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]

Mumkin has a point here. And, dont forget that with the advent of the dualies on Sprinters and the extra length and weight and other inside upgrades, prices have climbed almost exponentially. The Winnebago ERA is probably one of the only rigs you can get under 100 grand. And, prices are even higher in Canada where, ironically, most of the main brands are manufacturedie PW,GWV,LTV,RT and so on. Lets not forget Airstream by the way which makes a really cool Sprinter.But a retro Sportsmobile(with a diesel) is highly tempting...

[mumkin]

I would take a look at the MSRP listed on the website and calculate the cost of any options. (Sportsmobile website is a good place to look at costs of options) There are few options - generator and spare tire carrier perhaps? If it has those two, this dealer hasn't bumped up the MSRP as many do - that is a point in his favor.

Haven't talked to anyone who has managed to get more than about 15% on an LTV B... and he has dropped 10% already.

Good Luck!

[TLWNF]

cascadetrekker: We have decided to buy an SS and started discussing price with our nearest dealer yesterday. MSRP is $125,000. There first offer was $112,500 with a comment to make an offer. I am not worried about getting the price down every little nickel and we don't mind paying a fair price to both sides. I was wondering if you would be willing to tell me how much you paid or perhaps, at least a range you think we should land in that would be fair. Would $105,000 be reasonable or way too high? We want to buy from this dealer as they are less than 200 miles from us.

We had been planning on a Pleasure Plateau for about three years and then when the SS came along it changed our mind. You sound happy with yours and I see Leisure Travel has joined Pleasureway in the DSI Quality Circle Awards which is encouraging. But I ramble. Thanks in advance if you feel you can help. You can send me a private message if you want.

[Fastpaddler]

Welcome Cascadetrekker

Notwithstanding my personal reservations about mid-cabin beds your new rig is really great.Anyway;my wife rules when it comes to beds and she doesnt mind the mid-bed in your rig as you CAN lay down on the couch for a nap without pulling out the bed,eh? And I understand you can still walk around the bed when it is down,without opening the van door first. You have a bigger bathroom and more storage space so, like with all of us with our rigs, there are always trade-offs.The driveability of the Sprinters is really impressive. My previous C class Trailite had a mid-cabin gaucho and the Winnebago Aspect had a rear bed which was quite a wrestling match between my wife and I to get into,individually or at the same time. Both MHs wandered especially in windy conditions whereas our Sprinter stays 'planted' on the road as does yours. Looks like you are enjoying your new home-on-wheels and it sure beats those lousy(pun intended) motorway motels/hotels.
AL
PS: Come to think of it in retrospect: I`ll trade with you!!

[mlts22]

The SS Ideal with the rear slide was a nice idea. However, it completely got rid of the ability to just pull over, walk to the back, and take a snooze without attracting attention.

The LFS SS may be different because the side slide does add some room, but again, one can't just put the vehicle into Park, and go to bed. I could be wrong, since the side slide adds significantly more room in the rig than the rear slide in the SS Ideal did.

[Fastpaddler]

How did the Roadtrek SS Ideal with the rear slide-out sell? Not well!! Sure,with LFS SS you can walk around the rather narrow bed-4-two with the slide-out extended and bed down. Yes, the rear bathroom is great and more cupboard space too. The fridge is small:?
We have found that mid-ship beds,pull-out,pull-down or gaucho-type simply get in the way unless you simply get them ready and go to bed. With the REAR electric sofa you can fold it down and keep the bed made up and still get around the RV including going to the bathroom without wiggling around a pulled down bed in the middle of the RV. The problem with the rear slideout on the Roadtrek SS was that when the slideout was pulled in you couldnt use the table and were really cramped back there doing anything. In a Sprinter, clearly, the electric fold down couch is more practical. You can nap on it too. With a narrow RV like the Sprinter, it seems odd to have the bed anywhere except at the back end of the unit.

[NCWriter]

Welcome to the forum, cascadetrekker.

That's really great input on the new model after you've put it to a good test period. Glad you are happy with your new van!

Leisure products are excellent, as you already know, and we've found their factory people to be very helpful.

Look forward to hearing more from you...I find it so useful to get real-world input from the Sprinter owners on this forum.

[cascadetrekker]

We own a 2013 Free Spirit SS and now have approx 5,000 miles and many nights camping. Overall we love the unit. We found the bed to have the problems discussed in earlier posts, but Leisure travel provided a kit which has made the bed work well while a new design is made available. We understood the pros and cons of the slide out bed when we made the purchase, but the added storage and wonderful bathroom makes it work well for us. It would be nice to have a bed without the slide extended, but we have always been able to extend the slide in rest areas etc because the van is relatively narrow and the slide short. My wife and I find the bed to be adequately wide for us and one of the most comfortable we have ever slept on. Having come from a backpacking and sea kayaking background we find our van to be very spacious, with great storage and amenities. We also appreciate the spaciousness of the living area with the slide out. We spent several nights in the Southern CA desert with high winds and found the van to be surprisingly stable while driving as well as camping at night. A couple must be prepared to do everything together, because to have a bed the sofa goes away and vice versa. This layout works well for my wife and I, but may not be optimal for everyone. In summary we have driven over 5,000 miles and camped approximately 30 nights and found the van to work well for us.

[Herculez]

As I noted above in my post we test drove the SS last month.

I have noticed a few of the post on this thread and wanted to give more information to the original poster.

You can walk around the bed when slide is out and door is shut.

You can keep the slide in and still use the bed as a couch to sit and watch TV or perhaps eat at a large table.

There is no slide topper to blow in the wind.

You can even put the slide out in a parking spot.

Only your shoulders and and head would be in the slide.

The Sprinter remains level while the slide is out.

Also noted, out of all the Sprinters this one has the most interior storage. It really comes down to what one is looking for.

Keep in mind the more windows that you have means that you are loosing USEABLE space.

Windows are nice to have but you give up storage or other features to have windows.

I also liked the electric awning.

The outside storage at the rear doors was nice to.

I happen to like ALL CLASS B RV's.

Chevy, Ford, Sprinters ect.

They all have good attributes.

Britt

[booster]

I couldn't tell for sure, but from the pics I have seen, it looked like it would be very tight to get around the bed when the van door was closed. Anybody seen one in person or seen how much room there really is?

[bobojay5]

Biggest problem with it we see, is having to put that slide out to have a bed.
We have that issue now, and let me tell you, when it's windy, that slide is going to move, and that slide awning is going to flap like a flag. That's the nature of slide awnings.
Also, when that slide is out, and your body or bodies are in the bed, you can't tell me that that van remains level

[NCWriter]

I think it would be great for a single traveler but don't see the two of us sharing a somewhat narrow slide out bed with walls by our elbows at each side.

Loved the bathroom and storage based on the video. Did not like the lack of rear windows compared to other Bs. I like natural light and it makes the living space seem larger. Liked the screen door (great feature with Great West vans.)

As for the refrig size, maybe they figure anybody who can afford a new one eats out all the time. (Just kidding...We cook in our van 95% and just hit the grocery store every week as needed. Would like a bigger one but it isn't as much a problem as I thought it would be.)

[stan909]

I saw it and Dean at the Pomona show and I wondered why with all the extra storage was the fridge so small ?.

[mlts22]

I saw the video on it, as well as the bed misalignment issue. On one hand, having the extra space when the slide is out makes life easy, but if one just wants to park and crash for a bit, either they crash out on the floor or extend the slide, something that might not be doable in a crowded parking lot.

Regardless, I love the bathroom in it.

[Herculez]

To the poster.
I test drove the SS last month. The bed is not to hard to figure out. I can see that people would like a push button.
My only slightly negative thought on the bed slide is that the width would be tight for two people.
It has the nicest bath in any Sprinter.
Test drive was very quiet on the inside compared to all the Sprinters that I have drove.
Road noise is noticed above 58mph. Should I say wind noise.
That is true with all Sprinters.
Need to add that the fridge is very small.
I would not buy the current year model . Each year they continue to improve on the Sprinters.
I have thought about buying one for 3 years but continue to wait because of the changes they continue to make on all the Class B Sprinter manufactures.
Take a look a Pleasure Way. The TS. I like it also.
But I have been talking to that factory also.
I can not confirm that they will have improvements but look for it on the 2014.
Also look a Great West.
Britt