That's a good plan! I have a Giant Halfway folder that I absolutely love, and the higher end Dahons that CW carries are actually pretty decent bikes. I hadn't thought of referring them to CW. They're a little on the heavy side, as most folding bikes try to be under 30 lbs and these are 38 lbs, but they're a reliable bike for the money.
http://www.campingworld.com/browse/skus ... 3&src=SRQB
The Dahon Speed 7 only weighs 26 lbs per their website.
http://www.dahon.com/us/speedd7.htm but is $279 on Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/2007-Dahon-Speed- ... B0011TS4ZC
Roger
We've a new Born Free... And a new problem!
Moderator: bfadmin
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TLBlanchard
While on the subject of folding bikes take a look at [url]http://downtube.com[/url], the wife and I just purchased two of them and are very impressed.
They are aluminium and stainless steel and very surprising quality for the cost. Sure beats the old Dahon's we had.
I had them checked over by a local bike shop and the mechanic was impressed and he rides a $6,000 custom job.
Tom Blanchard
They are aluminium and stainless steel and very surprising quality for the cost. Sure beats the old Dahon's we had.
I had them checked over by a local bike shop and the mechanic was impressed and he rides a $6,000 custom job.
Tom Blanchard
Tom, thanks for the comment on the Downtube. I've heard good things about them, but I've never actually seen one in person. Which model did you get?
I just last week sold my Bike Friday Pocket Rocket, an original '93 diamond frame and just decided to stay with my Halfway for my folder.
Roger
I just last week sold my Bike Friday Pocket Rocket, an original '93 diamond frame and just decided to stay with my Halfway for my folder.
Roger
'06 Born Free 32 RQ Kodiak Chassis
(Former: '01 Born Free 23 RK)
Dinghy: '16 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon with a Blue Ox Aladdin tow bar.
Traveling with Sir Winston and Lady Rae (Cavalier King Charles Spaniels)
(Former: '01 Born Free 23 RK)
Dinghy: '16 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon with a Blue Ox Aladdin tow bar.
Traveling with Sir Winston and Lady Rae (Cavalier King Charles Spaniels)
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TLBlanchard
We went with the 8H and don't think we will ever look back.
I can't describe the quality over our old Boardwalk Dahons
The spokes are rusting away and some are breaking, we were getting afraid to ride them and can't figure why they are so poorly made. They cost about $250 less than the Downtube but it is very easy to see the reason.
If you want a quality bike at a good price I think they are worth it.
And no I don't sell or in any way get any reward for recomending the Downtube bike, I just am so inpressed by them, wish I had found them sooner.
Last winter we spent in the RGV and a bike was almost a necessity as large as the park was, we rode them at least 5 miles daily, it will be much easier with the new 8 speed front suspension Downtube bike.
Tom Blanchard
I can't describe the quality over our old Boardwalk Dahons
The spokes are rusting away and some are breaking, we were getting afraid to ride them and can't figure why they are so poorly made. They cost about $250 less than the Downtube but it is very easy to see the reason.
If you want a quality bike at a good price I think they are worth it.
And no I don't sell or in any way get any reward for recomending the Downtube bike, I just am so inpressed by them, wish I had found them sooner.
Last winter we spent in the RGV and a bike was almost a necessity as large as the park was, we rode them at least 5 miles daily, it will be much easier with the new 8 speed front suspension Downtube bike.
Tom Blanchard
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marstrings
Good info about the bikes guys. I'll look around.
In the meantime we have discovered a couple of problems with the RV.
The first and most dangerous is that it turns out that the brake lights and the indicator/hazard lights on the rear or the coach are not working. We've been wondering why everyone seems to ignore us when we indicate to change lanes, it woud seem that we've not actually been inidicating.
I would think that this could either be a blown fuse, or blown bulbs. I realise that the Born Free Owner's manual doesn't cover anything to do with the chassis, so I don't know which fuse is on the lights/indicators (the front indicators work). Any pointers?
The other problem actually started on our first day out on the road. The 'service engine soon' warning indicator came on. Kim at BF just told me to go to a Ford dealer to have it checked out. Luckily we had just seen one short way back along the road.
They found that a vacuum servo tube thingy (sorry, can't rememebr the right name for it) had a small hole in it. They fixed that, and the indicator went out. Then about 100 miles further down the road, it came back on again.
BF say that the vehicle was serviced before they sold it to us, and seem not to be interested in helping us out with this. We have no warranty so I'm not going to bash my head against a brick wall. So I'm wondering if anyone has any experience of this problem.
Best,
Marstrings.
In the meantime we have discovered a couple of problems with the RV.
The first and most dangerous is that it turns out that the brake lights and the indicator/hazard lights on the rear or the coach are not working. We've been wondering why everyone seems to ignore us when we indicate to change lanes, it woud seem that we've not actually been inidicating.
I would think that this could either be a blown fuse, or blown bulbs. I realise that the Born Free Owner's manual doesn't cover anything to do with the chassis, so I don't know which fuse is on the lights/indicators (the front indicators work). Any pointers?
The other problem actually started on our first day out on the road. The 'service engine soon' warning indicator came on. Kim at BF just told me to go to a Ford dealer to have it checked out. Luckily we had just seen one short way back along the road.
They found that a vacuum servo tube thingy (sorry, can't rememebr the right name for it) had a small hole in it. They fixed that, and the indicator went out. Then about 100 miles further down the road, it came back on again.
BF say that the vehicle was serviced before they sold it to us, and seem not to be interested in helping us out with this. We have no warranty so I'm not going to bash my head against a brick wall. So I'm wondering if anyone has any experience of this problem.
Best,
Marstrings.
Marstrings,
Since apparently none of your rear lights are working, that would require that several fuses be blown - which I would find unlikely. A more probable cause would be the loss of a single ground wire connection that involves all of your rear indicator lamps as a group.
Did your 1997 coach come with a Ford chassis operators manual so that you can locate the fuses for your rear brake, turn signal and tail lights? If not, I think the best bet for you is to go back to a Ford dealer with both your rear lighting and your check engine light problems.
Since apparently none of your rear lights are working, that would require that several fuses be blown - which I would find unlikely. A more probable cause would be the loss of a single ground wire connection that involves all of your rear indicator lamps as a group.
Did your 1997 coach come with a Ford chassis operators manual so that you can locate the fuses for your rear brake, turn signal and tail lights? If not, I think the best bet for you is to go back to a Ford dealer with both your rear lighting and your check engine light problems.
Bill Hemme - Spencer, Iowa
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad
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marstrings
Ford Manual unfortunately. I thought it would be with the motorhome manual along with all the individual manuals for the fridge and the LPG alarm etc.
I've booked the RV into a dealer for tomorrow morning now. It will probably be something really simple when they find it, but knowing nothing about the electrics, I wouldn't be able to find the problem if I was looking right at it.
Just one thing. I checked the bulbs and they're both fine. But the connector looks to me like it could connect how it is or at 180 degrees. Is it possible that accidently plugging the connector in reverse could cause the problem (without blowing a bulb or a fuse?). Is there anything simple I could check?
M.
I've booked the RV into a dealer for tomorrow morning now. It will probably be something really simple when they find it, but knowing nothing about the electrics, I wouldn't be able to find the problem if I was looking right at it.
Just one thing. I checked the bulbs and they're both fine. But the connector looks to me like it could connect how it is or at 180 degrees. Is it possible that accidently plugging the connector in reverse could cause the problem (without blowing a bulb or a fuse?). Is there anything simple I could check?
M.
whemme wrote:Marstrings,
Since apparently none of your rear lights are working, that would require that several fuses be blown - which I would find unlikely. A more probable cause would be the loss of a single ground wire connection that involves all of your rear indicator lamps as a group.
Did your 1997 coach come with a Ford chassis operators manual so that you can locate the fuses for your rear brake, turn signal and tail lights? If not, I think the best bet for you is to go back to a Ford dealer with both your rear lighting and your check engine light problems.
Martin, Bill's right. 99% of the time in an RV when none of the lights work, or they're working strangely, it's a problem with the ground. The other 1% of the time it's likely the ground, too. 
Especially on a ten year old coach.
You can expect to find lots of small, but annoying problems like that as rubber (hoses, bushings, etc) tends to get brittle, and electrical connections corrode. Not much you can do about it other than to become an automotive electrician and shade-tree mechanic when you can, and keep your eye peeled for Ford and RV dealers when you can't. That, it seems, just goes with the territory when buying a used ten year old coach. It's even more fun when they're twenty years old!
Roger
Especially on a ten year old coach. You can expect to find lots of small, but annoying problems like that as rubber (hoses, bushings, etc) tends to get brittle, and electrical connections corrode. Not much you can do about it other than to become an automotive electrician and shade-tree mechanic when you can, and keep your eye peeled for Ford and RV dealers when you can't. That, it seems, just goes with the territory when buying a used ten year old coach. It's even more fun when they're twenty years old!
Roger
'06 Born Free 32 RQ Kodiak Chassis
(Former: '01 Born Free 23 RK)
Dinghy: '16 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon with a Blue Ox Aladdin tow bar.
Traveling with Sir Winston and Lady Rae (Cavalier King Charles Spaniels)
(Former: '01 Born Free 23 RK)
Dinghy: '16 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon with a Blue Ox Aladdin tow bar.
Traveling with Sir Winston and Lady Rae (Cavalier King Charles Spaniels)
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marstrings
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ddpjep
Inoperable Brake Lights
I believe that in my old 1998 Born Free the tail and brake lights were connected to the Ford chassis trailer towing circuits. I had to replace one of those fuses when my brake lights quit working. Perhaps someone who has a 1997 or 1998 Ford Econoline owner's manual could tell you what the fuse number and location is. I believe the fuse was under the hood near the engine, but it might have been inside the cab. The Ford wiring might have been the same for 1997 to 2001 or later, if you can access to the owner's manual for those years. You will know that you have found the right circuit if the fuse is burned in two.
Dean sends.
Dean sends.
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marstrings