Shipping an Ollie to Oregon

[DeeKay]

Howdy folks. I'd like to buy a Legacy Elite and live in it, part-time, in one location. I don't own a car and am on a tight budget. Wondering if A) anyone can recommend a shipping company or B) I could pay you to tow the trailer if you are already passing through/by Hohenwald on your way to the west coast.

If there was a truck rental company that would let me drop the truck off in Oregon on a one-way trip, I'd be interested in that, but I don't think many companies would allow it. U-haul does, but their rates for long distance are exorbitant.

Many thanks!!!

[Jim_Oker]

Daniel Jakus who runs  Painted Cowboy Transport (http://www.paintedcowboytransport.com/) was recommended to me by the folks at Oliver. His price struck me as reasonable (do the math on driving a tow vehicle to and from there - even gas alone let alone using IRS mileage reimbursement for per mile driving cost...). He was great to work with. I've seen multiple other comments here to that effect and another forum member "theOrca" had one delivered by Daniel a year-ish ago also to WA like me and he was happy with the transport service (he had a few issues with his trailer not related to the transit though and encouraged me to go pick it up myself if at all possible; he has been getting those issues sorted though). Daniel and the folks at Oliver are used to dealing with each other.

I was planning to pick up hull #709 in late December but that conflicted with being able to finally get in to have oral surgery for an infection that had been brewing for too long (had been going through the dentist-endodontist-oral_surgeon progression for a while - they seem hammered by folks finally getting in to get their teeth dealt with after holing up for much of the year...) and then letting myself recover. I would have loved to get that orientation they do and was looking forward  to some parts of the trip back but I'll admit it was handy to have the trailer just show up at my driveway. I have yet to discover any  problem that I would have had them fix on-site but I do have to do the Anderson WD hitch install myself - doesn't seem too bad but  having them do it would have been more convenient. Maybe not 5,000+ miles worth of driving balancing convenience though... But it's definitely a bit of a gamble to not do a shakedown until the trailer is 2,500 miles from the factory. Oh, if you have it delivered in cold weather months tell them not to "dewinterize" the trailer before Painted Cowboy (or whoever you use for transport) picks it up as it's going to be unheated for the 4 day or so trip to OR.

[John E Davies]

My personal feeling is that a new trailer towed 2500 miles to your home is not a new trailer, it is now used. You never know what road damage might occur after nearly a week on our highways, especially during winter months when some are covered in sand and corrosive chemicals. One that is shrink wrapped at the factory, winched onto a truck bed and delivered that way is still new.

Trailers do not age while sitting, unless by harsh weather. They age and deteriorate through accumulating towing miles.

I am sure many disagree with this viewpoint, but would you consider a brand new car driven 2500 miles to your home to still be “new”?

At the very least wait until April or later to have it delivered by towing. 
 

John Davies

Spokane WA

Edited January 4, 2021 by John E Davies

[BackofBeyond]

Legacy Elite II - NARV - 

I just now caught that JD. 😃

Not an RV - I'm curious- what do you call it-

I guess I could come up with a few ideas - but I just call mine the Oliver. Haven't named it- or thought about a defining moniker - its just our $70k roving home on 4 wheels - one  that does not get near enough use. 

 I have an Oliver. I am just too simple.

And to keep on point - an Oliver - towed 2500 miles is still better (In my opinion) than a "new" anything else. 

RB

 

[Ray and Susan Huff]

18 hours ago, Jim_Oker said:

Daniel Jakus who runs  Painted Cowboy Transport (http://www.paintedcowboytransport.com/) was recommended to me by the folks at Oliver. His price struck me as reasonable (do the math on driving a tow vehicle to and from there - even gas alone let alone using IRS mileage reimbursement for per mile driving cost...). He was great to work with. I've seen multiple other comments here to that effect and another forum member "theOrca" had one delivered by Daniel a year-ish ago also to WA like me and he was happy with the transport service (he had a few issues with his trailer not related to the transit though and encouraged me to go pick it up myself if at all possible; he has been getting those issues sorted though). Daniel and the folks at Oliver are used to dealing with each other.

I was planning to pick up hull #709 in late December but that conflicted with being able to finally get in to have oral surgery for an infection that had been brewing for too long (had been going through the dentist-endodontist-oral_surgeon progression for a while - they seem hammered by folks finally getting in to get their teeth dealt with after holing up for much of the year...) and then letting myself recover. I would have loved to get that orientation they do and was looking forward  to some parts of the trip back but I'll admit it was handy to have the trailer just show up at my driveway. I have yet to discover any  problem that I would have had them fix on-site but I do have to do the Anderson WD hitch install myself - doesn't seem too bad but  having them do it would have been more convenient. Maybe not 5,000+ miles worth of driving balancing convenience though... But it's definitely a bit of a gamble to not do a shakedown until the trailer is 2,500 miles from the factory. Oh, if you have it delivered in cold weather months tell them not to "dewinterize" the trailer before Painted Cowboy (or whoever you use for transport) picks it up as it's going to be unheated for the 4 day or so trip to OR.

FYI: our cost to drive to and home from Hohenwald, December 2020 (diesel, hotels, and RV sites), was just shy of $2,000.  8 days to Hohenwald (could have done it in 7 easy, with not too long of days); days home, towing was 6. 

[Ray and Susan Huff]

9 hours ago, John E Davies said:

My personal feeling is that a new trailer towed 2500 miles to your home is not a new trailer, it is now used. You never know what road damage might occur after nearly a week on our highways, especially during winter months when some are covered in sand and corrosive chemicals. One that is shrink wrapped at the factory, winched onto a truck bed and delivered that way is still new.

Trailers do not age while sitting, unless by harsh weather. They age and deteriorate through accumulating towing miles.

I am sure many disagree with this viewpoint, but would you consider a brand new car driven 2500 miles to your home to still be “new”?

At the very least wait until April or later to have it delivered by towing. 
 

John Davies

Spokane WA

I totally agree.  Our "new" BMW was delivered, more or less shrink wrapped, via train and then semi.  It was fun to track it as it made it's way from Spartenburg, South Carolina to Medford Oregon.  I did worry when it sat for a few days on the train (ironically just a few blocks from where I spent my first 5 years of life in Glendale, CA) waiting for the next train to Oxnard to be processed and turned over to the freight company for trucking to Oregon.  All I could think of was "LA graffiti" lol. When it hit the ground at the dealer, it had 5 miles on the odometer and no graffiti! 

Sorry, I digress . . . . . . Has anyone investigated the cost to ship an Oliver from Hohenwald to anywhere, via flatbed truck?  Seems like it would be comparable to the cost to tow.  Our Leisure Travel Van delivery from Canada to Oregon was via two units to a flatbed truck, at a cost of $3,000.  

Flatbed transport would be my preference, though I would not want to forego the experience of the delivery inspection and walkthrough at the Oliver factory.

[Jim_Oker]

4 hours ago, Ray and Susan Huff said:

FYI: our cost to drive to and home from Hohenwald, December 2020 (diesel, hotels, and RV sites), was just shy of $2,000. 

Thanks. Yeah, that is in the ballpark of what I'd estimated.

And sure I got a "slightly used trailer" delivered to my driveway. Unlike JD I'm going to tow mine around the seasons as well. I've seen that discussion before and we each make our own tradeoffs in that regard eh? In any case having it here now is therefore also worth something to me versus waiting for maybe nicer weather later to go pick it up (at a time of year when I'd  frankly rather be doing other things with or without the trailer). BTW I tracked the weather mine went through - bare and dry road until it was close to Snoqualmie Pass (about an hour from my house) at which point it got its first dose of some of our tropical winter weather. The grease fittings likely  took a hit but it didn't get a bath of fresh icy road treatment (which I'll subject it to from time to time in any case frankly). I rinsed it a few days after arrival and it looks fine to me. I don't think there's a right or wrong here - just  a set of tradeoffs JD  and I make differently.

Edited January 5, 2021 by Jim_Oker

[Ray and Susan Huff]

20 minutes ago, Jim_Oker said:

Thanks. Yeah, that is in the ballpark of what I'd estimated.

And sure I got a "slightly used trailer" delivered to my driveway. Unlike JD I'm going to tow mine around the seasons as well. I've seen that discussion before and we each make our own tradeoffs in that regard eh? In any case having it here now is therefore also worth something to me versus waiting for maybe nicer weather later to go pick it up (at a time of year when I'd  frankly rather be doing other things with or without the trailer). BTW I tracked the weather mine went through - bare and dry road until it was close to Snoqualmie Pass (about an hour from my house) at which point it got its first dose of some of our tropical winter weather. The grease fittings likely  took a hit but it didn't get a bath of fresh icy road treatment (which I'll subject it to from time to time in any case frankly). I rinsed it a few days after arrival and it looks fine to me. I don't think there's a right or wrong here - just  a set of tradeoffs JD  and I make differently.

The west coast mountains were our biggest concern, as well; we were able to avoid mountain passes elsewhere.   I'm glad our delivery was bumped up to the first part of December from the first part of February.  We aren't snow people, but good to know we can still enjoy RV life pretty much year round; might have to stick to the coast for a couple of months out of the year, but heh . . . . what a great place to live!

[Jim_Oker]

Yes - though when our trailer crossed Snoqualmie Pass it was raining way up to multiple thousands  of feet above pass level. I'm sure  it was not pleasant driving (I've driven over the pass in my share of pineapple express events) but the road was bare and wet. If it had been a cold storm with all that moisture I think I would not have seen the trailer for another day or three. Daniel stressed that they  stay put when it gets sketchy (hence the drop-off timing is estimated but not promised). 

Edited January 5, 2021 by Jim_Oker