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MrLynn, I bought a used 2017 LE2 in January 2018 with the standard bed configuration. It did not work for us and we quickly started leaving the big table behind. We experimented with sleeping arrangements and I found that sleeping across the back bench worked best for me, but I am 6'. I spoke Oliver service, made an appointment and they converted it over the twin bed configuration at a cost of around $2000 with the night stand, electrical AC outlets and DC circuit with USB and 12v outlets. I certainly could have completed this project myself if I had thought of it and when I read AndrewK's post about completing this mod, it was a "duh" moment, like why didn’t I think of that. So I say go for it, if you can find one that you like. But I do believe your chances are better in finding a twin bed than a standard these days as they are much more popular. Mossey

Ford will be making its own cells in TN as well as I think two plants in KY. GM I know also has plans to make cells here in the US. And Tesla makes cells at their NV Gigafactory and is building another in CA as well as one in Europe.

That’s good to hear, we need to have a manufacturing base in North America for these critical components.

I have Starlink and it's very fast with low latency. I believe Viasat & HugesNet are using high orbit satellites and will have extremely high latency/delay, won't work well for video conferences. Starlink is using low orbit satellites, so far it's been working well. It's very easy to set up and it's the same monthly price I paid for slow DSL internet. Highly recommend.

I’ve seen way too many videos of rolled vehicles on that trail. Personally, I don’t think I’d do it in anything longer than a short wheelbase jeep. There’s just not a lot of room to correct your line if you get it wrong and there’s too high a price to pay when you do.

It looks like these F150s are going to be built here in Tennessee. 5,800 jobs and over five billion in investment into Memphis from Ford. Regardless what hesitation some buyers have about these vehicles, the manufacturers know that they’re the future.

My domestic fridge just stopped cooling, no signs of leakage. Everything testing good on the troubleshooting guides. The opinion of the local RV guy was that I had a failed cooling unit. That left me with two options: buy a new unit or replace the cooling unit. After talking to Jason at Oliver and him telling me that to remove the fridge from the trailer you need to remove the door, I thought I would try to replace the cooling unit myself. I found some places that would ship a unit for $500 to $1000 and I do the install. I watched many videos and researched the work. In this research I found several people talking about burping this kind of unit, it entails flipping the unit on its side, top and allowing the ammonia mixture to reposition and displace any air pockets. Since I had to remove the fridge from its housing I thought I would try it...and it worked! We just took a 10 day trip and it worked fine. Some RV techs said it was a wive's tale. Glad I tried it. Hope this might help somebody.

This storage container is a perfect fit for the back of the basement. Plano, 68 quart, medium storage trunk.

The basic answer to your question is - no. These "gutter extensions" are made to actually extend gutters that are already on many campers. However, there are no gutters of this type on an Oliver. The "rain deflector" that you mention is actually nothing more than a pliable gasket that is (via 3M double sided tape) glued to the hull behind the awning. I do not see how these gutter extensions could be used with this gasket in order to direct rain away from the body of the Oliver. Bill

Most likely if you order a 2022, it will be delivered in 2023 so you've got plenty of time. Wait times on fiberglass trailer manufacturers range from several months to several years. Escape is currently out about 23 months to delivery from the order day. As far as seeing out of the windows unless seated, you won't have enough room to be walking around. Most of the time you'll be on the bed or at the dinette. If you're concerned about using seat cushions to sleep on, buy the available mattress and keep the rear made up as a bed. Use the front dinette for eating.

Thank you so much for your reply. I guess my impression about it being dark is not based on color but more on natural light. The windows seem small and low. I guess you can see out when seated but standing they seem very low. Yes we would definitely be looking at the smaller unit. My question about the sleeping arrangements & comfort are because most seat cushions are fine for sitting but not so much for sleeping. They tend to be quite hard. Do they make a model with dedicated bed? Would the 7’ be the interior width? We probably will want to get inside one at some point but we are not quite ready for purchase at this point. Looking at 2022. We would not want to waste anyone’s time yet.

Sounds like a winner…no way I’d pay close to new prices for used stuff. IMO buying new at or slightly below sticker is the best strategy. If you’re going to switch vehicles anytime soon the double cab will be a little harder to sell.

I am using Culligan installed by previous owner and it seems to work pretty well. I think it's "Culligan High Efficiency 1-Inch Water Softener". It tracks water usage and regens as needed. All I need to do is to add salt once in a while.

Battle Born assembles their batteries in Nevada, too. However, the lithium cells all come from China. I don’t know if the car manufacturers will be dependent on China for battery materials even if they build or assemble their batteries in the US. We currently see empty new car lots because we’re dependent of foreign chip manufacturers. I’m concerned about supply chain disruptions if we are reliant on foreign resources for critical parts, like we’re currently seeing with chips. Mike

Good question, Mike. Tesla builds their batteries in Nevada. I don't know about the others.

We’ve never carried it since it’s been a while since we’ve eaten rice based dishes. Our is large, but I think that you can find smaller versions that would make enough for two and which might fit in the overhead cabinets. I don’t think that it cut down on cooking time - I seem to remember that we just used the typical ⅓ ⅔ rice to liquid proportions and cooked it for the same 20 minutes that we do for baked rice. The end result was more like rice than a stew, but a bit stickier which it think came more from the fats from the sausage and chicken thighs that we always used rather than the method. Though it did create a nice layer of crispy rice at the bottom, similar to Caribbean concon, if you’re familiar with that. Unfortunately, we never came up with another use for the cataplana, since the traditional dishes are mostly seafood based, which my wife is allergic to. But I’m thinking that a black bean and rice dish would be really good in it. And of course now I’m wondering where I could pack ours in the trailer. I bet I could use the cataplana over a campfire with some care.

MrLynn, I did, as I am 6'5" and sleep on my back. I need the center fill-in mattress to have enough room for my shoulders and arms. The dog likes it too! Keep in mind, the two twin bed rails cost $535 from Oliver. I can only imagine how much the nightstand would be. Andrew

I know. Rivian in Illinois. Ford in Tennessee. Tesla truck in California or Texas? I'm super excited to see manufacturers coming back to their roots, with evs, in the US. And then, all the other benefits of evs. Let's think about it. ..

The nightstand is easily removable - just a few screws and a bead of caulk hiding the joint.

We don’t make jambalaya like we used to, but we came up with a way to make it using a Portuguese cataplana. We’d brown the meats in the open cataplana much like using a wok, then the mirepoix, then add back the meat, add the rice and chicken broth and spices, then close it up for everything to steam and meld together. Like a combo wok and pressure cooker. Essentially it made a creole style paella, and was fantastic.

Same. Weighed 50 lbs more then, but hey, good times. 😂🐽

I agree with Bill except for one thing and that is using the rivets the factory uses to attach the bed rails. There is no reason not to use the factory rivets as they create a very secure and clean connection. I speak from experience as I have converted our standard floor plan into a modified twin floor plan. Andrew

That looks pretty handy.. and got me wondering about what other folks stuff into the basement and what kind of storage solutions they have come up with… Heres what we’ve got stashed away.. a tote with a couple 50’ water hoses and assorted “water gear”, a sort of spool I made with two 25’ cords wrapped around it and related testers and adapters in its center… a milk crate full of blocking of various sizes (6x6s, 2x6s 1x6s etc) and a box I made full for an assortment of tools and gear aimed at quick repairs and trouble shooting without getting into the “real toolbox” that lives in the truck. the tote and spool go in first… followed by the crate of blocking, and the tools.. the remaining space is where I stow the wheel chocks

Yes, wetness is no good. The issue with closing all the windows during the rain is that it can get a little muggy or hot inside. I'm going to try to solve this by getting a small table fan that I can put on the kitchen counter or dinette table to blow air toward the bed during sleep. The MaxAir does move air in and out but when I'm in the bed I can't really feel it. I'd rather have the open window. Love that feeling of fresh air during the rain.

We applied eze rv gutter to the third tail light, as well, recently.

The one I inspected was - uninspiring. Visually nothing special , you kind of stepped down into it, very modern overall. We all have tastes of the varying kind. I am somehow stuck in my favor for automotive styling. Seems the older versions of things capture my fancy - especially the exterior styling. However, modern powertrains are simply astonishingly well executed. At a car show in Williams AZ, someone had a first gen Bronco - with all the best of modern chassis and powertrain - It was something to behold. I'd guess $150k worth. I also spent time with the new Vette - ok - I love it - but no mid life crisis here - it would not do me well to be divorced and have a new Vette sitting in my new Apartment parking spot. Safe travels All. RB

Yes, I have not seen any studies by cognitive science folks but I would gladly wager $20 that any such would show that a well designed touch screen experience is more cognitively demanding for driver than well designed physical buttons and knobs. I think we're still going a bit in the wrong direction regarding distracting drivers. I fear its my former industry that's largely at fault... (computers/software), though the car companies are the ones choosing to use the tech thusly. I see why they do but clearly I think it's a misguided choice safety-wise.

I love the idea of a touch screen. And the look - I love simplicity and also futuristic design. But I really really hate touch screens in cars. The glare is too distracting at night and they take too much attention to operate. Physical buttons and knobs all the way. The easiest cars I ever had to drive were my two Saabs. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that they modeled all of their ergonomics on the data and ideas they got from their military jet division. (Night panel buttons - jeez I miss those.) There were a trillion friggin little buttons in those cars, and yet it actually ticks me off when I think about how intuitively everything was arranged, how I rarely had to even halfway glance at a control to adjust it, and how much I have to suffer through bad design decisions whenever I get in a car today. Even the chunky controls in my F150, like them though I do, suffer from every knob being the exact same shape and size (special place in hell for that design team.) I hate touch screens in cars. It’s entirely form (and cost) over function. In fact now I’m going to bed angry from just thinking about them. 😡😂

I'm a bit confused. May just be a newbie thing. I assumed that buying a four season trailer meant it could be used to full capacity (exterior shower aside) during four seasons. Seems to me that any trailer, if fully winterized, is equally up to winter time use. We've ordered with composting toilet. Will be traveling with a Buddy Heater and 120v heater as back ups, compressor and gallons of anti freeze. Refectex cut outs for windows and some sort of insulated plug for Max Air. 30lb tanks, solar package with lithium batteries. Planning on jumping in on some of the super smart, cold weather specific mods that have been suggested such as adding vents to basement, better insulation around pipes, temp monitors w/on line alarms, etc... What I am trying to figure out is how to best protect the Oliver adequately for sub freezing traveling and than to use it with full access to on board water once at camp. Am planning on frequent and extended dry camping in deep cold situations. By following different threads it's seems that some have done so with great success while others think it's not really possible. Thanks much for input.

Sooooo, this chain does bring up a few questions that I (newbie) have about winterizing. Seems like some folks blow out, others do anit freeze and a few do both. Caveats: I am new to trailering, will be camping through the northern New England Winters and My E2 was ordered with a composting toilet. As best as I can tell, I would likely do a full blown winterization (anti freeze with or without blowing lines) for cold weather storage periods and simply blow out exterior ports (plus exterior shower) for driving in anything below freezing temps (even if I choose to drive with propane heat running). Does that seem right? I am particularly intersted in what it takes to do a partial winterizing to enable safe driving in sub freezing conditions IF the propane heat is left on. Sounds like there could be an issue running higher air pressure through the water pump and, from previous chains, could be other issues with purging lines with pressurized air. That said, is there any real advantage in blowing things out plus usiing AF versus simply draining and adding AF to accomplish a full blown winterization?

The manufacturer of the on-board jacks does NOT recommend using the jacks to lift the weight of the trailer even as a temporary use for changing a tire. New model trailers have an extended steel sub-frame assembly that provides ample room for a jack point either in front or behind the tire that needs to be changed. Older models may not have enough room on the steel sub-frame to use a lifting jack(scissor jack or bottle jack). If this is the case you will simply locate the main frame rail point closest to the tire that needs to be lifted and use a lift pad that will help to distribute the weight. Owner’s manuals may state different things as changes occur every year in the RV industry. There are several reasons why these changes might occur from year to year or even in the middle of a production cycle. Sometimes new industry standards/codes are introduced and changes have to occur to meet these new standards. Sometimes components are discontinued and replaced with a new model that may not work just like the previous model. Sometimes companies simply make a decision change within the company to market their product differently. These are just a few of the reasons that change happens and why your owner’s manuals may be different. Product information is provided by the manufacturer of the component and is available online in the Oliver University section. Oliver strives to provide accurate information to every customer. The product information on components not manufactured by Oliver is dependent on the manufacturer or supplier supplying us with the correct information and as such may not always be 100% accurate.

I've boondocked at the Lower Sunshine Reservoir just outside Meeteetse, WY for a number of years. Given that the camping area consists of basically a sagebrush "meadow" overlooking the reservoir, there is no shade other than what the Ollie provides either early in the morning or later in the day. Virtually every time I've been there I've set up my small (four sided) Clam screen shelter not necessarily to shield me from bugs but more to give me an additional place to relax after a hard day of fishing. When setting up my Clam I virtually always not only stake the four corners down but I also use the three ties that come off the side center hubs and stake them. This is to protect the Clam from any sudden winds that just might come up and it has worked very well withstanding some fair strong winds - until this year. I was in bed at about 11:30pm when the Ollie started rocking. After about 5 minutes of this I got up to look out the rear window to see how the Clam was fairing - not well. So not well that it wasn't even there. Just to make sure or, perhaps, get the Clam before it was swept into the reservoir I jumped into a pair of shorts, donned a head lamp and ventured into that wind. Yep - not there! In fact, no sign that it had ever even been there! Barely being able to stand I turned to get back into the camper and a light colored square object caught my eye about 150 yards away. Could it be? Yes it was. The four sides of the Clam had collapsed but the roof remained fully open. I managed to get over to it, I collapsed the roof, carted it back to the truck and did not inspect to see what was the extent of the damage to it until yesterday. Other than being lucky that the entire thing wasn't lost in the reservoir, I was reasonably certain that the screening or the nylon material or the fiberglass poles or the hubs that hold most of it together would be broken. Perhaps I could salvage something from it for potential repairs to the new Clam that certainly was in my future. Well, all of the screening didn't have a scratch on it and the poles and hubs were fully intact. The roof does have two tears and three abrasions as well as each of the four nylon webbing tabs that are used for staking down the tent had been completely torn from where they were sewed. The abrasions can easily be fixed with dabbing on a little "E6000" and the two tears (one at about 1/4 inch and the other at about 1 1/2 inches) can be repaired with "Gear Aid" repair tape. Of course I also sewed the four tabs back on. I'm not sure if the Clam was purposefully designed so that these tabs would "release" rather than tearing the tent apart, but, it worked that way in this case. Finally, I should note that I found the four tabs the next morning after the wind storm, still staked to the ground as I had originally placed them. And, one of the three ropes used to tie down the sides was broken. I use short bungees that have metal hooks at the ends and place the metal hooks around the ground stakes. All three metal hooks were straightened! I've always liked my Clam but now I'm a true believer. Bill