Leisure Travel

[markopolo]

http://www.leisurevans.com/

Toll Free: 877-288-8088
Tel: (204) 822-3009
Fax: (204) 822-5505
Email: general @ leisurevans.com

Leisure Travel Vans Ltd.Hwy 3 East
P.O. Box 1208
Morden, MB R6M 1B1
Canada

[markopolo]

Models:

Class B

Free Spirit (Sprinter Chassis)
Free Flight (Chevy Chassis)

Class B+ (or C)

Freedom II (Sprinter Chassis)
Freedom II Libero (Chevy Chassis)

[markopolo]

Spotted on RV Net and then confirmed by email from Triple E:

Triple E Recreational Vehicles acquired Leisure Travel Vans.

More about Triple E here: http://www.tripleerv.com/

[markopolo]

The Triple E Recreational Vehicles and Leisure Travel Vans media release is here:

http://classbforum.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=2673

[jackfish]

Leisure Travel Vans for 2013

Class B Sprinter
Free Spirit http://www.leisurevans.com/freespirit/index.html
Free Spirit SS http://www.leisurevans.com/freespiritss/index.html

Class B+ Chevrolet
Libero http://www.leisurevans.com/libero/index.html

Class B+ Sprinter
Serenity http://www.leisurevans.com/serenity/index.html
Unity http://www.leisurevans.com/unity/index.html

[markopolo]

Just an update:

Current Class B Vans from Leisure Travel:
Free Spirit
Free Spirit SS
Free Spirit TE

[Rok]

I'm really surprised whenever I see one of Dean's videos. The video for the new Free Spirt TE is choice. The enthusiasm he shows seems really deceptive. "Look at these two doors!" he says, "How nice is that?" Well, Dean, you tell me--it cuts down on the ability to put stuff where it should be. For instance now the refrigerator is on the floor, and the Microwave is below knee level. Not very nice by my standards here Dean, buddy."

Then when he lays down on the bed. He hardly fits. I think he is 6' 1" (IIRC), so he isn't a small dude, but he tries to make it sound comfortable which it obviously isn't. When he shows the sliding screen door on the passenger side, he doesn't mention whether there is one on BOTH sides, yet he touts being able to eat like you are outside. My guess is that there is only one screen on the passenger side.

The choicest moment, however, comes when he sardines himself into the sitting position on the toilet and tries to make it sound like he is comfortable in what is obviously too small a room for him.

To be fair, I admire LTV for trying to work something positive using the extra sliding door, and I expect that there are a few people for whom the TE would be the perfect selection for what they need. But, unfortunately, I think the sales records will be akin to the SS model in that there aren't enough customers who have the need that the floorplan supports. Yet, in an ever increasingly specialized market, it may be what a company needs to do to survive. Oops, I guess they didn't survive.......they just got sold.

Hopefully the new owners will continue to innovate.

Also to be fair I was REALLY impressed with their B+ Line, especially the Unity MB. If I was going bigger, that is probably the one I would buy.

I wonder if Dean is really that enthuastic when he is not in the videos. Has anyone met him in person?

............Rocky

[markopolo]

Current models include:

Free Spirit - Mercedes Sprinter
Free Spirit SS - Mercedes Sprinter (side slide-out)
Free Spirit TE - Mercedes Sprinter

[SiennaGuy]

Originally Posted by Rok

I wonder if Dean is really that enthuastic when he is not in the videos. Has anyone met him in person?

There's an interview of Dean on YouTube. He's interviewed in his home by the couple that runs the FitRV web site. First, of course, they measure how tall he is. They then have a nice conversation with him. He comes across as a very genuine person.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixBmJTbOLec#t=88

I've often imagined him at home saying to his child, "Hi, I'm Dean from Leisure Travel Vans and let me tell you how great brussel sprouts are!!!"

[SiennaGuy]

I've seen postings and rumors about LTV temporarily discontinuing their Free Spirit Class B's so that they can devote more resources to their Unity and Serenity models. According to these reports, the demand for the Unity and Serenity is overwhelming them, so they decided to focus production on these two models. Can anybody verify this? Is there anything official posted anywhere? I'd like to see something more substantial than, "someone said... "

[mumkin]

In case you are still wondering, yes LTV has suspended production of their Class B vans... even they don't know for how long. I was informed of it by my dealer during a conversation and when I was talking to someone in the factory about a question, he confirmed it. The Serenity/Unity small Class C lines are selling at a rate that they can't keep up. The wait time is up to 9-10 months now, so they hope to cut that down.

[wincrasher]

Must be nice to have such a problem. Question is, will they expand to increase all production, or do they just see this as a temporary thing and keep their capacity about the same.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[mumkin]

The reality is that at the moment, they are unable to expand for various reasons... some of which I probably haven't guessed at. The biggest issue is getting enough skilled workers. With their geographical location, they are up against the ND/Sask/Alberta oil booms. While the current oil prices have slowed down that competition, that doesn't change that they are actually in a sparsely populated part of Canada. (lovely area, great little town, brutal winters) If they could get enough people, they might consider working double shifts, but this is a family company that wants to keep their workforce happy. So, they have thus far avoided that.

They don't have the space currently to enlarge the line, and while the town would have the space to expand, I suspect that the feast/famine part of the RV business makes them nervous about getting too far ahead of the market by building a new larger facility.

Every business would love to have their problem..

[booster]

Originally Posted by mumkin

The reality is that at the moment, they are unable to expand for various reasons... some of which I probably haven't guessed at. The biggest issue is getting enough skilled workers. With their geographical location, they are up against the ND/Sask/Alberta oil booms. While the current oil prices have slowed down that competition, that doesn't change that they are actually in a sparsely populated part of Canada. (lovely area, great little town, brutal winters) If they could get enough people, they might consider working double shifts, but this is a family company that wants to keep their workforce happy. So, they have thus far avoided that.

They don't have the space currently to enlarge the line, and while the town would have the space to expand, I suspect that the feast/famine part of the RV business makes them nervous about getting too far ahead of the market by building a new larger facility.

Every business would love to have their problem..

There is a big upside to the small town, dedicated workforce "family", but there are also downsides as this shows. Great West moved to the US south from a somewhat similar area, and from what we have seen so far, are having some workforce, quality, issues. As long as Leisure can maintain a good customer base and keep busy, they may be in a much better place than the other, expanding, builders if there is another slowdown. Debt and excess capacity has buried a lot of companies.

[GeorgeB]

Originally Posted by SiennaGuy

There's an interview of Dean on YouTube. He's interviewed in his home by the couple that runs the FitRV web site. First, of course, they measure how tall he is. They then have a nice conversation with him. He comes across as a very genuine person.

I've often imagined him at home saying to his child, "Hi, I'm Dean from Leisure Travel Vans and let me tell you how great brussel sprouts are!!!"

I met Dean in an RV show, and he is exactly like the YouTube Dean! His personality is selling , his 6'1" is not, for small class Bs on videos, but at least you know what you are getting. No lies!

[mumkin]

I met him - and the rest of the gang - at one of the LTV rallies up in Winkler and he is just as good at entertaining the rally guests and making them feel at home as he is in the videos. One day I ended up eating a meal with just his wife and daughter at the table with me. All in all, an impressive family...

[GuyGene]

Well, the old boy is okay. He's a salesman alright.

Hmmm, I just found a 2006 Leisure Travel class b, 5 cylinder diesel, etc. I really like the way the bath looks. I'm trying to figure a way to get the 800 miles to check it out. Private seller...

[GeorgeB]

I just met Dean at the Montreal RV show. He confirmed that the production of the Leisure Travel van conversions will be halted this summer to concentrate on the Unity market. (actual 10 month wait time for the Unity)
I didn't see the PM Pleasure-way Lexor, but saw the RT Zion and the Winebago Travato for the first time at the show. Even if they are interesting new options in the "affordable" B market, no comparisons with the contemporary design, built quality and the equipment available on the Safari Condo conversions, for a lower price point. So glad we switched (from an RT Agile to the SC XL-Flex) just at the right time. Safari Condo now has a 12 month wait time for new orders. We feel very lucky that we had the opportunity to buy a well built, innovative van conversion on a new chassis, just when we were ready to make the jump. Very glad also that the ProMaster specs convinced all major B upfitters to offer conversions on this promising vehicle.

[disccopy]

Might there be any Leisure Travel owners in the southern Indiana or Louisville KY area?
Would like to see one. We're down sizing having sold our 30' class c.
Thanks

[Eric Swenson]

Sienna Guy, it is true, Talked to the Triple E factory today. They will not be making any B models for a year, Quote.