We've had three potential buyers for my Tab fall through, including one who had been 80% certain that he wanted it. *sigh*

To try and drum up a bit more interest, we are taking advantage of the special eBay has been having on $1 vehicle auction listings.

Check out the Auction here:
Tab (T@B) Clamshell Trailer eBay Auction.

I've also lowered my asking price to $11,500.







More details and pictures are posted here. Spread the word, and help me find a buyer!

If we can't find a buyer in Florida soon, we may relocate the Tab more centrally in the nation - to St. Louis.

I think a lot of Florida buyers are hesitant to buy a trailer without air conditioning. But in more temperate climates, that is much less of an issue. And if you are hooked up to a power source that can run an air conditioner, then you will also have no need for the solar power that makes this little camper unique.

Besides - if you have air conditioning, you are not really camping! ;-)

Here's what I know about the core appliances that we will be having built into our Oliver, and how they compare with what we have lived with in Tab...


Ceiling Fan / Staying Ventilated:

Tab comes with a variable speed reversible Northern Breeze ceiling vent that has worked wonderfully over the past two years. When cranking on full blast it really does cool down the trailer nicely, particularly when combined with a cross breeze from the Tab's huge windows, or with the spray from our Misty Mate.

Oliver has been shipping with a three-speed FanTastic Vent Fan Model 6000RBTA that includes a thermostat and a rain sensor to automatically shut the vent if it starts to drizzle while you are out.

According to the spec sheet, the FanTastic Fan on high uses 3 amps to blow 920 cubic feet of air per minute, and 1.86 amps to blow 478 cfm on low.

The Oliver factory has been investigating offering the SHURflo Comfort Air Gold roof vent as an alternative. One reason to switch is that the SHURflo fan can circulate air even while the roof vent is closed. And the second reason is supposedly lower power consumption, perhaps because the SHURflo has a variable speed control that can be dialed way back for gentle circulation. Looking at the spec sheet, I see that the SHURflo fan claims to use 3.6 amps to blow 980 cfm of air while on max, but it has the potential to use just 0.3 amps at the lowest power setting. This could be very useful for a little low-power airflow while off grid.

Both options look like great fans, and they both get great reviews online for quality and customer support.

We have asked for the SHURflo Comfort Air Gold model to be built into our Oliver. It gives up the rain sensor and thermostat, but the variable speed control is nice, and we like the idea of being able to use the ceiling fan for air circulation even while the vent is closed. If we wanted to splurge, we could have gotten those features (and also a remote control) in the Comfort Air Platinum model.

We are also contemplating asking for an upgrade to the FanTastic 6600, which is a relatively new model that offers both advanced features and lower power consumption. According to the spec sheet, it uses half the power on full blast as all the other fans - only 1.9 amps, while the lowest setting draws only 0.2 amps. In addition to lower power consumption, it adds variable speeds and a remote control to the FanTastic 6000's rain sensor and thermostat features.

Air Conditioning / Staying Cool:

Though a Cool Cat Air Conditioner is an option with the Tab, having one means giving up a big chunk of the interior storage space since the Tab can not handle a roof unit. We made do without just fine however, and in the worst heat we used a small Misty Mate to do some evaporative chilling by blowing a fine mist into the exhaust from our roof fan. In the dry environment of the desert, it actually worked amazingly well.

We will probably continue to make use of the Misty Mate when camping off-grid in the Oliver.

The Oliver initially shipped with a 13,500 btu Dometic Duo-Therm roof mount air conditioner, but now the factory is transitioning to the smaller 9,200 btu Coleman Polar Cub.

The big advantage of the Polar Cub is that it is able to run off of the relatively small and affordable Honda EU2000i generator, whereas the larger Dometic required a 3000W generator to keep the compressor cooling.

Our Oliver will feature the Polar Cub, which should prove to be more than enough to keep such a small interior space cool. Sadly though, air conditioning uses way too much power to ever run effectively off of solar power...

Furnace / Staying Warm:

The Polar Cub features 5,600 btu electrical heat strips that are effective for "taking the chill off of a cold morning", but only if you are plugged into shore power.

For more powerful heating no matter how off-grid we roam, the Oliver comes with a Suburban NT-12S 12,000 btu propane-fired furnace. The furnace in Tab is also 12,000 btu - an Atwood 7900. But the Tab's furnace is located so that it vents out deep UNDER the bed, in an area often blocked by our excess cargo.


The Oliver's furnace vent is located effectively, right in the middle of the kitchen cabinet and next to the bed rather than under it.

We may also eventually purchase a small electric ceramic heater for use when staying in campgrounds with full hookups where AC power is more cost effective than propane.

Stove / Staying Hot:

The Oliver Legacy Elite features an "upgraded stovetop" over the base model Oliver - an Italian brand called SMEV. Reportedly, the SMEV cooks faster and uses less propane than a typical RV stove.


The lid over the SMEV stove closes flush to the countertop to create extra flat counter space in the Oliver's kitchen.

Interestingly, our Tab also features a two burner SMEV stovetop, and we have been very happy with it. One difference is that the Tab's stove required a flame to light, but the Oliver provides a built in ignitor.

Refrigerator / Staying Fresh & Icy:

Most RV refrigerators use "gas absorption" technology that involves no mechanical compressor (like in your typical home refrigerator), but instead rely on a heat source (ironically) to cause a coolant to flow through a closed loop. Through this mechanically simple process, a hot propane flame is turned into frozen food and cold drinks. It is totally silent while working too.

The most efficient heat source for this sort of refrigerator is propane, though "3 way" RV refrigerators can also generate the necessary heat via AC power, or even 12V from your battery. Running a gas absorption refrigerator off of 12V power however is a sure way to kill your batteries in just a matter of hours though, so be careful! A compressor style refrigerator is MUCH more power efficient for 12V use.

The two major manufacturers of RV gas absorption refrigerators are NorCold and Dometic, and Oliver so far has been using both, shipping the Dometic Americana DM 2454 and the NorCold N412.3.

Both of these refrigerators offer three way (AC, DC, and Propane) operation, and they measure in at 36 9/16" x 23 11/6" x 24" (despite what the Dometic website incorrectly claims). They also both offer automatic mode selection, and electronic propane ignition.

The major practical difference between these two models is that the NorCold offers 4.5 cubic feet of storage and a slightly larger freezer area. The Dometic provides slightly less usable space, with 4.0 cubic feet of refrigeration. Some users online have also complained that the controls on the front of the Dometic protrude too far, and are easy to inadvertently bump and change.


The Norcold N412.3 refrigerator fits in the same sized space as the Dometic, but it offers up .5 cubic feet more storage space.

Though Tab offers a small 1.8 cubic foot refrigerator as an option, my Clamshell did not come with one. Instead we rotated through two coolers, and frequent ice purchases. This worked surprisingly well for us.

Being able to actually make ice cubes in our own freezer while on the road though - now that will be luxury!!!

Note: While parked, gas absorption refrigerators should only be run with the RV flat and level. The internal mechanism can actually be damaged by running too long while tilted. The propane burners in gas absorption refrigerators also sometimes have problems working correctly at high altitudes (over 6000 feet). If these sort of situations are going to be common, a compressor fridge or backup cooling system might prove useful.

Microwave & Convection Oven / Saving Space:

The Oliver currently comes with a Sylvanian SC11000 combination microwave and convection oven. This would at first seem to be a very useful cooking tool on board, but after talking with several Oliver and Casita owners with a built in microwave, most of them rarely use it and they all wished for the extra storage.



We have opted to have this area turned into a large cabinet, with an AC outlet located inside. This should give us space for storing a small toaster oven, a blender, and all of our bar supplies. And when the weather is nice, we can relocate the toaster oven outdoors for some cooking on the patio.

Washer, Dryer, and Dishwasher:

I wish!!!

The Tab has a 5 gallon freshwater tank and an electric pump to provide water to the small sink. Gray water is handled by draining the sink into a bucket we would place under the trailer. Tab lacks a hot water heater, and we used a solar shower bag to heat water from the sun for occasional outdoor showers.

It is essentially the simplest possible plumbing system you could possibly have on an RV.

The Oliver on the other hand has a plethora of plumbing, with hot and cold running water, a shower, two sinks, and an outdoor rinse station.

To start with - the Oliver comes with a 32.5 gallon fresh water tank, a 35.5 gallon grey water tank, and an 18.5 gallon black water tank.

The Oliver Legacy Elite model is now also coming with an upgraded power-flush system for the black water tank. This system uses freshwater and a rotating internal spray system to thoroughly clean the black tank at dump time.

For comparison purposes - the Casita has a 16 or 25 gallon freshwater tank, and a 15 gallon basic black tank. The Casita also lacks the tank monitoring system of the Oliver, so the only way to know for sure your grey water tank is full is when it starts to back up into the shower. *yuck*


The Oliver comes with a SeeLeveL II tank monitoring system to keep an eye on the usage of the black, grey, freshwater, and propane tanks. It also gives you a quick readout of your battery voltage, but it is not really useful as a battery capacity gauge.

To provide for hot showers, the Oliver has a six gallon Suburban Hot Water Heater that can heat 10.2 gallons an hour with a 12,000 btu propane heating element, or 6 gallons per hour with a 1,440 watt electrical heating element.

There are actually three locations within the Oliver that can make use of all this ample hot and cold water. There is a kitchen sink, a bathroom sink / shower, and an outdoor shower.


To first photo is a view of the Suburban 6 gallon hot water heater, located behind an exterior panel on the rear right side of the Oliver. The other two photos show off the Oliver's city water hookup and freshwater fill hookup, and the outside shower which is hidden behind a panel on the back left of the trailer. The hose pulls out far enough for outdoor rinsing, and for washing up outside after emptying the dump tanks.


The kitchen sink in the Oliver is shown in the first photo. The other two pictures show off the bathroom fixtures. The sink faucet in the Oliver's bathroom has a long hose that pulls out, allowing it to mount on the wall and double as a shower. The showerhead features a quick on/off toggle, making water conservation easier.

All this plumbing is a huge step up in complexity from what we are used to in Tab. It is going to feel absolutely luxurious to have hot water for showering and washing dishes!

With our Oliver on the way and Cherie's house on the fast-track to sell, it is time to find a new home for my beloved Tab.



My uber-upgraded Tab is fairly unique in that it is actually able to run on solar for extended periods of time without resorting to a generator or shore power. The large 110W panel and 260 amp hour battery bank allow for comfortable off grid living in a trailer small and light enough (just 1500lbs) that most vehicles can tow it.

I've never seen any other trailer that is simultaneously so small and so autonomous.

The cute retro clamshell design is also a fabulous attention grabber and ice breaker.

The Tab is perfect for weekend getaways, festivals, cross country road-trips, and even extended living. It has been my home for much of the past two years, and Cherie and I were very comfortable living primarily out of Tab for seven months of cross country exploration last year. In all that time, we only had to plug in to charge the batteries a handful of times, despite our heavy laptop and internet usage. The electrical system and massive battery capacity worked wonderfully for our needs.

New Tab Clamshells seem to be selling for as much as $17k - $19k now, without any of my extensive upgrades. Mine is a 2006 model, and it is just over two years old. The only major options missing are the air conditioning (which takes up a lot of the interior storage) and the electric refrigerator (which uses too much power to run off of solar).

These are the technology and other upgrades that I have installed in Tab:

• Siemens 110w solar panel with panel tilting hardware


• Blue Sky Energy Solar Boost 2512iX MPPT solar charge controller


• IPN Pro Remote - solar control panel & battery monitor (w 500A shunt)


• 2x Trojan T-145 6V Batteries (260 AH Capacity)


• Xantrex Pro 1000W Inverter w 30 amp auto-transfer switch. The Inverter is wired to provide AC power to all internal and external power outlets.


• Interior Red LED Mood Lighting

The solar system revolves around a BlueSky MPPT current boosting charge controller, a 110W Siemens solar panel, and the fabulous IPN-Pro Remote which tracks amp hours and the precise amount of battery capacity remaining. The power is stored in two Trojan T-145 6V "golf cart" batteries, and turned into AC power by way of a Xantrex Pro 1000W inverter with an integrated 30 amp transfer switch.


The Tab is seemingly larger on the inside than out. The kitchen is of course largest of any RV in the world. The pantry area of the kitchen (the top cabinets) can be accessed from both the inside and outside of the trailer - perfect for late night snacks and breakfast food.


This view shows off the aluminum tongue box that I installed on the front of the trailer for extra storage. The only current damage to the Tab that has not been repaired is a dent in the tongue box, caused by contact with the spare tire on the rear of the Jeep. The latch on the tongue box now has trouble remaining shut in transit, but it stays shut just fine with the aid of a bungee cord.


The front area of the Tab is a bench seat with a sizable amount of storage hidden underneath. The toilet is hidden here, and it can be used in place by sliding the front window shelf back, or it can be pulled out and relocated. In two years, I think it was only used two or three times. The shelf above was an incredibly useful upgrade. It dismantles in seconds for transit, but while camped it provides valuable counter space and it also serves as a great monitor stand for movie watching. The back portion of the interior is a bed that converts into a table that can comfortably seat four for dinner.

Some other features:

• Tongue Box Storage w 20lb Propane Tank (slightly dented)


• Outside kitchen with two burner stove and sink


• 5 gallon fresh water tank & electric pump


• Thetford Porta-Potty (hidden in front cabinet)


• Propane Furnace


• 4 person dinette that converts to a bed


• Large double pane windows with screens and day / night blackout shades


• Custom front shelf - makes for great movie watching from bed...


• Large wardrobe closet and an amazing amount of storage space for a trailer so small


• Smoke, propane, and carbon monoxide detectors


• AM/FM/CD with inside and outside speakers... (Upgraded to allow for iPod or aux audio hookup)


• Filled with loving energy and good memories...

Trailer Condition: Our Tab has been well used, but well cared for and maintained.

The tires were replaced in the Summer of 2007, and they are in great condition. The only current damage to the Tab that has not been repaired is a dent in the tongue box, caused by contact with the spare tire on the rear of the Jeep. The latch on the tongue box now has trouble remaining shut in transit, but it stays shut just fine with the aid of a bungee cord.

The plastic wheel wells on the Tab had been installed incorrectly by the factory, and they eventually cracked and split open. I fixed the issue that caused the cracking, and have patched the wheel wells. Acknowledging the issue, the Tab factory sent me two brand new wheel wells that will go to the new owner for use in the future if you ever want to replace the currently patched parts.

I will be happy to discuss the full mechanical history of the trailer with any prospective buyers.


I am looking to sell her for $12,500. $11,500 (PRICE REDUCED)
The value of the electrical system upgrades alone is around $2000, not counting labor to install them. Based upon my research into other used Tab's selling online, this is a very fair price.

We have lots of photos to share, and are happy to answer any questions in depth about this trailer over the phone (408-667-9022).

We're currently located in Melbourne, FL. If we have not found a buyer in FL by July 13th, we will be relocating the Tab to St. Louis, MO.



I've put a lot of my heart and soul into this sweet little trailer, and I really want her to go someplace where she will be loved and appreciated.

If you are interested or know anyone who might be, please spread the word and let me know ASAP.

One thing that has always concerned me with living in a such an easily mobile home is the fear that someday I'll find our house literally hauled away and stolen. Even with a hitch lock, as long as the trailer wheels can roll, this is an all too real possibility.

With my Tab I've taken to often locking our bikes to the tongue with a U-Lock to make unauthorized rolling rather complicated, and sometimes I also route a chain through the wheels. And when parked in a storage lot, I always padlock the Tab's handbrake open so that the wheels will not move without smoking the brakes.

I had an idea today for a small change to our upcoming Oliver that would make it even more difficult for a thief to make off with it while parked, even if they had a flatbed truck.

This technique takes advantage of the Oliver's electric leveling jacks.

Imagine if the Oliver had a kill switch hidden inside to cut power to the leveler jacks.

This simple addition would make it impossible for anyone outside the trailer to raise the jacks for towing. The back jacks do not even have any sort of easily accessible manual override crank to force the leveler jacks up.

With the jacks down, there is no way to make the Oliver roll without causing catastrophic damage, which ruins much of the potential gain for a trailer thief.

I think this would prove to be a wonderful security addition.

I've asked the factory for their thoughts on this. If they think it is a good idea, we will be incorporating this sort of kill switch into the Technomadia Oliver.

Maybe they will add it as a standard feature for all future Oliver trailers too.

I was just emailed this picture, along with this description:

"Thought you might like to see one guy's solution to limited roof space. It is from a poorly scanned photo ... but you'll get the gist of it. Those are the old Siemens 55 watt panels times about 34 = 1870 watts plus two 300 (or 400) watt wind machines. Makes you wonder just what he is doing inside???"


Now THAT is an impressive mobile solar setup!!!

It is looking pretty certain that by this time tomorrow, we will have placed an order for a custom-built Oliver Travel Trailer.

We've considered a lot of alternatives, and it really feels like this is the best choice for our next home.

Here are my thoughts on the other options we've considered:

Stop Nomading: I often get asked when I intend to stop living nomadically. My answer has always been that I would stop when it felt right, and right now it still feels like I am just getting started. I am looking forward to exploring slower paced travel, building a home jointly with Cherie, and crafting a truly sustainable and very livable life on the road. At the moment - there is no end in sight!

International Adventuring: At some point however, I would like to park the trailer and head out for some extended international travel. But not yet. Certainly not until Cherie's house is sold. And maybe a year from now the US dollar will be worth a bit more...

Cruising: Someday I would also like to do some extended live-aboard sailing, but again - the time doesn't feel right yet for me to (literally) get my feet wet sailing off into the sunset.

Stay in Tab: The cheapest and simplest option for us would be to stay in Tab, my home for the past two years. Cherie and I were amazingly compatible living in such a small space last year, but we knew from the beginning that it really wasn't suitable for two people living longer term on the road. To make our life on the road more sustainable - we would really like to have a refrigerator, a shower, a table separate from the bed, an air conditioner, and other little niceties...

Exotic Options: It is fun to fantasize about an Earth Roamer expedition vehicle, or cruising across the Australian Outback in the massive Wothahellizat (Winnebago meets Mad Max!), or living in an fantastical House Truck or House Bus. (Follow these links for some amazing pictures!)

We actually even found an intriguing bus conversion with a rooftop patio for sale cheap locally on Craigslist. Tempting....

But, while fun to think about, none of these options would be particularly practical. Parking issues, maintenance, and fuel economy would be just the start of the list of issues...

Bigger RV's: We also have looked at a few big motor homes over the past year. Some were bigger inside than some apartments - with three slideout sections, giant kitchens, and even washers and dryers! But they are hugely expensive, limited to freeways and major roads, and not city friendly. Also not fuel efficient, and they would require us to tow around with us some sort of other vehicle for actually getting around once we got somewhere. No thanks.

Roadtrek / Class B: The Roadtrek Class B (van style) motor homes on the other hand are a bit more of a practical size, and many people rave about them online. The van sizing allows you to blend in with neighborhoods - and parking and driving is a breeze. The diesel Roadtreks even manage to get better than 20 MPG. But when we actually spent some time looking inside a few Roadtrek models, we felt cramped and claustrophobic. Definitely not something suitable for long term living. And we would still be stuck needing some sort of local transport if we wanted to set up in one place for a while.

The Sportsmobile on the other hand is a bit more rugged, offering 4x4 options and a pop-up camper roof. I would love to see one of these in person. They seem to allow an incredible amount of customizations.

Class B+ / C-: The so called "Class B+" motorhomes (technically - they are smaller and more streamlined Class C's) strike a balance between the overly large RV's and cramped camper vans. The R-Vision Town & Country Touring Sedan and the Phoenix Cruiser are both rather compelling examples of this category. They seem small enough to provide practical transportation, but large enough to provide plenty of living space. But they still leave us lacking local transport once we arrive anyplace without carting along a scooter, or towing a car. *ugh*


A trailer just seems to be a better fit for our needs. I really like being able to unhitch and leave home behind, while still having our fabulous and fuel efficient Jeep for both local urban transportation and off road exploration. But what sort of trailer should we get?

Bigger Trailers: There are seemingly thousands of larger trailers out there, and most of them upon closer look prove to be poorly designed, cheap, and boxy. Most of them are also too big and heavy for practical cross-country towing behind our Jeep. No thank you. I like a trailer that is easy to pull, even off road and to out of the way places. A big trailer is just not a good fit for a full-time life in motion.

The Tada: This past year Thor came out with an oversized version of the Tab called the Tada. I have yet to see one of these in person, but the design really disappoints me. For one - they kept the same ceiling height as the Tab. 5'9" is fine when you only need to walk a step or two before sitting. But with the extra interior space of the Tada, I imagine that this will be a constant annoyance. Also - while the Tada does have a separate bed and seating area, it only seats two. The bed can not convert to a table! At least in the small Tab, we can have guests over with four around the table! Clearly the Tada is not a good fit.

Airstream: Airstream has an undeniably classic look. And there are models (new and old) that are small enough for us to tow. The so-called "Design Within Reach" model though really illustrates how Airstream has evolved to be style over substance - with more focus on a designer "ball wall clock" and a "Tom Dixon Designer Coat Rack" than on practical features. The Airstream Basecamp actually requires you to crawl over the bed to get to the kitchen, but it sure looks cool from outside.

Egads - I can't believe I just read this on the Airstream Ocean Breeze page: "Even when you're parked in the Black Rock desert, experiencing your first "Burning Man," you'll swear you can still faintly hear the surf pounding and smell a little salt on the breeze." *groan*

And of course, you pay through the nose for all those cheesy designer "ocean breeze" touches... No thank you.

Small Trailers: There are some very cleverly designed ultra-lightweight travel trailers on the market, but most of them are not enough of an upgrade from our Tab Clamshell. Great for a weekend getaway, but not much more. There are however several larger and amazingly well designed Lightweight Fiberglass RV's on the market, and these have always impressed me whenever I have seen them on the road. The 17' size seems like the sweet spot. Large enough to live in, but small enough and light enough to take anywhere. Most of these fiberglass RV's have proven to be amazingly durable as well, with plenty of them surviving a decade or more of regular use. Some popular fiberglass models include The Escape, Scamp, and Trillium. But in my opinion, two stand out above the rest...

Casita: When we first saw a Casita while touring the factory last year, we immediately began to imagine that a 17' Casita Spirit Deluxe would be our next home. The floorplan is great, and the Casita's are incredibly well built (compared with most other RV's we have seen). Everyone who owns a Casita loves it, there is a vibrant online community, and there are many awesome tweaks and upgrades and modifications to eventually implement. I find it to be an incredibly encouraging sign that even ten year old Casita's are selling used for nearly the price they sold new.

The Oliver Travel Trailer:
But then a few weeks ago I ran across the Oliver while starting to shop around for used Casita's online. The Oliver has the exact same floorplan as the Casista Spirit Deluxe, but it has been upgraded in almost every possible way. Sure, it costs more. But this is going to be our full time home, so it seems silly to skimp and then immediately need to dive into upgrades and projects to get a Casita even halfway to the level of an Oliver. The only downside of the Oliver is that the design is unproven -- it has only been on the market for a few months, and the factory is still tweaking things as they go. The Casita design has been proven (and mostly unchanged) for decades now.

But I really don't mind being a beta tester - particularly since the Oliver factory seems to be taking great care of all their early customers. As a current Casita owner wrote to me in the Oliver Forums: "Casita owners entertain themselves at night planning their next "mods"! If there had been an Oliver on the market when I bought my Casita..... well.... I wouldn't be camping in this Casita!"


I think we've considered all our options, and after seeing the Oliver in person this week - it just feels like the right choice for us.

Now it is time to spec out the electrical system and all the various upgrades we will want. Fun!!

This one is a bit bigger than the Oliver, but it does have a few nice perks. The marble floors and hideaway plasma TV are just the start.

Be sure to watch until the end, and check out what is stored in the basement.

Now that would be handy! :-)

Cherie and I were amazingly compatible living together in my 16' clamshell Tab for seven months last summer, but we have on occasion craved a bit more space. Now that we are ramping up to hit the road again soon, it is time to consider - should we upgrade to a larger house??


Our clamshell Tab, looking gorgeous in the setting sun alongside Lake Meredith in the Texas Panhandle.

Last summer we stopped in to see the Casita factory, and we were extremely impressed by the design. The 17' Casita is not all that much bigger or heavier than a Tab, but it has a very compelling floor plan and it seems to be very well built.

Ever since, we've been contemplating an upgrade to a Casita. It would be a slightly larger and heavier trailer, but it would give us a LOT 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 sometimes it is a bit awkward for two people who have offset sleep schedules...


The Casita is only a foot longer than the Tab, but is has vastly more interior space, including a bathroom and a shower...

One of the biggest things holding me back in getting a Casita has been fearing starting from scratch needing to do the customization and solar work to upgrade a Casita to fit our needs.

But a few weeks ago I started researching the relatively new Oliver Travel Trailer, and I just got the brochure in the mail a few days ago.

The Oliver has a very similar floor plan to the Casita, though it seems to be even more ingeniously designed. They have clearly put a lot of thought into building the ultimate small camper.

The most impressive thing though is that Oliver seems to be incredibly flexible in working with customers to customize and tweak their standard design, including doing the solar work for us. They will even mount cell phone signal boosters, as many power outlets as we want, and much much more.

I think I am starting to imagine an Oliver in our future...

Check out some awesome interior photos here.
And some exterior shots here.

To buy a new house or not, that is the question....

This video of a trailer dragging an overwhelmed car downhill is both funny and horrifying:

Yet another reason to love small trailers like our Tab....

I love my Tab, but if the Verdier Light Caravan actually existed I'd switch to it in a heartbeat. My jaw was on the floor after watching the video - that seat turning into stairs and the swing-out indoor / outdoor kitchen in particular blew me away.

Here are some of the other drool-worthy features:

The Verdier Solar Power model offers several innovations such as:

- A system of intelligent solar panels called " SUN TRACKER ". This system makes it possible to provide electricity to the on-board accessories while the vehicle is in a stationary position. An on-board computer and a GPS (Global Positioning System) calculate the optimal position for the SUN TRACKER.

- A pneumatic suspension, which lowers the vehicle and sets its structure on the tires for improved comfort and a better stabilization in a stationary position.

- The sliding half-door on the passenger side has an integrated folding staircase, which makes the second stage area accessible from outside the vehicle.

- The passenger seat is transformed mechanically into stairs, so that the second stage area can be easily reached from inside.

- A swivel cooking range makes it possible to cook outside as well as inside.

- In the second stage area, a dividing wall with a sliding door and multiple windows is made of a thick and expandable fabric.

- And of course, a multi-media computer with a wireless Internet connection is also useful where the communication technology is available.

I want one. Maybe for Christmas next year... *grin*

After spending a week futzing around with planning, research, design, and ordering parts - on Tuesday I started construction on my Solar-Tab upgrade.

I had thought that I'd be able to finish it in a day - and I'd be on the road by Thursday in time to make it to the Fall River Mills Paramotor Fly-In this weekend.

Hah! You know the difference between theory and reality, right? Well, in theory there is no difference.

The reality - it is now Saturday morning. Three full days (and nights) of work later - and IT WORKS!

At this exact moment, Amps of electricity are being sucked out of the Sun and into my trailer battery.

The Sun is MINE!

*grin*

BTW: This Tab Clamshell Trailer is FOR SALE. More details here.

I've fallen way behind in posting my updates from the road.

But I haven't wanted to post without pictures. And it has been overly complicated to get pictures off my camera. And once off, my computer was sluggish in working with them. Not to mention various other annoyances and excuses - all of which had me sliding further and further behind. Well no more!

Today I am catching up on journal posts, starting with the Northern California Tab Rally, held over the weekend of May 5th at Folsom Lake, CA.

Since I first bought my Tab Trailer (www.tab-rv.com), I have been hanging out on the Yahoo group getting to know other owners. When I heard about the upcoming "rally" nearby, I was excited at the possibility of getting to meet some other owners in person so that we could swap stories, modifications, and advice.

Unfortunately, the weekend was WAY overbooked for me already, with plans already made for Friday night, Saturday, and most of Sunday.

Undaunted, I decided to show up on Thursday - and if I couldn't be at the campground all weekend, at least my Tab could be.


My campsite - notice the bike and paramotor gear chained up to my trailer tongue...

Friday afternoon came around, and other Tab owners started to arrive. I had a great time chatting with them, and was surprised when one woman asked as I walked up "how's your eye" -- apparently this Journal has a following in the Tab world! (Hi everyone!)

The Tab-folks I met were all very interesting and diverse folk. I loved seeing the modifications they had made to their trailers - one couple in particular deserved major awards for the amazing custom upholstery, and even color-coordinated tow vehicle. Nice!

( More Pictures from the Rally... )

I was really blown away at the generosity of the Tab-folks. One couple had custom canvas bags made for the rally, full of great goodies - even "Tab Energy Drink"! And another had awesome NorCal Tab Rally stickers to share - now decorating the side of my trailer. I got lots of great advice, recommendations, and even invitations to come meet up again.

As the sun started to set Friday - I had to leave the Rally and run and head off for my overly busy weekend hopping all over Northern California. First were Cinco de Mayo evening plans with Lindsay in Sacramento, and then Saturday was off to Merced to meet Linday's family for the first time, and for the "Brown Family Art Show". From there I ran off to Akien's birthday party in San Leandro Saturday night, not getting back to Folsom Lake until Sunday afternoon.

I was really bummed that I had to miss the rest of the weekend. When I cam back on Sunday everyone had already left, but there was even MORE goodies stashed under my trailer waiting for me. The highlight - an AWESOME Tab trailer toy from Germany:

I've moved upstream a few miles to the Delta Marina RV Park (spot #10), still in Rio Vista - only I am actually walking distance to town now. I am literally right on the river - with an amazing view. Still no WiFi - but at least the GPRS signal here is fast and strong and very usable.

I pulled in to my spot with the kitchen hatch facing the river. Midway through setting up, I decided that I'd rather have the front window taking in the view.

So - I just released the parking brake, and to the gawking amazement of my neighbors with big campers - I single-handidly swung the whole trailer around to face the other direction.

I love my little trailer. Quick, simple, and easy.

*grin*


This is such an awesome camping spot - right on the river. The view from my "office" is great - watching barges float by as I work.



The sunrises from my front window were spectacular!

When I updated a week ago, I was camped out in a West Sacramento KOA hoping to soon get a little warranty work from the dealer on the back hatch of my camper.

Turns out I ended up needing some warranty work on myself too!

Lid Repair - Sacramento, CA (April 23rd - 30th):
I spent Monday and Tuesday at the West Sacramento KOA, working on various chores and getting my camp kitchen organized. I put it to the test tuesday night, and Lindsay came over to share my first "home cooked meal" - a delicious Japanese-style beef curry, complete with wine and a salad course. *yum*

All day Monday and Tuesday though my left eye was bothering me - particularly the left eyelid. At first I thought it was just a bad bought of eczema, but it just kept getting worse. So Wednesday AM after dropping my camper off for its lid repair, I called Kaiser and managed to schedule an urgent warranty lid repair appointment of my own that evening.

The doctor on call hadn't seen anything like it before, so he asked me to come back the next day to see an opthamologist. But he did guess that it was a reactivation of the chicken-pox virus (I had it when I was in 7th grade). The Herpes Zoster virus that causes Chicken Pox never leaves your body and lies dormant, and on occasion it comes back - often on the eyelid! *yikes*

That diagnosis stressed me out - particularly because there was a real risk of permanent eye damage. I spent Wednesday night at Lindsay and Sean's place researching Herpes Zoster Opthalmicus. The next day I was ready with good questions for the Opthamologist. He confirmed that it did indeed look like Herpes Zoster (the same as Chicken Pox), it was relatively common, and that it was hard to say what caused it to re-activate in me - but that we had caught it early enough so that it didn't look likely to cause any damage to my eye. He also said that it was unlikely to come back any time again for years to come. *whew*

That was a LOAD of stress off. I LOVE my eyes, and don't ever want to be without them. :-)

I then went off to pick up my Tab - and the techs had thankfully managed to get my back hatch closing properly again. They also put some set screws in place to keep the hinge locked in place, so hopefully it will stay fixed this time.

Next up - I drove into Folsom and got a camping spot at Beal's Point in the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area. Lindsay drove up from Sacramento after work, and we had a nice dinner out. It was HOT out. Monday night I had been using the heater, and Thursday night I was needing the fan on! Somehow we jumped straight from winter to summer - skipping spring!

I spent Friday relaxing and taking it easy - I did some bike riding, and walked along the lake. I also did some more vehicle shopping and research. (more on that in another post...)

By Saturday my eye was at last starting to feel back to normal. I drove down to Sacramento to do some laundry at Lindsay's place, and in the evening we walked around downtown and checked out the city rose garden that was fully and fragrantly in bloom.


This morning I checked out of Beal's Point, and set off for some paramotoring adventures at the Sod Farm. But as usual - I managed to scare away the wind, and there wasn't enough this evening for me to get off the ground. I did manage to put another nice dent in my cage trying though. I also got to experiment with ways to transport the motor in the trailer without needing to fully dismantle it and pack it up. Mixed results... It is almost less work to take it all the way apart as it is to bungy it into place half-disassembled.


My jeep makes for a great aircraft carrier, and the Sod Farm in Davis is an AMAZING place to fly - acres of smooth flat grass make for easy takeoffs and landings. But without any wind, it is just too hard to get into the air without wheels...

And now I am a late arrival in Cupertino, at Rebekah and David's place.

Not a particularly exciting week - but the health issues sort of derailed me. But - I got some important maintenance work handled, and I got my kitchen systems all worked out.

Next up.... Jeepy goodness. (stay tuned)

I've been geeking out a bit this evening.

First I took the speakers out of the back wall of my Tab to find out why one of them had a buzz that was driving me crazy.

I found the cause of the buzz - a SCREW was lose in the chamber, and was wedged in the back of the speaker. The speaker was also filled with sawdust - which spilled out and made a huge mess once I opened them up!

It looks as if the hole for the outside speaker was cut after the inside speaker was mounted - stupid and shoddy workmanship. *ugh*

You can see the piles of sawdust. There was LOTS more. *ick*

I cleaned out both speaker chambers and reassembled everything - and now they sound great. (As great as cheap stock speakers can sound, anyway...)

But - all my music is on my computer and my iPod. The AM/FM/CD player the Tab came with is way too limiting. So next up - I took apart the top of the clothes closet to get behind the CD player, and I hooked an extension audio cable up to the AUX input. I plugged the cable in to my laptop, and soon I had Pandora streaming Rasputina to my trailer's speakers!

But, wires. *ick*

Wires are so last century.

So next - I took my Airport Express, tucked it up behind the stereo, plugged the AUX audio cable into that, and I ran an extension cord up the closet to get power to the Airport Express.

A little bit of network tweaking, and now I have a wireless Tab Area Network!

I can play music and control the speakers wherever I take my laptop - inside or outside of the trailer.

I can also print via WiFi to my printer which is set up under one of the seats. That came in handy for tax forms yesterday.

I wonder if anyone else on earth has ever set up a Tab Area Network, complete with wireless music and printing?

*grin*

Tonight is my first night in a real campground.

I am staying at the "San Francisco RV Park" in Pacifica, perched on a cliff over the ocean. The view is stunning, and I can hear the waves crashing as I type this.


The weather today was glorious, and I had a beautiful ride up the coast through Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay. The rain has stopped, and the sun is back at last! (At least for the day...)

My little Tab is by far the smallest camper in this park. Some of the RV's here are bigger than MUNI buses! And they are so close to each other when they expand all their fold-out rooms, you can hardly walk between them.


What good is being perched on a cliff with such a beautiful view all around you, if all you can see out your windows are the windows of your neighbor?

I definitely think the Tab is much more my style than any of those bigger rigs. Though there is a very sleek Airstream parked across the way that is almost as cool looking as mine. I'd love to see inside it.

Yesterday I bought a memory-foam mattress topper at Costco to enhance my bed, but I couldn't sleep on it last night. It is shipped and sold vacuum-packed, and the 2.5" foam ends up being squished to about a 1/4" thick! It took me 30 minutes to unfold the dense foam, and then I had to leave it sit overnight so that it could slowly inflate. Fortunately the Troxell's have a comfy couch.

But I am looking forward to testing out my new foam bed tonight. I think it has at last finished fluffing up.

Ocean waves crashing. Comfy bed. Network connectivity. A beautiful moonrise. And good dinner in my belly....
(Great Chinese food with butterfly_smile tonight - I am camped walking distance from where she used to live when I first met her!)



Ahhh, this is the life.

My first week of being on the road:

Monday April 3rd -- Sacramento. Picked up my Tab at Folsom Lake RV in the afternoon, and parked on Sacramento city streets that night. I had Lindsay and Sean over for dinner - my first guests in my trailer!

My first dinner guests...


Sunset on the streets of Sacramento...

Tuesday April 4th -- Palo Alto. Dinner out at NOLA for Rebekah's birthday with Cortney, David, and Rebekah. Parked at Cortney's after - slept on her sofa.

Wednesday April 5th - Friday April 7th -- Cupertino. Parked in Rebekah's driveway, and "set up camp" for the first time. Learned how the landing gear and electrical systems worked. Slept in the trailer for the first time. Tried out the heater. Put away clothes. Made runs to SF on Wednesday and Friday to organize the storage unit and retrieve stuff.

Saturday April 8th - Sunday April 9th -- Felton. Did the Geek Speak radio show in the AM, and set up camp in Lyle and Daria's backyard in Felton in the afternoon. Lyle and I worked on some upgrades for the trailer... We added a new power outlet inside one of the under-seat storage areas for my printer to plug-in, and to charge my gadgets out of site. (This is a Geek-Mobile after all...)

We also cut and framed holes so that the table can be pushed far to one side. This is a VERY nice upgrade! Thanks Lyle!!! (He did most of the work while I kept Wyatt distracted!)


Lyle admires his handy-work. Now I can slide the table off to one side, making the inside of the Tab feel much more spacious.

There was lots of great playtime with Wyatt and Gwen. Four year olds are the infinite energy source. Wyatt very nearly wore me out. Great geek BBQ in the evening with Sean and Maggi (and baby River!) and Miles over...


Lyle has domesticated some of the wild neighborhood girls - training them to push Wyatt and Gwen for him.

And now it is Sunday morning, and I am lying in my cozy bed here - looking at the towering redwoods out my windows. Ahhhh....

Today I will probably do some more work on organizing the trailer, and I need to start working on my taxes and catching up on all that paperwork (currently piled in a bin in my car).

In my first week on the road I haven't gotten too far away from home. But I've discovered that the best campgrounds have friends as hosts.

Enjoying life...

- chris

It took me six hours of sitting at the RV dealer waiting for them to get the Jeep hitched properly, but at last I have my Tab! :-)



Yay!

This afternoon I am going to handle the paperwork on the new camper trailer I am buying. See www.tab-rv.com to check out what I am getting - the design is retro and way cool. Starting April 1st, this little trailer will be my home.



My tentative plan is to spend the summer exploring further and further afield, perhaps as far north as Alaska, and certainly down into Baja and around Mexico. I will travel with my paramotor and paragliding gear, and I am excited to be exploring both land and air. All I need now is a kayak and maybe some scuba gear and I really will be ready to go anywhere. *grin*

The Bay Area will always be base camp, and I expect that I will be circling back through here often. I intend not to be a stranger.

My goal is to end the road-trip phase of my adventures at Burning Man, and afterwards to park the trailer someplace safe and to then head out exploring internationally.

As previously announced, my House Cooling party is March 25th - I hope to to see many of you there. I also host an informal movie night every Monday, and I'd love to see some of you make it to one of the few remaining nights. Let me know if you'd like to be added to that evite.

The house cooling party or movie night is the perfect time to check out the stuff I am selling, loaning, and/or giving away. Someone already claimed my sweet surround sound speaker set, but there is still a lot of good stuff to be claimed and the list is growing longer every day. The latest update will always be posted at www.radven.net.

There are big things and small alike up for grabs, ranging from furniture to books to movies to random little treasures. Please let me know if anything catches your eye.

Cheers!

- chris