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I have been an Airstream "groupee" since my 20s. Never owned one, although we used Airstreams owned by my parents. I have seen the light!???? Certainly there are many positives about them, but I have come to believe that for value, life expectancy, design and all weather reasons it will be an Oliver Elte II for us.

 

We live in the San Bernardino National Forest, not far from Lake Arrowhead where our retirement home is located. We hope to be able to do some cross country touring pulling our Ollie with our RoadTrek 190P. However, in the sorter term we will probably be mostly traveling in the west.

 

Don't have our Ollie yet. Haven't even decided between buying new or used. Hoping the Forum will help us make the best decision for our needs and interests

 

Thank-you! ????

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Hi Daniel.

 

I bought my Oliver used.  I saw an Elite about 6 years ago that lives near us and I really liked it.  When I decided to get serious about looking at them and sorting out the options, etc, I knew I wanted an Elite 2.  One popped up, not too far away, and I went to look at it.  That did it!  I originally wanted the king bed, but ours has the twin bed setup and we are very happy with it.  Some of the other options are different than I might have ordered, but now I can add things as I want and could not be happier.

 

If you ever get up hwy 395 near Topaz Lake or Minden, you are welcome to have a look at ours.

 

 

John


"I only exaggerate enough to compensate for being taken with a grain of salt."


LE2 #92 (sold),   Black Series HQ19   

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Daniel... you cannot go wrong with an Oliver.  The width.  The value per square foot of floor space.  The smart use and upgraded interior electronics are all great features... and I have not seen one in person.  Yet.

 

It is not unusual when a couple or family buy their first trailer to discover... it does not work for them.  They may be lousy at towing anything.  Their tow vehicle is not appropriate.  The family likes the $150 a night hotel accommodations much better than living in a 'tiny home'.

 

New buyers of a trailer discover that 'backing up is hard to do'.  Some are totally frustrated immediately.  There is no school for trailer towing everywhere, and it is not cheap where there are such options.

 

Most trailers owned by a couple who have not yet retired have virtually no wear.  What a windfall for someone who knows a good deal when they find one.    Oliver is a company that can make improvements, if needed, or updates when technology is tested and is a good replacement for value... immediately.  There are no thirty year old Olivers out there.  They are all virtually all modern inside and out.

 

The other brand is 8 to 8 1/2 feet wide.  An Oliver 23 or 25 at 7 feet.  A go anywhere trailer.  The  stationary 'tiny house' is not much larger than the 25 foot Oliver and not mobile.  For those who want to travel the National Forest roads... you are among a small group of trailer owners.  For those who camp only at RV Parks... you will fit anywhere.  A win/win.

 

 

 

 

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Interesting this conversation came up. While just emptying our Oliver about an hour or so ago at one of the local dump stations a nice couple pulled up behind me towing an Airstream. They got out of their truck, said really nice camper, they new all about the Olivers and seemed envious but had never seen one in person. Their Airstream was only two years old but has had every possible problem you can imagine with theirs. All of them were fixed by their dealer, but still it seemed to have left a bad taste for the lack of quality control. Anyway gave them a tour of ours, they seemed impressed. Apparently they had just been camping in the mountains south of us and were on pins and needles due to the hail storms going on. Apparently the skin on the Airstreams doesn't fare to well in a hailstorm.

Legacy Elite II #70

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Routlaw... your choice in an Oliver and use, may be the best choice you could have made.

 

Trailers are very complex to build.  If Oliver insists that their product continues to high standards of manufacturing, and not motivated by the production numbers and bottom line... wonderful new Oliver Trailers will become more accessible for 'trailer tourism' comparisons.  The Oliver may be among a large number of comparable trailers, but it is the Oliver employees who assemble this maze of components, wires, plumbing and quality control that make or break a company.

 

Our 'Other Brand of  25 foot Trailer' is a 2014.  We had a refrigerator exhaust fan and snap switch that were faulty, which I replaced at my cost.  I upgraded our 15" wheels and tires to 16" wheels and E Rated Michelin tires.  A few interior rivets popped and replaced with a non rivet screws.  Some securing of cabinet doors and drawers the first year and today are satisfied.  Aluminum gets dings from errant gravel thrown that the gravel guards protect 90% of impacts.  The top front catches small gravel that other vehicles toss up and leave dings.  Hail would also be a hazard for aluminum, as would be larger hail impacts to fiberglass.

 

Fiber glass is much more economical to make repairs.  As any Corvette owner knows...  The 'star' impact and the 'crunch' are much easier to repair than aluminum.

 

Oliver's and the SOB trailer I currently possess will have great resale value as a used trailer.  Oliver was not even on my radar.  Now it is.  Trust me... when I can look closely at our SOB and an Oliver... it will be through the eyes of someone who makes use of a trailer.  Quality is more than superficial.  It is a spirit among employees and the company backing up anything that goes wrong during the warranty period.  If this fails... the nostalgia of owning diminishes quickly.

 

Oliver is a fresh, clean and stout looking trailer.  Growing pains put pressure onto any manufacturer.  The SOB has already found this out by some trailers not meeting expectations... and perfectly so that the buyer expects nothing less than perfection.

 

We have had SOB's since 2006.  The 23 foot and now a 25 foot.  IF there is to be a change in our choice of trailer... the Oliver will be the first to be picked 'to death' for anything not meeting our expectations.  Two fine trailers that can easily share the same space in time and place.  Oliver owners... you are the best adverting for the company.  Time will tell.  Owners cut no slack in their opinions when things are going wrong and the company neglects to follow through.  This is the fate to some trailers.  Oliver has the highest marks and no doubt, will keep it that way.

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Daniel, welcome!  I also admired Airstreams for many years but in the end I am a happy Oliver owner.

 

We were camped at Davis Mountains State Park, TX last week.  As we were walking to the dumpster the owner of a shiny restored Aistream across from us stopped us and said he'd been admiring our Oliver. I told him I had been admiring his Airstream. He said it was 53 years old and he bought it for $700. He spent two years restoring it.  Mutual admiration....

 

Mike

Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L

ALAZARCACOFLGAIDILKSKYLAMDMSMOMTNENVNMNYNCNDOHOKSCSDTNTXUTVAWVWYsm.jpgALAZARCACOCTDEFLGAIDILINIAKSKYLAMEMDMAMS

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Hey Boon, what’s an “SOB”?

 

I wondered myself when I first read SOB.  To an Oliver Elite owner... all other trailers are SOB... Some other Brand.

 

Danielewilderman may want to come up with his second post and WOT.  Want Oliver Trailer...  Tell us what you are looking for in a trailer.  Looking AT a trailer is the easy part.  Knowing WHY is much more important.  I am sure the last couple posters can give you an... ear full.  Right WOT's?

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Hi and Welcome Daniel :)

 

We'll be at Lake Casitas in late October passing thru your area from Truckee.

Happy Camping,


null


Reed & Karen Lukens with Riffles our Miniature Poodle


2017 Oliver Legacy Elite II  Standard, Hull #200 / 2017 Silverado High Country 1500 Short Bed 4x4


Past TV - 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350 4Matic BlueTEC Diesel


Click on our avatar pic above to find the videos on our Oliver Legacy Elite II


 

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Welcome to the forum and to the Ollie World community.

 

I bought my trailer used. I bought my trailer tentatively. I bought my trailer in spite of the voice that told me I might regret such a high price for a piece of used fiberglass. Once I got out on the road, I have had no regrets and only minor issues-the voice is silenced.

 

New or used?  That is such a personal decision. Financially, I suppose the most efficient route may be used. You can likely save $10k to $20k, depending on the model you buy and when you buy it. Still, money is not everything (gasp-don't tell my kids I said that), and if you KNOW this is the trailer for you and you will likely leave it to someone in your will- who will know what you spent? Time has a way of erasing that number from memory. So many Ollie's being built now that you might find one with most of your option choices, but if you want what you want and you want the latest greatest, new is the only way to go. Updating everything on a five year old unit could get expensive.

 

Three things I really, really, admire on the Ollie.

 

First is the sense of family community, here on the forum and (rarely at this point) on the road.

 

Second is the Oliver Staff. You have the ability to call, email, drop in...whatever ...and get help. Call Campting World sometime and ask for an appointment..wee what they tell you.  Hard to imagine sitting for four weeks waiting for help or upgrade.

 

Third, and sort of ashamed to admit it, but I really enjoy the envy and attention from SOB owners out there.  It is fun.

 

I am a retired CPA and handle the Ollie just fine. I had one campground manager even comment on the smooth back in procedure. Ollie is the perfect size..I am starting to ramble and could go "on and on". Either decision you make will be a good choice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Thanks 2

Mike and Elizabeth Smith


Snow Lake Shores, MS


2016 Ford F150 3.5 EB, max tow (20,900  miles pulling Ollie since Sept 2016)


 


 

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