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Old 10-10-2016, 04:38 PM   #1
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Oliver vs Airstream

Anyone have any personal comparisons? Wondering if one has to take the Oliver back to the factory for any warranty work since they do not have a dealer network. Like a lot of the features of the Oliver but have never seen one. Any comments would be appreciated.
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Old 10-10-2016, 04:47 PM   #2
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We did see one once in a campground. It was beautiful inside! All white inside with mirrors on upper cabinets ( did not look tacky). The owners wanted to see inside our Airstream. Although they loved their Oliver they were looking for something bigger and I think they told us that the Oliver's only went to 23. Wet bath which for me is a little negative. Bath is kind of small. These owners never showered in there but used campground showers instead. But I have to say, the interior knocked our socks off!
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Old 10-10-2016, 05:07 PM   #3
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I like the pictures of the interior, and exterior as well. There are several other features that I really like, 16" wheels with Michelin tires being one. Thanks.
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Old 10-10-2016, 05:31 PM   #4
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My opinion only. YMMV

We have seen them and been inside in person several times. At an RV Show in Phoenix, at Quartzsite where the owners set up several years in a row and on the road with Oliver owners.

(We have not seen one for several years now as we have our Airstreams) They are even better now.

They are beautiful in a very clean white bathroom minimalistic way. That's not an insult. They are well built.

What we really liked:
The clean lines
The well thought out storage
The full time bed w/small dinette
The sturdy feel
Dual batteries
Good wheels
Good lift for off road
The continuous body, less leak
The ability to add a custom decal outside
The idea that it was small
The owners were very vested in the product and used one themselves
They had (still have) an active support forum
The owners listened and when things didn't make sense they changed things

I liked that they looked different and didn't have a traditional RV look. I envisioned being able to supplement the clean white look with any color scheme possible.

What we didn't like:
The wet bath was an unknown
The ceiling height was a bit low (it's higher now)

During the recession Oliver ceased production and there were family health problems. They had been before, and continued to be in the fiberglass business during the cease production of the trailers. They came back and look even better than before.

Visit their forum, they have the same conversations we have here. There are lots of great pictures. Many happy owners

We were financially not ready and I always wanted an Airstream so we went after that goal instead.

I would still purchase a Oliver today.
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Old 10-10-2016, 05:44 PM   #5
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Thanks for the informative response.
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Old 10-10-2016, 08:07 PM   #6
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I really don't have much to add to this conversation except to say that the Oliver - while an amazing product - still looks and feels a bit too 'Casita-like' for us... and I don't intend any disrespect to either Oliver OR Casita; the Oliver is clearly in a different league than the Casita, yet Casita offers good value in a fully usable travel trailer.

We owned a 17' Casita for six years, and in that time, I pretty seriously 'modded' the thing, making improvements both in utility and aesthetics. We would up with a very nice Casita. My problem with the Oliver, even the 23', is that it has that same Casita 'feel.' Our Airstream International Serenity 23-footer has moved us far from the Casita layout and we are delighted.

A couple of photos comparing OUR little fiberglass trailer and the Airstream...
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Old 10-10-2016, 08:28 PM   #7
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Looked at a 23 last year. Impressive fit and finish. Many of the same system components that are used in our Airstreams. Very modern fiberglass boat like interior if you like that look. Interesting that there is no mention of follow up warranty maintenance on the web site.
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Old 10-11-2016, 05:09 AM   #8
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Thanks everyone.
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Old 10-11-2016, 06:51 AM   #9
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Are they Michelin tires, or just 16" wheels? I think the latter.

Most pluses and minuses have been accurately reported. The Airstreams have a more "open" feel to them, with bigger windows that fully open out. Oliver has (double pane, a plus) sliding windows so less ventilation. I like the tankless water heater option on the Oliver. Also, the Oliver has a low hitch weight, with the Andersen hitch being the only one available to use. The 7' width appeals to me and fixes the one big towing complaint I have about the AS.

The Oliver is offered as a true four-season trailer. It's (IMO) a very high end, well-finished trailer with attractive options that are better than those of AS. When completely optioned out, it's still well below what a similar Airstream would cost. Were I doing it again, I'd surely look more closely at it. Not sure I'd get one, but I'd look more closely at it, particularly since they're built just three hours away from me.
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Old 10-11-2016, 07:14 AM   #10
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When buying our Airstream Safari 20, we also looked at an Oliver at an RV show. Lots of gadgets added on but it came down to a plastic trailer in and out, even the tiny windows were plastic. No dedicated bedroom, wet bathroom, solid axle, not spacious inside, no dealer support (although I wonder if any RV has good dealer support throughout the country). Comparing the two it was an easy decision, we got the Airstream.
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Old 10-11-2016, 01:49 PM   #11
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Couple of things. The tires are 16" Michelin, filled with nitrogen. They do not have a dealer network but told me, on the phone, that you can take it to any RV dealer and they will reimburse the dealer for any warranty work that has to be done.
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Old 10-11-2016, 06:48 PM   #12
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I don't have much to add to what everyone says above in terms of the Oliver trailer itself. All top notch/latest tech in the trailer and a good looking package as well. We went for a factory visit and the people there were great to work with, answered all of our questions and took a lot of time with us. We went so far as to put down a deposit and place an order for the 23' model.

Our decision to get our deposit back and join the Airstream world was driven by how we wanted to use the trailer. We like to share our time with our family, including grandkids, parents etc. The Oliver is perfect for 2 people, but that about does it whether it is for sleeping or sitting around in the trailer (especially if the weather is bad outside). We just felt that the Airstream would allow us to take more people along to enjoy the ride/park/view with us.

Like a lot of other things about RV'ing (tow vehicles, tires, length of trailer, etc . . . .) a lot of it comes down to choosing between a lot of good options based upon personal needs and coming up with the best tool for the you and yours.
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Old 10-11-2016, 06:57 PM   #13
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Thanks. I talked to the factory at length today with a whole list of questions and they answered all of them and fortunately the answers were as I had hoped. According to what they told me regarding warranty service, I can take the trailer to any RV dealer which is more convenient than Airstream. One feature I really like is that when you pick up the trailer, not only do they go over everything with you at the factory, someone goes with you to a campground, which they pay for, and go over it again after you are hooked up. Sounds like they are very customer oriented. If their numbers are correct, which I assume they are, the Oliver will allow considerably more "stuff" weight than a comparable Airstream. Deliver time from order is 12 weeks. I am liking the Oliver the more I look into it.
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Old 10-11-2016, 07:34 PM   #14
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The lack of a dedicated bedroom was a deal-killer for us. If they make something 25-28' long, we'll gladly give them another look.
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Old 10-12-2016, 09:16 AM   #15
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I find a lot to like in the Oliver. The double hull fiberglass would be a better insulated trailer, and fiberglass is far easier to maintain and repair than aluminum. I've owned both a Casita as well as a sailing yacht, and prefer fiberglass for strength and durability. Design wise, Airstream could take a lesson from the 23' Oliver in providing both a front generator platform and a rear receiver hitch. Were I buying today, I would likely choose the Oliver over my 23' Airstream.

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Old 10-12-2016, 09:34 AM   #16
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If we liked our Casita 17' enough we'd probably switched to an Oliver fully loaded but we decided to move on to Airstream. Just wanted to get away from a wet bath and prefer the space and separate bedroom.

For a solo person an Oliver would be a great choice. I'd probably set it up similar to this reviewer's Oliver



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Old 10-12-2016, 11:02 AM   #17
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if they made a 25' model with a lot more windows I'd be interested in the Olivers. They have some great features and I really dig the fiberglass construction, but the small windows wouldn't work for me. I spend 8 hours a day in my trailer working, and I need some BIG windows to look outside.
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Old 11-18-2016, 06:31 PM   #18
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We were looking at Airstreams (reason I joined this forum) and Olivers. I like aluminum aircraft, so always liked polished Airstreams and beautiful Airstream interiors, too.

We went on a Oliver factory tour in TN last May and headed to MO the same afternoon where a used 2015 Elite II was for sale. The couple selling the Ollie said we could camp on their farm a few days in the Ollie with full hook-ups to see if we liked it. Purchased the Ollie the next morning and headed home with it that afternoon.

My Wife and I really like our 23.5' 2015 Oliver Elite II Hull # 75. It's just the two of us, so the twin bed model works well for us.

Our Ollie weighs in around 4950 pounds with 450 pound tongue weight, empty water tanks. It's equipped with 5200 pound capacity Dexter axles and LT225/75R/16 BF Goodrich radial tires, Oliver now installs Michelin LT 16" radial tires as a standard. I installed Dexter EZ Flex system with wet pins and bronze bushings, that's now optional on Elite II Ollies possibly becoming standard.

We have much interest in the Ollie wherever we camp and while stopped at rest areas or gas stations. We tow the Ollie with a 2016 Toyota 5.7L 4X4 Tundra and get from 13 to 14MPG in the Eastern US at speeds from 60 to 65MPH.

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Old 11-18-2016, 06:47 PM   #19
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JUST camped with a couple who were on their first trip with their Oliver II. Unit #139. They were not happy. A litany of problems. They were talking directly with Mr. Oliver to get resolution.
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Old 11-18-2016, 07:02 PM   #20
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Sorry to hear about your friend's problems.

I'm confident Mr. Oliver will take care of their problems. Oliver will work through other dealers if the unit cannot be taken back to the factory, too.

The warranty is for the original owner for one year. When we purchased our Ollie used, it was out of warranty, but we took it in for repair at Oliver, and Oliver fixed the issue under warranty.

Hope their issues are resolved quickly!
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