SeaDawg

I'm also wondering about the build difference in the early legacy and the newer ii .

Karen, In our 08 , when the guage says empty, we're empty. Trust me . We dry camp most of our travels. We refill from a 40 gallon bladder, with a five gallon container leftover. I know it requires patience, but there will be a fix . For you. Sherry

This week , we're in mostly shade. We don't have a suitcase solar, so, after three days, we broke out the Honda Done. Sherry

The best first response equipment is the closest, and easiest to use. We all hope we never have to use it. Sherry

We built our new garage to accommodate the Oliver. Sherry

Ridenfly, beautiful shot. We've been there, but you're a far better photographer. Anyone going to Mt Pisgah, the cg has no views. But across the road, at the inn, the layered views of the mountains is just awe inspiring. Until noon. Go for breakfast. Reasonable prices. Absolutely the best restaurant views on the parkway. Bar none. Floor to ceiling glass in the restaurant. I posted a photo years ago. I'll see if I can find it. Just, omg, go there for breakfast... After the sun moves across, dinner views arent so great...imo. If you don't have the time to drive the entire parkway, and the Shenandoah , honestly, the fifty mile stretch around Asheville gives you the best of the parkway. If you have a little more time, the Linville viaduct is an amazing engineering feat, and not that much further. Life in the parkway/ slow lane is great. Sherry

My Oliver is nine plus years old. Still happy, still get quick answers and support from Oliver if I have an occasional problem. How many manufacturers do that? I can't discount that new owners have recently had some issues, and that's a huge disappointment for them. I do know that no one, likely, is more disappointed than the Oliver family, and they'll make it right. Growing pains? Probably. My Oliver is my last trailer. Upgradeable, durable, tough, and clean. At least, that's my nine year experience. Sherry

The scare factor of mountain roads depends on where you learned to drive, your own idiosyncrosies, and your confidence in your driving/driver, and your vehicle. I often tell people, Paul is a fearless driver, but I'm not a fearless passenger. I'm a lifelong flatland dweller... Minnesota, Illinois, Kansas, Iowa, Florida. Not many challenging mountains here. Heck, I've been known to get sick in the balcony watching a ballet. Several times... Nonetheless, Paul confidently and carefully drives the unpaved high mountain goat trails, sans guard rails, and I not only survive, but have learned to help to look ahead for oncoming traffic on the one lane roads. Iceland's west fjord sheer drop offs from one lane dirt roads will either cure you, or make you stay home... I don't want to stay home... Sherry

You're so right. Best water makes the best coffee. We carry what we can from home rainwater, and then live with what we find later, if on a long trip.catchas catch can... Or buy distilled water when it gets ugly. Sherry

We wash the Oliver whenever it's dirty, as dirt is damaging. Twice a year, minimum, often three, we wax with 3m Marine wax, the same paste wax we use on our 40 year old sailboat. I also wax the interior fiberglass every year, or two. Makes indoor cleanup easier. Our trailer is in the sun, 24/7/365. And it's nine years old... Marine grade gelcoat is tough, but extra uv protection from a quality wax is important. Both the Oliver, and the boat, still shine. don't let the surface get oxidized from the sun by skipping wax cycles. You'll regret it Lately, our neighbors have been investing in the ceramic coatings for their boats. One neighbor paid $1200 for a 17 ft boat.... We'll see how it holds up. Sherry

Great photos. Congrats on a wonderful first trip. I love this photo, particularly.. Safe travels, Sherry [attachment file=2017-06-17_19-42-50_326.jpeg]

We carry an assortment of lengths of 2x 6 and 2 x 4 cutoffs in a crate in the truck bed. We have a lot of short lengths leftover from building our house. One year, camping with a group, we went to a local Lowes and paid to have 2x 6 es cut into 12 and 18" chunks for us and our friends in a hilly campsite, to shore up the tires and jacks.it was worth the $25. For me, the chunks are a renewable resource, and most of what we carry is scrap destined for landfill, anyway.. Eventually, we burn it. But many of the chunks survive years of use, sweeping then off after use . I separate the ground contact chunks from the others. I've learned how to build "ramps" to get us to the proper height in hilly unlevel sites. I like to have support under the tire, not just jack the wheels off the ground.... Sans fancy level bubbles, a half filled water bottle on the floor or table, on its side, will tell you if you are close to level . Sherry

It was a lot of fun. 5 camping venues, fun people. Some could only stay a week, others two, some of us six... It was great. Hopefully, another time. We're all so far flung, anymore,

BTW, our local library has a lending program on overland's recommended killawatt. Yours might, too.its a great way to track your useage, one device at a time. We retrofitted a 30 amp plug in our garage wall for the trailer in our old house, but, we had space in the box for it. In the new house, it was part of the plan, along with a sewer clean out by its parking place. Good luck with your research. The Oliver, like many small trailers, is a true tiny house on wheels. You can learn a lot from tiny house blogs, too, though most of them are far less portable, and often more expensive, than an Oliver. Sherry

Great fabric choice, and lovely workmanship! Looks awesome. Sherry

Not a cat person, but I think I would discuss the possibility of a cat litter box compartment under the closet with Oliver. It would shorten the height of your closet, but I think it could be done, with a solid floor closet and a cutout for the box. Otherwise, even if the litter box fit, you'd have to leave the bathroom door open all the time for the cat. Sherry

I'd say you're in the right spot. You could pay to have a suitable outlet installed for your trailer, and not worry too much about the power. It would be a useful exercise to estimate your consumption, so you could reimburse your friend properly. Unless you're in a climate zone where you need ac or electric heat, you won't use much. Especially if you install solar, and use that source first. You will also need a place to dump grey and black water. We do this at home in a sewer clean out. Wind generators can be very noisy. Solar is silent. What's your climate zone? Frankly, kudos on building a minimalist lifestyle. Check out the blog of technomadia. They worked out of an Oliver for several years. Now they travel and work via vintage bus and boat. They're very interesting, smart young people, who have made the minimal lifestyle work for over a decade. Sherry

One of my several mother's day presents was this ultimately portable, tiny burner for the Coleman type isobutane canister from etekcity. I've used it roughly 40 times now to make coffee, soup, or dinner, and it's pretty awesome for the size and price. Extremely light and compact, but flame is very adjustable. I had some doubts about the piezo, since it sits in the flame and gets very hot, but it's still working, too. Paired with gsi dualist 1.8 liter pan, works great for me. A basically two for one on Amazon now, $15 for two. May not be a forever item, but mostly stainless.

Wow. Peyton place? Yes, old enough, but almost forgotten this groundbreaking show ...

We just got back from four weeks in almost paradise. Fifteen years ago, there was zero trash in our path. This time, I was picking up a lot. Iceland is overrun with tourists, and people who rent campervans who have never actually camped before . The same crap I find in campsites in the US, sadly, I found in previously pristine Iceland . Bits of plastic, breadties, an occasional shoe. Plastic shopping bags. Cigarette butts. How do we control this? This applies to us, too. First of all, control your own. Don't throw just a bit in a dumpster. Put everything in a ( preferably) paper bag, and make some weight, so the dump truck doesn't spew your well intentioned trash into the wind. Recycle everything you can, even if it means carrying those bottles and cans another 200 miles... Pick up your own bits, and those of others. Be a good scout. And, don't put bits in your warming pocket. They'll fly out in a tiny bit of wind when you reach into that pocket. Ditto on using the side pocket of the vehicle door. In a good wind, will trash fly? Here, I know I'm preaching to the choir. This is a group of careful people. I'm just so saddened every time I camp, and find trash in my campsite and campground. Sherry

Larry and Betty, thanks for yet another invite we can't do. Your lake ouchita fish fries ( and fishing methods) are legend. Hope you have an awesome time. We're thinking of you both. Sherry and Paul

Bill, that's a very good suggestion. And he does quality work. Brandi, the only early Oliver I've seen with a sofa was the Whaley Oliver. They accomplished it by having an extra set of cushions made for the small front dinette. I'll see if I can find a photo for you. Sherry

That's a beautiful install. Glad you're getting good results. We've rented campervans with the swingarm compressors, and were very impressed with their performance and efficiency, even without solar. When the dometic quits, we'll be doing the same. Sherry

Bacon. Idaho Who could ask for anything more! We love what little we've seen of Idaho. Wild, rugged, beautiful.. Another trip... Sherry

Awesome. 2 elite 1, 2 elite 2 that I know of. I'd, personally, advise the inexperienced to survey the Ouray road carefully, or drive it first with tug alone. Paul's great, and has done amazing drives in what I'd call goat paths, here and abroad. I'm with Tali... White knuckles, and in prayer. Our daughter regaled us with a story of one of our vacation drives at dinner tonight, describing how she shifted her weight to inboard on a steep mountain road in Norway, when Paul had to back down a mile and a half or so through changing radius curves, no guard rail????. Single lane to a pullout, to let the larger vehicle we (surprise!), met on that goat path. Gotta love it.... Proud of all you guys, and your skills. Sherry