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Hull 505 - Galway Girl Made it to mile 0. Updates later.

Being able to pop back to the Oliver while on the road, turn on the A/C and have lunch is priceless! IMG_4316.mov

I did mention a Camp Chef Ranger 2 burner. This one is from Cabela's https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/camp-chef-ranger-ii-2-burner-stove . This model has the regulator in the hose line. I removed the regulator and hose and put on a quick disconnect male fitting, so I could run a quick disconnect hose from the Oliver quick disconnect directly to the grill. We use Cast iron skillets for all of our cooking inside and out. The link you had above goes to a Camp Chef Rainer 2burner. This model uses the bottles and it is high pressure and will NOT work with the Oliver quick disconnects low pressure fittings. Some people do carrier an extra propane bottle, or hook directly into one of the Oliver tanks. Then you can use a high pressure propane line directly to the stove.

Generator roto pax security update. I added a 24” combo cable lock which secures the roto pax to the Gen handle. The cable lock is not super robust but will keep the roto pax from growing legs. The cover is secured with zip ties through the cover grommets. I added a thin piece of hard foam to prevent the roto pax from rubbing the side of the gen.

I chose Mopeka because they are supported by Victron's software and interface easily with their GX family of products. The pictures I shared above are taken from Victron's VRM product servers which are located around the world. This also gives me the ability to receive email or text alerts such as a low SOC reading from my batteries. Mossey

We're on our 2nd road-trip since installing the MaxxAir Dome fan and just realized it won't pop-up enroute unless the "thumb latch button" fails... It's the black button on the left side of the push/pull handle in pic below:

We love the victron connect system on our sailboat. @mossemi

I installed the Mopeka tank sensors earlier this year as part of my Victron Cerbo GX project and I am quite happy with them. We will see how the hold up long term. Mossey

From living on sand bar (Florida) it might not seem too bad, but it also depends on the bugs. Thank you so much for keeping us posted on this fabulous journey!

Thank you everyone for the great input, and also to other's questions about alternative uses, the use of pots and pans, weight, ease of storage, etc -- I am looking for one device that can grille and/or griddle but also cook in a pot. Unfortunately, I lost my father's 60-year-old gas Coleman and an inherited Weber Q-style in Hurricane Ian; I hadn't personally used either of these, so I'm starting from scratch. I keep thinking that I want a camp stove (for smaller size and weight, but mostly because burners are more conducive to using pots and pans, including a cast iron skillet). Having read this review https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-many-btus-do-you-need-334918 I see that BTU measurements don't tell the whole story... For those who use the Blackstone, is it enough heat to truly sear a steak? Do you recommend it with or without the hood? Is it really carbon steel without a nonstick coating? That would be great -- oddly, I can't find that information on the website. The Coleman Road Trip also looks interesting; it produces 11,000 btus. I do see on the website it appears that the burners are adjustable to use either one side or the entire length; maybe it's only showing that one control is for the center burner and the other is for the outer ring? https://www.coleman.com/grills-stoves/grills/roadtrip-225-portable-tabletop-propane-grill/SAP_2000033047.html Someone mentioned a CampChef (in a related post) -- is it this? https://www.campchef.com/rainier-2-burner-grill-%26-stove-combo-|-camp-chef/CC-MSGGX.html or this The Partner Stoves are very nice looking and light weight, but sadly out of my budget. I love that they are made here in the US. My brother suggested I could just buy a one-burner outdoor propane ring... I see that many of those are high-output only, so might not be suitable for simmering (there are online complaints that the flames go out unless full-bore)... I looked at a Weber Traveler yesterday and it appears to be one burner across the entire section (all on or all off?) - I feel it would be too much for me as a single person. It's also a lot larger and heavier in life than I imagined; I would probably struggle getting it in and out of the back of my truck, with the current limitations from my hip replacement. Thanks @dhaig for the great photos of your hose assembly setup. I'm hoping that I can figure this out, whatever device I end up buying! There is one trailer supply place, about 45 minutes from me, and I'm gathering my info before I make a call and a trek out to them.

I searched extensively to find a quality propane grill with dual burners and separate controls. I selected a Napoleon TravelQ TQ285 Grill. This grill is currently $295 on Amazon (vs. $319 direct from Napoleon). I managed to catch a sale for $250 on Amazon. This grill has a clamshell style body with porcelain coating and weighs just under 30 pounds. I also purchased a PORTAL Outdoor Folding Portable Picnic Camping Table to serve as a stand for the grill. The table was $80, but now listed on Amazon for $72. Compact size was a critical selection criteria for both the grill and table, since I needed them to fit in a rear mounted cargo carrier. Our tow vehicle is not a pickup truck, but a BMW X5. I did not want to carry the grill within the TV. Upon receipt of the grill, I modified the fuel feed to enable use of quick connect fittings for use with the low pressure propane connections on our LEII. I also purchased a DOZYANT 18 feet Low Pressure Propane Quick-Connect Hose, $25 from Amazon. Below is a photo showing connection for both high and low pressure propane supplies. The high pressure connection is on the right with a 1 lb. fuel container attached. The low pressure quick connector is located to the lower left of the regulator. The red handled valves control selection of the desired propane source. The grill is shown with its folding legs extended. This setup has proven quite satisfactory. The grill easily reaches any temperature you would reasonably need for cooking. The grates are cast iron. There is also a griddle available for one side, which we have not purchased. This grill lives in our rear mounted carrier, with a Champion Dual Fuel generator (also configured to use the low pressure propane connections on our LEII). See the packing arrangement below, including stabilizer bases, chocks, etc.. P Prior to using the grill, I line the interior with aluminum foil. The grill comes with a grease catch pan under the center, which I also line with foil. The aluminum foil is easily discarded after use. I scrub the grates with a grill brush and wipe them with paper towels. I also wipe out the grill interior to remove any grease prior to storing the grill back in the cargo carrier. We don't notice any odors from the grill following this procedure. I highly recommend this grill. Don

Not sure why you would want to fry in a skillet, it’s a griddle so you can fry on it. I just did bacon and eggs this morning. Fajita’s tonight. Easy cleanup. Mike

Yes, you can put a pan on a Blackstone griddle and boil water. I suppose you could use a skillet, too.

We started out with a Weber (unknown model) & in 2019, three months into our 1st big trip, we left it at a dumpster & bought the 17" Blackstone. The Weber was a chore to clean. The Blackstone is wonderfully versatile & much easier to clean. And, because Duke had been a good boy, Santa brought him a fiberglass propane tank.

I had that problem with the bathroom window on our Oliver. Water actually building up between the panes. The sliding portion was not available separately as a replacement part, so I had to get the entire window from Oliver and replace it. Actually not too hard of a job. Worst part was removing all the old caulk from the fiberglass hull. Here are pics before, during, and after replacement. As another option there are companies that will refurbish the faulty window. At least one other Oliver owner has done that option so hopefully they will reply as well.

I realize I might be an odd duck, but I can't say enough about this national monument. It's strange but I love it. There are about 50 campsites, first come first serve. No reservations. I pulled in today at 11:30 and had my pick of almost any site. Some too small for the Ollie but most are plenty big. There are nice flush toilets nearby and water faucets spaced throughout. Most sites aren't too close together.

PIT BOSS PB336GS Two Burner Portable Flat Top Griddle - Cover Included. I store it in the front basket strapped down with bungee cords. When cooking I remove the cover, hook up the gas, and cook with it sitting in the basket.

the lithium is great for that for sure.

Great National Monument and great campground. Amazing hikes.

Yes, heading up there on Monday

a tired ROF

This is huge, IMO...

Great thread! Thanks to all for all the grilling/cooking perspectives - we love this exchange of information. We're on a road-trip this week (ABQ - DEN) and trying out our new custom "Disk-it" for the first time. Made and patented by a friend who owns a fabrication shop in Albuquerque. Comes with either a griddle or wok (we ended up getting both). The custom "piece" comes in when one orders their laser-cut "symbol" on the Disk-it stand and on the griddle handles. D opted for a "tree-of-life" symbol and our names on the handles. Oops, sorry - probably quasi TMI; but this kit rocks! The piezo-light 2-stage burner pumps out north of 75k BTUs. The rig connects to the OTT front LPG port, folds-up and stows nicely in the truck bed. Griddled spicy shrimp, stuffed jalapeños, and mixed stir-fry last night - yum! "Ravel-On!" Cheers...

If you have not yet, please open a service ticket. Even if you're out of warranty. Service sends the info to the factory. That install is skewed, imo.

If all you want is cooking on cast iron (skillet, Dutch oven, smallish griddle), I'd stick with your brother's recommendation.we used to have a cast iron two burner. It was awesome. Left it with my cousin in Alaska, four or five years back. It was probably 40 years old then, and likely to do another 40, for someone else. There are a few dual fuel butane/lp single burner small, super light burners out there. I've used the small butane, catering. No experience with lp. I hope you find your perfect solution. My only lp single burner in my pack is a jet boil backpack copycat. It's great, van camping in Iceland, and outages here, but requires a special canister. Not suitable for your purposes. Super small spider, mostly for emergencies, or backpacking. I'm sorry for your losses in the last hurricane, @Boudicca908. Glad you and your trailer made it through. We're back in hurricane season, here in sw Florida. Hugs and prayers for making it through the next big one. Some folks in your area are still not home. It's totally devastating when there's a direct hit. 😢

I certainly agree with your assessment! It is cock eyed. Hopefully the service department will get it sorted out for you. Mossey

More pic’s from Gros Morne I

Ill throw in another vote in favor of the mopeka. My 3rd night in alaska i ran out of propane sometime in the early morning. that was a cold wake up given that temps were sill dipping down into the negatives at night. immediately ordered the mopeka and they worked pretty much flawlessly. once the tank is nearly empty they do get a little squirly with the readings but its so much better being able to keep track of the levels on my phone than having to go out and check the tanks every day when its that cold.

We use a Weber Q1200 (it runs hot), and a Camp Chef Ranger 2 burner. Both without regulators. I had a old aluminum stand for the old 2 burner Coleman camp stove, that I made a pine butcher block top that sits on the stand. It can hold the Weber or Camp Chef stove.

I have a Coleman Roadtrip. The regulator comes off so I can use it with the quick connect or direct to a tank. Accessories include a griddle top and a frame to convert it to a regular cooktop pans.

We have a 36" Blackstone at home and love it. We purchased the 22" Blackstone for the Oliver, probably could have gotten by with 17" but so far we have plenty of space in the truck. We have hoses to connect to Oliver propane as well as hoses for external propane supply.

If I were to buy another camp stove, which I am not going to do, it would be a Partner Stove, probably their 18” two burner. The REI aluminum roll up table works well. I don’t know how it happened, but I ended up with a collection of backpacking and camping stoves, including the Coleman white gas stove my parents had when I was a little guy.

We started with a 22" Blackstone with quick connect hose to Ollie. It had 2 heat controls which was nice but it was a bit of overkill size-wise. Bought a 17" Blackstone and very happy with it. Neither model will fit in basement. Whatever you opt for, definitely get one with a cover for cooking in cold and windy conditions.

The Blackstone griddle is not a grill. Griddle only. It still does a fine job on steaks/burgers/etc. Perfect for breakfast bacon and eggs. Mike

How often have we passed an unfortunate accident of a "stick built" trailer and seen a debris field of trailer pieces and strewn personal effects? The integrity of the Oliver structure is truly impressive. Glad you and your tow vehicle remained upright. Sometimes, "THINGS" happen.

Thanks exactly what I needed to know. Planned trip to hardware this AM to get an allen wrench and keep it in my trailer tool box. I have spare washers. Fixed. But two trips to the hardware store. First was the 1/2 hex to add to my socket set. No 1/2 inch allen but they had one for a socket wrench. The second trip was for a O ring. When I pulled the fitting off, the seal was a O ring not a washer. I now have a spare. Thanks for all the input.

Yes they do, here’s another set. We are now headed for Gros Morne National Park

Campground and Pictures from hiking around Blow Me Down Provincial Park

https://www.facebook.com/groups/197254197346376/?hoisted_section_header_type=recently_seen&multi_permalinks=1488841854854264 This is the latest addition to their membership requirements. Dear members, Due to some issues that have arisen, and our desire to be consistent in application of our group rules, we have decided to eliminate Pages as members, and to also eliminate members who use obviously fake names. The purpose of this group is to be a friendly, helpful band of fellow travelers. The group is classified as Private, meaning only members can read posts. This protects us from scammers. We will be culling our member list, and contacting those members who are not using their real names. People who have experienced having their Facebook accounts scammed or cloned should know that the fact that the group is Private helps prevent those types from infiltrating the group. Also the due diligence of your administrators in vetting new join requests helps keep you safe. To increase your personal account safety, you should go to your privacy settings, and make sure your selection on who can see your posts is “friends only”.

Looks fabulous! It’s on my bucket list.

What exactly are you asking? Do you want to run the AC off the batteries for long periods? That is physically impossible. You HAVE to carry a large enough generator to run the AC from it if you are not plugged into shore power, there is no way that the solar panels alone can recharge that huge battery bank when it is depleted. Running AC or the microwave, AKA Battery Killer, consumes VAST amounts of electrical power. If you don’t use your Olllie, why keep it, that is very costly. Sell it so someone else can enjoy it. John Davies Spokane WA

As I mentioned in a previous post, we were not able to get in to camp there but I highly recommend, as an alternative, Mt View RV Campground in ARCO, ID. This makes a good basecamp to explore the area. View campground details HERE. That being said, just north of there in MACKAY, ID there is a gem of a campground at the MACKAY RESERVOIR - the Joe T, Fallini Campground. Reservoir Campground Info HERE. There are some beautiful drives and hikes in the area going north along the Salmon river. We camped there for a week in our AS and look forward to going back.

The MN State Bird must have migrated to a campground in Nebraska. One morning while at the dump station I was attacked by the mosquitoes, there were many, they were big, bad, fast, and hungry. ☹️ On a more pleasant topic I guess, we were at a local State Park the morning after Nebraska beat Miami in a football game. Someone shot a cannon at 7:00AM at the campground, still celebrating. 🧨 We felt out of place with a Black TV, all the Nebraska fans had Red TVs. The football game was close by, made reservations months ahead of that date and never understood why the campground was full until the day of the football game. 🙂

Thanks. I didn’t want to go through the Oliver site as I will be in the market for a used model. I also hate for someone to clean up their rig just for me to see it. Eric