SeaDawg

Doug, Depending on how long you're planning to be gone from home and what you want to carry, have you considered a hard tonneau cover for the truck bed? We have one on the half ton, and really like it. We also added a soft bed liner to the Dodge, so everything stays put, but we can slide it down from the front without a lot of effort. The bed liner is called a "BedRug", the top is a (relatively) lightweight plastic lid with locks on each side (can be configured for keyless entry fo more $, but we didn't) called "Under Cover" Might be just what you're looking for. Our tonneau came with hooks to mount in the garage when we don't need or want it. Paul & I have taken it off and stored when we had to pick up items that were taller than the truck bed, and we could manage it without problems. Kind of makes the pickup bed into a big trunk. Perhaps this would solve your problem, as it did ours, to store stuff out of sight and locked up without major changes to the truck. Our cost locally was less than the on-line price. Check the truck accessory stores near you. Just a thought. More expensive, and difficult to store/remove options, included a molded version which weighed too much for me to carry my end of the lid. I like this option. Tough & strong (either one of us can stand on it), and adding racks on top for kayaks, bikes, etc., is possible, but then you have the weight on the cover when you lift it to get to the stuff you want every day, like lawn chairs & etc. Our Honda 1000I fits under the cover, our Yamaha 3000 genset wont' quite fit. We still keep the genset chained to the bed, even under the lid. Sherry

We've found that our first pick may not have been available, but 2nd pick (or 3rd) was awesome. Let us know your dates, and I'll try to see what I can do locally, if you want DeSoto or something in Pinellas. As in many campgrounds, there are cancellations...and sometimes, as locals, we get a little edge by being able to show up in person at the office. Please pm if you have a timeframe. We're home most of the winter. Sherry & Paul

Larry, the comfy mattresses that I "test drove" at the boat show hinged so that the mattress could be folded over and access the storage under the port or starboard side big seat. I couldn't feel the seam or hinge at all. I'm happy with what we have, but thought it was a really interesting product.

Tom We'll find you some good spots! Please let us know when you and Karen will be in Florida. Time for a rally! Sherry and Paul PS Our Florida Gulfcoast is a beautiful place to visit. Fort DeSoto Park is not far from us... miles of beaches and great shell collecting.

Pete, Hope all of you have a great time at Matagorda Madness! Wish we could be there, too! Hello to Doug & Geneva for us, and of course, a hug for Oscar. Sherry

Thanks, Jonathan! It's nice to be back to the normal board! We appreciate your work. sherry

We love the firm base of the high density foam cushions in our Oliver, topped with a megasoft mattress pad. However, I know some folks have asked about replacing the cushions with a full time mattress. I never thought that was such a great idea, having to get to the jacks, water pump, and some storage under the cushions... It's such a hassle to even think about propping up half a mattress while you're working. Paul & I went to the St. Pete Boat Show today, and I found a really amazing product. Real, luxury pillowtop innerspring mattresses (or high density plus memory foam pillowtoppers), two kinds, from a custom manufacturer. They hinge in the middle, so you can (a) carry the mattress in easily (b) fold half the mattress back on top of the other half when working in the storage area... probably without remaking the bed! Looked cool to me. Probably expensive, too, but if you're full-timing or spending the summer in the trailer... might be the answer. I stretched out on one of the innerspring pillow tops, and it was great. Very comfy. They manufacture custom sizes, apparently. So, for what it's worth, here's the link: http://www.boatbeds.com/Options/CustomHinge.html Sherry

First time I logged on tonite, I couldn't get anywhere. Now, we have a black and white screen kind of like the old BBS boards. Thanks, Jonathan, for getting us back online, at least. We'll all be patient till you get it all straightened out!

Kiki is adorable! Hope your trial run works well for all three of you. Sherry

Well, isn't this just amazing. We towed about 17,000 miles this year to ever-increasing gas prices, most of the summer around three fifty to four, to the very highs well over $4.50 a gallon for regular in New England. Now, hometown prices (Florida) are well under two bucks... Wow! Never thought we'd see that again. My dad reports prices around a dollar fifty in Missouri! I think it's time to take the Oliver out of winter mode and go camping... somewhere! .... Okay,so it's not gas prices making me want to go, it's just, well, not being on the road, I guess. Walking out to the side of the house and hanging out in the Oliver is just not quite the same as camping, and I, for one, miss it! I'm almost beginning to think that winter rally in middle TN wasn't such a bad idea, Mountainborn! Sherry

To back up to your question "are they all the same?". No. However, the Suburban model we have is kind of the "gold standard" for the industry in our class... Most people would say it's the best in its class. So the proper anode for our water heater is readily available, on-line, or at the local RV supply, prices vary. There is another arguably lesser brand waterheater, the Atwood, that has a shorter anode rod. Just make sure that what you buy is made for the Suburban model we all have, and you're good. As it is readily available, unless you live in a very rural area, I probably wouldn't bother stock-pile this item. What I mean to say is that the time when you normally check for sacrificial anode deterioration is at the same time that you lay up the trailer for a period of time, with the water heater turned off and drained or winterized, so in most cases you have plenty of time to order the replacement anode. ... (This does not hold true for full-timers. They have to pick a date, as you would at home for replacing the batteries in your smoke alarms, to check and replenish if needed. Birthdays or New Year's works well there.) Right now, with camping season sadly over for most of us, we have plenty of time on our hands .... looking around, surfing the internet, and deciding where to go camping next spring and summer! Hope to see you on the road somewhere in 2009!

Hi, Jam49, Sorry, guess I didn't communicate too well either. I didn't think you were trying to answer the question of what happened... You ask a lot of good questions, and come up with some interesting ideas. Keep 'em coming! I know you're looking forward to your new Oliver as we were about this time last year!

We were also intrigued with your post on setting up a WiFi hotspot in the Ollie for the camp up by Springfield. Sweet! Sherry

Larry, Verizon had a big flyer in today's St. Petersburg Times, including the USB 727 modem and other wireless devices.This prompted us to check out the wireless internet deals again this morning. Your Alltel /Starcom UM175 combo is still the best deal going with the unlimited airtime. As a matter of fact, if you go to Letstalk.com (an internet reseller), you can get a $100 back with a 2 year contract with Alltell and still get a free UM175 right now. Interesting. Biggest downside I've seen on reviews on the Starcom is the care that must be taken not to bend the connection to the USB port on your computer since the device is bigger than an aircard. Any problems with that, or do you usually use the extender cable and set the device up elsewhere in the Oliver? Big downside for us, unfortunately, is Alltel doesn't show coverage in the area of the NC mountains where we camp the most. We're hoping this will change before the deal goes away... We do get Verizon cell coverage up there, one or two bars, but Verizon's current wireless deal is not nearly as good as the Alltel deal. Looks like this device is working great for you! We're following your posts with great interest. Keep 'em coming! Sherry PS found this listing for remote antennas for the UM175. I understand the UM175 has internal antenna. http://3gstore.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=126 Don't know if any of these is better than moving the device itself around with the cord it comes with..... Sherry

I'm afraid we're all stuck in the same boat... Our freshwater must come from the closest tap..home, campground, whatever. We don't have softened water on the garage filler spigot., nor do most campgrounds. We do use an inline filter on the freshwater fill hose, as does everyone I know on the forum. This keeps out the big stuff, but can't control all the minerals, etc. from varying sources across the country. I lived in southeast Kansas for a short while, and remember the water being very high in minerals, and smelling like sulfur. Spent one year in a small town in western Iowa, where the rust in the water turned my blond hair, well, red. So, as mountainborn posted, it's a good idea to keep an eye on the sacrificial anode. That's why they call them sacrificial... They go before your water heater liner, keeping you free(er) of problems. The question my husband posed earlier was...Why did the anode go bad so quickly? It may have to do with water quality, or it may have to do with an electrolysis problem within the water heater itself. Sherry PS That varying water quality across the country is why I carry a few gallons of water from home or the store for coffee & drinking when the local water is not to my liking.

Larry... I think Steve is right on that anode. In my prior life, we used to have zinc anodes installed on alot of different heat exchangers and whenever we saw one like yours, there was never a question about replacing it. Odds are the rest of the anode is punky and will only cause further problems if its not replaced. I think, what the bigger question is... Is this normal? I can't say that I've ever seen one in that condition after only 1-2 yrs of service. If its not normal, then whats causing the problem... perhaps a call to the heater Mfg is warranted. Has anyone else seen this type of deterioration? Paul

Although it's been unseasonably cold here in Florida, we know it doesn't compare to the weather further north. We're actually enjoying the sweater weather for the holiday! My brother in Minnesota calls frequently to update me on what I'm missing, though... first frost, first snow, soon I'm sure will be the reports of first sub-zero cold snap and taking the ice-house out onto the lake!

We wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving! Sherry & Paul

When we bought our Oliver this past January, we couldn't decide on what to use as a mural, or if we wanted one. We were told it could be added later if we decided on a mural photo. Graphics can also be removed and changed if you like. I believe the murals are produced elsewhere, but Oliver creates all the cool custom graphics in-house. I suspect this policy is still the same. Sherry

Mountainborn, Love the final version of the coin. Do we have to learn how to geocache to find one? Sherry

Ok, I'm not adverse to winter camping... especially in a toasty warm Oliver. (I grew up, after all, in Minnesota.) Last year, we were in Middle Tennessee in mid-January. Sweater weather (to me, at least...) But, honestly, it will likely be awfully chilly at happy hour around the old BBQ. A number of area attractions, other than Nashville,will be closed outside of season. However, we might get to see a little snow, and that's always fun for a Florida transplant!!! Today's high for the Hohenwald area is in the high thirties, and low in the teens. Forecast says up to the fifties over the weekend, though, for a high. Just something to think about... Sherry

Cherie, great creative solutions with your beautiful extra fabric! Love the room divider idea. Sherry

We're with you, meanderthal. We'd love to be a "hull's angel"!

Wow, Thanks, Jonathan! The new colors are so much easier on my eyes. Can't wait to see how this color scheme works in different light conditions. I like the posting block in black on white, too. Much appreciated! Sherry

Wannabee, Welcome to the forum, Wannabee! The factory tour is the quickest and most complete way to see all the differences between your present trailer and the Oliver, because you can see everything from the ground up... aluminum frame, how the hulls go together, the quality glasswork and gelcoat, innovative ideas, etc... I'm glad you're so close and able to drive down in 30 minutes. It was a long trip for us, but well worth the drive! We spent most of the spring and summer this year in our Oliver, towing it about 17,000 miles. We prefer camping in state parks, national forests, and army corps parks, and found the Oliver well-suited to our style, with relatively large storage and tankage for its small size. We had so much fun, we're planning a longer trip next year. We love our Oliver. Sherry