Overland

So is meteorite damage a special rider I need to purchase with my insurance? Buzzy, I know the insulation they use is mildew and mold resistant so at least for the forseeable future that shouldn't be a problem.

So if the outer shell were to develop a leak, but the water drained to the bottom and out the weeps rather than finding its way into the cabin, is it still a leak? Or rather, is that something to worry about? Sorry, but I'm having such a hard time finding cases of actual problems with Olivers that I'm having to invent my own. They must have an achilles heel . In all seriousness, I do wonder if over the years, moisture between the shells could be an issue, whether from leaks or condensation. Thoughts?

What about something like Xpel - http://www.xpel.com

John, Something like that would be fantastic. I'd give up my Rock Tamers in a heartbeat for one of those. There is a similar product here in the US used to protect a towed vehicle behind motor homes. I wonder if it could be modified to go under the A-Frame. Pete Seems like you could just flip it over and attach the rear attachment bolts somewhere on the bottom of the frame. The only issue I could see is that it looks a bit small. Someone lists the dimensions on Amazon as 73" wide by 35" deep. Might work.

For future reference, from those dimensions I calculated 69.1 cubic feet inside storage and 10.1 cubic feet external. From another topic, the twin bed risers give you another 13 cubic feet each of interior storage. All in all, that's a possible 95.1 cubic feet inside and 10.1 out. Not too shabby, Oliver. The next closest on my list - the Kimberley Cruiser S - weighs in at 47.8 cf, just slightly more than ½ the interior storage space of the Elite II. The overhead storage figures are overstated a bit, since the space inside is curved, but I think it's close enough. The Olivers do fall short on exterior storage, though. The others I'm looking at have 2 times or more. Maybe I can find a way to claw some of that back with some racks or something. Thanks again.

Awesome - Thank you!

Has anyone ever calculated the total storage capacity in cubic feet for either Oliver? Or does anyone know if Oliver has this info hidden on their site somewhere? I'm putting together a spreadsheet to help my wife and I compare trailers, and right now for Oliver, I just have listed "a lot". Thanks.

Sage advice. I could certainly be happy with an Oliver.

I believe the Cruiser models are heavier than the Olivers - I have written down 4500 for the single axle and 5500 for the tandem, or the Battle Cruiser, as I call it. Their gross weights, however, are the same as the Olivers' - 5000 & 7000. The pop-up caravan is similar to the 18' Ollie, maybe a few hundred pounds more. That's a neat trailer, and without my wife's input, would be my choice. It folds up really compactly but unfolded gives you as much space as the small Ollie, if not a bit more. It would be super easy to tow, I'd think. As to which trailer we're leaning towards, well I think if you asked my wife she'd say the Elite II. She feels really comfortable about it and doesn't really buy into why we should pay almost as much for a smaller trailer. No specs yet on the coming Raptor, but the current one has an 8000lb limit. That's a lot less than a standard F150, but it's all down to the softer suspension. The truck will have way more power than I'd need for any of these trailers, and if necessary, I can add airbags. I doubt that will be needed, though.

The front runner at the moment is a Ford Raptor, which won't be available until late this year, which in turn is why we're taking our time weighing our options. Our plan, if we get an Ollie, is to outfit the Raptor with a rack and rooftop tent over the bed - then we'd use the Ollie as a base camp and the Raptor by itself for more adventurous excursions. The Kimberley, on the other hand would be more of a go anywhere option. There are drawbacks to the Kimberley though, for sure - the main one being that we'd be mostly on our own when it comes to problems or repairs. Oliver is a whopping three hours from home, so that's obviously a huge difference in their favor. The other issue is that we'd be dependent on the exchange rate to make the Kimberley competitive with an Oliver. Even if the Australian dollar drops to 0.60 to the dollar, like some are projecting, the Cruiser would still be $5k more than a nicely optioned Elite II. And then there are smaller issues like the door and awning being on the wrong side, which might make for some awkward maneuvering at some campsites. A lot of this will be a matter of negotiations with my wife - I started all this with the idea of getting a jeep and a little tent trailer and now it's sort of ballooned.

Sure, we lucked up and got into Pine Canyon 1 for five nights straight on one of their busiest weeks. That site is one of the larger ones along pine canyon. PC4 looked to be a better site, farther off the road, but beggars can't be choosers. The other 3 looked to be fairly small sites and too close to the road for my liking. You might also try the Nugent Mountain site, which is larger and has easier access, or drive further down to Chilicotal or Rice Tank. Both of those looked like good spots. I didn't think it was too bad getting in and out of our site, with only one incline that made me wonder about the departure angle on an Ollie, with that deep rear bumper. The suspension and shocks are what worry me most about getting an Oliver and taking it down miles of washboard roads. Our other option is getting a Kimberley from Australia, and the difference in the suspensions is night and day.

Ah. That's pretty sweet. Well worth the money for that one, I think. Thanks.

On the pricing worksheet that Oliver sent me, there is an option for a 'twin bed riser'. It's supposed to provide storage under the beds, but I'm having trouble visualizing it - does anyone have a photo of this option you can share, or at least give me a better description of the type and amount of storage it provides? Thanks!

Thanks, Pete!

Thanks, bugeyedriver. Just curious, since I see you're from San Antonio and so I assume you're familiar with Big Bend NP - if you do know the park well, can you tell me if you'd be comfortable taking your Oliver on any of Big Bend's unimproved roads? We just got back this week from spending a week there, and had camped about a mile off the main road, in Pine Canyon just off Glen Spring Road. That's about the level of off-road worthiness we'd need out of a trailer.

Did they tell you how they calculated that weight limit? What I mean is that most of the loads you'd carry on the back would be supported by some sort of lever arm, and the further the load is from the hitch receiver, the greater the force on the receiver. For example, if they're calculating 150lbs at a distance 1' from the mount, like you might for a ball hitch, then at 2', for say a hitch mounted rack, your limit would really be 75lbs.

Here's a photo of a rear hitch they were installing during our factory tour. I don't know if this is the standard bike rack hitch or something special they were doing for a customer. Nicely done, though. I was told that it's probably sturdy enough to hold a full-size or second spare if you want.

I was told at the factory that they would not flip the axles. I suspect this has to do with the certifications they now have, which may prevent them from being as open to modifications as they have been in the past. Bugeydriver, did they do anything different with your suspension other than mount the axle under the springs? Did they beef up anything? Did they add a sway bar to compensate for the higher center of gravity, or do you feel you'd benefit from one? On the steps, is it true that they're bolted? From the photos I took at the factory, they appeared to be both bolted and welded. I suspect my comment on that issue over on expedition portal is why John is asking. As well built as the steps are, I too wish they were protected in some way - I'd be a bit worried about the steps bending the frame if I whacked them hard on a rock or log. I'm new here also, by the way. Hi.