JPatrickJ

We love the Williams area, but have only stayed in a Bed and Breakfast there. Sorry...can't help with camping spots. :-) Good luck.

Being an amateur astronomer we run into needing to apply heat to our telescopes in freezing weather all the time. I'm sure this method could be applied in this situation. What we use are 12 volt heating strips called "dew heaters" which are nothing more than long heating elements. The individual heating elements are controlled using a Dew Controller. You can add multiple heating elements to the controller and regulate the temperature to the desired level. The controller is attached to any 12 volt battery source so will run as long as there is power. Dew heaters and controllers can be found at places like Astrozap and Dew-Not . One good telescope store is OPT Telescopes. This is a workable solution which would allow you to place specific heat at specific locations. I can't tell you if it's cost effective, but I think it should work. There also may be better ideas out there for heating cables and tank warmers that run off of 12 volt.

Craig, I just checked out the bluetooth low latency head phones! They look like an ideal solution to the sound problem. I can also use them at home! Thanks so much! Patrick

Craig, Thanks so much for your response and the graphics! That has been very useful in understanding how the audio works. Regards, Patrick

One more question! Thoughts keep coming up... TV viewing...my wife generally goes to bed earlier than I do, and I like watching tv a little later in the evening. Since there's only one tv and it's at the head (or foot) of the bed and the speakers are also at the 'head' of the bed Is there any way to block off the speaker, run it silently or for me to watch using head phones? Is there a way to put up a thick sound softening curtain to isolate one of the twin beds? Thanks, Patrick

I haven't bought an Ollie yet, but have done quite a bit of trailering and rving. One thing to caution about is how much weight your tow vehicle will be able to carry when you're towing. It may not be as much as you'd hope for. For myself and my wife, I calculated that I'd have about 3-400 lbs of extra weight capacity in my truck after subtracting our weight, the trailer tongue weight, full tank of gas, cap weight, and the dog, etc. All the extra camping cargo can add up fast. YMMV with whatever tow vehicle you're using of course, so you should look closely at whatever vehicle you pick to make sure it has plenty of carrying capacity. I suspect a lot of folks tend to go with trucks because vans in general can't haul as much as a truck. Vans do offer the advantage of having better access to gear and 24/7 covering. Regards, Patrick

That may be okay for you, but I don't like the idea of leaving my footwear outside. The shoes will never dry out and putting on cold wet boots is not my idea of a fun time. Will they fit in the bottom of the closet?

Thanks everyone for your responses! Here are a couple more questions that have occurred to me. 1) Where do you store your shoes, particularly muddy boots from a day of hiking or rainy days? 2) Where do you put your trash? Thanks! Patrick

Overland, I agree with you 100% or else Oliver completely missed their market. Sorry if I came off otherwise. I wouldn't even be looking at Oliver seriously if I didn't think my 1/2 ton Sierra could pull it. I used to tow a 30' travel trailer with a Ford F150 and 2.7 Ecoboost (great engine, btw) and it was okay...doable, but quite sensitive to wind and trucks. But the Ollie is not a non-aerodynamic 30' TT, it's a very aerodynamic 24' TT. From all accounts it has very good road and wind manners.

I've added up all my numbers and done the calculations. This is not my first rodeo with RV's, although I am new to Oliver. I think the bottom line is that in order to use most 1/2 ton pickups, there is a need to be frugal and plan well. You have to be a minimalist. Some people are, and some aren't. If you're the kind of person who cannot resist throwing in an extra cord of firewood, half a dozen bicycles, 5 gals of generator gas, etc, you should be looking at a 3/4 ton pickup. However, if you're a minimalist, keep your needs trimmed down and don't overload, I think there's a good chance you could make a 1/2 ton vehicle work.

Hi BOB, Thanks for your comments. I get what you're saying. Unfortunately, I do not have the luxury of a truck payment at present, so I may have to suffer through a little bit of inconvenience for a while. Or just wait, and that's okay too. Thanks again!

Sorry, yes, it's a 4x4 Ext Cab standard bed, 4.8 L V8. I need to confirm the axle ratio, but it's somewhere between 6700-7700 lbs towing, 670 to 770 tongue load. The low tow rating vehicles are those with the 4.3L V6's. Yes, I could replace it with a used HD truck, but I suspect it would be more expensive than a straight swap. I would prefer it if the one I have will work. I think it will based on everything I've read and calculated, but there's always that bit of uncertainty. I don't want to be stuck with a grossly under powered TV. That's one of the main reasons I'm even considering the Oliver. Patrick

We're looking at the Ollie Elite II. We have a 2007 GMC Sierra 1500 Classic with a 4.8L V8. It's paid for (!), and in very good condition for it's age. It would be great to have a 3/4 ton pickup, but at this point it's either a new truck and no Ollie, or the Sierra and an Ollie II. The big question is...will the Sierra handle the Ollie II? This would be our only tow vehicle for the foreseeable future as we are close to retirement. Thoughts?

BackofBeyond, It looks like you have a very nice setup! One question...how do you maneuver your rig into the shed with the tongue backwards? PS...nevermind, I see now that this is a pull through. Excellent! Patrick

That setup looks extremely scary! Too much weight on the back, not enough on the tongue could make for a very unstable towing situation. And that stretched out screw is just an accident waiting to happen!