Proven Value of MF - Coach House?

[Steve Dunkel]

Chinook went out of business a few years ago, but there are still many around that look very similar to the Coach House MH's. Thirty years ago Chinook was making very lightweight models on a Toyota truck chassis, but they expanded beyond that long ago. I was just looking at one for sale locally that is a 1999 model built on a Ford E-450. The owner is claiming it has only 36000 miles on it and is asking $32,000. Pretty good price probably. It was probably $90,000 or so when new. Beautiful RV inside and out.

Steve, looks like you are actively shopping since selling your Bigfoot 17. Good luck with that!

Thanks Dave! Yes, we're actively shopping but a MH is not in our immediate plans. Finding a Bigfoot 21RB is our present focus.

[Roger H]

Is the Born Free molded fiberglass in the same sense as Bigfoot, Casita, Scamp, etc. trailers? It looks like there are more sections than just two halves. There was another Class C MH even nicer in some respects than the Coach House that had an exterior put together similar to the Born Free. See Krystal.

No, Steve... the Born Free is not molded fiberglass in the same way that Chinook was. That's why the Chinook is substantially more expensive yet than the Born Free. However, the Born Free is made out of several molded panels, which are then glassed together at the seams. They don't use the standard flat fiberglass panels that most RVs are made of. The roof is a single molded piece, as is the cab-over nose. Then the sides are single molded pieces, attached by a single molded piece for an end cap. They are not self-supporting as most molded bodies are, but are set over a stickie frame that incorporates a three-piece steel roll-cage. The body was re-designed for the '08 model year on the Born Free mohos, and I believe that they use even fewer pieces than on the older design. The cab-over was also redesigned to be more aerodynamic and fuel-efficient.

Roger