SeaDawg

Agms are a really nice option for travel trailers, especially if you have to store it off site. No maintenance. The sealed battery withstands the road vibration better than fla. Minimal to no off gassing when charging. (That appeals to me, since my head is over the battery compartment when sleeping.😄) Better in colder weather. Some people say they don't last as long as fla, but that's not been our experience. Our original batteries were typical fla. We killed those pretty quick. (Our fault, probably, not the batteries, as I think we discharged too deep, too often.) First set of agms lasted 7 or 8 years, I think. New set going strong, about 3 years old. So, yes, that's an option to consider. Or not. Maryland is a pretty temperate climate. Depends on how you feel about frequent fluid checks. If that doesn't bother you, stay with the included flooded batteries, replace later when they die with agms, and reprogram the solar charger for agm. Sherry

And, here's an Oregon map. Looks like set up for charging, a to b to c.

Welcome to the forum! I think most timelines have been accurate. We'll look forward to seeing you on the road next June!

Welcome to the forum. The base Oliver is actually a really nice trailer. My first (and probably only) addition would be solar. Not just because I'm a big green energy supporter, but because it's probably the most difficult to retrofit. Even that could be eliminated if Oliver would do pre-wired, instead, since you plan to mostly camp in powered sites Other than that, everything is pretty easy to upgrade, imo. Truma? No. The base water heater is fine. Fibergranite? Not for me, but you'll have to decide. The rest? I'll let others offer their opinions. Sherry

I have no idea why I said cinder blocks, except that I was really tired, and we grew up calling cmu "cinder block." I do know the difference, and there's a big difference in strength. I won't change the post, because at this point it would confuse the thread. Either way, it's important that in the future, when home depot deletes/changes the product code, that readers know you were using and recommending solid blocks, not cmu turned sideways . I'm sure you wouldn't recommend that, with your background. Yup . I agree.

The Tesla network is planned for charging, as you travel. It's not really set up for owners to charge, except in urban areas, where apartment dwellers and condo owners might not be able to access overnight charging. Glad to see you have the supercharger in Bandon. Future proofing. Here's the Florida map. The network was set up for stops every 125 to 150 miles. I95 is fairly coastal, so, for the most part, we don't have chargers along the smaller coastal highway.

Note that Geonimo John is talking about solid cinder blocks, not typical cinder blocks turned sideways. A typical cinder block (with the holes) , turned sideways to have a flat surface, is a prescription for disaster. These blocks do not have the same strength turned sideways, and a small crack could result in a serious failure. I'll stick with wood. I throw out or burn the ground contact pieces yearly . Sherry

That's a great analogy, Overland 👍

Waiting for the day when the hot question won't be " can I run my ac on this generator." Replaced by, "how do I charge my truck while boondocking?"

I'm looking forward to seeing this. America's number one truck, electric! The front end photo is a little Rivianish, unsurprisingly. But, it will be an undisputed Ford design. For people like me, primarily local driving/work truck, I'm sure it will be excellent, based on the new hybrid capabilities. We'll wait and see about the towing. The mandated Electrify America project should help, but without Tesla's extensive network, it's still a question. Sherry

Technomadia's latest youtube popped up on my phone yesterday, discussing the flaws in their Travato. The ac (a Coleman Mach 10, old style) and its noise level and flimsy vents were some of their dislikes. Cheri mentioned both the new Coleman Mach 10 NDQ (NON DUCTED QUIET) and the Houghton unit from Advanced RV as possible replacements, noting the extremely high price of the Quiet AC from Advanced. I remembered this youtube from James at Fit RV, measuring the db from his Dometic Penguin, then the Coleman NDQ. I thought it might be interesting to compare with your numbers. https://www.thefitrv.com/rv-tips/the-pursuit-of-quiet-replacing-our-rvs-air-conditioner-again/ Sherry

If you're moving around all ski season, I can see why the airskirt might be an attractive product. I doubt anything else would set up as quickly. Unfortunately, it's so new that I haven't been able to find a single review for it anywhere. Just a couple press releases, a fb page, and a few questions on the airstream forum, with no users there, either. Not even a YouTube from one of the rv shows they've participated in. I did notice slightly lower pricing on their fb page on a few kits. But, the wheel wedges are yet another $300+. Ouch.

Northern Tool stores in my area have the Honda in stock. Free shipping lower 48, I think. You might try them. I don't think they have any stores in your area. Costco.com still has the powered by Yamaha ai , 52db ar 1/4 load, with many of the Yamaha features. With Costco's great return policy, I wouldn't hesitate to give it a try, personally. Availability may go up after burricane season. Sherry

Where are you planning to camp in the winter months that you'll want skirts? There are certainly less expensive alternatives than the airskirts. Maybe not as "cool." Also, important to know where you will be done spending the winter. Is this for several months? Are you planning to full time? If si, you need a solution that fits the park's rules, unless camping on your own land.

So happy for you! Hope the rain continues!

Kind of cool. I must be different, but I like the spin.😅

Thanks for that. The Glomex mount looks much beefier than the Shakespeare. Price isn't much different. Hodges and others carry them. As to the Air 360 (new version,) I'm not concerned about the number of wires. I think(?) the kingdome already has 4, but we can always pull additional cable, since some are already there. I think it's (a) really big,, and somewhat ugly, and (b) we're unlikely to expand the capabilities with the inside units. I'll look further at the glomex ranges, and reviews. I like the automatic gain control. Is the magnadyne the current Oliver choice?

I agree, John. Read that one, too. It is technical, but not so deep that most folks can't "get it." I actually thought it was one of the better speculative reports out there. My hope is for better, longer lasting, cheaper batteries. I will say the two years in, I'm really, really happy with our Tesla powerwall installation. BUT, hopefully, it will be "old school" soon. A week away is not a long time to wait. Lots of speculation. Sherry

BTW, I have no idea what Oliver is installing these days for TV antenna. Do any if you know?

That looks really nice. Have you had to do any tight turns yet? If so, how did that work out? Ps. Is that a jeep gladiator truck? Elite I or II? Sherry

I'm looking forward to livestreaming the Tesla Battery Day announcements. If Elon is saying it "blows his mind," I'm sure we're looking at some major tech advances. I don't think that will include a new rv battery chemistry, 😆, but there's always hope for a new, scaleable, more affordable alternative. Sherry

Good luck with the smoke, John. Looking forward to your results when it's safe to do your test. Thanks to both of you!

From the David Crockett website:

For those of you with Delta faucets anywhere, I had my first failure with a Delta product, at home. It wasn't even a leaker, just "cosmetic." The colored red coating on my Delta Fuse kitchen faucet has developed some dings and scratches in 5 years of use. Delta stepped up. Asked for photos, and original receipt. It has been discontinued, but Delta sent me a new, similar faucet in brushed stainless. Since I have many Delta products in my home, including all the shower valves, I was really heartened to get such a quick response. That said, I'll really miss that touch of red in the kitchen. Sherry

When we bought our 2008 Elite, it was a build in progress, with a Kingdome satellite antenna already installed. Original buyer had canceled the contract, and we chose that one, hull #12 , because we could have it in a month. Never really used the kingdome. Now, it's cracking, and we want to get it off the roof. We can just remove it, clean everything up, and seal the mounting bracket holes with epoxy, and cover the wire leads with eternabond. But, after this last camping trip, 6 out of 8 days mostly inside with torrential rain, Paul thinks he might actually want a roof mount TV/FM radio antenna, even though we've turned the TV on twice in the last ten years... Converge, the cool shark fin? Winegards new air360? Both are upgradeable to wifi/internet with inside units. Or, just stay simple, with a marine, Shakespeare Seawatch 19" omnidirectional saucer antenna, with a distribution box /amplifier for TV and fm radio, dc or ac powered. Total cost about $150, if I buy open box on Amazon, and we install ourselves. Still under $200, if I order from one if our favorite marine suppliers. I'm leaning toward the Shakespeare Seawatch, since it's relatively inexpensive (we'll likely not use it much, anyway), gets good reviews, and has a range of 75 miles (optimal). And, it's kind if pretty. Or, just pull off the KingDome, and seal the penetrations Any real reason to go with a more advanced choice?