topgun2

While I've not investigated wind power for myself, I know that a YouTube poster - Fate Unbound - has been toying with this idea for a few years now. The husband of this young couple is an engineer so that there is at least some formal education behind his thinking on the subject. Good Luck! Bill

Or, if you don't mind it dark inside - you can buy some Reflextic (See Here) and cut it to fit for each window. No drafts (if you cut it correctly) and even a slight increase in insulation. When you don't need the Reflextic you simply store it under the mattress. Bill

OK - all you Boy Scouts out there! Which one of you put that can of Dinty Moore in the fire without opening the can first?😇

A dry bath in a small camper is comprised of some "expensive" real-estate given how much actual time is spent in that shower versus that same space's other possible uses. Yes, I know of a number of people that use the shower as a storage closet, but, of course that means cleaning out the closet/shower each time you would like to use it for wet purposes. The Oliver is my first camper with a wet bath and I didn't think that I would actually be happy with it - but - I am now. The fiberglass is very easy to clean/wipe dry and the space used for the closet is much more practicable. Bill

Fargoman - Another thing you could try on that "plugged" zerk is to take a small punch or nail set and gently tap on the little ball at the end of the zerk. Perhaps a little spray WD-40 or Liquid Wrench in that area would also help. On the other hand - zerks really aren't very expensive and are easy to replace. Certainly not worth going to too much trouble in trying to repair one. Good luck! Bill

At this point - no.

I'm so sorry to hear this! Certainly I would not be happy at all - not only with the delay of over a month, but, also with the fact that the truck is probably sitting out in the elements. Of course I would assume that it will get a nice wash and - perhaps - even a polish job before being delivered, but, since I always store my vehicles inside when I'm not using them, I wouldn't feel right about it. Hopefully your new ride gets to you shortly - good luck! Bill

If taking the pressure off the suspension does not solve the issue and you decide to replace a zerk it is a fairly simple process. Take the old zerk out with a wrench, wipe it off, drive down to the local NAPA store (or other auto parts store if you don't have a NAPA, and purchase three or four. Now would also be a good time to decide if you want to buy "straight" zerks or ones that are at a 45 or 90 degree angle or a combination such that they will be easier to get to the next time you have to add/replace grease. Also, if you determine that dirt clogged the original zerk you might want to consider getting "caps" like THESE to help protect the zerk. Bill

Unfortunately John Davies' advice is basically correct IF you want to make sure that the batteries are properly maintained as JD says. But, if your only interest is to add water (distilled) then you do not need to purchase anything but a "turkey baster" (or something similar in order to get the water into each cell. Again, as JD says, just because the first two batteries are OK does not necessarily mean that the other two are the same. But, you should be able to at least get to those filler caps without removing the batteries from the Oliver. Bill

You might want to send a PM to Forum member Patriot since I believe that he successfully replaced at least one of his touch lights. Bill

John - Years prior to owning an Oliver I started carrying small compact air compressors in all my vehicles. For the most part, these have been cheap, relatively small compressors that are really only good enough to top off the air pressure in my tires. None of them have ever been of a size or quality such that they could be used for winterizing the Oliver. Besides, I have two shop air compressors at the house that I could use if I wanted to winterize in that manner - which I don't as I use the anti-freeze method which I believe to be just about as easy and more reliable. On a related note - using an air compressor for purposes of blowing dirt/dust out of areas near and around propane igniters can present problems if you blow that air into things like the propane burner jets. It is safer and easier to simply carry a small can of compressed air (you can get them at the Dollar Store for $1.25 😁). If you are still interested in a Viair, you might want to contact the people at technorv.com and/or take a look at as many YouTube videos about Viair as you can. Bill

It helps to have information from which one can base an answer.

As with most things - there are pros and cons of metal valve stems. When using TPMS sensors that are applied to the stems it would seem that metal stems take the vibration caused by these sensors better than the regular rubber stems do. However, both the metal and the rubber stems "mate" to the wheel with rubber which can cause "issues" on the installation or over time. And, if a metal stem is hit by a rock, tree limb, mud rut, or other item it might break where a rubber stem just might bounce back. I believe that if your intent is to do a bunch of real off roading, rubber stems actually might be better - and they are generally easier to replace. However, since I do not (generally) take my Oliver into real "bad" places I have metal stems. But, I also carry two replacement stems - just in case. Bill

Sit down, relax. Remember - this is fun! You've already done the hardest part in committing to the camper and now you have time to continue to learn. From my experience the people that tend to get into difficulties either don't do the homework to start with and/or get too rushed to think problems through. Of course there is also those of us that think we know it all - only to find out that we forgot to open that grey tank valve 😁 for the 6th time. Yes, in my opinion, you need a TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System). There are a number of those on the market that certainly do the job and there are a number of threads here on the Forum about them. Pick out two or three that seem of interest to you (all should have pressure and temperature readings) and then go to YouTube for videos on each one. Pick the one you like best and they are easy to install. Portable air compressors are a really nice item to have. This is particularly so if you plan on traveling roads in which you "air-down" for better traction and then want to "air-up" when getting back to normal paved roads. However, they are also very useful for your daily driver and for blowing dust/dirt out of places it certainly doesn't belong - like fridge igniters, water heater igniters, furnace igniters and sail switches, etc. If you plan on using one a bunch then something like the Viair is really good. But, a compressor that expensive is really not necessary for most applications. Bill

Right camper, right attitude - I like it! Good that you headed south out of the Mothership. Yes, Fl is probably a bit cooler than normal but it is still better than things to the north of you. Even though the weather is supposed to take a turn back towards something a bit more normal in the northeast, I'd take my sweet time in getting back. That much snow just doesn't disappear even with the forecast of rain later this coming week. Have you gotten back to the point where you remember that the delivery people told you about this switch, lever, procedure, but, you can't remember exactly what it was? Or, have you received the wet feet in the shower yet because you forgot to open the grey tank valve? Anyway, CONGRATS! Its great to have you with us on the road. Bill

Beautiful! Please stop - my wallet can't handle it 🤗. Bill

I sure could use new batteries and even a set of new tires for the Ollie if you're feeling generous 😁. On the other hand - that's a bunch of money to be used for gas, camping fees, "special" activities while out exploring - zip lines, romantic dinners, cave tours, snowmobile trips, helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon, etc., etc.. Bill

You romantic devil 🥰. Nice song and thoughts. Bill

Either that or you are in deep trouble already. My guess would be that you will not have any difficulty in finding the kind of places I think you like. Bill

Good move! Now, you get to do the fun stuff of picking out options, colors, etc. Hopefully your wife likes to do that sort of stuff because I found that to be the hardest part of the whole deal - well - maybe writing that big check was slightly interesting 😉. Nice to really have you with us and I truly hope that you will enjoy your Ollie as much as I've enjoyed mine. Bill

Assuming that you are talking about the inverters that normally come with the Oliver - either the 2,000 watt or the 3,000 watt - then the answer is certainly yes for most microwave units. Just make sure that the microwave you have in mind is at or below about 1,500 watts and you will have no worries using the inverter. Of course you still have to be mindful to not overload the inverter by trying to run the microwave while at the same time running a toaster, hair dryer, blender, etc. Bill

That is an excellent area (either one) to be doing what you have planned. Not only is there an access "port hole" inside the kitchen cabinets where you can get to both ground and positive power, but you can even get to - or at least close to the specific area you are looking at. Be a bit careful when poking around in the kitchen cabinets making sure that you lift the mats in the bottom and find the wires that run in a channel at the rear base of those cabinets. Since those types of cameras take very little power, you can slave off almost any circuit. I would guess that there is only a small hole behind that "porch" light that does not give you a bunch of access. However, there are a couple of Forum members that have been behind those that can tell you for sure what is there - Mossemi is one of them. Good Luck! Bill

Seems to me that the extra money being asked for the instant gratification is a bunch given that I'm camping. Besides, after a long day on the stream or hiking or even driving, it is nice to have a chance to simply sit down, enjoy an adult beverage, contemplate what I'm going to have for dinner and "ease" - "relax" into that nice warm shower. Bill

I just watched (6:30pm EST 1/28/2022) the current weather and short term forecast for the northeastern US. Heavy snows are forecast with blizzard and/or near blizzard conditions. Hopefully everyone is prepared for this - stay safe! Bill

The Badlands are cool and there is enough hiking for at least a two or three day stop. Also, free camping fairly near Wall and close to the Park entrance. Bill