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Oh, and my #coronaquarantine daydreams have included both my reserved cybertruck and a tricked out Ram Rebel in granite/black two tone as tow vehicles. I could live with either. With the hemi in the Rebel. 😁 A girl can dream... Sherry

Nan - I think that virtually all of us can't wait to get back to camping. However, now is the perfect time for you to really continue that rehab. The rehab is almost as important as the operation(s). There are some really beautiful spots in Virginia and I don't just say that because I was born there. Bill

Thanks, Sherry. Had a little set back so hopefully in a couple of weeks I'll be ready to go camping to Virginia!!!!

I hope you'll finally get to enjoy your camper, Nan. You've waited a long time. Sherry

Another thing that can throw off the monitor is residue inside the tanks. As for draining, even when parked, we generally like to be a degree or two towards street side and the aft as well. When perfectly level, we've been full at 100%, but then when I tilt the trailer a little it "burps", and takes a few showers more of gray water. The slight tilt promotes gray tank drain as well as the shower pan clearing of water to prevent excess humidity. Filling up the tanks and driving around can help clean and sanitize everything as well. I've heard of doing so with ice in the black will help -- not sure how to easily get ice into the gray tank though. It's also been mentioned here before but worth repeating, even on full hookups, the gray should be allowed to get fairly full before dumping, this prevents buildup of sediment in the tank as the whoosh of having a full tank and the siphoning action helps clear the tank.

Idk. I think if we were ready to do the Aussie camper route, we'd buy a Bruder exp-6 gt. During the madness of 2 months of quarantine (so far), we actually debated the merits. We don't "need" most of the great off road stuff, but we both love what Bruder did with hitch, suspension, frame, dust control, etc. Diesel heater. Induction cooktop. And, the interior is pretty sweet for a small(er), narrow trailer. I particularly love the slideout kitchen. And a lot of things, like standard 200 ah lithium batteries ( woohoo), freshwater capacity, etc. And, a lovely interior, with room for kids or guests. Oh, and that space for a washer/dryer combo? Awesome. Though, I'd probably turn it into a freezer. What we don't love. The price. Roughly 106,000, us, base. Plus shipping. I don't mind taking a chance on a new guy. We did that in 2008.😃 I don't think we'd be able to use the value of it. But some of you younger folks might be able to. Our plans to camp around the last third of Australia this year are pretty much trashed, but there's next year, hopefully. If and when we get to go back and camp a third time in Oz, we'll try to see this one. Sherry

Thanks. The Oliver was only used for about 1200 miles before I bought it late last year. I have not been able to take it out due to knee and hip surgery. I am hoping that will change this coming Saturday. I only have a grey and fresh water tank to contend with as I have a composting toilet.

Whenever I sanitize my tanks, I tilt the trailer up and to the street side when I fill, so that I can limit any air that gets trapped to the front curbside corner, closest to the overflow. Then after a while I'll tilt the trailer down and to the curb side to make sure that the sanitizing solution gets into that same corner. I do the same after running that water into the grey tank. I've also found the the grey tank needs to be 'burped' when it's almost full, by tilting the trailer back and forth. There's a corner in there somewhere that doesn't vent properly and it will trap air, essentially reducing the volume of the tank. Also, like Mike says, 'level' is relative. Most people level to their floor or countertops. I always level so that the bathroom door doesn't swing either way on it's own. I don't think that in either of those cases are my grey or fresh tanks truly level.

If you are only using the bubble level on the front jack that may be part of the problem. It needs periodic adjustment. If you have a level, any size really, that you can set on the floor inside, or up against the seam around the middle of the trailer on the outside you will get a pretty good idea of how level you are. Then check the bubble on the front jack. If it is off, as mine frequently is, just take a Phillips screwdriver and turn the screws around the bubble until you get it centered. I have a small 8” level I keep in the trailer to check after set up to see if I’m really level. Mike

Both the gray and fresh water tanks are very flat so they fit under the floor. If you are level you probably won’t get a full empty on the gray. I always ensure the trailer is high in the front when draining the gray (and by default the black). The black tank is more square shaped but having the front higher helps with it too. Try raising the front of your trailer and then empty. Mike

Good ideas here. The Oliver shell and frame are solid, the weak points are the standard RV parts and appliances found on most campers. Maybe someone could start an Oliver Custom Shop to do mods now that there are more Olivers on the road. Mike

Good question. When we’re camping we don’t use anything in the gray tank. The black tank gets a detergent pod and a little Calgon water softener. When not camping we add Happy Camper to both tanks. Happy Camper has no odor and just looks like a white powder but we have not had any odors. I do keep plugs in the sinks when not camping to slow evaporation from the traps. We’re also careful with what we let go down the drain into the gray tank. Mike