HI Guys,
Lurking for last 6 months or so....can't shake the foretravel bug....
Looking at a 320 U320 in Fort Myers
Salesmen says no worries.... Argued til I'm blue in the face about the importance of this construction joint being solid.
rust jacking visible out approx. 3' in from curb side at rear.
I'm guessing, or budgeting $2000 to repair across the entire width....Dreaming? Posting a couple of pictures to ask for opinions. Although some rust staining on drivers side, it does appear solid.
I think quite fixable.
David Spillman
Just like the scorpion that takes a ride on the back of the frog across the river. Stings him half way across and they both die. The salesman can't help it, he's a salesman.
It does show quite a bit of damage and you, if still interested, need to get someone with knowledge to look at it. It might be limited to what you can see but could also be a LOT more extensive. Don't be in a hurry on this one!!!
Pierce
What year is the coach - parliament coach just up the road in St. Petersburg - they are familiar with Foretravel - maybe take it there for an estimate?
Searching a little on this website is revealing.....
Some disagrement on repair, but I have a good grasp what needs to be done. From my ice pick inspection of rusty metal, I determined that even with a few flakes of rust, couldn't penetrate "bad" spots. Felt solid....
Shocked how far off asking price we got to, its a great time to buy these energy hungry machines.. ;D .
David
In my eyes that is serious rust and may need the expertise of a Don, but do know that many have fixed this problem. I wonder what the tubing is like inside???
John H
David,
If I understand your description correctly, you found rust jacking on the outer curbside 3', but not in the center or on the street side? If that's the case the jacking corresponds to the overflow from the freshwater tank .. Yes , the jacking is significant, but not something that couldn't be readily repaired by a competent mechanic. If you were near Nacogdoches I'd recommend Xtreme graphics.. They did my front bulkhead for around $800. I think they repair the rear for near $1,000. Your estimate of $2,000 for both is pretty close. I did my rear bulkhead myself, but I wouldn't do it again. I'm too old, don't have the skills or the tools of the "other Don".
If the rest of the coach meets your expectations, I wouldn't rule it out because of the bulkhead rust jacking.
The cost variable is "is the box beam structurally compromised"? With only 1/8" walls, it is quite likely.
That requires MAJOR surgery. Are other box beams forward of the rear bulkhead also pushing the white fiberglass floor down (rust jacking)? That would be an indication of how far forward the problem runs.
Don is our resident expert on disassembly and quality replacement of rusty box beams.
Suspect a torque wrench on those rear bulkhead bolts would give you a whole handful of broken bolt heads.
Brett
I would listen VERY carefully to Brett's post above. If the problem was extensive like Don's, it would cost many thousands to have it done really right. A lesser repair would seriously effect the future saleability and value of the coach. You need someone very Foretravel savvy to make the determination of how bad the damage is.
Allowing the rust to get this bad may also be an indication of operation in a corrosive northern environment (road salt) as well as possible neglect of other maintenance items.
We are nearing the end of summer and the demand and prices will be heading down. Lots of good rigs out there. We traveled across the U.S. to get ours but now very happy with it. It did take some time to get just the right rig and price but worth it.
Pierce
I am far from an expert on bulkhead issues, but I've read (and in many cases re-read) all of the information available here.
I would run--not walk--away from that coach.
There are (and will be) other coaches available, and you just don't need to buy one with such obvious issues. Patience is your friend!
As mentioned before, having gotten price down to $75,000 I feel I have room to work on a few problems that may occur underneath.. Going to roll the dice on this unit..... Worse case I see under $10,000 ? To replace forward two bays of boxed beams ? Professionally? Appreciate your input. Am I under estimating the expense of this possible repair?
David
Yes, you may be underestimating by quite a bit. Take another look at Don's repair. Do you think you can get a quality repair like this for $10,000 unless you do it yourself? Sure, $10K times several. $75K buys a lot of Foretravel in the market today. Until you own an RV (or worse, a big boat or airplane), you have no idea how fast $10K can disappear.
Several forum members including Brett have been in the automotive business in one way or another. The old saying is good now or a century ago, "buy in haste, repent at leisure".
Pierce
I think without seeing it in person you really have no idea. I would not be afraid of it though as it is not a high tech fix just labor and steel.
Yes, no telling till it is opened up
Looking at the pictures of that bulkhead joint, I had a feeling of déjà vu... I can't speak to the cost of having it professionally repaired, but I would say that any fix that doesn't involve assessing the entire extent of the damage would be relatively short term. The only way to really assess the extent of the problem is to peel back the skin on the underside of the joint and look at the plywood which is inserted between the square tubing (used to mount accessories such as hose reels etc.) in place of the foam insulation. There is plywood consisting of two layers of three-quarter inch thick plywood in four places in the utility compartment. Two are adjacent to the 1/8" tubing on the basement side of the bulkhead joint near the corners. If that wood is spongy, chances are the tubing has been compromised from being in contact with the wet wood. If the wood is dry and firm, chances are the transverse square tubing which holds the roloks will be sound, though the fasteners most likely will not be. If the coach has accessories mounted in the area where the plywood is, you might be able to get some idea about the condition of it by pulling out one or more of the mounting screws and looking at the screws themselves. The longitudinal frame members which are in contact with wet wood are thinner material and more easily compromised. Here are a couple of pictures to try to put some context on the issue.
Don
Please, please follow Dons advice on this in terms of diagnosis
Thank you for the responses, heading back with an ice pick, screwdriver, and flashlight to follow Don's advice.....
Dang it, it's such a nice coach...
David
Go for it . As Cindy says, 'everything is fixable". Enjoy
At least if you have the knowledge and patience that Don had!!!
Thank you for the prompt responses, and opinions on my coach.... I missed my 2000 GV these past 8 months, I hope Tobie makes her beautiful!!
The wife finally grew tired of my pouting, and whining about selling to help accommodate buying her new house She gave the go ahead to search for another....It was on!! The deal in Fort Myers was stumbled into, in that it was listed far outside my "approved" budget, and it just didn't seem possible to come in under $70,000. I was finally able to see eye to eye with some good salesmen, and sales managers over 3 days to drive it home. Was able to pound out some more price reduction, for the U320 much credit should be credited to y'all pushing me to ask for more repair allowance. She's a gem in the rough IMHO.
Crawling under and around her, changing the oils and filters reaffirm my original thoughts of coach being a nice buy. Thankfully no surprises, unless I count finding a receipt showing slide seal replaced 11 months ago ($2900), and much of aquahot internals being replaced in 2011($2395) .... and 18-23 month old tires.
Can aquahot be too hot? I'm concerned....need to get a thermometer and see just what I'm feeling,,,and see what are max range temps allowed with it.
Peeling the "bottom skin" off the the edge of rear bulkhead showed wet/damp plywood on curbside approx 2 feet in turning dry for the remaining 7-8 feet across. It will have to be addressed in the near future, but still mostly structurally sound.
Thanks again for your help, and thoughts,
David
Mine is set to 120 degrees
120 degrees is correct. It is easy to change with the mixing valve. Just remember the initial setting and make adjustments slowly. The numbers are frequently difficult to see without a mirror.