Finally Purchased First RV - A Few Questions?

Our family just purchased our first RV/MH and I believe we got a GREAT deal. Before we take her out on her first journey with us I had a few questions.

First off the MH is a 2005 Fleetwood Bounder 33R with 31k miles. This has the workhorse chassis an the Vortec 8.1 (my 18 F-350 does not approve and the Allison transmission. The unit has 2 sides, brand new tires, 50A service, looks great, no water damage and nearly everything seems to work. Our only reservation was both 15k AC roof nits did not seem overly cold, especially compared to the dash unit. We negotiated the price down to cover any potential costs but this leads to my first question:

1. The owner mentioned perhaps the filters ON the roof units might need to be cleaned. I find it strange that two separate units would fail simultaneously so I was wondering if there are things i can check before we take it in for a full service and have them looked at.

2. If the roof AC units need serviced and/or replaced can any vets out there give me some idea of costs so I do not get taken advantage of by an RV service dealer?

3. As a complete RV rookie, is it a bad idea to run the generator while moving? I would guess so but was not certain.

4. I know MH mileage is different or so i have read. As a car/truck a 2005 with only 31k miles would be cherry... but as a 13 year old rig, what should i be looking at to ensure the rig is reliable for years to come?

5. Finally are there any services other than oil change I should make sure are done immediately before going out or other things to check? We got this rig for an absolute great price (12-15k off book) so I am happy to spend some money making sure she is tip top.

Thanks in advance!

3. It's perfectly fine to do so. We (and most others) run the generators when we need them on the road, usually so we can run the air conditioners, since the dash air is inadequate in more than modest heat.

4. Motorhomes typically average around 6,000 miles per year, so one that seems to have been sitting most of its life might be something to check more carefully, but I don't know of any way "to ensure the rig is reliable for years to come." Mechanically, it'll be similar to checking a pickup of the same age, keeping in mind that rubber (and some other things) deteriorates with age, especially after 12-15 years and more.

I'll leave the other questions for others...

Your AC units should be cooling a differential around 20 degrees. So if you have a way to check the temp. Laser thermometer works great. If the inside of the coach is 90 degrees you should be getting close to 70 degree air discharging.  You didn't say if it was ducted unit or direct units. If it is ducted and you are running two ACs most of the time it is ducted together.  You may have only one cooling and it is not big enough to cool. Try testing the air temp with one running at a time. If the front unit is running and you have ducts check the temp at the closest vent to the unit. turn it off and try the same for the rear. Just FYI once you turn them off the compressor will not turn back on for a few minutes. The fan will run but it will take some time for the compressor to kick back on. Give it time and make sure the compressor is running before checking temp.

1. The owner mentioned perhaps the filters ON the roof units might need to be cleaned. I find it strange that two separate units would fail simultaneously so I was wondering if there are things i can check before we take it in for a full service and have them looked at.

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The only filter is inside the coach, at the air return (usually directly under the a/c). You can remove the intake grill and clean the simple filter yourself.  Dirty filters reduce air flow but do not change temperature, so that owner was just blowing smoke...

The difference in temperature between the intake air (at the intake grill) and the output air should be at least 20 degrees and many systems can do 22-25 degrees. If it measures to that, it's working as designed. For example, if the air inside the coach is 85 and the air coming out of the a'c (closest to the compressor) is 60-65, it is working as well as can be expected.

2. If the roof AC units need serviced and/or replaced can any vets out there give me some idea of costs so I do not get taken advantage of by an RV service dealer?

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There isn't a whole lot to be serviced on an RV roof a/c.  It's basically three components: a fan, a controller (circuit board), and the sealed compressor/condensor/evaporator unit. If the fan blows and the controller starts the compressor running but its still not cold, chances are replacement is needed. Few RV shops do much more than replace ailing units, but I would not expect that yours would need that. If the shop suggests it, get another opinion.

3. As a complete RV rookie, is it a bad idea to run the generator while moving? I would guess so but was not certain.

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Not at all. Run the genset all you like while underway. Cool the coach with house a/c, cook dinner in a  crock pot, whatever.

4. I know MH mileage is different or so i have read. As a car/truck a 2005 with only 31k miles would be cherry... but as a 13 year old rig, what should i be looking at to ensure the rig is reliable for years to come?

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You miscontrue what was meant.  Low mileage is still low mileage and a good thing for mechanical parts that wear, but it is no guarantee that anything else is "cherry". Age is still age, even with low miles, so flexible parts get brittle (rubber hoses, seals, etc), fluids may get contaminated, etc.  Further, the "house" is much more affected by age and time than mileage.For example, exposure to weather, ultraviolet, acid rain, or whatever. A 13 year old house is vulnerable to problems even if it never moved a single mile.

5. Finally are there any services other than oil change I should make sure are done immediately before going out or other things to check?

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Verify that any pending recalls have been taken care - Workhorse had a couple back then. Consider a change of transmission fluid, especially if it has never been done. The Allison would like to be upgraded to synthetic (Allison TES-295 spec)  if not already done.  Check the tire age - it is conceivable that a low mileage 2005 still have original tires. Tread may look ok, but 13 year old tires are a disaster waiting to happen. 7-10 years if the useful life of a tire, regardless of mileage.

Just to address the maintenance / fluids issues, consider anything that is made out of rubber to likely need replacement after 12-15 years.  This includes the obvious belts, and hoses, but also lots of other components like the rubber bushings in the suspension and steering systems as they dry rot and crack, and eventually crumble away.  Pay particular note to the ones in the steering linkages, on the sway bar mounts and the motor mounts.  Also strongly consider replacing the oil/transmission cooler hoses as a failure on these can lead to sudden catastrophic failure of the transmission / engine.  As to the fluids it is a good idea to change out all of them, brake fluid, power steering fluid, diff, transmission, oil, etc.  Brake fluid is particularly prone to absorbing moisture over time which causes corrosion in the brake lines, and increases the chance of the brake fluid boiling and causing the brakes to fail when they are most needed.  These Workhorse coaches also use a hyrobooster to power the brakes so the brake assist is powered by the power steering pump, not a vacuum assist like you have on most cars, hence the need to change the power steering fluid, be aware there is a cartridge filter in the power steering fluid reservoir that should be changed too, ....

All great responses thank you!

The tires are brand new and still have stickers and blue dye on them. < 100 miles and were put on 7 months ago.

The rig has had 4 service recalls completed. I believe i have paperwork on them and were related to wheels/brakes/calipers.

Another rookie question regarding AC... can i "recharge" the freon on these like you can with the charge kits you can buy at walmart/auto stores? The compressor seems to be working and the air is not 90 but definitely not 70. I would rather not replace them with new units but i can budget it once i know how much it costs.

My service dealer says for 400 bucks they do a complete service on the RV which includes all fluid changes, rubber and undercarriage inspection and a few other things i do not recall.

Also any opinion on the rig i bought and the value? I only had the NADA to go off of which screamed great deal but my experience in cars tells me NADA is not always a realistic guide. So I did internet searches at sites and dealer on the exact year and model we purchased and could not find one within 5k of the price we got (22k) and many were still in the low/mid 40s.

2005 Fleetwood Bounder 33R w/2 sides
31k miles on 8.1 and Allison trans
New Continental Tires < 100 miles
Dual 15k AC roof units
50A service
Auto leveling/one touch
All appliances checked and work
Propane system
Interior all leather
200W Solar panels installed on roof
Came with all power adapters, water filters and pressure regulator

Rich, congratulations on your first motorhome.  We purchased a 2005 Pace Arrow a year ago.  If you don't know, they're both Fleetwood Products.  Ours has the Workhorse W22 with Allison transmission.  So far we are very pleased with the unit.  It needed tires and there was a leak in the propane tank that 4 different service facilities missed.  Other than that, we have not had any problems.  Like yours, ours had low mileage, 32,000.  A previous owner added an Ultra Power horse power and torque program which increases horsepower and torque and can, in some cases increase mileage.    Unfortunately not on ours.  It's got plenty of power but the mileage so far is only about 6 mpg.  We're in the West and so far most of our driving has been in the mountains.  Lots of long grades so not sure what the impact of that is. 

We had a similar problem with the AC initially.  Couldn't figure it out.  Plenty of cold air coming out in front but none in the bedroom.  Opened one of the bedroom ducts and believe it or not, someone put or forgot to remove a plastic bag from the duct.    It was blocking air flow.  Now it get's pretty cool in the unit.  Personally I don't think cleaning the filters in the AC will do much for lowering the temp, but it's important for maintenance. 

chargerrich said:

Another rookie question regarding AC... can i "recharge" the freon on these like you can with the charge kits you can buy at walmart/auto stores? The compressor seems to be working and the air is not 90 but definitely not 70. I would rather not replace them with new units but i can budget it once i know how much it costs.

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They are sealed units. No Charge ports.

Am I wrong to be suspicious that BOTH roof mounted ACs are not blowing cold air? A previous post mentioned that it might be a single unit but I "think" I can confirm they are separate. Two big AC units (maxair) on roof and two separate roof vents inside coach.

The thermostat references cooling 1 and cooling 2 so they definitely seem to be separate.

As mentioned these roof top air conditioner are sealed units, and usually by the time you pay the labor to have service ports installed and add refrigerant you are well on your way to the cost of a new air conditioner, all for a service that may not fix it, or may only buy you a short time.  However before you go out and buy a new pair of air conditioners check to make sure the air is going where it should go.  On my coach I found the foil duct sealing tape had split above where the air conditioner blows into the ceiling duct and a lot of my cold air was blowing into the hot attic area.

As to the $400 for full fluid change, that is a great price, though make sure when they say full fluid they mean everything (diff, power steering, brake fluid, etc.) as it seems many places consider full fluid to be only oil, radiator coolant and transmission fluid.  Also expect the rubber bushings, and steering components to run a lot more than $400.  I spent nearly $250 on sway bar bushings alone, doing the labor myself, though I did upgrade from rubber to urethane bushings, plus another $650 for a set of Koni FSD shocks and the previous owner spent nearly $3,000 on front end steering and suspension work just a year before I bought the coach, and there are still parts in need of attention soon due to rubber dry rot. 

Maxair, is just the brand of the aftermarket vent / air conditioner cover, without knowing more details it is hard to say if it is one or both, as they may or may not feed a common air duct.