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SteveH1855

SteveH1855

Active member
Joined
Sep 10, 2014
Posts
40
Location
Arlington, TX
      My wife and I are thinking of going fulltiming next year.  We are looking at the Fleetwood Bounder 35K.  Does anyone have any experience with this MH??  We really like the floor plan and the 1-1/2 baths.  We'll still be working for 2-3 more years but wanted to start before we retired.


Thanks,
Steve and Joyce
Fort Worth, TX
 
What year?  Gas or diesel?  Bounders are generally pretty decent coaches, but not a top of the line model. More upscale models will have better quality furnishings, flooring, etc. and may have more features you might appreciate and save you from buying them as add-ons later. Bath and a half floor plans are pretty common and something similar to the 35K is probably available elsewhere in the Fleetwood line or even in other brands.
 
Something you need to be aware of.
Many full timers find that they need at least 1500 pounds of cargo carrying capacity (CCC) for each adult. The CCC or the newer designation OCCC will be on a sticker somewhere in the motor home - usually in a cabinet or closet.

You can see the definition of CCC HERE, and OCCC HERE.
Scroll down to "2009 New weight label" and download the pdf file.


To get CCC subtract the weight of water you will carry and the weight of the people you will carry from the OCCC.

It is common to see CCC numbers as low as a few hundred pounds (even on diesel pushers) which means it would be overloaded for weekend trips and unusable for full timing.

We have 2800 pounds of CCC and would like to have 3500. We started with a 30 footer with no slides and after a year traded it in on a new 35 footer with two slides.
 
I will echo what Clay said.  Large gas coaches are notorious for having very little cargo carrying capacity.  Our coach (a large diesel pusher) has just over 10,000 pounds CCC, which we will never come close to exceeding.  We looked at a Winnebago 37F Adventurer for full timing and ruled it out for that reason (limited CCC).

The model that you are looking at is workable for full timing, but you should consider going as big as you are comfortable with.  Bigger gives you more living space, the ability to carry more, and more conveniences.  The tradeoffs are cost and being somewhat more limited in where you can park.
 
I am full timing in a similar RV, yes its very comfortable, ford v-10 engine is awesome too
 
With the concern about weight, I'm always surprised to see tile and granite in RVs. Floor tile alone is close to 5 lbs a square foot. Id rather have some good quality vinyl and be able to carry more of my stuff... like dog food for my dogs, and my DH.  ;D
 
There is also the consideration of your lifestyle.  Some people need to take along more stuff and others are happy with fewer belongings.  Do you need a lot of tools and a workbench?  Do you have a lot of hobby stuff?  What about clothing?

Two people usually cart around more stuff than one person, but I know of couples that live full-time in smaller motorhomes than you are looking at. 

So, what you need to do is consider what YOU need to live comfortably and cart around.  Are you a minimizer in terms of stuff, or do you like that big coffeemaker and all that kitchen equipment?  Will you be hauling around bikes, golf clubs, weaving looms, pets, pet equipment, outdoor cooking grills, grandkids, kayaks, etc.?

Then consider where everyone will sit each day.  Will you be comfortable on a rainy day inside?  Or even three rainy days in a row? 
 
cadee2c said:
be able to carry more of my stuff... like dog food for my dogs, and my DH.  ;D
Click to expand...

Caryl:  Is that dog food for your dogs and husband or did you mean extra weight allowances to bring your husband along. ;D ;D
 
Dog food for the dogs, and extra weight to bring along the DH. I think he would be sad if I had to leave him behind. lol
 
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