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Looking for some answers regarding Oliver Elite II


Bioman

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I have watched all of the videos and read all of the brochures and the Oliver's seem a cut-above.  I am very impressed.  We live in Texas, we are now both retired and are now planning on spending time RV'ing around the country as in a few months at a time.  We camped when we were dating 45 years ago in a WWII pup-tent, moved up to a real tent, to a pop-up trailer to a 30' TT.   WE love camping.

If we purchase one, this will be our third time jumping into RV ownership after swearing it off 15 years ago due to TT failures.  So please be patient with my questions as the last RV was a disaster due partly to construction issues and also my own ignorance on how to maintain an RV.  The issues involved multiple plumbing leaks, undetected roof leaks rotting a section of floor, rodent and ant infestation, furniture and cabinets coming loose due to poor fastening to structure, generally poor quality materials, a premature tire blow-out that took out a chunk of the bathroom.  And lastly getting aforementioned repair done at a dealership who said up front that "since we did not buy from them, even though they were a dealer for that particular manufacturer, they would get to us when nothing else needed getting to" (turned out to be 9 months later and they messed some of that as well).  So here are my concerns/questions. 

 

1.  Has Oliver resolved Truma AC installation issues that caused roof leaks (something to do with screws and or seals)?

2.  Warranty and Post warranty service.

Not much of a list, but the second issues gives me a lot of concern.  If I can resolve these issues to my comfort level we plan on placing an order soon.. 

 

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Welcome to the forum @Bioman. We have had a number of the same horror experiences with the "stick a staple" campers. We've also experienced the generally poor customer service in the typical RV service department. I can attest that the latter problem is a dealership issue and there are good ones out there, but few far between. 

For all these reasons and more, we have decided to purchase and Elite II as our last RV, which we plan to travel extensively in. At the conclusion of a five month wait, we pick up our Ollie in three weeks. All the experiences that have been shared on the Oliver forum were the biggest factors in our decision. And what locked us in on our decision was our two factory visits to Oliver Manufacturing. I can say from first hand experience that no other factory was willing to work with us directly and only a couple offered very restricted factory visits. They preferred we work first hand through one of their representative dealerships. And we all know how that plays out during and after the purchase. 

I think any number of current owners can give witness to the outstanding customer service you will receive from the factory. Now if you go to other sources for service for your Oliver, you will be at the mercy of their customer service policies. Oliver does keep a list of preferred service facilities around the country to refer if needed. I'll let current owners attest to their experiences with Oliver Service and Customer Service after the purchase, which I'm convinced is unmatched in the industry.

Regarding leaks. Nobody is willing to accept leaks without having them corrected. That being said, leaks will never cause permanent damage of any kind to an Oliver and every kind of leak that's been discovered has always had a generally easy solution. The current situation with the new Truma AC unit is just part of a first run learning curve and Oliver is working on what appears to be the needed corrections. 

Regarding things falling apart on the camper, there's not much that can come apart as far as structure on an Oliver. Hardware and attachments are of a much higher grade than most typical campers manufactured, probably much more comparable to what you will find on a well built sailboat. Unlike other manufacturers that cut corners and pass problems onto their dealers to address, Oliver makes every effort to discover and address needed improvements continually.

I don't know where you would find a better built camper for the money. And again for my money, I think you won't find a company with a higher level of integrity or with better service after the sale. I would highly recommend you contact the factory and schedule a tour. And in the mean time continue to read widely on the owner's forum and learn first hand from current owners, they have shared a wealth of information on this site.

Olivers aren't perfect, but In my opinion they are probably the best and most trouble free campers made. 

Edit: PS I don't know first hand, but I would estimate from what I've learned over the past two years, that probably more then 85% of all 1360 or so Olivers sold to date are still in the possession of their original owners. And by and large the majority of those that have sold their campers receive very close to their original purchase price when they do sell. That speaks volumes regarding overall quality and value of an Oliver in and industry that otherwise retains very little equity in most products, even within the first year of ownership.

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What's today?............. the most frequently asked question as a retiree 🙄

Chris and Stacie Neuhaus Greenfield, Indiana

2021 Ford F350 7.3L Tremor (Redzilla)

LE2 #1373 - Ordered 10/21/22 - Delivered 05/10/23

States Visited Map

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Welcome to the forum.  I can’t address the Truma issue since ours came with the Dometic.  As far as service goes, we’ve had a few things that needed to be fixed.  While we were under warranty we had some work done here at a local RV repair shop and Oliver picked up the cost.  We had a few things taken care of during a visit back in Hohenwald our second year of ownership.  Since then, our local RV repair shop has done everything - mostly routine maintenance.  I have an appointment next week to have my bearings repacked, brakes checked and suspension lubed.

We’re near Boerne, just north of San Antonio and our RV place is Boerne RV.  It’s a small family run shop that now does work on at least 3 or 4 Olivers.  I’m sure there is an independent repair shop somewhere around Waco.  After 7 years of travel over 80K miles we are very happy with our Oliver.  As with any trailer that bounces down the road things break, come lose or need adjusting.  But for us, the initial quality and durability of our Oliver have given us a lot of happy camping experiences.  Mike

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Texas Hill Country | 2016 Elite II #135 | 2020 Ram 2500 6.7L

ALAZARCACOFLGAIDILKSKYLAMDMSMOMTNENVNMNYNCNDOHOKSCSDTNTXUTVAWVWYsm.jpgALAZARCACOCTDEFLGAIDILINIAKSKYLAMEMDMAMS

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In our first year of ownership we've had a variety of issues. Some serious, some minor. Some Oliver's fault, some not (vendor component issues). OTT was quick to respond to all of them. I fixed many of them myself after Oliver sent me the parts. They were quick to ship what I needed. When a mobile tech was required, OTT was quick to work with the vendor to arrange the service.

We're heading to Hohenwald soon for some warranty work that can't be done locally. This will be our first trip back to the factory after delivery. I'll post a report on the experience when we return.

In summary, I'm a bit disappointed with the number of issues we've had, but I've heard far worse stories from people with other brand RVs, and Oliver has been very responsive to every service ticket we've placed. The trailer's design is solid and the materials used are generally better than most RVs. We're really hoping this will be the year our problems are resolved and we can truly relax and enjoy our trailer. 

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Stephanie and Dudley from CT.  2022 LE2, Hull #1150: Eggcelsior.

Tow vehicle: 2016 GMC Sierra 6.0 gas dually 4x4.

Our Oliver journey: Steph and Dud B's RV Screed

Where we've been RVing since 1999:

ALAZCACOCTDEFLGAIDILINIAKYLAMEMDMAMIMNMSMOMTNENVNHNMNYNCNDOHOKORPASCSDTNTXUTVTVAWAWVWIWYmed.jpg.b96241bad6752dec89d25af6ffbc8d99.jpg

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I'm sort of a newbie in the Oliver World compared to a lot of other folks on the Forum here.  I have a 2020 that I purchased 10 months old.  So I have no warranty what so ever.  I have called and ask questions of Oliver and they are more than  willing answer questions.  I only have 7,500 miles on her. I have done some upgrades, and regular maintenance ie: repack bearing, winterize/de-winterize, checking thing, etc...  The only problem I have found is that I have had re-tighten the cabinet doors, once after I picked it up, and  earlier this month.   We boon-dock about 1/2 the time, and have been a few  washboard roads. So I think we haven't done to bad.  I could not ask for a better trailer.  I refused to buy a stick built, and was investigating Airstreams.  After seeing al sorts of problems on the Airstream, plus the price we were almost ready to say RVs/TTs where not in our future, that is when we heard of Oliver.  We have been so blessed with our Oli and do not regret the investment.

I am sure you will get many of testimonies about the Oliver's quality, workmanship, service.

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Early 1999 Ford F250 SD 7.3L Diesel 

2020 Elite II Twin -  Hull # 648

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5 hours ago, Bioman said:

I have watched all of the videos and read all of the brochures and the Oliver's seem a cut-above.  I am very impressed.  We live in Texas, we are now both retired and are now planning on spending time RV'ing around the country as in a few months at a time.  We camped when we were dating 45 years ago in a WWII pup-tent, moved up to a real tent, to a pop-up trailer to a 30' TT.   WE love camping.

If we purchase one, this will be our third time jumping into RV ownership after swearing it off 15 years ago due to TT failures.  So please be patient with my questions as the last RV was a disaster due partly to construction issues and also my own ignorance on how to maintain an RV.  The issues involved multiple plumbing leaks, undetected roof leaks rotting a section of floor, rodent and ant infestation, furniture and cabinets coming loose due to poor fastening to structure, generally poor quality materials, a premature tire blow-out that took out a chunk of the bathroom.  And lastly getting aforementioned repair done at a dealership who said up front that "since we did not buy from them, even though they were a dealer for that particular manufacturer, they would get to us when nothing else needed getting to" (turned out to be 9 months later and they messed some of that as well).  So here are my concerns/questions. 

 

1.  Has Oliver resolved Truma AC installation issues that caused roof leaks (something to do with screws and or seals)?

2.  Warranty and Post warranty service.

Not much of a list, but the second issues gives me a lot of concern.  If I can resolve these issues to my comfort level we plan on placing an order soon.. 

 

1.  Has Oliver resolved Truma AC installation issues that caused roof leaks (something to do with screws and or seals)?

Our trailer was the first one with the Truma package.  #1290.  We didn't have a leak until we had 6 inches of snow and when it melted, we had about a pint of water.  This was discovered on month three of ownership.  It was in for a gas leak which the local RV dealership fixed with parts and guidance from Oliver.  Longer screws are coming soon to get the AC leak fixed, again working with Oliver service.

 

2.  Warranty and Post warranty service.

Oliver realizes that most of us live far from Tennessee and in my case, they're working with a RV dealer in our area that I used for our pop up.  It was a concern too for me but they appear to be quite willing to work with a local shop.

 

Not much of a list, but the second issues gives me a lot of concern.  If I can resolve these issues to my comfort level we plan on placing an order soon.. 

John

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John and Debbie, Beaverton, Oregon,  2017 Ford Expedition EL 4x4 3.5 liter Ecoboost, with heavy duty tow package. Hull #1290, twin bed with Truma package (a/c, furnace, hot water heater with electric antifreeze option), lithium pro package, picked up November 7, 2022

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20 hours ago, Ollie-Haus said:

I don't know first hand, but I would estimate from what I've learned over the past two years, that probably more then 85% of all 1360 or so Olivers sold to date are still in the possession of their original owner

I'd guess about that. Maybe a bit less, as many owners get older, and need to scale back on camping.

Hull #12, still on the road, 15+ years later. 

Oliver has been great on warranty work, and followup, even though we're obviously very long out of warranty  (2008).

 

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2008 Ram 1500 4 × 4

2008 Oliver Elite, Hull #12

Florida and Western North Carolina, or wherever the truck goes....

400 watts solar. DC compressor fridge. No inverter. 2 x 105 ah agm batteries .  Life is good.


        
 

 

 

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