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Old 10-13-2017, 09:49 PM   #1
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Escape 5.0TA 21 v Oliver Trailer

Hello to Everyone,

Sitting here in Seoul, Korea Saturday morning and was doing some reading as I always do about RVs. I came across a manufacturer called Oliver and went to the website. After reading the site and watching the video I must say I was very impressed with Oliver. What I didn't like was it is a trailer and not a fifth wheel. I particularly liked the aluminum frame construction and fiberglass molding. It appears Oliver is producing a great product. Any comments...as always appreciated. I have not pulled the trigger but have made inquiries to Escape on production schedules. I would have to say if Oliver made a 5th wheel it would give me a difficult decision.
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Old 10-13-2017, 10:38 PM   #2
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I looked into Oliver (not in person) and they certainly look nice by specs and photos... They seem a bit narrow inside to me but maybe it is just the photos. I think both manufacturers have a quality product and I didn't see enough difference in the Oliver to justify an additional 20k in cost for me.

Certainly hope both companies have continued success as its refreshing to see well designed and constructed RV's being built in the midst of so many questionable ones.
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Old 10-13-2017, 11:05 PM   #3
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Originally Posted by akmacs View Post
I looked into Oliver (not in person) and they certainly look nice by specs and photos... They seem a bit narrow inside to me but maybe it is just the photos. I think both manufacturers have a quality product and I didn't see enough difference in the Oliver to justify an additional 20k in cost for me.

Certainly hope both companies have continued success as its refreshing to see well designed and constructed RV's being built in the midst of so many questionable ones.
They are beautiful trailers. The Legacy Elite II is 23.5’ long but has an exterior width equal to an Escape 19. Due to the thicker double hull the actual interior width is closest to an Escape 17.
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Old 10-13-2017, 11:09 PM   #4
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My impression is that Olivers are very heavy, and cost a ton.

we love our escape.

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Old 10-13-2017, 11:32 PM   #5
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My impression is that Olivers are very heavy, and cost a ton.

we love our escape.

Considering that an Oliver is a well engineered , double wall fiberglass trailer of very high quality , the weight and cost seem to be more than reasonable.

" Beauty is in the eye of the beholder "
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Old 10-14-2017, 12:38 AM   #6
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We also looked at the Oliver before buying the Escape 5.0 TA. The Oliver is very well built but quite sterile looking inside and we wanted a fifth wheel for the ease of hooking up,etc.

The Escape has more storage than I need and the permanent full sized queen bed is always a plus and more comfortable than our bed at home. We have had five camping trips in it since picking it up last March and love it.

If you would like to see it when you return to Placerville, contact me to set time.

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Old 10-14-2017, 12:50 AM   #7
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Considering that an Oliver is a well engineered , double wall fiberglass trailer of very high quality , the weight and cost seem to be more than reasonable.

" Beauty is in the eye of the beholder "
We love our Escape 19. I think both Olivers and Bigfoot are both beautiful and probably higher quality trailers. This being said, I think you can't buy a better trailer than Escape for the money. I enjoy towing a lightweight easy to tow trailer. We bought a brand new 2016 Escape 19 and 2017 Tacoma quad cab for between $60,000 and $65,000. I really don't want to spend more any more than that for an RV package. We tent camped for years an our Escape is the Taj Mahal to us. It's all we ever will need.
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Old 10-14-2017, 03:09 AM   #8
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Pretty much the same as what others have said. I had looked into them when I was shopping but Oliver had halted production due to the economy so they were really out of the picture.

They are a true 4 season camper, if you need such, higher end, with it's associated higher weight and price.

While I didn't actually get to see one till after I had my fifth wheel, they would have been too narrow for us, as were all the Escapes pre 21 and 5.0TA.

If you have the disposable income for an Oliver, like the floor plans and the looks, then they would be for you. People who have them seem to love them, of course most everyone thinks whatever they bought is perfect. The floor plan of the 5.0TA is pretty much perfect for us. If Oliver had the exact same plan available it would have been down to if I had wanted to spend the extra $20k, or whatever. Would have been a tough choice.
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Old 10-14-2017, 07:18 AM   #9
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This is just one guy's opinion, so take it with a grain of salt if you like. I see the Oliver as an extremely well built and overdesigned Stretch Casita. There's no way whatsoever I would spend that kind of money for a narrow rig with little floor plan flexibility, a tiny side dinette, a bed I have to convert with no real mattress, and a dinky fridge. The countertops though, ooh la la!
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Old 10-14-2017, 09:39 AM   #10
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Considering that an Oliver is a well engineered , double wall fiberglass trailer of very high quality , the weight and cost seem to be more than reasonable.

" Beauty is in the eye of the beholder "
So Steve, you have finally decided then that it is time to make that new trailer purchase and you are going with the Oliver?
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Old 10-14-2017, 09:57 AM   #11
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There's a number of things I like about the Oliver and probably an equal number of things I don't. Gosh, I really like the heating system and duct work. The fiberglass, sterile walls and cabinetry, not so much. One thing I can be sure of, it doesn't matter what brand of all-molded towable a person owns, it's doubtful the more money you spend the better time you'll have and the more memories you'll make. As much as I love Ten Forward, I know I had just as much fun, etc. with my Scamp. Two things are needed in any trailer (IMHO). A comfortable place to sleep and a comfortable place to sit, if you're nearly an all-season camper. And I am. Ten Forward fits the bill, the Scamp did not. In the end, it's NOT what you tow... it's that you GO!
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Old 10-14-2017, 11:21 AM   #12
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The better half looks at the Oliver and sees only one thing. The constant cleaning of fingerprints and smears one would have to do to keep the interior surfaces and cabinet doors looking decent. The recent ones we saw at Quartzsite in recent years had mirror cabinet doors which sent her into a funk.
I like the trailers build, but just too sterile and layouts don’t really work for us.
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Old 10-14-2017, 11:35 AM   #13
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So Steve, you have finally decided then that it is time to make that new trailer purchase and you are going with the Oliver?
And Oliver has an online forum! https://olivertraveltrailers.com/new-forum-live/
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Old 10-14-2017, 01:13 PM   #14
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I really liked the Oliver until I had a chance to talk to some people who have worked on them. Very little of the plumbing / electrical is accessible without having to cut fiberglass to gain access.

Not for me.
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Old 10-14-2017, 01:17 PM   #15
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I really liked the Oliver until I had a chance to talk to some people who have worked on them. Very little of the plumbing / electrical is accessible without having to cut fiberglass to gain access.

Not for me.
Yep, very hard to do with a double hull with plumbing and wiring between the hulls, and insulation to boot. I suppose they could build in some access panels, but not very practical for all areas and it'd probably hurt the clean look.
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Old 10-14-2017, 07:29 PM   #16
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Wildly in LOVE with an Oliver, but

we've pulled trailers for years and have experienced the stability found in the gooseneck horse trailers far exceeds any "tag-a-long" trailer. Now, that is as defined as a 2000# steel horse trailer with 4000#s of horse in the back running down the road at 60mph. And, let's be fair, that'd be like pulling two Escape trailers in tandem formation. I ain't never doing' that, like, ever...

But, I'm convinced that the dual axle as well as the fifth wheel hitch configuration will provide an excellent towing experience that will be very hard to beat. So, we've selected an Escape 5.0TA as our number one choice.

Now, as my wife would point out, this conversation is not even an apples to apples comparison, because the things that we love about the Oliver, many people HATE. Like the sterile interior appears large and welcoming to us. Easy to clean with a quick wipe, when I get to it, and brighter interior because of all the whiteness. And, the dual wall construction seems to make an excellent four season trailer with great water repellency. (Spend enough time around this forum as well as others and you'll find someone somewhere trying to plug a leak.)

The other thing that we really wanted in a trailer was the ability to close off the sleeping area from the living area, even if only with a curtain, to create a separate living area (in case we don't really feel like making the bed today) and the Escape is the only fiberglass trailer that we felt provides that opportunity. Many would suggest that an Escape 21 could provide the same "separated" sleeping area with a little sewing and creative curtain hanging, but then the 21 is almost four feet shorter than the 5.0TA.

So, it really becomes a question of personal preferences and individual priorities. We love the Oliver, with capital letters: LOVE!!!! But they don't offer a fifth wheel configuration, and if they did, it'd prolly cost about $65,000, so, ya' know...

ESCAPE ROCKS!!! (Oops, did I say that out loud?)

Of course, as DonnaD would say, YMMV
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Old 10-14-2017, 07:32 PM   #17
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Not sure where you are calculating 4 feet difference in length between a 21 and a 5.0 TA, if anything the 5.0 is shorter overall while hooked up over a 21 tow behind, perhaps that is what you were thinking?
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Old 10-14-2017, 07:35 PM   #18
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Not sure where you are calculating 4 feet difference in length between a 21 and a 5.0 TA, if anything the 5.0 is shorter overall while hooked up over a 21 tow behind, perhaps that is what you were thinking?
No, I was referring to the spec sheet on the ETI web site that quotes overall length of the 21 as well as cabin length, meaning without the hitch. The 5.0TA is all cabin, so...
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Old 10-14-2017, 08:31 PM   #19
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No, I was referring to the spec sheet on the ETI web site that quotes overall length of the 21 as well as cabin length, meaning without the hitch. The 5.0TA is all cabin, so...
You have to be very careful with info on website, its closer to 2'-8".
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Old 10-14-2017, 10:52 PM   #20
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I don't view the Oliver and the Escape 21 as competitors; they are two different classes of RV. Out of pure chance I found myself near the Oliver factory in Tennessee last year so I visited their showroom. The Oliver is bigger, heavier, fancier (e.g. it has two awnings, for people like me who can't make up their minds where to sit), and much more expensive than the Escape 21. You need a full-size vehicle to tow it. The reason I bought an Escape was because I could tow it with a mid-size truck.

I agree that the Oliver interior seems sterile. Everything is either mirror or fiberglass; even the counter tops are textured fiberglass if I recall correctly. Even as handsome as I am, I don't want to stare at myself in mirrors all the time; it's kinda creepy. This might appeal to some folks, though.
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