Mike and Carol

In my 2016 Ram 1500 the back seats folded up and then a platform folded forward to make a flat surface. There was some room under the platform to store small items. The new Ram 1500 model the back seat still folds up but there is no platform to fold forward. Once the seats are up you have a flat floor. No hump in the middle, just a nice flat floor. The seats are split 1/3 and 2/3, so you can fold up one or the other, or both. Mike

Jerry and Kathy, welcome! Glad you’ve had some time in your new Oliver. Maybe we’ll see you at the rally? Mike

I’m sure he is referring to Ramboxes that are on either side of the bed. I like mine, I stow tools, tie downs, lubricants, etc there that I used to carry in tool boxes in the bed. Problem was that they were always under camping stuff that needed to be moved. The back seats in my Ram fold up leaving a large flat storage area.

This is exactly what we do. I found that the paint would wear off so I now use some thin white tape to mark where to stop.

I have not noticed any hull noise either. I’ll be listening next trip. Mike

Ha! The fatigues are easy, combat boots and helmet are another story. 🤣

More details would be helpful. I had a rear jack stuck in the up position, like Steve did. I removed the mattress to access the top of the jack and used the supplied jack handle to lower the jack until the gears caught and then it worked fine. I try not to raise the jacks to the click-click-click position for that reason. Mike

That’s interesting. So BMW uses Google Maps as their factory nav. My Audi S3 has factory nav too, but it is not Google or Apple. I like Google Maps, it finds locations that Apple can’t find. Waze is also a Google product, so it also is able to find remote camping locations that Apple Maps can’t. Good for BMW to realize it’s best to go with an up-to-date all-the-time app like Google Maps.

As an older person on social security I agree with Sherry, the tech is good (mostly). I get a little aggravated with the rain sensing wipers and the adaptive cruise control sometimes, but generally the tech is a plus. The sensors, cameras, displays and ability to control it all is good. My 1971 International Harvester Pickup did have a killer AM radio back in the day, but that was about it. The 12” touchscreen display in my new Ram is excellent along with the ability to control a bunch of vehicle functions. I like it too. Mike

I picked up my new 2020 Rebel just before Christmas. Used the factory Nav on the way home. It was out of date and had to switch to my iPhone. I asked the dealer about it and he said there would be an update sometime this year. ??? My view is that factory nav is not worth what they charge for it. On my IPhone I use Apple Maps, Google Maps and Waze. They are always up to date. With CarPlay I can put them on my 12” display. I also carry a Garmin that I keep up to date. Even the Garmin stuck to my windshield is better than the factory Nav. Mike

Our packing philosophy is “less is more”. We have a minimum amount of kitchen things, it all fits in the two overheads above the kitchen and in the drawers. I have a Tupperware box that lives under the bath side dinette seat that has some hardware, repair parts and odds and ends, we also keep extra paper products there too. My clothes fit above my bed and in the attic, Carols are above her bed in on the two closet shelves. Some cleaning supplies are in the closet. Food in the fridge and pantry. We had a trip a couple of years ago that started Labor Day weekend and went through the end of October from Texas to New York and back for a college reunion at West Point. High 90s when we left. Below freezing before we made it out of New England. We also had to carry attire for the reunion, not normal camping clothes. Beside what was in the trailer, we had a hang up bag in the truck and a large plastic crate in the truck. Early October we switched out the Texas summer clothes in the crate with the cold weather New England clothes. We did this with a trip in January/February from Quartzsite up to Napa with stops at Yosemite and Pinnacles. Nice weather in Quartzsite up to Napa, then cold (teens) on the way home through Pinnacles NP. There are a number of threads here that talk about specific storage ideas, some very good ideas. What you carry is different for everyone. We each have our own styles! Mike

We joined Harvest Hosts last month. I’m hoping to use it this month and next as we travel to CO and AZ. I’ve already checked out some spots in September to get us to the rally in Alabama. We’ll see! Mike

I don’t know why there is so much cable in this picture. The answer is “yes” you can either reduce the amount of cable hanging down by pulling it up into the overhead or securing it. After I moved our TV from the corner to the middle I cabled it so there was enough but not too much. Nothing hangs down below the TV.

When the TV is folded up it really isn’t very noticeable. I think some kind of curtain there would be more obvious, prompting the question “why is there an odd shaped curtain down there over the nightstand”. I’d wait until you get your trailer and see if you think it really needs to be hidden.

This is what we do. I’ve had both cables out to clean and lube. The gate usually closes but we’ve found it a good practice to manually seat it after dumping.

There are those that won’t believe you until you add a picture! We’re headed to AZ and CO the end of July, save us a spot. Mike

I called Xantrex (it’s been a couple of years or so) and they spent an hour or so on the phone troubleshooting various things that I can’t recall. What finally did the trick was to simply power it down totally by disconnecting it from everything and letting it sit for a day. When I hooked it back up all was well. If you call their support number they are very willing to walk you through troubleshooting. Hope this helps! Mike

Our fridge is fine. It has run continuously for 4 and half years. No fails. Worked on propane boondocking at 9,000+ feet. If we’re not boondocking it is on shore power. Haven’t used 12V. I know there are better options out there, but our fridge has been a reliable appliance. Mike

A couple of years ago we bought fitted sheets from ABLifestyles and so we don’t use the elastic bands under the mattress anymore. When we used them, we did not feel the buckles nor did they mar the fiberglass. The ABLifestyles bottom fitted sheet is very tight.

I know that Honda is the gold standard for inverter generators, and about the same price as gold. I had a Champion 3400 duel fuel that I ran on propane. Very quiet. It was an excellent generator for less price than the smaller Honda. Alas, it was a bit heavy (98 lbs). I sold it and bought a Champion 2000 at Tractor Supply. Normally $399 on sale for $349. 37 lbs, same noise figures as the Honda. It’s gasoline only. It will start and run the A/C. We haven’t used it a lot. But last fall at Grand Teton the sunny weather turned cloudy and dark. Our solar couldn’t keep up and we had to run the furnace at night (and during the day), so I was glad I had the little Champion. Mike

Ours is a 2016. At some point they switched to white. We didn’t even think about it when we ordered. As Bill advised, I’d check with the sales office.

In 4+ years we’ve never whacked an ankle. Not even close. We have forgotten to open it (pullout) and had some sink water come up through the floor drain. But ankle whacking has not occurred.

Congratulations! Weather that time of year can vary from nice to real bad. In January we’re usually headed west on I-10 to Arizona. We’ve done I-40 that time of year when it was nice but have also seen snow, especially around Flagstaff. If you go home on 40 there is a nice Texas State Park just south of Amarillo - Palo Duro Canyon State Park. It’s a great place to stay. Mike

We don’t have the Lagun table. It wasn’t available in 2015 and we’ve grown accustomed to our current set up. Since we have mattresses we don’t sit on the beds to eat or do computer work. Eating and computer work is done at the dinette, or more usually, outside. When we read we often use pillows on the bed to form rather comfortable “recliners”. I installed a Sirius/XM receiver that runs through our Furrion so we can get all of our news/weather/music through the speakers. We rarely turn on the TV except for an occasional DVD. I’ve thought about removing it all together. Mike

I’ve thought about removing my swooshes several times over the last couple of years. I’m afraid once I have them off there might be some discoloration left after 4+ years. I removed the front Oliver logo right away to put my big star on and it was very easy and left no tell-tale marks.