Mike and Carol

I’m reading two issues here - winterization and batteries. Storing in PA or VA you’ll have to winterize. Storing in CA or AZ it depends. Where in CA or AZ? Both have regions where you would need to winterize. On my trailer when I had AGMs, Blue Sky solar controller and PD 4045 converter I just left the trailer plugged into a 20a outlet for up to 3 months and the batteries stayed charged. I don’t know about the current set up with the Zamp hardware or if it even makes a difference. If it is just in storage a normal 110 outlet should be fine if the trailer is just sitting there without anything being used. I’m sure an electrical guru will chime in on this! Mike

You should make reservations for weekends, most state parks get full on weekends. During the week there is better availability. Mike

An Oliver employee pulled that trailer to a rally a few years ago (before rally’s were moved to Alabama). The front was black, looked like a spray on bed liner and didn’t look bad. I’m sure it’s good protection. Mike

As Ralph said, it’s a big state. In the east you have tall trees and rolling hills, west is desert and mountains, north you have some big cities and more severe weather, south is warmer and access to beaches. Here in the middle/south generally nice weather and some big hills. Lot’s of good state parks. It depends on what you want to do and how long you want to stay at a location. Let us know what you prefer or are looking for. Mike

Don’t expect perfection. Your Oliver will be better built than about any other brand trailer out there, but will probably have a glitch or two. Mine did, I posted about it years ago, got it fixed (at Olivers expense) and have been camping trouble free since. Oliver doesn’t censor this forum, it’s all about owners helping owners here. Mike

There are others that can go farther back in Oliver history than I can but when we started looking 2015 there were very few Olivers on the road. Time on the “assembly line” was longer. There were not nearly as many units for service to work on. So, flexibility for mods and service projects was there. As Oliver went from one hundred trailers then to 1,000 or more now it resulted in that flexibility necessarily going away. I think you’ve got it figured out. Mike

Welcome to the forum. The main difference between new and old Olivers are the non-Oliver components (fridge, solar controller, microwave/convection, etc). The frame and body are pretty much unchanged over the years. Lots of experienced members here so feel free to ask any questions. Mike

I’ve never owned a Chevy truck… I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the truck manufacturers. I’ve owned Toyotas (2), Fords (3), Rams (3) and International Harvester (‘71 - a classic). All were good, I’m sure a Chevrolet or GMC would be good as well. In the current market you may not have a lot of choice, if it has the features and comfort you’re looking for it will be fine. Mike

Do a search on TPMS and you’ll find other threads over the years. I haven’t heard anything bad about the Tire Tracker and have been happy with my TST, so I don’t think you can go wrong either way. Mike

Our trailer came with a Blue Sky controller and Zamp panels, so it’s not an issue of mixing brands. I believe they went with the Zamp controller because it was simple to use and lithiums weren’t an option at the time. Mike

We don’t use a Dutch oven, we mostly grill on the Weber or Blackstone and keep meals very simple. We don’t have a convection oven but use the microwave occasionally to warm things up. Mike

If we have no other option (vault toilet or other) we can stretch it out to 4 maybe 5 days.

You haven’t mentioned where you might want to be camping. If you stay in Florida you should be okay with a Ranger. If you head north into the mountains in north GA and the Carolinas you will be less fine. Mountains and elevation in the west will be much more challenging. Payload capacities for trucks on the lot are usually much less than what is advertised. Once you add any options the payload decreases. I don’t know what the gas tank size is for a Ranger, but figure about 12 mpg at best and see how far you can go. Yes, you can always upgrade but probably at a higher cost than just starting out with a half ton. Have you considered an F150 or other brand 1500 without all the bells and whistles? Of course Oliver says you will be fine with a Ranger. “Fine” means a properly equipped Ranger will pull and Oliver. Again, a smaller truck means more work, less margin for error, less payload, less range. The decision needs to be what’s best for you and your current situation. If it’s a Ranger, go for it! Don’t let a truck decision spoil your Oliver acquisition process…. Mike

Wish it was more. It’s our limiting factor when boondocking.

My trailer weighed right at 5100 lbs with full 30lb propane tanks but empty water tanks when it came off the factory floor. Add water and our stuff and we’re close to 6000 lbs. If you are getting a new truck I would look larger than a Ranger. It’s a nice truck but you’d be at the towing limits and would not be enjoying the ride while towing, especially in areas that aren’t level. I started with a Tacoma and quickly upgraded to a half ton. Now I’m in a 2500. The difference? Towing is much less work, driving range is increased and what I carry in the truck (payload) is not a concern. Gas tank size and payload capacity should be major factors in your decision. Mike

We’ve been using the TST TPMS for 5 years or so and have been happy with it. No repeater necessary. Mike

We each have differing thoughts on how to use our trailers. We bought ours to use and go wherever we want whenever we want. I’ve got some nicks and chips on the front from gravel roads and I have a less than pristine undercarriage due to some snow driving. But, we’ve had fun and our 6 year old trailer still looks new and will continue to be used for travel adventures. We had someone walk by while we were in Branson last month and asked about the age of our Oliver, when I told them they were surprised it wasn’t new - and that was with bugs on the front and mud and dirt on the sides after traveling through Colorado and northern New Mexico. These trailers are sturdy and clean up well! Just go camping!! Mike

Wow! Glad you are okay. Will be very interested in what might have been the cause! Mike

Our son in Colorado (born in Honolulu) has a 2021 Power Wagon and is towing a 23’ No Boundaries trailer. He doesn’t use a WDH and has had no problems towing all around Colorado and Utah. You should be fine without the Andersen. We used an Andersen with our other smaller trucks, but with our Ram 2500 it really isn’t needed at all. If you aren’t going to boondock much the AGM batteries should be fine. We used them for 5 years while boondocking a lot with no issues. Mike

We have 30lb tanks. A 30lb tank has 7 gallons of propane. A 20lb tank has 5 gallons of propane. Not a lot of difference. The 30lb is heavier and difficult to lift over the tank enclosure when full. I usually get on a step to help get it over the lip. Bill’s points are valid about getting a 20lb tank filled or exchanged at many more locations than a 30lb. We’ve never run out of propane. I have had one tank go empty a few times and we switched to the full until we got home. That’s for a 4 to 6 week trip in the winter. I’m not sure I’d go with 30 pounders if I went back in time when we were ordering. I’ve got a couple of 20lb tanks around I use for grills and fire pits. When it comes time to replace the larger tanks I’ll probably go with 20lb tanks. Mike

Spanning the area between the twin beds doesn’t take advantage of the full space since the nightstand is there. Plus, there is the issue of cushions/mattress to make the area level. The “Twin Bed Conversion” post above is mine and after a year or so of experimenting with it we don’t really use it anymore, at least not the last couple of years. We don’t have big dogs, but it might get a little crowded with a big dog in a twin (30”) bed. Mike

Interesting hot water tank location. Does that give a pass through storage in the back?

Chris’s, welcome! Looks like you got a collectors item with Hull 45. Here we are in 2021 and side by side folks would be challenged to tell any difference between yours and a new trailer rolling out of the factory. It would be interesting to know if after you detail it, or get it detailed if the shine comes back! Mike

I’ve shown our trailer a couple of times in the last month or so. Once at home and once while camping. My risk assessment is that the risk is very low. We enjoy meeting like minded people and being able to help folks in their decision making process. YMMV. Mike

I think what I have is the Easy Start. It’s the one that was being installed at the early rally’s. I had Oliver install mine a few years ago. Mike