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milligsc · 03-18-2013, 03:50 PM

2006 Fleetwood Bounder Diesel 38N, Class A - Diesel RV For Sale in Wauconda, Illinois | Camping World RV - Chicago CRV6158B | RVT.com - 54867

Price is now $79K, $4k for 4 year Good sam ESP. We are moving up from a 2005 34N Hurricane gas unit. I am pretty handy (former diesel and helicopter mechanic) so I am not real concrened with the extra maintenance. Here's the big items I checked for:

No foggy windows or delam
test drive was ok
gen has 68 hours, they repaired lose bracket
tires have 7/16 tread, no dry rot or cracks although they are 7 years old
called both CAT and freightliner and they have no outstanding recalls, service bullitens or service history of failures.
Plan to check slides and everything else inside tomorrow.

Anything specific on these units I should check for and what do you guys thing of price? They are giving me $35k for my trade with 32K.

Any info appreciated.

Mr_D · 03-18-2013, 04:02 PM

Tires on an RV age out rather than wear out. After seven years some people say they're an accident waiting to happen. We went over 8 years with no trouble.

milligsc · 03-18-2013, 04:16 PM

Thanks for your comments Mr.D it appears that you have been doing this for a while. My current tires on my 34' gasser are 8 years old also and appear to be fine. I'll change the tires on the new rig at 8 years or so also. I suppose the fronts are more important than the rears due to the redundancy of having 4 back there.

GaryKD · 03-18-2013, 05:15 PM

Hi milligsc,
Welcome to iRV2. Assuming you check the coach stuff too. Like leaks from the roof, all appliances work, etc. There are three basic things one needs to answer.
1. Floor plan - The wife usually makes this decision.
2. Will it haul all your stuff? Is the net carrying capacity enough for you? The husband usually makes this calculation.
3. Will it tow the vehicle you want to tow? The Gross Combined Weight rating and hitch rating will tell you this. The husband usually makes this calculation.

StevieG · 03-18-2013, 05:35 PM

Nice looking rig! Dropped from $98k to $79k... Sweet! 22k miles (not stated above). Looks like a great deal. I would have an independent pre-purchase inspection done, even though you're buying an ESP. As for the ESP, sounds like a good deal too if it's exclusionary coverage with consequential damage and a low deductible... I'd figure in all new tires... they are definitely out of date... Also, pay particular attention to the generator. Low hours are worse than a lot of hours... Generators need to be run. Good luck dude! Let us know how you make out!

JDooley · 03-18-2013, 07:14 PM

I would negotiate the price down due to the tire age, it's a known commodity in the industry an being a 3k +/- worth mentioning. Jmho

Marshmellows · 03-18-2013, 10:11 PM

The price sounds like market value, or a bit on the low side. The low hours on the gen means that they did not either 1) do much driving with the gen on, or 2) most of the time was at an RV park. I would say that 22k miles is on the low side for that year. A generator engine will last forever.

I think Bounders are great RV's and I am on my second one. I also have the 38N floor plan and found it best for me and my wife. Make sure the recall on the fridge is done.

Tires have some life left in them. Make sure they are not starting to crack. Some people cover their tires and it will extend the life. You might ask if the rig was stored inside during the winter or not. Also ask if they lived in it. Normally if a rig is lived in, the price is a bit less. If it was not lived in and only 22k miles, the thing should still look like new if taken care of.

The foggy windows is a big thing, I looked at a 38N and all windows were fogged and I passed on it.

You have more than enough skills to fix this coach if anything breaks. The ESP are piece of mind for a major problem such as something in the drive train which is designed to go half a million miles. A major engine problem could happen, but unlikely. If it has the Cat C7 engine, an injector problem could cost up to 10K to fix. A turbo going out is up there also in cost. My guess is that already know about these things. Cat will most likely sell you an engine warrantee if you are so inclined.

Frankly I love my Bounder. Really nice floor plan and the front two slides are great for that evening sitting with the feet up watching TV and making dinner. Bed room is roomy. Nice big bathroom and the divider door can seal you away from the front of the coach for privacy in the morning. Toilet is separate so that can be used while someone else is using the shower area/ bathroom sink. Plenty of vents and lighting though out the coach. Heating / cooling system works good. Nice counter space with the pull out cutting table. Food storage is good, but the racks in the side out pantry will fall off the sliders and mine were replaced with some simple shelves.

Peace.

darstar · 03-19-2013, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by milligsc

2006 Fleetwood Bounder Diesel 38N, Class A - Diesel RV For Sale in Wauconda, Illinois | Camping World RV - Chicago CRV6158B | RVT.com - 54867

Price is now $79K, $4k for 4 year Good sam ESP. We are moving up from a 2005 34N Hurricane gas unit. I am pretty handy (former diesel and helicopter mechanic) so I am not real concrened with the extra maintenance. Here's the big items I checked for:

No foggy windows or delam
test drive was ok
gen has 68 hours, they repaired lose bracket
tires have 7/16 tread, no dry rot or cracks although they are 7 years old
called both CAT and freightliner and they have no outstanding recalls, service bullitens or service history of failures.
Plan to check slides and everything else inside tomorrow.

Anything specific on these units I should check for and what do you guys thing of price? They are giving me $35k for my trade with 32K.

Any info appreciated.

It is common practice somewhere along the chain of owners that the odometer has been " reset". Pull a Carfax, first thing to do. best 36.00 you will ever spend.The software you can buy on the Web is everywhere, that will allow someone to roll back the miles. This practice was once thought to have been eliminated due to federal and State laws ( some as a result to 60 min. ) However with the electronic odometers these days its common place again, beware !

darstar · 03-19-2013, 08:12 AM

There is a difference between "pulling " and "towing". Towing a small car with all fours on the ground does not effect the receiver weight. Contrary to most, I always pulled a trailer ( better way to go IMHO ) the 500 lb rule is the standard tongue wt. rating for most rigs pulling an enclosed car hauler trailer. The CGWR is also important as overall wt. of your trailer and car in it.Most MHs come ether 5,000 lb rated and 10,000 rated. Grouse wt. does make a huge difference, as it reflects how the Coach is setup for towing from the factory, not just the rating of the receiver.

pcurt23 · 03-19-2013, 09:02 AM

I have a 2007 Bounder 38V (39,000). I have over $10,000 in aftermarket upgrades and If it was on the market I would be asking $110,000. I have around 250 hours on the genny. So the genny hours on your unit are a little light. Are the batteries the same age as the tires? I just paid $800 for a new set of batteries. And the Tires are due next year at $600 each. I also just replaced the shocks with Koni and unless yours have been replaced then they are due. Make a deal including Koni shock replacement.

Ramzfan · 03-19-2013, 09:30 AM

I would make the deal (if everything else checks out OK) based on Camping World putting new Michelin tires on the coach (at no extra cost) Just tell them you will take it IF they put the new tires on. Tires will be your biggest expense in the next 2-3 years. The shocks, etc. are an as-you can type of expense.

Muddypaws · 03-19-2013, 09:53 AM

What I learned when we bought our bounder:

Ask for new tires by brand. Don't let CW put on cheap tires you can't trust. (I prefer Michelin)

Look at the date code on the batteries. If the house batteries are over 5 to 7 years old you will be replacing them soon, probably at the worst possible time. Don't believe it when they say 6 volt batteries last 10 years! I would replace the starting batteries at 4 years. I replaced all 6 of mine for about $750. I got the 6V ones from Costco and they have been great.

Check the windsheild! I put $1200 in mine before it stopped leaking. If the windsheild is too clean on the inside be suspicious. I might go so far as to pour water down the front cap.

If you don't get the service records count on changing all the filters and fluids pretty soon. Including the Generator of course.

Pressurize the water system and check for leaks. I've been to Chicago in the winter, it gets beastly cold and if the coach was not winterized properly there could be cracked pipes. Same for the sewer system. The lines to the icemaker are one of the more common areas to find leaks.

Was it driven in the winter? Check for road salt damage.

milligsc · 03-19-2013, 10:21 PM

Taks for all the good advice here. I did buy the unit today. I found the left front axle seal was leaking and they replaced the seals, drum, pads and fluid on their dime. All the fluids were changed (except trans). I did buy the ext warranty from good sam. $4k for four years, 48k miles. I have some trips planned out west in the next few years and it didn't add much to the payment. I see these units as an expense as I trade every 3-5 years so for me it makes sense. The unit drove nice back to WI considering the 30 mph winds today. I do hear a slight clunk when I hit the brakes hard at 2-3 mph. Sounds like suspension when it loads and unloads.

Overall the camping world guys were pretty good on the deal. I had some delam n my unit I was not aware of and they didn't try to drop my trade. The difference as you guys mentioned is really a big change from my gas unit (which was very good to my family and I). I think I am going to like this unit a lot when I start upmthenmountains out west.

flaggship1 · 03-19-2013, 10:48 PM

Looks like I arrived late to the party so the link to your new Bounder is down already. Not to worry though because you will be posting pictures of your own soon. Right? No pictures - didn't happen - just saying.

Ok so - welcome to the Bounder family. We love ours and am sure you will be impressed with yours. Congratulations!
Steve and Annie