1999 Fleetwood Bounder

WHILE DRIVING MY 1999 MOTOR HOME ON THE HIGHWAY IT ALL OF A SUDDEN STARTED TO MAKE A VERY LOUD POPPING SOUND. I PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY AND AFTER PUZZLING OVER THE PROBLEM CALLED AAA TO GET TOWED. THE MOTOR HOME WAS TOWED TO COURTESY FORD IN POULSBO, WA. I SPENT THE NIGHT IN THE PARKING LOT AND THE NEXT MORNING WHEN THEY OPENED I TOLD THE MECHANIC WHAT I HAD EXPERIENCED. IT TOOK HIM LESS THAN 5 MIN TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. HE DIAGNOSED A BLOWN SPARK PLUG ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE FORD V10 ENGINE. HE INDICATED TO ME THAT HE HAS SEEN MANY OF THESE AND EVEN SAW ONE THAT CAME IN WITH ABOUT 10,000. MY ENGINE HAS 43,000 MILES. I BOUGHT IT NEW AND HAVE NEVER HAD THE SPARK PLUGS WORKED ON AS FORD DOESN'T RECOMMEND A TUNE UP FOR AN ENGINE WITH LOW MILES LIKE MINE. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS QUOTED ME A PRICE OF JUST UNDER $5000. AFTER SPENDING A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME RESEARCHING THIS I FIND THAT IT APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG THIS ENGINE AND CLEARLY NHTSA SHOULD PRESSURE FORD MOTOR COMPANY TO COMPENSATE AFFECTED CUSTOMERS. *JB

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

THE CUMMINS 275 HP ENGINE DERATES POWER AND IMEDIATELY DROPS SPEED OF VEHILE TO AROUND 30MHP. ON THREE OF THE FAILURES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. THIS IS SOMEWHAT OF AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM HOWEVER, CUMMINS CANNOT SEEM TO FIND AN ANSWER FOR THE PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE REPLACED A FUEL PUMP, SENOR AND A LIFT PUMP. DURING ONE FAILURE WE WERE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC GOING THROUGH ROAD CONSTRUCTION AREA AND THE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER NEARLY CAUSED A COLLISON. THE UNIT IS NOT ONLY UNSAFE DURING THESE TIMES BUT WE HAVE LOSS ALL FAITH IN THE VEHICLE. WE HAVE TAKEN SEVERAL TRIPS AND EACH TIME IT HAS BROKEN DOWN. ON THE WAY BACK FROM LAS VEGAS THE ALERT SYSTEM ON LEVELING JACKS SOUNDED WHILE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THE ALERT STATED THE JACKS WERE EXTENDING TO GROUND, FOUND DIESEL FUEL LEAKING FROM FUEL CONNECTION ON GENERATOR AND FOUN ALMOST A PINT OF FUEL INSIDE FUEL CONNECTION COMPARTMENT. I HAVE FILED A LEMON LAW ACTION AGAINST FLEETWOOD ENTERPRIZES AND HAS OF THIS DATE IT IS STILL UNRESOLVED. *AK

AFTER DRIVING 1 TO 2 HOURS IN THE RAIN ON INTERSTATE I-90 AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE ENGINE TOTALLY LOST POWER AS A RESULT OF THE AIR FILTER HOUSING AND AIR FILTER TOTALLY BECAME SATURATED WITH WATER AND THE ENGINE COULD NOT GET AIR FOR COMBUSTION. I CONTACTED FORD'S MOTOR HOME CUSTOMER SERVICE HOTLINE AND THEIR REP TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM THAT OCCURS WHEN THESE UNITS ARE DRIVEN IN THE RAIN FOR EXTENDED PERIODS. THEY SAID CHANGE THE AIR FILTER, DRY OUT THE AIR CLEANRE HOUSING AND WAIT UNTIL IT STOPS RAINING BEFORE DRIVING FURTHER, THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM THAT FORD IS AWARE OF BUT HAS NOT DEVELOPED A FIX FOR AND THEY HAVEN'T EVEN NOTIFIED THEIR DEALER NETWORK ABOUT IT. YOU NEED TO TAKE ACTION TO FORCE A RAPID FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM. *AK