Steve Morris

I linked to a Canada map and Canada/USA that I found on Google Images in the above post. Here are both files:

Rather than use the web-based mapping tool, I simply found a large US map, and fill in my own states. I use a graphic application on my computer to "fill" each state (in my case one color for "camped in" and another for visited with the Oliver, but didn't camp.) I save a copy of the map with the states filled, then made a 200 pixel wide copy, and paste that into the signature file. To add a state, I simply fill in the new state on the original large file, and save a new 200 pixel wide copy. (I've found that the resolution on the small file is too low to use the "fill" tool there, which is why I do the changes on the large map.) Here's a start for you. To add Canada, find a similar map, or, start with a blank North America map for both the US and Canada.

Absolutely! We got by the first 36 hours on just the trailer's batteries alone. We'd also used the AC a couple of times, just to cool off and dry out. Not particularly hot at 80°, but 90% humidity was killer! The first night, I ordered a generator grounding plug and generator to RV 30A adaptor so that I could use the Honda generator. I'd never considered connecting it to the trailer before, so had no need for these. I'm glad I knew from prior posts on this forum that I needed a grounding plug, else I'd have been frustrated as to why it wouldn't charge. Amazon overnight shipping had them here at 7AM. Of course I only had the propane that was in the trailer (with one tank at 15%), and a little bit in a third tank that I've used all spring and summer for my fire pit. So after using up the latter, I swapped to the full Oliver tank, while I went to fill four more. (We had an empty from our son-in-law, who switched his grill to natural gas, and Deb had picked up two new ones at Costco earlier this summer to replace the out of date and nearly out of date tanks I already had.) About two hours after I returned from filling the tanks, the power came back on. At the height of the outage from four confirmed tornados, 627,000 Ohio customers were without power, with hundreds of poles needing replaced. First Energy was working double shifts with outside help from surrounding areas. But the estimate for complete restoration of power was August 14, so I wanted to make sure I was prepared. I just looked at their web site, and there are still 192,000 customers with no power 70 hours after the storm. If this had been January, we'd be in Florida, and our house would have broken pipes. While there is a lot of damage in the area, it could have been much, much worse!

Our power came on about two hours after posting this. Spectrum is still working on telephone/TV/Internet, but we have our cellular router in the Oliver, so good on two out of three. And we only get junk on our landline, anyway.

48 hours after severe weather passed through northern Ohio, we, like 2-300,000 other residents, are without power. @firstenergyhome is busting their behind, but last posted number was 3200 downed lines to repair. So we’re making do with a hodgepodge of alternatives. We trashed what didn’t fit in the Oliver fridge or the truck fridge. We moved all frozen food to the chest freezer in the garage, which is being powered by the Oliver’s lithium batteries. The truck fridge is powered by swapping two Bluetti solar generators charged with the 200W panel or the Oliver. And the Honda generators charging the Oliver, so it can power everything else! 🤪 I just returned from filling four propane bottles to ensure days of power. At least we have air conditioning a stove, and a hot shower in the Oliver. It could be worse, at 90 degrees or sub-freezing and facing broken pipes.

I got this six-pack earlier this summer from Amazon. Not cheap, but worth it! https://a.co/d/i8OSeF1 Testing by Project Farm: https://youtu.be/ZEiSdZGInm8

That's cool, Steve! A few times I've tried watercolors and pencil drawing, but I just can't make progress. I spent my entire adult life making drawings for technical documentation, patents, engineering drawings, advertising, etc. But take a compass, straightedge, or CAD away from me and my work looks like a kindergartener! My hands apparently do not connect to the left side of my brain...

Damn, I just tried to help @Ralph Mawyer with his question, and get piled on left and right! Im 5’7” and Deb is 5’1” She weighs less than me. We’re not average. I spent 45 years doing mechanical engineering, so I know numbers, too. Im out…

Y’all are welcome to come and measure my tire gap, weigh my truck, weigh my wife, etc. But you’re wrong. I measured tire gap before adding Firestone bags without the trailer, after adding bags without the trailer, and after adding bag with the trailer. The fronts are within 1/4” of stock, and the rears are taller than stock with the trailer in trip configuration. No kitchen sink here, and a good thing my wife doesn’t see your saying she weighs more than average! Combined we are 318 pounds. Mostly you’re making assumptions about things you know nothing about…

Tough to tell head on. Looks level to me. Air bags are at 15 PSI. More raises the rear too much and makes for a harsher ride.

Yep, we've discussed this before. Even back when you and I talked on the phone shortly after ordering our Oliver. I need to get it weighed to have some real numbers. The platform isn't the limiting factor, it is the US ratings. The rest of the world has substantially higher GVW than the US with an identical truck (not car - it is a body on frame construction beefier than most full size trucks.) Up to 8400 (vs 7385) with a simple rear spring change and up to 9900 pounds with a rear axle upgrade - all certified by the respective countries. But that doesn't do squat for me in the US, legally. I do know that a lot of of US Land Cruisers have been roaming the highways and mountains out west with GVWs of 8-9000 pounds for many years without legal ramifications. But it only takes once. The question has come up on the Land Cruiser forum whether the door sticker cargo capacity (based on tire loading) is legally binding when it contradicts the metal plate showing gross axle weights and gross vehicle weights. The discussion between some lawyers, law enforcement officers, and insurance agents came to the conclusion that the GVWR takes precedence if the tires are up to the requirements. A court would have to be the final arbiter, though. Delivered dry weight of my Land Cruiser was 5715 pounds; 1670 pounds less than the GVWR. There are no options, so that doesn't come into consideration. Taking out another 190 pounds of seats and roof basket should have started me off with 1860 pounds to play with. Eight quarts of oil, 24 gallons of fuel, and 12 quarts of water take up approximately 260 pounds of that, and our fat asses another 340. Tongue weight was 550 pounds in travel trim with full water and bikes, and your 65 pounds for the hitch. Fridge and shelves are about 150 pounds. That leaves around 500 pounds for stuff. So, do I have another 500 pounds in there? I don't know. That's why I need to weigh the truck, trailer, and both combined to get accurate numbers. I do know that I'm not going to get a different vehicle. I've said before, that I know this combination is a compromise, and one I'm willing to accept for my use.

I bought a pickup almost 40 years ago, too. But then, I immediately turned it into a station wagon with a capper. I sold that about 25 years ago, and the two times I really needed one since, I rented it at Home Depot for $19.95. I haven't missed it at all, and replaced it with a subcompact turbo wagon. We didn't even have a pickup truck growing up on Grandpa's farm. Surprisingly, the Land Cruiser has a higher cargo capacity than some variations of Toyota's 1/2 ton Tundra. GVWR is 7385, max towing is 8100, max tongue weight is 750, and cargo capacity is 1360 pounds. And I've removed the 40 pound roof basket and 150 pounds of seats, before adding the fridge and drawers. The fridge was needed for the tiny trailer, and still comes in handy with the Oliver. Especially for preparing frozen food at home for extended trips. I get you on the tiny trailer. It's not for everyone, but we enjoyed it for seven years. It sure beat tent camping on the ground! But at 70, a little more comfort in the Oliver is very welcome.

Maybe you bring too much stuff? 😜 I came to the Oliver from a (square) teardrop, and backpacking before that. So compactness and comfortable camping go hand in hand. We routinely carry six chairs with us, but four of them take up less space than the larger lounger. My outdoor kitchen, which travelled in the tiny trailer, too, folds down about the size of a small Costco folding table. We easily travelled a month from Ohio to Florida last year, taking four seasons of clothes with us. We can easily carry the 12' Clam, our propane fire pit, a third 20# propane can, etc. for comfortable and fun excursions. We have yet had trouble fitting stuff without resorting to packing to the rafters. We even brought home a tree in the bathroom from last year's Oliver rally! I don't want a pickup. This is the vehicle I've aspired to for 40+ years since first test driving an FJ40, and I won't be replacing it with anything else. And it will hold its value and be more reliable than any pickup ever made. Hell, both it and the Oliver will outlast me, and my kids have already argued over who has dibs on both. 🤣

Absolutely! As in any hooking up/unhooking situation, make sure you have chocks in place. Only once have I had any binding where the ball didn't easily drop out of the hitch. Raising it a couple more inches and the truck dropped right out.

Or even easier, once you get the ball under the hitch, back up an additional 1 to 1-1/2". Then slip on the whale tail, pull forward to take out the slack, and drop the hitch onto the ball. Much quicker, and probably less strain on the jack. There are/were nine of us towing with a Toyota 200 Series. I think yours was the only LX, but I'm not positive.

Not as pretty as those western vistas. We’re in far western New York, just across the boarder from Erie, PA at Lake Erie State Park. Water, wine, a light breeze, clear skies, and comfortable temperatures for a change. And kazoos!

Did you switch to a 12V DC TV, or stick with the AC version? When/if I replace mine, it will be 12V, and I've already converted the AppleTV to 12V. So I'll only need the inverter for the microwave or the air conditioner.

@Al T from Alberta I missed this when originally posted. Beautiful wrap on the Oliver, and beautiful bikes! Are those Santana titanium? I tried for years to get Deb to ride a tandem, since we ride at such disparate speeds. She's a slow gawker, and I try to at least get my heart rate above couch mode. After getting the Oliver, we got a pair of Gazelle bikes, so now she at least keeps up with the folks walking trails... 🤣 The same applies when kayaking, but there's no way I'd get in the same boat with her, else the sobriquet "divorce boat" would definitely apply. That is, if we both made it to shore alive! 🤬

I got it from MMH, but looks like the same bits and pieces, except I have a blank instead of the 2-3 to fill the last opening.

Overreact much? I received the IcoTek 90° cable entry kit from MMH today. It's going to work great, and I won't need a box. I'm going to test drill different diameter holes in some thin plywood, and see how small I can go and still get all seven wires through. Then I'll go with the next larger size that I can find a grommet for. Antenna will be on a mast bracket hanging from the rear awning mount. As previously noted, my Pepwave MAX BR1 Pro is in the attic, and currently using the stub antennas. Yesterday I added a second SIM card from T-Mobile that I got through FMCA. Three months free (from my Mobile Internet Resource Center membership) gives us time to compare it with the Verizon plan through MMH. The router feeds my Apple TV and UefyCam security camera hub via Ethernet, and our phones, tablets, and Sonos Move via wifi. Later I'll add remote temperature sensing and hopefully a full Victron setup. The router and antenna on the tow vehicle may work for you, JD, and is an easy install. But I don't have a truck, and have no intention of poking holes in my lifelong dream SUV. And, I have devices that I want to be always connected, and that wouldn't be the case with the system in the TV. There are options we can all chose, and just because I'm not doing it like you, doesn't warrant that haranguing...

We’re 1360, so should be the same. Ten minutes later: Yep, I just needed to pull harder. Thanks!

We didn’t like the Tocha upgrade option, finding them too flimsy. So we ordered our trailer with the standard mattresses, and ordered KTT mattresses (the prior upgrade option) directly from the manufacturer. We like them better than our extra firm coil spring mattress at home. And like David, we have the AB Lifestyle custom mattress pad and sheets. Again, nicer than our home bed. I guess we need to upgrade our bedding at home, spend more nights in Curiosity! 😁

I’ve got 160 or so on mine. In over 7000 miles of carrying the bikes, it hasn’t loosened or wiggled more than the day I installed it.

Wow! Ours was delivered March 2023. I’ve tugged a fair bit more than what’s required to get the top off the “secret” pantry top, and it didn’t budge. I’ll pull harder and see what happens. Thanks!

My plans is/was to use this bulkhead fitting through the roof as a cable guide and into a utility box on the roof. If this fits in the Icotec 90 degree fitting, I’m golden! Just a drilled hole through the outer hull into the attic. https://a.co/d/0anCrU1v