisco, and shared a giant roll and fun conversation at Braeburn . Then, headed to Fox Lake.

Along the John Campbell Highway. I should put " highway" in quotes 50 km out of Watson lake, before Simpson lake campground, the highway turns to dirt. And, this year, 12 km of reconstruction. Taking the old road bed and moving it to the new. Rough, muddy, and that was a good day following the pilot vehicle through deep ruts and mud, without rain. We didn't stop at Simpson lake, as the access was closed. Our Juneau friends tell us it's beautiful. 30 or 40 miles up the dirt road is Frances lake cg.in late May, the sign still said closed, but the gates were open, as were the outhouses. For an hour and a half, we were the only people in the campground. On a beautiful rock and sand beach, with amazing hill and mountain view. Five more campers hardly made a difference. Except for the German truck campers we met and camped with a few more nights. We shared campfires a few nights. Our new young Whitehorse friends told us this would be our new favorite canpground. It's beautiful. But I still like Boya lake in bc (where we met them) better Sherry

Whitehorse itself is one of my favorite places in north America. It has everything you need. The real Canadian Superstore is a great place for groceries and souvenirs. Canadian tire has odd bits and tools and equipment, well beyond tires. The Riverwalk is very pretty, and used to have one of our favorite food trucks. We were here too early, I think, this year. Community theater. Clinic and hospital. Beautiful visitors center. Good gas prices. Spend a little time. It's the beating heart of the Yukon, and the people are warm and welcoming.its my city break, of sorts, til we get to Fairbanks. everything is clean, available, and fairly priced for its remote location. Yes, it has a Walmart, with free overnights, but that's a zoo. Way too many people, and, why? When the camp just outside town is wild and cheap? Not to mention, Walmart is not as nice as the Canadian Superstore... No variety at all... There is a gas station next to the Walmart with free dump, and fresh water, with a gas fill. Same price as anyone in town, but the amenities you and the Walmart "campers" need.

Lake Le Barge ygt. We've camped here before. Only 40 miles or so north of Whitehorse,it gets really crowded on weekends. weekdays, you can possibly snag one of 4 to 5 lakeside sites, all of which are amazing. The one we used is tricky. It's a pull thru, between two fir trees. Not easy, but we'll worth it. We've spent three or four days there at a time... But the Lowe sites are buggy and uninviting. There's another busy campground north of lake Le Barge. Can't remember the name, but same caveat. Weekends are tough. Everything in the Yukon is first come, first serve, no reservations. BUT, Yukon seniors get a camping pass for free, and Yukon residents get an annual pass for $50. Recent changes eliminate the old deal of coming out on Monday and pitching an unattended tent for the following weekend.... But.m Still and all, the Yukon has something like 50000 residents, and half live in Whitehorse. Just something to think about if you are close, on a Thursday or Friday.

Fox Lake is a poorer cousin to twin lakes. Easy access. Level campsites. More fisherman and boats. Most pretty lakeside sites are very exposed to the wind off the lake, so if you are here on an earlier season weekday, almost better off to take one of the off lake sites with a view. Not that many people, off season. Not as scenic as twin lakes, but a close second, and closer to Whitehorse

We got back last night from our latest Alaska adventure. I'm thinking about starting threads for bc campsites, Yukon campsites, Alaska state parks, etc. Would that be ok? With a link to this thread. By the end of the summer, there will be a lot of information, I'm sure. Sherry

For all those of us that are or about to be -

Spike - Does this post help you any? http://olivertraveltrailers.com/reply/125366/

Just ten minutes ago we had a Mama black bear and her two small cubs walk through the backyard. Those cubs sure are cute. It was nice to see that all three of them had beautiful shiny coats. Guess that the neighbor's bird feeders are keeping them well fed! Sorry - camera was not handy. Bill

We picked up our Oliver on Monday and drove/camped our way back to Colorado, arriving back home today. Thanks to everyone on this forum for so much valuable information - it made packing for the trip much easier. We love our new Oliver! Alison

If you have TPMS you can screw a sender onto the spare, but that doesn’t help if you want to actually gauge it or add air. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006O2S8M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I have used these for decades in cars with a spare buried under the trunk. They need changing after maybe five or six years since they tend to develop a slow leak through aging of the rubber. I don’t use a tire cover, but this will be equally useful if you do, you can route it down into the rear compartment and check pressure by dropping the bumper. Or leave it poking out from under the cover down low at the top of the bumper area. I secured it to the wheel hardware, and added my TPMS sender onto the end. You still need to take a look under the cover routinely, to make sure all is well. At around 40 inches it is a little long for my setup, if there is a shorter one, please post a link. John Davies Spokane WA

First trip ever and just setting up at campsite. Had power just fine at home. Nothing at campsite. Have all adapters and tester. Power coming from source but not at trailer. Any ideas?

Bill, we really need an FAQ section, with links to the really helpful threads, especially for stuff like routine maintenance. “Search” is close to useless in this forum. You might have noticed I title any new thread that explains a mod or repair “HOW TO: _____” it is an attempt to group the posts in the Search results. A better search engine would be very welcome, this one is simply lame. John Davies Spokane WA

If the grease is discolored or nasty from contamination or water entry, don’t just add more without fuguring out why it looks that way. You can do all three simultaneously so you can compare the color in each. Replace a bad gasket or screw as needed. Having spares on hand would be a good idea, unless you are OK with waiting to complete the job. If the grease is in bad condition it should all be cleaned out, the loose parts inspected carefully for wear, then reassembled with fresh lube. I have not serviced mine yet, but the front one has started to get louder. I think I will clean them all out and substitute a superior grease like this one, which is way better (and more expensive) than the jack grease. .... https://smile.amazon.com/Red-Line-80401-Grease-Ounce/dp/B0053O9FQS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1528808329&sr=8-2&keywords=Cv-2+grease While designed for CV axle joints it works great in other stressed areas, including firearms. I use this in the trailer wheel bearings, it is wonderful stuff. It is very slick and does not stiffen up at really low temperatures. The big negative is the cost. John Davies Spokane WA

Spike - You're welcome! Our "search" function is not the best (as has been reported here many times), but, it is amazing what one can find by simply going to the general topic heading (like Mechanical and Technical tips) and then just scroll down the topic headings until something catches your eye. I thought that I remembered a post on this subject but unless you happen to remember something close to the post's name, finding it can be a bit of a needle in the haystack kind of thing. Bill

What have you all done to keep road spray out of the basement?

As long as we're talking about seals and dust intrusion, it is good to check the seal on the wetbath vent, I found mine deteriorated after about 1.5 years (uncovered storage) and the same seal I purchased (from HD) would work to seal the basement door, with the extra.

Very much so. Thanks, Bill, for finding and linking to this post. I think I can handle the task now.

I, for one, sure want to hear & learn all about yours & anyone else's trip to the 49th state! Last year, after Duke & I made the decision to buy an Oliver, I started reading and watching videos (thank you Reed & Karen) to learn about the RV life. One YouTube subscription I look forward to is KYD - Keep Your Daydream. The reason I mention it here is they are currently traveling to Alaska and will begin posting videos about their trip this Sunday. (6-17-18) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEhJLsShZt8McryMf_DHLZQ/featured These are exceptionally well done videos - beautiful scenery, almost professional quality editing, fun-loving & funny family &, most importantly, informative. Even Duke enjoys watching them. Their past seasons have been about the Eastern US, Mexico, NW US & Canada, & SW US. Scattered in-between are videos about their rig, storage, how to get along with your spouse, boondocking fail, mods to their tow vehicle, & so on. http://www.keepyourdaydream.com/ Enjoy! Chris

Thank you everyone for your input and support for the Oliver brand! We will be looking for products and distribution over the next few weeks. We will more than likely have some Oliver maintenance products as well... wheel bearing kits, Truma Decalcification Tablets, etc. I'm sorry to say we won't have anything available until after Father's Day but we will have something up in the next month or so!

Spike - I can't give you what I think you seek, but I can tell you that the jacks in the rear are the same as the jack in the front. And, yes, those instructions are the same for the "old" white jack and the "new" black jack. Also, you are to be commended for taking the bull by the horns and tackling these maintenance chores. Generally they are not difficult, but, for those that have not been down that road before and/or are somewhat mechanically challenged these jobs can seem much more difficult than they really are. Obviously, the best way to get knowledge is to ask the questions (like you are), and, then get out there and "just do it". Bill

Bad power at the outlet, your surge suppressor is blocking it. It normally takes about 20 seconds to read and analyse, then it “CLUNK” engages the relay if all is OK. Check the remote display under the rear street side compartment. Any “E” error messages can be interpreted in the owner booklet. You could use the bypass switch, but this is a really bad choice unless you are 110% positively absolutely sure the power at the outlet is good. It’s purpose is realy to get power if the built-in suppressor itself goes bad. Try hooking up to another nearby outlet. If you must have 110v, ask for another site. (In the future, check for good power before settng up camp.) Ask your camp host or a useful looking neighbor to help. Use your batteries and stay calm for the evening, tomorrow is a better day to worry and you can call Olivertech support. Be calm and enjoy your Oliver. It works perfecty fine off grid, unless you have no inverter and must make popcorn for your evening Netfix session.... actually, that sounds pretty bad, but you can always ask a neighbor to pop it;) What facility are you staying at? We need pictures, and please add some info to your profile. Good luck. John Davies Spokane WA

The answer to your question depends somewhat on your personality. Carol and I are both planners and check list people. We like to know where we’re going and that there will be room for us when we get there. If it’s not summer, we usually have a destination planned but do not plan the return - we just wing it. If it’s summer, we plan the whole trip. We’re getting ready to leave for Colorado and will return through NM. We have reservations at BLM, COE and TX State Park Campgrounds for the whole trip. Our go-to App is Ultimate Public Campgrounds. It’s very accurate and shows all the non-commercial places to camp. Mike

Unfortunately almost all the accessible free public lands are west of the Mississippi R, the eastern lands are mostly National Parks or highly commercialized resort style campgrounds with no boondocking. When most of the rural land is private, you find it posted and often gated off for any casual visitors. Add in the high population density, and the result is few available sites. Some National Parks and Monuments, such as Big Bend and Escalante, do offer dispersed camping at marked locations, but discourage random boondocking. The western National Forests and the vast areas of BLM land are pretty much wide open for this, if you can find a big enough wide spot, you are usually OK to spend the night there Texas is a prime example of bad planning... Just after statehood the new government opened almost all land for private development, probably as a buffer against Mexico, saving very little for the future public. Now there are vast primitive areas, but they are mostly private farms and ranches, with no public access. I like Texas, but this is an idiot situation, unless you happen to own a 10,000 acre ranch. This is just one of many reasons we fled from TN in 1981 and never looked back. If you really want to boondock, other than parking lots, plan on lots of high mileage days to get there, or sell your home and move west. Utah would be a good central location. You could boondock in spectacular scenery the rest of your life and never leave the state. The West Coast has great opportunities, but due to high population, in season many camping spots are very hard to find without a reservation. If you live within two hours of Puget Sound, you can just forget camping without a reservation from June through August. I moved from there too, 14 years ago. I do strongly suggest reviewing sat imagery before venturing down any uncertain road, to make sure there is a turnaround..... or hike it first! For a long road trip, if we have several fixed destinations, I will spend many hours studying the Ultimate Campground app and Google Earth (higher definition imagery than most nav apps, and the wonderful 3D tilt) and I will waypoint with comments all possible free or low cost camping locations close to the route, on GAIA, so en route we can easily find a spot when we start to get tired. Do your researching when you have extra time and fast wifi, rather than when cruising down a remote highway, with spotty cell reception and an expensive data plan. Use a good nav app and download the maps and images you need, before leaving home! John Davies Spokane WA

Going - Of course the answer to your question is - It Depends! Are you simply going out to explore? Are you looking for a place to settle in, sit back and stay put for awhile? Are you going into an area that is know to be popular and therefore crowded? Are you looking to simply get from point "A" to point "B"? Etc., etc. Usually I have a place(s) in mind before I leave the house. On routes that I've traveled many times I've gotten to know the where and when's of getting a spot that I want. However, even that can be a challenge at times - some parks and recreation areas require multiple days stay during holiday periods. Here in the East I think that it is a bit more difficult finding places to camp as compared to those areas West of the Mississippi due to more people and less government land. However, there are so many tools that you can use either with a cell phone or without. To specifically answer your question - here in the East I try to plan my camping spots- particularly when my wife is along as she doesn't appreciate roughing it in Walmart's or truck stops. But if I'm going out West I do have a plan but only make reservations if there are spots known to be a "problem" due to either popularity or lack of space. I'm guessing that the above is not really much help and each of us should develop a "style" of traveling that is most comfortable to exactly what they are trying to do. However, I would encourage you to at least test your own limits every now and then since some very nice and unexpected things can happen (i.e. find a new park, campground or other site that you would have never considered before). The object is to have fun! Bill

Nothing like, late at night, in the Ollie with the mirrored cabinet doors, turning off all the lights, with the exception of the inside courtesy and cabinet cabinet lights, with Miles and Coltrane . . .

Ken_Judy, Sounds like a great plan! Congrates! There's a bunch to do between now an September and the Fall on the East coast in your new Oliver should be fantastic. Enjoy the ride. Bill

And, the last time we crossed, bear spray with proper stamp was ok. I have not read the regs on weapons yet this year, but we will. I'd remind everyone to read the regulations ( both Canadian and US, for re-entry), not to rely on forum posts. (Even from reliable people like John.) Rules can, and do, change over time. Most often, it's about prohibited foods, to protect the agriculture of each nation. Sherry

Sherry, just a minor addition, otherwise, a great post. Most types of long guns can easily be brought into Canada with the correct paperwork, filled out in advance (but not signed) and presented to the border inspector for him to process. Shotguns and bolt or lever action rifles are usually not a worry, scary black guns may be. It is important to read the Canadian firearm law and do not ever try to sneak something through. I _very_ seldom travel to Canada, but if I do I will bring a 12 gauge shotgun and bear ammo. Firearms are not allowed in parks, that is a small worry, you need to store yours unloaded and in a hard to access area, like under the street side rear bed. Not in the closet gun rack;) Firearms and Hunting are not permitted in National Parks. If you are carrying a firearm through to another destination it must be unloaded and securely encased. https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/mtn/reglements-regulations/reglements-regulations Note that while you can possess a long gun as a non-Canadian “passing through”, your legal right to actually use it for self defense is highly restricted. For example, if you are in a remote forest campground you can’t keep it loaded, even while you are inside and parked. http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/fs-fd/wild-sauvage-eng. These are a few of the reasons I don’t cross the border.... if I go to Alaska it will probably be via the Ferry. Since it does not stop at any Canadian port, it is considered to be US soil, and you can transport any US legal firearms, as long as they are declared and left secured in your truck. John Davies Spokane WA