SeaDawg

I remember tracking a friend on Spot when we parted ways in the Yukon several years ago. Being able to follow our friend to "civilization " gave me tremendous comfort, as he was traveling solo, and not feeling well. My concern about battery power is for those concerned about trailer " in- storage" tracking solutions, as many people disconnect from the main batteries in the trailer. We don't, but we live in a mild climate, and solar recharges, even in shade . And, off season, at home, it would be ridiculously hard for someone to open the gates, first move the boat trailer out of the way, then move the Ollie, and steal our trailer out of the sideyard without our hearing it, or the alarm system notifying us. Or our neighbor seeing/hearing it, if we weren't home. Several days' battery is probably enough to know your trailer has moved, and where it's going, for recovery. That's good to know. But, in storage, how long do you think AAAs would last?

I was just looking (again) at theft recovery gps devices a few days ago. The problem is battery power. I do think the inreach is a great idea for hikers. Next time our daughter goes on a hiking trip in Colorado, I really want her to carry one.

Our rooftop solar is most advantageous on the road, and in storage, and we get some charge even if camped in partial sun through the day. We also supplement this with (currently) 100 watts of portable, when our rooftop panels are shaded. 80 watts of portable wouldn't keep my batteries charged, but, we have a dc danfoss/secop fridge to add into the equation of shoulder season camping.

Some of the answers will actually depend, at least somewhat, on which model you choose. And, your camping style. Can't comment on the awning, as we have had two manual Fiamma awnings. First vinyl top lasted almost ten years, with that brand. The battery compartment in the Elite is smaller, and tighter to work in than in the Elite II. I'm a big fan of AGM, for many reasons, but $500 is $500, and would almost pay for two Agm batteries, later. You're in Texas, so cold weather storage isn't a huge issue. We started with the included flooded batteries, and upgraded when they died. If you opt for the flooded, do set up a reminder on your phone calendar to check the fluids monthly. Do you get anything else in equipment with the $500 upgrade? In the Elite, you barely have any countertop in the kitchen, and the tabletop is actually quite nice in the leathered black. Our original white still looks nice, 13 years in. The Elite II has more countertop showing, so that's a matter of personal aesthetics. When we lost our original water heater, we replaced it with a Girard instantaneous. It's really nice , but I don't know if I'd do it again. Boondocking, you can fire up the standard water heater for say, 10 minutes, get the water to a comfy temp, and just shower without the mixer. In an electric site, you can use the free power and save your gas with the standard water heater. It's a pricey coin flip, especially if you typically camp solo. You do have the anode in the standard to attend to annually, so a tiny bit more attention. But, not a big deal. We've never had a cell booster, though I tried a highly-rated mobile one, and returned it. Problem is, you have to have some kind of a signal to boost. We carry two cell phones, instead. One gsm, one CDMA, and if there is a signal, one of us gets it, and shares it via Hotspot. It sounds like you're leaning toward solar, and that's really my one and only must have. It allows us so much more freedom in site choices, and we almost never opt for sites with power, preferring the quiet of out if the way places. We've not yet had a composting toilet. Be prepared. You'll get lots if opinions.

We were in beautiful New Brunswick in 2010. Interesting story about your flat tire. We had a flat on the truck just north of the NB line, in Quebec. Fortunately, there was a tire store in the closest English town, backtracking a few miles. We bought a tpms for the trailer as soon as we got home from that trip.

Another thought, if you are retired, and have the time. Postpone pickup by a week or two. Spend a week in Tennessee, shakedown. Then, head east, and North. Follow the Blue Ridge and Shenandoah parkways. Maybe also the Crooked Road, if you love old time music. Go up into beautiful New York state, maybe the Catskills, perhaps New England.. .then Canada. Camp a few miles away from Quebec City,,and drive in.. That's a day trip to Europe. So lovely with the the old city. Follow the St. Lawrence east. Circle the Gaspe. Do that circle clockwise, so you can hug the inside lane. It's fabulous. Maybe visit Bay of Fundy. And my favorite, Deer Island, NB. . Campobello. There are so many choices! And/ or, circle across the top of the great lakes following Canada HWy 1. Come down into Minnesota below Thunder Bay. Stop awhile in delightful Grand Marais. Visit Duluth and Two Harbors, and work your way down through Minnesota state parks, ending in the "pineapple belt" of Southern Minnesota for your event in September. We've done all the Canadian routes i discussed, in separate years. And, camped down through Minnesota and Wisconsin. It's really beautiful in the summer and early fall. (My family is from Southern Minnesota, primarily Steele and Freeborn counties .) I say this because you may not feel motivated another year to drive so many miles east, and the northeast of the US, and eastern Canada offers amazing scenery and camping. Again, only if you have three or four months. It would be a long shakedown, but the trip of a lifetime, imo. Sherry As I write this, I'm flooded with great memories, and a desire to return to New England, and Canada. When Canada reopens the border .

If you use the harvest host link from Technomadia's site, you'll receive a 20 per cent off code when the hh site opens. I don't know the expiration date. https://www.technomadia.com/logistical-nomadic-resources/ They also list a number if boondocking opportunities and resources for you. Chris and Chris (Technomadia) traveled and worked in their 2008 Oliver Elite for several years, and are rv innovators and researchers. Our original solar panel system used components vetted by them. Sherry

Congratulations, and welcome,, Dan and Theresa. What a way to start 2021! You've already chosen two great parks to explore. We'll look forward to hearing about your adventures. Lots of folks here to answer any questions. Sherry

Neither Mr. nor Mrs. Claus has worked on this idea in awhile. Lol. We'll see what 2021 brings in mods. 2020 has been pretty busy.

Overland's original mod is well- described on the first page of this thread. Good luck in your table.

I'd like to know that, too. We went with victron for much of the boat install, but xantrex xcpro 2000 inverter, which had to be replaced a year before we added solar and victron charge controller, monitors, etc.. That we're sorry for,as all victron communication is so nice. But, victron lithium batteries are not only more pricey, but a much more complicated install, from what I have read. We're thinking the boat batteries will fail before the Ollie, so we'll be installing lfpo4 there first. The Ollie will be a few years behind .

Seriously, Paula, it's a terrific storage solution. Ours sit outside in the sideyard. Your solution will make everything (especially the fake chrome) last much longer. I love it. Just couldn't help seeing the bat. Probably because I grew up in the country.

And now with the same shower mixer as Mountainoliver... Wow, that looks great! What a difference you made with the addition of the mixer. Congratulations on a job so very well done. Sherry

I know many of us are in a mood to say "good riddance" to much of what 2020 brought, but I'd like to say, I'm thankful for many things that did happen this year. Early in the year, my nephew married one of the sweetest young women I've ever met. Much of my family was here. I'm really thankful my nephew and his bride chose a February date for their wedding. It's the last time in 2020 that joy and hugs abounded, and so much family could gather. During our more quiet, more isolated time, since March, we've completed dozens of projects we'd been postponing. And, of course, made new lists. I'm studying yet another language, hoping to be able to speak to some of Paul's cousins when they (hopefully) can visit next year from Italy, without resorting to Google translate on my phone. I've renewed several old friendships over text and phone, as we check in with each other. Most especially, I've reunited with a cousin who was my BFF as a little girl, but we grew apart. We speak often, now. The shared experiences of today have brought renewed memories of our shared childhood experiences. I'm thankful that my mom, with all her health issues, has done well so far, with the help of all my siblings, and great doctors . I'm thankful that the younger members of our family who still work are all employed, happy, and healthy. And the few who did get covid, survived and are back on their feet. And, I'm thankful for my neighborhood, where we can talk over the fences, or on patios, share stories (and eggs, sugar, etc.), and never feel alone in quarantine times. Not to ever make light of this strange year, or minimize the tragedies. I lost one cousin, and there was only a small, immediate family only funeral. For those of you who have lost loved ones, I offer my heartfelt sympathies. I know what loss feels like, and this year, without our customary practices, it's especially and uniquely difficult. Not to be able to travel, and hug my aunt and hold her, and comfort her in her time of loss, was very difficult for me, and for my mom, her sister. In these difficult and very different times, I'd also like to say thank you for the community here. Every morning, I look forward to seeing friends here, as well. I wish you a very happy, and healthy, new year in 2021. Sherry

Great solution. But, does it make anyone else think of a giant bat? Sorry, couldn't help myself.

Today's mild rant from Will puts me off the Bluetti, at least for awhile. https://youtu.be/m-Am_hqD4tg I think he believes he got a better unit than general customers have been receiving.

The Grohe valve is really beautiful. Their starlight chrome is some of the best chrome finish I've seen. I wish I'd used more of it in our house when we built it. Delta's chrome doesn't hold a candle to it, though it's pretty, too. I'm a chrome finish fan. Timeless.

The Elite doesn't have the same ducting through the various parts of the hull as the Elite II, so the furnace us less helpful unless you open a drawer, and some access ports. That said, unless you're constantly camping in really cold weather, you can guage some results from here. I will say, that if it's cold out, and we have free power, I love running a small electric heater. The furnace doesn't kick on as often, so it doesn't wake me up as often. (I'm a pretty light sleeper.) And in our older elites, the furnace is in the kitchen, next to the bed. Make sure you buy a heater with a tip-over cutoff switch, since you'll be traveling with your dog. Just in case. The heaters work best if on the floor (duh, right? Heat rises.) The cutoff is pretty standard on most electric heaters. You won't need a very big one. A choice of two wattage is nice. Ours is 700 on low, I think, and 1200 or so on high. I usually run it on low, and use a nice blanket, and furnace on low.

I'm exploring all kinds of alternatives. Right now, we don't have a need for any new batteries, or a solar generator. But, i like to know what's out there. Jrk, I'll take a look at the bioenno.

I would drain the water heater and bypass it, for the winter. Small spaces freeze first. Easy enough to refill when you want to go camping .

I can't yet comment on the nature's head composting toilet, as we've never had one. From my reading, I think they're a great solution for boats, where pump out stations are a big pain. Most owners here think they're great. We have used cassette toilets in Australia and New Zealand, and many of the usual and typical rv dump systems here, including our Oliver for 13 seasons. It's neither rocket science, nor as ugly as a Robin Williams film. Not really a big deal. If you've already learned to dump grey, the black isn't any different. You already know how to get the connections right. Good luck in your decision. Good news is, if you hate the nature's head and frequent dumping of the pee bottle, it's not difficult to retrofit to a typical rv toilet.

Good on you to ask now. I bought our insurance on the phone, on the way to pick up our Oliver in 2008. I figured I'd shop later. And I did. But we didn't fid anything better. For us. Good sams allows us a discount for seasonal layup. SInce we are put of service four to six months most years, it helps. Others will chime in . Its really not a big expense, in the grand scheme of things. Just make sure you have the coverage you want.

I'd personally spend 15 or 20 bucks on a green or grey garden hose, and keep the supplied white hose for fresh water. You'll want the white one in the spring. Maybe you already have an old colored hose to use for now?

Nice faucet. I'm really sorry to hear about your misfortune. We froze our outside shower once because we didn't winterize in time.

Btw, since you are new to camping and rvs, as many people are when they buy their first rv, I'll offer this idea that I've used with several friends new to rv camping. Practice learning to dump with clean water. It's a bit of a waste of water, but so much easier on the nerves. Fill the grey tank to maybe half using a faucet, and the black with clean water by just depressing the foot pedal for a good long while, or run the shower wand into the toilet at the same time. Half full is enough when there are no solids or tp in the black tank, but do whatever you like. Hook up and dump. If you do make a mistake, the only thing you're spilling is clean water. No panic. This works really well if your first campsite is full hookups, but I'd fill the fresh tank, and work from there. It can flush some of the plastic taste and smell from new plumbing, at the same time. Sherry