1999 Fleetwood Bounder

NAR 02/10/2003.. THE RV HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS SUCH AS THE WINDSHIELD FALLING OUT, THE ROOF LEAKED, THERE WAS A PROPANE GAS LEAKED WHICH ALMOST CAUSED A FIRE, THE STEERING SYSTEM HAD TO MUCH PLAY, THE BOLTS IN THE U-JOINT FELL OUT, THE WIRES FEEDING THE ALTERNATOR WERE TOO TIGHT, THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL WAS INOPERATIVE, THE POWER STEERING HOSE AND CLIP BROKE, RADIATOR FLUID LEAKED, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DID NOT WORK, THE HANGARS ON THE EXHAUST PIPE BROKE. THE SHOWER HEAD, DRINKING FAUCET, WALL MIRRORS, THE SLIDE ROOM COMPARTMENT, THE VERTICAL PANEL UNDER THE BED CAME APART, MULTIPLE CLIPS ON THE DOOR BROKE, THE TAIL PIPE RUSTED, LIGHT ASSEMBLY WAS DEFECTIVE, THE WOOD TRIM CAME LOOSE, THE MICROWAVE WAS LOOSE IN THE CABINET. (LAWYER ON BEHALF OF DONAL AND HELEN SCHROEDER) *JB

THIS VEHICLE STYLE IS KNOWN, BY FLEETWOOD, TO HAVE SEVERE ISSUES WITH BOTH SIDES OF THE WINDSHIELD EITHER CRACKING, OR POPPING OUT OF PLACE. I HAVE BOTH PROBLEMS, CURENTLY, AND IT IS *VERY* DANGEROUS, SHOULD ONE FALL OUT, AT SPEED. THE PROBLEM DID NOT EXIST AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE, BUT IT DID ON THE 150 MI. DRIVE HOME, AND HAS GOTTEN WORSE SINCE, AS NOW, I CAN SEE/FEEL THE EDGE OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE GLASS. FLEETWOOD CLAIMS IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, AS IT IS WAS NOT REPORTED BY EITHER OF THE PREVIOUS OWNERS, YET THEY HAVE 'FIXED' THE PROBLEM FOR OTHERS WHO ARE LONG OUT OF WARRANTY. ACCORDING TO DISCUSSIONS WITH OWNERS OF OTHER FLEETWOOD VEHICLES WHICH EXHIBIT THIS PROBLEM, FLEETWOOD DOES HAVE A FIX WHICH SEEMS TO INCLUE ADDITIONAL ALUMINUM BRACING IN THE 'FRONT CAP', WHICH CORRECTS FURTHER WINDSHIELD MOVEMENT, BUT IT ISN'T SOMETHING YOU CAN HAVE DONE BY THE LOCAL 'GLASS SHOP'. FLEETWOOD ENGINEERED BOTH THE VEHICLE AND THE FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM, AND THEY SHOULD STAND BEHIND TRUE SAFETY ISSUES, SUCH AS THIS, IN MY HUMBLE OPINION. THIS IS A LACK OF COMPLETE ENGINEERING, OR LACK OF TESTING, ISSUE...NOT USE, ABUSE, OR WEAR, WHICH I UNDERSTAND THEY WOULD NOT 'FIX', WHICH IS ALSO 100% REASONABLE.*AK

(1) FLEETWOOD ENTERPRISES, INC. INITIATED A SAFETY RECALL WITH NHTSA IN JANUARY, 1999. I WAS TOLD THIS BY JOHN SAATHOFF, FLEETWOOD ENGINEERING, RIVERSIDE, CA. US CODE SAYS A NEW VEHICLE CANNOT BE SOLD UNTIL THE SAFETY DEFECT IS CORRECTED. FLEETWOOD TOLD ME THAT ALL DEALERS WERE NOTIFIED OF THE RECALL BY MARCH 15, 1999. POULSBO RV DID NOT INFORM US OF THE RECALL UNTIL AFTER WE BOUGHT THE MOTORHOME. HAD THEY DONE SO, WE WOULD NOT HAVE BOUGHT IT. (2) THE SLIDEIN-SLIDE -IN DOES NOT FIT PROPERLY, ALLOWING CARBON MONOXIDE TO COME IN TO THE INTERIOR WHEN THE 110 VOLT GENERATOR IS OPERATED. THIS PROBLEM EXISTED A YEAR BEFORE WE BOUGHT IT; THE VEHICLE HAD EVEN BEEN RETURNED TO THE FACTORY FOR REPAIRS TO THE SLIDE-IN CAMPER ROOM. THE REPAIRS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL AND ATTEMPTS BY THE DEALER, POULSBO RV, HAVE ALSO BEEN TO NO AVAIL. CARBON MONOXIDE STILL LEAKS IN AND SETS OFF THE CO DETECTOR IN JUST A FEW MINUTES, UNLESS THERE IS A STRONG WIND TO BLOW THE EXHAUST AWAY. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT IT LEAKS IN THROUGH THE BEDROOM WINDOW (WHEN THE WINDOW IS CLOSED) BECAUSE OF THE WINDOW FRAME DESIGN, AND THAT THIS IS A NORMAL CONDITION. THIS IS UNSAFE AND DEADLY AND PREVENTS USE OF APPLIANCES UNLESS PLUGGED INTO SHORE POWER. *AK