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I'm not sure your're understanding "flattening the curve". This is about utilization of hospital beds and staff. If 500 people get sick in 3 days and all go to a single hospital, it would overwhelm the staff. If the same same scenario were to occur over a 60 day period it would not have the same effect on the hospital beds or staff. I understand your concern for those dying from cancer and car wrecks. But, most of the 1600 people you mention are already in a health care situation so whatever curve is involved has already be absorbed into the daily flow. The "900 deaths a day in vehicle fatalities" are dead at the scene and don't impact hospital bed usage and there is no curve to deal with. If you really want to be concerned about something that could easily be fixed, consider the seasonal flu. Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that the flu kills 290,000 to 650,000 people per year. Where's our outrage about that? The CDC recommends getting a flu vaccine and taking everyday preventive steps to help stop the spread of germs such as staying home (sound familiar) when you're sick. In my health care career, one of my job responsibilities during flu season was to ask patients if they'd had their flu shot. Most said they had had or wanted one. But a good number of people would refuse using any number of excuses. I never heard a reasonable one. Anytime there is a new emerging infectious disease that is shrouded in mystery with a lot of unknowns, it captivates people in a way that a regular virus that people deal with on a yearly basis won’t.

With the Covid 19 suggested travel restrictions keeping me home and properly distanced - I took the time to put Oliver in top shape: 1. Greased all fittings, repacked and replaced (one side) wheel bearings. 2. Verified all chassis fastener torques. includes the Dexter recall. 3. Rotated tires - front to rear, one rear to carried spare, one rear to "extra spare" . The trailer carried spare to front, and second spare to other front. (I purchased a second spare with my Oliver purchase.) So - two new tires to front, fronts now rear, spares are former rears. Basically a 13k rotation. 4. Washed and waxed Ollie. Used the Meguiar's Flagship Premium Marine Wax. I actually believe I prefer the regular Meguiar's. 5. Put a threaded "stop" on the powered antenna - it rotated around, a loose fit by design. Now it is secure and locked in place. 6. Pulled AC shroud off. Removed the bird nest detritus , waxed the shroud, replaced. 7. Added new gutters to all windows - the ones mentioned in other forum posts. I used a electric blanket to warm them up sufficiently and cleaned the surface with 3m cleaner. They are very secure - to my delight. 8. Enlarged the drain holes on the three side windows. (Just the ones on the "slide" glass) . Same rectangular look, just about 75% larger. 9. Added a bolt "stop" to the battery tray. Keeps the tray locked in place should the latch fail. I have seen one fail first hand in a friends Ollie. 10. Replaced batteries in all the remote Temp sensors. 11. Tested all the systems - except AC. Readied all systems for "GO". Sanitized the water system. 12. Thoroughly cleaned the interior, removed the excess floor glue that bugged me since purchase. 13. Bleach cleaned the window outside inserts, to almost new white condition - my new black ones are on back order...... Found my tire covers......... What did I miss? Other than a few "upgrades" I am contemplating..... RB

Final resolution: replace the jack motor I spoke to Jason at Oliver. Reviewed my troubleshooting steps as outlined in my original post. He felt there was a problem with the jack. He provided me with the name / number of a representative at the jack manufacturer, Barker Manufacturing. Contact as of March 2020 is Bob Asher Phone: 888-367-6978 x 2611 email boba@barkermfg.com. With Bob, once again reviewed my prior steps. He felt it was the jack motor. He sold me one at their cost (about $75) and shipped it out. I replaced the motor and that fixed the problem. Replacing the motor wasn't too difficult. As I'm sure you all know, it's under the bed. Need to loosen three set screws, cut the wires, take out the top-of-the-jack assembly. Take it apart to get the motor out, then reassemble. Re attach the wires, and tighten set screws.

David and I left NH Feb 16 intending to camp in the south-eastern and gulf states working our way over to Mississippi and then coming back on the Natchez Trace Parkway, attend the rally in Alabama, then slowly camp our way back to NH, arriving home in mid-June. Then the rally was postponed and campgrounds began closing. Several days ago we decided that ending our trip and heading home was the wiser thing to do. We reached NH yesterday afternoon, sad to have our first real trip cut so short but we had great fun and learned a lot about our Ollie (happy we had brought the manuals with us!). It is time to stay home to help protect as many people as possible. Hope you all are well and planning your next trip.

Were you able to complete all of this maintenance in the shade of the new Ollie shed?😄 Thanks for the list. Mossey

BoB - Assume that you replaced the battery in the smoke alarm? How about a cleaning and dielectric grease in the pigtail and did you check the terminals on the main batteries when you added that bolt stop? Also did you give the door lock, hinges (of all sorts) and any other movable thing a shot of "grease"? and, did you do a check of the caulking - particularly on the roof? Bill

Thanks John - this is very helpful as we enter the camping season!

Nice trailer, probably would have been something I might have been interested in 30-40 years ago. My camping style today is comfort on paved campsites with full hookups, what can I say, the Oliver spoiled me. trainman

There are definitely things to like about the Black Series, especially the HQ 19. It’s a little wider and a little longer than an Elite II. The suspension is pretty heavy duty, the black and fresh tanks are larger, plus a separate filtered drinking water tank and it has good exterior storage. Inside, there’s a walk around queen bed, larger dinette, big fridge and a spacious dry bath. The frame and box are made in China and it is finished out in Los Angeles. Dealer support depends on the dealer, some good, some not so good. John’s (Raspy) dealer seems to be a good one. We were impressed when we were there. It’s not as 4 seasons as the Oliver. Tanks are exposed underneath but they are wrapping and will install a heat blanket if you want. Price is about the same as the Oliver. We’re still happy with our Oliver. Mike

The concept is pretty nice - I took a look at them at overland expo and there are definitely a few things that I prefer over the Ollie. But then there are also some things I don't like so it balances out. On the whole, I prefer what I have. But if they had been available when I was shopping, and I didn't know what I know now, I'd have looked at them pretty closely. At that time, I seriously considered a Kimberley trailer, since they were available here back then. The Kimberleys were fairly unique, though, if more expensive. I don't think that there's anything particularly special about the Black Series - they're just an Aussie style trailer that happens to be sold here. Tougher construction than the average, and a lot more off-roady eye candy, but not unique in any way. There have been other Aussie companies enter the market here, like Kimberley or Extreme (?), and it seems like they last a few years and then quietly leave. Conquerer, from South Africa, comes and goes randomly. Earth Cruiser I guess is the only one that has stuck it out. From what I've read, though, the big problem with the Black Series is that you don't have to wait for the company to exit the market before being hung out to dry. There are some really ugly stories on ExPo about the quality and customer service - to the extent that they say the company has threatened lawsuits against their own owners, and the forums they post on. I can't see how anyone would put up with that sort of clown show, especially after having owned an Ollie. So, my opinion is that if you go into it, think of it like importing a trailer. Assume that you're on your own, and if you have the time, skill, and money to fix things yourself, then sure. But for me, it seems like the sort of trailer that looks great in the brochure but loses its shine in use; whereas I think you don't really start to appreciate the Ollie until you put it to use, and the more you use it, the more you realize how good it is.

Update in WA State Parks and Campgrounds. March 22, 2020 The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission (Parks), Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced the closure of all state campgrounds across Washington to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Campgrounds will remain closed through April 30. The closure includes roofed accommodations like cabins, yurts and vacation houses. No new campers will be allowed into Parks, WDFW or DNR lands beginning Monday, March 23. Current campers will be phased out following instructions from land officials. Day-use areas and trails remain open. Due to the volume of people visiting Washington’s ocean beaches, we are asking the public to avoid those areas. People should continue to practice social distancing when recreating outdoors. STATE PARKS Campers who have state parks reservations through April 30 will be notified and offered a full refund. Visitors can find the latest information about State Park operations on this page. DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE Although camping is not allowed, WDFW wildlife areas and water-access areas remain open for public use at this time. However, due to theft and increased usage of their restrooms, visitors should plan to bring their own hand sanitizer and toilet paper. For the latest information about WDFW operations, visit the WDFW website. DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES DNR’s camping will be closed to dedicated camping areas and dispersed camping or camping outside of designated camp sites. For the most up-to-date information for DNR lands, visit DNR’s website.

BoB, thanks for that info. I think that a local authorized bearing supplier, if you have easy access to one, is the way to go for real peace of mind. At least with a guy in a real brick and mortar store , you can go back and talk to him if there is ever an issue. These shops have a good reputation to maintain, unlike a shadow Amazon "store". Remember that Timken is a wholesaler, they never sell direct, so if an online store calls itself "Timken" be uber-suspicious. John Davies Spokane WA

Earlier posts described the covid-19 epidemic as “blown out of proportion,” or “over blown,” or “media hype.” I have to strenuously disagree with those characterizations. This virus is extremely transmissible between people, and epidemiologists predict 40-70% of Americans will likely get infected. Yes, 80% of those people infected will have mild to moderate symptoms. However, 20% of infected individuals will have severe respiratory problems. Many of these people will require hospitalization. Many of these hospitalized people will require advanced interventions, including isolation, ICU care, and treatment with a ventilator. Unfortunately our health care has limited numbers of hospital beds, ICU space, and especially ventilators and trained respiratory technicians. The best estimates are that 1-3% of infected people will die. How many die depends upon how well our health care infrastructure can deal with the number of cases. In Italy they were slow to respond to the epidemic, and people are dying in record numbers. They don't have nearly enough hospital beds, and physicians are having to make triage decisions as to who gets treatment, and who lives and who dies. Read about it. It is very upsetting. You may have heard the term “flatten the curve.” Simply put, this means that if we do not shut down large gatherings and practice social distancing, based on the data from other countries, within a month we will have an enormous spike of infections, and 20% of those will have severe problems. Our health care system will not be able to cope, and many will die. If instead, we can slow the rate of transmission, then people will get infected over a much long period of time. This does not necessarily mean that fewer people will get infected, in total, but that fewer people will be infected at any point in time. That means there will be fewer people with severe respiratory problems at any one time, and hopefully there are enough ICU beds and ventilators available to meet the need. And that means fewer people will die. While each one of us is unlikely to have an infection with severe problems, it is nonetheless very important for all of us to do what we can to slow the rate of transmission.