One Last Sanity Check: New ERA 70C vs. Used Free Spirit SS

[bigfatguy]

a year ago (2, maybe?) my wife and I rented a Free Spirit SS and spent almost a week driving around Arizona. We loved it. As we returned it, we decided that THIS was the RV we were going to buy.

Then we find out it was no longer in production.

Today, I spent some time sitting in an RV dealership in a 2015 ERA 70C. We both liked it... a lot. When we plunk down our down payment at the end of this year, we're both thinking it's going to be a 70C.

Three features we both like (at least in theory) are:
1: the bed isn't motorized, and comes out faster and easier because of it.
2: The "Hydronic" heating system sounds like it will work a hell of a lot better than the noise-maker that was installed in the SS.
3: since the same heating element from the heating system is used to make hot water, we're hoping this means the hot water won't go through sudden cold spurts like the SS did.

Aside from that, they seem very similar.

I'm basically just checking, since this group knows much more about RVs than I, if there's some deep dark secret of Winniebago's class B's that should make me think twice, or push me to a used Free Spirit?

Thanks for your time!

[Davydd]

That was not a simple discussion on your part. You could have asked how I knew the difference in the length of the two RVs you asked about. Then you made the snarky unknowledgeable remark about sitting on the toilet washing your hair. It was you that chose to correct me. Bottom line is you trolled. Your mind was made up and you didn't get your head pat. End of discussion.

[bkroczak]

I suggest you ask this question on one of the Facebook groups. Those groups are very active and you will probably get lots of opinions 🙂 You could try: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ClassBCamperVans/ and/or https://www.facebook.com/groups/RoadtrekEnthusiasts/ or https://www.facebook.com/groups/362153750645662/ or even consider the WGO Travato: https://www.facebook.com/groups/travatoowners/. All of these groups are pretty active.

[bigfatguy]

I'm sorry, dude... I came here for a pretty simple discussion, not a pissing match.

Anyone who read the question care to share their thoughts?

[Davydd]

The ERA is an extended body Sprinter that is 24'-2" long. The LTV Free Spirit is built on the regular body that is 22'-9" long. Those are Mercedes Benz' official dimensions. I guess you can believe what you want. I am not sure why you are asking now since your mind appears to be made up.

As for "sit on a toilet while washing my hair" is concerned there are a lot of Class Bs where that isn't true at all. But then if you feel that way keep in mind you are giving up a lot of space for that belief and giving up a lot of advantages of a Class B with a slide to the point you would be much better off with a small Class C. LTV figured that out for you already and Winnebago doesn't set the world on fire with sales of the 70C compared with their other ERA Class B offerings or their small Class Cs.

[bigfatguy]

Davydd wrote:
The ERA is built on the extended body and is about 16" longer than the Free Spirit SS. Since both have the same 170" wheelbase the plans are almost identical from the back wheel wells forward. Because of that you don't get much benefit out of the 16" other than more bathroom space with the ERA. Both already eat up so much space with bathrooms making the slide out necessary to fit a bed in.

The era is rated at 11" (23'4" vs 24'3") longer than the SS, and I prefer to think of it as having a slide out provides enough room that I don't have to sit on the toilet while washing my hair.

[Davydd]

The ERA is built on the extended body and is about 16" longer than the Free Spirit SS. Since both have the same 170" wheelbase the plans are almost identical from the back wheel wells forward. Because of that you don't get much benefit out of the 16" other than more bathroom space with the ERA. Both already eat up so much space with bathrooms making the slide out necessary to fit a bed in.