Bounder Bounder Maiden Voyage!

SarahW · 11-28-2011, 09:42 AM

We just returned from our first trip in the Bounder 33C. Let me preface this by saying that we are TOTAL GREENHORNS to RVing and the Bounder is our first RV, so it was quite an adventure!!

After reading all the horror stories about new motorhomes on the internet, I was quite terrified about what calamity would befall us, lol!! (Turned out the biggest scares were at the gas pump

...but that's another story.)

Our trip was a week long and we covered about 1700 miles. It started out sunny and hot, but near the end of the trip a rain storm pushed a cold front through the south, so we got to test and use every system in the MH...the air conditioning, the heat pump, the furnace...and all performed flawlessly. The appliances worked great, the plumbing didn't leak (though that vacuum toilet can be scary

), and the slides glided in and out smoothly. We will need to work on calibrating the automatic levelers, since they usually required "manual intervention" to achieve a level.

All in all, our new Bounder seems to have good build quality and we are pleased with it. So far our punch list for a dealer visit includes a loose lock on the hood, a broken mini-blind adjuster on the kitchen window, and the hookups for the black/gray water drain needs to be centered in the hole. The pipe is not centered which makes attaching the drain hose a real challenge. Also, during a very hard blowing rain, some water leaked under the dash so there might be some caulking or other sealant required there.

Our gas mileage averaged between 7.2 and 7.7 MPG at 60-64 MPH, which I assume is fairly common. We were not pulling a toad and don't plan to. The fridge worked great and it was nice having a working icemaker, though those ice dump noises can be disconcerting...haha. (A lot of "what was THAT???" incidents.

) As expected, the mattress is a dud and we are shopping for a replacement ASAP.

One regret about the 33C is that the pedestal sink in the bathroom provides ZERO countertop space. That's my only complaint with the floorplan and design. I was able to work with it, but I wish I had given more consideration to that. One LOVE is the electric "fireplace" which is a very effective heater.

We saw several other Bounders on the road along I-10 in MS, AL, and FL...so if YOU were any of those Bounder owners who gave us the "BIG WAVE!!", you brought a smile to our faces!

Clifftall · 11-28-2011, 12:32 PM

Glad to hear that all was well and that you seem happy. It brought me back exactly 10 years ago when we purchased our first MH. We were greener than you as we didn't have a forum like this ( that we knew of ) to ask and learn . It was a great experience and I'm glad we survived it and it looks like you will be an expert in no time. Just remember to balance out the mostly great times with the relatively few problems that you are bound to encounter along the way. This has worked for us for about 82,000 miles and counting.

SarahW · 11-28-2011, 01:00 PM

Thanks, Clifftall! Yep, there's a LOT to learn and I'm sure there will be problems. This forum is such a great resource for noobs.

pcurt23 · 11-28-2011, 02:36 PM

My advice is to live with the levelers. I have re calibrated mine more than once and the result is the same. 07 bounder 38v.

SarahW · 11-28-2011, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pcurt23

My advice is to live with the levelers. I have re calibrated mine more than once and the result is the same. 07 bounder 38v.

Good to know. We find that when the auto says level, the front is actually low.

Clifftall · 11-28-2011, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SarahW

Good to know. We find that when the auto says level, the front is actually low.

Are you using an external level to verify the " green light " ( which on mine indicates level )? I use a torpedo type level to verify. My issue is that the auto level works and I am level till I open slideouts and then I have to raise the drivers side a touch. That slide has the sofa, dinette and refer. I would have dealer look at it.

Cliff

mikron · 11-28-2011, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SarahW

Good to know. We find that when the auto says level, the front is actually low.

We were told when we auto leveling to not have anyone in the coach move. It works great 99% of the time. Bought a 7' level to check level if auto dosen't hit 100%. Found when site out or dirt auto is off more times then on cement pads.

SarahW · 11-28-2011, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clifftall

Are you using an external level to verify the " green light " ( which on mine indicates level )? I use a torpedo type level to verify. My issue is that the auto level works and I am level till I open slideouts and then I have to raise the drivers side a touch. That slide has the sofa, dinette and refer. I would have dealer look at it.

Cliff

Yes, we are using a level to verify...plus, the bathroom door swings toward the front of the coach when opened. It is obvious that the front of the coach is slightly lower when the levelers indicate "level." We don't notice any side-to side problem, even when the large slide is opened.

SarahW · 11-28-2011, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikron

We were told when we auto leveling to not have anyone in the coach move. It works great 99% of the time. Bought a 7' level to check level if auto dosen't hit 100%. Found when site out or dirt auto is off more times then on cement pads.

Yes, we were told the same thing...to be still while the levelers are working. I'm convinced that the auto calibration needs to be reset because the levelers indicate "level" when the coach is obviously not. Of course, we can manually adjust to achieve a better result.

SarahW · 11-28-2011, 05:07 PM

Oh, I just remembered one more item for our punch list; the headlights are pointed "over yonder" somewhere and are pathetic, making for poor night visibility. I hope there is an easy adjustment for them.

**NLOVNIT** · 11-28-2011, 05:20 PM

Glad you had a good trip & everything went relatively smoothly.

Yeah, I don't know what FW was thinking with that pedestal sink thing. I realize not having the bulk of a cabinet would make a small bath space seem more spacious, but come on, we need counter & drawer/shelf space to put all that "bathroom stuff". FW needs to seriously have a heart-to-heart talk with whatever designer thought that was a good idea.

Lori-

SarahW · 11-28-2011, 05:32 PM

Thanks, Lori. Yep, the pedestal sink was obviously designed by a male, lol!!

There is a lot of storage in the bathroom; a wall-mounted cabinet, the medicine cabinet, and floor to ceiling drawers & cabinet beside the door. I could store all my "stuff" easily...but no place to put things down when trying to apply makeup or work on the hairdo! Counter space is non-existent.