2005 Funfinderx 160 - Lemon??

lmbcox · 08-14-2012, 09:50 AM

We bought our first (and only) travel trailer in 2005. It was the funfinder 160. We have two boys, two dogs and live in Montana and were planning to use it quite a bit. I think our troubles started with the dealer who, after receiving our check, pretty much sent us on our way. I called once to ask questions and was told that our salesman no longer worked there and sorry they couldn't help us. UGH! I also contacted Cruiser with little luck. So we kind of just tried to figure it out on our own. For "modifications" we took out all of the cabinet doors except the closet by the bathroom and the cabinet by the fridge. The hinges kept bending and we replaced them twice so this was easier, plus they are heavy doors!! Secondly I took the hinged legs off the kitchen table and that area underneath is a perfect fit for a couple large rubbermaid containers. The problems we have had are :
The shower floor leaked - they didn't caulk the corners in the shower.
The hot water heater connections leaked
The electrical system is tempermental.
The brake and signal lights short out quite a bit because the casing of the lights weren't sealed and water got in the wiring.
The outdoor shower broke off the second time we used it.
There is interference in the sound system.

Overall we have enjoyed this little camper but it's really only for a few days at a time. It's light and I can carry it with my xterra and that's one of the deciding factors for purchasing it. Any advice? I don't want to take it into the shop because I am sure the bill will be thousands!!

Thanks!

profdant139 · 08-14-2012, 08:03 PM

Those don't seem like huge repairs -- they seem pretty typical. Fire up your caulking gun and fix that shower. Tighten the plumbing fittings. And so forth.

If the roof were leaking, that would be a really big deal. But trailers need constant maintenance and repair. After all, think what your stick house would look like if you towed it down a bumpy highway at 60 mph!

If you need advice on a specific project, just post your question here, or else in the Do It Yourself forum on rv.net -- you will get tons of advice.

Hang in there! Working on the trailer is fun, not work!

webslave · 08-14-2012, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by profdant139

Those don't seem like huge repairs -- they seem pretty typical. Fire up your caulking gun and fix that shower. Tighten the plumbing fittings. And so forth.

If the roof were leaking, that would be a really big deal. But trailers need constant maintenance and repair. After all, think what your stick house would look like if you towed it down a bumpy highway at 60 mph!

If you need advice on a specific project, just post your question here, or else in the Do It Yourself forum on rv.net -- you will get tons of advice.

Hang in there! Working on the trailer is fun, not work!

X2

RVing is a "constantly fixing something" lifestyle. If those are all the problems you've had in, going on, 7 years, you've had it pretty good. Caulking always needs to be "freshened"...annually. Your rig is only going to hold up as well as your ongoing maintenance; caulking (which would have prevented many of your "woes") and tightening of fittings is an annual event. When new, my 5er leaked at the hot water fitting in the bathroom, the cold water fitting in the kitchen, the kitchen p-trap and the bathroom "y" splice in the basement. I was expecting and looking for them and I found them and tightened them before any damage was done. It is just one of those things. Door hinges bend, hinges in general squeak, compartment doors sag...ad nauseum. Every stop I make on our travels, if something is bad enough, I fix it then (caulking a leak for example). If it is a minor "annoyance" (a squeaky door hinge), I wait until something requires immediate attention to fix it or I'll wait for a few "minor annoyances" to accrue and then I'll fix all of them. It is part of the RVing lifestyle...you can buy an RV and ignore the "maintenance" and then trash the thing in a few years after dealing with "the lemon", or, you can be proactive; annual inspections (the whole unit, inside and out) and the fixing of the problems you discover along with the constant vigilance to find problems before they become "major" and enjoy your trips for a good many years.

lmbcox · 08-14-2012, 10:59 PM

Thanks for all the advice. Those were all repairs that we had to do during our first trip. Being our first rv and the dealer being uncooperative, it was definitely more than we thought we would have to deal with!! The biggest surprise is not knowing what to expect, being in the middle of nowhere in montana and having an issue. Fortunately like you said, no major issues just inconveniences. We do continue to have electrical issues and shorts. We won't deal with that dealership again, has anyone taken their ff to a non-deal repair? Before we stow it for the year I would like to have it given the "once over" so that when we head out next year we have everything straight!

profdant139 · 08-15-2012, 11:05 AM

We bought our first FF used -- no warranty -- and there were some things that I could not do myself (like electrical and brakes). We brought it to our friendly local car mechanic, a guy we have trusted for years. He and his crew did a great job.

On my new trailer, we got the extended warranty, and I use the dealer. Unfortunately, the dealer is 50 miles away, and in Southern Calif., 50 miles is really far due to the traffic.

Eagle · 08-16-2012, 08:06 AM

Now isn't that the most horrible thing about buying a product that is made to transport whatever. There is ALWAYS maintenance requirements and with most, from day one!

profdant139 · 08-16-2012, 10:49 AM

There are really great trailers out there -- Airstream and Arctic Fox, for example. But they are FAR more expensive. So on balance, I am very happy with my FF -- yes, small things need fixing, and other things wear out, but it was cheap and it is light and most of the quality control is good.