Jump to content

Fiberglass "smell"


ridgwayk

Recommended Posts

We just found out about Oliver trailers this weekend and we are cautiously optimistic that this may be the trailer we're looking for.

 

We used to have a Airstream 2005 Safari Special Edition 25FB. Unfortunately we lost the camper in a flood (long story) and we've been looking to get back into a camper for the last several years. We've been looking at the new Airstreams but the prices for them have been insane.

 

Fast forward to this weekend, Oliver trailers look like they are constructed extremely well. I'm not looking at starting a religious war, but Airstream has been our standard and Oliver looks like they are on par or better. One of my concerns is that having been in many many campers since the flood, my wife (who's asthmatic) and I have noticed a heavy chemical smell (formaldehyde, etc). It causes my wife asthma and it starts burning our eyes if we stay in the new units for more than 15 minutes or so... We've noticed this in regular campers and several fiberglass models.

 

Can anyone address if the Oliver has the equivalent new camper "smell" of formaldehyde, etc?

 

Thanks.

Happiness is seeing Atlanta in your rearview mirror. :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to the forum and Oliver Trailers. No doubt you'll get lots of input on this but I will throw my two cents as well.

 

Many like to compare Oliver and Airstream though I'm not sure why, they seem more like apples and oranges to me. AS look really cool and the interiors are usually beautiful. Sort of a the lap of luxury version of camping. Olivers by comparison simply put are just built heavy duty, true 4 season camper, virtually leak and dent proof, high ground clearance as in you can take them anywhere or nearly so. No pop rivets to replace on a continual basis, the Olivers also have a narrower profile, i.e. 7 ft wide, vs some AS that can but up to about 9 ft, thus IMHO probably tow much better. We do not use a WDH while towing while most people do employ them with an AS. Dual pane glass on all windows and probably better insulated.

 

Regarding the FG smell. Unfortunately I have to agree. We picked ours up in March of this year and the first few weeks the smell was very noticeable. Since then it has dissipated but not 100% gone. While I don't think this smell is formaldehyde it is offensive and this has been the only disappointment for us. I suspect you are smelling the resins used to make the FG material. We hope the smell eventually dissipates 100%. During the summer months its hardly noticeable since the trailer is aired out with open windows while camping but during the winter or shoulder seasons where things are closed in this might be a concern for you.

 

I hope this helps.

Legacy Elite II #70

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm sensitive to smells and also have allergies/asthma. We picked up our Oliver in early June and one thing I haven't noticed is the fiberglass (or any other) smell that was prevalent when we bought our Casita. I was thinking with the Casita that maybe the strong smell was the glue used to adhere the carpet to every surface available. So, no issues for me.

 

On the subject of Airstreams - we were on a seven week trip out west and while at Glacier we were next to an Airstream owner who toured the Oliver and absolutely loved it! In fact, she toured it twice and was talking about how much she could get for her Airstream to put toward an Oliver.

 

There was also an Airstream group at Madison campground in Yellowstone; a few members toured the Oliver and stating Oliver is definitely a competitor for Airstream.

Ed and Marsha

Legacy Elite II, Hull #85

Ford F150 Lariat

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Looks like we are headed to the Blue Ridge Parkway this weekend. We'd like to make make a detour in Cherokee if anyone will be at the fiberglass RV rally? Any chance anyone is up for a curious couple to take a look at an Oliver sometime Friday?

 

Tia.

Happiness is seeing Atlanta in your rearview mirror. :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Tia I can't help you with this question given we are on the opposite sides of the country but would like to add an update regarding your sensitivities in your initial post.

 

My wife and I just returned from a two week trip down in the SW where most days were in the mid to high 80's or at bare minimum well into the 70's with nary a cloud in site most of the time. I can now confidently say the fiberglass resin smell as completely vented off from our Oliver. We were not the least bit aware of it during the cooler desert nights with windows closed, or for that matter when we came back to camp mid dayish with the camper being closed up.

 

Hopefully you'll find this helpful in your decision making process.

Legacy Elite II #70

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the input on the fiberglass smell and thanks for the hospitality we were shown at the Rally in Cherokee. We met some great folks who were nice enough to spend several hours showing us their Olivers.

 

I think we will be joining the Oliver family in the not too distant future.

 

Thanks folks.

 

Keith

Happiness is seeing Atlanta in your rearview mirror. :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 years later...

I have had ongoing issues with fiberglass dust residue in my Oliver, and have been systematically cleaning every spot I can get to to get it out.  I've not looked up fiberglass dust toxicity as I don't want to make myself scared but I would recommend asking Oliver about what steps they can take to ensure the trailer insides are not full of dust.  If I had been smart I might have brought this up ahead of time as I have lung issues too, and said that I could only take delivery if there were no visible fiberglass dust.

 

No idea why they would not have better dust control and cleaning before putting the trailer parts together.  Otherwise very happy with my trailer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Laurie said:

I've not looked up fiberglass dust toxicity as I don't want to make myself scared

From what I’ve read, OSHA considers it a nuisance dust, not a cancer causing or otherwise toxic substance. Apparently our bodies do a good job of dealing with it, and the fibers don’t get trapped in the lungs like asbestos.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that it won’t exacerbate allergies or cause other issues, but it shouldn’t kill you. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I still notice the fiberglass smell when I first step into our Elite II (purchased December 2020) after it has been closed up a while, but it goes away with ventilation.  I don't find the smell offensive like the smell in a new stick built RV;  that smell I attribute to the off-gassing of various interior materials such as carpet, upholstery, paneling, adhesive, etc.  I call the fiberglass odor the "New Oliver" smell.  We keep the trailer ventilated when possible (windows and door open).  I expect the smell to diminish at which time I will be looking for a "New Oliver" air freshener.

The fiberglass smell actually takes me back to my childhood and Dad's workshop where he was either refinishing a wooden boat, or building a new one.  Funny how certain smells can bring back memories 😍

  • Love 1

Ray and Susan Huff

Elite II Twin "Pearl" - Hull#699; delivered December 7, 2020

2013 F350 6.7l diesel Super Duty 4x4 long bed crew cab

1UP-USA Heavy-duty bike rack

2017 Leisure Travel Van Unity Twin Bed (sold)

AZARCAIDNVNMOKORTNTXUTWAsm.jpg

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators
15 minutes ago, Ray and Susan Huff said:

Funny how certain smells can bring back memories 😍

I'll double down on that.

And, vice versa,, certain memories bring back smells. My grandmother's kitchen always smelled of cashmere bouquet handsoap, pungent geraniums in the windowsill,  and vegetable soup. 

I  can see and smell her kitchen, to this day .

2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, SeaDawg said:

I'll double down on that.

And, vice versa,, certain memories bring back smells. My grandmother's kitchen always smelled of cashmere bouquet handsoap, pungent geraniums in the windowsill,  and vegetable soup. 

I  can see and smell her kitchen, to this day .

Totally off subject, but my grandma's kitchen smelled of boiled coffee and burnt toast, along with the sounds of her scraping her toast into the sink, the clinking of the spoon in her cup, and the sound as she sipped the steaming hot coffee from the spoon.

I loved Grandma's house ❤️

  • Love 1

Ray and Susan Huff

Elite II Twin "Pearl" - Hull#699; delivered December 7, 2020

2013 F350 6.7l diesel Super Duty 4x4 long bed crew cab

1UP-USA Heavy-duty bike rack

2017 Leisure Travel Van Unity Twin Bed (sold)

AZARCAIDNVNMOKORTNTXUTWAsm.jpg

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

Sorry for the detour, but love the memories .

 

2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Purchased our Ollie mid June 2020,  the fiberglass odor disappeared pretty fast for us, we air our camper out at home. 

 

 

2020 OLEII - Hull #634 aka-  “XPLOR” 

2021 F350 6.7 liter Diesel Lariat Ultimate Tremor aka- Beast

 

IMG_2879.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We got ours in December 2020. The smell lingered until warmer weather even though I aired the trailer out whenever we had dry weather in the cooler months. Come May and June it largely went away even when not vented though if I open the closet there’s still a mild dose in there. It seems that warmth helps move itt along, like many molecular processes

 And yes smells can be super evocative of associated memories.

  • Like 1

Jim and  Yanna, Woodinville WA

2004 Ford E250 camper conversion

Oliver Elite II hull #709

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you are concerned about potential toxicity take a look at the MSDS (material safety data sheet) published by the manufacturer of the resins used in the construction of Oliver trailers.   Oliver can provide this document at your request.  You will find no formaldehyde in the formulation.  

Over time, ventilation will take care of the new fibreglass smell.  Open windows and mechanical air exchange will speed up the process.

We picked up our oliver in late May of this year.  The new trailer odor has largely disapated at this point - if left tightly closed in hot weather, the resin smell increases until ventilated.  To Oliver's credit our trailer was delivered clean and largely free of construction dust and debris.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Neuman's said:

To Oliver's credit our trailer was delivered clean and largely free of construction dust and debris.

It's good to read that they appear to have stepped up their recent game in this regard!

Jim and  Yanna, Woodinville WA

2004 Ford E250 camper conversion

Oliver Elite II hull #709

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...