SeaDawg

We've been hurricane evacuees many times. Usually, to my mom or sister's house (at higher elevation, midcounty)... The alternate plan (north, past Georgia, maybe even as far as into MO) is always there.... Easier, now, knowing that we can tow a "house" behind us, with all the essentials in the TV. Insurance docs, deeds, tax records, essential photos, underwear for six days... blah on. Honestly, a few years ago, with predictions of a direct hit in our community, we left our house in coastal Florida, under duress of the sheriff announcing mandatory evacuation on a bullhorn by six (repeatedly, and loudly). I refused to leave till the final hour (ten hours later....) because, well... because. Consequently, we loaded all the important stuff early on, preparing for the mandatory six am evac. During the night, while everyone else slept a few fitful hours, I filled the last three cubic feet in the SUV with, well, junk. Trinkets. and well, more junk. I'm a tornado survivor (twice), and couldn 't sleep. I knew what it was like to grow up without stuff... photos, toys, etc. So, I fretted, sorted, and packed, having been advised that my home of twenty years would be underwater tomorrow. Was it dumb? Yeah. Will I know better next time? Maybe. I don't know. Those predawn hours were very emotional. I remember how I opened the closet door where we'd marked the heights of my daughter, my nephews, and their friends over the years.... many times. I even thought about taking said door off the hinges and taking it with me. With my back to my daughter at five forty five, ready to go, so as not to upset her, I cried a torrent as we left and locked the front door. Stupid? Probably. Stuff is stuff. A house is a house. It's not family, but it has connections. And, I was sure we were never to return to our home.... the only home our daughter had ever known. The home where we'd been happy, raised her, and hosted so many family dinners.. and more. So many memories. Hurricanes, though more predictable than tornadoes, still are "whimsical". About 2 in the afternoon, that devastating wind turned a little south, not much, sparing our home and thousands of others in our county. It turned into a far less populated area of Florida, still devastating, but taking the dreams and history of others (probably less prepared than we had been) with it. We were spared, but for a few branches and part of the roof, because we were a little bit further north. I felt relieved, but guilty, that others who were not prepared were now facing what I had feared. In the end, I knew that if all of us made it out, and safe, no "stuff" was really important. Thru the tornado years in the midwest, our family did fine without said "stuff" that we lost. Important stuff? None. Family? That's all that's truly important. Sherry

Since Pete has appointed (annointed?) me the queen of suction cups.... the outside suction hooks are awesome.... For holding: brooms, chair covers, outside shower towels... even my eyeglasses, folded over and perched on the hook. Occasionally, I've forgotten to remove them, and have been so surprised to see them still attached to the Oliver when we stop hundreds of miles later. (Can't say I recommend it... Just happened) As I have said, so very many times before, we love our little Oliver. We hope that both of you will feel the same way we do, a year--and 17,000 miles---- later... as we do now. We're soooo looking forward to summer trips in our Oliver. We have had great adventures, traveling and camping, and meeting wonderful people from this forum and others. It has been a blast. Sherry also known as... the queen of suction cups????

Kyle and Karen, Congrats on your new Oliver. Looks like you had a great time on your first trip. We wish you many more wonderful adventures with your new trailer. Sherry & Paul PS Love the fabric you chose, and the options. The interior shots are great!

Phil, Thanks for all the great photos. Makes those of us who couldn't be there almost feel like we were there, too. Looks like everybody had a good time.... We recognize a lot of faces in the happy crowds. Sherry

Wow. This world, which seems so very big, is really so very small. Don and Lin (vacationing from Maine), and their friend Connie (who moved from Maine to Naples) came to see our Oliver on Saturday morning. Over coffee, we chatted about the Oliver and our summer trips, including visiting my college roommate and her husband in Connecticut for the occasion of her oldest daughter's wedding. Hearing Alana's name, and the location, Lin asked her last name, and shortly, we were both stunned. Lin and Alana had been close friends in grad school, commuting and studying together, and Alana and I have been friends since we were both teenagers, though all of us have moved away to different parts of the country over the years. What started as a friendly look-see of our trailer became almost a "reunion" of sorts as we looked over the wedding photos of our mutual friend's daughter.... two friends of the same person in Connecticut, who had never met before, brought together by an Oliver trailer. Fate? Chance? Whatever. Life is amazing, and wonderful. Sherry PS Don, Lin, and Connie are so very nice, and fun to visit with. We hope to see them again soon!

We had a blast dry camping at the Tampa RV SuperShow last month. We met Paul's cousins for dinner, and enjoyed the show for two days-price of one- ticket. Touring the new entries to the market was fun,(as was last year's show), but we both felt we made the best decision last year when we chose to purchase our Oliver. We camped in the parking lot overnight, and had a lot of great conversation and fun over dinner with Paul's cousins. Most of our fellow campers were of the (Chuck's phrase) sunblocker type, as you can see from the photo. But we enjoyed the cool weather, and the company. About 40 curious people stopped by during happy hour and morning coffee to check out our little Oliver, which was fine with us. The show attracts a lot of really nice camping folks. We picked up a few tips on Florida campgrounds from some of the folks who took a peek at our camper... Oh, and Paul's cousin made a really tasty pot roast... What a treat on a chilly Florida night.

Jam49, That's a great link! Great info.... on campgrounds, host positions... just don't get lost in their forum. We'd miss you! Thanks for posting. Sherry

Thanks, Chris. We, too, had a great time when you and Cherie visited.... Please stop by any time your travels bring you to Florida! Sherry & Paul PS The "flavor of the month" on tap is Anchor Steam.... S.

Great idea, Chuck. I'm sure that really adds a lot to the general lighting of the Oliver, without draining the battery system. Do the lights look as nice in real life as they do in the website photos? And, thanks for the link. I like the wall sconces, too..... hmmm

Welcome to the forum! We are several hours north of Nokomis/Venice via I-75 and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. You're welcome to take a look at our Oliver if you decide to come up and visit our area of Pinellas County... we have some of Florida's finest beaches and parks up our way... I'll pm our phone number and contact info. Sherry & Paul

Congratulations on your new Oliver! We wish you and your family many happy and memorable camping adventures! Sherry

Isn't that a cute photo? I'll bet she has a blast in the kitty maze...

Cherie, I don't use the "cutting board" area for much but a shelf or resting area, but I do use a small plastic cutting board placed across the kitchen sink for prep. That helps, as this is a very well lit area. Sometimes I feel lazy, and sit down and use the small table as a work surface... another well lit area. I do think that the overall general lighting of our trailer could be improved with an overhead light forward of the fan, in addition to the work area lighting. That would also light up the "cutting board" area. (I use the quotes since in our trailer, at least, the cutting board has a finish, and therefore is not really a cutting board.) Sherry

The trail rack is the box extending above the spare tire? Looks like a great idea!

That rack looks great, Mountainborn! Sweet addition to the rig. With 300 lb. capacity, you have plenty to spare. We know (from experience, sadly) that some of the racks whistle when not under load. Glad yours is properly engineered. Congrats on a great (and great looking...) choice.

It was great fun with four Olivers together at Withlacoochee.... Sherry (Sorry it took me so long to download photos!)

Sure have to agree with you, Larry. They're wonderful. No condensation, wonderful thermal protection from the heat and the cold. You'll love them even more in the summer! Sherry

A rare sight, I'm sure. Did you get a photo? We'd love to see it! I'm sure the desert flowers after the rain were spectacular. How fortunate for you to be there at such a unique moment.

Tom & Karen, We're so glad to hear from you, and happy to hear your travels were good from here to home. And, we're so glad you chose to come to Ft. DeSoto. After all the forum conversations and the phone calls, it was a true pleasure to meet both of you (and Suzy, too) in person. We hope that you'll plan another visit in our neighborhood soon. We had a great time. Only sad we couldn't continue on with you and Chuck & Geri to Anastasia.... We're very fond of the St. Augustine area. Wish we could have contributed better, more normal weather for your visit. Though the conversation and fellowship was warm, the air around the picnic table was certainly cooler than we'd have anticipated here. This week, my brother & his wife (from northern Minnesota) have enjoyed three days with record highs (instead of record lows as we experienced during your visit).... Thanks for the info on the SC campground. I've read about it, but never talked to anyone who had actually stayed there. Sherry & Paul PS We also agree with Karen... isn't it amazing the variety of people who choose Oliver trailers... and yet seem to have some common, intangible "shared thread". We treasure all our new Oliver friendships. Sherry

Do you mean this one: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1260 ... 921x00003a Do you use it inside the Oliver, too?

Chuck & Geri, Glad you made it to St. Augustine before the rainbands moved through Pinellas and Pasco counties. We had tornado warnings here and in all the surrounding counties tonite (odd this time of the year). After a beautiful, calm and sunny day, the temps are moving downward, and the winds are gusting with the rainband movements. Still, it's in the 60's on my patio thermometer. Just feels colder with the damp wind. Hope you have a wonderful time on the east coast. Tomorrow promises to be a bright and sunny (though cooler) day here. Wishing you safe travels and clear weather... Sherry

I read the thread on the other forum that included the "lifesaver" comment. The molded tire cover on the Oliver reminds me more of a Lincoln than a Lifesaver, by far. The cover is clean, sleek, and protects the tire and wheel from all the element. Unlike the "other" naugahyde or vinyl covers (from other manufacturers or after market sources) that flap around and get dirty within a year, the Oliver spare tire cover, with its shiny gelcoat, cleans up like a dream, just like the rest of the trailer, with each quick wash. The Oliver's marine grade gelcoat exterior is awesome. Sherry

Welcome to our forum!. Although the Burro and the Oliver share the double hull concept, I don't really think there is much of a resemblance in appearance between the two brands. For example, the only (few) Burros I've seen have a seam on the longitude, not the latitude, when joining the multiple parts of the double hull. (The Oliver joins the halves at the belly band, not through the vertical center of the trailer, bisecting the roof, etc. as in the Burro.) The belly band attachment, used by most modern fiberglass trailers, allows for cleaner, more symmetrical installation of rooftop appliances such as fans, vents, A/C units, etc., as well as other structural advantages. The exterior and interior finishes of the Burro and Oliver are quite different, as well. The Oliver design is quite unique, and not a copy of any previous trailer, in my opinion. That said, all molded fiberglass trailers share some characteristics. Sherry

What a fun week this has been! Three Olivers at the amazing Ft. Desoto Park in Tierra Verde FL, then four Olivers at Withlacoochee River Park near Dade City... and it looks like at least part of the group gets to continue on to Florida's beautiful east coast. We had so much fun with Tom & Karen and Chuck & Geri at Ft. Desoto. Lots of camping stories, idea sharing, and just plain fun talking around the picnic table (even though we ate dinner in jackets in the coolest temps we've seen this year...). We took off for one night to meet relatives & camp in the parking lot at the Tampa RV Supershow, then got back on I 75 to meet up again. Today was awesome. After a frosty night (temps dipped into the low thirties here!), all of the above, plus the Kiefers, met at Withlacochee River. We all shared a little show & tell, (and a lot of laughs) and it was very interesting to see how all the trailers had been customized to suit each owner's camping style and personal tastes. Not to mention, just plain fun to have four Olivers in a row, in the same park. Photos to follow... Geri (the real photographer of the group) got a great shot of all the trailers (and most of the campers...) at Withlacoochee. Sherry PS The temps are warming back up again! Come on down!

Larry, I don't know if this is available yet for download in electronic format, because I don't have that capability (yet), but I wouldn't be surprised. It's available in print form through Amazon and many other sources, but it is a heavy little book.....