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I thought about this thread today. A bit of my camping cooking sometimes starts at home . Chicken tenderloins were on sale last week at the market, so I picked up a big package . I froze a few packets (vac packed, flat on a cookie sheet) of raw, for campfire or grill. I seasoned and cooked a few, for quick salads, or protein for tacos, burritos, jambalaya, etc on rainy days. I'll vacpack and freeze those, 2 up. 1 each is more than enough protein. I chopped all the veggies while those cooked, and I'll make gumbo and freeze a quart or two, tomorrow, and use up the rest of the chicken. My vac pac machine was pretty inexpensive, on Amazon, but it keeps my bulk purchases from freezer burning pretty well. I also use it to make up seasoned burger patties, seasoned steaks and chops, sometimes marinated meats. The advantage is, I know exactly what's in everything, and no unknown seasonings to mess with my allergies, less sodium, no added chemicals. Our tiny freezer in the Truckfridge only allows for so much frozen food, so I freeze flat, for stacking. You folks with the bigger freezers can hold more.

Tent camping…. I took my camping partner tent camping once right after we got married. We laugh about it now, but didn’t then. After that trip it took 40 years to talk her into looking at a trailer, initially aluminum but ultimately fiberglass. Now she’s an experienced, enthusiastic camper. Mike

Campsite favorites... Simple, just a few ingredients... often involve the campfire or grill... or maybe something you bring partially prepared from home... What's cooking at your campsite? Paul's Awesome Flank Steak... His claim to fame... Easy & delicious. 1. Go to Sam's club or your favorite meat market. Buy a nice flank steak (or two, as they usually come packaged at Sam's) 2. Lay out each steak on the cutting board and poke with a fork about thirty or forty times on each side. (Two reasons... tenderizes, and accepts more marinade.) Trim any excess tallow. 3. Get out your favorite marinading container... flatter the better, with a tight seal... Or a gallon Ziploc bag. Grab a bottle of your favorite marinade... Ours is Lawry's Teryiaki with Pineapple. Layer a little marinade on the bottom of the dish. Add a flank steak. Cover the top with a thin layer of marinade. Repeat if you're marinading more. Put the lid on, or zip it up. Swirl around, gently. Put in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours, turning the steaks every 12 hours. The longer you marinade, the stronger the flavor. Three days is about max. 4.Fire up the grill. Grill for about 5-7 minutes each side... They're thin... not a lot longer unless you're a well done fan. 5. Put the cutting board in a rimmed cookie sheet to keep the juices off the counter or table. Slice thin, on the diagonal, with a sharp knife and enjoy. Great with pasta, baked potatoes, or roasted red bliss & veggies. Figure about 1/3 pound per person... or a half pound if you're really hungry!. Leftovers are great on a salad the next day with croutons, onions, and bleu cheese. We grilled this tonite, and really enjoyed it. Hence, the post. What's your favorite campsite recipe? Sherry

I see some Threads about where to store or hide your 'VALUABLES" when OliverDocking. Worried about losing your Tow Vehicle? Your Trailer? What are you considering... valuable. Your... clothing, shoes, sheets on the bed, Dometic Refer, Cook Top, Microwave, Tires and Wheels... the $1,000,000 in Cash kept in a coffee can in the Pantry? Your sweat pants? Even crooks have standards... clothing is not among their choices. Ask your Insurance Agent what issues has he had reported about Trailers and Losses. Probably: Portable propane cooking outdoor unit. Bicycles. Ice Chest. Weight lifting set? Credit Cards are cash. Cash is optional, but some needed according to YOUR experience. Worried about a thief taking your loose Rolex watch? Gucci Purse? Gold coins laying around on the kitchen table? Stacks of cash left on the couch? What are you concerned about losing when camped in Remote Locations? This is a City Problem... not a Rural Problem. A City Newspaper content is not like the Kemmerer, Wyoming newspaper content. Don't confuse the two or three... or the National Forest Service warnings about leaving trash outside for Bear and Coyotes to leave scattered across the field. We have never had a single item missing, taken, evaporated, beamed up into a Spacecraft, had visitors drop in for Dinner uninvited or anything else when camped Off the Grid. Newbies... have an imagination that Alfred Hitchcock can manipulate... on the home television. Those programs are made up to get your attention. They are fake stories, not real. They are intended to get your attention, so you will watch the long series of Commercials selling makeup and loose fitting underwear and better razor blades. A Honda Generator sitting outside, under a tree... is a "TAKE THIS HOME" invitation to the one Thief driving by on the 'main road'. When not in use... put it into your tow vehicle. If you need a Generator, you probably should not be OliverDocking, anyways. We figured that out the first year. A SOLAR SYSTEM is far superior... and harder to steal, since thieves do not carry tall ladders around in their junker mini pickup. Think like a... Thief. If you are driving around the Forest or Prairie in the Rocky Mountains and see an isolated Trailer sitting in the trees... what would you want to... steal? Really. Are you looking at the tires and wheels, which would not fit their compact car. How about the mattress... yuck. Used. What then? Leave the door unlocked in the forest. Are you going to break into the trailer and then look for... bacon and bean soup cans? Ice cubes. Valuable gold jewelry? A television worth about $25 fenced in town to an undercover policeman? What? There is nothing in our trailer I would want to steal, break into or worry about being taken. I may not even notice it missing after two or three trips. TOOLS are hot items. Chainsaws. Honda generator. Overpriced Ice Chests, Propane cooking units... sitting outside. Can't hide them... so when leaving a campsite, put them in the back of your tow vehicle OR on the side of the trailer where they cannot be seen by someone driving by... which could be YOU... if the mythical thief is browsing visually. If at a campground... after Sunset... now you have something to consider. During the day at a campground... some risk, but your neighbors are watching for unusual activity... like YOUR walking around with your Dog, looking harmless and not browsing the wildlife eating off the picnic table of cold hot dogs and buns. Just relax. We could afford to lose some junk. Better yet... leave that stuff at home. Stuff has weight and your tow vehicle is already at MAX. Camping and having stuff laying around like a Garage Sale is not a good idea. Have Fun. Do not Worry about what will probably never happen to you. If it does... let us know. What have you lost? Me... my memory.

I'm so sorry to hear this! Certainly I would not be happy at all - not only with the delay of over a month, but, also with the fact that the truck is probably sitting out in the elements. Of course I would assume that it will get a nice wash and - perhaps - even a polish job before being delivered, but, since I always store my vehicles inside when I'm not using them, I wouldn't feel right about it. Hopefully your new ride gets to you shortly - good luck! Bill

From another post, I picked up hand warmers from Northern Tool and will stick a couple in with the batteries and the outside shower for our two day deep freeze event here…and have the furnace at 40F.

I also live in Texas where we went through the deep freeze of Feb. 2021 as did Mike and Carol did. I will also add here we lost of electricity for 39 hours with the temps being around 0 degrees. All we did was drain the hot water tank and turn on the propane heater and set it at around 50 degrees, all survived the freeze, but our outside shower handle froze as there was some water in it and I probably should have unscrewed the head and let the hose drain. We don't use the outside shower so I just replaced the shower head for $10 on Amazon and all is done. We are fixing to have our temputures drop to around 15 degrees for the next two days with daytime temps around 28 degrees, I taking the same precautions as before. For us we would probably not be camping at below freezing temputures as it just doesn't fit our camping desires and if the temputures were to be below zero we would move on the warner temputures trainman.

Yes. We’ve done it multiple times. A year or so ago we were at Pinnacles National Park and it dropped below freezing at about 10pm and was 19 when we woke up. I didn’t warm up until later in the afternoon. At Zion a couple of weeks ago each night got into the 20s and didn’t get above freezing until late morning due to the mountains shading Watchman campground. Mike

Spike, Have you ever checked to see if the 712 is "locked?" The 712 can only be "locked" or "unlocked" via the device itself - not via the app. If locked, changes made via the app are not actually saved. See attached. Charlie.

Here's something to consider when changing from lead or AGM batteries to Battleborn lithium batteries. When more than one battery is connected, the efficiency of the battery management systems require them to be hooked up like in this picture. Charlie.

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

Over the past four weeks I've been planning and making reservations (where necessary) for this coming summer's fly fishing trip. Once again this year I will be (primarily) fishing in Wyoming and covering many of the same places I've been to in the past. I have managed to secure reservations in those camp grounds that take them, but, I would not say that it was easy. For National Forest Service camp grounds in Wyoming, the earliest one can make reservations is 6 months in advance at 8AM (Mountain Time). For the three places that I needed these reservations I was all set and ready to go at exactly that time - and - was successful in each case. But, my choice of sites was extremely limited. For the first time in a number of years I have decided to not camp in Yellowstone National Park. But, I did check on availability just this morning. In my favorite two camp grounds (Slough Creek and Pebble Creek) there was not one reservable site available for the date(s) I would have needed. Of course, most of my camping will be done outside of established camp grounds. But, even these have become more crowded over the past couple of years - I always have at least two alternative places in mind. So, if anyone is planning a summer trip I'd suggest that you not wait too long to get the reservations you might need. Good luck! Bill p.s. Baker's Hole (just north of West Yellowstone, MT) August 4th through August 7th if anyone is interested in a pot luck mini-rally.

We are heading to Carlsbad, NM in the morning. We are leaving Fort Worth area a day early, before the forecast of cold temperatures and ice arrive. Everyone is taking about how bad it was here last year when ice hit. Temperatures in Carlsbad are forecast to be 7 degrees at night and a high of 29 later in the week. We are at a KOA with full hookups, electric, water, and sewer in Carlsbad. Our 2019 Ollie has the Truma water heater. We have boondocked for a night with a temperature of 19 and wind. We had no problems with any of our systems. We keep the trailer around 64 at night using propane when temps are going to dip below 32 for extended periods of time. Obviously the water hose will be disconnected. We have about 80% in our fresh water tank for dishes and conventional toilet use. My concern is the lower temperatures and the pipes and anything else. I am hoping I can avoid winterizing for what will be 36 to 72 hours. I will winterize if needed. We have not made any modifications to our trailer for airflow around our AGM batteries or street side bunk. I an not in position to make those modifications before the cold hits. I can open the interior door in our nightstand to the basement. We have the twin bed model. We also have a Vornado heater that we use when plugged in and temps stay above freezing. We have the 30 lb propane tanks. 1 is 100% full and the other is approximately 50% full. We will keep an eye on the propane!!! So---- from someone who has done it! Do I need to winterize? Are there good, safe alternatives to avoid winterizing? What else should I be thinking about? We will continuously run the Truma in econo mode per instructions in the manual if we don't winterize. Sound advice needed and appreciated. Thanks

An Oliver is 100% capable to Tent Camp. An Airstream is 100% capable to Tent Camp. A Tent is NOT 100% capable to Oliver or Airstream Boondocking. Everything your trailer has... a tent camper... has NOT. We have never used our microwave with Power access or without Power. We remove the microwave always and use the empty space to store loaves of Bread and Doughnuts. Ahhhhh. Apple fritters, blueberry doughnuts... you know. Camping "Health Foods". We added a sliding curtain over the opening and webbing to keep things from bouncing out onto the floor. Works. If you do not need the space, leave the microwave where it is. Store things inside of it. Much easier. If you can manage to Tent Camp just one season or five years... you will be able to OllieDock. You have a home on wheels. Your tow vehicle is independent, once the trailer is detached from the trailer. Find a convenient camping site, detach and explore with your Tow Vehicle. Secure the hitch with a locking unit is your important 'protection'. We never LOCK the front door of our trailer(s). If someone wants to steal the... microwave... OK. Just do not mess up the front door or break window to gain entry. A thief may discover your clothes do not fit. The microwave is too small. The hats support the wrong sport... What do you think a Thief wants to take from your Trailer, anyways. Probably tools. Most likely the... doughnuts and Apple Fritters. The damage on your thief entering... will exceed the value of your hats and screwdrivers. So many trailer owners are nervous about camping all... alone. You live and leave your HOME every day, don't you? How often is your Home Missing Anything? Rarely. It is even safer isolated Off the Grid Boondocking at remote locations. Why? Because people who are also camping or live in the area... wonder what YOU are doing there. Everyone is watching the other... by choice. The 'bad guy' is even more nervous as anyone who is camped in the 'Boonies' may be armed, have a dog or two... or has a bad attitude when a person is wandering around the area. We have never had our Tent broken into by a human. Field mice, yes. They will eat into your tent if they sense edible food within. Yep... don't leave food in your TENT. We have never had our Trailer broken into by a human... or Bear... or Field Mouse... or Snake... or a Human Being. This is overblown expectations made by those at Commercial Campsites and having a bicycle sitting outside overnight. Big problem... but not where you Boondock. Our bicycles are worth about $25, heavy and a bit beat. Good tires, though. What CAN You Live Without... when away from civilization? Are you a bit nervous being out in strange places? Do you imagine furry animals wanting you as a quick meal? Afraid of a Rattlesnake climbing the front steps to curl up with you... in bed... to keep warm at night? The 'Boogieman' was what we imagined was in the closet when young... waiting to... GET You. Have a Walking Stick... made from a Beaver Dam Lodge that is about five feet long and large enough diameter to hold comfortably in your hand. Carve you name onto the top, in case you forget your first name. Everything in the Forest or Desert is more afraid of YOU, than you are of THEM. Heck... I am keeping my distance from YOU. That is how it works in No Place, No Where. It is safer than parked on a City Street, anytime. Anyone who Boondocks is assumed to have experience, afraid of nothing, chases Brown and Black Bear away with a pot and pan banging together... while eating a Blueberry Doughnut. ...and no one messes with a woman with a five foot club... Makes camping with your trailer wonderful. My sweetheart can take care of herself and I know who is Boss. You will too.

No way I would believe 6 weeks, even if it was already built. No matter what manufacturer. I didn't actually "order" a truck (which apparently is even slower!) -- I nabbed one that was already slated to be built and delivered to the local dealer: a 2022 Silverado 2500 HD. I lucked into it, by walking into the dealer on the day that they learned it was coming (early Nov).

At this point - no.

What a bummer. What brand truck did you order? I love my RAM Rebel and plan to keep it for a bunch of years, especially after pricing out a new 2022 RAM Rebel a few weeks ago. If I had ordered, the dealer said it would be delivered around 6 weeks. Do you believe that?

We haven’t lost anything and we haven’t had anything taken. Neither do we carry anything of value. We feel pretty safe in a campground with leaving chairs, table and grill outside. When isolated I put the grill away at night in the truck to prevent curious wildlife. A thief isn’t going to drive around BLM land looking for an isolated camper for something to steal. They are interested in higher density targets with an easy get away. Memory is a different subject….. Mike

If it’s going to be single digits at night and not above freezing during the day then I would winterize or go somewhere else. Last year when we had the big freeze in Texas (single digits for several days) and I couldn’t find antifreeze I brought my trailer home, turned on the furnace and electric heater, opened all the hatches, put a drop light in the basement near the outdoor shower, aimed the electric heater at the vent under the curbside bed, turned on the hot water tank and did some close monitoring. No freeze damage. Also, no way to camp! It shouldn’t take long to winterize. The KOA should have shower and bath facilities. Mike

If taking the pressure off the suspension does not solve the issue and you decide to replace a zerk it is a fairly simple process. Take the old zerk out with a wrench, wipe it off, drive down to the local NAPA store (or other auto parts store if you don't have a NAPA, and purchase three or four. Now would also be a good time to decide if you want to buy "straight" zerks or ones that are at a 45 or 90 degree angle or a combination such that they will be easier to get to the next time you have to add/replace grease. Also, if you determine that dirt clogged the original zerk you might want to consider getting "caps" like THESE to help protect the zerk. Bill

I agree with John. Winterize and don’t fret about the temps

It has been three hours and nobody has spoken up. I have never camped in those temperatures. I will say this: if your plumbing actually freezes hard, you are WAY past the point where you can do anything about it, except to hope for the best. You can’t drain your tanks and you can’t get anitifreeze to flow through jammed check valves and plugged lines. In your shoes, I would do a complete winterize now, and then don't stress. Otherwise you might be OK, or you might not be OK, but regardless, you are going to really worry about it. Once your rig is safely winterized, if the weather turns extremely nasty, you can find a Motel 6 for a couple of days, and turn off all the systems in the Ollie. (be sure to bring in any freezable liquids.) There is the saying - there are bold pilots and old pilots, but there are no old bold pilots. Now is the time to do this, while you have full hookups. Later, en route in worsening weather, it will be much harder. Read this: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/5185-extreme-weather/ Stay safe, stay warm. John Davies Spokane WA

Ed and Nancy, thanks for sharing! Happy camping and warm weather. Frank

Each bolt has a single hole in it, drilled at 90 degrees to the center hole, to allow the grease to flow outwards. Sometimes the weight of the trailer bearing down blocks one or three…. The first thing to try is to raise the hull to relax the suspension. Often that does the trick, if not, you could have a blocked zerk fitting, which can be replaced, or worst case, Dexter forgot to drill the holes properly. In that case, you need a new bolt and nut. The nuts are in theory one time use and should be changed. John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks Mike.

Thanks again, Mossey. I will share your photos with my tech when I connect with him next week. The quirky readings are that, despite the system showing all of the parameters necessary for a synchronization, which the Victron information tells me is necessary to maintain correct readings, the monitor never displays that it has synchronized. In addition, although the readings from the Zamp controller inside the cabin and on the external Zamp controller on the 180-watt portable solar panels have revealed that the battery bank is full, the display tells me that it has been several days since a full charge. I'm hoping that my tech can straighten things out when I show him the advice, photos, and diagrams you and others have shared with me. Many thanks.

As an OTR driver, I learned the mantra, "Didn't hit anything, nobody died. Good day!" Enjoy your travels

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.

https://travelnevada.com/cities/jarbidge/ It's officially Pacific Time, like all of Nevada, but the town uses Mountain Time because the only way in year round is through Idaho, the pass south to Elko is plowed for their July 4 celebrations, and gets snowed in again in October... 😉 The route from Boise to Jarbidge is about 70 miles of smooth gravel ranch roads, with random water ditches across it, to keep you on your toes. What fun. The route there from the east is all paved, with several campgrounds. You should check it out: "For many anglers, catching a wily bull trout is the final leg of the IGFA’s “Trout Royal Slam”, and if you find yourself in the spectacular Jarbidge Wilderness during summer and fall, you may just hook into one of these olive-green beauties in one of the best fishing spots in the Silver State." https://travelnevada.com/fishing/jarbidge-river-trail/ John Davies Spokane WA

If you get there, don't ignore the northern Badlands. Many do. Teddy Roosevelt park is amazing. I actually like the northern badlands more than Southern.

I get better mileage with my diesel than I did with either of the half ton gas V8’s both towing and not towing. Towing is more pleasant with the 2500. Payload is never an issue. Maintenance cost is more, but is out weighed by the better mileage, payload and less stress towing. You’ll need to get an Andersen if you downsize to a half ton. I think Nissan makes a nice truck, but you’d be giving away a lot of capability. Mike

Everybody talks about "overkill" like it's a bad thing. I love overkill, you can't have too much power and torque going up and down hills. and the longevity and mileage of a diesel is phenomenal. And besides all that, you already own this truck. I doubt anyone will trade even with you (maybe...) so how long will it take for the modest savings in gas vs diesel to surpass the price difference between the old and the new truck. Plus, you will be able to tell a big difference in your towing experience. I've towed our Oliver Elite II with three different vehicles: 2014 GMC Sierra SLT 1500, 2017 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD High Country, 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD High Country. All were 4x4. The GMC was Gasoline, both Chevrolet's diesel. No comparison. If you do decide to downgrade to a 1500, be very aware of your cargo carrying capacity, you very well may not have enough truck to carry your gear and tow the Oliver safely.

I will go as far to say that ALL 1/2 ton trucks require a weight distribution hitch. The Andersen WDH is the only one that will work with the Oliver Travel Trailer without modification of the fiberglass. You are partially correct in your analysis of the gas versus diesel tow vehicle issue. On average (if not totally) diesel trucks will get better fuel mileage while towing something like the Oliver. But, on average, a 1/2 ton truck will get better mileage while not towing. Therefore, part of the analysis should include a good estimate of what percentage of towing with and without. Also, generally diesel trucks will be more expensive that their gas counterpart due primarily to the durability of the diesel engine. Again, an analysis of the length of time you plan on keeping the truck should enter into the equation. Finally, don't forget to take into consideration the "payload" capacity of the truck you are considering. Virtually all 3/4 ton trucks will have more payload capacity and if you tend to carry a bunch of "stuff" (to include people and critters) with you, this could present a problem if you decide to downsize to a 1/2 ton. Good luck on your decision! Bill

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

Looks like REI are no longer stocking it. It can be found at other sellers through a Google search, though. Years ago I purchased Cobb cooker. Great food, but the cleanup drain on the water supply was a downer. Then I found the Backpacker's Oven. It is cheap to buy, cooks well, but you need to make sure not to bump the hood if it is used inside the camper. After seeing this thread, I purchased an Omnia and cooked seasoned chicken breasts to perfection using the silicone insert. Cleanup was a breeze. It is already packed for this summer's wanderings.

I can attest to this. It took several months of hard searching to find a truck that was "scheduled" for build. I put refundable money down to hold it in my name, due to the crazy market and lack of availability. My truck was built (thankfully) and is not missing any parts (thankfully), but I still don't have a truck because shipping is a nightmare after our logistics bogged down from various circumstances (covid measures, loss of jobs during lockdowns, etc). My truck has been 'ready' for delivery since Christmas. Just waiting for it to be loaded on a train or a truck; some people have been waiting for a finished vehicle for six months.

My wife and I have lived in our Ollie Elite 2 for 7 months now waiting for our house in Oklahoma to be completed. It's currently minus 18 degrees out there with a snow blizzard. It will last for over a week. If this doesn't test Ollie to the max I don't know what will. I would have gone to a hotel by now if I didnt feel I had to hang with the ship to make sure we don't have damage. Can't dump because valves are frozen. Using outhouse nearby. Hoping gas continues to the furnace and Truma water. Filled fresh water from only un- frozen spigot used for boon docking. Trying to keep heat inside to 70 degrees but floor is really cold. Have small electric in basement working. I think Ollie is great 4 season but not sure about this 5th season. Dan and Jennifer Brumfield