Oliver Travel Trailers at Oliver’s First Overland Expo!

[donthompson]

I was excited to see Oliver TT at Overland Expo Mountain West last weekend.  My Kimberley T3 Kruiser was on display at Kimberley Kampers USA booth with every Kimberley product on display.  Oliver was set up with a beautiful Elite II right behind us.  Had many conversations with the Oliver crew including Scott Oliver.  Kimberley and Oliver products are both excellent hand-crafted trailers with different uses and attributes.  The Oliver and Kimberley people sent many potential customers to one and other during the course of the three-day event.  It was the first time Oliver has been represented at an Overland Expo and I’m pretty sure Oliver will be back—Scott said it was very productive.  It was great to see how Oliver has improved the Elite II since I purchased mine in 2015.  I owned it for four years and have great memories of my travels in the Elite II.

[John E Davies]

Bravo for Oliver! But I find this very ironic because I planned to visit OE PNW in Redmond OR, I wanted to camp there at the venue. But the rules say I can’t because the LE2 is not an “overland” trailer and the sites are short... The first part I actually agree with 100%. Does this mean that Oliver will finally install a decent rough road suspension like a Timbren or at least offer that option? Needless to say I did not attend.

“Rustic, festival-style camping is available to all on-site campers. Access is open to overland vehicles only; no hookups; no vehicles over 35 feet, no large trailers; see vehicle restrictions. “

BTW I did rough camp (in a grassy field) for three nights at the NW Overland Rally in WA and it was a very rewarding experience. Sitting around the bonfire listening to speakers and getting swag was fun. I had to unhitch and park right beside the trailer, taking two 30 foot spots… the lot assistants had no issue with that. I even got my wife interested enough to drive the off-road course in the LC200, which she thoroughly enjoyed.

Don, do you have pics to post? I read on Expedition Portal that it was hot, dusty and no shade? Was that a problem?

John Davies

Spokane WA

[Mike and Carol]

Don, good to hear from you and glad to see Oliver branching out a little bit.  I wonder what an overland Oliver model might look like…. Mike

[Guest]

9 minutes ago, Mike and Carol said:

 I wonder what an overland Oliver model might look like

Interesting Don. Thanks for letting us know.

Seems like, with a good articulated hitch and a little more ground clearance and a lot of additional roads would open up for an Oliver. 

Kirk

[BBL]

We are going to the Overland Expo East in VA next month and look forward to seeing Oliver there. I really like the Kimberly, hopefully they don't steal me away from Oliver!  We will not be camping as we no longer have a trailer. We still have the option to tent camp but I don't see that happening on this trip.

Brian

[Steve Morris]

9 hours ago, donthompson said:

I was excited to see Oliver TT at Overland Expo Mountain West last weekend.  My Kimberley T3 Kruiser was on display at Kimberley Kampers USA booth with every Kimberley product on display.  Oliver was set up with a beautiful Elite II right behind us.  Had many conversations with the Oliver crew including Scott Oliver.  Kimberley and Oliver products are both excellent hand-crafted trailers with different uses and attributes.  The Oliver and Kimberley people sent many potential customers to one and other during the course of the three-day event.  It was the first time Oliver has been represented at an Overland Expo and I’m pretty sure Oliver will be back—Scott said it was very productive.  It was great to see how Oliver has improved the Elite II since I purchased mine in 2015.  I owned it for four years and have great memories of my travels in the Elite II.

Interesting to see if it generated any sales. I was chatting with Bob while you guys were out there. I was in his Kimberley S3 before he was while visiting family in Bellefontaine. He had the Land Cruiser at the time, and I was disappointed that the two were a poor combination without a weight distribution hitch. So I was letting him know I'd ordered an Oliver. Anyway, I'd mentioned that it was sort of an odd thing to bring a trailer with a mostly retired ownership to an off-road event mostly attended by young #vanlife and truck campers. Seemed an odd choice. He'd said that you all wondered the same thing! 🤣

I guess we'll see if anything comes from it!

[donthompson]

John, I’ll get some photos from other Kimberley owners and post them.  Yes, it was extremely dusty.  We spent a lot of time keeping our campers clean.  My windows screens are still needing attention.  

Scott spent some time in my T3 and he also looked closely at the suspension and hitch.  I think Oliver could produce a model with true off-road suspension and an off-road hitch.  Also disk brakes.

Based on my conversations with Scott, I think Oliver attracted many potential new customers.  I’d be curious about actual sales resulting from the trip to the Expo.  

 

[donthompson]

Here are a few photos.  The first two are photos of us setting up—you can see what the surface was like.  The last shows the full Kimberley display.  Oliver had the Elite II on display behind the Kimberley display.  BTW, this was the first time Kimberley had all of its Kruisers, the Karavan and the Kamper on display in one place—they haven’t even done this in Australia!

[CnC]

On 8/30/2022 at 3:34 PM, Steve and Deb said:

Anyway, I'd mentioned that it was sort of an odd thing to bring a trailer with a mostly retired ownership to an off-road event

Maybe the younger ones should pay attention to the mostly retired...  I find the Ollie 2 a very good boondocker with great road clearance.  Just saying...

Charlie.

[BBL]

2 hours ago, CnC said:

Maybe the younger ones should pay attention to the mostly retired...  I find the Ollie 2 a very good boondocker with great road clearance.  Just saying...

Charlie.

Isn’t that what our parents said to us when we were young…?

Brian

[SeaDawg]

39 minutes ago, Brian and Brandelyne Lewis said:

Isn’t that what our parents said to us when we were young…?

Brian

🤣🤣🤣 

[SeaDawg]

3 hours ago, Brian and Brandelyne Lewis said:

Isn’t that what our parents said to us when we were young…?

Brian

And, what i catch myself saying to our daughter,  now.

Sometimes,  she brings it up. In a very good, thoughtful way.

[donthompson]

Just saw a FB post about Oliver’s plan to be at Overland Expo East in Virginia.  Oliver must have been encouraged by the positive experience at Overland Expo Mountain West.