1994 Fleetwood Bounder Problems

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SEVERE VIBRATION WHILE DRIVING AT 55-60 MPH DUE TO FAULTY FRONT SPRINGS AND REQUIRED INSTALLATION OF THE STEERING DAMPER KIT AS PER TSB. MJS

THE VEHICLE IS A 1995 BOUNDER MOTOR HOME 28 FEET LONG MADE BY FLEETWOOD ON A FORD CHASSIS. THE PROBLEM IS THAT IN SEPTEMBER OF 1997 WE WERE TRAVELING ROUTE 80, JUST ENTERING THE CITY LIMITS OF RENO, HIGHYWAY DEPARTMENT WAS DOING SOME ROAD CONSTRUCTION AND WE WERE TRAVELING AT 50 MPH, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING AN APPLIED THE BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN BEFORE HITING A BUMP IN THE ROAD, AND THE VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING DRASTICALLY, SHE LOST CONTROL BECAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL WAS MOVING BACK AND FORTH WHILE EVERY THING IN THE MOTOR HOME CAME OUT OF THE CABINETS. SHE TOOK HER FOOT FROM THE BRAKE AND REGAINED CONTROL TO BRING THE VEHICLE OF AN OFF RAMP. THE VEHICLE STOPPED SHAKING.THE VEHICLE WAS SHAKING SO BADLY, IT FELT LIKE THE WHEELS WERE FALLING OFF. WE TOOK THE VEHCILE INTO FORD BUT THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED THIS LAST WEEKEND WHILE I WAS DRIVING, I HIT A RAILROAD CROSSING AND WHEN WE HIT THE BUMP OF THE TRACKS, I HAD THE BRAKES ON AND WAS SLOWING TO AROUND 50 MILES AN HOUR THE SAME THING OCCURRED, I LOST CONTROL AND WAS HARD PRESSED TO STAY OUT OF THE ON COMMING TRAFFIC. AT THIS POINT I WILL NOT BE TAKING THIS VEHICLE OUT AGAIN, AND I WANT TO SELL IT BUT I FEAR THAT I WILL BE KILLING THE NEW OWNERS. *AK

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 FLEETWOOD BOUNDER RV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT BRAKES WOULD EXHIBIT A LOUD, SQUEAKY NOISE. ADDITIONALLY, THE FRONT BRAKE PEDAL WOULD SPORADICALLY OVERHEAT AND BECOME ABNORMALLY HOT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE MASTER CYLINDER, BRAKE PADS, CALIPERS, AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED BUT THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V198000 (HYDRAULIC DISC BRAKES). THE CONTACT WAS NOT ABLE TO DRIVE OVER 20 MPH BECAUSE THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD OVERHEAT AND THE CONTACT WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TOUCH THE PEDAL DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE HEAT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,677.

AS FIRST OWNERS OF THIS RV, WE HAVE EXPERIENCED MORE THAN OUR SHARE OF PROBLEMS, THE LATEST OF WHICH THE MANUFACTURER REFUSES TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR. THE THERMOPANE WINDOWS ON THE COACH HAVE SEALS THAT LEAK. ALL BUT (2) OF THE COACH WINDOWS HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THE WINDSHIELD AND ENTRY DOOR SEEM FINE FOR NOW. THE WINDOWS HAVE SO MUCH CONDENSATION FORMING WITHIN THE PANES OF GLASS, VISION IS SEVERLY OBSTRUCTED. THE DRIVER'S WINDOW, AND ALL COACH WINDOWS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, ALTHOUGH TO VARYING DEGREES. VISION FROM THE DRIVER'S WINDOW IS COMPLETELY OBSTRUCTED AS ARE ALL COACH WINDOWS ON THAT SIDE OF THE RV. THE PASSENGER SIDE HAS VARYING DEGREES OF IMPAIRITY. FLEETWOOD RESPONDED TO THE COMPLAINT (AFTER THE DEALER AGREED WITH US THAT THERE WAS DEFINITELY A DEFECT) THAT THE WINDOWS WOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED FOR REPLACEMENT IF THEY IN FACT THEY HAD SQUARE CORNERS. WITHOUT HAVING THE GLASS REMOVED, WE CONCLUDED THAT THE WINDOWS HAD ROUND CORNERS TO THE EXTENT THAT IS HOW THEY APPEARED (INTACT WITH THE MOULDING SURROUNDING THEM.) THE INSIDE CORNERS ARE SQUARE. (WINDOWS ARE SLIDING PANELS) THIS A DEFINITELY A SAFETY HAZARD AS OUR VISION IS SEVERLY OBSTRUCTED AND WE ARE UNABLE TO SEE OUT OF THE WINDOWS OR USE THE MIRRORS. BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE....WE EXPERIENCED BRAKE FAILURE AT 30 MPH , LUCKILY WE WERE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY AND NOT ON THE HIGHWAY DRIVING AT CONSIDERABLY HIGHER SPEEDS. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WOULD NOT HOLD A VEHICLE OF THIS SIZE AND WEIGHT. WHILE ON VACATION, WE HAD TO HAVE THE CALIPERS , BRAKE PADS, HOSES REPLACED, AND THE ROTORS TURNED. THIS WAS THOUGHT TO HAVE SOLVED THE PROBLEM WHICH BEGAN WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND WE HAD NO BRAKES. THE SERVICE GARAGE SAID THE CALIPERS WERE NOT RELEASING AND CAUSED THE BRAKE FLUID TO BOIL. WE DROVE THE RV HOME AND THE PROBLEM HAD NOT BEEN RECTIFIED. THE CALIPERS FAILED TO RELEASE AS BEFORE EVEN AFTER HAVING ALL NEW PARTS INSTALLED. OTHERS HAVE REPORTED BRAKE FAILURES TO NHTSA.

WHILE ADDRESSING AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE BATTERIES A FEW WEEKS AGO, WE WERE INFORMED BY OUR DEALER THAT SERIOUS CRACKS HAD BEEN FOUND IN THE VERTICAL WELDS OF THE SUPPORT BEAMS WHICH HOLD THE FRONT BUMPER AND BATTERY ASSEMBLY TO THE "A" FRAME. THESE CRACKS AS SHOWN TO US IN PHOTOS, RUN HALF WAY DOWN THE VERTICAL WELDS CRUCIAL IN SUPPORTING THE BUMPER ASSEMBLY. WE HAVE NOT BEEN IN ANY ACCIDENT NOR HAVE WE MODIFIED THE BUMPER WITH ATTACHMENTS. THE ORIGINAL SERVICE TECHNICIAN INFORMED US THAT OVER THE YEARS HE HAS SEEN THIS TYPE OF SEPARATION ON BOUNDER/FLEETWOOD MODELS. *LA

THE CHASSIS/COACH HAS STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS, THE DESIGN IS NOT LEVEL AND IS NOT STRUCTURALLY SUPPORTIVE, THE WELD BROKE ON THE 5 INCH RECTANGLE TUBE ALSO CAUSING THE TUBE TO CRACK HALFWAY AROUND, ON THE 5 INCH RECTANGLE TUBE ON END OF THE WELD BROKE COMPLETELY AWAY AND THE OTHER WELD IS HALFWAY BROKEN. *SLC

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 FLEETWOOD BOUNDER RV. THE CONTACT STATED THAT EVERY DOUBLE PANE WINDOW EXHIBITED CONDENSATION IN BETWEEN THE GLASS, WHICH DISTORTED THE VISIBILITY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THEY RECOMMENDED THAT THE VEHICLE BE TAKEN TO AN AUTO GLASS SPECIALIST FOR REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 FLEETWOOD BOUNDER 34J RV. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN CLEAR WEATHER CONDITIONS WHEN THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT ALL OF THE RV WINDOWS HAD BECOME CLOUDY AND FOGGY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED BY THE DEALER THAT THEY WERE UNABLE AS TO DETERMINE A CAUSE AND REMEDY FOR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A GLASS SPECIALIST WHERE THE TWO FRONT WINDOWS WERE REPLACED. THE OTHER WINDOWS WERE NOT YET REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 180,000.

UNCONTROLLABLE SHAKING, LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL, STOPPED AFTER SPEED REDUCED TO 10 MPH.

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SEVERE VIBRATION WHILE DRIVING AT 55-60 MPH DUE TO FAULTY FRONT SPRINGS AND REQUIRED INSTALLATION OF THE STEERING DAMPER KIT AS PER TSB. MJS

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHORTS, CAUSING HEADLIGHTS, WINDSHIELD WIPERS, BRAKE LIGHTS, AND FUSES TO FAIL. *DSH

SHORT IN BATTERY CAUSED VEHICLE TO INTERMITTENTLY STALL. *AW

VEHICLE CHASSIS IS RATED AT 18,340 LBS BUT IS ADVERTISED AT 19,840 LBS.

THE FRONT BURNER CONTROL KNOB FREEZES UP WHEN EXCESSIVE HEAT COMES ON THE BURNER. THE STOVE WAS MANUFACTURED BY MAGIC CHEF STOVE. DEALER OR MAYTAG HAS NOT GIVEN OWNER ANY TYPE OF SATISFACTION. *AK

OUR MOTORHOME HAS A REAR DIESEL ENGINE. THE ACCELERATOR CABLE RUNS FROM THE LEFT FRONT BACK TO THE ENGINE, CROSSING OVER IN FRONT OF THE EXHAUST SYSTEM. THE MUFFLER BURNED OUT, THE TAIL PIPE SEPARATED FROM THE MUFFLER, LEANING FORWARD INTO THE ACCELERATOR CABLE, BURNING INTO THE CABLE. THIS CAUSED THE ACCELERATOR TO LOCK UP AT 55 MPH. HAD TO APPLY BRAKES TO AVOID HAVING AN ACCIDENT, CAUSING THE BRAKE HUBS TO CRACK BADLY. MECHANIC SAID THE ACCELERATOR CABLE SHOULD NOT HAVE ROUTED ACROSS THE ENGINE IN THE AREA OF THE TAIL PIPE. HE RE-ROUTED THE ACCELERATOR CABLE. I TURNED THIS INTO OSHKOSH TRUCK CORP AND HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY SATISFACTORY ANSWER FROM THEM. THEY TOLD ME TO SEND THEM AN ITEMIZED BILL, BUT WHEN I CALLED AGAIN THEY COULD'T FIND IT. I MAILED THE LETTER ON OCT 30, 2000. SOMEONE WILL GET KILLED BY THIS, I WAS JUST LUCKY. I IMAGINE ALL OSHKOSH DIESEL MOTORHOMES ARE ROUTED THIS WAY.

THE EXHAUST SYSTEM LEAKS BECAUSE IT DOES NOT FIT PROPERLY ON EXHAUST HEADERS.