OCD Overland
Explorer
My wife and I were made aware of Oliver trailers a couple of months ago through this thread - http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/149367-Not-your-typical-travel-trailer-Oliver-Elite. We both liked what we saw, and since they're not too far away, we decided on a whim to call them up and arrange a tour to see their trailers and how they're built. A few days later, we were on the road to Hohenwald, TN.
For those who aren't familiar with the company or their trailers, the thread above is a good place to start, and there's a lengthy video linked in the first post that gives a rather thorough tour of a finished trailer. You can also check out their web site, of course - http://olivertraveltrailers.com. But basically, they make two models of fiberglass travel trailers, an 18'-6" single axle version, and a larger 23'-6" tandem axle, called the Elite and Elite II respectively. Both are kitted out with typical travel trailer amenities - kitchenette, full bath with shower and flush toilet, etc. What makes them different to standard travel trailers (and relevant to this site) is their construction method and design, both of which make the trailers far more durable for going off the beaten path. You aren't taking either of these puppies up the rubicon trail, but if you're looking for the above amenities, in something that can handle miles of washboard without rattling itself apart, then an Oliver should be on your short list.
Just a bit about the company that you might not be able to pick up from their web site. This is their main business - http://www.safesteptub.com - making accessible bathtubs and shower enclosures. The trailer business started with one of the family members building a trailer for himself and then it went from there. I get the impression that the trailer business is still very much a work in progress. If you look at photos on their site, you can see that they're constantly refining the design in subtle ways, swapping out components, etc. This was obvious also on the tour - we hit them at a down time, when they were cleaning up the factory and prepping for some production line changes, etc. to make things more efficient. Their current goal is to produce two trailers a week, which is small beans compared to their competitors. Though a decent size company, it still has a very small-town and family feel and everyone we met were extremely friendly and incredibly tolerant of all my questions. I think we spent roughly four hours there, which is much longer than I thought we'd spend. I could have stayed longer and looking back at the photos there are a lot of questions and details that I wish I'd asked or paid more attention to.
Anyway, on to the tour...
For those who aren't familiar with the company or their trailers, the thread above is a good place to start, and there's a lengthy video linked in the first post that gives a rather thorough tour of a finished trailer. You can also check out their web site, of course - http://olivertraveltrailers.com. But basically, they make two models of fiberglass travel trailers, an 18'-6" single axle version, and a larger 23'-6" tandem axle, called the Elite and Elite II respectively. Both are kitted out with typical travel trailer amenities - kitchenette, full bath with shower and flush toilet, etc. What makes them different to standard travel trailers (and relevant to this site) is their construction method and design, both of which make the trailers far more durable for going off the beaten path. You aren't taking either of these puppies up the rubicon trail, but if you're looking for the above amenities, in something that can handle miles of washboard without rattling itself apart, then an Oliver should be on your short list.
Just a bit about the company that you might not be able to pick up from their web site. This is their main business - http://www.safesteptub.com - making accessible bathtubs and shower enclosures. The trailer business started with one of the family members building a trailer for himself and then it went from there. I get the impression that the trailer business is still very much a work in progress. If you look at photos on their site, you can see that they're constantly refining the design in subtle ways, swapping out components, etc. This was obvious also on the tour - we hit them at a down time, when they were cleaning up the factory and prepping for some production line changes, etc. to make things more efficient. Their current goal is to produce two trailers a week, which is small beans compared to their competitors. Though a decent size company, it still has a very small-town and family feel and everyone we met were extremely friendly and incredibly tolerant of all my questions. I think we spent roughly four hours there, which is much longer than I thought we'd spend. I could have stayed longer and looking back at the photos there are a lot of questions and details that I wish I'd asked or paid more attention to.
Anyway, on to the tour...