Oliver - again?

[BackofBeyond]

It has been a long time since I have been on the forum. We had 359, 2018, and went a lot of places, really enjoyed the experience but other life choices got in the way, and we let it go to some good folks that were sure to enjoy it. One of the key reasons for selling was the crowds that seemed to be everywhere we went. A few questions for the forum - has the crowding subsided at all, and Wow, the prices now - seems $100k is the entry price for a II, - do the newer owners feel the value is still there from a quality and feature standpoint. I'm really liking most of the changes - and am actually looking at the smaller Elite - but not sure the price differential is worth the downsizing Thanks for any feedback.. 

[taylor.coyote]

We got our trailer in 2019 and feel like the crush of people in the outdoors was and is still significant. Our solution has been to spend most of our time off the grid, off paved roads and away from the national parks except for the off season. We have had fantastic trips Nov through Jan in the southwest the last couple of years. 

Count us out for mainstream campgrounds, state and national parks May through August.  We must work to avoid crowds but have always found wide open space in the west side of the USA.  Lots of BLM and other remote space to explore. 

If you are opposed to gravel roads and off-season travels, you will likely be crushed by the crowds.

Yep, 100k for new trailer is a big bite. We found ours used in great shape. We did have to upgrade solar / batteries and few other things but got great value buying used. Water is the gating item for extended of the grid  travel. We equipped our truck with an additional 30 gallon water tank enabling extend time off the grid.

 Best of luck. Hope to cross paths in the open spaces out west.

 

[FloraFauna]

We find it reasonably easy to escape crowds but it depends on your style and setup. A few of our rules that have led to success.  We almost never camp on friday and saturday nights.  We rarely hook up to anything ( water, electricity, etc).  With these two alone we find crowds are easy to avoid. 

We purchased in 2023 and it was pricey then but its all a matter of perspective.  Alot less than a class a, b or c and we already had our tow vehicle.   So all in all the quality and manufacturer support structure make it worthwhile for us.

[BackofBeyond]

Thanks - we did a lot of boondocking, and don't have a problem getting there, gravel, dirt, or whatever. Good point on the class b, 100 grand for a lot less capability. We usually carried extra 10 gal of h2o and had the composting toilet - still undecide on this going forward. The shoulder seasons will be targeted this time around, now that "work" is behind us. 

[topgun2]

$100,000 has a BUNCH of sticker shock value.

However, - roughly speaking - the value of a dollar declines around 50% every seven to ten years or so.  So, I bought my Oliver is 2016 for about $55,000 and to the degree that inflation statistics are true then my Oliver would "normally" be priced at around $110,000 in today's dollars.  And, today's Oliver has a number of what used to be options already included in the price plus a few things that have been improved over the past ten plus years.  Finally, I look at the value of my net worth compared to ten + years ago and realize that I'm in better financial shape today then I was in 2016.

Come on back to the Family!  We're waiting for you.

Bill