SeaDawg

On the road, I see a lot of blue boys lashed to rv ladders. They don't weigh much, when they're empty. 35 to 50 pounds. Your bike hitch should probably work, with a lightweight tray. Ps, i hope you got one of the four wheelers. 30 plus gallons of waste is a lot to haul by walking to the dumpsite. Sherry

I came across this review and test of the Jackery 500. Max input from solar is a100 watt panel. Probably not possible to recharge in a single day, if you ran it down by 400 watts, because of the slow rate of charge. Looks like you'd have to get some additional charge from the truck battery, or an ac outlet, to cycle through that much power, daily, Steve. Mirna, that seems to be the common complaint on all the battery packs/solar generators. They're great for small devices, and an emergency backup, but their charging time is generally quite slow. Probably for safety reasons, as high speed charging generates a lot of heat, that has to be managed. The solar panel test begins around 20:45 in this video. Sherry

According to their website, looks you must use the truck pumps. I didnt call to verify, as I don't have diesel.

As a side note, we camped our way around Iceland a few years ago, in a fairly barebones vw van. Our refrigerator was a small Dometic portable cooler. We ran it off a cigarette lighter type plug during the day. Most nights were cold, in the 30s and low 40s, and we unplugged it, set the cooler under the van at night, mostly to make room to pull out/ unfold the bed. I grew to love that little cooler, as fresh groceries are far and few between in the small villages outside towns and cities in the outer regions of Iceland. At least my food stayed fresh, and cold. It was not good for chilling warm items, however. It was almost silent, just a tiny hum. Reliable. Efficient. Looks like your Dometic, Steve, could use around 400 watts in a 24 hr day. I'd plug it into the truck when driving, on dc. (Most efficient on native dc). If nights are cool, cover it with a coat or blanket, and unplug, maybe. You should be able to recharge 400 watts in 7 hours of good sun, with a 100 watt panel, theoretically. But usually, we only get 4 to 5 hours of good sun. If you don't run it on battery all day, you'll recharge faster, as you know, and save on cycle life. I think your jackery is rated to 500 full cycles, then dropping to something like 80 per cent. I'll be interested in your observations after this season. I like the combo. And love the features of the Dometic. Sherry

Steve, looks like the Jackery and your dometic cooler/freezer will make a great combo. Do you have a portable solar panel to charge the jackery at Quartzite? Sherry

I'm really sorry. A year ao, or more, Jason started a thread on referrals to service agents with good success. I need to find it, and resurrect it. We, too, have had one really bad experience with one local dealer, and stellar results with a few others. In tampa bay, (pinellas/pasco side) o'Dell trailers for brakes, bearings and axle, camping world port richey for warranty service on ancillary systems like fridges are both great. Sherry

Welcome. Not a long time to wait. Hope the weather is good for your delivery. You asked about chocks. I like the heavy rubber chocks from Harbor Freight, if you have a store nearby. Often on sale at 5.99, with the 20 per cent off coupon, 5 bucks. I'm thinking about the things we take each year, or buy, when we deliver new rvs. Throw rugs. An inside and outside walkoff mats. 2 x 6 cutoffs for leveling. A melitta type pourover cone to make coffee without electricity. A fry pan, a saucepan, a couple good knives, cutting board, aluminum foil and a few plastic bags. A few bits of plates, knives, forks, kitchen utensils, including corkscrew and can opener. A small trash can. Trash bags. A small broom and dust pan. Scrubbies and scrub brush. A notebook, and pens that work. Bedding, including pillows. And a nice warm duvet or quilt. Towels . Meds and hygiene items. A small tool kit, including duct tape, a multitip screwdriver, small socket set. A hatchet. Utility knife. A couple folding chairs to sit outside. Credit cards. Good Sam's roadside insurance card. A couple flashlights . Batteries. Inline water filter. Not a lot of stuff. Maybe take a small electric cube heater, since it's February, depending on your direction of travel, and if you'll have hookups. I'd probably carry a gallon of rv antifreeze, just in case, which you should be able to buy in Hohenwald. But, something I like to keep around in shoulder season. Specifically for the Oliver, a collar lock for the bulldog hitch. Tire pressure monitor system if you have a bit of a distance, or add it ar home . The longer we travel, the less extra stuff I carry. Honestly. The rest I can buy along the way, if we actually need it. We picked up in February 2008. It wasn't warm, but it wasn't freezing cold, either. Driving back to Tampa, via the panhandle, we didn't need a lot. We'll look forward to your photos. Don't overpack, and enjoy the ride. Sherry

Welcome! Always nice to see another Elite I join the fold. I hope you have as much fun with yours as we've had with our 2008. Sherry

I agree. The value isn't there, if I read the specs correctly. The "generator " part is the 100 watt solar panel. The battery is simply storage, with ourlets. Though it does claim some pretty high peak power, it's not going to run your ac for long, if at all. And, I'd be skeptical about being able to recharge daily with only a single 100 watt panel. I looked at the Goal Zero Yeti last year, when it was on sale at Costco online. Nice, but still pricey, and if I were personally going to spend another $1000 to $2500 on powering my trailer, I'd seriously be looking at swapping my agms for battleborns, and beef up my portable solar capacity. I guess the real question is, what do you want to accomplish with auxiliary power/generator? Just recharge batteries? Run your ac? Have reserve power for electronics? Edit to add: having something around like a goal zero yeti or jackery can useful at home in power failures, too, to run essential systems, for a short while. If that's part of your goal. Sherry

Happy new year! And safe travels to all! Today, I started taking down the tree. Christmas and new year's brunch are beautiful memories. I used to leave it up til epiphany, but this year, I think everything takes a little longer. Its not the same, with half the ornaments down, but, I'll take it. I always miss the tree when it's down. But, there's always the anticipation of a new year of adventure. It's all good. 2020 holds a lot of adventure and potential. Sherry

Yes, whenever we deliver rvs, Paul makes a little sign by the mirror with height, plus 4 inches, for safety. We're not about to take a chance with a frost heave or road repair taking off the ac. Btw, our 2008 legacy I is right at 9' 6". With lifted axle, 15 inch st tires. Sherry

How big are your small dogs? That makes a difference. I've known three couples who successfully full timed in the smaller Elite I. With pet(s), over the years. And, I have friends who travel extensively with one or two small dogs, on the smaller Elite. Honestly, if it's just you and truly small dogs ( under 20 pounds), I wouldn't rule out the smaller Elite I. Easier to tow, smaller space. Wider choices in tow vehicles because of the smaller footprint and weight. If you're primarily working remote, wardrobe isn't a huge issue , anyway.. We use the storage space under the bed for three big bins. Handles most seasonal wardrobe changes in three season camping. (We're rarely out for more than ten weeks, but really, same routine is likely. ) Truck bed carries overflow, with a cover. Just my thoughts. I'll start the popcorn. Sherry

The top looks beautiful! Nice install. Sherry

We've slept on upgraded firm cushions for 12 seasons. With a softer mattress pad as a topper. Our longer trips are usually 2 months or so. Short trips are 5 to 7 days. I'd think about the included cushions first, and see how it works for you. Everyone is different, or there wouldn't be so many options out there. For ys, firm cushions, plus 1.5 or 2 inches of memory foam feels a lot like our home mattress. I find the cushions easier to deal with than a mattress.

Looks like that bridge could use a warning system like this one in Sydney. Approaching truck height is measured by sensors. Overheight vehicles trigger a giant stop sign projected onto a wall of water and air-- impossible to ignore. Quite cool. https://www.truckinginfo.com/158996/aussies-deploy-water-wall-tunnel-warning-technology It's also deployed when there's a fire or accident in the tunnel. Emergency vehicles can drive right through, of course, since it's only water.

Sweet looking truck!

It might even be worth a stop in Oregon next spring. I'm intrigued. Grey water recycling has been mostly historically limited to toilet flushing, in residential applications. (And that's pretty useless in rvs.) I'm interested to see what the maintenance cycle is like. I'd certainly love unlimited recirculating shower water when boondocking. Sherry

We carry our filtered drinking water from home in four 5 gallon, square containers that stack. They look like these, though we bought ours at a show years ago, and I have no idea of the brand anymore. We have a cap with a spigot that replaces the storage cap. I keep one on a stool outside the trailer, and refill our stainless water bottles and the tea kettle from the jugs during the day.

Love the solution, and the fabric. Nice work!

MarkC, are you planning to fulltime in the trailer?

Were it me, I'd be tempted to give it a tour with the 4.8, if that's what you have. You know your truck. And you know your maintenance. All that is a big factor. I'm a strange bird, probably. Love my 2005 Silverado, looking forward to newer technology in a few years with the Tesla truck. In the meantime, we usually tow with a 2008 Ram hemi. 5.7. It's a lovely tow with an elite 1, as excess power means the trailer isn't really felt. Just slightly more frequent gas stops, with a 34 gallon tank.We love the nimble factor of the older Silverado, but we often need 4 x 4, where we camp, so Ram, it is. Don't take the rock collection with you. 🤣 I'm showing 7900 lbs towing with some of the 2007 series. What are your specs, with your current vehicle?

That capacity depends on the availability of pit/ vault toilets, and possibly available "bush area," for the guys. Black tank has never been our limiting factor. Maybe a gallon or two a day, input, max, sans other facilities?. Freshwater, grey water capacity is more critical, for us. You don't have to hold the flush step forever with your foot, for just liquids. I'd say 9 or 10 days, conservatively, on our black. Long enough that we've never worried. I have no problem with maintained pits/ vaults. Our Alaska runs, with rental deliveries, have 24 or 32 gallon blacks, and rarely more than half full after three weeks or so. We have looked at composting for the boat. Maybe the trailer, someday, if we have to replace the toilet. Or the plumbing fails. More likely on the boat, where pumpout is much more of an issue, and more logistics/ PITA. Don't get me wrong. We like the composting idea. We just rarely replace a working system for something else, just because.. When systems work, we keep them. When they don't, we replace them. Sherry

A great number of our owners who are lucky enough to have an available outlet keep their trailers plugged in while in storage. Some people even run the refrigerator, and heaters between the hulls or in the cabin. Others, like us, depend on solar to keep theirs charged. Our charger converter is designed to step down to "float" when the battery is charged. I've yet to hear of anyone who had an overcharging issue.

Hi, okcamper, and congrats on your sport! How long have you had it? What do you tow with now? Have you ever weighed the trailer at a cat scale to determine the real world weight you're towing? When we weighed ours, loaded for camping, with propane and some grey and fresh water, we found a tongue weight of roughly 400 lbs, camper 3500, overall 3900 lbs. I think that's pretty close to Pete's reported weights. We both have a few extra pounds in solar panels and extra equipment. If you weighed yours loaded, you'd have a better idea of specs to look for. Unfortunately, I don't remember anyone towing with a Highlander. But, the new one rated for 5000 pounds has a 3.5 turbo, right? Is the new Highlander still built on the van chassis? All wheel drive, or front wheel? Many of us who own the smaller elites tow with full size half ton trucks because a) we already own them b) we like driving trucks and c) mpg doesn't change a whole lot, maybe 10 to 20 per cent, towing. And, we hardly know the trailer is back there. Other Elite I folks have towed with smaller trucks (Tacoma), a Honda Ridgeline, and suvs and one friend with a Mercedes wagon, another with a Toyota FJ. The FJ owner has changed to a truck, I think. Sherry

Sport model was only made for a very short time, probably less than a year. A version of original legacy to reduce the starting price, with a steel frame and fewer features included in the base model. Same great hull. Only a very few built, maybe not even a half dozen. Oliver went into production hiatus not long after introduction of the sport. The concept was not revived when Oliver went back into production with the Elite II.