New to Forum

[ddugan54]

I just purchased a 2007 LTV Freedom II Serenity on a 2005 Sprinter 3500. We are picking it up on Thursday of this week. We have pulled a travel trailer in the past, so this is our first motorhome. We will be pulling an enclosed trailer with our 2008 Harley Davidson FLHTCUSE3 Screaming Eagle inside. We put a lot of miles on our Harley and enjoy traveling.
I see there are no posts for this same unit on this forum. It would be very interesting if there are others out there that have the LTV Freedom II Serenity. I would like to hear from you and share your experiences. We hope to be posting more.
Dennis & Janet

[Okie Rick]

Congratulations on becoming a Sprinter Addict. I can't speak for the vacation crowd but if you have questions about your Sprinter someone here has the answer. Best forum I've ever been in.

Happy Trails-
Okie Rick

[BaywoodBill]

Congratulations on your purchase. As you can learn, we have a Free Spirit but I've spent some time looking at the Freedom II. It's a posh unit.

[LivingtheDream]

Hi there.... I also have a Freedom II Serenity. Its a 2009 LTV on a 2008 Freightliner 3500.

We had a Pleasure Way previously, built on a 2007 Dodge 2500 Sprinter.

We are sold on the Sprinter as the base and the Freedom II is a much improved rig over the Pleasure Way.

We are not really campers, we put miles on in traveling. The Freedom II is now 9 months old and I have 22K miles on it so far.

It would be fun to exchange information and feedback with someone who has the same rig or "Magic Bus" as I have named ours (the Who plays regularly when we leave on trips :bounce: ).

I cannot say I am an expert as I only have about 3 years of RV behind me but I am happy to share....and ask questions! :thinking:

LivingtheDream
Turn the Key and Smile

2009 LTV Freedom II Serenity
2005 Cadillac CTS-V

[mikevalentine]

Hi All,

We were pretty much sold on a 3,500 van body. I was leaning towards a Airstream Interstate. Then my wife saw a video on U-tube and has been pushing for the Serenity since. I can understand her point of having more storage but do you really utilize all that space for weekend trips? I do have concerns on handling compared to the van body. As I understand the Serenity is a couple of feet wider and 25% heavier. Do you find the engine capable with the extra weight and size?

My other concern is the rear conner bed. Do you like the layout as is or would you change it around some. The Airstream is by no means perfect with the extra jump seat, for just a couple.
Could you gives us a few likes and dislikes on your new rig.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[mikevalentine]

I just purchased a 2007 LTV Freedom II Serenity on a 2005 Sprinter 3500. We are picking it up on Thursday of this week. We have pulled a travel trailer in the past, so this is our first motorhome. We will be pulling an enclosed trailer with our 2008 Harley Davidson FLHTCUSE3 Screaming Eagle inside. We put a lot of miles on our Harley and enjoy traveling.
I see there are no posts for this same unit on this forum. It would be very interesting if there are others out there that have the LTV Freedom II Serenity. I would like to hear from you and share your experiences. We hope to be posting more.
Dennis & Janet

Good luck with your new ride. I also want to haul a Lowrider. Do you plan on towing the bike?

[LivingtheDream]

Mike, The 3500 is the right chassis no matter which one you go for. Our Pleasure Way was a 2500 and the stability and comfort change is large. 3500 no doubt is best.

The difference in the interior of the Serenity and the Pleasure Way we had, which I think is similar to the Airstream you have mentioned is significant. Not comparing the quality of the interior, but the space. The extra foot on each side is huge when you have to spend time in it.

We put 25K miles on the Pleasure Way and have near that on the Serenity and my wife will tell you clearly that trading up to the Serenity is the right thing to do. If she will say that, you know its right! :bow:

As for the power to run it, we have had no issues running 75 mph all over the country with the Freedom II. On steep hill climbs (and from SoCal we have plenty of those to go anywhere) if I downshift early enough in the climb I can hold my own with most anyone. If I get behind on the RPM I will end up climbing at 60 mph in a worst case scenario.

Fuel mileage is lower as the Serenity is heavier. In reality, I get 15-16. I have gotten as much at 18 but I wont drive 60-65 in most cases. I am usually running 70+ mph.

One other downside of the Serenity is the rear suspension in the longer term. Dont get me wrong, the rig is stable on the highway at high speeds in significant winds (this has been well experienced)!!!

The air bags the builder puts in it are so small and located in not the best place so they are not as capable as they could be. Also, though the rig is stable on the highway, now after 20K miles, its a little 'tippy' when you hit a bump or make a turn into a driveway or the like.

I am going to John at the Sprinter Store to fix that in a couple weeks as I have heard good things about what they can do for it so I will report back on that later.

Not sure if all that helps, but we are very pleased to have gotten the extra space vs. staying inside the size of the standard Sprinter van as we have had both.

LivingtheDream
Turn the Key and Smile :bounce:

2009 LTV Freedom II Serenity
2005 Cadillac CTS-V

[LivingtheDream]

Whoops.... forgot to answer your 'bed' question. Its pretty comfortable in the corner. Its not the best bed I have tried, but its quite usable.

You may want to look at the LTV website at the new "Unity" model. They have a murphy bed in it, GENIUS! :bash:
http://www.leisurevans.com/unity/index.html

This was not out when we bought ours... so we missed on this one.

But we do fine in the Serenity. When we are staying for several days (like 2 as we dont stay in one place long) we have sometimes used both beds... (wife and I do fine in the back bed, but with the doggie... its a bit much! :cry:). Wife and dog seem to do well on the bed from the dinette/lounge and I am fine in the back bed.... and of course, the dog always wins! :snore:

LivingtheDream

[mikevalentine]

Whoops.... forgot to answer your 'bed' question. Its pretty comfortable in the corner. Its not the best bed I have tried, but its quite usable.

You may want to look at the LTV website at the new "Unity" model. They have a murphy bed in it, GENIUS! :bash:
http://www.leisurevans.com/unity/index.html

This was not out when we bought ours... so we missed on this one.

But we do fine in the Serenity. When we are staying for several days (like 2 as we dont stay in one place long) we have sometimes used both beds... (wife and I do fine in the back bed, but with the doggie... its a bit much! :cry:). Wife and dog seem to do well on the bed from the dinette/lounge and I am fine in the back bed.... and of course, the dog always wins! :snore:

LivingtheDream

One other question LTD, do you find it a problem without an inverter on board?

[LivingtheDream]

The only items we cannot use without the inverter are the house A/C and the microwave/convection oven. Both of course work with shore power or the generator running.

However, we dont use the oven, as we dont bake or otherwise 'nuke' foods. We are happy to use the gas stove top if we are cooking as most things we eat on the road fit that configuration. We have not had much need for the A/C unit either. We have used the fan mode in the A/C a few times when hooked to shore power, but have not stayed anywhere that the heat was enough to warrant the house A/C.

Again, as I have mentioned before in several posts, we dont stay places very long. We are travelers, though I can say, the space and quality of the Freedom II has made us think about staying a few places longer (Morro Bay, Pismo Beach etc).

The largest thing missing on the Freedom II which causes us trouble is the lack of cold weather options in the water system. We froze a connector on the fresh water system last winter in Blue River, CO (Breckenridge). There is no way to get ant-freeze into the fresh water tanks and they are not easy to drain and blow out. You would think that a Canadian company would be a bit more mindful to cold weather, but not in this case.

Hope that helps...

LivingtheDream
Turn the Key and Smile

[mikevalentine]

The only items we cannot use without the inverter are the house A/C and the microwave/convection oven. Both of course work with shore power or the generator running.

However, we dont use the oven, as we dont bake or otherwise 'nuke' foods. We are happy to use the gas stove top if we are cooking as most things we eat on the road fit that configuration. We have not had much need for the A/C unit either. We have used the fan mode in the A/C a few times when hooked to shore power, but have not stayed anywhere that the heat was enough to warrant the house A/C.

Again, as I have mentioned before in several posts, we dont stay places very long. We are travelers, though I can say, the space and quality of the Freedom II has made us think about staying a few places longer (Morro Bay, Pismo Beach etc).

The largest thing missing on the Freedom II which causes us trouble is the lack of cold weather options in the water system. We froze a connector on the fresh water system last winter in Blue River, CO (Breckenridge). There is no way to get ant-freeze into the fresh water tanks and they are not easy to drain and blow out. You would think that a Canadian company would be a bit more mindful to cold weather, but not in this case.

Hope that helps...

LivingtheDream
Turn the Key and Smile

LTD

Do you have a fix on the water freezing problem yet, gets pretty cold here in New England.

[Altered Sprinter]

Jayair:one would think Plaseal would be used as we use in Europe and Australia.
Primarily used for air con which is also an issue with you guys, as this an automotive product used by Mercedes for Mog's
Cork tape bitumen wrap .to prevent frezzing and overheating of pipes and connections.
designed to [prevent condensation, with hot and cold pipes]
flexible at -20F
won't sag even at 360F
Richard

[ddugan54]

We just got back from picking up our unit after a 1200 mile return trip. This unit is a pleasure to drive. We are very happy with our first trip after living in it for 4 days and 3 nights on our return trip from Maine to Southern Indiana.

The unit has plenty of power to keep up the traffic, even going up some steep inclines. I ran 65 to 70 mph most the trip home and averaged 19.5mpg. I was very pleased with that average.

The rig seemed to be very stable even in some heavy side winds we encountered during a heavy thunderstorm. Also didn't notice much leaning when going around corners. I kept about 40 pounds of air in the air bags during the trip.

The bed was comfortable, but a little firm for our liking, so we will be putting a 2" piece of memory foam on top of the mattress before our next trip.

We encountered some rattling at the beginning of our trip, but I tightened up the latches on the overhead doors and practically eliminated all the rattles.

All in all, after our first experience with the unit we are very pleased that we made the purchase.

We will be towing our motorcycle in an enclosed trailer on most of our trips, but will be looking into towing a vehicle on some trips. Anyone have any experience with towing a vehicle with these units? Would like any suggestions on what vehicles tow the best. Right now I am thinking about a Jeep Wrangler.

Dennis

[LivingtheDream]

19 mpg!?! ... wow that is great! Was that on the dash read-out or calculated from fuel purchases and mileage? I usually get in the 16-17 range, but of course I drive 70-75 too much :bash:

The noise factor in our Freedom II is not bad at all and with some adjustments it is manageable.

We agree on the firmness of the bed! :cheers:

I have no experience in towing with the vehicle. I am glad you enjoy it, we do also ..... good luck...

All the best,

LivingtheDream
Turn the Key and Smile

2009 LTV Freedom II on 2008 Freightliner 3500
2005 Cadillac CTS-V

[ddugan54]

19 mpg!?! ... wow that is great! Was that on the dash read-out or calculated from fuel purchases and mileage? I usually get in the 16-17 range, but of course I drive 70-75 too much :bash:

The noise factor in our Freedom II is not bad at all and with some adjustments it is manageable.

We agree on the firmness of the bed! :cheers:

I have no experience in towing with the vehicle. I am glad you enjoy it, we do also ..... good luck...

All the best,

LivingtheDream
Turn the Key and Smile

2009 LTV Freedom II on 2008 Freightliner 3500
2005 Cadillac CTS-V

That was calculated from fuel purchases.

[mikevalentine]

Hi All,

Do you guys have the air bags setting dialed in yet? Is it around 10lbs as the RV salesman suggested?

[KL2BE]

Hi All,

Do you guys have the air bags setting dialed in yet? Is it around 10lbs as the RV salesman suggested?

Are you referring to the Firestone air-bag suspension add-on that LTV was putting on all their vans a few years ago?
If so you want to do a searches of the Forum and a little investigation on how yours are installed.
You will of course find opinion such as mine that there is no "dialing-in" as they never work at all as a fix of the Sprinter's handling deficiency :frown: . Second you will find that installing the system as LTV (and others) were doing in the past can result in crumpling your frame :eek: . Try this for starters http://www.sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4622&highlight=bent+frame
The Sprinter Store sells a fix that relocates the air-bag system to where it does not improperly stress the spring and frame (the Firestone standard install places the upper mount on a portion of the frame that is not stressed to handle an auxiliary spring). You can probably see the problem for yourself in the photos on the Sprinter Store add for their replacement device http://www.upscaleauto.com/air_bag_kit.htm
This warning may not pertain to your chassis, but does bear investigation if you are ever going to put more than 50 lbs. of air in the system (I think the salesman is full of it if he thinks 10 lbs. will do anything). I'd call John at the Sprinter Store/Upscale Automotive and have a long talk with him on the issue. Even if your chassis and auxiliary spring system are outside of the warning, he will share his expertise on how to fix your handling.
I, like many others, have found the real fix to Sprinter handling woes is a combination of heavy-duty anti-sway bar and Koni shocks. That works; air bags don't.

[bountyhunter]

HI> were in ohio, ours is a 2006 on a 2007 coach. smae rv you;ll have no trouble pulling the trailer . ain;t these rigs great.jim

[LivingtheDream]

KLB2E is right!!!! The airbags dont do squat! At least where LTV puts them and the small size to boot. I have run mine around 40 lbs but that is not the trick.

I am headed next week up to the Sprinter Store in Portland to get the Koni's and the enhanced sway bar on my LTV. Its worth the trip I think..( I will report afterwards as to the results) but at this point anything is better than what I have now.

Once you start to rack up the miles the rear suspension gets weaker and weaker. My guess is that most RV builders dont expect you to run more than 5K miles per year at most and then think that they can get past the warranty or other nonsense so you are on your own in 3 or 4 years without them having to really install a suspension that will do the work needed.

At 25K miles in 9 months, on not-so-nice highways in LA/MS/GA and the never quite smooth freeways in Los Angeles my rig has taken a beating. So, off to Portland to see what John can do... quite excited about the outcome expectations.

LivingtheDream
Turn the Key and Smile

[KL2BE]

The airbags dont do squat! At least where LTV puts them and the small size to boot. I have run mine around 40 lbs but that is not the trick.

I am headed next week up to the Sprinter Store in Portland to get the Koni's and the enhanced sway bar on my LTV. Its worth the trip I think..( I will report afterwards as to the results) but at this point anything is better than what I have now.



LivingtheDream
Turn the Key and Smile

Anxiously awaiting your report :popcorn:.
BTW, why don't you ask John if there is a max air-bag pressure on the Firestone system that he recommends so as not to cause damaging stress to the springs and/or frame :thinking:.
PS: As long as you will be at Upscale in Portland, check you brake pads for how close they are to needing replacement. I found the Performance Friction pads John sold me to be a big improvement over OEM on brake dust and noise; a slight improvement on fade and general performance on long mountain down-grades.

[LivingtheDream]

thanks for the idea... I had not thought about brakes at this point.

we are leaving in the morning for Portland.. will be in the shop Monday. Packing out today! :tongue:
Been charging up the house batteries and filled the tank, cleaned the window, no pack of cigarettes ...
"on a mission from God!" (Blues Bros) to fix my rear suspension and travel the Washington/Oregon Hwy 101 (its on the bucket list and have already done the Cal portion of 101) in the bus. Then through Shingletown, Mt. Lassen and down the US 395 ... Bridgeport and Bishop... some of the most beautiful highway in the US!

Time for the Fall 2010 Tour!

LivingtheDream
Turn the Key and Smile
2009 LTV Freedom II Serenity Freightliner Sprinter 3500
2005 Cadillac CTS-V (gotta be V!)

[israndy]

19 mpg!?! ... wow that is great! I usually get in the 16-17 range

LivingtheDream

I am guess that is the difference between the 2007 and the 2008 models, I wonder what else is not the same. I bought a 2006 just for the good gas mileage. I can get 25 mpg going down to LA (like I'm driving a car), but I do imagine I will want a little more room in the future and the 2007 Serenity is looking pretty nice after seeing the 2010 Unity and Reyo. Perhaps the 2011's will have some trick up their sleeve that will make me want them.

-Randy

[Oldfartt]

Richard,
Which Plaseal specifically? plaseal FRN?

Cheers

Ross