SeaDawg

I thought it was Insurance rules. We've never picked up an RV, that I can remember, with full lp tanks. Always looking for a pilot/flying j after Elkhart when delivering motorhomes... Those are always empty. Our Oliver was empty, too . But that was nine years ago...

Our home is in a suburban area of Florida with almost zero tick risk. But, our dogs travel north with us. I change their flea meds to a flea and tick med during camping season to help prevent Lyme disease. They're susceptible, too. Just a thought, for those of us travelling into tick country. Sherry

Lately, we've used a different product to sanitize the tanks, and water in the boat and the trailer. A friend told us about purogene, a non bleach, no flavor change product. No chlorine smell or taste. We've used purogene, and a similar product activated with citric acid (lemon juice), and quite happy with it in both the trailer and boat. My sister and I are both sensitive to bleach. (Headaches, breathing). Im glad to find an alternative. Sherry

We picked up our trailer nine years ago with one of our two vehicles rated to tow it... Our Volvo XC90. Rating, 4900 lb. We towed about 20 or 25000 miles with my stepside 1500 Chevy Silverado. I think it's rated around 7500. Great look, very nimble, not great on supersteep gravel hills.. Later on, we decided we wanted 4x4, five seats , and the truck bed to carry the ATV and gear. We watched for, and got a great deal on the Dodge ram 1500 hemi that 8 years later is our primary tow. We'd love to have better fuel economy, especially would love one of the small powerful diesels we've seen in Australia and Europe, but at 160k, and a lifetime warranty, the ram will be around a long time.in town, about 16 mpg. Not great, not awful. Paul's daily driver. And, we can haul an amazing amount of stuff, and four people, without much of a change in mpg. Guess I'm saying, if you have a vehicle already with a sufficient tow rating, use it, and see what you would like to have later. You'll figure it out. I love pickups, because I learned to drive in trucks, I'm short, and I see better up higher. Plus, truck bed gives a lot of storage. But other people like the better ride of an SUV... Good luck in your choices. Sherry

Dave, is the new gasket below the awning? On our older trailer, it's above, I can't see it, and spits don't bother me (much). Sherry

Howenwald, for a small town, is very hospitable, and we think, quite fun. We've stayed in the "hotel" style room at Fall Hollow, and it was clean, quiet, and nice linens. These are at the back of the restaurant. The house is pretty, and back in the woods. Price is higher, and not available when we stayed, but I have to tell you, Neil makes a great breakfast, included in the price. And, I'm not a breakfast lover... The couple who now own fall hollow are really nice, engaging people, and he is an awesome cook. We've stayed at the brick motel in town once. Not too noisy, bed was ok, but nothing special. The other motel, from what I have heard, is a bit run down, if still open, but accepted pets.... Ask Anita about the cabin on the Buffalo river. She may know someone there. Sherry

What are you trying to seal? Butyl tape, in many cases, is my go to. Yes, it's old school. But great seal,flexibility, won't be a hassle to remove. Sikaflex also makes some great products. I shy away from anything silicone, and anything that's actually a high strength adhesive, instead of a sealant, where a sealant is actually what is needed. Sherry

Dave, from what I read, eez also "recommends" metal stems. I don't know what came on your trailer, but if you are dismounting the wheels anyway, now's the time to can get to metal. But, that means busting the tire, and another charge, likely. My tire guys charge the same for metal or not, with new tires. Not likely the same if you are just rebalancing. Best off to contact the manufacturer of your tpms to see if you need new stems, or not. Sherry

Very good question. I've seen the effect of altitude change on water bottles, sealed bags, etc... Wouldn't want to impact the freshwater tank. We have the forespar duckbill valves installed on our waste tanks on our boat. So far, so good. (;A friend helped install a valve awhile back, and dropped just the duckbill, which rolled into a space never to be found. Forespar was very helpful in replacing just that bit.) Customer service guys at forespar are excellent. Maybe give them a call? They might give you some ideas. They're in California, so take the time zone into consideration.... I'm good with what we have, since we carry two to five five gallon containers with us in the truck bed, but I can certainly appreciate the water range anxiety. Sometimes, replenishment isn't easy. Been there, done that, hence, water carriers in the truck bed. Sherry

It's campfire season again. Over the years, I have wrecked several pairs of expensive lenses over a hot grill in my restaurant, and cooking over hot campfires. My optician confirmed several years ago that the lenses can warp and crackle over high heat. I've taken to wearing old glasses, or inexpensive single vision, normal lenses when working over a very hot fire. Just an FYI. I love my photosensitive, auto changing lenses, most of the time. Sherry.

Pizza looks awesome. Wish we were there, too! Which battery configuration did you choose? I see you are using the Honda 2000. We carry a 1000 as a backup to solar, but not a huge difference in weight or fuel consumption between the two. I can lift and carry either with one hand. We've thought about upgrading, but the 1000 has done well for nine years, so we've stuck with the original choice. Sherry PS one of these days, don't be surprised if another Oliver joins you for amazing pizza... Your photos are just too tempting. Lol. Hope to meet you both one of these days... Til then, happy travels. S

Good question. Back in the day, we carried the stinky slinky in a giant ziplock in the trunk. ( One of those 15 gallon or whatever size designed for quilt storage...). The ziplock eventually wore a hole, no surprise. Shortly after, we installed the macerator system. That hose is much stiffer plastic, with more reinfrcement, along with the other constant maintenance issues that come with a macerator system.... The diamond plate in the trunk isn't sharp, but a length of heavy shelf liner could give you added peace of mind... Sherry

You sure make that pup work hard for his kibble.... Good post. Thanks. On another note, we broke that little cover with the five screws this year. When I called Fantastic vent, I was connected to Dometic. Apparently, they bought the company that bought Fantastic several years ago. Still a somewhat separate division, but parts now need to be ordered from a distributor. Nothing stays the same... And Dometic has purchased a lot of the suppliers. Sherry

When we ordered our tpms, the company recommended metal stems and rebalancing, so that's what we did, many years ago. It does change the weight distribution. Tire balancing with new tire mount to rim is pretty standard, anymore, but how good it is depends as much on the tech as the balancing machine. Oliver wouldn't balance the tires. That would be the responsibility of the company that mounts the tires to the wheels. Unfortunately, unlike tires on your truck, it's really not possible to feel that vibration of an unbalanced tire. But you may see the signs, later. Sherry

That is interesting. Six years ago, we switched to agm batteries. I don't think we've ever equalized them, but I'll ask Paul.. I know I have not, and monitoring the batteries is usually my job... They haven't held a charge as well the last camping season. Past due for replacement, anyway. Sherry

Yes, the most important is proper venting for the nature's head. Secondary, is normal venting for the unused black tank, to keep it safe in elevation and temperature changes. Terciary, if you wish to convert it later to a freshwater tank, proper venting and connections? Sherry

We use a macerator system. They are, imo, prone to failure. Paul rebuilt the first failed pump. Actually, the parts guy said something like, " really? No one does that....Yuck." Second time, bought a new pump. This is over the course of six or seven years. We are very careful about keeping enough liquid in the tank, no foreign objects, etc . Just seems to us that the RV macerator pumps are kind of puny and finicky, imo. Maybe, chintzy? Some friends went the macerator route and returned to the stinky slinky... Reliable, and no mechanical breakdowns. When this one breaks, we may do the same. At the new house, the Ollie has its own designed dump station. We don't have to run a long hose anymore. Sherry

John, that's a very good question. I wonder if the vent tube from the black tag is accessible from the removable vanity cover? Could it be cut and capped, with a one way valve so the empty and pristine tank can breathe in elevation changes? But, separate it from the composting vent? At first glance, it would definitely seem prudent to separate the two systems... The active and inactive. Composting does generate heat and gas. Sherry

Have fun. Glad you found the issue ... Is the front jack a Barker? If so, I think it's warrantied by Barker for two years. (Actually, our dometic refrigerator had a two year warranty. Don't know what they have now. But, if you have a problem after the first year, always worth looking.. ) We didn't have problems with the tongue jack for three or four years, so didn't help us, but it could help you. Sherry

Hi, Reed. Our switch took seven years to die, but needed rocking for three. Did you try that? I don't even know if they still use the barker jacks, but that weather proof casing on ours was really sensitive, years ago. We replaced that, too. Sometimes, we'd pull it apart a time or three, and it would work with a good connection. Also, there is a ground to the frame from the front jack, somewhere, as I remember. You may want to see if you can find that before you give up and go to the manual mode... Any ideas from new trailer owners,? Our trailer is 9 years old.... As is the jack. Sherry

Pete, I fondly remember those early days. We didn't do any of the above, though I certainly would recommend it. As it turned out, the hitch installer on our Volvo drilled into the battery, creating a mystery of why our rear lights didn't work at pickup. The Oliver team figured it out, we got a new battery at Walmart, with a ride from one of the guys. We left late, my brother had plane reservations the next day,vso we booked it for the panhandle at nine at night, or so. Btw, the rocket rest stop near Huntsville AL is really a sight to see. Fortunately , pretty much all was well with our trailer. We however camp several times a year within 300 miles of the factory, so not a big issue for us. If it were a three day drive, I'd hang within a hundred miles or so for the first four days, and check it all out. Honestly, I love camping in Tennessee, anyway. Beautiful state. Enjoy it. And, take tick meds for your dog. Same as in North Carolina. We don't have problems in more urban Florida, but you may find them in the middle states. Sherry

In conversation lately, a few people have asked me about the Trace. And, a few posts about Meriweather Lewis CG. We've not driven the entire trace, so I thought I'd bring back your great report, topgun. Btw, is the road open to Meriweather Lewis CG now? We enjoy Fall hollow and the owners for great food and hospitality, but Meriweather Lewis is a great place to check the trailer out in an unserviced site. And, free.

We have the older, little trailer, but two things on the front jack could be a problem. You've probably tried these, but... The momentary switch sometimes doesn't want to work in one direction, but will in the other. I flip up, then back, a few times. I think dust or a little bit of moisture? We had to replace the switch on our front jack after seven years. The pull apart weather proof casing on the front jack has to be perfectly tight. We actually used to leave it just a 32nd apart as a deterrent to fiddlers..If we had to leave the trailer unattended a few days.. At least on the old ones. Sherry

We have the older, little trailer, but two things on the front jack could be a problem. You've probably tried these, but... The momentary switch sometimes doesn't want to work in one direction, but will in the other. I flip up, then back, a few times. I think dust or a little bit of moisture? We had to replace the switch on our front jack after seven years. The pull apart weather proof casing on the front jack has to be perfectly tight. We actually used to leave it just a 32nd apart as a deterrent to fiddlers..If we had to leave the trailer unattended a few days.. At least on the old ones. Sherry

Thanks, Ovrrland. Your headlamp may be in Paul's stocking for Christmas. The lumens are excessive on one mode, but ok in other mode. A higher powered headlamp is great in many situations, as when working on the trailer or in the engine room on the boat. Glad to hear you find the strapping comfortable. The last headlamp we bought was too heavy for comfort. Sherry