Legacy Elite or Legacy Elite II

[quoyle]

It seems from posts here that most Ollie owners have purchased Elite IIs. I'm trying to decide between the two. The smaller legacy seems to be an amazing use of space and might be easier for me to tow and maneuver. I am also looking for a TV and a mid-size pickup, like the Tacoma, seems suited for the Elite, but may not be enough for the Elite II. For those of you who have weighed both I would love to know what went to making your decision.

[Mike and Carol]

If I was single or if I traveled alone I would have purchased an Elite. Since I travel and camp with my high school sweetheart we got the Elite II. Pretty simple decision for us! Mike

[SeaDawg]

I'd love to have a slightly  larger bed, but the original legacy  is still our choice,  11 seasons later.  We're not motivated to move on to something larger.

 

Both trailers live really big on the outside,  which is where we spend  most of our time. Either model has everything you need...

 

Sherry

[ScubaRx]

We had a 2008 Elite I for 5 years.  We sold it and bought a 2014 Elite II, the first to roll off the line.  We did it simply to have more room.  We travel a lot, with several dogs one of which weighs over 100 pounds.  He needs a place to sleep so he gets the side dinette made down into his bed every night. We liked the Elite I but we love the Elite II.

[quoyle]

Thanks; we are leaning toward the Elite I; we have two small dogs (20 lbs each) who would be fine in a space like that. Good to hear you are happy with it.

[SeaDawg]

Have you seen both?

[quoyle]

No, I haven't seen either one in person. I'm going to try in the next few weeks.

[SeaDawg]

I hope you do. I  think the original  Legacy is often ignored.

 

It's not only cute, and nimble, it has all the same amenities.  Though not as big a bed, and not quite as much storage. The truck bed, and bins under the big dinette bed, make up for that.

 

That said, it's  tighter quarters, for sure. But, we love it. But, we don't have a big dog, and we're average size people. Our little dog is 9 pounds, and sleeps on her bed in the small dinette  seat. Everyone  has to respect  each others share of the space.

 

We camp a lot in shoulder season. The outside space is great, under the awning.

 

A number of times, we've delivered bigger motorhomes, but we've  never been  tempted to change it up. Hull #12 will likely  go to our daughter someday.

 

Sherry

[quoyle]

Thanks for your thoughts about this. Off topic, but how do you get those little maps of the US with the states you've visited tagged onto your posts?

[SeaDawg]

Try looking here

 

http://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/how-to-add-forums-signature-maps/

 

Hope that helps. The tacit agreement on the forum is to post the  map for your Oliver trailer only... but I guess that's up to the individual.

 

Sherry

[DavePhelps]

I would underscore everything that Sherry said. We love the size of the Elite. You can tuck them in just about anywhere, and it is a very cozy shelter.

 

But.... If you are much over 5'10", you might feel a little cramped for headroom. I'm 5'10" and can stand tall in the main cabin with maybe 1.5" clearance. In the bathroom I have to stoop a bit to take a shower, but not so bad. For two folks, you learn how to move within the trailer. It's like being on a boat. The Elite is also narrower than the Elite2 so if you're more on the plus side, you may appreciate the extra width of the Elite2.

 

Since this is our first trailer, we decided to go smaller and am glad we did.  Everyone has different requirements and are of different sizes!  We don't travel with pets so that is not a concern for us. Best to visit one or both if any are near by. The Elite will also be quite a bit lighter (but still pretty hefty) and have less tongue weight if you have a smaller TV. Good luck.

 

Dave

[bwright]

We love our Elite I because it is so nimble and easy to get around with.  We are medium height and have no pets so it is great for us.  We also didn't want to get a larger tow vehicle than our 4Runner V6, and it handle the Ollie well. We've been all over the US with the combo.

[hardrock]

I have a Elite and very happy with it.  80% of the time, it is just me, 20% my wife travels with me.  The Elite has everything I need.  However, I would question the use of a Tacoma as your TV.  Yes, it may be rated for  the weight, but you will find the truck struggling with steeper grades and certainly mountains.  By the time you add your camping gear, full LP tanks, food etc, you are pushing the max weight

 

I have a 03 tundra with a 230 hp engine. It is sufficient.  My friend has a 14 tacoma.  He is unable to tow my Elite over nearby mountians more than 40mph and the gas milage is terrible.  You may want to look closely at where you would be pulling Ollie, your gear weight and and maximum pulling/towing weights.

[KarenLukens]

Look at both, it really depends on your wife and how much space she needs. If I was single an Elite would be huge but after having a Casita Liberty Deluxe, we found that she prefers a lot more room for her kitchen supplies. We have one cupboard that's simply full of different spices in our Elite II and she loves it as do I. As a couple, I would definitely look at both because the Elite II really isn't much bigger.

 

Reed