My wife and I are first time RVr’s.  This was my idea.  After six years of working on the other end of the planet and home 2-3 days per month, I thought getting an RV would be a great way for us to spend more time together now that I am back working close to home.  So I sold my Roush Mustang, researched endlessly and purchased our first Fleetwood RV. Unfortunately what was intended to bring us closer together has done exactly the opposite.

We purchased out 2016 Fleetwood in mid-October.  We took it out once.  It has spent nearly 8 weeks sitting in the dealer's service center.  The delivery of our RV should have been an omen. As first time RVr's, we naturally wanted to learn as much as possible in the delivery orientation. Instead we were fast-tracked through the process and we left scratching our heads on numerous operational items.  But what was most distressing was the filthy condition of the vehicle. Every storage door seal was caked with dirt.  The dashboard, jack-knife couch, recliner, and bathroom counters/cabinets all needed cleaning.  There is an oily stain on the jack knife couch that we have been unable to remove. White streaks ran down the sides coming from the roof. The entrance door handle has a white substance on it presumably left over from when the RV was waxed for the show it was in. A chunk of the rear bumper step non-slip tread is missing.

Then on November 14th, 37 days and one short overnight trip into our ownership, I discovered serious water intrusion in the bedroom presumably via the rear slide-out. Our new custom mattress was soaked through, the side table covered with water and the outside surface of the cabinet where the bed slides in was bubbling up from the moisture. I immediately called the RV service center and was told that they couldn’t look at it for 2-3 weeks because they had a long list of winterizations to complete. I asked if I could bring it down, leave it inside and they get to it when they can - the answer was no. I pulled the mattress out and spent the next three days keeping water mopped up as best I could.  On 11/17 I sent a follow up request to the service department and this time was instructed to bring it in. 

I will say that I wrote Fleetwood's customer service department and received a response.  The woman I spoke to was as helpful as she could be.  I was told the repair would be expedited.  There was some light at the end of the tunnel.

It is now January 5^th, our RV has been out of our hands longer than it was in our hands, we’ve made three loan payments, three insurance payments and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight.  Apparently the service department is waiting for a piece of wood from Fleetwood to replace what was damaged by the flooding. Of major concern is the water damage I can't see and future mold issues.  There was a mold warning flier in the RV when we brought it home, so I have to assume that this is something I should be concerned about.

My wife wants me to return the RV back to the Fleetwood dealer and demand our money back, but of course it’s not that simple.  Suffice to say that our first experience could possibly be our last.

This is my feedback on our 2016 Fleetwood, Vehicle Serial Number 732EG4420992.

 

Robert, check the forum titled.... How long at factory service?.... there is some interesting information in that forum.

Robert,

Allow me to share our experience with our 2016 Bounder 35K bearing the coveted 30th Anniversary medallion. On Dec. 11, 2015, at 1,869 miles, the ABS brake module failed 10 miles from the RV dealer. We haven't been able to move the coach an inch since, and as I write this, it is Jan. 6, 2016. Fleetwood called us on Monday saying Ford will pull one of the $600 modules from their assembly line, but as of Jan 6, no word yet when the module will arrive here in Tucson.

On December 11, 2015, my wife and I accepted keys to a 2016 Fleetwood Bounder 30th Anniversary Model  35K (F.I.N. 739KG4422223) at La Mesa RV, Tucson, AZ. with an odometer reading  of 1,869 mi.

After transferring personal effects from the 2008 Fleetwood Bounder 38P we traded for the new Bounder, we took the new coach onto to Interstate-10 before heading to our rental slot at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base RV park in Tucson. (We are both retired military)

Less than 10 miles from the dealership, the brake light came on followed shortly by a yellow warning light indicating a problem with the vacuum booster. At this time while braking, the brake pedal nearly touched the floor barely bringing the coach to a stop on the shoulder.

We limped back to the air base and since it was after 8 p.m., we waited until the next day to contact LaMesa explaining what happened.  LaMesa told us since this is a Ford warranty issue, the coach must be taken to Holmes-Tuttle Ford dealership 22 miles away in north Tucson.

On December 17, a diagnostic was performed at Holmes-Tuttle Ford. Service adviser, Fred Adelman (520-292-3747), informed us a ABS brake module had failed rendering the coach unsafe and undriveable. They impounded the coach in their back lot.

To complicate this issue, Adelman informed us that nowhere in the Ford Motor Company inventory is this brake module available. He told us it could be “..a day or a week or a month” before a module could be obtained.

UPDATE: As of January 4, 2016, reports on RV blogs/websites indicate several 2016 Tiffin Allegros built on Ford’s F-53 chassis have also experienced brake module failures as did one Newmar coach.

I find this hard to believe. Has Ford shut down its F-35 chassis production line because of this? 

Fleetwood Customer Service told me during a Dec. 28, 2015 phone call, they cannot strip a chassis for spare parts at the Decatur, IN., factory.

Due to insurance liability issues, Holmes-Tuttle told us we could not dry camp in the coach forcing us to check into the Comfort Suites across the street with our three cats and a live Xmas tree in a planter.

Ford Roadside Assistance told us they would pay for the motel room, but there is a question whether or not they would cover our food expenses despite being denied use of the coach’s galley.

On December 23, Fred Adelman, (perhaps taking pity on our plight) called us to inform Ford Motor Co. agreed to have the Bounder towed 22 miles back to the air base so we could spend Christmas with our three cats, and the potted live Christmas tree. (See attached photo of the tow). It will have to be towed back to the dealership whenever the elusive brake module is delivered.

The morning low at Tucson on Sunday, December 27, was 27 degrees, and the coach ran out of propane. Since the coach is unsafe to drive, we cannot drive it to have the tank filled on the air base, and Air Force officials do not allow a vendor to come on the installation to fill the tank.

We used the electric fireplace on the coach for minimal warmth, a pathetic situation.

Other coach issues yet to be addressed by La Mesa:

The Power Gear electric leveling jacks lift the front wheels 3-4 inches off the ground even on a level asphalt parking lot. (See attached photos) Manual function does not work.

No heat reaches the bedroom or the rear bathroom.

No heat comes from the ceiling heat pump.

Stabilizing ring under the microwave plate is missing.

Under cabinet water pipe in galley leaked on December 27 flooding portions of the front of the coach. Water accumulated under the power inverter causing intermittent flickering of the coach lighting system.

Right front headlight was burned out the day we took possession from La Mesa. (Replaced by Ford under warranty Dec 15)

Screw and bolt fell off the right rear leveling jack. Fresh water tank level reads empty on cabin monitor when tank is 50% full.

My wife and I looked to Fleetwood/La Mesa so we could enjoy a new RV during our Golden years, however, since December 11, this coach has been nothing short of a nightmare. We have not driven the coach since Dec. 11, 2015.

We have yet to make the first payment on this $107,276 coach. If it was up to me, I’d give the keys back to La Mesa, and walk away from this Bounder. We are disgusted with it.

Fact is, I have $22,433.33 equity in the coach, and I don’t intend to leave that on the table.

I would like La Mesa/Fleetwood to buy this coach back. I would like my $22,433.33 equity returned.

After Ford finally finds/fixes the brake module, my wife and I will always have a black cloud over the coach wondering if the brake module will fail again at highway speeds placing our lives at risk. This is no way to live with this kind of investment.

If, in fact, these Ford modules are inherently defective, this can well become a recall issue for 2016 Bounders.

I have filed a complaint  (#10817141) with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on the brake module issue.

RVing, a great way of life.....

Robert Dye wrote:

Thanks everyone for your great input.  The frustration continues - today, Joy from Fleetwood called to tell me that she called Funtime RV and they have not as yet ordered the replacement parts yet.  More concerning to me is the water damage I can't see.  I asked Joy what recourse I had if say, the hidden damage surfaces 2 days after my warranty expires.  Nothing.  I would take it back in a second, and even trade up to a larger more expensive unity if they would allow me to but I doubt that will happen.

Not really sure what to do at this point.

I checked into taking it to the Coburg, Oregon Fleetwood Service Center and apparently they are booked through April.  :-(

If you financed your motor home check to see if the bank can help you. In some state the banks are "holder of due course". They may but pressure on your dealer to make things right.