Ravenper Posted December 19, 2020 Share Posted December 19, 2020 My wife and I met with a great guy, Josh White who spent a good amount of time showing us the different layouts and features. I had already researched the Elite 2 and seen one at a campground but was concerned if my wife would like the small size compared to a large fifth wheel. But she really liked it and we think it could work for us in downsizing. Plant tour was very informative about the manufacturing process. So now it’s a matter of decision as to buy or not. Just want to say thanks to Josh for his patience today and his knowledge of the product. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IL_Travelers Posted December 19, 2020 Share Posted December 19, 2020 Best wishes in making your decision. Nice photo of Oliver's new sign! 1 2021 Legacy Elite II Twin Beds "R-Villa" ~ Hull #803 2021 GMC Denali HD, 6.6 L Duramax Turbo-Diesel, 10-speed Allison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Mike and Carol Posted December 19, 2020 Moderators Share Posted December 19, 2020 Good luck with your decision. The factory tour sealed the deal for us! Mike 1 Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators topgun2 Posted December 19, 2020 Moderators Share Posted December 19, 2020 It comes down to exactly what kind of camping do you wish to do (on average). As you probably already know - there simply isn't a better built RV out on the market today whose price is anywhere near that of the Oliver. The durability, quality, resale value, fit and finish are all above the rest. But, if your planned style of camping is to stay in established RV parks and you "need" more sleeping/interior room than the Oliver has then you will probably not be happy with the Oliver purchase. On the other hand - if you want to explore with a freedom and ease of movement combined with generally lower maintenance, the Oliver will fit the bill nicely. Good luck and please let us know what you decide. Bill 1 2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist" Near Asheville, NC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray and Susan Huff Posted December 20, 2020 Share Posted December 20, 2020 On 12/18/2020 at 7:12 PM, Ravenper said: My wife and I met with a great guy, Josh White who spent a good amount of time showing us the different layouts and features. I had already researched the Elite 2 and seen one at a campground but was concerned if my wife would like the small size compared to a large fifth wheel. But she really liked it and we think it could work for us in downsizing. Plant tour was very informative about the manufacturing process. So now it’s a matter of decision as to buy or not. Just want to say thanks to Josh for his patience today and his knowledge of the product. Glad to see they have their sign up. It wasn't there when we took delivery December 7. . . . Great folks, the Oliver team! 1 Ray and Susan Huff Elite II Twin "Pearl" - Hull#699; delivered December 7, 2020 2013 F350 6.7l diesel Super Duty 4x4 long bed crew cab 1UP-USA Heavy-duty bike rack 2017 Leisure Travel Van Unity Twin Bed (sold) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravenper Posted December 20, 2020 Author Share Posted December 20, 2020 Appreciate all your responses and helpful suggestions. I was impressed with the structural build and my wife loves the clean smooth interior finish. I definitely like the fact that the maintenance will be much easier than the typical RV which flexes so much. We are still happy with our DRV MS 5th wheel and might be able to park it at a permanent location in Tn. Then we would enjoy the Ellite 2 for our travels. We spent a good amount of time inside twin bed layout and it was comfortable. We will be going to the Tampa RV show just to see what else is out there that might suit us. I doubt any of them will be built like the Oliver as far as materials and options. One question to you guys who have owned an Oliver I was wondering if any have done winter camping? If so, how well did it feel as far as the insulation factor? Again, thanks for your input and we will keep you informed as to our decision. Paul & Linda , Maryville Tn 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Mike and Carol Posted December 20, 2020 Moderators Share Posted December 20, 2020 1 hour ago, Ravenper said: One question to you guys who have owned an Oliver I was wondering if any have done winter camping? If so, how well did it feel as far as the insulation factor? We routinely go camping in January and February. We’re not really winter sports people so we try to avoid big snow and real cold weather. We have camped in northern NM/southern CO, northern AZ and north central CA (Pinnacles NP/Yosemite NP) during those trips. Weather at times in the teens and frequently 20s at night. No issues. When it’s real cold we like to have shore power since our little electric heater does a better job of keeping the trailer at a consistent temperature than the furnace, plus we don’t blow through as much propane. Just keep a window cracked and a vent open a little and condensation isn’t much of a problem. Mike 1 Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravenper Posted December 20, 2020 Author Share Posted December 20, 2020 Mike, we like you are not in the snow sports but do enjoy the winter season if you can find a campground open. We use some portable electric heaters that work real well. At the tour it felt like furnace works well in the small area but in super cold weather as you mentioned the electric healers help. I need to find out more about the condensation issue. We went through list of options and kind of know what we need. Thanks for sharing your experience. Paul 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Mike and Carol Posted December 21, 2020 Moderators Share Posted December 21, 2020 Paul, the furnace works well. My only issue is that it cycles on and off, so there is a temperature drop before it cycles on again. We’ve dry camped in cold weather with no hook ups and the furnace did fine keeping us warm at night. The solar was able to keep up with battery charging once the sun came up. We just prefer to have electricity for our little Vornado heater that runs quietly all the time. Most winter campsites with hook ups discourage use of water, we’ve found the size of the Oliver fresh tank is more than enough for our needs. Refilling the fresh tank doesn’t pose a freeze risk once done and the hose is disconnected and put away. There’s been a lot of discussion about condensation, we’ve found it can be minimized by allowing some fresh air ventilation, not so much to drastically change the temperature, but just enough to keep the humidity down. Mike 1 Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravenper Posted December 21, 2020 Author Share Posted December 21, 2020 Mike, Sounds like winter camping will be possible and comfortable. Just need to be prepared. Good to know that fresh water holding tank is adequate. We are camping this weekend in Lebanon Tn and the water hydrant froze one am. My hoses were heated and worked fine. I had to torch the hydrant to thaw it. I’ll let you know if we order an Oliver and look forward to meeting you and your wife Carol. take care, paul 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators topgun2 Posted December 21, 2020 Moderators Share Posted December 21, 2020 Ravenper - I've not done as much pure Winter camping as compared to a number of other Forum members, but, I have camped at altitude during the summers where the overnight temps routinely get down to mid 20's to mid 30's. As Mike has said, a nice little electric heater is great for these temps and does not add any moisture to the interior, but, unfortunately, I'm rarely at a campground that has electric. Indeed, the Oliver furnace does a good job of heating the interior space but it uses a fair amount of propane and it uses electricity to run the blower motor. It also does not add much moisture to the interior because the combustion gases are vented directly to the exterior by the furnace itself. Fairly often I use a "Mr. Heater Little Buddy" propane heater : Mr. Heater Little Buddy Even though these heaters have a "tip over switch" and an automatic low O2 shut off, I never leave one of these running either overnight or when I'm not in the Oliver. The only downside to these heaters is that as a by product of combustion, they do add to the moisture level inside. So, a cracked window and/or a open MaxAir fan is reasonably mandatory. In addition, while I've never had a "problem" with moisture beneath my sleeping area, I did install 1/2 inch foam board beneath and along the sides of my mattress as a prophylactic measure. Bill 2 2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist" Near Asheville, NC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moonlight Mile Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 On 12/18/2020 at 10:12 PM, Ravenper said: My wife and I met with a great guy, Josh White who spent a good amount of time showing us the different layouts and features. I had already researched the Elite 2 and seen one at a campground but was concerned if my wife would like the small size compared to a large fifth wheel. But she really liked it and we think it could work for us in downsizing. Plant tour was very informative about the manufacturing process. So now it’s a matter of decision as to buy or not. Just want to say thanks to Josh for his patience today and his knowledge of the product. Josh is my sales rep (taking delivery late Jan) and I can add an enthusiatic thumbs-up for his kindness, patience (I am a total newbie), and responsiveness to questions. Can't wait to meet him and see my Ollie Elite 1 and try not to spazz out. Heh. Great photo! 2021 Elite 1 -- Hull #731 Ram 1500 Rebel 4x4 Now Sold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Time2Go! Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 2 hours ago, SherMica said: Josh is my sales rep (taking delivery late Jan) and I can add an enthusiatic thumbs-up for his kindness, patience (I am a total newbie), and responsiveness to questions. Can't wait to meet him and see my Ollie Elite 1 and try not to spazz out. Heh. Great photo! Josh is our salesman as well. He did our factory tour back in August. He has answered tons of questions that we have had. You will love the tour. 1 Charlie & Cindy / Cleburne, TX / 2021 Elite II Hull #743 / 2013 Ford F250 Diesel 4WD Supercab States we've camped in our Oliver: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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