Bounder: Considering new purchase

[tholtman]

Hi Everyone,
We currently own a Thor ACE and are looking at "upgrading" to the Bounder 33C. It's just two of us and we really like that floor plan.

Anything specific to watch out for as we go through this purchase decision and select a unit?

Thanks in advance!

[NLOVNIT]

Bounders haven't been around for 30 years without making their owners happy. They're a good bang for your $$. If new, just be prepared for the "new RV issues" that seem to plague every RV that rolls off the factory line. Once you get the bugs worked out, you'll have one great coach. If buying used (new to you), check tire dates & see if you can get service records to be sure it's been properly taken care of.

We've been very happy w/ours & plan to keep it for several more years.

Lori-

[thecommish]

Our 2009 34H is new to us this year and we are finding a bunch of little things that go wrong - screen door latch fell apart, window leak, etc. that keep me busy. Talking to other campers, they too, have similar issues. I agree with Lori, check the tires and maintenance records if you can. Good luck and have fun.

[Steady_Rest]

Bought a new Bounder in '93 and had great service for 22 years. The kids have now taken ownership of our old Flounder. Fleetwood RV has changed hands since ours was built however. We liked the Bounder enough that we would have purchased a new 33C, unfortunately the length was a little too long to fit our needs. I agree the Bounder is a good rv for the money.
Remember people usually post here when things go wrong. Our Bounder had only a couple minor problems after delivery. I fixed these myself, because it was easier than returning to the dealer which was only 20 min. from our house. In fact I can think of no further items that I can attribute to Fleetwood construction, after the small problems I had when it was new. For 22 years I was silent about my good fortune.
Other than negotiating a fair price I can't think of anything else you need to prepare for, the rest is just luck. We have owned our new Bay Star for several weeks and have taken a couple of short trips. I have only found one small item that needs attention, which will be easily fixed at home. Most people would not even notice my issue.

[DaveMarcy]

I have a 2014 Bounder 33C and love it. We just returned from a 13 week trip and were very pleased. I have had many RVs over the years. The 33C is the best floorplan for 2 people I have ever seen. The 35K is good if you need 2 restrooms. I have only had a few problems and have fixed most of them myself. I have had to use the dealer for a couple of problems that needed factory parts. The dealer is my biggest problem, I fear each time I have to use the dealer. They have damaged the exterior paint, tracked grease onto the carpet. I will be glad when I do not have to step foot in their facility again.
The 2016 Bounder is quite any improvement. Better headlights, drivers side slide without storage storage bins attached (can be over weighted) and provide more pass-thru storage. Residential refridgerator available with 4 house batteries. Depending on your budget chose the latest year you can afford. All of the above recommenations are right on. Tires and maintenance on a used units are the most important things to consider of all. Enjoy

[mojoracing]

I have a 35k and couldn't be happier with both the unit and fleetwood service. I say go for it!

[edstep]

I have a Southwind 34a and so far it has been a good buy. I did have a 2015 ACE and the difference between the Thor and Fleetwood is night and day

Just the double pane windows is a great addition. Entry level MH are just what they are

Good Luck

[z3406]

Tholt
I went from an entry level coach (FR3 30DS) to a Bounder 35K this past year and perhaps my experience can help you. The FR3 was essentially trouble free, we traded up because of floor plan issues not coach quality. What we gained in the upgrade was a floorplan that does not have the choke point of a single centrally located bathroom. We spent a month in the coach this past winter and while doable we found the bathroom location less than ideal. The 35K has a bath and a half with the main bath in the rear so if one of you takes longer to get ready in the morning than the other the coach isn't divided into two sections. You stated you were looking at the 33C very similar floorplan to the 35K but without the half bath that was a big plus to us. The Bounder is much, much easier to drive 22.5 vs 19.5 wheels, we found out at the factory tour all Bounders are aligned at the factory after being built I think this really makes a difference in driveability. Bigger refrigerator 4 doors with an ice maker, 2 ac's bigger generator and 50 amp service, the 2 ac make a big difference in interior comfort. The built in power management system, no more blowing circuit beakers. There is a built in inverter too but know the only thing it is wired to is the entertainment system. Residential refrigerators are an option they are larger and if you select that option you get extra house batteries and a separate inverter. Convection microwave in place of the propane oven unless the oven option is in your coach. The built in washer and drier availability is another plus we have it and love it. A Bounder is going to have a vacuflush that can be good or bad, adds the option of multiple baths with one holding tank but adds complexity. It also guarantees that when you do flush there is no possibility of the vapors in the holding tank finding there way into the coach. The fit and finish pride of ownership type of perks that come with the Bounder are just immediately apparent with a casual glace, at the factory tour we saw the full body paint process Fleetwood uses big difference to gel coat and decals. Lastly if you live close enough to the factory to use their service center you will learn how RV service should be performed Fleetwood really has a first class facility.

[Fiesta48]

I had a '11 Bounder. Was OK but lacked any hill climbing ability. Was reliable. Wanted to go to mountains pulling a car, but knew it was not in my future. 7.9 mpg not pulling, driving conservatively. Knew it would drop even lower pulling.
Went to luxury DP now get 9.0 pulling, climbs hills easily, and have 100+ more amenities. Since we do not want another house, this was a no brainer.

[dahkota]

We have been fulltiming in our Bounder for just over a year. We purchased a 2014 Bounder 33C new. We did a two day shake down and found that one window wasn't properly sealed (in the slide). It was repaired. Since then, our only fleetwood related problem has been the latch for the pantry - it failed and the pantry would slide open when making tight left turns.

However, we have had problems with the following OEM equipment:
Dometic Fridge: icemaker water tube leaked (repaired under warranty)
Power gear levelers: pinhole leak (repaired under warranty)
shur-flo water pump: shook itself apart (we replaced due to location/lack of facilities)
Batteries: they were crap, we believe, due to sitting on dealer lot for a year (We replaced with 4 AGMs).
Winegard road trip mission: intermittent failure of motherboard. We are tired of arguing with Winegard so we will replace it.

The Ford Chassis, engine, and transmission has performed flawlessly in spite of our efforts.

What we have added: 600W solar, solar controller, AGM batteries, CHF. We tow a 3700 lb. Jeep Wrangler with a ready brute elite tow system.

We have traveled 22K miles in the year, going from Key West, Florida to Coldfoot, Alaska. We have driven it on dirt roads, gravel roads, grass, sand, even the Dalton Highway. We are thoroughly impressed with how much we have dished to this RV and it still looks almost new. We run at near capacity, usually hauling 65G of fresh water on top of our full time gear. And still, the chassis and engine don't complain. We are thoroughly impressed. 12% dirt road grades in the rain? No problem.

Yes, the engine does get loud sometimes. And the cockpit area can get warm. But it is a small trade off considering what this RV can do.

If we could change one thing, it would be the carpet. I hate carpet. Otherwise, it is the perfect layout for the two of us. Two people can stretch out on the couch and watch TV without straining. We can fit 8 people in the RV for cocktails if needed without it getting too crowded and everyone has a place to sit. It is easier to find campsites with a shorter vehicle and we can squeeze in more places. We can get to everything we need when the slides are closed. Oh, and I would add the kitchen outlet to the inverter so I can make a pot of coffee while traveling without needing an extension cord.

Just an FYI, our inverter powers 2 outlets over the driver seat, 1 outlet by the passenger foot, the main TV, and two outlets in the bedroom.

Would we buy another one in a heartbeat? Absolutely. If we did, we would definitely test the batteries over time (24 hours) to verify they will hold a decent charge.

Good luck in your decision.

[mojoracing]

20,000 miles on my bounder and full time for 8 months without a single problem while full timing. I agree on the bath and a half. Will never have another coach without it. The inverter does power at least two outlets that I know of in addition to tv and entertainment. It powers the one by the passenger seat and the one by the small counter in the bedroom.

[SarahW]

Originally Posted by Fiesta48

I had a '11 Bounder. Was OK but lacked any hill climbing ability. Was reliable. Wanted to go to mountains pulling a car, but knew it was not in my future. 7.9 mpg not pulling, driving conservatively. Knew it would drop even lower pulling.
Went to luxury DP now get 9.0 pulling, climbs hills easily, and have 100+ more amenities. Since we do not want another house, this was a no brainer.

Um...what? We have a '12 Bounder and pulled a Jeep Wrangler all over Colorado and the Rockies a month ago. Probably crossed the Continental Divide a dozen times or more, and never a hiccup or a doubt that the V10 is totally up to the task.

[flaggship1]

Originally Posted by Fiesta48

I had a '11 Bounder. Was OK but lacked any hill climbing ability. Was reliable. Wanted to go to mountains pulling a car, but knew it was not in my future. 7.9 mpg not pulling, driving conservatively. Knew it would drop even lower pulling.
Went to luxury DP now get 9.0 pulling, climbs hills easily, and have 100+ more amenities. Since we do not want another house, this was a no brainer.

Thanks for letting us know our '08 Bounder is a luxury DP! Compared it to the '08 Discovery and found no appreciable difference.

[mojoracing]

Pulled a 20' cargo trailer loaded with a utv, motorcycles ect. over Mont Eagle pass several times this year with no problems. Even passed the 18 wheelers going up.