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We’ve been working our way from San Antonio to Maine since early July, stopping at state parks, COE parks and HH locations. We recently stayed at a Winery/Farm in Rhode Island, Leyden Farms, a HH location. Their wine is good, the outdoor event area is great and they have really paid attention to where their HH guests park. A great location!

Yep, we are planning to head up as soon as we can get across, probably at one of the less busy crossings in NE Washington. We plan to take five weeks on the trip starting “about” August 9. I am pretty excited, this will be virgin territory, we have explored a bit of southern AB but nothing further north. John Davies Spokane WA

Tragic event. Three young men are dead, two others in icu. A nearby generator is blamed for sending co into their travel trailer. https://people.com/human-interest/3-dead-from-carbon-monoxide-poisoning-camper-faster-horses-festival-michigan/

Well the project I’m working on isn’t quite as cool as yours that’s for sure, and is just getting underway.. but I thought I’d share.. All the potential storage space around the propane tanks has been nagging me for some attention… It just seems like a perfect place for things I don’t need very often but need a dedicated place to be stowed in Dearie. So I installed 1/2” hardware cloth in the bottom to keep stuff from falling out, and have got a couple of plastic “tubes” set up.. one for the grease gun and related stuff, the other for the winterization pump and the like. I’ll stash extra lengths of pex in a 3” capped PVC pipe that will be lashed to the hardware cloth behind the gas bottles, probably along with emergency short term winterization gear. I already have a garden hose that I use to flush the black water tank that lives in front of the gas bottle, and there is a fair amount of space in there for “something”… just gotta figure out what that something might be.. Judging by some of the older posts on this thread you have a very cool shop John, resulting in a small pang of jealousy on my part, though I’m not complaining about my workspace…. Dearie in the dooryard.. working out some storage solutions…

I think I’d go for a small job site fan rather than something that plugs in. They’re durable and obviously easily moved around. This Makita is 12 volt and comes with an AC adapter that I’m sure could easily be converted to a cigarette plug if you wanted. But I understand that they last for a good long time on a battery charge.

We were going to try to see it in Cheyenne or at the first water stop eastbound, but we are instead going to Alaska. 😬. Maybe next year….. https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/index.htm John Davies Spokane WA

That is sad, FYI these detectors have a service life of about 7 years, check the data plate to verify and scrap yours when it gets near that age. I have a spot on my service records main page for “due dates”. John Davies Spokane WA

Thanks for the info. Not sure what campground they are staying at though. I was traveling for work when we passed. Thought I would give the forum a try!

Hello everyone. I saw my first Ellite 2 in Columbus Montana today. It was beautiful. I don't want to come off as some kind of a stalker but my wife and I have been wanting to look at an Oliver for awhile. I did not get a hull number as we passed on main street but if you get this please message back. If you are still in the area and willing to show it we would absolutely be indebted to you. Thanks bunches! Harley.

We had the exact same issue with our 3000w Xantrex inverter (hull #699); apparently ours came from the same mold as yours 😏 There must have been a batch of bad components when ours were assembled - namely the communication board. Here is our story: The inverter/remote panel functioned fine the first couple of days, while we were still in Tennessee. The "20" code did not pop up until we were headed West for home (of course!). When we returned home, we read posts and decided we needed to update the firmware; Oliver concurred and Jason emailed use the update file. After multiple attempts to install the update, and phone support with Oliver, they ran out of ideas at which point Jason suggested we contact Xantrex. This was back in March, I believe. At any rate, Xantrex was not inundated with support requests at the time. They spent a lot of time on the phone with me trying to get to the bottom of the issue - multiple reboots, checking communication cables and connections, etc. They finally decided the inverter had a bad communication board; inverter/charger itself works fine and the display on the inverter was functioning. Using it without the remote panel, wasn't an acceptable option, since it it hard to get to the inverter and even harder to see to display to monitor power. At that time, Xantrex wanted us to send the inverter in for repair, estimating a 2 week turnaround. I called Oliver because that would put us without power for a long period of time. Jason tried to convince Xantrex to send us a new inverter, but they declined that option. Thus, Oliver stepped in and sent us a new one from their stock and instructions on how to install. We then returned the defective unit. I will say, the bad inverter was no fault of Oliver since it worked when we took delivery and they were not yet aware of the "20" code problem. The installation was easy, though removing the attaching screws was a bit tricky (I suggest you put something on the "floor" under the inverter in the event one of the screws is dropped; the voice of experience speaking). Oliver offered to walk us through the install, but I had them email written instructions and, being it was pretty straightforward, we attempted it on our own and had success. Kudos to Oliver, for going above and beyond to keep us on the road. We had another component warranty problem with the Dometic stove; On a trip to Utah, one of the burners detached from the stove. We had to take it to a Dometic Service Center (2 1/2 hr drive, one way from home), for them to diagnose. They determined they were unable to repair the stove and would have to submit a request for replacement under warranty. The service center kept us posted, but were not getting a prompt response from Dometic, which is to be expected with current demands. All the while, Jason and I kept in touch with the situation (I had submitted a service ticket). Last week, the service center called and wanted us to bring the trailer back in because they needed more pictures for the warranty submission. They tried to tell me Oliver was requesting the pictures, which was not true; I asked and Jason had not contacted them about this. So, I expect someone in the Dometic Service Center didn't get or send the necessary pics. I was a bit abrupt with them - expecting us to return, only to have the stove taken out again for inspection, then have to return again (who knows when) to have a replacement installed. I don't know if this is Dometic's way to get you to give up and just buy a new stove (if you can find one) or simply an honest mistake. At any rate, they said they could fit us in to get it taken care of. At this point, Jason stepped up and said he was certain Dometic would (eventually) honor the warranty, but knew they were taking a long while to processes warranties. However, making multiple trips back and forth to Medford and being without a stove was not acceptable. As we speak, a new stove is on the way from Oliver. Jason spoke with the Dometic Service Center, telling them he was sending us a new stove. And, since they had already planned to remove the defective stove and put it back in, he expected them to do the installation at that time. Oliver is covering the cost and will process the warranty for reimbursement at their end. If you need to know more about the inverter install, I might be able to locate my notes 😇

Nice pictures HH should use them for the photo of the week👍🏼

I just reinstalled a bottle and checked my hoses, one is leaking at the crimp. They are going on five years old and are rock hard. This is the part, shipping is expensive. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PM95NEM/?coliid=I20IDOXDDJULOK&colid=1X5H11EH41351&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it I found an eBay source and ordered two for $40 delivered. I would not buy a steel braided one for a couple of reasons. You cannot inspect the rubber to see if it is deteriorating, and no name brands are more likely to fail, with poor quality construction and materials. There is no reason to buy a steel braided hose unless it is to reduce chafing. I also ordered a couple of brass 1/4” pipe thread “street elbows”, I am going to install them between the regulator body and the small internal check valve fitting that the hose connects to, to give a better angle at that connection. The OEM setup puts a severe strain on the hose because it has to twist sharply. Edit, still waiting on new hoses, but I went ahead and installed the 90 degree elbows. Here is a shot showing the OEM setup and the modified setup. The latter lets the hose lie naturally without that horrible tight reverse bend. It also gives a little extra clearance for removing the bottle. John Davies Spokane WA

I purchased a new F250 Super Duty two years ago, the truck is a 2019. It has the 6.7 diesel and the suspension includes the camper package that includes a rear stabilizer bar, the front stabilizer bar is one step stiffer, but less than the snowplow option. There are two bed lengths and mine is the shorter of the two. I did tow my LE 2 on a 1,200 trip recently and it towed great. Smooth and no sway or bounce. My fuel mileage is 19 combined with no trailer or load, with the LE2 I averaged 14.5 and that was through the Smokey mountains. I am very happy with the truck and the Oliver. Recently I added the Undercover Flex Armor bed cover for the 6’ 9” bed and very pleased with that as well. Steve

Based on issues I've been dealing with for half a year now w/o resulution I strongly suggest including a check of the firmware versions on your Xantrex inverter if you have one in your unit as well as the version of the firmware in your inverter remote panel. If they're not current ask Oliver to update them for you before you leave and if they won't update properly ask that they replace the inverter unit in your trailer.

Welcome Dave and Kimberly! This forum is a great source of information, as I am sure you've already gathered! Enjoy the anticipation!

I am almost finished with bathroom vents, to allow airflow out the roof fan with both the window and the door closed. I took this shot over the door a little while ago, right after I sealed the wood core with spar varnish, I thought is was kind of “UFO cool”. I also added a set of holes into the closet to vent the trapped heat that accumulates in the top. John Davies Spokane WA

The Mikita fan would certainly fill the Clam requirement. But it would be hard to decorate around the Mikita blue. Mossey

It is still is not definite, the US government has not agreed to opening the border, so we might get INTO Canada, but might not be allowed into Alaska, or back into the other 48 States. I hope this is settled in the next week. White House won't commit to reopening northern border, despite announcement from Canada I am not a risk taker. My wife was stranded in New Zealand with my daughter sixteen months ago by Covid, it destroyed their vacation and it was not clear if they would even be allowed to fly home…. I don’t want a repeat of that situation. Though I can think of worse situations than getting stuck in the Yukon in an Ollie. unless it extends into winter. John Davies Spokane WA

Short answer - yes. I think the Sirocco ll is the most expensive fan Caframo makes and there are less expensive model’s available. And be sure to shop around because the Amazon price is extremely high compared to the price I paid of about $100. Mossey

Sounds like it should be a great trip. Will be interested in your lessons learned. We hope to make it to Alaska sometime! Mike

This is a Caframo Sirocco ll fan that I mounted on a piece of scrap oak and added a 12v cigarette lighter plug and enough wire to use in different locations in the Ollie. Mossey Mossey

Have a great time. The Yukon is our favorite camping area.

Looks like you have a (probable) green light. If you're vaccinated. https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/19/world/us-canada-border-opening/index.html

Glad I could give you directions to the Fountain of Youth. 😄

Stony Fork Campground near Wytheville, VA.. A real gem! Nice deep sites (only 40+), multiple trout streams, clean restrooms/showers. received_971523106724921.mp4

Debbie and I camped at Linville Falls Campground on the Blue Ridge Parkway earlier this week. It's a Federal campground without electric or water hookups, but beautiful and $10 per night with the geezer card. High temps were in the upper 70s. Table Rock Mountain just to the right of Ollie on NC Rt. 181 on the way to Linville Falls: We hiked a mile from Table Rock parking/picnic area to the top of Table Rock NC: