Born Free w/Kodiak chassis?...any owners

[TM Rootness]

As I mentally shift from a Class A to a Class C prospect I note that the 30'+ Ford 450 chassis are a bit short on weight carry capacity. Lazy Daze does not offer the GMC Kodiak chassis...rumor has it they may soon?

Any BF owners with the Kodiak chassis? What are your thoughts on ride, handling, etc? Are you pleased with the product?

How long has BF offered the Kodiak?

Thank You...Tom Rootness

[KTnLen]

I have the 32-ft motorcoach prototype with the Chev C5500 Kodiak chassis, and the Vortec 8100 gas engine. There are only a few 32-ft motorcoaches delivered so far. After toying with a 30-ft motorhome for a while, Dodgen Industries adapted the 32-ft RV model from specialty units they had built for many commercial applications [see http://www.dodgenmobiletech.com/products.php?id=19 ] for examples.

Compared to the 40-ft Holiday Rambler diesel pusher we sold within six months of purchasing, the Born Free Class C on the Kodiak chassis is stable, responsive, and easy to manoeuver. Consider a turning diameter of just 35-ft due to its 54-degree wheel cut. I have turned the unit around in four lanes of roadway. The front visibility is excellent, and the side mirrors easily collapse toward the side of the vehicle for tight quarters. The rear vision system with LCD display in the visor works very well too, and I often back up to hook up a trailer unaided by a ground guide.

With a 6,500 lb towing capacity, it can handle almost anything you'd care to hook up. We chose to haul a Mini Cooper S on a 14-ft car hauler, with a Prodigy brake controller for the electric trailer brakes, and don't even notice that 4,800 lbs is hitched behind. I just had the RV and trailer weighed at an RV Safety clinic, and for the load we operate, the techs recommend easing off the 95PSI all-around placard tire pressure to 75PSI front and back when not towing, and 75PSI front, and 90PSI rear when hitched. I'm going to try that next run as I've had cabin passengers remark on it being somewhat bumpy in the back.

The air suspension Dodgen chose works well and provides a smooth ride. It takes little steering motion to keep it straight especially if you focus about 15-sec down the road. Semi-trailers pass without giving the sensation you are heading for the shoulder, and only when the wind is behind do you even notice a large vehicle passing, but it's nothing compared to a Class A.

One fault: I find the Flexsteel pilot and co-pilot seats a bit stiff, and there are no adjustments other than back pitch, and fore/aft bar. It gets me in the lumbar after a few hours behind the wheel. Luckily, my good wife loves to drive it, and that gives us both a break after one or two hours.

All in all, I'd say the Kodiak is a natural complement to this well-built machine, and Born Free has done a good job to match an air suspension to the manufacturer's delivered product.

I hope this helps to fill in the blanks, and please continue the dialog so others can chime in.

[bkrbill]

I really appreciate your comments on your new BF 32 foot. It was the first input I have seen anywhere on this new model.

How do you feel about the performance of the Chev gas engine compared to the diesel pusher that you owned before? I am trying to make a decision about gas or diesel. If gas does the job, I would prefer not to spend the money for diesel.

What kind of mileage are you getting now?

Again, thanks.

[KTnLen]

I really appreciate your comments on your new BF 32 foot. It was the first input I have seen anywhere on this new model.

How do you feel about the performance of the Chev gas engine compared to the diesel pusher that you owned before?

I am trying to make a decision about gas or diesel. If gas does the job, I would prefer not to spend the money for diesel.

What kind of mileage are you getting now?

Again, thanks.

The Vortec 8.1L engine is a workhorse, and at 326hp I believe it outperforms the Cummins ISL 330hp diesel I had before. Smaller vehicle, to be sure, and I know that torque is a big factor in the diesel measurands, but it just underscores how underpowered the Holiday Rambler was with 8-ft more length, and 20,000 lbs more mass. Setting the cruise control on the Born Free, the engine pulls up grades with downshifts as required, and coming through the Rockies near Vail pass, we were still passing many diesel pushers and trailer pullers. On down grades, I dropped the Allison transmission into 3rd gear, and allowed the engine to do most of the braking up to about 4000 rpm.

As for gas vs. diesel, apart from the better mileage and longer life, one has to really study the trade-off in cost. It would take several years to recover the diesel upgrade cost even with better fuel economy and comparable pump prices. If I was in the full-time mode, I might go for it, but I just couldn't justify $6350 for the Duramax 6600. Another deciding factor was that the prototype already had a gas engine, and for the new unit we have ordered, there would have been an additional wait for a diesel chassis to be ordered and delivered to the factory, so we stayed with a gas powerplant and genset.

I'll try to give ballpark figures for fuel economy: At roughly 17,000 lbs actual weight, we are seeing a bit over 8mpg; and when I'm towing a car hauler and Mini Cooper, we are adding 4,800 lbs to the mix, and that results in somewhere around 7mpg (14 gals per 100 miles, or about $45 per 100 miles). I tend to run the coach at about 5mph under the posted speed limit and I use cruise control as much as possible. I try to keep the gas tank at least 1/2 full, and rarely go below 1/3 full.

I hope this helps with your decision.

[SteveR]

First post on this board. Have been lurking for a while but now that we are down to our final 3 RV choices (BF being at the top of the list) we wanted to bump this thread up to see if anyone else has some input on the 32 footer.

DW and I will be retiring next year but want to take some shorter trips during the winter and spring as a head start to RVing. We will snowbird but not be FT. Our needs are a made up walk around decent queen bed, decent sized shower, comfortable coach with upscale furnishings. We have seen the "junk" made by many other class C builders and feel the BF is a very good value. We also need occasional sleeping space for maybe 4-6 people total but very infrequently. We believe the 32' President is our best choice but we have not been able to see one in person yet so the final decision is still pending being able to see and drive one to make sure before we plunk down big bucks for a RV.

Anybody live or will be traveling through Salt Lake City?

Any comments on the BF President and the options available and which ones were a good choice and which ones you never use?

Thanks in advance.

Steve and Donna