SeaDawg

Imo, never too early to get out there, even if it's just learning camping/trailering on weekends. 15 years in,,we are very happy. Love our 2008 Elite. No matter what you choose, camping is a wonderful lifestyle .

Totally agree, on that.

I would not suggest towing any Ollie , or any other trailer, without a tow package.

Once you get to Alaska, you can boondock in just about any pullout, unless it is posted. We rarely pay for campgrounds in Alaska, unless we want to. Actually, some of our very favorite spots are pullouts. Scenic, and often quiet,,as there's not much traffic after dusk.

I agree with Jim and Chris about reservations. We've never had much for issues, except around Whitehorse, in the Yukon, especially weekends. Since much of the YT population lives in or near Whitehorse, and most who live there are outdoor folks, weekends can be tough. You mentioned Jasper, which, honestly is one of my favorite (and charming, friendly) places in western Canada. Stayed there a number of times. Great little restaurants, bakeries, and breweries, great laundromat with a coffee bar and a wonderful pizza place upstairs (coin clean on Patricia. ) excellent visitor's center. The national and Provincial parks "close by" are outstanding. Find a parking place, and the little city of Jasper is very friendly and walkable. I have read that the cool little movie theater has closed, unfortunately. The scenic train ride from prince Rupert ends here in Jasper. If you have the time, and don't have pets, thats an amazing trip. We did that one year when our daughter kept our little dog. We avoid Banff. Way too busy for our taste. We have camped/paid boondocked at the Icefield parkway visitors' center, and that was great. Also, Lake Louise. LL campground was ok, the walk at the lake amazing, and pretty easy. Beautiful.

It's ok. None of us are getting any younger. 😆 Glad you resolved your issue

@OllieTX

We tow our Elite at max trailer towing speed, on the interstate, and secondary highways. And, max tire speed. We don't get carried away, but with a 5.7 hemi towing a little Elite, we don't sit in the slow lane, all the time, either. Best tow speed is where you are comfortable, imo.

Btw, Anchorage kind of is not your "favorite " destination, imo. Not an interesting place . A few good museums, some good restaurants. Turnagain arm, priceless, at the right time. time. The crazy tide change, visible from the pullouts Check the tide tables. If you can see the crazy roil, it's amazing. Don't go on the beach.

If you stick to lower named paved roads, this is generally true. But, always look ahead for construction, and travel advisories. Your tires,,windshield, and gelcoat will thank you. We've done the Alaska trip many times. (Well, four.) Every trip is different. Denali highway is gravel, but great unless recently graded and lots of sharp granite exposed. (Tires) Upside, it's amazingly beautiful, and worth several nights in pullouts. Take it slow, if you see a princess bus coming,,slow way down. Your windshield will thank you. Princess buses just keep running at max speeds. The ice road to Prudhoe Bay/arctic circle sign can be a mess, if it's raining. Or, has recently rained. Ditto, chicken highway. Beware of soft shoulders, and steep dropouts. Gravel on the us side . Side gravel roads to interesting places, in the Yukon and Alaska, can also be challenging, in rainy weather. If you stick to paved roads (we haven't), you'll be fine. if you're careful on construction zones, and have protected the front of the trailer, you'll be fine. We love the Yukon. One of our favorite places, in the many countries we've camped in, and, we will return. Someday soon, we hope. Lots of great Yukon territory campgrounds right off paved roads, cheap fees, free firewood. Some are easily accessed, others aren't.. read the milepost. With family commitments this year, we won't be doing another trip to Alaska, but another year (we hope) will make it possible. We have delivered rvs for a friend of ours,,and it's been a different and amazing trip, each time. We've camped all over the 🇺🇸 usa and Canada (plus Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand, Patagonia, and more) but the Yukon, and the Richardson highway on the way to Valdez, are among our favorites. North to Valdez is an amazing drive. Take your time. We never miss that . Get that bucket list done. And be prepared for no cell coverage. If you need constant communication, get at least a GPS based spot, or something. We have found free pullouts with Verizon signal, on Alaska, but can't count on it. Many of the yt campgrounds had no signal, on either service We carry tmobile, and Verizon, on two phones, and often have no signal, in rural remote areas, which we love. Have fun. Many great campgrounds just off paved highways, and it's an amazing trip.

@GAP thread here

A couple people have installed the larger Novakool. Though still small, the Novakool freezer is almost twice the capacity of the isotherm. 11.4 vs 6 liters. If I remember correctly, @mountainoliver installed the Novakool https://www.novakool.com/r5810-1

Obviously, not talking about an Oliver. These are posts I normally just fly through.

That depends on which side the gas tank of your tow vehicle is on: driver or passenger. Our Tundra tow vehicle has a gas tank on the driver side. Our Subaru Outback's gas tank is on the passenger side. Oliver strongly recommends running an absorption fridge only on DC when on the road. I expect this is because a possible ignition while in a gas station could have a very bad result. It would arguably be like smoking at a gas station. Does anyone know Oliver's position on running the furnace while on the road? Like every other manufacturer, the lawyers tell them to recommend dc, I'm sure. Real life, most of us with 3 ways run on gas. We always did. Furnace? Probably same. You're on your own.

I am so very sorry to hear that. This is the first stolen Oliver I've ever heard of. I'll watch for you. I remember your posts from the old days. (2008-9). I'm totally bummed out for you.

We added vents to the closet, first year. We live in Florida. Airflow is always a critical thought.

Indeed. I love the neat and clean concept, but for us, the cost would be outrageous. 150 days last year, x $3 per day, =$450. @Katjo, love the "jiffypop" comparison. Maybe "jiffypoop"? Lol. Everything is a tradeoff. We all just have to figure out our own best way. And, absolutely everything depends on your camping style. Each of us have to weigh the merits, work, and benefits. It's cool that we can all share what works best for us.

It's not on the gas pump side. Some people go into the trailer, turn off the fridge, in an abundance of caution, and turn it back on after leaving the pump. It's not an open pilot flame, like the old days. It's electronic ignition, doesn't run all the time. And, as stated before, opposite side if the trailer. Furnace is also opposite side of the trailer, for us. I've never run with the furnace going, as we winterize if we think lines will freeze.

Done

Yes, I understood that. I was actually pretty excited to see you were good at zero. We've never camped in those temps. Actually, probably wouldn't enjoy it, either.

Back in the day, we called high maintenance cost on lesser entry cost a "razor blade" marketing plan. The laveo is a cool concept, but high per flush cost. If you rarely use the toilet, seriously easier to maintain than a composter. Everything is a tradeoff. We all just have to pick what works for our own camping styles.

Down to zero seems pretty good to me. I don't like camping below freezing, but it happens to us sometimes.

I'll be interested in your local towing experience . I've seen only two rivians in my county. Neither towing.

We've not ever locked ours, but if we had a spare lock, might. 15 years in, no issues yet. Tanks are a target for meth cookers. If you Google rv tanks stolen. Probably depends on where you camp. Most tanks seem to be stolen from tank swap sites, not rvs . But, it does apparently happen, on occasion.

So, basically guessing you have a truma water heater, although you didn't say so. This isn't an app. Its a forum. And, welcome. Hopefully, someone can help you. Giving more info could help