Mike and Carol

John, I agree with one clarification: the pay and benefits I listed are provided by DoD for active duty and retired. Once someone separates from the military these benefits stop and new benefits are then provided by the VA, not DoD. Some VA facilities are on military installations but most are not. Unfortunately, the VA doesn't run any campgrounds but the Army Corps of Engineers does for the benefit of all! $50/night in metro DC is not bad, comparable to commercial RV parks there. In more rural areas they are cheaper but generally comparable to whatever the local KOA is charging. We stayed there for convenience, close to a DC metro stop and because it is one of the nicer military RV parks. Mike

I cleaned and sealed my gaskets a few months ago and haven't had any bleeding since. I actually removed the screws from the light to get better access to the gasket. It didn't take long and solved the problems. Mike

In general, military installations provide facilities to active and retired as a part of their benefits package. This includes the commissary, PX/BX, golf course, RV park, craft shops, lodging, etc. Active duty usually includes military, national guard, reserves, DoD civilians (civil service) and sometimes contractors. Retired is usually just military, DoD civilians are excluded. DoD civilians are also excluded from using the PX and commissary except overseas. Individual installation commanders have some flexibility, but their priority is to soldiers, sailors and airmen. Excluding veterans who served honorably, but did not retire, is not meant as a slight - upon ETS or resignation the pay and benefits stop. The benefits part of "pay and benefits" has eroded significantly over the years due to funding cuts and changing priorities. Our local supermarket has a better selection than our commissary and comparable prices to the commissary. We use Amazon, Costco and Walmart over the PX. Most golf courses are either closed down or open to the public. Officer Clubs and NCO Clubs have mostly closed down. Even the military RV parks are no bargain, they have to be self sustaining and so their prices will mirror what other parks in the area are charging. Most state parks and COE parks are cheaper. For example, our stay at the Fort Belvoir RV park was $50/night. Hope this helps to clear up some misunderstandings. Mike

This is how we do it, fingerprints are not much of an issue. Same here on both - makes it seem a bit more open and provides just the right amount of light when it's dark. As far as looking at yourself all the time it really isn't the case unless you are deliberately trying to check out your good looks.

My favorites are Allstays and Ultimate US Public Campground Project. RVParkReviews.com is good to see what folks think about various spots. Mike

I believe this is right for most military facilities.

Last year we spent a week in Wash DC and stayed at Fort Belvoir. Nice camp right on the Potomac. Lots of space between sites, big level concrete pads and a very clean laundry. It's a great site for touring DC, close to a major metro station. We've also stayed at Fort Huachuca, AZ, Twentynine Palms, CA and West Point, NY.

We have the mirrored doors and like them a lot. Mike

I carry several 2' lengths of 2X6 in the bed of the truck. They work well for quick leveling. We recently bought some of the yellow Camco legos and have started using them, especially if we're going to be stationary for a while. I still carry the 2X6's because they can come in handy for other tasks. Mike

Glad to hear you're out breaking in your Ollie! We've had good luck with military RV parks. Most are very nice and the price is reasonable. Enjoy NOLA - Mike

I'm 5'11" and the twin is fine. We sleep with our heads at the nightstand. As far as mattress comfort, ours is plenty comfortable. We got the 6" optional mattress and have a 2" foam topper (from COSTCO), same topper we use at home. Agree with Bill on trying to find one to see in person. Mike

John, a Kel-Tec wouldn't be a problem, it's not something that would get frequent use. I've been considering a Judge or Governer with their flexibility on types of ammunition that could be used depending on where we are and what we're doing. Mike

John, nice install and write up. Guns aren't everyone's cup of tea but good insurance when camping "out there". After 40 years in the Army I've had plenty exposure to weapons. But, I still don't have anything for the trailer, something easy to handle but that still packs a punch. Mike

Tom and Karen, welcome to the group! Mike

Good idea, John. I use the jack bubble for a quick estimation of level when setting up. Final leveling is done with a 12" level at various spots, inside and out. After final leveling I readjust the bubble level. Mike

Sweet Crude Travel Center - sounds inviting! At least you got a good meal and good nights sleep. We like to stay a Cracker Barrel's. Also good food, but quiet. I'm sure there aren't many up there! Mike

We're happy with the standard furnace. It was the only option when we ordered. It's pretty quiet and warms things up fast. Mike

When looking for campgrounds I generally look for COE spots first. With the geezer pass the prices are great, often under $10/night. Some have FHU, a lot have water and electricity. Usually off the beaten path, quiet and peaceful. Mike

Frank, welcome. It's a good story and I'd stick with it too. Used trailers do pop up every now and then. Let Anita or Heather in sales know you're interested, sometimes they are the first to know if someone is selling. Good luck! Mike

This is certainly a true statement! We've had a few issues and every one was addressed quickly and to our complete satisfaction. Mike

David and Gail, good list of options, you won't be disappointed with your new Elite II or with the Oliver company. We got pretty much the same options, expect for those that weren't available when we ordered in 2015 (Dexter, tankless hot water, rear view camera). We did not get the wifi booster either because wifi at campgrounds is usually saturated and even if it is boosted will still be frustrating. We use our phones as hotspots with the cell booster and have been happy (we've even streamed NBA games with good results). Agree with Bill on other extras. The port for the propane is handy. Extra hooks are good, or you can go with on command hooks (we have several). We also added 110v outlets near the beds and one in the closet for a hand vac that we keep plugged in. We have a USB outlet on the nightstand to charge our phones at night. We sure enjoyed camping at Table Rock State Park last year! Mike

Hull #135, with the same issue as #178, is operational. Ryan at Blue Sky was good to work with. Oliver uses pretty heavy duty wires (good thing) going into the controller. Because of the way the controller mounts in the box these thick wires are required to bend 180 degrees in about an inch putting excess pressure on the circuit board. Ryan asked me to mail him my controller, they repaired and tested it and sent it right back. Like George, I made a 90 degree bend in each of the four spade connectors which relieved the pressure. All is well. I've learned a great deal about this controller from both the manual and the videos on the Blue Sky web site. Some explanatory pictures: Above is my controller before I disconnected it. I have removed the 4 screws holding it in the box and flipped it over. The four wires (2 red, 2 black) are straight in this picture, but to reinstall it the wires are bent 180 degrees as the controller is flipped over into the box. This is under the driver side bed. The above picture is one that Ryan sent showing the 90 degree bend that relieves the pressure. The above is another picture Ryan sent me showing the connections with the bent spades. Once this was done there was no pressure on the circuit board when putting it back into the box. Thanks to Ryan at Blue Sky and all the folks that posted on this thread. Let the learning continue! Mike

Ed and Marsha, happy Oliversary! We just went over a year last month and are also happy campers. Mike

We've added a lot of miles since this TV relocation, including some off-road miles in the desert at Quartzsite. It makes making the bed easier and prevents any head knocking on the TV when in bed. I'm planning on installing a SiriusXM receiver soon. I think there is room in the area where the Furrion is for the radio. The display can be mounted next to the Furrion. I think the small satellite antenna could be mounted on top of the "Oliver" in the back, routing the wire behind the "Oliver" light, through the overheads to where the Furrion is. I like clean installations and don't want to cause any leak possibilities. I need to check to see what kind of inputs are left on the back of the Furrion. This would allow us to listen to our favorite music stations, news and sports when we're out there away from civilization. The monthly subscription is a fraction of what satellite TV is. Mike

We stayed at Trace State Park just outside of Tupelo on our way to the rally. We had a nice lakeside side, except the lake was drained. We were going to drive by your house and honk but since you were in Utah we just went to Walmart instead! Mike