SeaDawg

Have a great time! We'll all be thinking of you. Sherry & Paul

The controller box does migrate... but manually... we have to walk it over to the next vehicle..... Sometimes we use the Volvo, now mostly the Dodge... Our daughter has pretty much claimed the Silverado as her ride. But, I have to say, I don't blame her. It's a fun truck to drive. Sherry

Robert, I've met your boys and you can send any of them, anytime, no charge. They're wonderful young men. Wish one of them had been with Dave... he'd have enjoyed the younger company, I'm sure. I'm not sure Paul and I fall into the "spoilers" category yet... considering all the chores Dave got to do... but I'm pretty sure he had a good time again this year, anyway. With responsibility comes independence... or so the mantra goes.... Our daughter, too, was lucky enough to spend a lot of summers with her grandparents. What a terrific experience for her... and them. Our property in NC is very empty, except for thousands of trees, great views, and springs, and a few bears.... no electricity, no hookups, no wifi. We really enjoy being there in the cool mountain air, in every season. We've looked at some cabin plans, but have decided it's pointless for now with the Oliver. We have everything we need, and then some. Bring an Oliver and the family, and visit us sometime! Sherry PS Tropical Storm Fay missed our Florida home. We were lucky, again. Thanks for asking

Something we've discovered, that many of you already know, I'm sure. One Tekonsha brake controller can be used in several tow vehicles. Just add wiring harnesses. Originally, we bought one Tekonsha Prodigy brake controller from our local Uhaul dealer, and had them install it in our Volvo xc90. Then we ordered a harness and holder for the Silverado, but not another controller, and Uhaul installed the harness and holder in the Silverado. We moved the expensive part, the controller box, from vehicle to vehicle. Recently, we acquired a new Dodge 4x4 pickup with factory installed 7 pin tow connections and tow package.... Since the Dodge was wired under the dash for the four pins required for the Tekonsha Prodigy and other brands of controllers (as is true of most new vehicles with a full tow package), Paul decided to install this harness himself. I got on the phone, ordered a harness for the Dodge connector from NAPA, picked it up down the street, and Paul & Dave installed it. (Basically plug and play if the vehicle is truly set up for towing as ours was) Since we only tow with one vehicle at a time (only have one Oliver, and the boat trailer doesn't have electric brakes....), buying just the harnesses & brackets has saved us several hundred dollars, and all three vehicles can tow the Oliver.... We just move the controller box from vehicle to vehicle as necessary. Sherry edited for clarity by Paul PS our local installer gave us an extra mounting bracket he had laying around for the new Dodge... total cost for new brake controller in Dodge... $18. Don't buy the generic controllers available from many camping and RV store outlets.... they don't have the plug and play connectors, and you have to strip wires to splice them in. I called Tekonsha for a local retailer for the real deal... For us, that was NAPA. Paul and our nephew installed the Tekonsha harness in about 20 minutes or less.

Well, two weeks in the mountains have flown by. Paul's at the airport now, and our nephew is getting on the plane to go home to New York..... It's been a great experience for all of us. Rather than join us in the Oliver, Dave opted for the privacy of his "one story mansion", sleeping in a little tent that he set up by himself the first day. The second day, Dave put a trailer together for the ATV to make it easier to clear the high roads and bring back piles of firewood for the nightly campfiresThat night was spent in lessons in campfire ring building, campfire safety, and how to build a one-match fire. Soon, he took over my campfire building duties altogether. Everybody loved those charred hot dogs cooked on a stick, over a glowing pile of hardwood embers hours after dinner.... Learning... about poison ivy and rose of sharon, to cover your drink to stave off the bees, how to shake out your shoes in the morning, what to do to avoid snakes and bees, how to conserve water, how to take a shower in less than two gallons of water (outdoors, in your swim trunks, and oh, yeah, where's my towel???), how to stay warm in the cool mountain nights in a nylon tent.... And, finally, how to drive the ATV... not as a toy, but as a tool, to go up the mountain and bring back the firewood for the night's fire.... I swear, the smile on his face wrapped all the way around the back of his head as he drove away on the ATV for the first time How to fill the Oliver's freshwater tank from the collapsible tank to keep those showers coming! No, it wasn't all a bed of roses.... It rained some nights, and it was cold some nights, and precautions aside, there were bumps, bruises, scrapes, and one bee sting. But, oh, the mountains! Priceless. Sherry

I looked on amazon.com for something yesterday, and came across info on Amazon's Kindle product. Quite intriguing. 10 ounces, the size of a paperback, and wireless connectivity to download books, magazines, and newspapers from Amazon for very decent prices. One of the things we miss the most when camping is the morning paper! Paul checked the coverage map, and right now Kindle's wireless service wouldn't work on our property in NC, but perhaps someday? Have any of you tried this service, or Sony's equivalent? I'm curious. Here's a link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FI ... d_i=507846 Sherry

A couple comments on refilling the Oliver's tank using the Camping World portable, collapsible tank and the Oliver pump: 1. The process to refill the Oliver tank using the pump is just plain simple. What a feature! We went to a freshwater source, filled the portable tank (keeping it in the bed of the pickup), and drove back to camp. There, we opened the curbside window, opened the seat cubby to access the pump, put the already attached plastic tubing out the window, slid the screen and window back into place, changed the valves. Fed a hose from the portable tank to a five gallon bucket, put the plastic tubing in the bucket, and turned on the pump. The whole process, from start to finish and putting everything away, took about 15 minutes filling and emptying the bucket. We used the bucket to keep the plastic tubing submerged and keep air out of the line... the filled plastic, collapsible tank in the bed of the pickup. We have a soft bedliner, but checked for pebbles, sticks, etc before filling the tank. the valves turned for intake, filling the Oliver freshwater tank with the aid of its own water pump. 2. Comments on the Camping World water tank itself: It's a great product for the money. Thanks again to DougI for the link. Much less expensive than other available products, folds up after use to store in its own box... about 12 x 15 x 3 or so, and lightweight when empty. After using it three times, it's proven to be a great buy. The directions show it being carried on top of a vehicle, which I don't think I'd do. We carried it full in the pickup bed, and it shifted around some. I personally wouldn't trust it on top of the cab. Directions clearly state "not for use on the highway". The directions say to flush it with solution and a gallon of water before each use. Even after filling and draining three times, I still smell a faint "plastic" smell from when I first turn on the water tap in the Oliver. If I bought another one new, I'd fill it and drain it into the flower beds at home a few times before taking it on the road to get rid of that smell. Other than that, a great product, came with every fitting needed to do the job except the freshwater hose itself. Heavy enough guage that with care, it should last quite awhile. Sherry

Herm, That sounds like a really nice, soft combination. Looking forward to photos when you pick it up! Sherry

Sorry, Geri, Still camping. Cover is in the garage, still in the original bag. Sherry

Herm, My fabric was less than 60", but I purchased an end bolt (with a few extra yards of fabric...), and still had some left over. The pattern (if the fabric you're looking at has one) has to be run the proper direction for all cushions to accomodate the 54" wide cushions, that's all. Oliver's upholsterer does a good job, and knows what he's doing. Rayon/poly is a typical blend for upholstery fabric, gives a nice sheen,feel and "breathability" from the rayon, durability and sag resistance from the poly. Is the fabric you chose backed? Winterbeachmodern probably shows the weight and rub test for the fabric, which gives you an idea of durability. Unless it's a loosely woven rayon/poly, it should be fine. Winterbeachmodern typically sells fabric used by major seating companies (Herman Miller, etc.) at a baragain price. They used to send free samples. Isn't it nice to be able to choose your own style? Sherry

I have one of those inflatable water containers you put on top of your TV that holds over 30 gallons of water and has a hose attachment. If I can't fill my Oliver's fresh water tank with the natural pressure from that container, then I can hook a hose through the window and turn on the water pump to transfer the water from the container to the fresh water tank. This feature will sure come in handy when boondocking, as long as we are where grey water can be released onto the ground. Doug You're right, Doug, it's a great feature when boondocking! We bought one of the inflatable tanks you have, and used it this past week for the first time. With four people camping instead of two, our freshwater use doubled.... Outdoor showers left the grey tank ialmost empty, but so was the freshwater tank in four days... We put the inflatable tank in the truck bed and filled it at a local park. Traveled back to camp fine. The gravity feed suggested in the inflatable tank instructions didn't work, but it only took us about 15 minutes to fill the Oliver tank with the pump system, including changing over the pump, etc. We put the hose from the tank in a clean five gallon pail, and the intake piping from the Oliver into the bucket. The Oliver pump was about 15% faster than the gravity feed, so we had to turn the pump off occasionally to let the gravity feed catch up. The screen slides on the side windows, so it's no hassle to feed the intake piping out the window. It's great to be able to replenish the fresh water so easily! I took a few photos & will post later... I'm on the coffee shop wifi again... The only comment I have so far on the inflatable tank is to make sure you rinse it out really well before using the first time. I think the water smells faintly of plastic with the minimal cleaning procedures suggested in the instructions. Otherwise, great product and I appreciate your post on it! Sherry Sherry

Cherie, If you figure out the suction cup towel holder, please let us know! I've tried velcro-ing a standard holder to the base of the cabinet over the foot of the bed, but it keeps falling down!!! Sherry

Wow! What a great shot. Thanks for sharing. Sherry

We have towed our Oliver with the five cylinder Volvo XC90, (all wheel drive, small engine... 2.6), two wheel drive Silverado half ton with the big V8, and most recently, our new Ram 1500 4wd quad cab, big V8. Looks like mileage is about the same with both trucks. Only a few trips with the Volvo, because most of our traveling has been in the mountains, and we like the extra power of the V8s in the trucks on the steep grades. I think choices on the tow vehicle depend a lot on where you live, where you want to go, what you carry, and in our case at least.... what you already own. Both of the vehicles we owned when we bought the Oliver were capable tow vehicles, and that made us very happy. The deal we got on the Ram a few weeks ago was too good to turn down, even though it was bigger than what we wanted. We really liked Chris & Cherie's Diesel Jeep Liberty, and looked at the 4 x 4 Ridgeline, as well. Sherry Sherry

Hi, Pam, You four should be really busy with that schedule. Thanks for posting it. Sherry

The holders from Target on my kitchen walls have traveled about 12,000 miles, loaded, without issues. The smaller, inexpensive hooks have to be remounted more often. These are the ones I use primarily on the outside of the trailer. We also use velcro to mount flashlights, radios, pictures in lightweight frames, remote controls, etc.... again, without problems. Sherry

Thanks for the kind comments. Chris and Cherie took a lot of pictures of the interior of our trailer when they drove over to see it. I have a few more shots of my own, and when we get home from our camping trip, I'll add them. However, Chris & Cheirie are much better photographers than I, I think! Their shots can be found in the url Steve supplied. I'm at the coffee shop for about an hour, catching up on email. Sherry

Yes, I've found even more uses for those wonderful suction cup hooks. I hang one on the outside of the trailer between the vents & windows, and hang a lightweight broom and our chair covers. Two more on the other side, next to the outdoor shower, provide a place for towels & miscellaneious while using the outdoor shower. I'll try to post a pick later. Further up this thread are some older pix of the inside of the Oliver, showing some of the suction cup holders I added to the kitchen area. Sherry

Cherie, Thanks for taking the time to do that wonderful checklist! I'm sure a lot of new owners will find it to be very helpful. Sherry

Herm, we do spend some time on gravel roads, so Paul got Rock Tamers from Costco (you don't have to be a member to order them online... best price we found... around $180 if I remember correctly). They are removeable, so you can take them off when you aren't towing, or aren't planning to be on gravel. Similar to the Road Wings on Mountainborn's jeep. We have smaller mudflaps permanently mounted on all four wheelwells of the truck, and little mudflaps on the Oliver too. Sherry edited 8/12 for price correction ... Sherry

Hi, Doug, The Sterilite 12 quart dishpan sold at Walmart fits pretty well. I trimmed a crescent shape out of the underside of one handle to allow a little more room for the faucet... You'll see what I mean. Comes in four or five colors, about $4. IKEA has a dish drainer that fits over this dishpan like a cover... comes in black only. Bohoelmen, or something like that, is the name of it. Around $5, I think. I can look up the item number when we get back to camp if you'd like. Sherry

Hi, jam49 and welcome to the Oliver forum.... and family of owners! We're glad to have you as part of our group. December will be here before you know it, and you'll be out on the "open road" with the rest of us. You're going to love it! Sherry PS I just looked at the MOG photos... that's a rugged looking camper. thanks for sharing.

I think we have the electronic entertainment covered... He's packed up a case of Dvds and loaded his iPod and mine for the ride up. I got my iPod as a gift... maybe we'll find time for our nephew to teach me how to use it! Now, I'm looking for the tent... It has to be somewhere in the garage... but apparently it got moved out of sight in the last great re-arrangement.... Thought he'd like to have that option for personal space. Packed the hiking boots & poles, etc. Looked up some parks on the lakes nearby. Has anyone been to Lake Powhatan Campground in the Pisgah National Forest? It looks very interesting... fishing, trails, mountainbiking... Even though it's just outside Asheville, we've not stopped there before. Love to hear your comments if you've stayed there. Anyway, wish us luck. We're all really looking forward to the trip. Sherry

Happy Birthday, Cherie! I won't forget the date in the future, as you share the date with my mother and her twin! ( I share mine also, with one of my sisters and my aunt... sharing is great!) Wishing you a wonderful year, and many happy adventures. Regards, Sherry (and Paul)

Thanks to all of you for reading my rambles.... Paul (the "distinguished gentleman" as Mountainborn described him) and I have so enjoyed the freedom our Oliver has afforded us. We've had a great time traveling with our Oliver in tow, and the more loosely planned journeys have been the most interesting... sometimes backtracking..... sometimes just to the right or left... So often, the detours and the small roads have been the best..... Sherry