SeaDawg

Doug, The little dehumidifier ( http://www.air-n-water.com/product/SD-652.html ) looks interesting. If you do decide to try it, please let us know how it works out for you. I see it has a tube discharge option as well as a small tank, with auto shutoff, with 12 volt adaptability. We haven't had any issues with condensate in Florida, so I don't think we'd be looking at one. During storage, I just leave Fantastic fan on auto, and it seems to provide sufficient ventilation and circulation. Sherry

A huge rockslide has I-40 between Asheville and Knoxville blocked both directions. Fortunately, it occurred at 2 am instead of 2pm on this heavily traveled interstate. NCDOT says it may take months (and $10 million or more) to clear the roads. Some of the rocks are the size of a garage! Luckily, no drivers were involved in the slide, though a few accidents immediately after resulted in some injuries as unaware drivers ran into the rocks covering the road. links: http://www.wral.com/traffic/story/6278952/ http://news.google.com/news?q=rockslide ... CBAQsQQwAA Sherry

We just spent three weeks in NC, DC, and Western New York. A few nice days early on in NC, but most of our weather has been damp, cold rain... luck of the draw. On our way to DC, I picked up a small $15 portable Sunbeam heater at a WalMart. It has a thermostat with six or eight settings, high/low setting, a very quiet fan, "cool touch", and "over heat cutoff", though no tipover protection. It's about eight inches wide by four deep by 10 high, and we left it under the small table at night on low, with the roof vent cracked about an inch or less. By the time we got to DC, my rugs were quite wet from all the rain we tracked in, and a day I forgot and left the roof vent open in the rain (manual setting) while we were out in the woods on the ATV. The little heater dried everything up, and life was pleasant again. We used it again during the nights in New York, where we had an electrical cord running from my sister-in-law's garage. Nice and dry, even with the Lake Erie autumn rains and dampness, with temps down into the forties and high thirties at night. Again, we left the roof vent open an inch or so at night. I leave the bathroom door open a crack, and the big drawer open a bit, as well. I think the little Sunbeam, at $15, is one of my best buys this year for the nights when we have electricity. It's very quiet, and kicks a surprising amount of heat for its size. I tried it one night on the table, but it heats the whole cabin better from its place on the floor beneath the small table. Sherry

Hi, Jam49, I suspect a lot of members will have some ideas for you. I moved this post to Oliver Campers where it may get more attention. Sherry

On our way from Rochester, NY to Buffalo, we drove thru Letchworth State Park. With the fall leaves, the gorges, falls, rock formations and rapids, it was stunning. We wanted to stay, but the cg closed the prior weekend, due to budget cuts compressing the camping season. If you are ever in western NY, please take a look, and take the time. Nick-named the "Grand Canyon of the North", this is truly an amazing park. Entrance fee, $6, camping fees, around $24. Views, priceless. Sherry Here's a link: http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/79/details.aspx

Bull Run looked nice to us, too, Tom.The campground map for Bull Run looks very similar to Pohick Bay. Since both are NVPA parks, I suspect they're very comparable facilities. We came in from Fort Bragg/Fayetteville, NC, about a six hour drive, so Pohick was the closer choice for us. We really liked being able to camp in the woods, and still be in the center of Washington in a little over an hour. The metro is a lot easier to use than driving around D.C., and trying to find a place to park a pickup. Sorry we couldn't get together this trip north, but the weather was not much fun! We're on the interstate now, headed out, and the cold rain continues, with 42 being our high so far at noon. Sherry

We really like it here, and think you would too. There are a few others we saw listed, including Trailer Village in the Greenbelt, which would honor the half-price senior price, and has closer access to public transport to the capitol, but they had tick warnings posted. This park also has a nature trail going down to the water, but we haven't struck out on it yet. We've been slogging through lots of water and mud daily on the national mall, touring the Solar Decathlon houses. I've put my Clark Muckies to good use, and rain gear layered with fleece has been our favorite wardrobe in this unseasonably cold and rainy October weather. It's supposed to warm up after we leave. Sherry

We've spent the last few days at Pohick Bay Regional Park, in Fairfax County Virginia. Great little campground for visiting the nation's capitol. About 20-25 miles outside D.C., a few miles off I-95, it's amazingly rural and quiet. Campsites are heavily wooded, and, for the most part, nicely spaced. Comfort stations are probably from the seventies, but very, very clean, and warm! Yesterday, three deer were munching on acorns in the empty site next to us when I came out of the camper. They moved across the road, and grazed in the cold morning rain in the open field adjoining the playground. It's probably really crowded here in the summer, with its location by the water and the on-site water park. Only perhaps one-quarter of the sites are occupied tonight in a Friday in October. You can check it out here http://www.nvrpa.org/parks/pohickbay/?pg=camping.html Staff is very nice. Lots of oak and sweetgum trees. About a fifteeen to twenty minute drive to Springfield mall, where there's a free parking garage and a twenty-five cent shuttle to the metro. From Franconia-Springfield metro (end of the blue line), you're on the mall in front of the Smithsonian in about 40 minutes. We'd definitely stay here again. About $20 dry camping, $25 with electric, more for full hookups. Sherry

Brrrrrrr I feel cold looking at the photos! We're in the D.C. area... raining and cold for three straight days. I think I'd rather have the snow. It's definitely prettier! Sherry

We very rarely make reservations anywhere we go. You'll find an easier time getting spots at the prime parks (read waterfront) during the week. Weekends are usually pretty well booked up at Ft. DeSoto (Pinellas County park) thru the season, but if you check often enough, you may even get a cancellation on a weekend day. Most state and county parks limit stays to two weeks. Florida has an extensive state park system, and a good website. Also check for county parks in areas you may like to visit (Pinellas, Hillsborough, Dade, etc.). Many of these parks are lesser known and not as crowded, or expensive. I wouldn't be the least bit nervous to head to Florida in the winter without reservations if you're willing to move around a little. The only place you may have trouble finding a spot at all, without making reservations, is the Florida Keys. Disney's Ft. Wilderness is really expensive for what you get. Only if you're planning to spend several days at the Disney parks would I consider it to be worthwhile. There are state parks not too far away from Disney. If you do decide to make the trip, please pm us. We're near Tampa. Sherry

... I've never used it [RV Antifreeze] before. Do you know if it is concentrated and must be diluted, or does it always come in ready to pour containers? Pete, RV antifreeze comes in gallon jugs, ready to use. It doesn't need to be diluted. (Diluting will reduce its effectiveness.) It's much safer around Oscar the smiley dog than car antifreeze, which should never be used in an RV. A gallon or two should be enough to winterize the empty grey & black tanks and traps, and the freshwater lines. I'm sure Herm in the Twin Cities or one of the other northern owners can offer suggestions if anyone has problems following the manual instructions. They look pretty straightforward to me.... but unnecessary here in Florida and where you live in Texas! Sherry

I'm sure you both mean RV antifreeze, available at big box stores for $2-3 a gallon when on sale. The composition of RV antifreeze is different from automotive anti-freeze, and non-toxic (though I wouldn't want to drink it!). http://www.camco.net/faqwinterization.cfm This article explains a bit about how RV antifreeze is different from automotive, and how it works. We have the luxury of warm winters, but do keep some on hand in the shed in North Carolina, just in case. (Last year, we had snow and temps into the teens during late October camping.) We ran the heat, left the bathroom door open, and had no problems in our camper, without RV antifreeze. (We do not, however, have a macerator. It may be colder out there in the bumper area...) YMMV. If you're staying in Maine awhile, you may want to google "winter camping rv". There are many good posts and articles on line about how to protect your plumbing lines in freezing winter weather. We bought the double-hulled Oliver with cold weather camping in mind (I'm from Minnesota, Paul from western NY), but haven't been able to test it in weather less than the teens (yet). Sherry

An update on our Norcold. We hope that this is an anomaly, but suspect it is not. The code that the tech in North Carolina cleared returned within twenty-four hours. When we returned to Florida, we took it to a local dealer. (Once an error code has been reset twice by the user, you are locked out of operations on our Norcold model. It has to be reset by an authorized tech after diagnostics, to keep you from running the refrigerator and damaging it.) Both our local tech and Paul experienced long wait times on hold each time they had to call for information. Norcold sent the tech several pages of new diagnostics to run, and spent a long time with him on the phone going through other ideas when the diagnostics were exhausted. A new main board was finally sent, replaced, a new error code appeared, and after more phone calls, and more diagnostics and trials with the Norcold rep on the phone with our tech, our refrigerator works again. Our trailer was in the shop for a total of three weeks during the process. (We took it out camping with our friends for one week in between, without a working refrigerator, while our tech waited for parts and assistance. This does not include the original service call for clearing the code in North Carolina, which we paid for included in our annual service.) The total time from first problem to resolution was almost six weeks. However, I can now make ice cubes in the freezer once again, and it has worked fine in the driveway for the last three days. No new codes! The part was covered by warranty, as was part of the tech's time. We were asked to pay one hour's labor for removing the refrigerator, which was fine with us, as Norcold pays him only for the time when work is done, not diagnostic time. (Our refrigerator is in its second year, still under full factory warranty.) We were disappointed with the time it took to repair, but pleased with the final outcome, and felt the dealer was fair with us in billing for only one hour. In case you're wondering, our tech has 25 years of experience in marine and travel trailer refrigeration and a/c repair, and the facility is listed on the Norcold website as an authorized dealer. Sherry

Tom, as a group we might just come really close to covering the whole map. Interesting idea. Sherry

Hi, Leigh, and welcome to Oliver Forums! We have towed our Oliver with all three of our vehicles: Volvo XC90, Chevy Silverado half ton pickup (sport side, short bed), and Dodge half ton, 4x4. The 4x4 is really overkill for the little Oliver, but it allows us to go where we like... which is often steep country roads in the mountains. The Silverado was two-wheel drive. The covered pickup bed gives us lots of gear storage area, or, uncovered, allows us to carry our ATV with us when we want to, and most of our gear as well. Towing the Oliver behind us changes our mileage very little with the Dodge... a mile or two per gallon. With the Volvo, towing used a bit more gas, but it gets much better mileage in town, not towing than the pickups. Loaded for camping, (with some water in all the tanks, not full), and carrying just about every option Oliver offers plus full gear, food, etc., our Oliver weighed in at about 3950 pounds. This is only about half our towing capacity, and we don't even feel the trailer behind us. The tradeoff: the 08 trucks are all a lot bigger than the earlier models, like our 05 Silverado. Our daughter now enjoys driving this smaller, more nimble, easier to park truck. We just spent a couple months camping with a friend of mine who tows a similar trailer with a Jeep Cherokee (also 4x4). She's found the Jeep to be a very comfortable vehicle, as well as a good tow vehicle and a decent around town vehicle, a good compromise for her. She reported more variance in gas consumption in the steeper hills than we did, as she tows closer to her vehicle capacity than we do, but no problems keeping up with us on our 5,000 mile trip together. Sherry

I think the church is a wonderful tribute to their Scandinavian heritage. It's my understanding that one man did all the carvings in the church. I, too, thought it was beautiful. The original Hopperstad church is in a village near where one of my cousins lives. The bridal dress you described in your blog was probably a bunad, or Norwegian folk dress. Each region of Norway has adopted an "official" folk dress based on traditional designs, and you'll see it worn by everyone from Queen Sonja to a young girl at her confirmation. Not only is it an expression of regional and national pride, but it solves the problem of "what to wear" on any given occasion... being appropriate dress for festivals, weddings,17 of May and other holidays, and any special occasion. Most have fairly full skirts and laced bodices that "expand with the wearer".... Good thing, as they're handmade, often from handmade fabrics, usually extensively embroidered with beadwork on the bodices, and quite expensive. A girl's bunad is often a confirmation gift from her family. Head dress, jewelry and decorations may change according to marital status. The bride wears a special head dress, usually of precious metal, and highly decorated. http://www.husfliden.no/hunf/productgro ... ageid=5002 Sherry

Great signs. When I was a kid in southern Minnesota, there were so many huge signs in that vein. My favorite was the giant toilet on top of the plumber's facility (small kids love scatalogical humor...). So the beet work begins in earnest... I'm glad you got the opportunity to visit Fargo/Moorhead. The Viking ship replica is just too beautiful, and so well done. I'm sure you watched the video of the launch and sailing through the Great Lakes and on to Norway. I marveled at the bravery of the kids sailing it across the Atlantic. Sherry

We spent two months this summer on the road, across Ontario, following the north shore of the lakes, along with my friend Lois. One of the things we regretted as the trip drew to an end was not sharing our digital camera downloads as we went along. As we prepared to part ways in NC, we discussed the best way to share thousands of digital images and captions. Neither of us looked forward to downloading so much data to disc, and knew it would be slow thru email... So, Lois called me tonite with her brilliant solution. She picked up a $19 8 gig thumb drive ... downloaded her photos, and is sending them on. We'll download, erase, and send back our share. Great idea. So much faster than the other available options.

Times two! What an adventure! Wishing you safe travels to the Dakotas. Sherry & Paul

Wow, can't believe you'd leave beautiful Arkansas for the Dakotas in October. But, since you're going.... I don't know which factory/processing plant you and Betty will be near, but the Dakotas have their own beauty (notwithstanding the Black Hills, everyone knows that...) In Fargo/Moorhead, you'll find three colleges, two beautiful towns, and thousands of people who fight the floods each spring. In their spare time, they build beautiful monuments to their heritage.... You'll find a replica of a Viking ship, built in a shed, that was sailed by the builder's family from Duluth, through the Great Lakes, out to the Atlantic, and to Norway and back. Also, a lovely replica of one of Norway's stave kjirkes (stave churches). A few of these medieval structures are left in Norway, kind of like upside down ships, with the poles supporting the intricate roofs. Take the time to tour the area if you can. The Scandinavian Festival (hostfest) in Minot is amazing. In this little town, literally thousands of volunteers man the state fairgrounds, and exhibits and great music go on all day... out here in the middle of the great prairie. My dad and I drove out from southern Minnesota a few years ago to meet a distant cousin from Framfjord, Norway (and a few distant cousins from the US), and had a wonderful time. Usually, the first weekend in October. Oh, then there's the Lewis and Clark trail, Mandan, and so much more. Hope you get some time to enjoy your time there. The sky is amazing. (Cell phone coverage is not.) Sherry

Well, I'd guess a lot of people might have been a little discouraged to find their campground snow-and ice-bound in June.... not you two! We're really glad you enjoyed the summer up at 10,-000 feet in Trujillo Meadows. Hope to see you soon. Sherry & Paul

JrBirdman, Thanks for sharing the manual online. That's a great resource. Very detailed, and clearly written. I think this should be made a sticky. Sherry

We have a good friend who has a general mechanic's shop... and is also familiar with trailers and electric brakes. We take ours there. Not something beyond Paul's skills, but he's right around the corner, and takes care of several of our vehicles. Honest and good, he's a rare guy. Sherry

Welcome to our fourm, gcasper.

http://traveler.nationalgeographic.com/ ... ountains/1 Just yesterday, I had just mentioned to DougI how much we enjoyed the Cherohala Skyway last summer. Today, our friend who camped with us this summer sent me this link to a great website from National Geographic which lists a number of scenic drives if you click back to the home page. "Drives of a Lifetime." Thought it might be of interest to some of you, as well, in planning your camping adventures. Sherry