2002 Fleetwood Bounder

THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED BASED ON ODI'S RECEIPT OF A CONGRESSIONAL LETTER ON BEHALF OF A CONSTITUENT.THE CONSTITUENT REPORTED INCIDENTS WHERE THE SLIDE OUT ROOM OF HIS MOTOR HOME WOULD INADVERTENTLY MOVE (EXTEND) DURING HIGHWAY USE.ODI WAS CONCERNED THAT A FULLY EXTENDED SLIDE OUT WOULD DEGRADE THE VEHICLE'S DYNAMIC HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS AND/OR POSSIBLY IMPACT AN OBJECT OR ANOTHER VEHICLE, RESULTING IN A CRASH.ODI CONTACTED FLEETWOOD AND DISCOVERED THAT SLIDE OUT ROOMS WERE INSTALLED IN MOTOR HOMES, TRAVEL TRAILERS AND FOLDING TRAILERS. AS PART OF THE INVESTIGATION ODI VISITED A RV SHOW AND THE FLEETWOOD PAXINOS PLANT TO EXAMINE SLIDE OUTS IN VARIOUS NEW MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLES AND GAIN AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE SYSTEMS WORK.DURING THE INVESTIGATION ODI LEARNED THAT THERE ARE TWO METHODS USED TO EXTEND SLIDE OUT ROOMS.SOME MANUFACTURERS USE HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS AND OTHERS, SUCH AS FLEETWOOD, USE AN ELECTRIC MOTOR. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 2)

OWNING THIS COACH SINCE 2003 NEAR NEW I HAVE HAD HUNDREDS OF EPISODES OF ROCKING, TRACKING AND STEERING CONTROL PROBLEMS THAT HAVE BEEN NEAR MISSES AND ROLL OVER ACCIDENTS. I HAVE OWNED THE SAME BRAND IN OTHER RVS PREVIOUSLY THROUGH THE YEARS BECAUSE I BELIEVED IN THE MANUFACTURED BRAND. THE SUSPENSION IS WELL KNOWN AS A "FLEETWOOD ROCKER" INSTEAD OF A FLEETWOOD BOUNDER BY ALL THE MOTORHOME DEALERS THAT CARRY OTHER FRAMES AND CHASSIS. THEY OBVIOUSLY KNOW THE PROBLEMS WITH IT BEING DEALERS AND NOT ENGINEERS. I REPLACED THE SHOCKS TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM ONLY TO FIND OUT THE SHOCKS WERE NOT BAD, THEY ARE UNDERSIZED FOR THE COACH BEING TOO TOP HEAVY , AND THE CANTILEVERED COACH WEIGHT THAT IS REAR TO THE AXLES. THE SAME PROBLEM LIES WITH THE SUSPENSION ON SWAY AND STEERING PROBLEMS. THERE ARE NO TRACKING OR STEERING CONTROLS ON THE FRAME TO COUNTERBALANCE THE ADDED WEIGHT OF A COACH ON A FORD WORKHORSE CHASSIS. A STABILIZER ON THE FRONT DOES NOT HELP DUE AGAIN TO BEING TOP HEAVY AND ALL THE WEIGHT REAR OF THE BACK AXLE. THIS COACH SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN ALLOWED TO BE BUILT ON THAT PARTICULAR FRAME OR CHASSIS WITH THAT MUCH REAR AXLE TAG WEIGHT, WITHOUT ADDED CONTROLS FRONT AND BACK TO STABILIZE THE SUSPENSION AND STEERING OR AT LEAST LENGTHENED WHEEL BASE. BRAKES ARE SAME ISSUE, UNDER SIZED AND CAUSED SEVERE HEATING PROBLEMS TO THE POINT THAT A DESIGN CHANGE HAS SINCE BEEN MADE. THANKS TO SOMEBODY, I JUST WISH THE SUSPENSION AND STEERING WOULD GET THE SAME ATTENTION BY THEM ACCEPTING OWNERSHIP OF THEIR MISTAKE OR BEFORE A FATALITY OCCURS. *JS

NHTSA ID

10461086

Incident

Aug 1, 2003

Mileage

10,000 mi

I RECEIVED THE INFORMATION FROM WORKHORSE FOR THE FIX FOR THE BRAKE PROBLEM, I TRIED TO CALL THEM AND GO THREW THE SYSTEM OF TRANSFERS ONLY TO GET HUNG UP ON BY THE MACHINE. YES MY MOTORHOME IS PART OF THE CAMPAIGN, BUT WHO'S GONNA PAY FOR THE THOUSANDS I'VE SPENT REPLACING BRAKE ROTORS TO KEEP THE MOTORHOME USEFUL WHILE WAITING ALMOST 8 YEARS. YOU CAN'T GET A PERSON A WORKHORSE ON THE PHONE TO EVEN ASK THE QUESTION MUCH LESS GET AN ANSWER. *TR

NHTSA ID

10357075

Incident

Jan 13, 2010

TL * THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FLEETWOOD BOUNDER RV. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH THE VEHICLE FRONT BRAKES LOCKED UP. HE DROVE THE VEHICLE OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLIANT.THE CONTACT REFERENCE NHTSA RECALL 09V11000 AND STATED THAT A QUICK FIX RECALL REPAIR WAS DONE SOME YEARS AGO. THE APPROXIMATE[FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 22,000. UPDATED 7/28/10. *LJ

NHTSA ID

10327035

Incident

Feb 28, 2010

Mileage

22,000 mi

WHILE ON A TRIP THROUGH NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, MY ABS LIGHT CAME ON AND BREAKING ABILITY WAS COMPROMISED. THIS IS DESPITE ME DOWNSHIFTING REPEATEDLY WHILE GOING DOWN HILLS AND APPLYING BREAKS STEADILY (NO PUMPING) AS NEEDED. AFTER I RETURNED HOME, I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE RV TO A SERVICE CENTER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE O-RINGS ON THE FRONT BREAKS HAD MELTED DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT AND WHEEL SEALS HAD BEEN DAMAGED. IN ADDITION, BOTH FRONT CALIPERS, ALL 4 ABS SENSORS AND BRAKE FLUID NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO BOILING OF THE BREAKING FLUID. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS WORKHORSE ENGINEERING FAILURE COST ME $2133 ON MY RV, WHICH HAS ONLY 6578 MILES ON IT. WE HAD USED OUR RV FREQUENTLY ON LOCAL TRIPS UP UNTIL THIS TRIP TO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. SINCE THIS IS NOW THE 2ND FAILURE IN LESS THAN 4000 MILES, I HAVE GONE ON THE INTERNET AND DISCOVERED THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS OTHER WORKHORSE CHASSIS OWNERS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THEIR BRAKING SYSTEM. I BELIEVE IF THIS ENGINEERING DEFECT IS NOT RESOLVED, YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE ACCIDENTS, INJURIES AND FATALITIES AS A RESULT OF THIS POORLY DESIGNED SYSTEM. THE FACT THAT WORKHORSE HAS ADDED LARGER BREAK SYSTEMS AND A ZERK FITTING CORRECTION TO RV'S BUILT AFTER OURS WAS MANUFACTURED INDICATES TO ME THAT THEY KNOW THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES ON THIS MODEL. BASED ON THE COMMENTS I AM READING ON-LINE, I ALSO FORESEE MULTIPLE LAWSUITS AGAINST WORKHORSE......PARTICULARLY IF THEIR INVESTIGATION OR NEGLECT ON THIS ISSUES DRAGS ON FOR YEARS AND IS NOT RESOLVED QUICKLY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10241165

Incident

Jul 19, 2008

Mileage

6,578 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD (NA) BOUNDER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V336000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE DEALER STATED THAT THE PARTS FOR THE RECALL REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE AND DID NOT KNOW WHEN THEY WOULD ARRIVE. THE CONTACT FELT THAT WAS UNACCEPTABLE. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE ENGINE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 18,000.

NHTSA ID

10206983

Incident

Aug 15, 2007

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FLEETWOOD BOUNDER RV. THE PRODUCT # 9211460-59 AND SERIAL # 12500059. HE WOULD LIKE DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR INFORMATIONAL MODEL #RM3862. THE CONTACT'S REFRIGERATOR CRACKED AND BEGAN LEAKING. HE CAME HOME AND NOTICED THE ODOR OF THE COOLANT LEAKING. TO AVOID A FIRE HE TURNED EVERYTHING OFF. THE ENTIRE UNIT HAD TO BE REPLACED. HE LATER READ IN THE GOOD SAM MAGAZINE ABOUT THE RECALL. THE CONTACT STATED THE DOMETIC VOICE MAIL MESSAGE WAS VAGUE, AND THE REPAIR WAS FINISHED ON 12/2/06. THE CONTACT EXPECTS TO BE REIMBURSED AND IS AWARE OF RECALL DATES APRIL - JUNE 2007. *AK UPDATED 2/22/2007 - *NM

NHTSA ID

10181281

Incident

Oct 31, 2006

Mileage

25,062 mi

2002 FLEETWOOD BOUNDER LEFT INSIDE REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. THIS TOOK OUT A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF ELECTRICAL WIRING. *TS THE CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE LOCATION OF THE ELECTRICAL WIRING NEXT TO AN INSIDE TIRE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10155186

Incident

Mar 20, 2006

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE INTERIOR OVERHEAD CONSOLE IN THE FRONT PASSENGER AREA DROPPED DOWN FROM THE CEILING ABOUT ONE INCH. THE CONTACT FEARED THAT THIS MIGHT COMPLETELY SEPARATE FROM THE CEILING AND INJURE THE OCCUPANTS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN SEEN BY A DEALER. *AK

NHTSA ID

10144550

Incident

Nov 20, 2005

Mileage

18,000 mi

AIR INTAKE BAFFLE PROCEDURE/INSTALLATION WHICH MAY BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO STALLING OR SPUTTERING DURING HEAVY RAINS OR WHEN WATER IS SPRAYED DIRECTLY AT THE FRONT END. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT MAY ILLUMINATE ALSO. VARIOUS MODELS INCLUDING FLEETWOOD 2005 BOUNDER, PACE ARROW, FLAIR AND STORM. *TT