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Unable to find a previous thread about what books you listen to on the road, I'm starting another. Please share any audio books you recommend to help make those long days on the road fly by. Here are some of our favorites, most of which were suggested by fellow Ollie owners. (Thank you!) Ordinary Heroes The Boys in the Boat A Man Called Ove Michener's Alaska (especially if you're going there) A River Runs Through It Beartown Girl with a Dragon Tattoo The Way I Heard It The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared Floating Twigs Where the Crawdads Sing

Memphis to Guntersville. All gas stations are business as usual.

I have the twin bed model with the street side bed also serving as a couch. If I'm "working" (laptop, tablet, sending emails, checking weather, etc.) I usually do that at the dinette. If I'm reading, watching TV/movie, listening to music or an audio book, I'll sit on the couch. Even if you have a regular twin bed set up or the full sized bed you can use throw pillows to prop yourself into a sitting position. Rarely but for those rainy days when I'm inside virtually all day, I'll open one of my "camp chairs" in the isle and sit there for something different. Bill

I guess we’ll just stay home and camp on Blueberry Hill be grateful and let the world go right on by. Life is good!

I am coming from Cincinnati and don't expect any Fuel Shortage problems in route, but just to be safe, I will be caring an extra 5 Gallons with me and will be filling up at the Half Tank Mark. BTW, I'll have my Tongue Scale with me if anyone wants to measure their's, site E10. One of my objective during the Rally is to get recommendations on which Mattresses to get, currently just cushions. You know Papa Bear/Mother Bear/Baby Bear. Which one is just right?

Thieves can be resourceful lot - and the smarter ones usually ply their trade in target rich environments. Other than when in a remote storage - or similar - it is my opinion - you try to discourage the casual thief as much as possible - and forget about it in the long run. Professional crooks will defeat anything you put in place. I worry more about the jerks that just want to destroy stuff - and if it is an easy mark - walk away with a few trinkets. Removing the wheels is probably the best deterrent - but give the pro a little time - and your Ollie would be gone - . The old sign posted on the door - Hey Joe - we went to get more Ammo- be back in a few - don't let Jake out of the RV - he just got out of dog jail for eating the neighbor - and he is in a bad mood - we ran out of dog food...... seems about as good in a campsite situation. RB PS - I have read of of a well traveled HD enthusiast who had a very non descript trailer for his HD's - on the outside it was labeled something to the effect - Universal Bible Company - we deliver free bibles to all that are in need. Guess we can't hide Ollie....

I/we are very comfortable in our EII. Pretty much use the bed as my comfort spot. We have not been stuck inside much due to weather - but we have spent 8 weeks living out of Ollie and never had a complaint. The versatility of how and where you can camp - makes up for any other inconveniences. As for any other RV and a comparison - perhaps a little more space would be good - but honestly - I would still use the same areas - and the space wouldn't really matter. I am not a fan of the dinette area - but that is just me - my spouse is fine with it. We are outside people - rain/shine/or otherwise. Good tiding in your search. RB

Sure, if you have a power band or saber saw or are willing to spend twenty minutes using a hacksaw to cut off the shank. I don't think one with a long shank sticking out would deter theft. These hitch balls are fairly mild (soft) steel and not that hard to cut. Be sure to dress out any rough edges with a belt sander afterwards for looks, and so you don't open up a finger on a sharp part. A steel ball bearing OTH is chrome plated and hardened, and more fun to play with. John Davies Spokane WA

I suspect that for the twin arrangement, most people use the beds. The dinette is comfortable for short periods but in my opinion not great for lounging around. Of course, with the king bed arrangement, the rear seat area is more conducive to a lounge than the beds. For that reason, we got rid of the mattresses in our twin, and had cushions made to fit the deeper seats. For us, that plus adding an adjustable Lagun table has been a very good combination to make the rear of the trailer into a comfortable multi use space for sitting, dining, and sleeping. It functions similarly I think to the dual bed/couch arrangement that @topgun2 has, but I think it works better for two. Our trips are three weeks typically, and usually in cooler weather, and we've found the trailer to be incredibly comfortable to hang out in. Too much so, really - it's a challenge sometimes to get my wife outside to enjoy the campfire.

It’s Wednesday, the 12th....As we are in the last stages of packing for Lake Guntersberg, Zef heads out to the bank for travel $$ (gas money?) and spies an Ollie EII on US 90 right in town, but forgot to note the hull number... left a card on the truck window... maybe we’ll see them in Alabama. 🤞🏻🤞🏻 Zef and 00na Heart-a-Lee Ollie EII Monticello Fl

The RVer's television series continues this Saturday with season three. It is initially being aired on the Discovery Channel (#278 for DirecTV) with additional airings on a number of other outlets. Personally I hope that both content and production will be improved for this season since I found the first two seasons to be lacking in both these even though the scenery was generally good to look at. Bill

Plenty of Diesel in Tupelo and only 2.69/gal. We leave for Lake Guntersville tomorrow.

Coincidence: I am approximately halfway through James Michener‘s “Texas“ as well. It is fiction, but I feel like I am learning some history as well.

Boys in the boat is a great non-fiction book that’s listed. Another non-fiction book I also really enjoyed was River of Doubt. Teddy Roosevelt’s adventure in the Amazon was truly amazing. Pam

Just canceled our stay. Hope we will get to see everyone next year. Thinking we will stay closer to home the next couple of weeks here in the great state of Texas.

Important - affects ROUND units bought in 2019 or 2020, I don’t know if any of these are used in Ollies, but check anyway, and check any new ones at home. Look here first: http://kiddetsalarmrecall.rsvpcomm.com/info.aspx Submitting a claim: How to submit a claim John Davies Spokane WA

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

I just saw that Garmin has released a "small" update for the 890. Apparently this update is for the iOverlander portion and brings it up to date. This might be helpful for those that are soon to be on the road to the "Non-Rally". Bill

Yesterday I ordered two 2" AISI 52100 chrome steel ball bearings from Amazon for $22.00. They showed up this afternoon. I will be using a ball bearing with an Abus 24/70 Diskus padlock and "The Collar". It would require power tools (side grinder) and a bit of time to defeat this setup. I opted for the ball bearing over a Blaylock style because I don't want to deal with two padlocks. I would imagine that in most cases, thieves driving by would see the disc lock/collar combination and look for an easier target; unless they planned on dropping the coupler on a smaller ball. The ball bearing would then foil that plan.

We are twin bed loungers as well. The dinette isn't bad but ours is usually covered with stuff. When trapped inside I use a bluetooth noise-cancelling headset so I don't have to listen to Grit TV. 😁

The twin beds work fine for lounging around if you are leaning back against pillows or a rolled up sleeping bag. For me, it's more comfortable because we have the regular cushions and not the thicker mattress option. When I sat on the thicker mattresses when previewing the Oliver I was not as comfortable sitting on the edge because of the angle for my legs, but that's a personal preference. One of us uses a foam topper on top of the cushion, but we are glad we chose to not get the mattresses. We live close to the Southern Mattress factory if we ever change our mind.

We have the tongue box and I couldn't find a place for the sticker. Inside the box is too far away, and no room in front of the box. CORRECTION: New Ford's have gone to a sensor OR sticker.

Thanks, ShallowGal, for the suggestion and the thread. Besides listening on long drives I've also found that these audio books are great for those nights when I'm a bit tired from fishing, its raining outside, its buggy outside, its ..... outside or I simply want to lay down but am not sleepy. My only problem is that I don't understand why it is that after laying there a bit I realize that the last thing I remember is something in chapter 5 and the book is now on chapter 9! 🙄

The wheel center caps are made by Lionshead. Mine were chrome plated steel which rusted and pitted in six months. I replaced them with the stainless steel version.

Just spent five days at the Prairie Creek COE campground on Beaver Lake in Rogers, AR. Ticks (Lone Star) were falling out of the trees. Would not have believed it if I hadn't seen it.

We’ve been listening to Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History podcast series while on the road. Regular books - I’m working my way through “Texas” by James Michener, fascinating historical fiction. The paperback is almost 1,400 pages, so not a quick read. Mike

Thanks - I pretty much stay with non fiction - but every now and then a good spy thriller gets my attention. RB

Interesting times - but not something we - US citizens - have not been warned about - in many information channels . The electrical grid has been on the hit list, and similarly, delivery systems for multiple other goods are in jeopardy. Terrorist attacks (actual physical damage) to just a few key areas of two pipelines and you could shutdown a large part of the country. Do similar to a few key bridges - and NYC will be out of key goods within a few days. Our supply chain is one of the best in the world - however -it is highly vulnerable to nefarious actions. It is inconvenient that many of us have had to alter our plans for leisure activity. When large parts of the country go without for a few days - inconvenience will be a fond memory. A month from now - the country will be back to its normal stupor - and we will still be in the target zone - with little action towards thwarting the bad guys. We want to blame panic buying - but it is just human nature. I'm sure - fuel will be unavailable around here tomorrow. The local businesses were filling every tank, vessel, and vehicle available. They can't get people to fill open positions - but the one I talked to - commented - we can do something about keeping our stuff moving...... I laughed out loud as a highly placed fed official lashed out at the citizens - as she was about to leave in her gov supplied transportation. Ok - everybody take care - 😖 RB

Hate that you guys are having to change plans. FYI for anyone traveling to Oliver or to the non-rally, west TN and north MS should be unaffected.

I just got off the phone from speaking with Patriot who told me that they have cancelled their reservations for this year's Non-rally due to fuel concerns. A "ransomware" attack on the major fuel supplier to much of the southeast has caused fuel shipments to be suspended until possibly Friday. This has caused fuel shortages in Asheville, NC and even as far east as Charlotte. Phone calls to the tri-county area surrounding the Lake Gunthersville area confirmed that many gas stations are already out of gas. So, if you are in route to the Rally be very careful in making sure that you have enough fuel and or have enough supplies of food and drink to last for least a week. Bill

Hello Oliver Community! My wife Frieda and I placed an order last week for a 2022 Legacy Elite II to be delivered next February. For over 20 years we've dreamed of owning an Airstream but once we learned about Olivers two years ago and took a look at them, the quality difference became apparent and we haven't looked back. We've been working with Phil and can't say enough good things about his customer service. I took a trip to the new showroom just last week and got my second factory tour. We cannot wait for our trailer. We look forward to getting to know all of you. Scott

Ok found the GUSHER. Water was coming out of the top connection but pushing back in place fixed it. The connection on the right seemed fit, but water is pouring out there with pump turned on I completely disconnected and reconnected all sides of this t-fitting and that seems to have fixed it. thanks for the help y’all!!!

Doesn't work for us - Harley too often heads to the pond - blue sky's and he will come to the door WET..... Chesapeake's seem to be as much duck as they are canine.....

How do we know it’s raining? We just call the dog in and see if he’s wet.

We cooked inside today too. Taco salad, pretty good. It’s raining cats and dogs. Nice weather tomorrow!

We know it's raining hard, when I cook indoors. Two days of rain. Yuck. But, the jambalaya was good.... Hopefully, tomorrow is a better day.

I washed my trailer in the rain before we left on this current trip. It actually worked quite well since the temps were in the 80’s. There was a thick coat of pollen all over that began to run in streaks as it rained. Now we’re in KY and it’s raining, so just sitting in the trailer answering needless comments with more needless comments. Mike

Last year we had a short discussion about what time of the year do the fireflies come out in the mountains of western North Carolina. Well, within the next three weeks or so some 20 varieties of fireflies will begin to do their annual ritual and this includes the "blue" fireflies that are only know to exist in very limited ranges and the synchronous fireflies that are "famous" in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park (June 1-8 and it takes a lottery ticket to get to see these which are available at Recreation.gov from today through May 3rd). Good luck on getting a ticket! Bill

Technically, those are: Iris kristata (crested dwarf iris) - at least that is what my wife says. I simply call them blue flowers. Bill

We are now starting in the season of the sound of the splatter of love bugs. 😫 I’d rather be watching those fire flies.

Bugs, ivy, things in nature - don't compare to the real threat - Humans! watch your 6 - they cannot be trusted to behave in any rational manner. A bull moose is preferable. RB Non human in training.

And - since you asked for "nature stuff" - learn how to recognize western poison ivy. It does look slightly different than the eastern variety - see THIS - in any case - "leaves of three, let it be".

Raspy, Is hull #92 the one with the stainless steel counter top? if so,it is in San Diego being loved and towed with a diesel VW Touareg. Andrew

Mine is not quite 3 months old but I go with Meguiars — wash first and spritz with Quick Detailer. I’m a simple woman. Reminds me of the time (yes I veer off topic and it’s kinda my trademark) I went to a high-end spa for a massage and they talked me into getting a fancy facial. The “aesthetician” was amazed at my skin for my age. Asked me what my “skin care regimen” was. “What products are you using?” ”Uhhh. Oh. Irish Spring.” The look on her face. Like she’d stepped in something. But it did keep her from trying to sell me spa salon potions at $80 for like, an eighth of an ounce. She knew I was not a good “lead.” Heh.

We just picked up our trailer from Suncoast Designers in Hudson. The three side windows that we had removed, repaired, and replaced look very nice. Everything is tidy and clean. They aren't far off US 19. Big, big lot. Lots of high end coaches parked getting windows repaired. Some camping during the repairs, in their free campsites. We were the only travel trailer I saw in either visit. Followup with Maria in customer service was excellent. Cost for three windows, with tax and shop supplies, was about $1000. They include a lifetime warranty (for the owner, not transferable) against future fogging issues. I would recommend them.

I got one of these some time ago. It's not a ladder, but better than the tire or trying to stand on the edge of the seat, and it sure does take up less room. The only problem is that I forget I own it. https://www.amazon.com/Rightline-Gear-100660-Original-Shark/dp/B07JMTVP9N Also, don't forget it's there before trying to close the door.

This is a good question. If you looked at the surface of the fiberglass under a microscope you would see that it would appear ROUGH/COARSE, (Peaks/Valleys) think different Grades of Sand Paper-Fine/Medium/Coarse. When the surface gets Rough, due to either environmental factors or lack of proper maintenance, the LUSTER/SHINE of the surface declines! The other down side of the Rough surface is that it attracts stains more easily from all sources by acting like a magnet for the dirt to stick to. The only way to remove stubborn type of stains, after all other cleaning products/ method have failed, that I know of is to level the surface by removing the Peaks/Valleys, i.e. changing the surface from Coarse Sand Paper into Fine Sand Paper! This is done by Wet Sanding, and progressing through the various grits of paper and finishing with differents grits of Rubbing Compound, top off with Waxing. I have personally used these methods to restore Fiberglass surfaces on several of our Sailboats to bring the boats back to be the "Pride of the Fleet!" This will also work on most Painted surfaces on vehicles.

I have found the grey and fresh tank SeeLevel indicators to be confusing for the most part (black tank sensor works much better). At first I thought they were good for "ballpark" estimates, but the readings are never consistent and repeatable so I've come to the conclusion that relying on them is risky. The tanks are just so "shallow" that the slightest difference in leveling can result in huge discrepancies in the SeeLevel readings. My strategy is going to be to fill the fresh tank and use the onboard pump rather than just city water pressure. By using the fresh and grey tank level indicators together I'll have a better "estimate" of how full / empty the tanks are.

We decided to give Suncoast designers a try. They offer a lifetime warranty, and you have your choice of staying in one of their many rv electric and water hookups, or dropping off the trailer and picking it up a few days later. We're going with the dropoff/ pick up later option, as it's only a little over an hour away, and not really my kind if camping experience. I know there are similar facilities in Arkansas and Texas. Quite possibly, many more. I only researched close to me.

Well that would solve SeaDawg’s problem of the window not opening enough.