topgun2

Mike - Welcome to the family (almost). I feel your pain regarding all of the choices one has to make and trying to sort through the positives and negatives of all the options. As you most likely already know - there is no "stock answer" to these questions. We're so happy that you have found us and (like us) appreciate the quality and versatility of the Oliver. Look forward to meeting you either on the road or at one of the Oliver Rallies. Bill

Susan - For that price you can buy a bunch of the Harbor Freight pumps and a couple of the more expensive threaded fittings I mention above. Bill

Banjo - Yes the bakflip does leak to a very minor extent. Primarily at the rear corners where it mates with your tailgate. But, this is minor and can be (somewhat) mitigated with the use of some additional weather striping in these corners. I'm guessing that nearly all of these covers will leak to some extent under the right conditions. Bill

If that's the River Run I know then there is some good trout fishing nearby too. Bill

Actually this counter was a prototype on one of the Oliver family trailers. It was decided that the Corian was too heavy and they developed the Fibergranite tops that we have today. That was for venting the microwave. Bill

The fitting that I mentioned in the first post above is a bit hard to come by. Even though these are a bit more expensive, another way to "skin that cat" is to get what is called a "RV Blow Out Valve/plug" https://www.amazon.com/Valterra-P23518LFVP-Blow-Out-Plug/dp/B00HSO2T5A/ref=sr_1_39?crid=29XWEBY27PKZB&dchild=1&keywords=rv%2Bblowout%2Badapter&qid=1600366608&sprefix=rv%2Bblow%2Bout%2B%2Caps%2C179&sr=8-39&th=1&psc=1 Don't forget to remove the valve stem from inside the plug/valve prior to using for the winterization purpose. These valve stems simply screw out (lefty loosey to take it out) or (righty tighty to put it back in). Bill

I'm sure this was done with the latest update and I just might be a bit late to the party, but, has anyone else noticed that if you momentarily leave your cursor on any Avatar it will do a 360 degree spin? Something to do on a wet Sally soaked day! Bill

I know that bus bars are not rocket science, but, it is still nice to see a quality piece. Bill

I might be wrong - imagine that - but I think the material used was actually Corian. Bill

Or, how about something like this?

Yes, labeling the valve helps but you still have to look around that corner and read it. After several "wet feet" experiences I put a "slap band" ( https://www.amazon.com/Bracelets-bangcool-Silicone-Bracelet-Families/dp/B081F8JHR5/ref=sr_1_1?crid=ZGMXLG5MDPWR&dchild=1&keywords=slap+bands+for+adults&qid=1600260949&sprefix=slap+band%2Caps%2C162&sr=8-1 ) in the bright orange color on my screen door bar ( https://www.amazon.com/Camco-Screen-Door-Cross-Handle/dp/B0012GTVVA/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=rv+screen+door+bar&qid=1600261011&sr=8-3 ) . This way I'm forced to look at it each and every time I enter/exit the camper. Bill

I installed it alone. No problem at all. Yes, it is "secure" with the tailgate locked. Unfortunately though if you are armed with a coat hanger and a small piece of knowledge you can open it (the cover) in less than two seconds. Besides being able to use virtually the entire bed of the truck with the cover in place, another good feature is being able to close the tailgate and/or the cover with the tailgate and/or cover in any position. That is - you don't have to open the cover in order to close the tailgate or vice versa. And, you can open the entire cover without having to get into the bed of the truck. Bill

I see that there are at least three of us that area not afraid to admit we have suffered wet feet due to forgetting to open that valve.🙄 Bill p.s. make that four!

Susan - I've had a Bakflip MX4 for several years now. Basically I really do like it since I can fold it right up to the cab of the truck without taking it leaving plenty of room to haul my motorcycle or mulch or ... However, two words about their customer service: 1 - when a buckle broke they sent me an entire set of hardware at no charge - great for them 2 - when I put a nasty scratch in one of the panels I called them to get the name/color of the paint they use. They said that they would send me touch-up paint at no charge. After not receiving that paint and repeated calls asking simply for the color I gave up. On the advice of a local auto painting shop I repainted the MX4 with "trim & bumper" rattle can paint. The result is OK but not great. So, if they were playing baseball they'd be batting 500. Very good for baseball but certainly not up to Oliver standards. Bill

Lexi - Thanks so much for getting on this with such a great attitude. Pick a place, pick a date(s) and they WILL COME! Bill

2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Sport utility vehicle Description Towing capacity: 3,500 to 7,200 lbs Payload: 1,396 to 1,955 lbs MPG: Up to 19 city / 26 highway Warranty: 3 yr/36,000 mi basic, 5 yr/100,000 mi powertrain Curb weight: 4,545 to 5,104 lbs Horsepower: 240 to 475 hp To get more specific about the payload your Jeep, you are going to have to be a bit more specific. I assumed that yours is a 2017 and assumed that it has the 6 cylinder engine because that is the towing capacity noted by Good Sam's 2020 towing guide for a Grand Cherokee with the 3.6L V-6 engine for both 2WD and 4WD versions. Any options - OEM or otherwise? Also see - https://www.autoblog.com/buy/2017-Jeep-Grand+Cherokee-Limited__4dr_4x4/specs/

It is reported by RVtravel.com that Trailer Life and Motorhome magazines will stop publication shortly. https://www.rvtravel.com/good-sam-changes/ These two publications will be replaced by a "new" magazine called "RV Magazine". No word as to how existing subscriptions to the two that are being stopped will be handled. Bill

JD - Two months in mostly the same terrain and not one tick. No moose either but there were cattle, deer, bear and a few horses. Box Creek campground does have small corals for horses and while I was there a very nice guy and his two horses were camped at the other end of the campground from me. He asked if I minded him letting his horses graze and since I do like horses I didn't have any problems with it. Interestingly while I was fishing the Buffalo Fork River one day I was walking across a fairly large sandy area that had a bunch of animal tracks in it. One of those tracks was from a medium sized grizz and was fairly fresh. The disturbing thing was that there was only one track - front right paw. I never could figure out how in the world that bear got just one print in the sand since it was not near the water and too far to jump from the clump of willows. Strange! Bill

I checked the Google Playstore for android devices and found nothing. Bill

In addition - today IS "Patriot" day. Lets all remember.

On my recent fly fishing trip to Wyoming I stumbled upon a Forest Service "de-commissioned" campground. My destination was fishing the Buffalo Fork River and I knew that there was a large Forest Service campground (Turpin Meadows) at the end of the paved Buffalo Valley Road. I also knew that there are numerous boondocking sites on this road. However, when I arrived I found the Turpin Meadows campground FULL and even the availability of many of the boondocking sites were hard to come by. So, as I headed west back toward Moran Junction I saw a small sign 9/10th of a mile west of Turpin Meadows for Box Creek Trail Head. The 3/4 mile dirt road ends at the trail head where there are 8 campsites. The Forest Service took away the picnic tables but left the bear boxes. While the pit toilet is not "serviced" by the Forest Service (this means that it is not cleaned nor do they provide TP) the campers using this facility do sweep it out and the result is that it is in better shape than the average. There is water but it is marked that it is not potable, however, both potable water and trash disposal can be done at Turpin Meadows. During the week I camped here it was never full and most nights there were only three of us staying there. It is super quiet but certainly be "bear aware". So, if you are in the Grand Teton area and want to get away from the crowds but still want great hiking and/or good fishing without a long drive on a dirt road, you might want to consider Box Creek. There are stunning views of the Tetons from many of the hiking trails, from the river and from the drive west on Buffalo Valley Road. GPS: N 43 degrees 51minutes 42.5 seconds, W 110 degrees 17 minutes 39.0 seconds Bill

Susan - Larry explains the difference between these two types of controllers above. Bill

The 2200 will run the A/C as long as you have an "Easy-Start" type device wired to your air conditioner. Bill

Given the relative few numbers of Olivers in general and certainly the few numbers that are located in WA, you might want to start looking to see if you can arrange a viewing of another owner's Oliver when either you or they are in a location that is easy for you to get to. It is one thing to view the video's but an entirely different thing to see and feel an Oliver in person. Good luck! Bill

Your title probably would draw more interest if it had the number 50 in it 😉. I'm guessing that the answer to your question is multi-faceted. Many times these things are in the eye of the beholder. And, or course it can be argued that black, grey, and brown do not show the dirt as fast as many other colors. However, with the Olivers it is so easy to decorate with just about any colors you want. Even the cushions are easily changed if that is your desire. Bill