Oliver Factory Tour: Pls Help Interpret My Findings?

I'm glad you enjoyed the pics/videos. I'm unable to draw any conclusions because this is the only factory I've ever toured? So, I appreciate your help interpreting my pics/videos.

Now, I'm kind-of anxious to see another factory so that I can make a comparison. Stay tuned!

/CC

Thanks so very much for gathering all of this information.

This was certainly time consuming.

Thanks again.

CopilotCompanion, awesome write up! Thank you! I tend to agree with your observations about the shower. Looks like a very stout trailer.

Very very impressive!

That price tag will make you step back.... but seriously if you want to use a trailer for 20+ years it's well worth it.

What I love is that Olivers are designed by people who actually use them. The molds remain the same, but they continually tweak the technical features.

Thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU, for such a detailed pictorial manufacturing review. Those are truly amazing travel trailers !

The picture of the batteries showed Trojan batteries, one of the top name brands in deep discharge batteries. The Hydro Link single point water system is designed by Trojan.

The people who designed that trailer MUST have been in the boat business. There are SO MANY analogies between the 2 ! The little condensation drain actually a throw back to old boat designs that actually go lost in many modern fiberglass boats. Limber holes. Old time boot builder knew there would be water below the floor and the put holes in the frames so that water could run a point in the boat where is could be pumped out.

The more I reflect/study RV design, the more I believe that a one piece (or at least minimum number of pieces) fiberglass/aluminum roof is the BEST design.

What a fantastic writeup, CopilotCompanion. Thank you for your time and patience in putting this all together.

This looks like a great travel trailer with a great fit and finish. Quality.

CopilotCompanion wrote:

Durb wrote:
If in the market for an "egg" style trailer check out fiberglassrv.com. They have a forum dedicated to Oliver trailers. Don't sign on the dotted line before checking out BigFoot. They are also moulded fiberglass but with regular interior finishes not fiberglass like the Oliver. The Bigfoot trailers are 8'-3" wide as compared to 6.5' to 7' width of the Olivers. This allows for a full bath and separate shower plus considerably more interior space and storage. They are also of superb build quality and are in the same price range.

Happy shopping.

//

Durb, thanks for this info. I asked the Oliver folks how they would differentiate their product from Bigfoot. They said the Bigfoots only employ a single fiberglass shell. I have no way of verifying this information and wouldn't know if that was good or bad if it was verified. Care to weigh in further?

Thanks for your extensive report hopefully putting an end to the general consensus that there are no quality built trailers out there. Years ago it was time to upgrade from our pop-up as a toilet and shower became important to us. Being anal, I reviewed the specs, weights and construction detail of almost every TT out there in my size range. My conclusion was a BigFoot 25' rear queen was best for our needs. I found one and it was perfect for the two of us but not so as our granddaughters grew bigger. A few thoughts:

The Bigfoot differs in that it has a single shell, steel frame and traditional wood furnishings. It is larger and tows heavy for its size so a truck is needed. The fiberglass trailers are like camping in a Yeti cooler, they are tight. The R values are less important in my mind as you will be intentionally swapping air to remove interior moisture. The air conditioning is so effective you could probably hang meat in 100+ degree temperatures within a short period of time. They tow like a vault without the shimmy of stick built trailers. I would say longevity is at least 2X. Silly point but they are easy to wash.

The best part of a fiberglass trailer is when you bed down at night and invite Mother Nature to give it her best shot knowing you are going to be dry, warm and comfortable.

Tom Trostel wrote:
CoPilot,
Casita puts an anti-sway bar on almost every trailer that leaves their factory.

Interesting contrast.

APPENDIX A: CONTACT INFORMATION FOR OLIVER EMPLOYEES

Heather Oliver
Sales Representative
737 Columbia Hwy
Hohenwald, TN 38462
888-526-3978
holiver@olivertraveltrailers.com
www.olivertraveltrailers.com

Jason C. Essary
Sales & Service
737 Columbia Hwy
Hohenwald, TN 38462
888-526-3978
jessary@olivertraveltrailers.com
www.olivertravelstrailers.com

coolmom42 wrote:
I have looked at Olivers and talked to a couple who own one. The fit and finish is amazingly good, with first class components.

BUT the couple I saw had spent the night in a thunderstorm, and were going back to the factory because they had a leak around an outside speaker. They were on a shakedown trip and only about 30 miles from the factory.

One concern I have is accessing the wiring, plumbing, and tanks. The salesperson told us it's all between the double lower shells. So take a hard look at that.

They are definitely designed for a single person or a couple who doesn't mind sharing a small space. Not for families.

//

CoolMom, I had never thought about reaching the components inside the shell in the event of failure & I neglected to ask that question. Oliver has a large area dedicated to the service department. I suppose you could bring it back to the dealer?

When I posed the question about the Ollie with the outdoor speaker problem, I was told that Oliver does not offer outdoor speakers. Not quite sure what to make of that?

Agree with you on the family observation. I wouldn't plan on sharing an Ollie unless I was prepared to spend an extended amount of time with that person below the deck of a 25' boat. For some, I suppose, that's just fine?