topgun2

Reed - If you look at the "poo" product Sherry mentions above, I don't believe it is meant to be used in the manner you're thinking (in the black tank). Basically it is similar to the stuff that is in the bottom of the plastic bags that both you and I have used. I understand that it is a bunch cheaper to buy this powder in bulk and use your own plastic bags, but I've never used it and given the number of times that I "go" this route it doesn't seem to be worth the bother to me. Bill

Carole, As outlined above, the simplest way to disconnect is to turn the red knob to off and "trip" (the little yellow flag should pop out) those two circuit breakers. However, if you are still concerned, disconnecting the batteries is not difficult. Open the battery compartment on the outside and slide out the battery tray. Since you have the solar option, I assume that you have four batteries in that compartment. On the front left battery you should see a rather large black cable attached to the front left terminal on that battery. Simply take that cable off the battery but make sure that it does NOT touch any other terminal or anything metal inside the battery compartment. When reattaching this cable you might hear or see a small spark - do not worry about this. Just make sure that the connection is tight and all wires are back into the same position they were in prior to disconnect (helps to take a picture so that you don't have to remember). Bill edit: When re-attaching the cable I'd do the re-attachment before resetting the circuit breakers and turning the red knob back to "on".

Sherry - when they are in season I'll try to remember to drop you a note. Sometimes those areas that are known to have these fireflys can be very crowded, but, I know of a place where you can have them all to yourself - as long as you don't tell anyone where it is. Bill

Having "missed" one of those little steps on stepping out of a truck several years ago, I can attest to the bigger is better thing. Broken ribs are not a bunch of fun. In my defense - it was dark, rainy and I was in a hurry, but, that didn't make the ribs feel any better. Bill

Mr. & Mrs. Big1 - Welcome! Every summer I go West for 6 to 10 weeks and I know that you will have a bunch of fun doing so with that new Oliver. Even the trip out and back is filled with so many things to see and do. Have fun planning over the winter and don't be afraid to ask questions here since many of the people here either live there or have a fair amount of experience in that area. Bill

Thought you were talking about rust on the wheels - not the frame. Bill

Spike and Randy - If you are REALLY into fireflys then you have just got to see the blue ones. Yes, blue instead of the normal green/yellow. Google it. Bill

Those don't look like heavy axles to me. Rust on the wheels of a Bigfoot? Is that a problem for them? Bill

John - down the drain with the grey. Never had a problem, but, as Sherry points out, I've never had below freezing temps for days on end either. Sherry - Since I put the water container on the toilet seat, I've not used them directly in the on-board toilet. I would have thought that the plastic bags were too deep but, of course, one could always simply fold the excess top of the bag over the top of the toilet. And, since Reed has actually done it this way without problems, it obviously works. Perhaps now I'll have to find a new place for my water container (or simply move it when nature calls). Note that these bags are not cheap, but, if used more than once they provide an easy way to take care of things while still leaving the camper protected. I also use these in the Summer while fishing out West. When boondocking I set up my shower tent for my solar shower and (like Reed) to keep the black tank from getting "over loaded" by simply using my "seat" and these bags in the shower tent. Bill

I've not had the chance (yet) to do a bunch of cold weather camping in Twist. However, the one trip that I did do last year, I left the Oliver winterized, heated water on the stove for bathing duties. I do not have a composting toilet, but I do have a collapsible "seat" that holds plastic bags. I purchased a product (https://www.amazon.com/Reliance-Products-Double-Doodie-Toilet/dp/B0024O0W94/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1509663133&sr=8-11&keywords=camping+toilet ) at either WalMart and/or Amazon that absorbs moisture and reduces odor. My Mr. Buddy heater takes care of just keeping the chill off when I don't want to run the full furnace. Finally, I use 8 gallon plastic water containers that I got from WalMart. I keep one in the bed of the truck 3/4 full and the other I keep inside the Oliver (on the toilet seat). Bill

WDW - Welcome to the family! Time to start planning those first few trips for Spring. Bill

Alex - Welcome to the family. Doesn't it feel good to be free of all that cash (just kidding)? I too found choosing the interior colors and fabric a difficult task. Certainly I'm no home decorator. So, I went with about as neutral a combination as I could find staying with the browns with a hint of grey. I figured that this would be the best for hiding soil and would allow me to add splashes of color with throw pillows, spreads, place mats and the like. Good luck with this job. As Reed mentioned, think about additional 110, USB and 12 volt outlets along with any additional hooks that you might want/need. And, I'll join the group recommending the inverter. Actually I seldom use it, but it sure is nice to have when needed (think toaster oven for toast and re-heating pizza). I happen to be a fan of the WiFi booster. While on the road I can simply pull into virtually any fast food joint, go into my Oliver and get WiFi while I'm having a real sandwich - no need to go inside the joint as you usually have to do without the booster. Bill

WDW - I can't really give you much to go on regarding the Zamp. I have the Blue Sky with the 4 Trojan 105's and could not be happier. Given the relatively unique situation in which Reed and Karen seem to use their solar system and the general lack of negative comments about the Zamp, I'm guessing that for most people the Zamp is fine. But, that is only a guess on my part. I hate to say it, but, nothing really gives one good answers besides research in regards to their own situation. With regards to the water heater - I have the standard Suburban and can echo what Steve&Betty had to say about it. I never leave it on for more time than it takes to heat the water that I will need for a shower. In this regard - I bought a meat thermometer that came with the "meat" probe attached to a wire that is about 20 inches long ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017613C3C/ref=sxbs_sr_ss_b_1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=3221812782&pd_rd_wg=VjNU3&pf_rd_r=KQKCYFV7KKYF7REM4FVT&pf_rd_s=desktop-sx-bottom-slot&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=B017613C3C&pd_rd_w=IyTDL&pf_rd_i=taylor+meat+thermometer&pd_rd_r=fa01d713-84c7-4176-b1a9-8995112f7810&ie=UTF8&qid=1509471050&sr=1 ) I placed the probe against the tank of the water heater under the Styrofoam insulation that surrounds it (there is a convenient seam right in the horizontal center of this insulation) , ran the wire out the cold air return for the furnace and attached it to the "read out/alarm". Setting the "read out/alarm" to 105 degrees (about the water temperature that I like to shower with) about ten minutes prior to taking a shower I then just go about doing other things until the alarm goes off. At this point I turn off the water heater and take my shower. There are a couple of things to mention about this. First, it saves propane by only heating up the water that you are really going to use. Second, by just using only "hot" water in the shower I avoid the momentary shot of cold water that one gets when using the shower head flow interrupter (taking a Navy shower of course). Third, I save fresh water tank water in that I'm not having to cool down hot water that is too hot and I save water that I would have used in trying to find the "correct" showering temperature. Obviously this saving water is not a problem if you are hooked to city water but that is a rare event for me. In the event my wife or fishing buddy is along, I simply repeat the process for heating the water. Virtually all other needs for hot water are taken care of by heating the water on the stove or microwave so that I do not heat 6 gallons just to do a hand full of dishes. Yes, the Truma is slightly better with regards to winterization and, yes, one does not have to think about turning the water heater on or off, but, there sure are a bunch of ways I can think of to spend the difference in price. Bill

Steve & Tali - Thanks, once again, for the invite. I am really interested in being with you guys but have the possibility of some foot surgery during the first week of January that just may preclude walking for 4 to 6 weeks. I will certainly let you know if I can go! Bill

Brandi - I can say nothing but good things about the Maxx Air fan. Its super. Bill

Dear Donk (I just had to say that) - I too had a Taco with the v6. I never towed my Oliver with it but in towing a 3,500 pound stick built several years ago I ran into a 40 mph head wind while headed West across Kansas. Yes, the truck did pull that camper, but, my gas mileage was 4 mpg. As bad as that was what made it really bad was the small size of the gas tank. In some cases bigger really is better - size does matter. Bill p.s. great decision on the Elite II. It really is all that it is cracked up to be and more. However, the wait really does seem terribly long. Welcome to the family!

Don - I would have thought that passing the pink stuff through the toilet valve by "flushing" the toilet would have done the job. Therefore, I suspect that there was some other unrelated cause for the failure. A few nights ago - as usual during the middle of the night - I realized that I did not put the pink stuff in the black tank flush line. So, I took all the winterizing stuff out to where the Oliver is stored and got all set up to perform this minor task and realized that I forgot the little piece that I put onto the line coming from my hand pump that allows me to attach it to the Oliver. So, I get to make the ten mile trip again! Bill

Sherry, If I've ever known a "Tinkerbell" its you!

Obviously you went "all in" on the bumper polish - nicer look than even when it was new I'll bet. A good coat of just about any good wax will now keep it shiny longer, but, it will still dull over time. Nice job! Bill p.s. I deleted that second post for you.

Nothing specifically wrong with what John states above. I've got a small ceramic electric heater that I almost always have with me on my trip out West. It has a thermostat on it that will automatically vary the fan speed and the wattage output (from 500 to 1500 watts). At exterior temperatures of 29-30 degrees this little puppy will warm the interior from the low to mid 40's to 65 in right around an hour with only one human inside the Oliver (nicely tucked away in a sleeping bag). Therefore, unless you are expecting temperatures to be well below the mid-20's I doubt that a second unit is necessary unless (as John states) you want protection against failure. The "complete winterization" is really no big deal and should only take a tad less than two gallons of RV anti-freeze and about 30 to 60 minutes of your time. Since you would probably want to sanitize your lines and fresh water tank in the Spring anyway, the flushing of the anti-freeze probably only adds another 10 to 15 minutes to the project. Bill

Kathy - I'd say "go for it". That's really the only way to see if others are interested. Perhaps GPS coordinates would also help others find the spot. Bill

Robin & Susan - Welcome to the adventure! By now the two of you are pro's at the Oliver style. Bill

I believe that the camping discounted rate is $20/night plus taxes. Nice review and am looking forward to it. I completed my registration yesterday by using Matt's on-line form and payment system - (see the "2018 Rally"). It really worked great, is simple to do and quick if you have a credit card. If no card then you can always simply send them a check with the appropriate information. Bill

Canoe12 - Yes, I really do like my fancy dimmer switch. Since it was sourced from the marine industry and is moisture resistant (and fancy) I guess that was why it cost $300. In any case, I know that they had three dimmer switches when I had mine installed about 14 months ago. I wouldn't be surprised if they still had two left if you are really interested. Bill

While preparing Twist to be put away for the winter I thought that I'd give "Semi-chrome" metal polish a try on that rear bumper. It works nicely! I really didn't take a bunch of time - since the bumper will only get water spotted again while in storage over the winter, but, all the existing water spots came off along with road tar and the general dull appearance. If you can't find "semi-chrome" then I would think that "Flitz" or "Mother's" metal polish would work as well. Note that this is only for those that have the polished bumpers. Bill