Odessa Overland?

[frEEk]

Anyone have one/know about these? From what little I've found seems like nice units, but seems to be a low volume manufacturer (that is now dead, and no parent company for the corpse that I can see). Problem is what little I can find generally isn't on the year and model I am looking at, so don't know what points carry over. If anyone knows a 99 37' model, what I need to know most of all is if the tanks are heated. The current owner doesn't think the basement is heated, but this seems unusual for a decent class A (says my novice butt). Also curious as to what MPG people have seen in this model and what to look out for.
If I do pick up this unit it will require some real travel, which is of course worrisome lest I get there and find it short of expectations.

Thanks.

[Kjlunda]

My 1996 Mountainaire doesn't have heat ducts in the basement (that I know of) but it is insulated and gets some heat off the furnace duct. My tanks are contained in the basement so they stay warm. We have been in 20-25 degree nights without problems.

What does it have for engine?
If diesel, I would say around 9, If gas, 7-8

[frEEk]

You would think with a name like "Mountain Aire" it would be bulletproof winterized Interesting idea about it scavenging heat from the ducting.

Engine is the 3126 cat. I should really consider how well they start in the cold too... don't wanna be -20C on a pulloff and not be able to start.

[Gary RVRoamer]

Overland is a double or triple orphan - they went belly-up a couple of times. And they were never big, so not much is known about them, and even salvage parts are hard to find. Lot's of luck...

[Cougarkid]

frEEk,

I own a 1998 Odessa Industries Overland Lorado Model 4141. 42' Class A Diesel Pusher 8.1L Cummins with Allison 6-speed. Freightliner Chassis. 87000 miles. HWH jacks.

14' Living Room Slide. Walk-thru bath floor plan. Double couches. Walk-in cedar lined closet. Side-by-side frig/freeze with ice maker. Convection microwave. Dual ducted roof a/c. Single floor ducted propane heat. DSI 10-gallon water heater. 8k diesel Onan generator. Solar panel on roof. Pass-thru storage (2 bays wide) with pull-out tray 1 bay wide. Awings over every window, the door and large "campsite" awning. Dual side fueling. Leather drivers and passenger seat. Heated power mirrors. Washer/dryer combo.

I bought it about 6 months ago. Found it on Craigslist. 800 mile round trip to check it out (relatives where it was). 800 mile round trip a month later to pick it up. Tow dollied our car back behind it when we picked it up. We are living in it full time, sitting still. Plan to semi-retire and travel within the next year.

Didn't know much about Overland either. Turns out, not a lot of people do. Short-lived manufacturer. Almost anything inside can be bought, since they used standard rv supplies. Chassis/engine are industry standard. Body parts could be an issue, if you crash (or get hit).

I found little to no information on it, other than everyone that had "seen" one or talked to someone that had one like it. Found one like mine (year and model) that was listed for 3 times what I paid.

From what I have found, first hand, they are well built and well crafted. Cabinetry is well built and mine has soild Corian counter tops. Everything is soild wood, no laminates.

It is soild and quiet going down the road. Rear diesel is quite a change from our old 454 in the doghouse. The air suspension is fantastic. Power steering, tilt and telescope, air brakes and a power seat to make you comfy and handle great. We drove thru a thunder storm on the way back from picking it up. Hard side wind caught me off guard, but it handled great with very little sway.

I had a friend that works on school busses that took me and showed me all the different engines and what to look for before we went to check it out. Belts, intake hoses, coolant tank and oil leaks - check it out. This engine was dry as a bone on the outside. Evertything else checked out good. Test drive was good, too.

Our is equiped with heated tanks. Extra red switch on the stove hood - unmarked. Haven't tried it yet, my tanks are empty. The ducted furnace has a 2" diameter flex hose that come off the plenum and runs across the top of the tanks and ends at the dump/wet bay. This keeps heat in the tank bay and heats the dump/wet bay and pipes.

We replaced the old tv's with flat screens. Had to make my own mounts, but that's cool with me. I'm a fix-it guy.

We LOVE the coach. It is what we wanted.
Size, slide, diesel pusher, storage, generator.

I have almost all the original manuals. Most are from the various appliance manufacturers. Most of the Overland manuals are just "welcome" and "equipment lists". I am attaching a picture of the "Reasons to Choose" sheet.

PM me if you have more questions.

Mike

[frEEk]

Thanks Mike, that is some good info. Here's hoping the heated basement you have carries on to the '99 37'. Guy who is selling this unit sure makes it sound good, and the pics are nice. Just wish it were local damnit. And a bit cheaper. it is quite a big stretch for my budget (despite being below NADA).

Mike, you know if anyone owns the Odessa name now? I would love to find a way to talk to someone who worked on these things. I know for example you can talk to a Harney (another double orphan) guy by calling the current owner Monaco.

[Cougarkid]

I don't believe there is anyone around to talk to. The parent company is out of business and location of any employees is unknown.

I did come across and old owners group site, but most of the links are bad. Last activity looks to be around 2002.

Welcome to Overland Motor Coach!

Like I said before, industry standard chassis and industry standard appliances. It is built like every other motor coach - composite luan/foam/siding. Mine is well insulated. Engine block heater is standard.

One similar to mine was listed in CA for $59,900 when I bought mine. I paid $19,900. It was not "perfect" and I plan to replace the rubber roof come spring. Roof is sealed and water tight for now. Cosmetics and cleanup were required.

From what I have found, Overland was trying to fill a niche with higher quality, ungraded rv's that were priced a bit lower the the big boys.

Mike

[rexabbot]

I am another Overland owner/lover. I have a 1996 Odessa. I like everything about. I have worked on my a lot. No problem getting parts.

We went to the FMAC rally in Perry Ga and an Overland owners group found us. They have a lot of information to share about Overlands. PM me and I will give you a contact.

[doug_nahant]

I also own a 1998 Overland Lorado and have found very few other owners in our 3 winters of travel across the country. The motorhome has been good so far (fourth owner and we bought it 3 years ago with 43K miles, now has 65K) although there is no support so you should be mechanically inclined if you purchase one. Sub components seem to regularly fail due to age and these parts can be found on the internet along with instruction manuals.
Window seals seem to be a common problem and my paint is blistering (RV spent much of its life in Florida). I learned recently at the Good Sam Rally in Phoenix, that the CAT 3126 engine needs a mod to direct the oil vent line to rear of coach, I had overheating issues related to a dirty radiator and another owner had engine damage due to a dirty radiator, Freightliner rep at show recommended the oil vent extension to keep oil fumes from getting to the radiator and trapping dirt.
Interior quality is very good. The rubber roof is negative, most motorhomes in this price range have a fiberglass roof, but it has not been a problem yet.
Good Luck

[Grzly03]

I am glad to find this thread, as I am a new 1998 Overland Lorado owner and want to connect with other Overland owners. Our new baby has 133K, and is similar to CougarKid's. I want to hear about anyone's common problems, their solutions and any pre-emptive recommendations anyone has. We are taking our "shakedown cruise" of 600 miles out and back to Las Vegas next week, and I have done or am doing the following:

1. New tires. Getting Sumitomo 265/70R22.5s installed tomorrow.
2. Replacing front chairs, swivel recliner, sleeper sofa couch, and cushions on dinette.
3. Changing oil and filter in Cummins 8.3 and Onan.
4. Have to fix non-working r/ight rear turn signal. Bulb OK, have to chase down open wire somewhere.
5. Flashers don't work at all. (New flash mechanism?)
6. Ops check on all systems.
7. New AM/FM/Sat/DVD/Rear camera monitor/GPS
8. New AM/FM/DVD in MBR.
9. Touch up paint all around, re-stain some wood, etc.

Those are the major items. Anyone have any comments, particular safety and/or reliability issues I should check out. I'm novice at motorhoming.

Thanks a bunch,
Grzly03

[Cougarkid]

Grzly03,

Welcome to the site. Yes, us Overland owners are few and far between.

Not sure of your "home" state. but Missouri requires a mechanical vehicle inspection. They check lights, brakes, exhaust, etc. for safety. It is cheap at $12

For the non-operative blinker... Check the wire connector at the back of the light housing. I had a corroded wire on one of mine. Cleaned up and it works fine.

We are just over a year in ours - fulltiming in one place. Several 200-mile round trips. No long-haul treks yet, except the 400 mile trip home after we bought it, townig a car. Never missed a beat.

Only issue for us so far was light glazing on the brakes. I pulled fronts to deglaze and found a loose adjuster on the air brakes. Re-adjusted and now the brakes are great.

Love the way it drives and handles.
Rear engine lets you talk while you drive, not yell.
Run the generator and roof a/c while driving in the heat.
Check tire pressure, oil and coolant before every leg of your trip.
Check jack fluid level with jacks fully retracted.
We level with slide in, then put it out.
Check headlight aim - ours were WAY off.
I changed the thermostats on the water heater. Factory was 120 degrees. Went to 140 degrees.

Mike

[Grzly03]

I think my reply was lost. Thanks Mike, what is it with the headlights, mine are way off too. Laters, Grzly03, Dick Nester, Temecula, CA

[Cougarkid]

Don't know on the headlights. One of the adjusters was broken on mine.

Both were WAY low. Driving back after we bought it was a challenge once it got dark. Drove with high beans on. Still horrible.

Put on new driving lights and aligned headlights.
Good night vision now.

[Grzly03]

Overland owners, today I intended to remove the original swivel recliner between the "copilot" seat and the kitchen. Found that when I try to loosen the bolts, they just turn, without loosening. looking in the basement in that area there is no access. The only possible resolution I can see is to take a Sawzall and cut off the bolt heads. Any one else had this problem, and/or have any suggestions.

Thanks, Grzly03, Dick Nester