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

Hello all, new member here, just bought a 1999 26 RSB for $18,500 with 81,000 miles. It is in Oregon,(can be seen on RVTrader.com) my wife and I are flying out the day before Turkey day and driving it back to South East florida. I am kind of excited, they did a extensive punch out list new awning, new A/C, recall on fridge, reseal roof and seams, clean probes in tank, new LP indicator etc etc. I am having a rearview camera and a CB radio installed. I have bought it sight unseen but was told from other Born Free owners (before I joined the club) that they are a class act. I have been doing my homework since mid July and found this one to be super clean and a GR8 price. We are first time RVer's and I know that its not best time of year to make that journey just earliest I could take the time to drive 3200 plus miles. My question to all is the best route to take with hopefully seeing some breathtaking areas. I also wanted to ask what size sheets to buy for rear bed and also Jack knife sofa. Any input or suggestions notedly taken. Thank you Charlie
PS I am also a member of the SS/Impala club (95 Roadmaster wagon) and have been scolded for posting in wrong area, hope I'm good here. Also any recommendations on best portable RV GPS.


Waiting anxiously for reply.
OK paid member now, now can I get the correct Linen size? Just kidding, can't wait to pick up my rig, I would like to ask all you pro RVer's the best portable GPS unit.

Let me be the first to say welcome to the forums, congrats, and welcome to Born Free ownership!

I just finished a 2400 mile round trip to the east coast with my coach. They're GREAT traveling machines.

I don't have much to offer you in the way of advice for route planning other than to head south, as straight and as fast as you can... late autumn/early winter snow storms are no fun in an RV... and as good as Born Free coaches are, they're only three seasons coaches. The tanks are exposed and not heated.

Have a great trip!

Roger

chazman44,

Just wanted to make sure that you understand that registering on our Born Free Leap'n Lions RV Club website forum does not make you a member of our Leap'n Lion's RV Club. Club membership is a separate item and it costs only $15/year to become a club member.

Click on the topic titled Club Membership Application/Renewal Information to download a club membership application form.

Welcome to the forum. You will find a tremendous amount of information here. I don't think you will find a fitted sheet that would fit the jack knife sofa. We use a travasak - basically a large sleeping bag with sheets inside. Just roll it out at night and roll it up in the morning. If you find the sofa uncomfortable as many of us do, you might add a piece of memory foam. Safe travels. Sue

Welcome Chazman44. I live about 30 minutes from you. Send me an E-mail with your contact information and I'll be glad to answer your questions. We have a Splendor which is the new designation for a RSB and I have driven from Portland to Fort Lauderdale in the coach. I have to agree with Roger H, that you should head south from Portland rather than trying to cross the Northern Rockies at that time of the year. jlef123@bellsouth.net

Charlie,

The bed and couch may vary in size, from year to year, but a BF brochure, that I have, states the bed is 50 x 76 and the couch is 46 x 76. Camping World offers an assortment of unique size bed sheets.

As to preparation for your trip, if the coach does not have a spare tire, I suggest that you purchase a rim and spare tire. Subscribing to a RV Roadside Assistance, such as Good Sam, is also a good idea.

Magellan has GPS units that are programmed for RV's. Available at Amazon, Camping World and others. Get a 7 inch screen.

I also live near you as well. Feel free to send me a private message to ask more questions.

Ben

Thanks Joel and Ben, (Both neighbors) I joined FMCA this morning, and Born free member yesterday. Should I join Good Sam or no, heard highly overrated? I was thinking on taking 101 all the way down the coast and cutting across, some people on different forums telling me when you cross the GGB things get pretty narrow in San Fran. Anything to worry about? Still waiting on salesman to call me back on spare tire. Still researching GPS. Called Born Free today they are to get back to me on Linen size. Other forums I read say as much as they love the RSB it is a PIA to make every morn. I waited almost three months before I got what I wanted for the price I wanted to pay, 26 RSB with Jackknife, two recliners with table, no overhead bunk. Really wanted a Diesel but few and far between. Anyone know average milage expectations on these V-10? (I mean till they die, not gas milage) already got that horror story. I would like to try to pick up some portions of RT 66. Newbie here, all input notably absorbed. Thanks Guys.

I own a 2002 Born Free 26' RSB coach with the 305 HP V10. My long term average has been 8.5 mpg with a 3400 lb car in tow. Not towing the car increases my mpg to 9.0 average.

As for the GPS, I have a standard Magellan gps augmented by Google Maps and an AAA triptik. I set the Magellan for "Mostly Freeways," no U-turns, avoid tolls, and avoid unpaved roads. Those parameters mostly keep you out of really tight spots. I also use the AAA Triptik as the "master plan" and just set the Magellan up for each day's drive.

I've pulled a 25' Bigfoot travel trailer with a Nissan Titan over the George Washington Bridge, and I pulled the Bigfoot with a Born Free 23RK on the DC Beltway, so San Fran in a 26RSB is doable. San Francisco has some pretty narrow streets and some nasty traffic, but it's doable. Were it me, I'd cut over to I-5 and head south and avoid the Bay Area unless you intend to do some sight seeing there.

The Ford E4-OD trans is generally considered the weak point in the original V10 drivetrain but that was replaced in the late '90s by the 4R100 which is considered to be pretty bullet-proof. Probably the only issue that plagued the V10 was that once it'd had the sparkplugs replaced, there was a good chance it would spit a plug out because there were only a couple of threads holding them in, and if they were replaced carelessly, that was an issue. Fortunately tho, overall the V10/E4OD trans combo is pretty reliable as long as you keep them serviced regularly. 300k miles out of a V10 isn't unheard of in fleet use. 200k miles is pretty common.

Welcome to the forum. If you don't want to navigate San Francisco, you can come south on 101 to near Ukiah and then take Hwy. 20 past Clear Lake to Interstate 5 and head south on that. We have come that way a number of times and enjoy the views driving past Clear Lake. Of course you don't get to see San Francisco that way. We have a 2011 27' RSB and love it. If you don't like traffic, you can cut east over to CA 99 at Stockton, then on to Bakersfield and CA 58 east. Of course both Highways 5 and 99 may not be as scenic, but you miss the crowded metropolitan areas that way.