Hello Foretravelers
After owning the Foretravel for some 6 years and using it three times we finely used it this summer and loved it. So now I caught the renovation bug.
I am thinking of replacing the floor with Hardwood floor. Replacing the TV with a Flat Screen TV in the front [Thinking of flipping it down from the celling so I can have a relatively large screen like 36" - 40" LED TV that will flip up while we are driving] and replacing the table so all 4 of us can seat together. Also the Dash AC is out of Freon and so it does not work and one of the roof AC is out of Freon
Is there a facility in the NE that could do the job well or should we drive to TX [It is a long drive from VT to Nacogdoches]
Thanks so much, the posting in this forum are very inspiring
Ted
Welcome to the forum. Always nice to have another U225 owner in the group. :)
We've owned our '93 U225 for almost 3 years and put about 5,000 miles on it; mostly visiting relatives, drycamping at nearby Bureau of Reclamation and BLM sites, and at three Corps of Engineers campgrounds along the Columbia River. Most of these are less than 60 miles from us, one way. But we have made three trips of 800 miles round-trip.
For the front TV we replaced the older LCD television set that a previous owner had installed (all analog) and bought an inexpensive 19-inch Sanyo in order to keep access to the two cabinets. The OEM television was already gone and a board attached over the 12" opening. I simply replaced that board with a nicer one, stained and routered, drilled a hole in it big enough for the cables, fastened a TV mount to it and then screwed that back into place like the older one. The 19" Sanyo lets me open the cupboards (where we keep the BluRay player) and isn't too big or bulky. We don't seem to notice that it's not 42" (like at home). :P
But there are several examples of owners doing pretty much the same thing you want for your TV.
For the dash air you'll either have to convert to a new freon or find a source for R12. Mine don't work either but I have a way that I think will reinvigorate it using original R12. If you can find R12 then an AC manifold from Harbor Freight will let you recharge the system. I suspect that some auto mechanic shops that do AC can still refill R12.
Not sure about the roof air. But someone will have ideas. Ours work great but we seldom use them.
Looking forward to hearing about your upgrade adventures. :)
Craig
The hardest part of remodeling is getting started! Once you do, it moves along pretty fast.
On the AC, most larger auto AC service shops can still provide R12 but you will suffer sticker shock from the prices --- it runs about $102 per pound here in Houston and the system will hold somewhere around 6 pounds. You might consider converting to R134 if you are handy or if you have a friend who is an AC man. The conversion would require changing the compressor, the dryer / receiver, the expansion valve, and flushing the lines of the old refrigerant oil. Big job. Most people just run the generator and use the house AC while driving.
Even people who have dash-AC working right run the generator and the house AC (or both huse ACs); mostly because the dash AC is not up to the job of cooling the coach in the type of weather prevalent around the USA now.
Craig
You might think about a booth in place of the table in some models ^.^d
Thanks guys!
I was thinking of some form of a table that will accommodate all 4 of us but will not close the whole space between the table and the kitchen.
Thought a round table as I saw in some FT will work.
Any recommendation for some RV service in the North East that can do some of this work? It is a long ride to TX from VT.
Thanks,
Ted
This is the table in our 1990 U280. We owned the coach a year before we discovered that the top of the table slides out toward the center of the coach to accommodate up to 4 for dinner, then slides back against the wall for travel/ space. The base is bolted to the floor so it doesn't tip. You can probably find one of these, or use the idea to have one made.
We discovered the table top moved when we removed the table to put new flooring in .
YES
This is exactly what we need!
How does it slide? How can we get it?
This will work so well for us and the girls.
Thanks,
Ted
Ted,
Look under your table-- inboard side. There may be a latch that allows the table to slide inboard to where more can "sit around it". I know our 1993 U240 was that way.
Brett
Brett, it looks like in the picture Ted posted they have a bar set up, so the original was changed to this.
Johnh
John/Ted,
Yes, sorry. I was thinking of the OE setup. The photo Kemahjohn posted was the OE setup for the SBID: 1993 U225 - U240 GV Floorplans (http://www.beamalarm.com/foretravel-links/models/1993_u225-u240_gv_floorplans.html)
Try the Foretravel remodel shop or 1994 Holiday Rambler Endeavor Diesel Motorhome RV Parts Salvage, Oshkosh (http://colawrvsalvage.com/and) some other RV wrecking yards-- may be able to find one.
I was at the coach this afternoon doing some work and took this picture of the table pulled out. I agree with Brett, check out RV wrecking yards. There is a 97 in Florida that they are selling for parts--- not sure what table it has, but I bet it is a slide out. It's on Ebay, take a look.
Of course, I will sell you mine--- it comes complete with a 36' 1990 U280, all remodeled and in excellent shape, ready to roll and only $22,000! Pretty cheap for a really good table! ;D
Sorry, forgot to attach the picture, here it is
If you are handy with woodworking, you could build this table without too much trouble== give you something to do during the cold winter up there! The slide mechanism is a simple dove tail, or you could use heavy duty drawer slides to accomplish the same thing with less work, you would just have to use a latch mechanism. It could be as simple as a screen door latch.
The one that I have does not have a latch, it uses a "ball socket" detent that engages when the table is pushed in.
Having used this oblong table with 2 grand kids, dont plan on sitting much food on the table. Will be great for short trips. We eat outside mostly anyway, just rain or cold ^.^d
In our '93 U225 the oval dinette was just not convenient. We also were not fond of the cantilever top that pulls up and out in the front. We had a bar/buffet installed from the closet wall to the entry pony wall. There was an access port to the outlet that is under the table on the support. The result was an area that was GREAT for food prep, seating with the 2 "square chairs" or for use as a desk. The oval top was converted into a permanent table top that went in place of the cantilever thingy. About 2 thirds (or slightly more than half, anyway) was mounted on that little cabinet and was just fine for use as a place to put your laptop, a dinner plate or whathaveyou. I was THRILLED with the result and found it MUCH more livable.
Thank Y'all
Carol looks like what you describes is what we have, apart from the cantilever top that was not changed. Little issue we had is these two young'ens who somehow appeared here and my wife who since their appearance have developed some wrong priorities. So the youn'gens are seating for dinner at the bar and I find myself on the easy chair trying to eat of the cantilever thingy. My wife who doesn't seat anyway is garbing a few bites at the sofa.
I know it could be worse but I try to eat with out rocking on the chair and have unifying family dinner together
So, how bad is this oval dinning table? Should I try to get it or forget it?
We like ours-- you can seat 4 but you have to stage you food on the kitchen cabinet, not on the table.
Try calling David flanagan at Foretravel. there is a "boneyard" of stuff in attics people have taken out of their coaches. there may be something you can find. Faoiling that, you could build a nice top to the right dimensions and fit it in that space. if the brace and support is gone from the wall for some reason, you can devise your own. In our '93, there was an outlet built into the base ... is that still there?
This might give you some ideas. The previous owner of our 95 U280 had Foretravel build him a drop-leaf table with casters. With the two drop leaves extended we have had six people around it.
My wife and I are new to the forum and in reading some earlier posts we discovered that our '93 U225 belonged to Carol and Jeff Savournin; thanks for some of the renovation you did to this wonderful coach. We removed the desk and used it to make a drop leaf table that seats the 2 of us very comfortably and will seat 4 when necessary. We bought the coach a little over 2 years ago and have put about 5000 miles on it. We absolutely love it.
Roger
WOW!! Do you REALLY have our '93??? We sold it to Jon O'Riley in 2010 when we began full timing, but it remains probably my favorite coach! You can tell by the interior if it is really ours. DuraCeramic tile floor, Ultraleather on the front seats and dash, dinette table cut to replace the cantilever table up front. If it really is our old girl, I am thrilled to know that someone is loving her!
I'm sure it was yours. We bought it from Jon O'Rielly in 2012. (The O'Riellys had bought a newer FT; 1998 I think he said.) We have the binder with the repair/renovations receipts that are made out to Water/Jeff Savournin.
We are currently in Mexico on a ten day trip (short drive, long stay); we have done several of these same trips in this coach. We are going to stretch her out a little after the first of the year; we are headed to Ixtapa for a couple of months. We really do love this coach. Everywhere we've been we have received lots of comments about what great shape she's in. And we do our best to keep her that way.
roger