Search the Community

Good thread. I missed that one. Very informative. Blodn, I sent you an email, as it looks like pm isn't working for you. My email address starts with **. The heading says something like "from Sherry on the Oliver Forum" Please watch for it in your spam filter box. (Never a good idea to put your email address out there on a forum, I'm told...) Tks. Sherry

We did it ! We ordered two of the 60 watt sunforce setups. The auctions on eBay seemed to be stalled out at about $730.00 plus shipping, which was higher than I wanted to pay. I sent a PM to several sellers asking about a better price and combining shipping. Most were reluctant. But then I recieved a response from a supplier that wanted to negotiate. We did. Our final cost for both complete setups delivered to the house was $648.00 ! We paid through Pay Pal so we would have all of the benefits provided by them. The UPS Guy delivered them today. The first thing that I noticed was that they were heavier than I expected. Everything was in order, in the first box I unpacked and assembled. Everything went well with the assembly. No missing parts and all connectors mated up well. The first check of the output while still inside the house, in artificial lighting only, was an output of 9.2 volts. I was worried about how sturdy the plastic pipe adjustable frame was, until I had it assembled. The frame is made of schedule 40 plastic pipe, which is probably the reason for some the extra weight. Each of the individual fifteen watt panels is well framed and braced. The screws all seem to be stainless steel. Though the assebmly went quickly, I wouldn't want to do it every time we go camping. We will likely find a way to carry the panels fully assembled and ready to deploy. The cables that come with each are only twelve feet long. We will need longer cables. They seem simple enough to make and will not add much to the overall cost. The project is going so well, I am going to open the other box and start on it right away. Betty may not like the looks of the livingroom when she gets back home from her mom's house !

Here are my two cents worth on the subject. Price: heck once your in this deep the full blown Solar Package is only another 5% ± more, its almost chump change by comparison. Cleaning: ladders work great, but only at home. Exposure: there are probably by now hundreds of thousands maybe millions of these things on RV's, home, buildings. I suspect they are reasonably durable or we would have heard more about it by now. Not that it can't happen but my guess is your tow vehicle is going to be in far worse shape and cost way more to repair should some disaster like a hail storm occur. Roof adjustments: Agreed the Oliver does not lend itself to an easy up on the roof scaling but at 320 watts even at 60-70% worse case scenario thats still 200-240 ± watts of solar power on a sunny day. Not bad IMHO. But I agree wish it were easier to make adjustments without carrying a ladder around with you all over the country. But those 4 Trojans charged up fully should last several days too. Hope this helps. This question is for those owners who have the solar option on their Ollie. Is it worth the price and do you actually benefit from having the panels? I am asking this because my trailer is in production, and I may still be able to order this option. I would use some sort of deploy-able solar even if I do not get the Oliver option. The Bosch 150 Watt suitcase panels appear to be a good value at $350.00 on Ebay so that is what I would go with. It has a built in 15Amp charge controller, and 15 feet of connector cable with battery clips. Most of our camping will be with electrical hookups, but it will be nice to have battery backup for occasional boondocking and emergency use. I do have a Honda 2000i generator with an extended run gas tank. I ordered the (4) Trojan T105 batteries. My concerns with the Oliver option are... Price Getting up to the roof to deploy and make adjustments Added wind resistance Exposure to the elements Difficulty of cleaning Thanks in advance for your comments. Dave

We are getting the solar package, weather that decision is good, bad, or indifferent, we will see. Not going with a generator, so that was not a option. Goggle HandyBob's Blog, lots of good info there. Getting excited for next week. Stan

Hi Dave, I just upgraded my 100W panel, to a 160W panel from AMSolar. The 100W has been adequate, but now that I have 60 % more collection ability, when I find myself in partial sunlight due to tree cover, my batteries will have greater charge, sooner. I also upgraded to Lifeline, mil spec, batteries that can store 200 amp hours of energy. Amp Hours storage is the key for me. My panel is mounted flat on the roof. It can tilt, but I prefer the simplicity of a leave it alone system ... a no fuss method to make my camping experience nicer. It charges my batteries as I relax in camp or as I travel down the road to the next rest stop in Paradise. A silent method of charging my batteries adds to the serene settings I have found myself over the years. Yes, I haul a quiet generator, but it is only for rare usage. They mount these things on buildings all over the world, so I'm not really too worried about hail damage. If falling ice- boulders are big enough to hurt it, I will have bigger problems to deal with. Chances are too small for me to worry about it. Mounted longitudinally on top of the trailer, it only exposes a 1.5" by 26" face into the wind. That's minuscule in comparison to the rest of the trailer's exposure, so I'm not worried about any appreciable drag, or resistance, to the wind-flow. I clean it whenever I wash the trailer. Usually, simply passing the extended cleaning brush over it with water knocks off the dust. If tree droppings are on it, soapy water does the trick very nicely. Some of the most beautiful places to camp are found in State or National Parks, BLM, or USFS land, where you have access to water, but no electrical hookups. With solar, you don't need to fret about power for your lights or water pump for as long as you care to relax and soak up the beauties and wonders around you. Go for it!

Aubrey, My understanding is that it is not a good idea to maintain the electrical connection between the tow vehicle and the trailer for any extended period that the tow vehicle engine is not running, such as while you are enjoying yourself in camp, unless you have a battery "isolator" installed, to prevent the trailer's electrical needs from depleting the tow vehicle battery. The situation you cited is the first I have heard of where the tow vehicle is apparently drawing from the trailer's batteries, as evidenced by the reaction of the generator. But it stands to reason that the electrical draw could go both ways, without the isolator. More experienced RVers than I may be able to answer your questions regarding whether there is danger to your tow vehicle's electrical system and whether you can charge your tow vehicle's battery with a generator hooked up to your trailer. In any case, I would advise unhooking the electrical connection between the tow vehicle and the trailer when you are not actually towing, to make sure that you still have enough charge in your tow vehicle's battery to start the engine. Steve

Ozbarry, (Sorry about the slow post approval...after a few, then your posts will appear immediately when you post them) Eco diesel! You must have the new Ram 1500 diesel truck. Wow! That would be a most excellent tow vehicle for the Legacy Elite II with plenty of torque. Did you get the Ram Box option for storage space? I'd love to hear what sort of gas mileage you achieve when pulling a sleek 22'' Ollie down the road. Pete

We just returned from a 3300 mile round trip from Arizona to Hohenwald to have some modifications made to the trailer. We downsized the air conditioning unit to enable us to us a 2000 watt generator, added a generator basket and had the external t.v. antenna removed and the holes glassed over. When we arrived there was some confusion because of a mix up in dates. Robert came to the rescue and said everything would be taken care of. We went off to Nashville to spend tourist dollars. Later that week we returned to a finished trailer. Not only had they done the asked for changes but had went through the trailer and did several upgrades and a full safety inspection. This type of dedication to their customers and product is why we felt justified in making the trip to the factory. We also toured the factory and are happy that they have found a way to keep these dedicated employees working while waiting for the economy to pick up. A big thanks to Robert and all the others who worked on our trailer. Jerry and Shirley P.S. They even washed the trailer before they would let us hook up. Brings back memories of when service stations would wash the windshield and check the water and oil.

That's it. Here is a look at how it clears the generator box: Click for larger view.

Hey Mountainborn, I know you asked Sherry but I can give you first hand knowledge about what to do! I was in the pasture about 30 feet away from the skunk who happened to be strolling thru. Unfortunately for me - I was downwind from this little critter. Guess what! Wind carries skunk spray and I unwillingly tried the skunk perfume. I immediately went and took a tomato soup, ketchup bath. It helped somewhat. Actually, this was the second one I had to take. The first one happened after a little one got in to the elementary school. I had fun catching baby skunks, armadillos, rabbits, etc. when I was younger so I was not afraid to see if I could catch this little one. Nobody at the elementary knew what to do. Even the poor policeman. I asked for a broomstick and a box. The skunk was behind the door so I used the broomstick to make it move and then put the box on top. When I got back to my office, my fellow workers wouldn't let me stay. They said I smelled like a SKUNK! Gee thanks I told them. I didn't get sprayed. The whole elementary school had to close for the rest of the day because the skunk had sprayed while inside. Anyway, long story short - that was my first experience with a tomato bath. I can vouch that it does work somewhat. jam49 I also have a kodak picture of me holding a baby skunk I caught when I was a camp counselor and a bunch of kids were around. We had to remove the skunk from the presence of the kids so guess who did this! This was long before digital so I have no way of uploading the picture. J

We have a 2014 Tacoma as well, Double Cab/Long Bed. When the tanks are nearly empty and little cargo in the truck bed, the towing is fine. With more in the tanks and some cargo in the bed, it starts to be an issue. The tongue is lengthened to accommodate a generator basket (we keep it empty while towing). I am considering a weight distribution hitch, sway has not been an issue. I wonder what could be different in our setup and Flyrod's to make a difference? We have had many admiring comments on the Oliver. We have given several tours including a very nice couple in Austin who have a Casita.

by DougI on Fri Jan 02, 2009 6:45 pm Tn girl wrote: Hi, I am going to buy a travel trailer in the near future. I have been doing my research and have narrowed it down to the Casita and Oliver. My question is, I have a 2007 3.8L V6 263 horsepower Kia Sorento. Will my vehicle be able to pull this trailer. I have the draw tite towing package on my Suv. But my towing capacity is only 5,000lbs. Can someone help me. Moderator's note: I believe this is a duplicate post. Please look to "Hello all" for replies. Thanks! Seadawg/Sherry With a 5,000 towing capacity, I see no reason you could not tow a 17 foot Oliver, fully equipped, which would weigh somewhere between 3,500 and 4,000 pounds, depending on how much stuff you put in it and on how much water you carry in your fresh water tank while towing. I have a Toyota RAV4 with a factory towing package, 269 HP V6, and I decided not to tow the Oliver with it, due to a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds and a tongue weight limitation of 350 pounds. So, I decided to get a new tow vehicle with plenty of extra towing and cargo capacity (room for the things I want to take but have no room in the Oliver for). Things like lawn chairs, generator(s), gas can full of gas, folding bicycles, air compressor, extra clothes and footwear that won't fit in the Oliver, an outdoor grill and propane bottle, tent, day packs and backpacks, screen shelter, tool box, chocks, extra food and personal items, spare parts for the tow vehicle and the Oliver, and so on. These items can add up to a lot of weight and the Oliver has no outside storage bins, so you have to carry all this stuff in your tow vehicle (or leave most of it at home), which lessens your towing capacity by their total weight. If you tow in the mountains, keep in mind that the engine power of all gas engines decreases significantly at higher elevations, during a time when you need the most power from your engine. I think you will be fine if you watch your weight carefully. The easiest way to do this is to travel with only a few gallons of water in your fresh water tank.2009 Oliver Legacy Elite, Hull number 0037. Tow vehicle is a 2003 Silverado 1500, 5.3L V8, LT, 4X4, Quadrasteer, extended cab, with full factory towing package. Reside near Lexington, Texas (Central Texas, 45 miles east of Austin). Thanks DOUGI, a good explination ! MODERATOR'S NOTE: I tried to untangle this thread. Somehow it was in the welcome forum and needed to be in the campers forum. It is an informative subject and will be of use to many. Puting it where more folks can find it will likely help. Thanks to Sherry and Pete for helping while Betty and I were in Hot Springs. mountainborn

A webinar presented by Yamaha's Colin Iwasa compares Yamaha to Honda point by point. It is a quite revealing look at the cost, performance and longlivity. Click the link, enter a name, ect. then enter the pass code which is: 55218 The main focus is on the 2000 watt generators which is where many molded fiberglass Rv'ers want to be at for maximum efficiency. Here is a copy of the email I recieved, the clickable link and passcode are in it: > We've been busy getting our new generator for market. I think you'll like it. Yamaha is pleased to introduce our light weight, quiet and powerful EF2000iS generator. Click on the link to view a 15 minute model introduction with slides and narration. Passcode: 55218 https://cc.callinfo.com/play?id=o6bt8xu0

Something we've discovered, that many of you already know, I'm sure. One Tekonsha brake controller can be used in several tow vehicles. Just add wiring harnesses. Originally, we bought one Tekonsha Prodigy brake controller from our local Uhaul dealer, and had them install it in our Volvo xc90. Then we ordered a harness and holder for the Silverado, but not another controller, and Uhaul installed the harness and holder in the Silverado. We moved the expensive part, the controller box, from vehicle to vehicle. Recently, we acquired a new Dodge 4x4 pickup with factory installed 7 pin tow connections and tow package.... Since the Dodge was wired under the dash for the four pins required for the Tekonsha Prodigy and other brands of controllers (as is true of most new vehicles with a full tow package), Paul decided to install this harness himself. I got on the phone, ordered a harness for the Dodge connector from NAPA, picked it up down the street, and Paul & Dave installed it. (Basically plug and play if the vehicle is truly set up for towing as ours was) Since we only tow with one vehicle at a time (only have one Oliver, and the boat trailer doesn't have electric brakes....), buying just the harnesses & brackets has saved us several hundred dollars, and all three vehicles can tow the Oliver.... We just move the controller box from vehicle to vehicle as necessary. Sherry edited for clarity by Paul PS our local installer gave us an extra mounting bracket he had laying around for the new Dodge... total cost for new brake controller in Dodge... $18. Don't buy the generic controllers available from many camping and RV store outlets.... they don't have the plug and play connectors, and you have to strip wires to splice them in. I called Tekonsha for a local retailer for the real deal... For us, that was NAPA. Paul and our nephew installed the Tekonsha harness in about 20 minutes or less.

Thats great you have gone all solar, home and RV. Understand too I'm not knocking what the Technomadia folks did, most likely when they were looking into it Handy Bob didn't have his blog going and as he so aptly points out time and again in this blog the vast majority if not all RV solar installers are not getting it right. Its often been said that the Solar industry is the bad boy of alternative energy and I think this especially holds true in RV solar. If you've already started digging through his blog you'll already know what I am talking about perhaps, if not you are in for some very big surprises. Understand its not just about new technologies, rather its about how what is available, and how it is implemented. He started writing this blog back in '10 I think, but has been living on solar only for some 13 years both with his 5th wheel and also his cabin in the boonies. He has never owned a generator either, yet runs all sorts of power tools including but not limited to table saws. At any rate if you decide to plow through it, hopefully you will find as much useful info as I have.

Mountainborn is right on this being a great bugout or bondocking outfit. Fridge, furnace, stove on gas. Everything else on solar, if camping in the right exposure. We added solar (200 watts) six months after we bought our trailer, (side mount) and have always been very happy with our decision. If you don't do it now, at least ask about an option to prewire, if you anticipate camping without services in your future. We run the FanTastic fan or furnace fan, the electrical controls for the fridge, interior lights (sparingly, if camping without electric.) The solar won't run the ac, nor the microwave, but we try not to camp where we need the ac, and rarely use a microwave at home or camping. The furnace fan in cold weather is probably the biggest draw down on power, since we also limit our online time to an hour or two on each computer if we camp without power. Honestly, I'd have left off the kingdome, but it was already there, as we bought a unit that had already been partially built out. The tv is nice for dvds and local weather/news with an antenna. We run the radio for weather, more than the tv. And these days, it's on your phone, probably. We're not big tv watchers, especially when camping, but Paul likes to watch a dvd every other night or so. We charge our laptops and cellphones off the twelve volt system as well, or off the car inverter while driving. We love the solar on our Oliver. Silent, easy, extends our time away, no exhaust fumes. We don't have six volt batteries. We stayed with what we had. From new, that's a good question, better answered by those who have changed to the deep storage batteries. We carry a very light, gas=sipper Honda 1000 to charge the batteries when we encounter a string of rainy days. We use non ethanol gas exclusively in the generator, and all our yard tools, as well. Sherry

The Oliver is the perfect "BUG OUT" vehicle ! Run the refrigerator on propane and the solar keeping the battery's charged will let you keep up with news, weather and current events so you know which way to turn next. Air conditioning will require more power than the battery's are comfortable giving. A small generator will be needed to power up and cool down the interior for lengths of time needed to rest up for the next day's activity. Should the small noise of a gen set attract too much attention, seek higher ground where up sloping breezes from prevailing winds will get an increase and use the ceiling fan to move more air for comfort. The 4 six volt battery's give the deepest ampre per hour response over a given time and the glass matt battery's offer no maintenance ease of use at the expense of a small loss of amp per hour capacity.

Yamaha's Colin Iwasa was at the Bass Prp Shops Outdoor Skills Village in Springfield. Betty and I were chatting with him when this photo was taken. Being the rotten rascal that I am, I tried to trick him into having his photo taken with a Honda generator, the one on the tongue of the Oliver display Legacy Elite. Demonstrating great situational awareness, Colin said, "sure" to the photo, but casually set his back pack in front of the Honda generator to hide it. He later commented that he would have rather had his photo taken with us in front of our Oliver. ( Ours has the Yamaha genset on the tongue, he, he, he never did mention the "H" word ).

Our Oliver cushions use a really good quality, higher density foam that many campers, which gives great support when seated, but after a few trips, seemed a bit too firm for sleeping comfortably. However, they provided a good base for the cozy "down alternative" mattress topper that I bought five years ago, which has provided a really good night's rest for a number of years. Outside of camping season, I move it to the guest bedroom. Because the box stitching of the topper creates really big boxes, the fiberfill tends to shift and migrate, and though I've moved and flipped the topper every time I make up the bed, it's starting to show its age, and not quite as comfy as it once was. I've read that memory foam toppers can be too hard in cold weather. Any experience here, or did that only apply to the first generation of memory foam topppers? They've been around awhile now. When we had new cushions made for the sailboat berths, the upholsterer glued two inches of memory foam to a good dense foam, like a built-in topper on a good quality mattress. Our boat doesn't leave the warmer weather of Florida, however. With the travel trailer, we tend to chase the cooler weather, escaping to the mountains or Canada in the summer months. I've thought about simply replacing the cushions with a mattress, since we leave the rear dinette made up as a bed all the time, but it would limit access to the big storage areas on the side unless I went for the more expensive custom hinged mattress made for boats. Even that might be really heavy to deal with when refilling the water tank manually, digging out the coats and boots stored in the back, etc., and the cushions still look and feel new, so it would be kind of a waste to replace them. Any recommendations? I noticed the new owners of the Oliver 17 from Quartsite were looking for recommendations, too, on another forum. Sherry

Jam49, I've sent pm before but it was mostly by accident. If I click PM under your message, I get your message again. Not sure how to reply to it. I'll keep working on it. This interface is pretty intuitive, but there are some glitches.... CarolAnn, The forum is working as designed - it just pre-populates the PM box with the original message's text as a quote (just like I've quoted you here) so that the recipient will know why you're contacting them. You can either select and delete the quoted text if you want to start from scratch or scroll to the bottom of the box and start typing if you want to leave the quote there. Either way it's not much different from the messages you've been posting here all along. Go ahead and give it a try - you can't break it, honest! Stuart

Hi all, In another thread I had committed to posting some pictures, so finally getting around to that. It is ironic that the timing of our first outing coincided one year to the day of when we first discovered Oliver at the 2008 Phoenix RV Show. The show was here again over the weekend. My wife and I were pretty set on getting a tent trailer, but after seeing the Oliver and hanging out inside it for about an hour...we were hooked and decided that was the path for us. We took delivery of #40 on Feb 2nd. We did quite a few changes/upgrades, so special thanks to Robert and the crew for making them happen. Here is a summary of the options and mods we did: -Lengthened tongue 14" to allow for permanent attachment of the generator/cargo basket. -Generator prep w/ propane outlet -bbq propane outlet in rear -upgraded Tripplite charger/inverter -200w solar package with BlueSky 2512ix charger and IPN-Pro remote.(same as Chris and Cherie's setup) -2 Lifeline 4C 6v batteries(220Ah total) -charge station inside cabinet to the right of the radio(12v(3) and 110 outlet) for charging cell phones, gps, handheld radios, etc -Porcelain traveler lite toilet -LED lighting -Additional porch light on street side. -installed Streamlight Ultra Stinger rechargeable flashlight inside closet. Uses a 12v smart charger to keep flashlight always charged. I use these at home and love them. Draws very very little current, so no impact to batteries. -deleted the microwave and have a cabinet instead. Will use small toaster oven. -went up two additional sizes on the Marathon tires. Now have 225/75-15 D-load tires. Gives a little more clearance/cushion for going offroad, plus has a higher load rating. I still plan to pick up some different wheels and install a 1" taller all-terrain LT tire. There is plenty of clearance in the wheel well and suspension travel. The taller tire will ride better when we take it to the backcountry, which will be most of our trips. -fiberglass propane tanks(definitely lighter than the steel units and great to be able to visually check the fuel level) -cell phone amplifier -Fantastic fan 6600 -additional reading lamps -swapped for the Norcold fridge instead of the Dometic -Black tank flush -couple of extra cushions that prop up against the stripper pole. Also extra cushions for the small dinette/couch/twin bed. I'm sure I have forgotten some things, but that should be close. We made it out over the weekend for our first outing in the Ollie. Spent two nights at Dead Horse State Park in Cottonwood, AZ. Friday night the temp got down to 25 degrees and we were very pleased with how comfy it remained in the trailer with the use of the furnace. Yeah, the fan is loud and Suburban needs to step up their game and use some modern quiet fan technology. But, it did keep things comfy. We were in the group campground, so didn't have hookups and just relied on the batteries. I expected a larger usage of the batteries, but the furnace really didn't consume that much overnight. We cooked full meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner, which was much fun. Overall, we had a great time in our first outing and can't wait for the next. My buddy and I are planning a trip to Lee's Ferry(Colorado River) in two weeks for some flyfishing. And now the pics: Kyle

I recieved this report from a Airstreamer that travels from Colorado to Arkansas quite a bit. He stays here often, particularly if getting in late at night. We camped beside this fellow geocacher in Clarksville Arkansas beside the Lake, and he posts on a couple of forums that we frequent. Because of the honor pay system with a drop box, he can pull in late at night and get a few hours sleep hooked to shore power, running the air conditioning, or the electric heat as needed. Cities that want to promote tourism are starting to have RV parking at their city parks. This is one such city, just off of I 40 in El Reno Oklahoma, West of OKC. We plan to stop here on our first night out when heading for Colorado. Here is the map: Here is the physical address if you want to put it into the program that you use in your laptop: 2001 Babcock, El Reno, OK 73036 Website for the Park / Campground, there is even a photo of the honor pay drop box: http://www.cityofelreno.com:729/Default.asp? Here is a look at a map that shows the highway interchanges in the OKC area and the location of El Reno to them: Because we will start our trip after work, it will be late when we get to El Reno, but the advantage is that Oklahoma City will be behind us for an early start and lots of open road for us the next morning.

I am following this discussion with intrest because our camping style is very similar to Cherie and Chris's. Our Oliver is, I am told, the #1 2008 that came down the line. I got that from Robert, I believe it. Having said that, it follows logicly that we have the lighter axle set up, with 15" tires and wheels. Before each trip we look it over carefully as I am sure most on here do. We have always carried at least a weeks provisions and changes of clothing. We always travel with our water tank full. We always carry some extra water in the Oliver. Our refrigerator is always crammed full. Every nook and crannie is packed to the limit with stuff we will consume on the journey. On the tongue there is a 3000 watt Yamaha generator that holds three gallons of gas, in a large box with a heavy duty locking system. Estimated weight 250 lbs. Our tongue is extended all of the way out to facillitate this. We travel pretty heavy. We travel over many high mountain passes out west, camping above ten thousand feet of elevation often. We tow with a Jeep Wrangler with a V6 engine, a 3.8 liter. Now I know that according to some, I am doing a lot of wrong things. Scarey things, to some. However, under those circumstances, we have towed at 80 to 90 miles per hour with no ill results, none at all. Now before some get excited over my flagrant violation of the speed limit, the speed limit is 80 MPH on I-10 in West Texas. I am not telling those that are concerned about the trailer's weight, that they are wrong. I am saying that every one has to tow within their own capability and comfort level. If you exceed that comfort level, you will not enjoy your trip very much.

Solar is definitely on the list! They can install more than 200W, now, so maybe I won't need a generator, but I'm still going to have the basket and the quick connect. When I was planning to buy a Lil Snoozy, I had to design most of it, myself, so I learned quite a bit about solar. Right now, I'm torn between four "golf" batteries or three 12v ones. But since my build is dependent on my selling a house, it might be a while. Meanwhile, I'm planning and dreaming.

Hi, Geri, I spent the day packing up the Oliver for our first outing... not counting the trip home, which became really rushed.... Getting excited. Thanx for your kind comments... The real artist in our group is obviously you... Love your photo website. You have an amazing eye and talent. Looking forward to meeting you, too! Hopefully, we'll be able to stop in Pasco county on our way home. I sent Chuck 2 pm/emails, but outlook doesn't always work on my network... Please give him our greetings. Don't think it will be too hard to find each other.... We'll just look for the other trailer that looks just like ours I grew up in a small town... That's how Tar-jay got its "elegant "name, I think. We drove 45 miles to get to a town big enough to have a big box store, McDonald/s, etc... Just think, now many of us drive further to find a town that DOESNT have a big box store, McD's, etc.... How our priorities change .... Sherry