We bought it in August of 2006, a 1987 34S Bounder we found in Franklin,
Tennessee.
The owner told us it had been sitting unused for nearly three years, so we
felt pleasantly surprised and hopeful when it started right up. The engine
sounded rough, the manifolds leaked, and the brakes were stuck. I couldn't
tell amidst all the squeaking, popping and sputtering sounds made by
leaking exhaust gasses if all the cylinders were firing, but I could
detect no smoke from the engine. We found delamination on the street side
when we began looking it over, learned the generator won't run, and the
chassis battery seemed almost dead when we first cranked it up. We could
smell a strong odor of gasoline around the back side, which scared us
about it, but could see no leaks when I crawled underneath.
For plusses, we liked the floorplan and the general condition of its
interior. It appeared to have been cared for and kept clean. The roof
seemed solid, and the seller told us everything was in working order when
he had last used it. He thought most of its problems could be cured with
fresh fuel in the tank.
Mindful of the effects that a three-year time-span could have, and that we
would likely need to replace all 6 tires before we could contemplate
serious use (time limit on tire safety is 5 years from the DOT date code),
we made a deal at a far lower price than he had originally asked. I think
he wanted to cry, but felt glad to finally see it go. We promised to take
good care of it, to love it, and then hurried off to find the money before
he could change his mind.
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