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Hello’s All 🤗 985 Skigator Egg is on the traveling path ! Picked up 11 Jan 22 . Two nights at the factory, being newbies , needed some re-education on a couple of the systems before venturing out . The minor issue of a warped closet door was solved with a new replacement door . Service dept. was / is great 👍 Second week had some challenging moments. Bad tire valve stem cores led to 3 visits to tire repair facilities near a friends stop . About an hour on the road from tire fixes , pulled into a rest stop near Tifton Ga & water pump on truck blew up . Guardian angels or positive Karma was watching over us . Able to get a tow (truck & trailer) to 4th (called) repair that could get us in . A young , energetic lad ( Forrest) let me assist him in replacing the new pump ! 8 hours later , back on the road !! Combat time in the Air Force has given me the mantra “ Ten fingers , ten toes …. not a bad day !! “ Continuing to the Keys later this week, before eventually back up to home in Cambridge NY safe travels…. Cheers 🤟🎣🐟 Ed & Nancy

Everyone asks... "Where can we Boondock"? Well... maybe Oregon Buttes land mark in western Wyoming. But some Boondockers have needs....? - Need to have Restrooms? - Need to have Fresh Water, Showers, Hookups, Electricity, Dump Station and.... and....? Not here. Thousands of trailers and thousands of people traveled from Westport, Missouri to the WEST... some to Oregon, some to California and some just said... we like it right HERE. This marker had fallen over and my two Blue Heelers helped me set it... and some muscle. Ollie camping right below Oregon Buttes, western Wyoming. Off the Grid Boondocking just as if you were traveling the Oregon Trail. This area is south of South Pass City, Wyoming and a Wyoming Gold Town with... people living there. Look for this landmark on a map... or ask. You can become an Ollie Oregon Trail Butte Camper which is an eight mile County Road east of Highway 28. Mormon Trail, Oregon Trail, Continental Divide, Pioneer Trail... what more can you ask for? Maybe company camped with you. Warm days and Cool Evenings. Is Oregon Buttes difficult to get there? Well... if it were not... why even go? See that 23 foot Airstream. We did it the first time in June 2007 and go back whenever coming through. Rock Springs, Wyoming, Highway 191 to Farson, turn onto Highway 28 north and look to the EAST after 35 to 40 miles. You cannot miss it... If you made it to South Pass... you missed it. So sad...

We have 'Fancy Wagons'... Solar, Propane, Water, Refrigerator, Rubber Tires, Leaf Springs, Windows that open and close... If what you have is not enough... for Oregon Buttes... Lander, Wyoming is north and has everything that Oregon Buttes did not have in the 1850's nor 2022. Nothing at all but... Peace and Quiet and a view to the west that is Olliemarkable. Try it.. you may like it and catch us snoozing...

+1 on what Mike said. Over 10 years now.

I’ve had metal stems with my TST sensors for 6 years. No issues. Mike

I have wanted to do this for over a year. The planning, prototyping, and documenting were, stop & start as best. Yet today, the first set of Oliver Drawer Fronts comes out of production. These are Walnut & board matched – meaning one board from left to right so all the wood grain lines up and matches. These really make a beautiful statement and are a very distinguished upgrade for an Oliver Travel Trailer. They are finished with 5 coats of satin polyurethane for a lifetime of carefree use. There are seven drawers in the set - (4) small kitchen (2) large kitchen & (1) nightstand. I will be offering these in Walnut, Mahogany, Cerused Ash, and Dark Cerused Oak. They will be listed in my next catalog update in about a week. Next up Kitchen Cabinet Organizers. And yes, the Closet Organizer Part 1 is almost ready.

South of Kalispell, Montana is an outstanding State RV and Tent Park: Big Arm State Park (406=837-3041 to make a reservation). They also have Non Reserved, first come first serve campsites. You can end up right on the shore line of the Flathead Lake. They have water that is tested every day. Excellent water, as it is not City water... that has been run through the 'system' for processing a number of times. If they are FULL, ask if you can fill your water tank. There is easy access to the water system where the Boat Launch in located. The State Employees are the BEST... They also ride around in a small cart to make sure everyone is being... nice. If filling your tanks is not enough, have a short boxy five gallon plastic water jug. I put ours into old plastic Milk Crates so they do not move around or get punctured. Been Boondocking Off the Grid since 2006 in our trailers. It is Ahhhhhhh Wonderful! Traffic into Glacier Park can be... a headache. Just be calm, laugh and take your time. No need to use the Shower in your trailer. Jump into the Flathead Lake, clear water and gravel/boulder beaches.

Beautiful! Can't wait to see the closet organizer. You are a magician if you can tame the mess in ours! Paula

My TST'S are mounted on rubber and I love ‘em. Keep looking, there’s something or somebody for everyone.

According to the OTT video posted above, the gear button gets her to Settings/menu.

We’ve had one for at least 15 years. Traveled well with us with no issues, it’s built well. Think it’s model 2000. Haven’t used it in a few years and we’re waiting for our build in May. It was stored clean and had to clean a few mouse remnants after getting it out of storage in my pole barn. Cleaned out the mouse and ignited on the second strike. I use a dental pick to keep all the holes in the burner clean and water soluble degreaser annually. Converting to a quick connect is easy. I was thinking the smaller one would probably be better suited for just the 2 of us moving forward.

@mossemi, I saw her post on Facebook. She doesn't have a "tv" input, which is what I use for my mom's vizio with no cable box. Her choices are "watch free," hdmi1, hdmi2, and streaming. I'd personally start with watch free, since that's likely tv. Then work my way through the hdmi choices. She has no menu button, either, but channel scan probably comes up when you change input, using the left/right, up/down functions around the ok button. At least, I would think so. I took a screenshot of her fb photo of her remote. I rarely watch TV, but I'm the designated person to fix mom's when she messes up the buttons and settings, or settings are lost in a power outage. We have a similar Samsung remote, but it does have a menu button. Too complicated. So, any of you who actually have the newer smart vizio have any suggestions for these new owners? I think @mossemi and I have probably offered what we can... for what it's worth.

I don't like the stress the TST sensors put on rubber stems. Have had metal stems on the past 2 trailers with no issues, but we don't do much off-road.

I was seriously bummed when my wife picked painted maple cabinets vs book matched walnut for our kitchen remodel. I wonder if I could sneak these in…

As with most things - there are pros and cons of metal valve stems. When using TPMS sensors that are applied to the stems it would seem that metal stems take the vibration caused by these sensors better than the regular rubber stems do. However, both the metal and the rubber stems "mate" to the wheel with rubber which can cause "issues" on the installation or over time. And, if a metal stem is hit by a rock, tree limb, mud rut, or other item it might break where a rubber stem just might bounce back. I believe that if your intent is to do a bunch of real off roading, rubber stems actually might be better - and they are generally easier to replace. However, since I do not (generally) take my Oliver into real "bad" places I have metal stems. But, I also carry two replacement stems - just in case. Bill

Thanks everyone for the input, Mossemi I'm glad you had been adventurous and found i way to get the wire fished through there. I have a open switch hole in my panel for backup camera. I was going to use that switch for turning both the rear view and side camera at the same time. Though I really don't think I need the Curb side camera while driving while driving. Mossemi, If I get real daring and these cameras work, I Will contact you about accessing the street side.

It sounds like some of the LED's the that light's cluster have gone out. Unless you can see where they've become un-soldered you'll need to replace that light.

Hi all, you may remember that my wife was hesitant to buy an Oliver due to cost. We paid our deposit today! We chose November 7 as it's a Monday so if we encounter any issues we can high tail it back to the Oliver people before heading back to Oregon. Thanks for all your posts. It's been very helpful. You haven't heard the last from me. It's probably been the tip of the iceberg actually. Have a good weekend.

It helps to have information from which one can base an answer.

Sit down, relax. Remember - this is fun! You've already done the hardest part in committing to the camper and now you have time to continue to learn. From my experience the people that tend to get into difficulties either don't do the homework to start with and/or get too rushed to think problems through. Of course there is also those of us that think we know it all - only to find out that we forgot to open that grey tank valve 😁 for the 6th time. Yes, in my opinion, you need a TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System). There are a number of those on the market that certainly do the job and there are a number of threads here on the Forum about them. Pick out two or three that seem of interest to you (all should have pressure and temperature readings) and then go to YouTube for videos on each one. Pick the one you like best and they are easy to install. Portable air compressors are a really nice item to have. This is particularly so if you plan on traveling roads in which you "air-down" for better traction and then want to "air-up" when getting back to normal paved roads. However, they are also very useful for your daily driver and for blowing dust/dirt out of places it certainly doesn't belong - like fridge igniters, water heater igniters, furnace igniters and sail switches, etc. If you plan on using one a bunch then something like the Viair is really good. But, a compressor that expensive is really not necessary for most applications. Bill

Yes, we have a TST TPMS on our current trailer. Definitely an important item. Warned us when a wheel started running hot because of a broken brake mechanism. We're going to replace the Ollie valve stems with metal ones when we get home and transfer the TPMS sensors over. We also have a compressor.

Right camper, right attitude - I like it! Good that you headed south out of the Mothership. Yes, Fl is probably a bit cooler than normal but it is still better than things to the north of you. Even though the weather is supposed to take a turn back towards something a bit more normal in the northeast, I'd take my sweet time in getting back. That much snow just doesn't disappear even with the forecast of rain later this coming week. Have you gotten back to the point where you remember that the delivery people told you about this switch, lever, procedure, but, you can't remember exactly what it was? Or, have you received the wet feet in the shower yet because you forgot to open the grey tank valve? Anyway, CONGRATS! Its great to have you with us on the road. Bill

Since I do not know the model number of your tv or remote, I’ll throw this out there. Mossey How do I get my Vizio TV to scan for channels? How to rescan for antenna channels on your Vizio TV Press the INPUT button on your remote to view your current input source. ... If the TV input is not selected, press INPUT until the TV input mode is selected. Open the on-screen menu and select TV or Tuner option. ... Highlight Tuner Mode and select the correct option:

Ed and Nancy, congratulations! Hope you are past your initial challenges and enjoy some warm weather in Florida. Mike

Oops, forgot you were headed to the keys. Have fun! John

Some drawer fronts would look fabulous with the tops you made for us, Foy! Are you doing the nightstand, too?

Making notes…. Looks like tranquil camping away from the masses.

We keep it on the floor of the closet or in the truck. Do t use it very often.

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.

I think I mention this in other posts on the subject. If on electric before showing we switch on the propane two showers alway had enough hot water and my wife likes her shower warm. As far as cost as mentioned easier to repair. And I’m sure you can replace the entire unit several times VS the cost of the Truma. Some times simpler is better.

Foy: As usual your craft is amazing. Does the cabinet face package also include the vanity drawer front? I will be interested to see what your are proposing for a closet organizer.

Very nice as always. Now we know how to make a $100,000.00 Oliver easy. 😜

The camera system has been working great the industrial Velcro maybe over kill I have to use a plastic wedge to get the Velcro to separate a little then it separates easy. Last trip was to Jacksonville for Foy’s get together. No problems staying put on the road. The trailer is parked inside. Almost 3 months battery down to half charge. Simple usb charge to full within an hour. Still not sure if the solar on it charges the battery being inside most of the time. I’d replace it with another if it fails. When or if they stop making them. Every thing goes back to normal no holes to fix. 👍🏼👍🏼

Those look amazing Foy👍

That, and not carrying 6 gallons of water weight that can only be accessed by draining the heater, are probably the best arguments for boondocker use of a tankless. Most of the time, if I only need a bit of hot water, I heat it in a tea kettle on the cooktop. Zero cold water down the drain. I think we conserve quite a bit of water that way.

We'll be getting our Elite ll in May, but have been traveling for years with RV's prior. Our style of camping does not require much hot water regularly, so we chose to order the tankless. Many times we simply need a small amount of hot water, not 6 gallons, so for us we like the idea of only heating the water we need for the moment.

Amazing work Foy.

Nice work, as always! Mike

Beautiful! Please stop - my wallet can't handle it 🤗. Bill

I think that spot would work, but have you considered the other issues with a side location? Driving rain or road splashes, stone or bird impacts, tree branches, etc. A rear location is very protected, other than being in a low pressure area (dust or water on the lens) but you really should have some sort of guard or shield on the side one(s). https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/1973-how-to-install-a-garmin-bc-30-backup-camera/ Please start an Install thread, I am sure we will be interested to see how this turns out. John Davies Spokane WA

That is a great point, and even if you could get Truma repair parts, for example from Australia, those prices will make your eyes explode. The standard heater is stone age primitive, and very inefficient in terms of gas usage, but it certainly is user friendly and cheap. These prices are Australian dollars: https://www.caravanrvcamping.com.au/search?kw=truma+water+heater#/sort:price:asc John Davies Spokane WA

Good move! Now, you get to do the fun stuff of picking out options, colors, etc. Hopefully your wife likes to do that sort of stuff because I found that to be the hardest part of the whole deal - well - maybe writing that big check was slightly interesting 😉. Nice to really have you with us and I truly hope that you will enjoy your Ollie as much as I've enjoyed mine. Bill

Seems to me that the extra money being asked for the instant gratification is a bunch given that I'm camping. Besides, after a long day on the stream or hiking or even driving, it is nice to have a chance to simply sit down, enjoy an adult beverage, contemplate what I'm going to have for dinner and "ease" - "relax" into that nice warm shower. Bill

Thank you everyone. Two of us.traveling. Mostly campgrounds. Looking at Sept 21. Just woke up to the blizzard beginning here on the New England coast

New tires on my truck, gas for the genny, plow guy at the ready, and chains on the fire apparatus. As ready as we're gonna be.

The Badlands are cool and there is enough hiking for at least a two or three day stop. Also, free camping fairly near Wall and close to the Park entrance. Bill

Where is this well known Archaeological Site... ? It is also a real 'hoot' to get there from the south entrance or north entrance. How were the roads when YOU drove to the site? Have you camped at the 'End of the world for the Anasazi'? Camping is Off the Grid with park facilities at the office. There is NOW water available next to the park office. You will need... two and even better, three days, to wander around. Where is this WONDERFUL site? If you know... what did you think about the dirt roads to the Site, the walking self tour into the ruins and the camping, having only what you brought along? What was OUR Opinion? FIVE STARS and Ahhhhhh. Wonderful. ' Stary, stary night'... at times telescopes are available form those coming to setup viewings of the crystal clear sky.

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

Gasoline? or large quantity of urine from the driver pissing his pants?

I'm impressed that Townesw has chosen to outfit their 2019 Chevrolet 2500HD Duramax with a custom Turboencabulator modification. I've been contemplating doing the same to our 2017 model.