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We like this State Park because of its close proximity to the Old Mexico border town of Puerto Palomas. Palomas is fun for its shopping, restaurants, and local color. PV SP is located in very south central of NM in the town of Columbus which is about a 5-hour or so drive for us, the boys, and Casablanca. In fact, we just returned Monday from a "let's go where it's warm" roadtrip with our RV friends. The park was originally the location of US Army Camp Furlong. General "Black Jack" Pershing, who would later command the Allied forces of World War I, pursued Pancho Villa into Mexico. This pursuit was initiated after Pancho Villa and his soldiers attacked Fort Furong on March 9, 1916. "General" Pancho Villa State Park contains extensive historical exhibits which depict this raid, the first armed invasion of the continental United States since the War of 1812, and also the last one. "Black Jack's" 11 month pursuit led 10,000 American soldiers 400 miles into Mexico, but ended without the capture of Pancho Villa. Several buildings dating from the time of Villa's raid still stand in Columbus, and the U.S. Customs House, built in 1902, serves as the visitor center. Annually, in early March, the residents of Puerto Palomas conduct a mock "raid" into Columbus in memory of Pancho's assault on the US Army - a popular event for RV'ers to watch from the SP. The border crossing is a short 2 or 3 mile drive from the SP where there's POV parking and an easy "walk-across" into Mexico with the two Knuckleheads, "Magnus and Oscar". After a stop at one of the many "pharmacias" - we usually head over to the "Pink Store" where there's artwork and souvenirs from each of the 31 Mexican states. Shoppers can enjoy "free" adult beverages courtesy of the owner. The Pink Store also boasts one of the best restaurants in the region. The boys are welcome in the Pink Store and its restaurant: Although the Park has accommodations for full hookups, they've been struggling with a septic system issue that is expected to be resolved in mid-MAR - so our group opted for no-hookup Bdock sites. Pancho Villa is a popular location for many RV rallies in the spring and fall when the weather is absolutely phenomenal. Check it out when your in the area... It's very cool. Cheers! A & D

So... for those of you with "older" OTTs and want to know to what level your gelcoat has oxidized, try this: Take off the Oliver Logo and find out! Which is exactly what we did this afternoon - a couple plastic razor blades, a heat-gun, some "Goof-Off", and a little elbow grease and about 45 minutes later: The new graphic is from the movie credits - we've been to many of the places on the map and thought it fit our lifestyle... The graphic is held in place temporarily with painters tape and will be fixed permanently after we have CGI do their magic in Fredericksburg during the eclipse rally. Yellowing was apparent but not as bad as expected. Until the rally in April, we'll be using the same 3M anti-oxidizer that CGI uses to blend in the gelcoat with the Cyclo and bring it back to life. Piece of cake... Cheers, all!

For those who have Fords, many of their FOBs have motion sensors. After about 40 seconds, their transmitters turn off. Sounds good unless you put your FOB in your pocket and are walking. I tested the 40 second FOB sleep on my 2019 F250 and it does go to sleep. However, this fails if I put the FOB in my pants pocket without using some type of Faraday cage given my walking motion keeps the transmitter from falling asleep. Finally, just found this (oh the interwebs are just full of info LOL)...if you have bluetooth connectivity with your vehicle (say with your phone), you may want to consider turning it off. Just does to show what my Daddy taught me...a lock is for an honest man. 😵

Full Disclosure: Actually noticed these "Antlers" as a nice mod on @Patriot's rig in a post where he described his new front storage box made by SeabiscuitMetalDesigns.com... After installing our DC/DC charger which requires a substantial 1/0 Anderson connection and cables, our front hitch area seemed to be getting "crowded." The Moose Antler addresses the mess of cables, chains, clips, hooks, etc... They actually look like antlers - and do a great job in getting your hitch kit off the ground and tucked neatly and tidy under the A-frame: Moose Antlers.mov The PITA was removing the 7-Pin plug and the DC/DC Anderson connection to route the cables through the holes in the lower area of the antlers. The rack is made of approx. 3/16" powder coated T6061 Aluminum - no moving parts. If interested, you'll need to head to Home Dumbo for a U-bolt to fit the rack onto the hitch strut, $4.65. Simple design and efficient - we're liking it! Cheers! Moose Antlers.mov

Review as promised: Mission Darkness I just received and tested this faraday keyfob shield/pouch, it works as advertised. I could not unlock my truck or car door with each of the respective fobs in the pouch. The pouch appears durable and very well made from a ballistic nylon. It also has a robust nylon loop which allows for a key ring to be attached. When I lock my door on my TV or our car from the inside door armrest console I don’t use the fob. When unlocking my truck I can use the push button code on the door pillar by passing the fob. On our car we can use the physical key and not the fob to unlock the door keeping the fob signal protected. I guess at the end of the day its only $15 to protect the fob signal. I am all in for risk mitigation. 😊 For times such as these. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H1C21O2?SubscriptionId=AKIAIBX4MGJBG42TO3NQ&tag=productsbestrv144763-20&asc_source=google&asc_campaign=077&asc_refurl=https%3A%2F%2Fbestreviews.com%2Fbest-key-fob-faraday-bag&#customerReviews

We’ve had the exact same model Dometic 3-way fridge in both of our Oliver’s since 2008. We have never experienced an altitude issue in either of them. Ninety percent of the time thy have run on propane. I suppose the longest boon-docking run for us was in 2019 on a 15000 mile trip to Alaska.

You'll want the graphics on before they do the ceramic coating, else it won't stick. Plus, the ceramic coating over the graphics helps protect them. If you let them know ahead of time what you're doing, I'd imagine they would polish the top front first to give you time to apply the graphics before coating.

Thanks, Just watched Jim and Frances YouTube video link about vehicle's Bluetooth in his last post, highly recommend seeing this video, too.

We use this little pouch...decent build quality. Have tested it with our 2019 Ford FOB and it blocks signal. Also blocks cell phone signal - so pretty good RF blocking. The negative reviews are likely due to folks putting things in the outer (unprotected) pocket. I have noticed there is signal leakage if the closure flap is left open.

CGI does a great job. Hard working guys. John

We got 7 years out of the original AGM’s that came in Hull #050. At home it was always plugged in and on the road the solar took care of it, always returning them to full charge everyday. I would never turn any of the chargers off.

My mind just went bonkers trying to calculate the number of popped interior rivets on that guided trip. I did get rather proficient with drill, punch, and rivet gun. Did I mention that I’m slowly getting over aluminitus.

It has been two years ago that Nancy and I purchased a used 2019 Elite II. The Oliver is a perfect Boondocking Off or RV Park travel trailer. The 27 Foot 2019 Airstream has been parked in the RV Garage, since the purchase of the Oliver. Many would notice immediately the Oliver has much less room than an Airstream. That is True. Although, what the Oliver may lack in length and also a bit narrower than an Airstream... the Oliver has EVERYTHING the Airstream has and a stronger frame. The Oliver Elite II is narrower than an Airstream by 12 inches. The Airstream, for more clearance OTG, I had installed a 3 inch lift and upgraded the 15 inch tires/wheels to 16 inch Michelin LT tires and Wheels... just what the Oliver came with from the factory as stock. The Oliver has the SAME clearance as the Airstream with 3" lift and upgrade to 16 inch Tires. So, both our Airstream and Olive Elite II both can handle Off the Grid travel. Six lugs... and those Michelin E Rated tires... take you everywhere without fear... so far. The Oliver, with the shorter length advantage, can travel easily on Off the Grid Forest Service Roads and Two Rut Trails. Our Airstream can travel the same roads... but only 80% of those roads the Oliver can easily travel. New Mexico and Wyoming photographs. The rear bumper limits the Airstream on uneven roads. The Oliver... no problem. Having Oliver factory Two Solar Panels and the Four Six Volt Batteries... we have had NO 12 volt problems. The Propane Components operate very well at all elevations we have traveled in the Rocky Mountains. Ten Thousand Feet.... no problem. Parked out side with Solar Charging... ready to go when we feel like loading up and hit the road. Yaaa Hooo.... I include some photos of OTG Boondocking travel... to replace the Airstream examples. We use a Folding Ramp for us and the three Blue Heelers to enter and leave the trailer easily. It folds up and we use it when refueling the Tow Vehicle on the back seat and the Heelers can walk down and go up easily. Just a FYI. If you are an Off the Grid Boondocker with an Oliver Elite II having 12 volt Solar, Propane, Electric, Battery Appliances... you are 100% ready to disconnect from RV Parks are travel the Wilds of the Western USA this Season. Our three Blue Heelers have their pillows set that they find comfortable and anxious to spend the night in comfort. The 2019 Airstream and 2019 Olive Elite II have the appliances we need for Off the Grid. With the ALL Electric model Airstreams being produced today... the 2019 Oliver is as modern as we need. Our Homes On Wheels. 🙂

I'll second that - Makes keeping those chains cleaner looking without actually having to clean them. Additionally, after awhile the chains will start to rust in spots. With the sleeves you'll never even see the rust. Therefore out of sight, out of mind. Bill

Thank you John! That does help. I have this f-150 that I can plug into at night to keep my batteries charged. Once I get back home I’ll start a routine similar to what you’ve outlined.

WE need - demand - pictures. If you can't prove it - did it ever actually happen?🤔

“14 years later…” 😳 Mountainborn and Technomadia no longer have their Olies, although Bugeyedriver Pete still does! We have also boondocked at 9,000+ feet in State Forest State Park, CO. Dometic fridge, Suburban furnace, hot water tank and cook top all worked fine on propane. Weber Q and Outland firepit also did fine. Mike

Here is my latest modification for an antenna pole holder. I used a 3” (bolt side) x 4” (height) x 5” (wide) .250 inch thick right angle with two .375 U-brackets while utilizing existing bumper bolts, washers, nuts and holes. I made sure the round pipe was 2 inches away from edge of the right angle aluminum (towards rear, away from Ollie) so that this pipe did not interfere with the swinging bumper when closing/pinning with locking pins. Make sure the 2 holes in the right angle are away from the right angle radius so that the large existing washers will not be on top of this radius (so washers are flush on top of metal). The U-brackets will allow you to move the pole upward or downward, along with removal for when towing so the lights are not blocked. The 22 ft flag pole I purchased is fiberglass from polesandholders.com and it is collapsible. The flagpole holders from this site will not work for my chosen bumper location. The inside flagpole holder pipe diameter will be determined by your flagpole outside diameter measurement.

Exactly right on, Steve. I spoke with Colin yesterday afternoon and he's saying the same thing. We're getting his recommended 3M gelcoat polishing compound today to cleanup some of the oxidation where the graphic will be placed before we get to TX.

Concur, 100%, @Patriot - Very sano mod, indeed. Practically, however - they keep from chipping the black paint/powdercoating off the bulldog if they're wrapped over the top... Good thought, David!

This is excellent information (OBTW: we have the same truck/year model) - had no idea of the FOBs intricacies... We start the engine remotely on occasion by pressing the FOB door lock button quickly 3x and holding down on the third press. Thanks for sharing!

Very nice.

@NomadLife thanks for posting, let us know how your shake down of that mod works out. It appears to be a very solid mounting set up.

Great info, thanks for posting!

Conducted a test with our 2022 Tundra's FOB this morning. Our Faraday pouch has not arrived yet, probably later today. Started vehicle with FOB turned on by pressing brake and start/stop button. Turned FOB off with engine running by placing in "battery save mode" by simultaneously pressing/holding FOB lock button and pressing unlock button twice, then drove 8 miles with no issues with FOB off. Turned vehicle off by pressing/start stop button with FOB still off. Tried to restart by pressing brake and start/stop button and vehicle would not restart with FOB off. Intentionally locked FOB in vehicle using door lock button on door and doors stayed locked, vehicle did not automatically unlock doors with FOB in vehicle as long as FOB was in "battery save mode" or off. Used Debbie's FOB to unlock vehicle, then placed her FOB back in the house to finish testing. Placed my FOB in my pocket locking vehicle with lock button on door, could not unlock doors or tailgate with FOB still in "battery save mode" in my pocket. There are more test I could conduct, but no extra time today. Learned I only needed the FOB to start the vehicle. Using FOB's metal key can unlock vehicle without using FOB electronically. When FOB is in "battery save mode" it can be turned back on by pressing any FOB button. Guessing most manufacturers have a mode similar to Toyota's "battery save mode"

Sweet! It works!

Exactly what I recall, @topgun2 - although I got it from you! HA!

Bill, Yes, and your welcome!

Look again a bit closer, they're already on the chains... HA! Thanks, anyway, @Patriot!

Now that looks great.

Casablanca really looks great, nice work Max! Consider adding this cable sleeve to your Andersen chains for a super sano look, you will thank me later. 😊 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007VT09LS/?coliid=I105IRZOA4AD9&colid=28S7M1ANYVGFK&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it&th=1

Just an FYI for those looking to buy a battery from Epoch. They had a 15% off discount during the holidays which is done now. However, you can use the code ROLL10 for a 10% discount right now.

The function shown in the above video in the Toyota manual is the “battery save mode” that reduces FOB battery discharge and vehicle battery discharge until any key is pressed on the FOB. Our vehicle also has this as an automatic function when the vehicle sits for more than five days and several other situations to reduce FOB battery depletion and vehicle battery depletion. The manual states “When battery-saving mode is set, battery depletion is minimized by stopping the electronic key from receiving radio waves.” It looks like as mentioned in the above video at the end using “battery save mode” function and a Faraday pouch is a good way to minimize vehicle theft.

The same guy in the first video made a later video about securing vehicle using FOB to lock vehicle. Just tried this function by holding FOB lock button and pressing unlock button twice at same time. Cannot open the door using the door handle with the FOB in my pocket. Going to study the operators manual to learn more about this feature, will call dealership if additional information is not in my manual. Edit: Just tested our 2022 Tundra sitting in the drivers seat. Locked doors with FOB holding lock button while pressing unlock button twice. The start button will not start vehicle with brake pedal pressed until unlocking vehicle with FOB. Will learn more about this feature. Probably available on many late model vehicles.

In this blog post I cover the many aspects of a Agm to lithium conversion including a discussion of the 7 pin wire disconnection and dc-dc converter installation. Hope it’s of some use. https://4-ever-hitched.com/ggs-blog/f/lithium-battery-upgrade Craig

Thanks for the time travel, and trip down memory lane, @MAX Burner. The early first gen trailers had different fridges. Even today, today some 3ways work better at altitude than others, and no one really knows why. Theory is it can be a problem with the propane mix in the tank. Anyway... Glad yours functions well. Very happy for you. I have had a dc danfoss/secop compressor fridge for 6+ years now, and it doesn't care what altitude, nor (out of ) level I'm on. It just works, flawlessly.

I may have misunderstood your question about the upper and lower vents. I first assumed you were talking about vents inside the trailer. The vents outside, I had to block them off. I kept them removable so that I could work from outside as well as inside. Oliver sent me some old obsolete cabinet doors of white plexiglass. These can also be seen in the older forums about the installation along with commentary.

To remove the old fridge I removed the fridge door and the refrigeration unit from the back. As you get into it you’ll see what needs to be removed. Just keep the unit upright and be careful with the heat transfer putty and it can be reassembled with no issues. The NovaKool install, I removed the trailer screen door from the hinges and taped the lower hinge in the closed position. I also removed the NovaKool door and hinges and it went in sideways with 1/4 inch clearance. I also added a strip of painters tape on the entry door frame to prevent scratches. I would highly recommend that you make your own measurements before you even buy a new fridge as I think but don’t know for absolute certainty that Oliver has used slightly different door designs and maybe sizes as well. The NovaKool fit my trailer perfectly with two inch top and bottom openings. You’ll see the stages of the installation in the forums. I did however have to make two sets of upper and lower grills for the two openings. The first set I made at home out of aluminum but I didn’t like the difference in color between the aluminum grills and the stainless steel bezel around the fridge. I later had two more grills laser cut out of stainless steel.

FYI.... We recently stayed several days at Hopewell Lake in northern New Mexico near Tres Piedras at about 9,500'MSL - the Dometic fridge operated well on both gas and DC modes.

The file. I will update it if anyone else posts their TV. Tow Vehicles.xlsx

Not necessarily. LifePO4 Cells can withstand sub freezing temps for up to 3 months with no issues. If it was gonna be -20F then sure I would bring them in but 20F there would be no issue leaving them in the trailer. I put a call into Epoch to get clarification on this heater issue. I'll post what I find out. John

The west has loads of boondocking opportunities. But those of us who love the eastern half of the us can find plenty. With research. Many coe ( army corps of engineers) parks have minimal facilities, corresponding low or no fees, and amazing views. Ditto Forest service campgrounds. And state Forest sites. A few county and town sites are also off the beaten track. Do we have the rugged Western scrub/ Mesa landscape? No. But many beautiful river, dammed lake, pond , flood plain sites. It can take some research time, but even in the east, it's possible. If you get off the main roads. Sherry