Legacy Elite for a 6'02" individual?

[Ghostrider10-32]

First post, read through 10 or so pages of threads but only saw one reference to a taller person being in a LE.

Kinda caught in a catch 22 between a LE and and LE2.

Long story short.  We plan to use a trailer exclusively in the winter (we boat on Lake Michigan every weekend from late March to early Nov) and want to use the trailer almost exclusively from Nov to mid March.  We are in SE Wisconsin and because of professional commitments almost entirely weekend warriors.  Leave Friday afternoon, return Sunday afternoon all winter long except for below-zero cold snaps.

Here's my catch 22. I'm 6'02 with shoes on and for that reason I think the LE2 would be most comfortable BUT... Since we are going to be cold-weather weekend campers I want to store the trailer in my heated garage (so I don't have to worry about freezing during the week and can rinse off the road salt after our 3 day weekend trips) BUT I'm height limited to 9'03" entry door (10'6" ceiling).  So an LE2 won't clear height (and I don't think I can cheat 3 inches worth of height letting air out of tires long enough to get the AC unit under the door.

So that has us looking at the LE.  Unfortunately there are LE2's very close to us to see before we buy, but no LE's anywhere close and a trip to the factory in the near term won't fit my schedule either.

So I'm curious about any input from taller guys who have an LE.  Since we are only weekend warriors, its not like I'll be spending a week or weeks on end in the trailer.  We won't.  Just 2 days and 2 nights.  One shower per weekend.

Any thoughts on the LE for a taller person?  Will it feel too claustrophobic?  Difficult to shower?  Difficult to sleep on the smaller bed?

Thanks in advance.  Really deflated to find out there isn't an LE close to us to experience in person.  Don't want to buy the LE sight-unseen and find out its too uncomfortable.

[topgun2]

Ghost -

Hopefully one or more of the LE owners will chime in here shortly.  I'm not exactly sure how tall SeaDawg's husband is but even though I don't think he is much over 6' I'm sure that they could give you some good advice.

When I was first looking at molded fiberglass campers I looked at a Casita and while they are certainly much different than an Oliver I think that you might be able to get a hint of an answer by taking a look at one of them.  Obviously this is not the same as looking at an Elite I but .....

Bill

[VBistro]

If you are using the trailer exclusively in the winter, could you see about ordering the LEII without the AC?  Not sure of that’s even possible today, but it would solve the problem. 

[LongStride]

@Ghostrider10-32, at 5'-10.75" I am comfortable in the Elite1.  I can move about the trailer without fear of hitting my head on anything.   I just clear the air conditioner.  I fit in the bed lying flat on my back with my feet relaxed.  However, my head is almost up against the hull and it took me a while to find a pillow that did not take up much room.  Big fluffy pillow would not work.  Fortunately I found one that works well and I sleep comfortably.

I don't really need to duck down in the bathroom but I do need to cock my head a bit.  Can't stand tall in there.  Does not really bother me.  I usually sit on the toilet to shower.  At least part of the time anyway.  Kind of a combination stand/sit thing.

The Elite1 works for me, but at 6'-2" you may find it to be challenging.   

[Ghostrider10-32]

7 minutes ago, VBistro said:

If you are using the trailer exclusively in the winter, could you see about ordering the LEII without the AC?  Not sure of that’s even possible today, but it would solve the problem. 

That's interesting you mention that because it had crossed my mind (trying to get one without the AC) but its not uncommon in March for Wisconsin to get a warm spell where I'd want to run AC and I wouldn't want a trailer that we'd find unusable in the event we had to skip boating for one weekend in the summer (bad weather?  traveling to a wedding?).

Add to all that I don't think anyone would want to buy a trailer without AC and I wouldn't want to kill resale value when I want to upgrade.

I did wonder if the AC unit on the LEII is the most low-profile type you could get.

A quick internet search did show they make low profile AC units (this one is 3 inches shorter at 9.5 inches compared to some other dometic units that are 12.7 inches)

https://www.amazon.com/Dometic-640315C-Penguin-Profile-Conditioner/dp/B00NRDHTVA

[Rivernerd]

6 minutes ago, Ghostrider10-32 said:

A quick internet search did show they make low profile AC units (this one is 3 inches shorter at 9.5 inches compared to some other dometic units that are 12.7 inches)

https://www.amazon.com/Dometic-640315C-Penguin-Profile-Conditioner/dp/B00NRDHTVA

I have a Elite II on order.  I asked Oliver if they would install a different AC unit if I bought it and had it delivered to them.  Answer:  No.

Some folks who post on this forum have replaced their noisy Dometic Penguin II units with Houghton/RecPro units themselves.  But, a quick internet check revealed that the RecPro unit would only save you about 5/8" in height, not the 3" you need.

So, I cannot offer a solution to your quandry, but can help you rule out AC replacement.

FWIW, I am 6'0".  When I stood in the bath of an Elite II we were allowed to tour, my head almost hit the bath fan handle that hangs down below the plane of the fiberglass ceiling.  That is acceptable to me, but I decided then that an Elite I would not work for me (and the bed in an Elite I is too small to suit my wife and me, as well).

[Patriot]

Ghostrider10-32
I am 6’3 and my bride is 5’11 we momentarily stood in an Elite at the factory sales office and it was a complete no go for us. The Elite was just a little too cozy and lacked the room we knew we were going to need for our comfort level while traveling. You are very wise to view both before deciding. And yes, I agree never buy sight unseen.
All the best with your choices!

[SeaDawg]

My husband is not quite 6', I'm much shorter at a bit over 5'4". The Elite has been fine for us for 14 seasons. Most of our indoor time is spent seated or sleeping,, anyway.

Published height (interior) is 6'1", I believe, which is the same interior height as a 17' Casita, so @topgun2 offered good advice. The Casita does, however feel much more "cramped" to me, and all the cupboards are smaller. I think it's the carpet everywhere, and the casitawood doors that make the Casita feel smaller. (One of my best friends owns a Casita, and we've camped together many times, so I'mpretty familiar with the interior of her Casita.)

The Elite bed is much smaller than the Elite II. The east/west bed is  a full size (some people call it a double), not a queen, and the curve of the hull at the rear robs a few more inches for a bit, so it's best if the shorter person (me) takes the spot next to the hull. If you're a back sleeper, you may not find the shorter bed to be as comfortable, at probably 6'1" barefoot. 

@VBistro's idea of deleting the ac has merit,  for either unit fitting your garage. We have a recpro houghton, replacing a 2008 Dometic that was much, much taller, but sometimes I  think we should have just installed a vent instead, as we rarely use the ac. The rough opening for ac units and standard vents are the same.

[John E Davies]

I showed my LE2 to a guy who was 6’3” and he said the bathroom was a no go. You need to try one in for size. If I were your size I would find another trailer, at 5’10” mine is fine.

John Davies

Spokane WA

[Ghostrider10-32]

Thanks for all the great advice...

We will really only be using the trailer for sleeping, eating, and a shower each weekend.  So I'm not totally opposed to something a little cramped since we will be spending our days hiking and outside, coming in the warmth to eat, sleep, shower, play a game of cards, watch a bit of tv and go to bed...  

But I'm going to take everyone's advice and make sure to get in a LE before ordering one.  If just a shower and sleeping is uncomfortable its probably not a good fit.

We love hiking and the problem is we've hiked all the great trails within a couple hour drive of where we live.  So by the time we get rolling on Saturday, we get somewhere and have no time to hike given the short winter days.  We'd really like to get further out in the state to section hike the Ice Age Trail where we haven't been able to yet as well as getting to the UP to hike the North Country Trail across Michigan's upper Peninsula.  

So our routine would be drive a couple hours on Friday evening, get to our weekend spot, watch an hour of TV and go to sleep.   Get up, eat breakfast and take a morning hike, come back for lunch, shower, and then head out for an afternoon hike.  Drive to a local restaurant for dinner on Saturday night, return to the camper to play a couple games of cards or watch a bit of TV and then sleep.  Get up Sunday, eat breakfast in the trailer, and drive home.  

So ok with a "cozy" feeling in the camper (because we aren't going to try to "live" in it or even take a weeks vacation in it...) but just not an uncomfortable feeling or difficult situation to sleep or shower.

[SeaDawg]

I only know of one Elite somewhat near you, and that's in the Twin Cities, MN,  and quite a hike for you, if you're in Eastern Wisconsin. 

Theirs is put to bed for the winter, and, it's an older one,  but it's in heated storage. They'd be willing to show theirs to you, if you want to make the drive. I spoke to them this evening. Pm me if you're interested. 

[Ray and Susan Huff]

6 hours ago, John E Davies said:

I showed my LE2 to a guy who was 6’3” and he said the bathroom was a no go. You need to try one in for size. If I were your size I would find another trailer, at 5’10” mine is fine.

John Davies

Spokane WA

I agree about the bathroom. . . . . my husband is 6'2" and the Elite II is ok for showering, but barely.  Elite would not pass muster for him.  I guess you can always shower while sitting on the toilet.

[dewdev]

Ghostrider10-32

Is it possible to modify your garage opening and install a new garage door to give you the height you need to get an Elite II inside?

[Ghostrider10-32]

Yeah, fitting the LE is already requiring a door modification and we aren't done talking to contractors yet, but I think 9'3" is the most we are going to be able to squeeze out.

I currently have 2 double 8x16 doors.  10'6" ceiling height.  I can go with a jack-shaft opener (fits on the side) and won't have to worry about the door opener being in the way, but you still need a 12" radius for the track.  The first contractor thinks 9'3" is gonna be the max.

Here's what I have.  I also took a picture of all the framing when I was building the house.  The 2nd picture shows the header of the wall.  The most I can do without MAJOR structural work is take out the cripples and raise that glulam header up to the top plates.  I actually currently have 8'1" on clearance.  It would be really close.  We'll have to open up the wall and measure to make sure, but so far 9'3" max

 

[topgun2]

With the looks of what you already have plus what looks to be fairly level ground slope on the exterior - if you have "set back" room it might just be easier (and not that much more money) to construct either a garage addition or an "awning" plus parking pad on the side of the existing structure.  But, I'm guessing that you have already considered that option which may be against HOA or local rules.

Bill

[ChrisMI]

I agree with the above statement about the difficulty/expense of modifying your current garage. However, since you want a spot that is heated and has water/drain access I’d suggest removing the AC unit and replacing with a vent cover. Keep all the parts so it can easily be converted back.

What about suing a steel beam, would that gain any height?

[Ralph Mawyer]

I'm 6'2" + and used our 2002 Casita 17 without issues until I moved to the Elite II this past spring.  The top of my head touched the ceiling carpet, but the reality was that I was rarely standing except when transitioning down the aisle.  For a purely weekend/week trip trailer, I don't think it would be an issue.   Even with cold weather, you'll either be at the table or sitting/lying on the bed.  Guessing showers may not be a big priority for a Fri-Sun trip in the winter, but easy to do sitting down.

When we bought our Casita my wife and I were probably 20-30 lbs lighter, I'm 230-240 now, and usually slept wall to wall.  Most of my trips in the last few years have been solo, since she still works, and I found sleeping diagonally in the Casita was perfect and gave me a corner backrest for reading.

I'd find a Casita Spirit with the bed made up and see how it feels.  I really don't think you will regret the ease of use of the Elite 1 given your requirements....now finding/getting one is another story. 😉.   The ability to hook-up without a WDH and the maneuverabilty is great.    Now, if you could just leave your Elite II at the lake... 😉

 

[Hokieman]

Ghostrider…..I’ve owned an LE1 and now have an LE2.   I’m 6’1 barefoot.  I had to sleep a bit diagonal on the LE1 bed, but it was OK.  My wife thought it was too tight.  I had headroom in the trailer everywhere except the bath,  my head would hit the vent fan, but really no problem.   On the LE2, I fit  the twin bed with little room to spare.   That being said, the hassle factor seems way too high to modify your garage.   Have you looked at a Lil Snoozy?   They seem well built, 6’3” headroom, 96-97” exterior height, the AC is on rear, not the roof.  https://snoozy2.com/.  A quick search shows a few on the used market.  

[Ghostrider10-32]

On 12/4/2021 at 7:57 AM, topgun2 said:

With the looks of what you already have plus what looks to be fairly level ground slope on the exterior - if you have "set back" room it might just be easier (and not that much more money) to construct either a garage addition or an "awning" plus parking pad on the side of the existing structure.  But, I'm guessing that you have already considered that option which may be against HOA or local rules.

Bill

Yeah, I'm on a split grade lot.  My rear exposure is 3 stories, front is 2 stories. My lot drops off significantly to the rear.  I did think about having a driveway poured around to the rear and building something back there but its such a significant grade and for winter use, I think I'd have trouble keeping it snow-free enough to get it out on a weekly basis...

..and then getting the HOA to approve it.. 😞

[Ghostrider10-32]

On 12/4/2021 at 12:29 PM, ChrisMI said:

I agree with the above statement about the difficulty/expense of modifying your current garage. However, since you want a spot that is heated and has water/drain access I’d suggest removing the AC unit and replacing with a vent cover. Keep all the parts so it can easily be converted back.

What about suing a steel beam, would that gain any height?

Funny you should mention that.  I employ structural engineers and one of them did suggest a steel beam would be lower profile than the glulam header... but the garage door people thought the garage door itself (even if you went with a 12" radius track vs a typical 15" radius) would end up being lower than the opening.  

[Ghostrider10-32]

18 hours ago, Mike D. said:

Ghostrider…..I’ve owned an LE1 and now have an LE2.   I’m 6’1 barefoot.  I had to sleep a bit diagonal on the LE1 bed, but it was OK.  My wife thought it was too tight.  I had headroom in the trailer everywhere except the bath,  my head would hit the vent fan, but really no problem.   On the LE2, I fit  the twin bed with little room to spare.   That being said, the hassle factor seems way too high to modify your garage.   Have you looked at a Lil Snoozy?   They seem well built, 6’3” headroom, 96-97” exterior height, the AC is on rear, not the roof.  https://snoozy2.com/.  A quick search shows a few on the used market.  

really good feedback on the size aspect of the LE1. I did come across the Snoozy previously but had written it off because I fell in love with the fit and finish of the Oliver.  Its so much like the fit and finish of our yacht.  Super clean and polished on the inside with the molded cabinets and marine-grade hardware.

I don't think the Snoozy is 4 season rated though..  But after your post I did go to their website and give it another look.  On the positive side, I think I could get it in without any door modifications.  It is a cool little trailer.  Might still be an option for the milder winter weekends.  I'm putting that back on my list of options.  Thanks Mike!!

[Ghostrider10-32]

20 hours ago, Ralph Mawyer said:

I'm 6'2" + and used our 2002 Casita 17 without issues until I moved to the Elite II this past spring.  The top of my head touched the ceiling carpet, but the reality was that I was rarely standing except when transitioning down the aisle.  For a purely weekend/week trip trailer, I don't think it would be an issue.   Even with cold weather, you'll either be at the table or sitting/lying on the bed.  Guessing showers may not be a big priority for a Fri-Sun trip in the winter, but easy to do sitting down.

When we bought our Casita my wife and I were probably 20-30 lbs lighter, I'm 230-240 now, and usually slept wall to wall.  Most of my trips in the last few years have been solo, since she still works, and I found sleeping diagonally in the Casita was perfect and gave me a corner backrest for reading.

I'd find a Casita Spirit with the bed made up and see how it feels.  I really don't think you will regret the ease of use of the Elite 1 given your requirements....now finding/getting one is another story. 😉.   The ability to hook-up without a WDH and the maneuverabilty is great.    Now, if you could just leave your Elite II at the lake... 😉

 

More fantastic feedback.  Validates some of my brainstorming.  Its just weekends, so the cozy aspect isn't as much of an issue vs. something I was going to try to live in or take long trips in.    I also agree with your "ease of use of the Elite 1 given our requirements".   That's my thinking with the Elite 1.  Though smaller, it seems like it would be easier handling, maneuvering...  Just looks a little more sporty/adventurous/nimble to me compared to the Elite II which looks more elegant and liveable.

[ChrisMI]

I’ve given this some more thought.  If I were in your shoes I’d customize an elite I to fit your current garage opening. I’d go without any antennas, pass on the solar, and have the AC removed and replace with an insulated cover/panel. Next step would be to purchase some lower profile tires to bring the height down to fit.  I’m not sure how much clearance is needed for the brakes. If possible drop down to a 15 inch wheel. Because you will be keeping the unit warm I’d load up on quality lithium batteries, enough to easily last you three days.

[SeaDawg]

1 hour ago, ChrisMI said:

If possible drop down to a 15 inch wheel. Because you will be keeping the unit warm I’d load up on quality lithium batteries, enough to easily last you three days.

Ours came with 15" , st tires. We still run st tires on our 2008. Height with original tall ac was 9",4. 

Probably very, very close, with no rooftop apperantances, and an 8' door.

[ChrisMI]

1 hour ago, SeaDawg said:

Ours came with 15" , st tires. We still run st tires on our 2008. Height with original tall ac was 9",4. 

Probably very, very close, with no rooftop apperantances, and an 8' door.

Considerably harder than I thought finding a load E or similar tire in a smaller size…