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"Eggcelsior" is home and soaking in a CT rainstorm after a week-long odyssey in 90+ degree heat following our delivery last Monday. We arrived on time for our delivery Monday morning (Steph was worried we'd hit "rush hour traffic" in Hohenwald, LOL) and were met by Ryan, who did our walkthrough. The walkthrough went fairly quickly, both because we were experienced RVers and because we had studied so much about Olivers on this forum and Oliver University. The only issue we spotted in the walkthrough was a blemish in the gelcoat on one countertop - which they addressed immediately. We then moved to the Oliver campground for the night. The plan was to run with shore power and water connected until the evening, then switch to boondocking mode for the overnight to test all the systems. While in the Oliver campground we met the new owners of Hull 1149 - who were camped overnight, too - and the owners of Hull 77 (Kathy and ? - forgive me, there was a lot going on...) who were there for service. We found a few more issues with Eggcelsior while we camped. We had a bad 30A shore power cable (it wouldn't twist into the locked position) which Oliver replaced. We also had a jumper set wrong inside the Xantrex unit that caused a 5 minute delay in delivering power to the camper after connecting to shore power. That was fixed onsite. Finally, the toilet was rocking on the flange. That which was fixed onsite, too. The next day we moved to David Crockett State Park. The site we chose (Campground 1, Site 1) would have been impossible for a larger rig, but the Ollie and our big dually were able to squeeze in. That night we noticed our air conditioner short-cycling so we filed a repair ticket and returned to Oliver service the next day. Jason was unable to replicate the condition after a morning spent in Service, but I think we found the issue later. The details are here: The next stop was a KOA in northeastern TN. (We booked commercial campgrounds for the entire trip home just in case there were any systems issues that would interfere with dry-camping.) The trailer pulled very well behind our 3500 gas dually, as expected. Steph did some towing driving for the first time in many years (she wasn't comfortable towing the fifth wheels), which was nice. Towing mileage ranged roughly from 9-12 MPG, typically around 9.5 at 70+ MPH and 10+ at around 65 MPH. The next day took us to MD. We have the Lithium Platinum package and ran the fridge on DC while travelling. On a full-sun day we saw the batteries drop to 99% after 7 hours of travel. On a partly cloudy day they were at 97% after 7 hours. On a 4-hour cloudy run we saw a drop to 95%. The third travel day brought us back to CT, where we experienced the worst traffic (and drivers) of the whole trip. (This is our usual experience when we come home.) A quick run to DMV the next morning to get registered, then the truck and trailer got a bath and we loaded up the rest of our stuff for our next trip. All in all, the staff at OTT were excellent and it was a successful venture. A few other observations: Tanks: The trailer is happiest slightly nose high with a slight tilt up on the curb side. After one day with no sewer in the state park, including 2 showers, the black read 19% and the gray 25%. Smart TV: This is really nice. We ran it off my 4G tablet's hotspot and it worked pretty well. There was a some buffering, but the signal strength wasn't great, either. Brakes: Braking was good, but one brake seems a little more aggressive than the other three. Something to watch.

We got a good look at some 2023 Elite 2 demo units while we were at the mothership last week. On the outside you can see that the solar panels aren't as wide (it has been reported that OTT is switching to more powerful panels from a different mfg.), there was the optional Truma A/C unit up top, and there's no lower vent panel for the refrigerator. The latter is because OTT is switching to 12/120v compressor fridges, and the reason for that is that they can't source new 3-way fridges in that size anymore. I did ask Jason what impact that would have on battery life and he said that their tests showed good performance, even with AGM batteries. The lower fridge vent panel has been replaced by a cool flip-up table which we liked a lot. Inside, the compressor fridge itself was deeper, with more fridge storage, but a smaller freezer than our Norcold 3-way, which we didn't like as much. The Zamp solar controller was replaced by a Victron, of which we're jealous, and the furnace was different, too, with smaller registers in the cabin. I think the furnace was a Truma as well - part of the optional Truma package. Otherwise, we didn't notice any other major changes from our 2022.

All this talk about TV makes me wanna drink .

There’s also the never lube hubs.

Tooletries I think I have 5 white ones and 4 grey ones and 2 black hooks. The white show a little dirt but it usually washes off. No dirt on the gray or black ones. No tears, fraying or hard water, soap scum spots or discoloring. Ask your wife if she has any silicone hot pads or maybe a dish drying mat. If so, she’ll vouch for how tough they are. If she doesn’t have any silicone kitchen products, maybe you can kick the tires with silicone hot pad at the nearest kitchen gadget store. They are very robust. Mossey

John, I have been watching as many videos on YouTube that I can find on the EcoDiesels, but none that I can find ever ran there EcoDiesel till the engine shut down because of DEF fluid running out. Something else I saw today was some stations have DEF on a pump setup for it and it pumps DEF just like the other fuels do, it even has the automatic shutoff. Pretty soon a fuel island will be 10 ft. long and have 7-8 fluid fillers and one for electrical charging. trainman

OK - so, now you two are "official" "card carrying" members of the Family! What took you soooooo long?😀 Very nice and glad that basically you didn't have any "big" issues with the Ollie or the trip. Now, you can start on all those mods 😁. Thanks for the pics and report - nice job! Bill

Congrats on your great looking Oliver and your delivery day. Love the flying nun photo! 👍🏻😊 May you enjoy many great adventures and miles of smiles! -Patriot

Welcome to the club guys! Glad to see the report. The istems you mentioned should help future owners when picking up. See you down the road. Katie and Jeff

That fridge interior looks just like my truckfridge 130, and the isotherm cf130, both of which are manufactured by indel webasto. (I replaced my freezer door with one from isotherm after I broke mine last year.) We installed the fridge in February, 2018, and we've been thrilled with its steady performance since then. It cools down very quickly, makes ice quickly, and holds steady temperature, no matter the ambient temp. There are some major advantages with the indel products, and a few caveats. The overall fridge capacity is bigger than either of my previous 3ways, (2008 norcold, replaced by a dometic rm2454), though the freezer section is indeed smaller. The door organization is really nice, though it took awhile to get used to. I'm very fond of the crisper drawer for accessing the contents down low. It runs quietly, almost silently, on dc power with the very efficient danfoss/secop compressor. As we travel, it uses far less amp hours than a 3way on 12v. (We typically use 60 to 75 ah daily to power the fridge.) That energy is easily replaced with solar on the highway, so that will be a bonus for folks who didn't like the idea of traveling with the 3way on gas. At night, there are no fridge panel lights illuminating my dark trailer, but there is an interior light to see the contents when the door is opened. There is no concern about leveling, as there is nothing to crystallize as in a 3way. These have been installed in boats for decades, including sailboats, which are often far from level, on a tack. With no vents to the outside, mud daubers and air leaks/dust are non-issues. The disadvantages, for me, with my less expensive and quite possibly less insulated truckfridge: I start experiencing ice buildup in the freezer section every seven to ten days. If I don't defrost the freezer, the freezer door won't close properly, and, eventually, I broke the freezer door hinge pin due to ice buildup. May not be a problem in the more expensive units that Oliver will be installing, but something to watch for, and don't procrastinate defrosting if you get a buildup. The freezer door replacement was difficultto find, and was over $100, with shipping. (My fridge door is not that well insulated. I know, because I can see condensate sometimes on the door in a pattern that show less insulation in structural areas.) Our 2008 has only two 105 ah marine agm batteries, so power management for us is always important. I'd highly recommend portable solar and/or a generator as backup for boondocking in the shade, for those without lithium. I'm fine if we camp in sun, but in full shade, boondocking, we need to deploy portable solar or break out the little Honda every few days. For me, it's a small inconvenience tradeoff for a quiet and highly reliable fridge. I love that table over access panel that Oliver devised. Great idea, and beautifully implemented. (We sealed our vents with heavy visquene, insulation, and hvac tape, after our retrofit. ) Overall, I couldn't be happier with our compressor fridge. One of our favorite upgrades, ever.

After a bit of searching I did find this white silicone edge U seal trim. I’m going to order this and give it a try to replace the caulking the next time I remove the towel holder. This should fit on the edge all around the perimeter of the molded plastic towel holder. uxcell Edge Trim U Seal Extrusion, Silicone White U Channel Edge Protector Sheet Fits 0.5-2.5mm Edge 3Meters/9.84Ft Length https://a.co/d/4ebKfcQ

FrankC, the above link will also take you to the post Connor77 referred you to by NCeagle. Mossey

We don’t use that space at all for storage - things pop out the minute you hit the road. Here’s our solution. Shampoo/soap, conditioner, lotion and sunscreen. All at the ready

Frank, you may want to search the forum for one of NCEagle's mods. He replaced his shampoo holder with either the same thing you're considering or something very close to it. I think he was really happy to gain easy access to the plumbing and, cosmetically, it came out really nice. In terms of losing holders, we have had good luck with Tooletries products. No adhesive needed and they stick really well to the fiberglass. They even have a product called "The Frank"! Good luck! https://tooletries.com/collections/shower-caddy/products/the-frank-shower-caddy-1

I absolutely love my '20 Tundra (The Beast) and I've long been a Toyota fan owning three V8 4Runners since 2003 and the hubby drives a '16 Avalon. His 2006 Avalon is still on the road driven by his mother~ 235,000 miles! My Casita towed fantastic behind the Tundra while traveling out west but I can totally see the need for a larger truck if we decide to do trips out west with the ILOVHER. We primarily camp here in the east so I'll travel light until the time arises. The omission of an exterior tranny cooler on the '20 has me a bit concerned and larger brakes are definitely in the future.

Since Tundras are being discussed, I thought I’d put my two centavos in. We have a 2008 with the 5.7l engine and tow package. I got it to pull a boat which probably weighed 8000 pounds or so including trailer. The boat was wider and longer then the Ollie II. The truck never cracked a sweat though I didn’t enjoy pulling something that big, hopping curbs in filling stations, etc. With our current trailer - Casita 17, I can almost forget its back there. We have hull 1227 coming in August and I intend to start out with the Tundra. I’ve owned Fords, Chevies, and Dodge pickup/service trucks. The Tundra has been, hands down, the most reliable and comfortable truck that I’ve owned. We do spend a lot of time out here in the West with mountain passes, etc. and we are getting the Anderson sway hitch. I am a cautious driver and go slow. That being said if the truck doesn’t seem to be a good fit, we’ll do something different but I hope to get a few more years out of it 🙂. After all I’m 68 and the boss hasn’t traded me in, yet.

We love our GMC turbodiesel, and dealing with DEF is no problem. Initially, I kept a backup container in the bed. I soon learned that many of the major truck stops have DEF right at the pumps, and that is far more convenient, saves space in the bed, and keeps me from one more thing to purchase at Walmart. It may be a little more expensive at the pump; however, it is worth it to me. I monitor the DEF level and never let it get much below half. Never have I had a problem locating it, but I recommend keeping a close eye on it. My truck gives a message when I have 1000 miles of DEF remaining. To me, cost is incidental.

My mission after the first few camping trips was to install a better shower head in the Oliver. I especially didn't like the fact that I had to turn the water off at the faucet handle and lose the setting. Research turned up a highly regarded brand called High Sierra. I searched for those on this forum as well and found that at least one person (Overland) has also upgraded to a High Sierra. I chose the same ugly one with a nice new faucet but an even uglier diverter. 😄 I also hope my wife doesn't notice that her washcloth holder is gone now. 😬 I decided that a permanent access hatch (DasMarine Marine Deck Access Hatch & Lid with Lock, White, 24" Length X 14" Width (606MM. Length X 353MM. Width) in it's place was a better value (at least to me!). I can get at all my new valves now.

After reading most of the post on here, I feel many purchase tow vehicles and then go find a trailer that works for them, which is what I would call doing it in reverse. I started pulling travel trailers some 40 years ago. I worked for a Chevrolet Dealer and we sold many Suburban's with 454 engines, 3.73 rear axles and it was the vehicle of choice for the Airstream, Avon, Silver Streak, crowd. I finally purchased a Suburban 454 and it towed wonderful, Wolf Creek Pass was not even an issue and we got 8 mpg with, or with out the trailer, towing was a non issue. So for me today I still want a vehicle that can tow, I actually think there's more safety in power, them less power. So for those who want to skimp on a tow vehicle I feel you are not really thinking it through, your either looking at a tow vehicle size, yes 1/2 ton pickups are large, cost of the tow vehicle, or just don't understand what works safely. I think many on this forum have given good comments on what works and what doesn't, but what about those who read them, them do what they want to anyway. My favorite thing is walking around the campsites and see rigs and wonder how they got here with there setup, obviously the tow vehicle doesn't match the trailers size. PS, and no I don't want another 454 Suburban. trainman

Today we arrived in Tok, AK after a 3,400 mile journey from San Diego. The last 400 miles on the Alcan were challenging. The only damage was from the microwave popping open and the glass tray shattering in the trailer. The frost heaves create quite a challenge. You can see 95% of them, but the other 5% take a toll. The Dexter axles handled it all well. Now we start 2 months touring AK.

I asked Ryan about the Elite 1 redo but he didn't have any info. Didn't ask. Didn't peek underneath. Was just wandering around the showroom/lot while they were working on our A/C issue.

DC fridge - woohoo, unless you boondock in the off season or inclement weather, if so you will be running your generator a lot. That is a steady heavy drain that can't be stopped, with the 3 way you can use propane and it doesn't kill your batteries. Victron MPPT solar controller and Smart Bus - woohoo, they listened, these are both serious upgrades. Truma furnace - I would like to learn more about that, is it quie(er than the we-all-hate-this Suburban, what are the service requirements. How is access? Is it a Combi (includes water heater)? Maybe they will be offering this as a service department upgrade, I would be interested. Did anyone look underneath? Better axles? Disk brakes? It does appear to still have leaf springs ;( Will the lithium batteries charge now from the tow vehicle? That requires an onboard smart DC to DC charger. John Davies Spokane WA

I haven't checked specifically, but I know that with folks on iH8MUD with larger tires, regearing is fairly common. I think that 2018 (or 2016) and on models need not only ring and pinion front and back, but also a pre-2018 (or 2016) front diff housing. If I end up brining a trailer home and not satisfied with the power, regearing is an option I can look at. As for the Elite I, I know it is a better fit, but unless the redesign includes twin beds, Deb would nix it immediately.

Woohoo! These are all things that I was going to ask about. Especially eliminating the fridge vent so that I could switch to a Danfoss compressor unit after the fact. This will save me money right out the door! The Danfoss compressor powered fridge/freezer in my truck has run 24/7 nine months of the year since 2015, so I know that they are reliable. Great news! The fridge vent to table is just a bonus! Victron vs Zamp will be great, with better interoperability with other brands, and a lot of options. More efficient solar will also be a bonus, as we plan to go with the lithium package and better Trim AC. @Steph and Dud BDid you happen to ask about the Elite I redesign? Specifically a twin version? Thanks for the update

I have the exact same question for the same reason. My initial plan was to put a piece of white electrical tape over anything that looks questionable to prevent water entry until I get a more permanent solution in place but after reading John's post I may try spraying water on it and see just how much infiltration occurs. I have been looking into making some sort of gasket that will look good and make it easy to still get access the under sink area as needed. In the meantime I've ordered 4 more of the screw caps and associated collars from OTT in anticipation after applying a gasket, to properly seat the panel on the top and bottom I'll have 8 hold-down points (2 on each side). The other thing I was considering was putting on some sort of twist-to-open gizmo similar to what is holding the outside fridge vent covers on. John, I hope you're right (As usual) and all I have to do is close it up. I think I'll install the hatch through the closet in any event since it will be easier to access for something as simple as uncrimping the shower hose until I have time to install a dedicated shower as has been discussed in other posts I'll keep you posted as I move forward. albert

Recently, one of the people i follow on youtube posted this.. almost 4000 miles from Michigan to her other home in Alaska. Imo, worth the watch. It's necessary to be prepared. And, its a beautiful trip. https://youtu.be/Vr9VNutHGiE

Not sure about all the tech conversations. Never had a problem with the DEF fluid. My new GMC has a level gauge full to empty instead of a percentage of use, which makes it much easier to know when to add fluid. Adding fluid is usually 3-5000 miles of use, or every oil change. My mileage has increased to 16-18mpg towing the Oliver. only have 3,000 miles on the truck. I expect this average to go higher once the engine breaks in. There also has been a big increase in tow capacity 18,000 vs 13,500 on my 2017 HD diesel I thought my 2017 highcountry Duramax was over kill. 🤯 The comfort and safety level of the GMC with the diesel is worth putting in DEF fluid not happy about the fuel prices, who is? Still couldn’t be more happier with the choice of a diesel tow vehicle. 😎 you could also import this to Trainman’s post on tow vehicles.

This is the product I used to seal the bath vanity deck hatch when I replaced the stock vanity access cover. Mossey

Yeah, I’m considering changing it to a waterproof marine hatch like this to make maintenance access really quick and easy, but I hate to lose that little bit of storage in the towel holder. We actually do use that for shampoo bottles, etc. Amarine Made Marine Deck Hatch Boat Deck Hatch Access Hatch & Lid 17-1/4"x12-3/8 - White https://a.co/d/8eKRLVS

It’s 99% cosmetic, just leave it off, a tiny amount of water in there isn’t going to hurt anything. John Davies Spokane WA

In reading the forum for the last year, I have learned a lot. I didn't know about payload, GVRW, GCVRW, etc. It will be eye opening to see rigs this summer where the tv isn't matched even closely to the trailer. John

My case is likely one of those posts you refer to. January 2021, I picked up a new Toyota Land Cruiser Heritage Edition that I'd ordered in September; the one and only aspirational vehicle I've ever had. Yes it is crazy expensive for a model with the last major upgrade in 2008, and has practically no bells and whistle that are standard on vehicles 1/3 this price. It doesn't stand out, doesn't say "Look at me!!", and pretty much flies under the radar. It is often mistaken for an older Sequoia or Highlander. But I absolutely love it! It is my only car (other than a non-running 1958 MG in the garage), and the last vehicle I will ever buy. All of the oft quoted detractors are exactly what I want in a vehicle. It'll last 30,000 miles easily on routine maintenance. And I spent way more than I ever should have to get one when it was announced that Toyota would discontinue the Land Cruiser line in North America. And the new Land Cruiser available in the rest of the world now is a technology loaded turbo V6 with questionable reliability. Due to the timing, I bought mine at $9000 under sticker price. I could now easily sell it for $30-40,000 more than that. But I won't, because there's nothing else out there like it. So, yes, I'm looking for a trailer *after* already having a tow vehicle. That's not going to change. And being in our late '60s, I'm not going to get a cheap starter trailer before eventually getting one of the best available. Both of my brothers have gone through umpteen larger trucks and larger trailers; now both with dually diesels and 37' and 41' unwieldy monsters. That's not me. I've been warned. Both @John E Daviesand @mossemi have similar Land Cruisers (albeit both with the 6-speed transmission with a better gear ratio than my 8-speed) and have mentioned the limitations of pulling an Elite II with one. I'm willing to live within those limitations. Will it be a choice that I regret down the road? Maybe. But I'd rather regret it later than not having had the experience of finding out. We will be visiting the Oliver factory and show room sometime during the week of July 10-15. Unless something completely unexpected rears its head (and if I get an all clear on a medical concern), we'll be ordering one.

I worked for a few years in a NF campground and yes, it's true, many people have no idea how unsafe and unmatched their tow vehicle is to their trailer. The inhibiting factor for most people including myself is that people usually have the tow vehicle BEFORE they buy a trailer and end up having eyes bigger than their stomachs! My Tundra would have worked fabulous for my Casita but is right on the hairy edge for my ILOVHER. I can't afford to upgrade at this time, nor are there any trucks available...so I will settle for packing light and ALWAYS using the Andersen...AND of course steering clear of the swaying train wreck trailer combo doing 80mph in front of me!!

That’s just an area that could use a pool noodle! Mossey

We just replaced our Dometic today with the Houghton 3400 and we are very pleased with it. Exponentially quieter than the Dometic and the install, according to the tech that did it, was very straightforward. I have not used a generator for shore power yet but I have run the AC off of the (Lithionics) batteries and did so with no issue. It was suggested to me to do the install without the micro air easy start so I did not have it installed. I'll report back if I run into any issues but, as mentioned, it ran just fine today from battery power. Tomorrow I will run it with my generator to see how that goes and also check it for water leaks by simulating some rain. I just need to get the screw covers to fill the holes. I also did not need the thick roof kit. Ric Brady, I will post if I run into any cycling issues you have had. I just came in from running it for 25 minutes and there was no excessively cycling. Dropped the temp in the trailer from 83 degrees to 69 degrees in a reasonable amount of time. I need to thank all of the people that installed this same AC brand on their Olivers and subsequently posted a ton of helpful info into this thread about their installation.

There is much to be desired in the design and operation of those brakes, especially after they get some miles on them. I suspect you have nothing wrong with the brakes since they are still relatively new. The brakes adjust themself by applying short pumps on the brake at lower speeds. I would guess it may take 15 or 20 slow speed brake applies to get the adjusters to set in correctly. You mention that the brakes seem to perform better after you had used it, and that is the self adjusters at work. The entire brake assembly inside the drum will actually try to rotate front to back inside the drum as you apply and release the brakes…….each time that assembly rotates during brake apply, a ratchet adjuster moves to shoes out towards the drum closer. This will happen until the brakes have reached their optimum adjustment and then they no longer “rotate” enough to ratchet any further. As the shoes wear, the adjuster will once again ratchet a click or two in an effort to self adjust the brakes. Under ideal conditions and when the brakes are still relatively clean, rust free, and have enough lube on the small metal pads that hold the shoes out away from the backing plate, then the brakes can work fine. My Ollie has about 25,000 miles on it and is an older model……so when I went to replace all the wheel bearings and races this past winter, I discovered my brakes were doing the same thing (unequal braking on each wheel). I quickly found out how the brakes worked and spent a good bit of time to completely disassemble the shoes, springs, and adjusters to clean and lube the points that needed to move in order to adjust. I used a good high temp silicone based brake grease on all the stamped pads in the backing plates, as well as all the contact points for the adjusters, springs, etc. The brakes are once again working fine, however I suspect that I will need to give those brakes a good inspection each time that I grease the wheel bearings. It was a bit of a puzzle for me to understand exactly how the brakes worked and self adjusted…..but one I did, it was not an extremely difficult effort to clean, lube and adjust the brakes once again. I had very little brake wear on the drums or the shoes…..but I suspect that most of the braking was done by one or two of the wheels. By the way, you can adjust the brakes manually if need be. There are a few posts from the past on how to do that. There is also an electromagnet that must be checked as well (an easy thing to do). That magnet is what actually makes the brake assembly want to rotate when the brakes are applied. I would suggest that you take your Ollie out for a low speed ride and apply the brakes a good number of times, and relatively hard apply at slow speed. This should allow each adjuster to reach its optimum point of adjustment. If i were to order a new Ollie, I would get the standard brakes and just live with adjusting them once or twice a year. That is much less complicated than the Nev R adjust brakes. In my opinion…….a very poor design. It would also be suggested that you order the small rubber dust covers/plugs to protect the back side of the backing plates where the adjusting slots are located. There are two of these slots on each wheel. In Dexters infinite wisdom, they decided not to install the rubber plugs at the adjusting slots any longer. I guess they just assume that dirt, water, etc getting inside the brake assembly is not critical. That or they just want to save about .80 cents per axle. Good luck and I don’t believe you have anything serious to be concerned about. Just do the hard brake applies a good number of times at slow speed and you should be ok. If not, then you will need to remove the brake drum and get inside each assembly to find out what is not working correctly. Steve

Man in this case, although Stephanie was the one who noticed it was still short cycling so she gets some credit, too.

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. 🙂

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

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.

Camping in the 100 degree weather is tough on you, and the fridge, and the ac. Does your manual show you how to adjust the thermistor?, (that thingy that slides on a fin, and tells the fridge how cold it is, and when to turn on?) in our old 2008 norcold, we could slide it up or down to adjust the sensing. I don't know about the new ones. It's also possible that the thermistor is bad (though unlikely, in such a new trailer.) I'd add a clip on fan to the outside vent, set up to exhaust, and see if I could increase the exhaust flow. A small battery operated fan inside the fridge could move cold air around better, as well. Are you running the fridge on gas, or electric? Gas is most efficient, as @dewdev noted. I know it seems counter intuitive, but the flame works way better at "absorbing" heat than 120 electric. 12v is dismal.

Welcome to the forum, @Roadlotus. My sister-in-law is about your size. She is perfectly comfortable driving my brother's F150, towing a cargo trailer. There's not much difference between a f250 and f150, sizewise, and I'd encourage you to try to test drive both. The f250 would allow you to delete the Anderson requirement. As @John E Davies said, I wouldn't buy a truck to fit a garage that you won't own, soon. Instead, I'd put the house on the market now, and use some of the equity to buy the newer version of the truck you like. In today's housing market, you may be able to find a buyer willing to let you lease back your house til your departure date in October. Or, line up a short term rental studio, in the meantime. Everything in my neighborhood sells within days, so be very sure that's what you want to do before you put your home on the market. An alternative is taking out a small equity loan to purchase a better, newer truck, learning if you actually like the lifestyle, and selling after. In real estate, my experience is always to get the best price while the market is hot, as it still is now, at least here in Florida. If this is your plan, start interviewing agents who have been successful in your neighborhood, recently. Get their advice. (I'm not a realtor.) I'm shorter, as well, and I'll say that I hate driving my husband's 2008 Ram, but I love my driving my older 2005 Silverado 1500, regular cab, stepside. Unfortunately, my truck (or my husband's) would not be suitable for towing a II, without the Anderson. I understand that bit of trepidation based on what you "used to drive." I drove very large trucks cross country when I was young, and even shorter, with my dad, and I sometimes had to stand up to shift gears in those old trucks. I wouldn't want to do that now, for heavens sakes. But, that was 50 years ago. Do you have a dog that will be traveling with you?

I have no cell service at the campground. A huge change in the weather occurred Friday night, and this weekend is one for the records, under 40% humidity, upper 70’s, bluebird skies! Lake Powhatan site 51 is tough to back into! We found ourselves at The Moose restaurant by recommendation of a new friend at Powhatan….fantastic heart-attack-on-a-plate dining. Just say “YES” to gravy on everything! We didn’t bring bikes, just ourselves and our 14+year-old mutt….we’re all good with relaxing….Oh, and eating….I almost forgot, drinking, too(lol)! We’re heading home on Sunday, but will be back in the area at Mt. Pisgah campground from 7/1-7-9….loop A. Plan on the Farmers Market, and a bunch of other fun when we’re back in 2 weeks!

Krunch and I stayed at Lake Powhatan for a night in April of 2021 on our way to Virginia. It is a very nice campground that we plan to revisit in the future. I picked it because it was close enough to have dinner with topgun2 and his wife, which he bought. It was a win win campground for us. If for no other reason than it’s our turn to buy, we’re going back! Mossey

Anita at Oliver called yesterday to make sure we got the printed brochure in the mail, and to answer any questions we had. We had a nice chat, but the old saying of "you don't know what you don't know" definitely applies here. Since we are currently in a 5X8 squaredrop (a boxy teardrop) without plumbing, gas, or any appliances built in, and basic electrical, everything about a potential purchase is unknown. We've done a *lot* of reading and YouTubing over the last couple of years, but I know there will be tons of questions down the road if we go this route. That said, Deb received her "golden ticket" from Maker's Mark as an ambassador, and her bottle is ready for pickup in Loretta, Kentucky. (Side note; she doesn't even like whiskey, but signed up for the free stuff they send at Christmas every year. 🤣 ) Meanwhile, Choice Privileges emailed me and let me know that I need to use my points on a stay before August 1, else lose them. So after Maker's Mark, we're headed to Hohenwald for a factory visit and to tour the Elite II. Who knows whether we'll leave with one less check in the checkbook...

We haven't tested them off pavement (or with a can of beer), but none have fallen off the wall during normal travel while loaded with a spray bottle or a bar of soap.

Here's an idea for vinegar storage: Find a container for the vinegar that fits in one of these. We have several different types and they work great. @NCeagle I love these little hooks. Use them on the new vanity access hatch or on the wall near the shower bracket for hanging washcloths. Alternately, less expensive suction cup hooks would also work.

Here are some photos. When we travel we fold up the top and lower it on top of the bed and tighten up the adjustments. I surround the top with bed pillows incase vibration loosens the adjusters. That has not happened. We have the table set up all of the time. Overland did a great job with this. Thanks for sharing. Our custom table is a little bit narrower than Overland's. We mocked up the size we wanted using cardboard.

Nope. Down on floor level like the current 3-ways.

Great post, you can sort of get away with a marginal TV if you live and camp in the East, but once you start stressing it really hard in the Western mountains, passes, headwinds and hot deserts, it simply isn’t acceptable. Too much trailer for too little truck I had a 1984 Suburban 3/4 ton 2wd with the 454 gas carbureted engine. It was an underpowered brute (just 360 ft lbs) but with some engine intake and and exhaust mods and a different distributor advance curve it was wonderful. In spite of only having three gears. I pulled a 9500 pound boat/ trailer combo and found that the factory axle (3.5 ish? ) was very inadequate for mile high elevation, and I had a 4.10 Detroit Locker installed in SLC, mid way to my Lake Meade destination. That fixed it but there were still times when it would vapor lock and quit at the top of a long steep hot grade. I had to install an electric inline fuel pump that I could turn on manually to feed the stock engine driven pump, which would overheat otherwise. I put a 40 gallon tank in place of the stock 25 gallon one. Ah the good old days; carburetors, points and distributor, spark plug wires, frequent tuneups, oil leaks, crappy build quality, and too many roadside breakdowns. John Davies Spokane WA