Investigating and Oliver Elite II as a possible replacement for our squaredrop (Newbs from northern Ohio)

[Steve Morris]

Back on topic for an update. 😉

After several delays due to some health concerns (all okay) we finally saw our first Oliver trailer yesterday. Sue and Matt, hull #944, invited us for a visit to see their 2021 Elite II that they picked up last fall. We spent over three hours with them, both exploring the trailer, and sitting beside their lake talking about actual use and travel in general. 
 

it was everything we were hoping for, and then some! 😍 Much roomier than we expected in the twin configuration. No concern about the 30” bed width. So bright and airy feeling inside, and quality that’s on par with very expensive boats we’ve been in before. Absolutely nothing that we didn’t like, and so much we loved. 
 

So, we’re still heading to Hohenwald  mid-August, and have a pretty good idea of what options we’d select. The only thing that will keep us from placing an order is indecision on actually making the commitment. No other trailer will do, so it’s either the Oliver or continue with the tiny squaredrop and motel travel. 
 

Thank you so much Sue and Matt, and to everyone else here sharing their knowledge and experiences!

[Shawna and Scott]

Best of luck on your trip and decision.

We went thru the same experiences and thoughts before we "left with one less check". Picked ours up 7/22 this year. Spent 5 nights camping on way home to Ohio and could not be happier. 

[Steve Morris]

2 hours ago, Shawna and Scott said:

Spent 5 nights camping on way home to Ohio

Thanks! There seem to be a lot of us here in Ohio. Gonna need a mini-meet some time next summer. 😉

[Shawna and Scott]

2 hours ago, Steve and Deb said:

Thanks! There seem to be a lot of us here in Ohio. Gonna need a mini-meet some time next summer. 😉

Now there is a great idea. We would be interested in one.

[Patriot]

2 hours ago, Steve and Deb said:

Thanks! There seem to be a lot of us here in Ohio. Gonna need a mini-meet some time next summer. 😉

Sounds like a plan someday! Great talking with your today Steve! 

- David 

[Steve Morris]

5 minutes ago, Patriot said:

Great talking with your today Steve! 

It was wonderful talking to you, too! Thank you so much for the information and thoughts. We look forward to meeting you (and all the folks here) on the road somewhere. 

[Katjo]

I totally understand the not wanting to do the climb over to get out of bed! In our previous camper I was the one climbing over my husband (which I think he secretly enjoyed..lol) but honestly at my age my acrobatic skills consist of being happy to put my pants on without falling over, so the twin beds for me are a glorious delight and I appreciate them so so much! 

[Steve Morris]

What great timing! We camped at Geneva State Park, on Lake Erie east of Cleveland from Thursday through Sunday. No wind, temps in the mid to high 80s, and humidity to match. Walking to the bathroom resulted in a soaked shirt! We had the external A/C running in dehumidify mode each night, and it pumped out gallons of water.

Why great timing? Because we leave tomorrow, heading to Kentucky to use Deb's Golden Ticket at Makers Mark, and then further south to visit a little shop in Hohenwald, Tennessee. After four days of sultry, stuffy, stifling, suffocating, oppressive, muggy, sticky, sweltering, tropical, torrid, steamy conditions, writing a deposit check before leaving might be all that much easier! 😁 (That Thesaurus sure comes in handy sometimes.)

A few photos of the weekend for anyone interested. You can see the 5000 BTU A/C on sawhorses straddling the trailer's tongue. The new kitchen setup was used for the first time, and is really nice! Versatile and modular make cooking options endless.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[John E Davies]

I hate that horrible high humidity, it is one reason I moved away from Nashville in 1982.

I quite like your AC stand, I have a couple of B&D folding sawhorses similar to yours, but I never thought to use my MaxTrax boards as a table. I keep those tied down in a Yakima box on the roof, and have never had to actually use them for recovery… fingers crossed. 😬 My feeling is that with the Land Cruiser’s Crawl Control and those boards, I will never need a winch. BTW I have tested my CC in deep powdery sand, intentionally bogging the truck, and it does indeed work as advertised to “self recover”, without the boards, even with full street pressure. If you haven’t already, find a beach or ORV park and play with the Turn Assist and other features. It will impress you.

2016 Tacoma crawl control in soft Hawaii sand.

John Davies

Spokane WA

[DanielBoondock]

On 6/7/2022 at 12:16 PM, Mike and Carol said:

redesigned EI show

The smaller one is getting redesigned, is the II stying the same as far as we know?

[Mike and Carol]

The Elite II has not changed and is not being redesigned.

[Steve Morris]

10 hours ago, John E Davies said:

I quite like your AC stand, I have a couple of B&D folding sawhorses similar to yours, but I never thought to use my MaxTrax boards as a table.

Thanks, John. They didn’t work quite as well as expected. I was going to use them right side up, but figured with their crowned shape and knobs, the A/C might slip off. So, we flipped them over, which created another problem. The A/C unit has screw adjustable feet, which didn’t coincide with the hollow spacing on the back of the MaxTrax, so it slipped one way or the other. So we used four leveling blocks for a stable footprint. Now we’ll know for the next time.  It also filled with water, as you might expect.

 

(Writing this from a motel in Lexington Kentucky. Makers Mark tour tomorrow, Mammoth Cave Thursday, Oliver Travel Trailers on Fridayyyyyy!!! 🤗 )

[Steve Morris]

Today’s the day!!! To say we are excited would be an understatement. 🤪

2-1/2 hours left until we meet Anita for our  plant tour. Then time to examine the floor models and get down to business!  I’m feeling positive as to whether we leave with one less check than when we arrived. 😉

[Steve Morris]

At lunch, deciding yes, no, or decide later…
 

 

[AZ Wonderer]

1 hour ago, Steve and Deb said:

At lunch, deciding yes, no, or decide later…
 

 

Well, if you're that unsure, then you should decide later or say no.  As for me, I considered an Oliver before my last rv purchase and then purchased a Lance instead.  That was a wrong decision I since regretted.  So now...I'm getting an Oliver, but for a whole lot more money than I would have paid 3 years ago.

[Patriot]

2 hours ago, Steve and Deb said:

At lunch, deciding yes, no, or decide later…
 

 

We opted to not rush on such a huge purchase. We did the tour and drove back home and thought over our decision for a few weeks before sending our deposit. We felt no pressure to order the day of the tour and it all worked out great. 
Best of luck!

 

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, Patriot said:

We opted to not rush on such a huge purchase. We did the tour and drove back home and thought over our decision for a few weeks before sending our deposit.

Sage advice Patriot!  

[Steve Morris]

It’s a boy! Due March 28, 2023.

There was really no indecision. I knew what we were going to do before we arrived. Deb pretty much was set to order, too. It was more about taking the hour to sit there relaxed and make the final decision. I’ll be half a year shy of 70 at delivery, with Deb two years behind. We deserve to enjoy ourselves while we can. 
 

A big thanks to everyone who has offered advice and encouragement! We really do appreciate the input. 

[AZ Wonderer]

2 minutes ago, Steve and Deb said:

It’s a boy! Due March 28, 2023.

There was really no indecision. I knew what we were going to do before we arrived. Deb pretty much was set to order, too. It was more about taking the hour to sit there relaxed and make the final decision. I’ll be half a year shy of 70 at delivery, with Deb two years behind. We deserve to enjoy ourselves while we can. 
 

A big thanks to everyone who has offered advice and encouragement! We really do appreciate the input. 

Congratulations!  What did you pick?  I'm sure you'll love it!

[Steve Morris]

Just now, AZ Wonderer said:

Congratulations!  What did you pick?  I'm sure you'll love it!

Elite II twin configuration. With Truma, lithium, two awnings, convection microwave, and a few other goodies. 

[AZ Wonderer]

Just now, Steve and Deb said:

Elite II twin configuration. With Truma, lithium, two awnings, convection microwave, and a few other goodies. 

Very nice!  What decor did you pick? 

[Steve Morris]

Midnight, with standard fabric and standard mattresses. 

[AZ Wonderer]

7 minutes ago, Steve and Deb said:

Midnight, with standard fabric and standard mattresses. 

I also chose the Midnight decor, with black and silver-grey metallic graphics.  I wrote my 2nd deposit check today.  You'll have a few months before you have to cut the 2nd check and finalize your options

[Ollietime]

Congratulations on placing your order. We placed our order for an Elite II last Oct, we are picking up hull 1213 on Tuesday. Woohoo!

[Shawna and Scott]

Congratulations !!  I hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoy ours. 

Now the wait. Take that time to watch the videos, read the manuals, and read this forum. There is so much covered here that are not in the manuals.