SeaDawg

Thanks! Beautiful spot. The link works now.

Top gun, how long did you stay in this spot? Any time restrictions? Sherry

This link comes up with the message " video is private .," Can't open it. Sherry

@Susan Huff Since you have a little time, if you don't know the address of your dad's house, you might try contacting the local historical society. Dodge City is pretty small. I've found some great contacts and info in contacting historical societies in smaller towns and cities, doing genealogy research for my family. Sherry

We've overnighted at a few cracker barrels, going from point a to b. It's always been a good experience. Went in for dinner or breakfast . I'm not a big fan of Cracker Barrel food, but we feel it's important to patronize those who give us a free spot. I'll remember this one. Thanks.

You're towing an ollie elite I? Ram is a delightful machine. Our 2008 has 200k on it, about half pulling the Ollie. Super.

We've used Rock Tamers for over 12 years. They are well built. Most of the "chrome" trim has flaked off over the years, but that's about it. We think they are quite effective, as we've had very few dings on the front of the trailer over the years. But, I guess like lightning rods, you only know if they don't work. 😃 We can still get some mud sprayed up on dirt roads, but I do think they offer a lot of protection. Sherry We bought both sets at Costco, but I don't see them on the Costco us site anymore. Amazon and etrailer seem to have the best price right now.

Maybe consider a propane genset? Extra portable solar is not dangerous to carry. That would be my first choice.

We have an older Elite, so many of our upgrades are already included in the base model. Solar is the #1 upgrade for us, as it has allowed us to camp without hookups most of the last 12 years. What I wouldn't get: Kingdome/satellite receiver or TV antenna. Frankly, I'd leave out the TV, though I think it's standard. It just takes up space, and we never use it. If we want to watch something, as we rarely do, it's fine on the tablet or my phone. Convection microwave is another item we added at the last minute. It died from lack of use, I think, and we replaced it with a big storage cabinet. I can reheat foods on a pot or skillet on the stove, or in foil on the fire. I love my big cupboard. Sherry

What a shame. Guessing this may have been used as a hunting camp, perhaps? I love these old Silver streaks and Streamlines. My brother came across a late 50s Silver Streak in even worse condition a few months ago. (The door had blown open in a Minnesota winter...) Decided it wasn't a great project for him/us. https://www.thevintagesatgalwaydowns.com/history-of-silver-streak Sherry

Speed limit. 70 to 75.

So, if you're collecting Elite I data, also, we average 11.5 to 12, interstate highway speed with the Elite in tow. 2008 Ram 1500 4x4. Not towing, 16 to 16.5, interstate speed. Slower roads, of course, it all improves. Thank you again for compiling this information. Sherry

I don't think bugeyedriver posted any photos, but here's a link to the discussion. I've seen his trailer. The color match was excellent, coating looked really nice .

Welcome, and I'm sure the time til pickup of your new Oliver will fly! Sherry

Renting is a great idea. There's a site called rvshare.com, where individual owners put their own trailers and b/c/a motorhomes up for some period if time when they're not using them. (Not something I'd ever want to do with my Ollie, though.) When my sister and her husband thought they wanted to buy a tab, I found one for them to rent for a week in Asheville. It was cute, but a few nights let them realize that model was not for them. Sherry

Yes, my thoughts are with friends and family and all those in Texas and Louisiana. Laura is an ugly big storm. Sherry

Mtkadan, camping is, for us, a great way to travel. We bring our own kitchen, bath, and bed. And outdoor living room. We often meet new people, and have made lifelong friends, camping. Pets, rules, etc., vary from place to place. Most organized campgrounds have a host. Small towns usually are very welcoming. Many of them, especially in rural areas, have town and county campgrounds that are pleasant stopovers, or sometimes, a really nice place to stay awhile. For example,, there's one outside Lanesboro, MN, that I really love. Cute, artsy town, lots of bike riders, etc. The county campground has been mostly empty when we've been there. Lake Mitchell Campground, owned by the city in SD, is really nice, though a bit rustic. I could go on, but, too many to mention. Here's a screenshot of city and county campgrounds in Iowa, for example. Small towns often create a campground to bring business into the town that the interstate has bypassed. It's our personal policy to spend what we can in these welcoming towns. Buy a few groceries, get gas, visit a gift shop or art gallery, maybe. Life on the road is often very fun. If you can stop a bit, and enjoy.

Tlaw, if your towing capacity is 3500 pounds, as I think it is, you're marginal on any Oliver. Our 2008 Elite weighs in at or above your capacity, ready for camping, with gear, food, and some water, grey, and black you've also indicated that you want to have space for gramma, and a favorite aunt, along with you, and your son. Honestly, if you want to keep the jeep (nice!,), you'll probably have to look at other brands to get sleeping for four. And, be within your tow limits. A few years ago, with limited towing capacity, my sister bought a lightly used rpod, bunk model, that could have slept four, at a good price. Light, aluminum framing (cage) in the walls, panelized roof (not rubber/epdm). Don't go there to the rubber roofs. Nor 2 x 2 cage, wood . I love molded fiberglass. But I don't think there's anything US made in molded fiberglass that would fit your jeep, and sleep 4, comfortably. And fit your tow capacity, and gvwr . Not trying to be a bummer. Just trying to be honest. If you want to change up the vehicle, other avenues open. But, an Oliver is really only set up for three, sleeping in the trailer. Imo . Sherry

I think so! 😅

I ran across this item on Costco's website the other day. Covered memory foam mattress pad, connected to a duvet with a midweight comforter. Rolls up neatly and small for those who like to use the beds as benches during the day, and need extra padding on top of the cushions. Unlike a sleeping bag, the duvet is big, almost full size, and open on all but one long side. Guessing warmth could be increased by replacing the comforter with a thick down throw for winter. I haven't seen one yet, but thought it was interesting, and had some good reviews. $119 for the xl adult, 30 x 75, for Ollie twins. (169 on the discobed site, or amazon.) Smaller sizes available on discobed or Amazon. https://www.costco.com/duvalay-x-large-sleeping-pad-by-disc-o-bed.product.100494488.html

I've seen some imaginative paint jobs on Bolers and their tow vehicles in Canada. (These aren't my photos, just examples from the web.)

I took another look at the airstream 23 twin. Beds are at the front, and cabinetry and bath block the rear view.. Honestly, most great campsites are back in.. Why people think a front window is important is beyond me. My rear view window is my window on the (beautiful ) world. When we are boondocking, the rear window shade is open, and I wake up to new, amazing views. I really don't want to wake up to a view of the truck bed. On the con side, due to the narrow width of the Oliver, (which has allowed us into tiny, but beautiful sites, between trees), we always have a wet bath . The airstream 23 has a dry bath. If that is important to you. Sherry

Congratulations, and enjoy! Sherry Ps a lot of people miss juliette Park. It's lovely.

Even the smaller Elite, like ours, would max out your towing capacity. I like the Sienna. But I honestly wouldn't recommend it as a tow vehicle for even the smaller Elite. You need something with at least 5000 towing capacity for the smaller Elite. Our Volvo xc90 (4900 towing capacity) towed our trailer ok on flats and foothills, but I wouldn't recommend it in the mountains. My Silverado is somewhere in the 7000 or 7900 range, and it was great. Your van would be perfect for a lighter, small trailer. The double hull of the Oliver comes with a weight penalty. Unfortunately, some of the lighter trailers have a very heavy tongue, so, you have to weigh that into the equation, too. If your heart is set in an Oliver, I would honestly look at a different tow vehicle. If you keep the Sienna, look at a different trailer, with a lower gvwr. Best wishes, Sherry

Not for nothing, as we are only looking at lifepo4 in two to four years down the road, but most installations I've seen on other forums use a b2b, dc to dc, like the Stirling for charging from the alternator, with LifeBlue batteries, or Battleborns. (BTW, I am careful to monitor our Agm deep cycle so they don't go below 50 per cent. I try to keep them at 70 or above. Last set life was definitely shortened by excessive deep cycling. They're not cheap. ) There is a ton of respected literature out there that promotes that idea, and my experience is in line. If it were me today, I'd just not bother with charging from the truck's alternator for lithium charging, and rely on solar and genset. Even though my truck is older, and probably not a "smart" alternator, I find that solar is my best and most complete charging. And, it's silent and emission free. And, it has worked for us for 12 years, with fla and agm batteries. No doubt, it should work even better with Lithium. Having experienced two alternator failures on our boat in the past 40 years, both in tricky situations, I can say it's definitely not a good situation to risk. Sherry