Travelin2
SW Florida
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Joined: 09/04/2006
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We are looking to buy a used small rv. Today we are going to look at a couple of Born Free motorhomes. One is a 2004 24RB with Ford 6.0 liter Powerstroke diesel engine and propane genny. They are asking $29,900. The other is a 2007 24RB with the V10 gas engine. This one is advertised at $34,900. We are comparing them to a Phoenix Cruiser 2301 with a Ford 5.4 Triton gas engine and no generator, which we like the looks of. This one is too far away to look at but is in impeccable shape. They are asking $27,900.
We would welcome any insights or opinions you might have about these.
Some questions I have....Fuel mileage on diesel?....enough improvement over the V10 to make up for the difference in fuel price?.....What about diesel noise in the cab while driving?.....Anyone know if there were major construction changes in the Born Free between '04 and '07?.....Is that 5.4 Triton engine going to be a dog in the Phoenix Cruiser?.....Has anyone ever slept on one of those Phoenix Cruiser triple jackknife sofas? How's your back?...If you have knowledge or opinions about anything on these rigs, I would be glad to hear it.
* This post was
edited 01/16/17 05:37am by Travelin2 *
John & Gloria
South West, Florida
2009 Leisure Travel Serenity
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midnightsadie
ohio
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owned a 2001 BF 24ft was great they have a steel frame that goes around the rv for safety .the rv was well built .never a problem with it .had the V 10 motor avg 9.mpg had plenty of power .a diesel would be so noisey you,d need ear plugs.
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gemsworld
Arizona West Coast
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Get the Born Free with the gasoline engine and generator.
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PSW
Oklahoma City
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No generator on the Phoenix Cruiser? Will that work for you? Do you have a generator on you Pleasure Way you show in your signature line?
We love our Phoenix Cruiser and are impressed with its quality. Especially, we love the fact that it is a little more narrow than most Cs and more aerodynamic. Personally, I am not a fan of diesel on a small rig for more reasons than I have time to list or you have time to read.
Paul
PSW
2013 Phoenix Cruiser 2350
2014 Jeep Cherokee behind it
and a 2007 Roadtrek 210P for touring
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DownTheAvenue
Sunny South
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That 6.0 litre Ford diesel engine is a deal breaker for me and should be for you!
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midnightsadie
ohio
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we now have a liesure travel van class C and its great the 5cyc mercedes benz diesel gets 20mpg better than the newer v6 .but the v 6 is in the 16mpg range still better than a gasser.
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Travelin2
SW Florida
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PSW wrote:No generator on the Phoenix Cruiser? Will that work for you? Do you have a generator on you Pleasure Way you show in your signature line?
We love our Phoenix Cruiser and are impressed with its quality. Especially, we love the fact that it is a little more narrow than most Cs and more aerodynamic. Personally, I am not a fan of diesel on a small rig for more reasons than I have time to list or you have time to read.
Paul
We sold our Pleasure Way. It did have a generator and we used it some. It's definitely needed. The Phoenix cruisers all come generator ready from the factory according to the literature so I can add that. Hopefully they mean that the fuel line is there and capped and not just an electrical connection.
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crasster
Dallas
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Some people like the 6.0 and some don't. Are you planning to bring this all over the USA or just mostly short excursions?
4 whopping cylinders on Toyota RV's. Talk about great getting good MPG. Also I have a very light foot on the pedal. I followed some MPG advice on Livingpress.com and I now get 22 MPG! Not bad for a home on wheels.
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Deb and Ed M
SW MI & Space Coast, FL USA
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DownTheAvenue wrote:That 6.0 litre Ford diesel engine is a deal breaker for me and should be for you!
Hubby says these motors are so crammed into the nose that they're HARD to work on..... a lot of mechanics won't work on them (or you'll pay through the nose for labor)
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DrewE
Vermont
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Deb and Ed M wrote:DownTheAvenue wrote:That 6.0 litre Ford diesel engine is a deal breaker for me and should be for you!
Hubby says these motors are so crammed into the nose that they're HARD to work on..... a lot of mechanics won't work on them (or you'll pay through the nose for labor)
The 6.0 was not Ford's best diesel engine, from everything I've read. It had quite a few problems (some of which were at least partly corrected during the production run).
Any engine in an E series chassis is crammed into the nose--or, more accurately, into the middle of the dashboard. The V10 is not very easy to work on in that application either, beyond the basics like changing the oil. Fortunately, it doesn't need a lot of intricate care and feeding.
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