Taking B+/C Offroad Experiences

I took my (32' 1998 Coachmen) class C over many Alaskan roads, some of which were comparatively rough and rutted. These things are of course somewhat subject to personal interpretation, as far as what makes a really bad or rough road. I did drive to Eagle, Deadhorse, and McCarthy, which means not sticking to merely the paved roads.

The structure survived without any significant problems directly related to the hard use, though I definitely do think it is rather worse for the wear. There do seem to be the start to a few little buckles, etc. in some of the sheet metal I-beams under the floor, which I've been thinking maybe ought to be reinforced; I don't know if that's directly attributable to the Alaska trip or just typical for the age and construction and whatnot. In any case, while I have absolutely no regrets about taking the trip--it was a wonderful experience overall--I also doubt I'd repeat it with this motorhome, nor do I think it would survive many more such rough trips very well.

The actual ground clearance of my motorhome is pretty decent. The departure angle is not very good, due to the long overhang, but for those roads that was not much of a concern as there are not many sudden changes in ground angles. The only places I've scraped have been things like gas station entrances or driveways or railroad crossings that slope suddenly up from the road surface. The plumbing in my unit is pretty well protected within the structure; it doesn't really hang down loose underneath.

Nowhere have I had particular trouble with steep inclines. I suppose a steep enough incline could be a problem, but anything remotely like ordinary hills, even steep ones, are fine if taken slowly with appropriate caution and care.

The motorhome most certainly does not come anywhere near the off-road capabilities of a Jeep or even a typical pickup truck, but it's more capable than it might at first appear despite the limitations. At least around here, the overall physical dimensions--the height and width and poor turning radius associated with the legth--are probably the biggest limiting factors for where I can go. Many back roads have overhanging tree branches well below the 11' clearance I'd require. Of course, in other parts of the country there may not be many encroaching trees at all.

Thanks you guys.

i am not talking full on off roading. LOL. Rather getting in on a dirt/forest road that is rutted and has dips or even just into a pullout along a dirt road with a bit of a ditch. Not a lot of rock either - been there with the TC and slow going.

Test driving the ones we have, they are 6 inches narrower and 20 inches shorter height than our Bigfoot and it seemed they would be better for dirt roads, at least tree wise. Worse for tanks and plbg. We are challenged with trees in so many places with being so wide and tall. And ours really tips and leans side to side with being so tall and i thinking the fact that it is just sitting in a pickup box and not securely bolted to the frame of vehicle. I wonder if not being bolted solid helps it not get tweaked where it can move a bit.

From what i see, most any RV chassis regardless if an E or F is they are not the high end level and shocks on most any are not great and are shot at 50k or less on a rv.

Love to hear from someone that has had TC and a B+/small C on dirt roads/dips as to which seems to get more stress.

I used my TC's off road. I would want to know the trail using a 4x4 to inspect it before venturing out in a 'C'.
If you have cell service, then you can get help if need be,
I'm talking remote off road, no cell service, SAT only communication areas. If that's your case as it is for me, then it's only you, you need to be very careful !


Ground clearance is LOW compared to a TC. I go off road on dirt now in my 'C' to fish and boondock from time to time on good dirt roads, some ruts and some smaller rocks. But it gets to the point where 'Ol Bobbo needs to make a u-turn'.
During those times, I wish I had my TC back so I could go into the woods a little deeper. I am limited using a 24' 'C' on a suspension upgraded E450.
The drive feel for me was bulky compared to my two full hard-wall TC's. AF 860 and Lance 845.

Ground clearance:

The rear overhang clearance is tuff on a 'C', especially with some hitches the factory puts on. They hang down low. You can reconfigure some of them if needed.

You have to watch the entrance door style on a class C. Some have the steps built in and some use external mounted steps. The built-in style of entranceway steps drops down lower than the passenger side of the coach. You need to watch the rocks.
If the external style steps get hit then its the step that gets replaced, usually no body work necessary.

If you get hydraulic levelers, you might have to trim down the mounting brackets for more ground clearance ,


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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.

I don’t see many Cs on rutted trails (closer to zero) but encounter Bs all the time. Mostly careful drivers who get out and look if sketchy. Give a B a try.