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Showing content with the highest reputation on 02/23/2022 in all areas

  1. And, I meant every single word. If you have the time, and we've had a lot, obviously, in 14 years. This has been the best, for us. I hope all of you can experience and enjoy even half of what we have. No matter which trailer you choose. My husband and I have spent many hours over the last few difficult years, reflecting. We've often said we'll never regret any of our traveling. We'd regret it more, if we had not gone. Whatever trailer/van/ motorhome/tent/truck camper you decide on, camping is the best way to see our, or any other, country. (We've also camped in many other countries, in rentals.) Our Ollie has made it easy to explore much of the USA and Canada, at our pace. It's truly our second home. Small, but comfy. Perfect for us. We'll keep on going, till we can't.
    10 points
  2. Actually, i wouldn't likely trade up. Even for $1. Yes, I'm one of the originals. Hull #12. This week is 14 years. Mine won't likely/hopefully be available for a very, very long time. If our daughter decides to sell it, after we are permanently 'camped,' it might go on the market. Hoping our daughter keeps the legacy boats and our trailer. Her decision. At that point, hey, up to her. We'll not be able to speak up, and she'll have to use her judgment. We love our little Elite. It's been our summer home (150 days a year) for 14 seasons, and hope for many more. My hope for improvement in the new model? Taller head height, so folks taller than us can enjoy what we enjoy. Maybe get the fridge a few inches off the floor. Maybe shed some weight. Other than that, it's the perfect trailer, imo. Perfect boondocking machine. Seriously. When we can't physically camp anymore, I will still keep it for our daughter. It's been paid for a long time ago, and we're way ahead in the value of memories. My trailer doesn't owe us a dime. We are owing it, imo. I suspect you may feel the same way. The trailer is "small." Our experience has been huge.
    6 points
  3. I’m a little surprised they don’t have the 3 way fridge as an option on the ‘23 units. Must be they’re going with the larger unit that is not available in that configuration. IMO this makes solar and a good size lithium bank critical for those that do not want to worry about power usage on a daily basis. For us I think the 3 way will be advantageous during our state park stays that are all heavily shaded and do not allow generator usage. Keeping the food cold will allow longer relaxing vacations for us.
    4 points
  4. Like SeaDawg, I've had my Elite 14 years. With the exception of the last two years, I've roamed around the USA and Canada 4 to 7 months per year. It has been, and still is, the perfect fit for myself and my traveling dog, Bosker, the little fellow in my profile pic. I'm on my second companion dog and my second tow vehicle, but still the original "Wonder Egg" which has rolled over 139,000 miles and allowed me to garner a treasure trove of memories and friends along the way. I believe Jim Oliver was being modest when his goal was to make a trailer that will "last a lifetime". With proper care, it will last several . . . I'm looking forward to seeing the new Legacy Elite when it comes out. While I can't envision a different trailer for myself, it will be great to see more Ollie owners out there with trailers that will last for generations.
    3 points
  5. Yes, up here in the PNW we are often camped under tree cover and/or heavy cloud cover and in a decent chunk of the year the sun is also quite low when it is actually visible. We also like to stay put for many days on end for some of our trips - having a compressor fridge would almost certainly mean having to run a generator somewhat regularly for such trips here. I can see that for many folks having a compressor fridge would work just fine but I've been glad not to have that additional draw on our batteries!! Even phantom loads, some lights, and a modest bit of furnace use in the morning and evening will add up over a week+ of camping in the rainforest!!
    3 points
  6. "But I still do the math and wonder how far I can travel by other means on $150+k (tow vehicle + Oliver). Not to mentioned the fuel, insurance, maintenance costs (+$10/yr?)." I wrestled with that also. I did order an Oliver for November delivery as the places that appeal to me don't have hotels near them. RV parks don't appeal to me. Established campgrounds also aren't appealing. This trailer will be best suited to BLM land, COE camping areas, forest service spots. Basically I can go where most can't. I totally understand your reasoning too.
    3 points
  7. To piggyback off of Seadawg - as a former EII owner - The E I was very appealing, I thought the EII was more than I needed, And the EI would be more to my needs. If I was to guess - improved battery/Solar, better AC, fridge, and perhaps propane/h2O systems. For me I would like to see improved Off road capability - better chassis clearance. Look forward to the future. Price Up up up... RB
    3 points
  8. Anyone been to a boat show lately? Everything in the fiberglass world has seen enormous increases. Much of it, because of huge increases in materials cost. We've been looking for a few years at a possible replacement for our 18' sport boat. This year, we had a few problems to repair. But replacement cost ( much more than twice what it was new) led us to repair it, instead. Hull is good, 3.0 mercruiser engine runs great. We'll fix the rest. Investing in a solid older boat is far easier than hunting down a new one, for us. Beyond inflation, take a look at fiberglass price increases. I know it's a big jump. It will scare some folks off to something else. Honestly, I don't know what else they could do, beyond scaling back some of the luxury "standard" items included in base price. I'm sure the pricing decisions were difficult for them, too. Everything has been so volatile this year.
    2 points
  9. To answer your question: Looking at the price increase, unfortunately the whole package does not look so palatable to me now! But I really love the Oliver. My reasons: Price increases without any new features or improvements (from what I can see). Also the whole RV experience is getting less desirable as so many people jumped in. Infrastructure at camp grounds is not keeping up. Cost of tow vehicle then the gas milage with towing $$$ Who am I? I do not own a Oliver or have any experience with other RVs. Oliver looked like the best option to remove headaches with water leaks + 4-season option was appealing (in case we needed it). I am fortunate to have worked hard all my life and be in a good position. But I still do the math and wonder how far I can travel by other means on $150+k (tow vehicle + Oliver). Not to mentioned the fuel, insurance, maintenance costs (+$10/yr?).
    2 points
  10. I was surprised to see the 9.4 / 9.6 / 10.5 amp draw numbers for the Aventa. I had downloaded the European version of the manual and found 4.2 amps at 240 volts. I assumed (yes.. I know the pitfalls of that) that 4.2 at 240 would rough out to 8.4 at 120, giving us 1008 watt hours. Even after doing the math that would mean a 5 hour run time (vs. 5-3/4) with no other draw and no solar input. We are not big on A/C but the ability to run it for a short period of time is a plus. Hmmm .... Thinking again the ability to withstand the noise of running it at all is a bigger plus. Can't wait for the real world tests!
    2 points
  11. 3-way fridges come in tons of different sizes and configurations, including very large ones. I'm wondering if they're going with a compressor fridge. Much more efficient when operating on electricity (12v or 120v) and do a better job coming to temp and holding it. We went to an RV show Monday and saw lots of new units with compressor fridges. I think the 3 way fridges are on their way out and lithium batteries are certainly playing a role in that.
    2 points
  12. Here is the 2023 Elite 2 Build Sheet. I have a very well equipped 2021 Elite 2. I ran the numbers and the cost difference between my 2021 Elite 2vs a similarly equipped 2023 Elite 2 (after allowing for the items that are now standard on the 2023 vs my 2021) is approx. $15,500. 2023-Elite2-Build-Sheet.pdf
    2 points
  13. I just purchased a 2021 Ford F150 Powerboost. Uses the Ecoboost twin turbo V6 Hybrid with 430 hp, 570 ft/lbs of torque. 0 to 60 in 5.3 seconds and has a built in 7200 watt generator driven by engine with a 240v, 30 amp outlet and three 120v, 20 amp duplex outlets. Gets around 24 miles per gallon without trailer. Range of 700 miles. I do thing hybrid and EVs are the future.
    2 points
  14. Interesting forecast…….however I’m not certain how accurate that may be. There is a large demand for the diesel truck, not only by RV owners, but mostly construction, agriculture, and general use. The diesel develops much more torque at lower RPM’s than a gas engine and that gives it an advantage over a gas engine. The lower RPM also gives longer life to the engine, just on reduced wear. Auto manufacturers will do almost anything to squeeze more profit from the product, and yes the diesel is more costly to manufacture. I would not be surprised at all if you see the V8 engine (gas or diesel) eventually go away. That will be a sad day for many. I have owned several diesels in the pick-up truck offerings and have been very pleased with them. The current truck is a Ford F-250 with a 6.7 diesel and I have been very pleased and impressed with that truck. Before that I had a 2001 Dodge with a Cummins diesel and a manual 6 speed transmission, possibly the best and most trouble free vehicle I have ever owned. I am 73 and have had many vehicles over my driving history. The Dodge (pre catalytic emissions) was almost bullet proof. In the 15 years I owned it, the only problem was the A/C compressor and a water pump; both around the 150,000 mile mark. I have no doubt that truck will drive on for many more years and miles. If your needs are to only run down to the Home Depot on the weekend to pick up a few gallons of paint, or a sheet of plywood, then the electric truck may work for you. However if you are planning to pull 6,000 pounds or more cross country, and up and down steep inclines, then the electric truck will not do. The auto manufacturers love to push the electric vehicle concept, mostly because there is more profit and less production cost involved. I will never own one, and hope that my latest diesel truck will be my last, as I intend to drive it many, many years (or at least as long as I possibly can). Think about the major differences between electric and diesel powered vehicles and you can quickly see where the production and manufacturing cost advantages are. For an electric vehicle, you eliminate the cost and expense of an internal combustion engine, a complex transmission, as well as the final drive. All profit areas for the auto manufacturer to take advantage of. They are already adding a premium cost of about $10,000 to add the diesel package to a truck, and that is a huge profit margin for them as it is. Just imagine the profit advantages if they can design and manufacture just the battery pack and a couple of electric motors for the drive; and still sell the vehicle for the same, or possibly more, as a standard pick up being offered today. Electric trucks will have no place in the heavy duty truck market, nor in the over the road type of market. The endurance, and pulling limitations just to not work. My personal suggestion would be to find a new 3/4 ton, diesel powered, truck and plan on keeping it as long as you can. Having a good preventive maintenance schedule for it will insure you will drive it for many, many miles. Not all will agree with my perspective, and these are simply my personal feelings. Steve R.
    2 points
  15. You can write anything you want in the Comments section near the bottom.. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/surveys/future-model-features-and-options EDIT, this is for current owners, not the general public. John Davies Spokane WA
    1 point
  16. It’s an upgrade package along with the truma tankless WH.
    1 point
  17. Traveling with 3 people, we were pleasantly surprised that the size of the current Norcold is adequate. Even on longer trips, we've always been able to fit everything we planned to take. Also, the storage space above the oven is valuable to me and I wouldn't want to lose it. With that said, though, we are now unable to run our fridge on DC when on the road. It draws the batteries down quickly even on a sunny day. Oliver tested them at our last service appointment and they said they test good for the date of the batteries (2019 model). So if a compressor unit would allow us to run on DC successfully on the road more long-term, we would consider it, although would prefer one that fits undercounter.
    1 point
  18. On a cost per foot basis, it is the more expensive of the 2 trailers. I do wonder what changes they are contemplating. As Seadawg stated, we love our LE1 just the way it is.
    1 point
  19. I bought my (nearly new with only 6000 miles on it) 2018 Elite II in 2020. I think I paid about what he paid for the trailer new. Believe it or not, the 2023 Elite II with similar extra's would cost me $24,375. more ( I double checked my numbers a second time) then what I paid. Glad I bought when I did, that I bought a slightly used Ollie and that I found a great trailer at a nice price.
    1 point
  20. Same here. I don't think we'd have pulled the trigger on a 2023.
    1 point
  21. Can you share what your payload capacity is one your new F150. I have a 2014 F150 and I have been going back and forth with staying with F150 for TV or moving to 3/4 ton truck.
    1 point
  22. Still sad they didn’t post here, though understand given they own their own FB page.
    1 point
  23. 1 point
  24. It’ll be interesting to see the build sheets for the 2023 models. It looks like they are combining the truma tankless water heater and AC unit. Also they might be changing the 3k inverter unit. Hopefully a blue unit can fill the void…
    1 point
  25. Your sensor reads the wheel temp, near the outside. If a tire deflates that pressure will drop rapidly and it will alert you in time. A hot hub or drum is located far away from that sensor, so maybe you would see a slight rise in temperature, but there is so much metal in between that it would take a long time to heat up the sensor. The TPMS is mainly helpful to see if one tire has gone flat, or if all of them are overheating because the pressure is set too low, but I would not count on one for brake or hub problems. Your fingers or a temp gun is way more precise. John Davies Spokane WA
    1 point
  26. Is it true Seadawg? 14 years with an Oliver? They should trade you the new model for $1?? And put yours in the RV Hall of Fame....
    1 point
  27. Let’s see…. Add a second axle, a twin bed option, a bit longer, wider and taller…. Oh, wait….
    1 point
  28. Oliver doesn't often post on the forum. When they do, its usually technical bulletins, rally info, or forum software updates.
    1 point
  29. We just saw the price increases as well... and of course calculated what our specific order would have cost as a 2023 model. It's now $10,747 more. I'm glad we have ours locked in because I'm not sure if I would have been able to swallow this higher cost!?!? Obviously it's because of the rising cost of various raw materials, shipping cost and so on... so I'm guessing that the Airstreams are going up as well. It is interesting that now you can upgrade to the Truma a/c instead of taking the standard Dometic. I would have liked to have that option. Nevertheless.... we are looking forward to our May 2 pick up date... and the Guntersville rally.
    1 point
  30. Like Topgun2, we place the portable heater on the floor, not on a rug. We feel it does a better job than on the counter or table. I would not leave any portable heater running when not in the trailer.
    1 point
  31. I set my cube heater on the kitchen counter with a cutting board underneath. Even when it gets hot the bottom of it is cool enough that I probably could put it right on the counter. But why take a chance.
    1 point
  32. We were on the fence for a 2022, but decided in January to order a 2022. Our pick up is November 7 so I imagine that all 2022 production slots have been taken by now. I am glad we didn't wait longer.
    1 point
  33. I think a lot of factors went into this price increase. Gas and petroleum products go up in price….so does fiberglass. Plus all the OEM products are going up with inflation. So is it worth it? Compare a Winnebago Mini Winnie FLX at 50k vs an Oliver LE2 at 100k. What is the resale comparison in 5 years? I would take a swag at 25k vs 90k, so a 15k delta. That roughs out at 5k vs 2k per year not counting the time value of money. I think a lot of people would make that tradeoff. And talking about resale……. Seen quite a few more Used Oliver’s hit the market this year. And they sell quick. So I think demand will stay high. And yes I think those that got in on a 22 model had good timing. Will be interesting to see where this goes.
    1 point
  34. We're preparing to sell our Ollie so I downloaded the current pricing worksheet to see what changes there are for 2022.. Checking off the options we have on our 2019 unit, it would cost over $10K more to buy it today. Still cheaper than an Airstream and better quality to boot.
    1 point
  35. Here's a review of the Truma Aventa a/c. Truma's been hyping it on their Facebook page. https://www.truckcamperadventure.com/review-of-the-truma-aventa-eco-air-conditioner/?utm_source=mailpoet&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=truck-camper-news_129
    1 point
  36. I would look at the campsites specs and pictures on the campsite info where you want to camp. I like a minim of 50 feet and one of the biggest things I look at is how level the camping site looks. Now not always are this pics available online, but since we stay in a lot of state parks there site info is usually pretty good. On thing for the 50 foot length is I like to keep the trailer and truck inline at the campsite, but this is not a must when camping. I had the worse campsite at Ft. Davis State Park back when we had a Casita, it was too short and on an incline that took every block we and our fellow campers had just to get it level, what a mess and there were no other spots available. trainman
    1 point
  37. Not sure we really know what the configuration would look like. This photo looks heavily photoshopped. I could see Oliver going with a taller unit and sacrificing some storage above, but doubt they would encroach on the entrance. You would probably have to re-create the fiberglass mold for that section. If they did move the oven up to the curve near the ceiling.. you would block the port needed to service the light switch panel. Unless you moved the panel. Too many questions to speculate and I think most of us would like to see (pictures or in person) an actual trial install before deciding. That being said... with Lithium battery options becoming an RV standard.... I think a 2 way compressor fridge makes a lot of sense. Would probably run in eco mode for 20+ hours on 100ah of Lithium. No worries about being level and it would be colder on a lot less energy. Just my $.02.
    1 point
  38. It helps keep the coffee grounds together. If you're tempted to give it a try someday, here's a recipe: https://www.thespruceeats.com/egg-coffee-2952648
    1 point
  39. 1 point
  40. We have a pair of AGM batteries and a dc/dc charger in the back of our truck. One battery would run the fridge for 5 days, 2 gets us 10 days. That’s without bothering to start the truck. I’ve thought about putting a solar panel on our truck but we’ve been on the road 6 months and never ran the batteries down.
    1 point
  41. The question fridge is only 2 way, we use the 3 way features all the time. Dc underway, AC at CG, propane off the grid. Current refrigerator size is adequate for our needs, as long as we rotate in beverage needs each night for the following day. Better half says micro too high for anyone to safely use. Wouldn't want to lose cabinet space either...
    1 point
  42. Many power stations have an internal integrated controller, so your panel may not/probably doesn't have a controller. You'd need to add one, to safely use it with the Ollie, as the solar port does not run through the on-board controller for the fixed panels. The port connects through just a fused line, going straight to the batteries. X2 @bhncb
    1 point
  43. The original total invoice on the 2010 Elite II we recently bought was $43,200. And it came with several options including satellite, cell and WiFi booster, retractable electrical cord and upgraded cushions. Looks like the price has close to doubled over the past 12 years.
    0 points
  44. Makes me wonder if the E2 will be updated in 2024…
    0 points
  45. Just In : "We have decided it is time to redesign and improve our single-axle Legacy Elite travel trailer. We have suspended production and taking orders on the 2023 Legacy Elite while our engineering team finalizes the redesign process. We currently do not have an ETA when we will take orders on the redesigned Legacy Elite. We will be fulfilling all 2022 orders that are awaiting production. Please call or contact us for additional information." From a post on Oliver owners FB page. Very interesting - RB
    0 points
  46. I think there will be enough buyers who would buy a EII even at a $90k base price. Granted a base of $90k would knock many of us out of play (me included) but there are those to whom the quality and exclusivity would be worth it and make the purchase. Last week I had the pleasure of camping next to a Living Vehicle Pro-EV model. For those unfamiliar with these Trailers, they are 4 season, solar and lithium monster trailers with enough power to provide level 2 charging for a EV as well as run the AC on battery and solar indefinitely. The trailer camped near me has a base price of $470k. I understand that Living Vehicles have nearly all of their 2022 production sold out. https://www.livingvehicle.com/models I predict that Oliver will have no trouble selling all 2023 production slots at the new base prices.
    0 points
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