Yes, another one!
Long time forum members probably get really tired of hearing from Wannabes. I know I would if I was in your shoes. On the other hand, a forum like this must continually recruit fresh new members, or it will simply fade away. So perhaps we aren't so bad, after all. On with my story...
Like many before us, my wife and I have zero RV experience. We're both retired, too much time on our hands, have decided we need to get off the couch and go explore this great country of ours. Plus we would like to eventually relocate to a more desirable retirement site, but don't know where...figure the best way to decide is to go take a look... Current state of neglect in most motels these days is off-putting, plus I have dietary restrictions that make cooking our own meals almost mandatory. We have decided a RV makes sense for us, but have come to the big question: which one? Briefly considered towables - then decided motorhomes more our style. We started out looking at Winnebago/Itasca gas coaches and the many clones - were totally unimpressed by quality to cost ratio. Online search for something "better" led me first to bus conversions, then to BlueBirds, and finally to Foretravel.
I have spent the last several weeks trying to digest the massive amount of knowledge contained in this forum. I realize I have only scratched the surface. What a terrific resource this is! It is so impressive how members go out of their way to help each other. I have never even set foot inside a actual Foretravel coach, but based entirely on what you (the forum) have said, we have decided we must TRY to join your merry company. Since no examples of this coach exist locally, we plan to make a educational/investigative trip to Nacogdoches on the 25th of this month. We live in Midland, TX and it is 500 miles one way, so more than a day trip, but not too bad.
I have been monitoring the online inventory at MOT for a while. They seem to have a good selection of various size and price units, so it will be a great place to get "hands-on" exposure. Based on our financial status, and from what I've read here, I believe we would be most interested in the 1996 through 1999 Unicoach. Within that category, we are pretty flexible as to which model, length, etc. Again based on my reading here, I would like to stick to a Cummins engine. It will be a big stretch for us to afford much above $60,000 initial cost - I need to leave some in the bank for contingencies. I see 4 (or 5) units currently listed online at MOT that would fit our broad requirements (listed in ascending price): a '96 U270 36', an '98 U270 36' ("All White", no photos posted yet), a '98 U270 34', and a '97 U320 40' (the one with the wild purple graphics). There is also a '99 U295 36' which, while slightly above our "budget", has some very desirable features like Aqua-Hot and the headlight conversion. There may be others not yet listed online?
If we are going to make this dream come true, my wife and I will need ALL the help we can get from this forum. I will start out my membership here by asking the group 2 questions. First, do any of you have any direct knowledge about these particular units at MOT? I would be very interested in any history, details about interior or tire condition, or (better yet) your opinion of them if you have actually walked through them recently. If someone here believes any one of them would be a particularly good buy (at the asking price), I would love to know why. My ultimate goal, like most wannabes, is to find a well-maintained, well-documented, gently used, roadworthy, and reasonably priced (non-smoking) Unicoach.
My second question: is there any forum member who lives close by Nacogdoches who would be (on possibly short notice) willing and able to assist me by doing a complete detailed inspection of a coach, closely following the "50 Things To Check..." list found at this forum? This would only come up in the extremely unlikely event that we stumbled across the "perfect coach for us" on this trip to MOT. Pretty remote chance, but stranger things have happened...especially to me. I would, of course, insist on paying for this service at the going rate, whatever that might be.
In closing, i apologize for the length of this introductory note. If you are still awake, let me say in advance thanks for all the help I know I will get here. You people make up one of the best online forums I've ever found. Even if i don't ever find my dream coach, I know I will learn a lot hanging out here.
Good Day to all of you, Chuck and Jeannie Avery in Midland, TX.
Hardly! I know Steve and I smile when we see a new member/first time poster. Every one of us was a wannabe at some point :)
So welcome to the forum!
For both MOT and FOT, you might touch base with their sales folks directly now - many coaches never even make the website and I believe they keep a list of potential buyers' criteria as well. I know Mel Cordray from MOT is on the forum fairly regularly so you can always PM him.
The purple one is "Purple Haze", on consignment (I think) by a longtime forum member Mark Baldacchino.
Brett Wolfe would be my first choice for inspection; he's a member/moderator here and is based in the Houston area. A number of members have hired Brett for their inspections.
Good luck later this month!
Michelle
Welcome aboard. I know for fact the purple snazzy U320 was Mike Baldacchino's coach. He was a member here so you can actually do a search for his posts to further decipher any of that coach's history.
Good luck in your search.
Welcome aboard. I think in this age range youare going ot have to actually go and look at them. You should plan a trip down there and look them over. One big difference on the ones you listed is the 320 has an ISM and aquahot. The bigger engine and transmission makes the retarder work a bit better and you have quiet heat in the winter too. If you are going to fulltime to find your retirement location you will want at least a 40 footer.
I have a copy of my original 'Welcome to..."
Welcome,
I believe the later years you are looking at will have ducted air, which is a plus, not sure when that became standard. Agree that 40' and U-320 (aqua hot) would be my preference, headlight conversion looks cool and I think are mandatory for any night time driving. Many on the forum choose not to drive at night, so not that big a deal.
Pay attention to
battery age
tire age
refrigerator operation
things like tv conversions are pretty common and getting relatively inexpensive.
flooring can be changed, but can add some dollars,
make sure you like the floor plan
Stuff will break, especially in the first year if the coach hasn't been used a lot, then it will "settle down'
Nacogdoches a great resource, check out MOT and FOT for sure, but swing by and say hello to James at Xtreme (local paint shop for high end RV's. James is a great person and a wealth of knowledge.
Brett Wolfe is the right person to pay for a pre-purchase, and knowledge transfer, hands down
GOod luck and welcome!
I am a newbie also, I started out looking for a Monaco, as I seen piccys of one here in OZ, They are a nice coach, But lots of looking and accumulating knowledge of a few differerent brands and conversions,
I stumbled over a conversion company in California,who mentioned that I could import Grand villa's into OZ,
Whats a Foretravel Grand Villa, I had never even heard of them, Well, more square eyes over a period of months looking, and getting onto the Foretravel Forum as well, And all the info on them and more, Plus the very friendly people on here, with no Negativity at all, They are all positive,
My question was,
what goes wrong with these Coachs, Very little it seems, The odd bug or two, But considering the complexity of what an RV actually is, Foretravels, dont fall apart at the seams like some do,, well built, Nice looking,
I finally found one in Gladewater Texas, a 36 footer, ORED, I was so impressed with it, I bought it, and had it driven to California where it got converted to right hand drive and Australian ADR's,
Its currently on a ship heading to Australia,
Did I mention that I bought it sight unseen, Just piccys and looking and reading the info on here about the Foretravels, Is what made me buy my coach,
Do not buy a coach that has been lived in permanently and has not been driven in years, It will fall apart, It will cost you big time and make you cry, you will be dissapointed with one from a caravan park, I think you call them Trailer parks,
On site permanent living,
Good luck and welcome,
I'd warn anyone to be prepared to spend about 10-20% of the purchase price for a cared-for but underused coach in the first year or so on repairs and must have modifications so fit that into your budget before you go shopping. Even more for a neglected or storage unit queen.
Welcome Chuck and Jeannie,
Ask away and we will help you.
I know it's overwhelming, trying to make a "first RV" decision. We did it with great difficulty for our 1st and only coach. We did it the tedious way (no ForeForums existed in 1998). We did it by reading everything we could get our hands on and by visiting RV shows and by talking with every owner that we could get access to, across a dozen SOB's, over several years. This really is the "Information Age" and is so much easier today. The trick though is successfully sorting through all of the information, gleaning the facts from the fiction and deciding what is of value to YOUR list of "musts", "wants" and "not importants".
Being in the Northeast, it took my DW and me a long time to learn anything substantive about Foretravel, and you have already crossed that threshold!
So to add a bit to what's already been offered:
· 1998 (Correction - 1997) was the first year for thermo pane windows and for ducted AC's
1998 was the last year for the 8.3 L/325 HP mechanical engine
· 1999 was the first year for the electronic 8.3 L engine and for the 2" wider entry door (28.5" ID, frame wall to frame wall vs. 26.5")
· 2000 was the first year for a slide
· The 11 Liter engine and the Aqua Hot were standard on the U320
· The 8.3 Liter engine and the Propane furnace (1 on U270's, 2 on U295's) and Propane (plus electrical element) hot water heater were standard on the U270 and U295's. A few of the U295's were custom built with Aqua Hots.
While many FT owners are quick to advise newbies that the U320, 40' and Aqua Hot "bells and whistles" are wise choices, a silent minority feels that there are significant "Cost" and "Quality of Life" advantages to "Keeping It Simple - KISS". Here are a few items that I feel you need more information about. I'm sensing that KISS may be of importance to you. If not, disregard:
· The numerous filters, larger oil capacities and larger transmissions on the U320 translate to higher routine maintenance costs in order to create an admittedly delightful "purr" and more weight-hauling capacity. But compare the routine engine/transmission filters/fluids service costs, before you decide. Our 8.3 mechanical is simple to PM and CM and has more than enough "giddy-up" to haul a 24' trailer plus SUV plus Goldwing throughout the USA (180K+ miles and counting).
· The Aqua Hot system vs. Propane choice is akin to an exotic sports car vs. a F-150 pickup truck utility choice. Most of us enjoy sports cars, BUT: The exotic sports car is delicate, loaded with idiosyncrasies, distasteful to some and good service personnel are usually expensive as well as few and far between. In comparison to propane, Aqua Hots are expensive to keep up with in terms of proper preventative maintenance. Corrective maintenance can be BIG $$$$$'s and they violate all of the KISS principles in comparison to Propane hot water heaters and furnaces. We seldom use our propane to heat water (the electric heating element provides more than enough hot water for consecutive showers), or to heat the coach (the AC heat strips do fine down to 35°F - just went through a night of that). One propane tank fill lasts us 12 months of daily cooking, BBQ's, heat and hot water. Our fourteen year (+) furnace and water heater PM and CM costs would easily leave a $100 bill unspent.
· We essentially "full time" 8 months a year in a 36', non-slide FT and (following the sun) we don't find it lacking enough in size to warrant change. WE find "6 for drinks, 4 for dinner, 2 for sleeping" (in any size coach) to be ideal.
· We have seriously considered many, newer, larger FT's and much prefer our (existing) dedicated storage space that would otherwise be lost to slides, tag axles, aux. equipment bays (in the alternative FT's with more bells and whistles). And all of the alternative "bells and whistles" increase initial, preventative maintenance, corrective maintenance, and ongoing complexity costs. If we could put 4 more feet into our coach, we would probably dedicate it all to two, opposing, 4 foot desks. That's about the only thing we miss. WE would miss the easy maneuverability of the 36' though.
Once again, welcome, ask away and we should be able to help you.
Neal
Neal, I think that you have laid out some good information. I have had both a propane coach and now two aquahot coaches. The propane heated coach was warm and worked but it was not really simpler than the aquahot. you have to change the filter and the nozzle and clean the burner chamber. Standard maintenance is about 275 dollars a year. Yes stuff can go wrong but that can happen on any coach. If you are going to camp in cold weather the Aquahot is hands down a winner. In fact I am driving south to FL and hit a snow storm so I pulled over in a rest area for the night. The aquahot never missed a beat. Also you can use the engine heat to run it when you are driving so that BTU rejection that the radiator is doing is helped out and you keep the coach warm. I had to run the furnace in the winter when I travelled. The reason for 40 foot is also simple. If you are going ot full time the two pass thrus hold huge amounts of stuff. You can put totes with winter clothes underneath crafts or whatever. I will say that I had to have my propane water heater worked on and I have had my aqahot worked on and over the years they averaged out.
Neal,
I love diversity. and various opinions, we can all be "right" on this forum
Had two 36 FT's, and now one 40' FT 200, -320 - no comparison, if full time go for 40
My real life experience here, not conjecture - had all three, traveled with my wife for 6 weeks straight in the current one, I get FT.
Recommendation -
1999 40' U-320
Ducted air, and if your budget allows, a 2000 or 2001 with a slide.
buy as many upgrades as you can on the original, the upgrades bring very little at resale, so headlights, tailights, step, roof paint, floors, batteries, solar, Washer/dryer etc. bargains if already preformed.
Personal experience: Have had three FT coaches (along with numerous SOB's) first two earlier non slide coaches were 89 Grand villa OREG, and 1999 36' U-270 with ISM and retarder.
prefer a slide, unless my budget didn't allow, then prefer and non slide FT to any other coach with a slide.
Both previous 36' FT coaches had propane furnaces - No thanks ever again - can afford the Aquahot - and wont go back -
endless hot water, silent heat - three zones of temp, on and on - average cost to maintain Aquahot (paid, not done by me ) less than $300 per year on average over last five years.
Propane runs out fast vs. 150 gallons of diesel, propane furnaces are incredibly noisy when running vs. aquahot, aquahot yeilds endless hot water when camping with hookups vs. 10 gal on propane, and on and on.
no offense, but ask all of us who have had both\ U-270 and U-320 (propane vs. aqua hot), and I doubt you will find one taker that propanet is better. those that prefer propane have usually never had an aquahot.
Not the same on slides, very individual to experience. - usually if you sit more than you drive, (days) have a slide, if you drive more than you sit, skip the slides (except for resale)
good luck, and welcome to the club, PM me and I will call if you wish to discuss person to person.
Real life experience with both here, 36 vs 40, slide vs. no slide, propane vs. aquahot.
Your mileage and budget will vary......
Our coach is labeled as a 1997 U295 36'. It has double pane windows, ducted air, screen door, and the wider door. The engine is C8.3-325 (mechanical). Transmission is MD-3060R. It has two propane furnaces. Those features were all original equipment.
My target coach was a 1999 U320. We bought the 1997 U295. It came available in a situation that worked well for us. Also, we found that the price of the 1997 U295 was considerably lower than the target coach. We've had the coach three years and have been pleased. We talk about remodeling the current coach rather than looking for another one. We use the coach a few weeks each year. We do not expect to live in the coach for long periods of time. When traveling, we spend more days driving than days parked.
My only advise comes from extensive looking before our purchase and not owning multiple coaches. FT made a lot of coaches in many different configurations over the years. And if a coach seems like a standard build it may not be - you won't really know until you actually examine it. Owners make changes. Neal made a great point - determine what is of value to you - and then go find it. Happy hunting!
Forrest is a 97 U270 & it has both ducted A/C & double pane windows which began use with the 1997 model year. The 325 Cummins 8.3 started in the 1997 U270/295.
Wow! Thanks to each of you who have taken the time to respond to my initial post. You guys really know how to make a couple feel welcomed! I had my wife read over your posts, and she was also amazed and pleased at the response. We really hope we can find a nice coach to buy - having this great support group standing behind us would sure reduce the anxiety factor.
Since we haven't even actually stepped foot inside a Foretravel, I hesitate to make any statement about what features we want or don't want. I have read through many of the posts at this forum. There are numerous discussions about the pros and cons of different models, floor plans, engines, systems, etc. Aquahot versus propane furnace, ducted A/C versus non-ducted, 8.3 versus M11...enough to make my head spin. I really envy those of you who got into this game early in life. You had the time to try out several different coaches before your found the "best one for you". I am 67, my wife is a few years younger. Whatever coach we buy will probably be the only one we will ever own, so we really hope we can choose wisely. I also get the feeling we are "less well-heeled" than most of you - finances will definitely be a major factor in our decision. I have always believed that it pays to buy the best quality you can afford - that is why we are looking at Foretravel. We hope, by concentrating on the late 90's models, that we can find a reliable, comfortable and attractive coach that will fit into our budget. We will not eliminate any candidate at this time, but (based solely on what I have read here) I have a "feeling" the following things will influence our final decision:
1. We are simple people - we dress simply, do not own a lot of "stuff", tend to hang onto things rather than trade up each year for the "newest model". There are only the two of us, plus a small dog. We pack light when we travel, so we may need less storage space than some folks. We favor utilitarian things over fancy things. Neal Pillsbury spoke at length about the benefits of KISS - he certainly has me in his corner on that subject. I will always favor simple over complicated, just enough over too much, and well-engineered rather than over-engineered. At the same time, I am not a technophobe - I recognize the value of modern devices.
2. We do not anticipate full-timing. We DO plan to take multiple trips each year, of varying length. Driving time and "camping" time will be about an even split. I think we could get along fine without the added cost and complication of a slide. We will keep our house until we find another place to live, so we will always have a "home base". We favor temperate climates - we are not winter sports fans. We will avoid traveling in extreme cold conditions, as much as possible.
3. We want to be able to sample all the varied types of RV facilities, from primitive to fancy. I feel maneuverability might be more important to us than maximum size - especially considering our lack of RV experience. I know, the people with 40' and 42' coaches say they can go anywhere, but I have to believe in many cases shorter would be easier. We will pull a toad of some sort (something ELSE to decide), so that will add to overall length.
At this point, from my totally inexperienced perspective, I would guess our ideal candidate would be a '97 or '98 U270 or U295, in 36' length. That would get us lower initial cost (over a U320), no slide, ducted air, the good windows, the mechanical (KISS) 8.3, and a good compromise length. Aquahot? Could go either way and probably be happy. I would prefer ANY feature that would lower our annual operating, upkeep and maintenance expense, but that seems to be a hard thing to pin down. Also, I (personally) have a somewhat perverse attraction to the idea of a 34' coach - I know Peter and Beth seem very happy with their "shorty" - so I would certainly not rule out that option, at least until I've seen one in person.
We'll know a lot more after we visit MOT next week. I hope the coaches they have in stock are good examples - I want our first impression to be a good one. I've read here that the "really good" coaches get snapped up before they ever get posted on the Mot website (Michelle mentioned this). Does this mean a coach that has been sitting on the lot for several weeks is likely to be seriously flawed in some way? I hope not, but we'll see.
Thanks again for all the thoughtful and encouraging replies to my first post. Keep them coming - we will need all the help we can get!
Chuck and Jeannie Avery
Sorry, JD, Peter.
I knew better, just didn't get it typed better!
Our Coach was built in Oct. of 1997 for the 1998 model year, but I've always known that it was the 2nd model year for ducted air and thermopanes (we have several close FT friends with 1996's). JD really has me with the wider door in 1997, though. I never saw any FT earlier than the 1999 model year, with the wider (28.5" ID) door and screen door. Ours is 26.5 "ID, frame wall to frame wall.
I corrected my original post in order to avoid misleading anyone in the future.
Thanks,
Neal
Very well thought out - yes you do want the dual pane windows - but in those years you probably will see "snakes" in them - the dividing material around the edges on the manufacturer FT used seems to grow and impinge into the window - my 1999 U-270 had them, and they can be fixed (there is a great place in Hudson FL, and some on the forum have done the repair as a DIY). More unsightly than anything.
I loved that non slide U-270, and had a bunch of upgrades on it, alas, 40 ft, the slide and the Aqua hot were very lusted after, so when "this week's deal of a lifetime" came along at MOT we made the upgrade, and are very pleased.
36 will fit a few places the 40 won't, but I have been into every NP in the west (Except California) with my 40 and all could accommodate our coach. Wife would NEVER EVER go back to propane hot water, or NOISY Furnace. that being said, we usually don't dry camp, (except a Wal Mart parking lot now and again while driving), so with hook ups the endless hot water from the aqua hot is quite the luxury. Now if she never knew about aqua hot.......:-)
You will save a few dollars with a 270 vs. 320. Tires, Batteries, Refrigerator biggest things to look at on any coach, and if buying at MOT, have Brett Drive up or have Don Hay come look at it for you. Of course the layout and cosmetics up to my DW, so let's face it, I know who makes the decision........at least for this author.....
You can get incredible value in those price ranges, and the coaches were very at the peak of legendary FT quality in those years.
If you will ever drive at night, some sort of headlight upgrade is mandatory - plenty of different options discussed on the forum, most common a $3K conversion at Xtreme right there in NAC.
Good luck, and maybe you will be one of the lucky ones that buys "your last coach first!"
My 1999 36 U-270 had the ISC, and smart wheel, not sure when those came into the line.
Our 1997 U-320 had the smart wheel. Also the wider entrance door with screen, plus ducted air.
Richard B.
We purchased our single slide 03 U270 at FOT last March. We had a high end Class C but we had always been intrigued by Foretravel's reputation and quality and ended up finding the perfect coach for us.
Like Neal P. we live in the Northeast and wanted the simlicity of the propane furnace and hot water. It works well for us and as the old saying goes, "You can't miss what you ain't had". Also one less thing to winterize. I love the 400 ISL. Plenty of power for a single or non-slide coach.
It sounds like you have a good idea of what you are looking for so I would just take your time and try to find the best coach for the money you can. Good luck and have fun!
D&D
Neal,
We definitely have the screen door in the 1997 U295. Marilyn just measured the door and apparently we DON'T have the 28.5" door. She measured the widest opening at 26.5". The narrower opening against which the door seals is a bit smaller, maybe 25.5" +-.
New or experienced, some of us are clueless about some of the details. :facepalm: I learn new stuff almost every time I read a few posts. I learn even more by visiting someone's coach.
A 1996, 270 was our second MH. My wife fell in love with Foretravels after seeing a couple of them on display at a rally where I was taking a Defensive Driving Course for MH's.
Lotsa great info already. The "smaller" door on a 96 will take a refrigerator and a Spendide wash/dry machine. If you are a big as I am, you can do both of these replacements/installs by yourself. (Other motorhome brands demand that a windshield be removed....)
We have taken our 36' 270 to some rugged places. This coach never complained while we fulltimed for 6 years. We still use it now that we built a house. The house is on a road that UPS refuses to deliver.
I am no mechanic, but I do my own maintence and repairs. The 8.3 is a marvel and simple. I do wish I had installed an Amsoil synthentic filter system and would have only had to conduct regular tests instead draining and replacing all that oil every six months.
Good luck. Don't spend too much time deciding. Life is so short.... andy
I have to say that my 99 270 34 foot was a joy to travel in and to get my feet wet. It was my first coach and I thought it was big. Ha... I know know about 8 lane u turns. I will also go out on a limb and say 97-2001 are the best years for FT. They were making about 300 coaches a year. They had it down. Depending on how much you will want to travel and where and when will help you decided on the 320 and aquahot vs propane. I travel a lot in the winter so it was a no brainer. As to the double pane windows. If they have the creeping seals they will have to be fixed or replaced sooner or later. That is a pretty big expense. If you see a coach that has single pane windows you can always upgrade them to new dual ones. You might factor that into your budget too. I agree with the upgrades. Look for the TVs Headlights and see if the batteries are new as well as the tires.
Here is the place that does the windows in FL - if you find a coach that looks like it has "snakes" in the windows - I thought I remember $150 a window, but you could call them and ask
RV SERVICES - Suncoast Designers | RV Window Repair, Custom Windows Designed and (http://suncoast.ccwindow.com/rv-services/)
If you search the files, you will probably find more information on DIY, as well as a Phoenix based company that does the work as well. If you can put up with the look, the windows still seemed to preform ok with the "snakes", and on mine, only one window was pretty noticeable.
Hey Cajk, I know how you feel about never even being inside a Foretravel. My first time was last Aug at MOT. The thrill of a lifetime was started there. Cant say enough good things about them and the way they treated a couple who were just kicking the tires and getting a feel for the brand. If they could have just turned down the heat and humidity in the state it would have been perfect.
They allowed us to tour 5 or 6 FT's, explaining some of the differences and then showed us a 99 Newell. It was really nice, but the wife and I both like the looks and feel of FT. I guess that fine wine fits my pallet better than Champagne. Since that time, I have been looking, studying and learning. Just found this forum and joined this week. My mind is full of info that would have been impossible to obtain otherwise.
We looked at an older GV today as our "starter" rv. When we were inspecting it, the quality, fit and comfort just blew us away. The winds were blowing 35 mph, but it was quieter inside than in my 6 yr old, well insulated sticks and bricks. We didn't take it for a test drive because of the wind and one of the dually's had a flat which he is fixing tomorrow.
Bottom line, I've looked at hundreds of other brands, nearly bought 5 from emotion, but luckily I didn't and now have the chance to buy much better quality for an affordable price. Also get the advantage of all this knowledge shown on this forum. Enjoy the ride.
The few times we have had to use the propane furnace the noise is equivalent to the air conditioning units running above our heads. We usually use the heat strips while we are plugged into shore power. We have never camped in sub zero weather.
To me the main difference between a 34 foot and a 36 foot coach is the center storage bay. 34 foot has a smaller center storage bay. The galley in the 34' is also about a foot shorter than the 36', and so is the living area. The bathroom and the bedroom are the same.
And our favorite. A middle entry. Thanks guys
Your welcome Bob, where have you been?
Richard B.
Hi Chuck,
I just saw this post:
"First, do any of you have any direct knowledge about these particular units at MOT? I would be very interested in any history, details about interior or tire condition, or (better yet) your opinion of them if you have actually walked through them recently. "
I am the previous owner of the 1996 U270 at MOT. I would be happy to tell you what I know about the coach.
If interested please send me an email at rriggs@argotechnologiesinc.com or you can reach me at 832-549-0290.
Good luck on your search.
Rodger
Rodger,
Sent you a email. Really appreciate the offer of info on the "prior" coach - We need all the help we can get!
Chuck and Jeannie Avery
This may seem obvious, but the newer the coach the more improvements and technology that have been added through the model years. In fact, there have been so many improvements that the new coaches with all these technologies are so expensive and so luxurious that these are no longer camping vehicles but palaces on wheels.
I can live with either a ducted or non-ducted system. Having said that, the ducted system does have a better airflow and distribution.
We are very happy with the two roof units. In really hot weather, we close the windows and keep the front roof air on while under way. The forward air does a good job reaching the two front seats even if the dash air is not working. While we are rarely plugged into shore power while on the road, when we are, the noise from the roof air is much less annoying than the rear heater cycling on and off during the night in cold weather.
Pierce
Peter and Beth,
Pierce and Gaylie,
Thanks for quick replies to my A/C question. (The moderator, I guess, split my question off to a separate thread, in case anyone else wonders why you are talking about A/C types) You are all giving me exactly the kind of info we need for our shopping trip to MOT next week. We don't want to rule out any potential coaches based on erroneous preconceptions.
Thanks, Chuck and Jeannie Avery
Had ductless on my 89, ducted on the 99 and 2000. COuld live with either, prefer ducted on the 2000, one air cools entire coach at night, as previously noted
Hated the noisy propane furnace at night, wife even worse. If you are a light sleeper, take that into consideration vs. aquahot.
Uhh ---- if wife reads the forum, you might want to phrase that comment in a different way. :P
We had direct air flow from roof units in SOB. We have ducted air flow in the U295. We prefer ducted.
We don't like the noise of the propane furnaces. The rear furnace is not very noisy. The front furnace makes lots of racket right next to the dining table. I've tried to baffle it, but haven't found a satisfactory solution yet. However, we won't change coaches just to get Aqua-Hot. However, if we change coaches, the next one will probably have AH.
Chuck and Avery
As you look, also note the Tamdour (rolling) doors of the overhead cabinets, at least on those 1996 and older.
When I think about something newer than our '96 I have to think hard about giving them up.
The '96 also has non-ducted A/Cs. They are no problem for us.
We run north (out of Texas) in the summer. I think I can count on one hand the times we had both A/Cs on at the same time during the day and just about that many times for the forward one alone at night.
I did build deflectors out of thin plastic cutting boards to avoid dust in the overhead carpeting.
HTH
Elliot,
Thanks for the tip on the "tambour" doors in your coach. I hope to look at a '96 U295 36' while I am visiting Nacogdouches next week. (It is the one listed in the classified section of this forum.) Since I see you are currently online, perhaps you could explain any other special features unique to the U295. I looked at Barry Beam's excellent collection of factory brochures and specs, but he seems to have a "data gap" in the '96 U295 info. There is a little generic list of features, and zero floor plans. Since you own this model, you ought to know best how the '96 U295 differs from other models and model years.
Thanks in advance for any other tips, info or insider secrets!
We looked at the private for sale, 36' 1996 U295, hope you look, you will not be disappointed. As to the features understand the 295 is midway between a 270 having less things, and 320, having more features. I looked at the 95 and 96 feature lists, and you can use the floor plan for either year to better understand the layout. Hopefully someone will find the info on that coach in all the paperwork and send it to Barry for his incredible library.
From what I see there are 2-floor plans for the 40' u295 and 3 for the 36'. The u295s where made from 1995 through 2005 and the floor plans where about the same. Remember that with optional equipment a u295 can, I think ,have everything that a U 320 has except the larger engine and trans. I have a 1999 U295 with most everything except Aqua Hot and the larger engine trans.Gam
I have attached a copy of the spec sheet for the '96 U295.
Also the floor plans.
Compare these with the 270 and 320 and then give another shout..
You would have to look at the build specifications of the individual coach to see if different but I have the Cummins 300 hp 8.3, probably close to the last year for the mechanical (as opposed to electronic) engine.
As I said, I really like the Tamdour doors on the upper cabinets.
At some time a little later (Maybe even the '97) got a bigger (bigger than 24") door with a screen.
As Dave Cobb said, the model numbers (U270, U295, and U320) seem to be used more to distinguish trim lines. Just like cars, I understand more things became standard as you moved up. I looked at a 320 and the 295 and the 295 suited me more.
HTH
Well, we just got back late last night from our "hunting" expedition to the wilds of East Texas. Our trip went very well. We had to postpone our departure one day due to terrible weather in the Midland-Odessa area, but finally got off on Tuesday. Spent all day Wed. at MOT with Mel Cordray. He was very friendly, very helpful, not pushy - a excellent salesman and tour guide. Since we were trying to hold our initial purchase expense down, we started looking at the "low price end" of their available preowned coaches. The '96 U270 previously owned by Rodger Riggs sold on Monday just before we left Midland, so it was out of the lineup. We looked at (and took a short ride in) the '98 U270 34', looked at the '98 U270 36' (the "all white" one), and the '99 U295 36'. We skipped over "Purple Haze" - just not our style. Even though it was above our target price, "just to see what a 40' floor plan looks like", we decided to peek inside the '98 U320. That was a BIG mistake! My wife instantly fell in love with the beautiful walnut cabinets, the great floor plan, the big open bathroom area, and especially the tremendous amount of kitchen storage space. I fear she will now not be happy with anything less than a 40' (in spite of my attempt to keep it "short & simple"). This particular coach (a consignment unit) seems (to our untrained eyes) to be in very good condition, both inside and out, but I think the asking price might be too high? I wish we had more experience with the recent actual selling prices of comparable units. If any of you have any opinion on what might be a realistic "ballpark" price for this coach, we would welcome your input. We could really stretch our budget and try to make an offer on it, but we don't want to fall into the rookie trap of paying way too much.
Also, if any forum members have been by MOT recently and had a chance to look at this unit (#C1580), or know anything about it's history, please feel free to speak up. I would surely welcome any educated opinions on the condition or value. If we get serious about trying to buy it, I will heed your advice and make every attempt to get a pre-purchase inspection done by Brett Wolfe. I have no idea if he would be available or willing to do this - I need to send him a PM note and check on his current status.
My wife and I keep asking ourselves if we are crazy. Can 2 completely inexperienced people step into owning such a complicated (M-11, Aquahot, etc.) 40' diesel coach without it ending up a total disaster? You all seem to think it is possible, but still it is very scary to us. On the other hand, we are both retired, we are reasonably intelligent and have lots of free time to study and learn, and the Foreforum is full of helpful members like yourselves who could assist us. I know we would need all the help we could get, but I believe we are ready and willing to try this new adventure. Just need to find the "right" coach, at a "reasonable" price.
Thanks again for all your advice. We hope we will be able to join your friendly group in the near future!
Chuck and Jeannie,
While I can't speak for selling prices, if you are considering 40 footers, there's a fairly similar coach that one of our members has for sale in the classifieds. It's also a 40' 1998, a U295 with some U320 upgrades. It appears to have a private bath, though, so a slightly different floorplan.
1998 u295 40 ft (http://www.foreforums.com/index.php?topic=16902.0)
Michelle (yes, I'm an enabler)
I see no reason that you cannot get up to speed after buying a Foretravel.
Lots of people willing to help here with whatever complications you might find.
Heck I bought mine in 2003 and I knew less than zero being my first motorhome.
"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve"
Once you decide you can do it, you can do it.
Jump in and start enjoying 8)
Michelle, I know Ron and this coach,it is what I would call one of the rare U295's it has the private potty,aqua hot and air bag mounts on the generator, Ron is a long time Foretravel tech,the coach speaks for itself.
Chuck and Jeannie-
This probably won't mean that much but Carol and I are taking possession of our new to us 2002 U320 36' coach in two weeks. and it is a little scary. DP are new to us as well and some times it is overwhelming to us. The things that kept going through our heads as we were looking and trying to decide which is the best coach for us are: Buy the best FT in your budget and a 10 year old FT is better than a new SOB. We will go over our initial budget by about 20K by the time we put on new tires, taxes, license fees and stuff like that.
How did we decide that this was the one? We looked and compared all of the FT for sale in the US (obviously on-line) and considered that each one would require about 10K in additional $$$ after the buy, maybe more. We did factor that into our equation. We considered that they all were in operating order and equal in mechanical and physical condition. We also looked at NADA value (I know that these values are not definitive in terms of value, but it is a benchmark). I eliminated the least expensive in our pricing category and the most expensive. I compared the features of all units available, IE: 270, 295 and 320 and eliminated the 270 as we wanted Aquahot. My wife, Carol had to have slides so that impacted our choices as well. To me they were not important, but to her they were. So that narrowed us down to 295s with aquahot and 320s with slides. By this time our list was small. We still found that the 320s were still more than our budget would allow so - we again we looked at SOBs in our price range. Tiffins, Newmars, Country Coaches and Bluebirds. During this time I was still reading threads on this forum and the SOBs forums and kept coming back to the FT brand primarily due to the people here and how helpful and knowledgeable they were/are. We did stumble across one during our journey and it too was more than our budget would allow. After about 45 minutes of touring the coach, doing a miner inspection, finding out about maintenance, (she had all of the service and repair records that I reviewed) as well as hearing about their travels and times I asked her her selling price. It was more than we could afford. I looked at her and told her she had a beautiful coach and it was worth every bit of what she was asking and probably more but we could not purchase as it was out of our budget. She hesitated and put another figure out there for our consideration. Still about 10K over our budget I said "SOLD" even before looking at my DW. She accepted.
I think one of the biggest challenges for us was to really make the decision to do it or not. In this way I think we all have the same concerns. Are we making the right choice or not? Is this really what we want to do? Do we have enough $$ to see this through? How do we overcome the learning curve and not cause a disaster for ourselves? And maybe even more important, is this coach worth the cost?
Here are the things we knew. How much we felt comfortable spending. What our debt obligations are. What our income is and how much $$ we have available. We also knew that there are two thing that no one has enough of: Time and Money. We felt that the FT brand was the best manufacturer for us, and last, but not least that we did not want stix and brix any more, at least for a number of years.
As with many major decisions in our lives we did not know what was on the other side. We did have a vision and a clearly defined goal. We considered all of the things I mentioned above and pulled the trigger. Was it the right one? Ask me in a year or two or more. Hindsight is 20/20. In the meantime, we are finishing packing our personal belongings that will go into a small 4 X 8 uhaul trailer that we will tow behind our Jeep to our new life.
Please feel free to PM me if you wish to chat or compare notes. Good luck in your journey and good health.
Scott
In Ron's post on Jan 20th he said his price is now 52k. That is a lot better price than the one at MOT. Just saying....
Mark
Bill & I looked at Ron & Nancys ( Red Tractor) coach and can tell you that it is lovely and well maintained. Liked everything about it (most appealing being the fact that Ron is a FT mechanic---worked for the Co. for many years) and it has the aqua hot option. We decided to go with a 36' coach at this time but if you like the extra space and storage that a 40' provides, this one is worth a look.
Jan Velting
Ron's coach sounds like a really nice one. The problem is, Ron and his coach are in Florida, and we are in Texas. Making a trip to Florida is not in the cards right now. We have doctor appointments and other things scheduled that make it difficult for us to be gone from the house more than 2 or 3 days at a time, at least for the immediate future. We hate flying, so that's out. We aren't going to buy a coach without viewing it personally, so Ron's just won't work for us. But I'm sure it will make someone very happy.
For those of you who are still researching, take your time in figuring out what you want, need, and can afford. Once you have all that in place you are ready to go shopping. We were told that the shopping could take a year or so, but we got lucky and found the right coach almost immediately. We prepared a list of six coaches that were for sale that seemed to meet our specs. We then tried to rank them in order. While we were doing that more information came out on two of the coaches and we struck them from further consideration. Three more sold, leaving us with only one coach. That turned out to be the right coach. Had it not been, we would have continued looking at what was available, and eventually would have found the coach.
Keep asking questions on the forums, and keep discussing what you learn at home. Consider well how you will use the coach, your mechanical skills, and where the coach will be parked when you are at home (if you aren't full-timers).
Hi Chuck,
I saw that my old coach had sold and wondered if you all had bought it.
Maybe we will get another new member of the forum from that sale.
Good luck in your search. The '98 U320 sounds like a nice coach.
Rodger
Rodger,
Yes, Mel emailed us the day before we left for MOT, telling us your (ex) coach was sold. We didn't find out anything about the new owners, but Mel let us have a quick peek inside (just to see what we missed). Whoever bought it got a good one!
Hi Chuck,
Thanks for the feed back.
I really liked that coach. We like our new (to us) coach too, but it is a bit overwhelming.
We had the old one 10 years or so and never had a serious problem.
It might have been a bit small for your needs though.
I hope the new owners have as good luck with it as we did.
Regards,
Rodger
I think George Stoltz went into his Foretravel with similar concerns. Perhaps he is lurking and you can contact him regarding his experience and total cost of ownership as a "newbie".
Good luck,
I bought my first camper of any kind as a 99 u270. No experience with anything bigger than a pickup. Do not worry. Just go slowly and ask questions. I found this forum in its old incarnation when I was buying and learning. It is not that hard. Really it is not.