Should we sell our Leisure Travel and buy and Ollie?

[Moots]

Thanks John. Something to consider.

Rob

[Ray and Susan Huff]

On 5/10/2020 at 7:10 AM, katanapilot said:

I love the LTV.  Wish we had known about them before we bought our Forest River MBS motorhome.  If we had, we probably would not have decided get rid of our FR MH and buy an Oliver (not yet delivered). The FR quality control was poor to non-existent, warranty service a cruel joke and build quality was poor - although probably average for mass produced RV's.  Hope the Oliver turns out to be a better choice for us. I do trust my Toyota tow vehicle a lot more than either the FR or MBS chassis.

As to the spare tire on the LTV,  I thought there was a rack under the Sprinter chassis that will hold a spare?  It's not easy to access at least on our 2015 model. I know FR has removed the spare tire/wheel on the newer chassis - primarily to save weight since they are building MH's that only have a few hundred pounds of cargo carrying capacity. We tow a Honda Fit behind our MH and the MBS chassis handles it fine. I do all maintenance myself, although admittedly the complex and very expensive emissions system has given some folks fits.  Rear wheel sensors, too.

We have decided to get rid of our LTV . . . . love the twin layout and the quality . . . . .  yes, there are trade-offs: we had to trade our kayaks for inflatables and we don't want to tow (one reason we chose the van) so exploring must be done in the RV.  Easy to get around town and park and fuel economy can't be beat (in most cases).  Our biggest reason is maintenance.  Most of the chassis is still under warranty, so we haven't paid out except for A&B service and oil changes.  But those darn wheel sensors!  Twice we've had one fail.  Days wasted, for sure.  Yes, we could do our own repairs, but still under warranty so not an option.  Besides, being retired with an RV and places to go isn't about fixing complex motor chassis components on the $35K Sprinter.

Yes, we are going to give up the LTV and get an Oliver we can tow with our tried and true F350 Super Duty.  Should still get 15 MPG.  I'm going to miss the van (not sure my husband will), but will always have the memories we made traveling around the Western half of the US.  What we won't miss is the uncertainty of when the dash will give us that ABS/ESP "visit workshop" message, knowing it won't be long before the engine goes into Limp Mode.

[Ray and Susan Huff]

On 5/10/2020 at 7:59 PM, Moots said:

Katanapilot,

The Leisure Travel is a fine camper. We have sure taken it on some beautiful trips -- clear to Vermont and eastern Canada (from Colorado) last summer. We are emotionally attached to the memories and our great traveling rig. But if the Oliver, because it is a true four-season travel trailer, allows us to do even more of what we love, that would be a win!

 

Mainiac and Trainman,

Thanks for the Big Foot comparisons. We hope to see both. Still getting used to the wet bath idea, but in the big scheme of things, that is a blip. Really looking forward to seeing an Oliver.

 

Thanks,

Moots

 

Four season is a huge plus . . . . . I know people who Winter camp in their LTV, but it's a hassle.

[Ray and Susan Huff]

On 5/12/2020 at 6:54 PM, Moots said:

I appreciate fine welds on my Moots and Steve Potts titanium bicycles. The craftsmanship is beautiful. When I get a chance to see an Ollie, I will look for the fine welds.

I am close to sold on the Oliver travel trailer, and will be surprised if an in-person tour doesn't confirm that. My wife, however, is a little more careful and unsure about selling our Leisure Travel Unity. So we will take our time until we both are sure.

All season camping is reason enough.  I can say, the worse thing about leaving my LTV behind will be giving up the quality, beautiful interior and classy exterior.  I watched the video walk-through of the Oliver operation and am impressed.  We've had other TTs and I know how poorly made most of them are.  I appreciate that Oliver is providing us with a product that is beautiful, functional, and built to last a lifetime.

[Moots]

Thanks all for your help. We came very close to purchasing an Oliver, but  because we travel with two dogs, we decided the narrower width would be a little tight for us. I still admire the construction and design, but we purchased a BF 25RQ. It fits our needs, and we are happy.

[Pat Maundrell]

Wow, sounds familiar! We just sold our PleasureWAY Motor Home also and now are considering a Oliver -Standard/Twin bed models.

We started RVing 30 years ago with 2 PopUps trailers -really liked them, then graduated to a generic 25 foot TT - Towing felt like you were dragging a Parachute behind you and the Quality/Design was SADLY LACKING. We hated the thing and sold it after one trip, didn't lose a dime! We then found a used 25 foot Airstream with Twin Beds, great trailer, we loved it. We stopped RVing and bought a Lake Cabin and went Sailing for 13 years. Bought the PleasureWay, mentioned earlier, and had it for only 2 years, but found it had no Character/Personality.

Now, we are considering an Oliver Elite 2. We are attracted to the Quality/Style/Size of the Oliver, as well as the Aerodynamics of the design, which we know will translate into better MPG and easy Towing. The entire scope of the Oliver fits our mind-set. We were able to take advantage of "Oliver's Program" to see an actual Owner's trailer locally and were impressed with what we saw/experienced, very nice person! I am making plans now to attend the Sept 2020 Rally in Alabama to learn more and hopefully get closer to finding a Trailer.

Our Tow vehicle maybe a long Wheel Base 4X2 GMC Yukon or a Mercedes Benz ML350 Diesel. I realize the Yukon type vehicle will probably do a better job, but I like the size and characteristics of the MB Diesel.

I wasn't familiar with the Anderson Weight Dist Hitch design until I started researching the Oliver and I still questions. Will other WD Hitches work on the Oliver or will access to the front part of the Trailer's Frame restricted by the Propane Cover?

As far as the actual Trailer Specs are concerned, we are looking for a Tandem Axle, probably a Standard Floor Plan Elite 2, although we will consider a Twin Bed Floor Plan and will consider any used trailer in any condition. We plan on converting the Standard Floor Plan into a Twin Beds. I understand  that  Oliver used to offer a "High Rise Twin Bed" kit option, but this was discontinued for some reason, it looked good to me. Any other options, we may want can either be added by Oliver or ourselves at a later date.

I would love to discuss any comments and Leads regarding the above! You are welcome to Text me at 513 891 5112 and I'll call you back on my Dime. 

Thanks Pat