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SeaDawg

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Everything posted by SeaDawg

  1. Hello, The Empire large van cover arrived just before we left to go camping, so I haven't had time to check the fit yet... So sorry. I did open it, tyvek, like a fed ex envelope, so tough, but soft on the inside. When we get home, I'll try it out on the Oliver and post a pic so you also can see how it works. Price was right, and their customer service system is very good. Sherry
  2. Love it. Tell us more about the config. Is it a twin, or a hybrid of other configs...? I see a cabinet or two that I don't have...Love the fabric you chose... Very cool... Hope you both had a great weekend in your new Oliver!!! See you on the road!!! Sher
  3. Our neighbor's jeep has been a reliable tow vehicle for over 60 years.... Here's how it looks hitched up to our Oliver.... 1945 Jeep Willys & 08 Oliver Legacy Elite No, we didn't even take it around the block... but wouldn't it look nice in the 4th of July parade? Thanks, Jim, it was a lot of fun! Sherry
  4. After researching the available options, we ordered the EZ Tug. Paul installed it on Friday. Setup is pretty straightforward, and it attaches to the tongue with four bolts, so it's fairly easy to remove if we want to minimize tongue weight. Here's how it looks: Paul borrowed a little battery from our neighbor's waverunner, and tested the EZ Tug's performance, twice going down the little incline from the parking pad to the driveway and back. He found the device easy to use, and he was able to accomplish much tighter turns than with the manual tow dolly we previously used. Jim and I were spotters on each side, helping Paul avoid the garage overhang, shrubs, and the fig tree branches. Here's a photo of the EZ Tug with the wheel folded up along the tongue for transport. The steering rod/power control detaches for transport when the trailer is hitched up. Finally, here's a photo of Paul and Jim after two test runs: We have no comparison photos of us from the old days of the three of us pushing the trailer back with the manual tow dolly, because no one wants their picture taken after that kind of workout in the Florida heat! Although I doubt the EZ Tug would take us up much of a hill, it works adequately for our situation. With a maximum tongue weight of 352 lbs for the EZ Tug, and a maximum rating of 3500 lbs for the trailer to push, we're already at or approaching the limits. However, I like my new spotter job much better than my old job as human motor. All three of us agree that we'll keep the EZ Tug. Now, we're trying to decide if we should keep the extra weight installed on the tongue permanently, or remove it each time we go camping. And, if the guys should adapt the wiring to running off Oliver's battery power instead of carrying an additional small 12-volt battery just to run the tug. Sherry
  5. Hi, Beeser, When the Silverado was newer, we got a little better mileage. Around town these days, we're looking at 15-16: on the highway, 18-19 non-towing. We used to manage 20 or so... I don't know where you live, or how much of your traveling is in the mountains, but we do feel our mileage does drop significantly with lots of mountain driving. We don't use cruise control when towing. Even on the flatter interstates of Florida, cruise control sends the transmission "hunting" when going up anything but a small hill. Instead, Paul tries to pick up the speed as he's approaching the slopes, keeping an eye on rpm and keeping it under 2000. Even though I keep a detailed log for maintenance and total miles traveled for the Oliver, I haven't kept a meticulous record of mpg lately. (I guess I want to block that out till the gas card bill arrives each month ) I'll try to do a better job of record-keeping, and report back. We're leaving soon for a little vacation trip, and hope to do a little more mountain touring than usual. I'm also going to try to figure out if the big mud flaps we've installed will change our mpg. I know Mountainborn feels that his roadwings may cut his mileage by a mile or so. Ours are similar, and removable also, but a different brand. Sherry
  6. Beeser, Our 2005 Silverado half-ton (5.3 V8, tow package) handles the long stretch of 6% grade near Saluda NC beautifully, maintaining speed with the Oliver in tow. We make the trip from FL to Asheville about once a month. Roundtrip MPG is 14 to 14.5 towing, a mile or two less if we're carrying the ATV in the bed as well as towing the Oiver. This is a little less than Tumbleweed gets with his Silverado, but we may drive a little faster... We try to keep pace with the traffic, but stay under the limit. One way is 650 miles, about 550 is interstate driving. This perhaps isn't stellar mileage, but acceptable, and we like how the Silverado tows and rides... Sorry, we've never towed a traditionally shaped travel trailer with the Chevy, so I have no comparison figures there. Sherry
  7. Hi, Jerry & Gail, Sorry you missed the factory tour on your Tennessee trip... It's really fun and impressive to see the Oliver manufacturing process. We're in the Clearwater area, and you're welcome to take a look at our Oliver if you're planning a trip up our way. You might also want to pm BuffaloBob (Oliver's Sales Manager) on this forum to see if there's anyone closer to you who isn't active on the forum, but is willing to give "Ollie tours". Sherry & Paul
  8. Hi Steve & Tali! Congrats! We know you'll have a great time with your new Oliver! It's going to look so sweet behind that new green Jeep! Looking forward to seeing your pix... Sherry & Paul
  9. Hi, Frances, Welcome to the forum. This topic gets a lot of discussion on all the forums.... Especially with today's fuel costs. Unfortunately, the key words "tow vehicle" don't bring much up in a search on this forum or others, because they're "too common"... Here's a link to a thread here that might be of interest to you: Are you planning to replace your Civic with a truck, or do you plan to buy an additional tow vehicle? We have a lot of uses for our half-ton Silverado beyond towing the Oliver... and it gets respectable mileage, towing or not. However, mpg is nothing like your Honda's when zipping around town. Our 2005 is a 2wd, short bed, flare side, offers a really nice ride (for a truck) and is a little smaller than the newer model Silverados. It seems like just about every maker "supersized" their pickups in the last few years... I've been doing some research, too. Here are a few more links that might be of interest to you: http://www.cars.com/go/crp/buyingGuides/Story.jsp?section=Pickup&story=pickupTowing&subject=stories&referer=&year=2005 http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/top10/102426/article.html Unless you want the cargo ability of a truck, you may find a little nicer (more car-like) ride, more inside storage, and (sometimes) a little better overall mileage with some SUVs. Paul was really impressed with Chris & Cherie's Diesel Jeep Liberty when they test-towed our Oliver. We sometimes tow our Oliver with our Volvo SUV, since the truck only seats two people comfortably. Whatever you choose, I'd strongly suggest that you get a factory tow package, not just a factory hitch. Many vehicles have significantly higher tow ratings with the tow package installed, and the tow-rated transmission and additional coolers extend the life of your tow vehicle. Good luck in your search. Sherry
  10. Our Oliver came equipped with Duro radials (DS2100, I think), 15". We have been very happy with them. If you have a preference, I'm sure Oliver can accommodate you. Next to "what's the best tow vehicle?", I think tire choices generate more buzz on the other forums than any other topic. Sherry
  11. Thanks for the proof reading, Stuart. I edited for clarity.... Sherry
  12. I suspect you're right, Tom. However, prompted by the Florida June sun, and this thread, I ordered a cover today from Empire. Since we're probably home for almost a month straight (a first since we got our Oliver!), it seems worthwhile to get a trailer cover. Besides, I didn't know what to get Paul for Father's day. I'll let you all know how the big van cover fits next week. It had a few good comments on other forums, and we're mostly looking for protection from the sun and bird droppings.... Sherry
  13. Or, for those who want to avoid using fossil fuels, and don't mind using a lot of biochemical fuel to move around, here's one from a Danish group: http://www.n55.dk/MANUALS/SNAIL_SHELL_SYSTEM/SSS.html -smile- Sherry
  14. Beautiful photo, SturartW! Thanks for posting... Sherry
  15. Hello, Elizabeth, Got your email with recipes. Thank you very much. I'll try them out! Sherry PS... Do you have a nickname? Liz? Beth? Fewer keystrokes... but Elizabeth is OK too... my cousin always goes by Elizabeth... Sher
  16. Thanks for the invite... Sherry
  17. Hi, Elizabeth! Welcome to the forum. We do a little bit of campfire cooking over hardwood fires in NC on our property. There's nothing like a campfire, is there? Last time north, we used the grill or two-burner for most dinners, but did hot dogs on the fire a few times.... I have a few recipes from the old days when we did all the cooking on campfires... I'd love to see your file/ book and expand on hot dogs/stew/shore dinner/hobo pies, etc.... Thanks for the offer (Sending a pm.) Sherry PS Congrats on your new Oliver! We hope you'll love it as much as we do ours! Keep us all posted on where you're headed on your first trip.. Hope to see you on the road somewhere!!! .
  18. Great photos! Looks like everyone had a wonderful time.... I know I've said it before, but I think one of the great joys of camping is meeting so many interesting and fun people... Thanks for sharing! Sherry
  19. I'll have to watch for that TV show... I'd love to see it. Here's another collection of albums of some great vintage trailers.... http://vintagetrailercrazy.com/index.html At least one of these trailers has been featured in the TV show you mentioned, Geri. My favorite of this collection? Tough choice... The little yellow and white '57 Corette is so me .... love the geometric linoleum and the cracked ice dinette.... But that '55 Boles Aero Ensenada would look pretty cool next to the Oliver, too.... Sherry
  20. Chris, The bulldog hitch, though pricier than a standard hitch, is widely used by other quality trailers, especially utility trailers carrying expensive tools and equipment. There's a wide variety of locks available specific to the bulldog. We use two locks. One is used only when detached from tow vehicle, and is a heavy duty device that goes into the receiver and then surrounds it. The second is a collar lock that goes around the neck of the hitch, used both when hitched up and as a second lock when detached. Makes it difficult for anyone to mess with your hitch when parked. Stays locked even if hitch wire is cut. I don't remember where we ordered it, but you can see it in this amazon photo: http://www.amazon.com/The-Collar%C2%AE-Trailer-Coupler-Lock/dp/B000LRNTLO Sherry
  21. Hi, Chuck! So good to hear from you! How's California? We're still trying to figure out schedule for June... Hoping to catch up with you and Geri either in Withlacoochee or NC for after-4 paws... (We have other commitments the weekend of 4 paws...) Paul emailed the guy with the plans to make the motorized tow dolly. (I think that guy also has an ebay outlet for the plans and prewelded frame..., at significant cost plus shipping, but don't make me swear to it... we've looked at a bunch of websites this weekend for motorized systems....) Though the plans -only, build it yourself motorized dolly looks great, according to the designer it involves 14-16 hours of welding time alone, minimum(if you're in practice.... more, if not). We do have access to a welding machine, and Paul knows how, if necessary. Though it's a good looking plan, parts and materials alone are more than the EZ Tug, ready to install, without the major personal time investment, as well. If you're still out camping in the big parks out west, could you ask around about the EZ tug? We've never seen one around here.... Looking forward to catching up with you and Geri sometime in June.... Teryiaki steak, here we go!!!! Sherry
  22. Our Oliver has a nifty little parking pad that we built beside the garage, paved in turf blocks. We have a little manual tow dolly that we use (with considerable effort) to maneuver it into place, uphill off the smooth driveway onto the rougher turf blocks (about six to eight inches higher than the drive), around a sharp corner, all the while, trying to miss the tree branches and garage overhang while pushing on the trailer.... We've been looking for something to provide some extra mechanical or 12 volt power advantage to our tow dolly and "biochemical" engines. The European remote controlled "Truma" is very cool, very expensive, and not easily available. An American product is a motorized tow dolly, the Powercaster, but it works in conjunction with the tongue jack, and doesn't seem to be a smart solution with a power tongue jack. The EZ tug (also made in USA) mounts to the tongue with a retractable wheel, and 12 volt battery power moves the trailer into place.... Plus, like the Truma mover, it's always on the trailer, so it could, in theory, be used to maneuver into tight campground sites as well.... If it works, sounds like a dream come true. Plus, it's on sale for Father's Day at Garage-toys.om for $100 off, plus a "mystery per centage" off when you place your order... Anybody have any experience with the EZ Tug, or any of the other motorized trailer movers? Thanks. Sherry
  23. Dave & Julie, Thanks for the kind words... but the pleasure is all ours. A big part of the fun of camping and Oliver ownership is meeting so many nice people (including you two!). Camping seems to attract a lot of interesting folks, with interesting stories, and a little sense of adventure. We really enjoy our time giving tours of the Oliver, and especially enjoy our time in the state and county parks. We hope to see you both at one of them soon... Or, stop by any time you're in the neighborhood! Sherry & Paul (PS Our four-legged Oliver the cockapoo sends his greetings, too... He seemed to develop a special attachment to Julie right off the bat .... and yes, he was a member of the family long before we bought the two-wheeled Oliver. He's almost three now.... A very funny coincidence, don't you think?)
  24. Paul and I are, coincidentally, watching a TV show on "Noodling" on PBS.... I had no idea that 1. "Noodling" has been a documented style of fishing since at least 1775 2. "Noodling" is legal in at least 4 states (conversely, I had no idea it was illegal anywhere... just that I wouldn't want to try it...) 3. "Noodling" probably originated with the Indians... I now know that: 1. Mountainborn's videos are more entertaining than PBS... IMHO 2. He and Tumbleweed are not just joking around.... it's a real sport 3. I still don't want to try noodling!!!! Sherry PS Great looking fish!
  25. Every forum contains many threads on choosing the best tow vehicle.... This website is really interesting... Lets you choose a trailer (or enter your own specs), and look for the best tow vehicles for you.... or allows you to check your matchup in your rig... Wish we had an American equivalent! Check it out just for fun, anyway, and notice how small many of the European cars and SUVs are that are "perfect matches" for an Oliver! (At least by European standards on this website...) Sherry
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