Leaderboard

If you had a cellar hatch and you opened it, it would allow for cabin air to enter the cellar area. But, you really need a way to force air into this area as it won't enter easily. Placing a small forced air heater in front of the open hatch would work. Although there are technically no pipes beneath the cellar floor (that would place them outside), there are some cellar pipes that run across the rear of the trailer, coming from the outside fittings and going to the pump and valves. Those pipes are right against the outside hull and are subjected to near outside temps and are the most likely to freeze if not kept above 32 degrees. This is also where the back-flow preventers are located and if they freeze they will most likely crack and leak upon thawing. The cellar area is not physically connected to the area where the plumbing for the outside shower is located, so that becomes an additional area of concern.

(Various versions of the song exist. These are some examples of the lyrics:) Beans, beans, the musical fruit The more you eat, the more you toot The more you toot, the better you feel So we have beans at every meal!1 or Beans, beans, they're good for your heart The more you eat, the more you fart The more you fart, the happier/better you feel So let's eat beans with every meal1 or Beans, beans, they're good for your heart The more you eat, the more you fart The more you fart, the more you eat The more you sit on the toilet seat or Beans, beans, they give you gas They make you fart, and burn your ass The more you eat, the more it hurts So slow down your eating to stop the squirts Beans, beans, the magical fruit the more you eat the more you toot 1This line can also be replaced with: "So eat them beans at every meal" or Beans, beans, they're good for your heart the more you eat the more you fart the more you fart the better you feel beans, beans for every meal. This line can also be replaced with: "So eat your beans with every meal" Even a grown man has the boy within.

About 8-9 years ago my wife and I were hiking/photographing for several days in Guadalupe NP. Cold and wet weather was forecast, so we planned a day at Carlsbad Caverns. The weather outside was miserable, but inside the caverns you would never know. We had a fabulous day taking photos in the caverns when there were hardly any other people there. Highly recommended. The walkways in the caverns are well developed and tight spaces can generally be avoided. I occasionally an claustrophobic, but I had no problems.

Interesting stuff. Just out of curiosity are all your posts just re-postings of a blog somewhere?

Welcome to the forum! Please fill out a signature, so we know a little more about your tow vehicle and trailer. Any structural attachment, one that will have a lot of stresses applied to it, such as the entry grab rail or the outside door hold-open doohicky, has a bonded in place aircraft aluminum (same as the frame) backing plate for the screws to thread into. For example, all the solar panel mount plates are installed when the hull is made, even if you don’t order the solar option. FYI you can mount stuff using self tapping screws right into the glass, as long as it isn’t heavily loaded. If you are concerned you can add a strip of 3M VHB tape to make it stronger. Or mount the item to a decorative plate, then stick that down with the tape, so, no drilling of the fiberglass. Some owners seem to be reluctant to put holes in their new $75k trailer, but that never bothered me very much😬 Finally, most of the stressed parts of the hull are not just a single 1/8” glass layer, they are two layers, separated by a fiberglass honeycomb core, or in the case of the front divider wall, a balsa wood core. The battery box floor is two glass layers encasing a 1/8” diamond plate aluminum core. And that is supported (or is supposed to be) by a heavy brace bolted right to the frame. It is uber strong. Here is what a typical honeycomb panel looks like. (The steel disc is not an Oliver part.) These are tough little trailers. Oliver still makes some production mistakes, but the basic engineering is most excellent. John Davies Spokane WA

The Trauma is Awesome. Its like a heated steering wheel.... now that I have it? I NEED it.

This used to be fairly common on cruising sailboats. Downside's include vibration, which can be severe and irritating if the vane is attached to the hull / frame of the trailer. Another significant downside can be noise ... depending on the quality and balance of the installation, this can be significant. While living aboard my sailboat, I had a neighbor who lasted only a few weeks with his new windvane installation before he took it down due to noise and vibration. Glad he did because, even though we were friends, I was about to make a midnight visit to his boat with a cutting torch 😁 There are many cruising sailors who have successfully used a vane system while offshore with success. Could be fine on your own property where the system will only bother yourself - taken out in public I am not so sure. Seriously, if you are going to do this, choose your system carefully and keep your neighbors in mind.

Thanks for the memories. My parents are both from Spamville, Austin, MN. My grandfather was construction super on some of the Hormel estates, as well as some of the other grand homes in the area . What they did without power tools is amazing. They worked foundation to roof , in those days. Everyone worked, on everything. My grandfather had back injuries, twice, on roofs where he probably shouldn't have been. From falls. If any if you are on i90, west of Rochester, the spam museum is a short detour. Austin is a lovely small city. I still have many relatives there. The new museum is just off main street, downtown. Many camping opportunities around the area. My advice? Don't skip the smaller, sometimes forgotten little places. We've often found them to be the best. Get out, and go. You don't have to boondock in the desert, to enjoy Americana.. Personally, I hate desert camping.. others love it. Its up to you.

I know, right? We've had to cancel several plans to Alaska, Europe and Australia last few years. Camping in the US has been our sanity. Thank goodness for that. But, I'm looking forward to getting out there again, soon . Hopefully, later this year. Hope to be able to keep reservations we made almost 18 months ago. If not, there's always plan b. Trailers have wheels. Just, adjust course. We have found and met fun and wonderful people, everywhere we've camped. Here, and several continents. We'll keep camping, til we can't.

Thanks our plan is to definitely get to the caves. I am good in tunnels, not sure about caves. I guess we will find out. My wife is not as good in tunnels and she is a little nervous about caves. We are going to Kartchner Caves in AZ next. I really struggle with heights so high bridges and high overpasses are very difficult for me especially if they are narrow.

I thought I had posted my most recent post last night. Evidently l neglected to hit "submit reply" button. My wife since found posts on the Oliver Facebook site from a camper that was in the teens for 5 days and another that was in single digits. (I don't do Facebook) I know from past experience we would be fine in the high teens. We have done this. I also called Oliver's service department and explained our situation and that temps would be in the low single digits. The response from Oliver was if we are heating with the propane furnace, we are keeping the trailer above 60, and running the Truma on econo mode, and on tank water we should be fine without doing any thing. From Facebook I learned from someone that had camped below 0 and in single digits the water intake fittings and outside shower might, and would likely freeze. Theirs did and their outside shower head cracked as it had water in it. The recommendation was to pump just a little pink antifreeze into the fittings. I checked this with Oliver and they indicated this is fine. Just 1/4 pump. Oliver also reminded me when I flush the system to make sure I bypass the water heater as the pink stuff can ruin the water heater. So I guess we are doing a partial weatherization! So this is what we are doing. It was in the 40s today. Tonight down to 17. Tomorrow high 26 or 27. The next 2 nights 7 and 8 degrees. I disconnected the city water. We ran our sinks to empty out any remaining city water. I unscrewed the outside shower head and drained the hose and emptied the head. I left the head disconnected and stored it. I pushed the hose inside after tying a string so I can retrieve it later. I pumped a 1/4 pump of the pink antifreeze into each of the fittings. I started with the black tank flush first figuring if l made a mistake l pumped too much this wouldn't be a big deal. I secured some r19 insulation batting and folded on top of its self. I placed it in a plastic garbage bag and placed it inside the opening to the basement outside door. I used my storage crate to hold it in place from the inside. I purchased a thermometer that I can use to check temps under the bunks and basement. We will heat with the propane furnace and it will be set at 63 - 65 at night. We will open the door in our nightstand and place the Vornado electric heater to blow into the basement. We are at about 75% of our propane capacity in the 30lbs tank. The park sells propane and has plenty so a source is near by. I also picked up 18 feet of electric pipe heat wrap, that if necessary, I can install on the pipes. We brought a number of throw rugs that we used early in the trip and stored when it got warm. They are now back on the floor to help. We will use tank water for our toilet and dishes. We normally use RV park showers provided they are clean and this park is exceptionally clean. There are others here in SOB trailers that seem to be taking less precaution. This includes some of the park employees. Winds could go as high as 50 mph tonight. At just before 4pm mountain time, temperatures are dropping, it is 35 and winds have picked up into the mid 20s. This is all part of the adventure, and we are having an adventure!!!! We will let you know how it goes! Thanks for all of your feedback and suggestions. Stay warm!!!

My name is Kim. I am a newbie to camping and the whole enchilada! 😬 But I have a passion! And very confident that I can learn this! 🤓 I have been researching all RV’s, travel trailer’s, 5th wheels, class A, B and C’s for a little while now and I am convinced that the Oliver E II is the one for me. I completed the build list and have my quote. Before I send in my deposit I would like to discuss my plans and hear from others that may have similar plans as myself. This Forum is wonderfully filled with so much experience and knowledge on the art and science of camping and traveling. It’s always been my dream to travel and experience this beautiful country of ours! i’m wondering if there are any traveling nurses out there that work and live and travel in their Oliver elite two that would like to share what they’ve learned their knowledge experience and not just the traveling nurses but anyone. I don’t even have a tow vehicle yet but have been doing my homework. I am open to learn. I don’t know if I need the list of options that I’ve chosen. Maybe I can dwindle it down with the help of all of you out in Oli land. 🤩 I am so looking forward to hearing from all of you. And please be patient with me as I don’t do social media and this is all new to me. Thank you very kindly, Kim Smith

Kim - Welcome to the Oliver Forum! A number of years ago I had the wonderful opportunity to share a few beers and a couple of hot dogs with a traveling nurse in the little town of Meeteetse, WY. At that time I had never heard of traveling nurses but thought that it was a wonderful idea. Given that you state that you are very new to the RV world and perhaps even new to camping in general, have you considered renting an RV first? This would give you a chance to really get a better view of what is involved without making the full commitment and spending a bunch of money. Yes, renting is rather expensive, but, buying an RV and the equipment that goes along with it only to find out that its not really the thing you had in mind is a bunch more expensive - both in time, frustration and money. We are here to help! Good luck! Bill

Hi Kim, welcome! You’ll be able to find help and answers to some of your questions here. As someone new to the RV life have you given thought to how you think you’ll camp? If you stay in commercial campgrounds with FHU (Full Hook Ups - electric, water, sewer) you might not need solar, a lot of batteries or a composting toilet. If you think you might be a bit more adventurous and go to national and state parks or public lands that don’t have those amenities then you’ll want to go with solar, a decent amount of battery and maybe a composting toilet. We were new when we ordered our trailer almost 7 years ago and really didn’t know how we would camp except we knew we wanted to visit as many national parks as possible. We got what was available then as far as solar and batteries. We’ve ended up spending almost half our camping time dry camping or boondocking (no hook ups). We’ve found some of the most scenic campgrounds are primitive. So, advice will depend on what you think you might do. Mike

Everything of any substantial weight or having force applied to it has an aluminum backing plate molded into the fiberglass. Think awning or solar brackets. Also the fiberglass in an Oliver TT is much thicker than everyone else's. Whereas a Casita may actually be only 1/8", the Oliver is about 3/8" so lightweight objects can easily be attached by screwing directly to the fiberglass.

Just a real surprise to us. When we bought our first Airstream, Cousin to Oliver, in 2006 we began at a RV Park in Boulder City, Nevada. The RV Park in Boulder City was NOT the big surprise. What we FOUND to be a quirk in International Travel Trailer rentals and having this RV Park as their last stop, was a surprise. When the content travelers returned,from their USA Adventure... with the Rental RV needed to be left clean and empty... they had, also, purchased all the other necessary supplies and hardware for their time spent camping. So far, so good? Good for us. The surprise was made when I was taking a bag of Trailer Trash to the dumpster.... there was all this 'good stuff' siting around the dumpster. Left as the foreign traveler's could not haul it TO the USA, nor haul it OUT of the USA on an Airplane. I am never embarrassed. My wife, maybe... but I am sly and often the trash hauler to the dumpster, anyways. Even a Tent. Propane Grill. Cylinders for the Grill. If you liked Easter Egg Hunts... you and I are among company. As I am an opportunist when it comes to finding "one man's trash is another man's Treasure"

Those darn insurance companies. Them and (some) lawyers dampen all the fun!

Wow. Amazing. We have not been to Norway or any of the Scandinavian countries. We need to do that as soon as this covid thing dies down so we can travel internationally easily again.

Yummy. Gumbo is one if my favorites. The lighting makes it look red, but no tomato in my gumbo. Ever. Its really more brown. My recipe is 2nd hand, via an old friend, who got it from a NOLA chef. Simple , but great. The veggies, andouille sausage,, and seafood create the flavors.

When you are at Kartchner Caverns if you don’t have time to do a caverns tour (reservations only, ranger guided) go to the visitor center and watch the video. It’s very interesting. Mike

Thanks everyone. We arrived in Carlsbad this afternoon after leaving Fort Worth this morning at 4:30. We left our campground early as we didn't want to be in the Dallas area during the storm. The weather here was going to be comparable to Dallas and we do have reservations here and going forward. Going back south wasn't in the cards. Oddly enough our next, longer stop, in Benson, AZ wasn't going to be much warmer. We knew when we planned this trip we would face some cold temps and some below freezing. We don't mind that. We knew there was a chance we might face single digits this far south but were hoping to avoid it. 20s and high teens at night yes. We drove 475 miles today to get here. Our temps tonight are above freezing and during the day tomorrow will allow us to winterize if we can find antifreeze, the local Wal-Mart doesn't have any. I hopfully we will be able to keep the trailer and our selves warm. We bought our Ollie to travel like this and see parts of the country we had not seen yet. This is part of the challenge and learning we are experiencing. Because we are traveling in the off season we are able to get into lots of sites with fewer crowds. The Stampede in Fort Worth was cool and even the gunfight was fun. We are seeing different scenery. The Silos in Waco and Austin nightlife. The drive across west Texas was cool. Oil and gas fields, wind farms in Sweetwater, solar fields and some incredible wide open sky scenery. Once the snow and ends we are going to Carlsbad Caverns and up to Roswell. We will hopefully stop st White Sands on the way to Deming and Benson. Our pup Baxter goes with is most everywhere.

I guess it’s time for me to try selling my Ollie! I probably won’t be able to find anybody that wants to buy a used trailer with an air conditioner that nobody likes, but it does keep me cool when I use it. Not to mention the junk brake system that left skid marks when I made a hard stop last week. And the Andersen WD hitch ball has some chrome worn off, maybe I should replace it before it kills a potential sale. But wait a minute! My Ollie is the only RV I have ever owned, which also makes it the best RV I have ever owned! So maybe I’ll just keep it, warts and all. What I should probably do is stay off the forum and avoid all of the expert opinions trying to convince me that I bought a piece of poop. I think I’ll just make a better effort to remember my mother’s sage advice, “if you don’t have something nice to say, keep your mouth shut". Maybe I’ll join Facebook, I heard it’s a great place to get information and I just might find somebody like me, that likes their Ollie! Sorry, I do know the rules for capitalizing some words, but I think may be a form of shouting, so I left those out. And if I offended someone, I didn’t mean to, I was just going with the flow of the postings that stuck in my mind today. Peace, Out! Mossey

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

We found inexpensive Costco $99 100 watt panels an easy upgrade to Solar Power when Boondocking. When purchasing our last Airstream, a cousin to the Oliver, we had two 80watt panels installed on the roof and a pair a AGM Interstate batteries that have worked perfectly since 2016. Five years is nothing. We had factory Solar on a 2006 and the AGM Batteries were fine when we sold it in 2014. The Solar Panel sold at Costco cost $99 and come with the Controller and Wiring directly to my AGM Batteries. I wire the + on one battery positive terminal and the - on the negative battery terminal. I am not an Electrician, but it works and made sense to run the wiring among both batteries. It worked in 2019 and still working when the portable panel is brought out, plugged into the, already set up connection from Airstream with connecting plug on the external Battery Box. The controller is wired within the battery compartment. I put the controller into a plastic bag, and seal it from water, dust and vibration against the batteries. We did this in our 2014 Airstream that had NO Solar. It was expensive to add by the Dealer. For $99, wired up the 100 Watt panel and... never had any 12 volt problems and kept fully charged with plugging in the Solar Panel once parked. The panel I would move with the Sun when sitting around the trailer. When hiking... set it with some idea of the direction of the Sun. (Yes... we are not City Slickers lost without Common Sense.) Two Panels.... 200 watts for $200. The Costco Panels are heavy duty standard panels... and the included Controller makes it all... WORK. I show some examples of how a Milk Crate with some rocks in it works. You can also make a portable stand. I use the milk crates to store a five gallon water jug in the back of the tow vehicle. The Solar Panel has a + and a -. You have to keep that in mind when wiring onto the Controller. It has a Green Light diode glowing for fully charged and a Yellow when charging. The wires seem thin, but obviously work from the Controller to each battery terminal. I can have the trailer in the RV Garage and have a long cord for the Solar Panel, lean it into the Sun... and Presto... charging. Also charging using the electrical outlet. Write your name in Magic Marker on ALL SIDES and the BACK of the panel. The panel is of no value, without the Controller for a Thief. We often park Off the Grid and hike from the campsite. The tow vehicle is attached... only for convenience. This works. Your inside monitoring system will show the charge and the Controller will be glowing yellow when the batteries need... some.... Zap. This is not for those using AC, Television and 110 volt appliances. Boondocking. We have not used our AC's. Our televisions. Works great for 12v radio. Spend $100 or $1200 for a roof panel setup... and if you double your panels... $200 for saving $1000 and more? I may be old... but even anyone older than 14 years old can figure this one out. I used an orange extension cord the first time for the older Airstream. Used the Male and Female plug for wiring and fifteen feet of orange cord attached to the panel. It worked. Someone may have more to add. I am not complaining. It is my hard saved money... and you may feel the same. Cousin Airstream may be different... but we all share a common thread. Using our trailers to the best of our ability.

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.

You might look into the new "wind walls" that can be used as a visual barrier while providing energy. Charlie.

That is an interesting idea, but why not make it a permanent installation? The small generators by their very nature are not very efficient, and I believe the smaller blades are much noisier. Where is your property, and is there enough exposure to mount fixed solar panels and a battery pack instead? I know a fair bit about solar, but next to nothing about wind power…. I think the latter with all its mechanical parts would be a long term maintenance headache. John Davies Spokane WA

I know there has been discussion on the forum about Space X Starlink and how it is tied to a location. According to the attached article, there will now be a new premium service that allows mobility of their service….if you have the cash. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/02/spacex-starlink-premium-satellite-internet-tier-at-500-per-month.html

Spam use to be something put in between slices of thick bread. It was great camping meals when doing a 'hit and run' short camping stop, coffee and some healthy doughnuts as a teenager. Three traveling in a 1964 VW Bug on a camping trip to the Badlands of western Nebraska Badlands to hunt fossils. Tuna in a can was also loaded with protein and lasted most of the day. Yummy. Tuna and a Soda was enough energy to keep one going until early afternoon climbing the gullies and hill tops looking for fossils washing out of the soft silty hillsides. Having a package of Tootsie Roll Pops, except chocolate..., were good energy boosters in between 'meals in a can or a bag'. Potato chips for salt. Fresh water in a canteen. A Candy Bar stuffed into a shirt pocket when feeling weak... a Baby Ruth use to be 1/4 pound and now is just a fraction of that, today. This mixing of good, bad and some apples or oranges provided vitamins to counter act all of the... other menu items that were convenient and portable. Spam has taken a bad rap today. Multiple meanings. To post Spam and to eat Spam are not the same. Yet, my wife will not purchase Spam at a Grocery Store, nor dig into a can with the convenient Key to twirl to open the sterile container. Spam... now considered inappropriate to be sent, digested or applied to a sandwich. Does anyone recall feasting on Spam while camping? How about the 1/4 pound 'BABY' Ruth candy bar for Five Cents? Another example of Spam being applied to a hiker's options of easy energy access. Our Tents on Wheels... have ruined our Diets. We have been Spammed with so many options that we live better... on the road and off the Civilized World with our food selections and options to sleep in a comfortable bed, on a couch with some discomfort or just slumped over onto the table, while sitting on a comfortable sofa. What has become of US? C Rations in the US Army in 1969 varied with the contents. The dry chocolate was not too bad. The cookies, as well. There use to be good stuff in a Can. I still yearn for a freshly opened can of Tuna... when rock hunting and climbing around rock exposures. Puncture the can, drain the Tuna Juice onto some surface and enjoy. No doubt late at night the Coyote, the Bear, the Badger or some other Tuna lovers would lick what they could as a treat for themselves. Spam in a Can... not on the Internet... was a common sight. Today... I have not seen a full or empty can anywhere. Spam has been taken off the Menu? What do you miss? The Tootsie Roll Pop snacking late in a long hike into and out of... nowhere? A Butter Finger, shared? These were the 'health foods' we as youngsters could afford and easily digest. Healthy food has ruined our choices... or have you found options? What, may I ask... are your substitutes? Baloney and mustard on a Bun? That is ancient history as well. A 10 pound watermelon eaten entirely by three individuals under 20 years old? Ancient history, gone. Please tell me I am not alone. I miss the smell of a hot dog, smothered with mustard... raw and burnt on a campfire before catching on fire... as Ahhhhhh. No wonder I am so healthy. I survived my youth... by living on the Edge.

I feel all of your pain, and your wife's. Even our Sunshine skyway bridge is always a "suck it up, buttercup" moment for me, as I approach the crest. Can't see anything, til you're at the top, like you're going to launch. I will say, once you get into the big (great) room in Carlsbad, it's anything but claustrophobic, unlike a lot of caves (and tunnels.) It's magnificent. I'm truly glad I swallowed my temerity, and went. I dislike narrow, high roads. Ledges make me dizzy-- even balconies in some theaters. Hate tunnels. Side story: first time in Norway, my father's cousin and his son picked us up at the train station. Took us through the then longest road tunnel in the world (Aurland tunnel), then over the top of the old Aurland snow road. Lots of scary ledges. I made it. We've done it many times since. I've lived. And, it's amazingly beautiful. Stegestein overlook is a modern wonder. Best views from any bathroom, in the world! (Newer. Wasnt there first few trips.) If I can do it, you can do it, too. When I'm driving, I just follow the pavement and traffic . Paul can look down and around. I can't. Is what it is. I seldom look around unless we're stopped. I'm ok if I just follow the road.

I am not a good cave traveler (I get spooked out by caves. Also really long tunnels. ) But, I did actually enjoy (most) of our time in Carlsbad, many years ago. That long descent. The darkness. The beauty. I don't know if it's open, but you are so close, if it is. When the weather clears.

coals

Over the decades, we've rented or delivered rental rvs to many locations. Many rv rental places used to have "sharing" areas. People left food, grills, propane canisters,, etc. If we found something there, like a nice grill, we'd return it at the end if our trip. (Our friend who has a rental rv company in Alaska eliminated the sharing table, at the suggestion of his insurance company.) We've benefited from grills, spices, etc., in Australia, New Zealand, and other countries. Like @Steph and Dud B, we've given a lot of things away at last or next to last night. Usually to tent or van campers close by, or that we've met in the common area. In Alaska, on our multiple delivery trips, we stop at my cousin's cabin near Denali for a few nights, to help her with projects and catch up. We offload chairs, grill, blankets, extra groceries, etc. What's open, she uses. The other stuff, she takes to her church, where it get distributed to those in need. We keep just enough to keep us going for a final night at Lake Matanuska, where we have a picnic table, so no chairs necessary. A side story. We camped one time with friends from Minnesota. One of their chairs broke, we had three, so we gave them one of ours. It became the "traveling chair," and we got photos from fun places of "the traveling chair." A few years later, we met them on a trip to Alaska. They returned the chair. It went on several thousand miles to my cousin in Alaska, went home to them in Wyoming at the end of season, and the saga continues. Some things are just plain fun. This well traveled chair is one.

Or, if you don't mind it dark inside - you can buy some Reflextic (See Here) and cut it to fit for each window. No drafts (if you cut it correctly) and even a slight increase in insulation. When you don't need the Reflextic you simply store it under the mattress. Bill

A few summers ago we rented 2 class C motor homes for a trip through the southwest. (Our friends and my sister and brother in law didn't have enough vacation time to drive out there with their own RVs, so we flew out.) When we got to Phoenix we purchased everything we needed that we couldn't bring on the plane. After a couple of weeks on the road we returned to Phoenix to return the rental units. But first, we gave our little charcoal grill to a young couple in a van and everything else to a seasonal camper in the last campground. He said the regulars there have monthly bingo nights and our gear would be handed out as prizes or given to campers with a need. Fine with us. (It turned out to be an awesome trip the summer before COVID, so we lucked out.)

Spam. Meat in a can. Tuna and Sardines, too. When I was working, part of my job was tent camping. OD Green canvas tents in Germany, Netherlands, and west Texas mostly. Sometimes I attached my OD Green canvas to someone else’s and we had a proper tent. Sometimes I just attached it to the side of the small trailer being towed behind my Jeep. Sometimes the tents were big enough for more than a couple of people and there are memories of sitting around on the ground or the side of a cot eating Spam, tuna, sardines on saltines, maybe some baked beans. The little C-ration can opener shared the chain with your dog tags. Some of those camping trips were pure misery but the Spam memories are all good. Mike

Boonter Jeff.... now we are on a roll. Hot or cold rolls, who cares when hunger is growling? What about the 'Desert'? Baked Beans? Dinty/Spam as the 'meat' portion of a healthy meal. Bush's Original Baked Beans. One big Watermelon. Under five pounds is not a Big Watermelon. OK? ... at breakfast... Half of a one pound Apple Fritter. Of course this is not what you eat at home. This is Boondocking and better yet... Off the Grid where even stale bread is... OK. Cowboys sitting around a campfire in the movies is REAL Faces Baked in the Sun and having a large cast iron pot of Baked Beans stewing. "Blazing Saddles" comes to mind with an Oliver Trailer for the Cook. Oh yes. Real Boondockers know the difference. Singing and tooting... along with company. Even an Airstream works for us. Watch Real Boondockers on Videos of Blazing Saddles with Campfire... If you cannot beat them, join them.

A dry bath in a small camper is comprised of some "expensive" real-estate given how much actual time is spent in that shower versus that same space's other possible uses. Yes, I know of a number of people that use the shower as a storage closet, but, of course that means cleaning out the closet/shower each time you would like to use it for wet purposes. The Oliver is my first camper with a wet bath and I didn't think that I would actually be happy with it - but - I am now. The fiberglass is very easy to clean/wipe dry and the space used for the closet is much more practicable. Bill

@Landrover, I know! I still love "hobo" dinners, made that way. (That's what we called them, back in the day. ) Great memories. Once in awhile,, when we have a group, I'll slice and dice, put stuff out, let folks pick a mix, help the newbies fold and seal, and away we go. It's also a great way to heat leftovers, when you don't have a microwave. A bit of leftover chicken or steak, sliced, with veggies and seasonings becomes campfire fajitas. Or, a fun facsimile thereof. I, too, love playing/cooking with fire.

The little springs that trigger the lights on/off are problematic and can be causing current loss. When they work, they are nice, but even Service isn’t a fan of them. I have two spares. 😉

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

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.

Thanks again. Sounds like something you can certainly live without. 1550.00 in my pocket. What should I spend it on?

Assuming you mean instant HOT H2O. No, it’s not instant. The water passes through the Truma at the back of the trailer, gets heated and travels to the faucet. With the hot water tank, hot water travels the same distance to the faucet. The difference is if you don’t have the hot water tank on it will take some time to heat up. So, if you’re going to travel with your hot water tank off and when you arrive at your destination you want hot water right away, you might want the Truma. If you have 10 or 15 minutes to heat your water either with propane or electricity, then the tank will work. If you keep the tank on while you are camped the only difference is you can get more than 6 gallons of hot water with the Truma. The Truma is more complicated mechanically. The tank is pretty simple. Whether it is worth the extra dough depends on how you camp, where you camp, do you take long showers, etc. Hard to say without more information. Mike

Where would you put your coats/ hats/ clothes? There really are not any good alternatives, unless you put up a line and leave them all hanging in the middle of the cabin. I do that with wet towels, but I would never consider it to be a permanent solution! John Davies Spokane WA

Us, too. July delivery. Just sayin'...

All great stuff! Thank you for all you do to build a quality trailer.

Outside noise is pretty much eliminated! GJ

Just ordered a New Elite 2. Will be following this post very close. This is an easy fix for the company that is making these units. If we all open a ticket and call they might make the change to the jig. Using washers is a band aid fix.