Dave and Cindy

Thanks, I could not find anything when I did a search. Appreciate your response,

My little fan that Oliver installed to aid in moving air out of the compartment stopped after five years. So I ordered a new one and when I began to install it found out that the fan is getting no power. I have no idea where those wires may go and to what fuse - any suggestions would be appreciated.

Certainly your call on the usage of your trailer. We have had zero issues with big rigs, most of the dirt and grime come from gravel roads or construction areas. We have had a lot of both n the 9000 miles we have traveled to this point. But the rocks are mostly from our own truck as far as I can see. We drive slow when we need to and the Oliver has held up more than well under the trip, as least so far. You do have to exercise caution over the various rough roads and frost heaves but, for us, we simply love the scenery, vistas, mountains and wildlife we are seeing nearly every day. Grizzly bears, caribou, moose (four today near Anchorage), lynx, wolf, a host of birds I have never seen before, sea life everywhere and more. We have met some fascinating people and some of the history here is unique with its Russian heritage. Well worth any aggravation or future repairs in our opinion.

We were not sure what to do to protect the front of our Oliver on the Alaska journey. We looked into large mud flaps, but they would not fit, spray protection that turned out to be discontinued and more lasting but expensive solutions. We settled on yoga mats. Two $12 mats from Walmart and some non-residue duct tape and a little cutting produced a mat that we wondered if it would work and how long it would last. Well, it worked very well, lots of cuts and indentations on the mats. It also lasted - so far - for nearly 4000 miles and it is still intact. We have traveled miles on dirt and gravel roads as well as the Alcan and they still are working. So we are pretty pleased. The mats do not clean very well but we get the surface dirt off ok. An inexpensive solution to the rocks along the Alcan and well beyond. Total investment about $30. Daily posts at www.twolanetouring.com

Camping Spot: Friend’s Barn Talk about unique. Because of the forecast for storms and hail our friends had us back into a barn. How cool is this. Appreciated as well when a strong storm rocked the night. Near Dickinson, ND.

Camping Spot: Devil’s Tower National Monument No reservations here but no issues for us arriving about 3 in the afternoon with lots of sites to choose from. We had one in loop A and from our door had an unobstructed view of the Tower. No power or water on site, restrooms on both loops. You are in a perfect place to explore the Tower. We did three trails one in the evening and two in the AM. Really special location. Loved it and only $10.

Camping Spot: Badlands National Park This is a campground in a super location that needed a bit more thought. It is essentially small loop roads that you park on the side of the road where it is “slightly” wider. When two RV’s are across from each other it is tight. Because of the rain, some sites were under water. Rest rooms were old but well kept. A few sites have electric, no water at any site. Each site had a nice picnic table with a bit of shelter. We paid about $13 a night, certainly worth the price and really nice to be in the park for early morning and late evening easy access. They take reservations but otherwise first come first serve.

The kangaroos are a clever advertising hook.

Camping Spot: KOA at Hot Springs, SD This was a good stop. We had full hook ups and most amazingly, the WIFI was strong and worked very well. After four nights of being off-grid it was good to get fully charged, fully empty and replenished with water. We were in site 17, a fairly level pull through site. The owner was on site and working which often means a better experience. Staff was very friendly and everything seemed to work well. KOA is not perfect but it seems more consistently good than the random private campgrounds which go from poor third world country appeal to polished resorts. We pay about the same or a bit more for the KOA. They provide points toward a free night which helps. It is also the best reservation system - it is one easy call. No photo of this one today. We have been without WIFI for three days and I need to get more photos loaded. I do have a daily post of the trip, including lots of camping at www.twolanetouring.com

Camping Spot: Harvest Host at Valiant Vineyard in Vermillion, SD. Our second Harvest Host camping site was also nice. We were at the Valiant Vineyards Winery in Vermillion, SD, Had a wine tasting with Adrianne that was free and settled on a rhubarb variety. We were set up on a secondary parking area behind a line of grape vines. We were the only ones on site, so we ran our generator a bit to charge the computers and run the microwave to heat our dinner. Otherwise a very quiet spot. Left early in the AM. HH scores again.

Camping Spot Night two of our Alaska Trek was in a friend’s driveway with great food, always an excellent choice when traveling. Night three was at our first Harvest Host’s stop. We were in Hudson, Iowa at the Hansen Dairy. This is a same family owned 155 year old farm starting their seventh generation of owners. Wow. Beautiful spot and even better people. We enjoyed a peaceful night next to a small pond & ate wonderful ice cream fresh from the dairy. We also bought milk and cheese curds that my wife pronounced “delicious.” The site had showers in the tour building available. Nice, hot, longer shower! In the morning we took a neat tour of the dairy. All in all an amazing stop making Harvest Hosts a great investment.

First night on the way to Alaska was at Cabela's in Lexington KY on Wednesday night. It is easy access from I-75 and very close to I-64. Large parking lot and we were told park anywhere. There are a few dedicated sites on the east side of the building but we did not want to use up one of those large sites. They have a pay dump station. It was quiet with 5 others in the lot. There are a multitude of restaurants on the other side of the interstate, maybe 1/2 mile away. We left in the morning about 8. Very good stop.

We leave for Alaska in the morning. I'll try to post campgrounds en route as we have service. Also post more each day on our site.

Sorry, I had no idea, never had, saw or used one before. Thanks for the help.

No smells of any kind. We used it successfully one time, first week, to make coffee, then it would not do that any longer. Then over the next couple of months it would charge camera batteries. The following spring it would just screech, nothing else. Asked two RV places, Oliver and a local shop, they said it would not work if the battery was too low. Knew that- but no help from either. Installed new batteries year two, still screeching when it was turned on. Now, of course, nothing. I do think that a new inverter is a choice but next year I am going to install Battleborn batteries and will wait until I hear their recommendation. Inverter, for us, was a total waste of money.