bugeyedriver

Be sure to have an accurate height measurement in the rear of the battery compartment. In my older Elite, the compartment is taller in the front than it is in the back.

Dave, Having the panel up and running all the time works well for me. It gathers power traveling down the road, as well as when in camp. I prefer the "leave alone and forget it" mode. Pointing and angling a panel directly at the sun is most efficient right after it is pointed, but several hours later, when the sun has moved across the sky it loses efficiency as well. I do have the ability to angle the panel left or right but have not found the need to in 7 years. I don't want to be babysitting the panel all day, I don't want it to "walk away" when I'm gone, I don't want to fiddle with where to put it while I go down the road, I think most extension cords for it are of limited length and I don't want to fiddle with a very long one. My current campsite in Maine gets full sun for about 6 hours of the day. (it collects energy whenever the sun is above the horizon and has 6 hours of non shaded overhead) I've been there going on five nights now and have not needed the generator. This morning I powered up the 2000W inverter and used 110 voltage to make toast for breakfast. Works for me! Pete

Hi Dave, Can't help ya with the Trojans, but I can offer an alternative. My current battery setup in The Wonder Egg is a pair of Lifeline GPL-27T Deep Cycle RV batteries, http://www.lifelinebatteries.com/rvflyer.php?id=2, which provide me with 200 AH of power for use. I've been out boondocking a lot this summer and unless my campsite is deep in the woods for and extended period, or in partial shade but with heavy overcast for days, the generator is never needed. My single 160W panel, which is mounted on top of the trailer, has me up to 14.4V by late morning if there is full sun available. (longer, of course, with shaded sun) I experience only a .2V drop overnight while running the furnace with the outside temps in the mid 40s.They are pricey, but the five year warranty makes me feel better about the cost involved. I went with 12V units so I would still have a capable 12V system running if one battery fails. Overall I am very happy with their performance. They fit just fine in my Legacy Elite battery compartment. Pete

Mike & Carol, Hi neighbors and welcome to the forum. I have The Wonder Egg, Ollie # 14, and am just down the road from you, in Fair Oaks. (Actually I'm up in Maine at this very moment, enjoying the cool weather for the summer) After you get your Oliver in the neighborhood, we'll have to get together for some mini-rallies. Woohooooo Pete

Well said, Larry. The Ollie is a perfect RV for boondocking . . . Put on a good solar package, and with its water and propane capacity, why you can just boondock your little heart plumb silly.

Oscar's comfort is an important consideration for me. He has no undercoat, so cold is not good for him and I must put a small doggie coat on him whenever I wear a jacket. His snout is rather short, so he does not get the evaporative cooling his long-nosed cousins might get as they pant, so I need to protect him from too much cold or heat. (i.e. He's a sissy) As far as staying warm in the trailer there is zero problem. The propane furnace is more than up to the task in all weather conditions we have found ourselves in . . . including a wind chill of 6 below zero for two days. He did, however, look at me like I was crazy when I said "Oscar, come on, lets go out and go potty" Normally, down to 25 degrees, a small ceramic cube heater does the trick nicely. We have camped in southern Texas at 100 degrees and as long as I have electrical connections, the air conditioner will still be able to freeze us out unless I adjust the thermostat. (this is with a small, 9200 BTU A/C) I will boondock in the heat if I only need the generator on for a few short hours during the hottest time of the day to run the A/C. Otherwise I look for an electrical hookup someplace to use the A/C for longer periods. !n other words, NO PROBLEM . . . go for it. ps when we into on the Casita Southern Utah Tour, ZION was no problem during that time of year.

Greetings from Canada, where I'm enjoying meeting some northern relatives and staying out of the bad Texas weather for the summer. That is the sort of camping I've done the last seven years and 90,000 miles. Here are some of the things on my trailer that really facilitate that lifestyle. Solar Power . . . go for the most they'll give you Quality batteries . . . I now use 2 Lifeline GPL 27T military grade batteries with 100 AH each for a total of 200 AH 2000 W inverter . . . great for the Keurig coffee maker in the morning Double Step . . . helps with my high lift, 16" tires and Michelin light truck tires, especially on uneven terrain Porcelain toilet . . . comfort where it counts Furnace Cell phone amplifier . . . enables me to communicate when I'm far from civilization 45' retractable power cable on an electric wheel . . . makes setting up camp and tearing down camp easy (not sure if this is still offered on the elite) Extra 12 volt and 110 outlets . . . not costly and verrry handy when you need them Two 300W Xtreme heaters mounted between the shells in the rear, sides to facilitate warming the air between the shells and protecting plumbing items when I'm plugged into power One nice thing about the new Elite is the whisper quiet furnace mounted between the shells. This also enables you to have more drawer space in the galley. The convenience of the electric cable reel could cause you to have the furnace inside and cost you one or two drawers of storage. It's a tradeoff to be considered, though. I don't personally have a problem with the sound of the furnace at night. It's something I no longer pay attention to at night. I also like having a personalized picture on the front of The Wonder Egg. They can take your digital picture to the graphic department and have it magically appear on your trailer. The only option I bought that I have not used yet is the extra hookup for electricity that would enable me to have my generator hooked up for a quick emergency backup for power failure. You're at that fun, imaginative time where you can dream of cool options for your new rolling pleasure home. ENJOY!

Pam, When folks ask me where my favorite campground has been, I tell them about Jedediah Smith State Park and the giant redwoods. it really is difficult to put into words, what it is like walking close to those living sentinels who have stood still while time has marched on, they, being constant, and man, skittering about during our brief span on earth. What a small world it is, that you guys were so close as Oscar the Smiley Dog and I marveled at the redwoods in your neighborhood. You live in a magical place. Pete

Wandering around the countryside, you never know what may be around the next turn. When I see something that really catches my eye, I enjoy stopping in and doing a bit of exploring. That's one of the pleasures of being on this side of retirement. While exploring the countryside in my Egg Trailer around the Finger Lakes region of New York, my attention was drawn to a lot full of vintage trailers. Old, worn shells, with stories to tell. I thought I'd stop in and listen. This is what I discovered . . . http://peteandthewonderegg.blogspot.ca/2015/05/fletchers-trailer-sales-service-inc.html

We had the high privilege of joining Larry and Betty for the 2010 Catfish Extravaganza, where we were introduced to the art of jug fishin' and the joy of fresh fillet fish fry eatin' that's hard to describe. Ya just gotta go and experience it for yourself!! Oscar wrote about it in his blog entry: http://peteandthewonderegg.blogspot.com ... ganza.html

How many fish? How big? Pictures!!!

...showering at night and in the morning using the water pump... You shower TWICE a day? While camping? What's up with that? Oscar insists on it! He claims it's to prevent offending his sensitive canine nose.

All you "big boys" with your four battery capacity and Four Hundred and Fifty Amp Hours are killin' me! My Elite has two batteries . . . When I recently changed battery types from Optima Blue Top to Lifeline, my amp hours went from 105 to 200 and I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Recently, I boondocked and the temp went down to about 40 degrees. With the furnace running to keep me comfortable,showering at night and in the morning using the water pump, I only lost two tenths of a volt on my battery charge all night. That's nothing! Get on out there and enjoy your trailer in the wild. You'll have plenty of power on board for all your needs as long as you don't use your batteries to heat your jakkuzi.

Dave, The Casita Spirit Deluxe floorplan is very similar to the Legacy Elite. Many of my Casita friends comment on how the fiberglass interior, mirror on the bathroom door, lack of wall between the dinette and bed, and slightly wider isle makes the Ollie "feel" larger on the inside. I attribute it to the magical pixie dust they use at the Oliver factory. Pete

I know many couples who enjoy the pleasure of traveling in some of the smaller fiberglass trailers. They manage to learn how to maneuver together inside and enjoy the ease of maneuvering the small trailer all over the country. Over on the FGRV forum at Fiberglassrv.com you can read of the travels by Norm and Ginny from New Hampshire. They are on the road with their 16' Scamp over half of the year. They have been doing this for over 15 year! It's a mindset . . .

Rob, Not exactly sure about the photo number problem . . . Perhaps they were not downsized from a high megapixel format and used up all the space for a post. YO MOUNTAINBORN! Can Ya contact central command and get a hack on this here problem? I'm just about 30 miles NW of San Antonio and will be here until about next Monday or Tuesday before hitting the road. Give me a call when you can. Pete

Rob, That's the cleanest looking dirty trailer I've ever seen! How long will you guys be hanging around the south? I'll be eastbound from Texas to Florida next week, along I-10. If you guys aren't too far off the pathway as I pass by, I might be able to bring The Wonder Egg to your campground for a stopover. I've sent you a PM with my contact info. Feel free to call and perhaps it could work out. Pete

Rob, Congratulations to you and Trudi on becoming expecting parents of a new Ollie! What options or unique modifications will Casa Ollie be sporting when she makes her appearance in the world? Pete

Have you confirmed they are not engaging when you press the brakes. Do you have a fellow traveler that can press on the brakes while you listen near the wheels? Were they working while underway and just quit? Did you ensure the 7pin connection is still snug? (I had one fall out while I was underway because I likely did not push it in far enough to engage the latch). If you were disconnected during a rainstorm, did you make sure the connector was free of water before plugging in, either by blowing it out or using WD40? Have you looked under neath your trailer for a loose electrical connection? If all else fails, are you near a shop that could run an electrical brake diagnostics on your system if you limped into their business? Good luck. Let us know the outcome.

Slide the window open and look at the bottom where there are small access holes for water to exit as it makes its way towards the external weep holes. You may see small seeds, twigs, pine needles, etc or other items that can be blown about in the wind clogging up a hole or two. If the water doesn't have a clear pathway to the outside, it can back up during a firm rain, gather in the channel, and spill over to the inside of the trailer. You will then see it collected on top of the belly band trim before it plops onto the dinette table. I was frustrated a few times before I learned this and now make it a point to regularly check for debris in the channel and also use the compressed air can with the tiny red straw nozzle thingy for good measure. My 2008 version has the sliding windows in the cabinets. I also crack these open, as needed, to enhance ventilation / evaporation of any condensation that may occur.

Be sure to ventilate somehow during cold and damp conditions. Two adults can put out a good amount of water vapor just through normal breathing. Without any place for the humidity to go, it will settle on a high, cool surface like the roof or the outer wall inside your cabinets. Do you see water piled up in the window channel that could be spilling inside? It is important to maintain a clear path for the water to exit by ensuring the weep holes are clear of debris and the pathway underneath the channel is cleaned out. I use a small brush and compressed air for this. ( I travel with a compressed air can from Office Depot for this purpose ) Can you crack the vent open without getting water inside? After I installed a cover over my vent, I can open it as much as I desire without getting rain inside. I also crack the bathroom window open a bit, allowing air to enter there, and exit through the ceiling air vent. No matter how cold it may be outside, I always enable a small bit of circulation and have no condensation issues at all. One final thing to check is whether or not the foam spacer under your air conditioner is compressed enough to stop leaks. If it wasn't snugged down enough this can result in water intrusion. A good RV tech should be able to check this if you have run out of other ideas. God luck, Pete

They are a momentary use item. I've found them to be an insignificant draw on the batteries when I set up camp. And your right, their usefulness waaaay outdoes the small battery draw.

I use RockTamers They do a good job at preventing strikes from debris my Tacoma might kick up on gravel roads. I do, however, see a few dings on the street side that are likely from passing vehicles. Overall I'm happy with their performance.

Hello Kayle, All of the vehicles on your list would do well with a Legacy Elite if you ordered them with a towing package. Personally, I find that with a pickup truck, I can place items in the bed that make camping easier, but don't take up space in my vehicle. This leaves more room for Oscar the Smiley Dog to ride in luxury with the back seat folded down and his bedding prepared. (He's only a little bit spoiled). The truck bed holds my small generator, which is used rarely, but there are those times that it comes in handy. I carry a small gas can, extra electrical cords, several hoses, an outdoor surface mat for my "yard", BBQ grill, chairs, Yada yada yada . . . Personally, I like having that stuff somewhere other than inside my vehicle or the trailer. If you've never had a truck, you may be surprised how car-like luxuries have been incorporated in today's choices. You'll receive numerous opinions as you look for what's best for you. Many people enjoy towing with SUVs that do very well. So many choices, so much fun putting your rig together.. enjoy! Pete ps. Think of other items you might want along, such as a bike or a kayak, and make sure your TV can bring them along as well.

Hardrock, Welcome to the forum and the Ollie clan! Congratulations on entering retirement, the next chapter of your life. You're gonna love it! After flying over this country for 30+ years, I started to roam around it slowly, pulling The Wonder Egg behind my Tacoma on secondary roads and seeing the land in a more close up, relaxed manner. Is is waaay better! I joined a small group of wanderers back in 2010 and took Route 66 from the beginning in Downtown Chicago, to the end at the Santa Monica Pier, in California. It was a memorable trip that took about five weeks or so. We went slowly, only about 200 miles each travel day and stayed two nights at each location. This allowed time for seeing the local sights, grocery shopping, vehicle and trailer maintenance, and such. It was relaxing, educational, and downright fun. As for campgrounds, the organizer planned for KOA stops because they were numerous along the route, and they were of a known quality. Although I would prefer more natural settings, KOAs were adequate. It was more about the journey and Route 66 memorabilia than the campgrounds on this trip. Some of us went rogue a couple nights and stayed at state parks for a nature fix. Here is my go-to website for the more natural campgrounds: http://www.uscampgrounds.info There are several good source books for the Route you can find. In a few spots you will choose between routes due to changes over the years. Where the interstate system took over the traffic, we tried to remain on the parallel frontage road which was the original trail "back in the day". You will surely have a fantastic time, Hardrock. I maintained a travel blog along the way. if you'd like to get a flavor of the trip, you can start here: http://peteandthewonderegg.blogspot.com ... nning.html While I haven't quite gone a full parsec yet, The Wonder Egg has crisscrossed this awesome country for 86,000 miles so far. The Route 66 miles were some of the most enjoyable. Pete