Mike and Carol

Malcolm, thanks for mentioning this to Jason. My first streaking occurred at Land Between the Lakes just 2 days after pickup during a rain storm. No salt in the air between Hohenwald and LBL. We've never been to the beach or close to salt water or the coast. I wash it after every trip. Our storage is under cover. The streaking happens during rain or whenever I wash it. Maybe those of us with this issue need to let Jason know about it. The rubber gasket acts like it is old and deteriorating. Mike

Bill, I have thought about making my own gaskets as well. Can't be too difficult, the old ones can be the template. Just need to have the right material. Let us know what you find, I'll be researching too. Mike

Buzzy, great information! Finding the right canine companion is a very personal endeavor and I like your thoroughness. We are dogless right now. We had a German Shepherd and my mother (lives next door) is on her 5th or 6th German Shepherd. My parents always used a reputable breeder and have had great dogs. We went from a German Shepherd to a Bichon Frise (a small 9 lb ball of white fluff). My dad used to call her the pseudo-dog. No shedding, great little companion and easy to travel with. Our grand dogs are rescue dogs. When our son and his wife were deployed to Afghanistan we kept them for 2 years. These dogs are obviously mixed breed but are smart and great companions (and free). Here's a pic from when we had them last month for a couple of weeks. Good luck on finding a new companion. Little Buzzy will always be a special memory and your new one will be a new adventure! Mike

I've been using regular car wash when I wash it. On our trip home from picking up we had rain and that's when I first noticed this and that was just 3 days after pick up. It's the rubber gasket because after I wash it I have to wipe the black off and if my microfiber towel contacts the gasket it gets black. After it's all dry I usually go around and wipe the streaks off. We've been traveling for a couple of weeks now and have had rain and hail, so besides just being dirty I have streaks under each light. The rubber should be more durable. We'll be home in a week or so and will get everything cleaned up. May try to find some kind of rubber conditioner or sealer, unless someone has a better solution. Mike

The black gaskets around all of my porch lights bleed black whenever they get wet. Does anyone else have this problem? Considering they are fairly new and under cover when not out on the road it doesn't seem possible they could be breaking down already. Thoughts?

I called today. Did the same - 4 nights (4th-7th). Should be fun!

That's going to look great! Very unique. I see you've got the same squeegee I used. Hardest part was getting it where we wanted it, straight and centered. Go slow and take the backing off as you go. Cant' wait to see it mounted. Mike

Pete, that's a classic picture. You should frame and hang it! Looking forward to meeting Bosker.... Mike

...especially with the snow all around!

Will be anxious to see pictures! Sounds like another unique Oliver. Mike

I think an Oliver being pulled by a Raptor will be a sight to see. It's a nice truck! Mike

Another good looking Oliver in progress. You are getting close! Mike

Glad to hear about start dates! Custom graphics are fun, but there is also a certain elegance to an all white Oliver with no graphics. Mike

"Speed The maximum speed for a towing vehicle in Texas is 70 mph -- on the interstate -- unless posted otherwise. Under code 545.352, that's only in the daytime; it applies to passenger vehicles and light trucks pulling small trailers less than 26 feet long, carrying a boat, motorcycle or animals. For such small trailers, the nighttime maximum is 65 mph. For other kinds of trailers, such as fifth wheels, the maximum daytime speed is 60 mph, and that maximum drops by 5 mph at night. Common sense trumps the posted speed limit: If it's foggy, and you're still traveling at 55, the police can cite you for dangerous driving." I've seen lots of big 5th wheels on the interstates doing 70mph. I keep my speed at 65 or less, even in west Texas where the speed on the interstate is 85. Traffic lights are normal, red=stop, green=go. ?

Buzzy, sorry to hear about Little Buzzy. Losing a companion is hard, keeping the memories is good! Mike

Older might be better than bigger (coming from a recently retired "older" guy).?

? I need to hijack this thread for just a minute for a quick discussion about Texas mountains....? Head over here: http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/big-bend-national-park-texas/ for my post about our visit to Big Bend National Park, Texas. Here's a view from near the top of Lost Mine Trail at about 7,000 feet: On the way up: Big Bend would be a great place for a future Oliver Rally. We'll be at Guadalupe Mountains National Park, TX next week. We've been through North Carolina and the mountains are beautiful. We haven't camped there, but it is high on our list. Now, back to welcoming Marshall and Jeanette!! Mike

Marshall and Jeanette, welcome! We're just north of San Antonio near Boerne. If you get up this way and want to see an Oliver just let me know. Mike

The trailer looks nice from the outside. The inside is very "70's", a little over the top.

This sounds like fun. Will be interested to hear how it goes. We stayed at Hillman Ferry Park at Land Between the Lakes. Great place. A fall meet somewhere?

Nice work there, Steve. Can't wait to see it in person. Mike

We've been thinking about and planning trips for 2017. It might be interesting to see where fellow Oliver owners are thinking about going in the months ahead. Might be some chances to cross paths. Here's what we're thinking... Jan - weather permitting we're going to Carlsbad NP and Guadalupe Mountains NP. Then, we'll head to southern AZ. Feb - will try to make it to the Quartzsite Gathering in AZ then on to Joshua Tree NP. Mar - not sure Apr - The Bluebonnet rally in Bandera TX is the end of the month and is less than an hour away. Then on to.... May - Oliver Rally. Then, we're looking at heading to Asheville, NC and then back to TX via state parks in north GA, AL, MS and AR. Summer - local trips. Fall - we'd like to do all the great sites in Utah. We'd also like to do the Oregon and Washington coasts. Where's everyone going in 2017?

The Jensen speakers that came with our Oliver are average. For watching TV or background music they are fine as long as the volume isn't too high. For watching a DVD movie, they are adequate if you're not needing a lot of volume or bass. If I had no need for a TV/radio/DVD I would eliminate the entire system and go with a portable. I bought a portable unit (can't recall the brand, it's in the trailer) at COSTCO that has good sound, is waterproof, charges via USB or 12V, is rugged and has a handle on the end. When I'm outside grilling, my iphone is my music server and it connects to the portable speaker via Bluetooth. I often use it inside as well. I've found that the Furion unit in the trailer is a bit finicky when it comes to connecting with Bluetooth. At first I thought it might be a good idea to have speakers on the outside of the Oliver but now I'm convinced a portable unit is the way to go. It can be positioned where it is needed and can face the trailer when sitting outside to minimize disturbing neighbors. Mike

We had issues with two overhead doors opening while traveling on our first trip. I found that adjusting the position of the door on the hinge solved the problem. We use the one finger method for opening and closing to keep our mirrors clean(er). If someone finds a new latch let everyone know! We also had a problem with the drawer in the nightstand. One of the plastic catches inside the slide mechanism broke and I had to tape the drawer shut while traveling. Tommy sent me a new mechanism and the problem was solved. I remember that someone removed and painted the window frames to match the white fiberglass. I've thought about doing that also. Really don't like the off white color. Looks like an add on. Mike

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and we look forward to seeing many of our Oliver friends in 2017! Mike