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.

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!

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 would say the Airstream is more iconic and sexier with its shiny skin and in all other ways the Oliver is a higher quality, better built trailer. Neither are perfect, but the Oliver was better suited for the adventures we wanted to take it on. We lived full time for about a year on each. When parked in moderate climates for long durations, the Airstream was more comfortable thanks to it being larger. For long distance travels with shorter (under a week) stops in harsher climates, the Oliver was better thanks to its diminutive size and superior insulation.

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! 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!

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.

Thank you! We’ve come off the road and have lots going on, but unsure at this time if we’ll continue posting videos. We really started the channel for our family and friends. We wanted to share our experiences with them and decided to open it up to the public to share a little info about the places we were seeing and experiences that could be had. Each minute of video took about an hour to create and we just don’t have a lot of extra time. Were still capturing content here and there and may put a few videos together to keep our new friends and few subscribers up to date on our current adventures, but not sure when we’ll find time to put those together. Thank you so much for watching and we look forward to our next Canadian adventures (Maritime Provinces are next on our list).

I wish I had this info on hand. Oliver sent me the rivet I needed and my friend had the correct size of bit for the size rivet that came with the new light.

Thank you for watching!

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.

Thank you! We left the camper at Gold Rush RV Park. It’s no frills and not cheap, but it’s a short walk to the Dawson City attractions, they have no-hookup sites for cheaper, and they were fine with us leaving it there for the time we were on the Dempster. There is a provincial park across the river, but it clearly states you cannot leave your RV there unattended. Probably not enforced, but we weren’t comfortable rolling the dice to save a few bucks. Enjoy your adventure! It’s an incredible experience!

Thanks for your questions. The fridge & microwave were an adjustment, but doable. The microwave is also an electric convection oven, so the only oven in the Oliver. Although it wasn’t used often, it was nice to have the option when plugged in and it did get some infrequent use. The fridge is small and can be challenging to fit enough food in for a week, but it can be done. It takes more cautious meal planning, but you can get used to it. Initially, one of our portable freezers was unused and the other was just for Stormy’s frozen food. Eventually, we had an epiphany and plugged it in and secured it under the dinette. That gave us plenty of extra room (mostly for the fish I was catching). All this is to say it is doable as is, with some possible changes in eating habits (e.g., we got fewer greens more frequently and went from fresh pasta to dry) and more planning. Because we feed our dogs frozen food, we couldn’t have done without the extra portable and both were only used when I’d filled them with fish. The fridge is certainly small and the freezer is almost nonexistent, but one can make do. Pretty much everywhere we traveled, we could just shop a bit more often. When that wasn’t an option, we stocked up on non-perishables and even went as far as to eat some canned veggies. Unless you’re a gourmet chef not willing to occasionally make-do, the fridge is manageable for a couple to (usually) eat (pretty) well. We hope this helps.

@@HardAleeAdventures Thanks for the response! Big help and there is nothing better than a first handers experiences in any RV. We have seen plenty of sales walk throughs but they and all fluff. Nice to see one lived in and modified to live even better. The refrigerator is going to be something we just have to take a chance on, I guess. Taking your advice on adapting will have to do. I am used to 8cf of frig space sooo... yeah, I have to adapt. My wife and I still have not seen one in person so that is the next step. Half the fun ins shopping so we are going to have fun with this. Thanks for taking the time to write back, few ever do. Happy trails!

@@BrianAz we’re happy to help with any information you need. Being able to reply to the comments is what makes opening our videos to the public more fun. Stormy was a big factor in needing the portable fridge/freezer, which fits perfectly under the dinette or with in the back seat of the truck. He eats frozen, raw food, so the minuscule freezer space (think a tray of is cubes and maybe a pint or two of your favorite ice cream) wasn’t going to work. I didn’t turn on the second freezer until filling up the first with fish in Alaska. Were it not for Stormy, we could have gotten by with just the Oliver fridge by shopping more often and only having what we needed for the upcoming week…but, having some extra space for frozen goods in “Stormy’s freezer” was a bonus. Have fun shopping, get your camper, have adventures and figure out the rest along the way. Cheers!

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.

Thank you so much for the positive words! We had an incredible time in Alaska and it definitely won’t be our last. Palmer was a great town and we were lucky to make it for the final weekend of the fair. We enjoyed our stay, especially Bleeding Heart Brewery and The Fern. We look forward to our next visit!

Thank you! We had an incredible time during our 20 months living the nomad life. We’re not done adventuring with Piccolino, just starting a new adventure and taking shorter road trips. We’ll keep you all posted as we shift gears and head into this next chapter. Cheers!

Thanks for watching and commenting. We loved both for different reasons and based greatly on our usage. The Airstream Classic was luxury living…once we added more solar, a good sized lithium battery bank & a 3” lift. It wasn’t as easy to tow or to find sites for in some areas, but was very comfortable when stationary. We weren’t happy with how drafty they were (including our 27 Signature) or the lack of insulation making it far less comfortable in the heat and cold. Doable, just less comfortable and needed to run the AC/heaters far more. The Oliver is far more nimble and easy to tow on long days and easy to find places to camp; however, it can get claustrophobic if you’re stuck inside with rain for a few days…especially with pets. It’s cozy, but you have to be prepared for the small space. In good weather, we just spend most of our time outside. One big drawback from our AS Classic was the smaller tanks, which made long term boondocking more challenging. We did it, but with fewer showers and more “sponge baths.” All in all, we really prefer the quality of the Oliver. It’s just better built and uses high quality components, just quite compact and requires more creativity for long-term use. If it’s in the budget, you may consider looking at the Bowlus Rivet or Bruder EXP-8. Other very high quality trailers with their own pros and cons, but these would be on our short list if starting from scratch. We hope this info helps and you enjoy your adventures in whatever you choose.

@@HardAleeAdventures thank you so much for responding! We are 99% certain we're Team Oliver, but I ask former Airstream owners every chance I get.

@@keith4690 you are very welcome. I think the biggest mistake people can make when starting out is finding the “perfect” camper, then trying to make it fit for their lifestyle. You’ll be much better served to define what RV life means to you, then finding the best tool for that job. Best of luck and enjoy your upcoming adventures!

Great to hear from another Sailor and I apologize for the delay in replying. Let's just say, "Life happens." Our 6.2l gasser pulled the Oliver great and our new 7.3l does an even better job. Sometimes it does downshift pretty deep going up/down steep inclines, but that's the nature of gas engines and the 7.3l with the 10-speed transmission is a great combo. The 6.2l had fewer gears to choose from, so spun up more often than our current truck. When boon docking, much depends on our own habits/needs. We have a composting toilet, so no black tank. Our grey lasts us about a week if it's just doing dishes and such, like if we're in a park with showers or in AK where we would use showers at roadhouses. If you're way out, you can just shower outside. The shower is the biggest user of water. When showering in the rig, we go down to only 3-4 days before needing to dump. We frequently leave the Oliver alone when going out to explore our surroundings. We don't put a lot of energy in worrying about the remote possibility that it could be stolen or vandalized. That's what our insurance is for. Side note, in over two years of combined travels in two Airstreams and our Oliver, neither of these has happened. We've comfortably camped in Piccolino in freezing temperatures, but only down to the mid-20s...so far. The only issue has been condensation, particularly along the aluminum frames of the windows. We've had no issues with anything freezing up, but have always kept the furnace on during these times. Our typical travel days are above freezing, often because we don't leave until late morning, but we do have the Truma antifreeze kit for our hot water and kept the furnace on during the few times we have traveled below freezing. No problems. The solar/battery capability is very dependent on electrical use and weather. We don't run the A/C much on battery, we just move to a cooler climate :-) When it has been hot, we typically spent our time outside and maybe ran the A/C for 15-20 minutes before bed just to cool things off. In the desert, we only ran our generator a few times to top off the batteries after several days of rain/clouds, but typically had no issues. In Alaska last summer, it was very wet and cloudy most of the summer, so we did have to run the generator about once every 4-5 days if we weren't getting sun. Also, we carry a 230 watt solar suitcase to help keep things topped off. In a month in Mexico, we didn't use a generator at all. Lots of variables, but we've been happy with the setup. Our issues with the Oliver have been fixed in the 2024 models. The touch lights and the fuse switch for the inverter were our two frustrating issues, but both have been changed for the 2024. We looked at the 2024 in Hohenwald recently and are jealous of the upgrades. There are a few areas we would like to see improvements, but overall we still believe it is the best trailer in its size/price-range on the market today. I hope this information helps and that I've answered your questions. It's a big choice and this certainly isn't an inexpensive camper. Best of luck to you in whatever you choose!

@@HardAleeAdventures Excellent! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions so thoroughly. I’ll be following along on your future adventures. Have fun and safe travels. 🤘

@@rodneywilson236 no problem! We’re happy to help and hope you enjoy your adventures in whatever camper you choose. 🍻

Thank you for watching! We’ve had a wonderful 20 months on the road, but we just got home and won’t be heading to the rally. We owe our mom’s some time back home 😉.

Thanks for watching

Good day where are your journeys heading?🌞🛻💨

@@user-fh2ml1cd5l we’re actually wrapping up our full-time nomad adventures to start work on a house in Maine. We’ll share those adventures as we begin this next phase of building & part-time travels.

I wish you the best

@@user-fh2ml1cd5l thank you 🙏. Much appreciated.

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.

Great information. Thanks for sharing that in the comments.

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. 😉

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

Thank you! Give yourself extra time to get up and down the Dempster, since ferries can, and do stop crossing at times, stranding you. Just have patience and extra food and you’ll be good. In mid-June most things were closed in Tuk. On the bright side, there weren’t many other folks on the road. Make sure to have a good spare tire and emergency kit. It can be over 100 miles to the nearest help, so being self sufficient is very important. Try to bring everything you’ll need from Dawson City as food and supplies get very expensive once you head up the Dempster. Lastly, it’s probably best to have an idea of multiple camping options for each day. The road is rough, so a 200-mile day can be exhausting. Then again, the sun doesn’t set until around midnight, so if you’re still feeling good you can push to the next. Oh, yeah…bring good tunes. Minimal cell reception and satellite radio stopped working part way up 😆. Enjoy your trip, take your time, and enjoy. There’s a ton of great places to explore on your way to the Dempster. Cheers!

Thanks for watching! It’s small, but with some creativity, we’ve been full time in our Oliver for 13 months now.

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

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.

Thanks for the emoji bomb! 🙌

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!

Thanks for watching and we appreciate the comment.

Our pleasure!

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 question. Compared to comparably priced RVs (e.g., Airstream) they are absolutely worth the price as the build quality is the best we could find around this price-point. Of course, there are far less expensive options available, you just don’t get the same quality. The great thing about the current RV industry is there are numerous options at various price-points, so people can usually find one that fits not only their needs, but also their wallets.

High-tech stuff…a gym mat, like you would put under an exercise bike or treadmill 😆. It worked great!

@@HardAleeAdventuresYou guys are seasoned travelers after that massive Alaska trip! Gym mat sounds like a practical solution 👍

@@StevesRoadTripChronicles thank you! We’ve had a lot of fun.

Thank you for that! I’ve been considering replacing these, but hadn’t done any research yet. You may have saved me some time 😉

A fellow recovering Airstreamer 😆. That sounds like a great rig! We just upgraded to a 1-ton and thinking a light slide-in or the Alu-Cabin, once they release the one for the F-350, would pair nicely with the Ollie. Cheers!

Mid September through mid October. We’re a bit behind with sharing our adventures 😆.

@@HardAleeAdventures we are doing a trip very similar to yours in our Oliver (hull 747) next summer. How did the yoga mats do as debris guards?

@@robertfrank3458 they weren’t exactly pretty, but they did a great job preventing gelcoat dings. We used larger, more dense gym floor mats that did a better job covering the areas needed than the yoga mats we had initially planned to use. We did have to add a bit more duct tape along the way, but they stayed on perfectly. Our only regret was waiting until Whitehorse to do this mod. Best to do it before leaving the lower 48.

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.

Thank you! Once we’re home, you’ll have a parking spot back in ME. Hope to see you back at the lake! 😉

Thank you! It was such a fun trip. Now we’re enjoying the sun! #Xscapersrule 😉

Thanks for watching and coming along!

Thanks for watching and riding along with us!

Thank you. Yup. It’s pretty small, but works for us and our travel style.

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

We went with a temporary solution. We purchased a foam gym mat (like a more robust yoga mat) and used non-residue duct tape to secure it to the front. You can see this in our Whitehorse video a few after this one. It worked very well. When we removed it we had no additional chips under it and the little bit of residue easily came off with a little Goo Gone. We did have to add a bit more tape once in the 4.5 months it was on, otherwise it was a simple, effective & inexpensive solution.

It was! We went back again this year and now at the Mexico Xscapers Hangout. It’s a great group!

Great question! We don’t currently have a video about our truck, but that’s a great idea. I’ll try to put one together over the next couple weeks.

With the Froli Zona system, stock cushions and a 4” foam topper it is very comfortable. The Froli Zona can also be adjusted for stiffness in key areas. The Froli system was just under $700 and the foam topper was around $100. It was well worth upgrading for full-timer comfort and no worries about condensation under the cushions since the Froli system elevates it off the fiberglass.