Disappointed on Purchase

[bjbell]

Hello everyone..I'm another newbie..After 12 years of camping in a tent I picked up a 86 Bounder with chevy chassis. The first time I used it everything went well except when it rained and I was plugged in I got an electrical shock when I got against it. I winterized it and this spring I was going to go thru jellystone and the water heater leaked, the dash air conditioning quit, I had trouble starting it, the frig quit, then the generator stopped generating..I just read the rules for RVing and it was nice to chuckle a little because my ordeal was no laughing matter. I do not have a lot of cash and the Bounder looked in good shape and at that time everything worked. Now, I have a shell and am ready to dig the tent out again. Can anyone tell me where I can get a full set of wire schemetics for the chassis (start problem) and a full set of wire diagrams for the underdash wiring and the wiring for the compleat motorhome. Someone has compleatly hacked the wiring. Also on the frig I had a guy that is retired frig fixer and the dometic fires up but frig wont get cold. I seen these cooling units for a fraction of a new frig but my luck I would have to buy the frig on top of that. Nothing seems to be going right with this mh..it is like its possessed by my ex-wife. Anyone had the same crappy luck? Im pretty dissapointed..any help would be appreciated, been looking 2 days on the wire diagrams...bjbell

[SarahW]

Howdy and welcome to iRV2. Sorry to hear that your first motorhome experience has not been so good. I'd suggest trying Fleetwood Customer Service, (800) 322-8216. If they still have the electrical diagrams they will email them to you. You will need to provide the FIN (Fleetwood ID Number) from your RV. Good luck!

Just in case you need it, here's a link to the Owner's Manual for your Bounder... http://fleetwoodrv.com/partsandservi...86_BOUNDER.pdf

[Waggy]

You may want to try and take the frig out, turn it upside down for a day or so, then turn it right side up. Wait a day and then see if it works. I understand that be an air lock that stops the circulation and this fixes it. It costs nothing but time. Good luck.

[whem2fish]

1 question where are you what jellystone were you at there is one by me i will send you the manuals fot the appliances and chassis check your e-mail this evening

[mchero]

bjbell
Stick with it. Will be some work to get it back to 100% but well worth it.

I wanted a diesel pusher back i the early days & ended up purchaseing a 1992 Pace Arrow Diesel Pusher 37ft with Cummins 250HP turbo diesel.

Worked on the following;
Replaced head (cracked exhaust port)
Rebuilt furnaces
All new disc brakes (hydraulic)
New Tires
New Roof w all new vents.
The list goes on..
Well, I finally upgraded to an 07 Discovery so the Pace is up for sale!

Going to be REAL HARD letting her go. She's been a VANTASTIC 1st time coach.
Yeah, took some work but it's well worth it.

Good luck & keep us posted.

[DieselTech39]

Glad you're aboard. Sorry to hear of your problems. Hope you can find a solution to them so you can enjoy your adventures and be safe.

[lburson]

Originally Posted by bjbell

Hello everyone..I'm another newbie..After 12 years of camping in a tent I picked up a 86 Bounder with chevy chassis. The first time I used it everything went well except when it rained and I was plugged in I got an electrical shock when I got against it. I winterized it and this spring I was going to go thru jellystone and the water heater leaked, the dash air conditioning quit, I had trouble starting it, the frig quit, then the generator stopped generating..I just read the rules for RVing and it was nice to chuckle a little because my ordeal was no laughing matter. I do not have a lot of cash and the Bounder looked in good shape and at that time everything worked. Now, I have a shell and am ready to dig the tent out again. Can anyone tell me where I can get a full set of wire schemetics for the chassis (start problem) and a full set of wire diagrams for the underdash wiring and the wiring for the compleat motorhome. Someone has compleatly hacked the wiring. Also on the frig I had a guy that is retired frig fixer and the dometic fires up but frig wont get cold. I seen these cooling units for a fraction of a new frig but my luck I would have to buy the frig on top of that. Nothing seems to be going right with this mh..it is like its possessed by my ex-wife. Anyone had the same crappy luck? Im pretty dissapointed..any help would be appreciated, been looking 2 days on the wire diagrams...bjbell

Welcome to the Forum:

I understand your fustration and disappointment. Whether you buy new or used, there is always something to fix or replace. The Old Bounders are great, you can completely rebuild one for $5/10 grand if you do most of the work yourself, and you don't have to do everything at once. Do the most pressing items like the Gen set/electrical first. You will educate yourself on the many systems and I guarantee you that the Bounder will be much more comfortable than your old tent.

How is it you say that I speak with such authority! Last December I bought a 2000 Discovery at such a good price that I couldn't belive my good luck, until I got it home and discovered many things like the Gen Set that was working suddenly quit working and $2000 later got it fixed, cruise control would not work, in dash heater would not work and the list just kept getting bigger. I decided I had nothing better to do than just do a complete rebuild, floors, upholstery, light fixtures, washer/dryer, refrig, new tvs, new hardware, mcd shades, etc. What an educational journey, and I have enjoyed every minute of it.

You mentioned that you got an electrical shock in the rain the first time you used the mh. Did you check the pedestal that you plugged into? I understand that many sites are not wired properly and this can lead to damage to the mh appliances/systems, etc., not to mention getting shocked.

Sounds like this is your opportunity to take that Lemon and make Lemonade out of it!

Good Luck & keep us posted.

[charliej]

Bjbell, sorry to here of your troubles. The electrical shock concerns me the most. Something like the can be very dangerous under the right conditions so that in my opinion should be first on the list of things to take care of.

[IamJerryP]

Originally Posted by bjbell

After 12 years of camping in a tent I picked up a 86 Bounder with chevy chassis.

It is old, it needs some work, like any almost 30 year old vehicle would.
Take your time, fix it up, have fun

[Dr4Film]

I would recommend reviewing the following article about a 3 year old that was electrocuted when he touched a Hot Skin RV.

RV Travel Newsletter: July 26-August 1. Issue 648 | RV Travel

Here is a partial cut & paste of the article.

We reported earlier this month about the death of three-year-old Landyn Gerald Keener, who was electrocuted when he touched his family's Airstream trailer in Amboy, Ill., when it was experiencing a "hot skin" condition. After hearing the news, our technical editor Chris Dougherty interviewed electrical engineer Mike Sokol about how such a tragedy could occur and how other RVers can avoid becoming a victim. Watch that interview on our RV Travel Channel. Chris will have an update tomorrow (July 27) in his RV Tech Tips newsletter. Here's a preview link so you can read the story without waiting.

The fact is, a hot skin condition can occur on any RV, new or old. In a nutshell, it's caused when an RV is plugged into an improperly wired electric plug or cord. In most cases, the only harm that will come to touching an affected RV is receiving a mild shock. But under certain circumstances the shock can be deadly.

Here is a great video explaining how to test for a Hot Skin RV.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8h6...ature=youtu.be

Dr4Film ----- Richard

[whem2fish]

check e mail i sent one let me drink more coffee cant get the other to work