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Hi everyone, We have been receiving a lot of Display Name Change requests recently and in response to that some changes have been made. From now on all members can change their Display Names after 30 days from their registration date. This change can be made 1 time every 30 days. You can make the changes in your Profile when editing it. Thanks everyone!

Good news for Vets. “Entrance fees for the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and standard amenity recreation fees for the Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Reclamation sites will be waived for Veterans and Gold Star Families. They will have free access to approximately 2,000 public locations spread out across more than 400 million acres of public lands, which host activities to fit any lifestyle, from serene to high octane, including hiking, fishing, paddling, biking, hunting, stargazing and climbing. Many Department managed lands have direct connections to the American military, such as frontier forts, Cold War sites, battlefields, national cemeteries, and memorials. These special places pay tribute to our veterans and serve as reminders of their courage and sacrifice throughout the history of our nation, from Minuteman National Historic Park where colonists stood in defense of their rights, to Yellowstone National Park, which was protected from vandalism and poaching by the 1st U.S. Cavalry before the National Park Service was established, to Mount Rushmore where modern warriors attend reenlistment ceremonies.” https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/80547/veterans-gold-star-families-get-free-entrance-national-parks-refuges-public-lands/ John Davies Spokane WA

The Oliver Travel Trailers Owners Rally traditionally occurs at Lake Guntersville State Park, (LGSP) Guntersville Al the 3rd week of May on an annual basis. Because of concern over Corona Virus, Oliver, understandably, will not be sponsoring the rally for 2021 out of concern for Oliver Owners. However, you are encouraged to come to Guntersville May 13-16 2021. ( Date corrected ). I will be contacting LGSP administration to request we get our rally discount during this time as well as a pavilion for us to safely gather. If you are considering coming, I encourage you to go ahead and make reservations. The park allows reservations to be made on their website and the campground is already beginning to fill up that weekend. When we gathered in October this year, the campground was full, no sites were available so make your reservations ASAP ! I hope to see you there Coy Gayle Location 1155 Lodge Dr. Guntersville, AL 35976 Phone Numbers General Info: 256-571-5440 Lodging: 256-571-5440 Camping: 256-571-5455 Park Office: 256-571-5444 Reservation website https://www.reservealapark.com/AlabamaWebHome/Facilities/SearchViewUnitAvailabity.aspx

Starting to plan a late winter/early spring trip. Have been asked to include time to visit great Quilt Shops. And as we travel we might as well take in some Barn Quilt Trails. We have been to the Paducah Quilt Museum, and touched the hand carved wooden quilt. Anyone know of shops and trails we shouldn't miss?

But, 120 pounds! Omg

That works!

Is is this one : https://www.campingworld.com/cummins-onan-p4500i-inverter-portable-generator-118307.html

You are correct that you will not be running your AC off of any of the battery options. The AGMs would meet your need for boondocking with the solar. The Lithium would be better, if it is in your budget. We camp for 4 to 8 weeks at a time and our solar and AGMs do fine. Occasionally we run our generator to recharge, but that is the exception. As JD mentions, you have not told us anything about location. Is your Cummins an inverter generator or just a generator (contractor type)? If it is just a generator please consider not using it for camping. Folks that use those very loud contractor generators are the most annoying people, whether it’s in a campground or boondocking at a dispersed area. Those generators are loud and obnoxious. Invest in a quiet inverter generator, your camping neighbors will thank you for it. If you are going to camp in hot, humid weather I would go with the AGMs and use the savings to get a quiet inverter generator. Mike

Yup, got a torque wrench.. oh and sockets, grease gun, grease, fuses, wire nuts, 1 1/4” wrench, pex cutter, sharkbite couplings, couple short lengths of pex, cable ties, electrical tape, duct tape, misc screws and some other stuff that will live in the basement of the camper so as not to get mixed in with “the other tools”...... ended up “mocking up” the space of the basement on a work bench, so as to figure out how to get all the stuff into it.. ended up building a box of sort for the above mentioned items.. should fit to the left of the opening.. and if not? I will have what’s necessary to modify it in the truck... with the other tools.. I gotta get out of here... 🙂

Thanks for the OR link. That's cold for Mt Baker - they get great snow depth but it is often quite close to 32 degrees up there due to the heavy coastal influence (weather coming straight up the Nooksack valley). Baker is great on a nice weather day. Not so great in a storm for the most part - a lot of it is out in the open so any bad weather tends to make it very hard to see. It's much easier to find visibility in the forest and along forested trail edges where there is more directionality to the light while in a cloud or blizzard. OTOH I love both Stevens Pass and Snoqualmie Pass ski areas for stormy weather lift skiing (and nearby forests for stormy day ski touring). Some of my role models here in the WA backcountry skiing community are still backcountry skiing as well as riding the lifts into their 70s and 80s. I hope to maintain the health and fitness required to follow their examples (one of the 80-somethings had a stroke which slowed him down but he's still skiing a LOT just on more moderate terrain and fewer hours each day; and another of them has had a few surgeries for pretty serious brain cancer but still gets after it!). Shortly after my 55th birthday I was ski touring with one of them, and he did great on a fairly strenuous day of up and downhill skiing. I asked him "Frank - you are an inspiration. I hope to be capable of doing half what you are able to when I reach you age. What's your secret?" He looked at me, smiled, and said "I retired when I was 55!" I see from Facebook that Frank is still keeping quite busy as he approaches 80, with sailing, skiing, hiking, and biking at levels that many thirty sometnings would find exhausting. Like NCEagle (another of us prospective owners) I expect to combine the Oliver and skiing, though perhaps not to the degree he's aiming for. And of course hiking, biking, etc

I'm not a quilter, but I've noticed some great quilt shops in Asheville. The display at the Folk Arts Museum on the Blue Ridge, just off i40, east Asheville, is interesting, as are the other exhibits. Normally, the Southern Highlands Guild has a big show in Asheville in October. I've not been, but did the craftsmanship tour some years back, but that's no longer. Loved the wood turning and glass arts. We'll have to see what 2021 brings. Summer show was virtual this year.

Thanks, Jason. We so appreciate all you do.

Yes road bikes, though in either case we'd rinse bikes off if they'd gotten dirty (road bikes can get kinda dirty when riding in the rain depending on where you're riding - lots of fine grit though not the mud that tends to cake into various spots on mountain bikes). And then let the water drip off under the awning or the cover of a tarp before stowing them inside (we tend to have them locked under a tarp quite often at camp, particularly when camped near the Pacific with fine salty spray blowing inland as it tends to do along the west coast. In any case I have observed a bit of a spectrum between let's say Felix Unger and Oscar Madison here in the community. I think we may be somewhere between the middle and Oscar based on calibrating this to what I've read in various threads 😉

Are these strictly road bikes? If not, I'd think twice about transporting them inside the Oliver. We ride our bikes more off-road than not. Visualize bringing a bike that's been "off-roading" into a clean white trailer. . . . . . . unless, of course, you want to give the bike a good cleaning first (or the inside of the trailer, later.

SherMica, your comment about papers reminded me. Make sure you have a copy of your dog's rabies vax, including type given, date, etc. We've only been asked for this a few times, but if course, the one time I forgot, a New York state park wouldn't let us in without it. My vet was kind enough to fax a copy to the park office. Luckily, we were checking in during business hours.

Site 81 at David Crockett SP was an excellent level long and wide asphalt site with water and electric. We spent (4) nights there. I would highly recommend this site if available. Just a thought.

There used to be a very sweet little resident mop dog in the sales office, he may not be there any more (nearly five years ago), but at that time the staff seemed very dog oriented. Maybe a dozen doughnuts from Walmart and a big smile would convince them to watch your lab. Or at least convince them to go out to your Rebel and release him on lead every few hours. If he is like our Australian Labradoodles, he will get plenty of entertainment just watching the world go by, if you can park where things are happening. Or he’ll just sleep. Have you already figured out a way to protect your back seats and restrain him during travel? The Raingler nets are brilliant and easy to use, and go away completely when not needed. One will definitely work with a black lab 😀 https://raingler.com/collections/dodge-ram-trucks/products/2009-2018-ram-1500-quad-crew-and-mega-cab-barrier-divider You soon get used to looking back through the webbing in your mirror. It makes things much safer for everybody in a collision. You still need actual seat and door protection, drool won’t be stopped by a net. Add a canvas “pet hammock” and it gives you two completely out of sight areas behind the front seats where you can stow your purse, laptop or other items. I keep my bug-out backpack behind the front driver seat, held upright by the net with an aluminum carabiner, it works most excellent. Two pairs of windshield and side window sun shields ride neatly between the net and the hammock. John Davies Spokane WA

Oregon road cams can be found at tripcheck.com I remember when we welcomed the day when snow accumulation allowed the ski resorts to open (Washington and Oregon) - usually by Thanksgiving weekend. Not so much any more since we traded skiing for kayaking, biking, hiking, and RV camping. I will never forget Mt. Baker . . . . 2 degrees with the wind blowing off the Sound; icy slopes and miserable lift rides. I don't tolerate the cold well in my "Golden Years".

Thanks Bill. I guess the capacity number is less important than the other max tow features like rear diff, brake controller, and engine/trans. coolers. I can feel myself getting carried away with seeking the max tow rating. Last week I was fine with a Touareg...

M&D - No I stayed with the stock 18" wheels. Bill

Yes, that occurred to me too as I was typing that, but still, I like to give people a chance to better serve their markets by really thinking about constructive customer input.

That "huge" (imagining my sil's bag for a week, family of four for others for a week) might be just the ticket for out of season coats and clothes. On its side. You never know... At least I'd use it to start sorting. When we moved the last two times, I took everything out of my closets, tried everything on, and discarded everything that I wasn't happy with, fit or looks. With the exception of things I hadn't worn in 18 months. Those, I didn't even bother with. To charity, they went.

All the small side cabinets (4 total) are close to the same size. One over fot and head of bed, two over small dinette area. The measurements are the opening size, roughly in my 2008. There's more space on each side of the opening. That's where packing cubes and fabric separators like Skubb from ikea come in. They can use the space, conforming to the curve of the hull, and keep stuff from jumbling around.

I wouldn't be too quick to do that. You may want to use them for out of season clothes, boots, shoes. Especially if they fit on or beside totes in the truck bed, filling spaces, and soft side as opposed to heavy hardshell. My mom travels back and forth from Florida to the Midwest. She keeps northern gear in a suitcase under a bed. Some paperwork in a small hardwire bag, basically a "file cabinet." Just a thought.

Just more of this nonsense here.

Sandi has won awards for her quilts. It can occupy a lot of ones time, if you let it...

As we were driving by I convinced her that Hancock was a lumber yard. (Name of a local yard). Saved me from hauling loads of fabric back to Maine...

Warm here, too. We should also have cooler weather by months end. My son just sent me a picture from his back porch in Durango, he’s got the snow shovel out and it’s still coming down.

We have experience with solar (200w) on our camper van, but not with upgraded batteries (AGM or Lithium). In our experience, the 200w of solar, with moderate sun exposure, did nothing more than keep the batteries (two 12v flooded) topped off - with conservative power usage. Having solar power extended our boondocking window maybe 2-3 days; you have to consider that power is not the only constraint when boon docking. Depending on available facilities, you will most likely fill up the waste water tanks before power is depleted; conservation is crucial in this respect. As @John E Davies said, with either Oliver option (Lithium Pro or Solar Pro), you won't be running the A/C without a generator or a lot more solar panels. If you choose the Solar Pro pkg and want the ability to run the A/C with a less than 3000w generator, be sure to add the "Easy Start"; it is included in the Lithium Pro pkg. While configuring our 2021 Elite II, we pondered the same as you - lithium or solar. In the end, we chose lithium for several reasons: In the long run, I believe lithium batteries are a better value, especially if you factor in resale. AGM batteries will require more attention to state of charge as you can only use 50% of the available charge vs 85% for Lithium Lithium batteries cost more, but last longer than AGM Lithium batteries recharge quicker than AGM Inverted power capability: Solar Pro - 2000w vs Lithium Pro - 3000w; evaluate your anticipated power needs Price differential: some of this will be recovered by not having to replace Lithium batteries as often, even though they cost more; are you willing to pay up front, knowing there are other advantages to LIthium vs AGM? Battery power options are one of the most costly considerations. If the additional cost is unattractive to you, look at your other optional choices and see if you can do without any to make up the price difference; make a list of wants vs needs. Are there options you can add later, if you find you need them? We opted for no TV antenna, since we don't watch TV: $300 saved. If upgraded mattresses are on your list, go with the cushions; you can add memory foam toppers for less than the cost of the mattresses: $1,500 saved. The upgraded decor is purely cosmetic. You can always add colorful pillows, rugs, and bed coverings. Choose the standard decor with fabric upholstery: $1,800 savings. Standard water heater instead of Truma (do you really need instant hot water?: potential savings - $1,300. And all of the "Other Optional Upgrades and Add-ons", though they don't seem like much, add up to over $6,000. By making selective option choices, you can easily save more than the $4,000 extra cost of the Lithium Pro Package. Remember, too, that choosing one battery package over the other is not a final decision; batteries can always be upgraded later. I know you will get a lot of advice from forum members. I suggest you also call your Oliver rep and ask to speak with a tech who can answer your questions and concerns regarding the battery packages as well as other options you are considering. Explain your expectations given your anticipated Oliver use and you will get valuable feedback. Oliver's goal is to build a trailer that best fits your needs, not to "sell" options, the way RV dealers do to increase profits. My final thought before we settled on our power choice: If you opt for the additional power the lithium package gives you, you won't need it; if you choose the AGM package, you'll need more power - Murphy's Law

Think a smaller unit would be more efficient, more quiet (important), and more than enough to cool an Oliver. A unit running longer and slower will remove more moisture, as it cools. Being cool, and with lower moisture, it should also be longer between operating cycles.

I'd bet a beer - Anderson would claim the little swaging out JD did was outside their engineering specs... I'd certainly do the same, except I sold my Anderson. RB

Worth noting that you can always use the microwave itself for some storage. In our camper van, we tend to put the dog food in there along with a few other things such as bags of homemade granola or such. Yes you need to remove these things when microwaving so it's helpful for these things to be few and easy to shuffle around.

If you bring your dog, where will he/she stay during orientation? What's the policy at Oliver now? In January, it's probably cool enough to leave your dog in the truck. If it's not too distracting for you. I think there's a boarding vet in Hohenwald, for warmer seasons. It would be good to ask your rep.

Although we try to avoid the heat (not easy living in south Texas) we’ve camped in temps above 100 numerous times. Our AC is 13.5K but it kept us plenty cool on Low. You aren’t cooling a very large area. I think you should be fine. Mike

Nicole - Good to have you here and thanks for posting. I believe that you are looking for a 3/4 ton truck. All of the 1/2 ton trucks currently on the market require a weight distribution hitch when towing something like the Oliver Legacy Elite II. I have tried to make my Oliver sway without success and I've never heard of even one instance where any Oliver trailer swayed due to wind, passing semi's or any other circumstance. I happen to own a 2017 Ford 150 and, yes, I do have and use the Andersen. My truck has the 3.5 liter Ecoboost engine with the max trailer towing package. This truck gets in the low 20's mpg while not towing and averages between 12 and 13 mpg while towing. I have towed my Elite II through out the mountain west and have never experience any trouble with any grade under any circumstance. Hope this helps. Bill

"Anyone know if a Toyota Tacoma w tow package is sufficient for hauling a loaded Elite ll?" Here's some real EII data from our Hull 505 to help you with your Tow Vehicle process: Check this real world data below against your Tacoma Payload, Tow Rating, and Hitch Ratings: ********************************************************************************** Empty Weight of EII as delivered at Factory, no water but 2 full 30Gal Propane Tanks Trailer 5465 Lbs -Tongue Wt - 635 Lbs GVWR for Oliver - 7000LBS We have almost Every Option: 4 AGM Batteries, Solar, Dual Awnings, Front Basket, Wifi and Wireless boosters, 2kW Inverter, Transfer Switch Weight of EII on Cat Scale Standing Alone - setup for camping, full of food, gear and water. Trailer 6400 Lbs - Tongue Wt - 750 Lbs (as high as 835Lbs when loaded with some gear in trailer in front of axels on floor.) The tow vehicle has several pieces of information and two that are very important: 1) Payload for Tow Vehicle - as listed on the drivers side door frame - This is the max amount you of weight to load into and carry in your vehicle. This includes passengers, any added post factory gear (like canopy's, tool boxes) and camping gear and it also needs to include the Tongue Weight of your trailer. Calc Example: (for 1/2 Ton Truck subtract all the cargo, passengers, gear and tounge weight to see what's left. So you see in that example, the truck payload is almost over capacity before adding all that other gear...bikes, ice chest, bbq, camp chairs, tools etc. Some gear can go into the trailer but you'll need to carefully "load" that trailer to not put it out of balance. Ladened Goal for Tongue Wt is minimum of 10% to max of 15% of the total trailer weight on the tongue. (for 6400 Lb Trailer, that's a range of 640-950Lbs) 2) Tow Capacity of the Tow Vehicle - often people want to have "margin" above the rated Tow Capacity for safety reasons. Example - Trailer has 7000LB GVWR, then you want about 9500 lbs of Tow Capacity to have upward margin. 3) What your Tow Vehicle Hitch states as Max Load both for dead weight carrying and with weight distribution. Here's a tag from an F150 factory installed hitch. Notice that it says 500 lbs for weight carrying, so for an Elite II ...you would need a Wt.Distribution Hitch like the Anderson Hitch offered as an option. Hope that's useful data for making a decision. Hull 505 - Galway Girl Craig Short

Hi and Welcome, Used Oliver's are scarce. The owners have a tendency to hold on to them. Used Oliver's seem to hold their value, or even appreciate. So, it seems you might as well order a new one, and get it equipped as you like? As far as tow vehicles go, do a "search" here to see the responses. Realize that the search results are usually brand biased. Those with a GM will recommend them, and so on and so on. Don't depend on brochures or salespeople, look at the decals on the door. Depends on how a particular vehicle is equipped as to what it will pull, or maybe even better yet, what it will stop while maintaining control. Also remember to add the weight of any toys you might carry like bikes, kayaks, as well as cast iron cookware...

We pick up our Ollie next week. After much research decided that the Tacoma is not sufficient. Would suggest you watch this video. https://www.keepyourdaydream.com/payload/

Incredibly thoughtful and detailed post, @gatorewc! Thank you. I will refer back to these suggestions when we get close to planning our pickup in May. We stopped in Asheville on our way to Hohenwald and really loved it. What a beautiful town, and the Biltmore - wow. Suddenly spring of ‘21 doesn’t seem soon enough!

If you want to go into the Smokies on the TN side you have Elmont and Cades Cove campgrounds. Both are great stops. Cades Cove has a great loop to see wild life and old settler posts but can be crowded at times. Wednesday is a closed day only for hikers and bikers (the non motorized bikers). If you drive through the park Smokemont Campground is near Cherokee and about an hour from Asheville. Stay on the F Loop if you can. About 4 miles south of Smokemont is the NC Side Ranger Welcome Station with a old settlers village which is great. There is also Mingus Mill about 5 minutes away which is a place to purchase stone ground grits or flour. Each day around 4 pm a herd of Elk wander to the open fields around the Ranger station and is very impressive. The elk were reintroduced about 15 years ago and are awesome to see. Wild turkeys are usually spotted in the fields or along the road. A drive over to Cattaloochee is a great afternoon drive which has a old homestead and pastures where the elk were originally released before spreading throughout much of the park. There is a campground at Cattaloochee but to camp there you would have your first adventure on a gravel road with your Ollie. The entrance for this road is right at I-40 and 276Hwy exit to Waynesville When leaving the park heading south on US441 take the Blue Ridge Parkway and not US19. The drive is gorgeous and much less congested than going thru Cherokee and over to Maggie Valley then to I-40 to Asheville. The Smokies are my haven. We have a mountain cabin about 1/4 mile where the Blue Ridge Parkway crosses over US 19. Even being close to the house we love camping in the mountains. I know all the restaurants in Bryson City, Maggie Valley, Waynesville, and Asheville. Asheville is a great city with numerous things to see! Sounds like you will have a great trip whether going north or south around the GSMNP!

Based on what I read on the forum, initially I got a bunch of 12 x 12 milk crates to store things in the basement. However, I found that the 12 inch dimension was constraining. My specific complaint was that I had to coil the hoses very tightly so that they could fit in the 12 inch container. I also needed multiple boxes to store the essential items, and the space in the boxes was not used efficiently. I have now purchased a larger plastic storage box, 15 11/16 wide x 21 5/8 long x 10 11/16 high. I think this size box is widely available; I got mine at Costco. I like this box for several reasons. 1) It is much easier to coil my hoses to fit the 15 inch dimension. 2) The 15 inch width fits perfectly through the basement door. 3) The 21 inch length puts the box right up against the wall that is the side of the night stand for my Elite II Twin Bed model, maximizing space usage. 4) The box is large enough that the one box can hold all of my most routinely used items: water hose, water filter, 2-way garden hose splitter and pressure regulator, 30 amp electrical cable, circuit/voltage tester, and my X-chocks. I also have a coaxial cable in the box, but we have used it only once. There is still room left that I could use for other items. This one box holds all of the things that I need most frequently. Additionally, the size of the box makes it easy to put all of these items into the box.

Unfortunately, we just found out that the "Fall"2020 Southern Highlands Guild show will also be of the virtual kind. Bill