GO FOR IT! TALK ME OUT OF A COMPARABLE AIRSTREAM. 😉

[Jim_Oker]

50 minutes ago, Ray and Susan Huff said:

And the Oliver also allows the use of a bike rack between the tow vehicle and the Oliver's tongue jack.

 

Thanks for  the  photo of your setup. How's that working  so far?  Have you hauled  the bikes at all? Too early to  say?

[Voyager]

When they build a bike rack that'll hold my Harley, I'll bite, but at $85-$90k, I'll likely be ruminating on it for quite a while.

[Jim_Oker]

56 minutes ago, Voyager said:

I'll flip the tables on you and say that I would have liked to see a front window on the Olivers, because we've had several instances in past years where someone was dinking around with our truck or its bed contents in the middle of the night, and you'd have no way to see that kind of activity from the front of the Oliver

Yeah if that's a significant concern by all means  get an AS or put a security camera onto  the front end of your Ollie or maybe some  other motion activated  alarm or such. Or avoid travel trailers entirely and sleep in your  driving vehicle - there are lots of options for that. We leave our setup to walk the beach, ride the  bikes, etc. a LOT. We've never had things we leave  out in the open such  as chairs and stove  and grill and little  1 gallon propane tank messed with.  And where we camp,  the bigger  nighttime concerns are the roving bands of racoons to be frank. You have to  pick the  things that  matter  most  to you  - this one is way  down on my own  list 🙂 . If I expected to spend lots  of time in sketchy Walmart lots and the like I would probably stick  with a van format and not use  a trailer. 

Edited January 12, 2021 by Jim_Oker

[BackofBeyond]

3 hours ago, Voyager said:

While it's true that sitting on the toilet when showering eliminates tall folks from banging their head on the ceiling, it's also true that many (if not most) travel trailers ≥23-foot, have dry baths with higher ceilings. This is true of Airstream, and it's true for even most of it's budget competitors.

As for the "lipstick on a pig" remark, if I'm not mistaken, that's a quote from the late Arizona senator and presidential candidate John McCain, when he was first asked about his perception of Sarah Palin, whom he later chose as his running mate. 👊👊

And it applies here. Thank you John...and others down the line.

As for added windows to see the riff raff -  it seems we don't camp in similar places. As Jim mentioned, the 4 legged bandits seem to be an issue at times.

I appreciate your query Voyager, but as it is an oft repeated inquiry to this forum, sometimes we respond with amusement and fun replies. A wet bath is just that, don't like it, purchase something else, not enough height, similar. 

However, want to discuss the better options:  LI v AGM, v  wet cell, solar or not, Truma v suburban water warmer - fine  - there is a lot of good experienced answers to be had - for free.

Which RV is better - who knows - I like mine, that is all that matters to me. I was serious about the folks following to see the inside. It happens - a lot. More than one AS owner left seriously re-thinking their choice.  

Happy trails

RB -

I like taking the bait...... as long as the hook is barbless...

 

 

 

Edited January 12, 2021 by BackofBeyond
for the fun of it

[Voyager]

"And it applies here. Thank you John..."

Do you mean to tell me that you (Russell), a Tennessee resident, are a firm and avid supporter of Tennessee-built Oliver travel trailers??? No! Get out!! 😂😂

[SeaDawg]

Well, I'm in Florida,  from Minnesota,  summers often in NC mountains. 

My little 9 lb dog would never qualify as a guard dog, but her hearing is better than mine. I get a little low growl when something,  or, someone,  is strange. Including deer, turkey, manatees, dolphin, bear.   And, people. 

You should definitely pick a trailer that fits your needs .

From your posts, you may, or may not, need to look beyond the two brands we are discussing here, so far.

Sherry 

[Jstone]

We recently sold our Airstream, not due to a lack of satisfaction or suitability, but due to discovering Oliver trailers.  A walk thru of an owners LE II while we were camping in our Airstream sealed the deal. Once we were home from the camping trip, the Airstream was listed, and sold within 3 hours.

We’re planning options, and looking forward to ownership of a LE II twin.

 

[Voyager]

"As for added windows to see the riff raff -  it seems we don't camp in similar places. As Jim mentioned, the 4 legged bandits seem to be an issue at times."

Riff raff?? Oh please! Gimme a break, Flatlander. That's because Tennessee, ain't Montana, period! This is the fourth largest state in the nation, with far more deer than people, more native Americans (and reservations) than any other state, and more vast, empty wilderness than Tennessee could ever hope for! We're not boondocking on the populated shores of the Chatahoochie up here, nor an hour outside of the functional dystopia known as 'Portland', vacationing in droves on the Columbia somewhere. For now, at least for now, we live in FAR different worlds, and thank GOD, for that!

Edited January 12, 2021 by Voyager

[Overland]

Voyager, I think you may have misinterpreted Russell's remark.  I don't think he was referring to Montana or Montanans.  You'll find that this forum is a pretty chill place*, so I wouldn't try to read too much into any one post.

I'll echo his remark though by saying that I've never encountered any baddies while out camping - whether in the middle of nowhere or in campgrounds.  But that would be another topic that's been discussed many times here.

 

*something that we'd like to maintain

[Voyager]

Thank you, Overland, and my apologies to you, Russell and the others. You may well be right about my having misinterpreted earlier comments, and I'll gladly accept responsibility for that. It certainly wouldn't be the first time. No harm, no foul intended.

Suffice to say, I've got no preferences and no axe to grind here, and to be clear, I absolutely LOVE the quality and craftsmanship of the Oliver E2. I'm seriously impressed with it, and if it were priced where I feel it rightly belongs (at $65-$72,000 loaded), I'd be ALL over it! Go ahead and flame me, but I just have to decide whether I can live with it's obvious and relatively minor, yet largely indefensible shortcomings, given it's arguably exorbitant pricing.

And lastly, North America is in-fact, a vastly expansive and diverse continent, so what one of us feels is remote "boondocking", may not necessarily be the reality of "boondocking" for others of us.

Thanks to all, for having me this past few days, and for addressing my concerns, and best wishes to all, in your future travel adventures!

Cheers!

[Overland]

1 minute ago, Voyager said:

Go ahead and flame me

That definitely won't happen.

I will break the news to you though that there are more deer in TN than Montana.  

[BackofBeyond]

1 hour ago, Voyager said:

"As for added windows to see the riff raff -  it seems we don't camp in similar places. As Jim mentioned, the 4 legged bandits seem to be an issue at times."

Riff raff?? Oh please! Gimme a break, Flatlander. That's because Tennessee, ain't Montana, period! This is the fourth largest state in the nation, with far more deer than people, more native Americans (and reservations) than any other state, and more vast, empty wilderness than Tennessee could ever hope for! We're not boondocking on the populated shores of the Chatahoochie up here, nor an hour outside of the functional dystopia known as 'Portland', vacationing in droves on the Columbia somewhere. For now, at least for now, we live in FAR different worlds, and thank GOD, for that!

You mentioned persons dinking around your truck- my reference was to that. Perhaps they were not riff raff - my bad.

Please take my comments in the manner intended: a contrast to people dinking around in your gear and the bandits - raccoons,- assaulting our campsite in ARK. They were definitely  - riff raff!!

One should not make assumptions about others  - it is a highly mobile world, my time in TN pales in comparison with the other places I once called home. I've resided a substantial amount time above 7k', flat it was not. Montana is one of my fav's. 

All in good natured intention. Please accept my apologies if I offended you. 

RB

[Voyager]

Thank you! Apology accepted, and the same courtesy is extended to you as well. As I said, no harm, no foul. But to be clear, you're not "breaking any news" to me here about deer numbers. Not sure where that's coming from? Let's see if I can clarify.

Montana has three and a half times the land mass of Tennessee, with roughly a half million white-tailed deer, and barely a million people. Tennessee has somewhat more, but still less than a million deer, with 7-million people. So yes, statewide, you have slightly more white-tailed deer (and zero mule deer), but we have nearly four-times the space and have FIVE-times the deer, per capita, than you folks. And, I'm afraid I can't really speak to the relative 'riff-raff' numbers per state. 😉

There! Does that help square things?  

👊

Edited January 13, 2021 by Voyager
Add

[Overland]

Well, our deer are also better looking. 

Edited January 13, 2021 by Overland

[Mike and Carol]

I’ve got a dozen white tail deer sleeping in my front yard right now....

15 minutes ago, Overland said:

Well, our deer are also better looking. 

...and they are cute.

[Voyager]

And, you can easily check 'em all out from the side windows of yer boondocked E2. But just to be clear to the city folk, we don't do the "cute" thing up here. Cute is dead and on the grill.

Of course, there in Texas, what you folks call "deer" are the size of a goat. Imported (exotic) Axis deer not withstanding. Shoots, even yer pigs are bigger than yer deer!

😁

Edited January 13, 2021 by Voyager

[Overland]

20 minutes ago, Voyager said:

Shoots, even yer pigs are bigger than yer deer!

I don’t know about Texas hogs but I’ve seen a few near the border in Arkansas that would give a grizzly second thoughts. 

[Mike and Carol]

39 minutes ago, Voyager said:

And, you can easily check 'em all out from the side windows of yer boondocked E2. But just to be clear to the city folk, we don't do the "cute" thing up here. Cute is dead and on the grill.

Of course, there in Texas, what you folks call "deer" are the size of a goat. Imported (exotic) Axis deer not withstanding. Shoots, even yer pigs are bigger than yer deer!

😁

Axis are bigger and stay out of neighborhoods.  The white tail are more like roaming pets.  Big deer can be found down around Big Bend and up around Guadeloupe Mountains.

[Voyager]

"Axis are bigger and stay out of neighborhoods.  The white tail are more like roaming pets.  Big deer can be found down around Big Bend and up around Guadeloupe Mountains."

Yup. Visited an old friend last spring in Pontotoc, Texas, northwest of Llano. 265-acres of arid Hill Country that was filthy with pigs/hogs, deer, armadillos, scorpions, skunks, you name it!  Deer were tiny and plenty skiddish. We took a lazy 6-day trip out west to Balmorhea, Ft. Davis, Marfa, Lajitas, Big Bend, Langtry, Del Rio, and eventually, San Antone, then back up through Fredericksburg and Llano to his place. Saw a number of Axis deer along the way, and it proved to be a cherished and most memorable trip for me. He and I go WAY back. I loves me some Tejas!

Edited January 13, 2021 by Voyager

[Mountainman198]

I feel your pain. Airstream was one of the trailers I was considering before I placed my order for a LEII.  I am 6’6” tall and it was important for me to be able to stand upright in a new trailer so there were only a few makes and models that both appealed to me and which met that criteria. Next I wanted something that had ground clearance and double axles. Next it was important to be able to be able to take it boondocking on moderate dirt roads without damage to the undercarriage. Following was the importance of a four season hull. Oh, did I mention I live where hail is not uncommon?

 

for my needs and many others on this forum the ollie fits well within our ways of using a travel trailer.  It is a tool, nothing more.

 

I liked the feeling of being inside the airstreams but knew that how I planned to use my trailer would end up trashing it in a few years (hail, branches, low hanging cleanouts, low ground clearance and wood floors) so I went with the Ollie. I also did not find an Airstream model that met the above criteria and was less than 24’ as measured from ball to bumper, since several of the campsites I frequent have these size limits. 
 

for me it helped that I have a trailer now that I was able to take to many of the places my new LEII will go in the future in order to learn firsthand what will work and what won’t.

Have you made a list of your must haves (deal breakers) and wants in a new trailer and been able to test them out on the road, going to the places you would take either your new Airstream or Oliver?  If not, maybe a “lesser” (cheaper) trailer than the Airstream or Oliver could be a relatively inexpensive first purchase and experience?

 

as an aside, the wet bath isn’t a turnoff even with my height, as a dry bath (while nice) is not a must have above the items in my list above.

 

A turning point for me was a visit to the sales office in TN and several hours spent inside a LEII talking to their sales manager. If you can make this happen it may serve to point you towards or away from an Oliver as your next trailer.  Also suggest a factory tour of both Oliver and the Airstream plants. 

Best wishes in your search. 

[Ray and Susan Huff]

13 hours ago, Jim_Oker said:

Thanks for  the  photo of your setup. How's that working  so far?  Have you hauled  the bikes at all? Too early to  say?

Haven't had the chance to take the Ollie and bikes out yet.  Still waiting for several days of dry weather that don't fall on a weekend.  With most Forest Service/BLM land still locked down due to Covid and wildfires, and mountain pass conditions keeping us on the coast, it is hard to find campgrounds that aren't full, especially on the weekends.  There's a small window of opportunity with no rain Friday through next Monday this week so we're talking about spending Sunday and Monday nights at a nearby county park in the small community of Powers, Oregon.  It is situated on an old lumber mill site, with a large pond for kayaking/fishing and plenty of space to ride the bikes on road and off.  

I'm extremely happy with our bike rack solution; it looks like it will work quite well.

[Ray and Susan Huff]

9 hours ago, Mike and Carol said:

I’ve got a dozen white tail deer sleeping in my front yard right now....

...and they are cute.

We currently have 5 deer (Mule) that hang around our house . . . . The problem is, they have nearly 200 acres of our land to feed on, but insist on coming into our yard to eat the flowers and any vegetables that aren't fenced in.   "Cute" isn't the word I use in reference to them. 😬

[bugeyedriver]

"Axis are bigger and stay out of neighborhoods", according to Mike. (Mike and I live in the same city.)

Hahahahahaaaaaa!  This picture was taken from one of my bedroom windows.  A herd of about 50 Axis sleep in the woods next to my house every night.  It depends on the neighborhood you live in, I guess.   They entered our gated and fenced community 10 years ago and have decided to make it home.   Mike, you guys must be bow hunting to thin the herd on your side of the city.  

Voyager, it has been interesting watching your thread develop. Thanks everyone for attempting to keep proper decorum during the discussion.  We all hope the best for you as you eventually pull the trigger on your travel trailer, whatever brand it might be.

I understand your thoughts about the price of a new, loaded Ollie which would include something you don't desire.  Have you perused the classified section of the forum? Would a lower price of a gently used Elite II be a more acceptable price point for you?  

 

Edited January 13, 2021 by bugeyedriver

[varmintshooter]

This has been an interesting read as I wanted an LE2 but my wife likes the Airstream 23fb globetrotter and 25' FTB FC. I was a captain on sportfishing boats for years and am familiar with fiberglass, I started looking at Oliver E1 but didn't like the bed layout and my Tacoma was to little for an LE2 so I bought a Casita Ind. deluxe with twin beds to use until I find the perfect trailer for us. I have been shopping for a tow vehicle that would pull up to a 25' Airstream ( what the wife wants ). She is 5'1" and did not like the 250 supper duty so it looks like a F150 hdpp and max tow will work. It is a tuff decision between the Oliver and Airstream as she and I like different things in life. 

There has a lot of good information here from folks that have used both. I like the function of the Oliver and she likes the luxury and space and bath of the Airstream. The sad truth is that not to many years ago we would have been happy with anything even if it was built in Elkhart, Ind. 

[SeaDawg]

Varmintshooter, 

Glad you found a stopgap solution. Good luck with your decision, too.

The important thing is, you're able to go camping while you work together on the "perfect choice."

Happy travels!