SeaDawg

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

Cherie, Congrats on selling your house! What a week for you and Chris! Sherry

One of our great pleasure in towing an Oliver is that it fits... almost anywhere. On our last trip, we had a few family obligations near the end, so a few dates and destinations were commitments. The rest of the four weeks, we were free to wander. Heading off in a general direction, enjoying the sights and stopping as we pleased, we made no reservations, but kept an eye on the guides and maps for state and national parks. Sometimes, late arrivals and no reservations left us with, well.... leftovers. The amazing offset was that many times the spots left behind by the larger trailers and motorhomes were the best... if you could fit. We were often rewarded with better views, more privacy, or engaging conversatins with other outdoor-minded travelers in smaller rigs around us.... sometimes, all three. Following the little road to this small campground in the Catskills, Woodland Valley SP, and the narrow park roads as well, might have been more challenging for some larger rigs. The Oliver followed happily along. I wondered at times if I'd missed one of those tiny brown signs, but we finally arrived, and found a lovely little leftover spot next to a stony brook. The music of the water on stones was wonderful, as was the conversation with our neighbor in a conversion van camper. Over a shared dinner of Buffalo's famous hotdogs from our grill, and his salad and watermelon, we discovered that he'd been camping at Woodland Valley for over fifty years... and that it hadn't changed a whole lot. At this popular campground on the Blue Ridge, we chose a shorter, extra wide spot, probably set up for backing in the trailer, unhitching, and parking the tow vehicle along side. Parking at a little bit of an angle, we fit nicely, still hitched up, with room for a little patio under the awning. Our site's fire ring was up the hill, half hidden in the laurel. We enjoyed dinner on our own grill, and the paved and level patio.... The "pull thru" across the way was basically a parking spot on the side of the camp road.... We certainly felt we had the better deal! At Alleghany SP in NY, we found the big campground at Quaker Lake full and sold out when we arrived around four. After a twenty minute or so drive to the other side of the park, we were rewarded with a selection of three spots. The one we chose looked like a tent site to me... the narrow back-in was pretty steep, and muddy in the potholes and along the sides. However, at the top, there was a fairly level spot , not too wet, of about a dozen feet or so... just enough to level the Oliver and set up a narrow patio on the rug. We discovered we were camped beside a little stream that was hidden from view till you got on the site. Another bonus... a lot of trees around us, providing a bit of space between us and the young tent campers around us on a summer Friday night. Another perfect fit. Sherry

Wish we were there with you, Cherie & Chris! I've been home all day cleaning up and packing up and rearranging the trailer for the next trip... and thinking about you guys! Sorry we missed the rally.... Sherry (& Paul) PS Love the way your Oliver looks!

Tom, I think you cut up that watermelon pretty well.... Looks like a good organizational skeleton. Sherry

We use the cushions, a soft padded & fitted full size mattress pad, and queen size sheets. We find the dense foam cushions to be very comfortable... I often find that I sleep better in the Oliver than at home. Two positives to no mattress: we can set up the big table if we want to, even tho we leave the bed set up most of the time on a long trip. And, it's easier to make the bed with cushions by flipping the end cushions vertical, one at a time, to fit the sheets around the corners, and then push down. I store bedding in a decorative pillow sham when not in use. We've used sleep sacks in the past... but I'm personally not as comfortable in a sleep sack as regular sheets. If you do buy them, we found a great deal on silk sleep sacks with an ebay store a year or so ago. The silk washes and dries quickly, and the fabric "breathes", super light weight & fold up to about the size of a pair of hiking socks when not in use! I'd order the extra wide sacks for more leg room & comfort. Sherry

Cherie & Chris, Thanks for the post. Now that's an intersting boondocking site Have fun today! And congratulations on your new Oliver. Sherry & Paul

Perhaps. We had zero bars on any of our cell phones at 1000 Trails.... Or, maybe, Chris & Cherie are just settling in and enjoying their new camper & home.... As much as we miss their postings, I'm sure they're having fun... Sherry

Paul's nephew is going camping with us next month in North Carolina. We're looking forward to it, but would love to have some ideas on how to make it really fun for a fourteen year old who hasn't been camping since he was a little guy. Ideas? Stories you'd like to share? Sherry

We take it from the license plate that you have joined us in the ranks of the retired! Happy trails, Pete!! Looking forward to seeing you on the road! Sherry & Paul

Mountainborn, Although I have enjoyed our free-form, multil-user "bbs" format so far, I, too, can see the need for the change. We have so many more contributors than just a few months ago, and it becomes difficult for people to find the information they're looking for... Surely, a few categories, maybe.... "Gatherings, Rallies, and Where to See an Oliver", "Questions for an Oliver Owner", "Favorite Parks & Camping Places", "Boondocking Hints", "Just for Fun", "For Sale" and "Anything else..." might work to help us stay up with the latest topics. I'm sure others will have good topic category ideas as well. One of the things I love about this forum (and I'm a member on several others) is the intelligent, courteous and humorous exchange of ideas. Some of the best ideas have come from the newest users, and their questions and proposals. I sure wouldn't want to lose that.... I've met some great folks on this forum, both on-line and in person. Good luck with the new project! Sherry

Probably doesn't matter... 33 or 133... I'm just glad mine is in the number. On another forum, Tumbleweed compared the Oliver to the Mercedes or Rolls Royce of the molded fiberglass trailers. Probably a good analogy to the Mercedes G series or the Rolls Royce... Oliver trailers are individualized, customized, and as yet, I've not seen two alike. I look at our Oliver as a hand-made, high quality, one-off trailer built just for us. I suspect other Oliver owners feel the same way, and not only feel the confidence in the trailer we do, but enjoy the changes we chose to make it our own. It takes a little more time to hand-build custom Olivers than to stamp out cookie-cutter versions with small changes (heater or no heater? A/C or no A/C?, etc.), but the wait is worth it in the end to most of us. In my opinion, the Oliver family has taken the quality control they use in other lines for the mobile home industry, and moved it over the top for their trailer line. Sherry

Tom, interesting info on the BP Visa card... 5% is a lot on $4.00 a gallon... I noticed other brands are offering similar deals to take some of the sting out and retain brand loyalty. Here's one Mountainborn... I'd never looked at gas buddy before. On the regular trip we make to NC, I've started keeping a log of the least expensive (with the prices these days, "cheapest" just doesn't work any more...) gas stations and exit numbers. It's amazing how gas prices can differ by 20 cents or more a gallon, one exit apart on the interstate. On our last trip, we found prices ranging from a low of $3.69 in South Carolina, to a high of almost a dollar more in Connecticut. New York wasn't far behind CT. About a dollar spread in less than a thousand miles... I guess taxes are just much higher in the northeast. Thanks for sharing the gas buddy website. Sherry

I've wanted to see this Frank LLoyd Wright house for a very long time.... and finally got the opportunity on our last trip. We backtracked about 20 miles from Laurel Hill State Park in southern Pennsylvania along some very pretty but sometimes steep little roads (very short stretches of 11 and 13%... no problem with the Oliver in tow... It's more easily accessed from the PA Thruway, but we enjoyed the backroads this trip. The house on the falls Our Oliver in the parking lot Bear Run... the stream that runs through the property and creates the falls The view from the overlook. All tours are guided, and about an hour long. If you don't have reservations, go early. We waited about an hour for our tour, exploring the gift shop, the art museum, and the grounds. We got lucky. Reservations are highly recommended, especially on the weekends. The house is amazing. I've seen many photo albums of Falling Waters, but wasn't prepared for just how unique, integrated, and organic the house is. It truly is part of the landscape, just as Wright and the Kaufmann's wanted it to be. No photos were allowed inside, but it was a great experience. Unlike many house/museum tours, it was very intimate. I felt that any minute one of the Kaufmann's house guests might peek around a corner.... Because of its integration into the landscape, it was amazingly cool on a sunny day... the house opens to the woods and the falls below. Camping in this area is great, too. The Pennsylvania park system is outstanding... we found the best free shower house of the whole trip at Laurel Ridge SP. Campsites offered a choice of landscape... secluded in the woods, on the meadow, or in between... we opted for a spot by the meadow, well shaded, with a view of the hills beyond. There are three or four parks in the Laurel Recreation area. We'll be back to explore more. Note: Unfortunately, no pets were allowed in this park. Our dog was at home with our daughter. $16 or $18, with hookups, much less with "geezer pass"... Sherrry

Thank you, Doug, for your quick response. I searched Camping World's data base first, but somehow missed it in the 325 items that came up! It's $90 for members, compared to over $200 for a comparable smart tote at CW, or flexible tank at West Marine, and a lot less bulky to store than a drum. I suspect we'll just leave it in the bed of the pickup, so it'll be fine... not carrying the ATV this time... and we'll fill it up close to where we need it... 30-40 gallons of water is pretty heavy to tote around!! Our local Camping World didn't have one in stock, so I called another store on our route, and have it ready in will call. We'll be using it next week, so I'll let you know how it works out. Thanks again, 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. This feature will sure come in handy when boondocking, as long as we are where grey water can be released onto the ground. Doug Doug, I've spent about a half hour on the internet looking for just such a container. Sounds like just what we need for our next trip. Would you mind telling me where you found it? Thanks so much. Sherry

Chris & Cherie, Wow! Your Oliver looks beautiful! I love the graphics your friend designed for you.... and the solar installation looks wonderful! We're excited for you, and look forward to your posts after you're settled into your new Uber-Oliver. Happy motoring! Sherry & Paul

Thanks, Doug, And as I said, has worked well for us. Now I know why Oliver recommends it.... Sherry

Herm and Doug, We have the Fantastic Fan, no Maxx cover or window louvers, at least yet. I love the look of the new MaxxFan you found, Herm. Great solution for rainy days and nights, while offering a low profile when closed. If it has a thermostat on the dial like the Fantastic fan's, I personally wouldn't bother with an additional wall thermostat. If the fan itself is rated as highly as the Fantastic Fan, and doesn't consume more amps when boondocking, it looks like a great option, and one we'd certainly consider if we were purchasing a new fan or Oliver today, primarily because you could close up all the windows and still leave a vent open while away from the trailer, without consuming any power to run the fan or thermostat. That said, Doug, even though I suspect the MaxxFan may allow better airflow, we have managed fine so far without hookups in the rain with the FantasticFan on manual, vent opened slightly, and the fan running on low & exhaust with the rear emergency (awning) window opened. This draws the air across the bed. If it's not too windy with the rain, we also open the curbside window and deploy the awning, staking the awning down with an inexpensive tie down kit from Walmart's camping section. (This arrangement also provides shade to the curbside window on sunny days, helping us to keep the interior cool and comfortable when boondocking.) It rained at least a little about 10 nights of the four week trip that we just completed in our Oliver. Paul did have to roll the awning in a couple nights when the wind kicked up (it is, after all, like a big sail), but it only takes a few minutes for him to do that. (We do not leave the awning deployed unattended to go to town or go off hiking if there's any chance of big winds... too much opportunity for damage.) I understand that the new generation Maxx vent covers attach somehow to the existing Fantastic frame without making new holes in the roof, and would probably be pretty simple to add if we felt the need someday.However, I always close the trailer up when we travel to avoid road dust & fumes and drag, and the camper stays reasonably comfortable with the benefit of the double hull, insulation, thermal windows, and privacy shades. I can pop in at a rest stop and make a couple sandwiches or grab some cool drinks and a map without being uncomfortable. My two and a half cents.... Sherry PS Looking forward to meeting all of you in the future. Your dialog on the forum as you work out your orders has been thought-provoking and very interesting.

Thanks, Mountainborn. The guy seated next to Paul is our neighbor and friend, Jim. The 1945 Jeep Willlys belongs to him. He and Paul drove up to the Orlando area a few months ago and towed it home on a trailer behind our Silvrado after Jim found it on Ebay. It runs beautifully, and bringing it back to 1945 specs and top condition is going to be one of Jim's retirement projects.... Sorry, I don't remember the model #... but it's the original with the fold down windshield and little headlights.... Jim's out flying right now (EMS helicopter pilot) so I can't ask him... We haven't been in any parades yet... but as a kid, Jim says he used to pick up extra pocket money with his first 45 jeep towing out cars that got stuck in the sands of Sand Key (when driving out there was still allowed and Sand Key wasn't a county park with a solid line of condos at the south end...) The boys suspect the jeep might actually tow our Oliver at parade speed. Now, wouldn't that be fun?!! Sherry PS I think I posted this here, too.... under a tow vehicle thread just for grins...

Beeser, We were a little disappointed, too, but realized most of our driving was mountains or hills, and higher elevations... all but about 1000 miles... But, we're also dismayed that our overall mileage has dropped so much from when we first got the truck several years ago. It appears that we're only losing a mile or two per gallon when towing, (that's a credit to the trailer), and overall the mileage is acceptable, but less than stellar with today's fuel prices. I understand that the new Silverados use a system that runs on only 4 of the 8 cylinders when the power requirement is lower. We're thinking about getting a 4 x 4 truck, so I'll let you know what I discover in my research on that one. We've also considered adding a capper or tonto cover to see if that improves our mileage a little. I know many people feel this makes a big difference. Also, we'll have the mechanic run a diagnostic on our next visit to make sure all is running as it should, since we appear to have lost at least several mpg overall in the last few years. That sure adds up when traveling! Sherry