Hi, former Oliver owner, current InTech Terra owner - Fiberglass RV
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Old 03-15-2022, 09:09 PM   #1
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Name: Maridus
Trailer: InTech Terra Oasis
Tennessee
Posts: 8
Hi, former Oliver owner, current InTech Terra owner

Hi, a while ago i was reading in this forum a discussion on BigFoot 26’ vs Oliver LEii, etc, and the new InTech Terra product. I thought you might be interested in a little feedback from a former Oliver owner that switched to InTech. Under consideration before and after the Oliver were the BIgFoot, a Lance, and an AirStream. I wont bash any of these products. They all have their pros/cons. We did at least 4 Oliver factory tours, appreciated the double hull build and the full aluminum chassis. We purchased a lightly used LEii. It was great trailer, but we needed something with a little more room. We loved the BigFoot build but just couldnt get past the interior ambiance. We liked the feel of the AS but had a problem with the price and fears of shell repairs. InTech is a custom trailer builder. Their workforce is largely Amish, and they share in the company’s ownership. I mention this because their build quality, including a 360* welded aluminum frame, is excellent. Cabinets, walls, etc, are secured to the frame and thus have no flex or domino failures. The Terra has about the same weight margins as the Oliver (5K-7.5k). It is not as aerodynamic. Where it falls short is in the use of 15” rims, meaning we cant run LT tires. It also lacks, dual pane windows, the electric leveling jacks, and a utilitarian storage bumperComponents are similar to most every other trailer. We’ve since installed 500ah of lithium, 400w of rooftop solar, inverter, etc. The interior has a very spacious and clean, modern feel. The tilt-forward window is beautiful, but $3500 to replace! It also has ducted heat and a/c. Having owned both, i’d say, both are exceptional in their own right, but also very different when you live in them … two adults and two dogs here.
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Old 03-16-2022, 09:02 AM   #2
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Obviously doesn't fit in the molded fiberglass category.

One shortfall I noticed, looking at their website, is the rear tail/stop/turn lights are too low, too small, and no high center brake light.
They should have separate amber turn/4-way flashers.
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Old 03-16-2022, 09:25 AM   #3
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Name: Maridus
Trailer: InTech Terra Oasis
Tennessee
Posts: 8
I’m a huge fan of the fiberglass trailers. Unfortunately there isnt one yet made that covers some of the bases we value. The Big Foot has the size but not the most attractive interiors (imo). What i loved about Oliver was the overall execution, look, feel, function … cabinetry, shower, storage areas were molded into the inner shell. No rattles or cabinets coming loose! I wish Oliver would develop a 26-28’ x 8’ trailer … (ala Big Foot dimensions) with all their amazing molded interior spaces. I only mention InTech because they build an incredibly solid trailer (as close to fiberglass perfection as exists in the space) with one of the better interior living spaces available. It’s hard to find “perfection” but some are closer than others
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Old 03-16-2022, 09:37 AM   #4
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Trailer: Casita
Kentucky
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Originally Posted by Maridus View Post
Hi, a while ago i was reading in this forum a discussion on BigFoot 26’ vs Oliver LEii, etc, and the new InTech Terra product. I thought you might be interested in a little feedback from a former Oliver owner that switched to InTech. Under consideration before and after the Oliver were the BIgFoot, a Lance, and an AirStream. I wont bash any of these products. They all have their pros/cons. We did at least 4 Oliver factory tours, appreciated the double hull build and the full aluminum chassis. We purchased a lightly used LEii. It was great trailer, but we needed something with a little more room. We loved the BigFoot build but just couldnt get past the interior ambiance. We liked the feel of the AS but had a problem with the price and fears of shell repairs. InTech is a custom trailer builder. Their workforce is largely Amish, and they share in the company’s ownership. I mention this because their build quality, including a 360* welded aluminum frame, is excellent. Cabinets, walls, etc, are secured to the frame and thus have no flex or domino failures. The Terra has about the same weight margins as the Oliver (5K-7.5k). It is not as aerodynamic. Where it falls short is in the use of 15” rims, meaning we cant run LT tires. It also lacks, dual pane windows, the electric leveling jacks, and a utilitarian storage bumperComponents are similar to most every other trailer. We’ve since installed 500ah of lithium, 400w of rooftop solar, inverter, etc. The interior has a very spacious and clean, modern feel. The tilt-forward window is beautiful, but $3500 to replace! It also has ducted heat and a/c. Having owned both, i’d say, both are exceptional in their own right, but also very different when you live in them … two adults and two dogs here.
Hi Maridus,

I appreciate your post. Laura and I have owned our 2005 Casita since November, 2015. We love it; however, we enjoy researching egg campers/trailers/small motorhomes. Our plan is to hold on to the Casita for another 3 years and reassess if we want a larger RV after we turn 62 late in 2024. If we go larger, the RV MUST have a walk around bed ortwin beds with an additional place to sit independent of the bed(s).

We have toured the Oliver plant and attended two of their rallies along with having many friends with Olivers. We LOVE the Olivers, but the prices are outstripping our supplemental retirement account!!! We are a big fan of the Bigfoots, but we just don’t care for the interior decor. We like contemporary. We like white, bright, airy, etc. We are closely following the development of the Escape 23 (probably a near perfect floor plan for us).

We, too, admire Airstreams (25 front twin bed) and Lances (Lance 2075). However, I don’t really see us going with either of them. I am a huge fan of the Safari Condo 2414, but there is a 3 year waiting list, LOL. The only other “non-egg” camper we would consider is the InTech. We have attended many RV shows and have appreciated them. We just recently attended the Florida RV Super Show and had the chance to see the Terra. It is the only trailer at the show that my wife, Laura, wanted to see 3 times!!!

Congratulations!!! I have a good friend that works extensively in the RV industry and he speaks highly of InTech.

If we decide to get a larger camper, we would love an Oliver, perhaps an Escape 23. The two non-egg campers would be the Safari Condo 2414 or the InTech Terra. I would be interested in reading more about your experiences with your Terra.

Happy Camping,

Dean
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Old 03-16-2022, 10:23 AM   #5
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Name: Maridus
Trailer: InTech Terra Oasis
Tennessee
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Hi Dean,
We have come to enjoy a more spacious interior living space, both in feel and practically. We boondock a good deal, and get stuck in extremes of cold and hot weather from time to time. Thus we need a trailer that has good climate control, is spacious and enjoyable to live in, and has tank capacities to keep us for a week at a time. The Terra has very generous fresh, grey & black tank storage (+40 gal each), and a walk around queen in a separate bedroom, and separate shower and water closets. The kitchen and dining space is also very roomy and open feeling. It’s super livable for us and our two full sized doodles. I expect we’ll have the typical cabinet hinge issues, and appliance repairs over time, but those things will happen regardless of mfgr. I forgot to mention, the Dexter tor-flex suspension is very nice. We upgraded tires from oem 215 8-ply to 225 10ply, added 500ah of battle born lithium, 400w of solar, 3000w inverter, etc. all i can say at this point is it’s worked great so far, and we like being in it. It’s our rolling condo.
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Old 03-16-2022, 02:13 PM   #6
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Tennessee
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Bigger Ain't Better is and has been the talk from the Oliver family all along.

They can sell all they can make. With the trailer business NOT being their primary business why try and be all things to all people?

Oliver make a GREAT Fiberglass trailer Product. It's not for everyone however the Oliver's are not looking to sell to everyone!
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Old 03-16-2022, 02:51 PM   #7
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Name: Maridus
Trailer: InTech Terra Oasis
Tennessee
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Vintageracer, you’ll never get an argument from me regarding Oliver quality or what they do for their market. We were happy customers. Interestingly, i spoke to them regarding future plans for a larger trailer … as have many Oliver owners and fans. Two years ago they (Oliver man in the know) said that a larger unit is on their drawing board. He estimated somewhere in the neighborhood of a five yr window of due diligence before they might have something for the 26-30’ segment. That was two yrs ago. We’ll see if it happens but if it does, they will be a serious contender for “best” in that segment, as will what they’ll need to charge.. one aspect that sets them apart is their “direct to customer sales and support system .” No one does it better, imo.
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Old 03-16-2022, 04:34 PM   #8
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Trailer: Oliver Elite II
Boerne, Texas
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We looked at the Intech Terra Oasis closely. It has a lot of great features. There are times when extra space would be nice. I’m still monitoring owner reports, but right now we’ll keep our Oliver. We’ve had 6 years of reliable camping.
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Old 03-16-2022, 07:14 PM   #9
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Name: Maridus
Trailer: InTech Terra Oasis
Tennessee
Posts: 8
Hi Mike and Carol. Do I recognize your “star” logo and names from the Oliver forum? It’s such a great owner’s community. If so…Well wishes!
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Old 03-16-2022, 09:23 PM   #10
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Name: Lynn
Trailer: 2019 Escape 21C, NTU April 2022 (was 2013 Casita Spirit Deluxe 17)
Massachusetts
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Maridus View Post
Hi, a while ago i was reading in this forum a discussion on BigFoot 26’ vs Oliver LEii, etc, and the new InTech Terra product. I thought you might be interested in a little feedback from a former Oliver owner that switched to InTech. Under consideration before and after the Oliver were the BIgFoot, a Lance, and an AirStream. I wont bash any of these products. They all have their pros/cons. We did at least 4 Oliver factory tours, appreciated the double hull build and the full aluminum chassis. We purchased a lightly used LEii. It was great trailer, but we needed something with a little more room. We loved the BigFoot build but just couldnt get past the interior ambiance. We liked the feel of the AS but had a problem with the price and fears of shell repairs. InTech is a custom trailer builder. Their workforce is largely Amish, and they share in the company’s ownership. I mention this because their build quality, including a 360* welded aluminum frame, is excellent. Cabinets, walls, etc, are secured to the frame and thus have no flex or domino failures. The Terra has about the same weight margins as the Oliver (5K-7.5k). It is not as aerodynamic. Where it falls short is in the use of 15” rims, meaning we cant run LT tires. It also lacks, dual pane windows, the electric leveling jacks, and a utilitarian storage bumperComponents are similar to most every other trailer. We’ve since installed 500ah of lithium, 400w of rooftop solar, inverter, etc. The interior has a very spacious and clean, modern feel. The tilt-forward window is beautiful, but $3500 to replace! It also has ducted heat and a/c. Having owned both, i’d say, both are exceptional in their own right, but also very different when you live in them … two adults and two dogs here.
The inTech Terra is an impressive camper. Last Fall they were at about $60k, which was more than we were prepared to pay (now over $70k), and bigger than we needed (26'). We liked the inTech Sol Horizon, which at only 19' had both the rear bed and front dinette/bed that we wanted, and the forward-leaning dinette, same as the Terra's, was really quite something (it extends over the tongue, providing a spacious, living-room feel, and making the trailer seem much larger. We were able to order an already-built unit in December for $41k. The Horizons seemed well-built, with their aluminum cages (despite their OSB floor and rooftop seams). I figured we had left the molded-fiberglass world without the 'stickie' penalty I feared.

Alas, joining the inTech Sol Facebook page, I discovered that Horizons were losing their axles, because of faulty aluminum-welded mounts. I reasoned that this was not just bad welding, but a design flaw, and that if I owned one of these trailers, I'd be forever worrying if mine were the next to fail. So I bailed out, and returned to the MFG world, which I discussed in more detail HERE.

So Maridus, I'm wondering if the Terras have had the same problems. It wouldn't be as severe, of course, as the Terras have two axles, so losing one wouldn't be catastrophic. But do the Terras have the same aluminum axle mounts? You might want to look into this, and make a point of inspecting yours before heading out on a trip. Join the inTech Sol Facebook page and search for the Master Post on axle weld failures.

BTW, I have known about Olivers for years, the 'Cadillac' of the MFG world. As a colleague here says, their 24' layouts are basically just stretched Casitas: rear bed and side two-person dinette/bed. Not what we wanted, and yes, I have also wondered why they didn't take that ample body and made a slick Escape 21. I guess because their molds include much of the interior layout—which, when you think about it, is the best way to build a fiberglass trailer. But it means you can't fiddle with layouts without entirely new molds.

Judging from the demand for Escapes, and Bigfoots (and Olivers), it sure seems like there's a growing market in the MFG world for folks like me and Meridus, who are looking for more flexibility in sleeping arrangements, beyond what Casita and Scamp offer, and really don't want the products turned out by the mass-production RV lines of Indiana.
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Old 03-16-2022, 10:20 PM   #11
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Name: John
Trailer: Bigfoot 25 RQ
Ohio
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We owned an escape 21 for 4 years, did an extensive tour of an Oliver elite2 then ordered a Bigfoot. Liked the build quality of the Oliver but really didn’t like the layout at all. After we ordered the Bigfoot 25rq we got a chance to tour one and we we just fine with its decor. Flash and fashion aren’t high on our list, solid build and a proven design and great insulation is.
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Old 03-17-2022, 06:58 AM   #12
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Name: Maridus
Trailer: InTech Terra Oasis
Tennessee
Posts: 8
Hey Mr Lynn, thanks so much for alerting me to the axle issue!! I’m not on that fb group. In the Terra group nothing serious beyond an appliance not working, etc., has been reported. Hopefully whatever the issue with the Horizon, it got corrected immediately. I’m checking it out further with one of the service Techs. Having met the team at InTech i’m sure any design or engineering issue has been corrected as they react quickly and personally to problems. Our Terra has appx 10k miles on it so far and thus far everything remains intact. Of course now i’m curious about what isnt readily seen! We’ve done around 400 of those miles on hard bumpy terrain in Ore, Ut and Wyo and a many miles on bumpy freeways! We took our Oliver over the same kinds if roads and had zero issues. We paid $52k for Terra a yr ago before supply chain issues hit hardest. Depending where one lives and how much a local dealer decides to charge, i believe they’re avail in the low to mid 60s. Thanks again for the heads up.
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Old 03-17-2022, 07:06 AM   #13
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Name: Maridus
Trailer: InTech Terra Oasis
Tennessee
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I’m with you on solid build and good layout. The BigFoot is both in spades. However, the other decision-maker in my family couldnt (wouldnt) handle the look and feel. She prefers the look and feel of the Oliver (too small), the Terra and the AirStream. I went Terra because of the build quality … she went Terra because of the ambiance.
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Old 03-17-2022, 07:10 AM   #14
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Originally Posted by Maridus View Post
Hi Mike and Carol. Do I recognize your “star” logo and names from the Oliver forum? It’s such a great owner’s community. If so…Well wishes!
Yes, it’s us. Enjoy your Terra, it’s a really nice trailer! Mike
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Old 03-17-2022, 07:46 AM   #15
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I’m with you on solid build and good layout. The BigFoot is both in spades. However, the other decision-maker in my family couldnt (wouldnt) handle the look and feel. She prefers the look and feel of the Oliver (too small), the Terra and the AirStream. I went Terra because of the build quality … she went Terra because of the ambiance.
Fair enough. Everyone has to be happy. I’m sure it’s a fine trailer.
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Old 03-17-2022, 10:35 AM   #16
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Name: Maridus
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Tennessee
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Mr Lynn, I did a little checking on the axle situation you referenced. The rv service tech familiar with it said it was a combination of driver error (hit a 90* curb at 20mph) and a particular welder’s sub-par work. Every build is assigned to specific people so the problem was identified and corrected (he was terminated). Evidently that particular trailer’s Dexter axles are mounted at an angle, thus creating a potential weak spot compared to the flat setup with the dual axle. He also told me that many mfgs have these kinds of fails from time to time, even Oliver. He cautioned that everyone should check their undercarriage bolt and weld joints as part of an annual pmi. .
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Old 03-17-2022, 11:51 AM   #17
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Trailer: 2019 Escape 21C, NTU April 2022 (was 2013 Casita Spirit Deluxe 17)
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Originally Posted by Maridus View Post
Mr Lynn, I did a little checking on the axle situation you referenced. The rv service tech familiar with it said it was a combination of driver error (hit a 90* curb at 20mph) and a particular welder’s sub-par work. Every build is assigned to specific people so the problem was identified and corrected (he was terminated). Evidently that particular trailer’s Dexter axles are mounted at an angle, thus creating a potential weak spot compared to the flat setup with the dual axle. He also told me that many mfgs have these kinds of fails from time to time, even Oliver. He cautioned that everyone should check their undercarriage bolt and weld joints as part of an annual pmi. .
Maridus, there were at least four incidents. Only one reported hitting anything (gas-station bollard). Some have said (in the discussion on Facebook) that relying on an aluminum-to-aluminum weld for a stub mount that has to take a lot of force is a mistake. I was told Olivers use a steel mounts (with sacrificial anodes to limit steel-to-aluminum corrosion). The chassis of the forthcoming Escape 23 uses a steel underframe to mount the axles, through-bolted to the alumimum frame (new for Escape). I linked to the video in the earlier post I cited.

I haven't seen any photos of the underside axle mounts of the Terra, so can't comment on that. I hope they are better than the Sol Horizons.
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Old 03-23-2022, 11:37 AM   #18
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Oklahoma
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My first trailer was a very well kept older Airstream Tradewind. I also looked at newer Airstreams. We concluded that they look really nice and are built fairly well. But, they are not made for cold or hot weather. Next we toured the Oliver plant and really liked the quality of the Oliver but, the floor plan was not what we were looking for. Then we purchased a newer Bigfoot 25B25RQ. Very well made, a true four season camper and it looked very nice to us. Actually the Bigfoot was the easiest trailer to heat and cool and to pull down the highway. Finally we sold the BF and purchased an 18 foot Work and Play toy hauler. Talk about minimal on the looks and insulation. But, we had to accommodate room for our motorcycle.

My point is this: What works for one doesn't work for another. We could care less on how fancy the interior is since we spend most of our time out riding the MC. We loved the insulation factor of the Bigfoot but the MC takes precedence. If we decide to give up the MC (which I doubt) we will go back to the Bigfoot.

Buy the trailer that best fits your needs and pleases you and your crew and forget about what others think.
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Old 03-23-2022, 11:58 AM   #19
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Trailer: Bigfoot 25 RQ
Ohio
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Originally Posted by MTRCYCMAN View Post
My first trailer was a very well kept older Airstream Tradewind. I also looked at newer Airstreams. We concluded that they look really nice and are built fairly well. But, they are not made for cold or hot weather. Next we toured the Oliver plant and really liked the quality of the Oliver but, the floor plan was not what we were looking for. Then we purchased a newer Bigfoot 25B25RQ. Very well made, a true four season camper and it looked very nice to us. Actually the Bigfoot was the easiest trailer to heat and cool and to pull down the highway. Finally we sold the BF and purchased an 18 foot Work and Play toy hauler. Talk about minimal on the looks and insulation. But, we had to accommodate room for our motorcycle.

My point is this: What works for one doesn't work for another. We could care less on how fancy the interior is since we spend most of our time out riding the MC. We loved the insulation factor of the Bigfoot but the MC takes precedence. If we decide to give up the MC (which I doubt) we will go back to the Bigfoot.

Buy the trailer that best fits your needs and pleases you and your crew and forget about what others think.

At my age I decided the motorcycle was not a great fit any more, my sight failing, my reaction time down , and lower body strength diminished. Not enough to be critical but I like my life playing fiddle and broken bones aren’t in the plan again. However I had 20 years of great motorcycle trips. Now the Bigfoot is the right fit. Keep the rubber side down. If you haven’t done it, Cape Breton on a motorcycle is heaven
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Old 03-24-2022, 06:08 PM   #20
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Can't get one cause the wife will not tow it cause it's to wide. But she will tow the Scamp 19!
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