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It should be obvious - but - if you ever need to resort to using water from streams and/or lakes, be certain to re-sanitize that fresh water tank. On the rare occasion that I've had to resort to using water from lakes and/or streams, I've simply filled my "solar shower" (like THIS ONE) or just jumped in. Be a bit careful on that jumping in thing since at altitude the water is usually VERY COLD. Also, if at all possible, do not use soap in the lake/stream even if it says on the label that it is environmentally OK to do so. Bill

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.

Agree with everything Overland said. We also use bottled water for drinking and cooking. We fill from sources we can find, usually at a campground or park. We haven’t used Bill’s mountain streams method even though we’ve been near some very clear running mountain streams. Mike

! - 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

Just checked into the Commodore Hotel in Linden…I keep thinking of the lyrics from the song “Dixie Chicken” by Little Feat. We ordered in March 2021, this is our 4th. RV, I think we got it right this time. We have delivery at 8:30 on 1/19/22, and plan on staying in the area for a few days afterwards.

Quartzsite iss filling up in preparation for the RV Show, but its still possible to find solitude in the desert amongst thousands of other boondockers. Near Dome Rock

This is the parking lot for Horseshoe Bend just outside of Page, AZ. I have a collection of Carol holding our Oliver in the palm of her hand at various spots around the nation! A nice fellow tourist offered to take our picture. It’s worth the stop and 15 minute walk to see this. It was a bit cool but pretty spectacular.

Glad to hear you’ll be picking up tomorrow. 4th time should be final! Congrats - Mike

Congratulations to both of you. Jeez, almost to #1000. If I were you I’d stick around a few days - surely there will be cake.

Yup we use blocks all the time when we set up and and park. This was our very first time at a dump station and our very first time with a travel trailer. Good learning experience. Hind sight is 20/20. I share the experience in hope of saving someone else from the same experience. Lots of folks on here are very new to camping with a trailer or RV like we were. We are learning lessons all the time. I learn on this forum and by doing. To me it is part of the experience and growth learning new things and solving new problems. We are seeing lots of new places.

Congrats from #996. We high tailed it to Tunica, MS but the weather followed us 🙂 John

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.

We have our trailer for one particular purpose... dry camping Off the Grid AND... looking for fossils, gemstones and whatever looks interesting on the ground. Often, when camping, something unusual catches your attention... no, not another Oliver. Or a tree laying across a National Forest Service road... but something that the local Geology produced and is now weathered out onto the surfaced waiting to be discovered. Sticking out of the grass, or most often weathered out of a rock ledge. When "something" is discovered, the finder may pick it up and wonder if I should just drop it and keep going. What's That? Is it worth picking up? Is it valuable? Does it belong here? Are there more of this things? Experience will immediately answer those questions after you have a large Rock Garden of... What's That? A Geologist is prepared to look at something, determine what it may or could be, make the decision to pick it up, write down the location, maybe take a photograph of that area. It could be attached to the mountain, or on the side of a limestone and shale outcrop. It could be in the middle of an ancient Caldera, like the active Yellowstone Park and have minerals and crystals formed millions of years ago and now weathering out. I am going to 'assist' those who are curious about Nature and the unlimited amount of undiscovered and now unknown... What's That? My wife and I have hundreds of miles hiking into the back country. We look around and tell you if the area is Sedimentary, Igneous or Metamorphic. Is there anything to be found... right there? The solid surface of the Earth erodes unlimited 'treasures' over a year or million years. Just for you to discover... and I will provide a beginning of a What's That and see if anyone also knows what it is. There is no right or wrong answer... as we are just beginning to understand. For those who have a What's That laying in the garage or on a table top... take a photograph and say Where it was found and the kind of Rock it appeared to be. I am offering the first and lets have some fun, understanding that there is an Unlimited Supply to discover. If not picked up... it will be reburied or weather to dust.

Share and Enjoy !Shares Did you know that approximately one million Americans live in recreational vehicles full-time? With over 11% of US households owning a recreational car, ownership has grown from 7.9 million households in 2005 to over nine million today. As demand grows, companies offering travel trailers for sale are also rising. However, only three options are available for those looking to buy an RV and join the RV life. You can buy a travel trailer from an RV dealership, classified websites like RV Trailer, or direct from the manufacturer like Oliver Travel Travelers. In this post, we go through the various ways to find travel trailers for sale. RV Dealership On paper, buying an RV from a dealership looks like a good option available for most people. Dealerships often have an expansive inventory of RVs. It can include camping trailers and motorhomes dedicated to road trips. All the RVs are in one place for you to "feel and touch," and the dealer can manage your trade-in. Dealerships also provide financing options and can include an extended warranty all in one sale. If you buy a new RV, the entire rig or camper is covered by a warranty. However, if anything goes wrong, the RVs manufacturer will be responsible for the repair. The dealership will only help you get the issues fixed. Cons of Buying from RV Dealers While dealerships are normally known for their huge inventories, the COVID pandemic has resulted in record sales for the RV industry, leaving dealerships with limited inventories. Most dealerships don't have the floor plans or brands you might be looking for. RV dealers sell all different types of brands and are not always experienced with all their inventory. They don’t know the units they sell as well as a RV manufacturer that sells direct. The other thing to consider is how well the RV dealerships will take care of you when the time comes to make repairs. Do they want their customers to be happy or are they interested in maintaining profits? Classified Websites Whether looking for a new or used RV, classified websites are there to meet your needs. Most classified websites often specialize in trading used RVs, making it ideal for those working on a tight budget. The majority of the websites also allow the sale of RVs by private owners and RV dealership advertisements. Compared to recreational vehicles dealerships, classified websites are much cheaper. However, buying an RV from a classified can be a minefield. Buyers should expect to meet similar frustrations, but you can easily get scammed for a classified website. Cons of Classified Websites One of the most significant drawbacks of classified websites is distance. If you are using a popular RVs platform, the one you like the most could be thousands of miles away. Such issues often complicate the transaction since you cannot trust the pictures posted on the platform. You have to visit the seller to confirm if the RV is in the same condition as the picture. Even if you hire an inspector to review the RV, you will still not know the vehicle's condition until it reaches you. Additionally, you still need to secure financing or be prepared to pay the total amount in cash. Finally, you are required to transact the business of paying for the rig in exchange for the vehicle and title. The greater the distance between the buyer and the seller, the more complex the processes become. When you decide to do an in-person inspection and transaction and find something is wrong with the RV or other issues impeding the sale. You will have committed a lot of money and time to the process, and it's not an experience you want to go through again. Buying Direct from the Manufacturer It is possible to buy an RV directly from the manufacturer. Those who purchase their RVs from the manufacture cut middlemen while experiencing improved customer experience. Manufacturers value buyers who come directly to their factories. This is because the one-on-one relationship helps them make their trailers even better through direct feedback. When you buy your RV directly from the manufacture, you get to select the options on your RV, particularly for custom-trailer manufacturers. RV manufactures have perfected the art of requirement specifications where they get all the information from the buyer. They also know what combinations of options will meet your camping needs. Furthermore, the royal treatment continues even after the RV is built. Manufactures have robust aftercare services, red-carpet deliveries, and online forums that are useful after purchasing the RV. Some even have a campground on-site to allow you to break-in your new RV. In the direct-sale process, customers are often given a lot of weight with a nice selection of fabrics, countertops and flooring to select from. Types of RVs that can be purchased direct include: Class A Motorhomes Before visiting a manufacturer for direct-sale, it would be wise to have some basic idea of the different types of RVs. Class A motorhomes, big and bus-shaped, are often associated with movie stars and singers. Class A RVs are among the most well-adopted and luxurious rigs on the market. They are often 45 feet long and feature multiple slide-outs, full-sized kitchens, top-end appliances, and various sleeping surfaces for eight or more passengers. However, smaller and more modest class A RVs still maintain the convenience of being well-built and self-propelled. It is important to remember that the RVs are heavy, and large vehicles are serious gas guzzlers. Depending on the model you choose, you can expect as little as six to eight miles to the gallon. Class B Motorhomes Commonly known as camper vans or sleeper vans, Class B motorhomes are on the small end of the recreational vehicle spectrum. Whatever class B motorhomes lack in space, they make up for it in flexibility. These RVs come in a wide range of price points, from relatively affordable VW conversions to the high-end Mercedes Sprinters. It might come as a surprise that top-of-the-line camper vans can fetch up to $100,000 or even more. If you thought that a smaller price tag would be offered because of their small size, you're mistaken. Class C Motorhomes Class C motorhomes share most of the convenience and amenities of their Class A brothers at a generally more minor price point. Class C RVs are often built on a standard truck chassis, making them easy to operate even for naïve RV drivers. They also have an iconic over-cockpit attic space often used for sleeping, storage, or a killer home entertainment system. However, class C motorhomes tend to fall short on luxury compared to class As. They are primarily available in smaller sizes. This means you can get more like 10-14 miles per gallon in one of these recreational vehicles. Fifth Wheels and Travel Trailers These are among towable recreational vehicles that usually offer their owners a whole set of unique benefits and challenges. For example, it is excellent to automatically have an auxiliary car without towing one behind your motorhome. However, since trailers tend to be heavy, the vehicle should be an SUV or a full-sized truck. Both do not make for the best city driving or considering how expensive they can be to purchase. The best thing about travel trailers is that they are more affordable than their motorhome counterparts since you are purchasing an engine. Travel trailers boast the most extensive and well-laid-out living floor plans. The majority don't have a devoted space for the cockpit. Some fifth-wheelers with multiple slide-outs can offer you as much as 500 square feet of living space. However, remember that setting camp with a travel trailer won't be as easy as pulling over and putting the car in park. Whether folding out the pop-up camper or carefully leveling the fifth wheeler, you need some set-up when it's time to break or make camp. Buying Direct from the Manufacturer It is possible to buy a recreational vehicle directly from the manufacture. It is ideal for those looking for great value for money on travel trailers for sale. At Oliver Travel Trailers, we have produced high-quality fiberglass travel trailers since 2007. Our goal is to build the best superior quality camper trailer and back it with the best customer service in the industry. We have engineered our unique double-shelled fiberglass and composite hull to last a lifetime. Our design and specifications provide excellent insulation, durability, strength, and ease of maintenance. If you would like to see how our travel trailers are made, we offer factory tours Monday thru Friday at 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM CST. If you are interested in viewing an Oliver travel Trailer near you, we can help arrange an appointment for you to view an owner’s travel trailer through our Field Visit Program. Contact us now to get a quote. Share and Enjoy !Shares The post How to Find Travel Trailers for Sale appeared first on Oliver Travel Trailers. Read the Full Article

I'm sure you have looked, but I'd run through everything again. Make sure you have no heavy unnecessary loads on batteries. Low angle sun in November might not allow you to bring batteries to 100 per cent with just solar, if it was cold, and you were running furnace fan a lot. Batteries will sulfate if charging too little, not reaching full, even agms. That shortens life. Lead acid batteries of any sort like to be charged to full, and not heavily discharged. Your pd charger runs a mild "equalizer" desulfating charge every 23 to 25 hours, if plugged in consistently, which is short, and doesn't harm agm batteries. I don't think that happens when plugged in and getting power for only a few hours. (NOTE: this is not the same as fla equalization on the Blue Sky, which you should NEVER do on agm batteries. This is ONLY for flooded batteries. ) Could be any number of problems. It may indeed be time to take the batteries out and get them load tested, as miserable as that is, due to weights. It's really the only way to know, short if investing in a load tester. Unplug. Turn off the solar, battery disconnect. Take photos, so you know how to hook them up again. Make sure all battery leads are isolated. Good luck.

John, Mine are plumbed together, which I like. I think my differences in pressure are mainly caused by ambient temperatures and not really a leak. I just top them off to 15 to 20 psi when the temps are low and leave them alone when the temps go up. I did soap them when I first installed them. Guess it wouldn't hurt to soap again. 5 psi is the lowest they should ever be and my "good spot" is 17psi, level truck. I don't adjust if or not I am hooked up. The Andersen does a good job for us. I poorly worded my earlier post, I believe there are no leaks, but it sure wouldn't hurt to soap again to be sure. You are correct in that 0 pressure trashes the bags. Thanks, John

For those of you considering using water from streams, etc., here's a link to a discussion about our friend Audrey's system. He used this throughout a trip through Mexico. We also use Purogene vs Clorox to sanitize the onboard tanks in the Ollie and the boat. We don't (yet) have his extensive rv filtration system, though, so we've not used water from streams in the Ollie, even though we don'tdrink that water.

What a great idea. Everyone should take note here.

Just as a point of reference the 20 lb propane tank has about 5 gals of propane. 1 gal of propane will burn 92,000 BTU’s. So if your furnace, water heater and frig are totaling 30,000 BTU’s then 1 gal will run those units for about 3 hours. With approx. 5 gal in a 20 lb tank you have about 15 hours of propane per tank. Your tanks could have been full and you just had a high BTU burn.

This is a common fossil found in Utah. It is found in the shale layers that are 1,000 feet thick. What is it?

I just downloaded ($9.99) and .... don't see any settings, but see references to AllStays Pro. But when you say "under settings" are you referring to the Filter function? I think that's it, and thank you. There are a lot of filter options, including water and propane, various types of settings, specific stores, etc. Thanks for any tips.

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 like the Truma LevelCheck. Link to YouTube video. Mossey

I have just ordered the wrench water key & we have the water bandit. Thank you VERY much for this info.

In your shoes I would get those leaks corrected. If you drive with one bag completely empty it will probably damage it. My “professional” Firestone bag installation was poorly done, the tech did not leak test the connections with soapy water. One side leaked down from 20 to 0 psi in a couple of hours. I replaced the faulty fill valve myself. I do check them monthly, and adjust the pressure according to outside air temperature and whether or not the trailer is hooked up, but they do not actually leak at all. If yours are plumbed correctly, without a tee, then you might notice that one corner of the truck has a slight list. It is obvious on mine if one side has less pressure than the other. If yours are teed together, change that, because a leak on one side will deflate both bags, and you might never notice that the back of the truck has dropped. That situation could trash both bags….. John Davies Spokane WA

Not yet - but it is on my list over the next couple of weeks. I will let you know how it goes.

Yep - congrates and stick around the Mothership for a few days. Certainly do not plan on coming East in that there is ANOTHER storm predicted possibly starting as early as Thursday night. I do not believe that this storm will have much (if any) effect on the Hohenwald area. Bill

John, Air Lift requires 5 psi, too. These units are bags with bump stops inside - they are not installed within the truck springs - they replace the OEM bump stops. The Air Lift wireless onboard compressor I ordered won't be available from the manufacturer until summer, so I'll use one of the digital compressors (Skil, Milwaukee, Dewalt, etc.) at valve stems coming out of the top license plate screw openings until the wireless compressors are available from Air Lift. Charlie.

Nice find. My great uncle was a rock hound. I didn’t inherit his passion, though I did get a few odd rocks. He was a bit of a fossil himself, as I remember.

Trilobite! Very Old. Have wanted to "discover" one for many decades along with other gems and artifacts.

This family is getting a lesson from the owner that also provided the tools to discover... this fossil in Utah. How OLD is this fossil?

I am sure it's been covered, but thought I would share reflectix w/ corrugated plastic for air gap with your choice of exterior colors affixed to hatches with Velcro? Saw this video whilst looking for window covers for my topper. While I totally agree John Davies' solution is anything but butt ugly, this could provide some colorful options for his batteries to gaze upon 😀

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 have struggled with that, too. Our mpg drops, with the trailer in tow. Offsets? At home, our ac and/or heat in our larger home runs less than when we're home. Though we are very careful with water and power at home, we're even more conscious of our use, with the trailer. We run our trailer primarily on solar. (But that's also true of our home, and our sail boat .) We do some long runs, driving, and typically stay a bit. Sometimes days. Sometimes weeks, or longer. During that time, we rarely "go to town," so those short runs eliminate some of the daily drives we would do at home. Both our current tow vehicles are over 14 years old, and our trailer is now in its 15th season. Boat is 45 years old. Durability/longevity is also part of eco economy. We try very hard to leave a small footprint. We all have to live within our conscience confines. I'm pretty much ok with ours, though I'm sure we could also do better.

Winter camping at Zion National Park. No crowds. It was about 60 degrees this afternoon, short sleeves in the sun. Scenery is spectacular. We’re at Watchman campground.

Boondocking in Quartzsite, AZ. Found a nice spot at Hi Jolly and a open mic session broke out on the rear deck of the neighbor’s RV. Its amazing the things you can find away from hookups.

Our second night in the new camper spent boondocking in southern Missouri. Third night (no pic) was at a Cracker Barrel in Tyler, Texas. Frank

“Months of research and dozens of interviews by AL.comfound that Brookside’s finances are rocket-fueled by tickets and aggressive policing. In a two-year period between 2018 and 2020 Brookside revenues from fines and forfeitures soared more than 640 percent and now make up half the city’s total income. And the police chief has called for more. The town of 1,253 just north of Birmingham reported just 55 serious crimes to the state in the entire eight year period between 2011 and 2018 – none of them homicide or rape. But in 2018 it began building a police empire, hiring more and more officers to blanket its six miles of roads and mile-and-a-half jurisdiction on Interstate 22.“ https://www.al.com/news/2022/01/police-in-this-tiny-alabama-town-suck-drivers-into-legal-black-hole.html It’s been forty years since I set foot in Alabama, and I don’t plan to go there, but for all you Southern Ollie owners, just say no to Brookside. John Davies Spokane WA