Taking B+/C Offroad Experiences
Anyone have experience you could share taking a B+/C on rutted trails with dips and some steeper inclines? We are considering replacing our dually 3500 4x4 Bigfoot TC with a 24 foot Born Free. Has...
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We had a 26' custom Born Free for 10 years, and traveled all over the CONUS.
Frankly, unless you can find one of the few built on an F-series 4x4 chassis, I wouldn't recommend this design for intensive off-roading. The E-series chassis is a van, not a truck, and not designed for that sort of rough handling. Its springs & shocks would likely have to be replaced.
Although the solid metal box frame is strong, the internal cabinetry is all wood (light plywood with veneers) and didn't handle torsion stress well. Exterior doors & windows held up well; internal cabinet doors warped and misaligned.
Plumbing & electrical would probably hold up but I'd recommend changing out the convertor with a commercial version (e.g., IOTA); I'm rather suspicious of their "standard" Progressive Dynamics convertor. (Since our mobility unit was built by the commercial side - Dodgen Industries - rather than Born Free, our AC & DC wiring was heavier duty with all external wiring blocks & fuses.) Also, in the final few years of construction, they'd shifted over from convertors to invertors.
In a past life, I spent many years in Class C-equivalent ambulances & fire trucks. Even these rigs had the same interior & suspension problems with rough driving, and they were designed for all but the most severe off-road driving. Based on that, IMNSHO {not so humble}, even though John Dodgen & his team built higher quality motorhomes than the industry average, off-roading in a Born Free isn't something I'd recommend -- either keep your Bigfoot TC or find something like a used Tiger Adventure Vehicle.
Frankly, unless you can find one of the few built on an F-series 4x4 chassis, I wouldn't recommend this design for intensive off-roading. The E-series chassis is a van, not a truck, and not designed for that sort of rough handling. Its springs & shocks would likely have to be replaced.
Although the solid metal box frame is strong, the internal cabinetry is all wood (light plywood with veneers) and didn't handle torsion stress well. Exterior doors & windows held up well; internal cabinet doors warped and misaligned.
Plumbing & electrical would probably hold up but I'd recommend changing out the convertor with a commercial version (e.g., IOTA); I'm rather suspicious of their "standard" Progressive Dynamics convertor. (Since our mobility unit was built by the commercial side - Dodgen Industries - rather than Born Free, our AC & DC wiring was heavier duty with all external wiring blocks & fuses.) Also, in the final few years of construction, they'd shifted over from convertors to invertors.
In a past life, I spent many years in Class C-equivalent ambulances & fire trucks. Even these rigs had the same interior & suspension problems with rough driving, and they were designed for all but the most severe off-road driving. Based on that, IMNSHO {not so humble}, even though John Dodgen & his team built higher quality motorhomes than the industry average, off-roading in a Born Free isn't something I'd recommend -- either keep your Bigfoot TC or find something like a used Tiger Adventure Vehicle.
