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5 points
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Yes, you can convert the Honda generators to propane. At the beginning of this thread, @theOrca mentioned using a Hutch Mountain conversion kit, and @rideadeuce posted about using a MotorSnorkel conversion kit. I used a GenConnex Conversion Kit, primarily because with the Genconnex the propane regulator is inside the generator (replacing the gasoline tank), while for most conversion kits the the large propane regulator is on the outside. The Genconnex also has stellar reviews on other forums. My previous posts on the Genconnex are here and here. Also be aware that you will need a Neutral Grounding plug to use a generator.3 points
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I got tired of seeing my Anderson hitch chains looking rusted and I knew paint was only going to be temporary solution. I considered replacing the chains with plastic/rubberized covered chains but found a lower cost option. I used Techflex Flexo Clean Cut 1 1/2-Inch Braided Cable Sleeve, in black - 10 Feet. Amazon sells it for $8 - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VT09LS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 The 10 foot length is perfect to cover both chains in my case. It cuts clean with scissors and the ends can be burnished with a lighter. You can still see through the braiding to make sure you have no twisted in the chain and it only took a few minutes to put on over the chains. I used tie-straps braided through the last chain links on both ends to hold them in place.2 points
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Susan, the first link provided above by Overland above is where I purchased our lagun table hardware and top. We’re very happy with it and the options we have with it. We fold the top into it’s smaller shape and rotate between us when we’re sleeping to make sure the walkway is clear for a middle of the night potty run, and it acts as a nightstand. During the day we rotate it to the hallway and open it up for coffee or while watching tv. Darren2 points
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Don’t know. They were looking at putting compressor fridges into the single axle at one point, but only because they had a hard time finding an absorption fridge that they could easily replace. Eventually they found a small enough one though.2 points
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2 points
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Surely Oliver can be convinced to put a 2” tube on their receiver. This seems to be a constant complaint on the forum.2 points
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For anyone considering the purchase of one of these sun/wind screens (like me), you might want to consider one that comes in two pieces and zip together. Mike & Carol purchased one of these in Quartzsite a couple of years ago and the advantage is that when temporarily leaving the campsite or stowing the awning for the night, you only have to unzip the lower portion of the screen and then roll up the awning. Mike tells me that when traveling they remove the entire screen since the short portion does not entirely roll up into the case with the awning. https://www.amazon.com/13-Charcoal-Vista-Shade-Zipper/dp/B00DV7F8AQ/ref=sr_1_5?crid=3PG9UJ6TVOKPD&dchild=1&keywords=vista+shade+with+zipper&qid=1591543597&sprefix=Vista+Shade+%2Caps%2C163&sr=8-51 point
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This, I like - I never cared much for Oliver's sink and faucet choices and I'd actually planned to supply them a sink and faucet to get installed on the line. Unfortunately the one I wanted wouldn't work and I was having trouble getting the proper dimensions from Oliver, so I just let it go and figured I'd replace it later. Well, that was a good idea until I realized that the cutout Oliver made for the sink was way too big for any of the bar sized sinks that I could find. And all of the full sized kitchen sinks were too big to fit. But finally I stumbled across this oversized bar sink from Franke. It's the 17" Franke Vector. Overall, it's the same width as the existing sink, but the lip is narrower, so the bowl itself is a bit wider. Mainly the sink is much longer and deeper. In overall volume, it's over twice as large as the original sink, but takes up no more counter space. Can't beat that. And because it's farther forward and 3" deeper, it doesn't splash all over the place like the original. In fact, I can even turn the faucet up all the way without it splashing over the front of the sink, which is novel. I like the Franke sinks in that they have the straight sides and look of a modern zero radius sink, but they do add a slight radius to the corners so that you can actually keep them clean. Installation wasn't too hard. I'd rate it 7/10. The difficulty was that I had to modify the base cabinet for it to fit. There's a wood brace running across the top front that is screwed to the fiberglass beneath the drawer trim, which had to be cut out, and also a portion of the left side of the cabinet. That sounds like a lot of structural support to remove, but the cabinets are mainly tied in at the bottom and I ran it past Jason beforehand to make sure I wasn't looking at it wrong. I have to say that the cabinets are stoutly built, and I'm not at all worried about it. The second problem I ran into was that my countertop wasn't perfectly flat. It bowed down in the middle slightly which wasn't apparent until I installed the sink. But I was able to temporarily shim the counter against the top of the cabinet while the silicone seal dried and then I glued PVC blocks around the perimeter of the sink to both hold it in place and to level the counter. The Franke sinks have an odd installation clip that wasn't designed with hollow core fiberglass in mind, so the blocks were necessary anyway. It's not going anywhere now. Of course I lost use of the flip out drawer but I hated that thing anyway. I glued a few ½" blocks to the front of the sink and then fixed the drawer front to the blocks with heavy duty velcro, just in case I ever need to remove it for some reason. The sink depth worked out perfectly with the existing cutout on the back of the middle drawer to clear the drain. I thought I was going to have to get a Hepvo trap to make it all clear but Oliver actually places the trap behind the cabinet, so no problem. I did have to get the narrowest profile elbow I could find to attach to the drain basket, so I had to go with cheap plastic rather than PVC, but such is life. At the end of the day, however, I decided to use a different drain basket that was a bit deeper, so I had to make the drawer cutout about a half inch deeper after all. The faucet is a Grohe that I found on sale at Home Depot for about half price, so that was a nice find. It has a really nice feel to it and unlike the sink, was a cinch to install. Grohe has a trick installation method that allows you to work from above so that one person can do it without crawling under the counter a hundred times. Oliver's hot and cold lines are convenient to get to and there's an access panel in the back of the cabinet that can be removed if you need more room to work. The only issue I ran into was that the counterweight for the sprayer was getting caught up on everything that's packed in the back of the cabinet. To fix it, I made a tube from some flexible plastic sheeting that I had lying around and just slid that over the sprayer hose. Now the hose slides easily inside the tube and as a benefit, the weight won't bang around inside the cabinet while traveling. So that's about it. I've learned that I don't have the patience or foresight to take progress pictures Like John does, so my description will have to do. But I'm happy to answer any questions.1 point
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I'm curious if you tall folks (e.g., 6'2" or 74" +/-) find the the "twin" beds comfortable, given the 75" (6'3") bed length. Do you end up sleeping slightly sideways? Does the rounded corner feel like a space constraint? I apologize if this has been asked and answered, but a search on this topic didn't result in an answer for twin beds... In advance, thanks for your insight. BTW, I've enjoyed lurking in this forum; I've been impressed by the number of thoughtful, engaged owners and the abundant, useful information. Fritz1 point
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I think if that’s a vacuum formed interior like the bath caddy that I’d be a bit more cautious about running a toaster oven in there.1 point
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If you’re asking about the table tops, they’re available at https://www.rv-table-mount.com/ Or if you’re ok with a bit longer shipping time, you’ll find a larger selection at https://www.marineteak.co.uk/lagun-table-mount1 point
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Good question. I don’t recall it interfering. The only times I remember dropping the shade and cranking the awning in were when the support legs were attached to the trailer and I cranked the awning up leaving the support legs attached so about 18” of awning was out. It would take a tornado to cause damage with that little surface area exposed. When I have the shade attached and the support legs on the ground I anchor the legs and now use 5 heavy duty bungees on the shade. It has survived some pretty serious wind gusts in that mode. I imagine if I cranked the awning all the way in there could be a little interference. I’ll test it the next time we’re out (next month!). Mike1 point
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If you unzip the shade screen and roll up the awning, does the 10'' piece with the zipper interfere with opening or closing the trailer door?1 point
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I love that sink . . . . the entire galley, for that matter. Can I just have your Oliver?1 point
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Well said . . . . . convenience modifications are easy to make or have made - once you get over the fear of drilling holes! . . . . . but quality issues are usually hard to remedy. Modification-wise, I wish my dad was still alive. He was an aerospace engineer (electronic and structural). Back in the 60's he modified a 1950's era houseboat with a remote control box that ran everything on the boat. I remember the galley had an old residential propane fridge. While underway, the wind coming through the galley would blow out the pilot. He rigged it with an alarm that would sound when the pilot light went out! There wasn't anything he couldn't build (wood, metal, fiberglass) and no problem he couldn't solve. And the memories he made for us on the houseboat are priceless 😊1 point
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Sherry I wonder if you could find a marine hatch the right size for those vents. Seems like the bottom one especially would make a nice exterior storage compartment for...something. I suspect that your fridge was cheaper primarily because it doesn’t have an Isotherm sticker on it. It’s a high quality sticker that requires specialized workers to apply.1 point
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Susan Huff, we have a locking Undercover brand cover on our truck bed. Though I know it could easily be popped open, it keeps items out of sight and dry. Our little Honda is 11 or 12 years old now, so not worth that much, even though it still works great. When it was new, we used to "camouflage" it in an old battered cardboard produce box, and stacked other stuff on top. At that time, it was probably the most expensive item in the truck bed. We don't bother with that any more. 🙂 Sherry1 point
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I wonder, with the new Lithium option coming out on 2021 models, will Oliver offer a compressor fridge option as well? I would love to ditch the fussy, inefficient absorption fridge, but only with a Lithium/solar setup.1 point
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Probably, but then if someone is dumb enough to hook another trailer to their Ollie, then they’re probably dumb enough to use a 1 ½” hitch to do it.1 point
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1 point
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When you choose the cabinet option, Oliver builds out a wood cabinet that covers the fiberglass. At least on mine, the wood was unfinished, so I coated it with poly so that it’s easier to keep clean. My cabinet door is supported on the left with a cable, which you can see in the photo. I had to adjust it a bit to make it level when open, but yes we can use it as a counter for light things. When traveling, we stick a silicon drying mat inside to keep the tray and rack from jostling around too much - we learned after our first trip that both will vibrate against the glass door and can actually scratch it. I think my wife also stuffs a towel around the oven to keep it from moving around.1 point
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1 point
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Susan, we have the same Breville, and imo it sits far enough forward that the cabin lights are sufficient. There’s no light in that space. We added a shelf above the oven to hold plates. I’ve added strip lights in the pantry and inside each of the hull access areas. Those are the only spots that we felt needed extra light. I think I saw that Oliver is putting lights in the pantry now though, or maybe I dreamed that.1 point
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The light switch for the cabinets is in the panel located above the bed area it has a blue light in the switch when on. Not sure if Oliver puts in a light if you have a cabinet in replace of the microwave, I’m sure they can install one. I don’t think you’ll need stick up lights anywhere. There are so many lights in the Oliver its hard to keep track of them all.1 point
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John, thank you for the safety reminders. Traveling through the open county in broad daylight (in Kansas, Ut, ID and Mt) where posted speed limits of 75-80 mph were common, and because the Ollie tows so smoothly with the Andersen system ... I evidently got too comfortable and anxious to put miles in the rear view and pushed it a bit. I didnt imagine that 5-10 mph would make that much difference for the LT Michelins on the Ollie but safety thresholds exist for a reason. Steve, thanks for the encouragement on the truck. I’ve had several great 1/2 ton gassers over the years, but the HD 2500 diesel is in a different category. It’s more truck than I need but now that it’s the reality I don’t regret the extra margin it creates. Rear passenger (Dog(s) space isn’t as nice as the SUV but they’ll adjust. Added a couple of dog beds and rigged a Velcro system to keep them from sliding on the seats ... now need something thin to keep the seat backs clean. Btw, for cargo capacity and management, decided on an aluminum “Diamondback” cover. It definitely inclined toward work-grade over cosmetics. The setup seems durable at handling weight (1600 lbs) and also claims decent security. Time will tell.1 point
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We were planning to visit Jordanelle State Park, near Park City for three nights. The angle of the strong afternoon sun means limited shade protection under our awning, so we got the Tentproinc sun shade screen (the 6' X 14'3" size) that Overland recommended, and it worked well to increase our area of shade. We were worried that we would not like looking at the world through the mesh, but it was actually pleasant, even cooling, to look through it. There can be gusty winds, and we always stow our awning when leaving camp or before bed. While it was not hard to attach or remove the shade screen from the track in the awning front bar, I did not want to have to do this once or twice each day. So I left the shade screen attached when I rolled in the awning. Unfortunately, the hanging shade screen creates one serious obstacle, at least if I want to open the trailer door. So I used these 10 inch mini bungee cords to attach the shade screen to the awning front bar. And, I can open the trailer door. Jordanelle State Park was really nice, and we will visit again!1 point
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Bill, I put the blue tape on the filler piece, that came with our standard floor plan, to keep from damaging it when I cut it on the table saw. If you want or have a Lagun table, I wouldn’t use the filler and set it up like Darren did. We don’t have the table and I needed the extra length for the center piece, to spread out at the head of the bed as, I am 6’5” and a back sleeper. I need the extra room for my shoulders. Most would not. If you would like to discuss further PM me or I am sure Darren would be happy to talk with you as well. Andrew1 point
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I would settle for a steel one! ;). Thanks to this forum I now have a 1UP (which is awesome) bike rack and would love to have a solution like this vs. the factory design to carry our bikes. Can we get a vote on who would order one and if enough people pledged might it be possible to get some made? I would be in for sure!1 point
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Please!!!! BTW: the 1up rack is one of few approved for use on RVs. It is so easy to load and unload (takes less than a minute); can accommodate 29" and "fat tires"; 200# capacity (225# if you get the Super Duty model) so can carry most electric bikes; is extremely well built; and made in the USA. I highly recommend it 👍 https://www.1up-usa.com/product/2in-heavy-duty-double-bike-rack/1 point
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Not for the MURS frequencies. Our default is the blue dot channel and we've never had a need to switch to another. For the rest, yes, if you need to use them. It's nice to know that we have the ham frequencies available in case of emergency (no license required for emergency use), and we keep a cheat sheet on our phones to remind us how to use them if we ever need to. We've also found it handy to be able to monitor park ranger frequencies.1 point
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We do manage to keep the fridge going and batteries around 70 to 75 per cent through the night, with good conditions, and miserly power useage for uses other than our 12v truck fridge. We also have to use a 100 watt "portable" to add to the production of the 200 watts of fixed solar. And, in less than ideal conditions, I chase the sun around the path with that panel. Even then, in low sun, crummy days, we will have to kick in a half hour with the honda 1000, sometimes both morning and night, if it's raining, especially if we have to use the power greedy furnace fan. Unlike many, we have very limited power needs. No electrical cooking or heating gear. No keurig. No induction hot plate. No microwave. Led lights even seldom get used. We charge phones during the day, and often from the truck while driving. No laptops. No tv. Not a lot of streaming on our phones. A couple years ago, we chased down phantom draws on the power, and we're pretty much down to the essentials-- which are mostly monitors and the charger/converter. We use a cooler with ice for beverages. I'm very conscious of where everything is loaded in the fridge, and how many times I open the fridge door each day, spilling cold air. No inverter, either. We used to have one, but with only 2 group 27 batteries, and the very limited storage, that just doesn't make sense. We removed it. I wouldn't necessarily recommend our minimal setup for new campers. It requires a lot of monitoring, (and, a good monitor) and discipline. We're ok with that, but it was our choice. And, we're used to it. We're solar powered by choice, since 2008, and almost never camp with hookups. Power misers by choice. And, we both love the new truck fridge, danfoss/ secop compressor, indel product. Quiet, efficient, even cooling, even a bit more capacity than our old Dometic. No orange lights from the panel at night. 🙃 That said, we've already purchased new solar panels to double our fixed panel production. I would love to upgrade to lithium batteries, but it would be a waste right now when the agms are still working well. That's a someday in the future thing. If we find we actually need them. Sherry1 point
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That's all good,and a nice mod, but honestly, we've never lost one of those original plastic/ nylon fasteners in almost 100,000 miles of towing, 12 years. I will add. We have a 2008, original equipment. Things may have changed. Sherry1 point
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We have a 2019 Elite II and have camped with temperatures at night down to 16 and above freezing during the day, without any real problem. One morning the temperature in the refrigerator was a little high so, I turned it off and back on again and everything was fine. I don't know if there was a problem or I was just being overly anal with my new baby. I did check with Jason, from Oliver service, and he confirmed with the manufacture there is not a "freeze kit" specifically for this refrigerator. A freeze kit is a 12v heat strip that wraps around the coil in the back of the refrigerator, that is designed to allow the refrigerator to work down to zero. They do make this kits for larger refrigerators and Jason said it could work but the manufacturer did not recommend it. In my opinion, I think the refrigerator worked fine. I hope this help, Andrew1 point
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KWR, you can use your trailer without an electrical hookup. I never bother plugging in when power is available, unless it is stinky hot and I want to run the air conditioner. Try it, it is one less thing to fuss with when you arrive and leave. That is why the solar option is there, to free you from that cumbersome umbilical cord. The only exception is if you are parked in shade or the days are short. Since you have a port on your trailer, you can plug in an external panel directly, as long as it isn’t bigger than about 130 watts and has its own built in controller. The Furion port connector is limited to 10 amps. I think the Zamp port can carry more current but I am not sure. The port is wired directly to your batteries, it is independent of your onboard system. You don’t need any more batteries, your system is perfect as is. A portable panel can be moved around and aimed as needed to stay in the sun, so you can park under a tree in hot weather to reduce the solar heat gain. Down sides include cost, you need a place to store it and any extension cables in your tow vehicle, and it might get stolen if left unattended. You can use a cable lock around a tree but that is easily defeated. The folding “suitcase” units are more compact than the single panel versions, and usually come with a padded case. The roll-up flexible solar blankets used by overland vehicles are super light and compact but uber expensive. Most people who travel with a generator to run the air conditioner don’t bother to have an extra solar panel, since you can run it for an hour or two and have fully charged batteries. I don’t plan to buy one in the foreseeable future, but I like this one, it is only 20”x 27” x 3” when folded. ..... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079JVBVL3/?coliid=IQOA7UNUKCHSA&colid=1X5H11EH41351&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it John Davies Spokane WA1 point
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As I see it, there are basically two issues regarding these stems (not counting the kid with the buck knife who just as well might "key" your vehicles). For most of us who do not venture into the great beyond issues regarding the stem being hit, cut, torn, etc. are usually not relevant, however, for those odd occasions the peace of mind that they might bring could certainly be worth that $60 to $75. The "mass" that is at the end of the stem coupled with the vibration caused by that mass and the potential wear on the rubber of the stem is more of the problem. Having said this, I've been told that there can be some problems with metal stems sealing to tire rims (particularly rims that are not steel) and, of course, there are the potential issues surrounding corrosion with metal stems. Bill1 point
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Thought I'd try taking another photo to see if it would show the matte black better - this is just generic black spray paint applied to the back of the frosted door. I still get some light around the edges at night, but it's much better than before. I have some additional equipment in there with LEDs that make it a bit brighter than stock. I could probably experiment with some weatherstripping to see if I can get it all blocked. I think you could use any color, so long as you covered it with vinyl to make sure no light gets through. I told my wife that I might paint each door a different color and she threatened to hide the keys.1 point
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Thought I would add my completed curtain rod project. I used Overland's style so the rod would be a little higher to decrease the chance of another mark on my bald head. I drilled a 1/16 inch pilot hole, used a countersink to smooth hole to a little bigger that 5/32 inch. Then drilled a 5/32 inch hole in center of countersink. 5/32 inch is the suggested pilot hole for a # 10 machine screw. Sealed everything with 3M 4200. The machine screws worked perfect with no cracking of gel coat and everything pulled up tight.1 point
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Certainly I feel your pain. When one reads the story about the Outlaw Oliver and the "custom" work that was done there (and elsewhere) and compares that to what appears to be the current situation, I'm sure that it can be a bit frustrating. Even what appear to be fairly simple requests are met with the same response - "no". However, it seems to me that this looks like a case of "be careful of what you ask for". We, as a group, clamored for better quality and subjected the Company to a fair amount of abuse/criticism (justified or not) over these types of issues. Then, when the Company decides to concentrate on quality by limiting the number of deviations from the norm (custom work), once again we find ourselves in the position of not liking the result. Hopefully, one day, the Company will once again find itself in a position where they can accept custom work. I believe that I have a better, more comfortable and enjoyable camper because of the suggestions of the owners that came before me. But, in the final analysis, I'd rather have a quality unit that I can then modify and or customize later than a lesser built unit with a bunch of bells and whistles. Bill p.s. cool logo!1 point
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At 5’10” and sleepng feet to the rear, I find the length OK, the width is more bothersome since there is no room to just roll over. (The mattresses are not regular Twin sized, but Bunk sized - 30 inches.) You must lift your body and reposition.... At your height it would really be best to test one in person. If you buy a Two Bed trailer and find out you don’t sleep well, that would be very upsetting. A King would without a doubt give tons more room and sleeping comfort. Also you need to see if you can live with whacking your head in the head.... especially when using the toilet. I showed Mouse to a couple who really liked the design, but the severe lack of headroom was a 100% deal breaker for the husband who was 6’6”. The entry opening to the head is a low head knocker, as is the main entry, but at least the latter is well padded. The metal head door frame can be painful... Try before you buy! John Davies Spokane WA1 point
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Fritz - I'm only 6' even so I'm perhaps not the person that can best answer your question based on length. I do have plenty of room at both the top and bottom. However, I can say that I originally started sleeping with my head towards the rear of the camper (at the rounded corner end) but changed to sleep in the other direction. I like to sleep with elbows out near my head. This caused me to bang one or the other elbow on either the nightstand or on the rounded corner. Once I flipped direction there have been no further issues. Bill1 point
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