Mike and Carol

Yep, put it in the middle with chairs around and it is quite cozy even in really cold weather!

We also have the Outland fire pit. It keeps our clam toasty warm in cold weather on low. Highly recommend! Mike

We don’t drink out of our fresh tank. I pretty much do what John does, I leave the tank (sometimes a month or two between trips) and top off with fresh water letting it overflow for a few minutes. I do the bleach thing once a year or so. Mike

JD is usually John Davies. See his post above.

I wouldn’t drain it for only a week. I’d leave it half full then fill it when you start using it again. I’ve stored mine for a month or more with a full tank and no issues. Mike

Mike and Carol, 2016 #135 Dometic 13.5 106 degrees in full sun on low kept us cool My next AC will not be as large.

Pete, @bugeyedriver, told me about this shop. Boerne is a small town but with several mega RV dealers with repair shops. Our shop is very small, husband/wife operation and they do great work.

We’ve had several warranty things done locally and reimbursement by Oliver was not an issue. We have a local repair shop here that does work on several Oliver’s, one a 2008 Elite that he’s been servicing for a long time. Mike

We went sideways for a few years. I just figured how to pack around it! We’ve found we use the clam much more in cool/cold weather. It goes up quick and comes down quick. Mike

We’ve got a Ram 2500 with a 6’ 4” bed, so it fits with a few inches to spare. When we had a 1500 with the shorter bed it went in diagonally, wasn’t too much of an issue depending on how much stuff you carry in the bed. Mike

I PMed Buzzy earlier this year just to see how he was doing. He said he was well, still has is Oliver and is still camping, mostly NH, VT and ME. Mike

We have the 5 sided Clam, brown with the tan top. We also have removable side panels which work great in cold weather. We put our Outlander fire pit in the middle and the Clam stays warm even in cold weather. We can easily fit 6, 8 if we get real friendly. It is not too big for me to handle alone and fits in our truck bed end to end.

You must take two pair of socks then, too.

I’ve experienced wet socks more than once! It’s one of those checklist items that gets left out when your setup routine is interrupted. The good news is that if it’s closed and you run water in the bathroom sink you will quickly realize what you forgot to do! Mike

The gray and fresh tanks are both very flat. Any amount of “unlevelness” will affect both filling a draining. Like Bill said, it’s a good idea to raise the front of the trailer if you really want to ensure the gray tank is empty. If the back flow gate was closed before you left there shouldn’t be any gray water in the shower. Mike

That’s the plan! We’ve been going to AZ every January for a number of years and ventured up to NV one year, southern CO one year and southern Utah one year. We were visiting Napa a few years ago at the end of January/early February. On the way home, we headed south and camped at a COE campground about 45 minutes from Yosemite. There was a warm front in the area and we headed over to Yosemite only to find it nearly empty except for the Rangers. Temps were mid 60s and dry weather, no snow. We basically had the park to ourselves. After we left the snow came and the temps dropped severely. Flexibility is key! Mike

I’ve been surprised that my 2 Lithiums have provided plenty of power. They rarely get below 70% by morning and recharge quickly. I’m still debating on whether to add a third.

Nick, it would be helpful to know what you will be towing with. I towed my LEII with at Tacoma, two half tons and now a 3/4 ton. All were different, each with different considerations. In general, Olivers are very well behaved. I’ve never experienced any sway with any of my trucks, even in wind being passed by big 18 wheelers. Mike

Kind of like driving highway 550 down to Durango? I stood in the open door of a C-130 at 1200 feet more than once before making an exit. I still hate heights! Mike

I used the Oliver provided hose for a year or so. It’s now back up. I got a Valterra hose that scrunches up to about 5’ and stays there when not using it. That was 4 or 5 years ago. I might have removed it once but it’s been attached for years. Mike

I hate heights!! Even though I used to jump out of perfectly good aircraft for a living once upon a time. Those climbs can be exhilarating and I would do it in a hearbeat. Zion is the only park we haven’t been to in southern Utah. I’m thinking we might go in January when we’re in AZ unless it’s too cold. I checked the campgrounds and there are plenty of spots available. Mike

I’m with Steve…. We leave our hose connected all the time. No issues. Mike

I need to know your secret to keeping your trailer so clean even after driving in snow! Great pictures and it sounds like a great trip so far. We have enjoyed all of our HH stays, it’s a great option for an overnight while traveling to get somewhere. Thanks for posting and let us know about the rest of the trip! Mike

A proper gentleman also needs a tufted leather ottoman and side table for drink, cigar, etc. Glamping is a thing!

That’s the way they do it. I have it set for the top half to be CarPlay and the bottom half for media. Sometimes I wish I could use the whole screen for CarPlay but can’t. I can use the whole screen for media, factory GPS (worthless) or any other native Ram function. It’s easy enough to switch the bottom half from media to controls, apps, cameras, etc with just one touch, so that is nice.