Born Free Leap'n Lions RV Club Info & Discussion Forum

We're looking to upgrade from a BFT to a 26'RSB. Would like to here opinions on comfort and quality of the mattress for two average sized persons. Neither one of us would do well climbing into overhead bed. Also would like to here how well the handling is for the 26'. The BFT handles like a car and I realize there will be a difference. With the rear side bed is there still much more walking around room compared to the BFT. We are thinking of getting a setup with one reclining sofa and the two chairs with the swing- up table.

Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving To All,

Tony

I have a '99 RSB E450 with the Triton V10....I bought it 'gently used' & still can't believe how fortunate I am to own this wonderful RV...As I travel much of the time alone, and am female, retired, etc., I don't know how much my experience will apply to a couple traveling together....so I will simply post 'my 2 cents'...hoping it will help you.
I went to the factory in Iowa this past summer and had many upgrades done at an extremely nominal cost. One of which was a new mattress which I really find totally comfortable. (It's almost better than my home bedding). I've traveled in horribly nasty winds and rain and found my 26' BF to handle very well. I also travel Hwy. 5 in Calif. (which is a really nasty drive), over the 'Grapevine' going to L.A. area...have run into the 'Santa Ana' winds which blow you all over the road...but though it's a little bit of 'white knuckle' driving...I think that's true for all RV's driving in those winds, cause everyone slows down (even the Semi's)...
I have the Entertainment Center and would not, could not, have an overcab bed...I love the comfort of watching TV in my adjustable arm chair while my Grandkids lay on the sofa and we all enjoy popcorn & hot chocolate.....For my style of RVing...I love my BF...my floor plan...the ease and quality of everything built into it...It's a marvelous coach...
Good luck making a decision....

We haven't exactly been comfortable with the bed. The Travasak (?) my wife doesn't care for so I've ordered a custom fitted sheet made by the mattress company. Spacewise I think you had more counter space in the BFT than you will have in the 26'.

Upgrade, what do you mean upgrade? I take umbrage with that statement!
Just kidding.

Another proud BFT owner,
Bill

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Barb & Bill
2004 Born Free 22' Built for Two (Sold)
no longer towing a 2008 Smart ForTwo

Escondido, CA

My wife is 5'7" and weights 130 lbs. I am 5' 11" and weight 165. We cannot sleep comfortably together on the rear side bed in our 2001 RSB. We tried a couple of times and found it too cramped. We have the sofa that makes into a bed and we switch off sleeping on it, or I sleep on it most of the time. I had hoped that my wife and I could both sleep on the RSB, but being used to a queen or king size bed at home, we find the bed in the BF too small.

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Dallas Baillio
2001 26RSB
Born Free Leap'n Lions RV Club Member

Thems dangerous words...

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Barb & Bill
2004 Born Free 22' Built for Two (Sold)
no longer towing a 2008 Smart ForTwo

Escondido, CA

We UP-GRADED from a 30 Ft. Winnebago to a BFT.

Guess I should re-word this to a lateral move rather than an upgrade. We now have four grandchildren including twins. Need more room for them and our goofy golden. Thinking about a 24'RB rather than a 26' RSB to try and save some money. When not traveling with the kids we really don't need anything larger than the BFT. Any thoughts appreciated.

Tony

Tony, a nice 2004 24RB just popped up for sale today on our web site:

http://www.bornfreervclub.org/bulletin_ ... .php?t=680

Bill

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Barb & Bill
2004 Born Free 22' Built for Two (Sold)
no longer towing a 2008 Smart ForTwo

Escondido, CA

Tony,

We recently upgraded from a 20' Roadtrek 200 to a 24' RB, and we love it. One of the things that sold us on this model was the extreme flexibility you get in furniture arrangements. The "standard" is a sofa bed and 2 barrel chairs. However, either or both types of furniture can be swapped out for incline beds or a dinette that makes into a bed. We opted for one incline bed and the dinette. The dinette takes about 2 minutes to take down or set up. We use Travasaks for sleeping. The only downside is that we can't sleep together.

You could take 2 grandkids by using the overcab bed for them. We use the overcab area for storage of bulky items (doesn't everyone travel with a spinning wheel and a harp?), but makes a nice large bed for those people slightly younger than us!

The kitchen area in the 24' RB is also very nice.

Joe Zygala and Lucinda Shastid

shilohdad wrote: "we recently upgraded from a 20' Roadtrek 200 to a 24' RB, and we love it. One of the things that sold us on this model was the extreme flexibility you get in furniture arrangements. The "standard" is a sofa bed and 2 barrel chairs. However, either or both types of furniture can be swapped out for incline beds or a dinette that makes into a bed. We opted for one incline bed and the dinette......"



Thanks for the reply. We have thought about the same combination of the incline sofa and the dinette. We wondered how big the dinette is when made into a bed and how comfortable it is. I have seen some dinettes that make up into a bed that is not very long. Ok for kids but not adults. Also does that combination make the floor space between the dinette and incline sofa narrow. The diagram on Born Free web sight shows it to be not as wide but don't know how accurate it is.

Nice to hear from someone in the Northeast. We are located in Pennsylvania about thirty miles west of Philadelphia. Amish country!

Regards,

Tony

Tony,

The dinette when made up is about 32" wide by about 72" long. I am 5'7" and am very comfortable in it. If you are over 5'10", you would be a bit cramped. I find the dinette cushions to be very comfortable when made up as a bed. I do not use any kind of mattress topper on it.

Lucinda sleeps in the incline bed, which is a bit narrower (I think it is 30") and is also about 72" long. The incline bed is harder than the dinette, so she uses a 2" memory foam mattress topper and finds that adequate. Lucinda is 5'6".

As a dinette, the seating would be a bit cramped for 4 adults, but should be just fine for 2 adults and 2 children.

One reason we chose the incline bed over the sofa bed is that it gives us a wider aisle between the two seating areas. The aisle is about 24" at knee height. We can just pass each other in the aisle, sideways, with this arrangement. With the sofa bed, the aisle was about 3" narrower, I think.

While we do not have a goofy golden, we do travel with two tiny dogs - 5 pound papillons. They have plenty of play space with the aisle and the galley area. Our Roadtrek was very limited in our ability to throw toys for them to fetch. I doubt your golden would get much exercise in the rig!

I hope this answers most of your questions, but feel free to ask more.

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Joe and Lucinda
Tonto, Meadow and Shadow, the papillons
Shiloh and Morpho at Rainbow Bridge
2017 Spirit
Formerly 2006 24RB

Joe,

Since you have the cab-over bed do you also have the tv? If so where is it located? The web site shows a tv above the pantry. Is your incline bed reversed so that the end that elevates is towards the front of the rv rather than the back as with the BFT? One other question. Who plays the harp?

Tony

The TV is a flat-panel unit on top of the pantry, bolted to the cabinet where the refrigerator/freezer is. The incline bed elevates at the front of the vehicle so you can watch the TV while inclined. If we had the entertainment center, they would have reversed the bed (actually, they will do it whichever way you ask). I (Joe) am the one who plays the harp.

Now this is not the Harpo Marx-style 47-string concert grand harp, you understand. I travel with a little 26-string Celtic harp that fits very nicely in its case in the cab-over bed area (we took out the mattress). I am an intermediate level player. I started playing about 8 years ago, but an arthritic thumb got in the way of my practicing, so I haven't advanced past that stage. I have subsequently had the thumb repaired, but now the other thumb is acting up! However, at home I try to play a little every day. On the road I play on rest days, maybe 1 or 2 times a week.

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Joe and Lucinda
Tonto, Meadow and Shadow, the papillons
Shiloh and Morpho at Rainbow Bridge
2017 Spirit
Formerly 2006 24RB

Joe,

We have almost made up our mind to go with the 24' with the dinette and incline bed. Have you added any steering stablizer or larger sway bars or have you found it tonot be needed? I noiced that many on the forum have made some modification to the suspension.

I admire your ability to play the harp. I have never played an instrument and am pretty much tone death. Had a music teacher in high school who said he would give me a C grade if I would promise fake singing with the class!!

Tony