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I've found my Garmin inReach to be super useful for written communications with home etc. when beyond cell signals. It's a good backstop and of course also offers SOS style communication to emergency agencies should something bad happen to me/us. It's of course more tedious than a phone call but when I pair the Garmin with my phone I find the text input to be acceptably convenient. I've found, when in places with sketchy or no reception such as big areas of southern UT or out along the more remote parts of the WA coast, that I can still get enough planning done in those moments when I DO have reception, though it does take a bit of thinking ahead. With a cell coverage app I can pretty well predict when I'll be entering a signal-free zone. I get that my strategy won't work for folks who have to work while on the road but I don't have to do that in general and I actually find it kind of liberating to get beyond the reach of most electronic tethers. While I mostly appreciate the march of technological progress (and I spent a career helping that march along...), I would be perfectly happy if it takes a long time for Starlink or anything similar to provide mobile internet everywhere you want to use it. In the meantime, I will use this thread as a reminder to get out and enjoy such places before the "digital nomads" arrive in droves. In the meantime, there are PLENTY of places where they can go and get their work-on-the-road done across our public lands.

Based on great feedback, I've made a change to the way our fridge wiring is hooked up. After some reflection and trial an error I completed the project to bullet-proof and protect the wiring that is part of my truck bed 12V system. 1) Moved all the loose wiring onto the back side of the mounting board where it can't get snagged by items in the truck bed. 2) On the back side, I tied down the longer wires with wire clamps. 3) Added standoffs behind the board to allow some space for the components moved to that side. 4) Ran the main 12V wires to the bottom edge of the bed securing them under the bedbug. 5) Did the same for the 12V wires running over to the ARB Fridge connector. 6) I left the Redarc visible on the front of the board so I can see indicator LED's and where it has good airflow. The unit flips out with the removal of 2 mounting screws if I need to do any service. Here's a before and after shot. Thanks again to Geronimo John for the inspiration to ruggedize and clean up. Tomorrow I'll put a shelf across the top of the area to keep anything from dropping down into the space behind the mounting board.M My next project to build some shelving in the front of the truck for our various gear boxes. Craig Hull 505

Well, that stinks, and I'm really so very sorry. Good news is, it looks like you missed most of the contours of the belly band, and, it's not very deep, so it shouldn't be too tough for a good shop or boatyard. I've seen much, much worse. If you're close to Hohenwald, open a ticket and go there. If not, start looking for marine fiberglass repair shops. I know it hasn't happened to you before, but this stuff (unfortunately) does happen all the time, boat vs. pilings or seawall. Check references, of course, but hopefully there's someone in fiberglass repair near you with a good reputation and skills. It's really not a huge job. The toughest part will be matching gel coat color. Even if you get the ral number from Oliver, it may not be a precise match, anymore, after some years in the elements.

After two and a half years of ownership and being a retired Body Shop Mgr. I decided it was time to buff the trailer. My trailer sets outside because my wife said if I wanted a cover it would have to be the $20,000 cedar wood type and not a metal cover type. So I decided I could buff it every couple of years and that is what I do, just did it 3 months ago and it turned out beautiful, and I do good work if I don't say. I used products for fiberglass buffing and I did post it here on the forum, it's somewhere. I prefer the buffing process as it does takeoff the oxidation of the Gel Coat and cover it up. trainman

Being a retired body shop mgr. for over 35 years that always looked like $$$$$ signs to me. Normally a body shop would not do that type of repair as the fiberglass work is one thing, but the Gel Coat color matching process is another, something a boat repair shop would do. I once had a boat that got scratched on the side at the rear, I did the fiberglass work, but not do the Gel Coat, I put a decal stripe over it and matched the other side of the boat to match. For me today I would just take it back to Oliver and have them repair it, mainly because they can match the color with there Gel Coat and you will never know it was damaged, probably needs to be an insurance claim. I feel a good boat repair shop that does fiberglass work could do as well as Oliver, but finding one would be the biggest challenge in todays world. Good Luck, trainman

@albert, I think the determining factor is whether you go out of cell-coverage into remote areas and have a safety problem or a communication need. I see that you are from Colorado as well. We find we are camping quite often in places with no cell signal such as Bear Lake Campground in Rocky Mountain Nat Park Since dogs are not allowed on trails in a national park, we had left our little dog at home with a neighbor coming over to our house to take care of her. I have a Garmin InReach Mini like @topgun2 mentioned. It allowed us to text our neighbor to check-in and answer some questions that came up. From a safety perspective, if there are others around then you have someone to ask for help, but if you camp remote or you hike remote the Garmin InReach is worth having and it works well. I opted for the cheapest, year-around plan with Garmin andI believe it's $12/month. I hike and fly fish in remote places by myself and take the InReach Mini every time to check-in with my wife and it shares my GPS location to her automaticallly. Like John, I use the InReach for communication/safety but rely on downloaded maps & GAIA GPS Maps in my phone for navigation.

That's true, @John Welte, and a good shop will get it right. Gel coat can be tinted, just like paint. Even better that the scratches are in the change of plane of the the narrow belly band. Fixed properly, no one will ever know it ever happened. It'll look just like it did before that darned fence post intervened.

Does not look like a DIY job. Not for me anyway. If you're not near Hohenwald... Check for a boatyard that does fiberglass repairs. There was a thread a while back about someone who drove into an overhang and put a triangular hole in the front corner. He took it to a boatyard and you could not even tell.

Craig, Looking at your route, I'm envious as a trip to Southern Utah/Grand Canyon is on our list! I noticed that you are going through Durango. I don't know if you've been through SW Colorado before but the San Juan Mountains just North of Durango are one of the most spectacular senic areas I've ever been. If you haven't been, you might want to consider camping near Durango. Then leave your Ollie and drive just your truck up the "Million Dollar Highway" to Silverton, over Red Mountain Pass and down to Ouray for a day trip. Scenery from this highway is outstanding and you can experience the historic gold and silver mining history. If you have time and are really up for adventure, consider driving your 4x4 truck most of the way toward Yankee Boy Basin just SW of Ouray. The road is good gravel for the first half and then becomes more and more difficult/rough but the Alpine scenery just gets better and better as you go.

Thanks everyone, agree that I'll add the Anderson WDH, small amount to assure Ford Warranty.... Have a F-150 XLT 3.5 V6 Ecoboost on order, with tow package will give me 11,200 towing capacity, should be good now.... Thanks to all your input...sincerely appreciate it...

I watched @Mike D. level their Elite II with his Bluetooth lever (levelmate pro?) and Anderson levelers, and it was quite a slick operation.

I saw a Bluetooth leveling aid that a person can mount in the trailer once the trailer has been leveled so that each time you're getting your trailer leveled at new sites, you just watch the monitor and know when to stop riding up on the Anderson levelers. That seemed to be a good idea.

I've been doing some advance planning for a 2023 trip to this area. One resource I have found very helpful is Sean and Kristy's youtube channel "The Long Long Honeymoon". I would search on that and the names of some of the NP's you plan to hit. Not sure they will have winter specific tips but they do pack in a lot of good info. And you get to see some of the campsites you may be planning on staying at. Good Luck, Scotty

I agree that it's nice to be out in the world and not connected. Gives you a chance to truly relax. But I also realize how easy the internet makes research and planning during a long trip. Also, last summer we were in the Black Hills and had to leave early due to a family emergency back home. It was dicey getting information as to what was going on. Glad for the cellular boost because without it we would not have had communication with home. It will be interesting to see what Starlink does going forward. I think many of us would invest in the hardware if it meant that we could take our internet connection on the road. Also makes me wonder if having hardware installed in the trailer is the right call. If tech is changing this fast maybe a portable solution is better. Easier to change when the technology does. Scotty

Certainly that F-150 will have no issues towing your Ollie. However, do keep an eye on your payload capacity with it. Bill

"It's really not a huge job. The toughest part will be matching gel coat color. " I know nothing about this, that being said, I was impressed with the color matching abilities of paint stores like Sherwin-Williams that can do a great job matching colors even matching paint that has faded. It might not apply here, but as I said, I know nothing about this, but perhaps they can help. My apologies for offering possibly useless ideas.

There is a whole very long thread over on Fiberglass RV Forums: HERE They cover the whole spectrum there. After a bunch of sanding, filler, sanding the hardest part will be to get the color match for your hull. Even all Olivers are not the same color. If you want to get that perfect then I'd suggest that you talk to Service and see if they can get you a small amount of the correct color for your Ollie. Good luck! Bill

Wow! Sorry about the aggressive fence post. I have no experience in fiberglass repair so I will be very interested in responses from those who do. Mike

We installed that (LevelMate Pro) and use Anderson levelers (aka Marriage Savers). I can attest that the combination is absolutely perfect when travelling solo. mb

See my comment on this several posts above your question. OR In addition - I never cover my Oliver unless it has just been washed. Bill

1001 uses..... Never leave home without your Rubber Mallet!

In regards to the Andersen levelers - and a few other items around camp from time to time - I always carry a 1 or 2 pound rubber mallet with me. When setting the Andersens in place I give each a tap with the mallet in order to make sure that they are firmly in place on each tire. Perhaps this is the reason I've never had one slip or slide. Bill

Yes, yes, yes. Certainly if you are traveling solo these are a big help. Unfortunately, the Andersens are rather expensive and there are some users that have reported that these "slide" when used on certain surfaces. But I've had no issues at all in seven years of use. Bill

John W - I'm sure others will chime in but getting the cover on isn't that hard if you have two people. The new covers, as I mentioned, are pretty light. If you get each side "started" and just work from back to front it's not too bad to install. I could do it myself but it's way easier with two. We have the Lithium batteries and we live in central Maine which can get quite cold so it was suggested to me by people on this forum as well as a tech at Lithionics to remove my batteries which I did. They are stored in a cool, dry place in my home. I feel much better about having taken them out considering some of our night time temps this winter.

I'm now well into my 7th year with the CalMark cover and it is still going strong. Yes, even though the "new" cover is much lighter weight than what I have I believe that it is a two person job to get the cover on and a one person job to get it off. Having said that - I've always done both jobs solo. In order to keep the cover from wearing and/or ripping on things like the roof solar panels and the rear bumper, get the largest pool noodles you can find, cut them to size and put them on those areas. In the event of a worn spot or tear (like around the steps for me) CalMark includes a repair kit and will even send you more patching material if needed free. I've used this material to patch and/or reinforce a couple of small areas over the years but have not had to ask for more material beyond what came with the cover in the first place. In the Spring every other year I take the cover to a local laundromat where they have these large washing machines and give it a wash. This is easier for me than trying to do the job while it is on the Ollie or laying on the drive or hanging it over the deck rail. Yes, these things are expensive. But, they fit well and keep the dirt and sun off your baby. Bill

John Davies suggested I apply my experience as an attorney retained by insurance companies to the issues raised by this old thread. As I feel indebted to him for his dozens of incredibly useful posts on this Forum, here are my thoughts. Per the quote above, Oliver asserts it cannot purchase insurance protecting Oliver owners who show their trailers. But, Oliver surely can choose to use its corporate resources to defend and indemnify those owners against personal injury claims arising out of a showing, including retaining counsel to defend any such suit. It would be an uninsured sales overhead expense. I'll bet Oliver has agreed to fully defend and indemnify its senior corporate officers (using company funds) against personal liability when they are acting within the scope of their employment. This is common language in executive employment agreements. Oliver could do the same for owners who agree to show their trailers. But has Oliver done this? Not that I can find. Given the substantial financial benefit Oliver enjoys from the "See an Oliver in Your Area" program, I believe Oliver should offer that defense and indemnity. Also, my quick review of this thread revealed no hold harmless agreement published by Oliver, despite the suggestion in JWalmsley's above-quoted post three years ago. Did I miss it? And, upon review today of the Terms and Conditions on the "See an Oliver In Your Area" page on the OTT website, I could not find such language. If I have missed it, or missed language published by Oliver agreeing to defend and indemnify owners who show their trailers, please let me know by reply to this thread. So, where does that leave Oliver owners participating in the "See an Oliver in Your Area" program? Unprotected. There are lots of interesting legal issues raised when an injury occurs while showing someone your Oliver. Although these may fascinate the lawyers engaged to resolve a personal injury claim, no legal doctrine offers any real protection to the trailer owner. This is because attorneys' fees are often the biggest expense associated with resolving the dispute, and in this country, even if you win, you get to pay your lawyer--which means a huge financial loss for you, period. That is why contract language usually refers to both "defend" and "indemnify." "Defend" means pay a lawyer to defend the claim. "Indemnify" means pay any judgment rendered against you arising from the dispute. So, regardless of: (1) whether you are deemed to be affiliated with Oliver in some way, or (2) where or under what circumstances you show your Oliver,or (3) whether you require the prospective buyer to sign a heavy-handed liability release before setting foot in your trailer, there is presently only one "safe harbor" for anyone showing an Oliver to a prospective buyer: umbrella insurance coverage. Why? Because it pays for your defense, as well as providing indemnity. As noted in March, 2019 by Geronimo John, umbrella coverage is relatively inexpensive because it is secondary to your primary insurance policies. Such a policy is designed to transcend, and provide coverage beyond, any limitations of your homeowners' insurance or your auto/RV insurance. So, should you show your Oliver to potential buyers, even though Oliver has not agreed to defend and indemnify you against claims arising from the showing? I cannot recommend it. Maybe if enough owners decline to participate, Oliver will decide to "do the right thing" and provide defense and indemnification. Until then: do you feel lucky?

Exceeding your towing and tongue weight limits and ignoring the need for a weight distribution hitch is more than just a legal issue. It has a huge effect on the front tires and their loading/contact patch area. As the hitch/tongue weight goes up the front tire loading on the tow vehicle goes down, reducing contact patch area and friction, so cornering and braking are affected, along with an increased risk of hydroplaning in rainy conditions. If it only affected that person towing and ignoring the requirements, I’d be more than happy to just watch the tow fail video on YouTube (and there are plenty of them), but the rest of us share the road too.

Due to operator error, our Ollie (Hull #222) suffered a booboo via contact with a fence post. One of the photos reveals the longer scratch, about 22 inches in length. The other--oh so ugly--reveals the deepest damage, about 8 inches long. Depending on the advice I hope to get, I may attempt the repair myself, but may need to seek a professional for the fix. I would appreciate advice concerning both the do-it-myself approach and for seeking the best professional for the job. Thanks.