bugeyedriver

We're heading out to your neck of the woods today! We'll be at Mustang Island State Park tonight & Saturday night. Come on out!

Oscar's not afraid of no alligators or HURRICANES! Check out: http://www.peteandthewonderegg.blogspot.com/

Mountainborn, A new cell phone, great! I've always loved the photos you've shared that you took from your previous phone, but the hazy quality was frustrating. Does your new fangdangled phone take photos? Take a good'un and give us a look.

Herm, Here's information from one of my old posts: "Currently, Oliver uses a product called "Lizard Skin" as an insulation protection for the trailer. The Lizard Skin is a product used in the automotive racing industry to keep the engine heat from the driver during long races and is applied to both shells. Don't know the "R" value. You can read about it at: http://www.lizardskin.com/ I feel that between the upgraded dual pane windows, double fiberglass shells and this high tech insulation sprayed on the inside, the Oliver is well insulated. My first night out was about +25F, I was cozy running a small electric heater on low. If you ever (gasp) had an accident that cracked the outside shell and water got inside, there are strategically placed weep holes to let the water out of the bottom. Having dead-air space between the shells is insulation also." They use the high tech Lizard skin on both shells. It gives double protection from heat or cold transfer. The spacing between the shells actually varies a bit due to the built in features of the Oliver which requires no rivets. Take a look at Technomadia's threads on his trailer being built and you can visualize how the shells fit together and interact for strength. There a few places there the shells actually touch in order to provide adhesive bonding and structural integrity. IMHO the double layer of Lizard Skin, two walls of quality fiberglass, and dead airspace is about as good as it gets. As you take out the storage area forms and peer into the bowels of the trailer, you can see tiny "weep holes" in the low spots that eliminates the potential of moisture becoming trapped inside and turning into a toxic ooze.

Herm, What temps and length of cold are you concerned about? One thought by Oliver is the holes in each storage compartment cover would facilitate a bit of heat transfer to the hold where the tanks are located.

Herm, Congratulations on biting the bullet and ordering an Elite. You'll LOVE it The Wonder Egg has the 9200 BTU Coleman Polar Cub A/C. I have two wall mounted thermostats located on the wall to the left of the galley. One for the furnace, and the other fot the A/C unit which also controls the heat strips on the A/C. They both work very well. If your A/C would have unit mounted controls, I'm sure there'd be a thermostatic control, but I'm not sure the fan would quit once the desired temp was reached, if you wanted to set it in that mode. (If anyond knows different, please chime in) Have you considered adding additonal 12V outlets for convenience? I have 3 extra and have used them all at times. Another option I find handy is the aluminum basket mounted in front electric jack. Ive'd used it for carrying a generator or strapping down some pre-cut, split firewood. Welcome to the Oliver family.

CarolAnn, If resources permit at some point, I don't see how you could go wrong by simply calling up the Oliver factory and saying "I'd like to buy an Oliver, please." Even without any further decisions on your part, Oliver would produce a wonderful, livable, durable home for you that is of impeccable quality. As far as the "thing-a-ma-jig" and selecting the latest whiz-bang gizmo on the market to incorporate into your new nest . . . leave those worries to other goofballs (such as myself) who enjoy the thrill of the gizmo world. Not having the latest far out flux-capacitor-powered-left-handed-whatcha-ma- call-it in your Egg Home won't lessen the high value and quality of your Oliver experience.

DougI, That may have been my post about the Wonder Egg's tongue weight measurement I had done at the Bluebonnet Casita Rally. My trailer is not standard and I was wanting to get an accurate tongue weight. Causes for a heavier weight for the Wonder Egg would be: Two thirty pound tanks instead of twenties. (You'd not only have the extra weight of the fuel, but of the metal in the larger tanks themselves - perhaps an extra 55 lbs overall) About 75 pounds or so of generator related equipment was mounted inside a custom made box mounted on the tongue, in front of the electric jack. So, the figure you have is not that far off for a "stock" unit.

The technician that installed my Tekonsha Prodigy break controller said it was the best on the market. I've appreciated it's simple, yet sensitive setting system. I also had it placed to the right of my steering wheel so Oscar can "whack it" with his paw if things should ever get out of hand.

I've used the Polar Cub 9200 at Lake Corpus Christi State Park on two different occasions . . . it works great! One of the sites put the trailer in the sun throughout the afternoon at 95 degrees. Inside temperature stayed at watever I wanted to set on the wall mounted thermostat. Couldn't make it too cool inside only because Oscar would have gotten a chill.

That's just a bit more information than I can take! I gotta go get a tissue and wipe my eyes . . . it's been a long time since I laughed so much I cried.

Doug, Here's a photo of the Wonder Egg with the awning out: When I was at the Texas Bluebonnet Casita Rally, I saw a number of trailers with a great sunscreen with tiedowns. I was told it was made by a Casita owner that goes by the screen name RX. Here's a link to her page that has photos of her sunscreen. You could PM her for more information on prices. The screen and tiedown system protects the awning during heavy wind conditions. She also makes a side screen which provides even more protection. http://www.casitaclub.com/forums/index. ... entry12432

Doug, To read about the cell phone signal amplifier, go to: It works great and keeps my cell phone and computer internet air data card up and running when I am a very long distance from cell phone towers. Technomadia, your July 25th Uber-Oliver delivery is right around the corner! I can't wait to see your blog postings as you & Cherie hit the road

Doug, Congratulations on your Oliver purchase! I am sure you and your wife will be thrilled with the quality that is packed into this wonderful trailer. You said your Rav4 has a 3500# towing capacity and you were slightly concerned about the storage space available in the Oliver. While the Rav4 will handle the Oliver fine, a slightly larger TV might give you more storage capacity and an extra margin of strength for pulling in the mountains. Solar ready is a good idea. If television is not that key to your lifestyle, consider eliminating the KingDome and replacing it with solar panels mounted on your trailer. (You'd still have the entertainment center for movies) I have a 100W solar power system and Technomadia has a 200W system on top of his. It'll be invaluable during your boondocking trips. As far as 12V, I added 3 more to the factory standard: One under the dinette for my laptop; One near the galley for my coffee maker; and one in the isle just outside the bed on the street side for miscellaneous items like cell phones, ets. I've used them all. Just food for thought. I'm sure however it is configured you will LOVE IT! Welcome to the Oliver family!!!!!!!!!

Ok now Chris, for the truly serious answer . . . You & Cherie are relaxing and snuggling on the full sized bed watching a romantic movie and you are worried about surround sound Priorities, my friend, think about it . . . what's REALLY important here?

CarolAnn, I sent my phone #s and address to you via a personal message to your email address. Give me a call and we can arrange a meeting, if you'd like. Oscar says "WOOF!"

Mountainborn, I hope you had enough imagination to open the bathroom door so that jet didn't break your mirror. Chris, you may stumble across some perfect surround sound system for the interior of the Uber-Oliver but wouldn't you need to decide exactly where you wanted the central focus of that surround sound experience? What if you had it all set for lounging on the bed and then shifted to a dinette seat? Would that compromise your experience? What if the "sweet spot" of pure surround sound was only at one pillow location on the full sized bed? Would you & Cherie have to draw straws to see who got the best spot? To avoid pitfalls and if it is that crucial, perhaps some surround sound headphones would solve your problem . . . check out the following: http://www.sennheiserusa.com/newsite/pr ... sid=009925 Next, you & Cherie need to get some cool 3-D glasses for a truly in depth experience and then you can reach up and touch the jet as it passes overhead!

CarolAnn, Having met you at the Bluebonnet rally, I can tell that you are both physically and mentally capable of handling the things you would encounter out on the road with your Oliver. Having towed a sailboat already, you are "over the hump" of learning how to maneuver a trailer accurately. As far as the physical standpoint, there was a lady parked two slots away from me at the Bluebonnet who is frailer than you and I understand she has been a solo fulltimer for a while. If she can do it you can! Ah, the hookup thing . . . I think you live about 2 hours from me. If you'd like to, you can come on over and I'll show you my Swift Hitch backup camera and demonstrate how simple and failsafe it is to operate. Send m a pm of when you could come on over and I'll send you the directions. Say hello to your brother for me.

Mountainborn, WOW . . . thanks for that! What beautiful views . . . On May 10th, you posted a relpy that said "I can't wait until I retire to get in on some of that fun." Well, buddy, it looks like you & Butcherknife are having the time of your lives up there where the air is clear and crisp. I can't wait to see the fun you'll be having after retirement! Your photos today are a real treat. Thanks again!

Steve & Tali, Congratulations on picking up the Outlaw Oliver Thanks for the pics . . . I think the custom graphics put a very cool touch to your trailer. With those words on the side and Storm standing guard nobody's gonna mess with you guys. Nice interior color choice and configuration. Enjoy your times out with Outlaw . . . Oscar & I look forward to meeting y'all sometime down the road.

Frances, I can't really speak from years of towing, as this is my first trailer and I've only put about 2000 miles on it. But from what I've read, if you're using a cc which keeps a very accurate speed and doesn't permit any appreciable deceleration, with overdrive the transmission may be overworked and overheated due to the constant shifting on changing terrain. Repair or replacement of the tranny will surely overcome any savings you may see with a mild increase in mpg. If you do not use overdrive, the rpm will be higher (at 60 mph I show about 2200 rpm without od and about 1500 w/ od) but it is well within rpm limits and there is a minimum of gear changes. It results in higher fuel consumption but a kinder use of the transmission. A friend who has towed a Casita with the same sized Tacoma & engine told me about using overdrive, but not using cruise control and allowing the torque of the engine pull you up gentle hills without any rpm change. You may slow down 5 mph or so on the climb but it picks up on the other side. This will probably not work on steeper inclines because the reduction in speed may be too much. In that case I won't use overdrive, the rpms will increase and mpg decrease. But hey, I'll be in the mountains and the views will be worth it, right?

Beeser, I use a 2008 Tacoma 4 door w/ factory towing pkg for my TV. MPG depends greatly on my "technique" and the wind condition. Can't speak about mountain pulling, as I haven't done that yet. I've usually been on flat or gently rolling hills. Here are my results: 60 mph - cruise control - no overdrive - 30 mph headwind - 14 mpg 62 mph - no cruise control - overdrive - 35 mph tailwind - 19 mpg 55 mph - cruise control - no overdrive - calm winds - 15.5 mph I anticipate about 17 mpg at 62mph, calm winds, overdrive (allowing for deceleration to about 55 when going uphill) I have a flat, locking cover over the back which reduces some drag. Non towing, at 75 mph i get about 21 mpg - at 60 mph, Ive seen 25 mpg.

That's the "Wonder Egg" when Oscar & I went to Inks Lake State Park, near Burnett TX. I had been posting some photos on my blog and BuffaloBob sent some of them to Trailer Life Magazine for the purpose of getting some exposure for the Oliver. He said the Monday after the edition hit the street his office was flooded with inquiries. I'm all for getting out the good word on these outstanding trailers and Oscar & I are glad to be a small part of this new community of FGRV adventurers. Good job BuffaloBob!!

Steve, Tali, Storm, Maggie, & Lucy, Congratulations on your pick up of "Outlaw" in two nights and a wakeup! Are you planning to spend some time out on the Natchez Trace for a shake-down/familiarity stop? What are your plans afterwards? A quick trip home or a slow meandering journey to break in Outlaw in style? Enjoy, Enjoy, Enjoy!!!!

Ah, I remember those days fondly . . . seeing pictures of the "Wonder Egg" during its 6 week gestation cycle was great fun. Your anticipation is palpable. Enjoy this time of your "baby's" birth. There's nothing like it!