JWalmsley

@MontanaOliver, I was wondering if anyone would break out some Marty Robbins before me. Lol

Play me some mountain music, like grandma and grandpa used to play

I saw that a couple of weeks ago @Commanche - Amazing.

Share and Enjoy !0Shares0 0 Camper 101: Towing Safety We have put together some great Towing Tips to help you with your travels! While the thought of setting off on a travel expedition in your personal travel trailer is enticing, the task of towing it can be daunting. The process may not entirely be nerve-wracking but a step up in complexity from driving a solo vehicle and it also requires you to practice maneuvers before you begin piloting the big rig. If the trailers are not properly set up, loaded and maintained, a lot of trouble can ensue on the road. Each year, several accidents are caused by RV drivers and are attributed to a lack of knowledge about proper towing procedures. Hence, this is something you shouldn’t risk. Before you set out on your best camper adventure, here are a few towing tips to ensure safety on the road. 1. How to Hitch Your Travel Trailer First things first, hitching the camper to your wagon accurately is indispensable. When purchasing a hitch, check the label to determine if it can lug the weight of the travel trailer. Also, review the towing capacity of your vehicle. A weight distributing hitch is always the best choice as it can safely handle the load and helps improve safety on the road! The front of the trailer, which hitches to the truck, is known as the tongue and incorporates a coupler in which the hitch ball is to be inserted. Raise your travel trailer on a jack and drive your vehicle in reverse so that the hitch ball and the trailer coupler are in line. Put your towing truck in park and turn on the parking brakes. Gently lower the travel trailer on to the hitch ball and activate the locking mechanism. Once your trailer is seated, plug in its wires into the electrical outlet of the vehicle and crisscross the safety chains, loose enough to allow slacks at turns but tight enough to not drag, so that if the hitch comes off, the trailer would drop on to the chains instead of on the ground. 2. Camper Weight Distribution Bulking up the travel trailer irregularly causes it to sway and lose balance. To gain more control over your trailer, it is imperative to distribute the weight evenly from side to side to lower the center of gravity. Also, spread the cargo weight from front of the trailer to the back lengthwise. Secure hefty items within the travel trailer to prevent them from shifting places during travel. To ensure a hitch-free ride, make sure that your trailer is in line with your towing vehicle and is parallel to the ground. For examples please visit this video. 3. Trailer Braking System Your travel trailer brakes and brake lights should be in sync with those of the towing vehicle. The heavier your trailer, the greater the momentum, which makes braking more dangerous and braking distances are extended. Electronic or hydraulic braking mechanisms are employed to activate the brakes on a travel trailer. Electrical brakes start with a gradual braking application and the longer you hold your foot down on the pedal, the more it ramps up the tension on the brakes. This allows you to gently slow down without losing control of your trailer and prevents trailer-wheel lockup. To comply with this principle, you need to give plenty of time and space to your trailer before you ease up at stop signs. Allow ample space between your rig and the vehicles in the vicinity in case you need to pull over suddenly, which could result in a calamity. Overuse of the brakes can lead to overheating and ultimately a brake fade. In this case, friction causes the heating up of braking pads and a temporary loss of braking. Prevention is the key when out on the road. Downshift your gear to impede speed sufficiently so that the brakes might not be used unnecessarily and are preserved for emergencies. Slowing down also prevents your trailer from flipping or skidding during braking. 4. Backing Up a Trailer Backing up a trailer like a pro is one of the hardest tricks in the book and can prove exasperating for a first time tower. Use these tips while backing up on the road: Your view may be blocked by the robust proportion of the trailer so have someone stand outside and guide you whenever possiblePut your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel. Move your hand towards the left to turn left and similarly move your hand right to turn rightUse subtle movements of the steering wheel to adjust directions as exaggerated actions can cause greater movements than intended.Make sure that your trailer and towing truck are aligned. Otherwise, pull forward, realign and begin again. 5. Parking a Travel Trailer Your rearview mirror is not the best guide in a camper trailer and it is prudent to ask someone outside to guide you while parking. Ask someone to put blocks on the downhill side of the trailer wheels. Shift into park, apply the parking brakes and let go of the braking pedal gently. If this sequence is not followed, your vehicle runs the risk of becoming locked in park because of the extra load. Putting blocks behind the tires prevents them from rolling. If you need to uncouple your trailer from the towing vehicle, stick blocks to the front and back tires to the trailer, before you release the coupling, to prevent it from rolling away. 6. Inspect in Between Each time you pull over, inspect around your travel trailer and scrutinize the condition of the hitch, wiring and the tires. Check that the hitch is secured to the tow vehicle and the coupler is attached to the trailer. Your light bulb sockets, connector plug prongs, receptacles and ground connections should be clean and protected from moisture. Check for any glitches in the braking systems and rectify any anomaly you find. Thump the tires to check for the inflation level. Overinflated tires wear prematurely and under-inflated tires diminish the load-carrying capacity of the trailer and cause it to undulate and lose control. Share and Enjoy !0Shares0 0 The post Towing Tips to Improve Safety on the Road appeared first on Oliver Travel Trailers. View the Full Article

[attachment file=Screen Shot 2018-05-25 at 7.32.56 AM.png] And in Tennessee. Lol

I love the old music best.

I like it, jazzy and cool. Counting down to vacation:

A lot of forums like to post music video threads and I am one of those people that has music going all the time. Here's what I am listening to: What are you listening to? Post your youtube video link below.

This is intended for internal linking purposes only. This is an automated process - posts are never edited. You can check by editing your post - you will see that the link does not exist. This only works for the first keyword found. :) I know what you are talking about how some forums use those affiliate links trying to get people to buy products and they make a % for each sale, that's not going to happen here. More info: https://moz.com/learn/seo/internal-link Hopefully my explanation cleared that up for y'all!

I have been optimizing the website and working to speed up page load times for the last 2 days. The forums & private messages were some of those affected. Everything is now resolved and working.

You were almost there Don, you just needed to remove the "{" "}" squiggly lines in the code. The reason I did that is because if I did not add that the website would pick it up as code and display an image instead of the actual code you need. There is an image below the post with how the code should look :)

Notifications are back on. This should help with the private messaging notifications. Keep me updated please! Thank you!

Good topic to start planning for 2019. Stickied it!

I had a chance to see both the cutting board and shower mat, they are high quality & wonderfully crafted!

Share and Enjoy !0Shares0 0 Tip Advantages while Traveling with a Travel Trailer Tips to Keep in Mind When Traveling in an RV camper. Are you a nature rookie but can’t give up all the comforts and pleasures of home to go off into the wild? Most family vacations circle around car trips and camping grounds but always end up with someone belligerent about the incivility of those excursions. The disparaged line between the two is fast waning with the inception of recreational vehicles (RV). Travel trailers, however, are an affordable personal mobile vacation home. The range of campers spans the gamut from primal rustic facilities to luxury resorts with coveted amenities. The personal freedom, comfort, and convenience have contributed to the increasing popularity of RV trailers. The immense flexibility allows you to stay put wherever you like and pack off and leave when you desire while saving yourselves the overheads of lodging and hefty restaurants bills. Traveling in a camper for the first time can be pretty daunting. To make the process easier for you, we have compiled a list of tips while traveling: 1. Can the Food If you are known for your culinary éclat, you might gag at the mention of canned food but the reality is that camper don’t leave room for such gourmet fares, neither the specialized equipment to create them. Taking that beloved cappuccino machine (you can’t live without coffee that is) or holiday waffle maker, is just getting in the way and are superfluous gear to cram up the space. It’s time to load the shelves with canned food of every nature, just in case hunger pangs kick in for a bowl of bean soup or a sandwich. Plan your meals, keeping your hunger paranoia in check, so that you don’t haul extra food on your trip. Estimate how much you and your family can consume and buy accordingly. Besides, if you run out on the way, you can always restock from the closest gas station or diner. A handful of utensils and a large pot and pan will suffice. 2. Check Road Conditions When traveling in an RV, it is always a good practice to keep tabs on the road conditions. Bad weather, construction and traffic jams can cause discomfort and delay your excursion. The US Department of Transportation has the necessary resources on its national traffic and road closure information page, classified by state. Click on your state to determine if the road conditions are favorable or should you change routes. Some states even allow remote monitoring of traffic cameras on their websites. This can help you predict traffic jams on a particular high passes or roads and you can adopt an alternative route beforehand. 3. Battery Operated Fans For those torrid summer afternoons and stifling nights, keeping a battery-operated fan inside your trailer is most handy. When you turn off the engines and air-conditioning is not available, these fans are lifesavers. Even if you have a generator, you might have to shut it down after sunset, as dictated by most park rules. The fans will ensure a cool night’s sleep and ward off mosquitoes if you leave the windows open. 4. Tips for Conserving Power Your fuel cost might be more than the cost of the entire excursion. You don’t take with you an unlimited pool of power resources and therefore it is imperative to conserve power so that you don’t run out of gas in the middle of nowhere. Always keep an auto battery charger to charge your camperKeep changing the oil in your generator regularlyFurnaces consume a lot of power. In cold climates, turn down the heater temperature a notch and wear warm clothes instead.Use solar panels in areas of open flatlands to generate power and reduce dependence on fuel generators.Instead of using the dash AC to power the air-conditioning, switch to your generator. This improves the speed of travel and ensures your engine doesn’t get burned out.Try to park in shaded areas to alleviate the need for excessive air-conditioning.Turn on the water heater only when crucial. 5. Travel Trailer Propane Safety Better safe than sorry! Propane can cause catastrophes if mishandled. If there is a propane leakage inside one of the lines and it is ignited by a source of ignition like a cigarette or match, an explosion can ensue. You should inspect before the trip as well as any propane operated appliances like refrigerator, lanterns, stove, and furnace. Check for any leaks and get it immediately replaced. When traveling, try not to overfill your fuel tank and leave space for vapor space with rising temperatures. If you smell gas inside your camper while traveling, stop and evacuate immediately. Leave the doors and windows open to air out the rig and close the supply valve. Always keep a fire extinguisher at hand. 6. Save Water A camper has separate holding tanks for storing clean water, wastewater (Black Water Tank) and runoff from showers and washing (Gray Water Tank). These tanks have limited holding space and care should be taken not to overfill them: Don’t leave the water on when shampooing or brushing teeth.To conserve the gray water holding tank, wash dishes in a dishpan and empty the water into the black water tank.Keep the black water holding tanks closed to prevent unpleasant odors permeating the camper. Empty when the tank is half full. Emptying a tank early prevents buildups and blockages.Use a water pressure regulator when connecting the tanks to an outside water source to protect the plumbing. Share and Enjoy !0Shares0 0 The post Tips to Keep in Mind When Traveling appeared first on Oliver Travel Trailers. View the Full Article

On this page here: http://olivertraveltrailers.com/oliver-rally-hashtags/ You can view everything that is on Instagram without signing up for an account. It pulls all the photos to the page itself. P.S. It seems my link did not get posted in the first topic. I have updated it.

We've been having a lot of fun at this years Oliver Rally! You can see some of the events we've done so far by coming to our Instagram Hashtag Event Page. http://olivertraveltrailers.com/oliver-rally-hashtags/

Oliver Rally 2018 Instagram Hashtag Event At the Oliver Rally we'll have an on-screen slideshow set-up where we can all share the photos we take during the rally. In order to participate you will first need the Instagram App. I put together a walkthrough on how to use Instagram, you can find it here: CLICK HERE TO READ

I removed those tags. Thanks for letting us know @shallowgal.

The way the system works is if you are not logged in and have not been logged in for the past 1 hour. Then receive a private message, it then emails you that you have a message waiting. But if you are logged in or show in the active user list for the past 1 hour, it will not send a notification email. Hope this clears things up a bit! Thanks!

Share and Enjoy !0Shares0 0 How to backup a trailer like a pro can be a tricky business. Since it isn’t exactly attached to the vehicle it can be really hard to manage while turning. In this article, you will find the steps and basic tips and tricks to backing up your trailer if you are a beginner. Here are a few steps to follow that will make you a backup like a pro. Hook Up This isn’t just a step for backing up; it is one for whenever you are readying to take your trailer anywhere. If you fail to hook up the trailer right you risk it coming off and causing a huge accident. After getting the trailer on the ball, hook up the chain. Make sure that the chain makes an X or across. The chains make sure that if the trailer comes off its place the chains will hold it together until you can stop and fix the problem. Otherwise, chances are that the trailer might take off on its own. Then always make sure that the latch on the connecting part is always down. This keeps it secure and makes sure that the lock doesn’t come off. In the end, put the pin in place that locks the whole mechanism in place. Without it, you risk the trailer running into your car. Hand Placement Normally you are used to placing your hands on the upper part of the steering wheel. When you have a trailer attached this placement works against you. as when you turn left the trailer goes right and when you want to go right it goes left. To remedy this situation simply hold the wheel from the bottom part of the steering wheel. Take It Slow Towing your trailer for the first few times can be a little bit stressful. Make sure you practice it plenty of times so that you feel confident when you have to do it. It is okay to take it slow, do not rush into it. keep looking at your side mirrors and make reference points in your head that will tell you if the trailer is moving in the wrong direction. If the trailer is wider than your tow vehicle you can use the fender wheel of the truck and the fender wheel of trailer for reference. In case your trailer is narrower than the tow vehicle, make sure that it doesn’t come into view on both side mirrors when you back up. Having a camera on the back end in great but do not rely on it too much and look for yourself to assess the situation. Backing Up in Angles Going back in a straight line is easier, but let’s face it you won’t always have spacious places. Therefore, you must practice turning the trailer while backing up. While moving in a backward direction and turning to adjust the position of the trailer, you can look out of the windows. Place your arm on the windowpane and poke your head out and look back, keep your other hand on the bottom of the wheel. Slowly back up and steer accordingly. Do not shy away from getting out of the car and looking at your progress. It can be a little intimidating to do in a large crowd, where you feel like a lot of people are watching you. but try not to let that get to you. Don’t worry if you make small mistakes with your angle keep going forward, correct your position and back up again. Backing Up On The Opposite Side It can be even more challenging when you have to back up in the direction of the passenger seat as you cannot look out of the window. Also, it is in the opposite direction of the vehicle you are sitting in. look over your shoulder and look through the back window of your vehicle. Focus on the rear end of the trailer and maneuver it into the right place. Once again do not be afraid to go forward and move back in to correct your angle. Do not worry about who is watching, keep safety your priority, relax and reverse. Find Somebody Who Can Help It can be a great idea to have someone stand on the rear end. Someone who can assess the situation and make sure that you know you are going in the right direction. A ground guide can be really helpful if you are backing up on the passenger side or if you need to make a really hard angle. You can communicate with each other in two ways. That is either you can either shout at each other or follow simple hand gestures. The ground guide can motion with his hands towards himself and guide you as you reverse. If they are bent towards the right side, you need to go rearwards while steering right but if they are bent in the opposite direction you need to go rearwards while steering left. If the ground guide is standing straight and motion to reverse, you need to back up straight. And if they have positioned their hands in across, you need to stop immediately. This is much easier than shouting at each other. Backing up with a trailer can be hard and may even make you self-conscious. You need to make sure that you have practiced the process enough times that you would not be completely unguided while doing it in a real situation. Longer trailers are slightly easier to back up as they have a longer response time. However shorter ones a little bit harder as their response time is faster. So, you should practice a little more if you have a short trailer. Having practiced the task a few times will not just make sure that you can do it well in a real situation but also raise your confidence. And you may not even have to worry about people watching, because you already are a pro. Find out more about towing road safety tips here. Share and Enjoy !0Shares0 0 The post How to Backup a Trailer Like a Pro appeared first on Oliver Travel Trailers. View the Full Article

If noticed some members on the forum have colored maps in their signatures. You may be asking yourself "How do you do that?". Start by visiting this website: http://visitedstatesmap.com Select the states you have visited and choose the size you wish and click DRAW MAP. *Please be considerate to others views on the forums by keeping the image around medium size* Next you will be taken to a new page and underneath the map where it says "Copy and Paste Image URL:" Copy the url, for example mine is: http://visitedstatesmap.com/image/xlg.jpg - this is not your map unless you have been to zero states. This is an example. Now go to your forum Signature to edit and put in the url: It should now look like: If you need help please discuss below. Credits: @SeaDawg, @KarenLukens

I wanted to touch on some emails a few of you may have received about "coins" or "points" after make a topic or replying to a topic. I have been working on some new functionality for the forums as some of you may have noticed when you received the emails. This was caused by a settings error in the backend and started running over the weekend when it was not meant to. It's been disabled and I'll update you when we have more information about what we're working on to share with you. You may disregard any emails you have received about "coins" or "points". Thank you,