How Comfortable are you in Your Elite II ?

[JPatrickJ]

Hi all, 

New member here and also new to Oliver RV's.  I just sold my Winnebago View (25' including the cockpit) and was wondering how comfortable you all are while staying in the Elite II.  Neither my wife or I like being in too confined a space but we certainly don't want to haul around a large travel trailer, fifth wheel or A-class.  The View (24J) was somewhat of an open floor plan.  Is there room for two people to move around in the Elite II without constantly getting into each others way?  Is there somewhere to sit down and just relax, watch tv, etc, without sitting upright at a table?

One other question...I was constantly cutting/scrapping myself on cabinet doors, outside compartment doors, and the like on the View.  How well does Oliver do at reducing possible pinch and scrapping points?

One other, other question...how loud is the air conditioner?  I noticed it seems to sit right over the bed.  That could be a negative.

Thanks,

Patrick

Edited December 6, 2019 by JPatrickJ

[topgun2]

Patrick -

As with all RV's I've ever been in, the air conditioner is loud.  My solution to that is to camp at an elevation where I simply don't need it.

In most (if not all) places on the Oliver with doors and other openings the fiberglass has been molded with nice radius corners or the panel has been turned in at the edges which produces nicely rounded corners.

You first question depends almost entirely on your personal need for space.  Besides the dinette there is the sleeping area.  In either floorplan of the Elite II, the sleeping area can be used for many other things other than sleeping.

Your best bet would be to arrange either a factory tour in Hohenwald, TN or to take a tour of an Oliver that is located near you.  The Sales Office at Oliver would be happy to arrange either (or both) for you.

Bill

[JPatrickJ]

Thanks Bill.  We have a factory tour scheduled for mid-January that we're looking forward to.  I noticed all the corner radii on the cabinet exteriors and wondered about the door openings on the inside, plus the outside doors.  It's one of those areas people don't think about much until they've lost some skin on door hardware.

[BackofBeyond]

Patrick,

I've spent a lot of time in my Oliver EII, I cannot remember ever hanging up on anything in the interior. Quite honestly, I'm extremely comfortable in the RV. You mentioned the AC - like Topgun, our favorite place is elevation - as the AC noise is just - loud. But its no different than any other RV with roof mounted AC. 

Space for two - If your worried about bumping into each other - you will just need to go look at one and spend time in it. My wife and I don't have an issue with space, but we are not normal - we get along fine, although we are both hard type A personalities. I've finally learned though - ……..

Given your concerns, I'd guess the Oliver EII is not large enough - but unequivocally - it is the best RV of its size. I love my Oliver, and the factory support is  the best in the industry - period. 

Good luck in your search. 

RB

[Overland]

One thing we found is that the adding a Lagun table with a foldable top transformed our twin bed area into a great multipurpose area.  Having both the dinette and the ‘lounge’ is awesome - we never felt cramped in our Ollie but now it feels downright spacious.  Swapping out our mattresses for cushions made a difference too. 
 

Edited December 6, 2019 by Overland

[KarenLukens]

We've been in ours fulltime for over 2 years and it's fine. The ac noise is cut almost in half when using the micro air easy start option. Other trailers with slide outs have a lot more room but they also come with a lot more problems and will not go into places as quickly or easily that our Oliver will. We love our Olli because it's a boondockers dream with the twin axles. 

[JPatrickJ]

Thanks to Back of Beyond, Overland, and KarenLukens for your responses. 

Let me first say that if we're not happy with the size of the Elite II when we see it in January, we probably won't do anything.  I do not wish to pull anything larger and tend to be a minimalist.  The Winnebago View was okay size wise for us, but I came to not like the layout.  Having to pay for and maintain two vehicle was also too expensive. (we pulled a Jeep).  

I like the Lagun table.  Nice design and implementation!  Also, it's nice to know there are full timers out there who are using the Oliver II.  

Thanks again.

 

 

[Landrover]

 I don’t think the interior size would be a hard adjustment coming from a 25’ the one thing i missed when having a 24’ class C was turning the cab seats into the living area.  I did a step down from a 40’ fifth wheel to 30’ airstream, then the 24’ class C. And honestly I miss some of the room, but still feel more comfortable in the Oliver. Just me.

[Mike and Carol]

The AC is loud.  We avoid using it whenever we can.  If the temperature isn’t too high we open windows and use the fan.  We also avoid camping in Texas and other hot locations in the summer unless we’re on our way to cooler and higher locations.

I don’t recall any injuries due to sharp edges on doors or cabinets.  

We don’t full time but are out for a month or two at a time.  We spend a lot of time outside and generally haven’t felt cramped for space.  There have been a few times over the past few years when we’ve been stuck in bad weather and got a little anxious for more space.  But, in general, it’s plenty big enough for us!

[Trainman]

The wife and I survived one cold rainy day in a state park where we stayed inside all day, that was a good test for being comfortable in a small space. 

trainman 

[ThomB87]

My wife and I were pleased to discover we could walk by each other without a dance move in the "hallway". The twin bed with side dinette makes the Elite II feel spacious. But we are coming up from a 17' Casita not moving down.  We have been trapped for a day due to bad weather and not felt cramped. But otherwise we often outside. The AC is noisy but wife would rather be cool than not. There are nothing we have found to catch you as you move around the cabin. 

[JPatrickJ]

One more question, if I may...

I notice the position of the TV is at the head of the bed rather than at the foot.  How does that work out?

[Mike and Carol]

You can sleep either way. Some put the head of the bed at the kitchen. We’ve done both. Either way, we just put a pillow behind and recline against the pantry or counter and watch. 

[topgun2]

Initially I slept with my head under the TV/by the nightstand/at the stern.  But, the nightstand and curve of the shell restricted my elbows when I wanted to put my hand(s) under my head.  So, I switched positions and now my elbows are happy.

Bill

[John E Davies]

You will bang your head, at first, exiting the cabin door. It has a padded cushion there, for that very reason.... You will also on occasion bang your head on the top of the bathroom doorway, it is a hard chrome strip with no padding. It can hurt enough to make you swear, but after that your won't do it again.

Make sure you are not too tall for the bathroom, some folks over say 6 feet 3 inches will not be able to stand upright. That is a complete deal breaker for some tall buyers. The floor of the bathroom is raised about three inches above the main floor.

If you get a chance to see the composting toilet, check the height, it may not work for a short person.

We both sleep head to front. I immediately removed the fixed TV in our trailer because it was always in the way, over the foot of the curbside bed. The new center system will be fine.

We have the (no longer offered) galley rear bulkhead, which stops cooking splatter from getting on the bedding and also forms a pillow backstop for that berth. The street side one uses the galley as the wall. 

John Davies

Spokane WA

Edited December 18, 2019 by John E Davies

[Woodpecker]

Patrick,

We just sold our 2010 Winnie View last month as well amid a decision process that has us looking ahead to retirement and spending more time on the road. I was tired of knocking myself senseless on the overhead cabinets, sealing leaks 1-3 times a year and the very costly maintenance on the Mercedes engine and chassis. Our worst fear came true in August when we broke down on the road (engine) in a remote area of Wisconsin and had to wait a day to get the proper flatbed tow to the nearest Mercedes dealer for a fix. It became evident that this was just not the type of RV we wanted for our style of camping in mostly remote environments. We also have a small Airstream (19' Bambi) that we enjoy for up to a week at a time, but feel it is a little small for longer trips, and the maintenance on the AS can be expensive and time-consuming as well. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind doing whatever it takes to maintain our stuff, but doing leak checks every time it rains and worrying about scratches, hail, road clearance and rivets gets tiresome. We spend most of our time outside the camper, so a "home away from home" is not a primary directive. So, we have heard of the Oliver, checked out the website, joined the forum (today) and are very interested in getting inside one in person. We always thought we might want to move up to a 23-25' Airstream, but I like the idea of a little smaller footprint we can tow with our Ram 1500, lower maintenance and more off-road capability. The LE II has my attention! Thanks for your post and to all who contributed to this thread. I guess our next move is to view one in person and to visit home base...

FWIW, all the AC units we have experienced over the years have been noisy. As others have mentioned, we try to avoid situations in humid 90+ temps, but cracking windows and running the overhead fans does a great job of cooling down the camper at night. If you can't avoid high heat and humidity, you'll learn to put up with the noise. We pack a small ceramic electric heater that keeps the camper toasty whenever we are on shore power. Very quiet and saves propane.

Edited December 19, 2019 by Woodpecker
add one word of clarification

[JPatrickJ]

Thanks everyone for your responses!

Here are a couple more questions that have occurred to me.

1) Where do you store your shoes, particularly muddy boots from a day of hiking or rainy days?

2) Where do you put your trash?

Thanks!

Patrick

[Mike and Carol]

If you go to the link above there is a PowerPoint presentation (Camping for Dummies) that was given at last years rally.  It’s a big file so you’ll have to download it.  In it are some slides with pictures on shoe storage and trash plus a bunch of other stuff.

We have a big command hook on the closet door that we hang a plastic shopping bag on for trash.  We also have a small plastic trash can with a lid that gets lined with a plastic shopping bag.  When we use it, it stays under the dinette or goes in the bathroom if we’re at the table.  Others have put command hooks in other place for their trash.  One owner converted the bottom two drawers in the kitchen to hold a full size trash can.

Muddy shoes stay outside.  You can set them behind the top step under the door.  There is a bar that they can set on.  I’ve left hiking shoes out all night, even in the rain and they did fine.  Inside, some folks use one of those shoe pocket things you hang on the door - inside the closet door.  Some put storage cubes on the inside of the closet for shoes.  One owner cut a 4X4 white vinyl fence post to make a shelf and used command strips to put it under the lip of the double bed.  I just did that a couple of months ago, keeps shoes off the floor.

I’m sure there are other ideas.  Mike

Edited December 24, 2019 by Mike and Carol

[ScubaRx]

What, you have more than one pair of shoes???  At the same time??!!! Oh my goodness, you Oliver people are really rich. 

[Read Howarth]

On 12/6/2019 at 3:26 PM, Overland said:

Swapping out our mattresses for cushions made a difference too. 

What does this refer to?  If you swap out for cushions does that mean you don't sleep on them or just firmer or somehow different?  Or are they mattresses with seat back cushions too?

Edited December 25, 2019 by reader
misspelling

[Overland]

We started out with mattresses, but swapped them for 4" cushions, and use sleeping bags.  The mattresses were of course usable to sit on during the day, but the cushions really make the space feel and function more like a real sitting area.  

[JPatrickJ]

On 12/24/2019 at 8:24 AM, Mike and Carol said:

Muddy shoes stay outside.

That may be okay for you, but I don't like the idea of leaving my footwear outside.  The shoes will never dry out and putting on cold wet boots is not my idea of a fun time.  Will they fit in the bottom of the closet?

[Overland]

Depends on what else you have in there. We keep a door mat inside by the front door which is where dirty shoes and boots get left. I also installed a long net under the street side bed and we keep camp shoes there. It keeps them convenient and off the floor. 

[Mike and Carol]

7 hours ago, JPatrickJ said:

That may be okay for you, but I don't like the idea of leaving my footwear outside.  The shoes will never dry out and putting on cold wet boots is not my idea of a fun time.  Will they fit in the bottom of the closet?

Your muddy boots will fit in the bottom of the closet.  As Overland points out, it depends on what else you have in there.  If I’ve taken shoes off outside due to mud and leave them under the step they are normally brought it at night and left on the mat by the door.  I don’t like cold wet shoes either.

[ozarkhikers]

look at my handle, 

What are shoes? (-: