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Hi from Wisconsin


bsullivan

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My wife Janine and I will be picking up our new LEII in March.  We are new to RVing so this forum has been a great resource.  We look forward to meeting other owners at future rallies.  Our first trip will be a couple nights at Davy Crocket followed by a couple weeks in FL.  I hope to do a fair amount of boondocking in the future.

On another subject, 

I’m about to order a 2021 F150 with the ecoboost 3.5 engine as my tow vehicle.  I figured that I didn’t need the powerboost hybrid because I will be using this truck mainly for highway driving.  However I just noticed that the hybrid is only $1900 more and includes a 2.4kW onboard generator so I’m now leaning toward the powerboost.  There is an option for 7.2kW but this seems to be overkill for our needs.  Any opinions would be welcome.

Bob

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Welcome to the forum! March will be here before you know it.

I'd be tempted to get the hybrid, personally, for the price difference. 

We had a long discussion on this when the 2021 was announced. I'll try to find it for you.

In the meantime,  plenty of new folks here since that discussion!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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Here you go:

 

2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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Bob - 

Welcome!

Florida will be great for you guys in March.  We had a good time on our first "shake down" trip down at a State Park just south of St. Augustine.

I've had two 3.5 ecoboost engines and both have been faultless.  While towing mpg is not as high as I would like (12 to 13 mpg) they do get in the low 20's when not towing and the horsepower/acceleration is wonderful.  Unless I'm in some serious mountains I don't usually use the tow/haul mode but the ten speed tranny shifts so smoothly I hardly ever notice it.

Do I see a bunch of Ollie Christmas presents under that tree?

Bill

2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist"

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I'd still recommend trying to make some reservations for Florida.  The Canadians probably  won't be here, as they usually are, but March is a very busy time in Florida campgrounds.  Especially if you want to visit the highlights.   St. Augustine, the Florida keys, etc  .

Our local favorite,  Fort Desoto Park, is usually booked solid in March. The panhandle will likely have more availability,  but it's still cold (to me.) In March 

 

2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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6 hours ago, SeaDawg said:

Welcome to the forum! March will be here before you know it.

I'd be tempted to get the hybrid, personally, for the price difference. 

We had a long discussion on this when the 2021 was announced. I'll try to find it for you.

In the meantime,  plenty of new folks here since that discussion!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I would hesitate to buy a first generation new model; spend the extra on a good portable generator.

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Ray and Susan Huff

Elite II Twin "Pearl" - Hull#699; delivered December 7, 2020

2013 F350 6.7l diesel Super Duty 4x4 long bed crew cab

1UP-USA Heavy-duty bike rack

2017 Leisure Travel Van Unity Twin Bed (sold)

AZARCAIDNVNMOKORTNTXUTWAsm.jpg

 

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16 minutes ago, Ray and Susan Huff said:

I would hesitate to buy a first generation new model; spend the extra on a good portable generator.

I agree to both comments, and you can’t run your air conditioning off the Ford inverter, at least not without running its main engine also. Which really defeats the purpose.

John Davies

Spokane WA

SOLD 07/23 "Mouse":  2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/john-e-davies-how-to-threads-and-tech-articles-links/

Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT.

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1 hour ago, John E Davies said:

I agree to both comments, and you can’t run your air conditioning off the Ford inverter, at least not without running its main engine also. Which really defeats the purpose.

John Davies

Spokane WA

If you opt for Oliver’s lithium package or another lithium battery, then you could run off the battery and use the truck to recharge, which would be every three hours or so. 

The truck also monitors its inverter state and battery charge, and will start its engine automatically to recharge when needed, then cut off when done. So I think that even with lead acid batteries you could plug the trailer into the truck, run the AC, and the truck would supply the extra power from its lithium’s and cut on intermittently to recharge.

Edited by Overland
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11 hours ago, Overland said:

If you opt for Oliver’s lithium package or another lithium battery, then you could run off the battery and use the truck to recharge, which would be every three hours or so. 

The hybrid F150 seems like an interesting option for extended boondocking in hotter climates (note I am in TX) and have been considering a cyber truck for the same reasons.  

The F150 has one battery option (1.5kwh) and two inverter generator options at 2.4kw or 7.2kw.  The later inverter option would provide the Oliver with the full 30 amps which would charge your Li batteries faster.  The generator estimated run times on a full tank gas are 85hrs (2.4kw) and 32hrs (7.2kw). 

How long will the Oliver AC run assuming it has 400ah of Li batteries (estimating the AC has 50% duty cycle).   I am guessing at 50% duty or a ~1kw use rate, so maybe ~ 4.5 hours from fully charged house batteries to empty.

Using the 7.2kw inverter generator on the hybrid Ford, you would likely need to run it for 2 hours after every four hours off.  So it would be on for 2 hours out of every 6 hours, which would be 8 hours with the engine on per day or roughly 4 days of boondocking with a single full tank of gas.  I guess it could be longer if the generator's fuel usage was reduced when it was only providing service to the 30amp plug, maybe even double to 8 days?

 

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Edited by mjrendon
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My experience is 3 to 3.5 hours with 400Ah of lithium’s.  But that’s with a few qualifications - Oliver is using a smaller AC unit now than what I have, which may be a bit more efficient, and I also think they’re using a slightly better insulation. See this thread:

But another thing is that I also just discovered that two of my Battleborns are bad. I think it’s entirely possible that one of them was already out when I did that experiment, which would make a huge difference obviously. 

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Would the bad battery affect the total boondocking time in this scenario?   Assuming that it is only reduced storage capacity then  the batteries should charge quicker in addition to discharging quicker?

Thank you for the link to the battery solar experiment.

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52 minutes ago, Overland said:

My experience is 3 to 3.5 hours with 400Ah of lithium’s.  But that’s with a few qualifications - Oliver is using a smaller AC unit now than what I have, which may be a bit more efficient, and I also think they’re using a slightly better insulation. See this thread:

But another thing is that I also just discovered that two of my Battleborns are bad. I think it’s entirely possible that one of them was already out when I did that experiment, which would make a huge difference obviously. 

I didn't think yours were that old, perhaps I was wrong. 

The Ford system is certainly interesting.

 

Cindy,  Russell and  "Harley dog" . Home is our little farm near Winchester TN

2018 Oliver Legacy Elite II - 2018 GMC 2500 Duramax 

"Die young - As late as possible"
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3 years old and Battleborn thinks it’s a problem with the built in BMS and not the cells, but we’ll see when they get them apart to check. 
 

@mjrendon yes, unless you make changes in usage to accommodate, which is more difficult with a DC fridge like we have, and winter sun on the solar.  But once we figured it out we were able to adjust and keep the remaining 2 batteries in the 60% - 90% range for the remainder of our trip.  Fortunately we had full sun most every day.   

It’s felt subjectively like we had some level of diminished capacity for a while but only had tangential evidence of it like the numbers not adding up in my test above. With 2 out, it was obvious, both in the voltages we were seeing and in the mismatch between what the battery monitor was telling us vs the actual capacity.

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17 hours ago, SeaDawg said:

I'd still recommend trying to make some reservations for Florida.  The Canadians probably  won't be here, as they usually are, but March is a very busy time in Florida campgrounds.  Especially if you want to visit the highlights.   St. Augustine, the Florida keys, etc  .

Our local favorite,  Fort Desoto Park, is usually booked solid in March. The panhandle will likely have more availability,  but it's still cold (to me.) In March 

 

I actually made reservations months ago at an RV park in Fort Myers.  I figured that it could become a problem being Florida in March and less people flying due to covid.  So we will spend the time learning our new rig and playing golf and pickleball in our spare time.  Come spring and summer I see state and national parks in our future along with some boondocking.

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16 hours ago, Ray and Susan Huff said:

I would hesitate to buy a first generation new model; spend the extra on a good portable generator.

I hear you about the first generation ... I'm still on the fence.  But I'm not finding a good deal on a used or 2020 model with the features I want.

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20 minutes ago, bsullivan said:

I actually made reservations months ago at an RV park in Fort Myers.  I figured that it could become a problem being Florida in March and less people flying due to covid.  So we will spend the time learning our new rig and playing golf and pickleball in our spare time.  Come spring and summer I see state and national parks in our future along with some boondocking.

That's a nice area. Plenty of places to visit.

BTW, there's a high speed ferry that leaves Ft. Myers beach early in the morning for the Florida keys. It's a pretty ride, in good weather. A short day in key west, and you can come back the same day. Or book a hotel or bnb and come back another day. Right now, holiday pre-purchase vouchers are $99 round trip/pp. A significant savings. The ferry (key west express) is really nice. The ride alone is worth the price. A few hours in key west is a bonus.

 

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2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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9 hours ago, bsullivan said:

I hear you about the first generation ... I'm still on the fence.  But I'm not finding a good deal on a used or 2020 model with the features I want.

We'll be towing our Elite II (#699) with our tried and true 2013 F-350 diesel 4WD long bed crew cab.  50K miles and zero problems.  We love that it has fewer electronic engine controls than the newer models.  We'll be driving from Oregon to Hohenwald this Sunday, via I-80.  There's a great good-weather window - cold, but no precipitation for at least a week.  Probably won't even need to use 4WD!

Good luck in your search for a tow vehicle.  Probably another of the supply-chain disruptions created by the Covid pandemic - a shortage of decent used pickups 😬

Ray and Susan Huff

Elite II Twin "Pearl" - Hull#699; delivered December 7, 2020

2013 F350 6.7l diesel Super Duty 4x4 long bed crew cab

1UP-USA Heavy-duty bike rack

2017 Leisure Travel Van Unity Twin Bed (sold)

AZARCAIDNVNMOKORTNTXUTWAsm.jpg

 

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Susan & Ray - 

Can't tell you how many times I've been on I-80.  I'm guessing that you are not "camping" on the way east, but, the old world headquarters of Cabela's is in Sidney, NB and there is a WalMart there too in the event you need snacks.  Before you get that far though, in Cheyenne, WY there is Sierra Trading Post.  I'm assuming that from Lincoln, NB you will take Route 2 over to Nebraska City and I-29 south to Kansas City.  There can be a fair amount of traffic on route 2 and with stop lights the first 1/3 can be tedious.  Once the speed limit increases and you are out of Lincoln proper things become better and the connection and drive down I-29 is usually easy.  Note that once on I-29, virtually all of that farm land on your right (west side) has been totally under water several times over the past few years due to flooding of the Missouri River.  

  If the timing is right, there is a nice Cracker Barrel in Saint Joseph, MO.  Once to Kansas City try to NOT be there during any rush hour times and simply follow your GPS or pay close attention to signage - there is at least one left "off-ramp" onto I-70 east.  The drive on I-70 can be crowded but generally it is no problem.  There will be a bit of congestion around Columbia, MO but really should not cause too much trouble in that the town is not that big.  Somewhere between Warrenton, MO (there is a Pilot station here that also sells some killer Kettle Corn) and Wentzville, MO look to fill up on fuel - prices are cheaper out here before you enter the St. Louis metro area and it is easier to get in and out of the station because there will certainly be much less traffic.

Just east of Wentzville, MO you will take I-64 and (once again) cross the Missouri River.  Nice views of the river from this bridge but traffic usually increases shortly after this.  You will than take I-270 south/east until you get to I-55.  There is nothing special about either one of the two intersections but given the potential traffic pay attention to the road signage for what lane to be in - usually the right or second from the right lane.  Once on I-55 sit back, and relax.  The drive down to Hayti, MO and intersection with I-155 east is fairly boring and usually without much traffic.  Once near Dyersburg, TN there is a Love's Travel Stop (shortly before you intersect with route 412) where you should consider filling up on fuel - certainly there are plenty of stations the rest of the trip but they will be generally more expensive other than the Pilot station located near Jackson, TN just off I-40.  You are only on I-40 for a short period of time before, once again, getting back on route 412 for the balance of your drive on into Hohenwald.

I think that you have said that you are taking a different route back home.  However, if you change your mind, let me know and I can suggest several camping locations along this route above.

Bill

 

Edited by topgun2
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2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist"

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1 hour ago, topgun2 said:

Susan & Ray - 

Can't tell you how many times I've been on I-80.  I'm guessing that you are not "camping" on the way east, but, the old world headquarters of Cabela's is in Sidney, NB and there is a WalMart there too in the event you need snacks.  Before you get that far though, in Cheyenne, WY there is Sierra Trading Post.  I'm assuming that from Lincoln, NB you will take Route 2 over to Nebraska City and I-29 south to Kansas City.  There can be a fair amount of traffic on route 2 and with stop lights the first 1/3 can be tedious.  Once the speed limit increases and you are out of Lincoln proper things become better and the connection and drive down I-29 is usually easy.  Note that once on I-29, virtually all of that farm land on your right (west side) has been totally under water several times over the past few years due to flooding of the Missouri River.  

  If the timing is right, there is a nice Cracker Barrel in Saint Joseph, MO.  Once to Kansas City try to NOT be there during any rush hour times and simply follow your GPS or pay close attention to signage - there is at least one left "off-ramp" onto I-70 east.  The drive on I-70 can be crowded but generally it is no problem.  There will be a bit of congestion around Columbia, MO but really should not cause too much trouble in that the town is not that big.  Somewhere between Warrenton, MO (there is a Pilot station here that also sells some killer Kettle Corn) and Wentzville, MO look to fill up on fuel - prices are cheaper out here before you enter the St. Louis metro area and it is easier to get in and out of the station because there will certainly be much less traffic.

Just east of Wentzville, MO you will take I-64 and (once again) cross the Missouri River.  Nice views of the river from this bridge but traffic usually increases shortly after this.  You will than take I-270 south/east until you get to I-55.  There is nothing special about either one of the two intersections but given the potential traffic pay attention to the road signage for what lane to be in - usually the right or second from the right lane.  Once on I-55 sit back, and relax.  The drive down to Hayti, MO and intersection with I-155 east is fairly boring and usually without much traffic.  Once near Dyersburg, TN there is a Love's Travel Stop (shortly before you intersect with route 412) where you should consider filling up on fuel - certainly there are plenty of stations the rest of the trip but they will be generally more expensive other than the Pilot station located near Jackson, TN just off I-40.  You are only on I-40 for a short period of time before, once again, getting back on route 412 for the balance of your drive on into Hohenwald.

I think that you have said that you are taking a different route back home.  However, if you change your mind, let me know and I can suggest several camping locations along this route above.

Bill

 

Thanks for the great info.  We're blessed that there is a good weather window for the trip out.

My son told me about the Sidney Cabela's.  We are planning to stay at Best Western Sidney Lodge located on Cabela Dr. so I assume it's nearby.  We have modified our route to St Louis!  It adds an hour to the trip, but worth it.  We'll head SE at Lincoln, NE, then S to Nebraska City, through Hiawatha, KS, turning east at Joplin, MO.  This route takes us through the west side of Kansas City.  An option is to go due south of Nebraska City (US 75) through Topeka, KS, then east to Joplin.  Not sure what these roads are like, so will play it by ear as we leave Nebraska.  Our pickup has a 500-550 mile range with its 35 gal diesel tank, which is helpful. 

We have a couple of airbnb spots on the radar around Dyersburg; alternately, Holiday or Hampton Inns.   Will take a side trip to Sommerville, TN (where we have a niece) then on to Linden for 1 or 2 nights at The Commodore (we've built an extra day into the trip to allow for unexpected events).  After delivery we'll spend two nights at David Crockett SP. 

We don't expect the weather to be as favorable on the return home, so will be taking a more southern path - preferably I-40.  It is always tricky going west because you are heading into weather systems as opposed to staying ahead of them.  Hopefully I-40 will be fine; my husband has a Navy buddy in Weatherford, OK that I've not met.  They don't have a good spot for the Oliver, but only a few blocks away is the Stafford Air and Space Museum, a harvest hosts site.  We'll be watching the high elevation stretch from Amarillo to Flagstaff; the tricky part will be crossing the mountains to I-5; our preferred route is Hwy 395 - Reno to Susanville - and then waiting for good road conditions over Siskiyou Pass (Ashland).   We are familiar with this route but not the alternatives further south.  If we have to wait out weather to cross the mountains, we might hang out to Valley of Fire SP (east of Las Vegas) or stay over in Fallon, NV.

For sure, our trip will be a long awaited adventure, since being stuck at home since selling our camper van in September.

I hope this map link works (I don't think it does):  http://<iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m70!1m12!1m3!1d13201900.332943758!2d-108.8603791194975!3d36.11492929580631!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!4m55!3e0!4m5!1s0x54c4f4fe348cb541%3A0x9d4d242f3464c0b5!2s50438 Jenkins Prairie Rd%2C Myrtle Point%2C OR 97458%2C USA!3m2!1d43.0021266!2d-123.9928297!4m5!1s0x54b0a6dbb6608a23%3A0xbd997564bab34a4d!2sBurns%2C OR!3m2!1d43.586260599999996!2d-119.0541032!4m5!1s0x87530e94da9c4d7b%3A0x61dcd77b34b32c!2sOgden%2C UT!3m2!1d41.223!2d-111.9738304!4m5!1s0x8771ad7f06e85cb5%3A0x293ff5ffa0d87bf3!2sSidney%2C NE!3m2!1d41.1448219!2d-102.9774497!4m5!1s0x8795629f19027ffd%3A0xbf32f20693d058be!2sHiawatha%2C KS!3m2!1d39.852503299999995!2d-95.53581559999999!4m5!1s0x87c86537eae4d3eb%3A0x981637362835a30e!2sJoplin%2C MO!3m2!1d37.0842271!2d-94.51328099999999!4m5!1s0x887929b40a4deaa9%3A0x3659044b67c3c572!2sDyersburg%2C TN!3m2!1d36.034515899999995!2d-89.38562809999999!4m5!1s0x887cbe1af3619213%3A0x8bec6c4901a5d4d2!2sLinden%2C TN!3m2!1d35.617291699999996!2d-87.8394704!4m5!1s0x887cb566fbeef5f3%3A0xc7adb44e4de67696!2sHohenwald%2C TN 38462!3m2!1d35.5478513!2d-87.5519628!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1606581249930!5m2!1sen!2sus" width="600" height="450" frameborder="0" style="border:0;" allowfullscreen="" aria-hidden="false" tabindex="0"></iframe>

 

Edited by Ray and Susan Huff

Ray and Susan Huff

Elite II Twin "Pearl" - Hull#699; delivered December 7, 2020

2013 F350 6.7l diesel Super Duty 4x4 long bed crew cab

1UP-USA Heavy-duty bike rack

2017 Leisure Travel Van Unity Twin Bed (sold)

AZARCAIDNVNMOKORTNTXUTWAsm.jpg

 

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OK - depending on exactly where you will be on the west side of Kansas City, I would plan on NOT going directly through the center of town.  Take the southern beltway around town (versus the northern beltway).

Bill

2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist"

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On 11/27/2020 at 1:55 PM, SeaDawg said:

That's a nice area. Plenty of places to visit.

BTW, there's a high speed ferry that leaves Ft. Myers beach early in the morning for the Florida keys. It's a pretty ride, in good weather. A short day in key west, and you can come back the same day. Or book a hotel or bnb and come back another day. Right now, holiday pre-purchase vouchers are $99 round trip/pp. A significant savings. The ferry (key west express) is really nice. The ride alone is worth the price. A few hours in key west is a bonus.

 

Perfect ... We were hoping to see Key West and this will make it easy.  Thanks for the tip.

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On 11/27/2020 at 9:20 AM, mjrendon said:

The hybrid F150 seems like an interesting option for extended boondocking in hotter climates (note I am in TX) and have been considering a cyber truck for the same reasons.  

The F150 has one battery option (1.5kwh) and two inverter generator options at 2.4kw or 7.2kw.  The later inverter option would provide the Oliver with the full 30 amps which would charge your Li batteries faster.  The generator estimated run times on a full tank gas are 85hrs (2.4kw) and 32hrs (7.2kw). 

How long will the Oliver AC run assuming it has 400ah of Li batteries (estimating the AC has 50% duty cycle).   I am guessing at 50% duty or a ~1kw use rate, so maybe ~ 4.5 hours from fully charged house batteries to empty.

Using the 7.2kw inverter generator on the hybrid Ford, you would likely need to run it for 2 hours after every four hours off.  So it would be on for 2 hours out of every 6 hours, which would be 8 hours with the engine on per day or roughly 4 days of boondocking with a single full tank of gas.  I guess it could be longer if the generator's fuel usage was reduced when it was only providing service to the 30amp plug, maybe even double to 8 days?

 

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I've got one of the 600,000 refundable preorders in for the cyber truck.  I'll wait for the final version of the truck before I decide to buy it.  If I do buy it, it would be for my daily driver because I don't think it would make a good long haul tow vehicle especially to remote areas.  It will take Tesla a couple years to fill all the preorders so I could always sell it if I don't like it.  I drive a model 3 now which I love.

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