New member, possible buyer

Linda Giuliani · Post by **Linda Giuliani** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 7:46 am

I'm coming late to this discussion, but I just want to comment that I have a lot of "stuff" also, and so far I have all my stuff loaded with more room to spare. It's amazing how efficient the storage is in the Born Free!

I also notice you have not one, but three GSD's by your signature. Do they travel with you? We have experimented with taking our three Standard Poodles on short trips and find it IS possible in our 26' RSB. Floor space is at a premium, but they aren't puppies and are pretty well behaved so we can "put" them in a convenient spot and not trip over them (usually!)

By the way, when the dogs travel with us, there is room for all their "stuff" also - like x-pens and portable kennels and food, etc. So we find the coach has all our needs met. Having a dance floor with a slide out would be nice when the dogs are with us, but not at the expense of safety!

Good luck with your shopping.

grross · Post by **grross** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 9:06 am

John...We have the 2005 26 BFRBRE with the Diesel(which I STRONGLY do NOT recommend-meaning the engine). If you would like to minimize the miles you have to travel to see and drive a 26 BFRBRE, you are welcome to come ocer to our house which is right off I 78 after you cross over from NJ into PA. Since I am a retiree we are home most of the time. We travel with multiple dobies which are close cousins in size to your GS. Contact me at grross@att.net if you would like to stop by.

jobrien · Post by **jobrien** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 10:24 am

Greg and Linda;

Thank you very much for your input. Yes our "girls" go with us wherever we go. The 2 older ones (12 and 13) hop on the couch and stay there until we stop. Last year we took the crate for our puppy (now 18 months), but now she is loose and sleeps on the floor behind the passenger seat. We just bring their food, treats and lots of towels to dry their feet when they come in. Floor space would be at a premium for now. Healthwise, this will probably be the last year of camping for the 2 old ones, sad to say.

How long is the mattress on the RSB model? I'm 6' and would like to be able to stretch out. Just looking at the floorplans, it seems the RB has much more closet space, sacrificing the bed of course.

Tough decision as to which one would suit us the best.

Thanks again. I really do appreciate all the responses, as it also triggers more thought on my end.

John

jobrien · Post by **jobrien** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 10:41 am

grross;

I sent you an email.

Thanks

John

Mike Jean Bandfield · Wed Jun 07, 2006 12:50 pm

grross wrote:We have the 2005 26 BFRBRE with the Diesel(which I STRONGLY do NOT recommend-meaning the engine)...

What problems are you experiencing with your diesel? I'm currious as to what troubles others are having so we won't be taken by surprise. We only have about 9K miles on ours but, so far, we love it. We are getting between 12 and 13.5 MPG depending on how much town driving we do and speed on the highway. (Depending on a number of factors that's about $70-$100 savings in fuel every 1000 miles.)

Initially I was concerned that Ford detuned the PSD in the e-series van due to over heating problems. Even detuned, I find the PSD's power more than adequate and the fan comes on and turns off quite quickly so heat dissipation would seem to be adequately managed. Other than the fan on-and-off, we don't find engine noise to be a problem.

With fingers crossed - so far no problems. There was a recall on the EGR system we had taken care of. And the diesel's extra 700 #s off the ccc is a constraint on long trips and with extra passengers.

Mike

grross · Post by **grross** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 7:19 pm

So far we have had 3 turbos and 4 egr valves. The latest fiasco occured in our driveway and required the unit being towed to our friendly ford dealer whom I have been dealing with for over 30 years. In the past we were able to drive the unit (albeit very slowly) to the dealership either in FL or NJ. The ventri in the turbos of the 6.0 liter diesels have a tendendcy to freeze, thus requiring replacement. The problem exists on PUs as well as Vans. If the vehicle is used frequently and driven over 50 miles it is less likely to be a problem (source of this info was Ford and friends of mine who have the 6.0 in their vehicles). There are several websites i.e. "thedieselstop.com", "intellidog.com/dieselman/60bulletin.htm" that address the problems with much greater detail. Our first 2002 26 BFRBRE was a triton V10. A friend had the same unit with the 7.3 diesel. After driving it and observing performance and !4+ MPG I had to have a diesel in a BF. It has been a living nightmare with few exceptions. Right after a new Turbo and EGR valve it runs very nicely i.e. 12 - 13 MPG while traveling the Interstates at 65-70 MPH. Then usually within 2500 - 4000 miles problems start occuring. On the other hand we have 2 Ford PUs with the 7.3 diesel that have run flawlessly over a combined 175,000 miles. The lemon law cannot be invoked because it is an RV with a Chassis problem (see article in Wall Street Jounal 5/31/06 pg D1). Unfortunately the problems are a direct result of the EPA requirements that were mandated for 2005. The 2007 standards will probable result in more heart ache for diesel owners. The problem is not unique to Ford. The problems experianced by Detroit Series 60's, cummins and Cat are similar and very well documented. At this this time Ford is trying revised tubo's that address the types of metals they previously used, but their experiance to date is inconclusive according to their tech support specialist. If you are not experiancing problems you are very lucky!
The Good News it is not a BF problem!!! We wish we had a Triton even at 10 MPG
George Ross

grross · Post by **grross** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 9:18 pm

Sam,
Thanks for your thoughts..."nothing ventured, nothing gained". I will let you know what transpires if I secure the services of an attorney.
George

Linda Giuliani · Post by **Linda Giuliani** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 9:21 pm

John and Maureen,

Greg is 5'10" and he sleeps on the rear side bed. He can sleep streight on the bed, but sometimes I see him at an angle - so without measuring it I'm guessing the bed is something less than 6'. However, he sleeps quite well there on his own. I, on the other hand, sleep up the ladder above the cab. This way we can both stretch out and I don't hear the snoring (I'm a very light sleeper). The rear side bed is only a 3/4 size, so we knew it would be a tight squeeze for the two of us. However, we didn't think the fold out sofa would be confortable for the two of us with back problems. The twins sound pretty good in the other model. Everything can be such a compromise - it takes a lot of pondering to decide which model would work best.

Now if I could get Greg to sleep on the sofa, we could put dog crates on the rear side bed and then be able to crate the dogs when we left them in the coach . . . . . no barking! However, I don't think that will be happening. I don't think Greg will give up his bed. So far, where we go the dogs go also. Thats okay unless you want to take a tour, visit a museum or eat in a cafe. And I see lots of rules about leaving dogs unattended in the R.V. - understandable because of the barking issues. So, we just haven't taken long trips with them yet.

Good luck with your search. . .

GKarschnick · Post by **GKarschnick** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 6:42 am

I'm 6'2" and my wife and I can sleep comfortably (in the spoon position) in the rear bed. However, lately, my trips to the bathroom and my snoring have made it somewhat uncomfortable for her. So, she is now the sole owner of the rear bed. We carry a 2" foam matress topper that I add to the sofa bed before I roll out my sleeping bag. This makes the sofa bed quite comfortable for me.

jobrien · Post by **jobrien** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 9:52 pm

We just got back from a 3 1/2 week trip from NJ to Yellowstone. Yes we had the dogs with us also,

Our plans were to stop at the factory on the way home so we could see how the Born Free is made, and to convince my wife that this is what we really need. Due to some mechanical problems with my Allegro, We were delayed in Billings MT. We did not have any extra days to stop on the way home. I am really disappointed. I was hoping the factory tour would be the convincer for the wife.

So we are back to looking at the brochures for now. Ed Newman at the factory has been great in answering my questions and offering advice. Hopefully we will have the chance to meet in the future.

Will post here if and when the time gets closer. Any one have any good sales tactics I can use on my wife?

John