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My new Elite, just back from Hohenwald


quoyle

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Picked up our Elite (Hull 412) on March 18. The trip back to Vermont, 1,200 miles, was good. I did not get an Anderson anti-sway hitch and the Oliver towed perfectly. Waiting for spring to fully kick in here in the north country before our first trip.

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Great to see yet another "shorty."

I don't know of a single Elite owner with a wdh, or sway bar, but I could have missed one.

I hope you love yours as much as we've loved ours for eleven years.

Sherry

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2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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SeaDawg,

 

I have been towing our LE1 using an Anderson hitch from the factory. My Tacoma tow package requires it. To be honest though, I am not sure it is needed since the Elite follows along so effortlessly. I did re-install it with the correct fasteners and torqued them accordingly. We have 15K + miles and all is well.

 

Cheers

Legacy Elite I

#240

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  • 11 months later...

good morning everyone,

we are strongly considering ordering an Legacy Elite. We'd like to take a trip to the factory once all the corona stuff goes away. We have a few questions however: It's just my wife and I, we expect to completely retire in 2 1/2 years and wanted to use the LE locally to get use to towing a TT, etc.  After retirement begins we expect to travel all around the country/Canada, Alaska etc. It seems most people own the LE II vs the smaller LE. We like the size and ease of towing. Is there that much difference between the two, and are we making a mistake going with the smaller vs the LEII? 

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Well, it depends!  The LE is lighter and easier to tow.  What kind of tow vehicle do you have?  The LEII is heavy for it’s size but tows nicely behind the right TV.  The LEII backs up a little more predictably due to the double axle, single axle trailers are a bit more “responsive” when backing.  The LEII has a nice size pantry that the LE doesn’t.  How much room do you think you will need?  It’s a good idea to do a factory tour, spend time in both and you’ll know which one is best for you.  Mike

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

ALAZARCACOFLGAIDILKSKYLAMDMSMOMTNENVNMNYNCNDOHOKSCSDTNTXUTVAWVWYsm.jpgALAZARCACOCTDEFLGAIDILINIAKSKYLAMEMDMAMS

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IMHO for a couple, going lots of miles, the larger unit will be more enjoyable. The extra floor and storage space is significant. The pantry is valuable. The small one lets you get back to spots that the larger one has trouble, and I think it is perfect for one person using a lighter tow vehicle. If you plan you to use only established campgrounds, which I believe is a mistake, the length is a non issue. If you want to  drag it on rough tracks, get the small one for sure.

A big tow vehicle with plenty of covered bed space should be on your shopping list, for all the bulky stuff you will want to bring along like generator, camp chairs and shelter, bikes, tools, etc. You could start with a smaller (appropriate) TV for a year or two, but I bet money that before you head to Alaska you will be thinking hard about a bigger one!

There are solid reasons why, by far, most buyers choose the larger unit. I am not sure the percentage, I think it is 95%.

The little one is cute as a bug, but it is a little toy-like; the big one just looks right, proportionally speaking. Especially a plain white one behind a white truck. That is the fastest color, as dirt bikers say. IMHO.... of course.

PS, if I were single I would probably trade my LE2 for the LE, for its back country capability....

Welcome to the forums.

John Davies

Spokane WA

Edited by John E Davies

SOLD 07/23 "Mouse":  2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/john-e-davies-how-to-threads-and-tech-articles-links/

Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT.

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My husband and I are the happy owners of an early Elite, bought back in 2008 when the smaller trailer was the only option. 

Since then, we've towed the trailer close to 100,000 miles, and many times spent upwards of 60 days together camping in the small trailer. We're  still married. 😄

There are certain advantages to the smaller Elite. Fits in even smaller spaces than the II, and opens up a wider range of tow vehicle selections with its lighter weight. Two tires to replace, (three if you regularly replace and rotate the spare) ,one axle to maintain. 

It offers less storage, but that helps keep the weight down, too. You won't be as tempted to carry a lot of stuff you don't need.

Both campers live really big on the outside, which is where we spend the majority of our time when camping. It can become a little tight if you encounter a string of crummy weather days, and have to be inside a lot. If we can't  move on, my husband usually sits and works at the little dinette, and I tend to read on the bed.

The bed in the Elite is also smaller, more like a queen length full size bed. Frankly, I would love to have a slightly larger bed, but it's doable. We're not exceptionally tall or big people.  I believe there is a bit more headroom in the larger Elite, as well. That would be important to some. 

We leave the big dinette set up as the bed. I'm not really sure where the table leg is anymore, it's been so long since we've used it. This arrangement gives me room under the bed to store three large crates of extra bedding, supplies, coats, and clothing. If we have a group over for dinner, we eat outside. 

There is a little more prep, work, and storage space in the larger Elite. That, too, would be nice to have. We replaced our defunct microwave a few years ago with a big storage cabinet, so I am ok without the pantry. (I  only used the microwave a couple times in ten years. We mostly cook outside, unless the weather won't allow it. I  even like to prep and wash dishes outside in a dishpan when camping, so it's again only an inconvenience if the weather is poor.

The bathroom and closet are pretty much the same size in the I and II, as is the fridge and cooktop, so no big advantage or disadvantage there. Except, I think there may be a little  more headroom in the EII bath. Again, unimportant to us folks of average height.

We usually travel with one small dog, sometimes two if our daughter's dog comes along. I wouldn't want to share the trailer with a big dog, though others have. Some make up the small dinette as a sleep space for a larger dog. Two couples I know have even fulltimed with two (or more) dogs in the smaller Elite.

There isn't a huge price difference in moving up to the larger Elite, and I think that drives the choice sometimes.  For us, the smaller trailer has been a good choice, giving us a great camping experience for over 12 years.

It's a big decision. If you have any specific questions about camping with the smaller trailer, I'd be happy to help. I hope you hear from other Elite owners, as well, though we're a much smaller per centage of the group.

Sherry

 

2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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We have enjoyed our Elite for over 5 years.  It has been great to travel with.  We are average height, so it works great.  We cook our meals mostly inside and enjoy the light weight of the trailer.  We have towed it with a Toyota 4 Runner all over the U.S. and most of Canada.  We absolutely love it.

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One major advantage of the Elite II is the physical size of the bed. I think in the Elite you would have to sleep sideways, which means crawling over it you are in the back. Front to back is too short for most. Look at the measurements on the floor layout diagrams. 

The wireless cam is, to us a major plus. With it, you know when it is safe to pull back in when passing a slower moving fifth wheel or tractor. Also the cam makes backing into a campsite a lot easier. We have also used it to back down a mountain road that had been washed out. The nice thing is you have 2 years to practice. See you around The campfire...

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47 minutes ago, SeaDawg said:

Both campers live really big on the outside, which is where we spend the majority of our time when camping. It can become a little tight if you encounter a string of crummy weather days, and have to be inside a lot. If we can't  move on, my husband usually sits and works at the little dinette, and I tend to read on the bed.

Sherry

Sherry makes a good point here.  Even though we have the LEII, we maximize our outside time.  Most cooking is outside, we sit outside and eat outside (weather permitting).  We recently bought a Clam shelter and found it to be a great addition on our last trip.  It’s like having a large living room and is useable even in rain/cold weather.  Mike

Edited by Mike and Carol
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Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L

ALAZARCACOFLGAIDILKSKYLAMDMSMOMTNENVNMNYNCNDOHOKSCSDTNTXUTVAWVWYsm.jpgALAZARCACOCTDEFLGAIDILINIAKSKYLAMEMDMAMS

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44 minutes ago, HMD1056 said:

Are mattresses available for the Elite from Oliver?  Would be nice.

I don't know. Southern comfort makes custom mattresses for many trailers, if Oliver doesn't offer one. 

One of our members, Hardrock/Coy, had Southern Comfort fabricate a split mattress, 1/3, 2/3, to provide easier access to components beneath the benches. If I  were ever to consider a mattress, that's what I  would order. A full size mattress is really bulky to move around in a small space.

 

Sherry

Edited by SeaDawg
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2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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