While I'm not encouraged by their lack of interest in MY interest, it's too soon to start "banking" on anything. Where did you hear about horse trailers, by the way?
It's easy to jump to conclusions about the end of Oliver trailers, seeing as how so many other fiberglass trailer producers are "no more", but it's not like their plant is not productive. They've simply re-commissioned their lines to accommodate a more stable market. New, custom travel trailers are a and the economy is in the toilet...while there's a lot of interest in these trailers and RV living, there are a of good deals now on nearly-new used trailers...or new inventory being dumped by troubled factories and brokers. That's eating up a lot of Oliver's customer base, regardless of how specialized their products may be.
One would imagine a line of customers pounding on the factory doors to get an Oliver trailer NOW, but we don't know how many confirmed orders they'd need to justify shifting back into RV production. That interest has probably built up over the past 7 months, but after that, what? Another slump? I admit that even if they WERE actively taking (or soliciting) orders, as a buyer I wouldn't be ready to commit until after the first quarter of 2010...too much financial uncertainty right now in my own world.
I'd imagine that it would take a lot of $ to set up a factory from one production line to another. I wouldn't be surprised if it was another year or two before Oliver moved back to trailers. But I also think that there is a growing market for these unique RVs, so I wouldn't be too quick to write this company off.
Having said that, I'll re-state that the signs I've witnessed firsthand are discouraging. But as long as current Oliver owners are out there on the road, giving tours and crowing about how much they love their trailers...and as long as Oliver continues building upon their exemplary customer service reputation, they've got a good placeholder for them in the market when it improves. But that's just my opinion.