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I've always been a sucker for Italian cars. I know of the Alfasud. The flat four with fuel injection was a big deal at that time. Now, we have a 1971 Fiat 500 in our garage. Two cylinders, 24 horsepower, 9 feet from bumper to bumper at 1,100 lbs. You can't get a WDH for one of these either. The parts falling off of it are among the finest in Italian engineering. Anyway, it's more reliable than any Alfa I've ever owned.

Well then I'd definitely opt for a hard shell camper. I'd guess that as far as the shell goes, Ollies are the toughest of the brands you've mentioned.

You guys are nuts - you can't track a Bigfoot with a trailer in tow, no matter how rugged it is. You've got to go for a basecamp / chase vehicle combo. So just concentrate on softroad capability for the trailer, and then kit out your tow vehicle for when you're on the hunt. I'd recommend the Elite I and Mr. Davies' favorite Landcruiser.

The variable you need to change in the Xantrex is P28. I have similar size generator and I have set p28 to 13.0 amps. This seems to work well and keeps the generator out of overload. Programming the Xantrex using the phone app is the easiest way to access the parameters. Let me know if I can help guide you on using the app. Mike

Exactly. I'm thinking that anything smaller than half-ton might be pushing the limits in terms of safety. I'm liking the idea of having that extra towing capacity in reserve. Better to have too much than too little.

Hey, I'm bringing a camera and a measuring tape for sure! Rasberry Pi? I've built a few automated things with an Arduino. Now I'm intrigued. . .

We have spent a bunch of weekends last year during the pandemic lockdowns and this summer in Vermont https://vtstateparks.com/camping.html#lodging. We have camped from South to North at Fort Dummer, Mount Ascutney, Wilgus, Quechee Gorge and Silver Lake. I thought I would take a few minutes to review our experience. For starters the Vermont State Parks are very well managed and maintained. None of them have hookups but they all have nice Bathroom/Shower facilities and dump stations. One thing Vermont is not known for is cell service. I often joke that we are going to Cell Free Vermont! This is not an all inclusive list. Just the spots we have been to so far. Fort Dummer https://vtstateparks-visit.com/camping/fort-dummer-state-park/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=VT&parkId=1280014 Fort Dummer is right outside of Brattleboro has many big sites that can easily fit LEII's. There are three nice hikes in the campground. One to see the sunrise, one to see the sunset and one steep trail that goes down to river. The campground is also the site of an old slate quarry. Brattleboro is a quaint little town with a few shops and restaurants. Mount Ascutney https://vtstateparks-visit.com/camping/mount-ascutney-state-park/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=VT&parkId=1280019 Is located at the Base of Mount Ascutney in Windsor, Vermont. The hike to the top is very steep and long but there are 2 parking lots on the way up so you park and hike halfway or park almost at the summit. The summit has a lookout tower with unbelievable views. Wilgus https://vtstateparks-visit.com/camping/wilgus-state-park/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=VT&parkId=1280024 Wilgus is only a few miles from Mount Ascutney. It is right on the Connecticut River with a boat launch for Canoes and Kayaks. It is pretty small with only 15 Tent/RV sites and you need to be careful when selecting a site because some of the sites have the firepit on the wrong side for RV camping. Sorry I do not have a list of those sites. We camped on Site T01 and it was perfect. Quechee https://vtstateparks-visit.com/camping/quechee-state-park/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=VT&parkId=1280021 Quechee State park is just a gem it is located just outside of Woodstock Vermont, another quaint Vermont village. All the sites are very nice with most of them big and easily able to hold LEII's The bathroom facilities are very nice. The campground is located at the Quechee gorge with a nice trail down to the gorge. (Steep coming back home). The gorge is perfect for a day of picnicking and swimming. Silver Lake https://vtstateparks-visit.com/camping/silver-lake-state-park/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=VT&parkId=1280022 Silver Lake is just about 20 minutes from Quechee. In Barnard, VT. The lake is beautiful and has a great beach area. They rent paddle boats, canoes and kayaks. The fishing in the lake is terrific with large mouth bass and pike to catch. The campground has WiFi at the beach and near the gate/entrance. Don't forget to go to the Barnard Country Store it has ice cream and a great deli.

I would think a Bigfoot truck camper or travel trailer would be the appropriate shelter for this type of work…

The first time we lived in Germany (late 70s) I bought a 1975 Alfa Romeo Alfasud ti. It had a 5 speed and horizontally opposed 4 cylinder engine, front wheel drive, fuel injection, quite a deal back then. European model only. It could cruise all day at 160 km/hr (100 mph). Oddly enough, it was very reliable. Had to leave it there when we came back home. Mike

Years ago, I was stupid enough to own--not just one--but two Alfa Romeos. Why two? You need one to drive while the other is in the repair shop. I still lust after those cars. Someone please kick me hard if I'm ever tempted to do that again.

Thank you...

We give honest opinions here! If I was looking for true off-road capability I would look at the smaller Australian trailers. Black Series and Kimberly fall in that category. We’ve looked at Black Series and they are very capable. There is a dealer in Salt Lake City (Shane at RVs of America) who sells them and Xplore, which is what former Oliver owner Raspy is going to - we spent a very informative day there with him. He’s got a bunch of YouTube videos where they really put these trailers through some challenging off-road situations. We had another Oliver owner (Don Thompson) who also sold his Oliver for an Australian off-road trailer (Conquerer). You could PM either of them for details on their experiences. Mike

K-n-J Make sure that you check the payload capacity of that Titan before you commit. Bill

As most of the trailers received the pressures are serviced to 80 PSI from the factory, as they were on my 2021 LE II. After 9K on the trailer since July I have notice the ride is pounding. So I contacted Cooper (standard install on Hull #848) for the Cooper Discoverer HT3 LT225/75R16 M+5, Trailer loaded weight is 5700# and I Quote from Cooper Tire "We rounded up to 6000 lbs for total weight for the trailer. 2 axles with 4 tires under the trailer. At 35 psi cold your would have 1500 lbs cold carrying capacity x 4 tires gives you 6000 lbs total carrying capacity. Yes at 80 psi you have 2680 in each tire or 10720 lbs at 40 psi 1650 x4=6600" I will be down pressurizing my tires to 40 PSI and monitored with a TPMS system. Pat

John: I've had the same thought. We are new to RVs and TVs. I figure that much of this skill set is acquired through hard learned, on-the-job training. Once we get some experience, we'll likely find the tow vehicle of our dreams. I'm thinking that we could start the learning process with a used Nissan Titan. The resale value is low when compared to a Toyota Tundra, Ford F150,etc. The tow capacity of a Titan is around 9,400 lbs and has a big V8. As a used TV, it's a lot more bang for the buck--at least 30% less than a comparable Tundra. Around $30K would get us a nice, not too old, low mileage Titan. The Titan can be our trainer. We keep it a year or two, wait for this crazy market to return to normal and pick our dream TV when the dealer's lots are full.

JD - The "pigtail" receptacle shown in the picture is only resting there for purposes of showing it in the picture. Actually, it is connected to about 4 feet of wire which makes it easier to connect it to the Ollie's pigtail and to place the entire connection under the Calmark cover to protect it from rain, snow, etc. Two additional side notes on the panel's construction in the picture above- 1. I used an old camera tripod to mount the solar panel in order to be able to point the panel more directly towards the winter sun and to shed snow, leaves, etc. from the face of the panels. 2. The yellow "ropes" that can be seen at the bottom of the tripod are used to secure the assembly to the ground - I use 15 inch spikes through the rope and driven all the way into the ground. This not only prevents the assembly from tipping over in a strong wind but also in making sure the panels don't "walk away". Note that the knots on nylon rope around the tripod legs have been "heat treated" (i.e. melted) so that they are not easily undone. Of course a decent knife could be used to cut those in short order but enough is enough and the storage facility would probably have pictures of any attempts of this nature. Bill

We had a 14 Tundra Platinum and sold it and purchased an F250 CC 6.7 liter diesel with high capacity tow package, camper pkg and a bunch of other options. Our Tundra was “capable” of towing our Ollie, but the RPMs shot up on mountain passes for sure. We felt it was a bit under powered, needed a refresh due to out dated tech, lacked cargo room, and the mpg’s were not great. Reliability I will say was excellent. We absolutely wanted more cargo room, more comfort on long trips, much higher cab, much better fuel mileage, larger fuel tank, and the diesel brake or engine brake which has worked excellent towing the Ollie. On long mountain grades the auto engine brake is a TV and Trailer brake saver in my experience. Any diesel will cost you more in maintenance. On our last trip of 3500 miles up through the great north woods of NY, Mass, Conn, NH, VT, and MA, we throughly enjoyed the comfort, power and high cab touring view during the trip. The odo now registers 15,000 miles and we are really pleased with everything about it. It’s a large truck and we primarily use it for a TV. As previously mentioned it’s not a daily driver or commuter, we purchased knowing this. It sure is nice on long trips for all the reasons mentioned. Trucks are very scarce as a few have mentioned. There is a 3-4 month wait on Super Duty Fords according to dealers in our area. We even got a call from our salesman wanting to buy our truck back for more than we paid for it. I had no interest in this offer. Think about how you will use your new or used truck and buy what meets your needs and naturally your budget over the long haul. Many vehicles will tow an Ollie, but stopping is a very thing to consider. You don’t want the tail wagging the dog.

Looking forward to seeing the new truck! A small crane would come in handy….

Well you have less than 30 days before the mini rally. If you don’t get finished before then, bring it with you and we can give you hand or two.👏👏 Mossey

Many lithium battery manufacturers advertise "drop in" replacement. This is ok, as they "fit," but your oem equipment may not be able to fully charge them. That's ok, too, but you need to know what you are working with, in solar and on-board chargers. And wiring, as well. Drop-in is rarely drop it in, and go on, from what I have read and seen.

@ChrisMI, We're home for a week, and trailer is in storage. I haven't taken the cover off the ac, all summer. No need to, at elevation. I've needed a light blanket, more than ac. A small fan has been fine on "hot" nights, in the high 70s. When I bring the trailer home, it may be necessary. I'll check then. I don't know if Paul has the appropriate meter in his arsenal, but, we have a bunch of meters. Possibly. Whether you could be comfortable with a 9.5, in the larger trailer, is debatable. My suspicion is, yes, unless you camp in the desert in summer, but I really don't know. We have the smaller 2008 Elite. Less cf to cool. Also, keep in mind, if it's at all important to you, that the 9.5 only has cool and dehumidifier modes. No heat pump. Our main concerns with our replacement was the lower and narrower profile, so that we could adjust our bigger solar panels, without hitting the ac. In retrospect, I could have replaced the old Dometic with a $50 manual vent, and been fine, for as seldom as we use ac. I'm sorry we didn't take readings when we installed the ac, and used it at home in Florida. I didn't think very many people would be interested, except for the db measurements. Those were great. It's very, very quiet. It cools our smaller trailer quickly, in 90+ weather. If that's enough in the bigger Elite, I couldn't say.

I store my Ollie at a storage yard that does not have electric or water. Obviously, with the Calmark cover on the solar panels do not work. So, in order to maintain the batteries over the winter (or while covered) I use a 25 watt panel plugged into the Ollie's pigtail (the connection usually used to connect to the tow vehicle). For the past four years this arrangement has work like a charm with the batteries always being at full charge. Bill

There may be two ways to skin the cat - it appears that setting the "input breaker" amperage (110 AC) is a valid route for the generator scenario based on the article from Oliver that I linked in which they specifically mention generators as one use case for changing the setting.

I went to the eze rv gutters site today. Seems they only offer white, or black, these days. If you find colonial white, I guess it's old stock. It was beige-ish, and pretty ugly, but probably worked with a lot of the tan and brown sunblocker stick built class c's. Polar white seems to have replaced the description of ultrawhite. Trimlok also makes a similar gutter trim, but we've not used it. Other products I've used from trimlok have been great, though. The eze rv gutter is one of the best, and cheapest, mods we've ever done, imo.

This nordicware wok skillet has become my favorite cooking utensil. Small enough on the bottom for our little burners, heats evenly, cleans up easy,, and I use it almost every day, if we have poor weather. (Unfortunately, we've had a lot of rain, this summer.) I only carry this, a small 7 or 8" skillet, a small enamelled pot (1.5 quarts, i think) with two handles, and a lid, and a teapot. I've used it many times for sautéed veggies, making kale/collard/Swiss chard greens, jambalaya, heating sauce for pre-made pasta, heating 90 second microwaveable rice (no microwave for us), pad thai with precooked noodles, fried rice, etc. The one I have works on an induction burner, too. I bought mine at Costco. I stow it in the drawer we built beneath our dc fridge, upside down, along with a few other items.

On the 19th. Should be interesting. Bill

We're going to look at the 2022 Tundra to be unveiled later this month. Towed our LE2 many thousand miles with a 2016 Tundra and it did a fine job. Only problem with the 2016 Tundra, always approaching gross vehicle weight ready to camp (we are gear minimalist) with Ollie connected. Hoping the new Tundra will have a larger payload, will see.

My favorite part of camping is being the camp gourmet. I have an outside tent for my full setup. This works great but takes time to setup. When we are traveling full time I might have to downsize to make things easier from day to day.

The chip shortage is making things tough. I notice dealers around here with half empty lots. It’s kind of depressing. The good news is that the chip shortage isn’t affecting Oliver production! Here are my thoughts on your questions: 1. I’ve towed with a Tacoma, half ton and now 3/4 ton. The smaller vehicle can tow an LEII but has significant limitations. Fuel tank size coupled with low gas mileage (small engine working hard) means you need to stop for gas frequently. Payload will be at the limit if not over when you figure tongue weight, bodies and stuff. A half ton seems to be the sweet spot, if configured with adequate payload and towing specs. A 3/4 ton is towing heaven. 2. See above. Check the smaller truck for payload and gas tank size. 3. How do you intend on camping? 2WD is fine if you stay on the pavement. If you are going to venture off the pavement any, the 4WD. We were recently at a campsite (state park) in Vermont that was grass. It had rained and if I didn’t have 4WD I would have been stuck trying to get up the small hill to the paved road. 4. It might be time to start looking at Carmax. I used them once and it was a good experience. I can provide details if you’re interested. Just my thoughts, good luck! Mike

Dewdev - I just got a quote from Calmark and it was $1280 plus shipping. They are also switching fabrics from Sunbrella to Weathermax. Weathermax has different properties and is a considerably less expensive compared to Sunbrella. It's lighter and offers better waterproofing but it may not provide the same UV protection as Sunbrella. I remember seeing a quote on the forum similar to mine ($1280) but it was for Sunbrella. The cost of the cover has gone way up for sure. From what I've read, Weathermax is about 33% cheaper than Sunbrella. Maybe Sherry (Seadawg) has some insight into pros and cons of Weathermax. I know Sunbrella from center console boats I owned and it was a superior material if properly cared for.

Actually, I recently went deep down the rabbit hole of charging the lithiums vs running AC based items (AC, radar range, toaster) by having a long talk with an awesome tech at Xantrex. May be an issue for another chain but... Turns out that the Xantrex charger is set up to prioritize feeding AC product first and does so by shutting off lithium charging till your AC done with. This is supposedly true whether you are plugged into shore power or running a generator. The tech also pointed out that the factory settings on the Xantrex is set up with shore power in mind so she hand held me through the none too intimidating process of making a couple of tweaks. One was adjusting the charging rate. Factory setting is to draw power at 24amps for charging which is too much for my 2200 Honda generator. Temporarily turned that down to 18amps which, so far, has worked perfectly. Had previously overloaded my generator a number of times while charging with no other AC based draw. Second tweak was adjusting the battery overload auto shut off which was set for something like 12.6 volts. She said that too high of a cut off so we adjusted down to 10.5v. I had been having occassional auto shut offs with an alarm an low voltage warning when using my microwave and the lithiums being at 75% charge. Since making this change, I've had no problem running the microwave at it's highest power draw and have tested with batteries down to 50%. Will test at some point with a lower battery charge level as the lithiums are good to drain effectively down to nearly flat.