New Oliver Elite confusion - Fiberglass RV
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Old 07-12-2014, 02:47 PM   #1
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Name: Rob
Trailer: Oliver Legacy Elite II, #70
Montana
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New Oliver Elite confusion

Hello knowledgeable Oliver owners. Lately I have had a jones for the new Oliver Travel Trailers, currently own a T@b which we like but it would nice to have a bath/shower and a bit more room. Looking at the specs online at the Oliver website it states these new trailers are 23 ft 6 inches but doesn't specify whether its the total length of the trailer with hitch or just the camper body itself. What becomes even more confusing if you add up all of the internal dimensions provided they only come out to just shy of 17 ft. Can this be right, a 17 ft camper with hitch length of 6.5 ft? Even more confusing I hear people online discussing this as a 22 ft trailer, not a 23.5 ft trailer. Can someone in the know clear this up?

Also can we discuss the aluminum trailer frame/chassis? The obvious advantage is lightweight but everything I have understood from any RV salesman as well as utility trailer stores is aluminum frames simply do not hold up as well as steel becoming stress fatigued over time with cracks or breaks. What say you regarding this?

Thanks in advance.

Rob
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Old 07-12-2014, 04:54 PM   #2
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Oliver

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob Outlaw View Post
Hello knowledgeable Oliver owners. Lately I have had a jones for the new Oliver Travel Trailers, currently own a T@b which we like but it would nice to have a bath/shower and a bit more room. Looking at the specs online at the Oliver website it states these new trailers are 23 ft 6 inches but doesn't specify whether its the total length of the trailer with hitch or just the camper body itself. What becomes even more confusing if you add up all of the internal dimensions provided they only come out to just shy of 17 ft. Can this be right, a 17 ft camper with hitch length of 6.5 ft? Even more confusing I hear people online discussing this as a 22 ft trailer, not a 23.5 ft trailer. Can someone in the know clear this up?

Also can we discuss the aluminum trailer frame/chassis? The obvious advantage is lightweight but everything I have understood from any RV salesman as well as utility trailer stores is aluminum frames simply do not hold up as well as steel becoming stress fatigued over time with cracks or breaks. What say you regarding this?

Thanks in advance.

Rob
In the Molded Fiberglass world trailers measure from the hitch to the bumper. Where Stickies measure the box only.
Chuck
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Old 07-12-2014, 06:46 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by FTTRV View Post
In the Molded Fiberglass world trailers measure from the hitch to the bumper. Where Stickies measure the box only.
Chuck
Maybe I'm the one mistaken, but I know they measure utility, cargo, and car trailers based on box length for obvious reasons.
RV Trailer makers, on the other hand, feel the need to exaggerate their size!
Thus the discrepancy!
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Old 07-12-2014, 07:39 PM   #4
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Name: Bob Ruggles
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I looked at an Oliver display last winter and it was called a 22 ft. Gorgeous trailer with very high quality appointments. In my over 50 years experience with various trailers, I've found that there is no standard for naming the trailer length. Some manufacturers call them by body length and some call them by overall length. Two of my previous trailers as examples: I had a Summit labeled 22 and actual length was 22 feet and a few inches. I had a Kodiak which was called a 28 while the overall length was 31 ft and a few inches.Can't comment on the aluninum frame except to say that airplanes have a LOT of aluminum in them and can be in service for 30 or more years.
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Old 07-12-2014, 08:05 PM   #5
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Trailer: Oliver Legacy Elite II, #70
Montana
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Good point about aluminum usage in airplanes, wondered about this too. Odd how there is no standard for various campers. Its helpful when companies list specs for the trailer as well as overall length, Escapee and Casista do this. Just looked at a Kodiak a few weeks ago, seem well built but still not as appealing as the FG trailers.

Thanks
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Old 07-12-2014, 08:26 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by floyd View Post
Maybe I'm the one mistaken, but I know they measure utility, cargo, and car trailers based on box length for obvious reasons.
RV Trailer makers, on the other hand, feel the need to exaggerate their size!
Thus the discrepancy!
Some states also license RVs by length. Here in Oregon the law states the measurement is from the end of the tongue to read bumper.
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Old 07-14-2014, 12:29 PM   #7
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The name is actually the "Oliver Legacy Elite II" as in the second addition. The "II" has been a bit blurred over the years and some have been calling it a 22 foot. I myself slip from time to time calling it an Elite 22 instead of the Elite II.
Hope that helps.
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Old 07-16-2014, 03:43 PM   #8
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Rob,
Since the length of a travel trailer is typically stated using a measurement from the tip of the hitch to the back of the rear bumper,the 23.5 foot length you see stated for the Oliver Elite II is from "end to end." I’m not really clear on how the term twenty two foot Oliver originated.

The usable inside length of the OE II is seventeen feet (our former 17 foot Oliver was around 12 feet). The tongue length of 6.5 feet seems correct. We had our frame modified as it was built to accommodate an addition on the tongue making it about 21 inches longer. So our Outlaw Oliver’s overall length is greater than 25 feet. Combine that with our new GMC Sierra’s 20 foot length and we’ve got a veritable train going down the road. Still, we’ve not found any place that we could put the OO I that we can't with the OO II.

The 5 x 2 x 3/16 inch tubing frame is made from 6063-T52 extruded aluminum. As to the longevity and structural integrity of aluminum vs steel, I have no personal knowledge but an internet search of "aluminum vs steel trailer" yielded: Aluminum Trailers vs. Steel Trailers | Featherlite Trailers
perhaps that article can help you understand the pros and cons of each. I know we must be very satisfied with our aluminum frame since I never think about it. I’ve seen several threads devoted to the care of various other trailers steel frames.

Hope this helps...
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Old 07-16-2014, 06:18 PM   #9
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Rob, and then there's THIS:

The Ollie's that came off the line during the late '07 - mid '09 run had extendable tongues to accommodate various lengths and uses; such as if your TV back swung open from the side and you needed more clearance while connected . . . Or . . . To accommodate items that could be devised to go on the tongue such as an open aluminum box for wood and sundry items or a monster closed box to secure a 3000w generator! Extending the tongue also can have a small reduction on your tongue weight and change handling characteristics to suit your desires.

Right now my trailer has an open aluminum container on the front that I have used for my small Honda generator, a load of wood, or blocks for leveling. I extended the tongue, and technically, if I measure from center of hitch to end of bumper It is 18.5 feet in length. Then, there is the few inches beyond the trailer that the fiberglass tire cover extends. Haha!

The most important part, of course is what's on the inside. That is where all of your creature comfort resides. With the thousands of 17' Casitas out there with similar floor plans, if anyone asks the size of The Wonder Egg I tell them it's a 17'er for reference.
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Old 07-16-2014, 06:45 PM   #10
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A good look at the Oliver Legacy Elite II Aluminum Frame

Here is a close look in a YouTube Video:
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Old 07-16-2014, 09:07 PM   #11
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Steve, Pete, Anders thanks much for the additional info, all very helpful. Lots to consider here.

rob
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Old 07-17-2014, 09:17 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob Outlaw View Post
RV salesman ...(said) aluminum frames simply do not hold up as well as steel
1000:1 odds that the salesman was hoping to sell you a trailer with a steel frame

Steve O's mention of "6063-T52 extruded aluminum" is telling. Structural aluminum is an alloy (as is steel) and is available in dozens of varieties, each developed for specific applications. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium_alloy )

While it is true that steel is generally less susceptible to fatigue than aluminum - a well constructed frame made out of aluminum intended for that purpose will outlast any built-to-a-price-point inexpertly welded low grade steel one.
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Old 08-03-2017, 05:03 PM   #13
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Name: david
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For what Airstreams cost, they should also be on an aluminum chassis in my opinion. Another company looking for higher profit margins. Steel is cheep compared to aluminum, plus heavier and it rusts.
The salesman was ignorant or smoking crack, or both

David
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