gatorewc

John, My Tremor has been shipped and I am waiting on delivery of my SD 250 Tremor. Living in the Southeast i really don't have the opportunity to hit dirt roads with the Ollie like you do out west. I do expect a rougher ride with the 250 of course when compared to my Lexus 570. I will definitely miss the softer ride but no Andersen and plenty of payload will be very nice. I could not bring myself to look at the Power Wagon. Nice truck with good reviews but a Lemon 2012 Rubicon has me soured on Dodge. I am excited to see how the 7.3 Godzilla pulls. Read great reviews but have not had he opportunity to actually drive one due to the scarcity of available trucks on the lot. Once I get my truck there will be a used Andersen available for sale.

Thank you for sharing. So glad you had great assistance and survived the ordeal. Hope you get your new Ollie soon and insurance treats you fairly. I wished these new trucks would implement all the cameras on the TV to record all activity. The technology is certainly there. If the Ollie rear cam would record, you may have been able to see the rear tag with some magnification of the picture.

Ordered a Diamond HD for my 2022 250 Tremor last week. It will be sitting in the barn waiting for the Tremor to show up in the next few months (I hope). After much research I thought it was the best for the money. The Renegrade bed cover is great but even more pricey and if you live on the east coast there is a $450 shipping charge. If you live near Utah they will install for free. Diamondback ships for free!

I received a email from my local Toyota dealer wanting to buy my 2020 Tundra Crew Cab 4X4 with 49,000 miles for $41, 250. Figured it was a scam since I paid $41,000 brand new. Eating wings with some buddies a couple of nights later and a friend tells me his son sold his Toyota. So I go down the next day and in 15 minutes the paper work is done. I would have never believed it. They now have it listed for $48,000 on the lot. I guess I could have sold it for more on my own but that was sure quick and easy. My next move was ordering a 2022 Ford 250 Plat. Tremor so I guess it will cost me more in the long run. I loved the Tundra but always knew I had to watch my payload when camping. Payload will not be a problem now. I do have a 2011 Lexus 570 that I will be using to haul until the 250 gets built. When building the Ford online my wife told me her company has a program with Ford and when I finished we would build the same truck with the code. Saved me a tad over $4K using the company code. I met the dealership and they informed me that they could not change the price one penny coming from the corporate program agreement, so I would not have to worry about an up-charge one it was delivered. The salesman did say it may take longer than normal for the delivery but I will be patient.

I tow with a 2020 Tundra and love it. Mine is the Crewmax 4/4. I agree the gas mileage is less than the other trucks mentioned but the reliability I will take all day long over Dodge, Ford and Chevy. I wish the payload was a little higher but we don't carry the kitchen sink with us. My buddy has the Ford Eco Boost and when he pulls his 28' RV his mileage is less than mine. I have a Lexus 570 that has basically the same V8 as the Tundra. Lexus 570 has around 228K miles and the engine just runs runs, and runs. I guess that is why I bought the Tundra with the V8. It ain't fancy with bells and whistles, but it is dependable all day every day.

Had a great time at Hannah Park last week but it was HOT and HUMId! Posted a map, sites are very very shaded. Not huge but private because of trees. Not a big fan of the pull thru sites but really like the sites that have no one behind you. Most sites are level with a little leveling on some lots. Just pay attention to the color coding and you will do great. Have a great time and wish we could join ya!

We will be at Hanna Park in 10 days and maybe can recommend some campsites that we see that are good. Would love to have been able to make the Oct 15th, but that is real near peak fall color in the Smokies and we will be at our cabin!. Hanna Park is a great place!

Thanks John, Fortunately, I do not own the firm I have worked for the last 18 years, my Boss is 79 and has owned the firm for 40 years. I salute your wife. I have found certification and CPE training so comical the last few year as the instructors try to predict how new changes will be interpreted and tax professionals being the hired guns to enforce and figure out what Congress does not even know what they have passed. Oh well... enough of that.. Nothing better than sitting outside the Ollie and enjoying nature....ah the life!

We had the full service done in Feb. 2021 and were very pleased with the service. Even though our Ollie was only 7 months old we wanted to get on a winter rotation of yearly service and we had a few issues that needed to be fixed from our pick up in July 2020. We had 2 drawers that were not smooth operating and the access port cap on the curbside bed would not line up. The threads on the cap and the port were slightly warped and impossible to screw closed once opened. They replaced the access port with a new 2021 model port which is a quarter turn type closure. The service was all caulking, lubing valves, testing gas fittings, testing water connections and pump pressure, and axle greasing and repacking bearings. ( I may have forgotten something since I do not have the ticket in front of me) Our total bill was $1,138. We have had $70 bucks of shop supplies or other charges included with that. All of the warranty work was not charged. I am sure that a person with knowledge in the appropriate areas could do the work on their own and save the money. I know I am a great helper doing almost anything but not totally confident in doing something on my own, so it was worth it to me to have Oliver do the work. I did purchase a premium camper that I intend on using for many years and just figured this is an expenditure that is worth it to me yearly. I will say that I have read where some new owners have had some issues with quality and not pleased with problems during there break-in periods, and I fully understand their frustration. Sherry and I have been extremely happy in the quality of our Ollie. The 2 issues we had were fixed when we brought it back in and the time the service people talked with us was great. I will tell you the feeling I had when I drove away was not the same feeling I have when I have left other camper repair shops. Hope this helps!

Sorry to say we are going to miss our first Non-Rally. Thanks to Uncle Sam extending the new Tax deadline to May 17th Sherry and I will have to cancel our trip. I am ready to lay this tax prep business in the trash can as changes are getting more crazy each year. Enjoy the time and hopefully we can join up at the next gathering! Erv & Sherry

I bought my Hondas from Northern Tool and the new 2200's have the rubber flap covering the outlets and are bluetooth. It is a cool feature that you can see how much the AC draws when it cycles and as you turn things off and on. I purchased both the 2200 and the companion. I know it was over kill but having 2 has already been handy when power outages affected myself and my neighbors. I was able to loan one to him and having 2 kids with families I already see when one might turn up missing and I will have to track it down. Northern Tool shipped right t my house. I just went to their website and Northern tool has them available .

https://www.instragram.com/gastateparks/ My camper has now made it to the Ga state parks website on Instagram My son took this shot this past summer. Oliver may get some free advertisement from this photo! It is amazing that I was told when I start camping with my Ollie people would ask about it and want to see it. We have camped about 6 times in 6 months and I have been stopped every time as people love the look and quality.

Congrats from Georgia!!

Congratulations !!!

Made reservations Sect E. Looking forward to a fun weekend!

Have Fun!

All the above are great replies, just a little experience will soon have you confident. Just taking your time and not rushing is always the best way. I have found the most nerve racking time is really backing into camp sites. The first five feet of backing up for me is the test. Once my brain kicks in with turning my tires to steer the Ollie in backward I do great. But sometimes I have to just stop for 30 seconds and reset my thoughts. Backing up will be second nature once you get the hang of it. Also use your phone or walkie talkies and the second set of eyes are very helpful

Welcome!

Crooked River State park in St. Mary's GA is a great spot. Large lots! The pulp smell is not noticeable. We have a house across Crooked River on the marsh and we never smell the mill. Once you get near Bruinswick the smell is noticeable if the wind is blowing in the right direction. There is a campground on Jekyll but I have not driven through it in a long time.

Congratulations!!!! You will love it!!

I saw this yesterday. Very informative. We use our phone. Just something to thing about for the future.....

Will do!

You can take the Blue Ridge Parkway all the way to Asheville and the scenery is great but it will take several hours. The shorter version is taking the Parkway from Cherokee to the Maggie Valley exit and then on to Asheville. If you have the time the Parkway is great. Just making it clear, I have had people going to Asheville jump on the Parkway thinking it was a the same time as thru Maggie, The Parkway is for beauty and enjoying the time.

We had been with AAA for probably 15 years and they were great. We always paid for our plan and both our kids. Even though we had road service with our regular coverage, we felt like with 2 teenage drivers we wanted as little action on our policies as we could. (My son ran out of gas and locked his keys in the car in 30 minutes time is one example of multiple call outs) Last month we went with Good Sam because it had better RV coverage and was around $60 less. I got the 3 year plan with a 6 month $20 add on for traveling benefits. ( covers some airfare issues and what not) for I think $379. This is the premium plan. Over the years with much travelling on the road we have used AAA numerous times and they were great. I also went with GoodSam because our Oliver coverage is with their sister company, It covers all our cars and trailers.

If you want to go into the Smokies on the TN side you have Elmont and Cades Cove campgrounds. Both are great stops. Cades Cove has a great loop to see wild life and old settler posts but can be crowded at times. Wednesday is a closed day only for hikers and bikers (the non motorized bikers). If you drive through the park Smokemont Campground is near Cherokee and about an hour from Asheville. Stay on the F Loop if you can. About 4 miles south of Smokemont is the NC Side Ranger Welcome Station with a old settlers village which is great. There is also Mingus Mill about 5 minutes away which is a place to purchase stone ground grits or flour. Each day around 4 pm a herd of Elk wander to the open fields around the Ranger station and is very impressive. The elk were reintroduced about 15 years ago and are awesome to see. Wild turkeys are usually spotted in the fields or along the road. A drive over to Cattaloochee is a great afternoon drive which has a old homestead and pastures where the elk were originally released before spreading throughout much of the park. There is a campground at Cattaloochee but to camp there you would have your first adventure on a gravel road with your Ollie. The entrance for this road is right at I-40 and 276Hwy exit to Waynesville When leaving the park heading south on US441 take the Blue Ridge Parkway and not US19. The drive is gorgeous and much less congested than going thru Cherokee and over to Maggie Valley then to I-40 to Asheville. The Smokies are my haven. We have a mountain cabin about 1/4 mile where the Blue Ridge Parkway crosses over US 19. Even being close to the house we love camping in the mountains. I know all the restaurants in Bryson City, Maggie Valley, Waynesville, and Asheville. Asheville is a great city with numerous things to see! Sounds like you will have a great trip whether going north or south around the GSMNP!