We're looking for a used U270 Foretravel, early to mid 2000's. We looked at a 42 footer locally yesterday just to get a feel of what a Foretravel is actually like. Done lots of research but have never seen one up close & personal.
We were surprised to find no under bed storage, all wiring and such. Is this typical?
Our current 5th wheel is all storage under the bed, lots of room for stuff!
Thanks
In the Foretravels that I have lifted the bed I have found a full width and 1' fore and aft space for wiring and switches and the back side of the 120 and 12 volt panels. The rest of the area is open to the ground and the easy access to the top of the engine.
With the full width storage bays you don't need under bed storage. There is plenty of space in the bays, under the couch, in the cabinets and elsewhere.
Gary B
We full-time as others do and as Gary said the bays have huge storage.
Have you looked at a U280 Vs a 270?
You get a lot more for the $. Check the classifieds. ?.
Just wiring and or access to the engine. On the coaches with no access cummins indicates they have to drop the engine and then reattach it. About 16 hours labor, so the bed or cliset lifting saves in the long rung.
hmmmmm. fifth wheels don't have an engine/transmission, Where else would they go?
Is there such a thing as a diesel pusher with storage under the bed? I can't imagine that.
Newmar makes the higher end with storage under the bed.
Our London Aire had storage, Dutch Star does too.
Yes the east west beds have it a lot of times.
I prefer the convenient access to the engine over storage under the bed (which we had on a 5er but just used for extra blankets, etc.). It makes a big difference to have room to work plus have someone able to just hand you parts. We also work using a step that lets us kneel next to the bed-box and work on the engine that way too. Replaced a lot of burned wiring from the bedroom last year!
Craig
I'm with Craig. I can't imagine not being able to get to the engine from inside AND outside of the coach. The total basement space on the 5'ers we looked at was about equal to what we have in our large bay. The small bay is more than what would be under the bed. The end result is that we have more storage space in the basement bays than a 5'er would have and it is all down low. One big difference, though, is that with a DP you get more basement space as the length increases, while in a 5'er there is no difference regardless of length.
I am with Craig also.
That excess to the engine has saved me a lot of time, money, and headaches.
To appreciate the engine configuration of the foretravel, all you need to do is own a front engine gas winnebago... Trust me on that. Though the doghouse configuration of the winnebago made certain jobs really easy.
Yes, our Tiffin Phaeton had storage under the north-south bed. Also, engine access - the ONLY engine access. A PITA to work on.
Storage bay comparisons : We moved from a 36' fifth wheel to a 40' motor home and the storage is pretty equal in the bays - just configured differently. For full timers it pays to watch carrying capacity - Anything less than 2,500 pounds CCC ( cargo carrying capacity on the label) is pretty skimpy. The newer coaches (mostly other brands) are making their floorplans more "residential" but check out slides-in-overnight-at-Walmart livability. Many are essentially not usable. Our 4 slide Phaeton was very cramped with the slides in - doable but really not enjoyable overnighting at Walmart and the like. We use Walmart, Cracker Barrel, Elks + some truck stops for overnight enroute traveling so this is an important feature for us (maybe we're cheap too).
Our one slide Foretravel is absolutely the best rig we have owned in this respect - also the air leveling means you don't have to put up with a tilted parking lot - much better than putting jacks down for the night and risk denting the asphalt. Love the N-S bedroom as I was the one who had to crawl across the E-W bed on nights we had the slides pulled in.
Good points my buddies new wall slide Winnebago tour when weighed had 300 pounds reserve on the front axle. Not a full timer either. He said later production 2013's had an higher yet front axle installed by the factory.
Floor plan won out versus the chassis like usual.
Bob