rideandfly

Canoe 12, We fish at a wildlife club in NC with a small private lake where a fishing license is not required. Sometimes we purchase an annual SC fishing license while camping in SC. Is there a national fresh water fishing license? Read about a petition for a Seniors National Fishing License. Would be nice to have so we could post photos of fish caught around the nation in front of our Ollie. Thanks,

Wishing Everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Just returned from camping at Lake Wateree State Park SC. Took our Kayaks for the first time while camping with the Ollie. High temps 60s and 30s at night.

Reed, Checked/tightened the hose clamps on the black and grey water lines under the dinette seat this morning. Saw a couple drops of red RV antifreeze under the grey water line and a clamp was loose. Guess this is a good reason for using red RV antifreeze in traps and pressure lines, making it easy to spot leaks. Thanks for the tip,

John, We're big fans of ACE campgrounds. When visiting ACE lakes, visit their headquarters and ask for maps and CDs. Also use this recreation/ACE website: https://www.recreation.gov/campgroundDirectoryListByAgencyID.do?contractCode=NRSO&agencyID=70902 Here's a sample of free handouts, the website address on the CD has changed: Hope this helps!

Reed, Here's some old file photos. Photo of what Bill describes, black water drain line on left and grey water drain on right: Here's the back flow valve top left, and black tank valve: Hope this helps!

Grayson, Will post photos of ramp while loading CB on the Tundra when I'm set up. Next, will need to take the rig somewhere camping in SC before spring!!!!!! Thanks, Here's the CB500X, you can also see the smoke from fires in Western NC when the photo was taken:

Mike, Good point! Will be sure the ramp is shaped like Grayson's!!! Will check to be sure the next bike purchase (FJ-09) will clear, too. Thanks! Grayson, Appreciate the information! Don't want to mod the the Tundra suspension, if not needed. Sounds like 12' ramp is the way to go. We're retired and age is always a consideration, so will be going with the overkill approach, too! :)

Grayson, It's a fine little bike that gets up to 70MPG & serves well for solo twisty and fire road riding (no single track). Had a SuperMoto that was a Hoot on twistys, but the CB is easier to stay out of trouble with. It has tubeless 120/70/17 & 160/60/17 tires, works better reducing air pressure for off pavement duty and pumping tires back up for the ride home. Did not consider taking the CB camping until looking at the CB weight and how the CB would fit in the back of the Tundra. It does not have much power for two-up duty, but probably will not ride more than 100 miles per day while camping and will have a better seat built, if needed. Curious if you needed to install air bags or Timbren blocks on the rear differential when hauling the Strom while towing the Ollie? You sit on the Strom while loading & unloading, I always walk beside the bike on a ramp and have not tried sitting on it, yet. Thanks,

Bill and Grayson, We considered an ATC aluminum Toy Hauler before buying the Ollie. In the end our first priority was camping with the Ollie and second priority was taking a motorcycle while camping. We have a Vstrom, but want to transport our smaller Honda CB500X on the 6.5' bed for two-up riding while camping. It's less than 450 pounds wet and should be able to close the tailgate with the CB loaded at 56" wheel base, axle to axle. When I was a teenager, standing in a automobile pit next to a small HD leaning on handle bars while changing motor oil. Pulled too hard on the drain plug wrench and the bike came over on top of me in the pit. No one could hear me, but managed to get the 270 pound HD 250 Sprint up out of the pit off of me. Safety lesson learned! Will check out both ramps posted so far. Thanks,

Bill, Thanks.

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Our first camper was a used Chalet A-Frame camper. Purchased it during 2010 and really enjoyed camping with it. We were camping on Mount Pisgah campground on the Blue Ridge Parkway during 2010 when we saw an Oliver. The owners gave us a complete tour and we really liked it. At that time, Oliver had stopped production and used Ollies were not easy to find. Our Chalet had floor rot, so we decided our next camper would not have wood floors. Purchased an all aluminum 2010 LivinLite CampLite 11 travel trailer next with aluminum sheet interior/exterior walls, aluminum ceiling/roof, aluminum frame, and aluminum tongue & groove plank floors. The 2000 pound CampLite was rugged, but small, so we wanted to move up in travel trailer size. Oliver started building the Legacy Elite II, so we were very interested in buying a Oliver. We scheduled an Oliver plant tour last May 2016. Before heading to TN for the tour, a used 2015 Elite II in MO was posted in this forum's "For Sale" section earlier that week. We went on the Oliver tour on a Thursday, headed to SE MO that afternoon and camped in the used Ollie that night on the owners farm. Purchased the Ollie from the couple in MO the next morning. Chalet A-Frame: CampLite 11: Ollie Rig:

Mike, That's an excellent installation! Nice job!

Started camping in a canvas pup tent in our back yard when about 10 years old. Eventually back packed with the tent to the local woods camping and loved it. We took our daughter tent camping when she was 6 months old on Ocracoke Island NC. Now she is 42 and just purchased their first travel trailer a few months ago. We camp mostly in State Parks and Federal Parks around the nation. Will obtain our Golden Access cards later this year for further discounts. The most expensive campground camped at was a KOA close to Glacier NP MT. As far as planning goes, we found while traveling, some places camped at are not far from great places to visit, so we leave extra time for spontaneous side trips. Try to travel around 200 miles per day keeping the combined fuel/campsite cost under many motel nightly cost. When we stay multi nights, it's far less expensive compared to motels, with beautiful scenery, too. Our camping cost does not include the TV, Ollie, insurance, and maintenance, for some unknown reason! :) We started camping around the lower 48 and love camping with a travel trailer. We enjoy taking too many photos while camping, so here's a few.

These photos help me understand the hot water tank valve operating positions. Color coded hoses, red (hot), blue (cold), and white bypass hose. Looks like a brass check valve installed in the top of the tank with an arrow pointing water flow direction. Here's the hot water tank valve in the standard operating position, cold water flowing into the bottom inlet of the hot water tank and hot water coming out of the top outlet through the check valve to the red hose: Here's the hot water tank valve in bypass position with flow bypassing hot water tank inlet through the white hose to the top outlet with check valve preventing back flow into the tank with flow back to the red hose:

Buzzy, Thanks! Will use the boondocking settings next time when using compressed air through the rear Ollie winterizing fitting. Believe David did the same.

Randy, Used my shop AC and set the line pressure at 35PSI. The garden hose brass fitting thread would not thread completely into any of the Ollie fittings, but using an extra garden hose gasket, tightened the connections completely. Even filed burrs off of some brass threads, but only way I could get an airtight connection was with the gasket. Here's the 12V pump information and close up of the inlet strainer on the 12V pump. Guessing it would draw a little air in at the loose suction strainer, since I would occasionally hear a little air in a faucet when running water system with the 12V pump earlier this year. Fittings to connect to quick disconnect fitting on air hose. Like always I take too many photos including a thermometer shot in the Ollie this morning. We're in the Charlotte NC area.

Appreciate the information shared in this thread. Winterized the Ollie about a month ago with RV antifreeze as per the owners manual. After reading this thread wanted to blow everything out with 35PSI of compressed air, too. We camp every month of the year, so will leave the Ollie winterized until spring. While blowing compressed air through the rear inlet with valves in winterizing positions and faucets open, the red RV antifreeze already in the 12V pump intake bowl, blew out making a mess. Turns out the pump filter/bowl was loose allowing the antifreeze to blow around the loose threads. This bowl is to be hand tightened, probably why I would occasionally hear air in a faucet when operating the 12V water pump drawing in a little air at the bowl. Could not find any damage to the pump or bowl. Should 35PSI of pressure be placed on the 12V pump inlet bowl? Winterize valve positions: 12V pump intake bowl: Fittings purchased from Lowes today to connect to quick disconnect fitting on air hose. Had to use an extra garden hose gasket to make the fitting air tight while connecting to the Ollie's connections:

Craig, Just installed a knife switch on the battery post, top of a battery that breaks negative connection to the trailer. Believe there can be a safer way other than reaching over batteries. I make sure I don't have metal rings or watch on when close to terminals/connections or working on batteries. This switch is rated at 250 amps continuous, and 750 amp surge at 12 volts, as per the seller. The Ollie Barker Jack's highest current draw is 30 Amps per jack, but normally less as per Barker. Would like to eventually mount a different master disconnect switch, but have not had time to work on it, yet. Thought about putting the switch on a check list before connecting TV to trailer, but after thinking about it, cannot operate the tongue jack until the switch is flipped on anyway. If someone is aware of a problem using this switch, please let me know. I don't have solar panels and have two 27 series batteries. https://www.amazon.com/WirthCo-20128-Battery-Disconnect-Terminal/dp/B000CQFWLY/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1481123444&sr=8-3&keywords=battery+knife+switch

Jim, Welcome! Congrats on your upcoming retirement and Oliver purchase. First time we saw an Ollie was during a camping trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway around 2010. The couple invited us in and we loved the Ollie interior. The couple we purchased our Elite II from lived in the Ollie 6 months, while they completed work on a house in FL. Our Ollie is in great shape and shows no signs of being lived in full time for 6 months. They also lived in a fiberglass sailboat for eight years. Your RAM will tow the Ollie easily.

Sherry, Replied to PM. Using latest Firefox and Windows on a Laptop. Will try to originate another PM to you. Thanks, Edit: Looks like I can reply to a PM, but cannot start a PM conversation. I hardly ever use PM.

Sherry, Will send you a Test PM in a few minutes. Thanks, Edit: Just tried to send you a PM and could not. Clicked on your sign-in name, next clicked on message to you, could not enter text in the message box.

If I remember correctly, either Casida or Egg/fiberglass groups had a gathering at Boulder or Dam West ACE campgrounds a few years ago. Don't know if they currently have gatherings there. Both have nice laundry facilities. There's a WalMart close to the Dam West campground.

Thanks John, Most pickup racks are heavier construction for hauling heavy loads. My only use for these racks will be transporting Kayaks. Combined Kayak weight is under 100 pounds with tie downs straps & Yakima cross bar cushions. The rack capacity is 300 pounds. My goal was a well built rack that was light weight and easy to remove. The cross bars are the same dimensions as Thule cross bars on the Tacoma. After installing and removing these racks, found the racks are easy to remove, light, and stores easily in the garage without requiring much space for two pieces. Also plan to transport bicycles in the bed under Kayaks. The distance from the bottom of the Kayaks to the pickup bed floor is 47". Our tallest bike is 44", will not need to remove bicycle wheels while transporting bikes on another rack below Kayaks.