Jason Foster

I watched a few moments but then I had to escape.

Honestly, the tailgate mat listed above is probably your best bet other than bolting a wheel mount in the bed, although this takes up a lot of storage space in the truck and makes removing the bikes a requirement before removing some gear. Locking your bikes up from thieves should be a consideration as well. I looked at all the options and have decided the rear mount on the Oliver is the best place for my application. I have a tonneau cover that keeps my gear locked up so a rack on top would make sure my bikes had the coveted Beetlejuice paint job everyone loves. Same for mounting them on the front bumper. There aren't really a whole lot of options. None of them are perfect but it sure beats not having our bikes when we want them.

And just like that, the wait is over. I've been planning this trip for over a month now. Part of my incessant need to control every outcome. However, in the last few days I've been increasing the activity. I just washed my truck and ceramic coated it. Cleaned out the inside. I don't know, there is something nice about travelling in a clean vehicle. We bought a nice folding tonneau cover that locks out the would-be thieves. I've made lists, checked them twice and have everything laid out in my storage shed ready to be loaded. The only thing I won't be taking much of is food. We can buy that on the way. My wife bought some fitted sheets and mattress protectors. That was $180. Custom stuff. Yeesh. We have pillows, blankets, clothes, toiletries, dog stuff, pretty much everything out of my old camper. I'm sure I'm forgetting some things, but we have the essentials. Tomorrow, I will pull the wheels off, check the brakes and rotate them so the TV will get us there and back safe. Got a few more things to do around the house and then it is off to Tennessee. I think my wife is more excited than I am now. Thats a good thing. 🙂

Thanks for the heads up. I lived in NW Arkansas for 27 years, worked in Missouri for 2 before moving to Ohio then to Iowa, so I'm not unfamiliar with cold. Fortunately for me when I say Missouri, I am talking about Pineville which is just north of the Arkansas border. They get a little snow there but rarely get too far below freezing. Regardless, I will be bringing a few space heaters, a fan and will be hooked up to 30 amps the entire time.

Good idea and looks better than the chrome beauty ring.

Thats a good one. Thanks for the link.

I think that is a fair clarification. Without an industry standard definition of four-season, we will always wonder how far north we can go. I will never have a problem in Texas, but I might run into some issues in Thief River Falls in January without taking some precautions. I plan on camping in Missouri after I pick up my Oliver in late December and I have no fear that it can handle that weather.

Are these flexible solar panels as efficient or as powerful as the flat rigid ones?

Ronbrinks light the next morning.

Welcome to the conversation. It is important to note that I have not received my Oliver yet, but I am a winter camper. With that said, I must offer up a caveat. I live in Texas, so winter for me would be equal to Spring or Fall for you. One of the many reasons I sprung for the Oliver is its ability to handle colder weather. Oliver's website states that their trailer is four-season, but I figured that it would fall into the Tennessee four-season range rather than the Arctic range. I'm not a summer guy. When it hits 85 degrees, I'm done camping. I like cold weather, warm fires and hiking when I don't have to sweat my clothes through. After owning several different rigs, I went with the Oliver. It will likely see Colorado Winters during Elk season, but not until I add a few modifications to allow it to handle prolonged sub-zero temperatures.

Hmmm. The last trailer I had (currently have) always whacked me in the head when I least expected it.

I believe so. He doesn't ask about my past, so I don't ask him about his. We have a mutual agreement, and it usually involves food.

This is Nip. He got his name because he likes to bite. Not hard, though. My wife calls him the Doods. Not sure why.

I love Calvin and Hobbes. I really like my job which allows me to work in a home office which makes all the hobbies I have even more enjoyable.

Wow. I have at least another 8 to 10 years to go.

Curly headed fuzz ball. Love em.

Congratulations and welcome. Look forward to adventuring with you.

I'm sure they figure those who have the money to boat, can and will pay the premium. And some of us catch the bug and spend a lot of money on RVs. Obviously, I wouldn't be here if I didn't get tired of wasting money on the substandard garbage the RV industry is pumping out. To be clear, some of the new stuff coming out is great but I'm a fan of not reinventing the wheel. I love 12 volt. So simple and reliable.

So bought and installed with cost in mind instead of longevity and quality?

As simple as that is, I wonder what the failure can be.

Has anybody taken one apart to see how they work?

I can't add anything to this. Well written and explained.