24' RB vs 27' RB

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golferdhm

24' RB vs 27' RB

Post by golferdhm »

Well, we have done it. We've made a down payment on a new BF. At the moment the decision is for a 24' RB because of length and CCC. We want to be able to travel without a tow as much as possible, and we felt that the 24' would allow us to do sight seeing, shopping, etc. without being so constained as to where we could drive and park it. That being said, we liked the layout of the 27' with all the closet space better. We also liked the ride of the longer wheel base. We have about a week to make the final decision. Anyone like to give their opinions on our dilemma?
jobrien

Post by jobrien »

Don;

We have a 26RSB and don't have a problem going anywhere with it. In some very small town shopping area you may encounter a parking problem, but in those cases a 24' may not be able to either. Certainly in Wal-Mart, strip malls and such you wouldn't have a problem.

Over the past weekend we stopped at the Born Free factory store in PA, and my wife likes the new 27RB. A lot of cabinet, counter and closet space. We didn't look at anything smaller since it would not work for us.

Good luck. Keep us posted as to what you decide.

John
robert newby

Post by robert newby »

Hi Don -- our first Bf was a 24ft which we took to Alaska with-out a tow car -- everything went great but we could see that the 26ft had more storage space so we ordered a 26ft and have taken it to Alaska twice with-out a tow car -- we have not had a problem with using the BF touring arround and unless we plan to stay at any place several days and want to drive arround the area we don't tow a car -- we will be going to Yosemite Valley next month and will tow a car because that is the only way to get arround in tight spots -- neither the 24 or 26 ft would work there -- Bob Newby
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Mel Wilbur
Posts: 617
Joined: Thu Aug 11, 2005 2:39 pm

Post by Mel Wilbur »

Don, It all depends on what fits your traveling lifestyle. In our case the 26RB worked the best with the ample closet space and Connie does a lot of cooking and baking, great pies and cookies, and wanted the extra counter top space in the 26'. We have been across the county both with and without a toad and had no problems either way. We also spend 3 months in Florida living in the coach which made the extra space more convenient for us. I would doubt if there would be many situations where the extra length of the 26 (now called a 27) would be a problem. Best of luck with your decision.
Mel & Connie
golferdhm

Post by golferdhm »

Thanks for the fast responses. A couple of other questions. Have any of you with 26 footers felt constrained by the relative lack of cargo capacity, and how much does the toad affect mpg and ability to climb hills? My current toad is a 4000 lb Jeep Liberty. Would that be to big to pull?
Jim Hofmann
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Joined: Wed Dec 06, 2006 1:23 pm

Post by Jim Hofmann »

We have the 26'RB (having moved up from the 24RB after seeing it at the factory). Ours has the diesel and when we tow (which is rarely) it is usually in hilly terrain and we tow a jeep wrangler. I would estimate that we loose about one mile per gallon under those conditions.

Jim
jobrien

Post by jobrien »

Don;

For the past 2 years I towed my Grand Cherokee with my 26RSB. I now have a 4 door Wrangler and towed it this past weekend. Both weigh about 4,500 pounds.

I probably lose about 1-2 MPG and I do know it is back there, especially on hills. I don't remember where it was, but one road we were on had warnings about long steep grades and strong winds. We unhooked at a visitor center and my wife drove the Jeep till we got past that area, and hooked back up again.

You will need a good tow bar and an auxiliary braking system for the Jeep. I use a Blue Ox tow bar, and a Brake Buddy braking system. Both have served me well.

John
golferdhm

Post by golferdhm »

Sam. Thanks for your input. You're the only one we've heard from that currently owns a 24ft BF. I forgot to mention that the 27 ft. that we are looking at is on a 2008 chassis, so it has the 14500 lb GVWR. The 24 ft we are considering is on a 2006 chassis, so that its GVWR is only 14050 lb. The responses we've gotten are certainly making us lean more toward the 27 ft., even if there is quite a cost difference.
Steve W
Posts: 147
Joined: Thu Sep 01, 2005 1:00 pm

Post by Steve W »

Don. Since you said that you had heard from only one 24 owner, I thought I would add my thoughts. We have a 24RB with the overhead bed and twin inclining beds, our previous BF a BFT. When we made the "move" we looked closely at the 26RB, now the 27 and decided that the 24RB had more than ample storage room for the two of us. It is lighter than the 27 which allows for better fuel economy and it has a shorter overhang at the rear. I have even discovered that having packed everything we need and might need for a month on the road, I still have room for my golf clubs. What more could one ask for?
Steve & Sue Wolfe / Born Free 24RB / toad
lassen
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Joined: Sun Aug 14, 2005 10:56 am

Post by lassen »

Don...We get along fine with the 24RB after having the 26RB. Same floor plan, just a little less closet space.

With the 24RB we usually weigh in about 12500 loaded for traveling and have never been over 13000. And with the 26RB we were heavier, mainly because Jan had more places to hide stuff to bring along that we didn't need.

Jack....
Jack & Jan
2005 24RB
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shilohdad
Posts: 436
Joined: Tue May 23, 2006 9:58 am

Post by shilohdad »

We have a 2006 24RB and have been in a few places where the extra 2-1/2 to 3 feet extra for the 27RB might have been inconvenient for parking. In tight spots we have often been able to back in and hang the rear end off the end of the parking spot. With the shorter wheelbase, we still don't stick out in front (at least too much). This only works if there are no obstructions in back, of course.

As for weights, Jack runs just a little lighter than we do. We are pack rats and we typically weigh between 12800 and 12900 pounds. The real problem we have is not the gross vehicle weight, but the weight on the back axle. The E450 is rated at 9450 pounds on the back axle, and we at first were running real close to, or over, this limit. All that rear storage (closet, passenger-side rear compartment, rear storage compartment) just LOVES to accumulate heavy stuff. We do not have the entertainment center, and because we carry some bulky but lightweight stuff (harp, spinning wheel, fiber for spinning on the wheel), we removed the cab-over mattress and store that there. We also ended up getting some storage bins with drawers for that area and put heavy, dense stuff in those drawers rather than in the back. This helped a lot in getting weight off the back axle. We also use the under-sofa storage for heavy stuff. Oh, and we carry a spare tire on a rim under the sofa, too. We probably tend to be overly careful on weight, but that is better than blowing tires! It also probably is a carryover from when we had a 20' Roadtrek where the GVWR was really tiny and we had to really worry about weight.

Joe and Lucinda
South-eastern NY
2006 24RB
Joe and Lucinda
Tonto, Meadow and Shadow, the papillons
Shiloh and Morpho at Rainbow Bridge
2017 Spirit
Formerly 2006 24RB
John S.
Posts: 477
Joined: Fri Sep 08, 2006 9:01 pm

Post by John S. »

I have the 24 footer and have not had a problem fitting in anywhere with it. I had a 22 foot BFT was easier to get into a parking space as it fit in one the 24 foot is a bit longer so you need 2. The 27 footer will fit in two just fine. I do not tow when I take the 24 footer and have not found a place to have to tow. The 27 foot is nice too and when you go out it has a bit more room for storage but if you pack lite and restock grocerys or eat out more often you will be fine. Now talk about space the 42 foot Foretraval has that in spades and I tow my wrangler everywhere with it. I would get the floor plan you like as they both will get in most anywhere.
golferdhm

Post by golferdhm »

Thanks for all the replies, you 24-footers. Each of you has a good reason for having what you have, and things are not as tilted toward the 27' as they had become. We just have to decide which is most important to us, more storage space or smaller and better gas mileage. Part of the reason we were starting to lean toward the 27' BF is because we are getting rid of a 41' Mandalay which has more space than we have every been able to fill. I suspect that the first few times we take off in the new BF, whichever it is, we're going to have to do more packing planning than we have had to do the last few years.

We plan on traveling two or three months in a row in the winter and are having a hard time deciding where we will put everything we want to take. We want to tow as little as possible, but if we decide we are going to stay in one place for three or four weeks. we would probably have to tow or rent a car.
RVN4US

Post by RVN4US »

Don

You must hear from a 23 footer b4 this subject ends. Our prior unit was a 35 foot Holiday Rambler, and we towed a Ford Ranger, more storage than you could ask for. My wife and I both accused each other of taking more than needed. Bottom line was that we learned that we could make out with about 90% less stuff that we carried b4, and don't tow anything now. This past winter when in Florida for two months we rented a car a couple times and all worked out. As Steve W says I still had room for the golf clubs. That said, Good luck on your decision!!!!
Ann P

24 RB vs.27 RB

Post by Ann P »

Well, here's another viewpoint for ya! I downsized from the 26(now 27) RSB to a 2008 24RB, and I live in the thing! Having to cram all my stuff into the 24 made the 26 RSB seem really huge. Knew I'd lose some interior storage, but there's much less exterior too. And the previous comment about the back axle on the 24RB already carrying weight is true....I had all 4 axles weighed and found that I could add about 1800 lbs. on the new 24, but only in the front. Nothing more on the the rear axles since it's full when all the holding tanks are being used,etc. So I've been moving or tossing the heavy winter clothes out of the back closet, making sure the tanks are dumped , and keeping the air bags at a higher psi. If two of you are planning to be gone for months at a time, the 24 might get a bit cramped. When I have company, they have to leave soon! Towing a car could help you out with several of your issues, but will cut your gas mileage.

By the way, I'm not getting better mileage with the shorter 24 than the 26, but have only gone 5000 miles. It's usually between 9.3 and 10mpg. Still waiting for a tailwind to push me somewhere. One of the main reasons I downsized was the ease of parking this coach and getting around town, since I like to stop for museums and such. Occasionally, I'll rent a car...it was a good idea in Sedona, for instance. It also seemed a good idea to have a new warranty on the Ford and Born Free. Wasn't expecting all my problems the past 5 months to be with the RV: new appliance break downs, some factory goofs, so on. But Kim Olson at BF is a saint.

It all comes down to your lifestyle and adaptability. This is a well-made motorhome but a RV is always going to have some challenges . If you can afford the coach and the gas, you're doing very well already!
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