BackofBeyond

By the way - will be running around your back yard in mid to late June. Shout out when you see us..... we will be in the white Oliver. rb

That and my dog - a very short list.

Very true! Not dissing the product nor the need in many situations. I hated messing with the thing- for the short time I needed it. For me the answer to the Anderson was a more robust TV. I do not miss it. RB

HI, glad to have you on the forum. With the purchase of the E II with the options you describe - minimalism kind of goes out the window. You will discover - over time - just loosely putting stuff in the Oliver - will not work in the long run. You will develop systems for storing the "stuff" you find you need/want. It will be more than you believe - at this time. You will not need a generator if you don't plan to run the AC -much (if at all) - or you don't do a lot of boondocking. In the 3 years we have enjoyed Ollie - this is the first year we will have a gen set along - due to our desire to avoid the crowds at the more established camp areas. And it is really only due to a desire to run the AC when we are trekking across the mid west in 100 degree temps, and not hooked to shore power. You will have to discover what your preferences will be over time. As to the TV - your main inquiry - - As others have replied, you will be fine at the onset - and over time - depending on where your RV travels take you - may find you need - more payload, more power (Torque), more room, and a more planted feel while pulling on the interstates and in the mountains. The 3.5 is a good powerplant, and the Ford a good vehicle - but it will be asked to perform at the upper reaches of its design intent - on anything considered "grade challenging" . Comfort - and how tiring it can be - will also begin to play into the equation. I must admit I wasn't aware of this until I went from a similar vehicle to my current 2500 GMC. Worlds difference at the end of a 600 - 800 mile day. By the way - as good as the 2014 powerplant is - it is worlds less than the current crop of engines - all manufactures have made great improvements in power, efficiency, and features. Boggles the mind. Ford is now building a truck that is more power generator than vehicle..... well sort of😁 The Oliver It is a great start for your journey. And it is a Journey - both in destinations, experiences, and equipment. Here is a thought experiment - Pile into a heap all your stuff you take on the first trip - take a picture. After 5-6 trips do it again - compare. Good luck. I failed at minimalism - I am attempting to reform - but failing ...... Have fun RB

Sir Overland: Not to far - I have mine on order - Advanced Small Modular Reactors - INL Waiting for 1/100 scale. RB

UPDATE: After completing what must be the 4th pass through at greasing the chassis I learned a few things: 1. The 90 degree coupler is worth the cost - really helps - esp with the wheels not removed, even with the wheels removed, You can actually do a good job with just the rear removed. Got all 9 on each side.............. 2. Taking weight off the assembly (wheels off) seems to allow for better grease penatration. As a little more grease oozes out once its back to normal. 3. My brakes look great - didn't measure them but to the untrained eye - maybe 3/4 life left - lets say 1/2 for safety sake. 18K miles. When we return - it will bearing repack time - will really take a close look at the stoppers at that point. Don't forget to at minimum to visually check the bolts/nuts/connections down and around there. I put a wrench on them last time - all were good. And did I mention - for some reason - this is harder than it once was - can't figure out why though..... RB (did you catch it 😆)

So now I gotta start bringing my fishing stuff..... oh heck - I don't have a fly rod - yet. RB TWO

Welcome Steve and Cindy - Texas has a lot of memories for us. I once tried to explain to a European chap just how long the drive from Waskom to El Paso is in real terms - Tip to tip - don't believe I was successful. . We call TN home now, TX would be my next choice I think. Oliver will be here before you know it. Enjoy RB

For some reason we took a tent, and a few other remnants of the "time before Ollie" and finally made the break and left them home the last few trips. The interesting thing is with the GMC and the Leer top - it is not much to have most of the comforts without Ollie in tow. Now having said that - you may have prompted me to throw in the tent and a few pads - really open up the possibilities. I have a new tent - well it is years old - but it needs a good shakedown. OK then It is the Journey - so 72 it will be - across northern AL/Miss and on across the mighty Mississippi. I-40 is now just so - yesterday...... Still 4AM seems the best time to tackle the scrum of the I -55 bridge. RB Remembering TBO

Seadawg said : "Everyone has a different camping style. We treat the Ollie more like a very dry and warm tent on wheels, I guess." That is such a great statement. We bought the Oliver, as a step up from the van, which was a step up from the tents and on. We have looked at the more upscale and feature laden RV's with big engines, big gen set's and - well more. Stars in our Eye's - so to speak. Each time we pulled back to the simple basics - well, the Oliver excepted...... I have endeavored to keep Ollie simple and true - resist adding this, changing that, replacing the other- making it more than I needed. If I wanted all the features of home - I should stay home - was my mantra. The Oliver comes close - and with the addition of a stuffed GMC- it is almost - home. I must admit - I have grown really weary of the competition for space in the wilds of RV'ing in the Covid era. Escaping - is now staying home. Our upcoming yearly migration through the western US may be the last in Ollie - we have some other irons in the smoldering fire's of what's next. It never gets easier - now the damn bridge has to be considered - go south, turn right after a bit - head up, and take the other bridge. - Simple , yet - not. Not to mention the aftermath of the last wave of Covid campers who seemingly turned "Leave no trace" on it's head. To which the authorities reply in turn, posting closed and stay out notices where none went before. A stain hard to be removed, not to be forgotten. We shall see. I too often lift my gaze - - to the upper reaches of the industrial sized storage rack, where - resigned to their fate - the camping gear of the past - the tents, the packs, the miscellaneous stuff, lie in wait, longing for a return to action. A simper time - it was. Yet I know - the landscape has changed - perhaps forever. Could it be - that smaller, comfortable proverbial - place on the lake - is the answer - to the question. Warm - dry - and most of the stuff one needs - that Is Ollie. Simple. We will see how it goes - Come August - it might get much simpler. RB

I love it - if I ever find myself needing to interrogate terrorist I'll force feed them this for a few hours - ,,,,,

send them my way.

I actually prefer nuclear, Of the lone wolf design. Lacking that - you are spot on, MMMM, Free shake Shack for a vaccine - never mind - look a squirrel. Ok I am done. Good question. George Westinghouse's namesake has helped here - thank you Ocean pup. RB

It doesn't pay enough! Diesel at $2.85 - jeesh - I would have get up off the sofa - find the correct "tools" to actually siphon the fuel - spend time watching a YouTube on how to actually do it correctly without setting myself on fire, and then figure out what to do with my newly stolen booty. It is too much work. Naw - I'm good - the Glock, the dog, and my SO - money to be funneled elsewhere. But of course - your situation may be different and thusly more better in choice for the matter at hand. A tautology of sorts Oh I see - now! You reference a Maverick - the poor mans Cobra jet M - stang - I waste my words - lock em if you got them... RB PS - I rode around - a lot - in a cool Maverick - no-not the western flyer version.

Well as has been opined - Oliver brakes are not the cats meow - what to do, where does one go, - perhaps buy the best - an AS, a SOB, my gosh, we re all gonna die from insufficient breaking, - yeah another subjective topic. Get yours checked - do it yourself, ask one of those alien's the Navy says strafed SD in 2019 - just have them checked, get a vaccine, wear a mask, run, hide aaaaaaagh. OK it is relief factor - feel young again - get the quick start pack today - your brakes will love you. OR - just do the normal maintenance , and then you can spend quality worrying about which adult beverage you might run out of on the next boon docking escapade.......!!!!!! Oh crap - this isn't the Twilight Zone - sorry, I ran out of semi adult beverages and must have sobered up.... Thank you RB sniffing too much JB Weld - repairing the infrastructure. - can be hard on ones mental acuity. Wait - where is my tin hat and on EDIT- Ok - I realized I missed an important fix for the whole kit and caboodle - get your perfect pillow today - what pillow - well we all have a choice - I like mine - my pillow works, but not his My Pillow - it is an anthemia to common decency - what would John Locke say, not to mention Rousseau. Common Sense says T Paine.

Thank you JD - Tango Uniform - brought a smile to my face - my son - the military dude - introduced me to the phrase - which you have "cleaned up"!!

The manual knob is a great tool - mine lets me know what is gong on out back.

The break I saw pictured is gonna need some JB weld. Now I have to alter my travel plans - add a few hours to get through - lets see - if I leave about midnight - I can be at the detour about 4am - wonder if that is the low tide period. RB

Very interesting to hear the opinions of others on similar equipment. My first response to the title here was - Why on earth.... But as usual - JD has a well reasoned answer to that question. I have no complaints with my brakes - after 17k miles they remain in decent shape - and I'll take another look at them in the fall. But then I tow with a 2500 with a robust breaking system - and the Oliver doesn't have to work that hard on the braking. The Oliver seems to represent a great platform for the "I can make it better" crowd. And conversely - works really well for the rest of us.... Now here is a counter opinion - I have a mind to switch from the E-II down to a E - I, Find a pre-owned - basic - and go from there.... Carry on. RB

The local stations received fuel today. Back to normal it seems. RB

Well other than the I-40 bridge....

If we ever have a need to get info across the country - Grit TV is the answer.

In less than a few minutes - remove the entire setup sans the bulldog hitch - but in reality - just chain it up, and go. RB

Thieves can be resourceful lot - and the smarter ones usually ply their trade in target rich environments. Other than when in a remote storage - or similar - it is my opinion - you try to discourage the casual thief as much as possible - and forget about it in the long run. Professional crooks will defeat anything you put in place. I worry more about the jerks that just want to destroy stuff - and if it is an easy mark - walk away with a few trinkets. Removing the wheels is probably the best deterrent - but give the pro a little time - and your Ollie would be gone - . The old sign posted on the door - Hey Joe - we went to get more Ammo- be back in a few - don't let Jake out of the RV - he just got out of dog jail for eating the neighbor - and he is in a bad mood - we ran out of dog food...... seems about as good in a campsite situation. RB PS - I have read of of a well traveled HD enthusiast who had a very non descript trailer for his HD's - on the outside it was labeled something to the effect - Universal Bible Company - we deliver free bibles to all that are in need. Guess we can't hide Ollie....

Seems to be my life lately - I'm thinking I am on season 2 episode 2, and I see the keeper of facts says I'm on season 3 - episode 8......... - Kindle - same way....