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Dry camping today in the Alabama Hills, CA, at Tuttle Creek BLM Campground with the creek two feet away from the trailer!

For those who are new to dry camping and wonder why folks camp without hookups let's post some pictures of places we've boondocked to give and idea of what we're talking about. This is Agguire Spring Campground outside of White Sands NP. It's a BLM campground at about 6K'. You can see WSNP about 20 miles in the distance.

During this pandemic my husband has turned into a real minimalist. He started with the basement followed by the bedrooms and into the rest of the living areas. Now he has turned to downsizing our Oliver to an Elite. Since he will be doing most of the driving the final decision is up to him. We checked out a beautiful Elite to compare models and now I am in love with both. Having studied the Elite II I have to now familiarize myself with the slightly smaller size Elite. So how would adding 4" to the table affect an Elite? Enlarging the dinette table may make it look just too big in such a small area. Plus, like Mainiac stated," the aisle is only 24inches wide." I just notice SeaDawg has an Elite and may help with some information on the aisle size with the Elite dinette. How do you manage the aisle with a 4" add on or an added fold? Our build date is in December. Glad to have all this information to help us out.

This is Westport-Union Landing State Beach Campground on the northern Mendocino county coast (CA) shortly before 101 heads inland and uphill to the north tp reach the awesome Avenue of the Giants State Park. This is a primitive but super well situated campground, actually a series of three little campgrounds in a row, set right on the bluff between the highway and the Pacific, with a nice small series of sea stacks right there. But as you can see in the photo of our friends setting up the tent they were using on this trip (we were in our van), it was WINDY as the coast is apt to be. I watched one tent that hadn't been staked out well (or at all) blowing and tumbling down the beach as we were setting up.

This is not a great shot of the campground, but this is from Needles Outpost just outside the edge of the Needles unit of Canyonlands National Park. I was making my itinerary up as I went in late October 2016, and the campground there inside the National Park was full when I got there in mid afternoon, but I was able to score a site just a few miles back here at the Outpost, which is off the grid. Remember to bring your own water though they do truck in tanks for the showers. This private CG is carved out from a very pretty setting up against some red rock cliffs and buttes, and looking out toward the features of Needles. I was happy to be situated very close to the entrance so I could start a looong and potentially hot hike very early the next morning so as to mostly beat the heat. The hiking there is just tremendous - I did the Chesler Park/Joint loop which I can highly recommend. You overlander types might like the road to the back side of this hike from Beef Basin - looks like a pretty remote feeling 4WD venture from what I could see on my edge of it. The twilight picture is from my camp site at the Needles Outpost and the rest from the sweet hike the next day.

This is at Two Medicine campground at Glacier NP.

This is Gros Ventre Campground in Grand Teton NP. We had nice fall weather for a few days before it got cold.

This is Red Canyon campground just outside of Bryce Canyon NP. It's a FS campground.

Joshua Tree NP, Indian Cove campground.

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is south west Arizona.

Quartzsite, AZ, Dome Rock. In January there is a big RV show in town followed by a Fiberglass rally at Dome Rock. BLM dispersed camping. Find a spot and camp!

This is Franklin Mountain State Park outside of El Paso. There are only 6 sites.

Larger Dinette Table Having a properly sized dinette table contributes significantly to the pleasures of life in an Ollie. That’s how Sheila and I feel after I modified our dinette table to add 4 1/4 inches to the table’s length. What a difference a small amount of additional space makes. We find it more comfortable, now have room for morning computers and coffee, and indoor dinners are more gracious. Also, I can now put both elbows on the table if I want to. We have had a desire for a larger dinette table ever since we picked up our Ollie (hull 217) and got some experience under our belts. We camp as a couple, never set up the third bunk, and don’t like having a table that is too small because of the bunk design issue. Oliver wasn’t interested in making a larger table when I broached the subject. Why mess with a successful product? But hunkering down to avoid corona virus gave me some extra time, and I used it to modify my existing table to see if I was on the right track. I worked up a design that used material from my leftovers bin, and which would allow me to undo the mod if it didn’t pan out. Unless you are really looking for it, the additional table length is not readily apparent. Aesthetically everything still looks proportional. The added length doesn’t interfere with the refrigerator door, and there is plenty of room to move about. While the pictures below show what I did, this isn’t really a how-to-do-it report. My goal is to stimulate Oliver. My hope is that the powers-that-be at Oliver will order a mock-up of a table like mine to be made, sit at it, and confirm for themselves how much nicer it is. It is my hope Oliver will then authorize a supplemental mold for laying up the larger table, offer it as an option to new buyers, and make it available for purchase by existing owners. I would be one. If you think you might like a larger dinette table too, please tell me in a comment to this string. I would like to ascertain if there is actually any demand for this, and if so, report same to Oliver. And if you are so inclined, please contact Oliver directly as well. Best regards, John Shkor SailorAshore

Nope. Get out of the truck, and sleep in that beautiful Ollie. Only saying, good to learn how to hitch/unhitch / backup/hitchup again, while you're in the mode, and help is relatively nearby.

Thank you for the info. I think an Elite will be perfect for us too. We look forward to squeezing into some of the small camp sites in Nevada and Utah.

Oth, moving from site to site would allow you to learn about hooking up, backing up, and leveling, while you're still in learning mode. It's up to you.

I think that the time and effort involved in moving sites would not be worth it. Our first night we barely had time to unhook and start moving all our gear into our new Ollie before the sun set. Summer would be different of course. The Oliver company will get you into a good spot and you can likely just stay at that site and save yourself a lot of hassle. For me, a good site is not on the edge of a sharp curve and is long enough to keep your tow vehicle in front of the trailer.

I'll bet that is really classy 😁. Slightly off-topic but still regarding bath exhaust fans: There is a foam gasket on the exterior cover that helps seal the stock fan when it is closed. This summer, that seal basically fell apart (my Oliver is a 2016). When talking to Jason E. and the Service guys they said that they would replace that seal (with a better one) under warranty. Certainly I couldn't argue with the price and it saved me a trip onto the roof. Bill

The video said a max weight capacity of 260 pounds, can that possibly be right? That is simply enormous.... I was expecting 80 per bike on two trays. I am not in the immediate market for one, but a local bicycle dealer just announced they are now stocking Yamaha eBikes, so who knows what Christmas might bring...? Those are around 50+ pounds..... A high rack load limit would be good, for reserve capacity plus general strength and sturdiness. Yummy .... : John Davies Spokane WA

We have finally given up our resistance to a pickup truck and are buying a 2018 Ford F-150 with the 3.5L EB and max trailer package. I’m sure we could’ve managed with the Touareg but we have big aspirations for long, mountain-heavy trips and the greater capability and storage margins give us comfort. Funny, I never used to notice these things and now they are every third vehicle I see.

Similar to the 1up . . . however, does it tilt down, while loaded, to access cargo area? I like the way the rack locks to the receiver. I would not rely on the built-in cable locks, though. Would still use Kryptonite (or such) U-lock and cable - still not theft proof, but a more substantial deterrents. Is the Curt rack approved for use on the back of an RV? We are hoping to use our 1up rack with this dual hitch. Waiting to get our Oliver so we can determine if there is clearance enough for the rack between the pickup and the Oliver tongue jack. Darn, it's on sale now, 1/2 price. Tempted to get it now and return if it doesn't work out. Edit: I am ordering now. They have a 60 day, no questions asked, return policy for unused items. However, shipping cost may cancel out refund; might come in handy for other applications. December 19: Have our Oliver home now and tried the dual hitch with our 1up rack. Perfect fit; we can even open the pickup tail gate with the rack in the loaded position.

I use my power cord from the trailer to the outlet and use a 30a (F) to 15A (M) adapter. Like this from Amazon: Adapter

We called the CG directly and mentioned we were picking up our Ollie and they were very accommodating. Site 81 - I wide and level and I would pick it again. 😊

We store our trailer at a facility that provides a covered space with an AC outlet, I assume it’s probably 15 or 20 amps. The cover prevents any meaningful solar charge. I plug my power cable into the outlet when it’s stored with a 30a to 20a adapter. It keeps the batteries charged (4 AGM) and the fridge on. You don’t need a 30a circuit to keep you batteries topped off. We’re going on 5 years and no issues. I did have a 30a RV plug installed on the side of my garage for when I bring it over to do work on it. It’s hot here a lot and working inside is impossible without the air conditioning on! Mike

This is the Mattole Campground, run by the BLM, on the north edge of the Lost Coast in California. It's a primitive campground with one pit toiled and a well with a hand pump IIRC. The sites are sort of dug into the dune barrier that backs up against the beach, which runs for miles and miles - in fact going south is a multi-night backpack route across the road-free Lost Coast. I hiked south about 3.5 miles to the remote Punta Gorda lighthouse while my wife and our friends biked over the quite mountainous road I'd driven to get here. Either way is quite steep and windy and can be closed due to washouts or downed trees so check status if you go. I really LOVED the feeling here. Campendium reports someone getting a 35 foot fifth week into here but all I can report having achieved is an 18 foot van.

Here are some shots from Bridger Bay Campground in Antelope Island SP on the Great Salt Lake near Layton, north of SLC. I've used it as a stopover a few times when doing the long haul from near Seattle down to canyon country in southern UT and northern AZ. By this point in the drive - my second night in - I'm ready for a not absolutely full day of driving and want some exercise and beauty. This fits the bill quite well. The camp sites have stunning views across part of the lake, and there's a little unofficial trail up to a headland/ridge that has amazing views out over the lake, and enough walking to feel like I've gotten some exercise and have worked the kinks out from sitting so long. The first time I was there, in mid-late May, there were SO many bugs hitting my windshield and the rest of the front of the van while I drove out the loooong causeway that connects the island to the mainland. Don't say I didn't warn you ;-). There are pit toilets and not much else - possibly some water spigots but I forget. There are showers down the road at a day use beach area that you can drive up to and use at night. On my second trip there, some of the island's buffalo herd were grazing not far from camp. When I came back down from my evening hike up to that ridge and its views out to amazing thunderheads building on the Nevada side mirrored in a super glassy Great Salt Lake, they had moved in across the trail. I have no interest in being charged by a buffalo so I walked cross country through the sage and other brush in a wide arc around them back down to the campground, watching them warily as they watched me warily. I fortunately passed their test. It was fun to wake up to them chowing down fairly close to my van the next morning. One of these years I'll stay two nights and do some longer hiking on the island, which has many miles of trails.

Awesome Thread!!!!! I have never been to these areas and we are hopeful to go explore west Texas, NM, AZ, and Southern UT starting in mid February through April. The covid conditions are making us hesitant this year. This is great inspiration thanks so much for sharing these photos!!!!

Just tell the Oliver office that you want to stay an extra day. They will put you in a site that's straight and easy to get into. Our site got changed at the last minute because of a water issue at the park. We ended up at the end of a narrow curve, I think it was site 87, would not recommend it!

Boondocking, and remote FS campgrounds usually have wildlife nearby, So, how about some wildlife - these were in the area of our camp, in the camp, or on the entrance access. the Bison were somewhat intimidating - leaving the campsite, we had to wait for the herd to move on - they had no concern for the big white thing next to them. Free range cattle drives too!

Here's the site I scored the first time I stayed at South campground in Zion NP. It was on the edge toward the Virgin River with some widely spaced walk in tent only sites out below and toward the river(phone panoramic photo is distorted mainking a relatively straight road look like it makes a 90 degree bend). This is a really sweet site.

Here's a shot of a "dry camp" site at one of the established campgrounds in Valley of Fire State Park in NV. It was really sweet, tucked into a very private alcove with the only sign of nearby campers around the corner being the light of their fire glowing on the red rock pillars as you see in the shot of the site. I arrived at the park early enough on a Friday to get one of the more sweet (for me at least) sites, even though the CG was already well more than half full. I'd just been in some more remote parts of UT so the busy-ness of VoF was a little startling at times though I could quickly get away from all that just by heading out on some of the great trails there, and even more so by going cross country (with GPS app and downloaded maps just in case!) across the lovely sandstone there. This site was also a lovely refuge from the LA crowds.

I'd always thought "boondocking" referred to dispersed camping - i.e. using places where it's legal to camp but not in an established campground, and campingin a campground w/o hookups was "dry camping." But I'm happy to go with the local flow here on this forum and thread - the point in this threat being places where you'll be happy you have a camper that lets you break free of hookups! Here are a few views from a sweet dispersed site on BLM land just east of Capitol Reef NP off of the Notom Road. There are SO many spots like this near CR and also the Grand Staircase Escalante NM.

This is a BLM area outside of Goblin State Park in Utah. We couldn't get a spot in the park, so went just a few miles away where there is a lot of BLM land with free dispersed camping.

I am adding a great document from Victron's library that explains the ins and outs of batteries, wiring considerations and monitoring. Very helpful. https://www.victronenergy.com/upload/documents/Wiring-Unlimited-EN.pdf

Good news on this issue. The Trojan Black AGM 6V batteries were found to be defective after testing by the regional distributor in our area. I had an hour trip to a service location that they service, but it was worth it to identify the issue. They only pick up or deliver the batteries once a week to this service location, but it means that we were without 2 of the 4 batteries for just two weeks. I will be reinstalling next week and doing some testing of the new batteries. Jason Essary, Oliver Service, facilitated this successful outcome to everyone's benefit.

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

I'll add - if you have time - a visit to the Jack Daniel distillery in Lynchburg is a good tour, - not to mention all the other nice areas to explore -- and I'll offer up our farm as a spot to park (camp) while your enjoying the sights. Distancing is not an issue here....

How far is the storage area from your house or an outdoor 120 volt outlet? Can you run a small extension cord across to that spot? If you shut off all inside breakers except the converter, that cord should easily handle the current and it will keep your batteries in great shape. Make sure the batteries are fully charged before you put it inside, otherwise the converter may draw too much power for a small cord to safely handle. It will handle a maintenance (trickle) charge, no worries... Install a Victron smart bus; it allows you to check on the battery condition from fairly far away via Blutooth. It provides great peace of mind and saves needless trips to go check in person. Here is “Mouse”, I checked the battery condition about a minute ago while lying on the living room sofa 50 feet away. Once I checked and it was down 96%, alarmed, I went out to see why and I found out that I had accidentally turned off the converter breaker instead of the one for the water heater. John Davies Spokane WA