thestoloffs
Florida
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Joined: 06/17/2009
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Many Born Free coach owners can be found on the Leap'n Lions RV Club forum.
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Skid Row Joe
Texas
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Joined: 04/26/2006
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Has anyone seen what the Born Free RV buildings in Humboldt, Iowa are being utilized as? Since the founder and his son of Born Free passed away a few years ago, the company got shuttered in May of 2017. Just wondering if RVs are being manufactured there these days. Considering a new Class C purchase, and probably will go with a Winnebago from Lichtsinn, in Forest City, Iowa.
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ron.dittmer
North-East Illinois
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Joined: 02/26/2007
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Skid Row Joe wrote:Has anyone seen what the Born Free RV buildings in Humboldt, Iowa are being utilized as? Since the founder and his son of Born Free passed away a few years ago, the company got shuttered in May of 2017. Just wondering if RVs are being manufactured there these days. Considering a new Class C purchase, and probably will go with a Winnebago from Lichtsinn, in Forest City, Iowa. Born Free is done. The company is gone.
I kindly advise not to give up hope on a new quality-made rig. Yes Winnebagos are decent, but there are a number of good quality brands to consider. Don't just blindly buy without doing your research. You don't want to have buyer's remorse. With the internet, you can cover a lot of ground in the comfort of your home.
List the essentials of what a rig absolutely must provide you, then go from there. Must you have the huge bed over the van? Must you have both a couch and a dinette? Must you have a walk-around queen bed? Do you have a limit on over-all length? Things like that.
My wife and I did just that in 2006/2007 and we ended up with a Phoenix Cruiser. Our rig can be seen by CLICKING HERE.
2007 Phoenix Cruiser model 2350, with 2006 Jeep Liberty in-tow
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Skid Row Joe
Texas
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Joined: 04/26/2006
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ron.dittmer wrote:Skid Row Joe wrote:Has anyone seen what the Born Free RV buildings in Humboldt, Iowa are being utilized as? Since the founder and his son of Born Free passed away a few years ago, the company got shuttered in May of 2017. Just wondering if RVs are being manufactured there these days. Considering a new Class C purchase, and probably will go with a Winnebago from Lichtsinn, in Forest City, Iowa. Born Free is done. The company is gone.
I kindly advise not to give up hope on a new quality-made rig. Yes Winnebagos are decent, but there are a number of good quality brands to consider. Don't just blindly buy without doing your research. You don't want to have buyer's remorse. With the internet, you can cover a lot of ground in the comfort of your home.
List the essentials of what a rig absolutely must provide you, then go from there. Must you have the huge bed over the van? Must you have both a couch and a dinette? Must you have a walk-around queen bed? Do you have a limit on over-all length? Things like that.
My wife and I did just that in 2006/2007 and we ended up with a Phoenix Cruiser.
Unfortunately, the Born Free I bought has been plagued with any number of grave issues in my ownership of it. Endless roof, side-body, and windows leaking rainwater for years on end. The air bag system was a fiasco of $ and getting replaced. My coach's stainless steel fuel tank also rusted out to the tune of $5,500.00 for a replacement. It's truly been a moneypit, for claiming to be so well made. When Born Free was in business, , at least you could get parts and advise. That's over. I'm not keen on any of these off brands that like Born Free, may close up tomorrow. The Winnebago brand is well known and not likely to go out of business. My earlier post was trying to find out if there were any service centers of expertise with the Born Free brand.
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Skid Row Joe
Texas
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Joined: 04/26/2006
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Does anyone know if Kim Olson, former CSR at Born Free Motorcoach in Humboldt, IA. is still in the RV business? Or, if there's a contact number for Kim?
My 2002 Born Free is in desperate need of some coach replacement parts, that were unique to the Born Free brand.
Born Free closed down for good in May 2017. I really need some coach accessory parts sourced!!
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John S.
Valley of Virginia
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Joined: 03/22/2002
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Tried to send a pm won’t let me.
John
2015 Born Free Royal Splendor on a Ford 550
2018 Rubicon
Boo Boo a Mi Kie
42' 36' & 34 Foretravels sold
2007 Born free 24 sold
2001 Wrangler sold
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland sold
Susie Dolly, Lolly &Doodle (CKC) now in our hearts and thoughts
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whemme
Spencer, IA
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Joined: 08/26/2004
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Your stainless steel fuel tank was a Ford product not a Born Free product. Since your tank was made out of stainless steel how in the heck did you get it to rust? Stainless steel in normally extremely rust resistant.
2002 Born Free 26' RSB Motorcoach
2005 Chevrolet Malibu LS Toad
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BruceMc
Oregon - Willamette Valley
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Joined: 04/17/2007
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Ours was 14ish years old when we replaced the fuel pump. There was not a single spot of rust as the entire tank/accessories were stainless (with the obvious exception of the plastic & rubber parts).
I wish I'd have taken a pic of the interior, but it was as fresh inside as the day it was manufactured:
![[image]](https://a4.pbase.com/g2/88/791988/3/148407906.Gd7d01yY.jpg)
If you paid $5,500 for an installed replacement, you got taken.
'16 Forest River Sunseeker 2250SLEC Chevrolet 6.0L
Previously:
'00 Four Winds 26Q Class C (Ford E350 V10)
'96 Kit Sportsmaster 212f Fifth Wheel/'93 GMC Sierra K2500
'91 SunLite poptop truck camper
and the first: a Wildernest flip-top canopy.
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Skid Row Joe
Texas
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Joined: 04/26/2006
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John S. wrote:Tried to send a pm won’t let me. Looking for Kim Olson's contact information. Would you happen to have it?
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OkieGene
oklahoma city
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Joined: 01/06/2004
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Was Kim male or female?
A GOOGLE search of that name and town shows a deceased female, age 60 at death.
Have you tried any google search?
Also, many used parts can be sourced from Colaw Salvage, owned by Colaw RV in Carthage Missouri. You can get their website and phone number from any internet search, including Google.
Colaw RV Salvage is enormous! Huge inventory. Call them.
Good luck to you.
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