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We used to buy bottled water but that is a pure disaster (pun intended) in terms of storage and disposal. This pitcher is available for $30 in many places like Home Depot, replacement filters are easy to find, are about $9 each, and are good for 30 gallons. PUR 7 Cup Pitcher at Amazon Standard filters: Pur Replacement Filters We use an apple juice bottle for a storage tank, it normally stays on the galley counter near the cooktop. We refill our personal water bottles from that and when it is empty, we refill the juice bottle with water from the pitcher, and then refill the pitcher from the galley faucet. Since we don’t use the bathroom sink at all, the pitcher goes on that counter top near the faucet - it takes about ten minutes to “strain” all the water by gravity into the lower compartment. It is out of the way there when not needed, except for showers. For towing, the EMPTY pitcher goes into the top front of the pantry, with a full juice bottle behind it, and with dry goods wedged in so it will not shift. The lid is not sealed and you can’t transport the pitcher with water in it! It fits amazingly well, as if it were designed for this space. The reason we use the apple juice bottle is that we will always have at least that much drinking water when we stop for lunch or for the evening, and we don’t need to get the PUR pitcher out and filled until it has a safe place to sit overnight. This has been working great for two seasons now and I highly recommend this method over bottled water or drinking straight out the faucet. If you have access to good water, you can just keep the pitcher stored away and refill the juice bottle as needed. EDIT: Changed capacity and Amazon link, sorry I made a mistake on the initial posting. EDIT: If your used but dried out filter won’t flow water, remove it and soak it in water for 15 minutes. This will rejuvenate it, and this is the method you use for a brand new replacement. If it still won’t flow, install a new one. EDIT 08/02/23 If you want to conserve, fill the pitcher from the faucet while waiting for the water to get hot, instead of letting it go down the drain. John Davies Spokane WA

This is Canyon Point USFS Campground. It’s about 30 miles east of Payson, AZ. 7,700 feet, perfect weather in early August (low 50s at night, high 70s afternoon). There are two loops, some sites have 30a hookups, most do not. Highly recommended.

Wow. Now I know why it's been discussed but no one has tried anything like I was thinking. I don't think I'll be removing the tank either if I can't take it out whole and replace it if we ever decide to sell or switch toilets. I'll just rest easy for now knowing that I have a spare tank on board that won't need any special attention. Thanks Overland and SeaDawg for sharing your thoughts and experience. I'll just have to make do with various water storage containers to make it all work if/when we'll be camping dry for an extended period.

It's been discussed several times before, but to my knowledge, no one has followed through with anything. I removed my black tank and use the space for storage, if that counts. I'm certain that something is possible, but only with a lot of work and lowered expectations. And I think that combination, combined with plentiful, inexpensive, and much simpler solutions for storing extra water elsewhere, is why no one ever follows up. Specifically to what you're thinking - I certainly wouldn't want to use the black tank for both fresh and grey water - I don't think you can sanitize it nearly as thoroughly as you'd need. I do think that you could fairly simply transfer fresh water from the black tank to the fresh, but you'd have to remove the drain connection between the black and grey tanks to prevent contamination, and then remove the check valve on the cleanout port so that you could use to it both fill and empty the tank. Perhaps replace it with a manual valve. And you'd have to add an overflow of some sort. But if you did all that, then you could just simply run hose from there to the boondocking port and pump the water in. But, I think that's a lot of trouble when compared to a couple of $15 plastic jugs in the bed of your truck.

People do get set in their ways when they get that old. 👴🏻

This must be a millennial thing. Us boomers just buy big trucks. 😎

Yes, for 2021. I will be talking with my sales rep today or tomorrow; I will get more details. Update: Both the powered standard awning and powered pro awning are made by Girard. The standard has vinyl fabric (grey), LED lights, manual override with crank and power switch inside the trailer. The the Pro upgrade is canvas fabric, has LED lights, manual override with crank wind sensor, and manual override with crank. I asked, since they are legless awnings, if there was a way to tilt them slightly so moisture can run off. No adjustment needed; they are designed to be installed slightly lower on one side so they naturally shed water, though not intended for heaving rain or snow. I also asked if either could be used entirely with manual crank. The answer was that the crank/manual operation is only for emergency use, when power is not available, or in the case of motor failure. I asked if the pro awning, with remote, could also be powered from a switch in the trailer (in the even the remote fails or gets lost). I did not get a for certain answer, but since we are opting for the standard non-remote awning, I didn't request that info. Forgot to ask the model numbers.

Learn new stuff everyday. I wonder if the GM professional who wrote the second paragraph knows GM discontinued generators 50 years ago. Regulated Voltage Control (RVC) is GMs' platform for computer controlled charging systems. This system is designed to raise and lower the alternator's voltage set point based on vehicle electrical needs. This maximizes charging system efficiency by reducing voltage output when higher voltages are not required. Camper/Trailer Battery Charging Concerns: Some customers may comment that when towing or hauling a camper/trailer, the auxiliary battery for the camper/trailer will not stay charged. In most cases, this concern is blamed on the new RVC system. While the RVC system does reduce the generator's targeted output voltage to 12.6-13.1 volts when in "Fuel Economy Mode", this feature is bypassed if the tow/haul feature is enabled. With the tow/haul feature enabled, the RVC system will stay in "Charge Mode" and the targeted generator output voltage will be 13.9-15.5 volts, depending on the battery state of charge and the estimated battery temperature. To keep the generator in the "Charge Mode", use either of the following two methods. • The first method is to use the tow/haul mode when towing or hauling a camper or trailer. • The second method is to turn on the headlights, which will increase the generator's targeted output voltage to 13.9-14.5 volts.

Going on 5 years and no failure from our Suburban tank.

I suspect the Zamp controller and the Progressive Dynamics AC/DC distribution panel are independently regulating charge to the batteries. If the batteries are charged, neither is delivering current. Your 2013 truck probably doesn’t have an RVC function.

David, mine is the 7 cup, thanks for seeing my mistake... I will correct the description and title. Model number PTT711W as per the bottom label. I dumped the contents just so I could check for you..... 😀 The Amazon page for the bigger one mentions model number PT111W toward the bottom. The 7 cup Amazon page has no MN listed. See pics. Either the 7 or 11 cup model should both fit in the pantry, they share the same dimensions except the bigger one is about 1.5” thicker. Since you already have the big one, can you please check the fit in the top shelf and report back? Thanks. John Davies Spokane WA

A small collapsible bladder tank may be a better, and easier, choice? A hose to the fill fitting. Easier to drive to refill if needed. Takes no space when not needed

You’ll find that even taking the tank out for storage space gives limited benefit and isn’t all that easy. I had to chop mine into pieces to get it out, which was fun but also not fun. You could of course take out the toilet floor and remove the tank in one piece but that’s even more trouble. Then there’s the question of what to do with that space. It’s narrow and not easily accessed so you need to put some thought into what you’d actually store there before you go through the trouble. I cut out a hatch in the floor just smaller than the footprint of the toilet, added a tray underneath and that’s where I store extra bags of peat for the toilet. That actually works quite well since of course you have to remove the toilet to empty it, so there’s your extra peat. I also gained a bit more space under the dinette seat and that’s where I carry spares, my repair kit, and an electric heater.

I had a call from Rodney Lomax yesterday asking if we'd like to bump up our build date a couple of months . . . . Of course I said yes! Consequently, we need to decide on our options and submit our order by the end of the month. I told him we had a 2021 build sheet, but it didn't reflect the awning changes and he sent a new one. I asked the differences in the standard powered awning and the powered pro awning (upgrade). Standard - vinyl fabric; LED light strip; power switch inside (no remote). Pro - canvas fabric; LED light strip; remote control (I didn't ask if it also had a hard wired switch); wind sensor. Maybe from this info, you can tell which Girard models they are; there aren't many listed on their site.

Imagine this. You are traveling a back road, because interstates all look pretty much all alike. The afternoon is getting long and then you see it. An old stone building along the side of a lazy stream. There is a slow turning water wheel making an occasional squeaking and gurgling sound. The trees are just starting to turn to a beautiful range of shades from reds to yellows to oranges. There is a wide flat gravel drive and a grassy area, with picnic tables, next to the stream. Scenes like this, and many others, are available all over this country. The Oliver is built for you to get to enjoy these scenes in comfort. Without plugging in you can have lights, heat, water, a bed, food, and other creature comforts only a few feet behind you as you gaze about to see what this country has to offer. Enjoy...

Mike, as your Oliver is one of the early ones, it likely has two 3-way valves instead of the 4 on-off valves of later builds. The is the original (as delivered) valves in our Hull # 050. Maybe this will help trouble shoot your valve positions. This a photo of the later valve layout. They both do the same thing, but the factory altered their manufacturing plan. I removed my manual valves and replaced them with electric ones. Now a flip of a switch takes me from "Normal" to "Auxiliary".

Head toward the front so we can watch TV. Wait, that TV has not been on in years.

Not sure you might need such an expensive kit, unless you have the training to use? At Sportsman Guide you can get some military surplus kits that are relatively extensive, there is usually even surgical kits. We carry a small kit in the cabinet, plus a kit in the truck. Plus a small bottle of Peroxide. We have added EMT scissors and a curved tip pair to the kit. Tweezers were added, along with Kling. One later addition has been finger/thumb bandages. Again, get a kit, see what it has and then adapt to your needs, expertise, and destination.