MAX Burner

We've got the Katadyn Expedition base camp filter. Super heavy duty and not light weight (about 12lbs); fairly compact.

HA! That’s exactly how we do it! Great minds…, rights?👍🏼😎

Awesome write-up, Frank! We've been using Berkey Water Filters in our campers for years. Our house water is supplied by an artesian well and tastes great without any weird smell to it - so that's what we start of with on our camping trips. For the Ollie, we like the Travel Berkey - smallest one they make (19"H x 7.5"W), and easy for carrying in the Oliver, we move it around but it usually lives on the night stand. We typically don't drink from the fresh water system but I'm sure we've cooked with it. The Berkey system is simple - no moving parts, gravity drains. Here's a pic off their website: So it holds 1.5gal and can filter up to 2.75g/hr depending on how frequently it's filled. This feature makes the it a great solution for emergencies when your water source is questionable. Like you, we keep our rig watered, fueled, and loaded with dedicated kit just in case something "HTF". We like to keep the fresh water tank as sanitized as possible - so it gets treated 2-3x annually. We also carry a Katadyn KFT Expedition pump filter - works great when the situation presents itself. Water is the next "gold", IMHO.

Our 2017 H#226 has one - don't know if they come pre-wired unless it was a requested option from the factory buy...

Couple drops of Blue Locktite on the threads should keep those screws where they need to be...

Yeah, this plastic edging treatment is very useful. Now that I've read Patriot's post, I wish I got more - I will anyway this stuff is cheap from Amazon. Totally a friction fit, FYI. Ollie On!

That would be the Oliver Factory solution for a junction box for my rear jack switches...

After replacing the protective strip around the “dog house” LPG tank cover, I realized I ordered enough for the spare tire cover. So after removing the cover when accessing the tire, I can place it flat on any surface without dinging the edge on sharp rocks or debris. It may seal the compartment a bit better now also.

Your closet upgrade is fantastic! I'm thinking it's begging for a nice secure wine rack! Ha! Heck -- a few bungie cords over the top of the bottles... Might work?

OK - this is a great thread with a lot of stellar ideas! Thanks to all the contributors! That said, we've always loved a good fire whenever we're camping (RV, car, or backpacking). The options are out there depending on what you're doing. Since we've gotten a bit "long in the tooth" lately, it's been more RV camping than the others. Since RV camping obviously takes you into a variety of venues which, as noted above, may or may not allow wood burning. So, we give ourselves options, right? For camping areas where wood burning is allowed, we'll typically use the provided fire ring and enjoy sipping that Mezcal with all that smokey/crackling wood. When we can't burn wood - it's the Outlander for us. We love that piece of kit! With a dedicated 20# LPG tank and 12' hose - we put it wherever is convenient. The Mezcal works well with the Outlander, for sure and for certain. But our other option is the SoloStove. They're available in 3 or 4 sizes - we have an intermediate size called, "The Ranger." It'll efficiently burn 13" pieces of wood which I cut in advance of the RV trip - it really cranks out the heat as well. The SoloStove comes with an available pellet tray - very cool option! We can get 2+ hours of fireside Mezcal sipping & Macanudo burning with a stove-load of pellets. The unit is half the size of the Overlander and no lava rock dust in the back of your TV. So, where we're allowed to burn wood/pellets, it's our "go to" option. Suggest checking them out!

Concur 100% - these are the only "Snap Caps" I'm familiar with. Got 'em all the popular sizes - very handy for keeping those perishable skills honed, ha!

OBTW: Just curious - what are y'all using to plug the drill holes for the mount screws besides white latex caulk?

Hey, Mossey: I'll split the cost with you for the 2" hole plugs! I'll only need one, at least, for now... Thanks, brother!

I'm in the process of replacing the corner "pole" mount with the newer "flip-up" mount and moving it to a centered position. We didn't like the "always down" positioning - it seemed to be in the way of whoever is using the starboard (street) side rack. But we really like the flip-up feature of the newer mount since we don't watch much "tube" these days and can stow it away in the "UP" position. I replaced the original TV unit because the integrated DVD was INOP. The new tube is a smart TV with all the bells and whistles, but still a 24" diagonal viewing area. I'm liking Charlie's (CnC's) idea of using a WHITE cord cover - I'll do the same. I can send pix in a subsequent post - if anyone's interested.

We were coming back to the Great Southwest after a month on the road to Key West, and running Goodyear Marathon/Chinabombs we experienced our first and only (knock on wood) right rear tire failure. We run TPMS, which worked perfectly, but a catastrophic failure happens in a couple dozen micro-secs. On a smooth secondary road in good WX, didn't hear anything - but we felt a slight tug and pulled over to inspect. What was left of the tire looked like a "ghost" - only belts and chunks of tread rubber, totally see-through. Fortunately, the relatively slow speed (25-30mph) may have helped to save the wheel well and we didn't experience any significant secondary damage. Limped over to a Discount Tire a few miles away and bought 5 Michelin RIBs. Thanks to having a spare axle!

We had the dark blotches on our window glaze also...(1st pic) Judging by the debris found in the track, it appears the PO never cleaned the glaze or removed them to clean the tracks (we've only owned our Hull #226 for a few weeks, FYI.). After soaking in bleach over night most of the blotches were dissolved, but the glazing still didn't look fresh. In addition, over time, the strips tend to shrink which caused 1/4" - 3/8" gaps on either end (see second pic). Decided to replace the glaze strips with new white ones... Could've gone black, but we'll see - maybe change them in a few years, who knows. There's definitely an "inside" and "outside" of the glaze strip to consider when installing. See pic #3 - the longer edge goes toward window ("inside")while the shorter lip orients to "outside." Pic #4: shows new glazing being installed into the window sill track... The plan is to simply keep the glaze strips on a regular maintenance schedule and keep them from "blotching" as long a possible. R&R of the strips was definitely an opportune time to clean out the debris collected in the tracks!

Hey, Ollie - OK, that's hilarious. But as a previous AS owner, I've never encountered what looks like a fairly newish 25-foot Flying Cloud without Worthington tanks and a hitch jack! How did they attach that rig to the VW? Photoshop, maybe? Dunno... Still funny tho!

Hey, SeaDawg: I'll pass on that paint job for awhile - there's way too many items on our "punch list" before a 2-tone job get's to the top of the list... Know what I mean? Regarding previous comment about "driving through sub-freezing conditions to get to warmer WX": We were winter camping in Death Valley at Furnace Springs (about 15 years ago) - I couple pulls in late in a brand new massive Class C coach on a Fruehauf chassis; water draining from multiple points beneath. Terrible sight. They had departed Kalispell many hours before and didn't understand their holding tank heating system (or maybe they didn't know they even had one). In any case, a half dozen or so plumbing fittings freeze cracked enroute and they didn't know there was an issue until hooking up next to us in DV. A nightmare for sure!

I'm thinking a heating pad upgrade for the Ollie is a good idea (if you're into winter/cold camping). Amazon has several options for holding tank heating pads - thermostatically controlled, nominally "ON" about 40F and "OFF" at 68F.... Some of the brands don't get very good ratings, however. Here's one option with a "3-pack" of heat pads: https://www.amazon.com/Heater-Holding-Gallons-Toggle-Switch/dp/B07ZJJ7MB6/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=316H654FZVYJR&keywords=rv%2Bholding%2Btank%2Bheater%2Bpad%2B12v&qid=1679165067&s=automotive&sprefix=rv%2Bholding%2Btank%2Bheater%2Cautomotive%2C150&sr=1-2-spons&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.006c50ae-5d4c-4777-9bc0-4513d670b6bc&smid=A1V7TJOE3FVDYM&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExSVFMOUVOMTE2T1c3JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzg4MTk1SzBLWFJWRlpXUkI2JmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA1NzE0MzFHVEw5Q1hQQkdCQTgmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl&th=1 Just FYI...

😃 Congrats y'all! As former Airstreamers too, we really are impressed with both the wiring and plumbing design. We thought we'd miss the extra 6 or 8 inches in width, but not so much after all... Tows better than our 25-footer, for sure and for certain. Should I assume your connected with an Andersen? Enjoy your trip with your new rig! Best, Art PS: maybe consider some WWII Army Air Corps nose art... ha!

M&C: concur - very interesting. I'm liking the two-tone paint option - wonder if Oliver has ever considered offering a 2-tone???

Mike & Carol - duh! That was easy - thanks again!

Thanks! BTW: where did you find the US Map for your signature block?

Welcome justjames! We recently joined also - Hull #226, we use the Proven Industries coupler lock as well. Good choice. QUESTIONs to the group: 1) What's an efficient and clean way to keep the Andersen chain assembly off the ground when parked? and 2) Where does one find the US map of "states travelled" for the forum signature block?