SeaDawg

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

As promised, here's the update on four weeks of detailed mpg logs. Paul "tried" to drive more with the tach than the speedometer, attempting to keep the rpm under 1800. No cruise control. To save on the brakes, he downshifts going down the mountains. The Silverado has a special towing gear that can be engaged, but he tried to use that only when climbing the steep grades, such as the long stretch of 6% near Green River Gorge, and shorter stretches of 6-13% that we encountered along the way. (Yes, 13% in Pennsylvania near Laurel Mountain and Falling Waters.... and the Silverado/Oliver combo did great!) The first 650 miles of our trip was mostly flat, but starting at sea level here in FL going to 3000 feet in western NC, and mostly interestate. We travel about 150 miles of secondary, good roads to cut some miles on this part of the trip. We had the ATV, grill, charger, and generator in the pickup bed for this segment. The big mudflaps were on for the whole trip. Our average mpg on this segment was 12.56. The next 3000 miles was primarily secondary, small roads, and mountain driving... eastern TN, NC, VA, and PA... up the Cherahola, Blue Ridge, and Skyline. Later on, the Catskills... Almost no interstate driving (100 miles, perhaps). Lots of small towns. Mudflaps still on, but no ATV in the back anymore. Our average mpg on this segment was 13.64 I did track our non-towing mileage, but at less than 300 miles, it could be really inaccurate. For what it was worth, a mix of mountain driving and around town, rarely over 50 miles per hour. No ATV in the back. Still the mudflaps. 15.2 mpg We do not have a tonto cover or capper for the Silverado (yet). V8, 5.3, factory towing package. We have about 65,000 miles on the truck now. Airbag shocks to help with the load when we have the ATV in the back, but no WDH or sway bar. I seemed to notice a mile better mpg on the rare occasion that we found gas with no ethanol added, but that only happened a few times, so it could be coincidental. It does make me curious, though,since we used to get far better mileage when the truck was new, and ethanol mix was uncommon. Does anyone else have a feel for this? Gas prices were, of course, amazing. A low of $3.69 in SC, to a high of almost a dollar more in CT. NY was .25 to .36 a gallon higher than neighboring PA... and the roads are pretty rough in NY. We got on the thruway for one exit and got off... the secondary roads provided a little better ride... I'll try to keep better track of our non-towing mileage for the next few weeks, so I have a good comparison. Sherry

We just finished an amazing four week trip, camping in Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. The last week was devoted to family events in NY and CT, followed by a beeline drive home to meet family coming to visit us in Florida. We drove the parts of the Blue Ridge that we hadn't driven before. Although we encountered some hazy and sometimes rainy days, we had a wonderful time. The scenery is incredible... never knowing what amazing vista will open up around the next curve or when you exit the next tunnel. A few shots before the camera tumbled and broke.... We replaced it in Front Royal at the end of Skyline Drive Linville River Bridge View The mountain laurel in bloom Grandview Overlook I only have about two or three hundred more to share.... We loved this trip so much we're thinking about doing it again in the fall to see the leaves change... Maybe starting at the top this time and working our way down. We had hoped to meet up with Tom and Karen (Meanderthal and SheBoss) but timing didn't work out this time... Hopefully, the fall trip will work! Campgrounds on the Blue Ridge are very simple affairs, but quite pretty and inexpensive. No hookups, but each has a dumpstation and water fill station. Bathrooms range from ok to downright basic, but all of them had flush toilets. (One didn't have lights... just a hook to hang your lantern.) No showers. Cold water only in the sinks. All are open seasonally. Check the "Camping on the Blue Ridge" website before you go for more information and postings on which sections of the road are closed. Campgrounds on Skyline are more varied... some almost resort style, some quite primitive. I'll try to post more on them later.

The Tennessee park system is terrific, and I don't think you'll be disappointed. We stayed in three on our last trip, Cedars of Lebanon, David Crockett, and Fall Creek Falls. They are also very reasonable (even more so if you're a senior!). They have a very nice website with a map to help you plan your trip. Paul and I prefer the state and national parks over RV parks and resorts... Not only is the price better, but there's usually more space per site, more trees, and something to do (hiking, biking, swimming, etc.) right there... And, we usually find people in the parks to be very friendly. Many of the parks have no or minimal hookups, but we don't find that to be a big deal, either. We're well equipped for it with the Oliver. Here's a link to Tennessee's award winning parks: http://www.state.tn.us/environment/parks/ Last year, as I recall, the leaves were in their prime in Eastern TN and Western NC the last week of October and the first week of November. We were in Boone/Banner Elk around that time (the Woolly Worm Festival), and they were particularly beautiful in that area. I hope you and your wife will have the time to stick around for the fall foliage... It's well worth it! Sherry

Thanks for the info, Doug. Though the furnace noise doesn't wake me up, I guess it could bother some people. I don't think you would miss the bottom drawer that much... it holds about half what the top drawer holds. I use mine for canned goods. The twin bed model looks like you pick up some ample and easy to get to storage space, tho I've never seen one in person. We just finished four weeks in the Oliver, and I have yet to use all the storage cubbies! Sherry

DougI, The area containing the bottom drawer below the furnace in my Oliver is appr. 13.5 w x 9.5 h. The total area inside the two molded insets, and the spacer, containing the furnace and the bottom drawer, is appr. 13.5 w x 20.25, if you're talking about replacing the furnace plus the drawer space with the catalytic furnace. Hope this helps. Technomadia has posted some good photos of this area previously so you can see the two sets of rounded-edge rectangles that currently contain the furnace and bottom drawer, and the spacer between. Deleting both and inserting your furnace would probably require some skilled glasswork to make it fit nicely. The bottom drawer is less deep than the top drawer, and I don't know what's behind it.... probably something for the furnace, never looked. Hope this helps. I think your best bet would be to email the complete dimensions (with depth) to Robert so that he could talk over your idea with the factory manager... Sounds like a nifty idea if it's doable. Sherry

Stuart... Our gas connection for the BBQ grill comes off via a tee connection located just before the gas regulator/changeover valve assy on one of the propane tanks and goes directly to the quick disconnect that we have located in the rear fender storage area. Unless Scubarx 's Oliver was plumbed differently than ours, I believe that the plugged connection that he mentioned, will only supply propane gas at a reduced pressure, which is normally too low to be used for a BBQ grill. We utilize a a 10-12' hose to connect our grill to the quick disconnect fitting. One item that I'd like to add to ours, is a a manual isolation valve at the quick disconnect fitting. Currently, whenever I disconnect the hose, theres quite a bit of gas/pressure still contained up in the 10-12' hose section. If there was an isolation valve at the quick disconnect, I could close it and then slowly release the pressure thru the regulator valve located on the grill, eliminating the high pressure release of the gas that is still contained in the hose. Paul

Paul and I have become very fond of eastern and middle Tennessee... In 2006 and 2007 we spent a lot of time in eastern TN, and this past year have discovered how beautiful middle TN is. as well.. We only had the chance to spend four or five days in TN this trip... Cedars of Lebanon, David Crockett State Park, and Falls Creek Falls... each was different, but special. Then we moved on to Tellico Plains and the Cherohola Pkwy from TN to NC... That curvy, mounainous drive is short but wonderful, amazing, and should not be missed by anyone traveling anywhere near... We've been so close so many times, and had no idea what a great drive this is!! Right now, we're in NY state, visiting family, then on thru the Catskills to CT for a wedding.... It's been a wonderful trip... great weather, great scenery, and a nice balance of wilderness and family get togethers... Most of the last week has been spent in western NY. The hills aren't as rugged as TN, NC or VA, but the farm country of western NY has a charm all its own, and so many of the historic small towns are lovely. Bought some great sweet corn, tomatoes, and peaches on a farm today... great food, too! When we have more time on the internet at home, I'll try to post some pix. That will be sometime next week. Sherry

Herm, Yes, as you were saying, the quick disconnect delivers full pressure. We carry a little aluminum folding table from Walmart ($15 or so) to set up our portable grill. I think the quick connect is a nice feature to have, and no extra little bottles to tote around. We added a couple 12 volt outlets to the interior for cell phone charging, etc. But we've had our trailer awhile, and I think perhaps more 12v outlets are standard now. Wish we had a solar set up, but perhaps someday.... We carry a little Honda 1000 for charging up the batteries. We rarely use the A/C, so that works fine for us, and it's very light and very quiet. I know you're going to love your Oliver. We have enjoyed ours so much this year... Our latest trip has taken us 3000 miles so far, staying in state and national parks with limited facilities... but we're well equipped for it with the Oliver. Sherry