Newbies Looking for an Oliver and Camping Mentor

[Mike Spies]

Hi, everyone. My wife and I, both in late 50’s and recently retired are looking for life’s next big adventure. We are considering an Oliver Legacy Elite II in the hopes of exploring as many National, State and here in Canada, Provincial Parks as possible over the next 10 years. We come from a boating background, so we are not complete newbies when it comes to onboard water, grey and black tanks and power management, however, we are 100% newbie campers. Beyond this incredible forum, I was hoping to connect directly with someone who would be willing to be both an Oliver and camping Mentor for us as we embark on this new journey.  Ideally, a contact who we could have the odd Zoom call with and who would be willing to help us navigate all there is to learn when one is starting out.  We enjoy hiking, biking and kayaking and are hopeful that we might be lucky enough to connect with another like-minded Oliver owner who can share how they transport their bikes, yaks and gear, and how they set up their Oliver to best meet an active lifestyle.  Any help or guidance on this idea would be appreciated.  Cheers from Kingston, Ontario (Canada)

Edited August 14 by Mike Spies
Added more info about our lifestyle

[Ollie-Haus]

Hey Mike and welcome to the forum. I have to say that you are making the right choice for extensive exploration, as the Oliver will open doors that most other campers will not. The size and overall design are most conducive to state and national parks that often have size limits. Coming from a boating background you will very much appreciate the design of the Oliver as it lends itself more to a fiberglass boat design than a traditional stick built camper. Once you own an Oliver the rest just never measure up in quality and construction. 

There's a lot of discussion about tow vehicles, and for many reasons. I personally come from a background of towing larger trailers, horses and other livestock and equipment haulers, so I'm in the camp of get as much truck as you can afford. Lighter trucks that are properly equipped can be satisfactory, but come with the need to be more precise in loading and also limitations due to weight distribution needs, etc. With a heavy duty truck the Oliver is just something you hook up and tow with little complexity. Even adding extra gear in the truck has little effect and no cause for worry. 

As far as mentoring, I recommend your choice of YouTube camping channels. One that I highly recommend is one of the longest running camping channels on YouTube, Sean and Kristy's channel, https://www.youtube.com/@LongLongHoneymoon . They have covered everything imaginable from getting started, avoiding common problems, planning trips to understanding the dynamic of living in close quarters for extended trips. They even have great playlists that help you learn about specific topics over several videos. 

I hope you do make the leap to Oliver traveling, we love ours and can't wait for our next voyage. There is a Facebook page just for Olivers for sale that is a good place to find a used one if that interests you. https://www.facebook.com/groups/OliverforSale . Otherwise I highly recommend going to the factory if that's possible for you and taking the tour. It will lock you in on the quality and value of the Oliver campers and you will meet some of the best people in the RV manufacturing industry. 

Good luck with your journey and please participate on the forum to seek out answers to your questions.

[mossemi]

@Mike Spies

Welcome to the Oliver TT forum!  I think that asking questions here will result in lots of answers to your questions and the relationships will follow.  
I will say that one mistake new owners often make is the choice of a tow vehicle.  I don’t like helping people spend their money, but I think we all spend a lot of time and thought when considering the purchase of an OTT and not enough on how we will use it, so you are off to a great start.  It sounds like y'all are very active and if you just hike, you can travel fairly light.  But adding bikes and Yak's and the associated equipment will increase the load on your TV.  It’s often cheaper and always safer in the long run to oversize your TV.  Some OTT owners travel very light and 1/2 ton trucks work well and others live in their OTT'S  or they take extended camping trips and their loads are much greater and 3/4 or 1 ton trucks are better choices.  
Mossey

 

[Cameron]

I always recommend that people rent a trailer for a trial run before dropping the $$$ on the Oliver. Try to rent a trailer that would have a similar size, layout and accessories as an Oliver. Take that rental out for a week or two and many things will become clear to you. Try to do at least a couple days boondocking also. I rented three different trailers (including and Airstream) during three different summer vacations and I can tell you that when it came time to put down my deposit on the Oliver, I felt very confident in my decision to buy a camper, and to buy the Oliver. I also learned that I needed a better tow vehicle. During those three rentals some mistakes were made (I'm not confessing) and lessons learned, which I'm glad weren't with the Oliver. 

[Mike Spies]

6 hours ago, mossemi said:

@Mike Spies

Welcome to the Oliver TT forum!  I think that asking questions here will result in lots of answers to your questions and the relationships will follow.  
I will say that one mistake new owners often make is the choice of a tow vehicle.  I don’t like helping people spend their money, but I think we all spend a lot of time and thought when considering the purchase of an OTT and not enough on how we will use it, so you are off to a great start.  It sounds like y'all are very active and if you just hike, you can travel fairly light.  But adding bikes and Yak's and the associated equipment will increase the load on your TV.  It’s often cheaper and always safer in the long run to oversize your TV.  Some OTT owners travel very light and 1/2 ton trucks work well and others live in their OTT'S  or they take extended camping trips and their loads are much greater and 3/4 or 1 ton trucks are better choices.  
Mossey

 

Hi, Mossey.  Thank you for the warm welcome and for sharing your thoughts and insight.  I drive an F150, with the 5.0l V-8 gas engine, however, it is equipped with Ford’s Max Trailer Tow package which, when I work the numbers out, on weight, power, etc. I feel confident that it will easily handle the Elite II and our gear.  That said, I absolutely plan to work closely with Oliver and the local dealer to ensure that my interpretation on all of this is correct.  I look forward to asking and learning via this forum and appreciate your help.

Edited August 14 by Mike Spies
Spelling

[Mike Spies]

3 hours ago, Cameron said:

I always recommend that people rent a trailer for a trial run before dropping the $$$ on the Oliver. Try to rent a trailer that would have a similar size, layout and accessories as an Oliver. Take that rental out for a week or two and many things will become clear to you. Try to do at least a couple days boondocking also. I rented three different trailers (including and Airstream) during three different summer vacations and I can tell you that when it came time to put down my deposit on the Oliver, I felt very confident in my decision to buy a camper, and to buy the Oliver. I also learned that I needed a better tow vehicle. During those three rentals some mistakes were made (I'm not confessing) and lessons learned, which I'm glad weren't with the Oliver. 

Hi, Cameron.  Great advice!  Thank you for sharing the idea. It’s great to hear that after all you did that you opted to invest in an Oliver. That gives me confidence that I am on the right track!  I drive an F150, with the 5.0l V-8 gas engine that  is equipped with Ford’s Max Trailer Tow package.  I feel fairly comfortable that it will easily handle the Elite II and our gear.  That said, I absolutely plan to work closely with Oliver and the local dealer to ensure that my understanding on all of this is correct.  I look forward to asking and learning via this forum and appreciate your help!

[Mike Spies]

6 hours ago, Ollie-Haus said:

Hey Mike and welcome to the forum. I have to say that you are making the right choice for extensive exploration, as the Oliver will open doors that most other campers will not. The size and overall design are most conducive to state and national parks that often have size limits. Coming from a boating background you will very much appreciate the design of the Oliver as it lends itself more to a fiberglass boat design than a traditional stick built camper. Once you own an Oliver the rest just never measure up in quality and construction. 

There's a lot of discussion about tow vehicles, and for many reasons. I personally come from a background of towing larger trailers, horses and other livestock and equipment haulers, so I'm in the camp of get as much truck as you can afford. Lighter trucks that are properly equipped can be satisfactory, but come with the need to be more precise in loading and also limitations due to weight distribution needs, etc. With a heavy duty truck the Oliver is just something you hook up and tow with little complexity. Even adding extra gear in the truck has little effect and no cause for worry. 

As far as mentoring, I recommend your choice of YouTube camping channels. One that I highly recommend is one of the longest running camping channels on YouTube, Sean and Kristy's channel, https://www.youtube.com/@LongLongHoneymoon . They have covered everything imaginable from getting started, avoiding common problems, planning trips to understanding the dynamic of living in close quarters for extended trips. They even have great playlists that help you learn about specific topics over several videos. 

I hope you do make the leap to Oliver traveling, we love ours and can't wait for our next voyage. There is a Facebook page just for Olivers for sale that is a good place to find a used one if that interests you. https://www.facebook.com/groups/OliverforSale . Otherwise I highly recommend going to the factory if that's possible for you and taking the tour. It will lock you in on the quality and value of the Oliver campers and you will meet some of the best people in the RV manufacturing industry. 

Good luck with your journey and please participate on the forum to seek out answers to your questions.

Hi, Ollie-Haus.  This is all very helpful and much appreciated. Thank you very much for taking the time to respond and for sharing your thoughts and insight.  I drive a 2022 F150, 4x4 Super-Crew with the 157 wheelbase and Ford’s Max Trailer tow package with the 5.0l gas V-8. On first glance, it appears as though it will be very capable of handling the Ollie and the outdoor gear we hope to bring along. That said, I will 100% ensure that we fall well within the weight and towing guidelines for both the truck and the trailer.

We are touring our first trailer next Wednesday and are excited about the opportunity to see one up close. If that goes well, we are chatting about getting down to the factory as soon as possible. YouTube is beyond amazing and I will absolutely look up Sean and Kristy’s channel, thank you for the lead on this. I’m looking forward to learning more via this forum and deeply appreciate your quick (and detailed) feedback!  Cheers!

[jd1923]

11 hours ago, Mike Spies said:

My wife and I, both in late 50’s and recently retired are looking for life’s next big adventure.

Still young and living life right! Read and read all you can on this great Oliver Owners Forum. Come down SW when it gets cold and wet up there! Good for you and best wishes in your adventures. Cheers!

[Mike and Carol]

Hi Mike, welcome!  There are lots of mentors on the forum.  You can post your question and you’ll get lots of replies and then you can feel free to PM fellow owners for more information or just to discuss further.  Are you looking to buy new or used?  We’ve been visiting National and State Parks here and need to expand up to Canada.  Good luck as you start your journey!  Mike

[DunnYet]

2 hours ago, Mike Spies said:

 I drive an F150, with the 5.0l V-8 gas engine that  is equipped with Ford’s Max Trailer Tow package.

Hi Mike - welcome to the forum! We have pulled a LE I and LE II with our F150 EcoBoost Max Tow with no issues. Glad to discuss what we take and don't take - last trip to the scales we were fine on weight for the F150. Our most recent trip was Texas to Colorado crossing the divide several times - no problems going up or down the passes.

[Mike Spies]

12 hours ago, jd1923 said:

Still young and living life right! Read and read all you can on this great Oliver Owners Forum. Come down SW when it gets cold and wet up there! Good for you and best wishes in your adventures. Cheers!

Thank you jd1923 for the response and well wishes!  Much appreciated.

[Mike Spies]

12 hours ago, Mike and Carol said:

Hi Mike, welcome!  There are lots of mentors on the forum.  You can post your question and you’ll get lots of replies and then you can feel free to PM fellow owners for more information or just to discuss further.  Are you looking to buy new or used?  We’ve been visiting National and State Parks here and need to expand up to Canada.  Good luck as you start your journey!  Mike

Good morning, Mike. Thank you for commenting and for the welcome.  I appreciate the suggestion to PM fellow owners for additional discussion. We are currently looking to purchase new and hope to begin the adventure early next spring.

[Mike Spies]

11 hours ago, DunnYet said:

Hi Mike - welcome to the forum! We have pulled a LE I and LE II with our F150 EcoBoost Max Tow with no issues. Glad to discuss what we take and don't take - last trip to the scales we were fine on weight for the F150. Our most recent trip was Texas to Colorado crossing the divide several times - no problems going up or down the passes.

Good morning, DunnYet. Great to hear! I am comfortable that our truck is well equipped with the Max Trailer Tow package and the initial numbers on CCC and GVWR all seem to align well with our intended use of the set up.  This is absolutely the one thing we are focusing on and double checking as we appreciate the importance of being within the design parameters of both the TV and the trailer. Thank you for sharing.

[Rivernerd]

On 8/14/2024 at 3:28 AM, Mike Spies said:

I was hoping to connect directly with someone who would be willing to be both an Oliver and camping Mentor for us as we embark on this new journey.

You are now connected with a large group of willing mentors who, collectively, have nearly encyclopedic knowledge of camping with Oliver trailers.  This forum is one of the best resources on those topics available anywhere.   IMHO, the forum is better than any one mentor.

Ask away!

[Mike Spies]

9 hours ago, Rivernerd said:

topics

 

9 hours ago, Rivernerd said:

You are now connected with a large group of willing mentors who, collectively, have nearly encyclopedic knowledge of camping with Oliver trailers.  This forum is one of the best resources on those topics available anywhere.   IMHO, the forum is better than any one mentor.

Ask away!

Thank you, Rivernerd; I appreciate being here and look forward to learning.  The warm welcome from many is appreciated!

[Patriot]

@Mike Spies The Oliver Owners FB page is also a great source of info if you do social media. Often solutions to problems have already been addressed which you can easily find with the search function. The Mods have always been helpful and there is  always a chance you might link up with another Oliver owner who lives near you.

Onward!🇺🇸 

[Gary Kendrick]

On 8/14/2024 at 4:28 AM, Mike Spies said:

Hi, everyone. My wife and I, both in late 50’s and recently retired are looking for life’s next big adventure. We are considering an Oliver Legacy Elite II in the hopes of exploring as many National, State and here in Canada, Provincial Parks as possible over the next 10 years. We come from a boating background, so we are not complete newbies when it comes to onboard water, grey and black tanks and power management, however, we are 100% newbie campers. Beyond this incredible forum, I was hoping to connect directly with someone who would be willing to be both an Oliver and camping Mentor for us as we embark on this new journey.  Ideally, a contact who we could have the odd Zoom call with and who would be willing to help us navigate all there is to learn when one is starting out.  We enjoy hiking, biking and kayaking and are hopeful that we might be lucky enough to connect with another like-minded Oliver owner who can share how they transport their bikes, yaks and gear, and how they set up their Oliver to best meet an active lifestyle.  Any help or guidance on this idea would be appreciated.  Cheers from Kingston, Ontario (Canada)

We are just a month into the Oliver journey. Seven years in a Casita and another seven in Airstream. I suggest you watch the videos on the Oliver website multiple times as they will answer many question and clearly explain procedures.

[Steve Moore]

On 8/15/2024 at 4:43 PM, Mike Spies said:

 

Thank you, Rivernerd; I appreciate being here and look forward to learning.  The warm welcome from many is appreciated!

Hi Mike, my wife and I lived in Ktown for 8 years, I grew up in Brockville. We bought an Elite 1 last year and drove down to Hohenwald to bring it back to Qualicum Beach, BC (our new home). Feel free to reach out, can FaceTime as well. We also came from a boating background…BC is like the Thousand Islands, only on steroids 😊. My email is forestraider16@gmail.com 

 

[Mike Spies]

8 hours ago, Steve Moore said:

Hi Mike, my wife and I lived in Ktown for 8 years, I grew up in Brockville. We bought an Elite 1 last year and drove down to Hohenwald to bring it back to Qualicum Beach, BC (our new home). Feel free to reach out, can FaceTime as well. We also came from a boating background…BC is like the Thousand Islands, only on steroids 😊. My email is forestraider16@gmail.com 

 

Thanks, Steve! I sent you an email-looking forward to chatting!

[Mike Spies]

12 hours ago, Gary Kendrick said:

We are just a month into the Oliver journey. Seven years in a Casita and another seven in Airstream. I suggest you watch the videos on the Oliver website multiple times as they will answer many question and clearly explain procedures.

Thanks, Gary- I am absolutely taking in as much video info as I can find on the Oliver and RVing in general- it can be a bit overwhelming, but there is so much great info just a click away- I appreciate the continued support.

[Mike Spies]

On 8/15/2024 at 8:29 PM, Patriot said:

@Mike Spies The Oliver Owners FB page is also a great source of info if you do social media. Often solutions to problems have already been addressed which you can easily find with the search function. The Mods have always been helpful and there is  always a chance you might link up with another Oliver owner who lives near you.

Onward!🇺🇸 

Thank you for the info- I’ll be sure to join!  

[Jason Foster]

Welcome to the family.   🙂

[Mike Spies]

7 hours ago, Jason Foster said:

Welcome to the family.   🙂

Thanks, Jason.  The group has been very welcoming and helpful beyond my expectations thus far.  Looking forward to learning more as time goes on.  

[MAX Burner]

Welcome aboard, Mike!  Tons of great OTT info in these threads - watch out, there's a few rabbit holes!

[Geronimo John]

On 8/14/2024 at 3:38 AM, Ollie-Haus said:

There's a lot of discussion about tow vehicles, and for many reasons. I personally come from a background of towing larger trailers, horses and other livestock and equipment haulers, so I'm in the camp of get as much truck as you can afford. Lighter trucks that are properly equipped can be satisfactory, but come with the need to be more precise in loading and also limitations due to weight distribution needs, etc

Nicely said!