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Garmin Overlander - No personal experience. I was really interested in this until I read the specs and some actual off grid reviews; if you are a “wanna be” overlander this will get your feet wet. But for actual navigation in the boonies, the maps are sorely lacking. GAIA on a tablet offers way more options, like NFS maps and MVUM (motor vehicle use maps) layers, which are critical. https://www.lifestyleoverland.com/garmin-overlander-review/ BTW on many Garmin road gps units you can easily load state 24k topo maps. You don’t need to pay $700 for that feature.... John Davies Spokane WA

Probably easier to stamp in a collar than "National Monument" too...

Too funny! Baxter State Park was the inspiration for our boy's name. I must warn you, when you are screaming his name (because he & his sister are playing tug-of-war with a possum) it sounds like you are saying something quite inappropriate.

We tow with a 2008 Ram 1500, 4x4, 5.7 hemi, because we use the truck for many purposes, and we need the 4x4 on our NC property. I'm curious for the new owners. For those of you with the smaller Elite, what's your choice?. And pros/cons.

I'd save some cash and get the RV 890 instead of the Overlander. Better hardware and updated software with a very similar feature set.

At home (when I'm banished to the bedroom as a quiet place from which to attend Zoom board meeting calls, or for quiet reading time) and in our camper van, I just pile enough pillows behind me and another under my knees to get a poor person's version of that Advanced RV bed/recliner. It's not quite the same as reclining with legs still lower than hips but it has been working well for me in any case. I must admit that one of the appeals of the Oliver for me versus other 4-season capable campers was that all the others were heavy on dark "pleather" style bulky recliners combined with stained wood cabinets. But I'll admit that I do enjoy reclining in the shade of our backyard with a book while sitting in a recliner that looks much like the one John brought into his trailer.

Advanced RV installs adjustable twin beds that function as recliners:

River paddling - WW mostly - river left/river right is determined from your downstream direction. Port = left. Starboard = right - as long as your headed downstream.....However curbside in the bottom of the royal gorge was on the left - that's where the ice-cream stand was.....back in the day.

Also it is "Johnny left 'Port'" Left is Port. But also port wine is red. Hence, leaving port, the red bouys are on your left. Then of course, "Red right returning".

Such a great place - it's one of the places I miss from New England despite having the amazing Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges very near my current home of WA.

If you are looking for an app to record all sorts of miscellaneous information, I recommend Evernote. See www.evernote.com. The free version is quite capable. There are versions for all popular platforms, including WIndows/Mac/iOS/Android. There are also web clipper plugins for all major browsers, which enable quickly saving of webpages, or portions of webpages. Multiple notebooks can be created with unlimited notes in each. The search capabilities are good and keywords are also supported. Evernote is cloud based and capable of syncing to multiple heterogeneous devices. The premium (paid) version add capabilities, but I recommend first trying the free version. I have been saving info found on the Oliver forums in Evernote to be able to categorize useful information I might use in future.

Dude - As I recall - DavidS discussed such a thing or way of doing something like what you are after, but, unfortunately I can not search for it at this moment. Perhaps a PM to him would be a quicker way to go. Bill

I’m already "warm&fuzzy", just ask anyone except Krunch. And I was already using the Absorder's or chamois's while motorcycle camping when camp towels became available, so I never have tried them. I would suggest that you compare the camp towel to the Absorber the next time you "are working at the car wash".😉 Mossey

Since my dogs are short and visually stimulated, I use corrugated sign board and 3M Command picture hanging strips to block their view. I do lose air circulation through the lower screen. And after the elections, you can recycle the political signs which will be in plentiful supply. Mossey

On a separate note, I agree with some of the comments above about starting out relatively light and adding as you go and find out what else you might need. Most of what I've wished for while out on the road has been readily available at places like Wally World, Home Depot, or various sporting goods stores that are scattered throughout the nation.

Here are a few shots of the dog connection I described in that last reply. Here's an example of a similar carabiner to what I'm using (i.e. one tested and certified for climbing use, thus assured not to be cheesy soft metal etc.). Non locking would be fine also - it's unlikely the dog would somehow maneuver the carabiner into a position where the gate would accidentally open. But since I have some of both types in my climbing gear kit, I grabbed this type. And this is the harness we use - this also helps a LOT with control of the dog while walking, is super adjustable so doesn't interfere with the dog's gait if adjusted properly, and much better distributes any load that comes when the dog might dart after a critter while on a fixed line, springy or not, versus attaching to the collar.

We use one of those plastic coated wire lines attached to a Balance brand harness on our dog (attached to the front, not the top). BUT we anchor the line to something like a picnic table or whatever is handy using one of those ultra  beefy rubber  bungies that people use to  hold down  truck  bed covers and such. I've used channel lock pliers to bend the hooks on each end to be closed, and I wrap the bungie around the anchor point and use a climbing locking carabiner (i.e. one that's been tested for relatively high tension loads, unlike the cheaper "carabiners") to clip the two hook/loops together along with the anchor end of the plastic coated wire line. The rubber provides a nice dynamic spring if the dog darts off after a squirrel or some such. A good dynamic load rope (i.e. a 9 or 10 mm dynamic climbing rope) would give some degree of spring but the rubber bungie is even more forgiving for the dog than a relatively short length of dynamic load rope (you do NOT want to use "static load" rope which has little to no give!). This has worked well for us for two dogs and well over a decade of use while van camping.

I am limiting what we take to whatever will fit in the back seat of the pickup: four totes of camping "essentials", two small totes of supplies to use on the journey to Hohenwald, bedding, and warm weather clothing. Trailer related gear (chocks, leveling blocks, tools, tire chains, anti-freeze, tank treatment, etc.) will stow in the pickup bed toolbox. In addition we are taking a cooler of food for meals on the road. Hey, if you've got the room, why not use it? We have a long drive home in December, so could be faced with weather related delays. We plan take our time and to be on the road at least 10 days. I'm sure we'll be making a few purchases after delivery.

Brian, you don't have to consider the weight of all the necessary fluids, such as gas, oil, and radiator fluid that keep the truck humming along, it is included in your GVWR.

The bed rug weighs next to nothing... don’t forget the tailgate piece... it saves my knees... I have the two separate.. but they sell all one piece as well... I’m also right at my payload limit when loaded with everything and the kitchen sink (ie: wife, dogs, generator, tools etc.).. tried an Anderson hitch with the setup and didn’t feel any difference..only added more weight.. so I prefer towing without one.. I also prefer to tow with minimal water in tanks... and air bags made a huge difference for my setup....Payload will always be a factor with a 1/2 ton truck... but its my daily driver and I love driving it... best truck on the market!

I've got one of those "bed rugs" in my F-150 and it is great. I don't know the exact weight but its light. I'd guess around 10 pounds or so. When I bought it I thought that keeping it clean just might be an issue but it is really easy to power wash. If you go this route, be sure to also consider the "rug" for the tailgate. Bill

I’ve had good luck with Champion Inverter Generators. I had a 3400 watt dual fuel that I ran only on propane. It was heavy (90+ lbs) and a little more than I needed. I sold it and bought a 2000 watt Champion on sale at Tractor Supply for $349. It only weighs 37 lbs, is very quiet and does a fine job of recharging batteries. I also tested it with the air condition (with EZ start) and it did fine.

My advice, carry your genset in the pickup bed. Don't add to the tongue weight. There are many threads on generators here. We carry a (now) 12 year old Honda 1000 that charges the batteries, when we don't have sun for the solar. Economical. We don't use it often. My sister bought a small powered by Yamaha 2000 watt at Costco for around $450. Great little generator. Champion also has a good reputation, at a similar price. Get a good cable set, and lock it to a rear wheel. Make sure you buy something you can lift. Use nonethenol fuel, and stabil.

I don’t know what inverter Oliver is installing now. The 2000 Watt Xantrex I have has two settings, On and Off. When connected to shore power I keep it “Off’ and all the AC outlets work. When not connected to shore power and I want to use an AC outlet or the microwave, I turn the inverter “On”. While plugged into shore power while in storage, I make sure the inverter is “Off” so I don’t drain the batteries if there is a power outage. I’m sure any inverter that is “Off” does not disable AC outlets when connected to shore power. Mike

Ray - My inverter is never on unless I specifically turn it on. However, my Oliver is a 2016 model Elite II. So, I'm guessing that yours could be different - but, I doubt it. Bill

lol, it's...different. Wait 'til you see the rest of the plumbing mods. Pressure testing now, before I finish insulating and tie everything down.

I'm saving this post . . . . you'll retire some day 😀

My last 2 caps were Leer. After 13 years and 150,000 miles it was evident the Cap would last as long as the truck. Highly recommend the bed rug and the Leer cap option to match.

If anyone wants to make the block I made, here's the list of pieces you'd need to order: #3075 Extrusion, 24" #4303 Bracket, 4 pieces #4302 Bracket, 2 pieces #3320 Bolt Assembly, 14 pieces You'll also need some stainless ¼" or 5/16" bolts to fix the block to the hull. I think most can be 1" or 1.25" long but you'll need two 3" bolts for the two vertical ones that go through the bed extension. I used lock nuts and large fender washers to spread the load against the fiberglass. I also cut off all the bolt ends around the bed side with a dremel and cutoff disk and filed them smooth so not to damage the mattress or cushions.