2005 Fleetwood Bounder Diesel

Defect. CERTAIN DIESEL CLASS A MOTOR HOMES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF PART 567, "CERTIFICATION." THE MANUFACTURERS' TOW HITCH RECEIVER INFORMATION LABEL WAS PRINTED WITH THE INCORRECT WEIGHT CARRYING CAPACITY VALUE AND THE INCORRECT TONGUE WEIGHT VALUE.

Risk. THE WEIGHT LABEL ON THE HITCH RECEIVER PROVIDES THE MAXIMUM TRAILER WEIGHT RATING AND THE MAXIMUM TONGUE WEIGHT RATING. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THESE RATINGS NOT BE EXCEEDED. FAILURE TO COMPLY COULD RESULT IN DAMAGE TO THE MOTOR HOME FRAME, BODY, OR HITCH RECEIVER AND COULD CAUSE UNSTABLE DRIVING AND HANDLING CHARACTERISTRICS WHICH MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy. FLEETWOOD WILL MAIL OWNERS THE CORRECT TOW HITCH RECEIVER WEIGHT INFORMATION LABEL. IF OWNERS DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE INSTALLING THE LABEL, DEALERS WILL INSTALL THE LABEL FOR THEM. THE RECALL BEGAN AUGUST 4, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FLEETWOOD AT 800-509-3418.

VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND SLIDES EXTENDED RUNNING ON GENERATOR. LIGHTING SEEMED TO DIM AND WOULD FLICKER. HAVE NEW HOUSE BATTERIES, INVERTER WAS REBUILT. WE WERE IN THE FRONT OF COACH OUR DOG INDICATED SOMETHING WAS WRONG AND WAS BARKING IN THE BEDROOM AREA. UPON INSPECTION FOUND SMOKE COMING FROM THE 12V FUSE CENTER. OPENED DOOR AND CENTER BOLT WAS GLOWING AND FUSES WERE TOO HOT TO TOUCH. SHUT DOWN 12V AND THE FUSES COOLED DOWN. TURNING POWER BACK ON DID NOT DUPLICATE ISSUE UNTIL THE 12V ACCESSORIES WERE TURNED ON (LIGHTING, FANS ETC.). SWITCHED COACH TO SHORE POWER (SHUT DOWN GENERATOR) AND FUSES DID NOT GET AS HOT. DEALER REPLACED THE FUSE CENTER AND PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED. HAD WE BEEN AWAY FROM THE COACH OR THE DOG DID NOT ALERT US, THIS MAY HAVE NOT ENDED WELL. THE DEALER SAYS HE HAS SEEN THIS BEFORE CLAIMS IT IS THE WAY THE POWER WIRE FEEDS THE FUSE BUS CAUSING THE WIRE TO LOOSEN. SUGGEST THAT ALL OWNERS HAVE THIS CHECKED. *TR

1. RADIATOR TANK CRIMP FAILURE. EXCESSIVE CORROSION DUE TO UNDETERMINED ORIGIN CAUSED TANK CRIMPS TO RUST TO THE POINT OF FAILURE. VEHICLE WAS KEPT EXCESSIVELY CLEAN AND DRY. CRIMPS CANNOT BE SEEN VIA NORMAL WALK AROUND INSPECTION. ENTIRE RADIATOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. 2. TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE. CORROSION ON "J" CONNECTORS BETWEEN TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE CAUSED SHORT AND FAILURE OF NON PROTECTED TCM. TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT. DISPLAY INDICATED "TCM FAILURE". TCM AND J CONNECTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED. CONNECTORS CANNOT BE SEEN VIA NORMAL WALK AROUND INSPECTION. TCM IS NOT PROTECTED FROM SHORTS. 3. ENGINE BLOW- BYE. OIL BLOW-BYE IS EJECTED FROM THE ENGINE DIRECTLY ONTO THE ENGINE SIDE OF THE RADIATOR THEREBY CAUSING THE RADIATOR FINS TO CLOG AND PREVENT ENGINE COOLING. FREIGHTLINER KIT TO FIX ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN PUBLICIZED, BUT WAS MADE STANDARD ON SUBSEQUENT BOUNDER MODELS.FREIGHTLINER KIT HAD TO BE INSTALLED AND ENGINE COMPARTMENT CLEANED. ENGINE SIDE OF RADIATOR CANNOT BE SEEN VIA NORMAL WALK AROUND INSPECTION. *TR

NORCOLD REFRIGERATOR CAUSED 2005 FLEETWOOD DIESEL BOUNDER TO BE DESTROYED BY FIRE. THE REFRIGERATOR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN EARLIER NORCOLD RECALLS. *TR

DT: 2005 FLEETWOOD BOUNDER(MODEL 34M). THIS IS THE SECOND OWNER. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ,AND THEY STATED HAS TO BE SEEN BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE CLOSEST DEALER THAT WILL LOOK AT THE VEHICLE IS 400 MILES AWAY. THE PREVIOUS OWNER STATED HE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE HE PURCHASED THE FLEETWOOD WAS HAVING THIS PROBLEM WITH THE EARLY 2005 BOUNDERS. THE LOCAL DEALER WILL NOT LOOK AT THE VEHICLE BECAUSE IT WAS NOT PURCHASED THERE. THE BLOWER IN THE DASHBOARD WAS NOT WORKING. *AK THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING DURING HEAVY RAIN. THE PROBLEM WAS FROM A CIRCUIT BREAKER FAILING WHICH CAUSED OTHER COMPONETS TO FAIL. THE CONSUMER STATED THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS NEEDED TO BE ON A SEPARATE BREAKER. *JB