Introducing Technomadia....

[technomadia]

Greeting Oliver Folk --

 

My partner Cherie and live, work, and travel most of the year in a 16' Tab Clamshell that I've upgraded with solar and much much more. We've become moderately famous on the net for our adventures living with so much technology off-the-grid in such a small space.

 

You can read about us here: http://www.technomadia.com

 

Last summer we stopped in to see the Casita factory, and were extremely impressed. Ever since, we've been contemplating an upgrade to a slightly larger and heavier trailer that would give us a bit more indoor plumbing, and (perhaps more importantly) the ability to keep the bed set up separate from the table. The clamshell Tab is an absolutely brilliant design, but it is a tiny bit tight for two people...

 

One of the biggest things holding me back has been dreading starting from scratch needing to do all the upgrade work to make a Casita fit our needs.

 

But a few weeks ago I started researching Oliver, and I just got the brochure I requested. Wow. The design is brilliant, and the willingness of the factory to do custom work is unrivaled.

 

I think I am starting to imagine an Oliver in our future... After a long phone conversation with Robert yesterday, I am pretty well sold.

 

One of the most important thing for us is having ample electrical capacity. We are both tech geeks, and we work online with our laptops 8+ hours a day. Right now, this is what I have crammed into the Tab:

 

· Solar Panel System, which consists of a Siemens 110w solar panel, with a Blue Sky Energy Solar Boost 2512iX peak power point solar charger and IPN Pro Remote control panel / battery monitoring capacity gauge.

 

· Upgraded electrical system, including 260 amp hours of battery capacity, via two Trojan T-145 6 volt batteries.

 

· XantrexPro 1000w inverter for our AC power. When on shore power, the auto bypass switch disables the inverter and switches all the outlets to pass shore power instead.

 

I've actually wished for more solar capacity - I'd love to find a way to fit two solar panels on the roof of an Oliver.

 

We also have an on-board WiFi network, and much more, of course.

 

Anyway - I have a lot of ideas, and a lot to contribute to this forum. I will be starting several new topic threads to discuss some of the ideas and issues I've been thinking about.

 

Greetings everyone!

 

- Chris // http://www.technomadia.com

 

[mountainborn]

Welcome ! Butcherknife and I looked at the T@B, but, as we get older it is getting harder to put in a full day of all of the out of doors stuff that we love. A good nights rest and a recooperating place on a rainy day, meant that these two senior's needed more room. Then there was our life style, biscuits and gravy with a extra cup of coffee are easier when the kitchen isn't outside. Butcherknide just took a look at the Kitchen in the T@B and said, "it's cute, but not practical for us". That seemed to end all talk about the T@B.

What a nifty thing, all of the extra solar capacity would be ! Our Oliver doesn't have solar and we want it.

[bugeyedriver]

Chris,

 

You have a very interesting blog . . . I love your airborne pictures and the zest for life you and Cherie share in your T@b. You will be thrilled with an Oliver, given its flexible platform - high tech characteristics - and the ability of the Oliver company to specialize it to your needs (within reason)

 

I look forward to meeting you both, in person, out there on the road . . .

[mountainborn]

I just completed a three day work cycle and had my first chance to sit down and browse your web site. Very cool. The slide show was the first thing that I turned on this morning and viewed with coffee while the world woke up around me.

Great adventure !