Leisure Free Spirit SS (Single Slide)

[1donald]

Has anyone on the Forum seen the new Free Spirit SS (Single Slide)in person or purchased? Our Dealer just told me that they have not ordered one for there lot but are holding off as Manufacturer is working on Electric Sofa vs manual for the bed that takes up the Slide area. They expect to have one on there lot in next four to six weeks. I'm anxious to see one.

2007 Roadtrek 210 Popular

[Fastpaddler]

Just FYI: re taking bikes I have a PW Plateau TS and I simply fold down the electric couch/bed at the back and load them inside. I actually had to use a mobility scooter a couple of years back due to an accident and that is how I loaded the fold-up Lexislite. I have 3 seat belts at back so I can carry 5 passengers legally, including me. I also have a Gearspace 34 hitch-mounted cargo carrier which will take TWO bicycles inside, another option.

[bob_nestor]

Handbasket wrote:
It takes some pretty complicated testing to get added seatbelts other than OEM approved.

That might explain the silliness about seatbelts in my old Chinook RV then. There were four seatbelts in the dinette and three more on the couch, but there were placards indicating that these seating positions were not to be used while the vehicle was in motion.

[Handbasket]

It takes some pretty complicated testing to get added seatbelts other than OEM approved. I saw just the surface of it at Provan when they were trying to get CSA approval for the Tiger CX's side-facing sofa belts. The partly-finished test rig was quite impressive.

I surely would hesitate to trust any untested * formally approved belts.

Jim, "Stupidity is not a legally-recognized handicap. Park elsewhere!"

[RVinPlano]

oh that winnebago looks nice too. Wonder if it'll have more seatbelts?

[mlts22]

Winnebago has something similar announced, the ERA 70C, although this model hasn't hit dealers yet.

[RVinPlano]

I'd be interested in this RV too if I could get another 2 or 3 seatbelts in there somehow. I just love the bathroom the way it's configured. I wouldn't sleep with 5 people in there, but it would be good for transporting.

[Renn]

Stopped by a dealer this weekend to look at the Free Spirit SS. It would not be a problem to put a tandem bike inside with or without the slider extended. We looked at various units that had narrower entries and it looked difficult if not impossible to get a tandem bicycle inside. The dry bath on the SS makes makes it much more desirable for our intended use. I think I could retrofit 1 or 2 removable seats which would have to be in line not next to each other. The intended use with the removable seats bolted in would be day use. For overnight or extended trips it would just be my wife and I with the seats removed. Hopefully I can sort this out in the next year or so as I do not plan to make a purchase while 16 year dog is still with us.

[TLWNF]

As the owner of a Free Spirit SS I can state that you cannot carry more than the two front passengers while driving legally. Certainly people could ride on the sofa but they would be unbelted and amount to untethered cargo in an accident. With the bed made there would only be barely room for one in the aisle and they would be at risk of being stepped on by anyone headed to the bath.

Class B compromises. Less seating means bigger bath, storage, etc.

More seating means less.

But I can state that our SS is absolutely fabulous for the two of us.

[mumkin]

It appears to me that you could bring the bikes inside, but not any people with the SS. With the other floor plan, you could bring friends, but would likely have to put the bikes on a rack outside.

Picking an RV floor plan with these small units is all about priorities.

[Renn]

I have been looking at the various floor plans. A big plus for me on the slide out is that the door is not obstructed by a cabinet (and the dry bath) . We will be bringing a tandem bicycle with us and the days when we opt to hike I would like to store the tandem inside I think the unobstructed door would make that possible

[mumkin]

Have you looked at the floor plan on their website? I can only see the possibility of two other people riding sideways on the sofa. Note that the website doesn't show seat belts there. I'm not sure that I would consider that safe even if there was a seat belt. And once the bed is opened, there wouldn't be enough floor space for them to sleep, so they would need a tent.

It seems that the Free Spirit without the slide might work better for your usage. (and it is about $10K less) It shows that it comes with seat belts in the rear.

[Renn]

Is it legal to have passengers in the back of the Leisure Free Spirit SS? If not is it possible to do a retrofit to make it possible?

I am new to RVing and the SS looks very appealing to me. My use would be once a month weekend trips and a yearly week long trip just my wife and I.
On a weekly basis we do a lot of bike riding with friends and it would be nice to be able to use the SS. We currently car pool with one or 2 other riders in our Ford Expedition. If it were possible to transport 4 people in the SS they could also do overnighters with us and tent camp or sleep on the floor when we get to a location.

[Davydd]

cascadetrekker wrote:
We find the screen to be very useful wouldn't enjoy summer camping without it.

That screen will be offered on the regular 2014 LTV Free Spirit as well. Great West Van has had the retractable sliding door screen since 2008. I've always wondered why the other manufacturers hadn't figured it out. It is not easy to open and close the heavy sliding door when in a campground to keep the bugs out and the screen keeps the B cooler with less reliance on air conditioning.

[cascadetrekker]

We removed both tables and bases and use two oversize folding tables from walmart which conserve space and they can be used outside. I also removed the bases which were attached to the floor which makes the floor flat.