WhatDa

Also forgot...convection microwave that keeps the time when it loses power... You'd figure "RV specific" would be built for power loss. Almost as infuriating as my Toyota that has a GPS (ie access to very accurate time), cell phone app (more accurate times), but cannot set the time for itself, or deal with daylight savings.

Mini split that can heat/cool/filter/dehumidify. The whole roof in solar panels. Truma comfort plus (instant hot water and no wasted fresh/gray), with all the plumbing individually insulated (so recirculating hot water keeps cold water from freezing). Add a washer/dryer (stacked or even combo if 66" of height can't be found) as an option - closet if not. This would add 24" to length and give another closet or separate shower on the other side. I really like the rear dinette as our best views are usually out the rear window. So I'd keep that. Easier way to convert from table to an actual bed -- there are drop down tables that go from table height to bed support height without all the unscrewing and storing of pillars. Some of these also then work outside. Bathroom door as a pocket door or way to really be able to use front area as a bed. Ditch all the black panels and boxes on the interior and their LED lights. Dedicated waste bin solution in kitchen and bath

Just got some door jamb pictures from some Chevy 1500 LTZ - 5.5' bed ~1500 lbs and 6.5' ~1600 lbs payload - both baby Duramax. Pretty tempting with the offers that are out there, we'll see if HD offers catch up.

That'd be the dream. The 2022 Tundra will probably come with all the latest safety goodies on even its base trims. For Ford that means Lariat Ultimate, GM SLT/LTZ, and RAM special packages. The rumored hybrid turbo-six will probably be great for around town, but probably be equal to an EcoBoost on the road. But by the time that comes around, Cybertrucks will be rolling in. I'm trying to figure out the actual payload of some of the Diesel 1500 Silverados around me as they have heavy rebates and it might be the only 1500 that works close to an HD. Otherwise we'll see what rebates bring for any of the HD trucks this month.

Yeah, it would still be fun. That's also the appeal of the Cybertruck, it has a good chance of towing well and being fast. The TRX and it probably share about the same range before empty 🙂 On the topic of modern diesels -- a cherry used LBZ Duramax is as much as new new truck. We're opting for new for safety features and also used car shopping is a bit rough with the COVID-19 measures in place. Just waiting to see April's offers from the makes and 529 should be back to racking up some miles.

Rebel TRX should be able to make it up Ike...it's just a question of Payload and Towing - neither of which I am guessing it is optimized for 🙂

I didn't get a chance to test drive one, but the towing mileage from the interwebs with them is less than stellar. TFL Truck got 5.6 MPG (vs 6.9 MPG on the Chevy gasser) towing with a mini fifth wheel. They haven't done the MPG loop with that trailer and the updated PS+10 speed, but expect it to turn 10-12 MPG. The dollars don't work out to be in the Diesels favor, even if it gets double the mileage due to the $8k premium in price (some may be recaptured later). The problem is the 7.3 has a 34 gallon tank unless you go to Crew + 8' bed - when you get 48 gallons. While the Ollie is probably more aerodynamic (and certainly lighter) than the Cimarron they used for the test, you'll still be looking for gas stations ~170 miles apart to keep the reserve on the 34 gallon tank. Titan and Transferflow make replacement tanks for Diesel Super Duty trucks in the 55-65 gallon range, but not for gas. That should unlock 1000 miles without a trailer and 500 miles with a trailer for the Diesels - which for us means getting fuel only once per day vs 3x per day or being able to choose exactly where to charge. If that's not enough an autotransfer bed auxiliary tank (another 50-80 gallons) is possible with Diesel - but not with gas. On a cross country trip this means buying fuel in the cheap states only. There are some other characteristics which make the Diesel a plus. 1) it's heavier which means more weight on the steer axle (you do lose payload, but in an F350 that is less of a concern). 2) it's quieter under load - that V8 growl gets old on a long mountain pass or long headwinds. All reviews do point to the 7.3 being fun to drive, better for offroad as its lighter (the weight on steer axle is a plus when towing), easier/cheaper to maintain, having plenty of torque, etc... but for me it's the logistics of MPG * tank size. If TransferFlow or Titan come out with XXL gas tank replacements that could seriously boost its usability. Choosing the 7.3 wouldn't be wrong, but for me I'd rather have the added range of the Diesel, even if I'll pay out the nose at purchase and every oil change.

Just to calm those that might be freaking out about their pending orders - Hull 529 made it across the country and several extended adventures -- including the one we are on now -- without any major issues. Just a minor trim issue with bottom left drawer that I need to call Jason's team to sort out (the trim pops up over the drawers catch if you aren't careful opening it). We did spend 2 days at Davy Crockett to shake everything out, and nothing went wrong other than the RVLock remote was INOP from the start. I disagree with many things Oliver does re: general design, but they are still head and shoulders above the competition - at least for our purposes.

Most are. Some are 110v. I'm evaluating which one to go with. On the electric side, I am looking at everything inside being driven off an inverter all the time, and shore power going to a charger -- tired of garbage campground voltage. So it'd go mains->charger->batteries->inverter->loads. It'd be a second multiplus to get 220v everywhere. I'd also no longer have to worry about turning anything off to run the Microwave.

22 feet+ (which is right where the CC+LB F350 is) results in higher ferry fees here too. $20 turns into $30 or $60 depending on height - 7'2" being the breaking point. Also when I talk the "short" bed for the F350, it's 6.8' long vs the 5.5' on the 1/2 tons. So not long enough to carry plywood/sheetrock with the tailgate up, but certainly ok with it down. We'd also take a double cab, long bed -- but those aren't too easy to find. With the factories shutdown, not sure I want to order something right now.

I was thinking on the tongue, longitudinally mounted for wind/gravel resistance. Keep it as far away from the sleeping area as possible.

I looked at that unit, but the reliability seems less than stellar. Hence looking at the other options. A high efficiency mini split is definitely the gateway to Solar AC -- while that ARV is quieter, I don't think it approaches the up to 33 SEER in mini splits. I'm trying to find one that does a good job of humidity management, HEPA filtering, etc... to drop those boxes from the interior as well. Here's a ceiling mount that wouldn't go through the roof, which means more room for solar up there: https://www.fujitsugeneral.com/us/products/split/floor-ceiling/index.html

What configuration you have? We are looking at the crew cab short bed, so 34 gallons (vs 48 if we went long). But Transferflow does make a 60 gallon replacement tank that we should have enough budget in our payload for.

We're in King County, WA -- so nothing "normal" here as we are on full "stay home stay safe" lock down. Local dealers seem willing to deliver for a test drive, so considering that option. I got to drive the 2019 versions of all the trucks and the 2020 version of the GM. Ram (2500 or 3500 with air) rides the best, but shifts the worst - especially the Aisin. The RAM 1500 is probably my front runner for 1/2 tons as it allows diesel+air suspension+33 gallon tank from the factory. But as with all half tons, weight becomes a concern - especially once tool boxes, caps, and covers are added - thus kind of just looking at the 350/3500 class trucks at this point.

Yes, towing with the Navigator just after sunset, light rain, I look see nothing, turn on turn signal, look, see nothing but blind spot light flashing at me. Odd - must be on the fritz -- oh no -- it's just someone driving a dark gray car with their headlights off in the dark/rain..... So blindspot and adjustable pedals are the blockers for the GM twins for us now. The nice thing about Ford is Tremor is available with Diesel and F350 so you can still have 2500+lbs of payload and good towing range. Not sure if I'm going to fork the money for the package or just add some better tires for the base or FX4 pacakge. The Lincoln with offroad tires handled all the Forrest Service roads/grades just fine, so not sure the clearance would really help us much out here.

This would fit either on the bathroom wall by the dinette (maybe make it into a headrest?), the lower pantry area (lose 6" of aisle) or in the back between the rear and side windows. There are also some ducted systems that would fit on the curbside as well to help heat the basement. Also ceiling mounted air handlers that would need some sort of external shroud but might need an external shroud. https://www.fujitsugeneral.com/us/products/split/floor/rlffh-series/index.html This could stick 3" into the hall either at the pantry or dinette.

We have the "standard" layout and leave it setup as a rear bed nearly 100% of the time. Our bed is a double size foam topper, and then the pup gets the rest of the space (22"x79") at night. Ours is 35lbs and doesn't shed thankfully. One night I got her to sleep halftway through the night at the dinette, before she decided she needed to be closer to her humans. During the day, she occupies a throw blanket we put over the bed to supervise us and the wildlife out the windows and provides vocal critiques if either do not do her bidding. If we had another, I'm not sure if the space would be big enough when it's puppy playtime -- but it would depend on the dogs.

We sold the Navigator as someone offered us great money as it had a fairly rare combination of options (8 seats, HD tow, Cargo, tech, Reserve, etc...) and I need to get something with a bed for some construction projects -- while the navigator could fit a sheet of plywood in the back just fine, I have a problem throwing bags of cement in the interior of not-so-cheap SUV. And there's a bit of boredom to quell so let's talk trucks 🙂 I've looked at the 1/2 ton Diesels, and came to the conclusion that I'd rather not have to count grams to make axle/gross weights, so here are the contenders: 2020+ RAM - For 2020 they added trailer coverage to their blindspot systems, but the transmissions on these still do not perform anywhere near as well as the Ford/GM 10-speeds. Rumors of 2021 bringing the new 1500 cab refinements, ramboxes, and maybe the ZF transmission. The plus is safety features are available down to the base tradesman trim -- and I'm a a fan of them. 2020+ Ford - Updated PowerStroke and transmission make this a great truck. If I had to pick a 2020 model year, it'd probably be the Ford at this point between the nice powertrain, XLT gets all the safety features I'd like, and it comes with a front bench. I looked at the 7.3 and it's a little too thirsty while towing for my wants based on the reports I've seen. 2022 is probably the refresh for these as the F150 is getting renewed for MY 2021. 2020+ GM - Similar to the Ford, duramax meets 10 speed is working well. Has a better ride. Downside is no adjustable pedals means this is just about out of the running. Blindspot is truck-only with no trailer coverage. Rumor is 2021+ will receive some tech/camera upgrades as well as an interior upgrade. Hopefully the address the fact that RAM offers safety features in the base Tradesman that are only available in LTZ/SLT in the GM twins. So the way I see my options are a: 2020 PSD Ford, or take a nice long rental from Enterprise Trucks and see what 2021 offers. Thoughts?

How well does that washer work? I'm guessing its spin and line dry?

Another reason I like my Ryobi 2300. 90 Day money back guarantee. 3 year warranty included. Blister pack of two with paralleling cable was $999 on sale at home depot. I could have also added the home depot warranty for like $100 - but based on the reviews of the Generator I skipped. I keep the second one as a spare as we don't need more than one to power anything in the trailer. Has a 1.2 gallon tank (vs .95 in Honda) for a nice long runtime. I can see the runtime on the display, or my phone. I can turn ECO throttle off on my phone too if I know I need higher power now. Hour meter on generator and phone. While I can't remote start, I can remote cutoff when we are done charging the batteries/cooling/using the microwave. Great reviews on HomeDepot, youtube, and those in Puerto Rico that ran them 24/7 for months after the Hurricane. Parts are super easy to get: https://www.partswarehouse.com/Ryobi-RY-i2300BT-Digital-Inverter-Generator-s/323887.htm If it breaks though, I am just using the 3 year warranty and grabbing my spare generator in the interim. After warranty, I'll fix myself.

Water causing a short on the 7-pin trailer connector

I don't think most would be getting into the settings -- maybe some have. The factory system is a little user unfriendly. "How much battery do I have left?" Well take a look at the voltage, but that could be off based on whether Solar is charging or not, there is a high load or not, etc... I have two, ugly displays inside that basically provide useless information about electricity. The electricity system is probably my #3 peeve about the Oliver. The top two are the Truma's lack of re-circulation (wasting water/gray tank - one SKU away from optimal) and the Air Conditioner/Heating System (there's room for a much more efficient, quieter mini-split). The electricity is probably the easiest to fix though - I just need to wrap my head around the full build I need for the new Victron 200Ah batteries and setup the time to tear everything apart and if I am going to make the jump to support 240V (for future mini split install).

Take a look at the Ryobi generators too. Lots of good reviews out of Puerto Rico after the hurricane. Ours has held up well. Bluetooth app is nice too- gives you an idea of how much runtime you have and lets you turn off the generator remotely.

About to do some spring maintenance. Is there newer consensus on what grease to use on the zerks vs the hubs? Prefer 14 oz tubes as thats what my gun takes. Thanks

We're in WA, happily camping away from our house in the Epicenter of this mess. My office is a stone's throw away from the retirement home where most of our deaths have been. I sold the tow vehicle just a bit ago, so trying to shop for a new one without actually going into dealers now. Sad how many are still sending emails "I see you are interested, when would you like to come in so we can shake hands and spit on eachother". One dealer that I worked with previously back east had it smart -- everything can be done online and they will deliver the car. I am in the middle of a tech hub and it seems the dealers still want to deal with carbon paper and impact printers. I may just order and rent an F350 from Enterprise. Once we have that sorted out, I'm thinking somewhere in Eastern WA to avoid allergy season -- which being coincident with this pandemic has me constant self evaluating myself. Second thought would be to head to Glacier and sit and enjoy the view.