Steve Morris

It gets better!

Current location: Fish Creek Ponds Campground site 222 in the Adirondacks. Absolutely beautiful! The view from the door

Lowrider! We are currently at Hamlin Beach State Park, in New York, on the shores of Lake Ontario. On the way here, I realized that I’d never seen this Great Lake before, despite several trips across New York over the decades. It is a very nice park, with brand new bathroom/showerhouse combos, and lots of beach, shelter houses, laundry, playground, etc. Tomorrow we leave for Fish Creek Pond in the Adirondacks for the six night TearUp ADK rally.

Prompted by similar posts on the Facebook groups and here on the Oliver forum, I finally assembled my portable solar kit. I’ve had a Bluetti 200W solar panel (which does not have an integrated charge controller) for several years to help keep the EB70 in my truck charged up. I added a second after we got the Oliver, as well as a Vicrton MPPT 100/20 charge controller. My original intention was to interrupt the line between the solar port and the battery. But I really didn’t want to do something that invasive. So instead, like many owners before me, I built a suitcase case to supplement my suitcase panels. A Cabela’s plastic ammo box works great to mount the charge controller, an SAE solar port, and an MC4 PV port. It also holds the 10 gauge SAE and 30’ 10 gauge MC4 cables, inline fuse, polarity reverser, and MC4 tools. All in a handy box. This will be handy next weekend, when we leave for a ten day trip to New York’s Adirondack area at Fish Creek Pond. There are camp sites all around the lake; every one a waterfront spot. But no hookups and lots of trees. So hopefully 800W of solar panels will keep us well charged.

Same result here. Foolproof, easy to fine tune, and responds instantly. It is the overwhelming choice in the Toyota community; not a joke.

We’ve had the solar version of the Trac-4 on Curiosity’s roof since the first few months of ownership. Having its own GPS and cellular unit works pretty well. Occasionally it looses its location and tells me it has left the home geofence, but that’s rare. The hourly report works for us. I don’t need immediate location. In fact, it is more install and ignore. But if it gets stolen, it should be easy to find once the thieves stop for a bit.

@Jason Essary I'm assuming that we can't make reservations at the campground until one year ahead of time (except Alabama residents who can reserve 13 months ahead)

Toyota's GPS is notoriously awful, and until recent models of trucks and SUVs, Android Auto and Apple Car Play were not offered. As an upgrade, I simply overlaid the OEM screen with my 11" iPad. It has a cheap magnetic cover, and when placed as shown, the magnet in the flap sticks to the steel speaker grill on the dash. It's stayed locked in on some rough trails with no movement. I use a magnetic USB-C plug, so that if I need the OEM screen or backup camera, I simply flip the iPad up onto the dash. I've used Waze for years, but was having some trouble on the trip to Lake Guntersville. So I tried Apple's Map application for the first time in probably a decade. It worked really well! It re-routed me in Nashville when there was a wreck. It would be nice if it had the police and object on the road features of Waze, but I'm going to try it for a while. I tried the RV Life app when we went to Florida, but didn't care for it. Not a fan of Google Maps, either, as it's taken me on even stranger routes than Waze trying to save a few seconds time. For out of cellular range, I can download regional maps into GAIA GPS or use my Garmin InReach's tiny screen. Or, use one of the many maps I always carry with us.

I had never considered one until I started reading stories about drivers intentionally pulling in front of cars, slamming on the brakes to get in a crash, then claiming they were rear-ended. Someone on here had a car back into his wife at a stop light and claimed she’d hit him. Only the dash cam saved them from fines and insurance claims. There are some sleazy people out there, and I want all the protection from their scams as I can get.

Wow, that's a nice setup! I have the TST system for monitoring tire pressure and a VIOFO Dash Cam A119 Mini 2. And based on Mike Urbancic's replacement rear view camera at the rally, I just bought a Haloview MC7108 to swap for my Furrion. Combining these three into one unit would be fantastic, and eliminate some wiring. The Haloview I just bought was $200, and I could send it back. But I'm not sureI want to spend an additional $400 to replace the TPMS and dash cam I already have. Hmmmm... But if I were starting again, this is definitely the way I’d go.

With my juvenile mindset, it was really difficult not to say something inappropriate here. But I refrained. 😁

Not Scotty, but in our experience with two fans, each mounted either side of the television, it is indeed whisper quiet. Even with both on the highest speed, I'd say it isn't as loud as the Truma A/C on low. And the fan that you linked is the one we ordered. Ours were $88 in December 2022. We had them even before taking delivery of Curiosity! We pivot one fan toward the other, with the second posted forward, in an effort to help with circulation. The advantage of having two is that either of us can have the fan blowing directly on us in the twin beds as desired. Deb sleeps hot, so frequently has hers on medium blowing directly on her, while I might not have mine on at all. Much better than her having the ceiling fan on medium at home while I have the blanket up to my chin! 🤣 @ScottyGS Do you travel with yours stowed in the up position? I had considered doing that, but was concerned that the bouncing might wear the catches on the locking mechanism. So we make sure ours are locked in the down position before travelling.

I was editing while you posted. Here are direct links: https://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/131/3654/97619A440 https://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/131/3613/92790A254 https://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/131/3697/92147A033 https://www.mcmaster.com/catalog/131/3684/91525A336 I had a hard sheet of nylon about 1/8" thick or probably a little thinner that I used. No idea where it came from. Even a thick plastic notebook cover (not the kind with embedded cardboard) would work to break the connection. As an aside, I long ago stopped using fasteners from Amazon, Home Depot, Lowes, etc for anything other than minor projects. Just because it says grade 8 on that Chinese box, doesn't mean it really is. I've twisted the hex off of Home Depot grade 5 5/16" bolts with a 1/4" drive socket in a tight location, so I was definitely not over stressing it. McMaster~Carr is more expensive, but they have a generations old reputation of carrying quality components. Many have ASTM, SAE, and various other agency data sheets included with the order. I'm just not comfortable hanging $10k in bikes and rack from $10 worth of questionable fasteners.

Here's a copy of my order from McMaster Carr for the fasteners I inserted a thin tough plastic pad between the hitch and the crossbar. This is to help avoid galvanic corrosion between the steel and aluminum. Let me know if you need more details,

It is for my National Luna 90L fridge/freezer in my tow vehicle while at camp. It uses an Anderson plug for DC power. We head to the Adirondacks June 1, where we’ll have no hookups or much sunlight for nine days. So I’ll use Curiosity’s giant battery to power the truck fridge instead of the 700W Bluetti power station I typically use, but only lasts 24-36 hours using the freezer. Anderson connectors of various sizes are widely used in DC systems. Most DC to DC setups use them, and you’ll see them on semi trucks, forklifts, golf carts, etc. They’ve been the industry standard high amperage connection for about 75 years.

Some may recall my plans to add an Anderson Powerpole 12V DC outlet to the front of Curiosity. My plan was to drill through the front of the propane housing, low, behind the front basket. I started that project today. The plan was to tie into the front jack wiring to supply power. But then I thought it might be easier to run the positive wire down from the jack switch terminal, avoiding cutting into the jack’s feed wire. When I pulled off the jack cover, I discovered the is a lot of extra room inside the cover. So, instead of drilling through fiberglass, I drilled through an inexpensive replaceable part. Easy peasey! All that’s left is the wiring (along with wiring the two outlets I added under the flip-up table next to the door.) EDIT: Yes, I will add an inline fuse, and not rely on the jack’s 30A slo-blow fuse. 😉

Barb, in July 2023 I replaced the OEM receiver with the Reese model linked below. It required new holes drilled in the crossmember, but being aluminum, that was easy. I also went larger, using 1/2” stainless fasteners rather than the 3/8” U-bolt. I chose this receiver over the dozens of other cheap reception Amazon due to the base plate wrapping up over the end of the tube. This would prevent the entire rack and bikes from falling off if the third world weld failed. (A not uncommon complaint in other reviews.) https://a.co/d/9CyCaF6 It has been hanging back there for almost two years now, towing the trailer with bikes on the 1-Up rack over 11,000 miles. My rack with bikes is likely 10-20 pounds over Oliver’s recommended load. Here’s a link to the post where I described the process:

Who all will we see at the Hungry Mother Fiberglass Rally in October? I know Hank and Christine White, Scott and Shawna Cozzens, and Deb and me. Anyone else. Now that we’re leaving Lake Guntersville tomorrow, I’m already eager to hang out some more!

Arg! I didn’t get around to meet you guys! We saw the kids down by the lake, and it must have been Net walking the dogs. Just didn’t get to your site. Too many new people to meet and not enough time. Hopefully next year!

We’ll miss chatting with you, Bill. See you next year!

We’ve been in the Escape 23 a couple of times. For a similar size trailer as the Oliver, it seems larger, mostly due to the extra width. It has some nice features, especially the much larger fridge. But it is a step down in quality for sure. Another option to look at might be the Bigfoot 25 fiberglass trailer. We haven’t been inside one, but hear the quality is very good.

2025 Oliver Forum and Facebook Group Rally Attendee List - Final Issue! Attached is the final PDF sheet of 81 of you who have volunteered to be added to this list for the convenience of other rally attendees. It comes in handy for finally meeting someone you've talked to online, or to see that amazing modification you've been lusting after. Or, just to say hello. Print this list before you go to the rally, or copy it to your phone. If you need a printed copy, I will have about 50 at our campsite. It is G23, right on the corner of the main drag. Just look for "Curiosity" on the front of the trailer. If we're not home, I'll have the stack on the table by the door or the hood of my truck, weather permitting. A big thanks to all of you who have contributed. Making this list my first rally in 2023 was invaluable in getting to know people I'd only met on the Oliver Forum or Facebook. Thank you! Steve 2025 Forum and Facebook Oliver Rally Attendees Final.pdf

Last Call! Currently at 73 listings. I'll and/remove up until sometime Sunday evening, and then print a bunch of copies to bring with us. I'll post the final PDF at that time, too. Thanks again to everyone who has contributed! It sure makes it easier for owners new and old find people they've only conversed with online. 2025 Oliver Rally Attendees as of 4-26.pdf

The last two years some of the vendors have provided box lunches or light breakfast, but that's not shown on the schedule this year. Last year there was a potluck dinner that's also not listed this year. We find planned dinners don't go as planned due to lots of gabbing, so be flexible.