Jim and Chris Neuman

Very helpful. If you see water coming out of one of these scuppers be sure to investigate as you surely have a water system leak. We have have had two instances where water poured out of one of these scuppers. The line attaching the water pump to the water line popped off when the trailer was new and on another occasion water poured out of a scupper forward of the steps when the overflow hose on top of the freshwater tank split due to faulty installation. We opened interior hatches and ran fans in the bilge for a couple weeks in order to dry things out. Without the scuppers water would have been trapped between the hulls and would likely cause damage over time.

Where are you coming from? Best route depends on where you start and your goals along the way. Whichever way you go, give yourself time to explore the spectacular country along the way.

We have found in hot summer weather our Dometic AC will cool our trailer to habitable level in an 1/2 hour or so. We do so on battery in the evenings to allow comfortable sleep. That said, on the West Coast, we do not typically have the humidity issues found elsewhere and our solar panels will recharge our 390 AH hour Lithium bank with ease. We have not yet had need to use our 2200i generator although we pack it around just in case. We find we have to abandon the trailer while the AC is in operation as hearing loss is likely severe within a campsite or two of the screaming Dometic. We use the time to walk around and apologise to our neighbors for the racket. Looking anxiously at the newer, supposedly quieter, options which are coming available.

I would bet you could buy an unventilated door from Oliver and change it out yourself. I believe it would put Oliver in legal jeopardy to eliminate battery box venting which is required by code as it is conceivable someone could switch from lithium back to wet cell, thereby putting themselves in danger from unvented gas given off by owner servicable wet cell batteries. I once had the pleasure of having a battery explode next to me in my early days - believe me when I say it left a lasting impression. lt would be quite easy to patch the existing vent holes if you so desired or even to make a new door yourself if you have basic fibreglass layup skills. In fact the durability of fibreglass and the relative ease of making fibreglass repairs as opposed to aluminum skin repairs was one of the big reasons we went with Oliver as opposed to Airstream. Although we have lithium batteries which require little maintenance, it is still nice to be able to easily inspect connections and turn off batteries as needed. After years of fighting to service batteries deeply burried in the nastiest little spots to be found on most trailers and boats, that little battery door has become one of my absolute favorite features on our Oliver.

One battery should do it providing your TV can recharge your battery as you drive and you do not use any high demand appliances such as your AC.

I have purchased a couple spares from these guys - went well

Craters of the Moon is one of our favorite spots. Located right in the middle of a vast (and recent) volcanic flow, this park is unique! A couple of considerations. First, number of sites are limited and, of those available, many will not handle a 20+ trailer. If possible, get a reservation. If not, get there early and be prepared to move on if needed. Secondly, this place can get HOT! Temps commonly push 100 in summer months and there is really no shade. For that reason we tend to limit our visits to the shoulder seasons. Take in the visitors center and some of the local hikes. The topography brings to mind the big island of Hawaii or Newberry Crater near Bend, OR. Morning and evening hikes are best to avoid heat. Bring a sunhat, lots of water and good, solid hiking boots ... this is not a padded forest floor! Many campgrounds are somewhat forgetable ... this is NOT the case with Craters of the Moon.

CRM Thanks for the source info! Jim

When new, both curb side bearings on my 2021 Legacy 2 ran much hotter than the street side, hitting just over 200 degrees on a warm day. At about 11k I finally pulled bearings to have a look and found one outer set scored on one wheel and and the other outer bearing beginning to burn. Changed them all out with (supposedly) Timkens from Amazon which solved the problem. I doubt the bearings I bought were genuine due to low cost but they have worked up to date. Coming up on 25,000 miles on the trailer and plan to track down genuine Timkens for the next change-out. Bearing replacement is tedious but simple for those with basic mechanic skills.

Katjo, Thank you for the heads-up!

Be simple to put in a false floor which is designed for easy removal when and if the owner rethinks the modification or to return the trailer to a normal camping configuration if the owner decides to sell.

Has anyone used this vendor for a custom box? If so, what dimensions did you go with? With the hindsight of having had this vendor build a box for you, any insights you can share with us? My inclination would be to go with a smaller box than the lighter commercial boxes shown in previous posts ... just enough for chocks and a few commonly used setup tools & supplies.

Not a powerboater by preferance but have spent a lot of time on them including a couple trips from WA to AK. If I were to buy another boat at my current age of it would be a powerboat because they are generally easier to handle if not as challenging or fun. While standing wet and cold at the wheel on the stern of my sailboat can be charming, especially in really cold, nasty weather, at '71 I admit there is something to be said for sitting warm and dry at the helm of a trawler type boat. My own cruising powerboat preference would be a displacement type hull along the lines of a Nordic Tug. I'll keep this discussion down to vessels of around 40' or less (about all an older couple cruising alone can phsically and financially handle. I am not a fan of those designs, such as some of the Rangers, which attempt to turn a displacement hull into a planing hull. A couple of problems there. First, they are incredible fuel hogs. Fuel up the tank of a boat that burns 20+ gallons an hour in a remote village on the way to Alaska and you are in for a serious sticker shock. Secondly, they are screamingly loud, which is fatiguing aboard the boat and irritating to others in the neighborhood. They also throw up a huge wake. It has been my experience that there is an inverse relationship between seamanship and available horsepower. A slower, more stable pace allows for far more accurate navigation, situational awareness and overall safety. Your chances of piling into a deadhead at 20 knots is far greater than at 6, especially in foul weather or high sea state. The damage done at high speed is far greater than a lower speed. A collision with a rock or other boat at 5 - 6 knots will normally mean an expensive hull repair. The same collision at 15 - 20 would entail no repair as your boat is going down ... fast. Next to a pet peeve. Powerboaters driving heavy hulls at speeds which raise huge wakes. Folks of this type (I hesitate to call them sailors) are flat dangerous aside from being irritating. Case in point, a fine gentleman and friend who for many years kept his sailboat in a slip next to mine had a powerboat pass close beside him at the entrance of our marina on Admiralty Inlet in WA. The huge wake caught him off balance and he was thrown against the binnacle of his sailboat injuring his ribs. A few days later he was dead from a punctured lung. Enough lecturing. After a lifetime of messing about in boats I would offer the following advice. If you are on a budget, buy a used, well equipped and lovingly maintained boat. The cost of the boat itself is only a starting point. I just bought two new sails for my relatively small (35') but circumnavigation capable sailboat. The main, genny and new roller furling setup ran over 20K. Best to let a previous owner foot that bill. Integrity of the hull and overall quality of the build are far more important than glitz and nautical bling.

If you take the leap from a trailerable boat to the various 30' + cruisers your costs rise dramatically and the amount of time and effort spent on maintenance can easily become overwhelming. Then there is the challenge of finding moorage ... you just don't tow a 15,000 # boat around with your Tacoma. Moorage is increasingly difficult to find in most areas with years long waiting lists. I built my 35' sailboat from a bare hull starting in '77 and still own her Lived aboard for many, many years and enjoyed the heck of of her but don't recommend boats of this scale to the casual user ... have seen them sink many a bank account (& marriage). Know yourself, your finances, energy level and skill set well before you tread there! Got to go now - heading to the marina to prep her for her annual haul out and bottom painting ... runs $1500+ per year for haul out, yard fees and material plus a week or so of labor. Fortunately our local marina still allows owners to do their own work ... a luxury which is harder and harder to find. Not trying to quash any dreams here but be aware of what you are getting into!

Please let us know if your modification allows the lid to close. Be a great storage option (the cardboard box my 2200i came in is about shot).

Even better than new rivets, use a couple of stainless pan head screws sized slightly larger than the hole left from drilling out the rivet. A number 6 may work but, more likely, a number 8. Just take care not to open up the fastener hole in the fibreglass when you drill out the rivet. If these ever need to be backed out you just unscrew them eliminating the need to re-drill out replacement pop rivets. Screw length should be just long enough to engage the full thickness of the glass skin. I did this when a light in the galley area failed. I believe a 1/2" screw would be adequate to engage the outer layer of the laminate without going completely through the coring - you don't want the screw to be so long that it pokes through into the cabinet.

I have felt the need to tie the truck to trailer only once but the runaway chains are positioned just right for the job - they are built to handle the load of a Legacy II making a run for it.

If you do not need to use your truck than set truck brakes and leave it tied to the trailer with a substantial nylon line at least 1/2" diameter. Tensioned slightly, the truck will keep the trailer from getting a running start. Just remember the line is there so you do not trip over it in the dark.

I often turn the lights on inadvertently when I am digging around in the basement from the outside access door. Moving the switch or placing a guard over the switch to prevent accidentally bumping it on would cure the issue. This thread got me thinking about the possibility of my having repeated my old bad habit when I was getting some stuff out of the basement yesterday ... just checked and sure enough the light was on. We have been packing for some Razor Clam digging at Cape Disappointment in a couple of days and had left the main light switch on in the cabin. If I could just remember to leave that off the problem would cure itself as it powers the basement light.

Katanapilot Great trip! How was hauling the Oliver into McCarthy? Boondocking or camping along the road east of Chitina? Started in once and quickly decided the road would quickly reduce our old stick and staple trailer into it's component parts. Backed out with my tail between my legs. Heading back to AK next year and thinking the Oliver might be up to it.

We have had very good luck with the Garmin Overlander. If you are into more backwoodsy stuff the topo option is useful as is the campground database for those times where there is limited cell coverage. Mounted ours on a Biltright base with a long arm to hang over the front of the dash ... keeps the unit out of the windshield and gives easier access to both driver and passenger.

You will not have a great deal of trouble finding places to camp, especially if boondocking. There are spots, Laird Hotsprings comes to mind, where dropping in could be a problem in the summer months but normally it is easy to find a spot. Do you have the capacity to charge from your tow vehicle? If not, consider a small generator like the Honda 2200i. Even with solar panels finding the sun in June can be iffy. The roads are generally quite good but do not pass up an opportunity to top off your fuel tanks whenever possible. On our last trip from Washington I hauled two full 5 gal gas containers but never needed to use them. If you doubt your tires condition, change them out ... it can be a long way between good tire stores. I am assuming you have a good GPS? If not, it is a good investment. I carry tire chains for the truck and cable chains for use on one axle of the trailer. Never had to use them during spring, summer and fall months but have encountered snow. The horror stories about endless miles of bad dirt roads and lack of services are very old history. Condition of the roads will vary from very good to not quite so good but the main routes are quite pleasant. It used to be that you could hardly make the drive without losing a windshield but that has not been the case for 15 - 20 years. The only stretches of dirt / gravel will be sections under repair as pretty much the whole routh has been paved for years. Have fun and enjoy - your Oliver is more than a match for the trip! Just one last thought - give yourself a lot of time (two months if possible). Your round trip is likely to be in excess of 7K miles and every few miles will present an opportunity for camping / hiking / fishing and enjoying a truly spectacular part of the world are limitless. Have fun!

Standard flooded batteries are cheaper than AGM's but they are definitely not lower maintenance. AGM's are sealed and require no maintenance beyond keeping them clean and appropriately charged. Flooded batteries require topping off with water (preferably distilled) on a regular basis and also present an explosion risk.

Although we have the heaviest suspension then available in the F150 when we bought it in '21, we still found that there was a bit of porposing while towing when you encounter severe frost heaves or a road bed which is extremely uneven. Added a set of air bags under the rear springs and that cured the issue. I also suspect the problem can also be mitigated through more robust sidewalls than found on stock tires (20" rims on my truck). Probably beef up the next pair of tires and shocks when replacement of the originals becomes necessary. Still, I find the F150 to be a very, very comfortable ride and is a fine match for the Legacy 2. I don't think there is a wrong choice between the 5.0 and the 3.5 ... both are fine, proven power plants.

Not a 5.0 but milage on our 3.5 Ecoboost is running right at 12 MPG after about 23,000K in the mountain west. We run a canopy on a shortbox FX4 with the max tow package.