Community Forums

klspahr · 09-09-2021, 07:50 AM

I’m interested in the class b with a slide. Winnebago made a few like the Era 70M and Leisure Travel Vans made the Free Spirit SS for a couple years. Both companies have stopped making them now. Is there a reason why they stopped making them? To me they seem to be just what I want at this point in my RV life. The slide option did not seem to be priced out of this world. It also looks like they didn’t make a lot of them.

I would love to hear some feedback from people who ACTUALITY owned one and what their thought were on the slide.

Thanks

austx · 09-09-2021, 09:17 AM

Most corporations, RV corps for sure, are all about the bottom line … PROFITS! Discontinued usually means poor sales and probably problems with the slide (we love our slides but there always issues) which affect sales! Check out used ones or the Leisure Time Vans Unity with slide they call a Class B+ tho it’s really a Class C. Good luck; find one the closest to your wants & enjoy … cause every day without one is a day you’re missing a fun adventure! 😎

KanzKran · 09-09-2021, 09:57 AM

I looked at a new 26M when I was van shopping, and a few things turned me off about it. The first was the obvious damage to the back of the brand new driver seat, caused when the seat back wasn't tilted far enough forward and the slide caught it when coming in.

The other was the lack of space between the couch and the sliding door when the slide was in. I didn't care so much about murphy bed assembly procedures, as it seemed pretty easy and quick, but it was real tight in there as I recall with the slide in and the bed in storage.

Lastly, aside from the complexity of a slide, there's the loss of integrity of the van's body when a hole that big is cut into it.

A slide that shoots out the back would be more desirable for my situation. But not enough to warrant the extra money and weight. I'm fine with my van as it is. If I want a slide or two, I'll move to a Class C.

klspahr · 09-10-2021, 05:34 AM

Since we’re in the class b forum and my question was specifically about a class b - who makes a “26M” class b with a slide?

I have owned a class c in the past and currently own a class a and even though I have put considerable thought into what my current needs are, it seems other people know my needs better than I do.

And really, corporations are only interested in profits? I didn’t know that, makes them sound like businesses.

Maybe I need to streamline my original post:

I am looking for some feedback from people who actually owned a class b with a slide and what their thought were on the unit.

h2oxtc · 09-10-2021, 11:25 PM

We still own a 2015 LTV Free Spirit SS and love it. Everyone chooses a specific RV for their own reasons, and for us that meant searching for a gently used Free Spirit SS.

The slide works perfectly, and unlike the experience of the other post, LTV incorporates an interlock that requires the driver's seat to be in the fully forward position to move the slide in or out.

We love the expanded living space, the large wide open door and the large window on the opposite side. I'm sure there are some who will say the bed is too small - again, everyone chooses their RV based on what suits their needs, wants, budget etc.

We've been inside pretty much every floor plan of the LTV Unity's and wouldn't trade our Free Spirit SS for any of them.

The reason for LTV not continuing production of this model I would speculate has to do with the cost of manufacturing, and of course profit. I'm just glad we found ours.

klspahr · 09-12-2021, 06:04 AM

Thank you so much for your post! It is good to hear about people in love with their RV. Hope you have many happy journeys!

We’re leaning toward the Free Spirit version.

This B design with a slide has so much more storage then most of the other Bs. Plus the dry bath really does it for us.

We used to winter four months a year in Florida and our class a was great for that, but then we bought our “funky island bungalow” in Florida so now we just need an easy to drive, park, and overnight vehicle. Maybe we’ll do a week in a state park here and there, which would still be possible with this rig.

Thanks again for the review.

magicbus · 09-13-2021, 05:08 AM

I can't speak as the owner of a Winnebago Era with a slide, but we did go looking to buy one but ended up with an Era without a slide. When the slide was pulled in we found that it made getting to the rear of the coach very difficult because it blocks much of the space between the driver's seats. Also, we travel with two labs and there was no room for them to hang out while we were traveling.

Spiritgirl · 10-24-2021, 03:42 PM

We have a 2008 forest river Lexington 283GTS that we purchased from the original owner in 2014 (with 6900 miles). We now have 104K miles. Love it, lots of room. Of course it is no longer manufactured.