Ray and Susan Huff

All season camping is reason enough. I can say, the worse thing about leaving my LTV behind will be giving up the quality, beautiful interior and classy exterior. I watched the video walk-through of the Oliver operation and am impressed. We've had other TTs and I know how poorly made most of them are. I appreciate that Oliver is providing us with a product that is beautiful, functional, and built to last a lifetime.

Four season is a huge plus . . . . . I know people who Winter camp in their LTV, but it's a hassle.

We have decided to get rid of our LTV . . . . love the twin layout and the quality . . . . . yes, there are trade-offs: we had to trade our kayaks for inflatables and we don't want to tow (one reason we chose the van) so exploring must be done in the RV. Easy to get around town and park and fuel economy can't be beat (in most cases). Our biggest reason is maintenance. Most of the chassis is still under warranty, so we haven't paid out except for A&B service and oil changes. But those darn wheel sensors! Twice we've had one fail. Days wasted, for sure. Yes, we could do our own repairs, but still under warranty so not an option. Besides, being retired with an RV and places to go isn't about fixing complex motor chassis components on the $35K Sprinter. Yes, we are going to give up the LTV and get an Oliver we can tow with our tried and true F350 Super Duty. Should still get 15 MPG. I'm going to miss the van (not sure my husband will), but will always have the memories we made traveling around the Western half of the US. What we won't miss is the uncertainty of when the dash will give us that ABS/ESP "visit workshop" message, knowing it won't be long before the engine goes into Limp Mode.

We have a safe in our current RV and use it often. We like to carry a bit of cash, quarters for showers and laundry & plastic money. I also store my camera and purse there when we are away and I don't want to take them with us. The one we have is 6" x 10.8" d x 7.3". Don't have it handy to tell which is height and width. It easily fits my camera, which is the biggest item, so might get by with smaller. The camera is 6.5"d x 5"w x 3.5"h. Has anyone installed an RV size safe in the trailer? So as not to give up precious cargo space, I would consider putting it in the pickup in the storage under the rear seat, but for convenience would rather have it in the trailer.

Your situation is similar to ours. We currently have a Leisure Travel Van Unity Twin Bed, similar in size to the View, but with no slide. We love the RV; hate the chassis. So far, all chassis work has been under warranty, but that is soon to come to an end. We also broke down, in Nevada, no where near a MB dealer, which are few and far between in the places we like to roam. Ours was a two day wait for a tow; 3 hrs to dealer service; three nights camped on the street in Reno (we arrived 15 min before the shop closed for the weekend). The problem we had was wheel speed sensors, a common and recurring problem not remedied by replacement. It seems the Sprinter chassis is not engineered well for RVs. So, two times this has happened and we've decided it's no fun going on extended road trips wondering when the next ABS/ESP error will appear on the dash. We have yet to try an Elite II on for size (working on that). Compared to our LTV, the interior space is a shade longer from front to rear, excluding the cab area of the van. The width is a bit narrower, I don't recall how much - but less than a foot. With the front bath in the Oliver, the inside space will be more open as the Unity is split up with the bathroom/shower. I do like that the Unity sleeping area can be closed off from the front, making a nice dressing area. On the other hand, the Oliver windows are better situated and should let in more of the outside. It is a mixed bag of trade-offs; While we are pleased with the quality and service of the Leisure Travel Van, we want to be rid of annoying chassis issues. What impresses us about the Oliver is quality. Owning an LTV is like owning a BMW; it's hard to step down to lesser quality. We feel Oliver fits that need. My sister-in-law has a View and I can assure you, even without seeing one in person, the Oliver quality will be a step up. And the Oliver has a spare tire (which our van does not) :)

Just had a message from Jordan. Oliver has increased the weight capacity of the optional rear receiver hitch to 150#. No 2" receiver at this time.

Thanks for the great info. I do have a MiFi so this would work. Just seems like a lot of fuss, but that's technology for you 😃 lol

I'm curious . . . . . if these awnings are self-supporting, why is there a need for support? And if they need support, why don't they come with poles? Our 5th-wheel had a self-supporting, power awning (not wind or rain sensing). I don't recall it needing supports, but it's been a while. We hate the useless (in my opinion) Carefree power awning on our van. It has supports that store in the awning casing, but they are difficult to deploy and stow. Traveling in the Mid-west we quickly learned that putting the awing out was not a good idea. What seemed like an innocent breeze became a damaging gale in seconds. I'd be afraid to secure it to the ground too well or the wind would probably lift the10,000# van 😀 lol We rarely use the awning, unless necessary to shade the fridge side of the van. When boondocking, it is easy to park with the best sun exposure. I would probably feel differently if we spent extended days camping in the desert. I guess we just aren't awning people 😉

You leave your awning out at night?

How much does the tray weigh? The Oliver receiver has a weight limit of 100#. Our tray rack weighs 50# and with two bikes 120# - over the recommended limit for the Oliver receiver.

I know this isn't the same thing, but does the Oliver optional cell booster improve reception in the tow vehicle?

We had one on our 5th-wheel . . . . . loved it. Couldn't get one to go on our motor home because the screen is curved. Please, what model fits the Oliver?

I found measurements (in the "University" on Oliver site) for the Elite II cushions. They list the dimensions for the pantry and nightstand sides, but they seem to have left out the outside back cushions along the wall for the twin beds (see diagram). The diagram shows 3 along the outside wall, one on the outside curve, and one on the end wall. I assume they are the same as the others in height (13") and thickness (4"). The 3 outside wall cushions look to be the same as the nightstand cushion, but I'm not sure about the other two. Can someone who has these please share these measurements. I want to determine if one set of the back cushions would give two for each bed (assuming the nightstand cushion is the same size as the larger back cushions). And also to use them with the dinette to make a sofa, by making it into a bed and using the back cushions from the sleeping area along the wall. I understand the wall cushions are tied together with snap tabs, which is a good idea, but I would rather not have them if they would stay in place without.

I there a way to bookmark a particular topic in the forums? I don't see a bookmark icon anywhere; perhaps I am missing it. The only way I can come up with is to create a document and paste a link to the post.

Thanks . . . . . that's the answer I expected. Our son is a more than decent welder! I'm hoping he can help with the bike rack conundrum as well. Perhaps these two components - drag wheels and 2" receiver could be incorporated into one plate and bolted to the frame? Is the bumper integrated with the frame (does the frame extend under the bumper)? Sorry, for all the questions 😁

Thanks for the link to the photo gallery. This helps, though I'm not sure which colors some of the examples represent; I wish they said in the descriptions. This is Mont Blanc counter top. Do you think the cushions are Chrome or Flannel? I like the contrast between the cushions and the table top. And is the floor Baron or Knox? Is the galley dinette the same interior colors as the rear dining area? The table looks darker, but it might be the lighting.

@Corcomi What year is your trailer? Oliver specs say they are equipped with Dometic awnings (both manual and power option). We have the same Carefree awning on our motor home. I'm not surprised Oliver switched to a different one; terrible awning. We have not had the clips break, however we did order a pair of clips to have in case they broke. We don't use the awning much because it is such a pain to deploy, the way the support arms are designed, and there is wind, more often than not, when we camp; we did experience one nightmare in Idaho when a sudden wind came up. We were eating dinner outside and intended to retract the awning, but waited too long. It was all the two of us could do to hold it down and the switch to retract was just out of reach. Finally managed to hit the switch between gusts and got it in before damage occurred. Haven't had it out since. I have also heard numerous reports of it hanging up on the rail while attempting to deploy. I certainly hope the Dometic awnings are better. We are torn between getting the power awning option or sticking with the manual. I understand the new manual awnings are self-supporting, which I like. And one less motorized component. Does anyone have experience with the wind-sensing Dometic power awning?

I see what you're saying about the many factors involved in the trailer geometry. Where the motorhome structure is fixed, the hitch point creates variables. Likewise, I suppose the wheelbase of the tow vehicle would also factor in. All things considered and being an accountant, I understand the "It depends" concept well 😁 Regarding your suggestion of roller wheels, I like the aesthetics of the wheel, but can steel be successfully welded to aluminum?

Thanks for the input, @Nancy K. I was not aware that Oliver had a sample dinette to do these comparisons . . . . . . that's a great idea! They should also have an online tool where you can insert different choices into a picture to get a general idea of the look achieved - similar to interior design software. I really want to choose the counter top before the upholstery since it cannot be changed as easily as cushion colors. I have an ulterior motive to one day have the cushions recovered in red ultra-leather 😀 The flooring I want to be neutral and not stand out; I'll have rugs covering most of it. I plan to use our grey bed covers and bright throw pillows which I love - these will go nicely with red Ultraleather! My thoughts: Black cabinet doors, for certain Grey counter tops as opposed to black Flooring, I'm not sure of - either Baron or Knox We are going to have the twin mattress option, so cushions will be in the dinette and back cushions for the beds. I would like the Ultrafabric dinette cushions (seats and backs) and cloth for the bed back cushions. Possible combinations under consideration (Floor, counter top, dinette seat cushions, bed back cushions) 1. Baron, Mont Blanc, Black, Chrome 2. Baron, Mont Blanc, Black, Flannel 3. Knox, Mont Blanc, Black, Chrome 4. Knox, Mont Blanc, Black, Flannel I hope to use the bed back cushions in the dinette as well as on the beds, giving the option to sometimes turn the dinette into a sofa, since we eat outside a lot. Has anyone done this? Are the cushions interchangeable? Do the back cushions have some sort of attachment? Bottoms, too? (heavy duty Velcro, perhaps) I would appreciate photos of any of the above colors, not necessarily in those combinations. Trying to construct a vision in my mind. Thanks!

Thanks for asking this question. We put these "skid wheels" on the back of our B+ motor home, mostly to protect the macerator pump located at the driver's side rear of the chassis, its lowest point. We also carry bikes on a 1UP receiver rack. Only once did the wheels do their job, as we drove onto the street from a steep approach. Glad we had them. The Oliver rear axle is much closer to the rear of the trailer than the rear axle is from the rear of the motorhome, so it should navigate a steeper approach. Perhaps someone with an engineering mind has done an analysis of the geometry of the Oliver to determine its "drag threshold". I found this: (basic Pythagorean theorem), but don't have an Oliver to apply it. For sure, the shorter the distance from the rear axle to the lowest point on the rear of the chassis (bumper, bike rack, etc) the steeper the angle of approach/departure will be. Would the distance from the hitch point to the rear axle also figure into the equation? And the approach angle would be reduced by the angle of the junction between the approach and the road? In the real world, we are not going to get out our calculator and transit, to evaluate the situation, but an estimate, based on the Oliver's metrics, would be helpful. Sorry if I've bored you all 😇

Trying to decide on a countertop color. I have decided on the black upper cabinet doors; not sure about countertops, flooring and upholstery yet. I think I like Mont Blanc, but can't seem to find a picture of an interior with it.. Hoping someone out there can help. If you have an interior photo of your Oliver with Mont Blanc (grey) countertops, as well as the floor please share. Any other pictures are welcome. Thanks!

I poked around a bit and found it. Isn't technology fun? Thanks!

I found a post that tells how to create a signature, but when I go to "edit profile" it makes no sense. Can someone please help?

I like your point . . . . about changed expectations . . . . . yes, nothing is perfect.

For sure. I looked at Airstream and was totally dumbstruck at the poor quality and resulting problems . . . . . I guess I should have expected this since they have joined the high volume, mass produced RV industry, relying on the Airstream badge to command premium prices. Hopefully Oliver can see this and will not sacrifice the quality and reliability of their product or the reputation of the company.