SeaDawg

The original ollies had a single pane bath window. We replaced it with the new thermal pane about five years ago. I actually liked the old window better. Easier to operate, and opened a little further.

Yes. I think our eyebrow board was only about $80 or 90. Make sure you have model and serial number handy when you finally get someone on the phone. It can be such long hold times, these days.

Starlink is , of course, committed to reducing their space junk footprint. https://www.starlink.com/ At the moment, stuck at home, or the NC woods, where unlimited voice and data cellphones cost far less, but when we get back to the Yukon.... it could be a gamechanger.

Did you call dinosaur, or just look online?

You could try Adventure rv. Have you pmd scubarx? The board i gave him may or may not be the right one. Dometic has a couple different boards for the rm2454, if i remember correctly.

Agreed. And, the tongue weight, unless you're carrying a huge generator on the tongue, is way too high. We have the bed rug in the ram (since 2008). Estimated weight, about 10 pounds. It's nice, but not as soft on the knees as a rubber mat, I'm sure.

I'm surprised the seals are failing that quickly. I'm just now getting some "fog spots" on a couple windows in our 2008. There's a company in Hudson that will remove the window, replace the seals and gas, and reinstall for $250 a window. Another in Arkansas, but you're closer to Hudson. We haven't tried them yet, so I can't recommend. But I called them for pricing. My issue is they bed the window with silicon, and I'd rather use butyl. Haven't decided which way to go yet. And the fog spots are small, but two windows. https://suncoastdesigners.com/rv-services/defog/

That would work, with the Lagun. Much more flexibility. The Springfield pedestal is strictly an up or down adjustment. The Lagun would be a much better choice, especially if the factory could mount it to the outside wall during construction.

I use the the little countertop above the fridge, and the small dinette table for prep, often. In the smaller kitchen of the Elite, the only "counterspace" is a few inches between the sink and stove, and the additional space of the cooktop with the lid closed. A few people installed a swing up top at the side of the stove, back in the day, but it had to be very small. What would be even more helpful would be an adjustable table in the small dinette, like the Lagun or Springfield marine hydraulic pedestal, that would allow me to raise the tabletop to counter height. Not sure about how to handle the window shade protrusion, though, in moving the top up and down.

the side bed (small dinette) was only about 24" wide , besides being only 72" long. Just something to keep in mind .

If you get desperate, the more southern Moon pie could bridge the sugar gap. 😅 https://moonpie.com/products

The moles at red iguana might just be reason enough to live nearby... 😅 loved it.

I've found most camping reviews are either great, or in the dump. Same campground. Either super happy, or ax to grind. If I click on the reviewer, and read their reviews, I often find a stream of the same. My needs are not the same as someone traveling in a sunblocker motorhome or giant fifth wheel, so I take some comnents with a grain of salt. Where I worry are multiple reports of lots of cranky permanent residents, old trailers, poorly maintained facilities, etc.

That's a really vulnerable area for freezing, as it is in any rv with an outside shower. And, it's easy to forget when winterizing. (Ask me how I know... yup.) We replaced ours once already . I think a bypass/shutoff , as I have said before, would be a grand idea.

There's a road marker 7 or 8 miles from our property in NC, about David Crockett. At least there used to be. He did, indeed, get around. Those were really long distances, at the time. https://www.obcgs.com/crockett-david-and-elizabeth-patton/

Yes, he did. He fell in love with his wife , Elizabeth Patton, in western NC, near Swannanoah/Black Mountain. Remember the Alamo. Sherry

The last time I saw "snow", actually frozen raindrops, in my headlights, was Christmas eve, 1989, in sw Florida. We have, of course, seen snow in other parts of the country, since then. All my family in the Midwest has snow, today. Northern Central Iowa to North Central Minnesota. It's early, but it's here. I know it's melting, but it's a sign of early winter. I'm totally ok with 80 degrees on my Florida patio. 😁

The blue towels do work really well, if you have them around. They also work well for other uses.😁

Here we go, Tampa, here we go!👏👏 Game 5.😁

One more thought on the Rebel (which I actually love, btw.). Beyond the huge physical step up into the cab and bed, there's a big/not quite huge but really big step up - in tire price, when every three to five years you have to change up tires, with 33" cool looking tires. You can get cool looks with blackout trim and black rims, and 20 inch a/t tires, if you're not an "offroader." All depends on what you want. At the very least, even if you're tall, make sure there's a step up built into getting into the cab. We carry a two step folding ladder for the bed, with 20 inch tires. Even with smurf bars, I carry a footstool to get my mom into Paul's truck. She can barely make it into mine, with 17" tires, and running boards. Food for thought. Especially when your big dog gets older.

Sorry for your loss of Marlie. It's a tough time, losing a four-legged member of the family. Your trip as outlined, to me, looks like a lot of stuff you don't like to do. And a lot of possibilities for cold, snow and ice. I'd probably look at heading back to Aiken, head south to the panhandle of Florida. Spend some months of coastal time in FL, Al, MS, TX, including Hill country of Texas. Head further west and North (and higher elevation) as spring/April approaches. Moab, Zion, Bryce. Grand Canyon, Sedona. All great views, but don't go too early. My opinions. I've been in Moab /Archrs/ etc and Antelope Island and Dunes in early May, and still chilly at night. April would probably be my earliest dates of choice. As John said, elevation makes a big difference.

I can see the at tires as a good compromise, just as they're a compromise on trucks and suvs. Stiffer sidewalls, probably. Decent highway performance. Better traction offroad (not necessarily in mud.) We'll all look forward to your review, as time goes on. Once again, a pjoneer.

Thanks for finding that photo of an Elite II under construction. You can clearly see the ducting. And the reflectix insulation (which is not present in older 2008s like ours.) I'd love to see a new Elite I photo underway. The furnace in the smaller Elite moved to the small dinette area, but I don't know if it ducts to the bath, or anywhere else. Or, if it simply blows hot air from a single grate, as ours does, which is quite effective in heating the smaller cabin space. Maybe next time in Hohenwald I'll see one under construction. It's been awhile.

I'd always heard about the "moss people " in the pnw. I was really totally surprised by the moss in the Washington rainforest when we finally camped there. (My last state of the 50 to visit.) A very special beauty. And really tight campsites in some of our choices.

Thanks so much for gathering all this data.