Steph and Dud B

Please remove us from the list (F38). We won't be able to attend due to a family medical emergency. Hope everyone has a great time.

https://www.airstream.com/blog/airstreams-foray-into-fiberglass/

Tell them not to sell yet. All is not lost. "The decision to close the service department at this time has not been received well by many Oliver owners and potential customers. Oliver leadership is listening and plans to have discussions on this topic next week. Oliver will update our owners in the coming weeks regarding any changes." Oliver was listening.

Ok. Enough. I started this thread and I think it should end now. Everybody has a different level of comfort doing their own work, assessing cost/benefits, etc. Nobody seems to know for sure exactly what's going to happen. Nobody's been proven right, nobody's been proven wrong. We'll all just have to wait and see what comes next. There's no need for besmirching anyone's character or integrity. MODERATORS, can you lock this thread?

I think that's unlikely. There's a big shortage of techs. Most dealers are having trouble just keeping up with warranty service and emergency repairs to RVs sold by their dealership. They probably won't have time for elective work. You might have better luck with an independent RV tech.

The Forest River forums often have posts complaining about dealer service issues and/or factory build problems. It's allowed as long the post is asking for help/making suggestions and not just complaining.

I once worked for a large international computer/ATM/point-of-sale company as a field engineer (service tech). Our company decided to take on service contracts for a competitor's equipment. This happened very quickly. Our techs in Texas got trained and started servicing the equipment in their state first, for a month or two. Next, I was selected to attend a train-the-trainer program, representing Connecticut. After watching some training videos they sent me to Texas for a week or two where I worked on the new equipment alongside a Texas tech. Finally, I returned to CT, did presentations to our guys, and went with them on their service calls as they came up to speed. The entire nationwide transition to this new contract probably took 3-4 months and we were able to support those new customers. Maybe that's what Oliver is doing now: "As our service team will be working with the dealer's service departments on location, we feel it is prudent to discontinue most service work here at our location in Tennessee." Are they sending Oliver techs out to train the dealer techs? That would be smart. But OTT probably doesn't have enough techs to do that and keep the factory service center open at the same time. Therefore, shutting down factory service while their techs are out doing training makes sense (although it leaves people who need service right now in a bad spot, as seen above). But I can't see why they can't reopen factory service once they've completed training of the dealer techs. Maybe that's the plan and it hasn't been communicated well? Also, why do this in the spring, right at the start of camping season? Why didn't they gear up over the winter so the dealers would be ready for the big spring season? Whatever is going on, I suspect it hasn't been handled as well as it might have been.

Forest River and DQ were already large, well established operations when he bought them. When Thor bought Airstream and Tiffin both were well known brand names among RVers. Most RV consumers, even experienced RVers, have never heard of Oliver Trailers, the exception being the small subset of molded fiberglass RVers. I don't think a company that turns out 150 units a year, no matter how good they are, is going to attract a mega corporation at any price. But a smaller competitor, or another company looking to break into the RV business? Maybe. Best case, the Oliver family keeps the brand going successfully.

Good question. One that worries me. True. I still can't see Thor or Forest River buying OTT. The market share is too small. Perhaps a midsized independent RV maker. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of those that Thor and FR haven't already gobbled up. Maybe one of the other fiberglass trailer companies? For instance, Bigfoot could gain a new product line and an eastern US sales and service network all at once. I think a lot depends on how this transition goes. If the dealerships generate increased sales and can maintain that good Oliver reputation, everyone wins. OTT makes money and can either keep the business or sell it and we owners keep a high resale value. OTOH, if the dealership model ends up damaging OTT's reputation for high standards, and can't continue to generate increased sales, that'll lead to trouble for everyone. Where could OTT go from there? Therefore, as distressed as I am about this last announcement, I really do hope Oliver's gamble pays off.

That was exactly how Oliver handled most of the warranty repairs on our 2022. I hope they don't insist that future owners go to the nearest dealer.

The big RV manufacturers are closing plants right now. Tiffin abandoned their new 5th wheel line. Sales are down across the industry. I can't see anyone wanting to buy a small boutique trailer manufacturer at this time.

I can't see that. Yes, Thor went after Airstream and Tiffin, but they were much bigger fish with a much bigger following. I'm guessing Oliver is just trying to make a go of it. It seems they invested a lot in the operation during COVID and now the bubble has burst. They could downsize to pre-COVID levels, but I don't know how that would affect them financially. Or, they can try to find a way to keeps sales up and costs down, which is what I think we're seeing here. But they do seem to be moving away from the formula that was successful for them before COVID.

Not really. We're covered with redundant alarms and cameras. We'd know right away.

Somewhere between 125 and 175? We picked up hull #1150 in June of 2022. I do think production slowed down a bit before going to the dealer system because they had 2 completed LE2s for sale on the retail lot for a while last year. Maybe orders that fell through? The entire industry is in a slump now following the heady days of COVID.

Well stated, John. I've been wondering two things. Would we have bought our Oliver under these circumstances? The next time someone approaches us to ask about the Oliver can we, in good faith, recommend the purchase of one with the new service/sales arrangement and at today's prices?

That remains to be seen. My faith is shaken but I'm hoping they can still be better then the others. They need to be.

Sounds like they'll still be there for us.

The way I see it, there are 2 reasons to buy a "luxury" RV: the product and the experience. Oliver makes a fine product, one of the best, but there have been some compromises over the years. Early Oliver trailers were custom built units with almost unlimited options available for the customer. As sales rose, OTT scaled up production. To do this they needed to streamline manufacturing. The days of having the factory add an extra outlet to your trailer are over. I'm not saying the newer units are worse, in fact they've continued to upgrade many of the systems over the years, but the product has become less personalized. Oliver trailers are still above the average, but there are others in the market with products of equal, or perhaps better, quality. Bowlus and Pebble come to mind. However, it's not just the product. Oliver also offered a top-tier buying/ownership experience, as good or better than any other manufacturer. Being part of the "Oliver family." Impressive access to the factory and it's experts. I would say, on balance, the value of an Oliver became more in the experience than in the product. There may be "better" trailers to be had, but no better customer experience than we were used to. OTT is now making changes that could diminish that experience: a dealer sales and service network. This has proven to be a more efficient and profitable model for many RV manufacturers. However, for many of those manufacturers, the system tends to be less responsive to individual customer needs. As an owner, I hope Oliver has a handle on this and can make it work better than other manufacturers have. I fear they're drifting into dangerous waters if the experience no longer warrants the price.

This could be a concern. Stories about SOB poor dealer service experiences are legion. No sale/no service, wait times measured in months, etc. For now, I'll hope that the dealers that OTT chose (or the other way around) will be better. On the larger picture, Oliver trailers are arguably one of the most expensive per square foot on the market. To us, direct factory sales and available factory service were part of the justification for the pricing.

Found the list of dealers here, under the sales area of the site: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/dealers/

I think I saw one but I wasn't able to find it quickly on the main website. OTT should update that quickly with a "Find A Service Center Near You" tool on the Service tab of the website. Not just for current owners, but also to assure prospective buyers that there are multiple options.

Just received from OTT in email (partial text): "As our service team will be working with the dealer's service departments on location, we feel it is prudent to discontinue most service work here at our location in Tennessee. However, we will continue doing major repairs, including fiberglass and aluminum, at our Plant Facility." Having needed to have a Forest River trailer serviced at the their factory once because of the inability/unwillingness of the selling dealer to address the issue, and knowing the willingness of other top brands like Grand Design and Airstream to do factory service on a wide range of issues, this makes me uncomfortable. Yes, we would probably go to the local service center anyway, but it was nice to have the factory service as a backup.

We have our first grandchild and his name is... Wait for it... Oliver! (He's going to love our trailer when he's old enough to read!)

That window with integrated shade is aftermarket and uses the original door. You can find them online and install it yourself. Not too difficult. However, if they do replace the entire door, they can buy one with that option already installed.

Definitely not normal. I've never seen anything like that before. The doors are basically hollow - fiberglass exterior and that plastic (fiberglass?) on the inside. Our Oliver door has foam insulation inside. I assume you bought this trailer used? Can't tell from the photos, are the cracks pushed in, or pushed outward? Any damage to the outside of the door? The window with shade is aftermarket. Maybe the damage was caused by that installation? The door can be replaced if you wish. I probably would.