montyhp Report post Posted October 6, 2015 I have been patiently looking at DP motor homes for a good used deal. We will be empty nesters when our youngest leaves for college next fall. Our plan is to take numerous weekend trips and one or two week long trips each year until retirement. I like to be very patient and look for just the right deal. I have come across a 2007 Bounder 38V that looks immaculate. It has a 300HP Cat C7 and the full wall slide. I will have professional inspections of the coach and chassis. I know those types of inspections are limited to finding existing problems. I like the coach because it is very roomy, very clean, and can tow up to 10,000 lbs (subject to GCWR and GAWR limitations). It looks like a great deal. My better half liked the floor plan, also. Does anyone have experience with this or similar unit? Looking for both good and bad experiences. Thank you Monty Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted October 6, 2015 Monty. Welcome to the Forum. How many miles does the unit have on it? A gasser with low miles, is good. Not so on a DP. Have it checked by a pro or two, is a good idea. As far as floor plan is concerned, if your wife likes it, nothing else matters! There are a lot off members on Forum that has a 38DP Bounder, look for them and click on name and send a PM. Hope you join FMCA and enjoy which ever coach you find and buy! Carl Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
montyhp Report post Posted October 6, 2015 Thanks Carl, unit has 33,000 miles, so not too low. It is hard to tell if that mileage was put on all at once or over the life of the coach. One clue is the auto check report which shows it was registered every year.My two main concerns are the condition of the Cat C7 engine, I know some of those engines had issues, and the condition of the large slide. I think professional inspection and extended warranty can help protect me against expensive failures. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted October 7, 2015 Get with Brett Wolfe. Carl Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
montyhp Report post Posted October 7, 2015 So I talked to Cat today and gave them the engine number. They said engine is mid 2006 and is pre emission controls. Also said that their only other record is a mileage of 15746 in 2008. so roughly 1/2 the miles in the 1st 2 years. That is probably pretty common. Tomorrow a Cat engine tech is going to pull the codes and sample the oil, then a chassis tech and an RV tech are going to go over it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
five Report post Posted October 7, 2015 For a 2007 model gasser, 33k is not bad. If it checks out okay...and the D/W likes it, do it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted October 7, 2015 For a 2007 model gasser, 33k is not bad. If it checks out okay...and the D/W likes it, do it. As posted, it is diesel-- Caterpillar C7: 300 HP, 860 lb-ft torque at 1,440 RPM. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted October 8, 2015 LOL! Monty. Your doing the right thing...please let us know how it works out. Carl Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
montyhp Report post Posted October 8, 2015 Well not good news, the Cat technician found numerous fault codes in the engine, in some cases the buffer was full (256 instances). He said he would need to dig into it more but it may be a transmission issue. Needless to say I will continue to look. Thanks for the advice, I am glad I followed it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
