Leaderboard

It is roughly 10 and 7/8 inches up from the bottom of the seam on #676

Went and boondocked at Balch Park in CA for a couple days. Last 20 miles was narrow, windy and relatively steep road, but worth it! Had severe brake fade on the way down; discovered I didn't have the trailer brakes adjusted properly so the truck was doing all the work. Last day my wife said it had rained most the night...not! That turned out to be a little tinny sound from the heater; like a pieve of tin foil was in the vent. Had aperfectly good time with the wife, dog (Dash) and our Ollie. 🙂

We have been looking at a way to save a little money on diesel fuel when traveling and learned about the TDS fuel card program and just signed up. Just thought I would pass this information along as I have read a number of solid reviews. I also like the safety factor of not having to squeeze into smaller fuel lanes at many filling stations around the country. The big rig lanes we have used in the past just allow for so much more room to maneuver our rig. Note - You will want to make sure your truck accepts a high flow pump nozzle (ours does) before applying and DEF is not discounted at the pump with this card. The Open Roads app is easily downloaded and very intuitive. I wanted to pass this info along and also ask if anyone else is using a “fleet card” program and if so which one are are you happy with it? Comments and thoughts are welcome if you have used or are using a fleet diesel purchase card. A few links to check out. https://www.tsdlogistics.com/services/fuel-program/ https://drivinvibin.com/2021/07/27/tfs-fuel-card/ Thanks! - Patriot

Since you are considering the Rivian I thought this video would be of interest to you. They do a great job of providing their stats for each leg of the drive. The range is a just a big challenge. I don't think they ever drove more then 130 miles at a time. You can do it though, just more stops and longer stops. Capabilities are good, range not so much. When some cities are struggling to support people turning on their AC in the summertime I don't trust them to support everyone plugging in EVs that are trying to pull 100kw or more. Towing an Airstream 500 miles with a Rivian

tripmushrv, Very nice work on your checklists! As a relative newbie to the RV world, I appreciate the effort you have put into this and that you are freely sharing. I use the checklists on each trip, as I also tend to hurry too much. 40 years of military and commercial flying cemented the benefits of sticking to checklists, no matter what the operation. Thank you again for sharing your work. When I can contribute, I will. Jumper69 Hull: 2019 Elite 2, #528, Purchased second hand June 2021 2017 GMC 2500 Denali

I hear you loud and clear! Mossey

We also have to remember that the op eventually plans for her tv to be her daily driver, in various conditions. My daily driver for over 30 years has been some kind of a truck or truck-like suv. I pretty much learned to drive in trucks. (Other than lessons in my mom's 1963 falcon, 3 on the tree.) Moving up from our truck world from a Subaru is different, but fun, imo. I love the bigger expanse of windshield, bigger side and rear windows, bigger mirrors,, and the height that allows my short stature to see further ahead. What I don't love: more expensive and bigger tires. Less mpg than my previous suvs. I don't have a tonneau cover on my Silverado, so everything is exposed in the rear. I carry tarps, stakes, and bungees.. we of course have a tonneau cover on the 2008 Ram 1500 . Thats our primary tv. My vehicle is the go get mulch, and garden supplies, move the atv, etc., vehicle. She only gets to pick one. The very happy medium. And, comfy drive for us shorter folks. I've been driving trucks of various sizes since I was 14. Some were great, many awkward to handle for my size and height. As I've said before, I hate driving the dodge ram. Ergonomics just aren't there, in the 2008. I'd love to hear more from the women who drive. But, the true test for the op is drive everything .

Hey John how’s it going? Have y’all been camping since the rally or are you hiding in the air conditioning like I am? I’ll jump back in and ask for more information. I still haven’t heard back from Katjo concerning my 4/0 cable lug question, so I’ll ask you if you are saying that you originally had a 4/0 cable connected to the frame ground stud and running straight to the battery negative? If so, that may be a wiring change to accommodate the Xantrex Freedom XC Pro series of charger/inverters. I know you have done extensive work to your solar setup and although I haven’t seen the work you have completed, your comment leads me to believe that you have installed a battery shunt. Maybe I should approach this from a different direction and ask if you have a Xantrex Freedom XC Pro and if so, what is the difference between your original installation and the drawing below? Mossey

Hello to the Oliver southbound on I81 near Harrisonburg PA on Thursday 6/23. We were headed home with our new Ollie!

This turned out to be the problem. I had a blown 40 amp fuse, and I replaced it with a circuit breaker that I ordered from Amazon. Fixed the problem and everything is working fine now. Kudos to Mike at the Oliver service department for correctly diagnosing this problem and suggesting I replace the fuse.

The card is tied to-your bank account and comes out like a debit card. The great thing is that you don’t have to go inside. savings varies depending on trickstop. Please go to the web site, they answer a bunch of questions there.

At all of the places I have used the card at, the TDS card is your "credit card" that is used at the pump. Basically, swipe card, enter pin, select if you want to purchase DEF (not discounted) after filling up with diesel. Complete the fill and hang the pump handle up. That's pretty much it unless you selected DEF and you would then fill up your DEF tank with the other nozzle. As for the discounts, the amount varies at each location. You have an app "OpenRoads" that will show you the locations and amount of discount at each location as well as any transaction fee (usually around $0.40) that might apply. So far our discounts have ranged around $0.20-$0.60 per gallon. There is no cost to use the program so we see it as a win-win. The stores we have used the card are are mostly LOVES, Allsups, 7-11 truck centers, Stripes, etc. There are no Flying-J or Pilots in the program so we use our GoodSams discount at those locations. Here is the link to their FAQ page: MyOpenRoads FAQ Page

We also use a refrigerator fan and always use propane for the best efficiency. We also use a fridge thermometer and adjust accordingly. For instance, setting the fridge to level '6' gives a different performance when we're on the Oregon coast versus the high dessert. I check temps daily because I don't like frozen romaine lettuce 🤣

These lights should be very close to a direct replacement but would require cutting the old wires and splicing these in. There are two version's, screw mount and spring mount. If you have the correct size hole, the spring mounted lights are very easy to install, but my lights are screw mounted. I am not sure if ITC is the brand of interior lights Oliver is using or not, but my porch lights were/are ITC brand. Mossey https://itcshopnow.com/collections/rv-products

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:)

If noticed some members on the forum have colored maps in their signatures. You may be asking yourself "How do you do that?". Start by visiting this website: http://visitedstatesmap.com Select the states you have visited and choose the size you wish and click DRAW MAP. *Please be considerate to others views on the forums by keeping the image around medium size* Next you will be taken to a new page and underneath the map where it says "Copy and Paste Image URL:" Copy the url, for example mine is: http://visitedstatesmap.com/image/xlg.jpg - this is not your map unless you have been to zero states. This is an example. Now go to your forum Signature to edit and put in the url: It should now look like: If you need help please discuss below. Credits: @SeaDawg, @KarenLukens

I noticed this happening on our last trip. My temporary fix was obviously to stuff a sock in it. When we were back home I found that the plastic hood was deformed around the screw that mounted it to the inside handle. So this caused a small air gap around the plastic hood where it made contact to the frame. This resulted in wind getting underneath and lifting it open. The remedy was to use a heat gun and warm the plastic around the screw hole and then form it flat again. Once the plastic cooled off it stayed flat. I then added a flat piece of stainless steel as a back up plate. I did use some silicone sealant between the hood and the plate. So far it has cured the problem.

Sounds like the Slusher's.

Gotcha. TV added (thanks). Yes on the. Controller (I didn't know how to properly set it...I believe I figured it out. Thanks.

Zodd, This is awesome! They are using the smaller battery so more stops. That’s why I’m waiting for the 400 mile range one. I have subscribed and this will be very helpful. Thank you for sharing 🙂

Thanks! Never dreamed someone could answer so quick.

No you only use the fuel card and your pin. You may want to take a look at the link, it answers a lot of FAQs. 😊

Thanks for the info, I'm still considering a Jeep Gladiator EcoDiesel, but haven't pulled the string as of yet. trainman

Hi John, It was the only road recommended for trailers (I think the optional route was being worked on). We did use low, but it was probably better that I learned I had a bad adjustment. The road was all paved, until you got into the campgrounds, but no trouble there. Yes, on bears, although we didn't see any or have any problems. Thanks for the location tip, I'll be sure to mention that in future posts.

We have the OpenRoads (TSD) card and have used in on our last two trips over 3,000. The convenience of the larger lanes, cost savings, and the rapid fill rate at the commercial lanes have been a game changer to the positive. We have recommended to several of our friends as we have been very happy with the program so far.

Thanks for the information; sounds very helpful. I prefer to use the big rig fuel lanes when filling up with diesel as those pumps are suppose to be more controlled for fuel quality, water, etc. The big truck stop fuel stations must insure and are liable for any damages that may occur as a result of poor fuel. If a truck carrying perishable goods happens to break down, and they lose the goods due to fuel quality, then they are liable for the damages. I have used the big rig lanes in the past for this very reason, however it is sort of hassle having to go in an prepay for your fuel. This ties up the fuel lane a little longer and requires a little leg work. I signed up for the Open Roads card this morning and will give it a try on my next fill up (after the card arrives). I also would be very interested in any comments from anyone who has used this service. Steve

Hi there. I'm interested in replacing some or all of our interior LEDs with warmer lights. I don't know what the factory installed lights are, but would prefer something in the 3000K range. The bright light is great, but there are a lot of bulbs, and my eyes (and brain) need a break. I have a note out to support at Oliver, and they are checking with manufacturing for part numbers, but I'm curious if anyone here has replaced their bulbs. mb

I've had one of THESE fridge thermometers for a number of years. I found that it really didn't take long to learn to ignore the old style thermometer - it simply became part of the general landscape. Unless there was a problem and by then it was usually too late. With the "system" above you can set both high and low temps and the readout unit will give you an audible warning when the sensors have recorded any temp outside the range that you set. It is this audible warning that catches my attention and I don't have to be worried trying to remember to actually look at it. Bill

I guess that is called "Yankee Ingenuity" in Connecticut.😄 Mossey

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 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/

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

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.

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

We use: 1. Harvest Host for free camping sites at breweries, winerys, farms, golf courses, etc. This is a web based site and there is a membership fee for this site. 2. Rvparky which is a web based site and free. We plan out our trip before leaving home, add in our anticipated stop locations and it will tell you the miles and extimated travel time between locations. At each stop you can click on camping locations and there is a list of a lot of camping sites listed, including Walmarts, Costco's, TA locations, rest areas, etc. 3. A Garmin 890 GPS which has camping sites and points of interest that can be accessed at each location.

John when we ordered our 2021 the sale staff informed us that their are 3 options that cannot be added later and they are the front 30 amp connection, convection microwave and front and rear gas quick connects! Can't help you with the ultra fabric or storage basket and bike rack but we have the shower track and it is completely overpriced and not worth it, command hooks are a better choice. Another option we find we have no use for is the electronics package and omini directional tv antenna! Hope this helps

We didn’t get the Oliver shower curtain track. It’s an odd design, seems a bit expensive, and some owners have had issues with the track detaching from the inner hull ceiling because of a poor riveting job. But we wanted a shower curtain though, so I attached the small Command hooks all around on the ceiling directly above the perimeter of the shower pan in the floor, and then hang a standard shower curtain on those hooks when we take our showers, and can quickly remove the curtain to let it dry outside the trailer when done. It was a cheap and effective solution. And if I ever come up with a different idea this one is easily removed completely. Command strips/hooks are a great accessory for attaching lot of things on the Ollie interior.

We have a microfiber towel hanging in the bath that we use to wipe down after showering. When we travel, we roll it and put it in the handle to keep it closed when driving. It works well. Mike