Foretravel Motorhomes with 20 or more years of service

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Foretravel Motorhomes with 20 or more years of service

December 18, 2018, 07:06:55 pm

I'm thinking about buying a 1997 Foretravel Motorhome U295 36' with approximately 110,000 miles with a Cummins C8.3 325 HP engine. I'm a full timer and wondering how many more years of service I could get from this motorhome.

I would like some feedback from Foretravel Motorhome owners with units that are over 20 years old and still going strong.

Thank You in Advance!!!!!

John

Re: Foretravel Motorhomes with 20 or more years of service

Reply #1 – December 18, 2018, 07:50:54 pm

Well, we're fulltiming in a 1993. We've had some age-related issues, but the coach is sound and good for many more years. We've got 178,000 on the coach and about 12,000 on the rebuilt engine.

Re: Foretravel Motorhomes with 20 or more years of service

Reply #2 – December 18, 2018, 07:59:21 pm

John,

If the coach has been taken care of in the past and you do the same your kids will have to get rid of it after your passing. The thing is have someone do an inspection for you that is familiar with the Foretravel brand. You need to realize there will be items that need to be fixed and items that you want to do/upgrade. (the key here is need or want) Our present '97 is still going strong and the couple that bought our '92 is still using it and it had over 100,000 miles on it when we passed it on.

Pamela & Mike

Re: Foretravel Motorhomes with 20 or more years of service

Reply #3 – December 18, 2018, 08:07:00 pm

Our '93 was built 12 model numbers before David's (above) and it is still going strong at 190,000 miles. Our C8.3 purrs like a kitten, and our coach runs down the road smooth as a Cadillac, and keeps us feeling safe and comfortable everywhere we go. Wouldn't trade it for a new one for any reason. Old Foretravel coaches are like fine wine...they just get better with age.

Re: Foretravel Motorhomes with 20 or more years of service

Reply #4 – December 18, 2018, 08:19:29 pm

Couldn't agree more with the above experts. My 96 runs like a champ and smooth as glass, especially after the new tires and centramatics. With only 107,000 miles, I expect she is good for much longer than I will be around for. A little tender loving care and modifications to make it your own and you won't be disappointed. As with any older coach, check it out thoroughly first and realize that it is 20 years old and things will need fixing, either up front or as you go on down the line.

Larry

Re: Foretravel Motorhomes with 20 or more years of service

Reply #5 – December 18, 2018, 08:24:58 pm

John, I have a 1998 U320 with the M11 motor. Mine is a solid coach that I bought 3 years ago with 110k miles and now has 135k. I have not had significant issues, but it was well maintained by previous owner. I have probably spent $10k in the three years on maintenance items and minor repairs. Tire batteries, inverter, solar, etc.

There have been a few people here that had significant issues with this era coach. Some on the order of $30k, so you do need to do your homework and be sure to have it inspected by some one knowledgeable.

Re: Foretravel Motorhomes with 20 or more years of service

Reply #6 – December 18, 2018, 08:47:54 pm

Get someone knowledgeable about Foretravels to do an inspection for you, then at least you will know up front about some of the repairs it may need. There will be other unforeseen issues for sure. If it has been maintained by the previous owners and you don't mind doing small repairs yourself, the coach should make you a happy camper.

We bought our '95 with 87,000 and 3 years later it now has over 117,000. One trip to the northwest, one to the northeast and another to the southwest, from Florida, with no real issues. Not bad for a motorhome that is almost 24 years old, plus it rides better than most new ones on the market today.

Good Luck and Happy Trails!

Re: Foretravel Motorhomes with 20 or more years of service

Reply #7 – December 18, 2018, 08:56:11 pm

These old coaches are real Americana for me. Our coach will outrun me, I bet. That Irish Girl got better maintenance than I got! Much better build, too.

Those were high volume production years for FT. Good times. Great coaches.

Edit: Maybe twenty years of additional service (or until a Part Problem stops you for a while.) Guessing here. Cash helps.

Re: Foretravel Motorhomes with 20 or more years of service

Reply #8 – December 18, 2018, 09:03:36 pm

My '93 U300 is almost 26 years old. It has 203K miles on it. We bought it after an inspection that taught us it was well sorted. Any money that we've spent has been for tires, oil, filters, chasing down the expected air leaks and making it our own. The DD 6V92 engine is just getting broken in.

The coach will outlive me and will be my kids problem.

Re: Foretravel Motorhomes with 20 or more years of service

Reply #9 – December 18, 2018, 09:14:51 pm

Noooooo......my problem......love that DD

Re: Foretravel Motorhomes with 20 or more years of service

Reply #10 – December 18, 2018, 10:13:56 pm

Our 92 has 133,000 miles, the PO did a great job keeping it in good shape, when we bought it we did the general maintenance and tires. In the four years we have owned her minor problems and IAM able to all my own work.
So like the above post have it inspected and do your homework. Good luck and happy foretravling.
As a side note we have owned four different coach's and none have had the quality that this 92 U 300 Grand Villa has.

Re: Foretravel Motorhomes with 20 or more years of service

Reply #11 – December 18, 2018, 10:50:00 pm

Never even knew the word " Foretravel " Parked next to Andy 2's '92. He told me that " you want one"......He was right. Love our FT.

Re: Foretravel Motorhomes with 20 or more years of service

Reply #12 – December 19, 2018, 12:36:18 am

John, probably a lot depends on the vehicle's previous care and your technical ability. We have been living fulltime in our coach with same engine, size and year for over 20 years, it looks like, and runs like new and we expect it is only at its half-life point if that.

The advantage of this coach is its simplicity and common available parts. It has the advantage of no slides, electric toilet, Aquahot or electronic engine. Coach is lighter weight with less torque to stress components. Everything is fixable. Great coach to own and a wonderful home on wheels.

Just think, this engine only has two simple 12-volt circuits. One to open and shut off fuel that is easily manually controlled if it fails, and the second circuit to preheat intake manifold. How much simpler could an engine be? Engine easily drives our 30,000 pounds up all mountains and will likely never be a problem at any mileage or engine hours.

Re: Foretravel Motorhomes with 20 or more years of service

Reply #13 – December 19, 2018, 12:43:11 am

Love my simple 89, but I am not full timing or even retired yet, and upgrades and or new preventive maintenance would be difficult on the road.

Re: Foretravel Motorhomes with 20 or more years of service

Reply #14 – December 19, 2018, 12:44:32 am

John : Looks like so far I am the oldest coach to weigh in so far. Mitch Rosen, maker of fine gun leather, uses the phrase " fit, finish, function" to describe his holsters and the phrase sums up perfectly the older Foretravels, especially the Grand Villa series, one of which I am the proud owner of. True I am blessed with only 75,000 miles and stored inside all it's life. Older Foretravels are rock solid, from running gear to trim details. Remember all the Foretravels at there date of build were, and are, considered the best in class of their time. Sure I have put some money into the rig. Solar, LEDS, tires, upgraded electronics, and all the other things we can't seem to live without but I am more than willing to do that to a rig with a solid foundation. Others on here are correct, when you find one be sure to have someone qualified take a good look at it. Just like buying an older house, you don't want to get termites and dry rot. Take your budget and buy an older Foretravel and dump the rest into upgrades to make it fit your purpose and style. You won't be sorry.

Re: Foretravel Motorhomes with 20 or more years of service

Reply #15 – December 19, 2018, 04:47:00 am

We have the 8.3 12 valve 300 hp Cummins,235,000 miles,running good.

Re: Foretravel Motorhomes with 20 or more years of service

Reply #16 – December 19, 2018, 06:59:53 am

Quote from: jam4travel – December 18, 2018, 07:06:55 pm

I'm thinking about buying a 1997 Foretravel Motorhome U295 36' with approximately 110,000 miles with a Cummins C8.3 325 HP engine. I'm a full timer and wondering how many more years of service I could get from this motorhome.

I would like some feedback from Foretravel Motorhome owners with units that are over 20 years old and still going strong.

Thank You in Advance!!!!!

John

I bought (#5040), a 1997 U295 40" last July of 2017, the most motorhome for the money spent both before and after. Look forward to hearing from you after you make your purchase. Not one regret on my purchase or the FT as designed. Up till last year, I sold high end motorhomes in Oregon, CA, and Arizona for one employer for 14 years, and have 48 years in the industry.

One of my best friends, Dave Pdrlot, the son of the owner of Beaver, Safari, etc. who grew up in the industry, I overheard him say to a friend trading in his FT on a high end $400k Monaco in approx 2005, "Before you do this, you do realize your FT is a better RV than what you are buying". He replied to Dave, "I know, it is time, plus, your not selling FTs". After I talked to Dave why he said that, he said Jack, go out and look at the FT he is trading in". This was my first and most fortunate experience with FT.

Re: Foretravel Motorhomes with 20 or more years of service

Reply #17 – December 19, 2018, 07:21:37 am

I concur with all of the above! My 1994 Grandvilla U300, has just a little over 65,000 miles on it. Prior to my purchase it had been owned by a man that owned a trucking company. It had been stored in an airconditioned garage in Florida. I have owned it for the last eleven (11) years, and 35,000 miles, only having to do updates and preventative maintenance. I did not have the funds or the ability to keep it stored in an airconditioned structure like its previous owner. So, "Like Me", her skin is a little ruff on the outside but her "Bones" are still strong on the inside.

Re: Foretravel Motorhomes with 20 or more years of service

Reply #18 – December 19, 2018, 09:28:36 am

I have had a Foretravel since I was in my 30's. My current one is 4 builds from Jack Lewis's U295. Mine has the 3126 CAT engine and as with the others here, I am more than pleased. Have had no real issues as the prior owners were proactive. We have spent the majority of the money on the coach on upgrades and getting things the way the DW wants them. We are not afraid to start her up and go anywhere. We keep her stored inside, plugged in, full of fuel, pretty much stocked and ready to go. No other make of coach for me.
John

Re: Foretravel Motorhomes with 20 or more years of service

Reply #19 – December 19, 2018, 10:07:24 am

Our 1993 U300 has a little over 100,000 miles and in a few days, we will be on our eleventh year of ownership. Lots of little improvements but less than one coach buck on things that have gone wrong. By far the biggest expenses have been the diesel and insurance. Like Gerry, it could be nicer on the outside but a great coach for camping and nice to drive. Looking forward to enjoying it many more years.

Piece

Re: Foretravel Motorhomes with 20 or more years of service

Reply #20 – December 19, 2018, 10:15:23 am

I have had a motor home since I was 23. My first two motorhomes were a 23' & then a 26' GMC. I put the GMC up for sale and was sold in a few days. It then took me almost a year to find my next motorhome (I think I was older then 30 at the time, so John beat me on getting into Foretravels) and it was a Foretravel on a Dodge chassis. I then bought a Grand Villa that ended up burning up when my garage caught on fire. Shortly after the fire in 2000 I went and bought another Foretravel the 1997 U295, which I currently still own. I have now bought a 2014 IH45. At this time I do not plan on selling the 1997 which I have around 89,000 miles so I can still use it taking it to places the big one can not go. How much longer will it last. I have no idea but if past history is any indication then it will be still running in another 20 years.

Re: Foretravel Motorhomes with 20 or more years of service

Reply #21 – December 19, 2018, 10:40:53 am

I would rather have my 1994 Foretravel than a 2014 anything else.

Re: Foretravel Motorhomes with 20 or more years of service

Reply #22 – December 19, 2018, 11:37:19 am

With real estate it is location, location, location. But with a Foretravel, it's condition, condition, condition.
Chris

Re: Foretravel Motorhomes with 20 or more years of service

Reply #23 – December 19, 2018, 11:39:53 am

A customer I built a 1989 40" u280 SAI had 307k on that coach ten years ago and Cleo was giving the coach to his daughter to drive it more.

Re: Foretravel Motorhomes with 20 or more years of service

Reply #24 – December 19, 2018, 01:26:43 pm

One of the measurements that I find amazing is how many owners are willing to put 20 or 30K into a 20+ year old coach. Such as elaborate solar systems, full body paint, complete interior remodels or major structural fixes ( bulkhead ). These upgrades are common among Fortravel owners and I understand why. The coaches were premium and ahead of there time when built and the same craftsmanship is hard to find in today's world.

I continue to jump into the newer coaches for a look see when opportunity comes along and I jump right back out with a deeper appreciation of my Foretravel EVERY time. We bought our last coach first and to toss another 30k into it for upgrades seems well worth it.

Bob n Sue

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