Katjo Posted August 18, 2023 Posted August 18, 2023 Well this interesting! Oliver partnering with RV dealerships. What’s everyone think? 1 2021 Dodge Ram 1500 2021 Oliver Elite ll Hull #732 Michigan
Cameron Posted August 18, 2023 Posted August 18, 2023 My first reaction is negative. When shopping for a trailer, I decided on the Oliver because it was a small company where I could tour the factory, ask lots of questions from people doing the hands on work, and well, because it was "Elite". It was elite because few people had one, you could only get one from the factory, and it was the antithesis of the mainstream RV brands in America. Although I live in California and can't easily take it back to Tennessee for routine maintenance, I've received excellent customer service that helped me resolve all my issues, so I don't care about the distance. Sounds as if one of the issues is to partner with various RV businesses so that those businesses can provide service with the blessing of OTT. That's good, I guess. But if they're going to have units on site and selling them apart from OTT, I see that as a negative for the brand, not a positive. If OTT wants to grow the company, I think there are other ways they can do it without resorting to the standard model of RV sales lots. When I was kicking tires before getting the Oliver, I had some unpleasant experiences at those lots. It's the "used car salesman" syndrome. I don't want Oliver to get mixed up in that. My impression of Oliver owners is that we are passionate about our trailers because it took some effort to get them. We are a dedicated bunch who love discussing every aspect of the trailer in our very active forums. We are committed, which adds brand value. Putting Oliver trailers on a lot with Jaycos will diminish the brand value. 1 9 1 2021 Elite II #841, 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4, 3.0 diesel
Wandering Sagebrush Posted August 18, 2023 Posted August 18, 2023 Lordy Gawd, don’t let it be anything connected with Lithia Motors. As you might infer, I’m not a fan. 1 Hull #364 - The Roadrunner 2023 F350 CCLB SRW 6.7L
routlaw Posted August 19, 2023 Posted August 19, 2023 It would appear the first sentence of the note says it all, "sales and service". As for service well I've done everything that needed to be serviced so far. Not sure how any of this will be of much help to me. In the meantime we will just have to wait and see how this pans out apparently. 1 Legacy Elite II #70
Wandering Sagebrush Posted August 19, 2023 Posted August 19, 2023 Thinking more about this, I’d like to see OTT set up their own regional centers for both sales and service. While I ended up buying used from an acquaintance, I was still left with a very positive impression of the Oliver organization. IMO… They should replicate that culture and experience to accomplish their planned growth. 7 Hull #364 - The Roadrunner 2023 F350 CCLB SRW 6.7L
Patriot Posted August 19, 2023 Posted August 19, 2023 I think this is a wise move by Oliver. Thinking forward and into the future about potential new customers and more exposure of the Oliver brand and having approved dealerships that can work on existing Oliver owners trailers. If you are in Southern California or Washington State or Maine and you need service on your Oliver it’s a long trek to Hohenwald. I think if Oliver can partner up with a strong dealership sales network and get techs trained up on servicing Olivers it has the potential for a very successful venture. It appears from Anita’s email nothing will prevent owners from still having service done at the Hohenwald Service Center. Onward! Patriot🇺🇸 6 2020 OLEII - Hull #634 aka- “XPLOR” TV 2021 F350 6.7 liter Diesel Lariat Ultimate Tremor Retro upgrades - Truma Aventa 13.5 AC, Alcan 5 leaf pack, Alcan HD shackles & HD wet bolts, 5200lb never lube axles. XPEL 10 mil PPF front both front corners, 30 lb LP tanks, Sea Biscuit Front Cargo Storage box. North Carolina 🇺🇸
Katjo Posted August 19, 2023 Author Posted August 19, 2023 @Patriot I completely agree. They are spreading their wings and I feel it will be beneficial to the Oliver Company as far as sales go and especially for Oliver owners in regards to nationwide Oliver trained service centers. 2 2021 Dodge Ram 1500 2021 Oliver Elite ll Hull #732 Michigan
HDRider Posted August 19, 2023 Posted August 19, 2023 My first reaction was negative. I can't lie. Oliver is very expensive now. Dealers have to make money. The price will go up even more for dealers to make their margin on top of the profit Oliver makes. Or,,, Let's not think about the other possibility. Perish the thought. And even worse than the perished thought, the next thing we will hear is that Warren bought Oliver. 1 2 Jeff & Cindy - NE Arkansas - 2023 Legacy Elite II - Twin Bed - Hull #1423 TV - 2015 Silverado 2500 Duramax 4x4
dewdev Posted August 19, 2023 Posted August 19, 2023 I think it is a good idea to partner with RV service centers. I do not like the idea of Oliver providing trailers to RV sales centers. They will just inflate the alreay high cost. A RV sales provider may not want to sell Oliver's if the factory is also selling them (at a lower cost) IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH THE IDEA, PROVIDE YOUR FEEDBACK ON THE EMAIL THEY SENT. OTT will not likely see any comments on this form post. 1 2018 Oliver Elite II, Twin Bed, Hull #354 2024 RAM 1500, 4 x 4; Gas. 5.7L V8 Hemi MDS VVT Torque; 3.21 rear axle ratio w/TIMBREN spring rear suspension Maine
HDRider Posted August 19, 2023 Posted August 19, 2023 Before I bought Oliver I looked at other trailers that did not have a wide dealer network. They certified service centers across the country and enabled that model to work.. That is a good thing. Another trailer sold through a few select dealers. The story I heard over and over was that every trailer coming was already sold. The manufacturer did not sell direct. Dealers' emphasis is on selling. Dealers view service as an afterthought, or a necessary evil to sell trailers. I can see Oliver wanting to sustain a certain volume during this downturn. Using dealers is certainly the first idea one might have to do that. Dealers will push whatever trailer gives them the greatest margin. Oliver will either languish on dealer lots, get even more expensive with dealer margin tacked on, or Oliver will have to lower the cost to dealers to move units. 3 Jeff & Cindy - NE Arkansas - 2023 Legacy Elite II - Twin Bed - Hull #1423 TV - 2015 Silverado 2500 Duramax 4x4
Boudicca908 Posted August 19, 2023 Posted August 19, 2023 I hope if OTT decides to do this, they reach out to existing owners for personal feedback on service experience -- because a service center can have a "great reputation" locally or even regionally and still fail on providing good service for an Oliver. 1 1 Oliver Elite II Twin (delivered 3/28/2022) Tow Vehicle: Chevy Silverado 2500HD diesel
New2Oliver Posted August 19, 2023 Posted August 19, 2023 New Coke. Remington arms. Bud Light. Oliver trailers. Ken and Sherrill, Middle TN Elite 2, #1085 2007 GMC, 4x4, LBZ/Allison
CRM Posted August 19, 2023 Posted August 19, 2023 27 minutes ago, New2Oliver said: New Coke. Remington arms. Bud Light. Oliver trailers. Given Oliver's history of quality and service I think it's pretty ridiculous to make those comparisons even before any details are known. They've earned that much. 2 2010 Elite II, Hull #45. 2014 Toyota Sequoia Platinum 4WD 5.7 with tow package.
New2Oliver Posted August 19, 2023 Posted August 19, 2023 4 minutes ago, CRM said: Given Oliver's history of quality and service I think it's pretty ridiculous to make those comparisons even before any details are known. They've earned that much. The proposal to change the channel of distribution to a network of dealers is more than a detail. All of the companies I mentioned also had tremendous histories of quality and brand loyalty. They are also examples of the fragility of brand equity and as you say, how "ridiculous" it would be to demolish decades of work in an instant. I am not knocking anything about Oliver. What I am saying is that it is naive to think that partnering with any entity that is of lower repute, less quality, less competent technical service will not damage this brand. The only question is to what extent, and how quickly the brand will be diminished. 7 Ken and Sherrill, Middle TN Elite 2, #1085 2007 GMC, 4x4, LBZ/Allison
Cort Posted August 19, 2023 Posted August 19, 2023 I'm on the West Coast - glad to see service centers out here. 3 2023 Chevrolet Express 4x4 - 2019 Oliver Legacy Elite II - Hull 529 - Roaming the Western US with Skye (my dog) (and at times my Canadian partner).
HDRider Posted August 19, 2023 Posted August 19, 2023 I would love to see Oliver owned and operated dealers and service centers here. Key phrase "Oliver Owned and Operated" 5 Jeff & Cindy - NE Arkansas - 2023 Legacy Elite II - Twin Bed - Hull #1423 TV - 2015 Silverado 2500 Duramax 4x4
Guest Posted August 19, 2023 Posted August 19, 2023 Partnering with dealerships to provide service is a smart idea if Oliver does so with family run businesses that have a good reputation in their areas. That said, I'm close enough to Hohenwald that I would still take my Ollie there for anything serious, even if a service center opened up closer to home. I'm lukewarm to cold on the idea of placing units at dealerships. One of the primary reasons I bought from Oliver (and almost from Escape) was because they sold factory direct. I don't recall, will Oliver ship your trailer to you or does everyone have to pick it up in Hohenwald? For those that don't want to go to BC, Escape Travel Trailers ships to designated spots around the US (cost various by distance from the factory). I wonder if Oliver looked into something similar?
Moderators topgun2 Posted August 19, 2023 Moderators Posted August 19, 2023 2 hours ago, Bryan in NC said: I don't recall, will Oliver ship your trailer to you or does everyone have to pick it up in Hohenwald? Well - yes and no. Oliver has worked with a few "shippers" to get an Oliver delivered directly to a customer. However, I believe that the actual shipment and arrangements for the shipping are completed between the shipper and the customer versus Oliver handling all of the details. In any case, it can be arranged such that a customer does not have to go to Hohenwald to get their Ollie. Bill 2 2023 Ford F150 Lariat 3.5EB FX4 Max Towing, Max Payload, 2016 Oliver Elite II - Hull #117 "Twist" Near Asheville, NC
Steph and Dud B Posted August 20, 2023 Posted August 20, 2023 My few experiences with RV dealer-based service centers have not been good. Dealers have a hard time finding and retaining techs, and the techs they have are usually poorly-informed about the details of the various product lines they sell. Just read through any of the forums for SOB trailers and you'll see these types of comments over and over. "I asked the service tech what the red switch does, and he didn't know," "My trailer's been in the shop for 6 weeks now," "I finally got my trailer back and the problem still isn't fixed," etc. In our case, the dealer simply wouldn't return our calls and we ended up taking the trailer back to the factory in Indiana for repairs. Now we only deal with a local/mobile service facility that does NOT sell RVs. If OTT wanted to partner up with RV service centers, fine, but I'd be very wary of any dealership-based service they offered. As for sales, I think a dealer network will effectively cheapen the product, one way or another. To keep the price point the same while still allowing dealer profit would require lowering the manufacturing costs/cutting corners. We've already seen a bit of that to cover the COVID sales crunch: no more customization, no swoosh decals. Two of our previous trailers were from independent manufacturers not based in Elkhart. Slightly better quality than the Indiana trailers and slightly more expensive. Both those companies went under because they couldn't compete side by side with cheaper units on dealer lots. So, service centers? Maybe good. Dealer sales? I don't think so. But,OTT apparently needs to do something different. I hope it works out. 1 5 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:
Cameron Posted August 26, 2023 Posted August 26, 2023 Sounds like the decision has been made and OTT is moving fast. 2021 Elite II #841, 2020 GMC Sierra 1500 AT4, 3.0 diesel
HDRider Posted August 27, 2023 Posted August 27, 2023 I guess the questionnaire to us was only perfunctory. The article from August 24, 2023 “We are excited to embark on this new chapter and expand our reach through our Dealership Program,” said Scott Oliver, CEO of Oliver Travel Trailers. “We believe that this is the best way to ensure that our customers have a positive experience with our products and services.” The dealer network is expected to be fully operational by the end of the year. In the meantime, Oliver is accepting applications from qualified dealers. https://www.rvtravel.com/oliver-travel-trailers-establish-dealer-network-1119b/ 1 Jeff & Cindy - NE Arkansas - 2023 Legacy Elite II - Twin Bed - Hull #1423 TV - 2015 Silverado 2500 Duramax 4x4
HDRider Posted August 27, 2023 Posted August 27, 2023 More from the same link In addition to the dealer network, Oliver is also expanding its manufacturing capacity. The company is investing in new equipment and facilities to increase its production output. This will allow Oliver to meet the growing demand for its travel trailers. “We are excited about the future of Oliver Travel Trailers,” said Oliver. “We believe that this dealer network and our investment in manufacturing will help us to continue to grow and succeed.” Jeff & Cindy - NE Arkansas - 2023 Legacy Elite II - Twin Bed - Hull #1423 TV - 2015 Silverado 2500 Duramax 4x4
John E Davies Posted August 27, 2023 Posted August 27, 2023 Mark your calendars, the day this network becomes official indicates the death of an un-matchable independent brand. I hope there are very firm stipulations to prevent price manipulations by the clueless dealer sales droids. If dealers can set prices, it will destroy the stellar resale value of existing Hulls. I have some personal experience with a local “premium” dealer, RnR RV Superstore, I sure hope they are not in the new network ;( They do indeed have a fine glitzy indoor super showroom, they took over a defunct Fred Meyer box store. I guess that would be good for showing an Ollie… Sad times ahead! IMHO of course. John Davies Spokane WA 3 SOLD 07/23 "Mouse": 2017 Legacy Elite II Two Beds, Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads: Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 32” LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel, Maggiolina Grand Tour 360 Carbon RTT.
Katjo Posted August 27, 2023 Author Posted August 27, 2023 One of the things I love about Oliver’s is they are a independent company and you could only buy one (new) direct from the factory. It’s part of what makes the Oliver so special. I understand this move from Oliver’s perspective. They are a business looking to grow. I hope this works out well for Oliver, I wish them all the best and much success as I’m sure it was a difficult decision to expand outside of their home base. 4 2021 Dodge Ram 1500 2021 Oliver Elite ll Hull #732 Michigan
Patriot Posted August 27, 2023 Posted August 27, 2023 4 hours ago, HDRider said: More from the same link In addition to the dealer network, Oliver is also expanding its manufacturing capacity. The company is investing in new equipment and facilities to increase its production output. This will allow Oliver to meet the growing demand for its travel trailers. “We are excited about the future of Oliver Travel Trailers,” said Oliver. “We believe that this dealer network and our investment in manufacturing will help us to continue to grow and succeed.” Awesome, and I read the entire link. A business needs to grow or die on the vine. Good for present and future owners! 👍🏻 Patriot🇺🇸 3 2020 OLEII - Hull #634 aka- “XPLOR” TV 2021 F350 6.7 liter Diesel Lariat Ultimate Tremor Retro upgrades - Truma Aventa 13.5 AC, Alcan 5 leaf pack, Alcan HD shackles & HD wet bolts, 5200lb never lube axles. XPEL 10 mil PPF front both front corners, 30 lb LP tanks, Sea Biscuit Front Cargo Storage box. North Carolina 🇺🇸
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