New fiberglass RV manufacturer

[Steph and Dud B]

A new contender in the fiberglass RV market for the US: Awaken RV -https://share.google/Zzpg4orVpsEvoSdpL

Nice looking exterior. Autoevolution reporting a price of $82,500 and dry weight of 5500#: https://www.autoevolution.com/news/awaken-rv-s-fiberglass-morningstar-flagship-camper-is-here-to-shift-how-american-s-camp-257902.html

Edited September 23, 2025 by Steph and Dud B

[jd1923]

It's odd their only interior picture is actually an Oliver interior picture! They also site OTT as a Canadian company. Hard to tell how much of the dark surfaces are actually windows. 

[Patriot]

It’s always great to see another fiberglass towable. It will be interesting to see the final offerings of this camper. Wondering if it will have solar? 

Thanks for posting.

Back to camping in the Great North Woods! The fall colors are beginning to really pop!! 🏕️😊

Edited September 23, 2025 by Patriot

[tallmandan]

Ran across this video just posted to youtube...

They are clearly targeting Oliver LEII and Airstream FlyingCloud 23fb as their competitors.  Starting price on their website is $88,900 but it looks to be inclusive.

Several things are appealing. The larger sink and upright fridge/separate freezer would sure be nice.  Don't think I like the vinyl flooring. Those manual scissor jacks at the back make it look cheap.  Above them are copy-cat 3-piece Oliver-style tail lights - just tunred diagonal 🫤

 

[Andy Steele]

@tallmandan You beat me to posting this.  As someone  looking to purchase an travel trailer in a few years, competition is good.  Without seeing this in person it is hard to judge everything.  Plus it would be nice to see the construction process to see how that compares.  A few of the highlights for me: dry bath, larger refrigerator, nicer windows and shades than the current Oliver implementation, off-road suspension option.  Some issues I see is the ability to access some areas: under the sink, solar/battery hardware.

Awaken RV says they will be releasing a smaller model (17 footer) and larger model (29 footer).  Again, competition is good.  Hopefully this causes the competitors to up their game.

[Galway Girl]

Really imitated the Airstream 23' rear bath front twin unit.

I noticed the roughness of the cabinet cutouts while they were showing off the storage......and how thin the facia panel is...this could be an issue for owners.  Given they said this is a "production model" I'll bet they will need to put some type of corner moulding around the openings (to keep cuts off of hands)  or some other way to reinforce the narrow remaining pillars.   Once one of those cracks there will be no easy fix.

 

Edited 22 hours ago by Galway Girl

[Geronimo John]

My likes and not likes:

LIKES:

• Removeable floor for outside cleaning.
• Big size refrigerator
• 6'8" ceilings 
• Ducted AC/Heat
• Shower (Dry Bath)

NOT LIKES:

• Rubber torsion axles.  This is a deal breaker for us.  Had one on a Jayco, will NEVER have another)
• Low sewer connection
• Hose storage (Where would you put the 90 degree connection and all the other little things we carry in ours?)
• Front window (Rock Magnet)
• Front upper window (Heat Load and future leak potential)
• Upper cabinet doors (Prefer OTT's options)
• Convection/Micro at knee height
• Pantry (As where is it?)
• TV  (Placement on side of trailer.  Not viewable from anywhere as displayed in video
• Dry Shower (Takes up too much space needed for storage)  For us prefer OTT's design
• Black mold looking accents in cabinet tops
• Several storage areas should have a means for installing shelving

Overall, for a first production model, I think their design decisions will appeal to many first time owners.  But their design needs some adjustments, just as what The Olliver's did with their first OE... make some and put them out for review and upgrade suggestions.  In a few years they would have a trailer that could compete head to head.  

But with plans of smaller and larger versions, frankly it does not appear that such a slow rollout and improvement of this model is their game plan.

In a nut shell:  I would not swap my 2018 OTT OE2 for a brand new one of theirs.

GJ

 

[Mike and Carol]

This looks like a nice trailer and a good first model for them in the fiberglass space.  It’s good that they offer an off-road suspension upgrade.  I like the dry bath, big fridge and flooring.  The tanks are slightly larger but not enough to make me change.  It does look nice on the outside but that’s an individual taste.  Competition and innovation is good.  We’ll see how they do.  Mike

[Steve and MA]

We definitely like the rubber backed woven vinyl floor cover.  We use a runner in the main aisle plus an inside door mat that work okay, but they don't stay in place. I've thought about having a custom cut one-piece carpet with bound edges similar to what's shown in the video to cover the entire floor.  It would be easy to remove & replace for deep cleaning.  Has anyone done this for their Oliver?

[jd1923]

My immediate feedback regarding this model and competition in the fiberglass market is, "Who cares?" We don't. We stopped looking in 2023 upon purchase of our Oliver.

I've spent two years and a good 1,000 man-hours making improvements. I'm finishing custom mud flaps today, new quiet A/C was installed last week, new axles with Alcan Springs, 6 Victron devices and overhaul of OEM wiring, ALL new interior furnishings, beds and dinette cushions, hulls detailed inside and out! Start over? NO Way!

A friend of ours, an ex-Oliver owner purchased a Brinkley I235. Being full-timers, the Oliver became too small for their needs and they sure did not like the Oliver windows. Brinkley replaced flat leaf springs immediately under warranty and after the 2nd set showed no improvement they worked a 3rd try with heavier springs. This reads about the same for leaf springs used by OTT. Some of these short-comings are industry-wide. "The grass is always greener." Yet all RVs, all TTs, and all products have issues and will continue to have some.

Believe it or not, the list is shorter than ever and I'm actually about done! Hull #113 is no doubt better than the next Oliver that comes off the OTT factory floor! We also do not care what features OTT adds to the new models except to be happy for new Oliver Owners! In our opinion, the Oliver is better than examples seen to date in its simplicity of design and basic good looks! 😎

No way a new trailer will ever be a thought in our family. Chris loves getting away in the Oliver, me too, and it's become the perfect travel trailer for us!

But if you're younger, need more room, and have a ton more money to throw at another travel trailer, and truly dislike the features of your Oliver that cannot be changed, then OK, "hasta la vista!" 🤣 Hey, it's always fun to see what's new in General Discussion of our great Forum!

[Mike and Carol]

14 minutes ago, jd1923 said:

But if you're younger, need more room, and have a ton more money to throw at another travel trailer, and truly dislike the features of your Oliver that cannot be changed, then OK, "hasta la vista!" 🤣 Hey, it's always fun to see what's new in General Discussion of our great Forum!

John, I think there’s a little more to it than that.  I’m happy with my truck and car but I enjoy reading about other brands and recent changes and innovations.  Same with my tech (phone, tablet, watch, ring), happy with all but interested in trends.  I like my banjos and guitars but read and watch reviews on other manufacturers and luthiers.  Etc., Etc.  So, I’m interested in the RV industry because I like to keep up on recent innovations, new technology, etc.  No reflection on Oliver one way or the other.  Just curiosity!  Mike

[Patriot]

31 minutes ago, Mike and Carol said:

John, I think there’s a little more to it than that.  I’m happy with my truck and car but I enjoy reading about other brands and recent changes and innovations.  Same with my tech (phone, tablet, watch, ring), happy with all but interested in trends.  I like my banjos and guitars but read and watch reviews on other manufacturers and luthiers.  Etc., Etc.  So, I’m interested in the RV industry because I like to keep up on recent innovations, new technology, etc.  No reflection on Oliver one way or the other.  Just curiosity!  Mike

I have to agree Mike, I really enjoy learning about all the latest and greatest new tech in our world as life rockets 🚀 by. Today’s latest tech seems to be old news tomorrow. I like banjo’s as well and actually owned one. Took a few lessons and  practiced and practiced and played for people that could not hear. 😄 

It will be interesting to see if Morning Star actually produces a 29’ model. Certainly time will tell how well this Morning Star actually performs in the field. 

David

 

Edited 1 hour ago by Patriot

[Rivernerd]

20 hours ago, Geronimo John said:

NOT LIKES:

• Rubber torsion axles.  This is a deal breaker for us.  Had one on a Jayco, will NEVER have another)

John:

I am curious about your reasons for such a strong dislike of rubber torsion axles.  My raft trailer came with 3500 lb. leaf springs.  One of them broke after about 7 years, at a bad time and in a bad place.  I was told that rubber torsion axles have a much longer life span than leaf spring axles, so I swapped that sprung axle for a 5200 lb. rubber torsion axle about 23 years ago.    No issues, and of course, no leaf spring replacement, since.

[jd1923]

1 hour ago, Mike and Carol said:

John, I think there’s a little more to it than that.  I’m happy with my truck and car but I enjoy reading about other brands and recent changes and innovations.  Same with my tech (phone, tablet, watch, ring), happy with all but interested in trends.  I like my banjos and guitars but read and watch reviews on other manufacturers and luthiers.  Etc., Etc.  So, I’m interested in the RV industry because I like to keep up on recent innovations, new technology, etc.  No reflection on Oliver one way or the other.  Just curiosity!  Mike

And that's why I ended with; "Hey, it's always fun to see what's new in General Discussion of our great Forum!" Though I spent a career in Technology and, just me, I've lost the desire! Way too much marketing today, too much noise, IMO.

Talking Guitars! I've bought and sold more than 20 fine luthier-built acoustics in my life, mostly from 2007 to 2018. At that time we moved back to AZ where now I have more outdoor interests. I sold most, gave my son a couple and now have just two fine instruments, a McAlister Concert and Mustapick Hybrid (nylon strings).

It's a lot like our Oliver, I don't need another TT or guitar in my future. At 70, I'm starting to realize the things I own are WAY more than most have and that we need. It's more time to trim the heard rather than continue being the hunter-gatherer! 🤣 

Edited 28 minutes ago by jd1923