Trying to decide between a BFT or 24RB, travel usually with wife and golden retriever. Trips last 4-5 days. I like the small size of BFT so I don't need a toad but 13 gal black water tank doesn't seem adequate.
has anyone had both and can comment on tradeoffs for short trips with no toad.
I guess having the cabover is a big plus for storage etc. side door better than rear door, later tank capacity.
Thoughts????
Thanks,
Nextcom
BFT or 24RB
Moderator: bfadmin
To start off, we have a 24RB, not a BFT. For short trips, I would think the BFT would be fine. It has the same front living area as a 24RB, and there are multiple options for the furniture (barrel chairs and pull-out sofa, incline beds, a dinette, etc.). For short trips, I wouldn't worry too much about a 13 gallon black tank, as it gets used only for the potty (and maybe the bathroom sink). Even if you have to dump once while on the trip, what the heck! You can also get the BFT with a cabover bed if you need extra sleeping space for children/grandchildren.
The main things we liked about a 24RB were its superior galley and the dry bath vs. wet bath in the BFT. Since we go out for extended periods of time (weeks or months vs. days), and we are both on restricted diets, we need to cook a lot. The dry bath is nice as it is easier to dry just the shower stall rather than the entire bathroom after showering. Also, we use the shower stall for things like storing the laundry hampers, an electric heater, etc. These things are easy to temporarily remove when we want to use the shower, which is infrequent enough that we don't find it a problem.
We find that the 24RB is small enough that we don't use a toad. In most mall/supermarket parking lots we just take up two pull-through spaces or two or three angled spaces. We thought that the BFT was not enough smaller that it would fit into a single space.
Of course the BFT will get somewhat better gas mileage than the 24RB. With gas seeming to be settling in near $4/gallon, that would be nice. Of course for the short trips you seem to have in mind, that may not matter.
I hope this somewhat rambling message helps!
The main things we liked about a 24RB were its superior galley and the dry bath vs. wet bath in the BFT. Since we go out for extended periods of time (weeks or months vs. days), and we are both on restricted diets, we need to cook a lot. The dry bath is nice as it is easier to dry just the shower stall rather than the entire bathroom after showering. Also, we use the shower stall for things like storing the laundry hampers, an electric heater, etc. These things are easy to temporarily remove when we want to use the shower, which is infrequent enough that we don't find it a problem.
We find that the 24RB is small enough that we don't use a toad. In most mall/supermarket parking lots we just take up two pull-through spaces or two or three angled spaces. We thought that the BFT was not enough smaller that it would fit into a single space.
Of course the BFT will get somewhat better gas mileage than the 24RB. With gas seeming to be settling in near $4/gallon, that would be nice. Of course for the short trips you seem to have in mind, that may not matter.
I hope this somewhat rambling message helps!
Joe and Lucinda
Tonto, Meadow and Shadow, the papillons
Shiloh and Morpho at Rainbow Bridge
2017 Spirit
Formerly 2006 24RB
Tonto, Meadow and Shadow, the papillons
Shiloh and Morpho at Rainbow Bridge
2017 Spirit
Formerly 2006 24RB
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mockturtle
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dsfriday
Have a 2008 BFT with C/O and love it. Drive it to town just like a van, park in the shopping malls just like a car, stick out a little further but no problem to date. At first was concerned with the wet bath but have come to love it. Always fire up the furnace at shower time and the wet bath turns into a little sauna. As for the 13 Gal. black water tank, have found on average good for 3 to four days, but not really a problem, simply dump on way to town or on return. Before we bought the BFT, drove a 24' and thought the 22 rode and handled better.
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Peter Robinson
We have found the wet bath to be a disadvantage in our BFT, especially for large people but the 22' length, front to back center door open feeling through the inside, and especially twin beds and inside/outside access under both beds storage have made the BFT worth the loss. Comfortable sleeping is crucial to travel and almost all BFTs have the twins where almost none of the 24's have them. The RSK 22' loses storage and twins as well as also no divided bath so was out for us. I have heard many owners mention the problem of space for larger dogs in these small coaches. Some use cabovers for the dog but the floorspace is limited in the 22 and 24. Dog owners would have a more informed opinion on this.
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Virgil and Anne Dutton
- Posts: 107
- Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2005 11:59 am
We have the 22’ BFT which I would buy again if we were to buy a new unit. We have never had a problem with the 13 gallon black water tank even though we dry camp for four or five day periods quite often. During those times you must be frugal with both what you put in that tank and with your fresh water usage. As far as floor plan, I agree with Peter Robinson’s remarks about storage size, storage access, double beds and rear center door. The wet bath is adequate for us, however a tradeoff. All of these things have to be weighed based on what your personal preferences are. One item that I place a high value on is the rear axle overhang which determines the departure angle or how much will it drag when you drive through a dip. I like to go off graded roads and down two track trails often to get deeper into the boonies. The 24’ has 24 inches longer overhang than the 22’ BFT. This may not be important to some but to me it is very important. I would also go for the cabover if I were to buy a new BFT both for the sleeping space or for storage. In summary, of all the motorhomes I see on the market, if I were in the market for a new one I would buy a Born Free BFT with the cabover, but I would try to talk Dodgen Industries into putting it on an F450 chassis with four wheel drive. That would give more ground clearance for a better rear departure angle and I would like to have the 4x4 advantage.
Virgil
Virgil
2006 22 ft BFT diesel
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Rob
Several things about the 24RB are beneficial. I have never owned a BFT but from other owners and my close examination let me put in my 2 cents.
The Super Springs instead of the Air Bags seem to have solved the longer rear overhang end draging problem. I converted from the chairs and table to the single bed across from the sofa. We use the overhead bed area for additional storage. Wife and I really like the dry bath with the larger holding tanks. The larger kitchen prep area is another bonus. I think the extra 2 feet of length gives you the extra storage space we all seem to need more of regardless of the size of our RV. The E450 chassis is in my extimation a wise choice. I you are looking to buy new from the factory you can easily choose from either. Used market has more 24RB the BFT to choose from. The bottom line of course is what you feel is best for your needs.
Rob and Joan Beery
2003 24RB
The Super Springs instead of the Air Bags seem to have solved the longer rear overhang end draging problem. I converted from the chairs and table to the single bed across from the sofa. We use the overhead bed area for additional storage. Wife and I really like the dry bath with the larger holding tanks. The larger kitchen prep area is another bonus. I think the extra 2 feet of length gives you the extra storage space we all seem to need more of regardless of the size of our RV. The E450 chassis is in my extimation a wise choice. I you are looking to buy new from the factory you can easily choose from either. Used market has more 24RB the BFT to choose from. The bottom line of course is what you feel is best for your needs.
Rob and Joan Beery
2003 24RB
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David and Susan Bratt
- Posts: 412
- Joined: Wed Nov 30, 2005 9:11 pm
We own both a 24 RB and a 23 RK. We spend 3 months of the year in the 24 RB and I would not want to do the same in the 23 RK. And I would definitely not want to add a dog to the mix. The 24 RB has plenty of storage for us and we actually could pack more. The dry bath in the 24 RB has much more storage than the wet bath in the 23 RK. We also store a lot in the shower, something we cannot do in the 23RK. However, driving the 23 RK is like driving a station wagon. The 24 RB feels much bigger on the road. If I could only have one, I'd keep the 24 RB. Sue
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OHWendyB
Traveling with a large dog in our 24 RB BF
As you can imagine a large lying dog (a big boy at 95lb) takes up a lot of floor space in our 24' RB, along with the problem and mess of where to put the dog's food and water bowls.
At night we lay a piece of masonite over the step area, creating extra floor space for Aussie to lay on and keeps him out of the traffic lane to the bathroom. He has adjusted quite well to that.
In the bathtub space, we put a large elevated feeding/watering station that is at the height of the bathtub wall. Any water spillage goes down the shower drain. The station also comes in two halves to allow dog food storage inside (a 2fer!). Our dog would not drink or eat if the bowls were higher or lower than the tub wall, so you will need to work with your dog on the proper height.
Another dog modification we made was installing two large eye bolts to the rear bumper on both sides for a dog tie out. We use a carabiner to attach our leashes to them.
At night we lay a piece of masonite over the step area, creating extra floor space for Aussie to lay on and keeps him out of the traffic lane to the bathroom. He has adjusted quite well to that.
In the bathtub space, we put a large elevated feeding/watering station that is at the height of the bathtub wall. Any water spillage goes down the shower drain. The station also comes in two halves to allow dog food storage inside (a 2fer!). Our dog would not drink or eat if the bowls were higher or lower than the tub wall, so you will need to work with your dog on the proper height.
Another dog modification we made was installing two large eye bolts to the rear bumper on both sides for a dog tie out. We use a carabiner to attach our leashes to them.
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William Higbie
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Hawkeye111
BFT vs 24RB
We had a 2008 BFT and loved it, but did not purchase the Cabover option. Looking back, that was a mistake. We went to the 2011 24RB to get a cabover (and the dry bath as a plus). I would not have done so for just the dry bath, although it is MUCH nicer. As to the e350 compared to e450 chassis, I much prefer the e350. The ride on rough pavement is significantly better (I call it good!), and the e450 is much less capable of delivering a smooth ride. I have replaced the shock absorbers with Bilsteins, the super springs with full parabolics, and added heavy duty sway bars and steering stabilizer, and I think the improvement in the ride is at best hardly noticable. That being said, net-net, I love my 24RB too! My wife does not trqvel with a pet (unless I qualify.......)