24' Casita

[HDRider]

I see a lot of Casitas.  Most everyone who has one says they wish it was larger.  I wish Oliver had a 27' and 30' option to compete with Airstream.

 

https://casitatraveltrailers.com/fm/

 

[routlaw]

Yep, saw that a few months ago. I imagine they will be popular. An Oliver that large would be so heavy as to not be worth it in my opinion. Even those with 3/4 ton trucks will have to use a WDH which partially defeats the purpose of using the larger trucks to begin with. And then there is the cost.

[Ronbrink]

My take, this Casita measures 24’ 3” tongue to bumper, an Oliver 23’ 6”; starting prices $44,999 and $85,000, respectively! The Casita can sleep up to six and thus, better suited for families whereas the Oliver is more of a couples unit. Thanks for sharing!

[HDRider]

35 minutes ago, routlaw said:

An Oliver that large would be so heavy as to not be worth it in my opinion. Even those with 3/4 ton trucks will have to use a WDH which partially defeats the purpose of using the larger trucks to begin with. And then there is the cost.

A 28' Airstream starts at $190 and weighs 8,800 #  I estimate a 28' Oliver would weigh a little over 8,000# using the pound per foot of an E II.

A 30' Airstream starts at $204 and weighs 10,000.  I estimate a 30' Oliver would weigh a little over 8,800#.

 

I want Oliver to thrive.  You innovate or die.  Casita is going to eat Oliver's lunch.

[Todd B]

6 minutes ago, HDRider said:

Casita is going to eat Oliver's lunch.

Depends how you define that. If it is all about the number of units sold, probably, but a lower price point will normally do that. The casita interior has never really been appealing for me. 

[routlaw]

@HDRider I think you are overlooking the extra weight for a double skinned fiberglass trailer which neither the Casita or Airstream have. The Oliver as it is now is a very heavy trailer for its size, this is just a fact. Fiberglass is not a lightweight material. Add another 6 feet or 20-25% and the weight goes up substantially. The frame would also have to be built heavier to support the weight, not to mention axels and the list goes on.

Most people buying a new Oliver LE2 are most likely spending around $100K, can't imagine what a much larger unit would cost in todays dollars… $145K ±. Simply not worth it, there will be some very strong competition in that price range.

 

[HDRider]

14 minutes ago, Todd B said:

Depends how you define that. If it is all about the number of units sold, probably, but a lower price point will normally do that. The casita interior has never really been appealing for me. 

I met a young lady using a Casita her grandfather bought new.  People like them.

The real metric is profitability.  Profitability is often times a factor of economies of scale.

I want to see Oliver live well on into the future.

[Steve Morris]

We were in the first one sold in January, at the Eggs 'n Smores rally in Florida. The layout is nice, and seems spacious. It obviously isn't Oliver quality, but the one we were in was fully loaded at $59,000 if I remember correctly. The new owner said that a twin bed version was under consideration.

When we were shopping, in 2021-2022, the Oliver was beyond our financial reach, and we were looking at Casitas and Escapes. It took selling a number of vehicles and toys to finally afford the Oliver, so if this Casita 24 had been available then, it's probably the direction we would have gone instead. No regrets, and we clearly love our Oliver. It was just a stretch that we might not have made at the time.

[HDRider]

6 minutes ago, routlaw said:

@HDRider I think you are overlooking the extra weight for a double skinned fiberglass trailer which neither the Casita or Airstream have. The Oliver as it is now is a very heavy trailer for its size, this is just a fact. Fiberglass is not a lightweight material. Add another 6 feet or 20-25% and the weight goes up substantially. The frame would also have to be built heavier to support the weight, not to mention axels and the list goes on.

Most people buying a new Oliver LE2 are most likely spending around $100K, can't imagine what a much larger unit would cost in todays dollars… $145K ±. Simply not worth it, there will be some very strong competition in that price range.

 

I used Oliver 24' weight to math out what a 28 or 30 footer would weigh.  My point is, I don't think it will weigh substantially more than an Airstream, especially if they stay more narrow than an Airstream.   Oliver should tells us what is possible.

Did you look at the starting price of the Airstream.  Those things are very expensive.

 

Size matters.

Edited 5 hours ago by HDRider

[HDRider]

Can't is such an easy answer.

 

 

[HDRider]

[HDRider]

[HDRider]

[Galileo]

We looked at Casita before we bought the Oliver. I don’t think they had a larger unit in 2021. The current models were - in our opinion - far too small even for a couple. And we LIKE “small” - we simply can’t understand the logic of people pulling massive 5th wheel rigs or driving huge coaches - and pulling along a second vehicle to boot!

We were (quite) unimpressed with the interior treatment of the fiberglass shell. Looked like carpeting or some kind of sprayed-on flicked surface. Insulation value aside, we both thought “that’s gonna be hard to keep clean”. The upside was it was build in Texas (as opposed to Elkhart). The nail in the coffin was the one-year wait time. (This was when EVERYBODY was buying RV’s during and right after COVID)

At the time, Oliver has a pretty long lead time too, but Josh was able to move up our delivery by a few months due to a cancellation. Obviously the cost ($60,000-ish base at the time) was a huge issue - but this was gonna be a lifestyle and not a weekend toy.

Aside from the running gear and the accessories/appliances - the Oliver should last forever. That’s longer than we’ll last. 

Yes, the Oliver beast is heavy for its size. It hasn’t been an issue for us to date - even with my minimalist approach to TVs-  but I wouldn’t want to drag around anything heavier. 

[Galileo]

1 hour ago, HDRider said:

 

I want Oliver to thrive.  You innovate or die.  Casita is going to eat Oliver's lunch.

I don’t think that Chevrolet ate Cadillac’s lunch. 

There’s plenty of room in the RV market for different sizes and quality levels. Even though RV sales may be slowing down, Oliver owners are likely gonna see better prices for their “old” units on the used market. 

We had considered the Escape line of trailers as well. When we met an Escape owner, he told us he would have preferred the Oliver. 

[srthomsen]

2 hours ago, routlaw said:

Yep, saw that a few months ago. I imagine they will be popular. An Oliver that large would be so heavy as to not be worth it in my opinion. Even those with 3/4 ton trucks will have to use a WDH which partially defeats the purpose of using the larger trucks to begin with. And then there is the cost.

Discovery FM

Legacy Elite II | Luxury RV Trailers | Oliver Travel Trailers

Very similar in size and weight. Not even close in price.

[Mountainman198]

3 hours ago, HDRider said:

 

Casita is going to eat Oliver's lunch.

I don’t think so. Rat fur, steel frame, plywood cabinet doors and a interior which makes me think I am in the cuddy of a cheap 70’s fiberglass motorboat would keep me from buying it. Btw, I disagree that Oliver doesn’t compete with Airstream as that was one of my other choices and I would have gone that route were it not for their lack of insulation, thin aluminum skins, popping rivets and problems outlined by current owners. Airstream interiors are sexy but only until they begin to come apart.