Hi I am new to this board my name is Bruce Elliott and I live way up in the Yellowknife NWT Canada, if anyone has seen the first Ice Road Truckers on Tv that's home.
I am looking at buying a used Newell coach around 10 years old and came across a add for a 2003 UNI Foretravel and was very impressed.How would you rate the two ,are there any problems I should be looking for with a Foretravel.
Look forward to your help
Bruce
Ay Chihuahua! You are indeed a hearty soul!
Bruce, welcome aboard. I don't know much about Newell other than it is a premium built & priced coach. But, I can tell you that I did extensive research prior to buying the Foretravel. And, for the money, I could not justify the Newell premium price over the Foretravel.
Help us a bit and tell us your intended use for the coach. It will help others lend their advice.
Good luck in your search.
Thanks for the reply,
You hit the nail on the head with your comment about price of the Newell ,We are in the process of taking the big leap and retiring and are looking for a coach to travel and see both US and Canada in .Would not be full time as I am also building a sailing catamaran almost finished.
Bruce
Bruce,
Let me add...use the Search Tab to look for items "key words" that will interest you in connection with Foretravel Discussions. There's a lot already said in the ForeForums topics about the items you're likely interested in reading. If you find a topic which you need amplification, you can reply to it and ask away.
Bruce, I personally like the older Foretravels because they have more accessories that I can repair myself. I have looked at Newels, which are built here in my home state of Oklahoma, but all I see is more potential problems. I also don't really care for the interior design of their older coaches. The last three years are however beautiful.
If I were looking for a 5 year old coach or older I would no doubt pick a Foretravel. The newer Newels and Foretravels are more similar to one another, then it becomes a price and design issue.
It wouldn't hurt to make a trip to both Nacogdoches, TX and to Miami, Oklahoma to judge for yourself.
About ten years ago I was hot to get a coach. I looked for the best quality chassis. From the research I did then, it looked like Newell would be a good choice. Wife and I visited Miami and got a great tour of the Newell factory. I was favorably impressed with their methods and engineering. However, spouse's opinion was, "I don't want anything that conspicuously opulent." We found the interiors too "fancy" for us. The cheapest used Newell we saw was about $180K, which was out of our range anyway.
When son moved 800 miles away with the grandchildren, we got serious about getting an RV. We bought a 1997 DP of "entry level" quality in August, 2009. We took some minor trips and two major trips of greater than 3,000 miles. The last included some time in Montana in December. During our stay there, and our our trip home, we found that we need capacity to wait out a blizzard. The old DP didn't provide that. Again I searched for a high quality chassis, "blizzard" capacities for heat and supplies, and an interior in which we could be comfortable. We found those qualities in a 1997 Foretravel U295. I would like to have the Aqua-Hot, but the propane furnaces have been doing well.
We have a 36' coach with no slides. That suits us well. We are not likely to be away from the stick home more than about three weeks at a time. Wife is comfortable driving, although towing the Jeep makes her a bit uncomfortable. We travel with a 65 pound dog and don't feel cramped. We do OK with one or two grandchildren in for the night. We haven't tried to travel with them yet.
We plan to test the cold weather capabilities of the U295 around the Christmas holidays. We are planning to visit Missouri, for Christmas. From there, we plan to go to Billings, MT, for a few days. It will be COLD. I expect to give a report of the experience during the trip and after we return. I expect it to be challenging, but doable. We managed OK in the "low end" 1997 DP. With only 18 gallons of propane on board for heating, we couldn't stay parked long enough to wait for roads to clear in case of heavy snow. We burned about six gallons per day. I'm expecting about the same burn rate in the U295, but with 42 gallons, we'll be able to hole up for a few days. If you need to hole up longer, the Aqua-Hot is probably a requirement.
Best wishes in your choice. We have looked at Newell and Foretravel. Foretravel was our choice because of price and interior design. Your requirements should guide you.
Bruce ,either coach will serve you well . Foretravel is the best fiberglass skin coach . Newell is aluminum skin . Now if you have decided on a length and age you will find a large price difference . The next item of note is the WEIGHT the newell is much much more heavy . I am on my thind fortravel , started with a 1989 mod U-300 , loved it ,next a 2003 mod 320 ,excellent coach . I drove that coach thru your home town in 2007 . I like your area . I now have a 2006 phenix Has more bells and whistles than i know what to do with . Top quality for sure . Next thing ,cold weather , yep ,built for it .When the smoke clears , you just cant beat a FORETRAVEL Good luck ,buy it come to Virginia to visit . Brad
Bruce,
I research major purchases for months. For my first RV, and Airstream trailer, it was years. When I started thinking fulltiming and motorhome I looked at several annual RV buying guides. I finally narrowed my search to Foretravel, Newell, Tiffin, and Country Coach. As I traveled I would look for those four brands in camp grounds, talk with the owners, and gather more information. All things considered, it seemed that Foretravel owners were the happiest with their coach, the most enthusiastic, and always willing to give you a tour and answer questions. Tiffin is a close second in that category. I took a tour of the Foretravel factory inn 2005. I was impressed at every phase of the construction. A major consideration for me is the drive train. Foretravel uses Cummins and Allison with retarder. My military friends who know diesels and transmissions, told me that's as good as it gets. To make a longer story shorter, I decided on a Foretravel without reservation. Since I purchased my Foretravel, a 2006 42' Phenix, in Aug. 2010 I am now also impressed with the Foretravel factory service department. Their techs have been with them for years. You can't ask any one of them a question they cannot answer. Additionally, if you have a problem Foretravel offers a free 24/7 emergency phone service. For systems questions you can call anytime during working hours and speak with one of two people who I believe could build a coach blindfolded. I am now fulltiming. I swear every morning when I return from walking the dogs I look at the coach and smile. Wheather I'm reading, cooking, showering, driving, or sleeping, I am a happy camper.