SeaDawg

That is an option we are considering. Paul really wants to build his own batteries from cells. But, we truly don't think we "need" 300 amp hours of lithium battery. We'll base that need on what it takes during fall shoulder season, with the 400 watts of solar, and 200 portable, when we have to run the furnace every night. I'm guessing 200 ah might even be overkill for us, based on the years of camping with the compressor fridge, and power monitoring. Oth, we might just "want" more ah, if we can fit them in the battery tray, or elsewhere. (ELSEWHERE space being pretty darn limited in an Elite I.) I would love a totally generator free life, but I don't really foresee leaving home without at least the little Honda as a backup. Or, the Ford F150 hybrid, though a new truck isn'tin the plans right now. Spring in wnc ahas been cool, but the nights rarely dip into the low 40s, or high 30s, so the furnace fan hasn't run much at all. The shorter solar days, and colder nights and mornings, of November, will give us the information we need to make a better decision. I agree with that, too. It's really an expensive option. I wouldn't consider it, but for the 60 to 70 ah the fridge consumes each day. Everyone has a different camping style. We treat the Ollie more like a very dry and warm tent on wheels, I guess. The fridge and furnace fan are the big power consumers. Other people prefer more comfort and convenience. And camp in heat, or winter. And that's ok, too. It's up to the individuals to decide what they want and need. And how deeply they want to reach into the pocketbook, imo.

Yes, it is

Loved my Maverick. It was a somewhat puny engine,, but it got me out of a lot of snow banks in deep snow country, rocking the three on the tree. And, a simple car to work on. Slick look for the times. I traded it for a plymouth Duster. I think my locking fuel cap , back in the day, was less than $20

Thats a great bargain. Any phone number?

Got that There is a Yukon Territory campground, built in ww2 days, one of our faves. SNAFU. (you guys know what that means.) I can't recommend it for most folks. Super sandy drive , easy to get stuck. 4wd engaged, preferred,,and a run at the bottom of the hill. We know the drive, and like the hilltop sites overlooking the lake. Best for 4wd van campers, or.... those who know the way. There are a few sites at the lower lakeshore that are really nice, and easier access, if available. We camp there every trip on our way to AK. Edited to add: seriously, if you are not experienced, don't have 4wd don't try this. Even the lower sites We know what were doing,,and a tow truck is really expensive. If you have signal to call one. This is seriously in the boonies. Pit toilets, no water, no sewer. Our kind of quiet place.

The answer, is probably "yes". Recently, we upgraded 200 watts of solar on our 2008 Elite to 400 watts of solar. We doubled our portable panel(s), also, from 100 watts to two 100 watt panels. We combined the old controller as a slave mppt controller to the mix in addition to the new mppt (blue Sky). Ran the wiring from the furrion port to the slave controller, instead of directly to the battery, via the original onboard panel controller, which we removed. We live on 2 105 ah agm batteries in our 2008. That's not a lot of power, considering we have a 12v dc danfoss/second fridge. I will caution others that we use very little power for other things. We have no inverter. We use a generator for any rare 110 applications, like power tools. Our test so far : Fine at home, with not much running. No need to plug in. Last camping trip on NC, partial day shade, 12 days, only had to run the generator once on 12 days, after two crappy rainy days, as blue sky meter showed less than 75% power in batteries . This trip, crummy weather. Overcast most of the day, full leaf cover. Still, only down by 5 hours at sunset. Ran the furnace fan a few times in the day (in the 50s in the morning here), but picked up enough sun that we felt no need to plug in the generator, though we used it to run some power tools. At night we set our analog thermostat to low, which is around 55 . We're fine with that. Others are not. We sleep well at that temp, and the furnace doesn't kick on. This is an experiment. When our current agms die, we'll likely move up to lithium. In the meantime, we're perfectly happy with over-panelling, and our current battery power . I'll update as we go.

Good timing. A locking fuel cap is good in low fuel availability times. I had one on my Maverick back in the day ..

Well, if you did that, John, you could also consider st tires, e rated, higher speed tires. (Ours our rated for over 80 mph.) Just a thought. I think Oliver went to lt tires because most folks thought it was "best." I have no problems with good st tires. Never changed from st, third set, three brands. Not cheap, but less expensive. Stiff sidewalls. Gone are the days of 55 mph only st tires

I think I'm good, sitting in the woods, till it all gets straightened out.

I think "think" you will be fine. Check gas buddy. You are heading out of the difficult areas. Go north, then east, probably.

I only saw two tankers from Columbia to Spartanburg, esstbound. Might be because the Colonial storage terminal is somewhere near Greenville. Columbia lines for gas (out onto the shoulder of the interstate) made me grateful we had stopped in Kingsland, Georgia, and again in a more rural area near Orangeburg SC. Both good stops. No need to join the lines in Columbia. We carried 20 gallons on Jerry cans. Just to be sure.

I was wondering about that, too.

Costco in Spartanburg SC, early this morning. Plenty of gas, no lines. Delightful, after 150 miles of mostly bagged pumps. It will get better. Diesel seemed available most places. This is one of the times it was really helpful to have a 35 gallon fuel tank. While Paul slept, I found a semi to follow. Got 15.5 mpg in its draft. The semi drove like dad taught me... slower up the hills, carry the momentum down. Probably aggravated a few behind us, but, hey, we may not have a lot if gas in WNC til later in the week... I was in total conservation mode. (Except that I can't drive 55 or 60 unless mandated by law. Lol.

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. One of my favorites! ( Actually, the entire Stieg Larsson trilogy) The movies are great too. I don't remember if Amazon or Netflix, but well worth watching time. Thanks for the thread.

And, the single solar panel. Elite 1

An elite I can be towed with a properly equipped Ridgeline We have friends who did that for years.

We use the collar lock in transit, and at camp. At camp, along with a Blaylock tongue lock. I don't think it's compatible with proven lock at camp.

Wish I'd known you were there. Buffalo Trace is a family favorite. Lovely campsite!

Welcome aboard!

This is true, around the world. And, it's really sad. I've found, and cleaned up crap, in free or cheap campsites in Australia, USA, Canada, Iceland, etc . You'd think people would appreciate and respect what they are given, but, noooo. The lower the fee, or free, the more work I usually expect to do on arrival.

Welcome to the forum, and the family. Great photo! Please continue to share those!

Not looking for carpeted walls. Yikes. But, carpet tiles, for floor, c removeable, could replace runners that many of us use . Waterhog makes nice products.

I'd be ok with a ball bearing and a bulldog. Not an empty hitch.

Susan, that lock, plus the collar lock, is what we've used for 13 years. Even if the Blaylock is cut, the collar lock would keep the hitch from opening. More effective, imo, than collar lock plus ball bearing. At least two more minutes and tools...(John's estimate).

In between washing the trailer, I usually let the rain take care of cleaning the panels. Last week, we had a lot of maple whirlybird seeds flying, so I'd get on a step stool, take my cheap light string mop and lightly brush those off the panels. (I wouldn't use anything coarse or stiff that could scratch them) The seeds, like leaves, can shade the cells, of course.