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Perhaps this has been around for a while, but I've never seen it before. It's a geared lug nut tool with an adjustable arm to gain leverage against the opposite lug nut. It would be a bulky single-purpose tool to carry, but it's interesting and I could see it being useful to many. I guess you could use it to install the nuts, too; though you'd probably have to be careful to not over torque them. https://garrettwade.com/product/geared-lug-nut-remover

The Ascent is the more “designed for towing” of the Subaru line and with the towing package has the 7 pin pre wired. Have a Redarc brake controller that should arrive “any day now” 😀if UPS follows through. It’s a 5k rating overall. We loved our Outback and have towed our HC1 from Dallas to California and back through both mountains and deserts while keeping 20+ mpg. The Ascent is a new platform to us - we are hoping that is performs as well. Unfortunately not able to make the jump to a truck at this point due to daily driver and work commute requirements.

I’m okay with what we do. We drive to a location and stay a while, then drive to another, burning diesel all the way. But, if we’re home, I’m driving around town every day for errands, helping kids and grandkids, etc. The fuel I use is minuscule compared to big rigs driving across the country daily or trains and planes burning lots of petroleum. Even our wonderful windmills take gallons and gallons of petroleum lubricants daily to produce whatever electricity the wind allows them to produce. So, I’m at peace pulling my little Oliver to our national parks and recreation areas and enjoying what our country has to see. Mike

I haven’t been looking much at other trailers. We do have a couple of nationwide mega dealers close by and I saw their lots were pretty empty for a while but seem to be filling back up. I’ve also noticed prices for houses in our area are going up and I keep getting calls from “realtors” that want to buy my home, for a good price. But, then I would either have to full time in my Oliver or buy another home at equally inflated prices! I think Oliver (and some of the other fiberglass makes) and Airstream will continue to do well. Used models of SOB stick and staples will sell for cheap and probably won’t be in use long. Mike

Like Bill said, they should be perpendicular. You won’t be able to attach a quick connect unless they are. Mike

I used a thick yoga mat I picked up at Walmart to insulate the basement and battery doors. I also used it to line the bottom of my Ram Boxes on my truck. Lifting the 30 lb bottles is no easy task as we age. I need to be on a step in order to get them over the lip without rubbing the fiberglass. Mike

Congratulations, careful driving home. It’s a little messy here in SC right now. We pick ours up on Feb 1st and the wait is almost over. What part of the state y’all call home? We’re down Greenwood way. Steve

The electric element in the standard water heater cannot be operated by the inverter, at least in my trailer, Hull 218. In regards to leaving the outside 120 volt switch on all the time, and using the inside circuit breaker instead….. that will work fine, until the day you drain the tank and in a senior moment you flip on that breaker. Without water around it, the heating element will burn out in seconds. I keep the HWH switch off at all times, unless I am actually using that mode. I would rather go outside in the weather than disable the unit through a brain fart. If you do operate your unit this way, then I suggest that you buy a spare element and the tool to replace it. John Davies Spokane WA

I believe they are now using Cooper tires. I replaced my original BF Goodrich tires with Coopers last January and I’m very happy with them. Mike

The switch on the hot water tank does fail. I’ve replaced mine twice and I carry an extra in my spare parts bin. Great idea to use the circuit breaker and avoid the switch. Mine is now always on because I don’t plug into electricity when I store unless it’s going to be below freezing more than a couple of days. When that happens I want the hot water on anyway to provide a little extra heat. (When I had AGMs I did plug in while in storage to keep the batteries charged. With lithiums I just turn them off.) My 30 lb propane tanks last for weeks while we are on the road. I’ve had one run dry a few times, I just switch to the other and fill once we get home if it isn’t more that a couple of weeks. I think the furnace may be the biggest draw but we only use it when dry camping. I understand gas mileage improvements, but I don’t think the trouble of draining the fresh tank is worth the effort. We’ve decided on campsites while on the road and a good number of those have been no hook ups, so having a full or near full fresh tank gives a lot of flexibility. I insulated my basement door. My unscientific view is that if it is 25 degrees outside and 70 degrees inside the surface areas that are at 70 degrees are going to counter the surface areas that are at 25 degrees keeping the stuff in there above 32 degrees. I haven’t installed any thermostats yet (I should and probably will, now) but we haven’t had any freeze issues while on the road even down into the teens. Good luck!! Mike

We hope you are enjoying your new Oliver. Ours is scheduled for September. We are wondering what tires came with yours. There is some discussion online that they might not now be using Michelins. Thank you. Julie and Al

Now to find some warmer weather 🙂

That is a good argument for getting the 20 lb bottles. My wife who is 69 can dead lift 205 pounds. She's trying for 245. Maybe she could take out the 30 lb without breaking a sweat.

I usually remove one after a trip to have it filled. Where I go they like to have them removed for filling.

That would have been really handy when we worked on the small boat trailer last year.

Those ball valve shutoffs usually have yellow handles and are usually positioned perpendicular to the supply line when the flow of gas is meant to be off. However, even if the handles are in the "on" position there should not be any gas flowing unless there is something connected to them or unless the valve at the end of the propane line is faulty. Bill

The last time in was in Vail Valley there wasn't anyplace you could get bottles refilled. You could "swap" the 20 pounders but there were no refilling stations. I don't really think that door is all that ugly. Besides - who sees it but you?

Oliver is the exception. The reputation of Oliver is survived by those who own and owned an Oliver. I have only touched an Oliver II for less than twenty minutes south of Ouray, Colorado three or more years ago. This impressed my curiosity and interest in the Oliver Brand. Plenty of Airstreams being reconditioned by Airstream Dealers and not local dealers. Locally on Craigslist there are 321 listings... although some are Dealer multiples. There is a lot in my town with Boats, RV's and Trailers... no Olivers or Airstreams. Even though Oliver Trailers are among the hard to find for resale, they are still being manufactured and evolving to modern technology and the demands. SOME but not ALL Trailer Customers are interested in Full Electrical RV's or Trailers.. The market of Trailers for sale near me will be seriously impaired by the cost of Gasoline and Diesel fuels for the tow vehicles. It may be temporary. Or not. This may continue or change as fast as the Oil Market was altered to favor 'clean electric sources of power'. Even Lithium Batteries have a very interesting transition from Ore Deposits to Lithium Battery. I was very surprised as to the Lithium supply system. Some percentages of buyers of Airstream and Oliver Trailers discover that there is more to owning, towing, maintaining and expenses traveling. RV Sites will be charging more, especially for those needing high amperage electrical hookups. This will come as a 'surprise' to New Trailer Owners... that never considered incidental costs, insurance, license plates and tow vehicle needs. Have you noticed FULL Other Brand Dealer Lots? I have. Used and New. Some Dealers are buying late models and cleaning them up for sale on the lot to get TOP Prices for used trailers. Dealers seem to be buying their own brands from the public to resell on their Lots. There now seems to be a Glut for sale. Has anyone else experienced or noticed? I am in the Las Vegas, Nevada area. Much like the rush to pay top dollar for a used home today... I have seen this before. You sell, but what you pay for replacement... is higher. Then the market is... flooded with homes for sale. The Glut. Will this be the fate of only Some Other Brand of Trailers? Will Airstream and Oliver demand and prices drop once production resumes... in record numbers? Your guess is as good, if not better than my expectations. Living through the 1970's was an eye opener for a young family buying BEFORE the hype and bust. Will the RV and Trailer Industry discover that the market has changed? No Oliver 1's & 2's... but anything Else... plenty to go around.

Nice homes in our area are commanding a premium and moving quickly. New car lots are still pretty empty. RV dealerships are trying to return to normal inventory levels. If I was trying to sell a used Oliver I’d wait a couple months until they announce the 2023 pricing for future orders. That fear of inflation and the 10 month wait is what drives up the used value of these trailers. Everyone knows the quality is consistently good and they last a long time. One thousand trailers produced is still relatively nothing in total RV sales so demand will probably remain pretty high. Only way almost new trailers start to come down in price quickly is a big downturn in the stock market and multiple buyers pull out giving up their deposit. This would allow future buyers to step in, buy at the previous years price, and not have a long waiting period.

Ours is not. If we want hot water when there are no electrical hook ups we must use propane. Mike

One of the little things I've wondered about Olivers. All our previous RVs had an indoor switch for the AC side of the hot water heater, right next to the switch for gas. Very handy. In campgrounds with low voltage we would often leave the AC heating element off during the day, when voltage was lowest, and just kick it on while we were showering (to speed the heater's recovery time). Now wondering: Is the electric hot water element wired to the inverter? Wouldn't want that.

I think your Ascent will be just adequate for your Ollie if you are very careful about how much stuff you carry, Car and Driver was not impressed with it, the engine struggled and gave single digit mileage on flat terrain. Do you already own the Ascent? Have you researched these issues? “We previously put the Ascent's 5000-pound towing capacity to work hauling a girthy enclosed snowmobile trailer. More recently, staff editor Drew Dorian tugged an Airstream Caravel travel trailer to Michigan's beachy west coast. Though the Subaru towed the luxurious tin can without much drama, pulling the bluff-faced Airstream on the highway worked the Ascent's turbocharged 2.4-liter flat-four like a pack mule. With the continuously variable transmission unable to employ its higher virtual ratios, the Ascent guzzled premium gasoline to the tune of 9 mpg. Nevertheless, Dorian commended the Subaru's highway stability with a trailer in tow, but only after disabling the hyperactive lane-keeping assist. When that system is activated, the Ascent has a tendency to stray between the lines, causing the Airstream to wag behind the ute like a dog's tail. Dorian also complimented the cargo hold's ample space and its ability to swallow a weekend's worth of camping supplies. “ https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a25735016/2019-subaru-ascent-reliability-maintenance/ I hope I don’t sound too negative, but IMHO the Ascent and the LE is not a good match for low altitude, and will probably be downright unpleasant in the high mountains.. John Davies Spokane WA

Thank you, Bill. I see some really frigid temps headed our way and I'll blow out the lines before they get here 🙂

Hi Mike and Carol, Thanks for the help. I will start using elec for the water heater, I'll have to use the circuit breaker for the on/off switch as it seems to be more convenient that way. I've heard the switch can fail and if it's in the off position, no good. I know it's not a good habit to use a c/b as a switch but circuit breakers are easy and relativity cheap to replace and a last measure to help me remember whether or not the Tank is filled with water. We got 1 of our propane sensors to work momentarily and yes, one tank was empty and the other was at 45%, which leads me to think the tanks were not full upon pickup. But I don't know for sure. I've just finished with a hot shower so it's reassuring the alarm didn't go off again. Helpful to me about the winterizing info. We drain to reduce weight, thus to help gas mileage (however insignificant), but do fill before arriving at a waterless campground. I'm "training " our space heater as we speak, to learn what setting is acceptable. So we'll reduce our dependency on the furnace. My only concern there is basement protection, but we do have a sensor by the water pump to help me out. I really appreciate your help 🙂 John

I agree with Mike above. Short answers to questions 1 - yes 2 - no 3 - yes. Be very careful with this weather that we are having - very unusual. And, it is currently forecast for another winter storm to come through the southeast somewhere between Friday and Sunday that will dramatically lower temperatures. Bill

Sorry to hear about the issues on your first voyage! We have a different refrigerator, but a gap that lets in cold air does not sound right. A propane tank, 20 or 30 lb should last longer than a couple of days even running what you were running. Question: if you have electric hookups why don’t you use electricity for your hot water and heat? A small space heater that runs quietly is much less annoying that the furnace cycling on and off. I leave the switch on the hot water tank in the on position when we travel so that when hooked up to electric it is always on and we always have hot water. Propane is only used for dry camping. Yes, it takes almost forever to drain the freshwater tank. That’s why I rarely do it. Question: If you are traveling why are you draining your fresh water? I try to travel with it full. I would hate to get caught in a dry camping situation with an empty fresh tank. We’ve been camping in below freezing weather at night this month so we have been using our fresh tank for water. Here at Zion there is no water hook ups at sites. I top off the fresh tank when I can so it remains as full as possible. I’ve never winterized. We regularly camp when the low gets into the 20s and a few times in the teens. When at home in storage I keep a space heater on during cold spells. I would have service check you propane system. You shouldn’t be getting an alarm like that with everything so new. Smoke detectors can be finicky. I replaced ours last year and it went off in the middle of the night last week. We hit reset and it didn’t come back on. Weird. We sleep with the vents open unless it is super cold and then with just the bath vent open. Mike

I wrestle with the idea that hauling a trailer around is bad for the environment, but I rationalize that over the years our average mpg has gone up as we get more fuel efficient vehicles. Is that a concern that's shared by others? We don't have any electric cars, only one ebike.

We met in Arkansas on ur way to Oliver. We talked about the trouble that we have had upon delivery. None r the same as you r having. A propane tank lasts longer than that for us. We use an electric heater and electric hot water when we can. Ott maintenance has treaded us excellent. I think all the bugs are out of ours. We are in Florida now and will drop trailer off for maintenance Jan25.

Thanks! We do full time and I forgot to mention the fridge was on propane for the travel from OTT to Tunica. 20lb tanks.

A full 30 lb propane tank will last us most of a season in our 32' fifth wheel running hot water, furnace, and stove as needed. Even if you have 20 lb tanks, something doesn't sound right. I'd look for a propane leak somewhere.

Congratulations!!

Yes, Mike and Carol, we overlook the spigot as well and are trying to train ourselves to do the same thing....use the fresh water tank and disconnect/drain the hose 🙂 Happy Trails 🙂

We’ve been below freezing almost every night the last couple of weeks. No issues except when I left the water hose connected and woke up to 29 degrees and a frozen hose! 😳. We’ve been using the fresh tank ever since. Mid 50s today at Zion NP, low last night was 33. Enjoy your trip to SC. Mike

In a week I'm guessing that it should be a bit warmer in SC than it is now and tomorrow (Sunday ). A major ice storm is set to begin any minute now for virtually all of northern South Carolina and last through Sunday afternoon. Ice accumulations of up to 1 full inch are being forecast. There are storm warnings issued for the entire area all the way over to Myrtle Beach! In addition, there is another winter storm forecast for Friday (January 21, 2022). Very unusual weather for this part of the country to say the least. Please be very care full with that lovely shiny new Ollie and be sure to stay warm! Bill

Hi Mike and Carol, Thanks 🙂 We are now in Tunica, MS, and will be making our way to SC in a week. We're certainly glad to have a 4 seasoner! Our Casita struggled somewhat when it got below freezing. We are officially "Happier Campers" 🙂 John

Glad to see another one roll out of Hohenwald. Congrats! There’s warmer weather all around. It’s been nice in AZ the last few weeks and now southern UT is not bad either.

congrats to you both.!!!...my guess...70degrees is 600miles south...!?

I don’t think it matters either, but I assume the tanks are still grounded to the frame through the hold down clamp.

Yes. 😬 In other words, I don’t know. I suspect that it doesn’t matter, and I wouldn’t be too concerned about it. I bet the manufacturer isn’t either, and they surely have engineers who know. John Davies Spokane WA

Looks like we have the first test of towing something like an Ollie with an electric truck - a Rivian towing a 6500 lb trailer across country. Unfortunately, I think the best you can say is that it’s possible. With the trailer, the truck’s range was about 100 miles, meaning they had to make 26 stops to charge, each one adding about an hour to their trip. I’d go insane.

And, then, there's Bandon, OR . . . . . 6 Tesla stations and I've never seen one being used. I asked my hair dresser if there was a demand in the area; she said she has one client in town who owns a Tesla. I know of another about 25 miles away. So, unless there are a lot of Teslas traveling the Oregon coast on Hwy 101 that I'm not aware of, which I doubt, (probably 80% of the traffic is RVs), these chargers are overkill. The location puzzles me, as well. They are situated in the large parking area of a strip mall which is host to the usual vendors - a grocery store, drug/variety store, and Dollar General. Someone mentioned golfers coming to the renowned Dunes course driving Teslas, but I'd imagine those who own a Tesla arrive in private or chartered planes. I only hope that before electric vehicles become the norm there will be accommodations for people traveling long distances. On the other hand, it might reduce the congestion on the roads most certainly in the remote areas we like to visit.

Waiting for the day when the hot question won't be " can I run my ac on this generator." Replaced by, "how do I charge my truck while boondocking?"

I'm looking forward to seeing this. America's number one truck, electric! The front end photo is a little Rivianish, unsurprisingly. But, it will be an undisputed Ford design. For people like me, primarily local driving/work truck, I'm sure it will be excellent, based on the new hybrid capabilities. We'll wait and see about the towing. The mandated Electrify America project should help, but without Tesla's extensive network, it's still a question. Sherry

Ford throws its hat into the ring, as a 2023 model - https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/ford-reveals-electric-f-150s-124100174.html

Right now I'd trust Rivians final numbers a lot more than Tesla's Cyber truck numbers. Tesla has been known to stretch the truth on hasty launches before, this would not be the first time Tesla has promised big and under delivered. Rivian is several years ahead of Tesla right now in a pickup truck launch. I can't help but recall those Tesla model 3's that were coming out any month now for five years that were supposed to only cost 30k. Don't get me wrong, Tesla has done remarkable things from where we were on EV's 10 years ago, but hype is kind of built into their business model.

Great work. I was thinking similar, but to lazy to do the math.

Wow. That is very strange. Thanks for the update.

I'll take the charging network of the Tesla

I agree that some of today’s youth fit in the category you describe. However, there are a bunch that don’t. My daughter and husband had an RV before we did. Her idea of fun is working in her large garden. My son and family in Durango spend most of their free time skiing in the winter and hiking and biking during warmer weather. They are looking at purchasing an RV soon. All is not lost!!

GM tried that back in the 70s. I actually drove one a few times (belonged to my boss), and it was a pretty sweet fiberglass motorhome. (It was that lovely 70s harvest gold, like the one in the photo.) https://www.hagerty.com/media/car-profiles/gmc-motorhome-was-brilliant-rv-with-bad-timing/ The original design for the gm motorhome was pretty angular and space age, btw. Sherry