SeaDawg

The holidays are right around the corner. Our tree is in the corner of the living room, ready for lights this weekend, and Paul's been out stringing part of the Christmas lights each day on the house. The house smells great with the natural pine scent, and though we're way behind most of our neighbors, the house is "beginning to look a lot like Christmas" too. Well, each holiday (my birthday, Paul's, Christmas...), it seems the Oliver gets a gift, too. A cover (not yet used), solar panels (used all the time, and so wonderful...), the EZ tug (great for our application), and many smaller items. Right now, we're thinking about a few different items for the trailer, some small, some larger. Our neighbors bought a (much, much larger) RV, and I'm ordering a set of acrylic wine glasses and snack plates for them from (where else!) amazon.com.... What's on your holiday list for your Oliver? What have you purchased in the past that you'd call a "best buy"? Sherry

We usually leave our rear dinette set up as a bed. Last summer, while tearing everything apart to clean, I noticed some wear on the lip of the bench seats where the tabletop rests, forming the base of the bed. The edges of the tabletop were wearing a little groove into some parts of the lip. In hopes of eliminating this wear, I applied some strips from Walmart sold as tub and shower safety treads. They come in a pack of eight or so, and are thin, flexible ribbed plastic strips with an adhesive back. I found that by cutting the strips in half on the longitude, they were the perfect size to fit the lip of the bench. One pack was more than enough. I have used the same safety treads to line the lip of the seats where the melamine coated lids fit in the benches to keep the lids from shifting around and chipping the gel coat. These have worked quite well, too. Same technique, cutting the strips in half the long way with a scissors. They look like this: http://www.slipxsolutions.com/product/4 ... ty_Treads/ They're a few dollars a pack in the bath section of most Walmarts. I'm sure other big box stores have a similar item. Thought others might find this inexpensive solution useful. Sherry

We installed the muddawber screens from Camco on the heater and water heater vents about a year ago. No mud dawbers since then, but today, while putting the Oliver away, we did notice that the metal edges of the screens are wearing some on both the gel coat around the furnace vents and the metal plate of the hot water heater vent. Not a real surprise, I guess, as they've been riding around and vibrating for about 20,000 miles or so, and the springs allow some movement of the screens. Paul applied some narrow strips of white duct tape to the face of the vent surrounds, where the screen edges rest, in hopes of abrading the tape instead of the trailer. Not sure how this will hold up on the water heater metal access door, as it gets quite hot when the water heater kicks on. Any other ideas? Sherry

Welcome to the forum, EwEpEr! Sherry

I know some of you like Travasaks for bedding in your Olivers. (Not for me, I'm the Princess &the Pea sort of gal... mattress pads, featherbeds, real sheets & blankets, etc... I gave up any kind of sleeping bag, however lux, when I gave up tent camping decades ago....) http://shop.tuesdaymorning.com/index.as ... typeid=743.) I stumbled onto this deal looking for something else on Tuesday Morning's website. We have two Tuesday Morning outlets in our county... cool place to find overstocked items at much reduced prices. I have never ordered from their website, but find quality stuff in the stores from time to time. Anyway, queen travasaks on sale for $129, shipping around $10,at Tuesday Morning this week, if anyone is interested. Colors are the same as the much more expensive alternatives I've seen on other websites. Sherry

Today, I look forward to our Thanksgiving. I know that we have much to be thankful for. Good family, good friends, and good health. Our best wishes to you all, and we wish you and your friends a wonderful day, and a blessed holiday season. Sherry

Chris, We had our Oliver weighed at a Flying J last year on certified segmented scales. Tongue weight was 420 pounds, well within our (and your) limit. From my notes, we had two full propane tanks (steel) at the time, and I think the small amount of water in the tanks would have been pretty irrelevant. We usually store stuff on the floor of the bathroom when we travel, but I doubt it weighs more than forty or fifty pounds total... a couple gallons of water in jugs, a box or two of wine , plastic box with towels, bathroom paraphenalia, etc. I wish I knew the formulas to help you figure out the tongue weight versus the weight on the electric jack, but I don't. With the position of the electric jack so far back from the tongue, a portable scale will (as you know already, as I see in your post) will give you a much higher weight. How much higher, I don't know. Perhaps the quickest way to find the real tongue weight would be to weigh everything on a segmented, certified scale at a Flying J or another truck stop, and do the two weight process to determine total weight and axle/tongue weights. It went pretty quickly for us, and the operator was really helpful, perhaps because we went at a time when the scales were otherwise empty. I stayed at the phone to speak to the operator, and Paul handled the connection/disconnection on the second weigh. Pretty quick with the electric jack, maybe five or ten minutes total time. I, too, am unhappy that we can't have the same types of fuel-efficient diesels so popular in Europe. My sister-in-law has vowed not to let loose of her old diesel VW till she can replace it with something similar. She gets incredible (40 plus) mileage on the highway. I hear they're coming, though... eventually. Sherry

I, too, love "living in a familiar cocoon, and waking up to a new world out side....". Our little trailers offer such a wonderful way to camp, travel, enjoy our beautiful country. In our 27,000 miles over the last two years, we've awakened to some beautiful sights through the rear window. We're at home now. Thinking about next year's adventures. Hope to see you on the road, Pete. Thanks for the link. Sherry

J, We use a good (though a little expensive) marine paste wax by 3m on the exterior (and much of the interior) of our Oliver. One can lasts a long time, and it's the same wax we use on the boat. Washing, we use a small amount of car wash product or dishwashing liquid (Dawn) in the bucket. A brush with soft bristles and telescoping handle, and a big carwash sponge. Dry with a chamois and old, soft terry cloth towels. I like vinegar windex for the windows and mirrors. Sherry PS I sent you a pm. And, Paul says I should no longer use even mild dishwashing liquid on the trailer... it can remove the wax that takes so much time to apply!

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