SeaDawg

I wouldn't call it sage. Just my experience. Other folks , talented drivers like @Overland, have shown the Ollie can strut itself in much more extreme conditions than I like. I just think it's important to recognize that most folks really don't want to go down unmarked boulder strewn paths. We just want sturdy trailers for off pavement/gravel, at reasonable speed. That's me.

That looks really nice. We fabricated something smaller for the boat. Where will you store it when not in use? On/under the cushions? I just throw a towel over the glass top. Doesn't give me the big, nice work surface of your new top, though.

Easy to forget. Don't beat yourself up. You won't forget next time.

If you're new to camping, towing, and the whole nine yards, I would plan a week or two within reasonable driving distance of Hohenwald. Just in case you have questions or problems. There's a lot to learn, and absorb. Take your time. Tennessee is a beautiful state, with varied landscapes. Sherry

For used, even new, with today's low interest rates, borrowing against existing assets (home, stock account, etc.) may be more advantageous than a loan on a trailer. Just my thoughts.

Me, too. I love seeing them in the summer, in NC.

I guess we're antique, at #12. At least, "vintage". 😅😅😅

I think you made a good choice with the Elite I. Easy tow, should work well with your existing tow vehicle. Plenty of room for one and one dog (even a spoiled prince.👑😄). We had several friends back in the day who fulltimed with a couple, and two dogs, in their elites.

I'm of the opinion that our trailers have plenty of clearance, for most people. They are not Aussie outback trailers. They also don't carry that 110k plus price tag of the Bruder. We have camped for 13 seasons, in some crazy places, without issue. We use common sense, take it easy, and live with our choices. There are some here who would like different features, different suspension. I'm not one of them. I love the comfort of my trailer. The sturdiness. The feeling of home . But then, we don't want to go rock crawling, intentionally. We did it a few times, unintentionally. I'm too old for that. We don't avoid unpaved roads, but we don't take our trailer down narrow, rocky essentially atv trails, either. For coe, nfs, state and provincial parks, etc, where we have camped in our 100,000 miles through the US and Canada, we feel like our 2008 unit has been golden. We boondock (camp without hookups) 99 per cent of the time And, we're not as heavily tech laden, like a lot of others. Sometimes, I compare it to cooking. I typically travel with one skillet, one pot, a tea kettle, a roll of aluminum foil, and three good knives. All of which I really know how to use, to good effect. I could carry a lot more, but I don't need to. Good equipment, and a really good trailer, make life easier. Knowing how to use them is key. And, understanding your personal limitations, as well. (Stretching those limits is fun, too.😁) I'd put our 2008 Ollie and 2008 ram up against any of the sticky rvs we have delivered to Alaska over the last six years. Hands down.

I don't know if ring works without wifi. Many game cameras do, though.

There are multiple threads on the Tacoma tow vehicle. Concensus seems to be, ok on flat, or hills, but not necessarily the higher mountains. Where are you coming from? And, where will you be going? If the tow rating is within 80 per cent if specs, it wouldn't stop me from a used trailer pickup. But, it might stop me from a camping trip in/through the Rockies. Sherry

I would try the cushions plus topper, first. You might also want to look at the Froli system vs hypervent. The froli has great reviews in the boating community, and also adds some "spring", like a box spring, but thinner. We also leave our large dinette set up as a bed. Not sure where the leg is for the table, anymore.😄 We keep three bins of clothes and extra bedding/towels/ gear under the "permanent " bed, or two, and two backpacks and a small duffel.

I've always bought queen bedding and tuck the extra in under the cushions. I bought a full size mattress pad once, by mistake, and it was a real struggle to make it fit. I'd rather have the "extra", and ease of making the bed. If you already have queen sheets, just take a set with you. You'll see what I mean. Most blankets and quilts these days are labeled queen/full, anyway. I take an extra old top sheet to cover the bedding during the day, as our little dog claims the bed as her own daytime. She sleeps on her own bed, on a dinette cushion, during the night. Daytime, she claims the entire trailer as her own.👑 She's a bit of a princess 👸 A few years ago, I bought a queen foam topper for the cushions and cut it down with dressmaker sheers to fit the curves. When I had a fiberfill/down alternative topper, it was fine. I made no alterations. Just tucked the thin stuff under. Btw, I like microfiber sheets (amazon basics are good. Charisma from costco our favorites) in cooler season, flannel in cold, and cotton (thinner Hillcrest sateen) in hot summer only. Good microfiber has a nice feel, and dries really fast at the laundry, or on the line. Seems to stay fresh longer than cotton, which I find holds moisture. We don't have hypervent. But, we have cushions, plus 1.5 inch foam topper, not a mattress. 13 seasons in, no issues. I do have Ikea bumpy shelf liner under part of the cushions. And, we intentionally don't camp much under 25 to 30 degrees at night. I left Minnesota winters decades ago. Sherry

My mom and I were just talking about our friends in Louisiana, and all those in the path. We are certainly holding you up in our thoughts today. Stay safe.

Back in the day, (2008 ) , Oliver "lifted" the Elite I, the smaller trailer. It was basically an axle flip. The original Ollies were built lower, on smaller tires. Newer models already have more clearance. This isn't done anymore. Sherry

So, I emailed Dometic about the Freshjet inverter compressor ac sold in Europe (and in Australia, under a different name.) Several times, beginning mid September. Over the last few weeks, I've had four responses, from several reps. "Not available here. Sold in Europe. Don't know when, or, if it will be available in North America." We have the largest market, but apparently the least demanding. The Elkhart builders love "cheap." And, I think Dometic thinks what works for Elkhart, works for all if us. So disappointing, so far. I'm going to keep on asking, though. I'd pay more, for quiet. And less power consumption. Ps, tried calling Dometic today. Spent 41 minutes on hold. I gave up.

I love my induction Bosch, at home. Intuitive, and quicker response than gas when adjusting temps. I think it's good to have a gas cooktop in my camper, though. I simply wouldn't have the power in mine (2008, 2 group 27 agm batteries) to run an induction cooktop. I wouldn't even be able to run the 1300 watt Aldi unit at full power on my little Honda 1000 generator. For those of you with more battery power, bigger gensets, or who camp with hookups, it's a great alternative. Sherry

Congratulations! You're on the way!

Right now, it's more of a "dust cover," no padding for the glass. One if the dozens of bags from many trade shows over the years. An old laptop case would be better (padding). Or, I'll make something if we actually carry it around. Doesn't need much on a pantry shelf.

We've had Good Sam's for over a decade. I've only used it on the vehicles, not under tow, with good response times and followup. The operator has called me about every 20 minutes with updates on my cell. Friends used it years ago for trailer and TV. That's the difference. What good does TV insurance do, if the trailer sits at the side of the road? The tow for both is covered to the nearest qualified repair facility, no matter the distance, is our understanding. Even in Canada, on our plan. Other perks, too. Take a look. Maybe it will answer your questions. https://www.goodsamroadside.com/faq/index.cfm#q3

I went to Aldi this morning for a few items for my mom. They had a nice little induction burner in the special buy section for $45, with a 3 year warranty. 10 degree incremental steps, from 140 (warming) to 500 (sear) degrees. Fan is constant, but not loud. I bought one to keep around as an extra burner for holiday meals. 5 presets. Has a timer, too. No carrying case (but I found a case in our pile of extras that works pretty well, and I could make one from scrap upholstery goods.) Downside is 1300 watts, vs 1800 for the IKEA Tilredda that I used in Norway. Not too bad for times, though. I tried it out against my home Bosch cooktop, just for grins. Two (almost) identical Chantal teakettles, each with a quart of water. Highest setting on my Bosch, high (but not sear) on the Aldi unit. It took 3 minutes to boil on my cooktop, 4.5 minutes on the little burner. I think that's pretty acceptable for an inexpensive unit. I especially like the 3 year warranty. The nicer IKEA Tilredda is only $49, if you have an IKEA anywhere close by. Sherry

Which model Norcold is being installed these days? The 510.3 Norcold will default to dc if neither 110 nor lp is available, according to this manual. (This did not occur in our Dometic, as I recall. It was only 110 or lp in auto.)

No worries. It's fine. There are others who may have missed the first thread.

Well, my guess was way off base. Brady