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! - always keep those portable containers in the back of the truck as full as you can unless you know there will be water available at you next stop or along the way. 2- Get creative on your water sources - get one of THESE so that you can turn water "on" from almost any spigot. Gas stations, WalMarts, convenience stores, many town water treatment plants, fire stations, police stations, etc., etc. You may have to pay a small fee or at least offer to pay for the water. Same thing goes for commercial camp grounds. 3 - Get one of THESE so you can get water from spigots that do not have a "normal" threaded end. 4 - Don't forget that while you do not want to drink it - mountain streams are reasonably clean water which certainly can be used for bathing. And, with the "winterization port" on the Ollie you can draw water directly into your fresh water tank from that stream/lake if you have a long enough hose. Bill

We take bottled water to drink, so the onboard tank is for showers and dishes. That helps consumption and eases most concerns over questionable water sources. You’ll find that a lot of owners do the same. Some people connect an inline filter even if they aren’t drinking from the tanks, in an effort to reduce the potential for mineral build up in the lines and faucets. I should probably do that but don’t. As for where to find water - typically, even if the water is shut off in the campgrounds, parks will keep a functioning tap at one of the ranger stations, so that’s our default water source. We carry a couple of large 7 gallon jugs that stay in the truck and we’ll make a few trips if needed. Even if we’re not camping inside a park, we’re usually near one, and have never had problems popping in to get water. We plan ahead and know how long our water lasts, so we’ve never been without. You might download the Allstays app and under the advanced settings you can have it display water and propane availability. It’s not always accurate and definitely not exhaustive, but it’s a start. Truck stops with RV lanes are a good bet. Some tourist areas will have water vending machines (last resort but we’ve used one once). We’ve also gotten water from commercial campgrounds that we pass. If you ask nicely at the desk they’ll usually say no problem. I think we had one charge us a few bucks.

I never run my jacks all the way down. I have 8” blocks for each jack and 20 big yellow legos. Total jack movement for any of them is just a couple of inches. Saves battery and reduces any damage if I decide to drive away without raising them. Hasn’t happened, but you never know. Mike

I bet every owner has had this happen, one time, and then you learn and it probably won’t reoccur... For me it was in the middle of the night in my socks, I discovered the isolation “travel” valve was still closed when I ran water in the bath sink and it backed up out of the floor drain and soaked my feet. Many bad words!!! Get a black Sharpie and write “Push in for travel” right beside the handle. John Davies Spokane WA

Did you use the bathroom sink faucet while the backflow valve was closed? If you did, the water that drained down the bathroom sink, backed up against the backflow valve and into the shower pan. Andrew

I guess it's time to report on our TV. No crew cab models will fit in our garage! That really limited our choices! A Ram Quad cab will fit in our garage - barely. I like the Laramie trim, but Ram has decided to nix the Laramie trim in the line up of 2022 Quad cabs. After a couple of months our dealer found one acceptable to us - a new 2021 Ram 1500 Quad 4x4 Laramie 5.7 Hemi eTorque with tow package. Love that Hemi ! We have pulled the E2 about a 1000 miles now. We have averaged 14.4 mpg in Arizona - that included all types of desert/mountain terrains. I typically do not drive over 65 mph. While this Ram tows well and the Ollie behaves well behind it, I'm going to add Air Lift 5000 bags. Not because it needs it, but because I'm old and lazy. We're planning three long "destination" trips this summer (almost 10,000 miles) and I'll be using "overnight pull throughs" whenever possible. In doing so, I'll simply adjust the air bags to suit the front/back leveling issue with the partially filled shallow tanks while still hooked up to the TV. Yah, I'm lazy.

John Davies, that bad boy is a real hoss. I have the same one except mine is the DCF899HB (hog ring anvil) and it has more available torque (700 ft-lbs) than my pneumatic DWMT70773 (650 ft-lb). I needed to remove some 3/8" lag bolts that had been embedded in oak for many years. the DCF899HB got the ones that were not buried too deep right out, the rest, it just snapped off where they went into the wood. I don't leave home without it.

For very few $ Barker will sell you a new lower tube and you can fully repair that jack. It's an easy fix once you figure out how to get the two tubes apart.

I put a block under the front jack and lift it up. Usually you can go a couple of inches until the load is off the truck. If necessary, I keep going, raising the back of the truck a little with the jack. Mike

Thanks loads for the reply. Meant to get back to you sooner, but just followed your advice without checking back in. Thanks to you...no wet socks! Everything seems to be as you said. Charlie

I prefer "S-1" where S= the number at which your spouse leaves you. 🙂

Your best bet is to keep in communication with your Sales Agent at Oliver. I know that Oliver will "store" your new Ollie free for a period of time and if that is not enough then they will continue to "store" it for you for a fee. Good luck! Bill

Just because your tank monitor read zero doesn't actually mean that the tanks were empty - as strange as that may sound. Depending on how level your Ollie was when dumping there can still be a few gallons of liquid in the tank even though the monitor reads zero. When looking to REALLY make sure I'm as empty as possible I really raise the front and curb side of my Ollie. Or, what AndrewK said. Bill

Steve & I will be out on our 2nd out west trip this spring. Our 1st, was to Big Bend. On that trip we stayed in state parks which had water & electricity. This time we are headed to Glacier, from NC. I have a reservation at Fish Creek for June 5 - 9. I do realize that we could run into cold weather. We will be prepared for that. As we go further west state parks do not have water or electricity. Electricity is no problem as we have solar; we have a compost toilet & I have the RV Dump Site app. What I am wondering is, where do people get water? I have also planned on a couple of dispersed nights & will need water for these. Also, so many of you express caution over campsite water. Do you purchase water as you need it? Our last couple of trips we have brought water from home using a 4-gallon container & an 8-gallon wheeled container. But these ain't gonna hold us for 3000+ miles, one way. 🙂 Right now my thought is to find water for showers & washing dishes & use purchased water for drinking. Is this what people do? But, again, we have to find a place to fill up. Thank you. I really enjoy the Forum. I get the daily notification email & read any post that intrigues me. The information & humor are priceless.

We're among those who carry drinking/cooking water from home, and use the tank for flushing and washing. We supplement or refill with purchased water. At a dollar a day (or less, if you find a machine to refill carried 5 gallon jugs,) it's just one of those safety factors. Some walmarts and other places, have machines with purified water for 20 cents a gallon, or less. We used to refill drinking tanks at parks where we thought the water tasted good. Giardia and other contamination doesn't always affect taste. Many parks test sporadically. As we've gotten older, I'm more careful about drinking water.

Frankly, I love the eTorque system and IMO your salesman doesn't know what he is talking about. Maybe he's referring to the new eco 6. BTW, I understand 2023 is the last year for the Hemi ☹️. Here's a link to a YouTube where a factory engineer explain the multiple things the eTorque system does. I have no negatives at this point, but I only have 3k miles on the Ram. Take a look at this one - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nwnw452p2ZA Charlie.

What a good suggestion. Thanks. I'm getting one. I already have the Water Bandit, which is also a good suggestion.

Yes, filter functions and at the top it will say ‘advanced filters’. Tap that and there’s a whole list of things to add. I don’t know if we have the pro version or not - I assume if you paid for the app, you’ve got it.

In our first camper we drank the water from the fresh tank for years with no problems. Then, while doing some maintenance, I saw the inside of the clear tank overflow tube and the green stuff in there. Even though it never caused us any harm, it put the idea of what could be lurking in some other pipes in my head and we've been drinking bottled water ever since. The fresh tank is for washing and flushing now.

I read that (and a bunch of other CR articles) and it doesn't sound good. The article was focused on 2021 vehicles, if I remember correctly, and stated that there was a 'refresh' that should have taken care of the issue/s. However, there is also supposedly a lawsuit for older vehicles that focuses on a gross amount of oil-consumption, supposedly an issue that was either ignored or not resolved. My ordered vehicle is a diesel engine. There are also rumors about faulty parts (CHIPS!) that might be responsible for a large number of vehicles sitting idly in lots (due to faulty chip and now an assembled vehicle that isn't running).... but those are rumors, not to be taken as facts. I'll continue to try to stay positive. A friend's vehicle is arriving from GM on Thursday; her order was a week ahead of mine, so maybe, just maybe.

That is why you should ALWAYS place blocks under all jack feet, even the back ones. If you drive away with them lowered, the jacks will slide off the blocks and hopefully not get trashed. If they are resting on the ground, as yours was, they have no chance at all. I have a red safety flag that I keep in the truck, for any situation like this, I loop it over the gear shift handle, as a reminder that I can’t drive away yet. As I get older, I need to pay a lot more attention to routine stuff. John Davies Spokane WA

The reply about the level of the unit while draining the gray tanks is very interesting. Now, I'll have to figure how to raise the Ollie while at a dump stations, and I'm attached to my truck. Charlie

On my Solar Charge Controller when the solar panels are actively charging the batteries, the display shows 14.5 + or - volts. When the batteries are fully charged the Solar Charge Controller shows 13.6 volts.

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.

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

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

Very helpful tip, John. Will do 🙂

Reflectix is weird stuff, the R value is only 1 for a thin layer. Doubling it only increases the R value to 1.1. If you can make a space between the layers, the value will be higher. That is why it works when applied to the two Ollie hull halves, with the big gap between them. OTH a 1” piece of the pink rigid foam board is R5. https://www.reflectixinc.com/about-reflectix/what-about-r-values/ If you want better insulation for the basement you should put rigid foam on the outside door, and also put something in the shower cavity, A nice “future Ollie feature” would be vacuum molded insulated access and battery doors, with an inch of foam sandwiched by fiberglass panels. It would intrude very slightly into the cargo area, but would greatly reduce cold air infiltration. And it would not be butt ugly like my battery door mod. John Davies Spokane WA

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

Hi Steve and Ann, We sold our house 2 years ago in Awendaw, now full timers 🙂 . We return to the area for med appointments for a couple of months in the winter and stay with friends in Pinopolis, by Lake Moultrie. I know how excited you are about 1 Feb!!! We stayed at Meriwether's Retreat (B&B) the night before pickup. Very nice host. Downtown Hohenwald. Have Fun 🙂 John

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

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

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 haven't taken the Oli on it, but I bicycled over it. I did it in late June. It snowed a few inches made the bike ride a little tough being cold and wet. I would take my Oli over it.

Another reason for installing a fan would be for summertime heat reduction. I have found that static temperatures in the batteries to reach 95°F when the outdoor ambient temperatures are slightly over 100°F. A fast charge to the batteries (100 -150 amps), which I have only done a cooler temperatures, can add 25°. Although the Lithionics batteries can handle up to about 130°F, I would be cautious about a fast charge during the summer (such as after using the air conditioner on battery) without being able to cool the batteries. For that matter, just using the air conditioner with battery power heats up the batteries -- another reason to install a cooling fan. Some have insulated the battery box door to keep the batteries from getting too cold. This helps, but absent internal conditioning, the vents should remain open (IMHO) during the summer for cooling.

You must take two pair of socks then, too.

Yep - I've got two of the same bath mats just for this reason. When one gets wet because someone (me) forgot to open the valve then I've got a spare while it dries or gets laundered.

Not alone on the wet socks. It is now on our departure and set up check list. Easy to miss!

I’ve experienced wet socks more than once! It’s one of those checklist items that gets left out when your setup routine is interrupted. The good news is that if it’s closed and you run water in the bathroom sink you will quickly realize what you forgot to do! Mike

The gray and fresh tanks are both very flat. Any amount of “unlevelness” will affect both filling a draining. Like Bill said, it’s a good idea to raise the front of the trailer if you really want to ensure the gray tank is empty. If the back flow gate was closed before you left there shouldn’t be any gray water in the shower. Mike

Besides the lube that DavePhelps mentions make sure to take a look around that valve to make sure that it has room to operate freely. Bill

If the issue is with a sticking gate valve, which is opened and closed by that metal rod, pour some of this down the drain, let it sit for a few minutes, then open and close the valve a few times. It's actually good to add to your black and gray tanks now and again to lube those gate valves as well. https://www.amazon.com/Thetford-Drain-Valve-Lubricant-15843/dp/B000BGK2L0/ref=asc_df_B000BGK2L0/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312192374842&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4939187814671232371&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9061081&hvtargid=pla-569810088199&psc=1 Dave

The closey thing is under the dinette seat nearest the bathroom. The black tank closey thing is there too, closer to the outside of the trailer. You can try some Vaseline on it. The cable is short so I’m not sure it would be the issue. Mike

Very nice work! Might you be doing some hi-lo temperature measurements on hot or cold days -- I'm curious about the temperature difference this will make.

John, thanks for the kind words, the pink stuff just looks dorky and crude, I suppose it could be covered completely in heavy aluminum tape. but it would be tricky and time consuming to completely cover all the openings and cutouts. Plus it is soft, and susceptible to dents. I don’t know of an affordable material that would function better. Of course, I will probably be the only person to see it, and the next owner can take it out if it is too pink.... It should work very well at blocking heat transfer from direct sunlight. It will be interesting to see what kind of temps are shown on my monitor, and what effect the fan will have when turned on in inclement weather. John Davies Spokane WA

Battery door - plug holes and add insulation. This did not work out well, I am not very satisfied with the results, but I will post pics anyway. Maybe somebody can suggest a better solution. 1/2" foam board would be much easier to fit, but the insulation value is not so good. The material is Dow Corning rigid foam board, 1 inch thick, which weighs essentially zero pounds. This stuff is incredibly light. $20 for a 4' x 8 ' sheet at Home Depot. It is fire retardant, which is important. For comparison, this is R-5 (insulating value) whereas a typical foil/ air bubble sheet, which is used extensively in an Ollie, is R-1. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Owens-Corning-FOAMULAR-150-1-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-R-5-Scored-Square-Edge-Rigid-Foam-Board-Insulation-Sheathing-20WE/207179253 It can be cut easily with a VERY sharp razor knife, and rough edges can be rapidly sanded smooth and contoured with a bench top belt sander and coarse 80 gr belt. WEAR A MASK. BTW it is indeed completely waterproof, I soaked a piece for 12 hours to make sure. I had to wedge it in place, it pops out like a cork otherwise: Cut four hole plugs to seal off the existing openings. (My door has 8 holes, yours may vary.) Cut them in half: Glue them into the holes with clear RTV sealant, some will squirt out through the front Perko vents. Remove that excess with alcohol and paper towels: Wait at least a full day and then trim off the excess foam and sealant flush with a razor blade: SUPPORT the door with something, a 30 inch high rolling work table fit perfectly, and it gave me a nice place to put tools and materials... Remove the support cable. Cut the foam. This is pure trial and error, because it has to fit past the rubber seals, and also have extra material removed to clear the battery tray and knob, and the support cable, and the lumps and bumps on the door itself. Take your time, trim a little, test the fit, trim some more. It should fit as closely as possible, for maximum insulation value, yet allow the door to close easily without stressing it. I used a router bit in a drill press to carefully carve out areas that needed clearance. Be sure to allow some room for rivet tails! When you are satisfied with the fit, clean and smooth the parts and use 3 M VHB tape to secure it to the door. I used 1/4" wide tape placed vertically, so any water leaking past the rubber seal will drain straight down. Add some weight and go take a long break: Remove any weights or clamps. Seal the edges with clear RTV sealant. Use tape as shown to leave clean lines. Reattach the support cable. BTW when trimmed as shown in the top pic, the airflow from the fan underneath the tray is not blocked. EDIT: Leave several small gaps in the sealant at the inside (bottom edge when closed) so moisture can drain out. John Davies Spokane WA

I drive past Buffalo every year on my way to and from MT, but have never fished there. In fact, I just drove by Buffalo at the end of last month after fishing for several weeks in SW MT. I would suggest contacting one of the fly shops in Sheridan, like the Fly Shop of the Bighorns, and ask them if you don’t get your answers here. I believe you are looking more for boondocking locations, but I could recommend the Deer Park Campground in Buffalo or Peter D’s RV Park in Sheridan if you’re looking for full service campgrounds to stay in. I’ve stayed in both of those multiple times, as have a number of my friends. I’ve also stayed overnight a few times at the rest stop located on the east side of Sheridan along Interstate 90. That one is nice and clean, and is located a bit off the interstate so it is a quieter than most, and sits on a hill side overlooking the town. Lake De Smet is right next to the interstate just west of Buffalo and I understand it has some pretty big trout in it. I don’t see many people fishing it when I drive by, and I always tell myself I should stop to check it out, but never do. I’m sure there are some small streams in the area, and other lakes to fish in too.

Just please don't do what I did the first time we dumped. We raised the trailer at the dump station, emptied the tanks stowed all the hoses. We got in the truck and started to leave. Terrible noise!! We forgot to lower the Ollie and raise up the jack. The lower shaft was badly bent. Fortunately some of the guys working at the state park had a portable saw with a metal blade. We had to cut the shaft. We called the jack manufacturer directly as Oliver didn't have an extra in stock. We had it sent express to our next campground. We stayed hooked up that night. The jack arrived the next day and I installed the new jack. PIA but we learned a lesson early on and fortunately it only cost us a day and some $. No one got hurt. Embarrassing for sure. I was able to keep the barley used jack motor so I have a heavy working replacement with me if needed.