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It has reached the stage in my life where getting to stuff on top of my truck is more of a challenge, and lifting myself up onto the rear tire is a whole lot harder. This purchase was prompted by a fall from there, I was wearing hiking hoots with aggressive soles and one got caught in the (mud) tire tread instead of sliding free and it literally flipped me over onto my back. It is super steady (on level ground), has a neat stabilizing rail/ grab bar, an unusually broad top step, and it provides an ideal 30 inch height for accessing a truck roof. That duplicates my 33 inch tall tire without the tip-over potential😬 Plus it is only 1.75” wide when folded, so storage is a non issue in a typical SUV, where space is valuable. It fits in that wasted space between the generator and side trim, without blocking. I can pop the bungee cord off and simply slide it out. Delxo Aluminum 3 Step Ladder,2020 Upgrade Lightweight Folding Step Stool with Long Handle, Anti-Slip Sturdy Pedal, Classic Wood Look Without Wood Worry Step Ladder, Hold Up to 330LB I paid $87. I wish it were available in silver, the black and faux wood will get scarred up pretty fast. Otherwise, highly recommended! My wife wants one for the kitchen now. It will fit in that narrow slot between the fridge and the wall. BTW the cargo box is a Yakima Skybox Lo Carbonite, it allows me to get the rig into my garage with the box in place (7 foot door). It is a little cramped vertically, but my two ARB chairs, two MaxTrax, flagpole, and lots of small soft stuff fit into it easily. Just no milk crates. 🙄 Even with no fairing and round crossbars it is pretty quiet on the highway due to the pebbled texture. With the tailgate down and the hatch closed, it is easy to stand in back for rear access. John Davies Spokane WA

Hi QuestionMark: Thanks again for the heads up PM on this topic, I appreciate it! I subsequently checked our 2020 EI and found that (1) the 3 5/8" shackles were used and (2) there are no bushings on the top zerks. Clearance between the frame and suspension is less than 1". I'm already in touch with Jason, he's offered to ship out a replacement Dexter HD kit or have the work done there at Oliver (I don't have the skills to do the work myself or I would). QM, JD, All: Your comments and those of other experienced Ollie owners here and elsewhere in the forum are invaluable. . . I'm a first-time travel trailer owner and have never even towed before so suffice it to say the learning curve is steep. In this case, I likely would have had no idea anything was amiss with the suspension until a failure, which easily could have been catastrophic. Many, many thanks to you all for taking the time to share your knowledge and research. -Brian

I have a better weigh that I received as a retirement gift. Used it a few times and it was within about 5% of scale weights. It's not a substitute for an accurate tongue scale or weighing at a weigh station, but accurate enough to be an interesting quick check tool. Craig

We have been slogging through this third road trip (Apple TV) and the going is hard. Long Way Round was amazing and exhilarating, with a bum ending. The sequal, Long Way Down through Africa was mildly interesting. This one is just lots of stunning scenery and lame dialog. They decided to leave the tip of Patagonia in early September (tail end of their winter) to end up in LA at Christmas (?) after13,000 miles, and were hit with the coldest month in twenty years. Blizzards and bitter cold..... They ride two hand built prototype Harley adventure bikes (free) and the camera crew drive two hand built Rivian trucks (free) and they also have several diesel powered support vehicles (rarely shown), and sat phones to call for help whenever they get stranded. Which is daily, sometimes several times daily. Episode 1 is background and jetting around the world to talk to sponsors, and look at maps and try on free clothes, and get the stuff shipped to the far end of the world..... Rivian agrees to install hundreds of charging stations along their route, “No worries, go for it!”. Harley claims a nearly 90 mile theoretical range for their bikes, but has “no comment” about real world numbers. “What, me worry? Cold weather testing..... huh?” Episodes 2 and 3 are solely can we make it to the next town, will we be trapped in the wild in sub-freezing temperatures, will the power adapter work, will that farmhouse let us borrow some power, why did the house fuse blow, why don’t we have the proper voltage adapter, can we bring our bikes inside they won’t charge it is too cold, why isn’t it charging now, oh the backup 12 volt battery is dead it won’t boot up, we have to ride at 35 mph or the batteries will be flat, the grade is too steep, we need a diesel generator brought in on a semi truck to charge us, my feet and hands are freezing we can’t use electric clothes, Oh God the mountain grade is too steep my range has dropped to 1 mile, can we draft 6 inches behind the support truck to get us there, we are late for the ferry will it wait for us, Charlie made it but Ewan’s bike has to be towed. On and on..... and that is just the bikes. The same thing happens to the Rivians, just different crises.... but all involve will it charge and will it get to the that next town that might have a super charger... because regular outlets won’t work. Once the temperature warms up enough for them to ditch the layers of thermal underwear, the problems are greatly reduced and the bike range goes from 50 miles to 130 miles, on a good leg . At one point Ewan shouts to Charlie, “55? are you good for 55?” Charlie happily agrees and they speed up. LOL, this is a great real world test for the prototypes but it is hardly an endorsement for long distance electric travel. If you have any interest in these vehicles, watch and learn, but it sure makes me want to stay internally combusted. John Davies Spokane WA

Update to the original post, I've installed the single LifeBlue 200ah battery. The battery is only 58lbs - less than a single 65lb AGM. I used 3/4" pvc trim boards to make spacers in the tray. The only issue I had was the supplied post bolt was not quite long enough to accommodate all the connections (about 3 threads short). The converter/charger was able to bring the battery up from 73% to 100% in about 4 hours (the fan is on all the time for the higher lithium setting). EDIT: The charger fan runs continuously WHILE charging, but shuts off once charging is complete. Battery and inverter are performing as expected. No trouble running the teapot or microwave. Bluetooth connection with the app works well. Very happy with everything so far.

https://www.musclecarsandtrucks.com/obi-wan-kenobi-pilots-rivian-r1t-ewan-mcgregor-from-patagonia-to-los-angeles/ The largest glacier outside of Antarctica: John Davies Spokane WA

You may want to check out FitRV's YouTube videos on the subject. Andrew

Thanks so much for all your advice. I am going to start with just the vinegar that Seadawg suggested. Step two, if necessary, (which I found by googling) is a mixture of vinegar and dish soap. Hopefully I will not need to go to a third step like a Starbright polish or a Miracle Mist product. I spoke to the previous owner and he told ,me that he had to remove the water stains each year. I am thinking that he never cleared up the situation sufficiently and maybe did not apply enough good wax at least twice a year. I am looking to get a good shine on my Ollie so it looks new. Richard

Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce, Zion.

Dewdev, your trailer is pretty new, but the previous owner may not have waxed it as often as you and I would. That allows stains and dirt to set into the gelcoat. As Pat said, it's porous. If you only have hard water stains, I'd start with the least cost and least harmful liquid treatments. Have you tried white vinegar? Soak a paper towel, slap it on a stain, let it sit, and see if it works. Then rinse it off . You can also try scrubbing it with vinegar and a soft microfiber cloth. Oliver uses a really good marine quality gelcoat. I'd be really surprised to find that you would need to resort to rubbing compound or wet sanding on a three year old trailer. There are as many opinions about proper gel coat maintenance as there are boats, I think. But everyone seems to agree, get the fiberglass really clean, then protect it with a really good wax or coating. Look to Practical Sailor for advice. They test products repeatedly, and also report back on longevity .

I would not worry about the Louisiana heat. I basically agree with both Mike and SeaDawg. However, as SeaDawg points out I would take additional steps to control moisture - both via ventilation and some type of humidity control. Even if you remove cushions and contents there will still remain a small portion of plant based material - i.e. wood - that can be harmed by humidity. For winter storage I use a couple of large containers of "Damp-Rid" and certainly a de-humidifier would also work. Having your air conditioner set to 80 just might not work as well for humidity when it is 75 degrees and 90 percent humidity on those "cool" southern nights. Bill

Qm, really glad your problem will be resolved, and very sorry it happened. I'm glad that you reported this to Oliver, and were patient and persistent in your quest for a response. Some things do take time, to get the right answer. Opening a ticket is an important first step. Discloses issues to Oliver, so they can be resolved. It helps keep the best "best." No one can fix an unknown issue.

Another option; Went this route and sealed the inside lid of the Action Packer with foam weather strip for Andersen chocks and blocks. Secured with Rhino ratchet straps. Small master locks (visual deterrent only) certainly not going to stop a determined thief.

That should work great. May I suggest a different tie down system? Those steel hooked bungee cords are nasty and can remove a finger or an eye if you are not really careful. These ROK Straps are terrific, they look very classy and they probably won’t damage any of your body parts. I use them inside my Yakima Rocket Box and also to secure my two MaxTrax together, plus other applications. For anchors you can install stainless 1” footman loops in the front and back. If you want to stick with hooks, a safer choice is SmartStraps. John Davies Spokane WA

Interesting - was it supply chain issues or engineering design considerations? In any case - I have decided I'm going - Li -- just as soon as I can get 600 amp hours in a 12 cubic inch box, at a cost below $500. I figure that will happen - oh - say 2025 or so. Moore's law in battery storage - one can hope. RB

Camco seems to provide decent products. I have used the Camco blue water filter for years (pre Oliver). I carried the camco black/gray water drain hose support, but never needed to, or wanted to, use it. The power assessor, polarity and voltage that RB suggests is a good product. I am cheap, so use a $6 one from Fry's - when they were open (Radio Shack or other electronics place should have one) and use a Harbor Freight model that does the job for about $5. I have a separate volt meter that I put in, and will put in, the electrical system. The test device is to make sure that the pedestal was wired properly, is still wired properly, and that the correct voltage is being supplied. Not good to accidentally plug into 240 volts, or to find that there is a floating neutral that just happened which could cause fires, equipment damage, electrical shock and or stray current that would not be controlled by the circuit breaker or GFCI. I use them for work, along with other electrical circuitry test equipment. The ones I have are 15 amp, so you might need an adapter. Does anyone use a 30 amp tester? You might also eventually get an AFCI - Arc FAult Circuit Interrupter that you would plug your power cable into. The circuit breaker will not protect against an arc event. Eventually have a 50 amp to 30 amp adapter that you will need once every other year, but when you need it, that would be the only way to get power. Again, Camco sells an adapter. I also use a water pressure regulator, the same one listed here. Camco products are available at Walmart (or they were a few years ago. Haven't checked in a while). The only reason I specifically go into a WalMart is for camping supplies. The last time I was in the local WalMart for camping/trailer/RV equipment they had a full aisle of products. You can find things that you didn't know you needed. One of my favorite stores, Tractor Supply, also has trailer equipment. I will leave for Oliver in less than 2 weeks to pick up my Elite I. It will hopefully be a happy St. Patrick's Day and evening in Crockett SP. John