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Jstone

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Everything posted by Jstone

  1. The 2010 Sequoia with the tow package & 5.7 engine had the 4.3:1 final drive ratio….it truly is a SUV version of a Tundra, at least for the era that I own.
  2. We tow with it’s SUV brother, a 2010 Sequoia, which has a 9500lb. tow rating and 1320lb. payload; just 2 of us, and our tent-camping habits allow us to easily stay within the payload capacity. We’ve used CAT scales in winter, when we’re carrying the heaviest payload, with no problems. The Anderson is a must; we get 12-10 mpg, depending on flat land or mountain towing.
  3. We’ve done the entire BRP motorcycle camping. Some days we traveled for hours, others found us hiking on the easily accessed trails, where we would barely cover 10 miles. All told, we took about 10 days to make the trip, and totally fall in love with the Parkway and surrounding areas.
  4. We’ll be there from July 1-10, and nearly at Lake Powhatan June 16-19th. It is such a beautiful area, and has been our go-to for camping for over 30 years.
  5. The pizza oven, just wow! It will heat up over 700 degrees, hold the heat, has a good 5” clearance in the center. I’ve got a home-made crust for another pizza going on tonight! The cedar plank maple-glazed salmon was the envy of the campground, too. I’ve baked cinnamon rolls, a taco ring, crescent rolls, and roasted veggies, as well. The down side is size and weight, but if you want to eat well in camp and have a super useful tool, you can’t go wrong. I also have their huge griddle and a grill box, so the Camp Chef obviously works for me….and to bring this back on topic, the convection oven works great, too! I just enjoy cooking, both at home, and while camping.
  6. We use our convection feature of our oven at home, so going with the convection microwave was an easy choice, even though I mostly cook outside with a small Traeger wood pellet grill or a ginormous Camp Chef system. The Camp Chef system usually wins out due to the versatility.
  7. Hi John, We just finished our 41st. anniversary getaway….we’re loving our Ollie, looks like we’ll get in several more getaways in the coming weeks, how about y’all?
  8. Our hull 997, which we picked up in January 2022, has the Girard awning….hope this info helps!
  9. Travel is exciting, and travel pick up your new Ollie is, for most of us, a once in a lifetime trip, congratulations!
  10. I’ve been using the Anderson levelers as well, simple & easy…good to about a 4” lift. I recently had to use them at the max height they provide, and they were as stable as when set for less lift.
  11. As Mountain Man said re:MPG, I concur. 10-12mpg, depending on terrain. I towed an Airstream Bambi pre-Oliver, +/-3k pounds, 11-12mpg in the same conditions. On the flip side, I see 17-18 combined mpg not towing here in coastal SC.
  12. Welcome aboard! We tow with a Sequoia, and recently picked up hull 997. We had an Anderson installed during delivery can confirm it will have a 2” ball, really complete kit, which was set up for our Sequoia as we went through the delivery orientation. The 5.7 engine and tow package works great with our Elite II.
  13. The nectar of the gods, fresh-brewed in the GSI filter.
  14. Old backpacking habits die hard, and this filter is a survivor, which also turns out a wonderful cup of coffee. This GSI filter clips onto just about any cup, takes #2 or #4 filters, which allow for very little water for cleanup. I haven’t broken it in 10 plus years of heavy use(quite a feat for anything to survive my ham-fisted antics for that long). It weighs less than 1/2 ounce. I boil water and control the bloom easily… makes a great cup, every bit the equal of my Technivorm Moccamaster at home.
  15. Our Clam traveled on top of our Sequoia from our home in South Carolina to Hohenwald & back. I really think it looks like a body is tied up in a brown bag, but maybe my dark sense of humor has colored my perception. From a low point of view you can’t see “Clam” on the bag, so maybe I’m lucky I wasn’t pulled by law enforcement during my trip(lol).
  16. Our last night in western NC mountains before heading home to coastal South Carolina. We’ve been in the low to mid 20’s each night since pickup on the 19th. The furnace is wonderful, keeping the thermostat at 61 degrees has kept us plenty warm.
  17. Went back to see the folks in service to get the door tweaked. At pickup it wasn’t latching quite right, and just had a little bit of binding, which Jason Essary worked his magic on! Currently in Brevard, NC, with plenty of snow still on the ground. We’re slowly making our way back to our home in coastal SC.
  18. First night at camp Oliver in the books. From rainy mid-50’s to 21 degrees overnight….the steps freeze really well, with a wonderfully slick uniform coating of ice, with an unplanned fall down the steps during the 2am dog walk. I bounced well, with bruised pride being the only casualty. Our screen door binding is the only issue so far, so 997 is a good one!
  19. Just checked into the Commodore Hotel in Linden…I keep thinking of the lyrics from the song “Dixie Chicken” by Little Feat. We ordered in March 2021, this is our 4th. RV, I think we got it right this time. We have delivery at 8:30 on 1/19/22, and plan on staying in the area for a few days afterwards.
  20. Ok, we’ve read the reviews and seen the photos of Foy’s wares, and know of their well-deserved stellar reputation. I’ve just received my order, and it does not disappoint. An unacknowledged talent he possesses is packing and shipping. Imagine the care and attention to detail exemplified in his wood products, extended to packing and shipping. Rest assured, the items are crafted with care, and packaged to arrive in pristine condition.
  21. I received a call on 11/19/21, stating the above-mentioned supply chain issues would cause a 2 week delay in my delivery, which was for early January, now rescheduled for mid-January.
  22. Patriot, I think I saw you towing on SC 22… it is so rare to see an Oliver, and I’m always on the lookout. My home is just down from the Willow Tree campground, also on SC905. This time of year Huntington Beach State Park may have availability, and it is more quiet than Myrtle Beach State Park.
  23. We loved our Airstream, a Bambi 16. We’re outdoor-loving people, so most of our waking hours are spent outside. I just didn’t know Oliver trailers were a thing when we bought the Airstream. I just accepted filiform corrosion, leaking or missing rivets, and cold,clammy interior aluminum walls as the status quo. I knew that hail storms would be catastrophic, that floor rot from undiscovered leaks were something that some owners were all too aware of, but that’s what insurance is for. So, happily we went, adventuring in the Bambi. As we thought about the potential for a tire failure on the single axle Bambi, trips to our Airstream dealer became a thing….and a Globetrotter 23 twin caught our eye. So stylish, twin beds made the small size of the 23 seem so spacious, the safety aspect of double axles, it seemed to have it all. And it did have it all, including the same inherent concerns and problems of the Bambi, save double axles. So, we didn’t buy one. As we were we towing the Bambi to our camping destination, a white fiberglass camper was directly ahead of us….the 3rd. brake light read “Oliver”…a new-to-us name for a camper. As we followed behind, we noticed it seemed more narrow than the Bambi, with much higher clearance, and double axles. Those details alone caught our interest. Once we were home from that adventure, I checked out the Oliver web site…and, like they say, you don’t know what you don’t know, ignorance is bliss, all those trite sayings that sprung to mind. Trouble ensued in remaining satisfied with the Bambi’s shortcomings, for that matter, any Airstream’s shortcomings, for our purpose and needs. This past October, while pulling into Mt. Pisgah campground on the Blue Ridge Parkway, we saw an Elite II in the flesh and the owner graciously allowed us to tour his camper. After we saw it, we decided to sell the Airstream once we got home. I listed it for sale, and sold it the same day it was listed. We’re in the hurry up & wait mode for delivery of an Elite II twin after taking a factory tour in March. I know nothing is perfect. I know there is no one size fits all. At this time, with our current wants and needs, the Oliver will eliminate the concerns we had with Airstream durability and maintenance, while opening up opportunities to literally take trails to new destinations unreachable in an Airstream.
  24. We recently sold our Airstream, not due to a lack of satisfaction or suitability, but due to discovering Oliver trailers. A walk thru of an owners LE II while we were camping in our Airstream sealed the deal. Once we were home from the camping trip, the Airstream was listed, and sold within 3 hours. We’re planning options, and looking forward to ownership of a LE II twin.
  25. I have the Pavilion model by Clam. It is the largest they offer, with full fabric side walls that roll up for ventilation. It is fast and easy for 1 person to set up/take down, albeit a little heavy for this one at +/-50 pounds. The door opening is huge, and I’ve used our propane fire pit in it without any issues.
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