My wife, Jan, and I became interested in travel trailers as a means for better access to photography sites, especially in the Western U.S. We are avid photographers and have taken a number of car trips to sites in the West. We learned quickly that desirable accommodations are seldom located near the sites we wished to photograph, making it difficult to reach remote sites at the most favorable hours.
My wife was not excited about my suggestion to rent an RV. We have no experience with RVs and she has generally disliked using rental cars, much less an RV we would eat and sleep in. Travel trailers seemed the most suitable, for access in parks where we had seen posted restrictions on large RVs, and providing the flexibility to establish a base of operation, with flexibility to use the tow vehicle unencumbered.
Thus, a few months ago I started researching travel trailers which would suit our perceived needs. I relatively quickly identified the Oliver Legacy Elite II as a potential fit. Upon seeing photos of the LE II features, Jan responded favorably, saying it looks like an upscale sailboat with wheels. This was in her comfort zone, as her family had owned sailboats.
I found the Owners Forum which has proven to be an immensely useful resource to learn about travel trailers, boondocking and related topics. Contemplating the purchase of a new LE II, I have read widely to establish a knowledge base to make informed decisions on the purchase and use. I very quickly became impressed by the sharing of information by Oliver owners, and especially the innovative solutions for adapting and using their trailers. I assembled an LE II build list and we planned to visit Hohenwald for a factory tour in late May (now). However, the coronavirus pandemic destroyed those plans.
So, until travel in the U.S. becomes relatively safe again, I am continuing to investigate details about how we would equip and use an LE II, primarily focusing on boondocking in state and national parks, BLM land and some use of RV parks. We have a BMW X5 35d (diesel) which I believed would well suited as a tow vehicle, although I had until recently seen little mention of tow vehicles other than pickup trucks. Recently, I noticed a post by AndrewK, indicating he uses a BMW X5 35d as his tow vehicle. I sent him a personal message asking of his experience towing his LE II with his BMW. He promptly replied and generously offered to have a phone call to answer any and all questions. He confirmed the BMW was an excellent tow vehicle and provided many additional insights from his recent experience purchasing an LE II. We spent several hours on the phone, for which I am very grateful.
We look forward to purchasing an LE II and meeting many owners whose handles I have come to know. I thank you for the information and hope I can contribute in future.
Don Haig
