2022 #3: Recalculating route

With retirement in our sights, the Oliver trailers appealed to us because of their:

  • Lower maintenance
  • Durability
  • High historical resale value
But, an Oliver would be a huge departure from our established camping patterns. Our current fifth wheel fits our present camping mode perfectly: typically short hauls to regional full-hookup campgrounds for stays ranging from one weekend to two weeks at a time. It has three slides and provides plenty of living and storage space for extended stays. There are plenty of creature comforts inside like leather recliners and a fireplace. It's quite comfortable. There's room to entertain friends. Our gas-powered dually tows it comfortably in mild to medium terrain. And it's not too big at 32' long. 

Oliver makes two trailers, the 23.5' Elite 2 and the smaller Elite. We immediately decided that the Elite would be too small for us, but the Elite 2 was a possibility. However, it's truly the polar opposite of our fifth wheel. Making pro/con lists made this clear. The strengths of our fifth wheel were the weaknesses of the Oliver:
  • Fifth wheel: lots of space, Oliver: very tight inside
  • Fifth wheel: creature comforts, Oliver: more basic
  • Fifth wheel: dry bath with a big shower, Oliver: wet bath with very little head room for my 6' height
  • Fifth wheel: plenty of storage inside and out, Oliver: fair interior storage, very limited exterior compartments
  • Fifth wheel: large tanks, Oliver: small tanks
On the other hand, the Oliver excelled where the fifth wheel had challenges:
  • Oliver: heavily protected from water intrusion, fifth wheel: requires constant diligence with seals
  • Oliver: heavily insulated, fifth wheel: less insulation on slides
  • Oliver: small and maneuverable, fifth wheel: very tall
  • Oliver: massive solar capability, fifth wheel: none
  • Oliver: lighter and more aerodynamic, fifth wheel: works our truck a bit up hills and against wind
In summary, the Oliver is a trailer meant to travel and boondock vs. the fifth wheel, which is more practical for longer stays with full hookups. So it came down to how we plan to camp in the coming years. Here's how that discussion went:
  • We really enjoyed the multi-week cross-country trips we did when we were younger. We'd like to do that again after retirement, and while our health permits.
  • Steph is not comfortable towing the fifth wheel, but thinks she'd be comfortable towing an Oliver.
  • Our truck will be happier towing a lighter trailer, especially over long distances and mountains.
  • The pandemic has changed RVing. There is more competition for campsites and campground prices are soaring. The Oliver will be able to fit into more sites and will be able to to dry-camp/boondock comfortably for up to 5 days without a generator, increasing our options on the road.
  • We would miss some of the interior comforts of the fifth wheel, but we think that would encourage us to get outside more when camping. We don't want to be that retired couple that pulls into a campsite and never gets out of their rig.
  • The shower is a concern due to my height.
  • With the high initial cost of an Oliver, and a hopefully high resale value, if we decide to revert to our current camping style we can probably sell the Oliver and buy another conventional fifth wheel in the future.
It would be a leap of faith into unfamiliar territory, both literally and figuratively. Time to take the first step...


[logo credit: Oliver Travel Trailers]


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