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Thank you all for the detailed responses! I test drove a couple 150s and a GM 1500 and really like the 150. I'll do some more and while I love Toyota, for a daily driver I think the 150 has better gas mileage. Just for my own comfort as a petite person, the 150 felt like a good fit. I'm upping my budget per the good advice here and am VERY conscious of payload etc as I look. New is still much higher than a couple years old with relatively low mileage, so that's where I'm staying right now. The good news is people are indeed turning in their lower mpg vehicles (thank you SeaDawg) and my 2019 Subaru is a desired trade in, so I am confident of finding a good match. Re the Rivian - I'll watch how it is going and I have at least a year to see what others are experiencing. I know my range will be cut in half which is why I am waiting for the longest-range available now. And there will be more infrastructure down the road (pun not intended) so we'll just see. I hear the caveats. I got in early so I get their earlier pricing which is lower than what people are paying now, so I'll keep my spot in the line... PS. I checked with Anita re warranty and being full-time and she said they don't ask and you don't say. So it appears to be a non-issue, thankfully. Again, LOVE the discussion and this is one of the reasons I'm choosing an Ollie:)

Bluebird day for our flight from Talkeetna into the Alaskan range. Talkeetna Air Taxi was great to deal with. Pushed the flight twice and got in the day it cleared.

Welcome to the forum, I too am a nubie here but not to trailer towing in general, just to Oliver. A few comments, 1. The 400 mile range of the Rivan is for just the truck, we don't really know what the numbers will be towing but it seems like people are going with 50% when discussing the range of electric vehicles as tow vehicles (TVs). There are a few posts and youtubes currently posted of people towing with teslas and the 50% number looks pretty close to reality. More on that as they become more commonplace TVs 2. When we were shopping for our TV for our E2, I was initially leaning towards the Tundra for several reasons, not the least of which is that I have a long happy history with toyotas in general. The problem came down to the carrying capacity and what our anticipated needs would be. We spend a fair amount of time going through the Rockies so up and down steep grades are common for us. Most anything will pull the E2, the concern I had was being able to panic stop on a downgrade at normal speed. The smaller trucks (150s, 1500s and the Tundra) all will tow fine when properly equipped, but the brakes are smaller and that's the rub. The 250s / 2500s etc and larger trucks have more robust brakes and thus give a greater margin of safety which for me translates to piece of mind. I figure it's better to be a bit over-kill then living almost at the max and then regretting not having a big enough safety margin. 3. There are two numbers you need to be familiar with, the "towing capacity" the "carrying capacity." For example, one of the Tundras we checked out had a very nice cap on the back, was 4-door, low mileage, seemed to check all the boxes. When I checked the sticker stating the carrying capacity it was only something like1300 #s. The hitch weight on the E2 is between 600-700 depending on how you're loaded, my wife and I total around 425. 425 + 700 = 1125. 1300 - 1125 = 175. That's 175 pounds of stuff I can carry, but wait, there's a cap on the back so it weighs in around 200 pounds, so I'm already overweight. Had we had gone with the Tundra we would have a very nice pick up which would be a piece of art, but not capable of carrying anything without being past it's carrying capacity. Exceed the carrying capacity and then heading down a steep grade with a sudden need to stop before the bottom and it's a recipe for disaster. We started looking at the 250s / 2500s and ended up buying a 2017 Ford F250. So far with the Oliver we've only made a run from the factory in TN back to Maryland, our gas mileage went from 12-14mpg (truck alone) to max of 10.7 towing the E2 (mostly 9.1-9.7 mpg towing). That's running about 5 over the speed limit in both cases. The 10.7 towing I was running the speed limit or a little under and only feathered the gas, just to see how good I could do, but my foot generally tends to be heavier so the 9.1-9.7 is more of my reality, and to add insult to injury, I have to use premium so the price is never "low" when filling up. That said, the truck is carrying everything I need, I have no worries about how much I'm throwing in the back. When we bought a case of wine at the harvest host on the way home I had no worries about carrying it in the back of the truck, we could have bought two and not had a concern 🙂 It tows like a charm. Ideally I'd like to have a cybertruck but no telling when they'll become available. We spent $46,000 on the F250 in November of 2021 and it had 95,000 miles on it. It's a lariat with most all the options, we added a topper with tool boxes and have no problems other than paying stupidly high prices at the pump. It also has a 48 gal tank (and 6.2 L motor) so I have no problem going 300-400 miles towing and almost 600 miles without the trailer. I recommend springing for the 250 or 2500. When the rivian finally arrives you can reassess but I doubt you'll regret having the added capcity in the mean time. Good luck!! I'm so sorry to hear about your loss, I hope this new adventure will help ease the pain, I'm sure it's a real bitter-sweet. albert

“Covered storage” yay! This sounds like a perfect scenario for a 50 to 100 watt portable panel for maintaining the AGMs as a trickle charger. You might need to secure the panel with a cable lock. Or ask the owner if you can permanently mount a bracket on a nearby roof support. John Davies Spokane WA

As you test drive interim tow vehicles, I recommend you also include a used Tundra with the 5.7L engine and tow package in your search. We plan to tow our Elite II with our 2019 Tundra 5.7L after we pick up it in November. Lots of folks on this forum tow very happily with Tundras, usually with an Andersen hitch. Our 2019 Tundra Double Cab Standard Bed would barely fit in your 228" garage; maybe omit the double cab when test driving? A well-maintained Tundra should holds its value well until you take delivery of your Rivian. My 2 cents.

I've been turning wrenches over 50 years, but never learned about vehicle detailing with a powered polisher. Purchased the Shurhold 3100 Dual Action Polisher. Also purchased their pads that work with this polisher. They have videos on Youtube showing how to compound, wax, and how to clean & reuse their pads. https://shurhold.com/products/worlds-best-dual-action-polisher Like Seadawg recommended, the first project was our 2003 Tacoma that we purchased new and has spent most of it's life outside in the Carolina sun. Just finished compounding and waxing the Tacoma. The Shurhold polisher works great for compounding and waxing jobs for the weekend warrior. The Tacoma looks so good, going to put new wheels on it. Going to wax our 2022 Tundra next! Then compound and wax Ollie. Glad Patriot started this thread and appreciate the information from everyone! https://shurhold.com/

Don’t do it!! 😂 Signed, your friendly end-of -an-era LC200 owner. 😜

With rentals and ownership of many brands over the years, I'd rank (for shorter people my size) Ford and Nissan pretty close. I prefer Nissan suvs as rentals to Toyota, chevy, or dodge, any time. I especially dislike Dodge truck seats. They are designed, imo, for bigger, taller people (stands to reason for a pickup, right?,) , and ours just doesn't have enough adjustment to let me find a comfortable position, and keep my back and left leg happy. In my 2005 chevy, I carry and use a back and lumbar support, even around town. My favorite tv driver's seat was my Volvo xc90. But, not my favorite tv, from a power standpoint. It was anemic, compared to our trucks. Everything is a compromise. Longevity, the Ford seats I've had over the years (and often many years) lasted longer than Chevy or Dodge. I've replaced foam in my husband's 2008 Dodge Ram, years ago. Looking for new foam for back and seat of my 2005 Silverado. Probably not as much of a factor with your lighter weight. And, hey, you may not keep your truck 14 to 20 years, as we often do. I think the Rivian will be a cool truck, if you want to stay local. Any ev , until we get 650 mile range without towing, will be problematic. Especially without tesla's extensive charging network.. That can change, and it will. Good on you on getting in at lower price. But, you may (or may not) find an ICE truck will suit your needs better.

I know we all want and do buy what we think would work for our towing needs. I personally feel the purchase of any battery powered vehicle for towing would be a mistake at best. The Rivian wouldn't be my choice under any circumstances whatever they might say about it and the results from test, etc. I think you can spend a lot of money and be totally dissatisfied with the results you would get from it and then have to purchase something else to get the job done. I realize the battery thing is being crammed down us, but I also realize there is a need for it, but not as a working person who need a actual truck, or for those towing needs. I know what looks good on paper does not always translate to actual use, being Green is one thing, but throwing Green Dollars away can be costly. I'm just saying the battery powered towing vehicles are just now starting to hit the roads, but just like the new Ford F-150 battery powered vehicles, it's going to take 2-3 years to see how well they pan out over time. I always tell new prospective campers to go to a campground and talk with campers, you won't have any problems on finding campers that won't talk to you about camping, tow vehicles, etc. trainman

A bit different use case, but some good info on the range of trucks that can also pull an Elite II. https://expeditionportal.com/full-size-revolution-overland-full-size-truck-of-the-year/

Is your MaxAire fan open/running. We get that turbine on/off noise when the exterior winds are kicking up and blowing through the cover/vent. The AC tends to sound like it short cycles between the compressor and fan, depending on temp, etc. We keep it on low and definitely not Auto.

@Allen Lee Rohner Yep. Always tow my Oliver in Tow/Haul Mode. As @Cameron said above, Tow/Haul mode enables the whole GM towing tech system including the trailer mileage tracker, TMPS (I have the GM sensors in the Oliver wheels), trailer circuit detection, engine braking, camera views, trans temp on the cluster, etc. I've been very happy with it. Just returned from my 3rd weekend boondocking trip in a row (Yay!) up in the mountains of Colorado. This trip I again got 18 MPG towing on 360 miles round trip so that's been consistent. DEF is more expensive now along with diesel as @Cameron said but I still feel like I made the best choice for me...deisel engines perform well at high altitude and I've towed up to and over 9-10k feet the last three weekends. It jams right up the long inclines and then the automatic engine braking is fantastic when coming back down.

We had the KTT but it was falling apart at the seams, still under warranty. OTT gave us the choice of the KTT vs the Totchta and we chose the Tochta. No regrets....is much more comfortable for us. Considering its durability, time will tell. Good luck. Really, I don't think OTT would mind if you took a short nap on one their showroom models :) John

Looks like it was a blast, really wish we’d been able to make it this year. love the photo of the gnome… whom I assume came from The Gnome Lady around the corner. Since we ran into her while at last years get together we haven’t traveled without ours…

https://www.thehulltruth.com/boating-forum/477198-3m-4000-vs-4200-a.html 5200 is forever, with a very tenacious grip and quite difficult to remove. Think joining the deck of a boat to the hull. Or the top half of an Ollie to the bottom. (I don’t know what they use but this would be a great choice.) 4200 is similar, but with less grip and easier to remove, not UV (sunlight) resistant. Good for below the waterline hardware in a boat. Fast Cure 4000 UV is my go to sealant for exterior parts like windows or roof vents, where the 4200 would not be appropriate. It holds up well in sunlight and does not yellow. https://www.amazon.com/3M-Marine-Adhesive-Sealant-4000UV/dp/B0000AY0ND/ref=asc_df_B0000AY0ND/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=193131231816&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10666757639209084638&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9033787&hvtargid=pla-340533059924&psc=1 All have adhesive properties but IMHO they should always be used along with mechanical fasteners or tape. 3M VHB is used when there are no screws or rivets, for example you want to attach something inside the cabin where you don’t want to drill holes. When used outside it should always have sealant applied around the joint to prevent water intrusion, and for better appearance. Even if there are no penetrating holes, you want to keep all water out so it can’t freeze and harm the bond. IMHO! In reality any good quality (name brand) white marine grade silicone sealant is OK for outside stuff. FYI all have expiration dates, you can sometimes cheat on that, but don’t be shocked if your recently opened tube of 4200 is rock hard the next time you use it. Write down when you bought or opened the product ON the product. Read and follow the instructions! Some solvents can’t be used because they might affect the cure. I have some long expired VHB tape that I will continue to use, but I always test a small piece before committing to using the rest. If I had a really critical application for the tape, I would use brand new product, just to be safe. Look at this thread for how to use VHB tape and sealant for a professional looking result. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/2082-how-to-install-a-big-bubble-level-no-drilling/ Does this help? John Davies Spokane WA

I plan to start a new thread at some point, after I have hitched up, adjusted the parts and road tested it, which may be a while, but here are some pics of my Amazon Indusco turnbuckle posted above. FYI my Andersen installation is NOT factory, I deviated from Oliver’s standards and the front chain section may not be the same length as yours. Measure to make sure! Otherwise you might have to cut some chain links. My front chain section measures about 15.5 inches end to end, to the inside of the last links. I set the turnbuckle to that length, and I ended up with 2” of free threads both inside and outside of the housing, which will allow me to loosen each chain 4 “ or more. It’s like the turnbuckle was designed for this application😬 The turnbuckles come with thin free spinning nuts. I installed 1/2”-13 stainless nylocks for safety, They just fit, with no room for washers. The heat shrink tubing has not yet been shrunk, it will provide a visual reference when tightening the housings back again. I will post a few more pics and some commentary in that new thread, but this should get a member started if you want to do this easy easy mod. John Davies Spokane WA

The popping of the AC in my case was because the straight edges of the AC diffuser are forced to take the contour of the rounded ceiling inside the trailer. Lately I have been running the AC a lot and can now say I was able to eliminate this popping by adding felt along the dffuser edge and gently snug down the diffuser. The details are posted in this thread.

I've replaced all the bulbs in our original fixtures (2008). But, i think many of your fixtures have integrated leds, unlike mine. Good news, leds have dropped so much, fixtures now are more reasonable than led bulbs, back then. I left brighter light over the cooktop and one side of the small dinette, and the one light each in our closet and bath, for better vision. Something you may wish to consider, or not, but I find a colder light helps me see doing paperwork, and detail work, and cooking. We don't usually have any of these on with warmer lights, as that kind of messes with my brain...

Scotty, the Rivian has a tow capacity of 11,000 pounds. So I’m safe there. But I am upgrading my list for the half ton. This forum has help me rethink it 🙂

Heat = Fan on AUTO A/C = Fan on LOW Good Luck

Hi Roadlotus... Welcome and Condolences. I have read through this thread and other family members have voiced the concern regarding TV that I was thinking. We tow with a 150 and it does the job fine. We do watch our payload, but going simpler has proven to be ok. Though we are not anywhere close to full time. Here's my advice.... A.) Get the best half ton truck you can. Use the money you won't be paying on the Rivian. It's too new, too limited in range, and in my opinion, too limited in towing capacity. 7,700 lbs for a trailer that has a GVWR of 7k... just too close for comfort in my book OR B.) Have you considered an elite? Lower weight means that Rivian might just do the trick. If you have your heart set on it that is. Maybe after you've full timed for a while you might go back to land based living in a condo or such and the smaller rig might be just the thing for extended trips. In any case, best of luck to you and please let us know how you make out. Scotty

Yes. I haven't driven recent gen Ram trucks. Thank you for that, @Trainman. Its important to try everything.

Don't forget the RAM 1500, 2019 and new models, test drive one before you make your decision you just might be surprised by its ride and drive. trainman

The Rivian has pretty impressive payload and towing specs, but if the real world actual range while towing ends up around 200 miles or so (towing causing a reduction of ~50% of the 400 mile claimed range as mentioned in the above post in other examples) that would be a real pain and not practical for long road trips towing a trailer. You’d be making long charging stops every 2-1/2 to 3 hours, plus the anxiety of constantly looking for charging stations that have access for a vehicle pulling a trailer. The charging stations I’ve seen on our long road trips were just set up for single vehicles. And the charging time to get a full charge would add significantly to your travel time. I get about 325 miles range with my gas F-250 when towing, and on long road trips out in the mountain west states like Wyoming and Montana, there were times when I wished I had more range than that to avoid the anxiety when the gas gauge gets to a 1/4 tank. Even gas stations can be few and far between in some of those areas. I even carry a 2 gallon RotoPax gas container as well just in case. I love the electric vehicles coming on the market and I think they are perfectly suited for the right applications, but towing a heavy trailer over long distances isn’t one of them yet. Our next daily driver for around town errands and short trips/commutes will likely be an electric vehicle. But in that future scenario my daily mileage would be way less than the vehicle range limit, so I could recharge overnight at home as needed when time isn’t an issue, and not have to worry about constantly looking for charge stations. If you want a great show to watch about long distance travel with electric vehicles, watch the series called “Long Way Up” on Apple TV+. Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman riding Harley Davidson electric motorcycles from the southern tip of South America to Los Angeles, with Rivian trucks as support vehicles, along with a diesel Mercedes Sprinter van with big solar panels for help in recharging the electric vehicles, but they still had to bring in diesel generators now and then to recharge, and even had an 18 wheeler big rig do a tow charge of the Rivians at one point.

Roadlotus, (great name!) First, I'm sorry for your loss. As there are many threads on TV selections - my comments are towards the used preowned car market. While I am not familiar with your area, in general - across the nation pre-owned vehicles are fetching insane prices - in some instances near the price of a new vehicle. For my money, I would not rule out new - if one is available. Not many if any in my area. You say your downsizing to a TT - is that a full time -tour around, or are you going to stay put in a smaller circle of location? I think that makes a difference in your TV choice. If you intend to travel - payload and towing are really important. As for fitting in the garage - your leaving that phase, I would not worry here. The Rivan is a very risky choice - in my opinion- unproven manufacturer, unproven promised performance, and traveling around would be a pain looking for charging all the time. But - that's just my take. Diesel is the way to - but fuel prices are up, but then what isn't. A stout, well equipped 1/2 ton has proven to be a good choice for many - and the WDH certainly helps here - although I hated using mine - so I went to 2500 GMC. At $31K I don't think there will be much worth the asking price - but you have time to be selective. I wish you well in your search. RB

Our 2019 Elite II does make pops and cracking sounds when running the A/C in the roof area, it goes and comes at times. I would say it its in the trailer construction where the panels are glued and screwed together, I personally think there is no fix without disassembly of the trailer in the roof area and this is not really possible for obvious reasons. It is just something that we have learned to live with and it become unnoticeable as time goes on and yes, the MaxFan can be noisy when open under windy conditions. trainman

Gelcoat is basically plastic resin, the same material as the resin used to bond the fiberglass cloth, but with pigment. Which is also called GRP or Glass Reinforced Plastic. So any tape used on plastic or smooth surfaces is fine. I am not familiar with the first one, but 5952 is easy to find in different lengths and widths. You can cut it lengthwise but it is tricky because it sticks so darned hard to scissors or a blade. If you want some for general use the 1/2” width is probably a good choice. You can always use two strips to make it wider. Make sure you are getting 3M and not some knockoff VHB. And be aware of the load rating, if you have a heavy object it won’t work, for example a regular fire extinguisher… but it is great for an Element E50 one, or an inReach charging dock. John Davies Spokane WA

Albert: Interesting information, thanks for posting. My 2018 RAM with the 5.7 Liter engine has a max payload of 1,889 pounds and a max towing capacity of 11,610 pounds (with the 5.7 liter engine). Mossey - what kind of mileage does your Land Cruiser get with and without towing the Ollie?

This just happened to us. The flashing LCD display screen got my attention, then I saw 12U and a blinking red Power LED. It was right at dawn with 0Ah for the day and charging at .1A. I suspect it was just waking up and, like a grumpy spouse, decided to wake me up, too.

WOW, YES!! Thanks John, that helps immensely. Thank you! a.

Picked up our E2 on June 3, looked at the awning brackets and they still have cut off the point of the triangle in the bracket so water can pass through. I was a little disappointed that the hole was so small, about 1/4 inch, but better than nothing I suppose. It's a place I plan on monitoring a few times a year especially when there's any risk of freezing. Thanks for the input John. albert

That's so very beautiful! Glad you waited.

I don't have the current Dometic, but they are noted to be noisy. My 2008 Dometic was noisy. This is, unfortunately, the nature of typical rv rooftop a/c. Most folks run the fan on low to reduce the sound level. We can't hear what you hear, so don't know if this is normal noisy, or worse. If you are still near Hohenwald, you could stop in and have yours checked. If not, take a recording on your phone, note where in the trailer your phone is, and send this with your service ticket.

What a great collection photos documenting your experiences with the OTT in great campsites.

We have a Land Cruiser. I am presently trying to talk myself out of the new Tundra. The cargo capacity numbers are a little hard to come by, mostly because I am really interested in the hybrid. As they become more common, there will be more information available. All the dealers want to talk about is how expensive they are going to be. So we are biding our time or I should say that I am, she doesn’t really care.

Sorry, I missed this, there isn't a thread about it, as far as I know. It is just common sense that any "dead end" part that can potentially collect water, should have at least a couple of weep holes underneath to allow it to escape, one at each end of the bumper, for example. For the bike rack mount, the big cross beam has through holes in it, to attach the square receiver, and just like for the bumper, Oliver added pretty decorative end caps to the beam. The big mount holes will allow a little moisture to trickle out around the washers and nuts, but eventually those gaps will fill with dirt and corrosion. Did they add dedicated drain holes in the bottom? I dunno. Freezing is a concern, as is long term corrosion. If you see standing water on any part of your Ollie, you should take steps to stop it. Both of the entry steps, for example, hold water on top when stowed; you can drill some 1/8" holes in the low spots to eliminate that. The first Ollie awning support bracket was a simple L shape, that was fine though maybe prone to developing cracks at the bend. The first redesign of the bracket had a welded triangular gusset. It would stop any cracks but trapped water, and it is up on the roof where an owner couldn't see it. A second redesign had the triangle tip cut off, providing a channel for the water to go away on its own. I don't know if that part has further changed 😉 It is a sign that Oliver continually updates and refines stuff, based on owner experiences and feedback. It would be really nice if there were a webpage dedicated to keeping track of the evolutionary changes to various parts, to educate and to alert owners that they might have a problematic part. The Ollie Service Department knows all this, and can advise, but the information isn't available to owners, as far as I know... John Davies Spokane WA

I very rarely, if ever offer anyone advice about spending their money, but I will offer myself as an example. I bought my used Toyota SUV in 2016, knowing that I was going to buy an Oliver LEII, which I did in 2018. The reason for choosing a Toyota was based upon past experience and I like dependable products and it has a towing capacity of 8100 lbs and a cargo capacity of 1295 lbs. That’s not a lot of capacity in the grand scheme of travel trailer towing, but we make it work. What I didn’t know was that I would need a weight distribution hitch. But my Toyota owners manual states that it is required if it used to tow any trailer weighing more that 5000 lbs. I trust Toyota’s engineering, so a WDH is part of my towing equipment. I compare the Andersen WDH to shoes. I love wearing flip flops, but when I’m cutting the grass, I’ve got my boots on. So if my tow vehicle requires a WDH, it’s incumbent upon me to learn how to use it. So please do not let anyone scare you away from using the Andersen WDH if your tow vehicle requires it. And please verify the towing, cargo and tongue weight capacities of any vehicle you are thinking about purchasing. Do not trust someone else’s assurances that a given vehicle will be just fine towing a travel trailer. The capacity information is posted on each vehicle, usually on the drivers door jamb. Happy hunting, Mossey

Thank you Cameron and Dewdev. I have some test driving to do! Fortunately I have some time so I think SeaDawg may be right about people turning in their trucks with these gas prices, so I feel a bit less pushed about deciding. And I'm waiting for the Rivian that has the 400 mile range - I waitlisted a while ago, and agree AGAIN with SeaDawg not to count on a timeline and to settle in with a good TV now. Thank you Cameron - I have a colleague who owns a farm in N.CA. (Guinda) where I can always park. And I used to backpack lots in the Sierras way back. Such a great place to hike and camp! My brother-in-law has a house in SF and is thinking of selling, I think. I so appreciate the feedback because I am really green on all this, but looking forward to this next phase:)

Hi Roadlotus, Welcome to the forum and the Oliver family. It seems like getting an Oliver is a major life milestone for many of us. You've gone through a lot in the past year and I hope that the adventure of buying and traveling in an Oliver will help you transition. Regarding the tow vehicle, I have a GMC Sierra 1500 4x4 and no weight distributing hitch on the Oliver Elite II. I've got about 3000 miles on the trailer so far and haven't noticed a problem. Before I decided to buy a trailer I rented three and pulled them with my old pickup, a 2014 GMC Sierra 1500 2wd, short bed. It only had a 6 cylinder engine and had to work too hard getting over some steep passes, but overall it was fine. One one of our rentals we had the weight distributing hitch. On the other two, no. Never had a problem even with the old, less powerful pickup. I'm definitely a newbie here compared some of our colleagues, but so far so good with a half-ton pickup and no WDH. I'm in San Francisco and often travel up to the Sierras so if there's anything I can do to help, let me know. P.S. I'm seeing some of the Rivian's on the streets here in SF, they're sharp!

Last time we were at Boya lake, and that's probably four years ago, there was no freshwater available at the campground. I don't remember why. But, new friends there told us about a spring source a few miles down the road. It wasn't hard to find, because of the number of people parked, filling jugs. If we have to take drinking water from a spring, I boil it. Just in case. Chlorine doesn't kill giardia, and a few other things. But, heat does. One minute rolling boil below 3000 feet, 3 minutes above is the rule I've used. You can Google it yourself, to be sure. I don't even trust a great filter, for giardia. I double down. No interest in getting sick in remote locations.

Guidelines as per GMC Sierra 1500 user Manual. Tow/Haul Mode is designed to be most effective when the vehicle and trailer combined weight is at least 75% of the vehicle's Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR). 11500 lbs Oliver +Truck / 15000 lbs AT4 GCWR = 77 % Looks like I am pushing over 77% since the weighing of 11500 lbs does not include all my gear and supplies. Allen

Yes, when you plug in the trailer cable to the bumper, it notifies the software that there's a trailer there. The software then reminds the driver to put the truck into tow/haul mode, which switches over the dash gauges to include a tranny temp gauge. It also tells the tranny to act like a trailer brake (common on diesels) when going down hill so that it shifts to a lower gear to try to hold your downhill speed and not rely on braking. The trailer tab on the center screen also shows trailer tire pressure and temp (when the GM TMPS is installed), and it also keeps a trailer odometer so I know how many miles I have on the Ollie. There's a bunch of other stuff but overall I'm very happy with both the diesel engine and with the trailering software on the truck. I know most of the companies have something similar on new models but so far so good with the Chevy/GMC system.

Hello, I'm also towing with the new(ish) GM engine, the 3.0 diesel, which is in both the Chevy and GMC half-ton trucks. On a 800-mile trip a couple weeks ago I averaged 16.7 mpg. Before the recent changes in fuel prices, back when diesel was less than unleaded, I was very happy. Now, not so much. Plus i do have to add in DEF, which I used to get at Walmart (store brand) for $8 but now it's $14 for a 2.5 gal jug. When not towing, the DEF lasts for a long time. When towing, the engine uses more DEF. So, even though right now I don't like that I'm paying more for fuel than anyone else, I do like the mileage and the low-end torque that makes it a breeze at the freeway onramp or going up steep passes. PS to Tallmandan: I've done my own calculations on mileage when filling up and found that I'm actually getting 1 to 3 mpg more than what the truck computer says.

Not really an Ollie pic, this is for Trainman. We stopped at the most excellent and wonderful Nevada Northern Railway in Ely. It’s a vast complex of buildings, depot/ museum/ gift shop, sheds, service buildings, machine shops, foundry, warehouses, and incredible old locos and equipment that were part of the vast Kennecott open pit mine, which stopped operations in the 1970s. That is the same company that operated the Kennecott Copper Mine in SE Alaska. And once you pay your entry fee, you can wander around at your leisure. If a building isn’t padlocked you can enter! Ely Nevada, Nevada Northern Railway, Kennecott Mine locomotive 81 coming in to hook up for the first train ride of the day, Ely Nevada, Nevada Northern Railway, Kennecott Mine locomotive 81 backing to hook up for the first train ride of the day John Davies Spokane WA

A big word of caution about International roaming…. We camped at a county RV park in Washington, near Port Angeles, almost directly across from Victoria BC, our phones connected to a BC cell tower without our noticing, and we got hit with an enormous US$400 data charge, it took several hours in person at the Verizon store to straighten it out. This was several years ago, I am not sure how the current plans work, but be VERY careful about using cell or hotspot data when you are in the USA, but so very close to Canada. John Davies Spokane WA

@John E Davies and @MountainMan, We decided to forego the ejection seat option due to weight and cost considerations. The circular black switch controls the nightlights/courtesy lights at floor level, now a standard feature, at least on 2022 LEIIs. We have not yet used these lights, as the glow from the various electronic devices onboard and ambient light through the entry door window provide sufficient illumination to make our way to the head at night. Don

I kind of liked those trees growing upside down 😇. Bill

Thank you all for the suggestions. We did get to Kennecott and it was beautiful. Hiked out to the glacier and got some great shots of the glacier. I agree that taking the Oliver out to McCarthy wouldn’t be a great idea. We left it at Wrangell View RV Park and went out for the day. Today we came over to Palmer and the drive was up to its Scenic Highway designation. The tip I have so far is to have reservations on the weekends. The locals from Anchorage, Palmer and Wasilla are RVing on weekends. Mid week no problems. we are off to Denali for 5 days before heading down to the Kenai. Plus, you can still use the microwave without the dish! Just do shorter bursts. thanks again.

I have found it is fairly easy to back off the nuts on the trailer, get slack in the chain, remove whales tail. Do the reverse when hooking up. Count the threads on the bolt so they are even. Actualy really easy