Possibly Buying a Used Fun Finder. Need Advice.

scoobybri · 07-28-2018, 06:25 PM

Hello everyone! My wife and I are considering buying a used 2012 Fun Finder X 189 FBS. We looked far and wide on the Internet and can't seem to find a lot of information about the quality of these trailers. I'm trying to get a sense of what are common problems and how reliable the electrics/plumbing/AC/slide outs/etc. are in these units, especially the early 2010s models. The camper is in great shape cosmetically and all systems currently work but as you know, you never know what happens after you take it home. I'm very handy (I built our current camper that has 12v/120v electric, AC, plumbing in the galley), so I'm not afraid to do most maintenance items. I need to know what I should be looking for when I inspect it and what kind of possible repair costs I am looking at with a Fun Finder of this vintage. The price the current owner is asking for is fair and in line with market value which is many thousands less than a newer camper of this build quality and features. I just don't want most of the cost savings that I would get buying this Fun Finder being lost to repairs.

Thank you for your time. I may be a Fun Finder owner in the very near future!

Brian

profdant139 · 07-28-2018, 07:08 PM

The quality of Fun Finders is pretty good -- we have a 2012 X-139 and it has been trouble free. But a few folks have gotten lemons. If the trailer you are looking at has survived six years, it is most likely not a lemon.

As far as I know, there are no special problems that are unique to Fun Finders. There have been some reported cases of delaminations, a few roof leaks, a few window leaks, etc. Just the usual things that happen to older trailers.

Since you are a "handy" person, you will have no problem maintaining it. I am much less skilled than you are and have made a lot of successful modifications.

I should add that we camp about 80 nights a year, travel about 10,000 miles a year, and do a lot of boondocking on very rough forest roads. So our trailer has not led a sheltered life. (And it is parked outside on our driveway, all year long.)

Hilda · 07-28-2018, 08:44 PM

our's too is well built and everything work well. it's older, a 2006, and the T139, which is a wood and metal model. But before we bought it, we noticed some soft spots indicating a window had leaked. the roof material was in good shape, but not the calking around the seams. It was a big job to clean all the loose, old sealant off, clean and re calk the roof seams and penetrations. We re-sealed the windows with butyl tape, replaced a cracked skylight, things like that. I know the X models are the smooth walled campers, I don't know what can go wrong with them, except delimitation, which is easy to spot. fridges & AC are the most expensive things to replace. good luck!

dogs_rule · 07-28-2018, 08:47 PM

You won’t find a lighter double axel trailer (that I can find). And the designs are pretty good. If you can go for the white cupboards as they make the interior appear larger.

Some weak spots for water intrusion are the front window (esp pre 2010) and the two lights up high on front exterior that go on when you turn on your headlights and where the antenna is on the roof. So be vigilant with the caulking.

scoobybri · 07-29-2018, 11:30 AM

Thank you for the information! We are about to go see the trailer now.

Frosty's Fun Finder · 07-29-2018, 12:13 PM

We have the 2012 for 2 years now. The camper was well kept. We were not able to meet the owners unfortunately we do not have a history.
We had a very small ac issue as mud bugs built a nest. We have a leak in the side window we will have take care of.
We changed the mattress to foam. The camper tows beautifully. We love it. Will most likely we will replace the couch next year.
The information given on this site is outstanding. Good luck

twinster2 · 07-29-2018, 03:40 PM

Aside from what was said above, probably the biggest headache you will have is getting all the water flushed out of your fresh water tank. It is likely that the tank sits on rails below the floor and is bowed below the drain. The result is that several gallons of water get held up. There are way to fix this so don't worry too much about it.

Chirpz · 07-29-2018, 07:11 PM

We have a 2008 189FBR. No problems with our water since the tank is inside

We did have a problem with the sewer vent for black tank. They cut it short and it was sticking slightly below the roof and had the final vent cover cemented over it. Foul smell went everywhere inside the roof and the trailer reaked when you towed it somewhere.. No smell if sitting still for several days. I had to extend the pipe through the roof and install a turbo vent.

scoobybri · 07-30-2018, 08:22 AM

We agreed to buy our new-to-us 2012 Fun Finder M-189 FBS and pick it up from the seller on Wednesday. All appliances, AC, plumbing, heater/hot water, and slider work. Cosmetically, exterior is in good shape for its age. Awning needs a good scrub but is intact and functional. Interior is in terrific shape. Roof was just replaced by a RVIA certified pro in the past month prior to sale due to a tree branch tearing a hole in the original roof. Roof job looks to be done properly. Two tires look to be original so they will be replaced immediately. We also need advice on a new mattress but I will put up a separate post for that.

Since I tend to fix everything myself and love to modify things to better meet my needs, I'm sure you will see my posts popping up shortly.

profdant139 · 07-30-2018, 09:32 AM

Great news, and welcome to the club!! Where are you located? What trips do you have planned?

scoobybri · 07-30-2018, 11:24 AM

We are in Richmond, VA. We are taking it out this weekend but staying close to home just in case. I'm sure we will be planning something more extravagant in September or October. Thanks for the welcome! Looks like this a nice active community here.

Chirpz · 07-30-2018, 03:33 PM

Cool, now you can go out and have some fun!!

Kansas newbie · 07-30-2018, 06:18 PM

Ditto on the welcome, and yes, very active on here. Lots of good info and questions answered in a tome,y manner!

df1210 · 08-05-2018, 12:19 PM

We have a 2009 X189FBR and love it. No major problems, it is easy to tow and for my wife and I it is a perfect size.

jbfunfinder · 08-05-2018, 01:14 PM

We owned the same 2012 X189 FBS and bought it new after having owned a 2006 non-slide. We had no major problems with the trailer towing it several thousand miles and even using it off road in the desert. It is an excellent trailer for the price and we were really happy with the flush floor slide. The only reason we sold it is because we wanted to change to a model with a walk around bed. Cruiser RV made the decision to abandon the front window which is important for us so we switched brands. By the way we really like our 9" queen 100% natural latex mattress. Have fun!

PaintyLiz · 08-05-2018, 04:32 PM

Hi and welcome!

We have a 2008 Fun Finder X 189 FBR. We are the original owners, and I have made many mods. During remodeling I have found that the quality is great but the workmanship is not. As chirpz said, my vent was cut lower than the ceiling which caused a leakage of black tank odors. I have fixed that, and chirpz has a nice article posted here on how to do that. The only other real problem was the front window was not installed well and leaked so watch for that. I love my Fun Finder and wouldn't trade it! I've installed a dishwasher and a washing machine and we are now full time in our 18ft no slide Fun Finder LOL welcome aboard and happy trails

Liz

Cathy A Luce · 08-05-2018, 05:03 PM

Hi Brian,
I have a 2012 189 Fun Finder and it has been great. I took it on the road last August and other than 4 mos in Colomba S.A. , I have been traveling.
My only problem has been one of the levelers, electric, has stopped working...an electricsl problem.
Just haven' t taken it to be looked at yet.
I love the white interior and wood look floors.
I just plain have been very happy.
No oven in mine, so bought a convection oven, which plugs in to outside power where 30amp plugs in, due to trailer not wired for something drawing that much power.
I as well am looking to sell mine; wanting to have terra firma footage these days.
I also added two solar panels which has been great.
Good luck with your Funfinder.
Cathy

Rocky Mtn marmot · 08-07-2018, 03:32 PM

I have a 2010 189 FBS. I love this trailer. It has a very high cargo capacity due to the dual axles. I have done numerous modifications to mine and you can see them in my photo gallery, and I have done more that I have not yet posted. The only area that was a great concern for me were the bolts holding the structure to the frame. All of them were loose and rusted and just have a wide flat head on them covered by the floor vinyl and the walls. I added my own stainless steel bolts next to most of them.

The previous owners must have let the window in the slide open for a long time. The floor in the slideout must have been wet for months, and was delaminating badly and rotted in two places, so I did replace that floor myself.

I raised the unit by flipping the axles with a kit and installed new equalizers on the springs, new wet shackle bolts and never fail bushings. The stock bushing were almost gone. I also installed new self adjusting brakes.

Like I said, I love this camper and I camp a lot in the boonies, in the mountains and desert. Like you, I do all this stuff on the camper myself.

Have fun!!!
Tom