Oliver "List" Price - Fiberglass RV
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Old 07-10-2020, 09:08 AM   #1
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Name: Michael
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Oliver "List" Price

New to the forum and I'm finding a wealth of good information here. I'm budgeting for my purchase decision. My question is about list price vs selling price. I've seen the 30%+ off list price games with some dealers and rv brands. It seems that short of inventory challenges right now a good Airstream negotiation is upwards of 15% below list price. I've seen no real examples about Oliver's list price vs selling price. Of course Oliver indicated their list price is the selling price, but doesn't everybody say that? Are they true to the posted price?
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Old 07-10-2020, 09:59 AM   #2
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Welcome to the forum. In general, molded fiberglass trailers are sold direct from their respective factories with no discounts.

Escape used to offer a tongue box at no charge for people buying their second unit, and there were some modest referral fees for people that showed their personal trailer to a buyer. I'm not sure what current practice is now that Escape was acquired in the last year or two.

The secondary market also upholds high resale prices. Sellers of newer units often note the current length of time it takes to get a new one built. The new ownership at Escape produces few pre-built trailers for sale. I believe Casita has traditionally done this too.
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Old 07-10-2020, 10:01 AM   #3
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Because most fg rv manufacturers are direct sales and not sold through dealers you will not find many who will sell below their listed prices especially in these times of turmoil.RV sales look to be growing due to the pandemic ,I know at least Happier Campers sales have greatly increased and it looks to be across the RV industry s well.
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Old 07-10-2020, 10:32 AM   #4
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I know Happier Camper doesn’t discount - believe that’s a standard in the fiberglass market but suspect someone here knows that for sure!
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Old 07-10-2020, 10:42 AM   #5
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When Oliver tells you something, you can pretty much take it to the bank. When they say the price is the price, they mean the price is the price. Especially when ordering one. But you might ask them about the few they always seem to have on hand that are brand new.

Olivers are expensive, but you get a lot for the money. The price of new ones can go up faster than used ones depreciate, so it's possible to sell a used one for more than you paid for it.
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Old 07-11-2020, 06:54 AM   #6
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Agree with John, Oliver’s pricing is firm.
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Old 07-18-2020, 03:03 PM   #7
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Ordered an Oliver 7/16/21....

....earliest pick up was March 2021. Toured the factory....that was impressive. Phil Andrews was our salesman.....but he didn’t sell....he informed. Really impressed with the quality. He gave us a price list, we chose the trailer and options. He added those up and that was the price. I asked him if they ever did promotions.... he said they were already selling them faster than they can make them. If you need financing they do not do it onsite, but recommend some banks in the area.

Now all we need to do is sell the Forest River and Casita sitting in the driveway.
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Old 07-18-2020, 06:28 PM   #8
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You purchase an Oliver from the manufacturer...you pay whatever they establish as the
selling price. They do not have a dealer network. Without a dealer network you have no
options...pay what they demand or buy some other brand.
I have been studying the fiberglass RV market for over two years here is what I found.

1. No dealer network therefore no service departments throughout the states...BIG
NEGATIVE....think about it...where do you go for warranty support ?
2. No price negotiations....the factory maintains total control of pricing. Their marketing
Methods leave a lot to be desired.
These facts result in overpriced products. iMHO that is why you see fewer fiberglass
travel trailers on the road.

I have been a RV travel trailer owner since 1983. I have owned 4 quality travel trailers
Since 1983...none were fiberglass units...none had any roof leaks...none had any major
problems and the only reason I traded up to another unit was to accommodate a growing family or after retirement to down size.

Take the time to examine what all RVs have in common...they all use the same components....refrigerators, water heaters, water pumps, roof vents, cooking appliances, door hardware, rooftop A/C units....all from a select group of manufactures who supply all RV manufactures.
The RV industry in the United States is now controlled by a handful of “Parent Companies” who operate under a few brand names.

Sign up for the free Email newsletter .....RVTravel.com.....they do not accept advertising from any RV manufactures and report on the good, bad and ugly of the RV Industry.
This RVTravel weekly newsletter will educate you...they have a new newsletter designed to guide folks new to the RV life on how to shop for a RV and what to look for in the process.

I am currently considering a small motor home (Class B+ or Class C) but that is another world requiring even more research....and money!

Good Luck in you quest.
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Old 07-18-2020, 06:42 PM   #9
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I’m glad you’ve had great experiences with the RV’s you’ve owned. Your assertion that service is a problem with fiberglass trailers is incorrect with Oliver. I have a local RV repair shop just 5 miles from my home here north of San Antonio. They’ve done some warranty work on my trailer and Oliver picked up the tab, no questions.
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Old 07-18-2020, 06:51 PM   #10
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Carol & Mike, I noticed you live in Texas....how did you take delivery on your Oliver?

I live in North Carolina about 20 miles from the Tennessee state line so a trip to Oliver’s
factory would not be a major issue....just wondering how they handle delivering units.
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Old 07-18-2020, 07:05 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Carol and Mike View Post
I’m glad you’ve had great experiences with the RV’s you’ve owned. Your assertion that service is a problem with fiberglass trailers is incorrect with Oliver. I have a local RV repair shop just 5 miles from my home here north of San Antonio. They’ve done some warranty work on my trailer and Oliver picked up the tab, no questions.
Same procedure with Escapes. You do run into the "Did you buy it here?" question that may extend the time you can get it into the shop, but most fiberglass trailer manufacturers do their warranty service through independent repair shops. I have had work done when Reface ran Escape - I suspect the same policies are used by the current management...
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Old 07-18-2020, 07:16 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Uplander View Post
Carol & Mike, I noticed you live in Texas....how did you take delivery on your Oliver?

I live in North Carolina about 20 miles from the Tennessee state line so a trip to Oliver’s
factory would not be a major issue....just wondering how they handle delivering units.
We drove to Tennessee to tour the factory and place our order in October 2015. Visited a couple of local wineries. Went to the Opry in Nashville. Generally had a wonderful week.

When we picked up our trailer (Spring 2016) we spent several days in Hohenwald, learning the ins and outs of our new camper and ensuring everything worked well. We took a couple of weeks to get home, camping at Land Between the Lakes, Branson, Hot Springs and a nice Texas State Park outside of Waco (Mother Neff State Park). We’ve been back to Hohenwald to have things added, always visiting our favorite wineries and spending an evening at the Grand Ol Opry. In fact, the last trip through Hohenwald we kept heading east and spent a week in Sylva, NC near Asheville. That was a great trip and one we want to repeat. Mike
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Old 07-18-2020, 08:20 PM   #13
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Uplander,

The advantage that comes with an Oliver is not a difference in brands of appliances, it's in the construction of the frame and body, and in their commitment to quality and to stand behind their trailers. They are unique in those areas.

They appeal to those who want a lifetime trailer, and/or people who don't want to deal with the depreciation and limited life of conventional trailers. They appeal to those who appreciate well built things and don't want to deal with the fast talking salesman types that give the industry a bad name.

Having a trailer that simply did not leak for a few years is no judge of quality or longevity.

The idea that not having a dealer network makes them more expensive is not true. Dealers have to make money too. Anytime you introduce another middleman, you increase the price of goods or services. With an Oliver you get to know the people and the company and select the options you want, instead of just getting talked into taking what is on the lot. You build a relationship that pays off later.

It's too easy to look at different products and try to judge them based simply on price. Olivers are expensive, but they are not easy to build, they don't just roll off the line every few minutes, they are not trying to keep up with that kind of speed building, and they have a long list of people waiting in line for one. You should go on a factory tour sometime at Oliver. It's fun and it's revealing. You'll begin to see the value they offer.

Trailers like thee are built to cover a lot of miles. People who buy them want to travel. So going to the factory to pick it up is fun and part of the experience. It kicks off the whole experience with a nice first trip. They have a see-an-Oliver program where owners around the Country will show their Oliver to interested people. And they have rallies where everyone is invited. And now that there are over 600 of them, they are becoming easier to find used.

So if someone is just getting started in the trailer world, has a young family and a demanding job, the Oliver is probably not the right choice. They can just go to a local dealer, put a few dollars down on a trailer and go camping. Cool. But later, when it becomes clear how frustrating that can be overall, and how those trailers are worth so little used, and when it's time to get the last one you'll ever want, Olivers look better and better.

Finally, they are rugged. Ready for hail storms, high winds and temperature extremes. They are streamlined and stable under tow. All things that make the price look better.
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Old 07-18-2020, 08:40 PM   #14
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Well said Raspy!

This is our fifth travel trailer. Three sticks, a Casita used, and now an Oliver. Two sticks were new, both delaminated, lost a good chunk on resale. The Casita caused us to fall in love with glass, so we purchased our Oliver. Probably the last RV we’ll own.
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Old 07-19-2020, 07:35 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Uplander View Post
These facts result in overpriced products. iMHO that is why you see fewer fiberglass
travel trailers on the road.

I have been a RV travel trailer owner since 1983. I have owned 4 quality travel trailers
Since 1983...none were fiberglass units...none had any roof leaks...none had any major
problems and the only reason I traded up to another unit was to accommodate a growing family or after retirement to down size.
Interesting viewpoint. OK, you can go to Camping World and negotiate a discount on a brand new stick trailer. That trailer loses almost half its value in ONE YEAR.

Meanwhile, you can buy a molded FG trailer directly from the manufacturer and it may lose 10% of its value in FIVE years.

IMHO the reason you find fewer molded FG trailers is they cost significantly more to build and tend to have less space inside them. So people buying on price alone don't buy them. A person with a staple gun can build a traditional trailer. Molded FG takes a large investment in molds, and model changes can mean mold changes.

The longevity of molded FG trailers speak for themselves. Yes, the appliances inside are the same used throughout the RV industry, and definitely do not last forever. Go to any vintage RV show and talk to someone who has restored a stick built trailer.

Since you have had great experience with your traditional built trailers, you should continue down that path as they are significantly cheaper.


FWIW, aluminum framed traditional trailers are better, but they still have laminated walls. Read up on wall delamination for more info there. I had one, won't go back.
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Old 07-19-2020, 08:12 AM   #16
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It is true that some stick built trailers are stapled together.....however if you do your homework you will discover some stick builds are constructed of metal welded frames.
Always do your homework before selecting any travel trailer.
Reading the free weekly email newsletter.....RVTravel.com.....will educate you on the many
issues involving travel trailers and motor homes...knowledge is power.
“ Things are seldom what they seem...sour milk may look like cream”.
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Old 07-19-2020, 10:13 AM   #17
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I know two Oliver owners who have owned their trailers for 12 years (one is a neighbor). They are still as structurally as sound as the day they picked them up. My neighbor plans on keeping his until he can’t travel anymore. We’re only at 5 years but we’ll be keeping it for a long while.
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Old 07-19-2020, 10:59 AM   #18
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Originally Posted by Uplander View Post
2. No price negotiations....the factory maintains total control of pricing. Their marketing
Methods leave a lot to be desired.
These facts result in overpriced products. iMHO that is why you see fewer fiberglass
travel trailers on the road.
This makes no sense. Any "discounts" you get from a dealer simply means they are reducing their profit over the amount they paid the factory. I would rather pay the factory directly and avoid that markup altogether.
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Old 07-19-2020, 01:29 PM   #19
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Oliver "List" Price

Patrick,

I agree with Carol and Mike.

Scamp Trailers also has a service department. For warranty work that is done away from the factory, with a submitted estimate, Scamp will approve and pay for service at other RV repair businesses. My sister has an Escape 17B and I know that Escape Trailers helped them with reimbursement for warranty work. I suspect that other factory-direct FGRV manufacturers have similar policies. The email address of the Scamp service department is service@scamptrailers.com

I would suggest that, with any FGRV, you do need to be a little careful what “RV dealer” you allow to work on your fiberglass trailer. In past experience, not all “RV dealers” know how to work on fiberglass trailers.

For example, I am a Good Sam member and have bought many camping supplies at Camping World. When I decided to put a cover over the top of our Fantastic Fan, because they offered Good Sam members discounted labor pricing, I allowed Camping World to do the install.

I asked at least 3 times to make sure they wouldn’t be putting screws through the top fiberglass on our trailer. When the work was complete, I looked and sure enough, some junior, inexperienced installer had ignored the Fantastic Fan directions and ran screws through our roof instead of the Fantastic Fan housing. To Camping World’s credit, they re-did the installation correctly and they paid to have my trailer repaired at a fiberglass-knowledgeable repair facility.

Fiberglass trailers share many components and appliances with stick-built trailers. For a great many things, repairs on FGRVs are quite similar to other trailers. FGRV owners just need to make sure they use knowledgeable repair people or make a trip back to the factory whenever it is convenient.

Happy and safe camping to all!

Ray
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