Foretravel Owners' Forum

Anyone out there know where I can find a tan corian cover for our 2 burner range area??  When we purchased the coach, the cover was missing and it's kinda bothered us especially when we use that area for our countertop Breville Oven.  Thought maybe someone would know where to get one besides FT.  Thanks    Bob

We tried to replace our cracked Corian cover while at MoT last November; and, they said nothing was available from FoT; so they Superglue'd and sanded it.  As for a missing cover, probably your choices are to either find a salvage one or have a custom cabinetmaker give an estimate on making one.  Lot of luck.

Bob. I will watch your post with anxious attention. The colors in the Foretravel counter hard surface have changed thru the years and matching is almost impossible according to  David Flanigan, the interior guru at FOT and all other Corian and hard surface experts that I have consulted, and there are several. I burned mine not once but twice (don't you dare ask, how) and it is cracked and stained and does not seat square so I am looking for a repair or replace also. I am thinking about using the sink covers for the repair. I believe that if I wanted to start from scratch as you have to do, I would ask David at FOT or Jack Lebold at TN RV to make me a pretty wooden one to match the cabinets in my coach, I may wind up doing that, as well. Either of them could make one that attached to existing hardware or holes and that would retract in an appropriate manner.

Hmmmmm. For what it is worth, I sent mine to FOT two years ago from my 1999 U-270 to David Flanigan and he had the material in stock to replace. Tim

Bob, I broke mine and replaced it with a custom made cutting board, that a friend made for me. Now Midge has a cutting board handy.

Horace... back in April, 2010, we had a flip-up countertop extension manufactured by Larry in David Flanigan's shop at FOT and it was a perfect match to the countertop surface product.  The only thing they could not match was the beveled edge.  We opted for the round bullnose, which matched the radius of the cabinetry edge corners (see image below).  Actually, David said they could match the beveling, but it would be costly (imagine that!) since they would have to try and find the original template of the bevel and requisite cutting/tool tip (sorry... I'm not very technical in my description).  So, perhaps FOT has acquired more product (that matches) since your last inquiry?  Or is the matching issue one of the "edge stripe" that I've seen in some of the 2003 (+/-) vintage coaches?

 

Pat. Yes, matching the dark stripe near the front edge was part of the problem. The other major problem was the price!
My coach has one of those fold down extensions, also. I suspect they were very popular.

Bob,
It's my understanding FT did make their own version of Corian and if so FT is your only choice to try to find a match- if at all possible.  I think there's a better chance of it being true Corian and if so there's a very good chance you can buy matching material from a local retailer (which are usually a Kitchen/Cabinet fabricators).  Try pulling out a few drawers to look at the underside and see if you can see any identification markings (might even tell you the color).

We broke our cover when it fell off a chair in '02.  I managed to find 1/2" thick replacement material that matches perfectly to our original '91 countertop.  I redid it with hinges to prevent further accidents and lowered the cooktop/stove so the cover would be flush with the rest of the counter.  Also replace the mirror backsplash with the same Corian.  Working with Corian is similar to wood, just use carbide tools, sand and polish to your desired finish and scotch-brite if you want the factory matte finish that hides scratches.  I suppose if remaking you own is too involved you could have a local retailer do it for you if you give them the dimensions.

Bob,

I'm sure David Flanagan has to make his statements about difficulties in matching countertops, just has he does matching cabinetry.  However, he has make many pieces for us, and fixed others, and the matching has been excellent.  The price has been reasonable also.

I had to replace a few pieces of Corian and they could not be matched. FT does not make their own anymore so you have to go with what is out there. I found a color that matched the offset color and used that and then a contrasting color to accent it.  It looks good and is now my shower and table top.  The cutting board is another good idea too.

Steve and I love the look of this.  Now Steve's going to do something similar in place of our sink covers.

Michelle

Nice to know that I am not the only match in the box that has had issues with a Corian flip up stovetop cover..
(stovetop recently rebuilt & looks great btw)

I'm headed toward a bamboo cutting board rather than attempting to repair the OEM corian, which costs more than I care think about. 

Thanks for the idea. pc

Corian cuts super easily with a table saw and you can also make the edges with the same table saw. Use a 120 tooth blade or finer. The pieces all glue together without even being able to see the seam if you use the matching glue. Several other products like Corian and all just as easy to work with. A kitchen fabricator should sell it pretty cheaply. Not hard to sand out any scratch marks with wet or dry and a buffer can make a finish from satin to glossy. Garden variety router makes nice rounded edges too if needed.

Pierce

We also (like Jimmy Freytag) had a cutting board made to fit there and it has worked well.

Interesting post.  Our 97 has speckled tan countertop material with a blue insert then the tan again at the bottom.

Inadvertently we cracked the edge on the left off about six inches back and at a slant two inches wide at the front. 

Sent the pieces carefully packed to mr flannigans shop after researching the issue and finding there is a specific DuPont adhesive used to assemble the countertop.

So versus superglue it myself or search locally here in so cal I sent it to the mothership.

Wrong.  They superglued it. One touch and the repaired piece fell off.

Now the edges have superglue.  Ugh.....

My local old buddy mod guru looked at the cover and said that's avonite which is speckled corian.

Turns out in Anaheim, ca there is a DuPont certified surface fabricator. 

Took it to him to see.  The 1/4 tan avonite is still available.  A 30" by 96" piece is pushing $400 in material alone.  No 1/2" blue rounded edge sourced at all.

He used the specific DuPont corian adhesive Foretravel should have and other than a barely visible line that he said only he and I would ever see its fixed for $25. 

Plus the $125 to Foretravel for the poor repair. 

You are correct.  Worth fixing.  Might be $800 to have a correct one made.  Expensive quality coach.  I intend to have one made if this does not hold up if necessary.  Because it pleases me to have it perfect.  Like an artwork.  I am the custodian. ,

He really did not want to make one but would.

Not sure of your exact color but ours is tan with little blue? Specks in it.  That's still available.

Its only money I have learned long ago.  How much would it please you to have a matching piece? 

Enough for me personally to send it to Texas after waiting a year for research then searching again to redo it correctly. I need to call my old buddy mr grimes and twist his tail.  "But its Foretravel, bob" is exactly what he will say I bet. 

Put the stove cover(serving tray) on and the sink covers on finally like Richard and Betty Bark gave the coach to us and now it again looks like a quality high line motorhome should IMO.

First do no harm.  Will not let my wife put any holes in the coach.  Period.  No one else has before us either,

Need an avonite DuPont certified solid surface guy. 

Just throw down your wallet on the ground and step on it and take all the air out of it.

Seems a really strong repair.  Doubt if it will fail but either way it will will have a matching cover if left to me.

Bob

Hi Bob & Faith,
  Our 1997 U320 has Corian tops. Our coach has the top surface color of Aurora. The middle is Flint. The bottom is Aurora again. All three colors are 1/2" thickness. Tops at the exposed edges are 1 1/2" thickness. Both colors are still available from a Corian distributor. The appropriate Corian adhesive/glue is also available. Repairs are easy. Strength of repair is as new.
Raymond

In another life, long ago I sold for Corian fabricator.  We had all kinds of left over pieces, lots of sink and stove cutouts.  We kept everything we could reuse somewhere or some how.  There is a good chance of walking into a shop with your parts, and finding a solution.  It might take a couple of stops but possible.

I guy I knew did a lot of countertops in Nevemar, a competitor of Corian. He had a great woodworking shop and used the same saws for the Nevemar. I saw how easy it was so did the countertops in the galley and head in my 4107 bus conversion. With his help, I used a granite lookalike. We looked at some other jobs and with strong glasses, noticed how the installers had missed on a couple of angles but used the matching glue to fill in so it was hard to tell it was not perfect.

If you can make good use of a table saw, this stuff is for you. Not too much of a learning curve here and fun to do. He always had scraps left over with some good sized. He also paid a LOT less for the full sheets but did it for resale and got a big break.

Pierce

Our 1997 U 320 has the Corian tops. Our top surface color is Corian Aurora. A sheet of 1/2" x 30" x 144" cost $430.30, 1/2" x 30" x 72" $179.00. Not cheap, but it was more a few years back. As Pierce says, it is not very hard to learn well enough to do a good job.
Raymond

Our coach came with a table extension piece , made of the same material as counter tops
Just a thought

I pulled mine and put in a couple pieces of style stone.  It looks like granite.

RICHLITE.. Comes in Tan(?) only (i was misguided and thought a few colors were available) and is soooo much better than Corian, it is almost shameful.  Imagine a CNC cut, reasonably priced counter top.

email me and I'll send you all the info for where to Get R' done.

Not sure the forum rules would be compromised if I give out the info., but will forward, that the operation is in Norcross, Ga. and Dave is the man to talk to.  pc

does come in colors
Northwest: Colors (http://www.richlite.com/northwest/colors.html)

interesting

After viewing the Richlite site, I'd think so.  pc