SeaDawg

It is fun. Pizza, breakfast, pies, grilled cheese. Cook bacon and many other things. Make sure you buy cast iron. Not aluminum

We use 55 to 60 on our older 2008, with st tires. Irrelevant for all the new trailers. Elite 1. Since mine is an older trailer sporting st tires, I won't be responding to the poll.

They're a lot of fun. Here are a few photos of campfire breakfast a few weeks ago. Hashbrowns, bacon, and egg. Casserole in a pie iron.

That looks like fun! We usually do individual pie iron pizzas on the fire, but this would be awesome when we have a bigger group. We only have 5 pie irons left.

That is so very kind of you! I never ceased to be amazed at the generosity of our community here. And you are one of those very generous ones!

That's ok, imo, very short term. Like 2 days. Keep the unrefrigerated, unpasteurized time as very short as possible, for all aspects. Eggs out of the shell deteriorate quickly, and can make you sick. I'd freeze beaten fresh eggs with a bit of salt to avoid the texture change, if you want to keep them longer than a few days. Eggs are tricky. Unwashed, farm fresh eggs in the shell last a long time, pointy side down, at room temp. In the US, unless you buy directly from a farm, eggs are washed, and protective natural coating is removed. Eggs last longer in the shell (washed or unwashed.) In most countries we've been in, eggs are sold unrefrigerated, stacked in the aisle, because they are unwashed. ( Not here.) Pointy side down keeps the yolk in the middle, air sac up top. Opposite of most grocery store eggs . (I do that, even here, with washed eggs.) You can freeze beaten fresh usa eggs in ice cube trays, or baggies, (flat packing ) as well . Or, just buy pasteurized egg product, and portion freeze. Yes, we raised chickens, too, on our farm. I have ( pretty gross) memories of butchering chickens under the lilac bushes, gutting, plucking, etc.. But, they only lay eggs for a certain number of years, so it is what it is. The time comes when they no longer lay eggs, so...

I'd probably check on your home state regulations on how long you have to obtain a registration and plate without having to pay a penalty or fine for late registration. Where do you live? Some states allow you to register your trailer and get your plate, pay the sales tax, via mail, or via an authorized representative who could FedEx your plate to you, and you could stay on the road without worrying. Some other states require the trailer to be brought in to verify the vin.

If you use 3 or 4 bars, I'd be sure to fasten the towel bar somewhere that the towels, shower curtain, etc. won't block the fridge vent, or exhaust vents.

I think a number of models have gone to composite. But it doesn't solve other issues I've seen on airforums, like the front end separation on certain models. Definitely, avoid those. No possibility for front end separation on a molded fiberglass hull. Oliver floor is fiberglass. But. If you want AS, go for it. We camp too often in hail country to consider even a vintage model to have fun with remodeling (which we love to do.) I've said it many times, everyone has different goals, needs, and camping styles. It's hard to sort it out. Took us better part of a year.

Drop the still frozen ears in boiling unsalted water. Don't thaw, for best results, imo. Don't boil for long. A few minutes then, reduce heat to low, and lid it. It will taste just like fresh picked corn 🌽 you can smell it. Before freezing, I usually break the fresh ears in half, blanche quickly, like a minute, drain on towels, then freeze. Vac packing doesn't remove much water. Just the air that causes freezer burn. I have pretty decent knife skills, so if freezing corn kernels, I just use a sharpened chefs knife. My mom, my aunt Betty, and I could do a bunch of bushels in an afternoon. Strip the husk on two or three yanks, blanch, drain on towels, stand on end, and strip the corn. I've never used a corn stripper. I'd be concerned that a dull blade would eventually steal the sweetness and the "milk." Btw, don't buy too much that you can't process. Sweet corn loses about 20 per cent, or more,, every day after picking. Get busy,, right away. Back in the day, we had little freezer bags, and twist ties. We froze in 1 lb butter cartons , to square them up and save space, remove the bags, stack, and repeat. Yes, i grew up on a farm. My aunt Betty is now 90, and still tends a huge garden. I miss ours

No ruffled feathers. You should definitely choose what you think is best for you and yours. Every trailer today is a large investment. To me, the most important thing is to get out and camp. Not just sit around a fire ring in the backyard, and poke around the internet. I hope you enjoy whatever you buy. Still enjoying mine, 15 seasons in. Happy camping.

What time is dinner tomorrow? 🤣

I don't carry a crock pot, nor an insta pot, since we rarely have hookups, but I do love campfire cooking. Our freezer in the truckfridge is very tiny, so my method of flat packing really helps. I do the same with burger patties. Make the patties, wax paper under and above, spray one side and season. Vacpac, flat freeze. Accompaniment for any red meat, or even pork chops, is often campfire roasted onion. Take as little off the onion as possible, top and bottom, with a sharp knife. Score lightly and remove the husk and thin first layer. Set the onion on its now flat bottom, on the cutting board, create 6 or 8 segments, not quite through. Open up just a bit, add butter or olive oil in the center. Add a bit of balsamic vinegar, if you have it. Wrap twice with foil, tightly. Cook in the early coals, tucked into the side of the fire, as you prepare everything else. It's done when you've turned it a few times, and it's soft. (Using long tongs, obviously. ) if it's done early, you can always set it on a hot rock while everything else cooks. Depending on the type of wood, and heat of the coals, 20 to 35 minutes. I buy whole pork tenderloins at Costco when on sale, and cut my own boneless chops. Marinade and freeze, flat pack. (Cilantro lime and Italian dressing are favorites for pork.) They continue to marinade as they thaw. Vac packed, they never leak.

@hobo, it takes a big person to admit error and help others. Thanks so much for the guidance. You'll undoubtedly save others from similar issues.

The big dedicated shower space in rvs for a dry bath, for us, has always been just inefficient movable storage. Clothes hamper, jacket drying, mop and bucket, shoe bin. Move it out to shower, move it back in, later. A ton of wasted space. Totally ok without it. Efficiency of a wet bath smaller footprint is great, for us.

Welcome. We have a number of folks here who previously owned Castas. (They're nice trailers, just different. One of my best camping buddies has had one, for the last 15 years.) Enjoy your camping experiences, hang out here, and see what works for you.

I know I've posted this in previous threads about campfire cooking, but I'll add it again, with photos. My husband's favorite campfire meal is teriyaki flank steak. I remove any chine and tendons, then stab the flank steak both sides with a fork, probably about 100 times each. Place it in a ziplock or vac bag, and add low sodium marinade. (Mrs dash is really good, but not always available. My own recipe is pineapple juice, low sodium soy, a bit of rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, honey or cane sugar, and a bit of water. ) Place the steak in the bag, add some marinade to cover (needs less than you think, as the holes allow the marinade to sink in), and marinate at least one day. I usually marinate one day, flat, in the fridge, then freeze flat between two cookie sheets in my chest freezer. Easier to carry and store flat pack items. (I do the same with chicken, pork chops, etc.) Flank steak cooks quickly to medium rare, about 5 minutes per side, on a really hot fire. sliced thin against the grain, on the diagonal, the little ribbons of meat require no knife. I sometimes just make veggies with it (seasonal), sometimes rosemary baby potatoes.

Our older elites have no cupboard. I keep supplies (washcloths, extra microfiber bath towels, etc.) in a plastic file case beside the toilet. Easily removed. Fairly waterproof if I forget.

@NCeagleposted this awhile back. Maybe he'll let us know how it's worked out.

I'd be very cautious of them. I've been watching them for a long time. That zip code of private seller is the same as their first "dealer," bear tooth Ford. https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/prnewswire/2022/08/12/cortes-campers-ships-travel-trailers-beartooth-ford-montana/?outputType=amp. See that seafoam green camper in the photo? On the inside they've made a sorry attempt to imitate our elite 1's. Not very successfully, imo. The outside, sans the modern lippert door, looks just like a Casita. Oh, gee. I wonder why. I grabbed some screenshots from their first website, where they unabashedly posted photos of them creating a mold from (guess what!) an old Casita. No way that trailer weighs 2300 pounds. No way I'd be interested. (They've built a few, but I still think vaporware.) My spidey sense rings loud every time I see their name. Nice big fridge, though. 😄

There are several of us out there, still loving our little trailers, 15 seasons in. @bugeyedriver probably has more miles than we do with his 2008 Wonderegg. And @scubarx has owned both models, for a total of as many years.

I personally think you will find the Oliver MUCH easier to heat than the Airstream. Even our first edition #12, 2008 (with its wimpier insulation) is easier to heat than any other rv we've ever used. Never had an Airstream. Never really wanted to live in that (lovely) tin can, though we looked at them, several times. Beautiful, but not for us. Not USN. That'd be my husband. I'm tbe apprentice. Yes, we do love (and still own) multiple boats. That's a big part of why we know fiberglass is the way to go. Sailboat will be 50 in a four or five years. Power/ski boat is over 25. Various small craft, dinghy, kayaks, etc. in the garage or side yard. We take care of our stuff, and it takes care of us. I guess that's our mantra. Deferred maintenance kills stuff. House, trailer, boats. The Oliver is the least problematic, in our group of possessions, actually. I truly hope you can take the time to enjoy your Ollie as much as we have. We have such great memories. And, more to come. And, thank you for your service, USAF.

Yes, it would. The US version of the truma water heater doesn't run on electricity, either. I wouldn't hold my breath, honestly. I'd just buy a nice marine rated electric portable heater, or a Vornado. Something at least ul rated. If it gets close to freezing, you still need to run the furnace, to keep the interstitial spaces between the hulls warm . Or, if you usually camp with electricity, install one or two good marine bilge heaters. I am very excited about the vario heat, however. I've had it on my eventual upgrade list since it was introduced in the USA, and I talked for 45 minutes with the service manager in Lakeland. Quieter. More efficient. More controls. Sleep mode. Integrates with the truma backbone for thermostatic controls. It's more expensive than our previous furnaces, but quite probably worth it.

If the new foam is too stiff to squish/sort of fold at the sides a bit and stuff it in, use thin plastic, like a piece of dry cleaning bag, to make the foam slide easier. After inserting the foam, slide the plastic out. I wash the covers on my patio furniture once or twice a year. No issue. Do treat the zippers with a zipper lubricant/protector, especially of you live in a hot/humid climate. Makes them last longer/not stick. Oliver's upholster uses high quality thread and zippers. Really makes a difference in longevity. After fifteen seasons, trailer stored or used outside 24/7/365, I've only seen one tiny thread pop. I think that's pretty remarkable. (As you may have guessed, I've done a bit of upholstery in my life.)

There are a few of us out there who still own and enjoy our original 2008 and 2009 Elite shorties. So, 15th season for us, (and several others I know) something like 150k miles, couldn't tell you how many days used, but over 150 last year, and 100+ (so far) this year. Then again, I know a couple people who sold their shorties, and bought the bigger trailer later. Whether it suits you as a trailer or not really depends. If you're over 6'1", you may find it problematic, especially if both people are tall. The full size bed is cozy, and warmer in the cooler months, but, sure, I'd love to have the few inches extra space of a queen. The crawl-over hasn't been a big deal for us, yet. Maybe when we get older. We'll see. I'm the short one, so I get the inside post, and I don't find it to be a big deal, yet. If you have big dogs, or multiple dogs, you may find the space gets very small, especially in bad weather. We've had two small dogs, usually just one. We leave the big dinette set up as a bed, and use three big bins under the bed for extra storage. The dog(s) sleep(s) on the small dinette seat(s), on their own bed(?s). Otherwise, we have everything we need, in miniature, and then some, to enjoy our time camping. Life in miniature suits us. We don't carry a lot of "extra" stuff. Actually, we carry less every year. If an item isn't part of safety or first aid gear, or essential spares, and hasn't been used in the season, it gets culled at the end of season. Poof-- disappears to the garage archives, or goes to the Salvation Army. Disadvantages of the Elite are few, imo, as I think it's a great boondocking unit, and it tracks exactly behind the truck on narrow mountain roads. A 1500 pickup tows it like it isn't back there, and no Andersen required. Disadvantages-- for its size, it's rather heavy, and of course, it's pricey. A bit less rooftop space for solar, and less space for batteries in the smaller compartment. On the other hand, it's two less tires to replace every five years, and a bit less surface to wax and clean, and with the underbed bins, probably as much or more storage than the elite 2 with twins. Fits into spots designed for tenters, and too small for even an elite 2. As far as backing, couldn't say compared to a 2, but we've not had issues. The distance between ball and axle make it much easier than my squirrely old sunfish and trailer, which had a very short tongue. I've watched my husband, and also one of our friends, back our little trailers between trees with barely 6" on each side to spare. (We do this routinely at home!) Yes, they're experienced. But, you will be someday, too. You get the same marine quality fiberglass and gelcoat, same fixtures, etc. with the shorty. I have no desire to move to the bigger trailer, but that's a personal choice. Every trailer lives big on the outside.