Wanna be Born Free owner questions...

[markshoreline]

Several years ago a friend had a Born Free and convinced me that it is THE motorhome to own. Of course, I was not yet retired and had other interests, but fortunately I remembered the name and have been learning from the sage posts on these pages. However, I'm hoping to speed up my learning curve so would appreciate some direction about a few subjects...

1. What is the recommended size for a beginning couple? I'm sure there is a wide variety but which models are too small for a few weeks trip?
2. We will want to pull a boat or car along. What is the towing capacity of the different models?
3. I'd guess that a diesel is better for economy and pulling heavier loads, is that correct?
4. What is the best configuration?
5. Alphabet soup question- What are RSB, BF, Rear Bath, Corner Bed, Rear Bed? If you can just direct me to a resource I will happily read up on these.
6. We'll buy used, what is the oldest year you would recommend, and are there years/models to avoid?

Thank you very much, I look forward to learning from your collective experience!

[whemme]

I will try and answer some of your questions in red print within you quote below.

Several years ago a friend had a Born Free and convinced me that it is THE motorhome to own. Of course, I was not yet retired and had other interests, but fortunately I remembered the name and have been learning from the sage posts on these pages. However, I'm hoping to speed up my learning curve so would appreciate some direction about a few subjects...

1. What is the recommended size for a beginning couple? I'm sure there is a wide variety but which models are too small for a few weeks trip? I would recommend either a 24' or 26' length model to start with.
2. We will want to pull a boat or car along. What is the towing capacity of the different models? That is model dependent. But you of course want to keep the weight of a toad reasonably low. Coaches built on the Ford E350 chassis have GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) of 12,500 lbs and a GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating) of 18,500 lbs which means they can tow up to 6000 lbs. Coaches built on the Ford E450 chassis have a GVWR of 14,500 lbs and a GCWR of 22,000 lbs which means they can tow up to 7,500 lbs. However the rear tow bar hitch used on the Born Free coaches may be limited to 5,000 lbs. And you should always use a supplemental braking system on whatever you tow.
3. I'd guess that a diesel is better for economy and pulling heavier loads, is that correct? Yes
4. What is the best configuration? That depends on your needs and desires. For many years the most popular model sold by Born Free was their 24' Rear Bath coach.
5. Alphabet soup question- What are RSB, BF, Rear Bath, Corner Bed, Rear Bed? If you can just direct me to a resource I will happily read up on these. RSB means Rear Side Bed, BF means Born Free, Rear Bath means that particular model, Corner Bed and Rear Bed both mean the RSB (Rear Side Bed model that has the bed in the right rear corner of the coach.
6. We'll buy used, what is the oldest year you would recommend, and are there years/models to avoid? No real good answer to this question in my opinion. All Born Free coaches made in all years and models were built with high quality.

Thank you very much, I look forward to learning from your collective experience!

[randallrae]

3. 2003 thru 2007 6.0L Diesels had some issues . They say that these engines can be bullet proofed for about $5000 .1998 thru 2003 V 10 could have a spark plug failure .

[markshoreline]

Thank you for the quick replies. We have a steep learning curve ahead of us, but it sure is fun learning about these great RV's! I also posed the question about towing to Ed at BF and here's his response-

Anything on the E gas chassis will be anywhere from 5,000 – 7,500lbs
Anything on the truck chassis’ will be 7,500lb gas, 12,000 lb diesel. Hope this helps!

[jeffcarp]

Good questions. We made a mistake with our first motorhome purchase - not because of the motorhome itself but rather it just wasn't the right fit for us. Good that you're thinking of these things.

As far as size goes, it really comes down to a couple issues in my opinion. Be very realistic about the sleeping arrangements of the coach. Go with your gut. If your first impression is that two people sharing a jack-knife sofa isn't a great idea, then go with that gut feel. You're probably right and could lead you to some buyer's remorse. If you're thinking about 1 person sleeping on the sofa and one in the cabover - is that realistic for you and your relationship? It's a personal, but important consideration. Second issue is how much room do you realistically need for the shower and morning routine. Can you co-exist? Can someone clean-up and other still function in the kitchen, etc. Be realistic about storage as well. If you end up with a smaller coach and then on trips have stuff sitting in the aisles because you can't leave it at home and it won't fit, that won't end up being a very enjoyable trip experience. There's nothing worse than stopping somewhere and having to tip toe over junk sitting in the aisle.

Being honest with yourselves about those living issues will lead you to only a few models and configurations. The least important consideration, at least within the Born Free Class C choices, in my opinion, is the size of the coach. A few trips in and you'll be comfortable driving any of them. Everything longer than "Built for Two" will likely hang over into a second parking spot behind you anyway, so whether it's 24' or 26' or 31' long I'm not sure it makes much difference.

I'd also consider whether towing is necessary or not. We bought a car for our son specifically for being able to tow it on our summer trips. We decided not to. For the cost to configure it for towing and the loss of convenience of having a small coach, we found that we can pay for an awful lot of Enterprise local office car rentals and Uber trips.

Several years ago a friend had a Born Free and convinced me that it is THE motorhome to own. Of course, I was not yet retired and had other interests, but fortunately I remembered the name and have been learning from the sage posts on these pages. However, I'm hoping to speed up my learning curve so would appreciate some direction about a few subjects...

1. What is the recommended size for a beginning couple? I'm sure there is a wide variety but which models are too small for a few weeks trip?
2. We will want to pull a boat or car along. What is the towing capacity of the different models?
3. I'd guess that a diesel is better for economy and pulling heavier loads, is that correct?
4. What is the best configuration?
5. Alphabet soup question- What are RSB, BF, Rear Bath, Corner Bed, Rear Bed? If you can just direct me to a resource I will happily read up on these.
6. We'll buy used, what is the oldest year you would recommend, and are there years/models to avoid?

Thank you very much, I look forward to learning from your collective experience!

[markshoreline]

Thanks for the thoughtful and experienced reply, Jalan!
We sleep together in a king bed but don't have to have that size... which models have at least full size or possibly queens?
We tend to carry a lot of stuff, even when car camping so that wouldn't change, I'm sure.
Another good point about towing... how many folks here tow a vehicle along?

Thanks
Mark

[jeffcarp]

There are others here that are much more in tune with the configuration of the previous models than I am. It seems to me that the smaller units are all individual sleeping opportunities. As you go up in size, you'll get an rear corner bed opportunity. Newer units with slides then give you a queen opportunity I think. Again, I don't have good knowledge of that.

[stevek]

The thing I have found, when you are on the road a long time: Good to have a little SPACE for each of you. For a quality private time.
Also if one is a TV person and one is not. As in my case. Gotta luv my wife.

I wish Born Free offered a floor plan similar to this.
A bed in back plus the overhead Bed all in a 24 foot RV.
Note the wall of windows in back.

[ddbowen]

We were in the same position in 2013, trying to determine the best model fit. This forum, and those who post, provided everything we needed to make a good decision. We bought our coach without ever seeing a Born Free in person. You will find all the older brochures, floorplans and photos of the various models, as well as good commentary on towing.

I spoke with enough Ford reps to know that, with proper care, a Triton V10 can give over 125,000 miles of reliable service without major problems. We had a bass boat and Jeep that we wanted to be able to tow, and because of hobbies we carry more than the average camping couple. We only have one dog, however, the dog sleeps with us, so we preferred a larger bed.

In February 2014, we purchased a very well cared for 2002 Born Free 26' Rear Bath model with 67,000 miles. We found it on this forum. We have put over 20,000 miles on in the last couple of years, have been very pleased with the coach, and with Born Free build quality and especially the service provided at the factory.

[harrisgowing]

About towing a car. We did not tow for 8 years with our 26 RSB. Then my husband tripped and tore his quad tendon in a small town in Georgia, where there was no public transportation and no rental cars on a Saturday night. It took me 3 hours to find a ride home from the hospital, where I had gone in the ambulance. I can drive the coach but am not good parking it and could not see myself driving home to Northern MI over the mountains by myself. We made it home but I insisted that we tow since then. Generally, without a toad, we could go most places but not all. For instance, in San Antonio it cost $50 to park an rv. And, it is nice to be able to do an errand without securing everything and unhooking the coach. Our new coach is larger and a toad is really necessary. We do not find it to be a big hassle, but it is a personal choice.