Community Forums

stevebxl · 03-10-2008, 04:32 AM

Wife and I are brand new to the RV world. We have been looking for months at various RV's and really like the floor plan on the 08 Bounder 35H or '07 35E because of the 1.5 baths.

We will jump into the full time RV lifestyle as soon as we sell our house and have committed ourselces to at least 2 years in whatever RV we purchase.

Since this is our 1st RV I'd rather buy used than new (depreciation factor), but even the price of a new Bounder 35H is within our range. If we buy new, about how much off the sticker did you get? Between 20% and 25%?

Having heard some opinions from other RV owners of different brands, "Fleetwood is like the Yugos of the RV world" and "... they have quality issues." I haven't seen too many negative comments about Bounders, or Fleetwood in general in this forum at all. Heck, everything will have a glich here & there.

I'd love to hear what current Fleetwood owners say about their rigs... both the good and bad. Can you help us make a decision?

Thanks in advance!
Steve & Kathy
Jacksonville, FL

stevebxl · 03-10-2008, 04:32 AM

Wife and I are brand new to the RV world. We have been looking for months at various RV's and really like the floor plan on the 08 Bounder 35H or '07 35E because of the 1.5 baths.

We will jump into the full time RV lifestyle as soon as we sell our house and have committed ourselces to at least 2 years in whatever RV we purchase.

Since this is our 1st RV I'd rather buy used than new (depreciation factor), but even the price of a new Bounder 35H is within our range. If we buy new, about how much off the sticker did you get? Between 20% and 25%?

Having heard some opinions from other RV owners of different brands, "Fleetwood is like the Yugos of the RV world" and "... they have quality issues." I haven't seen too many negative comments about Bounders, or Fleetwood in general in this forum at all. Heck, everything will have a glich here & there.

I'd love to hear what current Fleetwood owners say about their rigs... both the good and bad. Can you help us make a decision?

Thanks in advance!
Steve & Kathy
Jacksonville, FL

Teach · 03-10-2008, 05:17 AM

Welcome to iRV2 Steve.

I've had an RV in one form or another since 1970, from a 17' Shasta travel trailer to my current rig. Most of them have been Fleetwood products: Flair, Bounder, Southwind, Pace Arrow..... We had a Bounder 35E and loved it... I can honestly say I've never had a major or even semi-major problem with the coach (

on wood). Any issue I had was quickly taken care of by Fleetwood.

I know I've been fortunate, as others have had different experiences. But, having been doing this for ~40 years, I've seen problems with all makes and models.

The Bounder is a good product. Find the unit you like and go for it.

offshore · 03-10-2008, 09:31 AM

Welcome aboard!!! We have a 08 Pace Arrow our 1st MH and love it. We also full time. All I can say is to do your homework and make sure the dealer has a good reputation of service after the sale...then enjoy!!!

tmar10 · 03-10-2008, 11:16 AM

No complaints on our Bounder that were not resolved through our dealer and/or Fleetwood.

The 35H is the only true 1 1/2 bath Bounder. Betty wanted the storage instead of the second toilet.

We ordered ours and got a little over 26% off MSRP. Happy shopping, I hope you will be happy with whatever you choose.

**NLOVNIT** · 03-10-2008, 04:48 PM

Hey, Steve & Kathy.

Glad you found this site.

I think the Bounder is a great rv. We really enjoy ours. It's got a lot of features at a decent price. Discounts in the 20-25% range are quite common. As with cars, it all depends on the dealer & how popular the model is.

I know there's the camp of buy used & let the other guy take the depreciation hit & work out the bugs. It's a valid position & can save you a lot of money & time. However, if a new coach is in the budget, then go I'd new. Sure, there can be the things that need attention & issues to work out, but, that's what warranties are for.

IMO, we got rv's so we didn't have to sleep in hotels where someone else has been, wondering what's in/on the mattress, how clean the glassware was & any germs in it are our own, not someone else's. To me, buying used is like going back to that hotel with it's unknown "ammenities", so to speak.

Only you can choose what's right for you. Take your time & be informed about your purchase. If you do, then you'll enjoy whatever you buy & will make many happy memories in it.

L-

GerryB54 · 03-10-2008, 07:53 PM

If I was a first time buyer I would buy new...the rig in my signature was the first one I purchased used after six class C's purchased new over twenty some years...purchasing used requires experience, I think.

All that said, my Bounder is the best built and thought out RV I've owned, a very well equipped, well designed, well appointed RV.

Monty W S · 04-27-2008, 03:21 PM

We have been RVing for more than thirty years. 3 truck campers, 14 trailers, 2 motorhomes. Our second is our current 35H. After being married for over 36 years it is still very seldom my wife and I agree on what we like but I can tell you, we both fell in love with the 1.5 bath idea. We first saw it at our local RV show. We tried to make a deal but could not get together with that dealer even though we had purchased the class c new from him 18 months prior.

First a little back round. My father ran an RV repair business for over 25 years and I did a lot of work for him over the years. I learned to look at a unit pretty carefully.

We began to search out other 1.5 bath units and looked at and drove over 12 different units. The one thing we found that after driving several differnt manufactures units of similar floor plans, the Bounder 35H seemed to have the most conistant quality and we drove 4 35Hs. So that made up our minds on the unit now the search was on the best deal. We found a dealer within 50 miles of our home that was willing to trade in both our Class C and a small 18' travel trailer I had been using for a protable office. We then ordered the unit with every option possible including the tv and furniture upgrades. Once again we have owned a few RVs and several boats and totally understand the "bug" list. The dealer insisted we stay on his campsite for several days and make our list. I can tell you, it was the shortest list we have ever had. About an hours work on Monday and we were off. No issues since accept some sind noise issues we are working though. It also seem to be the unit with the leaat rattles and skeaks and we love the way it drives.

We are sold on the Bounder being a great value for the price. I am sure many wuill consider it an "entry level" class A but it is going to fill our need for quite some time.

JOMARFL (FMCA 401058) · 04-28-2008, 11:48 AM

We just bought an 08 Fleetwood Fiesta this month and so far we love it. A few minor issues but you expect that in anything that size.

Fleetwood fit within our budget and was a very nice looking deal so we took it. Haven't looked back since and have been wondering how we lived in trailers camping for the last 20 years