Hello!!

[dmay56]

How are y’all doing?  We are a couple from IL.  Never owned a travel trailer. We are considering an Ollie. We want to travel the country. See National Parks, beaches, forests, deserts, etc. we are looking for input on what you did right. What you would have done differently. We are close to retiring. Couple years out. Plan on going to a factory visit next year. TIA. We appreciate all the advice. 
 

D & S

[Shawna and Scott]

Hello,

We were in your position a couple years ago. Never owned a travel trailer, we wanted to travel the country and Discover all the various places. We landed on the Oliver after looking at several other types and manufacturers. We are very happy with our purchase of Hull 1182 a 2022 model.

My suggestion on what I would do differently is "Don't wait". We were going to wait until closer to retirement but then just pulled the trigger and have not looked back. We went to the Rally this year and met several really great folks. We are planning some longer trips we want to take with lots of great input from the forum.  Right now we take shorter trips to some state parks in Ohio/West Virginia and enjoy getting away and learning more about our Oliver.  

 

[SeaDawg]

Hi, and welcome!

You'll see lots of info if you just poke around.

If you have the means, and some decent vacation time accrued, getting to know travel trailers in general, and Oliver in particular,  can be a learning experience.  It's not hard, but best learned before you launch off on "the trip of a lifetime, " unfamiliar with your gear. I'd recommend several short trips, before a long travel, if you're inexperienced. 

If you're not ready to buy yet, at least rent a trailer (some other brand..  I doubt you'll ever see an Oliver on rvshare.net) and check out the lifestyle. Some of the owners on rvshare (or outdoorsy) will even deliver to a campsite, so you get some experience camping, without learning to tow.

At the very least, see an oliver, if you haven't. Go to the rally next spring for a day or two. Visit the factory,  and take a tour. It's impressive,  for sure. 

What would I do differently? Pretty obviously, nothing. We've been happy campers in a 2008, now in our 16th season.

Best of luck to you in your quest for "best for you."

[Steph and Dud B]

Hi. Have you considered renting a trailer or RV and trying the lifestyle before you commit to a purchase? There are commercial rental companies, campgrounds with trailers set up on site, and AirBNB type RV rentals from owners. There's a lot to be said for the lifestyle, but it's not always as easy, fun, and carefree as some YouTubers would have you believe. Expect to be fixing things yourself and having to be flexible with your planned destinations.

Once you've decided to press forward, make sure your tow vehicle is up to the job. Lots of posts about that here.

Finally, and admittedly conversely, make the jump when you are ready. We were also a couple years shy of retirement when we put the deposit our Ollie. The week we brought it home my wife got a cancer diagnosis, so we're glad we moved when we did. (She's doing well on treatment now.)

In the end you have to do what feels right for you. This forum is certainly a great place to start.

[Frank C]

Hi and welcome to the forum.   As far as advice on trailer camping and retirement in general:

1.  Don’t push retirement out too far.  I received great advice years ago to “retire as early as financially possible”.  And we followed that advice.   We’ve know too many friends and relatives who kept putting off retirement for various reasons, and then ended up with health issues, or passing away, that cut short their time to enjoy retirement.  There are too many stories like that even here on this forum, and trailers for sale in the classifieds section due to health issues encountered after the trailer purchase.   Thankfully we’ve been able to enjoy our time with the Oliver, and have covered a good bit of the continental US at this point, and plan to continue.

2.  If you’ve never owned a trailer (or any camping experience?), I agree with the above advice to try renting one and traveling with it first before committing to a big purchase like the Oliver and the necessary tow vehicle.   The reality of “traveling the open road and seeing the country” can be a shock to some people compared to their dream.  We’ve seen a few folks buy an Oliver, then encounter the reality of camping, trailering headaches, etc. and sell the trailer shortly afterwards. 

3.  Don’t skimp on a tow vehicle.  Get one with more than adequate payload and towing ratings.  Most folks consider a 1/2 ton pickup to be the true safe minimum to start with for an Oliver Elite II. 

4.  Be prepared for all the expenses that come after the trailer purchase (after you get over the initial shock of the Oliver price itself with all the factory options you add).  After purchase expenses for the trailer and tow vehicle typically include the following:

-Sales tax (6% of the purchase price here in Pennsylvania for us at time of title registration after purchase).

-insurance

-a trailer cover (the Calmark cover Oliver sells is $1,300)

-tire covers for storage.

-water filtration system, hoses, fittings, etc. 

-tire pressure monitoring system

-hitch lock

-tow vehicle mud flaps such as Rock Tamers

-bed cover for the truck  

-jack blocks

-wheel chocks

-leveling blocks

-extra sewer hose

-portable waste water tote tank (for campsites that aren’t full hookup).

-portable generator (for boondocking)

-misc campsite accessories (chairs, rug, clam shelter, portable grille, awning shade screen, etc)

-a good portable tool kit 

-trailer storage fees

-trailer annual maintenance, etc.

-repairs!  Things do break since RV industry standard components in general aren’t the greatest for durability or reliability.

-Harvest Host membership

-campground per night fees (cheaper than a hotel but still not free) 

The list goes on and on, and it really adds up.   You can expect another $10,000 to $15,000 in expenses for the above items after the initial Oliver purchase price.   

Not trying to scare you 🙂, just be prepared with the checkbook.   It ain’t a cheap hobby.  It reminds me of the boat owners I know who say that BOAT is an acronym for Bust Out Another Thousand 🙂.   

[SeaDawg]

Well, we've owned two boats, at least, entire time we've owned the Ollie. Our (now vintage, 40+ year old) cruising sailboat, and a ski boat, plus various others.)

The Ollie is the least work, and least expense, of any of our big "adventure toys ". (Except dinghies and Sunfish, but I wouldn't count them. Not in the same class.)

We do find it true that any vehicle, even a trailer without engine, requires periodic maintenance. 

If you take care of your gear, it takes care of you. One of those symbiotic relationships.  

Our tow vehicles are 2005, and 2008. Same holds true. Take care of your truck, and it takes care of you. 

The payback vs memories? IMO, priceless. 

[dewdev]

Welcome to the Forum.

I agree with the above posts.

You are smart going to the Oliver factory to see for yourself the quality of materials and  workmanship that goes into manufacturing a Olliver.

Here on the forum under Owner Resources, is a section call Oliver University. Check out all the information and videos in that section and you will start to get a feel for the Oliver Travel Trailer and what it takes to use the trailer.

Good Luck. If you find you like camping, then you will appreciate the Oliver TT.

[Katjo]

Hello and welcome to the forum. My advice, don’t overthink it, I researched for a year before we bought our first camper a few years ago then sold that for our Oliver. I learned so much more hands on then studying and researching all things campers like I was going for my PhD! I’m not saying don’t do your research, just know you will indeed learn as you go. I absolutely agree with the others, rent a camper first to get a feel for camping, see if you like it. Wishing you the best.

[Ollie-Haus]

We went down the same road starting three years ago. Made two trips to the factory to solidify our decision to buy and Oliver. We compared everything else and kept coming back to the Oliver. Generally speaking vehicle purchases are not investments, they are costly until the day you sell them. With that said, you won't make a better overall "investment" than you will with an Oliver. Both in monetary terms and in terms of what you will gain while using your Oliver. And when the time comes to part ways, you will retain considerable value to recover. 

It's already been stated but I will reiterate the importance of your choice of tow vehicle. I know trucks are getting crazy expensive, but having plenty of truck will make your experience much more relaxing and enjoyable. Many folks try to get by with the minimum and eventually end up upgrading the tow vehicle after a season or two. I personally would not tow my LE2 with less than a 3/4 ton truck with a full tow package. 

I would recommend getting any upgrades you can afford. With the extensiveness of the travels you have described, you will definitely want the larger Lithium solar package. It's a game changer for boondocking and off grid camping at length. The reason I say this is because folks that have opted for fewer options have discovered it's much more costly to retrofit these systems once the camper is built. Anything is possible but leaving the factory with a fully capable all purpose, all season camper is the best way to go. 

As mentioned earlier, go in eyes wide open, delivery day is when you pay the big money, but there are many significant expenses to follow for a few weeks after you bring the camper home. I'm delighted we made the decision and I'm also very glad we had a well laid out plan for covering the overall true costs involved. 

Good luck with your plan and try to move the schedule up any chance you get. 

[ScubaRx]

8 hours ago, dmay56 said:

How are y’all doing?  We are a couple from IL.  Never owned a travel trailer. We are considering an Ollie. We want to travel the country. See National Parks, beaches, forests, deserts, etc. we are looking for input on what you did right. What you would have done differently. We are close to retiring. Couple years out. Plan on going to a factory visit next year. TIA. We appreciate all the advice. 
 

D & S

The right thing we did was to buy an Oliver. In fact, we've bought two of them. Any other brand would have turned out to be a disappointment.

The thing I would have done differently would have been to buy the correct tow vehicle in the beginning instead of going thru five different ones to finally get to where I needed to be all along. You can see the particulars in my signature.

As @Frank C stated above "...just be prepared with the checkbook.   It ain’t a cheap hobby...

Good Luck

[MAX Burner]

@dmay56:  Hello!  Welcome to the OTT forums!  

After having read the above sage advice - there's really not a lot to add.  Other than if you decide to "drop the hammer" and buy an Ollie, that the Oliver Family represented by these forums will certainly have the answer to any question or challenge you may have that pops up.  

There must be literally thousands of years of OTT experience on this platform from which you can exchange/obtain relevant information.  People here are knowledgeable, friendly, kind, and always more than willing to help out another member of the OTT Family solve their issue.

As said earlier, "there's a lot to learn" but don't let that deter or delay your decision to get an Oliver because you will learn what you need - largely from this website.

Congrats on your upcoming retirement, have fun learning about RVing in general and Ollies in particular!

Cheers!

[Ollietime]

Be sure to look at trailers other than Oliver, that way you'll appreciate the quality that Oliver Travel Trailers puts into their product. We picked ours up last August and have logged over 11,000 miles and close to 15 National Parks. We've encountered no problems with the trailer to date.

 

[Mike and Carol]

Welcome to the forum!  Like you, we are first time RV owners.  When we started looking in 2014 we went to a lot of RV shows and Airstream dealers since we thought we wanted an Airstream.  I learned about Oliver on the Airstream forum.  We saw one locally, visited the factory and were convinced Oliver was the one.  We both retired earlier than we thought we would at 62 but don’t regret it a bit.  We’ve been all around the US, visited most National Parks and a lot of Monuments.  Our Oliver has become a second home over the last 8 years.

Get a factory tour.  Look at other RV makers and do your own comparison.  Retire and hit the road!  You may not feel comfortable with your knowledge about the RV life, but experience will fill in the gaps quickly. 

One unique aspect about Oliver is that the family owned company stays involved with owners.  Oliver leadership folks attend the annual rally and enjoy spending time with Oliver owners.  Customer support is great.  This forum is also a great resource for help and support.  Good luck!  Mike

[SeaDawg]

On 7/30/2023 at 10:42 AM, Ollietime said:

Be sure to look at trailers other than Oliver, that way you'll appreciate the quality that Oliver Travel Trailers puts into their product. We picked ours up last August and have logged over 11,000 miles and close to 15 National Parks. We've encountered no problems with the trailer to date.

 

I totally agree with that. 

We looked at, honestly, everything available when we were looking in 2007/2008 for our "forever" purchase. (We weren't new to camping.)

We started at rv lots. My husband and I  laughed, and walked out,  when a salesman tried to convince us that with a 5th wheel hitch in my 2005 1500 Siverado bed that we'd be "good to go" with the unit he wanted to get off the lot.😪

We looked at (and often crawled over and under) literally "everything. "  RV  shows, all the molded fiberglass trailers available at the time, and finally settled on our Oliver.

We drove roughly 800 miles to tour the then very new production site in Hohenwald.  We saw Ollies in various stages of production,  and could see the amazing frames and care and materials that went into the trailer. (,My husband,  like many owners here, is an engineer. ) 

We put in our deposit on the way home, over the phone, and never looked back.

Our 2008, 16 seasons later, doesn't owe us a dime. Seriously. 

We probably owe a bigger debt to Oliver, and our little trailer. The adventures have been priceless memories. We'll leave our stout little trailer to our daughter, for her to make more  memories with her family. 

[Boudicca908]

I'm so very happy that I found the Oliver -- and that I was able to see one of each size, in person, before placing my order. I'm also glad that I took the time to read many posts on the forum about Tow Vehicles (TV) and systems and other questions posted by owners.

The Forum is like family and you'll find sage advice throughout the forum site. In addition to the Oliver University mentioned above, there is a LOT of information that Oliver provides in their Service Departments portion of the website called Knowledge Base. I'm a new owner (picked up last Spring) and while I have decades of camping experience, this is my first recreational vehicle of any kind (boat, trailer, etc). I have a lot to learn, and I've been enjoying it all -- even when it's a challenge to learn so many things at once. 

Good luck and enjoy your visit to the factory! 

[HDRider]

What testimony!

 

 

[MobileJoy]

I agree with the points above, although it wasn't clear from your post whether or not you will focus on full service campgrounds or boon docking. Although I didn't see it specifically mentioned, I will assume the larger Oliver Elite II.

For boon docking:

1. Get the most electrical power you can. This means at least the Lithium Pro package and preferably the Platinum package.

2. Get the composting toilet (Nature's Head). It is a learning experience but it is better for off-grid camping of more than a couple of days.

For full hookup style camping:

1. You should at least get solar and the AGM batteries because there will always be some situations where hookups are not available (e.g., Harvest Host).

2. The standard flush toilet is easier than the composting toilet to use.

For a TV:

Get a 3/4 ton or bigger. You don't need a weight distribution hitch (WDH) and you can carry more cargo. Regarding diesel vs gas, modern diesels are much more powerful and fuel efficient, meaning you will get more range on a tank of gas. If you plan some long rural trips such as to Alaska this could be the thing that helps you avoid getting stranded. OTOH, gas vehicles are less expensive and finding repair facilities is easier. Either type of heavy duty tow vehicle will get you over the western mountains, although the diesel will do it with more ease. A half ton will require a WDH. Anything lighter may not leave you with enough payload. Be aware that if you violate vehicle towing/weight limits and get into an accident, you may have trouble getting insurance to pay, trouble with any lawsuits against you, and you will be at least partially at fault in any accident.

Regarding the air conditioner:

Many of the current owners have been forced to upgrade from the Dometic Penguin to another solution due to the "near jet engine" noise level. The three are the Oliver-installed Truma Aventa, the Houghton RecPro, and the Dometic FreshJet. The Houghton and FreshJet are not supported by Oliver, and the upgrade after-sale to the Truma Aventa is around $3,600. If AC is important to you, don't skimp on this option.

Regarding the Oliver hitch:

We did not opt for this, but now regret it because I have resumed bicycle riding. Getting it after sale was quoted at $1,125. It's probably cheaper if you just check the box on the options sheet.

Regarding research:

I studied the market looking for the ideal trailer for our goals which are very similar to yours. At one point I was thinking of an Airstream Classic. I found Oliver on line by accident. Having already seen all of the Airstream models we took a factory tour at Oliver. By the time we left Hohenwald we had our OEII on order. After having been in many other makes and models at various dealers and RV shows, being inside an OEII (twin) just plain felt right to both of us. Quality is extremely important to me and the OEII definitely measures up. We've put over 13.5K miles on it touring the nation and have no regrets.

That said, after deciding, I spent the next nine months (order duration during 2020-2021) studying all of the owners manuals. I also spent a considerable amount of time before that studying tow vehicles and the science of towing, including all of the various measurements (GVWR, GCWR, etc.), evaluating vehicles to decide which would actually do for the kind of towing we had planned.

 

[MAX Burner]

@MobileJoy: Hear, hear!  Well said, amigo!  

[dewdev]

dmay56

Many Olliver Elite II owners use a 1/2 ton truck with the weight distribution hitch. If you are not going to travel in the western mountains, the 1/2 ton is sufficient, in my opinion.

[jd1923]

On 7/31/2023 at 5:36 PM, Boudicca908 said:

I'm so very happy that I found the Oliver -- and that I was able to see one of each size, in person, before placing my order. I'm also glad that I took the time to read many posts on the forum about Tow Vehicles (TV) and systems and other questions posted by owners.

The Forum is like family...

We went into it on gut feeling -- Ah, the Golden Gut! Sometimes it works and when it does, it's all the better. I had no idea of the valuable research, like what Boudiicca908, and others have worked. Just so happened there was a nice older used one 4-sale in our town. Bought it 2 days later! Thinking, when will this opportunity happen again? Not likely and no regrets. We joined the Oliver Forum two weeks after our purchase.

We started the other direction, thinking you wanna RV, gotta get a Class-A diesel-pusher. Bought a good used one and sold it a year later, getting our money back, TG! Then we bought a Class-C that had trouble climbing the mountains out west, and after 4 years, sold it just 3 weeks prior to buying our Oliver. I say go for it! Yeah, make sure you want a travel trailer (TT). I never thought to rent, it takes time and it's not yours, but that is the cautious route. If you buy a brand new one and it doesn't work out, you'll take a hit. There are great used ones listed right here in the classifieds. If you are going to buy a TT, buy an Oliver no doubt, absolutely not one of those overpriced nostalgic tin-can models! Lol 

Best wishes and enjoy your next adventure!

[Ralph Mawyer]

Something to seriously consider is buying now, given the relative abundance of late model Elite II's on the market now.

You might want to consider shopping now as I've seen a range from under $50K, to a killer deal on a brand new, fully optioned one the owners had to let go. In May, 2021, the few that showed up disappeared within 48 hours.

So buying now is allows you to shop by budget and/or equipment...and based on values over the last year or so, buying new in two years isn't going to be less expensive, and used prices likely won't drop much, but selection may.

If you haven't already, check out the Classifieds here and the FB Olivers Trailers For Sale page. Most are duplicates, but can vary a bit....along with the oddball listing on RV Trader.

[Half Fast Hugo]

All GREAT advice. I'll be 61 this year and consider myself semi-retired as I teach 24/7 (hours per week/months per year) at a local university. My wife is a few years behind me. We just picked up our 2021 LE2 a few months ago but joined the forum several months before that to do some reading and self-education. Do a lot of research and consider how that information applies to you. We started picking up some of the miscellaneous stuff before we even picked up our LE2. I visited the factory and was working on the build list when a 2021 came up for sale that saved me about $25k although, no factory warranty. This is our second travel trailer and is light-years ahead of the Coachmen we used to travel around in. I would tell you to pull the trigger on it sooner rather than later as you can start doing holiday and weekend trips to work out the kinks and learn how you want things to go for you. You can also make sure most big acquisition expenses are taken care of prior to actually retiring. I've towed boats and campers all my life and definitely the tow vehicle is a serious consideration as it can make trips much more peaceful, or more stressful. We have a 3/4 ton diesel but, they're not for everyone. Weigh out your own considerations and charge forward!

[Rivernerd]

19 hours ago, dewdev said:

Many Olliver Elite II owners use a 1/2 ton truck with the weight distribution hitch. If you are not going to travel in the western mountains, the 1/2 ton is sufficient, in my opinion.

I live in the Idaho mountains, and I tow our Elite II with a 2019 Tundra with the 5.7L engine and tow package.  I agree that it is "sufficient," with an Andersen weight distribution hitch.  But, I definitely know that I am pulling a heavy trailer, which has quite a different feel that my lighter raft trailer, even when the raft trailer is heavily loaded.

So, when I need to replace the Tundra, even though I am a Toyota fan, I plan to carefully evaluate the marginal cost of a Tundra vs. 2500-level Chevy or Dodge, or a Ford F250.  Based on posts on this forum from owners of 3/4-ton and 1-ton pickups, I expect the towing experience with an Elite II behind such a truck to be less stressful.