AZ | 2007 Oliver Legacy Elite with Solar $37,500

[Ken C]

Attached, a trip down memory lane. Thought it might be fun to look at. I sent away for this back then but but didn't have the money

[hellsbay]

That price list for the Oliver was interesting to me, since I just bought one. I have the Legacy Elite, which comes with all the extras on the right side of that list.

I know that there have been overpriced Olivers for sale on the used market. I have to say that as long as they are not producing them, they will continue to hold their value. There just is nothing like them out there, so, if you have the money and you want one, you may be willing to pay for it.

I have a shallow water skiff that I bought used 10 years ago. It is equal to the Oliver, in that it is one of the best skiffs ever built. I just saw that one similar to mine, but a year older, sold for what I paid for mine 10 years ago. This doesn't happen very often with RV's or boats. Every once in a while someone builds something so good and so desirable that it depreciates very little, especially if it is no longer available.

I sold my 2008 Airstream 16 Bambi for more than I paid for it, and it only took two weeks. The reason I sold it was to buy the Oliver. I am so happy with the Oliver, it was built with such quality and workmanship, using materials that should last for a long time with very little maintenance. Unfortunately, I can not say the same for the Airstream.

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Ken C

Attached, a trip down memory lane. Thought it might be fun to look at. I sent away for this back then but but didn't have the money

????
If the base unit was only $17,500.00 in 2008...what on earth is the difference in the five year old 2007 "Elite" unit being offered for sale in this thread for-gulp- $20,000 dollars more??????



Francesca

[Jim Bennett]

I got some quotes from them back then, and the base price was WAY more than that.

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

I got some quotes from them back then, and the base price was WAY more than that.

I was just going by what it says at the top of the 2008 base model spec sheet that Ken posted:



Francesca

[Jim Bennett]

I never kept any of the information they emailed me, but pretty sure I was looking at price nearer $40k. I could be wrong, but whatever it was, it took away all the interest I might have had in the first place. I never saw one in person, but you could tell that they built top quality into them. We were not keen on the plastic looking interiors though.

[Ken C]

Inflation goes up every year . Elite attached.

[Donna D.]

Hummm, what did a 1972 13' Boler sell for new? Anyone remember when the Moguland Boler sold in late 2005 and it sold for between $7,000-$8,000. Shoot, I own cars that I can sell for 5 to 6 times what they cost new. Remember, it's a supply and demand world. With the Olivers, there's little supply and when there's a demand (even one motivated buyer), the price is set between seller and buyer, certainly not anyone here that's not interested in owning one. Some of you people sound like you're reading NADA again...

[Francesca Knowles]

Hmmm...the "vintage/collector's item" market, eh?

I guess the market will let us know if five years is long enough for a trailer to enter that sphere!

Francesca

[Frederick L. Simson]

Originally Posted by hellsbay

I have the Legacy Elite, which comes with all the extras on the right side of that list.

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

????
If the base unit was only $17,500.00 in 2008...what on earth is the difference in the five year old 2007 "Elite" unit being offered for sale in this thread for-gulp- $20,000 dollars more?

I don't remember that they ever actually sold one "Stripped down" to the $17.5K price point. Notice that Ken's second list moved most of the options to the standard block with the corresponding price adjustment, and Steve's unit has all of the features in the options list...

What I do remember is the discussion at the time about them advertizing the $17.5K price point and getting flamed for leaving out so many of the desired features. After that, I remember they just built them loaded up at the higher price. It wouldn't be an Oliver if it were cheaper, it would be just a fancy, heavy Casita.

[David Tilston]

Supply vs. Demand
Clearly the supply is low, it is the demand that is being debated. It is worth exactly what the highest bidder will pay for it, even if that is the current owner.

[Ken C]

If they do come back next year, I hope they bring back a base type unit. As to inflation, It's pretty amazing escape actually lowered their price and added more standard features. You don't see that very often.

[rabbit]

After the greatest fool comes the nostalgic fool and then the greatest nostalgic fool and then the last fool. Somewhere there's some boomer like Leno who's going to actually die with ALL the toys. Better sell those classic 'stangs at the top, Donna. The boomer market won't last forever.

jack

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Frederick L. Simson

I don't remember that they ever actually sold one "Stripped down" to the $17.5K price point. Notice that Ken's second list moved most of the options to the standard block with the corresponding price adjustment, and Steve's unit has all of the features in the options list...

What I do remember is the discussion at the time about them advertizing the $17.5K price point and getting flamed for leaving out so many of the desired features. After that, I remember they just built them loaded up at the higher price. It wouldn't be an Oliver if it were cheaper, it would be just a fancy, heavy Casita.

You sorta lost me with that last statement there...unless it's your opinion that all the Oliver is now is a "fancy, heavy, expensive Casita".

Francesca

[Frederick L. Simson]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

You sorta lost me with that last statement there...

The floor-plan for the Oliver and the Casita Spirit Deluxe are practically the same. At the $17.5K price point, other than the interior surface being smooth gel-coat instead of carpet, many people felt they were identical. It was the features unavailable on Casita that make an Oliver an Oliver. All of those unique features were omitted from the $17.5K Oliver.

My Dad always used to say that a Sedan De Ville is just a fancy heavy Impala.

[hellsbay]

Originally Posted by Frederick L. Simson

The floor-plan for the Oliver and the Casita Spirit Deluxe are practically the same. At the $17.5K price point, other than the interior surface being smooth gel-coat instead of carpet, many people felt they were identical. It was the features unavailable on Casita that make an Oliver an Oliver. All of those unique features were omitted from the $17.5K Oliver.

I have never owned a Casita, but I like them a lot. However, it's not just the extras that make the Oliver different. It has a double hull with insulation in between, dual paned windows, an all aluminum frame, adjustable tongue, larger wheels and tires. The Legacy Elite model comes with moulded in furniture. The polished gel-coat interior walls cost a lot more to produce. Other than the general look outside and the floor plan, there is very little that the Oliver has in common with the Casita.

My Oliver Legacy Elite sold new for around $35,000. My 2008 Airstream Bambi DWR 16 listed for $54,000 and sold new for $48,000. I bought both of these used. I was able to sell my AS in less than two weeks for more than I paid for it. Lets just say that I saved a ton of money on the used Oliver, which was only slept in for 32 days. I am confident that I could sell the Oliver, which I never would, for more than I paid for it. So Rabbit-Jack, if you have the need or desire to own something very special, you don't have to feel that you are necessarily going to lose a lot of money.

One of the reasons I liked the Oliver was that it's bright and airy inside did not feel claustrophobic. That is also why I liked the Airstream. Every decision like this comes down to personal choice. The Oliver works well for me because I like to camp in out of the way places, where a normal trailer can not go. With it's 5200# axel, 16 inch wheels, Michelin light truck tires, quad shocks, moulded in furniture and high ground clearance, I can get to those places.

My Oliver weighs 3900#'s fully loaded and ready to roll. I tow it with a Toyota FJ Cruiser. I get about 14 mpg. I got 2-4 mpg less towing the 16 foot AS Bambi.

[rabbit]

I admire.
Don't wish to aspire.
To make the loan retire
would require that I perspire.

Never seen an Oliver. The pix of the F/S example indicate that it is a trailer of very high build quality.

jack

[Carol H]

I have to giggle a little at the discussion on why the Oliver is worth so much more than other fiberglass trailers of the same size & why its holding it price in the used market. I have only had the pleasure of seeing an Oliver once but what I came away with was that it was clear the build quality was not the same as other fiberglass trailers I have been in.

Comparing an Oliver to other fiberglass trailers of the same size out there is a lot like comparing a Beneteu sail boat to a Catalina or for the non sailors a Mercedes Benz sedan to a Hyndai Sedan. They may be the same size and from a distance appear to be the same but on close inspection of the details & build quality they are not the same by a long shot.

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by Carol H

............
Comparing an Oliver to other fiberglass trailers of the same size out there is a lot like comparing a Beneteu sail boat to a Catalina or for the non sailors a Mercedes Benz sedan to a Hyundai Sedan. ........

I've found that my lack of taste for fine things has saved me a fortune over the years.

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by Carol H

I have to giggle a little at the discussion on why the Oliver is worth so much more than other fiberglass trailers of the same size & why its holding it price in the used market. I have only had the pleasure of seeing an Oliver once but what I came away with was that it was clear the build quality was not the same as other fiberglass trailers I have been in.

Comparing an Oliver to other fiberglass trailers of the same size out there is a lot like comparing a Beneteu sail boat to a Catalina or for the non sailors a Mercedes Benz sedan to a Hyndai Sedan. They may be the same size and from a distance appear to be the same but on close inspection of the details & build quality they are not the same by a long shot.

There is one very important point some people fail to mention, both Mercedes and Hyundai are still in business, Oliver is not. Maybe that point needs to be addressed while discussing the merits of a defunct company's product.