Commanche

Merry Christmas from Virginia. Stan and Carol

Yeah, and why are the head light bulbs for my Dodge cost 300 bucks? All the high tech stuff in cars and trucks are making it really expensive when that stuff breaks down. But it is nice, (some of it). Stan

Has anyone out there camped in or have any knowledge of the Florida Water District Management Campgrounds? I have been combing through their web sites and it is kind of a chore to find the kind of information that we come to expect from the state and national park systems. We are planning a trip in late January, and since the Keys are out of the question, we thought the FWDM campgrounds would be a good option. We are considering something in the South Florida Water Management area. Still in the planning stages, so would appreciate any info anyone has on these areas. Stan

Bruce, I use a Dodge Durango to pull my Oliver, mainly since my wife didn't want a pickup. It has 5he 5.7 V8 Hemi and I am very happy with it. The downside is, it doesn't have the ground clearance that a PU has, but it has not been a problem so far. With the lower profile, it's a little easier to get in and out. We looked at the Jeep, but for whatever reason they are more expensive. Stan

Will you get a break on your insurance premiums? Seems like you should. Stan

When we had that problem, we stopped at the plant on our way to moving to VA, and they replaced the cell boost power supply. We were not getting any lights, works ok now. Oh, when you turn it on, don't forget to turn it off when you leave the trailer, it is a power hog. Stan

Probably will not make Quartzsite, but hope to make the Oliver Rally in May, then head up to our reunion with sibs the first of June, just east of Portland. We have not done any planning for that trip yet, but there seems to be an increasing number of Oliver owners on the west coast. Would be nice to meet up with some next summer. Stan

As were hooking up the trailer the other day, the jack motor was working fine until, it wasn't. We went to lower the tongue and there was no power from the switch. I had no way to check for current, so took the switch out and went to Advance Auto to haver the switch checked. They were of no help so went to Camping World and they checked the switch and said it was ok. Guess the next step is to check the motor. Anyone have any experience with this? I spoke with Jason and he suggested we check the switch, which we did, then the motor. We are getting current, since the light works, and the fuse looks ok. Stan

Darn, another great idea I didn't come up with. Stan

When I still had a pickup, I would put one foot on top of the real tire and climb over the side. Always worked pretty good. Stan

Bill, The only pics I got were some nice sunrise pics from the beach. Ponies would wander through the camp looking for any goodies, and having had horses for 40 years, no need for any pics. Did get to go out with the Ranger for some kayak fishing in the Chesapeake out of Kiptopeke State Park. About wore my old butt out paddling against the incoming tide and wind, but it was fun. Stan

I too use a wash and wax, it will keep a nice shine on. When I was still driving truck, we would get that stuff in 55 gallon drums, we would wash our trucks every week and they always looked good. It's funny, your trailer don't look that dirty, but after a wash and wax, you are surprised how good it looks. Yeah, it's hard to not just keeping looking at it. Last week we on the Virginia Eastern Shore, so when we got back, I hit every inch of the Durango and Ollie with fresh water to wash off any salt residue that may be on it. Still some good weather, so we are looking for one more fall trip to southern VA. What do you think, anyone want to join us? Stan

And don't forget the mechanism where the crank handle fits in to extend the awning. Mine was making a loud noise and a little shot of WD40, actually I used a lube spray they use for garage doors. It quieted right down. Stan

We were camped at Assateague National Seashore, then this morning sat on the beach for the sunrise. Very cool. Stan

Raspy, Started reading your story on tractorsbynet, very interesting. I used to be on tractorsbynet a number of years ago, but not lately, even forgot my user name and password, plus I sold the tractor when we moved to VA. Stan

Bill, We are heading to Assateague Island National Seashore tomorrow. Even this late in the season, could not get space on weekend. Need to get some seashore time in. Stan

First of all, you still have some good camping weather, too early to shut it down. If there are some cold nights, before we want to winterize, just set the thermostat to about 40 degrees and open some of the hatches to let warm air down below, and don't worry about it. Stan

That's great, always good to hear news like that. We were just the opposite, our schedule slipped from early October to the first part of November, so missed the October great camping weather. By the time we got home a wicked cold front came through and the temps were close to zero, real bummer. Enjoy your first trip. Stan

Bummer, when we stopped at the plant, on the way to VA., they said they could not do the mod at that point. Bill, hope you had a good time in the trout streams. Stan

We have the king size model, and while it's doable, I kind of wish we had went with the twin bed model. We keep the bed made up all the time, it's too much trouble taking it down every day, you do lose the walk way between the 2 beds. On the other hand you have the space under the bed to store stuff. Stan

I mostly use the laptop, and if you go to the forum drop down, you can click on recent topics. Stan

I did not realize they were making the door with a clear window. Ours is totally frosted. Actually I would like to have a small section clear, so you could see who is at the door when someone knocks. Stan

When I was still working, we got a bonus quarterly, on how clean we kept our trucks. The company provided this soap/wax in 50 gallon drums, that mixed with water. We washed our trucks every week and it really kept the paint job shinny and new looking. Since I retired and moved, I don't have access to this product, nor do I remember the name of it, but I think a like product is available in the auto parts stores. It does keep a nice shine on and it's easy to use. Just wash your trailer. Stan

Larry, Shucks, we missed out on your invitation a couple years ago, due to weather and delays you encountered getting back from your tour, plus we had some electrical problems that took us to the plant instead. Now we just moved to VA and trying to get settled in. Will look forward to it another time. Stan

We were at the plant last Wednesday and brought up the water situation with Jason. He said there was some hoops to jump through to get it approved by whoever approves that stuff. he thought it would have to be a DIY mode for now. We did get a set of the new style LP gas cover clamps, which will be a DIY project. Hated the old ones, just too hard to deal with. Stan