Jump to content

beeser

Members
  • Posts

    55
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    1

Everything posted by beeser

  1. Tekonsha P3 controller here. Small enough to be mounted inside of our Tacoma ashtray opening. I fabricated a mount that slides in like the ashtray.
  2. Wow, what a difference a year makes in the price. I'll have to agree with Boler Fun, it may be time to reevaluate my next purchase.
  3. CarolAnn - Here's a link to the Bigfoot that I mentioned earlier. http://www.rvtraderonline.com/find/list ... B-88912169 It's the CB model. The area in the back of the trailer is a couch that folds out to a bed. Not big enough for two but sleeps one very comfortably. Again, the Bigfoot is a much heavier trailer. I don't think the Subaru you mentioned is remotely powerful enough to tow it.
  4. The Oliver along with Bigfoot, Casita, Scamp, Escape, etc. are commonly referred to as molded fiberglass trailers. There are other fiberglass trailers that use sheets of fiberglass over framing made of a variety of materials, wood and aluminum being the most common. The Eco, Fun Finder are examples of the this type. I suppose all travel trailers can be broken down into two basic types, molded fiberglass and framed or stick built. That's my understanding for what it's worth.
  5. Beeser, when you say "revisiting" the Bigfoot, do you mean thinking about it as a good alternative or being more aware of the shortcomings? I only peeked into one guy's Bigfoot that he was thinking about selling, but didn't really check it out much. He had some kind of strange arrangement in the back with a bunkbed that did not appeal. They are a bit pricey, aren't they? CarolAnn I was referring to the Bigfoot as an alternative. Pricey? Yes, but the recent downturn in the economy, fuel prices, etc. have put a pinch on dealers with existing inventory, especially any remaining 2007s. Specifically, there is a 17.5CB in Mesa, AZ that the dealer is selling for a substantial discount. I don't think Oliver, Casita, or Scamp are in this tenuous situation because of their build to order sales concept. So, it may be a good time to at least take another look at the Bigfoot. Their 17.5 ft. model comes in 3 floorplans, none of which has a bunk bed. If you do a search in this forum you'll find my comparison between the Bigfoot and Oliver. I think it was an honest evaluation that eventually led to a thumbs up for the Oliver.
  6. CarolAnn - If you planned to tow with a larger vehicle than the Subaru Outback I would suggest revisiting the Bigfoot 17.5 especially if you're a solo traveler. The sleeping accommodations are less than ideal for partners but very adequate for a single person. It's what we have now and love it for just about every other aspect especially its spaciousness. Regardless, the Oliver is a terrific trailer and you would not go wrong with one. In fact, it just may be our next purchase. Good luck with whatever you decide.
  7. CarolAnn - Just curious, why did you finally decide on an Oliver over the other available trailers?
  8. I have no special desire to subject myself or trailer to the cold. It was just idle curiosity that prompted me to ask the question after reading the Eggcampers thread and realizing that the Oliver has many of the features that makes my Bigfoot a 4-season trailer. The only difference I see possibly is that the Bigfoot has forced air heat applied to the interstitial space where the plumbing is located. Seems that the Oliver is part way there based on technomadia's comments.
  9. The subject line says it all. No doubt the Oliver has a good amount of insulation and with dual pane windows and holding tanks covered, is it a 4-season trailer like the Bigfoot?
  10. Way cool!!! I'm soooooo..... jealous. Congrats on bringing 'er home.
  11. Thanks again Seadawg and tumbleweed for responding! What got me thinking about a new TV, besides the slow mountain climbs during our last trip, was the early preview of Ford's new F150. Particularly interesting were the electronic sway control and integrated brake controller being offered. I'm sure the other truck manufacturers including Chevy will have something similar in their 2009 lineup.
  12. Sherry - Thanks for the information on your Silverado (5.3 V8). I'm leaning in the direction of replacing my TV and it looks like a V8 is the way to go. Question now remains, which size V8? No doubt your 5.3 is plenty strong enough and the tow mpg appears reasonable. But what kind mileage do you get without towing? Tumbleweed - How does your smaller V8 handle steep grades? Are you able to maintain speed?
  13. Thanks bugeyedriver! Interesting results with your Tacoma. I assume you have the V6? The current issue of Trailer Life has an article about the Hi-Lo trailer and Dodge Dakota (V8). It states that the Dakota gets 18.5 mpg solo and 13.2 while towing the Hi-Lo. I wasn't surprised about the Dakota's solo performance but was a little taken back by the significant drop in mpg towing the trailer. I would've expected a narrower gap in the figures with a V8. My most recent outing towing a Bigfoot 17.5 with a Tacoma Prerunner (V6) was about 20/14 mpg - solo cruising at 75 mph with cruise and towing at 55 mph without cruise. I was seriously considering moving up to a V8 but based on the Trailer Life report I'm beginning to ask the question why. The only thing that would be gained is better hill climbing ability. It wasn't very satisfying chugging along at 30 mph up an 8% grade.
  14. Not bad Chuck. What are the actual mpg figures? How does the Chevy handle steep grades such as 6% with the Oliver in tow? Can you maintain your speed easily?
  15. The July issue of Trailer Life mentions that the Oliver is aerodynamic and "for the fuel-conscious". No doubt that it's more aerodynamic than the wider box style trailers of equal length but just how much fuel can be saved towing an Oliver? Let's say we're pulling both type trailers with a Toyota Tacoma (V6). What would the mpg be for each?
  16. Picked up mine today at Barnes & Noble.
  17. The Oliver has finally made it to the pages of Trailer Life. Check out the July issue on Pages 6 & 12. I think the trailer shown is one of the members from this forum.
  18. Nice, well thought out article technomadia and very informative. Thanks!
  19. Well, since a larger Oliver is in the preliminary stages how about if we provide some suggestions or items we would like to see included? Larger bed oriented front to back Front window or generally more windows More outside storage - maybe something like the new Bigfoot front mounted storage unit On board generator or something built-in to accommodate one Dual axles
  20. Any news yet on a larger Oliver?
  21. I maneuver my trailer around tight spots on the property with a small tractor. I don't know how much land you have but a tractor can be very handy for a lot of uses.
  22. Possibly a dumb idea but why couldn't the real estate on top of the tow vehicle be used for solar panels? Seems that there would be plenty of flat and unobstructed space available. And there is already a connection to the trailer through the 7-pin connector.
  23. Is it about time that the forum includes a For Sale section?
  24. That makes sense technomadia. It must be a Casita/Oliver type thing. I looked on my Bigfoot and it doesn't have such a valve. Is this valve necessary on the Casita/Oliver because of the height difference between the tank and lowest drain?
  25. The drain (?) handle that I was referring to is shown in this picture. http://olivertraveltrailers.com/sany0314 It's just to the left of the toilet.
×
×
  • Create New...