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The answer, is probably "yes". Recently, we upgraded 200 watts of solar on our 2008 Elite to 400 watts of solar. We doubled our portable panel(s), also, from 100 watts to two 100 watt panels. We combined the old controller as a slave mppt controller to the mix in addition to the new mppt (blue Sky). Ran the wiring from the furrion port to the slave controller, instead of directly to the battery, via the original onboard panel controller, which we removed. We live on 2 105 ah agm batteries in our 2008. That's not a lot of power, considering we have a 12v dc danfoss/second fridge. I will caution others that we use very little power for other things. We have no inverter. We use a generator for any rare 110 applications, like power tools. Our test so far : Fine at home, with not much running. No need to plug in. Last camping trip on NC, partial day shade, 12 days, only had to run the generator once on 12 days, after two crappy rainy days, as blue sky meter showed less than 75% power in batteries . This trip, crummy weather. Overcast most of the day, full leaf cover. Still, only down by 5 hours at sunset. Ran the furnace fan a few times in the day (in the 50s in the morning here), but picked up enough sun that we felt no need to plug in the generator, though we used it to run some power tools. At night we set our analog thermostat to low, which is around 55 . We're fine with that. Others are not. We sleep well at that temp, and the furnace doesn't kick on. This is an experiment. When our current agms die, we'll likely move up to lithium. In the meantime, we're perfectly happy with over-panelling, and our current battery power . I'll update as we go.

We successfully ran our SOB trailer with three 100W panels (way over-paneled), a mppt controller and two 80Ah AGMs and had lots of power to run the compressor fridge/freezer, lighting, device charging and 120v television. Granted, we don’t use much power and only have a 100w inverter. The 340w of solar, 2000w inverter and four 6v AGMs in the new Oliver should be overkill for us, but looking forward to it. We will get microwave delete and don’t plan to use a lot of amp-heavy appliances, save for the occasional toaster oven and coffee maker when plugged-in.

Yes, this is basically correct - the "star wheels" are used even on the self adjusting models to "snug up" the brakes after servicing (usually the bearings) but the self adjusters should still work even if this set is not followed - its just that braking performance will be reduced until one has backed up enough times for the self adjusters to do the magic. The rubber plugs indeed may be missing but they do help keep un-wanted things out of the area and suspect that is why some engineer put them there in the first place - I always replaced mine when/if they disappear. I've had many campers and boat trailers over the years that have had self adjusting brakes and have NEVER had issues with any of them. Particularly with trailers that are routinely driven/towed over 5,000 miles per year and with boat trailers that routinely see water, bearing service at least once per year is necessary. Because of this I have always cleaned/serviced the brakes at the same time and I suspect that is the reason they have always performed well for me. Of course, on the other hand, I could just be one lucky dude. I'm not surprised that this manual process works - that is how it was designed. However, even though the process of lubing the EZ Flex system is simple, doesn't take much time, is not really labor intensive, nor, does it require any special skill, I still find myself reluctant to do it. This same thing would apply (at least in my case) to manually adjusting the brakes. I'd prefer to make sure that the self-adjusting system is working properly once per year when I have the hubs off anyway versus keeping track of my brake mileage, getting under the Ollie and spinning star wheels. Different strokes for different folks I guess. Bill

The gas thief see’s the locking fuel cap, the next lock pick tool of choice is the ice pick driven through the bottom of the fuel tank. They take what they can and the rest remains on the ground. Locking fuel caps are great for piece of mind and as I always said which always sounds negative, if they want it they will get it. The way I look at it is what the cost of the damaged that will be caused versus the cost of the replacement to the item taken. Ive seen a lot of damage to vehicles back in the day. Some times they get what they want sometimes not, but the damage is extensive and costly.

Well as has been opined - Oliver brakes are not the cats meow - what to do, where does one go, - perhaps buy the best - an AS, a SOB, my gosh, we re all gonna die from insufficient breaking, - yeah another subjective topic. Get yours checked - do it yourself, ask one of those alien's the Navy says strafed SD in 2019 - just have them checked, get a vaccine, wear a mask, run, hide aaaaaaagh. OK it is relief factor - feel young again - get the quick start pack today - your brakes will love you. OR - just do the normal maintenance , and then you can spend quality worrying about which adult beverage you might run out of on the next boon docking escapade.......!!!!!! Oh crap - this isn't the Twilight Zone - sorry, I ran out of semi adult beverages and must have sobered up.... Thank you RB sniffing too much JB Weld - repairing the infrastructure. - can be hard on ones mental acuity. Wait - where is my tin hat and on EDIT- Ok - I realized I missed an important fix for the whole kit and caboodle - get your perfect pillow today - what pillow - well we all have a choice - I like mine - my pillow works, but not his My Pillow - it is an anthemia to common decency - what would John Locke say, not to mention Rousseau. Common Sense says T Paine.

Thank you JD - Tango Uniform - brought a smile to my face - my son - the military dude - introduced me to the phrase - which you have "cleaned up"!!

The manual knob is a great tool - mine lets me know what is gong on out back.

+1 We would be out camping & testing our single BattleBorn 100 AH Lithium battery right now, but delayed with the fuel shortage. We don't have factory solar on our LE2. Can't wait to get the new Lithium battery out for a real world test on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Testing at home has proved this battery requires less than 1/2 the time needed for recharging compared to the previous two type 27 AGM 12V 100AH batteries with our 100W Renogy solar suitcase. Confident on poor solar days recharging with the gen-set should yield shorter recharge times, will see. Thought our 100W Renogy Solar Suitcase was marginal and needed more panels until buying a single BattleBorn 100AH battery. We use LP gas to run the refrigerator when away from shore power and do not have an inverter. We have all we need with solar, 2000W gen-set, and LP gas when away from shore power.

The answer to your question is Batteries! Unless you only travel from hookup to hookup, you'll always need a battery. Whereas if you've got a generator you don't need solar at all. I suppose with a generator you could do without batteries, too; but that would be a true pain. I have to admit that when you added your 12 volt fridge, I was trying to figure out how you were going to make it work with 300W of solar and 200Ah of batteries. I kept quiet though - you know how polite I am. 😂 600W of solar is about right 😁, and 300Ah of LFP storage is, I prophesize, where you'll end up. (I'd say 400 for anyone else, but you guys watch your usage and batteries like hawks.) Where you'll put that battery, I'm eager to see. My suggestion is to build up one of Will Prowse's kits, since they're pretty compact and you could sort of shape it to whatever space you have available. I'd bet that's what you're thinking already. I'd really love to do that myself, actually. It would be a lot of fun. °°° Side note for everyone to ignore - LFP batteries are really super nice, but for most they are a luxury indulgence. It seems like a lot of people right now just have to have them, which is fine, but man that's two to four grand that I'd want to find some other use for unless I really needed it. Until you get into DC fridge territory, the value isn't there. But if you have limited space and need a lot of power storage, then LFP becomes the only answer, at least until Russel figures out his nuclear mod. I heard the Nimitz is being decommissioned so there's a possible parts source. I'd get in touch with your local surplus store. I wish people would look at LFP batteries like they do Andersen hitches; i.e., a reluctant purchase that you want to make only when you have to. No one is looking for an excuse to buy an Andersen - at least I hope not. And yes I'm being hypocritical since I can rationalize a shiny purchase like no one else on earth, but still.

Annual maintenance and readjustments, along with cautious downhill technique of using the TV low gears to help maintain a safe speed, etc have worked for my 2008 Elite I's 137,000 miles so far. But disk brakes would be the cat's meow. Having only one wheel and tire on each side, I pay special attention to how things are going on "back there", combining regular maintenance with a tire pressure monitoring system so I can check the pressure and temperature health of the tires while going down the highways and hills. Failure to maintain our equipment in tip top shape is just asking for things to go FUBAR!

Yes, it is But those 17 years cicadas are driving me crazy!

But I thought that Maverick was nothing without Goose. Or, was that something else? In my experience, locking gas caps are much like "locking" anything else. A person that REALLY wants your stuff is going to get it. However, for the more casual thief it just might cause them to move on to an easier target. And, it gives the owner a bit of peace of mind knowing that they have done something to help their cause. In this regard, I recently installed front and rear "dash cameras" - at least I'll know what they looked like when they take my stuff.

Driving on Route 202 through East Rochester NH today I saw a 2017 Elite 2 parked near a car wash with a for sale sign on the door ... $46,500 or BO.. figured I’d pass it along..

Yes, it is

Best place to be, the sound of silence in the woods is perfect. 👍🏻

We topped off the car with unleaded and topped off the Tremor with diesel. All is well for now.

Got that There is a Yukon Territory campground, built in ww2 days, one of our faves. SNAFU. (you guys know what that means.) I can't recommend it for most folks. Super sandy drive , easy to get stuck. 4wd engaged, preferred,,and a run at the bottom of the hill. We know the drive, and like the hilltop sites overlooking the lake. Best for 4wd van campers, or.... those who know the way. There are a few sites at the lower lakeshore that are really nice, and easier access, if available. We camp there every trip on our way to AK. Edited to add: seriously, if you are not experienced, don't have 4wd don't try this. Even the lower sites We know what were doing,,and a tow truck is really expensive. If you have signal to call one. This is seriously in the boonies. Pit toilets, no water, no sewer. Our kind of quiet place.

Good timing. A locking fuel cap is good in low fuel availability times. I had one on my Maverick back in the day ..

Well, they (drum brakes) are inferior in some (even perhaps most) circumstances. Repair is one area where disks are much easier to work on. In "performance" situations disk brakes are also superior. If I was doing a bunch of hills or needing my brakes to be applied for relative long periods of time then disk brakes are much better. But, having said this it does not necessarily mean that drum brakes are junk from the standpoint of - do they get the job of stopping the vehicle done. I believe that while drum brakes are not the most elegant nor the newest or greatest technology, they still get the basic job done - i.e. they stop the trailer (assuming that the maintenance factors pointed out above are good). If I had the choice of drum versus disk brakes - I'd take the disks every time. But that is not to say that drum brakes are junk. Bill

Bill, thanks. I was pretty sure our brakes were self adjusting. I was just wondering why some owners would feel that these same brakes were so inferior. BTW, I do plenty of backing up! Mike

The "easy" way to tell is to take a look at the back of the drum. If there is a rubber plug take it out and look for a "wheel" on the inside of the drum that can be turned (via the notches in the wheel). Turn it one way and the brakes tighten while turning it the other way loosen the brakes. These are manually adjusted brakes. Since I'm hull number 117 and you (Mike) are fairly close, I'd guess that you have the same brakes as I do - self adjusting. Basically these brakes adjust each time you drive the Oliver in reverse. These are not as finely tuned as the current Dexter "never adjust brakes", but, generally they do a good job. This is particularly so if during your annual wheel bearing job the brakes are adjusted properly when you hub is put back on. Right after this annual job your first few stops just might be a bit lacking in stopping power - that is because you probably haven't backed up the Ollie enough times yet in order to allow the self-adjusting mechanism to full work its magic yet. As long as the big magnet inside the drum is still good, the magnet is getting power, and, you have reasonably good brake lining, you should be able to get more that reasonable stopping power from drum brakes under "normal" circumstances. Yes, this is arguably ancient technology. Yes, disk brakes are easier to service and can provide more consistent and reliable stopping power under a broader array of circumstances. But, properly serviced drum brakes have proved to be a reliable source of stopping power for many years on many vehicles and trailers. Bill

Yep - I can make a bunch of trips to the grocery store (2.5 miles round trip), to Lowes (7 miles round trip), or even WalMart (8 miles round trip) before I start to be concerned about that large gas tank in the truck getting below half full. I do feel a bit sorry for those that do not have as much choice as we do regarding how and when they must use their vehicle. This evening's local news still said that upwards of 70% of the gas stations in the Asheville area are without gas. But, by early next week things should be greatly improved. Bill

Are the brakes on our trailers self-adjusting or manual adjust? I have mine inspected annually when I get my bearings repacked. I can adjust my brake controller so that the wheels skid when I squeeze the controller. With my new truck I have the BC set on 6 and I get a good tug from the trailer when I squeeze the controller. My brakes are 5 years old with 60K miles. Last spring my maintenance guy said they were almost down to half. Now that we’re home from our spring trip I’ll be taking it in for the annual check. I agree with others towing with a 2500 or larger, the truck does the majority of the work. I haven’t had an emergency braking incident with my 2500, but had several with my 1500s. The trailer tracked as it should each time. Mike

I think I'm good, sitting in the woods, till it all gets straightened out.

For anyone that now owns an 890 - Garmin has released a system update and it takes about 10 minutes to complete the install. Bill