Hi! I'm Steve! Deb and I currently have a 5 X 8 Hiker trailer, which is basically a box with a bed and some shelves. We are in our late '60s, and Deb is getting tired of getting up during the night to go outside to the bathroom tent; especially when it is cold (or raining, buggy, critters about, etc.) And it would be nice to have a place to stand and dress, as well as have AC for the midwest's typical 85° 85% humidity summers.
Not climbing over each other in an east-west bed is high on the list, so the twin option would be great. There aren't too many twin options out there other than much larger Airstreams and the upcoming Escape 23 that's likely another year or two out. A dry bath is another desire, but the combination of that along with twin beds is like finding a unicorn. We were in an Australian extreme off-road Kimberley Kruiser E3 recently that had both, but with current prices and crazy shipping costs, those are in the $175,000 range now. I know Don Thompson used to be on here went that way last year before the prices skyrocketed.
Like a few members here, we have a Toyota Land Cruiser, which has an 8100 pound tow rating. I'm not even remotely interested in changing tow vehicles (a 40+ year dream to own one became a necessity last year when they were discontinued in the US) so I'll need to find a trailer to accommodate the Cruiser. From what reading I've done here, it sounds like it is okay, but not optimal. Other than towing a 5000# boat 20 miles twice a year in the '70s with my grandfather's 500 cubic inch Cadillac, I haven't towed anything larger than a 1500# sailboat. The Hiker is 780# empty. Towing something 5-6000 pound is mildly intimidating!
Building our imaginary trailer adds up fast! With the features I'd *like*, I hit $100k... We want to stay away from campgrounds, but even typically empty boondocking sites have become overwhelmed with the rise of "overlanding", #vanlife, and a zillion YouTube videos and Instastardom.
A bit about us: like most trailer owners, we tent camped extensively. I backpacked in the '70s and again in the '90s, and Deb and I tented a lot from when we were married in 1981 unto the early '90s. Then kids got into other things, and we were tired of sleeping on the ground. Buying a home, and life got in the way. Then in 2015, our youngest went off to college in Seattle. We took her out in our seriously overladed Outback, and then spent the next 42 days wandering our way home. That's 42 nights of motels and restaurant meals twice a day. Then we did the same for the next two years, albeit for shorter duration. Expensive, not particularly healthy, and we were often a couple of hours from where we were staying to the sights we wanted to see. "It would be so much easier if we could camp right here!" A free roof top tent from an online giveaway lasted one trip. Nope! Not gonna work. That's when we ordered the Hiker. And here we are looking to possibly upgrade.
Deb is an avid gardener (flowers and food) so that limits our away time. It seemed we were always gone when the tomatoes were in their peak. The neighbors really enjoyed them, though. We both want to get off the beaten path, and while we realize the Oliver isn't an off-road trailer, if we can find somewhere to park it as a basecamp, we can explore during the day in the Cruiser (which has an onboard fridge/freezer and stuff for causal cooking and dining while out and about.) Sounds ideal!
We will be in central Kentucky sometime in the next 6-8 weeks, and might take a side trip to take the Oliver factory tour and see one in person.
A couple questions I already have. I see that some have plumbed the liquids from the composting toilet to the black tank. Is the black tank installed in every trailer? Or are these people that had the regular RV toilet and swapped to a composing version?
Has anyone switched to a 2-way compressor fridge instead of the propane 3-way? They are much more efficient, and with a lithium package, would never run down the batteries. Does Oliver do any custom orders, leaving the refrigerator vents uncut in the hull so the I could either supply a compressor fridge or install it myself?
Along the same lines, with a lithium package, I'd prefer an induction stovetop instead of the propane 2-burner. Is this available as an option, or just have them leave out the cooktop so there's no hole?
Well, that's more than enough for now. I ramble. A lot...
Thanks,
Steve
Thank you, John! I think I've read every post you've contributed to that contained Land Cruiser (as well as on MUG)! As well as at least two other members whom I can't recall right now due to my horrible memory with names and general information overload. 🙂 And I hear and understand your comments on boondocking and saw your admonitions about going 1/4 mile, 5 miles, or 40 (?) miles off road in another post. I guess my imagined trailer (somewhat off road capable, light enough for the LC200, not climbing over each other to get out of bed, somewhere south of $175k), doesn't exist. Thank you!
