Mike and Carol

Howdy from fellow Texans. Welcome to the group. Glad to hear your issue was resolved quickly. I’m sure you wish you had some of that cool weather these days after this heat wave we’re enduring. We spent June and July in Colorado, heater ran every night! Mike

Last summer while in Colorado we camped in State Forest State Park just north of Rocky Mountain NP. We were at 9,100 feet and boondocking. All propane appliances worked as advertised, furnace, fridge, hot water and cooktop. Blackstone, Weber and Outland fire pit also worked fine while we were there. I was worried the furnace might not kick on but it did and kept us warm after the sun went down. Mike

No. We don’t drink from the fresh tank. We carry drinking water separately. Mike

Welcome to the forum! Like you, we are first time RV owners. When we started looking in 2014 we went to a lot of RV shows and Airstream dealers since we thought we wanted an Airstream. I learned about Oliver on the Airstream forum. We saw one locally, visited the factory and were convinced Oliver was the one. We both retired earlier than we thought we would at 62 but don’t regret it a bit. We’ve been all around the US, visited most National Parks and a lot of Monuments. Our Oliver has become a second home over the last 8 years. Get a factory tour. Look at other RV makers and do your own comparison. Retire and hit the road! You may not feel comfortable with your knowledge about the RV life, but experience will fill in the gaps quickly. One unique aspect about Oliver is that the family owned company stays involved with owners. Oliver leadership folks attend the annual rally and enjoy spending time with Oliver owners. Customer support is great. This forum is also a great resource for help and support. Good luck! Mike

Congrats on the sale! Best of luck with your future travels, please keep us up to date here…. Mike

There was a discussion here 3 or 4 years ago about using a padlock on the battery tray to prevent someone who crow-barred the door open from sliding the tray out, making it that much more difficult to remove the batteries. Drill through the frame and tray and secure with a good padlock. It’s been on my list to do…. Mike

Mine shrunk too. I keep the gap on the top of the window so there’s coverage at the bottom. Other than that, the rubber is in good shape. Once it starts to deteriorate I’ll also replace (with the original black). Mike

There has been discussion about this on the forum and some folks have replaced their white molding with black. Someone who has done it should have the supplier, or a quick inquiry to Oliver service should also help. This is part of our periodic maintenance, 3 or 4 times a year they all come out and into a bucket. Window tracks are cleaned and clean molding put back. Looks like the previous owner wasn’t much into maintenance or preventive maintenance!

Same here. A manual awning offers simplicity and reliability.

Seems like there should be a gasket in there. I don’t use the small cylinders, camping I put the Blackstone on the trailer QC and at home I use a 20lb tank. Maybe someone who uses the cylinders can comment. Mike

We just got back from a couple of months in Colorado. No matter what the weather forecast is, never leave your site with the awning out or go to bed with the awning out. Wind and storms can pop up any time, even if not forecasted! It’s a general rule for us that the awning is in when we’re gone or in bed. Same thing for west Texas and parts of AZ and NM. Mike

It’s nice to know that you are getting #113 back in to shape. Regular cleaning and maintenance goes a long way with an Oliver, some 2016’s still look and feel new. Mike

I would think so. There are others that run with 2 lead acid batteries. Someone more technical might have the “best way” advice. Mike

When I used the Andersen with three previous trucks (Tacoma and two Ram 1500s) I was usually at about 24” +/- a quarter. It doesn’t have to be exact, somewhat depends on your truck suspension. I have to agree with John, 18.5” seems a bit off. Maybe a picture might help? Mike

Always interested in modifications and installs even if I don’t do it! I did move our TV from the corner to under the attic years ago (2017 I think, I posted what I did on the forum somewhere back then). We used to watch DVD’s in the evening but now we settle in with a good book, haven’t had the TV on in 3 or 4 years. I did install a Sirius/XM receiver in the attic with the antenna in the back between the insulation and the outer shell. I have it wired in to the Furrion you show above. We get news and music just about anywhere without worrying about cell coverage. Mike

I need to do the same. Haven’t used it in years. For us, Sirius/XM is enough. Mike

We’ve been using the 17” Blackstone when camping for several years. No lid. I do have a cover that fits pretty well. It needs to be covered, not necessarily for varmints but because dust, leaves, twigs, etc will end up on the cooking surface. In areas where bears are present I put the grill in the bed of the truck under the tonneau cover. Other areas I’ve never had an issue with critters getting under, or through, the cover. I just ensure it’s clean after use and we’ve been fine. At home I use a 22” Blackstone (with cover) that sits outside and no issues either.

Wow! That’s quite a set up, I’ll bet some tasty dishes have been created there. I’m more of a caveman, steak on the grill with a veggie, glass of wine, voila - dinner. Mike

I agree 100%. We had some issues our first couple of years. Once we got those corrected it’s been smooth sailing since. Things still need to be tightened, lubed, adjusted or replaced but that’s to be expected because we tow and camp all around the country. Mike

Same for 135.

We almost retired in AZ having lived in Sierra Vista a couple of times. Our daughter graduated from NAU in Flagstaff and we have good friends in Payson, Tucson and Sierra Vista. We actually prefer AZ weather of TX weather, especially during this heat wave! Mike

Boerne is our town. Hearts Home is a nice shop. My brother owns a restaurant on Main Street (Hauptstrasse) just a block off the town square. We frequent Kerrville and Fredericksburg quite often. Mike

We’ve towed about 40K miles with a Ram 2500, no Andersen, no sway. We also towed 50K miles with Ram 1500s, with Andersen, also no sway.

We lived in France a couple of years (total of 12 years in Europe) and Citroen’s were everywhere, big ones and small ones. We owned a Peugeot while there, actually quite nice. Mike