SeaDawg

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

There are a number of Oliver owners that had airstreams. I've never owned one. My familiarity with Airstream is limited to the two owned by my brother's in-laws, and what I've seen at shows. We've owned our Oliver Elite since February, 2008, hull #12, so I can speak to Oliver longevity. The shell is very thick, and quite durable. And pretty, with shiny marine grade gelcoat. Keep it waxed, and it stays shiny. Ours has been through a major hailstorm, (steely marble size), with no damage to the trailer nor the solar panels. An airstream would undoubtedly have been severely dimpled. Repairs to the fiberglass hull can be done by Oliver, or, I suspect, many boatyards. We've never needed any, other than filling a couple rock chip dings that Oliver did for us when we took the trailer in for some upgrades. We have over 100,000 miles and countless nights of travel on ours. No. Just keep it waxed. We use a quality 3m marine wax, with uv protection. If you don't keep it waxed, it can chalk or haze, just like a fiberglass boat hull, over time. Our trailer has never been covered, or in a garage. In the sun, 24/7/365 for 12.5 years. It looks great. No windows in the front. The bath and closet are at the front. Some people have taken theirs to Alaska, and have used a variety of mats or foam sheets on the front to protect the hull from Alaska's gravel chips. A few have added a rock guard coating, like Vortex, as permanent protection to the front. I've seen Pete's, and it looks great. But, we've not seen the need in the last 100,000 miles. We have mudflaps on the trailer and tow vehicle, rock tamers on the truck, and keep a reasonable distance following anyone on gravel roads for the sake of out truck windshield. I thoroughly expect that our Oliver will be looking good, and on the road with someone else, hopefully our daughter, long after we're gone. You'll see Bolers that are single shell, thinner Glassworks, that are 50 years old at rallies. Our fiberglass sailboat is over 40 years old, and still looks great. It's a long lasting material. No. They sit pretty high as it is. That's why it comes with a folding double step. They didn't originally, and we added the one Oliver builds now. No rivets. No wood in the interior (except the drawers.) So nothing to rot should moisture find its way in. No. The seam of the two hulls is permanent, and protected by the overlapping lip. You will need to reseal/recaulk windows, vents, and other hull pebetrations from time to time, but that's true with any rv, made from any material. Oliver uses a high grade aluminum. I don't remember the number. We've had no issues. Of course, it's prudent to check any frame, at least annually. I'm much happier to have the beefy aluminum frame than a steel frame, living in Florida, on the salt water. I'm sure others will offer other ideas and opinions. If you have other questions, fire away. You've come to the right place. Sherry

3500 towing capacity? I don't think so. Sorry Sherry

Well, that was a labor of love. Sherry Since we have an original shorty, we can't help with the stats. But, I thank you.

Ps, neither route is without challenges, with a small truck. You will probably want to do the airbags, but that's relatively inexpensive. And the Anderson, for sure. Sherry

I'd probably compare your pickup situation to ours. We had my brother with us, and my 2005 Silverado truck only has two seats. We took the Volvo xc90 to pick up our Elite shorty. We were at 70 per cent or so capacity. And an underpowered t5. (We bought the ram a few months after the Oliver.) Difference is, going home, we were going downhill, pretty much, to Florida. You'll have to go uphill to Connecticut. . But, you can choose your route. Were it me, I'd go the toll free route, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, and avoid West Virginia and those major hills, with your smaller truck. Then, you can decide if stopping every 150 to 200 miles for gas is OK with you, and having to plan around mountains is ok. We've done both routes with my 2005 Silverado. And, with the 2008 Ram. And, I've driven both with other trucks, and rvs. Take your time. Don't spend a ton on upgrades til you decide you want to keep the little truck. But, many times, the best tow is the one you already own, for picking up. Let's you know if you are happy, or unhappy, and what you want. If, when you get home, you'll do mostly local camping, you'll be golden. I wouldn't want to tow to Alaska with a small truck and small tank, personally. Or even into the Rockies. My thoughts, only. Good luck, and, enjoy your new Ollie. Sherry

Your claddagh avatar is lovely. Perfect ! Sherry

Not just Ford. Capped lugnuts are on a lot of vehicles. Had to replace them on our 2008 Ram a year ago. Also "swollen." Sherry

Great looking truck! Enjoy the drive. I know you'll enjoy the Ford.

One of our favorites, too. The view from the campsite isn't much, but, omg, the views from the restaurant at Pisgah Inn across the road. In the morning. Breakfast view through the floor to ceiling windows is amazing. Layered mountain views seem to go on forever. Even if breakfast weren't outstanding (which it is), it would be worth the price just for the views.

Yes, it was my thought that Goal Zero/Yeti/Boulder/Nomad might have included a more complete answer. If they sell a reasonable solution (controller and adapters), nrvaleo could quickly solve his issue, and use the panels he already owns .

This would seem to apply to the original question. I wish goal zero would publish answers, rather than a phone number to call. Maybe you'll let us know what they say, @nrvale0

It's not "cheating" to enjoy a campsite, and an amazing park. The great thing about our trailers is that we can enjoy a variety of landscapes and access. It's all good. Ps, you don't have to plug in if you don't want to. We almost never do. And we've found that often, the best campsites are the toughest, and don't have hookups. Perfect for us. 🙂

Hi, Larry, and welcome. I suspect you will have a number of questions from folks considering the lithium option. Thanks for joining the forum. Sherry

It's (probably) possible to use your really nice yeti panels. With some adapters. The "addon" module you have on your goal zero battery is probsbly their mppt controller. But it's installed, so fairly permanent. Add another controller inline, the correct adapters, and you might just be golden. If the voltage output is enough to charge your batteries. Which panels do you have?

That's a really beautiful truck. With a price tag to match the horsepower.

The zamp port is wired backwards of typical sae. That adapter won't work, imo, in the zamp port. External ports don't connect (usually) to a house solar controller. You are expected to have a suitcase solar, with its own controller. The solar port is in a line, with inline fuse, that goes from port to battery. Not connected to the zamp house controller. I could be wrong, but that's how its normally done. Does your Goal zero panel have its own controller?

In that line of thought, what's your battery level? Are you plugged in? Led lights will work with a low battery, but our jacks won't.

Welcome to the forum! Sorry about your Sylvan Sport Go. I've admired them at the rv supershow. It's a really clever little camper. If you have any questions about the Oliver, fire away. Lots of people with answers. Sherry

So far, I'm really liking the spice rocket. I put all the pieces in the dishwasher at home when I received it, and nothing warped or melted. Filling the little half sections wasn't too bad, as a small spoon fits fine, though using a small funnel would probably be easier. I don't have a funnel in the Ollie. The little rocket takes the place of all these bottles. Frees up a lot of space. We've had lots of rain, and spices are fine so far. I think I will order another. I can then "double up" on the spices I use most, and leave all the big jars at home. Edit to add: six months later, and several rainy camping trips later, the spices haven't clumped. Garlic, especially, usually hardens in the container. Very pleased with this.