Forum Discussion

peruky's avatar
peruky
Explorer
Sep 17, 2014

Bounder 35K or Challenger 37KT? good and bad features?

Your input would be greatly appreciated. I want to go full time next year and I found two floorplans that I really really like. The Bounder 35K and The Challenger 37KT. One has a bath and a half but the other one has a dedicated living room where you can close the door for guests. Do you have one of these models? What is your best feature and worse? Full Timers do you see anything missing or something that will make it difficult for me? I asked the salespeople and both can be used with the slides in. I learned that from you all :)


http://www.fleetwoodrv.com/bounder/floorplans/35k

http://challengermotorhome.com/floorplans.php
Class A
  • peruky's avatar
    peruky
    Explorer
    Sep 17, 2014
    The longer wheelbase will definitely help it ride nicer.

    Here's the specs page:

    Challenger specs

    Thanks Effy, I see the wheelbase and that's good news and we have 4,000 weight. Is that decent and acceptable for long term/full time rving?
  • Effy's avatar
    Effy
    Explorer II
    Sep 17, 2014
    peruky wrote:
    dahkota wrote:
    Wow. The 37kt has a wheelbase of 242" on a 22K chassis. Mine is 208" on a 22K chassis, about 4 feet shorter. I only mention this because, in our recent hunt for a fulltiming class A, we ran into quite a few larger gassers with really low (for us) cargo capacity. On our 34' bounder, we have 3600 lbs. I would imagine, being 4 feet longer, the 37KT would be about 1200-1600 lbs. less. If it isn't less, where did they save the weight? Something I would definitely take into consideration.

    One class A we found had a 1200 lb. cargo capacity.


    Thanks for bringing that up because we have not even considered that concern. I love how I can learn new things from others. You are truly a help so we can make a better decision.


    The longer wheelbase will definitely help it ride nicer.

    Here's the specs page:

    Challenger specs
  • peruky's avatar
    peruky
    Explorer
    Sep 17, 2014
    dahkota wrote:
    Wow. The 37kt has a wheelbase of 242" on a 22K chassis. Mine is 208" on a 22K chassis, about 4 feet shorter. I only mention this because, in our recent hunt for a fulltiming class A, we ran into quite a few larger gassers with really low (for us) cargo capacity. On our 34' bounder, we have 3600 lbs. I would imagine, being 4 feet longer, the 37KT would be about 1200-1600 lbs. less. If it isn't less, where did they save the weight? Something I would definitely take into consideration.

    One class A we found had a 1200 lb. cargo capacity.


    Thanks for bringing that up because we have not even considered that concern. I love how I can learn new things from others. You are truly a help so we can make a better decision.
  • dahkota's avatar
    dahkota
    Explorer
    Sep 17, 2014
    Wow. The 37kt has a wheelbase of 242" on a 22K chassis. Mine is 208" on a 22K chassis, about 4 feet shorter. I only mention this because, in our recent hunt for a fulltiming class A, we ran into quite a few larger gassers with really low (for us) cargo capacity. On our 34' bounder, we have 3600 lbs. I would imagine, being 4 feet longer, the 37KT would be about 1200-1600 lbs. less. If it isn't less, where did they save the weight? Something I would definitely take into consideration.

    One class A we found had a 1200 lb. cargo capacity.
  • peruky's avatar
    peruky
    Explorer
    Sep 17, 2014
    teddyu wrote:
    Have a 371, predecessor of the 37KT. Nicest layout to be had. The convience of the 3 rooms makes it a fantastic RV for FT or occassional guests. Sometimes we don't deploy the front slides, especially in winter or short term stays. Many pass through basement compartments for added storage. Did a minor mod to the furnace for better heat control. This a good ticket for fulltiming in a gas unit. JM2¢...but I'm biased


    Teddyu, does the doors rattle loudly while driving down the road? Do you have to open the bedroom slide to sleep? Because sometimes if we are on the road to a destination and I would prefer to just stop at a rest area so I can take a nap without opening the slide and then get back on the road again.
  • teddyu's avatar
    teddyu
    Explorer
    Sep 17, 2014
    Have a 371, predecessor of the 37KT. Nicest layout to be had. The convience of the 3 rooms makes it a fantastic RV for FT or occassional guests. Sometimes we don't deploy the front slides, especially in winter or short term stays. Many pass through basement compartments for added storage. Did a minor mod to the furnace for better heat control. This a good ticket for fulltiming in a gas unit. JM2¢...but I'm biased

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