Galileo

The thing that gets me most is the tires. “Aggressive tread” for sure. Maybe they make sense, but they look like what you’d use if the trailer wheels were actually used to propel the thing. I suppose if you’re braking down a muddy hill they come in handy. Im not one easily impressed by trim and accents. But, seeing all the bright orange and lime green sports cars on the road these days, I guess I’m the old guy who’s behind the times.

Aside from the 48volt electrical system and a few accessory changes, the main changes seem to be cosmetic - black trim and such.

Well, I appear to have spoken too soon. We’ve had several days of torrential rain and some pretty intense thunderstorms with high winds and flood warnings here in Starbuck, MN. Through the first few deluges it seemed we were all set. Last night - another wave of storms came through and I’m seeing a trickle of water now and then. It’s coming from between the frame of the window and the inner shell of of camper body - so it’s not filling and overflowing the track. It’s leaking out the bottom of the track. Perhaps the repair I did to the window stop screw wasn’t sufficient, or perhaps that screw holding the center muntin in through the bottom of the window frame is the culprit. Either way, I’m getting a little fed up with the lack of care that goes into building at $65,000 (at the time) trailer. It’s making it very difficult to answer the question: “So, how do you like your Oliver?” when people approach us at campgrounds…..

Well, RVLock sent out the parts of the lock that they thought would fix my problem. (Only partial retraction of the deadbolt when unlocking) They sent out pretty much all of the electronic parts: logic board, keypad, speaker board, as well as a new gasket. I explained that I would think it would be the mechanical parts, but they said that these were the parts that usually go bad, so we’d “try this first”. Im not stranger to home repairs - so I can pretty much dig into anything without too much concern a and I had “teched” this lock once already. Unfortunately, one of the screws that hold the keypad in was fused into the lock body. It snapped off upon trying to remove it. If that wasn’t bad enough, another screw adjacent to the snapped off one had no threads left in the body. One bad screw on the keypad would have been an iffy repair IMHO. Two would be a sure failure quickly - as every time you pressed a button on the lock the keypad would flex and eventually break. I contacted our person at RVLock and told them the above. Without a hesitation, they are sending me out a new lock. No charge. No shipping. Even making sure it has the same key code as our existing lock. So - if the product has issues - but the customer service is stellar - is that better it worse than a product that fails less often - cut getting CS is like pulling teeth?

I actually think the OEM ones are pretty nice - and unlike some RV fabrics out of the later 20th century - they won’t look “dated” in 10 or 20 years. Ours are the slightly darker shade of brown - I forget what they called the color scheme. They’re wearing well after 5 years of multi-month trips. The biggest issue is keeping the cat hair cleaned off of the fabric. Right now, we’re experimenting with removing all of the “extra” main seating area cushions as that area stays set up as a king bed. One long one and 4 small ones. If keeps the bed less cluttered and doesn’t push up against the window shades and collect dust.

Was the 2026 model so terrible we need a moment of silence? So they went a totally different thought for one model year with a window shave without a big, clunky frame - then went BACK to the big clunky frame for 2027?! If I make a change, it will -definitely- be away from the big, clunky frame.

I mentioned on another thread that if you press the “power” and “open/close” button is rapid succession, you can turn the fan off but leave the vent open…. The detail cleaning sounds like my description from last year. I found that using a spray cleaner like “Fantastic” or “409” and a chip brush is very effective at removing greasy buildup in nooks and crannies. Just rinse with water when clean. I’d be hesitant to use alcohol for fear of crazing or attacking the plastic. Ours is starting to get dirty again - and I do my best not to cook anything remotely like bacon inside. Still, between cats and human life - with running the fan on exhaust 80% of the time - it still gets grimy.

Yes @Boudicca908, we enjoyed the mosquitoes in the Everglades when we camped there a couple of years ago. They had a cute little sign with a movable arrow like you see telling what the fire danger is. Except this one was about mosquitoes. It was about mid-scale “moderate”. We had to RUN from the truck to the trailer to keep bites to less than about ten - and all intentions of a campfire or sitting outside were immediately scrapped. We did the “mountains” thing on the trip we’re wrapping up. Camped up to about 8,000 feet. There, it was wondering why you get out of breath on easy hikes. If memory of aviation planning holds, you get about 3 degrees Fahrenheit for each 1,000 of elevation. Too bad we’re not there now, as it was, in April and May we were getting into the 20’s and high teens at night. Heater hose is on my wish list for 2027!

Doesn’t the vent on the roof vent both the black and the grey tanks, or just the black?

https://mcdinnovations.com/products/day-night-roller-shades/

From what I could see on the “virtual tour” the window frames look similar - even though the windows are swing-out instead of sliders. From what I could see, it looks like the pull-down shades mount above the window - not on the frame. So I’d bet would could scrap your old shades and adapt the new ones - if you were willing to drill into your inner shell above the window. I -think- I saw “MCD” logo on the window shade. Could likely track them down.

Hi all, Im sure this has been discussed elsewhere, but nothing I could find seemed to answer my questions. I removed the window shade assembly from the rear/emergency exit window to hang a cat perch in the frame: Not a great photo due to backlighting - but should be visible. I figure that the window shades that came with our trailer from the factory were not necessarily meant to be paired with this model of window. If it were, there wouldn’t be a need for spacers behind the clips that hold it in place. Im curious if there is a faceplate, bezel, escutcheon, etc that goes with these windows to cover the unsightly screws that show if you pull the shade off. As others have mentioned how far the shades project into the interior, often getting bumper by shoulders or heads - I figure there must be a lower-profile option to both cover the frame and to attach window treatments to. Any thoughts? I don’t know if we’re going to keep this cat bed. The cats don’t seem thrilled, the bed needs work to make it support our lardass 16# cat, and unless I can add curtains - we have no shade/privacy anymore. I don’t think I want to mess with removing and reinstalling the rear window shade every time we move camp or decide the neighbors are too close or nosey. Has anybody done away with the problematic shades and opted for curtains or other window treatments?

We’re in Starbuck, MN - Glacial Lakes SP. The bathrooms are just OK - a bit dated. 5 miles from the town of Starbuck. (There’s no Starbucks in Starbuck.) Bigger town of Glenwood a 20 drive - more stores and restaurants. Alexandria about a half hour away. (This is where the Starbucks is) Nice lake here. Also near Lake Minnewaska. Some hiking. Quiet during mid-week. Typically full weekends. Electric-only sites - no water at sites. There is a place to fill and a dump station. Also primitive sites. Flies and mosquitoes ARE all here. (“Minnesota - Land of 10,000 lakes - and 10,000,000,000 mosquitoes.”) Pretty much halfway between Fargo and Sioux Falls. We’re campground hosts until end of July. Our second year. This was our attempt at “cooler weather during the summer” - we didn’t go far enough North!

I try not to in there too often - but not the usual reason people avoid basements. Winterizing/un-winterizing, and to the other side to manually trip and reset the main DC breaker when storing and recommissioning. It certainly is a pain when you have the original cushions, condensation mats underneath, topper and bedclothes on top…

You have a real flair for understatement!

I know this is an old thread, but figured I’d add onto a thread that is close to my topic rather than start a new one. We’ve tried a couple of mattress toppers to make the “king” bed in the LE2 a little more comfortable for our old backs and stiff joints. Wr started with the basic 3” “memory foam” topper from Walmart that has no cover. It was just OK - but lacking a cover it tore easily and basically ended up in several pieces and had to be tossed. Next was the roughly 2-1/2 inch memory foam topper from IKEA that has a thick cotton/poly cover on both sides. The cover protects the foam and keeps it from getting wedged between the gaps between the cushions. BOTH memory foam toppers are incredibly heavy! Also too heavy for one person to carry by themselves. Both come compressed (Walmart - folded and strapped into a box about 2 feet square, IKEA - rolled in a dang heavy cylinder wrapped in heavy plastic. Between several spills - mostly cats launching morning coffee or tea onto the bed - the covers on the IKEA pad were looking pretty gross. They ARE removable and washable IF you have a super high capacity washer and about two hours to dry it. Getting the foam zipped back into the cover is fun to watch, but not impossible. When a window leak left us with a soggy bed, we decided to replace the topper. Off to IKEA. (Remind me never to go there again. I got my 10,000 steps that day.) We remembered that the memory foam topper we got the first time wasn’t quite the top of the line, so we figured “Oh boy! Upgrade!” but once we got there (and there wasn’t an employee to be found) we discovered they no longer have the topper we have - or the better one. Bummer. We chose a 2-3/4” standard (not memory) foam pad with similar padded cover. A bit lighter than the memory foam - but still just as expensive. $299 plus tax. We lugged it to the truck, unpacked it and heaved it on. Put on our sheets, and instantly - hated it. It bunches up. Pulls away from the sides, and leaves a mound between us. To be fair, we gave it two weeks to let it - and us - “adjust”. Today - we decided it’s not gonna work. We took it off, slid it back in the bag, and rolled it up. We dried out our previous IKEA memory foam mattress topper and I think we’re back to being mostly happy. When I get ambitious, I’ll pull the covers off and see if I can at least lighten the coffee stains. For those curious - the current IKEA product that gets our 1-star rating is the “Norrsele king très Grand Deux Places”. (If anybody wants it after I dissed it so thoroughly, let me know - I’ll make you a helluva deal.)

I used to be fairly active on Facebook - even before social media became the way official government information is disseminated - but quit cold turkey several years ago and haven’t looked back. I found that even without all the suspicious groups and the collection of our indie action (Which can be used against you in SO many ways…) I found the “signal to noise ratio” to be very poor. Far too many trolls, too many people trying to scam you, people who had severe cases of rectal-cranial-inversion, or just folks whose parents never taught them manners. Unfortunately (I find I use that word a lot) it seems that many businesses and government agencies use Facebook instead of maintaining real web sites. They assume everybody is there. So I miss a lot from local police and other organizations. No Facebook, Twitter/X, instagram, “truth social” (hah!) or any of them.

Would LOVE to be able to make great Italian beef (sandwiches - dipped!) but have t tried my hand at that. I found Mariano’s deli has the meat and au jus - not bad. Unfortunately, “Greek Town” on Halstead street is a shadow of its former self (perhaps not quite as decimated as Maxwell street.) but condos have taken over all but two of the dozen Greek (and Cypriot) restaurants that were there ten or fifteen years ago. Yeah - I spent 50 years there and EVERY February I swore I’d had my last Chicago winter. Yeah - the traffic’s a pain - but so is Dallas. Seems like they’re always tearing up the interstate and clogging up the works. We needed to pick a place to officially call “home” - so no state income tax, and about half as much to put tags (plates) on our vehicles mean Texas beat Illinois. Also not fond of Illinois’ gun laws.

Our 2022 LE2 doesn’t have the side graphics like yours does - just the green/gold oval front and spare tire cover, so I’d likely opt for ‘white’ if I tried to repaint anything. That’s pretty low on my list. Our propane cover has the access hatch on the front rather than the top. It’s “white” too - and not different enough from the fiberglass that I’ve even noticed it.

And we both started from Chicago! 😎 It was a great city, back in the day. It still is a great city! Great for food and culture. I’m not into sports - but some people like that. (Oh, and REAL Chicago Pizza is THIN crust, tavern-cut. Yeah - I like a good debate.) I hate moving. My parents were renters - so we moved A LOT when I was young. Every time I’d move, I’d say “I’m never moving again unless they carry me out feet first!” I think we accomplished the “last” move because we no longer have a house or apartment. (Now if I could JUST empty out that 10x20 storage unit full of stuff that’s too good to throw away, but nobody wants to buy…) I just have to get a bit less sentimental and we can pare down the “must keep” stuff to fit in the same storage unit where we keep the Oliver when we’re out of the country.

Not that we need one more special fluid to tote around in our trailers or TVs - but how about glycerin or KY jelly instead of a petroleum or even vegetable oil based product? I’ve found that the fiberglass collects stains so efficiently that I’d be leery of using anything that might add to my workload. My assortment of cleaning/polishing/waxing products requires its own tote!

We were in Tolono Nevada this past March and had such strong winds, it slammed the door of our truck open so hard I was worried it bent the hinges. (Luckily it didn’t) It also slammed the driver’s door closed while I was getting in or out and I literally had to fight to free myself. It also filled our nice “new” truck full of grit that I’m still vacuuming and dusting four months later. The point? If it’s at all windy - I just make it a point to HOLD THE DOOR - any door. I don’t find that I have to “fight” the door while trying to hook/unhook it. I just realize it’s preloaded to a point that assure there won’t be any “slop” when the door is hooked in the open position. I even found the right sized rubber grommets at my local hardware store so that when one gets cut, worn out, or disappears - I can pop a new one in. Doesn’t that equate to having to move the door with more than the force of a 40MPH wind any time you want to open and close it?!

I didn’t say I didn’t like them - just that if you’re keeping things white - you missed a spot. 😂 That said - you have an excellent point on the “10 shades of ‘white’”. The Truma cover, furnace cover, and fridge covers are all different. I try not to obsess too much…. Did you paint yours? Why did you choose grey over Oliver ‘white’?

I wish I had the time and forethought to do that. I did the U-Haul a few years back to close up our Chicago home and take a few items to Texas. Little did I know that the prices for the one-way vs local rentals are astronomically higher!

I don’t know that a black lock detracts from the appearance any more than the two emblems immediately to the left of the lock, the black door bumper, or the grey fridge vent. We haven’t been “locked out” of the trailer by either failure of the RVLock - but still have enjoyed not having to remember to take along a key for 5 years. Compared to everything else that has failed or broken in the trailer - the leaky windows, water heater that shoots out flames, black tank dump valve issues, massive air leaks, appliances that unplug themselves, freezer hinges that break, interior belly bands that fall off - and an air conditioner that is not compatible with human life - I’d say a door lock that requires service every two years is actually pretty good. (Is this horse dead yet?) I wonder what the actual failure rate is. I’m hoping there are folks out there that have RVLocks that -haven’t- failed?!