SeaDawg

I just tried loading some samples, and had no issues. I'm on Windows 10. Sherry

Thanks, Matt, that's very helpful.

We have camped with Pete a number of times, and he is a true master of singlehanded backing. I need to find a photo of one of his sites... Threaded the trailer between palms, with inches on each side. He and my husband are unusually gifted backers.(another photo somewhere of Paul with two inches on each side of pines in Canada in our assigned spot...) Technology is great. When it fails, the rock is awesome. And knowing what to do without a camera, Sherry

Solar is silent, and reliable. We carry a little Honda 1000 for backup, but have probably had electricity at campsites less than a dozen days in 8 years and 70,000 miles of Ollie camping. We have no power connection at our Nc camping proprty, by choice. It's available, but we don't want or need it. We manage just fine with solar, a single battery, and faithful power management. I charge tablets and phones while the sun is high, for example. Do take a look at the smaller Legacy. It has served us well for 8 years. Can't honestly think of owning a different trailer. Sherry

The ducted hvac should reduce head bump issues indoors. We find our oliver lives very large on the outside... indoors, We mostly sleep and make coffee, or work on the computer, seated. I know of one friend in Virginia with a 2008 Elite. He is fairly tall. Maybe you could ask Oliver for a referral near you? I don't honestly know if the interior height overall has changed on the oeiginal and new Elites. Sherry

There is a company in Tampa that rents vintage Airstreams, delivered to the site. Since you live in a camping destination area, thought you might want to see what they offer and do. Sherry

I received an email today from Florida State Parks about the annual Florida Folk Festival, Memorial Day weekend. We've not attended, but may look at next year. Lots of camping nearby, and summer hasn't hit full on het at the end of May. Arlo Guthrie will be performing again this year. http://www.floridarambler.com/florida-camping/florida-folk-festival/

Fwiw, aren't flat spots on new technology radial tires kind of a thing of the past? I've read and heard that temporary flat spots disappear in twenty miles at low speed. Plenty of time for us....thirty minutes or more to speeds below 40 when we leave the house. Over 40k on this set of maxxis. We leave some weight on the tires when parked. Just level it up with the jacks. Then again, the best thing for most vehicles is just use it? Yup, go camp. Sherry

And, truth of the matter is, our trailer is now past 8 years old. Everything changes, except the initial build quality. My Ollie still looks new, started each day of the last week of camping at 96 or 97 per cent power, so lots of room to charge phones and tablets on solar. I'm in for the long haul. Sherry

I love the cleanbility of the Oliver. Left NC this morning. Ten minutes with windex, a rag, and0 the walls and floor are clean. My allergies make camping an adventure. Thecleanability of the Oliver interiot really helps. Sherry

Interesting, as the few times in 8 years that we have camped in high temps with power, we used our dometic penguin 13.5 btu. Certainly cooled the trailer quickly. Noisy. Yes. But I am sensitive to noise, so not the best judge. And our older trailers aren't ducted, like the new ones. Are the new trailers ac ducted too? Sherry

The look of the new forum is more flash, and modern. I'm finding it a little slowgoing at first, but most processes are fairly intuitive. I created a new account today and found it quite easy. The IT folks have obviously been hard at work. Now, back to having some fun sharing camping stories and info. Sherry

Eggpiper, I just read your signature line. Your Oliver is a sweet addition to your collection of American classics. Happy travels! Sherry

I've used kitchen windows in rented rvs, and I wouldn't want one in my Oliver. The fan to my back set on exhaust does a great job of exhausting fumes. The window, if open, in rentals messed with the gas flames. I used that big expanse of white behind the cooktop for a variety of hooks and shelves to store spices, cooking accessories, and dishes. It's all in the eye of the beholder, though. Sherry

Welcome to the forum, Hans and Kathleen. This is often the first place you'll find a notice about a pre-loved Oliver, so you're in the right spot. Take a look around, and ask any questions you'd like. We'll try our best to answer. Sherry

Have not camped at Ash Grove, so can't help you there. Brevard is such a lovely little town... but we have mostly done day trips to visit. As to the Boone area, there is a Blue Ridge campground at Linville Falls, not that far from Boone. Boone is the regional center, the University, and very busy for its size. (Very hospitable, and often very crowded, if anything is going on at the U.) We have stopped at the Linville Falls cg for a walk, but not stayed in the cg. The sites are pretty much the same at all the Blue Ridge government campgrounds. The Viaduct, the last part of the Parkway to be built, is very close by, and certainly scenic. Lots to do and see and eat in Banner Elk, which is just a beautiful little town. I love the Lowes grocery store there. Good wine selection, too. Quite a few years ago, several of us camped together at Vance Toe River Lodge, at Plumtree, some thirty or forty miles from Boone, and maybe 15 or 20 to Banner Elk and Grandfather Mountain, another favorite. It's family owned, has a restaurant, and like many in the area, kind of built on the side of a hill. The employees were great. The cg itself was quite nice, lots of trees, but some of the sites were really small. The six of us camping together didn't mind being side by side by side, by side... as that's why we gathered there. Other larger sites were a little bigger. Haven't been there in five or six years. The bathrooms were very clean, but older, then. And unheated, in October, which was a bit chilly that year. The owners and staff pretty much bent over backwards to make sure everyone had a good time, and for that reason, I'd recommend them, not necessarily for the smallish sites. At that time they had Sunday brunch at the restaurant at the lodge, and it was awesome. Check out their recent reviews. They used to have a zip line, and it was fun to watch the kids flying from tree platform to tree platform, above our heads. Sherry

Welcome to the forums! If you have any questions, post away. We're all here to help, if we can. Sherry

I seemed to remember an early fiberglass Airstream, but couldn't find any record of it yesterday. Then, Carol H on the fiberglass rv forum reminded everyone of the early Airstream prototype... the Wally Bee (named after himeself, Wally Byam...) A little further research into the Airstream forum brought this link: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f492/the-wally-bee-48042.html The original sixty year old fiberglass prototype was uncovered over a decade ago, and is being restored by a craftsman in Colorado. It looks rather like a Casita or a Scamp, with a little of the British Willerby thrown in, I think... Sherry

I went to the website for the first time in a long time. Someone is doing a great job updating the website. Looks the best it's ever looked, and more great info than ever, too. Sherry

Gregg, Awesome video. Brought back wonderful memories of a sailing trip to Tobago Cays,(about 100 miles, I think, from Bonaire) many years ago. The waters and wildlife were amazing. Paul and I chose the Oliver for many reasons, but one of the most important was its all fiberglass construction. Our almost 40 year old sailboat still looks and works great, and we expect the Oliver will last just as long with proper care and maintenance. My husband and I believe experiences are so much more important than possessions, but sometimes it's the possession that gets you to the experiences and memories. I believe that's the case with both the Oliver and our boat. Looking forward to photos of your camper with your turtle graphics design. Sherry

Great to hear they've decided to add the instantaneous water heater to the options list. We had one installed last fall, but haven't done much camping since to report back on its efficiency. Our Oliver is languishing on the side of the house, waiting for spring.... I will say that the Oliver install was, as expected, clean and neat. The heaters are designed as a direct replacement for the cavity occupied by the larger tank heaters. Dustin and his crew did a great job on the retrofit on our 2008 Legacy. Sherry

You'll love driving and camping the Blue Ridge. We've camped the entire stretch of the Blue Ridge, plus the Skyline, and certain intervals we've repeated. It's a wonderful, magical drive. Sherry

Welcome to the forum. Love your avatar! Sherry

Very nice, and very pro looking. Nice addition to the fridge.

That's an interesting idea. Actually, after camping in NZ and Australia in camper vans, Paul and I have discussed the idea of converting a 4 x 4 diesel van to a (very basic) camper van, towing our beloved Oliver, and taking the van only to more remote places where we might only overnight, but have some minimal creature comforts. The camper van tow vehicle could allow us to take additional people on camping trips, as more than two and a very small child isn't really practical in our 17. I think at least some of the 3500 series vans have tow capacities in excess of 7000 pounds. Perhaps you'd want to look at those? We've not moved past the "wouldn't it be nice" and chatting stage, as the Dodge 4 x 4 truck does all we need, and then some as a tow vehicle, and at only 8 years old, we're not thinking about replacing it any time soon.... We don't often have riders, and they tent if we do. Last year's five+ weeks in a basic camper van in southern Australia was amazing. One of our best camping trips ever. The rented Toyota HiAce camper van was an intrepid vehicle when skillfully and carefully driven on the left hand side by my husband, and it's definitely not in the class of the Mercedes sprinter you're thinking about. Throughout the trip, we kept thinking about what we could tow with an American van conversion, and how we could easily accommodate our adult daughter with the van and trailer combo. Certainly a worthwhile exploration. Good luck, and let us know what you decide. Sherry