Leaderboard

In 2006, I rode my bicycle unsupported across country to celebrate my 50th birthday. Sure it was repetitive and God-awful long across the prairies, but those are some of my fondest memories of the trip. I remember with great affection the flint hills of Kansas, camping under infinite skies, combines to the horizon, golden bales of hay. I suspect that creating these unanticipated memories are why many of us got our Ollies in the first place.

I often spend a lot of time discussing big purchases on this forum. But, it's often the little things that make our days (or nights. ) What's your best purchase, under $20, that you use all the time? I have many, but I will start with a few: Harbor freight flashlight. Used to be free with a coupon, now it's under a dollar. The hook on the front I can hang off my collar. I love these flashlights. Two modes, bright leds. I use them all the time.

This key chain ready Olight 3EOS is hands down one of the best little lights I have ever owned. It’s extremely bright and is an excellent lamp unto your path. We have several.

Hull numbers no longer correspond to the VIN. I think the change to the VIN sequence started with the 2019 model but I could be wrong. Current trailers will come with a small plaque with the hull number on it. Once your trailer is in production and has been assigned a hull number, your salesperson will be able to give it to you. I believe that Oliver is putting the trailer number on the back of all the trailers now also.

An accumulator tank is a water chamber which has a pre-pressurized internal air bladder. They are installed on the pressured side of your pump and dampen water pressure 'spikes', reduce pump cycling, help increase the pump's life and also save battery power.

Paddled a canoe from Fort Lupton CO to Phippsburg ME long ago. As a young man from New England, I was blown away by how endless the sky seemed to be. I’ll never forget it..I can’t wait to visit as many places as possible, regardless of where they are once we pick up our new Ollie in November..

I know several RVers that Velcro a couple of those lights to the exterior of their camper. The theory is that if/when a critter (or human) sees that light come on they will leave. I wonder if it actually works at least for any critter of any size. I do know of at least one black bear that really doesn't care if a "security" light is on or not. Bill

I just picked these up flash light rechargeable $13.00 key holder $15.00

On my recent fly fishing trip to Wyoming I stumbled upon a Forest Service "de-commissioned" campground. My destination was fishing the Buffalo Fork River and I knew that there was a large Forest Service campground (Turpin Meadows) at the end of the paved Buffalo Valley Road. I also knew that there are numerous boondocking sites on this road. However, when I arrived I found the Turpin Meadows campground FULL and even the availability of many of the boondocking sites were hard to come by. So, as I headed west back toward Moran Junction I saw a small sign 9/10th of a mile west of Turpin Meadows for Box Creek Trail Head. The 3/4 mile dirt road ends at the trail head where there are 8 campsites. The Forest Service took away the picnic tables but left the bear boxes. While the pit toilet is not "serviced" by the Forest Service (this means that it is not cleaned nor do they provide TP) the campers using this facility do sweep it out and the result is that it is in better shape than the average. There is water but it is marked that it is not potable, however, both potable water and trash disposal can be done at Turpin Meadows. During the week I camped here it was never full and most nights there were only three of us staying there. It is super quiet but certainly be "bear aware". So, if you are in the Grand Teton area and want to get away from the crowds but still want great hiking and/or good fishing without a long drive on a dirt road, you might want to consider Box Creek. There are stunning views of the Tetons from many of the hiking trails, from the river and from the drive west on Buffalo Valley Road. GPS: N 43 degrees 51minutes 42.5 seconds, W 110 degrees 17 minutes 39.0 seconds Bill

Here is a load/ pressure chart I made using Michelin data. I plan to tape it to the inside of the closet door next to my Towing Checklist. Their info is published as a Flash page and it does not run well (or at all!) on some computers. Attached is a Word Doc that you can print and laminate if you like, or just insert the whole page into your Owners Manual. printed at 100% it gives a 5 inch long placard. Oliver-Michelin-Inflation-Tire-Chart-122017.docx BTW I have suggested to Matt Duncan that this should become a new Tech Bulletin. John Davies Spokane WA

That’s the pump we use, works fine.

We tried that boondocking in Colorado. The darn thing turned on & off all night long but I never saw anything. Maybe it worked but I couldn't sleep & didn't put it out anymore. 🙈 Another good place to put it is behind your steps. Handy if you leave during the day & return after dark but failed to turn on courtesy lights. The key is to remember it when you leave. We only have two now. Oops.

Luckily technology provides choices: We no longer depend upon one type of rubber compound for all conditions. We have low resistance summer tires of all types depending on price you get what you purchase, , Adhesive rubber traction winter compounds and mud terrain tires. Chains are desirable in snow on the rear drive wheels but on most passenger style vehicles using chains in mud may cause vehicle body damage as the mud packs into the wheel wells. Mud terrain chuck the muck with self cleaning cleat design. No containment on the tire and small pieces thrown clear of tire tread. I've experienced dragging a trailer 21 miles on/through gumbo (mud/clay) as the tires did not have self clearing cleats. Hair raising experience cross wooden bridges down and up embankments. The tow vehicle had Michelin M/S tires. Not an aggressive tread at all but pulled the trailer and powered the truck to a gravel road that looked like an oasis. Amazing! I purchased Hankook Mud terrain for the tow vehicle and mud terrain tires for the trailer as spares. Bottom line. If possible use the required tires or stay safe and stay put. Be prepared.

Finally gave up tent camping and pulled the trigger on 2021 LE II last Friday. Scheduled P/U date is 6/25/21 anyone know how accurate Oliver's time lines are? I will be retiring this November and looking forward to hitting the road next summer. Any tips for a new owner welcome. Thanks All Gary

This confuses a lot of folks. Legally you have to carry chains for those passes. You do NOT have to install them if the signs say “Chains Required” if you have 4WD/AWD and traction tires installed and are not towing. Normally if things are bad enough that all vehicles must chain up, the DOT closes down the road until it gets cleared of spun out vehicles. Traction tires, not the same as M&S, have the snowflake/ mountain symbol on the sidewall and have a little different rubber that won’t slip quite as much when the road is freezing cold. (However they are not true snow tires, which must not be run in warmer seasons because they have really soft rubber, they get squirmy and wear out incredibly fast on dry hot pavement.) Nokian makes one truck tire with a snowflake that can be used year round (WR G4). There are a few more agressive All Terrains available like the BFG TA K/O2 that have the symbol. This stuff changes constantly, so you have to do your research. https://info.kaltire.com/what-is-the-winter-tire-symbol/ https://www.tirebuyer.com/education/all-terrain-vs-winter-tires# The big problem is finding these tires in non standard sizes. I run Nokian LT2 non studded from mid-November through late February on their own wheels. When they wear out (50% tread) I may try the BFG snowflake AT tires for October through April, since sometimes I encounter non-snow conditions like mud where a conventional tight snow tire tread is hopeless. And sometimes I am running my mud tires in the shoulder seasons and encounter snow on the passes. But ATs are hopeless in some offroad situations and throw gravel like crazy..... And pure snow tires are so very wonderful on black ice. Darn it, so many compromises.... and we haven’t even mentioned TPMS for your second set of wheels yet, another great big can of worms. John Davies Spokane WA CF5322C1-E628-4908-9FF9-2D19AB196C67.webp

Great topic! We love these little motion detection lights. No need to turn on a light when you get up in middle of night. You get three for $29. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002FCGI8Y?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

I have "real" chains as opposed to cables (https://www.etrailer.com/p-TC3829.html) on the truck. I chose the V Bar linked chains for the best traction in deep snow AND ice because I carry them skiing in the Rockies with me, but I haven't had to use them yet (thankfully). I also bought the spring tensioner (https://www.etrailer.com/p-TCSA2.html), although I'm not convinced they are absolutely necessary. I saw a lot of positive reviews for the spring tensioners mentioned with these particular chains. I also noticed that these chains are on sale (at least right now) for a lot less than I paid several years ago.

Update to an old thread. I am now running 42 psi which seems a decent compromise between tire temperature, tread wear and cushioning. I do notice a negative effect on fuel economy when they are not rock hard. Coincidentally, that value is the exact same as in my Land Cruiser LT 10 ply tires. The truck and trailer weigh about the same and that makes it easy for me to remember .... If you don’t have TPMS in your Ollie, run a higher pressure for a better safety margin. John Davies Spokane WA

I think the hull numbers are a running sequential listing from the beginning of production. Ours is hull number 178. We took delivery in Oct. 2016 and it is considered a 2017 model.

Since most of us are stuck inside due to the rain today at Guntersville state park. And hey no leaks anywhere Ollie is solid 🤞How about a shoutout to those who are here. And what site everyone is in. Hopefully will get some sunshine soon. Grant E-27

Out here, in Oregon, we want the rain . . . . send yours our way . . . . . Please!!!!

So sorry about the rain. Isn't there a winery nearby? I know there is a cave that can be explored. Twist and I are with all of you in spirit. Stay safe! Bill

You probably know this, but it's not a good plan to skip the chains based on planning to simply sit out any snow events. There are some roadways where they're required to be in the vehicle all season long whether they're required to be on the tires at the moment or not, and you never know when you might get caught in an unexpected snow squall. You sound like a cautious and well informed individual so this is likely not necessary input 🙂 but it seems worth mentioning in any thread like this for folks who may not have spent much time in western states...

Thanks everyone! Very much appreciate all of the thoughtful replies. I change my mental list of options hourly at this point but I’m leaning toward keeping it simple - probably just solar and batteries. Subject to change by laying my eyes on shiny stuff and deciding I need it. All of it. After reading my eyes out on all the forums it occurs to me that the community of owners is possible the greatest feature. My wife and I have an old farmhouse with an exhaustingly busy Airbnb business (and full-time jobs) and it’s a ton of work fixing all the stuff that inevitably breaks around here. In that I’m mostly on my own. Might be nice for a change to have some experts to lean on for advice and guidance.

I don’t have any for “Mouse” because I won’t tow in winter. I am not sure what size tire they are installing. Call your sales rep and ask. Then get a single set of Z-Chains (or a clone) in that size. They should have a zig zag pattern rather than straight across. That ensures that there is always a wire in contact with the ground for best braking traction, and it reduces the thump thump thump if you have to tow slowly on a hard surface. Some local auto parts stores offer free return of unused cables in the spring, that might be worth looking into. If you plan on camping in very marginal weather, then keep them, just in case they are ever needed. They are light and not bulky. If you plan to winter camp (skiing) then you need to have and use two sets on the trailer. https://www.peerlesschain.com/brands/traction-product-choices/z-chain/ John Davies Spokane WA

Glad to hear you are safe in regards to the Holiday Farm Fire. We have no fires in our area, but did experience the smoke and ash. Our son, however, lives outside Estacada and was evacuated for a week (Riverside Fire). The fire line was less than 2 miles from their property. Thankfully the fire is being contained, and they returned home and have a home to return to. Speaking of eggs: there were no eggs at our grocery store last week, due to the fires. Apparently the supplier, Willamette Farms, was evacuated. They must have reopened because we have eggs again. But, no bottled water, again a result of fire evacuations. I agree, it is nice that Covid, protest, riot and political news have been shadowed by news of the wildfires, although it is sad to see the aftermath of these fires - families displaced, homes lost, and our beautiful state charred and devastated. Yes, we welcome the rain. And, yes, these are interesting times. But I want Normal back.

So, the news itself was exciting, but the outdoor event (with the shareholder audience sitting in a couple hundred Tesla 3's, tooting horns in place of applauding) had little of the glitz and fun of a Tesla vehicle launch. (I had a hard time staying awake through parts of the two hour livestream, actually.) The big news items: A new, bigger tabless battery cell, the 4680, to be built in-house, by Tesla, with streamlined manufacturing to reduce the time and cost. The new cell will increase energy by 5x, power by 6x, and add 16% to the range. Tesla will continue to buy from others for many of their cars, so my guess is the new battery technology may go into the cybertruck. Phase out the use of cobalt, and diversify chemistries of cathodes. Announced plans to build their own cathode factory in North America. Cut the cost of battery packs by 50 per cent, eventually. All of the above will allow building an affordable 25k Tesla.

Hi Lexi, thank you to you & Oliver! As a quasi event planner in a previous life, I learned to capitalize on someone else's legwork. My suggestion is to find out where other RV groups hold their rallies & go from there. We're heading west next year & hope we can work this into our itinerary!!! Chris

Dave - Sherry pretty well nailed it in that several years ago Oliver standardized all wiring harnesses making it easier to add things later. However, unless you are very handy and desire to install things yourself without the included warranty, it is simply easier and even cost effective to order your Oliver as close as possible to the way you really want it. A bit unfortunately though - as Mike points out - how do you know the way you want it since you have never had it? Besides boondocking solar does give you greater flexibility in not worrying so much about running out of electricity. On the other hand, unless you really plan on boondocking a bunch, the extra money spent on the composting toilet is questionable. Door locks are very easy to replace later and you can find them on sale. Besides, looking for keys in the dirt versus trying to remember or even find the right button to push when one is ...... seems like a toss up to me. In five years I've never needed that inside basement access door. But recently I learned that several people use that door as an area in the basement for storing shoes. Great idea! I don't have a cell phone so that booster is of no use to me. But I do use the WiFi booster a bunch - not in campgrounds where bandwidth tends to be an issue but when traveling. I simply pull into the parking lot of almost any fast food place or Walmart or Lowes or ... an use their WiFi without going inside. Bottom line is you have to think about how, when and where you want to use your Oliver. Yes, listen to the experience you read about here but apply your own filters. For instance, state of the art batteries are great. But can you justify the current expense of them when a set of 4 AGMs should last a good 7 plus years and cover most situations you will find? Good luck and remember the first paragraph above. Also, it is better to get out there "doing stuff" than it is trying to plan the "perfect" rig. Bill

I get surprised at what I can't find. We were given eggs also weekly during the first couple of months of Covad. but I couldn't find a roll of toilet paper, and we make it here locally. We were down to the last 1/2 roll of TP, then I was blessed to find a six pack on the shelf. Right now I am thankful that I still have a house, and it is no longer raining ash and burnt pine needles. I am truly thankful for the rain last Friday and I can breath air that is not smoke filled and dangerous. I think it will be awhile that I complain about the continuous rain in Oregon. Now I can go back to thinking about Covad and Protest/riots. What an interesting time we have been living in.

I don't own an Ollie yet, but I will by next June, so I'm in! I don't have any experience with good, or even poor, rally sites, but just let me know when and where, and I'll be there! Thanks Lexi!

Criteria for a great Oliver Rally Venue First, THANKS to Lexi, Matt and Oliver for putting together a Western Oliver Rally It is important that we have a venue that promotes socialization and sharing of all things Oliver. It does need to be a venue that promotes sharing of ideas, making new friends and seeing old friends. We have alot we can learn from each other and this is one of the greatest values offered by the rallies, wherever they may occur. Also, human nature and needs dictate we come to gather for dining and sharing. A campground without such resources will be adversely impact the value of the rally for many. I am suggesting some of the criteria we need to measure against when recommending a location for any rally. Full hookups, dining venue and kitchen, dog friendly, 100+ campsites, enclosed facility to allow socialization, open discussions, nearby accommodations, local attractions, cultural events, dining alternatives, shopping, quiet campground, reasonable weather, easy access from across the US, etc. For Oliver to sponsor the rally, sales of new units is a consideration. The rally location should have the ability for those wanting to see an Oliver to purchase; a nearby place to stay that the cost, commute and accommodations are reasonable. As David Stillman pointed out in his post that Lake Guntersville State Park offered such accommodations when he attended the rally to view an Oliver. Each year we have several families that attend the rally to not only see an Oliver for the first time, they want to speak to Oliver owners to learn about the Good (lots of that!) the Bad (very little of this) and the Ugly (no way...Olivers are beautiful) If we are going to recommend a location, I suggest we apply some of this criteria before we post. Oliver staff is supporting this new rally and I think Oliver would appreciate that we do our "Due Diligence" before recommending a rally location. It is not so much for me the location as the journey getting there. I always look forward to the trip. Goodness!!! many of us travel across the US in January to Arizona to camp on the desert with 100,000 other RVers. Getting there and coming home is 3/4 the enjoyment of the venture. Not a rally, definitely !! As a recommendation, please look at this campground to see if it meets the criteria, is a location that offers things you would like to see (google activities in September) and tickles your tastebuds !! Just an example http://www.rt66rvresort.com/

Sharing good news . . . . . . . the Pacific Northwest woke up to the sound of rain this morning, bringing hope to firefighters as they begin day 10 of the devastating wildfires in our region. "Thank You" is not enough to express our gratitude to all the men and women who have given so much to protect our loved ones, homes, and resources.

I worked in magazine publishing for years and I can vouch that it's a business in upheaval. There aren't many relevant magazines left. We still want great content but we've been trained that it should be free.

Two for $1.99. Can’t beat ‘em.

Here's another. An ice cube tray that won't spill water underway. I bought mine in Australia years ago for 2 or 3 dollars, but the OXO version is nicer, with the silicon lid,, even though a little more.

Your title probably would draw more interest if it had the number 50 in it 😉. I'm guessing that the answer to your question is multi-faceted. Many times these things are in the eye of the beholder. And, or course it can be argued that black, grey, and brown do not show the dirt as fast as many other colors. However, with the Olivers it is so easy to decorate with just about any colors you want. Even the cushions are easily changed if that is your desire. Bill

Been "offline" as I started a new job. But I did pre-order the cyber truck. It's refundable so I can see how the details work out. 1) It's got a 6.5" bed with what looks to be an actual weather/dustproof design. 2) It's a hair shorter than an F150 with a 5.5" bed. 3) standard air suspension 4) Price parity with any of the big three trucks by the time you get them to adaptive cruise/blindspot/forward collision/ lane departure. Lariat is 65k, Laramie is 61k, LTZ is 62k. These will sell for less, but by the time you figure in the savings in fuel costs, they probably cost more than the 500 mile Tesla. 5) Convenience - it is a bit of a toss up, but if I have a 50A receptacle when I pull in for the night, that's 160 kWh that I could add overnight without having to make a fuel stop as either the first thing in the morning or last thing at night. However, it means my midday stop for most days will be confined to where a supercharger is, and lunch will be whatever is close by. It does mean for "travel" days we probably don't want to boondock as ending or starting the day on the supercharger isn't ideal. Where it wins is for my day to day life, it means never going to a gas station. 6) it says it's coming with a 240v receptacle and a 120v. If the amperage is higher on these (it sounds like it might be), then I just got a nice power bank for my trailer. Like enough to run the AC for a couple/few weeks. It will also have an option for its own solar that is capable of ~15 miles/day of charging 7) even if Rivian or Ford come out with an electric truck that matches this in every way, the Electrify America/non-tesla network of fast chargers just sucks right now. I'm hoping that this works well with towing with the existing supercharger network as well as the buildout tesla is doing for the tesla semi. 8 ) Tesla is the only manufacturer that has made their cars better over time. My FoMoCo product is pretty much the same as when it was released with only a few buggy updates. The maps refuse to update (which required going to a website, formatting a USB properly, copying files over, renaming a .tar.gz file to get it to copy, and then still failed). In the meantime, Tesla dropped dog mode (keeps doggo cool in the car while you go shopping), sentry mode (records action around the car using the 360 camera), dashcam mode (duplicates having a gopro front and rear (and then updated it to include sides too)), upgraded charging to 250kW, Navigate on Auto Pilot (car chooses proper lanes and handles interchanges), and a bunch of other features. Lincoln came out with the Nautilus that supports lane centering (enhanced lane keep assist), but not even the 2020 Navigator supports it. What remains to be seen is how well this is adapted to towing (anti-sway/reversing/does blind spot cover the trailer/etc..). How they expand/improve their superchargers for charging. The looks don't really strike my fancy, but the same goes for about all new trucks sold. At least this one doesn't come with watercolor paint that will die at the first blackberry bush/branch/fingernail it meets. In the end, if it doesn't work out -- I will get my $100 back.

Last week I tried to buy eggs at our local grocery store . . . . . nada . . . . zero . . . . the supplier of eggs for our store (the only store in town) had to evacuate, due to Oregon wildfires. Today I found eggs again, but now the shelves that are usually full of bottled water (I need distilled for making pickles) were bare. If you are travelling in the PNW, know that bottled water might be hard to find as it is being bought by the thousands of Oregonians still evacuated from their homes. First Covid creates a shortage of TP, sanitizers, bleach, flour, yeast . . . . . . . the list goes on. Now the Wildfires are impacting the supply chain, as well . . . . . . . be mindful of your expectations when purchasing disaster sensitive commodities.