Thank you! It’s great to hear the experience of fellow Ollie owners!

Thank you! We’ll keep our eyes out for you.

Thank you! We’re loving it, just needing to modify how we were living a bit.

That is funny! We had looked at the AS 23 and 25 as options, but neither would have been what we were looking for the day we took delivery. The Airstreams we owned (a 27 Signature and 30 Classic) were fun, but we’ve very much enjoyed our little Ollie, despite the wet bath. Also funny you mention the wet bath in a $100,000 camper when my current dream camper also has a wet bath and runs a sporty $200,000 before delivery from AU. The Bruder EXP-8. Just goes to show we all have different ideas of the ideal trailer. Luckily, the abundance of manufacturers seem to have something for everyone. Enjoy your adventure!

@@HardAleeAdventures you make a true statement. Actually, the Oliver rep in Tenn told us it is their biggest mistake with the wet bath. They are working on a solution he said.

@@Tincupping that’s a tough one. The only way I could see them going to a dry bath would require eliminating the closet or making a larger camper. Having lived in Piccolino for 14 months, we couldn’t have done without that closet. For a few weeks at a time, it would be a fine, but not as RV nomads. Every rig is a compromise 😉.

Thank you and we hope for the same!

I ordered the same Froli system for one twin bed and if it works well, I will add it to my other twin.

@@amyarmbruster8747 we’ve been in 18-degree temps the last few nights and it’s doing great. We opted to not get the upgraded mattresses and instead put a mattress pad over the cushions and a 3” foam topper over that. Very comfortable, even with a bad back, and zero condensation. I hope it works as well for you.

Right? These things tow like a dream. I had initially opted for WD, but deleted that before pick-up and I'm glad I did. With a 3/4 ton truck and torsion flex hitch it is great even in pretty windy conditions in the plains.

Thank you and very true. We got a dent in one corner of the roof. Price tag to repair was almost $5000!

I believe you’ll be very happy with your decision. Don’t get me wrong. We loved our Airstreams, but the Oliver is more capable for off-grid living, without modification. We still love the iconic look of the AS, but are very happy we joined the Oliver family. I bet June can’t come quickly enough. Exciting!

Ha! I did the opposite of you and went with the Caravel 20 versus the Ollie Elite 1. Very tough choice. I don't think you can go wrong with either

We can't agree more! We hope to see you next time we're in LA!

Yup. They’re small. We’ve been full-time in our Oliver for nine months with another eight planned before we head home. Certainly not for everyone, but it’s working for us. A few more feet would be great when it’s raining day after day, but that’s not the norm.

Absolutely! You hit the proverbial nail on the head. Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Thank you! Yes, Oliver’s are certainly not inexpensive. They seem to be very similarly priced to a comparably sized Airstream. They certainly are built to a high standard, which is what initially attracted us.

Thanks! It definitely had more room…and was heavier, wider, more difficult to find sites, and more expensive to repair. We loved our Airstream for what we were doing at that time and love our Oliver for what we’ve been doing the past year. Who knows what the next chapter will bring. 😉

Thank you! Glad to hear from another happy down-sizer! We're looking forward to having them and will do our best to keep up with the videos.

Thank you! Great to hear that another Ollie owner has been putting it to the test without problems. That’s an impressive year. We’ll be in 🇨🇦 an mid-May headed to Alaska. Can’t wait. We’re already booked in Banff, Jasper, and Dawson City to push north to Tuktoyaktuk (with our roof top tent, leaving the Ollie safely behind in DC 😉). Cheers 🍻!

@@HardAleeAdventures we use our GoFast Camper for more adventure travel and leave base camp safe. The GoFast has made life a lot easier as I can stand in the truck bed while organizing stuff and can store our bicycles inside the topper💯

@@perrygauthier1174 we’ll have to look those up. Thanks!

Our Oliver just wants to be a bigger Oliver when it grows up 😆

@@HardAleeAdventures I looked at Olivers and I really wanted one but I was impatient and wanted to travel and not wait for it to be built. Big mistake. Not that I don’t like my Casita but comparing a Casta to an Ollie is like comparing apples and oranges. Nice choice you made!

@@privatepilot4064 thank you. We love the quality of the build. We were fortunate that we still had our Airstream until about a week before our Oliver was ready. A rented U-Haul, an AirBnB, a night at a hotel and substantial stress bordering on insanity and we were beginning our Oliver adventures. 😆

Thank you. Now having around 12,000 miles on it over 9 months, we really appreciate the build quality. There are certainly things we’d change, but they’re great semi-customizable campers.

Thank you! Looks like we had a lot of the same boxes to check off. We also opted for the big lithium/solar option and have been loving it. We carry a 230W Zamp suitcase around as well, but haven't needed it yet. Currently there's plenty of sunshine in the southwest, but we expect to be using it more as we work our way north to AK. Cheers!

@@HardAleeAdventures Hey BTW I shared this video and therefor your KZfaq channel on the Oliver owner's forum. Hopefully we can get those subscriber numbers to jump! I subscribed and will be following. You're the only channel on KZfaq that will be featuring an Oliver, at least for now. Woohoo!

Thank you! That is terrific. We'll also try to incorporate some Ollie-centric material for our Oliver family. Cheers!

We were seriously looking at vans before going Ollie. We love how easy it would be to stop at places along the way instead of having to drop the trailer first. Pros and cons to each. Wouldn’t it be nice to have one of each 😆?

All it takes is $$$!!! We could tow the Ollie with our Sprinter. Hmmm. May have to give that some thought!! We've been full-time since 2007. Our 5th wheel is now permanently parked in AZ. Our van is our multi-month excursion rig. The van would be too small for the two of us to full-time permanent. We're out about 6-7 months per year. If we were to go back to permanently on the road again, Ollie for sure.

@@kevnrob1 Now that would be a super sweet rig!

Thank you! We’re having fun putting them together and glad you enjoy them!

Thank you! You as well!

Thank you! We’ve been enjoying it, although it is a bit tight for full-timing in extended rainy weather 😆.

Thank you! We’re loving it so far.

Thanks! Tidy is a good way to put it. 🍻

Thank you! We’ll be sure to keep posting.

Thank you 🙏! We’re very happy with it so far. Enjoy your trip to Joshua Tree!

Campingalan, be prepared for wind in Ouray. I live in Montrose. The wind is brutal.

@Happy Camper Hi there, fellow western sloper!! Thanks for the heads up. I fly for a family out of Telluride. I will be flying back into Montrose in about 2 hrs.

Thank you for watching our little adventures!

Thank you. The Airstream was great and the second one we’ve owned. So far, our Oliver is proving to be the perfect tool for us during this next chapter of adventures. If cost wasn’t a factor, we’d probably have ordered a Bruder EXP8. Maybe if we win the lottery, but first we may need to buy a ticket 😁

Thanks! We try…don’t always succeed, but always give it a go 😉!

Thank you 🙏! Yes, it would be a big adjustment. There are pros and cons to every rig, but this is a great one! We’ll keep on putting them out.

You can make this comment because you are still in your 40' er 🤣

@@wetspotswimwear1199 not sure what that is supposed to mean but what I stated was true. Oliver rigs are great little rigs and probably built better than my solitude.

@nathanurick8320 what I meant was : because you are in a 40' er, it's easy to say you love love love an Oliver ( being that they are so small ) Like owning a Corvette and saying you love love love a Chevette. Living in the big rv is SO much better

@@wetspotswimwear1199 I guess it’s different for everyone. We love, love, love our little Ollie and we used to live in a larger camper. I think a big part is how you use them. If we were entertaining inside and living in RV parks, we’d probably prefer a 40’ fifth wheel, too. Being out in nature, mostly boondocking, and getting together with friends around campfires. The Oliver fits that lifestyle very well. It’s just great that the RV industry gives us so many options to suit every RV lifestyle 🙂.

Thank you! We had intended to do that, but got caught up in living the adventures and haven’t been creating videos for a while. The truck build is definitely on our to-do list. Cheers!

So far do good! We’ve made it to Utah and all is well. Adventures continue.

Thanks for watching and we appreciate your comments. Honestly, we’re just as curious to see how it goes 😉. It’s been great in the relatively dry climates we’ve been in for the last 7 weeks, but the real test will be when we’re in rainy damp weather for days at a time.

I’m sure that would be a difficult repair, not unlike any RV/boat/etcetera that has plumbing/wiring/ducting in inaccessible places. Fortunately, all systems are easily accessible through panels and the runs between access points are fairly short. While nothing I’ve ever worked on (houses, cars, helicopters, boats, & RVs) offers 100% access to every inch of hose, wire, or ducting, Oliver has done a good job at accessibility. Not perfect, but very good. I’m sure some repairs could lead to a lot of cursing, but I’ve already run the Starlink wiring between the hulls and it took minimal effort. Here’s hoping nothing requiring separation of the hulls ever comes up. If so, I guess it would be like any other major repair on any RV, break out the wallet and wince. Thanks for your comment.

We agree regarding build quality, although we would certainly make a few minor tweaks, such as a separate low-flow shower nozzle and more under seat/bed storage 😉.

Yup. I actually think with frame will outlast the Airstream since the Oliver uses aluminum. You still see lots of 60+ year old fiberglass sailboats out on the water, so that’s a testament to the longevity of fiberglass.

@@HardAleeAdventures I can not argue or want to argue that point . That is the reason I went with a northern lite truck camper when I purchased my camper. I do love the inner and outer shells on a oliver. Fiberglass is the only way to go on a camper now days.

@@boondockingamerica those slide ins look well built. We looked at a Hallmark before we decided to continue with a bumper pull. Sure would be nice to have one of each. Use whichever makes the most sense for the specific adventure.

Thank you! The wet bath was the hardest sell for Kelly too. It's not the most desirable, but works for the 3-4 minutes we spend in it. It does, however, take a few minutes to squeegee and wipe down walls/floor after. With the shower curtain option, it confines the water to just the shower area, not the toilet, so that's a plus.Enjoy your AS, we'd looked at a 25 and 23 before ordering the Ollie.

Thank you 🙏! We’re excited to be a part of it!

That's very similar to what some friends of ours are looking at doing. Unfortunately, their fifth wheel has some weld issues, so that's thrown a wrench into things at the moment. Keep on adventuring!

We’re certainly glad he didn’t end up in the food chain.

Thanks for watching! We do miss the abundance of windows, just not when it’s too hot or cold out 🤣. The Oliver is definitely a more compact camper and not for everyone, but it does fit our needs extremely well. We have very much appreciated the ability to stuff Piccolino into tight spaces we could never have fit our 30’ Airstream. For us, it’s the best tool we could find for our current journey. We’re happy to hear you have found the tool that works for yours. Cheers!

@@HardAleeAdventures great point on the AC with the windows as we have to run both AC units when its hot. We plan to upgrade our 2015 GMC to the new AT4X with a camper shell and kubota 7000 mounted in the bed running exhaust through camper shell using marine exhaust port. No more gasoline, two 15 gallon over well tanks and milwaukee transfer pump to fill generator or main tank if we need. 16.5 hours run time running both AC units on one tank. I am tired of 5 gallon jerry cans in the heat of the day spilling gas every other refill. Our heater does a better job, cake above zero and down to -28 it goes through propane tank a day and is hard to keep shower drain from freezing. Do you guys rely on solar or do you supplement with generator?

@@tyb3938 We do carry a little Honda 2000 for emergencies, but have not used it since picking up our Oliver in February. We have 400w of solar on the roof and a 230w suitcase feeding 640 amp-hours of LiFePO4 batteries connected to a 3000w inverter, so little need for a generator and don’t particularly like the sound. They do take away from a nice sundowner or evening by the fire 😉. During multiple days of inclement weather, we saw our batteries dip down around 45% once. We mostly dry camp, but do plug in once in a while. As nomads, we typically avoid extreme temperatures, but had the lovely experience of our pillows freezing to the bulkhead of our Airstream 27 International when camping in 17 degrees. We’ve only been down to the low 20’s in our Ollie so far, but no freezing pillows. The insulated double hulls, double pane windows, and a tight envelope make the interior temperature quite comfortable in everything we’ve experienced to date. The only issue can be condensation if camping in the cold, which can be mitigated by maintaining a more comfortable interior temperature, changing out the air once in a while, and running a small dehumidifier if necessary. So far, so good.

@@HardAleeAdventures we are back to weekend warriors so in summer even in Stanley it gets so hot we run ac from 2-9pm july and august. Once we retire we will follow you guys up to Alaska chasing cool temps as we would rather be outside than inside w ac running. We have 600 solar and 600 lithium as well. Only need generator in summer. First time cold camping we were like you w pillows freezing to window. We have an easy fix. Installed cover for max air fan so it is open 24/7 rain shine or snow. Condensation with propane heater is your worst enemy. Now we stay warm and dry. We routinely boondock camp from zero to 20 degrees as we are avid hunters and it is total cake except for the one night heater broke at midnight, luckily I was able to take apart, shaking from cold and in the dark figure out the fan sensor had bent from use and false reading fan not working had shut down heater. Without that fix tanks would have frozen solid. Wish our rig had two heaters

Maybe we’ll be the first 😉. The white looks good when clean, but it doesn’t stay that way for long when your out adventuring.

Great information. Thanks for sharing that in the comments.

Thank you! It was odd. The microwave seemed to work intermittently and the convection oven worked fine. Most likely a faulty magnetron or bad connection. We were just happy they quickly changed it out the next morning and got us on our way.

Thanks for watching and your question. We did consider other fiberglass campers, including the Bigfoot. What sold us on the Oliver is the double hull design and dual pane windows. It does add some weight, but also makes for a very tight, true four-season camper. I believe Bigfoot uses 1 1/2” of EPS foam inside the fiberglass skin, so around R-8 where there is foam, so likely a good option, we just love having the interior be fiberglass with all the cabinets part of that interior fiberglass shell. No cabinets to loosen up or rot and no potential for mold on the walls. Many good fiberglass options out there, just different design/engineering.

Great campers as well, from what we’ve heard. Those of us with full fiberglass campers gotta stick together 😉. Enjoy your Bigfoot and keep on adventuring!

We looked at the Oliver as well - ended up with a Canadian Escape 21NE which worked a bit better for our budget and use cases. Love the fibreglass trailers!

From what we've heard, those are great campers as well. We've seen several on our travels. Keep on adventuring!

Having now owned and traveled full time in both the AS and the Oliver, I would say the AS was much more spacious, but the Oliver build quality, component quality, insulation, and rodentproofness is better. If going solely by aesthetics, the AS wins out. Just my opinion, but it really depends how you’re going to experience your nomadic adventures. Were such fans of nimble, minimalist travel, you might see us with a slide-in camper in the future. That’s the beauty of RV life. We’re all able to find what fits our individual needs/wants.

Oddly, it did heat intermittently, so may not have gotten caught. Also, not sure any manufacturer would actually heat up leftovers to check the function 😆. Likely would just turn it on, which they did during our walkthrough, and it seemed to work fine. We were just happy they quickly took care of it and got us back out adventuring.

Actually their quality control is industry leading. But like all RV manufacturers, they buy systems and appliances manufactured by other companies, which they have no control over. If an appliance fails in an Oliver, no other manufacturer will make it right faster than Oliver will, no questions asked. One thing Oliver is also know for is sourcing the highest grade of components possible. When a better option is identified, the new option is incorporated into the design as soon as it can be designed in and tested. I assume you've owned a new RV before. Without exception, factory new RVs of every price level will have a punch list of items that will need repaired at the time of delivery. Even Airstreams are very much a part of this statistic. Depending on the selling dealership, this may be addressed in a few weeks, but can take many months to satisfy. Often times the new owner is forced to deal with the supplier of faulty equipment as the selling dealership passes that burden onto the new owner. If a unit is completely problem free at delivery, it's because the dealership went way out of their way to trouble shoot the unit before delivery to the new owner. That's almost universally unheard-of. Our Oliver Elite 2 was nearly flawless at deliver and still is 6 weeks later.

Definitely cozy. It has everything we need, in a compact package 😉. We do notice we’re spending more time outside, which is a positive in our eyes. I wouldn’t recommend it for everyone, but it’s working well for us.

@RVfuntimes, Haha, I guess it’s perspective, we own a 17 foot Casita so their Oliver looks like a mansion compared to ours. I do prefer the construction of laid fiberglass trailers, as opposed to other construction methods. There are still lots of trailers from the 1980’s and 90’s still on the road that use this building technique. I’m not sure it’s even possible to upgrade from an Oliver, it’s the pinnacle of fiberglass trailers.

@@stuartstuart866 concur 👍. Having lived on fiberglass sailboats that get pounded pretty hard in large seas, we can attest to the durability of well laid-up glass. My grandparents had a Scamp many years ago, so it’s like we’ve come full circle 😊.

Thank you! It certainly was. So far, we’re loving it. We only have a little over a month in it and just hit 2000 miles between TN and UT, so still figuring out how to live in the smaller space, but finding out groove and it’s going well. Just need to come up with many clever storage solutions, which we’ll show in a future video in the next few weeks. We ordered the Froli separately. Oliver offers the addition of an anti-condensation mat, but it’s what we’d used on our sailboat so knew it worked, but provided no additional comfort. This is our first Froli system and we’re sold! It significantly increased comfort and we’ve had zero condensation under the mattress in temps down to 18 F. Being full-timers and doing more than just interstate driving, we definitely put our rigs to the test. We’ll continue to give updates in our future videos.

Sure! The RV park was in Milton, just north-east of Pensacola and north of Gulf Breeze, and it’s called Avalon Landing - avalonlandingrvpark.com/ If you’re referring to the AirBnB, it is also in Milton a few miles further from P’cola - www.airbnb.com/rooms/661066516413093763?adults=1&s=10&unique_share_id=DA5B396D-8782-469D-BDCA-64B79B925B01&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXT0zKS9LLTdXPTXJKSQ8I9HeuTAIADVLmzRsAAAA%3D&_branch_match_id=1170446340272638462&source_impression_id=p3_1680294380_Y9ElTfuh50baIW0n. Finding places in Pensacola during the winter/early spring is challenging.

There were many factors. The biggest being that we could order it the way we wanted it (solar, large lithium bank, 3000-watt inverter, etc.) and we are boaters, so like the fiberglass build. The other big things are extremely good build quality and still a family company, not a corporation beholden to shareholders where customers are lower priority. The Oliver experience has been incredible. After owning two Airstreams (both pre-COVID builds) and now the Oliver, we would recommend the Ollie to anyone interested in a small, high-quality travel trailer.

@@HardAleeAdventures thanks for your reply. Looking forward to our adventures in the Ollie as well!! Best wishes !

@@davidprovost213 here’s hoping our tracks might someday cross. Cheers 🍻.

They are built like tanks. To my knowledge, they are the only double-hulled fiberglass trailer. This makes it so all the cabinets, lockers, seating, and etcetera are fiberglass as well, within the inside hull. This also improves the insulation value, having the air gap and insulation, between the hull layers, finally it makes it more impermeable to water intrusion. All good things. We also liked that they are made-to-order, so you can get as basic or decked out a version as you like. They have a well equipped basic camper, then numerous options to get it how you want it and they weren't ridiculous on the costs for the options. All-in-all we had a great experience working with Oliver and they've continued to be great after the sale, helping me trouble shoot a couple minor issues and immediately repairing the few we found before we left the factory coming spaces. All this does come a a premium, but well worth it in my opinion. Hope this helps.

@@HardAleeAdventures Thanks for the Info !! Ive heard their double hull design is Awesome. And water proof. Two major plus.Definitely on my list of possible Rv's Thanks again. looking forward to seeing updates !!

And we hope you enjoy that, but slides wouldn’t work in some of the places we camp and we just had the joy of helping push someone’s broken slide back in two days ago. To each their own, which is the beauty of all the options out there. Enjoy your adventure in whatever way you choose 💜.

Slides turn into maintenance problems down the road. I like these practically leak proof fiberglass trailers.

@@fortyseven1832 same here, but to each their own. I know the slides are great for those that want luxury living, just not practical for those of us that prefer the road less traveled 😉. However, we’re also comfy in far less space. The sailboats we previously lived in never had slides 😆.

lol@@HardAleeAdventures

They are fairly customizable with a list of numerous options/packages to choose from. Ours came in just over $100k, so similar price point to a higher trim level Airstream, but with far more options included. Not sure what 2024s go for, but base LEII (the tandem axle model we have) was in the low-mid 70s last year.

@@HardAleeAdventures thanks for your transparency....impressive trailer

@@brojerhwg5206 no problem. It seems finding pricing is challenging. It used to be on their website. Maybe more challenging to find now since they are selling through dealers for the first time. We ordered through, and picked up from the factory, which was the only way you could do it until very recently. Cheers!

Yes, the wet bath certainly takes getting used to. It’s probably our least favorite feature, but a compromise we were willing to make. We had looked at Embers (and Black Series), but the build quality was far inferior. The rust on frames of new ones sitting on the dealer’s lot and just generally poor build quality, in our opinion, took these off our list. If we had an extra $100,000 (plus shipping) sitting around at the time, we would have ordered a Bruder EXP-8, but that’s not happening any time soon 😉.

@@HardAleeAdventuresat first I thought I couldn’t do a wet bath. I changed my mind . I could clean the bathroom at once.

@@Berrypancakes229 absolutely! Maximize cleaning time 😆.

It’s about the same height as we had in the Airstream. I have to crouch just a bit in both. I do find I have more room in the Oliver’s wet bath, even with the shower curtain closing off the toilet area, so net gain in shower space.

It's best described as a "couples camper". Compact and very efficient is the design objective. The small bath is something to get used to, but just like many class B and some class C owners, as well as a large percentage of smaller campers, a wet bath is a compromise that you have to adjust to in order to keep the camper as compact as possible. I'm 6'2" and it's a little snug in the bath but very easy to get accustomed to. I can stand up with my head touching the ceiling. No problems. What I like to tell folks is that I don't camp out in the bathroom. I do what's necessary and then continue to enjoy my camping adventure. The wet bath isn't a library like the one at home, but it very effectively gets the job done. That's all we need it for.

@@chrisneuhaus7188 Thank you for your info. I am 6' 1" and was wondering about how you fit into the bed.

@@jamesi9463 At 6'2" I have no problem sleeping in the bed flat on my back laying out straight. My head is close to the pantry cabinet and my feet are almost touching the rear wall, but I do not feel cramped or claustrophobic. I normally sleep much of the night, whether in the camper or in my king size bed at home, on my side with knees slightly bent. This is very comfortable for me. Actually I usually have two smallish dogs sleeping in the bed with me and have no problems in the Oliver. For us, the LE2 is the perfect size camper for living an adventurous lifestyle. One other item, we are very happy we chose the composting toilet option. No more waiting in line for the dump stations when leaving the campground, no black tank constraints or maintenance issues either.

Thanks for the emoji bomb! 🙌

We LOVE the Gen-Y hitch. When you order it, you can get the correct shank size for your receiver, the amount of drop/rise you want (we went extra for other items we tow) and match your weight range for the projected tongue weight. The Boss hitch is designed for tongue weights from 400-1,100 pounds and pairs perfectly with the Oliver. We use no WD system and it tows better than our previous camper with the WD hitch. Highly recommend and if you ever served in the military, they’ll give you a discount. We hope this helps and enjoy your Oliver adventures!

@@HardAleeAdventures thank you!

@@keith4690 you are very welcome!

I'm guessing it's an affinity toward fiberglass. Sailors know how strong and durable it is. At least that was a big factor for us.

@@HardAleeAdventures We sold our long keel Grampion sale boat before we started our land adventure and a one piece fiberglass unit was also a deciding factor for us.

@@EarthRoamingAdventures great minds!

It comes as a U-shaped dinette, so modifying it for our wants/needs was an option we chose to do. Some of us don’t mind messing about with our campers. It’s part of the “fun” 😆.

Our RV is far too small to install a washer/dryer combo. We just use laundry facilities in the areas we travel. Easy enough.

It certainly is not for everyone. We know folks that feel their 45’ 5th wheel is as small as they could comfortably go 😉. We definitely sacrificed some creature comforts going from our Airstream Classic 30, but, for us, losing some comforts was worth gaining increased mobility, access to smaller/more remote campsites, and the ability to do serious 4-season camping. There’s certainly no one-size-fits-all RV 😆.

It suits our needs, but we certainly see that it’s not the right tool for everyone.

If we get tired of it we can always have it painted like our boat. Forrest green and a gold cove stripe 🙂.

Interesting your comment. On a day when the temps at 5 am are around 55 degrees outside, the inside temperature of our one month old Oliver LE2 sitting in the driveway with no systems running will be around 60-65 degrees inside at that time. By 2 pm the outside temps have risen to around 84 degrees and the camper sitting in direct sun light still measures 78 degrees inside, no systems running. My truck, which is a medium red color, sitting next to the camper in the driveway, has and internal temperature of nearly 110 degrees. This is a little experiment I did on a couple occasions after bringing the camper home. We had a typical aluminum skinned, standard constructed Jayco travel trailer with nice colors and graphics on the outside and beautiful interior. The AC unit could not maintain a comfortable temperature inside the camper running continuously on any day that the outside temps exceeded 85 degrees. Once you've experienced the difference, it's a no brainer. In every way the Oliver is superior and easier to boot.

Haha. There actually are safety “chains”, but they are wire with a greater breaking strength than the chains it came with. Keeps them off the ground and serves the same purpose. Correct that there are no bars. Stabilizers are jacks under the trailer to help stabilize when parked, which we do have. What I think you may be referring to are for weight distribution bars? Those have been completely unnecessary with our 3/4 ton truck and small, easy to tow Oliver. No problem with tractor trailers or cross winds and we’ve towed it in some pretty nasty winds multiple times. Thanks for asking.

No worries. There were many factors that influenced our final decision. We knew the size range we wanted (under 25') and we wanted top quality, which is why we had also considered Airstream 23 and 25. Unfortunately, we know several people who took delivery of brand new Airstreams in the past year and are having issues requiring rework and long waits to get that done. I'm sure they'll be great once issues are corrected, but that requires to schedule repairs with a dealer or the factory and those appointments are months out. Heading to Alaska a few months after delivery does not allow time for significant rework. We also didn't have time for a bunch of modifications, which would be required to have a comparably equipped AS (e.g., more solar, large LiFePO4 battery bank, large inverter, etc.), not to mention increasing the overall cost after mods. Then there's the comfort factor. I love the choices Oliver has made in developing a very tight exterior skin with a double-hull and minimal points of potential water ingress. This, and the insulation between the hulls, serves to keep heat/AC in when needed. We go far afoot and use our campers in all four seasons, so keeping it comfortable is important. I spent some time working in aviation acquisition and everything revolved around performance, cost, and schedule. Oliver met or exceeded all these. They have exceptional performance that was to be built the way we wanted/needed at the time we needed and at a cost comparable to an Airstream. Although not as much of a segment of the RV industry, Oliver is the top of the line in fiberglass trailers We all look for different things in an RV, so these are just some of the things that were important to us. Little Ollies certainly are not the right fit for everyone. Will this be our forever camper? Who knows, but it's the right tool for the job at this time and I don't see us wanting to change anytime soon. I hope everyone can finds an RV that suits them and allows them to take on their own adventures, whatever those may look like.

During our trip to AK, we had a Ford F-250 with a 6.2l gas engine and 6-speed transmission. It did a good job, just screamed in those low gears sometimes when going up/down steep grades. In November, we traded it in for a Ford F-350 with a 7.2l gas engine and 10-speed transmission. Both did the job very well, but we’re happier with the new truck and get the same mileage even with the bigger engine.

Oops…our 250 was a 2018 and our 350 is a 2023. Hope the info is helpful.

Only if you want it as a king sized bed. The rear dinette converts to a king. The other option is two twins. We prefer the king sized bed over RV queen beds.

Thanks for reaching out. Definitely a tough decision. We’re on our third travel trailer and it’s never fun to swap them out, so getting one you’ll be happy in for a long time would be great. As to the aesthetics of the Oliver, it’s not for everyone. We are sailors, so the Ollie just reminds us of sailboats. It’s made the same way, which is not a cheap method of construction but is very tough. As to resale, they appear to match Airstreams as far as retained value, but that has mostly to do with market demands. Our first Airstream we had the typical $20,000 depreciation after only a year (2018-2019). Our second Airstream had almost non-existent depreciation since we bought it in 2019 (before insane price increases) and sold in February 2023 (before used market drop). In a “normal” market, it seems you lose a good 15-20% when you pull one off the lot. Oliver is no different. After the initial hit, they both retain value better than the typical RV. As to longevity of the business, I suspect that will not be an issue, but that’s impossible to be sure of. Oliver is family owned, so not beholden to shareholders. This allows them to concentrate on quality and invest in their business. They have just partnered with about a dozen dealers across the US for sales and service as most other RV companies have constricted a bit. Although Oliver Travel Trailers only got started in 2008, the Oliver family has been in the fiberglass business since 1995, so not a fly-by-night business. I expect they’ll still be around for a very long time. With all this said, there are RVs to fill every niche and pricepoint. As we’ve said to many other folks, be honest on how you will use it and what you want your nomadic life to look like and choose a camper based on that…and finances, of course. We can’t all afford a Living Vehicle or to import a Bruder EXP-8. If you’ll be spending long periods in a single place, a larger camper may be better. If you want to be nimble, move around a lot and get to more remote places further off the beaten path, an Oliver might be great. Regardless, we hope you enjoy whatever adventure you choose in this nomad life! Cheers!

@@HardAleeAdventures Thanks much for the detailed and thoughtful reply. You've obviously done your research! Does seem like a niche Oliver can fill and that may be enough to keep them going. I did see Airstream is working on the EV/self parking aspect. I'm sure its years off. I find the self park and the power assisted towing to be great features. Long term, it will probably become almost standard so I can see some of the advantage slipping. For Oliver appears to be a leader in innovation. Congrats on your Oliver and I look forward to seeing your updates.

@@Getmoreonlinereviews I believe Pebble may beat Airstream with their self park/tow assist features. Companies are certainly pushing hard to capitalize off that technology.

@@HardAleeAdventures You're probably right. The established companies often let the "little" guys test out the innovations before they copy and innovate. I suspect there will be a window of 5 years or more for the niche guys to enjoy before Airstream catches up.

Too funny 😂. It’s probably an optical illusion. We both have F-250s. Ours is gas and his is diesel with an additional leaf spring, so both good for hauling the Airstream. Our 3/4 ton is definitely a bit overkill, but it’s paid off, has low mileage, and tows the Ollie (without a WD hitch) like there’s nothing behind us. Sometimes the bigger hammer does the job better 😉.

Yup. Kinda like a lot of boats. Shiny gelcoat.

Thank you for that info.

No, they do not. They only make a single axle trailer (Legacy Elite I) and the tandem axle (Legacy Elite II).

We both still love the iconic look of the Airstreams, but our experience is that the Oliver build quality is better. Tighter envelope and better insulation makes a big difference in comfort and we love that we could order it the way we wanted it. Their options made it turn-key for our Alaskan adventure and only a faulty light since picking it up. We do wish they had a hand held shower on a diverter instead of the sink faucet that seconds as a shower handle. Just that the flow is too much and it makes water conservation while boondocking more challenging. We preferred the Oxygenics we installed on our AS 27 Signature and came standard on our AS 30 Classic. Small thing and able to be installed after market, but definitely not ideal.

@@HardAleeAdventureswhat’s the price of yours?

@@Berrypancakes229 the Olivers are made to order with a wide range of options, so a base LEII may run in the low $70’s or add a bunch of options (e.g., solar, big Lithium battery bank, 3000W inverter, and etcetera) and you can end up over $100k. When we compared this to the Airstream International 23 that started at $109k and would need a lot of mods to be what we wanted, it made our decision pretty easy.

@@HardAleeAdventures thank you for your reply.

It comes with either twin beds or rear dinette that converts to a bed, like many vans and small campers. We chose the rear dinette configuration and keep it converted to a king(ish)-sized bed. In such a small camper, it’s nice to have options.

We’re all entitled to our opinions. If you watch the videos after our upgrade to the smaller, higher quality camper, IMHO, you can see Stormy continued to love his adventures as we hiked and kayaked all the way to Alaska and he even dipped his paws in the Arctic Ocean. We’re all cozy in our little Oliver; however, our joy comes from nature and our adventures take place in the wild. The campers are just tools to take us there in relative comfort. Glad to hear from a fellow dog lover, and rest assured…Stormy remains extremely happy & healthy in Piccolino. Cheers!

Thanks for the comment. I must admit, I have no idea what the k-5 splitter reductiner is.

@ Green Rush: Yeah, but they don't include WORKING microwaves? What's up with Oliver's Quality Control department? Disappointed, as expected more from them. Especially at those prices. -- BR

@@billredding2000 we should have been more specific. The convection (I.e., heating element) worked perfectly and the microwave appeared to be an intermittent discrepancy. The first time we used it, it didn’t heat well, so I tried with just a glass of water, which it heated fine. The next day we went to use it again, it heated extremely slowly. With 20 years of aviation electronics under my belt, I can attest that intermittent electronic problems are a pain to trouble shoot. I didn’t fault Oliver as they immediately took our trailer back and replaced it while we went to run some errands. I guess we all have different expectations and only having a couple minor things at delivery wasn’t a big deal to us. Others we know who have purchased equally high-quality RVs have had significantly more issues that took far longer to correct. I’m just happy that with over 2,000 miles under the tires and over 40 nights of camping, everything is working and life is good 👍.

@@HardAleeAdventures That's good to hear, as I knew Oliver is probably the Top Dog when it comes to "eggshell" fiberglass TTs so I didn't expect to hear about anything not working. As for me though -- were I to get a TT myself at some point -- my mid-size truck can only handle something smaller/shorter/lighter, such as an Airstream Basecamp-X 16' (their 20' is a tad too large). Of course, I'd not be LIVING in it -- would want something larger if I were, but then I'd ALSO need to buy a larger/more capable tow-vehicle as well. :-( Happy Travels, -- BR

@@billredding2000 great minds…we actually looked at a Basecamp 20 and a 23 but already have the 3/4 ton to easily tow them. Being an old sailor, I was comfortable with moving to fiberglass…less dents in hail 😉. It’s definitely small to live in, but we’re adapting 😆.

Good question. We talked to it a bit in a previous video (Fireside Chat), but a quick rundown...Our Airstream Classic 30 was very comfortable, however, it had a pretty low angle of departure and approach with limited clearance which made is less apt to go further down the roads less traveled. The 34' overall length (with ProPride Hitch and bike rack) was also restrictive in some of the State and National Parks we prefer to stay in. We also found the insulation a bit lacking and felt the ample single-pane windows, although beautiful in moderate temperatures, made it challenging to keep warm in cold temps (woke with our pillows frozen to the bulkhead in 17F) and cool in hot temps. Lastly, fully laden at 10,000lbs, it was pushing our truck in the high altitudes and steep grades. Gas loses a fair amount of power at elevation and we're currently around 7,000'. All those things combined, plus our preference of an active, outdoor lifestyle, made us want to get smaller. We looked at Airstreams (of which we'd owned two) and Olivers and chose the Oliver as the tool most meeting our specific wants/needs, at this time, without modification. I hope that answers your question.

Definitely not ideal; however, it’s all about compromises. If they stuffed a separate shower into the Oliver, you would have to lose something, like the closet. As full-timers, that storage space was far more important than the inconvenience of the wet bath. For us, this was the right tool for our adventures.

Unfortunately, our channel had been set up as a way to share our adventures with friends and family who watch each video (or at least we’d like to think they do 😁). We discussed our plans to swap rigs in a fire-side chat a couple months ago. It appears we now have far more subscribers that did not see those first 20 or so videos, so may be missing some context. Kind of like starting a book half way through. Those videos are still up for those interested in getting, as Paul Harvey would have put it, “the rest of the story.” Thanks for watching.

@@HardAleeAdventures You could´ve just said why:) What a downgrade of a camper.

@@stevehislop to each their own 😊

@@stevehislop Ignorance is bliss......and being rude behind a keyboard is lame.

@@barrytimm5497 You have no argument, which is kind of ...lame:)

In size, certainly. In quality, absolutely not. We wanted a more nimble, true 4-season camper and were willing to compromise with the wet-bath for the rest of the package. If I had an extra $100K floating around, a Bruder EXP8 may be even better…but still has a wet-bath.

I had a Bigfoot 17 with a wet bath and really liked it. Comfortable shower seat and when shower was done, a three minute wipe down always left the bathroom pristine. Ridiculously small but totally functional.

@@Chuck-gd9rr very true. The wet-baths are fully functional, just takes a squeegee and wipe down after use and removing everything from the bath area prior to showering. The minor inconvenience more than makes up for the ease of towing and fitting into tight areas.

Airstream was great for what we needed at the time. Oliver is better for what we need now.

Great question. Ease of towing, no need for larger, and can find a spot in almost all State and National parks. We lived in sailboats in the past, so are comfortable living in close quarters and it fits us well (even though I'm 6'3").

I like to ask the opposing question to folks who choose large campers and RVs. Why so big? They are extremely difficult to take anyplace other than modern RV resort parks. They are nearly impossible to truly explore the country in. Bigger than 30' and you can kiss the National Parks goodbye, as well as many state parks and locations off the beaten path. Our Oliver is our sleeping space and occasionally where we cook. We mostly cook outside, but the galley inside works just fine if we need to stay inside due to weather. When we reach our destination, 80-90% of our awake time is spent outside of the camper. We don't go camping or traveling to sit inside the camper. Why would we pull a much larger camper around the country burning more fuel than necessary, and fighting it all the down the road. Ask any Oliver owner and most will tell you the camper pulls like a dream, so much so that many owners claim they can't tell the camper is hooked up the the truck as they go down the road. I know you can get a much larger camper for less money. But take a typical camper and try to bring its systems up to match that of an Oliver and you will quickly approach or surpass the cost of and Oliver, and you will still have a poorly insulated, inferior camper that will loose 75% of its value in five years. There's lots of other reason but I don't need to beat this up.

Way

There have been several previous comments that we’ve answered in detail that answer this. Quick rundown…came with 16” M+S tires and Dexter E-Z Flex suspension system on dual axles resulting in higher ground clearance and improved off-road ability, aluminum frame, better insulation with no holes for critters to enter, secure latches on every cabinet, double-pane windows, soft-close drawer slides, Maxair fan that can be left open when raining, day/night cellular shades, all cabinetry integrated into fiberglass mold (won’t shake themselves off the walls), three DC & dual-USB outlets, and six reading lights located wherever one might want to read. Those were the standard features. Without having to wait months for custom upgrades at a dealer we were able to order it with 400 watts of solar, 640 amp-hours of lithium batteries, a 3000 watt inverter, Truma Varioheat furnace (super quiet and efficient), Truma on-demand hot water heater, Truma Aventa AC unit (smaller and quieter), convection/microwave, dual front/back low pressure LPG connections, a front aluminum storage basket, and dual 120Vac connections to simplify running a generator from the bed of our truck. I’m sure we’re forgetting some things, but that gives you an idea of why we chose an Oliver over another Airstream around the same size. Oliver’s aren’t perfect, but we do appreciate that their build quality surpasses that of our two previous Airstreams. We still believe Airstreams are better looking, they just aren’t as robust as we wanted for our current adventures.

@@HardAleeAdventures if you don't mind me asking what was the price difference between the two

@@karaeubanks5349 prices are comparable for similar sizes between the two. Both post their pricing on their websites. We found that with the options we wanted that would have been above and beyond what Airstream offered, the Oliver came in a bit less.

​@HardAleeAdventures the question is which one will last longer. The airstream or the oliver. My agents still use the airstream they purchased new in 1969 when they got married. It has a little over 2.5 million miles on it and is still used for their retirement. They are full-time in it. They winter in the keys at Boyd's, and they spend their summers in the rockies

@@boondockingamerica we’ll have to wait and see how long the Oliver’s last, but I imagine with decent care they could last beyond my lifetime. Since they haven’t been around nearly as long, time will tell.

That’s is likely because it’s about 10’ shorter and 1 1/2’ narrower 😉.

@@HardAleeAdventures , are you missing the Airstream?

@@chonkyb3134 when it’s raining for several days at a time, we have missed the space. However, the majority of the time, we do not miss it. We certainly don’t miss the gaps that let in rodents, replacing popped rivets, poor insulation, and having to repeatedly tighten up the metal screws holding up little things like cabinets. Every rig comes with compromises. With the Oliver, it’s just the size, which we’ve learned to be comfortable in.

@@HardAleeAdventures , thanks for the reply

@@chonkyb3134 no problem 👍

Yup. Helps it tow like a dream and great for getting through tight spots. If our truck can get through, so can Piccolino.

I wish we could answer this question, but we literally have no idea what it is referring to. If you would care to be more specific, we would be happy to answer. Sorry 😣.

Very true, but sometimes you just gotta improvise.

Valid points. Being prior sailors, we’d seen plenty of smaller boats with pullout shower/faucets and Oliver seemed to get a lot from maritime engineering, like the positive locks on all cabinets. Still, one would think having a faucet diverter with a separate shower head would not be too much of a modification to be incorporated during the manufacturing process. I cannot speak for other, perhaps older Olivers, but ours has no sharp edges in the storage compartments, so can’t speak to others experience. I will say that when we compare the quality of our Oliver to other manufacturers at or below this price-point, the Oliver still gets our vote. Sure, if we could afford a Bruder or an Earthroamer, I would expect to find higher quality, but we’ve owned two brand new Airstreams, a 2018 and 2019, and are very happy with our Oliver. There is definitely room for improvements, and hopefully they’ll listen and learn, but we went in with eyes open knowing we would lose a couple creature comforts (namely the dry bath and gas oven) for a more rugged overall build. But that’s our preference and everyone has different expectations and needs. Thanks for your comments.

Appreciate the reply & feedback . Does the Oliver have a separate divider to seal off the bedroom area from the bathroom & kitchen areas like most Airstreams & renegades ? Most couples don’t get up at the same time in the morning & this would be a deal breaker for & issue for the person sleeping 🛌 in trying to get up later without being disturbed….thx again & safe travels to you both . I luv the overall quality of the Oliver but just think they need more improvements to would make them superior to most TT . 👍⚾️

@@bobmariano3731 thank you! The Oliver does not have a divider. I believe the Airstream 23 does not either, nor does the 22. Like many other small campers. If that’s a need, you’ll likely need to go larger. For reason’s we’ve discussed in other posts/videos, getting small was important, so we learned to deal with our rising times being different.

Lots of reasons, but it all boils down to the Oliver being better suited to our current needs.

Thanks for your comment. This question has been answered several times in replies to previous comments. Suffice to say it is the better trailer for us for many reasons.

Just serves our travel style right now. We’ve shared more details in other replies.

Honestly, this wasn’t something we considered. The twin bed layout does have a nightstand between the two beds. I’m guessing that could be the spot for a CPAP machine.

Congratulations!

If you look through some previous responses, we’ve given some of the myriad reasons earlier. Basically, the Oliver is just meets our needs better right now.

Certainly not the right choice for everyone, but also not a downgrade. More of a lateral pass, cost wise, and an improvement, quality wise. That’s the beauty of the RV life. We all get to choose what works best for each of us. We hope you’re enjoying your own adventures in whatever way makes you happy.

@@HardAleeAdventuresI agree I would pick your choice. Better insolation, better towing on dirt roads.

@@Berrypancakes229 we’ve been happy with our choice. You bring up a great point about the dirt road handling. We put some mats on the front to protect from thrown up rocks, but the suspension and aggressive 16” tires have let us get through some pretty nasty spots. Thanks for your comment.

@@HardAleeAdventures I didn’t understand where in the front did you cover with a mat.

@@Berrypancakes229 we cut a closed cell foam gym mat to cover the lower front portion of the camper, just behind the A-frame, to reduce chipping from rocks that inevitably get thrown up by the back tires. It will be on an upcoming video that shows what we did. Easier to show than describe 😉.

We appreciate your opinion, but disagree. Thanks for your input.